Chapter 135

Even though the face was hidden behind a mask, I didn’t know.

Upon seeing Jang Sam-i’s true appearance and hearing the cold yet enchanting voice, Tang Wu let out a short exclamation of admiration.

“A voice like the legendary Myo-eumjo (妙音鳥). So you were hiding your gender.”

Having been part of the Martial Alliance’s Shadow Corps and the Sichuan Tang Family’s assassination unit before joining the Ilwol God Sect, Tang Wu easily recognized the martial arts techniques Jang Sam-i had used.

“Body transformation techniques, bone compression, and shadow techniques to hinder perception, huh?”

One of Tang Wu’s eyebrows raised.

“So? Why reveal your gender now? If you thought I’d go easy on you just because you’re a woman, that’s disappointing.”

Jang Sam-i flicked a gunpowder-filled bullet towards the chattering Tang Wu.

*Ting-! Paaang!*

Before it could even get close to Tang Wu, a black hidden weapon intercepted and exploded the iron ball.

“I want to kill you. It’s been a long time—.”

As if to say that tricks won’t work anymore, Tang Wu continued.

“Since I’ve revealed the Tang Family’s secret technique.”

Tang Family Secret Technique – Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden (九天玄女)

A martial art named after the goddess of war.

Nine black hidden weapons, made of a special iron heavier and stronger than ordinary iron, floated around Tang Wu, protecting him.

Jang Sam-i focused his internal energy on his eyes to observe the floating hidden weapons.

He could see the energy flowing from Tang Wu’s body, controlling each of the hidden weapons.

His brow furrowed at the identity of the Nine Mystic Maidens.

At the moment when the iron balls mixed with explosive thunder bullets poured out…

The hidden weapons moved freely, intercepting the thunder bullets and causing explosions, which allowed Tang Wu to remain unharmed.

“Wasn’t the Sichuan Tang Family’s secret technique the ‘Full Sky Flower Rain’?”

“Hah! That’s for massacring civilians. Against a master, you use the real deal.”

At Jang Sam-i’s teasing, Tang Wu smiled cruelly.

“And since it started as an assassin family, would they openly reveal their techniques?”

In other words, since the hidden technique was revealed…

Jang Sam-i leaped away, dodging the hidden weapons rushing towards him.

It was a declaration of intent to kill.

The nine hidden weapons approached freely from different directions, like celestial maidens dancing in the air.

Though these were celestial maidens of death.

Just as he thought he had dodged them, they curved and aimed for his back.

Moving freely, they targeted Jang Sam-i as their master wished.

Dodge, dodge, dodge.

Jang Sam-i moved like a swift bird, even performing flips to avoid the hidden weapons.

*Whoosh-! Whiiik-!!*

Immediately, his neck, head, and heart were targeted. There was no end.

The nine hidden weapons circled around like a giant cage, attacking relentlessly.

Jang Sam-i’s breathing grew ragged.

“Phew…”

But his mind remained calm. Even as he moved, his eyes observed the movements of the hidden weapons.

Jang Sam-i preferred iron balls over sharp hidden weapons.

While sharp edges have high lethality, their durability on the sides is weak.

No matter how strong the special iron is, this is unavoidable.

He loaded an iron ball between his index finger and thumb.

That’s why the Finger-Shooting Technique (彈指神通) is called the hidden weapon of hidden weapons.

In the brief moment when the surrounding hidden weapons changed direction.

He didn’t miss the opportunity.

He fired a bullet at the exposed side of a hidden weapon.

*Tang-!*

A bullet wrapped in blue energy struck the side of the black hidden weapon, shattering it.

‘One.’

He continued firing without pause.

‘Two, three.’

Dodging the hidden weapon targeting his back by spinning, he fired with his right hand pulled to his left armpit, hitting the side of a straight-moving hidden weapon.

‘Four.’

With a beautiful, waste-free movement like a celestial maiden dancing in the air, he dismantled the martial art named after the goddess of death.

‘Five, six, seven.’

He broke free from the cage and soared.

‘Eight.’

In an instant, he intercepted and destroyed all the hidden weapons.

‘Nine.’

And at that moment.

Jang Sam-i quickly crossed his arms to defend himself.

“I’ve felt it for a while now. You…”

Tang Wu became the tenth hidden weapon, striking Jang Sam-i’s body with a powerful fist.

“Your close combat preparation is sloppy!”

Though he blocked it, Jang Sam-i was sent flying by Tang Wu’s explosive punch.

He tumbled across the ground.

“Ugh-!”

Pain surged through his body. But there was no time to rest.

For the record, Jang Sam-i’s physical skills aren’t weak.

It’s just that the Demon Sect elder had trained his body to an absurd degree. But there was no time to dwell on that.

