Light Novel: Volume 19 Episode 24
Manhwa: N/A

There was a woman.

With her kind heart, stunning appearance, and ability to excel above others, she received the adoration of many. 

The woman’s name was Gu Moon-hye.

People called her a saintess.

Gu Moon-hye was the closest confidant and lover of Go Geomwol, the leader of the Celestial Demon Union.

“She was truly beautiful and exceedingly wise. The reason Go Geomwol was able to lead the Celestial Demon Union so well was due to her wise counsel.”

Like a saint, Gu Moon-hye was able to foresee the future to some extent. Her ability gave Go Geomwol peace of mind, consequently allowing him to focus on external affairs.

At that time, the Celestial Demon Union was situated deep within Yunnan Province.

They had annihilated the Diancang Sect, one of the traditional sects and nine great sects in Jianghu, and then claimed the entire province as their territory.

“The problem came when the Celestial Demon Union grew too large. As their organization grew, their gaze naturally turned outward. Go Geomwol, the great master of the Celestial Demon Union, always dreamed of making a comeback. When the power of the Celestial Demon Union peaked, he advanced to the Central Plains to realize his dream.”

The Wind Saint spoke as if he had witnessed all these events with his own eyes.

Pyo-wol listened to the Wind Saint’s words without saying anything.

“Nobody could stop the Celestial Demon Union. They advanced unchallenged. Truly, in an unstoppable momentum, the Celestial Demon Union surged towards its goal. It was the Jade Heaven Alliance that stood in their way at that time.”

The Jade Heaven Alliance possessed tremendous power.

It was comprised of the Four Court Council: the Inner Court, Outer Court, Main Court, and Secret Court, each harboring immense forces.

Even the Main Court alone had the Two Corps, Three Battalions, and Four Squads as its organizations within it. 

At that time, the Jade Heaven Alliance was also enjoying its greatest prosperity ever.

Naturally, their forces did not fall short of the Celestial Demon Union.

“However, there was a significant difference between the Celestial Demon Union and the Jade Heaven Alliance. It was the presence or absence of Go Geomwol. The Celestial Demon Union had Go Geomwol, while the Jade Heaven Alliance did not.”

Go Geomwol pressed the Jade Heaven Alliance with terrifying momentum.

Under his formidable martial prowess, the Jade Heaven Alliance was disastrously pushed back.

It seemed no one could stop Go Geomwol.

And indeed, that was the case.

No one dared to withstand even a single strike from Go Geomwol.

Then, unexpectedly, Lee Gwak stepped forward.

He led his followers into battle.

That was the beginning of the now absolute powerhouse in Jianghu, the Frenzied Warrior Sect.

Lee Gwak was an Outer Hall martial artist from the Jade Heaven Alliance. 

The seemingly insignificant third-rate martial artist managed to overcome the hardships that heroes typically face and grew to become an absolute master in Jianghu.

With just a single blade, he felled countless supreme masters of the Celestial Demon Union.

A confrontation between Go Geomwol and Lee Gwak was inevitable.

Go Geomwol welcomed Lee Gwak’s emergence.

He had been watching Lee Gwak for a long time. Therefore, he was more familiar with Lee Gwak’s growth process than anyone else.

He looked forward to a decisive battle with Lee Gwak.

He recognized him as his final opponent.

Lee Gwak’s martial arts were that powerful.

“Truly, he was frighteningly strong. I’ve never seen a sword technique more powerful in my life. Every time he swung his blade, a master of the Celestial Demon Union would surely lose their life.”

Go Geomwol wanted to fight Lee Gwak.

In the final battleground, at the very pinnacle, the victor would be determined.

“But the saintess who served as Go Geomwol’s advisor was different. Whatever future she foresaw, she did not want Lee Gwak to fight Go Geomwol. So, she sent her closest aides, the Six Moon Shadow Fairies,1 to kill Lee Gwak.”

Of course, Lee Gwak did not die.

If he had, the Frenzied Warrior Sect would not exist today.

In the end, Lee Gwak overcame the Six Moon Shadows Fairies and reached the battlefield.

“Go Geomwol was furious when he learned that the saintess had sent the Six Moon Shadow Fairies to kill Lee Gwak. He was so disappointed in her that he ordered her to go into seclusion.”

“Seclusion? During the war?”

“Yes! He completely detached her from the Celestial Demon Union. Gu Moon-hye regretted it in hindsight, but by then it was too late. Go Geomwol remained resolute and did not change his mind. In the end, the saintess went into hiding, and the place where she secluded herself was none other than the New Moon Manor.”

