C 397
Pyo Wol raised his head in surprise.
"Snow Flower Swords?"
It was a name he had never heard before.
At least it was not a name used by any faction or organization operating in the Poyang lake area.
As Pyo Wol suspected, they were clearly outsiders.
The face of the warrior stiffened.
He realized his mistake.
Only a tiny minority knew of Snow Flower Swords.
It was not a shameful name, but it was still a burden to expose it casually.
"Cha-ahht!"
The warrior swung his sword towards Pyo Wol without warning.
His sword was sharp and dug into the carotid artery in Pyo Wol's throat.
The carotid artery was one of the arteries in the neck. Targeting it meant a will to cut off Pyo Wol's breath in an instant.
However, his sword never touched the artery in Pyo Wol's throat.
Before he knew it, Pyo Wol punched his chest and hit him in the throat.
It felt light, but Pyo Wol's punch took his breath away.
The martial artist groaned and collapsed.
He regained consciousness, but his limbs were as if they were disintegrating, and he could not put any strength into them.
Pyo Wol grabbed his chin and raised his head.
"Who are you chasing?"
"Do you think I'm going to tell you?"
The warrior had a pretty tough expression.
He showed his will not to submit to any torture. But he soon realized how weak his will was.
"Kraaaah!"
Just when he was looking confident, Pyo Wol slammed the ghost blade into him without warning.
Pyo Wol shook his muscles with the ghost blade.
"Ggg Ueuk!"
The warrior bit his lip to endure the pain. But he soon succumbed to the pain.
"Assassin! We're chasing an assassin."
"What kind of assassin?"
"The assassin who killed the seven sage scholar. Gggeuk! Please take out the blade..."
Pyo Wol frowned.
If it was an assassin who killed the seven sage scholar, it was undoubtedly Hong Ye-Seol.
"She still hasn't left Lake Poyang?
If it was Hong Ye-Seol's ability, she should have left Poyang Lake immediately.
It was fundamental for an assassin to have a way out. A fox like Hong Ye-Seol would have prepared two or three escape routes.
Yet, the fact that she had not yet escaped meant that the abilities of those who were chasing her were remarkable.
"Who leads the Snow Flower Swords?"
"It's lady Namgung... Seol."
"So that's the Snow Flower Swords. A group that protects Namgung Seol."
"That's right."
"Why is Namgung Seol chasing after the assassin?"
"There... was a request fromLee-Geom han."
"Why would Lee-Geom han?"
The mention of Lee-Geom han hardened Pyo Wol's expression.
Despite his lack of interest in the dominance of the martial arts world, he could not ignore the Mad Martial Sect.
Mad Martial Sect was one of the superpowers that shared the dominance of the martial arts world along with the Heavenly Martial Sect.
Over the past decades, they had never once directly exercised their power. Yet, people did not hesitate to place Mad Martial Sect among the Three Gates.
While their history was shorter than other sects, the martial prowess demonstrated by their founder, Lee Gwak, was shocking.
The absolute martial artist who ended the great war single-handedly with a sword.
His halo was still deeply cast over the Mad Martial Sect.
Lee Geom-hak was Lee Gwak's grandson.
Naturally, his talent pierced the heavens.
He was the only martial artist called a unique talent that can be compared to Jang Mugak, the young master of the Heavenly Martial Sect.
Boom! Bang!
At that moment, fireworks burst again in the distant sky.
The short intervals of the fireworks made the atmosphere ominous.
Pyo Wol rose, touching the Warrior's pulse.
He did not know why Lee Gwak's grandson, Lee-Geom han, was after Hong Ye-Seol, but he knew that Hong Ye-seol could not win against him.
She had run away in the opposite direction of Southern Heaven Pavilion, where she had often stayed with Pyo Wol. However, the fact that she was fleeing in the opposite direction meant that she did not want to involve Pyo Wol's in her affairs.
If she were like any other woman, she would have asked Pyo Wol's for help or relied on him. But Hong Ye-seol did not make that choice.
The fireworks continued to explode in the sky, and Pyo Wol's leapt into the air to pursue them.
***
'Shit!'
Hong Ye-Seol looked at the hand that had been holding her side.
Blood was gushing out of her palm.
It was blood from the wound on her side.
At that moment, she shook uncontrollably as she remembered the situation.
It had only been a moment.
The attack that had inflicted fatal damage on her.
It was an attack that she hadn't even had the courage to think about responding to.
In the moment thatLee-Geom han's attack unfolded, she felt her mind go blank.
Fortunately, her instinct for survival, ingrained in her body, reacted first and she was barely able to save her life.
An attack she hadn't even been able to react to.
When she regained consciousness, she was fleeing through a back alley in the Poyang Lake.
Although her mind had gone blank, her body responded automatically.
She was an assassin at the top of Kangho.
Naturally, she was skilled in physical movement and martial arts.
In addition, she knew the alleys of the Poyang Lake perfectly.
Even if Lee-Geom han mastered all the Nine Heavenly Realms, catching Hong Ye-Seol, who was slipping in and out of alleys like a squirrel, was by no means an easy task.
Eventually, Lee-Geom han asked for help from Namgung Seol.
Namgung Seol used the Snow Flower Swords to pressure Hong Ye-Seol.
To the naked eye, it seemed like they were just tracking Hong Ye-Seol from behind, but in reality, they were using their forces to completely corner Hong Ye-Seol. Novel Gate
The pursuit of the Snow Flower Swords was persistent.
