Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Bloodbath in the Inner Chambers
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The inner quarters of the Bipung Merchant Group.
This place, originally resided in only by the merchant leader and his wife, had been utterly devastated.
Corpses scattered across the floor.
Intestines and blood smeared on the walls and floor.
The once bright and vibrant space was now filled only with the stench of blood and suffocating silence.
"Honey."
At that moment, the two who had no choice but to witness the horrific scene unfolding in the inner quarters embraced each other, trembling.
"...My lady."
Bipung Merchant Group's leader, Go Gaeyoung, tightly held his wife, who was shaking in terror, as he glared at the one responsible for this massacre.
The middle-aged man, who appeared to be in his forties, had such an ordinary face that one might forget it after a single glance.
But he knew just how terrifying this unassuming middle-aged man truly was.
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost.
A renowned saber wielder from Shaanxi, his nickname stemmed from his icy expression and ghostly saber techniques.
'I heard recently that White Ghost Castle had recruited him. Why is he with the Paewang Sect... Could it be...!'
As a certain suspicion formed in Go Gaeyoung's mind, his blood ran cold.
"He seems to have avoided a fatal wound."
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost, drenched in blood from head to toe, plunged his saber into the gut of the ronin he had just felled, who was still twitching.
Puk!
"Gahk!"
The ronin, who had been barely clinging to life, vomited blood, convulsed violently, then went still and limp.
Confirming the ronin was truly dead, the Cold-Faced Saber Ghost stomped on the corpse and yanked out his saber in one swift motion.
Pusheuk—
In an instant, blood sprayed like a fountain, drenching the inner quarters in a bloody mist.
"Even so, for a merchant group ruling Shaanxi, you've gathered some fine experts."
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost swept back his blood-soaked hair and locked eyes with Go Gaeyoung, who stood frozen across from him.
Hwim!
Go Gaeyoung's breath caught as he met the Saber Ghost's eyes, brimming with murderous intent.
'The experts I've been recruiting so diligently over the past two years...'
Go Gaeyoung's vision darkened.
The five warriors who had fallen to this man were all renowned ronin within Shaanxi Province.
Yet the Cold-Faced Saber Ghost's infamous reputation was well-earned; they had all met their ends in less than a quarter of an hour.
Jureuk—
A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he witnessed the unbelievable sight.
"...Honey."
Snapping back to reality at his wife Yeon Suran's voice, he met her gaze and gave her a reassuring look.
Releasing his embrace, he stepped in front of her protectively and spoke.
"...Do you think you can get away with this outrage in broad daylight, White Leader?"
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost let out a cold laugh at the question.
"And if I can't?"
"Do you even know who backs this merchant group?"
"Of course I do. Mount Hua Sect, isn't it?"
"...!"
Go Gaeyoung fell silent in stunned disbelief as the Saber Ghost answered nonchalantly.
To commit such an act despite knowing Mount Hua Sect was behind them meant they were prepared for all-out war.
Or...
"...You intend to kill everyone in the Bipung Merchant Group."
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost responded with a grin instead of words.
Go Gaeyoung frowned at the sight of the man's gleaming white teeth between his lips.
"I heard you recently joined White Ghost Castle."
"Word spreads fast."
Biting his lip as the Saber Ghost admitted it so readily, Go Gaeyoung continued.
His worst fears had come true.
In the most nightmarish way possible.
"...Has the Paewang Sect allied with White Ghost Castle?"
"Allied?"
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost sneered chillingly.
"Do you think the Paewang Sect stands shoulder-to-shoulder with White Ghost Castle?"
"That means...!"
Go Gaeyoung's face drained of color.
'The Paewang Sect is under White Ghost Castle's command!'
Suddenly, the pieces of information in his mind clicked together perfectly.
"Could it be... the reason the upstart Paewang Sect rose so prominently was because of White Ghost Castle's backing...?"
"Impressive."
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost let out a sigh of admiration.
In just a few exchanges, Go Gaeyoung had grasped the truth hidden within.
"Then the reason for attacking our merchant group is to provoke Mount Hua Sect..."
"They say you built the Bipung Merchant Group from nothing into this giant all on your own. Sharp as ever."
The Saber Ghost looked at Go Gaeyoung with regret, even in this dire situation, as the man continued to probe for information.
"What a shame. Truly a shame. If you'd cut ties with Mount Hua Sect and accepted the Paewang Sect's offer, you wouldn't have ended up like this."
"That will never happen."
Go Gaeyoung declared firmly.
The Saber Ghost nodded lightly, as if he had expected as much.
He had confirmed before the assault that the merchant leader's eldest son was with Mount Hua Sect.
The Cold-Faced Saber Ghost approached Go Gaeyoung.
He had toyed with him because he found his defiance amusing, but now it was over.
No more delays.
Teobuk— Teobuk—
Go Gaeyoung glared at the approaching Saber Ghost and said through gritted teeth.
"...Mount Hua Sect will never let this slide."
"Contrary to your hopes, they will."
The Saber Ghost's smile faded as he spoke.
"Just as you said, the Bipung Merchant Group will vanish without a trace today."
