Chapter 271

“Gulp!”

Jang Noya swallowed dryly and looked at the man before him.

He possessed a beauty that made it hard to believe he was a man. His appearance was so surreal that men who fancied other men would have foamed at the mouth and lunged at him.

In fact, there were such men among Jang Noya’s subordinates. But not one of them dared to even think of lunging at the man before them.

The man before them was Pyo Wol. And he had already turned their gambling den upside down once before.

The memory of that day remained vivid, a source of terror.

To Jang Noya, who remembered that day clearly, Pyo Wol was still a fearsome existence.

Jang Noya bowed his head and said.

“I have already carried out your instructions. The ones called the Black Cloud Corps are tracking the young lady, Hong Ye-seol.”

“Good work.”

Pyo Wol nodded.

It was Jang Noya who had spread the rumor that Hong Ye-seol had killed Heo Ranju. He had discreetly spread the rumor through the patrons of his gambling den, making sure it reached the ears of the Black Cloud Corps.

It was also his doing that Hong Ye-seol’s whereabouts were revealed.

Thanks to him, Hong Ye-seol was now being pursued by the Black Cloud Corps.

No matter how skilled Hong Ye-seol was at concealing her presence and hiding, it would take a considerable amount of effort to completely shake off the Black Cloud Corps’ pursuit.

Furthermore, Jang Noya’s men would continue to track her movements and report them to the Black Cloud Corps.

It was an unfortunate turn of events for Hong Ye-seol, but by having her act as bait, one of Lee Yul’s main forces, the Black Cloud Corps, was rendered ineffective. It was like cutting off one of his limbs, so Lee Yul would surely be in a tight spot.

Pyo Wol asked Jang Noya.

“What is the current situation in Runan?”

“It’s utter chaos. So many people have flooded in that it’s difficult to even keep track of them all. From those who want to join the fight between the two sects to those who just want to watch. From ordinary people to martial artists, all sorts have come, creating a veritable pandemonium.”

Just as Jang Noya said, even more people had entered Runan in the past few days.

The rooms in the inns were completely booked, and people were even renting rooms in private homes.

The attention of All Under Heaven was focused on Runan.

No one had expected the fight between these two sects to garner this much attention from All Under Heaven.

Not even the parties involved, Snow Blade Sword Manor and the martial artists of the Jin Clan.

What fanned the flames of interest was the news of the Shaolin Temple’s participation.

A rumor circulated that Woon-hae, enraged by Bo-gyeong’s death, had requested reinforcements from the Shaolin Temple.

The news of the Shaolin Temple’s involvement was on a different level.

The Shaolin Temple had been so inactive that it was called the sleeping giant.

They had always shown a tendency for Stillness Within Movement.

They had refrained from making any conspicuous moves unless All Under Heaven was descending into Troubled Times. The rumor that they might finally make a serious move influenced other sects as well.

In particular, rumors were circulating that even the Two Powerhouses and the Three Hegemons were closely watching the developments in Runan.

Pyo Wol knew it was not just a simple rumor.

Namgung Wol of the Thousand Water Society had already joined the Jin Clan, and he had also met Dokgo Hwang of the Swordless Union.

A man of Dokgo Hwang’s stature would not have traveled thousands of li just for a leisurely tour. It was clear he intended to gain something from the conflict between the two sects.

The same went for the other sects.

They were likely just putting a spoon in the fight between the Jin Clan and Snow Blade Sword Manor, weighing which side was more advantageous.

Jang Noya said cautiously.

“With so many people coming in, we are short on surveillance personnel.”

“What about asking the Hao Clan for help?”

“They look down on us as if we were dogs or pigs.”

“The Hao Clan? Weren’t you of the same kind?”

“It was certainly like that in the past. The original purpose of the Hao Clan’s establishment was to protect the lowly like us.”

“But?”

“Too much time has passed. There’s probably almost no one left who remembers the original purpose of the Hao Clan’s founding. Now, the Hao Clan is no different from any other sect.”

A deep shadow fell over Jang Noya’s face.

There was a time when he, too, had cooperated with the Hao Clan. But the Hao Clan only used them like servants and did not properly protect them. So he left the Hao Clan and started running his gambling den independently.

That was not all.

Quite a few people had left the Hao Clan. Yet, the Hao Clan imposed no sanctions on them.

The Hao Clan was the organization with the most extensive membership in All Under Heaven.

It was said that even the Hao Clan Leader himself did not know the exact number of its members.

Because of this, initiation and withdrawal were unrestricted, except for key figures.

They were full of confidence that even if a few members left, they could be quickly replaced.

For that reason, those who felt marginalized often left the Hao Clan.

Jang Noya went on about such stories for a long time. After hearing everything, Pyo Wol asked.

“Are there many such people?”

“Yes! It’s a trend that has accelerated recently.”

“As far as I know, the Hao Clan’s Surveillance Chief is quite a capable man.”

“You mean Captain Hong.”

“You know him?”

“I have seen him from a distance. He is certainly a capable and respected man. But no matter how hard he struggles, he cannot manage the entire Hao Clan. Also, his gaze is directed outward, rather than inward toward the Hao Clan. Naturally, he is bound to be ignorant of internal affairs.”

“Is that so?”

Pyo Wol wore an interested expression. It was the first time he had heard such a story.

“It’s a bit much for me to say this myself, but the Hao Clan needs a good housecleaning. The water has been stagnant for too long and is starting to rot, but only the top brass is unaware of this fact.”

“So you’re saying there are quite a few people like you who have left the Hao Clan?”

“That is correct.”

Jang Noya nodded.

Pyo Wol stroked his chin with his hand.

Knowing this kind of information was by no means easy.

It might be of little use right now, but it could be utilized in any number of ways later.

Pyo Wol thought he had obtained good information.

