Light Novel: Volume 20 Episode 7
Manhwa: N/A

The face changing technique was not perfect.

Although the user can force their muscles to move and create someone else’s face for a moment, someone with a keen eye would be able to detect some sort of awkwardness. 

The same was true for Pyo-wol’s face changing technique. However, Pyo-wol’s high cultivation level and the thick darkness concealed even the slightest awkwardness.

Creak! 

A man standing guard opened the door and spoke to Pyo-wol,

“Going to the Mixed Heaven Palace Hall? You have a tough job.”

“Well, yes.”

Pyo-wol casually responded and walked away.

His actions were so natural that the warriors guarding the door did not harbor the slightest suspicion.

Pyo-wol managed to walk through the first gate just like that.

The atmosphere in the new area was different.

Instead of a well-maintained garden, there was a training ground laid with blue stones.

The ground of the training area was riddled with indentations. 

It was the kind of mark that would appear when someone stepped on the ground.

The floor was full of such marks.

Within the guest houses surrounding the training ground, numerous warriors were sleeping.

If Pyo-wol were to be discovered, many skilled warriors would come pouring out from the guest houses. And they were masters capable of indenting the bluestone floors with their stances. 

At a time like this, it was imperative that he act even more naturally. 

Luckily, Pyo-wol also passed through the second gate with ease.

Suddenly, he stopped. 

Because he felt something was off. 

Everything was too easy.

It could be that his face changing technique was so perfect that he could easily deceive their senses, but even then, the guarding at this area was too perfunctory. It was as if the warriors doing it weren’t accustomed to such tasks. 

It felt as if someone not familiar had been deliberately stationed here. 

Of course, it was also possible that many of the warriors had left the manor all at once because of the diversion he had used, but Pyo-wol was not naive enough to take and accept the situation at face value. 

“Yeowol!”

As far as Pyo-wol knew, the only one in the New Moon Manor who would scheme such a plan was So Yeowol.

Song Cheonwoo might have contributed and joined in with the plan, but it was obvious that So Yeowol had been the one who had taken the initiative.

The question was, why would she do such a thing?

‘Killing someone with a borrowed knife!’1

When they met after a long time, So Yeowol mentioned that she had become a thorn in someone’s side, which had led her to end up drifting into the underground cave.

Her voice was filled with deep resentment.

The problem was figuring out who So Yeowol intended to kill using Pyo-wol’s hand.

‘So this is how you’re going to play it?’

After borrowing a knife to kill someone, the next step would be to throw the borrowed knife away.

As soon as So Yeowol achieved her goal, it was certain that she would mobilize all her forces to attack him. 

Pyo-wol pulled himself up into the air.

Climbing atop the highest nearby pavilion, Pyo-wol surveyed the interior of the New Moon Manor with sharp eyes.

His sight caught a particularly bright pavilion.

It was larger than the other pavilions and had more than twice the number of warriors guarding it.

It was certain that the most important person in the New Moon Manor was there.

‘It’s like the mouth of a tiger.’

Pyo-wol took a moment to assess the distance between where he stood and the pavilion.

At a glance, it was a distance of over a hundred zhang.

Surely, many warriors would be stationed in between.

Until now, no one had suspected anything, but the closer he got, the more vigilant and suspecting the warriors would be. 

There was no telling how long it would take to get there in the same manner as before.

‘End it quickly and decisively.’

That was the only way to counter So Yeowol’s intentions at the moment.

“Hoo!”

Pyo-wol took a deep breath and gathered his internal energy.

Crack!

He completely released his cumbersome face changing technique. 

A pure white face pierced through the darkness.

In that moment, Pyo-wol kicked off the roof of the pavilion.

Swoosh!

Pyo-wol dashed at a terrifying speed, slicing through the wind.

He raced through the darkness without a sound or a trace.

There were numerous martial artists standing guard all around the area, but they all failed to detect Pyo-wol’s presence.

Pyo-wol swiftly breached a distance of fifty zhang.

He was unstoppable.

But then, someone rose from the darkness and blocked his path.

It was a warrior guarding the innermost parts of the New Moon Manor.

As a warrior who watched over the innermost parts, he possessed sharp senses.

