Chapter 283

Dokgo Hwang thought Jang Mu-guk would fly into a fiery rage. But contrary to his guess, Jang Mu-guk showed no particular agitation.

“Is that so? Is that your choice? You choose a rough path. The price will not be cheap.”

“It’s not as if choosing an easy path comes without a price.”

A path paved by others, a path guided by another, might seem much easier. But Pyo Wol knew that to enjoy comfort, one had to pay a commensurate price.

No matter how hard it was, he had to forge his own path.

If he didn’t want his fate to be swayed by others.

That was why he had rejected Jang Mu-guk’s proposal outright.

He couldn’t tell how much blood he would have to stain his hands with to satisfy the ambition that dwelled in Jang Mu-guk’s eyes.

He had already shed much blood, and he knew it was his fate to shed much more in the future. But that was, to the very end, by his own will.

He did not want to stain his hands with blood, swept away by the will and intentions of another.

Jang Mu-guk’s gaze turned to Dokgo Hwang.

His eyes seemed to ask if he still wanted to use Pyo Wol as his sword.

Dokgo Hwang shrugged.

It was a gesture admitting his own thinking had been wrong.

A man who did not yield even to Jang Mu-guk’s aura was not likely to meekly become his sword.

The problem now was how to define their relationship with Pyo Wol.

His pride would not allow him to back down like this.

Normally, the next step would be to subdue Pyo Wol to restore his pride.

Killing intent flickered in Dokgo Hwang’s eyes.

Pyo Wol’s martial arts were extraordinary, but he and Jang Mu-guk could likely subdue him without much difficulty. Furthermore, Pyo Wol was extremely exhausted right now, and also injured.

Subduing him would be as easy as flipping one’s palm.

The moment he met Dokgo Hwang’s gaze, filled with killing intent, Pyo Wol also sensed that he would not get through this day easily.

Tightening his grip on the Ghostly Rain, Pyo Wol asked.

“For someone who called me a friend, you change your mind quickly. The seaside hospitality is quite harsh.”

“Isn’t the sea breeze known for being fickle? You’ll have to understand.”

“Someone I know risked his life to protect his beliefs, yet someone else’s ass is as light as a gentle breeze.”

“Is that someone perhaps Jin Geum-woo? I too find what happened to that friend regrettable. He wasted his time chasing a non-existent mirage, and died a dog’s death. That’s why they say a person must choose their side well. Only then can one make proper judgments.”

“Haha!”

At that moment, Pyo Wol couldn’t hold back and burst into cold laughter.

At the sight, Jang Mu-guk and Dokgo Hwang frowned.

They thought Pyo Wol was mocking them.

“What is so funny?”

“It’s just… funny.”

“What do you mean, funny?”

“Why did you come to Runan? You came to see if it would become the starting point of the troubled times you desire, didn’t you? And yet, you don’t know why such a thing happened in Runan.”

“What?”

“Jin Geum-woo wasn’t like that. At the very least, he was suspicious, and he moved to uncover the truth. Your martial arts may be stronger, but his conviction is something you can’t dare to compare yourselves to.”

At Pyo Wol’s scathing criticism, both men’s faces hardened simultaneously.

Until they came here, they hadn’t thought very highly of Jin Geum-woo.

All under Heaven praised Jin Geum-woo’s talent as rare in the Jianghu, but they possessed that level of talent as well. In fact, if one were to look at talent alone, Jin Geum-woo was actually inferior to them.

Jang Mu-guk’s talent, in particular, was so astonishing that there were few in all under Heaven who could compare.

Jin Geum-woo had once visited Jang Mu-guk. But their conversation had not lasted long.

Their perspectives were different, and their interests diverged.

Their conversation only skimmed the surface, and in the end, Jin Geum-woo stayed for just one day before leaving.

After that, Jang Mu-guk paid no more attention to Jin Geum-woo. And in his memory, the existence of Jin Geum-woo faded away. But today, Pyo Wol mentioned Jin Geum-woo.

And in a way that suggested he was superior to them.

Jang Mu-guk asked.

“Jin Geum-woo is already dead. And yet you say he is better than us?”

“By my standards, yes. At least he knew clearly what he had to do.”

“Tsk!”

Jang Mu-guk clicked his tongue.

His face was full of anger.

