Chapter 202

“How magnificent.”

Soma stared, captivated, at the scene before him.

From where he stood, the vast landscape of Mount Wudang unfolded at a single glance. The sharp peaks that seemed to pierce the sky, the deep valleys, and the sea of clouds, Woon-hae, spread out white as an ocean between them.

All of it came together to form a landscape painting.

Soma had never seen such a mystical sight before.

He had spent his childhood at the Small Thunder Sound Temple, a secluded place in Tibet, but that place remained a terrifying memory rather than a mystical one.

The Small Thunder Sound Temple, nestled in the dense Southern Wood Forest where sunlight barely penetrated, had a gloomy atmosphere. And while he was there, Soma always had to worry about his survival, so he had no mental space to look at his surroundings.

Even after finding freedom, his anxiety for a while had prevented him from taking in the scenery around him, but today, the beauty of Mount Wudang was uniquely palpable.

“Woah!”

Soma spread his arms wide, embracing the blowing wind with his entire body.

Beside him, Woo Jang-rak watched with a smile.

His subordinates were still afraid of Soma.

The true nature Soma had shown on the way here was enough to plunge everyone into fear. The same was true for Woo Jang-rak. But as he got closer to him, he realized that Soma was not as scary a child as he seemed.

His harsh childhood experiences had broken something inside him, but he sensed that Soma was not fundamentally evil.

That was why he was diligently taking care of Soma while Pyo Wol was having a private meeting with Daoist Master Cheongjin; otherwise, he would have neglected him, no matter what Pyo Wol had asked.

Soma looked at Woo Jang-rak and said,

“That was fun. Let’s go down now.”

“Are you done looking around?”

“Yeah! I’m hungry now.”

“Alright! I’m getting a bit hungry myself. Let’s go back and eat.”

“Okay!”

The two returned to the Wudang Sect’s Daoist Temple like an affectionate father and son.

Just then, someone approached them.

It was a young martial artist with a towering height and sharp facial features.

The young martial artist greeted Woo Jang-rak with a Fist-Palm Salute.

“Greetings, Great Hero Woo!”

“Ah! Greetings.”

Woo Jang-rak returned the Fist-Palm Salute.

A look of bewilderment appeared on Woo Jang-rak’s face as he looked at the young martial artist. No matter how much he wracked his memory, he had never seen the young man before.

“Have we perhaps met before? My memory isn’t what it used to be, now that I’m getting older.”

“Not at all. This is certainly our first time meeting. It’s just that I know of you because I have an interest in Great Hero Woo.”

“Ah, I see. May I ask for the Young Hero’s name?”

“I am called Jang Mu-yeon.”

“Jang… Mu-yeon?”

For a moment, the corner of Woo Jang-rak’s eye twitched.

He had finally realized the young martial artist’s identity.

The Soul-Slaying Ghost Sword, Jang Mu-yeon.

The second young master of the Righteous Sword Manor had appeared before his very eyes.

He had heard that Jang Mu-yeon had entered the Wudang Sect, but he never expected him to appear before him like this.

Woo Jang-rak forced a calm expression and said,

“So you were the Young Hero Jang of the Righteous Sword Manor. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine. I wanted to meet Great Hero Woo, and now I get to see you like this. They say that if you wish for something earnestly, the heavens will grant it, and it seems to be true.”

“Haha! To think that the great Young Hero Jang of All Under Heaven wanted to see this ordinary martial man. It is an honor.”

“How can Great Hero Woo be an ordinary martial man? If the former Steward of the Taewon Trading Company calls himself an ordinary martial man, everyone in Jianghu will curse you.”

“I don’t know what to do with such excessive praise. So, did Young Hero Jang also come to see the birthday banquet of the Wudang Sect’s Sect Master?”

“I came for that and other things.”

“Other things?”

“To celebrate the birthday of Daoist Master Cheongjin, whom I have long admired, and to take care of my manor’s enemy.”

Jang Mu-yeon said without a single change in his expression.

He said it so calmly that it seemed like nothing, but the content of his words was anything but simple.

Jang Mu-yeon’s gaze shifted to Soma, who was beside Woo Jang-rak.

To be precise, it was fixed on the Gongpo Sword that Soma was holding.

“That’s a fine sword. It looks like a magnificent blade. Where did you get it?”

“It was a gift.”

Soma replied, hugging the Gongpo Sword tightly.

He instinctively read the greed in Jang Mu-yeon’s eyes.

