The Legend of the Northern Blade-Chapter 196: Too Far Out of Reach (3)

A strange woman slipped into the Tang Clan manor in the middle of the night like a stray cat and visited Jin Mu-Won. Fortunately, he recognized her as Mae Wol-Hyang, the Black Moon's Sichuan Branch Manager, immediately.

"Miss Mae Wol-Hyang?"

"Master Jin."

"How did you get here?"

"I'm sorry to come unannounced, but it's urgent."

"You need my help for something?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Cheong-In is being pursued."

Jin Mu-Won frowned. "What happened?"

"We don't know all the details. All we can say is that he left signs asking for help throughout Heaven's Village."

The Black Moon used special symbols that only its members understood, and Cheong-In left many requests for rescue near the Sichuan Branch.

"Haa..." Jin Mu-Won sighed. He instantly understood that Cheong-In was being pursued because of his request. Getting up from bed, he strapped Snow Flower to his waist. "Where is he now?"

"We've tracked him about five kilometers south of Heaven's Village, but we can't intervene. Please, you have to help him."

"I understand."

Jin Mu-Won leaped from the window and melted into the darkness.

Mae Wol-Hyang watched him disappear into the distance. "Please save Cheong-In, Master Jin."

sep

Cheong-In's black clothes were soaked in his own blood, revealing gaping wounds beneath. Every nerve screamed with excruciating pain, but he considered himself lucky.

At least I can still move.

Things were looking desperate, and he hadn't managed to kill a single pursuer. He was certain he could defeat them one-on-one, but they never acted alone.

Instead, dozens of them moved like gears in a machine, each complementing the others. Whenever he put one on the defensive, the others relentlessly exploited his openings. He had never seen such sophisticated, coordinated attacks. The only reason he was still alive was because they were holding back, only inflicting wounds that wouldn't kill him.

They're hoping to follow me to my base.

As the saying went, follow a salmon and you'll find its birthplace. They were herding him in the hope that he would flee to his base. They wanted to discover his identity, who was giving him orders, and what organization he belonged to.

They're so meticulous that it's creepy.

The problem was that he was their target. He wasn't afraid of his identity as a Black Moon member being revealed, nor did he think it would affect the entire organization. However, the nearby Sichuan Branch wouldn't escape annihilation. Therefore, instead of heading there, he left distress signals in various places.

She's a smart woman, so I'm sure she'll know what to do.

Mae Wol-Hyang was extraordinarily smart, or she wouldn't have become the Sichuan Branch Manager at such a young age. She would surely understand his intentions.

The only question now is whether she'll find someone to save me before I die, heh!

A fiery pain erupted in his back as a long gash tore open, soaking his body in fresh blood.

Cheong-In could no longer hold on and dropped to one knee. His consciousness started to fade from blood loss. He had no energy left to move or resist.

His pursuers stopped attacking.

A man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward. He wore a mask that hid his face, yet he radiated the cold aura of a snake. "Why did you stop running?"

Heheh! Why should I? So you can track me to my base?"

"Hmmm! You figured that much out?"

A cold glint flashed in the leader's eyes. Cheong-In was right. He thought that by wounding the man, he would flee to his base. After all, an injured beast instinctively returned to the place it considered safest.

The leader of the Heavenly Hunters planned to follow Cheong-In, uncover who was behind him, and annihilate them all.

However, Cheong-In hadn't moved as intended. Instead of seeking help, he had cleverly lured them to the outskirts of Heaven's Village.

"Under whose orders did you infiltrate the estate?"

"Kehkeh! Orders? Fuck! I was just passing by. The manor looked so nice that I decided to climb the wall and see if there was anything worth taking."

"Are you going to play dumb?" The leader's killing intent intensified, and the pressure on Cheong-In increased.

Two of the Heavenly Hunters approached and grabbed him by both arms, pulling him up. Covered in wounds and utterly exhausted, he was too weak to resist.

"Still acting tough? Let's see how long you can remain so arrogant." The leader took a large, serrated iron needle from his robes and held it up, revealing its gruesome sharpness. "This is the Soul-Stealing Needle. You'll soon find out why."

He plunged the needle into Cheong-In's side.

"Guuuh!" Cheong-In grunted. The spiraling needle bored into his flesh, tearing it apart. Chunks were ripped away, and he experienced the true meaning of hell. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Who is behind you? Who sent you?"

"Ugh!"

"If you don't talk, the pain will only get worse."

The leader pushed the needle deeper.

Cheong-In's mouth fell open. Saliva drooled down his chin, and his whole body trembled violently. A searing pain dominated him, as if his very soul was being ripped from his body.

The leader whispered in his ear, "You'll die whether you talk or not. You might as well talk and have an easy death."

"Don't be ridiculous! Ugh! With just this, I..."

"I told you, the pain will only get worse."

"GAAAH!" Cheong-In screamed, his voice echoing across the night sky.

