Chapter 178 : Deathshroud (2)

Hubei Province, Jingzhou.An old man sat perched on a thick branch, tilting a gourd to his lips to wet his throat.

His hands and face were full of wrinkles, but the chill in his gaze was incomparable even to that of any young martial artist.

“Calling yourself a chef… How absurd.”

The old man clicked his tongue as he recalled the disciple who had left, claiming he would become a chef.

The news he had been hearing lately was ridiculous. Even if he had left Deathshroud, it would have been more than enough to live quietly as if dead, yet he had gone so far as to enter a major cooking competition and even won recognition.

Each time he heard praises of the chef surnamed Seong and the Seong-un Inn from all around, he could not help but feel strange.

The old man turned his head toward the west.

Heading west from Jingzhou would lead to Yichang, where his disciple was. But his true destination was Gamri Prefecture to the east.

It was said that the third instructor of Deathshroud was plotting something there, so he had set out to personally keep an eye on it.

The old man tilted the gourd again, sinking into brief contemplation. He wanted to deny it, but he was curious about the disciple who had become a chef.

Of course, it was pure curiosity.

It was absolutely not because he wanted to see his face again after a long time, nor to check whether he was living well. Absolutely not.

Just as his inner conflict dragged on longer than expected—

From the shadows of the dense forest, a figure slipped in like the wind.

Vice Leader, sir. Recently, Seo Yu-gyeom appeared in a small village near Gamri Prefecture, accompanied by Guest Dragon and the Seomun Clan’s second son.

The report was delivered naturally through voice transmission.

No one was ever to hear the voices of Deathshroud’s assassins.

Shinsalgwi, the Vice Leader of Deathshroud, who had been shaking the now-empty gourd, gave a small nod.

Then he may cross paths with the third instructor?

Most certainly. The third instructor has been buying several village children through the local unorthodox sect, and considering Guest Dragon’s movements, there is a high chance he will intervene.

Shinsalgwi let out a quiet sigh.

The third instructor was clearly an assassin who had reached the Peak Master Level. The assistant instructor accompanying him had also reached the brink of that level.

If things go wrong, he might die.

It was a reasonable judgment.

Shinsalgwi simply did not know that Seo Yu-gyeom himself had reached the Peak Master Level.

It depends on Guest Dragon’s decision. If he chooses to fight alongside him, Seo Yu-gyeom’s life may be spared. But if he flees alone, Seo Yu-gyeom will surely die.

He did not seem like the type to run away alone.

Shinsalgwi rose to his feet as he said that.

Thus his hesitation came to an end. Since both the third instructor and his disciple were there, he only needed to hasten his steps.

Well done. Do not report this matter about Seo Yu-gyeom to the Deathshroud Leader.

……By your command.

After a short pause, the reply came, and Shinsalgwi clicked his tongue inwardly.

As always, the problem with this Deathshroud organization was that there was no way to escape the King of Assassins’ eyes.

He then stepped lightly into the air, and in an instant, his figure vanished, leaving behind only a faint breeze.

The quiet night.

Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Seomun Ak stood at the inn’s entrance, staring at the two assassins blocking their way.

Deathshroud’s assassins did not wear masks without reason.

There was no need to hide their faces before those who were doomed to die. It was also their confidence—confidence that they would always kill their target.

Because of that, Seo Yu-gyeom recognized the two assassins standing at the entrance immediately.

When he had first entered Deathshroud, before learning martial arts from the Vice Leader, he had personally learned the basic assassination methods from them.

“Second Instructor, isn’t it?”

Seo Yu-gyeom greeted them in a familiar tone.

Of course, he was not truly glad. It was just a professional habit, tossing out a casual attitude different from his true feelings.

“I am the Third Instructor now.”

“Ah, I see. So the instructor above you must have died. Well, being an assassin isn’t something one can do for long anyway.”

The Third Instructor nodded and took a step forward. The assistant instructor beside him stayed in place, ready to close the door at any moment.

Spreading his qi sense and confirming that there were children inside the guest room, the Third Instructor asked in a low, calm voice.

“Heaven-Slaying Star. Just what do you think you are doing?”

“I didn’t know it was Deathshroud’s doing.”

“Are you saying you didn’t know……”

“Some vermin were trying to buy children, so I smashed them first. Only afterward did I realize Deathshroud was behind it.”

The Third Instructor fell silent, staring at Seo Yu-gyeom.

He did not underestimate Seo Yu-gyeom, despite his much younger age and seemingly weaker martial prowess.

He knew firsthand what it meant to be born an assassin carrying the Heaven-Slaying Star.

