Chapter 533: He Looks Better at Talking Than Martial Arts

TL: FoodieMonster007

A single phrase came from one of the Ghost Killers.

"…The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon!"

The Ghost Killers knew the truth. They understood that these were the genuine Faceless Warriors and the man in that room was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. Only he could have killed the leader of the Ghost Killer Squad with a single attack from such a distance and through a closed door.

Martial artists were afraid of the Demon Supremes, but they were especially terrified of the Poison King, the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme, and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

Their reasons for this fear were different for each one. They feared the Poison King because he could massacre countless attackers without giving them a chance to retaliate. They feared the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme because he could force them to kill their own comrades before they died themselves.

Members of the orthodox sects were more afraid of these two Demon Supremes than those from the unorthodox sects. It wasn't death they feared, but the complete helplessness of the experience.

The villains of the unorthodox sects, however, feared the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon more. They were well aware of the terrible acts they themselves could commit. But the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was the very pinnacle of that evil, a man who carried the title of extreme evil.

As if signaled, three Ghost Killers threw themselves toward the entrance at the same time. They attempted to escape without looking back.

SHOOONG!

Another finger qi bullet shot forward. A single projectile pursued them. With three men fleeing, it seemed it could only strike one.

SHREEEEEEK!

The finger qi bullet split into three separate strands at the last possible moment.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

The three Ghost Killers collapsed to the ground, their necks, heads, and hearts pierced.

One of the Ghost Killers pointed at the door again.

"…There!"

Everyone's gaze snapped to the still-closed door. It was astounding that he had hit his targets without seeing them, and it was equally astounding that a single finger qi bullet had split apart at the very end.

But the most surprising fact of all was that there was still only one hole.

He had fired another finger qi bullet through the same hole he used to kill their leader, killing three more men. This meant the projectile had curved as it chased them.

They felt a mix of helplessness and terror. In the face of that single technique, their desperate will to grit their teeth and survive was extinguished.

These were the emotions their targets should have been feeling. This was the terror the courtesans and guests who were meant to die here should have felt.

SEUEUK.

At that moment, the Faceless Warriors in the room all rose from their seats as one.

The terrified Ghost Killers now had to confront a new horror. The Faceless Warriors who stood up were all pointing their fingers at them.

"You sons of bitches!"

As if cued by someone's despairing curse.

SHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUK!

Finger qi bullets rained down on them from every direction, weaving together like a spider's web.

These raining projectiles were the Evil Shadow Finger, the technique the Faceless Warriors learned. Once a warrior officially becomes a successor, they learn the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's Blood Calamity Finger.

The Faceless Warriors present today were some of the most skilled from the Valley of Evil. Because of this, the Ghost Killers, who had already lost their will to fight, couldn't block the attacks that poured in from all sides.

THWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACKTHWACK!

The remaining Ghost Killers all collapsed, their bodies riddled with holes like porcupines.

In that moment, the infamous freelance group of former assassins, the Ghost Killer Squad, was wiped from the world.

Only then did the last closed door begin to open slowly.

There sat the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, the Ghost Killers' target for the day.

She still gave off a strange atmosphere that could only be felt from her. A dizzying feeling, as if she could perceive a person's destiny, flowed from her calm eyes.

Sitting beside her was a person who was her opposite but complemented her well.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, smiling brightly.

Though many masks were in this space, he, seated next to the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, had an overwhelming presence.

His gaze was deeper than before, and his level of martial arts had ascended another step.

The Blood Calamity Finger he had just demonstrated was also different from the old Blood Calamity Finger.

It was once a single finger qi bullet, but now he could divide it into multiple strands.

His internal arts had improved greatly due to the Ten-Thousand Year Blood Ginseng that Geom Mugeuk had given him, but an even greater reason was a recent shift in his state of mind.

In his room, which had previously contained only white walls, a bed, a desk, and a chair were now placed.

One's life must change for their martial arts to change.

He too was experiencing this great principle of martial arts.

