Chapter 491: Hwi's Concealment is Not a Martial Art

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Death King knew the moment he saw the evil spirits.

It's the Heavenly Demon martial arts!

He recognized it because it was the only martial art that could summon such terrifying evil spirits. Seeing the Heavenly Demon martial arts in person, which he had only ever heard about, was unusually intimidating. Just looking at it was enough to extinguish one's fighting spirit.

If it affected the Death King this way, how would it be for the assassins running alongside him?

Their bodies were still moving, but they had already lost their will to fight. Some of them slowed their pace, and others stopped in their tracks. They were experienced assassins who had been through countless battles, but their hearts froze the first time they saw the evil spirits of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAK!

The assassins resisted in their own ways. Some threw throwing knives while others unleashed hidden weapons. They raised their protective enhanced qi or fired off sword qi.

However, nothing worked.

Neither their attacks nor their protective enhanced qi had any effect. The swords they thrust out couldn't even scratch the black evil spirits. Even the assassins who leaped into the air to escape were dragged down by an invisible demonic qi. It was a move they could not evade with their level of skill.

PUKPUKPUKPUKPUKPUKPUKPUK!

Shattering, splitting, and crushing, the evil spirits swept through, destroying everything.

The only one left was the Death King, who had been running to face Hwi.

The Death King's heart pounded as if it would burst. It was the first time he had shown any tension since the fight began.

What if the evil spirits had been in Hwi's position, pushing toward him? Could he really have blocked them?

CHAAAAANG!

After a single clash, Hwi and the Death King retreated. The two men looked around. The assassins had been turned into pools of blood, their forms unrecognizable.

Hwi raised his sword toward the pools of blood and paid his respects formally. He wasn't paying respect to the dead.

It was a sign of respect for the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.

Hwi was moved. Whenever the Heavenly Demon practiced his martial arts, Hwi had always left or turned his back, never once watching. On the rare occasion he saw the Nine Calamities Demonic Art being unleashed, he always showed his respect. But now, he had run alongside that very Nine Calamities Demonic Art. To his awe, the Nine Calamities Demonic Art had saved his life. Could there be a more moving moment related to martial arts? He could say with certainty that there was not.

In contrast, the Death King gazed around with now calm eyes. He felt no regret for the deaths of his subordinates. Only a cold wind blew through his empty heart.

Hwi turned toward Geom Mugeuk.

What words were needed in this situation?

In response to the gratitude in Hwi's eyes, Geom Mugeuk gave a single nod.

I'm the one who should be thanking you, Uncle.

After all, Geom Mugeuk held more gratitude and respect for Hwi, who always protected his father, than for anyone else.

After exchanging nods with Hwi, Geom Mugeuk provoked the Death King again.

"I understand. Assassins are cowards by nature, aren't they?"

It was a taunt about him attacking with the other assassins. Geom Mugeuk tried to stir his emotions, but it didn't work on the Death King.

At that moment, Myeongjin remarked, "He's a man without emotions."

At those words, the Death King stared at Myeongjin. His gaze held at least some dregs of emotion for Myeongjin.

Geom Mugeuk inserted himself between their gazes.

"A person has to speak. If you don't like something, say you don't like it. If you hate something, say you hate it. How am I supposed to know what you're thinking if you just stare like that?"

The Death King finally opened his mouth.

"What is there to say between us?"

"I have many questions for you."

The Death King waited for Geom Mugeuk to continue.

"What did you receive as payment for my contract? Were you really promised the position of the ruler of the night?"

Geom Mugeuk had used it to tease the Death King, but he also thought there might be another reason.

However, the Death King did not answer.

"It is my principle not to speak about my contracts."

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The only thought in the man's mind was to successfully complete this assassination, no matter what.

When the Death King gave a signal, assassins revealed themselves all at once. They walked out of alleys and appeared on rooftops. The number of assassins hidden in various places reached into the dozens.

"You've gathered quite a crowd just to kill me."

They were all skilled and successful assassins. In particular, some truly fearsome assassins classified as top tier were mixed in among them. They were hiding their identities as best they could, but on this side, there was Myeongjin.

[The one on the right of the two on the left rooftop, the entrance to the right alley, the bearded man in the center…]

He informed Geom Mugeuk of the top tier assassins he knew via telepathy.

[Are you worried I might die?]

[My betrayal would only have meaning if you survive.]

Now that he knew the Hell Mansion had annihilated his family, there was no need to call it a betrayal. The words came out unconsciously since he had stayed there for so long.

[Don't think of it as a betrayal. It's a job for them, and it's a job for you, isn't it?]

[A job?]

[Didn't you commission it yourself? You and they are all just doing your jobs.]

A faint smile touched Myeongjin's lips. Even in this situation, Geom Mugeuk was looking out for his feelings. The words Geom Mugeuk had offered were a clear comfort.

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Death King and the assassins and drew his sword.

"That's right, what words are needed between us?"

Then, Hwi took a step forward toward the Death King.

Hwi's back seemed to say it all.