Seo Yu-gyeom spoke again.

“Why is Deathshroud doing something like this? With this method, it would be difficult to raise assassins worth anything.”

Deathshroud’s assassins were of the highest caliber.

As the greatest assassin organization of the era, that much was natural.

Even Azure Wild Valley of Deyang, which boasted considerable strength, had been wiped out entirely by Seo Yu-gyeom alone, a top-class Deathshroud assassin.

So, taking in random children and training them like other assassin groups would not meet Deathshroud’s standards.

The Third Instructor replied curtly.

“Why should I tell you?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t. Then let me be direct. Let’s just let this pass. We want to take the children safely, and you have yet to cross the line. If you stop here, we can all just pretend we saw nothing.”

At that, the Third Instructor’s brow twitched in displeasure. Seo Yu-gyeom caught the reaction.

‘Is he truly displeased… or only pretending to be?’

Seo Yu-gyeom’s mind spun sharply. Among assassins, even the smallest word or faintest expression could be the cue for killing.

The Third Instructor spoke again.

“You’ve grown quite arrogant since I last saw you. Do you place your faith in that Guest Dragon standing beside you?”

“I’m here too.”

The one who answered was Seomun Ak.

For a brief moment, everyone—Third Instructor, Assistant Instructor, Jin Seong-un, and Seo Yu-gyeom—glanced at him before turning back as if they had heard nothing.

Feeling a little hurt, Seomun Ak watched as Seo Yu-gyeom shook his head.

“That’s not it. I simply don’t want to cross swords with Deathshroud if I can help it. It’s also the place where my former master still resides. And frankly, it’s terrifying.”

“Hmph. Shinsalgwi has grown dull all because of you. He cherished you as though you were his own child.”

“Hey now, don’t try your petty tricks on me.”

Seo Yu-gyeom sought to cut the flow of conversation at once. But the Third Instructor did not close his mouth.

“When people grow old, they all end up that way. Who would have thought Shinsalgwi, once called the Cold-Blooded Assassin, would break Deathshroud’s rules just to spare your life?”

It was well-known that the Vice Leader had made considerable sacrifices so that Seo Yu-gyeom could completely leave Deathshroud.

As Seo Yu-gyeom smacked his lips in annoyance, the Third Instructor’s eyes sank coldly as he spoke again.

Hubei Province, Jingzhou.

An old man sat perched on a thick branch, tilting a gourd to his lips to wet his throat.

His hands and face were full of wrinkles, but the chill in his gaze was incomparable even to that of any young martial artist.

“Calling yourself a chef… How absurd.”

The old man clicked his tongue as he recalled the disciple who had left, claiming he would become a chef.

The news he had been hearing lately was ridiculous. Even if he had left Deathshroud, it would have been more than enough to live quietly as if dead, yet he had gone so far as to enter a major cooking competition and even won recognition.

Each time he heard praises of the chef surnamed Seong and the Seong-un Inn from all around, he could not help but feel strange.

The old man turned his head toward the west.

Heading west from Jingzhou would lead to Yichang, where his disciple was. But his true destination was Gamri Prefecture to the east.

It was said that the third instructor of Deathshroud was plotting something there, so he had set out to personally keep an eye on it.

The old man tilted the gourd again, sinking into brief contemplation. He wanted to deny it, but he was curious about the disciple who had become a chef.

Of course, it was pure curiosity.

It was absolutely not because he wanted to see his face again after a long time, nor to check whether he was living well. Absolutely not.

Just as his inner conflict dragged on longer than expected—

From the shadows of the dense forest, a figure slipped in like the wind.

Vice Leader, sir. Recently, Seo Yu-gyeom appeared in a small village near Gamri Prefecture, accompanied by Guest Dragon and the Seomun Clan’s second son.

The report was delivered naturally through voice transmission.

No one was ever to hear the voices of Deathshroud’s assassins.

Shinsalgwi, the Vice Leader of Deathshroud, who had been shaking the now-empty gourd, gave a small nod.

Then he may cross paths with the third instructor?

Most certainly. The third instructor has been buying several village children through the local unorthodox sect, and considering Guest Dragon’s movements, there is a high chance he will intervene.

Shinsalgwi let out a quiet sigh.

The third instructor was clearly an assassin who had reached the Peak Master Level. The assistant instructor accompanying him had also reached the brink of that level.

If things go wrong, he might die.

It was a reasonable judgment.

Shinsalgwi simply did not know that Seo Yu-gyeom himself had reached the Peak Master Level.

