Light Novel: Volume 3 Episode 16

Manhwa: N/A

“What do you mean?

Zhang Mu-ryang had a distressed expression.

After discussing how to use the troops in the White Flower Room, what awaited him when he returned was the news that Oh Yuk-pyo had returned with serious injuries.

Zhang Mu-ryang left everything behind and headed to the residence of Oh Yuk-pyo.

Oh Yuk-pyo was lying on the bed with a white cloth wrapped around his one eye and both of his knees. Heo Ran-ju was sitting next to him.

“How did this happen?”

“We were unlucky. This bastard broke the colic.”

Heo Ran-ju talked about what happened with Pyo-wol. As he listened to her story, Zhang Mu-ryang’s expression gradually distorted.

“So, you mean that it came to this point because of his sodomy?”

“Yes!”

“This is ridiculous.”

Zhang Mu-ryang was at a loss for words for a moment. It’s so ridiculous that he could not even speak.

At the time before the full-scale war against the Qingcheng sect, Oh Yuk-pyo, one of the main forces, was now lying in bed almost dead.

It was a huge loss for the Black Cloud Mercenary Group, but it was more of a serious blow to Zhang Mu-ryang as an individual.

Along with Yang Woo-jeong, Go Dosa, and Hyeol Seung, Oh Yuk-pyo was his subordinate who best understood his strategy.

They were ready to jump into the hellfire without hesitation at Zhang Mu-ryang’s command. It’s not easy to have a subordinate so loyal.

“Pyo…wol!”

Zhang Mu-ryang thought of Pyo-wol as the most handsome man he knew.

Seeing that he was able to subdue Heo Ran-ju at once, he knew that he was a martial artist who had reached an unusually high level, but he didn’t know that he would be so great that he would turn even Oh Yuk-pyo into this state.

“At a time like this–”

Zhang Mu-ryang looked at Oh Yuk-pyo lying on the bed with contemptuous eyes.

What he valued the most was discipline.

The reason why the Black Cloud Mercenary Group was still able to survive was because they enforced strict discipline.

Especially in an important time like now, even a single person’s bouncing behavior was unacceptable. This is because if they make a mistake, they may miss the line.

“He’s a lucky guy.”

Zhang Mu-ryang wanted to immediately lead his entire troops and visit Pyo-wol. And he would pay a heavy price.

The only problem is that the Black Cloud Mercenary Group signed a mercenary contract with the Emei sect. If they take a lot of damage while fighting Pyo-wol, they will have a big problem in fulfilling the contract. If that happens, Zhang Mu-ryang’s long-cherished entry into Sichuan will be far away.

‘This wasn’t part of his calculations, did he?’

Zhang Mu-ryang immediately denied his thoughts.

Only insiders knew that the Black Cloud Mercenary Group had signed a contract with the Emei sect. Zhang Mu-ryang thought this accident was only a coincidence.

But of course, that doesn’t mean that they would just move on.

“Once the situation is sorted out to a certain extent, I’ll have to deal with him first.”

Most of all, it bothered him the most that this happened as soon as he stopped Maun and others from monitoring him. He knew from experience that he shouldn’t let such an afflicted man be alone.

Zhang Mu-ryang’s gaze turned to Heo Ran-ju.

“Did you go and look for him?”

“Maybe.”

“Your beauty doesn’t seem to work for him either.”

“He must be a little eunuch. He doesn’t budge even when he sees a beautiful woman like me in front of him.”

“Have you seen his eyes? They were more indifferent than ours who had been on the battlefield for many years. Do you think a man with such eyes would show affection to others? Give up!”

“I will. I can’t hurt my self-esteem anymore.”

“You thought well.”

“I will definitely pay him back for this shame.”

Heo Ran-ju’s voice blew out a chill. It is said that if a woman has a grudge, frost will fall even in May or June. Although she had nothing to do with Pyo-wol, she thought that she had been hurt because of him.

“That’s right. I’ll take care of things once everything has calmed down. Do you understand?”

“Okay.”

“Well, then.”

Zhang Mu-ryang got up from his seat.

This was enough.

It was disappointing that the Oh Yuk-pyo fell out of the battlefield, but the rest are still in good health, so it was worth trying.

“As soon as the cavalry move, we will join them, so be prepared.”

