Chapter 645: The Art of Killing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 645: The Art of Killing
A black current began to swirl around the bodies of Salhon and Tang So.
Before long, it completely enveloped the two of them.
Sun-woo watched the scene with a calm, detached expression.
How much time had passed?
Ssssss.
The black currents that had surrounded them gradually began to scatter. Soon, they dissipated entirely, vanishing without leaving a single trace behind.
Sun-woo shifted his gaze toward the two men.
Both of them had their eyes tightly shut as if they were in a deep sleep, remaining perfectly still.
After a few moments...
Flash!
Flash!
Their eyes snapped open simultaneously. They immediately began checking their own bodies.
"My... body... my body... MY BODY!!!!"
A jubilant cry erupted from Tang So’s lips.
"......Son of a bitch."
At the same time, a string of curses escaped the mouth of the restrained Salhon.
It seemed the soul-swap had been a success.
Grip.
"Sun-woo, thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Tang So grabbed Sun-woo’s hands with both of his, expressing his gratitude over and over again.
If not for Sun-woo’s help, Tang So would have spent the rest of his life rotting in an underground dungeon. His gratitude was bound to be immeasurable.
"I’ll work hard from now on! I’ll be satisfied with a normal life! I won’t call it boring anymore—I’ll live happily, knowing that it’s actually peaceful!"
Tang So shed hot tears, repenting again and again.
Having experienced being in Salhon’s body, he realized just how precious his repetitive daily life truly was. He understood now that what he had thought was a mind-numbingly dull existence was actually a blessing of peace.
Unlike before, he felt he could now live a fulfilled life as a prison guard.
"Ah, right. Yes. Ordinary is best."
Hearing Tang So’s intense self-reflection, Sun-woo gave a lukewarm response, playing along as best he could. He found Tang So’s tearful repentance a bit baffling, but he figured it was easier to just go with the flow.
"Sniff... Truly... truly... thank you... Sun-woo, you are my savior... I will never forget this grace as long as I live... I will find a way to repay your kindness even in death..."
Overwhelmed by emotion, Tang So began to weep even more uncontrollably.
Seeing him cry again, Sun-woo felt a wave of awkwardness. To be honest, Sun-woo didn't care whether Tang So repented or not. He didn't even know what the man was thinking. As the lamenting continued, he started to feel bored and annoyed.
I should comfort him a bit more and then send him on his way.
Sun-woo opened his mouth to speak, intending to get rid of him.
"Stop blubbering already."
A sharp voice pierced through the air.
The speaker was the restrained Salhon.
"Wh-what!?"
Startled by the biting remark, Tang So stopped mid-sob.
"I’m the one who should be crying right now. Why the hell are you the one making a scene?"
Salhon continued, his expression twisted with irritation.
He truly was the one who wanted to cry. He had spent months looking for an opening and crafting an escape plan. He had simulated the scenario in his head countless times, revising and refining it until he had the perfect strategy.
And yet, that plan had vanished into thin air in a single moment. All because Jang Sun-woo, who hadn't shown his face for months, decided to drop by out of the blue.
How could he not be furious?
If he had executed the plan just one day earlier—no, even half a shijin earlier—he would have escaped successfully. But Sun-woo had appeared at the exact moment he was about to make his move.
It was enough to make his blood boil.
"Wh-what did you say?! You damn demon!"
Incensed by Salhon’s sharp words, Tang So raised his voice in anger.
"If you’re done crying, get lost. I have things to discuss with Jang Sun-woo privately."
Clang!
"I’ll kill you!"
Tang So drew the sword at his hip and let out a roar. His eyes were filled with killing intent.
"Go ahead and try, you pathetic brat. I wonder if a loser like you even has the strength left to swing a sword."
"Grrrgh!"
Fuming with rage, Tang So tightened his grip on his sword. He looked ready to cut the man down then and there.
Thud.
"Stop."
Sun-woo quickly intervened, restraining Tang So.
