Chapter 204

Finally, the day of Daoist Master Cheongjin’s birthday arrived.

The Wudang Sect began preparing for the birthday banquet early in the morning.

The stage set up yesterday was adorned with various decorations, and a luxurious chair was placed upon it.

Entertainers also began their performances at dawn.

They played instruments to liven up the mood and sang songs to draw people’s attention. Drawn by their songs, Martial Artists left their lodgings from dawn.

At the grand Training Ground where the event was held, all sorts of snacks were selling like hotcakes. The street vendors from below Mount Wudang had been given special permission to enter and do business for the day.

Countless snacks, including sugar-coated fruits, sold like wildfire.

Happy smiles graced the merchants’ faces at the unexpected boom in business.

“I wish every day was like today.”

“Haha! I’ve made a month’s worth of sales in just one shichen.”

They wished the Wudang Sect Master’s birthday was every month.

“Hmph! Everyone’s so excited.”

A one-eyed man weaving through the merchants chewed on his lip.

Unlike the others who were brimming with excitement, the man full of dissatisfaction was named Hong Mugwang.

Hong Mugwang had separated from the other Wanderers who had come up to the Wudang Sect with him and was wandering around alone.

After losing an eye to Pyo Wol, he had been subtly taking out his frustrations on his companions. Since he couldn’t get revenge on Pyo Wol, he was venting his anger on his comrades.

At first, the Wanderers had meekly accepted his anger, but at some point, they began to distance themselves from him. His irritation had crossed the line.

The final straw was yesterday when his anger exploded, and he spewed insults at his fellow Wanderers. He especially hurled venom at Seol Hajin, who had been practically attached to Pyo Wol during their journey here.

Unable to bear it any longer, Seol Hajin argued with him, and the situation escalated.

In the end, Go Il-pae said he couldn’t travel with Hong Mugwang anymore and kicked him out.

Because of that, Hong Mugwang was kicked out of the group of Wanderers and was now wandering the Wudang Sect alone.

‘This is all because of that bastard.’

Hong Mugwang thought of Pyo Wol and ground his teeth.

If he hadn’t fought with Pyo Wol, he wouldn’t have been ostracized by the Wanderers like this, nor would he have lost his eye.

The aftereffects of losing an eye were severe.

Going from seeing with two eyes to seeing the world with one had narrowed his field of vision and created a blind spot in his perception.

He had gained a fatal weakness as a Martial Artist.

Because of that, Hong Mugwang’s self-esteem had plummeted.

Hong Mugwang dwelled on his anger as he thought of Pyo Wol. He hadn’t dared to express his fury while traveling with him, but now that he was alone, there was nothing to hold him back.

“I will have my revenge one day, no matter what.”

Hong Mugwang vowed a revenge with no set date.

He knew it too.

He knew just how futile his vow was.

The immense gap between himself and Pyo Wol was too vast to be closed by mere vengeance.

It was then.

“Revenge? What revenge?”

An unfamiliar voice came from behind him.

“Who are you?”

Hong Mugwang shouted, whirling around.

A young man with a cold expression stood there.

Hong Mugwang recognized the man’s identity at once. It was impossible not to; he was the one who had received the most attention among those who had entered the Wudang Sect.

“Jang… Mu-yeon?”

“Since you know me, you must also know what I can do, right?”

“That is…”

Hong Mugwang unknowingly stepped back. He was overwhelmed by the aura Jang Mu-yeon was emitting.

Jang Mu-yeon’s eyes, as he looked at Hong Mugwang, were filled with a chill.

While investigating Woo Jang-rak’s group and the Wanderers, Ju Cheon-hak, the Captain of the White Tiger Sword Unit, had discovered that only Hong Mugwang was not fitting in with his companions and was being ostracized.

The other Wanderers were full of vigilance and difficult to approach, but since Hong Mugwang was isolated, approaching him was easy.

Hong Mugwang swallowed dryly and said.

“What do you want from me?”

“Tell me what happened in the Forest of the Dead that day, and I will grant you anything you desire.”

“Anything?”

“I swear on the honor of the Righteous Sword Manor.”

“Really?”

“It would be best not to make me repeat myself. I’m not in a very good mood right now. But I will certainly grant you what you want.”

“O-Okay!”

Hong Mugwang answered hastily.

