The lodging that the Heavenly Flower Troupe(天華雜劇團) took happened to be the inn where Pyo Wol was staying.
Since the Four Seas Pavilion and other high-end inns were already occupied by the members of the Golden Heavenly Hall, they chose this relatively large place as their lodging.
The inn where Pyo Wol was staying had its own stable, which was convenient for the troupe to take care of their horses.
As soon as the Heavenly Flower Troupe entered, the inn became lively.
They were performers who traveled around the country performing for people.
As expected of people who performed in front of many people, they were articulate and had many interesting stories to tell. And the members of the troupe were also diverse.
There were performers who went up on stage to perform, musicians who played instruments, and singers. More than thirty people gathered in the first floor restaurant of the inn to chat.
Their voices filled the inn like a marketplace.
"Did they say that the place we're performing at this time is Jin Manor?"
"I heard that's the case."
"It's been a long time since we performed in a Warriors palace."
"Everyone needs to stay focused. We don't want to make any mistakes and end up in trouble."
"Don't worry. Haven't we done this many times before? Hahaha!"
The faces of the performers in the Heavenly Flower Troupe were full of pride.
They were a newly-formed troupe, but they already had plenty of experience successfully finishing many performances.
For the past few years, there was no troupe with a more successful career than theirs.
Play Along!!
The musicians sat down and played their instruments to check if there were any problems.
As the musicians played, the singers who were sitting nearby naturally began to sing.
"Hahaha!"
"It sounds great."
Their singing once again increased the excitement.
Overall, the atmosphere was lively and cheerful.
In her early thirties, a beautiful woman smiled as she watched them.
The mature, yet cheerful woman was Lee Ok-ran, the deputy leader of the Heavenly Flower Troupe.
She took on the role of running the Troupe in place of the busy leader.
She had been raised in the troupe since childhood, and was an exemplary performer to the bone.
At that moment, another member of the troupe approached Lee Ok-ran and asked, "I haven't seen the troupe leader for a while. Where did he go?"
"The leader went out to meet someone," Lee Ok-ran replied.
"Does he know someone here? This is our first time here."
Lee Ok-ran looked puzzled. "You know how our leader has connections everywhere."
"That's true, but..."
"Don't worry about the leader. He’s a capable person who can handle himself."
"I guess you're right."
"We just need to focus on the performance two days from now. Let's prepare well from now on so we don't make any mistakes."
"I will make sure we don't make any mistakes."
"That's the spirit. Let's enjoy ourselves tonight because we still have time. We'll be busy again starting tomorrow."
"Yes!"
Ye Yin answered and stepped back.
Left alone, Lee Ok-ran murmured to herself.
"He's such a busy person....
***
"Swoosh!
The window opened soundlessly, and a black shadow slipped into the room.
He was dressed in a black robe and wore a blood-red scarf.
As the black shadow extended his hand outside the scarf, a dagger with a curved blade appeared.
He approached the bed as silently as a cat.
Someone was sleeping on the bed, with the blanket turned upside down, apparently in a deep sleep, breathing heavily.
The black shadow thrust the curved dagger towards the chest of the sleeping person, but the dagger did not sink into the chest. The person had wielded a blade and deflected the attack.
Surely he had been deeply asleep just a moment ago. However, he detected the surprise attack from the black shadow and counterattacked.
"As expected!"
The black shadow's eyes lit up with admiration.
No one had ever noticed his ambush until now. However, not only did his opponent notice it, but also counterattacked.
It was a surprising event, but the black shadow thought it was natural.
He would have been disappointed if his opponent had just been caught off guard.
The opponent flipped the blanket and stood up, revealing a face more beautiful than any woman.
The moonlight coming in through the window illuminated his face. It made his face look even more exquisite.
It was Pyo Wol.
The black shadow swung the hunchback dagger towards Pyo Wol's face.
It was a blow filled with determination to inflict a deep wound on Pyo Wol's face.
Bang!
However, even his attack was deflected by the ghostly aura of Pyo Wol.
The Black Shadow did not give up and continued to swing his deformed dagger.
Clang, clang, clang!
The dagger and the ghost blade collided in mid-air.
The Black Shadow's dagger aimed only for Pyo Wol's vital points, each strike carrying enough power to kill him.
In a matter of seconds, the two of them moved their battle outside onto the roof of a nearby house, jumping out of the window without hesitation.
Clang, clang!
They ran across the rooftop, wielding their weapons and striking each other.
Pyo Wol didn't ask any questions about the attacker's identity, despite his curiosity. The Black Shadow also didn't bother to speak.
All that could be heard were the bone-chilling sounds of their weapons clashing.
Under the moonlight, the fierce movements of the two people were beautiful, as if watching a performance.
Even though they were fighting right above their heads, the people inside the house were unaware of it.
The fight between the two reached its climax in an instant.
The one who delivered the final blow was Pyo Wol.
Swish!
The ghost blade split the shield in half that the black shadow was using.
As the shield split like bamboo, the true appearance of the black shadow was revealed under the moonlight.
A face reminiscent of a weasel, a gloomy gaze, and a slightly hunched back.
In many ways, it was a far cry from being ordinary.
He spoke up.
"Your skills are still the same."
"Were you alive?"
"Hehe! Thanks to you...."
He laughed, revealing his yellow teeth.
"Thanks to me...."
"Thanks to the crazy thing you did, a hole was made in the heavens and earth net. Thanks to you, I was able to survive."
"Is that why you ran away and started your own troupe, So Geoksan?"
"It was a long-standing dream."
