Chapter 711: You’re a Truly Terrible Assassin
Chapter 711: You’re a Truly Terrible Assassin
Darkness blanketed the land.
Cha Yi-ran stared into the pitch-black alleyway with a cautious gaze. She could sense a suppressed bloodlust emanating from within; the very air flowing around her seemed to herald the coming of death.
Enemies were crawling everywhere.
Cha Yi-ran carefully lowered Geom Mu-geuk to the ground. She propped him up against a wall and lightly draped a black cloth over him. It was a Stealth Curtain—an essential tool for assassins to remain undetected in the dark. Thin and light, it could be folded down to the size of a palm.
Fortunately, the black martial robes she wore today were the ones Geom Mu-geuk had once complimented. They were easy to move in and blended perfectly into the shadows.
‘It’s almost as if you knew this would happen.’
She moved silently into the darkness.
A martial artist stood leaning against a wall inside the alley. He hadn't drawn his sword, fearing the blade might reflect the light; instead, he simply waited, braced against the masonry.
Slash.
With the sound of rending flesh, his throat was slit.
Cha Yi-ran had muffled his mouth and opened his jugular in one fluid motion. In this moment, she had become the perfect assassin.
Just as she quietly lowered the corpse to the ground and prepared to return to Geom Mu-geuk—
Swish!
A sword lunged out of the darkness. A hidden martial artist had revealed himself. The man she had just killed had been bait from the start—a trap designed to lure her out.
Cha Yi-ran twisted her body reflexively to avoid the strike.
Zip!
The incoming blade grazed her arm.
Thuck!
The dagger in her hand buried itself in the second martial artist’s throat.
After laying the body down quietly, Cha Yi-ran flew back toward where Geom Mu-geuk lay. She had dealt with the opponent, but a moment later and she might have been seriously injured. These enemies were not to be taken lightly.
‘They’re Hwa Do-myeong’s direct subordinates.’
Their martial arts were formidable, and as expected of Hwa Do-myeong’s men, their stealth techniques were extraordinary.
She pulled back the Stealth Curtain covering Geom Mu-geuk. A searing heat radiated from his still form. His internal body was likely locked in a fierce struggle of cultivation.
“I believe you can hear me. Please, hold on just a little longer.”
She hoisted Geom Mu-geuk onto her back. To ensure she could use both hands while carrying him, she tore strips of cloth and bound him securely to her body.
The fastest way to reach the Sinhwa Guild was to use Lightness Skill to leap across the rooftops, but that was too conspicuous. It would draw every attack toward her, and she couldn't afford that kind of fight while carrying him.
She began to move through the darkness once more.
As a top-tier assassin, her movements were devoid of breath, footsteps, or even a hint of aura. She moved like a shadow merging with the night.
Suddenly, the moon emerged from behind the clouds.
As the surroundings brightened, the silhouette of a martial artist hiding in the shadow of a nearby wall was revealed. The opponent spotted her at the same time. The man drew his sword to unleash Sword Qi, but Cha Yi-ran was faster.
Swoosh!
Thuck!
Cha Yi-ran’s dagger flew straight and true like a bolt of light, embedding itself in his throat.
Simultaneously, Sword Qi surged at her from behind.
Shriek!
Faced with the Sword Qi filling the alley, she kicked off the ground and leapt into the air with Geom Mu-geuk on her back. As her figure was silhouetted against the moon, two martial artists hidden on the rooftops pounced as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.
The one from the left was faster.
Whish.
Cha Yi-ran extended her body, lying flat in mid-air. The sword grazed her face and missed. Reflected in the passing blade, her expression remained utterly calm.
Grip.
She grabbed the opponent’s wrist and twisted it, her body spinning along with him.
Puchack!
The sword of the martial artist rushing from the right pierced the chest of the man on the left. Using the man on the left as a shield, Cha Yi-ran simultaneously thrust her right palm forward.
Boom!
Gang Qi, erupting like a sudden deluge, struck the right-hand martial artist’s chest.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Holes were punched through his chest as he was sent flying. This was her special palm technique that fell like a relentless night rain.
The Heavenly Maiden Night Rain Palm.
She had unleashed her hidden unique martial art. Normally, she only used hidden weapon techniques and never revealed her signature style, but today, she was baring everything.
She dropped back down instantly and vanished into the alleyways. Clouds covered the moon again, plunging the area back into darkness. She retrieved her dagger from the corpse and hurried her pace.
A low groan escaped Geom Mu-geuk’s lips. The more violently she moved, the harder it would be for him to stabilize his internal energy. However, moving slowly was even more dangerous. Even if it was risky, she had to break through with speed.
As she turned into the next alley—four martial artists lying in ambush pounced on her simultaneously.
Boom!
She unleashed the Heavenly Maiden Night Rain Palm at the man on the left and threw the dagger in her right hand at the man on the right. Then, she parried the sword coming from the front with the back of her hand and twisted her body to avoid the attack from behind.
Crack!
The man hit by the palm technique flew backward, and the dagger buried itself accurately in the other's throat. She had parried the frontal attack, but the man behind her was the problem.
Swish.
