Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 32: Defeating the Assassin (2)

I was utterly appalled to see the assassin, who had been perched on the ceiling beam, drop down and close the window.

"What a ridiculous fellow. To engage in energy circulation without even setting a guard... Is he that confident? Well, he's made my job easier. I can make it look like he died from Qi Deviation."

I had stayed still, hoping he would leave, but it seemed he was dead set on killing me.

Just as I was thinking I might actually die sitting right here, a new intruder was detected within my energy domain.

Wait, what’s this now?

The newly detected presence was just as damp and sinister as the first one.

What? Is this one an assassin too?

It was the kind of aura only a professional killer would possess.

The assassin who had closed the window must have sensed the newcomer as well, for he quickly ducked behind a folding screen.

Aha! These two aren't from the same group.

The realization that a second assassin had appeared gave me an idea of how to escape this predicament.

Seriously, though, how many hidden enemies does this sect have? They’re swarming like a bunch of flies.

The second one entered through the window on the left.

Judging by his relaxed movements, he had likely confirmed I was in the middle of energy circulation before stepping inside.

I snapped my eyes open and stared directly at him.

The assassin flinched, startled to see me open my eyes mid-cultivation, and immediately leveled his sword at me.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spoke in a low, suggestive tone.

"You scoundrel! You finally fell for my trap! I’ve been waiting for you. Capture him!"

At my words, the breathing of the man behind the screen faltered. He had mistakenly assumed I was talking to him.

The assassin who had just entered also seemed surprised, sensing the presence behind the screen.

Clang!

Deceived by my words, the two assassins assumed the other was my ally. They completely ignored me—even though I was in a state where a simple thrust would have ended my life—and became preoccupied with attacking each other.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As the two masked men in black began swinging their swords wildly inside the room, I became terrified that I might get hit by a stray blade.

However, I still couldn't move my body.

It would take at least another fifteen minutes to complete my Small Heavenly Cycle, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and there was no telling what would happen to these two by then.

"He’s been trained as an assassin, so watch out for hidden weapons!"

Since my warning applied to both of them, they grew even more wary of each other, aiming for each other's vital points.

The room was filled with the violent screech of clashing metal. Both were highly skilled swordsmen; it was impossible to predict who would emerge victorious.

Perhaps sensing something strange as they traded blows, their movements began to slow. I could feel the shift in their mental states.

They seemed to have realized they were of the same kind.

Furthermore, the way they kept glancing at me suggested they were suspicious of why I was just sitting there, when I could have easily helped capture the other.

Realizing they might team up if they figured out they were both here to kill me, I quickly racked my brain.

"Just hold on a little longer! The warriors will be here soon to seize him! My energy circulation—the one I used as bait—is almost finished, so just wait a moment!"

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

At those words, their swords became even faster and more relentless.

"Gah!"

"Urgh!"

In the end, just as I had hoped, the two of them fought to a state of mutual destruction.

One had his right arm severed, while the other was bleeding profusely from a chest wound.

The sword of the one who lost his arm flew and embedded itself in the floor right in front of my crotch, the blade quivering.

A hair's breadth more, and my "precious treasure" would have been sliced clean off.

I broke into a cold sweat, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Those bastards! I almost became a eunuch!

Still, it was a relief that their skills were so evenly matched that they took each ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠other out. Otherwise, I would have been in serious trouble.

The one stabbed in the chest staggered and leaned against the wall. The one whose right arm had been cut off scooped up his severed limb and quickly scrambled out through the window he had entered.

The room reeked of a sudden, pungent scent of blood.

The remaining assassin wasn't dead yet. Staggering against the wall, he managed to raise his sword.

This son of a bitch. If you're going to die, just do it quietly and gracefully.

As he stumbled toward me, I forced myself to stand up.

The pain of forcibly terminating my energy circulation was so intense it felt like my body was being torn apart.

My internal energy wasn't flowing smoothly yet, and by forcing it to stop, I had put an immense strain on all my blood vessels.

But survival came first, so I forced myself to my feet.

I couldn't stop the tears from welling up because of the sheer agony.

If there was any silver lining, it was that the assassin couldn't close the distance. His wounds seemed to be preventing him from moving properly.

I tried to leave the room as well, but my body felt as if it were frozen solid. I hadn't realized the aftereffects of an interrupted cultivation would be this severe.

The assassin clutched his chest with his left hand.

Yeah, just collapse and die right there! Just die quietly.

But he was a trained killer after all.

When he realized his body wouldn't move, he flipped his sword into a reverse grip, preparing to hurl it at me.

Judging by the faint vibration coming from the blade, it seemed he was pouring all his remaining internal power into this final throw.

"Uh...!"

I broke out in a cold sweat from pure terror. The fear of watching a sword fly toward me while I was unable to move was overwhelming.

Burp!

A sudden belch escaped me.

At the same time, my lower body began to regain some mobility.

A thought flashed through my mind.

At this distance, I can reach him with a lightness skill.

Believing I could kill him first if I combined a lightness skill with a drawing sword technique, I forced my internal energy into my right foot.

