Chapter 287

The victor of the Runan war that had shaken All Under Heaven was the Jin Clan.

This news spread rapidly.

Many were astonished by the news that the Jin Clan had won an overwhelming victory. This was because those who did not know the internal situation had thought Snow Blade Sword Manor had a much greater advantage.

The sects and people who had sided with Snow Blade Sword Manor found themselves in a difficult position. They had supported him with human and material resources, thinking he would surely win. But with the Jin Clan’s victory, not only did their investment turn to nothing, but they now had to worry about the Jin Clan’s revenge.

The sects located near Runan were particularly worried, as they were within the Jin Clan’s sphere of influence.

If the Jin Clan decided to take revenge, no one could stop them. But fortunately, the Jin Clan seemed focused on sorting out their own chaotic internal affairs, showing no signs of retaliation.

Many breathed a sigh of relief at that.

Once they had regained some peace of mind, people began to praise and revere the key figures who had led the Jin Clan to victory.

The first to be on everyone’s lips was, of course, the Jin Clan’s Young Clan Head, Jin Si-woo.

People praised him and gave him the alias Meteor Sword for leading the Jin Clan, which had been in decline after the death of Jin Geum-woo and the illness of Jin Wolmyeong, to victory.

Meteor Sword Jin Si-woo had now become the most watched martial artist in Jianghu.

Besides him, quite a few others were talked about and gained fame. But the name Pyo Wol was rarely mentioned.

Pyo Wol had never officially participated in the fight between the Jin Clan and Snow Blade Sword Manor while it was ongoing.

Because of this, most people thought he had played no role in this battle. So, when discussing the fight between the Jin Clan and Snow Blade Sword Manor, any mention of Pyo Wol was completely omitted.

Pyo Wol was still a man of the shadows. Still, Pyo Wol thought it didn’t matter. He hadn’t come here to make a name for himself, after all.

Pyo Wol sat by the window on the second floor of the inn, gazing at the distant Jin Clan.

Quite a lot of food was laid out on his table. But Pyo Wol didn’t touch the food, simply staring blankly at the Jin Clan.

Although only a few days had passed since the end of the fight with Snow Blade Sword Manor, the Jin Clan seemed to have found a great deal of stability.

Even when suffering the same damage, the atmosphere of the victor and the vanquished was bound to be different. Countless people visited the victorious Jin Clan day after day to offer their congratulations.

In particular, trading companies were visiting in droves.

Though overshadowed by Snow Blade Sword Manor’s defeat and not widely known throughout All Under Heaven, the fall of the Golden Mountain Manor was a hot topic in Runan.

Geumsan Manor Lord Geum Shinchung had lost his life in an assassin’s ambush, and as a result, the Golden Mountain Manor had been torn into four or five factions.

Those who had professed to be Geum Shinchung’s loyal retainers were now engaged in a dog-eat-dog fight among themselves to seize the Golden Mountain Manor’s enormous wealth.

As a result, the Golden Mountain Manor was torn to shreds.

The fall of the Golden Mountain Manor sent a great shock through Runan.

Now, there was no longer any sect in the Runan area that could keep the Jin Clan in check.

Jin Si-woo was still young and could lead the Jin Clan for decades more.

That also meant that the Jin Clan could rule over Runan for decades to come.

That was why merchants were lining up to enter the Jin Clan manor.

They hoped to donate huge sums of money to the Jin Clan and maintain a connection.

Thanks to them, the Jin Clan’s gates were bustling with visitors.

It was then.

“What, feeling pleased?”

A gruff voice reached Pyo Wol’s ears.

Turning his head to look forward, he saw a middle-aged martial artist cradling a sword.

The man who looked as if he were one with his sword despite standing naturally was none other than the Sword Venerable, Han Yu-cheon.

Without asking for Pyo Wol’s permission, Han Yu-cheon plopped down in the seat opposite him and spoke.

“The Slayer of Ten Thousand came for me. It seems he was instigated by someone. Is the one who instigated him the same person who killed Gayoung?”

“There’s a high probability.”

“Who is it? The one who killed my disciple.”

When he first met Pyo Wol, Han Yu-cheon hadn’t trusted him.

No matter how highly his disciple, Won Gayoung, had thought of him, he couldn’t fully trust Pyo Wol due to the preconceived notion that he was an assassin. But now, he had no choice but to believe.

