Chapter 147

Soma smiled.

It was the same innocent smile he showed others. The only difference was that, unlike the smiles he put on for others, this one came from the heart.

Soma liked Pyo Wol.

After entering Chengdu together, Pyo Wol never forced Soma or the children to do anything. He didn’t order them around, leaving everything to their own judgment.

It was Guian’s own will to build an information network in Chengdu, and it was Eun-yo’s own will to run a Brothel.

Pyo Wol exerted no influence whatsoever on the children’s choices.

Soma knew well how difficult that was. That was why he felt even more grateful to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol asked Soma.

“Tea?”

“No! Just a glass of water is fine.”

Pyo Wol poured water into a cup on the table.

A peculiar light flashed in Soma’s eyes.

He had seen a letter lying next to the water cup.

“Who’s it from? Don’t tell me it’s from that hyung, Cheoltap?”

When Pyo Wol nodded silently, Soma wrinkled his nose.

“That hyung is really something else. It’s not like it’s a love letter, so why does he send them so often?”

Over the past few months, Jin Geum-woo had sent Pyo Wol three letters.

Every letter began with the same phrase.

[To my dear friend…]

Pyo Wol had never once read any of his letters to the end.

The very first phrase made him lose the will to read on.

He didn’t know what Jin Geum-woo liked so much about him, but he called him a friend and treated him with familiarity.

Even after leaving Chengdu, he sent letters to keep Pyo Wol updated on his whereabouts.

‘That hyung’s one-sided love is really something, isn’t it?’

Soma chuckled.

Pyo Wol never read Jin Geum-woo’s letters to the end, and he certainly never replied. Yet, Jin Geum-woo tirelessly continued to send them.

Soma couldn’t understand Jin Geum-woo.

‘Does that hyung even know his letters are being neglected like this?’

He thought that if Jin Geum-woo knew, he wouldn’t be able to send them so consistently.

The thought of Jin Geum-woo made him keep chuckling.

Soma said to Pyo Wol.

“He’s sending all these letters, shouldn’t you reply at least once?”

“Sending letters is his freedom, but whether I reply or not is mine.”

“True!”

Soma nodded at Pyo Wol’s firm response.

After returning from the Small Thunder Sound Temple, Pyo Wol had almost completely ceased his external activities, staying in his residence to refine his Martial Arts.

His Killing Method had already reached the highest level. Nevertheless, Pyo Wol felt it was lacking.

He strove to incorporate what he had felt while fighting against the Small Thunder Sound Temple, Jin Geum-woo, and others into his Martial Arts.

Thanks to these efforts, the Hungry Ghost Path was now taking on a proper structure. It was becoming a complete martial art in its own right.

Soma thought that Pyo Wol had changed somehow.

Before, he had always felt a sense of fear, but now, he didn’t even feel that.

Soma knew well that it wasn’t simply because he had gotten used to Pyo Wol.

‘He’s changed again in that short time.’

He changed because he had advanced.

Pyo Wol, who was thought to have already reached the pinnacle, was relentlessly pushing himself to take yet another step forward.

One could see what bone-grinding effort was just by looking at Pyo Wol.

Soma was certain he could never put in that much effort, even if he died and came back to life. And he had no intention of doing so.

After years of hardship, he had finally found freedom, and he wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible.

Unlike the other children, he hadn’t yet found what he wanted to do, but he was sure that if he kept enjoying his freedom like this, he would one day find something that suited him.

Just then, Pyo Wol stood up and said.

“I’m going to the workshop. What about you?”

“I’ll go too.”

Soma quickly followed.

After returning from the Small Thunder Sound Temple, Pyo Wol had entrusted his Ghostly Rain and Wrist Guard to Tang Sochu. Several of the Ghostly Rain darts had been completely shattered during the fierce battles, and the Wrist Guard had also cracked.

The only person who could perfectly repair Pyo Wol’s equipment was Tang Sochu.

Tang Sochu’s workshop was thriving.

The Martial Artists of Chengdu called Tang Sochu Sichuan’s Greatest Craftsman. That was how outstanding his skills were.

