Chapter 26: Assassin 3

Lee Jeong-nam, who had extensive experience in martial arts, guided the people to a quiet open space and said.

“This spot should be suitable.”

The location for a duel was important. Dam Ji-woon stepped forward and surveyed the surroundings and the ground. He seemed to be checking for slippery stones that might roll away or mud that could cause someone to sink.

Baek Moo-jin, however, gazed up at the sky, observing the moon’s movement. Clouds were moving at a fairly rapid pace, and it seemed likely that when the moonlight was obscured by them, the area would grow quite dark.

Baek Moo-jin, who had been surveying the wider area, spoke up.

“Which of us should go first…”

It was an ambiguous question. Lee Jeong-nam wanted to let him go first, but somehow, after glimpsing Baek Moo-jin’s martial arts prowess, he felt uneasy about stepping forward himself.

Lee Jeong-nam said.

“The order doesn’t matter. Do as you please, Young Master Dam. But regardless of who goes first, I won’t be watching the duel between the two of you.”

Dam Ji-woon felt the same.

“The order doesn’t matter. I have no intention of watching either.”

As the two spoke as if accommodating Baek Moo-jin, Seo Mun-geuk looked at Baek Moo-jin with an unnecessarily hopeful gaze. Somehow, he sensed Baek Moo-jin’s next words would anger them.

Sure enough, just as Seo Mun-geuk had anticipated, Baek Moo-jin said calmly,

“You may watch if you wish.”

Seo Mun-geuk stifled a laugh when Baek Moo-jin gave exactly the answer he’d expected.

Now that Seo Mun-geuk had become somewhat familiar with Baek Moo-jin, that tone felt familiar. But remembering the arrogance he’d shown when they fought, even drawing his sword, this was actually mild by comparison.

Meanwhile, at Baek Moo-jin’s words that he could watch, Lee Jeong-nam crossed his arms and kept his mouth shut.

‘His confidence is excessive.’

Dam Ji-woon, however, felt tense at Baek Moo-jin’s attitude.

‘Better if I step forward first.’

“Then I shall go first.”

With that, Dam Ji-woon drew his sword with a sharp slash. Taking that as his cue, Lee Jeong-nam turned his back completely, crossed his arms, sat down, and closed his eyes.

Seo Mun-geuk watched the unfolding situation with interest, fluttering his fan. He intended to act as the judge.

“I will give the signal. As fellow members of the same order, I pray neither of you is harmed. Should any dangerous situation arise, I wish to state in advance that I may intervene.”

Seo Mun-geuk looked at Dam Ji-woon and Baek Moo-jin; both nodded. Stepping aside from the center position, Seo Mun-geuk said,

“Let us begin.”

As Seo Mun-geuk had anticipated, Baek Moo-jin stood with his sword sheathed, conceding the first move to Dam Ji-woon.

Dam Ji-woon seemed unfazed that Baek Moo-jin hadn’t drawn his sword, perhaps having heard something from Kang Yeop. Having endured ample nagging from Kang Yeop before arriving here, he approached the duel with greater seriousness than ever before.

Dam Ji-woon, unsure how Baek Moo-jin would react, slashed his sword diagonally with defense in mind. But Baek Moo-jin suddenly lunged forward, attempting to grab the sword with his bare hand.

Startled, Dam Ji-woon withdrew his sword and swiftly retreated. Instead, Baek Moo-jin charged forward, beginning to chase Dam Ji-woon.

Even Seo Mun-geuk, witnessing this absurd spectacle, gaped in astonishment.

2.

The duel between Dam Ji-woon and Baek Moo-jin unfolded behind the seated Lee Jeong-nam. Lee Jeong-nam, who had been keeping his eyes closed, tilted his head in confusion when he didn’t hear the clanging of swords for quite some time despite the fight commencing.

Only the sound of wind cutting through the air and the thud of feet striking the ground reached his ears.

Lee Jeong-nam focused even more intently on the sounds.

‘What is it?’

He wanted to turn around and watch the duel immediately. The unfolding situation felt strange. As he concentrated on the sounds, he could instantly distinguish the sounds coming from Dam Ji-woon’s movements and those coming from Baek Moo-jin’s movements.

