C 489
So Yeowol hurriedly took out an elixir from her bosom.
It was a life-saving elixir that she usually carried with her.
She made Song Cheonwoo take the elixir. However, even after taking it, his condition did not improve.
"Cough!"
Song Cheonwoo vomited blood, writhing in pain.
A terrible stench came from the blood he vomited.
So Yeowol thought it was somewhat fortunate. If he hadn't vomited the blood mixed with the poison, his condition would have undoubtedly worsened.
After vomiting blood, Song Cheonwoo's expression finally relaxed. It seemed that the elixir was finally taking effect.
"How awful..."
So Yeowol trembled.
She hadn't suspected that he'd been carrying a snake. And she had no idea that such a small snake could contain such a deadly poison.
If their response had been delayed even slightly, Song Cheonwoo would not be of this world anymore.
"Thank goodness you're alive..."
So Yeowol whispered as she hugged Song Cheonwoo.
Even though his arm had been cut off, making him one-armed, that was not a problem at all.
What was important was that Song Cheonwoo was alive.
Song Cheonwoo was So Yeowol's support.
Without him, So Yeowol doubted her ability to endure and survive in this harsh world.
So her anger surged even more.
It was a rage directed at Pyo Wol, who tried to take away what was most precious to her.
"What are the Blood Demons doing?"
She blamed the innocent Blood Demons.
It seemed like a considerable amount of time had passed since they had climbed down, but there was still no news. But in reality, they had only been down for a short time.
Even if they had run down the well-paved mountain path, it was still too early to reach the bottom.
"Pyo Wol, you fiendish wretch! You won't die peacefully, using such cowardly tactics?"
Hatred towards Pyo Wol rose like a fog.
She vowed to inflict the worst pain imaginable and kill him once he was caught.
So Yeowol looked at Song Cheonwoo's face.
He was unconscious, perhaps because it was too difficult to endure the pain while awake.
So Yeowol thought it was somewhat fortunate. At least the exhaustion on his face had disappeared.
The crisis had passed.
So Yeowol tightly bound the area where Song Cheonwoo's shoulder had been severed with a white cloth."
Her appearance after finishing all the treatments resembled a blood-stained warrior.
"Whew!"
She let out a sigh of relief and looked at the cliff.
There was still no news from the Blood Demons who had climbed down.
"Surely they didn't lose him?"
So Yeowol bit her lip with a sense of foreboding.
Her plan to seize control of Guryongsalmak using Pyo Wol had been successful.
Lady U, the manor master, and even Goo Moon-hye. All the beings that blocked her way had been eliminated by Pyo Wol.
Since Goh Il Won, her half-sibling, would be in the middle of the vast ocean by now, he couldn't stop her from becoming the master of Guryongsalmak.
As time passed and the leaders of Guryongsalmak regained their senses, they would undoubtedly question or rebel against her. However, she could easily suppress them.
She was the one who had gained the upper hand, and she was prepared for those who would rebel.
The problem was Pyo Wol.
If Pyo Wol returned alive, the consequences would be endless.
So Yeowol knew better than anyone how persistent Pyo Wol could be.
Once he set a target, he never gave up, and he never hesitated to assassinate by any means necessary – that was Pyo Wol.
"No! It won't be! They will definitely bring his head to me."
So Yeowol eagerly anticipated good news from the blood demons.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
Suddenly, a red shadow appeared above the cliff.
It was one of the Blood Demons who had climbed down in pursuit of Pyo Wol.
So Yeowol quickly asked the returning Blood Demon.
"Where is he? Where is his whereabouts?"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Did you lose him?"
"When we went down, he had already disappeared and was not visible. It seems like he was swept away by the valley water."
The blood demon answered.
"The valley?"
"Yes! We searched the area thoroughly, but we couldn't find any traces."
"Damn it!"
"The troop leader is personally pursuing him."
"Really?"
A faint sense of relief appeared on So Yeowol's face.
The troop leader of the blood demons was the one she trusted most.
He was acknowledged for his outstanding skills among the Blood Demons, and as the troop leader, both his tracking skills and assassination techniques were exceptional.
He was as skilled as she was in her prime.
If so, he would definitely find and kill Pyo Wol.
***
Splash!
The net was spread wide on the surface of the water.
The net soon sank, wrapping around an object inside.
"It's done! Pull it up."
The people on the boat began to pull up the net.
A large object wrapped in the net came up onto the boat.
Thud!
As soon as the object touched the deck, two men rushed to untie the net. Then the identity of the object inside the net was revealed.
It was a person.
The man with pale skin, looking like a corpse, was none other than Pyo Wol.
"It's him."
"Pull him out quickly."
The men who pulled Pyo Wol out of the net were Do Yeonsan and Nam Shin-woo.
Behind them was Eun-yo.
Eun-yo checked Pyo Wol's pulse.
It was faint, but she could feel it.
"He's still alive."
"Thank goodness."
"It's too early to be relieved. There must be pursuers. We need to get away from here as quickly as possible. Shinwoo, hurry up and drive the boat."
"Alright!"
As Nam Shin-woo responded, he prepared to move the boat.
Do Yeonsan asked Eun-yo.
"Will he be alright?"
"His condition is critical. We need to take him to the Divine Physician as soon as possible."
"Hmm!"
Do Yeonsan nodded.
At first glance, Pyo Wol's condition did not look good.
His physical state was so miserable that it was a miracle he was still alive.
The fact that he was still alive was due to his extremely trained body and the trance technique.
As soon as Pyo Wol fell into the valley water, he instinctively activated the trance technique, stopping all bodily functions.
In this way, Pyo Wol floated down the valley and eventually arrived at a river that meandered at the foot of the mountain.