Pyo Wol’s words were a clear disregard for him.

Kuuuu!

Jang Mu-guk began to radiate his aura again.

It wasn’t a subtle pressure to weigh Pyo Wol down like before, but a blatant display of his aura.

A formidable pressure bore down on Pyo Wol.

But Pyo Wol was not crushed as helplessly as before.

As he operated the Thunderbolt Soul Severing Mind Method, breathing became much easier.

Pyo Wol observed Jang Mu-guk.

His physique, the shape of his hands, his aura, his gaze, even his minor habits—he took them all in.

He hadn’t wanted to get entangled in a bad relationship with Jang Mu-guk, but now that he was, he had to grasp and analyze every single thing about him.

That was Pyo Wol’s way of survival.

This was the perfect opportunity to gauge Jang Mu-guk’s military might.

“Insolent!”

Jang Mu-guk, noticing Pyo Wol’s thoughts, frowned. His aura then swelled like a snowball.

The pressure on Pyo Wol doubled along with it.

It was a hair-trigger moment where a spark could fly at any time.

Whew!

A sharp whistling sound was heard.

It was a sound so low that an ordinary person would not have heard it, yet it was brimming with a cold feeling.

In an instant, Jang Mu-guk’s expression changed.

“A troublesome friend has arrived.”

Dokgo Hwang withdrew his killing intent and asked.

“Is it him?”

“It is!”

“Tsk!”

“What a meddlesome friend he is.”

Jang Mu-guk shook his head.

The formidable aura he had been emitting vanished as if it were melting snow. Thanks to that, Pyo Wol could also breathe much more easily.

Jang Mu-guk said to Pyo Wol.

“You’re lucky.”

“Time will tell who was the lucky one.”

“I pray that confidence of yours continues. Then, let’s meet again later.”

Jang Mu-guk launched himself into the air and disappeared into the darkness.

Dokgo Hwang looked at Pyo Wol and said.

“It seems we have to entertain another friend today. He’s such a bothersome friend that we have to do our best. Let’s meet again soon, friend!”

“It seems he is stronger than you.”

“Well, he is from the family that wields the sword best in all under Heaven, after all. Let’s see each other again later.”

Dokgo Hwang winked at Pyo Wol, then launched himself after Jang Mu-guk.

Only after the two had completely disappeared did Pyo Wol let out a faint sigh.

“Hoo!”

He hadn’t shown it, but he had been considerably tense.

The pressure he felt from Jang Mu-guk and Dokgo Hwang was that extraordinary.

They had long since far surpassed the limits of a prodigy.

Pyo Wol himself had deviated from the normal level, but they too had long since departed from the ordinary category.

Even the term Hidden Dragon seemed insufficient for them.

Jang Mu-guk’s gaze, in particular, was not easily forgotten.

It was the first time Pyo Wol had ever seen eyes so full of ambition.

“Perhaps the troubled times have already begun…”

Pyo Wol shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts.

That wasn’t what was important right now.

Jang Mu-guk and Dokgo Hwang clearly found the person who whistled to be extremely uncomfortable. Whatever his identity was.

If so, the two of them wouldn’t be able to move easily either. At least not tonight.

Pyo Wol left the slums.

He didn’t think that Snow Blade Sword Manor would have sent troops only after him. If he had moved such a large-scale force at this hour, Runan would have been turned upside down.

Considering the criticism from the Jianghu that would pour down on Snow Blade Sword Manor, it would be difficult for him to move his troops like this ever again.

‘In that case, Snow Blade Sword Manor will surely try to end things today.’

He might have even deployed all his forces to the Jin Clan.

Pyo Wol couldn’t know what results the Jin Clan would achieve against the Snow Blade Sword Manor. He didn’t know how much hidden power the Snow Blade Sword Manor had.

‘But they will absolutely not collapse easily.’

The Jin Clan’s own strength was not to be ignored, but above all, the monks from the Shaolin Temple and Han Yu-cheon were still staying at the Jin Clan.

They would try to remain neutral for now, but it would be hard for them to stand by and watch countless people die before their eyes.

If one considered the monks of the Shaolin Temple and Han Yu-cheon joining the fray, the forces would be evenly matched.

They would absolutely not collapse in a single night.

