Chapter 353

The room was comfortable, and the bed was soft.

Thanks to that, Pyo Wol was able to get a good night’s sleep.

After sleeping soundly, he woke up feeling great. It seemed that a good night’s sleep cleared his mind and made it much sharper than mediocre Qi Circulation.

When he opened the window, the vast Poyang Lake came into view. Just like the Great Lake, countless fishing boats were at work on Poyang Lake.

Pyo Wol stood still like a stone statue, watching the scene for a long time.

He didn’t move again until almost two hours had passed.

Pyo Wol washed his face simply and went out to the dining hall.

Although it was early in the morning, quite a few people were already eating in the dining hall.

They stole glances at Pyo Wol as he appeared.

‘That man is…’

‘The Reaper?’

‘He’s as handsome as the rumors say.’

The news that Pyo Wol had arrived had already spread throughout Poyang Lake.

The people who had witnessed the confrontation between Pyo Wol and Yong Hasang yesterday had spread the word. As a result, quite a few people had come to the Southern Sky Inn just to see Pyo Wol’s face.

As Pyo Wol sat down in a chair, a Waiter quickly rushed over.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I slept well.”

“You’ll be having a meal, won’t you?”

“Something simple, please.”

“Yes! Please wait just a moment.”

The Waiter placed a teacup and a teapot on Pyo Wol’s table before running to the kitchen.

Pyo Wol poured tea into the cup with a gentle trickle.

The fragrant aroma of the tea lifted his spirits.

It was while Pyo Wol was drinking tea and looking out the window.

“May I join you for a moment?”

A clear voice suddenly spoke.

When Pyo Wol looked up, a woman of indeterminate age was standing in front of his table.

She was an impressive woman with healthy, sun-kissed bronze skin and a vibrant face. She wore a vest made of fox fur and had a jet-black whip coiled around her waist.

As Pyo Wol looked at her, the woman smiled brightly and said,

“I am Yeom Huisu of the Hwayeong Stronghold.”

“Hwayeong Stronghold?”

“It’s one of the Mountain Keeps that broke away from Tiangao Fortress.”

Pyo Wol nodded at Yeom Huisu’s explanation.

It was because Yeom Huisu’s aura somehow resembled that of Bok Hojin from the Janggang Stronghold. Yeom Huisu exuded the free-spirited atmosphere unique to the Green Forest.

“I had a meeting here yesterday with Young Hero Namgung and Young Hero Yong. Though I arrived late and missed the chance to meet you, Great Hero Pyo.”

“And those two?”

“They said they were going for another drink and left me behind. I don’t know where they are. I don’t know when they’ll be back, and I don’t want to eat alone. So, would it be alright if I ate with you?”

“Sit.”

“Thank you.”

Yeom Huisu smiled bashfully and sat down in front of Pyo Wol.

She placed both hands on the table. Then, she rested her chin on her hands and gazed at Pyo Wol’s face.

“You’re as handsome as the rumors say. I used to wonder how handsome a man could possibly be, but thanks to you, my eyes are feasting first thing in the morning.”

“What will you have for breakfast?”

“The same thing as you, Great Hero Pyo.”

“……”

“Oh, right! I have to order.”

Yeom Huisu finally realized the meaning behind Pyo Wol’s gaze and called the Waiter to place her order.

Pyo Wol asked Yeom Huisu.

“The Janggang Stronghold also became independent from Tiangao Fortress, right? Then you must be like brothers.”

“We are both branches that grew from Tiangao Fortress. But we’re not that close. We keep an eye on each other’s movements, but we don’t want to work together…”

“It seems there are complicated circumstances.”

“That’s how power is. After the first Magistrate, no one has been able to firmly grasp the power of Tiangao Fortress. In the end, Tiangao Fortress split into six factions. It would be stranger if the sects that split up like that were on good terms. Especially the Boss of the Janggang Stronghold, Great Hero Bok, who is very ambitious and often clashed with the other Mountain Keeps. Because of that, no one sees them in a good light.”

“What brings you here?”

“Young Hero Namgung requested it. He said the currents of the Jianghu are unsettling, so we should join forces, at least among ourselves.”

