Light Novel: Volume 21 Episode 19
Manhwa: N/A
Piercing through the flowing river, two people ascended onto the horse-ferry boat.
It was Pyo-wol and Hong Ye-seol.
“You’ve worked hard.”
The Elder Assassin, who had been waiting in advance, handed a towel to Hong Ye-seol.
Hong Ye-seol took the towel, drying her wet hair, and said,
“Thank you.”
“That’s nice of you, but how did your trip go?”
“What do you think?”
“I assume it went well since you have returned like this.”
“That’s right. The leader of the White Moon Group has sworn allegiance to him.”
“I thought as much.”
The Elder Assassin nodded as if he had anticipated this.
Hong Ye-seol said,
“Two assassin sects have already sworn their loyalty to him.”
“It will only accelerate from here on. Currently, in Poyang Lake, there are no assassin sects with the power to oppose him.”
“It seems like it.”
Hong Ye-seol nodded her head.
She knew best about Pyo-wol’s martial prowess. However, martial arts and subduing assassin sects were two different things.
Being part of an assassin sect herself, she understood well how strong their pride was.
Truly subjugating them was by no means an easy task.
Assassins were like springs, the more they are pressed with force, the more they tend to rebound. However, Pyo-wol had suppressed them with a force so powerful that they couldn’t even dare to resist.
She realized it after seeing him.
That resistance is only possible when the gap isn’t too wide. If the disparity is too vast, one doesn’t even dare to think of resisting.
Pyo-wol had shown just that.
As a result, Lee Shi-chang’s heart was broken, and he eventually swore his loyalty.
Lee Shi-chang was a man of strong will, unwilling to give in and go under the Hundred Wraith Union, but in the end, he knelt before Pyo-wol.
The other assassin sect leaders weren’t as steadfast as Lee Shi-chang. At least, not as far as the Elder Assassin and the Hundred Wraith Union could tell.
With Pyo-wol’s martial arts and presence, they would be easier to subjugate.
Fwoosh!
Steam rose from Pyo-wol’s body.
He had evaporated all the moisture on his body with his internal energy.
Pyo-wol became completely dry in no time.
He looked around the deck and asked,
“The kids?”
“They’re resting in their cabin. Do you want me to call them?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
“Well, of course, there’s no way the Supreme Master would be harmed by someone like Lee Shi-chang.”
“Supreme Master?”
“Aren’t you destined to become the Supreme Master of the assassin sects? That’s why I should call you Supreme Master.”
“Will you also pledge your allegiance to me?”
“It’s not impossible. Should I do it right now?”
“With her glaring at you like that, are you sure it’s okay?”
At Pyo-wol’s words, the Elder Assassin turned his head to look at Hong Ye-seol.
As Pyo-wol had said, Hong Ye-seol was glaring at the Elder Assassin with her eyes wide open.
The Elder Assassin chuckled.
“She may be acting like that on the outside, but I’m sure she’s pleased on the inside.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s not fit to be a leader.”
“Is it okay for you to say that?”
“It’s the truth.”
The Elder Assassin shrugged his shoulders.
Hong Ye-seol’s face turned red with anger.
She looked like she was about to burst at any moment, but surprisingly, she clenched her teeth and endured.
The Elder Assassin continued with a slight smile,
“In terms of assassination techniques alone, there are hardly any in the Hundred Wraith Union who can stand up to the leader, but personal strength and the ability to lead a large organization are different things. The previous leader was not only skilled in martial arts but also had exceptional abilities in managing the Hundred Wraith Union. Of course, he made some poor choices that caused chaos in the world, but nevertheless, there was no one better than him at understanding and leading such a vast organization. So much so that even those who were dissatisfied with him chose to remain silent.”
“That much?”
“Yes! It was his capability that grew the Hundred Wraith Union to this extent, but he was so focused on running the Hundred Wraith Union that he neglected his own training. That’s why he was killed by the new leader.”
