Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Night of Assassins
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"I-Is that the Demonic Alliance?"
Geum Yuhwa couldn't hide the tremor in her voice as she asked. The Sword King flashed a faint smile.
"Didn't I tell you not to worry? No one can touch you. Or this carriage, for that matter."
The Sword King spoke with utter confidence as he flung open the carriage door. The carriage was still racing along, but he didn't care in the slightest.
The Sword King leaped lightly out of the carriage.
Thud!
His body touched down on the ground with effortless grace before ascending smoothly to the roof of the carriage. It was an astonishing display of lightness skill. Geum Yuhwa sat there dumbfounded, forgetting even to close the door as she watched his movements.
"What are you doing? Do I have to close the door for you?"
At the Sword King's words, Geum Yuhwa startled and hurriedly shut the door. The carriage continued speeding onward.
Standing atop the carriage roof, the Sword King eyed Dan Hyeong-u with renewed curiosity. Dan Hyeong-u stood utterly steady, without the slightest wobble.
"Impressive."
The Sword King found himself liking this young man who so thoroughly piqued his interest. He wanted to test his skills firsthand. Just as the Sword King opened his mouth to speak to Dan Hyeong-u, the youth dropped down to the driver's seat.
Jong Chil glanced sidelong at Dan Hyeong-u, who had appeared beside him.
"Just keep driving."
Jong Chil's face twisted in confusion at Dan Hyeong-u's words. But he quickly pushed aside any doubts or stray thoughts. Right now, it was all he could do to stay awake and keep the carriage on course.
He had pulled an all-nighter to commit the Sword King's lessons to memory. Those seemingly simple forms weren't easy to master. They were worlds apart from a mere downward chop, and even more removed from the escort arts he'd learned from the escorts.
So just keeping the carriage moving like this was already pushing beyond his limits.
As Jong Chil focused intently on driving, something caught his eye. He ignored it and kept his attention on the road. It was people—countless figures clad in black robes and masks, popping up alongside the carriage.
They were somehow matching the carriage's speed perfectly.
"Gah! W-What the hell?!"
Jong Chil cried out in shock but didn't stop the carriage. Dan Hyeong-u's words flashed through his mind. All he had to do was keep driving.
Jong Chil trusted Dan Hyeong-u. And he trusted the Sword King even more.
The carriage maintained its pace as the black-clad masked assailants drew their weapons. In one hand, they held sleek sabers; in the other, hidden projectiles.
Shuuuw!
A barrage of darts flew toward the Sword King. He smirked at the incoming volley. Pathetic.
Clangclangclang!
His sword flashed out, and the projectiles reversed course, hurtling back toward their owners with devastating force.
"Urk!"
Shuuuw!
Several masked figures crumpled to the ground, struck by their own darts. The wounds were minor, but they didn't stir—clearly poisoned. Yet that did nothing to wipe the sneer from the Sword King's lips.
He swung his sword playfully.
Sweeeee!
But the results were anything but playful.
Sharp sword qi erupted in all directions, shredding the black-clad assailants. They barely had time to raise their sabers before blood sprayed and limbs flew.
"Argh!"
"Gahk!"
Screams echoed endlessly, filling the air. The road behind the carriage was soaked in blood. Not a single black-clad survivor remained.
The Sword King leisurely surveyed the carnage he'd wrought, as if out for a stroll. He glanced at Dan Hyeong-u, who still hadn't budged from the driver's seat.
With a chuckle, the Sword King melted into the carriage like smoke. It was impossible to tell if the door had even opened. Pure mastery.
Of course, Jong Chil couldn't confirm it. Only Dan Hyeong-u saw. The Sword King had entered that way precisely because of him. It was a show of force.
A faint smile tugged at Dan Hyeong-u's lips.
The Demonic Alliance had been staggering lately, as if caught in a trap.
Its leader, Gal Cheon-ak, was perpetually lost in thought. Today, too, he stared piercingly at a single letter, brooding endlessly.
"Ugh, failure? Is it really that hard to grab one little girl?"
Gal Cheon-ak hurled the letter aside. It laid out the results of this operation in stark detail.
"All those men sent, and they all died? Does that even make sense?"
His anger boiled over. He couldn't trust a single soul. With no competent subordinates to deliver results, it was no wonder the Demonic Alliance was crumbling.
"Ugh. I need someone with brains. Can't get anywhere without a head on your shoulders."
As Gal Cheon-ak grumbled and racked his brain, one thought stood out: he couldn't let this opportunity slip. The Demonic Alliance's coffers had been drying up since the Hyeong Mountain incident, teetering on bankruptcy.
"Damn it. If I hadn't listened to those lunatics..."
Easy to say now, but their words had been tempting then. Their power had been irresistible—each rivaling Gal Cheon-ak himself. And they'd allied with the Greenwoods Bandits. Clashing with the Martial Alliance elites seemed winnable. But it ended in total annihilation.
The Demonic Alliance had shriveled as a result. The Greenwoods had too.
"No choice. Have to join forces with the Greenwoods."
Gal Cheon-ak had no other option. They needed to show the Demonic Alliance still stood. If they couldn't handle mere merchants, how would they survive the brutal murim world?
No matter how rich the Golden Lotus was, they were just merchants. No match for true warriors to the bone.
"That said... they must've hired some tough muscle. Probably just money-grubbing thugs. Never met a gold-hungry bastard who was a real master."
