Chapter 419
Meanwhile, Jongjeong Yak, who had been sitting by the window of Daru Tea House pretending to read a book while secretly observing Bu Eun-seol, sensed something amiss.
'No matter how I look at him, he doesn't seem like the type.'
Having spent years identifying spies and investigating suspicious figures, she had developed a skill akin to that of a physiognomist—the ability to gauge a person's personality and temperament just by looking at their face.
'Young men with exceptional talent should carry that unique confidence and aura.'
According to the Martial Alliance's reports, Peak Leader Seon-u Jin was said to possess extraordinary martial prowess and wisdom, with the boldness to stand unflinching even before the leaders of the Three Poison Sects.
Yet, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't detect any trace of exceptional temperament or innate talent in Seon-u Jin.
'Something feels off...'
Her sharp instincts began to stir.
She had an intuition that this man named Seon-u Jin was hiding something.
'And he's far too composed.'
If this were truly a newly appointed Third-grade Commander stepping into the martial world for the first time, he should be a mix of excitement and tension.
But this man was as relaxed and unhurried as if he were out for a casual stroll in his own neighborhood.
'There's definitely something here.'
Jongjeong Yak had already completed her investigation into the Seonhwa Merchant House and Seon-u Jin using the intelligence networks of the Inspection Hall and the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall.
The Seonhwa Merchant House was run with such integrity that not a speck of dust would emerge even if she combed through it thoroughly.
Seon-u Jin's background was equally transparent—there wasn't a single loose thread to grab onto.
It was flawless, to the point where not even a hair's breadth of suspicion could be justified... and yet, that very perfection unsettled her.
What if this spotless, untarnished identity and background of Seon-u Jin were deliberately crafted?
'A spy.'
Only that kind of person would go to such lengths to fabricate an identity and background so perfectly that no one would suspect a thing.
And if that Peak Leader were indeed a spy... now that he had stepped into the martial world, he would inevitably make contact with the factions he belonged to.
Meanwhile, Seon-u Jin, having finished his meal, left the guest inn and began moving somewhere again.
Jongjeong Yak also stepped outside and covertly tailed him.
'I'll dig into you properly.'
Jongjeong Yak was no longer the overzealous Law Enforcement Magistrate of the past.
After the incident with the Nectar Bureau's head, she had keenly felt her own shortcomings in ability, experience, and martial prowess.
Determined to improve, she had ventured into the martial world, handling cases to accumulate experience and knowledge.
During that time, she had honed her Concealment and Secret Traces Art to the Tenth Star realm.
The art of concealment, known as Shadow Concealment Art, varied drastically in mastery depending on one's innate temperament and disposition.
Especially since it required the ability to adapt to ever-changing surroundings, achieving Great Completion was nearly impossible without exceptional observational skills and insight.
She had a natural talent for intelligence work—her observational skills, intuition, and innate ability to hide her presence were extraordinary.
Thus, no matter how skilled a master might be, once she employed the Concealment and Secret Traces Art, she could follow them without ever being detected.
Bu Eun-seol, having left the guest inn, could sense Jongjeong Yak secretly tailing him.
And he was somewhat surprised.
'Her martial prowess has improved significantly.'
The Shadow Concealment Art Jongjeong Yak was employing had reached a considerable level.
Had he not been aware that he was being followed? It would have taken him a considerable amount of time to notice her trailing him.
'I can't afford to drag this out.'
As he strolled through the marketplace, observing the stalls at a leisurely pace, his mind began working rapidly.
For Seo Jin-ha to become his perfect shadow, he needed at least three months under the current circumstances.
If he couldn't quickly dispel Jongjeong Yak's suspicions? Given her personality, she would stick to him like glue until she was completely satisfied.
In that case, Bu Eun-seol wouldn't be able to return to the Demon Hall and would either have to keep wandering the martial world... or return to the Martial Alliance.
'This method should work.'
While walking through the marketplace, Bu Eun-seol swiftly formulated a plan to shake her off and turned his steps toward the post station.
Then, he sent a telepathic transmission to a member of the Death Soul Squad waiting nearby.
