Chapter 158

It went without saying, but the West Wind Inn was filled with a great many people. Each occupying a table, they were engrossed in drinking or conversation.

Though it was only early evening, a dozen or so empty wine bottles were already rolling about on one table.

As drunk people often are, they were incredibly loud, chattering away without a care for their surroundings.

In any other inn, this would have been a problem, but fortunately, most of the people staying at the West Wind Inn were in a similar state.

Thanks to this, not a single person gave Woo Jang-rak’s group a second glance when they entered.

Pyo Wol took a seat separate from Woo Jang-rak’s party.

“Welcome.”

A freckle-faced boy came running over, out of breath.

He was a Waiter at the West Wind Inn.

The Waiter, who looked to be three or four years older than Soma, had a face full of exhaustion.

It was no wonder, as he had been run off his feet serving customers who had been flocking in since morning.

The pay was peanuts, but the work was mountainous, so he was bound to be drained even though it was only early evening.

Pyo Wol tossed the Waiter a copper coin and said.

“Bring me the most delicious food this house has to offer.”

“Ah, right away.”

The Waiter’s face broke into a wide smile as he looked at the copper coin in his hand.

The cool touch in his palm made him forget his fatigue.

“Big bro! I want dumplings.”

Soma said, raising his hand.

“Okay! Our inn’s dumplings are a specialty. You definitely won’t be disappointed.”

“Heehee! Sounds delicious.”

“Just wait a little. I’ll bring them right out.”

“Okay!”

Soma nodded his head vigorously.

The Waiter ran off toward the kitchen.

Soma watched the Waiter’s retreating back and muttered.

“It must be tough for that big bro, having to work like this every day.”

Before being captured by the Small Thunder Sound Temple, Soma had also helped with chores at home. Although the work was hard, the memories from that time remained fond ones.

Just then, from the table right next to them, the lewd jokes of men could be heard.

“So I lifted that wench’s skirt, and she goes, ‘Oh my, please don’t.’”

“So what did you do?”

“What do you mean, ‘please don’t’? I just pinned her down with force. Then she started panting with pleasure.”

They were burly men who looked to be in their mid-to-late forties.

They were large in build with menacing faces. The way their temples bulged suggested they had properly trained in outer arts.

They laughed, telling their lewd jokes without a care for the gazes of those around them.

They were Dalju natives who worked at the Wanderer’s Market.

There were several places in Jianghu where a Wanderer’s Market would open. However, not many were as well-managed as the one in Dalju.

What made the Wanderer’s Market in Dalju special was that it was managed by the Wind Thunder Room.

Usually, a Wanderer’s Market would spring up naturally based on demand. The Wanderer’s Market in Dalju, on the other hand, was artificially created by the Wind Thunder Room, which had predicted the market.

The Wind Thunder Room strictly managed the wanderers of the Wanderer’s Market, supplying them to places that needed them, such as trading companies or escort agencies.

In return, they guaranteed their identities and severely punished any hired wanderers who caused trouble.

Because the Wind Thunder Room managed them so strictly, the wanderers of Dalju were much more trusted than those from other Wanderer’s Markets.

The reason Woo Jang-rak intended to hire wanderers in Dalju was because the Wind Thunder Room managed them so well.

“Khehehe! Do you know what that wench who resisted so much said when morning came?”

“What did she say?”

“She asked, ‘When will you be coming tomorrow?’”

“Hehe! You really put her in her place.”

The burly men at the table right next to Pyo Wol, spewing lewd jokes that were hard to listen to, were all affiliated with the Wind Thunder Room.

As their job involved dealing with rough wanderers, their own dispositions had naturally become coarse.

Pyo Wol let their stories flow in one ear and out the other.

“Your food is here.”

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

The Waiter placed the appetizing-looking dishes on the table.

“Enjoy your meal.”

“Wow! It looks delicious.”

Soma smiled as he picked up a large dumpling.

“You eat well, too.”

“Okay! Big bro!”

The Waiter gave a smile and then returned to his post.

Pyo Wol looked at the food placed before him on the table.

There was a noodle dish with a bright red broth, dumplings, and an appetizing stir-fried meat dish.

A pungent smell stimulated his nose.

Pyo Wol took a deep breath of the scent and pulled down the scarf that had been covering his face.

“Hah!”

“Mmm!”

In that moment, people nearby let out involuntary gasps.

It was because of his appearance, which was too beautiful for a man.

If not for his tall stature and broad shoulders, one might have mistaken him for a woman. Because of this, many stared at Pyo Wol, mesmerized. However, Pyo Wol himself paid no mind to their gazes and quietly began to eat.

“That bastard, isn’t that a woman disguised as a man?”

“Look at that smooth skin. It would probably slip right through your fingers if you touched it.”

“Ugh! Fuck. Why am I getting hard.”

“Hehe! You pervert! Now you get a reaction from looking at a man?”

The martial artists of the Wind Thunder Room were now making lewd jokes about Pyo Wol.

They thought they were whispering, but their voices were so loud that they reached Pyo Wol’s ears clearly.

In that instant, Pyo Wol’s chopsticks came to a dead stop. At that, the martial artists of the Wind Thunder Room started up again.

“Looks like that bastard heard us.”

“Hehe! What’s he going to do if he heard?”

“The pretty-faced bastard has some sharp ears.”

Even though they knew Pyo Wol had heard them, they had no intention of stopping their lewd jokes.

Their faces were filled with mockery.

The other customers in the inn watched the Wind Thunder Room martial artists and Pyo Wol with expressions of interest.

They had no intention of stopping the martial artists’ outrageous behavior.

When traveling through Jianghu, this sort of thing happened all the time.

