134
Chapter 134: Rest in Peace
“I pay my respects to the Graceful One.”
The sudden appearance of an assassin who immediately addressed him as the Graceful One left even Mu Hwi momentarily stunned. However, the confusion lasted only a moment before a sharp glint of killing intent flashed in Mu Hwi’s eyes.
“A rather… Novel approach.”
Mu Hwi assumed this was some trick by the assassin to catch him off guard. The assassin drew a straight blade and a curved blade from his sleeves—the same dual-blade combination used by the Shadow Emperor.
But the twin blades in the assassin’s hands were not pointed at Mu Hwi. Instead, the assassin crossed his arms and pressed the blades against his own neck. The mere touch of the sharp edges drew thin lines of blood.
“Graceful One, please hear me out. After that, you may kill me—it won’t be too late.”
At the assassin’s words, Mu Hwi withdrew his hand. Instead, petals from Mu Hwi’s sword aura scattered around the kneeling assassin. If the assassin tried anything foolish, the hidden serrated edges within the plum blossom petals would reveal themselves immediately.
“My name is Munyeong. I was once one of the Ten Shadows of the Thousand Killer Sect.”
As he introduced himself, Munyeong removed his mask. Beneath it was the face of an ordinary man in his thirties. Mu Hwi’s eyebrow twitched slightly at Munyeong’s use of the past tense.
“Then what are you now?”
Munyeong let out a deep sigh before answering.
“Now, I am the Sect Leader of the Thousand Killer Sect.”
“Wasn’t the Sect Leader, Shadow Emperor?”
“He was. Until Senior Disciple Amyeong—no, that damned Amyeong—joined hands with the Demonic Cult.”
It seemed that within the Thousand Killer Sect, Shadow Emperor was known as Amyeong (Dark Shadow). Munyeong spat out his words as he explained the sect’s circumstances. In short, the Thousand Killer Sect was now split in half.
“So the Thousand Killer Sect refused to convert to the Demonic Cult, and only those who followed the Shadow Emperor left?”
“Yes. After the civil war within the sect, three of the Ten Shadows, along with the Shadow Emperor’s followers, defected.”
The damage to the Thousand Killer Sect during this conflict was immense. Many assassins died in the internal strife, and most critically, the previous Sect Leader, who had vehemently opposed the Demonic Cult, was killed by Shadow Emperor himself.
“Though we are assassins who live by the blade, the Thousand Killer Sect has its own code and laws. But the Shadow Emperor trampled on the sect’s centuries-old rules and even killed his own master—no, the previous Sect Leader—with his own hands.”
“Yet you survived. I doubt the Shadow Emperor would leave loose ends, especially after killing his own master.”
“There were many who opposed the Shadow Emperor from the start, and the previous Sect Leader was no ordinary man. Before his retirement, he was known as the Killing King.”
If the previous Sect Leader had been strong enough to earn the title Killing King in his prime, he was likely a transcendent master.
‘The Thousand Killer Sect… Their martial prowess is abnormally high for assassins. Now that I think about it, the Shadow Emperor didn’t seem like an assassin who mastered martial arts—more like a transcendent expert who incidentally learned assassination techniques.’
The martial arts of the Thousand Killer Sect seemed unusually profound for an assassination organization.
Munyeong, though inferior to Shadow Emperor and the Killing King, had still reached the pinnacle of martial arts despite appearing only in his late thirties.
Given the skill of its members, the sect truly deserved its reputation as the Greatest Assassin Sect Under Heaven.
“But why call me the Graceful One?”
“I heard that it was you who shattered Shadow Emperor’s twin blades.”
When Mu Hwi nodded, Munyeong bowed his head again.
“Those twin blades were the sacred weapons passed down through generations of Sect Leaders. The previous Sect Leader left a final wish: either retrieve the blades or break them if they were ever used for evil. But my skills were insufficient for such a task.”
Only then did Mu Hwi feel the pieces falling into place.
“A task I might never have accomplished in my lifetime. Since the Sword Saint has achieved it in my stead, how could I not call you the Graceful One?”
Munyeong studied Mu Hwi’s expression for a moment before shaking his head.
“You still don’t trust me.”
Mu Hwi made no effort to hide his skepticism. The story was plausible, but it could also be an elaborate fabrication.
