Chapter 438

The remnants of the molar were sticky.

Because it was a mixture of saliva and poison.

“It’s not a real molar.”

“Did they hide a Poison Pill in a fake molar?”

“That’s right!”

“So they committed suicide by biting down on the molar as soon as they were locked in the Solitary Cell? They didn’t seem like such resolute people.”

“The material of the molar itself was made of something that dissolves in saliva. It probably dissolved after a certain amount of time in their mouths, exposing the Poison Pill on its own.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, does it? If it was made of such a material, how did it not dissolve on the long journey here? And does it make sense that it dissolved at the exact moment they were locked in the gambling den?”

Eun-yo’s face was filled with disbelief.

It was a natural reaction, as it was incomprehensible to her common sense.

Pyo Wol explained to her.

“They probably didn’t know the Poison Pill would dissolve either.”

“What?”

“On their way here, they must have intermittently taken some kind of medicine that prevented the molar from dissolving. However, it’s highly likely they were unaware of that fact. So they probably thought it was made of a material that wouldn’t dissolve. They likely just thought they were hiding a Poison Pill in their mouths for emergencies.”

“What does that mean?”

“But as they stayed in the gambling den and didn’t take the medicine, the molar slowly started to melt.”

“My goodness!”

“This situation was considered from the very beginning. It means their tendencies were already known, and they were prepared to be used.”

Eun-yo couldn’t hide her surprised expression.

She prided herself on having experienced numerous types of people and all sorts of conspiracies at the Small Thunder Sound Temple, but this was the first time she had seen people who toyed with human lives in such a way.

If Pyo Wol was right, it meant that the head of the Silver River Escort Agency had grasped the tendencies of Seok Pyodu and the others from the start and had intended to use them as a distraction before discarding them.

It was a cruel scheme that made one’s teeth chatter.

“It’s my fault. If I had understood them a little better…”

“You did nothing wrong. Even I didn’t anticipate a scheme like this.”

“Still, if I had been just a little more careful…”

“Even if you had been, the result would have been the same. So stop blaming yourself.”

“Yes!”

Eun-yo nodded her head limply.

“Let’s go back to Red Pine Manor for now.”

“Yes! Orabeoni.”

Pyo Wol and Eun-yo left the underground gambling den.

Outside, the downpour was still raging.

The two of them walked, cutting through the rain.

The rain beat hard against Eun-yo’s head and shoulders. Still, Eun-yo didn’t feel the pain.

It was the first setback she had experienced since entering Chengdu.

She felt, painfully, how arrogant she had been until now.

‘I still have a long way to go. To think I thought I was the best with just this much…’

She bit her lip and vowed that something like this would never happen again.

Pyo Wol watched Eun-yo in silence.

For a person to grow, they must taste failure and hardship.

In that sense, Eun-yo’s growth was just beginning.

Pyo Wol passed by the Snow Cloud Stronghold with Eun-yo.

The flames that had engulfed the Snow Cloud Stronghold had long been extinguished by the pouring rain.

Pyo Wol glanced at the Snow Cloud Stronghold for a moment before entering Red Pine Manor.

“Hyung! Noona!”

Do Yeon-san greeted Pyo Wol and Eun-yo.

“Where’s Guian?”

“He’s in the basement right now. He said to bring you when you arrived.”

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes!”

They headed to the underground space where Guian was.

In the underground space, Guian was looking down at a desk.

A huge map was spread out on the desk.

It was a map of Chengdu and Sichuan Province.

It was no ordinary map.

It was a map that Guian had commissioned people to make himself.

Naturally, the level of precision was bound to be different.

Something was marked all over the map.

Guian glared at the marked parts of the map as if he would devour them.

Pyo Wol asked.

“Did you find anything?”

“Ah, Hyung!”

Guian finally came to his senses and looked at Pyo Wol.

The moment he realized that the Snow Cloud Stronghold had been attacked by the Silver River Escort Agency, Guian had activated all the information networks within Chengdu.

He had mobilized all available personnel and begun to track the whereabouts of the Silver River Escort Agency.

