WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 73: The Prime of Life Comes with the First Snow (3)

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Cheon Geuk looked over the documents piled on the desk in the room she had set aside on Daru's second floor.

"Approve the matter in Shandong Province, but tell the person in charge there to come see me."

"Yes, understood."

The person receiving her orders was Northern Star, one of the Guardian Assassin Stars. With his keen analytical skills and judgment, he primarily handled information-related matters and relayed Cheon Geuk's orders to those managing the Assassin Alliance's day-to-day affairs.

She turned to another document, read it carefully, stamped it with her official seal, and handed it to Northern Star.

"Approve this one too. What's next?"

"Why don't you rest for a while? I'll prepare some tea."

"Should I?"

Cheon Geuk stretched and rose from her seat.

She had been working even harder than usual on the Assassin Alliance's affairs. No one knew that the owner of the small Daru before the Murim Alliance was the Alliance Leader of the Assassin Alliance.

She had never remained in one place for long, traveling throughout the Central Plains and handling work from safe houses, so there was nothing unusual about her managing affairs here.

Baek Socheon was one reason she remained here, but not the only one.

Under the circumstances, she had decided this was the safest and wisest place to be.

She could learn of the Black Heaven Alliance's and Murim Alliance's movements faster than anywhere else, and above all, she could receive the Murim Alliance's protection.

Grand Strategist Zhuge Hyeon knew she was running Daru in front of the Murim Alliance. Normally, he would never have allowed it, but this time he had turned a blind eye because she and Na Sarin had saved the Alliance Leader before.

Cheon Geuk went to the window and threw it open.

The moment she looked outside, she cried out in surprise.

"It's snowing!"

Snowflakes had truly begun to drift down from the sky.

"Come out and look, everyone."

The other Guardian Assassin Stars revealed themselves as well.

"It's the first snow!"

The four Guardian Assassin Stars exchanged glances behind her as she rejoiced. They knew why she was so happy.

Voice transmissions passed among them.

-Today is what she's been waiting for, isn't it?

-She's been checking every day to see whether it would snow.

-What if Unit Commander Baek forgot?

-We should go kill him!

-This isn't the time for jokes. Should I go remind him?

-Don't interfere with the Alliance Leader's private life.

-She'll be very disappointed if Unit Commander Baek doesn't come.

-......

At that moment, Cheon Geuk spoke without turning around.

"Why are you whispering when I told you to look at the snow?"

She could only guess, of course. She did not have eyes on the back of her head.

"No, it's nothing."

"You were talking about him, weren't you?"

The upright Eastern Star answered honestly.

"...Yes."

"Do you think he might have forgotten our plans for today?"

"I'm sure he remembers."

"Men tend to forget promises like this, don't they?"

"That is true, but..."

Cheon Geuk watched the falling snow for a moment, then turned to the Guardian Assassin Stars.

"Well, if he forgot, we can have a drink among ourselves. Right?"

"Of course."

Just then, a welcome voice called from outside the window.

"It's snowing!"

Cheon Geuk turned with a radiant smile.

Baek Socheon stood below the window, waving at her.

"What are you doing? Come down."

As she was about to leap out the window, Western Star, the only woman among the Guardian Assassin Stars, grabbed her.

"Alliance Leader!"

"Why?"

"Put on some makeup and dress properly today."

"He's waiting for me."

"It'll be worth the wait."

Cheon Geuk looked out the window.

"Wait for me on the first floor a little longer."

Half a siju later, she came downstairs.

Baek Socheon was startled when he saw her. She had put on makeup and wore a red palace gown that showed off her figure, with a white fur-trimmed outer robe draped over it.

She had always been beautiful, but with makeup and a proper outfit, she was truly stunning. She seemed like an entirely different woman.

Unexpectedly, Western Star was skilled with makeup. While she applied it to Cheon Geuk, the other Guardian Assassin Stars searched every clothing shop in the marketplace for an outfit that suited her.

Cheon Geuk smiled awkwardly.

"What do you think? It's been a long time since I wore makeup."

"You look beautiful."

She truly did. If someone introduced her as the most beautiful woman under heaven, everyone would probably nod in agreement.

"Let's go out. Let's enjoy the snow."

"All right."

They went outside together. Instead of her bamboo hat, Cheon Geuk wore only a veil over her face. With only her eyes visible, her beauty seemed even more mysterious.

The scattered flakes had turned into thick falling snow.

"Ah, this is wonderful."

Cheon Geuk delighted in it like a child.

Baek Socheon felt good as well. When had he last been happy to see snow fall? Other than in childhood, perhaps never.

Snow only made him think of subordinates shivering in the cold, long trails of footprints across snowy fields, and red blood scattered over the pure white ground.

"This is our first outing together."

"Is it?"

"Should we have a drink later too?"

"Sounds good."

"Good!"

They walked side by side down the street. With handsome Baek Socheon and her dazzling beauty together, passersby could not help but stare.

"Did you know? We're the people who should be most uncomfortable with others staring at us."

They were assassins. Not drawing attention was a matter of survival.

"Are you all right with it?"

"Yes."

She truly was. If she had been with anyone else, she might not have been able to bear all those eyes on her. Yet with Baek Socheon beside her, the attention somehow felt pleasant.

"Ah, let's look at that."

She stopped to browse the accessories sold by a roadside peddler. Baek Socheon waited patiently beside her without rushing her. Simply watching her beauty was pleasant in its own way, as a man.

Because of the war that had consumed his entire life, he had never enjoyed even such small pleasures, despite once being the strongest under heaven.

"What do you think?"

"I think the one in front is prettier."

"I think so too. You seem to know women well."

"Do you dislike that?"

"I don't, but..."

"But?"

"I told you before, didn't I? I've never dated a man."

