The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 443

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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 443

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

As my aura and Airand’s collided with fierce intensity, the damp earth beneath us crumbled, and the lake began to churn as if boiling, bubbles rising to the surface.

A deep, resonant hum.

The Gwangpung Corps and White Lotus Society swordsmen stood behind their respective commanders, hands resting on their sword hilts, ready to draw at any moment.
Their auras were equally frigid, as if facing an enemy.

In this hair-trigger situation where a single drawn blade could ignite civil war within Zigheart, Airand placed his thick fingers on his sword’s crossguard.

“Why do you refuse?”

Airand furrowed his brows in incomprehension and continued.

“The situation is urgent. Spreading out and investigating more areas is the fastest way to find the Cheoljeon Unit. Surely you understand that?”

His displeasure manifested as a savage aura that engulfed my entire body.

“Of course it would be faster. But that plan is built on the sacrifice of our swordsmen, is it not?”

I did not falter beneath Airand’s mounting pressure. I lifted my gaze coldly and shook my head.

“The entire Cheoljeon Unit vanished without the slightest resistance, and you want to scatter them one by one? That’s not like handing apples to a thief one at a time—it’s throwing our swordsmen to their deaths.”
“We can rescue them before anything happens.”

Airand’s cold eyes narrowed. He shook his head, insisting that if he, I, and the unit leaders remained in position, we could save our subordinates before any problem arose.

“If you, I, and each of the unit leaders are in place, we can protect our men before anything goes wrong. And if they are kidnapped, all the better—we can use that situation to pinpoint the Cheoljeon Unit’s location.”
“You’re overestimating your own abilities and those of your subordinates.”
“What?”
“Even with a hundred commanders, it would be impossible to sense this entire region. Unless they were vice-commanders, the unit leaders won’t easily detect a kidnapping nearby. It’s the worst possible strategy—one that only multiplies needless casualties. And…”

I exhaled softly, observing the White Lotus Society members behind Airand, their lips pressed tight.

“The enemy is no fool.”
“….”
“The Black Tower knows we’re searching for the Cheoljeon Unit. They wouldn’t risk another kidnapping. They’d kill them on the spot and vanish. The Lord seems to want some trace of them, but even if we obtain it, it will be meaningless.”

The Black Tower’s minions had already abducted the entire Cheoljeon Unit through some special method. They had either already achieved their objective or were in the process of doing so. There was no reason to take risks again knowing pursuers were on their trail.

“Kill instead of kidnap. That’s precisely what I desire.”

Airand offered no rebuttal, stepping forward with his right foot in a measured, deliberate motion.

“The White Lotus Society and the Cheoljeon Unit are different. My subordinates are not weak enough to fall to the Black Tower’s hands. Those incompetent fools are already dead.”

With those words, he extended his left foot forward as well.
Airand’s iron-tower-like physique appeared to expand further. Simultaneously, his momentum curled in a spiral, creating a barrier that trapped sound within its confines.

Uuuuung.

A natural flow of mana. No one present would know a barrier had just been established. It was the prowess of a monster who had long since transcended the Lord’s level.

‘Deploying a barrier means….’

He was about to speak words that others must not hear.

“And even if they die, it doesn’t matter.”

As expected. Airand now spoke words he had been unable to voice until moments before.

“Those capable of growing stronger are already determined. Most warriors exist merely to serve as stepping stones beneath them. Dying a little sooner changes nothing.”
“Still, they are your subordinates, are they not?”

As I asked this question, I generated an extremely faint flow of mana behind me.

“Subordinates?”

Airand’s scorn deepened. Just as he began to speak, I twisted the mana, piercing a microscopic hole through the solid barrier.

“A faithful subordinate should bring back clues about the mission, even at the cost of their life. Most are merely bait anyway. If only those I’ve personally cultivated remain, it matters not if a few die. As long as they endure until I become the… hm?”

He glared with contempt, then suddenly froze, sensing something amiss.

