Light Novel: Volume 18 Episode 4
Manhwa: N/A
Ji Muhyeong’s mind was a tangled mess.
Looking at Pyo-wol’s face, he couldn’t think of what to say.
He had never imagined that Pyo-wol, whom he had hired as a temporary escort, would be such a fearsome martial artist.
If by any chance Pyo-wol harbored a grudge, the entire escort group of the Great Pearl Merchant Group would be massacred in the blink of an eye.
He couldn’t believe that he had hired such a terrifyingly skilled person as a mere temporary escort.
Ji Muhyeong didn’t dare look at Pyo-wol straight in the face.
Pyo-wol spoke to Ji Muhyeong,
“I’ll leave as soon as things are sorted out.”
“Yes, understood!”
Even though he was Pyo-wol’s subordinate, Ji Muhyeong replied politely.
Pyo-wol turned and walked back to his place.
“Let’s go, brother!”
Do Yeonsan followed him.
“Phew!”
Only after the two were far away did Ji Muhyeong exhale a sigh of relief.
He stood still like a statue for a moment, trying to sort out his tangled mind.
As his thoughts became clear, he shouted,
“Workers, quickly take care of the dead and injured!”
“Yes!”
“Escorts, tie up the bandits who are still alive and put them on the wagon! We will hand them over to the authorities in the neighboring city. Make sure they are securely bound.”
“Understood!”
“Also, collect all the horses ridden by the bandits. We will sell them at the horse market.”
“Yes!”
His subordinates answered and scurried off.
A single horse was worth almost as much as a house.
And, there were more than a hundred such horses.
Since they were all well-trained, selling them would bring enormous profits.
Ji Muhyeong had no intention of keeping the money from selling the horses. He planned to give it all to Pyo-wol.
The one who had subdued all the bandits was Pyo-wol, so the money earned from selling the bandits’ belongings should also go to Pyo-wol.
‘We must never offend him.’
Until a moment ago, Seo Gun-hwi was his top priority, but everything had changed now.
The people he should take care of foremost were Pyo-wol and Do Yeonsan.
That didn’t mean he would neglect Seo Gun-hwi, but he was inevitably pushed down the priority list.
If the Spirit Sword Manor locally dominates one area, Pyo-wol was a top-notch expert whose reputation spread across the entire region of Jianghu.
It was clear whom he should be more concerned about.
“Move quickly! Otherwise, we’ll have to sleep and camp outdoors again.”
“Yes!”
At his command, both the escorts and workers of the Great Pearl Merchant Group moved more quickly.
It didn’t take long before they were able to sort everything out and be on their way.
Throughout the journey, no one spoke.
Neither the martial artists of the Great Pearl Merchant Group nor those of the Spirit Sword Manor said a word. They all kept their mouths tightly shut.
Even including the captured bandits, there were well over a hundred people moving about, but not a single person breathed a word, which made it all the more bizarre.
At the center of it all was Pyo-wol.
All the martial artists of the Great Pearl Merchant Group and Spirit Sword Manor were looking at Pyo-wol, keeping an eye on his actions, but the person himself was sitting in the back of the cart with his eyes closed.
The atmosphere would have been much lighter if Pyo-wol had spoken, but since he just kept his mouth shut, it became heavier.
The good news was that it didn’t take long before a city appeared.
As soon as they arrived in the city, Ji Muhyeong rented an entire inn. After that, he took the captured bandits to the authorities.
Pyo-wol and Do Yeonsan were given the best rooms.
Now that they knew Pyo-wol’s identity, they couldn’t treat him like any ordinary hired escort. owed him a great favor. It was only natural for him to be given the largest and best room.
Pyo-wol did not refuse and accepted their hospitality.
As soon as he entered the room, Do Yeonsan spoke.
“Brother, there’s a well outside. I’ll wash up first.”
“Alright.”
As soon as Pyo-wol gave his permission, Do Yeonsan ran to the well.
