Chapter 179 : Deathshroud (3)

A heavy silence flowed inside the inn.The silence felt especially heavier for the Assistant Instructor who had come together with the Third Instructor.

“……”

The Assistant Instructor’s eyes rolled anxiously.

Blood was pouring out from his chest where he was first cut, and the Third Instructor, whom he had trusted, followed, and who was clearly superior to him, lay there lifeless.

While the Assistant Instructor kept his mouth shut, Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom looked at each other and nodded.

Whatever it was, their agreement seemed to be made.

Seo Yu-gyeom then gripped the Heaven-Slaying Dagger and headed toward the Assistant Instructor, while Jin Seong-un disappeared to find a rag to clean up the mess inside the inn.

The backyard of the inn.

Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom were troubled over how to dispose of the corpses of the two assassins from Deathshroud.

“Wouldn’t there be a bounty? It would be nice if we could give it to the innkeeper who lent us the inn.”

“As if there would be. Who would even know this bastard’s name, or which province he was born in?”

Jin Seong-un nodded.

So far, many had tried to dig up information on Seong-un Inn, but no one had ever discovered that Seo Yu-gyeom was a man from Deathshroud.

“Still, he once taught me something… but killing him like this leaves a bitter taste.”

Jin Seong-un stared at Seo Yu-gyeom.

For someone saying that, he looked rather cheerful.

Such thoughts briefly crossed his mind, but he didn’t bother saying them out loud.

Just then, as their short deliberation continued, Jin Seong-un’s gaze suddenly turned toward the shadow cast beneath the wall.

“Why?”

Seo Yu-gyeom also looked there and instinctively spread his qi sense, but felt nothing.

And then—

“Chunsalgwi, was it you who killed the Third Instructor?”

Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyes widened.

Only after the voice sounded did they sense someone beneath the wall.

It was a familiar voice. Moreover, for Seo Yu-gyeom to have not noticed despite the man being this close—there were few in the world who could hide their presence like that.

“If you’ve come, why not speak, instead of hiding in the shadows to eavesdrop?”

Seo Yu-gyeom replied gruffly.

At that, the area beneath the wall rippled for a moment before an old man calmly stepped out.

The second-ranked assassin in the world.

It was Shinsalgwi (Ghost of Divine Slaughter), the Vice Leader of Deathshroud.

He gazed at Seo Yu-gyeom intently and asked again.

“Was it truly you who killed him?”

“Well…”

Jin Seong-un caught the slight lift of Seo Yu-gyeom’s shoulder.

Then Seo Yu-gyeom spoke, in a calm tone that was clearly intentional.

“It wasn’t all that difficult. Perhaps thanks to having advanced a realm lately.”

“Advanced? Don’t tell me… you’ve stepped into Peak Master Level?”

Seo Yu-gyeom shrugged.

His expression said it all.

The Vice Leader found his disciple’s words and demeanor rather irritating, and this time, he turned to Jin Seong-un for confirmation instead of Seo Yu-gyeom.

“Is what Chunsalgwi said true?”

“He is not Chunsalgwi, but Seo the Chef. And it’s true. Both assassins were dealt with by Seo So-hyeop.”

Only then did the Vice Leader nod in belief. Indeed, given that his disciple was born with the Heaven-Slaying Star, it wasn’t strange that he showed such peculiar growth.

“Then, why have you come? Surely you’re not here to drag me back to Deathshroud?”

“What use is there for an assassin whose face has already been revealed across the world?”

“Is that so?”

Though it wasn’t an amusing story, Seo Yu-gyeom chuckled.

Though they had once crossed blades, the man was still his teacher. Seeing him after so long brought an unexpected sense of joy.

Seo Yu-gyeom then brought up something he had long wanted to say upon meeting the Vice Leader.

“Jin Baek-cheon of the North Sea. I killed him in your place. Of course, it was with Jin Seong-un here, but still. How disgraceful, for the Vice Leader of Deathshroud to leave such a blemish.”

“Jin Baek-cheon? You mean Jin Baek-cheon, the White Chief of the North Sea?”