To keep Geom Mu-geuk from being harmed, she would have to sacrifice one of her own arms.
Slash!
The sound of tearing flesh rang out.
But it wasn't from Cha Yi-ran’s body. Someone had rushed in, snatching the attacker away and stabbing him repeatedly in the flank with a dagger.
Stab! Stab!
The woman who had neutralized the opponent was the 1st Gyo.
The martial artist who had attacked from the front was now being besieged by two other people.
Clang! Clang!
He managed to block the 5th Gyo’s attack from the left.
Thuck!
But he couldn't block the dagger the 17th Gyo thrust into his back. As he gritted his teeth and tried to turn his sword—
Stab! Stab!
This time, the 5th Gyo stabbed him repeatedly in the back. The martial artist could no longer hold on and collapsed.
The opponents' martial arts were not weak. If they let their guard down for even a second, they would be the ones killed.
The women only exchanged brief glances. Cha Yi-ran sent a look of gratitude as she ran past, and they responded with reassuring gazes, telling her to leave the rear to them.
The 1st Gyo signaled the 5th and 17th Gyo to take the right path while she entered the left alley. This wasn't a fight where numbers provided an advantage. It was a battle of predators hunting each other in the dark.
The 5th and 17th Gyo moved as a pair. Their movements were cautious. They didn't know where another ambush might be hiding. Cha Yi-ran could dodge such attacks, but for them, it wouldn't be so easy.
A scream erupted from the direction the 1st Gyo had taken. Fortunately, it wasn't a woman's scream.
In that split second of distraction—!
A sword lunged at the 5th Gyo in a surprise attack.
Shriek!
The moment she parried the sword that had suddenly appeared from the dark—
Thuck!
Another blade, appearing as its wielder broke stealth, pierced the 5th Gyo’s abdomen.
Clang! Clang!
The 17th Gyo threw herself forward to block the follow-up attacks on the 5th Gyo. The two martial artists who had revealed themselves were fast and strong. Even within the same organization, there were bound to be those with superior skills; the ones they faced now were far stronger than those they had fought before.
Clang! Clang-clang!
The 17th Gyo desperately protected the 5th Gyo. Had it not been for her singular determination to save her comrade, she wouldn't have been able to withstand the combined attack.
Thanks to her, the 5th Gyo was able to buy time to staunch the bleeding from her stomach and rejoin the fight. However, the 5th Gyo, with her extensive combat experience, sensed the truth: at this rate, they would both die.
The 5th Gyo threw herself violently at one of the martial artists. It was a desperate move, a mutual destruction strike intended to take the enemy down with her.
“You crazy bitch!”
The attack was threatening enough to force a panicked exclamation; it was a strike that completely disregarded her own life. In that desperate opening, the 17th Gyo found her chance. At that exact moment, the two women switched opponents mid-fight.
Swish!
Slice!
The 17th Gyo succeeded in cutting down the man the 5th Gyo had targeted, but the 5th Gyo, having overextended herself, was stabbed in the shoulder by the other martial artist.
Ultimately, the 5th Gyo slumped to the ground. The wound in her abdomen was critical, and the shoulder wound was equally severe.
The 17th Gyo had no time to check on her. The opponent continued to press his advantage. If she had a plan to assassinate him, the 17th Gyo could surely kill him. But this fight was different. Assassins were people who killed others secretly; they were not experts in open, head-on combat.
Seeing the 17th Gyo being pushed back, a strained voice came from behind her.
“...Go.”
It was a plea to abandon her and flee.
But the 17th Gyo fought to the end. Her arm was slashed, and her thigh was cut, but she did not give up.
Clang.
The dagger she was holding was knocked away and fell to the ground. The martial artist did not hesitate and lunged his sword toward her.
Swoosh.
A hidden weapon appeared in the 17th Gyo’s hand. If the sword pierced her chest, she planned to grab the blade with one hand and throw the hidden weapon with the other. Would it work? She didn't know, but it was the only way to give the 5th Gyo even a sliver of a chance to survive. Just as the 5th Gyo had aimed for a mutual kill, she was prepared to sacrifice herself.
Puchack!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
It wasn't from the 17th Gyo’s body. Nor was it the sound of the hidden weapon she held. A dagger was embedded in the side of the martial artist’s neck.
Rip!
As the dagger was ripped out, he collapsed sideways, spraying blood.
Behind him stood a Faceless Guest. The 17th Gyo recognized him instantly. It was the Crescent-Moon Faceless Guest.
Of all people, he had saved her again. She had hoped that if they met in this fight, she would be the one to save him.
The Faceless Guest picked up her fallen dagger and handed it to her. It was the very dagger she had wanted to give him, and now he was giving it back to her.
But this was no time for private emotions. She hurried to check the 5th Gyo’s wounds. She pressed on the pressure points to stop the bleeding and applied Golden Wound Medicine. Having already lost a lot of blood, the 5th Gyo’s face was deathly pale.
Then, the Faceless Guest handed her a small pill. It was an emergency medicine used by the Faceless Guests in times of crisis. When the 17th Gyo placed the pill in the 5th Gyo’s mouth, a bit of color returned to her face.
