CH 216

Pyo-wol suddenly looked back.

Wudang Mountain was so huge that it was impossible to see the entirety of it at a glance.

He had climbed Wudang Mountain twice already.

Once to attend Chongjin’s birthday feast, and the other when he went up to the Il-gum’s residence.

The first time he climbed Wudang Mountain, he didn’t feel anything special, but now it’s a little different. Maybe it was because he himself had changed.

The meeting with Il-gum caused something to change inside Pyo-wol.

It wasn’t as if his personality or his martial arts changed dramatically. But something inside of him had definitely changed. And Pyo-wol was clearly feeling the change in himself.

Pyo-wol thought that he was greatly indebted to Il-gum. 

And he found that it was only right for him to pay back the favor.

So Pyo-wol moved on, promising that someday he would repay the favor he had received.

Without Soma, who had always been by his side, he somehow felt empty. But this was also something he had to go through someday.

Pyo-wol cannot take care of Soma forever.

Neither an adult nor a child, but something in between.

That’s what Soma is.

He didn’t know how Il-gum plans to teach and change Soma.

But he at least believed that he would lead him in a positive direction.

Pyo-wol struggled to shake off his thoughts and moved on.

Right now, neither Wu Jangrak, Soma or the mercenaries were by his side.

He had to go to his destination alone.

Fortunately, he had heard a detailed explanation of Jianghu’s current situation and geography from Wu Jang-rak. Furthermore, he also obtained a lot of information from the Wudang sect Scripture Pavilion.

Now, Pyo-wol’s knowledge of Jianghu was not inferior to that of ordinary warriors.

Because of that, even if he is alone, he doesn’t feel particularly lost.

He has the confidence to go all the way to Tianzhongshan, where the Jin family is located, by himself.

Pyo-wol went to a horse market on the outskirts of Gyun-hyeon.

Gyun-hyeon’s horse market was larger than any other horse market Pyo-wol had ever seen. There were so many horses to trade as well.

Countless horses were being held in a tight corner, and many people were haggling with horse sellers.

“This horse right here costs at least ten gold coins.”

“Ugh! Looking at it in the long run, it only has a lifespan of only about 15 years. 10 gold coins is too much. Make it seven.”

“Where did you get the number 15? This horse could live about 20 years.”

“A lot of white hair has grown on its forehead…”

The horse market was a fierce battlefield.

Sellers would try to get even a penny more, while customers used all their knowledge to cut the costs by even a little bit.

When Pyo-wol, who looked like a newbie, entered such a place, many merchants approached.

“It looks like it’s your first time coming here today, what do you think about this horse? It’s a mixture of the blood of Daewangu, a famous horse in the West region…”

“If you pay me ten pieces of gold, I will give you my shop’s best horse.”

“Uh-huh! Come here. If you see a horse that catches your eyes, I’ll sell it very cheaply.”

Some said they would give their liver and gallbladder, while others secretly threatened.

About a dozen merchants made all sorts of flattering rumors and threats over Pyo-wol, but there was literally no pandemonium.

This is the method they used to distract first-timers in order to sell horses at high prices. In fact, none of the words they were saying were true.

Pyo-wol’s response to them was simple.

“Where is the Sang Hang-yeok?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you talking about… the young master?”

Blood drained from the faces of the merchants who surrounded Pyo-wol.

Sang Hang-yeok is the owner of the Gunma clan. And the Gunma clan had a tremendous influence on the horse market here.

The repercussions of cheating on a customer at the Gunma clan were so great that the merchants were speechless for a moment. If any of the merchants made a mistake, they could be kicked out of the horse market.

“Heuk!”

“O, On second thought, I don’t think I have any horses to sell to you.”

The merchants moved away from Pyo-wol like the ebb tide.

Thanks to this, Pyo-wol was able to get away from the merchants and watch the horses leisurely.

It was then.

“Who is it to pretend to be my acquaintance?”

A high pitched voice of a young man was heard.

The young man approaching vigorously with more than a dozen subordinates was Sang Hang-yeok.

“Who dares—?”

His words suddenly stopped.

It was because he recognized Pyo-wol’s face.

Sang Hang-yeok looked at Pyo-wol with his body as stiff as a stone statue. His complexion was already pale.

