The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 559

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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 559

In the Lakion Main Residence after the Gwangpung Corps departed.

“Are you alright?”

Huan Lakion gazed at Belus Lakion’s torn cheek with worried eyes.

“It is merely a surface wound. Please do not concern yourself.”

Belus Lakion wiped away the blood trickling from his cheek and shook his head.

“And had it been any less severe, they would not have been deceived.”

He gazed down at the now-empty carpet and exhaled a short breath.

“Yes. It seems we’ve managed to get past this hurdle.”

Huan Lakion relaxed his jaw gently, as if questioning when he had ever displayed such ferocity.

“We are not yet safe.”

Belus Lakion grasped his left wrist, his eyes narrowing.

“Raon Zigheart and the Sword Ghost immediately recognized that the corpses from the Sinigan Branch were not the work of the White Blood Cult. Their perception is remarkably keen, so they are certainly suspicious of us even now.”
“That may be so. But they will ultimately find nothing.”

Huan Lakion and Belus Lakion spoke calmly, as if they had anticipated that the Gwangpung Corps’ assault on the Sinigan Branch would not be attributed to the White Blood Cult.

“Since no evidence exists, we will suspect each other, Oma will suspect us, and eventually they will spiral into a quagmire of thought, conjuring new enemies until they become our sacrifices.”
“Sacrifices… what do you mean by that?”

Belus Lakion tilted his head, unable to grasp the meaning of the word.

“The Gwangpung Corps has arrived, and he said he would come himself.”

Huan Lakion leaned back in his chair, drawing a smile across his lips.

“I thought Sieulren ruined decades of planning, but perhaps it worked out for the best. This is an opportunity to cast off the humiliating name of a Vassal House.”
“I respect Father’s will. Though I must admit, it is somewhat regrettable.”

Belus gazed upward into the void and clicked his tongue sharply.

“It is true our preparations are not perfect. But we cannot wait forever for the right moment. Now, while Zigheart is being checked by Oma, is the optimal time.”
“That is not what I meant.”

He shook his head slowly, looking toward Huan.

“If things were going to unfold this way regardless, I wish we had prevented those corpses from the Sinigan Branch from being moved to Zigheart.”
“Hmm?”
“Had we fed them to Creatus, we could have filled the beast’s belly quite substantially.”
“Kahahaha!”

Huan burst into raucous laughter and slapped Belus on the back.

“That’s right. That’s what makes you my son, and the true heir of Lakion!”

A warm smile spread across his face, one that seemed incongruous with his appearance, as he gazed at Belus with genuine satisfaction.

“But even feeding Creatus the blood of such vermin would not grant it significant growth. Soon it will feast upon the flesh and drink the blood of the Light Sword and the Dragon Slayer, so have no concerns.”

Huan waved his hand, urging patience.

“When shall we begin, then?”
“He said he would arrive shortly, so by tomorrow evening, everything will be finished.”

He tapped his fingers against the armrest of the Jade Throne, a sinister smile playing at his lips.

“Until then, make certain Sieulren does nothing foolish. Keep close watch.”
“I have sent Basion, so there is no possibility of escape.”
“That second one is too rash. I wonder what he might be doing.”
“I shall go and investigate personally.”
“Good. The one destined to become Head of the Lakion Family must always know everything.”

With those words, Huan turned his gaze toward the window. Beneath the night sky, he beheld the solitary moon and smiled coldly.

“The day when Lakion rises alone is not far off.”

*

*

*

I pulled the mask over my face and turned away.

“Oh…”

Dorian, who shared the room with me, blinked blankly.

“I’ll be back soon. I’m counting on you.”
“Don’t worry.”

Dorian pulled a life-sized doll wearing a golden wig from his dimensional pocket.
He placed it on my bed, tucked it under the blanket, and gave a thumbs up.

“There we go?”
“It works, but… why do you even have such a doll?”
“It’s an essential item…”
“That’s enough. Stop.”

I had no idea where his collection of “essential items” ended.