As if anticipating this, Munyeong retrieved two items from his robes. One was a thick scroll, the other a secret manual titled Moonlight Twin Dance.
“To prove my sincerity, I came prepared to reveal everything.”
Mu Hwi drew his Sim-myeong Sword and carefully inspected the scroll and manual with his sword aura. He had to ensure there were no hidden poisons or traps.
After examining the items, Mu Hwi’s gaze darkened. No further explanation was needed.
The Moonlight Twin Dance manual appeared to be the martial art Shadow Emperor had used, while the scroll contained maps marking several locations.
“Are these the hidden bases of the Thousand Killer Sect?”
“Correct. That is also why I came here personally.”
Munyeong raised his head and met Mu Hwi’s eyes directly.
“Graceful One, please grant me an audience with the Alliance Leader.”
Mu Hwi studied Munyeong’s unwavering gaze for a long moment before speaking.
“You called me the Graceful One from the start—was this all just flattery to get what you want?”
Munyeong, who had been deadly serious, suddenly broke into an awkward smile and shook his head.
“Ah, no, no! Graceful One, my gratitude to you is genuine, regardless of this matter.”
Rubbing his hands together like a merchant, Munyeong bowed again. His uncharacteristically slick demeanor for an assassin made Mu Hwi sigh lightly.
***
Mu Hwi introduced Munyeong to Kang Ho-baek.
However, he first sealed Munyeong’s acupoints to disable his martial arts and made him change into entirely new clothes. There was no telling what hidden weapons an assassin might carry.
Munyeong knelt like a prisoner, flanked by Mu Hwi and Righteous Heaven Unit Scout Leader, while Kang Ho-baek was guarded by the Iron Mountain Fist King and the Sword Master. Even if Shadow Emperor himself had been there instead of Munyeong, any tricks would have been impossible under these circumstances.
Munyeong’s eyes trembled like alarm bells as he took in the four supreme masters before him.
“Sect Leader, for what purpose have you sought me?”
At Kang Ho-baek’s question, Munyeong, who had been nervously glancing around, suddenly wiped all expression from his face and answered calmly.
“Please halt the Martial Alliance’s attacks on the Thousand Killer Sect.”
Under Kang Ho-baek’s orders, the Martial Alliance had been raiding the sect’s branches and hideouts across the realm. This was because the Shadow Emperor, the known leader of the sect, had allied with the Demonic Cult. Few things were as threatening as one of the world’s greatest assassin sects joining the Demonic Cult.
Munyeong explained the sect’s situation and added,
“As I said earlier, the Thousand Killer Sect has no ties to the Demonic Cult. It was only renegades like the Shadow Emperor who defected. Alliance Leader, you are well aware of the sect’s code, are you not?”
Others, including orthodox sects, also knew of the Thousand Killer Sect’s unique code.
They never accepted contracts targeting the weak, civilians, or virtuous individuals—only evil ones.
This was the Thousand Killer Sect’s singular Path of Killing.
Other assassin sects mocked them as hypocrites for this, but the Thousand Killer Sect paid no heed.
“Then why come only now? The purge began three months ago.”
“We had to resolve our internal strife first. And with my limited skills, breaching the Alliance Leader’s defenses was impossible. So I waited for this opportunity while you were outside.”
“Hmm.”
Kang Ho-baek fell into thought, perhaps to gauge the truth of Munyeong’s words. Even to Mu Hwi, Munyeong’s story seemed genuine, but caution was necessary.
“So your proposal is simply to stop the purge?”
“Of course not.”
A quiet killing intent seeped from Munyeong’s eyes—proof that he was worthy of being Sect Leader.
“The Martial Alliance’s intelligence network is already stretched thin gathering information on the Sacheon Alliance and the Paewangseong Castle. The Black Night Palace and the Sect, the Shadow Emperor belong to—let our sect handle intelligence on these two. We wish to join hands with the Martial Alliance until the Demonic Cult is eradicated.”
Kang Ho-baek stroked his beard. Even with the Beggar Sect’s help, intelligence warfare was an endless struggle. The Thousand Killer Sect’s assistance would be invaluable.
The Sword Master, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
“You’ve got nerve. Did it never occur to you that we might just kill you outright?”