Leave the Death King to me until the very end. This fight is my fight.

I understand, Uncle. But please be careful!

The Death King stared at Hwi with transparent eyes. Just like Hwi, the Death King's eyes now saw only Hwi.

The Death King knew. The greatest obstacle in this contract was not Geom Mugeuk, who had learned the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, but this man, Hwi.

For assassins, the strength of an opponent's martial arts is not a problem. Their job was to find a weakness and kill the target, no matter how strong the martial arts.

However, that wouldn't work on this bodyguard of the Demonic Cult Leader.

Because he was the one who compensated for those weaknesses.

Without a clear signal of who went first, Hwi and the Death King rushed at each other and clashed. A sharp metallic sound accompanied the countless sword lines that appeared. These were not ordinary lines. They were lines containing a lifetime of training, drawn again and again, aiming for the opponent's life.

As the two began to fight, Geom Mugeuk was also leaping toward the assassins.

If the regular and top tier assassins were dogs and wolves, then Geom Mugeuk was a single, massive tiger. Among the assassins were those who considered themselves grim reapers who governed life and death.

And now was the moment they met a real grim reaper.

Leaping at his opponent, Geom Mugeuk used the Shadow Step and vanished from sight in an instant.

When a startled assassin turned his head to the left to find Geom Mugeuk's location, his view was not of the left, but of the sky. Thud. Geom Mugeuk's sword had already sliced deep into his neck.

At that moment, a sword flew toward Geom Mugeuk. It was the fastest swordsman among the Hell Mansion's assassins.

I got him!

His blade was already reaching Geom Mugeuk's neck.

PUUK!

However, Geom Mugeuk's sword had split his heart first.

How?

Even as he died, he couldn't understand. His opponent had reacted much later, so how?

But for assassins, was this the only incomprehensible thing they would face?

Geom Mugeuk stabbed another assassin in the heart and neck consecutively, then used him as a shield as he pushed forward. The assassin behind him had his throat pierced by the sword that flew out from behind the corpse.

SHWIIK! SWAEK!

Swords flew in from the left and right. The blades passed by, just barely grazing Geom Mugeuk's body.

Internal sighs of regret.

So close.

It was so close that one might think there was almost no difference in skill. This was a situation that could only be orchestrated because the skill gap was, in fact, overwhelming. To dodge so narrowly meant he was fighting in a truly optimized way.

SHWIIIIIIII.

SLASH! SLASH!

Sliding forward with the Vanishing Step, Geom Mugeuk's sword cut through the assassins standing on both sides. The assassins fell in what was truly a flash.

What was even more surprising was that even while fighting like this, Geom Mugeuk was also paying attention to Hwi's fight. He was grasping the state of the battle through fleeting glimpses of Hwi and the Death King's movements and the sound of a sword clashing with a throwing knife.

On top of that, Geom Mugeuk was also keeping an eye on Myeongjin.

Myeongjin was fighting well. He used every technique he possessed to deal with the assassins. He also utilized gadgets he had made himself. The hidden weapons he threw exploded, killing the surrounding assassins. He understood the psychology of assassins better than anyone.

Of course, the assassins didn't just take it. They used all sorts of hidden weapons. Blades sprang from their shoes, and hidden weapons coated in deadly poison flew from all directions.

In the midst of that chaotic battle, Myeongjin felt an attack coming from behind and despaired.

Too late!

It was an attack from a top tier assassin brought in from the outside. He knew nothing about him, so he hadn't expected a stab from behind so quickly.

I'll give up my shoulder.

The moment Myeongjin twisted his body to avoid instant death.

SHWIIIIIIING!

Something grazed past his face with a tremendous gust of wind.

PUUUUK!

What had pierced the neck of the assassin rushing in from behind was Geom Mugeuk's Black Demon Sword.

Myeongjin didn't even have a moment to express his gratitude. Assassins swarmed both of them like a hive of bees. They thought this was their chance, especially when the sword disappeared from Geom Mugeuk's hand.

However, it was also an opportunity for Geom Mugeuk. A chance to try out one of his martial arts in a real battle.

Dodging an incoming sword, Geom Mugeuk threw a punch.

PEOK!

An assassin with shattered ribs flew far into the distance and tumbled.

RUMBLE!

The sound of thunder came from his fist. It was the Fist Demon the Thunder Arhat Fist.

PUK! PEOK! PUK!

He lightly dodged the incoming swords and threw his fists. The assassins' jaws were shattered and their internal organs ruptured. A death more painful than being killed by a sword awaited them.

Overwhelmed by his momentum, the assassins paused their attack for a moment.

Geom Mugeuk extended his hand in one direction.

WHOOSH.

Then, the Black Demon Sword, which had been embedded in a corpse, pulled itself out and rose into the air.

Fear washed over the hearts of the few assassins who were watching. They were men who had always lived believing that death was something that happened to their opponents. Now, they felt as if death itself was floating in the air, watching them. That death crossed the air and entered Geom Mugeuk's hand.

