Chapter 598
“Argh!”
Dokgo Hwang let out a strained groan.
A sword was deeply embedded in his abdomen.
The owner of the sword was none other than Yoo Soo-hwan.
It had been a fierce battle.
In terms of pure martial arts skill, Dokgo Hwang had been a notch above Yoo Soo-hwan.
Even when Yoo Soo-hwan was imprisoned in the Unreturnable Prison, Dokgo Hwang had never stopped cultivating and had reached higher levels. However, before he fought Yoo Soo-hwan, he was quite tired from the consecutive fights.
His duels with Tarha, Sal-no, Hong Ye-seol, and Thunder Eye had left him with severe injuries and drained his energy.
Yoo Soo-hwan, on the other hand, was able to fight at the top of his game with his strength unharmed.
That difference decided the victory.
Drip, drip!
Blood flowed down the sword that had pierced Dokgo Hwang's abdomen.
“Damn it!”
“Junior Brother!”
“Do not look at me with such eyes.”
“Huff!”
"I have no regrets about my actions. Therefore, I have no reason to receive such compassionate looks from you.
“That's right! You've always been like that.”
"Yes! That's who I am, so don't feel sorry for me."
“I understand.”
Yoo Soo-hwan nodded his head.
He pulled the sword out of Dokgo Hwang's abdomen, causing a massive flow of blood.
“Kuhuk!”
Dokgo Hwang could no longer endure and fell to his knees.
His vision blurred gradually.
The last person he thought of before he died was Pyo Wol.
'How absurd. All because of a mere assassin...'
Thud!
Dokgo Hwang collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Yoo Soo-hwan's felt devastated when he saw Dokgo Hwang's corpse.
Even though he deserved to die, he was still the only brother he had left. The fact that he had killed such a brother by his own hand weighed heavily on his heart.
“Phew!”
Yoo Soo-hwan exhaled deeply, looking around.
The situation in the arena was now beginning to calm down.
All of the martial artists who had once followed Dokgo Hwang had surrendered.
The battlefield was still chaotic, but the fight was essentially over.
Then...
“He's here.”
A voice from behind was heard.
Yoo Soo-hwan turned around and smiled as he recognized the face.
“Grandmaster Pyo!”
The person who had appeared silently was none other than Pyo Wol.
Yoo Soo-hwan was also surprised to see Pyo Wol, who was covered in blood from dealing with
Go Il-won and the Ghost Fleet martial artists.
“Are you alright?”
"I can still move."
“Glad to hear it.”
“Is that Dokgo Hwang?”
Pyo Wol looked at Dokgo Hwang lying behind Yoo Soo-hwan.
Yoo Soo-hwan replied with a bitter expression.
"Yes! It's over."
"So, it has come to this."
"This too must be fate."
"You've taken control of the Martial Sword Alliance."
"Yes! I have also saved my master."
"You will now be the head of the Martial Sword Alliance."
"It seems that it has turned out that way."
"What will you do now?"
"First, I must deal with those who followed Dokgo Hwang. Punish them according to their crimes, and gather those who can be reclaimed."
"It'll be difficult."
"Difficult as it may be, it's work that must be done. The spirit of the Martial Sword Alliance has greatly declined because of Dokgo Hwang."
After Dokgo Hwang seized power, the Martial Sword Alliance unknowingly fell apart.
Those loyal to the previous leader, Jeon Mu-ok, were all killed or exiled.
Their positions were filled by Dokgo Hwang's confidants.
The discipline remained intact while Eom Soso was alive, but after she was killed by Pyo Wol, the order collapsed completely.
Dokgo Hwang, who should have controlled the Martial Sword Alliance, only cared about the elite and stayed in the Golden Heavenly Hall, leaving no one to hold him accountable.
Yoo Soo-hwan felt sad and angry about the state of the Martial Sword Alliance in just a few years.
He mercilessly executed those who were corrupting the alliance, and established discipline.
"It's easy to establish honor, but hard to maintain. The Martial Sword Alliance is now in that state. It will take several years to regain its former glory and strength."
"You must have a lot of worries."
"But it's fortunate that it ended at this stage. It's all thanks to you, Grandmaster Pyo. I will never forget this favor."
"Enough! I didn't do it to be repaid."
"Still, it cannot be like that between people. I, Yoo Soo-hwan, will do my best to help you, Grandmaster Pyo.
Yoo Soo-hwan's resolve was firm.
Pyo Wol spoke as he passed by him.
"Let's discuss that later. For now, taking care of this place is the priority."
Sea Gate City suffered significant damage, as did the Sea Dragon Manor.
Thanks to Yoo Soo-hwan's intervention, further damage was prevented, but many people were killed or injured, and numerous residences were destroyed.
It would certainly take a long time to recover from this damage.
"Yes! Let's do that."
Yoo Soo-hwan followed Pyo Wol.
They had to hurry and leave Sea Gate city before they discovered the truth.
So there was an urgency.
"Hurry, hurry up! Gather the belongings quickly before they find out!"
"Yes!"
