CH 236

The Sword Saint, Han Yucheon is one of the Three Saints along with the War Saint, Yeombul1 and the Wind Saint.2

The Sword Saint had only learned swordsmanship throughout his whole life. 

No other person in the world could dare to compare against him when it comes to swordsmanship.

He was the idol of swordsmen all over the world. 

His skill was so unrivaled that anyone who held a sword wanted to become like him.

So it is understandable that many of the warriors gathered at the Jin family were enthusiastic at Han Yucheon’s appearance.

Many warriors had come to help the Jin family, but this is the first time that a warrior at the level of Han Yucheon came.

Han Yucheon observed the expressions of the people around him.

Most of them harbor similar expressions.

A look of awe and fear.

He was all too familiar with these kinds of expressions.

After earning the nickname of the Sword Saint, people looked at him with such expressions wherever he went.

Han Yucheon was annoyed by such expressions. 

He didn’t want to come to a place where people gathered like this in the first place. It just didn’t suit his temper and character. But he had no choice but to come here.

‘Won Ga-young!’

He was here to find out the truth about his disciple who returned as a cold corpse.

It didn’t matter if she hammered a nail into her heart and left, the fact that she was his disciple did not change.

The people gathered at the Jin family were mistaken.

They were under the illusion that Han Yucheon was here to help them. But in truth, Han Yucheon had no intention of doing that.

In the first place, he didn’t like the fact that his disciple went with Jin Geum-woo. She stuck around him only to end up in this situation. So he doesn’t like the Jin family.

What’s good about the family that had killed his disciple?

He found the warriors looking at him with expectant eyes pathetic. They were all oblivious to the reason why he came here. 

But not everyone was looking at him that way.

‘That guy!’

Han Yucheon’s gaze was fixed on a certain person.

A man with a face prettier than a woman’s.

Only that man was looking at him with eyes that did not contain any emotion.

The moment Han Yucheon met his eyes, he felt an eerie feeling crept upon him.

It was as if his heart had been stabbed with an invisible knife.

It had been a long time since someone had made him feel this way.

‘Was there a person like him in the Jin family?’

The unpleasant feelings that had encroached upon him a little while ago disappeared. He felt his curiosity about the man in front of him grew. 

Han Yucheon wondered if that man was qualified to face him in a head-on battle.

So he channeled qi to both of his eyes.

His sharp gaze was no different from a blade.

A warrior with a weak internal strength would receive a huge blow to his pupils just by looking at Han Yucheon’s eyes. But, there was no change in Pyo-wol’s eyes. He just continued to look at him.

Han Yucheon’s eyes became even more threatening.

His pride was hurt at the sight of Pyo-wol, who dared to show an unchanging appearance against himself. 

Tseeu!

He concentrated more energy on his eyes. Then, a chill spread to spread around the area.

“What’s going on?”

“Ugh!”

“It was only then that the warriors gathered around Han Yucheon felt a strange atmosphere.

They all felt like their whole body was being stabbed by thousands or tens of thousands of invisible needles. It didn’t take long for them to realize that Han Yucheon was gaving off murderous aura.

“S-Step back!”

“Why is he–?”

The warriors got scared and backed away.

Han Yucheon frowned at their fussy reactions. It was because Pyo-wol, who he had been staring at not until a while ago, disappeared completely. He had used the sudden commotion to escape. 

‘This–?’

He hurriedly raised his qi, but there was no sign of Pyo-wol anywhere. He had truly disappeared completely.

At that moment, he felt the blood in his whole body go cold.

He thought that if that man, who is capable of completely erasing his presence, made up his mind to attack him, then he would be in danger. 

However, he soon shook his head and denied his thoughts.

‘I’m worrying over nothing…’

No matter what anyone said, he was Han Yucheon, the Sword Saint.

An absolute powerhouse who prides himself on being unmatched when it comes to swords.

He couldn’t imagine being attacked by someone like that.

