Chapter 87

Not a single person from the Emei Sect could refute Yong Seol Lan’s words.

Her words had awakened the martial artists of the Emei Sect to their reality.

Their own Sect Leader had cowardly ambushed an expert from the Qingcheng Sect and was killed. In that moment, the Emei Sect’s reputation had hit rock bottom.

From now on, no one in Sichuan Province would respect the Emei Sect. Not even the sects that had cooperated with them until now.

The Emei Sect had lost its justification for revenge against Pyo Wol.

There was a good reason why the martial artists of Jianghu obsessed over justification. Sometimes, a martial artist who had lost everything could rise again with the help of those around them, all thanks to a single justification. Conversely, there were many cases where one lost everything by pushing forward with an unreasonable ambition without justification.

The Emei Sect’s case was the latter.

They had now become enemies with the Qingcheng Sect and had lost the trust of the martial artists of Sichuan Province. No matter how great their underlying power was, they could not survive after making enemies of all the martial artists in Sichuan.

It was the same for the Qingcheng Sect.

With the revelation that Mujeong Jin-in had practiced demonic arts, the Qingcheng Sect lost its justification for revenge.

If Muhwa Jin-in had his way, he would have ordered the Qingcheng Seven Swords and the martial artists of the Enforcement Hall to attack Pyo Wol right away, but doing so would likely cause them to lose what little trust they had left.

Both justification and initiative had been completely snatched away by Pyo Wol.

He was even ruling over the heroes with fear, preventing them from moving.

This was the first time such a martial artist had appeared in the history of Sichuan Province.

Even the Tang Clan, during its golden age, had not ruled over the heroes with such terror.

“Hoo!”

Muhwa Jin-in let out a sigh.

He realized that, just as Yong Seol Lan had said, now was the time to retreat and get their house in order.

He handed Mujeong Jin-in’s body to Muyeong Jin-in and approached Pyo Wol.

“We too would like to retrieve Senior Martial Brother Mujeong’s body and withdraw. Will you permit it?”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Pyo Wol’s face.

The situation would change depending on his answer.

Pyo Wol silently looked at Muhwa Jin-in and Yong Seol Lan.

His emotionless gaze dug into their chests like a dagger.

It was a long while later that Pyo Wol opened his mouth.

“If I let you go, you’ll dream of revenge. Just as I did…”

“I swear on my name. The Emei Sect will never seek revenge on Great Hero Pyo.”

“How can I believe that?”

“You will come to believe it. Because I will make it so.”

Yong Seol Lan’s words carried a strange resonance.

Pyo Wol stared intently at Yong Seol Lan’s face.

Even when they met in the underground cavern seven years ago, Yong Seol Lan was somehow different from the other Emei Sect disciples.

She was still polite now, but she showed no trace of servility.

“If Great Hero Pyo cannot accept my proposal, then we have no choice. But I want to prevent that worst-case scenario.”

“You may withdraw.”

Pyo Wol nodded.

Now that he had killed Guhwa Satae, the root of this whole affair, there was no reason to pay any more attention to the Emei Sect.

Yong Seol Lan gave Pyo Wol a slight bow and stepped back.

“Everyone, stop crying. We are sinners who don’t even have the right to weep.”

She urged the wailing Emei Sect disciples to collect the bodies of the dead.

After retrieving the bodies of Guhwa Satae and their comrades, the martial artists of the Emei Sect powerlessly left the battlefield.

In the meantime, Muhwa Jin-in agonized endlessly.

The honor of the Qingcheng Sect would plummet to the ground because of this incident, a defeat at the hands of a single man.

His heart grew heavy as he seemed to see the future of the Qingcheng Sect, which would have to endure days of shame.

‘I should have stopped Senior Martial Brother Mujeong sooner…’

No matter how much he regretted it now, it was useless.

What was important now was to retreat while preserving the Qingcheng Sect’s strength.

Muhwa Jin-in spoke.

“We too are at fault, so we will not question your wrongdoings any further. Let us forget all grudges against each other with this.”

It was nicely worded as forgetting mutual grudges, but it was, in fact, a declaration of surrender from the Qingcheng Sect.

The faces of Muhwa Jin-in and all the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect were filled with humiliation. But no one dared to act rashly. They knew that the momentum had already shifted to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol nodded.

Muhwa Jin-in gave Pyo Wol a Fist-Palm Salute and similarly collected the bodies of the Qingcheng Sect martial artists before leaving.

Now, only the Black Cloud Corps and the heroes remained in the area.

Jang Muryang wore a dumbfounded expression.

‘It ends like this? Because of that one man…’

Everything he had been working on in Sichuan Province had turned to nothing.

The Emei Sect, which had been a reliable backer, had returned to Mount Emei as a defeated army, and they were left all alone.

