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Chapter 6
The Youngest Son of the Nakyang Jin Family
Decades ago, the twenty-year-old Hong Guhyeon became a servant of the Nakyang Jin family.
With his keen insight and skillful handling of affairs, he caught the eye of the previous family head, his grandfather. Thanks to that, he had risen to his current position, overseeing the servants and maids, managing most of the household chores of the noble family.
But the truth was completely different.
He was Hong Guhyeon, a member of the Shadow Assassins’ Tenth Unit.
He had been part of the group that annihilated families and waged life-and-death battles with me for over ten years.
I still vividly remembered the events in my mind.
When the assault began, he moved alongside us, and at the decisive moment, he drew his blade and pierced my mother’s heart.
He wounded my father, and using a signal flare, revealed our location to the enemy.
Because of him, no one could escape except me and Chu-hyung.
That’s why I had longed for his death every single day.
The moment I opened my eyes and saw Hong Guhyeon’s face, it was no coincidence that my fist shot out.
“Heh heh heh… I’ve been bested by a young master. But how… how did you know?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. A mere low-ranking member wouldn’t know anything.”
Hong Guhyeon’s eyebrows twitched at my words.
It must have annoyed him that I spoke as if I knew his true identity. He took a steadying breath and forced a small smile.
“Heh heh… You speak as if you know something, don’t you?”
“I know better than you. By the way, have you seen the new unit leader? The new head of the Tenth Unit looks quite young. I suppose it must be frustrating for an old man to follow orders from someone younger.”
Hong Guhyeon’s pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck. Even hearing my words, he must have realized that I understood the situation quite deeply.
His gaze sharpened. The gentle eyes he once had gradually disappeared, replaced by the piercing gaze of a warrior—just like the one he had when he stabbed my mother’s heart.
“I see… I really can’t just kill you.”
“Yes… that gaze. Now, this is starting to get interesting.”
I smiled faintly and drew my sword.
Shhh-…
The blade slid smoothly from its scabbard, gleaming in the moonlight. Hong Guhyeon narrowed his eyes. With a sigh, he drew a short sword from his chest.
Without hesitation, he readied it.
“Do you know, young master? Using poison was my courtesy. Even so, you were like a son to me—I wanted at least your body to remain intact.”
Hong Guhyeon looked up at the sky, sighing at the mistake he had made. Then, lowering his stance, he looked at me.
“But now… it seems there’s no choice. Don’t think you’ll die peacefully. Everything you’ve heard, everything you know, you’ll spill to me.”
“Anyone can talk. The question is whether they can keep their word.”
“Heh heh… It will happen exactly as you say.”
Bang!
Hong Guhyeon moved.
Despite not practicing martial arts for so long, he closed the distance with incredible speed. In his hand, the short sword flew viciously.
Clang! Ka-ka-ka-kang!
The assault was so overwhelming it was hard to regain my senses. For a man of his age, and someone who hadn’t fought in decades, his strikes carried the weight of pent-up skill.
But there was a clear difference.
“Ugh?!”
Hong Guhyeon realized all his attacks were being read. Even as he unleashed a fierce onslaught, his short sword couldn’t touch even my sleeve.
I parried, dodged, and countered.
It might sound simple in words, but it was anything but easy. Without perfectly reading an opponent’s moves, one would inevitably be pushed back.
But not now.
I had faced the Shadow Assassins’ blades hundreds of times. Sword, spear, all kinds of martial techniques—and now, Hong Guhyeon’s short sword techniques—were all familiar to me.
So familiar, in fact, that my body moved instinctively to follow the path of the blade.
What made this even more unfavorable for him was that my recent real combat experience was from just a few days ago, whereas his had been decades ago.
Chaaak!
“Ugh!”
Hong Guhyeon staggered back, his waist sliced. I lightly thrust my sword while watching him.
“Ugh!”
Seeing my blade coming for his neck, he quickly tilted his head back. I seized the moment to kick his knee.
Bang!
He lost his balance and fell face-first to the ground. As a small groan escaped him, my extended leg struck his face.
Thud!
He tumbled backward, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. He trembled violently, clearly not expecting this situation at all.
“How… how is this possible?!”
“Stand up.”
“Ugh!”
