Chapter 200

Pyo Wol had always thought of himself as an assassin.

Though he now possessed martial arts skills great enough that he no longer needed to ambush from the shadows, he had not lost his identity as an assassin.

What was important to him was not some reputation in the Jianghu.

To achieve his goals, he was willing to commit any number of cowardly acts, even if it meant facing the condemnation of the masses.

That was what an assassin was.

They were different from other martial artists from the very beginning.

Since their aims were different, it was only natural that their mindsets would differ greatly as well.

The greatest strength of the assassin Pyo Wol was his ability to see through to the essence of things without being swept away by the atmosphere.

While others were mesmerized by her captivating aura and singing, enraptured, Pyo Wol alone was not bewitched by her appearance and saw through to her essence.

Her eyes, as she looked at the people, held contempt, or perhaps a sense of superiority.

There were not many who could show such emotions toward martial artists. Ordinary entertainers, in particular, were too afraid of martial artists to dare reveal such a gaze.

‘A martial artist.’

There was no rule that said an entertainer could not learn martial arts.

Conversely, there was no rule that said a martial artist could not study music. But it was extremely rare for someone to achieve complete mastery in both, and even rarer for someone as young as Hong Ye-seol to have mastered both to such a degree.

The reason Pyo Wol thought Hong Ye-seol’s martial arts were outstanding was that no other martial artist had noticed she had learned them.

She concealed herself so thoroughly that no one, unless they were of the same kind as Pyo Wol, would realize that Hong Ye-seol had learned martial arts.

Hong Ye-seol’s eyes met his.

For a moment, a look of bewilderment flashed across Hong Ye-seol’s face. But it was only for an instant. She immediately smiled faintly at Pyo Wol.

She was incredibly adept at hiding her emotions.

Hong Ye-seol’s gaze followed Pyo Wol. But Pyo Wol no longer paid her any attention.

He knew she was hiding something, but there was no reason to acknowledge it and interfere.

He said to Soma,

“Let’s go!”

“Okay! Hyung-ah.”

Soma nodded vigorously.

Pyo Wol, with Soma, pushed his way through the crowd.

The Wudang Sect had opened its large training ground and several palaces to outsiders. The people who entered the Wudang Sect wandered around, looking at the open areas.

In the center of the large training ground, a huge stage was being erected.

It was the stage to be used for Daoist Master Cheongjin’s birthday banquet the next day.

He didn’t know what kind of event they were planning, but the stage was enormous, large enough for at least ten people to hold a duel.

Just then, Soma spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

“Oh! It’s that ahjussi.”

The person Soma found in the crowd was none other than Woo Jang-rak.

Woo Jang-rak was looking around the Wudang Sect with his subordinates.

Even someone as experienced in the Jianghu as he was engrossed in the sights of the Wudang Sect. That was how unprecedented it was for the Wudang Sect to have completely opened its gates.

“Ah, Great Hero Pyo!”

Woo Jang-rak also spotted Pyo Wol and Soma and approached them.

Pyo Wol asked,

“Where’s Bo-gyeong?”

“She is guarding the Buddhist scriptures in our stead. Thanks to her, I got the chance to look around the Wudang Sect like this.”

Woo Jang-rak smiled.

The Shaolin Temple treated the Buddhist scriptures brought from Snow Cloud Stronghold as treasures.

Not only Bo-gyeong, but also the three great disciples of the Shaolin Temple were mobilized to guard the scriptures. Thanks to this, Woo Jang-rak and his subordinates were freed from the burden of guarding the scriptures and could look around the Wudang Sect.

But that was only for today. When the main event began tomorrow, they would have to guard the scriptures in place of the Shaolin monks. That was why they were touring the Wudang Sect with even more enthusiasm.

The wanderers, including Seol Ha-jin, were also busy looking around the Wudang Sect. As their contract with Woo Jang-rak had naturally ended, they had scattered and were freely roaming the Wudang Sect’s grounds.

Just then, Woo Jang-rak asked cautiously,

“By the way, did you know? The Righteous Sword Manor’s Second Young Master, Jang Mu-yeon, is currently at the Wudang Sect.”

“Jang Mu-yeon?”

“The Heavenly Eunuch Clan’s Manor Lord, Hwa Yu-cheon, was his maternal uncle. So please be especially careful. We also plan to look around only until today, and from tomorrow, we won’t be leaving our rooms.”

Woo Jang-rak couldn’t hide the worried look in his eyes.

The Righteous Sword Manor was one of the largest factions in the Jianghu.

Although Jang Mu-yeon was only the second young master, his importance within the Righteous Sword Manor could not be ignored.

