Chapter 155

If you put a frog in a pot of cold water and slowly raise the temperature, it will be boiled to death without ever trying to jump out.

The Tang Clan fell in the same way.

After making a single wrong choice to become Closed-off, the Tang Clan was slowly pressured and squeezed by the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect. Their machinations to dismantle the Tang Clan were meticulous and unfolded over a long period.

By the time the Tang Clan realized what was happening, they had already been shattered to pieces.

The Secret Transmissions of poison arts and blacksmithing, which formed the foundation of the Tang Clan, were lost, and a great number of their artisans, in particular, were killed.

The Hidden Weapons of the Tang Clan were deadly.

Launched by principles that ordinary people could not even begin to imagine, their Hidden Weapons were a source of caution for all Martial Artists.

Even within the Tang Clan, the artisans who created these Hidden Weapons were specially managed. They were such important assets that they were protected under a complete information blackout.

Then one day, a major incident occurred in which all those artisans were massacred.

While installing a new furnace to melt iron, an explosion of unknown origin occurred, killing every artisan on site.

It was later revealed that the incident was a plot by the Emei Sect to prevent the installation of the new furnace.

They had acted on the belief that increasing the number of furnaces would increase the Tang Clan’s production capacity, but the result was a blow so fatal that it shook the very foundation of the clan.

This incident accelerated the Tang Clan’s downfall.

Having lost the Secret Transmissions and human assets that had been passed down for hundreds of years, the Tang Clan lost the strength to endure. Qingcheng and Emei did not leave the weakened clan in peace.

Mortally wounded, the Tang Clan was picked apart as it collapsed.

People now believed that the Secret Transmissions of the Tang Clan were lost forever.

This was also true for the descendants of the collateral branches, who could be considered offshoots of the Tang Clan.

They bore the surname Tang, but they were people who could never inherit the Secret Transmissions.

Among them, there were those with great ambition.

Tang Cheolsan was one such person.

He was from a collateral branch of the Tang Clan.

Although he used the Tang surname, his family had branched off long ago, making him a kinsman with no real connection to the Tang Clan.

His ancestors had left the Tang Clan long ago and settled in Jiangsu Province.

Starting with nothing, they built a large workshop and a Trading Company, but they always felt something was lacking.

They wanted to recreate the former glory of the Tang Clan in Jiangsu Province. But no matter how hard they tried, they could not revive the Tang Clan’s Secret Transmissions.

It was then that they heard a rumor about a young artisan who had newly appeared in Chengdu.

His blacksmithing skills had reached such a sublime level that all the weapons he made were sold at the highest prices.

The moment Tang Cheolsan heard the rumors about the young artisan, greed took root in him.

He thought the young man must have inherited the Tang Clan’s Secret Transmissions. And he realized that if the artisan were allowed to grow, he would deal a major blow to the workshop they operated.

Although they were far apart, the fame of a great artisan was bound to spread regardless of distance.

Tang Cheolsan decided he had to steal the Secret Transmissions before the young artisan grew any more powerful. If he couldn’t steal the secrets, he planned to take his life and nip the bud.

“So you’re saying that man, Tang Cheolsan, was the one who made the request to the Hundred Wraith Union.”

“That’s right!”

“Still, to think he’s a kinsman who shares the Tang surname… Then again, his family branched off so long ago, I guess they have no connection to us now?”

Tang Sochu smiled bitterly.

Pyo Wol watched him in silence from the side.

Baek-rok had confessed everything.

He had initially feigned ignorance about the client, but he had known all along.

The only exception was information about the Hundred Wraith Union.

Although he was clearly an Assassin belonging to the Hundred Wraith Union, he knew almost nothing.

This was because the Hundred Wraith Union was structured as a thoroughly compartmentalized organization.

Only the Ten Blood Assassins had a grasp of the entire Hundred Wraith Union; the rest of the Assassins were operated in a subordinate capacity.

When a request came to the Hundred Wraith Union, missions were assigned based on the Assassins’ abilities, their location, and the level of risk.

Baek-rok had been assigned his mission in the same way.

If he had only received the request concerning Tang Sochu, there would have been no problem. The issue was that, since he was coming all the way to the distant Sichuan Province, he had accepted another request that had come in for that area.