Dam Ji-woon’s movements were consistently fierce yet nimble. It was a rhythm of rough attacks intertwined with Baek Moo-jin’s. The rapid exhalations and inhalations from Dam Ji-woon’s mouth reached Lee Jeong-nam’s ears.

But Baek Moo-jin made almost no sound. Not even the sound of his breathing could be heard. Only the occasional rustle of his clothes could be heard; he made no sound with his footsteps.

Lee Jeong-nam found himself staring wide-eyed at the front.

Even just by the sounds, the outcome of this duel was painfully obvious.

‘Baek Moo-jin is far stronger.’

Lee Jeong-nam never dreamed that merely listening to someone else’s duel sounds could make sweat run down his spine.

At that moment, a faint rustling sound came from ahead.

‘Hm?’

Before becoming a first-class martial artist of the Bukcheon Alliance, Lee Jeong-nam had been an assassin. The sound he just heard felt strangely familiar. It was the kind of sound made when someone tried desperately to muffle their footsteps but accidentally slipped up. It was a sound of ‘kindred spirit’ that Lee Jeong-nam would never have recognized had he not lived as an assassin. But it was just a single sound.

‘Am I just being overly sensitive because of the sound?’

Lee Jeong-nam, who had been watching the front, snapped his attention back to the duel unfolding behind him at the sound of a sharp clang!

‘Finally, he’s drawn his sword!’

3.

Seo Mun-geuk’s eyes flashed.

‘So Dam Daeju made him draw his sword after all.’

Dam Ji-woon’s sword fell vertically, and Baek Moo-jin had partially drawn his sword to block it.

Yet, an unusual sword name flowed from Baek Moo-jin’s half-drawn blade.

Swish············

Startled, Dam Ji-woon shoved Baek Moo-jin aside and thrust three consecutive sword strikes. Then, as if skimming the ground, he sent the sword tip soaring skyward, unleashing a torrent of sword energy.

Dam Ji-woon’s sword energy was unique. It had no form, yet it could be described as a blade-shaped wind.

But Baek Moo-jin parried the sword energy with a sword-drawing motion that fully exposed the blade, which had been only halfway drawn.

The clash of sword energy and blade produced a peculiar metallic ring.

Clang!

“Whoa.”

Dam Ji-woon paused his attack and let out a gasp when Baek Moo-jin deflected his sword energy too easily.

‘It feels like facing a wall… He’s completely holding back.’

From that moment, Dam Ji-woon felt continuing the duel was pointless.

‘He’s in a different league.’

But in the brief moment Dam Ji-woon paused his attack, Baek Moo-jin sheathed the sword he had briefly drawn. It was his usual habit, but perhaps he was being extra cautious, aware that assassins might be watching.

Misinterpreting this gesture, a vein bulged on Dam Ji-woon’s forehead.

‘Damn it… I guess I have to go all the way.’

Dang Ji-woon raised the sword he had lowered to his lower right and charged at Baek Moo-jin.

‘If I lose, I’ll lose with honor.’

As Dam Ji-woon charged forward with fierce momentum, Baek Moo-jin slowly turned his stance, standing at an angle to meet him.

Wind swirled around Dam Ji-woon’s charging sword.

Thud! With a sound, Dam Ji-woon soared into the air, disregarding defense entirely, and thrust forward with a single sword strike filled with the sole intent to cut.

His posture was like a straight line formed by sword and body, piercing through enemy lines. It was an attack so swift and bold it made Seo Mun-geuk’s eyes widen.

‘Dangerous!’

Baek Moo-jin’s counter was a technique deployed alongside the sword’s release.

Snow Sword at the End of the Path.

Meaning ‘snow-soaked sword, path exhausted’, it was the sword technique Baek Moo-jin deployed for the first time since descending the mountain.

To be precise, Snow Sword at the End of the Path unfolded between the draw and the sheath.

Because of this, when Baek Moo-jin drew his sword, the subtlety of ‘Snow Sword’ caused Dam Ji-woon’s blade to stick firmly to Baek Moo-jin’s sword body.

