Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: S3. Murim Travels -5
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Sunlight filtering through the window grazed Namgung Myeong's eyes, drawing a sleepy groan from him as his eyelids fluttered.
"......Ugh."
At that, the two people who had been splitting and sharing steamed buns hurried over. Their long wait had finally come to an end.
With Cheonghwi and Namgung Seungha gathered by his side, Namgung Myeong sat up with a dazed expression. Sleep still lingered, but his body felt remarkably refreshed.
"Myeong-ah, you're awake!"
"How's your body? What about your dantian?!"
"......"
Namgung Myeong focused his mind. He drew in a deep breath, filtering the ambient natural energy through his cultivation method to purify it before sending it down to his dantian.
Before, it had been like pouring water into a leaky jar—no matter how much he tried to gather inner energy, it wouldn't hold and simply scattered. But now, it was clearly accumulating. His ruined dantian had been repaired!
And not only that—the repaired dantian was even more solid than those of ordinary people.
"......It's healed, Daoist Cheonghwi! Sister!"
"It's healed! Myeong-ah, that's wonderful!"
"Eupheuphu."
Namgung Seungha hugged Namgung Myeong tightly in her excitement and joy. Cheonghwi watched with a proud expression as Namgung Myeong struggled for breath under the pressure against his chest.
They had accomplished everything they set out to do. Now, he could prepare for the duel with Luna with a relaxed mind.
"Then... we can head back to the Namgung family estate now."
"Yes, I've already packed our things... and we've tried every famous eatery in Jebuseong, so no regrets."
"......Did you two eat all the good stuff while I was sleeping?"
"We couldn't wake you while you were out cold!"
Namgung Myeong pretended to sulk in jest before bowing deeply to Cheonghwi. As the one who had restored him as a martial artist, a heartfelt thanks was in order.
"Daoist Cheonghwi, thank you so much!"
"No need for that."
"Even if you say that, how could I not express my gratitude? I'll grow strong and repay this favor...!!"
"Just live harmoniously with your family. That's all I ask."
Namgung Seungha looked at Cheonghwi anew as he spoke those sincere words with a serene face.
"......That just now really sounded like a daoist. Daoist Cheonghwi."
"Didn't you say last time you'd drop the 'Daoist' title? Now you're adding it back?"
"You patched up a shattered dantian, so Daoist fits. But... are we taking the forest path back to the Namgung estate like we did coming here?"
"That's the plan. It feels safer that way."
Namgung Seungha grimaced in distaste as she repacked their luggage. If they had to wind through the woods again, they'd need thicker padding for the journey.
And this time, don't forget the insect-repelling incense.
"I'll go tell the innkeeper we're checking out today."
"Okay, go ahead."
"Oh, and tuck away that tail. I trust you weren't planning to stroll outside with it on."
"......I was just about to!"
Namgung Seungha untied the tail whip from her waist and stuffed it into the baggage.
Cheonghwi descended the inn stairs. Spotting him, the innkeeper cheekily called out once more.
"If the bed's smashed, you'll have to pay for it."
"......I told you, it's not!"
"By the way, someone's looking for the little daoist."
"Me?"
The innkeeper nodded toward a corner table. There sat Hye Yeonghyeon, dressed as an alluring courtesan, legs crossed as she waited.
Cheonghwi sat across from her. Her deep-plunging outfit demanded every ounce of his willpower to keep his gaze polite.
"What is it?"
"Straight to the point: someone's targeting you all."
"......Tell me more."
Cheonghwi's expression turned serious. This was no time to be distracted by cleavage. Had the ones after Namgung Myeong finally tracked them down?
"Remember the missing persons cases? I've been investigating the beast's traces and found a crucial clue. There's always a subtle mark left at the scenes."
"What does that have to do with us being targeted?"
"I found the mark on the door of your room."
Flip, flip.
