Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 127
Some Depart, Some Flee (2)
Novel- Martial Artist Lee Gwak
In the backyard of the Celestial Demon Troupe, there was an old well. Created in the early days of the Celestial Demon Troupe, the well had been a precious source of drinking water for many.
However, it had gradually dried up over the last thirty years, with only a small amount of water left at the bottom.
Afterwards, the well was closed, and no one sought it out anymore. It was during the depths of the night that suspicious movements were detected from this abandoned well.
Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from within the well. Silently coming out, it cautiously surveyed its surroundings.
At that moment, the moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting a soft light on the face of the black shadow.
Under the moonlight, the true identity of this person was revealed to be Go Chan Seong, the head of the Wu Family Manor.
After confirming that there were no watching eyes around the well, he tapped the wall of the well. As if on cue, dozens of black shadows emerged one after the other.
They were the Hidden Blood Squad, who had infiltrated the Celestial Demon Troupe following Go Chan Seong.
Go Chan Seong bowed to Cheol Geuk jin, the leader of the Hidden Blood Squad, and said,
“This is the backyard of the Celestial Demon Troupe.”
“Well done.”
Cheol Geuk jin patted Go Chan Seong on the shoulder.
He was genuinely grateful to Go Chan Seong.
The Celestial Demon Troupe was the one place they hadn’t been able to penetrate despite using countless means, which was why the Hidden Blood Squad had targeted assassinations of Celestial Demon Troupe’s key figures when they were outside.
This was the first time the Hidden Blood Squad had entered the Celestial Demon Troupe’s main base.
Without Go Chan Seong’s dedication, such an opportunity would have never arisen.
“From here on, we will take care of things. You should escape through the prearranged route.”
Go Chan Seong’s role was finished here.
After today, the Celestial Demon Troupe would undoubtedly launch a comprehensive search operation, and Go Chan Seong would be the first to get caught in their net.
Knowing this, Go Chan Seong nodded.
“Please take care. I will return to the Jade Heaven Alliance and wait.”
After giving a fist salute to Cheol Geuk jin, Go Chan Seong re-entered the well.
Cheol Geuk jin watched Go Chan Seong’s retreating figure for a moment before gathering the Hidden Blood Squad.
“You all know your tasks, right?”
The Hidden Blood Squad silently nodded.
Even in the darkness, their eyes shone sharply. After scanning the faces of his team, Cheol Geuk jin issued his command.
“Let’s begin.”
At his command, the Hidden Blood Squad dispersed in small groups in all directions.
They had carried out assassinations hundreds of times before. There was no hesitation in their movements.
Tonight, many would die.
Perhaps the Hidden Blood Squad existed solely for this night.
Cheol Geuk jin’s gaze then turned to the remaining members. Han So Cheon and the elite of the Hidden Blood Squad were among them.
Cheol Geuk jin looked intently at Han So Cheon.
“Are you prepared?”
Han So Cheon silently nodded.
A satisfied smile appeared on Cheol Geuk jin’s lips.
“Go!”
Without hesitation, Han So Cheon and the elites dashed in a certain direction. Their figures vanished into the darkness in an instant.
Left alone, Cheol Geuk jin murmured.
“She’s a useful woman.”
Han So Cheon was an excellent weapon.
She was born with outstanding senses and delicate hands. Thanks to this, she was able to master the art of assassination far more exceptionally than other assassins of the Hidden Blood Squad.
In a way, half the reason the Hidden Blood Squad had risen to its current position was thanks to Han So Cheon. She had successfully carried out numerous assassinations that other assassins wouldn’t even dare to attempt.
From the moment he first saw Han So Cheon, Cheol Geuk jin recognized her potential. Therefore, he forced her into committing murders and sent her to Mount Sohua. And she grew beyond Cheol Geuk jin’s expectations.
Into the best assassin capable of killing anyone.
All of this was for today. Han So Cheon was about to undertake the assassination of her life.
