Try Living Well Without Me

“Let’s make a bet.”

—

……

The Psychopomp gave no answer.

Though there was no doubt that the chilling voice which had earlier called his name was present, it seemed as if it was now completely silent, unseen and unheard.

“I’ll presume you’re listening and keep talking. Don’t come telling me later that you weren’t warned.”

—

…?

“I want to propose something to you… Damn it, are you even listening? You’re as obstinate as a stubborn ghost. How about you give me a sign that you’re actually listening?”

—

Currently, if Tang Sobaek couldn’t negotiate with the Psychopomp, death was the only alternative. So, muttering under her breath, she continued speaking recklessly.

Actually, she wasn’t particularly afraid of death.

After all, since being born as a human meant inevitable death, this was merely hastening the process a bit.

Similarly, she wasn’t particularly attached to life.

The world was dreadfully boring; holding onto any such attachments was pointless.

And she wasn’t even afraid of the afterlife.

Because she had known since she was a child that she was destined for hell, she had already made peace with herself long ago.

However……

‘To die now, filled with only curiosity, is unacceptable.’

In hell, there would be no starry sky to read Heavenly Qi. Only that was truly terrifying.

It was rare to encounter something that sparked her interest, such as the ‘preposterous epic’ of the Sword Sage, and she couldn’t simply cover it up and walk away.

If she went to hell and spent an eternity rolling around, she didn’t want that eternity to be filled with the torment of unquenched curiosity. That was all there was to it—the only reason why she didn’t want to die now.

“Mr. Psychopomp… I’m not so oblivious that I don’t know the moment of my death.”

—

“About two hours… That’s how much time, give or take, I estimate remains, right? Psychopomps must follow the Death Scroll, so it’ll be impossible for you to harm me recklessly before that time.”

—

…?

“Yet, your attempt to claim my soul early… it was likely because you’re overwhelmed with work, wasn’t it? You must be incredibly busy to resort to shortcuts. And probably… there are other individuals around here, besides me, who are soon to die, right? Given that tomorrow is the start of the Seven Flowers Tournament, fatalities are indeed a possibility.”

—

!

A subtle shift in the atmosphere allowed Tang Sobaek to realize that she had hit the nail on the head.

Of course, it was still too early to relax carelessly.

Her insight was based more on the sixth sense than the firm five senses.

“Well, I don’t really care about your circumstances. Whether others live or die isn’t my concern. But I want to let you know… within these two hours, what if I cause some trouble? What will you do then?”

—

…?

“You’re probably confused, aren’t you? What sort of trouble can a mortal possibly cause in the middle of the day? Even if I do, what does it have to do with you? But… do you know that I happen to have some information others shouldn’t know?”

—

…?

After a brief pause, Tang Sobaek took a deep breath and continued.

She picked up the paper and brush lying nearby in a way that made it seem like a threat.

“Creation of life.”

—

!

“Resurrection of the dead.”

—

!!

With only those two words, the previously puzzled atmosphere turned immediately sinister.

The two words Tang Sobaek uttered were considered ‘taboos’.

Like the fact that she once gazed upon Heavenly Qi, things far beyond her station.

“Right now, I can’t do those things. Even someone like me doesn’t have the means within a short two hours.”

—

“But wouldn’t it be possible for me to inform my father about it? I could send him the ratios for drug mixtures, the rituals to summon souls, and the incantation methods. Knowing him, once he learns of it, he’ll try to commit such a taboo immediately. He’s so consumed with grief over the loss of my mother.”

—

!

“It won’t be easy, of course. The materials required won’t be cheap. Things like Ghost Lantern Oil and Holy Spring Water, which are incredibly rare, will need to be acquired. But my father? He’s the kind of person who would conduct inhumane experiments on orphans just to carry out his obsessions, pouring unimaginable resources into a project that yields no tangible benefits. Don’t you already see where this is heading?”

—

! !

The Psychopomp revealed an agitated reaction, something he had never shown before.

This was an intense and ominous sign.

– Tang Sobaek, Tang Sobaek, Tang So……

Ultimately, completely perplexed, he hastily called her name three times in an attempt to extract her soul.

Snap!

“Go on ahead! If you won’t listen, that’s the end!”

Covering her ears with a sly smile directed towards the empty air, she made him stop.

Unaware of this fact, Tang Sobaek continued her persuasion, hands still covering her ears.

“Didn’t you visit me when I artificially created life the other time? The one who warned me not to do it again? The first time I heard it, I was unsure, but now hearing it again, your voice is unmistakably the same.”

