Chapter 195

My first impression of the Wudang Sect was that it was truly immense.

The sight of massive halls like the Upper Clarity Palace, Encounter Truth Palace, Jade Void Palace, Purple Cloud Palace, and Grand Harmony Palace, all packed together, was incredibly imposing.

Woo Jang-rak’s group and the Wanderers were overwhelmed by Wudang’s majesty.

“Ah!”

“This is Wudang?”

“They say it has the longest history, along with Shaolin. So this is Wudang. Such grandeur?”

Although it was night and they couldn’t see clearly, the torches placed here and there and the moonlight allowed them to make out the general outlines.

Woo Pyeong Dojang guided the group to a massive hall that seemed to have been recently built.

The hall, named Clear Stream Palace, was a guesthouse built purely for the guests attending the upcoming birthday celebration.

Clear Stream Palace was so large and spacious that hundreds of guests could stay there simultaneously. It was so vast that someone unfamiliar with its layout could get lost wandering its halls.

Woo Pyeong Dojang gave Woo Jang-rak’s group the most private space in the Clear Stream Palace.

He gave the monks from the Shaolin Temple lodgings right next to them. This was because the Shaolin monks wanted to guard the Buddhist scriptures themselves.

With the situation as it was, the Wanderers were left in an awkward position. With the Shaolin monks taking over their role, they had nothing to do.

Go Il-pae and Seolha-jin thought it was for the best.

They felt it would be better to terminate their contract with Woo Jang-rak and enjoy the Wudang Sect’s event with a clear conscience.

Since it seemed there would be nothing for them to do on the way to the Shaolin Temple anyway, they sought out Woo Jang-rak and requested to terminate the contract.

Woo Jang-rak agreed, thinking their reasoning was sound.

The Wanderers’ contracts were terminated, and they were paid the full amount they were originally promised.

Although Go Il-pae had said to only pay them for the distance they had traveled so far, Woo Jang-rak gave them the entire amount as initially promised.

At Woo Jang-rak’s unexpected consideration, the Wanderers returned to their quarters, overjoyed.

Seolha-jin shook the pouch full of silver taels at Pyo Wol and said.

“How about it? Won’t you come with me to Dalju? With this much, I think I could live with you for a while.”

“Put it away. That’s not nearly enough.”

“Tsk! Playing hard to get.”

At Pyo Wol’s refusal, Seolha-jin wrinkled her nose. But she didn’t look upset.

She hadn’t expected Pyo Wol to accept her offer in the first place.

She was just a little disappointed that her connection with Pyo Wol seemed to be ending here. As soon as the Wudang Sect’s event was over, she planned to return to Dalju, where the Wanderer’s Market was located.

If they parted like this, there was no telling when she would ever meet Pyo Wol again.

If it were any other man, there was a chance he would seek her out again, if only because he missed her body, but there was almost no possibility of that with Pyo Wol.

He wasn’t a man desperate for a woman, nor was he the type to leave lingering attachments.

To Pyo Wol, she was just a passing connection.

If they parted on Mount Wudang, it was highly likely to be their last time seeing each other.

Seolha-jin stared at Pyo Wol for a moment before speaking.

“I won’t say a separate goodbye. If you ever happen to pass through Dalju later, come find me at the Wanderer’s Market. You’re always welcome.”

“Alright.”

“So unromantic. Anyway, it’s been fun.”

Seolha-jin waved at Pyo Wol and went into her room.

Pyo Wol gazed at her door for a moment, then looked up at the sky.

The Purple Cloud Palace was the largest Daoist Temple within the Wudang Sect. It was composed of several halls, and in the largest of them, a group of old Daoist masters had gathered.

The old masters with their flowing beards were the Sect Master and Elders of the Wudang Sect.

The old master with a transcendent air sitting in the center was the current Sect Master of the Wudang Sect, Cheongjin Jin-in. To his left and right sat Gongjin Jin-in, Unjin Jin-in, and Jeongjin Jin-in.

Across from Cheongjin Jin-in sat an old master with long eyebrows. A chilling aura, like frost, naturally flowed from his entire body. He was the Wudang’s First Sword, Sangjin Jin-in.

Excluding Ilgeom Jin-in, who was a generation above the Elders, there was no martial artist in the entire Hubei Province, let alone the Wudang Sect, who could match him.

Cheongjin Jin-in looked at the Elders with a serious expression.

“So you still haven’t been able to determine the cause of death?”

“My apologies.”

Gongjin Jin-in replied with a regretful expression.

He was Cheongjin Jin-in’s immediate junior martial brother and the Second-in-Command of the Wudang Sect.

While he didn’t possess the outstanding leadership of Cheongjin Jin-in or the overwhelming martial arts of Sangjin Jin-in, he was respected by many for his gentle character and excellent strategic mind.

He had been the first to rush to examine Lee Soyeol’s body when he died. But in the end, he could not determine the cause of death.

The same was true for the other Elders.

Even the Wudang’s First Sword, Sangjin Jin-in, could not figure out what had caused Lee Soyeol’s death. He couldn’t even be certain that his death was a homicide.

Lee Soyeol’s death was that mysterious.

The fact that he had died in the Scripture Depository, of all places, made it even more unsettling.

Although all the martial arts manuals had been moved a few days prior, the Scripture Depository was still a vital area of the Wudang Sect. The fact that a healthy Daoist boy had died in such a place left Cheongjin Jin-in and the Elders deeply uneasy.

After a long period of deliberation, Cheongjin Jin-in spoke with difficulty.

“How about we postpone my feast? There’s no need to hold it at a time like this, is there?”

“I’m sorry, Senior Martial Brother! The invitations have already been sent, and with so many people having already entered the Balanced Mystery, it is difficult to cancel it now.”

“That’s right, Sect Master! This birthday celebration is not only to celebrate the Sect Master’s birthday but is also a meaningful event to widely proclaim our sect’s continued strength. If we cancel it because one Daoist boy died, our sect’s face will be dragged through the mud.”

“On the contrary, at times like this, we must proceed with the event to show off our sect’s continued power.”

The Elders unanimously opposed Cheongjin Jin-in’s opinion.

This only deepened Cheongjin Jin-in’s worries.

It was then.

“Sect Master, it is your disciple, Woo-pyeong. May I enter?”

Woo Pyeong Dojang’s voice came from outside the door.

“Come in.”

Once Cheongjin Jin-in’s permission was granted, Woo Pyeong Dojang carefully entered.

At the gazes of the Elders pouring down on him, Woo-pyeong straightened his clothes.

“Well now! Did you have a good trip to Baokang?”

“Yes! Thanks to the Sect Master’s consideration, I had a safe trip.”

“Ho ho! I’m glad to hear it.”

“I heard the news that So-yeol died down the mountain.”

“So you’ve heard the news as well. We have gathered like this to discuss countermeasures, but we have no good ideas.”

“Have you still not been able to determine the cause of death?”

“Hoo!”

Instead of answering, Cheongjin Jin-in let out a deep sigh.

His reaction alone made it easy to guess the situation.

Woo Pyeong Dojang hesitated for a moment before carefully bringing up his business.

“Actually, your disciple went down the mountain and happened to meet someone. I came here to suggest we let him examine So-yeol’s body.”

“Who is this person you met that you would say such a thing? Even Sangjin couldn’t find the cause of death. Do you think he would have any brilliant solution?”

Cheongjin Jin-in’s gaze turned to Sangjin Jin-in.

As the so-called Wudang’s First Sword, Sangjin Jin-in’s pride was quite wounded by his failure to determine Lee Soyeol’s cause of death.

Sangjin Jin-in asked.

“Who is this person you brought?”

“His name is Pyo Wol.”

“Pyo Wol?”

Sangjin Jin-in furrowed his brow.

He couldn’t guess his identity from the name alone.

It was the same for the other Elders.

Woo Pyeong Dojang debated whether he should reveal Pyo Wol’s identity. But his hesitation did not last long. The Sect Master and the Elders were pressuring him with their gazes.

He trusted in the common sense of his superiors. They were not the kind of people who would act rashly, even if they knew Pyo Wol’s true identity.

“He is… the Reaper of Sichuan Province.”

“The Reaper?”

“Don’t tell me, the one who caused the Blood Mist in Chengdu?”

The people inside the great hall began to murmur.

The identity of the person Woo Pyeong Dojang mentioned was that shocking.

Sangjin Jin-in’s reaction was even more dramatic.

“Did you really bring the man who forced the Emei and Qingcheng sects to become closed-off to our main mountain?”

“Yes, Martial Uncle.”

“What were you thinking, letting such a vicious man into our main headquarters?”

CRACK!*

Sangjin Jin-in slammed his hand on the armrest. The armrest disintegrated into dust. It was truly a formidable display of internal power.

He glared at Woo Pyeong Dojang with fierce eyes, as if he would devour him at any moment.

Woo Pyeong Dojang hurriedly made an excuse.

“He was more reasonable than I thought.”

“He is a man who brought great harm to the Emei and Qingcheng sects. What guarantee is there that he won’t bring harm to our sect as well?”

“According to our sect’s secret investigation, that incident occurred because the Emei Sect committed a great wrong.”

“Who provided the cause is not that important. What is truly important is that the Emei and Qingcheng sects, both of the Orthodox Faction, suffered a great blow. They were once two of the Nine Great Sects alongside our Wudang. They are not complete strangers to us. And yet you bring the man who dealt a fatal blow to those two sects into the pure land of Wudang. Are you in your right mind?”

