WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 89: If You Want to Play with People (2)

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"What do you mean?"

Myeol Jiryun stared at Baek Socheon, surprise written across her face.

"It means I know you came here with another purpose."

Half of it was a reasonable suspicion, and half was a guess.

Myeol Jiryun tried to remain as composed as possible, but her eyes wavered.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Are you trying to tease me?"

She smiled sweetly. A woman's smile could be as powerful as a woman's tears. It was the sort of smile that seemed to brighten the world around her.

"You're beautiful enough to stir a man's heart, and I imagine you're as intelligent as you are beautiful. Your martial arts must be formidable as well. Otherwise, your parents would not have sent you here alone. They must trust that you can overcome anything that happens."

Baek Socheon's voice remained calm, but his words gradually pressed in on her.

"You must have grown up receiving everyone's approval. Whatever you wanted probably went your way there. Am I right?"

"I won't deny it."

"But that won't work on me."

"I still don't understand what you're trying to say."

"You'll have only one chance. If you don't tell me now, you'll never get another chance to speak to me. I won't listen, and I'll handle things my way. Now, I'll ask again."

Baek Socheon was not showing her his usual gentle side. Yet he was not threatening her either. He was simply asking in earnest.

"Why did you come here?"

An odd pressure made Myeol Jiryun's eyes tremble.

Still, she soon answered calmly.

"I came here to marry you."

"I understand. It's late, so you should head back for the night. Goodbye."

Baek Socheon bowed politely and turned away.

As he began to walk, Myeol Jiryun's voice came from behind him.

"Stop."

Baek Socheon halted. A slightly agitated question came from behind him.

"What do you mean by handling it your way?"

He turned toward her.

"Exactly what I said. I will make the choice that benefits only me and the Murim Alliance, without considering you at all. Just as you're choosing only what benefits you and the Blood Cult."

"......!"

Her agitation was obvious. She was still no match for Baek Socheon.

"I have another question. What did you mean when you said I had another purpose?"

"It means I know you don't want to marry me."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I can sense how you feel. I can clearly tell the difference between genuine affection and pretending to have it."

Perhaps it was because of Cheon Geuk. He had recently come to understand anew what it meant to truly like someone.

There was one more thing.

He had to question Myeolsaeng's intentions in sending his daughter to such a dangerous place. Myeol Jiryun had not come without reason. There had to be another goal or intention behind it.

Baek Socheon's gamble worked.

Breaking the suffocating tension, Myeol Jiryun let out a sigh.

"That's right. I didn't come here to marry you."

"Then why did you come?"

Despite having begun to speak, she hesitated to answer. The unexpected turn of events had left her confused.

"Since it's already been exposed, it would benefit you in many ways to be honest."

"Fine. I'll tell you everything."

First, she explained why the Blood Cult had sent a matchmaker.

"As you know, the Black Heaven Alliance sent a matchmaker to our cult first."

"I know."

"But there is something you don't know. Because of that, Father and Great Grandmaster disagreed."

It was something even Baek Socheon had not known.

"By Great Grandmaster, do you mean Jeok Parap?"

"Yes. Great Grandmaster is the only one in the cult who can stand against Father."

Jeok Parap, an old master over a hundred years old, was Myeolsaeng's master.

"One side said the marriage had to happen, while the other said it could not. Those against it said I would become a hostage, and the cult would be dragged around by the Black Heaven Alliance. Those in favor feared that if we refused the marriage, the alliance would fall apart and the Black Heaven Alliance might attack our cult first."

That fear had likely grown even greater after their attempt to implant the Heaven-Exiled Grudge Gu failed. Yeom Hwasin was the sort of person who would seek revenge no matter what. They must have wanted to go through with the marriage somehow and lessen Yeom Hwasin's anger.

"That led to internal conflict. Can you believe it? My marriage created a division within the cult."

"Divisions can arise from matters far more trivial than this. In fact, divisions born from trivial matters are harder to resolve."

"Why?"

"The smaller the matter, the angrier it makes people."

"Ah!"

Myeol Jiryun let out a brief exclamation. She remembered her past relationships. She had parted ways with people she thought she was close to over matters so trivial, and some had even died because of them.

"That's right."

"Of course, this isn't a trivial matter. It concerns your future and your cult's future."

"In the end, the cult split into two factions. Those who followed Father, and those who followed Great Grandmaster."

"Seeing that you came here, it seems the side opposing the marriage was stronger."

"That's right. Thanks to them, I was able to come here."

"Your Great Grandmaster must have been very angry."

Myeol Jiryun's expression suddenly stiffened, and she revealed something startling.

"Father was the one in favor of the marriage."

"......!"

"Father said I had to marry Yeom Sawon for the sake of the cult. He said taking the heir of the Black Heaven Alliance as my husband would not be such a bad deal. I never dreamed Father would say such a thing."

Baek Socheon had naturally assumed her father would oppose it. He had not thought Myeolsaeng would force his daughter into a situation where she could become a hostage. Besides, surely Myeolsaeng had heard rumors about Yeom Sawon's character? Myeolsaeng knew, yet had still tried to marry her off.

At that moment, Baek Socheon had only one honest thought.

'Those bastards!'

His anger toward Myeolsaeng combined with his anger toward Yeom Hwasin.

As if they were competing, the two were willingly using and sacrificing their children for power.

"Great Grandmaster has cherished me like a granddaughter since I was little."

Perhaps she missed Jeok Parap. Tears welled up in Myeol Jiryun's eyes.

