Chapter 419
Chapter 419
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 419
Chapter Title: The Perfect Deception
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Meanwhile, Zhong Jeong-yak, who sat by a teahouse window pretending to read a book while secretly observing Bu Eun-seol, felt that something was amiss.
‘No matter how I look at him, he doesn’t seem to be the kind of person they say he is.’
She had spent her entire career rooting out spies and investigating suspicious individuals.
Like a fortune-teller, she had developed the ability to grasp a person’s character and temperament just by looking at their face.
‘Young people with exceptional abilities should have a unique confidence and aura.’
According to the Murim Alliance’s report, Grand Lord Seon Wu-jin was remarkably skilled in both martial arts and strategy.
He was also said to possess courage so great he wouldn’t flinch even before the heads of the Three Poisons School.
But no matter how she looked at him, Seon Wu-jin showed no sign of exceptional temperament or talent.
‘Something doesn’t feel right…’
Her sharp intuition began to flare.
She sensed that the man named Seon Wu-jin was hiding something.
‘Besides, he’s too calm.’
A newly appointed Third-Rank Grand Lord on his first mission in the martial world should be a mix of excitement and tension.
But this man was as relaxed and leisurely as if he were taking a stroll through his own neighborhood.
‘There’s definitely something more to him.’
Zhong Jeong-yak had used the information networks of the Inspection Division and the Hall of Ten Thousand Volumes to thoroughly investigate the Seonhwa Merchant Group and Seon Wu-jin.
The Seonhwa Merchant Group was run so honestly that not a speck of dust could be found, no matter how hard one looked.
Seon Wu-jin’s upbringing was also transparent, with nothing to fault.
He was perfect, with not a single shred of suspicion to be found… but it was this very perfection that bothered Zhong Jeong-yak.
What if Seon Wu-jin’s clean identity and background were intentionally fabricated?
‘A spy.’
Only such people would meticulously craft a flawless identity and background to avoid anyone’s suspicion.
And if this Grand Lord was a spy… now that he was out in the martial world, he would surely make contact with his faction.
By then, Seon Wu-jin had finished his meal, left the inn, and was heading somewhere else.
Zhong Jeong-yak also exited the inn and followed him discreetly.
‘I will dig up your true nature.’
Zhong Jeong-yak was no longer the overzealous officer she once was.
After the Hwamilwonju incident, she had keenly felt the lack in her own abilities, experience, and martial arts.
With renewed determination, she had traveled the martial world, handling cases and accumulating experience and knowledge.
During that time, she had mastered the Art of Concealing Traces, a technique she had previously been unable to perfect, to the tenth stage.
The success of concealment arts, which involve hiding one’s presence, varies drastically depending on one’s innate disposition and character.
In particular, one needed to be able to adeptly utilize the ever-changing surroundings, making it difficult to achieve mastery without exceptional powers of observation and insight.
She was a born intelligence agent, blessed with keen observation, intuition, and a natural talent for hiding her presence.
Therefore, no matter how skilled her opponent, once she employed the Art of Concealing Traces, she could track them without ever being detected.
***
As he left the inn, Bu Eun-seol could feel Zhong Jeong-yak discreetly tailing him.
And he was a little surprised.
‘Her martial arts have improved significantly.’
The concealment art Zhong Jeong-yak was using had reached a considerable level.
If he hadn’t already known he was being followed, it would have taken him a significant amount of time to notice her.
‘I can’t afford to drag this out.’
His mind began to spin rapidly as he walked slowly through the marketplace, observing his surroundings.
Seo Jin-ha needed at least three months to become his perfect shadow.
If he couldn’t dispel Zhong Jeong-yak’s suspicions quickly, her personality dictated that she would stick to him until she was fully convinced.
In that case, Bu Eun-seol wouldn’t be able to return to the Demonic Cult and would have to keep wandering the martial world… or return to the Murim Alliance.
‘That method should work.’
While walking through the market, Bu Eun-seol instantly devised a plan to shake her off. He turned and headed for the post station.
He then sent a telepathic message to a member of the Soul Annihilation Squad waiting nearby.
He intended to execute the plan immediately and send Zhong Jeong-yak back to the Murim Alliance.
***
‘He’s quite capable.’
