Chapter 149
Translator: uly
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Sayo, the Top Assassin of the Eastern Ocean
Her past was as the supreme assassin of the Eastern Ocean, Sayo (Dead Demon).
Thud!
“Ugh!”
One of the assassins’ mouths gaped open.
“A s-scream…”
“Aaack!”
The assassin finally achieved his goal. He let out a wretched scream as he met his end.
“Stop!”
Hwe Ong bellowed. The advancing assassins halted in unison.
“Who got hit?”
“O Sam.”
“What took out O Sam?”
“A small arrow.”
“Damn it.”
Hwe Ong scanned their surroundings.
A stillness like the calm before the storm enveloped everything perfectly, with an ominous sense of impending doom floating like debris.
Thud!
Whoosh!
One assassin flew backward.
Thump!
Another fell victim to an arrow from the darkness. Habits were terrifying. The assassin didn’t scream.
“Deploy stealth arts!”
Hwe Ong shouted. The Life-Death Society assassins activated their stealth techniques and vanished.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
But arrows kept flying from the darkness, claiming several more assassins.
—We need to scatter.
Zhuque sent a telepathic message to Hwe Ong.
“Scatter!”
Hwe Ong yelled.
The assassins dispersed in all directions. Moments later, they blended into the mist and shadows.
“Don’t stray too far. Keep distance from your comrades.”
Swoosh! Swoosh!
A chilling sound rang out, and Hwe Ong quickly dropped into a low stance.
Swish!
One shot missed, but another grazed his left shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Hwe Ong grunted.
He glanced down. His left shoulder’s clothing was torn, blood trickling out.
Hwe Ong flattened himself to the ground.
Then he sent a telepathic message to Zhuque.
—Don’t speak. The enemy can pinpoint locations just from voices. Relay my orders!
—Understood.
Zhuque passed Hwe Ong’s words to the others.
—The enemy is within twenty zhang ahead. We hunt him now.
Hwe Ong sent another telepathic message.
The Life-Death Society assassins spread out wide and advanced.
Just as Hwe Ong said, Ak Muyoo was beside a tree twenty zhang away. Above him on the tree, Mu Hyang, Yo Pung, and Ha Mi crouched on branches in their night clothes. The three women were here because they had all mastered assassin techniques.
Ak Muyoo, staring straight ahead, donned his bloodwind cloak. Then he assumed a leopard stance. The ground here differed from the desert. Lush grass grew tall—over a chi high—enough to conceal him completely if he lay flat. But moving too fast would rustle the blades.
As he flattened himself, Yo Pung leaped down from the tree.
Thud!
She landed beside Ak Muyoo like a leopard and took the same stance.
“This’ll be a long fight.”
Ak Muyoo’s eyes shifted to beast eyes.
Those using stealth in the mist and darkness wouldn’t be visible even with beast eyes. He relied on senses sharpened to the extreme and his memory of the terrain.
Unleashing the Beast Blood Demon Art awakened every sense in his body, letting instinct—not just the five senses—track prey. A mere glance memorized the entire landscape.
Anything mismatching his memory of the terrain…
Was the enemy.
“Let’s go!”
Ak Muyoo crawled forward using his arms and legs. Yo Pung followed about ten zhang behind.
“Who’re you following?”
Ha Mi asked Mu Hyang.
“Isn’t he going alone?”
“How can we send someone without martial arts off alone?”
“He’s stronger than any warrior despite lacking martial arts.”
“That doesn’t change the fact he has no internal energy. People without it need protection. Besides, I need to get close to him.”
Ak Muyoo soon vanished into the mist and darkness.
“He’s gone.”
“This.”
Ha Mi held out a small cloth.
“What’s that?”
“Thousand-Li Scent.”
“You put it on him?”
“We all did—on the four of us. He can’t escape me now.”
“Pfft! You’re thorough.”
Mu Hyang chuckled.
“You have to be in Peking if you want to survive.”
“True.”
“I’ll follow him.”
Ha Mi leaped down and pursued the Thousand-Li Scent.
“Hwe Ong, you picked the wrong opponent. He’s… stronger than anyone I’ve ever seen. And more importantly, he has this incredible pull on people.”
The most shocking thing since meeting Ak Muyoo was his magnetic charisma.
His Storm Squad comrades made sense, but for the Hundred Radiant Demons, Forest Vanguard, Black Snake Alliance, and White Five Union to side with him was astonishing. Sure, he’d used the Radiant World Divine Art, but those leaders—Hundred Radiant Demons, Forest Vanguard chief, Black Snake Alliance lord, White Five Union head—were established powers. They wouldn’t kneel for martial arts alone. They followed due to his human appeal.
“Me too.”
Mu Hyang stood. Staring ahead, she unleashed a unique art: Scent Detection.
Soon, the scent’s position mapped in her mind. It headed left.
Whoosh!
Mu Hyang shot off.
—Unranked, gather here.
Hwe Ong telepathed Zhuque.
Soon Zhuque, Xuanwu, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Jung Gyeom approached Hwe Ong. These five, the Life-Death Society’s strongest assassins—titled Unranked for immeasurable skill—looked impossibly ordinary.
Only hairstyles and beards distinguished them. Zhuque had a brush-like goatee, Xuanwu sideburns, Azure Dragon a mustache covering his philtrum, White Tiger a full beard. Jung Gyeom was clean-shaven but sported stylish sideburns.
—The enemy’s that way.
Hwe Ong pointed northwest.
The five looked where he indicated.
