Chapter v8c16

Na Yerin’s sword was busy defending against the invisible blades that were relentlessly stabbing in from all directions. She was responding to the assassins ambushes not with experience but with her senses. Na Yerin was currently using her Dragon Eyes to react to the malice coming from all around her, which is why she could defend against the sudden attacks so easily.

The most difficult person for Na Yerin to deal with was someone using the technique of Twin Spirit Stealth, where one person hides another within them. At first, Na Yerin thought he was just one person. He looked like a very ordinary strong man. A true assassin should not have any distinguishing features, as they are easily remembered by others.

Even when the man drew his twin swords, Na Yerin thought so. His build was similar to that of an ordinary person. But the twin swords he wielded had only one purpose, to seal the opponent’s weapon.

The assassin’s twin swords tightly gripped Na Yerin’s sword.

At that moment! Suddenly, a hand as thin as a withered branch sprang out from his stomach. It held a dagger, and it was a strike that Na Yerin had not anticipated.

Just as the sharp dagger held by the withered branchlike hand was about to pierce her body! Whoosh!! A flash of lightning from somewhere knocked the dagger far away. A harsh metallic sound echoed.

The man’s eyes bulged with astonishment. Not missing this moment, Na Yerin raised Cold Frost Jade Spirit Sword Energy on her sword and in one swift motion, she cut through the man’s body along with the twin swords that were holding her sword.

The man could not escape from her sword and could not avoid becoming a mere corpse. From the split clothes of the man who had fallen to the ground, a figure with a withered appearance, hardly resembling a human, flowed out. He was already dead. The moment their secret technique failed, their miserable end was all but certain.

They were the infamous Twin Ghost Brothers from the Baekin Association, an organization known for contract Assassinations. They were masters of assassination, having claimed the lives of over a hundred victims. However, even these brothers, who had completed a hundred contracts and achieved the bloody feat of a hundred Slaughter, met the wrong opponent today and ended their lives in vain. But to die under the famous One of the Five Great Swords, the Cold Frost Jade Spirit Sword, could be considered an honor.

Crack!

The red ice that had formed on the tip of her sword shattered with a small sound. Na Yerin’s sword does not have blood. Because the entire blade is instantly turned into ice crystals by the cold that envelops it. Others call this the Red Ice Path of the Sword Master. Na Yerin was faithfully reproducing it.

Even amidst such chaos, Eun Seolran did not scream. Instead, she was calmly observing the movements and responses of Na Yerin and Moyong Hwi with a cool gaze. She was confident enough to protect herself.

However, Eun Seolran had not yet revealed her skills and had not intervened. Moreover, her actions also meant to gauge the abilities of Moyong Hwi and Na Yerin through this crisis. Eun Seolran’s eyes were coldly settled. The murderous intent still filled the air.

And it was when the peddler in front of the dumpling shop took out a sword coated with deadly poison from his bundle instead of goods to sell. It seemed that this poisoned sword was a limited noncommercial product made for the special purpose of contract killing.

Bi Ryu Yeon’s Appearance

“Wait! Don’t you know the basic common sense to always ask for the owner’s permission before touching someone else’s property?”

The disguised assassin’s body was suddenly pulled back. It was because Bi Ryu Yeon, who had approached unnoticed, had grabbed the back of the assassin’s neck. Here, ‘someone else’s property’ of course meant Na Yerin, whom Bi Ryu Yeon arbitrarily claimed ownership of.

“Who… who are you?”

Baek tan je, the leader of the Baekin Association, stammered in shock. Being caught from behind in a moment of carelessness was as good as being told to take down his business sign. Of course, with the failure of this ambush, most of the core experts had died, so it was a sign that had to be taken down anyway.

“Well? Who could it be?”

The energy emanating from Bi Ryu Yeon’s body contained an unknown sense of oppression, making Baek tan je flinch. Even though he was behind him, Baek tan je could clearly feel it. He felt an inexplicable sense of kinship, like a mouse in front of a viper, regretting taking on a foolish contract blinded by money.

“Gasp!”

Whoosh! Flash!

