Light Novel: Volume 23 Episode 17
Manhwa: N/A

“I greet my benefactor.”

Oh Jin-ui paid her respects to Pyo-wol.

Her face was puffy and swollen from crying so much.

Pyo-wol spoke to her.

“I didn’t do anything. It was all the Elder Assassin’s doing. If you wish to express gratitude, direct it towards him.”

“I have already expressed my gratitude to him. The elder told me that in the end, all of this was only possible because the Supreme Leader took action.”

“Supreme Leader?”

“The elder told me to refer to you as such.”

Upon hearing Oh Jin-ui’s words, Pyo-wol slightly furrowed his brows.

The title of Supreme Leader was something used by the members of their assassin sect, not something for outsiders to use.

Looking at Pyo-wol, the Elder Assassin responded.

“Jin-ui has agreed to be our eyes and ears from now on.”

“Tell me more.”

“We intend to entrust her with the foundation of the Blood Ant Gang.”

“There is still something left of the Blood Ant Gang?”

“Yes! Even while being hunted down by the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group, he managed to steal some valuable assets. So we plan to entrust some of those to Jin-ui.”

The assets Deung Chol-ung had embezzled were enormous.

The assets and wealth created by squeezing the blood of the common people dry through loan sharking were still scattered around Poyang Lake.

The Elder Assassin’s plan was to entrust one of these assets to Oh Jin-ui.

Oh Jin-ui spoke cautiously.

“There’s nothing left for me now. I don’t even have the strength to live on. If I have any remaining desire, it is to live for the Supreme Leader and the assassin sect.”

“It’s a dangerous path.”

“I am aware.”

“You could walk away now and live out the rest of your days in peace.”

“That would be a life without meaning. The assassin sect had saved my life, so I would like to start living for it.” 

Oh Jin-ui stated calmly.

Pyo-wol stared at Oh Jin-ui’s face wordlessly.

Although his gaze was burdensome, Oh Jin-ui did not look away but met his eyes directly.

“I am confident I will not regret this. Please give me the chance to live for the assassin sect.”

Standing beside him, the Elder Assassin whispered in a soft voice.

“Please grant her request. If you do not accept, there’s a high likelihood she will take her own life.”

The Elder Assassin wasn’t saying this merely out of compassion.

He was one of the most cold-hearted people.

However, he judged that Oh Jin-ui could be extremely useful to the assassin sect. With the right approach, a minimal investment could turn her into the eyes and ears of the assassin sect in Poyang Lake.

It was a worthwhile investment.

Pyo-wol nodded.

“Let’s do it.”

“Thank you for accepting my request.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“I’m up for it.”

Oh Jin-ui answered with a determined expression.

Pyo-wol gestured with his hand, and Oh Jin-ui paid her respects once more before exiting.

The Elder Assassin commented.

“I’m sure she’ll do well, it’s what she wanted to do.”

“Keep an eye on her for a while.”

“I will.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of the Elder Assassin’s lips.

Pyo-wol asked with a slight frown.

“Why?”

“Because you seem warmer than you appear.”

“Nonsense.”

“Heh heh heh!”

The Elder Assassin grinned mischievously.

Having served Pyo-wol so closely, he had come to understand his temperament and tendencies one way or another.

To his enemies, he was like the Reaper, but to his own people, he was fairly lenient and generous. As long as no major mistakes were made, he seldom criticized.

It might be out of laziness, but from the perspective of his subordinates, he was an easy person to serve.

Then, Pyo-wol asked.

“What’s the situation with the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society?”

“They’ve decided to call a truce for three days in honor of Noh Tae-tae.”

“Three days?”

“Yes! But the funny thing is that even though they’ve announced their truce publicly, both of them are actually deploying and concentrating their forces on the front lines. Once the mourning for Noh Tae-tae ends, there will definitely be a fight that will be incomparably bigger than the one we’ve seen so far.”

“Poyang Lake will be drenched in blood.”

“Many people will die.”

A deep shadow fell across the Elder Assassin’s face.

