Chapter 532: The Most Famous Mask in the Murim

TL: FoodieMonster007

The carriage pressed onward.

There was no opportunity to enjoy the view. Strange trees and flowers passed in a blur, and the scent of dust tickled Cho Hwi's nose.

Geom Mugeuk had told her they were still being followed, but Cho Hwi's heart felt more settled than before.

She sensed he was telling the truth when he promised to take her to the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, even if the entire murim opposed them. After all, she was more skilled than anyone at spotting a man's lies.

Her eyes shifted toward Geom Mugeuk, who was guiding the carriage.

The longer she observed him, the more remarkable he appeared.

Just what is his history with the Pavilion Master?

Cho Hwi found herself wondering about the connection between this man and the Pavilion Master.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk spoke without warning.

"It seems those bastards are in a hurry."

"Pardon?"

In that same instant, Geom Mugeuk seized her by the waist and jumped, launching her body into the air.

Cho Hwi was completely disoriented by the sudden flight. She could hear the sound of hidden weapons whizzing past her ears.

SHWISHSHWISHSHWISHSHWISHSHWISH!

The sound of objects embedding themselves followed.

THWAKTHWAKTHWAKTHWAKTHWAK!

For a moment, her vision was a flashing chaos of masked figures, the sky, trees, and the ground.

SHWAAAAAAK!

It was the first time she had ever heard the sound of sword qi erupting from a blade, especially from such a close distance.

THUD.

When Cho Hwi came to her senses, she was sitting in the carriage, which had now stopped.

She turned her head and saw the bodies of fallen masked men scattered around them. She had not witnessed how they died. The entire event had happened in a flash and was already over.

Geom Mugeuk was crouching down to inspect their bodies.

She started to get out of the carriage, but Geom Mugeuk spoke without looking back.

"Be careful getting down. They're coated in poison."

As if to confirm the recent events weren't a dream, several hidden weapons with gleaming, dark-blue blades were stuck in the carriage's side.

The delayed realization that dozens of these terrifying weapons had flown through the air, right where she and the Young Cult Leader had been, made her heart plummet.

A sudden fear that she might slip while climbing down and cut herself on a weapon made her sit back in her seat.

"This time, they've hired assassins."

Geom Mugeuk had already identified them as assassins from their movements during the attack. He had only checked the bodies to learn their affiliation, but he couldn't find any clues.

"The one trying to kill the Young Lady is determined to hide their identity."

First, they had hired a mercenary, and now they had hired assassins. The skills of these assassins were top-notch, just like the Seven Roads Pursuit Squad.

With enough wealth to hire such skilled people, they must have their own trustworthy masters. Yet they were trying to resolve this by using an outside sword. They were also using individuals who were almost impossible to trace.

After checking all the bodies, Geom Mugeuk returned to the carriage.

Cho Hwi could tell that Geom Mugeuk was letting the pursuers follow them to collect information about the enemy.

Wouldn't it be better to kill the pursuers and avoid the attacks to get there even a little sooner?

The thought occurred to her, but she didn't voice it. She had placed her trust in Geom Mugeuk, so she had to believe in him, even if she didn't know what he was believing in.

Before he climbed into the carriage, Geom Mugeuk held out his hand, and the hidden weapons embedded in the wood pulled themselves free. He then buried the poisoned weapons deep in the ground.

This was another moment where Cho Hwi saw something special in Geom Mugeuk. A typical martial artist would have just pulled them out and carelessly tossed them aside. He, however, was worried that someone might find them on the road and die.

The feeling that this was not an act left her confused. He was, after all, the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

"Thank you for saving me."

Cho Hwi bowed her head and expressed her gratitude politely.

"Don't mention it. We'll be on our way then."

He could have joked or boasted, but Geom Mugeuk simply started driving the carriage again.

Cho Hwi watched Geom Mugeuk silently for a moment before taking a deep breath to steady herself. She had no idea when she might be flying through the sky again.

The second ambush came two nights later.

Cho Hwi was asleep near the campfire.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping.

Something woke her, and she opened her eyes to a startling sight.

Blood was dripping onto her body. A masked figure stood before her, his throwing knife aimed at her throat.

And just ahead of the assassin, Geom Mugeuk's sword was buried in the man's heart.

Geom Mugeuk shoved the man's body, and it collapsed beside her.

"He was an assassin with incredible stealth and infiltration skills."