He immediately got up, loaded a bullet, and aimed at Tang Wu.

“…I’ll give you credit for your momentum.”

Seeing this, Tang Wu also prepared to throw a hidden weapon.

A tense silence fell. The distance between them was about five steps.

Both were top-tier hidden weapon masters.

At this distance, neither would miss. There was no room for the other to dodge.

What would determine the outcome, what would make the difference…

Was the speed of throwing the hidden weapon.

Who could accurately hit the opponent’s body faster would decide the victor.

The battle was decided in an instant.

The bullet and hidden weapon crossed paths.

The speed was the same, but the power decided the outcome.

With a sound that was hard to believe came from a hidden weapon.

*Kwaang-!*

Tang Wu’s hidden weapon, infused with powerful internal energy, pushed Jang Sam-i’s body away.

How long had it been since he got up?

He flew towards the debris from the ceiling and crashed.

“Cough… Haah… Haah…!”

“From the looks of it, you were aiming for a mutual kill with the Finger-Shooting Technique.”

Unlike Jang Sam-i, who was breathing roughly in pain, Tang Wu, despite being hit directly in the heart by the iron ball, only staggered momentarily and remained unharmed.

The thin yet sturdy armor Tang Wu wore inside had blocked Jang Sam-i’s bullet.

“Too bad. This is the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Robe (天蠶寶衣), made from the finest threads of the divine silkworm.”

The strike meant for a mutual kill was futilely blocked.

But the eyes of Jang Sam-i, buried in the debris, were not dead.

“Haah… No… I won.”

With a cold light in his eyes, he declared victory through ragged breaths.

“What?”

“…The rotation hasn’t stopped.”

*Kkiiik-!*

A sharp, grinding sound reached Tang Wu’s ears.

And it was close.

Tang Wu’s bewildered eyes looked down to check his robe.

*Kkiiik-!*

It was rotating.

The iron ball Jang Sam-i had thrown was relentlessly grinding away at the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Robe.

‘What the-!?’

In this incomprehensible situation, Tang Wu focused his internal energy on his eyes to look at the iron ball.

…A thread?

A blue energy thread connected to Jang Sam-i’s right index finger was wrapped around the iron ball, spinning it.

“Th-thread Sword (劍絲)?!”

Thread Sword (劍絲) – Energy compressed into a tangible, physical thread.

By retracting the thread through his index finger, the Thread Sword wrapped around the iron ball unraveled, causing it to spin violently.

The Nine Mystic Maidens weren’t just for Tang Wu.

“You! You bastard-!!”

Tang Wu’s face flushed with anger. But by the time he realized, it was too late.

Finger-Shooting Technique (彈指神通) – Heaven’s Return (回天)

As the Thread Sword completely unraveled, a spiral storm erupted.

The bullet fired once more.

*Taang-!!*

Piercing through the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Robe, it struck Tang Wu’s body.

“………”

Tang Wu’s body staggered back and then collapsed.

And then.

Jang Sam-i stumbled out of the debris.

“Ouch… Even if I blocked it, it still hurts.”

*Thud-* The hidden weapon that failed to pierce Jang Sam-i’s body fell to the ground.

The Sima Family’s advantage is their wealth.

The Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Robe he wore inside was revealed.

Especially since Jang Sam-i is Sima Mantian’s guard.

Sima Family Head spares no expense in protecting his son.

Even though he fought with the intent to die, he never considered a mutual kill.

“I still have to play around and have fun by the Young Master’s side.”

…But even though he won, the damage was too great.

Jang Sam-i eventually leaned against a nearby wall to rest.

A variation of the Finger-Shooting Technique using the Thread Sword.

It’s a useful technique, but since the Thread Sword compresses energy, it consumes a massive amount of internal energy and requires precise control.

The downside was that he had to reveal all the martial arts techniques he had hidden, including his gender.

Well, honestly…

This way is more comfortable and better.

“Since my martial arts are already exposed… should I reveal my gender too?”

He wondered how Sima Mantian would react.

‘Oh, right, right, sis. Unlike the self-proclaimed genius, the cute Sima Mantian, you reached the pinnacle long ago, a true genius.’

Thinking about teasing the Young Master, a faint smile naturally formed on his lips.

Regardless, a sigh escaped his tired body.

“Haah…”

He wanted to move immediately to help Sima Mantian and Poong Ran.

But his injured body wouldn’t listen.

He had no choice but to perform first aid and gather himself.

He was worried, but…

Both the Young Master and Poong Ran were quite strong.

Jang Sam-i’s eyes narrowed slightly. Sima Mantian’s ‘rotation’ came to mind.

If the Young Master’s movement technique research was complete…

He could probably handle most Demon Sect executives.