This heat and energy pressed down on the surroundings.
The pitch-black forest gradually brightened because of the blooming flames.
Grrrk!
He tried to pull his caught arm out, but even when he applied force, it wouldn't slip out easily.
'This bastard...?'
He hadn't used his full strength, but the assassin could tell.
Even if he did use his full strength, it seemed he wouldn't be able to break free easily.
That was why it was strange.
'To a mere brat... Me?'
The shock wouldn't go away.
Even if he had lived in the underworld his entire life and specialized in covert operations.
His blood was yellow, and his surname was Hwangbo.
It meant he wasn't someone to be overpowered by a brat who looked like he hadn't even lived a quarter of his life.
'But why on earth...!'
Many thoughts crossed the assassin's mind at the situation unfolding before him.
Putting aside the fact that he didn't even expect to be caught in the first place.
He questioned how the other had appeared and grabbed him.
Still, he couldn't just stay still.
Looking at the red gleam in his eyes, the assassin slowly opened his mouth.
"...I don't know what you're talking about."
He made up an excuse first.
His original plan was to suppress his qi without killing him and shut his mouth.
But now, a thought crossed his mind.
A thought questioning whether that was even possible.
'Nonsense.'
When it came to covert operations, assassins were those who killed people of higher realms than themselves.
For example, assassins were the most common ones to perform the miracle of a first-rate martial artist killing one who had reached the pinnacle.
Of course, it meant they created such situations and moments to find a gap and kill their target.
This meant that in the same realm, there were almost no cases of them losing.
Especially in a dark environment and terrain like a forest.
"I am just..."
"That you don't know?"
At the assassin's words, Jinryong—no, Ouyang Cheon's lips ferociously curled.
With the red gleam shining in the dead of night and the flames heating up the surroundings.
Along with his fierce face.
All the circumstances combined made Ouyang Cheon look like a demon.
"This is the Gu family's territory; if you're a martial artist at the frontlines, there's no way you wouldn't know."
"I merely took the wrong path."
"Oh, really? And it just had to be a martial artist of the Hwangbo family. At this time of night."
"...!"
At Ouyang Cheon's words, a stream of sweat flowed down the assassin's spine.
How did he know?
That he was a person of the Hwangbo Sect.
Hiding his startled heart inside, the assassin managed his expression.
"...What exactly are you talking about."
"For someone playing dumb, your family's unique energy is too rough not to notice."
"I am not a person of the Hwangbo Sect."
"Still, it's not as organized as the Pang family. Ah, which is probably why it couldn't enter the Four Great Families."
"Keuh..."
"See. As soon as I compared you to the Pang family, your expression immediately soured."
Oops.
The assassin stroked his face and let out a sigh.
Perhaps because it was an unexpected situation, he made a useless mistake.
Was it because it had been too long since he went out on a job?
"What an amusing child..."
At the assassin's words, Ouyang Cheon's brows furrowed.
It seemed he didn't like something.
"Amusing my ass. You came to do dirty deeds in the middle of the night, why are you acting so high and mighty?"
"For a bloodline of a prestigious family, your mouth is quite foul. Do you know how many years this old man before your eyes has been active in the Central Plains?"
"So. You want me to show you some respect?"
Grrrk.
Pressure gradually applied to the caught hand.
"He wants respect from a guy who came to pull some dirty tricks at night. If you've lived that long, old man, you should age gracefully. You're rotten to the core."
"You bastard...!"
"Well."
The assassin, who was roaring at Ouyang Cheon's words, suddenly paused as he saw Ouyang Cheon's face filled with mockery.
"The bastard who got beaten up and didn't even know shame and reported it. And the bastard who heard it and came looking in the middle of the night. Both of you seem a bit lacking."
At the words spit out full of mockery.
The assassin, as if he couldn't hold back any longer, pulled up his qi.
'I must kill him.'
He knew the guy was quite outstanding for the level of the younger generation.
Let alone breaking through the wall at that age.
Just seeing how he could approach him while hiding his presence even for a moment.
It was certain that the guy had slightly transcended the level of the younger generation.
'But.'
