Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 263
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 263. The Great Demon’s Immortality (3)
“Phew!”
Moyong Su Hyang returned to her residence, breathing heavily.
“I’m… exhausted.”
Jin Gwang hurried over with tea.
“Please drink this. It should help calm your mind and spirit.”
“Thank you.”
The tea was at a comfortable temperature, so Moyong Su Hyang drained the cup in one go.
Jin Gwang asked with concern.
“What kind of training were you doing out there?”
“I’m not even sure if you can call it training.”
Moyong Su Hyang shook her head.
“I threw a strike at this strange assassin, but he never told me where to aim or how. I’m not even sure if I swung properly.”
At that moment, Moyong Bi opened the door and entered.
“You swung properly.”
Both of them jumped to their feet.
Thud.
Moyong Bi, who had the Night Phalanx seated in a chair, rolled his shoulders in circles.
“I was nervous too. But I believed you would do well.”
Moyong Su Hyang was at a loss for words.
“You didn’t even tell me where to strike?”
“It was both training and a way to assess your current level.”
“What do you mean?”
“In extreme tension where even your breathing must be controlled, it’s difficult to sense keenly where an opponent is approaching from. Tension grants a person extreme concentration, but it also causes sensory errors.”
Moyong Bi pointed his chin toward the Night Phalanx’s side.
“The moment my Qi transferred into this man’s body, you instinctively felt where your opponent was approaching from. I was certain you would sense at least that much, which is why I didn’t tell you the target point.”
“…I don’t know what to say, but aren’t you trusting me too much?”
“I trusted your talent and effort. It also means I understand your level that well.”
Though he spoke those words, in truth Moyong Bi had been more nervous.
If Moyong Su Hyang’s strike had gone wrong even slightly, he would have had to suppress the situation himself. In that fleeting moment, he had to sense not only the assassin’s movement path and reaction, but also Moyong Su Hyang’s sword form.
“In any case, it was good experience, wasn’t it?”
Though she wanted to complain even in jest, Moyong Su Hyang silently nodded.
‘Certainly…’
Skill doesn’t improve just from mindlessly practicing combat.
A single strike executed under extreme tension, and the very process of controlling one’s mind and body before delivering that strike—these alone have the effect of a life-and-death combat encounter.
‘He didn’t bring me along for nothing.’
Her heart raced just from recalling that situation.
And she could feel it—that ‘moment’ when her True Energy had moved so sharply it burned her nerves.
‘That was the real world of combat.’
The heat rising in her throat seemed to flush her ears crimson.
The tension sparked fear, but simultaneously, a strange exhilaration coursed through me.
Moyong Bi, catching a glimpse of Moyong Su Hyang, smiled inwardly.
‘Blood truly runs deep.’
She hadn’t killed the assassin, but she had properly ‘cut’ him down.
Yet the exhilaration she felt at having struck someone down far exceeded the shock of the act itself. This revealed not the temperament of a murderer, but that of a true warrior.
‘Elder Brother and Dae Ho were the same way. Both of them kind-hearted fools, yet when they wielded a blade, their boldness was beyond words.’
Perhaps Su Jeong possessed such qualities as well.
‘How little of me she inherited.’
Moyong Bi smacked his lips and began slapping the Night Phalanx’s cheek repeatedly.
“Come now, wake up.”
The Night Phalanx remained unconscious.
Moyong Su Hyang suddenly asked in alarm.
“By the way, what were you doing outside? Why didn’t you come in together?”
“I need to check this one’s wound on the side. The blood smell will seep into the room otherwise.”
“…What?”
“Besides, this fellow seems to have taken quite a shock.”
While maintaining his Stealth Technique, he had taken a direct blade strike, and his Qi had become twisted.
When Moyong Bi pressed an acupoint, the Night Phalanx suddenly jolted awake.
“Are you coming to your senses?”
The Night Phalanx’s eyes wavered.
“See that? This one’s situational awareness is remarkable. The moment he woke, he already understood what had happened to him.”
