Light Novel: Volume 21 Episode 18
Manhwa: N/A
Lee Shi-chang glared at Pyo-wol and spoke,
“What happened to the people inside?”
“I didn’t kill them.”
A brief look of relief appeared on Lee Shi-chang’s face at Pyo-wol’s answer, but it hardened again with Pyo-wol’s following words.
“But they can be killed at any time.”
“Anytime?”
“Anytime.”
“You dare to say such a thing in my presence? You are reckless.”
“You didn’t even notice me coming in, did you?”
“That’s…!”
Lee Shi-chang unwittingly revealed a humiliated expression.
Despite Pyo-wol secretly infiltrating and disturbing their base, Lee Shi-chang hadn’t noticed at all.
If Pyo-wol had been determined to launch a surprise attack with the intention of killing him, he would not be able to guarantee his own life.
Lee Shi-chang pointed his sword at Pyo-wol and said,
“That was your last chance. If you had ambushed me then, you might have had a chance. But now that you have revealed yourself before me, you’ve lost all opportunities.”
“Is that so?”
“Now, I’ll show you. How an assassin fights.”
In an instant, Lee Shi-chang vanished from Pyo-wol’s sight.
What Lee Shi-chang used was the unique White Moon Group stealth technique, the White Moon Night Walk Technique.
It was a technique that could allow him to perfectly hide his presence even in broad daylight.
It was thanks to this skill that Lee Shi-chang was able to become the leader of the White Moon Group.
Ssssh!
Although invisible, faint footsteps could be heard.
The footsteps were so faint that anyone only someone with highly developed senses like Pyo-wol could detect such faint sounds.
Swoosh!
Without warning, Lee Shi-chang appeared behind Pyo-wol.
He thrust his sword towards Pyo-wol’s neck.
Whoosh!
The sword easily went right through Pyo-wol’s neck.
A look of triumph appeared on Lee Shi-chang’s face.
‘That was nothing.’
His opponent couldn’t even react, letting him get behind him so easily.
It was almost disheartening how easily he had succeeded in his attack.
But the next moment, he realized something was amiss.
This was because he felt no sensation in the hand that held the sword.
‘Could it be?’
Suddenly, the figure of Pyo-wol that had been pierced by his sword vanished like a mirage.
“A mirage?”
Lee Shi-chang wore an expression of disbelief.
He couldn’t believe he had attacked a mirage, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.
At that moment, Pyo-wol appeared behind Lee Shi-chang.
Using the Demon Shadow Exchange, Pyo-wol had deceived Lee Shi-chang’s senses and took the space behind him.
‘Damn it!’
Lee Shi-chang quickly executed the White Moon Night Walk Technique and disappeared.
His movement was so subtle that even skilled masters couldn’t notice, but even his White Moon Night Walk Technique couldn’t shake off Pyo-wol.
Before he knew it, Pyo-wol was running shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
There was no sound or movement.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.
That there was a martial artist who could keep up with his White Moon Night Walk Technique.
No skilled martial artists could do this, let alone ordinary ones.
For this to be possible, one must have mastered the same kind of martial art. There is only one type of people who could possess such martial art.
“An assassin? Are you the Reaper?”
Lee Shi-chang didn’t know why the nickname ‘Reaper’ came to his mind at that moment, but as soon as he thought of it, he was certain of his suspicion.
He couldn’t think of anyone other than Pyo-wol capable of such a movement, equal or even superior to his own.
Pyo-wol responded not with words, but with a nod.
“Reaper? Have you joined the Hundred Wraith Union as well?”
“I would never go under anyone’s thumb.”
Lee Shi-chang felt his skin crawl with goosebumps at Pyo-wol’s cold response.
Being in the same line of work, he had studied and been interested in Pyo-wol’s actions more than anyone else. The Pyo-wol he had researched was not one to belong to any group.
Although called an assassin, Pyo-wol never carried out killings on someone else’s orders, at least as far as Lee Shi-chang knew.
He had too much audacity for an assassin, too much bravado.
His actions were too unconventional and radical to be subservient to anyone.
He couldn’t picture such a man bowing his head and going under someone else’s thumb.
“Then did you subjugate the Hundred Wraith Union?”
