Chapter 440

More than ten horses galloped.

It was impossible for them not to leave a trail.

The only problem was that since they were riding at full speed, they were significantly faster than Pyo Wol.

No matter how outstanding Pyo Wol’s Lightness Art was, he had to meticulously examine the tracks left on the ground, which inevitably slowed him down.

As if anticipating a pursuer, those on horseback rode almost without rest.

Because of this, the distance between the Silver River Escort Agency and Pyo Wol did not easily close. Still, Pyo Wol did not give up, following the traces in pursuit of the Silver River Escort Agency.

‘This way leads to Nanchong.’

The Nanchong region was particularly abundant with waterways.

Large rivers, as well as small rivers and even artificial canals, were tangled together in a confusing mess. If they were to board a boat there, he would truly have no way to track them.

He had to catch up to them before they reached Nanchong.

It was then.

Screeeech!

Suddenly, the cry of a hawk was heard from the sky.

When Pyo Wol looked up, a hawk that had been circling in the air descended at a frightening speed. But Pyo Wol was not flustered and raised his hand. The hawk then spread its wings wide just short of him, reducing its speed, and landed on Pyo Wol’s forearm.

It was no ordinary hawk.

It was a Mystical Creature raised by Guian for communication. Being a Mystical Creature, it could pinpoint and find Pyo Wol from the air.

A small tube containing a letter was tied to the Letter Hawk’s ankle.

Pyo Wol took the letter from the tube and read it.

[Those who escaped through the south gate split into two groups and fled.

Eun-yo and Do Yeon-san pursued and annihilated each.

Buddhist scripture not found.

—Guian]

The message was that the Buddhist scripture had not been secured from those who fled through the south gate.

They were nothing but bait to divert attention.

In that case, it was clear that the ones Pyo Wol was tracking possessed the scripture. The problem was that the group Pyo Wol was tracking had also split into two, and he didn’t know which side had the scripture.

Pyo Wol briefly wrote down his situation and put it into the tube tied to the Letter Hawk’s leg.

After releasing the Letter Hawk into the air, he resumed his pursuit.

After running for a long while, Pyo Wol stopped at a fork in the road.

The hoofprints led to the left.

If he were to just follow the hoofprints as he had been, he would simply go left.

The problem was the tracks in the middle of the fork.

They were human footprints.

The footprints were jumbled, as if they had lingered for quite some time.

Pyo Wol knelt on one knee and began to distinguish the footprints. Since so many people had gathered, most of the footprints were smudged. However, using his outstanding observation and concentration, Pyo Wol determined that more than twenty people had gathered here.

It was clear that those who came from the left fork and those who came on horseback had met here and, for some reason, stopped to talk.

Afterward, the Martial Artists of the Silver River Escort Agency went down the left fork on horseback, and those who came from the left fork headed down the right fork.

Circumstantially, it seemed that the people who met here had a conversation and went their separate ways. Nevertheless, the reason Pyo Wol was carefully examining the tracks on the ground was because something felt off.

Pyo Wol focused on a particularly clear footprint among those that headed down the right fork.

This was because there were no footprints this deeply indented among those that came from the left.

Such a deep footprint is made only when carrying a heavy load.

‘So, did they hand over the item here?’

Pyo Wol frowned slightly.

He once again examined the footprints on the right fork.

The footprints, which were clear at the beginning of the fork, grew fainter further on.

It was evidence that they had used Lightness Art.

This time, he examined the left side where the horses had galloped.

The hoofprints were messy.

Such tracks are left when novices, riding a horse for the first time, are in control.

A picture formed in Pyo Wol’s mind.

‘The ones riding the horses met a group coming from the left fork. Here, they deliberated. Should they continue riding, or should they try to confuse any potential pursuers at this point.’

They must have known Pyo Wol would be in pursuit.

It made no sense that they wouldn’t have considered Pyo Wol when they came into Chengdu and committed such an act at the Snow Cloud Stronghold, which was practically Pyo Wol’s front yard.

‘They know I’m tracking them. Do they just keep riding? If it were me, I wouldn’t. I would definitely try to create a diversion here to buy time.’

