Chapter 609

The individuals attentively watching the newly entered guests in the inn were primarily from the Shanxi province and were known as the Four Elites of Shanyin.

They met and banded together in Shanyin County, Shanxi, calling themselves the Four Elites of Shanyin.

Having gained a reputation in Shanyin County, they gradually expanded their territory all the way to Henan Province.

Their singular reason for leaving Shanyin  and reaching here was clear.

It was to establish their renown.

Shanyin County was, indeed, a remote area for martial artists.

Directly to the north was Jiangxi, and beyond that lay the wilderness.

Being a strategic military stronghold and with its harsh environment, it wasn’t a suitable city for people to live in for long.

Therefore, once the Four Elites of Shanyin  gained some reputation, they left Shanyin  County and headed towards Kangho, lured by the scent of impending warfare.

Where conflict arose, there was chaos, and chaos presented opportunities to gain fame.

Although they had a certain degree of fame in Shanyin, it was limited to that region.

Upon arriving in Henan Province, there was no one who recognized them.

This fact irked them deeply.

The Four Elites of Shanyin  planned to stay in Dengfeng County for a few days before moving on.

They liked the environment in Dengfeng County, but this was the territory of the Shaolin Temple. Starting trouble here would surely lead to immediate suppression by the Temple.

Thus, during their stay in Dengfeng County, they intended to remain as discreet as possible.

However, a situation arose that changed their minds.

The inn’s doors opened, and a group walked in.

It was Pyo Wol, Soma, and Hong Ye-Seol.

Among them, Hong Ye Seol caught the eye of the Four Elites of Shanyin.

Though her face was obscured by a veil, her voluptuous body couldn’t be concealed.

“Wow! She’s stunning.”

“Holy shit!”

The Four Elites exchanged glances.

Having not encountered any women since arriving in Dengfeng County, their desires were at their peak.

Their eyes met, and in an unspoken agreement, they read each other’s intentions.

“Hehe!”

“The men don’t seem that impressive…”

To their eyes, Pyo Wol and Soma seemed like ordinary folks.

They felt that, if they wished, they could easily overcome them.

“Let’s wait until nightfall.”

“We’ll discreetly take care of them and then leave Dengfeng county.”

“Sounds good.”

They whispered amongst themselves in hushed tones.

When everyone’s asleep, they would kill the men and rape the woman.

Then, destroy any evidence and leave Dengfeng County.

That was their plan.

“Hehe!”

They sipped their drinks and spied on Hong Ye-Seol out of the corner of their eyes.

Hong Ye-Seol slightly furrowed her brow.

Although the Four Elites of Shanyin believed they were being discreet in their glances, they couldn’t deceive her sharp senses.

In her life, she had been subject to such gazes countless times. Hence, she knew exactly what they implied.

“Ugh! So tiresome.”

As Hong Ye-Seol sighed, Soma cracked a sly smile.

“I’ll handle this so you won’t be bothered.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Yes!”

“Thank you!”

With that, the fate of the Four Elites of Shanyin  was sealed.

Unaware of this impending doom, they gleefully anticipated the pleasures of the night.

Pyo Wol muttered,

“The world is so chaotic that even the front yard of the Shaolin Temple is being occupied by such people.”

“The battles between the Golden Heavenly Hall, and the Silver Lotus Hall grow fiercer by the day. Both sides are desperately recruiting troops. That’s probably why undeserving men like them aim to rise in ranks and head towards martial circles.”

The Four Elites of Shanyin  were a classic example of the current degraded state of Kangho.

If the martial world were in order, such individuals would never have set foot here.

If even Dengfeng County, the proverbial front yard of the Shaolin Temple, is like this, one couldn’t even imagine the chaos elsewhere.

Seeing the Four Elites leer at Hong Ye-Seol truly made one feel the world’s disarray.

Pyo Wol and Hong Ye-Seol, without having their meal, proceeded to their upstairs room.

Seeing them move, the Four Elites of Shanyin  also rose from their seats.

They intended to immediately follow Hong Ye-Seol upstairs. But before they could, trouble ensued.

Thud!

“Argh!”

Suddenly, the youngest of the Four Elites let out a scream.

A chopstick was embedded deep in his throat.

His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed, unable to move.

He was killed in an instant.

“Young one!”

“You bastard! Who are you?”

The one who threw the chopstick was none other than Soma.

“Soma!”

“What?”

“You called my name, didn’t you? My name is Soma.”

“Soma? Why did you kill our youngest?”

“You guys were harboring ill intentions towards our sister first, weren’t you?”

“How dare this brat…”

The Four elites of Shanyin charged at Soma in rage. However, their attacks never reached Soma.

The skill gap was simply too vast.

Even if they had some renown in the Shanyin region, they couldn’t match Soma’s martial prowess.

The sword at Soma’s waist moved like lightning.

In an instant, the blade brushed past the necks of the Four Elites of Shanyin.

“Choke!”

“Gasp!”

“

Aagh!”

A chilling sensation, followed by a fiery pain, spread across their bodies.

They screamed and fell to the ground, motionless.

In a single move, Soma had simultaneously killed three men. It was a sword technique to be marveled at.

“Ah!”

The innkeeper screamed upon witnessing the slaughter.

Soma walked over to him, and the owner’s face turned pale.

The young Soma looked like a demon.

Handing over three silver coins to the innkeeper, Soma said,

“Could you dispose of the bodies quietly?”

