Chapter 220

Pyo Wol, on his horse, looked around.

There was still some time before the sun would set, but Pyo Wol decided to make camp here for the night.

From experience, he knew that the sun set faster in the mountains. In the blink of an eye, the sun would dip below the western mountains, and the surroundings would be consumed by deep darkness.

Inexperienced travelers often pushed on recklessly, only to get lost and wander in the deep darkness.

Pyo Wol was not an inexperienced person, nor was he someone who would get lost in this level of darkness, but he had no desire to force his way through the night.

Pyo Wol looked around.

He was looking for a good place to camp for the night.

His eyes fell upon several house-sized boulders piled on top of each other.

The way the boulders were stacked was exquisite, looking like it could provide ample shelter from wind and rain.

There was also a small stream nearby, so there was no need to search for drinking water. Pyo Wol let his horse drink its fill before tying it next to the boulders.

The lush undergrowth near the boulders provided more than enough for the horse’s meal.

Pyo Wol gathered dry branches.

Kwarreureu!

At that moment, a loud roar echoed from the sky.

There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky yet, but the sound of thunder could be heard.

Pyo Wol wrinkled his nose.

He could feel the thick humidity in the air he breathed.

“It’s going to rain.”

Though not visible now, it was only a matter of time before the clouds gathered.

Pyo Wol once again surveyed the surrounding terrain.

Fortunately, the spot he had chosen was on higher ground than the rest, so there was no worry of water pooling.

Pyo Wol gathered dry branches and piled them to the side. He also brought the horse under the boulders. Luckily, the space under the rocks was quite large, so there was plenty of room even after the big horse came in.

While he was preparing to camp, the sun set, and darkness fell.

A darkness so thick one couldn’t see an inch ahead completely consumed the mountain.

Pyo Wol hurriedly started a campfire.

Once the campfire was lit, he felt a sense of ease.

Pyo Wol leaned his back against a boulder and tore into some beef jerky he had bought on the way.

The jerky, seemingly made from low-quality meat, was salty and tough. Still, Pyo Wol chewed it silently without a single frown.

He chewed as slowly and for as long as possible.

It took him almost half a Shichen to eat a single palm-sized piece of jerky.

It was when he put the last piece in his mouth.

Hoodoo-dook!

Raindrops began to fall on the boulders.

The rain was finally starting.

The rain, which had started with a few drops, suddenly turned into a downpour, lashing the earth.

Fortunately, the rain did not reach the spot where Pyo Wol had settled. Having prepared the dry branches in advance, it seemed there would be no problem keeping the campfire going all night.

Pyo Wol rested, feeling the warm heat of the campfire. But his respite did not last long.

“There’s a light over there.”

“Let’s go that way.”

Suddenly, the voices of people could be heard from a distance.

Pyo Wol looked in the direction the voices came from.

A moment later, a group of people emerged through the darkness. They were soaking wet from the rain and ran towards where Pyo Wol was.

The group, who appeared like drowned rats, consisted of four men and one woman. The weapons hanging from their waists made it clear they were all martial artists.

The burliest Jang Han, who seemed to be the oldest of the group, stepped forward and spoke.

“Young friend! We’ll be imposing on you for a bit.”

Without even waiting for Pyo Wol’s reply, he abruptly entered the space under the boulders. The other martial artists hurriedly followed him in.

“See, I told you to hurry, didn’t I? What is this? We got all wet because you were dawdling.”

The woman chided the men as she shook the water from her body.

The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-to-late thirties, had quite a beautiful face. But her sharp eyes made her look venomous.

Without asking for Pyo Wol’s permission, the woman plopped down in front of the campfire.

The warmth of the fire seemed to soften her venomous expression a little. The martial artist who seemed to be the oldest shook his head and said.

“Who would have known it would suddenly rain like this? Calm down.”

“Forget it. You didn’t even listen when I told you to hurry.”

“In any case, we can take shelter from the rain like this, so isn’t that good enough? By the way, not a single drop of rain is getting in here. You did well to find a place like this, young friend. You saved us.”

