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Chapter 659: Hands Off.

Bi-hyeonhwa.

Her realm was somewhere in the late-stage peak.

Classified as an assassin, her skill in assassination was relatively low.

However, despite that, her success rate was quite high. Yet, she rarely took on missions of that sort unless absolutely necessary.

Most of her assignments revolved around gathering information.

Known as the hidden flower of the Martial Alliance, Bi-hyeonhwa possessed a stunning appearance.

She was well aware of this and often used her beauty to her advantage.

“Are you okay…? I’m really sorry…”

With tears welling in her eyes, she cautiously checked if I was truly injured.

I quietly observed her current state.

‘What’s going on here?’

I had already sensed her approaching.

I knew full well she had done it on purpose.

I simply felt like testing the waters.

‘Who would’ve thought this would happen?’

Bi-hyeonhwa was so enchanting that anyone who caught a whiff of her fragrance would fall under her spell.

This was a well-known saying across the Central Plains.

‘Tsk.’

It was so fragrant that it was overwhelmingly nauseating.

Just the scent of the perfume made my stomach churn.

Still, I had to exercise restraint and not let it show.

“How should I make it up to you…? Ah…”

Bi-hyeonhwa leaned in closer with her sultry voice.

Her chest brushed against me ever so slightly.

I glanced down at her.

What a seductive face. It was true that she deserved the title of the Martial Alliance’s flower for her beauty, but—

‘What a vile woman.’

That was all I could think.

Knowing Bi-hyeonhwa’s true nature, to me, she was nothing more than a stone.

-You little insect, how dare you look at me like that?

That thought crossed my mind like a fleeting whisper.

This crazy woman had often sought to provoke me.

-You think someone like you could challenge me? Hmph. Know your place… Don’t even let me see you, I wouldn’t want to breathe the same air as you.

I had never thought to challenge her. In fact, I had no interest at all.

Sure, I might occasionally glance at her because she was somewhat pretty, but nothing beyond that.

At that time, the title of the flower of the Martial Alliance was more of an empty boast.

‘The Alliance had… her around.’

Wi Seol-Ah of the So Sword Sect.

Ever since she joined the Martial Alliance, the title of flower belonged to Wi Seol-Ah.

Faded petals wilting in the wind.

That was how I viewed Bi-hyeonhwa. A flower that couldn’t accept its place and began to harbor resentment.

Was she any different now?

I quietly gazed at Bi-hyeonhwa.

Her voluptuous curves and alluring gaze were directed at me.

Looking at her, I thought.

‘Should I kill her?’

It was annoying, but maybe it would be easier to just take her out.

Such thoughts flitted by.

‘Not yet.’

Not at this moment, at least. So, I chose to hold back.

With a faint smile, I addressed her.

“It’s fine. Are you sure you’re not hurt, Young Lady?”

“Ah, yes…!”

Bi-hyeonhwa smiled seductively at my words.

Usually, when I smiled, most people would flinch, but she showed no reaction, characteristic of someone skilled at this game.

It was amusing to see myself making such judgments.

‘Looks like I left quite an impression.’

Bi-hyeonhwa was someone not easily swayed.

Being a woman who was only dispatched for crucial missions, the fact that she came here meant—

‘Could Beomdong be keeping an eye on me?’

That meant our Master of the Flying Dragon had specifically pointed me out.

‘He’s quick.’

The moment I stepped into the street, she approached. This meant Beomdong had sent her the instant he returned.

She might as well have been lurking in wait.

‘I should probably kill her qi perception.’

I contemplated whether to slightly expand my qi sensing, but I needed to resist that urge.

‘If I expand it and get caught, that would be bad.’

The likelihood of someone nearby being able to sense my qi was low.

However, it was better to be cautious.

‘If it’s Beomdong, he could be lurking around.’

Someone of his caliber could sense even the slightest disturbance, so I needed to be on guard.

‘To send Bi-hyeonhwa here in such a short time means he’s either lurking nearby or…’

Alternatively, there was a chance he didn’t approach at all for fear I might notice.

‘Alright then.’

I locked eyes with Bi-hyeonhwa and thought.

‘How can I toy with her?’

How could I make use of her?

I considered this as I gently distanced myself.

“You both seem fine, so I’ll take my leave now. I hope the Young Lady remains at peace.”

I intentionally pulled away, and Bi-hyeonhwa widened her eyes slightly in surprise.

That, too, was an act.