Hye Yeonghyeon opened a booklet and placed it on the table. It cataloged the names and traits of infamous demonic figures from jianghu history—one of the few legacies from the Beggar Clan's heyday.
"The Sleepslayer Proxy is a demonic expert from the previous generation. An exceptional assassin, he always left his mark near his chosen prey. Identical to the one on your door."
"......So he's after us?"
"I doubt it's him personally. He vanished mysteriously fifty years ago; if he's still alive, he'd be over 150. Fragile humans don't live that long."
"Then... a copycat?"
Tap, tap. Hye Yeonghyeon drummed her index finger on the table in agreement. She summed it up again.
"Someone trained in the Sleepslayer Proxy's arts, killing indiscriminately to perfect their assassination skills... That might be the truth behind Jebuseong's disappearances. That's my theory."
"......"
An assassin targeting their group. Too coincidental to be chance. Even if they fled from the marks, it felt like the killer would pursue relentlessly.
"Is your mission to catch the culprit?"
"No, just identifying them is enough. So my job's done here. Passing this info to you is a bonus... but if we catch them, the Beggar Clan can hold its head higher."
"We want the danger gone, no need for merits. You need the merits, so how about we team up to nab this assassin?"
"......Capturing an assassin whose skill level and techniques we don't know? Quite confident, aren't you?"
Cheonghwi nodded assuredly. If fear stems from ignorance, he had no reason to fear an assassin.
"I'm well-versed in assassination arts. An assassin's foe is another assassin, just as a mage's is another mage."
"Fine. Let's cooperate."
"Stick around after it's over. I need to return the Iron Beggar Staff."
"I thought we settled that last time. I said no."
Hye Yeonghyeon propped her chin on her hand, tilting her head like someone enduring dull talk. Cheonghwi replied firmly, now knowing what to convey.
"I've found my intent."
"......"
"We'll talk after it's done."
A shadow slipped in under the cover of dark night.
The Sleepslayer Proxy gripped long needles in both hands, carefully scaling the wall. His target, Namgung Myeong, was a prodigy but young, and Namgung Seungha was said to be not yet fully matured.
Of course, in his current state—clinging to life through the Blood Cult's secret arts, greatly weakened from his prime... even so, the Sleepslayer Proxy was a master.
The Namgung siblings hadn't even reached the peak realm; he could kill them outright in open combat, let alone by assassination.
But Cheonghwi was an unknown.
According to his employer's intel, the man's martial prowess was laughably low—like stomping the floor and making noise.
However, he possessed strange talismans that could summon dark clouds to the ground or mimic distant triple fire assaults. Caution was essential.
"Heh heh heh... Shamans must be silenced first."
Swish, swish.
The targets were on the second floor, but the Sleepslayer Proxy climbed to the third.
He precisely jabbed a needle into the window latch. Infused with qi, the awl pierced the wooden frame smoothly. It opened.
He eased the window open, vaulted the sill, and slipped inside.
A bearded man snored away. The Sleepslayer Proxy approached lightly and stabbed between his brows. The man died without a scream, even in sleep.
The assassin flattened himself to the floor, ear pressed down. Using his unique qi art, he amplified his hearing dozens of times. Now he could catch every sound from below.
"......"
Rhythmic breathing and faint rustling.
"Heh heh, sleeping soundly, are we..."
Tracking the sounds, he shifted position bit by bit. The neat but shallow breaths marked Namgung Myeong, he guessed. One smash through the floor, and he'd drop straight down.
They'd never expect an assassin crashing from above. The Sleepslayer Proxy chuckled silently.
No need for the Blood Spider Hag. One strike to kill Namgung Myeong, then vanish. He slowly gathered his qi, imperceptibly.
Just before shattering the floor with Thousand-Pound Drop...
Crash! Whoosh!
The third-floor ceiling gave way as Cheonghwi dropped through, rapier in hand. The Sleepslayer Proxy recoiled in shock, stepping back, but the blade curved snake-like into his gut.
