Chapter 157

Woo Jang-rak was Yu Gicheon’s trusted confidant.

In his youth, he had suffered alongside Yu Gicheon and helped greatly expand his Trading Company.

He fought more fiercely than anyone to protect Yu Gicheon, and had saved his life several times.

When Yu Gicheon retired and returned to his hometown, Woo Jang-rak also followed him to Chengdu without any lingering regrets.

To Yu Gicheon, Woo Jang-rak was more than a brother.

Even after entering the Snow Cloud Stronghold, their relationship did not change.

Unless there was something special to do, Woo Jang-rak stayed by Yu Gicheon’s side and protected him. But today, he was preparing to leave Chengdu.

It was because of Yu Gicheon’s request.

“I intend to donate a portion of the Buddhist scriptures I recently acquired to the Shaolin Temple. I’d like you to take on that mission.”

Woo Jang-rak knew well how much effort Yu Gicheon had put into obtaining the original Buddhist scriptures.

He could have had an Escort Agency transport them, but the only person Yu Gicheon could truly trust was Woo Jang-rak.

“Understood. I will go to the Shaolin Temple and return.”

Woo Jang-rak readily accepted Yu Gicheon’s proposal.

He still felt bad that he hadn’t been able to accompany Yu Gicheon to the funeral of those assassinated by Baek-rok because he was handling other matters at the time.

He was worried about Yu Gicheon’s safety while he was alone, but with so many Martial Artists protecting him, he didn’t think any problems would arise.

In his youth, Woo Jang-rak had learned Martial Arts at the Shaolin Temple. Although the limitations of being from a Lay Family prevented him from learning the Supreme Arts, he was able to achieve what he had today by using the Martial Arts he learned at the Shaolin Temple as a stepping stone.

He thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit his Martial Sect on this occasion.

Just as he finished his preparations to head to the Shaolin Temple, Yu Gicheon brought someone over.

It was a young man and a little boy.

The moment he saw their faces, a crack appeared on Woo Jang-rak’s face.

‘Huk!’

He forcibly swallowed the gasp that was about to burst out.

That was how surprising the identities of those who came with Yu Gicheon were.

‘Why is he here?’

The back of his neck tingled, and soon goosebumps rose all over his body.

The man who appeared with Yu Gicheon had made him afraid.

A man who boasted a demonic, dazzling appearance that couldn’t be hidden even with a scarf covering half his face.

He was the one feared by all the Martial Artists in Chengdu, none other than Pyo Wol.

Beside Pyo Wol was a boy with seven wheels hanging around his neck.

Woo Jang-rak’s pupils trembled.

‘Soma!’

The three swords wielded by Pyo Wol. Among them, this was the boy known to be the most cruel.

Woo Jang-rak bit his lip gently and looked at Yu Gicheon.

He was demanding an explanation.

Yu Gicheon opened his mouth with a look that said he understood everything.

“There’s no need to be so tense. Just accompany these two until they are outside Sichuan Province.”

“Accompany… them, sir?”

“That’s right. Once Great Hero Pyo gets used to the Jianghu, he will move separately, so just look after them until then. They said this is the first time both of them are leaving Sichuan Province.”

“Understood.”

Woo Jang-rak replied with a stiff expression.

He had no choice in the matter anyway.

He didn’t know why Pyo Wol wanted to accompany them, but he absolutely could not get on his bad side. Naturally, he couldn’t show any sign of displeasure either.

At Woo Jang-rak’s tense appearance, Yu Gicheon let out a low sigh.

He understood his situation.

If he himself was this flustered, he could only imagine how Woo Jang-rak, who had to accompany Pyo Wol directly, must feel.

Pyo Wol had come to see him this morning.

He didn’t know how, but Pyo Wol had figured out that Woo Jang-rak was leaving Chengdu today.

Pyo Wol had requested to accompany Woo Jang-rak’s party.

He had only left Sichuan Province once. And that was to Tibet, a place far from the Jianghu.

Since he had no experience traveling the Jianghu, he thought it would be better to grasp the general situation while traveling with Woo Jang-rak’s party.

Yu Gicheon readily accepted Pyo Wol’s proposal.

‘Still, if Great Hero Pyo accompanies them, the danger will be significantly reduced.’

These were Buddhist scriptures obtained with great difficulty.

As they were the original Sanskrit version, it was impossible to even put a price on them. Although it was only a part of the original, it was an item that many would covet.

