Light Novel: Volume 21 Episode 9
Manhwa: N/A
“What’s going on?”
“What happened?”
Outside, Oh Seok-kyung and his subordinates rushed into the cabin, startled by the girl’s screams.
Normally, they would never intrude like this, but the girl’s scream was unusually alarming.
The first thing they saw was Chu Yeon-seung lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from the neck.
“Impossible!”
“Clan head!”
They screamed out in shock as they saw him. But they didn’t dare to approach him.
That was because they saw a man standing silently behind Chu Yeon-seung’s body.
The man wore a black blood-red robe and a hat pressed deep into his head.
Though they couldn’t see his face because it was obscured by a hat, the moment they saw him, goosebumps crawled all over their bodies.
Drip, drip!
Fresh blood dripped from the dagger in the man’s hand.
They didn’t have to ask whose blood it was.
It was clearly the blood of their master, Chu Yeon-seung.
Oh Seok-kyung stepped forward and shouted,
“Who are you? How dare you kill the head of the Seahawk clan? Who ordered you to do this?”
It was evident at a glance.
The man who had killed Chu Yeon-seung was one of their own.
Instead of answering, the man simply waved his hand slightly, and the girl, who had been standing there, stunned and dazed, to faint and fall to the ground.
Oh Seok-kyung and his men swallowed hard at the sight. They didn’t know what trick their opponent had used to subdue the girl.
They realized they faced a master beyond their ability to confront.
‘Why would such a person come here?’
No matter how much they racked their brains around it, they couldn’t recall offending a master of this caliber.
It was then.
“Eek!”
“Damn it!”
Several of his subordinates, unable to overcome their fear, charged at the man.
Shick, shick, shick!
The daggers hidden in their belts sliced through the air.
They attacked the man with the Red Secret Throwing Knife Technique.
They were thinking that even if they couldn’t kill the man, they could at least catch him off guard. They were aiming for a brief moment of vulnerability.
It was then.
The man flicked his hand once more. Then, the daggers that were about to strike his body suddenly veered off course.
“What?”
At the moment the subordinates widened their eyes in surprise, the man swung his hand once more, and the swords that had been flying towards him changed direction and flew back toward their owners.
Pfft, pfft, pfft!
“Ugh!”
“Agh!”
The daggers embedded themselves directly into the chests and faces of their owners.
The subordinates screamed in agony and fell dead.
“……”
Everyone remaining was frozen in place.
They were too shocked by the incomprehensible scene before them.
Only Oh Seok-kyung realized what had just happened.
His eyes caught a glimpse of the faint threads of qi attached to the man’s finger.
The man had whipped the qi threads to catch all the thrown daggers just before they hit him. Then, he used the qi threads again to send the daggers flying back to their owners.
Suddenly, a name flashed through Oh Seok-kyung’s mind.
‘A man who reaps souls with qi threads, who possesses undetectable stealth skills, and the best assassination skills in the world.’
There was only one such person in Jianghu.
“Reaper? Why would the Reaper be here—”
Oh Seok-kyung was too shocked to continue speaking.
Just the mere realization of Pyo-wol’s identity caused his entire body to shake like an aspen tree.
The mere mention of ‘Reaper’ weighed heavily on his heart and shoulders, crushing him like a mountain.
He wouldn’t even dream of rebelling.
His opponent was an absolute master, one of the strongest martial artists in the world.
Rumors about the Reaper defeating several of the Eight Constellations circulated, though the truth of these tales was unclear.
Even if Oh Seok-kyung and all of the Seahawk clan’s warriors attacked, they wouldn’t be able to touch a single hair on Pyo-wol’s head.
Then the man, Pyo-wol, spoke up,
“Oh Seok-kyung! The hidden second-in-command of the Seahawk clan. Correct?”
“Yes—”
“I heard that you’re the one who actually runs the assassination operations that Chu Yeon-seung managed.”
“That’s also… correct.”
Oh Seok-kyung answered obediently and honestly.