“I see.”

Pyo Wol nodded his head.

He thought that, given Namgung Wol’s character, it was something he would do.

He was a more righteous and chivalrous person than anyone Pyo Wol had ever met.

“So, what was the result?”

“For now, I agreed with Young Hero Namgung’s opinion. But I’m not sure about Young Hero Yong. That’s why Young Hero Namgung arranged a separate drinking session to persuade him. I’m also curious about what the conclusion will be.”

Yeom Huisu’s bright smile looked incredibly mischievous. Just from her expression, one could tell how playful and intelligent she was.

“Your meal is here.”

Just then, the Waiter approached, carrying a tray of food.

On the tray were freshly cooked warm rice, beef hot pot, and a few side dishes.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

The Waiter bowed his head and went back toward the kitchen.

“I was feeling a bit queasy, so this is perfect.”

Yeom Huisu’s face lit up as she looked at the still-boiling hot pot.

She tasted a sip of the hot pot with her spoon, then promptly scooped a large amount into her rice bowl and began to eat it mixed with the rice.

She filled her mouth with the rice mixed with hot pot and chewed heartily. She didn’t seem to care about the gazes of others at all.

In contrast, Pyo Wol ate his food as slowly as possible. The two of them were a stark contrast.

By the time Yeom Huisu had finished a whole bowl of rice, Pyo Wol’s bowl was still full.

Yeom Huisu asked Pyo Wol.

“Is the food not to your liking?”

“No, it’s delicious.”

“Then why are you eating so slowly? If you peck at your food like that, your luck will fly away.”

“I don’t care.”

“Hmph!”

Yeom Huisu made a strange sound through her nose and watched Pyo Wol eat.

Normally, she didn’t like people who ate small bites like Pyo Wol. She found it annoying.

The Hwayeong Stronghold she belonged to was fundamentally of the Green Forest Way. For those of the Green Forest Way, savoring the taste of food was a luxury.

If one ate slowly like Pyo Wol, their food was bound to be snatched away. Because of that, Yeom Huisu had also developed the habit of eating quickly from a young age.

In that place, eating slowly like Pyo Wol would make one a target for the hungry.

‘A handsome person looks handsome no matter what they do.’

Yeom Huisu stared at Pyo Wol so intensely it was almost burdensome. Most people would feel uncomfortable if someone stared at them so persistently. But Pyo Wol showed no sign of it, steadfastly maintaining his eating pace.

Thak!

Finally, Pyo Wol’s long, long meal came to an end.

Pyo Wol rinsed his mouth with tea and stood up from his seat.

“Oh, you’re not staying longer?”

“I have somewhere to go.”

“Where? Can I come with you?”

“No.”

“Tch!”

Yeom Huisu pouted at Pyo Wol’s firm refusal.

It was an expression so cute one might want to nibble on her lips, but it was far from enough to sway Pyo Wol’s heart.

Yeom Huisu didn’t press any further.

She had only said it on a whim.

Pyo Wol left Yeom Huisu behind and exited the Inn.

The moment his figure completely disappeared from sight, Yeom Huisu sent a Telepathic message to someone.

—Wolgui!

—Yes, Young Master.

Her trusted subordinate, Wolgui, answered via Telepathy.

—Follow that man’s tracks. Report where he goes and who he meets.

—Understood.

Wolgui’s presence vanished.

Yeom Huisu leaned back slightly in her chair and muttered.

“I just can’t stand it when I get curious about something.”

She wasn’t saying this simply because she was attracted to Pyo Wol’s appearance.

Pyo Wol’s face was indeed so handsome it made her heart skip a beat, but she was too worldly-wise to give her heart to a man based on his face alone.

It wasn’t for nothing that she was called the Hundred-Faced Flower in the Hwayeong Stronghold.

The flower with a hundred faces.

She had only just revealed one of them.

＊＊＊

Pyo Wol left the Southern Sky Inn and walked down the main street.

Countless shops lined both sides of the street, and the center was crowded with stalls.

Merchants raised their voices to attract customers.

“We have ginseng imported from Haedong here.”

“This is an incense burner from the Western Regions.”