This was the Elder Assassin who made a living out of killing others.

Though he didn’t operate openly like the Ten Blood Assassins, many had died at his hands. Yet, as he grew older and drew nearer to death, a sense of compassion began to emerge within him.

Ironically enough.

He didn’t regret or deny his life, but he still harbored a wish for the world to be as peaceful as possible while he was alive.

Of course, he didn’t really believe his wish would come true.

Jianghu was a ruthless place, and there was no escaping the brewing storm of bloodshed.

“Keep a close eye on their movements.”

“Understood.”

“How are the assassins’ training coming along?”

“It’s going smoothly.”

“Any casualties?”

“None so far, but there may be some in the coming days.”

“Are you planning to increase the intensity of the training?”

“Yes. There are too many of them who lack the basics.”

“Handle that matter as you see fit.”

“Understood.”

The Elder Assassin bowed deeply.

Pyo-wol gestured with his hand, and the Elder Assassin quietly left his quarters.

Left alone, Pyo-wol opened a window. The landscape of the village cloaked in darkness came into view.

As the wind blew through the window, Pyo-wol thought to himself.

‘I need to find Go Il-won and the Ghost Fleet.’

The war between the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society was not something he could handle.

The era and the flow of Jianghu were compelling war, with the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society at the forefront.

The grievances and vendettas among the numerous sects were so entangled like a knotted maze, that it was impossible to resolve and untangle them in a normal manner.

In the end, war was the only remaining option.

Pyo-wol knew this, so he tried not to intervene in the war between the two factions as much as possible.

It was impossible for him to change the course of Jianghu by himself.

Instead, he turned his attention to Go Il-won and the Phantom Fleet, who were stirring up the turbulent currents.

After all, Go Il-won had his sights set on Pyo-wol.

Pyo-wol was his nemesis, sworn to a deep and irreconcilable enmity.

The war between them would not end until one of them was dead. And there was another opponent he had to face.

“Dok Gohyang!”

* * *

Bang!

A giant statue shattered into pieces with a single punch from Dok Gohyang.

Jang Mugeuk frowned as he witnessed the scene.

It was a statue that an artisan had devoted his heart and soul to creating.

Its value aside, it was so beautiful that Jang Mugeuk often visited just to see the statue.

Seeing such a statue be destroyed before his eyes, he couldn’t possibly be in a good mood. However, he understood Dok Gohyang’s feelings, so he kept his mouth shut.

Dok Gohyang opened his mouth.

“What did you say? That person had come to the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group?”

“That’s right.”

“Then why didn’t you contact me?”

“I didn’t have the time. And it wasn’t the situation for that.”

Jang Mugeuk responded while looking at the broken statue.

It was impossible to restore the shattered statue to its original state.

In the end, Jang Mugeuk gave up his attachment and looked at Dok Gohyang.

Dok Gohyang’s face was like that of a fierce demon.

Just by looking at his face, one could fully sense the malice and venom he harbored.

Ever since Um Soso was killed by Pyo-wol, Dok Gohyang hadn’t been able to control his emotions, and he would often go on a rampage just like this.

At any other time, Jang Mugeuk would not have minded, but seeing him lose control, unable to discern what truly matters during such a critical time, made him feel incredibly frustrated. 

Dok Gohyang had rushed over after hearing that Pyo-wol had appeared at the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group. However, by the time he arrived, Pyo-wol had already vanished.

Failing to gain anything, Dok Gohyang vented his frustration by destroying the innocent and beautiful statue.

Such disgraceful behavior of Dok Gohyang deeply dismayed Jang Mugeuk.

What he had expected from Dok Gohyang was much colder judgment and a more mature response. However, Dok Gohyang was too preoccupied and blinded by his personal feelings to see and think rationally. 

Grumbling, Dok Gohyang asked.

“So, you just let that person go?”

“He was accompanied by Lee Geumhan.”

“Lee Geumhan? The leader of the Silver Lotus Society?”

