Chapter 88

Zhixuan started with an introduction. People usually introduce themselves when they first meet. It seemed he had a good kindergarten education.

“I am Zhixuan of Jaheon.”

He said that and wiggled his finger. Another subordinate, not the one Cho-i beat up yesterday, pulled out Zhixuan’s business card from his pocket and offered it. Unfortunately, the business card was in Chinese and unreadable. He was tactless in many ways. While Cho-i Hyeon covertly glanced at the business card Taehyeok Sa received, Taehyeok Sa handed Zhixuan’s business card to his secretary and asked, without offering his own.

“So, what is the reason for your visit?”

“As I told the three of you sitting here yesterday….”

Zhixuan scanned Dongju Kim, Yeonhan Kim, and Cho-i Hyeon.

“As I told the three of you, a hunter with whom we have a close relationship has disappeared.”

Taehyeok Sa nodded without any change in expression.

“So, what do you want that you’ve come all this way?”

Zhixuan smiled, pressing his five fingers together.

“I came to ask for some help.”

“I don’t know what help we can offer.”

At Taehyeok Sa’s words, Zhixuan gestured with his chin, maintaining his smile. Then, one of the subordinates in a suit placed the suspicious-looking hard-case briefcase, which had been there since they entered, on the table. Cho-i Hyeon furrowed his brows. It wasn’t just Cho-i Hyeon. All the S-Ranks with keen senses were frowning. Only Zhixuan and his subordinates seemed unfazed. A terrible smell emanated from the bag. Cho-i Hyeon felt an uneasy premonition. He felt that the bag should not be opened.

“You, that….”

The moment Cho-i Hyeon opened his mouth, the subordinate in the black suit opened the briefcase. Everyone who looked inside gasped and covered their mouths.

“Found it?”

Cho-i Hyeon narrowed her eyes. Inside her bag was…

“We also had quite a bit of trouble.”

It contained Zhu Rui’s shell, which Cho-i had cut in half and thrown. It was swollen, burst, and slimy from soaking up water. Taehyeok Sa winced, and Yeonhan Kim’s eyes widened. Dongju Kim subtly backed away. The stench was that terrible. Cho-i Hyeon reached into the bag.

“Cho-i Hyeon!”

Taehyeok Sa tried to stop her, but she unfolded Zhu Rui’s shell like clothing and lifted it. The entity was slimy and squishy. It was a fragment of a corpse that couldn’t possibly be human-shaped. One could even say that the shed skin she had recently discarded was more human-like.

“It looks like the inside was completely eaten away.”

“Oh dear, does that mean…”

Zhixuan’s narrowed eyes gleamed.

“Is she admitting that she killed Zhu Rui?”

“Well.”

“Cho-i Hyeon, please stay still.”

Taehyeok Sa said to her. But Cho-i Hyeon neatly folded the ‘Zhu Rui’s shell’ back into her bag and said,

“I’ve even brought the body, so won’t they believe it even if I deny it?”

“You’re absolutely right. Only an S-Rank hunter who was present at the scene could cut an S-Rank hunter in half.”

“But let’s be clear. I didn’t kill him; he tried to kill me first, so I merely killed him. It was self-defense, you know?”

“…Should I show you leniency for that?”

At that, Cho-i Hyeon sneered.

“Who are you to show me leniency or not?”

Bang! Cho-i Hyeon slammed the foul-smelling bag shut. She stared intently at Zhixuan and spoke.

“What’s your principle? Are you going to say the same thing as Zhu Rui?”

“A life for a life.”

“Easy.”

At that, Zhixuan made a strange expression. Cho-i Hyeon smiled brightly and sat back down.

“So, when do you want to do it?”

“Do what?”

“You said you’d take my life. When will you take it? Tomorrow? The day after? Or now?”

She opened her eyes wide and laughed. Zhixuan narrowed his eyes, as she seemed genuinely amused. Cho-i Hyeon chuckled, looking at him. He seemed like a complete idiot. Beside them, Taehyeok Sa, Dongju Kim, and Yeonhan Kim shook their heads. Zhixuan tilted his head, as if he couldn’t understand the situation at all.

“It’s strange how you’re offering your life as if you’ve been waiting for it.”

“Why, what’s strange? You said a life for a life, didn’t you?”

“That’s true, but we thought there might be room for negotiation.”

“Negotiation? What negotiation?”

Zhixuan held up one finger.

“Since you eliminated an important figure on our side, the condition is that Hunter Cho-i Hyeon serves our guild for exactly 10 years.

Cho-i answered with a bright smile.

“Rejected.”

“This quickly?”

“It’s not even worth listening to.”

“These are quite generous terms from our side.”

