Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Night Assault on the Physician
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Paak!
Tang Jongseo made an instantaneous judgment and leaped backward.
The members of the Tang Clan Black Tiger Squad, positioned around him, looked at him and the entrance alternately with puzzled expressions. But there was nothing there.
However, as he retreated to create distance, he glared straight ahead with eyes sharp enough to pierce through anything.
"Come out."
At his words, the squad members' gazes shifted back to the entrance.
And moments later, their pupils dilated wildly.
Sususu—
Something gradually emerged from the darkness.
A warrior cloaked in such thick shadows that it was hard to tell if he was floating in the air or a mere silhouette blocked the entrance to the physician's residence.
Tang Jongseo stared at him intently and spoke.
"Who the hell are you?"
He wasn't an ordinary martial artist.
If another poison user had entered first instead of him, their throat would have been slit before they even noticed the intruder's presence.
Not only was there no presence, but the energy and killing intent released during the attack were barely detectable.
'Man Gold Exhibition Hall. As expected, not an ordinary place.'
The gatekeeper he had encountered during his previous visit possessed exceptional skill, and this master of the exhibition hall was clearly no pushover either.
Moreover, who would have thought they'd assign someone like this to guard the physician.
Tang Jongseo waited for a response, but the man answered with action instead of words.
Sruluk—
Maintaining his silence, Black Night drew his short swords in both hands.
He usually concealed his form and avoided revealing himself unless necessary, but this time, he intended to block them head-on.
Gripping his short swords, he exuded a resolute determination not to let anyone pass behind him.
Cheok.
Originally, he was Hyeok Mulin's shadow guard, but now, under orders, he was temporarily protecting the physician.
Hyeok Mulin had predicted they would infiltrate this exhibition hall within a few days, targeting the physician specifically.
And now, his prediction had proven spot on.
"Fine, if that's how you want to play it, no need for chit-chat on our end either."
Tang Jongseo raised one hand and gave the order.
"We don't have much time. Take him down quickly."
"Understood!"
The Tang Clan Black Tiger Squad advanced toward him in a semicircle.
Layering their formations as they closed in, they locked eyes and hurled hidden weapons straight ahead.
Tadadak!
But no sound of them piercing flesh rang out.
Black Night reappeared in front of the hidden weapons embedded in the door after slicing through empty air.
Tang Myeong, who had been watching him, shouted.
"Attack!"
The Black Tiger Squad, daggers at the ready, charged forward destructively.
In this situation, they should have been the aggressors while Black Night played defense.
But Black Night defied their expectations completely.
He stepped forward nimbly instead.
His short swords swept horizontally from left to right, then right to left.
Chwaaak!
A spray of blood erupted with a deafening sound. As they hesitated for a split second, Black Night plunged into the center of the Black Tiger Squad.
Bwoong—
They swung their daggers swiftly at Black Night's form, but the blades met only empty air.
Swimming freely through the shadows cast under the moonlight amid their ranks, Black Night unleashed Whirlwind Moon-Slaying Stance without restraint, since enemies surrounded him on all sides.
On the other hand, they struggled not only to track his movements but also faced severe restrictions on their techniques due to clustered allies nearby.
"To wield such prowess alone...!"
"Who the hell is this guy?!"
The Black Tiger Squad, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of this master, faltered helplessly under his onslaught.
And they could never have known.
That the one guarding Man Gold Exhibition Hall's night was once the idol of Central Plains assassins—the master of the Killer House, Saya Mujin.
His strikes were concise and merciless.
Every time he darted through them like a beam of light, blood spurted from all directions.
Just as they panicked under his overwhelming might...
Shuuwuk—!
A razor-sharp dagger flew from a blind spot.
Black Night deflected it right in front of his face and turned his gaze toward its trajectory.
And that only for a moment.
Tang Myeong, bearing the moniker Poison Mist Blue Wind for carrying hundreds of poisons, swept his hand wide.
Peong—!
Something burst with a thud, and poison powder spread around Black Night.
The Black Tiger Squad had innate poison resistance and were sucking on antidotes, so they took no damage.
But Black Night wasn't felled easily either.
Having trained as an assassin, he had built up resistance to poisons, making his body more tolerant than most Tang Clan warriors.
However, the poison powder was stronger than anticipated, so Black Night held his breath and swung his short swords widely to whip up wind.
The poison dispersed gradually, restoring visibility.
But that wasn't the end.
Tadak!
Tang Myeong closed in instantly and thrust a dagger drawn from his sleeve like a flash of light.
He was certain no one could dodge this strike.
And even if it didn't fully penetrate, that was fine.
The tip was coated with a lethal poison that would kill before five steps, even from a mere graze.
But he felt no impact at his fingertips.
Black Night had twisted his waist like a rag to evade.
As Tang Myeong's eyes widened briefly, he pressed the attack, and Black Night countered without yielding momentum.
They exchanged dozens of clashes right there, the sensation of blades grazing clothing vividly transmitted to their hands.
Their duel was evenly matched.
But as time passed, Black Night gradually gained the upper hand.
Tang Myeong shouted toward his surroundings.
"What are you doing?! Attack now!"
At his command, the watching squad members rushed in like a pack of dogs to support their leader.
Back to one against many, Black Night retreated step by step while defending against their assaults.
'They've all coated their weapons with poison.'
Even in the heat of battle, Black Night's exceptional dynamic vision allowed him to confirm their armaments—most blades tipped with dark red venom.
And what that was needed no explanation; the Tang Clan of Sichuan's reputation said it all.
