Chapter 31: Defeating the Assassin (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31: Defeating the Assassin (1)
“But how will the Demon Subjugation Group be composed? This mission is a matter of life and death. Will there even be warriors willing to volunteer?”
I asked, my thoughts leaning toward the negative. Money was precious, but life was always more so.
“Actually, at first, I set conditions and called for volunteers. But no one stepped forward.”
Mok Yi-gun stole a glance at me before continuing.
“So, as a last resort, I used your name. Ah, I’m truly sorry for using it without permission. You were undergoing treatment at the time, so I couldn't ask for your consent.”
He was referring to the time I was being treated after the assassin’s ambush in the secret chamber.
It was no different from saying that since they spent a fortune on my treatment, I had to earn my keep.
They likely felt it was a worthwhile investment; by spending a large sum to heal me rather than leaving me be, they could use me as they pleased while gaining a reputation for benevolence as a bonus.
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
“Once word got out that you were the leader of the Demon Subjugation Group, so many warriors applied that they had a hard time narrowing down the selection. You might be the most famous person in our fortress right now—more so than even myself.”
He’d already finished the groundwork so I couldn't back out.
I need to watch out for this snake with a fox's tail.
“The Demon Subjugation Group will gather in two days to get acquainted. The following day, we’ll hold the inauguration ceremony and depart immediately, so please prepare yourself.”
I stood up upon hearing those words.
Time was of the essence. I needed to practice the lightness skill that I hadn't yet fully mastered.
“Then I shall take my leave. I have things to prepare.”
As I stood, Mok Yi-gun rose as well.
“I have more to discuss with these two, so I cannot see you out.”
I clasped my hands in a polite fist salute toward Ham Bi-hye and Deputy Bu.
The two returned the gesture.
“We will also be attending the inauguration ceremony before we depart. We shall see you then.”
When Ham Bi-hye spoke with a slight smile, my heart skipped a beat.
Being a master certainly has its perks.
However, I maintained a calm facade and offered a smile. Perhaps I had developed some immunity to beauties by now.
It was likely because I’d grown accustomed to the likes of Fairy Doyeon, Chong Ae-hyeon, and Tang Bin.
Besides, I lived by the fundamental principle of viewing beauties as if they were mere paintings.
I stepped outside and headed toward my quarters.
To perfectly fulfill my duties as the leader of the Demon Subjugation Group, the top priority was mastering a lightness skill that would allow me to evade danger.
I need to get more used to this.
My balance was still clumsy, and I couldn't quite get the direction right.
But trouble always stems from negligence.
I had forgotten the fact that crises approach stealthily, like a rat nibbling away at grain, bit by bit, without a sound.
The mistake was dismissing the Twin Heroes of Guiyang and the Seven Cats early when they came to give their evening greetings, all because I wanted to practice my lightness skill.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang looked disappointed that I’d sent them away so quickly.
However, they accepted it and left after I mentioned the Demon Subjugation Group meeting tomorrow.
Before practicing the lightness skill, I sat down to perform seated meditation to gather my internal energy.
Finding the air in the room stifling, I stood up to crack the window open for ventilation.
As the cool night breeze drifted in, my mind cleared.
I sat back down and assumed the lotus position.
The effort I’d put into studying the mental cultivation section of the manual given to me by the Phoenix King was paying off; I was gradually beginning to grasp its meaning.
Lately, I spent every spare moment clinging to lightness skill practice and mental cultivation.
Just as the Phoenix King had said, the manual wasn't a secret record of some supreme martial art, but it contained exactly what someone like me needed.
Only then did I realize why the Phoenix King had given me this specific manual.
And why he looked so young for his age.
He didn't accumulate Qi in his lower dantian; instead, like me, he seemed to have transformed his upper dantian into a Circulating Dantian, accumulating Qi throughout all his acupoints.
This mental cultivation method was only possible in the extremely rare circumstance where the upper dantian was opened before the lower dantian was destroyed.
There were still many lingering questions, but they weren't particularly important.
What mattered was that I had successfully turned my upper dantian into a Circulating Dantian.
“Ah!”
I gasped, interrupting my energy circulation.
“What is this?”
The medicinal energy that had caused me such agony was nowhere to be felt in my body.
I focused on the intent of opening my upper dantian and spreading my senses wide to examine my own body.
This was the method of internal observation through intent described in the Phoenix King’s manual. Observing one's own body with Qi was only possible once the upper dantian was opened.