“Who–!”

Thud!

The moment he tried to shout, a Soul-Reaping Thread pierced through his brow.

The warrior quickly fell to the ground with his mouth open.

Pyo-wol caught and laid down the warrior as he collapsed and picked up his pace again. But before he could take ten more steps, another blocked his way.

It was one of the New Moon Manor’s elite warriors.

“Stop–!”

Thud!

But he, too, could not stop Pyo-wol.

Before he could finish his sentence, a Soul-Reaping Thread had pierced through him.

The martial artist fell to the ground as he died, but there was another warrior not far behind him.

Tweet!

Upon seeing his companion’s death, the warrior blew a whistle. 

Although Pyo-wol had managed to take the warrior’s life with his Soul-Reaping Thread, he launched his attack too late. The whistle had already echoed throughout the New Moon Manor. Yet, Pyo-wol was not flustered.

He had already expected such a scenario. 

Pyo-wol soared into the air.

Cries of warriors could be heard from all around.

“An enemy!”

“There’s an intruder!”

They unleashed their martial skills at Pyo-wol.

Whoosh, clank!

Incoming sword energies and blade techniques tore Pyo-wol’s body to shreds. But the warriors could not cheer.

It was because the torn figure of Pyo-wol had disappeared.

“Damn it! It’s an illusion!”

“A phantom! Find the real one.”

The martial artists looked around, scanning their surroundings in panic.

At that moment, Pyo-wol had already passed over the massive pavilion.

He had unleashed his Demon Shadow Exchange to delude the enemy’s sight and then used qinggong with all his might.

“Block him!”

“How dare you–!”

Beyond the pavilion, the warriors who had heard the whistle were already waiting.

Behind the warriors was a pavilion with a signboard with three words clearly written on it. 

Mixed Heaven Palace Hall.

It was the pavilion where the lord of the New Moon Manor resided.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Pyo-wol flew towards the Mixed Heaven Palace Hall.

“Damn it!”

“Stop!”

The warriors intercepted Pyo-wol.

Whoosh, clank!

Their attacks lashed out like a storm towards Pyo-wol. However, all their assaults were blocked by Pyo-wol’s Soul-Reaping Thread.

Thud!

“Argh!”

“Keugh!”

The Soul-Reaping Thread mercilessly pierced through their weapons and bodies.

No one could stop Pyo-wol.

He broke through with unstoppable ferocity.

It was then.

“How dare a mere rat…”

A powerful qi force accompanied by a lion’s roar flew towards him.

A distinct aura of light emanated from the incoming fist.

It was Fist Aura.2

Pyo-wol did not dare to underestimate the attack and switched his technique, from Soul-Reaping Thread to Snake Qi Thread. 

Boom!

A powerful shockwave erupted as the Fist Aura and Snake Qi Thread clashed.

“Ugh!”

“Ack!”

The martial artists caught in the shockwave flew in all directions, bleeding from their ears.

Pyo-wol, too, was also unable to advance any further due to the powerful shock. For the first time, his breakthrough was halted. 

At that moment, a warrior wearing a purple mask appeared before him. 

He was the master who had launched a Fist Aura at Pyo-wol.

Even at a glance, he exuded the aura of a master.

Though his true face was hidden behind the purple mask, the mere fact that he had released the Fist Aura so reflexively indicated he was no ordinary master.

Radiating a killing intent, the master wearing a purple mask asked,

“Who are you to invade this place?”

Swoosh!

Instead of answering, Pyo-wol sent out the Snake Qi Thread.

The master in the purple mask, greatly enraged, sent out a Fist Aura in response.

“For you to try suck tricks against me, the Purple-Masked Demon God Ban Lihuang!4 Your liver is sticking out of your stomach!”5

Ban Lihuang was among the top masters within the Kowloon Assassin Guild.

He was always out and about, like a divine dragon frolicking in the clouds. He would only come and visit the New Moon Manor upon the request of the Kowloon Assassin Guild, but otherwise, he spend the rest of his time in freedom. 

His presence right now in the New Moon Manor was due to a request from its mistress, Woo Dam-ha.

She had asked him to stay inside just in case something happened.

