Light Novel: Volume 24 Episode 10
Manhwa: N/A
It took only two hours for the Red Bandana Association to be erased from Haimen.
In just two hours, the Red Bandana Association, which supplied workers throughout Haimen, was completely destroyed.
At the time of its collapse, there were two hundred martial artists and an additional two hundred workers in the Red Bandana Association, totaling four hundred people. All four hundred lost their lives.
Even Yoo Il-seok, the head of the Red Bandana Association, could not escape death.
Yoo Il-seok was found as a beheaded corpse.
No other injuries were found.
Whoever the opponent was, they had ended Yoo Il-seok’s life in an instant.
Before Tarha’s arrival, Yoo Il-seok had shared the supremacy of Haimen with the Sea Dragon Sect.
His martial prowess was not far behind the Sea Dragon Sect’s Jang Hamun, so the news that such a formidable martial artist had been killed without much of a resistsance or fight shocked everyone.
Pyo-wol looked coldly into the interior of the Red Bandana Association.
It was only an hour ago that he had heard the news of the Red Bandana Association’s annihilation.
No one within the Red Bandana Association survived.
Except for the people who had gone out to work at the docks, everyone was killed
It was the worst incident in Haimen’s history.
“What is this?”
“Four hundred people dead in just two hours?”
“How could so many people…”
Yul Ayeon, Tae Musang, and Geomyeon stood there, dumbfounded.
For all three of them, this was the first time they had seen so many people dead.
There were more than four hundred dead bodies in all.
Seeing that many corpses gathered in one space was not easy at all.
In fact, several martial artists were lying on the ground, vomiting.
Even the most hardened martial artists could not help but react this way upon seeing such a scene.
Among them, only Pyo-wol and Soma remained calm.
Pyo-wol was known for his strong nerves, barely blinking at most events, and Soma possessed a similarly steely composure.
Soma knelt down and examined the state of the corpses.
“The wounds are all deep. They cut through not just the flesh but the bones as well. The weapon used must be very powerful. It’s more likely an axe than a sword. But judging by the depth and location of the wounds, it’s shorter than an axe. The marks look like those made by chopping logs. The weapon that could leave such marks is…”
“An axe.”
“It’s not a large one. If it were a great axe, the bodies would be split in half. It’s a smaller axe.”
“A hand axe.”
“Yes!”
Soma nodded at Pyo-wol’s answer.
All the martial artists who ambushed the Red Bandana Association had used hand axes.
A hand axe is powerful but short in length. However, it is easy to conceal.
If you tuck a hand axe into your waistband and cover it with long clothes, it can be completely hidden.
The attackers who assaulted the Red Bandana Association likely approached them this way, with the axes concealed.
Pyo-wol climbed to the roof of the tallest building in the Red Bandana Association.
Standing on the roof, he had a clear view of the surrounding area.
The Red Bandana Association was located in a prime area of Haimen.
It was situated in the middle of a dizzying tangle of boulevards that stretched out in all directions.
This advantageous location had allowed the Red Bandana Association to grow rapidly.
They could quickly dispatch workers to wherever they were needed.
However, this advantageous location had turned into a disaster this time.
The attackers had likely approached along the web of roads that crisscrossed the area.
Moving in groups of three or four, they approached naturally, and the people here didn’t find it strange at all.
There were always tons of people coming and going in the streets here.
They came so casually that they surrounded and infiltrated the Red Bandana Association in an instant.
It was an action as swift as lightning.
“They moved in perfect unison. Such coordination is impossible unless they’ve worked together for a long time.”
They were more like soldiers than martial artists.
It was the kind of coordination that could only come from living and working together in the same military camp for a long time.
There were only a few groups in the current Jianghu that could demonstrate such a level of coordination.
Although the Golden Heaven Society and Silver Lotus Society often engaged in large-scale battles, the fights themselves were left to individual prowess.
What happened here, on the other hand, was thoroughly controlled.
