Chapter 282

“He’s a madman!”

“Completely insane.”

Two men stood on a tall tree, looking down clearly at the swamp.

One was a man of average build and an ordinary face, the other a man with impressive copper-colored skin.

They were Jang Mu-guk and Dokgo Hwang.

Jang Mu-guk frowned, watching Pyo Wol fight the Black Cloud Corps.

Pyo Wol’s Martial Arts defied common sense.

At least, among all the groups Jang Mu-guk knew, none possessed Martial Arts similar to what Pyo Wol was displaying.

He had never even imagined a Martial Art that drew out threads of qi to wield Flying Daggers.

And a full ten strands at that.

Countless Martial Artists struggled just to draw out Sword Qi, yet Pyo Wol was using a much more advanced technique as if it were nothing.

“Still, his limits are clear.”

“Because it’s the Martial Arts of an Assassin.”

“That’s right! It’s optimized for Assassination, but against a truly skilled Martial Artist, such cheap tricks won’t work.”

Jang Mu-guk stated flatly.

Dokgo Hwang was not surprised by Jang Mu-guk’s words.

The Soul Restraining Thread that Pyo Wol was displaying was certainly a groundbreaking Martial Art that transcended common sense, but it still had quite a few weaknesses.

It would grant a great advantage in an Ambush Attack, but if he met a Martial Artist who had reached a level where ambushes were ineffective, he would likely be in for a tough time.

Jang Mu-guk was one such Martial Artist.

Although he was not well-known in the Jianghu due to his lack of activity, his actual Martial prowess was truly formidable.

Similarly, Dokgo Hwang could see at least a couple of ways to counter the Soul Restraining Thread being displayed now. But Dokgo Hwang didn’t bother to voice such facts.

“In any case, don’t you think he could become a useful blade if used well?”

“I suppose so. He would certainly be useful.”

Jang Mu-guk nodded.

Strange Martial Arts aside, his guts and spirit were anything but ordinary.

He had chosen the battlefield most advantageous to himself and lured his enemies in.

It meant he knew how to use the terrain to his advantage when making a plan.

He too had several hidden blades, but none were as clever as this one.

“The only thing that bothers me is whether he can be controlled. A blade that cannot be controlled is worse than useless; it’s better to discard it.”

“He’s human, too. There’s no reason he can’t be controlled. We just have to give him far more than we usually do. Wealth, glory, and beautiful women. If even that doesn’t work, we’ll have no choice but to use a Restriction technique.”

“Do you covet him that much?”

“I’ve liked him since the first moment I saw him.”

A cold smile hung on Dokgo Hwang’s lips.

Even now, Pyo Wol was engaged in a fierce life-or-death struggle with the remnants of the Black Cloud Corps.

At first, he thought it was a disadvantageous fight for Pyo Wol, but before he knew it, Pyo Wol was overwhelming the Black Cloud Corps.

“Doesn’t the Alias ‘Reaper’ suit him well? If I take the Reaper as my blade, I’ll be able to easily kill anyone I want.”

At Dokgo Hwang’s greedy voice, Jang Mu-guk wrinkled his nose slightly.

He was well aware of Dokgo Hwang’s desire to collect things, but this was the first time he had seen him so obsessed with a single person.

‘Like a child.’

But he didn’t think it was a bad thing.

Every human being has desires.

A human without desire no longer develops. That was why Jang Mu-guk didn’t much trust people without ambition.

He believed it was nothing more than a pretty way of packaging one’s own laziness with the words “I have no greed.”

On the other hand, Dokgo Hwang was faithful to his own desires.

His desires became the driving force for his development and allowed him to rise to his current position.

‘Is it the same for me?’

He, too, was one of those people overflowing with the desire to collect talented individuals.

If he found an outstanding talent, he wanted to bring them under his command no matter what. The number of talents he had collected in this way was countless.

But for some reason, he didn’t feel drawn to Pyo Wol.

Even though he was a new type of talent that did not exist under his command.

‘Is my instinct wary of him?’

Jang Mu-guk’s brow furrowed.

It was an absurd thought.

He shook his head, denying his own thought.

