So? Did Someone Force You to Become the Heavenly Demon?

Chapter 41: Assassination (3)

During the first attack, I was too disoriented to get a good look. But as I fended off the second attack, I recognized the subtle differences from Third Brother’s Demonic Art.

I could tell because I had engaged in dozens of sparring matches with Third Brother, and he’d even shown me the Shadowless Fourteen Moves a few times for demonstration.

So, this isn’t Third Brother going berserk. This was a real assassin who had come to kill me.

‘Why me?’

Such a question did cross my mind, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

Survival was the priority now.

Slash!

I retreated as the assailant lunged, but I was a step too slow again, receiving a shallow cut across my chest. And now I had nowhere left to retreat.

‘Damn it.’

The second my back hit the wall, the assassin was on me, swinging for the kill. I abandoned my broken sword and flung it at him with my right hand.

As he sidestepped the projectile, I swung my left hand, channeling my internal energy into it and—

Swish!

The remaining half of the blade that I hadn’t drawn, still in its scabbard, flew toward the assassin like a hidden weapon.

Clang!

Caught off guard, the assassin deflected it with his sword.

Whoosh!

Seizing that moment, I used my lightness technique to its fullest and launched myself sideways by using the wall.

Slash!

Right after I jumped away, the wall behind me exploded into debris. Capitalizing on that brief moment, I retaliated by thrusting my right hand toward the assassin’s back in a stabbing motion.

Scabbard in hand, I unleashed the Soul-Cutting Flash.

The lack of a proper grip made it awkward, but survival instinct fueled a perfect strike.

Surprised by the unorthodox attack—or perhaps by the degree of my skill—the assassin abandoned his technique for a desperate Lazy Donkey Roll.

As expected from an assassin, he didn’t hesitate to abandon his pride and prioritized his survival.

But making him roll on the floor wouldn’t be enough for me.

Shrieeeek!

I swung the scabbard again and again at the guy rolling on the ground. However, as soon as he finished rolling and got back on his feet, he swung his sword right back at my scabbard.

Slash! Slash!

With each clash of his sword and my scabbard, bits of the scabbard were sliced away.

It was a dire sight as by the time the assassin had fully regained his stance, the scabbard had been reduced to half its length.

Anticipating his next movement, I threw the remaining fragment of scabbard at him.

Slash!

And even that last-ditch effort was cut down effortlessly.

“Phew.”

But I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Young Master!!”

“Did Third Young Master sneak in again!?”

Jin Hayeon and the two guards stationed nearby had reached my quarters. Though the fight felt like an eternity due to my life being at stake, it all actually happened within the span of just a few seconds.

“It’s not Third Brother!”

“!!!”

Kwan Mu-yeol immediately crashed into the room.

Crash!

The assassin immediately bolted to the window, abandoning his mission.

Crunch!

“I’ll chase him!”

Simultaneously, I heard a sickening thud, like something being pierced, followed by Jang Hwi’s shout. Looks like Jang Hwi had anticipated the escape and was already at the window.

Right after the assassin escaped.

“Whew.”

I gulped air, trying to calm my racing heart. It was just a few seconds of dodging and swinging a scabbard—nothing compared to my usual training regimen—yet my heart pounded and sweat drenched my body.

“Are you alright, Young Master?”

Jin Hayeon immediately tore pieces of her clothes and started tending my wounds. She applied ointment to the wounded areas and then wrapped them with pieces of her clothes.

Only then did I snap back to reality, and my face instantly crumpled.

It wasn’t because the pain finally registered in my brain.

‘Damn it.’

The room had become a complete mess. Not only I’m now sleep deprived, my schedule for tomorrow was bound to be messed up.

It’s funny that just a moment ago I nearly died, yet these trivial matters kept buzzing around my brain.

But the real reason why my face crumpled wasn’t because of the messed up schedule or the ruined room.

“Jin Hayeon.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Get me a sword.”

“A sword?” She asked, confusion painted her usually stoic face.

Her uncharacteristic confusion drew a deeper sigh from me.

“I need to train.”

The flawless sword movements from that life-or-death fight with the assassin kept replaying in my head.

I felt like I would go mad if I didn’t make them mine right now.

‘So much for being so cautious.’

The damned bastard had inadvertently pushed my Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword to new depths.

***

By the time dawn tinged the sky with a golden hue, the entire cult was in an uproar.

Jang Hwi reported that he had successfully pursued the wounded assassin, but unfortunately, the assassin committed suicide.

Of course, suicide doesn’t erase all traces. A full-scale investigation was launched, starting with the assassin’s body.

Around noon—much earlier than usual—Master arrived at Windrock Palace.

“How are you feeling?”

“The injuries weren’t that serious, Master.”

Master nodded at my answer but maintained a grave expression.

“I came to check on you and to share what we’ve learned so far.”

He began explaining the findings.

