Return of the God of War - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 15: The Commission Ends Here
After the Ascension Ceremony concluded.
Muk Yeojin moved his quarters to Namgoong Ryungryung’s residence.
Though this place too held many memories, the circumstances being what they were, he found it difficult to relax and properly take in his surroundings.
It was because Ju Gok, the White Wolf Commander, had come to the residence to relay the details of the mission.
After clearing the room of others, Ju Gok struck a meditation posture.
Muk Yeojin inwardly marveled at the natural, effortless flow of his Qi.
‘Several steps ahead of even Gamtae Hyup, I’d wager.’
Meanwhile, the one truly astonished in this moment was actually Ju Gok.
For Muk Yeojin had honed his martial prowess with the ease of a weathered veteran of the jianghu.
Only when Ju Gok drew this close could he sense the Qi that dwelt within Muk Yeojin’s depths.
And his amazement did not stop there.
‘So he has indeed mastered the Namgoong Heart Technique.’
The brilliantly pure azure current of Qi coiled deep within Muk Yeojin’s body.
Unmistakably, it was Changgung Qi.
Ju Gok nearly let out a hollow laugh.
Here in Sado Heaven—the very heart of the Black Dao—he dared to openly master the cultivation arts of a righteous noble house.
The Namgoong clan, no less.
It was as though he were boldly declaring: ‘You lot have no bearing whatsoever on the path I walk.’
‘Heh.’
That was nothing short of hegemonic spirit.
Ju Gok found himself growing increasingly drawn to this fearless young master.
And then—
‘He has already entered the Chunggi Realm.’
For Ju Gok, who remembered Muk Yeojin as an utter novice just three years prior, this was truly an achievement beyond belief.
‘The Heavenly Lord’s special commendation is well deserved indeed.’
This was a figure whose future promised to be even more remarkable than his present.
Ju Gok carefully suppressed his satisfied feelings and spoke in measured tones.
“Your mission, Master Muk Yeojin, is to provide protection for a dignitary.”
Dignitary protection.
Depending on whom one must protect and from what threats, such a mission could vary enormously in danger.
Ju Gok continued with his explanation.
“The merchant lord of the Cheonwoo Trading Company, located in Makhao, Guangdong Province, received an Assassination Notice ten days ago and submitted a protection commission to Sado Heaven. The notice is this.”
Ju Gok handed over a letter stained with bloodstains.
Muk Yeojin accepted it and read through the text with composure.
Various threats were inscribed, but nothing particularly remarkable stood out.
In essence, it simply said: wait, for I shall kill you.
Yet the moment Muk Yeojin saw the name of the one who sent the notice at the bottom of the letter, he could not help but let out a soft click of his tongue.
‘Quite the reputation to live up to.’
Four characters written at the very bottom of the letter.
Manmyun Gwija.
It was the name of the assassin who had sent the Assassination Notice to the merchant lord of the Cheonwoo Trading Company.
Ju Gok, occupied with observing the letter as Muk Yeojin lowered his gaze, allowed himself a subtle smile.
‘Can he truly live up to the Heavenly Lord’s expectations this time as well, young Master Muk Yeojin?’
What Ju Gok did not know, however, was this.
In this very moment.
Muk Yeojin was smiling as well—undetected by the other man.
* * *
The next day, at dawn.
Leaving behind his mother Namgoong Ryungryung’s worries, he departed Sado Heaven to carry out the mission.
How could a mother not worry, when her son was venturing into the outside world for the very first time in his life?
Yet all she could do was trust him and offer her prayers.
For receiving aid from others during the Ascension Ceremony was an absolute taboo that could never be transgressed.
But still.
Whoosh.
Contrary to his mother’s anxieties.
There was not a trace of hesitation in Muk Yeojin’s stride as he left Sado Heaven’s main compound.
With an eye toward cultivation along the way, Muk Yeojin deployed Light Qigong utilizing the Sanwang Dance.
Since every movement of the Sanwang Dance was based on the forms of beasts, its efficiency reached its peak when applied across fields and mountains rather than open plains.
As he deployed his Light Qigong and advanced at speed toward Makhao in Guangdong Province, Muk Yeojin’s thoughts turned to Manmyun Gwija.
Manmyun Gwija.
He was a first-class wanted criminal officially designated by the Jeongdo Murim Alliance.
Yet his methods were so meticulous and his movements so elusive that the Alliance had effectively given up pursuing him.
The reason lay in his extraordinary mastery of disguise.
Through the Yonggyong Art and Sound Art perfected to supreme heights, he could alter not only his skeletal structure but even his voice, making his disguises indifferent to age or gender.
Moreover, he would observe his intended target for days—sometimes months—mimicking their every small habit and mannerism down to the finest detail.
So it was hardly surprising that despite more than a decade having passed since Manmyun Gwija was designated a criminal by the Alliance, they had never caught him in a single slip.
But.
Perhaps in all the Central Plains today, there was only one person.
Who knew exactly who Manmyun Gwija was currently disguised as while preparing his assassination.
That person was Muk Yeojin.
‘Never thought his drunken rambling would prove useful like this.’
The moment he saw the name Makhao and Manmyun Gwija, the memory crystallized in his mind.
Before the return.
The person he had once been connected to was also from Makhao, and whenever he drank, he would ramble at length about this very incident.
Each time he spoke of it, his face would contort so grotesquely that Muk Yeojin could gauge just how brutal this assassination by Manmyun Gwija was meant to be.
To avoid missing his chance, Muk Yeojin pressed forward without pause, unleashing Light Qigong to accelerate his pace.
How much time had passed thus?
Running and running still, he at last arrived at Makhao in Guangdong Province.
Since Yi Hwamyung, master of the Cheonwoo Trading Company, was among Makhao’s leading merchants, his estate was proportionally grand in scale.