Eventually retreating to the physician's entrance, Black Night made his decision.
Sruruk—
Using Shadow Swift Body Technique, he completely vanished into the long shadow cast by the moonlight.
As the enemy's form and presence disappeared from right in front of them, they panicked briefly.
The area fell eerily silent, as if everything prior had been an illusion.
"Don't drop your guard. He could reappear anytime."
At Tang Myeong's warning, the squad members nodded and advanced slowly.
And the moment they tried to enter the residence...
Shiiik!
A whistling cut through the air as the building's shadow stretched like molten sugar.
Rapid Torrent Heaven-Breaking Blade.
The short sword in Black Night's grip surged forward like a raging current.
Some reacted and barely dodged, but others couldn't.
Several heads tumbled to the ground with quiet slicing sounds.
Yet even at that gruesome sight, they didn't back down.
There was no further retreat here.
"Push in!"
At Tang Myeong's order, a secondary clash erupted immediately.
The Black Tiger Squad threw themselves omnidirectionally to force their way into the physician's residence.
But Black Night defended the entrance and front with elusive movements.
A spear thrusting to breach versus a shield holding firm.
Black Night held the advantage, but as time dragged on, the balance began to shift.
He was a guard now, but fundamentally an assassin.
Assassins specialized in hiding and striking decisively in brief moments.
If Black Night had fought without restraint to kill, the battle would have unfolded differently.
But now, it was about protecting, not killing.
"Surround him."
With Tang Myeong releasing poison powder on the left and herding his men on the right, Black Night's range of movement inevitably shrank.
Seeing them swarm relentlessly, Black Night resolved himself.
'No choice.'
He swept the front clean in a whirlwind motion.
Then fixed his gaze on the watching Tang Myeong.
'Defense alone won't win this.'
The momentum had already shifted.
He needed to quickly take out their leader—the one who seemed to be the captain—and turn the tide.
Black Night's eyes darkened with resolve.
"......?"
As the rampaging shadow suddenly stilled, Tang Myeong narrowed his eyes.
But only for a moment.
A scene straight out of a nightmare unfolded.
The building's shadows converged into one mass of darkness.
Witnessing it, Tang Myeong felt an indescribable foreboding.
Something's coming.
He didn't know what, but something was definitely coming.
Gulp.
Swallowing hard, he crossed his arms in a defensive stance.
Tension hung thick, everyone forgetting to breathe—until silence shattered from elsewhere.
Kwaaang—!
A massive sword flew from afar, forcing the Black Tiger Squad to scatter and evade.
As dust settled, they turned toward its origin.
Thud, thud.
Man Hyobom, Danri Hyang, Han Baek, and the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad appeared before them.
"You... "
Tang Jongseo's eyebrow twitched upon spotting them.
The gatekeeper who'd piqued his interest earlier, and every warrior here exuded formidable auras.
'Took too long.'
They couldn't even get past one guy, and now enemy reinforcements had arrived.
As the Black Tiger Squad and Blood Death Squad faced off from both sides, Han Baek slowly parted his lips.
"Sneaking around at night in suspicious garb without permission— we can treat you as intruders and..."
"Going in."
But before he finished, Man Hyobom cut him off curtly and charged ahead.
Seeing his explosive advance, Han Baek sighed with a there he goes expression.
"He's coming!"
"Be careful!"
Dudududu—
Man Hyobom thundered forward, shaking the ground, then leaped in a straight line.
Landing amid them near his thrown greatsword, he gripped it with both hands and spun it wildly.
The area turned chaotic in an instant, the battle flowing to Man Hyobom's rhythm.
Watching from afar, Han Baek ordered his men.
"Subdue them."
With the Blood Death Squad joining, a melee erupted instantly.
Tang Myeong tried to step forward, but...
"Can't let you past here."
Danri Hyang blocked his path.
Their gazes clashed sharply, and soon their forms collided.
Meanwhile, Han Baek circled around toward the physician's residence.
Arriving at the entrance, he said to Black Night.
"You alright? We'll take over here—catch your breath and rest."
Black Night nodded and stepped back.
Replacing him, Han Baek guarded the entrance and surveyed the battlefield.
The outcome was already clear.
With their leader blocked by Danri Hyang, the Black Tiger Squad couldn't surpass the Blood Death Squad even in numbers.
And with Man Hyobom joining? They were getting steamrolled, as expected.
From the rear, Tang Jongseo watched and clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Useless to the core."
He shot them a scornful glance and stepped forward.
The moment he entered the fray...
Thud.
Several Blood Death Squad members frothed at the mouth and collapsed.
The survivors retreated warily, on high alert.
'That's the Third Elder.'
Han Baek, who had checked Tang Clan intel beforehand, focused on Tang Jongseo.
He felt different from the others—a poisonous aura seeped from his entire being.
As expected. Seeing Man Hyobom step up eagerly, Han Baek's eyes narrowed.
'Bad matchup.'
Man Hyobom's techniques took time to unleash and were wide-ranging, suited for crowds.
The opponent was an elder of the Sichuan Tang Clan, lords of poison and one of the Six Great Clans.
No pushover—Man Hyobom alone couldn't guarantee victory.
'I'll have to join him.'
As Han Baek moved to support, someone placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.
Whirling at the sudden presence, Han Baek's eyes widened.
"Yaaawn..."
Gwangui emerged, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
Everyone's attention snapped to his sudden appearance.
Yawning, he scanned the front yard before speaking up.
"What the hell are these thieves?"