Chapter 22: Tangled with a National-Level Big Shot

Until recently, they had more experts than us, and in terms of the number of ordinary disciples, they were on par with a regional warlord.

The secret to their growth was, in a word, ‘business diversification through mergers and acquisitions.’

!!!

If our Thousand Murder Valley was a specialized and profitable company focusing on the single item of assassination contracts, the Blood Demon Clan was a general trading company that dabbled in everything.

Of course, Thousand Murder Valley could also have ventured into various businesses.

But the reason we didn’t was simple.

There was a code of ethics in this world too.

So, the Blood Demon Clan wasn’t on good terms with any other sects.

To make matters worse, after they attacked our Thousand Murder Valley and lost some experts, the situation only worsened.

Just hearing someone say on the street, “Isn’t that guy from the Blood Demon Clan?” would cause the neighborhood bullies to rush out with clubs, turning them into cripples or just plain dead… Sending them straight to heaven was a common occurrence.

That’s why we had the Junior Demon Guard’s training involve subjugating the Blood Demon Clan’s lower organizations.

They were doomed anyway.

Therefore…

“Who on earth… who… helped the Blood Demon Clan? There shouldn’t be anyone in this Sichuan land who would help them.”

There was a sense of bewilderment in Number 16’s voice that I hadn’t heard before.Next Episode

With her collapsed, Nanchoong, the next strongest in martial arts, was acting as the temporary representative.

The Thousand Silk Clothes I had given her were torn in several places,

and blood seeped out through the gaps. The part covering her vital points was barely holding on.

I grabbed her wrist. My inner energy flowed along her meridians. Her pale face gradually regained its color, and the bleeding wounds slowly healed.

“Are you…?”

“I told you, I am a disciple of the Lust Demon among the Six Demons of the Martial World.”

“The Lust Demon? The Lust Demon of the Six Demons?”

Number 16 was astonished, unlike his usual self.

I was a master of the Murim world, but I didn’t know about the individual settings of each master.

That was because most of the settings in each game were random.

Except for a few major sects like Shaolin or Wudang, everything else was created on the spot.

The location of the Demonic Cult also varied from game to game, and their leader changed every time.

The absolute masters who dominated the Jianghu were the same. Their names, martial arts, appearances, and personalities were all newly created. So it was natural that I didn’t know the masters of this world well.I asked cautiously.

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“You don’t know the Lust Demon, the best of the Six Demons?”

Lust Demon… He sounds more like a professional rapist than a strongman.

“I don’t know the details.”

In the end, I honestly admitted my ignorance.

“He was a man who could have built the most powerful force in the world after the disappearance of the Heavenly Demon.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at Number 16’s words.

After the disappearance of the Heavenly Demon, it was at this point in time when this female-dominated society had emerged.

“He had many female disciples.”

“Yes?”

“And after the world turned upside down, all of those disciples became big shots.”

Disciples… That’s a joke. They were probably concubines or s*x slaves.

“His disciples didn’t betray their master, did they?”

“He was… the most beautiful young man of the Demonic Faction of his time. And he was quite generous to his disciples.”

Well, looks are everything.

He must have been a handsome, cool ‘oppa’ who spent money like water.I see.

“But about ten years ago, after a major clash with the government, his power was greatly diminished. I heard that his handsome face was ruined too. I heard that he was traveling around to fix his face, but there’s been no news of him for the past three years, so there were rumors that he was dead… But we need to confirm this first.”

There was a hint of hope in his voice. He probably hoped that this incident was a lie or a misunderstanding.

I healed the wounds of Nanchoong and the other girls until my inner energy was depleted.

Especially Hwangwol, her injuries were so severe that she might have died if it weren’t for me.

She’s usually annoying, but I gave her a helping hand.

After injecting inner energy into all the other children as well, their wounds disappeared as if by magic.

“Thank you, Young Master.”

I turned toward the male dormitory after the last child’s greeting.

As I opened the heavy door, silence poured in.

It was a room that had been bustling with six people just two weeks ago. Now, it had become my private room.

None of the boys had survived.

