Chapter 50

Pyo Wol was very fond of the Ghostly Rain.

He liked that it could be perfectly hidden in his belt, but the Flying Blade itself fit so snugly in his hand it felt as if it had always been his.

The small Ghostly Rain spun on Pyo Wol’s palm.

He could control the Ghostly Rain at will just by minutely moving the muscles in his palm.

One of the most important things for an Assassin was the sensitivity of their bare hands.

Pyo Wol’s sense of touch was extremely delicate. Thus, he could use his muscles freely as he willed.

As time passed, his method of using the Flying Blade became more proficient, and by dusk, the Flying Blade was moving freely on Pyo Wol’s hand as if it were a living creature.

Once he reached the stage where he could play with the Flying Blade like a toy, Pyo Wol suddenly wondered what it would be like to connect the Soul Restraining Thread.

If he could use the Flying Blade by connecting the Soul Restraining Thread to its end, its applications would be endless.

‘Is it possible?’

Pyo Wol’s greatest strength was his lack of hesitation.

He was the type who had to act immediately on any idea that came to mind.

Side effects or repercussions from failure did not exist in his mind. If he failed, he would just try again, and as for side effects, he just had to endure them.

Pyo Wol had lived and challenged himself this way until now.

Just because he was outside, his disposition did not change.

Pyo Wol operated the Soul Restraining Thread.

An invisible thread of qi emerged from the tip of his index finger.

Pyo Wol moved the Soul Restraining Thread and caught the ring of the Ghostly Rain.

At first, the Soul Restraining Thread seemed to handle the Ghostly Rain. But as soon as he moved it slightly, the Soul Restraining Thread could not withstand the weight of the Ghostly Rain and snapped.

In that moment, Pyo Wol felt his Internal Energy flow backward. A backlash had occurred when the Soul Restraining Thread broke.

Pyo Wol controlled the reverse-flowing Internal Energy and once again grabbed the Ghostly Rain with the Soul Restraining Thread.

The Ghostly Rain, hanging from the Soul Restraining Thread, swayed precariously.

The moment Pyo Wol flicked his finger, the Soul Restraining Thread snapped again. From the backlash, Pyo Wol’s complexion turned deathly pale.

An ordinary Martial Artist would have given up at this point. This was because such a backlash of Internal Power could lead to Qi Deviation. But Pyo Wol’s body was different from that of an ordinary Martial Artist.

His Blood Meridian was as flexible and tough as a snake, withstanding most shocks firmly. Though he felt pain, he could endure a certain degree of rampaging Internal Energy.

Pyo Wol knew this fact, which was why he could continue to challenge himself despite repeated failures.

Even while walking down the road, Pyo Wol did not stop his Training.

At first, it was difficult to maintain it for even a moment. But as he repeated the challenge, the time Pyo Wol could maintain the Soul Restraining Thread connected to the Ghostly Rain grew longer.

The Ghostly Rain, connected to the Soul Restraining Thread, swung back and forth like a pendulum on a string.

It was precarious, but the Soul Restraining Thread was managing to handle the Ghostly Rain nonetheless.

Only then did Pyo Wol retract the Soul Restraining Thread and the Ghostly Rain.

A look of exhaustion was evident on his face, but a satisfied smile graced his lips.

Now that he had somewhat mastered how to handle the Ghostly Rain with the Soul Restraining Thread, all that was left was to become accustomed to it through constant Training.

For now, handling just one Ghostly Rain was overwhelming, but later, when his realm deepened, he would be able to handle all ten Ghostly Rain blades with ten Soul Restraining Threads.

Pyo Wol suddenly lifted his head and surveyed his surroundings.

A large city was visible in the distance.

Having come this far while training with the Ghostly Rain, he had unknowingly neared Chengdu.

Chengdu was incomparably larger than any city Pyo Wol had seen so far. Just looking at it was enough to be overwhelmed by its scale.

Pyo Wol stopped for a moment and gazed at Chengdu.

Countless thoughts passed through his mind. But Pyo Wol shook his head, shaking off all useless thoughts.

From now on, every moment was important.

A single moment of carelessness could cost him his life, so Pyo Wol steeled his resolve once more.

Once his mind had calmed to a certain extent, Pyo Wol began walking toward Chengdu.

Chengdu was even larger and more splendid than it looked from the outside.

The main street was wide enough for several large carriages to pass simultaneously, and huge pavilions stretched on endlessly. People of all kinds filled the streets, which overflowed with vitality.

However, a sense of tension lingered on the faces of the people coming and going on the streets.

Quite a few Martial Artists carrying weapons could also be seen.

The confrontation between the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect was affecting Chengdu as well.

Pyo Wol started walking to find an Inn.

As befitting the largest city in Sichuan Province, Chengdu had many large Inns. Pyo Wol entered one that was particularly crowded with people.

