Chapter 115

Pyo Wol felt as if the back of his head was about to be pierced.

That was how intense Jin Geum-woo’s gaze was.

‘His intuition is good.’

Pyo Wol knew that Jin Geum-woo suspected him.

He didn’t know that he was the assassin, but it was clear he thought there was some connection.

To remember a single glance and connect him to the assassin was not something that could be done through any rational judgment or reasoning.

It was an instinct, one close to that of a beast, that had made that judgment.

Jin Geum-woo was a type of person Pyo Wol had never seen before. That made him all the more interesting.

If Jin Geum-woo relied on his beast-like instincts to suspect Pyo Wol, Pyo Wol himself had become interested in the man named Jin Geum-woo. That was why he deliberately acted ambiguously.

He didn’t know why the man was looking for him, but if he kept him close and observed, he would soon find out the reason.

Keep your friends far, and your enemies close.

Friends did not exist for Pyo Wol, but there were countless beings who could be called enemies.

Jin Geum-woo was one of the candidates.

Pyo Wol really did stop by the shop run by Im Gwon-ok.

“Have you come, Master?”

“Welcome.”

The workers greeted Pyo Wol.

To be precise, they were greeting the Im Gwon-ok that Pyo Wol was disguised as.

Pyo Wol gave a cursory nod and went inside. The workers did not know that Im Gwon-ok had died long ago.

That was how thoroughly Go Chonggwan had managed things.

Inside the shop were Pyo Wol’s quarters.

The entrance operated by a Mechanism, so no one who didn’t know how to disarm it could ever enter. Naturally, the workers were strictly forbidden from entering.

Opening the entrance revealed a large room.

This place, with not a single window to the outside, was Im Gwon-ok’s official residence.

There was also a Mechanism inside the room.

When Pyo Wol operated the Mechanism, the floor opened up, revealing a staircase leading to the basement.

Pyo Wol descended the stairs without hesitation.

The further he went down, the stronger the musty smell became. It was a stench so foul that an ordinary person would not be able to stand it for even a moment.

But Pyo Wol walked on without so much as a frown.

When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs, a sewer channel full of filth appeared.

All the waste discarded by the people of Chengdu was discharged to the outside through the sewer channel where Pyo Wol stood.

Pyo Wol walked by stepping on the slightly protruding parts above the channel.

Beneath his feet flowed filth that exuded a terrible stench. It was a smell that could shake one’s very soul, one that even the demons of hell would seem reluctant to approach.

Pyo Wol numbed his sense of smell.

The Microscopic Sense could heighten the senses to an extreme degree, but it could also numb them like this when necessary.

Thanks to that, Pyo Wol could walk freely even in the stench.

The sewer channels connected the underground of Chengdu like a spider’s web.

If one could endure the stench, one could freely come and go anywhere in Chengdu.

This was Pyo Wol’s third den.

A place others would not dare to approach, a place whose very existence most people did not even know.

Pyo Wol thought this place suited him very well.

Although he was disguised with a splendid appearance, his true nature was more suited to this place. Perhaps that was why he felt a sense of comfort.

There were no lights, and no map existed.

If an ordinary person were to enter, they would surely lose their sense of direction, wander, and eventually lose their life. But Pyo Wol walked on without a single moment of hesitation.

After walking for a long time, he arrived at a dead-end sewer channel.

Pyo Wol raised his head and looked up at the ceiling. A faint light was seeping through.

When Pyo Wol pushed the ceiling, a passage to the outside appeared.

“What the?”

As Pyo Wol revealed himself, someone’s guarded voice was heard.

“Ugh! The smell! What is this? It’s you, hyung.”

The man, pinching his nose and fanning his hand, was none other than Tang Sochu.

Tang Sochu, his brow deeply furrowed, glared at Pyo Wol who had suddenly appeared from the floor.

The dead end of the sewer channel was connected directly to Tang Sochu’s workshop.

“Hold on!”

Pyo Wol released his qi to the outside.

Paaang!

Swept away by the qi, the terrible stench disappeared.

Only then did Tang Sochu remove the hand pinching his nose.

“I told you not to come that way.”

“I couldn’t help it. There are eyes watching me.”

“Watching? Who?”

“Outsiders.”

“Did you do something to arouse suspicion?”

“Not at all!”

“Then why?”

“I don’t know either. But I’ll find out soon. I’ve thrown out the bait.”

“Not a single day of peace.”

Tang Sochu shook his head from side to side.

He thought things had been quiet for the past few months, but it was starting again.

It was as if incidents and accidents followed Pyo Wol around.

He had a premonition that as long as he was with Pyo Wol, he would never be able to escape this kind of turmoil.

