Light Novel: Volume 23 Episode 2
Manhwa: N/A
Namgung Wol took a moment to calm his breathing.
His breathing, which had been ragged from employing his lightness skills, gradually calmed down.
Then, Namgung Wol knocked on the gate of the Sol Family Courtyard.
Thud, thud!
Perhaps because it was night, the heavy sound echoed unusually loudly.
Creak!
After a moment, the rusty hinges screamed as the main gate of the Sol Family Courtyard opened, and an old man with a face full of age spots, leaning on a cane, greeted him.
This old man was none other than the Elder Assassin.
The Elder Assassin asked with a smile,
“What brings you here?”
“I’ve come to see Master Pyo.”
“What do you mean?”
“I came knowing that this is his dwelling.”
“Ah!”
The Elder Assassin appeared surprised.
The fact that Pyo-wol stayed here was a top-secret matter.
“What may your honored name be?”
“My name is Namgung Wol.”
“Ah! So you are Namgung Wol.”
Only then did the Elder Assassin drop his suspicion.
He knew the relationship between Namgung Wol and Pyo-wol.
“But how did you know about this place?”
“He informed me.”
“Pardon?”
“He told me through Ju Seolpung.”
“Ah! I see, please come on in.”
Finally, the Elder Assassin agreed and stepped aside.
Namgung Wol cautiously entered the Sol Family Courtyard.
It was silent inside the Sol Family Courtyard.
It was so quiet it seemed as if not a soul was present, but Namgung Wol knew this wasn’t the case.
His skin tingled.
He could feel someone’s gaze on him.
It was a stealthy gaze that only a master of Namgung Wol’s caliber could sense.
‘There are assassins hiding.’
At first glance, the manor appeared empty, but in reality, it was the most dangerous place in the world, filled with assassins positioned throughout.
In truth, the number of assassins remaining in the Sol Family Courtyard wasn’t large. Most of the assassins Pyo-wol had gathered had left for training elsewhere, leaving only the Elder Assassin and a few of the Ten Blood Assassins.
Despite this, the reason it felt like the most dangerous fortress in the world was because of the exceptional skills of those who remained.
Namgung Wol swallowed dryly and moved forward.
The hall that the Elder Assassin led him to was very dark.
Presumably, because all those who stayed here were assassins, there was no need for light.
Assassins are fundamentally trained to discern objects in the dark. They could maximize their vision with just a faint light, seeing as clearly as in broad daylight.
That’s why the Sol Family Courtyard had minimal light.
The Elder Assassin stopped in front of a door at the very end of the hall.
“My Lord, a guest has arrived.”
“Come in together.”
“Yes!”
With that, the Elder Assassin opened the door.
They could see Pyo-wol sitting on the bed without his top on.
And he had Hong Ye-seol covering her upper body with a blanket behind him.
Despite the entrance of the two men, Hong Ye-seol only smiled bashfully, not seeming embarrassed.
“Uhm!”
Namgung Wol’s face reddened.
He could not bring himself to look directly at Hong Ye-seol and turned his head away.
“It’s been a while.”
Pyo-wol stood up and walked over, still without his top on.
“Yes, it has been a long time.”
“What brought you here from the Silver Lotus Society?”
“It’s a long story, to say the least.”
“Sit down. We’ll talk over tea.”
Pyo-wol sat down at the table.
As Namgung Wol took a seat opposite him, the Elder Assassin naturally began to prepare tea.
The way he placed a kettle with water on the stove and prepared the tea leaves was very fluid and natural.
The Elder Assassin quickly brewed the tea and placed it before the two.
“Now, tell me. What happened?”
“Well…”
Namgung Wol trailed off, glancing at the Elder Assassin and Hong Ye-seol.
Hong Ye-seol smiled slyly, showing no sign of embarrassment, while Pyo-wol continued the conversation calmly.
“They are trustworthy. It’s fine if they listen in.”
At Pyo-wol’s words, Namgung Wol nodded and began to speak.
