Ten years later…
“Has the training of the Black Killing Squad (黑殺隊) been completed?”
“Yes, it has been successfully concluded. However, there is one aspect that concerns me.”
“What is it?”
“Well… It’s about Number 2044.”
“Number 2044? I recall hearing about him. Isn’t he the one with exceptional talent in swordsmanship?”
“Yes. He has mastered Swift Sword (快劍), Light Body Techniques (輕身術), and Stealth Arts (隱潛術), making him a natural-born assassin. However… it appears that assassination does not suit him.”
“What do you mean?”
“For some reason, despite executing assassinations flawlessly, he does not exude the aura of a shadowy killer. He carries out his missions perfectly, yet he gives the impression of someone who belongs in honorable duels rather than in the darkness.”
“Then why not replace him?”
“He is an exceptionally skilled Grade-1 Assassin (一級殺手), with immense potential to become an Elite Assassin (特級殺手). Moreover, there is no suitable replacement of his caliber.”
“In that case, make use of him for now and reassign him to another division later.”
“To adapt, we have refrained from teaching him anything beyond assassination techniques. Yet, his obsession with swordsmanship is so great that despite receiving no additional training, he is self-learning and improving on his own.”
“He sounds like a promising swordsman for the future.”
“Yes, but for now, we need assassins, not swordsmen.”
He was called Number 2044.
It had been ten years since he had come to this place. He was now seventeen years old, yet he no longer remembered his birth name.
From the moment he arrived, his life had been a relentless cycle of training and survival. First, he was taught internal energy cultivation (內功). Though this was not particularly arduous for him, many of his fellow trainees collapsed during the training, never to be seen again. He knew what that meant.
Next came hand-to-hand combat (格鬥)—a grueling process where failure meant severe punishment.
Four years later, twelve warriors clad in black robes came to inspect them. They examined each child’s arm meridians, checking their width before dividing them into two groups.
Then, they took one group away. Those who left that day were never seen again.
2044 remained, for his meridians were deemed too narrow for palm techniques, making him better suited for swordsmanship. From that moment on, he was trained in five different Swift Sword Techniques (快劍術), as well as light body techniques (輕身術), footwork (身法), and stealth arts (隱潛術).
Three years passed.
This time, two hundred trainees were selected and separated from the rest. 2044 was among them.
They were taken away to undergo a new phase of training—true assassination techniques (殺人術).
It was only then that he realized the swordsmanship he had learned so far was completely different from what he was about to be taught.
Speed (快).
That was everything.
They discarded all notions of defense, teaching only how to kill as swiftly as possible. He mastered techniques for silencing his presence, erasing his footsteps, and blending into the darkness. Every movement was meant to end life with absolute efficiency.
Yet, despite excelling in these arts, 2044 found himself drawn to the sword itself, rather than the act of killing.
The only thing he felt attached to in this cold, unfeeling world was his blade.
As part of his training, 2044 was required to forge his own weapon—one that would become an extension of his soul. Every assassin had a blade tailored specifically to their hands, and so he ordered a sword of his own design.
He named it Ink Soul (墨魂).
Crafted from Hundred-Forged Refined Steel (百鍊精鋼), the blade emitted a faint bluish sheen under the moonlight. It was a crescent-shaped curved sword (反月形劍), neither a straight-edged sword nor a conventional saber. Though lacking a hand guard, its plain black scabbard and handle lent it a simple yet deadly elegance.
Carved into the blade was its name, etched in a delicate yet deep engraving: 墨魂 (Ink Soul).
Each day, 2044 would meticulously polish his sword, gazing at its flawless edge as if it were his only companion.
(Translator’s Note: Why is Ink Soul (墨魂) considered a “sword” rather than a “saber (刀)” despite its curved shape?)
The distinction between a sword (劍) and a saber (刀) is not based purely on curvature, but rather on the presence of a double edge (雙刃).
- A sword (劍) has two sharp edges and is designed for both cutting and thrusting, making it more versatile.
- A saber (刀) has only one sharpened edge, making it more specialized for slashing.
Thus, despite its curved shape, Ink Soul is classified as a sword (劍) because it is double-edged.
Traditional swords prioritize precision thrusting, while sabers focus primarily on slashing. However, swords also allow for more intricate, fluid movements, making their techniques far more varied than those of sabers.
2044’s final test was at hand.
His mission was to eliminate a high-profile target—a man named Gong Sun-su (公孫壽), a corrupt yet powerful figure entrenched within the criminal underworld.
Target Information: Gong Sun-su (公孫壽)
Title: Thousand-Hand Sword Demon (千手劍鬼)
Specialty: His unique sword technique, Ghostly Reaching Blade (鬼拏千里刀法)
Internal Energy Level: One Full Cycle (1甲子)
Additional Notes:
- An exceptionally skilled swordsman.
- Known for his debauchery and lust, frequently indulging in women.
- Currently has seven concubines.
- Operates a usurious moneylending business, and if debtors fail to repay, he seizes their daughters or wives and sells them.
- Resides in a grand estate, guarded by twenty Grade-2 martial artists and two Grade-1 martial artists.
- Commands a total of 600 subordinates.
- Owns four gambling dens, two money houses (錢場, equivalent to a private banking and loan service), and seven pawnshops.
- His illicit gambling and fraudulent financial dealings yield an immense fortune.
- The six Grade-1 martial artists in his service are formidable. They take turns guarding him and, when he goes out, three of them always accompany him.
Mission Objective:
- Assassinate the target within ten days.
- Leave no trace behind.
As 2044 studied the details, his instructor spoke.
“2044, this man is nothing more than scum. Killing him is doing the world a favor. Do not hesitate.”
“Understood.”
