Chapter 309

청 doesn’t just see the world with her eyes.

Using the Awakening Skill, she reads the flow of the air with her skin, sensing a narrow range all around her.

The assassin’s movements with the dagger above and below connect with her senses.

Two daggers heading for her neck. And two more daggers behind them.

It’s as if two hands, like they fused together, extend between the assassin’s armpits.

Those additional two daggers dashed toward her dantian and right side.

It’s a remarkable skill, like an assassin with four arms extending four blades all at once.

It’s a precision attack targeting only the deadly spots: the neck, lower abdomen, and spleen.

In contrast, 청’s hands are just two.

But two is more than enough.

청 blocks her neck with her left hand while tightening her abdominal muscles.

Even with the sheer strength of her body, 청 has already transcended humanity, and in the fierce cold, she achieved a state of automatic defense.

As long as she defends her neck, the rest, well, just let it be.

Finally, the sharp blade of the dagger pricks her.

The well-sharpened tip stops against 청’s palm. Two daggers heading for her abdomen also come to a halt, unable to pierce through her muscles and leaving just a slight scratch on her skin.

And 청 still has one hand left.

With her elbow pulled back, her finger extends straight, then she thrusts forward in one seamless motion.

“One principle connects all things.”

One truth pierces through everything.

Though it’s merely the third principle of the Triad Sabre, lacking the grandeur of its title.

The Triad Sabre is considered third-rate even by 청’s standards, so it’s quite a stretch to think one truth can pierce through everything.

But she could at least penetrate two people simultaneously.

Piercing through the toned abdominal muscles, slipping past the soft inner fat, skimming over the organs, and breaking through the skin on her back, she thinks, “Wow! One more time! Back to the abs again!”

It’s truly a perfect kill, obtaining double accomplishments with a single strike.

The assassins felt wronged.

The daggers were blocked by her palm and couldn’t even pierce her abs, yet 청 casually penetrated both their bellies with her fingertips.

If you feel wronged, you should’ve used your energy.

Normally, skilled fighters should bear such grievances.

Perhaps they simply lacked the effort to become Supreme Martial Artists.

“Hah.”

청 couldn’t help but let out a gleeful sigh at her dual accomplishment.

But this isn’t over.

With both men skewered, she extends her arm horizontally and lifts them effortlessly.

It’s a breathtaking display of strength, lifting the weight of two men with one hand.

Naturally, since the upper body is heavier than the lower, the bodies of the assassins lean to one side.

Instinctively, the assassins grab onto 청’s shoulders to stabilize their tipping bodies.

The one in the front has something to hold onto, but the one in the back is left with nothing.

So, the result? The one in front gets snatched into an embrace, sending all their weight onto one guy.

Consequently, their bodies twist, and the two heads dangle down, allowing the clerk, who was previously incapacitated, to rise.

청 curled her fingers like claws and lowered her arms. The outer assassin’s head hits the floor with a thud, and shortly after, the front one’s follows.

Once both men crumple, 청 holds onto their stomachs as if grabbing two strands of intestines, stretching down to the gathered flesh of their bellies.

In a fit of enthusiasm, 청 ties the intestines together firmly.

Now, they are intertwined with their innards, forming an incredibly intimate bond, perhaps the closest friendship in the world.

With a triumphant smile, 청 gazes at the clerk.

So what’s it gonna be now?

After witnessing this, will you still try to fight back?

Or will you rage as if avenging your comrades?

Or beg for your life?

It looks like any hope of mercy is out the window.

However, the clerk’s response was none of the above.

With a stern expression, he pulled something out from his pocket and swallowed it whole.

“Now, let’s continue our conversation, hey!”

Shocked, 청 stomped forward and grabbed him by the collar, dashing out with the speed of a Heavenly Demon.

“Cough, I’ll be waiting in the afterlife!”

Despite the ominous flair of his last words, he couldn’t help but scream as 청 yanked on his jaw.

You see, 청 was just a little rough around the edges, totally uninterested in his dying wish.

Skillfully dislocating his jaw, she inserted her long, beautiful fingers deep into his mouth.

“Ugh, ugh! Ohhh! Ugh!”

The nasty gagging escalated, signaling impending vomit, and at that deep tremor, 청 swiftly pulled her hand back and tossed the clerk aside.

The unfortunate clerk collapsed and released everything he’d swallowed.

청 wrinkled her nose. Ugh, gross.

Spotting a teapot on the desk, she tossed it at the clerk’s head as a means to rinse things off.

Clang! As the glass shattered and splashed hot tea everywhere, it at least seemed to improve the situation a bit.

“What’s this? Attempting suicide? You’re quite the loyal one! Do those who prey on others have some code of honor about dying?”

“Cough! You—!”

“You’ve got some guts saying you were gonna off yourself. Hey, buddy. If you’ve got the courage to die, then you better have the guts to live too. No matter how tough or painful it gets, you gotta clench your teeth and survive. So I’ll make it as excruciating as possible, but you still better not give up on life. Endure this as best as you can.”

“……?”

“You know what the opposite of suicide is?”

As 청 approaches the clerk, she poses the question, answering herself.

“The answer is homicide.”

“Aaah!”

The way she smoothly dislocated the shoulder and hip joints comes effortlessly.