The Vice Leader, unusually startled, turned to look at Jin Seong-un.

Once again, Jin Seong-un nodded as if to verify Seo Yu-gyeom’s words.

When the Vice Leader finally showed belief, Seo Yu-gyeom scowled.

“Why is it that you don’t believe me alone?”

“Because that one doesn’t seem the type to lie.”

“And what about me?”

The Vice Leader merely shrugged.

Seeing this, Jin Seong-un realized that Seo Yu-gyeom’s small mannerisms and speech patterns still carried the traces of his teacher.

Seo Yu-gyeom continued.

“The Third Instructor—no, the Fourth Instructor—was using lowly black path scum to gather children. From what I judged, it wasn’t something Deathshroud itself ordered.”

“You are correct. He was scheming something on his own, without reporting to Deathshroud.”

“You knew?”

“That is why I came. Though you two stole the kill from me.”

The Vice Leader’s target had indeed been the Third Instructor. He hadn’t expected his disciple and his friend to steal the mission from him.

Seo Yu-gyeom nodded, then said.

“Still, I’m glad it wasn’t Deathshroud’s doing. I’d have been nervous otherwise. We’re not yet ready to fight the King of Assassins.”

“Even so, would a matter arise where the Deathshroud Leader himself had to move?”

At the Vice Leader’s confidence, Seo Yu-gyeom chuckled and slung his arm around Jin Seong-un’s shoulder.

“You lost last time. To this one.”

The Vice Leader’s expression twisted as though he had chewed on sand.

“That was not a proper duel.”

Saying so, he turned to Jin Seong-un.

Jin Seong-un nodded in agreement. He too had felt that the Vice Leader had held back mercy back then.

Even just now, from his concealment technique, Jin Seong-un could tell the Vice Leader’s level far surpassed when they had fought before.

“It seems Seo So-hyeop’s teacher only pretended to lose back then.”

At that, both Seo Yu-gyeom and the Vice Leader coughed and turned away at the same time.

It seemed the two were embarrassed by any words that carried warmth or affection.

Jin Seong-un thought to himself that there were indeed many kinds of master-disciple relationships in the world.

“Then, since you’ve permitted it, I’ll cremate them.”

With those words, Jin Seong-un suddenly raised flames in his palm and cast them upon the corpses.

The Threefold True Flame (삼매진화)—a technique of extracting two, sometimes three strands of extreme yang qi, colliding them in an instant to produce flames.

It was a method often considered symbolic of the Peak Master Realm, alongside qi projection.

The way he conjured and hurled the fist-sized flame was as natural as flowing water.

The Vice Leader inwardly sighed.

‘I cannot gauge his level at all.’

At the very least, he was his equal.

Perhaps… even superior.

Just as Seo Yu-gyeom had his occupational habits, the Vice Leader did as well.

He imagined—what if an assassination request for Guest Dragon Jin Seong-un came into Deathshroud?

‘Alone, I’d be insufficient.’

If it were a fair life-and-death duel, it would be worth fighting.

The Vice Leader too was a martial artist, and dying while pitting one’s martial prowess was not something to be feared.

But an assassination contract was different. No matter what, the target had to be killed.

The simplest way to increase the odds was to increase the number of assassins.

But if the opponent had surpassed Peak Master Realm, mere numbers meant nothing.

At least assassins of equal level would be required.

‘Three, including myself. In the worst case… even the Deathshroud Leader may have to move.’

The top three masters of Deathshroud, excluding the King of Assassins, would have to move together. And even that was the bare minimum. Such was the uncomfortable conclusion he reached.

Seo Yu-gyeom suddenly spoke.

“Thinking about how to kill him, are you? From your expression, I’d say you don’t like the answer.”

“……”

The Vice Leader looked at him in disbelief. Seo Yu-gyeom, however, spoke with boldness.

“In any case, I killed Jin Baek-cheon, who was your blemish. I also cleaned up the Third Instructor and his subordinates that Deathshroud intended to handle…”

“And?”

