Chapter : 43
My Fortuitous Encounter Is the Status Window (43)
A Long-Awaited Meeting
At the Hour of the Dog (7–9 p.m.), at Mankae Pavilion.
I arrived a little early, had dinner, and was leisurely sipping tea.
‘Is that the person? Hmm… no.’
I casually scanned the passersby while waiting for whoever was supposed to come get me.
Whenever someone who looked even remotely like a martial artist approached, my heart would jump for no reason.
Yet even after the Hour of the Dog had passed, no one came up to me.
‘Did the order not get delivered properly?’
As time dragged on, I began to wonder if there had been some confusion in the chain of command.
Even though it was the Demonic Cult, the only people I had seen so far were the waiter here and that money changer.
From my perspective, they didn’t seem particularly systematic or tightly organized.
The money changer at least looked capable, but this waiter especially felt like he worked carelessly.
Because of that, my trust in the Demonic Cult wasn’t very high.
“Welcome!”
At that moment—
A single man in black robes and a mask entered Mankae Pavilion.
Judging by the saber openly hanging at his waist, he was a martial artist.
He swept his gaze around the room, then began walking straight toward me without hesitation.
‘……!!’
Back when I was being trained by the White Tiger Unit, I’d been taught that warriors of the Demonic Cult emitted a distinctive demonic aura.
A chilling, intense presence that leaked out from the martial arts they cultivated.
As the masked man in black drew closer to me,
my skin prickled, and my instincts screamed a warning as a dense demonic aura washed over me.
It was a strange sensation—
a mix of the aversion you feel when forced to put food you don’t want into your mouth, and the fear you feel toward someone you instinctively want to avoid.
“Follow me.”
The masked man strode right up to me and bluntly told me to come along.
Without thinking, I turned my head to look at the waiter.
He gave a slight nod.
That meant this was the one.
‘No way… we’re making contact this openly?’
Everyone inside Mankae Pavilion was looking at me.
Anyone would immediately think, So Demonic Cult warriors are meeting here.
If it was going to be like this, what was the point of exchanging code phrases and written orders until now?
‘Well, I’m the one getting exposed, not the waiter.’
His security clearance might actually be higher than mine.
After all, if he were captured, other assassins receiving missions at Mankae Pavilion could get dragged down with him.
—Scrape.
I pulled my chair back and stood up.
As soon as I did, the masked man headed straight out of Mankae Pavilion, and I followed behind him.
After passing through the bustling streets and moving toward a quiet area on the outskirts of the city, the masked man suddenly stopped.
“Can I call you Number Four?”
Turning toward me, he pulled down his mask and asked.
He looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties.
Despite the ominous demonic aura he gave off, his appearance was that of an ordinary Central Plains man.
“Yes.”
“Good to meet you. I am Naeng Gwangcheol, vice commander of the Blood Rain Unit under the Blood Heaven Platform.”
The Blood Heaven Platform.
I had heard of it before.
One of the Demonic Cult’s five major combat groups—the ones who had annihilated the Cheolwoo Guild in Iyang, Hunan Province.
I’d heard that the Great Lord, Sima Jong, was currently staying in the Central Plains, continuously suppressing the remnants of the Orthodox Alliance.
“I am Assassin Number Four of the Black Kill Sect.”
I bowed politely to Naeng Gwangcheol.
Even if he was only the vice commander of the Blood Rain Unit, his rank was unquestionably higher than that of a mere assassin like me.
“I was a bit taken aback when I was told to add a single assassin to our force, but the higher-ups said you’d be a great help in this operation.”
“Yes…”
“The Great Lord has ordered that you operate as part of the Blood Rain Unit.”
“Understood.”
A great help to the operation?
Had I been doing my missions too well?
Should I have pretended to be a bit less competent?
No—that was ridiculous.
In a situation where every moment mattered, how could I afford to do something like that?
I just needed to hurry up, fill my quota, get my reward, and quit this assassin business.
“From now on, we’ll pick up the pace.”
“Yes.”
After our brief introductions, Naeng Gwangcheol began stepping into a movement technique.
‘Fast!’
He was fast.
