Chapter 388
Chapter 388
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 388
Chapter Title: The Token of Gratitude
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A look of puzzlement flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
‘And so many of them.’
The assassins of the White Blaze Assassin Guild were so skilled that they typically sent small teams of five or fewer, no matter how difficult the mission.
But now, a group of over fifty assassins was moving as one.
*Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*
At that moment, a volley of short bolts—the guild's signature White Blaze Bolts—rained down on Bu Eun-seol's face.
Deeming him a witness, they seemed intent on killing him along with the girl called So-yo.
*Whoosh!*
So-yo's movement was remarkable; she instantly evaded the area showered by the White Blaze Bolts.
*Twang! Twang!*
At the same time, she used her silver shortbow to unleash a flurry of her own short arrows.
She wasn't using the White Blaze Bolts of the guild, but rather the ordinary arrows commonly used by assassins of the Central Plains.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
So-yo’s arrows were unfailingly accurate.
With every shot she fired, an assassin would collapse, a vital point pierced.
*Twang!*
Moreover, her arrows didn't fly in a straight line; they curved freely, as if they were living creatures.
‘Her archery is incredible.’
Bu Eun-seol didn't actively join the fight, merely deflecting the incoming White Blaze Bolts while observing So-yo's martial arts.
*Ting! Ting! Ting!*
As Bu Eun-seol stood tall, watching the fight and deflecting the bolts, the assassins' attention and focus were split in two.
So-yo seized the opportunity, her movements as unpredictable as a butterfly's, and began taking down the assassins one by one.
The White Blaze assassins continuously fired their bolts, but her footwork was so ethereal and swift that none of them found their mark.
"Use the Blood Whisker Formation! Surround her!"
Seeing So-yo darting across the battlefield, the assassins moved chaotically, weaving themselves into a formation.
*Twang! Twang!*
The assassins, now in the Blood Whisker Formation, used their shortbows to fire a volley of White Blaze Bolts into the sky.
The descending arrows not only formed a circular wall to trap her.
They blocked all sides, preventing the elusive girl from using her footwork to break through.
*Clang! Clatter!*
She drew a dagger and parried the downpour of bolts.
The volley of arrows grew more cunning and the formation's power intensified, yet So-yo deflected the attacks without much difficulty.
"That... that..."
A bewildered cry escaped the lead assassin's lips.
The reason So-yo could calmly withstand the Blood Whisker Formation.
It was because of Bu Eun-seol, who stood there idly, deflecting the bolts with a bored expression.
"Because of him!"
The Blood Whisker Formation was a deadly array designed to trap a single, highly skilled master.
But with Bu Eun-seol standing beside So-yo, casually batting away the bolts.
Its power and function had been reduced to something as pathetic as a formation practiced at a third-rate local dojo.
"These arrows are endless."
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol, who had been continuously deflecting the bolts, furrowed his brow.
He had thought their supply of arrows would soon run out.
But the volley showed no signs of letting up.
"I have no choice."
*Shing.*
Drawing his Ink Sword, Bu Eun-seol instantly unleashed the Waning Moon, Morning Star.
"Dodge!"
The assassins, shocked to see a sword aura the size of a house descending upon them, hastily retreated.
But the massive cross-shaped sword aura gave them no quarter.
*Flash!*
The sword aura, unleashed with a brilliant flash, shattered the solid wall of the Blood Whisker Formation in an instant.
*Krumble!*
With a sound like thunder, the formation dispersed, and the precise arrangement collapsed.
So-yo didn't miss the opening. She spun, firing her shortbow and picking off the assassins one by one.
"Aargh."
"Gah."
One broke the formation at close range while the other fired her shortbow from a distance. Their coordination was perfect.
*Thud. Thud.*
In the end, more than half of the fifty-odd assassins lay on the ground as cold corpses.
At this rate, their complete annihilation was only a matter of time.
"Retreat!"
At the leader's shout, the remaining assassins executed a flawless retreat, vanishing from the battlefield.
Bu Eun-seol didn't bother to pursue them, watching their departure with indifference.
"Huu."
Once all the assassins had retreated, So-yo let out a ragged breath.
The truth was, her skills alone were not enough to handle over fifty assassins.
If Bu Eun-seol hadn't joined in, she would have been severely injured or forced to flee immediately.
*Click.*
Slowly sheathing his Ink Sword, Bu Eun-seol asked her.
"Why are assassins from your own guild chasing you?"
