Chapter 331

“A woman from a respectable family wouldn’t grow her nails that long and decorate them with pearl powder. And the hairpin in your hair is another thing. A woman who was supposedly raped last night comes out with three or four such ornate hairpins in her hair? And what about the clothes you’re wearing? They may look ordinary at first glance, but they’re actually made of high-quality silk. Above all, your body carries a scent that could only come from a brothel. You probably came out without washing properly, so the scent has seeped into you.”

“Wh-what?”

“If a rumor spread that an ordinary woman had been raped, it would ruin her life, so she wouldn’t be able to accept such a proposal. But a courtesan is different. Since you’re already in the demimonde, such a rumor wouldn’t matter much. You probably received the offer suddenly last night. That’s why you came here today without even having the time to wash off the scent clinging to your body.”

The woman was visibly agitated.

It was because Pyo Wol was speaking as if he had witnessed the situation himself.

Goosebumps rose all over her body.

She was a courtesan, just as Pyo Wol had said. Last night, while working, she had suddenly been visited by a martial artist from the Sword Flower Pavilion.

The offer the Sword Flower Pavilion made her was simple.

Testify that she had been raped by Pyo Wol.

A woman from a respectable family would have refused immediately, but for her, it wasn’t such a big blemish.

Moreover, they offered a sum of wealth that anyone would be tempted by, so she had no reason to refuse.

That was the reason she was here.

The problem was Pyo Wol.

An ordinary man would have been flustered and panicked, but he, on the contrary, had figured out that she was a courtesan.

It was she who was flustered, and Pyo Wol, not missing her weakness, pressed his advantage.

“It’ll be quick to find out which brothel you belong to. With your beauty, you must have many regulars and be quite popular. How long do you think you can hide it? Do you think you and the brothel you belong to will be safe once it’s known that you framed a young martial artist of the Jianghu?”

In that instant, the courtesan’s face turned deathly pale.

She unknowingly looked back and forth between Pyo Wol’s and Go Yeon-su’s faces. The signs of her indecision between the two were obvious.

Go Yeon-su shouted.

“Get a grip. Are you going to fall for the threats of a mere man?”

“B-but…”

“What are you afraid of? The Sword Flower Pavilion will protect you. Didn’t you come to me in tears at dawn? Asking me to avenge the injustice of your rape.”

“Th-that’s right.”

“Then all you have to do is stick to your original testimony. Don’t be played by that bastard’s tricks.”

“Yes!”

The courtesan barely managed to answer.

Watching the courtesan, Go Yeon-su ground her teeth.

‘Useless wench.’

She hadn’t asked the courtesan to play a major role. All she had to do was act the part of the victim.

For a worldly courtesan, it wasn’t a difficult role. Yet, she couldn’t even respond to a single word from Pyo Wol and was fumbling about.

Go Yeon-su decided she would have to dispose of the courtesan as soon as this was over. There was no telling when such a weak-willed courtesan might change her mind and start talking.

If a rumor were to spread that Go Yeon-su had fabricated this incident, it would be she and the Sword Flower Pavilion who would suffer the blow.

Go Yeon-su glared at Pyo Wol and said.

“The guilty one speaks nonsense. Do you think your reckless attempt will work?”

“Is that how you’ve built up the Sword Flower Pavilion? Through slander and trickery?”

“How dare you insult me.”

“Insult is what you did to me. Putting up a false victim and spreading false rumors in the Jianghu. That’s a true insult.”

“Silence. The tears of this woman you’ve harmed are so vivid, yet you intend to deny it. If you continue like this, I will declare you a public enemy of the Jianghu.”

“A public enemy of the Jianghu…”

“If you are declared a public enemy of the Jianghu, there will be no place for you to set foot in the Jianghu. All the sects under heaven will hunt you down. So kneel and beg for forgiveness now. Hoho! Who knows? Perhaps I’ll take the circumstances into consideration.”

Go Yeon-su let out a cunning laugh.

Behind her, Eum Yujeong also smiled.

To a martial artist, there was nothing more terrifying than the words ‘public enemy of the Jianghu.’ It meant one had committed an act so heinous as to anger both heaven and man, and once designated a public enemy, all of one’s activities were restricted, and one was hunted down. However, to be designated a public enemy, there were many things that needed to be verified.

