The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 190

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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 190

Glen Zigheart arrived at the Annex Courtyard and came to a halt. As he slowly surveyed his surroundings, his gaze—usually sharp and penetrating—had grown dim, like a shadow cast across his features.

‘Hmm….’

I stood behind Glen Zigheart, watching him quietly.

‘What is he thinking?’

I couldn’t understand why he had come at this late hour to bestow a reward he hadn’t given during the day. I could usually discern the psychology of most people, at least roughly, but Glen Zigheart remained unpredictable.

-How peculiar.

Wrath swept his gaze across Glen Zigheart’s back, narrowing his eyes.

‘What is?’
-That old man seems to have grown stronger than before.
‘Grown stronger?’
-Indeed. His power has clearly increased. For a human to advance further from that realm is audacious. A presumptuous old fool, he is.

He scrunched his lips in displeasure.

‘Hah….’

I exhaled softly.

‘How is that possible?’

I hadn’t heard of Glen Zigheart fighting anyone or training recently. He had been idle, yet he had somehow advanced beyond that pinnacle. It was difficult to believe.

-Listen well. At the old man’s level, physical training holds little meaning. What matters is this.

Wrath pointed with his finger to his own left chest.

‘Mental power?’
-Not mental power itself, but the spirit and the heart.
‘The heart?’
-It is to refine your own heart beyond martial arts. Rather than merely following a path laid out by others, you forge your own way.
‘Do you do the same?’
-Of course. Once I reached that realm, I abandoned the paths of others and walked my own. When I was in the Demon Realm….

Wrath spoke of his own accomplishments while explaining how the absolute beings grew stronger.

‘So that was it.’

I nodded in understanding. Derus Robert hadn’t undergone any special training either, yet grew progressively stronger—I’d assumed it was simply exceptional talent, but I was wrong.

He too must have been constantly refining his heart and spirit.

‘This is difficult.’

Refining spirit and heart to forge a new path—it was beyond my current grasp as someone not yet a Master—yet I had a premonition that if I trained this way from now on, I might ascend to greater heights far more quickly.

-It is not impossible.

Wrath nodded.

-However, your current level lacks both efficiency and capability. Compared to the difficulty, you will struggle to see significant results.
‘I don’t care.’

I had walked difficult and burdensome paths countless times since my previous life. I could endure as much as needed.

Just as I resolved to elevate my spiritual growth alongside my martial development, Glen turned around. His eyes, which had grown slightly dim, now gleamed with a coldness sharper than usual.

“How far have you progressed with the Taehwa Technique I taught you before?”

Glen stepped forward, his chin tilting slightly upward. His towering frame and icy gaze pressed down upon my shoulders.

“Only the first step, sir.”

I answered, biting my lip. It was shameful, but beyond the first step, nothing came to mind.

“Pathetic.”

Glen’s brow furrowed, and a chill swept across the Training Courtyard as if the temperature had plummeted.

“The first step of Taewhabo is crucial and certainly exceptional, but if you rest content with merely that, you will never advance.”
“I apologize.”
“Perhaps this is for the best.”
“Sir?”
“There is no need to impart a new martial art. I shall simply transmit Taewhabo to you. Do not blame me for your laziness.”

He waved his hand dismissively, attributing my failure to receive superior martial arts to my own indolence.

“Understood.”

I nodded. I had no idea how exceptional what he had originally intended to give me was, but what I truly desired was a footwork technique. Taewhabo was more than sufficient—a martial art of overwhelming caliber.

Whoooosh!

I operated the Ring of Fire at full intensity. My martial understanding had ascended, and the Ring of Fire had grown in achievement, so I would be able to perceive far more than before.

“Then let us begin.”

Glen drew back his coat slightly and extended his left foot. As before, his first step—one that seemed capable of wearing down any place beneath heaven—seeped into the earth where the night had melted away. He appeared to stand simultaneously in this courtyard and upon the moon in the sky above.

The second step was swift. He spun the Ring of Fire at full power, moving at a speed that even Seorin’s practiced eyes struggled to follow. He vanished so rapidly that Glen seemed to remain motionless in his original position.

The third step was resplendent. His form multiplied into ten identical figures amid a radiance like a cluster of stars, then merged back into one. A mystical wonder dwelt within that step.

The fourth step was heavy and deliberate. A commanding presence emanated from his movement, as though he held the entire Zigheart Territory beneath his feet.

After that, Glen took five more steps. With each movement, the world transformed alongside him.

“Ah….”

My jaw trembled slightly as it fell open. A shiver ran through me. It was as if the essence of the entire universe was entwined around Glen.

‘What I witnessed before was not even the tip of the iceberg.’

Now that my understanding had deepened and the Ring of Fire had matured, I comprehended the truth. The Taewhabo Glen had displayed in the Audience Chamber that day was less than one-tenth of what he now demonstrated. This was a supreme martial art that dwelt in the heavens themselves.