Spurred by my words, Hong Guhyeon struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth and nose. He gripped his short sword and got back into position.
“Luck only goes so far.”
“Yes… if that was luck, maybe.”
“Ugh!”
He clenched his teeth again. Despite not practicing martial arts for decades, he was a swordsman with decades of experience from his youth. His pride would never allow him to be defeated by someone who hadn’t even mastered martial arts.
As expected, Hong Guhyeon raised his intensity. His internal energy whipped the air around him. Compared to my own, his was far greater.
I chuckled slightly.
Seeing my smirk, he launched his technique at full speed.
Bang!
Much faster than before.
But I didn’t need to track it with my eyes. I already knew his intention.
As he charged, his figure blurred and vanished.
I used the moment to thrust my sword under his arm.
Puuuk!
Hong Guhyeon staggered, spitting blood. As I withdrew my blade, I could see him pressing the wound to stop the bleeding.
I stepped closer and lightly swung my sword.
Chaaak! Chachachaaak!
Every strike forced him to step back, his complexion turning pale. My sword was slower than his short sword, yet he couldn’t block effectively. I was exploiting his weaknesses skillfully.
Even when he blocked, he still took damage. Childhood injuries inflicted while protecting me had left lingering effects.
Clang! Clang!
I kept hitting those vulnerabilities, and he lost grip of his short sword.
“Ugh… how… how can this happen?!”
Looking at his fallen weapon, he gritted his teeth. Trembling, he stepped back with fear etched across his face.
I had wanted to savor that expression for longer—but I couldn’t. My body was reaching its limit. The cold sweat running down my back warned me I couldn’t prolong this.
Did he notice?
His eyes sparkled as he stepped back.
“So… you didn’t deal with the poison?”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“Heh heh heh! That means I have a chance.”
Suddenly, Hong Guhyeon stomped the ground, sending dust flying into my face. I frowned and stepped back.
In that instant, he grabbed his fallen short sword, closed the distance, and launched another onslaught.
Ka-ka-ka-ka-kang!
“Heh heh heh! Which will fall first—your body or my hand? Let’s gamble!”
Feeling the tide had turned, his face brightened. His strikes became stronger and faster.
I parried and stepped back, but his relentless assault made me sweat like rain. My breathing grew heavier.
His movements were different now. The sword that once couldn’t touch me was now grazing my flesh.
Chachaaak!
My skin was cut and blood flowed. With each strike, his face lit up with joy.
“Heh heh heh! A hunting dog truly enjoys the hunt!”
He was savoring this moment: the thrill of winning, the feel of the sword in his hand, the sensation of cutting flesh, and the panic in his prey’s eyes.
Clang!
I parried his attack and looked at him with a small smile.
“Have you enjoyed yourself enough?”
“Heh heh… you still don’t get it, do you?”
Believing he was winning, he smiled confidently—but I moved my sword.
Shrek!
In an instant, his arm was severed along with the sword he held.
Hong Guhyeon’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
I didn’t stop.
Shrek! Shrek!
My sword flashed, cutting off his left arm and slicing his chest.
Still, he didn’t fully realize what was happening, just blinking in shock.
But his body betrayed him.
Thud!
He collapsed, blood pouring out.
“Ugh!”
This time, Hong Guhyeon spat blood.
Whether he couldn’t process the situation or couldn’t feel the pain, he stared at his severed arm and the flowing blood.
Chaaak!
I wiped the blood off my sword as I watched him.
“An opponent always strikes when you let your guard down. Did you forget that?”
“Ugh… ugh…”
“Now I understand why a Tenth Unit member ended up as a servant for decades.”
“Ugh…”
He tried to speak, but couldn’t. His eyes reddened as if shedding tears of blood. Slowly, his vitality drained. His pupils dilated, and his breathing weakened.
I watched him for a moment, then turned my gaze forward.
I approached the inner residence where Hong Guhyeon had gone. As I sensed his final movements, I thrust my sword into his forehead.
Puuuk!
I didn’t bother looking at his face, nor did I remove the sword. Just like the short sword that had pierced my mother’s heart, it remained embedded. I had no lingering attachments and simply moved toward the residence.
“Let’s see… what’s in here.”