Jin Siwoo, who had heard of Han Yucheon’s arrival, came running. 

When Han Yucheon saw Jin Siwoo’s figure, frost fell in his already cold heart.

The thought of the man he had just seen was no longer in his mind.

Jin Siwoo respectfully greeted him,

“Welcome, Master Han! Why did you come without letting us know? If you had contacted us in advance, I would have prepared for your arrival.”

“Why would I call the Jin family in advance?”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to help the Jin family.”

“Then?”

“I came here to watch the Jin family fall.”

Han Yucheon put his energy into his last words so that everyone could hear them.

“……..”

It was a shocking declaration that poured cold water on the atmosphere of the real house, which had been improving for some time. 

* * *

Pyo-wol has come out of the Jin manor.

Despite Han Yucheon’s declaration, Pyo-wol did not feel much emotion. He didn’t feel disappointed at all since he didn’t have any expectations from him in the first place.”

He just thought that Han Yucheon’s martial arts were so great that he would have a hard time dealing with him later.

When he thought of the first time he met the Wind Saint, it was a great development.

When he first saw the Wind Saint, it felt like he was facing a huge wall that he couldn’t even dare to cross. 

The fact that he didn’t feel this way anymore when he saw another absolute warrior in the same class as the Wind Saint shows how much he has developed so far.

Pyo-wol didn’t think he would be pushed back even if he faced Han Yucheon head-on.

It wasn’t just baseless confidence.

While he was with Il-geom, something had changed inside him. Pyo-wol didn’t know exactly what it was, but it made him feel confident.

When Pyo-wol left the Jin manor, he headed to Runan.

Despite the big fight a few days ago, there were still many warriors in Runan.

They were people who came to watch the fight, who were neither on the side of the Jin family or Snow Sword Manor.

The clash between Snow Sword Manor and Jin family was the first major fight in Henan in decades. Because of that, many people were watching with interest.

It was clear that the power dynamics in Henan would change depending on which side would win. But that doesn’t mean that the winning faction will be able to overtake the Shaolin Temple, which reigns superior in all of Henan. Nonetheless, the winning sect will be able secure their position as second. 

That’s why many factions sent people to figure out the strength of the two forces.

Being an informant is one of the most prominent jobs in Jianghu after the Battle of the Bloody Heaven.

After the war with the Celestial Demon Union, each faction realized the importance of an informant and the information they brought.

They all realized that getting superiority over information is the same as getting the upper hand. 

Small and medium-sized clans obtain information through the Hao clan, while the top eleven sects make their own spies and use them.

In particular, it was said that the intelligence group operated by Cheon Mujang and the Insane Martial Arts sect had information power that far surpasses the Hao clan.

They didn’t trust the Hao clan very much.

Rather than not trusting the Hao clan’s information, they were wary of having their secret’s leaked as they asked for information from them.

So they only turn to the Hao clan for small information, and leave it to their own intelligence group when it comes to the important matters.

It was the same with Pyo-wol.

Submitting a request to the Hao clan is the easiest way to obtain information, but he was reluctant to use it because it would reveal his whereabouts.

However, this does not mean that he did not have his way of getting information. 

He used to easily obtain information in Sichuan. But in this place where he had nothing, he had to move personally in order to get information.  

Pyo-wol went into the back alley of Runan.

The back alley was very dirty. The smell of urine and an unknown stench lingered strongly in the area. The foul smell prevents most warriors from coming all the way here.

The people living in the back alleys were the lower classes or the poor.

Unlike the well-maintained boulevards, the back alleys were neglected. 

It was a place where warriors were reluctant to enter. The back alleys had an order only for the people who lived there.

At the appearance of Pyo-wol, people looked at him with curiosity and wary eyes.

“He’s so handsome.”

“Is he a man or a woman? 

They couldn’t bear to speak out loud so they just whispered among themselves.

Pyo-wol had a striking appearance that could easily catch anyone’s attention. Furthermore, now that he didn’t cover his face with a scarf, he stands out even more.