Only then did the woman’s gaze turn to Pyo Wol.

“Thanks to you, we’re saved. Thanks!”

She said bluntly.

“Haha! Maybe it’s because you’re wet from the rain, but Hwa Mae’s beauty seems to shine even more.”

“Ugh! It’s cold.”

The martial artists sat on either side of the woman, warming themselves by the fire.

As they felt the warmth, life returned to their faces.

The lead martial artist circulated his Internal Power. Then, his face suddenly turned red, and an intense heat radiated from him.

Chiii!

The heat instantly evaporated the water on his body.

“Hoo! Now I feel alive.”

The lead martial artist made a refreshed expression.

The other martial artists, whose Internal Energy was not as profound as his, simply dried their bodies and clothes by the campfire.

The lead martial artist sat right next to Pyo Wol and said.

“To find a place that perfectly shelters you from the rain like this, you must have a lot of experience. Did you know it was going to rain beforehand?”

His eyes, reflecting the firelight, shone even more sharply.

“I heard the thunder.”

“Did you? We didn’t hear it. Even so, you found a suitable place to camp very well.”

“It wasn’t that difficult.”

“What’s your name?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Meeting like this is fate, so let’s at least exchange names.”

“If so, isn’t it proper for you to state your name first?”

“Haha! That’s true too.”

The lead martial artist laughed loudly. But his eyes still shone with a sharp light.

He revealed his identity first.

“My name is Yang Cheol-hwan.”

“…”

“Haven’t you heard of me? Still, there’s no one in Henan Province who doesn’t know of Yang Cheol-hwan, the Iron Blood Great Bear.”

“…”

“You really don’t know? Tsk!”

Yang Cheol-hwan clicked his tongue with an awkward expression. Then the woman chimed in.

“He must be new to Jianghu, or his ears are so blocked that he lives completely cut off from the rumors of Jianghu.”

“Still, he’s the one who provided us with a precious resting place, so don’t be too rude.”

Yang Cheol-hwan pretended to scold the woman. But if one looked closely at the content of his words, it was completely different from the truth.

Yang Cheol-hwan was clearly displeased that Pyo Wol did not recognize him.

Yang Cheol-hwan, the Iron Blood Great Bear, was a fairly famous Expert in Henan Province.

He was born with natural divine strength, and he had mastered an external martial art called the Golden Bell Shield, making his body impervious to swords and blades.

Those with him were all his sworn brothers and were exceptionally skilled experts.

In particular, the woman who had been grumbling since earlier was Han Bu-yong, who had the Alias Poison Flower Butterfly.

As her Alias suggested, Han Bu-yong was skilled with poison and hidden weapons, and rumor had it that she had inherited a part of the Tang Clan’s Secret Transmission.

It was impossible to know if the rumors were true, but it was certain that she handled poison and hidden weapons.

“We’ve told you our names, so will you tell us yours now?”

“Pyo Wol!”

“Hmph!”

Yang Cheol-hwan looked displeased at Pyo Wol’s behavior of just stating his two-syllable name.

It was the first time he had received such treatment within Henan Province. However, since they were the uninvited guests who had barged into the place Pyo Wol had settled in first, it was difficult to argue.

‘Pyo Wol…’

Yang Cheol-hwan muttered Pyo Wol’s name. But no particular memory came to mind, suggesting he was not someone whose name was known in Jianghu.

“May I ask what your destination is?”

“Why do you ask?”

“That bastard, he’s being really uptight.”

One of the men next to Yang Cheol-hwan sneered.

His buck teeth gave him an impression similar to a weasel.

His name was Oh Gu-gyeong.

He was a younger brother who had followed Yang Cheol-hwan for a long time.

When Pyo Wol raised his head and looked at him, Oh Gu-gyeong scowled.

“What are you staring at? Don’t act all high and mighty just because you got here first and lit a fire. You bastard! When an adult asks you something, you should answer right away. So rude.”

“That’s enough!”

“Hyung-nim! Look at that bastard’s attitude.”

“I said stop.”

