Chapter 349

Pyo Wol packed his things and left the Inn.

His belongings were nothing more than a small bundle.

Phrrrr!

As Pyo Wol entered the stable, the horse snorted as if happy to see him. Perhaps because it had stayed in the stable the entire time Pyo Wol was at the Great Lake, the horse seemed to have gained some weight.

Pyo Wol patted the horse’s neck and then left the stable with it.

When he came out of the stable, an unexpected person was waiting for him.

“Are you leaving?”

The woman who spoke to Pyo Wol was none other than Jo Yuseol.

Jo Jakyung stood beside her, and Bok Hojin could be seen behind her back.

Bok Hojin had an expression that showed he had completely fallen for Jo Yuseol. The way he stood made him look just like Jo Yuseol’s Subordinate.

Pyo Wol asked Jo Yuseol.

“What is it?”

“I heard that Great Hero Pyo might be leaving, so I rushed over.”

“Why?”

“Can’t you just stay here? The offer I made before is still valid.”

“You have two other men to help you besides me.”

Pyo Wol’s gaze turned to Jo Jakyung and Bok Hojin.

Jo Jakyung said to Pyo Wol,

“First, I apologize for what happened the other day. I’m sorry. I misunderstood. I truly had no idea Igwang had committed such an atrocious act.”

His face was filled with genuine remorse.

Jo Jakyung had seen with his own two eyes the facility where Jo Igwang had raped and tortured women. Enraged, he had captured Jo Igwang’s trusted men and made them confess everything that had happened.

The story he heard from their mouths was so gruesome it made him want to vomit. He truly had no idea that Jo Igwang, a scion of a prestigious family, could have committed such horrific and cruel acts.

He felt pathetic, even miserable, for having fought Pyo Wol because of such a person. It was to the point where he couldn’t even look Pyo Wol straight in the eye.

Pyo Wol said,

“Then is the misunderstanding cleared up now?”

“It is! It’s been a while since I’ve been beaten, so my whole body aches, but my mind is clearer than ever. For the time being, I plan to stay by Yuseol’s side and clean up the mess caused by Igwang. That’s why I’d like you to join us.”

“I have something to do.”

“What is it? If you stay here, I’ll help you.”

“It’s something I must do alone.”

“Hmph!”

Jo Jakyung let out a groan.

If anyone else had said such a thing, he would have lopped off their head with his spear. But because it was Pyo Wol, he had no choice but to endure it.

The defeated have no say, and he had been thoroughly defeated by Pyo Wol with no room for excuses.

Pyo Wol’s gaze turned to Bok Hojin. At that, Bok Hojin stealthily turned his head, avoiding his gaze.

Pyo Wol didn’t bother to speak to him.

Jo Yuseol said with a disappointed expression,

“If you must leave, I can’t help it. But you won’t forget me, will you? Our relationship isn’t one that can be so easily forgotten. I’ll always be here. So if you ever think of me, come back anytime.”

“I will.”

When Pyo Wol nodded, Jo Yuseol’s expression brightened a little. But the look of disappointment still hadn’t vanished.

Seeing this, Bok Hojin clenched his fists.

‘That bastard…’

Just by looking at Jo Yuseol’s expression, he could tell what kind of relationship she had with Pyo Wol.

Yesterday, he had led his subordinates to find Jo Yuseol.

The moment he first saw Jo Yuseol, he fell for her at first sight. And he cursed Jo Igwang for hiding such a Noona until the very end without introducing her.

He had decided to willingly be on Jo Yuseol’s side. That was the reason he was standing behind her.

Bok Hojin clenched his teeth, suppressing his anger toward Pyo Wol.

His opponent was the Reaper.

He was not someone to be provoked rashly.

Even with full preparation, it might not be enough, so if he let his emotions get the better of him and provoked him, the repercussions would be endless. That was why he had no choice but to endure.

Jo Yuseol glanced at Bok Hojin.

Seeing Bok Hojin with his head bowed, swallowing his anger, she smiled faintly.

‘With this, he’ll become even more obsessed with me.’

It wasn’t very difficult to control an obsessed man as she pleased.

Although she couldn’t hold onto Pyo Wol, she had gained control over Bok Hojin, so it wasn’t a complete loss.

In Jiangsu Province, Bok Hojin’s influence was far greater, so it might even be for the better. That was why Jo Yuseol didn’t actively try to hold Pyo Wol back.

