Chapter 162

Among the Wanderers, one with a particularly large build lifted his head and looked at Seol Hajin. The man, carrying a horse-slaying sword on his back as large as his own body, was named Hong Mugwang.

He looked at Seol Hajin, whose face still held a faint blush, and spoke.

“Did you sleep with that bastard?”

“Yes! I did.”

“Was it good?”

“It was.”

“Does that pale-faced bastard have any strength?”

“Much better than those who just needlessly bulk up their muscles.”

Seol Hajin replied without a hint of shame. At her demeanor, Hong Mugwang’s expression soured slightly.

While many became Wanderers due to unavoidable circumstances, there were also those who became Wanderers because they were naturally averse to being tied down.

Seol Hajin belonged to the latter group.

Born into a proud martial Clan, she couldn’t stand the restrictive rules of her family and eventually made her Escape. That was Seol Hajin.

Her views on romance were as free-spirited as her personality; she would date anyone who caught her eye and break up with them when she grew bored, repeating the cycle.

Many men at the Wanderer’s Market had their eyes on her, but not many caught her fancy.

Hong Mugwang was one of the men who had his eyes on Seol Hajin. But Seol Hajin didn’t even give him a second glance.

She would sleep with other men she liked, yet she thoroughly ignored him.

‘Damn it! A needlessly haughty bitch.’

Hong Mugwang bit his lip hard.

He had expected something when Seol Hajin secretly left her spot, but he hadn’t imagined she would end up in another man’s arms at the campsite.

Even though Hong Mugwang had caught her having slept with Pyo Wol, Seol Hajin showed no sign of shame.

“Fucking bitch!”

Hong Mugwang’s gaze turned to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol was getting up and putting on his Dark Dragon Robe.

Even in the darkness, his skin, which shone as white as snow, and his handsome features were exceptionally clear.

Hong Mugwang glared as if he wanted to devour him.

Pyo Wol also felt Hong Mugwang’s gaze. But he paid it no mind.

After putting on his Dark Dragon Robe, Pyo Wol walked to the stream.

“Hyung-ah!”

Soma appeared by his side like a ghost.

His hair and shoulders were damp. He had been exposed to the dew all night. An ordinary person would have caught a cold, but Soma was perfectly fine.

“Can I kill him?”

Soma asked out of the blue.

His gaze was fixed on Hong Mugwang, who was glaring at Pyo Wol from a distance.

Pyo Wol shook his head.

“Not yet…”

“Okay.”

Soma didn’t ask a second time.

The two lightly washed their faces in the stream.

The cold water on their skin woke them up.

“Heehee!”

Feeling good after washing his face, Soma let out his characteristic laugh.

When the two returned to the campsite, people were waking up and stirring one by one.

“Ugh! I’m dying.”

“Fuck! I think a rock got stuck in my back.”

Groans erupted from all over.

No matter how used to sleeping on the ground they were, they couldn’t help the aches and pains in their bodies.

Woo Jang-rak approached Pyo Wol and greeted him.

“Did you sleep well?”

“So-so.”

“You seem accustomed to sleeping outdoors. You don’t look tired at all. I feel like my whole body is aching to death.”

“Do we have to sleep outside from now on?”

“There are no decent places to stay until we reach Bishan.”

“So we have to keep camping out.”

“I’m sorry. For not being able to provide you with a comfortable place.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to this much.”

“You won’t have to sleep outside from Bishan to Enshi. We plan to travel by boat. You just have to endure it until then.”

“Got it.”

Pyo Wol nodded.

There was no reason to interfere when Woo Jang-rak was doing a good job.

The people got up and finished their preparations to leave.

They had a simple breakfast of beef jerky and dry rations and set off immediately.

During a long journey, one might occasionally clash with the Green Forest Way, but thanks to the distinguished Wanderer named Go Il-pae, such incidents did not occur.

Go Il-pae was not only skilled in Martial Arts but also knowledgeable about the local situation. He had a clear grasp of where the Green Forest Way was located.

He led the group along paths free of the Green Forest Way, and thanks to him, Woo Jang-rak’s party was able to pass through the main routes without any major conflicts.

