Chapter 72: Danya (3)

*Whoosh!*

The Five Night Guardians raised their swords in alarm as the man suddenly appeared before them.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

They swiftly unleashed their sword Qi, but…

‘Something’s strange about his martial arts.’

One of them glanced at the bandages scattered on the floor.

“You have time to look around?”

*Whoosh! Whizz!*

The man had somehow grabbed the broken iron bars and was now attacking them with a flurry of thrusts and slashes.

The three guardians were overwhelmed and forced to focus on defense.

*Clang! Clang!*

The force behind his attacks was so powerful that their wrists buckled with each block.

‘Such profound internal energy!’

As the three guardians struggled to defend themselves, the other two Night Guardians joined the fight.

“Everyone, attack together!”

“Disciples, form the sword formation!”

“Hahahaha!”

The Black Night rampaged through the chamber, amidst the clanging of metal, cries of pain, and his mocking laughter.

*Clang!*

Five Hao Clan disciples were sent flying by his attack, crashing into the walls.

*Boom!*

One of the three guardians was kicked away, tumbling to the floor with seven other disciples.

‘There are over fifty people here, but it’s as if he’s walking through an empty field.’

He was moving through the battlefield as if it were a deserted wasteland.

‘Is this the power of a true expert?’

Il-do, the leader of the Five Night Guardians, was awestruck, but he didn’t let his guard down.

Even the most skilled expert could make a mistake.

Their only chance was to exploit a weakness and inflict a fatal blow.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

He swung the iron bar like a windmill, sending disciples flying.

“Haha, is that all you’ve got?”

*Crack!*

The iron bar pierced through the floorboards, sending three disciples plummeting into the basement.

“Oh, this is broken too.”

He tossed aside the mangled iron bar and leaped into the air.

He grabbed a sword and a saber that were floating in midair and began to move in earnest.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

He moved through the chaotic battle with fluid grace, effortlessly taking down disciples.

“You’re putting up a good fight.”

He was like a tiger among sheep.

Fortunately, he was only using the blunt sides of his weapons, so no one was dying.

‘If he was fighting seriously, this place would be a bloodbath.’

Il-do swallowed nervously.

He was terrified, but he continued to observe his opponent.

There had to be an opportunity.

‘No, there must be an opportunity.’

He had to land a blow on this arrogant bastard who dared to invade the Hao Clan’s branch.

Perhaps his prayers were answered.

“You bastard! Your opponent is here!”

“We’re right here!”

The three guardians, realizing that conventional methods were useless, charged into the collapsing sword formation.

“You!”

They surrounded him, attacking with all their might. Sword Qi flashed within the formation.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The combined attack of three peak-level experts was not something the man could easily ignore.

“Oh? Impressive.”

He stopped his casual stroll and began to parry their attacks seriously.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The four swords clashed relentlessly, sparks flying.

*Crack!*

The floorboards beneath their feet began to crumble under the strain of their combined power.

‘Now!’

Il-do saw his opportunity. He kicked off the ground and soared into the air.

“Haaa!”

Man and sword became one.

He unleashed a powerful thrust, aiming for the man’s back.

‘It connected!’

His sword felt unusually light.

He was certain he had landed a hit.

“Did you forget about the bandages?”

*Thwack!*

Il-do felt a tightness around his neck, and then he was yanked upwards.

*Crash!*

He slammed into the ceiling, then crashed to the floor amidst a pile of debris.

*Cough! Cough!*

What was that?

What had grabbed him?

He looked down and saw an old, tattered bandage wrapped around his neck.

‘I forgot about those…’

He tried to stand up, but his legs gave way.

“Ugh!”

He vomited blood.

His internal energy had been disrupted, and he had suffered minor internal injuries.

“Who’s next?”

The bandages, moving like tentacles, slithered towards the other two guardians.

“I’ll cut them all down!”

“Go ahead and try.”

*Whoosh!*

One of the guardians swung his sword at the bandages, but it bounced off harmlessly.

“They can’t be cut?!”

It was a treasured sword he had recently received from the Hao Clan’s headquarters, a reward for his achievements.

It was so sharp that it could cut through paper with a single stroke. He couldn’t believe it couldn’t cut through some old bandages.

“Hehe, you’re easily surprised.”

The man raised his hand, and the bandages unraveled, slithering across the floor like living creatures.

They wrapped around the swords that were scattered on the ground, lifting them into the air.

“Oh my god.”

The Hao Clan disciples stared in disbelief at the dozens of swords floating in midair, bound by bandages.

*Hummmmm…*

The swords turned towards them, their blades gleaming menacingly.

“This is like…”

“The legendary Sword Control Technique!”

They trembled in fear at the overwhelming, surreal sight.

“I can’t believe such a monster exists…”

They had been wrong to think they could defeat him.

Despair filled their faces as they realized the vast difference in their power.

Several disciples collapsed, their legs giving way.

The man, his red eyes gleaming with malice, laughed maniacally.