With Pyo Wol along, the chances of them being delivered safely to the Shaolin Temple were high.

Woo Jang-rak spoke cautiously to Pyo Wol.

“I will not reveal Great Hero Pyo’s identity to the others. That way, you will be able to travel quietly.”

“Do that.”

“Thank you.”

Woo Jang-rak bowed his head to Pyo Wol and stepped back.

Before Pyo Wol joined Woo Jang-rak’s party, he expressed his gratitude to Yu Gicheon.

“Thank you! For granting my request.”

“Not at all. It is an honor for me to be of help to Great Hero Pyo. I pray for your safe journey.”

“Grandpa! I’m grateful too!”

“I pray for your safe return as well.”

“Okay!”

Soma nodded his head.

Seen off by Yu Gicheon, the party led by Woo Jang-rak left Chengdu.

Pyo Wol and Soma followed at the very back of Woo Jang-rak’s group.

Woo Jang-rak’s Subordinates whispered as they looked at Pyo Wol and Soma.

“Who are they, and why are they coming with us?”

“Seeing as the Manor Lord himself asked for them to accompany us, they don’t seem like ordinary people.”

“I know, right.”

“We’ll find out naturally as we travel together. Let’s not worry about them and just do our job well.”

“Mm!”

As the Buddhist scriptures were rare, they had to be managed well throughout the journey to the Shaolin Temple.

If they were damaged by mistake, not only Yu Gicheon but also the Shaolin Temple would not forgive them.

For that reason, Woo Jang-rak had specially included someone in the party who had a knack for managing scriptures. He would manage the scriptures during the journey.

The Subordinates Woo Jang-rak brought with him were all seasoned Martial Artists from the Trading Company. Even without Woo Jang-rak giving any specific orders, they each knew what to do and did their jobs.

They treated Pyo Wol and Soma as if they weren’t there at all.

It was because Woo Jang-rak had ordered them to do so.

Pyo Wol and Soma had no complaints about such treatment.

They hadn’t joined them to receive VIP treatment in the first place.

“Hiyah! Let’s go, let’s go! Big horse! If you don’t hurry, I’ll cut off your ankles. Hehe!”

Soma sang a gruesome song with an innocent expression.

When Pyo Wol said he was going out into the Jianghu, Soma had followed him as if it were the most natural thing to do.

If he had his way, he would have wanted Guian and Eun-yo to come along too, but someone had to protect Chengdu, so they had no choice but to stay.

Soma, who got to be with Pyo Wol alone, couldn’t hide his joyful expression.

Soma kicked the horse’s flanks with his small feet and followed Pyo Wol.

Normally, if a horse was provoked like this, it might resist, but strangely, the horse Soma was riding did not. The horse, too, was intimidated by the killing intent that Soma was unconsciously emitting.

Pyo Wol glanced at Soma for a moment before turning his gaze forward again.

They planned to take a boat once they were out of Chengdu.

There was no more efficient means of transportation than a boat for a long journey, especially when a large group of people were moving together like this.

Woo Jang-rak was a man with a great deal of experience traveling the Jianghu. He knew how to move efficiently in any situation.

Thanks to him, Pyo Wol didn’t have to worry about anything in particular.

Woo Jang-rak’s party boarded a Cloud-Piercing River Crossing Ship on the Min River.

And so, the party left Chengdu.

The journey by boat was smooth.

One might expect Water Bandits to appear and threaten them, but no such thing happened.

In the first place, Sichuan Province itself did not have the geographical conditions for Water Bandits to operate.

Since it was a vast basin surrounded by mountains on all four sides, the river’s current was gentle, and even if they did steal goods, there was nowhere to hide.

For that reason, Water Bandits did not operate within Sichuan Province at all. Thanks to this, one could conduct business without worrying about Water Bandits, at least within Sichuan Province.

Pyo Wol sat on the railing and watched the scenery along the river.

He had been in Sichuan Province for a full fifteen years, but this was the first time he had traveled so leisurely on a boat.

There was nothing to be wary of, and nothing to be on edge about.

Everything he saw was peaceful.

All Pyo Wol had to do was enjoy the scenery before him. But in truth, this peace felt unfamiliar to Pyo Wol.

It was like wearing clothes that didn’t fit his body.

Soma, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear beside him, for whatever reason.

Woo Jang-rak’s party did not approach Pyo Wol.

Yu Gicheon had warned them so strongly, but more than that, they instinctively felt a sense of unease and tried to keep their distance from Pyo Wol.