"None of your business."
Despite Bu Eun-seol's help, So-yo showed no gratitude, her expression cold.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol nodded at her cold, indifferent reply.
They were just strangers crossing paths. There was no need to take an interest or know her circumstances.
"Farewell then."
With that one word, Bu Eun-seol calmly turned and left the temple hall.
Bu Eun-seol traveled ceaselessly toward Naman Prefecture, where Myogaso was located.
He could have stopped in a town or city for a decent meal and a comfortable bed at an inn.
But he stubbornly stuck to deserted paths, avoiding populated areas.
The journey to Myogaso was not short.
And the assassins who had attacked him would not give up; they would be watching for an opportunity at any moment.
What if he entered a city or a town?
They would undoubtedly use the common people as shields to attack him without hesitation.
‘They should have shown up by now.’
The assassins' goal was clearly to prevent Bu Eun-seol from passing through crowded towns or cities.
In other words, they wanted to create an opportunity to send a large force at once and eliminate him in a single strike.
But they had yet to reveal themselves.
‘Are they waiting for the right moment?’
Yet, now that Bu Eun-seol had deliberately chosen to travel on deserted roads, the assassination attempts had ceased.
‘That means they have another objective. What is it?’
Lost in deep thought as he moved, Bu Eun-seol gradually slowed to a halt.
In the distance, he had spotted a dilapidated, abandoned house.
Stepping through the half-broken main gate, he saw a front yard overgrown with weeds.
The inner building was mostly collapsed, but it was enough to shelter him from the night dew.
"This will do."
The sun was just about to set.
Bu Eun-seol decided to rest here for the night.
*Crackle.*
He gathered some broken wood from the surroundings, started a fire, and leaned back against a garden stone in the yard, closing his eyes.
In truth, he felt no fatigue at all.
He could use his movement techniques for four days straight without rest and feel no strain.
But the enemy could appear at any time, from anywhere.
If he arrived at Myogaso with his stamina and internal energy depleted, he wouldn't be able to respond to any unexpected situations.
The Divine Calculator, in particular, was a figure with close ties to the Orthodox Faction.
Even with the Token of Gratitude, the man might refuse to see him, or this whole thing could be a trap.
For that reason, Bu Eun-seol intended to arrive at Myogaso with his energy and stamina fully preserved.
*Whoosh.*
Just then, a sound cut through the distant sky. At the same time, a small shadow entered through the gate.
It was the same girl who had fought the White Blaze assassins earlier, So-yo.
"Hm."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol sitting by a fire, So-yo let out a low hum and stopped in her tracks.
*Swish.*
As she turned to leave,
"There's no need for that."
Bu Eun-seol's lips moved, though his eyes remained closed.
"I'm not going to eat you."
At his words, So-yo whipped her head around and glared at him.
A murderous glint flashed in her silver-tinged eyes, but Bu Eun-seol simply continued to rest with his eyes closed.
"If you're scared, you can leave."
An ordinary martial artist would have offered kind words, like ‘Feel free to rest here.’
But Bu Eun-seol had instantly seen through So-yo's personality and deliberately provoked her.
If he hadn't, she would have forced herself to travel through the night instead of resting here.
*Step, step.*
With a cold expression, So-yo walked past Bu Eun-seol.
She went to a far corner of the yard, gathered some firewood, and started her own fire.
‘So our paths were bound to cross again.’
After a moment of thought, Bu Eun-seol realized why their routes kept overlapping.
She, too, was being chased by the White Blaze assassins. That guild, in particular, used tactics involving massive volleys of arrows.
If a fight broke out in a town, innocent civilians would undoubtedly suffer immense harm.
She, too, was avoiding towns and cities to prevent harm to others.
*Tatak.*
Only the sound of crackling firewood echoed in the night sky.
Ordinary martial artists would have called this fate and asked about each other's circumstances.
But neither Bu Eun-seol nor So-yo.
Asked a single thing.
And so, time passed.
It was strange.
Though he was in a deserted ruin with a stranger, he felt no discomfort, as if he were alone.
Kindred spirits.
Their personalities and auras were somehow similar.
That was why the two of them felt no awkwardness, despite sharing the same space.
*Whoosh.*
But then, a sound tore through the distant sky.
At the same time, about fifty martial artists clad in black assassin's garb descended into the yard, surrounding them.
*Shhk.*
So-yo opened her eyes, slowly stood up, and began to walk toward the assassins.