The river was very wide.
The current was gentle, so the people living nearby all made a living by catching fish in this place.
Although he had floated here in a state of suspended animation, preventing his injuries from worsening, it was still dangerous if he didn't receive treatment as soon as possible.
Eun-yo said,
"Let's proceed as planned."
"Alright."
Do Yeonsan shook his head and whistled. Then the fishing boats that had been fishing around them gathered around their boat.
In an instant, dozens of boats swarmed, centering around the boat that Do Yeonsan and others were on.
Do Yeonsan spoke to the fishermen.
"From now on, just do as I explained earlier."
"So, we just need to scatter and drive our boats in all directions?"
"Yes!"
"Don't pick up anyone who calls from the shore?"
"Yes!"
"Understood."
The fishermen nodded in unison.
"Alright, let's move."
"Understood."
"Let's go!"
At Do Yeonsan's command, the fishermen drove their boats and scattered in all directions.
Upstream, downstream, and through interconnected tributaries like a spider web, they drove their boats.
The boat Do Yeonsan drove moved downstream.
All of this was Eun-yo's plan.
Eun-yo had followed the red king after taking enough rest and arrived here.
By the time she, Do Yeonsan, and the others arrived, the New Moon Manor had already been turned upside down.
Eun-yo, Do Yeonsan, and Nam Shin-woo scattered to gather information.
As a result, they found out that Pyo Wol had climbed the mountain behind New Moon Manor.
Eun-yo wanted to help Pyo Wol escape by going up the mountain directly, but it was impossible since the mountain was already filled with New Moon Manor's forces.
With no other choice, Eun-yo searched around the mountain for a place where Pyo Wol could escape.
"There's only one place, the valley where the mountain joins the river."
Eun-yo immediately ordered Do Yeonsan and Nam Shin-woo to capture the fishermen who were fishing nearby.
They offered them a large sum of money and asked them to move as they wished, just once.
The silver coins offered by Do Yeonsan and the others were an irresistible temptation for the fishermen who made a living by catching fish.
In the end, all the fishermen agreed to follow Eun-yo's instructions.
Late at night, Eun-yo led all the boats and waited for Pyo Wol to escape. They stayed up all night.
Her wait was not in vain.
Just before the sun rose in the east, Pyo Wol floated down from the valley.
Upon discovering Pyo Wol, Do Yeonsan threw a net and pulled him up.
"We need to get him to the Divine Physician as soon as possible."
First, they had to deceive their enemies' eyes. They also had to cut off any means of pursuit.
That's why they captured all the fishing boats.
It was impossible to find and search all the boats, each traveling in a different direction. Even if they could, their own boats would be long gone by then.
That's when it happened.
"Look over there."
Suddenly, Do Yeonsan pointed in one direction.
It was the point where the valley that Pyo Wol had floated down merged with the river.
Red shadows appeared there.
Though too far away to make out their exact forms, it was easy to tell that they were the ones who had followed Pyo Wol.
They were surprised at the sudden size of the river.
It was too big to swim across and continue the pursuit, so they tried to find a boat. However, all the boats nearby were already bought by Eun-yo.
The Blood Demons gestured and called out, but all the boats turned away.
"What?"
The Blood Demon Leader's eyes widened.
It was impossible that not a single boat among so many would respond to their call.
The boats floating on the river did not budge and dispersed in all directions.
"One of those boats has him on board."
The problem was that they couldn't pinpoint which boat Pyo Wol was on. Even if they did, there was no way to get on board.
No matter how excellent their martial arts skills, it was impossible to chase a boat that far away.
However, they couldn't just give up.
The leader ordered the Blood Demons.
"Move downstream and follow the boats. If anyone lands, seize a boat and continue the pursuit. The rest will follow me upstream."
The Blood Demons did not respond.
They were trained not to speak unless absolutely necessary.
The Blood Demon Corps split into two groups and pursued the boats.
They ran along the riverbank, keeping an eye on the boats. However, there were too many boats to watch.
As several tributaries emerged and the boats dispersed along them, some boats were completely lost from sight.
The boat Eun-yo was on was one of them.
Do Yeonsan said,
"We've completely shaken off the pursuers."
"Now, drive the boat at full speed."
"Understood."
Until now, they had driven the boat at a similar speed to the other boats to deceive their pursuers. However, now that the pursuers were gone, there was no one to suspect them even if they drove the boat at full speed.
Nam Shin-woo spread the sail wide open to catch the wind.
The boat moved at a speed that couldn't be compared to before.
Finally, Eun-yo could take a sigh of relief and look after Pyo Wol.
She laid Pyo Wol's head in her lap and examined the wound.
Swish!
Gwia crawled out of Pyo Wol's embrace.
Gwia coiled itself on his chest as if to protect Pyo Wol. It looked like it would strike with its venomous fangs if anyone approached recklessly.
Eun-yo spoke to Gwia.
"I will never harm your master. Can you please step aside for a moment?"
As if understanding Eun-yo's words, Gwia uncoiled and came down from Pyo Wol's chest.
Only then did Eun-yo let out a sigh of relief.
She quickly took out a wooden box from her belongings.
Inside the wooden box was a pill wrapped in gold leaf.
It was a life-saving healing pill called the Blue Spirit Pill.
The Divine Physician had given it to her, thinking she might need it.
Eun-yo hurriedly administered the Blue Spirit Pill to Pyo Wol.
Gulp!
The Blue Spirit Pill melted instantly and flowed down his throat.
Pyo Wol's complexion improved a little. Still, they couldn't be completely at ease.
"We need to join the Divine Physician as soon as possible."