“Did you see?”

Glen Zigheart came to a halt after unfolding the Taewhabo technique twice in succession. Despite the display of martial arts that defied reality, not a single strand of his hair was disturbed.

“I have observed it.”

I nodded. Mastering it was another matter entirely, but I had committed every movement of the Taewhabo that Glen demonstrated to memory.

“A satisfactory response.”

Glen smiled coldly and brushed dust from his coat.

“Then attempt it.”
“Understood.”

I extended my right foot forward and steadied my breathing.

‘There is no need to display everything.’

Replicating an ascending-tier martial art after witnessing it only twice—not a lower or intermediate technique—was unreasonable. Glen would not expect it either. I need only demonstrate what I have grasped, as I have before.

Thoom!

A piercing step that cuts through moonlight advances forward. The moment I inscribe upon my heart the will that I can accomplish anything, my body and the earth resonate in harmony, and a step capable of extending in any direction is perfected.

Then came the second step. I wove the exhilarating breath I had gained from Seofryeon into my footwork. My vision narrowed in an instant, and my body surged forward as though transformed into a blade.

The third was transformation and illusion. He moved his body infused with the enlightenment of Hwaryeon that he had gained in the Cave. He felt his body spreading like an illusion, as if red flower petals were embroidering the empty air.

The fourth was weight. He loaded his aura to the fullest and stepped into true awakening. The momentum spreading across his shoulders became a heavy wave, pressing down the cool energy and beginning to dominate the space.

Zing!

Raon’s heart pounded as he swirled the ring of fire, recreating the Taehwa Technique that Glen had demonstrated. While the power and speed were incomparable, the direction was similar.

“Gasp! Gasp!”

Raon stopped in his tracks, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Even though he had only mimicked it once, his body and mind were exhausted as if he had been training all day long.

“How pathetic.”

Glen looked down at me, who was on my knees gasping for breath, and wrinkled the bridge of his nose.

“It’s not just your posture. I can see your direction is slightly off as well. Since this is the last time, make sure you get it right.”

Glen waved his hand dismissively and demonstrated the Heavenly Harmony Step once more, then recited the incantation.

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head, having committed both the posture and incantation to memory.

“A stepping technique is not perfected merely by matching footprints on the ground. True mastery comes when you understand the right application at the right moment, adapted to each situation.”
“Yes.”

I nodded. He was right—what mattered most in a stepping technique was knowing what to deploy and when.

“Don’t grow impatient because you haven’t easily broken through the Master barrier. If you continue training your body and spirit as you have been, the wall will crumble before you know it.”

Glen finished not only teaching the stepping technique but also offering advice on reaching Master rank, then turned to leave.

“Wait….”

I approached Glen as he was about to depart.

“Why are you being so kind to me?”

Coming to find me in the middle of the night to teach me the Heavenly Harmony Step and offer guidance on reaching Master rank—this was clearly no ordinary gesture.

“Kind?”

Glen turned his head back toward me.

“The Heavenly Harmony Step is an ancient stepping technique so profound that even someone at my low level of attainment can recognize its value. To teach me such a thing and offer advice on reaching Master rank….”
“Hah, you’re free to misunderstand, but you’re remarkably ignorant.”

I could see his lips curl slightly upward in what looked like a scoff.

“Originally, when a new unit commander or vice commander is appointed, I personally teach them appropriate martial arts and offer guidance. You missed that opportunity, and since you didn’t receive books from the library today either, I simply intended to give you that compensation all at once.”
“I see….”
“Besides, if you become a Master, it’s not just good for you. The Zigheart family gains the achievement of producing the youngest Master, which gives us an opportunity to suppress the other Six Emperors and Oma. I did this not because I favor you, but because it’s my responsibility as head of the family. I’m not sure why you’re misunderstanding it as me doing you a favor.”
“I apologize.”

I shook my head. I had wondered if there was something different in his heart when he came to teach me martial arts at this late hour, but it seemed I was mistaken. He was simply being fair and thinking of the family, as I had sensed before.

Glen turned his back again. Just as he seemed about to leave, he turned his head once more.

“One more thing I want to ask.”
“Yes.”
“You said earlier that you swept up all the money from the Gambling House to find the Thief Guild member. Where did you learn gambling?”
“Well….”

I swallowed hard. Glen knew that I, who had lived continuously in the Annex Building, had no opportunity to gamble. In this moment when I cannot speak of my past life, only one name came to mind.

“From the Gwangpung Unit commander. I learned from him.”
“Rimer, then. As I thought.”

Glen nodded. In that instant, the Training Courtyard filled with a chill as if swept by waves from the Northern Sea.

“I created the Heavenly Harmony Step to suit myself. You should learn my Heavenly Harmony Step and complete your own.”