* * *

Cheongyeop looked at the man sitting on the other side of the table with a somber expression.

A middle-aged doctor who had an ordinary impression that can be seen anywhere, and was dressed in shabby clothes, was Oh San-kyung, the head of the Chengdu’s branch of Haomun.

Oh San-kyung was a native of Chengdu, so he knew the area’s internal affairs better than anyone else. Oh San-kyung opened her mouth carefully.

“So, are you saying this to tell me about the assassin that killed the young master of the Thunder Gates?”

“That’s right.”

“Huh! This is like finding a needle on a sandy beach.”

“Still, I think Haomun’s ability is enough to find out.”

At Cheongyeop’s words, Oh San-kyung’s expression twisted slightly.In fact, when Nam Ho-san died, Oh San-kyung also moved his people to find out the assassin.

The assassination of the young master of Thunder Gates in Chengdu was such a big event.

The problem was that no traces of the assassin were found.

Many disciples from Haomun also lived in the mansion near the Thunder Gates. When a stranger comes in, they observe and report them. However, there were no reports on that day.

In other words, no stranger visited that day or the people who lived in the mansion did not feel a sense of alienation.

Like Cheongyeop, Haomun also did not know anything.

“I want you to find an assassin who uses the martial arts of the Qingcheng sect.”

“This is a matter of security for Sichuan. The dispute in Sichuan Province may worsen if anything goes wrong. So before that happens, you must find the assassin.”

“It’s not that I don’t know that, but…”

“I’ll ask you bluntly. Have there been any suspicious or prominent people in Chengdu lately?”

“Well…”

“Any clue, no matter how small, is fine. That’s how desperate we are.”

Oh San-kyung was worried at Cheongyeop’s words.

“It is unknown whether it was related to the death of Nam Ho-san but a strange man has recently entered Chengdu.

“Strange?”

“I haven’t seen him in person, but it was said that he’s handsome enough to attract people. Women who have seen him even once seem to be possessed as if they won’t be able to snap back to their senses.”

“If it’s just that–”

“But he’s strong. Just before entering Chengdu, he had a conflict with the head of the Gujin Pyo-guk, and he turned all of them half-blind. One of them was even made completely blind.”

“Then…”

“His hands were said to be cruel beyond words. Sir Oh Won-ho, a well-known expert in Sichuan Province, also said that the guy broke his arm.”‘

“How come we weren’t made aware of such a cruel man?”

“Because he had recently entered Chengdu. And—”

“There’s more?”

“There is a record of him fighting and subduing Heo Ran-ju, the vice captain of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group in Chengdu. I heard that she was defeated instantly.”‘

Cheongyeop’s expression hardened.

He knew that the Black Cloud Mercenary Group was a strong group of mercenaries. They had recently come to do business with the Qingcheng sect. Although the deal fell off, it was still a disappointing negotiation.

The power of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group could never be taken lightly.

If someone was the vice captain of such a group, they would have a fairly strong martial art, but if they were suppressed immediately, it was clear that the opponent’s martial arts were really great.

“You mean he has something to do with the death of the young master of Thunder Gates?”

“I don’t know if he’s connected, but he’s definitely the most notable person who has recently entered Chengdu. He’s also the one who checks all the conditions Cheongyeop asked me about.”

“What is his name?”

“They say it’s a Pyo…wol.”

“Pyo-wol?”

“Yes. We don’t know more than that. We’ll investigate further if you wish.”

“No. From now on, we will be the one to take care of it.”

Cheongyeop got up from his seat. It seemed that there was no information that could be obtained from Haomun if he stayed any longer.

Tak!

Cheongyeop pulled out a pouch full of money from his arms and laid it down on the table.

“Thank you, sir Cheongyeop! If you need any help, you can come to me anytime.”

“Oh! Before we leave, let me ask you one thing. Have you ever visited the Emei sect?”

“I haven’t been to the Emei sect yet. Maybe in the future.”

“I’m just saying this because of my old age but, it would be better for you to not to accept the Emei sect’s requests for the time being. Unless you want to turn the Qingcheng sect into an enemy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Oh San-kyung smiled slightly and bowed her head towards Cheongyeop.

As the branch manager of Haomun, these kinds of threats were not uncommon.