That's all it was.
In an instant.
The assassin's arm, which was caught in Ouyang Cheon's hand, slipped out as if sliding.
Smoothly, as if oiled.
As if he didn't expect to miss, Ouyang Cheon's eyes widened greatly.
But the assassin had already disappeared from in front of him.
'The night is my domain.'
To those who lived performing covert operations for decades.
The night was no different from their own world.
Hiding in the darkness was what they did better than anyone.
Even if the surroundings were momentarily brightened by the flames.
Darkness exists everywhere, so it didn't matter.
'You will regret it.'
For disgracing him and the Hwangbo Sect.
He would make him regret it.
Hidden in the darkness, the assassin quietly shined his eyes.
The guy was still standing still, slowly looking around.
As if looking for him.
'He told me not to kill him, but. This can't be helped.'
Assessing this, the assassin moved slowly.
He killed his presence.
He also killed his sound.
He was now one with the darkness.
Slowly, he approached behind Ouyang Cheon.
Torturing him without killing him was impossible.
It was truly a shitty and humiliating thing, but he judged that he wasn't at a level where he could do that.
An assassin who reached the Flower Realm in his later years.
Not being able to do anything about a mere brat like that was truly lamentable.
But it didn't matter.
He just had to erase the guy now.
'This guy is dangerous.'
The reason the assassin decided to eliminate Ouyang Cheon was largely because he disgraced the Hwangbo family and insulted him.
But within that was also the reason that Ouyang Cheon was too outstanding.
'This guy's sky is too vast.'
The monster of the Pang family. Or the Hidden Dragon of Wudang.
There are so many geniuses in the world, but facing one directly made him realize it better.
That this guy was the most dangerous among them.
Furthermore, if Ouyang Cheon harbored hostility toward the Hwangbo family in his mind.
It would be better to erase him from this spot before he grew uncontrollably.
In that sense, it was rather fortunate.
That it was himself who came to face this guy in this situation.
'I'll have to exact a bigger price from the First Young Master.'
Thinking such thoughts, the assassin pulled up his qi.
A thin dagger was already in his hand.
The qi-wrapped dagger was imbued with sharp killing intent.
The assassin thrust the dagger into Ouyang Cheon's heart, completely unnoticed.
Right before the dagger touched Ouyang Cheon's body.
Smack-!
"...!"
The assassin almost let out a scream at the situation that unfolded.
Because Ouyang Cheon instantly turned his body and grabbed the assassin's arm again.
"What...?"
Crunch-!
The moment he was grabbed, a brutal sound came from his arm.
He intuitively realized.
That his grabbed wrist was shattered.
"How... how."
But rather than his wrist bone being ground to powder.
More than the excruciating pain running down his spine.
He wanted to know even more how his presence was caught by Ouyang Cheon again.
It wasn't a distance where he could be noticed.
Nor was it a moment where he could react to noticing it late.
How on earth...
"Impossible not to know. You stand out so much."
"What?"
At Ouyang Cheon's words, the assassin made an expression asking what nonsense he was spouting.
But it didn't last long.
Kwang!
Because Ouyang Cheon's fist struck the assassin's face.
"Keuheuk...!"
The assassin's head was jerked back by the massive impact.
He tried to read the movements and avoid it somehow.
But his caught arm wouldn't slip out at all.
His mind became distant from the enormous shock.
It meant his mind was shaken by a single blow.
Drip drip...! Trickle...
He barely managed to lower his head, which had been jerked back as far as possible.
But from his lips, a few broken teeth and blood trickled down.
"Kkeo-euh..."
It was dangerous.
Something was wrong.
The assassin's instincts reacted like crazy, but...
'My body... won't... listen...'
It felt strangely like his body wasn't listening to him.
The shock he just received was much greater than expected, but.
It wasn't enough to break his body because of it.
That meant something was weird.
"...Keu-euh..."
The assassin struggled to raise his head and look at Ouyang Cheon.
Even in the pitch-black darkness, Ouyang Cheon's eyes were still shining red.
"You... bastard...! Did you use... extreme poison?"
