Chapter 43

After leaving Batang, Pyo Wol walked along the main road heading east.

All the main roads in Sichuan Province connected to Chengdu. Chengdu was the center where all the culture and goods of Sichuan gathered.

Pyo Wol’s destination was Chengdu.

He planned to go to Chengdu first and gather information about the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect.

Although seven years had passed, Pyo Wol had never forgotten his grudge against them for a single moment.

He could have hidden away and lived quietly.

It had already been seven years.

If Pyo Wol just kept it buried, no one would make an issue of it. Pyo Wol was already a person forgotten by the world.

If he just stayed still, he could live peacefully. But Pyo Wol couldn’t do that.

The world may have forgotten him, but he would never forget the past.

He had been trapped in darkness for fourteen years, forced to live a life less than human. That kind of past was not something one could easily forget.

Pyo Wol knew well that if he couldn’t shake off the past, he couldn’t take a single step toward the future.

Above all, Pyo Wol was not a person who forgot a grudge.

From the moment he was abducted by the Bloody Shadows Guild and forced to become an assassin, he had never forgotten that grudge for a single day.

Although the Bloody Shadows Guild had vanished from the world, the Emei Sect, which had provided the root cause, was still thriving.

Pyo Wol couldn’t just stand by and watch them live and eat well after having so skillfully used others.

Seolhyang and the courtesans didn’t know much about the Emei Sect. It was probably because Batang was on the outskirts of Sichuan Province, so proper information didn’t reach it.

That was why Pyo Wol left Batang after only six days and headed for Chengdu.

Pyo Wol did not hurry.

He wanted to fully take in the world he was seeing for the first time in a long while.

He walked as slowly as possible, taking in the surrounding scenery with his eyes.

After walking for a while, he felt hungry.

He found a suitable spot, sat down, and untied his bundle. A mess tin containing food made by the Red Sky Tower’s cook was revealed.

The bamboo mess tin held rice and simple side dishes. But something else caught Pyo Wol’s eye even more.

It was a banknote for thirty silver nyang and a few copper coins.

It seemed Geum Siyeon had packed them for his travel expenses.

Pyo Wol didn’t really know the value of thirty silver nyang.

Having been trapped in the underground cavern for fourteen years, his sense of money was inevitably dull.

Pyo Wol touched the banknote for a moment before putting it in his robe and starting his meal.

He had felt it while staying with Seolhyang, but the cook at the Red Sky Tower was exceptionally skilled.

Even the simple food had a deep flavor.

Thanks to that, Pyo Wol was able to enjoy a pleasant meal.

The thing he liked most after coming out into the world was being able to eat delicious meals to his heart’s content.

When he ate a delicious meal, Pyo Wol felt the reality that he, too, was human. When he was trapped in the second underground cavern and lived on nothing but snakes, he felt like he had become a snake himself.

Thanks to that, he had adapted and survived, but he had no desire to ever return to those days.

The soft texture of the rice in his mouth made him feel alive.

Pyo Wol chewed slowly, savoring the taste of the food.

A wind blew.

It was a fresh wind that could not be felt in the underground cavern.

Pyo Wol stopped eating and felt the wind.

A single gust of wind carried a wealth of information.

“It will rain soon.”

The wind was heavy with moisture, and it felt like a downpour could start at any moment. From the feel of it, it didn’t seem like a rain that would stop quickly.

Pyo Wol tidied up his things and stood up.

As he looked around for a place to take shelter from the rain, an abandoned Guan Yu Temple came into view.

The Guan Yu Temple was half-collapsed, as if it had been abandoned long ago. Still, it looked like it could provide shelter from the rain for a day.

Not long after Pyo Wol entered the Guan Yu Temple, the rain began to pour.

Patter! Patter!

Thick raindrops fell relentlessly on the roof.

Pyo Wol leaned against a pillar and watched the rain fall.

It had been a long time since he had seen such a refreshing downpour.

Pyo Wol closed his eyes and murmured.

“This is nice.”

The best thing about being in the outside world was being able to feel change.

In the underground cavern, almost nothing changed.

It was a continuation of the same life, the same environment.

There was no sense of time passing, and one could certainly not expect any kind of change.

The outside world, on the other hand, was different.

