The Legend of the Northern Blade

The assassins who attacked Jin Mu-Won and Ha Jin-Wol were all members of the Illusionary Killers. Go San-Wol, acting under the orders of Jwa Moon-Ho, had originally planned to assassinate Jin Mu-Won at his residence, but when he realized that the mansion belonged to the Tang Clan, he quickly discarded that plan.

Even individuals as fearless as Go San-Wol and the Illusionary Killers considered the Tang Clan an insurmountable obstacle. Unwilling to openly confront them, he looked for another opportunity, and finally decided upon this inn.

Go San-Wol reasoned that eliminating Jin Mu-Won inside this inn would minimize any potential complications. Therefore, he mobilized every assassin stationed in Wuhan for this ambush.

These assassins were products of brutal training regimes. They had survived countless brushes with death to become true demons of slaughter who felt no pain. Their humanity had been erased, leaving them incapable of experiencing their own suffering, let alone that of others.

And yet, despite their fearlessness, a tremor now ran through their eyes.

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This was not due to the almost instantaneous demise of nearly twenty comrades. From the moment the assassins were born, death had been a constant companion. Chosen and groomed for a life of assassination, they had crossed countless thresholds of death and seen many friends die in vain and disappear into the abyss of oblivion.

No, the problem was Jin Mu-Won.

"SWISH!"

Only when Jin Mu-Won's sword completed the arc did the sound of ripping flesh resound. The blade moved faster than sound itself, always leaving the corpse of a comrade in its wake.

As assassins, the Illusionary Killers had faced countless martial artists. Therefore, they could confidently say that no one had ever practiced martial arts with such purity of form, such devotion to the sword, as Jin Mu-Won.

Jin Mu-Won slashed vertically, and then horizontally. With mere flicks and sweeps of his blade, the assassins' eyes rolled back and they crumpled to the ground. Just a brief twitch, then eternal silence. He wasn't even using the Shadow Blade of Destruction, just the most basic moves. Yet, none of the assassins could withstand a single blow form him.

Furthermore, attacking from behind proved to be futile. As if Jin Mu-Won had eyes in the back of his head, he never let the assassins get close.

Attempts to break his composure by attacking Ha Jin-Wol also failed. Anyone who dared to approach Ha Jin-Wol had their limbs cut off and died without exception.

Jin Mu-Won and his sword had forged a massive wall, an impenetrable barrier of iron and blood that could not be breached.

The assassins' pupils trembled uncontrollably, their spirits crushed by Jin Mu-Won's formidable presence, and their uneasiness spread through their ranks like wildfire.

Go San-Wol, the Sect Leader of the Illusionary Killers, also sensed his subordinates' growing anxiety.

Damn it! Is he even stronger than the rumors suggest?

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For the first time, he regretted accepting Jwa Moon-Ho's commission. If this continued, the Illusionary Killers would be destroyed in the blink of an eye.

To Go San-Wol, Jin Mu-Won resembled a demon wielding a sword. The blood spilled by his assassins stained the inn crimson, while severed limbs littered the floor. It was a scene straight out of hell, with Jin Mu-Won at its center.

I should have simply killed Jwa Moon-Ho.

Go San-Wol gritted his teeth, but regret was a luxury he could not afford. His first priority now was to eliminate Jin Mu-Won as quickly as possible and keep the casualties among his assassins to a minimum.

Go San-Wol drew his sword and cautiously approached Jin Mu-Won.

He hadn't earned the nickname "Black Butterfly" for nothing. His movements were like the delicate flutter of a butterfly's wings navigating the darkness, and his presence completely undetectable.

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Meanwhile, the remaining assassins relentlessly pressed the assault, aiming to create an opening for Go San-Wol. With incessant attacks and screams, they intended to obscure Jin Mu-Won's vision and overwhelm his senses.

Now!

Go San-Wol's eyes shone with icy determination. Jin Mu-Won, seemingly preoccupied with his subordinates' offensive, seemed oblivious to Go San-Wol's approach.

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Capitalizing on this perceived lapse in awareness, he struck, his sword aimed squarely at Jin Mu-Won's head.

SWISH!

Go San-Wol's sword descended with meteoric force, a triumphant smile spreading across his face… until Jin Mu-Won suddenly raised his head and looked up.

What Go San-Wol thought was a perfect ambush had actually been caught by Jin Mu-Won's All-Encompassing Cognizance right from the very beginning.

Fuck!

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That was Go San-Wol's final thought. He felt a searing sensation on his forehead, and then nothing.

Snow Flower had pierced his skull before he could even register the attack.

THUD!

Watching their leader's lifeless body fall to the ground, the remaining assassins' expressions flickered with uncertainty. After exchanging brief glances, they scattered in all directions.

Assassins knew no loyalty, no comradeship. With Go San-Wol, the only one capable of controlling them, dead, the Illusionary Killers dissolved into chaos. Every assassin fled the inn, desperate to save their own lives. There were no cries of vengeance.

In a heartbeat, they were gone without a trace.

Jin Mu-Won did not pursue them. Calmly sheathing Snow Flower, he surveyed his surroundings.

Dozens of corpses lay strewn all over the inn. It was a vision of hell, a hell created by Jin Mu-Won himself.

Jin Mu-Won's expression was somber. He had taken dozens of lives with his own hands. Even though they were assassins sent to kill him, he could not find it within himself to feel any sense of peace.

Still, he felt no regret. This was the jianghu—a merciless world where life and death hung on a thread, where the enemy's blade would reach for one's throat the moment one showed weakness.

