Chapter 25: Chapter 25
The depths of the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
The place where originally only the guild leader and his wife resided was in ruins.
Corpses were rolling around on the floor.
Intestines and blood were painted on the walls and floor.
In the depths where the once bright and radiant appearance had vanished without a trace, there was only a terrible scent of blood and silence.
“Husband.”
At that time, the man and woman who had no choice but to continue watching the tragedy unfold in the depths hugged each other and trembled.
“……Wife.”
The Flying Wind Merchant Guild Leader, Go Gye-yeong, tightly hugged his wife who was trembling in fear, and looked at the person who caused this tragedy.
The middle-aged man, who seemed to have reached forty, had an appearance so ordinary that one would forget him shortly after seeing him once.
However, he knew how terrifying the ordinary-looking middle-aged man was.
Cold-Faced Blade Ghost.
With a title given to him for wielding blade arts like a ghost with a cold face, he was a blade master counted among the best in Shaanxi.
‘I heard that the White Ghost Castle had recently recruited him, but why is he with the Supreme King Sect, could it be……!’
When Go Gye-yeong’s blood ran cold as a hypothesis came to his mind.
“It seems you avoided a fatal wound.”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost, covered in blood from head to toe, stabbed his blade into the abdomen of the wandering warrior he had struck down earlier when he squirmed.
Puk!
“Keok!”
The wandering warrior, who was barely clinging to life, poured out blood, trembled, and then stopped moving, going limp.
Confirming that the wandering warrior was definitively dead, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost trampled the corpse with the sole of his foot and pulled out the embedded blade in one breath.
Pusyuk…
In an instant, blood soared like a fountain, and a blood rain fell densely in the depths.
“Still, as a merchant guild that dominates Shaanxi, you gathered experts well.”
After sweeping back his blood-soaked hair, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost met eyes with Go Gye-yeong, who was standing opposite him with a stiff face.
Flinch!
Seeing the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost’s eyes filled with killing intent, Go Gye-yeong’s breath caught in his throat.
‘The experts I worked hard to recruit over the past two years…….’
Go Gye-yeong’s vision went dark.
The five martial artists who fell by his hands were all wandering warriors who had quite a bit of fame within Shaanxi Province.
However, it seemed the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost’s infamy was not spread for nothing, as they all lost their lives in less than a quarter of an hour.
Trickle…
A line of cold sweat flowed down the forehead of the man who witnessed the unbelievable sight.
“……Husband.”
Coming to his senses at the voice of his wife, Yeon Su-ran, that was heard at that time, he met her eyes and sent a look telling her to be relieved.
After that, releasing his embrace of Yeon Su-ran, he guarded her front and spoke.
“……Do you think you will be fine after committing such an act in broad daylight?”
At the question, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost laughed coldly.
“What happens if I won’t be fine?”
“Do you even know who is behind our merchant guild?”
“I know well. Isn’t it the Mount Hua Sect?”
“……!”
Watching the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost answer as if it was no big deal, Go Gye-yeong shut his mouth with a dumbfounded expression.
To commit such an act despite knowing that the Mount Hua Sect was behind them meant he was ready to risk an all-out war.
Or…….
“……You plan to kill everyone in the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost smiled instead of answering.
Looking at the pure white teeth revealed between his lips, Go Gye-yeong frowned and spoke.
“I heard a rumor that you entered the White Ghost Castle a while ago.”
“Rumors spread quickly.”
Go Gye-yeong bit his lip, looking at the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost who readily admitted it.
His anxiety became reality.
And in the worst possible form at that.
“……Did the Supreme King Sect join hands with the White Ghost Castle?”
“Join hands?”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost laughed eerily.
“Do you think the Supreme King Sect can stand shoulder to shoulder with the White Ghost Castle?”
“That means……!”
Go Gye-yeong’s complexion turned pale blue.
‘The Supreme King Sect is under the command of the White Ghost Castle!’
In an instant, the numerous pieces of information in his head began to fit together perfectly.
“T-The reason the newly emerging sect, the Supreme King Sect, stood out, could it be because they received support from the White Ghost Castle……?”
“Surprising.”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost burst into admiration.
Although it was only a few words of conversation, Go Gye-yeong figured out the meaning contained within.
“Then the reason you attacked our merchant guild is to corner the Mount Hua Sect…….”
“I heard you built the Flying Wind Merchant Guild, which had nothing, into the giant merchant guild it is now all by yourself, so you are quick-witted.”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost looked at Go Gye-yeong, who was trying to dig up information despite the current situation, and made a regretful expression.
“It’s a pity. A pity. If you had cut ties with the Mount Hua Sect and accepted the proposal given by the Supreme King Sect, you would have avoided this state.”
“That will absolutely never happen.”
Go Gye-yeong spoke firmly.
And the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost, perhaps thinking he would be like that, nodded his head lightly.
Before the attack, he had already confirmed that his eldest son had joined the Mount Hua Sect.
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost approached Go Gye-yeong.
He played along because he liked what Go Gye-yeong was doing, but now it was all over.
Because he shouldn’t delay time any longer.
Step… Step…
Go Gye-yeong, who glared at the approaching Cold-Faced Blade Ghost, spoke with strength.
“……The Mount Hua Sect will absolutely not leave you be.”
“Unlike your wish, that won’t happen.”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost who was speaking erased his smile.
“Because as you said, the Flying Wind Merchant Guild will disappear without a trace today.”
Having stated his intent to completely annihilate them, he raised the blade in his hand high.
Drip, drip.
Go Gye-yeong, looking at the blade body from which blood was dripping, opened his eyes wide and whispered.
“Things won’t go your way.”
“Dying while dreaming a vain dream is also good.”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost who was speaking half-closed his eyes.
Hwaaak!
In an instant, the terrible killing intent he exuded filled the depths.
“Keuk!”
Right when Go Gye-yeong’s complexion turned pale after being hit head-on by the killing intent, the blade fell.
Sswaeaek!
“Husband!”
The moment Yeon Su-ran, who was behind Go Gye-yeong, closed her eyes tightly while shouting.
Kaang!
Suddenly, sparks flew.
Along with that, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost, who was swinging the blade, bounced backward from the impact and was smashed into the blood-stained wall.
“Keoheok!”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost, who suddenly vomited congested blood, collapsed weakly to the floor and knelt down.
A sight achieved in a fleeting moment.
“What is this…….”
“Husband?”
Go Gye-yeong and Yeon Su-ran, who belatedly grasped the current situation, looked at the person who suddenly appeared with dumbfounded expressions.
Pure white skin and distinct features.
The handsome youth wearing a contrasting black Daoist robe looked around and opened his mouth.
“For a mere merchant guild, why is it so big?”
Flustered by the tone of speech that completely differed from his appearance, Go Gye-yeong asked carefully.
“D-Did you come from the Mount Hua Sect?”
“Huh?”
The handsome youth, Cheon-hwi, turned his head.
That face?
The middle-aged man showing a thoroughly flustered expression was familiar for some reason.
‘Huh? Jeok-geom?’
The middle-aged man looked exactly like Jeok-geom.
The only difference was the wrinkles on his face and the fact that he had faced the hardships of time.
Cheon-hwi looked down at him and asked.
“You are the Flying Wind Merchant Guild Leader, right?”
“T-That is correct.”
“Then that guy over there must be the enemy.”
“Mount Hua Sect?”
At that time, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost came to his senses.
Raising his body using his blade as a cane, he glared at Cheon-hwi and swallowed his tension.
“How did you enter all the way here? My subordinates should have been outside.”
“Outside? Ah! Those guys?”
Cheon-hwi, who spoke while recalling someone, added words as if it was no big deal.
“They were acting annoyingly, so I dealt with them.”
“……!”
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost’s face stiffened.
If what he said was correct, it meant he had dealt with the subordinates so stealthily that even he, who was right here, did not notice.
‘They were subordinates hastily attached by the Supreme King Sect, but they were all first-rate experts.’
Sweat filled his hand that was gripping the blade.
The tense Cold-Faced Blade Ghost adjusted his grip on the blade and quickly scanned Cheon-hwi up and down.
‘He is not a Plum Blossom Swordsman.’
Moving his eyes to examine the White Lotus Sword, he grasped that it didn’t have the plum blossom pattern that a Plum Blossom Swordsman must essentially possess.
That meant he was a mere Daoist.
However, he could not be careless.
‘It is absolutely not a skill to be looked down upon.’
He recalled the surprise attack he suffered just a moment ago.
The moment he thought he saw something blurry, there was already an impact on his abdomen.
He bit his lip tightly.
He roughly pictured the situation from just a moment ago in his head, but he couldn’t even guess how he had attacked him.
‘What the hell was I hit by? Fist? Palm? Kick? Or Leg?’
The more he pondered to grasp what he was hit by, the more a sense of anxiety struck him.
Not even being able to see the opponent’s attack meant that the gap in skill was significant.
It was clear that he was a higher expert than himself.
‘Damn it! But it’s not like I can run away either.’
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost’s face contorted.
He wanted to run away even now, but his feet would not easily detach.
No, he was in a position where he couldn’t take them off.
‘If I fail this mission, he will kill me.’
The Cold-Faced Blade Ghost trembled slightly.
It was known to the world that the White Ghost Castle had recruited him, but it was different from the truth.
He had succumbed to the White Ghost Castle Lord and, in return, had to unconditionally follow orders.
Even if it was a matter of life and death.
Recalling the middle-aged man who pressed him down with overwhelming skill, he shivered and then readjusted his grip on his blade.
‘Rather than running away and facing him, it’s better to face this guy.’
Having made a decision, he raised his blade.
After pulling up all the internal energy from his lower dantian, the moment he emitted a cold light from his eyes.
Kwang!
The floor of the room exploded.
In an instant, stepping into a footwork, he rushed at Cheon-hwi.
Closing the distance to a single zhang in one breath, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost infused internal energy into the blade in his hand, and at that moment, cold qi wrapped around the blade.
Following that, the blade was shot like a bow.
Sswaeaaeaek!
It was the manifestation of the true profound martial art he had trained his whole life, the Cold Soul Blade.
In a situation where the Cold Soul Blade, swung in the blink of an eye, was just about to pierce the abdomen, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost smiled in victory.
However, that smile did not last long.
Grab…
Cheon-hwi grabbed the Cold Soul Blade.
The astonished Cold-Faced Blade Ghost looked at the blade that was blocked midway, then raised his head.
“……!”
Then his face turned pale white.
Cheon-hwi’s eyes had cooled even colder than the cold qi exuding from the blade.
“You’re crazy to die.”
Cheon-hwi, who was speaking, extended his index finger.
At that moment, the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost could face a fully blooming plum blossom.
Red like blood, and terrifyingly beautiful.
And that plum blossom was the last sight the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost saw in his life.
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