Chapter 94

“The Shadowless Hermit Yoo Shinpoong, his niece, and the Seven Stars Hall have entered Chengdu?”

“Yes! We’ve confirmed they entered last evening.”

At his Subordinate’s report, the expression of Hong Yushin, the Hao Clan’s Surveillance Chief, turned grave.

“Have you found out why they came to Chengdu?”

“I apologize. There wasn’t enough time to confirm. However, we have identified one unusual development.”

“What is it?”

“Yes! As soon as the Seven Stars Hall entered Chengdu, they clashed with that man.”

“That…?”

“Pyo… Wol, I mean.”

“Is that so?”

Hong Yushin showed a flicker of curiosity.

Recently, the Hao Clan’s greatest interest was none other than Pyo Wol.

Fearing a clash with him, they had avoided direct contact, but they were continuously investigating his movements.

After his direct encounter with Pyo Wol, Hong Yushin had been deeply shocked.

It wasn’t simply because Pyo Wol’s Martial Arts were strong, or because he had been threatened.

It was because a man like Pyo Wol had suddenly appeared as if he had dropped from the sky.

No matter how many extraordinary individuals were scattered like grains of sand in the Jianghu, it was nearly impossible for someone with Pyo Wol’s level of Martial prowess to appear out of nowhere without any background.

For the past several hundred years, the Martial Arts of the Jianghu had been developing. Because of this, no matter how outstanding a talent was, they could not learn profound Martial Arts without the proper teachings of a hidden master.

In reality, the Martial Artists who currently stood out in the Jianghu, without exception, had a strong Martial Sect backing them. So, it was not at all strange that they were strong. But Pyo Wol was different.

His Sect of origin and his master were both unclear. Yet, his Martial Arts were chillingly powerful. It was something Hong Yushin could not comprehend with his common sense.

That was why Hong Yushin had remained in Chengdu without leaving, conducting a background investigation on Pyo Wol. In addition, he had to reinforce the organization of the Chengdu branch, which had become a mess due to the vacancy left by the previous branch chief.

With so much to do, now the Shadowless Hermit, his niece, and the Seven Stars Hall had also entered Chengdu.

Furthermore, the Seven Stars Hall had even clashed with Pyo Wol.

“The result?”

“They say the Iron Hunchback Oh Kyungwol was greatly humiliated.”

“I knew it. It wasn’t that I was weak. That man really is terrifyingly strong.”

Hong Yushin let out a smirk.

The fact that he wasn’t the only one who had suffered was incredibly satisfying.

The Hao Clan was strictly controlling information about Pyo Wol.

Since they couldn’t shut everyone’s mouths, information about him would gradually become known to the world, but outside of Sichuan Province, Pyo Wol was virtually unknown. That was why such an incident had occurred.

After laughing for a while, he asked his Subordinate.

“But why did the Seven Stars Hall come to Chengdu? Their sphere of activity is completely different. And as far as I know, they don’t have any particular connections here.”

“We have not yet been able to find out the reason.”

“Find out as soon as possible.”

“Understood.”

The Subordinate retreated with his answer.

Left alone, Hong Yushin muttered to himself.

“The storms never cease in Sichuan Province.”

He had a bad feeling.

It felt as if the damp air just before a downpour was enveloping his entire body. Whenever he had this feeling, something bad was bound to happen.

＊＊＊

Tang Sochu woke up at dawn and put firewood into the furnace.

Whether the artisan was working or resting, the fire in the furnace always had to be maintained. The fire in the furnace going out meant the end of the workshop’s life.

Tang Sochu blankly stared at the flames of the furnace, which were once again burning vigorously.

Sometimes, it felt like a dream that he had his own workshop and an environment where he could work to his heart’s content.

Something that had been unimaginable just a few months ago had happened.

“Hoo!”

After staring at the flames for a long time, Tang Sochu sighed and got up.

Tang Sochu headed to the workbench.

On the workbench were scattered pieces of thin soft iron plates.

They were what Tang Sochu had painstakingly made over the past few days.

Although it was called soft iron, it was exceptionally strong, having been blended with several metals using the Tang Clan’s Secret Transmission.

To complete the Wrist Guard Pyo Wol had ordered, he first made the soft iron plates that would form the frame.