Indeed, he bore the mark of an assassin under the Death King.
Moyong Bi settled comfortably into a chair and asked.
“Do you know who we are?”
“…The Moyong Clan.”
It was unexpected.
Most assassins in such circumstances guard their words carefully. Yet this one spoke without hesitation.
“That’s right, the Moyong Clan. I’m Moyong Bi, this is my Younger Brother Su Hyang. And this is the Main Family Martial Hall.”
“I’m aware.”
His voice was utterly composed.
Despite the bleeding being stopped and the wound hastily stitched, not the slightest sign of pain crossed his features.
Interest flickered across Moyong Bi’s face.
“Well, this one’s actually conversational?”
“I know something about you.”
“Is that so?”
“Didn’t you become Tambi Ryeong-ju the day after joining the Alliance? Moreover, as a Rising Star who shakes the Jianghu with the nickname Northern Dragon, it would be harder not to know of you.”
“You’re doing well. I’m weak to praise, you see.”
“Whether you’re weak to praise or not, I know that if you engage in needless antics, you’ll end up severely beaten.”
Moyong Bi’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Moyong Su Hyang and Jin Gwang.
“I’ve never seen an assassin like this before. Why does he speak so well?”
Moyong Su Hyang shrugged her shoulders, while Jin Gwang simply fixed the Night Phalanx with an impassive gaze.
The Night Phalanx spoke with a voice that had grown even more composed.
“You seem to know our Formation Technique quite well.”
If the opponent was going to be so forthright, there was no need for me to resort to lies.
“If I hadn’t known it, your Formation Technique would have been difficult to capture.”
“If you know our Formation Technique, then you must also understand our signal system well.”
Moyong Bi’s smile deepened.
“That’s why I find it commendable—you didn’t call your comrades with unnecessary noise.”
“…!”
“Otherwise, we would have all suffered considerably.”
The Night Phalanx’s eyes wavered once more.
‘He knows about ultrasonic signals too. So it really is…!’
I had hesitated for a moment, considering whether to call my comrades, but my judgment proved correct.
Moyong Bi draped one leg over the opposite knee.
“Jeon Chil Sung commands quite capable assassins. Honestly, even calling them ‘capable’ feels like an understatement.”
“….”
“If you’re going to serve someone, why not pledge yourself to the Martial Alliance Leader? Why crawl under Jeon Chil Sung instead? Not even under the Elder Council’s leadership.”
The Night Phalanx shook his head.
“That is a domain I do not know.”
In that instant, Moyong Bi’s eyes flashed.
“No, you do know.”
“…!”
“You know, but you’re pretending not to. You’ve been spilling the truth this whole time, and now you’re mixing in a single lie. Did you think you could get away with it?”
The Night Phalanx swallowed involuntarily.
“You’re truly remarkable.”
Even here, I admitted it readily.
Moyong Bi’s face, which had been studying me intently, grew progressively colder.
“You’re not ordinary assassins. Each one of you is at the level of a top-tier assassin from any major assassination organization. Your skill level is exceptional, but what makes you truly dangerous is the unique martial arts you’ve been taught—wherever you go, you’re more than qualified to be called elite in the assassination world.”
“….”
“Do not throw away your life carelessly. Protect your body well. Each of you is a tremendous asset, so I cannot forgive meaningless deaths, even if a mission fails.”
“…!!”
“Didn’t your master teach you this?”
I was shocked more profoundly than when I had first been captured by these mysterious Moyong Clan members.
“Y-you know about ‘that person’?!”
“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t?”
“That’s impossible. Without knowing that person, one couldn’t possibly speak such words….”
“I know your Formation Technique and how to counter it. Naturally, I would also know the person you’re referring to.”
The Night Phalanx truly could not comprehend it.
“How…?!”
No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like the truth. That made it all the more incomprehensible.
‘That person’ had already retired from active duty, yet could dominate the nights of Jianghu whenever he wished.
