Ep492 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

Beneath the pitch-black night sky. A band of figures gracefully leapt across the roofs of Mount Hua's sect buildings. Their swift journey led them to the innermost sanctum of the Mount Hua sect, where the leader's quarters were located. Silently landing upon the roof, the group numbered twenty in total, guided by a single leader. At a signal from the foremost figure, the twenty subordinates launched into action. From all directions, they drew sharp daggers hidden under their garments. Whoosh-! At the slightest motion from their leader’s arm, daggers were hurled into the inner sanctum of the sect leader. Whiiish! Swish! Crack! The air was filled with the chaotic noise of daggers slicing through it. With nearly twenty daggers thrown by each person, the total count reached four hundred. Yet not a single one hit their intended target. "Today is crucial, they said to exercise extreme caution..." "They were right, indeed." The reason none of the daggers met their mark was due to Yu Hwayeon and Shin Yehwa inside, who had deflected them all with their swords and crescent blades. They had anticipated this. That some would inevitably come to disrupt the sect leader's treatment. The two facing the intruders exchanged glances. 'We need to resolve this quickly.' 'Yes, I'm aware.' Prepared in advance, they had easily repelled the ambush, but what followed wasn't as simple. The assassins, clad in dark nightwear and masks, exuded a menacing aura. Moreover, behind them lay the leader, seemingly lifeless, and Baek Woo-jin, who was wholly focused on healing, leaving him vulnerable. Should even a single dagger they failed to deflect harm them, everything would come to naught. "Let's move." "Yes...!" They employed their most powerful techniques, large in scope, to pressure the attackers and create distance from the leader's quarters. If they could just drive them further away, they'd be easier to deal with. "Haaah!" "Yaaahp!" As their ki-infused swords and crescent blades cut through the dark sky, the startled assassins retreated in panic. As Yu Hwayeon and Shin Yehwa pursued, launching their attacks from the air, an assassin hidden in the shadows shouted with gleaming eyes. "...Now!" At the sound of the order, the assassins closed in, encircling the two. This was no ordinary encirclement. It was a formation designed to trap and overwhelm them. Trapped within, the two felt the pressure mounting from all sides and bit their lips in frustration. "What should we do? It looks like it'll take time to break through this..." In response to Shin Yehwa’s anxious question, Yu Hwayeon replied. "We'll do it as fast as we can." "...Yes!" The two struggled against the assassins who meticulously reinforced their encirclement without rashly attacking. From above, their leader watched the scene with satisfaction. ‘Just as I expected.’ Since he knew Baek Woo-jin would be vulnerable, he had foreseen that there would be guards and, thankfully, he was right. And as planned, they had succeeded in detaining them. A slight smirk played beneath the mask of the leader. ‘How easily they took the bait.’ The twenty assassins he brought were mere diversions. Bait to divert and occupy any guards defending Baek Woo-jin. The real threat was elsewhere. A man had confidently entered through the now unguarded door leading to the leader’s quarters. That man, Tak Il-woo, unsheathed his sword and stepped inside. Inside, he found the Mount Hua sect leader, Ju-un, seated cross-legged as Baek Woo-jin focused intently on his treatment. Tak Il-woo's eyes, cold as ice, fixed upon them as he raised his sword. Despite his entrance, neither man showed any sign of awareness. If he swung his sword now, he could claim both of their lives with a single strike. "Farewell, brother. And to you as well." With a terse farewell, Tak Il-woo swung his suspended sword without hesitation. However, his blade did not claim their lives. Clang-! "……!" The scarlet-haired woman, the Blood Demoness, had intercepted his sword with her ki-charged hand, as red as blood. "The Mount Hua sect is in quite a sorry state. For an Elder to attempt to kill the sect leader, their own brother." Tsk, tsk... The Blood Demoness clicked her tongue reproachfully. Tak Il-woo assumed a defensive stance, his face a picture of tension. "Who are you, venerable one?" He had realized it. An indescribable aura was emanating from her. 