While I didn’t know her thoroughly, I had a vague understanding of how she approached.

She was notorious for being loose-lipped and straightforward, boasting about various things.

Thud.

As I was about to walk away, I felt a hand grip the hem of my clothing.

“Uh, um!”

I turned at the sound.

Her ears were bright red, and her face flushed crimson. She looked as if she were about to explode from embarrassment.

Her appearance was an act, controlled through the betting.

Had I not been resistant to beauty and unaware of these tricks, my heart might have skipped a beat.

“Um… I really feel bad, but… how about a cup of tea… on me?”

Upon hearing her words, I stifled a smile.

What a relief.

Her method was exactly the same; it was a welcome surprise.

I’d been lacking something.

“Well then, that sounds good.”

A perfect ‘bait’ has landed right in front of me.

Recently, a famous inn has opened in Hanam.

Not just for food or drink, but the ambiance itself was beautiful, and the dishes were exquisite, making it a popular spot for the daughters of noble houses and wealthy ladies.

The building shed the rough characteristics typical of inns.

Flowers were planted around, the interior delicately decorated, and a pleasant fragrance filled the area.

I heard it was built by the Baekhwa Sect.

Contrary to expectations that such an atmosphere wouldn’t succeed, women began flocking from afar to fill the inn upon hearing the rumors.

At one side of that inn.

Two individuals, a man and a woman, sat in a spot with a good view of the window.

The other guests in the inn occasionally stole glances at the pair.

The woman was stunningly beautiful and captivating.

The young man across from her, however, looked startlingly…

‘Scary, huh?’

‘He looks intimidating.’

‘But why is such a woman with him…??’

His sharp, menacing looks gave that impression.

He was not suited for the beautiful woman seated across from him.

Yet, the woman seemed unfazed as she continued the conversation.

“Really?”

With a charming smile, Bi-hyeonhwa continued her chat with the young man.

“Then, you’ll be succeeding the Master of the Sect?”

“Something like that.”

“Truly impressive!”

The young man took a sip of his tea, responding in a dry tone.

Bi-hyeonhwa maintained an attentive demeanor as she listened to him.

However.

‘What’s up with this guy…?’

Her pretty smile masked thoughts that were quite different from her outward demeanor.

Bi-hyeonhwa continued the conversation with her charming smile, yet couldn’t shake off the sense of discomfort.

Hehe.

She chuckled softly.

The young man did not shy away from her gaze.

But…

‘Why doesn’t it feel like I’m mesmerizing him?’

Bi-hyeonhwa’s eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized the young man beyond her smile.

His skin from head to toe was dark.

With somewhat messy hair and donned in a dark robe, his fair skin stood out, strikingly so, yet his gaze was penetratingly sharp.

Judging by appearances, he seemed to be just over twenty years old.

‘What kind of guy is he?’

Typically, a man of this age would be completely smitten by just a smile.

Even if he were older, it wouldn’t make much difference.

All men tended to be easily captivated.

‘Something’s off.’

Bi-hyeonhwa had to secretly stifle her irritation at the awkwardness of it all.

“So, what brings you to Hanam?”

“I came to check out the Martial Arts Tournament.”

“Oh.”

The conversation flowed, albeit mostly with Bi-hyeonhwa asking questions and the young man answering.

“Then, are you planning to participate in the tournament for the revival of your sect?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Oh my! How impressive!”

The dialogue continued without faltering. Bi-hyeonhwa kept steering the conversation, yet merely doing that.

She exchanged smiles as they maintained eye contact, subtly showing her figure.

Despite all that, the young man’s gaze remained unchanged.

He neither avoided her gaze nor responded enthusiastically to her words. His eyes told her everything.

It was clear; he had little interest in her.

‘Could he be impotent?’

The thought crossed her mind.

The mere idea seemed absurd.

‘…A man not interested in me?’

Gritting her teeth, Bi-hyeonhwa clenched her fists beneath the table.

‘That can’t be.’

It was unbelievable. It shouldn’t be possible.

Who was she?

‘I am the most beautiful in Hanam.’

The flower of the Martial Alliance, and perhaps soon to be called the most beautiful across the Central Plains.

Even now, look.

The men outside peeking in at her.

The desire glistening in their eyes.

Bi-hyeonhwa was acutely aware of that.

That base desire thrilled her—it was because of it that she could toy with men.

Yet this young man was different.

‘So, the Master of the Flying Dragon warned me, and this is why?’

