The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 172
“Keuhuhu....”
At the feeble sound of laughter, Ryeong and the Black Society Leader turned their gazes.
The man bound to the pole looked as though he had been through an ordeal—his clothes were torn, and blood stained his body in several places.
Even in his tattered state, he kept laughing, as though something about this situation amused him, and opened his mouth.
“Foolish. Utterly foolish. They ruined a path they could have taken with ease, only to fling themselves off a cliff with their own hands! Have you ever seen such idiotic, pitiful fools...! Keuhuhu....”
“What is that supposed to be?”
Ryeong asked as she grabbed the Black Society Leader by the scruff of the neck.
“Kuuh... That, that bastard is just a ma-madman. Pay him no mind.”
“A madman, is he! Haha! I suppose peace talks would indeed seem mad to those who only find satisfaction in bloodshed! When they needed me, they treated me like a teacher, and now I am just a lunatic to them?”
Seolhwa narrowed her eyes as she stared at the man tied to the pole.
In her previous life, eight-tenths of the underworld forces had fallen under the Blood Demon Cult’s dominion. The cult had recruited extensively from among those underworld members whose skills and martial strength stood out.
So if he had been someone of note, she ought to have known of him.
– Keep talking, Ryeong.
Ryeong struck the Black Society Leader’s pressure points and flung him to the side before stepping up to the pole.
The man’s weary eyes turned to her.
“...You are the one who moved the Black Cloud Gang from the shadows.”
“You expected a figure behind the scenes?”
“Puhuhu... Naturally. The Black Cloud Gang’s leader is clever, yes, but not nearly bold enough to pull off something like this. Even placing himself between Mount Hua and Shaolin was, in truth, a ploy to remain under their protection.”
“You seem to know quite a bit about the Black Cloud Gang Leader.”
“The underworld may look like it operates without order or structure, but it has its own form of discipline. As the Black Society’s strategist, understanding the heads of forces likely to cause friction was a basic requirement.”
Hmph.
[That is the aura of an orthodox sect. This man does not belong in a place like this—why is he here like this?]
– I do not know either.
Just as the Imoogi said, a faint but definite aura of the orthodox path emanated from the man.
His martial skill appeared to be no more than first-class at best.
Yet he had managed to survive as a strategist for the Black Society?
“If I erred, it was in choosing a foolish master! The arrogance of thinking I could manipulate that fool as I pleased is what led me to death—who else can I blame?”
The man burst into laughter as if he had lost his mind.
A muffled sound—mm-mm!—came from behind Ryeong.
The Black Society Leader was glaring at the man, his body twitching with rage. Hearing himself called a “foolish master” to his face clearly stung his pride.
– Ryeong, lower the man.
Ryeong swung her sword and sliced through the pole. In sync with the falling motion, she severed the ropes that bound the man.
With a heavy thud, the man hit the ground. Wracked with pain, he trembled before staggering to his feet.
“Wh-what?”
“What is your name?”
“...Call me Okmyeon Seonsaeng.”
After saying so, he turned his head sharply as if embarrassed.
“T-that is what they called me in the Black Society!”
“Remain silent until all this is over.”
“You will not kill me?”
“Whether you live or die depends on how useful the information you have on the faction leaders turns out to be.”
“...”
With that, Ryeong approached the Black Society Leader once more, released his pressure points, and grabbed the back of his neck.
As if he had been waiting, the Black Society Leader thrashed and shouted.
“Let me go! I’m going to kill that bastard with my own hands! I said let go!! I never liked that sissy-looking bastard from the start!” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
He flailed as she dragged him toward the steps.
– Ryeong.
“?”
– Clean it up.
Ryeong turned her gaze toward the roof of the main hall behind her.
In an instant, a small figure darted over the rooftop.
****
“Keekee, that was quite something, big brother. I never liked that sissy-looking bastard anyway.”
“Once we beat him to a pulp, he could not even whimper. We should have pushed the boss to slice that wagging tongue of his right off.”
“What does it matter? That guy is as good as dead anyway. Oh! Brother, look over there!”
The younger of the Vulture Twin Ghosts, Igwi, pointed toward something.
From the direction he indicated, dark smoke was rising.
“Is that not where our base is located?”
“What the—no way, is it the Black Cloud Gang?”
The two men exchanged serious glances. But almost immediately, identical wicked grins curved their lips.
“Heehee! They actually came, those fools!”
“What did I say? The more concerned they are with appearances, the more they fall for rumors! Idiots! They’re marching straight into our jaws!”
“Let’s go! They’re going to have all the fun without us!”
The Vulture Twin Ghosts quickly moved toward their base.
Their goal all along had been to instigate a bloody clash between the Black Cloud Gang and the Black Society.
