Chapter 48

A group of men opened the door to the inn and entered.

They walked straight to the table where Jang Muryang and the others were seated.

“Unit Leader! What’s this? Ranju’s already here.”

“You bear-like bastard! That’s why I told you we should hurry.”

“Damn it!”

The two men bickered as they approached Jang Muryang’s table.

Both appeared to be in their early to mid-thirties. One was built like a mountain, while the other had a cold appearance.

Heo Ranju snorted at the sight of them.

“Hmph! When the Unit Leader summons you, you should come running.”

“Shut up. Looks like you’ve gotten even more desirable in the meantime.”

The mountainously built man scanned Heo Ranju up and down. Though it could have been offensive, Heo Ranju instead pushed her chest together to accentuate it.

“Pretty, right?”

“Give me a turn?”

“Hmph! You pervert. As if you could even get it up for me.”

Despite Heo Ranju’s insulting words, the large man didn’t show a hint of displeasure and instead grinned.

“Is that my fault? What am I supposed to do if women don’t stir any desire in me?”

“Is that why you only crave your fellow men?”

“Heheheh!”

As the large man let out a sinister laugh, Heo Ranju shook her head.

The name of this man with the mountainous build was Oh Yuk-pae.

Oh Yuk-pae was a man whose hobby was men.

Heo Ranju looked at the man who had come with Oh Yuk-pae.

The man, who had already taken a seat next to Jang Muryang, was named Yang Woo-jeong. She held the same position as Heo Ranju, Vice Unit Leader.

If Heo Ranju led the internal atmosphere of the Black Cloud Corps with her unique sociability, Yang Woo-jeong maintained the corps’ discipline with her blade-sharp reason and ruthless nature.

Jang Muryang opened his mouth.

“You’ve worked hard coming all this way. What about the others?”

“They’ve all dispersed and are staying at different inns.”

“Well done. Now, listen to me carefully. What comes next is important.”

At Jang Muryang’s words, everyone fell silent.

The Black Cloud Corps usually had a free-spirited atmosphere, but when it came to work, they boasted a stronger discipline than any other group.

“Daoshi Go.”

“Speak, Unit Leader.”

“First, gather information within Sichuan Province. We need to find out for certain which sects have sided with the Emei Sect, and which are following the Qingcheng Sect.”

“Understood.”

Daoshi Go nodded.

Jang Muryang’s gaze turned to Yang Woo-jeong.

“Vice Unit Leader Yang, take a few of our people and go to the Qingcheng Sect. Probe them to see if there’s room for negotiation, and find out how much we can get from them.”

“I understand.”

“Ranju!”

“Yes!”

“You go to the Emei Sect. You know what to do after that, right?”

“Of course.”

“If you can’t read the room, we’ll end up with nothing.”

“I know what I’m doing, so don’t you worry.”

“Good! Oh Yuk-pae.”

“Yes! Captain.”

“You will keep a close watch on Ranju. If she strays, report it immediately.”

“Why do I have to be with her of all people…”

“It’s an order.”

“Understood.”

Oh Yuk-pae replied with a look of resignation.

Heo Ranju frowned and looked at Jang Muryang.

“Can’t I just work with Hyeolseung instead?”

“Hyeolseung has other work to do. No more talk, just go with Oh Yuk-pae.”

“Tch! Fine.”

In the Black Cloud Corps, disobeying Jang Muryang’s orders was unthinkable.

No matter how strong Heo Ranju’s rebellious tendencies were, she could not defy a direct, official order from Jang Muryang.

After assigning tasks to each of them, Jang Muryang finally smiled and spoke.

“Nothing unusual happened on your way here, right? Did anyone see any strange movements, or any individuals who could become a variable?”

“I don’t know about a variable, but I did see a peculiar fellow.”

“Who might that be?”

Jang Muryang showed curiosity at Daoshi Go’s words.

“A man named Pyo… Wol, who looked prettier than Ranju.”

“Ho! There was such a person?”

“He’s the one who didn’t fall for Ranju’s seduction.”

“Hmph! What are you talking about? I was deliberately holding back my seduction.”

Heo Ranju interjected, but Daoshi Go ignored her and continued.

“In any case, he has an incredibly striking appearance, and his martial arts seemed quite profound.”

“Have you seen him use his martial arts?”

“Not exactly, but his expression didn’t change much even after seeing Hyeolseung’s martial prowess. Most martial artists would have their legs trembling at the sight of Hyeolseung on a rampage, but that fellow watched with the same indifference as if he were looking at a stone rolling on the ground. You can’t look at someone with those eyes unless you have confidence in your own martial prowess.”

“Hmm! Did you figure out his background?”