“Enough, enough. Just take your life and get out now.”

Cho-i Hyeon stood up and put one foot on the table.

“Are you going to do it? Or should I?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Why, are you suddenly scared?”

Zhixuan frowned for the first time. He looked around with a bewildered expression. There was no one to stop Cho-i Hyeon from acting that way. Not Taehyeok Sa nor the two hunters. Zhixuan seemed to think he was being pushed around by Cho-i, so he stood up.

“Let’s discuss the details next time. This situation is extremely uncomfortable.”

“The person who pulled out a corpse as soon as we met has a lot to say. Shouldn’t we be the ones who are more uncomfortable?”

Zhixuan, still standing, narrowed his eyes.

“You speak as if you’re truly confident in offering your life.”

“What the hell have you been listening to? Take it.”

Saying that, Cho-i Hyeon smiled broadly.

“But there’s only one.”

“Huh?”

“There’s only one life for you to take.”

“…What does that even mean?”

“Since you’re leaving now, I won’t stop you. However, you’d better decide as soon as possible when you’ll take my life. As soon as possible. Think about where you’ll take it and call me. I’ll gladly oblige.”

Zhixuan stood there with a look that showed he couldn’t understand Cho-i Hyeon’s thoughts, then soon left. His subordinates in black suits followed him. As soon as he disappeared, Cho-i Hyeon slumped into her seat and held up one finger.

“When will he contact me? I’ll bet on about a week.”

“I’ll say three days.”

As Dongju Kim echoed Cho-i Hyeon’s words, Yeonhan Kim slapped the back of Dongju Kim’s head. Taehyeok Sa looked at Cho-i Hyeon and said,

“You’re probably the one who wastes your life the most.”

“Yeah, but I waste it less than you, right? You have nothing to say, do you?”

“…”

Meanwhile, Zhixuan, who was going down in the elevator, unfastened his tie a little as soon as he got out and strode towards the parking lot. He pushed back his long, bang-less hair and got into the car that a subordinate hastily opened for him.

“Find out more about that hunter, Cho-i Hyeon.”

“Understood.”

“I need to know why she’s so confident.”

His brow was slightly furrowed, but he still hadn’t lost his smile. The subordinates, well aware of what happened when the one called the Devil frowned, merely cowered and tried not to displease him.

“To tell me to decide when to take her life…”

He laughed softly.

“Things are getting quite interesting.”

At Zhixuan’s words, his subordinates fell silent. The black car left Paehyeok. Cho-i Hyeon sat on the top floor, watching the black car leave Paehyeok.

“Well, when will he arrive?”

She smiled, seemingly amused.

***

After that, there was no noticeable reaction from Zhixuan. Cho-i Hyeon and Dongju Kim held their breath, waiting for him to respond. One day, two days, three days, four days. As time passed, it was exactly one week later that Zhixuan contacted them.

“Yes!”

“Hmm.”

Cho-i Hyeon held out her hand, and Dongju Kim, with a look of regret, took a fifty-thousand-won bill from his wallet and placed it in Cho-i Hyeon’s hand. Cho-i Hyeon crumpled the fifty-thousand-won bill into her pocket and said,

“See, he contacted us exactly a week later, didn’t he?”

“Why is he so slow to make a decision?”

“Well, that type of person clearly overthinks things.”

Cho-i Hyeon shrugged. At her words, Dongju Kim gave Cho-i Hyeon a sideways glance, and Cho-i Hyeon quickly poked his eye. Ah! Regardless of the scream, Yeonhan Kim asked Taehyeok Sa,

“So, he sent a formal invitation to Hunter Cho-i Hyeon?”

“Yes, it seems he’s staying at the Sinmyeong Hotel in Seoul. He sent the invitation there.”

“But, only Cho-i Hyeon?”

“Outwardly, it’s a date invitation.”

“A date invitation, my foot.”

Cho-i Hyeon giggled, refuting his words.

“But his confidence is quite something. Does he think he can kill and dispose of me in the middle of Seoul?”

“Exactly.”

Taehyeok Sa clicked his tongue. Then he asked Cho-i Hyeon,

“Are you okay going alone?”

“What if I’m not?”

“As I said before, Zhixuan is…”

“I know, I know. You mean he doesn’t seem to be S-Rank?”

“…Although he’s publicly known as S-Rank.”

“From what I saw, he looked similar to you.”

At that, Taehyeok Sa mumbled to himself,

“Hiding it despite being SS-Rank, huh.”

Taehyeok Sa furrowed his brows. He seemed to feel quite threatened by Zhixuan. Cho-i Hyeon chuckled, watching him.

“Why, are you scared because another SS-Rank appeared besides you?”

“That’s not it.”