Light Novel: Volume 16 Episode 4
Manhwa: N/A

“I am sincerely grateful for your assistance, Master Pyo-wol.”

Jang Jinsam expressed his gratitude to Pyo-wol with a bow.

His eyes were filled with both awe and fear as he gazed at Pyo-wol.

This was because Pyo-wol had effortlessly eliminated those who had driven them into a corner.

It was shocking enough that the martial artists from the Rain Sword Mountain Manor had disguised themselves as members of the Blood Ant Gang, but Pyo-wol’s martial arts prowess that so easily subdued them was even more shocking.

The Rain Sword Mountain Manor, after all, was still one of the Three Clans.

It meant that they possessed power that ranked among the top among countless clans in the Jianghu.

Yet, Pyo-wol had effortlessly suppressed the elites of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor.

Seeing his inhuman martial arts, the members of the Blood Ant Gang, who were on board the ship, panicked and fled all at once.

There was no sense of loyalty or camaraderie in the Blood Ant Gang.

What mattered most to them was their own lives, so they swam away, not looking back.

Jang Jinsam wished he could hunt them down and kill them all, but the damage on their side was too extensive to do so.

There were now more than twenty thousand dead on board.

Among them, a considerable number were martial artists from the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group.

It was Jang Jinsam’s responsibility to take care of their bodies.

Pyo-wol said,

“It seems like the situation isn’t looking good.”

“Honestly, it’s not great.”

“When did it become like this?”

“It’s been like that since Master Pyo-wol disappeared. It all started when the martial artists from the Rain Sword Mountain Manor arrived at Poyang Lake.”

“I guess I was their target from the beginning.”

“Yes! They were searching for Master Pyo-wol’s whereabouts, and when they found out that our merchant group had a connection to you, they started pressuring us.”

Even though the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group had significant influence in Jiangxi Province, they were no match for the Rain Sword Mountain Manor.

Their pressure led to the involvement of Namgung Wol and others, and the situation escalated due to the problems with the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society.

Jang Hoyeon brought in nearby sects that were under the influence of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor, and the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group and the Silver Lotus Society called in their allies to fight them back. 

Like a well-woven play, the situation rapidly deteriorated, and storm clouds hung over Poyang Lake and the entirety of Jiangxi Province.

The problem was that the situation was unlikely to end there.

Jang Hoyeon of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor, Namgung Wol of the Heavenly Guardian Association, Yong Hasang of the Dragon Sky Valley– all three of them come from renowned sects in Jianghu.

Their collision implied the intervention of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor, the Heavenly Guardian Association, and the Dragon Sky Valley.

If these three sects collided at full force, it would be a disaster in and of itself.

It was as good as the beginning of a great war across the Jianghu.

With the situation this bad, the eyes of countless factions in Jianghu were focused on Poyang Lake.

To the martial artists, Poyang Lake was a dangerous place that harbored the embers of the great war.

The elders of Jianghu watched the situation at Poyang Lake with a mix of apprehension and vigilance, while many young martial artists come pouring into Poyang Lake.

The young martial artists were looking for a battlefield where they could make a name for themselves, and for them, the chaos in Poyang Lake was not a cause for concern, but a way to quench their thirst.

“There are a lot of martial artists entering Poyang Lake now, each with their own interests, and I’m worried that this might lead to a full-scale war. I know of your martial prowess, Master Pyo-wol, but I still advise you to be careful.”

“Hmm!”

“For now, I will return to the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group and report on this situation.”

Jang Jinsam looked at the bodies of the martial artists strewn across the deck with a dark expression. His expression darkened even more when he saw the bodies of the martial artists from the Rain Sword Mountain Manor.

They were evidence of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor’s direct involvement.

Having evidence made a world of difference.

With this, the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group had a justification to actively resist the intrusion of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor.

However, what Jang Jinsam was worried about was that he couldn’t even guess how far the situation would go because of this.

‘This situation is out of my hands. I can only hope that all of this will be resolved somehow…’

Jang Jinsam looked at Pyo-wol.

There was an expectation in his eyes that the situation could change if this man were to get involved actively. But he couldn’t directly request Pyo-wol for it.

Pyo-wol was not a man who would be moved by someone else’s coercion.

