Chapter 341
Chapter 341
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 341
Chapter Title: From Now On, It's Counterattack (4)
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Transmitting the impressions I received from Jo Beom to my master, I said,
"That old man Jo Beom. He's reached the Harmony Realm, but something feels off about it."
- Didn't I tell you it seems like he's roughly entered the Harmony Realm? But don't let your guard down. It's not easy for an assassin to reach that level.
My master agreed with my words but issued a warning.
Just as those words continued.
Jo Beom's sword thrust in like a barrage of arrows.
Swaek! Swaek! Swaek! Swaek!
I hurriedly stepped through footwork while thinking.
"I've experienced countless absolute experts so far."
The demon heads who tried to kill me, and the elders of the righteous martial world who willingly sparred with me.
Among them were swords filled with fierce strikes like Jo Beom's.
"Sister Kyung Hye."
But there was a decisive difference between her sword and Jo Beom's.
Even the same ruthless strikes had an elegance to Sister Kyung Hye's sword.
Jo Beom's lacked that.
It was just like an arrow chasing its target.
"Well, it can't be helped."
Sister Kyung Hye entered the Emei Sect and ascended to the Harmony Realm by mastering horse stance from the basics, dissecting each of Emei's sword forms one by one.
As is typical with orthodox martial arts, among those forms she learned were ones so intricate they could be called dances.
"Forms that make you wonder if there's any meaning in learning them."
But no form included in a supreme martial art passed down through generations is ever superfluous.
When those ingrained forms reach harmony, the body and qi circulation finally synchronize and bloom.
An assassin like Jo Beom wouldn't have gone through that process.
"As master said, it's hard for assassins even to approach this realm."
Their profession itself straddles the line between life and death.
"They learn how to kill first."
They skip the essential training and learn how to kill people first.
And how to make opponents drop their guard.
That's why there's a saying in the jianghu to beware of children, women, and elders.
The reason for that saying is that those three categories have elements that make people lower their guard, turning them into tools for assassins.
"For elders, on top of that, surviving to old age in this harsh world implies they have some trick up their sleeve..."
Including that, Jo Beom's life embodied that saying.
"An old assassin."
From childhood learning to strike vital points, surviving through countless missions to become an elder.
Even blinding himself was probably initially a means to lower others' guards.
"I see. Your level."
While briefly blocking and dodging Jo Beom's sword momentum, I gauged his skill and hidden aces.
"Assessment complete."
The moment a clear plan on how to deal with him solidified in my mind.
Jo Beom's sword strikes continued pouring toward me.
Swaek!
Swaaaaek!!!
Many would panic at those strikes emerging from a realm hard for assassins to achieve.
"And the fact that a blind man unleashes them adds to it."
With the prestige of Giyeom Valley on top, it was no wonder many swordsmen lost their lives.
"But not me."
The weakness of a realm reached through shortcuts is elsewhere.
Just advance head-on.
I grinned at him and unleashed my sword imbued with thick profound energy in earnest.
Kang!!
The radius under Jo Beom's control began to waver.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Kang! Kaang!!!!
Jo Beom swallowed dryly at the tingling in his hands from blocking Eon Yong-un's sword strikes.
"...I can't feel the path."
Though blind for a long time, Jo Beom had never lost the path to eliminate his target.
But at this moment, he couldn't feel it.
"I've heard the name before... but to this extent."
He had asked Ja-kyeong to handle the aftermath, but he hadn't thought there was no path at all.
"If I just kill Eon Yong-un, those yokai-like things will collapse, and I can reach the prince..."
Yet, he couldn't feel the path to kill Eon Yong-un.
As time passed without Jo Beom felling Eon Yong-un, the Giyeom Valley assassins were falling one by one helplessly.
"...He doesn't panic at Giyeom Valley's prestige or one-strike-kill sword strikes. Is this guy really not even thirty, a late twenties junior?!"
He used every trick in his arsenal, but nothing worked.
The hidden strikes and poisons in between were useless.
So all that was left was to clash swords head-on.
But that wasn't favorable either.
Jo Beom's sword couldn't leave a proper scratch on Eon Yong-un's body.
Kang! Kaang!!!
Even properly blocking Eon Yong-un's swings forced him back several steps helplessly.
How sturdy was it?
It felt like a scolding that his casually swung sword wasn't even a match.
"...Are assassins not swordsmen?"