I looked at the spot where Jangoh, the child I had talked to the most in this dormitory, used to be.

I couldn’t say that I was particularly close to him.

But living in the same room, eating together, and talking about this and that, I must have grown attached to him.

‘Young Master, you see, I’m going to retire before I turn 40. And I’m going to build a 40-room tiled house down the mountain. I’m also going to buy a farm…’

The other guys weren’t much different. Some said they would go into business, and some said they would just play around.

In the end, they were all similar.

Working in the high-risk, high-reward profession of assassin and retiring early.

In the end, they retired early.

It was too early to die.

I couldn’t sleep properly that night.

Recent Records
From the morning, the Junior Demon Guard was in an uproar. Even in the usually quiet cafeteria, the whispers didn’t stop. Previous Episode
1 Recommendation (89) Comment “It seems the information we brought was correct. The experts they dispatched to investigate confirmed it.”
Next Episode

“Well… that’s why Number 16 has been missing since morning.”

“Nanchoong is gone too. She must have been called in, right?”

I emptied my rice bowl while listening to the girls’ whispers.

Number 16 being absent meant that a senior staff meeting had been called. It seemed that the information we brought was being taken more seriously than expected.

“In other words, the information we found is amazing!”

A loud voice came from one side of the cafeteria.

Number 52, the first-rate expert who came as a substitute teacher, told them to be quiet, but it was long past the point of control.

I stopped eating at those words. The rice in my mouth suddenly tasted bad.

The faces of a few children flashed by. Their dreams and hopes were being converted into the word ‘value’ from someone’s mouth.

But it wasn’t entirely wrong. This was a group of assassins. Information was life.

The fact that the Lust Demon’s disciple was connected to the Blood Demon Clan was definitely very important information for Thousand Murder Valley.

I thought I had failed in my first mission, but it turned out that I had made a great contribution.

“We’re definitely going to receive Merit Badges. A high-level one too… except for that guy.”

Hwangwol glared at me as she spoke.

She’s openly picking a fight now.

“I saved you when you were dying, and you’re still picking a fight, Hwangwol.”

“It’s not like you’re the only Harmonious Physique in the Valley, you know?”

“But you were especially badly injured. What would have happened if things had been delayed any longer?”

“I could have endured it enough!”

Her voice rose an octave.

The other children couldn’t even think of getting involved in our argument.

Number 16 would have mediated in normal times, but Number 52, today’s temporary teacher, simply ignored it.

That was because I and Hwangwol were going to be central figures in each faction.
Previous Episode
“Urgent news! Urgent news!”

The cafeteria door opened noisily, and a low-ranking assassin rushed in, panting.

She went straight to Number 52 and whispered something in her ear.

Number 52 nodded slightly.

“Everyone, be quiet! Everyone in this class will receive a Merit Badge!”

“Wow!”

The cafeteria was filled with cheers. The children jumped up from their seats and hugged each other.

“Wait a minute.”

“Is that guy included? He was just guarding the dormitory, wasn’t he?”

Number 52 nodded.

“Yes. He’s included. He deserves a lot of credit for saving the lives of valuable assassins.”

That’s right. Men are supposed to just wait at home for their wives to come back, just caressing their wounds and passing on their inner energy, aren’t they?”

I ignored her words. I wasn’t going to start a new argument on a day like this.

“You’re the one who keeps starting fights.”

Number 52, who had been silent until now, said with a sigh.

Hwangwol replied shamelessly. Number 52 shook her head at her childish bickering and then raised her voice.

“And one person will receive the Second Class Merit Badge.”

“Could it be…”

Hwangwol’s eyes sparkled. A Second Class Merit Badge was the same level as the one I received last time.

Her face was full of anticipation.

“The Second Class Merit Badge will be awarded to Nanchoong, who conveyed the information as the representative.”

Hwangwol’s face darkened in an instant.

I sneered inwardly as I watched her expression change.

While she, the original representative, was unconscious, Nanchoong took on the role of representative and conveyed the information, so this was a natural result. In fact, everyone except Hwangwol knew it.

That if one of us received a big award, it would be Nanchoong, who had been called to the place where the adults were meeting now.