But it was too late to back out now. Not only was he too deeply involved with Pyo Wol, but Tang Sochu’s own character would not allow it.

“Who is it this time?”

“The Golden Sky Society!”

“That group of prodigies?”

“That’s right!”

“It’s one thing after another. Why are those people, whose pride pierces the heavens, looking for you, hyung?”

“I’ll find out soon. More importantly, the Wrist Guard?”

“As a matter of fact, I just finished working on it a little while ago. Wait a moment.”

Tang Sochu went inside.

When he came out again a moment later, a pair of Wrist Guards was in his hands.

It was the item he had made and given to Pyo Wol before.

Pyo Wol had used the Wrist Guard well in the fight against the Seven Stars Hall. But he had felt a few shortcomings and had asked Tang Sochu to improve it.

“I’ve fixed all the parts you mentioned, hyung. It should be much more comfortable to use than before.”

“Thanks.”

“Wow! You’ve become much more human. To think I’d hear a ‘thanks’ from your mouth, hyung.”

“……”

“I meant it as a good thing. Don’t worry about it.”

Tang Sochu grinned.

His smile was bothersome, but what was more important was whether the Wrist Guard had been properly fixed.

Pyo Wol put the Wrist Guard on his arm and moved it around.

It was definitely possible to move much more naturally than before.

“You said you found the Silver Thread useful, so I made some extra. I’ve hidden it in the upper part of the forearm, so use it when you need it.”

“Got it.”

Putting on the Wrist Guard felt like he had regained a lost part of himself.

The Wrist Guard on his forearm and the Ghostly Rain hidden at his waist seemed to help him not lose his identity as an assassin.

“I’ll make good use of it.”

“Tsk! The way you talk, it sounds like you’re about to cause a huge scene soon.”

Tang Sochu clicked his tongue.

This kind of premonition was never wrong.

Unfortunately.

＊＊＊

The Thunder Clan had been empty for a long time.

This was because the Sect Leader, Tae Yeonho, and the young sect leader, Nam Hosan, had both lost their lives at the same time.

With the two who could be called its pillars dead, it was only natural that the Sect could not be maintained.

The main gate, which had always been wide open, was firmly shut, and planks had been added and nailed down.

To anyone looking, it was the image of a sect that had completely closed its doors.

People living nearby also went on thinking that the Thunder Clan had completely shut down. But one day, the planks that had been nailed to the Thunder Clan’s main gate were seen torn off.

People approached the main gate of the Thunder Clan, just in case.

The firmly shut main gate was wide open, and inside, martial artists could be seen training in Martial Arts.

The martial artists of the Thunder Clan, who had not been seen for a while, had returned.

“The Thunder Clan has returned.”

“The disciples have started their training again.”

The rumor that the Thunder Clan had reopened its doors spread like wildfire.

Most people who heard the rumor thought it was a good thing.

That was how good the Thunder Clan’s reputation had been.

That was why many people had felt it was a pity when both the young sect leader and the Sect Leader met their tragic deaths.

For a Sect of the Thunder Clan’s stature to close its doors was a great loss even for the people living nearby. Many wished to form ties with the sects of the Jianghu, and also wanted to be under their protection.

At least to the people nearby, the Thunder Clan was like a reliable protector.

Since the protector they thought they had lost had returned, the residents welcomed the return of the Thunder Clan with open arms.

“But who became the Sect Leader?”

“We’ll find out soon, won’t we?”

People were curious about who the new Thunder Clan Sect Leader was. But perhaps because the internal reorganization was not yet finished, the new Sect Leader did not show himself.

A few who could not bear their curiosity visited the Thunder Clan and requested a meeting with the Sect Leader. But the Thunder Clan politely refused all such requests.

The reason given was that now was the time to organize the sect internally, not for the Sect Leader to engage in external activities.

The reason was so clear that people accepted it and came back out. But from the mouths of a few people who had visited the Thunder Clan, unexpected words came out.

“Doesn’t the atmosphere feel strange?”

“You felt that too? For some reason, it seemed like there were more unfamiliar faces.”

The people living nearby knew the disciples of the Thunder Clan well.

They couldn’t say they knew everyone, but they were on familiar terms with most of them. But when they visited this time, it seemed like there were more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones. However, the doubts of a few were buried by the voices of others.

“The Sect Leader died such a violent death, so the disciples must have been greatly shaken, right? Of course many would have left, so what’s so strange about new faces filling the empty spots?”

In the end, the suspicions of a few were buried and disappeared under the voices of the many.

The people nearby were satisfied enough just with the fact that the Thunder Clan had reopened its doors.

Thus, amidst the people’s interest, the Thunder Clan quickly reorganized its internal system.

