Chapter 1270
As the night deepened, Heuk-pyo returned to the detached guesthouse he had rented entirely and began drinking again.
Since no lights were lit inside, the servants carrying the liquor had to fumble their way in, carefully setting down the bottles before retreating.
Crash!
Eventually, one of the servants misstepped in the darkness, sending a bottle shattering to the floor.
"M-my apologies, sir. It's just too dark in here—"
Whoosh.
Then, a single light flickered to life in the pitch-black room.
Heuk-pyo had snapped his fingers, igniting a candle.
"Thank you, sir. I'll bring another bottle right away."
The servant hastily cleared the broken shards and scurried out to fetch more liquor.
Glug, glug.
Seated at the table, Heuk-pyo downed the newly poured drink.
Ting.
But then, a strange sensation lingered on his tongue.
Suddenly, an astringent, sour scent began wafting from the wine cup.
Poison.
The liquor itself had been clean—there was no doubt about that.
So why had the wine he was drinking suddenly turned into an extreme toxin?
They hid the poison in the lamp.
Heuk-pyo immediately grasped the situation and shook his head.
Assassins often favored poisons that were harmless on their own but became deadly when combined.
The poison smeared on the wine cup and the poison burning in the lamp had reacted upon contact, instantly forming a lethal toxin that made even breathing difficult.
An extremely orthodox Killing Art.
Heuk-pyo raised his Internal Energy to expel the poison.
But this, too, was part of the trap.
The initial taste of the extreme toxin had been a decoy—
A ruse to mask the flavor of the Gentleman Powder, a poison that caused Internal Energy to plummet the moment it was circulated.
"A fine method. But Gentleman Powder won't work on me."
Hiss.
In an instant, pale smoke billowed from Heuk-pyo's body.
He had cultivated the Secret Arts of Beyond the Frontier—the Suppression-Resisting Golden Cloud Qi—ensuring his Internal Energy would never be suppressed, no matter the circumstance.
Tap!
At that moment, an almost imperceptible presence rapidly retreated from the detached house.
The moment Heuk-pyo effortlessly regained his strength—
The assassin who had covertly poisoned him immediately fled.
"Entertaining."
Setting down the wine cup, Heuk-pyo moved to pursue without hesitation.
Ting.
But he had to halt his Movement Technique mid-activation.
Because the moment he tried to leap through the window—
He found the exit crisscrossed with nearly invisible, razor-sharp silver threads, woven like a spider's web.
They were so thin and fine they were imperceptible to the naked eye, but they couldn't deceive Heuk-pyo's sharp perception.
"Then the door must be trapped as well."
Heuk-pyo turned his gaze toward the exit.
There, densely packed Spring Needle Tubes were installed, ready to unleash a barrage of hidden weapons and poison the moment he stepped through.
The assassin had anticipated he would detect the silver threads and prepared another trap at the entrance.
Boom!
Despite knowing the hidden mechanisms lay in wait, Heuk-pyo unleashed his Movement Technique in a single burst, tearing straight through them.
Swish! Thud-thud-thud!
A storm of projectiles rained down, but his Movement Technique was so swift that not a single one touched him.
Whoosh!
Streaking through the night sky, Heuk-pyo's eyes flashed the moment he caught sight of a distant figure darting away.
Luring me in?
Though the assassin possessed astonishingly superb Movement Techniques—enough to shake off pursuit at any time—
Heuk-pyo instantly discerned that they were deliberately controlling their speed, baiting him to follow.
Whoooosh!
The fleeing assassin finally vanished into a vast bamboo forest on the outskirts of Chengdu.
Amusing.
Despite knowing he was being led into a trap, Heuk-pyo wore a confident smirk.
Having handled all manner of affairs in Beyond the Frontier, breaching enemy-prepared traps was something he had done more times than he could count.
With his lightning-fast Movement Techniques and keen insight, he had always seen through and dismantled them.
Tap.
Before he knew it, the assassin stood motionless at the heart of the bamboo forest.
Clad in dark attire and wearing a mask, their identity remained concealed. Yet their deep, profound gaze locked onto Heuk-pyo's approaching figure without flinching.
Their stance seemed to challenge him—if you have the courage, step inside.
"Hmph."
Having instantly discerned every trap laid within the bamboo forest, Heuk-pyo landed with a scoff.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
In that moment, a downpour of Feather Rain Needles—so fine they were nearly invisible—rained down like a storm.
But Heuk-pyo continued walking leisurely toward the Masked Man, the hidden weapons passing harmlessly through his form.
He had learned a modified version of Bu Eun-seol's Swift Shadowless Movement Technique.
