Chapter 610

Pyo Wol looked out the window.

He saw Master Unhae and five monks approaching the inn.

“Guests have arrived.”

“They’re early.”

Hong Ye-seol muttered with a displeased expression.

Pyo Wol chuckled softly and rose from his seat.

Thump!

As he released his reverse bone technique, his face reverted to its original form.

Pyo Wol and Hong Ye-seol left the room. As if waiting for them, Soma also emerged from his room.

The three descended to the first floor of the inn.

Just then, Master Unhae and the monks entered the inn.

“Amitabha! So it was indeed Grandmaster Pyo, .”

Master Unhae recognized Pyo Wol and greeted him warmly.

“It’s been a while.”

“I hope I haven’t disturbed your rest. Perhaps I should have come tomorrow instead?”

“No worries! I’m not particularly tired from your visit.”

“That’s good to hear. Meeting you again puts my mind at ease.”

“I heard that the people you sent to the Wudang Sect were all killed?”

“Amitabha! Master Unsong and his disciples were all killed. Only Ji Gyeong survived and returned. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t even know that Jang Cheon-hwa had killed Unsong and the others.”

“Where is Ji Gyeong?”

“He’s being safely protected at our temple.”

“I’d like to meet him.”

“Right now?”

“Why not? It’s not like we have anything else to do.”

“Fair point.”

Master Unhae nodded thoughtfully.

There was still plenty of time before dawn.

Walking through the pitch-black night might be dangerous, but that was only for ordinary people.

Everyone here was a martial arts master.

Even if they were to climb a mountain right now, there would be no chance of stumbling.

The monks of Shaolin and Pyo Wol’s group left the inn.

“Ha ha!”

The innkeeper, who had been cautiously observing the situation, awkwardly laughed as his eyes met Soma’s.

Soma made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand, and the innkeeper’s face turned pale.

In an instant, Soma burst into a wide grin.

“Hehe! Just kidding.”

“Ah!”

“Good job. Thanks to you, people from Shaolin have come.”

Soma had killed the Four Elites of Shanyin in front of the innkeeper for precisely this effect.

It had made their journey to Shaolin much smoother.

Although he appeared to be in his teens, Soma was as experienced as any seasoned warrior.

He knew well how to achieve maximum results with minimal effort.

What’s more, he had the best teaching material in the form of Pyo Wol.

By observing Pyo Wol’s every move, he could naturally absorb the techniques.

Master Unhae and Pyo Wol led the way, conversing as they walked.

“It seems you’ve achieved even greater heights since we last met?”

“More or less!”

“Remarkable. It’s not easy to take another step forward from the brink of one’s limits.”

Master Unhae sincerely admired him.

The stronger the martial artist, the higher and thicker the wall of enlightenment in front of him.

Breaking through that wall to advance further is no small feat, and Master Unhae admired him for it.

Pyo Wol had changed yet again in the short time since they’d last met. It was clear that his martial arts had become even stronger.

Master Unhae considered himself fortunate that Pyo Wol was not his enemy.

The path leading up to Shaolin was incredibly dark.

Fortunately, the trail was well-trodden. Master Unhae and the monks had traversed it hundreds of times, so even without torchlight, they had no trouble climbing the mountain path.

Needless to say, Pyo Wol and Hong Ye-seol had no issues either, and Soma also navigated the path skillfully despite the darkness.

Thanks to this, the group was able to reach the vicinity of Shaolin at a very fast pace.

Master Unhae spoke,

“I’m sure the abbot is waiting for you to meet him.”

“At this hour, nearing dawn?”

“He says that as he ages, he finds it harder to sleep through the night.”

Master Unhae offered a faint smile, intending it as a joke.

However, Pyo Wol didn’t respond, leaving Master Unhae with an awkward expression.

In the distance, the mountain gate of Shaolin came into view.

Monks stood guard in front of the gate, torches alight.

Just as Master Unhae was about to acknowledge them—

Boom!

Suddenly, an explosion erupted from one side of Shaolin, followed by rising flames.

“What’s going on?”

The complexions of Master Unhae and the Shaolin monks changed instantly.

Ding-ding-ding!

Immediately after, the emergency bell resounded throughout Shaolin.

Master Unhae said to Pyo Wol,

“It seems there’s been an incident within Shaolin. I must go ahead.”

Leaving behind a single monk to guide Pyo Wol, Master Unhae and his disciples rushed into Shaolin.

Pyo Wol frowned as he looked towards the rising flames.

It was the western hall of Shaolin.

The flames soared high, engulfing the entire hall and lighting up the sky.

As a result, the western section of Shaolin was as bright as day.

Hong Ye-seol, who was beside him, whispered, “Something’s off, isn’t it?”

“It seems like the fire was set deliberately on that side.”

“There’s only one reason to make such a conspicuous fire.”

“A diversion?”

“Yes, that’s what I think.”

“Then the real target must be on the opposite side.”

This was Shaolin, a prestigious temple with a thousand-year history.

They were well-prepared for fires. The sudden eruption of flames clearly indicated deliberate arson.

Pyo Wol asked the guiding monk, “What’s on the eastern side?”

“The Great Hall and the Scripture Pavilion. Ah, and the quarters where Ji Gyeong, the sole survivor from the mediation group, is resting.”

“Ji Gyeong, the only disciple who survived?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Pyo Wol said,

“We’re heading to the eastern hall.”

“Yes!”

“Got it, brother!”

