CH 201

Chongjin was still smiling brightly. However, unlike the corners of his mouth which has a soft arc, his eyes were as cold and clear as ice.

His profound gaze, whose depth could not be guessed, seemed to penetrate the deepest part of the person.

When Pyo-wol did not answer, Chongjin let go of the zither and stood up.

He picked up the teapot lying on the table.

Jjorreuk!

He poured tea into a teacup and handed it to Pyo-wol. 

Pyo-wol accepted the teacup without saying a word. 

A faint scent of tea flowed from the freshly brewed tea water. Tea leaves are good at clearing the mind.

Chongjin poured tea into another cup and gave it to Woo Pyeong. Then he poured tea into his own cup as well. 

He took a sip of tea, then continued,

“I’ve been thinking about it. Why did you bother moving So-yeol’s body back to the Scripture Pavilion? There’s only one reason. It’s to enter and read the documents and books inside. After you left, I found out that there were traces of you reading books related to the history of Jianghu.” 

“…….”

“Revealing the cause of So-yeol’s death to the Wudang sect would have been the perfect excuse to enter the Scripture Pavilion. You will be able to read the books stored in the Scripture Pavilion without being disturbed by anyone.”

Pyo-wol neither affirmed nor denied his words. He just silently looked at Chongjin.

A soft smile was still hanging on Chongjin’s lips.

On the outside, he looked like the typical neighborhood villager who is easy-going, but on the inside he was hiding a sharp sword.

His sword might be safely inserted into the scabbard right now, but the moment it was unsheath, it was clear that his sword would aim for Pyo-wol’s heart.

Depending on what kind of answer Pyo-wol would give, the sword would either point towards Pyo-wol or it would remain as it was.

Although Sang-jin is called the Wudang sect’s Number One Sword, Chongjin’s martial arts prowess was no less.

With Chongjin’s personality, he just gave up the honor of being the Wudang sect’s Number One Sword to Sang-jin, when in fact, the difference between them was extremely small.

Even among the Wudang sect disciples, there were not many warriors who could withstand the pressure emanating from Chongjin.

Woo Pyeong’s complexion, who came in with Pyo-wol, became pale. However, there was no change in Pyo-wol’s expression even as he received Chongjin’s chaotic energy head-on.

Chongjin asked,

“What were you looking for? Does our sect’s Scripture Pavilion have the information you want?”

“There’s nothing much.”

“So you really did read the books.”

“To some extent.”

“How bold! You dare to use such a trick against our sect!”

“In exchange, I let you know the cause of So-yeol’s death.”

“Hoo! That’s right.”

Chongjin sighed.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall changed.

The flow of air, which had been wildly swaying as if it were about to explode at any moment, went back to normal.

Only then did Woo Pyeong let out a sigh of relief.

“Whew!”

Among them, the most nervous one was Woo Pyeong. It is because he was the one who brought Pyo-wol to Wudang Mountain.

If something unpleasant happened to both sides, it would be his responsibility. So the nervousness he felt was natural and inevitable.

Chongjin took a sip of tea and then continued,

“Thank you so much, I never thought there was such a silver needle stuck in the tip of So-yeol’s tongue. But there is something I’m curious about.”

“Say it.”

“Can a person be killed with such a fine silver needle? Although the tongue is an important organ of the human body, bloodletting itself does exist.”

“Asking me that is the same as you asking me to tell you my secrets.”

“Hmm! So it’s an assassination method.”

Chongjin wrinkled his eyebrows.

He was quite tolerant. Even if he couldn’t fully accept the other person’s way of thinking, he was the type who tries to understand the other party and come up with a compromise. 

“Then let’s do it like this. Tell me what you’re looking for, and the Wudang sect will do their best to help you find it.”

“And in exchange, you want me to tell you how the third-generation disciple was killed with a silver needle?”

“Exactly, I think it’s a pretty fair deal. What do you think?”

Chongjin’s proposal was quite reasonable.

Pyo-wol felt that the old taoist in front of him was quite a formidable opponent.

Those who are simply strong in martial arts are not that scary. It was much more difficult dealing with a veteran, who has rich life experience. It’s because they can make such an attractive offer that’s hard to refuse.