Jang Mu-yeon looked at Soma and smiled faintly.

“You’re lucky. I wish I had received such a gift. Anyway, congratulations. On obtaining such a fine sword.”

“……”

“No need to be so wary. I’m not a bad person.”

Jang Mu-yeon chuckled and took a step back. But the look in Soma’s eyes as he watched him was anything but friendly.

Jang Mu-yeon looked at Woo Jang-rak again.

“In any case, I’m glad our paths have crossed like this. I hope this connection continues in the future.”

“I hope so too.”

“Then, please enjoy the birthday banquet for the remaining time. It might be a grand feast that you’ll never see again in your lifetime. Well then…”

Jang Mu-yeon gave Woo Jang-rak another Fist-Palm Salute, then turned around.

With a face hardened like stone, Woo Jang-rak watched Jang Mu-yeon’s retreating back.

“That man…”

The look in Jang Mu-yeon’s eyes as he looked at Soma was similar to that of a predator right before a hunt. Woo Jang-rak was not so naive as to not know what that meant.

‘He definitely came here knowing everything.’

There were almost no coincidences among the events that occurred in Jianghu.

Most of them had a clear cause.

Woo Jang-rak’s gaze turned to the Gongpo Sword in Soma’s hands.

His opponent had clearly tracked this sword all the way here.

‘Oh dear! This could get out of hand if I’m not careful.’

The only saving grace was that this was the Wudang Sect.

No matter how renowned the Righteous Sword Manor was in Jianghu as one of the Three Manors, it was inevitably inferior to the Wudang Sect.

No matter how audacious Jang Mu-yeon was, he wouldn’t be able to use force within the Wudang Sect.

＊＊＊

Jang Mu-yeon suddenly stopped walking and looked back.

Soma and Woo Jang-rak were gone.

In that instant, killing intent surfaced in Jang Mu-yeon’s eyes.

“It’s the Gongpo Sword, alright.”

The short sword held in Soma’s arms was definitely the Gongpo Sword that his father, Jang Pyeong-san, had so desired.

The fact that such a magnificent sword was in the arms of a mere crow-like brat enraged him.

Upon hearing the news that his maternal family had suffered a disaster, he had led the White Tiger Sword Unit and rushed to Enshi at once.

The scene he saw there was the Heavenly Eunuch Clan on the verge of collapse due to internal strife.

Having lost Hwa Yu-cheon and Hwa Ok-gi, the Heavenly Eunuch Clan was engulfed in fierce internal conflict, with the remaining leaders fighting like hungry ghosts among themselves.

The Heavenly Eunuch Clan, which had once threatened the traditional Bamboo Sea Manor, was thoroughly ruined.

Jang Mu-yeon killed all those who dared to covet the legacy left by his maternal uncle on the spot.

Even though Hwa Yu-cheon was dead, the wealth he left behind was his.

For the crime of daring to covet his property alone, they deserved to die.

Jang Mu-yeon instantly put an end to the Heavenly Eunuch Clan’s dog-eat-dog fight.

At his appearance, the remaining martial artists of the Heavenly Eunuch Clan could only hold their breath and prostrate themselves.

Jang Mu-yeon brutally tortured the remaining members, forcing them to recall their memories of the day Hwa Yu-cheon died.

As a result, he was able to find out what had happened in the Forest of the Dead that day.

How his maternal uncle and the elite of the Heavenly Eunuch Clan had died. And he also found out that at the moment his uncle died, another group had been passing through the Forest of the Dead.

They were none other than Woo Jang-rak’s party.

Jang Mu-yeon intuitively sensed that Woo Jang-rak’s party was related to his uncle’s death, and he, along with thirty members of the White Tiger Sword Unit, had chased their tracks all the way here.

It was unexpected that Woo Jang-rak’s party had entered the Wudang Sect, but that couldn’t stop him.

Five martial artists approached Jang Mu-yeon’s side.

They were the martial artists of the White Tiger Sword Unit who had entered the Wudang Sect with him.

“Young Master the Second! You don’t look well.”

The one who spoke to Jang Mu-yeon was Ju Cheon-hak, the Captain of the White Tiger Sword Unit.

Ju Cheon-hak had carried out numerous missions for Jang Pyeong-san until now. Among them were many dangerous missions that required him to risk his life.

He completed all those missions and earned Jang Pyeong-san’s complete trust.