“You wouldn’t possibly….”

Despite my utmost caution in wielding mana, he detected it with remarkable speed—truly befitting a Grand Master’s prowess.

‘But then again….’

I had already heard everything.

I turned my gaze toward the White Lotus Society with a faint smile. The words Airand had spoken moments ago had pierced through the barrier and reached their ears as well. They would find it absolutely impossible to maintain their composure.

“Ugh….”
“G-Grand Master?”
“What you just said….”

The White Lotus Society swordsmen bit their lips while staring at Airand’s back, their eyes bloodshot with fury.

“….”

Interestingly, quite a few swordsmen showed no panic whatsoever. They resembled the warriors Airand had personally cultivated. Their skill and the gleam in their eyes were unmistakably exceptional.

-Yaaaaaah!

Wrath, who had been draped limply across my shoulder like wet laundry, suddenly bolted upright.

-How dare he speak of your subordinates that way! Crush him at once!

Wrath roared for me to draw my blade and obliterate anyone who failed to cherish their subordinates.

-No! Surrender your body to the True Demon King! I’ll make sure to freeze you solid for over ten thousand years!

His face had flushed crimson with rage, even though this wasn’t his own affair. His devotion to his subordinates was genuine.

“How contemptible.”

Airand didn’t even turn around. As if he hadn’t just been caught eavesdropping, he straightened his posture with unshakeable confidence and sent a cold gaze my way. I hadn’t expected him to remain so unruffled.

“Perhaps it’s simply a matter of the Grand Master’s skill being insufficient.”

I maintained an impassive expression while curling my lips into a thin smile.

“You likely intended to create a rift within the White Lotus Society, but it’s a meaningless endeavor.”

He turned to face the White Lotus Society and flicked his fingers dismissively.

“If any of you have grievances with what I’ve said, step forward. I’ll have you removed from the unit right now.”

Airand advanced without a shred of embarrassment—in fact, with even greater audacity. He seemed to be a man whose capacity for shame had been severed along with some fragment of his emotions.

“….”

The White Lotus Society swordsmen could not respond, their lips pressed firmly shut.

“Did you not hear my question?”
“There are none, sir!”

When Airand asked a second time, the unit commander, squad leaders, sub-leaders, and the skilled warriors he had personally cultivated all shouted their denial with hands clasped behind their backs.

“Is this coercion now? I cannot tell which is more repugnant.”

I regarded Airand with a scornful smile.

“I remember what the unit commander said during the selection ceremony. He told me he would elevate me to a higher place and asked me to join the White Lotus Society. It seems that place was the afterlife? Though I suppose it is indeed higher.”
“You….”

Thick veins bulged across Airand’s forehead, and the faces of the White Lotus Society members turned ashen.

“Then and now, I have never intended to be your stepping stone.”
“So you’ll keep this up to the end? You’ll regret it.”
“Usually, the people who said that to me ended up being the ones who regretted it.”

I shrugged, speaking as though I scarcely cared.

“You keep provoking me, saying we can’t fight in this situation. Your strength has improved, but it seems you still can’t see what truly matters.”
“This isn’t provocation. I’m simply speaking about the lines one must maintain as a person.”

Since coming to this place, I had never spoken or acted in a way that would bring shame upon myself. No matter how busy or urgent circumstances became, there were principles I would not compromise.

“And….”

I tapped the sheath of the Celestial Blade and offered a sharp smile.

“It’s true I can’t fight right now, but I’m not particularly afraid of the Lord Commander, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”

Airand’s aura erupted like a volcano. In an instant, as if everything before had been mere play, his presence engulfed the entire area around the Lake.

“Of course.”

I nodded and released the aura I had been suppressing. A magnificent wave of energy surged forth like wildfire, pushing back Airand’s presence and beginning to consume the very space around us.

Kuguguguguuu!

Aura clashed against aura as the sky darkened, and a tremendous vibration shook the earth as if its very axis had crumbled. Even the master swordsmen lost their balance and fell.