Of course, that didn't mean the assassins simply retreated. They tenaciously tried to kill Geom Mugeuk and Myeongjin. Sword qi poured down on Geom Mugeuk. A steel net was cast, and poisoned hidden weapons flew. They unleashed every technique and every assassination skill they had ever learned.

However, it was no use.

Where on earth could he possibly dodge? There was space to dodge.

How could he possibly counterattack in that situation? Geom Mugeuk did.

He found an impossible direction, adjusted the angle, and controlled his speed.

PUAAAAAK!

And so, the last assassin fell, spewing blood. Geom Mugeuk, already covered in blood, did not avoid the splattering gore. As always, Geom Mugeuk didn't spare the dead a single glance.

Myeongjin watched the scene in silence.

This was not the Geom Mugeuk he had known until now. The man before him felt less like the talkative, joking Young Cult Leader and more like a lonely God of War who had survived the battlefield alone.

This is the Young Cult Leader's true self.

Just then, Myeongjin's eyes met Geom Mugeuk's.

Geom Mugeuk's eyes, which had so perfectly suited the word 'loneliness', now held a bright smile. It was the moment the cheerful Geom Mugeuk returned.

"You survived."

Myeongjin nodded at Geom Mugeuk's words and replied, "I have a contract to finish, after all."

The two men's gazes intertwined in the air.

However, now was not the time to share their feelings. The two of them looked toward where Hwi and the Death King were fighting.

Their fight, too, was reaching its final stage.

And that final stage was utterly silent.

Neither the Death King nor Hwi could be seen. They were fighting while concealed. The concealment of an assassin and the concealment of a bodyguard. It was the final choice of two men who took pride in their concealment.

In a place where there was nothing, only the blades of a sword and a throwing knife flashed.

CHAENG! CHAEENG!

Sparks flew in midair. The throwing knife and sword that appeared for an instant vanished again.

SWAEK! PAAT!

Each time a blade glinted, someone's blood splattered. They were men who could sense a presence that wasn't even breathing and cut down their opponent. It was truly a duel between those with the ultimate skill in the art of concealment.

Everything they had was at play in this fight. Innate talent, senses, all their efforts up to now, their mindset, and even luck. Surely, one of them would have a greater sum of all these things.

SLASH! PAAAK!

Once again, the sound of flesh being cut was followed by a burst of blood in the air. Judging by the amount of blood, the wound was deeper this time than before.

PAAK!

Simultaneously, the opponent also burst with blood. Neither man meekly allowed an attack. If one was cut, he cut his opponent back.

Blood splattered, and then splattered again.

Since neither man let out a single scream, Geom Mugeuk and Myeongjin couldn't tell who was more deeply wounded.

Uncle!

Since the fight had become a battle of concealment, it wasn't easy for him to intervene. If he intervened carelessly, Hwi could be the one to get hurt. In a situation where their minds were focused to the extreme, he was the biggest variable that could distract Hwi's concentration.

Getting cut and cut again, hiding, revealing, sensing, and sensing again. Giving up flesh to aim for bone, then hiding again.

Just as that breathtaking fight continued.

SHWIIIIING.

SWAAAAAENG.

Two sounds of slicing wind, different from before, were heard. And the sound that followed was not the sound of mere flesh being cut. It was the sound of flesh and bone being pierced.

PUUUUK!

Silence fell upon the place.

DRIP. DRIP.

Blood trickled down from midair. From that spot, the concealment began to unravel, and a figure started to appear.

A man slowly revealed himself. Blood was flowing from his pierced heart.

Now, the figure of the person who had stabbed him also slowly came into view. The blood flowing down the blade, the hand gripping its hilt, the outstretched arm, and then the man who had fought with all his might was revealed.

It was Hwi.

Geom Mugeuk let out a deep sigh of relief and looked up at the sky.

Thank you, truly, thank you.

He didn't know how many times he had regretted it while watching the fight. He should have come alone. He should have made some excuse to come alone. Because he had been so anxious, Geom Mugeuk was now so happy he wanted to shout.

Geom Mugeuk thought that perhaps this was what had decided the outcome of the battle. It probably didn't matter whose concealment technique was superior or more sophisticated. What decided victory and defeat was likely the fact that Hwi had lived his life concealed for far longer than the Death King. Because Hwi was a man who had silently protected his father while concealed his entire life. Hwi's concealment was not a martial art, but his life itself. In the end, wasn't it Hwi's devotion that made it possible to kill the Death King?

A gush of blood poured from the Death King's mouth.

When this job began, the Death King had never imagined such a death. If he were to die, he had thought it would be at the hands of the Demonic Cult Leader or that Young Cult Leader.

For the first time, emotion showed on the Death King's face. It was anger and irritation. He didn't speak, but his expression seemed to say.

[To be killed by a mere bodyguard of all people.]

Hwi had shown him. Just how well a person who knows how to protect can kill when they set their mind to it.

Hwi looked into the Death King's transparent eyes, from which life was fading, and spoke calmly. Perhaps his words represented the hearts of all bodyguards.

"We simply chose a life of protection."