"Ngh...!"

Channeling energy again right after forcing a stop felt like my meridians were about to burst.

The assassin's eyes gleamed with murderous intent. He seemed to have realized I was paralyzed.

Now, it was do or die.

The moment the assassin cocked his wrist back to throw the sword, I surged internal energy into my right Yongquan point.

Pop!

Despite the agony, my body propelled forward.

As I brushed past him, I drew my sword.

Squelch!

I let out a groan as I heard the sound of the blade cutting through bone.

"Aaaagh! It hurts so much!"

The pain in my meridians was so excruciating that I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face.

I froze in place, my sword still extended in a straight line.

It was because moving even an inch was so painful that staying in that awkward pose felt more comfortable. It was a sensation as if someone were mercilessly wrenching out my very bowels.

"Guh... hhh..."

The assassin let out a long, ragged groan and slowly lowered the sword he had been holding.

Thud!

Just then, someone kicked the door open and burst into the room.

Dang Ja-seong and Dang Bin rushed in to find me standing there, holding my blood-dripping sword out in a straight line.

Realizing how ridiculous my posture must look, I slowly tried to straighten up.

"Aaaah!"

The movement triggered another wave of extreme pain, and I groaned as more tears spilled over.

My dignity as a man was in tatters, but the pain was ruthless, tormenting me without the slightest regard for my pride.

Thump!

The assassin collapsed like a felled log.

Dang Ja-seong and Dang Bin stepped back as the assassin's blood sprayed across the floor.

"We heard the sounds of a struggle while passing by. Are you alright, Young Hero Eo?"

Dang Ja-seong asked, his face filled with bewilderment.

If you were going to come, you should've come sooner! Then I wouldn't have had to go through this agony!

I felt a surge of resentment toward the innocent Dang siblings.

I replied in a dismal voice.

"I'm fine."

To my embarrassment, Dang Ja-seong continued to stare intently into my eyes.

Feeling as though he were judging me for crying over such a thing, I quickly wiped my tears with my sleeve.

Dang Bin also looked dejected, as if she were disappointed by my display.

After staring at my face for a moment, instead of asking how I was, she began scanning the surroundings.

She pulled the mask off the man in black.

It was a face she had never seen before.

Dang Bin looked disappointed. She thoroughly searched the assassin's body but found nothing of note before standing up.

"We'll have to try and identify him by his features."

I was practically ushered away to a different room by Mok Yi-gun and the Twin Heroes of Guiyang, who arrived shortly after.

*

"What do you think?"

Dang Ja-seong always consulted his clever sister first whenever a problem arose, trusting her sharp mind.

"He’s even more than I expected. I didn't realize Young Hero Eo was that skilled. Judging by how he fought the moment the assassin entered, it seems he’s already reached the stage where he can control his energy at will. However, he doesn't seem to have fully mastered it yet. If he had, he wouldn't have struggled so much in that final stance."

Dang Ja-seong noticed a change in his sister's tone.

"Haha, you've been calling him 'that guy' or just 'Eo Ja-seo' until now, but now you're calling him 'Young Hero Eo.' It seems you've felt something as well."

At that, Dang Bin blushed and snapped back.

"What do you mean? You're saying strange things, Brother."

Dang Ja-seong smiled at her return to her usual self, but his expression quickly hardened as he thought of Eo Ja-seo.

"Did you see the tears he shed at the end? In that moment, I didn't even think about things like the 'Return to Truth' realm. Seeing those tears gave me a profound shock. He shed those tears in such painful sorrow, even as he killed the assassin who was trying to take his life. It must mean he hates killing that much—that it causes him that much pain. Seeing that made me wonder if I’ve been living my life all wrong."

He continued, his voice heavy.

"Since I was a child, I was only taught that the Murim is about survival of the fittest, that only the strong survive, and that an enemy's life must always be ended. I thought those weaker than me deserved to die. I’ve killed quite a few people myself, but I’ve never once felt a heartache like that. Not once... while killing a person."

His voice turned melancholy at the end, causing Dang Bin to frown.

She had never seen her brother speak so despondently. It meant the shock he had received was that significant.

Worried, Dang Bin offered words of comfort.

"Your situation is different from his, Brother. You are the Junior Sect Leader who must carry the weight of an entire clan. He is like a bird, living freely on his own. Why let yourself be troubled by the tears of a mere martial artist?"

Despite his sister's consolation, Dang Ja-seong couldn't find peace. He let out a long, deep sigh and gazed in the direction Eo Ja-seo had disappeared.

"Whew... I have learned a great deal because of him today, Bin-ah."

Dang Bin looked up at her brother as he called her name with such affection.

Looking at him, she too recalled the image of Eo Ja-seo shedding thick tears after killing the assassin.

To her, that sight had also been a fresh shock, one that made her heart tremble.

A warrior who sheds ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tears of heartache after killing a man...

To Dang Bin, who had been raised as a martial artist rather than a woman, such a sight was incredibly novel and impactful.

Unconsciously, Dang Bin turned her head in the same direction her brother was looking.