Chapter 41: The Scheme (4)

The moment Team Four pulled out, I knew instinctively.

‘That damned bitch went and caused a mess after all!’

Judging by how flustered the members of the Third and Fourth Teams looked, it was clear she had kept them in the dark about her plan.

But now that things had already exploded, there was no point in complaining. That wouldn’t solve anything.

‘At this rate, we’ll lose. But!’

Victory or defeat no longer held any meaning for me.

I immediately retreated slightly from the battlefield to get a grasp of the overall situation.

I needed to determine whether this was merely a distraction or if things were indeed spiraling into the worst-case scenario as I feared.

And sure enough.

A gloomy-looking man on the outskirts of the battlefield caught my eye.

‘An assassin!’

The reason I immediately recognized what he was… was simple.

That same distinctive scent that always lingered around Gu Chil whenever he worked—a scent unique to assassins—was wafting from that man!

‘He’s not just some random thug. He’s a properly trained First-rate assassin!’

There was no way someone like Ju Guk-seon could have brought in an assassin of that caliber.

It had to be someone else. Perhaps… that bastard Han Muyeon!

Sswaaaak!

Just as I’d feared, the man suddenly lunged toward Baek Sang-ah at a terrifying speed.

Sensing the assassin’s presence, Baek Sang-ah tried to evade him by even throwing away her flag.

But the man’s footwork wasn’t something she could avoid.

Of course, that didn’t mean I couldn’t stop him.

The moment I recognized the assassin, my body had already started trailing his path.

Thud!

Just as the assassin’s dagger bared its fangs toward Baek Sang-ah—

My kick landed squarely in the bastard’s side.

***

“An assassin!”

Pavilion Master of the Thousand-Day Pass wasn’t the only one who noticed the intruder.

“Cease! Cease the mock battle immediately!”

“C-Chief Instructor?!”

Several instructors, not yet fully aware of the situation, looked puzzled at the cry of Chief Instructor Lee Gyubo.

However, the quicker instructors, including Jang Deuk-soo, immediately followed his lead.

“Stop the mock battle and retreat!”

“Instructors, protect the trainees!”

“Subdue the assassin! He must be subdued!”

Only after hearing the word “assassin” did the others finally grasp the situation.

Just as the instructors nearby began to charge in—

“Wait.”

It was none other than the Pavilion Master who raised his hand to stop them.

“P-Pavilion Master?!”

“Why…?”

As everyone stared at him wide-eyed—

“Instructors, halt the mock battle and protect the trainees. However—”

However?

“Leave the assassin to Jin Yeomyung.”

“What?!”

“W-What do you mean…?”

The Pavilion Master turned his gaze to Lee Gyubo.

“You had your doubts too, didn’t you?”

Lee Gyubo shrugged.

“You’re talking about that incident, aren’t you?”

Though it wasn’t said outright, there was only one thing that could be referred to as that incident between the two.

“To be honest, I didn’t believe it at first. But as time passed, I slowly started to change my mind.”

It wasn’t just Jang Deuk-soo who had been observing Jin Yeomyung over the past days.

“Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to confirm it?”

A glint of light sparkled in the eyes beneath the Pavilion Master’s mask.

“To see if a true monster has been born in the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.”

Lee Gyubo let out a sigh.

“If that kid dies, both you and I will be dragged before the Asura King. Likely with just our heads intact.”

Even if the Pavilion Master was an extreme martial master and Lee Gyubo himself had reached peak Master Level…

Before the might of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan, that meant absolutely nothing.

“You and I have lived enough to stop fearing death.”

“I still have at least twenty more years in me. I’m not even seventy yet.”

Despite the Pavilion Master’s scolding, Lee Gyubo remained unbothered.

Even so, he didn’t object to the Pavilion Master’s decision.

Because he too was curious.

“If that boy was truly the one who destroyed the Azure Steel Stone Training Room—”

“The balance of the Six Great Demonic Clans would be overturned. That assassin will be a valuable indicator.”

The opponent was clearly beyond the level a trainee could handle.

