Chapter 396: Chapter 396

The moment they received Skykiller's command, the hidden Deathshroud assassins erased their presence using the Dark Chaos Art and approached their targets.

Considered the world's best assassination art, the Dark Chaos Art was so famous that some even claimed the Dark Shadow Art of the Skyshadows, the Imperial Palace's intelligence organization, was a mere imitation.

There was something, however, that Deathshroud could never have predicted. They never imagined that their enemy knew their signature assassination art was actually derived from the Blood Cult's demonic arts. They could never have expected that, simply by imbuing the Azure Dragon Emblems with a spell to detect demonic arts, their stealthy approach would be easily detected.

How could they have foreseen that their techniques would be seen through and countered? That their guild, which had reigned as the hunters of the murim for decades, would become the prey tonight?

"How...?" the Fourth Shroud gasped, staring at the sword that had pierced his qi center in disbelief. He was confident that, aside from Skykiller , his skill in disguise was unmatched. He was certain that even if his opponent were the Azure Dragon Hero, he could deceive him completely.

How? How did this old man see through me? How did he know to stab me before I moved to attack?

Mae Geuklyom snorted, twisting his sword to aggravate the wound before pulling it out. "No matter how much you imitate a human, did you think I wouldn't be able to recognize a beast wearing a human mask?"

The old swordsman's gaze as he looked at the dying assassin was as stern as an underworld judge interrogating the recently deceased and forcing them to confess to their sins.

"......" The Fourth Shroud remained silent, still reeling from the shock of Mae Geuklyom's unexpected ambush.

Mae Geuklyom beheaded the assassin without hesitation.

The severed head crashed to the floor and rolled away.

"Judging by your skill, you were probably just one of the mediocre ones. What a waste of my precious time," Mae Geuklyom complained, glancing at the wide-open eyes of the severed head contemptuously.

Sighing, he set out to find another assassin.

"Please evacuate according to the instructions!"

"All individuals in possession of weapons, please display your identification tags!"

"Anyone who does not comply will be arrested!"

The Azure Dragon Festival had ended. The Beggars' Gang, the Rogues' Guild, and the constables were actively narrowing their encirclement and sending the guests away. Also moving into action was the Murim Alliance, with the Jiangxi Branch Manager and elite alliance warriors taking the lead in hunting down the assassins.

Thanks to the martial artists' help, the festival chaos quickly stabilized and the crowd dispersed in an orderly manner.

Mae Geuklyom searched the increasingly deserted streets alone, recalling his grandson's words.

"We must take this chance to annihilate Deathshroud and instill fear in all assassins. That's the only way we can be safe from those sneaky bastards in the future. As long as the all-out war with the Blood Cult has not started, no assassins' guild will dare take on a mission involving the Azure Dragon Academy."

At first, he had disapproved of Baek Suryong's plan to set a trap in the Azure Dragon Academy, and by extension, the entire city, to lure in Deathshroud. After hearing his grandson's rationale, though, he couldn't help but see its merit.

That damn punk must have inherited his bold and fearless disposition from Yakbing.

Each time he saw glimpses of his daughter in his grandson, Mae Geuklyom was overwhelmed with both joy and longing.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and tapped the hilt of his sword with his fingers.

"Come out," he said to thin air.

Five assassins emerged from the darkness and pounced on him. Despite being cornered and hunted, they remained calm in hiding, waiting for an opportunity.

Mae Geuklyom felt the Azure Dragon Emblem in his pocket vibrate.

It was the oldest Azure Dragon Emblem in the academy. When his grandson cast sorcery on it and returned it to him, he had instantly realized what it was he must do.

"I will lure Skykiller."

Mae Geuklyom understood his value as a relative of the Azure Dragon Hero. From the assassins' perspective, he was a higher-priority target than even Baek Suryong's students. Therefore, he volunteered to be the bait.

"If there's a role that requires risking one's life, this old man should be the one to do it."