An assassination with a very slim chance of success…
Cheol Geuk jin hoped for Han So Cheon to succeed in her mission. That would increase the chances of survival for the others.
Ssshh!
Cheol Geuk jin blended into the darkness.
****
Han So Cheon and her colleagues moved stealthily.
They had already memorized the terrain inside the Celestial Demon Troupe. The Seven Stars had been covertly gathering and sending information about the Celestial Demon Troupe all this time.
They had already memorized the interior layout of the Celestial Demon Troupe, thanks to the Seven Stars, who had infiltrated the Celestial Demon Troupe and were sending back information consistently.
There were parts that differed from the information, but they could overcome those with quick thinking. The key was bypassing the traps and arrays set up inside the Celestial Demon Troupe.
Fortunately, one of Han So Cheon’s colleagues specialized in detecting such traps and arrays. Leading the way, he detected and avoided each one.
The place they arrived at was a small out building located in the most secluded part of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
Han So Cheon exchanged glances with her colleagues.
They moved as they had agreed beforehand.
Some carefully climbed onto the roof of the out building, while others silently infiltrated from the ground.
Han So Cheon also surveyed the surroundings before moving to the optimal position for assassination. She blended in with the landscape from the best spot to carry out the assassination.
She practiced the art of Earthen Hearing to suppress her breathing and lowered her body temperature. Like a dead person, she eliminated all signs of life and then half-closed her eyes.
Though she was looking at the out building where her target was, she didn’t focus on it.
People tend to feel when someone stares at them intently. There was no being more sensitive to the gaze of others than humans. Ordinary people would be sensitive, let alone those who had trained in martial arts. And the target she was aiming for was not an ordinary martial artist.
He was far more superior and greater than any martial artist she had ever assassinated. Naturally, his senses and awareness would be exceptional. If someone stared at him intently, he would quickly notice. Therefore, she needed to scatter her gaze while looking, making sure not to focus her consciousness on it.
The moon that had revealed itself above the clouds once again hid its face, and the world plunged deeper into darkness.
Han So Cheon watched the small building, forgetting the passage of time.
Bugs crawled over her body, causing an itch, but she did not move an inch.
Like a stone or a tree, she remained motionless in her spot.
She had no idea how much time had passed.
Her eyes, which had been lifeless as if she were an inanimate object, began to show signs of life when someone came out of the building.
It was an old man whose age was impossible to guess.
His face was covered in deep wrinkles, and pus dripped from his eyes. His stooped back seemed to struggle under the weight of years, relying on a cane for support.
The old man tapped his back and murmured to himself.
“Ha! If you’ve come, why not enter sooner? Why stand out here in the dew?”
His soft voice strangely resonated clearly in the ears of Han So Cheon and the assassins.
Han So Cheon and her fellow assassins realized their presence had been detected.
Instantly, the assassins moved.
An assassin hidden on the roof threw a pouch the size of a child’s fist into the air. The pouch burst open above the old man, scattering green powder.
“Is this the Poisonous Dust of Dissipation?”
His already narrow eyes, filled with pus, narrowed further.
As the old man said, the green powder was the Poisonous Dust of Dissipation.
Even a single breath of it could scatter a person’s internal energy, rendering them unable to utilize their martial skills effectively.
“A futile effort…”
The old man casually waved his hand as if playing a joke. A gust of wind arose, blowing away the Poisonous Dust of Dissipation that filled the air.
At that moment, an assassin hidden on the ground floor threw a hidden weapon.
The old man stepped aside, and the weapon flew past him harmlessly. With minimal movement, he neutralized the assassins’ attacks.
His movements were like a ghost’s.
The previously hidden assassins launched their attack in unison, realizing that stealthy ambushes were insufficient to kill the old man.
Shiiish!
Despite their coordinated attack, the old man was not flustered.
“Quite impressive.”
He even admired the assassins’ coordinated attack.
Like gears in a machine, their attack was executed with precision and without any gaps. Underestimating them as mere assassins could lead to serious injury.
However, the old man was not worried.