“Hmm!”

Pyo-wol murmured thoughtfully.

He hadn’t expected such a story to be hidden.

“In the end, the Great Heavenly Blood War turned in favor of Lee Gwak who was leading the Frenzied Warrior Sect. Go Geomwol was defeated by Lee Gwak and his dream of a comeback crumbled like a sand castle.”

When the Saintess Gu Moon-hye heard of Go Geomwol’s death, she wept for days and nights. She could not forgive herself for going against Go Geomwol’s wishes.

After living like a recluse for several years, Gu Moon-hye came to her senses one day.  From then on, she frantically immersed herself in external affairs. As if that was the only way she could atone for her mistakes. 

“That was the beginning of the Kowloon Assassin Guild. The saintess began to gather the remnants of the Celestial Demon Union who could be contacted and began to expand her influence seriously. Since it was impossible to grow her power within Jianghu, she chose Saibei, which was beyond the Central Plains, as her stage. She did everything she could to make money. She was like a ghost obsessed with gold.”

“Hmm!”

“She had already made her mark within the Celestial Demon Union. It wasn’t difficult for her to increase her influence outside of the Central Plains. That’s how the Kowloon Assassin Guild was born. One woman’s regrets, resentments, and obsessions created an enormous group. Once the Kowloon Assassin Guild was established, she handed everything over to her son and went into seclusion, as if she had completed all her tasks.”

“And her son is the current head of the New Moon Manor, Go Jang-myung?”

“Technically, he’s her adopted son. She took a talented orphan as her adopted son and bestowed upon him the surname ‘Go’ in honor of her lover Go Geomwol, perhaps in a bid to atone for her transgressions to him.” 

“……”

Pyo-wol was silent at the unexpectedly strong words.

He hadn’t expected there to be such a story behind the birth of the Kowloon Assassin Guild. 

Even as he processed this, the Wind Saint continued to speak calmly.

“In the end, everything that happens in today’s Jianghu is connected to the past. The Great Heavenly Blood War changed the existing order of Jianghu, and in the midst of the chaos, various forces grew.”

“And you?”

“What?”

“Who are you, to know such hidden tales of Jianghu? What’s your story that you know such details of events not publicized in Jianghu, as if you’ve seen them with your own eyes?”

“I’m…”

The Wind Saint’s voice trailed off.

Conflict was written all over his face.

Pyo-wol asked again.

“Wind Saint Jang Cheonsa. Who are you, really? Why do you know all of Jianghu’s history yet choose to live without getting involved?”

“I am a bystander.”

“A bystander?”

“That’s right. A cowardly bystander. That’s who I am.”

“You consider yourself a coward?”

“If I had courage, I would not be called the Wind Saint. The name was not given to me because I live freely like the wind, but because I avoid the truth like the wind– a cowardly man. That’s who I am.”

Though he spoke little, his words were loaded with self-loathing and criticism. 

Turning away, the Wind Saint said, 

“Now is not the time to speak of it. And even if I don’t tell you, you will naturally uncover and know all the secrets if you continue to act as you are now.”

“As I am now? What do you mean?”

“Pyo-wol. You instinctively penetrate the heart of Jianghu. The currents of Jianghu will lead you to the truth. Continue living as you are now.”

With those words, the Wind Saint walked toward Qi Family Medical Hall.

Pyo-wol quietly watched the Wind Saint’s receding figure.

* * *

Creak!

A man entered the mansion, pushing against the rusted hinges.

With his arms around his waist, he looked around the interior of the mansion.

The interior of the mansion was in complete disarray, devoid of any sign of life. 

Evidence of a recent catastrophe was clear, with bloodstains vividly marking many places.

The man examined the bloodstains on the floor and walls with a grim expression.

“Twelve people died here.”

There used to be twelve martial artists who reside here.

All of them had lost their lives.

He felt his chest tighten. 

“Whoo!”

Exhaling deeply, the man’s face was flushed with anger.

He didn’t know the deceased personally, but he was still furious because they were all members of the same Hao clan. 

The man’s name was Hong Yushin.

The mansion he was standing in was the Shaoyang branch of the Hao clan.

It was only yesterday that the regular reports from the Shaoyang branch had stopped coming in.

At the time, Hong Yushin was staying not far from Shaoyang.

He had naturally entered Hunan Province while tracking down the Kowloon Assassin Guild. 

