Chapter 97

## Chapter 97. Damn!

While fleeing at full speed, Chilsal couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"Damn it..."

It had been years since he had genuinely sworn like this.

After being trained as an assassin, every word that came out of his mouth was meticulously calculated.

A true assassin has a hundred faces and a thousand expressions, and can control them perfectly.

Chilsal had never failed to maintain this control—until now.

...Until he met the monster chasing him.

Chilsal turned his head slightly to look behind him.

Swish!

A blood-red sword aura flew past, grazing his side. Several large trees were sharply cut and fell to the side.

Behind them, a man with red hair and red eyes was chasing him, his eyes glowing fiercely as he used his light body technique.

Chilsal swallowed hard.

If he hadn't narrowly avoided it, one of his legs would have been severed.

Just like his right arm had been.

Fresh blood dripped from his right shoulder, where his arm had been torn off.

It was a wound that didn't look like a sword cut at all, but rather like it had been torn by a beast's teeth.

He had seen the martial arts of countless experts, but this was the first time he had encountered such a ruthless sword technique.

'No, can this even be called a sword technique?'

Chilsal recalled the red sword aura that had swallowed his right arm.

A fierce sword aura that evoked the image of a blood dragon.

It had torn through the darkness of the Black Killer Magic and instantly neutralized Chilsal, who had been hiding to attack.

The fight had lasted only a dozen exchanges.

'...This is impossible.'

Baek Su-ryong was certainly not a supreme expert.

His internal energy was even higher than Chilsal's, and his combat experience was unparalleled.

Yet, he was overwhelmed.

All the techniques of the Black Killer Magic were shattered by Baek Su-ryong's sword, and his all-out attacks were absurdly neutralized.

'Is it a difference in martial arts?'

Baek Su-ryong had learned a mysterious technique, likely the Blood Demon's martial arts.

Was that why he was so strong?

...No, it was different from that.

The reason Baek Su-ryong was so strong lay in something more fundamental.

'But I don't know. I truly don't know the identity of this monster...'

A truly enigmatic being.

The moment he realized he couldn't win, Chilsal turned around and began to flee with all his might.

Fortunately, his judgment was timely.

His superior internal energy and the legs he had trained for decades as an assassin made his escape easier.

Although his center of gravity was different due to the loss of his right arm, it also had the advantage of making his body lighter.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The surrounding scenery rushed backward as he used his full-speed light body technique.

Chilsal had a reason to flee.

'I have to inform Il-sal. The appearance of someone who has learned the Blood Demon's martial arts... If the relationship between the Assassin Sect and the Blood Sect is revealed...'

Swish!

At that moment, a sword aura flew past, grazing his shoulder. Blood spurted into the air, and his hair was cut.

And from behind, a mocking voice echoed.

"Thought you were so tough, but now you're running?"

The distance was closing rapidly. At this rate, Baek Su-ryong would catch up in less than half an hour.

Gritting his teeth, Chilsal clenched his teeth so hard they bled. He squeezed his internal energy and sent it to the Yongquan point, then pushed off the ground with all his might.

'I can't die like this.'

As an assassin, he had always thought about death, but he had never imagined such a pitiful end.

To be captured and killed by a mere unknown martial arts instructor, not even a renowned expert or one of the Hundred Great Martial Artists.

"How long do you think you can run?"

The voice was almost right behind him.

When a sword aura grazed his side, blood spurted out.

Chilsal threw all the hidden weapons and poisons he had with him to buy some time.

But that was about to reach its limit.

'No more...'

At that moment, he saw a man standing not far away.

The man in official robes had a square jaw and a stern expression, and a sword was sheathed at his waist.

He seemed to have some martial arts training, but he didn't appear to be an expert.

At that moment, Chilsal had a sudden idea.

'I'll take him as a hostage.'

After all, Baek Su-ryong was a righteous martial artist.

Whether he could still be called a righteous martial artist after seeing his ghostly pursuit from behind...

But there was no other way.

Thud!

Pushing off the ground, Chilsal lunged at the expressionless man. He intended to twist his neck in one swift move, leaving no time for resistance.