After finishing his calculation, Pyo-wol opened his mouth,

“There is such a thing as acupoints.”

“Acupoints? It’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

“The name doesn’t matter, since I was the one who named it. The important thing is that there is a blood system called acupoints. Depending on time, physical condition, and surroundings, lethal bloodletting flows through the human body like sticky oil. If this bloodletting has moved deep into the skin, it doesn’t matter much, because it is hardly affected by external shocks. But when it settles on a delicate organ like the tongue, it would be a big deal.”

“That’s a story that’s hard to believe. That such a bloodletting exists.”

“I don’t care if you believe it or not. I’ve told you the truth.”

“Um!”

Chongjin struggled.

He had never heard of acupoints before. 

Nowhere in the martial arts history of the Wudang sect was the bloodletting of the acupoints recorded.

It was hard to believe because it sounded like a myth. However, because the other person was an assassin, it was difficult to accuse him of lying.

Assassins are different from ordinary warriors.

The martial arts of the Wudang sect ultimately seeks to realize the path of immortality with a sword. Naturally, they were more likely to seek immortality from an active sword than from a dead sword.

On the other hand, the martial arts of assassins started from their quest for death.

The starting point and orientation were inevitably the opposite of the martial arts of an elite sect, such as the Wudang sect. So it wasn’t strange at all that there was such a thing as acupoints in which only assassins know. 

Moreover, the man in front of him was a man who reigned at the top of an unknown territory.

“Does every assassin know about acupoints?”

“No way.”

“Then that must mean that only a few people know about it. If so, can anyone who knows about a person’s acupoints use this technique?”

“Even if they know about acupoints, it is almost impossible to know its exact location. This makes it all the more difficult for them to kill a person with just acupoints under normal circumstances because it requires very delicate internal energy.”

“If so, how did the one who killed So-yeol find his acupoints and stab it with a silver needle?”

“He must have paralyzed So-yeol’s body first. Then he found the location of his acupoint by injecting his inner energy.”

“Then it makes sense, since the location of the acupoints that you just found was under his tongue, So-yeol must have died just by the insertion of a fine silver needle.”

Chongjin closed his eyes.

His heart ached at the mention of Lee So-yeol’s name.

He was just a third-generation disciple who hadn’t even been listed as a member of the Wudang sect yet, but people like Chongjin already consider him as a member of the Wudang sect.

Because of his great affection for his disciples, the Wudang sect masters respected Chongjin even more.

“Now it’s your turn. Tell me what you’re looking for. I’ll do my best to help.”

“You’re not just a Wudang sect swordsman, but you’re also clever as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“You sound like you’re helping me, but in truth, you’re actually trying to find out what my goal is.”

“Hahaha! When you get older, naturally your wisdom grows. It was only when I was young, when I did not give in to any crisis or adversity and broke through it head-on. But as I get older, I get sick here and there, so I want to avoid situations where I can get hurt. You’ll know this when you’re at my age. That there’s no need to bring pain on yourself.”

Chongjin’s complexion did not change. 

Not being able to look hateful was a skill.

Pyo-wol felt like he was dealing with an old raccoon that had been around for a thousand years.

Pyo-wol shook his head slightly and said,

“You know Jin Geum-woo, right?”

“How can I not know him? He was truly a talented person who would shine brightly. Whoo!”

Chongjin sighed.

He couldn’t hide his feelings when Jin Geum-woo’s name was mentioned. 

When he first heard of Jin Geum-woo’s death, he thought that Jianghu lost a great warrior. That’s how big of a shock Jin Geum-woo’s death was.

“What is your relationship with Jin Geum-woo?”

“He called me a friend.”

“He thought of you, who is an assassin, as a friend? I find that hard to believe.”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. It’s all true. He has been sending me letters like a girl.”‘

“Um!”

Chongjin was silenced.

He instinctively felt that Pyo-wol was telling the truth.

“I’m looking for the people who killed Jin Geum-woo.”

“People? You think some killed him for revenge.”

“That’s right. That’s why I’m looking for clues related to his death.”

“What does that have to do with the books in the Scripture Pavilion of our sect?”

“…….”

Pyo-wol briefly pondered how much information he would let them know.

