Chapter 31

The ones gathered in one spot exchanged glances and talked through sound-transmission.

“Six of us showed up. How do we split the commission fee?”

“Whoever kills the Top-Peak level guy takes five tenths. The rest gets split per head.”

“Then won’t we all aim for the Top-Peak level?”

“We don’t even know who’s Top-Peak yet. Whoever hits one when we attack gets him.”

“So we leave it to luck?”

“Yeah. If you think of it as a bet, isn’t it fun?”

“Heh heh heh. Is that so? Sounds fun. I’m in.”

“Good. I’m in too.”

“Then when do we go in?”

“Why wait? Let’s hit them right now.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

They finished adjusting their differences and were about to step into the forge.

Then a chilling killing intent froze their five senses and stopped them in their tracks.

“W-what is that?”

“Someone else is here besides us.”

“Something that gives off killing intent like this...!”

While they were looking around with shocked faces, someone slowly walked out of the darkness.

It was Blood-Dance Death God Chu Sowon.

They knew at a glance.

He was a presence far above them.

“W-what the hell? They said the Top-Peak level was the strongest one!”

“Crazy— you’re saying someone stronger than us is only Top-Peak? That... that’s at least the Mystical-View level.”

“What do we do?”

“This isn’t worth the pay. We’re leaving.”

“I think so too.”

Just as they turned to go—

“Where do you think you’re going. You can come as you please, but you don’t leave as you please.”

In an instant, Chu Sowon vanished, then in another instant he crushed the assassins who were trying to flee.

I knew they’d realized he was stronger than them, but they hadn’t expected the gap to be this obscene.

“...You guys are Ghost-Slaying Corps, aren’t you?”

Who the hell was this man, to read their identities in one look?

The assassins, on edge, asked in guarded voices.

“Who are you?”

“Someone who makes a living like you.”

If he had the same trade as them and that kind of overwhelming force, there weren’t many possibilities.

Then one of them saw the dagger in Chu Sowon’s hand.

“Blood-Heaven...? B-blood-Dance Death God?”

That mutter sent a shock through them.

“B-blood-Dance Death God!”

“W-why is he here?”

“One of the Three Great Assassin Organizations of the Central Plains—why would you be in a place like this?”

“W-we didn’t come here for you.”

“Right. There must be some misunderstanding.”

At that, Chu Sowon pointed to the forge and asked them,

“Aren’t you here to hit the people inside?”

The Ghost-Slaying Corps assassins went silent.

“Pretty sure I’m on the list of people you’re here to kill, too.”

“T-that can’t be. You’d have to be out of your mind....”

“The client’s the Gu Yang Family, right.”

The Gu Yang Family. Yeah.

Those rotten bastards were trying to kill who?

The assassins’ eyes went bloodshot.

They wanted to sprint straight to the Gu Yang Family estate and tear apart the bastard who’d placed the commission.

But that wasn’t the issue right now.

Right now, they had to survive.

“Sorry. You’re not getting out alive.”

“What?”

“My lord said not to let you live.”

“M-my lord?”

“Blood-Dance Death God... has a lord?”

“Yeah. Surprised? I told you something surprising, so go die without regrets.”

“N-no.”

“No what. You’re already dead.”

He left those words and turned his back.

Before they could even process what he meant, a sting crawled up their throats.

They raised their hands to their necks and felt hot liquid.

“W-when...?”

“A-as expected... reputation isn’t for nothing...”

Thud— thud—.

Not even realizing when their throats had been cut, they collapsed to the floor.

****

I didn’t know any of that was happening outside. I was still inside the Mok family forge, with the heat and the ringing steel, while Chu Sowon handled what I’d sent him to handle.

Meanwhile, somewhere else—

“What? Failed?”

“Yes. The Black-Ghost assassins all got wiped out.”

“Then it wasn’t just a Top-Peak level martial artist there. Isn’t this a trap to lure us in?”

“I don’t think so. When I told the client, he blew up instead. He said he hired us because we’re the best, so verifying and handling that kind of thing is on us, and asked if we can’t even do a job properly.”

“Ugh....”

The elder who’d made the call pressed a hand to his forehead.

He wasn’t wrong.

‘If the Ghost Lord learns that a commission failed...’

That could not happen.

“I’ll go.”

“Elder, you mean you’ll go yourself?”

“This is my mistake. I should finish it.”

“Are you going alone?”

“I’m enough by myself.”

He was the Ghost-Slaying Corps elder, Remnant-Flame Ghost.

In the Ghost-Slaying Corps, he was one of the Five Ghost Generals, the strongest under the Ghost Lord.

They called him Remnant-Flame Ghost because he burned people to death in a cruel, lingering way.

“We checked the targets. Two men from the Mok family forge, and martial artists who came from the True Martial Sect.”

“True Martial Sect?”

“The sect where the youngest son of the Heavenly Martial Castle Lord married in.”

“Ah! That True Martial Sect.”

Remnant-Flame Ghost rubbed his chin.

“If we ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) touch this wrong, we might end up making an enemy of Heavenly Martial Castle.”

At that, Remnant-Flame Ghost grinned.

“How would those Heavenly Martial Castle bastards know it was us. And it’s not like the Heavenly Martial Castle Lord’s son is going to die, so Heavenly Martial Castle won’t step in.”

“Still...”

“You know how much the Ghost Lord hates Heavenly Martial Castle, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then what do you think he’ll do if we look scared and avoid them?”

“He’ll tear us apart.”

“Exactly. So we have to succeed no matter what. I don’t care who those bastards are— I’ll turn them into kindling for the forge.”

