Chapter 223: You'll Know Soon
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The gazes of the ten Sun Demon Assembly members turned simultaneously to the right.
Dense darkness by the yard fence.
One shadow crouching with its back to the forest was visible.
The owner of the voice they’d just heard.
The Sun Demon Assembly Vice Society Leader was seized by ominous premonition.
‘They came here beforehand and waited for us to arrive? The skill of concealing presence is quite outstanding.’
He immediately operated internal power to sharpen his ki sensing.
Only then did he feel it.
The vast energy lurking within the opponent’s body.
A master.
Undoubtedly a powerful figure of upper first-rate caliber.
However,
“HU.”
Just one person.
The Vice Society Leader who had smiled threw off his bamboo hat.
“Prey? Interesting.”
Hands clasped behind his back, he continued with relaxed eyes.
“A Master beside a mere village elder? Now I must dig into the inside story through force. Quite curious…”
“I’ll satisfy your curiosity right here.”
“What?”
“You can leave that elder alone. Because I am precisely the person you sought so desperately.”
Simultaneously, the Vice Society Leader’s complexion changed completely.
‘If That’s So…!’
Sure enough, the person disclosed his identity.
“Ye Woon-rang.”
“…!”
“Yes. The successor of the Dragon Martial Gate.”
Ye Woon-rang lightly leapt over the fence and entered the yard.
Taking position beside Gam Tae, he drew his sword and spoke again.
“Why, meeting face to face in a place like this is unexpected?”
“As you say, it is indeed unexpected.”
The Vice Society Leader, having replied thus, raised the corners of his mouth.
“What do you plan to do all by yourself? Even if I don’t lift a hand, you are alone…”
But at that moment.
-Who said he’s alone?
A six-directional transmitted voice rang out like an echo, its direction hard to gauge.
‘NO WAY!’
The startled Vice Society Leader’s pupils created transparent ripples.
The remaining personnel reacted the same.
Everyone realized that the person who had deployed the six-direction transmitted voice was a powerful figure possessing combat strength surpassing Ye Woon-rang.
Though they all sharpened their ki sensing, there was absolutely no presence detected.
That alone was sufficient proof.
‘KEUK! Where are you hiding?’
The Vice Society Leader bit his lips firmly and clenched both fists.
This was not good.
To think it was a trap…
Was the information related to Gam Tae itself a lure from the start?
It was negligence that caused this oversight.
He had taken the bait without knowing it was a lure.
The moment the Sun Demon Assembly members realized that, they spread out wide to left and right.
SHUKAAAAK-!
On the leftmost end of the formation, the head of a Sun Demon Assembly member standing close to the fence was cleanly severed, spurting crimson blood.
TEOLPEODEOK-!
The moment the corpse with separated head and body lay on the ground.
“GAL!”
The Sun Demon Assembly member right beside immediately whipped his right hand to shoot something.
SSWAESSWAESSWAESSYANG-!
Straight-line hidden weapons uttering piercing sounds.
But all of them futilely cut only wind.
The shadow that had appeared while beheading had vanished in an instant.
Without even a moment to properly see its form.
At that moment.
PWOOK!
A sharp blade piercing through the back and protruding out the front chest.
It had accurately penetrated the heart.
The work of a ghost-like person shadow that had at some point occupied his rear.
A supreme assassin’s killing sword that targeted only fatal vital points at once.
Two Sun Demon Assembly members nearby reflexively responded.
SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSYANG- PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOK-!
In the blink of an eye, over ten hidden weapons were lodged deep in the body.
However,
TEOLSEOK.
What had received the hidden weapons with its body was already a dead colleague.
The person’s shadow had disappeared again.
In a flash.
KWAKWANG!
A heavy explosion was heard from the space to one side.
“AK!”
A Sun Demon Assembly member who had screamed monosyllabically flew backward.
Because of Ye Woon-rang’s ferocious sword technique that had charged in.
SHUSUK!
When Ye Woon-rang’s sword rapidly traversed horizontally, a vast energy wave was emitted.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG-!
Along with the explosion, two Sun Demon Assembly members, hit by the impact, flew backward.
“KEOK!”
“KKEUGEUK!”
The two who crashed to the ground soon spewed blood.
Each having suffered internal injury from the powerful force of Great Dragon Wave Surge, a sword form from Dragon Four Sword Form’s Circling Form.
