Chapter 131

Sun Woo-jin arrived in the border region of Guizhou Province, having crossed over from Xingmen in Sichuan—the site of his fierce battle with the Jeonghyeop faction—around the evening of the day after his fight with the assassins.

By the original schedule, he should have already crossed into Guizhou that very morning. But because he had spent so much time helping clean up the aftermath of the caravan that had been nearly wiped out by the assassins the day before, he was running late.

Still, the delay no longer mattered.

He had initially pushed for speed to avoid an ambush, but since the attack had already happened, there was no need to rush anymore.

Besides, the whole point was to buy time—to postpone Dang Ye-eun’s marriage—not to actually go to the Sun family estate and push the engagement forward.

“Trying to arrange a marriage with the Sichuan Dang family as the heir of the Sun clan? No matter how I look at it, that’s just too much. And the idea of actually pushing through a real engagement with Dang So-jeo? That’s even more absurd…”

Sun Woo-jin’s thoughts drifted to Dang Ye-eun.

She was a woman of extraordinary beauty and kindness, and it was true that every time he saw her, his heart wavered.

But still, whenever he thought of Na Seo-yu, a sharp pang would twist in his chest. To even consider a future with another woman felt irresponsible.

Not yet… not yet.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Sun Woo-jin steeled himself.

“No matter what happens, I can’t just let Dang So-jeo be forced into a marriage with that snake of a man.”

So he resolved to do everything in his power—even if it meant becoming the true heir of the Sun family and formally proposing the marriage.

It was while he was riding along the mountain pass into Guizhou that he noticed something unusual at the foot of Sacheop Mountain, which marked the border between Sichuan and Guizhou.

Several caravans had stopped short of climbing the pass, and a beautiful young woman was pleading tearfully with them.

“Please, I beg you! Save my brother! I’ll repay you with everything I have!”

But despite her desperate pleas, the merchants only cleared their throats and turned away.

“Hmph, it’s a sad story, but how can we possibly fight off the Sacheop gang when we can’t even get past this pass? It’s unfortunate, but you should just give up.”

“Exactly. If you need work, come join our caravan. But your brother? He’s probably dead already. It’s time to let go.”

At that, the woman finally broke down in tears.

“How can you say that? How could I ever give up on the brother who raised me?”

The merchants merely licked their lips, watching her sob.

After a moment, she wiped her tears and bowed her head.

“I was rude to those who spoke for me. Please forgive me. I’ll try to find someone else who can help.”

The merchants clicked their tongues.

“Tch, we’ve been searching all morning and haven’t found anyone. What makes you think you’ll find someone now?”

But she no longer paid them any mind. With a determined expression, she moved on to seek help elsewhere.

Sun Woo-jin halted his horse and watched her for a moment.

From what he gathered, her brother was being held captive somewhere called Sacheopchae on Sacheop Mountain.

So she was looking for someone to rescue him.

He approached her.

Since he needed to stall for time anyway, dealing with a single green forest gang like Sacheopchae on the way wouldn’t be too difficult.

“May I ask what’s going on, miss?”

At the sound of his voice, she turned around with a hopeful look.

Up close, she was strikingly beautiful—her makeup making her look younger than she had from afar, probably no older than twenty.

But when she saw that he was alone, her face fell slightly.

“My brother was captured by the Sacheopchae, a green forest gang on Sacheop Mountain. I’m looking for someone who can rescue him.”

The phrase “someone who can rescue him,” paired with her polite yet disappointed expression, suggested she didn’t think Sun Woo-jin alone could do it.

A strange surge of competitiveness stirred within him.

He asked again, “Is Sacheopchae a particularly strong gang?”

She sighed.

“It used to be a small green forest gang, but after the Jeonghyeop faction collapsed, their remnants joined Sacheopchae, and it’s grown rapidly. That’s why merchants won’t go there lightly—they gather in numbers to cross all at once.”

Sun Woo-jin frowned.

“The remnants of Jeonghyeop joined Sacheopchae? But they were supposed to be righteous, weren’t they?”

She gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

“They were originally henchmen of the Blood Sect. If those under them were truly righteous, they wouldn’t have obeyed the orders of the Jeonghyeop leader, who was a Blood Sect member, in the first place.”

