Chapter 133
As the sun dipped low in the evening sky, Sun Woo-jin gazed at the isolated manor ahead and asked,
“Is that the manor?”
Jeok Ma-hyeok responded respectfully,
“Yes, Young Master.”
Having ventured nearly to Guizhou Province, Sun Woo-jin had returned just two days ago with Jeok Ma-hyeok to the mountainous region in central-southern Sichuan. And it was all because the heart of the Sichuan Assassins Sect lay within that very manor.
For a moment, Jeok Ma-hyeok hesitated before speaking cautiously.
“Young Master, I don’t doubt your skills. But even so, taking on the entire Sichuan Assassins Sect alone… that’s a bit reckless.”
Sun Woo-jin chuckled softly.
“Are you worried about me? Whether I wipe out the sect or recklessly charge in and die, it’s none of your concern, is it?”
Jeok Ma-hyeok’s face flushed slightly, but he answered solemnly,
“I may have lived like trash, but I’m not so foolish as to mistake what’s right or who my benefactor is.”
Sun Woo-jin smiled warmly. He was indeed a rare talent worth the time invested. After learning that Sun Woo-jin had spared his sister Jeok Ha-yeon and even his younger brother Jeok Ha-gun, Jeok Ma-hyeok had tearfully expressed his gratitude and pledged his full support. Thanks to him, Sun Woo-jin had uncovered the location of the Sichuan Assassins Sect’s stronghold.
And now, with Jeok Ma-hyeok leading the way, they had just arrived—ready to erase the sect once and for all.
Jeok Ma-hyeok’s voice carried a note of concern again.
“The Sichuan Assassins Sect ranks among the top three assassin groups in Sichuan. Unlike other groups that avoid targeting peak masters, they’ve successfully eliminated quite a few. And though it’s not visible from outside, there are over fifty assassins constantly lying in ambush inside. If you count those stationed there permanently, the number exceeds a hundred. So, even for you, Young Master, a frontal assault would be…”
He trailed off, genuinely worried. From the moment Sun Woo-jin promised to wipe out the sect—or more honestly, from the moment he confessed with a sunny smile that he hadn’t killed Jeok Ha-gun and apologized for deceiving him—Sun Woo-jin had become like a savior to Jeok Ma-hyeok.
Moreover, though Jeok Ma-hyeok still couldn’t fully trust him, Sun Woo-jin had entrusted his two younger siblings to the nearby Hao Sect, telling Jeok Ma-hyeok that if he didn’t return within three days, he could take them back. It was a contingency plan in case he failed.
Having never before experienced genuine goodwill, Jeok Ma-hyeok felt as if Sun Woo-jin’s every move was like that of a chivalrous hero from a story. He found himself almost falling for the man.
Sun Woo-jin grinned at his concern and replied,
“Thanks for worrying. But I never said I’d break through head-on.”
“…Huh?”
Jeok Ma-hyeok’s puzzled expression was interrupted as Sun Woo-jin’s presence suddenly shattered like petals scattered by the wind.
“?!”
Jeok Ma-hyeok was stunned. The Seventh Assassin of the Sichuan Assassins Sect—one of the best in Sichuan—had just lost sight of someone right before his eyes.
It was unbelievable. Clearly, it was invisibility technique. But not just any—this was a level far beyond what Jeok Ma-hyeok had ever learned. A chill ran down his spine.
“Where? Where did he go?”
He focused all his senses, but Sun Woo-jin’s presence was nowhere to be found. Instead, something else caught his attention.
“Could it be…?”
Unsure of his own senses, Jeok Ma-hyeok activated his own invisibility and cautiously approached the manor.
Then he felt it clearly.
“The ambushers’ presence is disappearing?!”
Though the manor appeared quiet and deserted, many assassins were lying in wait, on high alert. But their presence was fading—like tiny candles snuffed out by a passing breeze, like stars vanishing at dawn.
Sun Woo-jin was surely eliminating them while cloaked in invisibility.
