Martial Arts Assassin (1)
Martial Arts Assassin (1)
The road leading to Hengshan Sect.
The mountain steps sprawled upward in winding fashion, and before the main gate, women in martial robes stood gripping their swords. As if to warn that this was forbidden territory for men, they stiffened the moment the carriage halted, radiating a sharp, vigilant presence.
The sect itself was nowhere in sight. I could only guess it lay somewhere on the fog-shrouded mountainside beyond the end of the steps. I admired the open staircase scenery and let out a low whistle of appreciation.
"You've come."
The women's stern, resolute presence softened at that familiar voice. It was Im Seo-ryeon, the direct disciple of Hengshan Sect. As soon as her voice rang out from the pavilion where she sat in front of the sect, the gatekeepers reined in their auras and bowed their heads.
Im Seo-ryeon looked at me and smiled. Though I was visiting after a long absence and with an unreasonable request, her expression held no trace of discomfort.
"It's been a while. Please understand that I cannot offer you tea. It is against our rules to bring you inside Hengshan Sect."
"I'm the one making an unreasonable request, so how could I demand tea? I'm simply grateful that the direct disciple herself came out to greet me like this."
Im Seo-ryeon's face was full of regret. But it couldn't be helped. Anywhere else might be different, but this was Hengshan Sect's territory. It wasn't the place to bury my cock in a Hengshan disciple's ass. Sending Eun Ho-seol up to the sect and sneaking off with just her for that kind of time wouldn't work either.
So all we could do was exchange simple greetings and brief updates before I sent her off again.
"Who is this?"
Eun Ho-seol, stepping out of the carriage, stared hard at Im Seo-ryeon and asked. Im Seo-ryeon's eyes flicked briefly between me and Eun Ho-seol, then she tucked her hair behind her ear and said,
"I am Im Seo-ryeon, the direct disciple of Hengshan Sect."
Eun Ho-seol looked at Im Seo-ryeon without a word. Im Seo-ryeon returned her gaze, smiling as their eyes briefly met. The disciples guarding the gate blushed faintly, exchanged sideways glances, then blinked and fixed their gazes on us.
"Please take good care of me."
Eun Ho-seol bowed her head in greeting.
"Please be at ease and don't feel burdened. In our main sect, we cannot tolerate those who unreasonably persecute women."
"What is your relationship with Docheol?"
Im Seo-ryeon's eyes rolled at that, and she looked at me. She hesitated, her face flushing, and fidgeted with her fingers near her waist.
"Well, I mean... a cl-close relationship."
"I'm close too."
And Eun Ho-seol took my hand firmly. Im Seo-ryeon, who had been smiling warmly with a flushed face, felt the corners of her mouth stretch oddly as Eun Ho-seol adjusted her grip and laced our fingers together. Im Seo-ryeon's gaze remained fixed on our hands.
The gatekeepers seemed at a loss, shuffling their feet or turning their heads slightly, utterly engrossed in us through sidelong glances.
"I know that our Great Hero Docheol shares close ties with many people. But the bond you forged with our sect from the very beginning is deep, very deep. If I get a chance later, I'll be sure to tell you the story. Right now, it's difficult to speak privately in front of our sect's children."
Im Seo-ryeon composed her expression and tilted her head with a leisurely tone. When she looked at Eun Ho-seol with a slightly condescending gaze, Eun Ho-seol smiled as if it pleased her.
"Take care."
"I'm sure you'll get along splendidly."
I was glad they seemed to get along. Seeing them exchange such warm, auspicious words from their very first meeting, it looked like they would enjoy life at Hengshan Sect. Wasn't a kindred friend the most important thing when living away from home? Im Seo-ryeon turned back to me and said,
"Docheol. Then, when the chance comes, I will visit you. When I come... you know, right?"
She said that, deliberately trailing off her words. When I nodded, she looked at Eun Ho-seol again and spoke. I couldn't see Im Seo-ryeon's expression, but from the way Eun Ho-seol beamed, they seemed to have already become friendly.
"Now then, I'll go up. Follow me."
Eun Ho-seol stared hard at Im Seo-ryeon as she moved to leave, then turned. Without warning, she threw herself at me in a hug. The gatekeepers let out involuntary gasps, reacting loudly, and Im Seo-ryeon's eyes grew round as she stared at us. Eun Ho-seol whispered in my ear,
"I'll wait."
I stroked her back and said,
"I understand."
She pulled away as lightly as she had embraced, then overtook Im Seo-ryeon and headed toward the sect. Im Seo-ryeon glanced back and forth between me and Eun Ho-seol, then said to me,
"...Then I will be going."