It was obvious that he would feel rather repulsed if coerced.

“Phew!”

The moment Jang Jinsam let out a sigh, Pyo-wol’s figure disappeared from the ship as if it were an illusion.

He had swiftly flown back to the Southern Heaven Pavilion.

While shaking his head back and forth, Jang Jinsam ordered his subordinates, 

“Let’s go back to the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group right away.”

“Yes!”

* * *

Yu Suhwan released his tightly clenched fist.

His knuckles were cramped from how tightly he had clenched them. That’s how nervous he was.

It was all because of Pyo-wol.

The sight of Pyo-wol’s martial art as he overwhelmed his opponent in a single blow shook Yu Suhwan to the core.

‘Pyo-wol!’

An ordinary martial artist would have been intimidated by the sight of Pyo-wol’s strength, but Yu Suhwan was no ordinary martial artist.

He was a martial artist who once belonged to the top echelons of the Martial Sword Alliance, one of top factions in Jianghu.

Just because he lost his martial arts skills didn’t mean he had lost his competitive spirit.

Witnessing Pyo-wol, Yu Suhwan felt a fiery competitive spirit.

He didn’t want to be ungrateful to the benefactor of his life. Nevertheless, he yearned to cross swords with him at least once without any hard feelings.

‘I am still a martial artist.’

He realized once again that he was a martial artist.

He was born an ordinary human but was raised as a martial artist.

When he was young, he hated the idea of having the blood of others on his hands for the rest of his life. So, he kept his distance from the Martial Sword Alliance and lived leisurely.

There were times when he thought he was happy because he didn’t use martial arts, but now that he had lost his martial arts, he realized the truth.

He hadn’t been happy, he had merely pretended to be happy.

A martial artist is truly happy only when he can exhibit his abilities as a martial artist.

At that moment, Pyo-wol returned to his original position.

Yu Suhwan collected his expression and spoke, 

“You’ve had a hard time. Can you tell me what happened?”

He had seen Pyo-wol suppress the enemies, but he couldn’t hear what was being said inside the ship.

“It seems that the Rain Sword Mountain Manor intervened in the dispute between the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group and the Blood Ant Gang.”

“Rain Sword Mountain Manor?”

“I confirmed it.”

“The problem has gotten serious. If they intervene formally in the fight between the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group and the Blood Ant Gang, the situation will not be resolved at this level.”

“Those with great ambitions will be pleased.”

“Yes! A chaotic era will open.”

A shadow crossed Yu Suhwan’s face.

Some would be pleased, considering it an opportunity to expand their influence, but for ordinary people living through the chaos, it was akin to a time of despair.

He couldn’t dare to guess how many would shed tears of blood.

Yu Suhwan asked,

“Do you have any intention of stopping the turbulence?”

“A single person cannot stop the turbulence of an era.”

“But you can delay it to some extent, can’t you?”

“How? By assassinating the leaders of both sides? You don’t think that would solve the problem, do you?”

“If anything, doing that would make the problem bigger.”

“To stop the chaos, we need someone who can draw a big picture. Yet, that person should also know how to sacrifice themselves. I don’t have the desire to stop the chaos at the cost of my own sacrifice. The most important thing in the world is myself. The world is only worth existing if I live.”

“I understand.”

Yu Suhwan nodded his head.

He had only asked it out of frustration, but he didn’t actually expect Pyo-wol to intervene.

Pyo-wol’s nature was far from the virtues a hero of a chaotic era should possess.

“Hoo!”

Yu Suhwan’s worries deepened.

Pyo-wol left him alone and returned to his room.

His room was just as he left it.

The innkeeper hadn’t touched anything and left it as it was.

Pyo-weol lay down on the fluffy bed and stared at the ceiling.

His body was tired, but it was a night when sleep did not come easily.

* * *

“Huff, huff!”

Rough moaning sounds flowed out from inside the room.

The roughness of the sound, like a boar breathing heavily, had the subordinates guarding outside on the brink of death.

They didn’t have to look to know what was happening inside the room.

“Damn it! This is driving me crazy!”

“I’m going to die.”

The subordinates grimaced as they rubbed their legs.

They were men, too.