It was a level of organization not seen in traditional sects.
Pyo-wol murmured,
“The Phantom Fleet. As expected, they were here.”
There were only a few groups that could demonstrate such control and power. Among those, the only one likely to operate in Haimen was the Phantom Fleet.
Pyo-wol’s gaze turned towards the interior of the Red Bandana Association.
Countless corpses were scattered haphazardly.
From this high vantage point, it was clear how the Phantom Fleet’s martial artists had ravaged the Red Bandana Association.
“They drew attention at the main gate to lure the people inside out. Then they ambushed the martial artists who rushed out from the passages. Lastly, they killed the martial artists who remained in the back garden.”
The most damage had occurred in these three locations.
There were overwhelmingly many bodies there.
It was impossible to devise such a strategy without a complete understanding of the Red Bandana Association’s internal structure and conditions.
“Although they dispersed into small groups when infiltrating to avoid leaving traces, how did they escape?”
Four hundred people had died.
To kill that many in one strike, the Phantom Fleet must have deployed a significant number of personnel.
It would have been impossible for such a large number of people to escape without leaving any traces.
The streets were full of people, making it impossible to avoid all their eyes.
Pyo-wol no longer felt the need to stay on the roof.
He leapt down and landed lightly on the ground.
Right in front of him were Soma and Geomyeon.
Pyo-wol asked Geomyeon,
“Where’s the closest sea from here?”
“The lower dock. It’s the closest.”
“What’s the fastest route to the lower dock?”
“I’ll guide you.”
Geomyeon naturally took the lead.
He knew the streets of Haimen like the back of his hand.
Geomyeon led the way, followed by Pyo-wol, Soma, and Tae Musang.
They raced through the streets of Haimen at a frightening speed.
As they ran, Pyo-wol spoke to Geomyeon,
“Put yourself in their shoes. At least a hundred to two hundred martial artists had moved around. Think about what route would be best for such a large group to move without being easily noticed.”
“This way, then. There’s a place where they’re building a big mansion, but it’s recently been deserted because construction has stopped.”
Geomyeon immediately changed direction.
A little further on, they saw the abandoned construction site of a mansion.
The construction site was so messy that people didn’t approach it.
‘This is the place.’
Pyo-wol’s eyes glinted.
There were many signs that people had passed through.
Countless footprints were imprinted on the ground.
As they passed through the mansion, a small forest and a secluded path emerged.
The branches of the trees and blades of grass lining the path were bent in a random fashion. It was proof that the Phantom Fleet’s martial artists had passed through here.
Geomyeon said.
“This way leads to the outskirts of the lower dock.”
“Let’s hurry up then.”
“Yes!”
Geomyeon picked up the pace even more.
He raced down the path with the agility of a squirrel.
As they passed through the path, a blue horizon came into view.
The sea had appeared.
At that moment, Pyo-wol surged to the front.
They were almost at their destination, there was no longer any reason to follow Geomyeon anymore.
Tap, tap, tap!
With light footsteps, his figure quickly vanished into the distance.
“Let’s go together.”
Soma followed behind him.
Although slightly behind Pyo-wol, Soma’s qinggong was also extremely fast. Tae Musang and Geomyeon, on the other hand, were increasingly falling further and further behind.
Even though they had studied under Tarha, they hadn’t practiced martial arts for as long.
Pyo-wol and Soma raced forward at a terrifying speed.
Just as Geomyeon had described, they arrived at the most secluded part of the lower dock.
The water was deep, but the waves were so rough that ships rarely docked there unless they were in a hurry.
Even now, the waves were crashing violently.
Yet, in those crashing waves, there were a dozen small boats.
Each small boat, filled with about ten people, navigated through the waves.
The waves were churning wildly, but the boats maintained perfect balanced, a testament to the skill of the sailors.
‘Phantom Fleet.’
The moment he saw them, Pyo-wol knew they were martial artists of the Phantom Fleet.