“He probably didn’t expect that someone from the Hundred Wraith Union would dare to challenge his authority, that’s why he neglected his martial arts.”
“That’s right.”
The Elder Assassin revealed a look of genuine admiration.
It was a fact anyone could understand with a bit of thought, but he said this to gain Pyo-wol’s favor.
“The new leader has certainly reached a great level as an assassin. That’s why she was able to kill the former leader, but her ability to manage the Hundred Wraith Union is lacking. She must be feeling it to some extent, that she’s not cut out to run the Hundred Wraith Union, which is why she’s putting the management of the organization aside for the time being and instead is following Master Pyo-wol around.”
“That’s too much! Who’s following whom around?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Hong Ye-seol blurted out, but the Elder Assassin continued, unfazed,
“When faced with a situation too overwhelming to handle, many choose to turn away, just like our new leader who’s yelling over there.”
“So?”
“I would like Master Pyo-wol, no, the Supreme Master to consider taking over the position of the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union. If the Hundred Wraith Union is left in the hands of the new leader, she will surely mess it up or attempt to escape, claiming she wants to survive alone. It would be better for the Hundred Wraith Union to reorganize itself before then.”
“Is the position of the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union so worthless? To be handed over to a complete stranger just like that?”
“It’s all about survival, and from my experience, it’s not very wise to go against the current of time. As times change, organizations must adapt too. That’s the only way to survive and avoid being left behind.”
“Hmm!”
“Haven’t you decided to become the Supreme Master of assassin sects anyway? Rather than ambiguously maintaining a relationship with the Hundred Wraith Union, you might as well control it as your own. That would be better for the Supreme Master too.”
The Elder Assassin spoke as if he had made up his mind.
Pyo-wol’s gaze turned towards Hong Ye-seol.
“What about you?”
“What?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t think his words are entirely wrong.”
“So, you agree.”
“Yes!”
Hong Ye-seol answered readily.
Although she didn’t show it, she regretted killing the previous leader. There were too many things she had to worry about.
The one that concerned her the most was the Ten Blood Assassins.
Being a former member of the Ten Blood Assassins herself, she knew well how strong their pride was.
They were reluctant to accept her as their leader as she had been once one of them not long ago.
While they did not openly defy her orders, they expressed their dissatisfaction through various channels.
True to their assassin nature, they were dark and cunning in their rejection of Hong Ye-seol.
That’s why Hong Ye-seol has been having a tough time lately.
The Elder Assassin had once said that her relationship with them would be completely reestablished perfectly, one way or another, but it was not as easy as it sounded.
She sometimes wished she were still just a member of the Ten Blood Assassins.
Traveling with Pyo-wol made me nostalgic for the old days.
Back then, she didn’t have the heavy pressure and responsibilities she had now.
Hong Ye-seol glanced at Pyo-wol.
He stood still, looking out over the Yangtze River, lost in thought.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Neither Hong Ye-seol nor the Elder Assassin interrupted his reverie.
Pyo-wol’s silence stretched on.
And with it, the atmosphere grew heavier.
“Huh?”
Do Yeonsan, Eunyo, and Nam Shin-woo who were approaching became startled by the heavy air, causing them to stop in their tracks.
Although they weren’t sure about the details of what was going on, they all felt that they shouldn’t interfere now.
After being silent for a long time, Pyo-wol finally spoke up.
“What do I need to do to become the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union?”
“It’s simple.”
“How?”
“You just need to overpower the current leader.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes! The current leader ascended to that position in the same manner as well. Basically, the rule is that the strongest person takes on the leadership of the Hundred Wraith Union.”
“What if I’m not a member of the Hundred Wraith Union?”
“You’re the Reaper, aren’t you? In the world of assassins, there is no title more prestigious than that nickname. At least, not in the current Jianghu.”
He was the only man in the current Jianghu to have been granted a title with the word ‘God’ in it.
And it wasn’t just a few people calling him that— all the martial artists in Jianghu recognized him by that title.