Pyo-wol already knew everything.
He wasn’t foolish enough to lie to such an opponent, especially since his leader Chu Yeon-seung was already dead. There was no point risking his life for a lie.
Moreover, the fact that Pyo-wol was engaging in extended conversation gave him a glimmer of hope for survival.
The Pyo-wol known to Jianghu was not a man who engaged in such lengthy conversations.
He was a being who preferred to kill cleanly and conclude matters perfectly. The fact that he was speaking at length indicated that he surely needed something from Oh Seok-kyung.
Pyo-wol spoke,
“From now on, I entrust you with the Seahawk clan.”
“M, Me?”
“Do you not want it?”
“No, no, that’s not it.”
Thud!
Oh Seok-kyung quickly bowed deeply, his forehead hitting the floor.
His forehead burst open and blood flowed, but he felt no pain.
His heart was pounding more intensely than ever.
To say that he was entrusted with the Seahawk clan by Pyo-wol was akin to a declaration of his protection.
The Reaper of Jianghu himself.
The one who stood at the pinnacle of assassins.
Oh Seok-kyung had heard rumors that even the Hundred Wraith Union deferred to Pyo-wol. Now, he had the chance to become the arm and leg of such an immense entity.
Thud!
He smashed his head into the floor again and said,
“I will follow you faithfully if you entrust me with the Seahawk clan.”
“Do not forget that promise. The moment you break it, you and everyone here will lose their lives simultaneously.”
“That will never happen. From now on, my life belongs to the Reaper. I will serve you loyally until the day I die.”
Oh Seok-kyung was sincere.
He would be the Reaper’s subordinate, not anyone else’s.
For someone walking the path of an assassin, there was no greater glory. At least, that’s what Oh Seok-kyung truly believed.
While prostrating, Oh Seok-kyung heard Pyo-wol’s voice again.
“Cease all assassination activities until I give further orders.”
“I will strictly abide by this command.”
Oh Seok-kyung responded with a voice so loud that he feared his throat might burst. He then waited for Pyo-wol’s next command. But no matter how long he waited, hPyo-wol’s voice did not come again.
Oh Seok-kyung and his subordinates cautiously raised their heads.
“Ah!”
“Huh!”
An involuntary sigh of relief escaped their lips.
Pyo-wol had already disappeared.
He disappeared as suddenly and unnoticed as he had appeared.
All those present thought of themselves as accomplished assassins, but compared to Pyo-wol, they paled in comparison.
After a long silence, one of the subordinates cautiously asked Oh Seok-kyung,
“What do we do now?”
“Nothing. We must follow the Reaper’s orders.”
“Are we really going to obey him?”
“Do you have the confidence to survive otherwise?”
“……”
“I’ll say it right here and now. I will follow him and I will do as he says. I will take control of the Seahawk clan and await his command. Those here who do not want to follow me, speak now.”
Oh Seok-kyung looked at his subordinates with a deadly gaze.
The subordinates trembled.
They had no courage to defy Oh Seok-kyung, a man who had been handpicked by the Reaper himself.
“We will pledge our loyalty.”
“You’re pledging to the wrong person. Swear your loyalty to the Reaper.”
“We swear our utmost loyalty to the Reaper.”
“Good. From now on, we will take control of the Seahawk clan and wait for the Reaper’s orders.”
“As you command!”
“First, return the girl to her father. Apologize and return her respectfully.”
“Yes!”
Oh Seok-kyung’s gaze turned to the unconscious girl.
He felt relieved that the young girl had not been sullied and tainted by Chu Yeon-seung.
* * *
Xiangyin was a city located south of Dongting Lake.
It was a fairly large city situated at the confluence of the Zhengshui River.
Numerous boats were docked at the Xiangyin pier.
A significant number of these boats, having entered from Dongting Lake, had chosen to dock at Xiangyin. This was due to the pier’s spacious and extensive docking facilities.
As the sun was setting, another large vessel approached the Xiangyin pier.
