Chapter 252: You Probably Didn’t Know This
Seo Yu-gyeom, who had killed the old man without hesitation, promptly opened the shop’s back door and went outside.
Behind the shop lay a wide courtyard and the Vice Leader’s private residence.
As he walked along the path leading there, the scent of blood brushed the tip of his nose.
Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyebrows twitched. If he had been an ordinary martial artist, he would have grown impatient and imdiately deployed movent arts, but Seo Yu-gyeom was a forr Deathshroud elite assassin.
He simply walked on, calm and composed. His pace was neither slow nor fast.
Fwish-!
Throwing knives flew silently from both sides.
He knocked away the knife from the left with the Heaven-Slaying Dagger, and neutralized the knife from the right by releasing force through his palm.
After briefly glimpsing the shadows on both sides from which the knives had flown, Seo Yu-gyeom continued forward. They were rely hiding and throwing knives, not bold enough to rush him directly.
Just before reaching the rear courtyard after passing through the long corridor, an assassin dressed entirely in pitch-black clothes and a mask from head to toe blocked his path.
Normally, even a mask would have openings around the eyes for vision, but the assassin blocking him had a mask that covered even the eyes completely.
Moreover, the martial attire clinging tightly to the body revealed every curve of the figure.
Seo Yu-gyeom imdiately realized the opponent’s identity.
“Not the Twin Slaughter Ghost, but the Blind Slaughter Ghost?”
Within Deathshroud, having the character “Slaughter” attached to one’s alias ant receiving instructor-level treatnt.
Even among elite assassins, only a very few were granted such an alias.
Blind Slaughter Ghost.
True to her na, she was a woman who could not see.
Her martial arts were uniquely specialized for the blind, and as a result, all the assassins she trained were also blind.
Of course, so had been blind from birth, but most were won who had willingly given up their sight in order to receive Blind Slaughter Ghost’s teachings.
“…….”
The assassin, presud to be Blind Slaughter Ghost’s disciple, rely stood silently in Seo Yu-gyeom’s way.
Seo Yu-gyeom did not bother telling her to step aside. Deathshroud assassins were, after all, the most infamously uncooperative beings under heaven.
Fwish-!
Seo Yu-gyeom kicked off the ground and surged forward.
Despite being unable to see, the opponent reacted instantly to his attack.
Clang-!
The daggers of the two collided head-on.
Seo Yu-gyeom let out a low murmur of admiration.
To be active as a Deathshroud assassin despite being blind ant that her strengths overwhelmingly crushed her weakness.
Seo Yu-gyeom voiced a question he had long wondered about since his days within Deathshroud.
“How do you know? Do you hear it? Sll it? Feel it with your skin?”
“…….”
There was no reply.
“You’re blind, not mute, are you?”
“…….”
Her breathing grew just slightly rougher.
Seo Yu-gyeom felt a faint sense of satisfaction at the fact that he had managed to agitate even one of Deathshroud’s most taciturn and composed blind assassins.
Clangclangclang-!
Their daggers embroidered the air with silver light. Once again, Seo Yu-gyeom found himself impressed that an assassin who could not see wielded such a delicate saber art.
The opponent’s dagger suddenly lunged toward his glabella. Seo Yu-gyeom bent his waist backward to evade it. The blade brushed past the bridge of his nose by a hair’s breadth.
At the sa ti, she kicked upward with the instep of her foot between Seo Yu-gyeom’s legs.
It was a tactic rarely used among martial artists, but assassins were not beings who felt courtesy or respect toward their opponents.
The careless intent to turn him into a eunuch was painfully clear. Seo Yu-gyeom imdiately lifted his body into the air with a new movent form and avoided the strike.
“That startled . I almost ended up living as a woman from now on.”
Soon, the two faced each other.
At least, that was how she felt.
Thunk-
A searing pain stabbed into her back.
Seo Yu-gyeom, whom she had clearly thought was in front of her, had sohow appeared behind her and driven the Heaven-Slaying Dagger in.
“So this actually works.”
The trick was simple.
He had imitated the Technique of Exchanging Two Forms that Jin Seong-un used.