As soon as he lost contact with the Shaoyang branch, he instinctively realized that something had happened. So he dropped everything and rushed to Shaoyang.

The bodies had been removed by officials, but the gruesome traces of their violent deaths remained evident.

The blood left on the walls and floors made it clear how brutally the people of the Shaoyang branch had been killed.

“Is this how they come out? How little must they think of the Hao clan to do this?”

Hong Yushin gritted his teeth.

The Hao clan was often treated like a punching bag. Despite having the most members, they lacked significant martial prowess.

Of course, there were branches with elite members, but most did not. However, this was not typically a problem.

The Hao clan wasn’t a sect that had risen through martial power like the Frenzied Warrior Sect or the Celestial Martial Sect.

They were a group that collected information with their vast numbers and used that intelligence for survival.

Given the situation, powerful sects or martial artists tended to look down on the Hao clan. But such views stemmed from ignorance of the true nature of the Hao clan.

The Hao clan never forgets a grudge.

Even if it takes a long time, they seek out and punish those who have wronged them.

It’s just that their methods are so discreet that people rarely notice.

“I might have to summon the Black Tiger Squad.”2

The Black Tiger Squad was a kind of execution squad3 operated by the Hao clan.

It was an extreme martial force within the Hao clan, tasked with hunting down and beheading those who caused significant harm to the clan.

The most persistent and cruel martial artists from the Hao clan were gathered and harshly trained to be part of this squad, hence their methods were equally ruthless.

Hong Yushin, as the chief inspector of the Hao clan, had the authority to call together the Black Tiger Squad.

“If they want war, I’ll give them one.”

As Hong Yushin stepped out of the mansion, the inspectorate warriors greeted him.

The deputy chief inspector cautiously asked,

“Have you taken a look?”

“It was horrific.”

“We have confirmed the bodies as well. And as usual, we placed them in coffins.” 

“What about Geum Pi-sang?”

“It seems like he had been tortured with poison.”

“Poison?”

“Yes! All his major organs had melted away.”

“Those bastards!”

“Pardon?”

“Was it the work of a single beast?”

“No. Judging by the different wounds on each corpse, it seems to be the work of a group.”

“I thought so as well.”

Hong Yushin nodded.

He had already suspected as much, so it wasn’t particularly shocking.

Hong Yushin turned to his deputy chief inspector and ordered,

“Summon the Black Tiger Squad to Shaoyang.”

“Understood.”

The deputy chief inspector replied without hesitation, completely aware of the gravity of the situation.

“Until the Black Tiger Squad arrives, the inspectorate will gather information on those who attacked the Shaoyang branch.”

“As you command.”

With that, the inspectorate warriors dispersed in every direction.

Left alone, Hong Yushin moved on.

‘Pyo-wol!’

He was already aware that Pyo-wol was staying in this area.

Geum Pi-sang had reported it as soon as Pyo-wol had arrived. 

The problem was that they didn’t know where Pyo-wol was staying now.

Now that the Shaoyang branch had been wiped out, tracing Pyo-wol’s whereabouts has become more difficult. But Hong Yushin wasn’t too worried.

There weren’t many people in Jianghu who knew about Pyo-wol as he did.

‘He prefers the slums.’

Judging from his handsome appearance, one would think that he would never go to such filthy places, but the truth was different.

Pyo-wol didn’t care much about his surroundings.

If it served his purpose, he wouldn’t hesitate to go to the dirtiest places.

What Pyo-wol needed now was to prevent his information from leaking out. In that case, the slums were the perfect hiding place.

Most people were reluctant to approach the slums.

Pyo-wol would likely use that psychology to his advantage to hide.

As Hong Yushin approached the slums, a foul stench assaulted his nose.

The smell was so revolting it almost made him vomit for a moment. However, Hong Yushin continued to walk without a change in his expression.

For someone from the Hao clan, such smells were all too familiar.

If such odors could make one vomit, they weren’t fit for the Hao clan.

To Hong Yushin, the slums felt almost like home.

The slums were incredibly vast and complex.

Over the years, the influx of impoverished people gradually expanded their territory, and the slums, having grown without any semblance of order, resembled a labyrinth. However, Hong Yushin was not overly worried.

He believed that if Pyo-wol was here, he would surely be able to find him.

Hong Yushin saw the slum dwellers murmuring among themselves as they noticed him entering their territory.

They would surely inform Pyo-wol of his arrival.


luna-cave

You cannot copy content of this page