Chapter 73

People called that morning the Day of Blood Flow and Corpse Mountain.

The day blood flowed into a river, and corpses piled up like a mountain.

That morning, the disciples of the Emei Sect staying at the Hundred Flowers Room were raided by the martial artists of the Qingcheng Sect and Geumcheon Gate.

The martial artists, who had lost their reason over Cheong-yeop’s death, attacked the Hundred Flowers Room.

The Emei Sect martial artists in the Hundred Flowers Room were also on edge due to Jeong Hwa’s death.

They unleashed their fury on the martial artists of the Qingcheng Sect who had suddenly invaded.

Thus, they clashed once more, inflicting immense damage on each other.

Yong Seol Lan tried to control the Emei Sect disciples somehow, but it was useless. They believed the Qingcheng Sect was responsible for Jeong Hwa’s death, and the Qingcheng Sect likewise believed an expert sent by the Emei Sect had killed Cheong-yeop.

It was all a result of misunderstanding and Pyo Wol’s machinations, but no one thought that far.

They needed someone to vent their anger on.

And so, the two factions clashed, leaving behind the worst possible damage.

The Hundred Flowers Room, which had become a battlefield, was mercilessly destroyed and stained with the blood of countless people.

The fight between the two factions continued for more than half a day. They truly fought to the death.

It was incomparable to the fight that had occurred the day before.

They became true demons, killing one another.

Their fight was so desperate that people living nearby abandoned their homes and fled.

When they later returned to their homes, the sight they saw was the thoroughly destroyed Hundred Flowers Room. The Hundred Flowers Room itself had become a massive tomb.

It wasn’t just the building that was destroyed. Geum Ha-ryeon, the Boss of the Hundred Flowers Room, also lost her life that day.

The Qingcheng Sect and Geumcheon Gate, who had attacked first, also suffered great losses.

In that day’s battle, a total of over five hundred martial artists from both sides were killed or injured.

As the fight between the two sides grew, nearby sects joined in to help them, and the damage spiraled out of control.

“How could this be!”

Yong Seol Lan wore an expression of disbelief as she looked at the Hundred Flowers Room, which had collapsed overnight.

Her entire body was drenched in blood.

The Emei Sect had managed to hold on this much only because she had revealed her true martial prowess.

Her whole body was stained red with the blood of the Qingcheng Sect’s martial artists.

It felt like a nightmare.

Clashing with the Qingcheng Sect in broad daylight, Jeong Hwa dying at night. And then fighting the Qingcheng Sect again at dawn, and everything was destroyed.

She couldn’t believe all of this had happened in just two days.

Yong Seol Lan had always thought she could handle any adversity. That was how confident she was in her own martial prowess, and she believed she had a bold personality.

But in the face of the horrific disaster that occurred overnight, she couldn’t think at all.

Her mind felt completely empty.

She couldn’t think of anything.

It felt as if her soul had left her body.

“Miss Yong!”

It was someone’s low voice that brought her back to reality.

When she finally came to her senses and looked back, she saw Jang Muryang leading the Black Cloud Corps.

The Black Cloud Corps had joined the fight near the end.

It was because they had joined the battle that the war could be ended at this point. If the Black Cloud Corps had not participated, all the Emei Sect martial artists here would have likely been killed by the Qingcheng Sect martial artists.

Yong Seol Lan gave Jang Muryang a Fist-Palm Salute.

“Ah! Thank you for your help, Great Hero Jang. Thanks to you, many lives were saved.”

“I was only doing what our contract entails. Please don’t mind it. More importantly, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

“Understood.”

Jang Muryang’s expression looked unusually serious, so Yong Seol Lan nodded her head.

The two went together to a deserted place.

After confirming no one was around, Jang Muryang carefully opened his mouth.

“Miss Yong, do you by any chance think today’s events were a coincidence?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m asking if you think the invasion of the Qingcheng Sect’s martial artists was a coincidence.”

“I don’t believe coincidences exist in Jianghu. Please tell me frankly why you’re saying this.”

“Then we can talk. Actually, there’s a person our Vice Unit Leader met by chance on his way to Chengdu and traveled with. But that person’s actions are unusual.”

“Please tell me in detail.”

Yong Seol Lan’s eyes gleamed.

The moment she heard Jang Muryang’s words, something came to mind.

“His name is Pyo Wol. He…”

Jang Muryang told her everything he knew about Pyo Wol.

