The Former Absolute Supreme Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Cheon Geuk (3)

Until she arrived at the Seven Swords Society, she remained lost in thought.

‘…The Seven Swords Society. So the Seven Swords Society really broke the Code of Assassins.’

The Seven Swords Society was not only the assassin organisation representing Zhejiang Province, but also one of the five largest organisations within the Assassin Alliance.

In other words, it was not an opponent she could recklessly confront, accuse, and force to take responsibility.

If it was confirmed that the Seven Swords Society had broken the Code of Assassins?

The first rule of the Code of Assassins forbade the killing of children and those who knew no martial arts. Anyone who violated it was executed without exception. In the Seven Swords Society’s case, all seven of its leaders would be put to death, while the assassins beneath them would be scattered among other assassin organisations.

‘This could actually become a good opportunity.’

When the previous Alliance Leader’s system had suddenly collapsed and the young Cheon Geuk, a woman, no less, had ascended to the position of Alliance Leader, several assassin organisations had become dissatisfied with the leadership.

The Seven Swords Society stood at the forefront of that anti-Cheon Geuk faction.

‘If I can eliminate them this time?’

Her position within the Alliance would become even more secure.

But if she handled this carelessly, her own position could instead be endangered. The opposition centred around the Seven Swords Society would demand accountability.

If internal conflict escalated into war, it would provoke the Martial Alliance. And if the Martial Alliance launched a campaign to eradicate the assassins, she might ultimately be forced to step down as Alliance Leader and take responsibility.

Of course, she was only imagining the worst-case scenario.

But there was no rule saying unforeseen variables could not arise. Just the fact that Baek Socheon had summoned her was something she could never have imagined only a few days earlier.

“Tell me about the Divine Transformation Gang.”

At once, the reply of Bukseong, one of the Four Heavenly Killers, came from the empty air. Matters related to intelligence were primarily his responsibility.

“According to the initial reports, the Divine Transformation Gang is a newly established sect that has grown rapidly over the past few years. It has now become one of the prominent sects here in Zhejiang Province.”

“There is no way the other sects just watched them grow. Are only idiots living in Zhejiang Province?”

“I will investigate the details further and report back.”

Even at this very moment, information related to this incident was still being gathered.

“Fine, look into it. There must be something more. If they really commissioned it, who placed the commission?”

“Since the late Liang Qiu lived in Wencheng, it’s possible Wang Gon, who was responsible for that area, handled it. Or someone may have come down directly from the main branch.”

“So either way, it was an operation carried out at the gang level?”

“Yes. Given the nature of the matter, I believe it would have required the approval of the Divine Transformation Gang Leader.”

“And killing the entire family?”

“I believe it was a ploy to disguise it as a personal vendetta.”

Having accumulated every kind of experience concerning assassination commissions, they had grasped the situation with remarkable accuracy.

“Fine. Let’s set the Divine Transformation Gang aside.”

From her perspective, the real issue was this.

“Why did the Seven Swords Society accept this commission, even to the point of breaking the Code of Assassins?”

“The Divine Transformation Gang has expanded at an astonishing pace. Do you think they accomplished that solely through their own strength?”

“They received help from the Seven Swords Society?”

“If the Divine Transformation Gang had become the Seven Swords Society’s biggest client, refusing their request would not have been easy.”

“I don’t think the Seven Swords Society Leader would risk breaking the Code of Assassins just for money.”

“They probably believed they wouldn’t get caught.”

Cheon Geuk nodded.

People who committed major crimes often seemed like they would have carefully thought everything through, but surprisingly, the origin of their courage was often very simple.

—As long as we don’t get caught.

If this matter had never become connected to Baek Socheon, she herself would have remained ignorant of it forever.

“You must proceed carefully. If the Seven Swords Society turns out not to have been involved, the Seven Swords Society and the opposing factions will all rise up together.”

“Yes. I’ll be careful.”

Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the Seven Swords Society’s main headquarters, disguised as an ordinary martial arts hall.

The Seven Swords Society Leader had no name.

Not only the Society Leader, but the other six experts who led the Seven Swords Society were known only as Second Sword through Seventh Sword.

Yet at some point, the Seven Swords Society Leader had begun wanting a name.

Not the miserable, wretched name from childhood, nor any of the names he had used after becoming an assassin.

