Chapter 410

Yong Seol Lan couldn’t sleep all night.

After tossing and turning for a long time, she eventually gave up on sleeping and stayed awake all night.

She got out of bed before the crack of dawn.

Pyo Wol and the Ghost King were not yet awake.

With their abilities, they would be able to sense her movements without even waking up.

Both of them possessed Martial Arts and senses that transcended human limits.

Yong Seol Lan went outside without worrying about waking them.

After a simple wash at the well, she picked up a hoe and headed to the fields.

Time flew by as she crouched in the field, pulling weeds.

By the time she came to her senses, the sun had risen over the mountain, dyeing the whole world red.

“Hoo!”

Yong Seol Lan straightened her back and took a deep breath.

She closed her eyes gently and performed Qi Circulation.

Although she had put down Martial Arts like swordsmanship, she never missed a single day of Qi Circulation.

It felt as if the hot Qi of the sun was entering her body with each breath.

Yong Seol Lan operated the Emei Sect’s Mind Method to properly refine the Qi entering her body.

A moment later, when she opened her eyes, Pyo Wol came into her view.

Pyo Wol, who had come out at some point, was staring intently at her.

Yong Seol Lan blushed and said,

“When did you come out?”

“A little while ago.”

“You must have seen me performing Qi Circulation.”

“Your Internal Power seems to have increased a lot compared to before.”

“I didn’t particularly intend to increase my Internal Power, but it just happened naturally as I practiced Qi Circulation out of habit.”

Pyo Wol nodded at Yong Seol Lan’s answer.

Pyo Wol, too, never missed a single day of Qi Circulation.

The Internal Energy accumulated through the Thunderbolt Soul Severing Mind Method was still steadily building up in his Dantian.

That was the nature of a Martial Artist.

Even if they didn’t hold a weapon, they always practiced Qi Circulation to prepare for any eventuality.

Yong Seol Lan might have put down her sword, but she had not yet given up on being a Martial Artist.

Though she herself was not aware of that fact.

Yong Seol Lan approached Pyo Wol.

Perhaps because she had been working since morning, Yong Seol Lan smelled of earth.

The captivating fragrance she once had was no longer there, but he thought this was much better.

“Wash up and wait just a little. I’ll have a meal ready in a moment.”

“Mm!”

Pyo Wol nodded and went to the well.

After drawing cold water for a quick wash, he returned to the house to find the Ghost King already awake and sitting at the table.

The Ghost King’s eyes and ears were still covered with a cloth. Nevertheless, he sensed Pyo Wol’s entrance.

“Have you washed up?”

“Why don’t you wash too?”

“I don’t need to. If I circulate my Internal Energy, the dirt naturally falls away.”

“Still, it can’t be as good as washing with water.”

“What’s so important about washing?”

“True!”

Pyo Wol nodded and sat down across from the Ghost King.

Inside the Thatched Hut, Yong Seol Lan was busy preparing a meal.

She only cooked new rice and brought out the leftover side dishes from yesterday.

Just like that, a full table was set, and the three of them began to eat.

In the middle of the meal, Yong Seol Lan asked Pyo Wol,

“How long will you be staying here?”

“We’re leaving today.”

“So soon? You’re not staying longer?”

“I don’t have that much time.”

Yong Seol Lan frowned slightly at Pyo Wol’s calm reply. But she quickly spoke as if it was nothing.

“Then it can’t be helped. If you happen to pass by this area again later, please stop by. I’ll still be here.”

“I will.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes!”

Yong Seol Lan’s expression brightened slightly at Pyo Wol’s firm answer.

It was then.

“Oh my! What is all this?”

“Everyone, come out and see.”

Suddenly, voices were heard from the village entrance.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Yong Seol Lan shot up from her seat.

“I’ll be right back. Please continue your meal.”

She ran outside without waiting for their reply.

All the villagers were gathered at the entrance.

“What’s going on?”

“Aigoo! Miss Yong!”

“What’s the matter?”

“Look at this. My goodness! Ju-yeong is…”

The village chief couldn’t finish his sentence.

His eyes were already turning red.

Yong Seol Lan looked in the direction the chief was pointing. There, she saw an object covered with a straw mat.

Yong Seol Lan instinctively realized that the object under the mat was a corpse.

The stench of death was seeping through the mat.

Yong Seol Lan knelt on one knee and lifted the mat. A body, already in a state of decomposition, was revealed.

It was a young man named Im Ju-yeong.

He was a young man who, like Yong Seol Lan, had settled down to live in the village.

He was naturally diligent and friendly to everyone, earning the trust of all the villagers.

“Didn’t he say he was going to the city a few days ago?”

“He did! The villagers pooled their money for him since he said he was going to buy plows and farming tools.”

Because the slash-and-burn village was so remote, one had to go to the city to get daily necessities. For that reason, it was common for villagers to ask someone going to the city to buy things for them.

This time was no different.

When the young and healthy Im Ju-yeong announced he was going to the city, the villagers gave him money and asked him to buy necessary items.

Im Ju-yeong had gladly agreed.

Yong Seol Lan had also asked him for something she needed.

She had been thinking it was strange that there was no news from him when it was time for him to return.

Yong Seol Lan examined Im Ju-yeong’s body closely.

The already decomposing body showed quite a few external injuries. Among them, the most fatal was a long stab wound on his side.

The decisive cause of death was someone stabbing Im Ju-yeong’s side with a sword.

“Where was the body found?”

“This fellow here says he found it about twenty li away while he was out hunting.”

The man the village chief pointed to was the only hunter in the village.

The man usually tilled the fields, and when he had spare time, he would roam the area with his arrows to hunt.

