Light Novel: Volume 18 Episode 5
Manhwa: N/A
During their stay at the inn, Ji Muhyeong, the chief escort of the Great Pearl Merchant Group, was busy without a moment’s rest.
He handed over the bandits to the local authorities to collect the reward money, sold the bandits’ horses at the market, and sent the wounded to a doctor for treatment.
All of these tasks took a full two days to accomplish.
In the meantime, Seo Gun-hwi and his party bid their farewells.
Seo Gun-hwi’s destination was originally Jiangxi Province, which was in the midst of a chaotic situation.
They had only joined the Great Pearl Merchant Group’s convoy for convenience.
Now that they had a general idea of what was going on in Jianghu, they bid farewell to the Great Pearl Merchant Group. But everyone who knew them knew.
The reason they were leaving was because of Pyo-wol and Do Yeonsan.
It was clear that they were leaving earlier than planned because the situation was awkward.
“Then, we’ll meet again next time.”
Seo Gun-hwi cupped his fists as he said goodbye to Pyo-wol.
“Mmm!”
“I hope the next time we meet, our relationship will be even better.”
“I hope you make a good choice as well. A bad choice will bring unhappiness not only to you but to your younger sibling.”
“Thank you for the advice. I will keep it in mind.”
Something seemed to have happened overnight with how Seo Gun-hwi’s eyes had grown a little deeper.
Seo Gun-hwi also said his goodbyes to Ji Muhyeong, the chief escort of the Great Pearl Merchant Group, before leaving the inn.
Seo Yul-hee wistfully looked at Do Yeonsan several times, but Do Yeonsan merely told her goodbye. He didn’t try to take her hand or hold her back.
It was just a small connection over a few days.
He knew better than anyone else that the two of them were not compatible, and his feelings for Seo Yul-hee weren’t that strong either.
After Seo Gun-hwi and the warriors of the Spirit Sword Manor left, the Great Pearl Merchant Group also prepared to leave.
Because of the bandits, they had wasted two days, and their schedule was significantly delayed. They had to hurry if they wanted to arrive in Chengdu within the promised time.
Arriving in Chengdu was not the end of their journey.
They would still have to hand over the goods they brought and choose the goods to take back to Yunnan Province.
With such a tight schedule, they had no choice but to hurry.
An hour after the warriors of Spirit Sword Manor left, the Great Pearl Merchant Group also left the inn.
The escorts who were injured had been entrusted to the doctors and would be picked up later when they returned.
Despite the absence of many escorts, Ji Muhyeong did not feel uneasy. This was because of Pyo-wol.
With Pyo-wol by his side, he had nothing to fear.
Ji Muhyeong treated Pyo-wol and Do Yeonsan extremely well, with utmost respect.
He offered them the best food and tried to give them special treatment, but Pyo-wol declined all the special favors, saying he was fine as he was.
“Then, please accept this at least.”
Ji Muhyeong held out a packet of slips to Pyo-wol.
“What’s this?”
“This is the reward money we received for turning in the bandits to the authorities, and the money we got from selling their horses. I’ve exchanged them for promissory notes from the most credible money changer. Please accept it. If it weren’t for you, we would have lost not only the goods but also our lives.”
It was not a reward from the Great Pearl Merchant Group but the money from selling the bandits’ goods. It seemed acceptable.
“I’ll use it well.”
Pyo-wol accepted the slips and put them in his pocket.
One lesson he had learned while wandering the Jianghu was that the more money he had, the better.
No matter how powerful a person is, without money, they will be left at the mercy of others and be looked down upon.
The reason martial artists became escorts for merchant groups or wealthy houses was to earn money. So, there was no reason to decline the offered slips.
When Pyo-wol took the slips, Ji Muhyeong breathed a sigh of relief.
‘I’ll be able to continue my relationship with him with this.’
Forging a relationship with the Spirit Sword Manor was important, but maintaining a relationship with a big shot like Pyo-wol was even more so.
There might even come a time when simply being connected to him could save his life.
With Ji Muhyeong satisfied with his decision, he continued to lead the merchant group.
