Chapter 372

The blood So Gyeoksan spat out drenched Lee Ho-gwan’s face in red.

Lee Ho-gwan’s eyes widened as he glared at So Gyeoksan.

“Kuh! You… demon…”

“I’m not the real demon. Compared to him, I’m nothing more than a bat wandering aimlessly in the dark.”

“Him?”

Lee Ho-gwan’s gaze shifted to Pyo Wol, who was approaching from behind So Gyeoksan.

So Gyeoksan smiled, revealing teeth stained red with blood.

“Yes, him! He is true terror.”

“Kuh… huuh!”

Lee Ho-gwan tried to say something, but only the sound of escaping air came out.

So Gyeoksan stared for a long time into Lee Ho-gwan’s eyes as life drained from them. His own pupils were filled with madness.

Finally, Lee Ho-gwan’s breath stopped, and he collapsed.

At the same time, So Gyeoksan collapsed as well.

“Heok! Heok!”

He lay on Lee Ho-gwan’s corpse, gasping for breath.

Having pushed his incomplete body to its limits, it felt like his entire being was shattering.

He had been driven by hatred and madness.

By exploding everything in a single burst, he had exhausted all his physical and mental strength.

He didn’t even have the strength to lift a single finger.

If an enemy were to appear at this moment, he would be a dead man. But So Gyeoksan wasn’t worried.

Because above his head, the real demon, Pyo Wol, had revealed himself.

Pyo Wol looked down at him and said.

“How long do you plan on lying there?”

“Can’t you see I’m on the verge of kicking the bucket?”

“If you’re going to whine that much, just keep lying there.”

“Son of a bitch!”

So Gyeoksan cursed and pushed himself up.

The simple act of raising his upper body made his entire frame scream in protest. Still, So Gyeoksan endured it and got up.

He would rather die than show any more weakness to Pyo Wol.

Hong Yushin supported the staggering So Gyeoksan.

Normally, he would have coldly pushed him away, but So Gyeoksan didn’t even have the strength to refuse the help.

Leaning on Hong Yushin’s shoulder, So Gyeoksan said.

“It was you. The one who followed me from Runan…”

Although he hadn’t seen Hong Yushin’s face, he clearly remembered his Qi Sense, which had been revealed from time to time.

“Thanks to you, I had one hell of an experience.”

“Hehe! It truly is a hellish place.”

Since both men had been trapped in the Jade of No Regret, a common ground was formed.

That was why these two, who would have been like oil and water, unable to mix before entering this place, now acknowledged each other.

Yoo Soo-hwan understood how they felt.

Though their circumstances were different, the single fact that they had been trapped in this hellish place was enough for them to acknowledge and understand each other.

It was then.

Kwaang!

Suddenly, the iron door leading to the underground cavern was shattered with a deafening roar.

Beyond the broken door, a man with a massive build could be seen.

The man, wearing gauntlets on both fists, was none other than Gu Jahwang, the master of the Jade of No Regret.

Gu Jahwang’s gaze fell upon Lee Ho-gwan, who was lying on the floor.

Even upon seeing the breathless Lee Ho-gwan, Gu Jahwang’s expression barely changed.

Lee Ho-gwan had been nothing more than bait to lure out the rat that had secretly infiltrated.

The opponent was skilled enough to neutralize the iron-clad security and infiltrate. If such a skilled person decided to use Stealth, finding them would not be easy. That was why he hadn’t stopped Lee Ho-gwan when he offered to help.

Lee Ho-gwan had felt a sense of rivalry toward Gu Jahwang, but conversely, Gu Jahwang had never once considered Lee Ho-gwan to be his equal.

The rivalry was one-sided on Lee Ho-gwan’s part; in reality, Gu Jahwang’s Martial Arts were far superior.

It was no accident that he had become the master of the Jade of No Regret.

He reigned as the master of the Jade of No Regret because he possessed the necessary Martial Arts and abilities.

His gaze turned to Pyo Wol.

“So it was you! The rat who snuck in.”

“…”

“I don’t know how you managed to hide in here, but you will never see the light of day again.”

Hwiik!

At that moment, Gu Jahwang’s Subordinates all threw their torches into the Cave where Pyo Wol and the others were.

Dozens of torches lit up the inside of the Cave as if it were broad daylight.

