Chapter 55: Assassin Mu Myeong (1)
Chapter 55
Assassin Mu Myeong (1)
For an assassin, maintaining composure was an essential virtue.
Yet at this moment, Mu Myeong couldn't hide his bewilderment.
From Seo Woon's lips had spilled words that far exceeded his expectations.
To suddenly claim that the bloodline of the Sichuan Tang Clan would challenge him—the rightful heir of the Killing Gate—for supremacy.
Had it been anyone else, Mu Myeong would have scoffed and dismissed it outright.
But—
"......What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Mu Myeong's voice was low, restrained.
Given their earlier exchange, he knew the man before him wasn't one to spout meaningless lies.
'His head must be about to explode. Well, that was the intention.'
Watching Mu Myeong's mind race furiously, Seo Woon nearly let out a chuckle before suppressing it.
Then, shifting his gaze to the restraints binding both their hands, he spoke.
"This thing we're doing right now. The form's a bit different, but you can't pretend you don't recognize it, can you?"
"......!"
Only then did Mu Myeong realize why Seo Woon had bound his own hand along with his.
Limb-Binding Duel—Binding of Fates.
A brutal duel where two opponents shackle one hand each and fight until one loses an arm.
Not Limb-Binding Duel (結者解之)—"What is bound must be undone by the binder"—but rather Limb-Binding Duel (結者害肢)—"Those bound shall maim each other's limbs."
Moreover, this was the final trial to determine the successor of the Killing Gate.
Years ago, Mu Myeong had severed the arm of the sect leader's son in this very ritual, securing his place as the true heir.
'But how does this bastard know about Limb-Binding Duel?'
The succession duel was a secret never leaked to outsiders.
Yet Mu Myeong betrayed no reaction.
"I don't know where you picked up that information, but if you think you can deceive me with—"
"Gwihoo Valley."
"!!"
"Right. You'd know this place."
At the name, Mu Myeong fell silent.
A sheer cliff in Hengshan, Shanxi Province—so deep it was called the "Throat of Ghosts."
For Mu Myeong, it was a place he could never forget.
It was where his only brother, the assassin Mu Yeong, who had completed every deadly mission and was the sole member to ever escape the Killing Gate, had vanished after being ambushed by unknown assailants.
Even now, Mu Myeong hunted those mysterious enemies with his life on the line.
"That's where you bastards stabbed my master in the back."
"......What?"
But then, Seo Woon uttered something unbelievable.
Despite years of pursuit, Mu Myeong had found not a single trace of the attackers.
Yet Seo Woon spoke with absolute certainty—claiming the Killing Gate itself was behind the ambush.
Just like before, there wasn't a flicker of deceit in his eyes.
"......You're saying the Killing Gate ambushed my brother?"
"Playing dumb is disgusting."
"Shut up and answer me!"
KWA-RRR!
A thunderous roar erupted alongside Mu Myeong's shout.
A violent surge of energy raged from his entire body.
To reach the threshold of the Hwajin realm at such a young age—he was a true monster.
But Seo Woon, watching this terrifying outburst—
'Hah, he took the bait.'
—merely let out a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Seo Woon recalled the drunken ramblings Mu Myeong had repeated countless times in his past life:
"Hic... My only regret..."
"Not realizing sooner that traitors had taken root in the Killing Gate."
"Never thought our own would sell out family..."
"Damn it. If I'd figured it out earlier, I could've wiped out the bastards who killed my brother."
Naturally, Seo Woon wasn't Mu Yeong's disciple.
He had simply reconstructed the most plausible version of the Killing Gate's hidden history from Mu Myeong's past confessions.
But he wasn't lying either.
In the future, it would be revealed that Mu Yeong's killers were from the Blood Cult—
—and that traitors within the Killing Gate had aided them.
SWOOSH!
Mu Myeong's murderous aura continued to surge, but Seo Woon absorbed it all without flinching.
Then—
SLIIIIICE!
Seo Woon raised his dagger, its blade gleaming as he assumed a combat stance.
"I will fulfill my master's dying wish."
"......!!"
Mu Myeong felt his blood run cold.
A "dying wish" could only mean one thing—his brother had died.
His fury subsided, replaced by an icy glare.
"Fine. Understood."
CRACK.
Mu Myeong stepped back, gripping his dagger's hilt until it nearly shattered.
"Then I'll make you beg to tell me everything."
WHOOSH!
In an instant, flames erupted along the blade of his dagger, concentrated with Extreme Flame Qi.
SHIIING!
The battle resumed with a spine-chilling screech.
Dagger strikes rained down like a storm, leaving countless fiery trails in the air.
The worst possible scenario—both fighters shackled, their movements severely restricted.
SWISH! SWISH-SWISH!
Yet Seo Woon dodged every relentless strike with movements as fluid as willow leaves.
Simultaneously, he prepared his counterattack.