Just one name.

Assassin Alliance Leader.

Since he had already spent his entire life as an assassin, he wanted to bear that name at least once before he died. When the previous Alliance Leader had still been alive, he had never harboured such ambition. It had become a new dream only after Cheon Geuk had ascended to the position.

Just then, the voice of Second Sword came from outside.

“Society Leader.”

“What is it?”

“The Assassin Alliance Leader has arrived.”

“What? Bring her in immediately.”

The Seven Swords Society Leader was startled by Cheon Geuk’s unexpected visit.

As he hurried outside, he saw Cheon Geuk, wearing a bamboo hat pulled low over her face, walking alone across the courtyard.

“You didn’t even send word beforehand. What brings you to our Society?”

“I came to Zhejiang Province on other business and decided to stop by.”

Her voice was gentle, yet the authority she carried was completely different from the way she behaved around Baek Socheon.

“I am honoured. Thank you for not forgetting our Society.”

“Please forgive my rudeness for coming so suddenly.”

“You’re too kind. Please, come inside.”

The Seven Swords Society Leader was exceedingly courteous.

Since he intended to seize the position of Alliance Leader, he knew Cheon Geuk better than anyone.

She looked young, but she was not immature.

She appeared kind, but she was not gentle.

She was intelligent, but never arrogant.

She was decisive, but never reckless.

Moreover, her talent as an assassin was unparalleled. It was said that in a one-on-one fight, no assassin of the current generation could match her.

That was why the previous King of Assassins had chosen her as his successor.

Because he had recognised her extraordinary natural talent.

As a result, countless people had been deceived by her beautiful appearance, lowered their guard, acted arrogantly, and disappeared from the world without anyone ever noticing.

The two sat down and chatted comfortably.

Because each concealed a blade for the other within their hearts, their words became all the more gentle.

“You seem to have grown even more beautiful.”

“And you seem healthier than ever, Society Leader.”

“It is time you married.”

“If you know a good man, please introduce him to me.”

“With your beauty and brilliance, Alliance Leader, finding someone worthy of you is no easy task.”

“You keep flattering me like this that my standards only keep rising.”

“Hahaha. Naturally they should.”

The two smiled at each other.

Though each would eliminate the other the moment the opportunity presented itself, they exchanged warm gazes like old friends.

At the end of the conversation, Cheon Geuk suddenly asked, as though the thought had just occurred to her.

“Oh, by the way. I heard there has been some trouble between the Martial Alliance Branch here and the Divine Transformation Gang?”

The Seven Swords Society Leader answered respectfully.

“I heard there was some friction between one of the Divine Transformation Gang’s Branch Leaders and the Wencheng Branch.”

“So you already knew.”

“Of course. It happened in Zhejiang Province, so naturally I’ve been paying attention. Did you come because of that matter?”

“Yes. To be honest, that’s exactly why I came.”

“Please give your orders.”

“The Liang Qiu family incident. Is your Society involved by any chance?”

Cheon Geuk stared intently at him.

The Seven Swords Society Leader neither flinched nor showed the slightest sign of tension.

“Impossible. Not at all.”

Smiling gently, Cheon Geuk said,

“I thought as much. There is no way you would have broken the Code of Assassins.”

“But why are you taking an interest in this matter?”

“I’ll be honest with you. Someone reported something to me.”

“A report?”

“I received the absurd claim that the Seven Swords Society accepted the commission to murder the Liang Qiu family.”

Cheon Geuk did not attempt to deceive him with some clumsy excuse.

Her opponent was the seasoned Seven Swords Society Leader. She judged that speaking the truth was a better choice than inventing a flimsy pretext.

“It is a completely false report. Our Society has never violated the Code of Assassins.”

“I never believed it from the beginning.”

“Thank you for your trust.”

The Seven Swords Society Leader was not such a political amateur as to say, ‘If you truly trusted me, you wouldn’t have come here.’

“I know a place that serves excellent liquor. Shall we go together?”

“I still have business to attend to. Another time.”

“I shall be waiting.”

Just as she had arrived, Cheon Geuk departed alone.

The moment she left, the Seven Swords Society Leader’s expression turned ice cold.

Second Sword appeared before him.

“The details of this commission have leaked.”