It was a move to block off any place for Pyo Wol to hide.

Gu Jahwang radiated Killing intent and said.

“Go on, try to hide this time, you rat.”

Kuuu!

The air in the cavern shimmered from his Killing intent.

“Umm!”

“Keuk!”

Yoo Soo-hwan and Hong Yushin let out groans.

Normally, they could have withstood the Killing intent without issue, but they were now in an extremely weakened state.

The two men’s faces turned deathly pale, and So Gyeoksan even vomited blood. If this continued for just a little longer, their lives would be in danger.

At that moment, Pyo Wol stepped in front of the three men, blocking Gu Jahwang’s Killing intent.

“A pretty-faced rat, as beautiful as a woman. It would be a sight to see if I threw you to the boys.”

“Did you say you were the master of the Jade of No Regret?”

“Who gave you permission to open your mouth? Until I allow it, do not speak, do not even breathe.”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you? It seems you’ve only learned the bad things from the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild.”

“What?”

In an instant, Gu Jahwang’s expression hardened.

It was the face of someone who had been dealt an unexpected blow.

The words that came from Pyo Wol’s mouth had momentarily bewildered him.

Soon, his face twisted into a demonic mask.

“Where did you hear that name?”

“So it was the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild after all.”

“I asked where you heard it.”

Woong-woong-woong!

Gu Jahwang’s Lion’s Roar echoed throughout the Cave.

The roar, reverberating off the cave walls, was greatly amplified.

Unable to withstand it, the three men, excluding Pyo Wol, fell to their knees.

“Keuk!”

Blood trickled from their ears. The Lion’s Roar had ruptured their eardrums.

The fact that the Jade of No Regret was operated by the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild was a top secret among top secrets.

Even Gu Jahwang’s own Subordinates were hearing the name Nine Dragons Assassination Guild for the first time today.

He couldn’t help but be dumbfounded that Pyo Wol was speaking of such a secret so freely.

Gu Jahwang glared at Pyo Wol with terrifying eyes.

The more he stared, the more Pyo Wol’s pale white face stood out.

An alien face that was particularly prominent even in the deep darkness.

At that moment, Gu Jahwang recalled a name he had once heard.

“Pyo Wol! You’re Pyo Wol.”

His Killing intent amplified even further.

Pyo Wol was the greatest adversary of the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild.

Because of him, their grand plan in Runan had suffered a major blow, and their renowned strategist, Lee Yul, had experienced a great failure.

It was the first time they had suffered such a heavy blow since uniting under the name of the Nine Dragons.

The Jade of No Regret was one of the footholds the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild had established in the Jianghu.

The Jade of No Regret did the dirty work that the powerful figures of the Jianghu were reluctant to do themselves.

It didn’t bring in much money right now, and a single misstep could lead to them being branded as public enemies of the Jianghu, but in return, they could see the shameful secrets of the powerful as clearly as the lines on their palms.

Once enough of that information was gathered, they would one day be able to move the powerful at will.

The Jade of No Regret was operated with such a purpose.

The moment its secret was leaked, it would lose its reason for existence and inevitably become a public enemy of the Jianghu.

Such a situation had to be prevented at all costs.

Seeing Gu Jahwang’s flustered expression, Pyo Wol was certain his guess was correct.

No matter how he thought about it, the only group in the Jianghu that could operate a Thunder Prison so secretly was the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild.

They were meticulously growing their power in the shadows, outside of people’s sight.

There was no telling how far their influence extended.

Pyo Wol looked at Gu Jahwang and muttered.

“It must be fate.”

“What?”

“Seeing as we keep clashing like this, it seems I’m fated to fight you.”

“What kind of crazy nonsense are you…”

Kwaaaa!

Gu Jahwang unleashed a Lion’s Roar and threw a punch.

Whirlwind Strike.

It was an Ultimate Technique that maximized destructive power by rotating Qi in the fist.

As if to prove its power, the Cave shook as if it would collapse at any moment.

Kwaaang!

The Whirlwind Strike slammed into the ground, carving out a large crater and causing stalactites to rain down.

It was truly a formidable power.

However, Gu Jahwang’s expression was not good.

He hadn’t felt any impact in his hand.

Pyo Wol had vanished without a trace.

