Chapter 210
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Death Spirit (5)
During the winter, he had to enhance his martial prowess.
He had come to bitterly realize that the world was vast and full of masters. Until he ventured back out into it, he needed to grow as strong as possible.
So how would he do that?
The assassins had a secret technique for becoming incredibly powerful in a short time.
Real combat!
By fighting with one's life on the line at every moment, one grew extraordinarily strong.
"Think you can pull it off?"
"You kidding?"
"The Yeomsu Three Heroes..."
"Cut it out. Enough."
Jaja pulled out a poison pill and slipped it into her mouth. Then she donned her mask.
This was preparation for self-termination in case the assassination failed. If she couldn't kill the Yeomsu Three Heroes or if her identity risked exposure, she would bite down on the poison without hesitation.
The mask concealed her face.
In worldly affairs, the unknown could happen— a third party might spot her during the assassination of the Yeomsu Three Heroes. To prepare for that, she hid even her features thoroughly.
"Here I go."
Jaja was about to launch herself forward when Hanbi suddenly grabbed her sleeve.
"The Yeomsu Three Heroes... he's a real monster."
"What's with you? Not like you. Let go."
"What's 'like me' supposed to mean?"
"Huh?"
"After dying once, the world looks different. Saying 'I like you' to someone you care about, worrying over them... I can manage that much now."
"What the hell are you doing right now!"
"Your life isn't just yours anymore, so I'm begging you—kill the Yeomsu Three Heroes for sure. No failures."
Jaja stared at Hanbi.
His eyes gleamed. He met her gaze head-on without flinching, piercing straight through.
"I don't give a damn about you."
"Doesn't matter."
"Hey! I'm your senior. Since when does a junior talk back like that!"
Thwack!
Jaja kicked Hanbi in the shin.
"Ugh!"
Hanbi doubled over. In that instant, Jaja shot forward like a bolt, vanishing into the darkness.
Hanbi straightened up.
"Come back alive. You have to."
A fierce longing swirled in Hanbi's eyes.
Jaja was attempting an extraordinarily dangerous assassination. Something bordering on impossible.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division occasionally attempted open assassinations. But that was a one-in-a-thousand, one-in-ten-thousand chance at best... They usually eliminated targets without a whisper.
The focus was on removing the enemy.
Assassination held high success rates by striking at unguarded moments with surprise attacks.
In truth, the Heavenly Annihilation Division had assassinated countless martial arts masters.
Yet assassinations didn't always succeed. Far from it—sometimes entire assassin squads were wiped out.
Those who survived such attempts were left alone for a time.
Sending another squad against a target already on high alert, like a viper riled up, was no easy task. It would just get more assassins captured.
They let the target grow complacent.
Of course, there were conditions for leaving them be. The target must remain unaware of the Heavenly Annihilation Division's attempt. They had to have no clue who was behind it.
In such cases, complacency naturally surfaced after a period.
Then they dispatched a second squad.
Anyone marked for elimination by the Heavenly Annihilation Division had to vanish from the world.
These targets they left simmering until complacency set in... the Division called them "standby marks."
The Yeomsu Three Heroes was one such mark.
He had annihilated an entire seven-man assassin squad from the Division.
Even with ironclad preparations and a perfect ambush, they failed.
The Yeomsu Three Heroes possessed animalistic instincts.
Sensing killing intent, countering attacks, handling unfamiliar techniques without panic—all rooted in those primal senses.
He would detect Jaja's killing intent before she struck.
The moment she attacked, his beastly reflexes would shake off her blade. While dodging, he would instantly recall a counter that struck her vital points.
Tap!
Vanguard approached Hanbi and patted his shoulder.
Hanbi stared only in the direction Jaja had vanished.
He wanted to follow her. Hide in the shadows and rush in if she was in danger. But... that might feel good in the moment, but it would ultimately lead to death.
Right now, they had to get stronger, no exceptions.
"You sure... we shouldn't go after her?"
"......"
"Know what martial arts the Yeomsu Three Heroes uses? I didn't say 'cause it wouldn't help, but... it's Absolute Shadow Hand. No idea how Qingcheng Sect techniques ended up with a layman, but he wields them authentically."
"......"
"Anyone using Absolute Shadow Hand knows Phantom Ring Bewildering Steps too... You need something faster than Mianso Slaughter to catch him. The massacre of the Heavenly Annihilation Division's forty-sixth squad wasn't luck."
"Fox."
"Yeah?"
"Even if you went now... she wouldn't budge."
"Even if I went..."
"It's her chosen prey."
Four Thousand Four stood up.
Fox didn't try to stop him.
"Even if I went..."
Fox murmured again as he watched Four Thousand Four walk away.
The words didn't sting. No, they actually thrilled him—so much he didn't know what to do with himself.
This wasn't the time to offer help.
Letting Four Thousand Four fight alone, without following Jaja, was because he wanted her to grow stronger. These things happened to others too.
So he didn't expect anyone to rush in and save the day. He'd only voiced his worry.