He began to recount what had happened in the Forest of the Dead, searching his memory.

In truth, he had barely seen anything properly in the Forest of the Dead.

He had gotten out before he could experience anything significant. However, he knew for a fact that Pyo Wol had left their side and done something.

Jang Mu-yeon listened to his story attentively.

“So you’re saying that a man named Pyo Wol might have killed my maternal uncle?”

“That is what I surmise.”

“Surmise?”

“N-No, I’m certain. That little brat has monstrous abilities, and he is cruel beyond measure. And when he reappeared, he was definitely reeking of a thick Blood Scent. He must have killed Manor Lord Hwa of the Heavenly Eunuch Clan.”

“So you’re certain that the man named Pyo Wol killed my maternal uncle and stole the Gongpo Sword?”

“That’s right.”

Hong Mugwang answered forcefully, glancing at Jang Mu-yeon’s expression.

His already ice-cold face became even more rigid.

Hong Mugwang froze, just watching his reaction.

It was a long while before Jang Mu-yeon opened his mouth.

“Did you say you lost your eye because of him too?”

“Yes! He cowardly launched an Ambush Attack and took my eye.”

It was a ridiculous story.

There was no reason for an Expert capable of killing Hwa Yu-cheon, the Manor Lord of the Heavenly Eunuch Clan, to ambush a mere Wanderer.

Jang Mu-yeon realized that Hong Mugwang was lying. But he didn’t bother to point it out.

Hong Mugwang had his uses.

“Don’t you want to get revenge on him?”

“O-Of course I want revenge.”

“I will help you.”

“Pardon? How?”

Hong Mugwang’s eyes widened.

“Just do as I say. What do you think? Can you do it?”

“But…”

“You don’t have to worry about the aftermath. The Righteous Sword Manor will protect you.”

“I-If that’s the case…”

The look in Hong Mugwang’s eyes changed.

＊＊＊

As Pyo Wol left Clear Stream Palace early in the morning, Soma asked him.

“Hyung-ah, where are you going?”

“The Scripture Depository.”

“Why there?”

“There’s something I need to read.”

“Really?”

Soma looked disappointed.

He was sad that Pyo Wol was leaving. But he quickly put on an indifferent face and said.

“Okay, have a good time!”

“And you?”

“I’m just going to stay in a tree.”

“You’re not going to watch the banquet?”

“There are too many people and it’s too chaotic, so I don’t really want to.”

Soma had already seen all he wanted of the Wudang Sect yesterday, so he had no lingering attachment. Especially today, with even more people having entered, the Wudang Sect was a sea of people.

He didn’t want to sightsee the Wudang Sect mixed in with so many people.

“Alright. I’ll be back.”

“Okay! Hyung-ah.”

Soma climbed high up a tree and watched Pyo Wol leave Clear Stream Palace.

After leaving Clear Stream Palace, Pyo Wol headed straight for the Scripture Depository.

Since Daoist Master Cheongjin had already given the word, the Daoist Masters of the Wudang Sect let him pass without issue. However, their hostility towards Pyo Wol remained.

Pyo Wol paid no mind to their stares.

He had already expected this kind of reaction.

He had no time to waste his mental energy on such trivial matters.

His time to stay at the Wudang Sect was only until today.

He had to find the information he wanted by the end of the day.

As soon as he entered the Scripture Depository, Pyo Wol picked up a book.

It was a book titled Anhui Province Sect Activities.

As the name suggested, it was a book containing general information about the sects in Anhui Province.

It was a booklet made three years ago.

The information inside was also from three years ago. More recent versions were stored separately, which was why this one was left in the Scripture Depository.

They probably thought it wouldn’t be a big problem even if an outsider like Pyo Wol saw it.

Although the information was three years old, it was extremely useful to Pyo Wol.

He could at least guess which sects existed in Anhui Province three years ago and how much power they held.

Three years was a long enough time for the world to change. But unless a major event shook All Under Heaven, once-established power dynamics did not change easily.

Even three-year-old information was useful enough for Pyo Wol.

Inside the Scripture Depository, there were booklets that recorded, at least roughly, information about sects from all over All Under Heaven, not just Anhui Province.

Likewise, those books were also written three years ago.

Pyo Wol calmly read through all those books.