He left behind an aura identical to his own at his original position, while he himself erased his presence to an extre degree and moved.
Most experts prioritized sensory qi over their eyes and ears, so for a fleeting instant, it felt as if the opponent had split into two.
Of course, since he had rely copied it after watching from over the shoulder, it was crude, but because his opponent was blind and a master who relied solely on sensory qi, it worked all the more easily.
“Ugh…….”
Even as she let out a groan, she twisted her body and swung her dagger. However, perhaps because senses pushed to their limit also made pain far more vivid, her movents slowed drastically.
Crack—Seo Yu-gyeom seized her wrist and twisted it. With a sickening crunch, she let out a scream.
The scream did not last long. Seo Yu-gyeom struck upward with his palm against her jaw.
Crunch-!
The assassin with the broken neck collapsed on the spot.
Seo Yu-gyeom lightly shook off his wrist and advanced further inside.
.
.
.
By the ti Seo Yu-gyeom finally reached his master’s private residence, he witnessed a scene that did not differ from his expectations in the slightest.
Several assassins were surrounding his master. The Vice Leader was drenched head to toe in blood, and it looked as though even standing in place was difficult for him.
Among the assassins encircling the Vice Leader were faces Seo Yu-gyeom recognized.
“Well, it’s not like Master would fall to nothing more than those Twin Slaughter Ghost bastards.”
The twin assassins known as the Twin Slaughter Ghosts, and the assassins trained under them.
The Blind Slaughter Ghost and her followers.
Even the Phantom Ghost and the assassins under his command.
Twin Slaughter Ghost, Blind Slaughter Ghost, Phantom Ghost.
All of them were instructor-level assassins of Deathshroud.
Those who nurtured elite assassins.
A Deathshroud instructor was not rely an instructor, but one of the organization’s de facto executives, positioned directly beneath the Deathshroud Leader and Vice Leader.
Judging by the situation, it seed the three of them had joined forces to attack the Vice Leader.
Because he had encountered a blind assassin on the way, Seo Yu-gyeom had anticipated that the Twin Slaughter Ghosts and the Blind Slaughter Ghost were working together, but he had not expected even the Phantom Ghost to step in.
Seo Yu-gyeom took in the scene for a mont, nodded, and reached a conclusion.
“I’m screwed.”
It was ant literally.
That combination of three assassins was exceedingly troubleso.
In truth, even a single one of them made it difficult for Seo Yu-gyeom to guarantee victory.
Moreover, his master—the Vice Leader—could practically be considered a walking corpse.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
Seo Yu-gyeom raised his hand toward the three assassins.
They looked at him with dry, emotionless eyes. Of the three, the relatively more talkative Twin Slaughter Ghosts addressed Seo Yu-gyeom.
“Was the Vice Leader colluding with a traitor like you? Looks like we’ve gained another reason to beat him to death.”
“Why are you suddenly spouting nonsense? We rely ca to ask questions after Deathshroud assassins tried to kill our inn’s deliveryman out of the blue.”
“Deathshroud received a commission and carried out an assassination. Do you dare question that?”
“Whose commission was it? The Myriad Gold Manor’s, wasn’t it?”
It was an important question.
If he could expose that the Myriad Gold Manor was behind it, the fight against them would overwhelmingly tilt in the inn’s favor.
Of course, there was no chance the Twin Slaughter Ghosts would answer.
As if he had expected that, Seo Yu-gyeom nodded and began walking toward the three assassins.
Fwish-!
The Twin Slaughter Ghosts threw a dagger at his feet, blocking his advance.
“If you cross this line, you’ll die as well. Just stand there and watch your master croak.”
Seo Yu-gyeom looked at the Vice Leader, Shinsalgwi.
If left like that, he truly seed as though he would die soon.
The sight felt strangely unfamiliar. In Seo Yu-gyeom’s mory, Shinsalgwi had always been an endlessly strong and emotionless man.
“So that’s why I felt uneasy.”
Recently, his master had revealed human sentint toward his disciple. Seo Yu-gyeom had felt a trace of emotion at the sight, but he had also been worried. The mont an assassin developed emotions, they beca endlessly fragile.
