Chapter 262
Chapter 262
Lee Gu-sam was a martial artist who used a spear as his main weapon.
The spear was inconvenient to carry, but in terms of versatility and usefulness, there was no weapon quite like it.
It is often said: Hundred-Day Spear, Thousand-Day Blade, and Ten Thousand-Day Sword.
It meant that a hundred days were enough to learn the spear, and a thousand days were needed to wield a blade as if it were one’s own body.
The sword, being the King of All Weapons, was said to require an investment of ten thousand days to master. That was why people rated martial arts in the order of sword, blade, and spear. But that was not the truth.
While one could achieve a certain level of proficiency in a hundred days, the spear was a weapon that required more than ten thousand days to truly master its arts.
Mastered spear arts surpassed the power of saber techniques or sword arts of the same level.
This was because the power of the weapon itself was superior.
It was much longer than a sword or a blade, and its applications were endless.
After being taught his martial sect’s spear techniques by his master, Lee Gu-sam wandered the Jianghu to perfect them.
One of the things he realized while learning the spear arts was that there was a limit that could not be overcome by training alone.
Real combat was essential to break down the wall that was blocking his growth.
For that reason, Lee Gu-sam sought a battlefield where he could freely wield his spear. But the Jianghu of today was exceedingly peaceful, and there was no battlefield where he could brandish his spear to his heart’s content.
Lee Gu-sam lamented that he was born in the wrong era.
It was then.
The news that Jin Clan and Snow Blade Sword Manor were engaged in a great battle reached his ears.
Without a second thought, Lee Gu-sam headed straight for Runan.
He had agonized over which side to take, Snow Blade Sword Manor’s or Jin Clan’s, but his choice was Jin Clan.
Snow Blade Sword Manor’s cause was not without merit, but he felt that siding with the disadvantaged Jin Clan would be more advantageous for making a name for himself.
For that reason, Lee Gu-sam joined Jin Clan and, as he had wished, was deployed in several battles.
Because he had achieved great merit in battle, people gave him the alias Ghost Soul Spear.
For a martial artist to be given a separate alias meant that people acknowledged him that much.
It was the first time he had been recognized in the ten years he had wandered the Jianghu with a single spear.
His spear arts also developed greatly through the fierce battles.
He came to understand the hurdles that had blocked him until now, and he learned how to further maximize the power of his spear techniques.
“Ghost Soul Spear, is it? How cool.”
Lee Gu-sam was satisfied with the alias he had earned.
He gripped his spear tightly.
It was an ordinary spear.
A steel spearhead was attached to a wooden shaft.
The blood of the martial artists he had killed and injured today was on the spearhead.
Lee Gu-sam took out a dry cloth and carefully wiped the blood from the spearhead.
He focused all his mind on tending to the spear.
To a martial artist, a weapon was like a limb.
It had to be cleaned and maintained whenever there was a spare moment.
His eyes and nerves were entirely focused on the spear in his hands.
Lee Gu-sam’s concentration was broken when he discovered a small doll placed next to the side table.
The crude doll, which looked like it was made of clumsily sewn-together scraps of cloth, was definitely something he had never seen before.
He had been staying in this room for several days already, but this was the first time he had seen such a doll.
‘What is this?’
The moment a look of suspicion crossed his face.
The doll suddenly smiled brightly at him.
It was by no means a delusion.
Just as Lee Gu-sam, greatly startled, was about to leap to his feet, something dropped from the ceiling.
A man as gaunt as a crow, exuding a vicious aura.
It was none other than Black Tiger.
He had distracted Lee Gu-sam with his puppetry and then launched a surprise attack.
By the time Lee Gu-sam noticed the raid, Black Tiger had already reached his immediate vicinity.
Puk!
A deformed sword, like a steel skewer, pierced through his side and stabbed his heart.
“Keuk…heok!”
Lee Gu-sam’s eyes shot wide open in agony.
The spear he was holding fell to the floor, and his body flailed like a fish pierced by a harpoon.
Black Tiger stared intently into the dying Lee Gu-sam’s eyes.
Lee Gu-sam’s eyes were wide, as if he couldn’t believe his own death. But he no longer had the strength to resist.
Parrr!
With a final convulsion, Lee Gu-sam’s breath was cut off.
Only then did Black Tiger pull out the deformed sword embedded in Lee Gu-sam’s body.
Gush!
Blood poured out from the wound where the sword had been.
“Heh heh!”
Black Tiger let out a sinister laugh.