With each step he took, he effortlessly shifted his stance, easily evading the storm of Feather Rain Needles pouring down like a squall.
Pssht! Thud-thud-thud!
But the Bamboo Forest wasn't armed with just Spring Needle Tubes firing needles.
Along with iron pellets of varying sizes, a deep crimson mist began spreading from the ground—
The Crane Essence Mist Poison, said to drain more than half of a martial artist's internal energy with just a single breath.
And the Thunderclap Mother-and-Son Beads of the Thunderclap Sect, rigged to detonate with tremendous force at the slightest movement.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
Black Leopard, who had been advancing, not only inhaled the Crane Essence Mist Poison deeply but was also swallowed by the ensuing explosion, engulfed in flames.
Sssssss—
Yet he emerged from the blaze unhurriedly, walking through the flames with ease.
"If you could secure Crane Essence Mist Poison and Thunderclap Mother-and-Son Beads, you're no mere amateur assassin."
Black Leopard's gaze locked onto the Masked Man's eyes as killing intent flashed in his own.
"Which Killing Sect do you belong to?"
"You've already lost."
With the Masked Man's low voice—
Thunk.
Before he knew it, a dagger wreathed in a haze of crimson mist had been plunged into Black Leopard's back.
The renowned No-Regret Sword, a famed blade of the martial world.
"A Mindscape?"
Even with the sword embedded in his back, Black Leopard straightened his posture and scanned his surroundings.
"No... an Illusory Formation."
What the Masked Man had deployed wasn't just a simple trap—it was an Illusory Formation, a fusion of ancient illusion arts and Formation Study.
"The silver sand and hidden weapons scattered in the inn, the Crane Essence Mist Poison and Thunderclap Mother-and-Son Beads planted here... all of it was just a process to implant the illusion."
The silver sand and hidden weapons in the inn, the Feather Rain Needles and poisonous mist arranged in the Bamboo Forest, even the blinding flashes from the Thunderclap Mother-and-Son Beads—
Every single device had been a meticulous setup, each one stripping away Black Leopard's senses one by one, ultimately completing the Illusory Formation.
In the end, temporarily robbed of his extrasensory perception, he had been utterly convinced that the Masked Man still stood directly before him, mistakenly believing he had evaded every attack.
And in that opening, the Masked Man had silently pierced his back with the No-Regret Sword.
"A pity."
The Masked Man shook his head with a sigh, his voice thick with regret.
"In your next life, may you be reborn as a martial artist capable of perfectly maintaining an unshakable mind."
"An unshakable mind?"
Staggering, Black Leopard stared blankly at the Masked Man before letting out a hollow laugh.
"You're killing me because I failed to keep an unshakable mind?"
Slowly rising to his feet, Black Leopard tilted his head and spoke coldly.
"So you're another leftover from the Death Shadow War Unit, then."
"......"
"Judging by your eyes, you're an old man—so there's only one person you could be."
Swish.
At those words, the Masked Man tore off his face covering and cast it aside.
Revealed beneath was the stern, dignified face of an elderly man with piercing eyes—
Flying Demon, Tak Il-hon.
"Black Leopard. The reason you could grasp the situation so quickly... was because of the insight you honed through the experience and knowledge gained by following the Lord all this time, wasn't it?"
Tak Il-hon's expression was unbearably bitter as he continued.
"Then why betray the Lord and slaughter innocent martial artists?"
"Betray? Innocent martial artists?"
Black Leopard asked incredulously.
"Didn't you bother to investigate the full story through that vaunted Death Soul Squad of yours?"
"I did. I saw that you were blinded by the skirts of a woman, dancing to her tune without seeing the truth."
"All I ever wanted was one thing."
Black Leopard's face twisted in frustration as he shouted.
"To handle my own affairs as I see fit—so why did you people, in the name of loyalty to the Lord, interfere when I was standing still?!"
"Did you think the martial world belonged to you alone?"
"Is it wrong to seek revenge for my wife?"
"If you seek revenge, shouldn't you first ascertain the full circumstances?"
"Do you think I didn't try?"
Black Leopard's voice was icy.
"They all disguised themselves as ordinary martial artists, but in truth, they belonged to a faction whose true nature I couldn't uncover."
"And that's clear evidence to you?"
"Elder Tak. Is it really so hard to understand when I say I'll handle it myself?"
"Handle it yourself?"
Tak Il-hon's expression darkened with sorrow.
"Have you forgotten that the very ground you stand on now was only made possible by the Lord's boundless consideration and goodwill?"