“Yes!”

As Yang Cheol-hwan raised his voice, Oh Gu-gyeong shut his mouth with a face full of dissatisfaction.

Yang Cheol-hwan turned to Pyo Wol and said.

“Please understand. He’s not usually like this, but I think he’s a bit on edge from being soaked in the rain. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

Pyo Wol just nodded silently.

A silence fell between them for a moment.

Because of it, the sound of the rain seemed even louder.

The one who broke the silence was Yang Cheol-hwan.

“Have you learned Martial Arts?”

“A little!”

“I thought so. There’s no way someone who hasn’t learned Martial Arts would camp alone in a place like this.”

Oh Gu-gyeong interjected.

“Even so, he’s probably just learned a few Technique Forms that anyone can learn.”

“I told you to be quiet.”

“Yes!”

Oh Gu-gyeong shut his mouth again.

Yang Cheol-hwan stared intently at Pyo Wol’s face and continued.

“Are you perhaps going to Runan?”

“…”

“Looks like you are.”

Yang Cheol-hwan’s already sharp eyes turned even fiercer.

It was the same for the others.

In an instant, a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Pyo Wol scanned the people surrounding him one by one.

The moment his gaze fell on them, not only Yang Cheol-hwan but also the sneering Oh Gu-gyeong flinched.

There was not a single emotion in his perfectly still eyes. It was impossible for an ordinary person to hide their emotions so completely.

Only then did Yang Cheol-hwan intuit that the man sitting in front of him was no ordinary Martial Artist.

Yang Cheol-hwan, feigning composure, asked with a calm expression.

“Why are you going to Runan?””

“I have some business there.”

“If that business is related to the Jin Clan, I’d advise against it.”

Runan was a city located near Mount Tianjung, where the Jin Clan was. Eight or nine out of ten martial artists who visited Runan stopped by to go to Mount Tianjung, where the Jin Clan was.

Pyo Wol asked for the reason.

“Why?”

“Because there’s nothing more foolish than getting involved with a Sect that’s about to be destroyed.”

Yang Cheol-hwan answered with a confident voice.

“The Jin Clan is being destroyed?”

“They’re holding on for now, but their downfall is not far off. Their collapse is a foregone conclusion, and now Snow Blade Sword Manor will reclaim that place.”

“Snow Blade Sword Manor?”

“You don’t know? That the place where the Jin Clan is now was originally Snow Blade Sword Manor’s territory. Now that the original owner has returned, the uninvited guest must vacate the house. They’re desperately holding on for now, but that won’t last long either. The path to the Jin Clan is already almost blocked, so I advise you not to make a futile attempt and to turn back. If I hadn’t been able to take shelter from the rain because of you, I wouldn’t have even told you this.”

Yang Cheol-hwan spoke as if he were bestowing a great favor. But Pyo Wol was not listening to his words.

‘Did something happen to the Jin Clan?’

When he was on Mount Wudang, he hadn’t heard any news of anything particular happening to the Jin Clan. It was possible that the news hadn’t reached him yet because of the great distance.

Whatever the reason, it seemed clear that the Jin Clan had clashed with Snow Blade Sword Manor. And it was also clear that Snow Blade Sword Manor had the upper hand.

The martial artists of Jianghu were more sensitive to the state of affairs than anyone else and almost never sided with those who were certain to lose. Because no matter how much money they were given, it would all be over if they were defeated and lost their lives.

He didn’t know Yang Cheol-hwan’s reputation, but he could tell that he and his companions were quite strong. With this level of martial power, they would surely be treated well wherever they went in Jianghu.

For such people to have sided with Snow Blade Sword Manor meant they were that confident of victory.

He needed more information.

He had to find out what situation the Jin Clan was in now and what the problem was.

Pyo Wol asked.

“How big of a city is Runan?”

“It’s quite big.”

“So, to what extent?”

“Enough for brothels to be overflowing. Hehe.”

“Kehehe!”

As if the mere thought was enjoyable, Yang Cheol-hwan and his sworn brothers let out lewd laughs.