Chapter 86. Even Masters... Can Fall to a Pack of Dogs!
Bi Jangno had received an urgent report from the branch last night.
The special assassin Hyeol Hwa from Haeyeonmun, who had vanished after failing to assassinate Yong Jo-un, had resurfaced and killed Gwancheonbang leader Cheon Il-hae.
Sangyang was like the calm before the storm right now. The Jeokhyeolsan Sangyang branch had eyes and ears everywhere, on high alert. Especially since Gwancheonbang and Cheongsu Gate were under close watch, they had immediately caught wind of Hyeol Hwa's covert killing.
Upon receiving the report, Bi Jangno rushed over and began tailing her.
It would have been perfect if she'd led him straight to Haeyeonmun's base, but unfortunately, his tail was blown.
Since he'd been spotted anyway, he figured he'd just capture her. The life of a special assassin would make for a fine bargaining chip with Haeyeonmun.
But this young bitch had a foul mouth, unexpectedly so. Bi Jangno's face twisted at the sudden barrage of insults.
"Insolent wench! I treated you like a special assassin, and you forget your place..."
Bi Jangno shot forward, thrusting out his right hand. In it was a silver brush he'd somehow gripped without notice.
Hyeol Hwa leaped back, shouting,
"A silver brush? You're Bi Jin-dong!"
Chuhyeol Eumpil Bijindong.
That was the true name of Jeokhyeolsan's Bi Jangno.
"Think you can dodge it?"
Bi Jangno pressed the attack, skillfully wielding his pair of silver brushes to corner Hyeol Hwa.
Clang!
Hyeol Hwa drew her dagger and blocked the silver brush.
Ma Bu, caught off guard by the sudden fight, drew his sword to jump in, but Jwa Hu emerged from the darkness and brought his saber down.
One of the hidden support team members rushed out in a panic to stab Jwa Hu in the back.
"Jwa Hu, watch out!"
U Hui, who had also been lurking in the shadows, burst forth to attack the support member, but the remaining two from the darkness leaped out simultaneously to block his path.
Ching!
The observatory path, bathed in faint moonlight, was instantly shrouded in sword qi and murderous intent.
Bi Jin-dong intended to kill Hyeol Hwa if he couldn't take her alive. Opportunities to catch a Haeyeonmun special assassin didn't come every day.
That's why he went all out with his silver brushes from the start.
Hyeol Hwa kept retreating, trying to create distance. The Chuhyeol Eumpil in Bi Jangno's hands consisted of hair tips made of thin needles.
Fire those, and they'd embed in everything within half a zhang.
Most people fell for it without knowing, but Hyeol Hwa from Haeyeonmun knew the vicious secret hidden in the Chuhyeol Eumpil.
She kept dodging to escape the needle range, but the distance wouldn't open. Bi Jangno's lightness skill was exceptional, allowing him to stick to her relentlessly.
Hyeol Hwa hadn't fully recovered from taking Yong Jo-un's Musanggyeol.
As time dragged on, her movements grew sluggish.
Bi Jangno didn't even plan to fire the needles. Reloading them after one shot was a hassle.
Honestly, he didn't feel the need.
'She's not as impressive as the rumors. Overhyped. Even injured, she's no better than a first-class assassin from the main branch.'
Bi Jangno was disappointed deep down. He'd thought Haeyeonmun's special assassin would be something special, but she was nothing impressive up close.
He shouldn't have bothered coming himself. He could've just sent Jwa Hu and U Hui.
It was so easy he yawned.
"Yaaawn..."
Then a fleeting thought made him jolt awake, channeling his qi in alarm.
"You bitch?"
He'd nearly fallen for it. Hyeol Hwa had somehow spread a sleep-inducing fragrance.
Jwa Hu and U Hui were already staggering.
"Snap out of it!"
Bi Jangno's thunderous roar startled them awake, but it was too late. The two support members they'd been fighting slashed at them simultaneously.
Jwa Hu rolled desperately on the ground, but one blade grazed his calf.
"Urk!"
He rolled a couple more times and stood, but the calf wound was severe.
U Hui swung his sword wide to drive off his opponent and moved to Jwa Hu's side.
"You okay?"
"Damn it... Should've brought some branch guys."
Jwa Hu ground his teeth. He could've handled one easily, but two were overwhelming.
U Hui felt the same. Their coordination was seamless, like they'd drilled the Yeonsu Hapgeukjin endlessly.
"Let's fight together!"
U Hui judged it better to back-to-back against the four. Jwa Hu nodded.
That was their mistake.
The four support members shifted their Yeonsu Hapgeukjin based on numbers: Ssang-saljin for two, Sam-saljin for three, and for four... the most powerful Sasaljin.
The support team surrounded them from all sides and deployed the Yeonsu Hapgeukjin.
Their power doubled, like eight attackers. Jwa Hu and U Hui sometimes trained two-man offense and defense, but this was on another level.
They were a special support unit trained by the Haeyeonmun lord to protect the sect's safety. The Sasaljin could even take down a True Realm expert.
Naturally, Jwa Hu and U Hui struggled desperately.
Seeing this, Bi Jangno bellowed mercilessly,
"What the hell are you doing? Gonna play with these grunts all night?"
Busy blocking incoming blades, they now got chewed out too—Jwa Hu and U Hui felt like dying. Or rather, they might actually die like this.
With his subordinates in peril, Bi Jangno grew anxious.
He'd thought it'd be easy, but this slippery bitch kept evading cleverly.
'She's buying time!'
Waiting for her support to kill Jwa Hu and U Hui and join her, no doubt.
Bi Jangno hardened his resolve. He'd wanted to capture her unharmed, but that seemed impossible—time for poison.
"You're bringing this pain on yourself!"