A major sect would not simply take the word of a medium-sized sect like the Sword Flower Pavilion if they declared someone a public enemy.

Go Yeon-su and Eum Yujeong knew this. Yet, they mentioned ‘public enemy of the Jianghu’ to mentally pressure Pyo Wol.

“What will you do? Will you become a public enemy of the Jianghu? Or will you follow me and receive a fitting punishment? The decision is yours.”

“Who decides the fitting punishment?”

“Naturally, I decide. Who else here is qualified to mete out punishment but me?”

“Not that courtesan? You said she was the victim?”

“Because she entrusted everything to me. Naturally, I hold the right to decide.”

Go Yeon-su said it as if it were a matter of course.

A victor’s smile played on her lips.

Time and circumstances were on her side.

Regardless of the truth, just by dragging this out, it was Pyo Wol who would be at a disadvantage.

Even if they argued and engaged in a war of nerves, and the truth was eventually revealed, by then, Pyo Wol’s body would be caked in filth that could not be washed away.

No one would listen to a young martial artist, covered in filth, no matter how much he protested.

In the end, this martial artist, strong only in martial arts but lacking in experience, would submit to her.

Go Yeon-su’s eyes glinted viciously.

Once he submitted, there were countless ways to use Pyo Wol to increase her power.

There was a reason they said old ginger was spicier.

Navigating the Asura Field that was the Jianghu as a woman was impossible with an ordinary mind.

It was only yesterday that she first heard about Pyo Wol from Eum Yujeong. In just one day, she had devised a plan to ensnare Pyo Wol and executed it.

Her viciousness and cunning were truly beyond imagination.

Pyo Wol was impressed.

“Remarkable! Far better than most men.”

“Hmph! Do you think I’ll be pleased by a compliment from someone like you? Hurry up and choose. Whether you’ll become a public enemy of the Jianghu, or accept my judgment.”

“I don’t like either choice.”

“What?”

“There’s no reason for me to choose from the answer sheet you’ve presented, is there?”

Pyo Wol slowly rose to his feet.

At Pyo Wol’s unexpected reaction, the faces of not only Go Yeon-su but also Eum Yujeong and the Sword Flower Pavilion disciples hardened.

“A public enemy of the Jianghu, you said? Go ahead and try.”

“Are you not afraid?”

“You haven’t looked into me thoroughly, have you? If you had, you would have known that the words ‘public enemy of the Jianghu’ can’t pressure me at all.”

“What?”

“I was already designated a public enemy in Sichuan Province. The Qingcheng, Emei, and countless other sects chased me to kill me.”

“……”

“Do you know what happened in the end? All those who tried to kill me died. After that, no one dared to call me a public enemy. They know well that it’s useless.”

Pyo Wol waved his hand.

Kukukung!

In an instant, every door in the inn slammed shut.

“Wh-what?”

“The doors…”

As all the doors closed, the martial artists of the Sword Flower Pavilion became visibly agitated.

Go Yeon-su shouted.

“There’s no need to be scared by his bluff. Everyone, get a grip.”

“Ye-yes? Yes!”

The martial artists of the Sword Flower Pavilion answered in unison. But that didn’t make the anxiety on their faces disappear.

The one most agitated was the courtesan.

‘They said it would be a simple job. They said he would be scared if I just testified…’

Where on earth did that look like a scared face? If anything, the ones who were scared were the martial artists of the Sword Flower Pavilion who had entered the inn.

Only then did the courtesan regret her decision, but it was too late to take it back.

Go Yeon-su raised her voice.

“If you think you can intimidate the Sword Flower Pavilion with force, you are mistaken. The prestigious Orthodox Faction, the Sword Flower Pavilion, will never yield to such external pressure.”

Woong-woong!

The objects inside the inn vibrated from her voice, which was laden with internal energy. It was proof of how profound her internal power was. But it failed to stir any emotion in Pyo Wol.

Among those Pyo Wol had fought until now, there wasn’t a single one who didn’t possess as much internal energy as Go Yeon-su.

Pyo Wol did not fear those who revealed their internal power to pressure their opponents.

