Chapter 74: Seolyoung, Cuts Down a Black Way Alliance Warrior

At the mention of the Black Way Alliance, the man who had stood up was startled.

"R-Really?"

The man’s voice trembled. The ones Orthodox martial artists feared most were without question, the Asura Demon Sect, and second to them, the Black Way Alliance.

The man who had earlier shouted that they were from the Black Way Alliance smirked and said,

"If you flap that arrogant mouth of yours one more time, us men will snap that worthless neck of yours clean off."

It was closer to harassment than a threat, but no one dared to confront them. The man seated with him forcibly pulled his companion back into his seat. The man reluctantly sat down. They quickly exchanged soundless words.

— We have to endure it, no matter how filthy it is.

— Damn it! There’s no way to know for sure if they’re really the Black Way Alliance.

— But if by any chance they are, we’ll be in serious trouble. Hold back. We must hold back no matter what.

Another man looked around the room and shouted,

"Keep your eyes down before I rip them out, you bastards!"

The atmosphere instantly shifted to one of fear. No matter how brave some might be, no one could stand against an organization like the Black Way Alliance.

Forget about upholding honor, one wrong move here and they could lose their heads.

Baek Seolyoung’s expression had visibly hardened. She had always disliked people from the Unorthodox Faction.

Lee Jaseung glanced at Dan Woobin. Dan Woobin gave a troubled look and sent him a silent voice transmission.

— They are wearing our men’s uniforms. I think they really are ours.

At those words, Lee Jaseung’s expression twisted slightly, and Dan Woobin sighed, wondering how to deal with this.

The men strolled around the inn, clearly searching for the young man and woman who had come in earlier. The pair trembled in the corner behind a pillar.

Two men approached Lee Jaseung’s table. One of them, wearing black clothes, seemed like the leader judging from the air around him.

The man in black looked at Lee Jaseung, who ignored him and lifted his cup.

Swish.

The man blocked Lee Jaseung’s arm with the hilt of his sword. Lee Jaseung looked up at him.

The man in black looked down and spoke.

"Look at this guy. Those fierce eyes tell me you’ve got some fire in you. What do you think? Want to join the Black Way Alliance?"

At that, another man beside him laughed loudly.

Mujin chuckled along, and Ma Young-gi’s expression remained unchanged. Dan Woobin’s face hardened seriously.

The man in black kept walking. This wasn’t the end.

His gaze fell on Baek Seolyoung, who was seated opposite Lee Jaseung. A beauty like her was not someone these thugs would pass over.

Just as the man in black was about to get a good look at her face, a voice called from near the pillar.

"We’ve found them!"

The man in black strode toward the sound.

Dan Woobin sighed. He wished they would just take the two and leave without causing more trouble.

But the Black Way Alliance men did not.

Thwack! Wham!

They began beating the young man.

"No!"

The woman rushed in to stop them.

Thud!

The man in black kicked her hard, knocking her to the floor.

But she threw herself over the man again to shield him.

The men mocked the pair.

"Hahaha, what are you two doing in broad daylight?"

"Ha! What a pathetic sight they’re showing."

"You idiot! You should be careful who you lay hands on. Someone here already claimed this woman. And her man hasn’t even had a taste yet, but you went ahead and marked her?"

The lewd words made the onlookers grimace, but no one stepped forward to help. Even if they drove these men away now, they would surely face the Black Way Alliance’s revenge later.

Baek Seolyoung’s face was rigid. By contrast, Lee Jaseung’s expression was calm.

But Mujin, Dan Woobin, and Ma Young-gi watched him closely. They could tell he was furious.

Baek Seolyoung was torn. She wanted to rush in and help them, but given her current circumstances, it was not something she should do. She thought Lee Jaseung’s silence meant he felt the same.

Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!

The men in black dragged the woman aside and trampled the young man.

In the end, Baek Seolyoung could not take it anymore and shot to her feet.

"Enough! You Black Way Alliance trash!"

Her shout froze the men in black. All eyes turned to her.

She looked at Lee Jaseung and said softly,

"Sorry. Scold me for being reckless if you must."

She drew her sword and strode toward the men in black.

Lee Jaseung silently drank his liquor. The others stayed seated.

Even Mujin, usually quick with a joke, stayed silent. This was no time for humor.

Baek Seolyoung pointed her sword at the men.

"I do not care what your reason is. Leave now, or fight."

The men exchanged glances. They had not expected such a beautiful woman to step forward and seemed momentarily thrown off.

One of them stepped forward with a sly grin.

"Lady, I think there’s been a misunderstanding- "

Whoosh!

Before he could finish, he lunged at her.

Slash!

With a terrible sound of flesh being cut, the man collapsed.

Thud.

Smiling as he attacked, he had his neck cleanly severed by Baek Seolyoung.

Holding her blood-dripping sword, she said coldly,

"Yes, it seems there was a misunderstanding about me."

The men’s faces twisted with anger.

"Damn you! Do you not know who we are?"

"Did I not just say you’re Black Way Alliance trash?"

The man in black’s eyes turned cold.

