Light Novel: Volume 20 Episode 12
Manhwa: N/A
Song Cheonwoo looked at the sword in his hand for a moment.
Drip, drip!
Crimson blood trailed down the blade.
A pool of blood had formed on the ground where the blood had collected.
Such a pool couldn’t be made from the blood of just one or two people.
A pool like this could only be created by the deaths of so many people– causing the blood that flowed from their bodies to gather in one place.
Indeed, around Song Cheonwoo lay an innumerable number of corpses.
But, it wasn’t just Song Cheonwoo’s doing.
The Blood Wraiths Legion had contributed to this slaughter.
Around Song Cheonwoo, the Blood Wraiths were positioned.
Their red garments were now stained even redder with fresh blood. They had truly become blood wraiths.
A considerable number of Blood Wraiths had fallen in the fierce battle. Yet, many still remained.
The Blood Wraiths silently observed Song Cheonwoo without making a single breath.
The sight of such demons was enough to intimidate the warriors of the Kowloon Assassin Guild.
Most of the people who died at the hands of the Blood Wraiths were leaders and warriors who followed the Kowloon Assassin Guild.
Their rebellion had been extremely fierce.
Normally, they wouldn’t recognize So Yeowol and Song Cheonwoo.
Although So Yeowol was born with Go Jang-myung’s bloodline, she was still seen as just a woman.
A massive force like the Kowloon Assassin Guild was not accustomed to accepting a woman as their leader. In a society that revered strength and was male-dominated, they preferred a powerful man as their leader.
Although the Kowloon Assassin Guild was founded by Gu Moon-hye, a woman, after she stepped down, the guild refused to allow women to hold key positions.
Moreover, So Yeowol had been away from the Kowloon Assassin Guild for so long that she lacked a foundation within the organization, and despite raising a legion of Blood Wraiths, she was still disparaged as merely an assassin.
In the end, there wasn’t much difference between a vagabond and an assassin, yet even vagabonds looked down on assassins.
Worst of all, was Woo Dam-ha, the hostess of the Kowloon Assassin Guild, who detested So Yeowol with a passion.
With Woo Dam-ha, who held significant power second only to Go Jang-myung, disregarding So Yeowol, others couldn’t easily maintain good relations with her either.
“Do you think you can escape unscathed after all this?”
“Madam Woo will not remain idle.”
The kneeling martial artists who had been subdued by the Blood Wraiths shouted out.
They were the only ones who hadn’t shown enmity toward her, and though she had spared their lives, they couldn’t look at her in a good light for causing such a tragedy.
It was then that So Yeowol appeared.
In her arms was the corpse of someone.
It was the body of Woo Dam-ha, whom the survivors had been so desperately searching for.
“Madam… Woo?”
“No way!”
“You killed Madam Woo? How will you endure the Lord’s wrath?”
When the leaders saw Woo Dam-ha’s body, they were horrified.
They couldn’t take their eyes off her body.
So Yeowol placed Woo Dam-ha’s corpse in front of them, saying,
“I didn’t kill her.”
“Don’t lie!”
“It was Pyo-wol who killed Madam Woo. He killed both the Purple-Masked Demon God and Madam Woo. The wounds on their bodies are proof.”
“Hmm!”
“You all saw it clearly. Pyo-wol breaking in. All I did was deal with the traitors who allowed Pyo-wol to enter the New Moon Manor.”
So Yeowol stood assertive.
Her entire body emanated a tremendous momentum that overwhelmed the people around her.
The crowd was overwhelmed by her.
‘Was Lady So this formidable?’
‘Not merely the accomplishment of an assassin.’
They, as true martial artists, quickly realized the depth of So Yeowol’s achievement.
So Yeowol swept her gaze across the crowd and continued,
“I have already reported the turmoil here to my father.”
“You have already informed him?”
“There’s no reason for me to lie. Not only did the Purple-Masked Demon God lose his life, but also my mother.”
“Hmm!”
“Again, I only dealt with the traitors of Kowloon Assassin Guild. If this is a mistake or a misjudgment on my part, I am willing to accept punishment from my father.”
“……”
The crowd, overwhelmed by So Yeowol’s presence, couldn’t utter a word.
They couldn’t even breathe out loud.
And just like that, So Yeowol completely took control of the Kowloon Assassin Guild.