Martial Artists who heard the rumors came to entrust their weapons to Tang Sochu for maintenance. One had to wait at least three or four months to have a weapon serviced by Tang Sochu, but the stream of customers was endless.

However, that didn’t matter to Pyo Wol.

Tang Sochu always treated Pyo Wol’s weapons as his top priority. The reason he had to wait for several months was because the damage to the Ghostly Rain and Wrist Guard was that severe.

The Ghostly Rain and Wrist Guard were so broken they almost had to be remade from scratch.

After entrusting his equipment to Tang Sochu, Pyo Wol had completely put it out of his mind. He had faith that Tang Sochu would repair it well.

Pyo Wol and Soma descended into the basement of the Red Pine Manor.

It was a separate space from the basement where Guian was, connected to the underground sewers of Chengdu.

A foul stench emanated from the sewers, as all of Chengdu’s filth flowed through them. But Pyo Wol and Soma didn’t even frown once.

They walked through the sewers as if on a stroll and arrived at Tang Sochu’s workshop.

“Hyung! Soma, you came too.”

Tang Sochu, who popped out from the back of the workshop, greeted the two without any surprise.

“Hi! Little hyung.”

Soma clung to Tang Sochu’s leg.

Tang Sochu ruffled Soma’s hair and said.

“You’re here, little one.”

“Hehe!”

Soma laughed happily.

Tang Sochu was one of the few people he genuinely liked. So he asked with sincerity.

“Is there anyone you want to kill? I’ll kill them for you.”

“Not yet.”

“Tell me when you do. I’ll kill them for you.”

“Okay.”

Tang Sochu nodded without a single flustered expression.

When they first met, Tang Sochu had been taken aback by Soma’s way of speaking. But now, he was quite used to it.

Tang Sochu looked at Pyo Wol.

“You came at a good time. I was just thinking of sending someone.”

“Looks like the repairs are done.”

“Yeah!”

Tang Sochu nodded and pointed to his workbench.

On the workbench lay a black leather belt and a Wrist Guard.

“I practically remade the Ghostly Rain from scratch. I mixed in some Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron, so they won’t break easily now.”

“Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron?”

“I managed to get some recently.”

Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron was the finest metal that every craftsman dreamed of working with. Mixing in even a small amount would dramatically increase a weapon’s durability. But it was so rare that it was not easy to obtain.

If Tang Sochu hadn’t become as famous as he was now, he would never have been able to acquire it. It was an item that was simply not sold to unskilled blacksmiths.

Just by looking at the marks left on the Wrist Guard, one could tell how fiercely Pyo Wol had fought.

For that reason, Tang Sochu used the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron to make the Ghostly Rain and used the rest to reinforce the Wrist Guard.

“They won’t break easily now.”

“Thanks.”

“Hmph! I’m only doing this much because you’re my hyung. No one else would get this treatment.”

Tang Sochu’s nose was in the air.

After the Tang Clan was annihilated, he had always been treated with contempt. But now, not a single person in Chengdu, let alone Sichuan Province, would dare to disrespect him.

This was because, in addition to his fame as Sichuan’s Greatest Craftsman, he had a patron named Pyo Wol.

After returning from the Small Thunder Sound Temple, Pyo Wol had not made a single public appearance. Nevertheless, most of the influential figures knew.

They knew that Pyo Wol existed somewhere in Chengdu. And that he was protecting Tang Sochu.

If anything were to happen to Tang Sochu, a great disaster would befall Chengdu that day. And the consequences would reach them as well.

For that reason, the influential figures and martial arts academies of Chengdu thoroughly patrolled the area around Tang Sochu’s workshop. An unspoken peace zone had been created.

Thanks to this, Tang Sochu could focus on his workshop’s work in peace and comfort. Perhaps because of this, the works he had created recently boasted exceptional quality. His talent as a craftsman had fully blossomed.

Famous Martial Artists from Sichuan Province lined up with bags of money to commission him. But it was extremely rare for Tang Sochu to accept commissions directly.

And the items Tang Sochu put the most care into were Pyo Wol’s.

He used the hard-won Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron to dramatically increase the durability of the Ghostly Rain and greatly improved the strength and performance of the Wrist Guard.