He gazed at me for a moment, then vanished from my sight like scattering snowflakes.

“My own Heavenly Harmony Step….”

I exhaled softly, watching the spot where Glen had disappeared. It was advice that seemed to connect with what Wrath had said earlier.

-Now that it’s all done, go to sleep. This King is exhausted.
‘Wait a moment.’

I shook my head and fixed my eyes on Glen’s footprints left on the ground. With such traces—what could be called a fateful sign—right before my eyes, I couldn’t possibly sleep.

I rotated the Ring of Fire and followed Glen’s footprints on the ground, practicing the Heavenly Harmony Step.

My tension eased, and though my first attempt failed, I adjusted my posture and repeated until I succeeded.

Even the Heavenly Harmony Single Step that I thought I had mastered was worlds apart from Glen’s, so I started from the beginning again and repeated, again and again.

My feet traced the footwork while my mind focused solely on Glen’s movements, and the world faded into pure white—as if only his footprints and I existed in all creation.

Unaware of the messages materializing before my eyes, I continued to follow the footprints and practice the Taewhwa Steps.

[You have entered an extreme state of concentration.]
[Your acquisition of the Taewhwa Steps accelerates.]

*

*

*

In a pristine white space devoid of dust, blood-red pillars stood in rows. At the innermost point, a towering platform rose, but crimson feet descended from above, obscuring everything within.

“Ughhhh!”

From the center of this bizarre space, which resembled a temple, came the anguished moan of the 7th Apostle, thick with murderous intent.

“It hurts… it hurts so much….”

The 7th Apostle screamed, clutching at his chest, arms, and thighs where the Soul Reaper Sword had cut him. Gray blood seeped across his white robes.

“The pain won’t stop! Even with my blood techniques, these wounds refuse to heal!”

He tore at his own flesh and gnashed his teeth. No matter how much he channeled his White Blood aura, the wounds persisted, and the excruciating agony only deepened.

“The Master will arrive soon. Silence yourself.”

The 10th Apostle, leaning against a pillar, narrowed his eyes as he observed him.

“Hmph!”

Overwhelmed by the 10th Apostle’s presence, the 7th Apostle closed his mouth and hunched his shoulders. Yet his body continued to tremble from the pain.

Shaaaa.

A crystalline wind chimed, and behind the empty crimson feet, a shadow with distinctly feminine curves materialized.

“I pay my respects to the Master.”
“I, I pay my respects to the Master.”

The 10th Apostle knelt, and the 7th Apostle bowed her head despite her pain. Only one being in the world was called Master by the Apostles and received their genuflection—the White Blood Cult Master alone.

“Rise.”

A delicate hand waved gently from within the crimson footrest. The 10th Apostle and 7th Apostle lifted their heads simultaneously.

Unlike other transcendents, the White Blood Cult Master did not radiate overwhelming presence. She emanated an aura so faint it seemed almost nonexistent, yet her mystical and elegant atmosphere was incomparably dominant compared to anyone else.

“So. You were defeated by the Zigheart child?”

A sweet voice that seemed to dissolve the soul resonated from within the crimson footrest.

“N-no, I was not defeated!”
“Come here then.”
“Y-yes….”

The 7th Apostle crawled toward the platform, unable to stand properly.

“Hmm.”

The White Blood Cult Master examined the 7th Apostle’s wounds with eyes burning with intensity. With each glance, the 7th Apostle trembled violently.

“A malevolent spirit. One that harbors resentment toward White Blood.”

As she extended her slender fingers over her feet, sallow yellow blood seeped from the 7th Apostle’s wounds and rose into the air.

“The, the pain….”

The 7th Apostle’s eyes widened. The pain that had felt like thousands of ants gnawing at her flesh moments before vanished in an instant. That yellow blood seemed to have contained a vicious malice.

“Th-thank you! Master!”

The White Blood Cult Master gave a slight nod and tilted her chin to the side.

“Who did this to you?”
“I, I was truly careless! If we meet again, I’ll tear that bastard’s throat out with my own teeth….”
“How can a Master lose to an Expert through carelessness?”
“That is….”
“It seems I’ve raised you poorly.”
“Gahhhhk….”

A crimson foot lifted slightly, and black eyes gleamed with an eerie light. With merely that gaze, the 7th Apostle clutched at his throat as if suffocating, and the 10th Apostle bit down on his lips.

“All the sacrifices were lost, rumors spread that a child of Zigheart broke an apostle, and I had such hopes for this. It ends here.”

The White Blood Cult Master’s aura, which had been beneath the ground itself, suddenly ascended to the heavens. The tightly sealed space trembled as if it would crumble.

“I, I will handle it.”

The 7th Apostle spoke through gritted teeth, squeezing out every last ounce of strength.