The soft iron plates had to move smoothly enough not to hinder hand movements, yet possess a powerful durability to protect the arm from a blade.

There was no workshop in Chengdu with the technology to make such soft iron plates, nor were there any artisans with such skill.

In the end, Tang Sochu had to do everything himself from start to finish.

Fortunately, his efforts over the past few days had not been in vain, and he had created soft iron plates that were to his liking.

Now, all that remained was the process of connecting each soft iron plate with specially crafted Silver Thread and then covering it with leather.

Tang Sochu walked toward the back of the workshop.

At the back of the workshop was an old, shabby warehouse. It was a warehouse attached to the workshop, where the previous owner, an old artisan, had stored various iron ingots and materials.

The old artisan had handed over all the materials in the warehouse to Tang Sochu at once. Most of the materials in the warehouse were cheap iron ingots, but if he rummaged through them, he could occasionally find something useful.

Hoping for the same this time, Tang Sochu opened the warehouse door.

Kii-eeek!

The rusty hinges screamed as the scene inside the warehouse was revealed.

Even though it was broad daylight, the inside of the warehouse was so dark that one could barely make out shapes without shining a lamp.

Relying on the lamp, Tang Sochu rummaged through the warehouse.

After searching for a long time, he was finally able to find what he was looking for.

“Good! There’s still something useful left.”

In his hand was a thick piece of leather.

Since it had not yet been cut, it was quite large.

At this size, it seemed there would be a lot left over even after making the Wrist Guard.

Tang Sochu rolled up the leather and was about to go back outside.

“Hm?”

But a strange movement caught his eye.

Something had moved in the depths of the warehouse. He could have thought it was just a shadow flickering due to the movement of the lamp, but Tang Sochu instinctively knew that wasn’t it.

Although he hadn’t learned even a single move of Martial Arts, he was a man who carried the blood of the Tang Clan.

His Eye Power and physical strength were far superior to those of an ordinary person.

Fearlessly, he walked toward the spot where he had detected the strange movement.

“Who’s there?”

He shone the lamp into the corner of the warehouse. Then he saw the strange figure of a person crouching in the corner.

It was a boy who looked to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old.

The way he was curled up tightly looked just like a kitten.

His face was grimy, covered in ash and dust, showing how much he had suffered, and his gaunt body was visible through his tattered clothes.

Tang Sochu furrowed his brow.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?”

Despite Tang Sochu’s questions, the boy kept his mouth firmly shut and curled up even more. Seeing the intruder’s sharp-edged demeanor, Tang Sochu made a dumbfounded expression.

“Damn it! What is this?”

He wanted to drag the boy out by force, but seeing his wary state, it didn’t seem like he would come out easily. But he couldn’t just leave him like this either.

He was so gaunt that it wouldn’t be strange if he breathed his last at any moment.

After looking at the boy for a moment, Tang Sochu sighed and went out of the warehouse.

When he returned a moment later, he was holding a tray with food on it.

“I’ll leave this here, so eat it.”

Tang Sochu placed the tray in front of the boy and then went outside.

Now, whether the boy ate or not was his choice.

Tang Sochu put the boy out of his mind and returned to the workshop. He then immersed himself in the task of cutting the leather.

Fortunately, the leather he found in the warehouse was well-tanned, so it didn’t require much extra work.

Tang Sochu generously treated the leather with a special chemical. The chemical, made with the Tang Clan’s Secret Transmission, would make the leather both soft and tough.

It would take quite a long time for the chemical to be fully absorbed into the leather.

Tang Sochu left the leather and decided to make the Silver Thread that would connect the soft iron plates.

The task of making the Silver Thread was even more difficult than making the soft iron plates. It required exceptional patience and special crafting skills.

First, he melted an iron ingot to create a thick iron wire. He then reheated the wire, twisting it like a rope and stretching it out.

He repeated this process several times, applying a special treatment to the surface.

“Hoo!”

Tang Sochu wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the result.

A thin, long iron wire was complete. But it was far from Tang Sochu’s goal.

Tang Sochu planned to make the wire at least three times thinner.

He planned to leave it for a day to harden and do the rest of the work tomorrow.

It was then.

Tang Sochu felt someone secretly watching him.

Thinking it might be, he turned around and saw someone scurrying away from the back of the workshop. It was the boy who had been hiding in the warehouse.