As I circulated my Qi through the Small Heavenly Cycle and opened my upper dantian, my crown felt a sudden surge of heat followed by a refreshing coolness, as if I’d just relieved myself.
It felt as though Qi was escaping through the Baekhui acupoint.
Furthermore, the surrounding objects felt even clearer than when I looked at them with my eyes open.
Ah, so this is what they call 'contemplation.'
It felt like an out-of-body experience, looking down at myself.
As my energy stretched out in all directions like a spiderweb, I sensed a presence above the ceiling.
As I released more Qi, I caught a damp, sinister aura thick with killing intent.
An assassin.
I knew instantly it was a sneak attack.
“Damn it, of all times to show up.”
As I released Qi through my upper dantian, the words slipped out of my mouth unconsciously. I startled myself.
No matter how much of a weakling one was, speaking while circulating energy was practically begging for Qi Deviation.
Internal energy, once it begins to move, is like water; it has a nature that refuses to stop until it has flowed to the end.
Only masters who had reached the peak could stop at will during energy guiding.
If a low-level martial artist spoke during energy guiding, their focus would shatter, their Qi would be thrown into turmoil, and their meridians would burst, leading to Qi Deviation nine times out of ten.
So, imagine my shock when my internal thoughts came out as spoken words.
What was even more shocking was that I suffered no ill effects despite speaking.
I found the reason for that in the opening of the upper dantian as well.
The manual said that while the lower and middle dantians, where Qi is stored, are vulnerable to internal and external damage, one becomes free from such constraints once the upper dantian becomes a Circulating Dantian... So that's what it meant.
However, setting aside the hope that the puzzle was being solved, I was worried about the assassin detected above the ceiling.
Judging by the fact that I’d only just sensed him, he must have infiltrated this place before I even entered the room.
I hope he's just here for reconnaissance.
I harbored this hope as the assassin remained still for the duration of a single tea break.
*
“Where is that place?”
Tang Bin and Tang Ja-seong had been out for a brief night stroll when they spotted a black shadow passing over the rooftops and decided to tail it.
The black figure arrived at the wall of a guest pavilion and lingered, scouting the room.
Judging by the way it moved—stealthy and silent as a cat—it was undoubtedly an assassin.
“I believe that’s the Rear Garden Pavilion recently built by Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress.”
Judging by the faint candlelight leaking through the window, someone was staying there.
Fearing the assassin might harm the occupant, Tang Ja-seong was about to leap forward to intercept when—
“Brother, wait a moment.”
Tang Bin stopped him as she saw someone opening the window.
The person who poked their head out was an unexpected face.
“Is Eo Ja-seo staying there?”
“Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress is treating Eo Ja-seo quite well. That’s a place even we haven't been invited into.”
There was a sharp edge to Tang Bin’s voice.
A moment later, after seeing Eo Ja-seo engage in seated meditation, Tang Bin spoke again.
“Performing energy circulation without a protector? Is he a fool? Or is he just that confident? I can't tell, Brother.”
Tang Bin was watching through the open window from the roof of the building opposite Eo Ja-seo’s guest room.
“Who knows? He might just feel safe here. But it’ll be dangerous if that assassin attacks while he’s in the middle of energy guiding. Shouldn't we warn him?”
Tang Bin thought for a moment before replying to Tang Ja-seong.
“If Eo Ja-seo knows and is just pretending not to, our interference might be unnecessary. If he’s the master people say he is, then this is just a needless worry.”
Tang Ja-seong nodded at her words.
“That’s true. If he falls into danger, we can just help him then.”
The assassin had not yet infiltrated the room and was still carefully observing through the window.
Seeing this, Tang Ja-seong pulled a dagger from his robes.
One of Tang Ja-seong’s specialties was dagger throwing.
His daggers were often called Mudskipper Flying Daggers (Chu-bi-bi-su) because they flew with an erratic, wriggling motion like a mudskipper.
It was no easy feat to dodge a dagger flying in such a manner.
He intended to hurl the dagger at the assassin if the situation turned dire.
Seeing this, Tang Bin asked, “Why are you worried about Eo Ja-seo, Brother? It’s quite unexpected.”
Tang Bin knew how prideful and aloof her brother, Tang Ja-seong, was.
Until now, he had only associated with the elite scions of prestigious families and great sects.
He was a brother who would never have associated with someone like Eo Ja-seo, who had clawed his way up from the gutters.