“Nothing? No reward?”

Seo Yu-gyeom bluntly demanded compensation.

Then the Vice Leader clicked his tongue.

“Do you think we’re some Tang Clan? We don’t do that. And rather than helping, you only hindered. I was trying to find out what the Third Instructor was gathering those children for, but thanks to you two, it’s now impossible to know.”

“And what about the fact that I avenged you in return?”

“Who asked you to do that?”

“Ah! Where has the chivalry of Jianghu gone!”

When the Vice Leader showed a shameless attitude, Seo Yu-gyeom deliberately wailed, playing the clown.

The Vice Leader burst into a laugh, like a grandfather amused by his grandson’s antics.

Seo Yu-gyeom said,

“Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. For a disciple to avenge his master is also a duty of Jianghu. Hopefully, that monster Jin Baek-cheon had no disciples of his own.”

Seo Yu-gyeom added a cough as if embarrassed, and the Vice Leader too showed some discomfort.

In truth, the two never called each other master and disciple.

A master was the same as a father. And there was no father in the world who would deliberately teach his child how to kill, so assassins rarely used the term master-disciple.

Yet now that Seo Yu-gyeom had openly put the word “master” into his mouth, such an atmosphere had been created.

“Master, huh.”

The Vice Leader thought that title was far too much for him. If he had children of his own, would he have dragged them into Deathshroud? Never.

For that reason, he had always carried a quiet sense of guilt toward Seo Yu-gyeom.

That was why he had eventually let him go, even if it meant breaking the rules of Deathshroud.

“You were someone who could smile like that?”

At Seo Yu-gyeom’s question, the Vice Leader realized that a faint smile had indeed formed at the corner of his lips.

When he hastily erased his expression, Seo Yu-gyeom smirked, itching to tease him further.

So the Vice Leader spoke first.

“There is a wind stirring within Deathshroud. Not just the Third Instructor—others are beginning to harbor stray thoughts. Yet the so-called King of Assassins shows no sign of movement.”

“And you can just tell me such inner matters like this?”

“If a great storm sweeps through Deathshroud, you too may be caught up in it. I let you go, but do you think the thick killing karma piled upon your shoulders will disappear so easily?”

Seo Yu-gyeom smacked his lips.

Indeed, if a turmoil arose within Deathshroud great enough for even the Vice Leader to be wary, there was a high chance that Seo Yu-gyeom himself would become involved.

As the air grew heavier, the Vice Leader changed his tone.

“But since leaving Deathshroud, you seem to have grown more meddlesome. Your name echoes across all corners of the world these days. And lately, what was it? A cooking competition?”

The Vice Leader frowned in sheer disbelief.

A man who ought to live his whole life in shadows, silently hiding, was instead flaunting his name and face everywhere.

As a master, he felt both absurdity and worry at once.

“I’ve found my true calling.”

“Can one burdened with the karma of killing truly live peacefully as a cook? Retribution always comes back, especially when it’s soaked in blood.”

“I’m fine now that I’m at Peak Master Level. There aren’t many in the world who can threaten me one-sidedly.”

“Is that so?”

The Vice Leader slowly nodded…

Then, with a swish, a gust of wind sounded as his figure suddenly vanished.

Kang—!

Sparks burst right before Seo Yu-gyeom’s nose.

Seo Yu-gyeom had already drawn the Heaven-Slaying Dagger to block the Vice Leader’s strike.

Out of nowhere, the two of them had begun fighting.

Jin Seong-un instinctively stepped forward, but then realized something peculiar about their demeanor and withdrew.

The two unleashed overwhelming killing intent toward each other. Yet, strangely, not a shred of hostility.

They swung their blades with the pure intent to kill, yet held no hatred.

Ordinarily, killing intent always accompanied enmity, so this was a rare phenomenon.

At the start, the fight was one-sided.

The Vice Leader, as if to prove his alias as the Ghost of Divine Slaughter, pressed Seo Yu-gyeom with blinding speed and intricate movements.

