Chapter Title: The Purpose of the Request
-----------------------------------------------------------------
People sometimes dive into a task and carry it out, only to forget the original purpose along the way.
This request was straightforward.
Escort the Fish Gold Family's daughter.
Nothing else mattered.
Just protect the daughter.
That's why I'd run.
I'd shouted the alert about the intruders and bolted straight to her room.
The moment I smashed open the door to the Fish Gold Family's daughter's room.
I spotted an assassin poised to slit her throat.
I kept my momentum.
Drew my sword and swung the Dragon Sword in one motion.
The startled assassin redirected his blade—from her toward me.
The Dragon Sword clashed with his... CRASH!
CRUNCH!
The Dragon Sword shattered into pieces.
SHWOOOSH!
The tip of his sword sheared off a fistful of my hair.
A hair's breadth slower, and my head would've been gone.
In that desperate moment.
Shocked and rattled as the Dragon Sword exploded apart, I had to stay cool.
I shifted into footwork, dodged his follow-up swing, burrowed into his guard, and floored him.
And right away.
CRACK!
I snapped his neck bone clean through.
Instant death.
THUD!
"Kyaaak!"
Two more assassins crashed in through the window.
The Fish Gold Family's daughter screamed.
I snatched the dead assassin's sword and met them head-on.
CLANG!
CLANG CLANG!
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
These were no ordinary assassins.
Both on a whole different plane from the first one I'd killed.
But assassins were assassins.
Stealth attacks might put me on the back foot.
But in a straight-up brawl like this, they couldn't touch me... No!
"Kyaaak!"
Handling both at once.
One came at me with wild, mutual-destruction strikes.
The other slipped through the gap to go for the Fish Gold daughter.
I had to choose.
Save the Fish Gold daughter even if it killed me—or abandon her.
One answer.
Fulfill the request's purpose.
STAB!
I pivoted and plunged my blade into the back of the assassin lunging at her.
Straight through the heart.
Which let.
SLASH!
The last one carve ten cun deep into my back.
But I spun right back.
SLICE!
And took his head too.
"Huff! Huff huff! Huff huff..."
Wasn't just three guys.
I'd gone all-out against three.
Stamina drained, and my shallow internal energy hit empty.
Ragged breaths heaving, I turned my back to the Fish Gold daughter huddled sobbing on the bed.
Guarding for the next wave... Damn it!
CRUNCH!
BOOM!
Two through the roof.
Two through the window.
One through the busted door.
Five this time.
I leveled my sword and glared.
Their pupils quivered faintly behind the masks.
But pros didn't flinch—they swarmed me.
CLANG CLANG!
CLANG!
CRASH!
CRUNCH!
CLANG CLANG!
I could see it.
Their moves laid bare in my eyes.
Where and how to strike—clear as day.
Problem was mine.
I knew it now, crystal clear.
No issue before, but my skyrocketing martial prowess birthed it.
My pathetic internal energy couldn't keep pace with my realm.
CLANG!
SLICE!
One down.
CLANG CLANG!
CLANG CLANG!
SLICE! SLICE!
Two more down.
Two left.
They got cautious.
Three comrades dead—their eyes shook hard now.
Terror.
I pressed harder.
"You assassin scum. Hesitating? Come on!"
All bluff.
Wounds everywhere—uncountable.
Blood pouring nonstop.
Breath choking me.
Barely gripping the sword.
Internal energy gone ages ago.
Please... just flee.
I'm done too.
Then!
SHWOOOSH!
SLICE!
SLICE!
"Fish Gold young lady! You okay?"
Flash Blade Wi Yeon appeared.
He cut down the pair from behind, rushed to her.
"I... I'm fine. This man... he saved me."
Wi Yeon finally scanned the room slow at her words.
Assassins with throats slashed, hearts pierced.
Me drenched in blood and wounds.
He spoke slow.
"Your doing?"
"Yes."
Wi Yeon's gaze on me—deep.
Thoughts churning.
Then.
"Young lady! Fish Gold young lady!"
"Fish Gold young lady!"