That made sense.

The Jeonghyeop leader had never really seemed righteous.

If those who followed him without question weren’t Blood Sect members, they probably weren’t truly righteous either.

Sun Woo-jin nodded in understanding.

“May I help you?”

She looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m grateful, but they’re too strong for one person to handle alone…”

But then her eyes widened in shock.

She had caught sight of the faint violet glow along the blade of the sword he had partially drawn.

“Y-You’re… an Absolute Peak warrior?!”

Sun Woo-jin sheathed his sword and put a finger to his lips.

“Shh. No need to make a scene. Do you think this won’t be enough?”

Tears welled in her eyes as she bowed deeply.

“I was blind not to recognize you! Please forgive me! How could I ever say you’re not enough, especially to an Absolute Peak warrior? I’m just so grateful.”

Then, suddenly, she asked, “Are you famous? I’m not very well-informed… May I ask your name?”

Sun Woo-jin smiled faintly.

“My name is Sun Woo-jin.”

She looked embarrassed, as if she’d never heard the name before, and bowed again.

“I’m sorry, sir. My knowledge is limited…”

Seeing her so apologetic for not knowing him, Sun Woo-jin gave a wry smile and shook his head.

“It’s alright. It’s not a great name, and I haven’t done anything to make it famous. By the way, do you know where Sacheopchae is located?”

Her face brightened.

“Yes! My brother let me escape before he was captured, so I know the area well. I’ll guide you.”

And so, Sun Woo-jin and the woman began climbing the mountain pass together.

What Sun Woo-jin didn’t know was that behind him, following quietly, was Jeok Ha-yeon, faintly smiling to herself.

---

Earlier that morning, before meeting Sun Woo-jin, Jeok Ma-hyeok had declared to his two younger siblings:

“I’m handling this alone.”

Naturally, they protested.

“What are you talking about, brother? We agreed to handle all requests together!”

“That’s right, brother! You promised we’d only kill those who deserved it, and not kill otherwise!”

“W-Well…”

Ma-hyeok’s face twisted in discomfort at their words.

He had indeed made that promise—to prevent his siblings from hating themselves.

Though he had become an assassin to support them, he hated himself every time he had to kill someone who wasn’t truly evil, just because of a contract.

He tried to convince himself it was necessary, but he couldn’t deny that he felt like trash.

That was why he never wanted his siblings to feel the same way.

“Absolutely not. I can’t let these kids live thinking they’re trash like me.”

With that resolve, he promised them: if the target deserved death, he would kill; if the person was truly righteous, he wouldn’t accept the contract.

This was a promise he could make only because, having earned the rank of Seven Kill, he had enough standing within the Sichuan Assassins’ Gate to choose his contracts.

Since then, his younger sister Jeok Ha-yeon had tested each target’s character by seducing them before accepting a contract.

If someone fell for the charms of a teenage girl and tried to assault her, then they deserved to die.

Though Ma-hyeok tolerated Ha-yeon’s methods, he knew the truth.

“No matter how righteous a person is, it’s almost impossible to resist a young, beautiful woman’s open seduction—unless they’re a monk or something.”

Take today’s victim, Baek Suk-bangju Hyuk Mok-an.

He might have been a good man, not an evil one.

He had done many good deeds in his life, and recently had helped the people of Xingmen a great deal.

So to say he deserved death just because he fell for Ha-yeon’s seduction was unfair.

It was just an excuse to carry out the contract and to ease the guilt his siblings might feel.

But this time was different.

“I don’t know what Moonju was thinking, but he ordered us to carry out a forced mission. And not just any mission—he wants us to kill a master with over seventy years of internal energy cultivation. If we fail, he means to kill us.”

No, maybe he intended to kill them regardless of success or failure.

That’s why this mission had to succeed—no matter what.

For the sake of his younger siblings and himself, they all had to survive.

And even if he failed, at the very least, his siblings had to live.

That was why he wanted to go alone…

But now, his grown-up younger siblings refused to listen.

“Ha-gun, Ha-yeon, please, just this once, listen to your big brother…”

“No! You’re trying to send us away so you can face danger alone, aren’t you?!”

“That’s right, hyung! You promised! We’d always stick together! Even if the target isn’t a villain, we agreed never to obey their orders, even if it means dying together!”