This time, however, Bu Eun-seol stepped in front of her.
"It seems these guests are for me."
The assassins who had just appeared exuded an entirely different aura from those of the White Blaze Assassin Guild.
Bu Eun-seol could tell at a glance that these were the assassins who had been attacking him all along.
"Still not your full force, I see."
Bu Eun-seol remarked calmly as he looked down at the assassins.
"Are you still not ready? Or are you just trying to be clever?"
*Shing.*
Instead of answering, the assassins drew poisoned swords. Without hesitation, they charged, unleashing sharp sword techniques.
*Huk! Huk!*
It was astonishing.
These fifty-odd assassins not only possessed excellent swordsmanship but also moved with a style that was a spitting image of the White Blaze assassins.
They employed ghost-like movement techniques.
As a result, the moment Bu Eun-seol showed any intention of using his sword, they would instantly disperse like mist, moving out of his attack range.
‘These people.’
The movement technique these assassins were using… wasn't it the Misty Wave Movement of the Sooyoung Sect, famed for its superior lightness skills?
‘So it was the Martial Alliance.’
It was impossible that the Sooyoung Sect, a mysterious sect that rarely showed itself in the martial world, would suddenly become a guild of assassins.
Besides, the Sooyoung Sect had no grudge against Bu Eun-seol.
The fact that these assassins were using the movement technique of a mysterious Orthodox sect like Sooyoung.
It meant they weren't disciples of the sect, but rather assassins of the Martial Alliance who had learned the technique provided by them.
*Shweek!*
In that instant, the assassins once again launched their sword techniques at Bu Eun-seol.
‘They’re trying to find traces of my martial arts.’
The assassins' movement and sword skills were impressive, but they weren't enough to trouble Bu Eun-seol.
That meant these men were also disposable pawns.
By sending assassins with superior movement and sword skills, they were likely trying to observe Bu Eun-seol's true abilities.
Or perhaps they wanted to identify his fighting style and habits.
‘Someone could be watching from somewhere.’
*Shing.*
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol drew his sword and deployed the Formless Celestial Flow.
There was no need to expose his trump cards like the Glacial Celestial Flow Art, the True Art of Will, or the Thirteen Nights.
But just then,
*Thwip!*
With a sharp sound, a powerful arrow was shot, seeming to be sucked in between the assassins as they moved.
*Thwack!*
With a dull thud, an arrow embedded itself deep in the forehead of one of the assassins who had vanished like mist.
So-yo, standing behind Bu Eun-seol, had used her shortbow to take down one of the Martial Alliance's assassins.
*Thwip! Thwip!*
This time, two powerful arrows were fired in quick succession.
At once, the figures of two assassins who had been circling Bu Eun-seol like mist were revealed.
*Flash!*
Seizing the opportunity, Bu Eun-seol executed the Meteor Chasing the Moon Form.
*Shwiik!*
Bu Eun-seol's swordsmanship had already reached an exquisite level, allowing him to imbue even simple forms with countless variations.
Each time the tip of the Ink Sword moved, the sword shadows it created followed unpredictable paths.
*Swish! Swish!*
Bu Eun-seol changed his technique, weaving brilliant sword flowers in the air.
With each one, a flower of blood bloomed from the necks of the mist-like assassins.
*Twang! Twang! Twang!*
So-yo's arrows flew without pause, pinning down the assassins' movements.
And each time, Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword followed mercilessly.
*Thump. Thump. Thud.*
The assassins, who had been circling Bu Eun-seol like ghosts while remaining hidden, now lay scattered on the ground as cold corpses.
*Click.*
Having dealt with all the Martial Alliance assassins, Bu Eun-seol sheathed his Ink Sword on his back and turned around.
"Why did you interfere?"
"Before. Debt."
A short answer.
She probably meant, ‘I was repaying the debt from before.’
So-yo slung her shortbow back onto her back and turned away nonchalantly. Then, as if nothing had happened, she left the abandoned house.
‘So they’ll be back.’
Since the assassins chasing Bu Eun-seol had appeared here, the White Blaze assassins chasing So-yo would also arrive soon.
She had left quickly so as not to cause him any trouble.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he watched So-yo's departing back.
‘She won’t be able to shake them off alone.’
The White Blaze Assassin Guild was one of the most prominent assassin organizations beyond the borders.
Since they were pursuing her so relentlessly... So-yo might be chased endlessly until the day she died.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol let out a low hum.