Unlike his previous visit when he had to read like a thief, Pyo Wol could now read the books with a much calmer mind.

What Pyo Wol needed most was information about the current Jianghu.

Having spent most of his time in Sichuan Province, he lacked knowledge about the Jianghu as a whole.

The Wudang Sect’s Scripture Depository was also a Treasure Vault of information.

The books that the Wudang Daoist Masters read daily and casually skimmed over provided Pyo Wol with a tremendous amount of information.

The quality of the same information could change depending on who analyzed and interpreted it.

The Daoist Masters of the Wudang Sect, who pursued the path of immortality, coveted martial arts manuals more than such miscellaneous books. In contrast, Pyo Wol did not overlook even the most trivial piece of information.

As if assembling a fragmented picture, Pyo Wol gathered trivial pieces of information and recreated them into a bigger picture.

Flip!

Pyo Wol read the books without rest.

He only lifted his eyes from the book when the inside of the Scripture Depository grew dark.

He had been reading all day, and the sun had set before he knew it.

Just then, the door of the Scripture Depository burst open and a middle-aged Daoist Master entered. It was Woo Seong Dojang, the one in charge of the Scripture Depository.

He said to Pyo Wol.

“Come out now. The time the Sect Master granted you is now over.”

Hostility still filled Woo Seong Dojang’s eyes as he looked at Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol silently closed the book in his hand.

In the end, he couldn’t find any information about the Nine Dragons. Still, he wasn’t too disappointed, as he had acquired information about the Jianghu as a whole.

Knowing that he wouldn’t get any more useful information by staying longer, he got up from his seat without any lingering regret.

‘Why on earth is the Sect Master being so considerate to that man?’

Not only Woo Seong Dojang, but most of the Daoist Masters guarding the Scripture Depository thought so.

The Daoist Masters, who did not know Pyo Wol’s identity, subtly expressed their dissatisfaction with Daoist Master Cheongjin’s decision. However, the rules of the Wudang Sect were extremely strict, so they didn’t dare to openly rebel.

Pyo Wol came out of the Scripture Depository and looked around.

The entire Wudang Sect had been noisy when he entered the Scripture Depository, but now it felt much quieter.

Pyo Wol asked Woo Seong Dojang.

“Is the birthday banquet over?”

“Yes. It ended in great success, and many Martial Artists have descended the mountain.”

A strong sense of pride was evident on Woo Seong Dojang’s face as he answered.

As he said, Daoist Master Cheongjin’s birthday banquet had ended in great success.

The Duel of the Do-dongs.

The group dance of the second-generation Disciples.

The lecture of the first-generation Disciples.

And finally, a simple Duel competition. All the prepared events had drawn an enthusiastic response from the Martial Artists.

This event further elevated the prestige of the Wudang Sect, and people came to think that the Wudang Sect was indeed the Alliance Leader of the Hubei Murim.

The Wudang Sect had achieved the result it wanted.

Although they were exhausted from preparing and running the event, the smiles never left the faces of the Wudang Sect Disciples for that reason.

On the other hand, the faces of Woo Seong Dojang and the Daoist Masters guarding the Scripture Depository were full of annoyance. They couldn’t participate in the event because they were busy monitoring Pyo Wol to make sure he didn’t do anything foolish.

Woo Seong Dojang said bluntly.

“Now that the event is over, you too should descend Mount Wudang tomorrow. The remaining heroes will all be leaving the Wudang Sect tomorrow as well.”

“I will do so.”

“I’m warning you clearly, stay quiet as a dead mouse and then descend the mountain. If you try any funny business, I will never forgive you.”

“You have too much pride in yourself.”

“What?”

At the unexpected words, Woo Seong Dojang’s eyebrows shot up to the sky.

“In my experience, it’s the scared dogs that bark the most.”

“Are you daring to call me a dog?”

“I’m saying you shouldn’t become a dog that barks recklessly out of pride for the Wudang Sect.”

“Grr!”

Woo Seong Dojang gripped his Pine Pattern Ancient Sword tightly.

If he had his way, he would have drawn his sword and cut off Pyo Wol’s wicked mouth. But in the end, he couldn’t draw his sword.

Pyo Wol looked at Woo Seong Dojang as if he had known he would do that.

Woo Seong Dojang’s shoulders trembled.