FWOOSH!
Suddenly, the Golden Threads of Heavenly Net coiled around the dagger's blade.
As the threads enveloped it completely, the blade seemed to darken instantly.
HSSSS!
'......!!'
Mu Myeong's eyes widened as he sensed the enemy's dagger.
Instead of flames, a frigid cold emanated from Seo Woon.
The Yin-Cold Energy surged like a blizzard—equal in power to his own Extreme Flame Qi.
Not only did he know the One-Point Kill, but he had also mastered Yin-Cold Energy?
No—this wasn't martial arts. The energy felt closer to... sorcery?
But Mu Myeong's thoughts were cut short.
SHIIING!
Seo Woon stopped evading and thrust his dagger forward.
CLANG! CLANG-CLANG!
In the blink of an eye, countless strikes clashed.
Shockwaves of energy rippled outward, shaking the ground.
Heat and cold collided violently—frost forming and melting in rapid cycles around them.
THUD-THUD.
Even the unyielding black bamboo, which had withstood the White Lotus Sword, couldn't endure the extreme temperature shifts and began collapsing.
Yet amid the fierce battle—
—an odd expression flickered across Mu Myeong's face.
His eyes locked onto Seo Woon's elbow, pulled back for another strike.
A dagger imbued with Frigid Qi would follow.
'......Upper right.'
CLANG!
Mu Myeong's prediction was precise.
As Seo Woon's attack failed, his arm retracted—only to launch another.
'......Lower left.'
CLANG!
Again, Mu Myeong read it perfectly.
He anticipated every trajectory of Seo Woon's dagger strikes.
SHIIING!
This time, Mu Myeong countered.
But shockingly—
CLANG-CLANG!
Seo Woon blocked each strike with equal precision.
Mu Myeong's face hardened.
The reason was simple—
Their dagger techniques were identical.
More importantly, the rhythm of their movements was perfectly synchronized.
Meaning—they had learned from the same master.
And the one who had taught Mu Myeong this art was none other than—
'Could he really be... my brother's...?'
—his own brother, Mu Yeong.
Just as this conviction solidified in Mu Myeong's mind—
CRACKLE!
CLANG!
"?!"
Suddenly, the restraints on their arms shattered.
But Mu Myeong didn't hesitate—
WHOOSH!
He instantly leaped back, widening the gap between them.
Then, another change caught his eye.
"......!"
HSSS.
Not only the restraints—the cold energy from Seo Woon's dagger was fading too.
It seemed his control over Yin-Cold Energy had a time limit.
'Hah, about a minute is his limit.'
Just as Mu Myeong guessed, Seo Woon had lost his Yin-Cold Energy against his will.
HSSS!
But Seo Woon replaced it with Innate Qi, filling his dagger's blade anew.
Their eyes met in the air.
SILENCE.
The bamboo forest stood still.
No words were exchanged, but their thoughts aligned.
CRACK.
Mu Myeong retrieved his second dagger from the ground.
SWISH!
Seo Woon drew another dagger as well.
Both switched to dual-wielding.
They lowered their stances, assuming identical forms—
One-Point Kill.
WHOOSH!
Simultaneously, they lunged forward like lightning.
SWOOSH-SWOOSH!
Then—both vanished mid-step.
Again, they had used Shadow Step at the same time.
Hidden in separate patches of darkness, they sensed each other's presence.
Then—as clouds obscured the moonlight—
WHOOSH!
Two shadows surged forward, revealing the assassins.
SCREECH! SCREECH!
An eerie metallic screech filled the air.
Like beasts baring fangs, they clashed.
CRASH!
Four daggers crossed in an X-shaped collision.
A shockwave unlike any before shook the surroundings.
BOOM!
Without pause, they unleashed another One-Point Kill.
A perfect stalemate unfolded.
Each had their own advantage:
Mu Myeong had long surpassed the threshold of Hwajin, while Seo Woon's dagger technique was a full stage higher—Eight Stars versus Nine Stars.
But neither could overpower the other, prolonging the deadlock.
However, the strain of chaining One-Point Kill varied with their realms—
'In a prolonged fight, I'll win!'
The thought flashed through Mu Myeong's mind—
WHOOSH!
—but Seo Woon seized the opening, closing the distance again.
Mu Myeong retaliated with full force.
Just as their daggers were about to clash once more—
"......!"
Mu Myeong's pupils trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Before him unfolded a One-Point Kill he had never seen before.
Seo Woon reversed his grip on both daggers—
And executed a future variation of the technique.
The ultimate move—
Reverse One-Point Kill.
CRACK!
The moment their daggers crossed, a deafening explosion erupted.
Shards of shattered blades soared into the sky, blotting out the moon before clattering to the ground.
Two daggers—split cleanly in half.
And the owner of those broken blades was—
"Seems like you're the one who should be begging."
—not Seo Woon, but Mu Myeong.