Chapter 233

Suddenly, Hong Ye-seol threw something into the bonfire.

Pwoosh!

With a loud bang, thick smoke erupted from the bonfire like an active volcano. The smoke spread in an instant, obscuring all vision.

In that moment, Hong Ye-seol’s figure vanished without a trace.

It was a Stealth Skill, using a smoke bomb to obscure vision and conceal oneself.

It was a rudimentary technique that any Assassin could perform.

The problem was that the one who performed this technique was Hong Ye-seol.

The technique was simple, but the level at which she performed it was different.

Hong Ye-seol had completely concealed not only her form, but also the sound of her breathing, her presence, and even the beat of her heart.

Hong Ye-seol was one of the ten strongest members of the Hundred Wraith Union.

She was one of the most powerful assassins, classified as the so-called Ten Blood Assassins.

Her Stealth Skill was on a completely different level from other assassins. It was as if she had erased her very existence from this world.

Even Pyo Wol’s senses could not detect Hong Ye-seol.

She didn’t even reveal a hint of killing intent.

She had truly reached the highest realm an Assassin could attain.

Pyo Wol thought she was incredible.

In his memory, the only ones who had reached such a level were So Yeowol and Song Cheonwoo.

Any Martial Artist who encountered an Assassin who had reached this level would have no choice but to be flustered.

A Martial Artist who knew nothing of an Assassin’s Stealth Skill would likely just expose a multitude of openings and be taken down. But Pyo Wol was no ordinary Martial Artist.

He was an Assassin, just like Hong Ye-seol.

It was truly remarkable that she had reached her current level, but the Asura Field Pyo Wol had been through was so harsh that she could not even dare to imagine it.

Ssssh!

Pyo Wol’s figure vanished in an instant.

It was foolish to reveal oneself when facing an Assassin.

Because Pyo Wol himself was an Assassin, he knew well how to fluster another Assassin.

Like Hong Ye-seol, Pyo Wol went into Stealth, completely erasing his presence.

At this, it was Hong Ye-seol who became flustered.

She had been staring at Pyo Wol with her eyes wide open.

She hadn’t blinked for a single moment, nor had she taken her eyes off Pyo Wol. Yet, she had failed to capture the moment he disappeared.

It was proof that Pyo Wol had moved beyond her cognitive abilities.

Hong Ye-seol bit her lip gently.

‘Using a Stealth Skill against me? Does he want to fight assassin to assassin?’

She already knew that Pyo Wol was an Assassin who had reached a remarkable level.

Her opponent was the Assassin who had created the legend of the Chengdu Blood Mist.

No other Assassin could have achieved such a great feat as Pyo Wol. It was because it required not only mastering an Assassin’s Killing Method but also Martial Arts, and above all, an incredible mind and strategic prowess.

Even for an Assassin of the Hundred Wraith Union, it was nearly impossible for a single person to achieve such a feat.

This was because the assassins of the Hundred Wraith Union specialized in hiding and launching surprise attacks. There was nothing strange about the assassins of the Hundred Wraith Union being this way. Most assassins were raised like that.

Pyo Wol was the strange one.

His very existence was nonsensical.

The mere fact that an Assassin could devise a strategy against such a large force and drive the situation according to the picture he had drawn was enough for Pyo Wol to be called a legend.

But a fight between one Assassin and another was a different story.

Even Pyo Wol would have no choice but to struggle in a fight against an Assassin who, despite lacking in conspiracy, strategy, and the ability to read the bigger picture, was by no means inferior in pure Killing Method.

Hong Ye-seol did not think her Killing Method was in any way inferior to Pyo Wol’s.

Although her Great Yin Hand was pushed back by Pyo Wol, it was just one of the many Killing Methods she possessed.

The strength of the Assassin Hong Ye-seol came not from the Great Yin Hand, but from her Killing Method.

Chwareureureuk!

Invisible Silver Threads unspooled from Hong Ye-seol’s entire body.

The Silver Threads spread out like a spider’s web, completely surrounding an area of about ten Zhang around her.

Hong Ye-seol held the ends of the Silver Threads and focused her senses.

Not even the slightest movement could escape the Silver Threads. Like a spider’s web, it would transmit all of the opponent’s movements to Hong Ye-seol.

Heavenly Silk Net Thread.

