Chapter 539
Pyo Wol returned to the Sol Family Pavilion with Eun-yo and Do Yeonsan.
Fortunately, Eun-yo's condition was not bad. This was thanks to the life-saving pill given by the divine physician.
Although it didn't completely heal her internal injuries, it improved her condition considerably, and that was enough.
Eun-yo immediately went to a cultivation hall, and Do Yeonsan was confined to the training hall.
He had realized something from this incident. His martial arts skills were still inadequate.
Bristling with determination, Do Yeonsan began his training.
Pyo Wol saw this as a good sign.
Because what Do Yeonsan lacked all along was ambition.
Having avenged his parents and younger sibling, Do Yeonsan had no more desires to speak of. His only drive had been Eun-yo, but he had found no reason to become stronger beyond that.
He trained because he wanted to make good use of the power the Ghost king had left him, but that was all.
He didn’t think about becoming stronger and drawing out more power than he already possessed. However, this incident had changed his mind.
Pyo Wol gladly accepted this change in Do Yeonsan, and therefore gave him a training hall.
Pyo Wol stepped out into the courtyard, where Sal-no cautiously approached and asked.
“Is Master Do alright?"
"He should be."
"That's a relief. He's a strong one."
"Hmm!"
"May I ask one thing?"
"What are you curious about?"
"It's about lady Namgung."
"Are you wondering why I let her go so easily?"
"Yes!"
Sal-no answered honestly.
Namgung Seol was a woman with great ambition.
The very fact that she tried to subjugate the Silver Lotus Hall and offer it to Lee Geom-han showed the extent of her ambitions.
If left alone, she was certain to cause a major incident. He couldn't understand why such a dangerous factor was left alone.
"It's because of Lee Geom-han."
"Are you afraid of him?"
"I'm not afraid, but I don't want to turn him into an enemy right now.
"I see......"
Sal-no couldn't help but admire.
With the clash between the Golden Heavenly Hall and the Silver Lotus Hall, the Murim world was in deep chaos. If Lee Geom-han, a variable, intervened, the chaos would escalate even further.
Pyo Wol hoped that the Silver Lotus Hall, where he had many acquaintances, would emerge victorious in this great war.
If they won, he thought, at least the world would be a little more stable.
The destiny of the Assassin Guilds was to prosper amid chaos.
For in chaos, contracts come in abundance and plenty of money can be made.
Such was the nature of the Assassin Guilds, to parasitise on chaos and make a fortune. However, ever since Pyo Wol became the Guild Master, their stream of income had stopped.
They might manage for a while, but over time their resources would undoubtedly dry up and wither.
It was a problem that Pyo Wol had to solve, as he had decided to become the Guild Master of all the Assassin Guilds.
Sal-no was curious about how Pyo Wol would resolve this. However, he was even more interested in Pyo Wol's perspective.
Pyo Wol had united all the assassins guilds near Lake Poyang.
Apart from the Hundred Wraith Union and a few other assassin guilds, most of them were just groups of mediocre assassins, but they had formed a force that could not be overlooked.
Just yesterday, they had swiftly quelled the disturbance in Duchang without a single casualty.
It wasn't just a formidable force, but a force that could potentially challenge the power dynamics of Lake Poyang.
While the Assassin guilds couldn't control the world's power structure, it was clear that the direction would be different depending on which side they chose.
What Pyo Wol did last night was a display of power.
The world would soon know.
That Pyo Wol had unified the Assassin Guilds.
Without spilling a drop of blood, the Assassin Guilds had pacified all the martial artists fighting in Duchang.
The fact that they were all suppressed without a single injury was shocking, even if they were busy fighting amongst themselves.
It's quiet now, but the story of the night's events will spread through the mouths of those subjugated by the Assassins Guild's assassins. And everyone will know the full extent of the combined power of the Assassins.
In this way, through a single show of force, Pyo Wol had widely publicized his power and that of the unified Assassin Guilds to the world.
Now, the martial arts sects participating in the Kangho Great War would not easily try to use the Assassins' Guild to assassinate their enemies.
That alone was enough to alleviate some of the bloody turmoil engulfing the world.