There was a lot of blood on his body from dealing with the bandits.
Those who faced Pyo-wol were better off.
This was because Pyo-wol had subdued them with minimal injuries. On the other hand, those subdued by Do Yeonsan were in miserable condition.
This was because Do Yeonsan’s control of his power was not yet perfect.
Although he claimed to be able to control it, even those who were the least injured were in critical condition.
As a result, he had gotten a lot of blood on his body.
Do Yeonsan stripped naked and drew water from the well to wash off the blood on his body.
Meanwhile, Pyo-wol’s body had no traces of blood.
Looking at him, one wouldn’t think he had just fought an intense battle.
Looking around the room, Pyo-wol picked up a tea set from the table.
He put water on the stove and prepared to make tea.
Pyo-wol leisurely waited for the water to boil.
It was then.
Knock, knock!
Someone knocked on his door.
“It’s me, Seo Gun-hwi. May I come in for a moment?”
“Come in.”
At Pyo-wol’s permission, Seo Gun-hwi opened the door and entered.
Seo Gun-hwi’s face revealed complex emotions.
He bowed to Pyo-wol and said,
“Thank you for your help, Master Pyo.”
The words came out with difficulty.
Seo Gun-hwi was a man whose pride touched the heavens.
It was the first time he had ever bowed so low to anyone.
But he had clearly received help, so he had to express his gratitude.
In Jianghu, even the smallest gesture should not go unnoticed. If someone has received help, they would have to return the favor, even if it means hurting their pride.
“If it weren’t for your help, Master Pyo, I would have been robbed. I will definitely repay this favor.”
“You don’t have to. I didn’t particularly help you to begin with.”
“Still, I must settle the debt.”
“Then do as you please.”
“Do you mind if I ask you another question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you hide your identity? If you had revealed it from the beginning, we wouldn’t have been disrespectful.”
“Because I didn’t want to be bothered.”
“Was that the only reason?”
“Do you think there’s another reason?”
When Pyo-wol answered his question with another question, Seo Gun-hwi bit his lip.
After a moment’s hesitation, he said something he shouldn’t have.
“Could it be that you were enjoying your sense of superiority? You’re already at the top of Jianghu, were you perhaps laughing inwardly at a clueless youngster who was acting arrogant?”
The look in his eyes was full of reproach.
It was a common reaction for young martial artists who grew up thinking they were the best.
It was then.
“That’s right. I was laughing.”
Do Yeonsan spoke as he walked in.
His body was still damp, and he was still only wearing his pants.
Seo Gun-hwi’s eyes sharpened.
“What did you say just now?”
“I said I was laughing. It wasn’t my brother, but me–”
“How dare you–!”
“How dare what? Is your pride that important?”
“Choose your words carefully.”
“You people are always like that. You value your own pride so much, that you don’t care at all about the feelings of people you consider beneath you.”
“You–!”
“Did my brother openly ignore you? You’re the one who ignored him, so why are you acting hurt now? Is this the pride of a prestigious noble family?”
Do Yeonsan’s words were scathing.
His voice was akin to a dagger, stabbing into Seo Gun-hwi’s chest.
Seo Gun-hwi’s lips twitched, but in the end, he couldn’t come up with anything to say back.
Do Yeonsan’s criticism made him think deeply.
Seo Gun-hwi closed his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts and emotions.
Once his emotions were somewhat settled, he opened his eyes and spoke,
“I apologize. I was short-sighted. What is your name?”
“Do Yeonsan.”
“Alright, Do Yeonsan. Thank you for enlightening me. I apologize, Master Pyo. I have been rude.”
“It’s okay.”
“Thank you. I promise such a thing won’t happen again in the future. Please rest well.”
Seo Gun-hwi took another bow towards Pyo-wol before leaving the room.
Thud!
As the door closed, Do Yeonsan spoke,
“At least he didn’t mindlessly assert his pride.”