'What a formidable master!' He sighed. Where on earth had such a formidable master appeared from? At his question, the Blood Demoness responded coldly. "I have no name worth telling someone like you." With those words, her menacing aura overwhelmed Tak Il-woo, forcing him to retreat. It was precisely what she wanted. A fierce battle near Baek Woo-jin could have unforeseen consequences, so it was best to draw it away. Beyond the battlefield where twenty assassins clashed with the two women, another skirmish unfolded. The masked leader observing from the roof let out a small sigh. "I didn't expect it would be like this..." Bringing Tak Il-woo as a backup turned out to be quite fortunate. Otherwise, he would have had to fight that monster himself. And at that point, not only would Baek Woo-jin’s life be at stake, but his own would be in jeopardy first. "...But now, it really is the end." Silently watching from the roof, the observer finally made his move. His target: the now unguarded sides of Baek Woo-jin and Ju-un. With senses sharpened, he confirmed no one remained to defend them, then drew his sword and charged. Whiiish-! A sharp blade sliced through the air. But even this was thwarted. "No, it can't be…!" A hand clutching a dagger protruded from Baek Woo-jin's shadow, blocking his attack. He immediately recognized what it was. "The Shadow Clan…!" Even within the Heavenly Demon Cult, they were few in number, serving as the personal guard of the Deputy Leader. How could they possibly be hiding in Baek Woo-jin's shadow, protecting him? As he pondered this in confusion, a woman emerged from the shadow. Song Hee-yeon glared at the masked man with daggers ready to kill. "How dare you aim for my master… I won't forgive you." "Master, you say?" It was inconceivable. At a time when he should be taking Baek Woo-jin’s head, she had taken his side, opposing him. 'Damn it… I didn't expect this trick!' Despite his meticulous planning, this was unforeseen. However, he did not panic. He understood the characteristics of the Shadow Clan before him. 'They possess techniques to move freely within shadows, but they aren't highly skilled in martial arts, are they?' Whether due to innate traits or unique abilities absent in ordinary people. The Shadow Clan excelled in assassination but had limited martial prowess. They could progress rapidly to a certain level, but then they hit a ceiling. That level was somewhere between the Peak and Transcendence stages. 'Even Transcendence won't stop me!' Confident in this fact, he charged boldly. Intent on swiftly dispatching the impudent traitor and then killing Baek Woo-jin and Ju-un. "Haaah…!" Contrary to his expectations, the situation unfolded differently. Swoosh! From Song Hee-yeon's twin daggers, ki surged toward him. "What...!" A technique only attainable by reaching beyond Transcendence. This indicated the woman in front of him had surpassed her species' limits and achieved the Hua state. "Damn…!" Finding himself outpaced by unexpectedly swift movements, he twisted to evade. Still, he couldn't completely avoid her daggers. Slice! A sharp sound of the daggers cutting through the air. Slide His mask fell, revealing her true identity. The woman he once conversed with in the underground cell, the captured girl Hong-hwa, was none other than the person behind the assassins and Tak Il-woo. "Ugh…!" Hong-hwa quickly covered her face. But Song Hee-yeon had already seen her. "You dare…!" Her internal energy surged with anger. Infuriated by the girl who almost scarred her face. The blunder was significant, but not fatal yet. 'I just have to kill that girl.' So long as only the Shadow Clan saw her face. If she killed her and made her escape, no one would ever know her identity. Hong-hwa charged with all her might, while Song Hee-yeon thrust her daggers out, undaunted. However, Boom! "Ouch…!" It wasn't enough. Even reaching the Hua state, her level was only mid-intermediate. In contrast, Hong-hwa’s level was at the pinnacle of the Hua state. "Die, you audacious traitor…!" Relentless attacks followed. Bang! Crash! "Ugh…!" Song Hee-yeon was barely managing to fend off the attacks with all her strength, but she was quickly reaching her limits. Despite her level of skill, the battlefield was severely unfavorable to her. To protect Baek Woo-jin and Ju-un, Song Hee-yeon had to restrict her own movements. After exchanging numerous blows, Hong-hwa finally gained the upper hand. Clang! "Aaah!" Thud! Her daggers shattered, and the recoil sent Song Hee-yeon sprawling onto the ground. "Cough…!" Perhaps suffering internal injuries, she coughed up a handful of blood and struggled to rise. A cold smile spread across Hong-hwa's face as she turned away from Song Hee-yeon and toward Baek Woo-jin and Ju-un. "Watch carefully, will you? As your precious master's head is severed." Oh ho ho! A laugh ill-suited to her young appearance. Just as the tip of her sword was about to descend upon Baek Woo-jin, an odd sensation hit her. 'What is this…?' The surroundings had become inexplicably quiet. Not even the usual sounds of night insects could be heard. Even though the two women were battling twenty assassins, and Tak Il-woo was struggling against the red-haired woman, all sounds seemed to have vanished. As an unsettling chill traced down her spine, sweat began to form. "Old woman, aren’t you ashamed to be showing that face?" A sudden, smooth baritone voice caught her in her tracks. --- Author's Note: I will see you in the next chapter. Thank you as always for reading. Have a restful night. (_ _)