Geom Mugeuk inspected the corpse. He looked for clues about the organization that sent him, but the assassin had no tattoos or scars on his body.

She bowed her head politely.

"You've saved me again."

He had saved her thanks to the Heavenly Demon Defense Art. He had completely mastered the technique, and no presence, no matter how faint, could deceive it.

"You may be awake now, but you should get more sleep."

Geom Mugeuk buried the assassin's body.

Cho Hwi understood his reasoning. Geom Mugeuk didn't normally bury his enemies, but he was doing it for her. He couldn't let her sleep next to a corpse.

After sitting and watching the campfire for a while, she began a story she had never shared before.

"The Pavilion Master created an intelligence organization inside the Thousand Flower Palace. It's both a brothel and an intelligence network."

When people get drunk, they say all sorts of things. In that sense, no place is better for gathering information about the murim than a brothel.

"Of course, not all the courtesans handle information. The ones who do are called Secret Flowers. I'm a Secret Flower, too."

She revealed this secret as a sign of her newfound trust in the Young Cult Leader. It was a major decision for her to reveal it, but Geom Mugeuk's reaction was surprisingly calm.

"Did you perhaps already know?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded at her question. He already knew. He was aware that the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman was gathering information about the murim for the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. He just hadn't known the detail that they were called Secret Flowers.

Now she could be certain. This Young Cult Leader truly had a deep connection with the Thousand Flower Palace.

"Go on and sleep. We'll be leaving early tomorrow."

"……"

A moment later, lying with her back toward him, she asked a question.

"The Pavilion Master will be alright, won't she?"

Since they were so determined to kill her, she was suddenly worried about the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman's safety. Masters were protecting the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, but what if a skilled assassin like the one from earlier went after her?

She had been hoping for reassurance, but Geom Mugeuk's response struck her like a thunderbolt.

"They'll probably try to kill the Pavilion Master, too. They might have already tried."

Cho Hwi shot up, surprised.

"Do you really think so?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"If you can't kill the person trying to deliver the information, wouldn't you just kill the person receiving it?"

"!"

Cho Hwi turned pale and was speechless for a moment.

Then, she finally spoke in a loud voice.

"Hurry and go save the Pavilion Master!"

She was usually a calm person, but she grew agitated when the Pavilion Master's safety was on the line. Geom Mugeuk guessed she valued the Pavilion Master's life even more than her own.

"Please! Please go save the Pavilion Master! You said you were close enough to take me to her even if the entire murim stood in your way!"

In contrast, Geom Mugeuk was calm.

"That's right. I did."

"Then hurry and go! Don't worry about me. I'll hide somewhere and wait. Please, go save her."

Now, Geom Mugeuk explained the reason for his composure.

"You don't need to worry. I've already set a countermeasure in place."

"A countermeasure?"

Her surprised eyes trembled.

"She's that precious to me, do you think I would have just left her be? I'm not that optimistic of a person."

If he hadn't arranged a countermeasure, he would have carried her on his back and run using the Swift Step.

"The day I heard that the Young Lady intended to meet the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, I immediately sent an urgent messenger pigeon. So, we just need to focus on our task."

"To whom?"

Geom Mugeuk looked at her and offered a meaningful smile.

"There is someone. Someone I always want to see, no matter where they are or what they're doing."

A group of martial artists reached the Guizhou Thousand Flower Palace Headquarters.

Their movements were swift. Just as their exceptional martial arts were clear from their movement techniques, their cold eyes revealed their cruel nature.

They were known as the most ruthless mercenaries.

They were the Ghost Killer Squad, contract mercenaries made up of former assassins.

As ex-assassins, they felt no hesitation about killing people. They were cold-blooded men who would cut down a child blocking their path or a parent standing in their way. They were called the Ghost Killers because it was said they would kill even a ghost for money.

If the Seven Roads Pursuit Squad was the darkness among mercenaries who pursued people, then the Ghost Killer Squad held that position among mercenaries who killed people.

The man standing before them was the Ghost Killer Squad's captain, the leader of the Ghost Killers. He was a man supreme in both skill and cruelty, known for succeeding in all fifty of his assassinations when he was an assassin.

"Kill them all, courtesans and guests alike! Don't let a single one leave alive!"

Despite the Captain's command, the Ghost Killers showed no hint of killing intent. They also didn't seem to be looking forward to the slaughter that was about to begin.

For them, killing was routine, and what was about to happen was just a job. It was no different from ordinary people carrying luggage or selling goods.

