Chapter 219: A New Phase (4)

“Ah, you startled me. When did you even come in?”

Surely the entrance should have been guarded by trustworthy people?

To Baek Sang-ah’s question, Cheon Yura pointed somewhere with her finger.

“Through the outer window.”

“…….”

Come to think of it, the window far away was now wide open.

“You were too busy sulking to notice.”

“…Ggggh!”

Baek Sang-ah’s face flushed red like an apple from embarrassment.

“Why, why are you here? If you have business, you should go through the proper procedure!”

“Isn’t that too much of a hassle between you and me?”

“…What exactly are we to each other?”

Even with her sharp tone, Cheon Yura’s expression didn’t change.

She answered simply.

“Comrades.”

“Comrades…”

Baek Sang-ah mulled over that word for a moment.

Then she composed her expression seriously and asked,

“If we’re no longer comrades… how would you treat me?”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

Not understanding, Cheon Yura tilted her head slightly. Baek Sang-ah put more force into her voice as she continued,

“What if… I seriously go after Young Master Jin?”

“…….”

Cheon Yura’s expression subtly changed—she had clearly come here for a different reason but ended up hearing a very unexpected love rivalry declaration.

For Baek Sang-ah, this statement had taken tremendous courage.

To be honest, she didn’t dislike Cheon Yura.

In fact, she even somewhat admired her.

She had often wondered if she could ever surpass someone like her—who possessed talent, grace, and beauty.

If she were truly from a demonic sect, she probably would’ve been one of Cheon Yura’s many followers.

After a brief pause, Cheon Yura responded with a question of her own.

“You… like him?”

At this point, there was no denying it.

“Yes. I like Young Master Jin.”

She clenched her fists and forced the words out.

“I know the two of you are crazy about each other… but still, I don’t want to give up.”

“Hmm.”

At that, Cheon Yura folded her arms, lost in thought.

What would she say?

Baek Sang-ah nervously watched her reaction, cold sweat trickling down her spine.

Given Cheon Yura’s personality, it wouldn’t have been strange if a sword had come flying instead of words.

Dozens of seconds passed—each one like hell for Baek Sang-ah.

“I see.”

Having sorted her thoughts, Cheon Yura looked Baek Sang-ah straight in the eye.

“You really do like him.”

Her reaction was surprisingly mild, leaving Baek Sang-ah stunned.

“…That’s the conclusion you came to after all that?”

“What else can I say? If it were someone else, maybe not—but you? I figured you might.”

Cheon Yura’s tone and expression made it hard to read her true feelings.

So Baek Sang-ah snapped a little.

“Ah, seriously! I just told you I like Young Master Jin! Can’t you at least react a little differently?!”

“A reaction, huh…”

“If it were the usual you, wouldn’t you have already pulled a blade on me?!”

“That’s true.”

Cheon Yura admitted calmly.

Indeed, if anyone but Baek Sang-ah had said such a thing, she probably would have gone all out on the spot.

“And if I actually took Young Master Jin from you, you’d still react that calmly?”

“No. That’s not it.”

Cheon Yura’s eyes narrowed slightly for an instant.

Baek Sang-ah flinched at the strange mix of charm and intensity in that gaze.

“I despise having what’s mine taken from me more than anything.”

“…….”

“And I won’t tolerate sharing with anyone.”

Tsstsstssts!

“And that man belongs to me.”

The moment she finished speaking, a bizarre, formless pressure blanketed Baek Sang-ah’s entire body.

Feeling the strength of that oppressive force, Baek Sang-ah trembled.

‘She’s gotten even stronger?! What kind of monster is this woman?!’

She’d felt something similar once before—but this was different.

Now, the being before her felt utterly unreal.

‘Mid to late level? Did she have some epiphany in her battle against the Venerable Buddha?’

“And you… don’t tell me you’ve gone beyond the Extreme Demon stage?”

“Not yet.”

That ‘not yet’—didn’t it imply she would surpass it given a bit of time?

Why had the heavens created such a monster?

Crack!

‘No—it doesn’t matter if she’s a monster! I won’t lose!’

Black energy flared across Baek Sang-ah’s body, pushing back the oppressive will Cheon Yura radiated.

