Light Novel: Volume 19 Episode 2
Manhwa: N/A
Pyo-wol and his party returned to the Zigong Merchant Group’s campsite.
Even after rejoining their subordinates, the expressions on Lee Shin-pil and Gu Sang-hak’s faces remained somber.
‘Master and disciple, huh.’
They were already surprised that the people who had slaughtered so many of bandits were a master and disciple duo, and they surprise again at the cruelty of their methods.
‘Is it a good thing that he’s with us?’
Lee Shin-pil discreetly turned his head to glance at Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol was sitting by a campfire with Eunyo and Do Yeonsan. Just by looking at his face, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. But one thing was certain.
It was reassuring that Pyo-wol was with travelling with them.
No matter how terrifying the unidentified master was, they felt that Pyo-wol would be more than capable of handling it.
Lee Shin-pil shook off the heavy thoughts that weighed down his shoulders and raised his head.
He then shouted to his men,
“Is the meal ready yet?”
“It’s ready.”
Those in charge of the meal responded loudly.
They walked around carrying large pots, distributing gruel to the members of the merchant group. Pyo-wol, Eunyo, and Do Yeonsan also received a bowl each.
The gruel, made from soaked jerky and dried grains, was merely salted. Still, the three did not utter a single complaint and quickly emptied their bowls.
Do Yeonsan set down his bowl and looked at Pyo-wol.
“Brother!”
“What is it?”
“The person who made those bandits like that must be strong, right?”
“They are.”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen such scars.”
Do Yeonsan’s voice trembled slightly.
He felt an inexplicable chill from the scars on the bandits.
Having gained some of the Ghost King’s martial prowess, Do Yeonsan had lost the emotion of fear. Yet even he was considerably shocked upon seeing the scars on the bandits.
It was because he instinctively felt that he was no match against them.
He was strong because he had gained some of the Ghost King’s power, not because he had earned it.
While he could easily subdue a moderately strong martial artist, he would be no match for a true martial artist like Pyo-wol, who had become strong through his own strength and effort.
The one who killed the bandits had that level of strength, and perhaps that was why Do Yeonsan instinctively felt fear.
Throwing a dry twig into the campfire, Do Yeonsan muttered,
“I should probably learn martial arts systematically.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Pyo-wol agreed with Do Yeonsan’s opinion.
If he practiced martial arts systematically, he would become much stronger. He still had plenty of room to grow stronger.
Eunyo asked,
“Does brother know?”
“Know what?”
“About the person who killed the bandits. You seemed to know.”
“I have a hunch, but I’m not sure yet.”
“I see.”
Eunyo nodded her head.
She didn’t probe further.
She figured Pyo-wol would naturally tell her when the time was right.
Pyo-wol stared intently into the blazing bonfire.
Overwhelmed by his presence, neither Do Yeonsan and Eunyo could speak.
Then suddenly, Pyo-wol’s expression turned cold.
Eunyo was the first to notice the change.
“What’s wrong, brother?”
Instead of replying, Pyo-wol stared into the darkness beyond the campfire.
Eunyo and Do Yeonsan both followed Pyo-wol’s gaze.
Do Yeonsan furrowed his brow.
He felt nothing, despite heightening his senses.
The same was true for Eunyo.
Despite her highly developed senses in place of her eyesight, she felt no sign of anything.
‘What is it?’
‘Why?’
Just as their confusion deepened,
“Aah! A ghost, it’s a ghost!”
“A, A ghost has appeared!”
The people nearby where Pyo-wol’s gaze was directed suddenly cried out in alarm.
“What?”
“A ghost?”
A puzzled expression appeared on their faces.
Their senses still couldn’t pick up anything, so they were surprised by the sudden commotion from the Zigong Merchant Group’s warriors.
It was then.
Swoosh!
As if on cue, someone suddenly appeared.
Cutting through the darkness like a ghost, an old man with long, silver hair revealed himself.
It was because of his silver hair that those who first saw him mistook him for a ghost.
The old man swept his gaze over the campsite.
“Hic!”
“Hmm!”
Those who met his gaze immediately lowered their heads.
The moment they met the old man’s gaze, they felt a searing pain.
His intense eyes were like a blazing torch.
No one dared to make eye contact with the old man.
Suddenly, the old man’s eyes met Do Yeonsan’s.
“Ugh!”
Do Yeonsan’s face twisted.
He felt his heart plummet, even though he just made eye contact.
The old man spoke,
“How interesting. Your physical body is one thing, but I sense the remnants of another soul.”
His eyes lit up as if he had found an interesting toy.
Do Yeonsan gritted his teeth as he tried to endure the old man’s gaze, but the more he did, the more pressure he felt.
That’s when Eunyo stepped in.
She stood in front of Do Yeonsan and spoke,
“Stop it.”
“Ha! Now a blind girl? Quite the interesting pairing.”
The old man grinned.
Though he merely smiled, everyone who saw his grin felt as if they had been doused with ice water.
‘Who is this old man?’
‘A master, a very powerful one!’
No one dared to open their mouths in the face of the old man’s formidable presence.
The old man gestured towards Do Yeonsan and Eunyo.
“Both of you, come here.”
For a moment, both Do Yeonsan and Eunyo felt an overpowering urge to obey the old man.
The power in the old man’s voice made them feel like they should comply.
‘What is this?’
‘What’s happening?’
Regardless of their will, their bodies began to move on their own.