Remnant-Flame Ghost made that vow with eyes cold enough to raise goosebumps.

****

Back at the Mok family forge, Mok Gwang was staring at the sword with a bright, almost dazed smile.

“Unbelievable... truly unbelievable. Young Master, with your help, a perfect sword was born. I thank you for your grace.”

“It was nothing.”

“Father. At this level, the client will be satisfied.”

“Of course. If they aren’t satisfied with this, they’re not looking for a famous sword—they’re looking for a divine sword.”

Father and son kept marveling at the blade.

Watching them, I glanced at Chu Sowon and gave him a quiet signal.

He looked toward the outside, his face hardening, and moved at once.

Chu Sowon stepped out, sprinted somewhere fast, and quickly found his target.

One man, coming in slowly and cautiously.

“Why are you sneaking around like that?”

The sudden voice made the man flinch and look up.

His eyes met Chu Sowon’s.

“Looks like they sent someone decent this time?”

Before Chu Sowon even finished speaking, heat blasted through the air.

Whoosh—.

A roaring lump of flame flew at his face.

Chu Sowon just tilted his neck slightly and let it pass.

“A Ghost-Slaying Corps assassin who uses fire... so you’re that bastard, huh? Remnant-Flame Ghost.”

The attacker’s eyes narrowed.

A man who dodged his ambush effortlessly and named him on sight—

This wasn’t someone beneath him.

‘Damn it. Total misread.’

This wasn’t a job for Black-Ghost or Blood-Ghost.

They should’ve sent Ghost-King rank—meaning one of the Five Ghost Generals, like him, had to move.

Sending Black-Ghosts for this?

Failure was inevitable.

And with that price, it should never have been accepted in the first place.

When Chu Sowon drew the dagger from his chest, Remnant-Flame Ghost finally recognized it and staggered back in shock.

“Blood-Heaven? D-don’t tell me... Blood-Dance Death God?”

Chu Sowon smiled.

“Now you get that you’re not going back alive, right?”

Remnant-Flame Ghost backed away.

If it was Blood-Dance Death God, there was no chance.

To face him, all Five Ghost Generals had to come together—or the Ghost Lord himself had to move.

Alone, he couldn’t win.

This wasn’t about completing the mission anymore.

It was about whether he could get out alive.

He scanned around, thinking of an escape route—

Then every nerve in his body screamed.

Without thinking, he raised his dagger toward the direction of that grim pressure.

CLANG—!

A brutal impact rattled his frame.

A heartbeat later and his head would have flown off.

“Oho. You reacted to that? You really are different from the trash that came before you.”

So they really were all dead.

Those Black-Ghosts probably died without even knowing how.

His wrist still throbbed from that single exchange, and it pushed his senses to the edge.

Now he was sure.

If he fought head-on, he was dead.

So to escape—

He had to trap that monster, or at least drag his attention away.

Then throw everything he had into Lightfoot Arts.

Hoo.

It was a gamble, but better than doing nothing.

“Looks like you’ve made up your mind. Go on, do what you’re thinking.”

Chu Sowon crooked a finger, grinning like he was watching a game.

Flames bloomed in Remnant-Flame Ghost’s hands, lighting the area.

He kicked off the ground, leaped, and sprayed fire wildly at Chu Sowon.

Papapapat—!

Chu Sowon slipped through the flames easily, his face faintly disappointed.

That was the look of someone thinking, You built me up for this?

Then—

Heat surged from every direction at once.

Chu Sowon turned his head, and Remnant-Flame Ghost’s voice rang out.

“Got you!”

Huh?

“You got careless because the attack was sloppy, but it’s already too late. What I was doing wasn’t an attack—it was laying a formation around you.”

A formation.

“Die in there, roasted alive! Netherfire Burning Heaven!!”

Fire rings snapped shut around Chu Sowon and exploded in unison.

A massive half-dome of flame formed, and thick smoke billowed around it, scrambling sightlines.

Chu Sowon’s pained groan echoed from inside.

Remnant-Flame Ghost should’ve run right then.

That had been his plan.

But hearing those groans twisted his mind.

If he killed Blood-Dance Death God here... wouldn’t he become one of the Three Great Assassins of the Central Plains?

His fame inside the Ghost-Slaying Corps would explode, and if things went perfectly, maybe he could even become Deputy Ghost Lord.

Money. Glory. Everything.

He poured his internal energy into Netherfire Burning Heaven.

Hotter.

Hot enough to burn Blood-Dance Death God to ash.

“KRRRAAAAGH!”

At the scream from inside, Remnant-Flame Ghost’s mouth curled into a thick grin.

Got him.

I’m one of the Three Great Assassin Organizations now.

Joy swelled up in his chest, and in his mind he saw people staring at him with worship in their eyes.

He was wallowing in that fantasy—

When the world suddenly started spinning.

What?

Why is the sky turning?

As the thought surfaced, he saw Blood-Dance Death God’s face right in front of him.

Chu Sowon was smiling.

“What’s wrong? Thought you actually had me? I just pretended to scream so you’d feel like a champion before you died. Now beat it.”

“T-that... no... that can’t...”

Remnant-Flame Ghost’s pupils went slack as he stared in disbelief.

Thud—.

His headless body collapsed.

Behind it, the flames of Netherfire Burning Heaven shredded apart like paper and died out.

The suffocating heat vanished, and cool air rushed in.

Chu Sowon fanned himself and turned back toward the forge.

“Damn. Thought I was gonna die of heat. Feels like I can breathe again.”

The black ash left behind scattered in the wind.

Soon, nothing remained.