Through his fierce battle with the Slayer of Ten Thousand, he had realized that the man had been instigated by someone.

He had tried to subdue the Slayer of Ten Thousand to find out the truth, but the Slayer of Ten Thousand was no easy opponent.

In the end, his attempt to subdue the Slayer of Ten Thousand failed, and he could not find out the truth.

That was why Han Yu-cheon had come to find Pyo Wol.

People were only focused on the fact that the Jin Clan had won and were ecstatic, but Han Yu-cheon knew the truth hidden behind it.

Without Pyo Wol, the Jin Clan could never have achieved victory.

After his great war with the Slayer of Ten Thousand ended, he had left the Jin Clan and gone to find Snow Blade Sword Manor.

There, he saw those who had lost their lives to Pyo Wol.

If not for Pyo Wol, they too would have been deployed against the Jin Clan. The damage would have been far greater, and they would not be basking in the glory of victory as they were now.

Having confirmed it with his own eyes, he could now believe Pyo Wol’s words.

“Who is it? Who instigated the death of my disciple?”

“The Nine Dragons Assassination Guild.”

“Nine Dragons Assassination Guild? I’ve never heard of them.”

“You wouldn’t have. They are that secretive.”

“Tell me everything you’ve found out.”

Han Yu-cheon said, suppressing his anger.

Pyo Wol looked at Han Yu-cheon’s face for a moment.

He was wondering if he could trust Han Yu-cheon.

Pyo Wol recalled what Han Yu-cheon had said when they first met.

—If you… find the fiend who killed that child, and thus allow me to take revenge, I will be on your side. Even if all the people of Jianghu curse you and treat you as a criminal, I will stand by your side and fight. This is a promise I make on my alias, Sword Venerable.

The emotion Han Yu-cheon had shown then was by no means false.

“The origins of the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild are unknown. But one thing is certain: the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild operates on a completely different level from the existing sects of Jianghu. They definitely exist, but like a shadow, they have no substance. They hire wanderers and assassins as needed to create the environment they desire. And they dispatch key personnel to take overall command of them.”

“Why would they work in such a complicated way? A sect with that much power could just reveal itself with dignity.”

“They might think that being in the shadows is far more advantageous than being in the light, or perhaps they once faced great hardship when they were in the light.”

“Hmph!”

“They don’t want their existence to be revealed. Yet, they want to manipulate the flow of Jianghu as they please. That’s why they engage in behind-the-scenes machinations. By dispatching exceptional talents like Snow Blade Sword Manor’s Steward, Lee Yul.”

“To think such a group exists in All Under Heaven?”

Han Yu-cheon wore an expression of disbelief.

If anyone other than Pyo Wol had said this, he would never have believed it. But Pyo Wol was not one to lie, and he himself had seen the Slayer of Ten Thousand invade the Jin Clan under someone’s instigation.

He had no choice but to believe.

“Then what is their goal? What in the world do they gain by doing all that? If they can’t act openly, they can’t gain honor either.”

“Honor isn’t that important to them.”

“Honor isn’t important? How can a person of Jianghu not value honor…”

“That’s what makes them different from existing sects and martial artists. What’s important to them is practical gain. For that, they are willing to do such things anytime.”

“It’s hard to believe. But with the evidence so clear, I have no choice but to believe. Hooo!”

Han Yu-cheon let out a sigh.

He was an experienced and seasoned martial artist.

He had the experience and intuition to quickly discern whether someone was telling a lie. That was why he instinctively knew that Pyo Wol was telling the truth.

“Did you say they have no substance?”

“Not yet… The aftermath of what they did in Runan is not insignificant, so they too will lay low for a while. But someday, they will stir up a similar incident again. Until then, we have no choice but to wait…”

Lee Yul and the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild had vanished, perfectly erasing all their traces.

No matter how skilled Pyo Wol was at tracking, it was impossible to pursue them in this state of nothingness. But someday, they would move again.

Because to create an environment favorable to themselves, they had to be in constant motion.

“When you grasp their true nature, let me know first. I will surely erase them from this world. And if you need my help, come find me anytime. I will gladly help you.”

This was a promise from none other than the Sword Venerable, Han Yu-cheon.