Because of that, Yu Gicheon had caught his trail.

It all happened because of excessive greed.

Tang Sochu asked.

“So what happens now? Will the Hundred Wraith Union give up on the request just because that Baek-rok fellow failed?”

“They will never give up.”

The lifeblood of an assassin group was trust.

If they gave up on a mission just because they failed, their credibility would hit rock bottom.

No client would ever hire an assassin group that lacked credibility.

This was especially true for a group like the Hundred Wraith Union, which was considered the number one assassin group in Jianghu. They were all the more sensitive about their credibility.

If Baek-rok’s failure became known, the Hundred Wraith Union would surely send another Assassin to complete the request.

“The only fortunate thing is that it will take a long time for his death to be known to them.”

Baek-rok had used the Black Tortoise Merchant Group to thoroughly erase his tracks.

That had made it difficult to find him, but the same was true for the Hundred Wraith Union.

The Hundred Wraith Union strictly maintained its compartmentalized structure.

Until Baek-rok reported in himself, the Hundred Wraith Union would have no way of knowing his whereabouts. It was even more difficult to track someone like Baek-rok, who meticulously concealed his movements.

Typically, the time it took for an Assassin to complete a single mission ranged from as short as a month to as long as a year.

Especially for a request in a distant region like Sichuan Province, it was not at all strange for it to take more than a year.

“If he doesn’t report the mission as complete even after a year, the Hundred Wraith Union will become suspicious. And they’ll send a new Assassin.”

“Still, it’s like my life has been extended by a year.”

Tang Sochu let out a smirk.

Pyo Wol knew the nature of assassin groups better than anyone.

What he said was likely accurate.

If so, he had only a year left.

He, too, was well aware of the Hundred Wraith Union’s notoriety.

They were the most wicked assassin group in Jianghu, one that never failed a request once they accepted it.

It was said that no one who became their target had ever survived. At least, that was what was known so far.

Until the client canceled the request, the Hundred Wraith Union would continue to target Tang Sochu.

Tang Sochu grumbled.

“Why is my life so damn hard? Just when things were starting to look up, I become a target of the Hundred Wraith Union. Tch!”

“Don’t worry.”

Pyo Wol patted Tang Sochu on the shoulder.

He had no intention of letting Tang Sochu die.

“What are you going to do?”

“You’ll see when the time comes.”

With those words, Pyo Wol fell silent.

Tang Sochu stared wordlessly at Pyo Wol’s face.

Illuminated by the light of the burning workshop, Pyo Wol’s face glowed bewitchingly. He exuded a dizzying sensuality, more beautiful than any woman.

In Tang Sochu’s eyes, Pyo Wol looked like a Reaper.

＊＊＊

Tang Sochu moved his residence to Red Pine Manor.

He personally built his own workshop in a corner of Red Pine Manor.

He built the walls with specially made bricks and covered the roof with handmade iron tiles.

The workshop created this way was perfectly sealed off from the outside.

It was designed so that not only sound but also heat could not escape.

Tang Sochu connected the ventilation ducts to an underground waterway, allowing heat and noise to escape through it. Because of this, even though a workshop where iron was hammered daily had been established, people living nearby were completely unaware of the fact.

That was how secretly everything was handled.

It was all for Tang Sochu’s safety.

This wouldn’t be enough to completely protect him from the threat of the Hundred Wraith Union, but it would at least buy him some time.

Tang Sochu holed himself up in the new workshop and did not come out.

It was clear that he was hammering iron every day, but no one knew what he was making.

Pyo Wol did not disturb him.

He thought that Tang Sochu also needed time to collect himself.

Pyo Wol sat in his own residence and looked at Tang Sochu’s workshop.

Not a single sound leaked from the workshop, but Pyo Wol knew that Tang Sochu was working harder than ever before.

Perhaps he was burying himself deeper in the iron to forget his anxiety.

Pyo Wol fully understood Tang Sochu’s feelings.

No matter how brave a person was, it was impossible to maintain composure after learning that an assassin group like the Hundred Wraith Union was targeting them.

Pyo Wol suddenly looked at the table next to him.

Two letters lay on the table.

Both were from Jin Geum-woo.

While he was away, Jin Geum-woo had sent two letters.

Pyo Wol put the letters in a drawer without even opening them.