—

……

“The fact that observing Heavenly Qi violates the will of the heavens and is a taboo is true. But it’s not as absolute as the natural order of the world, is it? Nothing is as contradictory to the natural order as a resurrection or the creation of life that shouldn’t exist. Isn’t that right?”

—

! !

“And if such a taboo were to occur, what do you think would happen to you, the Psychopomp charged with managing and guiding the dead? There’d be an accident—an enormous one at that. Imagine how thoroughly beaten you’d be by Yama.”

—

!!!!!

“So, let’s make a bet that benefits both of us. It’s technically more beneficial to me, of course… but since I won’t use the leverage I hold over you, it’s good for both sides.”

After speaking, Tang Sobaek briefly paused and then continued.

Really, if it weren’t for the Sword Sage being so fascinating, she wouldn’t have been this enthusiastic! Amidst these small laments about her fate.

“Just wait until I’ve finished reading the Heavenly Qi. If you don’t, I’ll definitely let my father know. There are countless lost souls; one less me won’t make much of a difference, will it?”

—

……

“In return, I’ll accept death without a word after that. The things I mentioned before—artificial creation of life or resurrection of the dead—I won’t disclose them or act upon them. If I break my word now, you can come retrieve my soul. It’s a bet, after all.”

—

……

As some time passed, Tang Sobaek decided the atmosphere had calmed enough, and she carefully removed her hands from her ears.

Fortunately, the Psychopomp’s call had not sounded.

Still remaining vigilant, Tang Sobaek kept her hands near her neck, ready to block her ears again, and waited.

For the Psychopomp’s reply.

—

…Manipulating a lifespan arbitrarily is also a taboo.

—

A vague and ambiguous reply followed, neither accepting nor rejecting the deal.

Still, Tang Sobaek instantly recognized the underlying meaning.

“Taboos mean it’s possible, right? If it were entirely impossible, there’d be no need to designate it as a taboo.”

—

…Ch.

The sound of gritted teeth reverberated—an essentially affirmative response.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sobaek smirked.

“Then, it’s settled, right? You shouldn’t arbitrarily take me now, right? If you do, you know what happens—I’ll definitely disrupt the natural order of things.”

—

Keep your promise well. If you break it, I’ll throw you into an eternal fiery pit worse than hell, from which you’ll never be allowed to escape.

“…That sounds terrifying. Anyway, I understand, so you should go now. I have to continue reading the Heavenly Qi before dawn.”

—

After the sound of footsteps receding and her gaze shifting to the night sky, Tang Sobaek called out.

“Ah, wait. Let me ask one thing.”

She stopped the Psychopomp, who had been moving on to the next doomed soul, to ask a question that had been bothering her since before his arrival.

“Current head of the Namgung family, Bin Namgung, what’s his real identity? Why doesn’t he have a star?”

—

……

“Tch, why are you being silent again? Since we’ve made a deal, you could at least share this much. Why doesn’t Namgung Bin have a star?”

—

After considering for a moment whether he should reveal it, the Psychopomp responded.

—

When a person dies, their star falls.

—

After making this profound statement, he vanished into the night.

—

“……Hmph!”

Alone once more, Tang Sobaek closed her eyes for a moment, pondered, and then smiled faintly.

It was the kind of smile a hunter wears upon discovering an intriguing prey.

“Interesting.”

—

*

“NAMGUNG CHEOLBIN, YOU FIEND!! IT WAS YOU!! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO DEFAMED THE SWORD SAINT!!”

A man, bound tightly in ropes, screamed at the top of his lungs.

Squatting in front of the man, Bin Namgung idly spun a dagger around in his hand.

With his large frame towering over the struggling man, the man could not break free from Namgung’s reach, even with his body writhing.

Though having his limbs tightly bound was an additional help.

“Ah, Head of Iron Yang Trade Guild, it’s indeed a pleasant surprise to see you. We met a couple of times during the Pure Blood Tournament, did we not?”

With his usual habit, Namgung Bin flicked his tongue and taunted him teasingly.

“!”

“Shut up!! You good-for-nothing rat!!”

Iron Yang Trade Guild Leader, unable to free his limbs, could do nothing but spit.

Unfazed by his face being spat on, Namgung Bin wiped it off with the edge of his robe.

“Umm… why did you trust the Sword Saint so much? If only you had joined others in cursing him, we wouldn’t have come to such a pass.”

