CH 176

The whole world looked red.

It was not known whether it was because the blood vessels in his eyes had ruptured, or if blood had entered his eyes. 

But none of that mattered.

Everything was red. Only one thing had caught his attention clearly.

A man who had his face covered with a scarf.

He knew there was an unusually beautiful face behind that scarf. 

Shin Mugum did not know the man’s identity. But he knew very well how demonic the little boy that followed him was. The little demon, who had slaughtered the people in an instant, couldn’t act in front of Pyo-wol.

Also, like a mouse in front of a cat, the Wind and Thunder sect leader, Lee Yulsan, could not breathe out loud in front of Pyo-wol.

Jianghu is where power reigns.

Lee Yulsan, who was a person of great influence and authority, did not even dare to fight back and waited for Pyo-wol’s disposition. It meant that Pyo-wol’s power greatly overwhelms Lee Yulsan and the Wind and Thunder sect.

The only man Shin Mugum could lean on was Pyo-wol.

He initially tried to protect Mok Gahye by himself.

He fought both against the warriors of the Heavenly Silver Marketplace and the warriors of the Bamboo Sea Clan. 

The two of them were able to survive until now because the warriors of the two manors kept each other in check by attacking each other. But if the two forces had joined forces to attack them, Shin Mugum would not have been able to protect Mok Gahye.

However, there was a limit to what he could endure on his own.

So Shin Mugum had no choice but to take a gamble.

He let escaped Mok Gahye escape on her own while he stayed and blocked the warriors of the two manors.

He had deep sword wounds on his side and shoulder, and injuries to the extent that bones were exposed on his back. He didn’t know how much of his blood had been shed.

There was only one reason why he had not yet lost consciousness even though he had suffered injuries that an ordinary person would have already died of.

Mok Gahye.

Shin Mugum thought of her and clenched his teeth. 

But now he has reached its limit. But before he could die, he had a favor to ask the man in front of him.

“P… Please save Gahye. Heuk!”

When he opened his mouth, blood climbed up his throat.

He could feel the Pyo-wol’s gaze. Pyo-wol was looking at Shin Mugum with eyes that made it difficult to decipher what he was thinking.

Shin Mugum tried to stand up.

Thud!

However, his legs lost their strength. He ended up collapsing into the pool of blood. Furthermore, since he forced himself to move, blood gushed out of his wounds again.

He felt pain as if his body was on fire. However, instead of screaming, he tried to channel strength to his two legs.

Thud! 

Shin Mugum barely managed to kneel down. He then bowed his head into a pool of blood.

“P, please protect Gahye… She is a pitiful person. She has been the victim of oppression all her life. Please help her to live her own life.”

“……..”

Pyo-wol didn’t answer.

Shin Mugum was in a state of distress.

‘Please!’

If he could only hear Pyo-wol’s answer, he thought he could close his eyes with peace of mind.

Pyo-wol opened his mouth.

“I’m an assassin.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t know how to protect a person.”

“Then—“

At Pyo-wol’s unexpected reply, Shin Mugum’s eyes fluttered violently. He never dreamed that Pyo-wol would be an assassin.

At that moment, an idea suddenly ran through his mind.

“Then I want to make a request—”

“Request?”

“Isn’t it… not common to commission an assassin?” 

Pyo-wol looked a little dumbfounded.

How could Shin Mugum think of asking him to take on a commission when his life is in danger.

Shin Mugum’s response was frankly beyond his expectations. So he got interested.

“What is the quest?”

“Please kill all the enemies that threaten her.”

In an instant, Pyo-wol’s eyebrows twitched.

The request that caught him off guard. Whether he protects Mok Gahye or to kill the enemy that threatened her, it was the same request. 

It was just a play of words, but the essence was the same. Nevertheless, Pyo-wol had no choice but to accept his request.

It was because the words of Shin Mugum were reasonable. That was all he could think of because he was so desperate.

Still, he had to ask.

“What’s the price?”

“Can’t it be… my life?”

“It doesn’t fit. If I leave you alone, you will die anyway, so what am I going to do with your life?”

“I will give you Gongbu. How about it?”

“You’re clever. It’s pretty good.”

A small smile appeared on the corner of Pyo-wol’s lips.

He was genuinely impressed.

Shin Mugum was showing how clever a person who is cornered can become.

The reason why the Heavenly Silver Marketplace and Bamboo Sea Clan were fighting at the Dead Forest was because of Gongbu.

A sword that has only symbolic meaning, with no use for practicing swordsmanship. It may mean a lot to some, but to Pyo-wol, it was as valuable as a stone lying on the side of the road.

By choosing to hand over the sword, Shin Mugum will completely be able to eliminate the risk factor that caused the disaster to Mok Gahye.

Pyo-wol wanted to applaud Shin Mugum who came up with such an idea in that brief moment. 

Using common sense, such a request should not be accepted. It was a bad deal with nothing to gain.

“Alright, I accept the request.”

However, Pyo-wol accepted the request of the Shin Mugum.

“Brother!”

It was because of Soma.

While Pyo-wol and Shin Mugum were having a conversation, Soma only trembled. He didn’t say a word.

He wanted to help Mok Gahye, but Pyo-wol have yet to make a decision, so he waited patiently until then.

Once he heard Pyo-wol’s answer, Shin Mugum closed his eyes.

‘Okay. Now, the young lady could be safe…”

The body of the Shin Mugum collapsed like a sandcastle.

His stamina had already reached its limit. He barely endured using his mental strength to listen to Pyo-wol’s answer, so when he got the answer he wanted, he was instantly relieved.

Shin Mugum fell into a puddle of blood and continued to breathe lightly.