If Pyo Wol had been unable to control his anger and killed Namgung Seol yesterday, Lee Geom-han would have joined the Kangho Great War without a second thought.
If the heir of the Mad Martial Sect, one of the most powerful sects in the world, participated in the Kangho Great War, the chaos would spiral out of control.
That's why Pyo Wol restrained his anger and only inflicted minor injuries on Namgung Seol.
He thought of it as repaying a debt to Lee Geom-han.
Of course, it was still unknown whether the other party would accept it as such.
Sal-no cautiously asked,
"What do you plan to do moving forward? Will you just continue to stay here in Sol Family Pavilion as you have been?"
"Surely not?"
"What then?"
"First, I'll have to whip these ragtag men into shape."
"Do you mean the recently admitted assassins?"
"Everyone, including them."
"Hmm!"
Upon hearing Pyo Wol's declaration, Sal-no couldn't help but hum in contemplation.
He had consolidated all the assassin guilds around Poyang Lake into one, but there existed a significant power disparity among them.
The assassins of the Ten Blood Assassins and the Hundred Wraith Union had top-notch skills, but the martial arts and assassination techniques of the other assassins paled in comparison.
This was because most had learned their techniques in a rudimentary fashion, with the exception of a few Assassin guilds.
Those who suppressed the warriors in Duchang last night were mostly assassins from the Hundred Wraith Union.
To get the consolidated assassins' guild working properly, he had to first elevate their standards.
Just like So Yeowol and Song Cheonwoo had done.
Thinking of the two caused Pyo Wol's eyes to turn cold.
While they were keeping a low profile for the time being, it was certain they would interfere in Kangho's affairs in one way or another.
The Kangho Great War was the golden opportunity they had been craving and instigating.
Such a great war was bound to bring riches, and the gold spent here would be the nutrients to foster their growth.
So Yeowol wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.
At least the So Yeowol that Pyo Wol knew was someone who knew how to seize an opportunity when it presented itself.
To keep So Yeowol and Guryongsalmak in check, he first needed to raise the standard of the unified assassins.
For that, rigorous training was inevitable.
Sal-no cautiously spoke,
"I understand your intentions, but it will take a lot of time. Do you have a plan in mind?"
Instead of answering, Pyo Wol offered a smile.
Sal-no couldn't help but shudder at his icy grin.
***
The events of the night spread like wildfire, a testament to how shocking they were.
The clash between Snow Flower Swords and the Ten Thousand Swords Unit, and the subsequent involvement of the martial artists in Duchang, escalated the situation beyond control.
Their battles ravaged Duchang beyond recognition, but the surprising part was that the conflict was ended by assassins.
At first, no one could believe it.
It was just too unbelievable. However, the truth of the incident was verified through the testimonies of martial artists who had joined the fray and been suppressed by the assassins.
"We were in the middle of a fierce battle, then like a cat, they approached, sword at my throat. Resist? To hell with that! How could I resist in that situation? If you don't want to die, you just submit quietly."
"They took us quietly to the empty field in Duchang. They never said a word until then. I tried to ask them who they were, but every time I opened my mouth, they threatened to stab me with their swords. What could we do? We just kept quiet.
The martial artists dragged to the vacant lot were soon subdued.
Leaving the unconscious martial artists there, the assassins went to suppress others.
This series of actions continued overnight, and by dawn, the vacant lot was filled with subdued martial artists.
There were no casualties, no injuries.
Resistance was out of the question.
They couldn't even sense the assassin's approach.
Three to four assassins subdued each martial artist.
The riot that threatened to set the night of Duchang ablaze was thus quelled.
At the center of it all was Pyo Wol.
The only time Pyo Wol showed himself was when he subdued Namgung Seol.
Those who followed Namgung Seol, the Snow Flower Swords, were all subdued by the ten blood assassins led by Pyo Wol.
Most of the martial artists from the Snow Flower Swords were led to the empty field, but there were those who were left restrained, watching Namgung Seol's shame at the hands of Pyo Wol.
To preserve Namgung Seol's honor, they kept their mouths shut. However, their spirits had taken a severe blow and they began to drink heavily. And in their drunkenness, they unwittingly began to babble.
Thus, the truth of the previous night became widely known.
People were horrified.