She finally revealed her presence that she had been hiding all along.
So Yeowol continued,
“Now is not the time for us to fight amongst ourselves. Now that I’ve dealt with the traitors, all we need to do now is to capture Pyo-wol, the one who started this whole mess. He’s our main enemy.”
“The main enemy?”
“Pyo-wol!”
“That’s right, if it wasn’t for Pyo-wol, none of this would have happened today. We have to track him down and kill him now. If we lose him today, the consequences will be endless.”
So Yeowol didn’t miss the wavering hearts of the people.
“I have already sent the Red King to Tianyuan Temple to kill Pyo-wol. But it’s too early to be assured. As everyone knows, Pyo-wol’s assassination methods are beyond imagination. If we’re not careful, even my father could fall into his hands.”
“The Lord…”
“Could it be?”
The eyes of the warriors shook.
The possibility that Go Jang-myung might be in danger was enough to paralyze their reason.
Doubts about So Yeowol vanished, and they only thought of rushing to Tianyuan Temple to save Go Jang-myung. So Yeowol, with her internal energy, shouted,
“We are going to Tianyuan Temple now to save the Lord.”
“Let’s go!”
Song Cheonwoo followed with a shout.
His voice acted as a catalyst.
“Let’s go to Tianyuan Temple!”
“Let’s save the Lord!”
The warriors of the Kowloon Assassin Guild shouted in unison.
So Yeowol led them at the forefront.
The warriors of the Kowloon Assassin Guild followed her as if spellbound.
Shin Gong-ha thought to himself as he watched So Yeowol lead the warriors of the Kowloon Assassin Guild from behind.
‘Such great oratory skills.’
Shin Gong-ha was a great warrior ranked within the top ten of the Kowloon Assassin Guild. However, he was mild-mannered and disliked hassle, so he usually stayed out of the Kowloon Assassin Guild’s affairs.
More than anything, he felt pity for So Yeowol.
He had seen with his own eyes the hardships she had endured since childhood.
When he learned that Woo Dam-ha had raised So Yeowol and Song Cheonwoo to become assassins in the Blood Shadow Group, it pained him as if it were his own matter. That’s also the reason why he didn’t prematurely interfere in this matter.
He believed that even if he didn’t intervene, everything would return to normal once the lord of the Kowloon Assassin Guild, Go Jang-myung, returned.
No matter how remarkable So Yeowol was, she seemed like a mere firefly in front of the full moon compared to Go Jang-myung.
In fact, it wasn’t even necessary to wait for Go Jang-myung.
The problem would be resolved once Go Il-won, Go Jang-myung’s son and So Yeowol’s half-brother, stepped in.
Go Il-won, the leader of the Phantom Fleet, loved the sea and rarely stayed in New Moon Manor. Yet, many believed he would be the next leader of the guild.
If the situation became dire, those two would step in.
Therefore, Shin Gong-ha could calmly observe So Yeowol’s actions. Many, like Shin Gong-ha, held this view.
They all followed So Yeowol to Tianyuan Temple.
Leading the way, So Yeowol muttered,
“Now die gloriously for me, Pyo-wol.”
* * *
Boom!
With a loud explosion, the grand main hall collapsed.
The Red King soared through the debris into the sky.
His entire body was now drenched in sweat and blood. He had been wounded by Gu Moon-hye’s terrifying attacks.
“Ugh!”
Gritting his teeth, he looked down below.
At that moment, he saw Gu Moon-hye flying towards him, through the dust and debris.
Her red eyes were emitting a reddish glow, reminiscent of the demon Rakshasa.
“Regain your senses, Lady Gu!”
The Red King roared like a lion, but his words had no effect on Gu Moon-hye’s mind.
Left with no choice, he launched another attack at her.
Boom!
A powerful sword energy struck Gu Moon-hye. However, the protective qi barrier swirling around her body neutralized the impact.
The Red King despaired.
Overwhelmed by Gu Moon-hye’s terrifying might.
And his own predicament of having no choice but to attack her.
His despair turned into anger, and his fury was directed towards Pyo-wol.
Sssst!
Pyo-wol was battling the Asura Vagabonds, wielding the Soul-Reaping Thread.
The Asura Vagabonds were losing their lives to the barely visible threads of energy.
