Chapter 63

“What kind of person is that?”

Maun frowned, watching Pyo Wol eat alone in the first-floor dining hall.

For the past four days, Pyo Wol had stayed in his room except when it was time to eat. It was still impossible to tell what he was doing inside, even when he pressed his ear to the door, but he no longer felt as frustrated as before.

That was because the fact that Pyo Wol was in his room remained unchanged.

“I just don’t get it. To stay cooped up in his room with a face like that. If it were me, I’d be at a brothel or seducing some passing girl. What woman wouldn’t fall for him if he showed her that face?”

Even to a man’s eyes, his face was disgustingly handsome.

No, there was a certain air about him that couldn’t be described simply as handsome.

A bewitching aura that seemed to mesmerize people just by looking at him.

In fact, many of the women who came to the Inn to eat had been captivated by Pyo Wol’s face and struck up a conversation.

Every single one of them, blushing and fidgeting, had handed Pyo Wol a love letter.

Pyo Wol never said a word to them, neither yes nor no. He just stared at them impassively, as if looking at a block of wood. Yet, the women were thrilled just to have received his gaze.

This scene had repeated itself several times, and Maun was sick to his stomach with jealousy.

Maun’s own face wasn’t that bad. He considered himself to be on the decent side. But whenever he tried to talk to women, they would startle and run away as if he had the plague.

Not a single woman had ever given him a warm smile; he had to be grateful if they didn’t shoot him a look of contempt.

For Maun, who had only had such experiences, it was only natural to be displeased with Pyo Wol.

“Anyway, women don’t know a real man. A man is more than just his face…”

Maun grumbled but didn’t take his eyes off Pyo Wol. However, the wariness on his face had softened considerably.

For the past four days, Pyo Wol had done nothing out of the ordinary.

He hadn’t met anyone else, nor had he made contact with any Sect.

Just in case, he had even sent the Waiter to check several times if Pyo Wol was in his room.

Maun thought that as long as nothing unusual happened, Pyo Wol’s routine would continue. He would keep watching him, as Jang Muryang had ordered, but his mind was beginning to relax.

It was the same for his colleagues watching from the inn across the street.

If Pyo Wol had at least wandered outside, they could have followed him and gotten some fresh air, but since he remained cooped up in his room, they too had to stay stuck in their own small room.

“What’s that guy doing, not even going outside?”

“How long do we have to keep watching him?”

“I don’t know! Let me know if he moves. I’m going to get some shut-eye.”

Eventually, one of them even lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. But no one said anything to him. The others felt the same way.

And so, everyone grew lax.

Maun, and his colleagues…

It was then that Pyo Wol began to move.

Late at night, Pyo Wol quietly slipped out of the Inn.

Although four men were watching him, none of them noticed Pyo Wol’s movements.

If it were just a matter of sneaking out of the Inn, he could have done it at any time.

Pyo Wol’s Stealth Skill had reached a level that Maun and his colleagues could never detect.

What Pyo Wol had aimed for was to plant a false preconception in their minds that he would not move. That was why he pretended not to know that they were using the Waiter to confirm he was in his room.

As this repeated over four days, the vigilance of Maun and the others slackened.

The human attention span, as Pyo Wol knew it, did not last very long.

Just as Pyo Wol had predicted, Maun and his colleagues were focused only on the first and second days. They began to relax on the third day, and by the fourth, they had let their guard down completely.

Their concentration and tension had completely vanished.

The first requirement of an excellent Assassin was to induce carelessness in the enemy and to have the patience to wait for that moment.

The single moment the enemy let their guard down was the perfect opportunity for an Assassin to deliver a fatal blow.

For Pyo Wol, this was that moment.

He moved across the rooftops of the halls at a terrifying speed.

His destination was the Hundred Flowers Room, a Sect of women located in the south of Chengdu.

He had already learned the location of the Hundred Flowers Room through Woo Seonha.

Thanks to her, Pyo Wol was able to reach the vicinity of the Hundred Flowers Room without getting lost once in the complex city of Chengdu.

The scale of the Hundred Flowers Room was immense.

Just as the Geumcheon Gate had grown with the support of the Qingcheng Sect, the Hundred Flowers Room had received the support of the Emei Sect.

A dozen or so halls rising above the high walls showed just how formidable the Hundred Flowers Room’s influence was in southern Chengdu.

Female disciples stood guard at the main gate of the Hundred Flowers Room. But their posture was extremely lax.

It was because of the arrogance that came from being a renowned Sect in Sichuan Province, thinking who would dare to attack them.

