Chapter 242: Old Rat. (2)

A scorching heat pressed down on the surroundings.

The forest, which had been terribly dark at night, gradually brightened due to the rising flames.

Kkuiyook!

I tried to pull my captured arm free, but even with all my strength, it wouldn’t budge easily.

‘This guy…?’

Although I hadn’t used my full strength, the assassin knew.

He knew that even if he used his full strength, he wouldn’t be able to escape easily.

That’s why it was strange.

‘To be handled by this brat… Me?’

The shock wouldn’t subside.

Even though I had lived my entire life in the underworld, specializing in covert operations.

His blood was yellow, and his surname was Hwangbo.

It meant he shouldn’t have been overpowered by a youngster who looked like he hadn’t even lived a quarter of his life.

‘But why is this happening…!’

Faced with the situation before his eyes, the assassin’s mind raced.

Setting aside the fact that he hadn’t expected to be caught in the first place.

How this person had appeared and captured him was a mystery.

However, he couldn’t just stay still.

The assassin, gazing at the red glint in the eyes, slowly opened his mouth.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

First, he tried to deflect.

His plan had been to subdue the opponent without killing him and shut him up.

But now, he had a different thought.

He wondered if that was even possible.

‘This is ridiculous.’

In the realm of covert operations, assassins killed those above their own level.

For example, assassins were the most common ones to achieve miracles like a first-rate martial artist killing a peak-level martial artist.

Of course, they were the ones who created such situations and moments to exploit weaknesses and kill.

This meant that if they were at the same level, defeat was almost unheard of.

Especially in this dark environment and terrain like a forest.

“I was just….”

“You don’t know?”

At the assassin’s words, Jinryong, Gu Yangcheon’s lips twisted fiercely.

The red glint shining in the dead of night, along with the flames heating the surroundings.

And his fierce face.

All these circumstances made Gu Yangcheon look like a demon.

“Any martial artist on the front lines would surely know this is the domain of the Gu family.”

“I merely took a wrong turn.”

“Oh, really? And a martial artist from the Hwangbo family, no less. At this hour.”

“…!”

At Gu Yangcheon’s words, a bead of sweat trickled down the assassin’s spine.

How could he have known?

That I was from the Hwangbo family.

Hiding his startled heart, the assassin maintained his composure.

“…What on earth are you talking about.”

“It’s impossible not to know, your family has such a rough, distinctive aura.”

“I am not a member of the Hwangbo family.”

“And you’re not as refined as the Peng family either. Ah, I suppose that’s why you didn’t make it into the Four Great Families.”

“…”

“See? Compare you to the Peng family, and your expression sours immediately.”

Oops.

The assassin sighed, wiping his face.

Perhaps because of the unexpected situation, I made a needless mistake.

Could it be because it had been too long since I took on this assignment?

“What an interesting child….”

At the assassin’s words, Gu Yangcheon’s brow furrowed.

He seemed displeased about something.

“Interesting, my ass. Why are you acting so high and mighty when you came here to do dirty work in the middle of the night?”

“For someone of a prestigious family’s bloodline, your mouth is quite rough. Do you know how many years this old man has operated in the Central Plains?”

“So? Are you asking me to show you some respect?”

Kkuiyook.

Pressure gradually increased on the captured hand.

“You’re asking for respect from someone who came here to pull a stunt in the middle of the night. If you’ve lived that long, you should age gracefully. You’re rotten to the core.”

“You punk…!”

“Well, then again.”

The assassin, who had been roaring at Gu Yangcheon’s words, paused momentarily upon seeing Gu Yangcheon’s face filled with a smirk.

“Getting beaten and not even feeling ashamed, then reporting it, or the guy who came all the way here in the dead of night after hearing about it. Both of you seem like idiots.”

At the words spat out with a heavy dose of mockery.

The assassin, unable to take it any longer, raised his inner energy.

‘I have to kill him.’

I know he’s quite outstanding for someone at the late-stage exponent level.

Not only did he break through the barrier at that age.