“Yes! Uh! Of, of course.”

The innkeeper, though flustered, took the silver coins.

Disposing of the bodies and pocketing three silver coins was a profitable deal. The Four Elites of Shanyin had caused nothing but trouble during their stay at the inn. They had no honor or loyalty.

Seeing it this way, the innkeeper actually benefited from this.

Watching the innkeeper chuckling, Soma headed to the second floor.

Once Soma was out of sight, the innkeeper’s expression changed.

‘I must inform Shaolin of this.’

A young boy had killed the Four Elites of Shanyin in a heartbeat.

He was a person of interest.

The innkeeper rushed off to relay this news to Shaolin.

＊＊＊

Although it was late at night, Shaolin Temple was as bright as a fire.

Torches were hung everywhere, and a large bonfire blazed in the center of the temple grounds.

While Shaolin was always known for its strict security, it had never been this intense.

This heightened alertness began after a mediation group they had sent to the Wudang Sect was annihilated.

In anticipation of a potential invasion from the Heavenly Martial Sect, Shaolin had significantly bolstered its defenses.

Even at this late hour, martial artists patrolled all around the temple.

“Sigh! I just can’t see a solution.”

The Head of Shaolin, Grandmaster Unji, massaged his temples, looking weary.

Ever since learning about the massacre of the mediation group from the Wudang Sect, he hadn’t had a proper sleep.

The immense pressure weighed on him.

‘Why on earth did Lord Jang do this?’

He still couldn’t believe that Jang Cheon-hwa had killed monk Unsong and the mediation group.

He wished that Ji Gyeong’s words were false. But there was no reason for Ji Gyeong to lie.

Grandmaster Unji had martial artists stationed around Ji Gyeong.

Currently, the only witness who could prove Jang Cheon-hwa’s misdeeds was Ji Gyeong.

If anything were to happen to Ji Gyeong, there would be no one left to attest to Jang Cheon-hwa’s wrongdoings. Hence, they did everything they could to protect him.

“No matter how cunning Jang Cheon-hwa may be, he wouldn’t dare attack the main temple so easily.”

Though its reputation had waned from the past, the Shaolin Temple still remained a force to be reckoned with.

Grandmaster Unji had faith in the full strength of the Shaolin Temple.

At that moment,

“Elder Wunji, it’s Unhae. May I enter?”

Just then, a voice called from outside.

Grandmaster Unji smiled at the visit from the first scholar and council member of Shaolin Temple

“Come in.”

“Yes, Elder.”

With that reply, High Monk Unhae entered.

Upon entering, Unhae remarked,

“It seems you have a lot on your mind. Staying awake at this late hour speaks volumes.”

“Isn’t it the same for you?”

“Sleep evades me easily.”

“Ah, these sleepless nights are truly tiring.”

“The burden on your shoulders looks incredibly heavy, Elder. I wish I could share even a part of it. I apologize for not being able to do more.”

“Just knowing you care is enough.”

Grandmaster Uunji, smiling, patted Unhae’s shoulder a few times.

“I always find solace knowing you’re here.”

“After this crisis, I’m thinking of handing over my position as head to Seong-mu.”

“What?”

“I’m truly feeling my age.”

With age, one seeks stability.

This was true even for monks.

Both Grandmaster Unji and High Monk Unhae were more oriented towards stability than taking risks. They were moderate in nature and felt the weight of their age, wanting to avoid the rough winds of the outside world.

“Seong-mu will lead Shaolin brilliantly.”

“Elder.”

“I’m not saying I’ll step down immediately. Only after the Shaolin Temple has found some stability. It’s only right to do it that way.”

“I understand. Then I should also prepare to hand over my position to Seong Yong. He has the capability and knowledge to fill my role.”

“Indeed! Seong Yong is more than capable.”

“I trust him as well.”

While the two old monks were discussing the future,

“Head Monk!”

Another voice called out from outside.

“What is it?”

“The innkeeper from Dengfeng county has brought news.”

“The innkeeper? Let him in.”

“Yes!”

With that, a lead disciple hurried in, holding a neatly folded letter in his hand.

Grandmaster Unji took the letter and read it.

“Strangers have arrived? And one of them killed the Four Elites of Shanyin?”

“Are you saying the Four Elites of Shanyin are dead?”

“Yes. Moreover, the martial artist who killed him is a boy of just over ten.”

“My goodness! The Four Elite of Shanyin may not have been top level martial artists, but they were still formidable fighters. A boy barely over ten years old killed him?”

“And apparently, he did so with ease.”

“Amitabha Buha!”

“It might be that boy, the one rumored to travel with another.”

“Who could that be?”

“Pyo Wol! Wasn’t he always accompanied by a young boy?”

“That’s possible.”

High Monk Unhae nodded in agreement.

“You should lead our disciples to the inn and see for yourself.”

“Understood. I’ll go right now.”

“You plan to leave immediately? You could go after daybreak.”

“I can’t sleep, so there’s no point in spending a long night with nothing to do. I’ll just go now.”

“Haha! Oh, you… Very well then, do as you see fit.”

“I’ll be on my way.”

High Monk Unhae, followed by the lead disciple, went outside.

Left alone, Grandmaster Unji opened the window and looked out.

The sky was densely clouded, as no stars could be seen tonight.

Grandmaster Unji murmured,

“The heavens are in turmoil. How shall we navigate through this?”