The truly fearsome ones were those who had absolute confidence in their own strength and could unleash their full power. Such people did not pressure their opponents with mere presence like Go Yeon-su.

What Go Yeon-su was doing now was no different from a frightened dog baring its teeth and barking.

“H-how dare you oppose the Sword Flower Pavilion.”

It was the moment Go Yeon-su shouted again.

Without a sound, the Ghostly Rain was unleashed.

Peok!

“Ack!”

Go Yeon-su let out a single scream and staggered back. A Ghostly Rain was embedded deep in her shoulder.

A look of fear appeared on Go Yeon-su’s face, which was contorted in pain.

It was because she hadn’t sensed any presence at all until the Ghostly Rain struck.

Pyo Wol walked towards Go Yeon-su.

He was clearly right in front of her, yet no presence could be felt. It was like seeing a ghost.

“A-all of you, attack! Subdue him!”

In the end, Go Yeon-su ordered the attack.

“Iyaaa!”

“Haat!”

The Sword Flower Pavilion martial artists rushed towards Pyo Wol.

Numerous swords lunged, aiming for Pyo Wol. The sight was as beautiful as watching the fluttering wings of dozens of butterflies. But the situation that unfolded a moment later was anything but beautiful.

Shyuryuryu!

A dozen strands of Soul Restraining Thread shot out from Pyo Wol’s hand.

Pupupupupuk!

It was a Soul Restraining Thread so stealthy it was hard to distinguish with the naked eye. The Soul Restraining Thread mercilessly pierced through the torsos of the charging martial artists.

“Aack!”

“Heok!”

The martial artists screamed and tumbled to the floor.

The marks where the Soul Restraining Thread had pierced their bodies were clear.

It was just a pin-sized hole. But the pain from that tiny hole was beyond imagination.

It felt like an extreme pain, as if being seared by fire.

“Euhk!”

“Ack!”

The martial artists collapsed to the floor, shedding tears along with their screams.

As the martial artists who had charged at the front all fell, wounded, the ones in the rear hesitated, just glancing at each other.

“What are you doing? Attack already.”

Go Yeon-su screamed at the top of her lungs, but the frightened martial artists couldn’t move easily.

In that time, Pyo Wol had gotten closer.

The terror on Go Yeon-su’s face deepened.

“Iik!”

She swung her sword spasmodically.

It was her Signature Technique, the Flower Shadow Thirteen Forms.

It was a martial art renowned for its elegant Sword Stance, like the shadow of a flower scattering in the wind. But the flower’s shadow did not scatter in the wind.

Peok!

A Ghostly Rain had pierced the hand she held her sword with.

“Aack!”

Go Yeon-su collapsed, screaming.

‘My god!’

Behind her, Eum Yujeong covered her mouth with her hand.

Eum Yujeong’s pupils trembled violently as if an earthquake had struck.

She couldn’t comprehend the situation unfolding inside the inn.

She had thought that with her Master, Go Yeon-su, and the disciples of the Sword Flower Pavilion, they might not be able to subdue Pyo Wol, but they could at least pressure him easily.

No matter how strong a martial artist was, there was a limit to what one could do alone, and according to the conventions of the Jianghu, intimidating a woman was not the way of a martial artist. But such conventions did not apply to Pyo Wol.

Go Yeon-su jerked her head up and glared at Pyo Wol.

“Do you think you can get away with this? Me… Keoheok!”

Puk!

At that moment, a Soul Restraining Thread pierced Go Yeon-su’s thigh.

Blood flowed from the pin-sized hole, soaking her clothes.

Go Yeon-su’s body trembled violently.

Only then did she realize.

Pyo Wol was different from any martial artist she had ever known.

The so-called ways or conventions of the Jianghu had no effect on Pyo Wol.

Go Yeon-su looked at her disciple.

“Yu-Yujeong! Help me.”

“Ma…ster!”

Eum Yujeong refused her master’s plea for help.

She turned her body to attempt an escape. But before she could take even two steps, she felt a fiery pain in her calf.

A Soul Restraining Thread had pierced her calf.

“Aaaack!”

She pitched forward in the middle of her run.

Jureureuk!

As Pyo Wol pulled the Soul Restraining Thread, Eum Yujeong’s body was dragged toward him.