WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 56: Master of Soul-Stealing Arts (1)

──────

Cheon Geuk took Baek Socheon to Daru near the Murim Alliance.

Na Sarin was waiting there over tea and greeted him warmly.

"Hello, big brother!"

She had shown Master Jong her true eyes before, but Na Sarin had now completely concealed her presence. Anyone would have taken her for a child.

"Yes, hello!"

Baek Socheon returned the greeting without thinking, then looked at Cheon Geuk.

"She's my younger sister."

"You have a younger sister?"

"Why? Did you think we only picked up orphaned children and raised them as assassins?"

"Not exactly. It's just unexpected. You having a younger sister, I mean."

As he spoke, Baek Socheon studied Na Sarin closely.

"What is it, big brother? Is there something on my face?"

Baek Socheon turned to Cheon Geuk.

"Who is she?"

"I told you, she's my younger sister."

"Stop fooling around."

"How did you know? I suppose there are things that can never be hidden, no matter how hard you try?"

"No. You don't look alike at all."

"......"

Baek Socheon's gaze returned to Na Sarin.

By then, she had returned to her usual eyes, as though the joke had gone far enough.

"Great Hero Baek, I am Na Sarin."

Though she was over eighty years old, she was exceedingly polite.

Seeing the depth in her eyes, Baek Socheon clasped his hands and bowed in greeting.

"I am Baek Socheon."

Baek Socheon generally looked down on assassins. Yet Na Sarin's presence, now that she had revealed it, was truly extraordinary. And when someone with such a presence treated him courteously, he had to offer the same respect in return.

Cheon Geuk introduced her.

"She's the most senior elder of our alliance, and the person I respect most. She also helped a great deal with buying the spiritual medicine."

"You give me too much credit. The Alliance Leader put a great deal of effort into this matter. This old woman merely introduced you to the spiritual-medicine merchant."

The two women passed the credit back and forth.

Baek Socheon said to Na Sarin, "You must also know about my relationship with your alliance."

"I know it well."

"I regret what happened."

Baek Socheon did not apologize. His thoughts had not changed. Assassins should not exist in this world. If they had to exist as a necessary evil, then at least someone who upheld the basics, like Cheon Geuk, should hold that position.

"How could it be your fault, Great Hero Baek? It is simply the harsh fate of people like us, who make a living from the lives of others."

"Thank you for understanding."

The two understood each other to some degree. Baek Socheon's first impression of Na Sarin was not bad. He could sense the wounds and sorrow of someone who had lived an entire life in a child's body, and her deep eyes, which had transcended them, moved him profoundly. There was also the reassuring steadiness that came from the experience of someone who had reached the end of the road.

Cheon Geuk added, "Elder Na is the greatest master of the Soul-Seizing Art."

Baek Socheon was startled at those words.

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Nothing. I was just surprised to think fate might really exist."

"What do you mean?"

Baek Socheon spoke politely to Na Sarin.

"Elder, excuse me, but I'd like to speak with Alliance Leader Cheon through voice transmission."

"That is fine. Go ahead."

Baek Socheon sent Cheon Geuk a voice transmission.

-If Elder Na introduced the spiritual-medicine merchant, then she must know that I regained my dantian.

-Yes. I told her. Where else was I supposed to buy spiritual medicine? I needed an elder's help, so I asked her. She asked whose request it was, and I honestly told her it was yours. You don't have to trust me. But you can trust her. No matter what happens, she would never reveal something I asked her to keep secret. I guarantee it with my life.

-Then I can trust her that much?

-Of course.

-All right, then.

She apologized for involving Na Sarin without telling him beforehand, even though Baek Socheon had driven away the Guardian Assassin Stars to make that request.

-I'm sorry.

-It's fine.

After ending the voice transmission, Baek Socheon cautiously asked Na Sarin, "There is something I'd like to ask about the Soul-Seizing Art."

That was also why he had checked with Cheon Geuk about Na Sarin once more through voice transmission. Regaining his internal energy was a personal matter. If something went wrong, he alone would die.

But anything related to the Soul-Seizing Art concerned the entire martial world. If things went wrong, the repercussions would be enormous.

"What would you like to know?"

"Before that, please dispense with the formalities. If you are someone Alliance Leader Cheon trusts even more than herself, you've more than earned that right."

Baek Socheon subtly praised Cheon Geuk.