It was rare for Woo Dam-ha to make such a request, so Ban Lihuang had entered the New Moon Manor without complaint. Otherwise, he would not have encountered Pyo-wol.

Boom!

The Snake Qi Thread and Fist Aura collided, creating an explosive sound.

Both of their figures shook at the same time.

“Urgh!”

Ban Lihuang let out a stifled groan as he retreated.

He had stepped back to recover from the shock.

Despite receiving the same impact, Pyo-wol’s reaction was different.

Instead of retreating, he chose to move forward.

He didn’t mind taking a few injuries. 

This was enemy territory.

The longer he stalled, the more disadvantageous it would be for him. 

He had to decide the outcome in an instant, even if it meant taking some damage.

His figure slid like a snake, closing the distance to Ban Lihuang in an instant.

“No–!”

Ban Lihuang, in a panic, continuously launched Fist Aura. But Pyo-wol, with movements like a snake, twisted and turned, dodging all of Ban Lihuang’s Fist Aura.

Pyo-wol possessed a natural ability called microsensory perception.6

This ability, which had blossomed in the underground cave, allowed him to understand his opponent’s thoughts and emotions just by observing their expressions, the light in their eyes, and the movements of the muscles on their face.

He added Synchronization to enhance his microsensory perception.7

By precisely matching his breathing and vital responses with his target, he could predict his opponent’s movements.

The combination of these two abilities allowed him to anticipate Ban Lihuang’s movements in advance. 

Zing!

Pyo-wol also used Black Lightning to elevate his bodily reactions to the peak.

Ban Lihuang’s eyes widened. 

For a moment, Pyo-wol’s figure seemed to flicker and break apart. He was moving so fast that afterimages were left behind, creating that illusion.

“What?”

Bang!

Suddenly, an explosion burst forth from his chest.

Pyo-wol had struck him with Jade Destruction. 

Ban Lihuang’s figure was pushed back. But he, too, was an absolute master.

The moment he received the blow, he drew up a protective qi barrier to protect his chest. Of course, this does not mean he was unaffected by the impact.

His internal organs were shaken, causing blood to well up in his throat.

“Keugh!”

He forcibly swallowed the blood, enduring the pain.

He knew that if he let Pyo-wol gain the upper hand now, it could lead to a catastrophe.

“Cha-hat! Triple-Layered Violet Lightning Explosion!”8

Ban Lihuang unleashed his most powerful technique.

Intense light burst forth, as if purple lightning had struck.

It was a technique that condensed Fist Aura three times before unleashing it.

Naturally, its power was close to that of a deity’s.  

The problem was the recoil that would be transmitted to the user. Because Pyo-wol was too close, Ban Lihuang also had to endure the recoil with his entire body.

Boom!

Ban Lihuang’s body was thrust backward by the immense recoil.

His chest and face were a mess, his clothes were torn to shreds, and his muscles were ripped and sliced away, exposing white bone.

This was the price he had to pay for bearing the recoil of the Triple-Layered Violet Lightning Explosion with his own body.

Ban Lihuang’s expression twisted.

Not because of the wounds he had suffered.

But because he felt nothing in his hands.

It was hard to believe, but in that brief moment, Pyo-wol had escaped the Triple-Layered Violet Lightning Explosion. The only one injured by the recoil was Ban Lihuang.

It was then that he felt a chilling sensation on his neck.

“What?”

Scrape!

In an instant, Ban Lihuang’s head separated from his neck and flew through the air.

Ban Lihuang thought it strange.

Because the world was spinning around him.

The sky and the ground spun. And there stood a headless body.

‘Me?’

In the next moment, the world turned pitch black.

That was the last thing Ban Lihuang saw.

Tap tap!

Having retracted the Soul-Reaping Thread, Pyo-wol dashed forward at full speed, leaving Ban Lihuang behind.

His complexion was not good.

It was because he had taken a risk by using the Demon Shadow Exchange against a master like Ban Lihuang. Moreover, he hadn’t completely avoided the Triple-Layered Violet Lightning Explosion and had taken a significant blow. Yet, Pyo-wol did not stop.

If he stopped here, it would be all for nothing.9

Boom!

He burst through the doors of the Mixed Heaven Palace Hall and leaped inside.


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