Every day was different. It might seem like a series of similar days, but no two days were ever the same.

Pyo Wol suddenly thought it would be nice to have some alcohol. But for an assassin, alcohol was forbidden.

Alcohol dulled the nerves and slowed physical reactions.

It was then.

Splash! Splash!

The sound of footsteps reached Pyo Wol’s ears.

Someone was approaching, trudging through the rain.

After a while, someone entered the entrance of the Guan Yu Temple.

“Aish! What is this? I’m completely soaked.”

“That’s why I told you to hurry, you wench. This is all because you were dawdling.”

“Amitabha! Fortunately, we found the Guan Yu Temple, so please stop fighting.”

The combination of those who entered the Guan Yu Temple, looking like drowned rats, was quite peculiar.

A woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, a Daoist priest who looked to be in his early sixties, and a middle-aged monk. The three, who didn’t seem to match at all, had rushed in to escape the rain.

As soon as she entered the Guan Yu Temple, the woman lifted the hem of her clothes and shouted at the old Daoist priest.

“Even my underwear is soaked. What are you going to do? Daoshi Go. What are you going to do?”

“Why are you asking me? Is it my fault your clothes are wet?”

“Isn’t it because Daoshi Go got us lost? So Daoshi Go should take responsibility.”

“Dammit!”

At the woman’s bizarre logic, Daoshi Go turned his head away.

The middle-aged monk shook his head at their argument and muttered.

“Amitabha! Oh, most compassionate and merciful Buddha. Why do you give me such a trial? To be traveling with these two of all people.”

“Oh? Anyone would think you’re normal, you damn monk. You’re no better.”

The woman’s next target was the middle-aged monk.

At her attack, the monk squeezed his eyes shut and gave up resisting. Only then did a satisfied smile appear on the woman’s face.

“Don’t mess with me.”

The woman put her hands on her hips with a triumphant expression. In that pose, she looked utterly bewitching.

Her clothes were soaked with rain, revealing her curvaceous figure, and the clothes themselves were quite revealing to begin with.

With her cleavage clearly visible and the wet clothes clinging to her body, her sex appeal exploded.

As the woman looked around the Guan Yu Temple, a strange light flickered in her eyes.

“Oh my? There was someone here before us.”

She had belatedly discovered Pyo Wol, who was sitting leaning against a pillar.

At her words, the Daoist priest and the monk looked at Pyo Wol.

“Oho! Someone was here before us.”

“Amitabha!”

“He’s such a handsome Orabeoni. To meet such a handsome man in a mountain like this. For such luck to find me.”

“That’s all luck you found because I got lost. You should be grateful to me.”

“Shut it.”

“Amitabha! Amitabha! When on earth will this trial end?”

The three were still as noisy as ever.

The woman approached Pyo Wol.

“Hello! Handsome Orabeoni. It must be fate that we’re staying under the same roof, so let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Ranju, Heo Ranju! And you, Orabeoni?”

“Pyo Wol.”

“Oh my! Even your name is cool.”

Seeing Heo Ranju’s eyes sparkle, Daoshi Go shook his head.

“That wench, there she goes again. She can’t control herself whenever she sees a handsome man.”

“Even so, he is truly handsome. Enough to make a man fall for him.”

“Damn it! Isn’t his very existence a nuisance at this point? He’s disgustingly handsome.”

Though his words were rough, Daoshi Go couldn’t hide his admiration.

The man before them was that handsome. Beyond just being handsome, he exuded a mysterious aura.

It was understandable why Heo Ranju was making such a fuss.

She was fawning over Pyo Wol as if she would give him her liver and gallbladder.

“By the way, handsome Orabeoni, where are you headed?”

“Chengdu.”

“What a coincidence. We’re going to Chengdu too. We can go together. Right? We can save on travel expenses, we won’t be bored, and even better things might happen if you go with me.”

Heo Ranju winked. At her gesture, Daoshi Go made a face as if he were about to vomit.

Heo Ranju flared up and gestured with her hand.

“Stop your nonsense over there and come say hello to this handsome Orabeoni.”

“He looks younger than you, so why are you calling him Orabeoni?”

“If you’re handsome, you’re an Orabeoni. Both of you, hurry up and come over here.”

