Chapter 53: Gate of Assassins (1)

The scorching day had passed, and deep night had arrived.

Brilliant moonlight scattered countless silver fragments across the land.

Pabat!

Carrying that silvery glow upon his back, a human figure raced through the forest.

Passing swiftly between the thickly rising black bamboos, Sewoon was exerting his movement arts at full strength.

After Tang Muyeol had ordered all the family’s wine jars to be emptied, causing both Dark Flower Unit warriors and clan members alike to collapse in drunken stupor—

Sewoon secretly headed toward this place, the Black Bamboo Forest.

It was the first time he returned since dealing with Rear Dragon Guard Leader, Sun Ugon.

Cheocheok.

At last, only after reaching the deepest part of the Black Bamboo Forest did Sewoon stop his sprint.

Even though he had run without rest until now, not a single drop of sweat was falling from his forehead.

“Hoo, the greater my accomplishment in poison arts grows, the harder it becomes to get drunk. That’s truly a pity.”

As if speaking only to himself—

Swaaah.

From Sewoon’s body, white steam rose like midwinter mist, spreading like shimmering haze.

A sharp scent of liquor wafted around.

The drunkenness that had accumulated in his body burned away completely.

Once the effects of the strong liquor he had consumed with the Dark Flower Unit warriors vanished, Sewoon slowly raised his head to gaze at the night sky.

A radiant full moon had risen high.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

There was no trace of presence around him.

Yet Sewoon was clearly speaking to someone.

But no matter how long he waited, no answer came.

Only the insects chirped loudly within the still atmosphere.

“Many do not know, but this is the very place in the Black Bamboo Forest where one can see the most beautiful moon.”

Once again, Sewoon spoke.

But this time, his gaze was not directed at the night sky, but toward a side where the black bamboos stood densely tall.

Though silence returned again, Sewoon did not avert his eyes.

Rather, his gaze was so unwavering it seemed chilling, fixed firmly in place.

At last—

Rustle.

The black bamboo in the direction Sewoon stared shook.

“Aigo, truly, there is no escaping Young Lord’s eyes.”

From the shadows emerged a figure—none other than Jang Yi, the younger of the Jang brothers who had belonged to Sewoon’s group during training.

It was surprising. While it was true Sewoon’s level of movement arts could not match the profound mastery of other martial techniques, it was still astonishing that Jang Yi, who was but at the level of a First-Rate martial artist, had been able to follow him here.

“Hiding your footsteps and breath doesn’t mean everything is hidden.”

“Haha, is that so.”

Despite the sharp words, Jang Yi only scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Watching him, Sewoon gave a cold smile as he asked,

“So then, for what reason have you followed me here?”

“Well, it seemed to me that something was wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“Yes.”

In that instant, Jang Yi’s eyes changed.

They were no longer the naive, innocent eyes Sewoon had seen during the past ten days.

When Sewoon watched in silence as if telling him to speak, Jang Yi finally opened his mouth.

“Everyone received weapons that suited their martial specialty.”

“……”

“As you know, my main weapons are a pair of short spears. But strangely—”

He stopped speaking and drew from his robes the weapon he had received from Sewoon.

Sreung!

A pair of sharp daggers gleamed coldly under the moonlight.

“I was given two daggers instead. If that isn’t a mistake, then it’s a very grave error, don’t you think?”

At that moment, the entire atmosphere shifted.

Though it was merely the crossing of their gazes—

A suffocating aura swept forth, stinging against the skin.

But Sewoon maintained his composure as he replied.

“That is strange.”

“…What?”

“I was certain I had given you your main weapons.”

“…!”

“Was I wrong?”

At Sewoon’s words—

Jang Yi’s expression finally twisted.

Swaaa!

Jang Yi released a burst of killing intent.

“…Since when did you know?”

“So you truly don’t realize it yourself.”

“…!”

“Since when, you ask.”

Hwaak!

Sewoon brushed away the murderous aura Jang Yi unleashed as he answered,

“From the very first moment I saw you.”

“-!!”

Only then did Jang Yi—

No, the nameless assassin of the Gate of Assassins—realize he had been utterly deceived.

Yet his fury and humiliation did not last long.

“Hehe, damn it. So I sweated buckets these past ten days for nothing.”

Nameless’s expression twisted into a mocking grin, like a clown from a troupe.

Swaaa!

Watching him, Sewoon awakened the Golden Bridle Movement Technique through all his meridians and summoned forth his Innate True Qi.

Even if his opponent was not at the level he had faced before his regression, this was not someone he could afford to underestimate.

‘I didn’t expect to encounter him this quickly.’

Thus Sewoon faced the past of his old friend—the assassin, Nameless.

Swaeeak!

Suddenly, the air ripped apart with a piercing sound.

Two sharp lines drew across the void as a pair of daggers flew toward Sewoon.

So fast that even the throwing motion could not be seen—

Chwaa!

Already spread out, the black threads of Heavenly Net lightly retrieved both daggers.

As if he had expected Sewoon to block them, the assassin spoke with a voice lacking any regret.

“I’ll let you return these.”

“That’s disappointing. I didn’t forge them carelessly just because they were for an assassin.”

“Perhaps, but I still prefer my own.”

“Hmm, then it can’t be helped.”

“But really, how did you find me out?”

At Nameless’s question, Sewoon shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

“Well, I did predict that assassins sent by Lee Trading Company would show up sooner or later.”

