RDM (Novel) Chapter 426


C 426


"Caw! Caw!"

Dozens of crows cawed in a manner that was unpleasant to hear.

What they were pecking at were human corpses.

Not one or two, but dozens of bodies lay on the ground.

Their deaths were recent, the colour of life still vivid in their faces. The crows were feasting on the flesh of these corpses.

Around the corpses were pieces of a wrecked carriage.

The flag on the roof of the carriage read 'Hyun Hyun Escort Agency'.

Based in Yibin, in the southern part of Sichuan Province, the Hyun Hyun Escort Agency was a transport company.

Its main business was the transport of goods to and from the neighbouring province of Yunnan.

The company was small, but the fighting skills of each escort guard were so impressive that they had never lost their goods. As a result, trust in the Hyun Hyun Escort Agency was high in the Yibin area. However, the majority of the corpses at the site were those of the Hyun Hyun escorts.

Around the corpses of the escorts was a group of bandits.

"Hurry up and load the goods."

"This is dog hair. There's nothing of value."

"Bloody hell!"

What they loaded onto the cart was the goods transported by the Hyunhyun agency.

They attacked the Hyun Hyun Escort agency, killing them all and looting their goods.

They had heard that the Hyun Hyun Escort Agency was transporting quite valuable goods and attacked them, but contrary to expectations, they were filled with cheap goods.

There were one or two valuable items. But they were items the bandits couldn't get rid of. To sell them, they would have to enter the city, and the risk was too great.

"Ha! We'll take a loss this time, too."

Mibu, a woman in her early to mid thirties, sighed.

Mibu, a slightly rough-looking woman, was the leader of the bandits who attacked the Hyun Hyun Escort Agency.

Zhang Han, a man in his early forties, approached Mibu.

He was tall and had a fierce gaze that was quite intimidating. However, his attitude towards Mibu was extremely cautious.

"It seems that we can't make any more profit here. Rumours have spread, and the nearby merchants and escort bureaus do not transport valuable goods through this route."

"Hmph! They catch on quickly."

"What should we do?"

"What can we do? If rumours have spread, we must relocate and operate elsewhere. Find those who transport valuable goods. Let's make a big score and lay low for a while."

"Understood."

Zhang Han bowed his head.

Mibu looked at the place where the crows were having their feast.

Their black feathers were smeared with red blood.

Caw! Caw!

The crows seemed pleased with their feast and continued to caw.

"Shut up!"

Mibu waved her hand.

A small bell was attached to her wrist.

Tinkle!

When Mibu shook her wrist, the sound of the bell rang out.


Pop! Pop! Bang!

The heads of the crows, who had been enjoying their feast, began to explode one by one. The sound waves were focused on the crows, causing their heads to explode.

It was a terrifying sonic attack.

Mibu looked annoyed.

"What a pain."

***

The Great Pearl Trader's caravan was travelling smoothly.

Over twenty wagons were attached, and the group consisted of over thirty people, including the martial artists from the Ghost Sword Manor who had joined late.

At the very least, bandits or rogues based in Yunnan Province wouldn't dare attack the Great Pearl Merchants.

It was suicidal to mess with any clan or merchant group associated with the Ghost Sword Manor in Yunnan Province. This allowed the Great Pearl Merchants to move freely until they left Yunnan Province.

In return, the Great Pearl Merchants provided comfort for the martial artists of the Ghost Sword Manor.

They made sure that they were comfortable when they stayed overnight. Thanks to this, the martial artists of the Ghost Sword Manor were able to leave the province of Yunnan in a much faster and more comfortable manner than if they had travelled on their own.

Seo Gun-hwi smiled with satisfaction.

It had been a sudden trip and he hadn't had time to prepare for the long journey. But he had the chance to prepare himself while travelling with the Great Pearl Merchants.

Suddenly, Seo Gun-hwi looked back.

His younger sister, Seo Yul-hee, was now sitting at the back of the merchant group.

To be precise, she was sitting next to Do Yeonsan, chatting away.

It was a sight he hadn't seen when they were at the Ghost Sword Manor. There was no one like Seo Yul-hee in the manor.

Above all, Seo Yul-hee's status was so extraordinary that no one could treat her casually. That's why Seo Yul-hee was always alone.

He felt sorry for his sister, but at the same time, he thought that being the descendant of a prestigious martial arts family, she should naturally endure it.

So he neither comforted her nor showed any interest in her. He was too busy practicing his martial arts to care.

Seo Yul-hee's laughing face seemed strange to him.

He just realised that she could talk like that.

On the other hand, Do Yeonsan only gave short answers and did not show much reaction. However, Seo Yul-hee seemed happy and laughed.

That guy!

Seo Gun-hwi's eyes narrowed. Even though he didn't care much for his sister, he didn't like the fact that she was talking to a boy whose background and status he barely knew.

Under normal circumstances, he would never have let it pass. But the man who seemed to be the boy's older brother caught his attention.

His gentle appearance might make him appear innocent and delicate like a scholar, but his intuition whispered that he was far from it.

Who on earth is he?

A deep furrow formed between his eyebrows.

The lack of information is felt at such times.

Being isolated in Yunnan Province, far from Kangho, and stuck only in Diancang Mountain, it delayed the acquisition of outside information.

If the Ghost Sword Manor wants to expand its influence, it must first create an organisation to gather information.

His grandfather, Seo Jong-myeong, was indifferent to external affairs.

He had no intention of expanding the Ghost Sword Manor significantly. That's why he almost neglected it.