"Please take good care of her."
As I climbed into the carriage, I heard Im Seo-ryeon sigh. I leaned back against the seat and sank into thought.
The world's currents were shifting as the Beggars' Sect crumbled. And the Zhuge Family and I had clearly revealed ourselves at the center of that maelstrom. The Murim Alliance wouldn't just keep getting beaten by me like this. They would surely strike back or deliver some warning in one form or another.
They might even send an assassin. They could poison my food, or openly attack Zhuge Yeong-yu. Or they might try to frame me with some out-of-the-blue false accusation.
Even as I agonized, the carriage rolled on.
The avenues for conspiracy were far too many.
The ways to block them were limited, so from a defender's standpoint, the situation was anything but favorable.
"If they use Tang Clan poison, that'll be a headache. There's no one to taste my food every time, and no method to cultivate Ten Thousand Poison Immunity either."
Sannyeo, who had slipped in through the carriage window, was suddenly sitting there, filling the empty spot as she spoke. She had been waiting at a distance, since loitering near Hengshan Sect's territory might raise their vigilance.
Her sudden entrance squeezed me into a corner of the carriage as I nodded. The squeeze was uncomfortable, but her words were right. Assassins were manageable. After all, it's rare for someone walking the righteous path to become a madman who kills on someone else's orders.
Ordinarily, Sannyeo was always by my side, and now my own cultivation had risen considerably. There was no chance I'd suddenly be stabbed on the road and die screaming.
But poison was a different problem. The more my existence became a threat, the more the Murim Alliance would cast aside all justification and start looking for ways to simply eliminate me. The easiest of those was poison, a weapon that was hard to counter.
To make my name resound even more across the world, I needed to do something about the Tang Clan.
"Ah."
Sannyeo suddenly raised her head and let out a short exclamation. When I looked over, she stuck her head out the window again and said,
"Seems like someone's coming? I'll go check for a moment."
Sannyeo's manner seemed somewhat urgent and tense.
"Has an assassin already come?"
"I don't know. But their presence is no joke?"
Sannyeo's voice held no certainty. She tilted her head, took a deep breath, and only then leaped outside. Setting aside her tension, I found it more puzzling that she couldn't tell if they were an assassin.
She went out because they were showing hostility toward me, but she doesn't know if they're an assassin?
What does that mean?
I tilted my head and sank into the backrest. She hadn't told me to wait, nor to run far away. For now, I had no choice but to wait for Sannyeo and maintain the carriage's speed.
"Huh?"
But before we had moved far, the driver also let out a strange sound and slowed down. I asked the driver,
"What's going on?"
"Well, it's...!"
Before the driver could explain, I sensed an ominous sign. The ground shook, and an unpleasant sound like something scraping against a wall came from below.
Below?
From below?
I felt inner power surging up toward me, like an arrow or a cannonball rising from underground. Somehow, I knew staying inside the carriage was dangerous. At times like this, you don't hesitate. I trusted my instincts and leaped out of the carriage first.
Kwang!
"What the fuck!"
At the same moment I fled the carriage, it exploded. The driver was thrown out along with shattered fragments, and soil erupted. And at the center, the form of a man spinning like a top with a sword in his hand was visible.
"...What the hell."
It was a sight I couldn't understand even with my own eyes. After smashing the carriage to bits, the man spun several more times, then landed on the ground and adjusted his grip on his sword. He was short and slender, and openly displayed hostility toward me.
"Nice to meet you. Docheol of the Crimson Ring Sect."
"Who are you?"
"Do you remember Gong Hwi?"
"Who the hell is that?"
If I thought about it, I probably should remember, but I figured this bastard would be more pissed if I didn't, so I answered without thinking. My prediction was spot on—the bastard twisted his face and said,
"My younger brother you killed at the martial arts tournament! I'm talking about Tournament Killer Gong Hwi!"
So he was the brother of that big brute. But his words made no sense to me.
"A murderer who kills people at tournaments dying at a tournament is a natural death, so why are you coming to me to complain, you crazy bastard."
"I'll kill you brutally!"
Murderous bastards don't know how to think from the other person's perspective. This one was no exception, so even though I stated the obvious, he trembled violently and roared in rage.
"I'm the second of Shaanxi Province's notorious Tournament Killers! I'm Spiral Sword (螺旋劍) Gong Jo! I'll kill you to avenge my younger brother!"
"Seeing three brothers gather and do nothing but kill people at tournaments, the martial world really must be ruined. Please tell me you're blood brothers. There's no way three sets of parents gave birth to such bestial bastards."
"Aaaargh!"
For now, I'd won the psychological war.