Chapter 519: Side Story 19

Chapter 19

Jang Sam-Tae moved his body largely to dodge the sword.

The sharpness of the blade that brushed past was enough to give him goosebumps. However, there was something that pressured Jang Sam-Tae even more than that, and it was none other than the sheer number of these people swarming in like crazy.

“Die!”

“Slit his throat!”

They rushed in while raising their voices.

The sword hilts swung from all directions simply gave him no time to rest.

Perhaps his dodging had also reached a certain limit, as a blade brushed past his flesh. In an instant, blood splattered and his clothes became rags, but the fact that he was still showing agile movements also meant that he hadn’t suffered serious injuries.

However, what made this situation even more funny was that no one touched anyone else except for Jang Sam-Tae.

“Just smash that guy!”

Everyone’s target was Jang Sam-Tae.

Dan Woo-Hyun, Namgung Cheon, and Sa Do-Hak were also in the same room, but perhaps because there was nothing to be gained even if they killed them, they didn’t lay a hand on them at all.

“Hey, you crazy bastards!”

The one flying into a rage was Jang Sam-Tae.

He would rather they touch just one of those three people, even just once, and there would be nothing better than that. Because the moment they touched one of them, the whole situation would come to an end.

However, they didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

“Damn it!”

In the end, the only method Jang Sam-Tae could choose was to flee. Maximizing his lightness art, which could be called his specialty, he threw his body out the window, and the distance widened in a flash in a literal instant.

“Ch-Chase him!”

Everyone chased after Jang Sam-Tae with one voice. Looking solely at that target, they seemed to only have the will to catch him no matter what they had to do.

Eventually, one by one, as they started to leave the room.

Sa Do-Hak, who had been standing blankly, let out a long yawn and slyly moved his foot.

Thud-!

He tripped the foot of someone who was trying to advance while using a lightness art.

As he fell flat and sprawled on the floor, a long groan of pain spread out.

“Keuueuk… w-which bastard…….”

The man ground his teeth and lifted his head.

It looked as if he was trying to have a life-or-death battle with the one who blocked his path.

However, what was visible to his eyes was Sa Do-Hak’s gaze.

An indifferent yet somewhat sharp look in his eyes.

A strange aura that made even a man quite famous among the countless martial artists like grains of sand shrink back.

All the experiences he had felt living in this Murim since he was born were speaking to him.

Do not challenge those people.

For that reason, the man broke out in a cold sweat.

“I think I know who instigated this even without looking… but speak. What on earth is the reason for chasing that guy Sam-Tae so tenaciously.”

Sa Do-Hak, who sat down in front of the man, wore a faint smile.

His slyly extended hand grabbed the man’s hair. Although it was an extremely simple action, to the man who thought the ones in front of him were tremendous powerhouses, it was a situation akin to pure terror.

“Hic!”

With a pale expression, he hiccuped and swallowed his breath.

* * *

“Uwaaaak! You crazy bastards, really!”

Looking at the ones chasing him, Jang Sam-Tae yelled. He couldn’t know the exact reason why this was happening, so he just felt wronged.

“You rascal, stop right there!”

“You bastard! Would you stop if you were me?!”

“T-This guy! It would be easier for you if you just quietly laid down your neck!”

“Lay down your neck first, you son of a bitch!”

Jang Sam-Tae roughly shouted towards the one following closely behind him first. Even though he was holding a huge greatsword, he approached quite a close distance, moving at a speed that didn’t match his bulky physique.

Of course, even so, it didn’t seem like he would be caught due to the difference in lightness arts, but if this continued, a very long pursuit of chasing and being chased would unfold.

As he ran, Jang Sam-Tae grabbed a wooden stick that had fallen on the ground. Calling it a stick was an understatement; he fondled the club-like object and looked for an opportunity.

Because he thought his rear would be more comfortable if he sent at least one guy away first.

“Does a man like you have no guts! To only run away, the name of the Hunan Dan Family will weep!”

“How can a name weep, you stupid idiot!”

Jang Sam-Tae shouted at the incoming sound and immediately twisted his body.

As he hastily twisted his body to the right with a large tree between them, the one following him was startled and killed his speed. Running at such a fast speed was hard enough, but suddenly changing direction was an even more difficult task.

Gritting his teeth, he chased after Jang Sam-Tae and threw his body to the right.

Although not as agile as Jang Sam-Tae, his smooth movements showed that he too was quite confident in his lightness arts.

At that moment.

Smack-!

“Kkeuak!”

Jang Sam-Tae, who popped out out of nowhere from above his head, fell down holding the club. In an instant, as he smashed his head without giving him a moment to dodge, a sound literally like a watermelon cracking was violently heard as the man fell flat.

“T-This crazy!”

Those who watched that entire situation from behind looked on in shock. Perhaps feeling they could no longer just chase after Jang Sam-Tae, there were also those who ground their teeth and took out hidden weapons.

Since they were all famous experts without exception, throwing hidden weapons also showed a difference too huge compared to third-rate martial artists.

Thwack, thwack-!

With violent sounds, the hidden weapons that rained down stuck into the tree.

Jang Sam-Tae, who brushed past between them, felt his neck grow cold. Of course, it could be said to be inferior to the hidden weapon arts of the Sichuan Tang Family, but if he were to be hit by even one, he would never be safe.

“Damn it all!”

Jang Sam-Tae ground his teeth.

There was more than one or two scary guys. It was a completely different feeling from when he exterminated the Gongcheon Gate last time, which meant their level was higher than theirs.

If he faced them one on one, he might be able to seize victory, but with this many people, it was an impossible task.

Thud-!

“Keok!”

Just then, someone appeared by his side out of nowhere.

Revealing his presence without a sound or rumor, he instantly struck Jang Sam-Tae’s abdomen and smacked his face.

Perhaps it was a move with considerable power behind it, as Jang Sam-Tae’s body sprawled exactly as it was with a fierce sound. He wanted to run away, but pain rushed in to the point where he couldn’t even breathe properly.

“A… Assassin… son of a…!”

“…….”

Jang Sam-Tae glanced at the man’s outfit.

Pitch-black night clothes and a bandana covering his face.

A single sword was tied to his waist, and seeing that his presence couldn’t be felt properly even though he was right in front of him, he was undoubtedly an assassin.

Rustle-!

In addition, numerous men in black gathered around him, and the moment they saw that, the approaching men stopped in their tracks and sent tense gazes.

The reason being, because of the embroidery carved on their chests.

Assassin Pavilion (Sal-gak).

Zhongyuan’s greatest assassin organization.

As those gathered under the name of the Assassin Emperor, it was a place where the best assassins were gathered, who had never failed a single person they had targeted so far.

They casually looked at the men.

Sharp gazes.

Looking at martial artists head-on rather than in an ambush, yet sending a gaze without an inch of wavering, was an expression of confidence that even if a melee were to break out in this place, they were absolutely confident they would not fall behind.

“He is our prey. Any guys who think they can take him are welcome to step forward.”

A man muttered and spoke.

The low-pitched voice spread out heavily.

And at the same time, no one could move.

The weight given by the name Assassin Pavilion.

Even the majesty of the Assassin Emperor behind them.

Because if they thought about those things, it was plainly obvious what would happen the moment they rejected their words.

The man threw Jang Sam-Tae over his shoulder with a sneer on his face.

“Let’s go.”

At his single word, the assassins nodded and disappeared from the spot in an instant.

“Damn it all! That bitch! To move the Assassin Pavilion!”

“This is definitely a move to screw us over!”

The men ground their teeth as they watched that situation. Calling the Assassin Pavilion after having commissioned them meant that, in the end, they couldn’t trust the people in this place.

If they couldn’t be trusted, they shouldn’t have commissioned them in the first place.

The Assassin Pavilion’s behavior of intercepting the prey they had driven into a corner midway was also unforgivable, but Gong Baek-Ji’s actions trampled on the men’s pride.

“Let’s go back and protest to that bitch!”

At the same time as one man spoke, people nodded and agreed from all over. If the Assassin Pavilion hadn’t appeared, they definitely would have caught him, so from the men’s perspective, it was inevitable that they would be angry.

“It’s a good idea… but I don’t think it will be possible.”

Just then, a low voice was heard.

The moment the men realized it and turned their heads, they discovered three strange people. They were casually cutting through the bushes and approaching, and their atmosphere was so unusual that they unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

“If you think you’ll be safe after touching the Hunan Dan Family, you’re mistaken.”

“H-Hunan Dan Family?!”

Eventually, at the small voice that was heard, everyone’s complexions turned pale.

Because they had never heard that there were other figures from the Hunan Dan Family besides Jang Sam-Tae, their bodies grew even more tense and cold sweat flowed.

However, the three were calm.

They casually looked around at each person and spoke.

“There sure are a lot of them. If it weren’t for those Assassin Pavilion guys, we might have seen something interesting.”

Sa Do-Hak frowned with an entirely unenthusiastic expression.

Jang Sam-Tae was dragged away by the suddenly appearing Assassin Pavilion. Had it not been for that, he would have etched a slightly more intense fight into his eyes, so he seemed to be in a bad mood because all such fun had vanished.

His half-closed gaze turned sharp.

As that gaze flashed, a strange aura pressured the surroundings.

“But is it okay not to save that guy Sam-Tae? He seems to have been taken to the Jindo Family.”

Namgung Cheon muttered with a worried expression and gripped his sword hilt. Although he was speaking casually, it also seemed like he was definitely showing his intention not to forgive the ones in front of him.

Flinch.

As Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-Hak took a step forward, the men stepped back.

They had unconsciously felt fear.

Watching that, Dan Woo-Hyun smiled.

“Don’t worry. It’s actually a good thing for him. But to be caught by assassins, he still has a long way to go.”

“That is true… He’s a cowardly guy in the first place, so he needs to see it right in front of his eyes like that to actually do something.”

Saying so, he clicked his tongue with a ‘tsk, tsk’.

He had told him to always keep his senses spread out, and not to miss even small movements. If Jang Sam-Tae had been keeping those things, he would never have been defeated by the likes of the Assassin Pavilion.

Rather, he might have easily overcome this situation as well.

Just then, the voices of those watching this situation were heard.

“H-Hey there. W-We didn’t do anything wrong!”

“I-It’s true! W-We just received a commission…….”

The men grew scared and let out trembling voices.

If the people in front of them were really the ones in their heads, it was blatantly obvious that no one would be safe.

Moreover, the composure shown even with so many people in front of them was gradually changing that ominous feeling into certainty.

However, the three didn’t care about the incoming voices.

Saying what they had to say, they gradually narrowed the distance to the men.

“Then again, from Sam-Tae’s perspective, it’s like going to his enemy’s stronghold, so he won’t stay still. Shall we give him a hand?”

“Let’s clean up here first and then move.”

At Dan Woo-Hyun’s words, the two nodded.

They had no intention of killing them.

Because literally, it was something that happened because they were blinded by money.

However, the price for touching the Hunan Dan Family was heavy.

“Kkeuaaaak!”

Eventually, at the same time as the two moved, bizarre screams echoed.

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