Upon seeing the terrifying speed of the assassin’s movement technique, there was no other conclusion they could come to.

Which is why they wanted to confirm it.

That blow just now, the one that sent the assassin flying—was it a display of skill or just a coincidence?

***

“Guhhak!”

The assassin let out a cry as he was flung to the side.

At the same time, the instructors began to rush in, announcing the end of the mock battle.

“The mock battle is over!”

“Everyone, fall back!”

The trainees were confused by the sudden appearance of the instructors but stopped fighting and followed their orders for now.

But—

‘Wait a damn minute…’

Why were the trainees retreating in such a way that they were forming a circle, leaving just me and the assassin inside?

Why weren’t the instructors, who were supposed to subdue the assassin, stepping in and instead simply managing the trainees?

There was only one person capable of orchestrating something like this.

Pavilion Master Jo Jin-sang!

‘Hah… That damn old geezer?’

Wearing a warm smile beneath his mask, he pointed a finger at the assassin.

The message was clear: ‘Let’s see if you can handle that guy.’

I twisted my lips and glared at the Pavilion Master.

‘So he was suspicious of me?’

Showing some of my abilities at this point wasn’t even difficult anymore… but the method of proving it pissed me off.

‘Since you dared to play it this way, you better be ready to pay a steep price.’

At some point, Jang Deuk-soo had moved in front of Baek Sang-ah to protect her.

In other words, all I had to do was deal with the assassin before me—and this would all be over.

“Phew.”

I let out a small sigh, then shifted my gaze to the assassin, who was slowly getting back on his feet and adjusting his stance.

“If I ask who sent you… you won’t tell me, will you?”

“…Obviously not.”

Swik!

The assassin, Dokjeol, held a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other.

“That’s unusual. What kind of martial art is that?”

“Nothing in particular. I just grabbed whatever felt right.”

I’d heard of a martial school far to the east, across the sea, where they used curved blades instead of swords.

Looking at his stance, though, it was clear this wasn’t some formal martial art. It wasn’t a traditional starter form of any kind.

It was just that… I could sense the fierce resolve of a man who would plunge a blade into someone, even if it meant dying in the process.

‘It’s been a while… this cold and heavy sensation.’

In my previous life—not as Jin Yeomyung but under another name—fighting against killing machines like this one had been routine.

‘Tch. No way this guy can be compared to those monsters.’

If I struggled with just this one assassin, how the hell was I going to take down the Heaven-Defying Society when they showed up?

I began to channel my Qi into my sword.

Surpassing the level of regular sword energy—so much Qi poured into the blade that its material couldn’t contain it, and it began to leak out.

That leaking energy then took shape, forming a visible aura around the blade—Sword Qi.

“Hah!”

“S-Sword Qi!”

Many people gasped in shock.

Releasing sword qi at the Post-Heaven Level meant that person stood at the absolute forefront of all Post-Heaven martial artists.

“I knew it…”

But only Ma Jinseong bit his lip, as if he had expected this all along.

“So the rumor… was true?”

“That he beat Ma Cheolsoo from that brothel…”

Even among the instructors, murmurs of unrest began to spread.

Of course, even among sword qi users, the quality of one’s Sword Qi varied greatly.

And what they saw in Jin Yeomyung’s blade… was far beyond the threshold of an average First-rate martial artist.

“I was considered a genius even within the Demon Dragon Hall, but I only reached that level when I was near forty.”

Lee Gyubo let out a deep sigh.

“Who at that age could possibly release such a refined Sword Qi?”

At that, the Pavilion Master replied calmly.

“There’s one.”

“Who would that be?”

“Young Cult Leader.”

“…!”

Lee Gyubo was stunned.

“The Young Cult Leader has reached that level?”

The Pavilion Master gave a slight nod.

“I only saw it once, but yes.”

“Well, damn.”

Lee Gyubo repeatedly stroked his long beard, laughing in disbelief.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t that kid in contact with the Young Cult Leader?”

“He was.”

“I heard most of the other Six Great Clans were eliminated. If those two continue, they might end up as the strongest couple in history.”

