Chapter 96

## Chapter 96. Self-Introduction

Chilsal asked with an interested look.

"Did you know I would come?"

Most assassins die after failing their first attack.

This is because the martial arts they learn are mostly about stealth, assassination techniques, fatal strikes to cut off the breath, and lightness skills to escape.

-What makes assassins terrifying is the unpredictability of when they might strike; an assassin whose identity is known is not a very frightening presence.

An old saying in the martial world.

However, the person in front of him was an assassin from the Assassin Sect.

Baek Su-ryong kept his eyes on the opponent and replied.

"You guys wouldn't give up so easily, right? So I thought I'd set up a meeting."

"Ah, I fell for it."

Despite failing the first attack and being exposed, Chilsal's tone and actions showed no sign of urgency.

"To be honest, I did think that might happen..."

Chilsal stroked his face, muttering to himself.

"I thought maybe it was because of my face. When I peeled the skin, the resistance was so strong that it created a subtle difference..."

Chilsal's muttering, while wearing Hyun Won-gang's face.

Gongsun Shou, who had a chilling imagination, shouted.

"You scoundrel! What have you done to Jiang! Could it be that this face...!"

"Sir."

Baek Su-ryong calmed Gongsun Shou, who was about to draw his sword and charge out.

"That guy hasn't done anything to Hyun Won-gang."

"Why are you so sure?"

Chilsal tilted his head and asked.

Baek Su-ryong sneered at the psychological warfare from an unworthy opponent.

"The better the assassin, the less likely they are to use crude face masks. It's far more efficient to master the Reverse Bone Skill."

"But even if that's true, it doesn't mean I would spare Hyun Won-gang, does it?"

Chilsal smiled and asked, and Baek Su-ryong returned the same smile.

"You have no choice but to keep him alive. You need Hyun Won-gang to be alive so you can pin the blame on him after killing the elder, right?"

"Hmm..."

Chilsal was impressed by Baek Su-ryong's deduction of his plan after the assassination.

"Did you used to be an assassin?"

"This is something anyone could figure out with a little thought."

"You're a smart one, aren't you?"

"I hear that a lot."

Chilsal laughed quietly at Baek Su-ryong's unyielding response.

It was a laugh filled with mockery, not admiration.

"You're so smart, but there's one thing you didn't anticipate."

The reason Chilsal remained so calm despite failing his first attack was simple.

"I was just being true to my role as an assassin. Even without a surprise attack, I can kill you here."

Tssss...

A black mist-like aura flowed out from Chilsal's body, quickly enveloping him entirely.

"Ah...!"

Gongsun Shou was shocked by the overwhelming aura emanating from Chilsal.

"Do you know why the assassins of the Assassin Sect are called the King of Assassins?"

From the only part of Chilsal's body not covered by darkness—his eyes—emerged a deep green light.

"Because we possess martial arts that can kill anyone, even without an ambush."

"..."

Chilsal's presence heavily oppressed the surrounding space.

The darkness that flowed from his body had already enveloped the two of them like a fog.

"An assassination is just one way to kill someone."

Thud, thud.

As the darkness-shrouded Chilsal took each step, the fog around him scattered.

Baek Su-ryong sneered.

"Showing off. You only acted now because you were afraid of Namgung Jexue."

"Hehe. I admit that."

On the day when the Black Forest assassins tried to kill Gongsun Shou at the Blue Dragon Academy, Chilsal did not move at all.

The reason was the presence of the Heaven Sword King, Namgung Jexue.

"I'm not ashamed of that fact. The Ten Respects are monsters that even all the assassins of the Assassin Sect together might not be able to kill. But you, Baek Su-ryong, are not one of them."

Chilsal continued with a smile, the aura emanating from his body growing stronger.

"I've been observing you for the past few days. You have an amazing ability to teach, but your own martial arts skills are not up to that level."

"Did you observe me?"

"During the day when the Black Forest assassins were active, I saw you fight them. You were at the initial peak expert level. Even if you were hiding your true strength, it wouldn't be much better than that..."

"..."

Baek Su-ryong's expression hardened.

Chilsal's lips curved into a smile, sensing his tension.

"By now, you must feel the vast gap between us, like the difference between heaven and earth."

Tssss...

The darkness surrounding Chilsal grew thicker and heavier.

Chilsal, the Seventh Killer of the Assassin Sect.

This title meant he was the seventh-best assassin in the martial world.

"Ah, ah...!"

Gongsun Shou's face turned pale, his breathing became rough, and his knees buckled. He looked like he could barely stand.

Chilsal watched him with amusement and said,

"It will take about an hour for the Thousand Swords to arrive here. I plan to kill Gongsun Shou before then, frame you as the murderer, and then dispose of your body without a trace."

"You bastard..."

Gongsun Shou's face, twisted in anger, made Chilsal feel a thrilling sensation down his spine.

A rare delicacy that he could never taste in his usual silent assassinations.

Even the leader of the Assassin Sect, the First Killer, might disapprove, but Chilsal thought it would be good to occasionally handle contracts this way.

"Mr. Baek... At least you... run... away..."

Thud.

Gongsun Shou fainted, unable to withstand the pressure.

A master who could make someone faint with just his aura.

From this alone, Chilsal could tell that Baek Su-ryong was a peak expert, almost reaching the superlative level.

"Go ahead and try to stop me if you can."

Chilsal swung his dagger at Gongsun Shou, green light bursting from his eyes.

Whish!