She enforced her own will.

“I don’t like sharing either. And I sure as hell won’t settle for being second.”

“Oh?”

Blood began trickling from Baek Sang-ah’s nose, eyes, and mouth.

But at the same time, Cheon Yura could feel her oppressive intent being gradually pushed back.

“In the end… I’ll just have to fight and win.”

“Heh… You withstood three-tenths of my intent. Not bad at all.”

With a pleased smile, Cheon Yura withdrew her will.

Normally, given Baek Sang-ah’s level, she should have already given in and yielded.

Especially since her internal injuries weren’t fully healed yet.

Baek Sang-ah wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and muttered,

“Damn it… My nearly healed injuries just got worse again. What are you going to do about that?”

To her grumbling, Cheon Yura replied,

“You’re not thinking of giving up, are you?”

“I know I’m being clingy and pathetic right now. But still—I’m going to do everything I can.”

“Fine, then go ahead and try.”

“…?!”

Baek Sang-ah’s eyes widened at the completely unexpected permission.

“Y-You… You’re serious?”

It was such a shock that she stuttered her words.

“To be honest, I think giving up now would probably lead to a better future for you.”

To Cheon Yura, this wasn’t a guess—it was certainty.

“But if you insist on clashing and breaking, I’ll at least give you the chance.”

“You sound pretty confident. What if things don’t go your way?”

“I trust that man.”

Cheon Yura lifted her chin proudly.

“He’s not the type to be swayed by another woman’s charms.”

“…!”

“Absolutely not.”

At that overwhelming confidence, Baek Sang-ah bit her lip.

Then Cheon Yura added, dealing another blow.

“Oh, and just to be clear. Giving you a chance doesn’t mean I’ll sit back and let you do as you please.”

“W-What?”

“No matter who you are, do you think I’d quietly stand by while someone makes a move on what’s mine?”

Flinch!

For a brief moment, Cheon Yura’s face darkened.

“I sincerely hope you don’t give me a reason to draw my sword on you.”

“…How is that giving me a chance?”

“Of course it is.”

Her shadowed eyes glinted coldly.

“I’m giving you a chance… because I’m letting you live right now.”

Chills! Shivers!

Goosebumps crept down her spine.

Baek Sang-ah wanted to run away right then. She felt like she wouldn’t last another second under that gaze.

But the more she felt that, the more she steeled herself.

Instead, she grinned boldly and met Cheon Yura’s eyes head-on.

“That’s the spirit.”

Such a bold spirit.

Even if the motive was impure, Cheon Yura liked warriors with resolve.

“I don’t think I can wish you luck. But go ahead and give it your all.”

“You’d better look forward to it.”

“I will.”

Just as Cheon Yura turned her back in dramatic fashion to leave—

Baek Sang-ah blinked and suddenly asked, as if realizing something.

“Wait, why did you really come here?”

“…Ah.”

Cheon Yura’s body froze in place.

Baek Sang-ah awkwardly continued.

“I mean… this wasn’t what you came for originally, right?”

“……”

Cheon Yura slowly turned back around.

Baek Sang-ah caught a glimpse of a faint blush on her cheek.

Two days later, the Heavenly Demon Cult’s envoy crossed the gates of Luoyang.

The notable thing was that they weren’t the only ones to step into Luoyang.

Over a hundred of the Murim Alliance’s elite warriors surrounded them, almost like an escort.

The delegation, settled in a luxurious pavilion in Luoyang’s central district, made contact with us that very night—while evading the Alliance’s surveillance.

“We pay our respects to the Young Cult Leader.”

Led by the Left Guardian, the Crimson-Faced Demon Fighter Wang Cheongeol, the members of the envoy all prostrated themselves before Cheon Yura.

“Thank you for coming.”

“It is our duty and honor to serve you, Young Cult Leader.”

The one who answered modestly was a beautiful middle-aged woman standing beside Wang Cheongeol.

“I appreciate the words, Deputy Squad Leader.”

Standing behind Cheon Yura, I blinked as I felt a sense of familiarity when looking at the woman.

‘Wait… that person…’

If my memory was correct, then she was definitely—

“Master of the Tower?”

Noticing my gaze, she lifted her head and smiled gently.