It was something that should never have happened.

Something that absolutely could not be allowed to happen.

“It wasn’t from our side.”

Only two people knew about the commission to kill the Liang Qiu family: the Seven Swords Society Leader and Second Sword, who stood speaking with him now.

The one who had personally carried out the assassination was none other than Second Sword himself.

That alone showed how seriously they had regarded this mission.

“She said there was an informant.”

“It seems the information leaked from their side.”

“Fool! How did you handle this?”

The truth was, he had hesitated several times before accepting the commission.

Killing an entire family who knew no martial arts violated the Code of Assassins.

But the client had been the Divine Transformation Gang.

Over the past few years, they had become the Seven Swords Society’s biggest customer.

Abandoning them would have caused tremendous losses.

Furthermore, they had offered several times their usual payment for this commission.

But the decisive reason he had accepted it was his own ambition.

Before long, he intended to usurp the position of Assassin Alliance Leader.

When the time came to pour all of his strength into that goal, he planned to have the Divine Transformation Gang as his greatest backer.

Once they had commissioned the murder of the Liang Qiu family, they would have no choice but to support him.

Of course, the Divine Transformation Gang may have been thinking the same thing.

The moment the Seven Swords Society violated the Code of Assassins, both sides had boarded the same boat.

“You must find whoever made that report.”

“I’ll investigate.”

“Be careful. The Assassin Alliance Leader will be watching us.”

“Yes.”

After Second Sword withdrew, the Seven Swords Society Leader walked over to the window.

His heart was impatient, and the road ahead remained long.

Why were there so many people blocking his path?

He hated the saying that the busier you were, the more you should take the long way around.

If you were busy, you should run.

Why would you go the long way?

Though he was over sixty, the Seven Swords Society Leader’s heart was still racing toward the future.

As the carriage moved farther away from the Seven Swords Society, Cheon Geuk finally spoke.

“The Seven Swords Society definitely did it.”

From the driver’s seat, Dongseong asked through the small window at the back.

“How can you be so certain?”

“Given the Seven Swords Society Leader’s personality, if they hadn’t done it, the first thing he would have asked about was the informant. Even if I refused to tell him, he would have tried to find clues from my answers somehow. This wasn’t just any accusation. It was an accusation of breaking the Code of Assassins. He would have flown into a rage and demanded that the person who spread such a slander against the Society’s honour be thoroughly investigated and punished.”

“Ah, I see.”

“No matter how crafty that old snake is, he never expected me to ask about that commission.”

The sudden question had caught the old man completely off guard.

“Even if they did it, it won’t be easy to find evidence.”

“That’s true.”

Breaking the Code of Assassins meant staking one’s life.

There was no way they would have left behind any evidence.

The assassination had either been carried out personally by the Seven Swords Society Leader or entrusted to the person he trusted most.

Otherwise, they might have eliminated that person as well.

After a moment of thought, Cheon Geuk spoke to Dongseong.

“Let’s go back to Baek Socheon.”

“Why are you back?”

Those were the first words Baek Socheon spoke when Cheon Geuk returned.

“You’re prickly as ever. At least greet me first.”

“As if you’re some face I was dying to see.”

“I feel exactly the same. Why else would I come? I came because of work.”

“You figured it out already? Not bad.”

“If I don’t want to keep looking at a face I dislike, I have to work quickly.”

“Come on, let’s not waste time.”

“I’m almost certain the Seven Swords Society accepted the commission.”

“I already told you that.”

“To prove the Seven Swords Society killed the Liang Qiu family, we have to deal with the fact that they broke the Code of Assassins. But there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Finding evidence is difficult. Breaking the Code of Assassins means death, so they wouldn’t have left evidence behind so easily.”

“Then go turn the place upside down! Beat them until they confess. You’ve got that kind of strength, don’t you? That’s exactly why I called you.”

“I can’t. The Seven Swords Society itself is powerful, and there are many factions within the Alliance that support them.”

“So?”

“We won’t find the evidence in the Seven Swords Society. We have to find it in the Divine Transformation Gang. I need you to uncover it.”

Baek Socheon gazed at her for a moment before answering readily.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Really?”

Cheon Geuk found it unexpected.

This wasn’t like him.

“You’re not asking for anything in return?”