"You seem too agitated. Why don't you take a moment to calm down?"
"This man is a heinous, cold-blooded murderer!"
"But he is a murderer I have a reason to keep alive," Sun-woo said in a calm tone. "If you insist on using force, I will have no choice but to subdue you."
He continued with an incredibly serious expression.
"............"
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Tang So began to break out in a cold sweat.
"You wouldn't want that, would you?"
Sun-woo stared at him with cool, sunken eyes.
"I... I’m sorry... I overstepped my bounds."
Meeting that gaze, Tang So quickly apologized. He realized he had forgotten his place.
"No, it’s fine. I think your anger is perfectly justified."
When Tang So apologized, Sun-woo waved it off dismissively.
".....Thank you... for understanding."
Tang So bowed his head deeply.
"Why don't you head in for the day? Actually, no. Take a full month off to rest before returning to duty."
"A... a whole month!?"
"You’ve been through a major ordeal, haven't you? Take a month to recover and then come back."
"Is... is that really okay?"
"Of course. I’ll inform the Jaegyeong Pavilion. I’ll make sure you’re provided with a generous vacation bonus as well."
"Th-thank you so much!"
Tang So bowed at the waist.
"Don't mention it. I’m just giving you the compensation you deserve."
Sun-woo spoke as if it were nothing.
Glisten.
Tang So’s eyes began to well up with tears again. He was deeply moved by Sun-woo’s magnanimity.
The Sword God is not only great in martial arts but in character as well.
Before long, Tang So’s gaze was overflowing with reverence.
As he stared at Sun-woo with those worshipful eyes...
"Stop leaking from your eyes and get the hell out, you punk."
Salhon’s gruff voice grated on his ears once more.
That bastard!
Tang So’s eyes flared with fire again. The anger surged back like a tide.
"You should probably head out now," Sun-woo said, stopping him. He knew that if he let this continue, the pointless bickering would never end.
".......Understood."
Tang So nodded. He agreed that it was best to leave the area.
"Then I shall take my leave. Thank you again for saving me."
Tang So bowed politely to Sun-woo once more—a gesture of respect for the savior who had spared his life. Then, he turned and walked away. His footsteps seemed incredibly light.
Sun-woo watched the door Tang So had exited until his presence had completely vanished.
After a while, Sun-woo slowly turned around. His gaze fell upon the bound Salhon.
"You have a foul mouth."
"I have no intention of wasting my time on a useless brat," Salhon replied calmly. "So, state your business. What do you want from me?"
Salhon’s eyes glittered with curiosity as he questioned Sun-woo.
"I want only one thing."
Sun-woo spoke in a level voice.
"Killing intent."
"Killing intent?"
"Yes. Teach me how to control my killing intent."
Sun-woo’s cold eyes flashed.
Upon hearing this, Salhon tilted his head in confusion. He couldn't understand the request at all.
*
"You want me to teach you how to control killing intent...? What do you mean by that?"
Salhon asked back, his face a mask of bewilderment. It made no sense to him.
Jang Sun-woo was the world’s greatest martial artist, the man who had severed the arm of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader and earned the title of Sword God. Why would such a man need to learn how to control killing intent?
"Because I need it."
"I’m asking why you need it. Isn't controlling killing intent something simple for someone at your level?"
Salhon asked again, still lost. Controlling killing intent was incredibly basic. You just had to suppress your murderous intent. You simply removed the will to kill. Why would he need to learn something so simple from him?
"That’s not what I’m looking for."
Sun-woo shook his head.
"What?"
"I’m not looking for something that simple."
Sun-woo looked Salhon straight in the eye.
"What I truly want is a way to command killing intent at will."
"Command it at will?"
"A way to unleash a massive amount of killing intent without being consumed by it. A way to maintain my sense of self and control it as I please."
Sun-woo continued with a calm expression.
"That is what I want."
"That’s impossible."