Not only the Blood Calamity Finger but also his other unique martial art, the Extremely Savage Demonic Palm, was taking on a different form than before.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman poured alcohol into the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's cup. He wouldn't remove his mask to drink in a place like this, but for that exact reason, it was an even more significant act.

She was, after all, the only woman who would pour a drink for the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

"The smell of blood will soak in," the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon commented.

To his words, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman replied with a smile, "The scent of women's powder tends to erase the smell of blood quickly."

How could the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon not know?

In the murim, the more dangerous scent wasn't that of blood, but of women's powder.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman had everyone from the upper floor come down.

All the courtesans and people who worked at the brothel descended to the lower floor.

Before clearing the bodies, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman first showed her gratitude.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman got up from her seat and came forward. She stood before the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and bowed with respect. Since very few people knew of the relationship between the two, this was a very formal gesture.

"I will not forget the grace you have shown in saving my life, Demon Supreme."

The courtesans who had come down formed a circle and bowed to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and the Faceless Warriors around them.

"Thank you for saving us."

If the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon hadn't come, everyone here would have died.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon just gave a single nod.

"Clean up the bodies."

At the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman's order, the men working at the brothel started to remove the bodies. The courtesans brought buckets of water and rags and began to wipe the blood away. One might expect them to be scared, but the courtesans of the Headquarters, who had endured all kinds of trials, were brave.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon poured her a cup of alcohol.

After she drank the alcohol, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman spoke softly so that only the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon could hear.

"Thank you, Orabeoni."

"I was only able to come because the Young Cult Leader sent word. You should give your thanks to the Young Cult Leader when he arrives."

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman said with a smile, "Still, the one who rushed here to save me wasn't the Young Cult Leader. It was you, Orabeoni."

The two eyes within his mask's eyeholes smiled.

Of course, she was also grateful to Geom Mugeuk. How could she not be grateful for a message that saved her life? She had only said that to show her greater gratitude to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

Was that the only reason she was grateful to Geom Mugeuk?

The way the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon looked at her had changed. This didn't mean his gaze had grown more affectionate.

She could see from his eyes that the person known as the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had changed.

She could sense that this change was altering the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's destiny. The change didn't feel bad at all.

"To mobilize the Ghost Killer Squad means you've provoked some very rich bastards."

At the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's words, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman nodded quietly.

She had recently been expanding the Thousand Flower Palace across the Central Plains. At the same time, she had been training quick-witted and smart courtesans as Secret Flowers.

It wasn't yet certain if this incident was because of the Thousand Flower Palace's expansion or because of information a Secret Flower had obtained. She would probably find out once Cho Hwi arrived.

"The Young Cult Leader will be alright, won't he?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon nodded.

"You don't need to worry about him at all."

Yeo Jong said with a smile. She was looking after her man's pride and morale until the very end.

"I'm not worried about this side at all."

In the meantime, all the bodies were cleared away and the blood was wiped clean.

The courtesans and workers all returned upstairs.

SREUK! SREUREUK! SREUREUK!

The doors to all the rooms started to close one after another.

The door to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's room, which had opened last, was also the last to close.

As if nothing had occurred, the sound of cheerful music began to fill the establishment once more.

A carriage was stopped not far from the Thousand Flower Palace.

The person inside the carriage was Seo Danmyeong.

He was the one who had designed this pursuit and ambush.

Just then, his subordinate, Jaein, got into the carriage and reported, "The Ghost Killers who entered the Thousand Flower Palace have not come out."

Seo Danmyeong's gaze moved from Jaein back to the distant building of the Thousand Flower Palace.

He had been sure that no matter how much the Thousand Flower Palace was the best brothel of the era, expanding its branches across the Central Plains, it wouldn't be able to repel the Ghost Killer Squad.

"Are we dealing with some invincible courtesans or something?"

Normally, Jaein would have laughed at Seo Danmyeong's joke even if it wasn't funny, but he couldn't today. The situation was very bad.