Declaring total annihilation, he raised the saber in his hand high.
Dduk, dduk.
Staring at the blood dripping from the blade, Go Gaeyoung widened his eyes and whispered.
"It won't go as you wish."
"Dying with empty dreams isn't so bad."
As the Saber Ghost spoke, his eyes narrowed.
Hwaaak!
In an instant, his overwhelming killing intent filled the inner quarters.
"Kuhk!"
Go Gaeyoung's face paled as he faced the killing intent head-on, and the saber fell.
Shwaaaek!
"Honey!"
The moment Yeon Suran cried out from behind Go Gaeyoung and squeezed her eyes shut.
Kang!
Sparks suddenly flew.
With the clash, the Cold-Faced Saber Ghost, who had swung the saber, was flung back by the impact and slammed into the bloodstained wall.
"Kuhuk!"
Vomiting a mouthful of dark blood, he collapsed weakly to the floor, dropping to his knees.
The scene had unfolded in a split second.
"What is...?"
"Honey?"
Go Gaeyoung and Yeon Suran, finally grasping the situation, stared in bewilderment at the sudden newcomer.
Snow-white skin and sharp features.
A handsome young man in black daoist robes contrasting his fair complexion scanned the surroundings and spoke.
"For a merchant group, why's it so damn big?"
Go Gaeyoung hesitated at the crude speech that didn't match his refined appearance and cautiously asked.
"A-Are you from Mount Hua Sect?"
"Huh?"
The handsome young man, Cheonhwi, turned his head.
That face?
The middle-aged man's expression twisted in confusion; the face looked strangely familiar.
'Huh? Jeokgeom?'
The man resembled Jeokgeom exactly.
The only differences were the wrinkles and the marks of weathered years on his face.
Cheonhwi looked down at him and asked.
"You're the Bipung Merchant Group leader, right?"
"Y-Yes, that's me."
"Then that guy's the enemy."
"Mount Hua Sect?"
At that moment, the Cold-Faced Saber Ghost regained his senses.
Using his saber as a crutch, he rose and glared at Cheonhwi, swallowing hard in tension.
"How did you get in here? I had my subordinates outside."
"Outside? Oh, those guys?"
Recalling them as he spoke, Cheonhwi added nonchalantly.
"They were annoying, so I dealt with them."
"...!"
The Saber Ghost's face hardened.
If what he said was true, it meant he had silently eliminated the subordinates without anyone noticing.
'They were first-rate experts hastily assigned by the Paewang Sect.'
Sweat beaded on his saber-gripping hand.
Tensing up, the Cold-Faced Saber Ghost readjusted his grip and quickly scanned Cheonhwi from head to toe.
'Not a Plum Blossom Sword Guard.'
His eyes flicked to the pure white sword; there was no plum blossom emblem that all Sword Guards bore.
That meant he was just an ordinary disciple.
But he couldn't let his guard down.
'No way this skill can be underestimated.'
He recalled the ambush from moments ago.
The moment he thought he glimpsed something hazy, the impact had already struck his abdomen.
He bit his lip.
Replaying the moment in his mind over and over, he still couldn't fathom how he had been attacked.
'What the hell hit me? Fist? Palm? Kick? Or leg?'
The more he pondered to figure out what struck him, the greater his unease grew.
Not even seeing the opponent's attack meant a significant gap in skill.
This man was undoubtedly superior.
'Damn it! But I can't just run either.'
The Saber Ghost's face twisted.
He wanted to flee right now, but his feet wouldn't move.
No, he couldn't afford to.
'If I fail this mission, he'll kill me.'
The Saber Ghost shuddered.
The world thought White Ghost Castle had recruited him, but that wasn't true.
He had submitted to the White Ghost Castle Lord, and in exchange, he had to obey orders unconditionally.
Even if it cost his life.
Recalling the middle-aged man who had crushed him with overwhelming power, he trembled and tightened his grip on the saber.
'Better to face this guy than run and deal with him.'
Having made his decision, he raised his saber.
Gathering all the inner energy from his lower dantian, the moment he unleashed his cold gaze.
Kwang!
The floor exploded.
In an instant, he dashed toward Cheonhwi with footwork.
Closing the single zhang distance in a breath, he poured inner energy into his saber, and frost enveloped the blade.
Then the saber shot forth like an arrow.
Shwaaaaek!
It was the manifestation of his lifelong ultimate technique, the Cold Soul Saber.
As the Cold Soul Saber, swung in the blink of an eye, neared his target's abdomen, the Saber Ghost smirked in victory.
But that smile didn't last.
Deopseok—
Cheonhwi grabbed the Cold Soul Saber with his bare hand.
The shocked Saber Ghost stared at his blocked blade, then looked up.
"...!"
His face turned ashen.
Cheonhwi's eyes were far colder than the frost emanating from the saber.
"You're really asking to die."
As Cheonhwi spoke, he extended his index finger.
In that moment, the Saber Ghost faced a blooming plum blossom.
Blood-red and eerily beautiful.
And that plum blossom was the last sight the Cold-Faced Saber Ghost beheld in his life.