Even if someone were to attack, they weren’t too worried, as ringing the emergency bell would bring a flood of Experts from inside.

Their carelessness was a great opportunity for Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol slipped into the Hundred Flowers Room in an instant, avoiding everyone’s eyes.

Although it was his first time in the Hundred Flowers Room, Pyo Wol had already memorized its layout, the deployment of its people, and the location of the Hall Complex.

It was thanks to Woo Seonha.

Pyo Wol had remembered every single word she had spoken nonchalantly.

Pyo Wol looked at the hall on the far left.

It was the Guest Reception Hall, opened only when important guests visited the Hundred Flowers Room.

Right now, it was being used by the disciples from the Emei Sect.

Pyo Wol leaped onto the roof of the Guest Reception Hall in a single bound.

Disciples of the Emei Sect were standing guard around the Guest Reception Hall, but none of them noticed Pyo Wol’s presence.

Pyo Wol removed a roof tile and seeped into the hall.

“Junior Martial Sister, you will return to the main sect as soon as the sun rises.”

“Senior Martial Sister!”

At Jeong Hwa’s cold words, Yong Seol Lan looked at her in surprise.

It was something she had not expected at all.

“There’s nothing for you to do here anyway, Junior Martial Sister. It would be better for you to return to the main sect and stay by Master’s side.”

“But Master ordered me to help you, Senior Martial Sister.”

“If I hadn’t made a contract with the Black Cloud Corps, I would have naturally accepted your help, Junior Martial Sister. But the contract with the Black Cloud Corps went well. There is nothing more for you to do here. So go back.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Junior Martial Sister! Are you going to disobey my command?”

Jeong Hwa’s voice grew even colder.

Yong Seol Lan stared at Jeong Hwa in silence for a moment.

‘Hah!’

A sigh almost escaped her.

She had known for a long time that Jeong Hwa disliked her.

Yong Seol Lan had never once shown any sign of wanting to become the Sect Leader. She had no such intention. Yet, Jeong Hwa saw Yong Seol Lan as a potential rival and was wary of her.

No matter how many times Yong Seol Lan expressed that she had no interest in becoming the Sect Leader, Jeong Hwa didn’t believe her.

Jeong Hwa’s one and only eye was filled with distrust and hatred for Yong Seol Lan.

Yong Seol Lan forced down her sigh and opened her mouth.

“We don’t know when we might clash with the Qingcheng Sect in Chengdu. Shouldn’t I still be here, just in case?”

“What is there to worry about when I am here? Besides, the Hundred Flowers Room will help. If things get really bad, we can use the Black Cloud Corps as a shield. There is no need for you to be here, Junior Martial Sister. That would be a huge waste of manpower.”

“Senior Martial Sister!”

“No matter what you say, Junior Martial Sister, my mind will not change. I will send a separate letter to Master, so you can return without worry.”

“I… understand. If that is truly your will, Senior Martial Sister…”

In the end, Yong Seol Lan accepted Jeong Hwa’s decision.

She realized that no matter how much she argued, Jeong Hwa would not listen. Arguing with Jeong Hwa any further would only lead the conversation back to square one.

“Return as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”

“I will do so.”

Yong Seol Lan stood up from her seat and went outside.

Jeong Hwa watched Yong Seol Lan’s back with her single eye.

Thud!

When the door finally closed, she spat out the words she had been holding back.

“Hmph! Insolent bitch. How dare she look at me with those eyes.”

Jeong Hwa hated Yong Seol Lan the most in the Emei Sect.

She found it so dreadful that she shuddered just being in the same space as her.

She had disliked Yong Seol Lan from the moment she was first initiated, but her hatred reached its peak seven years ago, after she lost an eye to an Assassin.

Before the sense of loss from losing her eye had even faded, she received a severe scolding from her Master, Guhwa Satae.

The reason was that she had failed to deal with the Assassin properly, thus worsening their relationship with the Qingcheng Sect.

Thanks to that, she was exiled for two years.

If the conflict with the Qingcheng Sect hadn’t intensified to the point where every single bit of strength was needed, she would have had to spend her entire life in a small Hermitage on Mount Emei.

Although she had made a dramatic return, her anxiety did not disappear.

She couldn’t even sleep properly, thinking she might be abandoned in the Hermitage again at any moment. Her anxiety turned into hatred, and that hatred was misdirected toward Yong Seol Lan, who had entered the underground cavern with her.

It was because while she had taken responsibility for the whole incident and been exiled to a small Hermitage, Yong Seol Lan had received no punishment at all.

It was unfair to Yong Seol Lan, but Jeong Hwa’s hatred was too great to change her mind.