“That’s right. It was a situation where we couldn’t act rashly.”

“What a disappointment. To think you let him go just because of Lee Geumhan.”

“Be careful with what you say.”

“Did I speak wrong?”

“You should know there’s a line that can be crossed and one that can’t. You’re trying to cross that line now. Be careful.”

Jang Mugeuk warned politely.

Normally, Dok Gohyang would have backed down at this point, but unfortunately, he was too agitated to make a cool-headed decision.

Dok Gohyang shouted angrily.

“What kind of line are you talking about? I’m disappointed that you’re still trying to admonish me at this point, Mugeuk!”

“Disappointed? I want you to know that I am also greatly disappointed in you.”

Jang Mugeuk’s voice was as cold as a storm in the North Sea.

The moment Dok Gohyang heard his voice, he felt his blood run cold. It was the first time Jang Mugeuk had treated him this way.

He became alert.

He knew that Jang Mugeuk was terrifying at times like this.

At the same time, a sense of defiance arose.

He was not the same Dok Gohyang as before.

Although he had become the ruler of the Martial Sword Alliance thanks to Jang Mugeuk’s help, that didn’t mean he was Jang Mugeuk’s subordinate.

They were supposed to be colleagues on equal footing.

That’s what Dok Gohyang thought.

That’s why he strongly rebelled against Jang Mugeuk’s lecturing tone.

“If you continue to lecture me like this, I will no longer assist you. Bear that in mind.”

“Hoo!”

Jang Mugeuk sighed deeply.

Disappointment was evident on his face.

Dok Gohyang was one of the few young martial artists he acknowledged. That’s why he helped him during his difficult times in the Martial Sword Alliance and treated him with kindness afterward.

Yet, the result was this.

Jang Mugeuk’s gaze deepened.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Dok Gohyang also sensed the shift in mood.

“Mugeuk?”

“I want you to  set aside your personal grievances for a while and concentrate on the matters of the Golden Heaven Society.”

“I can’t… do that.”

“Just so you know, this isn’t a request. It’s an order.”

“……”

 The color drained from Dok Gohyang’s face.

His pride had been wounded by Jang Mugeuk’s words.

The look Jang Mugeuk was giving him was not that of a colleague but rather of a superior looking down on a subordinate.

“Did you just say ‘order’?”

“Yes!”

“Weren’t we supposed to be equals?”

“I tried to treat you that way, but now I see that was a mistake.”

“Mugeuk!”

Dok Gohyang’s entire body erupted with murderous intent as he shouted.

The force of his aura made the objects in the room tremble as if an earthquake had struck. However, facing Dok Gohyang’s aura head-on, Jang Mugeuk’s expression remained unchanged.

“My father always emphasized the need to establish a clear hierarchy. He said that if treated too kindly, people would naturally try to overstep their bounds. I thought he was wrong, but now I see he was right. People do need to be set in their place.”

“So, you’re saying you want to fight me now?”

“I’m saying it’s time to clarify our ranks.”

“Great! Great. I’ve wanted to settle our ranks for a long time too.”

Dok Gohyang seemed almost pleased as he gathered his energy.

Watching him, Jang Mugeuk said,

“You’d better give it your all.”

“Very well!”

With a roar like a lion, Dok Gohyang charged at Jang Mugeuk.

In his hand was a sword that radiated with sword energy.

Ssssssh!

Walking with his hands behind his back towards the sword energy, Jang Mugeuk appeared defenseless.

The sword energy exploded against his waist.

Boom!

With a booming explosion, a shockwave erupted.

Everything in the room was destroyed, but Jang Mugeuk, who was directly hit by the sword energy, remained unharmed.

A translucent barrier had formed around his waist.

He had concentrated a qi protective barrier around that area alone.

Dok Gohyang’s eyes widened.

“You can deploy a qi protective barrier only to the selected area you want? That’s impossible!”

“Now, I’ll show you. The gap between you and me…”

Jang Mugeuk raised his fist.

In an instant, his fist was swirling with formidable energy.


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