Bi Jangno roared and launched himself forward. His movements were now far faster and more ferocious than before.
The silver brush swept the air, flashing like shooting stars.
Hyeol Hwa was cornered in an instant.
A smirk curled Bi Jangno's lips.
Got her!
Thwack!
He triggered the mechanism on the silver brush in his left hand, sending thin needles flying at Hyeol Hwa.
He'd finally unleashed the Chuhyeol Eumpil's secret weapon. Hyeol Hwa whipped her sleeve to swat the needles aside, slipping out sideways.
The moment she thought she'd escaped the needle zone, a stinging pain hit her thigh, side, and shoulder.
Hyeol Hwa frowned and quickly swept her hand over, pulling out the thin needles.
But the struck areas were already tingling and numb. They'd been coated in paralyzing poison.
"You slippery bitch!"
Bi Jangno charged furiously, raising his palm to slap her across the face as payback for the hassle.
Then—
Shiiik!
A sword flew from somewhere and thunked into the ground.
Bi Jangno flinched in surprise and retreated a zhang.
Hyeol Hwa turned to see Yong Jo-un descending slowly from the night sky.
His face, lit by the faint crescent moon, looked like a celestial god.
'!'
Hyeol Hwa's legs buckled—whether from shock at his appearance or the paralyzing needles, she collapsed.
Yong Jo-un extended his arm, wrapped it around her waist, and supported her as she staggered.
He peered into her face and asked,
"Are you all right?"
Does it look like I'm all right?
Hyeol Hwa was about to snap back, but meeting Yong Jo-un's eyes drained the strength from her body. She went limp, unable to even reply.
At that moment—
"Gahk!"
Jwa Hu collapsed, spewing blood.
With Hyeol Hwa injured, the four support members unleashed a full assault. Jwa Hu, hampered by his calf wound, finally took a blade to the chest.
"Jwa Hu, snap out of it!"
U Hui swung his sword with all his might, calling out, but there was no response.
Bi Jangno, facing off against the sudden arrival of Yong Jo-un, whipped around at the sound of Jwa Hu falling and launched himself forward.
Three zhang was nothing to Bi Jangno. He closed in instantly, firing thin needles from his silver brush.
Shii-shii-shik!
The needles enveloped two support members. At the same time, Bi Jangno rushed the two attacking U Hui from behind, smashing one's back with his fist and kicking the other's head with his foot.
The two, ambushed by an expert from behind, had no choice but to take it full force.
Thud!
"Kek!"
The one kicked in the head had his skull caved in—he died before even hitting the ground.
The one struck in the back had his spine shattered and ribs cracked.
Yong Jo-un frowned at Bi Jangno's brutal methods.
Meanwhile, U Hui thrust his sword at the two needle-struck support members.
"Hold!"
Yong Jo-un yanked the greatsword from the ground and hurled it.
Shiiik!
U Hui retreated in haste as the greatsword flew at him.
Bi Jangno didn't miss the opening, pulling a bundle of thin needles from his bosom and slotting them into the silver brush. Pre-bound bundles were easy to reload.
Bi Jangno was skilled in fist and foot techniques, saber, sword, and more, but with age, he preferred his signature Chuhyeol Eumpil over body-straining arts.
His ambush killed two support members, and the other two were crippled by paralyzing needles. But Bi Jangno's side had lost Jwa Hu to critical wounds.
The only unscathed ones left were Yong Jo-un and Bi Jangno.
Yong Jo-un asked in a grave tone,
"What grudge do you hold to kill under the cover of night?"
Hyeol Hwa answered Yong Jo-un's question.
"That old bastard's a Jeokhyeolsan elder. He's after me... has nothing to do with you, so butt out."
"Jeokhyeolsan?"
"Cross those guys, and you won't die a natural death. Best not to get involved at all."
Bi Jangno chuckled at Hyeol Hwa's words.
"You see it right. Once Jeokhyeolsan's assassination order drops, even a Daoist immortal won't survive."
"Delusional fool."
Yong Jo-un snorted and said,
"Be on your way."
Yong Jo-un had no desire to meddle in others' affairs and kill. Dismissing him charitably like this made Bi Jangno's eyes flash with malice.
"You whelp can't tell heaven from earth. Are you that Yong family descendant?"
Yong Jo-un ignored him, checking Hyeol Hwa's condition before turning to the support members barely standing despite the paralyzing needles.
"Can you still move?"
Ignored completely, Bi Jangno's eyes turned bloodshot.
"You're the delusional one!"
Daring to ignore me, a Jeokhyeolsan elder?
Bi Jangno's Chuhyeol Eumpil gleamed silver under the moonlight.
"Grraaah!"
Even after taking over a dozen steel arrows, Yang Gwan didn't fall right away. He erupted his inner energy, wildly swinging his sword qi.
Bathed in blood, Yang Gwan slaughtered five or six in a flash, then took another dozen arrows before collapsing.
Thud!
Won Seung felt the terror of the jianghu anew, witnessing Yang Gwan's heroic yet pathetic end for an expert.
Even masters... can fall to a pack of dogs!
Yang Gwan had taken repeated wounds, Gwan Ju-gyeon had slashed despite his grave injuries, one foe had gone berserk in a suicidal melee, Gwancheonbang warriors excelled at crossbow fire... Plenty of reasons upon analysis, but what mattered was the result.
A Geom Yak Jong elder had died at the warehouse wharf to mid-tier sect warriors.
Won Seung, who couldn't deny his share of blame for Yang Gwan's death, felt uneasy inside.
Thud! Thud!
The clash between Gwancheonbang and Cheongsu Gate intensified, with fighters now leaping onto the dueling platform to battle.
Krunch!
A blind saber strike pierced the platform, flashing right before Won Seung's eyes.