Chapter 431

If one were to describe Pyo Wol’s daily life at Red Pine Manor in a single phrase, it would be ‘a life of idleness.’

He did nothing.

He paid no attention to outside affairs, nor did he do anything at all.

He didn’t even step outside of Red Pine Manor.

He holed himself up in Red Pine Manor all day, resting.

Guian and Eun-yo understood him.

Considering his known exploits in Jianghu, it was only natural that he would be exhausted.

After such a grueling march, his body might have been fine, but his mental fatigue must have reached its peak.

At times like this, the best thing to do was to rest without thinking about anything.

Knowing this, the two of them didn’t bother Pyo Wol after the first day.

The one who was excited was Do Yeon-san.

Guian and Eun-yo genuinely cared for Do Yeon-san, and Do Yeon-san followed them, calling them his brother and Noona.

Perhaps because they were of a similar age and thought alike, they got along well.

They quickly became as close as blood siblings and went out frequently.

Today, too, Do Yeon-san and Eun-yo had gone out to Chengdu.

Pyo Wol sat alone in the tranquil courtyard of Red Pine Manor, gazing ahead.

Red Pine Manor was situated in the most strategic location on Xintian Road.

While the inside of Red Pine Manor was not visible from the outside, its courtyard offered a view of Xintian Road and the entirety of Chengdu.

Just then, Go Chonggwan approached cautiously, holding a tray.

On the tray were a teapot and a teacup. Inside the teapot was tea that Go Chonggwan had brewed with great care.

Go Chonggwan bowed his head to Pyo Wol, then placed the teapot and teacup on the table.

When Pyo Wol gave a slight nod, Go Chonggwan bowed his head once more in greeting before withdrawing.

Pyo Wol filled the teacup to the brim and brought it to his lips.

The fragrant scent of the tea pleased his nose.

He had roamed Jianghu for quite a long time, but he had never seen anyone who could brew tea as deliciously as Go Chongggwan.

As he took a sip of the tea, a refreshing energy filled his mouth.

Pyo Wol closed his eyes and savored the taste of the tea.

A breeze blew, caressing Pyo Wol’s entire body.

At that moment, Ghost Fang crawled out from Pyo Wol’s robes.

Coiling itself on the table, Ghost Fang, like Pyo Wol, bathed its whole body in the sunlight and the wind.

Not thinking about anything, not doing anything.

Simply enjoying this present moment to the fullest.

To Pyo Wol, moments like this were incredibly precious.

Ever since he was raised as an Assassin, he had never had a single day of peace.

He always had to be on guard, always had to think desperately.

He was like a tightly drawn bowstring.

Ready to be fired at any moment the string was released.

However, a tightly drawn bowstring is bound to eventually snap, or lose its elasticity and go slack.

Only with adequate rest could it maintain its elasticity and sharpness.

Pyo Wol had been feeling this fact recently.

Even while resting without a single thought, his senses grew sharper, and his Internal Power increased.

His muscles, weary from consecutive fierce battles, were once again filled with vitality.

Pyo Wol sank deep into his chair, enjoying the present moment.

He only showed movement when the sun was beginning to set beyond the western mountains.

As Pyo Wol extended his hand, Ghost Fang slithered into his sleeve.

It was then.

“Brother!”

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the courtyard.

When Pyo Wol turned around, a familiar face was huffing and puffing as he looked at him.

In that instant, the corners of Pyo Wol’s mouth drew a curve and rose.

The man, snorting like an angry wild boar, was also one of those he had missed.

“Sochu!”

“Brother!”

The man who shouted and embraced Pyo Wol was none other than Tang Sochu.

Pyo Wol pushed Tang Sochu away and asked.

“Have you been well?”

“Me? I’m always well. Are you okay, brother?”

“As you can see!”

At Pyo Wol’s answer, Tang Sochu scanned his entire body.

When he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with Pyo Wol’s body, a look of relief appeared on his face.