The taste of another’s blood, which he hadn’t had in a long time, awakened his spirit.
As Black Tiger straightened up, he muttered.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Pyo Wol!”
Pyo Wol had turned Snow Blade Sword Manor upside down.
Because of that, the atmosphere at Snow Blade Sword Manor was at its worst.
The relationship with the Golden Mountain Manor had also deteriorated to its worst point.
It was a time when a change of mood was desperately needed. Lee Yul gave Black Tiger and the Red Lotus Four Ghosts a mission.
It was the assassination of the Jin Clan martial artists who had distinguished themselves in the fight against Snow Blade Sword Manor.
It was the moment he had been waiting for.
Black Tiger unleashed the pent-up frustration he had accumulated while tracking Pyo Wol.
He had failed to find Pyo Wol.
Black Tiger thought Pyo Wol had escaped Snow Blade Sword Manor. Otherwise, there was no reason he wouldn’t have been able to find him.
Lee Yul ordered Black Tiger to return to Jin Clan more damage than Pyo Wol had inflicted on Snow Blade Sword Manor.
By now, the Red Lotus Four Ghosts would also be scattered, assassinating the martial artists who had joined Jin Clan.
Shreak!
Black Tiger quietly retrieved the doll.
The doll had a lot of work to do tonight.
That meant many people would die.
＊＊＊
The next day, Jin Clan was in an uproar.
As many as ten martial artists had been found dead in their own quarters.
They were all martial artists who had come from outside, and they had achieved great merit in the fight against Snow Blade Sword Manor.
Their accomplishments so far had been remarkable, but these were talents whose futures were even more anticipated, and they had been struck down by an assassin in a single night.
Because of this, Jin Clan was on high alert.
Jin Si-woo summoned all of Jin Clan’s leadership and the trustworthy external martial artists.
Among them were Namgung Wol, Oh Ju-gang, and Sir Woon-hae of the Shaolin Temple.
Namgung Wol’s gaze was deeply sunken.
Among those who had been assassinated by the assassin during the night was a martial artist with whom he had shared a close friendship.
He was a martial artist he had befriended after coming to Jin Clan, a man with a gentle disposition but overflowing with a sense of chivalry.
Regardless of status, he possessed a magnanimity and a sense of justice worthy of respect as a man. That was why Namgung Wol had thought of forging a deeper friendship after the war with Snow Blade Sword Manor ended. But he was dead, and Namgung Wol felt a deep sense of loss.
Jin Si-woo looked at the assembly and opened his mouth.
“As you know, there was a tragedy last night. Assassins have run rampant. Judging by the wounds, it seems at least three or more assassins were active.”
“……”
Everyone was at a loss for words.
More than three assassins had been running wild within Jin Clan, yet no one had noticed.
“They are clearly assassins hired by Snow Blade Sword Manor. If we don’t catch them, the damage will only grow. If anyone has any ideas on how to catch the assassins, please speak freely.”
“First, we will tighten security thoroughly.”
“We will more than double the patrol teams and guard meticulously.”
The martial artists of Jin Clan were the first to offer their opinions.
Their opinions were very general and could not be considered special countermeasures.
Jin Si-woo’s gaze turned to the external martial artists.
“Are there any other valuable opinions?”
“For now, it seems there’s no choice but to be on high alert until the assassins are caught.”
“We must catch the assassins, even if it means turning Jin Clan upside down. They are surely hiding within Jin Clan.”
“Let’s search the places where the assassins might be hiding.”
The opinions they offered were no different from those of the Jin Clan martial artists.
Jin Si-woo’s expression gradually contorted.
His gaze suddenly turned to Sir Woon-hae, who was sitting quietly to one side.
The reason Sir Woon-hae was participating in the leadership meeting was not to lend strength to Jin Clan. It was to grasp how the situation was unfolding.
However, as the people’s talk dragged on, he grew increasingly restless.
It was because of the assassins committing murder within Snow Blade Sword Manor.
The Shaolin Temple, believing Pyo Wol was responsible for Seong-un’s death, had intimidated him.
To be precise, it was an act led by Seong-am, but Sir Woon-hae had condoned it, and the other monks had gone along with it.
After that day, Pyo Wol vanished from Jin Clan.
Although Sir Woon-hae belatedly punished Seong-am for his rashness, it was already too late for regrets.
It was then.
“Sir Woon-hae!”
Suddenly, Namgung Wol spoke to Sir Woon-hae.
Until now, Namgung Wol had treated Sir Woon-hae with indifference. This was the first time he had spoken to him in an official setting.