They tore at Hong Ye-Seol like hunting dogs.
If it had been the usual Hong Ye-Seol, she would have easily thrown off their pursuit and disappeared.
But with a fatal wound that had shed too much blood, it was impossible to hide all traces perfectly. Novel gate stealing my translations
She had lost too much blood and her mind was completely clouded, but still Hong Ye-Seol did not stop.
She knew that stopping meant the end. So, she desperately continued to flee while enduring the pain. But her speed was noticeably slowing down.
That was when she saw a woman standing in the alley where she was running away.
As she saw the woman's brightly shining appearance and curvaceous figure like a rose, Hong Ye-Seol instantly recognized her identity.
"Namgung Seol!"
"So, you came this way after all."
The woman,Namgung Seol, smiled at Hong Ye-Seol.
Looking at Namgung Seol, Hong Ye-Seol glared at her and spoke.
"Did you unleash the dogs?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why? You have no benefit from me." Novel gate steals my work
"You don't always need a direct benefit to use your hands."
Namgung Seol's eyes curved into a smile.
That smile made Hong Ye-Seol feel even worse.
As fellow women, she knew what Namgung Seol's smile meant. N
Namgung Seol was mocking her.
She felt miserable being mocked by another woman, even if she didn't know anything else. Novel gate stealing my work
Thud!
Hong Ye-Seol gritted her teeth and lunged at Namgung Seol.
She aimed her sword at Namgung Seol's neck.
"In an instant, she tried to cut off Namgung Seol's breath and escape.
Namgung Seol did not move even as she saw Hong Ye-Seol approaching. It was the moment when Hong Ye-Seol made an unusual expression at Namgung Seol's reaction.
Bang!
Suddenly, a powerful shock hit her.
She was stuck against the alley wall as if she were laid on a huge rock, unable to even scream.
As the wall collapsed, Hong Ye-Seol was half-buried. Novel gate stealing my work
"Cluck!"
Hong Ye-Seol bled.
The red blood stained her chin and chest, but she couldn't even wipe it off.
It felt like her whole body was being disassembled into tiny pieces, making it impossible for her to even breathe.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
After a long struggle, she could barely take a breath.
Then she heard someone's voice.
"Damn! A damn assassin who's rotten to the core."
Hong Ye-seol's pupils burst with bloodshot at the tremendous shock. Her eyes turned red as if they were going to pour blood, and the owner of the voice couldn't be seen properly because the focus on her retina disappeared.
Nevertheless, she could tell who the voice belonged to.
It was the man who had been tracking her since the moment she assassinated the seven sage scholar.
Because of his persistent pursuit, she ended up trapped and unable to escape from the Poyang Lake.
He was Lee-Geom han.
Lee Geom-han approached Namgung Seol, sheathing his sword.
"Are you okay?"
"Thanks to you."
"I'm sorry. I tried not to bother you if I could help it."
"It's my duty to oversee you. There's no need to apologize."
"Thank you for understanding."
Lee Geom-han smiled.
Namgung Seol looked at him with a sullen gaze.
It was a sight that anyone could see that the two were lovers. Novel gate stealing my work
Hong Ye-seol's lips twisted.
"You guys are having fun."
"I'm sorry. We created a good atmosphere while you were injured."
Namgung Seol apologized to Hong Ye-Seol with a nonchalant expression.
Lee Geom-hak and Namgung Seol approached Hong Ye-seol, who was stuck against the wall with their shoulders side by side.
Even though she saw them, Hong Ye-Seol couldn't move a finger.
Her injuries were so severe that it was a wonder she was still alive.
She was only alive becauseLee-Geom han had taken pity on her, and if he hadn't taken pity on her, she would no longer be a person in this world.
Lee Geom-hak asked Hong Ye-seol. Novel gate stealing my work
"Who hired you?"
"Hired?"
"Someone told you to kill the seven sage scholar. You must know that."
"I don't know."
"You don't expect me to believe that, do you? An assassin of your caliber would kill without knowing the identity of his client? It doesn't make sense."
"Believe what you want. What I said is true."
"You're so poisonous, you don't speak up even when you're at this point."
Lee Geom-hak clicked his tongue while looking at Hong Ye-seol.
As he had already guessed, Hong Ye-Seol was definitely a poisonous breed.
Lee Geom-hak couldn't believe that Hong Ye-Seol had a weakness. Nevertheless, Namgung Seol had a confident expression.
Namgung Seol approached Hong Ye-Seol and said.
"Pyo Wol!"
"...."
"You came here to protect him, away from the Southern Heaven Pavillion. Because you like him, right?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Did you come here on purpose to protect him, away from Southern Heaven Pavillion?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You like him, don't you?"
"This crazy bitch..."
"You know what? He almost became a public enemy of Kangho today. How lucky he was to survive the danger. But what if people knew that he was associated with you? Could he still easily overcome the danger?"
"You?"
"People only see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. It's not that difficult to deceive people. Besides, even if he's already unpopular among the warriors, leaking information that he's associated with you would make it worse."
Though Nam Gung-seol's voice trailed off, it was clear what she meant.
Hong Ye-seol shouted, "Do you think he would even flinch at that?"
"He might. He's still human, after all. He seems perfect now, but there will come a time when his flaws will be exposed. Aren't you curious about what will happen after that?"
"I am curious. What will happen?"
It wasn't Hong Ye-seol who answered, but someone else.