“Thank goodness.”

“I heard you went independent again. Is that true?”

“Yeah!”

Tang Sochu nodded.

He had stayed at Red Pine Manor for a while to avoid threats. But the space was so cramped that there were limits to proper production.

In the end, he took the risk and opened a new workshop in an alley behind Xintian Road.

His only comfort was that Red Pine Manor was nearby, so he could get help quickly in an emergency.

Tang Sochu glanced at Pyo Wol and said.

“Should I… move back into Red Pine Manor?”

“There’s no need. I’ve taken care of everything.”

“Really?”

“Yes! There will be no one to threaten you anymore.”

Tang Sochu’s eyes widened.

He knew better than anyone that Pyo Wol was not a man to lie or speak in vain.

“What a relief.”

A bright smile graced his face.

Now that all threats were gone, he could truly focus on his work.

That alone was a great gift to Tang Sochu.

“Wait a moment!”

As if he had suddenly remembered something, Pyo Wol went into his room.

A moment later, when he came back out, he was holding a dark stone chunk. It was the meteorite he had obtained on his way here.

He handed the meteorite to Tang Sochu and said.

“I found this by chance. It seems to react quite sensitively to Qi.”

“Let me see. This looks like meteoric iron.”

“That’s right! You knew just by looking.”

“This is incredibly hard to find…”

Tang Sochu caressed the meteorite, his expression filled with admiration.

As a master craftsman himself, he knew the value of the meteorite better than anyone.

As he touched the meteorite, the thought of wanting to smelt it right away dominated his mind.

Pyo Wol said.

“Can you make a Wrist Guard with this?”

“Can I? Are you kidding me? Brother, I’m Tang Sochu. Of course, I can.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you. If there’s any meteorite left over, use it as you please.”

“Thanks, brother!”

Having obtained a rare material, inspiration began to well up.

Tang Sochu hugged the meteorite tightly to his chest and said.

“Brother, let’s catch up later.”

There was no need to say the rest.

As Pyo Wol nodded, Tang Sochu ran off like the wind.

Left alone, Pyo Wol looked around for a moment before heading into the basement of Red Pine Manor.

As he entered the passage to the basement, luminous pearls lit the path before him.

Srrrrng!

The sound of a Mechanism moving was heard from within the wall.

Pyo Wol knew it was the sound of the Mechanism being disarmed.

After walking down the corridor for a long time, his destination appeared.

It was a secret chamber blocked by a heavy iron door.

As Pyo Wol approached, the iron door opened by itself.

“Welcome, brother!”

The one who greeted Pyo Wol inside the secret chamber was none other than Guian.

“I knew you’d be in here.”

“You know I don’t like going outside.”

“Right! You’re particularly fond of this place.”

“Even from here, I can see everything that happens in Chengdu as if I’m reading my own palm.”

“It seems you’ve set up an information network to the level you wanted.”

“I’m confident that, at least in Chengdu, I have an information network far superior to the Hao Clan.”

“That’s amazing.”

At Pyo Wol’s praise, Guian smiled brightly.

Indeed, Guian had established a dense, net-like information network throughout Chengdu. And that network was expanding to the cities near Chengdu.

Thanks to this, he knew what was happening in and around Chengdu as if he were reading his own palm, even while sitting still.

“Don’t you feel suffocated?”

“You know, right? I’m comfortable here. The outside is too troublesome. Too much information torments me.”

After receiving the Great Method at the Small Thunder Sound Temple, the limits of Guian’s brain had disappeared. Even when he was still, too much information poured in in real-time, tiring his brain.

That was why he could only rest comfortably in a space like this, completely sealed off on all Four Rooms.

“What about Yeon-san and Eun-yo?”

“Let’s see, information came in half a quarter-hour ago that they were seen on the North Road of Chengdu.”

“Looks like the two of them get along well.”

“Yeon-san likes Eun-yo.”