"Extreme poison? Ah, well, roughly similar?"
Ouyang Cheon tilted his head.
But soon he corrected his head and nodded.
"If it's poison, then it's poison."
'Poison...'
Only then did the assassin seem to understand why his body was strange. It was natural if he was poisoned.
However.
When on earth?
When could he have poisoned him to make him intoxicated?
Also, he had no idea what kind of poison could make him so helplessly poisoned.
He had built up immunity to most poisons in order to perform covert operations.
Unless it was the Tang Sect's formless extreme poison, which was only passed down in legends, he shouldn't have been poisoned so easily.
The problem was that such a thing wasn't important right now.
The assassin let out a rough breath and spoke to Ouyang Cheon.
"Save... me..."
First, he had to beg for his life.
Seeing this, Ouyang Cheon laughed as if it was ridiculous.
"You give up so fast? I thought you'd growl a bit more."
If he was truly poisoned with extreme poison.
If he was caught in a situation where he couldn't escape.
He had to survive first.
If an assassin was caught during a covert operation.
He would bite the poison hidden under his tongue to commit suicide.
Or there were many cases where he would be tortured to death for the sect.
But he didn't want to do that now.
Loyalty to the sect had fallen away long ago.
Now he was only full of thoughts of keeping his position as an elder and living out the rest of his life.
'That's why I was going to grant the First Young Master's request...!'
Ending the assassin's life, which swayed like a reed.
To keep the elder position belatedly given to him and enjoy wealth and glory.
He wanted to solidify that position even more.
He didn't know things would turn out like this.
At the assassin's words, Ouyang Cheon was still expressionless.
If he had to be specific, would it be right to say he looked annoyed?
"Why are you being so filthy."
"Young brother... No, Young Master Gu, I... I will tell you everything... Who ordered this. If you want, I'll even testify... Euup!"
The assassin's mouth, trying to spit everything out to change his mind, was grabbed and blocked by Ouyang Cheon's hand.
It wasn't a particularly large hand, but the hand covering his mouth felt somehow very large.
"I already know who made the request even if you don't tell me."
Sizzle.
"Oo-euh"
As he felt heat from the palm blocking his mouth.
The assassin let out an urgent groan, but no voice came out.
"I don't need such things as testimony. It's not an era where that kind of stuff is needed, right?"
"Keuheup... Eup."
Hwaruruk-!
Soon, flames spewed out along the palm and clung to the assassin's face and body.
"Keureulop!!"
The assassin struggled against the flames burning all over his body.
But even that was weak, so he couldn't even struggle properly.
The flames burned until the assassin's breath stopped.
As the struggling fingertips fell silent, the flames died out in an instant.
After that, all that remained in Ouyang Cheon's hand was ash whose original shape was unrecognizable.
Thud.
When he released the strength in his hand, the ash fell loosely to the floor.
Ouyang Cheon, who casually brushed his hands off, looked at the floor and belatedly realized a fact he had forgotten.
"Ah."
Right.
I forgot to ask for his name.
"...Does it not matter?"
It'd be Hwangbo whatever anyway.
Ouyang Cheon lowered his head slightly, grabbed something from the chest of the charred corpse, tore it off, and stuffed it into his pocket.
After that, he quietly looked down at the corpse.
And without any lingering regrets, he turned his back and returned to his original direction.
It wouldn't matter if the corpse was left as is.
Anyway, it wouldn't be long before monsters appeared and ate it up.
There would be no traces left.
The forest of the frontlines was originally such a place.
After Ouyang Cheon disappeared leaving a word that he'd be gone for a while.
Bi Yeon-seom was enduring an extreme situation.
It was an awkward situation enough to make him think he might suffocate and die.
'Please... save me.'
Stiffening his highly tense body straight.
Using his frozen back as a pillar, he only looked straight ahead.
But all his nerves were directed to his side.
To the woman sitting quietly next to him, looking at the forest.
Glance.
Bi Yeon-seom glanced to the side for a moment and gulped.
'Really... Unbelievably pretty.'
The woman was beautiful enough to take his breath away.
White hair that seemed to glow as if bathed in moonlight.
