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Where the Shadows Lead (3)

The sword aimed at me trembled slightly.

I wasn’t looking at the tip of the blade; my eyes were locked on Shim Hwang’s.

Just then, the door swung open, and someone entered with a booming voice.

“He’s right. If you bring it, that’s your invitation.”

It was none other than Choo Do-chi, the master of the Choo family. The benevolent and gentle demeanor he had shown earlier was gone, replaced by a sharp, cutting presence. It was like seeing a twin with a completely opposite personality.

“Take off that hat.”

“No.”

I refused immediately, and Shim Hwang, who was holding the sword, twitched. He looked like he wanted to swing the sword and cut my throat right then and there. But with Choo Do-chi’s arrival, he couldn’t act alone.

I warned him.

“You’d better be careful. My patience for your rudeness is limited. You’ve already used up your one chance when you pointed that sword at me.”

Shim Hwang’s eyes glinted with a murderous intent. He wasn’t the type to be intimidated by mere words.

Choo Do-chi intervened.

“Stand down.”

Shim Hwang stepped back, but even from a few paces away, he continued to glare at me with suspicion.

Choo Do-chi addressed me.

“You should be careful too. You only get one chance to stay alive.”

I chuckled. I never imagined that deciphering the code would lead to a situation like this.

“So, you won’t show your face? You’re not a beauty, so why play hard to get?”

“It’s not like you’re hunting pigs by looking at faces, is it?”

Choo Do-chi laughed.

“Haha, true enough. As the one who issued the invitation, I suppose I can ask this much. The original owner of that invitation, Jo Byuk, is dead. So why do you have it?”

“Because I killed him.”

“One more thing, who are you?”

“Let’s just say I’m someone who couldn’t ignore a man who kidnaps children to run a brothel.”

Choo Do-chi scrutinized me sharply, but he wouldn’t find anything. I was perfectly controlling my aura.

“I killed Jo Byuk and stumbled upon the invitation. That’s how I ended up here. Now, let me ask you, what is this place?”

Choo Do-chi smiled leisurely.

“As you can see, I’m hosting guests for my birthday. The people here are specially chosen guests.”

“Explain it simply.”

“We sent invitations to those who share our vision. Those who wanted to come, came. Those who didn’t, didn’t. You came of your own will. Though it seems curiosity brought you here.”

“How many invitations did you send out today?”

Choo Do-chi’s eyes gleamed sharply at my question.

“Why do you ask?”

“Just answer the question.”

Curious about my intentions, Choo Do-chi answered.

“Seven in total.”

“I’m worried about the four who didn’t show up.”

Choo Do-chi paused. By now, they were likely all eliminated. Judging by the skills of Choo Do-chi, Shim Hwang, and the other men, this was no ordinary organization.

Choo Do-chi gave a peculiar smile.

“If your guess is right, then you’re quite lucky. At least you’re still alive.”

His words were both an answer and a threat.

“We aim to reshape this world.”

“How so?”

“A righteous world, a world of cooperation. We’re gathering talent for that. Not the old world ruled by the old guard, but a new world nurtured by fresh warriors like you.”

I chuckled.

“Why laugh?”

“You don’t seem young enough to talk about the old guard.”

Choo Do-chi’s cheek twitched, and his eyes narrowed, but he didn’t easily lose his composure.

“That’s why we called you here, isn’t it?”

“Let’s be honest. You just want to rule the world.”

“Misunderstandings and jealousy are inevitable when pursuing a great cause.”

“Fine. Let’s say I misunderstood. What do we get for joining your cause?”

“Power.”

At Choo Do-chi’s signal, an attendant brought out a tray.

On the tray were three pills.

“These are Heavenly Elixirs. They grant half a lifetime’s worth of inner power in an instant.”

The eyes of the other two men wavered. In these times, when elixirs were rare, the promise of such power was a temptation hard to resist. I knew this well, having recently tried to buy an elixir myself.

But that wasn’t the only temptation.

“We’ll also teach you martial arts superior to what you know.”

Choo Do-chi pointed at me and addressed the other two men.

“Whoever kills him can have his Heavenly Elixir too.”

It was a powerful temptation. With two Heavenly Elixirs, one could gain nearly a lifetime’s worth of inner power.

The two men hesitated. They couldn’t make a rash decision without knowing my skills. Moreover, my calm demeanor with Choo Do-chi made them even more hesitant.

But the temptation was too great to simply walk away.

One of the men leaped forward. As long as the fear of someone else acting first existed, one of them was bound to make a move.

The man’s sword flew toward my heart.

I sidestepped his blade and grabbed his wrist. As our bodies collided, I struck.

Slice!

A dagger, now in my hand, slashed his throat.

“Guh…”

The man staggered, blood gushing from his neck, and collapsed as if dancing.

The remaining man turned to Choo Do-chi.

“I’ll just take mine.”

Fearing the situation might change, the man strode toward the tray. Just as he reached for the Heavenly Elixir, I spoke.

“Are you sure that’s a real Heavenly Elixir?”

The man froze at my words.

“Let’s consider this. You want to conquer the world. You have several Heavenly Elixirs. Would you consume them yourself to increase your power, or give them to strangers?”

The man looked at Choo Do-chi with suspicion.

In the next moment.

Flash.

The man crumpled to the ground.

Choo Do-chi held a sword dripping with blood.

It was an incredibly swift strike, proving he was far stronger than Shim Hwang.

“Today’s business is ruined. Get rid of him.”

As if waiting for the command, Shim Hwang and ten men behind him exuded killing intent and closed in from all sides.

Whoosh.

I threw a dagger at Shim Hwang.

He twisted his body to dodge. Of course, I hadn’t intended to kill him with that dagger.

After throwing the dagger, I charged at him.