—Within a hundred zhang. Zhuque at twelve o’clock, Xuanwu at nine, Azure Dragon at three. White Tiger and Jung Gyeom take the rest.
—Understood.
The five nodded.
—Begin.
The Unranked five moved to their squads. Soon, the Life-Death Society assassins split into groups of forty and headed to assigned positions.
Meanwhile.
Ak Muyoo, who’d gone left, lay flat in the grass, staring ahead.
—Mind if I join?
Ha Mi’s voice came then.
Ak Muyoo turned to look at her.
“Gasp!”
Ha Mi flinched.
Eyes radiating a translucent glow stared at her. White-ish gray-ish, they chilled like a beast’s in deep mountains.
“Can you put up a qi barrier?”
—Yes.
Ha Mi nodded and erected one.
“Why’re you here?”
“What’s with those eyes?”
Shivering, Ha Mi slipped into Ak Muyoo’s bloodwind cloak.
“I asked why you came.”
“To get close. Why else?”
“Isn’t that too forward? Your clothes too.”
Ha Mi’s outfit resembled water-fire garb for aquatic arts, hugging her muscles like she was half-naked. Sensual fit her perfectly.
“You like this outfit I prepared for you?”
Nonsense.
She’d brought it just in case—not for him. She’d never dreamed she’d fight for Ak Muyoo.
“You packed it leaving Peking.”
“My goal leaving Peking was to meet you. But… it’s fine?”
“What?”
“My figure.”
“Aren’t you coming on too strong with a lover already?”
“We ignore means for ends.”
“So it doesn’t matter?”
“Me or my master—we push if needed.”
“Sad.”
“What?”
“Bodies are sacred, yet you roll and use them like that.”
“Aren’t you the same?”
“How?”
“You use your body as a shield. Methods differ, but we both survive using our bodies.”
“Is that how it is?”
“Maybe that’s why I like you—that shared vibe.”
“You like me?”
“Not romantically. Just… as a person.”
“Pfft! Let’s move.”
Ak Muyoo smirked.
“Where to?”
“Ten zhang ahead.”
“Me first?”
“Killed anyone lately?”
“Anyone?”
“Yeah.”
“Over ten years.”
“…Better stay by my side.”
“What? I was top-tier in the Eastern Ocean.”
“Really?”
“Swear.”
“Fine. Go first.”
“Got it.”
“Be careful.”
“Worrywart.”
Ha Mi exited the bloodwind cloak, activated stealth, and leaped. Ak Muyoo, still prone, drew his Heaven God Sun Bow level with the ground, nocked a Dark Current Arrow, and drew the string.
‘Close by, but…’
Ha Mi tilted her head as she moved.
Too long since her last kill—senses dulled, but past skills hadn’t vanished. Instinct warned of nearby danger.
Tap!
Whoosh!
“Eek!”
Ha Mi grunted. She’d nudged a small stone, and a black shape rose terrifyingly fast. Her face twisted.
Not just senses—reflexes slowed too. Once, she’d dodge reflexively, swing a weapon, or hurl a hidden tool.
Now? She just stared blankly as the assassin’s weapon hurtled toward her.
Twang!
Ak Muyoo released the string.
The Dark Current Arrow skimmed low then rose. It was a Dark Current Illusion Arrow.
Thud!
A dull sound halted the assassin mid-motion. His weapon stopped just before Ha Mi’s heart.
Float!
The assassin’s body lifted.
Thud!
Another assassin down.
‘Damn it!’
Ha Mi self-reproached and swiftly cloaked in stealth, melting into the air.
‘I’ll kill you!’
Self-reproach turned to fury. She gathered all her energy, scanning around.
‘It’s back.’
A cold smile curled Ha Mi’s lips.
—Don’t trust your eyes—feel with your heart. Never rely on sight.
Words drilled into her during training. She’d lived half a year blindfolded to train body over eyes.
‘I’ll close them.’
Ha Mi shut her eyes.
The recent surroundings mapped in her mind.
Tap!
Something lightly struck her calf.
She knew it was Ak Muyoo without looking. She quickly raised a qi barrier.
“What’re you doing?”
Ak Muyoo asked.
“Heading back.”
“Back?”
“To the past.”
“What’s there?”
“Sayo.”
Ha Mi lightly licked her lips.
“Cool alias.”
“Fits the top Eastern Ocean assassin, right?”
“You were the top assassin in the Eastern Ocean?”
“Yes.”
“Guess I’ll work on getting close now.”
“My standards are low—you’re safe.”
“Sounds nice, feels bad. Why?”
“Inferiority complex, probably.”
“…Mu Hyang’s cooler.”
“What?”
“Her figure.”
“…”
“Petty revenge.”
“Hurt that my standards are low?”
“Seems so.”
“Feels better now?”
“Yeah. Ego’s recovering.”
“Men and their grudges.”
“I’m a petty Confucian. Long memory too.”
“Hmph.”
“How long to return?”
“Half a gak.”
“Good. Three ahead at seven zhang.”
“Sensed them. Going.”
Ha Mi leaped.
Ak Muyoo nocked another Dark Current Arrow and drew. Ha Mi, heading to the hidden foes, swung her sword at the ground.
Slashes!
Blood sprayed; one assassin revealed. Bounced right, she stabbed down as she landed.
Stab!
Blood gushed from the blade. Springing up, she swung right.
Clang!
As the assassin’s weapon parried, she drew her short sword from her waist and thrust forward.
Stab!
She twisted her wrist and pulled it free.
“I’m back.”
Ha Mi said over her shoulder.
“Come on!”
Ak Muyoo sprang up, shouting.