2044 approached Gong Sun-su’s estate and waited six days.
For six days, he observed every detail of his target’s daily routine, looking for an opening. However, infiltrating the estate without killing the guards was near impossible.
Thus, he chose a different approach.
On the seventh day, when Gong Sun-su left his estate to inspect one of his gambling dens, 2044 deliberately threw a throwing dagger (飛鏢) at him.
The attack was not meant to kill.
Rather, it was a test.
- A test of Gong Sun-su’s martial skill
- A test of his bodyguards’ reactions
- And, most importantly, a way to draw away the strongest guards from the estate.
The next day, Gong Sun-su, now deeply alarmed by the attempted attack, became paranoid.
Instead of relying on just a few bodyguards, he ordered all six of his elite Grade-1 martial artists to follow him at all times.
That was exactly what 2044 had intended.
Now, with all the top guards absent, the estate was left with only Grade-2 warriors, whose skill level was insufficient to detect a master assassin like himself.
Under the cover of night, 2044 slipped into the estate.
From what he had observed over the past six days, Gong Sun-su chose where to sleep on a whim. Each night, he would sleep with a different concubine or wife, picking a room at random.
This made a night assassination incredibly difficult.
However, after watching him for nine days, 2044 noticed a pattern.
Gong Sun-su had a strong preference for his seventh and newest concubine. Though he did not visit her every night, he returned to her once every three to four days.
Tonight was the night.
2044 hid inside the seventh concubine’s chamber.
And he waited.
For two full days.
This was the most grueling part of the mission.
An assassin must have unbreakable patience.
Before entering the room, 2044 had emptied his stomach completely, taking neither food nor water.
Why?
Because if he ate, he would eventually need to relieve himself—a risk that could compromise the mission.
So he fasted.
Without food, without water, without rest, he lay motionless beneath the floorboards, hidden within a small hole he had dug in advance.
Finally, on the second night—
The door creaked open.
Gong Sun-su had arrived.
As Gong Sun-su embraced his concubine, their heated breaths filled the chamber.
2044 remained motionless beneath the bed, listening intently.
He could hear every movement. Every shift in weight. Every breath.
Then, as the moment reached its peak—
He struck.
2044’s blade, Ink Soul (墨魂), pierced the floorboards and shot upward, directly toward Gong Sun-su’s skull.
The blade silently impaled his head, passing through his mouth and out the top of his skull.
A soft gasp, followed by silence.
The concubine’s body tensed for a moment—then fell limp.
Blood did not spill.
Because 2044 had left the sword embedded in the skull. As long as the blade remained in place, the wounds would not bleed freely.
The scent of blood did not fill the air.
Instead, the chamber was filled with only the lingering fragrance of perfume and the scent of their prior lovemaking.
A perfect, silent assassination.
2044 waited.
The room was utterly still.
Slowly, he emerged from beneath the bed.
The scene before him was one of eerie serenity.
Gong Sun-su and his concubine remained in an embrace, as if merely asleep. Only Ink Soul’s gleaming blade revealed the truth—the cold steel protruding from their joined heads.
2044 stepped forward and, with steady hands, pulled the sword free.
Even then, no blood spilled.
The wounds remained sealed by the sheer precision of the strike.
He wiped the blade clean, then moved toward the window.
Why did he wait until dawn?
Because at dawn, even the most vigilant guards grow weary.
Most importantly, however—
At exactly 5:00 AM, the estate’s Grade-1 bodyguards rotated shifts.
For a brief moment, a gap would form in their security.
That was his escape window.
And so, with not a single trace left behind, 2044 vanished into the morning mist.
2044 returned to the training ground and was immediately summoned by his instructor.
“2044, reporting in. The mission has been completed.”
The instructor, without even looking at him, flipped through a stack of papers.
“2044, you have been trained in five distinct sword arts.** Why, then, did you not use any of them? Why did you kill with nothing but a single thrust?”
2044 answered without hesitation.
“I was ordered to leave no trace behind. If I had used sword techniques, the wounds would have left distinct patterns—clues that might reveal the identity of the assassin.”
The instructor smirked.
“Impressive. You were not taught this, yet you realized it on your own.”
He set the papers down.
“But you still made three mistakes. Do you know what they are?”
2044 nodded.
“Yes. The first was the throwing dagger I used to test Gong Sun-su’s guards. The second was the sword wound I left in the skull. The third was the hole I dug beneath the bed.”
The instructor laughed.
“Good. You understand your own mistakes. Now, tell me—why did you use a throwing dagger instead of a simple stone?”
“The dagger was a common model sold at public weapons shops. It was not crafted by our sect, meaning it could not be traced back to us. I purchased it on my way to the mission site to ensure plausible deniability.”
“Hmph. A clever thought, but still flawed. Even if the weapon is common, an investigation could trace who bought it. Next time, use a coin or a stone.”
“Understood.”
“As for the thrust-only kill—well done.
Your method left no clue as to the assassin’s identity.
To outsiders, this will look like the work of an unknown killer.
That is how an assassin should operate.”
The instructor nodded in approval.
“Well done, 2044. You have passed your final trial.”
That night, a grand celebration feast was held for all who had completed their training.
And the next morning—
The true test of life and death began.
2044 completed five successful assassinations as part of his training.
By the time it was over, he was given his final identity:
A Grade-1 Assassin (一級殺手).
And a new name.
From now on, he would no longer be known as 2044.
He would be called Mukhyang (墨香, Ink Fragrance).
Why?
Because he always wore black robes, wielded a black-handled sword, and moved with the silent grace of ink flowing across paper.
Mukhyang had no past, no family, and no attachments.
All that remained—was his sword.
And the path that lay ahead.