"I told you," the leader said, his voice devoid of emotion. "The pain will only get worse."

His emotionless tone made it even more terrifying. A man who killed with a smile was far less frightening than one who killed without feeling. Without emotion, there was no hesitation. The leader was exactly that kind of psychopath, born and trained to be a human butcher.

Cheong-In's pupils dilated. His eyes lost focus, and his head hung limply.

This can't go on. I'm going to spill everything.

He'd always considered himself accustomed to pain and capable of enduring it well. However, the agony from the Soul-Stealing Needle far exceeded his limits. If it continued, he would confess everything about the Black Moon and Jin Mu-Won, and then it would all be over.

He ran his tongue over one of his molars. Hidden there was a poison capsule, a fast-acting poison with no antidote, which would take his life the moment it burst. While working as a spy, he always knew a moment like this might come. He just never thought it would be today.

SWOOSH!

Just as he was about to bite down, though, a chilling wave of energy swept through the area. The more sensitive a martial artist's senses were, the more susceptible they were to powerful energy, and all of the Heavenly Hunters gathered here had keen senses.

"Keuk!" They unknowingly groaned as the wave of energy rattled their spirits.

The leader's eyes wavered. Who is it? How many people in this jianghu can even project such a formidable wave of energy?

Only Cheong-In laughed, "Hehehe! You bastards are all dead now."

"You called for reinforcements?" The leader gestured toward the Heavenly Hunters, who quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving the injured Cheong-In in the middle of the clearing. They intended to use him as bait.

Moments later, Jin Mu-Won appeared and lifted the blood-soaked Cheong-In into his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Do I... look okay?" Cheong-In gasped, his face a bloody mess.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault..."

"Keuk! It's not your fault." Cheong-In forced a smile, revealing bloodstained gums. "Don't let a single one of those bastards get away. You have to kill them all."

If even one escaped, their connection would be exposed. An attack from an unknown enemy would only lead to greater losses.

"I understand." Jin Mu-Won nodded and stood up. Cheong-In was severely injured, but he wouldn't die just yet. As long as he had a pulse, Tang Gi-Mun could save him.

He extended his All-Encompassing Cognizance. Immediately, he detected the presences of the Heavenly Hunters hiding in the forest.

Thirty-two of them in total?

He could feel their breaths, their body heat, and their heartbeats. Suddenly, their even breathing grew shallow, their heartbeats sped up and their body temperatures rose. It was a telltale sign that they were gathering power for an attack.

Jin Mu-Won launched himself toward the darkness, striking preemptively. The Heavenly Hunters flinched, caught completely off guard.

SLASH!

Snow Flower flashed. Blood splattered as someone died, but no scream could be heard.

SWISH!

Rather, the sound of sharp objects cutting through the air reached him from all directions as the Heavenly Hunters attacked with no regard for their fallen comrade.

Terrifying gleaming blades emerged from the darkness, but Jin Mu-Won wasn't deceived. His eyes pierced the night, revealing the hunters' true forms behind their weapons.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as swords and blades clashed. The Heavenly Hunters' coordinated attacks were fearsome. Like a tightly interlocking wheel, they relentlessly exploited his openings with their joint attacks, giving him no room to breathe.

An attack filled with the resolve to kill in one blow. They have no regard for their own safety.

No normal martial artist would attack this way. Good martial arts had to be well-rounded, effective at both offense and defense. Disregarding defense for pure attack was proof that these people were raised as disposable pawns. The problem was that these pawns' martial prowess was far greater than he'd imagined.

If a disposable piece is this strong, what about the people behind them?

The blood in his veins ran cold as he realized the military strength of those behind Jo Un-Kyung far exceeded his expectations. As Cheong-In had said, he had to kill them all. If even one escaped, the pursuit would begin anew.

He gathered his inner qi.

"Everyone, be careful!" the leader of the Heavenly Hunters warned his subordinates. Goosebumps rose on his skin and a chill ran down his spine. His highly trained nerves screamed of danger. The aura emanating from Jin Mu-Won was that overwhelming.

A pure white light poured from Snow Flower's dark blade.

RUMBLE!

A storm of enhanced qi rained down upon them like a meteor shower. This was the Fourth Form of the Shadow Blade of Destruction—Storm Forest.

The immense power shattered the assassins' swords to dust. The storm of energy blasted through their shoulders and torsos, leaving gaping holes. Heads exploded, splattering brains across the forest floor. Severed arms and legs tumbled to the ground.

"T-This is crazy!" the leader gasped in disbelief. He had led the Heavenly Hunters across countless life-or-death situations, but he had never seen a sword technique with such power. A large hole was blown through his shoulder where the rain of sword qi had hit him directly, and his left arm was torn off.

It was only then that he recognized his opponent.

It's him! The Northern Blade! I must tell my Liege about him...

His thoughts were cut short. Something flashed before his eyes, and his head was sent flying.

The headless torso staggered for a moment before collapsing.