Chapter 332

Eum Yujeong scraped the floor with her fingernails, trying not to be dragged away.

Screeeech!

But despite Eum Yujeong’s efforts, her body was helplessly dragged toward Pyo Wol.

“Ah!”

A look of terror appeared on Eum Yujeong’s face.

She couldn’t believe what was happening to her.

The Master she had trusted was now a Blood Human, rolling on the floor, and her Junior Martial Sister and other disciples were trembling, utterly terrified.

The guests in the inn, whom she had naturally assumed would side with them, had long since stepped back and were watching the situation with cold detachment.

Thud!

Finally, Eum Yujeong was dragged to Pyo Wol’s feet.

“P-please, spare me!”

Eum Yujeong begged, her face filled with terror.

She, who usually carried herself with the noble air of a crane, now looked as pathetic as a dog with its tail between its legs.

No one could have imagined Eum Yujeong showing such a disgraceful side.

Eum Yujeong was the flower that represented Tai Lake and the Jiangsu region.

Everyone admired her and wished to exchange even a single word with her.

Her pride naturally soared to the heavens, and she wouldn’t even deign to speak with anyone not of her caliber. That only increased her value.

To see that same Eum Yujeong, looking as wretched as a rain-soaked dog, begging Pyo Wol for her life, was so pathetic it made everyone frown.

Above all, the act of abandoning her Master and fellow disciples to escape in a moment of crisis was an unforgivable, grave sin.

The sight of Go Yeon-su, who was trembling with a sense of betrayal even after becoming a Blood Human, proved that fact.

‘It’s over.’

‘How could the great Miss Eum of All Under Heaven…’

The guests in the inn sensed that it was over for Eum Yujeong.

It would be impossible for her to maintain her former reputation after displaying such shameful behavior.

Crack!

Pyo Wol stomped on Eum Yujeong’s hand as she grabbed his trouser leg.

“Aargh!”

Eum Yujeong screamed at the pain, as if the bones in her hand were being crushed.

Pyo Wol was in no hurry.

He slowly applied pressure to his foot.

Under the immense pressure, Eum Yujeong’s hand bones were crushed, and her skin and muscles were mangled.

The hand that held a sword was being destroyed.

If her bones were completely shattered like this, her life as a Martial Artist would be over.

“P-please…”

Eum Yujeong begged, tears and snot streaming down her face. But even her tears could not sway Pyo Wol.

CRACK!

“Aaargh!”

The bones in Eum Yujeong’s hand were completely shattered.

A white bone pierced through the back of her hand and jutted out.

Only then did Pyo Wol lift his foot.

Eum Yujeong clutched her ruined hand and curled up like a shrimp.

The pain was so immense that not even a scream would come out.

Pyo Wol’s gaze turned to the courtesan.

Instantly, the courtesan fell to her knees and said in a loud voice.

“I-I was just doing as the Sword Flower Pavilion ordered. Please forgive me. I wasn’t raped by the Great Hero, and I’ve never even seen his face before today.”

At her confession, the guests in the inn clicked their tongues.

“So she really was a courtesan?”

“Hah! So the great Sword Flower Pavilion stooped to such a cheap trick to frame that man? The Sword Flower Pavilion is finished.”

People shook their heads.

The Sword Flower Pavilion had plotted such a cheap trick to drag Pyo Wol’s reputation into the gutter, but it was they who had fallen into the gutter instead.

The events of today would soon spread throughout the entire Jianghu.

Rumors in the Jianghu sometimes spread at an unbelievable speed. Like a disease.

Pyo Wol had as good as finished the Sword Flower Pavilion today. And yet, he didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping there.

Pyo Wol approached the courtesan.

The courtesan trembled, her face filled with fear.

Pyo Wol crouched down, meeting her eyes.

“P-please, forgive me…”

“How much were you promised?”