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He had to be decisive. He had to show that such provocations were pointless. This was a message to his unseen enemies: If you wish to kill me, come and face me yourself.

Seeing his friend's unwavering determination, Ha Jin-Wol smiled with quiet satisfaction.

BANG!

The inn's doors burst open, and a dozen martial artists clad in gray uniforms rushed in, their swords drawn and pointed at Jin Mu-Won.

"We received a report of a fight here! Drop your weapons!"

"Who are you?" Jin Mu-Won asked.

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"We're martial artists from Heaven's Summit Outer Branch. As this area is under the jurisdiction of Heaven's Summit, no one is allowed to kill anyone without permission.

"Heaven's Summit's outer branch?"

Jin Mu-Won frowned. Wuhan was indeed within Heaven's Summit's territory, but the branch's response was too quick.

That is, unless someone made a report beforehand.

The Outer Branch martial artists struggled to hold in their breath as they saw the bodies of the assassins scattered throughout the inn. Some were even retching.

The tips of their swords aimed at Jin Mu-Won trembled slightly. They knew that he was the architect of this gruesome scene.

Jin Mu-Won took a step towards them, and they instinctively backed away.

"D-Do you dare defy Heaven's Summit? If you harm us, they will not stand idly by!"

"Answer one question, and I will follow you without resistance."

"W-What do you want to know?"

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"How did you get here so quickly?"

"We received a report that a deranged martial artist was on a rampage here, killing people at random."

"Can you tell me who filed the report?"

"We cannot divulge that information for the whistleblower's safety."

"And who will be responsible for your safety?"

"Are you threatening us?" Jo Chun-Kwang, the leader of the Outer Branch, roared angrily, but he couldn't conceal the tremor in his hands.

Damn it! The report never mentioned that the troublemaker was a master of this caliber!

With the Demon Hunter Selection looming, Heaven's Summit was particularly sensitive about maintaining public order, so they had dispatched a group of capable martial artists to quell the unrest.

Despite being a respected figure in the outer branch, however, Jo Chun-Kwang couldn't keep his composure after witnessing the carnage in front of him.

In recent times, it was extremely rare for the martial artists of Heaven's Summit's Outer Branch to engage in actual combat. They were considered inferior to the Inner Branch, and the mere mention of Heaven's Summit's name usually caused their opponents to surrender.

An hour ago, when they had received a report of an unidentified master causing a disturbance at an inn in Wuhan, Jo Chun-Kwang had not taken it seriously.

He was sure that his men were more than capable of handling the situation.

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He never imagined he would be up against a true martial master.

Over forty bodies littered the ground, and the man responsible for this horrific massacre stood before him.

JIn Mu-Won had single-handedly accomplished what would have been impossible even with Jo Chun-Kwang and all his men. This meant that even if they all attacked at the same time, they stood no chance against him.

In the end, he had no choice but to rely on the authority of Heaven's Summit.

"If you lay a hand on us, Heaven's Summit will intervene. If you are not afraid of the consequences, then by all means resist," Jo Chun-Kwang declared as he and his subordinates focused their killing intent on Jin Mu-Won.

Nevertheless, they looked as vulnerable as candles in the wind.

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Jin Mu-Won narrowed his eyes. I see. The assassins' ambush was merely a diversion, and the mastermind's real goal was to have Heaven's Summit arrest me.

He was unaware of the mastermind's identity, but it was clear they had devised an intricate scheme. Subduing these outer branch martial artists would be trivial, but doing so would undoubtedly strain his relationship with Heaven's Summit.

The situation had become multifaceted and complex. His gaze drifted towards Ha Jin-Wol, who remained seated, calmly sipping his tea.

Smiling, Ha Jin-Wol set down his cup and rose to his feet.

Who is this man? The outer branch martial artists wondered, flinching again.

The tension in the air intensified. Someone who could comfortably drink tea in the middle of a hellish scene couldn't possibly be ordinary.

Ha Jin-Wol rested a hand on Jin Mu-Won's shoulder. "It seems we have no choice. Accompany them for now."

"Is that really wise?"

"Isn't this a golden opportunity to enter Heaven's Summit without having to go through their cumbersome procedures?"

"Good point." Jin Mu-Won smiled, showing his implicit trust in Ha Jin-Wol.

"Now, I think it's time for me to really start stirring up some chaos…" Ha Jin-Wol muttered to himself.

"Hehe!" Jwa Moon-Ho giggled as he enjoyed his tea.

Across the street, the Outer Branch martial artists of Heaven's Summit appeared, escorting Jin Mu-Won to prison.

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Jwa Moon-Ho had known from the start that the Illusionary Killers alone were not enough to deal with Jin Mu-Won. They were merely pawns in his larger plan to involve Heaven's Summit.

This entire scheme was solely his doing, born out of his desire to avenge the humiliation he had suffered at Yellow Crane Tower. He was not someone who forgave and forgot even the smallest slights, and besides, that incident was the most humiliating experience he had ever suffered.

"If you thought you could get away scot-free after shaming the Azure Dragon Society, you were sorely mistaken. There will be no sanctuary for you in the jianghu. I will see to that. Hehe!"

Just then, as Jin Mu-Won walked alongside the martial artists of the outer branch, his gaze seemingly fell upon the inn where Jwa Moon-Ho was sitting.

"T-That bastard!"

Jwa Moon-Ho felt a shiver run down his spine as he met Jin Mu-Won's eyes. There was no fear, no panic in those eyes, just a faint, almost playful smile gracing his lips.