She was supposed to be in standby for the Martial Arts Tournament, resting up, while planning to toy with a few quality men.

[Your mission has been assigned.]

Early that morning, she received a mission while staying in the Alliance.

None other than the Master of the Flying Dragon assigned it directly.

To gather information on an unidentified martial master appearing in Hanam.

She was about to refuse out of annoyance, but once she saw the details, her interest piqued.

‘He’s around the age of twenty, yet his realm is absurdly high.’

She suspected he wasn’t a misty realm or something similar, but he had risen to a high power at such a young age.

The warning to be cautious was notable.

A young master… how could she not be intrigued?

‘Not only is it a mission, but wouldn’t just capturing him be beneficial for my life?’

Even if he were a martial master, he was still a man.

Of course, it was evident he wouldn’t be able to resist her charms, so she had thought that using the mission as an excuse to seduce him wouldn’t be a bad idea.

‘Such a bothersome individual.’

The person she encountered, based on the description, was far from her expectations.

‘They say he’s a martial master, but I can’t feel a thing.’

Considering they had cautioned her about the individual, she couldn’t sense any of the martial presence that should accompany a master.

Nothing at all, not even the slightest hint of energy.

‘…Is something off here?’

At least the youngest transformation realm martial artist, Shin Ryong, and the late-stage talents from renowned families emitted clear energies.

But this guy was devoid of anything.

Merely nothingness.

He didn’t seem different from an average person, yet why would the Master of the Flying Dragon require caution?

‘Moreover, he’s said to be the undefeated champion from an unheard-of sect called Pachunmun.’

Well, he was supposedly here to showcase his presence at the Martial Arts Tournament.

His name was something like Pa Jeol-yeop.

Honestly, she had never even heard that name before.

If this person were strong enough for the Master of the Flying Dragon to warn her, wouldn’t she at least have heard of him?

The lack of recognition pointed toward one conclusion.

‘Was he lying to me?’

Though it was uncertain, it was a strong suspicion.

In the course of our seemingly brief conversation, Bi-hyeonhwa sensed that the man was feeding her lies.

‘He must think he’s good at hiding things?’

That wasn’t too surprising. Among the Central Plains, how many were truly without secrets? Bi-hyeonhwa was certain there was no one.

Furthermore, discovering such information was part of her job.

‘Let’s see how much longer you can keep up that pride.’

After all, even if it weren’t Bi-hyeonhwa, the investigation unit would have taken action.

Before long, they would gather details on the man within a day.

Her task within that time frame would be—

‘Extracting unknown information while seducing him to have him submit to me.’

That was Bi-hyeonhwa’s forte.

Previously, she had encountered a few men with hefty pride, yet they always ended up in her skirt.

This time would be no different.

Bi-hyeonhwa was confident of that.

“Excuse me… Pa Young Master.”

Upon her call, the young man shifted his gaze slightly.

His attitude was that of extreme indifference.

Having someone act like that toward her twisted her insides for a moment, but she stifled it, recalling her professional conduct.

“Um… I think we’ve talked quite a bit…”

“Seems like we’ve barely exchanged ten sentences. What do you mean by ‘a lot’?”

‘That’s because you’re speaking like a complete idiot, you jerk.’

Bi-hyeonhwa held back her retort with difficulty.

Stay patient.

She had to endure.

‘After all, once the stage is set, it’ll be obvious that he’ll be acting like a fool.’

Even if he acted tough, truthfully, once physical contact happened, he would become a puddle.

In any other mission, she wouldn’t have resorted to such extremes…

‘But if the Master of the Flying Dragon is right, he’s quite the exceptional man.’

A young master at such an age.

Just that prospect tantalized Bi-hyeonhwa.

‘Shin Ryong was too out of her league, but this boy could be just right.’

A prospective candidate for the future number one under heaven, someone believed to be leading the Central Plains.

Shin Ryong was under Shaolin’s blessing, making him unapproachable.

This boy though? It wouldn’t hurt to at least lay the groundwork.

As she thought this, Bi-hyeonhwa slowly moved beside the young man named Pa Jeol-yeop.

“You know… Pa Young Master…”

She called to him in a sultry voice.

As she reached out, her fingertip brushed against his arm, gliding up just within reach.

Then she leaned in closer.

As her chest pressed softly against his arm, she noticed his eyebrows twitch.

Seeing that reaction, Bi-hyeonhwa grew bolder.