“The assassin was a Dark Shadow Pavilion operative named Chugak. Based on our investigation of his activities and background, there’s a high probability that he was a spy planted by the Murim Alliance.”

“The Murim Alliance?”

“That’s right. We’re currently investigating anyone who had even the slightest connection to him, trying to uncover if there are any other spies.”

Alliance’s spies within the Demonic Cult were nothing new. The reverse is also true that the Demonic Cult also planted spies within the Alliance, that’s how we identify those who are responsible for Uncle Tae-hyun’s death.

But there is one thing that baffled me.

“Why would the Murim Alliance target me of all people?”

I might be the disciple of the Heavenly Demon, but I was just a novice who had joined the cult barely half a year ago. If they were targeting people just because they were Master’s disciples, it would make more sense to go after my senior brothers, not me.

“There are two main reasons I can think of.”

“Not just one, but two?”

“Indeed. First, it’s about the school program. The schools you proposed are already operating throughout Xinjiang, and it’s widely known within the cult that you were the one who conceived the idea. You’re shaping the Cult’s future. To those fearing our growth, eliminating a weak visionary now would be a wise move.”

Nipping the bud before it could bloom.

I had not considered the school program as something special, but perhaps others saw it as a revolutionary change.

While I pondered this, Master explained the second reason.

“The other reason is that your existence is an obstacle to the Murim Alliance’s propaganda.”

“Because of what you mentioned before?”

Master nodded.

He meant the inn incident—the Murim Alliance had killed Uncle Taehyun and framed Master, even spreading tales of my death. Yet here I am, not only alive but also a disciple of the Heavenly Demon.

Of course, they could spin the narrative to cover their mistake, but my survival was undeniably inconvenient for them.

‘So since I’m already a nuisance, they thought they might as well kill me.’

What a fucked up situation.

I thought I was the one who marked them as prey, but it turned out the Murim Alliance was doing the same to me.

***

Shortly after Master left, Windrock Palace’s doors burst open.

“Big Brother!!”

Seon-ah, her face pale with fear, rushed in and fell flat on the floor. But as if that didn’t matter, she quickly scrambled up, ignoring her scraped knees and elbows, and clung to me.

I was the one who had almost died, yet she was the one who looked like a drowning cat.

It was a strange feeling to have someone who cherished me this much. Although it was partly due to the influence of her Demonic Art, but still.

“W-who did this to you? How dare they target Big Brother! I-I’ll kill them all!”

“…”

Her way of showing concern was a bit concerning.

Come to think of it, her eyes and hair seemed redder than before.

Feeling a little worried about the kid’s condition, I stroked Seon-ah’s hair and said.

“It’s okay. He’s already dead. You don’t need to kill anyone. You did well rushing to help as soon as you could.”

I meant it as praise, but Seon-ah’s eyes grew even redder.

“Everyone was hiding from me that Oppa was in danger. When I get back, I’m not gonna let them off the hook.”

“…”

Was the Hyeokryeon Clan about to get blown to bits?

Well, none of my business, so I just decided to keep my mouth shut.

Meanwhile, more visitors arrived.

“Youngest! Are you alright?”

Like Seon-ah, Eldest Brother barged in with a distressed face. But him lacking the cuteness factor that Seon-ah had made him look like a raging boar rather than a concerned brother.

“I’ll submit a formal complaint to Master and the Sacred Order! How dare a mere Alliance spy try to kill my precious brother?! This is outrageous!”

“That’s right!!”

As Seon-ah chimed in agreement with Eldest Brother, the two were suddenly on the same page.

“Our youngest is a talent who will lead the cult to greatness alongside this Wi Jin-hak! For such a talent to nearly die so easily! This won’t do. I will make sure to increase your guards!”

“I’ll protect Big Brother too!”

In contrast, Third Brother, who had come with Eldest Brother, had a completely dejected look.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help. This useless brother was too busy controlling his Qi deviation to realize you were in danger.”

“Don’t say that Third Brother. If it weren’t for you, I would have been as good as dead.”

Third Brother’s frequent night raids had served as practice drills. If I hadn’t been preparing for them, I probably would’ve gone straight to the afterlife without even waking up from dreamland.

Honestly, I was annoyed every time he showed up in the middle of the night and scared the crap out of me, but it had actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

But seeing his continued gloom, I asked, “You experienced Qi deviation?”

Third Brother nodded slightly at my question.

It felt weirdly coincidental.

‘I wondered if seeing the assassin triggered his episode… but he was already unstable.’

If he’d attacked alongside the assassin, things would have gotten truly messy.

“Hmm?”

As my thoughts reached that point, a question spontaneously left my lips.

The people around me looked at me with puzzled expressions, but I was too focused on the thought that had suddenly occurred to me to pay attention to them.

It was something I’d normally dismiss, but for some reason, I couldn’t let it go. After considering various possibilities, I reached one conclusion.

‘Maybe, just maybe, that assassin wasn’t sent by the Murim Alliance.’