“Perhaps…”

The Pavilion Master’s tone in response was oddly subtle.

***

The moment I drew my sword qi, the assassin’s eyes revealed a flicker of surprise.

Even if he’d taken a hit due to a sneak attack, he clearly hadn’t expected my level to be this high.

Still, the bastard was experienced. His moment of confusion didn’t last long.

Tsssss…

Before I knew it, a green aura of sword qi had begun to rise from his own blade.

“As expected.”

He smelled similar to Gu Chil. There was no way a guy like that wouldn’t know how to handle sword qi.

‘He doesn’t have sword qi on the dagger, but the surface is glistening… He pulled it out only when going after Baek Sang-ah, so… it must be poisoned.’

And not just regular poison. Most likely, a deadly one.

Paht!

Both the assassin and I kicked off the ground at the same time.

‘I have to be perfect.’

That’s true for most fights, but especially when fighting an assassin.

Even the slightest lapse, and the bastard would slip through and bury a blade in my body.

Even if I had to sacrifice an arm… even if my heart or throat got pierced—

‘Here he comes!’

His sword thrust directly at my heart.

Just like a true assassin, the strike was fast and clean, devoid of any unnecessary motion or trickery.

‘I won’t play into your game.’

Whether I dodged, blocked, or deflected—

No matter what I did, he would use that moment to go for me with the dagger in his left hand.

There was only one ideal move in this situation.

Overwhelm him.

Ten Heavenly Record Demonic Sword – Sixth Form – Boundless Realm Demon.

The sword form that had once destroyed the Azure Steel Stone Training Room—this time, unleashed not with qi projection, but with raw sword qi.

From the swing of my blade erupted a burst of jet-black, razor-sharp sword energy.

“Urgh!”

The assassin groaned as he was confronted head-on by this relentless, slicing offensive.

But he didn’t give up.

As if to prove he too was a sword qi user, he fiercely parried the oncoming wave and charged in again, trying to pierce my neck.

However—

Kwaang!

“Guh-haaagh!”

When it came to direct confrontation, there was no contest between us.

With his greatest advantage—stealth—now gone, there was no way I’d lose in a swordfight.

“I have one question.”

As the assassin was sent flying,

I recalled something Gu Chil had once told me and asked him,

“Why are you still fighting?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Someone once told me this: if a First-rate assassin fails to kill their target and ends up in a situation like this, what do they do?”

“-Huhhh? That guy’s First-rate? Are you kidding me? Isn’t he just the dumbest bastard in all the land? Why isn’t he just biting down on poison and dying already?”

“-If something like that really happened? Then yeah, either he should just kill himself, or run for his life no matter what. Huh? But if he’s still insisting on a head-on fight?”

“-Tch! That obviously means he’s got something else in mind. Like maybe he’s planning to blow himself up with a bomb strapped to his body, or sacrifice his life to aim for an opening. And if not that…”

“There must be another comrade in hiding.”

Flinch!

“It’s not just one guy targeting her, is it?”

Paht!

As soon as those words left my mouth, someone suddenly leaped out from among the confused crowd of trainees.

And that someone charged straight toward Baek Sang-ah, who was under the protection of the instructors—without a moment’s hesitation.

“That, that bastard—isn’t that Gwan Sang from the Team Six?!”

That Gwan Sang guy had been subtly sneaking closer to Baek Sang-ah from the very start.

“This crazy bastard dares?!”

The instructors shouted in fury and drew their swords.

But—

Just for a brief moment.

The man called Gwan Sang seized that opening and succeeded in closing the distance right up to Baek Sang-ah.

However—

Ten Heavenly Record Demonic Sword.

Second Form — Ascending Demon Flame

If the first form, Heavenly River Flowing Blade, was an illusionary sword form blending false and true strikes, then this second form was a single, straight, righteous blow.

Thud!

The moment the bastard pulled a poisoned blade from inside his robe, the jet-black flame-like sword qi I unleashed pierced straight through the back of his hand.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep