Chapter 196

Pyo Wol rose from his bed at the crack of dawn.

When he went outside, he saw Soma squatting on a large tree in front of his residence.

“Hyung-ah!”

Soma spotted Pyo Wol and grinned brightly. Like a cat, he leaped silently from the tree and landed in front of Pyo Wol.

“Were you there all night?”

“Yup!”

“Nothing else happened?”

“Not yet.”

Soma had barely slept, keeping his eyes open nearly the entire night.

He still clutched the Gongpo Sword, a blade as large as his own body.

Pyo Wol stroked Soma’s head.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Yup!”

As the two were talking, someone entered the Clear Stream Palace.

It was Daoist Master Woo-pyeong, the one who had brought them to the Wudang Sect.

“Hoho! You’re up already. Did you sleep well?”

“I slept well.”

“That’s a relief.”

The signs of fatigue were evident on Daoist Master Woo-pyeong’s face.

Although Daoist Master Cheongjin had permitted Pyo Wol to stay, several elders had been displeased. They had pestered Daoist Master Woo-pyeong all night long. Because of them, Daoist Master Woo-pyeong had barely gotten any sleep.

In any case, Daoist Master Woo-pyeong had made his opinion prevail.

Pyo Wol had earned the right to stay on Mount Wudang and examine Lee Soyeol’s body and the Scripture Depository.

It had not been an easy decision for the Wudang Sect.

Several elders were still very unhappy with the decision, but since they could not defy Daoist Master Cheongjin’s command, they kept their mouths shut. However, it was clear they would rush in to tear Pyo Wol apart the moment he showed any weakness.

Daoist Master Woo-pyeong said to the two of them,

“Let’s have a meal first.”

He led the two to the place where the Daoists ate.

The Wudang Sect had converted a large pavilion into a dining hall for the event. They had temporarily installed a stove and made tables to prepare for the reception of outside guests.

Inside the dining hall, Daoists who had woken up early were eating their meals.

Though hundreds of Daoists were gathered, not a single sound could be heard other than the sounds of eating.

One could tell how strict the Wudang Sect’s discipline was just by looking at the Daoists.

When Daoist Master Woo-pyeong entered with the unfamiliar figures, the Daoists’ gazes focused on them. It was the first time Daoist Master Woo-pyeong had brought outsiders, who were not Wudang Sect Daoists, into this place.

The Daoists were curious about Pyo Wol’s identity. But not a single person dared to approach Daoist Master Woo-pyeong and ask.

Thanks to this, the three were able to eat in peace.

As befitting a Daoist sect, the Wudang Sect’s diet consisted mainly of vegetables. There was some meat, but it was seasoned lightly so as not to have a strong flavor, making it bland.

Pyo Wol quite liked the Wudang Sect’s food. It wasn’t heavy on his stomach. Soma, on the other hand, wore a deep frown, as if the food did not suit his palate.

Like a child, Soma loved meat.

He especially preferred large quantities served all at once, rather than the tiny portions served here.

In the end, Soma ate very little before slamming his chopsticks down.

Seeing his sulky expression and pouting lips, Daoist Master Woo-pyeong laughed.

“Haha! Does the food not suit your taste?”

“It’s not good.”

“Just bear with it for one more day. The food will get a little better when the guests from outside arrive.”

“Really?”

“Of course! We can’t invite so many guests and serve them the tasteless food that we Daoists eat, can we?”

“So I just have to wait one more day?”

Soma said, his eyes wide. The sight was quite cute, so Daoist Master Woo-pyeong replied with a fond smile.

“Of course.”

“Okay. I’ll trust you.”

Soma’s solemn reply made Daoist Master Woo-pyeong burst into laughter once more.

At first, he had felt a sinister qi from the boy, which made him feel somewhat uneasy, but now he knew that he was not such a wicked being. That was why he could show his laughter.

After finishing his meal, Pyo Wol asked,

“The body?”

“It’s being kept in the Heavenly Ice Cave.”

The Heavenly Ice Cave was a naturally formed cave behind the Wudang Sect. It was quite deep, and a cold wind blew from underground, maintaining a chill throughout the four seasons.

“Move it back to the Scripture Depository.”

“Why is that?”

“I need it to be in the state it was in when it was first discovered.”

“So, why is that? No! I’ll have it done.”

Daoist Master Woo-pyeong replied, thinking there must be some reason.

As soon as the meal was over, Daoist Master Woo-pyeong called for Tae-gwang and ordered him to carry out Pyo Wol’s request.

Tae-gwang acknowledged the order and ran to the Heavenly Ice Cave.

A short while later, Tae-gwang appeared in front of the Scripture Depository, carrying the coffin containing Lee Soyeol’s body with the disciples who had been guarding the Heavenly Ice Cave.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Are they trying to desecrate So-yeol’s body?”

The Daoists, unaware of the situation, began to murmur.

They were all Daoists who guarded the Scripture Depository.

They already felt uneasy, as if Lee Soyeol’s death had occurred because they had been negligent in their guard duty, and now they were angered by the return of his body.

Just then, a middle-aged Daoist strode through the crowd of Daoists.

He went straight to Daoist Master Woo-pyeong and raised his voice.

“What is the meaning of this, Senior Martial Brother? Bringing back the body of a child who is already dead? This is no different from defiling the dead child.”

“Junior Martial Brother Woo-sung.”

The middle-aged Daoist was none other than Daoist Master Woo Seong, the one in charge of the Scripture Depository.

Lee Soyeol, who had brought him his meal, had died while he was briefly away from his post, so he was blaming himself.

That was why he was reacting more sensitively than anyone else.

Knowing Daoist Master Woo Seong’s heart, Daoist Master Woo-pyeong spoke gently.

“My apologies, Junior Martial Brother! But this is unavoidable if we are to resolve the situation.”

“You’re saying that bringing back the dead child’s body will help resolve the situation? How?”

“Please just wait a moment.”

“Surely you’re not doing this because you trust that man? How can you trust him?”

“This has already been approved by the Sect Master and the Elders. So please, trust me and wait just a little longer.”

“Senior Martial Brother!”

Daoist Master Woo Seong shouted.

His eyes were already bloodshot.

Daoist Master Woo-pyeong patted Daoist Master Woo Seong’s shoulder and said,

“Have I ever disappointed you?”

“……”

“I don’t like his methods either. But right now, we have no choice but to trust him. In any case, we must clearly determine the cause of death for So-yeol, that child, must we not?”

“I understand! I will endure it this one time. But please, ensure that the child’s body is not desecrated.”

“Do not worry. I will keep my eyes wide open and stay by his side.”

Daoist Master Woo Seong nodded his head weakly and stepped back. But he still watched Pyo Wol with a gaze full of distrust.

He was glaring, his eyes filled with the will to not stand by if Pyo Wol tried any funny business. But Pyo Wol himself didn’t even spare him a glance.

As he entered the Scripture Depository, he said to the Daoists,

“Lay the child down in the exact same position he was in when you first found him.”

“Understood!”

Daoist Master Woo-pyeong had the Daoists lay Lee Soyeol’s body on the floor of the Scripture Depository. The Daoists did their best to recall their memories and arranged Lee Soyeol’s body exactly as it had been when they first found it.

“Keuk!”

“Dammit!”

Seeing Lee Soyeol’s body again, the Daoists’ eyes turned red.

Even for martial artists of the Jianghu who live close to death, seeing the body of a child like Lee Soyeol again was a painful experience.

Perhaps because it had been stored in the Heavenly Ice Cave, the dead Lee Soyeol’s face was even paler.

Even Daoist Master Woo-pyeong could not look at Lee Soyeol’s face for long and turned his head away.

Pyo Wol said to Daoist Master Woo-pyeong,

“Take everyone and leave.”

“You intend to be alone?”

“Having many people here will only add to the confusion.”

“Can you really find the cause of death? If you can’t figure it out after all this, you and I will find ourselves in a very difficult situation.”

Daoist Master Woo-pyeong said with a worried expression.

Just bringing back Lee Soyeol’s body had earned the resentment of the Wudang Sect’s Daoists. If their animosity deepened any further, there was no telling what kind of trouble might occur.

Unlike Daoist Master Woo-pyeong, who was worried about the worst-case scenario, Pyo Wol didn’t seem to care much.

“If you’re done talking, leave now.”

“I understand.”

Daoist Master Woo-pyeong led the Daoists outside.

Pyo Wol also spoke to Soma, who was standing his ground.

“You go outside too.”

“Hyung?”

“Hurry!”

“Okay.”

In the end, Soma also went outside, leaving only Pyo Wol and Lee Soyeol’s body inside the Scripture Depository.

Only then did Pyo Wol turn his gaze to Lee Soyeol’s body.

Lee Soyeol was sprawled on the floor, just as he had been when first discovered.

Pyo Wol squatted in front of the body and examined its condition in detail.

As Daoist Master Woo-pyeong had said, there were no wounds on the body. He stripped off all the clothes and examined the inside, but there wasn’t a single small scratch. There were not even any symptoms of poisoning.

Looking at the exterior alone, it was indeed a natural death. But just like the Daoists, Pyo Wol did not think Lee Soyeol had died of natural causes.

Pyo Wol was a man more familiar with death than anyone.

He had seen and caused countless deaths until now. That was why he could tell the cause of death just by looking at a dead person’s appearance. The very fact that he couldn’t figure out the cause of death meant that this was no ordinary death.

Pyo Wol stared at Lee Soyeol’s body without moving, like a stone statue.

Even in death, Lee Soyeol had not been able to close his eyes.

The focus in his wide-open eyes had long since vanished, but the resentful emotion from the moment of his death seemed to remain.

Pyo Wol stared into those eyes for a long time, as if by doing so he could learn the cause of Lee Soyeol’s death.

It was almost half a shichen later that Pyo Wol moved.

He once again examined Lee Soyeol’s body.

As expected, no wounds were found.

Not only were there no sword wounds, but not even a hole from a fine needle could be found. Still, Pyo Wol did not give up.

The fact that the body looked unnatural meant that an artificial force had been at play.

Lee Soyeol had clearly been murdered by someone. It was just that the cause of death had not yet been discovered.

Pyo Wol looked into Lee Soyeol’s ear canal.

The ear canal was one of the body parts closest to the brain.

There were methods of murder by pouring hot molten lead or mercury into it, or by stabbing it with a silver needle. But Lee Soyeol’s ears were clean.

The next thing he examined was the eyeballs. But the eyeballs, as well as the nostrils, were clean.

The last place Pyo Wol examined was the inside of the mouth. But the inside of the mouth was just as clean.

It was so clean, without any spots or wounds, that there was no reason to look any further. The Daoists of the Wudang Sect had also examined the inside of the mouth but had given up after finding no particular traces. But Pyo Wol examined it with patience.

Pyo Wol took hold of Lee Soyeol’s tongue, flipped it over, and thoroughly examined it all the way to the root.

At that moment, Pyo Wol’s eyes gleamed.

It was because, although it was invisible to the naked eye, he felt a minute foreign sensation at his fingertips.

It was a sensation so fine that one could never detect it unless their fingertips were as highly developed as Pyo Wol’s.

Pyo Wol focused his Internal Power into his fingertips. The foreign sensation then became much clearer.

He delicately manipulated his Internal Power and pulled out the minute object embedded in the root of Lee Soyeol’s tongue.

Ordinary martial artists could not even dream of such a delicate manipulation of Internal Energy. But for Pyo Wol, who could create the Silken Serpent Strong Energy, this level of manipulation was not that difficult.

Tssst!

A tiny something was pulled out from the root of Lee Soyeol’s tongue.

It was a silver needle, so thin it was indistinguishable to the naked eye.

It was a silver needle that looked at least ten times thinner than the Feather Needles Pyo Wol possessed. A silver needle of this degree could not be made with ordinary techniques.

It was an object that could only be created by a craftsman with the blacksmithing skills of at least someone like Tang Sochu.

The problem was that it was not easy to kill a person with such a silver needle. Because it was so fine, it was difficult to deliver an effective blow to the human body.

Killing a person with such a silver needle was not an easy task even for Pyo Wol. But there were times when such a thing was possible.

There are cases where a person dies from just a light tap on the shoulder during a conversation.

There was no intention to kill, nor was enough force used to cause death, yet the person dies helplessly.

Such cases are commonly said to be a strike of Killing Energy.

Some would say they died because it was their fate to die. But Pyo Wol knew well that this was not the truth.

An acupoint that Pyo Wol would never have discovered had he not worked as a butcher in a slaughterhouse.

A death acupoint whose location changes from moment to moment according to a person’s constitution, the surrounding environment, and the changes of the seasons, and which can decide a person’s life and death with even a small blow.

“He… struck a Life-and-Death Acupoint.”