Zhong Jeong-yak nodded to herself as she secretly followed Seon Wu-jin and watched him work.
Grand Lord Seon Wu-jin.
Contrary to his gentle appearance, he was a very passionate and enterprising individual.
Having begun his investigation into the forces behind the Three Poisons School, he used his own funds to purchase information and verify facts.
What he couldn’t obtain through information brokers, he investigated himself through direct inquiries.
During his investigation, he appropriately used the authority of the Murim Alliance by presenting his token, and at times, he used money to persuade people.
He was conducting his investigation in the most ideal way a wealthy Third-Rank Grand Lord of the Murim Alliance could.
Even if she were conducting the investigation herself, she couldn’t have done it any better.
‘He’s more passionate and ambitious than I thought.’
Zhong Jeong-yak knew very well why Seon Wu-jin was so passionately engaged in this investigation.
Because she had once been the same.
The desire for success.
Like her past self, Seon Wu-jin was struggling with all his might to climb higher as quickly as possible.
‘Is it because he’s from a merchant family? There’s a definite sense of desperation about him.’
Watching Seon Wu-jin tirelessly move between people and information brokers, continuing his investigation without rest, Zhong Jeong-yak felt a strange emotion.
On the surface, it seemed as though he was fully utilizing his status as a Murim Alliance Grand Lord and the heir to a wealthy merchant group, enjoying the investigation itself.
But in Zhong Jeong-yak’s eyes, it was nothing more than a desperate struggle to climb higher.
‘I was like that once.’
Back when she had just joined the Murim Alliance.
She had been just like Seon Wu-jin.
She was enthusiastic about everything, and it felt as though if she just tried hard enough, she could rise endlessly.
‘But that was a childish thought.’
The martial world wasn’t so forgiving.
And in this world, there are surprisingly few things that can be obtained simply through effort.
It would likely take a long time for the young master of a merchant family to realize that.
‘Who are they?’
A glint flashed in Zhong Jeong-yak’s eyes as she watched Seon Wu-jin from a distance.
At some point, black shadows had begun to tail Seon Wu-jin as he moved about his investigation.
Judging by how stealthily they were following him, their intentions were clearly not good.
‘Have the backers of the Three Poisons School really appeared?’
He had come to the martial world to investigate the suspected forces behind the Three Poisons School.
And if those forces truly existed, it would certainly be bothersome to have a Third-Rank Grand Lord of the Murim Alliance digging into their affairs.
However, Seon Wu-jin seemed completely unaware that he was being followed and continued his inquiries.
The black shadows tailed him relentlessly.
It seemed they were biding their time, waiting for an opportunity to ambush him.
And eventually, trouble struck.
Just as Seon Wu-jin was leaving the village to cross a mountain pass for his investigation,
*Rustle.*
The shadows that had been discreetly following him finally revealed themselves.
They were all masked and wore assassin’s garb that looked as if it had been smeared with mud.
‘They are.’
Zhong Jeong-yak’s eyes widened as she watched them.
‘The Wind Demon Brigade. They’re assassins from the Wind Demon Brigade.’
From the assassins’ attire and the unusually shaped blades they carried, Zhong Jeong-yak recognized them as the contract killing squad led by the man known as the Mad Blade, who wielded the Soul-Reaving Blade.
They were the Wind Demon Brigade.
The Mad Blade, who had surrounded Seon Wu-jin, immediately gave an order to his subordinates.
“Even if he’s just small fry, he’s still part of the Murim Alliance. Deal with him without leaving a trace.”
*Shing.*
At his command, about twenty warriors drew their strange blades in unison.
These were unique swordsmen that the Mad Blade had painstakingly trained.
They weren't taught stealth and assassination like typical killers, but rather superior swordsmanship and unique cooperative tactics to openly kill their contracted targets.
‘This is dangerous.’
Zhong Jeong-yak frowned.
The Mad Blade and his swordsmen were capable of killing even peak masters without much trouble.
Even if Seon Wu-jin was a skilled warrior among the younger generation, facing the Wind Demon Brigade alone would be a difficult task.
‘They intend to kill him and destroy the evidence.’
If it became known that they had killed a Murim Alliance Grand Lord, the Wind Demon Brigade would be annihilated down to the last man.