Jeok Ma-hyeok shivered at how swift and natural it all seemed.
Within moments, every trace of presence vanished. Sun Woo-jin then opened the front gate as if it were the most natural thing in the world and spoke to Jeok Ma-hyeok.
“Come in. I think you’ll need guidance inside.”
Jeok Ma-hyeok hesitated, unsure what to say, then finally asked,
“Are you… Amhyeolhyang?”
Sun Woo-jin smiled wryly, recalling a similar question from Do Moon-seung not long ago.
“Not at all. I just picked up invisibility as a hobby.”
For Jeok Ma-hyeok, that answer was even more disheartening than being called Amhyeolhyang.
At the same time, Gye Soo-ryeok, the sect leader and First Assassin of the Sichuan Assassins Sect, was gathered with his top-tier assassins in the main hall, discussing countermeasures.
“Shipi-yeong, any word from the Seventh Assassin yet?”
Shipi-yeong bowed his head.
“We had a report that the operation had begun, but nothing since.”
Gye Soo-ryeok slammed his hand on the table in anger.
“Damn that Sun Woo-jin! Because of him, we’ve lost the Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Assassins!”
Though furious, Gye Soo-ryeok was also deep in thought. He faced two choices: abandon the contract to prevent further losses or muster all remaining strength to complete it.
Emotionally, giving up seemed right. The damage was already severe, and pushing forward meant he’d have to get personally involved.
But realistically, it wasn’t so simple. The penalty for breach was enormous, and the client was Hong Sa-gumryong, the adopted son-in-law of the Sichuan Tang Sect. Canceling now would surely earn their wrath.
Besides, Hong Sa-gumryong had subtly hinted that this contract was the Tang Sect’s will.
In short, to survive in Sichuan, they had no choice but to see it through.
Gye Soo-ryeok looked over the assembled elite assassins, including the Second and Fourth Assassins, and spoke gravely,
“We stake our lives on this contract. From now on, all of us, including myself…!”
At that moment, the door to the main hall creaked open slowly.
Gye Soo-ryeok’s face twisted with rage.
“Who dares enter during a top-tier meeting?!”
But when he looked, no one was there.
Frowning, he muttered,
“What kind of trick is this?”
He couldn’t imagine anyone capable of sneaking in using invisibility to fool a room full of elite assassins.
Meanwhile, Sun Woo-jin, still cloaked in invisibility, sent a silent message to Jeok Ma-hyeok, who was hidden near the door.
—Make sure no one leaves the manor.
In the next instant, Sun Woo-jin’s presence surged up from among the shadows of the assembled assassins like a ghostly apparition.
“!”
“!”
Startled, the assassins scrambled backward, preparing to throw their hidden weapons.
But before they could act, a pale violet beam burst forth like a radiant sun, spreading in all directions.
Fifteen seconds of the Sun Woo Thirteen Swords technique.
The moment the violet sun flared, the entire hall froze.
In a single instant, the violet light exploded outward, and over thirty elite assassins who had tried to flee were instantly slain.
No sound—no clash of blades, no screams.
Only silence, light, and then the sight of dozens of blood-spurting corpses collapsing lifelessly.
Among the fallen, the only man left standing smiled coldly and addressed Gye Soo-ryeok.
“You must be the sect leader, the First Assassin.”
Still dazed, Gye Soo-ryeok swallowed hard and asked,
“W-who are you?”
Sun Woo-jin smiled faintly.
“Sun Woo-jin.”
Gye Soo-ryeok’s eyes widened impossibly. That Sun Woo-jin—here? How?
But there was no time to ponder. Sun Woo-jin was striding toward him.
Gritting his teeth, Gye Soo-ryeok shouted,
“What are you doing?! Attack him all at once!”
The remaining elite assassins instinctively hurled their hidden weapons at Sun Woo-jin.
Whizz! Swoosh! Whirl!
Hundreds of weapons filled the air, darkening the space as they surged toward him.