Even though dozens of torches were illuminating every corner of the Cave, not even a shadow of Pyo Wol could be found, let alone his whereabouts.

Gu Jahwang’s gaze sank even deeper.

Only then did he remember that his opponent’s foundation was that of an Assassin.

A fight in this kind of darkness was undoubtedly what Pyo Wol did best.

The torches illuminated every corner of the Cave, but shadows were bound to exist nonetheless. Pyo Wol used those shadows as his hiding place.

He shouted.

“Everyone, watch your backs. He will definitely launch an Ambush Attack.”

“Yes!”

His Subordinates responded and moved in perfect unison to form a defensive square. They pressed their backs against each other to prepare for a surprise attack.

That sight alone showed how well-trained they were.

An average Martial Artist wouldn’t even dare to try and get between them.

The only problem was that their opponent was Pyo Wol.

“Kraak!”

Suddenly, one of the Martial Artists forming the square was snatched into the air with a scream. Pyo Wol had used the Soul Restraining Thread to snare his neck.

The eyes of the Martial Artist who saw his comrade, who had been right beside him, get reeled in like a fish, wavered.

The Martial Artists’ gazes turned to the empty air where their comrade had disappeared.

The torches illuminated the floor and walls, but they couldn’t perfectly light up the ceiling of the underground cavern.

The rows of stalactites cast long shadows in the light.

The problem was that the shadows they cast were incredibly vast.

The thought that Pyo Wol was hiding somewhere up there, aiming for them, was bone-chilling.

It was then.

Puhwaak!

Suddenly, a damp liquid rained down from the air.

“What?”

“What is this…”

The Martial Artists reflexively touched the liquid drenching their faces and were startled.

“Blood?”

The liquid, reeking of the metallic Blood Scent, was definitely blood.

There was no need to ask whose blood it was.

Thud!

A headless corpse fell from the air.

The corpse, with its throat slit wide and tongue lolling out, was the comrade who had been snatched away by Pyo Wol just moments ago.

“Yiik!”

“You bastard!”

Enraged by their comrade’s death, the Martial Artists swung their weapons toward the ceiling.

Swords clad in Sword Qi furiously sliced through the air, but they didn’t even reach the ceiling.

“Chaaat!”

Unable to watch any longer, Gu Jahwang launched a Whirlwind Strike at the ceiling where the corpse had fallen.

Kwaaang!

With a boom, stalactites rained down. But there was no sign of Pyo Wol.

“Keok!”

Instead, another Martial Artist was snatched away.

It was from a spot quite far from where Gu Jahwang had attacked.

“Chae Hong!”

“Get him!”

The Martial Artists shouted their vanished comrade’s name and rushed over. But by then, he had already completely disappeared into the darkness.

“Give Chae Hong back!”

Gu Jahwang roared and threw a punch.

Peok!

Fortunately, this time he heard the sound of tearing flesh.

It was the sound of hitting flesh, not the mineral substance of stalactites.

‘Got him.’

Just as Gu Jahwang was inwardly celebrating.

Puhwaak!

Blood and flesh rained down.

The moment they identified the corpse that had been blown to pieces, Gu Jahwang and the Martial Artists froze.

“Chae Hong!”

The body that had been shattered by Gu Jahwang’s blow was the very Martial Artist Pyo Wol had captured.

Abominably, Pyo Wol had used the Martial Artist he had snatched as a shield.

“You baaastard!”

Enraged, Gu Jahwang used all his Internal Energy to unleash a Lion’s Roar.

Hwoooong!

The enclosed space amplified the Lion’s Roar.

“Keuk!”

“M-Master!”

Gu Jahwang’s Subordinates clutched their ears in agony. Still, Gu Jahwang did not stop the Lion’s Roar.

He had instinctively realized that if he let Pyo Wol run rampant any longer, the situation would become uncontrollable.

His judgment was excellent.

His only misfortune was that his opponent was Pyo Wol.

He used his Internal Power to protect his ears from the effects of the Lion’s Roar.

Gu Jahwang and his Subordinates couldn’t see him, but in Pyo Wol’s eyes, their chaotic movements were clearly visible.

They didn’t know.

This place was a battlefield made for Pyo Wol.

And now, he would let them know that fact.

Ten strands of the Soul Restraining Thread unspooled from Pyo Wol’s fingers.

Pupupuk