It was a grand horse-ferry boat.
“Wow! We’re finally on land!”
“We’ve finally arrived at Xiangyin!”
The passengers aboard the horse-ferry boat erupted in cheers.
Having been on the boat for several days, everyone’s bodies were itching to move.
The passengers’ gazes were entirely fixed on the pier, which is why they failed to notice.
That a man had appeared silently behind them.
The man who appeared without a sound or any presence was none other than Pyo-wol.
Hong Ye-seol welcomed Pyo-wol’s return.
“Are you back?”
“Mhm!”
“How did things go?”
“It went well.”
“That’s a relief.”
Hong Ye-seol smiled and nodded her head.
Pyo-wol was not usually one to give definite answers. His affirmation meant that things had indeed been resolved well.
“Big brother!”
“Brother!”
Do Yeonsan and Eunyo, along with others, belatedly noticed Pyo-wol and approached him.
Pyo-wol said to them,
“Let’s get off the boat.”
“Yes!”
“Does that mean we’re staying at an inn tonight?”
The three brightened at the prospect.
They weren’t usually picky about where they slept, but spending days on a rocking boat had tired them out. They were looking forward to spending a night on land.
In contrast, Chae Mu-ok, who was observing from a distance, showed signs of fatigue on his face. He had been thinking all night.
“Hoo!”
He sighed.
He had joined them by chance, but it felt like he had been swept up in something much bigger than anticipated.
Although he had fought alongside them impulsively, he now realized he hadn’t thought it through. He dare not predict the extent of the aftermath of this.
Chae Mu-ok slightly shook his head.
“Well, it’ll work out somehow.”
Thud!
At that moment, the boat docked at the pier.
As the gangway was lowered, the passengers eagerly disembarked.
Pyo-wol and his group waited until all the other passengers had left before finally stepping onto land.
“I think I’m going to live.”
“I never thought I’d miss the land so much.”
Do Yeonsan and Nam Shin-woo exclaimed dramatically.
Eunyo chuckled at their overreaction.
Pyo-wol looked around and said,
“Since we have to board the ship again tomorrow morning anyway, let’s stay at an inn nearby.”
“Sounds good.”
“I agree!”
Eunyo and Nam Shin-woo replied at the same time.
Hong Ye-seol smiled and added,
“Don’t worry about finding a place to sleep. Elder Assassin must have already arranged it.”
Indeed, at that moment, the Elder Assassin was nowhere to be seen.
He had likely gotten off the boat earlier to find accommodation for Hong Ye-seol and the others.
Soon after, the Elder Assassin appeared and bowed to Pyo-wol.
“I’ve found an inn. Let’s move there.”
Hong Ye-seol frowned slightly and said,
“Wait, I’m the leader here. Why do you keep reporting to him?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is! I mean, I am the leader after all—”
“My apologies. Seems this old man is getting senile.”
“Hmph! Senile? You probably just think he suits being the leader more than me.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s just that… he is the god of assassins.”
“God?”
“Who else but the Reaper could dare to claim the title of the God of Assassins? I may have retired, but I’m still an assassin at heart. Hence, I find myself invariably seeking his guidance.”
“Tch!”
Hong Ye-seol scoffed, but her expression wasn’t truly upset.
Her thoughts were similar to the Elder Assassin’s.
She used to see Pyo-wol as a competitor, but not anymore.
She fully recognized the gap between herself and Pyo-wol, and realized that it would never hurt her pride to put him above her. Thus, she wasn’t too bothered or offended when the Elder Assassin prioritized Pyo-wol over her.
The Elder Assassin whispered to Hong Ye-seol in a low voice,
“We are witnessing a monumental journey in the history of the Jianghu.”
“A monumental journey?”
“If the unification of all assassin sects under one person isn’t monumental, what is?”
“Hmm!”
“The birth of a true supreme ruler of assassins. It is an infinite honor to be a part of this glorious journey.”
LUNACAVE
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