Perhaps because they had taken care of the arrangements in advance, the rest of the journey went smoothly.
Other than camping out a few times, there were no problems at all.
Thanks to this, the Great Pearl Merchant Group was able to arrive in Chengdu on time.
“Finally!”
Ji Muhyeong and the escorts’ faces lit up with excitement.
The sight of the tall walls had brought relief to their hearts. But they couldn’t relax just yet.
They had to pass through the city gate first.
In front of the city gate, people wanting to enter Chengdu were lined up in a long queue. They had to wait their turn to enter.
The procedure for entering Chengdu was very strict.
That’s why the speed of entry was slow.
Ji Muhyeong led the merchant group to the very end of the line.
He had no choice if he wanted to enter Chengdu.
He had wanted to slip some silver coins to the guards at the city gate, but no opportunity presented itself.
It was then.
The face of the guard looking at the Great Pearl Merchant Group suddenly turned white.
“H-Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
When his colleague asked, the guard pointed to the end of the merchant group.
“Re, Reaper?”
“What?”
“H, He’s back–!”
“What are you talking about?”
“T, The Reaper has returned! O, Open the gate quickly!”
The guard yelled at his colleague.
When his colleagues were still unable to understand his stammered words, the guard shouted again,
“If you don’t want to die, open the gates, you idiots!”
“Huh?”
“A, Alright!”
Only then did the fellow guards sense the unusual atmosphere and open the gate.
The guard who gave the order approached Pyo-wol and bowed,
“Master Pyo-wol!”
“You know me?”
“Who in Chengdu, among martial artists and guards, doesn’t know Master Pyo-wol?”
The face of the guard who responded revealed sheer terror.
The bloodshed committed by Pyo-wol still remained like a nightmare among Chengdu’s martial artists.
Even now, the incident where the Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect were defeated by a single person is still being talked about.
After witnessing the two factions be defeated and ultimately forced to stop their activities, the people in Chengdu held an extreme fear towards Pyo-wol.
They knew that crossing and offending him would be the end of them, which was why they desperately tried to memorize his features.
Recognizing Pyo-wol’s face wasn’t difficult.
There was no other man with a face more beautiful than a woman’s.
Fortunately, the guard had seen Pyo-wol from a distance before.
Thanks to that, he recognized him instantly.
The guard cautiously asked,
“Have you returned for good?”
“I’ll be staying here for the time being.”
“I see. I apologize for the inconvenience. Please, come inside.”
“These people are with me.”
“The Great Pearl Merchant Group? I will remember that.”
The guard answered with a determined expression.
Anything related to Pyo-wol had to be memorized, even the smallest details.
The guard spoke to Ji Muhyeong,
“Why didn’t you say you were with Master Pyo-wol?”
“Well, that’s–”
“Please come inside. If you encounter any problems during your stay in Chengdu, let us know. We’ll take care of everything for you–”
“Ah, yes! Thank you!”
Ji Muhyung was taken aback by the guard’s sudden favor.
He never had expected that Pyo-wol’s status in Chengdu would be this high.
Thanks to Pyo-wol, the Great Pearl Merchant Group was able to pass through the city gates with ease.
As soon as they passed through the gates, Pyo-wol said,
“It’s time for us to part ways.”
“Thank you, Grandmaster Pyo!”
“If fate allows, we shall meet again.”
“I hope you achieve everything you wish for. Take care.”
Ji Muhyeong bid farewell to Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol and Do Yeonsan walked away first, leaving Ji Muhyeong behind.
“Wow!”
Do Yeonsan exclaimed, marveling at the new sights of Chengdu. Pyo-wol also took his time to look around.
It had been several years since he had returned to Chengdu.
Many changes had occurred in the meantime.
Most notably, the streets that had been destroyed during the fight between Pyo-wol, the Emei Sect, and the Qingcheng Sect had been completely restored.
Judging by the vibrant faces of the people walking along the streets, things didn’t seem too bad.
Pyo-wol took Do Yeonsan on a walk along Xintian Road.
Originally a slum, Xintian Road had been completely transformed into an upscale residential neighborhood. Lavish mansions and pavilions peeked out above the high walls, along with their imposing gates.