“One hundred Nyang in Gold Coins…”

“One hundred Nyang. I see. So that’s all my life is worth to you people.”

“That’s…”

The courtesan desperately tried to think of an excuse. But her mind was blank, and no excuse came to her.

“Just a hundred Nyang to ruin a person’s life.”

“I really didn’t mean to. I didn’t do it with malicious intent, I just…”

“You knew what the result of your false testimony would be. You knew, and you still did it. That is malice.”

“It’s just that everyone else does it…”

“Don’t make excuses. I have no intention of forgiving you, even if you do.”

“What?”

Pyo Wol reached out and caressed the courtesan’s neck.

In her extreme terror, the courtesan could only shed tears. Her pitiful appearance might have softened one’s heart, but Pyo Wol’s eyes remained cold.

Pyo Wol placed his hand over the courtesan’s heart.

“P-please!”

Twang!

In that moment, a thread-thin energy shot out from Pyo Wol’s hand. The energy pierced the courtesan’s heart.

“Hk!”

The courtesan let out a groan at the sensation of a needle piercing her chest. But she felt no further pain.

To the bewildered woman, Pyo Wol said,

“From now on, you will never be able to do anything that strains your heart. You won’t be able to run or do anything strenuous. The slightest strain on your heart will cause your blood vessels to burst, and you will die.”

“S-such a…”

“Live your whole life with caution. As if you are not there, as if you don’t exist. If you do that, you might live for quite a long time.”

Pyo Wol had dealt a great shock to the courtesan’s heart.

On the outside, she looked fine, but she was as precarious as a cracked bowl. However, the courtesan didn’t believe Pyo Wol’s words.

She felt no particular pain in her chest, let alone her heart. She thought Pyo Wol was just trying to intimidate her.

‘He must be just threatening me because he can’t bring himself to kill a woman as beautiful as me.’

The courtesan had great pride in her beauty. She thought that once again, her beauty had saved her life.

“Go on! And don’t run.”

“Th-thank you. I will never forget this kindness.”

The courtesan quickly got up, bowed to Pyo Wol, and went outside.

Pyo Wol said once more.

“You’d better walk, not run.”

“Yes!”

Although she said that, the courtesan had no intention of walking.

She felt that if she looked back, Pyo Wol would chase after her and grab her again.

Her steps quickened, and soon she began to run.

Pyo Wol’s advice was already gone from her mind.

The only thought in her head was to get away from this place as quickly and as far as possible.

She ignored Pyo Wol’s words and ran.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. Still, the courtesan did not stop.

She thought it was just pain from being out of breath.

Up to this point, she still had a chance to live. If she had stopped right there. But she ignored her body’s warning and ran even faster.

The price was terrifying.

Thump!

Suddenly, she felt a violent pain in her heart.

The courtesan collapsed from the pain of her heart being torn to shreds.

Only then did she remember Pyo Wol’s warning.

“N-no! I want to live…”

She could not finish her words and died.

The place where the courtesan collapsed was on the main road, only about thirty Zhang from the inn. Because of that, everyone inside the inn could watch through the open door as the courtesan collapsed and died.

“Ah!”

“How could this be!”

The martial artists of the Sword Flower Pavilion trembled in fear, and the guests also looked at Pyo Wol with terrified eyes.

The choice had been the courtesan’s, but it seemed as if Pyo Wol had orchestrated her death.

Even though the courtesan was dead, Pyo Wol’s expression showed little change.

Pyo Wol’s gaze turned to Eum Yujeong.

“S-spare me. I was wrong. Please, spare me.”

Eum Yujeong wept and begged, still wanting to live, while Go Yeon-su closed her eyes in resignation.

Go Yeon-su thought it was all over.

Today, she had lost everything.

Her honor had hit rock bottom, and her disciples had lost their loyalty and motivation.

Above all, she couldn’t forget the act of Eum Yujeong trying to abandon her and escape.