Dokgo Hwang looked at Jang Mu-guk with a puzzled expression.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Really? Oh! It’s finally over.”

Dokgo Hwang suddenly let out a cheer.

Pyo Wol had taken down the last Martial Artist of the Black Cloud Corps.

The swamp, filled with filth, was now stained red. That was how many Martial Artists had been devoured by the swamp.

Pyo Wol stood by the swamp’s edge, catching his ragged breath.

It had been a fierce battle against over a hundred men.

No matter how strong Pyo Wol was, as long as he was human, he was bound to be injured and exhausted. Numerous new wounds had appeared on his body.

Most of the wounds would heal and fade quickly, but a few were so deep they seemed like they would never disappear.

Pyo Wol thought it didn’t matter.

To have annihilated the Black Cloud Corps by paying only this price was a profitable trade in itself.

The tenacious and stubborn connection was finally severed.

He would never have to get involved with the Black Cloud Corps again.

Once his Internal Energy had recovered to some extent, Pyo Wol raised his head and looked at the tall tree.

His gaze met that of the two men on the tree.

Pyo Wol had noticed their presence when his fight with the Black Cloud Corps was at its peak.

His senses had become extremely sharp, and his expanded nerves detected every movement within a radius of about twenty Zhang.

That was when he felt the presence of the two men.

Even while fighting the Black Cloud Corps, Pyo Wol remained wary of the two.

If they were to intervene, he planned to Escape without any lingering attachment. Fortunately, contrary to his worries, they seemed to have no intention of intervening at all. But Pyo Wol did not let his guard down for a single moment.

To use one’s full power while being watched by others was no different from exposing one’s own weaknesses. Because of that, the fight with the Black Cloud Corps had dragged on.

Just then, Dokgo Hwang leaped down from the tree with Jang Mu-guk.

There was a distance of several dozen Zhang between the swamp and the tree, but they crossed the space in a single bound and arrived in front of Pyo Wol.

“It’s been a while, friend!”

Dokgo Hwang waved his hand in greeting.

“I don’t think enough time has passed to call it ‘a while’.”

“Huhu! It’s because I’m happy to see you.”

Dokgo Hwang paid no mind to Pyo Wol’s cold words.

Pyo Wol’s gaze shifted to the man beside Dokgo Hwang.

Jang Mu-guk opened his mouth.

“Quite impressive.”

“…”

“I’m not being sarcastic. I’m saying it’s worthy of admiration.”

“Should I say thank you for the compliment?”

As if Pyo Wol’s response was unexpected, Jang Mu-guk’s eyebrows twitched. But he soon returned to his usual expression.

“My name is Jang Mu-guk. I’m from the Heavenly Martial Fortress.”

“Heavenly Martial Fortress?”

“Yes! I am the young lord of the Heavenly Martial Fortress.”

“A noble person has arrived. What brings you here?”

“I had to see it with my own eyes.”

Jang Mu-guk said no more. But Pyo Wol felt he knew what he hadn’t said.

‘A Dragon waiting for the Troubled Times?’

His seemingly ordinary eyes were filled with ambition.

He had never seen eyes with such intense ambition before.

Compared to him, the eyes of the ambitious men Pyo Wol had met so far seemed childish.

A Dragon does not simply ascend.

It needs a foothold to launch itself from.

Similarly, for an ambitious man to realize his ambitions, the era had to be in turmoil.

Jang Mu-guk wanted to see it with his own eyes.

To see if the events unfolding in Runan would indeed be the starting point of the Troubled Times.

Jang Mu-guk didn’t care how many people died here. He was interested in only one thing.

Just how great of an explosive impact the events in Runan would have on All Under Heaven.

He could have heard it through the mouths of others, but Jang Mu-guk wanted to see and judge for himself.

It wasn’t just Jang Mu-guk.

Dokgo Hwang had also come to Runan for the same reason.

And it was unlikely that they were the only two who had come to Runan for such a reason.

Jang Mu-guk looked at Pyo Wol intently.

“It seems you’ve guessed why I’m here.”

“…”

“You’re too clever.”

The blade he would use should not have too many thoughts.

Because a person with many thoughts makes their own judgments and decisions.

