Chapter 533
Namgung Seol's fine eyebrows furrowed deeply.
"What do you mean?"
"The leader is pursuing them."
"Are they the lovers I asked to be followed discreetly?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
"There must be a reason. He's not going after them without any reason or evidence, is he?"
"We haven't determined the reason yet."
Namgung Seol bit her lip slightly at her subordinate's answer.
The couple she had ordered to be watched were certainly suspicious. However, attacking them without any evidence could lead to serious problems.
Namgung Seol approached the window.
The view of the city cloaked in darkness met her eyes.
In the past, even at this hour, the streets were brightly lit. But since the Great Kangho War, the streets have become deserted and the lights have disappeared.
The darkness that had engulfed the streets was suffocating.
She had to decide now.
Either withdraw Ahn Ji-san and the Snow Flower Swords, or press on to capture the two individuals.
Either choice was burdensome for her.
If there were no problems with the couple, she would be burdened with considerable responsibility.
Namgung Wol and the martial artists of Thousand Kingdom School wouldn't overlook her erroneous decision. Conversely, if the couple being pursued by the Snow Flower Swords indeed had suspicious aspects, or if evidence was found linking them to other parties, her capabilities would once again be recognized.
"It's too late to withdraw the Snow Flower Swords now."
If she ordered a retreat now, it would tarnish Ahn Ji-san's honor. Like it or not, he was a man who faithfully followed her.
If she didn't respect such a man's honor, his loyalty might waver.
Namgung Seol ordered her subordinate.
"Deploy all remaining members of the Snow Flower Swords. We must capture them at this time.
"Understood."
"Go ahead. I'll follow shortly."
"Yes!"
The subordinate dashed out, and Namgung Seol prepared herself.
She strapped the sword hanging on the wall to her waist after changing into her martial attire.
"Phew!"
She let out a short sigh before heading outside.
***
"What do you mean?"
"Lady Namgung Seol's movements are unusual."
"My sister?"
At the subordinate's response, Namgung Wol's expression grew serious.
Namgung Seol was a thorn in his side.
Even after the outbreak of the Great Kangho War, she did not leave Lake Poyang, but kept an eye on the situation from the city.
Namgung Wol was well aware of Namgung Seol's ambition.
She wanted to take control of the Silver Lotus Hall and hand it over to Lee Geom-han.
Fortunately, her plans hadn't worked yet, but he didn't know what would happen if he left things as they were. Hence, he had placed someone to track her movements.
Thanks to this, he was able to spot the unusual movements in Namgung Seol's side immediately.
"Have you identified the cause?"
"We haven't gotten that far, I'm sorry."
"That's alright."
Namgung Wol nodded, sinking into his thoughts.
'Given my sister's character, she wouldn't move for a trivial matter.'
If anyone knew how ambitious and relentless Namgung Seol was, it was Namgung Wol.
He didn't know what motivated Namgung Seol, but if things went her way, it could lead to unforeseen situations.
"Which organization does not currently have a mission?"
"The Ten Thousand Swords Unit is on break.
“Inform the commander of Ten Thousand Swords Unit. Assess the situation in the city, and respond accordingly."
"Respond? But Lady Namgung Seol is still your sister?"
“Yes! Respond to her.”
Namgung Wol answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Yes, Namgung Seol was his sister by blood, but she was now as good as an enemy.
She also wanted to dedicate the Silver Lotus Hall to her lover, Lee Geom Han.
It was time to let her know that he was watching her. Only then would she exercise some caution.
“How severe should the response be?”
"I'll leave that to the commander of the Ten Thousand Swords unit."
“Hmmm! Understood.”
The subordinate wore a surprised expression.
The commander of the Ten Thousand Swords unit was notorious for his ruthlessness.
If he considered someone an enemy, he would not hesitate to strike fear into them without mercy.
Leaving the matter to the commander of the Ten Thousand Swords unit essentially meant that Namgung Wol was preparing for a clash with Namgung Seol.
Having understood the firm resolve of Namgung Wol, the subordinate rushed to relay the order to the commander of Ten Thousand Swords Unit.
After saluting Namgung Wol, the subordinate hurriedly exited.
Left alone, Namgung Wol opened the window wide and looked out.
The cold wind blew in, gently touching his face.
“Sister!”
Bang!
“Argh!”
With a loud crash, one of the Snow Flower Swords warriors rolled to the ground. His side was deeply cut.
It was the wrath of Do Yeonsan's attack.
Several of his ribs were broken and pierced his lungs.
Unable to breathe properly, the warrior's face turned ashen.
“Damn it!”
One of his comrades rushed in.
In the meantime, Do Yeonsan and Eun-yo had slipped away.
They had already killed more than a dozen warriors. However, the momentum of the Snow Flower did not decrease at all.
The Snow Flower Swords charged at them as if they were sworn enemies.
Eun-yo said to Do Yeonsan,
“If we keep this up, we'll definitely get caught.”
If it were only the Snow Flower Swords chasing them, they would have shaken them off by now.
But lately, other warriors have been appearing on the streets.
It wasn't clear which side they were on, but they seemed to be biding their time, waiting for an opportunity.
They couldn't tell if their target was them or the Snow Flower Swords. But their presence made
it even harder to tell friend from foe.
The situation was a tangled mess.
It would never be easy to unravel this situation.
"If we fight too hard to escape, we may fall deeper into the swamp".
“Then what should we do?”
"I think it would be better to hide in the depths of the city."
"Hide in the middle of enemy territory?"
"With so much commotion, it's likely that the Hao Clan has gotten wind of the situation.
“Hmm!”
"If it's Lord Hong, he'll soon realize we're in a crisis and contact Orabeoni."
TL/N- Orabeoni is older brother in Korean
"So we should hide until we're rescued?"
“Yes!”
“Alright! Let's do that. Where should we hide?”
"Somewhere they won't expect us."
“Is there such a place?”
“I have a place in mind, but getting there is the problem.”
The streets were filled with warriors of the Snow Flower Swords and unknown factions. It was impossible to avoid their gaze and move stealthily.
Even at that moment, more warriors were being deployed in various parts of the city.
“Over there.”
A patrol unit from Snow Flower Swords spotted them and called out.
Thus, another tedious chase began.
Pyo Wol sat on his bed, looking out the window.
Beyond the wide-open window, the bright full moon was visible.
It was a full moon.
The pale, eerie glow of the full moon enticed onlookers into a peculiar sentimentality.
Pyo Wol was no exception.
He stared at the red moon as if captivated.
Then, from behind him, a pair of pale hands gently wrapped around his waist.
"What are you looking at?"
The woman whispering in a drowsy voice from behind was none other than Hong Ye-Seol.
Pyo Wol pointed silently at the crimson moon. Following his gesture, Hong Ye-Seol also smiled faintly and gazed out of the window.
Just then.
Whoosh!
Something approached P'yo Wol over the window.
Its red body shone even more dazzlingly in the moonlight.
It was Gwia who was gliding toward Pyo Wol.
In the meantime, Gwia had grown even larger.
It was noticeably longer, its circumference significantly enlarged.
The most notable change was the pair of horns attached to its head.
The larger, ornate horns were captivating, as if they could seize the soul of the onlooker.
"Ah!"
Even Hong Ye-Seol lost herself in the sight of Gwia.
Since ancient times, snakes have been objects of disgust and fear.
A sleek, limbless body, cold, emotionless eyes and a constantly flicking red tongue - there was nothing about them that didn't cause people to loathe them.
So people instinctively feared snakes and kept their distance. This was the general reaction of most people.
But Hong Ye-Seol was no ordinary woman.
She had a sensibility and a sensitivity that set her apart from the average person.
The moment she saw Gwia, she fell in love.
Such an enchanting creature, she had never seen before.
Unconsciously, Hong Ye-Seol extended her pale hand towards Gwia. However, Gwia
indifferently passed her hand and crawled up Pyo Wol's arm.
"Ah, it's beautiful!"
Hong Ye-Seol couldn't hold back her exclamation as she watched Gwia glide up Pyo Wol's arm.
She asked Pyo Wol, "What is this creature?"
"Gwia."
"That's a fitting name. It really suits it well. May I touch it?”
When Pyo Wol nodded, Hong Ye-Seol again carefully extended her hand. This time, Gwia didn't avoid her touch.
When she touched Gwia's red scales, a light of ecstasy appeared on Hong Ye-Seol's face. The contradictory feeling of the soft yet firm scales sent a thrill through her.
This was a feeling like no other.
She asked Pyo Wol,
"When did you meet this creature? Since when have you been keeping it around?"
This wasn't her first time seeing Gwia. However, at the time, Pyo Wol was treating an injury and she didn't get to ask properly.
Only a few knew that Pyo Wol had kept Gwia. Now Hong Ye-Seol was part of this inner circle.
It also meant that she was now one of the people Pyo Wol could trust.
Indeed, after losing the position of the leader of Hundred Wraith Union, Hong Ye-Seol fell deeper for Pyo Wol.
Now, a life without Pyo Wol seemed unimaginable.
"I've had Gwia for quite some time."
"Why didn't I know then?"
"Well, it's a spirit creature."
"A spirit creature, indeed it seems so. It's like seeing a small dragon. If it grows, does it become a dragon?"
"Well..."
Pyo Wol left his sentence unfinished.
He didn't know whether Gwia would eventually ascend to become a dragon.
Since absorbing the spirit core of the Imoogi, Gwia had been constantly changing.
Where these changes would lead, even Pyo Wol couldn't tell.
It could stay in this form, or it could shed its form and be reborn as an entirely new creature.
Either way, Pyo Wol couldn't interfere, nor did he want to.
Just as he was, Gwia was a sentient being whose future was its own to decide.
Even if Gwia were to transform into an entirely different creature and leave him, Pyo Wol would not feel the least bit regretful.
Shhh!
Gwia, using Pyo Wol's fingers as a playground, swirled around them. Hong Ye-Seol was fascinated by Gwia's behavior.
Under the red moonlight, Gwia's red body shone even more brilliantly.
It was then.
A cautious voice echoed from outside.
"Supreme Leader!"
The owner of the voice was none other than Sal-no.
"Come in!"
"Yes!"
With Pyo Wol's permission, Sal-no opened the door and came in.
Despite seeing Pyo Wol and Hong Ye-Seol in the same bed, Sal-no showed no surprise or embarrassment.
Pyo Wol asked,
"What's the matter?"
"I'm afraid there's a problem with the kids who went outside."
"Yeonsan and Eun-yo?"
"Yes! They haven't returned yet."
"They're not the type to be late without reason."
Pyo Wol rose from his bed.
Seeing this, Sal-no asked with a hint of surprise,
"Are you going to move personally?"
To this, Pyo Wol simply nodded without a word.
TL/N- Pyo Wol gonna become the real reaper, if something happens to them