Mae Geuklyom had patted his grandson's shoulder, telling him not to worry.

"Enough, Suryong. My sword is sharper than you think."

Now, he was backing up those words.

WHISH! SWISH! SWOOSH!

His swordsmanship, honed over a lifetime, beautifully adorned the night sky. When the blurry trajectories left afterimages and disappeared, only the severed arms, legs, and necks of the assassins were left behind.

Compared to the old swordsman's lifetime of effort and dedication, the assassins' techniques, designed only to kill, were nothing more than crude knife work.

He strode toward the only surviving assassin, who immediately flinched and tried to flee.

"Why are you running? My head is still attached to my neck. Come and cut it as you please."

"Fine. If you won't come to me, then I'll go to you."

The Sword Addict, Mae Geuklyom, was a swordmaster whom even Baek Suryong respected. The moment he lightly stepped on the ground, he transformed into a gust of wind, surging toward the assassin with refined elegance despite his swift and violent execution.

The moment he cut down the last assassin, however, a new one shot out from the darkness. At the same time, hidden weapons, arrows, and wire nets flew at him from all directions.

Mae Geuklyom clicked his tongue disdainfully. "Too messy."

Activating his sword qi, he knocked the projectiles aside and slit the assassin's neck.

Just like that, he slashed, and slashed again.

How many of these bugs are there? I've already cut down twenty... no, thirty assassins?

The Deathshroud assassins kept coming as if their numbers were infinite.

Generally, Deathshroud was considered an elite organization with approximately thirty members. However, that number only referred to those who had been given a 'number.' In truth, including trainees and brainwashed zombies, Deathshroud had well over a hundred members.

"Hey... I've only been seeing you small fry for a while. Where is that Skykiller bastard hiding?"

Mae Geuklyom chased the fleeing assassins, but as he ran, he noticed they were leading him to increasingly deserted places. He realized instantly that they were luring him into a trap, but he didn't care.

Anything's fine as long as the kids are safe.

As long as the assassins' attention remained focused on him, the students would be safe, and it would be easier for Baek Suryong to locate Skykiller.

Suddenly, Mae Geuklyom skidded to a halt. A man in black with an intense aura was standing before him, blocking his path.

"I'm speechless," the man said, shaking his head.

Mae Geuklyom steadied his breathing and pointed his sword at the man. Although he was exhausted from fighting dozens of assassins, his sword did not waver in the slightest.

"Are you the head of those butchers? The one called Skykiller?" he demanded.

The First Shroud, or rather, the Ninth Elder of the Blood Cult, glanced at the dismembered corpses scattered around Mae Geuklyom and sighed. "If I were, I wouldn't have handled things this way. This is not the sight I wanted to see when I entrusted this job to them..."

"So you're saying you're not Skykiller?" Mae Geuklyom interjected.

The Ninth Elder smirked faintly. "What does that matter? Even if I'm not Skykiller, your fate won't change."

A formidable demonic qi wrapped around the Ninth Elder's arms.

Mae Geuklyom narrowed his eyes. The Azure Dragon Emblem in his pocket vibrated more fiercely than ever before, as if warning him of the impending danger.

"Since you killed so many of the assassins I painstakingly raised, isn't it only fair that we take your life to balance things out?"

"I'm disappointed. How many times has it been today? Yet another beast imitates human speech. I'll have to cut off your head and throw it to that fiend, Skykiller."

The war of words did not last long. After all, the only reason the two men were even conversing was to buy time to assess their opponent's skill.

The two masters locked gazes.

With a mighty stomp, a crater appeared on the ground beneath the Ninth Elder, and a shockwave surged toward Mae Geuklyom like a tsunami.

At the same time, Mae Geuklyom shot toward the Ninth Elder like a cannonball, swinging his sword to cleave the bastard in two.

The Ninth Elder blocked Mae Geuklyom's sword with his demonic qi-clad arms.