"We've also lost contact with those who went in to investigate."

Of course, Seo Danmyeong knew very well why this job wasn't going smoothly.

"Did the Demonic Cult send support?"

"It seems so."

"They shouldn't have had enough time to prepare, though."

"They moved faster than we did."

That meant the opponent had made the correct judgment.

"When I heard the request to kill a courtesan, I had a bad feeling about it."

At Seo Danmyeong's regret, Jaein wanted to ask.

Then why did you take the job? Why are you pushing this so hard?

This time, Seo Danmyeong asked about Cho Hwi's situation.

"Anyway, nothing good ever comes from getting tangled up with those bastards from the Demonic Cult. So? When will she arrive?"

"At the earliest, tomorrow night. At the latest, the day after tomorrow."

"There's no time."

I never thought the assassins would fail in their ambush one after another. I was told the person bodyguarding her was a single young man.

Of course, I assumed that person was a master from the Demonic Cult, but I never imagined he would be the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult would never bodyguard a courtesan alone.

"What are your thoughts?"

"I think we should pull out of this job now."

"If I did that, my reputation would plummet. No one would entrust us with work in the future."

He was not an ordinary freelance contractor.

Seo Danmyeong called himself the Webspinner.

The one who weaves the web.

The one who makes thorough plans and orchestrates events.

He didn't just kill people. He persuaded people, mediated between two warring sects, and resolved and managed incidents and accidents. Of course, there were also jobs like this mission, where he had someone killed.

That was why he called his work an art.

He didn't act directly.

When he needed to pursue someone, he hired a martial artist specializing in tracking, and when he needed to kill, he used assassin organizations and mercenaries to handle the job.

Clients who hired him found this convenient.

They didn't have to deal directly with rough and cruel assassins or mercenaries.

Also, once the contract fee was set, he would see the job through to the end, no matter how many times he failed. Of course, the price was very high to begin with.

No matter what, he always achieved his objective. The only thing required was a reasonable amount of money.

His subordinate, Jaein, knew that Seo Danmyeong was not the type of person to take on a job of tracking and killing a mere courtesan. He must have received the job from someone he could not refuse, or been offered an amount of money he could not turn down.

"Who on earth requested this?"

Jaein was usually the type to silently do as Seo Danmyeong ordered, but this time, he was curious.

Seo Danmyeong, perhaps understanding Jaein's feelings, answered with these words instead of getting angry.

"It's someone who absolutely does not want their identity revealed."

Jaein was curious about the client, but Seo Danmyeong said no more.

"I've brought someone along just in case. In the end, this job is going to be a huge loss."

That meant he had prepared a martial artist with a very high price tag. Who could it be? Fortunately, that question could be answered.

"This time there will be no mistake, so go with him."

"We should arrive at the Thousand Flower Palace tomorrow."

At the thought of finally being able to see the Pavilion Master, Cho Hwi's heart pounded.

"It's all thanks to you, Young Cult Leader. I don't know how I can ever repay this kindness."

Geom Mugeuk replied with a smile, "You've already repaid the kindness."

"……"

Of course, the choice to visit the Sojibu was Dan Ah's decision, but in any case, because they came to our Cult, I was able to meet you, and as a result, I could send word to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

Just then, two people were blocking the road far ahead.

Geom Mugeuk slowed the carriage.

They were two men, and the younger one was Jaein.

Jaein looked at Geom Mugeuk, then spoke calmly to the man beside him.

"You just need to kill the man. I'll take care of the woman."

Even if he was a Demonic Cult master who had dealt with assassins, this felt like using a butcher's knife to catch a rabbit. He never imagined Seo Danmyeong would have prepared this person.

"You mean that fellow who looks like he's better at talking than at martial arts?"

Jaein was inwardly puzzled.

He looks like he's good at talking? Why would he say that? Can a master of this level see through to such inner qualities? But it's not like he's discerning good from evil.

"How did you know he talks a lot?"