“I will kill that bastard and erase everyone who spread the rumors. P, please give me just one more chance!”

He slammed his forehead against the ground until blood burst forth.

“I will make the entire world fear the White Blood Sect! Please, give me a chance….”
“The fear of the White Blood Sect is not something a wretch like you can create.”
“Kughhhh!”

At the White Blood Cult Master’s coldly gleaming gaze, veins bulged across the 7th Apostle’s face.

“Still, killing you for a single failure would be excessive.”
“Ugh….”

Realizing she had truly intended to kill him, the 7th Apostle’s face drained of all color.

“Take this with you.”

The White Blood Cult Master snapped her fingers, and a small glass vial flew from within her robes. It contained a transparent liquid like water.

“This, such a precious thing for me….”
“It is your final chance.”

The White Blood Cult Master’s jaw twisted upward, her expression darkening.

“If you fail this time as well, I’ll wring far more blood from your body.”
“T-that will never happen, I assure you!”

The 7th Apostle swallowed hard and bowed his head.

“Go now.”
“Yes!”

He pressed his forehead to the ground and vanished from this space.

“What of him?”

The White Blood Cult Master’s gaze shifted to the 10th Apostle, who lay prostrate to her right.

“A vessel worthy of admiration. Even on the verge of collapse, he declared war upon me.”

The 10th Apostle recognized that the White Blood Cult Master was asking about Raon Zigheart, not the 7th Apostle, and answered immediately.

“Is that all?”
“His weapon is formidable, and if left unchecked, he could become a significant obstacle to the Sect.”
“Hmm….”

The White Blood Cult Master released a soft murmur, her fingers tracing her lips thoughtfully.

“Raon Zigheart, was it?”
“Yes.”
“If the seventh loses next time, bring that child to me.”
“Alive, you mean?”
“Of course. I intend to take him as my disciple.”
“….”
“What? Are you remembering the old days?”
“No.”

The White Blood Cult Master smiled, and the 10th Apostle shook his head.

“Hehe, wouldn’t it be amusing if Zigheart’s greatest talent were to join the White Blood Sect?”

Her delighted laughter permeated the White Space.

“I’m curious what expression that old man will have.”

*

*

*

The Heavenly Sword Master stood atop Bekmang Mountain, observing the Annex Courtyard below.
Even after Glen Zigheart had departed, Raon remained in place, continuing to practice the Heavenly Harmony Technique.

“Why did you follow me all the way here.”

At the voice from behind, the Heavenly Sword Master turned around. Glen Zigheart stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes holding their usual calm intensity.

“If there are no assigned duties, following the House Master is my responsibility.”

The Heavenly Sword Master answered with a slight bow of her head.

“What is your assessment.”

Glen Zigheart stood beside the Heavenly Sword Master and gazed down at Raon practicing the movement technique.

“I believe it was excessive.”

The Heavenly Sword Master closed her eyes.

“Excessive?”
“Not that teaching the Heavenly Harmony Technique was excessive, but rather that the technique itself is too advanced for the current commander of the Gwangpung Unit to master.”

What came to Raon was fortune, but fortune laced with poison. Even if he were a genius, it would only result in wasted time.

“I see.”

Glen Zigheart neither refuted nor agreed, simply nodding his head. He observed Raon for a moment longer, then turned away.

“Just keep watch until that child returns.”
“Master of the House, I…”
“There’s someone whose hands need to be dealt with.”
“Ah…”

There was no need to ask who required such attention. It had to be that madman who’d taught gambling to such a brilliant gem in the rough.

“Understood.”

The moment the Heavenly Sword Master nodded, Glen Zigheart vanished as though melting into shadow.

Though no one watched, the Heavenly Sword Master maintained her posture, keeping vigil over Raon. Since Glen had issued the command personally, she prepared herself to respond to any contingency that might arise.

‘It won’t take long.’

Watching Raon practice the footwork technique, she saw nothing but repeated failures and no progress whatsoever. Without even grasping the fundamentals, there was no way he’d continue such tedious training—he’d soon give up and return.

Yet contrary to her expectations, he never left the Training Courtyard even as hours passed. He collapsed from exhaustion, fell from failed attempts, and continued practicing the footwork until dawn broke.

The sun crested the horizon.

When the rising sun began to illuminate the Training Courtyard, Raon’s feet finally stopped.

‘Is it finally over?’

His perseverance was admirable, at least.

She found herself impressed by Raon’s tenacity—over eight hours of practicing the footwork technique with nothing but failure, not a single moment of rest.

But contrary to her expectations, Raon didn’t head toward the Annex Building. Instead, he lowered his stance once more.

‘Stubborn. Still, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t… wait, what?’

The Heavenly Sword Master’s eyes widened as she watched Raon cutting through the golden dawn light.

‘That… that bastard! What is this!’

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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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