Jeok Ma-hyeok was at a loss.

Because everything his siblings said was true.

But even so, he couldn’t just give in. So, for the first time in a long while, he snapped at them.

With a fierce glare, he shouted, “Enough! I’m doing this because I said so! This mission is mine alone! That’s final—no more arguments!”

His intimidating tone silenced his siblings instantly.

Their faces fell, and though it hurt him to see them so deflated, there was nothing he could do.

Then, Jeok Ha-yeon suddenly began to cry, tears streaming down her face.

“Sniff… sniff…”

Seeing that, Jeok Ma-hyeok felt like his heart was being torn apart.

Through her tears, Jeok Ha-yeon spoke to him.

“I know why you’re being so stubborn, hyung. You want to send us away because you think it’s dangerous, because you’re afraid we’ll die.”

He was momentarily speechless.

He couldn’t say a word.

“Fine! Do whatever you want! Go alone if you must! But just know this—if you don’t come back, I’ll follow you to death. Even if I don’t die there, we’ll end up dying together anyway! Sniff…”

Her words froze Jeok Ma-hyeok like a statue.

Then his younger brother, Jeok Ha-gun, cautiously spoke up.

“Hyung, we’re not kids anymore. We understand why you’re doing this. And if you don’t come back, I’ll go after that Sun Woo-jin guy for revenge. So, in the end, we’ll all die together anyway.”

Hearing that, Jeok Ma-hyeok could no longer tell them not to come along.

His heart ached too deeply, and he was moved beyond words.

But when he finally declared that they would all go together, he didn’t notice Jeok Ha-yeon exchanging a secret glance with Jeok Ha-gun, still sobbing.

---

Jeok Ha-yeon stole a glance at Sun Woo-jin’s profile, just a little ahead of her, his head held high.

She felt a pang of sorrow inside.

“Why is he so handsome? It’s almost cruel! And to be a peak master with that face—that’s just unfair!”

Her dream was to marry a man like him—handsome and wealthy—and spoil her big brother Jeok Ma-hyeok.

But now, she had to kill someone who looked so much like her ideal type. The cruel reality made her want to cry.

“I’m not sure if he’s rich yet, but if he’s a peak master at his age, making money will be a piece of cake, right?”

The more she thought about it, the more heartbreaking it became.

Suddenly, she asked him, “Um… may I ask about your family name, Lord Sun?”

He smiled broadly in response—a smile so fresh and genuine it warmed Jeok Ha-yeon’s heart.

“Oh, I’m from the Gui-ju Sun clan.”

“What?! The Sun clan?!”

Even though Jeok Ha-yeon had only operated in Sichuan Province, she knew the Gui-ju Sun clan was one of the Eight Great Clans of Guizhou.

Surprised, she asked again, “So, you’re the heir of the Gui-ju Sun clan…?”

He chuckled awkwardly and replied, “No, not the heir. I’m the third son. I’m practically the black sheep of the family.”

“Oh…”

Jeok Ha-yeon looked at him with pity.

Being the third son of the Sun clan meant he was probably wealthy, just as she had guessed.

And on top of that, he was humble.

“He’s reached the peak at such a young age but is still considered a cast-off by his family? That’s unbelievable. How can someone be so humble?”

Jeok Ha-yeon sighed again, filled with sympathy.

Having to assassinate someone like him felt like her heart was being ripped apart.

But…

There was no choice.

To save her brother and themselves, they had to kill him.

In truth, Jeok Ha-yeon also knew the truth.

That branding the men she seduced as villains was just an excuse—a pretext to carry out the mission.

She only wanted to ease the heavy burden on her brother Jeok Ma-hyeok, who had worked so hard raising her and Jeok Ha-gun.

Because in the end, to survive, they couldn’t avoid killing someone.

“Killing is wrong, but it’s not really our fault, right? It’s the fault of those who ordered this, and the Salmun clan who put us in this position. So we absolutely cannot die. We won’t die! No matter how many people we have to kill, we’ll survive—if only to make all our suffering worth it!”

Recalling her resolve, Jeok Ha-yeon steeled herself and began her task immediately.

She was going to seduce Sun Woo-jin… right away.