It was Hong Ye-seol’s unique technique, and it was impossible for any Expert to approach her without being caught by the Heavenly Silk Net Thread.

Hong Ye-seol closed her eyes and focused on the Heavenly Silk Net Thread.

The Heavenly Silk Net Thread trembled slightly.

‘The wind!’

It wasn’t a person moving.

It had only trembled slightly in the blowing wind.

Even with her eyes closed, Hong Ye-seol could accurately identify the cause of the threads’ shaking. Such keen senses were Hong Ye-seol’s greatest weapon.

She didn’t know how much time had passed.

She remained perfectly still, as if she had turned to stone.

Assassins who had reached a high level were mostly patient.

They had to hide in one place for days on end to kill a target, enduring without a single sip of water.

Because of this, most assassins believed their patience was the world’s best.

Hong Ye-seol was no different.

She had a knack for patience.

She thought she would have a definite advantage in a battle of patience against Pyo Wol.

Hong Ye-seol waited for Pyo Wol to lose his patience and move.

But no matter how long she waited and endured, Pyo Wol’s movements could not be detected.

‘Could he have left?’

Hong Ye-seol immediately denied her own thought.

The Pyo Wol she understood was not a person who would give up before achieving his goal.

Time flowed on endlessly.

Her whole body stiffened and grew restless. But Hong Ye-seol endured, and endured again, with superhuman patience.

Ssssuuu!

Just then, she felt a minute vibration in the Heavenly Silk Net Thread she held.

‘He’s moving.’

Hong Ye-seol focused her mind even more.

His movements were so stealthy that she wouldn’t have been able to feel them if she hadn’t focused her mind to the extreme. Not even a stray cat could move more quietly than this.

He was approaching the exact spot where she was hiding.

A smile touched the corners of Hong Ye-seol’s lips.

Before hiding, she had scattered poisoned caltrops and various Hidden Weapons in the surroundings.

Not only the caltrops, but the Hidden Weapons were also coated with a potent poison.

To approach her, he would inevitably have to step on the poisoned caltrops.

She didn’t think she could end Pyo Wol’s life with poison. But it would be able to create a momentary waver.

For an Assassin like Hong Ye-seol, that was enough.

She focused her Internal Power in her hands. She was ready to unleash the Great Yin Hand at any moment.

Ssssuuu!

The vibrations were getting stronger and stronger.

Along with it, Hong Ye-seol’s tension reached its peak.

Ting!

The moment she finally heard the sound of a Silver Thread snapping, Hong Ye-seol opened her eyes. And toward the point where the thread had snapped, she unleashed the Great Yin Hand.

Kwaaaa!

It was a Great Yin Hand into which she had poured all her Internal Power. It boasted a power on a different level from any she had unleashed before.

The moment she unleashed the Great Yin Hand, Hong Ye-seol’s eyes widened. She instinctively felt that something was wrong.

There was nothing in the direction she had unleashed the Great Yin Hand.

She had unleashed the Great Yin Hand into empty space.

Kwang!

The Great Yin Hand struck the innocent ground. The impact sent the poisoned caltrops and Hidden Weapons she had laid on the ground flying into the air.

Hong Ye-seol tried to grab one of them and throw it behind her. But her opponent’s movement was faster than hers.

Puk!

Suddenly, she felt a fiery pain behind her left shoulder.

When she looked back, a small Flying Dagger was embedded, leaving only the hilt visible.

Hong Ye-seol bit her lip to swallow the rising scream and turned around. Pyo Wol was standing there.

‘How?’

Hong Ye-seol’s pupils trembled.

The Heavenly Silk Net Thread had clearly vibrated from the front, but Pyo Wol had appeared from behind her. It was completely incomprehensible to her common sense.

In a hurry, Hong Ye-seol swung her sleeve. From the leather band wrapped around her wrist, fine grains of sand sprayed out.

It was poisoned sand, heavily laced with toxins.

The poisoned sand spread like a fog, enveloping Pyo Wol.

It was sand containing a deadly poison that would melt one’s internal organs with just one breath. It was such a difficult thing to make that she didn’t use it unless it was an emergency.

Pyo Wol, seemingly not expecting her to spray poisoned sand, was seen inhaling it.

‘Got him.’

Hong Ye-seol clenched her fist.