Shim Hwang swiftly swung his sword.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

In the blink of an eye, his sword cut through the air five times.

I twisted my body mid-air and targeted the man on the right. From the start, he was my true target. The dagger throw and charge at Shim Hwang were all a feint.

Thud! Crash!

I fell to the ground with the man. The surrounding men, unprepared for such a turn of events, didn’t know how to react.

Though I merely fell backward, the first man was already dead. Meanwhile, I sprang up like a spring and tackled the man hesitating nearby.

Thud!

My fist shattered his jaw. Using him as a shield, I pushed toward the next man.

Whoosh!

A panicked man swung his sword.

The startled man’s sword pierced his comrade and aimed for me.

But it was a futile attempt. I easily dodged the sword, and before he could draw it again, I vaulted over the shielded man and kneed the next man’s face.

Thud!

The man’s face caved in as he toppled backward.

By the time I landed, the three men I had targeted were cold corpses. It all happened in an instant.

Shim Hwang shouted to his subordinates.

“He’s a master! Be careful!”

I was far more skilled than they had anticipated, and my methods were unexpected.

But if caution alone could stop a master, would they be called masters?

I moved through them like a tiger among sheep.

When facing many opponents, the first thing to consider is taking out the leader.

But there’s no need to charge at the leader recklessly.

At least, not at this moment. Especially with Choo Do-chi lurking behind, waiting for an opportunity.

In this fight, I decided to eliminate the subordinates first.

Sometimes mercilessly, sometimes using them as shields.

Thud!

My fist sent a man skidding across the floor. I followed closely behind. Kicking him to finish him off, I leaped toward another man.

Whoosh!

A sword aura flew at me from behind.

It was Shim Hwang’s attack.

I ducked and slid. The sword aura passed over my head and struck the man I was about to attack. His body was sliced apart as he fell.

I changed direction as I slid across the floor.

Swish!

At the same time, a dagger flew from my hand.

The dagger embedded itself in the ankle of the man in front, causing him to stumble.

Thud!

I kicked his head and launched myself at the man behind him.

Again, a sword aura flew at me from behind.

Whoosh!

I used the man I was attacking to block my view as much as possible, then twisted my body at the last moment.

The sword aura narrowly missed me and sliced through the man’s face.

Shim Hwang cursed under his breath as another man’s ribs shattered under my fist.

Daggers flew at the men standing awkwardly, waiting for my attack.

They couldn’t dodge and fell one by one. Normally, they would have easily avoided such an attack, but fear had paralyzed them, leaving them vulnerable to this unexpected assault.

Striking when least expected—that’s the most effective way to use a dagger as a secondary weapon.

In an instant, ten of my subordinates lay lifeless on the ground.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

Shim Hwang charged at me with his sword. He was indeed a formidable opponent, worthy of his reputation.

His blade came at me swiftly and precisely, targeting my vital points. He realized he was up against a master, and his anger only fueled his strength.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

But no matter how furious a hunting dog gets, it can’t take down a tiger alone.

I broke through his seemingly flawless technique and closed in on him.

The moment his eyes widened in shock, my arm was already at his side.

He looked at me with despair, while I remained calm, executing my technique. If we couldn’t handle this final moment, we shouldn’t have entered this world of martial arts.

Thud!

Shim Hwang’s body hit the ground with a heavy thud.

He died instantly, without even a moment to feel pain.

Now, only Choo Do-chi remained.

He didn’t flee, perhaps confident in his skills or because he had another plan.

I was curious about him. Was he the leader, or was there someone else behind him? If there was someone behind him, were they connected to Ma Bong-gi, or was there another hidden player entirely?

“They say there are as many masters as grains of sand on the beach. I’ve heard of a master like you… wait.”

He suddenly looked startled.

“I’ve heard of you. The nameless hero who killed the butcher of Cheondo Gate with bare hands. So, it’s you!”

I neither confirmed nor denied it, but he seemed convinced I was the nameless guest.

“If it were you, I would have sent a very special invitation.”

I slowly walked over and picked up a pill from the ground.

I sniffed it. It had a scent similar to the Heavenly Pill, but it wasn’t the same. I knew because I had taken it during my time as a leader.

Then I detected a faint, different scent mixed in. When I realized what it was, I was shocked.

The Unrepentant Demon Spirit Pill!

It was indeed an elixir that granted half a cycle of internal energy.

But the price was steep. Once consumed, it guaranteed death in seven years, earning it the name of a devil’s elixir.

Taking two would grant a full cycle of energy but reduce one’s lifespan to three years, and three would give one and a half cycles but only a year to live. Any more, and it was instant death.

It was called “unrepentant” because it was used by the Blood Heaven Sect in the past. Despite its fatal flaw, it was still an elixir, requiring immense resources to produce.

But why was a relic of the fallen Demon Sect here?

“How about it? If you take it, I promise you’ll be treated far better than others.”

“Have you taken it yourself?”

My sudden question made him flinch. Perhaps he had taken it too. Did he even know what it was?

An organization growing its power with the Unrepentant Demon Spirit Pill—truly an unforeseen situation.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Even if it’s not you, there are plenty who would take it without hesitation for power.”

He snapped his fingers, signaling something.

Clang, clang, clang.

Suddenly, all the doors around us swung open. The place was surrounded by people.

I was taken aback. They were the very guests I had met earlier.

Over a hundred of them glared at me. I realized they were all in on it.

Choo Do-chi mocked my earlier words.

“We only send invitations to those we know.”

This place was meant to gather people. They probably held birthday banquets regularly. Each time, they’d play the same role, pretending to be guests.

Their murderous intent was palpable, and Choo Do-chi was among them.

Feeling the concentrated killing intent from all sides, I let out a cold laugh.

“You really do love this new world of martial arts.”