Pyo Wol mounted his horse without a word of farewell. Then, without looking back, he left Taihu’s Finest Hall.

＊＊＊

Pyo Wol left the Great Lake and headed south.

Perhaps because it had been a while since it could run to its heart’s content, the horse galloped at full speed. In fact, Pyo Wol had a hard time calming it down.

Horses were very delicate animals, and if left to run as they pleased, they would eventually break down. They had to be given adequate rest.

Pyo Wol rested once every Shichen, letting the horse rest. Thanks to Pyo Wol’s consideration, the horse had energy to spare even after running all day.

Pyo Wol found a suitable place to camp for the night before the sun set.

After spending a long time comfortably in an Inn, camping out felt unfamiliar. He could feel how much his body had become sluggish over the past few days.

Pyo Wol thought it was for the best.

Camping out like this would burn off all the sluggishness that had settled in his body.

Pyo Wol gathered some twigs and started a campfire.

Even though he was alone in the mountains, he didn’t feel scared at all.

Pyo Wol leaned his back against a rock and silently watched the blazing fire. Dinner was beef jerky that the Inn had packed for him.

As he chewed on the beef jerky, the night deepened.

Countless stars appeared in the dark sky. The stars, lighting up one by one, soon formed a great milky way. But Pyo Wol didn’t even glance at the stars, lost in his own thoughts.

‘Did he say the place where Hong Yushin went missing was Poyang Lake?’

The Great Lake, where Pyo Wol had stayed until now, boasted an enormous size, but it paled in comparison to Poyang Lake.

Poyang Lake, connected to the Yangtze River, was a transportation hub in itself. Not only the Yangtze River but also numerous large and small rivers were connected to it, and with well-developed land routes, countless people and goods spread throughout the Jianghu from here.

Frankly, it was by no means a good environment for tracking someone’s whereabouts.

Finding traces of Hong Yushin, who had disappeared long ago in such a crowded place, would not be easy. But the reason Pyo Wol had agreed to take on this task was because So Gyeoksan was involved.

After the performance, So Gyeoksan had left Runan with the Heavenly Flower Acrobatic Troupe. The fact that So Gyeoksan and Hong Yushin’s paths coincided could not be a coincidence.

Hong Yushin had definitely told Pyo Wol that he was tracking the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild. The fact that such a person was tracking So Gyeoksan was proof that So Gyeoksan had some connection to the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild.

‘Why did Gyeoksan go to Poyang Lake?’

Finding out why So Gyeoksan went to Poyang Lake was the top priority. He truly hadn’t expected to get entangled with So Gyeoksan like this again.

His mind was a mess.

Pyo Wol threw more dry branches into the fire. The campfire then burned even brighter.

It was then.

“Oh! There’s a light over there.”

“We’re saved now.”

Suddenly, voices broke the silence.

Pyo Wol frowned slightly and looked in the direction the voices came from.

A moment later, with a rustling sound, a man and a woman appeared through the darkness.

It was a middle-aged woman as plump as a ball and a middle-aged man as skinny as a bamboo stalk.

They rushed frantically toward the campfire Pyo Wol had made.

Upon arriving in front of the campfire, the two pleaded with Pyo Wol.

“Excuse me. We’re lost, so would it be alright if we imposed on you for a bit? We will surely repay this kindness.”

“Yes! Please. This man said he was confident with mountain paths, but we missed the time to set up camp and have been wandering the trails. I’ll treat you to some delicious food in return. Please let us impose on you here.”

“We beg you, Great Hero!”

The man was excessively deferential, while the plump woman was rather more confident.

After watching them for a moment, Pyo Wol opened his mouth.

“Are you a married couple?”

“That’s right. My name is Deng Mochang, and that old hag is my wife, Dai Juhwa. I don’t know what grudge we had in a past life to be suffering together like this.”

“Who’s the reason we’re suffering? If you hadn’t missed the time to set up camp, we wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.”

“Fine! It’s all my fault. It was me who suggested we take the mountain path, and it was me who said we should cross the mountain. But wasn’t that all because my wife pressured me?”

“So what? What are you going to do about it?”

“It’s just… that’s how it is…”

As Dai Juhwa’s voice grew louder, Deng Mochang’s shoulders slumped in contrast. He seemed to be a henpecked husband.

Dai Juhwa looked at Pyo Wol and said,

“Anyway, that’s our situation, so we’d like to impose on you.”