If they leave him like this, he will die in no time. 

“We’ll take care of him.”

Wu Jang-rak stepped out.

Wu Jang-rak took out the chestnuts he had been carrying for an emergency and hurriedly put it in the mouth of the Shin Mugum. 

After a while, Shin Mugum’s breathing became more stable. But if he doesn’t get the right treatment soon, his life will remain at risk.

They just bought some time.

Soma spoke to Pyo-wol.

“Brother! What shall I do?”

“Do what you do best.”

“I can do whatever I want?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Thank you, brother!”

Soma smiled broadly.

The moment they saw his smile, Wu Jang-rak and his companions felt goosebumps all over their bodies.

Soma, with his bright face, was finally revealing his true color.

They couldn’t even imagine how many people would lose their lives at his hands.

Flutter!

With the sound of his loose black robe fluttering in the wind, Soma’s figure disappeared over the bushes in an instant.

The people’s eyes, which had been directed towards Soma, then turned to Pyo-wol. 

But Pyo-wol was nowhere to be seen.

The figure of the Pyo-wol had already disappeared as if he flew to the sky.

“Oh my god!”

“When—?”

It was only for a moment that they turned their eyes away from Pyo-wol. But in that brief moment, he completely disappeared without a sound or sign.

“This is crazy.”

Wu Jang-rak closed his eyes.

It was already a forest full of death and chaos.

With Pyo-wol jumping in, he was anxious to see what kind of scene would unfold.

“It will now be truly the forest of the dead.”

* * *

Pung Nosan was originally an orphan.

When he had nowhere to go, Hwa Wei, the father of Hwa Yu-cheon, took him in.

He was already blessed when he was given food and shelter, but Hwa Wei even went as far as teaching him martial arts. The reason was that he had talent that seemed to be worth using.

Since then, Pung Nosan has become a loyal servant of Hwa Wei.

After the death of Hwa Wei, he enshrined his son, Hwa Yu-cheon.

His official title is the captain of the Heavenly Silver Marketplace’s outer disciples. 

Others might not be satisfied with being an outer disciple, but Pung Nosan was very satisfied. It’s because Hwa Yu-cheon treated him as well as his father did. So Pung Nosan was also loyal to Hwa Yu-cheon.

There were more than two hundred outer disciples in the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.

Although the quality was slightly inferior to that of the inner disciples, the number of members was significantly higher. However, it doesn’t mean that there’s a big difference in their martial arts.

With only a slight difference, the outer disciples were also well qualified to be called masters.

Pung Nosan asked the man next to him.

“Have you heard any news from Samjo?”

“There has been no news since they’ve come across Shin Mugum earlier.”

“Hmm…”

Pung Nosan frowned.

All of Heavenly Silver Marketplace’s outer disciples consisted of ten groups.

Each group had twenty warriors. Each group moved independently under the discretion of a captain. So that means that they should not miss a status report.

The fact that captain Samjo’s report was cut off meant that something went wrong.

“Did they collide with the warriors of the Bamboo Sea Clan again?”

They were clashing with the Bamboo Sea Clan warriors all over the Dead Forest. No one expected that the Bamboo Sea Clan would send warriors to the Dead Forest in such a hurry. 

For Heavenly Silver Marketplace, it was like getting permission.

“As expected, that girl is the problem.”

Pung Nosan was reminded of Yeo Hwa-young.

Because of her, the Bamboo Sea Clan was still able to survive.

Fortunately, Yeo Hwa-young was young and a woman. If she had received the full authority earlier because she was a man, the situation would have been much different than it is now.

Yeo Hwa-young’s situational judgment and improvisation was just that excellent. 

Even Pung Nosan wanted her.

“This is actually better. Yeo Hwa-young must be killed this time. I’m sure that girl is also in the Dead Forest. From Iljo to Ojo, they should focus on finding Mok Gahye. Together with me, the rest should focus on looking for Yeo Hwa-young.”

“Yes!”

After answering, five captains disappeared into the forest, leading their subordinates. Pung Nosan and the other groups also set out to search for Yeo Hwa-young.

The Dead Forest was so vast that it was impossible for a person to explore the entire interior in a day or two. Going into the depths of the Dead Forest without a proper guide was suicidal.

Still, there was no hesitation in the footsteps of Pung Nosan.

This was because Pung Nosan himself was the best guide. Pung Nosan had entered the Dead Forest early and already learned the way.

As someone who lives in Enshi, he couldn’t just turn a blind eye on the Dead Forest which leaves a deep impression. He didn’t know when he was going to go into the Dead Fores, so little by little, he went deeper and learned the way.

‘There is no place where Yeo Hwa-young can be found here.’

It was impossible to grasp the topography of the Dead Forest on the flat ground because the large trees were densely lined up. If that is the case, he will surely find the highest place and try to grasp the movement of the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.

Had he been in Yeo Hwa-young’s position, he would have acted the same.

“Be careful everyone. She might have laid a trap.”

“Yes!”

“Do not worry.”

He heard the answers of each of the captains. However, one voice was missing. It was the leader of the last group, the tenth group.

“What about Captain Yoon?”

Pung Nosan called for Hak-gil Yoon, the captain of the tenth group. However, there was no answer from Hak-gil Yoon.

Pung Nosan’s eyes darkened.

As many groups moved at once, discipline had to be strictly applied.

If no one answers or neglects to report, the hard-won discipline collapses.

Pung Nosan educated the captains to ensure that the reporting system is maintained.

“Captain Yoon!”

Pung Nosan once again called captain Yoon Hak-gil. 

But there was still no reply.

Something didn’t feel right.

“Why is it so quiet?”