“W, Why are you here?”

Sang Hang-yeok unknowingly stepped back.

He got some incredible information last night.

The intelligence report contains the news that Jang Muyeon and White Tiger Sword Corps were annihilated by a single person. 

The Rain Mountain Manor is a tremendous force comparable to the Wudang sect.

Young master Jang Muyeon’s martial arts were great, while the White Tiger Swords Corps has as much power comparable to that of the elite members of the great sects.

But such great people were annihilated by a single individual. 

And the man responsible for massacring them was Pyo-wol, who he had a quarrel with during Chongjin’s birthday party. 

The incident happened at the entrance of Wudang Mountain. So it was naturally the responsibility of the Wudang sect to rectify this issue.

One of the Wudang sect’s taoists who recovered the body leaked what had happened, thus having the news reached the Gunma clan.

The information might have been hard to believe, but they had no choice but to believe it since the information came from the mouth of a Wudang sect taoist.

It was only then that Sang Hang-yeok realized that the man who he had been arguing with was actually a scary being. So now that he came across Pyo-wol again, he felt numb.

“What brings you here in the Gunma clan?”

“I need a horse.”

“What?”

“I need a horse to ride. Bring me one that I can use.”

“Why go to us?”

“Other merchants told all sorts of lies to rip me off.”

In an instant, heat flared up in Sang Hang-yeok’s eyes.

“Who are they?!”

The merchants’ faces became pale when they heard Sang Hang-yeok’s angry voice.

‘I’m dead.’

‘I’m ruined.’

Merchants who tried to cheat Pyo-wol closed their eyes tightly.

Pyo-wol replied without giving them a glance,

“I’ll pay for it so give me a good one.”

“Hoo, okay. I’ll give you a decent one.”

Sang Hang-yeok let out a sigh of relief when he realized that Pyo-wol did not come here to harm him.

He immediately ordered his subordinates to find a decent horse.

After a while, his subordinates brought a horse with shiny fur.

The horse was big and had soft red fur. It also had well-developed muscles.

Pyo-wol shook his head.

“I don’t need such a great horse like this.”

“My sincerity. Just accept it. I’ll take the least amount of money.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m sorry for what happened in the Wudang sect. Please forget that day in exchange for this. You can just pay for this with ten gold coins.”

“Okay.”

Pyo-wol nodded.

He didn’t force it, so there was nothing to hold back.

Pyo-wol took ten gold coins out of his pocket and threw them at Sang Hang-yeok.

Sang Hang-yeok had a complex expression on his face after receiving the gold coins. But his expression soon became calm as he placed the gold coins into his bosom.

He might have suffered a lot of losses, but he at least managed to erase his previous enmity with Pyo-wol. 

The person he is facing right now is a warrior who has defeated the elite of the Rain Mountain Manor alone. Given what Pyo-wol did, he seemed to be receiving the protection of the Wudang sect. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to roam around Gyun-hyeon so freely.

Sang Hang-yeok doesn’t know what Pyo-wol has to do with the Wudang sect, but it was clear that the two have a very close relationship.

There are not that many who know Pyo-wol now, but Sang Hang-yeok thought that Pyo-wol’s name and reputation would soon resonate throughout the world.

Even if it was a small favor, it was good to give it for the future of the Gunma clan.

Pyo-wol got on the horse. He was already used to riding one because he had ridden it tediously on the way here with Wu Jang-rak.

He rode off without saying goodbye.

Looking at the back of Pyo-wol, who was moving away, Sang Hang-yeok murmured.

“The Rain Mountain Manor won’t stay still. I wonder if he’s going to be okay.”

* * *

“Hoo! I thought I was going to die.”

A woman in a red silk dress muttered, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Her entire body was stained with blood and sweat.

The woman’s name is Hong Ye-seol.

She was one of the singers invited to the Wudang sect.

The place she came to was an abandoned house.

There was a well in front of the house which could barely maintain its shape.

Hong Ye-seol took off her clothes as soon as she arrived at the abandoned house. Then, her dazzling figure appeared.

Hong Ye-seol drew water from the well and poured it over her head. When the cold water touched her skin, goosebumps ran all over her body, but she didn’t pay it any mind and washed herself clean by pouring more water over and over again.

