Chapter 76

The knife that pierced the heart.

Jilji stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing secrets given to him by his mother. In fact, today the moon was barely visible. Nevertheless, no one even suspected his moon-viewing antics, even when they saw his figure illuminated by the occasional streetlights. Almost no one was unaware that he used this so-called "moon-viewing" as an excuse to play with Zhenglian, the maid, every night.

Even after the assassination attempt on the master a while ago, when some of the maids were seen with murderous intent, Jilji didn't care and continued to enjoy walks with Zhenglian the next day.

Servants and maids were not given private rooms; they lived in large communal rooms that could accommodate anywhere from four to twenty or thirty people. This meant that there was no intimate space for young men and women to socialize. Moreover, the younger they were, the more they were crammed into the large rooms. Married servants and maids were given their own rooms, but the master of the estate believed there was no need to invest in such accommodations for the unmarried, so the communal living arrangements remained unchanged. After all, the younger they were, the lower their status, so it was natural for them to receive such treatment.

In fact, communal living was very beneficial for the maids in maintaining their chastity. There was no one bold enough to intrude into a room where many women were gathered and touch them, and even if someone were to go mad and rush in, they would have to suppress all the women without a single scream, which was a significant challenge.

Hadn't there been a story about six male servants who invaded a room where twelve young maids were sleeping and were caught by the warriors responding to the screams, ending up half-dead? However, while communal living had its advantages, it was also the most disadvantageous for finding a partner. Women with women, men with men... their tasks were different, so there was no possibility of meeting during the day. If they wanted to meet and build a relationship through conversation at night, they lacked the space to do so.

But Zhenglian was very lucky to have found Jilji, a diligent and suitable husband, and they grew closer through their nightly moon-viewing. Zhenglian, who had been worried that she might die without ever getting married due to her unremarkable appearance, was gradually losing that anxiety through the continuous moon-viewing. However, Jilji, who seemed like a block of wood, had not yet mentioned marriage, even though their moon-viewing had been going on for almost five months.

As Jilji led Zhenglian to a more secluded spot, the initial light kisses became more intense, and Jilji's hand eventually began to fondle Zhenglian's soft and firm breasts.

Jinseok, who was watching the sweet caresses exchanged in the secluded spot at night from a distance, licked his lips and whispered to his colleague, Janggyeong, who was also well-camouflaged in black and lying low.

"Looks like they'll do something today, doesn't it?"

Janggyeong, who was indifferently looking around as if the scene was not worth watching, replied dismissively.

"What? They'll just go back as usual. That idiot... The rice is already cooked, and he's still taking his time. If he sits there and dies, he'll just feed the dogs."

Jinseok, who had been watching the two servants, whispered again.

"I think they'll do it today."

"That idiot won't. He's been fondling that maid's breasts for a month, and he hasn't made any progress. It's not happening today either."

"But still..."

"Ah, just do your guard duty properly. It'll take at least half a year to see them do it."

Despite Janggyeong's indifferent response, Jinseok's thoughts were a bit different. He let out a low, sinister laugh and said,

"Hehehe, but isn't watching them the only pleasure while on guard duty? They don't even know we're watching. That's why the competition to be on guard duty here is so fierce. You came here hoping you might get to watch, didn't you?"

"Still, it won't happen today."

"Maybe it will."

Janggyeong made a suggestion to Jinseok, who was persistently pestering him.

"I'll bet ten taels they won't do it."

"I'll bet ten taels they will."

Jinseok, who was not the type to refuse a bet, quickly agreed.

"Ten taels, I've won, hehehe."

Jinseok and Janggyeong, confident of their own victory, each bet ten taels. In the Black Sect, where subordinates were supposed to focus solely on martial arts, their salaries were very low. The money they bet might seem small to others, but to them, it was a considerable amount.

Jinseok and Janggyeong were part of a team of 24 guards assigned to twelve locations between the outer and inner chambers. The moon-viewing of the servant and the maid, which had been going on for about five months, was so well-known among the guards that almost no one was unaware of it. However, the male servant was so lacking in courage that it was driving the onlookers crazy.

They always met in the same secluded spot, and since it was near where the 8th team was on guard duty, their actions were quite visible. The guards were seasoned and skilled, so the darkness was no barrier to their vision, and if the wind was favorable, they could even hear the couple's whispers. This led to early bets on when they would finally do it. However, because the male servant hesitated, those who had bet on "it will happen soon" lost their hard-earned money.

After about 20 minutes, Jinseok, who was enjoying the couple's actions, nudged Janggyeong. When Janggyeong turned his head, he saw that the couple was moving to a new spot. Today, their actions seemed a bit unusual. Normally, they would continue for at least another two hours, but they were already standing up. 'Are they really going to do it today?' he thought.