Whether they were tears of genuine sorrow or crocodile tears, this was when one had to be careful. When a woman showed weakness, men often let down their guard and paid for it.

"Even so, did Cult Leader Myeol willingly send you here?"

"Great Grandmaster settled matters with Father directly. Great Grandmaster must have given Father something Father wanted."

"Do you know what it was?"

She shook her head. Even if she knew, she would not reveal it easily.

"Then was sending a matchmaker to me Great Grandmaster's idea?"

"Yes. Great Grandmaster said that if a matchmaker was sent to you, I could avoid marrying Yeom Sawon."

What if what she said was true?

Baek Socheon began to think Jeok Parap might know his disposition and even the subtle relationship between him and Yeom Hwasin.

How much could Jeok Parap have anticipated?

"What would you have done if I agreed to marry you?"

"Great Grandmaster was certain. Great Grandmaster said you would never marry someone of the Blood Cult's bloodline."

Jeok Parap truly seemed to know him well. Yet Baek Socheon and Jeok Parap had never met even once. How did Jeok Parap know? Of course, Baek Socheon had lived a life exposed to the entire martial world, so anyone who wanted to learn about him could have done so.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner."

"If everything you've said today is true, you seized your last chance. I listened to you."

"It's the truth."

"I hope so."

He believed most of her words were true. He only had to remain wary of one lie that might be cleverly mixed among nine truths.

"Either way, you used me as a refuge."

"I'm sorry."

"Did you expect Yeom Sawon to come and challenge me to a duel?"

"No. Great Grandmaster didn't expect that much either."

"What would you do if I lost this duel to Yeom Sawon?"

"......"

She gave no answer. It seemed she had not considered that far.

Staring intently at Baek Socheon, she said, "Please win."

"Fine. I'll defeat Yeom Sawon for you. What will you give me in return?"

"What?"

Myeol Jiryun looked startled.

"Are you asking for compensation?"

"Of course. I may have to risk my life, so naturally I should expect compensation."

"But you're..."

Myeol Jiryun could not finish her sentence.

Baek Socheon said what she wanted to say for her.

"Because I'm from the orthodox faction, I should handle matters like this without asking for anything in return?"

Myeol Jiryun could not deny it. Her surprise a moment ago had clearly come from that very line of thought.

"You're a hero of the martial world."

"You must have had too easy a life, Young Lady. You still don't understand the martial world."

Her expression creased slightly at the implication that she was immature.

Pretending not to notice, Baek Socheon continued.

"In the martial world, you should never expect anything for free. If you want something, you must always pay a price."

Baek Socheon deliberately pushed her into a corner. People revealed their true colors when they were cornered.

Yeom Hwasin alone was already a difficult enough opponent. If she had come here with another motive, she might catch him off guard in this situation.

Myeol Jiryun then spoke carefully.

"If Hero Baek says he wishes to marry me... I'll seriously consider it. You made a much better first impression than I expected."

She lowered her head with a flushed face. She knew how to make a man feel good. If her opponent had not been Baek Socheon, those soft eyes and shy manner would have been powerful weapons.

But she had chosen the wrong target.

"Your Great Grandmaster judged me well. I have no intention whatsoever of marrying the Blood Cult Leader's daughter. Give me something else."

Her expression froze. She had been thoroughly rejected.

"What do you want?"

"You're the one who should make an offer. Tell me what you will give me and what favor you want in return. That's how a deal works. Think about what you can offer me, then let me know. I'll listen and decide. Ah, I won't accept your heart."

"What if I refuse?"

Baek Socheon answered coldly.

"Then leave at once."

"If I leave, Yeom Sawon won't just let this go."

"I'll handle that myself."

Their gazes met. Myeol Jiryun could tell that Baek Socheon meant every word.

"Then I'll wait."

As Baek Socheon began to turn away, she cried out sharply.

"Why are you doing this to me? Is this all I get for telling you the truth?"

The moment her composure broke, her gray eyes glowed red.

'She really is Myeolsaeng's daughter!'

Na Sarin had told him of the characteristic of Myeolsaeng's bloodline. When they became angry, their gray eyes glowed red. He had achieved the first of his intended goals.

"The truth you told was only a choice made for your own sake. Isn't that right? You told me your circumstances because you thought you would suffer a great disadvantage if you said nothing."

Myeol Jiryun could not refute him. It was exactly as Baek Socheon said. She had judged that if she revealed the truth through tears, the rigid hero of the orthodox faction would trust her more deeply and become easier to use.

"Yeom Hwasin is like that, and so are all of you. You seem to enjoy toying with people. I know you think having power makes it your natural right and ability. But from now on, I intend to collect everything I'm owed."

"Collect what?"

"A usage fee. If you want to play with people, you have to pay a proper usage fee."

"......!"

"Young Lady, I'll wait to see what you offer as your usage fee."

Baek Socheon bowed politely, then strode away.

Myeol Jiryun silently watched his retreating back with her eyes now dry.

Swish.

Someone appeared beside her.

It was Pajeong, the younger of her two guards.

"He's no ordinary man after all," Myeol Jiryun said coldly.

She gave off a different feeling than when she was with Rapsa, her older guard. Back then, she had seemed like a woman in need of protection. Now, she looked like a cold leader taking command of the situation.

"What will you do?"

"We need to buy time by giving him what he asks for. We can't be driven out of the Murim Alliance yet."

"What do you intend to give him?"

Her gray eyes darkened further as she looked toward where Baek Socheon had disappeared.

"I'll prepare two things. If the first works, I can save the second."

Footnotes:

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