Chapter 120 – Growth

Clothes…I’m only half-naked, so it should be fine to go like this. There’s not enough time to change, and even if I did, it would just be ordinary clothes.

Whoever it is, they’re disturbing me at the perfect time.

I won’t let them kill me easily.

I mentally prepared myself and opened the door to the next room.

Creak.

“Ah.”

What…of course, the door was locked.

I immediately knocked on the door hard.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

With a brief rustling sound, the door opened with a creak.

“What? I was just about to go to sleep, what’s going on…”

“Oh. You weren’t asleep yet? Well, that’s fortunate.”

Breathing a sigh of relief inwardly, I tried to explain the situation quickly, but Samayeryeong’s scream cut me off.

“Kyaaaaa!”

“What, what’s going on all of a sudden…?”

Momentarily flustered, I stumbled over my words, and Samayeryeong took a few steps back, covering her eyes with her hand. It seems like she can still see through her fingers, though.

“You pervert! You slut! What the hell are you doing?! Are you helping me and my mother on the condition that…?”

“……?”

“No way! That’s absolutely not happening! You’re already someone else’s property! And there are two of them!”

“???”

“You got permission even though you’re someone else’s property…? I thought it was strange that a proud and powerful master would allow a spy, but is that the kind of taste that the Heavenly Demon Lord has?!”

“Taste? What kind of nonsense is that…ah.”

Only then did I notice where Samayeryeong’s gaze was directed.

My bare chest, reflected in her trembling pupils through the gap between her fingers.

“What are you looking at, you pervert? Now is not the time for that.”

“Pervert?! Did you just call me a pervert?!”

“Then what about an outsider man? What if he stares at a man’s body with two women, even though he knows that the man is someone else’s property?”

“Wow…heh…what…”

Feeling a small sense of satisfaction at Samayeryeong’s inability to say anything in response to my perfect logic, I shouted to Samamang, who was snickering behind me.

“Madam Brain, this is not the time to just laugh!”

“Oh, sorry. I knew that Lady Sahyeop wasn’t here for anything strange, but I found it amusing to see her acting all flustered by herself.”

“Mother?!”

Although Samayeryeong screamed in surprise, Samamang casually brushed it off and asked, “So? What brings you here on such an ambitious night, dressed like that?”

Ignoring Samayeryeong’s furtive glances in this direction, I opened my mouth.

“There’s a killer.”

“…What?”

“The killer is slowly surrounding this place.”

The expression on Samamang’s face, which had been laughing just a moment ago, suddenly turned cold.

And then, if I let my guard down for a moment, my energy started to spread thinly and widely, to the point where I might miss something.

I’ve never been in a state of extreme concentration, so I don’t know for sure, but my meticulous use of inner energy seems to have gone beyond the level of extreme concentration. Perhaps other things have developed more since I can’t see ahead.

Haven’t you heard that blind people have a sense of smell and hearing several times more sensitive than that of ordinary people? Samamang is blind, so her sense of smell and hearing must have developed even more.

“This is…!”

Samamang, who had just turned her head with a stiff expression, must have sensed something as we got closer.

After a while, I realized that I wasn’t talking nonsense, and Samayeryeong also sighed seriously.

“Ha…just in case, I installed a simple signal system to alert us of intruders, but I didn’t expect them to come in before I even fell asleep.”

Samayeryeong clenched and unclenched her fists, then asked, “Where are they coming from?”

“Didn’t your husband tell you earlier? We’ve already been surrounded.”

“It’s too late to slip away quietly. Of course, if Hong Unni takes us all and breaks through, we might be able to do it, but…”

The answer came from behind. In the meantime, Hong Yeon-hwa and Paeng Soso, who had changed into all their clothes, came to this room.

“Hmph! What is Lady afraid of? We’ll take care of the annoying ones, so why not gain some real combat experience by facing them?”

Hong Yeon-hwa said so and puffed up her cheeks.

As usual, Hong Yeon-hwa would deal with the ones that even I and Paeng Soso couldn’t handle, and the rest would experience real combat.

It’s true that I’ve never faced a killer before.