“Yong Hasang has died.”
“……”
Pyo-wol’s expression hardened.
It was an event he hadn’t anticipated either.
“A few days ago, a boat carrying his body was found at the dock in front of the Silver Lotus Society.”
“Are you certain it was Yong Hasang?”
“I found him and confirmed it myself. It was definitely Yong Hasang.”
“What about the culrpit?”
“We haven’t figured that out yet.”
“The cause of death?”
“A piercing wound in the chest. Judging by the size and shape, it seems a spear or staff penetrated through.”
Pyo-wol closed his eyes.
He already had someone in mind.
Meanwhile, Namgung Wol continued to speak.
“Because of this, both the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society are in turmoil.”
“What did the Golden Heaven Society say?”
“They’re arguing that they didn’t kill him.”
“And the Silver Lotus Society must be clamoring to attack the Golden Heaven Society immediately.”
“That’s right. And Namgung… Seol will definitely not miss this opportunity.”
“Of course. Now that they have enough justification, they will definitely use it.”
“I’m also worried about how the Dragon Sky Valley will react. If Yong Geomsan, having lost his only heir, leads the elites of the Dragon Sky Valley here, the situation will become even more serious. The turmoil until now would not be called a calamity compared to the immense tragedy that could unfold.”
“If the Dragon Sky Valley moves, then the Celestial Martial Sect and the Frenzied Warrior Sect will move too.”
At Pyo-wol’s words, Namgung Wol nodded.
“Yes! If that happens, the Shaolin Temple, Wudang Sect and Mount Hua won’t be able to remain bystanders either.”
“Then, there will truly be a great war.”
“The battlefield that was once limited to Poyang Lake will expand to the entire world. What is even worse is that unlike the previous wars in Jianghu, there is no clear division of sides.”
The martial world had experienced two great wars in the past two hundred years.
The first great war was between the entire martial world and the Demon Sect, and the second was between the entire martial world and the Celestial Demon Union.
In both great wars, the enemy was clear.
Since the enemies to be fought against were clear, all the warriors need to do was fight with all their might. But this time was different.
Fighting in the form of proxy wars, divided between the Golden Heaven Society and the Silver Lotus Society, numerous relationships of gratitude and enmity were entangled like a spider’s web.
Depending on these relationships, it was difficult to even distinguish who the enemy was and who the ally was.
Such a battle was something no one in the martial world had ever experienced, so predicting how the direction of the battle would turn out was impossible.
With a giant sect like the Dragon Heavenly Valley joining the fray, the other sects that were associated with them would eventually be unable to stand still.
“It might even result in greater damage than the previous two Jianghu great wars.”
“Aren’t you reading too much into it?”
“No. This is a minimal prediction, and if my prediction turns out to be correct, the entire martial world might walk the path of destruction.”
“The destruction of Jianghu…”
A deep furrow formed between Pyo-wol’s brows.
It was a proposition he had never considered before.
Pyo-wol looked at Namgung Wol.
Namgung Wol didn’t seem to have any doubts about his thoughts.
Pyo-wol murmured,
“It might not be bad for Jianghu to be destroyed.”
“Why do you think so?”
“It feels like the natural order of things.”
“Pardon?”
“Do you think this is normal? Only a handful of special people possessing great power and dictating the fates of others?”
“That’s—”
“Everything in excess is worse than a shortage.”
“Have you become a sage now? Why speak of things that don’t suit you?”
“Leading a group has made me think more.”
Pyo-wol hadn’t thought so deeply when he was acting alone. But after unifying the assassin sects in Poyang Lake, he began to think a lot.
Whether he liked it or not, he had to lead those he had gathered well.
He couldn’t just leave everything to the Elder Assassin.
He was the supreme leader of the assassin sects.
In the end, it was he who had to make the big picture and direct the way forward.
That’s why he couldn’t help but think more when he was alone.
The more he thought, the more he felt that the world of Jianghu was abnormal.