Jang Mu-yeon looked at Ju Cheon-hak and said,

“I found the Gongpo Sword. Some little brat has it.”

“What do you mean? A little brat has that magnificent sword?”

“He said he received it as a gift.”

“You mean Woo Jang-rak didn’t give it to him?”

“He’s not strong enough in martial arts to kill my uncle, nor does he have that resolute of a personality. There must be someone who gave the Gongpo Sword to the brat. We have to find him.”

“And if we find him, do we eliminate him?”

“Have you forgotten? This is the Wudang Sect. No matter how much we have the name of the Righteous Sword Manor behind us, acting rashly here will be difficult to clean up.”

“Then shall we just keep them under surveillance?”

“We need to find his weakness. Keep the brat and those around him under surveillance. If you search thoroughly, you’ll surely find a weak spot.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll make our move when he leaves Mount Wudang, so be thoroughly prepared until then.”

“I will do so. I will also tell the men at the foot of the mountain to be on standby.”

Ju Cheon-hak replied without any change in his expression.

Jang Mu-yeon nodded and muttered.

“Right! With this opportunity, I must clearly show all under heaven what happens when you mess with the Righteous Sword Manor. So that no one ever covets our manor’s possessions again.”

＊＊＊

Pyo Wol left the Three Purities Palace and started walking.

The sky was already growing dark, but the surroundings were as bright as day.

As soon as darkness fell, the Daoists of the Wudang Sect had lit torches and lanterns. Thanks to this, the Wudang Sect had become a city that never sleeps.

The Wudang Sect rarely lit up this brightly. If so many heroes had not come, they would never have lit so many lanterns.

All of this was to uphold the prestige of the Wudang Sect.

Thanks to this, the heroes could enjoy the performances taking place throughout the Wudang Sect late into the night.

Pyo Wol pulled down the scarf that was covering his face.

Instantly, the gazes of many people passing by focused on him.

“What kind of man’s face is that?”

“Fuck! That’s insane.”

“Isn’t that a girl?”

The heroes who saw his face murmured among themselves.

Even among the countless people, Pyo Wol’s appearance was so splendid that it stood out.

People’s reactions were largely divided into two types.

Those who were amazed and those who were jealous.

Most were the former, and there were quite a few of the latter as well.

Among those who were amazed were many female heroes of Jianghu.

“My goodness!”

“That face belongs to a man?”

Some women even blushed as they looked at Pyo Wol.

The people’s reactions could have been burdensome, but Pyo Wol passed through them calmly.

Some bold women, not caring about the surrounding gazes, approached Pyo Wol without hesitation.

“Young Hero, what is your name?”

“I am Yeo Yeon-hu of Hopyeong Manor.”

“This must be fate…”

The martial artists couldn’t close their mouths, agape in surprise at the sight of the women vying to flirt with Pyo Wol.

It was true that the female heroes of Jianghu were more open-minded than the women of ordinary households, but it was extremely rare for them to approach a man first in such a public place.

Pyo Wol was like a butterfly surrounded by flowers.

“The world is so unfair.”

“Damn it!”

“He’s living an easy life with just that face.”

The martial artists, blinded by jealousy, glared at Pyo Wol as if they could eat him alive.

Pyo Wol simply told the women his name and slipped away. A few women tried to follow, but they couldn’t catch Pyo Wol as he disappeared into the crowd.

Once he escaped the Training Ground, the crowd thinned out.

Thanks to that, Pyo Wol could catch his breath for a moment.

Pyo Wol had expected this kind of reaction.

Now that he had revealed his face, many of those who had ascended Mount Wudang would notice him and remember the name Pyo Wol.

Revealing his face and drawing people’s attention like this was not in Pyo Wol’s nature.

Like a true assassin, Pyo Wol preferred to hide himself thoroughly. It was easier to operate when he received less attention.

Nevertheless, there was a reason why Pyo Wol had exposed his face.

“Excuse me!”

When he had almost reached the Clear Stream Palace, a woman called out to him.

It was a woman dressed in silk clothes the color of a deep red sunset over Mount Wudang—it was Hong Ye-seol.

A peculiar light flashed across Pyo Wol’s eyes for a moment.

The fish he wanted had come to him on its own.

But contrary to his inner thoughts, Pyo Wol looked at Hong Ye-seol with an expressionless face. At that, Hong Ye-seol smiled brightly and said,

“My name is Hong Ye-seol. Could we talk for a moment?”