Much faster than any demonic masters I’d ever chased before.
Of course, it wasn’t so fast that I couldn’t keep up.
With my perfected Bulrae Bugeo and peak-level skills, I wasn’t someone who’d fall behind easily anywhere.
The scenery flew past us.
After running along the riverside path for about half an ik—
A powerful wave of demonic aura surged toward us, strong enough to make my body shudder.
Enhancing my vision, I looked ahead.
A group of men in black were boarding ships docked at the river ferry.
I could tell at a glance.
They were from the Blood Heaven Platform.
Upon reaching the destination, Naeng Gwangcheol slowed down, and I did the same, steadying my breathing.
“You will meet the Great Lord.”
“Yes.”
Following his lead, I passed through the ranks of Blood Heaven warriors and approached the figures standing atop a massive boulder.
‘Ah…!’
A man stood alone on the largest rock.
The overwhelming demonic aura and presence he exuded were palpable even from a considerable distance.
A gigantic build.
A shaved head.
A massively muscular body that looked like it had mastered external martial arts.
He was Black Dragon Iron Whip, Sima Jong.
The enormous iron whip hanging at his waist—
it coiled around him like a metallic serpent.
‘They say every time that whip goes wild, three or four heads go flying, don’t they?’
Rumors about Sima Jong were already rampant throughout Hunan Province.
Stories of Orthodox warriors being crushed and torn apart by his iron whip.
“Great Lord. I have brought the assassin you mentioned from Mankae Pavilion.”
Naeng Gwangcheol knelt before Sima Jong and reported.
I quickly followed suit and knelt behind him.
“Well done. Have him join the Blood Rain Unit. They are already boarding.”
“Yes, Great Lord!”
Naeng Gwangcheol answered and sprang to his feet.
I followed him as we headed toward the docked ships.
‘What an overwhelming presence… Just how strong is he?’
You could feel his power just from him standing there.
Of course, no matter how strong he was, he wasn’t at the level of someone who had reached the heavens like Brother Hyegong.
‘About the same as Master Woo Myeon-gae? No… he seems stronger than my master.’
Back when my realm was low, Woo Myeon-gae had seemed like the sky itself.
But now, looking back, I didn’t think he was that overwhelming.
His martial prowess was probably around my level.
Sima Jong was definitely above me.
You never know until you actually clash, but my instincts told me so.
If we fought ten times, I’d probably lose nine of them.
‘Late-stage peak realm? Or maybe even early transcendent.’
He could be in the early transcendent realm, but late-stage peak seemed more likely.
We boarded one of the docked ships along the pier.
It was about the size of a standard merchant vessel used to cross the Yangtze.
“Commander. I have brought the person the Great Lord ordered.”
Naeng Gwangcheol respectfully reported to a man in black who was standing at the stern, gazing at the riverbank.
He was Go Il-ak, commander of the Blood Rain Unit.
A direct subordinate of Sima Jong, and Naeng Gwangcheol’s superior.
“Good work. That person will be assigned to your operation team. Keep an eye on him.”
“Understood.”
Go Il-ak gave me a brief once-over.
His gaze clearly said, Why am I being told to take along some stray like this?
‘Like I want to join you guys, either.’
Neither of us welcomed the other.
Working alone was far more comfortable for me.
The thought of tiptoeing around among people who reeked of demonic aura like this was stressful in more ways than one.
“Let’s go.”
Once the report to the commander was finished, Naeng Gwangcheol led me into the cabin.
Inside, Blood Rain Unit members who had already boarded were seated in neat rows.
Like disciplined soldiers, they sat perfectly still, not chatting or moving unnecessarily.
“Wait here with me. Once we reach the landing point, we’ll split into two teams and infiltrate the enemy camp. Just keep following me.”
“Yes, understood.”
There were roughly forty Blood Rain Unit members in the cabin.
It seemed they planned to divide them into two groups, with the commander and vice commander each leading one to encircle the enemy.
A complete annihilation operation.
Their intent to spread their forces wide and wipe out every fleeing enemy was obvious.
The other units, besides the Blood Rain Unit, would surely also split up to surround the enemy camp.