“No! Ranju stuck to him like glue and tried to coax it out of him, but she couldn’t find out a thing.”

“He seems to have a strong will. Ranju’s personality may be garbage, but her looks alone are enough to tempt anyone.”

“Who are you calling garbage?”

Heo Ranju protested, but Jang Muryang and Daoshi Go ignored her and continued their conversation.

“Did he also enter Chengdu?”

“He should be arriving today or tomorrow.”

“I see. I will see him for myself and judge later.”

“Right!”

Daoshi Go smiled warmly.

He had complete faith in Jang Muryang’s abilities.

The fact that the Black Cloud Corps had grown to this size and could be maintained was entirely due to Jang Muryang’s efforts.

Just then, Oh Yuk-pae spoke up.

“A man is that pretty?”

His eyes were already bloodshot.

There was no one here who didn’t know what that meant.

Heo Ranju shot up from her seat, incensed.

“You crazy bastard! I called dibs on him first.”

“Heheh! Finders keepers.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“Why not?”

Oh Yuk-pae also stood up and glared at Heo Ranju.

At the two’s sudden confrontation, Daoshi Go and Hyeolseung sighed. But they didn’t look particularly worried.

Jang Muryang asked Daoshi Go.

“What did you say his name was?”

“I said it was Pyo Wol.”

＊＊＊

Pyo Wol came down to the first floor of the inn around the time the sun was at its zenith.

The trading company and escort agency seemed to have already departed, as the inn was empty.

When Pyo Wol appeared, the innkeeper became extremely tense. It was because of Pyo Wol that all hell had broken loose the previous night.

The head of the Gujin Escort Agency, who had suddenly lost his core Escort Chiefs, looked completely dazed.

One had been blinded, and the other Escort Chiefs had also suffered injuries, major and minor, making it impossible for them to even dream of an escort mission for the time being.

The only reason he wasn’t rampaging about getting revenge was that he knew how to read the situation.

The strongest Escort Chiefs of the Gujin Escort Agency had attacked together, and this was the result. He restrained himself with the knowledge that rushing in for revenge would only lead to greater losses.

Above all, it was the Gujin Escort Agency’s Escort Chiefs who had started the fight. He would have had no room to complain even if they had suffered a worse fate.

Therefore, he gave up on revenge and left with his Escort Chiefs. While there was nothing he could do about Jang Wurak, the best he could do was to quickly take the remaining Escort Chiefs to a physician to treat their wounds.

Pyo Wol approached the innkeeper.

“S-Sir!”

The innkeeper looked at Pyo Wol with a terrified expression.

Having seen for himself what a cruel nature lay behind that womanly, beautiful face, the fear he felt was immense.

Pyo Wol asked the innkeeper.

“Who around here knows the most about the internal affairs of Sichuan Province?”

“Internal affairs?”

“The affairs between the sects.”

“Ah! In that case, you should visit the workshop street.”

“Workshop street?”

“If you leave the inn and go straight down the left road, you’ll find the workshop street. Go to the very end of the workshop street, and you’ll find a branch of the Crimson Dragon Clan.”

“Crimson Dragon Clan?”

“It’s a sect formed long ago by the artisans of Sichuan Province. They’ve been trading with the sects within Sichuan for a long time, so there’s no one who knows the internal situation better than them. If you buy a suitable weapon and ask what you’re curious about, they’ll answer you well.”

Pyo Wol walked to the workshop street as the innkeeper had instructed.

Clang! Clang!

Although it was early in the morning, the street was noisy with the sound of hammering coming from the workshops.

It was the first time in his life he had seen such a sight, so Pyo Wol stood blankly in the middle of the street, listening to the hammering.

The sound of hammering from one workshop was dull, while another’s was too light. Countless noises were mixed together, but Pyo Wol’s sensitive hearing distinguished each and every sound.

Tang! Tang!

Among them, there was one place from which a particularly clear metallic sound flowed.

Pyo Wol looked around, searching for the source of the sound. It wasn’t long before he found the place where the clear metallic sound was coming from.

It was the branch of the Crimson Dragon Clan.

Pyo Wol entered the Crimson Dragon Clan’s branch.

As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, he felt a blast of heat. The heat flowing from the furnace filled the inside of the branch.

In front of the furnace, a young man in his early twenties was hammering a red-hot lump of iron.

He was so focused on his hammering that he didn’t even notice Pyo Wol had entered.

Pyo Wol crossed his arms and watched the man.

Clang! Clang!

The man’s hammering was relentless.

Each time he struck the lump of iron, its shape changed.

It was then.

A man with a goatee opened a door from the inner part of the workshop and came out.

Seeing the young man hammering, his eyes lit up with fury and he rushed forward.