Tang Sochu didn’t bother to follow the boy.

Having suffered greatly himself from people’s persistent stares, he knew that in cases like this, not paying attention was actually a way of helping.

The next day, Tang Sochu brought food to the warehouse where the boy was hiding and then immersed himself in his work.

While he was deep in the process of making the Silver Thread, he felt a burning gaze. The boy hiding in the warehouse was secretly watching him.

Tang Sochu paid no mind to the boy and continued his work.

The tedious task of twisting the iron wire dozens of times like a rope and reheating it continued all day long.

“Hoo!”

Finally, as the sun was setting, the Silver Thread of the desired strength and thickness was created.

A coil of Silver Thread, only as thick as a few strands of hair, lay on the workbench.

Though so thin it was indistinguishable to the naked eye, it was an object with such strength and elasticity that it would not break easily.

Tang Sochu smiled with satisfaction.

After admiring his work for a moment, Tang Sochu looked behind him. The boy who had been secretly watching was nowhere to be seen.

Tang Sochu headed to the warehouse.

The food he had given in the morning was all gone.

After collecting the dishes, Tang Sochu entered the small room attached to the workshop.

He had a simple dinner and then fell asleep.

He heard a clattering sound from outside. It seemed someone was rummaging through the kitchen.

Tang Sochu smirked and fell right back to sleep.

When he opened his eyes in the morning, Tang Sochu couldn’t hide his bewildered expression. The boy who had been hiding in the warehouse was sleeping right next to him, curled up tightly.

The boy looked much younger than he had estimated.

His blistered hands and feet and tattered clothes proved that the boy had gone through immense hardship.

Thanks to the food he had eaten over the past two days, his gaunt frame had put on a little flesh. Still, it was barely enough to escape the crisis of starvation.

Tang Sochu looked at the boy for a moment before going outside.

After making and eating a simple breakfast, he also put the leftover food in the room where the boy was sleeping.

Now, he had to finish the Wrist Guard.

He sat at the workbench and connected the soft iron plates one by one with the Silver Thread. It was a task that required delicacy.

Without blinking an eye, he finished the tedious work and finally connected all the soft iron plates. He then worked on covering the completed frame with leather.

After working for nearly half a day, a pair of Wrist Guards was finally complete.

Covered in leather, they looked like nothing more than ordinary arm guards on the outside. He wondered if they were too plain, but he quickly shook his head.

He knew that what Pyo Wol truly valued was practicality.

Tang Sochu wrapped the completed Wrist Guard in a cloth and headed outside.

Before opening the door to leave, he spoke toward the inside of the house.

“I’m going out for a bit, so if you’re hungry, rummage through the kitchen and find something to eat.”

Naturally, no reply came.

Since he hadn’t said it expecting a reply anyway, Tang Sochu closed the door and headed for the Inn where Pyo Wol was staying.

He didn’t know how many days it had been since he’d been outside.

He hadn’t stepped outside once while making the Wrist Guard, and the sunlight was so bright it made his eyes sting.

It had been a while since he’d been out, but nothing on the streets of Chengdu had changed.

If anything, it seemed like there were even more people walking around than before.

Tang Sochu looked at the people with curiosity.

Just then, he heard the voices of people passing by him.

“You still haven’t found them?”

“It’s certain they entered Chengdu, but we can’t find any trace of them after that.”

“Hmph! How troublesome.”

“So, what about putting in a request with the Hao Clan? They’d find them easily.”

“Did you forget the client’s condition? They said to secure them in absolute secrecy. Those Hao Clan bastards are devious, you can’t trust them.”

“Hmm!”

The ones having the conversation were a bewitching woman with upturned eyes and a Swordsman with a sword like a bamboo skewer at his waist.

They spoke without being conscious of Tang Sochu nearby.

Tang Sochu, too, paid them no further mind.

He knew well that in the Jianghu, useless curiosity only hastens one’s death.

He walked briskly and arrived at the Inn where Pyo Wol was staying.

“Hyung!”

Pyo Wol was sitting at a window seat on the first floor of the Inn.

Pyo Wol, who was drinking tea alone, looked at him.

Tang Sochu plopped down in the seat across from him and put down the cloth bundle containing the Wrist Guard.

“It’s done.”