‘One Green Forest stronghold is disappearing from the map today.’
With an attack of this scale, even a decently sized branch would be wiped out in an instant.
This mission looked like it would succeed without much difficulty.
“Casting off!”
The sailors shouted loudly, announcing the ship’s departure.
They didn’t look particularly afraid—
as if they were already used to operations involving the Demonic Cult.
The ship rocked slightly as it began gliding across the river.
‘Quiet as a graveyard.’
I’d crossed rivers by boat a few times before.
Usually people would gather in small groups, chat, or introduce themselves even to strangers.
But here, the atmosphere was completely different.
No one spoke.
They simply stared ahead in silence.
You could call it strict discipline.
They barely moved, all maintaining perfect posture.
The only one doing anything was Naeng Gwangcheol, who took out a map and reviewed the route after landing.
After about one shijin—
Unlike the others, who still sat perfectly upright, I leaned against the hull to give my back a break.
I glanced at Naeng Gwangcheol to see if he’d say anything, but thankfully, he didn’t.
Right—that made sense.
I belonged to the Black Kill Sect, not the Blood Rain Unit.
In that case, I’ll rest my eyes a bit too.
I’m exhausted in more ways than one.
Just as I was about to close my eyes and properly rest—
“We’re approaching the destination. Prepare to disembark.”
The sailor’s shout jolted me fully awake.
Naeng Gwangcheol sprang up and headed out of the cabin onto the deck.
He was probably going to receive orders from the unit commander.
Looks like the real operation was about to begin.
I’d better keep my head down and stay cautious.
Getting dragged into something and dying a pointless death would be the worst outcome.
Naeng Gwangcheol returned to the cabin.
His face was brimming with excitement.
“Everyone up! We’re landing soon. Team One, follow the unit commander. Team Two, follow me. The unit commander will land first, and we’ll follow after.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Blood Rain Unit members rose to their feet in unison.
Team One, who had been seated on the right, rushed out onto the deck first.
“Team Two! Move!”
My team followed them out.
‘A water stronghold!’
As soon as we reached the deck, the surroundings came into view.
Sheer cliffs rose like folding screens—this was Red Cliff.
Nestled among them was a water stronghold, along with boats used by the bandits.
—Clang! Clang!
“Kyaaah!”
The battle had already begun.
Other units besides the Blood Rain Unit were landing as well, encircling the stronghold from all sides.
“We’ll block the escape route on the right! Don’t fall behind—follow me!”
Naeng Gwangcheol shouted loudly and charged toward the right, where the cliffs rose steeply.
Team Two stuck close behind him, and I did the same.
‘How far are we going?’
After following Naeng Gwangcheol for half a shijin,
we were moving farther and farther away from the stronghold.
In the direction of the stronghold, flames shot up and screams rang out.
It looked like the Blood Heaven Platform and Sima Jong had already breached the main camp and were wiping everything out.
Team Two seemed to be assigned to cleanup duty—
encircling the outskirts to deal with any possible stragglers.
Judging by the situation, the Blood Heaven elites were already crushing the stronghold.
‘This is easy pickings.’
The Status Window mission was simply to join a surprise attack.
I’d already joined—mission complete.
And I wouldn’t even get a single drop of blood on my hands?
No risk of injury, either. Pure profit.
“Who the hell are you?!”
Just as I was thinking how perfect this was—
Enemies appeared in front of us as well, bursting out of the dense bushes.
Green Forest bandits were fleeing in a panic along a narrow mountain path.
There were about ten of them.
A number we could easily suppress—
“There aren’t many of them! Subdue them quickly and move on!”
The man at the front of the Green Forest group gave the order without the slightest hint of panic, even after spotting us.
‘That bastard!’
The way he commanded as if this was nothing.
A large axe hung at his waist, along with several smaller ones.
A face I could never forget.
Red Axe, Maeng Sopyeong!
So I’d be meeting him again sooner than I expected.
A burning desire for battle surged up from my chest like an erupting volcano.
Isn’t it the law of the martial world to return what you’ve been given?
If I drag my sword across that bastard’s neck,
I think I’ll sleep very soundly tonight.