And the hazy eyes looking straight ahead and the blue pupils contained within them.
Combined with her appearance, she exuded a dreamlike atmosphere.
When he saw Seolbong before.
He wondered how someone in the world could be that pretty.
But the woman he was looking at now was on a different level.
Because the first question that came to mind was, 'Can she even be called human?'
'So she's the Sword Dancer...'
Bi Yeon-seom was also well acquainted with the person.
Sword Dancer Namgung Bi-a.
She was the younger sister of the Thunder Dragon and a rookie martial artist who suddenly appeared at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering last time.
At the time of the martial arts tournament, she lost regretfully to Shinseong, the son of the Alliance Leader.
However, her beautiful appearance and her beautiful form dancing as if holding a sword.
Were imprinted in the minds of many.
Thanks to such appearances, the woman was given the moniker Sword Dancer.
Bi Yeon-seom, who left the sect as if fleeing because it was too shameful to have been defeated without being able to use any strength in the martial arts tournament.
Didn't get a proper look at Namgung Bi-a then.
But the woman he faced now.
Was beyond his imagination.
'Not only her appearance, but also her martial arts.'
The single sword strike she showed just before.
Was too great a shock to Bi Yeon-seom.
Even now, the space cleared out amidst the overgrown forest spreading before his eyes felt unrealistic.
Of course, if it were the outstanding swordsmen of the current era, such things would certainly be possible.
But at the fact that Namgung Bi-a, who was his peer, possessed martial arts of that level.
A small sense of inferiority swept over him.
Along with that, envy for Ouyang Cheon also rose distinctly.
To think that such a pretty and strong woman was his fiancée.
How long had he been glancing at Namgung Bi-a beside him with such envy.
Namgung Bi-a, who was so quiet that one would wonder if she was even breathing.
Sreuk.
Suddenly stood up and looked ahead, parting her pretty lips.
"...Where... did you go?"
"Yes...?"
Wondering if she was perhaps talking to him, Bi Yeon-seom answered in a panic.
"Because there was a rat."
Another voice interrupted and answered instead.
Soon after, the owner of the voice appeared from between the bushes.
The owner of the voice was Ouyang Cheon, who had disappeared earlier.
"A... rat...?"
"Yeah, a pretty big one."
It was identical to how he looked when he disappeared earlier, but somehow his face looked a bit tired.
Anyway, a rat?
What rat did he suddenly catch?
Namgung Bi-a, who had been quietly moving her lips like Bi Yeon-seom, asked Ouyang Cheon. "...Are you okay?"
What was she asking if he was okay about?
Bi Yeon-seom couldn't understand. Was Ouyang Cheon perhaps afraid of rats?
It made even less sense that Ouyang Cheon suddenly went to catch a rat.
At Namgung Bi-a's words, Ouyang Cheon smiled broadly.
The smile was so scary that Bi Yeon-seom had to secretly shiver slightly.
"Why wouldn't I be okay? I just went out for a bit."
He spoke as if he was really okay.
But that answer wasn't to Namgung Bi-a's liking.
Ouyang Cheon, seeing such an expression, also made a troubled face.
Was it because he noticed what Namgung Bi-a didn't like?
"Don't make such a sullen expression. I'm really okay."
Ouyang Cheon, who was casually passing over the conversation.
Then looked toward Bi Yeon-seom.
Bi Yeon-seom, who met his eyes, couldn't help but flinch.
Because he was unconsciously a bit scared.
He wondered if he showed his surprise too obviously, but fortunately, Ouyang Cheon didn't seem to particularly care.
"Hey."
"Ye-yes!"
"Let's go down."
At Ouyang Cheon's sudden words, Bi Yeon-seom's eyes widened.
"Yes...? There's still time left before sunrise?"
The watch had to spend time patrolling the area from their assigned position until at least the sun rose.
At Bi Yeon-seom's words, Ouyang Cheon rubbed his neck as if tired and gave an answer.
"A justification to return to the barracks has come up."
Justification?
At Ouyang Cheon's words, Bi Yeon-seom tilted his head as if he didn't understand.