It was then.

“Aunt! May I come in?”

A familiar voice came from outside.

The frosty Qi on Jeong Hwa’s face vanished, replaced by a smile.

“Seonha. Come in.”

“Yes!”

With her reply, Woo Seonha entered the room.

She walked with light steps and came right up to Jeong Hwa.

“I saw Yong Seol Lan leaving. Did you tell her?”

“I did.”

“Good. I was uncomfortable because of her too.”

“Indeed, Junior Martial Sister has a peculiar way of making others uncomfortable. I dislike that about her too.”

“I see.”

Woo Seonha nodded with a slight smile.

“But what brings you here so late at night?”

“I just came to keep you company, thinking you might be lonely, Aunt.”

“How can you be so sweet?”

Jeong Hwa looked at Woo Seonha with a satisfied expression.

Woo Seonha sat down close to Jeong Hwa and acted cute.

“Do you have a man you’re seeing? Your face seems to have gotten even prettier.”

“I… don’t.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are. Just don’t give him your heart. Men are creatures that can’t be trusted, so if you give them your heart, you’ll only get hurt.”

“I understand.”

“Hoho! It seems you do have a man you’re seeing.”

“I do, but he has quite a bit of use value.”

“Oh?”

Jeong Hwa showed her curiosity. Woo Seonha then began to explain excitedly.

“You know that the young master of the Thunder Clan died, right?”

“Isn’t that why we came here? But why bring that up?”

“The one who killed Nam Hosan might be the man I’m seeing.”

“Are you certain?”

Jeong Hwa’s mood changed.

It was that shocking of a story.

“It’s not for certain.”

“Then why are you telling me this?”

In truth, she wasn’t sure that Pyo Wol had killed Nam Hosan. Because Pyo Wol never said so until the end.

In her heart, she thought he had killed him, but there was no proof.

“I’ll check first.”

“Hmm!”

“If I’m certain, I’ll bring him to you then, Aunt.”

“If that’s what you think… But what is his name?”

“I’ll tell you that too when the time is right.”

“Jeong Hwa!”

“I don’t want to make a mistake with you, Aunt. I’ll tell you when I’m certain.”

“I understand. I hope it won’t be too late.”

“It won’t take that long.”

“Then do so.”

“Thank you, Aunt!”

Woo Seonha smiled.

It was because Jeong Hwa, who was so harsh to the disciples of the Emei Sect, was endlessly merciful to her.

Suddenly, Pyo Wol’s image overlapped in her mind.

‘Did he really kill him?’

They had already slept together twice.

Yet, the fact that she couldn’t completely read his inner thoughts gave her the chills.

It felt as if she were possessed by a ghost.

Seeing Woo Seonha’s hardened face, Jeong Hwa looked puzzled.

“Why are you…”

It was at that moment.

“Kyaaak!”

“Gongseon!”

Suddenly, a piercing scream came from outside.

Jeong Hwa and Woo Seonha looked at each other in surprise.

Without a moment’s hesitation, they both ran outside and rushed to where the scream had come from.

It was a room across from Jeong Hwa’s quarters.

Several Emei Sect disciples had already gathered in front of the room. Their faces were deathly pale.

“What is it?”

“S-Senior Martial Sister Gongseon…”

The Emei Sect disciples couldn’t bring themselves to finish their sentence.

Jeong Hwa pushed them aside and entered the room.

Inside the room, a woman lay as if asleep. She was Gongseon, Jeong Hwa’s direct Disciple.

Gongseon was one of the second-generation disciples of the Emei Sect and had been taught by Jeong Hwa. That was why she called Jeong Hwa ‘Master,’ and Jeong Hwa, in turn, considered her a direct Disciple.

“Gongseon!”

Jeong Hwa hurriedly embraced Gongseon.

At that moment, a gash split open on Gongseon’s neck, and Fresh Blood flowed down like a waterfall, soaking Jeong Hwa’s chest.

“H-How could this be! Who on earth did this to Gongseon…”

Jeong Hwa’s single eye turned bloodshot.

“It must be the Qingcheng Sect. They must have sent an Assassin to kill Senior Martial Sister Gongseon.”

“We must take revenge immediately.”

The Emei Sect disciples demanded revenge.

Gongseon had a venomous personality, much like Jeong Hwa. For that, she had earned the resentment of many other disciples. But that was when she was alive.

As long as she was a fellow Disciple of the Emei Sect, they had to take revenge, regardless of personal feelings.

Jeong Hwa muttered, holding Gongseon’s body.

“Qingcheng Sect! You bastards who deserve to be killed. I will never forgive you.”