Even though the bones are dislocated, muscles and tendons are still connected, so while he can’t exert strength, the pain is incomprehensibly intense.

But when that happens to all four limbs, he can’t even faint properly from the agony; all he can do is scream out loud.

“Lady, be quiet.”

청 roughly twists the clerk’s sleeve, tying it neatly around his dislocated jaw and neck, securing it tightly with a knot.

“Mmm, ugh!”

If you completely block their mouth, they could pass out from lack of air.

Some sound might seep out, but not enough to cause a fuss.

Then she moved to grab his hair but finding it dirty from his earlier dose of poison, instead, she grabbed his ankle.

With his dislocated leg being seized, one can only imagine the torment he’s in.

Of course, 청 wasn’t in the least bit interested in comprehending any of it.

“Never seen anyone so keen on swallowing poison. They know they’ve messed up but still cling to their miserable life. Now, Gunyongi, let’s move.”

“You called me Gunyongi again! It’s Gunyong! Gunyong!”

“Gunyongi and Gunyong sound pretty much the same when pronounced. What was that? Some kind of phonetic law or something? But deep down, I really meant to call you Gunyongi.”

Seoliri narrowed her eyes.

청 smiled at her and casually wiped her hands on her waist before extending one out.

“Alright. Let’s go back. Hand here.”

Seoliri obediently took her hand.

“But, can’t I seriously call you Gunyongi? It’s just so cute.”

“I’d rather you not.”

“……Then how about Gunyongie?”

At that, Seoliri’s forehead twitched.

She tried to pull her hand away, but 청 held on tight, leaving only the captured hand flailing in the air.

“Oh ho! What’s with this little tantrum? So you don’t need my hand anymore, huh? Alright, I’ll let go?”

“No! No! No!”

“That’s right. Good girl.”

Dragging the clerk along, they made their way back, as if they were just casually chatting after a fun day out.

—-

When 청 dragged the clerk back up to the ground, wow, it was somewhat amusing to watch him bang his head against the stairs, but still, the waiting Choi Riyong was taken aback.

“What’s with that girl? Is she a runaway pony or something? Tsk tsk.”

“Hey! This time I behaved myself! This much is clean, right?”

“Clean? My backside!”

청 felt wronged.

Did I splatter blood all over? I didn’t even slice a big vein this time, unlike before.

It was just a few splatter stains on her face; not enough for blood to be dripping down her chin.

Choi Riyong had a towel prepared, wiping 청’s face softly with a warm cloth.

It felt warming enough, and with a careful touch that seemed to worry it might hurt, an involuntary smile spread across her face.

“Hehe.”

“What’s with this giggle? You’re losing your dignity.”

“Come on, Grandpa, what dignity am I chasing? Should I be strict and solemn like, ‘Hmph, must I laugh like this?’”

“Hmm.”

Choi Riyong wished 청 would carry a little more dignity and grandeur as the owner of the Divine Sect.

But he couldn’t voice such a thing.

As they chatted, a lingering gaze caught her attention.

Not just any gaze.

There was a growing pressure on the hand she was holding.

“I’ll ask later, so just keep him alive for now. Do you have more wet towels?”

“I’ve actually prepared extra just in case.”

As 청 accepted a new wet towel, she scrubbed Seoliri’s face fervently while Seoliri looked at her with longing eyes like a pet expecting a treat.

청 wasn’t rough or irritated; it just reminded her of the harsh scrubbing her mother used to give her back in the day.

“That hurts.”

She complained, but her eyes slightly crinkled, reflecting satisfaction as 청 relished in her authority over Seoliri.

But why doesn’t Seoliri have hands? Or legs?

Giving her a look and not scrubbing herself.

After their return, hunger hit, and 청 munched eagerly on some midnight snacks, devouring them like a glutton, then headed for the basement of the Sun Moon Courier.

“Um. It might get somewhat noisy.”

“You needn’t worry, Young Lady. Even if hundreds scream simultaneously, no one in the world would hear; this place is perfectly soundproofed… ahem, a warehouse, really, yes, ho ho.”

“Oh.”

But then 청 tilted her head.

“Why’s the warehouse soundproofed?”

“Er, um. Well, you see, I’m not entirely sure. It’s sort of how it was… I’m also curious about that myself. Ha ha.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s always been like this?” Was it for unsavory purposes?

Either way, it was a good find.

Upon going down into the basement, they found one of the Sun Moon Courier’s officials, examining the wall instead of using the intact door.

Hehe, he struggled to pry open a well-concealed iron door.

Wow, that door was at least an inch thick!

청 understood what an impenetrable sound barrier meant.

Just the thickness of it would be impossible for an average person to open, so how could a sound possibly escape from here?

“Wow. A secret warehouse.”

“This way, Young Lady.”

He lit the lanterns hanging inside, illuminating the path as he carried two lanterns, directing one at 청’s feet and the other lighting the way behind him.

Well, it was bright near her feet, but she wondered why he needed two lanterns.

“I’ll carry one for you.”

“No! This is my joy! It brings me great pleasure to light your path! I mean it with no other intent, just that!”

Well, if he says so, then okay.

As they carefully descended the stairwell and walked down a pretty long corridor, they came upon another iron door, beyond which lay the clerk she’d caught, neatly tied to a support beam.

---