He intended to execute the plan immediately and send Jongjeong Yak back to the Martial Alliance.
'Quite capable.'
Jongjeong Yak, who had been secretly following Seon-u Jin and observing his actions, nodded in approval.
Peak Leader Seon-u Jin.
Despite his delicate appearance, he was a passionate and enterprising figure.
Having begun investigating the forces behind the Three Poison Sects, he had used his own funds to purchase information and verify facts.
For details that couldn't be obtained through intelligence networks, he conducted inquiries himself.
Moreover, during his investigations, he wielded the authority of the Martial Alliance by presenting his Command Plaque when necessary and occasionally used money to persuade others.
In short, he was conducting his investigation in the most ideal manner possible for a wealthy Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance.
Even if she had been the one conducting the investigation, she couldn't have done any better.
'More passionate and ambitious than I thought.'
Jongjeong Yak understood exactly why Seon-u Jin was so fervently dedicated to the investigation.
Because she had once been the same.
The ambition to rise in rank.
Seon-u Jin, just like her past self, was struggling with all his might to climb even a single step higher.
"Is it because he's from the Upper Realm? He certainly has that desperate edge."
Watching Seon-u Jin tirelessly move between informants and intelligence networks without rest, Jongjeong Yak felt a strange sensation.
On the surface, he seemed to be enjoying the investigation itself, fully leveraging his dual identities—as a Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance and the heir of a wealthy merchant group.
But in Jongjeong Yak's eyes, it was nothing more than the desperate thrashing of someone clawing his way upward.
"I was like that once too."
Back when she had first joined the Martial Alliance.
She, too, had been just like Seon-u Jin.
Eager in everything, convinced that if she just worked hard enough, she could climb endlessly higher.
"But that was the thinking of a naive child."
The Murim wasn't so easily conquered.
And in this world, there weren't as many things one could obtain through sheer effort as one might think.
For a young master from the Upper Realm to realize that, it would take quite a long time.
"Who are they?"
A glint flashed in Jongjeong Yak's eyes as she observed Seon-u Jin from afar.
At some point, black shadows had begun tailing him as he moved from place to place, conducting his investigation.
Judging by how meticulously they avoided detection, they were far from well-intentioned.
"Has the true mastermind behind the Three Poison Sects finally shown themselves?"
He had claimed he entered the Martial World to investigate those suspected of being the hidden force behind the Three Poison Sects.
And if such a force truly existed? It made sense they'd be wary of a Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance digging into their affairs.
Yet Seon-u Jin remained completely unaware of the tails following him, continuing his inquiries without pause.
The black shadows clung to him relentlessly.
It seemed they were waiting for the perfect moment to ambush him.
And then, disaster struck.
Just as Seon-u Jin left the village to cross a mountain pass and continue his investigation—
Whoosh.
The shadows that had been stalking him in secret finally revealed themselves, blocking his path.
They all wore masks and were clad in assassin's outfits smeared with what looked like mud.
"They're—"
Jongjeong Yak's pupils dilated as she watched them.
"The Wind Demon Corps. They're the assassins of the Wind Demon Corps."
By their attire and the grotesque blades they carried, she recognized them as the contract-killing squad led by the Mad Blade, also known as the Soul-Seizing Blade.
The Mad Blade, having surrounded Seon-u Jin, immediately barked orders to his subordinates.
"Even if he's just a low-ranking officer, he's still part of the Martial Alliance. Wipe him out without a trace."
Shiiing.
At his command, over twenty martial artists simultaneously drew their grotesque blades.
These were unique swordsmen the Mad Blade had painstakingly trained.
Unlike typical assassins, who specialized in stealth and the Art of Killing, these men relied on superior saber techniques and a distinctive Combined Attack Art—killing their targets openly and without subterfuge.
"This is bad."
Jongjeong Yak frowned.
The Mad Blade and his Wind Demon Corps were notorious for slaughtering even Transcendent Realm masters without difficulty.
No matter how talented Seon-u Jin was among the younger generation, facing the Wind Demon Corps alone would be overwhelming.