I shook my head quickly and squeezed through the slightly open window, slipping out through the narrow gap.

-Isn’t everything you’ve been looking for in that bastard’s pocket?

Wrath let out an exasperated breath.

‘Probably.’

I nodded with a faint smile. If I asked for a Dragon Heart, he’d probably pull it out while calling it an essential item.

I stood on the roof of the Abandoned Annex and narrowed my eyes at the Mansion across the way.

‘As expected, they’re keeping watch.’

I sensed the presence of watchers stationed at the windows of the main residence, their eyes fixed on this Abandoned Annex.
I had slipped out through the window while their attention wavered, and not a single one of them had noticed my existence.

I concealed myself within the shadows of night and made my way toward the Patriarch’s Hall where Huan Lakion resided.
Since it was still before dawn, neither Huan Lakion nor Belus Lakion were visible, and only the sentries on duty stood rigid, their eyes blazing with vigilance.

‘Let me start from here.’

I began my reconnaissance of the Lakion Family, suppressing my presence to the absolute minimum while simultaneously deploying Seolhwa’s silver veil.
After investigating how many guards were stationed, what they were protecting, and which areas had the most formidable defenses, I returned to the front of the Patriarch’s Hall.

‘How strange.’

Despite thoroughly searching the interior of the Lakion Family Estate, I detected no special aura—no demonic energy, no blood qi, no formation traces. It was merely a martial clan of extraordinary strength, yet otherwise utterly ordinary.

I leaned my back against a wall untouched by moonlight and bit my lip.

‘The demonic energy I sensed couldn’t have been a mistake….’

The foul stench of corrupted demonic energy that had emanated from Belus Lakion was genuine. Though I couldn’t detect it now, I was certain something within this Family Estate was generating demonic energy.

‘Should I search tomorrow?’

In a few hours, dawn would break. It seemed prudent to stop here for now and resume when the early morning came.

‘No.’

I couldn’t afford to waste time when I had no idea what Huan Lakion might do.

The relationship between Huan Lakion and Belus Lakion remained unclear, their intentions unknown, and I had uncovered nothing about who had attacked the Sinigan Branch.
With the situation so unpredictable, the only course was to gather information as swiftly as possible.

I scaled the tallest, straightest pillar of the Patriarch’s Hall and surveyed the entire Lakion Family Estate from above.

‘It wasn’t in the buildings, the Garden, the Lake, or any of the facilities. Then where….’

As I swept my gaze across the landscape, a small Mountain to the east, adjacent to the Lakion Family Estate, caught my eye.

‘A Mountain? Is it private property?’

Well, it’s certainly the best location, but…

It was right next to the Family Estate, and with no one else living in the surrounding area, it was the perfect place to hide something.

Searching through that entire Mountain would take considerable time, but if I moved quickly, I should be able to return by the time the sun rose.

I made up my mind and climbed over the Lakion wall toward the unnamed Mountain.

‘Hmm?’

As I reached the base of the Mountain, a nauseating stench—like something oozing from a sewer—assaulted my senses.

‘This stench is…’

It was fainter than what I’d sensed from Belus yesterday, but the smell itself was nearly identical. Corrupted mana, without question.

‘Wrath.’
-….

I called out to Wrath, but received no answer. He seemed to be sleeping. As always, he was useless when it mattered most.

I climbed the Mountain, my expression twisted against the stench. The scent of corrupted mana emanated from a boulder halfway up the slope.

‘This place…’

I narrowed my eyes at the boulder. The stench flowed endlessly, yet I sensed no mana.

But there was one detail my assassin’s eye caught.

‘The soil color is subtly different.’

The earth surrounding the boulder varied in shade—some darker, some lighter.

This boulder had clearly shifted, pushing the lighter soil beneath it outward.

‘Then it must be a mechanism.’

The complete absence of mana suggested this device was constructed entirely from mechanical components.

‘Should I go in?’

Examining the boulder closely, I could discern which spots to touch to move it.

But opening the door would alert those inside, so I couldn’t rush in carelessly.