"So... even my personal revenge must be carried out under his command?"
"This matter is no longer just your personal affair."
Tak Il-hon shook his head.
"Once you set foot in the martial world, you can never escape the cycle of vengeance. But the Martial Soul Lord and the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit—would never wish for you to sink into the abyss of evil."
"Hahaha..."
Heuk-pyo, his head still lowered, let out a viscous laugh that dripped like blood.
"So it's the same old story after all?"
He spoke as if exhausted.
"You refuse to listen or believe me. Chief Won, and now even Guardian Tak has come to kill me. All while insisting everything I've achieved was only possible thanks to the Martial Soul Lord and the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit."
"Heuk-pyo."
"Enough."
Heuk-pyo, who had been gazing at the distant sky, slowly rose to his feet.
"Blood must be spilled before this ends."
Clank. Clatter.
Simultaneously, the wings of Black Wing, the metal shoulder guard fastened to his left shoulder, began to move.
Flash!
A single streak of light split the darkness, crossing the void before—
Thunk.
—a razor-sharp dagger buried itself deep in Tak Il-hon's left chest.
The very same No-Regret Sword that had been lodged in Heuk-pyo's back moments ago.
"How—?"
Tak Il-hon's eyes widened in disbelief.
Being struck by the No-Regret Sword should not only tear one's organs apart with agony but also paralyze the body.
So how could he have made his move like lightning?
"Strictly speaking, I met the Martial Soul Lord before you did, Guardian Tak."
Heuk-pyo smiled coldly, his gaze piercing.
"Whether it's the Illusory Formation or the Mindscape—every technique you wield... was also taught to me."
From the very beginning, Heuk-pyo had suspected.
That this bamboo forest was layered with a Mindscape intertwined with assassination techniques.
And so, he had pretended to fall for the Illusory Formation.
When the No-Regret Sword pierced his back, he activated the Blood-Shift Great Method, moving his acupoints to evade a fatal wound.
Then, he employed the Reverse-Stagnation Hidden Qi Technique, gripping the blade tightly with his muscles.
"I see. So that's how it is."
Tak Il-hon's expression turned bitter.
He hadn't overestimated his own strength—he had coldly assessed his abilities and the situation before delivering what should have been a decisive strike.
But he had overlooked one thing.
Both the Illusory Formation and the Mindscape he had deployed were techniques passed down by Bu Eun-seol.
And the man before him—Heuk-pyo—had also been taught all of them.
"Safe travels."
Heuk-pyo's arm shot forward in an instant, a white flash splitting the air. His signature move—the Flying Dagger Art—aimed to sever Tak Il-hon's life in one strike.
Swish!Hum!
But the dagger abruptly froze midair.
At the exact moment of release, Tak Il-hon had fired a concealed needle hidden in his mouth.
Zing— zing—
As the weapons locked together, the battle instantly shifted into a contest of Internal Energy.
"I wasn't standing this close just for fun."
Tak Il-hon had hidden a needle in his mouth in advance.
Knowing Heuk-pyo favored daggers and throwing knives, he had predicted the final killing move would inevitably be the Flying Dagger Art.
And the moment Heuk-pyo unleashed it, aiming for his throat—
Tak Il-hon had fired the needle, forcing a clash of weapons to provoke an Internal Energy duel.
After all, such duels required either extreme proximity or direct contact—through hands or weapons.
Hummm—
The dagger and needle hovered in the air, pushing against each other, emitting a low vibration.
"Did you really think you'd win an Internal Energy battle?"
Heuk-pyo muttered coldly at that moment.
Hum—
Simultaneously, the needle Tak Il-hon had fired began to slowly be pushed back.
Though Tak Il-hon's Internal Energy level was higher, Heuk-pyo's was far more refined.
"Energy duels are my specialty."
To have refined Internal Energy meant—
His True Qi was free of impurities, its density overwhelmingly high.
Tak Il-hon had cultivated his Internal Energy over a long period, amassing vast reserves.
But the mental discipline he employed—
Was an ancient Demonic Path technique, one that allowed for explosive bursts of power.
In contrast, the mental discipline Heuk-pyo had learned from Bu Eun-seol—
Combined the explosive force of Demonic Path techniques with the endurance of Righteous Faction methods, allowing it to withstand sustained pressure.
At first, he had been momentarily overwhelmed by Tak Il-hon's sheer volume of energy.
But as time passed, his refined power grew denser.
Not only could he withstand Tak Il-hon's Internal Energy—he could now push the dagger forward.
Crack—
Finally, the prolonged energy duel reached its end.