"They're planning to silence him permanently."
If word got out that they had killed a Martial Alliance Commander, the Wind Demon Corps would be exterminated down to the last ant.
So they clearly intended to eliminate Seon-u Jin covertly and erase all evidence.
Thwip!
Realizing the dire situation, Seon-u Jin immediately activated his Movement Technique to flee.
But his opponents were the Wind Demon Corps—a group that had never failed a contract.
Swish-swish-swish!
They swiftly cut off his escape, brandishing their grotesque blades.
"Tch."
Seeing their tight encirclement, Seon-u Jin pulled a black orb from his robes and hurled it into the air.
BANG!
A deafening explosion followed, flooding the world with blinding white light.
It was an Explosive Light Pellet—a tool assassins often used to escape.
Clearly not expecting a Martial Alliance officer to employ such a tactic, the swordsmen winced and turned their heads away.
Seon-u Jin seized the moment, immediately activating his Movement Technique to break free.
"Quick thinking, brat."
The Mad Blade, rubbing his eyes, smirked as he watched him flee.
"But you're not getting away."
Whizz-whizz-whizz!
Suddenly, a barrage of sharp hidden weapons shot toward Seon-u Jin's retreating figure.
Thud!
Startled, he leaped into the air to evade.
Fwip!
A long whip lashed out, coiling around his leg midair.
"Ghk—!"
Seon-u Jin let out a pained grunt as the whip bit into his flesh.
A sharp surge of internal energy tore through his meridians.
Fwish!
Twisting rapidly in midair, he managed to unravel the whip's grip.
But whether from internal injuries perhaps from internal injuries, he staggered violently upon landing.
"Heh heh heh. What a cute little thing."
At the same time, a shadow slowly stepped forward.
A white-haired crone with dark circles under her eyes and a cruel aura.
She wore robes dyed deep purple, but the lower half was scandalously short, exposing her skeletal legs in full.
Her attire alone made it clear she was no ordinary figure.
'Purple Flame Granny?'
Jongjeong Yak, who had been secretly observing, widened her eyes at the sight of the old woman.
The grotesque-looking crone was none other than a notorious master of underhanded techniques and a contract killer who had long plagued the Martial World—Purple Flame Granny, Eum Yak-bing.
"Got him."
Just then, Mad Blade approached with a laugh.
"Even a bull would be paralyzed if struck by Purple Flame Granny's Night Thunder Whip."
At his words, Eum Yak-bing bared her blackened teeth in a grin.
"I'd like to keep this young one for myself. Must we kill him?"
"Absolutely out of the question."
Mad Blade's tone was resolute.
"Not only must we kill him, but we must erase all traces. Otherwise, Granny, both you and I will end up as dead men."
"Hmm."
Even a madwoman like her seemed reluctant to face the relentless pursuit of the Martial Alliance.
Eum Yak-bing regretfully stroked Seon-u Jin's docile face before extending her hand.
"No helping it, then."
Ping!
The Night Thunder Whip, sharp as a blade, shot toward Seon-u Jin's forehead.
Swish!
But in the next instant, the whip—capable of piercing even stone—passed harmlessly through empty air.
"Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade—used like this?"
Eum Yak-bing's expression twisted in shock.
The speed and force of the Night Thunder Whip slicing through the air surpassed even the sharpest sword strike.
Yet he had redirected such an attack using the subtle principles of Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade?
"Then we'll just have to slice him up!"
Seeing this, Mad Blade prepared to unleash his Soul-Seizing Blade Technique.
Flash!
A brilliant gleam flickered—
Thud!
—and the swordsman standing behind Mad Blade collapsed as if struck by an invisible hand.
Seon-u Jin had seized that fleeting moment to execute Master Unhindered's True Divine Secret Studies—the Heavenly Cliff Flying Dagger Art.
Unfortunately, rather than striking Mad Blade's throat, the dagger had embedded itself in the swordsman behind him.
"Scatter and attack!"
Realizing the terrifying level of his dagger technique, Mad Blade barked orders. The swordsmen swiftly encircled Seon-u Jin, weaving around him like a whirlwind.