That’s why they planned to kill Seon Wu-jin secretly and erase all evidence.
*Swish!*
Realizing the situation was dire, Seon Wu-jin quickly used a movement technique to escape.
But his opponents were the Wind Demon Brigade, who had never failed a contract.
*Shushushushu!*
They swiftly blocked Seon Wu-jin’s path and swung their peculiar blades.
“Kuh.”
Finding his escape route sealed, Seon Wu-jin pulled a black sphere from his robes and threw it into the air.
*Bang!*
With a loud explosion, a brilliant white light filled the world.
It was a Flash Orb, commonly used by assassins to escape.
“Ugh.”
Caught completely off guard by a Murim Alliance Grand Lord using a Flash Orb, the swordsmen grimaced and turned their heads away.
Seon Wu-jin didn’t miss the opportunity and immediately used his movement technique to flee.
“A quick-witted fellow.”
The Mad Blade, rubbing his eyes, bared his yellowed teeth as he watched the fleeing figure.
“But you won't get away.”
*Pyupyupyupyu!*
Suddenly, a shower of sharp hidden weapons rained down in front of the escaping Seon Wu-jin.
*Phat!*
Startled, Seon Wu-jin instantly leaped into the air to avoid the projectiles.
*Whoosh!*
A long whip shot up and wrapped around Seon Wu-jin’s leg while he was airborne.
“Kuh.”
Seon Wu-jin let out a groan as the whip coiled around his leg.
A sharp internal energy had penetrated his meridians through the whip.
*Whirl!*
He quickly spun his body in mid-air to unravel the whip.
However, he must have suffered an internal injury, as he staggered badly upon landing.
“Hehehe. What a cute-looking fellow.”
At the same time, another shadow slowly walked forward.
It was an old woman with snow-white hair, dark circles under her eyes, and a cruel aura.
She wore clothes dyed a shade of purple, and her lower garment was so short that her skinny legs were fully exposed.
Her attire alone suggested she was not a normal person.
‘The Purple Flame Matriarch?’
Zhong Jeong-yak, watching in secret, widened her eyes at the sight of the old woman.
The bizarre-looking crone was none other than the Purple Flame Matriarch, Eum Yak-bing, a master of unorthodox arts and a contract killer who had long been infamous in the martial world.
“Got him.”
Just then, the Mad Blade approached with a smile.
“One touch from the Purple Flame Matriarch’s Thunder-Provoking Whip is enough to paralyze even an ox.”
At the Mad Blade’s words, the Purple Flame Matriarch, Eum Yak-bing, grinned, revealing her blackened teeth.
“I want to have this young man. Do we really have to kill him?”
“Absolutely not.”
The Mad Blade said firmly.
“We must not only kill him but also completely erase any trace. Otherwise, both you and I will be dead.”
“Hmm.”
It seemed that even a mad old woman like her wanted no part of the Murim Alliance’s relentless pursuit.
Eum Yak-bing, who had been stroking Seon Wu-jin’s gentle face, reluctantly reached out her hand.
“I have no choice.”
*Whoosh!*
The Thunder-Provoking Whip shot out like a blade, aiming to pierce Seon Wu-jin’s brow.
*Swish!*
But with a strange sensation, the whip, which could pierce even rock, suddenly sliced through empty air.
“Using Flower Grafting in such a way?”
Eum Yak-bing wore a surprised expression.
The speed and power of the Thunder-Provoking Whip as it cut through the air were on par with a sharp sword strike.
Yet he had deflected the attack with a subtle technique like Flower Grafting.
“Then I’ll just have to mince you!”
Seeing this, the Mad Blade prepared to unleash his Soul-Reaving Blade technique.
*Flash!*
At that moment, a brilliant light flashed, and…
*Swish, thud!*
The swordsman standing behind the Mad Blade collapsed as if struck by an unseen hand.
Seon Wu-jin had seized the fleeting moment to unleash the legendary Muaeja’s secret art, the Horizon’s End Flying Dagger Art.
Unfortunately, he had failed to strike the Mad Blade’s neck and had hit the swordsman behind him instead.
“Spread out and attack!”
Realizing the deadliness of his flying dagger art, the Mad Blade shouted, and his men quickly moved, circling around Seon Wu-jin.