Just the fact that he could approach me while hiding his presence, even for a moment.

He must already be slightly beyond the late-stage exponent level.

‘But.’

That doesn’t matter.

Suddenly.

The assassin’s arm, held in Gu Yangcheon’s hand, slipped out as if oiled.

As smoothly as if it had been coated in oil.

Gu Yangcheon’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected me to escape.

But the assassin was already gone.

‘The night is my domain.’

For those who had lived decades of covert operations.

The night was no different from their own world.

They were better than anyone at hiding in the darkness.

Even if the surroundings were momentarily illuminated by flames.

Darkness was everywhere, so it didn’t matter.

‘You will regret this.’

For disgracing me and the Hwangbo family.

I will make you regret it.

Hidden in the darkness, the assassin’s eyes quietly gleamed.

The guy was still standing still, slowly looking around.

As if searching for me.

‘It was too much to torment him without killing him.’

It was truly shitty and self-deprecating, but I judged that I wasn’t at that level.

An assassin who reached the Hwajing realm in his later years.

It was truly pathetic that I couldn’t handle such a mere brat.

But it didn’t matter.

I could just eliminate him now.

‘This guy is dangerous.’

The main reasons the assassin decided to eliminate Gu Yangcheon were the disgrace to the Hwangbo family and the insult to himself.

But there was also the reason that Gu Yangcheon was simply too outstanding.

‘This guy’s sky is too vast.’

The monster of the Peng family, or the Hidden Dragon list of Wudang.

There are countless geniuses in the world, but facing him directly, I could tell even better.

This guy was the most dangerous among them.

Moreover, if Gu Yangcheon harbored hostility towards the Hwangbo family in his mind.

It would be better to eliminate him now before it grew uncontrollably.

In that sense, it was actually fortunate.

That it was me who came to face this guy in this situation.

‘I’ll have to get something bigger from First Young Master.’

The assassin thought this as he raised his inner energy.

A thin dagger was now in his hand.

The dagger, infused with inner energy, held a sharp edge.

The assassin plunged the dagger into Gu Yangcheon’s heart, who hadn’t noticed him.

Just before the dagger touched Gu Yangcheon’s body.

Tak-!

“…!”

The assassin almost screamed at the unfolding situation.

Because Gu Yangcheon had instantly turned and grabbed the assassin’s arm again.

“What…?”

Udeuk-!

The moment his arm was caught, a sickening sound echoed from it.

I sensed it.

That the wrist just caught had been broken.

“How… How?”

But more than the fact that the bones in his wrist had turned to powder.

More than the searing pain running down his spine.

He wanted to know how he had been detected by Gu Yangcheon again.

It wasn’t within a range where he could be noticed.

It wasn’t even a moment where he could react after noticing late.

How on earth….

“How could I not know? You’re that visible.”

“What?”

The assassin wore an expression of disbelief at Gu Yangcheon’s words.

But it didn’t last long.

Kwaang!

Because Gu Yangcheon’s fist smashed into the assassin’s face.

“Kkeureuk…!”

The assassin’s head snapped back from the immense impact.

I tried to observe his movements and dodge somehow.

But the captured arm simply wouldn’t come free.

My mind went hazy from the massive shock.

It meant my consciousness was shaken by just one blow.

Tududuk…! Jurureuk….

I managed to lower my head, which had been thrown back.

A few broken teeth and blood dripped from my lips.

“Kkeoeuk….”

This is dangerous.

Something is wrong.

The assassin’s instincts screamed warnings, but…

‘My body…isn’t obeying….’

It felt strange, like my body wasn’t listening.

The shock from the blow was much greater than expected.

But it wasn’t enough to cripple my body.

That’s why something felt off.

“…Kkeueuk….”

The assassin forced himself to lift his head and look at Gu Yangcheon.

Even in the pitch-darkness, Gu Yangcheon’s eyes were still glowing red.

“You… punk! Did you use… potent poison?”

“Potent poison? Ah, maybe something similar.”

Gu Yangcheon tilted his head.

But then he corrected himself and nodded.