In that moment, a past memory flashed through Jo Beom's mind.
"There were times when survival was all that mattered."
Back when he was called a 'seed.'
A short dagger was thrust into Jo Beom's hand.
"The order was to kill someone."
Seeds that failed that became cold corpses.
To kill an adult with a child's strength, you had to strike vital points precisely.
"To do that, make them drop their guard."
Jo Beom had a large gall bladder and talent, so unlike other seeds that became cold corpses, he survived mission after mission.
But when he became a youth, people no longer dropped their guard against him.
So he gouged out his eyes to become blind.
His innate talent was enough to be called genius, so he survived even then to reach today.
But facing Eon Yong-un's sword, one thought arose.
"If I hadn't gouged my eyes back then and diligently trained my martial arts..."
Would the path feel clear now?
If it was the promising Jo Beom from his sect days, it wouldn't have been impossible.
"...No. Choosing that path might not have let me survive to today. A meaningless hypothesis."
More irritating was the warning from his long-honed assassin senses.
Kaang!!!
The more he clashed swords with Eon Yong-un, the more those senses whispered in his ear.
This mission should never have been accepted.
"...Intoxicated by Giyeom Valley's fame and my own survival as an assassin. Did I lose the original intention of assessing the opponent and making them drop their guard?"
In the biting regret, Jo Beom realized Eon Yong-un had awakened emotions in him too.
"...Heh heh. A frightening young man in many ways."
But regret was too late.
The job was accepted.
All cards played.
All that remained was to fell Eon Yong-un.
"This sword isn't swung casually."
Jo Beom muttered those words endlessly as he unleashed his sword.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Jo Beom accurately perceived his own distance.
Upon entering that distance, his sword would sharply change angle and thrust fiercely.
Kang kang kang!!!!
While busily swinging Regret to deflect all sword strikes.
Whatever it was, a hidden move followed.
"Earlier it was poison mist..."
This time, it was a saw-toothed dagger drawn from his waist.
Whiiik!
Jo Beom swung the blade dyed deep blue—likely laced with deadly poison—to force distance.
Securing advantageous range, he launched fierce killing strikes again.
Kang! Kang!
Kakakakang!
At the end of dozens of exchanges in an instant, I found a slight opening.
I extended my leg as if sweeping low, making Jo Beom leap up.
Then thrust Heaven-Splitting Single Strike.
Swaaaaaaaaek!!
Jo Beom, in panic, vertically raised his staff-sword to block.
Kwaang!!!
The recoil sent Jo Beom flying, but my striking arm felt endlessly heavy.
"...Even a shortcut packs a punch."
Not an opponent to take lightly.
Jo Beom bridged the skill gap with assassin experience crossing life and death countless times and keen senses.
But superiority was clear between us.
"Hoo."
His ragged-clothed, gasping state proved it.
Seeing Jo Beom like that, I anticipated he would soon unleash an all-out assault staking everything.
"Two or three more exchanges, and he'll reach his limit. If he gathers his remaining power for one big move, now's the time."
Sure enough.
Jo Beom pulled up even his primal true qi, veins bulging on his face.
Then extended the staff-sword that had embalmed countless jianghu folk.
Swaek! Swaek!
Swaaaaek!!!
The killing strikes from Jo Beom's hand grew even faster and fiercer.
Kang! Kang!
Kakakakakaang!!
"But mere death throes of a cornered rat."
That's not a true Harmony Realm expert.
In the stretching time, I recalled master's and Sister Kyung Hye's words on the Harmony Realm once more.
"In any moment, place yourself at the center, observe the situation, and move body and sword."
In contrast, Jo Beom's sword was clearly consumed by intent to kill.
In other words, the swordsman's intent was so clear the trajectory was obvious.
Swaaaaaaaaek!!
Meanwhile, Jo Beom's sword fiercely tore through the air toward me.
But I had already made his domain waver, narrowing the timing and follow-up paths of his assault.
"Now."
Calmly, I arced Regret upward to deflect the staff-sword's path.
Kaaang!!!
And with busy footwork to slip into the gap simultaneously, I thrust Regret repeatedly with Heaven-Splitting Ferocious Advance form.
Puk!
Puk! Puk puk puk!
That was the end.
Jo Beom, soaked dark where Regret pierced, crumpled to his knees.
"Cough."
I stepped back from him instead.
Then Jo Beom shook his head and spoke.