Pyo-wol ignored the people’s whispers.

He had developed a tolerance after listening to it so many times. He had reached the point where he would listen to their words in one ear and then let it out in the other.

Pyo-wol looked around with a calm gaze.

Those who live in back alleys are vigilant. So they do not easily show what they have. Because of that, Pyo-wol had to spend quite a bit of time and effort to find what he was looking for. 

Pyo-wol looked closely as he walked down the back alley. After a while, he was able to find the place he was looking for.

The place Pyo-wol found was a gambling den. 

In a city as big as Runan, there is bound to be a gambling house. And it’s highly probable that its location is hidden in a place like the back alley.

On the surface, it’s appearance was no different from a normal house. But with as many as 30 people entering and leaving every now and then, the place could not be considered normal. Moreover, at the entrance, two buff men were checking the identity of the guests.

Pyo-wol walked on the gambling den without further thought.

“What’s this?”

“We don’t accept women.”

As Pyo-wol approached, the men standing at the entrance blocked him.

Pyo-wol opened a pouch containing gold coins without saying a word. Then the men’s complexion changed completely.

“There’s a VIP here.”

“Go in.”

They obediently opened the door.

Outside status doesn’t work here. Only those who had a lot of money were treated as honored guests.

The men who were looking at Pyo-wol’s back as he entered the gambling den, said, 

“One hour!”

“I think that half an hour is enough. With his looks, he seems like the type who has never gambled in his life.”

“Is that so?”

“If it’s 30 minutes then, then he’ll be stripped of everything including his underwear.”

“Heheh! He can even sell his body after that. There are many customers who would like to have such a nice handsome boy.”

“Is it like killing pheasants and eating its eggs?3 Kukuku!”

They thought they were already talking quietly, but to Pyo-wol’s ears their voices were as loud as the sound of a bell. However, their obscenities did not shake Pyo-wol’s heart.

“It’s up.”

“It’s a pair of six!4 Wow!”

As soon as Pyo-wol entered the gambling den, thunderous cheers erupted.

At the table from which the cheers erupted, a man was jumping around and enjoying the attention. On the table he was sitting on, two dice were showing the number six.

This is the highest number in the dice game.

The man was delighted as he hugged the pile of money on the table. Conversely, those who lost money had expressions as if they lost their country.

The joys and sorrows of the people were clearly intersecting across the table.

Five or six men were seated at each table. At some tables there were cricket fights going on, at others there were blows to the bone.

The kind of gambling might be different across tables, but everyone was nonetheless preoccupied.

The way he stared at the table with his eyes wide open clearly showed what a person crazy about gambling is.

People blinded by gambling did not even pay attention to Pyo-wol.

No matter how striking Pyo-wol’s appearance was, the goal on the table was more important to them.

Nothing else could catch their eyes.

Pyo-wol looked around and sat down in an empty seat.

As he sat down, Zhang Han, who was sitting next to him, frowned and said,

“Do you have any money? The stakes on this table are pretty high, kid! If you’re sitting here with only a few coins then you’d better get out of here right now.”

Pyo-wol raised his pouch and flipped it upside down without a word.

Then, twenty gold coins rolled out.

20 gold coins is well over 200 silver coins.

A greedy expression went over Zhang Han’s face for a moment.

“Hey! The god of wealth has descended. Hehe!”

He smiled sinisterly, as if the money had already become his own.

It was the same for others.

“Hurry up and start playing already. Let your young friend know that the world is not easy.”

“Hehe! That money is all mine.”

“Don’t be silly.”

In their eyes, Pyo-wol looked like a desirable prey.

‘I’ll take off all his underwear and make him eat it.’

‘Hehehe!’

The men gathered around the table secretly exchanged glances.

They were greedy demons who covet each other’s money, but there were times when they secretly partnered together.

It was when a naive person, who was easy to peel and eat, appeared.

Thank you for reading!

Thank you for reading!