There was no proof that Pyo Wol had killed Hwa Yu-cheon. Even Woo Jang-rak, who had accompanied him, had not witnessed Pyo Wol killing Hwa Yu-cheon. But circumstantially, it was certain that Pyo Wol had killed him.

He didn’t know how much Jang Mu-yeon knew about Hwa Yu-cheon’s death, but still, nothing good could come from being in the same space for a long time.

Woo Jang-rak was saying this out of genuine concern. But Pyo Wol showed no reaction whatsoever.

Every time he saw Pyo Wol, he felt it, but he had no idea what the man was thinking.

‘Well, it’s foolish for an ordinary person like me to even try to judge him.’

Woo Jang-rak let out a small sigh, hidden from Pyo Wol.

It was then.

“Great Hero Pyo!”

A middle-aged Daoist priest appeared from the crowd.

It was Woo Pyeong Dojang.

Woo Pyeong Dojang immediately approached Pyo Wol.

Woo Jang-rak hurriedly made a fist-palm salute to him.

“Daoist Master Woo-pyeong!”

“Great Hero Woo, you’re here too. I need to borrow this person for a moment.”

“Ah, yes!”

Woo Pyeong Dojang spoke politely to Pyo Wol.

“Could you come with me to the Three Purities Palace right now? The Sect Master has asked me to bring Great Hero Pyo. Please spare a little time.”

“Why?”

“The Sect Master wishes to have a quiet conversation.”

An opportunity to have a private audience with the Wudang Sect’s Sect Master, Daoist Master Cheongjin, was not common. It was even more so for someone like Pyo Wol, who walked a path close to the Evil Path.

Pyo Wol looked at Soma.

“You stay with Steward Woo.”

“Okay.”

Soma obediently went to Woo Jang-rak’s side.

Pyo Wol walked with Woo Pyeong Dojang toward the Three Purities Palace.

Woo Pyeong Dojang glanced at Pyo Wol’s profile and said,

“Is anyone bothering you? I’ve told the others not to loiter around you anymore.”

“It’s been bearable.”

“That’s a relief. Phew! I don’t know how startled I was when Martial Uncle Sangjin came then. Please understand. Martial Uncle Sangjin is on edge because of So-yeol’s death and reacted sensitively. The Sect Master has also given strict orders, so no one should bother you.”

“We’ll see!”

“What do you mean?”

“He doesn’t seem like the type to listen to what others say.”

“Hmm!”

Woo Pyeong Dojang frowned slightly.

Pyo Wol’s words had hit the mark.

Everyone in the Wudang Sect knew of Daoist Master Sangjin’s stubbornness and self-righteousness. It was a relief that he at least listened to his senior martial brother, Daoist Master Cheongjin, to some extent.

In any case, Daoist Master Sangjin was a man who knew nothing but the Wudang Sect.

His consciousness, all his actions, were for the Wudang Sect. But it was also true that he seemed precarious because he was so extreme.

“As long as you don’t cause any trouble, Martial Uncle Sangjin won’t bother you anymore. I can guarantee that.”

“……”

Pyo Wol did not answer Woo Pyeong Dojang’s words.

He thought such an assumption was meaningless.

Information passed through the mouths of others was bound to be exaggerated or downplayed. Especially those belonging to the same sect, like Woo Pyeong Dojang and Daoist Master Sangjin, were bound to unconsciously say only good things.

That was why Pyo Wol trusted only his own eyes.

For a moment, the two men’s conversation ceased.

They walked on in silence.

After walking for a while, a huge palace appeared.

It was the Three Purities Palace, which enshrined the founder of the Wudang Sect, Zhang Sanfeng.

Upon entering the Three Purities Palace, an old Daoist priest sat with a geomungo before him, plucking its strings.

Twang! Twoong!

The way he lightly plucked the strings seemed like he was tuning the instrument.

The old Daoist priest was none other than the Sect Master of the Wudang Sect, Daoist Master Cheongjin.

He was so fanatically fond of the geomungo that he was called the Celestial Sound True Man, and he would play it whenever he had the time, just like now.

Spread before Daoist Master Cheongjin was a music score that Woo Pyeong Dojang had painstakingly acquired. He was playing while looking at the score, but since it was his first time seeing it, he was bound to be clumsy.

Daoist Master Cheongjin was so focused on his playing that he didn’t even notice the two had arrived. But he kept getting stuck at the same part, tilting his head in confusion. Yet, a smile lingered on his lips, a look of someone so delighted he couldn’t contain himself.

A smile also touched Woo Pyeong Dojang’s lips.

His effort in obtaining the music score had been worthwhile.

The problem was that Daoist Master Cheongjin kept getting stuck at the same passage.

“Hoo!”

Finally, Daoist Master Cheongjin gave up playing and looked up, spotting the two men.

“When did you arrive? Why didn’t you make a sound?”