“It has been a while, Young Master Jin-nim.”

“Why are you here…?”

Even as I spoke, my thoughts were quickly connecting the dots.

A dual identity.

There was no other explanation that made sense.

Sure enough—

“I am here under my position as Vice Leader of the Divine Ghost Unit. I ask for your understanding.”

“…Come again?”

Still processing, I stared as she brought her hands together in greeting.

“Vice Leader of the Divine Ghost Unit, Hidden Fragrance Phoenix—Bu Il-hwa.”

“……”

Vice Leader of the Divine Ghost Unit?

The vice leader of the cult’s top intelligence unit was actually the Tower Master?

I had suspected there was some connection due to how she had previously referred to Cheon Yura in indirect terms, but still…

Cheon Yura patted my shoulder.

“Sorry. I meant to tell you earlier, but the timing never worked out.”

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

I quickly collected myself and shook my head.

As Bu Il-hwa watched our exchange with a faintly curious expression, she turned back to Cheon Yura and reported,

“On the way here, the Murim Alliance dogs sent countless requests to see Your Grace in person.”

“Hm, that must have been bothersome.”

“We were still outside the Alliance’s jurisdiction, so it was easy to refuse. But considering the annoyance to come, I believe revealing your presence once may be worthwhile.”

“Indeed. That sounds reasonable.”

Cheon Yura accepted her advice without resistance.

After some formalities were exchanged—

“Many will be curious to know what transpired here in Luoyang.”

At those words, many in the room nodded in agreement.

The mention of the Black Lotus Union…

It was more shocking than when the Evil Overlords of Heaven had risen in Qinghai thirty years ago.

It was one thing for the Evil Overlords of Heaven to remain holed up in rural corners, but the Black Lotus Union’s base this time was none other than Luoyang.

No matter how ancient the city might be, no one could call Luoyang a backwater.

“To get straight to the point—the Black Lotus Union is a puppet group with its shares divided between our cult and the orthodox sects.”

“…!”

Cheon Yura gave the envoy a summarized explanation of the inner workings of the Black Lotus Union.

Of course, there had been so many events in between that even a summary required nearly half a shichen.

“Ah…”

“S-Such a thing!”

“Incredible, Young Cult Leader! To think you fought against the Venerable Buddha!”

The envoy was overwhelmed with joy upon hearing that Cheon Yura had gone head-to-head with the Venerable Buddha.

Bu Il-hwa lowered her head in reverence, her face moved with emotion.

“This is truly the fortune and blessing of our cult. Congratulations, Young Cult Leader.”

“Thank you, Vice Leader.”

“However… though it pains me to bring this up during such a celebratory moment, I must report a terrible incident that occurred within the cult…”

“Ah, before that.”

Cheon Yura suddenly raised a hand and cut her off.

“Before that, there’s something I need to inform you all of.”

“We will listen with utmost respect.”

The delegation once again straightened their posture and focused intently on her words.

And then, Cheon Yura dropped a massive thunderclap of an announcement on them.

“Jin Yeomyung and I have decided to officially enter a relationship, as of this occasion.”

“…Pardon?”

“…Excuse me?”

“…I’m sorry, what!?”

A beat later, voices from all directions repeated the same stunned phrase.

Judging by their wide eyes and frozen expressions, they were clearly more shocked by this declaration than even the origins of the Black Lotus Union.

‘This occasion? Officially? When the hell did that happen?’

Even I stood there, mouth agape, staring directly at Cheon Yura.

She raised her voice again, as if making a formal proclamation.

“So you’d best remember this. From now on, the exchange ceremonies of the cult hold no meaning. I will have only this one by my side.”

Panicking, I reached out toward her.

“Yu-Yura? No, Cheon—Y-Young Cult Leader?!”

In my confusion, I made a slip of the tongue I absolutely should not have.

And someone among the prostrated followers did not miss that slip.

“Yu… what was that?”

Slide!

“…You punk. What did you just call her?”

Goooooom…!

The ground-shaking presence stood up—a crimson-faced, iron-willed figure, the strongest nanny on earth.

At that very moment, an overwhelming wave of murderous intent and pressure surged toward me.

“…Ah.”

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