At the very least, it meant that everyone in Jianghu acknowledged his abilities as an assassin, reaching the level of a god.
Especially among the assassins of the assassin sects, the weight of the title ‘Reaper’ or ‘God of Death’ was indescribably immense.
Pyo-wol looked at Hong Ye-seol.
“I’ll take over as the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union.”
“I can’t just hand it over. You know that, right?”
“Of course.”
Pyo-wol nodded.
He knew that public and private matters must be distinctly separated.
Just like how Hong Ye-seol obtained the position through force, Pyo-wol also had to seize it from her through force. Otherwise, the assassins of the Hundred Wraith Union wouldn’t accept him.
The Elder Assassin said,
“A little further on and we’ll come to a small dock. It’ll take about half a shichen to unload and load the cargo there.”
“That should be enough time.”
Pyo-wol nodded.
Hong Ye-seol’s expression immediately turned cold.
“Are you confident? I’ll be giving it my all. If you don’t want to be humiliated, you should do the same.”
“I will.”
“Hmph! See you later then. I need to prepare as well.”
It was a fight against Pyo-wol, not anyone else.
She had clashed with Pyo-wol several times before, but never had they seriously fought each other.
She only provoked him in moderation, and then quickly resolved it.
This time was different.
Though she tried to maintain a calm facade, her heart was burning with determination.
Hong Ye-seol went into her cabin to prepare.
* * *
Just as the Elder Assassin has said, a dock soon appeared.
The moment the horse-ferry boat anchored, Pyo-wol, Hong Ye-seol, and the Elder Assassin disembarked.
Do Yeonsan and others wanted to follow them down, but the atmosphere was too serious for them to do so.
No matter how personally close they were with Pyo-wol, they couldn’t intervene in the matters of the Hundred Wraith Union.
Nam Shin-woo looked worriedly towards the reed field where Pyo-wol and Hong Ye-seol had just disappeared.
Do Yeonsan put his arm around Nam Shin-woo’s shoulder and said,
“It will be okay.”
“Nobody will get hurt, right?”
“They won’t.”
“Hoo!”
“Don’t worry. We just have to trust our brother, like we always have.”
Reassured by Do Yeonsan’s confident words, Nam Shin-woo nodded.
Eunyo stared at the vast expanse of reeds in the distance with deeply sunken eyes.
The reeds were so tall that they obscured any view of the people who had entered.
Chaa!
As the wind blew, the reed field waved like the ocean.
Despite the stunning spectacle, Eunyo couldn’t purely admire it.
She knew that a brutal fight was unfolding behind that beautiful scenery.
Pyo-wol and Hong Ye-seol were both assassins at the very top of Jianghu.
They were poisonous species, trained not to utter a single groan, even when suffering from the worst of wounds.
They’re the type who wouldn’t scream even when one of their arms was cut off.
From the moment they grasped their weapons, they would start to fight a silent war, just as they were raised and trained to do so.
In the reed field, where nothing but the wind could be heard, a fierce battle must be taking place.
To Eunyo’s ears, the sound of weapons clashing mingled with the sound of the wind.
Suddenly, the wildly blowing wind and the swaying reeds came to a complete stop.
Eunyo sensed it.
It was over.
Regardless of the outcome, the duel between the two had reached its conclusion.
Eunyo jumped off the horse-ferry boat and dashed into the reed field.
“What?”
“Let’s go together!”
Startled, Do Yeonsan and Nam Shin-woo followed her.
The three of them made their way through the reed field, heading deep inside.
Inside the reed field, a large clearing had been formed.
And there, they saw it.
Hong Ye-seol and the Elder Assassin bowing their heads deeply.
Behind them, the entire Black Assassination Squad was kneeling on one knee.
Their homage was directed towards one man.
Standing alone in the middle of the reed field, the man was none other than Pyo-wol.
“We greet the Supreme Master.”
The voice of the Black Assassination Squad echoed throughout the reed field.
LUNACAVE
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