He was over a hundred years old. Throughout more than a century, he had faced numerous life-or-death situations. There were times when his life was truly in danger, but he overcame every crisis and lived to his current age.
To him, the assassins’ coordinated attack was not a concern. Though impressive, he deemed it not a threat to himself.
“I don’t know why you’re targeting an old retiree like me, but let’s stop here.”
A brilliant aura of energy gathered in the old man’s hand.
It was Hand Qi, energy created not through weapons like swords or blades but directly from the body. Its power was no less formidable than that of Sword Qi or Blade Qi.
With a light wave of his hand, the Hand Qi swept over the assassins.
Boom!
With a loud noise, one of the assassins was thrown back, turned into a mess of flesh and bone. It was clear without looking that the assassin’s life had been snuffed out.
Yet, the death of their comrade did not shake the remaining assassins. They had come prepared to die.
Swish!
The assassins pounced on the old man like moths to a flame.
The old man’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Tch! Weapons stripped of humanity.”
The old man leaped backward and swung his Hand Qi again. A hand-shaped aura of light struck another assassin.
Bang!
The assassin was crushed like tenderized meat and died instantly.
Meanwhile, other assassins had closed in on the old man.
“Annoying! I’ll put you all to rest at once.”
Irritation flashed across the old man’s face.
The sight of the assassins disregarding their own lives to charge at him reminded him of his younger days.
Despite being old and merely waiting for death, those were memories he wished not to recall.
The old man was about to unleash his True Qi Art when suddenly, the eyes of an assassin charging in the lead turned blood-red. Seeing this, the old man had a bad premonition and quickly retreated.
The old man was about to make a statement.
Suddenly, the assassin who had been leading the charge turned red, and the old man jerked back with a sense of foreboding.
Boom!
At that moment, the assassin’s body exploded.
“Damn! The Blood Explosion Magic Art?”
A look of dismay appeared on the old man’s face.
The Blood Explosion Magic Art was a demonic art that involved detonating one’s own body to achieve mutual destruction with the opponent.
Despite its powerful force comparable to a cannonball, it was so cruel that even in the demonic paths, it was considered taboo. And yet, an ordinary assassin had mastered and used it.
Boom!
Another assassin’s body exploded, having also deployed the Blood Explosion Magic Art.
The old man quickly unfolded his protective Qi to shield himself from the explosion. Thanks to that, he remained unharmed.
As the old man trembled with rage at the assassins’ recklessness,
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted from the main compound of the Celestial Demon Troupe. It was an explosion of a completely different scale than the mere detonation of bodies.
This distraction momentarily scattered the old man’s focus. He dismissed his protective Qi and hurried towards the source of the explosion.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, a sword pierced through his chest from behind.
A look of disbelief appeared on the old man’s face.
Despite being distracted, he had been certain there were no signs of life around him.
As the old man barely turned his head, he saw a mysterious woman holding the sword. It was Han So Cheon.
Even though she had inflicted a fatal wound on the old man, Han So Cheon’s expression was far from bright.
It was because of her dead comrades.
They had been specially cultivated within the Hidden Blood Squad. They were raised from the beginning to self-detonate like this.
She did not know what made them so willingly explode without a moment’s hesitation. But when the command was given, they, like loyal dogs, sacrificed their own lives to ensure the mission’s success.
They used the Blood Explosion Magic Art to drive the old man towards Han So Cheon’s hiding spot.
Distracted by the Blood Explosion Magic Art and the explosion in the Celestial Demon Troupe, the old man failed to detect Han So Cheon’s presence and allowed a deadly strike.
“Ha!”
The old man chuckled weakly and knelt down.
His body, already weakened by age, could barely function, sustained only by his powerful internal energy. Now, inflicted with a fatal wound by Han So Cheon, he could no longer stand.
The old man, spitting blood, barely managed to lift his head to look at Han So Cheon.
“You’ve completed your mission, so why such a face?”
Tears had already formed in Han So Cheon’s eyes.