Although she had been caught by a surprise attack and had a Flying Dagger embedded in her shoulder, she had given her opponent a lungful of poisoned sand, so it wasn’t a loss.

By now, Pyo Wol’s internal organs would have begun to melt. Still, Hong Ye-seol did not let her guard down.

The habit of never relaxing her tension until she confirmed the opponent’s last breath was ingrained in her body.

She had to be especially careful when hunting a big catch like Pyo Wol.

No amount of caution was enough.

Unfortunately, her prediction was spot on.

Kwak!

Suddenly, she felt a tightening around her ankle, and it pulled her violently.

Pyo Wol had, at some point, laid down the Soul Restraining Thread where she was standing.

“What?”

Hong Ye-seol cried out without realizing it.

Chwareureuk!

She was dragged at a terrifying speed in Pyo Wol’s direction.

Hong Ye-seol tried to resist, but it was useless.

She couldn’t understand the current situation at all.

Pyo Wol had clearly inhaled the poisoned sand. Yet he was moving around perfectly fine, seemingly unaffected.

What was most incomprehensible was the Soul Restraining Thread that had snatched her ankle. She had heard of Sword Qi and Blade Energy, but this was the first time she had seen a thread made of Qi.

And she couldn’t understand how a thread made of Qi could exert such a forceful power.

She took out a Flying Dagger from her sleeve and swung it to cut the Soul Restraining Thread.

Tung!

But the Flying Dagger just bounced off uselessly.

‘What the?’

She realized that to shake off the Soul Restraining Thread, she would have to cut off her own leg.

The act of cutting her leg itself wasn’t difficult, but doing so would also end her life as an Assassin.

While Hong Ye-seol hesitated, her body was dragged to within arm’s reach of Pyo Wol.

Only then did she realize how Pyo Wol had deceived her senses and approached from behind.

‘He touched the Heavenly Silk Net Thread with a thread of Qi. That’s why I didn’t notice.’

For the first time, a glint of fear appeared in Hong Ye-seol’s eyes as she looked at Pyo Wol. She thought she had a grasp of Pyo Wol’s Martial Arts and Killing Method through the reports. But the reports were missing something crucial.

It was the strength of the man named Pyo Wol himself.

He wasn’t just strong in Killing Method and Martial Arts. He knew how to utilize what he had learned to its fullest extent.

She had never imagined that he could drive her into such a corner with just a single thread of Qi.

“W-wait!”

For the first time, Hong Ye-seol opened her mouth.

Her face was filled with urgency. But she couldn’t stop Pyo Wol’s actions with just a single word.

Sreung!

Pyo Wol drew Ghostly Rain.

Hong Ye-seol, being dragged along, was struggling.

Hong Ye-seol should have realized it earlier.

That Pyo Wol had been here first.

And what an Assassin who arrives first can do.

Pyo Wol had already grasped all the terrain and features of the vicinity like the back of his hand.

There was only one place here where Hong Ye-seol could hide. No matter how she hid herself while deploying the Heavenly Silk Net Thread, there was only one place she could conceal her form.

Since he already knew where she was hiding, there was no reason to waste effort searching elsewhere.

Hong Ye-seol eventually gave up on undoing the Soul Restraining Thread and instead rushed at Pyo Wol.

Her Signature Technique, the Great Yin Hand, aimed for Pyo Wol’s chest. But Pyo Wol, with a snake-like movement, dodged her Great Yin Hand and instead plunged Ghostly Rain into her right shoulder.

Puk!

Like a fish speared by a harpoon, Hong Ye-seol’s body flapped.

It was when Pyo Wol drew another Ghostly Rain.

“Wait, I’ll talk.”

Hong Ye-seol said something unexpected.

Pyo Wol frowned and looked at Hong Ye-seol.

It was a different reaction than he had expected.

Assassins were usually the type to defy even death to protect their client’s secrets. But Hong Ye-seol’s reaction was different from what he had thought.

“It hurts too much. Can’t you pull out the daggers?”

“……”

“I’m serious, I’ll talk. So don’t make such a scary face.”

“What are you scheming?”

“Scheming? What scheme? I’m just talking because it’s not much of a secret anyway.”

“Then you should have just told me obediently, shouldn’t you? You wouldn’t have suffered then.”

“Still, I have my pride, how could I do that? A woman who gives in too easily is never charming.”

Hong Ye-seol smiled faintly.