White Hair Silver Spear Du Chuwon.
Blood Flower Yi Boreong.
And the rest.
All piled in.
Assassins cleared.
"Wi hero! You saved our young lady! Thank you! Truly!"
Du Chuwon gushed instant read.
Wi Yeon low-voiced him.
"Wasn't me. This guy..."
Gazes shifting my way at Wi Yeon's words.
"Enemies! Incoming!"
Du Chuwon and Wi Yeon checked window fast.
I saw.
Hundreds.
Not assassins by the rush.
Bandits?
Rogues?
No clue.
At least three hundred.
Wi Yeon to Yi Boreong sharp.
"You and Jin Muhyeon close-guard the Fish Gold young lady!"
"Yes!"
"Let's go, heroes."
"Yeah... right, Wi hero."
Wi Yeon, Du Chuwon, rest bolted out.
Screams, clashes, brutal din everywhere soon.
Fish Gold daughter huddled trembling on bed still.
Yi Boreong sword-gripped, razor-alert.
No glance my way.
But watching me all the same.
"Your doing...?"
"Yes."
Her thoughts tangled too.
Gaze doorward, but vibe all on me.
Then.
"Here!"
Enemies breached—pushing this far.
But.
SLICE!
SLICE! SLICE!
A dozen-ish, but trash next to assassins.
Yi Boreong blinked not—cut 'em instant.
"You... alright?"
Fish Gold daughter.
Terrified herself, but fetched cold-tea cup, offered me.
Sorry for the ugly call.
This in terror? Not just anyone.
Especially non-martial folk.
Heart and character over looks, yeah.
"Thank you."
"Miss Yi. Can he... sit, rest?"
Yi Boreong finally turned at her words, eyed me.
Blood-caked, leaking nonstop, sword-hand quaking from fatigue max.
"Rest. I got this."
So I sat, rested.
The savage inn slaughter ended at dawn.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Inn.
Owner, chef, staff, guests—all dead.
Fish Gold Family.
Daughter, Du Chuwon, two first-rates—rest dead.
Rogues.
Wi Yeon, Yi Boreong, two first-rates, three seconds, four thirds—rest dead.
Enemies down: assassins included, around 360.
A massive, gruesome, brutal end.
"Hey. Jin Muhyeon. Fuck. What went down all night?"
"Spit it, bastard. Dying here."
"Aigoo! Why my cheek sting? Slapped overnight?"
Madness.
Mass deaths.
Survivors scarred big and small like me.
Yet unscratched third-rate rogues exist.
Three even.
Mak Daechil, Joo Okga, Sa Daegi crew.
How'd these scrubs live that hell?
One answer.
Blackout drunk, corpse-play perfect.
Enemies bought it, spared 'em.
Luck gods smiled.
"Hey! Jin Muhyeon. Talk already. What hap—"
"Shh! Hold up."
We're posted outside half-wrecked inn.
Inside: Wi Yeon, Du Chuwon yelling debate.
Wi Yeon: Enemies rebound—back to Chang'an now.
Du Chuwon: Two days left—push Hanzhong.
Leader Du Chuwon calls it.
Wi Yeon yields, noise dies.
"This punk, babied as baby bro—now ghosting us?"
"Right. Jin Muhyeon ignoring hyungs nonstop."
"Fuck it. Beatdown time."
These clueless fucks gearing to thump me now.
Gonna lose it.
But they froze.
Du Chuwon, Wi Yeon et al. emerged post-spat.
Rushed Hanzhong prep.
Mak Daechil crew still glared gaps.
Throat-slit mime too.
Then.
All rigged, lined to roll.
Wi Yeon called me.
"Jin Muhyeon young hero."
"Yes."
Not plain Jin Muhyeon.
'Young hero' tagged.
Mak Daechil et al. heads cock.
"Till Hanzhong—you with Yi Boreong heroine on close escort for Fish Gold young lady."
"Yes!"
Client close-guard.
No randos.
Top trust only.
Top skill too.
Instant.
Mak Daechil, Joo Okga, Sa Daegi eyes popped nat'ral.