Meeting the group coming from the opposite direction might have been a coincidence. But the moment they saw them, someone from the Silver River Escort Agency must have had an idea.

To hand over the horses to the people from the left fork to confuse Pyo Wol.

They didn’t know if Pyo Wol would really pursue them, but there was no harm in securing a minimal safety net.

For the people from the left fork, it must have been an unexpected windfall.

They excitedly turned back the way they came, riding the horses they had suddenly acquired. But being unskilled at handling horses, they left such messy tracks on the ground.

It was presumed that the Martial Artists of the Silver River Escort Agency, having handed over the horses, then shouldered the Buddhist scripture and used Lightness Art.

Pyo Wol trusted his gut and headed down the right fork.

‘This is actually better.’

If they had continued to flee on horseback, it would have taken a long time to catch up. But if his prediction was correct and they were fleeing using Lightness Art, he could close the distance quickly.

They had planned to buy more time by confusing Pyo Wol, but their choice had instead given Pyo Wol a golden opportunity. Of course, that was on the premise that Pyo Wol’s guess was correct.

Pyo Wol used his Lightness Art at full power.

Shiiii!

Leaving only an Afterimage, Pyo Wol sprinted at a terrifying speed.

He rested minimally and ate the beef jerky he had prepared in advance for meals.

It was after he had been going like that for a long time.

The sound of water could be heard from somewhere.

‘A river?’

As fate would have it, the footprints also turned in the direction of the water’s sound.

Pyo Wol hurriedly threw himself toward the river.

The footprints disappeared, and a field of reeds blocked his view.

As he pushed through the reed field, a river immediately appeared. And in the middle of the river, a boat could be seen floating.

There were quite a few people on the boat.

The moment he saw them, Pyo Wol knew they were the ones he had been tracking. It was not an aura that ordinary fishermen or sailors could exude.

They naturally emanated the refined aura that only well-trained Martial Artists could possess.

In the middle of the group was a middle-aged man with an extraordinary gaze.

The moment Pyo Wol emerged from the reed field, the middle-aged man looked at him with a startled expression.

He was none other than Ma Wonik, the leader of the Silver River Escort Agency.

Ma Wonik could not hide his astonishment.

“Th-that’s?”

Although his face was covered by the hood of his Wind Cloak, he knew at a glance.

That he was Pyo Wol.

The moment he saw the cold, glinting eyes beneath the hood, the blood in his entire body ran cold.

A man who could make him feel this way could not be ordinary.

‘Did he really follow us? The Reaper!’

Worried that he might be pursued, Ma Wonik had handed over the horses to a group they had encountered by chance, despite the opposition of his daughter and Subordinates.

He had thought that even if Pyo Wol did pursue them, he would have no choice but to follow the hoofprints.

By the time Pyo Wol caught up with the riders and learned the truth, the Silver River Escort Agency would have disappeared by boat without a trace. Then, they would no longer have to worry about Pyo Wol’s pursuit.

That was Ma Wonik’s plan, but it had all gone awry.

Pyo Wol had seen through all the traps and diversions he had arranged and had chased him all the way here.

Only now did he understand why the Martial Artists of Jianghu gnashed their teeth so much whenever Pyo Wol was mentioned.

If one became the target of such a man, one would truly not be able to sleep at night.

“What is it? Father!”

Ma Seowon asked with a puzzled expression.

She couldn’t understand Ma Wonik’s sudden hardened expression as he glared across the river.

Ma Seowon’s expression stiffened as she looked where Ma Wonik’s gaze was directed.

“Don’t tell me?”

“It’s him. The Reaper!”

“How could he? Oh my god!”

Ma Seowon covered her mouth with both hands.

She had been full of complaints when they had handed over the horses to the strangers they met and used Lightness Art.

She had thought her father was overreacting. But seeing Pyo Wol in person like this, she understood.

Pyo Wol’s Tracking Art was beyond anything they had imagined. If so, his Killing Method must also be as terrifying as the rumors said.

“Qu-quickly, steer the boat. Quickly…”

She urged the captain.

The distance from the riverbank where Pyo Wol stood to the boat they were on was over a hundred zhang.