Sun Woo-jin’s sword began to spin fiercely.
Five seconds of the Fourteen Sword Technique.
Whirlwind Slash.
Whirlwind Slash was a defensive move from the Fourteen Sword Technique, sharing roots with the Forty-Eight Sword Style of the Jeomchang faction, specializing in defense and swordless strikes.
As Sun Woo-jin unleashed it, his spinning sword formed a massive circular shield, deflecting every thrown weapon.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Watching this astonishing sight, Gye Soo-ryeok’s expression twisted further in disbelief.
“Impossible…”
At that moment, a shadow slowly approached from behind Sun Woo-jin.
It was Sa Pil-cheuk, the Fourth Assassin of the Sichuan Assassins Sect.
Since childhood, Sapilcheuk had been timid and fond of hiding, so he gave up swordsmanship and assassination techniques to focus solely on stealth.
He was too afraid to clash swords with enemies or throw hidden weapons.
But after wandering in the shadows for so long, he suddenly realized something.
No one could find him anymore—and that made killing people incredibly easy.
Just moments ago, when the door opened, Sapilcheuk had instinctively vanished into invisibility, startled by the sudden noise.
It was a reflex ingrained in his body.
Because of that, he was certain of one thing: Sun Woo-jin, who was fully focused on defense, couldn’t have seen him.
That meant the empty space on Sun Woo-jin’s back was his for the taking.
“Heh heh heh… goodbye.”
Sapilcheuk chuckled inwardly as he crept up right behind Sun Woo-jin.
All he had to do now was fire a silent dart at his back.
But just then, Sun Woo-jin took a step back, stomping his foot hard toward the shadow where Sapilcheuk was hiding.
Crack!
With the sound of a watermelon smashing, Sapilcheuk’s headless body was revealed.
No matter how skilled in stealth, one can’t hide without a head.
Glancing at the corpse, Sun Woo-jin thought, “That must be Sasal.”
He had already gotten all the intel on the Sachesal Sect from Jeok Ma-hyeok.
Since Sasal was known as the best at stealth, Sun Woo-jin had been most wary of him.
Now that he was dealt with, there was no need to hesitate any longer.
Sun Woo-jin finally sprang into action.
Tatatatata-dang!
His new form, which had been blocking hidden weapons with the Whirlwind Blade, suddenly launched a barrage of attacks to the side like cannon fire.
Bang!
This was the explosive power of the Booming Step, now an essential part of Sun Woo-jin’s fighting style.
Puhwahak!
The assassins spread out to the side were instantly obliterated in an explosion of sword strikes.
Sun Woo-jin’s speed was so overwhelming they couldn’t even react.
In the blink of an eye, they scattered their blood and became lost souls.
Panicked, Il-sal Gyesuryuk shouted, “Yi-sal! What are you doing?! Stop him!”
Yi-sal was a man who had stood expressionless like a doll on the sidelines during the fierce battle, as if it didn’t concern him.
But at Gyesuryuk’s command, he sprang into action.
He swiftly lunged forward, throwing hidden weapons.
Shiiik! Whirrr!
Flying like beams of light, powerful throwing knives and spinning shurikens came at Sun Woo-jin at a speed unlike the other assassins’ weapons.
Sun Woo-jin couldn’t ignore them and swung his sword to block.
Titing!
At that moment, Yi-sal, who had quietly moved behind the other assassins, shoved one of them aside.
“!”
The startled assassin flew toward Sun Woo-jin.
Sun Woo-jin smirked and casually sliced the assassin’s neck with his sword.
Shyaaak!
Just then, Yi-sal emerged from behind the fallen assassin, swinging his blade.
Shu-hak!
Cheng!
A single clash—blocked, but a highly threatening surprise attack.
Still, when Sun Woo-jin easily parried the strike, Yi-sal gave up on the attempt.
He immediately vanished back into the crowd of assassins.
And threw more hidden weapons.
Shiiik! Whirrrr!