The journey continued, peaceful to the point of being boring. But no one in the group complained.

For those new to the Jianghu, such a tedious journey might be boring, but the experienced ones welcomed it.

It was better for everyone to travel without incident than to have to use force to solve problems.

The Wanderers also knew this, so no one expressed any dissatisfaction.

Only Hong Mugwang would occasionally glare at Pyo Wol, but otherwise, the peaceful time continued.

When evening came, Go Il-pae approached Woo Jang-rak.

“There’s a good place to camp up ahead. Shall we rest there for today?”

“Let’s do that.”

Woo Jang-rak readily agreed.

He deeply trusted Go Il-pae.

It was because of the abilities Go Il-pae had shown on the way here.

Go Il-pae was an excellent guide. He trusted him because his choices had never been wrong so far.

A short while later, just as Go Il-pae had said, a terrain suitable for camping appeared.

Woo Jang-rak shouted.

“We will stay here tonight, so everyone prepare to camp.”

“Yes!”

With the reply, Woo Jang-rak’s Subordinates and the Wanderers moved busily.

Having worked together the previous day, their coordination was perfect.

In an instant, the preparations for camping were finished, and the group ate the same porridge as the day before for their meal.

It was when everyone had taken a bowl of porridge and dispersed to eat.

“I see a light over there.”

“Looks like there are other guests.”

Suddenly, voices were heard from a distance.

The people who were eating put down their bowls and grabbed their weapons.

Their faces were full of vigilance.

One had to be wary and assume that anyone encountered in such a deserted place was fundamentally an enemy.

They glared at those who emerged from the darkness, ready to swing their weapons at a moment’s notice.

There were about twenty of them, all on horseback.

An even stronger sense of caution appeared on Woo Jang-rak’s and Go Il-pae’s faces.

Horses were extremely expensive assets. Not only were they expensive to buy, but maintaining them also cost a fortune.

For that reason, even among Woo Jang-rak’s group, only a few were on horseback. But the people who appeared through the darkness were all mounted.

The possibility of people traveling at night, all on horseback, being ordinary folk was almost zero.

‘They’re Martial Artists.’

Encountering other Martial Artists at a campsite was never a welcome event.

They could just be people whose paths happened to cross, but they could also be approaching with ill intentions.

Just then, one of the men on horseback spoke in a loud voice.

“You there, isn’t that Brother Go of the Wanderer’s Market, the Heroic Wind Blade?”

Go Il-pae’s eyebrow twitched.

His Alias, Heroic Wind Blade, was only used among Wanderers. Ordinary people or other Jianghu martial artists hardly knew his Alias.

Go Il-pae asked in a loud voice.

“Who are you?”

“Haha! It’s me, Baek Jin-gung. No need to be so guarded.”

“The One-Eyed Ghost, Baek Jin-gung?”

“That’s right!”

Upon hearing the other party’s confirmation, Go Il-pae sheathed his weapon again. However, his face was still filled with caution.

A moment later, the mounted men entered the campsite.

One of them dismounted and approached Go Il-pae.

He was a fierce-looking man with an eyepatch over his right eye. He was the One-Eyed Ghost, Baek Jin-gung.

Baek Jin-gung acknowledged Go Il-pae.

“It’s been a while, Brother Go!”

“What brings the Demon Pursuit Squad here?”

“We came because we received a commission.”

“What kind of commission?”

“Haha! Let’s not cross the line. We’re not close enough for me to tell you such details.”

“Fine. So what’s your business?”

“As you can see, we were carrying out our commission and missed the time to find a place to camp. The sun has set, so it’s hard to find another place. Let us impose on you for just one night.”

Go Il-pae frowned at Baek Jin-gung’s slick words.

His displeasure was evident.

If it had been just him and the Wanderers, he would never have allowed it. But the person in charge here was not him, but Woo Jang-rak.

“I’ll ask my client and decide. Wait a moment.”

“Haha! Please put in a good word for us. It’s not like we’re complete strangers, are we?”

“That’s the problem. In any case, wait right there.”

Go Il-pae shook his head and approached Woo Jang-rak.

Woo Jang-rak asked in a low voice.