The Black Cloud Corps had also lost a considerable number of troops to Pyo Wol. But in the current atmosphere, they could not carry out their revenge.

This was because Jang Muryang himself had been seriously injured by Pyo Wol.

If the flying dagger lodged in his right chest had been just one inch to the side, he would already be dead. It was a miracle he was even alive.

‘To think he planned and succeeded in this entire scheme by himself. A true Reaper has appeared in Jianghu.’

Jang Muryang bit his lip hard.

Like the Emei and Qingcheng Sects, Jang Muryang felt he had missed his chance.

With the atmosphere and initiative completely handed over to Pyo Wol, no matter how much he and the Black Cloud Corps struggled, they would only look pathetic.

‘Damn it! I will definitely repay this grudge.’

Jang Muryang turned around with a resentful face.

The Black Cloud Corps followed behind him.

Once even the Black Cloud Corps left the battlefield, there was nothing the heroes could do.

They stared at Pyo Wol with eyes full of fear.

They too now realized that the leadership of Sichuan had passed to Pyo Wol.

A single assassin had produced an unbelievable result.

Pyo Wol began to walk.

Although there were numerous heroes, none of them blocked Pyo Wol. Instead, they scattered and cleared a path for him.

Pyo Wol walked down the path that had opened up through the heroes.

The heroes had a premonition that a new legend was born in Sichuan.

The legend of an assassin…

The heroes watched him with awe-filled eyes. But not everyone was like that.

There was one man whose heart burned with vengeance.

‘Pyo… Wol!’

The name of the middle-aged man glaring at Pyo Wol from among the heroes was Woo Jinpyeong.

He was the father who had lost his son, Woo Gun-sang, to Pyo Wol, and the man who had been the Wisdom Strategist of the Qingcheng Sect.

He had wanted the Qingcheng Sect to avenge him, but the Qingcheng Sect had betrayed his expectations.

Given the Qingcheng Sect’s nature, now that they had given their word, they wouldn’t even dream of revenge against Pyo Wol for the time being.

‘Fine! I will avenge my son with my own hands.’

That day, Woo Jinpyeong sold all his assets and left Sichuan Province.

The Sichuan Murim underwent a seismic shift.

The Emei and Qingcheng Sects, which had been fiercely competing for supremacy, ceased their activities almost simultaneously, and other sects also bolted their doors and focused on recovering from their damages.

Naturally, the Sichuan Murim entered a period of stagnation.

As if by agreement, the martial artists of Sichuan kept their mouths shut about the events of that day.

For them, it was a day of eternal, indelible shame.

They did not possess the courage to dare bring up the humiliating memory of the Sichuan Jianghu being overwhelmed by a single assassin.

Many had died, and many sects had suffered great damage, but no one dared to dream of revenge against Pyo Wol.

This was because the fear that Pyo Wol might visit them silently in the night, even now, whenever they closed their eyes, still dominated them.

Thus, time flowed on in people’s silence.

The streets of Chengdu, which had been destroyed by the clashes of martial artists, regained some stability, and people returned to their daily lives.

As if such an event had never happened, everyone returned to their own places, but the memory of that day was deeply engraved in people’s minds. They just didn’t show it.

The ones who regained their vitality the fastest were the merchants.

The merchants quickly rebuilt their destroyed shops and resumed business. As merchants brought in goods from the outside to sell, people came out to the streets again.

Thus, the streets regained their vitality, and people from outside Sichuan Province began to visit again.

The Cheonhak Trading Company was one such trading company that entered Chengdu.

As soon as they entered Chengdu, the Cheonhak Trading Company unloaded high-quality silks and precious accessories that filled over twenty carts.

The supreme-grade silk and splendid accessories they brought were not easily obtainable, causing a stir among the merchants of Chengdu.

For this one trade mission, the Cheonhak Trading Company mobilized over a hundred people, including merchants, escorting warriors, and laborers for odd jobs.

The Cheonhak Trading Company rented an entire large inn in Chengdu for their stay.

The head of the Cheonhak Trading Company, Geum Chusan, was a middle-aged man in his late forties with a magnificent physique and piercing eyes that exuded an intimidating aura just by looking at him.

He had a tenacious personality and was quick with calculations, so he maximized profits in any trade mission.

Because of this, the Cheonhak Trading Company quickly grew into a large trading company, and the people of the company respected Geum Chusan.

At least within the Cheonhak Trading Company, Geum Chusan was as good as an absolute ruler.

Such a man, Geum Chusan, was kneeling.

It was a dissonant sight that the people of the Cheonhak Trading Company would never have believed if they had witnessed it.

But there was no trace of humiliation on the kneeling Geum Chusan’s face. As if it were the most natural thing to do, he was bowing his head toward the young man sitting opposite him.