A black sword qi extended and aimed for Gongsun Shou's neck.

At that moment, Baek Su-ryong's expression, which had been tense, suddenly changed.

With a smirk, he said to Chilsal,

"Black Death Magic. It's been a while since I've seen it."

"Wh-what?!"

The moment Chilsal was surprised, a crimson aura exploded from Baek Su-ryong's body.

Whoosh!

His hair shot up into the sky, and his blue robe flapped violently.

The red aura emanating from Baek Su-ryong began to push back the darkness that had dominated the area.

The black sword qi Chilsal had swung disappeared without a trace.

"What...!"

Chilsal, taken aback, took an involuntary step back as Baek Su-ryong took a step forward and smiled.

"You thought you were the only one who couldn't show your full strength because of Namgung Jexue?"

"Can't be..."

That day, Baek Su-ryong had not revealed even a fraction of his true strength.

"As you said, the Ten Respects are monsters. That's why I can't show this side of me in front of them yet."

Sssss...

Baek Su-ryong's black hair began to turn red from the tips, becoming as vivid as blood.

At the same time, his pupils turned red, emitting a blood-red aura.

The moment Chilsal met those red eyes, he felt like a small animal standing before a predator.

Gulp.

'What kind of martial art is this...'

Chilsal knew many martial arts in the martial world, but he had never heard of one that turned hair and eyes red.

Baek Su-ryong clicked his tongue.

"Since you can't recognize this, you're probably not a Blood Sect member."

"Blood...!"

Chilsal tried to control his expression but was already flustered.

Smirk.

Baek Su-ryong's smile deepened.

"But you do seem to know something about it. We need to have a deeper conversation."

"Who... are you?"

Chilsal's attitude completely changed.

From the aura Baek Su-ryong had revealed, he was clearly not inferior to Chilsal.

Chilsal's forehead was drenched in cold sweat.

Something was off.

'Why...'

Why did the darkness caused by his Black Death Magic recoil every time it touched that red aura?

Why did his heart, which he thought had become steel through decades of training, race like an animal facing its predator?

The fear that made him feel like he had already lost, even before the fight began... what was it?

"Want to hear an interesting story?"

Baek Su-ryong laughed and raised his sword, pointing it at Chilsal.

Just that gesture made Chilsal flinch and retreat.

At that moment, the blood aura in Baek Su-ryong's eyes intensified.

Flash!

Blood Demon Eyes.

A characteristic that only manifests when the Reverse Heaven Skill reaches at least the 5th level, and a martial art classified as an illusionary technique.

Blood Demon Eyes can instill fear in the opponent just by looking at them, and as the level increases, they can also induce hypnosis, hallucinations, and brainwashing.

A few days ago, it was this Blood Demon Eyes that had shattered the mind of the Black Forest assassin.

"Who do you think became the strongest in martial arts over the past month at the White Dragon Hall?"

"Can't be..."

Over the past month, Baek Su-ryong had absorbed the vast amount of turbid and medicinal qi accumulated in Gongsun Shou's body.

As a result, he successfully advanced the Reverse Heaven Skill to the intermediate level.

The red hair and Blood Demon Eyes were proof of this.

Shiver, shiver, shiver...

Chilsal could not control the trembling of his body.

It was partly due to the direct exposure to the Blood Demon Eyes, but there was something more fundamental.

"Is this... a Blood Sect martial art?"

"Never heard of it?"

At that moment, something seemed to dawn on Chilsal, and he shuddered.

"No, no...!"

Chilsal looked at Baek Su-ryong with disbelief.

The blood-red hair and eyes.

And that overwhelming presence that seemed to place everyone beneath him.

The name of a legendary figure came to mind.

"The Blood Demon's... martial art?"

Baek Su-ryong flicked his sword at the stunned Chilsal.

"How long are you going to stand there? We only have an hour. I'm in the same boat."

Another of the Ten Respects would arrive in an hour.

Baek Su-ryong intended to extract as much information as possible from Chilsal before then.

"Since we've introduced ourselves, let's get started."

"Wait...!"

Baek Su-ryong suddenly lunged and swung his sword.

The blood-red sword qi that poured from his sword tore through the darkness of the Black Death Magic.

* * *

"He's almost here."

Thousand Swords was an extremely taciturn man.

Throughout the journey from the imperial palace to here, he had spoken only twice, including just now.

The first time was "Let's go."

Everyone knew Thousand Swords was taciturn, so the procession to escort Gongsun Shou was also quiet.

"Hmm?"

Thousand Swords, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped and furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong?"

Black Shadow approached and asked. Thousand Swords did not even glance at her, focusing on his senses.

His senses, which far exceeded human limits, detected a clash of auras from a distance.

Two auras, presumed to be those of formidable experts, were clashing not far away.

Thousand Swords' expression hardened slightly as he confirmed the direction.

"I'll go ahead. Follow immediately."

"Huh?"

Before she could ask for more details,

Whoosh!

All Black Shadow saw was Thousand Swords' horse left behind.

Whoosh!

Thousand Swords' expression was somber as he crossed the landscape in an instant.

'Nothing must happen to the Chancellor...'

A short while later, Thousand Swords arrived at the scene of the aura clash.

Although the area was covered in thick darkness like a fog, it posed no problem for Thousand Swords' vision.

He stopped for a different reason.

"Ah!"

A genuine exclamation escaped the taciturn man's lips.

In front of him,

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

A blood dragon was ascending into the sky, tearing through the darkness.