As a result, the organisational structure of Ghost Sword Manor was incredibly lax. His father, Seo Mun, had managed to shape it and grow it to this size, but it still lacked a lot.

The battle between the Golden Heavenly Hall and the Silver Lotus Hall. After seeing it with my own eyes, I will decide which side I am on.

Seo Gun-hwi thought that he had to take part in this battle.

The history of the Kangho was no different from the history of wars.

A great war would break out every few generations, and the decisions made during that time would determine the rise and fall of a sect.

The downfall of the great families that once ruled the Kangho was also due to their inability to read the tides of time.

Thus, a sect can rise or fall depending on the choices made.

While Seo Jong-myeong, his grandfather, had no ambition for power, Seomun and Seo Gun-hwi were different.

They wanted to be at the centre of Kangho, not on its periphery.

Seo Gun-hwi muttered to himself.

He is certainly a high-level martial artist. I don't know to what extent, but...'

He thought that the guy was at least on the same level as him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to see through the other party's realm.

Ji Moo-hyeong, the main escort, asked cautiously,

"Are you so worried about him?"

"Do you know anything about him?"

"We hired him temporarily, so..."

"Shouldn't you at least have checked his identity?"

"The thing is, his brother's martial arts are extraordinary..."

"Brother? To what extent?"

"He smashed a big rock on a mountain with one blow."

"That's impressive. He can be considered a top expert in Kangho."

"For us who have travelled a long way, it's a blessing to have such an expert join us.

The clash between the Gold Heavenly Hall and the Silver Lotus Hall was not just their problem.

The ripple effect of their clash was spreading throughout the Kangho region. Those with ambitions all rushed to the shores of Poyang Lake, causing a lack of public order in various parts of Kangho.

When a martial artist who once dominated a region leaves his position, others appear to take his place.

Power struggles were inevitable.

This led to turmoil in various parts of the world, and thieves flourished in the chaos.

Travelling merchants such as the Grand Pearl Merchants were targets for these thieves.

If they could pull off one big robbery, they'd have enough wealth to live comfortably for several years.

Recently, many merchants have been robbed by thieves and bandits.

Knowing this, the Great Pearl Merchant Group had to increase their security, even to the point of hiring temporary guards.

That is why they hired Pyo Wol and Do Yeonsan.

Understanding Ji Moo-hyeong's explanation, Seo Gun-hwi nodded.

The reason for including the two men whose identities were uncertain made sense to him.


Anyway, we'll keep an eye on this young man to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble.

'There's no need to...'

'It's no big deal, so don't worry.

Then I'll leave it to you.

Yes! Leave it to us.

Ji Moo-hyeong bowed deeply.

***

Swoosh!

Gwia poked her head out of the collar of Pyo Wol's clothing.

During the journey with the Great Pearl Merchants, Gwia had stayed hidden in Pyo Wol's arms, never revealing herself.

After receiving the essence of the Imoogi, Gwia had mostly stayed in Pyo Wol's arms. It was extremely rare for Gwia to show herself like this.

Gwia enjoyed the warm sunlight while resting her head on Pyo Wol's shoulder. Its already red scales and horns shone even brighter in the sunlight.

Wow!

Seo Yul-hee gasped at the sight of Gwia.

She had always found snakes disgusting. But the moment she saw Gwia, all her previous prejudices disappeared.

The sight of Gwia enjoying the sunlight was beautiful and mysterious.

Seo Yul-hee instinctively reached out to touch Gwia.

At that moment, Do Yeonsan grabbed her hand.

'It's better not to.

'Huh? Why?'

'Gwia doesn't like to be touched by others. The only one she allows to touch her is my brother.

'Really?'

Seo Yul-hee looked disappointed. But she soon gave up the idea of touching Gwia.

Suddenly she realised something strange.

Gwia was undoubtedly a spirit animal.

It was well known that spirit animals didn't follow just anyone.

The conclusion was clear.

Pyo Wol was someone extraordinary, someone a spirit beast would follow.

Seo Yul-hee whispered to Do Yeonsan.

Who is your brother?

'What do you mean?

'Who exactly is he that a spirit beast would follow?

'Well...'

Do Yeonsan trailed off.

He did not know how to explain.

The one the Ghost King had trusted and relied on until the end was Pyo Wol. His greatness was hard to feel for those who had not experienced it first hand.

You will understand one day,'

Do Yeonsan muttered.

Seo Yul-hee looked at him with a puzzled expression, but he did not reply.

Her eyes returned to Pyo Wol.

Slide!

At that moment, Gwia began to playfully wrap herself around Pyo Wol's body.

Pyo Wol leaned back against the luggage and tolerated Gwia's playfulness.

At first glance, it looked like a whip made of red jewels was circling Pyo Wol's body.

Seo Yul-hee watched the interaction between Pyo Wol and Gwia like someone in a trance.

Then it happened.

Boom, boom, boom!

Suddenly the ground shook.

Surprised, Seo Yul-hee looked up and saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance.

At the sudden commotion, Gwia hid in Pyo Wol's arms again.

Pyo Wol climbed onto the cart's pile of luggage.

The dust cloud was approaching their position.

The dust cloud was not natural. It was caused by about a hundred men on horseback galloping towards them.

Each of the horsemen had a weapon in his hand.

Those who charge with weapons in hand rarely have good intentions.

The chief guard, Ji Moo-hyeong, shouted.

Thieves are coming. Everyone prepare for battle.

Yes!

The faces of the Great Pearl Merchants escort guards showed signs of tension.

On the other hand, a cold smile appeared on Seo Gun-hwi's face.

This is good. I was getting bored anyway...'

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