They also possessed desires to have pretty women. They were just not given the opportunity to do so.

Instead, they had to listen to the sounds of their master satisfying his desires from outside.

It was then.

“We, We’re in trouble!”

Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and someone rushed in.

The person who rushed in with a disheveled appearance was Lee Gu-yeol, who had gone to attack the ship of the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group.

One of the men guarding the room asked,

“What? What is it?”

“Where’s the leader?”

“Can’t you hear it?”

Only then did Lee Gu-yeol hear the rough moaning sound coming from the room and showed an incredulous expression.

“What is it? Is he–?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Damn it! His subordinates are driven to their deaths, and yet he is doing that?”

“What can we do? That’s what the leader wants to do.”

At the subordinate’s response, Lee Gu-yeol shook his head back and forth.

No matter how urgent it was to satisfy one’s own lust, Lee Gu-yeol couldn’t believe their leader was lying around with a woman while his men were fighting for their lives.

He was appalled, but he dared not interrupt Deung Chol-ung’s session. 

Because he knew what would happen if he upset Deung Chol-ung’s mood.

“Uhugh!”

Finally, the sound of Deung Chol-ung finishing could be heard.

Only then did Lee Gu-yeol hurriedly open his mouth.

“Ma, Master! There’s been a big problem!”

“What’s all the fuss about?”

A moment later, the door opened, and Deung Chol-ung came out, pulling up his trousers.

“The Ra, Rain Sword Mountain Manor–”

“What about those bastards? Did they cause trouble again?”

“That’s not it–”

“Then what is it? Kid! Speak clearly!”

“They– They’re all dead.”

“What?”

“I’m saying that they’re all dead.”

“What do you mean, they’re all dead?”

Deung Chol-ung’s face contorted.

“It’s true.”

“Then what about the ship of the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group? Did they manage to capture it?”

“How can we capture a ship when all of those who were supposed to be watching our back are dead? It’s already a miracle that we survived.”

“What happened?”

“Pyo-wol, they all died by his hand.”

“Pyo-wol? The Reaper? Didn’t he leave Poyang Lake?”

“He came back.”

“Damn it! What does he gain by coming back?”

Deung Chol-ung prided himself on being poisonous.

His strength and tenacity were second to none.

He felt relieved only when he returned what he had received, so he never forgets a grudge, and he would always pay it back. However, even he knew that there were beings that he should never mess with.

These were the so-called absolute masters of Jianghu. 

To those people, Deung Chol-ung’s stubbornness and tenacity were insignificant.

If they were to move even a finger, Deung Chol-ung would lose his life.

So, Deung Chol-ung didn’t dare to stand up to them.

The problem was, Pyo-wol was one of those absolute masters.

Although he was late in entering the world of Jianghu and not that old, his horrifying martial arts were no less than those of absolute masters.

In fact, Deung Chol-ung was more afraid of someone like Pyo-wol than he was of other absolute masters.

Other absolute masters did not personally confront people like Deung Chol-ung because of their dignity. But Pyo-wol was different.

Even if Pyo-wol was known as a strong powerhouse, he didn’t care about his reputation or what others thought of him.

To Deung Chol-ung, someone like Pyo-wol was an even more terrifying being.

“Are you sure that Pyo-wol has returned?”

“I heard it clearly with my own ears when he was talking to a warrior of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor. The warriors definitely called him Pyo-wol.”

“Shit!”

Bang!

Deung Chol-ung slammed the table, causing it to crack in two.

“How could this have happened… I’m going to Cheonhae Manor.”

Cheonhae Manor was the manor where Jang Hoyeon and the martial artists of the Rain Sword Mountain Manor were currently staying at Poyang Lake.

Originally, Cheonhae Manor was one of the secret houses Deung Chol-ung had prepared.

He only gave Cheonhae Manor to Jang Hoyeon to get a grip on the Rain Sword Mountain Manor.

“Do you think they’ll make a move to capture the Reaper?”

“They’re here to capture the bastard, so they won’t stop at nothing. You should not be here. Go and send people to the inn where the bastard is staying to keep an eye on him.”

“Understood.”

“Damn it! We have to kill everything that gets in the way. Reaper? No matter what happens, I must kill that bastard.”


LUNACAVE

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