“Is that so? What about Eun-yo?”

“Eun-yo doesn’t seem to dislike him either.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Me? I have no feelings for Eun-yo.”

Guian let out a smirk.

He couldn’t feel any particular emotion not only for Eun-yo but for any woman. It was due to the influence of the Great Method he received at the Small Thunder Sound Temple.

The Great Method had removed the limits of his brain, but in return, it had made him lose the essential emotions a human should have. Because of that, he felt no particular excitement even when seeing beautiful women.

It was then.

Thud!

A rolled-up note came down through a small tube connected to the outside.

Guian, who was reading the note, smirked and passed it to Pyo Wol.

“Read it, brother!”

“What is it?”

“You’ll know when you read it.”

The note detailed the current movements of the Great Pearl Trading Company.

“Looks like they’re happily buying up goods, riding on the coattails of your reputation, brother.”

“What about it?”

“Isn’t it funny? Their only connection to you, brother, is the few days they spent coming here with you. To receive such treatment with just that connection. It’s proof of how much the influential figures of Chengdu fear you.”

Since entering Chengdu, Pyo Wol had not engaged in any external activities. Yet, the influential and powerful figures of Chengdu were only watching Pyo Wol’s every move.

Among them were those who tried to establish a connection with Pyo Wol in any way they could. A few of them were trying to get a line to Pyo Wol by bestowing benefits upon the Great Pearl Trading Company.

Guian thought their efforts were futile.

Pyo Wol was not a person who would pay attention to those who approached him in such a way. He couldn’t understand why they didn’t know that such a false connection could not move Pyo Wol.

Fwoosh!

Pyo Wol ignited the Samadhi True Fire and burned the note.

There was no need to read it further.

Before leaving, Pyo Wol asked one last question.

“By the way, is there any news of Soma?”

“None at all!”

“Not a single letter?”

“Nope! Since the Wudang Sect has its gates tightly shut, it’s not easy to get news.”

If it had been the Emei Sect or the Qingcheng Sect, it would have been easier to find out their internal affairs. The Wudang Sect was too far from Chengdu for Guian’s information network to reach.

He could get news from inside the Wudang Sect through the Hao Clan, but doing so would expose the information network in Chengdu that Guian had painstakingly built.

That was something neither Pyo Wol nor Guian wanted.

An information network wields its greatest power when it is hidden. A revealed network is bound to be checked by many.

The Hao Clan was such a case.

For that reason, the Hao Clan delved deeper into the shadows. Still, many people tried to grasp their movements.

Thanks to their vast human resources, they were still gathering information without much trouble, but it couldn’t be guaranteed that the quality of the information gathered was good.

“If there are any Trading Companys or Escort Agencys coming from Hubei province, where the Wudang Sect is, I’ll look into it.”

“Alright!”

Just as Pyo Wol nodded.

Thud!

Another rolled-up note came through the tube.

“Hold on!”

Guian asked for Pyo Wol’s indulgence, then unfolded and read the note.

His face grew more and more serious as he read it.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Pyo Wol asked.

“What is it?”

“Uh, it seems something has happened at Myriad Flower Pavilion.”

“Myriad Flower Pavilion?”

“It’s one of the Brothels that Eun-yo runs.”

“Is that so?”

Eun-yo secretly operated many Brothels in Chengdu.

She ran them on purpose because Brothels were the best places to extract information from men.

The information obtained from the Brothels was delivered to Guian without exception. By comparing the vast amount of information that came in, Guian deduced the truth.

Even if it was an insignificant Brothel, it was very precious to him.

“Where’s Eun-yo?”

“She’s on the North Road, so she probably doesn’t know that something happened at Myriad Flower Pavilion.”

“Then I’ll go.”

“You’ll go yourself, brother? Weren’t you resting?”

“I was just about to start moving again. This is good. I’ll go. Just tell me the location.”

“Okay!”