At the center of it was Oh Kyunghwa.

Oh Kyunghwa was originally one of the direct disciples of the previous Sect Leader, Tae Yeonho. Although her Martial Arts were on the superior side, she had not been able to stand out, overshadowed by the young sect leader, Nam Hosan. However, her loyalty to Sect Leader Tae Yeonho was extremely strong, and she was greatly trusted.

When Tae Yeonho lost his life to Mujeong Jin-in at the Qingcheng Sect, the one who grieved the most was also Oh Kyunghwa.

He and the Thunder Clan disciples were imprisoned in the Guest Reception Hall and could not even hold a funeral for Tae Yeonho.

In the end, they were barely able to regain their freedom when the Qingcheng Sect suffered great damage from Pyo Wol, but by then, the Thunder Clan had already suffered irreparable damage.

While the disciples were trapped in the Qingcheng Sect, a few audacious individuals had snuck into the empty Thunder Clan and stolen its wealth.

In an instant, the Thunder Clan became penniless.

Thus, Oh Kyunghwa and the Thunder Clan disciples lost everything.

The Qingcheng Sect was so busy dealing with the damage inflicted by Pyo Wol that they did not even apologize to the Thunder Clan.

Their resentment and anger towards the Qingcheng Sect, which had caused this whole situation, pierced the heavens. But in reality, there was no way for the Thunder Clan to take revenge on the Qingcheng Sect.

‘That’s why I summoned him to the Jianghu.’

Oh Kyunghwa raised her head and looked at the being sitting in front of her. He was sitting in the middle of Oh Kyunghwa’s junior martial brothers.

It was a figure whose gender, male or female, was unknown.

He was wrapped from head to toe in black cloth, like a Mummy. Because of that, it was impossible to tell not only his gender but also what his real face looked like.

It was unknown whether he had always been wrapped in cloth like this, or if he was specially disguised like this only when he came out to the Jianghu.

Heuk Am.

He was the person sent by Blood Buddha, the Dharma Master of the Small Thunder Sound Temple.

Even after Oh Kyunghwa and the Thunder Clan disciples returned to the Thunder Clan, he did not show himself for a long time.

Because of that, the anger of the Thunder Clan disciples had reached its peak. They had been counting on Heuk Am, who had been sent by Blood Buddha, but it seemed he was taking no action and neglecting them.

Some Thunder Clan disciples even went so far as to say they had been deceived by the Dharma Master.

Heuk Am opened his mouth.

“Go up to Qingcheng Mountain in three days.”

“Just us?”

“The preparations have already been made. All you have to do is go up to Qingcheng Mountain and question them about their sins.”

“You have to tell us what kind of preparations you’ve made for us to trust you and act, don’t you?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“How can you…”

At Heuk Am’s dismissiveness, Oh Kyunghwa’s eyebrows twitched.

She suppressed her anger with superhuman patience. But not everyone was as patient as she was.

“Don’t give me that bullshit. We didn’t go all the way to the far-off Small Thunder Sound Temple to bring you here just to listen to such nonsense.”

Oh Kyunghwa’s junior martial brother, Lee Chuyoung, shouted.

Lee Chuyoung’s dissatisfaction with Heuk Am, who had been acting on his own without any consultation, had reached its limit.

Because of that, upon hearing Heuk Am’s nonsense, his anger exploded without him realizing it.

In that moment, Heuk Am disappeared from everyone’s sight.

“Keuk!”

Suddenly, a stifled groan escaped from Lee Chuyoung’s mouth.

When the people looked at Lee Chuyoung in surprise, they saw Heuk Am standing in front of him.

Heuk Am swung his hand towards Lee Chuyoung’s face.

Wondering what kind of goblin trick this was, the people stared at him blankly.

It was then.

“Uwaaack!”

Suddenly, Lee Chuyoung screamed and rolled on the floor.

Lee Chuyoung scratched his head, his body, everywhere, with his fingernails. Even as his flesh was torn and his muscles ripped, his actions did not stop.

He scratched his entire body until his last breath. The sight of Lee Chuyoung, with all the flesh of his body peeled off and his raw, red flesh exposed, was gruesome beyond measure.

Something was squirming in the blood Lee Chuyoung had shed, but no one saw it.

Heuk Am looked around at the people and said,

“To insult me is the same as insulting the Dharma Master. I will never forgive one who insults the Dharma Master.”

“Ugh!”

The people looked at Heuk Am with faces filled with terror.

‘My god! What have we done?’

‘We’ve summoned a demon.’

Only then did they realize that something had gone wrong.

Heuk Am’s voice echoed once more.

“In three days, you will go up to Qingcheng Mountain. Anyone who does not follow my words will end up in the same state as this man.”