It was somewhat baffling that such a brother would show interest in Eo Ja-seo, who, despite being a master, was little more than a wandering rogue.
Tang Ja-seong gave a short laugh.
“Seeing him do without hesitation the things I only do in my mind because I think they lack etiquette or status... it felt refreshing, as if I were doing them myself. I liked that. I think if I weren't bound to the clan, I might have acted just like him.”
“Is it because he farted in front of me?”
“That’s part of it. In all of Murim, how many men would be relaxed enough to fart in your presence? And seeing him secure practical benefits without being swayed by that old fox, Lord Mok, I think his cunning is a step above mine.”
Tang Bin, too, had developed a slight interest in Eo Ja-seo for those very reasons.
“Brother, you feel that way because he lives like a free bird. But he’s just a wild bird that has to endure the rain and starve when there’s no food. You, however, are a peacock—on a completely different level than a wild bird. A peacock shouldn't envy a bird of the wild.”
“I’m just a peacock trapped in a cage.”
Tang Bin had meant it as a comfort, but she was somewhat taken aback by her brother’s sensitive reaction.
Tang Ja-seong changed the subject when he saw his sister’s discomfort.
“But why are assassins interested in Eo Ja-seo, who isn't even the Lord of Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress? Do you know anything?”
He asked because Tang Bin was a member of the Poison Flying Pavilion, which handled the Tang Clan’s intelligence.
“There are plenty of reasons. Currently, the forces actively checking Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress in this vicinity are the Soma Cult and the White Cloud Clan. The Soma Cult is in conflict with the fortress over local commercial rights and interests, and the White Cloud Clan is hostile due to a grudge against Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress. That assassin is likely a spy working for one of the two.”
“So you’re saying they’re trying to eliminate someone who could pose a threat to their power in advance? To break their momentum?”
“Precisely. They probably want to intimidate Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress or prevent other masters from joining them. They must think killing Eo Ja-seo would benefit them in many ways.”
“Would the death of one Eo Ja-seo really have such an effect?”
“If Eo Ja-seo dies, Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress, which is currently gaining fame because of him in Sichuan, will likely falter. Right now, Eo Ja-seo’s name is being mentioned almost as much as the New Dragon of Sichuan.”
“Then was the Blood Bee incident their doing as well?”
Tang Bin shook her head.
“No, Brother. That’s different. The Blood Bee is a hidden weapon that those two sects couldn't possibly handle. That requires further investigation.”
“Is that so? Even unknown forces are eyeing Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress? It seems this place is a den of demons.”
While they were talking, the assassin drew a sword from his back and took a stance to enter the room.
“Doesn't it look like Eo Ja-seo is in danger?”
Tang Ja-seong’s tone sounded urgent, but his expression remained relaxed.
Seeing him like that, Tang Bin smiled brightly.
“Wouldn't this be a good chance to see if his skills are truly as great as the rumors say?”
“You want to just watch? That doesn't seem like the way of a warrior.”
“It’s just pretending we didn't see.”
“But Eo Ja-seo might be in danger...”
Tang Ja-seong still felt somewhat uneasy and looked for an excuse to intervene.
“The rumors say he’s at the realm of Half-Step Return to Truth. Since the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon said it, it must be accurate. Honestly, at that level, he would have already recovered from his injuries and regained his true strength. Nothing will happen.”
Tang Ja-seong nodded at Tang Bin’s words.
He knew all too well what the realm of Return to Truth was like.
Though he was one of the Four Dragons of Sichuan and considered himself the most outstanding among them, Tang Ja-seong had only recently reached the realm of Half-Step Return to Truth.
Hearing that Eo Ja-seo had reached that realm long ago sparked both competitiveness and jealousy within him.
Unlike Eo Ja-seo, he had reached his current level by boosting his internal energy through bone-marrow cleansing and all sorts of rare elixirs since childhood.
Tang Ja-seong couldn't understand how Eo Ja-seo, who was the same age as him and had spent a long time scraping by as a rogue, could reach a higher realm than himself, who had received every possible benefit.
It ultimately meant that Eo Ja-seo was a genius with talent several times greater than his own, which was difficult to accept.
Having been raised as a martial artist rather than a human within the Tang Clan, his competitive spirit and jealousy flared up like fire.
Tang Ja-seong spoke in a much lighter voice, as if a burden had been lifted by his sister’s words.
“Fine. Let’s just watch for now.”