Unlike Geum Chusan, who was dressed in splendid silk clothes, the young man’s attire was very plain.

He had soft facial lines and eyes curved like a half-moon, which were impressive.

His smiling appearance made even the beholder feel cheerful. But Geum Chusan, kneeling right in front of him, was extremely tense.

He was one of the few who knew that the man before him was different from his appearance.

He cautiously reported to the young man.

“The profit from this trade mission exceeds three hundred gold nyang in total. It seems we can gain a little more profit if we buy grain in Chengdu and return.”

“As expected of Unit Leader Geum. It’s amazing how you make a profit on any trade mission.”

“You praise me too much, Captain Hong!”

“Please refrain from using that title. Here, please just call me Young Master Hong.”

“Yes! Young Master Hong.”

“I have been greatly indebted to you, Unit Leader Geum, on our way here. I pray for your safe return.”

“Were you not returning with us?”

Geum Chusan looked at the young man in surprise.

“Branch Manager Oh is dead.”

“Pardon?”

“The report was late, so I looked into it and confirmed that he died around the time of the great disturbance in Chengdu.”

“H-how?”

“That’s what I need to find out from now on.”

The young man said as he stretched.

Geum Chusan looked at him with fearful eyes.

The young man’s name was Hong Yushin.

Hong Yushin was the Surveillance Chief of the Hao Clan.

His duty was to monitor the movements of the entire Hao Clan, check for any abnormalities, and resolve any problems that might arise.

His authority was just as powerful.

The Cheonhak Trading Company was one of the front companies run by the Hao Clan.

Their mission was to travel all over All Under Heaven under the pretext of trade and gather necessary information.

Hong Yushin said.

“If we stay here too long, people will become suspicious. Buy your goods appropriately and leave.”

“I will do so. But, by any chance, might you not need our help?”

“Branch Manager Oh is dead, but the branch itself is intact. I must make use of them.”

“I understand. Then I will take my leave with that understanding.”

Geum Chusan bowed his head deeply.

Hong Yushin smiled and stood up from his seat.

“Then I shall take my leave as well. I joined the trade mission as a laborer, so if I have a private meeting with the company head for too long, people will find it strange.”

“Please take care of yourself, Young Master Hong!”

“Thank you. Then I’ll see you next time.”

Hong Yushin gave Geum Chusan a Fist-Palm Salute and came out of the inn.

He walked through the streets of Chengdu without looking back.

Although it was late at night, there were still many people wandering the streets. Countless lanterns were hung in the red-light district, brightly illuminating the streets.

“Hey there, young hero. Come on in.”

“Hoho!”

Courtesans leaning out of open windows seduced the men passing by on the street with flirtatious gestures and voices.

The scent of the courtesans’ powder was carried by the wind to Hong Yushin’s nose.

“Nice! Very nice.”

Hong Yushin nodded with a satisfied smile.

He was a man, too.

A man at an age where his blood qi was vigorous.

The scent of a beautiful courtesan’s powder was enough to excite him. But there was not a single waver in his eyes as he looked at the courtesans.

His face clearly wore an excited expression, but his eyes were as cold as ice. However, Hong Yushin’s eyes were very small and curved into a half-moon shape, so people could not see his pupils.

Hong Yushin glanced around the red-light district for a moment before entering the largest brothel.

The brothel, named Water Lotus Pavilion, was famous in Chengdu for having the most, and the most beautiful, courtesans.

Because of that, except for special occasions, it was always bustling with customers.

Even after entering the Water Lotus Pavilion, no one paid any attention to Hong Yushin. The courtesans were busy greeting customers, and the workers were also busy with their own tasks.

One might feel intimidated by this, but Hong Yushin was confident. And so, he caught the eye of the Water Lotus Pavilion’s Steward.

The Steward approached Hong Yushin with hurried steps.

“Welcome, customer! Is there a particular courtesan you are looking for?”

“I’d like to meet the owner.”

“If you don’t have a prior appointment, it will be difficult to meet the owner.”

At that moment, Hong Yushin took a small bronze plaque from his bosom and showed it discreetly.

Instantly, the Steward’s eyes widened.

“This subordinate greets the Surveillance Chief.”

“Shh! Quietly.”

“Yes!”

“Don’t make a fuss, and call the owner. And bring all the records on the recent trends in Chengdu.”

“Understood.”

Cold sweat trickled down the Steward’s cheek.

‘The Surveillance Chief from the main clan is here.’

The Water Lotus Pavilion was one of the brothels run by the Hao Clan. But this was the first time the Surveillance Chief had visited in person. That’s why he couldn’t help but be more nervous.

‘Is something else about to happen in Chengdu?’