Chapter 52
This time, the attack could have cleanly severed the neck rather than just grazing the shoulder.
Yet Seok-jeong deliberately twisted his blade mid-motion to target Bu Eun-seol's shoulder instead.
"Assassins like you—if left with no options, you'll take your own lives."
As Bu Eun-seol turned those words over in his mind, a sharp glint radiated from his eyes in branching streaks.
He had finally figured it out—which technique to use, and the surefire method to kill Seok-jeong.
'This man has made two irreversible mistakes.'
Seok-jeong, who had slain countless assassins sent after him over the years, was a fetishist who took perverse pleasure in watching his cornered targets despair and commit suicide.
His first mistake was giving Bu Eun-seol the time to reach this realization.
'And his second mistake...'
Seok-jeong had picked up an ordinary blade from the armory instead of his signature weapon, the Black Serpent Saber.
It was a display of confidence—proof he didn't even need his treasured weapon. But for Bu Eun-seol, it was a golden opportunity.
Zzzing!
Pushing the Way of the Beast to its utmost limit, Bu Eun-seol's pupils dilated.
At the same time, the trajectory of Seok-jeong's saber slash became visible to him.
'I have to clash head-on!'
Bu Eun-seol channeled Reverse Polarity True Qi into his sword and pressed his left hand against the assassin's blade sheathed on his back.
The moment their weapons collided again—
Craaack!
Seok-jeong's saber and Bu Eun-seol's sword shattered simultaneously like glass.
Bu Eun-seol had poured every ounce of his Reverse Polarity True Qi into his blade, employing the Heavy Sword Art to destroy both weapons.
"What—?"
Seok-jeong froze momentarily, stunned that an intact saber could be reduced to fragments. In all his years of battle, no weapon infused with internal energy had ever shattered like this.
Fwip!
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol drew the assassin's blade from his back with his left hand and lunged like lightning into Seok-jeong's guard.
Shhk!
Just as the razor-sharp sword pierced ruthlessly into the center of Seok-jeong's chest—
"You bastard!"
Seok-jeong reflexively unleashed a palm strike.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion sent clouds of dust billowing outward.
Yet Bu Eun-seol stood firm, while Seok-jeong—the one who had launched the strike—was forced back several steps.
"To think his body is this resilient..."
One of the astonishing abilities of the Reverse Polarity Heart Method was its capacity to generate counterforce naturally when external power permeated the body.
Seok-jeong was a master of saber techniques who had dominated the martial world for years, but his internal energy couldn't match Bu Eun-seol's.
"Y-you... little...!"
Only now did Seok-jeong realize Bu Eun-seol was nothing like the assassins he had toyed with before.
Drip... drip...
Crimson blood seeped from the wound where Bu Eun-seol's sword had pierced his chest.
Seeing the amount of blood, a grim premonition struck Seok-jeong—he might actually die here.
'No choice.'
He swiftly slipped a hand into his robes.
He intended to blow the horn to alert the cult of the intruder.
But this was his third and final mistake.
'Now!'
Sensing the opening in Seok-jeong's stance, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Ultimate Speed Shadowless and shot forward.
"You—!"
Panicked, Seok-jeong swung his shattered saber—but it was already too late.
Thunk!
The broken saber and assassin's blade narrowly missed each other.
Bu Eun-seol's intact sword stabbed straight through Seok-jeong's heart, while the shattered remnant of Seok-jeong's weapon failed to touch him.
"An assassin... a mere whelp like you... how could I...?"
Staring down at the blade embedded in his body, Seok-jeong—
Thud!
—collapsed face-first onto the stone chamber floor.
"Hah... hah..."
Bu Eun-seol sheathed his sword, gasping for breath.
This had been his first life-or-death battle against a true master of the martial world—far more intense and perilous than he had imagined.
"Even masters of the martial world aren't immune to the poison of carelessness."
Seok-jeong had undoubtedly been far stronger than Bu Eun-seol.
But underestimating his opponent and letting his guard down had led him past a point of no return.
Swoosh.
Bu Eun-seol swept his gaze around.
Fortunately, since he had dealt with Seok-jeong before the horn could sound, the area remained silent. After a brief pause, he opened the lid of a large jar and stuffed Seok-jeong's corpse inside.
Then he tore strips from Seok-jeong's robes to wipe away the bloodstains scattered across the floor.
"At this rate, it should take about a day before he's discovered."
Stepping outside the hall, he saw dawn slowly breaking.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol slipped away from the Blood-Yin Heretical Cult and returned to the merchant ship anchored nearby.
—Black Serpent Saber Seok-jeong was murdered within the Blood-Yin Heretical Cult!
—And not just assassinated—he was defeated in direct combat!
When these rumors spread through the Yueyang region, martial artists scoffed.
—Nonsense. Who could infiltrate the Blood-Yin Heretical Cult and pull off such a thing?
Never mind the cult's formidable backing from the Blood Cult—just who was Seok-jeong?
A saber master who had roamed the martial world alone for over a decade, with a single blade.
Though he held the lowly position of deputy hall leader in the Soul Seizing Hall, that was only because he had joined the Blood-Yin Heretical Cult recently.
And now they claimed someone had not only fought him head-on within the cult's grounds but killed him?
—A saber broken clean in half was found in Seok-jeong's hand. It was destroyed by someone using a Heavy Sword.
But once word spread of the shattered saber in Seok-jeong's grip, the martial world fell silent.
Just who had infiltrated the Blood-Yin Heretical Cult, fought Seok-jeong alone, and slain him?
Pitter-patter...
A drizzling mist fell beneath the overcast sky.
Hoehyeon Old Bookstore.
