Light Novel: Volume 22 Episode 8
Manhwa: N/A
Namgung Seol’s delicate brows furrowed deeply.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The lord is pursuing them.”
“Are you referring to the couple I secretly ordered to be tracked?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“There has to be a reason, he’s not chasing them for no reason or evidence, right?”
“We haven’t identified the reason yet.”
Namgung Seol bit her lip at the subordinate’s response.
It was certainly true that the lovers she had ordered to be monitored were suspicious. But even so, attacking them without any evidence could cause serious problems.
Namgung Seol approached the window.
The view of Duchang enveloped in darkness came into sight.
In the past, the streets were still brightly lit at this time of night. But since the outbreak of the Jianghu war, the streets became deserted, and many lights were extinguished.
The streets consumed by darkness made the observer’s heart feel heavy.
She had to make a decision now.
Whether to withdraw Ahn Ji-san and the Snowflake Sword Squad back, or to press on and capture the couple.
No matter what she chose, it was a burden on her.
If the lovers turned out to be innocent, she would have to bear a significant burden.
Namgung Wol and the Heavenly Guardian Association wouldn’t just stand by and watch her make a wrong decision. On the other hand, if she found evidence that the couple the Snowflake Sword Squad were tracking was indeed suspicious, or found to have connections to other places, her abilities would be recognized once again.
“It’s too late to withdraw the Snowflake Sword Squad now.”
If she ordered a retreat now, it would damage Ahn Ji-san’s dignity. Whether she liked it or not, he was a man who followed her in allegiance.
Not respecting the honor of such a man could lead him to drift away.
Namgung Seol commanded her subordinate.
“Deploy all remaining Snowflake Sword Squad members. Now that it has come to this, we must capture them at all costs.”
“Understood.”
“You go first, I’ll follow in a moment.”
“Yes!”
The subordinate replied before dashing out.
Namgung Seol prepared herself.
She changed into her martial attire and sheathed the sword which had been hanging on the wall.
“Hoo!”
With a sigh, she then headed out.
* * *
“What do you mean?”
Lady Namgung’s movements are strange.”
“My sister?”
Namgung Wol’s expression became serious at his subordinate’s response.
Namgung Seol was a thorn in his side.
Even after the outbreak of the Jianghu conflict, she did not leave Poyang Lake but instead settled in Duchang, closely monitoring the unfolding situation.
Namgung Wol was well aware of Namgung Seol’s ambitions.
She intended to take over the Silver Lotus Society and hand it over to Lee Geumhan.
Fortunately, her plans had not yet come to fruition, but if left unchecked, it was uncertain what the future might hold. Therefore, he had assigned someone to monitor her movements.
Thanks to that, they were able to immediately detect any unusual movements in Namgung Seol’s camp.
“Have you identified the cause?”
“We haven’t been able to ascertain that yet. I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Namgung Wol shook his head, lost in thought for a moment.
‘Given my sister’s character, she wouldn’t act over trivial matters.’
If there was anyone who knew just how ambitious and relentless Namgung Seol was, it would be Namgung Wol.
Although he didn’t know what was motivating her to act that way, if her plans were to be realized, it could lead to unpredictable situations.
“Is there any organization that is currently not on a mission?”
“The Ten Thousand Sword Squad is on break.”1
“Inform the leader of the Ten Thousand Sword Squad to assess the situation in Duchang and respond accordingly.”
“Respond? Even though Lady Namgung is your sister?”
“Yes, respond.”
Namgung Wol answered without hesitation.
Namgung Seol might be his blood relative, but at this moment, she was no different from an enemy.
Moreover, she had plans to dedicate the Silver Lotus Society to her lover, Lee Geumhan.
It was time to let her know that he was watching her. Only then would she realize that she have to be more cautious.
“How far should the response go?”
“I’ll leave it to the discretion of the leader of the Ten Thousand Sword Squad.”
“Understood!”
The subordinate showed a shocked expression.
The leader of the Ten Thousand Sword Squad was notorious for his ruthless efficiency.
If he judged someone to be an enemy, he would act without a shred of mercy, becoming a source of terror.
To leave it to the discretion of such a leader implied a readiness to clash with Namgung Seol, if necessary.
Knowing Namgung Wol’s firm resolve, the subordinate had to quickly relay the order to the leader of the Ten Thousand Sword Squad.
After performing a respectful palm and fist salute to Namgung Wol, the subordinate hurriedly left.
Left alone, Namgung Wol opened the window wide to look outside.
A cold wind blew in and caressed his face.
“Elder sister!”
* * *
Bang!
“Keugh!”
With a blast, a warrior from the Snowflake Sword Squad rolled on the ground. His side was caved in.
It was the impact of Do Yeonsan’s strike.
Several of his ribs were broken, piercing his lungs.
The warrior was gasping for breath, his complexion turning pale.
“Damn it!”
A comrade of the injured warrior rushed over.
By then, Do Yeonsan and Eunyo had already escaped the vicinity.
They had already knocked down and defeated more than a dozen warriors. However, the momentum and vigor of the Snowflake Sword Squad hadn’t diminished at all.
The Snowflake Sword Squad charged at them as if they were facing a life-or-death enemy.
Eunyo said to Do Yeonsan,
“If we continue like this, we’ll definitely get caught.”
If it were only the Snowflake Sword Squad tailing them, they would have been able to shake them off long ago. However, at some point, other martial artists started to appear in the streets besides the Snowflake Sword Squad.
It was unclear whose side these other warriors were on, but it felt like they were also eagerly looking for an opportunity.
Whether their target was them or the Snowflake Sword Squad was unknown. But their presence made it even harder to distinguish friend from foe.
The situation had become as tangled as a knot.
Untangling this situation was not going to be easy.