Her voice was quite husky, as if the man and woman had been switched. It was understandable why Deng Mochang couldn’t stand up to her.

Dai Juhwa said,

“Then I’ll take that as your permission.”

She plopped down by the campfire.

Deng Mochang, glancing at Pyo Wol, carefully sat down next to Dai Juhwa.

Dai Juhwa untied the bundle she was carrying on her back and placed a large pot over the campfire. Then, she put in dumplings and began to steam them.

The dumplings were the size of a child’s fist. Ten dumplings, each looking like it would be enough to fill a stomach, went in.

As the dumplings began to cook, a delicious smell spread through the mountains. But for some reason, Pyo Wol was frowning slightly as he looked at the dumplings and Dai Juhwa.

Just then, as if she felt Pyo Wol’s gaze, Dai Juhwa raised her head and grinned.

“You seem to like the smell too. Since you’ve given us a place to rest like this, I’ll share some dumplings with you.”

“You won’t regret it if you try them. My wife may not look it, but her cooking skills are the World’s best. Especially her skill in making dumplings is so amazing that no one can match it. Hehe!”

Deng Mochang was already drooling.

He rubbed his hands together, waiting for the dumplings to cook.

A short while later, when the dumplings were all cooked, Dai Juhwa took them out. She placed a few dumplings on a separate wooden plate and handed them to Pyo Wol.

“Have some. They should be quite delicious.”

“It’s fine. I ate a little while ago.”

“Don’t be like that, just try a little. It’s a heavenly taste you’ll never regret.”

“I told you. I already ate.”

“Hmph! Don’t regret it.”

Dai Juhwa glared at Pyo Wol with fierce eyes for a moment before taking the plate back.

Deng Mochang also added a word from the side.

“You’ll really regret it if you don’t eat.”

“It’s fine! He said he doesn’t want to eat, so why bother…”

“Tsk! Can’t be helped. We’ll just have to eat them ourselves.”

The two soon lost interest in Pyo Wol and began to eat the dumplings deliciously.

Slurp!

Every time they took a bite of a dumpling, the juices could be seen flowing out.

The two devoured the dumplings ravenously.

They even licked the juices that dripped between their fingers, as if it was a waste.

The dumplings were gone in an instant. Yet, the two still looked hungry, wearing disappointed expressions.

Deng Mochang asked cautiously,

“Is there any more? Wife.”

“You know, right? We’re out of ingredients. To make more dumplings, we need to get ingredients.”

“Ugh! To run out of ingredients at a time like this…”

“You should have worked more diligently.”

“How is that my fault? It’s because there was no work for a while.”

“Ugh! You good-for-nothing. Anyway, work hard from now on.”

“That’s why I came out to work hard.”

Deng Mochang said everything he wanted to say while still watching Dai Juhwa’s expression.

Dai Juhwa glared at her husband with a look of disapproval. She soon cleared away the pot and wooden bowls she had placed on the campfire.

Deng Mochang leaned his back against a rock and patted his stomach.

“Ah, that’s good! My wife’s dumplings are the best. With a full stomach and a warm body, I have nothing to envy in the world.”

“Hmph! To be satisfied with just that. What use is a man with such small dreams?”

“Whatever! I’m just going to follow my wife around for the rest of my life and get delicious food. That’s what makes me happiest.”

“Tch!”

Dai Juhwa snorted. But her expression showed she wasn’t displeased.

After watching Deng Mochang for a moment, Dai Juhwa shifted her gaze to Pyo Wol.

“By the way, Young Master, where are you going without any companions?”

“Poyang Lake!”

“Ah! Poyang Lake? I know it. But why are you going there? Do you know someone there?”

“Let’s just say I do.”

“But you’re quite fearless.”

“About what?”

“I’m talking about you camping alone in these mountains late at night. How can you camp alone, not knowing what might be in these mountains?”

“Why, is there something?”

“Well, now!”

Dai Juhwa trailed off her words strangely.

At that moment, Deng Mochang, who had been leaning against the rock, sat up straight.

He studied Pyo Wol’s face carefully and said,

“Come to think of it, our Young Master is really handsome. Most women wouldn’t dare boast of their beauty in front of you. How can his skin be so fine?”

“I know, right! It looks so tender.”

“Hehe! Looks delicious, doesn’t he?”

Deng Mochang licked his lips.