The God of Massacre (5)

Since Galsaryang took over as leader, Samangak had firmly established itself.

The biggest contributor to this success was undoubtedly the Cheonmang Society. As the battles with their enemies intensified, the bond between Galsaryang and Ban Seojeong, the head of Cheonmang, grew stronger. Galsaryang, in turn, treated Ban Seojeong with more warmth than before.

With their hearts in sync, the Cheonmang Society provided invaluable support, allowing Samangak to solidify its position even faster.

Moreover, upon discovering that the enemies they faced alongside Byeokridan were forces secretly controlling the upper world, the Cheonmang Society became even more proactive.

Their pride as a leading intelligence organization in the martial world had been deeply wounded by their ignorance of such a presence.

Jin and Su also exceeded expectations. Crucially, they avoided the typical power struggles that occur when forming a new organization.

They focused solely on their tasks, and as a result, Samangak became a reputable intelligence organization that could stand its ground anywhere.

“Investigate everyone listed here.”

Galsaryang handed a sheet of paper to Jin. After quickly scanning its contents, Jin asked, “Who are they?”

“A secret organization.”

The paper contained information about the martial artists killed by Byeokridan, detailing their numbers, martial arts skills, and levels of proficiency.

“It’s likely they were nurtured by an organization from the upper world.”

“Understood. I’ll look into it.”

“Ask for help from the Cheonmang Society as well. Use every resource to find out immediately!”

“Yes, understood.”

As Jin left, Baekpyo, who had been sitting and sipping tea, spoke up.

“Shouldn’t I assist our lord?”

He had been seeking Galsaryang’s permission on this matter.

“Our lord doesn’t wish it.”

“Still… I’m worried.”

“I understand your concern. But our lord’s decision is firm, so please yield this time.”

“Yes.”

Baekpyo sighed and walked to the window, gazing outside. His eyes were filled with worry as he looked into the darkness.

Galsaryang understood Baekpyo’s feelings. Though he had become sharper since forming the Black Panther Unit, his nature was inherently sentimental.

Moreover, his original duty was to lead the Tiger Unit, tasked with protecting the leader. Having spent his life safeguarding others, it was only natural for him to worry about sending Byeokridan into battle alone.

Galsaryang walked over and gently patted Baekpyo’s shoulder, speaking softly.

“I know it’s hard. But sometimes, we must learn to wait.”

“Yes, strategist.”

“Let’s trust our lord, as we always have.”

Both men fervently wished for the safe return of Byeokridan, who was fighting somewhere far away.

＊ ＊ ＊

Drip, drip, drip.

Listening to the sound of blood dripping from the Suramyungwang Sword, I stood still, quietly catching my breath.

Unlike before, the next enemy didn’t immediately reveal themselves.

It wasn’t that there were no enemies. I could sense someone targeting me. Present, yet absent; absent, yet present. I knew what kind of adversary this was.

An assassin.

The opponent was either an assassin or someone trained by one.

He was hidden nearby, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

In a way, it was fortunate for me.

My unique technique, the Cheonmuho Simjeol, allowed me to circulate my energy in any position, except when asleep.

I quickly began circulating my energy while standing. The previous battles with ten masters had drained my internal energy significantly. This was a rare stroke of luck.

Of course, circulating energy meant my reactions would be slower than when I was fully alert, but regaining my energy was more crucial now.

Even if it meant allowing an attack, securing my internal energy was worthwhile.

Once I succeeded in circulating my energy, I began to move slowly. He would never imagine that I had been circulating energy while standing still.

I walked slowly, as if surveying my surroundings.

I could feel a subtle change in the air’s flow.

He was definitely somewhere nearby.

The opponent was extremely cautious, allowing me to successfully circulate my energy a second time.

By the time I succeeded a third time, Cheonma spoke disdainfully, though his words were directed at the assassin targeting me.

[What a fool.]

[He’s just being cautious.]

[Even so, letting you replenish your energy like this. Fool, stop hesitating and attack! The longer you wait, the worse it is for you!]

[Whose side are you on, anyway? Do you have a soft spot for assassins?]

[I dislike assassins too.]

[Yet you sent so many of them?]

[That was my subordinates’ decision.]

Though that was true, he was the one who ultimately approved it. In the past, he would have angrily declared how much he wanted to kill me, but now, those words didn’t come.

[He’s a skilled assassin.]

[What kind of skilled assassin gets discovered?]

[Only because his opponent is me.]

The moment I sensed the assassin’s presence, he vanished. I couldn’t pinpoint his location afterward. In other words, he was a master of concealment.

A practitioner of this caliber would have realized I had detected him.

The more skilled the assassin, the greater their patience. They could wait a month or two to kill their target.

But this time, he wouldn’t have that luxury.

Others waiting to kill me wouldn’t allow it.

In this fight, he had a critical weakness.

A battle where he couldn’t utilize the assassin’s greatest strength—patience—was fatal for him.

[This really takes me back. I had my fill of assassins you sent after me.]

[There were some impressive ones back then.]

[Isn’t your memory just distorted by nostalgia? Assassins are assassins, then and now.]

[No, today’s lot lacks grit.]

[You called me an old-fashioned orthodox, but saying things like that makes you sound like an old-school demon.]

[Let them say it! Damn these modern fools! Stupid modern fools!]

[Hahaha.]

The assassin, whom Cheonma dismissed as a modern fool, was far from stupid.