“……”

“The tools you used were cheap, and your acting even worse. How could I not notice?”

“Calling them cheap? If you knew how highly these items are valued in the murim, you wouldn’t say that.”

Spinning his finger around his face, Sewoon spoke.

Jjeojeojeok.

Nameless ripped off the human-skin mask attached to his face.

As the layer of false skin peeled away, an ordinary face—one that could easily be found on the roadside—was revealed.

But then, at Sewoon’s next words, a look of shock appeared on Nameless’s face for the first time.

“Valuable? Nonsense. Because of the recent internal strife, you had no choice but to replace the higher-grade masks with inferior ones.”

“!!”

It was a disgraceful secret, known only to a handful of Gate of Assassins leaders, that had come out of Sewoon’s mouth.

At present, the Gate of Assassins was split between the Faction of the Sect Leader and the Faction of the Vice Sect Leader, suffering internal conflict.

Recently, someone had tainted the highest-grade human-skin masks used by the Sect Leader’s assassins.

Because of that, the assassins under the Sect Leader’s faction were temporarily forced to use low-quality masks.

Nameless’s mind grew clouded.

His opponent not only had mastered One Point Kill.

But also knew his affiliation.

And even understood the internal secrets of the Gate of Assassins.

He couldn’t comprehend how this was possible.

“…What on earth are you?”

“I am Tang Clan’s legitimate successor, Tang Sewoon. Didn’t you even bother investigating your target? Tsk, the Gate of Assassins has truly fallen.”

“!!”

Ttok!

At Sewoon’s words, Nameless finally lost his patience.

In an instant, he lowered his stance and assumed an attack posture.

“Hoo, no choice then.”

“Hmm?”

“If I cut off one of your limbs, you’ll spill the truth.”

Pabat!

Nameless burst forth with killing intent, charging toward Sewoon like a bolt of lightning.

‘He’s coming!’

Sewoon quickly surrounded his eyes with the Golden Bridle Movement Technique.

But it was useless.

Sasaa!

Even as he wrapped his qi the moment he saw Nameless dash forward—already, the assassin’s figure had vanished into the surroundings.

Only the black bamboos and moonlight filled the scene.

–Hey, friend. The pinnacle of an assassin is not just assassination techniques.

As the voice of the assassin from before his regression echoed in his ears—

Seurureuk!

The shadows etched upon the ground by moonlight rippled faintly, like the surface of a lake.

Sewoon immediately recognized the martial art his opponent had used.

‘Dark King Steps!’

One of the Three Great Movement Arts of the murim, rivaling Divine Thief’s Flowing Shadow Steps.

But in truth, Dark King Steps was not the official name of the assassin’s art.

Its true name was Phantom Killing Ghost Shadow Steps.

At this time, only Sewoon knew that name.

Because wherever an assassin of the Gate of Assassins passed, only death remained, martial artists of the murim had given it the name Dark King Steps.

If Flowing Shadow Steps focused on leaving no trace behind like a thief, Dark King Steps, named after the king who ruled the underworld, existed solely to kill enemies in secrecy.

Swaaa!

Then, from a shadow cast within Sewoon’s blind spot, something suddenly sprang out.

Sreung!

In Nameless’s hands, now aimed at Sewoon’s back, were two new daggers, already dyed in pitch-black light.

Dark King Steps possessed the frightening ability to merge into shadows and conceal oneself.

‘I’ll start with the left arm.’

Swa!

As Nameless whipped his arms like a lash, a pair of daggers sliced through the void.

But this time—

Astonishingly, no sound rang out at all. Not a tearing of air, not the faintest noise.

Compared to the earlier throw, this was an incomparably higher realm of dagger arts.

Daggers of complete Silence were about to sink their fangs into Sewoon—

Kkigigik!

Pas!

“…!”

Suddenly, with a harsh grinding sound, sparks burst forth.

The Heavenly Net, woven like a spiderweb, had blocked the daggers along their path.

Nameless immediately prepared a follow-up strike, but—

Chill!

A sudden jolt screamed through his body, forcing him to instinctively whirl his qi-wrapped twin hands.

Ting!

Titing!

“!!”

Two daggers were deflected right before his eyes.

Sewoon, without even turning his back, had thrown daggers of his own—at the same silent mastery level.

In an instant, the exchange ended.

Chwararak!

Sewoon recalled the two daggers Nameless had deflected with the Heavenly Net and turned his body.

Their eyes met mid-air.

In Sewoon’s gaze lingered only cold ruthlessness.

But in Nameless’s eyes flickered a strange light.

‘Heh, he even knew about the ability of Dark King Steps.’

The assassin’s lifeblood was composure—

Thump! Thump-thump!

Yet the arrival of the most fascinating opponent he had ever faced made his heart race violently.

Even though his daggers lay scattered on the ground, Nameless didn’t care.

He had never planned to rely on them, nor on One Point Kill, when his opponent already knew of them.

‘Fine then, if I can’t cut them apart…’

Over the past ten days, Nameless had carefully chosen and prepared the most fitting martial art to counter Sewoon’s black threads.

And that was—

‘I’ll burn them to ash.’

Hwaruk!

Suddenly, flames surged up in Nameless’s hands.

Threads could not withstand burning fire.

Pabat!

Kicking off the ground, Nameless rushed straight toward Sewoon.

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