Samamang and Samayeryeong looked at them with a worried expression, but I know.

Looking at the bulging cheeks like a dumpling, she was just angry at being interrupted. Of course, I’m in the same state, so I have nothing to say.

“Hmm? The movement suddenly got faster. I think they noticed that we’re all gathered in one place…it would be better to go to the open space in the back instead of fighting here, where the damage will be greater.”

Saying so, Hong Yeon-hwa tore the window off with a single motion and threw herself through the widened gap.

Hmm…it’s only two floors up, so I should be able to just jump down.

Just a few hours ago, this open space was where we casually practiced our evening martial arts. In fact, most guesthouses have a spacious area like this for the convenience of martial artists or in case of disputes.

If we fought inside, not only would we break things, but we could also get hit by a blind sword if we were unlucky.

…But I never thought I’d use it as a place to greet the assassins who were trying to ambush us.

Tuk tuk.

Samayeryeong whispered to me, nudging my side with her elbow.

“Is this really okay?”

“What else can we do? We discovered them first, so it’s not really an ambush anymore.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Isn’t it kind of cool? If someone follows us, we intentionally go to a secluded place and say ‘come out’ like we’re waiting for them.”

“Oh…when you put it that way, it does seem like that…”

It was a phrase I had tried before, and Samayeryeong nodded her head in agreement.

Hong Yeon-hwa chuckled at our conversation and spoke up.

“Just take it easy. I think the guests have arrived.”

As soon as Hong Yeon-hwa finished speaking, a faint sense of danger and unease began to emanate from all directions.

Even though our senses would be heightened since the upper gate was open, this was still surprising. So, these are the assassins.

Reflexively, I drew my sword, and the others also drew their weapons or took up fighting stances, preparing to fight.

Then, a black-clad figure fell from the top of the wall in front of us.

He fell as if he was going to commit suicide, but suddenly straightened up and silently stared at us.

Although he was probably looking at us with his eyes, his expression was almost imperceptible, and his intuition was a strong and eerie feeling of danger.

He didn’t even look at Samamang, who was the leader of the assassins, and instead stared intently at Hong Yeon-hwa before speaking.

“We’ve been caught.”

“Did you really think you wouldn’t be caught?”

“I didn’t know you were traveling with such a skilled person like her.”

After saying that, the man paused for a moment before continuing in a flat tone that showed no emotion.

“Our goal is only the mother and daughter. Just in case, can you hand them over? We’ll pay a fair price.”

“It’s impossible. The lady is already…”

Before Hong Yeon-hwa could finish her sentence, the black-clad figure suddenly lunged towards Samayeryeong without warning.

At the same time, faint senses of danger began to pour out from all around us…or more accurately, towards the Samas.

“This…!”

Samamang hastily stepped forward to block Samayeryeong, but it was unnecessary.

Persh.

Hong Yeon-hwa had already shot a small but powerful energy blast that shattered the man’s head.

Despite the death of the leader, the assassins didn’t stop. They ran towards us, throwing something.

Samayeryeong was surprised by Hong Yeon-hwa’s power and shouted, deflecting the flying projectiles aimed at her thighs.

“Get a grip! This is just the beginning!”

“I know that too!”

Pshh.

A bright yellow light flashed from Samayeryeong’s hand.

She raised her hand, imbued with a technique that contained a deadly blow, and deflected several more silver needles before grumbling.

“Do they really think they can hit me with such a sloppy attack?”

“But there are more than just a few of them.”

Dodging another flying projectile, I glanced around.

Hong Yeon-hwa was dealing with several assassins, but she was doing it with ease, probably because of her skills.

I don’t need to worry about that side. They’ll handle it.

The assassins were getting closer and closer. As the leader said, their goal was probably only the Samas, so they were running straight towards Samayeryeong, ignoring me.

…This sucks.

I came out to start my training, but these guys ruined it.

Despite being in a state of shock, I continued to feel the heat rising in my body, whether it was the internal energy of the Mu-ryang Divine Skill or the anger that was boiling up late.

“Die!”

All that mattered was that I had a sword in my hand and enemies in front of me.

Thunk!

I slammed the ground with all my might.