Heuk-pyo's dagger shattered Tak Il-hon's needle and plunged straight for his throat.
Thud!
Seizing the moment his internal energy was severed, Tak Il-hon twisted his body with every ounce of his strength.
Thunk.
But the power of the flying dagger art was formidable—the blade sank deep into his chest.
"Ghk—"
Tak Il-hon let out a guttural groan.
Fortunately, the dagger had missed his vital vessels, but if Heuk-pyo twisted it with his internal energy and yanked it free, the wound could still prove fatal.
"You mistimed your luck," Heuk-pyo said coldly, extending his hand.
"Blame the Lord for all of this."
Just as he was about to deliver the final strike—
"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
Tak Il-hon burst into hearty laughter.
The sound was so grating that an unbearable irritation surged through Heuk-pyo.
"You're about to die. What's so amusing?"
"Because I'm about to die, I can laugh freely."
"Nonsense."
As Heuk-pyo reached out again to unleash his internal power, Tak Il-hon, still bleeding, pointed a finger at him.
"Heuk-pyo, even now, can you truly say everything you've achieved was earned by your own strength?"
In an instant, Heuk-pyo's expression hardened.
Even his victory in the battle of internal energy against Tak Il-hon just now—
It was only possible because of the modified Counter-Polar Internal Art that Bu Eun-seol had imparted to him.
His ability to decipher every assassination technique and Illusory Formation Tak Il-hon had deployed and counter them—
All of it was because Bu Eun-seol had taught and enlightened him.
"So you pretended to try and kill me just to make me realize that?"
"You dismiss it as trivial, but—"
Tak Il-hon spoke firmly.
"Those very things are the reason your head is still attached after all your reckless roaming through the Martial World."
Heuk-pyo's face twisted.
He had thought that the assassination techniques of this old veteran, who had dominated the Martial World for so long, were somewhat plain and predictable.
But to think it wasn't truly meant to kill him—
Only to prove that everything he had accomplished was because of Bu Eun-seol's teachings?
"What would killing you achieve?"
Tak Il-hon gazed at the distant sky with a desolate expression.
"If I really did it, the Death Shadow War Unit bastards would curse me to death."
"......"
"Look at yourself now. The Lord raised you to survive in any situation. If you think about that, shouldn't you know what's right and wrong?"
Had he finally realized his mistake?
For a moment, Heuk-pyo's pupils turned transparent.
Like a blizzard-scoured landscape, his irises gradually whitened before he tilted his head slightly.
Crack.
Then, he straightened his neck stiffly, and his eyes returned to normal.
But Tak Il-hon, seemingly lost in thought, was still staring at the distant sky—
So he didn't notice the momentary change.
"Every truth you know now has been fabricated. If you investigate thoroughly again with the Death Shadow War Unit—"
Rustle, rustle.
Then, from the darkness, a small shadow slowly emerged into the Bamboo Forest.
A woman in worn hemp robes, her glossy hair pinned up with a tree branch.
Though her attire was somewhat unkempt, her beauty was ethereal—
Just the sight of her face bathed in moonlight made the very air of the forest shift.
So-so.
She had suddenly appeared here.
"You—"
"I'm sorry," So-so murmured in a low voice.
"I didn't mean to come, but I was so anxious... I had to beg the Wanderer Unit to bring me here."
She approached Heuk-pyo from behind, embracing him naturally and gently stroking his back.
Instantly, a pale mist rose from within his pitch-black pupils, and like a violent blizzard, the whites of his eyes began horrifically swallowing the irises.
At the same time, his breathing subtly faltered, the rhythm of his inhales and exhales growing erratic.
Sensing this, So-so smiled sweetly and hugged Heuk-pyo even tighter.
But she didn't realize—
As if an invisible hand had yanked his chin, Heuk-pyo tilted his neck slightly.
And as though nothing had happened, his disrupted breathing steadied back to normal.
Whoosh—thud!
Simultaneously, over a dozen wanderers landed beside her.
The Vice Chief of the Wanderer Unit, Cho Gwang, and Heuk-pyo's own loyalists.
"Jade Youth."
As if she had heard everything Tak Il-hon said, she walked forward slowly and spoke.
"You're right. You reached this point with the Lord's help, and I stood in your way. And for revenge, I turned the man I love into the Killing Ghost."
So-so approached calmly, her voice soft.
"I don't want to burden you anymore."
"So-so."
"I'll handle the rest of my revenge myself. You should return to the Lord."
Rumble—
Then, purple lightning flashed repeatedly in the distant sky before a meteor-like shadow landed near Tak Il-hon.
It was Bu Eun-seol.