Salhon shook his head, his expression saying the idea was preposterous. It defied common sense. Killing intent was a momentum born from murderous intent. And murderous intent was the human heart’s desire to kill. As killing intent thickened, the murderous intent deepened along with it. Once that intent deepened beyond one's control, they would be consumed by it and become a murderous ghost.
To want to control that was madness.
"No, it is possible."
"What!?"
"Don't you assassins use a similar method?"
Sun-woo’s lips curled into a smirk. He found Salhon’s attempt to play dumb amusing.
"............"
Salhon fell silent. Sun-woo wasn't wrong. Assassins fundamentally possessed techniques to conceal their killing intent. Since high-level martial artists were often sensitive to such things, concealing one's aura was essential for a stealthy assassination.
"Stop feigning ignorance and cooperate."
"........It’s impossible."
Salhon repeated his refusal.
"What!?"
Sun-woo’s brow furrowed. The man had promised to cooperate with anything, and now he was spouting this nonsense?
"I suppose I’ve been treating you too humanely."
Vroooooom.
Sun-woo began to mimic the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art. He intended to give Salhon a taste of pain for trying to back out now. A powerful, green current began to shimmer around Sun-woo’s body.
"W-wait!"
Seeing this, Salhon hurriedly raised his voice. He knew he was in for a world of hurt if he didn't speak up.
"Do you have something to say?"
Sun-woo slowly raised his glowing palm.
"It’s not that I won't teach you!" Salhon shouted defensively.
"Then what’s the problem?"
Sun-woo asked, confused. If it wasn't a matter of willingness, why did he say it was impossible?
"To manipulate killing intent to the degree you’re talking about, you must learn a special internal energy cultivation method."
Salhon’s expression turned grave.
"A special cultivation method?"
"Yes. To control killing intent freely, you must learn a technique called the Art of Killing. But the Art of Killing isn't something a martial artist with ordinary internal energy can just copy."
"Why not?"
"To perform the Art of Killing, you must always carry a certain amount of killing intent within your body. The technique is literally fueled by it."
"And that’s related to a special cultivation method?"
"Exactly. Most cultivation methods used by assassins are designed to accumulate killing intent alongside internal energy. That’s why they can perform the Art of Killing once they reach a certain level."
"So what’s the issue?" Sun-woo asked.
"Weren't you listening? I said you need to have a certain amount of killing intent stored in your body! Not killing intent triggered by a momentary impulse, but artificially accumulated killing intent!"
Salhon raised his voice in frustration. He was exasperated by Sun-woo’s inability to grasp the point.
"No matter how great your realm is, you couldn't have accumulated killing intent without a specialized cultivation method! That’s why learning the Art of Killing is impossible for you!"
He spoke with absolute certainty.
Just as internal energy was required to perform martial arts, killing intent was required for the Art of Killing. This wasn't a matter of skill or effort; it was simply the way things worked. How could a man defy the natural order?
Swish!
Suddenly, Sun-woo drew the Dragon Tail Soft Sword from his waist.
"Wh-what are you doing!?"
Salhon looked panicked. He was startled by Sun-woo’s sudden movement.
Vroooooom.
Without a word, Sun-woo began to circulate his internal energy—a power so vivid it was visible to the naked eye.
"W-wait... this isn't my fault..."
Salhon began to plead desperately, his face pale. He thought Sun-woo was going to kill him out of spite because he couldn't learn the technique.
That crazy bastard.
Salhon felt it was incredibly unfair. He had been as cooperative as possible, so why was this happening? The man was pure arrogance. Salhon prayed to the heavens that this son of a bitch would be struck by lightning.
As Salhon was praying...
Shiver.
Tremble, tremble.
A sudden chill ran down his spine, and his entire body began to shake uncontrollably. He felt like a mouse cornered by a cat.
'Th-this...'
Salhon’s expression turned to one of pure shock. He could feel a massive, overwhelming aura of killing intent.
'H-how!?'
Salhon’s eyes widened in utter disbelief.