Chapter 168: A Predetermined Conclusion-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 168: A Predetermined Conclusion-1
Sending In-ho away wasn't an act of self-sacrifice.
While they were fleeing, So-yu had been gauging the skill of their pursuers.
Their ability to erase their presence was superb, and the trajectories of the hidden weapons they occasionally hurled at her vitals, combined with the way they subtly tightened their perimeter, made them difficult to shake off.
They were undoubtedly high-level assassins.
However, she believed she could take them on—provided she had nothing left to protect.
The enemies were after both her and In-ho anyway. Seeing Yun-seok’s light body technique, she felt he was more than capable of getting In-ho to safety. Since she was the stronger combatant in terms of absolute power, she figured she could pin down the bulk of the assassins herself.
"You must stay safe," she said as she veered off, drawing their attention by striking the throat of an oncoming assassin with the edge of her palm.
"From this moment on, the Flame Wheel Master shall be your opponent."
This was So-yu’s first miscalculation.
Intimidated by her ferocious aura, the assassins didn't dare rush her immediately; instead, they surrounded her.
"Come at me."
So-yu took a stance, flames erupting from her body alongside a surge of fighting spirit.
Were they afraid? The assassins didn't charge.
No, it would be more accurate to say they chose not to.
They slowly backed away, then turned in unison and sprinted in the direction In-ho had fled.
"What?!"
She had been certain they would commit everything to capturing her.
So-yu’s mind momentarily blanked at this unexpected turn of events—they were all ignoring her to hunt In-ho.
"Where do you think you're going?! I am right here!"
Erupting with flames, So-yu put strength into her legs to give chase.
This was her second miscalculation.
Sting—
A sharp killing intent pricked her senses.
So-yu, who was about to leap into the air, twisted her body mid-motion. A blade’s trajectory sliced through the exact space she had occupied a heartbeat ago.
She widened the distance and examined her attacker.
It was an assassin dressed in pitch-black clothes, wearing a cat mask.
"It’s a trap."
Sensing neither internal energy nor any discernible aura from the figure, she realized the truth.
She lunged at the Cat-Masked Assassin. She had to break their stance with a preemptive strike before they could settle into a rhythm and then get to In-ho.
But So-yu’s fist never reached the mysterious foe.
The opponent parried her attack with uncanny footwork, letting the force flow past.
"......"
There were no words to be exchanged.
So-yu’s eyes darted rapidly, searching for an opening.
Tsk. If it’s come to this, I have to force my way through.
The pursuit team might have already caught up to In-ho. Anxiety began to gnaw at her.
Pushing her internal energy to its limit, she swathed her body in flames and charged forward.
Thud.
The enemy, who had closed the distance unnoticed, tripped her. She sprawled face-first onto the ground.
"Urgh, you bastard...!"
So-yu growled, not even bothering to wipe the dirt from her face.
"You’ve lost your composure."
The voice echoing from the mask was distorted, perhaps by some specialized device; it was impossible to discern the speaker's gender.
"What is your goal?! Did you come to kill me just as you killed my Master?" So-yu shouted, throwing a punch.
The Cat-Masked Assassin took a single step back, effortlessly evading the strike.
"Correct. You and your disciple both die here today," the opponent said, deflecting So-yu’s flying kick with an arm. "This is the end of the last of the Three Great Inherited Martial Arts of the Orthodox Sect. We can't just let it end quickly, can we? We must savor it to the very last drop."
Despite the distorted voice, the mockery was palpable.
"You...!"
Using the rage boiling up from her dantian as fuel, So-yu ignited her flames once more.
*
"Gasp... huff..."
In-ho spat out a mouthful of blood.
The fallen assassins scattered around him were a testament to the brutal struggle he had just endured.
"Impressive," Yun-seok remarked with a slight note of admiration, though his tone remained business-like.
"I... am... pretty impressive, aren't I?"
In-ho managed a smirk, even as he continued to cough up blood.
His body was a wreck, ravaged by the strain of overextending his internal energy and the wounds inflicted by the assassins.
Though many lay dead at his feet, there were still far more closing in on his life.
"...Hey."
In-ho looked at Yun-seok as the circle of assassins tightened.
"What is it?"
"I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this, but I just don't get it... Can I ask you something?"
"It’s your final wish. I shall grant it," Yun-seok replied.
In-ho wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, leaving a thick smear of blood.
"You guys were the ones who brought the news about the Grandmaster, right?"
"That is correct."
The messenger who had delivered the news of Grandmaster Yeom-jin’s death. He had assumed they were from the Murim Alliance. He hadn't even thought to doubt it.
How could he have known it was a setup?
"Who... do you work for? Are you from the Unorthodox Sect?"
What faction of the Unorthodox Sect could possibly hold such a grudge? In-ho was genuinely curious.
"Well... that’s hard to say. We simply move according to the contract."
It was a vague answer.
"You said the target was me...? So it’s not... a grudge against the Flame Wheel Master?"
If it wasn't a grudge against his Master, there was even less reason for In-ho to be the target.
"......"
When silence followed, In-ho closed his eyes for a moment, thinking.
"Ha... what the hell is going on? It’s not a grudge against the Flame Wheel Master... but I have to die. Fuck. What the hell...?"
In-ho shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his mind.
"Are you finished with your questions? Then, farewell."
Yun-seok raised his hand and dropped it. The waiting assassins lunged at In-ho all at once.
The lead assassin raised a dagger, swinging it down toward the crown of In-ho’s head.
Whoosh!
But before the blade could touch him, it melted into a shapeless sludge.
"What?"
A gasp of pure bewilderment escaped the assassin, breaking their professional silence.
In that brief moment, In-ho—who had looked to be on the verge of losing consciousness—reached out and grabbed the lead assassin’s face.
"AAAAAAARGH!!"
The smell of melting flesh wafted through the clearing.
The sight of their supposedly finished prey fighting back caused the other assassins to halt in their tracks.
"He shouldn't be able to use internal energy... How...?"
Yun-seok’s eyes narrowed.
Clear, pure flames were flickering and rising from In-ho’s body. The color of the fire was so vivid it looked as if it could purify anything profane in its vicinity.
"Because... it’s not internal energy."
In-ho recalled someone who had once pushed his Master to the brink.
[My recovery doesn't come from the dantian. It’s just the blood circulating through my body that heals me.]
"The basic... principle of the Flame Wheel Art... to put it simply... is a martial art that uses internal energy as kindling to start a fire."
In-ho lifted his head unsteadily.
Though he was pale from blood loss and covered in ragged wounds, his eyes shone brightly in the darkness.
"If it can catch fire... anything can be burned to create a flame."
"This... is a fire I’ve lit using my life as the kindling."
Inhale—
Taking a deep breath, In-ho settled into a stance.
It was the same preparatory stance he had used during his very first sparring match with his Master.
"You intend to keep going?" Yun-seok asked, his face twisted in exasperation.
"It looks like... I’m dying today regardless. If this is an unavoidable fate... I should at least avoid looking pathetic at the end," In-ho replied, his breathing somewhat stabilized.
"Yun-seok... I don't know if that’s your real name. But anyway, watch closely."
Fwoosh, fwoosh.
Pure flames blazed around his entire body like an aura.
"Take a good look... at how I look today."
"Kill him!"
Startled by the level of martial power coming from a target who was supposed to be different, Yun-seok shouted the order.
The moment the words left his mouth, the assassins—who had been suppressed by an unknown fear—screamed and charged again.
"I’m going to show you how damn cool I was before I kicked the bucket."
Facing a sea of blades, In-ho spoke in a dry, raspy voice.