Daoshi Go and the monk approached Pyo Wol with expressions of resignation. Then, Heo Ranju introduced both sides.

“You heard, right? This handsome Orabeoni is Pyo Wol. This is Daoshi Go. He’s a Daoist priest, and his surname is Go. So, Daoshi Go. This damn monk is Hyeolseung. He’s a monk, but he can’t recite a single sutra.”

“Nice to meet you. Call me Daoshi Go.”

“Amitabha! I am Hyeolseung.”

Daoshi Go and Hyeolseung greeted Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol stared intently at their faces before opening his mouth.

“Pyo Wol.”

“Handsome Young Hero Pyo, what is your martial sect?”

“I don’t have one.”

“You don’t have a martial sect?”

“Why, is there a problem?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Daoshi Go studied Pyo Wol carefully.

He had a smooth physique without a single prominent muscle.

It was hard to see it as the body of someone who had learned martial arts. But Daoshi Go was not fooled by such appearances.

‘He’s clearly learned martial arts, but I can’t tell what his level is.’

Daoshi Go had a great deal of experience in the Jianghu.

Although they bickered and fought every moment, Heo Ranju had practically been raised by him.

‘That wench may have a nasty temper, but her martial arts are outstanding. But I can’t figure out this guy’s level at all.’

One couldn’t show such composure in front of strangers without having learned martial arts. He must be confident in his own martial arts, which was why he wasn’t intimidated by strangers.

The problem was that he couldn’t gauge Pyo Wol’s level.

Daoshi Go looked at Hyeolseung.

They understood each other with a single glance.

Hyeolseung knew what Daoshi Go’s gaze meant.

He shrugged his shoulders. It meant that he, too, couldn’t gauge Pyo Wol’s martial arts.

‘Well, well! I’ve met a more interesting fellow than I thought.’

Daoshi Go’s eyes sparkled.

“Did you say you’re going to Chengdu? What’s taking you there?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t be like that, let’s be friends. If we get close, the long journey won’t be boring.”

Daoshi Go affably sat down next to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol looked at Daoshi Go, Heo Ranju, and Hyeolseung without any change in expression.

Heo Ranju was one thing, but Daoshi Go’s affability was also beyond ordinary.

Anyone else would not dare to approach if Pyo Wol treated them so coldly, but these people didn’t care.

They showed no sign of anger, let alone shame.

It meant their mental cultivation was either that great or that firm.

‘Experts! And ones trained in group combat…’

On the surface, it seemed as though Heo Ranju carried no weapon. But Pyo Wol recognized that the black object wrapped around her waist like a belt was a whip.

Its glossy appearance and taut texture indicated that the material of the whip was extraordinary.

Daoshi Go carried a sword on his back, and Hyeolseung leaned on a Buddhist staff with rings.

Since their weapons were different, it was natural that the martial arts they learned were also different. Yet, the reason Pyo Wol thought they had learned group combat was that the positions they naturally took were optimal for a coordinated attack.

They hadn’t intentionally chosen those positions. It was ingrained in their bodies from long repetition.

‘The center of this group is Heo Ranju.’

On the surface, the three seemed to be on equal footing, but upon closer inspection, one could see that Heo Ranju held the initiative.

Daoshi Go and Hyeolseung, while grumbling, faithfully followed her words.

They were accustomed to discipline. And they were thoroughly united around Heo Ranju. But looking at Heo Ranju, she didn’t seem to have the disposition of a leader.

‘There’s someone else. A being who imposed a strong discipline on them. Daoshi Go and Hyeolseung follow that being.’

Pyo Wol found it interesting.

Heo Ranju was one thing, but the free-spirited nature of Daoshi Go and Hyeolseung also seemed considerable. A being who could make three such people adhere to discipline must possess strong leadership or formidable martial power.

‘Or perhaps both.’

As it happened, their destination was also Chengdu.

In that case, if he went to Chengdu, he would naturally find out who the one leading them was.

Heo Ranju chattered.

“How about it? Handsome Orabeoni. Traveling with us. I’ll treat you really well.”

“Let’s go together.”

“Huh, really?”

At Pyo Wol’s unexpected answer, Heo Ranju blinked her eyes.

A look of bewilderment was evident on her face.