How he had treated Heo Ranju, and how he had killed Jo Jeok-san and the Snow Leopard.

Yong Seol Lan didn’t say a single word while listening to the story. But her eyes were filled with a certain conviction.

‘It’s him! He must be the one who drove a wedge between our sect and the Qingcheng Sect.’

Sometimes, one could grasp the truth after hearing just a few words. That was Yong Seol Lan’s state right now.

Yong Seol Lan was convinced that Pyo Wol was behind the undercurrent.

“Did you say his name was Pyo Wol?”

“I heard it clearly.”

“Where is he now?”

“I don’t know. I sent troops to catch him, but I was told he wasn’t at his residence.”

“We must catch him. It’s clear that the Qingcheng Sect’s attack today was also his doing.”

“You think he’s the one who killed Daoist Master Cheong-yeop.”

“The Qingcheng Sect said the culprit used our sect’s martial arts. But among the experts of our sect who have entered Chengdu, I am the only one who can use the Drifting Snow Piercing Cloud Palm. Of course, I did not kill Daoist Master Cheong-yeop.”

“Are you thinking he killed Daoist Master Cheong-yeop? And using the Emei Sect’s martial arts at that…”

“There’s no other way to explain the current situation.”

“Hmm!”

Jang Muryang let out a low groan.

The one who killed the young master of the Thunder Clan had definitely used the Qingcheng Sect’s martial arts. If he had also learned the Emei Sect’s martial arts, the problem became serious.

“So you’re saying he’s a monster who has mastered his own martial arts, as well as those of the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect.”

“As of now, I have no choice but to think so.”

“How on earth was such a terrifying being born? Seeing as he’s driving a wedge between the Emei Sect and the Qingcheng Sect, it seems he holds a grudge against both sects. Do you have any idea?”

“There’s no way there’d be something like that…”

Yong Seol Lan’s words trailed off.

It was because someone suddenly came to mind.

‘But he’s dead… No! What if he’s alive?’

Goosebumps instantly covered her entire body.

Just by changing one assumption, all the pieces of the story fit together perfectly, like gears meshing.

Above all, her gut feeling was telling her that her assumption was correct.

‘More than anything, he’s the only assassin who holds a grudge against both the Emei Sect and the Qingcheng Sect.’

His face flashed in her mind.

It was a memory from a long, long time ago, but his face was still clearly etched in her mind.

That was how intense her memory of him was.

“We don’t have time for this. If we let him run rampant like this, the situation will worsen beyond control.”

“Before that, there is something I want to ask you, Miss Yong.”

Jang Muryang’s voice lowered.

His eyes were shining more sharply than ever before.

“What is his reason for doing this? We need to know the reason to be able to deal with it, don’t we?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Miss Yong!”

“I’m sorry.”

Yong Seol Lan said flatly.

The incident seven years ago was a disgrace to the Emei Sect.

It was a tragedy born from Guhwa Satae’s greed. That was why she couldn’t carelessly speak of it to others.

“I’m sorry. I want to tell you, but I can’t. It’s not something I can decide on my own. I know you must be frustrated, Great Hero Jang, but I hope you can bear with it until my Master’s decision is made.”

“Understood.”

Jang Muryang took a step back.

He realized that pressuring Yong Seol Lan any further would only earn him her resentment.

Yong Seol Lan closed her eyes.

‘To think that he has returned…’

She had only learned today that his name was Pyo Wol.

Even during his unremarkable days as an assassin, Pyo Wol had toyed with the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect as he pleased.

He had used his own life as collateral to drag the two factions into an underground cavern, ultimately making them clash with each other.

He was terrifying back then, but she was afraid to even imagine how much more terrifying he must have become after seven years.

‘Pyo Wol!’

The atmosphere in Chengdu turned ominous.

The fight between the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect had severely soured public sentiment. People stayed indoors out of fear.

The streets were completely deserted, and people hid in their homes.

People instinctively sensed that something bigger was about to happen.

The martial artists of the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect, the largest factions in Sichuan Province, had practically annihilated each other in Chengdu.

There was no way the two sects would stand still.

They would surely send even greater forces to Chengdu. If that happened, it was self-evident that Chengdu would be razed to the ground.

It was as clear as day who would suffer the most damage if that happened.

The powerless common people would be the first to die.