“Hahaha! That’s the look I wanted to see!”

“Tremble in fear! Cower in terror!”

“That is the only way you can look at the heavens of the desert!”

“Despair! Despair!”

“For I am despair!”

He was a madman.

They had never seen anyone so consumed by madness, so delighted by their despair.

He was a demon who fed on their fear.

“Hehe, hahahahaha! Hahahaha!”

As he laughed hysterically, the swords in the air hummed ominously, their blades pointed at the remaining disciples.

*Hummmmm…*

*Clang!*

The Hao Clan disciples, overwhelmed by the sight of the madman and his bizarre display of power, collapsed again.

“Haha, perfect.”

The man stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t have to go looking for them. I can just ask you.”

The swords, bound by bandages, moved closer to the remaining disciples.

“Hehe, maybe I should punish a few of you as a warning. Before I start the real tortu…”

It’s over.

They were doomed. They knew it in their hearts.

“Hey, brat. Having fun?”

“Gasp!”

For the first time, the man looked startled.

*Whoosh!*

A powerful gust of wind swept through the chamber, and the bandages that were writhing in the air coalesced into a small wall in front of the man.

*Boom!*

But it was too late.

The wall of bandages exploded, and the man was sent flying.

“Cough!”

His usually playful face contorted in pain. His pale skin, which had stood out against his black clothes, turned even whiter.

“Danya, you’re looking well.”

“Cough… My lord… cough… my lord…”

“Who’s your lord? right? Who are you? Which kingdom do you rule that gives you the right to barge in here and cause chaos?”

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Cho Un-hwi appeared out of nowhere and kicked the man repeatedly. The man curled up on the floor, his arms covering his head.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!”

The bandages in the air converged, wrapping around the man like a cocoon.

Even the bandages seemed to be afraid of Cho Un-hwi, trembling violently.

“Hey, Danya, get rid of this.”

“My lord, you broke my bones! You broke my bones!”

“That’s what you get.”

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

The man, beaten to a pulp, lay motionless on the floor. The bandages lay limp beside him.

Cho Un-hwi dusted off his clothes and bowed to Yo-ran.

“Branch Leader, I apologize for this incident.”

“…Thank you for your assistance, Shadow Sovereign.”

“Words alone are not enough.”

He smiled and grabbed Danya’s hair.

“I’ll make sure to collect a hefty compensation fee from him.”

***

After the brief but intense battle, an interrogation was held with only Yo-ran, the Five Night Guardians, and Danya present.

Yo-ran asked Danya, who was glancing around nervously, “Where are our disciples?”

Danya, now subdued, replied, “…They’re all safe. I never intended to kill them.”

“I hope that’s true. If any of them are dead, we won’t let this go. There will be consequences.”

“Hmph, if you don’t let it go…”

He flinched under her gaze and quickly said, “…I’ll be grateful.”

“Why did you attack our branch?”

“I had no choice. They wouldn’t tell me where my lord was.”

Cho Un-hwi frowned.

“You could have waited. You’re the master of the Assassins’ Valley. Why are you so impatient?”

Danya protested, “How could I wait when I heard that my lord was in Muhan City?!”

“I should have been in Muhan City.”

“Muhan City means the Murim Alliance! And the Murim Alliance means only one thing! You were going to have all the fun without me!”

He didn’t say it out loud, but Cho Un-hwi could guess what he was thinking.

‘This idiot thought I was planning to destroy the Murim Alliance and came rushing over in excitement.’

That explained why he had been so eager to find him.

Danya whimpered, “I was already upset that you left without a word, and now you’re telling me you were having fun without me? How could you do this to me? The Murim’s code of conduct has fallen to the ground! No, even in this cruel world, this is unacceptable!”

“Let’s clear up this misunderstanding. I’m living a peaceful life. I’ve never been one for fighting.”

“Since when?”

“Since now, you idiot.”

*Slap!*

Cho Un-hwi slapped the back of Danya’s head. Danya whimpered, clutching his head.

Yo-ran and the Five Night Guardians were speechless.

This was the Black Night, the one who had fought like a demon from hell just a moment ago.

The powerful warrior of the desert, who had overwhelmed them with his bizarre martial arts, was now cowering before the Shadow Sovereign. It was hard to believe.

Yo-ran whispered to the Five Night Guardians, *[Can you assess the Black Night’s skill level?]

*[It’s difficult. His martial arts are very unusual.]*

*[I see.]*

She felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

Even the Five Night Guardians, who were considered experts within the Hao Clan, couldn’t assess his strength.

She had never felt so acutely aware of their lack of power.

‘But why did the Shadow Sovereign arrange this meeting?’

The Murim was a world ruled by strength. Even though they had suffered a humiliating defeat, it would be wiser to back down gracefully.

They should be grateful that he had de-escalated the situation without causing any major damage.

‘Compensation fee?’

She waited nervously, wondering what he was planning.

Cho Un-hwi finally got to the point.

“Branch Leader, I’m entrusting this idiot to you for the time being.”