"Even if you went, she wouldn't budge" meant that in any other situation, he'd naturally follow. It sounded like, "How could I not go if you're heading into danger?"
Four Thousand Four was looking out for her.
She murmured to herself.
"Little by little... I'll get closer. Without expecting too much, without getting too disappointed."
Grrrraaaw! Grrrraaaw!
A ferocious cry echoed from the sky, followed by a massive eagle—so big it could snatch a goat—circling overhead.
Its feathers were pitch-black like ink. Its eyes gleamed golden.
It was the Zhuge family's spirit beast, the Golden-Eyed Black Eagle.
Wheeee!
Four Thousand Four whistled sharply.
The circling Golden-Eyed Black Eagle dove like a bolt, as if snatching a mouse.
Of course, it didn't attack Four Thousand Four. It landed before him with powerful flaps, settling on the ground.
Grrrraaaw!
The Golden-Eyed Black Eagle eyed Four Thousand Four and extended one talon.
A scroll was tied to its ankle.
Few knew the Golden-Eyed Black Eagle served not just for pursuit but as a messenger too.
Four Thousand Four untied the scroll.
"Info on the Zhuge family head?"
Vanguard drew near and asked.
Four Thousand Four shook his head side to side.
"Well... no one knows better than him that we can't move right now, so he wouldn't be pressing."
Four Thousand Four silently held out the scroll.
"Can I take a look?"
"I think you need to."
"Need to... Heh heh!"
Vanguard gave a bitter laugh as he took the scroll.
The message was brief. But the weight in those three characters was immense.
"This..."
Vanguard couldn't continue. He just trembled.
"I'm sorry."
Vanguard didn't respond to Four Thousand Four's words. He merely shook. Then, as if collapsing, he sank to the ground and buried his face between his knees.
Four Thousand Four stroked the Golden-Eyed Black Eagle's head.
Grrrraaaw!
The Golden-Eyed Black Eagle took to the skies again.
But neither Four Thousand Four nor Vanguard watched it go. Their hearts were too heavy.
A deep silence fell.
"Is this for real?"
It was Hanbi's fifth time asking the same question.
Four Thousand Four gave no answer.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division had dealt with the covert agents. Not honoring their promises to let them live peacefully, but wiping them out completely.
The message was too terse to know how exactly. But "eliminated" implied they'd all been slaughtered.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division had broken their word.
Heh heh heh! Heh heh heh heh!
Hanbi twisted his face into a laugh.
Thud... Thud! Clank... Thud!
In the early dawn, unfamiliar footsteps echoed.
At first, it seemed someone approaching. But listening closely, it was the sound of treading through water.
They had all pulled an all-nighter, eyes wide open.
Minds half-gone, ignoring most noises. Yet the water-treading steps rang clear.
"Jaja?"
Hanbi bolted up. No, he was already shooting into the darkness.
Swoosh!
"Jaja!"
Hanbi's voice cracked like a sob.
"Phantom Ring... Bewildering Steps... that bastard... Qing... cheng Sect..."
Jaja's words came out labored.
"Enough. It's okay. You're back alive—that's what matters. Rest now."
Hanbi struck her sleep acupoint.
Those awakened to the White Corpse Demonic Physique became nearly immortal. They wouldn't die until their breath was fully severed.
Jaja was covered in grievous wounds that made even standing impossible.
She had walked back, stepping in her own spilled blood. Chest, side, thigh... nowhere unscathed. Especially the thigh wound, perilously close to the femoral artery.
If the Yeomsu Three Heroes had struck just a thread's width to the side, she wouldn't have returned alive.
"Will she pull through?"
Hanbi asked gravely.
"She'll be fine. This much."
Four Thousand Four replied with equal gravity.
Jaja had gained two things from her clash with the Yeomsu Three Heroes.
She had experienced Qingcheng Sect's ultimate arts firsthand. At minimum, Absolute Shadow Hand and Phantom Ring Bewildering Steps wouldn't faze her now.
And the White Corpse Demonic Physique would awaken even stronger.
If she kept awakening it like this, she would soon perceive faint life forces directly. One day, she could wield them like true energy.
As long as she survived, it was all profit.
But... a greater dilemma loomed. How to tell Jaja, upon waking, that the covert agents had been massacred? They had to tell her, but how?
"No need to worry about the covert agents. Zhuge Soso must've gotten it wrong. They can't all be gone."
Fox said confidently.
Vanguard and Hanbi said nothing.
Fox's agent was Qingyeom. No clue how she became one, but from the Heavenly Annihilation Division or murim's view, she held more value than Fox.
It made sense to use Fox as bait and control Qingyeom. But holding Qingyeom and using Fox? It defied logic a hundred times over.
Fox's case was different.
Qingyeom might still live. She could remain an agent, or not. But the others' agents were surely massacred—including Jaja's.
When Jaja woke, they had to tell her. That her covert agent was gone too. To the woman who had barely dragged herself back alive.