Come to think of it, he knew almost nothing about Jang Noya. He had simply thought of him as the owner of a gambling den. But from the way Jang Noya spoke, it was clear that he had once held a fairly high position in the Hao Clan.

Just then, as if it had suddenly occurred to him, Jang Noya said.

“Oh, speaking of Captain Hong, he also came to Runan a while ago.”

“Did he see you?”

“No. Only I saw him. He probably doesn’t even know I’m here.”

“I see.”

Pyo Wol thought it was quite a tenacious fate.

To be continuously entangled in one way or another.

Jang Noya was not finished speaking yet.

He seemed to hesitate several times before mustering the courage to open his mouth.

“And this is purely my personal opinion, but…”

“What is it?”

“I’ve detected suspicious eyes around Captain Hong.”

“Tell me in detail.”

“I haven’t confirmed their identities with my own eyes, but my kids say that unfamiliar figures are loitering around Captain Hong. Their movements are so secretive that it seems even Captain Hong hasn’t noticed.”

Hong Yushin was the Surveillance Chief of the most extensive information organization in All Under Heaven.

Naturally, he was an expert at monitoring others. It was hard to believe that such a man had not noticed the eyes of those watching him.

“Are you sure?”

“We wouldn’t have known either if we hadn’t been watching Captain Hong. They were that secretive.”

“Their identities?”

“I do not know.”

Jang Noya said honestly.

Discovering the ones watching Hong Yushin was close to a coincidence. If they had deliberately approached those watching Hong Yushin, they would have been eliminated without a trace.

“After that, we completely stopped paying any attention to Captain Hong. I don’t know where they are watching Captain Hong from, but if we get needlessly involved with people like that, feeble beings like us will be killed in an instant.”

Pyo Wol nodded silently.

Jang Noya looked frightened, perhaps worried that Pyo Wol would make him watch them. But Pyo Wol had no intention of demanding anything more from Jang Noya.

There was a proper limit to everything.

Jang Noya had fulfilled his role sufficiently. Demanding more than this was not a good idea.

Pyo Wol stood up from his seat and said.

“From now on, I’ll find out myself.”

“Then, any other orders?”

“I’ll call you if I need you, so lay low for a while.”

“I was planning to do just that.”

Jang Noya’s face showed relief.

So many martial artists had entered Runan that he was now afraid to even conduct activities outside.

If weaklings like them got into a dispute with the martial artists who had come to Runan, they would easily meet a dog’s death.

At times like this, it was best to lay as low as possible and be careful.

Pyo Wol immediately left the gambling den.

He walked down the street, thinking.

‘Who else could it be? Could they be related to Lee Yul?’

He could not rule out that possibility.

Other than his identity as Snow Blade Sword Manor’s Steward, nothing about Lee Yul had been revealed.

His place of birth, age, the sect where he learned martial arts—none of it was known.

He couldn’t even be sure if the name Lee Yul was his real name.

If his only goal was to kill Lee Yul, he wouldn’t have to worry about such troublesome matters.

He could just secretly infiltrate Snow Blade Sword Manor and kill him.

Of course, Lee Yul would be prepared for that, so his defenses would be ironclad. But Pyo Wol possessed tireless patience.

For a month, or a year, he would constantly hover around him, looking for an opportunity. Eventually, the perfect chance would come, and he would surely be able to end his life.

But if he did that, he would not be able to uncover anything about the people behind Lee Yul.

It would be one thing if he hadn’t started, but now that the war had begun, he had to identify their origins and pull them out by the roots.

Pyo Wol thought and thought again.

His thoughts branched out, extending endlessly.

Like a tree growing infinitely, his thoughts swelled in size. It was a tree that held countless possibilities.

Pyo Wol now began the task of pruning the branches.

He started by cutting off the branches of thought that he judged to be the worst. Cutting, and cutting again…

As he continued to cut them down, only one branch remained.

‘Good!’

Pyo Wol raised his head.

What he had to do was now clear.

Pyo Wol changed his direction.

The place he headed for was the red-light district, not far from the slums.

It was a place where wine houses, inns, and brothels were gathered.

Unlike the ever-worsening situation of the Jin Clan and Snow Blade Sword Manor, the red-light district was enjoying its greatest boom in history.

The streets were filled with martial artists, and they wandered the red-light district in search of a place to stay for the night and a woman to hold in their arms.

The very air felt sticky.

It was as if this place alone was a different world.

When Pyo Wol entered the red-light district, many eyes focused on him.

His inhumanly beautiful appearance stood out.

“That man is…”

“Hmph!”

Most were captivated only by Pyo Wol’s inhuman appearance, but a few people’s eyes glinted upon seeing him.

Pyo Wol’s features were so distinct that anyone with even a little information could easily recognize him.

‘That man is Pyo Wol…’

‘The most dangerous man in Runan.’

A wary light naturally appeared in their eyes.

Pyo Wol noticed their feelings but paid them no mind.

He walked into a brothel, receiving everyone’s attention.

At that sight, many wore expressions of disappointment.

‘Does a man like that also visit brothels?’

‘Hmph! He’s no different from any other man.’

Female martial artists, in particular, looked at Pyo Wol with contempt.

Conversely, the courtesans welcomed Pyo Wol.

“Oh my! Welcome.”

“Hohoho!”

A competition broke out among the courtesans to receive Pyo Wol.

The final victor was a courtesan named So-ok.

She was the most popular courtesan in the brothel Pyo Wol had entered, with a petite frame and a cute face that was impressive.

“This girl is called So-ok.”

“I won’t mince words.”

“What?”

“Bring me Hong Yushin.”

“Pardon?”

“I know this is a branch of the Hao Clan, so don’t waste time and bring me Hong Yushin.”

The smile completely vanished from So-ok’s face.