“……”
Pyo-wol did not answer, but to Lee Shi-chang, it was as good as a confirmation.
Sometimes, silence could cut deeper than a dozen words. For Lee Shi-chang, this was one of those times.
But he couldn’t understand it.
The fact that Pyo-wol, who was extremely averse to being tied down to anyone, has now subdued the Hundred Wraith Union and also sought out the White Moon Group.
It didn’t fit the personality of Pyo-wol he knew.
A person’s nature doesn’t change easily. But if there has been such a dramatic change, there must surely be a significant reason behind it.
No matter how he thought about it, there was only one possible reason.
“Are you trying to unify all the assassin sects in Jianghu?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re dreaming a futile dream—!”
Swoosh!
Lee Shi-chang shouted as he swung his sword.
His sword shot out, aiming for Pyo-wol’s throat, but it never made contact with Pyo-wol’s body. Pyo-wol had retreated just enough to avoid the blade.
Even a slight miscalculation in the distance could have been fatal, yet Pyo-wol was effortlessly performing this dangerous feat.
“Are you toying with me?!”
Lee Shi-chang yelled, swinging his sword furiously.
He had prided himself on nearly reaching the pinnacle of assassination skills. That’s why he refused to submit to the Hundred Wraith Union and independently operated the White Moon Group.
He was so proud of himself that he even thought he could contend with the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union himself. But now, his pride was shattering as he battled with Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol wasn’t using any assassination techniques.
He merely used Demon Shadow Exchange to match Lee Shi-chang’s White Moon Night Walk Technique.
Shhh-shhh-shhh!
The two of them moved at such a fast pace that their figures were nearly invisible.
Even Hong Ye-seol had to concentrate her internal energy on her eyes and squint to barely catch glimpses of their afterimages.
Lee Shi-chang attacked Pyo-wol with ferocious intensity, but not a single strike landed on Pyo-wol.
Even though Hong Ye-seol already knew how strong Pyo-wol was, she still felt a chill run down her spine each time she witnessed such a scene.
‘He’s no match.’
By now, Lee Shi-chang must be feeling the same, realizing his inability to contend against Pyo-wol.
However, his pride prevented him from conceding defeat just yet.
If Pyo-wol had intended to kill him, Lee Shi-chang would have already been dead.
The only reason Lee Shi-chang was still alive was that Pyo-wol had not yet made his move, not because of Lee Shi-chang’s own prowess.
Lee Shi-chang’s face was pitifully distorted.
His jaw was trembling so much that he looked as if he was on the verge of bursting out in frustration.
Being physically overpowered would have been less devastating than this.
Without even attacking, Pyo-wol was making Lee Shi-chang utterly miserable. It was the first time in his life he had experienced such humiliation.
“Ugh!”
Unable to contain his frustration, Lee Shi-chang unleashed a desperate attack on Pyo-wol. But Pyo-wol evaded all his attacks by the narrowest margins.
Pyo-wol and Lee Shi-chang’s gazes met in mid-air.
Pyo-wol opened his mouth,
“I have a proposition.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
Lee Shi-chang answered fiercely, continuing his attack. But Pyo-wol, undeterred, continued speaking.
“You’ll listen whether you like it or not. If not, I’ll find and kill not just you but every assassin on this island, as well as those out on missions.”
“No!”
“Stop all assassinations immediately and wait for my orders.”
“I said I don’t want to hear it—!”
Lee Shi-chang unleashed his ultimate technique, the White Moon Ghost Soul Slash.2
It was an attack infused with all his energy.
Seeing the sword energy gathering on Lee Shi-chang’s blade, Pyo-wol frowned.
It wasn’t the sword energy that concerned him.
But the fact that an assassin was resorting to such a technique.
An assassin should never lose their cool under any circumstances.
Employing sword energy might increase power, but it sacrifices stealth.
In the world of assassins, it’s an unwritten rule that one should not resort to sword energy unless absolutely certain of subduing the opponent.
Lee Shi-chang, overwhelmed by fear, had disregarded this rule and was using sword energy.
An assassin who has lost their composure is no longer a formidable entity.
Already posing little threat to Pyo-wol, Lee Shi-chang’s situation further deteriorated by resorting to using sword energy.