It depends on Guest Dragon’s decision. If he chooses to fight alongside him, Seo Yu-gyeom’s life may be spared. But if he flees alone, Seo Yu-gyeom will surely die.

He did not seem like the type to run away alone.

Shinsalgwi rose to his feet as he said that.

Thus his hesitation came to an end. Since both the third instructor and his disciple were there, he only needed to hasten his steps.

Well done. Do not report this matter about Seo Yu-gyeom to the Deathshroud Leader.

……By your command.

After a short pause, the reply came, and Shinsalgwi clicked his tongue inwardly.

As always, the problem with this Deathshroud organization was that there was no way to escape the King of Assassins’ eyes.

He then stepped lightly into the air, and in an instant, his figure vanished, leaving behind only a faint breeze.

The quiet night.

Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Seomun Ak stood at the inn’s entrance, staring at the two assassins blocking their way.

Deathshroud’s assassins did not wear masks without reason.

There was no need to hide their faces before those who were doomed to die. It was also their confidence—confidence that they would always kill their target.

Because of that, Seo Yu-gyeom recognized the two assassins standing at the entrance immediately.

When he had first entered Deathshroud, before learning martial arts from the Vice Leader, he had personally learned the basic assassination methods from them.

“Second Instructor, isn’t it?”

Seo Yu-gyeom greeted them in a familiar tone.

Of course, he was not truly glad. It was just a professional habit, tossing out a casual attitude different from his true feelings.

“I am the Third Instructor now.”

“Ah, I see. So the instructor above you must have died. Well, being an assassin isn’t something one can do for long anyway.”

The Third Instructor nodded and took a step forward. The assistant instructor beside him stayed in place, ready to close the door at any moment.

Spreading his qi sense and confirming that there were children inside the guest room, the Third Instructor asked in a low, calm voice.

“Heaven-Slaying Star. Just what do you think you are doing?”

“I didn’t know it was Deathshroud’s doing.”

“Are you saying you didn’t know……”

“Some vermin were trying to buy children, so I smashed them first. Only afterward did I realize Deathshroud was behind it.”

The Third Instructor fell silent, staring at Seo Yu-gyeom.

He did not underestimate Seo Yu-gyeom, despite his much younger age and seemingly weaker martial prowess.

He knew firsthand what it meant to be born an assassin carrying the Heaven-Slaying Star.

Seo Yu-gyeom spoke again.

“Why is Deathshroud doing something like this? With this method, it would be difficult to raise assassins worth anything.”

Deathshroud’s assassins were of the highest caliber.

As the greatest assassin organization of the era, that much was natural.

Even Azure Wild Valley of Deyang, which boasted considerable strength, had been wiped out entirely by Seo Yu-gyeom alone, a top-class Deathshroud assassin.

So, taking in random children and training them like other assassin groups would not meet Deathshroud’s standards.

The Third Instructor replied curtly.

“Why should I tell you?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t. Then let me be direct. Let’s just let this pass. We want to take the children safely, and you have yet to cross the line. If you stop here, we can all just pretend we saw nothing.”

At that, the Third Instructor’s brow twitched in displeasure. Seo Yu-gyeom caught the reaction.

‘Is he truly displeased… or only pretending to be?’

Seo Yu-gyeom’s mind spun sharply. Among assassins, even the smallest word or faintest expression could be the cue for killing.

The Third Instructor spoke again.

“You’ve grown quite arrogant since I last saw you. Do you place your faith in that Guest Dragon standing beside you?”

“I’m here too.”

The one who answered was Seomun Ak.

For a brief moment, everyone—Third Instructor, Assistant Instructor, Jin Seong-un, and Seo Yu-gyeom—glanced at him before turning back as if they had heard nothing.

Feeling a little hurt, Seomun Ak watched as Seo Yu-gyeom shook his head.

“That’s not it. I simply don’t want to cross swords with Deathshroud if I can help it. It’s also the place where my former master still resides. And frankly, it’s terrifying.”

“Hmph. Shinsalgwi has grown dull all because of you. He cherished you as though you were his own child.”

“Hey now, don’t try your petty tricks on me.”

Seo Yu-gyeom sought to cut the flow of conversation at once. But the Third Instructor did not close his mouth.

“When people grow old, they all end up that way. Who would have thought Shinsalgwi, once called the Cold-Blooded Assassin, would break Deathshroud’s rules just to spare your life?”

It was well-known that the Vice Leader had made considerable sacrifices so that Seo Yu-gyeom could completely leave Deathshroud.

As Seo Yu-gyeom smacked his lips in annoyance, the Third Instructor’s eyes sank coldly as he spoke again.