Splurch!
"Gah...!! You bastard!"
Enraged, the Sleepslayer Proxy flailed his needles wildly. Cheonghwi swiftly retreated with a short Explosive Sever, caught his breath, and said flatly.
"I pegged the success rate at seventy percent. Nailed it."
"......Damn it, a daoist my ass—you're a killer! Which shadow clan are you from?!"
"If you must know, the Redburn Shadow Clan. But you won't have heard of it."
The Redburn dukedom didn't exist in this world.
"Urgh..."
The Sleepslayer Proxy groaned in pain, hunching as he waited for an opening. But Cheonghwi didn't press. With a vital hit already landed, time was on his side.
And it was. The assassin felt blood soaking his pants from his abdomen. Precious blood, stolen from innocents, draining away.
He'd planned to feign staggering from the wound, luring the vigorous youth in for the finish. Miscalculation.
Decision time. Kill Cheonghwi somehow to escape.
"Heh heh heh... I'm not alone! We came in two. The Blood Spider Hag's downstairs turning them all to pulp! Still so relaxed?"
"Sorry, neither am I. Beggar Clan Chief Hye Yeonghyeon has your back covered."
"......Bastard!!"
No choice—play the trump card.
An assassin strikes the unforeseen. Unpredictable moves were an assassin's greatest asset. A life-saving ultimate technique.
Through the profound Demonic Descent Divine Art, the Sleepslayer Proxy had mastered the Heavenly Demon's movements.
Freely manifesting motions beyond human perception, unimaginable to all. He'd succeeded in one such enigma.
A divine stroke no one in the Central Plains could predict.
An ultimate killing art you couldn't avoid without knowing it!
"It's the Heavenly Demon's Pulseless Steps, you blind fool... Take this!!"
Screeeeech!
The assassin's gaunt frame creaked as it launched skyward. With bizarre, ever-changing trajectories—ten variations out of ten—it thrust the long needle at Cheonghwi's throat.
Whish, whirrr!
"Hundred Shadows Kill!!"
"Ah, the Heavenly Demon's movements."
Swish.
Parry and deflect. Executed at the precise moment with exact force. That sufficed. Enigma met enigma.
Cheonghwi effortlessly redirected the Sleepslayer Proxy's finisher.
"......?! H-How?!"
"I know the Heavenly Demon's Pulseless Steps well too, old man. Plus, I got personal lessons from a little Heavenly Demon."
Unknowable only if unknown—from a knower's view, it was comical. Cheonghwi exploited the stunned assassin's gap, thrusting his rapier home.
Splurt!
"Gurk..."
"Try harder next life."
Thud. The Sleepslayer Proxy clutched his throat and collapsed. He twitched, then stilled. Astonishingly, his corpse crumbled to dust right away!
Cheonghwi recalled the jiangshi that attacked the Namgung estate. They died the same way.
"......"
Crash! Bang!
Commotion from below. Sounds of battle. The assassin's claim of "two" wasn't a bluff.
Cheonghwi rushed to join the others.
Meanwhile, while Cheonghwi hunted the Sleepslayer Proxy, downstairs...
"Steel Tail Hammer!"
"Y-You wench, how dare a woman shake her hips like that before enemies...!!"
"Like an ascending imugi!"
"A child of the Namgung house, abandoning the sword...!"
The Blood Spider Hag was a peak-realm master. Namgung Myeong and Seungha should have been overwhelmed ages ago, yet the fight dragged on because...
Unheard-of, foundationless martial arts were flying at her—beastlike from a prestigious clan heir!
Even the periodic daggers from the insolent girl were sharply unpredictable.
She had to break the momentum. The Blood Spider Hag steeled herself. Sacrificing her blood as offering for a wicked secret art.
"Even if it costs my lifespan like blood, even if I bow to that brat... I must punish you!!"
Crimson murderous glare burst from the hag's eyes.