All of Chengdu’s powerful people resided here, causing a lot of martial artists to guard and patrol the area.
Xintian Road was the safest street in Chengdu.
Pyo-wol finally arrived at his destination.
A large mansion with notably red pines protruding above the wall.
It was the Red Pine Manor.
Pyo-wol knocked on the firmly closed door of the Red Pine Manor.
After a while, a middle-aged man slightly opened the door and cautiously stuck his head out.
The moment the middle-aged man recognized Pyo-wol, his eyes widened.
“It’s been a long time, Steward Ko.”
At Pyo-wol’s greeting, the middle-aged man quickly bowed his head.
He was the chief steward, the one responsible for overseeing all the affairs of the Red Pine Manor.
Although he couldn’t speak because his tongue had been cut, his face was filled with a joyful expression.
The chief steward hastily rang a small bell hanging next to the door.
Ding, ding, ding!
Not long after the bell rang throughout Red Pine Manor, two people rushed out from inside.
A young man and a young woman.
Both of whom appeared slightly older than Do Yeonsan.
The boy’s eyes were entirely black, giving off an eerie vibe, while the girl’s eyes were beautiful but unfocused.
They were Guian and Eunyo.
“Brother!”
“Big brother!”
Guian and Eunyo simultaneously ran towards Pyo-wol, hugging him.
Their faces were filled with turbulent light.
After Pyo-wol and Soma left, the two carved out their own territory while guarding the Red Pine Manor.
Guian established his own information network, while Eunyo took perfect control of Chengdu’s underworld.
No event occurring in Chengdu escaped their notice. The two had truly become the undisputed rulers of the underworld. Still, they always felt a sense of emptiness.
It was only now that they understood why.
It was because Pyo-wol was not there.
Though the two were figures of fear among the people of Chengdu, Pyo-wol’s absence was still too much to bear.
Upon his return, the two realized what they had been lacking all along.
Pyo-wol was the one person they could emotionally rely upon.
Simply having him in the same room as them was enough to fill their hearts with contentment.
Pyo-wol embraced the two tightly.
“Have you both been well?”
“Yes.”
“Yes!”
The both of them replied, hugging Pyo-wol back.
Pyo-wol hugged them for a while before pulling away and introducing Do Yeonsan.
“This is Do Yeonsan. He will be staying with us from now on.”
“Nice to meet you! I’m Guian.”
“I’m Eunyo. Let’s get along well!”
The two welcomed Do Yeonsan warmly.
No sense of caution or wariness towards the new person could be found in both Guian and Eunyo.
This was because the one who introduced Do Yeonsan was Pyo-wol himself.
They would trust anyone, without question, as long as it was Pyo-wol who would introduce them.
The same went for Do Yeonsan.
“Nice to meet you, big brother, big sister!”
Indeed, both Guian and Eunyo were older than Do Yeonsan.
Eunyo smiled and said,
“A nice younger sibling has arrived. This is great!”
“Indeed, and since both our older and younger siblings have arrived today, we should have a banquet.”
Guian, who was not usually the cheerful type, showed excitement.
That’s how happy he was.
Feeling like they received an unexpected gift, Eunyo urged them.
“Let’s go inside, big brother.”
“Alright.”
Pyo-wol stepped inside the Red Pine Manor.
The landscape inside was so beautiful that he could see how much care and attention Steward Ko had poured into it. But more than the interior, what Pyo-wol appreciated more was the feeling of security.
He felt a deep sense of security and comfort the moment he stepped inside the Red Pine Manor.
It was a feeling he had never felt anywhere else.
Pyo-wol wondered if this is what it feels like to come home.
Do Yeonsan also liked the Red Pine Manor.
He found his heart opening naturally in response to the sincere hospitality of Guian and Eunyo, even though he was meeting them for the first time.
‘This is a really nice place.’
* * *
At the same time, the news of Pyo-wol’s return spread throughout Chengdu.
Upon hearing the news of his return, all the martial artists and powerful figures of Chengdu held their breath.
LUNACAVE
You cannot copy content of this page