No matter how much of a Lightness Art Expert one was, it was impossible to leap this distance in a single bound. Still, feeling anxious, Ma Seowon hurried the captain and the crew.

The boat moved away from where Pyo Wol was at a fast speed.

Pyo Wol immediately began his pursuit.

He used his Lightness Art in the direction the boat was heading downstream.

Seeing this, Ma Wonik’s expression hardened even more.

“Persistent…”

“What do we do? Father! That man, he doesn’t seem like he’ll give up at all.”

Ma Seowon’s eyes trembled.

There was a considerable distance between Pyo Wol and the boat they were on.

The boat, riding the current, was moving away quickly, and it seemed difficult to catch up with Lightness Art.

Yet, Pyo Wol showed no sign of giving up and was running alongside the boat.

The sight of it horrified her.

Come to think of it, Pyo Wol had seen through all the traps and diversions Ma Wonik had arranged and had tracked them all the way here.

It was unimaginable that such a man would give up over a mere obstacle like this.

Ma Wonik suddenly looked back.

All the Martial Artists on the boat with him had expressions of utter shock. But there were also those who remained composed.

Jin Pyodu and Geum Pyodu.

Both had joined the Silver River Escort Agency just before this escort mission.

Until now, they had acted like ordinary Escort Chiefs.

Because of this, no one else had noticed anything strange about them.

Ma Wonik spoke to them.

“The two of you may have to step in.”

It was by no means the tone an Escort Agency leader would use with an Escort Chief.

Rather, it was closer to the tone of a subordinate speaking to a superior.

It was to the point that even those nearby wore puzzled expressions.

At that moment, the expressions of Jin Pyodu and Geum Pyodu changed.

The smiles vanished from their faces, and just the sharpening of their eyes completely changed the atmosphere.

Jin Pyodu spoke first.

“It seems we’ll have to.”

“Truly a persistent man. He’s just like a viper that never lets go once it bites.”

Geum Pyodu also shook his head slightly as he looked in Pyo Wol’s direction.

Pyo Wol was still in pursuit of the boat.

To make matters worse, the river was passing a straight section and entering a winding one.

The riverbed curved like a writhing snake, so the speed would inevitably slow down. The river’s width also narrowed, so with a good jump, one could leap onto the boat.

Jin Pyodu said.

“I’ve always been curious. Is he really as great as the rumors say? I suppose I’ll have to satisfy my curiosity on this occasion.”

“The same goes for me. I came along because it was an order from our superior, but I wasn’t too keen on it.”

Geum Pyodu nodded and approached the railing.

He launched himself off at a section where the river curved and narrowed.

Flying like a bird, Geum Pyodu landed lightly on the ground.

Before following him, Jin Pyodu said to Ma Wonik.

“While we hold him off, you must somehow get the item to Dazhou. There will be someone there to meet you.”

“Do not worry.”

“I trust you.”

Jin Pyodu left with that last word and leaped to where Geum Pyodu had landed.

Geum Pyodu, who had landed lightly on the ground, looked back.

The boat, unfeelingly, left them behind and drifted away.

Jin Pyodu also abandoned any lingering attachment and looked ahead.

Pyo Wol was running towards them from the distance.

Judging by his speed, he would arrive in about the Time of One Tea.

Jin Pyodu said.

“Truly a persistent man.”

“When the Society Leader mobilized even us, I thought he was being overly cautious, but now I understand. If a man like that is on your tail, no one could shake him off easily.”

“Haven’t many already suffered at his hands, and their hard-earned businesses collapsed? The Society Leader took a natural precaution.”

“Tsk! After all that hard work, I was hoping to live a little more comfortably, but to think I’d have to fight a monstrous man like him here.”

“Perhaps today will be our last.”

“Are you afraid of death?”

“I’ve lived my whole life on the line between life and death, so why would I be afraid? I just regret not being able to properly spend the fortune I’ve amassed.”

At Jin Pyodu’s words, Geum Pyodu chuckled.

They simultaneously drew the sabers from their waists.

Jin Pyodu held a black saber, and Geum Pyodu held a white one.

At that moment, Pyo Wol descended upon them.