‘Why did you make such a choice…’

If she could go back just one day, she would never have made this choice. But time could not be turned back, and it was impossible to cover up what had happened as if it never occurred.

It was then.

“Go back!”

Unexpected words flowed from Pyo Wol’s mouth.

Go Yeon-su thought she had misheard. So she opened her eyes and looked at Pyo Wol.

At that moment, Pyo Wol said once more.

“I said, go back.”

“You’re just going to let us go?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

“Then should I kill you all here?”

In that instant, Go Yeon-su felt a chill run down her entire body.

She knew that Pyo Wol was a man who was more than capable of doing so.

Pyo Wol was different from any Martial Artist Go Yeon-su had ever faced.

He was not a man who clung to his reputation.

He was a man who would willingly endure any infamy if it meant he could destroy his opponent.

A half-baked sense of pride would not work on such a man.

Go Yeon-su felt that fact to her very bones.

She staggered to her feet.

Pyo Wol waved his hand, retrieving the Ghostly Rain daggers embedded in her shoulder.

Instantly, more blood flowed out.

“Pavilion Master!”

The disciples rushed over, trying to perform Hemostasis on her. But Go Yeon-su pushed all their hands away and said,

“That’s enough.”

“But…”

“I’m fine, so go and drag that wench who committed the sin of Betraying the Master and Destroying Ancestors over here.”

Go Yeon-su pointed at Eum Yujeong.

Eum Yujeong’s face turned even paler.

“M-Master! It wasn’t intentional…”

“Don’t make excuses. I saw it clearly. The look in your eyes when you pushed me away when I asked for help. I put so much effort into raising you, yet you betray your Master at the most crucial moment.”

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Silence. No matter how much you prattle on, I have no intention of forgiving you. First, I will destroy your Dantian, then I will consider your punishment.”

“N-no!”

Eum Yujeong shrieked. But she could not change Go Yeon-su’s mind.

She had to punish Eum Yujeong to establish discipline.

That was the only way to maintain the crumbling Sword Flower Pavilion, even if only for a while.

Eum Yujeong turned her head and looked at Pyo Wol.

“Please! Save me. No, just kill me instead. Not like this.”

“How long do I have to listen to that?”

Pyo Wol’s words were not directed at Eum Yujeong, but at Go Yeon-su.

Startled, Go Yeon-su gave an order to her disciples.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and shut that wench’s mouth.”

“Yes!”

The disciples rushed in, subdued Eum Yujeong, and gagged her.

Eum Yujeong struggled, but it was useless.

The disciples of the Sword Flower Pavilion dragged her outside.

As Go Yeon-su was the last to leave, she said to Pyo Wol,

“Thank you for sparing my life.”

Pyo Wol gave no reply.

Go Yeon-su looked at Pyo Wol for a moment before following her disciples outside. Only then did peace return to the inn.

Pyo Wol picked up a teacup on the table and muttered.

“She doesn’t really think I spared her, does she?”

Pyo Wol was a man who could live without honor.

He was a person who believed his own life was more important than such abstract things.

Pyo Wol’s philosophy was that no matter what filth he was covered in, he had to survive and make his way through this world.

He had lived that way until now, and he would continue to live that way in the future.

But Go Yeon-su was different.

She was a person who knew the weight of honor. That was why she had been able to plot and carry out such a vile conspiracy against Pyo Wol.

Because of today’s events, her honor had hit rock bottom.

Many people had watched, and she herself had been gravely wounded.

No matter how much she took out her anger on Eum Yujeong, she could not restore her fallen honor.

Rather, as time passed, her honor would only fall further.

The sect’s discipline would crumble, the disciples would scatter like sand, and her honor would be sullied in the mud.

Go Yeon-su did not seem strong enough to lose everything and still live on, gritting her teeth.

In fact, Go Yeon-su took her own life three months later.

Due to this incident, Pyo Wol’s infamy spread even more widely throughout the Jianghu.