I leaped away from the boulder and climbed into a nearby tree. Someone would surely enter eventually, so it seemed best to wait until then.

About an hour had passed waiting in the tree when I sensed a presence—not from below the mountain, but from above.

Though he had nearly perfected his concealment, he couldn’t escape my perception using Seolhwa’s senses.

Keeping my breathing shallow as I waited, a large man in a robe descended the mountain silently and stood before the boulder.

I narrowed my eyes, watching the man’s back.

‘Belus Lakion?’

The man cloaked entirely in robes was Belus. Since I’d met him just yesterday, I recognized him even with his presence concealed.

Scrape.

He noticed the soil around the boulder had a different hue and carefully mixed the earth with his hand, then inserted his fingers into a crevice carved at the boulder’s edge.

Scrape!

The boulder slid smoothly, opening a passage into the interior. As expected, it was a mechanism that allowed no mana to seep through.

I followed Belus down into the opening like a shadow.

‘How vile…’

Inside, the stench grew even more overwhelming. It seemed they’d installed mechanisms outside while using sorcery or magic within to prevent this miasma from escaping.

‘They’re thorough.’

To install such a covert mechanism even in what was essentially their own inner sanctum—they were clearly no ordinary adversaries.

As I descended the stairs alongside Belus, a cavern bathed in sallow light came into view.
Many chambers connected to the cavern, and from within came the sound of breathing—a putrid stench of corrupted mana seeping from those breaths.

‘What in the world are they doing here?’

Curiosity gnawed at me—what purpose did corrupted mana serve, and how were they even manipulating it?—as I followed Belus deeper.

Belus showed no interest in the other chambers, advancing directly toward the largest door standing at the cavern’s center.

Whoooosh.

As he opened it, a space that looked as though drenched in crimson paint revealed itself.

*

*

*

In a dust-laden corner, a young girl in tattered rags hung bound by iron chains, while a middle-aged woman floated suspended in the center of the chamber, tethered by gossamer threads like a wooden puppet.

“Huh? Brother. You came?”

A young man, grinning as he tore flesh from the middle-aged woman, lifted his chin.

“Ugh….”

The middle-aged woman, her skin flayed open, bit her lips until they bled, swallowing her screams—perhaps for the child huddled in the corner.

“Basion. What are you doing?”
“Just watching the girl gets boring. I was having a little fun to pass the time.”

The young man called Basion flicked his fingers, scattering the flesh and blood he’d been holding. The torn flesh fell at the feet of the young girl.

“I told you to monitor Sieulren. Nothing more.”

Belus furrowed his brow, observing the whimpering girl.

“I held back even after seeing blood yesterday. Surely you can understand this much.”

Basion grumbled and shrugged his shoulders.

“….”

Belus gazed at Basion for a moment, then approached Sieulren, who was bound in the corner.

“Oh, brother. Please, I’m begging you! Let the Nanny go!”

Sieulren, heedless of her own predicament, fell to her knees before Belus, pleading for him to free the Nanny who was bound by rope.

“I won’t do it again! I’ll stay quiet. Please!”
“Actions bear consequences.”

Belus shook his head with an impassive gaze.

“Had you not sought out the Sinigan Branch, the people there would not have died, and your Nanny would not be in this state. It is all your fault.”
“Oh, brother….”

Sieulren’s lips trembled as she sensed the terror in Belus’s cold eyes.

“That’s right. If you had just stayed put, I wouldn’t have needed to waste my time here either.”

Basion waved his hand with a furrowed brow.

“Still, you’re fortunate. Had you not been my sister, I would have slit your throat long ago.”

He made a gesture across his neck as if lamenting the missed opportunity.

“Basion.”

Belus turned his back and looked down at Basion.

“The Zigheart dogs are on the move, so do not leave this place for a while.”
“I’m not a mole, so why must I stay cooped up here! It’s tedious!”
“Patience for a little longer. Soon what you desire will come to pass.”
“Really?”
“Father has made his decision. He said he would come himself.”
“Finally! Are we shedding the filthy title of Vassal House?”