One of the secret branches of the Slaughter-Seeking Squad, this place had long been disguised as an old bookstore.
Aside from the occasional scholar stopping by to buy or sell books, the entirety of its operations consisted of sorting incoming missions.
"Ahem."
Ma-un, who had been watching the rain pouring outside the window, yawned and spoke.
"Seeing the rain, I should have a drink of unfiltered rice wine today."
Having finished classifying and organizing the intelligence sent from headquarters, he was now tidying the bookstore shelves like any ordinary clerk.
"Done now, I suppose."
Just as Ma-un stretched and rose after neatly arranging the shelves—
Creak.
The old door opened, and a figure stepped in, shaking off the rain.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
The protagonist of the rumors currently shaking Yueyang.
When the man who had single-handedly slain Seok-jeong, a saber master of terrifying skill, suddenly appeared, Ma-un found himself stammering.
"W-Welcome!"
Putting on a friendly expression, he rubbed his hands together.
"You've come to visit our humble shop again."
"I like books..."
Bu Eun-seol muttered in a low voice before abruptly pointing toward the inner chamber where Ma-un stood.
"Last time, there were some useful books over there. May I take a look?"
"Already looking for another book?"
"Is that not allowed?"
"Well, it's not that it's not allowed, but..."
As Ma-un hesitated with a troubled expression, Sang-ryang, who had been sitting inside, scrambled out in a fluster.
"Young Master. Rather than that, why don't we have a conversation inside?"
"Very well."
After guiding Bu Eun-seol into the hidden chamber, Sang-ryang shot a glance at Ma-un, who followed behind.
Thud.
Once the door closed, Sang-ryang cleared his throat and spoke.
"So it was truly you who dealt with Seok-jeong?"
"Yes."
"How? By what means?"
At Sang-ryang's urging, Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
"Must I say?"
"Huh?"
"I was told the branch only provides support for missions—not oversight on execution."
"W-Well, that's true, but..."
Left without a retort, Sang-ryang changed the subject.
"So, you're saying you want to take on another mission right away?"
"Yes."
"Impossible."
Sang-ryang's face turned serious.
"A deputy hall leader has been killed within the Blood-Yin Cult. Right now, they're scouring Dongting Lake with bloodshot eyes."
"That doesn't concern me."
"Orders have come from above to exercise restraint."
"And where exactly is 'above'?"
"That... is not something you need to know."
"Then I suppose I don't need to follow it either."
Seeing that words weren't getting through, Sang-ryang adopted a persuasive tone.
"Originally, all members of the Slaughter-Seeking Squad are supposed to rest for at least four days after completing a mission—no, it's practically an unwritten rule."
"Why?"
At Bu Eun-seol's persistent question, Sang-ryang wiped his sweat and answered.
"If you take on missions back-to-back, fatigue accumulates, focus wanes, and the likelihood of failure increases, no? That's why it's customary to rest quietly for about four days after finishing one."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol finally seemed to accept this, pursing his lips.
Then, he flatly extended his hand.
"What?"
"Three thousand taels."
"Ah, wait a moment."
Collecting himself, Sang-ryang stepped out of the chamber and returned shortly after.
He then handed Bu Eun-seol thirty slips of paper.
"What is this?"
"Thirty banknotes worth a hundred taels each. Issued by the Shanxi Silver Tiger Bank—you can trust them."
"Hmm."
Taking the banknotes, Bu Eun-seol stared pointedly at Ma-un.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol flicked one of the hundred-nyang notes toward him.
"Wha—?!"
As the white slip flew toward him, Ma-un instinctively scrambled to catch it.
"What's this for?"
"Payment for two assassin's swords and a night suit."
Ma-un stared blankly at the note. The price of two rusted swords and a night suit combined wouldn't even amount to ten taels.
"Keep the change."
Bu Eun-seol looked down at him with an indifferent expression.
"Go out and have a drink of unfiltered rice wine."
Then, with a swift turn, he strode out of the chamber.
"T-That insolent brat!"
After all, Ma-un was also a master of the Demon Hall.
To be treated so dismissively by some unknown newcomer—his vision nearly went red with fury.
"Just because I'm disguised as a clerk, you really think I am one?!"
Rolling up his sleeves, Ma-un fumed and made to chase after him—
"Hahaha!"
Sang-ryang, who had been watching Bu Eun-seol's retreating figure, suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"He's no ordinary man. Just which sect sent someone like him?"
"Big Brother."
"Can't think of a likely sect? I truly have no idea."
"Elder Brother. Is that really what matters right now? Did you not see how he disrespected me?"
Surprisingly, though Ma-un usually addressed Sang-ryang formally as "Dae-in", in private, he called him "Elder Brother".
"Don't dwell on it. Keep an eye on him from now on. We've been watching nothing but people who go out and die—but unexpectedly, we've found someone useful, haven't we?"
So far, most of the new Slaughter-Seeking Squad members assigned to Yueyang Branch had not lasted even a year.
Given that this was a region where the orthodox and unorthodox factions clashed, the missions were perilous beyond measure. Even some veteran operatives avoided assignments here.
"But that brat..."
"Then, do you want to handle field operations?"
"Ugh."
Ma-un reluctantly pursed his lips.
Though disguised as a clerk, it wasn't due to any favorable circumstances. His actual status was far too high for such menial work.
"If things go well, we might finally escape this place."
If they secured a capable operative who could successfully complete missions, promotion would be all but guaranteed.
"From now on, coax 'Eighteen' well and assign him missions of Fifth Stack or higher. If we raise the reputation of our Yueyang Branch in the eyes of the higher-ups..."
Sang-ryang, who had been chuckling quietly, narrowed his eyes into crescents.
"We brothers might finally leave this godforsaken place."