When Baek Moo-jin drew a trajectory through the air and sheathed his sword again, Dam Ji-woon’s sword shot skyward with a whirring sound.

Both Seo Mun-geuk, who witnessed it, and Dam Ji-un, who experienced it firsthand, were stunned.

‘What sect could possibly have such a technique?!’

Dam Ji-un stared up at his sword soaring into the sky with a look of utter bewilderment.

He couldn’t comprehend why his sword had adhered like that. His vague guess was, ‘Is it some kind of ice technique?’

Amidst this, Dam Ji-woon’s sword kept soaring skyward. As if the ever-increasing distance signified the gap between Dam Ji-woon and Baek Moo-jin…

Lee Jeong-nam was nearly driven mad with curiosity about the situation unfolding behind him. He had clearly heard the clash of swords. Then came the sound of swords being drawn, followed by a deathly silence. Even so, Lee Jeong-nam could roughly infer the situation based on the sounds alone.

‘Did he knock the sword away?’

Frustrated, Lee Jeong-nam asked.

“Is it over?”

Dang Ji-woon answered that question.

“Yes, it’s over.”

It was a situation where he had clearly realized that no matter how much further he went, he could never win against this opponent.

A sigh escaped Lee Jung-nam’s lips.

“Hmm…”

It was just as Lee Jeong-nam turned away with that sigh. Only then did Dam Ji-woon’s sword, which had been thrust skyward, fall to the ground. Baek Moo-jin, worried the blade might be damaged, snatched it up at the last moment.

Baek Moo-jin handed the sword back to Dam Ji-woon and said.

“My apologies.”

Dam Ji-woon shook his head and said.

“You cut me some slack.”

“Not at all.”

The moment Dam Ji-woon received the sword, he pointed its tip downward and assumed a guard stance.

“That was a good lesson.”

Baek Moo-jin returned the bow in kind.

“I’ve learned well.”

4.

A short distance away, Sa Ilgon and Jong Geunseok, assassins of the Salmun sect, exchanged glances without uttering a word. Jong Geunseok, having roughly gauged Baek Moo-jin’s martial prowess, felt his mind growing complex.

Jong Geun-seok was stronger than Sa Il-gon.

Therefore, he had clearly realized that Baek Moo-jin’s martial arts were absolutely formidable. Nevertheless, disobeying the Assassins’ orders and retreating was also unthinkable.

‘No choice. I’ll have to ambush the next opponent when we fight.’

With his lips sealed, Jong Geun-seok gestured to Sa Il-gon and briefly explained the plan.

Jong Geun-seok raised one finger.

[There is only one chance left.]

Jonggeunseok pointed at himself, then pointed at Baekmujin.

[I will rush out and attack.]

Then, with a solemn expression, Jong Geun-seok pointed at Sa Il-gon’s poisoned needle.

[You stay here and throw the steel dart at Baek Moo-jin.]

Jong Geun-seok shook his head, holding up three fingers.

[You don’t need to worry about the other three.]

After that, Jonggeun-seok asked silently with his mouth.

‘Do you understand?’

Sailgon nodded solemnly. He recalled Jonggeunseok’s plan and mimicked his hand gestures.

[You only get one chance.]

[Senior, you take care of Baek Moo-jin.]

[I’ll throw a dart at Baek Moo-jin from the rear.]

Sailgon understood all this clearly. Finally, Sailgon held up three fingers and waved them.

[Attack three times, then retreat.]

Sailgon already knew Baek Moo-jin was strong, so he deliberately misinterpreted Jonggeukseok’s orders as if he hadn’t understood properly. Sailgon planned to throw a few javelins here and then flee. He firmly believed that if he hit, great; if he missed, he had to escape quickly to slightly increase his chances of survival.

The two men faced each other with serious expressions and nodded.

‘Let’s go.’

‘Let’s go.’

Sailgon looked at Jonggeunseok and thought.

‘My apologies, Senior Jong. This is no foe we can hope to defeat.’

Sailgon swallowed hard, alone.