The reason Pyo Wol hadn’t started the Pursuit from the beginning was because he trusted Guian.

As he had expected, Guian had already activated all his information-gathering capabilities and identified their Escape route.

Guian explained.

“I’m in a hurry, so I’ll get straight to the point. Around the time the fire broke out at the Snow Cloud Stronghold, there was suspicious movement on the east and south roads.”

“Did they split into two groups?”

“Exactly! Only five people committed the act at the Snow Cloud Stronghold itself. The rest were split into two groups, waiting at the east and south gates.”

“Which group did the perpetrators join?”

“That’s the problem. The witnesses’ testimonies don’t match. Some say they saw them at the south gate, and others say they saw them at the east gate. To make matters worse, it was pouring rain, so there weren’t many witnesses.”

Guian made a frustrated face.

The pouring rain had ruined everything.

Because it was a rainy day, most of the people he had planted as informants had refrained from going out. Because of that, the quality of the information that came in was poor.

It was only because it was Guian that he was able to piece it together and find out this much.

“So as of now, we can’t tell which group the ones who took the sutras joined.”

“That’s right! They must have done it to shake off pursuers. The problem is that there are fifty of them.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“They’ve split into two groups for now, but they could split into even smaller groups to confuse pursuers. In other words, they could split into four or even five groups. That would make tracking them even more difficult. If it were me, I would definitely do that.”

Pyo Wol nodded.

Even he would do the same if he were leading a group of fifty people.

It was clear that the purpose of bringing fifty people in the first place was to create such a diversion.

“Where is the New Moon Manor?”

“It’s in Qiyang, Hunan Province.”

“And the Silver River Escort Agency?”

“Shaoyang, Hunan Province.”

“They’re both in Hunan Province.”

“That’s right!”

“For now, we’ll have to split the Pursuit team in two. Eun-yo and Yeon-san, you two will chase the ones who fled to the south gate. Can you do it?”

“Of course.”

“Work together and catch them. If the sutras are with them, you must retrieve them.”

“Then will you be tracking the ones who fled to the east gate, Hyung?”

“Yes!”

“Got it.”

“Stay in close contact with Guian. Eun-yo knows how. Go and track them now.”

“Okay!”

Do Yeon-san and Eun-yo replied and went outside.

Pyo Wol then gave an order to Guian.

“You investigate the sutras. Find out why they went to such lengths to secure them. The incident is too large and planned to be simply for a donation to a temple.”

“Got it, Hyung! I don’t know what secret the sutras hold, but I’ll definitely find out.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“Don’t worry.”

Guian answered confidently.

Pyo Wol patted Guian’s shoulder and went up to the surface. An unexpected person greeted him there.

Panting while holding a long box was none other than Tang Sochu.

“Sochu! What brings you here?”

“I heard that the Snow Cloud Stronghold met with disaster.”

“Has the news already reached your ears?”

“You’re going to track the culprits, right? Take this.”

Tang Sochu handed the box he had brought to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol opened the box without a word.

Inside the box was a pair of Wrist Guards, a Dagger, and a black Wind Cloak.

Clank!

Pyo Wol first put on the Wrist Guards.

The guards wrapped smoothly from the back of his hand to his forearm.

The fit was so good it felt as if he was wearing nothing at all.

“Nice!”

Pyo Wol smiled with satisfaction at the better-than-expected craftsmanship.

He strapped the Dagger to his waist and, finally, put on the Wind Cloak.

“You’ve seen the Dagger before, so I won’t explain it. The Wind Cloak was made by mixing heavenly silkworm silk with the web of a Fire Spirit Spider. It has the strength of decent armor, and like the Dark Dragon Robe I gave you before, it has the functions of Water Avoidance and Fire Avoidance.”

“Thank you.”

“This is all I can do for you. I’ll pray for your safe return.”

“Right! I’ll be back.”

Pyo Wol nodded and went outside.

When he put on the hood attached to the Wind Cloak, all the raindrops were repelled.

If one’s clothes get wet from the rain, one is bound to expend that much more energy. It wasn’t something that would tire Pyo Wol, but it was still better to move with a dry body to conserve stamina. He was once again reminded of how skilled Tang Sochu was.