It was shocking enough that the assassins had interfered in the Duchang incident, but it was even more shocking to learn that they were all following Pyo Wol's orders.
They thought of him as a lone wolf.
While he was strong enough in martial arts to earn the nickname 'Reaper', he lacked the interpersonal skills to be a leader of a group.
That was the persona Pyo Wol had presented to the world.
Therefore, they could never imagine that he would manage to unite the assassin guilds under his feet.
The alliance of Pyo Wol and the assassin guilds was the worst possible combination.
At least for the martial artists who lived in the world of Kangho and made enemies all the time.
Especially for the martial artists of the Golden Heavenly Hall and the Silver Lotus Hall, who received the biggest shock from this series of events.
Only then did they have answers to their questions.
This was the reason the assassins from the assassin guilds gathered around Poyang Lake stopped accepting their requests some time ago.
And even the reason why they had paid cancellation fees to terminate already accepted assignments.
A state of emergency was immediately declared in the Golden Heavenly Hall and the Silver Lotus Hall.
It was a completely unexpected situation.
But the Silver Lotus Hall was relatively better off.
Namgung Wol, who wielded the greatest influence in Silver Lotus Hall, had a close relationship with Pyo Wol.
Even if they didn't accept Silver Lotus Hall's requests, at least they were confident that they wouldn't be hostile.
On the other hand, an emergency was declared in the Golden Heavenly Hall.
From Jang Mugak, the grandmaster of Golden Heavenly Hall, to the second-in-command Dokgo Hwang, everyone had been in opposition to Pyo Wol.
The fact that the assassin guilds did not accept assignments from the Golden Heavenly Hall was a great loss in itself.
Due to this, the Golden Heavenly Hall felt the need to overhaul their plans.
All the previously effective methods had to be reconsidered from scratch.
This turned the Golden Heavenly Hall upside down.
"There's no way the Reaper could have taken in the Hundred Wraith Union as well, right? After all, the Hundred Wraith Union is the greatest assassin guild in the world...."
"Given the circumstances, it seems like he already has."
"If the Reaper really took the Hundred Wraith Union under his command, it's the worst-case scenario."
“Exactly! It's like the tiger has gained wings too.”
Jang Mugak furrowed his brow at the voices coming from outside.
Although he was skilled at controlling his emotions, he couldn't do so this time.
The emotional shock he received was quite significant.
"So he wasn't a wolf, but a tiger? I underestimated his capacity."
"I apologize. It seems we have misinformed you."
There was a man apologizing to Jang Mugak.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in black martial arts clothes.
Everything he wore, from the headband on his head, to the clothes on his body, to the whip in his hands, was pitch black. In contrast, his skin was exceptionally pale, a stark contrast.
Jang Mugak looked at the middle-aged man with a deep gaze.
The middle-aged man wasn't his subordinate.
He was a trusted aide of Jang Mugak's father, Jang Cheonhwa.
He was Wi Shin Ho, the first of the Black and White martials,, who could be considered as Jang Cheonhwa's right and left wings.
Not only was Wi Shin Ho skilled in martial arts, but he also had deep acumen that earned Jang Cheonhwa's trust.
He held immense authority, capable of dealing with serious matters without Jang Cheonhwa's permission, and was a competent person who had never let Jang Cheonhwa down.
Swinging his whip gently, Wi Shin Ho spoke.
“If the Crown Prince is worried, we can take care of it ourselves.”
“I decline.”
"Why do you insist on taking the harder route?"
“I have achieved everything with my own strength until now. I don’t want to accept my father's help and leave a blot on my career now.”
"If that's really the Crown Prince's wish, I won't push any further. But please be careful.
“Why, do you think I'll be defeated by him?”
“That's not what I mean, but…….”
“That's enough. Withdraw. Before others see…….”
“Understood.”
Wi Shin Ho nodded his head.
He swallowed hard.
'The Devil’s eye Seo Woo-il is dead.'
He wanted to leave him with these last words, but he could not find the courage to tell Jang Mugak.
Because announcing Seo Woo-il's death meant admitting that he had been secretly helping Jang Mugak.
Jang Mugak, with his strong pride, despised such assistance immensely.
'He will find his own way.'