"Would that be all right?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll speak freely. Now, what are you curious about?"

"If someone has fallen under the Soul-Seizing Art, how can it be confirmed?"

Baek Socheon had read a book on the Soul-Seizing Art in the Ten Thousand Books Repository. But it mostly discussed its effects and power, with almost nothing about breaking it. The book's author had learned of the Soul-Seizing Art's power through various incidents but had been unable to discover how to counter it.

"That is quite a broad question. Let us narrow it down. How strong is the person who has fallen under the Soul-Seizing Art?"

"What if they are a supreme master?"

Both Cheon Geuk and Na Sarin grew serious at the words supreme master. There were not many people in the current age who could be called that.

"It would not be easy to place the Soul-Seizing Art on someone at the level of a supreme master."

"What if the person using it is equally powerful?"

"Even then, it would not be easy..."

Na Sarin shook her head, then asked again.

"How long has the Soul-Seizing Art been in effect?"

"What if it has been two or three years?"

He continued to speak in hypotheticals.

Na Sarin and Cheon Geuk would surely suspect this was happening right now. Even so, Baek Socheon had no choice but to be cautious.

"People often think that once the Soul-Seizing Art is placed on someone, it remains in effect forever. That is never the case. Its effects are very short. Even if a tremendous master of the Soul-Seizing Art casts it, it would last only a few days at most. If it lasted an exceptionally long time, perhaps one or two months. But two or three years? That is absolutely impossible."

"Wouldn't a powerful Soul-Seizing Art make it possible?"

"It is impossible."

Na Sarin answered firmly.

It was unexpected. The book had also said that its duration was not very long. Yet Baek Socheon had vaguely assumed that the Soul-Seizing Art of the greatest masters could last for years.

Na Sarin explained the exception.

"That said, the caster could remain nearby and continuously maintain the Soul-Seizing Art."

That was something Baek Socheon could rule out. It was unlikely that such a master would be staying near the Alliance Leader.

As Baek Socheon spoke with Na Sarin, a question suddenly arose in his mind.

What if someone had used the Soul-Seizing Art on the Alliance Leader? Why would they do that?

The Alliance Leader was the same as before. Only their attitude toward Baek Socheon had changed. If they had fallen under the Soul-Seizing Art, it meant something related to Baek Socheon had been implanted in them...

Then why?

If someone wanted to harm Baek Socheon, wouldn't it have been simpler to kill him instead of using the Soul-Seizing Art on the Alliance Leader?

If they had the ability to maintain the Soul-Seizing Art on the Alliance Leader, they should have been able to kill Baek Socheon whenever they wished.

Baek Socheon began to think this matter might not be so simple. Or perhaps it was so simple that it had remained hidden.

"If you saw someone, could you tell whether they had fallen under the Soul-Seizing Art? Or whether they practiced it?"

"If the Soul-Seizing Art was not placed by someone more skilled than I am, I could tell. The same goes for whether that person has learned the Soul-Seizing Art."

Cheon Geuk, who was beside them, stated decisively, "There is no such master in this world."

Baek Socheon made a request of Na Sarin.

"Could you help me?"

It was easy enough to understand what kind of help he meant. He wanted her to determine whether someone had fallen under the Soul-Seizing Art or practiced it.

Na Sarin looked at Cheon Geuk. As someone loyal to Cheon Geuk, she needed Cheon Geuk's permission.

"If Elder Na is willing, please help him."

At Cheon Geuk's words, Na Sarin readily accepted the request.

"I will help you."

"Thank you. Then I shall be on my way."

As Baek Socheon was about to leave after saying goodbye, he asked as though something had just occurred to him.

"Ah, do you happen to know of symptoms related to the Soul-Seizing Art that cause red spots to appear in both eyes?"

She thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I do not know. There are so many kinds of Soul-Seizing Art in this world..."

"I understand. I will contact you again soon through Alliance Leader Cheon."

Baek Socheon bowed politely and left.

Cheon Geuk followed him to the front of Daru.

"Stay here with Elder Na for a few days."

"I will."

As if he had remembered something belatedly, Baek Socheon asked, "By the way, what about your request?"

She had said she would ask one favor of him if she bought the spiritual medicine.

She looked as though she might speak, but put off her answer.

"I'll tell you later."

"Who knows what might happen to me? Take what you can while you can."