"Even in this situation, you don't approach. Cautious to the end. More frightening than your talent is that tenacious personality..."
"I'm a bit suspicious by nature."
"...Shouldn't have accepted this job. Where did this monster come from."
"Your words, your sword strikes too. For handing things over to your successor, you seemed full of will to live... Why not just go when I offered to let you?"
"Heh heh. No escape for a failed assassin anyway."
True enough.
The target and employer will hunt you.
An assassin organization with broken iron rules crumbles the moment.
"You'll be a lesson for assassins on what overconfidence and oversight bring. Going against the future supreme under heaven, might not even draw mockery..."
Mid-sentence, Jo Beom collapsed fully.
"......"
Several thoughts crossed my mind, but no time for sentiment.
I quickly pondered if his death could be utilized.
If this were a normal battlefield, I'd behead him and shout "Enemy general slain!"
But opponents were assassins.
Not ones to give up on capturing the valley lord.
"Either we all die, or they all do."
I swiftly kicked off the ground to join Yang Jin-mu's group.
Chaeng! Chaeng!
Chaechaeng!!!
"Gongryong?! What about that Giyeom Valley lord old man?"
"Dealt with."
"I-is that true?!"
"It's true, that's why I'm here. Instead of that face, watch my back."
As expected, Giyeom Valley assassins didn't give up on Jo Beom's death, charging like moths.
Chwaak!
Chwaaak!!
We slashed and pushed them back.
Driving them to Hajungdo's edge, finally beheading the last assassin.
Chambang!
My younger brothers ran toward me.
All blood-splattered, but none seriously injured.
Relief washed over me, a soft laugh escaping.
"Good work. Glad you're all safe."
At those words, Cheon Jang-ho bellowed.
"Safe?! Can't you see the wounds here, here, and here?! Nearly died three times!"
"Eh, salve and it'll heal. Don't exaggerate."
"Ok-gi sis. Say something. How's this salve-and-heal level?!"
"Kak! I'll go mad first! Jang-ho, why tear the wound wider?! Wounded to show Eon Yong-un? Crazy?!"
Dang Ok-gi smacked Cheon Jang-ho's back while speaking.
"Aak! Aaak!!"
I nodded at such Cheon Jang-ho.
"Well, I'll acknowledge you today. The usually lazy one was running around diligently."
"This rear guard role in Chae Jak-jin's formation is hell. Hell! Thought I'd die covering the rear. Next time, I want vanguard too!"
"You need the skill."
At Cheon Jang-ho's following words, I gazed at Namgung Yun, who had solely handled Chae Jak-jin's wing role.
"Worth the good food I fed you."
"...Ahem. Just did my role."
As Namgung Yun cleared his throat and replied.
Yang Jin-mu, among us, spoke.
"Gongryong. What now?"
At Yang Jin-mu's words, Eun Ha-seong laughed in disbelief.
"No, Brother Yang Nosebleed is a general of the Super King's Residence. Why ask Yong-un bro?"
"Yang Nose... Ahem. This fight was undeniably led by Gongryong. You quelled our morale at the right time, commanded adeptly, and even slew the enemy general."
At Yang Jin-mu's words, my face heated.
Glancing at Eun Ha-seong, I said to Yang Jin-mu,
"Enough gilding."
"Gilding? Just facts. And haven't reported return to Super King Highness yet. So under your command. Shall I inform his side we're here?"
At Yang Jin-mu's words, Ye Hae-su and Eun Ha-yeon spoke in turn.
"How to do it? Signal flare?"
"Sunbae-nim, that tells loyalist troops we're here fastest, but scattered assassins might come too. Right, Eon gongja?"
"Right. We hold here ironclad, one goes. Yang general best?"
"I'll do it."
Sending Yang Jin-mu as messenger, I ordered to reorganize ranks against contingencies.
Then reported to the prince that assassins invading the ancestral shrine were all expelled.
Lightly adjusted my breathing, walked toward Jo Beom's corpse.
"......"
My master questioned me staring at Jo Beom's corpse.
- No connection with that old guy, not one to care for assassin trash... What are you staring at?
"Thinking if there's another use."
- Another use?
Death Knight.
"In Central Plains terms, maybe Necromancer General or Death Knight?"
No loyalty to me, so low success rate.
But nothing to lose trying.
"Can attempt linking with academy-researched ritual formation."