Suddenly.
-Even In the afterlife, don’t forget the alias Head-Severing Yama.
When the heavy six-directional transmitted voice echoed, all Sun Demon Assembly members were shocked.
Head-Severing Yama.
The greatest swordsman of the previous generation’s assassin path, who governed death.
‘How could he be here…!’
The Vice Society Leader’s mind was confused as he gave an order.
“CIRCULAR FORMATION!”
At that, the remaining personnel swiftly formed a circular formation.
Generally, an assassin’s killing sword is optimized for a single target.
In other words, considering that characteristic, he had ordered the circular formation to guard against individual defeats.
The two who had just suffered internal injuries also hurriedly joined the formation.
Just as they maintained the formation and sharpened all their senses, Seop Pyo revealed himself with his divine-ghost-like concealment-submersion technique on the side.
Immediately after.
TATATATATA-T, TATATATATA-T-!
Seop Pyo rapidly circled around the Sun Demon Assembly members gathered in a circle.
Movement so rapid that afterimages of his form scattered.
Had he been waiting for them to gather?
The seven Sun Demon Assembly members continuously fired hidden weapons following that wind-like movement.
SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSYANG- SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSYANG- SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSYANG-!
But they didn’t land.
Because Seop Pyo, rotating as if trapping all the Sun Demon Assembly members within a large circular perimeter, also rapidly swung his sword to wildly emit sword wind.
The hidden weapons lost their way before that force and scattered chaotically.
Circling Gathering Swirling Wave.
It was one of his specialties from his youth.
Meanwhile,
CHAENG, CHAECHAENG, CHAENG- PEONG, PEOPEONG, PEONG…!
Ye Woon-rang was clashing blades with a group separated from the others.
‘HM, not an easy opponent.’
Befitting a senior executive of the Sun Demon Assembly, a solid combat strength.
Perhaps it proved the gap in status.
Unlike the subordinate members, he wielded not straight hidden weapons but a crescent-shaped sturdy blade.
‘His Blade technique is also excellent.’
Ye Woon-rang felt his chest gradually growing heavier each time their blades clashed.
The reason was simple.
The effect of the blade technique containing the dark and shady energy inherent to demonic arts.
The Vice Society Leader was also feeling pressure.
‘Extraordinary sword technique!’
The Four Dragon Sword Form, symbolizing the might of last era’s strongest Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon, indeed displayed excellent application.
The flow of the blade seemed to evoke the appearance and disappearance of a dragon.
At that moment.
KWANG!
The moment Ye Woon-rang scattered a decisive sword form and pushed his opponent back five or six steps, he spoke with a meaningful expression.
“You Covet the Divine Martial Sword, I hear?”
The Vice Society Leader, having flinched his body, slightly stiffened his expression.
“No need to be surprised. We already know many things.”
“I see, it seems so.”
“Including that you are the Sun Moon Demon Cult.”
“WH-WHAT…?”
The Vice Society Leader, confused again, let his eyes sink.
“WHO TOLD YOU?!”
“You’ll find out soon. Since rumors are already spreading.”
“Rumours?”
“About White Peak Sword Sect’s Sect Leader Cheol.”
“Wait, that means…”
“I am a Guest Retainer of White Peak Sword Sect and him too.”
“…!”
Once again, light of surprise flowed through the Vice Society Leader’s eyes.
It was an unexpected fact.
Guest Retainer, he said.
Moreover, he had said “him.”
That meant Head-Severing Yama was also currently living as a Guest Retainer of White Peak Sword Sect.
It was hard to readily understand.
White Peak Sword Sect had long since declined.
It had been a place with no presence whatsoever until now.
Yet in such a martial sect, not only the successor of the Dragon Martial Gate but even the previous generation’s great assassin was serving… Why?
“Know this one thing for certain! The Divine Martial Sword, the divine artifact of my master’s sect, belongs to White Peak Sword Sect!”
Having finished his words with force, Ye Woon-rang rushed toward him like lightning and thrust out his blade.
Not to be outdone, the Vice Society Leader’s crescent blade also went out to meet him.
JJEOJJEONG- KWAKWANG…!
At the same time, Seop Pyo had collapsed the enemy’s circular formation.
An offensive linked with rotational movement.