Bi Ryu Yeon pulled on his neck once and then let go, giving him a chance to draw his sword. True to being a contract assassin, his sword was short and sharp. Moreover, it was coated with a deadly poison that could easily kill a person with just a touch. And because it was dark to be advantageous in a stealth attack, the blade was pitch black.

A short sword without hitting a vital spot cannot instantly kill the target, so it is commonplace in this industry to coat the blade with poison to improve efficiency.

“Hmm! It seems like a good item. I can smell the high price.”

Bi Ryu Yeon, who had rolled around in a blacksmith’s shop for years and even held the qualifications of a swordsmith, he could see the value of the black poison monopoly that Baek tan je held at a glance. Unfortunately, Baek tan je’s caution prevented him from attacking rashly, and it also took away his last chance to counterattack.

“But what now? It seems that sword won’t be swung anymore!”

“What… what do you mean?”

“Cause of this kind of sound, right?”

Bi Ryu Yeon smiled slightly.

Scrape!

Baek tan je’s wrist, which was about to swing the poisoned sword again, was cleanly severed along with a flashing light and neatly separated from his body. It was an utterly unexpected strike.

“Aaaaah!”

The unfortunate assassin Baek tan je, who would never be able to use chopsticks with his right hand again, let out a scream. Blood gushed from the freshly made cut on his wrist, staining the earth red.

“But what do you mean by someone else’s property, what’s yours?”

Na Yerin, who had raised an objection in a cold tone to Bi Ryu Yeon’s passing problematic statement, was looking at him with eyes that could not show joy or sorrow.

“Well, what could it be?”

Bi Ryu Yeon shrugged his shoulders with his hands up in the air and feigned ignorance.

Clang!

Na Yerin’s sword blocked a dagger that was stabbing her from behind. Although her gaze was on Bi Ryu Yeon, her instincts were clearly looking in all thirty six directions. She was not so inexperienced as to not read the unpleasant murderous intent splashing into her space.

Swoosh!

Na Yerin’s sword broke the assailant’s dagger in half and then delivered a ruthless judgment on his body. The cold that could freeze the marrow in the bones forcibly invaded the assassin’s body and cut off his life sustaining activities.

“You’re not an assassin, are you? Right?”

Yeom do handed over the pitiful peddler with a severed wrist to Bi Ryu Yeon and spoke in a threatening tone. Baek tan je, the leader of the Baekin Association’s assassins, was at a loss for words.

To fail so simply, for the leader of the Baekin Association, who had a reputation among the freelance assassins, how absurd this was.

“Hahaha… Well, of course. Would I do something as terrifying and dreadful as an assassination?”

He pretended to be clumsy on purpose. However, Yeom do did not intend to release his grip on Baek tan je, the leader of the Baekin Association.

“Right! That’s it! You’re not an assassin! Of course not! The sword tucked behind your waist isn’t a dagger for assassins. And that fallen sword isn’t yours either, right?”

Yeom do pointed to the poisoned dagger, which still had Baek tan je’s wrist attached. Baek tan je forced a laugh.

“Well… Of course. How could that be mine? Hehehe…”

He wasn’t a fool, it had to be his. But under the strange pressure emanating from Yeom do’s body, Baek tan je dared not say otherwise.

“I’m not an assassin. It’s unfair. I only drew it because I thought a robber was after my bag. Please believe me!”

Baek tan je begged with tears streaming down his face.

“Of course! Of course! I knew it from the start.”

Yeom do nodded his head.

‘If you know, then let me go now…’

Baek tan je cried out inside. But there was no sign of being released.

“But… everything is fine except for one thing.”

Yeom do continued quietly.

“Yes?”

Baek tan je looked at Yeom do with a puzzled face. Something felt suspicious.

“Why are you still acting like an assassin!”

Click!!

“Aaaah!”

Baek tan je realized that Yeom do had already determined he was an assassin only after his wrist was ‘snapped’ off by Yeom do’s ruthless grip, twisted like a reed, and his muscles were contorted under the brutal bonedislocating technique. Yeom do had been circling around with unnecessary questions even though he clearly knew he was an assassin. In other words, Yeom do wanted to act as if he didn’t know Baek tan je’s identity, despite knowing it internally. It was just a childish sentiment of a grown adult. Baek tan je had been the only one foolishly trying hard.