Of course, he had only stepped back from active service—he still wielded tremendous influence in the Underworld.
“Are you one of us?”
“Don’t lump me in with trash like you. You already know who I am, don’t you?”
Moyong Bi spoke while resting his chin on his hand.
“I think we’ve exchanged enough pleasantries. Shall we get down to business?”
“….”
“Why did Jeon Chil Sung go under?”
The Night Phalanx sighed before answering.
“I cannot tell you.”
“Even if your body is broken?”
“Yes.”
Steel-like resolve resonated beneath his calm voice.
Had he seemed like the type to waver, Moyong Bi would have spat out something like, ‘You assassins should abandon such petty loyalty.’ But these men were genuine.
They were the real thing.
Because they killed for money, because their profession was despised by others, they guarded what mattered all the more fiercely. That was what an assassin truly was.
Especially those trained by The Old Woman—unless he tore open the Brain Gate Heart Technique and obliterated their minds entirely, they would never speak what he sought.
Moyong Bi nodded.
“Then let me make you a proposal.”
“I’m afraid I’m not in a position to accept anyone’s proposal….”
“You are.”
“….”
“You are.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Your skill stands out distinctly compared to other assassins. At minimum, you’re Squad Leader rank—perhaps even among the top three in your organization.”
The Night Phalanx swallowed hard again.
‘Who exactly is this man?!’
His judgment was terrifying.
In truth, his identity was Ya Baek, second-in-command of the Night Soul organization that Jeon Chil Sung commanded.
“I know you’re not one to lie easily. But if you keep pulling stunts like this, my disappointment will only double. We have our own desires, so we’ll tolerate it to a degree….”
In that instant, devastating Killing Intent erupted from Moyong Bi’s eyes.
Though the Killing Intent was concentrated on a single target, even the faint aura that spilled out drained the color from Moyong Su Hyang and Jin Gwang’s faces.
“Pull another trick like that, and I’ll just kill Jeon Chil Sung and all of you, then go see that old woman’s face myself.”
“…!!”
“Do you understand?”
By now, Ya Baek’s mask and night clothes were drenched in cold sweat.
“…I understand.”
“Either you accept my proposal and lead the assassin organization, or at minimum, relay my words to your superior. Understood?”
“That’s… not difficult. But what if my superior refuses to accept your words?”
Ya Baek’s voice trembled uncontrollably—a trembling even he didn’t consciously recognize.
Moyong Bi laughed coldly.
“If you don’t accept my words, you’ll try to attack us, won’t you?”
“That remains uncertain.”
“Certain or not doesn’t matter. I’ll be confident enough for both of us.”
….
“In other words, you become the faction within the Martial Alliance attempting to strike down the Alliance’s first Tambi Ryeong-ju. And behind me stands Meng Ha Sung, the Martial Alliance Leader and the era’s greatest master of palm techniques.”
…!!
“The Martial Alliance will be overturned, but your world will be shattered as well. I can guarantee that much.”
Only then did Ya Baek understand why Moyong Bi came at him with such force, yet with such composure.
‘He means every word.’
Moyong Bi’s very existence was a threat and pressure.
Whether the Martial Alliance Leader would move if Moyong Bi actually died remained unknown. But if a Tambi Ryeong-ju directly appointed by the Martial Alliance Leader were assassinated and killed within mere days, a storm would certainly sweep through the Underworld.
“This… I don’t understand. I believed the Alliance Leader had joined hands with Elder Jeon Chil Sung….”
“If you know that much, your position must be more impressive than I thought?”
Ya Baek cursed inwardly. His mind had wavered under the killing intent, causing him to reveal information carelessly.
Moyong Bi spoke with an even more delighted expression.
“Tell your superior that I’m watching. Of course, without Jeon Chil Sung’s knowledge.”
….
“If Jeon Chil Sung finds out, then it’s war. That burden falls entirely on you. Do you understand?”
Ya Baek nodded heavily.
“I understand, and I will relay it exactly as you’ve said.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————