Basion let out a grotesque laugh, as if he couldn’t wait for that day to arrive.

“If you understand, then keep quiet.”

Belus Lakion left those words behind and grasped the door handle. He glanced back at Sieulren for a moment, then opened the door and left the chamber.

“What am I to do with this?”

Basion approached Sieulren with heavy, deliberate steps.

“Our youngest. You were only waiting for those wretches from Zigheart, but it seems Father intends to offer them as sacrifices instead?”

He caressed Sieulren’s cheek and curled his lips into a smile.

“It’s all over now. And soon you’ll become like me.”

“You should adapt in advance. None of the family you knew exist anymore.”

He cast a scornful sneer toward his sister and walked out.

“I’m sorry….”

Sieulren let the tears she had been holding back fall, her head bowed.

“It’s, it’s alright, Miss.”

Her Nanny, bound by rope, moved her parched lips.

“You were only trying to do what’s right. I’m fine, so please steel your resolve.”

The Nanny offered Sieulren a forced smile.

“I’m truly sorry.”

Sieulren’s hands trembled violently. The iron chains binding her wrists rattled with a sharp, biting sound.

‘If only I had stayed still….’

“If only I had just stayed still…”

Everyone who had allowed her out to visit the Sinigan Branch was now dead, and the Nanny was being tortured, her flesh torn away piece by piece.
The guilt of knowing that everyone at Sinigan had died because of her actions was so overwhelming that she wanted to end her own life.

“Ugh….”

As Sieulren clawed at the floor with bloodied fingernails, a man in a black mask emerged from the shadow behind the door. He held a finger to his lips, revealing eyes that gleamed with an eerie calmness.

*

*

*

I erected a thin barrier so that Basion outside wouldn’t hear, then approached the two of them.

“Ah….”
“W-who are you?”

Sieulren could only whimper, while her Nanny barely managed to part her lips.

“I come from Zigheart.”

I withdrew a token bearing the Zigheart family crest and showed it to them both.

“Ah, ah….”

The Nanny shed tears she had been holding back for the child’s sake, her breath escaping in what sounded like a wail.

“Please. Please save our young lady!”

I listened to the Nanny’s plea while observing the child bound in chains.

‘Was this child the one who informed the Sinigan Branch?’

I had gleaned much information from the conversation between Belus and Basion.
It appeared that this child, Sieulren, their sister, had tried to expose the Lakion family’s misdeeds to the Sinigan Branch.

“Tell me what happened.”

I dropped to one knee, meeting Sieulren’s gaze directly.

“Ugh…”

Sieulren’s shoulders trembled as emotion welled up inside her, but knowing time was precious, she quickly nodded.

“R-right now, our family is… with the Holy Sword Association.”
“The Holy Sword Association?”

I furrowed my brow, studying Sieulren’s face.

‘The Holy Sword Association is involved in this?’

Given the demonic energy saturating this space, I’d naturally assumed the Black Tower was behind it all. But I never expected the Holy Sword Association’s name to surface.

“Yes, it’s the Holy Sword Association. Ever since one of their swordsmen came and gave my father a sword, our family… changed.”
“Changed? What do you mean by that?”
“The swordsmen who couldn’t even draw their blades carelessly against people suddenly began committing murder without reason. They—they only stare at their swords now, thinking only of growing stronger, caring about nothing else.”

Sieulren forced her trembling lips open and continued.

“Those who wouldn’t change… they vanished overnight, and strangers took their places. Our home is gradually becoming somewhere I don’t recognize…”
“Is that why you went to the Sinigan Branch?”
“I-I wanted to inform them that the Holy Sword Association was behind it all, but… they’re all dead now…”

She lowered her head as she spoke of how Belus had personally destroyed the Sinigan Branch. The girl’s silent scream echoed only within her heart.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone there and caused those people to…”
“No.”

I grasped Sieulren’s shoulders, which trembled with such anxiety, and shook my head.

“You did nothing wrong.”

As I spoke, I sensed the demonic energy blooming from the adjacent chamber.