“Y-you beast-!! How dare you defame the Sword Saint! Are you not afraid of heaven!!”

“True, I know Namgung Chulbin once saved Iron Yang Trade Guild. Still, death means everything’s over, doesn’t it? Though, this lamentation is now meaningless anyway.”

“NAMGUNG CHEOLBIN!! YOU VILE SCUM!! I WILL RIP OUT YOUR INTESTINES AND FEAST UPON THEM… AAAHHH!!!”

Puugh!

Namgung Bin’s spinning dagger plunged into Iron Yang Trade Guild Leader’s neck. Blood gushed out, and his exposed flesh painted a gruesome image as he met his end after faithfully investigating the Sword Saint’s tracks.

In the vast world, it was a very common ending, and therefore, no one paid it any heed.

Not even Namgung Bin, the one who had just inflicted it.

“You knew too much.”

With that emotionless final word, Namgung Bin stood up.

Behind him, a martial artist appeared out of nowhere and began dealing with the corpse.

It was Cheolho Guest, Namgung Bin’s right-hand man.

“Milord, Lord White Shadow Assassin King has not returned yet today.”

“Hmph, why did he suddenly disappear like that…? At least leave a note.”

Unaware that White Shadow Assassin King had been dismembered by a horde of Jiangshi from the Blood Cult after losing an arm to a blood-soaked beast.

“Anyway, there are already too many things to oversee. Damn, even if the course of destiny is being defied, this is ridiculous. The heavens don’t seem to be on our side today.”

In response to Bin’s muttered complaints, Cheolho Guest ventured hesitantly.

“Milord, if there’s anything troubling you, please share with me. I will handle the duties of White Shadow Assassin King as well.”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. You’re too dull-witted for that.”

“Still, please speak. Who knows, it might lead you to a brilliant idea.”

“Hmm… Now that you mention it, that is an accurate statement. Perhaps airing my concerns with you will lead to a brilliant solution.”

Namgung Bin paused and began speaking to Cheolho Guest, who was still tidying up the freshly killed corpse.

“My greatest concern is Sal Seong, who is still missing. Given the thoroughness of the assassination organization in carrying out their duties, we should have heard from them long ago… If it was a failure, they should have informed us as such and refunded the commission.”

“Could it be the Sword Saint being the target? It must be hard to track their location. Even we haven’t found any trace, haven’t we? Might it be better to just wait longer?”

“You don’t grasp the gravity of the Assassins Guild. They consist of a small but elite group, who along with the Martial Arts Sect and the Black Path’s Union, divide the Central Plains into three factions. Even in the past, when Blood Cult invaded, Assassins Guild wasn’t touched. Considering the extent of their information network, they should have learned something by now.”

“Then what should we do? Should we contact the Assassins Guild?”

“Hmm, even if we do, do you think they’d kindly explain the situation?”

In the middle of his speech, Namgung Bin suddenly adopted a bewildered expression.

The look of someone who had just experienced an Enlightenment.

“Tch, thinking about why no news came, I see… it was because of this…? Hah, to realize this just now makes me feel old.”

“Milord, was there something important that you overlooked?”

“That’s correct. Something very important. I had forgotten that Iron Ho’s hair, which Cheolbin always killed early in each round, was the same pink as Sal Seong’s. Hah… I failed to connect these two simple facts.”

Namgung Bin’s laughter was filled with helplessness.

“So Sal Seong must be Iron Ho whom Cheolbin saved, right? That’s it. That’s why the assassination request wasn’t carried out, and why he told me not to hand over the Sword Saint’s killing request to any other assassin. Thinking about it now, it makes perfect sense.”

“Wait… Milord? What on earth are you talking about? ‘Each round’? ‘Early rounds’?”

“You don’t need to know. More importantly, we need to think about what to do now. Since Sal Seong has rejected our request, we need someone else to kill Namgung Cheolbin…”

Massaging his temples, Namgung Bin fell deep into thought.

Actually, there wasn’t much time needed to contemplate it.

There were no more than four martial artists capable of matching Namgung Cheolbin’s skills.

The Five Great Peaks of the World.

One of them being Namgung Cheolbin, excluded obviously, leaving four. Of these four,

A grandmaster of Shaolin, the Holy Monk.

Without question, not a viable candidate.

The Pavilion Master of Assassins Guild, Sal Seong.

Definitely also excluded; now the question is whether they would even associate with him anymore. What talk of another assassination contract?