“Had you been the Paewangseong Lord or the Sacheon Alliance, I wouldn’t have come. But you are a righteous sect who understand reason—that’s why I staked our sect’s fate on this.”
Kang Ho-baek studied Munyeong’s gaze before speaking.
“Sect Leader, I understand your intent. But there are difficulties in the Martial Alliance openly allying with an assassin sect.”
“I understand. That’s why I’ve also brought a justification for the Alliance Leader to work with us.”
“A justification?”
“The name Thousand Killer Sect has been tainted by the Shadow Emperor. Thus, we have decided to add a new code and begin anew under a new name.”
Munyeong glanced at the bamboo hat symbolizing chivalry before continuing.
“To our first code—never killing civilians or the virtuous—we’ve added a second: to stand at the forefront in eradicating the Demonic Cult’s influence. If the Alliance Leader accepts, we will add a third code: to honor the Alliance Leader, once known as the Hero Emperor and Master of Chivalry, by forever watching over and aiding righteous warriors. With these three codes, we will publicly announce our new name and rebirth.”
Munyeong spoke without hesitation, as if he had prepared this answer long ago.
“And what is this new name?”
“To remember our choice in distinguishing righteous killings, to uphold our new path, and to never forget why we changed, we will include the character for choice. Henceforth, we shall be known as the Thousand Killer Chosen Sect.”
“The Thousand Killer Chosen Sect…”
Kang Ho-baek murmured the name, as if tasting its meaning, then nodded.
“I understand your resolve. However, this matter requires discussion within the Alliance, and your claims must be thoroughly verified. Will you accompany us back?”
Though Kang Ho-baek seemed to believe Munyeong, the world was unpredictable. The Alliance would handle this matter cleanly and carefully to avoid future complications.
“Of course.”
Munyeong smiled in satisfaction before his expression turned solemn again.
“There are demonic spies surveilling this branch. We’ve already cut off their tails, but our assassins will escort you in the shadows until we reach the Alliance.”
At the news of demonic spies watching the branch, Kang Ho-baek nodded with a hardened expression.
***
In an unnamed cavern, a series of deafening roars echoed endlessly, and violent waves of energy shook the surrounding stalactites.
KWAARRR!
A massive golden palm force, like the tail of a dragon, lashed out—only to be effortlessly swallowed by an encroaching darkness that filled the space like the night sky.
‘The Dragon Subduing Palm—defeated so easily?!’
The Wind King, who had unleashed one of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms’ ultimate techniques, recoiled in shock and tried to strike again, but his arms flailed helplessly in the air.
“Guh—!”
The Wind King looked down at the black arm piercing his chest and slowly lowered his hands. His gaze turned to the man before him, whose face was hidden behind a mask—no, a writhing shroud of darkness.
“Wind King. You boasted of having the greatest lightness skills in the world, and you lived up to your name. That was quite entertaining.”
The dark-faced man ripped out the Wind King’s heart and crushed it. The Wind King’s eyes bulged as he collapsed backward.
“The Beggar Sect will manage without you. Rest in peace.”
As the man turned away, the Shadow Emperor, who had been watching from behind, dropped to one knee. He shuddered at the ease with which this man, called Black Heaven, had ended the Wind King’s life.
“Shadow Emperor. You lured the Wind King well. Entrusting the sect to you was worthwhile.”
“Black Heaven, you honor me too much.”
“The Beggar Sect didn’t go as the Palace Lord hoped, but with one king eliminated, things are balanced enough.”
Shadow Emperor, still bowing, asked,
“How should the sect proceed now?”
“You’ve proven your worth. The sect—no, the Dark Sect—is yours. Do as you please.”
As the voice faded, the Shadow Emperor raised his head. The man was gone, leaving only the receding darkness behind.
‘What kind of demonic technique was that? It’s unfathomable.’
Now officially recognized as the Dark Sect’s leader, the Shadow Emperor clenched his fist and stood.
As he turned, three shadows emerged—his loyal followers who had defected from the Thousand Killer Sect.
“Our spies near the Alliance Leader have been silenced.”
“No matter. With four supreme masters there, it’s better to leave them be. Let’s shift our focus elsewhere.”
“As you command.”
Shadow Emperor and the shadows melted back into the darkness.