He had not only killed Go Jang-myung but also led to this bloody showdown between him and Gu Moon-hye. Pyo-wol’s cruel and meticulous tactics made the Red King’s blood boil.
‘I must kill him. If he lives, there’s no future for the Kowloon Assassin Guild.’
Bang!
At that moment, Gu Moon-hye’s attack hit the Red King.
The Red King was sent flying before crashing into the wall.
The wall collapsed amidst a cloud of dust.
Gu Moon-hye searched for the Red King’s whereabouts.
At that moment, the Red King broke through the dust and ran toward Pyo-wol.
Gu Moon-hye chased after him.
The Red King’s intention was simple.
He wanted to do to Pyo-wol what Pyo-wol had done to him.
Realizing the Red King’s plan, Pyo-wol moved towards the area where the Asura Vagabonds and the White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad were concentrated.
If the Red King led Gu Moon-hye to Pyo-wol’s location, his men would suffer great losses.
A defeated expression crossed the Red King’s face.
‘This demon wants to drain us dry.’
He had made a grave mistake engaging with Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol was more relentless than a leech and more brutal than any demon.
Even on the battlefields in Saibei, the Red King had never seen such a person.
The Red King gave up on leading Gu Moon-hye to Pyo-wol’s location.
Instead, he shouted out loudly,
“I will be handling Lady Gu! Asura Vagabonds and White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad, do everything in your power to eliminate the Reaper. Kill him at all costs!”
The Asura Vagabonds and White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad didn’t respond.
They knew too well.
As long as Pyo-wol exists, there is no future for the Kowloon Assassin Guild.
‘We must kill him.’
‘We need to kill him, even if it means sacrificing our own lives.’
Their desperation was as profound as the Red King’s.
Whatever internal power Pyo-wol possessed, he seemed to be gradually regaining his strength even amidst the fierce battle.
No one knew what he might do if he fully recovered his internal power.
They had to kill him off somehow before he fully regained his strength.
“Haaaa!”
“Chaaat!”
Like a pack of wild dogs spotting prey, they furiously charged towards Pyo-wol.
Puff, puff, thud!
The martial artists who had been pierced by the Soul-Reaping Thread collapsed forward. However, the warriors behind them did not hesitate, stepping over the bodies of their fallen comrades to attack Pyo-wol.
Swords and blades sliced through the air.
Pyo-wol’s clothes were torn, and his muscles were deeply lacerated.
Blood splattered, and agony surged, but Pyo-wol didn’t let out a single scream.
It was a fight where stopping meant death.
He couldn’t afford to pause, no matter the pain or exhaustion.
As long as he breathed, he had to keep moving.
The only good thing was that Gu Moon-hye was too preoccupied with fighting the Red King to pay him any attention.
Her madness had reached its peak.
Although the Red King was a great martial artist, in the end, he was still no match for her.
The Red King’s entire body was as bloodied as Pyo-wol’s.
From the beginning, the Red King was at a disadvantage.
He was unable to unleash his martial skills freely like Gu Moon-hye. So he was increasingly pushed into a defensive position.
The Red King didn’t know how much longer he could last. But he had to make his move while he was still standing.
It was then.
“Now!”
Seizing the moment when Pyo-wol was distracted, the leader of the White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad rushed in.
Having lost their master and leader Go Jang-myung, he could only see Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol, realizing the approach too late, swung the Soul-Reaping Thread.
Instead of dodging it, the leader of the White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad raised his left arm to block.
Slash!
His left arm flew through the air, severed.
Despite losing an arm in an instant, the leader of the White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad didn’t flinch.
Sacrificing his arm had allowed him to get closer to Pyo-wol.
“Chaaat!”
The leader of the White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad slashed with all his might.
Pyo-wol couldn’t evade the attack in time and took the hit.
Boom!
With a loud explosion, Pyo-wol’s body was hurled through the air like a broken kite.
Enveloped in excruciating pain, Pyo-wol’s mind almost drifted into oblivion. However, he did not lose consciousness.
Instead, he flipped his body mid-air, accelerating his momentum.
He was heading towards where Gu Moon-hye and the Red King were locked in combat.
Realizing Pyo-wol’s intention too late, the leader of the White-Robed Shadow Ghost Squad exclaimed in horror,
“Oh, no!”
LUNACAVE
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