The martial artists of Sea Dragon Hall responded, moving even more hastily. However, to Jang
Ha-Moon's eyes, their actions seemed incredibly slow.
"It's late! It's too late."
As he stomped his feet impatiently, he was about to shout again.
"You are Jang Ha-Moon, the leader of Sea Dragon Hall, aren't you?"
A chilling voice suddenly sounded from behind.
"Who... who are you?"
"Seems like it's you."
A polite voice came from behind again.
Jang Ha-Moon was unable to answer.
‘Choke!’
Suddenly, a silver wire tightly strangled his neck.
The one whispering from behind, strangling him with both hands on the wire, was Death Shadow, one of the Ten Blood Killers.
Death Shadow's silver wire was choking Jang Ha-Moon's throat.
Numerous martial artists were right before his eyes. Yet, none of them noticed that he was dying.
They were preoccupied with moving belongings, but more than that, Death Shadow had completely hidden his presence.
‘Choke!’
Jang Ha-Moon's face turned as pale as death, and he collapsed, lifeless.
Death Shadow gently laid Jang Ha-Moon's corpse on the floor, careful not to make a sound.
"The leader! Everything is loaded."
Woo Gun-chang, the chief steward who had been urging his subordinates on, turned around and spoke. But all he saw was the lifeless body of Jang Ha-moon.
"What, what's this?"
Woo Gun-Chang's face turned deathly pale.
He was about to scream.
Swish!
Like a fish caught on a hook, his body was pulled into mid-air.
A noose made of silver wire was around his neck.
Woo Gun-Chang struggled with all his might to escape the noose, but it was in vain.
Moments later, his body hung limp in the air.
It was only after that the martial artists and the workers of Sea Dragon Hall discovered him.
"Gasp!"
"The chief? The chief Steward?"
"The leader is dead too."
Having discovered Woo Gun-Chang, then Jang Ha-Moon's corpse, the martial artists and workers of Sea Dragon Hall were filled with terror.
"Aaagh!"
"Save me!"
"I don't want to die."
They dropped all their belongings in a panic and fled.
There was no courage to seek revenge.
The leader and the chief steward of Sea Dragon Hall had lost their lives in the blink of an eye.
And no one had noticed, even though they were in the same space.
Killing them would be easier than turning over one's palm if the one who had killed the leader and chief officer bore any malice toward them.
No matter how loyal they were to Sea Dragon Hall, they didn't want to die like dogs.
"Save me!"
"If we stay here, we'll all die."
They left the Sea Dragon Hall without a backward glance.
In an instant, not a soul remained in the Sea Dragon Hall.
It was then that two dark figures quietly revealed themselves.
They were Blood Rain, and Thunder Eye, two of the Ten Blood Assassins.
They had come forward to assassinate Jang Ha-Moon and Woo Gun-chang.
Thunder Eye looked around the empty Sea Dragon Hall and spoke,
"We can use this place for a while."
"The Supreme One will be pleased."
Death Shadow nodded as well.
The one who had ordered the death of the leader and chief steward of the Sea Dragon Hall was Pyo Wol, for the Sea Dragon's Hall had caused further damage by assisting the Ghost Fleet.
Just by killing the two of them, the Sea Dragon Hall was left shattered.
Such was the fragility of their bond, like grains of sand.
The walls of the empty Sea Dragon's Hall were tall and sturdy.
It was the perfect place for the assassins to rest.
What's more, there was a huge amount of wealth left behind by the Sea Dragon Hall.
Shortly afterward, the assassins began to gather in the Sea Dragon Hall.
Without a sound, the assassins gathered in the Sea Dragon Hall, and in unison, they cleaned up and overhauled the interior. Then, as if they had been living here for a long time, they settled into their proper abodes.
In a flash, the Sea Dragon Hall transformed into the assassins' stronghold.
After everything was arranged, Pyo Wol entered the Sea Dragon Hall with Hong Ye-seol, Sal-no, and others.
"Supreme One, we greet you."
Blood Rain, Death Shadow, and the assassins guarding the Sea Dragon Hall knelt in unison.
Pyo Wol gestured for them to rise.
"You've all done well."
"No, Supreme One!"
"We shall stay here for the time being, treating the wounded and replenishing our strength."
"It's already taken care of."
Pyo Wol nodded and looked at Sal-no.
Sal-no was lying unconscious on a stretcher.
Thankfully, Hong Ye-seol had acted swiftly to save his life, but it was not yet time to relax.
Proper treatment by a skilled physician was needed to save Sal-no.
"The physician?"
"The Best Healer will be sent from the Healing Hall."
"Tell them to hurry."
"Yes! I'll go myself."
With those words, Thunder Eye flew out of Sea Dragon's Hall.
Pyo Wol spoke softly to Sal-no.
"Don't die."
"I'm not dead... yet."
Sal-no answered weakly, his eyes closed.
"Good! I still need you."
"I'd like to retire now if that's alright?"
"You can retire even if you die, it won't be too late."
"You're truly relentless. Is it so hard to watch this old man relax?"
"Yes!"
"Huh!"