They couldn’t tell exactly what kind of being Pyo Wol was, but they recognized that he was fundamentally different from them.

Thanks to this, Pyo Wol was able to rest comfortably, away from people’s attention.

Soma, who was humming a tune beside him, suddenly asked.

“Brother! What kind of place is the Jianghu?”

“I wonder!”

“I’ve heard the word Jianghu a lot, but I don’t really know what kind of place it is. Is there a separate place called the Jianghu?”

“That’s a question I’ve never thought about.”

Pyo Wol said honestly.

Martial Artists often used the word Jianghu, but Pyo Wol himself had never once thought deeply about it.

“Is the world where Martial Artists live different? Is that why they call it the Jianghu? Then where is the Jianghu?”

“Isn’t the world we live in the Jianghu?”

“Then it’s not a separate world where Martial Artists live?”

“If such a world really existed, the world wouldn’t be in such chaos. Problems arise because we all live mixed together. If we were separated, there would be no reason to clash.”

“Then why on earth do they call it the Jianghu?”

“I’m curious too. Why they do that…”

“I thought you would know, brother.”

“Are you disappointed?”

“No! You’re still you, brother.”

Soma smiled brightly, revealing his white teeth.

Even though his curiosity wasn’t satisfied, Soma still looked happy.

Riding a boat, feeling the river breeze on the deck, and having conversations like this were all first-time experiences for Soma.

Soma enjoyed all of these experiences. So much so that he hummed a tune without even realizing it.

The boat carrying the two of them traveled for a long time and arrived in Dalju.

Dalju was a checkpoint city on the eastern side of Sichuan Province.

More than half of the people who came and went from Sichuan Province passed through this place. In particular, for large-scale groups like Trading Companies, it was customary to stop in Dalju to make preparations before embarking on a long journey.

Woo Jang-rak approached Pyo Wol and said.

“We plan to make preparations here and leave tomorrow.”

“What more preparations do you need?”

“Since the item is so precious, we intend to hire more troops for defense.”

“You mean Wanderers, I assume.”

“That’s right. Fortunately, the Wanderer’s Market here is very active. If we hire three or four more, we should be able to get to the Shaolin Temple safely enough.”

“Can the Wanderers be trusted?”

“The Wanderers here in Dalju all belong to the Wanderer’s Market. If a problem arises with the Wanderers, the Wanderer’s Market takes responsibility. The Wanderer’s Market here in Dalju is particularly famous for its good credit. There probably won’t be any problems.”

“Do as you see fit. I’m just a guest who will part ways in the middle anyway.”

Pyo Wol waved his hand dismissively.

Although he was accompanying them out of necessity, he had no intention of interfering with what Woo Jang-rak was doing.

Woo Jang-rak bowed his head to Pyo Wol and stepped back.

A short while later, the boat carrying the party docked at the Dalju pier.

Woo Jang-rak’s party was the first to get off the boat. They checked the carriage carrying the Buddhist scriptures once more before heading to an Inn in downtown Dalju.

The Inn, named West Wind Inn, was located right next to the Wanderer’s Market.

It was large and had ample space for carriages and horses, so many Trading Companies and Escort Agencies used the West Wind Inn.

In fact, besides Woo Jang-rak’s party, several other Trading Companies were staying at the West Wind Inn.

Because so many people were gathered, the West Wind Inn was extremely noisy.

Pyo Wol frowned for a moment.

He didn’t particularly like such commotion. But he didn’t complain.

This, too, was part of the process of adapting to the world.

He couldn’t live his whole life doing only what he liked. Sometimes, he had to do things he didn’t want to do.

That was the way of the world.

If he lived only within Sichuan Province, and only in Chengdu, he wouldn’t need to be mindful of others, but now that he had decided to come out into the world, Pyo Wol also had to adapt and live.

“This is great!”

Soma, on the other hand, genuinely liked it.

He really liked the boisterous atmosphere he was experiencing for the first time in his life.

“This is the best! I want to kill them all!”

At Soma’s words, spoken with a wide smile, Woo Jang-rak’s face turned pale.

Having been tipped off by Yu Gicheon, he knew very well what a terrifying being Soma was.

Whether he knew Woo Jang-rak’s feelings or not, Soma muttered as he glared at the Inn.

“I want to kill them. I wish brother would let me…”

He glanced at Pyo Wol.

As expected, his face showed it was a complete non-starter.

Soma was dejected.

“Tch!”