They moved to a more secluded corner. The area behind them was completely blocked by a wall, and the front was obstructed by a pile of objects, making it difficult for onlookers to see.

'Are they really going to do something today? Damn, I'm going to lose ten taels. At least I can watch...'

Janggyeong swallowed hard. The place the man had taken the woman to was an empty warehouse where items had been removed a few days ago. The door was not locked, making it the perfect spot for them to hide. It would be a cozy, private space for the two of them...

They entered the warehouse with a small lantern, as even the moonlight did not reach inside. The warehouse, designed for storing items that required good ventilation, had large windows. They settled in front of an open window. Although the window was covered with paper, the absence of items inside made it easy to see what was happening.

However, a problem arose. When the man sat down and embraced the woman, only their heads were visible, and it was impossible to see what they were doing. The wind was favorable today, so whispers could be heard, but it was not clear what they were saying. Jinseok and Janggyeong, on guard duty, swallowed hard and focused all their attention on their hearing. The outcome of the ten taels depended on what these two would do.

At this moment, the woman slowly stood up. The dim light from the nearby lantern revealed her expression. Surprisingly, she began to undress slowly. Oh! Such a good show couldn't be enjoyed by just the two of them. The amount of money bet on this was enormous, so the actions of the couple were a common interest among all the guards.

Jinseok discreetly signaled to his colleagues nearby, sharing the pleasure of voyeurism. The signal was subtle, but all the nearby guards gathered around Jinseok, about eight of them. They all gaped, watching the woman's plump, firm, and very elastic breasts revealed in the dim light, despite her unremarkable face.

At this moment, a man broke through the formation, taking advantage of the gap created by the guards' concentration. The guards were so focused that they did not sense any movement around them. Even if they had been guarding, his skills were such that he could have quietly broken through, but the problem was the formation. He was completely inexperienced with formations, so he had to break through very slowly, risking being detected by the guards.

However, even a beginner in formations could tell that the places where the guards were hiding were the few spots where the formation could be broken, known as the "Life Gates." The Life Gates were blocked by the guards, but breaking through the few feet between them without being noticed was almost impossible. Killing the guards and breaking through was another option, but given their formidable skills, it would be extremely difficult, though not impossible. A previous assassin had used a sleeping potion to put everyone in a daze before entering, but the same trick wouldn't work twice.

He had heard that the master of the estate was seriously injured, and he couldn't miss this opportunity. Despite the risks, he decided to break through the formation. However, a secret order came from above: "There are many suspicious points, so observe the situation further." In fact, if the master of the estate had been seriously injured, his enemies would not have remained quiet. He later discovered that the master had simply been on a long trip and was perfectly fine. So, he prepared more carefully and finally executed his plan cautiously.

There were undoubtedly many spies active in the outer chambers. After selecting 2,000 people through the martial arts competition, a detailed map showing the path to break through the formation was discreetly delivered to him.

After passing through the formation and entering the inner chambers, he completely tore up the paper containing the solution and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing it. The Baiying Huanhun Formation (魄影還混陣) he had passed through was not a killing formation but one that used illusions to prevent entry from the outer to the inner chambers. However, it had no effect on exiting from the inner to the outer chambers, so it was designed to be easily passed through. It was a very powerful formation, suitable only for places with many strong experts inside, making it difficult for outsiders to enter but easy for insiders to exit.

Hidden in the darkness, he sensed the guards returning to their positions. It had taken him five months to prepare this woman in the outer chambers. Under his hypnotic technique, she had been engaging in what she thought was intimate activity with her lover, but she was now exhausted and would sleep until morning. The guards, hearing the woman's moans stop, would lick their lips and return to their posts, diligently resuming their duties.

He quietly infiltrated further inside. Finding the master's room in the inner chambers was extremely difficult, as only trusted individuals were allowed in. However, information about the inner chambers had slowly spread through their mouths, and the approximate location was known. The target, being a high-level expert, did not frequently change rooms, showing great confidence. This confidence was now leading to his downfall.

'If he didn't reveal such a weakness, there would be no way to kill him...'

He silently approached the floor of the room where the master was staying. The closer he got, the more cautious he became about his presence. He tried not to use his qi, so his movements were slow. Using the highest-level stealth technique, he made no sound, not even the rustle of a falling leaf.

He hid behind a stone slab where two pairs of shoes were placed and settled down. He then slowly used the Ghost Breath Technique to completely eliminate his presence. Normally, one could use illusion techniques to hide the body underground, but such advanced techniques, which consumed a lot of internal energy, were easily detected by highly skilled experts. The traditional method of minimizing one's presence was more likely to succeed.

Just before entering a meditative state, his final action was to firmly grip the handle of a hidden iron pin in his belt and place it on his stomach. All preparations were complete. He now waited for the target to arrive.