Both Hong Ye-seol and Soma responded without hesitation to Pyo Wol’s decision.

The trio sprinted not towards the blazing western section but towards the eastern one.

“Everyone, grab a bucket!”

“We need to put out the fire!”

“Amitabha! Amitabha!”

The monks of Shaolin were all rushing towards the western section.

Not just the burning hall, but all the nearby buildings had a history of a thousand years. Losing even one would be a devastating loss.

That’s why all the monks, buckets in hand, were rushing to the western section to put out the fire.

Some monks noticed Pyo Wol and became alert, but fortunately, they moved on after seeing the monk guiding him.

Thus, Pyo Wol and his companions arrived at the eastern section where Ji Gyeong was staying.

Thud!

They opened a small moon-shaped door and entered Ji Gyeong’s quarters.

“Ah!”

The guiding monk gasped in alarm.

Monks lay sprawled on the floor—those who were supposed to be guarding Ji Gyeong’s quarters.

They lay motionless, eyes wide open. Their bodies were paralyzed, but their pupils darted around.

It was clear they were paralyzed but conscious.

Pyo Wol instantly recognized what had happened to them.

“They’ve been poisoned.”

“Poison? Then…”

The guiding monk looked towards Ji Gyeong’s quarters, which were dark.

“Ji Gyeong!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the monk rushed into the quarters.

Bang!

A loud noise erupted from the room, and the monk was thrown back out.

“Cough!”

The monk lay on the ground, coughing up blood.

“shit!”

Hong Ye-seol quickly checked the monk’s condition.

He had a severe wound on his chest.

Fearing that the monk might die, Hong Ye-seol administered an emergency pill she always carried.

Just then—

Swoosh!

A dark shadow burst out of Ji Gyeong’s quarters through the window.

The shadow leapt over the walls of Shaolin and fled.

“Ah!”

Soma gasped in alarm at the sight.

Pyo Wol launched himself into the air and spoke to Soma.

“I’ll go after him. You take care of those who’ve been poisoned.”

“Got it, brother!”

With Soma’s reply behind him, Pyo Wol sprinted at an incredible speed. However, the distance between him and the dark shadow didn’t seem to close.

The mysterious shadow’s Qigong was extraordinary.

Neither the deep darkness nor the dense foliage and obstructing branches could slow him down.

Any ordinary martial artist would have lost the dark shadow long ago.

But the one pursuing him was Pyo Wol.

If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his unparalleled skill in pursuit.

No matter how much the dark shadow changed directions or tried to confuse his trail, he couldn’t deceive Pyo Wol’s eyes.

Gradually, the gap between Pyo Wol and the dark shadow began to close.

The dark shadow realized he was being followed.

He moved erratically, trying to shake Pyo Wol off, but instead, he drew closer.

Finally, the dark shadow gave up on shaking him off and came to a halt.

“You’re a persistent one.”

A terrifying aura emanated from the dark shadow’s entire body.

Pyo Wol also stopped and looked at the dark shadow.

He was dressed in black martial arts attire, with a black cloak. A black mask covered his face as well.

He was far from the typical appearance of a martial artist.

Rather, he looked like he belonged among assassins like Pyo Wol.

The eyes hidden behind the mask glinted sharply.

He recognized Pyo Wol instantly.

“You’re Pyo Wol.”

“Do you know me?”

“If I couldn’t recognize that face, my eyes would be as good as blind.”

Even in the darkness, Pyo Wol’s striking and cunning face was almost like his trademark.

Anyone with even a slight interest in Kangho or current affairs couldn’t fail to recognize him.

After a moment of staring at the dark shadow, Pyo Wol spoke.

“You’re a martial artist from the Heavenly Martial Sect.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because no one other than the Heavenly Martial Sect martial artist would have a reason to assassinate Ji Gyeong.”

Ji Gyeong was the only person who could prove that Jang Cheon-hwa had killed the Shaolin mediators.

If he died, there would be no way to prove Jang Cheon-hwa’s crimes.

That’s why Pyo Wol suspected the dark shadow was a martial artist from the Heavenly Martial Sect.

And likely a high-ranking one at that.

The oppressive aura and killing intent from the dark shadow seemed to confirm Pyo Wol’s suspicions.

“You’re as cunning as they say. Figuring out my identity just because I killed one lowly monk.”

The dark shadow’s aura intensified.

If it became known that he had assassinated Ji Gyeong to cover up Jang Cheon-hwa’s involvement, the Heavenly Martial Sect would be cornered.

He had to kill Pyo Wol here to keep the secret.

His opponent was a man known by the nickname “Reaper.”

But there was no fear in the dark shadow’s eyes.

That’s how confident he was in his martial skills.

The dark shadow spoke.

“Following me was your mistake. Today, you will die here.”

“Feeling confident, are we?”

“Heh heh! Confidence? No, it’s certainty.”

Just then—

Whoosh!

A white shadow burst forth from behind Pyo Wol, launching a surprise attack.

Thud!

With a powerful impact, Pyo Wol’s body was flung backward.

He had allowed the strike to hit his waist, but thanks to his internal energy, he had managed to shield himself from severe injury.

“Heh heh! So the Reaper isn’t that big of a deal after all.”

The white shadow who had ambushed Pyo Wol chuckled.

He was a stark contrast to the dark shadow.

Dressed head to toe in white robes, his face was also concealed by a white mask.

The corners of his mouth, hidden behind the white mask, curled upward toward the sky.