He wondered if the existence of the martial world really aligned with the natural order, in a world predominantly inhabited by ordinary people.
As of now, the martial world was experiencing its golden age.
Never before, since the beginning of Jianghu, had so many sects flourished. However, the higher the mountain, the deeper the valley.
Although it’s enjoying its peak now, if some event triggers a downfall, it’s impossible to guess how deep it would fall.
Namgung Wol looked at Pyo-wol with a complex expression and continued,
“I don’t know if Jianghu will truly perish, but if a great war truly materializes, its downfall is inevitable.”
“So?”
“We must prevent it.”
“How?”
“With the help of Master Pyo, I think it’s possible.”
“Why should I? Even if I’ve united all the assassin sects in Poyang Lake, its power can’t handle the Two Strongholds, Three Schools, Three Supremes, and Three Manors together.”
“But–!”
“There’s nothing we can do right now. Our only option is to watch…”
Namgung Wol bit his lip at Pyo-wol’s indifferent words.
In his head, he understood his reasoning. However, his heart found it hard to accept.
“Hoo!”
Namgung Wol let out a deep sigh.
His shoulders drooped, looking utterly dejected.
Namgung Wol realized he couldn’t persuade Pyo-wol with words. Nor could he force him through power.
Pyo-wol crossed his arms and looked at Namgung Wol.
“Why are you wasting your energy on something so useless?”
“Huh?”
“No matter how close we are, to me, you are still an outsider. And in the end, I have to prioritize my own interests.”
“But—”
“Rather than trying to convince me, why not move the Heavenly Guardian Association?”
“But the Heavenly Guardian Association is—”
“Is it because you left on your own terms that you find it hard to return? Because of your pride?”
“……”
“Is your pride that important? Isn’t pride something you should kill if you want to achieve something you really desire? As for me—”
Drip!
Suddenly, blood trickled from Namgung Wol’s lips.
He had clenched his teeth so tightly that his gums burst.
“If you truly want to prevent a great war happening again in Jianghu, you must move the Heavenly Guardian Association.”
“But how?”
“That’s for you to figure out. Whether you convince your father and brother, or overpower them, the method is yours to choose.”
“……”
“Don’t demand sacrifices from others when you lack the courage yourself.”
Pyo-wol’s words were like daggers, mercilessly stabbing into Namgung Wol’s heart.
His chest ached.
He couldn’t breathe properly.
Namgung Wol hung his head low.
Pyo-wol said nothing more.
He had already pushed Namgung Wol to the edge of the cliff. Any more pressure, and he might fall, never to regain his confidence again.
Hong Ye-seol and the Elder Assassin looked at Namgung Wol with intrigued expressions.
They knew that before coming here, Namgung Wol must have given this a lot of thought. His intention was to somehow move Pyo-wol to prevent a great calamity.
Knowing how righteous he was, they understood his intention. But understanding him and moving according to his wishes were two different things. And the Pyo-wol they knew was a man who hated being used by others the most.
So while they had expected Pyo-wol to disregard Namgung Wol’s words, they hadn’t anticipated him to drive Namgung Wol into a corner so ruthlessly.
Time passed in silence.
“Hoo!”
Finally, Namgung Wol let out a deep sigh and stood up.
His eyes were incomparably deeper than before.
If one were to gain enlightenment in an instant, they would have the same look in Namgung Wol’s eyes right now.
It was clear that he had decided on the course of his action in the midst of the conflict.
Namgung Wol said,
“I was foolish. I should have gone to the Heavenly Guardian Association from the start instead of coming to see Master Pyo.”
“……”
“I will go to the Heavenly Guardian Association now.”
“You might become enemies with your parents and siblings.”
“I have already become an enemy of my sister. Adding my father and brother to the list doesn’t seem to make much difference.”
Namgung Wol’s eyes were filled with resolution, like those of someone who had made up his mind.
The Namgung Wol of before no longer existed.
That night, Namgung Wol left the Sol Family Courtyard and headed straight for the Heavenly Guardian Association.
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