It only bothered her that the person who threatened her was the Qingcheng sect but if it was really dangerous, she would stop activities for a while and hide in the shadows.

Haomun has always lived like that, and will continue to do so.

Cheongyeop looked at Oh San-kyung for a moment and then came out. Outside, Cheongsan and his disciples were waiting for him. Cheongsan approached Cheongyeop and asked,

“Were there any leads?”

“There are people who can be considered suspicious. So I think it would be better to investigate from there.”

“Who?”

“There is a person named Pyo-wol. He is the most notable person who has recently entered Chengdu.”

“Pyo-wol? I see.”

When Cheongsan mentioned Pyo-wol, all of a sudden,

“Senior brother!”

Suddenly, one of the great disciples came running to them.

“What’s going on?”

“The Emei sect’s movements are unusual.”

“Unusual? What do you mean?”

“According to the message of the Golden Gates, the atmosphere in the White Flower Room where the Emei sect’s disciples are staying in is very intense.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know that far, but it is said that it is unusual for the Emei sect and the White Flower Room to move around.”

“Emei…”

Cheongyeop frowned.

Golden Gate’s sect leader Yeo Sanwi was a very careful person. If he sent someone to warn him like that, it meant that the atmosphere was really bad.

“Let’s go back to the Golden Gate.”

“Then what about the task of tracking the assassin?”

“This comes first. It’s never too late to find the asssassin later.”

“Alright.”

Cheongsan answered with a strong voice. Cheongyeop and Cheongsan led their disciples back to Golden Gate.

* * *

“It’s finally quiet.”

As the voices of Cheongyeop and others heard from outside disappeared, Oh San-kyung muttered with a refreshing expression.

Negotiating with a large clan like the Qingcheng sect made her feel exhausted. The size and influence of the Haomun is second to that of the Qingcheng sect.

However, if the area is not limited to Sichuan, the story is different.

The influence and dominance of the Qingcheng and Emei sect within Sichuan fortress is not comparable to any other sect. It was the same with Haomen.

Because of that, they were grievous and respectful of each other.

It’s about keeping a good relationship to some extent. They knew all too well that crossing the line would only hurt each other.

Still, looking at it like this, she couldn’t help but feel tired.

“By the way, who is the real culprit? Is it really him?”

Oh San-kyung tapped the tip of her chin with her finger. She pulled out a yellow booklet from the bookshelf. On the thick booklet was written the words “Chengdu Martial Artist Directory”.

In other words, it was a valuable booklet containing the images of the warriors who were active in Chengdu.

The Haomen Chengdu branch revised the booklet every ten days.

When a new warrior appears, it is recorded in a booklet every ten days. This booklet, updated every ten days, is copied and sent to the main sect once every two months.

Not only the Chengdu branch, but all the branches of Haomen send information to the headquarters in this way. Thanks to this, Haomen was able to possess the largest amount of human information in the world.

As she flipped through the booklet, she saw the name she wrote most recently.

[Name – Pyo-wol.

Identity unknown.

Objective unknown.

Affiliation unknown.

He possesses enough skill to subdue the Black Cloud Mercenary Group’s vice captain in an instant.

He had very extreme tendencies.

The place he first appeared was in Red Sky Pavillion in Batang, Western Sichuan Province.

With the courtesans of Red Sky Pavillion…]

Inside the booklet, Pyo-wol’s actions after he came into the world were written in detail. It has not been long since Pyo-wol appeared in Chengdu, but Haomun were already aware of his whereabouts.

“Did he really kill Nam Ho-san?”

Oh San-kyung wrinkled the tip of her nose. Pyo-wol was also the subject of careful attention in Haomun.

It was because of his unusual appearance, unclear history, and the strong force he showed in the process of subduing the leader and members of the Gujin Pyo-guk.

Now, if she can send this booklet to the main office, a judgment will be made there.

But one thing could be said for sure.

If this booklet were to be read by the main sect, it would no longer be possible for Pyo-wol to enjoy his freedom any longer. Because Haomen will send a master to closely monitor his every move.

“Who told him to get caught by our sect’s surveillance network? I don’t know what will happen to him from now on.”

It was time for her to put the booklet back on the bookshelf.

“Hm, so there was such a thing…”

An emotionless voice was suddenly heard from behind her back.