If he turned the man into a hostage immediately, he could at least buy some time.

'If the hostage doesn't work, I can use him as a shield. If I only wound him enough to not die and throw him, he'll at least hesitate.'

As various calculations ran through Chilsal's mind, the stern-faced man spoke.

"Assassin's martial arts. Were you the one who tried to harm the Chancellor?"

"!!"

With a deep, low voice, Chilsal felt an immense pressure pressing down on his body.

...Boom!

Chilsal's body plummeted from the air and crashed to the ground.

"Choke, cough..."

Looking down at Chilsal, who writhed like a worm, the man spoke with a stern face.

"In the name of heaven."

Swish.

The man drew his sword.

On the blade, two characters were engraved: "Heavenly Frugality."

"Could it be...?"

Realizing the man's identity too late, Chilsal's expression relaxed into resignation.

Closing his eyes, Chilsal muttered.

"...It is an honor to die by your hand."

"I will execute you."

In an instant, a flash of light appeared, and a straight line was drawn from Chilsal's forehead to his navel.

Pfft!

Chilsal's body, split in half, fell limply to the side.

Heavenly Frugality didn't even spare a glance at the corpse, turning his attention to the red-haired, red-eyed man who had been chasing Chilsal.

"Are you also an assassin?"

"..."

* * *

Stopping in his tracks, Baek Su-ryong cautiously spoke.

"No."

Swoosh...

Baek Su-ryong's hair and eyes quickly returned to their original colors.

'This is troublesome.'

Even with his expanded senses from reaching the Neutral Stage of the Heaven-Defying Technique, he couldn't detect the man's presence.

The moment he saw the two characters "Heavenly Frugality" clearly engraved on the sword, Baek Su-ryong knew who he was.

"Are you Heavenly Frugality?"

"Yes."

"..."

To show the Heaven-Defying Technique to one of the Ten Elders, of all people.

Although Heavenly Frugality was a palace expert, not a righteous martial artist...

"Do you know me?"

Under the penetrating gaze of Heavenly Frugality, cold sweat trickled down Baek Su-ryong's spine.

"I am Baek Su-ryong, a lecturer at the Blue Dragon Academy. I am... related to Gong Son-su..."

"You have learned a strange martial art."

Heavenly Frugality bluntly stated, not interested in listening.

Raising his sword, Baek Su-ryong took a step back to create some distance.

"Didn't you hear from Black Shadow?"

"I heard, but I have no way to confirm if you are the one he spoke of."

"Would you like to see my token?"

"I don't like jokes."

Heavenly Frugality's eyes were serious. He continued in a low tone.

"I will cut off both your arms and interrogate you."

"I don't like jokes either."

"..."

Heavenly Frugality swung his sword lightly without a word.

Tense and alert, Baek Su-ryong barely managed to read the trajectory.

Swish!

The sword aura that cut through the air only subsided after slicing through dozens of trees.

Swallowing hard, Baek Su-ryong examined Heavenly Frugality's expression. His lips were subtly twisted.

"Quite impressive."

"Wait! Can't we wait a moment for Black Shadow to come and verify my identity?"

"..."

After a moment of contemplation, Heavenly Frugality spoke again.

"I will wait after cutting off your arms."

"Such madness...!"

Rumble!

As Heavenly Frugality began to channel his internal energy, a massive aura pressed down on Baek Su-ryong.

"Grunt..."

Absolute experts at the level of the Ten Elders can dominate space itself with their aura.

It was almost impossible to move freely within that space unless one was an expert of similar caliber.

Baek Su-ryong was no exception. He felt his knees about to buckle.

"I will see for myself who you are."

"..."

From those words, Baek Su-ryong could read Heavenly Frugality's true intentions.

'He wants to understand my martial arts.'

The Heaven-Defying Technique was a unique and bizarre martial art.

There was no way an expert of Heavenly Frugality's level wouldn't sense it.

He might not have the intention to harm him seriously.

'...But he doesn't seem like someone who will go easy on me either.'

Heavenly Frugality pointed his sword at Baek Su-ryong's