“Please speak, Benefactor Namgung.”
“What does the Shaolin Temple think of this situation?”
“Amitabha! Wh… What do you mean?”
“I’m asking what you think about assassins running rampant like this within Jin Clan.”
In that moment, everyone in the room held their breath.
They felt the sharp thorns hidden in Namgung Wol’s words.
Sir Woon-hae wore a troubled expression.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Are you truly asking because you don’t know?”
“Amitabha!”
Sir Woon-hae gently closed his eyes.
Namgung Wol glared at him.
“The Shaolin Temple, without any evidence, held Pyo Wol responsible for Seong-un’s death and attacked him. The reason being that he was the only assassin within Jin Clan at the time.”
“That is…”
“Now the number of suspects has increased. What do you think about that?”
Namgung Wol relentlessly pushed Sir Woon-hae into a corner.
It had been quite some time since he had come to Jin Clan, but he had never shown a side of himself that recklessly slandered or confronted others.
Seeing such a Namgung Wol show his sharp side against Sir Woon-hae felt all the more shocking.
“Benefactor Namgung.”
“He left Jin Clan because of the Shaolin Temple. If he were here, we wouldn’t have been so helplessly defeated by the assassins. No matter what anyone says, the one who knows assassins best is an assassin.”
“That is…”
“Since he left because of the Shaolin Temple, shouldn’t the Shaolin Temple naturally take responsibility?”
“H… How do you mean?”
“Either the Shaolin Temple brings Great Hero Pyo Wol back, or you step up and catch the assassins yourselves.”
“Amitabha! That is not possible.”
“Then what on earth is possible? How long will you cower under the pretext of mediation?”
“Benefactor Namgung?”
“I’m tired of it now. Tired of the Shaolin Temple’s wishy-washy attitude. Wasn’t the Shaolin Temple the great mountain and northern star of the Jianghu? The one guide everyone could rely on. But what is Shaolin’s appearance now? It’s not even testing the waters, what are you doing, going back and forth between the two powers?”
Faced with Namgung Wol’s frosty reprimand, Sir Woon-hae couldn’t collect his thoughts.
He wanted to make an excuse, but Namgung Wol’s words were so painfully true that he couldn’t open his mouth.
When had he, an Elder of the Shaolin Temple, ever been cornered like this? Moreover, his gentle nature made him reluctant to argue carelessly with others.
Because of that, he was extremely weak in this kind of verbal sparring.
Furthermore, he felt a sliver of guilt for what Seong-am had done. That made it even harder to make excuses.
By this point, others might have stepped in to stop it, but no one did. It was because the others felt the same as Namgung Wol.
The Shaolin Temple’s indecisive appearance had disappointed many. At least, the appearance the Shaolin Temple had shown so far was indeed indecisive.
It was then.
“How dare you insult my Martial Uncle.”
A fierce voice was heard from the entrance.
Turning to look, a large-framed monk was glaring at Namgung Wol.
He was none other than Seong-am, the first disciple of the Shaolin Temple.
“How are you here?”
Sir Woon-hae’s eyes widened in surprise.
He had ordered Seong-am to be confined for the time being. But Seong-am had defied the order and appeared here.
Seong-am’s fierce gaze was fixed on Namgung Wol.
Anger blazed strongly in his eyes.
“How dare the likes of the Thousand Water Society insult an Elder of Shaolin.”
“Who insulted him?”
Namgung Wol replied coldly.
“You did.”
“Just because you have a mouth doesn’t mean you can speak recklessly. Mad Buddha!”
“Oh yeah! I’ll show you exactly why I’m called the Mad Buddha today. Come out, you riffraff of the Thousand Water Society.”
“Fine! You hooligan of Shaolin.”
“What? Hooligan?”
“Anyone who sees your behavior now can only call you a hooligan.”
“Insolent!”
“I’ll teach you that there’s a heaven above even Shaolin.”
Namgung Wol started walking outside.
His anger had piled up to the point where he could no longer endure it.
The Mad Buddha also followed Namgung Wol outside.
Sir Woon-hae tried to stop him from behind, but his voice did not reach the ears of the Mad Buddha, who was already consumed by rage.
Watching the scene, Jin Si-woo let out a sigh.
“What a mess.”
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Jina Ga > Jin Clan
Geumsan Clan > Golden mountain manor
Seol Dojang >> snow blade sword manor
Please translate korean names into their respective English ones, so as to be able to followup with the manhwa and to be easier to relate to