"You’ve got guts, woman! Kill her!"

The men charged.

Even against the combined attack of four men, Baek Seolyoung stayed calm.

Thrust!

She skewered one, twisted her body, and cut down another. She was a better fighter than they were, and her anger did not disrupt her technique.

She swiftly cut down all four and knocked the sword from the man in black’s hands.

Disarmed, the man in black dropped to his knees.

"Please, spare me! I was only following orders from above!"

As he prostrated himself, Baek Seolyoung sneered.

"You trample the weak, and grovel before the strong. Yes, that is exactly what your Black Way Alliance is."

Mujin, Dan Woobin, and Ma Young-gi watched Lee Jaseung nervously.

They half-expected him to explode and shout that it was not so, but he kept drinking without a word.

That was what made it scarier. They knew when he was truly angry, but he showed no outward sign.

He had ordered all his men before. Never harm those without martial skills. But the man and woman they had beaten clearly knew no martial arts.

"Please, spare me. I will even lick your feet if you wish."

The man in black crawled forward to do so. Suddenly, his hand flashed. From his sleeve, he drew a dagger and slashed at her ankle.

Thwunk!

But before he could land the blow, her sword plunged into his back. She had expected him to try something.

"D-Damn... you..."

Still glaring at her, the man breathed his last.

Baek Seolyoung pulled her sword free, shook the blood from it, and went to the two still lying on the floor. She lifted the woman off the young man.

"You may leave now."

The woman lifted her tear-streaked face.

"Savior, thank you. Truly, I thank you."

Swaaaash!

Thrust!

Baek Seolyoung looked down.

The woman’s dagger had stopped just short of her neck, trembling a finger’s width away. She had not noticed the attack, so naturally she could not have blocked it.

Why did she stop?

Baek Seolyoung looked up again. Blood was flowing from the woman’s chest, and a dagger was buried there, thrown by Lee Jaseung.

Swoosh!

The young man leapt up with a dagger.

Boom! Crack!

But before he could reach her, he was sent flying into the wall, a spear from Ma Young-gi lodged in his chest.

Stunned that the pair had attacked her, Baek Seolyoung looked to Lee Jaseung. He rose from his seat and said,

"Yes, they are assassins."

His words shocked everyone.

Until he killed the woman, no one had known they were assassins. There were no traces of martial training on them.

He started to explain.

"They have no inner Qi training. They wait for the perfect moment and kill with purely external skills."

That made them more dangerous. There were no signs to detect beforehand.

Dan Woobin asked, surprised,

"How did you know?"

"They seemed to strike wildly, but they were carefully avoiding the joints."

Mujin asked in awe,

"When did you notice that?"

"I was not trying to see it. I just did. Their arm muscles were unusually developed. And earlier, one of them said ‘Black Way Alliance’ instead of ‘our alliance.’"

Normally, people referred to their own group as “our sect,” “our clan,” or “our alliance.”

"As expected, amazing!"

Dan Woobin said, impressed.

Mujin grinned at Baek Seolyoung.

"Hehehe. This is our big brother’s specialty, showing off."

The tension eased slightly at his joke.

During this, Ma Young-gi spoke with a serious face.

"It is late, so we should leave."

Unless there was a compelling reason, they could not stay in a place where they had been ambushed. At least they had eaten a proper meal.

Lee Jaseung nodded.

"Let’s go."

Ma Young-gi went out first and spoke.

"I will prepare the carriage."

Baek Seolyoung headed upstairs.

"I will get our things."

Mujin followed her.

The onlookers sighed in relief.

Dan Woobin spoke to them.

"Everyone, leave."

Those inside rushed out, grateful to be alive. Even the innkeeper, serving boy, and cook left. Only then did Dan Woobin speak quietly,

"I’m glad they were not our men."

That meant the assassins had not been working with actual Black Way Alliance warriors. But Lee Jaseung was indifferent about it.

"What is fortunate about that?"

"Huh? At least Lord Baek will not misunderstand our alliance, right?"

"Do you really think that?"

Dan Woobin realized why Lee Jaseung was in such low spirits. This would not change her prejudice against the Black Way Alliance.

He was right. Until the last moment, before they were revealed as assassins, even he, Mujin, and Ma Young-gi had thought they were genuine Black Way Alliance members.

That was the world’s perception of the Black Way Alliance, and the reality.

"She is right. In Jianghu, the Black Way Alliance is trash. Whether it is true or not, that is the reality."

Dan Woobin couldn’t say a word.

‘That is why I hope you achieve your great cause, my Lord. When that time comes, no one will think of us that way.’

By then, Baek Seolyoung and Mujin had come down with their belongings.

Lee Jaseung left a rather generous sum for the innkeeper on the table and stepped outside.

Once everyone was gone, Mook Young appeared.

He began inspecting the bodies. He knew more about assassins than anyone.

If he could not uncover the truth, they would ask for help from the Three-Eyed Pavilion. If even then it could not be solved, it would remain a mystery forever.

Soon, the carriage departed.

Tonight, carrying unusually heavy thoughts, the carriage began speeding swiftly down the night road.

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