The deer or wild boars he caught were a precious source of nutrition for the villagers.

Yong Seol Lan said to the hunter,

“Could you guide me to where the body was found?”

“Of course.”

The hunter’s complexion was extremely dark as he answered.

This was the first time a member of this village had died.

Because it was such a small village, most of its members were as close as real siblings.

The hunter had thought of the deceased Im Ju-yeong as his own younger brother. Because of that, the sense of loss and anger he felt was immense.

Just as Yong Seol Lan and the hunter were about to leave the village.

“We’ll go with you.”

Pyo Wol’s voice was suddenly heard.

Turning her head, she saw Pyo Wol and the Ghost King, who had at some point lifted the mat and were looking at Im Ju-yeong’s body.

Yong Seol Lan said,

“You really don’t have to.”

“We have to pay for the meal we were given.”

“If you say so…”

Yong Seol Lan nodded.

She knew very well what a fearsome Assassin Pyo Wol was.

With his powers of observation and Tracking Art, finding the culprit would not be that difficult.

The four of them left the slash-and-burn village and moved towards the place where the body was found.

The body was discovered in a remote forest, far off the path. If the hunter hadn’t accidentally entered while chasing a wild boar, the body would never have been found.

“This is the place. Ju-yeong was lying here.”

The hunter pointed to the spot where Im Ju-yeong’s body was found, his face mournful.

Pyo Wol knelt on one knee and examined the spot where the body had been.

“At least three other people were here. One of them seems to have a large build, judging by the large and deep footprints. The one standing over here seems to have supported himself with a spear or a staff, and the one in that spot was wearing a sword.”

Pyo Wol deduced the build and weapons of the people who were here just from the traces left on the ground.

Yong Seol Lan’s expression turned serious.

“Then was he robbed?”

“It wasn’t a simple robbery.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Did you see the wounds on the body?”

“Yes! And?”

“The wounds are messy. They’re signs of being toyed with. If they were simply after his belongings or money, there’s no reason to play with him like that before killing him.”

“You mean they killed him for fun?”

“That’s what I think.”

“Who would do such a thing, and for what purpose?”

“I can’t tell that much from the traces left here.”

A considerable amount of time had passed, and many of the traces had disappeared. It was only because it was Pyo Wol that this much could be figured out. Others wouldn’t have been able to tell what happened or how many people were there even if they looked.

The same went for Yong Seol Lan.

Although her Martial Arts were profound, she was terrible at observing and deducing things like this.

Yong Seol Lan asked,

“Can you find them?”

Instead of answering, Pyo Wol looked around.

After examining the undergrowth for a long time, Pyo Wol’s eyes glinted.

He had found a trace hidden by a blade of grass.

“They came on horseback.”

“Common robbers came chasing him on horseback?”

Yong Seol Lan thought it didn’t make sense.

Being on horseback meant they had a certain degree of wealth. There was no reason for such people to chase, torment, and kill Im Ju-yeong.

The items Im Ju-yeong had bought were tools for daily life, not valuable objects.

“Can you tell where they went?”

“I can’t guarantee I can find them, but I can try to track them.”

“Then I’m counting on you.”

“Mm!”

Pyo Wol nodded.

He had intended to find them even if Yong Seol Lan hadn’t asked.

He had to repay his debt to her, but more than anything, the situation itself piqued his interest.

It was by no means a common occurrence for people on horseback to chase someone into such a remote area and kill them for sport.

Pyo Wol immediately began to follow the tracks.

Before following Pyo Wol, Yong Seol Lan said to the hunter,

“I’ll be back later, so please return to the village first.”

“Will you be alright?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Alright! Be careful, Miss Yong!”

“Yes! I will.”

Yong Seol Lan left the hunter behind and launched herself in the direction Pyo Wol had moved.

At the sight of Yong Seol Lan disappearing into a dot in an instant, the hunter let out an exclamation without realizing it.

“Huh! Truly amazing. I don’t know why such an incredible person is living in a remote place like our village.”

The hunter shook his head and returned to the village.

Although a lot of time had passed and the tracks were faint, Pyo Wol moved without hesitation.

When a large animal like a horse passes by, it inevitably leaves traces.

The traces were varied: hoof prints left on the ground, broken branches, crushed grass.

Pyo Wol didn’t miss a single one of these trivial traces that an ordinary person would pass by without a thought.

They ran like that for nearly two shichen.

Yong Seol Lan ran closely behind Pyo Wol, and the Ghost King followed at the very back.

Not only Pyo Wol and the Ghost King, but Yong Seol Lan was also a great Expert.

Despite running for a full two shichen, none of them showed any signs of fatigue.

It was then.

Pyo Wol, who was running at the front, suddenly slowed down.

Yong Seol Lan and the Ghost King reduced their speed to match his.

The place where Pyo Wol stopped was a low hill thick with bushes.

“Why…”

Yong Seol Lan was about to ask why but closed her mouth.

A group of people could be seen below the hill.

More than thirty men were scattered about, resting. And on one side, horses that seemed to belong to them were grazing.

“What the?”

Yong Seol Lan frowned.

There were over thirty horses grazing.

It meant that all the men had come on horseback.

Horses were extremely expensive and valuable creatures. They also cost a considerable amount to maintain.

All thirty men were riding these valuable creatures that couldn’t be maintained without financial backing.

It meant that they were no ordinary people.

The aura the men emanated was also anything but ordinary.

Yong Seol Lan asked cautiously,

“Are you saying the culprits are among them?”

“The tracks led to them.”

“Mm!”

Just then, the Ghost King, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“I smell something familiar from them.”