‘Is their demonic energy influenced by that sword?’

A blade that generates corrupted demonic energy—it would be no exaggeration to call it a cursed sword.

‘But why would they hand over such a sword?’

The Holy Sword Association was merely a congregation of mad Sword Ghosts obsessed with powerful swordsmanship and acquiring blades, so it wasn’t strange that they possessed such a weapon.

However, the fact that they had transferred it to the Lakion Family was incomprehensible.

‘If he’s coming, it might be some sort of trade arrangement.’

I had uncovered what lay behind the Lakion Family and what they were doing, but resolving it wouldn’t be simple.

‘No, wait. There’s an easy way to handle this.’

Based on what Belus said, it seemed Huan intended to hand over the Gwangpung Corps to the Holy Sword Association.

If I seized this Family as quickly as possible and set a trap, I could achieve the optimal result without casualties by launching a counterattack when the Holy Sword Association arrived.

“Where is the sword the Holy Sword Association gave?”
“It disappeared after I saw it, so I don’t know where it is now. I’m sorry….”
“It’s fine.”

I placed my hand on Sieulren’s head and smiled.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to retrieve it right away. I’ll come back tomorrow morning. Can you hold on?”

The Gwangpung Corps didn’t know about this situation yet, so acting now wouldn’t be a wise choice.
The best course of action was to complete my preparations thoroughly and move when the enemy was unprepared.

“I’m fine, but….”

Sieulren bit her lip as she glanced at her Nanny.

“It’s okay. I can endure it.”

The Nanny nodded with an awkward smile.

“I’ll be back soon. Please hold on.”

I nodded to both of them before disappearing into the darkness. As I left the chamber saturated with demonic energy, a crimson gleam flickered across my eyes.

‘There’s much to be done.’

*

*

*

The next day.

Huan Lakion sat upon the Jade Throne, his brow furrowed in displeasure.

‘What is this about?’

Rimer had suddenly requested that everyone within the family be summoned, so most of the family’s warriors had gathered in the Patriarch’s Hall since morning.

“If it’s Rimer and not Raon Zigheart, it shouldn’t be anything grave.”

Belus shook his head calmly.

“His dantian has been repaired, but he’s still living like a reckless fool. He’ll surely spout nonsense like yesterday.”
“The Sword Saint is cunning as they come. We must be cautious. Have you confirmed that Sieulren and Basion haven’t moved?”
“Yes. Neither of them has stirred from that location.”
“Hmm.”

Huan narrowed his eyes and took a light sip of tea from the cup on the table.

“The great affair draws near. Endure a little longer, and mind your words and conduct.”
“I shall bear it in mind.”

As Belus nodded, a knock sounded from the Audience Chamber door.

“Enter.”

At Huan’s nod, the Patriarch’s Hall doors opened, and Rimer and the Gwangpung Corps entered. The swordsmen’s eyes gleamed with the fierce brilliance of generals standing upon a battlefield.

‘Hmm?’

Rimer and most of the Gwangpung Corps swordsmen were present, but Raon Zigheart and one other were nowhere to be seen.

“We asked everyone to gather, so why is that side empty….”
“I’ve found the culprit.”

Rimer cut off Huan’s words with a grin.

“The culprit…?”
“The culprit?”
“The evil spirits who attacked the Sinigan Branch and slaughtered so many people—I’ve identified who they are.”

He advanced down the central passage with eyes brimming with confidence, as though he had already grasped the truth.

“Who is it?”

Huan asked, pressing down his heart that seemed to be burning crimson.

“That bastard is….”

As Rimer parted his lips with an even deeper smile, a tremendous tremor erupted from the mountain erected to the east of the Rakion Family.

Kuwaaaaang!

At the ensuing colossal explosion, every gaze in the Audience Chamber turned toward it.

“What is that!”
“I’ve let loose a mad dog.”

Rimer looked up at Huan, baring his white teeth.

“He’ll bring the culprit here shortly. Of course….”

Their breath may have already been extinguished.

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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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