“If it’s poison, then it’s poison.”

‘Poison, perhaps….’

Only then did the assassin seem to understand why his body felt strange.

It was natural if he had been poisoned.

However.

When exactly?

When could he have administered the poison to infect me?

And what kind of poison could have incapacitated me so easily, he didn’t know.

I had built up immunity to most poisons for my covert operations.

Unless it was the legendary Formless Poison of the Tang Sect, I shouldn’t have been poisoned so easily.

The problem was that those things weren’t important right now.

The assassin gasped for breath and spoke to Gu Yangcheon.

“Spare… me…”

First, I had to beg for my life.

Gu Yeongcheon, seeing this, laughed incredulously.

“Giving up so quickly? I thought you’d put up more of a fight.”

If I was truly afflicted by potent poison.

And if I was captured, unable to escape.

For now, I had to survive.

When an assassin is caught during a mission.

They often commit suicide by biting the poison hidden under their tongue.

Or they die enduring torture for the sake of their clan, which is common.

But I didn’t want to do that now.

My loyalty to the clan had long since waned.

Now, I was only thinking about holding onto my elder position and living out the rest of my life.

‘I was trying to fulfill First Young Master’s request for that very reason…!’

To end the wavering life of the assassin.

And to enjoy wealth and glory while protecting the elder position belatedly granted.

I intended to solidify that position.

I never expected something like this to happen.

Gu Yangcheon remained expressionless at the assassin’s words.

If anything, he looked annoyed.

“Why are you acting so pathetically?”

“Young brother…. No, Young Master Gu, I… I’ll tell you everything… who ordered this. I’ll even testify if you want… Mmph!”

The assassin’s mouth, about to spill everything to change Gu Yangcheon’s mind, was covered by Gu Yangcheon’s hand.

It wasn’t a particularly large hand, but for some reason, the hand covering my mouth felt enormous.

“Even if you don’t tell me, I already know who asked you.”

Chijijik.

“Eueup… Mmph!”

Feeling heat emanating from the palm covering my mouth.

The assassin let out a desperate groan, but no sound came out.

“I don’t need testimony. This isn’t an era where that stuff matters, is it?”

“Kkeueup… Mmph.”

Hwareureuk-!

Then, flames erupted from the palm, clinging to the assassin’s face and body.

“Kkeureup!!”

The assassin struggled against the flames engulfing his body.

But he lacked the strength even to struggle properly.

The flames burned until the assassin’s breath ceased.

As the struggling fingertips went still, the flames instantly died down.

What Gu Yangcheon held in his hand afterward was nothing but an unrecognizable pile of ash.

Tuduk.

Releasing his grip, the ashes plopped onto the floor.

Gu Yangcheon casually brushed his hands and, looking at the floor, belatedly realized something he had forgotten.

“Ah.”

Right.

I forgot to ask for his name.

“…Does it really matter?”

He’s probably some Hwangbo or whatever.

Gu Yangcheon slightly bowed his head, pulled something from the chest of the charred corpse, tore it out, and put it in his own pocket.

Then, he calmly looked down at the corpse.

Without lingering, he turned his back and headed back the way he came.

Leaving the corpse there wouldn’t matter.

Because soon enough, monsters would appear and devour it.

There wouldn’t even be a trace left.

That was the nature of the forest on the front lines.

---

After Gu Yangcheon disappeared, saying he was going somewhere for a moment.

Bi Yeonseom was enduring an extreme situation.

A situation so awkward that she felt she might suffocate and die.

‘Please… save me.’

Keeping her tense body rigidly upright.

Using her frozen back as a pillar, she stared straight ahead, but…

All her attention was directed towards her side.

Towards the woman sitting quietly beside her, gazing at the forest.

Hilleuk.

Bi Yeonseom glanced sideways for a moment and swallowed hard.

‘She’s truly… unbelievably beautiful.’

The woman was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her white hair seemed to glow, bathed in moonlight.

Her languid eyes gazing forward, and the blue pupils within them.