It was a humiliating affair for the person being insulted, but for others in the same space, it was good entertainment.

They were curious how this effeminate-looking man would react.

“I wonder if he can even say a single word back.”

“I’ll bet one silver tael he won’t say a thing. With a face like that, his temper is probably as delicate as a woman’s.”

“Hehe! Who knows? Maybe despite his face, he has a fiery temper.”

“Khaha! Make some sense. What kind of temper could a punk like him have? He wouldn’t say a word even if I grabbed his dick.”

They even started placing bets on Pyo Wol’s reaction.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the inn grew heated.

‘Oh, no!’

Only one person, Woo Jang-rak, turned pale.

He was the only one who knew Pyo Wol’s true nature.

Just then, Pyo Wol opened his mouth.

“Soma!”

“Yeah! Big bro.”

Soma looked at Pyo Wol with eyes full of burning heat.

From the moment the Wind Thunder Room martial artists started mocking Pyo Wol, a hot fire had been building in Soma’s chest.

Filled with swelling anticipation, Soma asked.

“Should I kill them all?”

“Kill them!”

“I can really kill them? You promised. You can’t get mad at me later, okay?”

“I won’t!”

“Alright!”

Soma replied energetically and stood up from his seat.

The Wind Thunder Room martial artists stared at the two with dumbfounded expressions.

“Hey, kid! You’re not talking about us when you say ‘kill,’ are you?”

“Yup! My big bro gave me permission.”

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“How did you know? That I’ve lost my mind. Did my big bro tell you?”

“What are you talking about? This little brat.”

The martial artist who had been spewing the most vulgar jokes stood up and approached Soma and Pyo Wol.

“Hey! Let’s see if you’ve got a dick.”

He reached his hand toward Pyo Wol’s trousers.

An ordinary person would not dare to resist upon seeing his large frame and menacing face. Moreover, this was the territory of the Wind Thunder Room. Even the roughest of wanderers wouldn’t dare talk back to him.

He thought it would be the same this time.

But his hand never reached Pyo Wol.

Thud!

It was because the hand he had extended was severed from the forearm.

The martial artist blinked, staring at the arm that had fallen to the floor.

He couldn’t comprehend the situation before his eyes.

“What? My… arm, why?”

It had happened so suddenly that he didn’t even feel the pain.

Just then, Soma’s voice echoed in his ears.

“Heehee! One arm, for starters.”

“What?”

Vweeeeee!

At that moment, a bizarre noise echoed through the inn.

It was a chilling sound, as if thousands, tens of thousands of bees were all beating their wings at once.

At the unpleasant noise, everyone in the inn flinched.

In their eyes, they saw a wheel circling widely inside the inn.

The wheel, which had been hovering around Soma like a living creature, then shot down like a bolt of lightning at the martial artist whose arm had been severed.

Slice!

The wheel passed through the martial artist’s one remaining arm.

“Kuaaack!”

A belated scream finally burst from the martial artist’s mouth.

Having lost both arms in an instant, the martial artist howled like a beast.

“W-What?”

“That little brat…”

The martial artist’s companions belatedly shot up from their seats.

Their faces were filled with disbelief.

The martial artist who was howling like a beast after losing both arms was considered quite strong even within the Wind Thunder Room. The fact that he had lost both arms without being able to react properly struck great fear into them.

Swoosh!

At that moment, Soma threw two more of the Seven Deadly Wheels.

The two wheels separated the martial artist’s two legs from his body.

Thump!

The martial artist’s body, now missing all four limbs, tumbled to the floor.

Having lost too much blood in an instant, the martial artist was already dead.

At the gruesome sight, the faces of everyone in the inn turned deathly pale.

“This crazy little brat…”

“How dare you kill a martial artist of the Wind Thunder Room.”

Among them, the emotions felt by the Wind Thunder Room martial artists were beyond words.

Clack!

Soma caught all of the Seven Deadly Wheels that were circling in the air and hung them around his neck.

Jingle! Jangle!

As he took a step, the wheels clinked together, making a clear sound. But no one thought the metallic sound was beautiful or clear.

“You’re second, mister.”

Soma pointed out his second victim.

The face of the martial artist he pointed at turned white.

“Wait! Do you have any idea who I am?”

“Nope! Do I need to know?”

“I-If you kill me, there will be big trouble.”

“It’s fine!”

“This is Wind Thunder Room territory. If you harm me, the Wind Thunder Room will not forgive you.”

“I hope the Boss of the Wind Thunder Room gets really angry and comes at us without thinking. Then I can just kill indiscriminately.”

“You crazy…”

Thwack!

The martial artist couldn’t finish his sentence.

A sharp wheel was lodged deep in his brow.

He died without even letting out a proper scream.

Now, only one was left.

He, too, had joined in on the lewd jokes.

He had been the one to mock Pyo Wol’s pale face the most. But now, his own face was so white it was pitiful to see.

‘What in the world is this demon?’

The young boy approaching with a grin no longer seemed human.

Even more terrifying was Pyo Wol, who was calmly using his chopsticks.

The sight of Pyo Wol eating without batting an eye even after two people had died was terrifying beyond belief.

“Ugh!”

A pained groan escaped his lips.

He looked around the inn with eyes pleading for help.

Of the many people in the inn, not a single one would meet his gaze.

They were bystanders.

They wanted no part in getting involved in something that had nothing to do with them.

Now, there was no one left laughing or chatting in the establishment.

They were overwhelmed by Soma’s bizarre madness.

Clang! Clang!

Every time Soma took a step, the clear metallic sound echoed.

The clear metallic sound pressed down on the chests of everyone in the inn with the weight of ten thousand pounds.

Soma’s playful voice echoed through the inn.

“Where is it? The third one!”