Muk Yeojin had little trouble locating the Cheonwoo Trading Company’s manor and made straight for it.
Five martial artists stood watch at the entrance, their bearing so sharp it was almost menacing.
‘From the aura I sense, if I count both the inner and outer courtyards, there must be roughly a hundred guards posted on watch.’
As Muk Yeojin approached, one of the martial artists immediately shouted with a fierce gaze.
“Halt! For the time being, no one is permitted entry to the Cheonwoo Trading Company’s manor!”
“I come from Sado Heaven. I arrived in Makhao just now to undertake a commission from Master Yi Hwamyung.”
At the mention of Sado Heaven, the martial artist flinched and scanned Muk Yeojin from head to toe.
He had indeed received word that someone would be arriving from Sado Heaven.
But the person before him appeared not merely young, but almost childlike.
Thanks to cultivating the Sanwang Dance to a certain depth, Muk Yeojin’s frame had grown to match that of an ordinary adult.
Yet his face still bore the unmistakable softness of youth, making him appear to be barely in his twenties to the martial artist’s eye.
Nevertheless, the weight of Sado Heaven’s name was not light, so the martial artist asked with a tense expression.
“Do you have proof that you truly come from Sado Heaven?”
Muk Yeojin considered this.
‘Proof…….’
Naturally, he had none.
Sado Heaven was hardly some noble sect or formal organization.
It was a place where only strength and reputation mattered.
That was Sado Heaven.
Muk Yeojin glanced at the martial artists before him.
He could find some way to prove himself, but…….
‘While I’m stalling here, Manmyun Gwija could kill Yi Hwamyung, and everything falls apart. I can’t afford to delay.’
The corner of Muk Yeojin’s mouth rose in a smile.
Having come as a martial artist of Sado Heaven, he would now provide that proof in Sado Heaven’s way.
* * *
The inner quarters of the Cheonwoo Trading Company’s manor.
In the innermost chamber, Yi Hwamyung, master of the Cheonwoo Trading Company, sat with an obviously haggard face.
Since receiving an Assassination Notice from Manmyun Gwija a fortnight ago, he had not set foot outside this room.
All entry to the manor was forbidden except for those whose identities were verified, and martial artists were stationed to maintain guard duty without rest, rotating every two hours of the twelve-hour day.
Yet despite all this, Yi Hwamyung had not slept soundly once, and dark shadows pooled beneath his eyes.
Knock, knock!
Start!
At even the smallest sound of knocking, Yi Hwamyung reacted as if jolted, crying out.
“W-who… who is it?”
“It’s me, Father.”
The clear, ringing voice from outside belonged to his daughter, Yi Soi.
“Ah… come in.”
The door slid open.
Yi Soi entered carrying a tray.
“Father, I’ve brought you some rice gruel.”
“Yes, thank you. Soi.”
“Father, the martial artists are blocking every entrance so thoroughly that even a single ant couldn’t slip through, and I’ve already requested reinforcements from the magistrate’s office. Besides, people from Sado Heaven will be arriving soon, so please don’t worry too much.”
Yi Hwamyung smiled at the sight of his devoted daughter.
“I’m grateful. You’re all I have.”
That’s when it happened.
Bang! Bang!
A thunderous crash echoed through the trading company’s compound.
“What—what is that sound! What in heaven’s name—!”
Bang! Bang!
The terrible boom rang out again, and this time its source was unmistakably closer.
Crack!
With each successive explosion drawing nearer, Yi Hwamyung’s face drained of all color.
“What is this?”
In that moment, a martial artist who had been standing guard rushed in.
“Master, we’re under attack! You must flee at once!”
“What?!”
Yi Hwamyung trembled, seized by terror. Yi Soi felt the same chill run through her.
The two of them hastily gathered what they could and were attempting to escape with the martial artist when—
Crash!!!
Before they could even cross the threshold, an entire wall of the inner chamber where Yi Hwamyung had been staying collapsed inward, and an intruder dressed in bloodred martial robes stepped through.
The moment Yi Hwamyung caught sight of the figure, his face twisted in shock.
“You!”
The martial artist who spotted the intruder drew his blade and charged forward—
Thud!
—only to be sent flying backward, crashing violently to the ground.
Thump-thump.
As the intruder drew closer, Yi Hwamyung cried out desperately.
“Are—are you Manmyun Gwija? I beg you, I implore you—spare our daughter. Just our daughter. Please, I beg you.”
The intruder gazed down at the prostrate father and daughter with cold, merciless eyes.
For a moment, as the trembling pair lay there helpless before him, the intruder said nothing—merely stared.
A blade whistled through the air.
“Ugh—!”
A sword drawn like lightning from the intruder’s scabbard pierced Yi Soi’s heart in a single, perfect strike.
Yi Soi stared down at the blade embedded in her chest, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“How—what—how is this—?”
Yi Hwamyung’s eyes flew open.
“No—no! Soi! No! You monster! How dare you touch my daughter!”
The intruder looked down at the wailing father with indifferent eyes and spoke.
“I came from Sado Heaven. I have just slain Manmyun Gwija, and the commission is now complete.”
“You monster! What kind of nonsense is that—!”
Yi Hwamyung never finished his words.
The daughter he held in his arms began to change, her form twisting grotesquely.
Crack-crack-crack!
As her last breath left her body, the skeleton beneath the Yonggyong Art’s transformation shifted back into its original shape.
Yi Hwamyung, with trembling hands, pulled the face mask away from what he thought was his daughter, only to reveal beneath the Human Skin Mask the pale, goateed face of a middle-aged man—Manmyun Gwija.
Muk Yeojin, the intruder, smiled coldly.
“Now then, shall we discuss business, Master?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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