Because of that, those who were quick-witted had already left Chengdu early on.

Some inns even bolted their doors and refused to take in guests.

Pyo Wol walked alone through the completely deserted streets.

He left Chengdu and headed for the Crimson Dragon Clan’s branch.

No one paid any attention to Pyo Wol. Everyone was too busy looking out for themselves.

The workshop street where the Crimson Dragon Clan’s branch was located was quiet.

Customers had completely disappeared, and most of the workshops had closed their doors. They too had realized that the atmosphere in Chengdu was unusual.

Due to the nature of the workshops that made and sold weapons, this street was bound to be affected by the situation in Chengdu.

The workshops were being careful on their own, as doing business on a day like this could lead to altercations with martial artists.

The door to the Crimson Dragon Clan’s branch was also closed.

Pyo Wol frowned and looked at the branch door. It was because he heard a dull noise coming from inside.

Thwack! Thud!

It wasn’t the sound of a hammer striking steel.

It was the heavy sound made when beating a person with a blunt weapon.

Pyo Wol opened the door.

There was a bolt on the inside of the door, but with a slight application of force from Pyo Wol, it snapped like a twig.

Inside the workshop, four men were mercilessly beating another man. And a man with a goatee was watching the scene with his arms crossed.

The men who were committing the violence were startled to see Pyo Wol suddenly open the workshop door and enter.

“Who are you?”

“What the? How did you get in?”

They were the Do-je from this place. The target of their horrific violence was none other than Tang Sochu.

Tang Sochu was twitching, covered in blood.

Just then, the man with the goatee stepped forward.

“You’re the customer who came the other day.”

He was the Vice Unit Leader of the Crimson Dragon Clan’s branch and the one in charge here.

The Vice Unit Leader remembered Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol silently looked at Tang Sochu. At that, the Vice Unit Leader smiled and blocked Pyo Wol’s path.

“This is an internal matter of our clan. The customer should leave now.”

“What did he do wrong?”

“I cannot tell you. It is an internal matter of our clan. If you wish to purchase a weapon, please try another workshop. Our workshop will not be open for business for the time being.”

The Vice Unit Leader pushed Pyo Wol, trying to force him out. But Pyo Wol didn’t budge, as if he were a large tree.

The Vice Unit Leader’s face, who had been pushing, turned bright red.

Only then did he realize that Pyo Wol was an expert who had learned martial arts and stepped back.

“I don’t know which sect’s expert you are, but please stop here and withdraw. If you interfere any further in the Crimson Dragon Clan’s affairs, you will have an unpleasant experience.”

The Vice Unit Leader particularly emphasized the words “Crimson Dragon Clan.”

When the name of the Crimson Dragon Clan was brought up, most people would back down on their own. But the Crimson Dragon Clan posed no threat to Pyo Wol at all.

Pyo Wol was still looking at Tang Sochu.

Tang Sochu also laboriously lifted his head and looked at Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol said to him.

“You decide.”

“……”

“Should I just go?”

In that moment, Tang Sochu’s pupils wavered.

He understood what Pyo Wol meant.

Today, he had done nothing wrong. He hadn’t held a hammer, nor had he lingered near the furnace. Yet, he was beaten by the Do-je. And the Vice Unit Leader had encouraged the Do-je’s violence and then neglected it.

His only crime was being born with the surname Tang.

It wasn’t something he had chosen of his own will, yet people hated and tormented him.

It had become so commonplace to bully him that the people in the workshop now used violence against him as an outlet for their anger.

As a result, his body was a wreck, and his resentment had reached its peak.

Tang Sochu struggled to get up.

His two legs trembled like an aspen tree, a pitiful sight for anyone to see.

“Just stay down, you bastard.”

Crack!

One of the Do-je struck the back of Tang Sochu’s head.

Tang Sochu couldn’t hold on and slammed his face into the floor.

His nose bone broke, and blood soaked his mouth and chin.

Tang Sochu laboriously turned his head to look at Pyo Wol.

Their gazes met in mid-air. Then Tang Sochu spoke.

“Can you kill them?”

“All of them?”

“All of them!”

“Then what can you do for me?”

“I’ll do anything you want.”

Tang Sochu lifted his head and looked at Pyo Wol.

His eyes were as empty as Pyo Wol’s.

His emotions had been worn away by the repeated violence.

Pyo Wol smiled at the sight of him, so much like himself.

“Alright!”