"There's fun in saving it for later too, isn't there?"

"Do as you like. I'll contact you soon about when and how we move."

Leaving those words behind, Baek Socheon walked away.

Cheon Geuk remained where she was, watching his back as he left.

Na Sarin came out and stood beside her.

"What do you think of him, Elder? Is he worth investing in?"

Na Sarin already knew Cheon Geuk had decided that he was. She also knew Cheon Geuk felt something beyond that for Baek Socheon.

Na Sarin joined Cheon Geuk in watching Baek Socheon walk into the distance.

"Trust your instincts, Alliance Leader. Are we not assassins who live and die by instinct?"

* * *

Baek Socheon went straight to see Zhuge Hyeon.

Zhuge Hyeon was away for the moment, so Baek Socheon waited in the office.

With some time to spare, Baek Socheon circulated his energy using the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method.

Since the meridians throughout his body now served as a dantian, he could circulate his energy anytime and anywhere. Even without gathering it into his dantian at the end, he could end his energy circulation by storing the energy directly in his meridians.

A smile never left Baek Socheon's face as he circulated his energy.

It felt wonderful to properly circulate his energy again. How had he endured three years without something this good? He felt proud of himself for enduring the past three years.

Circulating his energy relieved the fatigue that had built up in his body and made his movements smoother. He could now reduce his sleep to a minimum.

In other words, he had more time.

Even if he could only accumulate one-third as much internal energy as before, he could never give up energy circulation.

Baek Socheon tried to add even the smallest handful of internal energy. In a moment of crisis, the handful of internal energy squeezed out at the very end was what saved a life.

The door opened as Zhuge Hyeon returned. Baek Socheon immediately stopped circulating his energy and greeted Zhuge Hyeon.

"Strategist."

"Unit Commander Baek, what brings you here?"

"I came because there is something I'd like to ask."

"Ask anything."

"Who is currently closest to the Alliance Leader? For example, someone who can freely meet the Alliance Leader even after official duties are over?"

Baek Socheon had already told Zhuge Hyeon that the Alliance Leader might have fallen under the Soul-Seizing Art. This question was likely related to that matter.

"Hm. First, there is Pung Geukan, the chief of the Secret Guard."

Baek Socheon knew Pung Geukan as well. He had guarded the Alliance Leader for a long time.

"What kind of person is he?"

"If you are asking whether Pung Geukan is trustworthy, I can say with certainty that he is."

Baek Socheon agreed. Pung Geukan spoke so little that Baek Socheon had never held a deep personal conversation with him, but he had never once received a bad impression from him.

"Who else is there?"

"There is the Alliance Leader's second son, Great Hero Ak."

Ak Seopyeong, Ak Sogun's second son, was helping the Alliance Leader with official duties. He was young to be called a Great Hero, but he was addressed that way because he was the Alliance Leader's son.

"Who is the last person?"

"The Secret Pavilion Master."

On Byeokhwa was the woman the Alliance Leader had brought in from outside and placed in the position of Secret Pavilion Master.

"Those three can freely enter and leave the Alliance Leader's Hall to meet the Alliance Leader."

As Zhuge Hyeon spoke, he felt a pang of self-reproach.

He had been absent from that list.

Of course, Zhuge Hyeon could also freely enter the Alliance Leader's Hall. But after his relationship with the Alliance Leader had become awkward during the process of bringing in Baek Socheon, he had stopped visiting often.

'Now that I think about it...'

During the war, he had seen the Alliance Leader several times a day. After it ended, that became once every few days, and now he might see the Alliance Leader only once a month.

'How did things end up this way?'

Of course, during the war, Zhuge Hyeon and the Alliance Leader had no choice but to remain together constantly. Still, he had been paying the Alliance Leader far too little attention lately compared to then.

"I have a request."

"What is it?"

"Please arrange a meeting with the Secret Pavilion Master."

"With the Secret Pavilion Master?"

"Yes. At a place I designate."

He was trying to confirm whether she had any connection to the Soul-Seizing Art. Pung Geukan could be trusted, and Ak Seopyeong was blood family. That made On Byeokhwa the most suspicious person.

Though Zhuge Hyeon was curious what this was about, he decided to trust Baek Socheon completely.

"All right. When should I arrange the meeting?"

When asked about the timing, Baek Socheon's answer had been the same lately.

"Please do it as soon as possible."

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried