CH 24

The base of the Blood Phantom Group was top secret.

No matter how much people say that the Blood Phantom Group has a great reputation in Sichuan, in the end they were nothing more than a bunch of assassins.

Those who had a grudge against them were as many as the grains of sand by the river.

The Blood Phantom Group just accepted requests for the group’s survival, but it made them bear the great resentment from families of those who suffered at their hands.

People who wanted to take revenge on the Blood Phantom Group were scattered everywhere. They wanted to tear down and kill the members of the Blood Phantom Group. 

Knowing that fact, the Blood Phantom Group never leaked the location of their base to the outside world. In the end, no one ever knew where the base of the Blood Phantom Group was in Jianghu. 

Most people thought that the base of the Blood Phantom Group would be in a quiet rural village without people or in a green forest. However, contrary to their expectations, the base of the Blood Phantom Group was actually located in the middle of the capital city roadside of Sichuan Province.

It was a dull-looking mansion made out of red bricks.

People thought of the mansion as just the house of a person who had made some money and retired. A mansion where an ordinary person who’s nothing special lives. That was the general feeling the people around the mansion had. 

The mansion owner’s name is Gu Juyang. Another status of his, aside from being known as a retired person, was the head of the Blood Phantom Group. 

Gu Juyang was listening to the report from the Fourth Sword at his residence.

“–Only me and my subordinates managed to secretly escape. “

“And the children?”

“The inescapable net has been used. Is it not impossible for them to get out?”

“What a pity! They were raised with care, but they ended up being thrown away like that.”

Gu Juyang clicked his tongue.

There was an expression of genuine regret on his face. This was because the children were so talented. He thought the children were a hand he could just throw away, but he never expected that they would immediately be discarded without being even able to use them. 

He looked at the letter on the desk.

There was only one word in the letter.

[Canceled.]

It meant that all operations were abolished.

The person who sent the letter was the client who had originally requested the assassination.

As soon as he received the letter, Gu Juyang ordered the Fourth Sword and the regular assassins to secretly escape. The children did not notice their escape because they were immersed in their hiding with their Turtle Breathing Technique spread out.

Right after the Fourth Sword and his subordinate assassins escaped, the inescapable net unfolded.

Even the use of the inescapable net was unexpected.

It would have been impossible for the Fourth Sword and his subordinates to escape if the inescapable net had been fully activated.

Fourth Sword said, 

“Isn’t this place in danger as well?”

“Because of the client?”

“I don’t know why, but they chose to kill and destroy the evidence. Wouldn’t it be much safer for them to get rid of us as well if they wanted to perfectly keep their secret from getting out?”

“That makes sense. But they’ll never be able to find this place. It’s impossible for them to find us in the normal way.”

This was not the only base of the Blood Phantom Group that existed. 

There was one house about fifty steps to the north, and another house about seventy steps to the west. It wasn’t just a single house in the area. 

Everyone in those houses was owned by people who had nothing to do with the Blood Phantom Group. And it was connected to this place through an underground passage.

If an unfamiliar enemy appeared, they could escape at any time through the basement.

No matter how smart an enemy might be, he would not be able to think of the houses to be in connection with the Blood Phantom Group.

“We just have to wait here for the storm to blow over. I don’t want to make the problem bigger by being hasty.”

“You really don’t know the identity of the client?”

“If you want to know, you can always know, but you have to keep the line.”

Gu Juyang grabbed the letter and shook it.

In an instant, the Fourth sword smelled a strange smell.

By shaking the letter, it emitted a strange scent.

In an instant, his complexion changed.

“It’s tracking incense!”

“What?”

“Someone has placed a tracking incense in the letter!”

It was such a subtle scent that he would never have been able to smell it if Gu Juyang had not shaken the letter. The Fourth Sword’s sense of smell was so developed so that was why he could smell it, if it were just an average person, they wouldn’t even have noticed that it had such a scent.

Even Gu Juyang, who is extremely cautious, didn’t even notice that there was a trace of tracking incense in the letter.

“Who? Maybe the client?”

It was the moment when Gu Juyang jumped up.

“Argh!”

“Keugh!”

The screams of assassins erupted from outside.

Gu Juyang and the Fourth Sword rushed towards the sound.

The scenery they saw was that of a group of soldiers breaking into the mansion and mercilessly slaughtering their assassins.

All those working in the mansion were assassins.

On the surface, they looked like ordinary workers, but each one of them was a very talented person. Such great assassins were falling apart without much effort.

Bang!

“Kerhyuk!”

One of the intruders swung their bare fists, and the sound of iron cannons being fired reverberated. And the assassin of the Bloody Phantom Group was crushed like fish meat and died. It was that powerful.

“All of you retreat! You’re no match!”

There was one who struggled alone.

It was the First Sword, Lim Sayeol. 

He tried to extend himself by holding onto one of his enemies to save even one assassin. However, even with his abilities, he was unable to properly kill an intruder.

The ability of the intruders was that much stronger.

Bald-shaven hair, gray robes, and beads around their necks stood out. 

Monks. 

It wasn’t just the monks. There were also people in ordinary uniforms.

The assassins of the Blood Phantom Group were also experienced warriors who had gone through different battles since birth, but they were no match for the warriors.

Besides, it was the middle of the day now.

This is not the best time for assassins.

“Sweep away those dirty assassins, leave no one behind!”

“Start the killing!”

The monks pushed forward with a more frightening force.

The corpses of assassins started to pile up everywhere.

“Run away, Captain!”

The Fourth Sword grabbed Gu Juyang’s arm and dragged him away.

“Where to?”

“Anywhere!”

“Ha! Don’t you see? It’s me who they’re after. Since they came after me, do you think they would leave a place where I can escape?”

Flames seemed to burn in Gu Juyang’s eyes.

Kkadeuk!

He gritted his teeth. 

He knew it without checking the identity of the intruder.

The client began to make a move.

“You’re crossing the line…”

His eyes came bloodshot.

Even between the assassin and the client, there was a line that had to be kept.

They crossed the line a long time ago.

Gu Juyang pulled out the sword he was wearing on his waist.

It was the Blood Moon Knife. 

“Sir, we can still step back—”

“How far will we retreat? Can’t you see? They attacked us with such determination. There’s no way we can escape.”

The Fourth Sword couldn’t answer.

Gu Juyang shook off the hand of the dead sword and stepped forward.

“Now is the time to show them. That they will be the ones to be devoured if they bite us.”

His eyes gleamed eerily.

He knew it was an unfavorable fight. But he still had to fight.

Chaaat!

Go Juyang flew towards the intruders along with the Blood Moon Knife. 

His sword was long and sharp. Although he usually does not use swordsmanship techniques, he did his best to overcome the unfavorable situation.

“Kak!”

A young monk lost his life in the blood of Gu Juyang.

One-of-a-kind blood spots 일도필살(一刀必殺) 혈점흔(血貼痕). 

Wherever he wielded his sword, a corpse always appeared, leaving traces of drops of blood.

Although he had not been active in the front line for a long time, his method of killing was still powerful.

When he and the Fourth Sword joined, the battlefield shook violently.

The assassins regained their composure and began to deal with the monks while taking advantage of the terrain. Then, the momentum of the soldiers who had initially been pushing wildly slowed down a bit.

“Everyone, hold on a little more! If we hold out, we can win!”

Gu Juyang fought hard while encouraging the assassins.

“You won’t have a chance to do that.”

Huung!

At that moment, along with the woman’s cold voice, a great energy flew by.

Kaang!

Gu Juyang tried to protect his whole body by swinging the Blood Moon Knife. Fortunately, he was spared from being seriously injured, but the complexion of Gu Juyang noticeably became pale. His internal organs were shaken by the shock.

“Who are you?”

Gu Juyang shouted, forcing himself to swallow the blood that was welling up to his throat.

“How dare a lowly assassin ask for my name?”

A woman in her forties jumped over the fence and landed in front of Gu Juyang. Her overall appearance was beautiful, but the raised corners of the eyebrows looked very poisonous.

The woman glared at Gu Juyang with fierce eyes.

The expression on Gu Juyang’s face darkened at the unusual momentum of the woman.

“You—”

Gu Juyang recognized the woman’s identity at a glance.

At least among the famous warriors in Sichuan, there was no one whom he did not know.

“Jeonghwa, the life ending toxic heart. Why? Then could the client be—”

“Stop right there! If your mouth say anything more, I will pull out your tongue.”

She exclaimed as she pulled out a fire-jin from her waist. 

In an instant, a shadow fell on the corner of Gu Juyang’s eyes.

‘I wonder if that was the place where I made the request. It must be difficult to get out of bad luck.’

Jeonghwa was by no means an ordinary warrior.

Although he was also a martial artist, they were famous for their meticulous yet vicious hearts.

At the very least, wouldn’t even a special title be the number one read?

But what was truly terrifying was not Jeonghwa. 

It was Jeonghwa’s background which was terrifying.

Only then did Gu Juyang know the true client who sent such an unreasonable request to the Blood Phantom Group. 

A light of fear flashed across his eyes.

Although he had little to fear in the world, he was wary of the person behind Jeonghwa.

‘I should have thought that they were related–’

Gu Juyang blamed his complacency for not recognizing the identity of the client in hopes of not crossing the line. All this catastrophe today was the result of his own mistake. 

If they were involved, even if the assassination was successful, their annihilation would surely follow.

“My wrong judgment has brought forth a disaster. But even if I die, I will never die alone!”

Gu Juyang shouted loudly and ran towards Jeonghwa.

He held the Blood Moon Knife in his hand, and a reddish black aura continued to stretch out. Even in front of the sword that dyed the entire surroundings red, Jeonghwa’s expression did not change.

“Heh! A mere assassin?

She swung her weapon.  Then a storm-like aura arose and counteracted the energy from Gu Juyang’s knife. 

Kakakang!

Blood Moon Knife and Buljin (weapon of Jeonghwa) collided over and over again.

Gu Juyang did his best.

If he couldn’t subdue Jeonghwa today, then there would be no future for him.

Jeonghwa’s weapon was pushed back little by little by his energy. 

A light of admiration flashed across her face.

‘The leader of an assassin group possesses such a level of martial art… Impressive.’

From an early age, she steadily learned the martial arts of a prestigious sect. She may not be regarded as a great genius, but she has steadily learned the wisdom taught by her master and has become a master recognized by the four natures.

Even with her martial arts, the captain of the Blood Phantom Group was so good that she couldn’t subdue him in just a short time.

Fortunately, their battle was a face-to-face confrontation in broad daylight.

Jeonghwa realized once again that Gu Juyang and the other Blood Phantom Group assassins had to be annihilated.

“Die!”

Jeonghwa performed Daejung Sungong [대정선공(大静弾功), which contains the secrets of Pasa [파사(破邪)].

It was an attack injected with internal energy.

Gu Juyang was not confident enough to face her attack head-on, so he tried to avoid it.

Pit!

At that moment, something tiny flew and pierced his ankle. Jeonghwa’s comrade had attacked him.  Gu Juyang, who was very nervous about the confrontation with Jeonghwa, could not avoid the sneak attack.

Gu Juyang’s balance was broken because of the wound in his ankle. And the fire-jin that contains Jeonghwa’s powerful internal energy exploded in his body.

Bang!

“Keugh!”

With a scream, Gu Juyang’s body collapsed.

In that one attack, Gu Juyang could not counterattack in time. 

His chest was hollow, as if he had been struck by a large sledgehammer.

“Kekkeuk!”

Gu Juyang lay on the floor and took a deep breath.

“Heuk!”

“Ugh!”

When he collapsed, the other assassins who had also been struggling with him also began to collapse rapidly.

As the fight continued for a bit, monks and warriors slaughtered the assassins more explosively.

‘Oh, no!’

Gu Juyang shed tears of blood as he watched the collapse of the Blood Phantom Group. 

Pak! Pak!

Then there was a loud sound of footsteps.

Jeonghwa took a step towards the owner of the footprints.

“Your disciple, Jeonghwa is greeting Master.”

“How much time are you wasting to subdue such lowly assassins?”

“I apologize, master! It took a while because they resisted a lot more than I expected.”

It was an old woman reminiscent of a crow.

The whole body of the old woman who was walking with a staff brought great momentum.

The old woman looked down at Gu Juyang with cold eyes.

Gu Juyang shouted at the old woman.

“Elderly Master of Brilliance (九鍋師太)! How can you do this to me? How could the Emei Sect do this to the Blood Phantom Group…?! Your request…!”

In an instant, the old woman swung her staff and smashed it towards the head of Gu Juyang. 

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

The old woman muttered coldly as she watched the blood flowing through the shattered skull of Gu Juyang.