That damn Okmyeon-whatever nearly ruined everything, but now they had rid themselves of him, and the Black Cloud Gang had come just as they hoped.
Now, the chance to gleefully slaughter them was finally here!
“Heehee, heeheehee!”
As they ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) neared their base with excited laughter—
Ssshhk—
“Guh!”
Thwack!
Suddenly, Ilgwi grabbed Igwi by the collar and yanked him back.
Igwi, who had been running in high spirits, choked from the sudden stop and shouted in frustration.
“Why the hell are you grabbing me?!”
But Ilgwi did not respond. Instead, he fixed his hardened gaze straight ahead.
“What the hell? Who are you? Throwing a flying dagger out of nowhere—do you have a death wish?”
Only then did Igwi notice the dagger embedded in the tree behind him, and gasped.
Igwi turned to look forward.
At that moment, his brow furrowed.
“What the—? A kid?”
Against the backdrop of the Black Society’s base, a child approached.
Dressed in black, face covered—clearly an assassin. But still, just a child.
“You from the Black Cloud Gang too?”
Standing guard at a place like this could only mean one thing.
“Wow—Black Cloud Gang even uses brats now?”
Ilgwi chuckled, mocking the figure.
The child suddenly raised a hand.
In her hand were now four flying daggers. A black aura seeped from her body like mist.
The chilling energy darkened Ilgwi’s expression.
“Prepare to fight.”
“...Yes.”
Igwi, sensing the unusual atmosphere as well, stepped back, drew his bow, and notched an arrow.
‘A peak-class martial artist, then?’
Seolhwa scanned the two who had instantly slipped into battle readiness.
Even when she heard their nicknames, she had not recognized them—just as she suspected, she had no knowledge of them.
‘Perhaps something happened to the Black Society in my previous life.’
Neither this Okmyeon Seonsaeng nor these Vulture Twin Ghosts had existed back then.
‘In any case...’
Their fate would likely mirror what it had been before.
Ssshring—
As she drew her flying daggers, a quiet smirk played beneath Seolhwa’s mask.
“They say you are quite skilled with flying daggers, right?”
“You... who are you?”
“You are going to die anyway—what does it matter?”
“You are not with the Black Cloud Gang.”
“If you really want to know, try dodging my daggers three times. If you are still alive after that, I might tell you my name.”
“You little—!”
Shwick—!
Ilgwi hurled three daggers at once.
Tap—!
Seolhwa dodged lightly, and the daggers embedded themselves in the ground where she had just stood.
At that moment, an arrow whistled toward her.
Fwip—!
The sharp arrow grazed her forearm, and the faces of the Vulture Twin Ghosts lit up.
‘Got her!’
‘Heh, stupid brat!’
Ilgwi grinned as he gripped his daggers again.
“You’re just a kid, no experience at all. But what a shame! You’re going to die before you even grow up!”
His daggers and his brother’s arrowheads were coated with deadly poison. Soon, the little assassin’s body would seize up and collapse in agony.
‘Not that I’ll let her live that long...!’
Shwik—shwik!
Ilgwi threw more daggers.
Igwi loosed arrows in rapid succession, blocking off her escape.
The child stood frozen, unable to even try to defend herself.
‘Is the poison already kicking in? Must be fast-acting on a kid!’
Ilgwi let out a shrill laugh as he charged toward her.
“I feel fine, actually.”
Looking down at her hand, Seolhwa spoke in a cheerful tone.
Ilgwi came to a sudden halt.
What?
F-fine? What is?
Kakang! Kakakang!
“!”
In the blink of an eye, she deflected the daggers.
The flying blades clattered uselessly to the ground.
All of Igwi’s arrows had been severed mid-flight, rolling harmlessly at her feet.
“Not bad. No—satisfying.”
“...?”
What is? What exactly is satisfying?
“Oh, thanks. I just happened to have something I wanted to test.”
Was the poison still not working?
No—was it too late?
More importantly, when did she block the daggers?
Why are the arrows in pieces?
‘I didn’t...’
...even see her move....
“It’s my turn now, right? Three times, as promised.”
The child stepped forward, raising the hand holding the daggers.
‘No.’
A cold sweat ran down their backs.
This child was a master. No—far beyond.
Someone they could never hope to defeat.
‘We need to run—’
Ssshwip—! Thunk—!
“!”
The moment they thought to flee, something tore through the air.
The sound was so sharp it made Ilgwi’s right ear ring.
He slowly turned his stiff neck to look behind him.
His younger brother, Igwi, was still standing—with a dagger buried in his forehead.
Thud—
Too late, Igwi collapsed.
“What? That was it? He was shooting decently, too. What a shame.”
“....”
Ilgwi stared at the child with terrified eyes.
“Then I will count that one for your friend.”
Beneath the mask, the child’s innocent eyes curved into a smile.
“How does that sound?”