*Flash!*
Another dagger sliced through the air, and another swordsman fell.
Watching the battle from a distance, Zhong Jeong-yak couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘What an incredible flying dagger art.’
Seon Wu-jin, who had inherited the true teachings of Muaeja, the legend of the great desert from three hundred years ago, possessed a flying dagger art that was truly a one-hit kill.
Unfortunately, he could only launch one dagger at a time.
Moreover, a flying dagger art was not the most effective method for dealing with a large number of enemies.
*Thud! Thud!*
Seon Wu-jin had already taken down six of the swordsmen.
But his own body was now covered in cuts, both large and small.
*Pitter-patter.*
The swordsmen’s blades were coated with a deadly poison.
As his blood began to turn black, Seon Wu-jin pressed an acupoint on his neck and quickly consumed an antidote.
However, his complexion had already darkened, and his expression was grim.
But he didn’t give up, continuing to throw daggers while calmly looking for an opportunity to escape.
‘At this rate, his life is in danger.’
Zhong Jeong-yak bit her lip.
Should she stand by and watch him die? Or should she intervene and help him?
Just as she hesitated for a moment, about to reveal herself,
‘Could it be…’
A realization struck Zhong Jeong-yak, and her eyes turned cold.
—Seon Wu-jin. You must be very careful when investigating him. He is a man of truly exceptional skill in both martial arts and strategy.
The head of the Yeonseong Hall, who had risen to her position at a young age due to her outstanding strategy and martial arts, had warned her repeatedly.
That was how remarkable Seon Wu-jin was.
‘Could he have deliberately set a trap to clear my suspicions?’
A terrifying thought crossed Zhong Jeong-yak’s mind.
Perhaps Seon Wu-jin…
Knowing he was being watched, had he pretended to investigate in the martial world… and orchestrated this entire incident?
The Wind Demon Brigade and the Purple Flame Matriarch.
Both were contract killers who could easily be hired with enough money.
*Phat!*
At that moment, the Thunder-Provoking Whip swung by Eum Yak-bing grazed Seon Wu-jin’s body again.
Simultaneously, the Mad Blade’s Soul-Reaving Blade swiftly struck at the opening.
*Slash!*
The sharp blade grazed his neck, and black blood flowed freely.
The poison used by the swordsmen was so potent that the antidote seemed to have no effect at all.
*Stagger.*
As Seon Wu-jin momentarily faltered, unable to overcome the poison’s effects,
“Die!”
The Mad Blade and Eum Yak-bing, seizing the opportunity for a decisive blow, attacked simultaneously.
*Flash!*
As if he had been waiting for that exact moment, Seon Wu-jin spread his arms wide.
Dozens of daggers shot out at once, creating a silver radiance.
“What is this!”
The Mad Blade and Eum Yak-bing frantically swung their whip and blade.
But despite being thrown all at once, the daggers flew with different trajectories and speeds.
It was a hidden weapon technique reminiscent of the Tang Clan’s Ten Thousand Blossoms Filling the Sky.
Amazingly, Seon Wu-jin had been hiding this technique of throwing multiple daggers at once to create an opportunity to escape.
*Clang, clang, clang!*
While they were frantically deflecting the daggers,
*Swish!*
Seon Wu-jin broke through the encirclement and fled.
“Get him!”
The Mad Blade shouted loudly to his subordinates.
“Do not let him escape!”
The only reason they had taken this contract in the first place was their confidence that they could easily kill a Third-Rank Grand Lord of the Murim Alliance and erase all traces.
But if they failed?
From that day on, not only would they have to give up their contract killing business, but they would also never have a single day of peaceful sleep.
The pursuers from the Murim Alliance would hunt them to the ends of the earth.
*Rustle!*
They pushed their movement techniques to the limit, but soon, all traces of Seon Wu-jin disappeared.
They had lost him.
“Damn it all!”
*Crack!*
The Mad Blade slammed the hilt of his blade against a tree and muttered in a furious voice.
“If we don’t catch that bastard, we’ll have to leave the martial world!”
“Hmm. I was hoping to retire after one last big job.”
Eum Yak-bing also looked around anxiously.
Seon Wu-jin’s body bore numerous marks from her Thunder-Provoking Whip technique.
