🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 32
Sword Spirit spoke casually, but the expressions on the two of them were grim. The number of demons that had appeared was five in total.
“Those are…!”
Jeok Hwamyeong spoke as if he knew the demons. Leng Yeo-seol’s gaze shifted from Sword Spirit to Jeok Hwamyeong.
“Do you know them?”
Nodding, Jeok Hwamyeong replied to Leng Yeo-seol’s question.
“If my memory serves me right, they are the Ghostly Five Assassins of Heukmak (Black Curtain).”
Heukmak was a clandestine sect active in Guangdong Province, representing the underworld alongside the Myeongsa sect.
“Heukmak… you mean the Assassin Sect?”
“Yes.”
The thought of assassins mastering Amplified Martial Arts made it seem that today would hold more danger than ease.
“Kukukuk!”
It seemed like they had entered the stage where their demonic nature overpowered reason.
Swoooosh!
As Leng Yeo-seol drew her sword, Jeok Hwamyeong also drew his.
“Sword Spirit Soja, take Jin Aseol and fall back.”
Sword Spirit obeyed Jeok Hwamyeong’s words. Retreating with Jin Aseol, the Ghostly Five Assassins began to move.
They were assassins.
Even if their reason had been consumed by the demon’s nature, their instincts remained intact. They used their greatest strengths to pressure the two of them.
“It seems their amplified martial arts have surpassed the fifth level. Be careful.”
Jeok Hwamyeong warned Leng Yeo-seol.
“Understood.”
“Focus on protecting the children rather than fighting them.”
“I will.”
A master ranked among the hundred greatest warriors of the martial world did not earn such fame by chance.
As Leng Yeo-seol released the internal energy she had restrained, her true form revealed itself.
Even if the Ghostly Five Assassins used their killing techniques and their amplified martial arts elevated their power, they could not match Leng Yeo-seol, a hundred-rank martial arts master.
Only the fact that there were five of them while she stood alone slowed her down.
“Kukukuk! Four delicious hearts right here.”
“One is missing.”
“You’re all worthless.”
Leng Yeo-seol asked the Ghostly Five Assassins.
“Kukukuk!”
“So Heukmak is just a front for these demons!”
“Kukuk! You could say that.”
Although Heukmak had no connection with the demons, they said this out of laziness.
“But it doesn’t matter. They’re going to die soon anyway.”
Flash!
The Ghostly Five Assassins moved.
Tracking opponents with the eyes was for amateurs. Masters followed the movements of their opponents by sensing their energy.
Swish!
Leng Yeo-seol blocked the sword aimed at her left waist, spun around, and blocked the sword coming from the opposite direction, regaining her stance.
The Ghostly Five Assassins pressed Leng Yeo-seol relentlessly from five directions, making her defense seem difficult.
“A formation of five elements, huh.”
“What’s a five-element formation?”
Sword Spirit murmured, and Jin Aseol asked.
“It’s a sword formation where each takes a position in five directions, assisting each other organically so the opponent cannot easily attack or defend.”
The conversation between Sword Spirit and Jin Aseol was clearly heard by Leng Yeo-seol and Jeok Hwamyeong.
“Watch closely! At first, this person attacks. They’re at the Fire position, the starting point.”
Sword Spirit explained the five-element formation.
Moving in order from Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth was a forward five-element formation; moving backward was a reverse five-element formation. The assassins used the forward formation.
As Sword Spirit explained slowly, Jin Aseol nodded in understanding.
“I see. So next, that person moves.”
At that moment, Leng Yeo-seol acted first.
The defender became the attacker, targeting the individual Jin Aseol had indicated.
The sword in her hand surged with energy. As she struck, the assassin froze in surprise—but it was too late.
By twisting his body at the last second, he avoided decapitation but lost his shoulder instead.
Leng Yeo-seol showed a hint of disappointment, but she could not linger.
She knew that if the sword formation collapsed, the attackers would regroup if she hesitated.
Flash!
Leng Yeo-seol’s sword, now attacking instead of defending, moved without hesitation.
Wolyeongseonja!
Though the title sounded noble, he showed no mercy to evildoers.
The Ghostly Five Assassins scattered to avoid the deadly strikes of Leng Yeo-seol’s sword.
“Die!”
One of the Five, Samsal, changed direction and hurled his sword toward Sword Spirit and Jin Aseol.
Clang!
Jeok Hwamyeong blocked Samsal’s strike.
“Kukukuk!”
His laughter was irritating.
At that moment, Sasal swung at Jin Aseol next to Sword Spirit. It was already too late to move.