Bang!
Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted.
Lee Shi-chang was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
Pyo-wol struck Lee Shi-chang’s chest with a devastating blow.
Thanks to Pyo-wol showing some restraint in his attack, Lee Shi-chang was still alive. But had Pyo-wol used his full power, Lee Shi-chang would have lost his life the moment he was sent flying.
“Ugh!”
Lee Shi-chang groaned in discomfort, rolling on the ground.
True to his skill as an accomplished assassin, he quickly regained his balance and stood up. Yet, he was greeted by Pyo-wol’s merciless kick.
Bang!
With a bursting sound, Lee Shi-chang was sent flying backward again.
Lee Shi-chang’s face turned deathly pale.
It was a clear indication that he had suffered internal injuries.
He tried to balance himself in mid-air.
Fufufuf!
But at that moment, he felt excruciating pain in his limbs.
Lee Shi-chang squinted his eyes.
A thread so fine that it was almost indistinguishable to the naked eye had pierced through his limbs.
Pyo-wol had deployed the Soul-Reaping Thread.
Lee Shi-chang struggled to move, trying to free himself, but it was futile
He was immobilized, like an insect caught in a spider’s web, unable to move a muscle.
‘What is this?’
At that moment, his throat began to feel tight.
The Soul-Reaping Thread was constricting around his neck like a noose.
The instant Pyo-wol flicked his fingers, his head would detach from his body.
Lee Shi-chang’s face was colored with despair.
Only then did he realize that the gap between him and Pyo-wol was far more vast than he had imagined.
Shivering!
Goosebumps ran over his body causing him to shake all over.
He faced an overwhelming sense of despair.
Even if there were ten more of himself, he couldn’t stand against this death-like entity.
He had never seen anyone more fitting of the moniker “Reaper.”
‘Re… Reaper!’
Lee Shi-chang closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again, there was only one emotion swirling in his eyes.
Awe.
Pyo-wol had retracted the Soul-Reaping Thread that had ensnared Lee Shi-chang.
In an instant, Lee Shi-chang prostrated himself before Pyo-wol.
“I will serve you with all my heart.”
“You mean you will follow my orders?”
“Yes, I, Lee Shi-chang, vowed to follow you wholeheartedly.”
“I accept your oath.”
“Thank you.”
Thud!
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lee Shi-chang slammed his forehead onto the ground.
His forehead burst open and blood flowed out, but Lee Shi-chang didn’t even feel any pain.
To him, Pyo-wol was an opponent he didn’t dare to face.
Joining him seemed the only way for the White Moon Group to survive.
Had anyone else claimed to unite all assassin sects, Lee Shi-chang would have scoffed at the idea. However, having experienced Pyo-wol’s martial prowess firsthand, Lee Shi-chang could guarantee it.
No assassin sect in the world could stand against Pyo-wol.
‘How dominant must he be that even the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union bowed to him?’
The leader of the Hundred Wraith Union was the first to bow down.
So it wouldn’t be a great disgrace for him to submit himself.
Pyo-wol commanded,
“Until I give further orders, the White Moon Group shall not accept any assignments.”
“I obey. I will recall those who are out as well.”
“You are to refuse all assignments from both the Silver Lotus Society and the Golden Heaven Society.”
“Yes!”
Not accepting assignments would incur significant losses.
Still, Lee Shi-chang did not hesitate to answer.
The opponent was an absolute being who aimed to dominate all the assassin sects.
And this was that absolute being’s first decree.
No matter how much money he would lose, he had to obey.
“I’ll contact you later.”
With that, Pyo-wol and Hong Ye-seol vanished.
“Phew!”
Lee Shi-chang finally heaved a sigh of relief.
He hurriedly rushed to the huts inside the island.
He was worried about the safety and well-being of his remaining family members.
Fortunately, none had lost their lives, they had only been subdued and knocked unconscious.
Only one or two had sustained injuries.
The scent of blood clinging to Pyo-wol’s body was undoubtedly from that moment.
Lee Shi-chang, with his legs giving way from the exertion, sat down on the ground and muttered to himself,
“It seems like the birth of a true supreme leader of all assassin sects is near.”
LUNACAVE
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