“You don’t look pleased. Are they problematic people?”

“They’re called the Demon Pursuit Squad. They’re Wanderers like us, but of poor quality. They mainly take on commissions that ordinary people wouldn’t accept. Because that’s where the money is.”

“You mean they’re not people who take on normal commissions?”

“That’s right. As long as they receive a fair price, they’ll carry out any commission. Even if it’s something a human being should never do.”

“Hmm!”

“Because of that, they were ostracized even in the Wanderer’s Market, so he took the guys who followed him and created the Demon Pursuit Squad.”

Go Il-pae’s gaze toward Baek Jin-gung and the Demon Pursuit Squad was not favorable.

It was because they had clashed several times due to disagreements when they were in the Wanderer’s Market. Personally, he never wanted to be in the same space as the Demon Pursuit Squad, but the decision-maker of the group was Woo Jang-rak.

He had to follow his decision.

Woo Jang-rak asked.

“Do you think there will be trouble if we let them stay at our campsite?”

“Probably not…”

“Then let them stay. They might hold a grudge for being refused.”

“Understood.”

Go Il-pae answered without another word.

He went to Baek Jin-gung and relayed Woo Jang-rak’s words.

“The client has given his permission. You may stay with us. However, if you cause any trouble, you’ll be kicked out immediately.”

“Haha! Do you think we’re still the immature youths we once were? We don’t want any trouble either. In any case, we won’t forget this favor.”

Baek Jin-gung gestured to the Demon Pursuit Squad. The Demon Pursuit Squad then dismounted and settled in an open area.

Before joining them, Baek Jin-gung looked at Seol Hajin.

“Long time no see. Still dressing like a man?”

“You’re loud, so could you please shut your mouth?”

“Hehe! Look at the way you talk…”

“Ugh! Your breath stinks.”

Seol Hajin covered her nose with one hand and fanned the air with the other. At that, Baek Jin-gung’s face turned red.

“You and I need to have a private chat later.”

“How about right now?”

Seol Hajin rolled up her sleeves and beckoned with her finger.

Baek Jin-gung chuckled at her provocation.

“Later… there’s no rush.”

An ordinary person would have rushed forward in shame without thinking, but Baek Jin-gung forced a calm expression and returned to his group.

That alone showed what a man of great mental fortitude he was.

Baek Jin-gung and the Demon Pursuit Squad sat in a circle and talked. It was as if an invisible wall existed between the Demon Pursuit Squad and Woo Jang-rak’s group.

Though they were clearly in the same space, they treated each other as if they didn’t exist.

Seol Hajin approached Pyo Wol and Soma, who were eating on one side.

They didn’t even glance at Baek Jin-gung and the Demon Pursuit Squad, focusing only on their meal. In a way, it seemed as if the Demon Pursuit Squad was beneath their notice.

Seol Hajin thought that Pyo Wol was amazing for that.

An ordinary man would have kept hitting on her after sharing a night of passion, but Pyo Wol was not like that at all.

He treated Seol Hajin as if she didn’t exist, as if nothing had ever happened. Although Seol Hajin had wanted it that way, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed now that it was a reality.

Suddenly, Pyo Wol lifted his head and looked at Seol Hajin.

“What is it?”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“About what?”

“About them.”

Seol Hajin looked at the Demon Pursuit Squad.

Pyo Wol shook his head.

“Not at all!”

“They’re dangerous people. They’re trash who have long forgotten about morality or etiquette between humans. I don’t know who they’re planning to hunt this time, but it’s best not to get involved with them.”

“Human hunters?”

“That’s right! Those human scumbags mainly hunt people. I don’t know who their target is this time, but there’s sometimes a demand for beautiful men like you. If a commission comes in, they carry it out faithfully, regardless of status. That’s why they’ve clashed with our Captain several times.”

“Captain? Go Il-pae?”

“Well, he’s the Captain for now. Anyway, be careful. I can’t bear to see a man I’ve shared my body with become someone else’s prey.”

“I will.”

Just then, Soma suddenly asked.

“Can I kill them?”

“Not yet.”

“Tch!”

“Just wait a little longer.”

“Okay!”