Assassin Thunder Sword
Wi Yeon Gwang, lord of Northwest Murim and head of the Wall Thunder Family, stared at a severed head caked in lime powder, his eyes blazing with a mix of bewilderment and fury.
"How dare that whelp..."
The head belonged to the envoy who had gone to the Northern Murim's army camp to convey his acceptance of the truce. Decapitating an envoy was unthinkable. But what enraged Wi Yeon Gwang even more was the single line scrawled across the corpse's forehead.
A greedy fox like you dares call itself a hound?
Yeon-hoo's face—someone he'd never even seen—floated in Wi Yeon Gwang's mind like a formless ghost. Moments later, it shredded apart and vanished.
"He's trying to assert himself in the power structure reshaped around the Jang family head... putting on a strong front."
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed, drawing a scoff from Wi Yeon Gwang's lips.
Behind him stood his eldest son, Wi Cheon Hwa, gazing at the head with eyes stained by rage and shock. It was the head of a friend. Though their bond was one of lord and vassal, they had grown up together since childhood, closer than blood brothers. And now that friend had returned not just dead, but desecrated.
"This gives us ample reason to withdraw from the truce."
Wi Yeon Gwang shook his head at Wi Cheon Hwa's words.
"We can't do that. Not after receiving the summons from the covert agent. Any more defiance would harm the family and all of Northwest Murim. That said, we can't let this brat off the hook."
"We should cut off his head and hang it at the Iron Blood Family's main gate. Only then can our friend rest easy."
Killing intent laced Wi Cheon Hwa's voice. Wi Yeon Gwang continued, addressing him.
"Relay my will to the head of Salmun. Tell him I desperately desire the head of the Iron Blood Family's second young master who has returned. Money is no object."
"...We can't reach them."
"What?"
"I tried contacting them for another matter, but the liaison who connected our family to Salmun is gone, and no one responds. I've sent someone to Salmun's headquarters, so we'll have to wait for their return."
"How many days?"
"At least half a month more."
Thud! Wi Yeon Gwang slammed his fist on the table.
"We can't wait a full month. We'll have to try another way."
He was about to say more when—
"My lord, it's your subordinate."
"Enter."
A sharp-featured young man stepped inside. Wi Cheon Hwa's expression hardened at the sight of him.
"I sent you to Salmun's headquarters. Why are you back so soon?"
"Well... On the way, I made contact with one of Salmun's assassins. But... about ten days ago, mysterious masters appeared at Salmun's headquarters, nearly wiping them out and dragging off their leader, Yeom Gong."
"What?"
"What?!"
Wi Yeon Gwang and his son widened their eyes in shock. The young man continued.
"Even more shocking, it was just three of them. Especially the one who captured Yeom Gong—his martial prowess and cruelty were beyond imagination."
Wi Yeon Gwang's face twitched faintly.
What was Salmun? An assassin group that had terrorized the jianghu from the shadows. And their leader, Yeom Gong, possessed power that would rank him among the top in any of the Eight Great Families. For such a group to be crushed by a mere three intruders—and their leader kidnapped? Unthinkable.
"Father, something's off. Salmun's headquarters is a top secret known to only a handful even in our family. How did it get exposed?"
Wi Yeon Gwang sank into silence, his gaze darkening. As Wi Cheon Hwa said, Salmun's base was the utmost secret, known to only a select few in the Wall Thunder Family. If it had been exposed, there were only two possibilities.
Either a leak from within... or Salmun botched some deal on their own and revealed their location.
Either way, it was a devastating blow. Salmun had done much for the Wall Thunder Family over the years, making them the top contributors to solidifying their position as the ruling house.
Bang!
How did it come to this...?
From Yeon-hoo's mockery to Salmun's near-annihilation. Overwhelmed by emotion, Wi Yeon Gwang slammed the table again without realizing it. The table shattered, sending up a cloud of dust that yellowed his face and beard.
"Cheon Hwa."
"Yes, Father."
"Entrust the brat's head to Noegeom."
"For a mere whelp, Noegeom might be overkill..."
Wi Cheon Hwa trailed off. He'd seen the resolute glint in Wi Yeon Gwang's eyes.
"Understood. I'll relay the order to Noegeom at once."
Whoooosh. Faint presences mingled with the fierce wind.
Jang Cheon wouldn't move this easily. That leaves the Wall Thunder Family.
Yeon-hoo sat with his sword across his knees, eyes closed.