“If you don’t believe me….”

I gently caressed the sheath and laughed.

“After we finish this matter, shall we test ourselves against each other?”

I gestured lightly as if Airand’s aura meant nothing whatsoever.

“….”

Airand gave no answer, only nodding with a gaze so chillingly dry it sent shivers down one’s spine.

“I’ll remember those words. Don’t forget them.”

His expression visibly hardened as he glared at me, then turned to leave.

“Wait. There’s still something I need to tell you….”
“We’ll move on our own, so do as you see fit.”

I had meant to share what I’d learned from the clash moments before, but Airand dismissed it all and simply left the Lake.

“Hmm….”

The White Lotus Society swordsmen bit their lips and followed Airand. Some of them bowed their heads as if expressing gratitude. It seemed they would soon be leaving the White Lotus Society.

“Haah….”
“What in the world is happening?”
“How did things spiral into this mess?”

The Gwangpung Corps approached with a deep sigh, sweat trickling down their foreheads as if they’d never anticipated such a turn of events.

“Are you alright?”

Concern flickered in Burren’s sharp eyes.

“I couldn’t help myself. I’m not disciplined enough to stand by and watch someone use people as bait so brazenly.”

Had I been ignorant of his intentions, perhaps I could have restrained myself. But witnessing his deliberate scheme to use us as pawns? My composure simply couldn’t withstand that.

“You did great! That bastard was planning to use all of us as bait anyway!”

Martha patted my back with a resounding thud, as if a weight had lifted from her chest.

“That was impressive, Raon.”

Lunan Slion approached and gave a deep nod of approval.

“How did someone like that even rise to become a division leader?”
“That’s exactly why he rose to such a position at such a young age.”
“No wonder the White Lotus Society’s personnel changes so frequently….”

I listened to the Gwangpung Corps’ remarks and clicked my tongue. Unfortunately, the world had always favored the corrupt over the virtuous.

“Every time I encountered the White Lotus Society’s leader, my stomach would ache inexplicably. I never imagined his heart could be so dark.”

Dorian shuddered, saying he’d always felt uneasy whenever he saw Airand.

“Humiliating that man was certainly satisfying, but what do we do now?”

Crain laughed before releasing a long sigh.

“We still need to find the Cheoljeon Unit, but we have no way to do it.”

He shook his head, unable to grasp how they should proceed in locating the Cheoljeon Unit.

“Lucen.”

Burren made a gesture toward Lucen.

“Ah, yes!”

Lucen stood dazed at the unexpected situation before quickly nodding his head.

“Have you thoroughly investigated this Lake as well?”
“Yes. Our informants with underwater breathing abilities went in to check, but there were no corpses or signs of battle on this side either.”

He sighed, saying that while he couldn’t confirm the deepest areas, nothing had emerged from the surrounding regions.

“Sigh, then where on earth are we supposed to go!”

As Martha stamped her foot in frustration, I raised my hand.

“We need to go to the opposite side, not here.”
“How do you know that?”
“I caught a clue just moments ago.”

I gazed at the Lake as its ripples began to settle, stroking my chin thoughtfully.

“Huh…?”
“A… a clue?”
“Really?”

The Gwangpung Corps swordsmen, caught completely off guard, lifted their heads like meerkats in surprise.

“Where on earth…?”

Lucen’s mouth fell open as if he too had no idea where I’d found the clue.

“Just now.”

I turned my gaze not toward the clear Lake, but toward the Frozen Lake on the opposite side, licking my lips.

“When my aura and the White Lotus Society Master’s aura clashed at their peak, I felt a faint presence emanating from the Frozen Lake.”

My provocation of the White Lotus Society leader stemmed from more than mere displeasure with his words and demeanor.
I calculated that when two massive auras collided, any Black Tower minions lurking nearby might reveal themselves—and as intended, I sensed movement from the opposite side of the Frozen Lake.