“He seems to have at least that much sense.”
“Indeed.”
Do Yeonsan looked disappointed.
He was ready to have a full-on fight had Seo Gun-hwi attacked because of his words.
Ever since he acquired the martial prowess of the Ghost King, his confidence was at an all-time high.
Although he had no desire to make a name for himself, he still wanted to fight with all his might at least once. However, since the involved party had already left the room, there was nothing he could do about it. After all, he couldn’t possibly forcefully drag Seo Gun-hwi back for a fight.
He changed his expression and asked Pyo-wol,
“Brother, aren’t you going to wash up?”
“I should.”
Pyo-wol got up and headed towards the well.
* * *
In the dining hall on the first floor of the inn, the escorts and laborers of the Great Pearl Merchant Group gathered in groups of three or five, having their meals.
Although Pyo-wol had intervened and saved their lives, their expressions were not bright. This was because too many of their colleagues had either been killed or injured.
Despite the alcohol placed in front of them, not many of them drank.
Under normal circumstances, they would have been boisterous and bragged about the day’s adventures, but today, not a single person raised their voice.
The same was true for the warriors of the Spirit Sword Manor.
Seated at a single table, the warriors of the Spirit Sword Manor sipped their drinks in silence.
Complex emotions were clearly visible on their faces.
Seo Gun-hwi didn’t come out of his room at all, and Seo Yul-hee kept her mouth tightly shut, uncomfortable with the atmosphere.
It was then.
Thud!
Two people appeared with the sound of footsteps.
The moment they appeared, the already quiet dining room was enveloped in a dead silence.
The ones who appeared were none other than Pyo-wol and Do Yeonsan.
The warriors of the Great Pearl Merchant Group and Spirit Sword Manor held their breath as they watched the two.
The two looked around for a moment before taking their seats at an empty table.
“What would you like to order?”
The inn servant asked cautiously.
The inn servant was a perceptive person, he immediately understood that the atmosphere was not normal, and that Pyo-wol and Do Yeonsan were at the center of it. Therefore, his attitude towards Pyo-wol was even more polite than usual.
Pyo-wol said,
“Bring me what the others are eating.”
“What about alcohol?”
“No need.”
“Then you’ll just have food? Understood. I’ll bring it shortly.”
The inn servant bowed his head towards Pyo-wol and ran toward the kitchen.
Do Yeonsan looked around and said,
“The atmosphere is cold.”
“Indeed.”
“Yikes, so suffocating!”
Do Yeonsan exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders.
It was then.
“Can I sit here?”
Seo Yul-hee suddenly approached them and asked.
Do Yeonsan smiled and offered her a chair.
“Of course.”
“Thank you.”
Seo Yul-hee quickly sat down.
“Where’s your brother?”
“He hasn’t come out of his room.”
“Really?”
“He must have been traumatized by someone.”
Seo Yul-hee looked at Pyo-wol.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes!”
“How unexpected. But, he’s your brother, right?”
“My brother has never experienced failure before. He thinks he’s the protagonist who moves the world. That’s why he’s so cold to people other than himself. If anyone is below the standard he set, he doesn’t see them as human. So it’s good for him to experience failure once in a while. That would allow him to reevaluate himself.”
Seo Yul-hee’s words were harsh.
Which was why Do Yeonsan found her curious.
She didn’t like her brother very much.
It’s said that close siblings are rare, but Do Yeonsan treasured his sister incredibly.
That’s also why he was enraged by her death even to the point of staining the whole of Lake Tai with blood.
He tried his best not to involve those who had nothing to do with it, but certainly, some innocent people still had lost their lives.
It was a sin that he would carry with him until he died.
And the reason he bore such a sin was precisely because of his sister and family.
Do Yeonsan picked up the teacup in front of him and said,
“Be good to your brother.”
“Huh?”
“Because having one is much better than not having any.”
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