“Whew!”

“What kind of man’s face is…”

As soon as Pyo Wol entered the Inn, the attention of numerous people focused on him at once. That was how much Pyo Wol’s appearance stood out.

It was something he had experienced countless times on his way here, so Pyo Wol found an empty seat and sat down without even blushing.

As he sat, a middle-aged woman with a warm impression approached, holding a tray.

“Hohong! Welcome, customer!”

She was the proprietress of the Inn.

Usually, it was the Waiter who greeted customers. But at Pyo Wol’s outstanding appearance, the proprietress rushed over, beating the Waiter to it.

‘Oh my goodness! For a man to be this handsome. I’ve run this Inn for twenty years, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a handsome man.’

The proprietress stared at Pyo Wol with a bewitched expression.

“Hohong! Are you just here for a meal?”

“I’ll be staying for a few days. Are there any empty rooms?”

“Of course. We have a very spacious and clean room. I’d have to charge other customers five Nyang, but you can just pay three Nyang. Hohong!”

The proprietress’s face lit up.

For a man this handsome, she didn’t mind not getting those extra two Nyang.

“Then I’ll have a meal and lodging.”

“A fine choice. No matter which Inn you go to in Chengdu, you won’t find one cleaner or with more delicious food than ours.”

“I understand, so I’d like some food to tide me over.”

“Aigoo! Look at me. What am I doing, being so silly to a customer who’s come a long way. If you wait just a moment, I’ll bring out the food right away. Hohong!”

The proprietress returned to the kitchen, her plump buttocks swaying flamboyantly.

The customers who saw the scene each made a comment.

“Hah! I’ve been coming to this Inn for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve seen the proprietress with such a bright expression.”

“He’s damn handsome. If I were a woman, my skirt strings would loosen on their own.”

“I’d have no other wish if I could live with a face like that for just one day.”

Pyo Wol let their words go in one ear and out the other.

He was used to it, having heard it countless times on his way here.

Pyo Wol stared out the window with an indifferent expression.

On the street where the sun was setting, red lanterns were being lit one by one. The street, turning red, was both splendid and beautiful.

Just then, the voice of the Inn’s proprietress broke Pyo Wol’s reverie.

“Hohong! I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I rushed the cook, and the food is finally ready. Please enjoy, and if you need anything, just call for me anytime.”

The proprietress set down the food and gave Pyo Wol a smiling glance.

Pyo Wol nodded silently. As if with lingering reluctance, the proprietress looked at Pyo Wol’s face one more time before returning to her original spot.

Only then did Pyo Wol pick up his chopsticks and begin to taste the food little by little.

It was just stir-fried pork with rice and a few side dishes, but perhaps because the cook was skilled, everything was delicious.

In truth, to Pyo Wol, all food eaten outside was delicious.

No matter what he ate, it was bound to taste better than moss or snakes.

Pyo Wol chewed his food thoroughly. He never chewed even a single side dish carelessly.

It was then.

“It’s Miss Wu Seonha.”

“Young Hero Go Seong-ak of the Qingming Room is with her too.”Then is today the day the Blue Moon Society gathers?””

The murmuring voices of people could be heard from outside.

The murmuring grew louder and louder, eventually leading to the Inn where Pyo Wol was eating.

As Pyo Wol slightly furrowed his brow and lifted his head, three men were entering the Inn, escorting one woman.

The men were all handsome.

Though their features were different, they all looked noble and had sturdy builds, clearly having trained in Martial Arts.

Their gazes were all fixed on the woman walking in the center.

The woman was like a splendid rose.

She wore beautiful clothes made of flowing silk with a gorgeous ornament pinned in her neatly done-up hair, but what stood out most was her snow-white skin and beautiful features.

The woman was reminiscent of a red rose.

The people inside the Inn stared at the woman, mesmerized.

“It really is Miss Wu Seonha. Truly worthy of being called the greatest beauty in Sichuan. At that level, she could probably be compared to Miss Yong Seol Lan of the Emei Sect’s main headquarters.”

“That’s why Young Hero Go of the Qingming Room and the others can’t think straight and follow her around.”

Wu Seonha walked with her eyes slightly lowered. Because of this, her exceptionally white neck was revealed above her collar. The sight was so alluring that people couldn’t take their eyes off her.

All Wu Seonha had done since entering the Inn was simply walk gracefully. But with just that simple act, she had completely dominated the atmosphere inside the Inn.

Wu Seonha slightly lifted her head and looked around the Inn.

Confirming that everyone’s gaze was focused on her, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

She was the type who was only satisfied when she received everyone’s attention. She couldn’t stand to see anyone else receive attention.

Go Seong-ak of the Qingming Room and the other two men who came with her were also renowned talents in Chengdu. They always followed Wu Seonha around, courting her.