Seo Yu-gyeom looked pushed to his limits, fine threads of cuts forming across his body.

How much time passed like that?

The Vice Leader soon noticed Seo Yu-gyeom’s movements settling into calmness.

Once again, he was reminded that his only disciple bore the Heaven-Slaying Star.

Even as Seo Yu-gyeom swung his blade at him, no momentum could be felt—sending a chill down his spine.

Seo Yu-gyeom’s strikes grew ever sharper.

Finally, when the Heaven-Slaying Dagger broke through the defense of its original owner, the Ghost of Divine Slaughter—

The two halted their blades right before each other’s throats. Their stances mirrored one another, like reflections in a mirror.

A faint smile briefly touched the Vice Leader’s lips, but it was so subtle that no one noticed.

Seo Yu-gyeom withdrew his Heaven-Slaying Dagger and, with clasped hands, spoke in an unusually solemn tone.

“I accept the gift.”

What they had just shared was, in truth, the passing down of the Vice Leader’s personal ultimate technique.

He had originally taught Seo Yu-gyeom only the early and middle portions, but since Seo Yu-gyeom had left before reaching the proper realm to receive the rest, only now was it given.

“For taking care of one old man and two washed-up instructors, I’ve given you something excessive.”

“On the contrary, it’s a bit lacking. After all, that was no ordinary opponent—it was the Ghost of Divine Slaughter’s blemish. I nearly froze to death fighting him.”

At Seo Yu-gyeom’s jest, the Vice Leader let out a hollow laugh.

Did Seo Yu-gyeom realize? If he mastered this newly imparted martial art, he would be counted among the top three assassins in the world.

At least, having fully passed on his secret art to the one he had inwardly regarded as a disciple, the Vice Leader felt at peace.

His purpose here was fulfilled.

There was no use lingering with a disciple who had already left. Not for himself, nor for the boy.

So the Vice Leader turned to leave without regret.

He crouched slightly, preparing to vanish at once, but then paused.

“Cheongtang Bamboo Stew.”

Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyes widened simultaneously. They had not expected the Vice Leader to utter the name of Seong-un Inn’s specialty dish.

The Vice Leader continued.

“I’ve heard much praise for it lately. Thanks to that, it seems the inn’s fame has also risen.”

“?”

When the Vice Leader stared intently, Jin Seong-un blinked. He mulled over the intention behind those words, then replied,

“Come try it someday. It’s really delicious.”

The Vice Leader continued staring, his expression dry. Clearly, that wasn’t the answer he wanted.

Jin Seong-un thought it over.

The Vice Leader had deliberately mentioned Cheongtang Bamboo Stew, noting how it had raised Seong-un Inn’s reputation.

And the one who created that dish was Seo Yu-gyeom—who, after all, had been his disciple.

Realization dawned, and Jin Seong-un nodded.

“Understood. I’ll make sure to treat Seo the Chef well.”

At last, the Vice Leader nodded seriously, then walked away.

Seo Yu-gyeom looked after him with a baffled expression and called out,

“Do you really think I’m your own son? Stop fussing and just go already.”

The Vice Leader flinched slightly.

As Seo Yu-gyeom smirked victoriously, the Vice Leader clicked his tongue and vanished like smoke.

Seo Yu-gyeom stood there staring at the empty space, recalling the Vice Leader’s expressions, actions, and tone just moments ago.

His expression gradually grew grave.

“…Looks like he really has aged, just as the Third Instructor said. Speaking words he never used to, even smiling for the first time.”

It wasn’t a wholly welcome change.

For an assassin, developing emotions only meant their risk of death grew exponentially.

And for a man like the Vice Leader, whose body was utterly drenched in the karma of slaughter—it went without saying.

How many masters in the world would have their sights set on him?

Seo Yu-gyeom looked once more at the place where the Vice Leader had disappeared, and muttered inwardly,

‘Stay safe, Master.’

He only wished to meet him once more. Twice, if fortune allowed.

Anything more would be too much greed for two assassins who had lived their entire lives steeped in death.