Sun Woo-jin chuckled softly, blocking the weapons and resumed slaughtering the remaining assassins.
According to Jeok Ma-hyeok, Yi-sal was the Sachesal Sect’s top swordsman and the sect leader’s blade.
He was certainly an interesting opponent.
Though not yet at the pinnacle of mastery, just by skillfully combining his techniques, he was more threatening than many masters at the peak.
Sun Woo-jin grinned, licking his lips as he thought, “Alright, let’s see how you handle this.”
His sword began to emit a hazy aura.
The Seven-Second Sword Technique.
Black Sky Sword Rain.
Shuhaaak!
Through the dark, cloud-like mist, sword shadows rained down like beams of light.
It was a decisive strike that wiped out the remaining dozen or so assassins all at once.
Puhwahak!
Yi-sal desperately escaped through the bloodied assassins, deflecting several sword shadows with his short blade.
Chaechacheng!
“Can’t let you get away!”
Sun Woo-jin’s new form pursued him like a ghost.
For the first time, Yi-sal narrowed his eyes and frantically scattered hidden weapons at close range.
Whirrrr!
But Sun Woo-jin smoothly dodged them like petals drifting in the wind and closed the distance.
Yi-sal’s short blade transformed into several beams of light, striking at Sun Woo-jin.
Tatatatadang!
A flurry of attacks at astonishing speed.
His arms seemed to multiply, leaving afterimages.
But Sun Woo-jin casually swung his sword to block them all with ease.
Then, with a faint smile, he struck back.
The One-Second Sword Technique.
One Time, Four Times.
Shiiik!
Yi-sal’s eyes widened in shock.
It was a sword strike he had never seen before but had longed to experience.
Puhak!
Hit by the blade, Yi-sal slammed into the wall and collapsed to the floor.
Thud!
It was over.
“Hmm.”
Sun Woo-jin glanced around lightly.
Everyone visible lay on the ground.
Not all were dead, but none could resist anymore.
Except for one.
Sun Woo-jin turned his gaze to that last person.
Il-sal Gyesuryuk was trembling, gritting his teeth.
He had been aiming a poison dart at Sun Woo-jin all along.
It was loaded with Hakryeonghong, an extremely deadly toxin leaked from the sect.
If even Yi-sal couldn’t stop Sun Woo-jin, Gyesuryuk planned to fire without hesitation.
All the assassins in the room would die, but at least he, with the antidote, would survive.
But in the end, he couldn’t press the trigger.
Gyesuryuk spat out angrily, “Chilsal, you betrayed us.”
Suddenly, Jeok Ma-hyeok appeared behind Gyesuryuk, stealthily pressing a sword to the back of his neck.
“Betrayal? You, who held my and my brothers’ lives hostage with solitude, dare to talk about betrayal? That’s rich.”
Jeok Ma-hyeok’s voice sounded oddly cheerful, making Gyesuryuk grit his teeth.
He spat back, “Do you think you can live after doing this? Even if you and your brothers die in solitude…”
Sun Woo-jin stepped forward, cutting him off.
“Oh, that solitude? How about we have a little chat about that? You’ve got two choices: speak quickly and die painlessly, or suffer every torment imaginable before finally talking—and ending up neither dead nor alive.”
Gyesuryuk glared at Sun Woo-jin with steely resolve and shouted, “Don’t play games. You won’t get anything from me…!”
At that moment, Sun Woo-jin’s hands moved swiftly.
Tatadadak!
It was the technique of Bungun Chakgol he had read and memorized in the Sun Woo family’s study.
Suddenly, an unbearable wave of pain crashed over Gyesuryuk.
He couldn’t help but scream, eyes rolling back.
“Guaaahhh!”
Sun Woo-jin watched him with a gentle smile and said again, “Hey now, it’s only the first stage. Don’t give up so soon. Let’s get to stage five and then talk.”
The Bungun Chakgol technique had ten stages in total.
Looks like Gyesuryuk was in for a long day.