Although Wu Seonha hadn’t directly formed a group, those who followed her naturally gathered and created an organization called the Blue Moon Society.

Today was the meeting day for the Blue Moon Society. For the meeting, the Blue Moon Society had rented the entire second floor of the Inn.

Since it was such a prosperous Inn, renting an entire floor cost a huge amount of money, but for Go Seong-ak and the others who were blinded by Wu Seonha, it was no problem at all.

They willingly paid the enormous sum.

It was all to get even a little closer to Wu Seonha.

‘If I could marry her, I would sell my Soul.’

‘Truly beautiful. How can a human be this beautiful? The one who obtains her could be called the luckiest person in All Under Heaven.’

Go Seong-ak and the other talents stared at Wu Seonha, lost in a daze. But Wu Seonha’s own gaze was fixed on someone else.

It was the beautiful man sitting by the window, Pyo Wol.

Despite being a man, he was more beautiful than a woman, and a strange, indescribable atmosphere surrounded him.

The moment she saw Pyo Wol, Wu Seonha felt a chill run down her spine. Faced with an unfamiliar emotion she had never felt before in her life, Wu Seonha couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.

But Pyo Wol himself seemed to have no interest in her, just eating his food.

A slight furrow formed on Wu Seonha’s brow. At that, Go Seong-ak asked with a worried expression.

“What’s wrong? Is something troubling you?”

“It’s nothing. I just felt dizzy for a moment.”

“Then shall we cancel today’s meeting?”

“No. I’m fine now. Thank you, Young Hero Go! For worrying about me…”

“Not at all. I only wish for Miss Wu to always be at peace.”

“I’m always grateful for Young Hero Go’s consideration.”

Wu Seonha gave Go Seong-ak a slight smile. At that, Go Seong-ak wore an ecstatic expression, and the talents beside him glared at him with jealous eyes.

Although those who followed Wu Seonha had gathered and named themselves the Blue Moon Society, they were, in fact, nothing more than rivals.

If one of them were to win the competition and obtain Wu Seonha, the Blue Moon Society would disband that very day.

Knowing this, Wu Seonha gave her heart to no one, masterfully walking a tightrope and tormenting the talents.

Wu Seonha started walking again with an unconcerned expression. But Go Seong-ak was glaring at the spot where Wu Seonha had been looking just a moment ago.

Although it was brief, he had noticed that Wu Seonha had looked at Pyo Wol.

A glint of jealousy flashed in his eyes.

Pyo Wol had done nothing, but just the fact that Wu Seonha had given him her attention made anger surge from deep within his chest.

What enraged him most was Pyo Wol’s appearance.

The face, handsome even to another man’s eyes, stimulated his inferiority complex.

‘Just you wait.’

His venomous gaze shot toward Pyo Wol like a Flying Dagger.

The first to notice this were the people near Pyo Wol.

People hurriedly turned their heads to avoid Go Seong-ak’s gaze, lest it be directed at them.

The Qingming Room, where Go Seong-ak was the young boss, was one of the Four Rooms and was based on the outskirts of Chengdu. Because of this, its influence in Chengdu alone was greater than that of the Emei Sect or the Qingcheng Sect.

Living in Chengdu after getting on Go Seong-ak’s bad side was practically impossible.

As Go Seong-ak followed Wu Seonha up to the second floor, a few people looked at Pyo Wol with pitying expressions.

Among them, a middle-aged man who looked a bit older spoke to Pyo Wol.

“Hey! If you’re not from around here, you should leave Chengdu as soon as possible.”

“…”

“I’m saying this out of concern for you. So leave this place before the night is over. That’s the best way for you.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Hah! You really must not be from here. Seeing as you know nothing about Young Hero Go Seong-ak.”

“What about him?”

“He is the young boss of the Qingming Room. He is extremely jealous and absolutely does not tolerate Miss Wu Seonha giving her attention to another man.”

“I have no interest in her.”

“Your interest isn’t what’s important. The fact that Miss Wu Seonha gave you her attention is what’s important. Young Hero Go Seong-ak wants Miss Wu to look only at him. He doesn’t leave alone anything that gets in the way of that.”

“That woman must be quite a figure, I suppose?”

“Hah! You don’t know of Miss Wu, the Poison Mother Wasp? She is the young boss of the Hundred Flowers Room, which is made up of women. And the Hundred Flowers Room is practically a Lay Family Sect of the Emei Sect. So how could she not be a great figure?”

“Did you just say Emei Sect?”

“Yes! The Hundred Flowers Room is a Lay Family Sect of the Emei Sect. Miss Wu is a talent that even the Emei Sect cherishes greatly.”

A white smile appeared on Pyo Wol’s lips.

“That’s interesting.”