Even if Seon Wu-jin died, if his body was found by someone from the Murim Alliance, her crime would be exposed.
“This isn’t just any poison; he was hit with the Life-Reaping Blood Flower Poison.”
The Mad Blade gritted his teeth.
“He couldn’t have gotten far before collapsing… We just need to find the body.”
*Swish.*
As the Mad Blade and the Wind Demon Brigade took off, Eum Yak-bing quickly followed.
Once they had all departed, the forest on the mountain pass returned to its former silence.
*Rumble.*
At that moment, the ground beneath a large tree trembled violently, and then,
*Sssss.*
A circular patch of earth sank, and a figure emerged, gasping for breath.
It was Seon Wu-jin.
Amazingly, he had not only used a Flash Orb like an assassin but had also mastered the Earth Evasion Art, a skill typically known only to thieves.
“Ugh.”
Leaning against the large tree trunk, he let out a deep groan and pushed himself up.
He had used the flying daggers to momentarily distract them, pretended to flee, then immediately hidden underground and used a breath-holding technique to evade pursuit.
However, he hadn't managed to neutralize the poison from the blood blade, and the Thunder-Provoking Whip had caused deep internal injuries.
Although he had temporarily escaped his pursuers, the poison had spread so much that he could barely move.
*Stagger, stagger.*
He took one pained step after another, trying to leave the forest, but then,
*Thud.*
His legs finally gave out, and he collapsed.
“Huu, huu.”
Frowning and gasping for breath, Seon Wu-jin leaned against the tree trunk.
After a moment of deep thought, he pulled out two daggers from his robes and began to carve sharp letters onto the handles.
Wind Demon Brigade, Purple Flame Matriarch.
After carving the two names, he launched the daggers toward the tree he was leaning against.
*Thwack.*
Watching the daggers embed themselves firmly in a branch, Seon Wu-jin muttered softly.
“I… did my best.”
*Thump.*
And then, finally unable to withstand the poison, he lost consciousness.
*Swoosh.*
Just then, a faint shadow appeared before the fallen Seon Wu-jin.
It was Zhong Jeong-yak, who had been watching the entire situation unfold.
“Seeing you use things like Flash Orbs and Earth Evasion Art, it’s clear you’re from a merchant family.”
Martial artists from merchant backgrounds, much like escorts who travel with caravans, often learned all sorts of miscellaneous skills from the martial world to survive the numerous dangerous situations they encountered.
“But you have far too little experience in the martial world.”
She looked up at the daggers stuck in the tree.
It was likely his attempt to leave a clue for the Murim Alliance to find his killers, in case his body was discovered by the Wind Demon Brigade.
“Even if you hide them among the branches, they’ll glint in the moonlight.”
She was right.
As she looked up, the daggers reflected the moonlight, emitting a sharp glint.
At this rate, the daggers stuck in the tree would be discovered before Seon Wu-jin’s body.
*Shhh.*
Zhong Jeong-yak used her internal energy to pull objects from a distance, and the daggers embedded in the branches flew into her hand.
She stared at the words carved on the daggers for a while before shaking her head.
“Old foxes like them will surely return here to check one more time.”
Sighing, she examined Seon Wu-jin’s condition.
The poison had already spread completely. If not treated immediately, he would lose his life.
“I guess there’s no choice…”
There was no longer any room for suspicion.
Seon Wu-jin was nothing more than an ambitious young man.
He had rushed about in his haste to succeed, overextending himself, and was now paying for it with his life.
*Click.*
She took a porcelain bottle from her robes and poured a clear liquid into his mouth.
It was Nourishing Jade Fluid, a powerful antidote she always carried in case of extreme poisoning.
“Ughh.”
But it was no use.
The poison had spread throughout his entire body, and even the Nourishing Jade Fluid was having little effect.
*Throb, throb, throb.*
Due to the Life-Reaping Blood Flower Poison, the veins all over his body bulged, and his eyes rolled back, turning white.
He was on the verge of death.
‘The only place that can save him is there.’
Zhong Jeong-yak bit her lip.
There wasn't a moment to lose.
*Phat!*
Hoisting Seon Wu-jin onto her back, she immediately sped off in the direction opposite of Chengdu.