How long had the tent flapped in the gale? Then—
Clang!
"Argh!"
"Gah!"
Screams erupted in succession—from Yun Hoe and the envoy squad's direction.
Yeon-hoo didn't stir. He knew this commotion was just a diversion.
And sure enough—
Thud! Thud!
Powerful energies pierced the tent. Two swords.
From his seated position, Yeon-hoo merely tilted his head to deflect one blade, then flicked his fingers against the other.
Ting!
A clear metallic ring echoed, followed by a groan from outside.
"Urk!"
Yeon-hoo's sword flew from his hand at that moment.
Thwack!
"Gack!"
A thrilling jolt raced up his fingertips—the first taste of combat since returning home.
Only then did the first sword vanish outside. But Yeon-hoo was faster. He whipped his drawn sword like a hammer at the blade trying to escape the tent.
Thud!
"Argh!"
A death rattle sounded outside. Yeon-hoo finally stepped out.
Two men lay fallen, clad head to toe in black cloaks. One was dead on impact; the other still clung to life.
Yeon-hoo sliced off the mask with his sword. A pale-faced youth in his late twenties stared back, bloodless.
"Sent by the Wall Thunder Family?"
"Heh heh heh."
The youth laughed. As Yeon-hoo's brow furrowed, a crunch sounded, and the man rolled back his eyes, collapsing.
Yeon-hoo wrinkled his nose at the fishy stench spreading on the wind.
Poison pill in his mouth...
He looked up, staring across at the enemy. Yun Hoe, the envoy squad, and guards came rushing out. But the skirmish had already ended—thanks to Cheol-u and Seobaek. Four corpses littered the ground around them.
Cheol-u approached.
"My apologies. I aimed to capture one, but he bit down on the poison pill."
"If they're set on dying, even gods can't stop them. Clean up the area."
"Understood."
"My lord, are you alright?"
Yun Hoe hurried over in one stride.
"I'm fine."
"We expected some move, but not this soon."
"The Jang family?"
"Who else?"
"Not them. Jang Cheon wants me to crumble on my own. He'd either yield or fight head-on."
"Then... the Wall Thunder Family."
"Likely. Sitting idle after being mocked would be the real joke."
Yeon-hoo finished speaking and gazed into the darkness. Snow dust rose in swirling clouds where the wind whipped fiercest, spreading like mist.
Do they see me as a fool? Or just testing the waters?
The assassins were too weak. Probably the latter.
"Seobaek."
"Yes."
"Lend me a bow?"
"Here."
Yeon-hoo nocked an arrow to Seobaek's greatbow and infused it with inner energy, loosing it into the night.
Shrieeek!
The arrow tore through the dark. Moments later—
Thud!
A muffled impact echoed from the shadows.
This road home won't be boring.
What would a ghost look like in human form? A blood-cloaked figure with a face pale as lime powder and snake-like black pupils exuded an eerie chill. He didn't even twitch as the arrow hurtled toward him.
Thwack!
The arrow grazed his face, embedding in a nearby tree trunk.
A twitch. The corner of the blood-cloaked man's mouth curled—whether in amusement or displeasure, an inscrutable, grotesque shift.
"I wondered why our lord sent me... Now I see why."
His emotionless voice prompted a heavy response from the man beside him.
"Two... taken out in an instant."
"No ordinary foe. Even with diversions drawing eyes elsewhere, he didn't flinch. Means he's seen this plenty."
"Did he know we were here and fire that arrow?"
"You think that's possible?"
"No. But it flew straight here too accurately..."
"You're spooked."
"...Honestly, yes."
"Coincidence. Don't overhype him. Get intimidated, lose confidence; lose confidence, dull your senses."
"Understood."
The blood-cloaked man turned back toward Yeon-hoo's tent. Yeon-hoo was just slipping inside. As his figure vanished completely, the man bared white teeth in a cold grin.
"This should be fun for once. Heh heh heh."
"Call it here for tonight?"
"From what we've scouted, he's heading to the White Night Cartel. Long road ahead—rest up."
"Understood."
As his subordinate departed, the blood-cloaked man—Noegeom—scanned the figures around the tent sharply. His gaze lingered on Cheol-u, a flash of insight sparking.
"One odd fellow among them."
The moment he saw Cheol-u, an inexplicable feeling washed over him. Like someone he'd known forever, though it was their first meeting.
For someone to stir kinship in me, Noegeom...