The group called Kowloon, which Jin Geum-woo was chasing, is not yet known to Jianghu. If he mentioned it now and this information reached their ears, then he could be making a big mistake. 

“The people Jin Geum-wu was tracking are like mirages in the desert. Their identity is unclear. Maybe Jin Geum-wu was mistaken. So I had to confirm their identities first.”

“Judging by the books you have read, they’re mostly books on history after the wars. So you must be thinking that the group Jin Geum-woo is after may have formed after the war.”

Chongjin’s insight was beyond Pyo-wol’s imagination.

He deduced the truth from what Pyo-wol said indistinctly.

If Chongjin was an enemy, he was the first target he had to eliminate.

In an instant, dozens of assassination methods went to Pyo-wol’s mind.

Chongjin raised both hands and said, probably noticing Pyo-wol’s thoughts.

“Ah! Don’t worry. I have no intention of telling the outside world what I found out today. Isn’t everything just a speculation yet? I don’t want to lose face by mentioning it to others when there’s no clear explanation yet. The Wudang sect is in a position where we should pay more attention to one’s face.”

“…….”

“Don’t look at me with those scary eyes. I don’t want to die yet. If you want, we can do it like this. I will officially give you my permission to enter the Scripture Pavilion. The other day, you didn’t get enough information because you were reading the books in a hurry, so take this opportunity to read those books slowly enough.”

Chongjin’s proposal did not harm Pyo-wol at all. Rather, it was what Pyo-wol had hoped for.

“Okay. But keep others out of the way when I’m inside the Scripture Pavilion.”

“I will do that.”

Chongjin readily agreed.

Pyo-wol made a slightly surprised expression at the attitude of Chongjin, who agreed without hesitation.

He knows it’s not easy to fully open the Scripture Pavilion, which contains a part of their sect’s identity, even if it didn’t contain any martial arts books.

Chongjin was still smiling at Pyo-wol.

The moment he saw that smile, Pyo-wol realized something.

The fact that Chongjin has not brought up the most important matter yet.

He had never asked anything from Pyo-wol. He just gave Pyo-wol what he wanted first.

At this rate, Chongjin was not a thousand-year old raccoon, but an Imoogi.

He was cunning enough to kill an assassin.

He gave everything he could to make the other person open his heart, and then asked the other person to give what they wanted. 

It was a high level that ordinary people could not dare to think of.

Pyo-wol decided to play along with Chongjin. Just this once.

“The assassin is probably in his twenties.”

“Oh! Why do you think so?”

“He’s bold. Older assassins are prudent and extremely reluctant to get entangled with prestigious sects like the Wudang sect. There isn’t much to gain compared to the risk.”

“That makes sense.”

“A young assassin, but not a teenager. His traces have been completely erased for him to be a teenager. For him to be in his 30s is also too much. Judging from the coexistence of blood and prudence, it is most likely that he is in his 20s. He could actually collect the silver needle in So-yeol’s tongue, but seeing that he left behind, it could be that he wants his reputation to be known through this assassination.”

“He wants his name to be known when he had perfectly hidden his traces? I don’t understand…”

“Everyone has an antinomic side. He doesn’t want his true identity to be revealed, but he also wants to enjoy his reputation as an assassin. He’s careful but he’s also full of energy. That’s why I said he is in his 20s. If he could understand and use acupoints at such a young age, it’s highly likely that he’s from a long-established assassin organization. Only one place has such a vision. There is only one such assassin organization in the world.”

“Is it… the Hundred Wraith Union?”

“Yes. Among them, there is a high possibility that he belongs to the top ten. I once hunted an assassin of the Hundred Wraith Union, and although his killing method was bizarre, it was never at this level.”

“Hmm…”

Chongjin murmured.

He had guessed it to a certain extent when he received the fine silver needle from Master Woo Pyeong, but hearing the definite answer through Pyo-wol’s mouth naturally made his heart stuffy.

He would not be afraid of the Hundred Wraith Union if they would face him head-on, but there’s no way that a group of assassins like them will show up and fight fair and square.

For prestigious sects such as the Wudang sect, the particularly difficult opponents were those who hid in the shadows like Hundred Wraith Union.

Chongjin muttered,

“For what reason did the Hundred Wraith Union sneak into our sect?”