“Aaaaah!”

Once again, Baek tan je’s agonizing scream echoed in the sky.

“Why are you here?”

It was the middle of a bustling market, not a schoolyard. There was no reason for Bi Ryu Yeon to be here.

“It’s a coincidence. Just a coincidence!”

The skepticism was clear.

“Can’t you show a more welcoming reaction? This is too disappointing. Between us…”

Bi Ryu Yeon said cheekily with a shameless face.

“What was there between us?”

Na Yerin responded with a cold tone. Her words were frosty.

“Aww! I’m too shy to say such things myself.”

It was torture for Na Yerin to see Bi Ryu Yeon twisting his body in front of her. Inevitably, she had to turn her head away first.

“Then, I’ll be going!”

Na Yerin’s attitude showed she had nothing more to say.

“Wait a minute!”

Bi Ryu Yeon called out to Na Yerin as she turned to leave.

“What is it?”

Na Yerin turned around reluctantly. Bi Ryu Yeon said,

“Even as a helper, don’t I deserve some thanks for the help I’ve given?”

It seemed like he wanted to continue the conversation, clinging to the end of her words. Na Yerin’s face, which had been turned away, faced Bi Ryu Yeon again. Her deep, lake like eyes stared at him. Bi Ryu Yeon felt burdened by Na Yerin at times like this.

“I don’t remember receiving any help.”

At that moment, a black mass fell from the sky in front of Na Yerin.

Thud!

The gazes of Na Yerin, Moyong Hwi, and Eun Seolran all focused on the black mass simultaneously. It was a corpse. And it was clearly the body of an assassin at first glance. Even seeing this, Bi Ryu Yeon was still grinning.

“Then these assassins, could it be…”

Bi Ryu Yeon nodded with a smile.

“The owner of that flash of light that helped me earlier…”

Only then did Na Yerin remember the flash of light that had thwarted the Twin Ghost Brothers’ ambush.

“Of course, it was my doing.”

Then it was as if she owed her life to Bi Ryu Yeon.

“Th… thank you! Is that enough now?”

Na Yerin’s thanks were very stiff. Bi Ryu Yeon couldn’t help but feel it was lacking.

“I’ve never received such stiff thanks before. I’m very sad right now.”

Bi Ryu Yeon expressed his awkwardness.

Then, a beautiful voice as gentle as a spring breeze tickled Bi Ryu Yeon’s ears.

“Thank you for saving me, sir, or should I now call you my savior?”

The owner of the voice was none other than Eun Seolran of sa jeong hwa.

“Ah! The owner of that stormlike rumor, the peerless beauty!”

Bi Ryu Yeon responded with a bow as a return greeting.

Bi Ryu Yeon was well aware of Eun Seolran, having heard about her incessantly at the Aesojyeohoe. Recently, because of her, the Aesojyeohoe had been extremely busy. like discovering a new world, perhaps?

“Oh my! Peerless beauty, you flatter me, I am Eun Seolran of sa jeong hwa. Thank you once again for your help.”

If there’s a guy who dislikes receiving a polite greeting with a beautiful smile, he must be either insane, homosexual, or a pervert. Fortunately, Bi Ryu Yeon was not a pervert, so he could genuinely be happy about her gratitude.

“What are you talking about? It’s natural to help others when they’re in trouble!”

Bi Ryu Yeon said with a smile all over his face (though only visible below his nose). If anyone else who knew him heard this, they would have been shocked or choked. Because everyone knew well that Bi Ryu Yeon rarely stepped forward to help others for free.

“Oh my, such reassuring words! You truly know what it means to be a hero, fitting for the renowned Cheonmu Academy!”

“Of course!”

Without any hesitation, Bi Ryu Yeon shamelessly replied. Yeom do, who was watching from the side, thought that all the heroes of the martial world would bite their tongues and die upon hearing such a story. Why did he have to lose yesterday’s duel and witness this today?

Yeom do, who had seen what he shouldn’t have, now had an expression as if he had chewed on dung. Regret washed over him like a flood.and Goosebumps rose all over his body