Light Novel: Volume 18 Episode 19
Manhwa: N/A
The man and woman flinched as they pressed on their hats.
Their stirrings were very slight, but Pyo-wol didn’t miss such a slight reaction.
With his gaze still on Pyo-wol, the man spoke to Ma Won-ik,
“Where are the scriptures?”
“I have it.”
“Continue on this path, there should be people waiting for you there. Follow them.”
“Yes? Ah, thank you.”
Ma Won-ik hurriedly expressed his gratitude. However, the man still didn’t even glance his way.
His gaze and all his other senses were focused intently on Pyo-wol.
He knew Pyo-wol better than anyone else.
He knew that he couldn’t afford to let his guard down for a single moment.
The moment he gets distracted, even for a moment, Pyo-wol would strike like a viper. Once he gave him an opening, that would be the end.
The moment the viper’s teeth sank into his body, any form of resistance would become pointless.
Ma Won-ik and his daughter stood up again, holding the Buddhist scriptures.
The moment Pyo-wol’s gaze turned towards them, this time, the woman wearing a hat stepped in front.
After cupping their fists towards the two who blocked Pyo-wol from their path, Ma Won-ik and his daughter hurriedly ran away.
The sight of Ma Won-ik limping away was truly pitiable.
Pyo-wol could have pursued and caught them easily right then, but he couldn’t.
Because the two people blocking the path of Ma Won-ik and his daughter were by no means ordinary.
Pyo-wol spoke up,
“How long are you going to keep your faces covered like that?”
“You speak as if you know us.”
The man replied in a cold voice.
A smile tugged at the corners of Pyo-wol’s lips for a moment.
“That’s the problem with you.”
“What?”
“You think you’re hiding your sinister intentions well, but I know them all.”
“How dare you!”
“Song Cheonwoo.”
The man flinched for a moment.
Then, Pyo-wol’s gaze swept over to the woman by his side.
“So Yeowol. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.”
“……”
“……”
Both of them remained silent at Pyo-wol’s words.
The woman was the first to react.
She took off her hat, then her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing a dazzling face.
With deep black eyes contrasting with skin so pale it looked as if it had never seen sunlight, she had a temperament similar to Pyo-wol’s.
Only those who grew up in the same environment could have such a similar temperament. In this world, there were only a few people with a temperament similar to his. One of them was the woman in front of him, So Yeowol.
Pyo-wol’s gaze then turned to the man beside So Yeowol. The man let out a faint sigh and also took off his hat.
Emerging from the soft darkness, the man was none other than Song Cheonwoo.
Song Cheonwoo asked,
“How did you know?”
“Is that really what you’re curious about?”
“Just answer. Pyo-wol!”
“You just stand out. No matter how you change your appearance, I can recognize you.”
“This bastard…!”
“I see you’re still licking So Yeowol’s asshole. Judging by how you still follow her around.”
“How dare you!”
Just as Song Cheonwoo was about to lash out, So Yeowol raised her pale hand to stop him. Song Cheonwoo then composed himself, regaining his cool demeanor.
Seeing that, a hint of regret crossed Pyo-wol’s face.
He felt a little disappointed because his plan of provoking Song Cheonwoo had been thwarted by So Yeowol.
So Yeowol was the first to speak.
“It’s been a while. I’ve been keeping tabs on you.”
“And yet you didn’t reach out once. I’m disappointed.”
“Were we ever in the kind of relationship where we’d keep in touch? We were like oil and water in the underground community.”
So Yeowol hadn’t changed at all.
Only her appearance had matured, but her tone, gaze, and intimidating presence remained the same.
Any average man would find it hard to breathe in front of her presence.
“You must be surprised we showed up.”
“I’m a little confused, actually.”
“Well, you’ve also been messing with our heads, so let’s call it even.”
“Since when?”
“Since what?”
“Since you joined the Kowloon Assassin Guild. Did you join as soon as you got out of Sichuan?”
“You seem so sure that we’re with the Kowloon Assassin Guild.”
“Are you not?”
Pyo-wol’s words caused So Yeowol to burst into a fit of laughter.
She realized that he really hadn’t changed at all.
Only his appearance had become more beautiful, but he was the same as he was in the underground cave.
Eyes that seemed to see through everything, voice filled with a sarcastic tone, unique defiant nature, down to his cunning mind that slithers through cracks, probing weaknesses like a snake, all of it remained unchanged.
While others might think Pyo-wol had become more ferocious over time, So Yeowol knew he had always been like that.
No amount of lying would work with him.
No matter how well-crafted the lie was, if there was a crack in it, he would always find a way to find out the truth.
Pyo-wol was that kind of person.
There was no point in lying and ending up looking foolish.
“That’s right. Cheonwoo and I joined the Kowloon Assassin Guild.”
“That’s unexpected.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you guys were going to join the Hundred Wraith Union.”
“It makes sense for you to think that since all we know is assassination. But it doesn’t make a difference. More importantly, I was originally with the Kowloon Assassin Guild.”
“Then why were you at the underground community?”
“I guess my existence was a thorn in someone’s side. Their choices were clear. Either I die or go into exile.”
From So Yeowol’s answer, Pyo-wol could infer everything that had happened.
“So you survived and fought your way back?”
“Thanks to you! If you hadn’t shaken up the Net of Heaven and Earth, it would have been impossible for me to leave Sichuan.”
So Yeowol smiled seductively.
Her smile was so enchanting that any man would be mesmerized by it, but Pyo-wol was not enchanted.
He knew So Yeowol’s true nature better than anyone in the world.