The Faceless Guest pointed in one direction with his finger. It was the path they had already cleared.
“Take your comrade and escape that way.”
It was the first time he had ever spoken to her. The 17th Gyo bowed her head respectfully.
“Thank you.”
Regrettably, the conversation ended there. The 17th Gyo hoisted the 5th Gyo onto her back and ran in the direction he had indicated. When she looked back before turning the corner of the alley, the Faceless Guest had already vanished into the darkness.
*
Cha Yi-ran was panting heavily amidst a pile of corpses.
“You brought quite a crowd of spectators.”
Hwa Do-myeong had claimed he would just watch this time, but in reality, he was staking everything on this.
She turned back to look at Geom Mu-geuk, who was leaning against the wall. Because the bastards had tried to take him while he sat there, she had overexerted herself to stop them and had been slashed twice. Fortunately, they weren't fatal wounds, but she had lost a lot of blood and her condition was deteriorating.
‘Just a little further.’
She had finally escaped the maze-like alleys. If she could just cross that forest, the Sinhwa Guild wasn't far.
“Young Cult Leader, please hold on! I will definitely get you there!”
As she emerged from the alley, Cha Yi-ran froze. Her expression darkened.
In the open space before the forest, about twenty martial artists stood lined up with swords drawn. They wore the same clothes as the ones she had fought before, but their gazes were sharper and their auras more lethal. They were likely the most skilled members of the organization.
Breaking through them in her current state would be difficult enough. But Hwa Do-myeong stood in the center of them.
That wasn't all. Behind Hwa Do-myeong stood three martial artists—two men and one woman—wearing bamboo hats. They didn't radiate any aura, but their mere presence grated on the nerves. Her assassin's instinct screamed at her.
‘They are dangerous.’
Hwa Do-myeong spoke to her calmly.
“That looks heavy. You should put him down now.”
Cha Yi-ran untied the cloth and carefully sat Geom Mu-geuk down. She looked at him. It felt as if he might open his eyes and give her a bright smile at any moment. But Geom Mu-geuk remained silent, his eyes closed.
“I’m sorry, but it looks like I’ve failed the contract.”
A faint smile touched her lips—the smile of a person prepared for death.
“Giving up on a contract, then failing one... I’m a truly terrible assassin.”
Geom Mu-geuk still said nothing.
After gazing at him for a moment, she slowly stood up and turned around. A dagger was in her hand.
“Can I choose who goes with me?”
Without waiting for an answer, Cha Yi-ran pointed her dagger at Hwa Do-myeong.
“You.”
Snap.
Hwa Do-myeong unfurled his fan and began to fan himself gently. In private, he would have hidden his face behind that fan, but before his subordinates, he maintained a different persona.
“Right, you’re only a spectator at times like this, aren't you?”
As if refusing to tolerate even a single word of mockery, Hwa Do-myeong issued a cold command.
“Kill her and bring the Young Cult Leader.”
Just as the twenty-odd martial artists were about to step forward—someone flew in from behind.
The person who rushed in and blocked the path in front of Cha Yi-ran was the 1st Gyo. Several more assassins arrived behind her. The battle was still raging inside the alleys, and the 1st Gyo had arrived first with only a few others.
Cha Yi-ran knew. They alone couldn't change the tide. Hwa Do-myeong was one thing, but those three mysterious figures were even more ominous.
Thus, she gave the 1st Gyo an order.
“Take the others who are fighting and leave this place.”
“I cannot.”
The 1st Gyo had no intention of retreating. For the first time, she disobeyed Cha Yi-ran’s command.
Hwa Do-myeong’s cold order fell once more.
“Kill them all.”
At that moment, the moon emerged from the clouds again, illuminating the area. Compared to the approaching enemies, their strength was far too weak.
It was then. The 1st Gyo spoke to Cha Yi-ran.
“I will follow your orders now.”
Cha Yi-ran was puzzled by her sudden change in attitude, while Hwa Do-myeong sneered.
“Right, those who want to live should live.”
As if to show that wasn't the reason, the 1st Gyo lifted her head and looked up. Everyone’s gaze followed hers.
The 1st Gyo was looking at a massive tree. Someone was atop it.
When had they arrived?
High up on the branches of the great tree stood the Faceless Guests. Some were standing, some were crouching, and others were perched. Their silent forms, looking down at the scene through their masks, were eerie and macabre.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
They leapt down from the tree all at once.
Thud, thud, thud!
The Faceless Guests landed lightly despite the height. Like a shield, they formed a line between Cha Yi-ran’s group and the enemies.
Hwa Do-myeong stared at them with cold eyes. He had ignored the assassins before, but he could not ignore the Faceless Guests. It wasn't because he was afraid of them, but rather—
‘If they are here...?’
Then, a low voice drifted from behind Cha Yi-ran.
“Young Cult Leader.”
Cha Yi-ran and the assassins turned around in shock to find the Smiling Demon already sitting in front of Geom Mu-geuk.
The Smiling Demon’s white mask shimmered blue under the cold moonlight. From within that coldness, a burning gaze flowed out.
“I have arrived. Please, open your eyes!”