“Heh….”

Lucen exhaled sharply while looking at me.

“You were thinking such things while enduring Airand’s pressure?”

He shook his jaw in disbelief.

“You can’t apply common sense to that monster.”
“Right. It just gives us headaches.”
“An absurd creature.”

Burren, Martha, and Lunan shook their heads as if to say I operated by different rules entirely.
The other swordsmen also expressed surprise, yet murmured that I was capable of such things.

“Then, if that’s the case….”
“Are they from the Black Tower?”
“No, they’re not.”

I shook my head firmly.

“I didn’t sense any demonic energy.”

The way those in hiding wielded mana was no different from ordinary martial artists.
They seemed to be using some kind of special artifact, but what they manipulated was unmistakably mana.

“Follow me while pretending to examine the Frozen Lake.”

I indicated the tree where the martial artists were hiding, then brushed off my hands.

“Don’t let them escape. Encircle them slowly.”

*

*

*

I walked across the Frozen Lake with the unhurried pace of a tourist on an outing.

Unlike the crystalline lake I had seen moments before, the Frozen Lake bore a murky hue, as if ink had been stirred into its waters.

Yet when I examined it with my aura sense, no foreign presence revealed itself. The lake’s color differed slightly from my previous visit, but it seemed of little consequence.

“Search the area.”
“Yes, sir!”

The Gwangpung Corps split into pairs at my command, dispersing across the frozen expanse.
Though their movements appeared chaotic, each member had already been positioned to encircle the Zelkova Tree beyond the lake’s edge, where snow lay thick upon its branches.

As I slowly surveyed the lake, I felt a presence the moment the encirclement was complete. I approached the tree where I had sensed it and lifted my gaze upward.

Whoooosh!

The bitter north wind rustled the bare branches. To any observer, it was merely a snow-laden tree, unremarkable—yet five figures lurked within its canopy. Despite their proximity, their auras scattered and dispersed, suggesting not only considerable skill but also some form of concealment technique.
Even though he was right in front of me, seeing his presence scatter like that suggested he possessed not just skill, but something special wrapped around him.

Come down.

Raon continued speaking while flicking his fingers toward the tree above.

“I can see everything. Don’t do anything stupid.”

The space within the tree, moments before filled only with withered limbs, shimmered like a curtain before five figures in black robes materialized in a flash of golden light.
The space above the tree, which had been full of only dry branches, wavered like a curtain, and five people in black revealed themselves along with a pale yellow light.

“Ugh…”

The middle-aged man standing in the center suddenly frowned deeply. A diagonal scar was etched above his left eyelid. Based on the overwhelming power and presence he exuded, it seemed this man was their leader.

Is it the Black Tower?

Raon loosened his fingers, ready to draw the Jeseon Sword at any moment as he watched the Ogre Warrior’s bewildered eyes.

“Oh, no.”

The answer didn’t come from the tree, but from Lucen behind me.

“This man is Hyeol Unkgyeom, a subordinate of Heegyukje.”

Lucen, who seemed to recognize the middle-aged man’s face, explained that he was a subordinate of Heegyukje, one of the New Rising Powers who had established himself among them.

“You heard him. We’re not the Black Tower. Don’t start unnecessary trouble….”
“Why was Heegyukje’s subordinate hiding like a rat?”
“That’s not your concern….”
“It is my concern.”

I let out a scoff and summoned the Manhwagong. Hellfire blazed forth, melting the frigid air that had settled upon the earth, and engulfed Hyeol Unkgyeom and his subordinates.
Their complexions turned deathly pale beneath the ferocious surge of heat.

“Ugh….”
“What is this! Even knowing who we are, why….”
“Spit out everything you know before your head flies off.”

I tilted my jaw toward Hyeol Unkgyeom as he retreated backward. A razor-sharp killing intent gleamed across my eyes.

“Whether you’re the New Rising Powers or Heegyukje, you hold no value to me.”

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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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