He wasn’t just good at handling iron; he could create the finest articles from any material.

The Wind Cloak he was wearing now was a case in point.

Even though the rain was pouring down like a torrential shower, the inside was dry without a hint of moisture.

Seeing that the Water Avoidance function was certain, he felt he could know the Fire Avoidance ability without even checking.

Pyo Wol walked towards the east gate.

Puddles had formed from the rainwater collected in various spots on the ground.

In front of the east gate, a middle-aged man was waiting for Pyo Wol.

The man, who was waiting with a polite posture, his hands clasped in front, hurriedly approached when Pyo Wol appeared.

“Your subordinate greets the Master.”

“Master?”

“Yes! Lord Guian told me to address you as such.”

“Guian did?”

“Yes!”

There was no more time to resolve the question.

The man was most likely part of the information organization within Chengdu that Guian operated.

Pyo Wol asked.

“What have you found out?”

“It has been confirmed that they headed in the direction of the Golden Hall.”

“Golden Hall?”

Pyo Wol furrowed his brow without realizing it.

It was because a large river flowed through the Golden Hall.

The origin of Sichuan’s name was the four great rivers that flowed crisscross throughout the province.

The four great rivers were connected like a spider’s web by smaller rivers and streams. Once on a river, it was impossible to predict which waterway they would take.

“Are there any men in the Golden Hall area?”

“There are, but there is no way to get a message to them right now. We can’t send a carrier pigeon because of the rain.”

“How many docks are there in the Golden Hall?”

“There are three, but only one where a boat can be boarded secretly.”

“Where is it?”

“It’s a small dock downstream of the Golden Hall. If you follow the official road, there’s a fork in the road in front of the Golden Hall. If you take the left path, you’ll find it.”

“Got it.”

“I’m sorry. For not being of more help.”

The middle-aged man bowed his head apologetically.

“This is enough.”

Pyo Wol walked out of the east gate.

As he left the city gate, a darkness without a single point of light greeted him.

It was the worst environment, where one couldn’t even light a torch because of the rain.

Into the pouring rain and the thick darkness that made it hard to see an inch ahead, Pyo Wol threw himself without hesitation.

It was about a hundred li from Chengdu to the Golden Hall.

If he hurried, he could arrive within a Shichen.

Pyo Wol unleashed his Lightness Art and sprinted through the rain.

Ting-ting-ting-ting!

The pouring raindrops hit the Wind Cloak and scattered in all directions.

Neither the fierce rain nor the darkness could disrupt Pyo Wol’s senses, which had been trained in the underground cavern.

Pyo Wol ran straight towards the Golden Hall without losing his way even once.

By the time he almost reached the Golden Hall, the rain stopped, and the sun began to rise.

Pyo Wol took the left path at the fork.

Just as the middle-aged man had said, a little further on, a small dock appeared.

It was in such a secret place that no one who didn’t know about it would be able to find it.

Perhaps because of the rain that had fallen all night, the river water had risen considerably, and the dock was half-submerged.

Not a single boat was in sight, as if they had been washed away by the rainwater.

Pyo Wol examined the ground.

Puddles were everywhere due to the rain that had poured all night. It was not easy to find traces of human presence in a place like this.

Most people would have given up on tracking the traces altogether. But Pyo Wol was different.

He did not lose his concentration and observed carefully.

‘More than twenty horses moved. If they really came here, there must be traces left.’

After examining for a long time, Pyo Wol soon discovered a clear trace.

It was an indented mark on the wood of the dock.

It was a mark made when a large boat had collided with the dock.

It was an excessively large boat, considering the size of the dock.

“It must be a Cloud-Piercing River Crossing Ship.”

It was clear that they had a Cloud-Piercing River Crossing Ship waiting here and had boarded the horses.

Now, what remained was to determine the direction the boat had headed.

Upstream and downstream.

Pyo Wol’s choice was downstream.

The river had risen significantly and the current had become fierce due to the downpour that had lasted all night.

Going upstream in such a situation was a life-threatening gamble.

Pyo Wol did not think they would take such a risk.