The Only Divine Being of Tian Shan, the Celestial Horse.

It was naturally dismissed as well. Not only was there limited information about him, but regardless, how could Namgung Bin possibly meet a Celestial Horse located millions of miles away in the Tian Shan Mountains?

Even if they did meet, it would be an achievement just to avoid being torn apart.

‘Then, there’s only one left.’

The Supreme Official, Guan Zun.

Not a martial artist exactly, but without question, the person who currently wields the most influence in Martial World.

The one who reestablished the outdated ‘Inviolable Truce Between Officers and Martial Artists’ and completely eradicated the ‘Evil Sects’ from the Martial World—what more need be said?

It wasn’t without reason that currently, in the Martial World, only the Green Forest and Jiang River Water Road Faction remained. Because the colossal evil sect, the ‘Sect of Evil’, with all their grand powerhouses, had been wiped out single-handedly by Guan Zun.

The rapid growth of the Union of Black Ways could also be attributed to absorbing the survivors of that calamity.

“Go directly to see Guan Zun. Convey the message from me, the Patriarch of the Namgung Clan, that I would like to meet.”

“Wait? Guan Zun? The Martial Artist Massacre Guy?”

“Why, don’t you want to go? Well, then, forget it. I won’t force you.”

“No, no! If the master commands, of course I’ll go! I was merely concerned, that’s all… I shall depart immediately.”

While suppressing his protests, Iron Tiger Wanderer prepared to leave.

Midway, Namgung Bin suddenly called him back.

“Ah… Cheolho Guest, don’t go to the Official’s Bureau, just head directly to the Alliance. I’ll go see Guan Zun personally.”

“What? Master personally? That’s too dangerous! Allow me to go instead!”

“No, this is a burden too heavy for you. Just go to the Martial World Alliance and secure some funds—around two thousand gold pieces should suffice. And don’t forget to tell them that if we transfer the money through Gold Money Trade Guild, they can handle the laundering for us.”

Refusing the worried Cheolho Guest’s concerns firmly, Namgung Bin gave him a new order.

Having known that if he didn’t do this, his subordinate would secretly follow him anyway.

“The Leader of the Martial World Alliance… Isn’t it referring to the Sword Lord? Would she follow my orders simply?”

“Hmm? With the Contract of Names, shouldn’t there be any problems… Ah, I did it.”

“Correct, even if I say it, I doubt the Martial World Alliance Leader would obediently listen.”

Encountering an unexpected obstacle caused Namgung Bin’s thinking to stall for a moment.

Closing his eyes and firmly pressing his temples, he muttered to himself.

His mutterings weren’t meant for Cheolho Guest but truly just “mutterings” to himself.

“Hmm… One meal of bread usually makes them compliant enough, should I tell Cheolho Guest to do the same…?”

That muttering accidentally reached Cheolho Guest’s ears.

“What? Did you just say something?”

“Ah? I merely mentioned that offering some bread might bring compliance, but if you’re seriously considering trying it, I advise against it. It might backfire badly for you, though in my case, it might work.”

“Instead… what is this ‘bread’ you’re talking about? Bread… B… Bread?! Could you have mispronounced ‘fox punch’?”

Cheolho Guest’s face was filled with curiosity.

Unaware of what this expression meant, Namgung Bin suddenly burst into uproarious laughter and shook his head.

For Cheolho Guest, it was as unexpected as a sudden explosion of laughter.

“AHAHAHAA! Come to think of it, ‘bread’ was indeed a new buzzword, and its origin was even a foreign term! No wonder it sounds strange within the context of a martial arts world!”

Cheolho Guest could only stare at him with a baffled expression, yet Namgung Bin’s laughter did not cease.

“Now that I reflect on it, it’s amazing how I could have forgotten something so obvious. In thirteen years, I guess I must have almost become a full Martial World inhabitant… Haha… Even thinking about it now makes me chuckle.”

His laughter subsided a bit, then inexplicably erupted again.

“Just the simple act of revisiting our language is an incredible phenomenon.”

Afterward, Namgung Bin continued to emit intermittent chuckles for quite some time as he addressed the problem Cheolho Guest had raised.

“Oh and, the binding contract is actually the ‘Contract Document’, not me personally. It’s in the second drawer of my room, take it with you. That should settle things. Puuhh…”

“Um… Yes, understood. I’ll be off right away.”

With a concerned look, he observed Namgung Bin, and then Cheolho Guest began walking towards the Martial World Alliance.

---