Gal Cheon-ak never dreamed it was the Sword King. His attackers had been wiped out.
He quickly penned a letter and sent it to the Greenwoods. The second ambush was set. This time, he'd spare no effort. With the Greenwoods joining in, failure was impossible.
Unless the foe was the Sword King.
They drove the carriage at a steady clip, never rushing.
That was Hyeong Pyo's directive for this escort mission: avoid overnight camping as much as possible. So even though night hadn't fully fallen, once they reached a village, they stayed the night and departed at dawn.
Thanks to Jong Chil's diligent driving, they passed through another village late in the afternoon. Honoring Hyeong Pyo's orders, they stopped at the largest inn, renting out the entire rear courtyard.
Jong Chil was growing bolder. With the inn secured, he ordered heaps of fine food and top-shelf liquor.
He'd planned to train tonight too, but exhaustion from last night's all-nighter won out. He decided to rest for the day.
After downing liquor early, Jong Chil fell asleep easily. But the others had no reason to follow suit.
Dan Hyeong-u savored each piled-high dish with careful attention.
The way he ate stirred fresh curiosity in the Sword King. Anyone watching would find it mesmerizing—and appetizing.
Even the Sword King had eaten far more than usual. Geum Yuhwa too, naturally.
This meal gave Geum Yuhwa her first real chance to observe Dan Hyeong-u. He was her nominal escort, after all. The Henan Escort Bureau might be declining, but Jo Seol-yeon wouldn't assign just anyone. He surely suspected their true purpose.
Dan Hyeong-u ignored their stares, focusing solely on his meal.
Only after devouring every last bite did he set down his chopsticks and stand.
As he did, a strange thought struck him. He'd forgotten most things, hard to recall at will—yet chopstick skills remained instinctive. Otherwise, that first time at a noodle shop, ordering soba, he'd have eaten with his hands.
The memory brought a faint smile. His first meeting with Jo Seol-yeon—an impressionable moment for him.
Dan Hyeong-u paused, then turned. Only then did Geum Yuhwa and the Sword King exhale in surprise.
"Hah. Incredible."
"Truly amazing. How does that body hold so much food..."
Dan Hyeong-u had already returned to his room. The Sword King rose from his seat.
"My instincts are screaming tonight. Whatever happens, stay in your room."
Geum Yuhwa flinched at his words but soon smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I will."
Satisfied, the Sword King turned and entered his room next door.
As he did, Geum Yuhwa curiously glanced at Dan Hyeong-u's door before retiring to hers.
Soon after, subtle movements stirred in the inn.
Chae Ho-ryeong lurked in the shadows, scouting the rear courtyard. He'd predicted they'd stay here. Golden Lotus folk wouldn't slum it in some dump.
From there, it was straightforward. Secure the inn first, then plan.
Step one: poison. Simple, effective. With the inn under control, lacing the food was perfect.
But they couldn't kill the targets outright—no lethal venom. Just San-gong Poison to scatter their qi.
He bribed the cooks to mix it seamlessly into the flavors. And the targets ate it all. Not a scrap left.
Even poisoned, never let your guard down. A moment's lapse could lose the prize.
At Chae Ho-ryeong's signal, his men slunk into motion. Greenwoods Bandits already ringed the inn in layers. No escape now. Not unless they were top-ten masters.
'No, even top-ten masters couldn't slip this. Especially not after San-gong Poison.'
The poison spread in about fifteen minutes. By now, no one could muster qi.
Chae Ho-ryeong prioritized Geum Yuhwa. He'd handle her personally. His hands wove signals through the air. His men infiltrated their assigned rooms.
Without checking them, Chae Ho-ryeong slipped into Geum Yuhwa's room.
She lay peacefully asleep on the bed.
Gulp.
He swallowed involuntarily. Her sleeping form was pure temptation—beautiful, provocative. Just lying there, she stirred him below.
'Damn. What a waste.'
Regrettable, but untouchable. She was the prime prize.
Chae Ho-ryeong crept to the bed, reaching to scoop her up. But he got no further.
A sword gleaming with pure killing intent barred his path.
Gulp.
He swallowed again, tension gripping him. Slowly, his gaze shifted. There stood a man wielding a sword radiating eerie menace.
The Sword King.
Slash.
Chae Ho-ryeong's head severed cleanly.
Splatter!
The Sword King's blade danced wildly. Chae Ho-ryeong's body and head shredded into fragments, spilling out the open door. The room looked pristine, as if nothing had happened.
The Sword King sheathed his sword with a flick and exited.
The door eased shut behind him.
Geum Yuhwa slept undisturbed through the night until morning.
The next day, the Sword King observed Dan Hyeong-u with fresh curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Last night, during the Demonic Alliance raid, he'd deliberately left Dan Hyeong-u and Jong Chil to fend for themselves. He'd only handled the intruders in his room, Geum Yuhwa's room, and the encirclement outside.
Yet neither Dan Hyeong-u nor Jong Chil had a scratch—they'd crushed their foes. Killed them clean.
The Sword King had been mildly surprised by the corpses piled before Dan Hyeong-u's door. Split perfectly in two, from crown to groin. Such a strike required extraordinary skill. And against foes who weren't standing still—masters, even by his standards.
Cleaving them in one blow? Far from ordinary.
"What an enigma. Fascinating."
The Sword King muttered as he boarded the carriage. Geum Yuhwa eyed him quizzically.