The black shadow, So Geoksan, inserted a short sword into his belt and approached Pyo Wol.
He was one of the children raised as an assassin in the underground cave with Pyo Wol.
He was a sinister child known as the grim reaper or the greedy soul wolf.
It was from him that he learned the art of the dagger, the foundation of Pyo Wol's reverse martial arts.
Although he encountered So Geoksan suddenly, Pyo Wol was not surprised. He had thought that he might still be alive.
While others may not have known, So Geoksan and So Yeowol were not easy to kill. They were beings who somehow survived with a tenacious grip on life.
"What about Soyeowol and Song Cheonwoo?"
"Hehe! After breaking through the heaven and earth net, we parted ways."
"So you're still alive."
"It's not like we're going to die anytime soon. After all we've been through, we can't die without enjoying some prosperity."
"Did you come looking for me here?"
"Hehe! Yes, I did. I heard a rumor about an assassin while I was performing in Kangho. At first, I didn't think it was you. As you know, there's a place called the hundred wraith union in Kangho, and they control the assassin market. But the assassin's face was said to be more beautiful than a woman's, and his name was Pyo Wol. By now, even an idiot could figure out who you are."
So Geoksan chuckled and smiled.
He hadn't changed a bit, whether it was in the past or now.
He still seemed to be living in his own world.
Pyo Wol looked at So Geoksan's dagger and said, "The smell of blood is thick. It seems you're not satisfied with just being a leader of a theater troupe."
"Hehe! Where does nature go? I occasionally spill blood as a side job."
"It would be better to leave when you have the chance. If you keep stepping foot in this direction, you'll end up being eaten."
"Is the great Pyo Wol worried about me? This is a world turned upside down.
Kuhahaha!"
So Geoksan laughed like crazy, finding something amusing.
Pyo Wol silently watched him without saying a word.
Just like So Geoksan didn't know much about Pyo Wol, Pyo Wol didn't know much about So Geoksan either. Other than the fact that they were both raised as assassins in the underground cave, they had no real connection or empathy for each other.
They had cooperated when necessary, but fundamentally, they didn't trust each other. That was why Pyo Wol looked at So Geoksan with cold eyes, even though they had met.
So Geoksan didn't trust Pyo Wol either. When he attacked Pyo Wol, he didn't care about the consequences. He didn't even consider the possibility that Pyo Wol might get hurt.
If Pyo Wol managed to evade the attack, that was fine. And if he lost his life, that was fine too. To So Geoksan, Pyo Wol was just that kind of existence.
So Geoksan gave his trademark sly smile and said, "This isn't how things are supposed to be here. Let's have a drink or something."
Without waiting for Pyo Wol's response, he took off. Pyo Wol watched his back for a moment and then followed him.
The place where So Geoksan went was the inn that had been attacked by Pyo Wol. It was also the lodging where the Heavenly Flower Troupe he led stayed.
Perhaps because it was already late at night, the first-floor restaurant was quiet. All the performers in the troupe had gone to bed.
However, there was only one person who was not sleeping and was waiting for So Geoksan.
"You're late."
The beautiful mistress of the Heavenly Flower Troupe, Lee Ok-ran, calmly greeted So Geoksan, who had suddenly entered.
So Geoksan smiled wryly and said, "I met a friend. Pyo Wol is quite famous these days in Kangho."
Behind him, Pyo Wol appeared.
Lee Ok-Ran lit up when she saw Pyo Wol's face.
"Your friend is handsome."
"He's so handsome that it's unpleasant. I want to cut his face with a knife if I can."
"Really?"
"I tried, but failed."
"Oh my! Your friend must be excellent in martial arts."
"Heh heh! That's right. Be careful too. This kid is not only excellent in martial arts."
"Is that so?"
The corners of Lee Ok-ran's red lips slightly turned up.
She elegantly greeted Pyo Wol.
"I, Lee Ok-Ran, the troupe leader of the Heavenly Flower Troupe, greet master Pyo Wol. I look forward to working with you in the future."
"Who knows if there will be anything to see in the future."
"Well, you never know what will happen in life. Anyway, I have to go wake up some guests and bring them to the drinking table."
"I don't drink."
"But our troupe leader loves to drink. Even if I scold him and try to stop him, he won't listen."
Lee Ok-Ran got up immediately to wake up the guests.
When they were alone, So Geoksan sat down and said, "Sit down!"
“When did you start drinking?”
"Hehe! You're a strange one. If you've found freedom, enjoy it a little. How long are you going to live like a hermit, suppressing all desires like a statue? Life is not that long. Live it while you can do everything."
"I don't want to hear those words from you."
“Hehe! is it?"
"Since when did you become the leader of the theater troupe?"
"It's been a few years. At first, I tried to make a living by assassinating people because that's all I knew. But the world wasn't so easy. To be a proper assassin, I had to join the Hundred Wraith Union, but that didn't suit my taste either."
"Because of the Blood Shadow Group?"
So Geoksan Nodded his head.
As if his thoughts made him shudder, he gritted his jaw and spoke.
"Yeah, I barely got out of the Blood Shadow Group, and now I want to belong to another place? That's why I started the theater troupe. At first, it was tough, but now we're established and making a living. If you want, I can take you in too."
"No thanks."
"What a shame. There will be women lining up just to see your face. Let me know if you change your mind."
"I didn't come here to hear such nonsense. What's the real reason you're here?"
"I told you, I came to perform."
"If you're going to keep spewing such trivial talk, I'll leave."
"Your personality hasn't changed."
At that moment, So Geoksan's gaze changed.
"Let's make a request, Pyo Wol!"
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