At first glance, her body looked clean without a single flaw, but numerous scars were actually engraved on her naked body. And there are actually a few fresh wounds.

Hong Ye-seol fetched the ointment in the clothes she had taken off and applied it to her wounds. Then the bleeding on her wounds stopped.

“It hurts.”

Hong Ye-seol wrinkled the tip of her nose and looked at her new wounds.

It wasn’t a light wound that could simply be dismissed. But since she’s a person who’s used to the pain, she could endure this much. But if any other normal person suffered the same injury, they would surely die.

But since Hong Ye-seol is not an ordinary person, she did not blink an eye even as she experienced such a wound.

“Those goddamn taoists. No matter what I did, how can they scar a woman’s body like this.”

Hong Ye-seol cursed the Wudang sect taoists who hurt her.

Sang-jin pursued her with the Wudang sect’s Seven Swords.

It was impossible to face them head-on.

The Wudang sect’s Seven Swords are already too much to handle. What more if she faces Sang-jin, who is be said to be the Wudang sect’s Number One Sword. It would be an act of suicide.

So she fled with all her might.

Fortunately, she had a knack for escape.

After overcoming the danger of death several times, she was able to shake off Sang-jin and the Wudang sect’s Seven Swords. In return, she suffered minor injuries. 

But she had no choice but to endure this much. This was already a cheap price to pay for turning the Wudang sect of the world upside down.

Hong Ye-seol entered the abandoned house naked.

A bundle of clothes she had prepared in advance was hidden in a corner of the house. When the bundle was unpacked, a simple suit was revealed.

Hong Ye-seol came out after putting on a light suit.

She applied a specially made perfume to her body to completely erase the distinctive wild chrysanthemum scent.

There are times in Jianghu where people with a crazy talent for tracking people by smell appear. So she had to eliminate the possibility of being tracked through smell by erasing her scent. 

The atmosphere of Hong Ye-seol, who had changed clothes, had completely changed.

Her cool eyes, tightly closed lips, and expressionless face was completely different from her appearance as a singer in the Wudang Mountain.

The last thing she took was a booklet that was in the clothes she had taken off.

Strength Grinding Demonic Martial Arts.1

It was an item she stole from the Wudang sect’s warehouse at the risk of her life.

Now, the only thing left to do is to deliver this booklet to the request.

Hong Ye-seol wrinkled her nose and muttered,

“But it smells bad.”

It was not a request she had taken on herself.

It was a request that other people have passed on to her. 

It wasn’t a formal request she received as an assassin of the Hundred Wraith Union, but a request she received as a hobby.

In her experience, there was a fairly high probability that this would cause problems.

Hong Ye-seol walked to the meeting place, hoping that this would not be the case this time. 

The meeting place with the client was by the river, far from Wudang Mountain. The rendezvous point was where a large turtle-shaped rock was located. 

As soon as Hong Ye-seol arrived, a fat man appeared from behind the turtle-shaped rock. He was the client.

The client asked,

“What about the booklet?”

Hong Ye-seol held up the Strength Grinding Demonic Martial Arts without a word. Then the client replied,

“As expected, you’re trustworthy. Hand over the booklet.”

“Give me the commission fee first.”

Hong Ye-seol said bluntly.

“Item comes first.”

“Hmpf! Why would I give it to you if you won’t pay for it? Give me the money first.”

“This girl is asking for trouble.”

The client raised his hand. Then, warriors equipped with weapons appeared all over the river.

“Ha! I knew this would happen.”

Hong Ye-seol sighed.

The client had no intention of paying her from the beginning.

They had no expectations of her succeeding, but if she somehow ends up bringing the goods then they could just steal it from her.

The client scanned Hong Ye-seol and muttered,

“You seem like a useful girl, but it’s a pity.”

“Pig! No matter how hungry I am for men, I won’t sleep with a pig like you.”

“What?”

“I’d rather kill a pig.”

Hong Ye-seol raised her white hand.

It was the Extreme Yin Hand,2 the symbol of the seventh member of the top ten assassins.

Wahhh~ It’s amazing having someone help Pyo-wol with no ulterior motives. <3 And his abilities are really being recognized by these grandpas. Our Pyo-wol is really a genius *smug* *proud*