Under the power of Circling Gathering Swirling Wave that rapidly constricted the circular formation, the personnel forming the formation couldn’t maintain their center and exposed weaknesses.
SHUSHUSHUSHU-T- PEOPEOPEOPENG!
One member was swept up by the sword wind that fiercely pushed in.
PUHAAAK…!
A neatly split body scattered blood.
Another one fell dead to the wave of energy that swept in a circle toward the center.
TEOLSEOK.
And another.
TEOLSEOK.
The circular formation had collapsed.
Following that.
PUHAK, PUHAHAK PUHAK…
The heads of the remaining personnel were severed.
Amid the fishy smell of blood spreading on the wind.
JJEOJJEONG, JJEONG… KWAKWANG…!
The clamorous sounds Ye Woon-rang and the Vice Society Leader were creating struck eardrums.
Seop Pyo, having turned his head, adjusted his grip on his sword.
‘Good, as we expected, only that fellow remains.’
He immediately deployed his concealment-submersion technique.
A form that became transparent while rapidly absorbing the surrounding colors.
At that moment, Ye Woon-rang stepped backward to widen the gap.
Simultaneously, the Vice Society Leader grasped the situation of the venue.
‘WHAT A DISASTER!’
All his subordinates had perished at the hands of the legendary killing sword assassin Head-Severing Yama.
Now there was no choice.
He had to quickly escape.
Notifying the First Seat of this matter was the priority.
The moment the Vice Society Leader, having judged thus, pivoted his form, a sharp piercing sound tore through the air.
SHUAAA-T-!
The startled Vice Society Leader quickly raised his sword.
KKAAAAAAAANG- KKWAUUUUWOONG-!
He had barely deflected the blade that Seop Pyo, who had appeared above his head at some point, had swung down.
‘EUEUUK!’
The Vice Society Leader’s face contorted.
Because tremendous impact had shaken his insides.
Ye Woon-rang joined in.
HUHUK!
It was One Sword Charge from Dragon Four Sword Form’s Advance Form.
The moment the Vice Society Leader exquisitely twisted his body sideways to evade that sword technique, Seop Pyo’s sword urgently swooped in, targeting his side.
CHYUUUUU-T!
“EUK!”
The Vice Society Leader emitted a moan at the stinging pain.
However, he’d avoided the vital point.
Thanks to the reflexive evasive action.
In that instant.
PEONG, PEOPEONG…!
Several smoke bombs exploded.
The Vice Society Leader, trying to escape, had quickly detonated them.
PAPAT.
Amid pitch-black smoke rising thickly, the Vice Society Leader’s presence disappeared.
However, Seop Pyo and Ye Woon-rang did not pursue him.
“Deliberately grazing just enough to let him escape is quite difficult.”
Seop Pyo spoke thus and sheathed his sword.
Ye Woon-rang also quickly put away his blade and approached Gam Tae’s side, asking quietly.
“ELDER, are you alright?”
At that, Gam Tae spoke with a heavy expression.
“HM… My body is alright. But my heart… Many people have already died, haven’t they? How can I atone for all this sin… I’m sorry. I feel like tearing my own mouth off.”
Self-reproach that it was because of him.
Ye Woon-rang soon gently grasped his hand and shook his head.
“ELDER, it couldn’t be helped. Who would have known? That those bad people had secretly entered this land… Anyway, it’s fortunate we found your location first. If we’d been even a little later… HU, I don’t even want to think about it.”
At that moment, suddenly.
KKIIIK-
Behind them, the house door opened and a figure quietly walked out.
A black-clad woman who had been concealing her presence until now.
Seop Pyo cast his gaze that way and asked.
“Has the meeting appointment been confirmed for tomorrow?”
At that, the woman responded with a head gesture.
“Yes, Elder. The abandoned temple on Zhongmen Mountain, southwest of Baizhou… There are no changes yet.”
“Good. Then tomorrow the Sun Demon Assembly leadership will gather.”
“Will that person… also come?”
“Certainly.”
Seop Pyo nodded and continued.
“Probably everyone will be struck dumb with shock. Hohoho.”
* * *
The next day.
Cheol Ryu-heun brought out Divine wind as soon as dawn broke.
“Well, let’s go.”
As if understanding his words, Divine wind perked up his ears, wildly stirred up white energy current, and then immediately leaped high like a bird.
KWANG-!