It seed those bastards had noticed the change in his master as well. They were people who would normally never dare to defy him, yet the mont they sensed the Vice Leader’s weakness, they revealed their fangs.
Seo Yu-gyeom kicked away the dagger the Twin Slaughter Ghosts had stabbed into the ground, sending it flying cleanly aside.
The Twin Slaughter Ghosts stared at him with stunned expressions.
Regardless, Seo Yu-gyeom continued approaching his master, who was surrounded by the Slaughter Ghosts.
The Twin Slaughter Ghosts issued another warning.
“Fine. We’ll kill you too, traitor. We’ll bury master and disciple together right here.”
“Do as you like. Since I’ve already co this far, my life and death are in your hands anyway. Since it’s co to this, at least let
have a conversation with my master.”
“Crazy bastard.”
The Twin Slaughter Ghosts stepped aside.
Naturally, it was not out of goodwill toward Seo Yu-gyeom.
For Seo Yu-gyeom to approach the Vice Leader, he inevitably had to step extrely close into the territory of the three Slaughter Ghosts.
In other words, it was bait. Bait laid bare, without any attempt to hide it.
Seo Yu-gyeom approached the Vice Leader despite knowing this. The Vice Leader looked at his disciple with half-lidded eyes and spoke.
“Did you co to mock
as well? Why didn’t you co a little earlier? I searched so desperately for you all this ti, intent on killing you.”
“Master, it’s useless. Do you think they’d believe that now? It seems they’ve already realized that we’re quite close. That’s why things ended up like this.”
Even in that situation, the Vice Leader tried to act as though his relationship with Seo Yu-gyeom was extrely poor.
It was to raise, even by a single coin’s worth, the chance that his disciple might survive.
Of course, Seo Yu-gyeom had no intention whatsoever of playing along with that act.
There was no way they would believe it, and the path to survival Seo Yu-gyeom envisioned lay elsewhere.
After closely examining the Vice Leader’s condition, Seo Yu-gyeom glanced around and spoke.
“Good grief. Thanks to an incompetent master, I’m about to die too. Hey, Twin Slaughter Ghosts. How about my master declares retirent and you let
leave with him?”
“Denied.”
The Twin Slaughter Ghosts replied in cold tones.
Seo Yu-gyeom let out an involuntary hollow laugh. Denied. They were already treating the Vice Leader and him like mice caught in a trap.
Considering the difference in martial prowess between them, it was a natural response.
Either way, it was good news for Seo Yu-gyeom.
When Seo Yu-gyeom nodded, the Twin Slaughter Ghosts continued.
“I hear you’ve reached the peak. If you’re thinking of seizing a single opportunity under the assumption that we wouldn’t know, I’ll tell you in advance that it’s a futile plan.”
“I’m screwed.”
Seo Yu-gyeom said in a sigh-laced tone.
A faint smile of victory appeared on the Twin Slaughter Ghosts’ faces. Just as Seo Yu-gyeom knew them well, they also knew Seo Yu-gyeom well.
Because they were all Deathshroud assassins.
That was why they knew Seo Yu-gyeom was aiming for a single opening.
The key variable was that Seo Yu-gyeom’s martial prowess had risen one level higher than when he had been part of Deathshroud.
The Twin Slaughter Ghosts pointed out as if they already knew that, and Seo Yu-gyeom nodded without resistance.
Even so, Seo Yu-gyeom’s plan did not change.
‘But you didn’t know this.’
In that instant, Seo Yu-gyeom stamped his foot down firmly.
The three assassins had already anticipated that Seo Yu-gyeom could take sudden action at any mont, so they imdiately drew up their inner energy.
However, what Seo Yu-gyeom displayed was a variable that even Deathshroud’s instructors had not anticipated.
Crackcrackcrack—!
The ground and the surrounding area were instantly covered in pure white ice.
Ice arts in the dead of winter naturally doubled in power. It was the sa reason that masters of the Ice Palace never left those barren frozen lands.
That Seo Yu-gyeom had obtained ice arts was sothing they could never have guessed.
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