The blade Jang Mu-guk wanted was one who could carry out its master’s orders without any question.

By Jang Mu-guk’s standards, Pyo Wol did not fit.

Pyo Wol suddenly felt as if thousands of needles were piercing his entire body. It didn’t take long to realize that it was the Killing intent emanating from Jang Mu-guk.

The smile on Dokgo Hwang’s lips also vanished.

He, too, had realized that his friend was unleashing Killing intent against Pyo Wol.

The Killing intent Jang Mu-guk emitted was by no means ordinary.

It gouged at the heart and shook the heart’s meridian like crazy.

Dark red Fresh Blood trickled down the corner of Pyo Wol’s mouth.

Just from the Killing intent he emitted, Pyo Wol had suffered internal injuries.

Even considering that Pyo Wol’s body was not in a normal state, Jang Mu-guk’s Killing intent was far beyond common sense.

Pyo Wol had met numerous Experts until now.

Among them were Pung-jon, a supreme Expert of the Jianghu, and the Blood Buddha, the ruler of the Small Thunder Sound Temple. He had also met Gu Jin-wang, the Wolf King, one of the Eight Constellations.

They were strong.

They possessed martial power and presence so great they could have dominated an era. But none of them gave off as dangerous a feeling as the man before him.

The problem wasn’t the might of his Martial Arts.

A dangerous scent reeked from Jang Mu-guk.

An eerie scent that could not be described in words made Pyo Wol’s hair stand on end.

Jang Mu-guk spoke calmly to Pyo Wol.

“Kneel.”

“…”

“If you swear allegiance to me, I will give you the position of third-in-command.”

For a moment, Dokgo Hwang looked at Jang Mu-guk in surprise.

It was that groundbreaking of an offer.

To say third-in-command was one thing, but considering Jang Mu-guk’s ambition, it was no different from saying he would give him the third-highest position in All Under Heaven.

Of course, the second position was Dokgo Hwang’s.

Offering the position of third-in-command to an Assassin who had nothing was in itself an impossible thing.

It also meant that he rated Pyo Wol that highly.

Dokgo Hwang was genuinely curious about what decision Pyo Wol would make.

Drip!

The Fresh Blood flowing from the corner of Pyo Wol’s mouth grew thicker.

It meant his internal injuries had deepened.

Pyo Wol still had not knelt.

Dokgo Hwang thought that Pyo Wol would soon swear allegiance.

Because the Killing intent Jang Mu-guk emitted was not simple.

The Aura of a Sovereign.

It was a dignity that only one who reigned above all could emit.

Those who could withstand that aura were extremely rare.

One could not withstand the Aura of a Sovereign simply by being strong in Martial Arts. One needed a will as hard as steel and an unshakeable, immovable mind.

Jang Mu-guk spoke once more.

“Kneel!”

As if a giant bell were ringing, his voice struck Pyo Wol’s very soul.

Pyo Wol felt his mind momentarily go blank. But Pyo Wol desperately held onto the thread of his reason.

He had almost succumbed to the pressure and knelt.

Pyo Wol bit his lip hard.

His lip burst, and blood gushed out. The blood that soaked his lips and chin flowed down to his chest.

Only then did his mind become clear.

Pyo Wol straightened his back.

Just that alone brought an immense pressure, but Pyo Wol paid it no mind.

If you bend once, you will bend a second time.

Bending a second time was the same as admitting you were nothing but a dog.

He hadn’t survived that hellish place so tenaciously just to become someone’s hunting dog.

Pyo Wol raised his head and met Jang Mu-guk’s eyes.

Nowhere in his eyes was there any light of submission.

His soul, which had been crushed by the Aura of a Sovereign, was returning to its original state. But the Aura of a Sovereign still bound Pyo Wol.

At that moment, Pyo Wol raised a Ghostly Rain and slashed the air.

Swoosh!

As if a net were being cut, the Aura of a Sovereign that had surrounded Pyo Wol was sliced away in an instant.

For a moment, Jang Mu-guk’s eyes wavered.

The fact that the formless Aura of a Sovereign had been cut by a tangible Flying Dagger made no sense.

Looking him straight in the eye, Pyo Wol said,

“This is my answer.”