"Do you feel like you're missing out?"

"A little."

"Hahaha. There's no need to regret it. I spent all my time going from one battlefield to another. How much experience with women do you think I could've had? Besides, a man who knows too little about women isn't any fun."

"I'll admit that."

She began walking again.

"You aren't buying it?"

"This is only the first shop."

"Gasp."

She burst into laughter at Baek Socheon's exaggerated reaction.

They bought food from street vendors, watched the marketplace hawkers drawing in customers, and laughed and chatted as they walked. The winter wind did not feel cold at all.

Cheon Geuk asked through voice transmission.

-How is your martial arts training going?

-I've recovered to where I was when you first met me.

-Really?

She was startled.

Baek Socheon looked at her and nodded.

-Ah, you're incredible! You recovered it all in such a short time?

-It's nothing incredible. The Alliance Leader gave me a lot of support. You played a major part too.

-Congratulations. Really, congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Let's go capture Yeom Hwasin right now!

-Hahaha, fine. Let's go!

Truthfully, he wanted to boast to someone like a child. He wanted to tell someone how hard he had trained. But there had been no one he could say it to.

Receiving her congratulations today made him feel as though his efforts had been rewarded.

She pretended to survey their surroundings.

"Are there any villains around looking to pick a fight?"

Naturally, no one conveniently appeared.

"You know how even dog droppings are nowhere to be found when you need them for medicine?"

"Haha, we can't reveal it yet."

Cheon Geuk stopped walking and stared at Baek Socheon. Her eyes above the veil deepened.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're really going to fight, aren't you?"

She had omitted who she meant, but he knew.

"I have to."

"No one could find you if you hid now. What if you lived under another identity?"

"Why do you keep trying to send me away?"

"Well..."

"Because you're afraid I'll die?"

Why was that? Why did she keep wanting to send him far away whenever she saw him?

Honestly, even she did not understand her own heart.

She changed the subject.

"Let's go have a drink."

"Where should we go?"

"There's a place I like. Want to go?"

"Sure."

Half a siju later, they were on a boat.

They had bought food and liquor from an inn famous in the marketplace for its skilled cooks.

Whenever Cheon Geuk wanted to drink, she would float down the river on a small boat like this. It was her favorite way to drink. Normally, the Guardian Assassin Stars would have stood guard around her, but today there was only Baek Socheon.

"I feel at ease here. Is it because my life is like duckweed? I like this place best, where I don't know where I'll drift next."

Baek Socheon sensed a fundamental loneliness in her as well. Yeom Hwasin was the same, but Cheon Geuk also possessed the loneliness borne only by alliance leaders.

A loneliness that kept them from speaking freely to anyone.

He thought Ak Sogun, the Murim Alliance Leader, might feel the same way.

No one cared for him more deeply than Ak Sogun did, but they could not speak openly and frankly like this. He hoped that one day, he could put everything aside and have an easy conversation with him too.

"I like it here too."

"Really?"

Baek Socheon nodded.

"What will you do from now on?"

"I need to become stronger."

"How strong?"

"Maybe I have a vain streak too."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I want to return to the very top of the Martial World Ranking Record. If I'm going to leave, I should leave looking impressive."

Cheon Geuk smiled brightly.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because you're like a child."

Baek Socheon smiled along with her.

He did not know what kind of relationship they would have. Still, when he was with her, he felt more at ease and happier than with anyone else.

Even so, Baek Socheon kept himself one step removed from his relationship with her.

It meant he did not envision a future with her.

It was not because she was an assassin.

He had never imagined truly loving someone, then building a family with them as a result.

Two lonely people could meet, then part comfortably. If there was no one like that, he would simply go on alone. That had been his view of love until now.

"Call me Socheon from now on."

"What?"

"You always call me things like hey or you. Just use my name comfortably."

"Really?"

"We're close enough for that now, aren't we?"

"Of course we are."

Cheon Geuk beamed.

"Then shall I try it?"

"As much as you want."

"Hey there, Socheon."

"That's not it."

"Hehehe."

She laughed like a child. Who would think she was the Assassin King if they only saw her like this?

"Socheon."

"What?"

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Let's drink."

Baek Socheon raised his cup, and she clinked hers against it.

Their eyes met as they lowered their cups.

Taken by her beauty, Baek Socheon spoke without realizing it.

"...Should I go collect one hundred thousand nyang?"

"...The money house is probably closed by now."

'What a shame.'

'Should I lend it to you?'

Hiding those thoughts, they emptied their cups again.

Cheon Geuk set down her empty cup and lay back.

"Ah, this is wonderful. I want to forget all the Alliance's affairs and just drink and play like this!"

Baek Socheon lay beside her and imitated her.

"Ah, this is wonderful. I want to forget the Orthodox-Demonic War and everything else, and just drink and play like this!"

"Did you know?"

"What?"

"I read it in a book. It said that forty percent of our worries are about things that will never happen, like worrying that the sky will fall. Another thirty percent are worries about things that have already happened, like fretting over spilled water. Twenty percent are worries over trivial things, the kind that make people worry because it is in their nature. The worries we truly need to have do not even make up ten percent, but we spend our time on the other ninety percent and fail to deal with the worries that matter."

"That sounds right."

"Doesn't it?"

Still lying down, they looked at each other. Cheon Geuk looked different from this angle. She had a sensual beauty that stirred instinct, and the charm of countless different colors.

But was it right for someone facing a battle of life and death to fall in love? Which of the kinds of worry she had described did this one belong to?

Then the snow, which had stopped falling, began again.

"Ah! It's snowing again!"

Lying on the drifting boat, they watched snow fall from the night sky. It was more beautiful than any snow either of them had ever seen.

At least in this moment, the boat carrying them drifted toward a world without a single worry.

Footnotes:

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