It was easy to say, but the process was by no means simple.

Because it was an item for Pyo Wol to use, Tang Sochu poured his heart and soul into creating it.

Pyo Wol nodded.

He was completely satisfied with the items.

Tang Sochu had never once betrayed his expectations. This time was no different.

“I like them.”

Pyo Wol nodded.

Tang Sochu smirked and said.

“You know my skills…”

“Any trouble?”

“None! They don’t even dare to pick a fight, scared of that little one.”

Tang Sochu looked at Soma with a gentle smile. Soma grinned back.

“If there’s anyone you don’t like, just tell me. I’ll kill them all for you.”

“Alright!”

Tang Sochu ruffled Soma’s hair.

Soma closed his eyes and enjoyed the rough touch, as if it were the best thing in the world. Tang Sochu thought Soma was like a puppy. Of course, for an ordinary puppy, he was excessively fierce and had sharp teeth.

Pyo Wol chatted with Tang Sochu for a while before heading out.

He considered going back through the sewers but chose to just go outside.

Pyo Wol walked the streets with a scarf covering the lower half of his face. Beside him, Soma walked with a bright smile.

Chengdu had seen bloody winds blow several times in the past two years. But now, no trace of the bloody storms could be found anywhere in the city.

People had already forgotten the past and were engrossed in their daily lives.

Merchants hawked their wares, trying to sell one more item, and people passing by on the streets were mesmerized by their voices, unknowingly opening their purses.

Pyo Wol stopped and watched the scene for a long time.

When Pyo Wol didn’t move for a long while, Soma looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Hyung?”

“What?”

“Aren’t we going?”

“Let’s go.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Then let’s eat before we go back.”

“Let’s go to Seongyeonru.”

“Why there?”

“Their hwagwa are delicious.”

“Really?”

“Yup!”

Soma answered without a moment’s hesitation.

Pyo Wol nodded and followed behind Soma.

While Pyo Wol had been cooped up in his residence, Soma had been restlessly roaming every corner of Chengdu. Because of that, he prided himself on knowing the streets of Chengdu better than Pyo Wol.

Soma’s favorite places were restaurants.

Perhaps because he had been locked up in the Small Thunder Sound Temple for so long and not treated like a human, Soma had a particular craving for delicious food. So, whenever he received an allowance from Pyo Wol, he squandered it all on eating.

“Soma, you’re here.”

The owner of Seongyeonru recognized Soma and greeted him.

Not many people would dislike a cute boy who was only about six or seven years old. Especially if that boy was a regular customer.

Soma looked up at the owner and said.

“Give me lamb hwagwa. And give me a lot.”

“Got it. I’ll put in plenty of meat for you.”

“If there’s anyone you want to kill, just let me know anytime. I’ll kill them for you.”

“I don’t have anyone I want to kill, little friend.”

“Then tell me if you do.”

“I doubt it’ll happen, but if it does, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay!”

Soma nodded.

The owner of Seongyeonru probably thought it was just a joke, but Pyo Wol knew well that Soma’s words were sincere.

Soma only said such things to people he genuinely liked. Because that was the greatest favor he could offer.

The two sat facing each other at a table.

Soma was so short his feet didn’t even touch the floor. He sat on the chair, swinging both his legs.

The sight was so adorable that people sitting nearby stared as if mesmerized. Pyo Wol imagined what they would think if they knew Soma’s true nature.

They would probably never know that behind this cute face, a ferocious beast lived, hiding its sharp fangs.

Suddenly, the look in Soma’s eyes changed.

He didn’t like the feeling of all the customers in Seongyeonru staring at him.

Soma asked.

“Can I kill them all?”

“No.”

“Then can’t I kill just one as an example?”

“No.”

“Then when can I kill?”

“When I say you can.”

“Tch! Hyung, you’ve gotten too tame lately. I liked it better when you just killed indiscriminately like at the Small Thunder Sound Temple.”

Soma pouted.

His face was full of dissatisfaction, but since Pyo Wol had said no, he didn’t press further. That was how much he liked Pyo Wol.

“Hyung!”

“What?”

“I like you!”

“Just eat your food.”

“Okay!”

Soma beamed.