It carried the weight of a billion taels of gold.

When Pyo Wol nodded silently, Han Yu-cheon rose from his seat.

“Well then, let’s meet again next time.”

Han Yu-cheon leaped out the window and vanished.

Left alone, Pyo Wol stared for a moment in the direction Han Yu-cheon had disappeared, then began to focus on his meal again.

He looked fine on the outside, but his body was in a terrible state. The successive fierce battles had left him with serious internal and external injuries.

He had treated his internal injuries to some extent with Qi Circulation Disruption, but his stamina had dropped to a critical level. To recover his stamina, he had to eat well.

That was why Pyo Wol had ordered several times more food than usual.

Pyo Wol chewed the large amount of food thoroughly.

Ssssk!

Just then, something wriggled and moved inside his clothes.

A moment later, a silver snake revealed itself slightly between his collar and the nape of his neck. It was Gwia.

With his left hand, which wasn’t using chopsticks, Pyo Wol gently stroked Gwia’s head. Gwia, as if pleased, closed its eyes and flicked its small tongue.

Pyo Wol stroked Gwia with one hand while continuing to use his chopsticks with the other.

As he continued to eat, he felt a warmth inside his body.

It was a good sign.

Heat in the body was proof that bodily functions were actively occurring.

Pyo Wol savored his body’s reaction as he stroked Gwia. But his peace did not last long.

“Let’s have a talk.”

Someone came up from the stairs with a familiar voice. Turning his head, he saw Hong Yushin striding toward him.

Instantly, Gwia quietly hid itself inside his clothes.

Gwia was extremely reluctant to show itself to anyone other than Pyo Wol.

Dark shadows were cast around Hong Yushin’s eyes.

He sat down in the opposite seat without asking for Pyo Wol’s permission. It was extremely unusual for him to be impolite to others.

Pyo Wol looked at him for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You seem to have had a hard time.”

“Hooo!”

Instead of answering, Hong Yushin let out a deep sigh.

He was someone who rarely showed his true emotions, but now his mind and body were so exhausted that a sigh escaped him naturally.

“When the Jin Clan was raided, our branch was also raided.”

“Is that so?”

“They were like ghosts. As if they knew everything about the main branch, they sought out and killed only the key personnel. Because of that, the main branch’s system was paralyzed, and we couldn’t respond properly.”

The attackers had a perfect grasp of the Hao Clan’s Runan branch system.

In their lightning-fast raid, the Runan branch’s chain of command completely collapsed.

Only Hong Yushin managed to escape and survive.

In the end, the Runan branch suffered enormous damage, and Hong Yushin had to stay up all night for the past few days to deal with the aftermath.

Hong Yushin shed tears of blood as he cleaned up the mess. Among those who lost their lives were many with whom he was close.

As always, facing the death of someone you know caused great mental anguish.

In the midst of such terrible pain, Hong Yushin sorted out the collapsed Runan branch. And then he came here to find Pyo Wol.

Hong Yushin asked bluntly.

“Who are they?”

“……”

“You know, don’t you?”

“I warned you. That there were people watching. You were the one who ignored my warning and neglected your guard. So what makes you think I’ll tell you again?”

“That… was my oversight. Such a thing will never happen again.”

Hong Yushin bit his lip firmly.

Pyo Wol had definitely warned him.

If he had responded properly then, a disaster like this would not have happened. That made it all the more devastating.

“I promise. If you give me a clue about them, I will really dig into it properly this time.”

“……”

“And I promise my full support for Great Hero Pyo. I will make arrangements so that you can get the information you want at any branch you go to. How about it?”

It was an undeniable fact that the Hao Clan had the most extensive information network in All Under Heaven.

While the quality might be debatable, in terms of quantity, no sect in All Under Heaven could match the Hao Clan.

It wasn’t a bad offer for Pyo Wol either.

What Pyo Wol currently lacked the most was information from all over Jianghu.

If he could just obtain a vast amount of information, he could analyze it on his own.

“The Nine Dragons Assassination Guild.”

“Pardon?”

“They call themselves the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild. Snow Blade Sword Manor’s Steward, Lee Yul, is one of them.”

“Nine Dragons Assassination Guild… Nine Dragons Assassination Guild.”

Hong Yushin repeated the name several times.