For the first time, Mae Geuklyom withdrew without cutting anything. A look of dismay flashed across his face, and a faint trace of blood appeared at the corner of his lips. He had suffered an internal injury from the recoil.

The Ninth Elder, on the other hand, was ecstatic. "Where's the old man who was acting so high and mighty now?" he taunted.

Although he was the weakest of the Blood Cult elders, he was still a supreme master. Unleashing his palm technique with both hands, he one-sidedly overwhelmed Mae Geuklyom.

Mae Geuklyom fought valiantly, displaying skills beyond his level. He avoided direct clashes, deflecting attacks and looking for openings. His sharp sword qi almost pierced the Ninth Elder's armor and reached him several times.

Unfortunately, the disparity in their inner qi reserves was insurmountable. The Ninth Elder easily deflected Mae Geuklyom's sword with his explosive palm technique, altering its trajectory slightly limited the effectiveness of the old man's strikes.

Ultimately, Mae Geuklyom was sent flying by a palm strike. Tumbling to the ground, he coughed violently. His white beard, which he was always so proud of, was now stained red.

Nevertheless, Mae Geuklyom did not yield. Using his sword as a cane, he staggered to his feet.

"Kukuku!" The Ninth Elder of the Blood Cult approached Mae Geuklyom, laughing villainously. He needed someone to vent his anger on right now, and the Azure Dragon Hero's grandfather was the perfect candidate. "Did you think you were one of the Ten Supremes? You're way past your prime, old man."

"Past my prime... huh?" Mae Geuklyom gasped.

He couldn't deny the Ninth Elder's words. No matter how hard he trained, his stamina and muscles had declined compared to his younger days. Only his spirit was stronger than ever.

"Hoo..." The old swordsman straightened his back, held his sword steady, and pointed it at the enemy.

So what if he's right? I'll just replace the muscles and stamina I lost with experience and resolve.

"Though I may have grown old and weak," he said firmly, "I am not so pathetic that I would allow trash beneath even a dog to look down on me."

"How dare you...? Fine. Blame yourself for acting beyond your station." Enraged, the Ninth Elder glared at Mae Geuklyom in disgust and charged forward, amping up the demonic qi wrapped around his arms.

Mae Geuklyom opened his eyes wide and focused all his senses on the enemy.

Landing one strike is all I can manage. Just one hit!

If he abandoned his defense entirely, he might be able to cut through the Ninth Elder's armor. Even if he couldn't kill the Ninth Elder, he was determined to at least take one of his arms.

Suryong, you must not move yet.

His opponent wasn't Skykiller. In other words, the real threat to the Azure Dragon Academy was still lurking out there somewhere.

Therefore, Mae Geuklyom hoped that Baek Suryong would resist the urge to reveal himself.

I will cut this one down, so you go and catch Skykiller.

He wasn't afraid of death. He was just regretful that he couldn't spend a little more time with the grandson he had met so late.

"I'm going to go meet you now, Yakbing..."

"She said to tell you not to come yet, though?" a voice cut in.

Rushing in like a sudden gust of wind, someone attacked the Ninth Elder. Content orıginally comes from novelFirｅ.net

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, the Ninth Elder was knocked backwards. Within the rising windstorm, hidden sword strikes lurked, each one powerful enough that he could not ignore them.

Mae Geuklyom looked at the familiar back of the man in front of him. How many times had he stared at this back as he chased this punk thirty years ago? He was a talented boy who had surpassed many expectations, even reaching the semifinals of the Heavenly Martial Festival's Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

"...Muheun?" he whispered.

The boy, now a middle-aged man, turned to look at him and grinned.

"Yes, Father-in-law?"

Right. This was the very smile that had charmed his daughter.

"You worthless scoundrel..."

"I came all this way to help, so why are you being again?" Baek Muheun protested loudly.

Mae Geuklyom snorted and stepped forward. "Just don't get in my way."

Though he said that, he had no choice but to admit that the former number one delinquent of the Azure Dragon Academy had now become a man he could entrust his back to.