He attacked at the precise moment I was conversing with Cheonma and laughing, the moment I was most relaxed and off guard. It showed his skill and intuition.

Swish!

A dagger flew toward my throat.

It was small and sharp, moving so fast and threateningly that it felt like it had suddenly materialized beside me, ready to stab.

Swoosh!

Slice!

The dagger, which seemed impossible to dodge, stopped beside my neck.

The Suramyungwang Sword, drawn in an instant, was also suspended in the air.

Blood dripped from the Suramyungwang Sword. It was the blood of the assassin who had thrown the dagger.

The moment I sensed the assassin’s attack, I struck him with lightning speed.

The masked man’s eyes, which had been wide with shock, lost their light. He fell forward with a thud, creating a pool of blood on the ground.

Even if I were the most careless person alive, an assassin couldn’t kill me. I’ve faced too many assassins to die by one now.

In the distance, more than a dozen enemies began to appear.

They didn’t rush in all at once but engaged in a wheel battle because a reckless joint attack would be far less effective.

Without mastering cooperative attack techniques, allies could become hindrances, preventing them from fully utilizing their skills.

Especially when facing an overwhelmingly strong opponent, continuously attacking to deplete their strength was the most effective strategy.

[Hey, Cheongwang.]

[What?]

[Are you sure my martial arts skills have improved?]

[Absolutely. But why do you ask?]

[I’m thinking of using the Great Annihilation.]

[The Great Annihilation? What’s that? Wait! You don’t mean…]

[Yes, it’s the final move I used against you.]

[You’re planning to use that cursed technique here?]

[If I have to kill them all anyway, isn’t it better to do it that way?]

[True, but as I’ve said before, your martial arts aren’t complete, so it’s dangerous!]

[That’s why I want to test it. To see if it’s truly incomplete. I feel like I can find out if I try now.]

These enemies wouldn’t retreat just because I told them to. If I had to kill them all anyway, I wanted to try the Great Annihilation.

I was still skeptical about the incompleteness of my Chuhonsuragum technique.

[I’ll have to retract calling you an old-fashioned orthodox. You’re quite bold. I’ll start calling you a butcher instead.]

[I don’t mind.]

[Are you serious?]

[How can I protect the martial world if I worry about this and that? When I fought you, I learned something painfully.]

[What was that?]

[That you can’t win a fight by overthinking. Hey, Cheongwang. Do you know how many we killed in that war? It’s laughable to talk about massacres now.]

Cheonma said nothing in response. In the past, he would have boasted about killing many orthodox practitioners, but now his mindset was changing.

[What about your internal energy if you use it?]

[It’ll be completely depleted.]

[Are you okay with that? What about the remaining enemies?]

I looked at the enemies gathering in the darkness and spoke softly.

[There won’t be any left.]

＊ ＊ ＊

Amheuk Daesang and Amheuk Isang sat side by side in front of a tea cart. Though it was a street tea shop, the tea was excellent.

“Today, we won’t be caught off guard.”

Despite Amheuk Isang’s confident declaration while sipping tea, Amheuk Daesang merely nodded once.

Amheuk Isang could tell that Daesang was skeptical about today’s battle as well.

“Even if we don’t kill him, if we can at least injure him internally, we’ll definitely be able to eliminate him in the next fight.”

“If he’s injured, he won’t show himself. He’ll just hide away somewhere.”

“Are you saying he’s a coward?”

“He’s not the type to be swayed by noble causes.”

Despite knowing the trap had been set from the first day, Amheuk Isang believed their opponent had shown up today out of a sense of duty and honor typical of those who follow the righteous path. A sense of duty that, in his opinion, was utterly useless.

“Then why did he come today?”

“Because he’s confident he can win.”

Amheuk Isang was taken aback, and Amheuk Daesang added with a smirk, “Or perhaps he’s confident he can escape.”

Just then, a subordinate rushed into the night market, moving faster and looking more tense than when he had delivered the previous message. Both Amheuk Daesang and Amheuk Isang turned their gaze toward the runner, who was heading toward the shops. They sighed, expecting another light to go out, but something unexpected happened. The man visited several shops in quick succession.

Soon, the lights of four shops went out simultaneously.

Amheuk Isang’s jaw dropped. “Good heavens! Did we lose them all at once?”

“It seems so.”

While Amheuk Isang was shocked, Amheuk Daesang remained calm. “He’s much stronger than I anticipated. Beyond anything I could have imagined.”

Amheuk Daesang stood up, drawing the attention of everyone in the night market. “As of this moment, the market is closed.”

Everyone stared in disbelief. Closing after just two days?

Amheuk Isang voiced the concern of the crowd. “Daesang, are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.”

Amheuk Isang lowered his voice. “Closing now could affect the selection of the next leader.”

“If we don’t close now, we’ll lose all our shops.”

Amheuk Isang fell silent, recognizing the finality in Amheuk Daesang’s resolute expression. The simultaneous extinguishing of four shop lights had been a shock even to him.

“I will follow your command.”

As Amheuk Isang bowed his head in acceptance, everyone else followed suit. “We will follow your command.”

The lights of the night market went out one by one, leaving the place shrouded in darkness.

“What will you do now?” Amheuk Daesang asked calmly, gazing at the darkened market.

“Has the blood merchant arrived?”

A fresh, feminine voice emerged from the shadows. “I’ve been here all along.”