Sword Spirit grabbed Jin Aseol and twisted their body slightly.
Simultaneously, the sword cutting through the air changed direction toward Sword Spirit.
Clang!
Wolyeongseonja appeared, blocking Sasal’s sword while placing his left palm at the assassin’s chest.
Boom!
It was Wolyeongmun’s secret technique, Wolyeongsu (Moon Shadow Hand).
Jeok Hwamyeong, seeing this, felt relieved and pushed Samsal’s abdomen with his foot before swinging his sword again.
This was the same sword technique that had brought him this far.
“Gyaah!”
Even for a Ghostly Five Assassin, typically impervious to pain, a faint cry escaped from Samsal’s mouth.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Once you find their vital points, attack the Geogwul acupoint.”
The two exchanged glances at this instruction but said nothing. Time was too urgent for scolding.
Leng Yeo-seol fought the Ghostly Five Assassins head-on again, while Jeok Hwamyeong protected Sword Spirit and Jin Aseol.
“Die!”
The shoulderless Osal swung at Leng Yeo-seol with poisoned intent.
She lowered her head and moved her left hand. By coincidence, her hand moved three inches below his sternum—the Geogwul acupoint.
Boom!
Osal flew backward violently, trembling on the spot.
“Kyaaaah!”
He fell completely, screaming in pain.
Leng Yeo-seol narrowed her eyes and glanced at her left hand, then at Sasal.
Though both used the same Wolyeongsu technique, one stood unharmed while the other fell.
‘Could it be true? And avoiding the sword…’
A sudden thought struck her.
Flash!
She moved instantly and drove her fingers into the Geogwul acupoint of Samsal, who was reacting to his comrade’s death.
“Kyaaaah!”
Samsal twisted in pain and collapsed on the spot.
Flash!
Having neutralized the two, Leng Yeo-seol stepped back and whispered to Jeok Hwamyeong.
“It seems Sword Spirit’s words were correct. You handle the rest. Aim for their Geogwul acupoints.”
“Really?”
“The two I defeated fell after strikes to their Geogwul points. You try as well.”
Jeok Hwamyeong nodded and advanced to face the remaining Ghostly Five Assassins.
Leng Yeo-seol approached Sword Spirit and Jin Aseol.
“How did you know their vital points were at Geogwul?”
“By observing their movements.”
“Simply?”
“This is possible when you enter the stage of the Original Spirit; you can sense the flow of energy.”
Though Leng Yeo-seol found it hard to believe, it was suspicious that he correctly identified their weak points and anticipated their arrival.
‘Even if trained in the body…’
“Kyaaaah!”
A cry interrupted her thoughts. Jeok Hwamyeong had defeated all the demons.
As Leng Yeo-seol had said, attacking the Geogwul points made them collapse without resistance. Knowing the opponent’s weakness made them easy to defeat.
Jeok Hwamyeong finished off the remaining Ghostly Five Assassins and returned.
He briefly put aside his thoughts and praised his effort.
“Well done.”
“No, knowing their vital points made it easy.”
“They weren’t easy opponents… people have underestimated you.”
“You flatter me.”
Leng Yeo-seol looked around and then at Jin Aseol.
“Weren’t you afraid?”
“No! I trusted Master would protect me.”
Leng Yeo-seol patted Jin Aseol’s head.
“Good. Living as a martial artist means always being on the edge of life and death. Remember this and train diligently, Aseol. Understand?”
“Yes, Master.”
Her reply was beautiful.
“Good, very good.”
While they conversed, Sword Spirit approached the fallen Ghostly Five Assassins, searching their bodies.
From the corpse of Guiyeong Ilsal, he found a scroll of Amplified Martial Arts.
Sword Spirit skimmed through the scroll as he returned to them. It looked more like flipping through pages than studying.
Upon arriving, he closed the last page.
They did not expect that Sword Spirit could have memorized the Amplified Martial Arts in such a short time.
He handed the scroll to Leng Yeo-seol.
“It’s best to burn it. Keeping it will only sow misfortune.”
Taking the scroll, Leng Yeo-seol nodded and summoned a meditative fire, reducing it to ashes that scattered like dust.
“I was right. This is the manuscript they carried.”
“Is that why you skimmed through it?”
“To verify… and I expect it’s already widespread across the Central Plains.”
If Sword Spirit’s prediction was correct, it was a serious matter.
“We should change our destination.”
Leng Yeo-seol agreed that this issue could not be taken lightly.
“To where?”
“To Gwangju, to inform the Shin Chang-yi family of this matter.”
At the mention of Shin Chang-yi, Sword Spirit’s expression twisted.