Slice!
Another dagger split the air, and another swordsman crumpled to the ground.
From afar, Jongjeong Yak couldn't help but marvel.
'Such incredible dagger technique...'
Seon-u Jin's skill, inherited from the legendary Master Unhindered of the Great Desert three centuries ago, was truly a one-strike kill.
But unfortunately, he could only launch one dagger at a time.
Moreover, against a large number of enemies, dagger techniques weren't the most effective method.
Thud! Thud!
Before long, Seon-u Jin had felled six swordsmen.
Yet his own body bore numerous wounds, large and small.
Drip.
The blades of the swordsmen were coated with a vicious poison.
As his blood darkened, Seon-u Jin pressed a pressure point near his neck and swiftly swallowed an antidote.
But his complexion had already turned ashen, his expression grim.
Still, he refused to give up, calmly throwing daggers while searching for an opening to escape.
'At this rate, he won't survive.'
Jongjeong Yak bit her lip.
Should she stand by and watch him die? Or should she intervene and help him?
Just as she hesitated and was about to reveal herself—
'No way...'
A chilling realization flashed through her mind.
—Seon-u Jin. When investigating him, you must be extra cautious. His martial arts and intellect are truly exceptional.
The Yeonseong Hall Leader, who had risen to her position at a young age due to her extraordinary intellect and martial prowess, had repeatedly warned her.
That alone proved Seon-u Jin was no ordinary man.
'Could he have deliberately set this trap to divert suspicion?'
A terrifying thought crossed her mind.
What if Seon-u Jin—
—knew he was being watched? What if he had staged this entire incident while pretending to be conducting an investigation?
The Wind Demon Corps and Purple Flame Granny—
Both were contract killers who could be hired for the right price.
Slash!
At that moment, Eum Yak-bing's Night Thunder Whip grazed Seon-u Jin once more.
Simultaneously, Mad Blade's Soul-Seizing Blade exploited the opening and struck.
Splat!
The razor-sharp blade nicked his neck, and dark blood gushed forth.
The poison used by the swordsmen was so potent that the antidote seemed utterly ineffective.
Stagger.
As Seon-u Jin wavered, struggling against the poison's effects—
"Die!"
Mad Blade and Eum Yak-bing seized the moment to unleash their killing blows.
Gleam!
But as if waiting for this very instant, Seon-u Jin spread his arms wide.
Dozens of daggers erupted at once, filling the air with a silver brilliance.
"What the—?!"
Mad Blade and Eum Yak-bing frantically swung their whip and blade.
Yet though the daggers had been unleashed simultaneously, each followed a different trajectory and speed.
It was a hidden weapon technique reminiscent of the Dang Clan'sMyriad Blossoms Fill the Sky.
To everyone's shock, Seonwoo Jin had been concealing this technique all along—the ability to unleash multiple flying daggers simultaneously—just to create an opening for his escape.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
While they frantically deflected the daggers,
Whoosh!
Seonwoo Jin burst through the encirclement and fled.
"Catch him!"
Mad Blade roared at his subordinates.
"We absolutely cannot let him escape!"
Originally, they had taken this contract with full confidence—that killing a mere Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance would be child's play, and erasing all traces of it even easier.
But what if they failed?
From that day onward, not only would they have to abandon their lives as contract killers, but they would never again know a single day of peaceful rest.
Because the Martial Alliance's pursuers would hunt them to the ends of hell itself.
Whoosh!
Though Mad Blade pushed his Movement Technique to its limits, Seonwoo Jin's trail had already vanished without a trace.
In the end, they had lost him.
"Damn it all!"
Crash!
Mad Blade struck a tree with the hilt of his sword, his voice thick with fury as he muttered,
"If we don't catch that bastard, we'll have to leave the Martial World!"
"Tch. I was planning to retire after one last big job..."
Eum Yak-bing, too, fidgeted uneasily as she scanned their surroundings.
Seonwoo Jin's body was already riddled with the marks of her Night Thunder Whip technique.
Even if he died, if his corpse was found by someone from the Martial Alliance, their crime would be exposed.
"And it's not just any poison—it's the Life-Seizing Blood Blossom Toxin."
Mad Blade gritted his teeth.
"He won't last long before collapsing... All we need to do is find the body."
Whoosh!
As Mad Blade and the Wind Demon Corps activated their Movement Techniques, Eum Yak-bing soon followed with her Lightness Skill.
Once they had all departed, the forest along the mountain pass returned to its eerie silence.
Thump.
Then, the earth beneath a massive tree trembled violently before—
Shhhk.
—the ground caved in, and a shadowy figure emerged, gasping for breath.
It was Seonwoo Jin.
Astonishingly, he had not only mastered the Explosive Light Pellets used by assassins but also the Earth Escape Art, a technique typically practiced by thieves.
"Ugh..."
Leaning against the thick tree trunk, he groaned heavily as he forced himself upright.
After using the Flying Dagger Art to briefly divert their attention, he had feigned escape before immediately burrowing underground and employing the Turtle Breath Technique to evade pursuit.
But he had failed to neutralize the poison smeared on the dagger's edge, and the Night Thunder Whip had inflicted severe internal injuries.
Though he had shaken off their pursuit for now, the toxin had already spread so far through his body that he could barely move.
Stagger.
Step by agonizing step, he struggled forward, trying to escape the forest—
Thud.
—only for his legs to finally give out, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Hah... Hah..."
Frowning deeply, Seonwoo Jin panted as he slumped against the tree.
Lost in thought, he reached into his robes and drew out two daggers, then began carving sharp, deliberate characters into their hilts.
Wind Demon Corps. Purple Flame Granny.
Once the two names were etched, he flicked the daggers upward, embedding them into the tree above.
Thunk.
Watching the daggers lodge firmly into the branch, Seonwoo Jin muttered under his breath,
"I... did my best."
Thud.
And with that, he finally succumbed to the poison, collapsing unconscious.
Shhh.
At that moment, a faint shadow emerged before the fallen Seonwoo Jin.
It was Jongjeong Yak, who had been observing the entire situation from the shadows.
"Explosive Light Pellets, Earth Escape Art... No doubt he's from a merchant background."
Martial artists from merchant groups, much like escorts who undertook dangerous missions, often learned all manner of miscellaneous skills to survive countless perilous situations.
"But his experience in the Rivers and Lakes is sorely lacking."
She glanced up at the daggers embedded in the tree.
This was undoubtedly a contingency—should his corpse be discovered by the Wind Demon Corps, the daggers would ensure the Martial Alliance could identify the culprits.
"Even if you hide them between branches, the moonlight will reflect off their edges."
Just as she said.
When she tilted her head, the daggers gleamed sharply under the moonlight.
At this rate, the daggers would be found long before Seonwoo Jin's body.
Fwoosh.
Jongjeong Yak activated Void Object Retrieval, and the daggers embedded in the branches flew into her hand.
For a long moment, she studied the characters carved into them before shaking her head.
"Sly foxes like them will undoubtedly return here."
With a sigh, she examined Seonwoo Jin's condition.
The poison had already spread completely—without immediate treatment, he would die.
"No choice, then..."
There was no room left for doubt.
Seonwoo Jin was nothing more than an ambitious man—one who had rushed headlong toward success, overreached, and was now paying for it with his life.
Click.
She retrieved a porcelain vial from her robes and poured a clear liquid into his mouth.
The Nourishing Jade Elixir—a powerful antidote she always carried in case of extreme poisoning.
"..."
But it was futile.
With the toxin already coursing through his entire body, the elixir had little effect.
His veins bulged grotesquely from the Life-Seizing Blood Blossom Poison, and his eyes had rolled back, leaving only the whites visible.
He would draw his last breath soon.
'The only place left to save him is there.'
Jongjeong Yak bit her lip.
Not a moment could be wasted.
Whoosh!
Hoisting Seonwoo Jin onto her back, she immediately activated her Movement Technique and raced toward the opposite side of Chengdu.