Combined with her appearance, they created an overwhelmingly dreamy atmosphere.

When I saw Snow Phoenix before.

I thought, ‘How can someone be so beautiful in this world?’

But the woman I was seeing now was on a different level.

It was to the point where the first question that came to mind was, ‘Can she even be considered human?’

‘That person is Sword Dancer….’

Bi Yeonseom knew the person well.

Sword Dancer Namgung Bi-ah.

She was the sister of the Thunder Dragon and a rising martial artist who suddenly appeared at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering last time.

Although she narrowly lost to Shinseong, the sect leader’s son, in the martial arts tournament back then.

The beautiful sight she displayed then, like dancing with a sword in hand.

Was imprinted in the minds of many.

It was thanks to those appearances that she earned the moniker Sword Dancer.

Bi Yeonseom, who had fled back to her sect as if running away, deeply ashamed of her defeat without being able to put up any fight at the martial arts tournament.

Hadn’t properly seen Namgung Bi-ah then.

But the woman she faced now.

Was beyond her wildest imagination.

‘Not just her appearance, but her martial prowess too.’

The single sword strike she displayed just before.

Was a tremendous shock to Bi Yeonseom.

Even now, the gaping hole amidst the dense forest before her eyes felt unreal.

Of course, it was certainly possible for outstanding swordsmen of the era.

But the fact that Namgung Bi-ah, someone her own age, possessed such a level of martial skill.

A small sense of self-doubt welled up.

Along with it, a surge of envy towards Gu Yangcheon arose.

To think that such a beautiful and strong woman was his fiancée.

How long had it been since she kept stealing glances at Namgung Bi-ah beside her, filled with envy?

Namgung Bi-ah, who had been so quiet she seemed barely breathing.

Seureuk.

Suddenly stirred, sat up, and moved her pretty lips, looking forward.

“…Where… did you go?”

“Yes…?”

Wondering if she was perhaps talking to her, Bi Yeonseom replied flusteredly.

“There was a rat.”

Another voice interjected, answering instead.

Soon, the owner of the voice appeared from between the bushes.

The owner of the voice was Gu Yangcheon, who had disappeared earlier.

“…A rat…?”

“Yeah, it was quite big.”

He looked the same as when he disappeared earlier, but somehow his face looked a little tired.

But still, a rat?

What rat did he suddenly catch?

Namgung Bi-ah, who had been silently pondering the meaning like Bi Yeonseom, asked Gu Yangcheon.

“…Are you okay?”

What was she asking if he was okay about?

Bi Yeonseom couldn’t understand.

Maybe Gu Yangcheon was afraid of rats?

But Gu Yangcheon suddenly going to catch a rat made even less sense.

At Namgung Bi-ah’s words, Gu Yangcheon smirked.

The smile was so unnerving that Bi Yeonseom secretly flinched slightly.

“What’s there not to be okay about? I just went for a bit.”

“…”

He said it as if he was truly fine.

But Namgung Bi-ah’s expression suggested she wasn’t satisfied with the answer.

Gu Yangcheon, seeing her expression, also wore a troubled look.

Perhaps he had sensed what Namgung Bi-ah disliked.

“Stop making that sulky face. I’m genuinely fine.”

Gu Yangcheon, trying to brush it off.

Soon looked towards Bi Yeonseom.

When their eyes met, Bi Yeonseom involuntarily flinched.

It was because she had gotten scared without realizing it.

She wondered if she had shown her surprise too obviously, but fortunately, Gu Yangcheon didn’t seem to pay it any mind.

“Hey.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Let’s go down.”

Bi Yeonseom’s eyes widened at Gu Yangcheon’s abrupt words.

“Yes…? There’s still time before sunrise?”

As the guard on duty, she was supposed to spend time patrolling her assigned area until at least sunrise.

At Bi Yeonseom’s words, Gu Yangcheon touched his neck as if tired and replied.

“I’ve gained a reason to return to the barracks.”

A reason?

At Gu Yangcheon’s words, Bi Yeonseom tilted her head, looking confused.