One of the Ghost Killers looked at the brightly lit building and commented.

"What a perfect tune for the road to the afterlife!"

As if ignorant of the cruel intruders, the sound of cheerful music drifted from the Thousand Flower Palace building.

The Ghost Killers vaulted over the wall in unison.

They had expected to see a courtesan or a servant greeting guests, but the courtyard was empty.

Because of this, they ran quickly into the building without being seen.

The first floor of the Thousand Flower Palace was like a plaza. It had a central space surrounded on all sides by rooms for guests.

"We'll sweep from the first floor up!"

At the Ghost Killer Squad chief's order, the Ghost Killers threw open the first door.

Just as they were about to rush in and kill everyone inside, the Ghost Killer who opened the door flinched with surprise.

The moment the door opened, a strange sight greeted his eyes.

Men wearing white masks were sitting there.

What the hell? Who are these crazy bastards!

They were white masks with only eyeholes cut out. Their mouths were shaped like smiling crescent moons turned on their side. The shape of each crescent moon was slightly different.

The Ghost Killer was startled because the eyes visible through the smiling eyeholes were not smiling. The contrast was chilling.

"What? What are those things?"

Another Ghost Killer from behind spoke, and the one in front answered.

"Those are the masks the Faceless Warriors wear."

At the mention of "the Faceless Warriors," everyone's expression grew tense.

However, someone soon started laughing.

"Crazy!"

The mask of the Faceless Warriors was the most famous in the murim. It was a mask sold in the marketplace, one that always appeared when children had sword fights.

"Is today the Faceless Warriors' company dinner or something?"

The laughter spread through the group. They naturally assumed these weren't the real Faceless Warriors.

The Faceless Warriors were famous for never removing their masks in front of others. There was no way the Faceless Warriors would come to a place like a brothel.

"If you're coming here, you should have drilled a mouth-hole, not an eyehole!"

"They don't even accept courtesans, do they?"

Just then, the Ghost Killer Squad chief cut them off coldly from behind.

"Enough!"

At that single word, the laughter died on the Ghost Killers' faces. They were just about to rush in and cut the men to pieces.

"……"

The door right next to them opened.

Normally, a drunkard would have stumbled out, supported by a courtesan.

The Ghost Killers were startled once more.

Men wearing white masks were sitting there as well.

This time, no one spoke so carelessly.

Even though they saw the drawn swords, none of the masked men flinched.

Instead, their opponents sat silently, radiating an overwhelming presence. The eyes inside the wide-open eyeholes were all smiling.

What the hell? Who are these freaks!

It was eerie and unsettling, but until that moment, they had still thought, 'no way'.

SLIDE, SLIDE, SLIDE.

Doors began to open one after another. An astonishing scene unfolded as the surrounding doors opened in sequence. In every room, there were masked figures sitting.

The music that had been echoing suddenly stopped.

In the silence, the masked Faceless Warriors all looked at the Ghost Killers in unison. Because the expressionless masks had only eyeholes, the sight of them staring was incomparably bizarre and chilling.

The Ghost Killers gathered in the center. They had taken a step back without realizing it, overwhelmed by their opponents' presence. This was the first time they had felt such fear since they started operating as the Ghost Killer Squad.

The Ghost Killer Squad chief drew his sword. A fight was all about momentum.

"There's no way they're the real Faceless Warriors. Kill all these bastards pretending to be demonic practitioners!"

In that very instant!

"……"

The sound of a single, cool gust of wind reached their ears.

A dull thud followed at the same time.

The Ghost Killers looked toward the source of the sound.

In that moment, the Ghost Killers' eyes widened in shock.

All eyes were on the Ghost Killer Squad chief.

The Ghost Killer Squad chief looked at the Ghost Killers with an expression that seemed to ask, 'Why are you looking at me?'

DRIP.

A hot liquid trickled from his forehead down his face.

The Ghost Killer Squad chief touched his forehead. There was a hole in it.

"Shit!"

Leaving only that one word behind, the Ghost Killer Squad chief fell backward and died.

The Ghost Killers were horrified. An attack had flown at him that the Ghost Killer Squad chief, with all his skill, couldn't even try to dodge? They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Who on earth?

The horrified Ghost Killers looked around. All the white masks facing them were smiling.

Just then, one of the Ghost Killers pointed somewhere with a trembling voice.

"…There!"

In the distance, there was a single room whose door had not opened.

A single hole was pierced through that closed door.