"Master, I have prepared the list as you requested."

"Hmm, well done. Let me see."

Seolmoo carefully handed over a thick stack of papers.

"Excluding some high-level experts who have reached the Hwa-kyeong stage, it was very difficult to rank them, so the list has expanded to about 2,500 names. This is the list and their detailed backgrounds."

Mukhyang flipped through the documents with a satisfied expression and said,

"Hmm, it's good that these people, whose skills are known in the martial world, are unlikely to be spies. The problem is how to recruit them."

"That's true. They are outstanding individuals who do not belong to any particular faction, so the first to capture them will be the owner."

"Is the first person on this list really that skilled?"

"If you're referring to the Unrestrained Buddha Emperor, then yes. Do you not know the Three Emperors, Five Emperors, and Four Heavenly Kings? He is undoubtedly the leader of the Three Emperors, a monster..."

"I know the Four Heavenly Kings and two of the Emperors well. I killed one and must kill the other. I don't know the others because I never paid attention to such things. Why does such a skilled person have so little influence?"

"He naturally dislikes forming groups. He dislikes controlling others and even more dislikes being controlled."

"Unrestrained? Does that mean he doesn't follow any rules? Is he a renegade monk?"

"Yes, that's a well-known fact. If you're talking about the Venerable Kongkong, he is the elder brother of the former abbot of Shaolin Temple, Venerable Kongzhi. He was a genius who mastered most of Shaolin martial arts, but he became obsessed with martial arts and suffered from mental derangement, causing his demonic energy to spread to his bones, leading to his downfall."

Mukhyang asked indifferently,

"If he's insane, isn't he useless?"

"Hehe, he's not completely insane. His personality has completely changed, and he is now lecherous, greedy, and cruel. Shaolin Temple now tries to hide the fact that he is a high-level expert they produced."

"Then why not eliminate him before he causes more trouble?"

"It's impossible. Don't you, Master, share a similar situation in some ways?"

Mukhyang nodded as if understanding.

"Hmm, I see. Where is this person now?"

"He has established a sect called Tulongmen in the mountains and leads about a hundred subordinates, indulging in the pleasures of the flesh. Despite being a sect, it's more like a gang, engaging in various illegal activities to gather funds. He also frequently kidnaps beautiful women, but his martial skills are so strong that..."

"How strong exactly?"

"Everyone regards him as the leader of the Three Emperors. Despite his actions, he still remembers and uses orthodox Shaolin martial arts, indicating he is not completely insane. He is known as a master of the Yijin Shengong."

"Interesting. What about the second person, the Ten Thousand Sounds Emperor? Is he one of the Five Emperors?"

"Yes, he occasionally appears and acts mysterious. His actions are upright, but his temper is foul, and his methods are cruel, placing him in a gray area. He also seems to belong to no specific group and is a master of sound techniques."

"He intrigues me. Find out his exact location!"

"Understood!"

Mukhyang, flipping through the documents, suddenly smiled.

"This person's title is interesting. Fei Xia Fei Xia (非邪非俠)..."

"His title is fitting for his outstanding skills. However, there is a problem..."

"What is it?"

"He is not from the Central Plains."

"An outsider in the martial world?"

"Yes, he occasionally visits the Central Plains to show off his martial skills, but he has been quiet lately, hiding somewhere."

"Then, how many of the people listed here have known locations?"

"About 800. Most are wandering experts, so it's impossible to pinpoint their exact locations."

"Then... Hmm, I'll assign the less skilled ones to the new recruits."

"Can they be trusted?"

"To some extent. If there were spies among them, they wouldn't have made it here. Assign their recruitment to Elder Yezhigao and instruct him to be thoroughly prepared for any possible betrayal."

"Understood!"

"Since we can't fully trust them, it might be better to send them on external missions."

"Wise decision."

"It's late. I'll go now. We can continue tomorrow."

"Understood."

"By the way, contact Chief Hongjin and instruct him to investigate the locations of the targets more thoroughly. Knowing the locations of only 800 people isn't enough."

"Understood. Rest well."

After Seolmoo left, Mukhyang sat in the center of the room and entered a meditative state. He was constantly trying to capture the energy of the earth, which was gradually becoming clearer. He felt that he was close to enlightenment, so he had not slept for days.

The next morning, he sensed someone approaching his location. The subtle vibrations of the earth... He slowly began to awaken his body, but not too much. Just enough for slight movements...

He slowly lifted the iron pin he had placed on his stomach. Two legs were visible. The opponent was sitting comfortably on the floor, wearing leather shoes. Now!

Pierce!

His iron pin shot through the floor and pierced upward. There was an immediate reaction, the subtle sensation of the pin entering human flesh.

The human body, through cultivation, can become invulnerable, with impenetrable