“Hey, you bastard! What do you think you’re doing? Who said you could touch a hammer?”

He kicked the young man.

The young man fell to the floor without even letting out a scream.

“You son of a bitch! I told you. Never touch a hammer in the workshop. Just run errands.”

He stomped on the young man mercilessly. But the young man endured the violence without a single scream. The young man’s eyes, as he protected his head with both hands, were full of Poison Qi.

“Pant, pant! You stubborn bastard! Still won’t admit you were wrong.”

In the end, the goateed man tired out first.

Only then did the young man brush off his clothes and stand up.

“You’re banned from this place for the time being. Stay inside and do chores until I call for you again.”

The young man bowed his head to the goateed man and went inside.

“That good-for-nothing! Why did the branch leader even take in a bastard like that… Huh?”

The goateed man, who had been cursing the young man, noticed that there was another person in the workshop.

“Heheh! I didn’t realize a customer was here and showed you an unsightly scene. What have you come to buy?”

“What did he do wrong?”

“Him? Ah, you mean that Sochu fellow.”

“Sochu?”

“Yes! His name is Tang Sochu. Rumor has it he’s a descendant of the Tang Clan, but he keeps trying to grab a hammer without permission.”

“Is a descendant of the Tang Clan not allowed to hold a hammer?”

“You must be new to Sichuan Province.”

“So?”

“Then it’s understandable. You know why the Tang Clan was annihilated, don’t you? It’s because they sided with the Demonic Cult in the old days. Because of that, they were made Closed-off by that person known as the Greatest of All Time, and after that, their family rapidly dwindled and collapsed, didn’t it? To the sects of Sichuan, the Tang Clan are traitors who betrayed the Sichuan Jianghu. Since then, no workshop will pass on its secret techniques to anyone associated with the Tang Clan. They’re afraid that a situation like the old days might repeat itself.”

Even those who had no connection to the Tang Clan and just happened to have the surname Tang faced disadvantages. To teach blacksmithing techniques to someone rumored to be a descendant of the Tang Clan would endanger the very existence of the Crimson Dragon Clan.

It was unknown whether Tang Sochu was truly a descendant of the Tang Clan.

It had already been over two hundred years since the Tang Clan was annihilated. There was no guarantee that the bloodline still existed, and even if it did, it was unlikely they would reveal their background.

The goateed man was the vice branch leader.

The vice branch leader’s stomping on Tang Sochu was nothing more than venting his anger.

He had gone to a gambling den the night before and lost a large sum of money. He was taking that anger out on Tang Sochu.

In Sichuan, the perception that it was okay to treat descendants of the Tang Clan that way still remained.

“The descendants live bearing the original sin of their ancestors from long ago.”

“Well, who told them to side with the Demonic Cult? It’s the price the Tang Clan chose to pay for themselves. By the way, what did you come to buy so early in the morning?”

“A Flying Sword.”

“Hmm! A Flying Sword, so it must be for throwing. Please follow me. All the weapons made in the workshop are displayed in there.”

The vice branch leader was an extremely talkative person.

He talked nonstop for even a single moment on the way to where the weapons were displayed.

“Many sects in Sichuan order their weapons from our Crimson Dragon Clan. Among them, our branch is famous for the quality of its goods. You probably won’t regret it.”

“It seems you still have a lot of orders these days.”

“Heheh! Since the Emei Sect and the Qingcheng Sect started fighting in earnest, our orders have doubled. The atmosphere in Sichuan has become grim, but conversely, we are enjoying a boom. Even now, all the artisans in the workshop are busy making weapons ordered by various sects.”

The vice branch leader chattered on, spitting as he boasted about how great this place was.

Pyo Wol listened to his words carefully.

The vice branch leader was just boasting, but his words contained general information about the Sichuan Jianghu.

Which sects and escort agencies were associated with the Emei Sect, and which powers were backing the Qingcheng Sect.

It was all the information Pyo Wol wanted.

“All the Flying Blade types are here. Please take your pick.”

On the display shelf the vice branch leader pointed to, all sorts of Flying Blades were laid out. Pyo Wol examined all of them in detail. But there was nothing that particularly caught his eye.

In truth, he didn’t need a Flying Blade. Buying one was merely a formality to get information from the Crimson Dragon Clan.

Pyo Wol bought the two best-made Flying Blades among them and came out.

Perhaps because of the Crimson Dragon Clan’s name, the Flying Blades were extremely expensive. But Pyo Wol, who didn’t know the market price for weapons, paid the amount the vice branch leader asked for.

After Pyo Wol left, the vice branch leader rejoiced at having caught a sucker.

“But for a sucker, he’s really handsome. I’d love to live with a face like that for just one day.”