“If we try to force our way out, we might only end up sinking deeper into the swamp.”
“So, what should we do?”
“I think it would be better to hide in the deeper parts of Dochang.”
“Hide in the middle of enemy territory?”
“With this much commotion, the Hao clan must have noticed something by now.”
“Hmm!”
“Someone like Lord Hong should quickly realize we’re in trouble and contact brother.”
“So, we should just hide until rescue arrives?”
“Yes!”
“Okay, let’s do that. Where do you think we should hide?”
“Somewhere they won’t expect us.”
“Is there such a place?”
“I have a place in mind, but the problem is whether we can get there.”
The streets were filled with the Snowflake Sword Squad and warriors of unknown affiliation. It was impossible to move stealthily without being seen.
Even at this very moment, warriors were being deployed throughout the streets.
“Over there!”
A warrior from the Snowflake Sword Squad spotted them and shouted loudly.
Another tedious chase began.
* * *
Pyo-wol sat on the bed, gazing out the window.
Beyond the wide-open window, a brightly shining moon was visible.
It was a full moon.
The full moon, glowing a reddish hue, immersed the viewer in a strange sentiment.
Pyo-wol was no exception.
He stared intently at the red moon, as if mesmerized.
Then, from behind him, a snow-white hand appeared, gently wrapping around his waist.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
The woman whispering in a languid voice from behind was none other than Hong Ye-seol.
Pyo-wol pointed to the red moon without saying a word and following his gesture, Hong Ye-seol also looked out the window with a smile on her face.
It was then.
Swoosh!
Something crawled through the window and approached Pyo-wol.
Already red in color, it shone even more dazzlingly under the moonlight.
Sliding towards Pyo-wol was none other than Gwiya.
In the meantime, Gwiya had grown larger.
It had become much longer, and its circumference noticeably increased.
But the biggest change was the two horns on its head.
The larger and splendid horns were breathtakingly beautiful to the point of stealing the hearts of anyone who saw them.
“Ah!”
Hong Ye-seol also lost herself in admiration towards Gwiya.
Traditionally, snakes have been objects of disgust and fear.
Their smooth bodies without legs, inorganic eyes devoid of emotion, and red tongues that flickered incessantly—
There’s nothing about them that wouldn’t incite disgust in people.
Because of this, people instinctively feared snakes, keeping them at a distance. This was the typical reaction of most people.
But Hong Ye-seol was far from a normal person.
She possessed nerves and sentiments different from ordinary people.
The moment she saw Gwiya, Hong Ye-seol fell in love.
She had never seen such a beautiful and enchanting creature before.
Without realizing it, Hong Ye-seol extended her snow-white hand towards Gwiya. But, Gwiya indifferently slipped past her hand, climbing up Pyo-wol’s arm.
“Ah, beautiful!”
Hong Ye-seol exclaimed in admiration as Gwiya gracefully ascended Pyo-wol’s arm.
Hong Ye-seol asked Pyo-wol,
“What is this creature?”
“Gwiya!”
“What a fitting name, it really suits it well. Do you mind if I touch it?”
As Pyo-wol nodded, Hong Ye-seol once again cautiously extended her hand. Gwiya didn’t shy away from her touch this time.
As she touched Gwiya’s red scales, a glow of delight appeared on her face. The contrasting sensations of soft yet firm thrilled her, sending shivers down her spine.
It was a feeling she had never experienced before.
Hong Ye-seol asked,
“When did you meet this one? How long have you had it with you?”
This wasn’t the first time she had seen Gwiya, but previously, Pyo-wol was healing from an injury, so she hadn’t had the chance to ask.
Only a very few people knew that Pyo-wol kept Gwiya with him. Now, Hong Ye-seol was among them.
This meant that Hong Ye-seol had become one of the few people Pyo-wol trusted.
In fact, after Pyo-wol had taken over the position of the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union from her, Hong Ye-seol had become even more infatuated with him.
Now, she couldn’t imagine life without him anymore.
“I’ve had Gwiya for quite some time.”
“But why didn’t I know?”
“As you see, it’s a spiritual creature.”
“A spirit creature, that’s for sure. I feel like I’m looking at a little dragon. Will it become a dragon when it grows up?”
“Who knows…”
Pyo-wol trailed off.
Whether Gwiya could actually ascend to become a dragon, he didn’t know.
After absorbing the inner core of Jiaolong into its body, Gwiya continued to change.
Where this transformation would end, Pyo-wol couldn’t tell.
It could remain and stagnate in this state, or it could shed its form to become an entirely new entity.
Either way, Pyo-wol had no say in it, nor did he wish to intervene.
Like him, Gwiya was a creature with a mind of its own, and its future was for it to decide.
Even if Gwiya transformed into a completely different entity and left his side, Pyo-wol would not feel a bit of regret.
Swoosh!
Gwiya playfully twirled around Pyo-wol’s fingers, captivating Hong Ye-seol with its movements.
Under the red moonlight, Gwiya’s red body shimmered even more bewitchingly.
It was then.
A cautious voice came from outside.
“Supreme Leader!”
The owner of the voice was none other than the Elder Assassin.
“Come in.”
“Understood!”
With Pyo-wol’s permission, the Elder Assassin opened the door and entered.
When he saw that Pyo-wol and Hong Ye-seol were together in the same bed, he was neither surprised nor flustered.
Pyo-wol asked,
“What’s the matter?”
“It seems there’s been a problem with the children who went out.”
“Do Yeonsan and Eunyo?”
“Yes! They have not returned yet.”
“They’re not ones to be late without reason.”
Pyo-wol rose from the bed.
The Elder Assassin, slightly startled, asked,
“Do you intend to take action yourself?”
Pyo-wol silently nodded in response.
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