There were only two ways one could enter an assassin's guild at such a young age.
Either they entered willingly, unable to endure starvation.
Or they were kidnapped by the guild's masters because they possessed exceptional talent.
Of course, neither of those would have been the life that small girl had wanted.
"Is there no other way?"
The martial world is a harsh place.
No sane person would help a girl being chased by the fearsome White Blaze Assassin Guild.
Doing so would mean risking not only their own life but the very existence of their sect.
But as luck would have it, there was someone who could help her.
Someone who was not only perfectly sane but also so powerful that he didn't need to wager the fate of his sect.
"Why are you being chased by assassins from your own guild?"
Bu Eun-seol followed after So-yo.
He had decided to help her after all.
If a stone is thrown, retaliate with a mountain. If a sip of water is received, repay it by digging a well.
That was the ironclad rule of the Wolf Fang Pavilion, one of the Ten Demonic Sects.
"I will help you."
But So-yo simply ignored Bu Eun-seol's offer and continued walking in silence.
"Do you think I'm lying?"
"Stay out of it."
Despite the icy reply, a smile crept onto Bu Eun-seol's face.
When it came to being cold and detached, he was second to none.
The Bu Eun-seol of the past? He would have ignored her and walked away.
Forcing help on someone who didn't want it was a form of coercion, after all.
But now, he did not hesitate to save the frozen girl.
This was not the act of a ruthless Grandmaster of the Demonic Arts, but of a renowned hero walking the path he believed was right.
"You don't have to tell me your circumstances. I'll just help you."
"Why."
"The debt from just now."
"Besides that."
*The real reason you want to help me.*
Her eyes seemed to be asking him that very question.
As So-yo's gaze fixed on his, Bu Eun-seol considered it for a moment.
He was not a member of the Orthodox Faction, nor did he have any interest in the path of chivalry.
"I... don't know."
He was being sincere.
It wasn't because he wanted to be a hero or to repay a debt. There was no absolute reason he had to help her.
He himself didn't know the real reason.
Realizing that he was telling the truth, a strange light flickered in So-yo's eyes.
"You, how old?"
"Roughly... just past twenty."
Having been abandoned at a very young age, Bu Eun-seol didn't know his exact age.
At that, So-yo's eyes twinkled.
"Young."
"Young?"
"Me, roughly... thirty."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened at the unexpected answer.
At most, she looked like a girl of about fifteen. Her actual age was over thirty?
"Are you joking?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
As So-yo blinked her large eyes, Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
He and she were kindred spirits.
Neither was the type to make jokes or quips, and there was no reason for her to lie.
‘Did she eat a Youth-Preserving Fruit?’
So-yo's youthfulness wasn't just due to a unique constitution or a cute face.
She had the skin of a young girl, something a woman in her thirties could never possess.
In that moment, a thought crossed Bu Eun-seol's mind.
"Are you connected to the Azure Spirit Palace of the Cloud Sea?"
The people of the Azure Spirit Palace of the Cloud Sea, who grew up eating the spiritual herbs from the peak of Mount Gorap, stopped aging in their teens.
They maintained that physique and skin for their entire lives.
Perhaps So-yo had lived near Mount Gorap and became a disciple of the Azure Spirit Palace.
Or maybe, like the disciples of the palace, she had eaten the spiritual herbs of Mount Gorap? That was the thought that struck him.
But no answer came.
After a moment of silence, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
"First, let's shake off these persistent pursuers."
The White Blaze Assassin Guild was relentlessly chasing So-yo.
And the Martial Alliance's assassins were tenaciously tailing Bu Eun-seol.
By using this to their advantage, they could buy plenty of time.
"..."
But So-yo still didn't answer.
It was a clear refusal.
‘I can’t force her.’
There was no way to forcibly help someone who claimed they didn't need it.
Besides, she was older than him.
As an adult who could take responsibility for her own choices, there was no need for Bu Eun-seol to interfere.
"I understand. Then there's no choice..."
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to continue,
*Whoosh.*
Once again, a sound cut through the distant sky.
And this time, over a hundred assassins surrounded them.
They were the pursuers from the White Blaze Assassin Guild.
"So-yo!"
The lead assassin shouted, his voice filled with anger.
Bu Eun-seol paid them no mind and was about to hurry on his way.
But in the end, he had to stop.
Because the lead assassin had yelled.
"Hand over the Token of Gratitude now!"