Both gritted their teeth and tried to resist, but the temptation grew stronger and stronger.
Do Yeonsan bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
Regaining his senses from the pain, he was able to escape the old man’s temptation. He then quickly grabbed Eunyo’s hand. At that moment, Eunyo also barely snapped out of the temptation.
“Ho!”
The old man let out a slight sigh of admiration at the sight.
Just as he was about to speak to them again—
Suddenly, someone picked up a burning branch from the campfire and threw it at his face.
“Eek!”
The intense light caused the old man to quickly close his eyes and swat the branch away with his hand.
Thanks to the old man’s distraction, Do Yeonsan and Eunyo were completely free.
The old man roared angrily.
“Who’s this bastard?”
“Enough. Don’t pick a fight when you’re an uninvited guest.”
“What?”
The old man located the source of the voice.
At that moment, Pyo-wol stood up.
A puzzled gleam appeared in the old man’s eyes.
What made him bewildered wasn’t the fact that someone had thrown a burning branch at him, but that he hadn’t noticed Pyo-wol until he stood up.
The moment the old man set foot in the camp, he heightened his senses to gauge every person there.
His senses were so keen that he could immediately identify any threats, just by raising his heightened senses once.
Certainly, there was no one who could have posed a threat to him when he had raised his senses just moments before.
Although there were many people, they were all insignificant.
The only ones who could potentially be a threat were Do Yeonsan and Eunyo right in front of him. So he deliberately treated them harshly. But, unexpectedly, there was another person near them who could be a threat.
‘An expert!’
The old man glared menacingly and asked,
“Who are you?”
“And who might you be, old man?”
“Do you know who I am, speaking to me like that?”
“How am I supposed to know if you don’t tell me?”
For a moment, the old man was at a loss for words.
Even though he had roamed the Jianghu for a long time, Pyo-wol was the first to talk to him in such a manner.
Normally, he would have killed him in an instant.
He had the capability to turn any martial artist into fish meat in a matter of moments.
The techniques he had mastered were so refined that no enemy had ever been allowed to live. However, he hesitated to make a move.
Something about Pyo-wol’s unusual demeanor made him uncomfortable.
The old man and Pyo-wol looked at each other across the campfire.
In their stand-off, the warriors of the Zigong Merchant Group nervously swallowed their dry saliva.
Instinctively, they knew something bad would happen if the two clashed.
The time it took to exhale felt like an eternity.
‘Oh no, this is bad.’
‘If those two fight, it’s going to be a disaster.’
It was then.
Lee Shin-pil pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.
He respectfully cupped his fist and said,
“I am Lee Shin-pil, the head of the Zigong Merchant Group. The young man here is Master Pyo-wol, a supreme expert of Jianghu.”
“Pyo-wol? So you are the one called the Reaper.”
Though he said so, the old man looked genuinely impressed. This was because Pyo-wol’s qi was no less powerful than his own.
He continued speaking,
“My name is Baek Ho-gyeong.”
“Baek Ho-gyeong?”
“I’m not fond of it, but some people call me one of the Eight Constellations, the Third Constellation.”
“Third Constellation? One of the Eight Constellations, I see.”
“Yes.”
Third Constellation, Baek Ho-kyung.
That was the old man’s true identity.
His nickname was Nine Netherworld Demon.1 However, there was not a single person who dared to call him by that nickname in front of him.
This was because Baek Ho-gyeong despised that nickname. Anyone who mentioned it was killed without exception.
Only then did Pyo-wol understand the strength of Baek Ho-gyeong.
Simply being one of the Eight Constellations was enough explanation.
Baek Ho-gyeong was the most enigmatic expert following the Ghost King.
He rarely revealed himself in Jianghu, but once he did, he turned the area into a sea of blood.
His chilling nickname, Nine Netherworld Demon, was earned for that very reason.
But even after knowing Baek Ho-gyeong’s identity, Pyo-wol remained unperturbed.
He had already met those higher in the hierarchy, including the Ghost King and the Visitor of Life and Death. Although Baek Ho-gyeong was formidable, he was no match for them.
There was no reason for him to be intimidated.
Baek Ho-gyeong spoke,
“So that’s why you’re so arrogant. What brings you here?”
“If you’re going to chat, continue on your way. Don’t disturb others who are resting.”
“How dare you!”
Anger flashed on Baek Ho-gyeong’s face. However, he was not as careless as before.
That was because of the nickname, Reaper.
The hottest name in the current Jianghu was none other than Pyo-wol.
The assessments from the people of Jianghu were coldly rational.
At a glance, it might seem like nicknames were randomly given, but they contained a lot of information.
It was not for nothing that the people of Jianghu gave Pyo-wol the nickname Reaper.
It was given to him because he was the most proficient at killing.
Even though Baek Ho-gyeong was an absolute master who had reigned over Jianghu for a long time, he was still reluctant to confront Pyo-wol.
Especially now that it was night.
The night was Pyo-wol’s time.
Fighting in the dark was extremely disadvantageous to Baek Ho-gyeong.
Swallowing his pride, Baek Ho-gyeong said,
“Let’s owe each other a favor just for today.”
His words were not directed at Pyo-wol.
They were directed at Lee Shin-pil, the head of the Zigong Merchant Group.
“It’s an honor.”
Lee Shin-pil could not dare to refuse his request.
He found both Pyo-wol and Baek Ho-gyeong frightening.
He had no choice but to accept.
LUNACAVE
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