He knew better than anyone that behind that beautiful smile was a heart like a scorpion.
Get enchanted and he would end up like a male mantis devoured by the female after mating.
No one was exempt, except for Song Cheonwoo, who clung to her like a limb.
Pyo-wol asked,
“By any chance, was it you who caused Go Shin-ok to be on the Phantom Fleet?”
“Ha! You overestimate me too much. The Kowloon Assassin Guild isn’t that easy to control. I can’t just place someone there because I want to. I only found out later that Shin-ok was with the Phantom Fleet.”
“So you had nothing to do with it.”
“That’s right! It’s just a coincidence.”
“If he was in the same group, why didn’t you contact him?”
“Hoho! I told you, the Kowloon Assassin Guild isn’t a simple place. Even I can’t break the chain of command and approach him. If I had a little bit more time, I might have met him and settled things. But unfortunately, you took away that chance.”
Pyo-wol was the one who killed Go Shin-ok.
If Pyo-wol hadn’t killed him, she would have met Go Shin-ok by now. If that had happened, the future might have been different.
Pyo-wol’s arrival changed everything.
To be precise, everything went awry when he intervened in the affairs of the Kowloon Assassin Guild.
So Yeowol and Song Cheonwoo’s appearance here was also unplanned.
When they heard that Ma Won-ik and his daughter were being chased by Pyo-wol, they had no choice but to rush over.
Pyo-wol asked,
“Why are you targeting the Buddhist scriptures? Is that document made of paper so important that you’d reveal yourselves?”
“The value of an object is determined by someone’s need for it.”
“So you’re saying it’s important.”
“That’s right!”
Even with So Yeowol’s straightforward answer, Pyo-wol’s expression did not brighten. It was because she was still dodging the main point.
Pyo-wol said,
“I think we’ve stalled enough, would you mind moving out of the way?”
“Why, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. It would be a shame to part like this.”
“We were never that close, were we?”
“Oh, really? I thought differently. You must have thought otherwise. I’m disappointed.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
Although he said that, Pyo-wol’s expression showed no remorse. The same went for So Yeowol and Song Cheonwoo.
Although they talked as if they were old friends, they never once let their guard down.
They knew each other too well.
They knew that even a moment’s lapse in vigilance could lead to death.
Pyo-wol had to pass the two, and the two had to stall as much as possible to buy time for Ma Won-ik and his daughter to escape.
So Yeowol suddenly asked,
“Don’t you miss it?”
“Miss what?”
“Those days.”
“The underground commune? You’re crazy.”
“I miss it sometimes. I’ve never lived as fiercely as I did then.”
“Is that why you raised your kids the way we were raised back then?”
“Oh! You noticed? You’re really amazing.”
So Yeowol’s eyes widened.
At that moment, Song Cheonwoo raised his hand. Then, black shadows sprang up around them.
All of them were dressed in black with masks on their faces.
They had gradually gathered while Pyo-wol was talking to So Yeowol, and before long, they had completely surrounded them. At a glance, there were well over a hundred of them.
A damp smell came from them.
It was a smell very familiar to Pyo-wol.
It was the kind of smell that could only come from those like him or So Yeowol, who had been raised in confined spaces cultivating their poison. So he surmised that they were raised the same way.
All wore masks, so it was impossible to tell their ages, let alone their faces. But, Pyo-wol could tell that they weren’t that old.
Pyo-wol’s eyes darkened.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“You went through a hell of a time yourself. You know full well and experienced firsthand how painful it is to survive there. So why did you make these kids go through that?”
“Because it’s efficient. You have to admit, thanks to that hellish experience, we’ve become this strong. Without that experience, do you think you could have become the ‘Reaper,’ a name that instills fear in people? You would have probably wandered around and died as a nobody.”
The faint smile on So Yeowol’s lips deepened.
Raising children in an enclosed space like an underground chamber intensifies their poisonous nature. They’ll do whatever it takes to survive and fulfill their mission.
She had already verified the effectiveness of this method.
There was no reason to abandon such an efficient method.
“We’ve named them Blood Wraiths1 in memory of the Blood Shadow Group that raised us. I hope you like it.”
“I do like it.”
“Good. I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you. You won’t be disappointed when you see their skills either.”
“Yeowol, I’m not one for words, but I’ll promise you this much.”
“Oh, my! My heart flutters. What are you promising?”
“I promise to kill you with as much pain as possible.”
“Really?”
So Yeowol’s eyes widened, but her expression wasn’t one of fear. Rather, it was a mocking smile that brimmed on her lips.
She chuckled and said,
“Ho-ho! Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. Go and have some fun with these kids first.”
Clang!
At that moment, a metallic sound erupted right in front of So Yeowol.
Standing before her was Song Cheonwoo with his sword drawn.
He had used his sword to block the Snake Qi Thread that Pyo-wol had covertly sent out. A distinct sword aura could already be seen on Song Cheonwoo’s blade.
It was truly a superhuman sense.
Song Cheonwoo glared at Pyo-wol and said,
“I knew you’d do that. You coward!”
“I was raised to be a coward. What’s the big deal now?”
“Hmph!”
Song Cheonwoo snorted at Pyo-wol’s nonchalant response.
So Yeowol smiled and said.
“Well then, we’ll get going. Have fun with these kids. Bye!”
She waved her hand and disappeared.
Song Cheonwoo also disappeared with her, protecting her.
Pyo-wol did not follow them.
He couldn’t.
Because at that moment, the Blood Wraiths attacked without a sound.
Swoosh!
A sinister tidal wave rushed towards him.
LUNACAVE
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