“You looked so good concentrating, Sect Master, that I just watched.”

“Good? You only saw my clumsy side. I keep making mistakes at the same spot, and I have no idea what the problem is.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin sighed as he pushed the geomungo to one side. Just then, Pyo Wol opened his mouth.

“Your fingers are spread too far apart. It seems you were trying to widen your reach, but doing so prevents you from applying proper strength, making the notes unstable. From what I can see, that fingering technique doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Ho! You seem to have a deep knowledge of the zither, I see?”

Daoist Master Cheongjin’s eyes shone with curiosity.

Instead of answering, Pyo Wol pulled the geomungo toward himself.

At that, Woo Pyeong Dojang was horrified.

He knew well how much Daoist Master Cheongjin cherished the geomungo. It was a precious instrument that he doted on, not even entrusting it to his disciples.

He thought a thunderbolt would strike Pyo Wol for taking the geomungo without permission, but reality was different.

Instead of a scolding, Daoist Master Cheongjin watched Pyo Wol handle the geomungo with eyes full of curiosity.

The way he pressed the high notes with his left ring finger and the remaining notes with his thumb at an angle was anything but amateurish.

Just by watching Pyo Wol handle the geomungo, his hand movements alone, one could tell he had a very deep knowledge of the zither.

“Hoh!”

The look in Daoist Master Cheongjin’s eyes as he watched Pyo Wol changed.

Until now, he had thought of Pyo Wol as merely a murderous demon with outstanding killing methods and martial arts. His actions in Sichuan Province had been too cruel. But seeing Pyo Wol play the geomungo changed his mind.

Ttang-dadadang!

Each and every note was as heavy as Mount Tai and as light as the wind.

The melody’s changes were myriad and kaleidoscopic, and a blade-like spirit was laid bare.

The mood of a piece changes according to the player’s heart.

A person’s disposition is revealed in their performance.

Although Pyo Wol’s playing was fierce and rough, it was not malevolent. So Daoist Master Cheongjin began to think that Pyo Wol might be a different person from what the reports suggested.

When Pyo Wol reached the part where Daoist Master Cheongjin had been repeatedly stuck, he changed the fingering. He curled his fingers a little more and applied strong pressure. The notes then changed dramatically, resonating powerfully throughout the great hall.

“Oh!”

Daoist Master Cheongjin let out an exclamation of admiration without realizing it.

It was the exact sound he had been wanting.

“So you apply strength there and then transition smoothly.”

Watching Pyo Wol’s performance, he clearly recognized his own problem.

Sometimes, showing once was far better than a hundred words of explanation. For someone who had reached Daoist Master Cheongjin’s level, he could identify his own problems just by watching another person play.

“It’s good. A truly good piece.”

Once he understood his problem, Daoist Master Cheongjin could fully concentrate on Pyo Wol’s performance.

A satisfied smile had already appeared on his lips.

His eyes were gently closed, clearly enjoying Pyo Wol’s music.

Woo Pyeong Dojang was surprised at the sight.

It was the first time in a long while that Daoist Master Cheongjin had shown such a bright expression.

Daoist Master Cheongjin had been reluctant even to hold a grand banquet for his own birthday. Although he had allowed it for purely political reasons, he was hesitant to let so many people into the Wudang Sect.

When many people gathered, incidents and accidents were bound to occur, and if things went wrong, there was a high probability of it turning into a mud-slinging fight. Nevertheless, it was an unavoidable choice to announce the Wudang Sect’s continued strength to the world. That was why Daoist Master Cheongjin, who had always been on pins and needles, was now wearing a genuinely happy expression.

“Oho!”

Daoist Master Cheongjin’s exclamations of wonder continued until Pyo Wol’s performance ended.

Twararang!

When Pyo Wol’s performance finally concluded, Daoist Master Cheongjin gave him a round of unsparing applause.

“Incredible. That was a truly fine performance. My ears have been opened once again. From whom on earth did you learn the zither? Seeing your skill, you must have studied under a great master.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin spoke effusively.

It was an unfamiliar sight, far from his usual solemn demeanor, and Woo Pyeong Dojang couldn’t hide his confused expression.

Daoist Master Cheongjin was treating Pyo Wol not as a martial artist, but as an artist.

“So, about the fingering earlier, you curl your hand like this and…”

“You curl it, but you must extend it decisively. Like this…”

Pyo Wol firmly adjusted Daoist Master Cheongjin’s hand shape. Daoist Master Cheongjin then moved his hand several times, thoroughly learning the form.

“So it was like this. This is why the proper sound wasn’t coming out.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin smiled with satisfaction, as if he had gained a new enlightenment.

He looked at Pyo Wol with a smiling face.

“Thank you! So, did you read the books in the Scripture Depository well?”