“Instead of talking in a place like this… how about we move to somewhere quieter?”

“A quieter place, you say? Where would that be?”

Her hand, which had been reaching out, began moving.

Bi-hyeonhwa’s fingers slowly glided toward his chest.

As her sticky touch approached his upper body—

Snap.

Pa Jeol-yeop’s hand suddenly gripped Bi-hyeonhwa’s wrist.

It was a rough movement, and the sensation brought a smile to Bi-hyeonhwa’s lips.

Gotcha. She thought to herself.

Unfortunately, no sooner had she formed that thought than—

“…Ah, this is going to make it harder to hold back.”

With a voice that sounded half entranced, the young man spoke.

Could it be that he had already succumbed without her realization?

‘Looks like all men really are the same.’

Bi-hyeonhwa chuckled with newfound confidence.

However, she did not notice.

Nor did she see that Pa Jeol-yeop’s eyes were gradually growing cold.

As the moment came when he would make a move towards her, just like Bi-hyeonhwa earlier—

Startled.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Pa Jeol-yeop froze, eyes widening as he stared at something outside.

“Pa Young Master…?”

Bi-hyeonhwa was about to react when—

Swoosh!

“…!!”

Her body suddenly went rigid.

“Crack…”

She couldn’t even scream.

Neither was she struck nor suppressed.

Drip.

A drop of sweat trickled down Bi-hyeonhwa’s forehead.

‘What is… what is this…?’

Her trembling eyes roamed about.

Around her, everything was blurry, but she instinctively understood.

Swish.

A blade was perched at her throat.

There was nothing there, yet it felt like there definitely was. It was a paradox she couldn’t comprehend.

However, that was the truth of the matter.

Not just her throat.

From all directions, sharp sword tips were aimed at Bi-hyeonhwa.

The scent of death brushed against her nostrils.

As she swallowed nervously with her trembling body—

Creak!

The inn’s door swung open, and someone stepped inside.

This caught Pa Jeol-yeop’s attention as well.

“Welcome… Ugh…!?”

The well-dressed Jeomsosoi had been about to greet them when she caught sight of the guest and froze in place.

The woman who entered had long hair, flowing through the air.

Her gemstone-like eyes surveyed the surroundings.

At her gaze, the subdued murmurs in the inn quieted down.

Was it an illusion?

The moment she stepped in, a strange floral fragrance seemed to mingle with the air.

“Oh my…”

“…How could…!”

Those in her presence stopped breathing and exclaimed in awe.

A flower in full bloom had arrived.

When one called a person a flower, could there exist another who fit that description quite as well?

She was precisely that sort of being.

Not only the patrons inside but even those passing by stared at her.

The attention that had been on Bi-hyeonhwa shifted entirely, all just from her mere entry.

“…”

Amid the adoration, the woman gradually redirected her gaze.

For a moment, her moving eyes ultimately locked onto one place.

She met Bi-hyeonhwa’s eyes.

And saw her pressed intimately against the young man.

Seeing that, the woman’s brows furrowed slightly.

Step.

The woman took a step forward.

As she did, the floral scent intensified.

Her steps were gentle and swaying, yet there was no hint of instability.

The woman moved closer to Bi-hyeonhwa.

‘Who is she…?’

Bi-hyeonhwa felt flustered with the approaching woman.

Given her current state, her very presence was problematic for Bi-hyeonhwa.

‘W-Why is she so beautiful?’

Thoughts she had never dared to entertain burst forth.

Bi-hyeonhwa’s insides twisted, and her eyes hardened. She did not want to accept it. But upon seeing her, she was forced to acknowledge it.

Standing tall.

“…”

The woman approached Bi-hyeonhwa directly.

With splendid eyes, she examined her from head to toe before finally addressing her.

“Hands off.”

“…Huh?”

In confusion, Bi-hyeonhwa responded, her voice tinged with questioning.

The woman’s eyes turned chillingly cold.

Chill—!!

In an instant, a wave of killing intent enveloped Bi-hyeonhwa, causing her to tremble involuntarily.

“Hngh…!”

Bi-hyeonhwa instinctively let out a breath, yet the woman continued unfazed.

“I’ll say it again.”

Her golden hair shimmered as it flowed.

The murderous intent in the woman’s golden eyes bore down on Bi-hyeonhwa.

As the woman, Wi Seol-Ah, began to consume Bi-hyeonhwa’s presence, she spoke.

“Hands off.”

Before I kill you.

 

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