By the time Pyo-wol set foot on the dock, the sailors were boarding the last boat.
They spotted Pyo-wol and shouted,
“A pursuer!”
“He’s on our tail. Go ahead.”
They yelled towards the boats floating on the sea.
The boats, understanding their command, began to row away from the dock.
Pyo-wol frowned.
Chasing them was already too late.
He had to capture those who were still left.
“Ha!”
“Die!”
The sailors hurled their hand axes at him without warning.
They aimed to overwhelm him from the start by throwing their axes.
Whoosh!
The axes spun through the air at a terrifying speed.
An ordinary person wouldn’t have been able to react in time and would have been killed instantly. But unfortunately for the sailors, Pyo-wol was no ordinary person.
Pyo-wol extended his hand and caught two flying axes with ease.
As if he had been holding them from the beginning, the axes appeared in his hands.
Pyo-wol immediately hurled the axes back at the ones who had thrown them.
Thud!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
With a fierce sound, the martial artists were sent flying backward.
All of them had axes lodged in their heads.
“Damn it!”
“Everyone, be careful!”
The remaining sailors shouted as they drew their hand axes.
Tap, tap, tap!
Pyo-wol, with his black cloak fluttering, swiftly closed the distance between him and the sailors.
His qinggong made it seem as if he was shortening the space between them in an instant, causing the sailors’ faces to contort with fear.
Black cloak that fluttered like a bird’s wings.
Skin as white as snow.
And a faint red glow in his eyes.
Although he had altered his face with the Face Changing Art, Pyo-wol’s distinctive features remained and the sailors recognized him.
“It’s the Reaper.”
“He’s the one chasing us.”
“Stop him!”
Without any hint of fear, the sailors charged at Pyo-wol.
Whoosh!
Eight hand axes flew towards Pyo-wol.
In an instant, Pyo-wol’s hand went to his waist.
In his hand, eight throwing knives appeared.
They were the newly crafted phantom daggers.
Swish!
The eight phantom daggers left Pyo-wol’s hand.
Each following a different trajectory.
“Hah!”
“Ha!”
The sailors tried to deflect the phantom daggers with their axes. But just before impact, the trajectory of the phantom daggers changed.
Thud, thud, thud!
With intense sounds, the phantom daggers pierced through the sailors’ bodies.
Some died instantly, while others only sustained minor injuries.
Those who were lucky enough to survived regained their senses and tried to attack Pyo-wol, but he was much faster than they could react.
Whoosh!
As Pyo-wol swung his hand, the Soul-Reaping Thread shot out.
The Soul-Reaping Thread extended like a spear, piercing the forehead of the leading martial artist.
“Ugh!”
With a final cry, the martial artist fell dead.
The sight froze the surviving martial artists in place.
At that moment, Soma charged in.
Slash!
“Guack!”
“Keugh!”
Gongbu split their bodies apart.
Pyo-wol spoke to Soma,
“Leave one alive.”
“Got it!”
With that, Soma twisted his sword.
By a hair’s breadth, the blade grazed the neck of the last sailor.
Drip!
A thin line of blood appeared on his neck, and blood trickled down. However, his life did not seem to be in danger.
The sailor, who had barely escaped death, looked at Soma.
The young demon was smiling at him.
In that instant, the sailor also smiled.
“Fool!”
“What?”
“Do you think I would live to give up any information?”
Crack!
The sailor laughed and bit down on a poison pellet hidden in his mouth.
In an instant, the sailor’s face turned black, and he died on the spot.
“Crazy bastards!”
Soma looked at the dead sailor, who had bitten the poison pellet, with an incredulous expression.
Pyo-wol furrowed his brow and looked out to sea.
Thanks to the time the remaining sailors had bought, the dozen boats had moved far from the dock.
Cho Pyeong-rak, who was on one of the boats, waved at Pyo-wol.
LUNACAVE
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