Having organized his thoughts, Pyo Wol headed for the Snow Blade Sword Manor.

Now that all of the Snow Blade Sword Manor’s forces were gone, it was the perfect opportunity.

The path to Lee Yul was open.

Pyo Wol moved his feet without hesitation.

As he got closer to the Snow Blade Sword Manor, Pyo Wol’s guess proved to be true.

The Snow Blade Sword Manor, which should have been teeming with the presence of countless people, now felt desolate.

Numerous forces had left to strike the Jin Clan, and only a minimal number of troops remained to guard the Snow Blade Sword Manor.

Even when the security was tight, Pyo Wol had come and gone from the Snow Blade Sword Manor as if it were his own home. Infiltrating the Snow Blade Sword Manor with its broken security net was not a difficult task for him.

Pyo Wol was able to infiltrate the Snow Blade Sword Manor without difficulty.

With many troops gone, the inside of the Snow Blade Sword Manor was quiet.

He could see martial artists here and there inside, but they didn’t notice Pyo Wol’s presence at all.

Pyo Wol moved, avoiding them.

No one could spot him as he moved through the blind spots, out of sight.

Just then, Pyo Wol’s eyes caught sight of a person standing alone in the rear garden, gazing at the night sky.

A huge frame with a protruding belly.

It was a middle-aged person who looked like even breathing was a struggle because he was so overweight.

The middle-aged person was none other than the Manor Lord of the Snow Blade Sword Manor, Seol Gang-yeon.

Seol Gang-yeon looked at the sky and muttered.

“Still, she’s my child. I have to get her revenge.”

Seol Gang-yeon’s eyes were bloodshot.

He was ruminating on his anger.

If he had his way, he too would have wanted to attack the Jin Clan, but unfortunately, his body was not in a state to properly perform martial arts.

After recruiting Lee Yul, he had left everything to him and neglected his martial arts. As a result, he had gained so much weight that even moving was not easy. That was why he couldn’t go to the Jin Clan and was left here, just ruminating on his anger.

His anger was so terrifying that even his subordinates did not dare to approach. That was why he was alone.

A person who should never be alone was alone.

For Pyo Wol, it was an opportunity that would never come again.

But at that moment, Pyo Wol caught a scent.

It was a dangerous scent, one that seemed to paralyze the sense of smell just by smelling it.

The moment a strong wind blew, Pyo Wol could clearly identify the scent he had caught.

‘Is it a trap?’

Something invisible was hiding in great numbers.

They had audaciously put out the Manor Lord, Seol Gang-yeon, as bait and were waiting for the fish named Pyo Wol to get caught.

As far as Pyo Wol knew, there was only one person in the Snow Blade Sword Manor who would commit such a daring act.

‘Lee Yul!’

He had set a trap and was waiting for Pyo Wol.

He was a man one could not let one’s guard down around for even a moment.

It wasn’t enough to mobilize the Black Tiger and the Black Cloud Corps; he even set a trap using the Manor Lord, Seol Gang-yeon.

He had truly prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Pyo Wol had never met a person this cautious before.

By now, Pyo Wol was even feeling mental fatigue. But he couldn’t continue this tedious fight forever.

It was time to end it.

Seol Gang-yeon, unaware that Pyo Wol was watching, was burning with anger all by himself.

Pyo Wol walked toward Seol Gang-yeon.

Sensing a presence, Seol Gang-yeon turned around and roared.

“Who is it?”

“……”

“I asked who it is.”

“A fish that took the bait.”

“What?”

Seol Gang-yeon frowned at Pyo Wol’s incomprehensible answer.

Only then did he feel that Pyo Wol’s aura was unusual.

An aura of a different caliber from the martial artists of the Snow Blade Sword Manor, and a beautiful appearance.

In that instant, something flashed in his mind.

“You must be that so-called Reaper who has been gaining notoriety lately.”

No matter how much he had left everything to Lee Yul and neglected external affairs, he too had ears to hear.

The name he had heard most among them was Pyo Wol.

An assassin with a beauty that surpassed a woman’s.

Just as he had heard, Pyo Wol’s appearance was beautiful. So much so that the moment he saw him, he recognized that he was Pyo Wol.

“How dare a mere assassin sneak into my manor. Steward, what are you doing? Not capturing this uninvited guest at once?”