“Come over here. I’ll give you a good price.”

The voices of haggling customers added to the noise, making the street incredibly loud.

Pyo Wol walked, taking in the sight of the street.

The place he was heading to was the Poyang Lake branch of the Hao Clan.

Like the Great Lake branch, the Poyang Lake branch was in a location unknown to most people.

Hong Yushin had once told Pyo Wol about the Hao Clan’s branches, mentioning that the Poyang Lake branch was one of the most special.

While most other branches were hidden in brothels or inconspicuous places, the Poyang Lake branch was disguised as an ordinary house with none of the Hao Clan’s characteristic features.

The Poyang Lake branch operated independently, without the intervention of the main headquarters. That was how capable and resourceful the people gathered there were.

The information they sent was as accurate as the information analyzed directly by the headquarters, making it highly reliable. For that reason, the headquarters rarely interfered in the affairs of the Poyang Lake branch.

Because it was such a special branch, Hong Yushin had told Pyo Wol about it in detail.

Pyo Wol was looking for the Poyang Lake branch to track the whereabouts of Hong Yushin and So Gyeoksan.

Since the incident had happened nearby, the Poyang Lake branch was sure to have the most information.

Finding the Poyang Lake branch was not very difficult.

“……”

The problem was that the Poyang Lake branch had been reduced to a pile of black ash.

Pyo Wol furrowed his brow.

Wondering if he had come to the wrong place, he looked around. But the scenery was identical to what Hong Yushin had described.

He hadn’t come to the wrong place.

Pyo Wol looked at the Poyang Lake branch again.

The sight of everything burned to ashes looked desolate.

Just then, a passing little boy looked at Pyo Wol strangely.

“Mister! Do you have business at this house? It burned down…”

“Do you know when it burned down?”

“Three days ago, or maybe four. Anyway, it burned down around then.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“I don’t know. When I woke up, it was all burned down.”

“Any survivors?”

“My dad said they all burned to death, without a single one left.”

“They all died, you say?”

“Yes!”

The boy nodded.

Pyo Wol left the boy behind and entered the ash heap that was the Poyang Lake branch.

Everything was charred black.

Hardly any pillars were intact, and the roof had completely collapsed. Blackened roof tiles and bricks covered the ground.

It seemed impossible to find anything here.

For that reason, the authorities had only collected the bodies and hadn’t properly investigated the cause.

Pyo Wol began to carefully examine the ashen remains of the Poyang Lake branch.

Black soot smudged his face and body, but he paid it no mind.

‘They were attacked.’

Pyo Wol found marks on a burnt pillar where a weapon had struck.

It was a mark left by the impact of a weapon with powerful force, like a saber or an axe. Such marks were not in just one or two places.

Though hidden by the ash, traces of a fight were found everywhere. And they were traces of different weapons.

It wasn’t the work of one or two people. It was clear that at least a dozen or more martial artists had been mobilized for the raid.

‘Organized.’

It had been five days since Pyo Wol left the Great Lake.

If the disaster had happened here then, the Great Lake branch would have known. But the Great Lake branch knew nothing of the disaster here.

It was clear that someone had intentionally blocked the flow of information from this place.

The organization with the most outstanding information network in all under heaven was the Hao Clan. The very fact that the attackers had neutralized the Hao Clan’s information network, blinding their eyes and deafening their ears, spoke to how skilled they were.

There was nothing more to be gained here.

Pyo Wol brushed the ash off his body and came outside.

The boy was nowhere to be seen.

The next place Pyo Wol headed was the government office that had collected the bodies.

When he said he wanted to see the bodies, an official clicked his tongue and said,

“Tsk! You’re too late for that. The bodies have all been cremated.”

“Cremated?”

“No one came looking for the bodies, and the stench of decay was terrible, so we had no choice.”

He said the bodies had all been turned to ash and scattered in the Yangtze River.

With this, all clues about the Hao Clan had vanished. But Pyo Wol did not give up.

Ting!

He flicked a copper coin to the official, who grinned broadly.

“Hehe! What, is there something else you’re curious about?”

“Was there a wealthy person who recently hired a troupe of acrobats?”