“Martial Uncle! Please calm yourself and listen to what I have to say.”

“Enough!”

Killing intent flickered in Sangjin Jin-in’s eyes.

He refused to listen to whatever Woo Pyeong Dojang had to say.

At that, Woo Pyeong Dojang wore a frustrated expression.

He knew Sangjin Jin-in was rigid, but he hadn’t known he was this utterly inflexible.

Just then, Cheongjin Jin-in came to his rescue.

“Junior Martial Brother, calm yourself.”

“But…”

“Is Woo-pyeong one to make mistakes? He must have had his reasons for bringing that man here. Shouldn’t we give Woo-pyeong a chance to explain himself? So let us listen to his story for a moment.”

“I… understand.”

No matter how much he was called the Wudang’s First Sword, Sangjin Jin-in could not defy the words of the Sect Master, Cheongjin Jin-in.

Cheongjin Jin-in looked at Woo Pyeong Dojang.

“Now, speak. Why did you bring him here?”

“Just as our Wudang Sect has secretly determined, he is undoubtedly an assassin. He certainly inflicted great damage on the Qingcheng and Emei sects.”

“And so?”

“That is how extraordinary he is. We are talking about the great Qingcheng and Emei of All Under Heaven. Although they are weaker than our sect, their underlying strength is acknowledged by all. Pyo Wol faced those two sects alone. He is not simply strong in martial arts. He is also skilled in ambushes and strategy. Especially when it comes to ambushes, he is second to none.”

“Your preamble is long. Just get to the point.”

“An assassin’s eyes are different from ours. They can see things we cannot.”

“Your idea is to use him to find out So-yeol’s cause of death. Is that correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Hmm!”

Cheongjin Jin-in let out a hum.

The Reaper, Pyo Wol.

It had only been a few months since information about him had been obtained.

The information had arrived long after the Blood Mist of Sichuan had occurred.

That was how difficult it was to get information on Pyo Wol.

Since the Hao Clan wouldn’t cooperate, they had no choice but to investigate on their own.

If the Qingcheng and Emei sects hadn’t also been members of the Nine Great Sects, the Wudang Sect wouldn’t have investigated on its own either.

The Wudang Sect felt a strong sense of crisis at the two sects becoming closed-off and investigated the truth of the matter themselves.

As a result, they were able to learn about a man named Pyo Wol. But what they found out was not much.

Only the name Pyo Wol, a face more beautiful than a woman’s, and that he possessed a killing method that surpassed imagination.

Just looking at the list of those he had killed was astonishing.

If he truly set his mind to assassinating the experts of the Wudang Sect, no one could dare be confident of their survival.

The Wudang Sect judged Pyo Wol to have a danger level equivalent to a public enemy of the Jianghu. That was why Sangjin Jin-in was reacting so sensitively.

“Can you guarantee that this man will not bring harm to our sect?”

“I will watch him by his side.”

“He is a dangerous man. In some ways, he could be more dangerous than the Eight Constellations.”

“From my observation, he doesn’t pay much mind to things as long as they don’t harm him. As long as our sect does not show hostility first, he will not be hostile to us.”

“Can you guarantee it?”

“I will stake my life on ensuring he does not harbor any other thoughts.”

“Hmm!”

At Woo Pyeong Dojang’s answer, Cheongjin Jin-in furrowed his brow and fell into deep thought.

The Elders whispered in low voices.

The look of bewilderment was clear on their faces as well.

In the long history of the Wudang Sect, this was the first time an assassin had been allowed inside the mountain gates.

Naturally, a debate of pros and cons ensued.

Just then, Cheongjin Jin-in opened his mouth.

“Very well! I will entrust this matter to him.”

“Senior Martial Brother!”

“Sect Master!”

The Elders looked at Cheongjin Jin-in in surprise. But Cheongjin Jin-in continued with an unwavering expression.

“Isn’t it time we admitted it? That we cannot uncover So-yeol’s cause of death with our own power. If we cannot do it, we have no choice but to borrow the power of an assassin.”

“If this fact becomes known, the Wudang Sect’s face will be dragged through the mud.”

Sangjin Jin-in raised his voice, but Cheongjin Jin-in was unmoved.

“What is so important about the Wudang Sect’s damn face in front of a person’s life? When we cannot even resolve the unjust death of our own disciple. Though he may be a vicious assassin, he has not yet caused any harm to our sect, so it is difficult to punish him. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to make use of him?”

“Senior Martial Brother! You will come to regret this decision.”

“Enough, Sangjin. I have already made my decision, and this decision will absolutely not be overturned. It doesn’t matter if it’s a black cat or a white cat. As long as it can catch the rat involved in this matter.”