Inside the drawer, letters sent by Jin Geum-woo were neatly stacked.

Thud!

Pyo Wol closed the drawer indifferently.

He had many things to think about from now on.

He didn’t want to scatter his thoughts by reading Jin Geum-woo’s pointless letters.

‘I have to solve this within a year, is that it?’

Pyo Wol decided that he first needed to gather information about the Hundred Wraith Union.

As he had told Tang Sochu, Baek-rok knew almost nothing.

Within the Hundred Wraith Union, Baek-rok’s rank was thirty-seventh.

It couldn’t be considered high, but it was by no means low either.

And yet, he knew almost nothing about the internal affairs of the Hundred Wraith Union.

It was clear that only the Ten Blood Assassins, who were in the top ten ranks, had a grasp of the Hundred Wraith Union’s overall picture.

Countless thoughts followed one after another.

Pyo Wol did not reject the thoughts.

He knew that if this kind of thought process continued, it would eventually lead to a good result.

Even if a good result didn’t emerge, Pyo Wol would not be disappointed.

There was still plenty of time left.

A year might feel short, but for someone like him, it was enough time to accomplish something.

Pyo Wol’s daily routine did not change.

When he was at Red Pine Manor, he trained in Martial Arts, and when he went out, he learned Music, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting. In this way, he perfected himself.

Now, the air of an Assassin had completely vanished from Pyo Wol’s appearance.

Anyone seeing him for the first time would never think he was an Assassin.

It was when Pyo Wol returned from an outing.

“Hyung!”

Guian, who had been cooped up in the basement, came out for the first time in a long while.

The one who had contributed the most to finding Baek-rok was none other than Guian.

He had identified Baek-rok using only a few pieces of circumstantial evidence and minor clues.

Thanks to him, they were able to protect Tang Sochu.

For that reason, Pyo Wol trusted Guian greatly.

“I think you need to see Eun-yo.”

“Eun-yo?”

Pyo Wol wore a puzzled expression.

After Su-hyang’s death, Pyo Wol had barely set foot in Celestial Fragrance Pavilion.

The operation of the Brothel was now entirely managed by Eun-yo.

Her business acumen was truly astonishing; she had already expanded to three more brothels. It was an achievement she had accomplished without Pyo Wol’s support.

The Hao Clan no longer held any power in Chengdu.

After losing their new branch manager, Do Ilchul, to Baek-rok, their organization had rapidly disintegrated.

The ones who took their place were Guian and Eun-yo.

The two joined forces and seized control of all the information networks entering Chengdu.

After taking control of Chengdu’s information network, Guian had become more relaxed. It was rare for him to wear such a tense expression.

Pyo Wol sensed that something unusual had happened.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know yet either. Eun-yo sent someone to fetch you.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s at Celestial Fragrance Pavilion.”

Pyo Wol stood up and immediately headed for Celestial Fragrance Pavilion.

“Hyung-ah! Let’s go together.”

Soma, as if he somehow knew, stuck to Pyo Wol like a ghost.

The two walked side by side into Celestial Fragrance Pavilion.

Although it was only early evening, Celestial Fragrance Pavilion was already bustling with customers.

“Welcome.”

The Steward, who had been waiting at the entrance, greeted the two.

“Where is Eun-yo?”

“She is in the VIP room.”

“The VIP room? Not the annex?”

“Yes!”

Unless it was something special, Eun-yo never left the annex.

The very fact that she was waiting in a VIP room instead of the annex was unusual.

Guided by the Steward, the two entered the VIP room.

“Orabeoni, Soma!”

Eun-yo stood up from her seat and greeted them.

“What is it? To call for me at this hour?”

“It’s because of the guest in the next room.”

“The next room?”

“Yes! That room is also a VIP room. Only high-profile guests are served in that room.”

“And?”

“A distinguished guest from Henan Province is staying there today. He said he’s the owner of the Jang Sang Escort Agency, based in Dengzhou. A Courtesan named Sin-ui is attending to him right now.”

“So?”

“Sin-ui quietly slipped out a moment ago and told me. The owner of the Jang Sang Escort Agency said that a promising young talent of Jianghu met an untimely death…”

“…”

“But the name of the deceased talent, he said, was Jin Geum-woo.”