The four of them sat around a round table.Pyo-wol and Zhang Mu-ryang sat opposite each other, and in between them, Go Dosa and Heo Ran-ju sat.The place they were sitting was a private room inside of the guest house. It is an isolated space where other peopleâs gaze is blocked, so it is suitable for sharing confidential information.Zhang Mu-ryang ordered the most expensive food from the owner of the restaurant.Pyo-wol sat down without a word and looked at Zhang Mu-ryang.Zhang Mu-ryang looked at Pyo-wol with his body buried deep in the chair, while Go Dosa and Heo Ran-ju were smiling.The most surprising thing was Heo Ran-ju. She was looking at Pyo-wol with deep eyes, as if she had no memory of being beaten by him. She was rather curious about Pyo-wolâs reaction. Usually people get flustered when they are in this kind of situation. Most of the men she saw were like that. She expected that this time will be the same too. However, contrary to her expectations, Pyo-wol did not have a single change in his expression.âTsk! Youâre no funâIn the end, Heo Ran-ju pouted her lips with a sullen expression. Then Zhang Mu-ryang opened his mouth.âAs you can see, Iâm having trouble because youâre being a nuisance.ââWhy am I annoying?ââYou went outside and got yourself hit, so itâs a problem. Is there anything you can do well?ââDamn it!âHeo Ran-ju, who couldnât say anything, rubbed her lips. Although she found nothing scary in the world, Heo Ran-ju had a bit of a hard time dealing with Zhang Mu-ryang, the captain of their group.This is because Zhang Mu-ryang is not only superior in strength, but also leads the Black Cloud Mercenary Group by setting clear goals with his outstanding leadership.His strength and strong leadership united the mercenaries of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group. Although it is said that Heo Ran-ju possessed a brilliant way of thinking, she was also a member of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group. All of her actions were carried out only within the limits of what Zhang Mu-ryang tolerated.âRan-ju, from my point of view, has mastered some great martial arts so itâs really amazing for you to be able to subdue her immediately. If you donât mind me asking, can you tell who your master is? Heâs the one who raised such a great disciple, so he must be also great.âââŚâŚ.ââAh! Donât get me wrong. Iâm saying this because Iâm just genuinely curious. I also want to offer a friendly relationship.âââŚâŚ.ââYouâre very reticent. Were you always that way? Or is it because youâre uncomfortable at this moment?ââYou already know. The reason why Iâm like this.âThis time, Zhang Mu-ryang closed his lips.âHeâs not going to be easy to deal with.âHe was a martial artist who overpowered Heo Ran-ju instantly.Although she had an outgoing personality and an unruly temper, she was still strong. Otherwise, it would not have been possible for her to become the Vice Captain of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group.Although it is said that she was careless because she did not anticipate Pyo-wolâs instantaneous movement, that is not an excuse.It was true that she had lost, so it was certain that Pyo-wol was that much of a threat. So, he tried to confirm Pyo-wolâs capability. This is because if it was a warrior with enough skill to subdue Heo Ran-ju at once, then that would mean he would have learned martial arts from a proper master or a master with a high reputation.However, Pyo-wol was consistently silent. He had an expression of someone resolute of not telling them anything about himself.âThis young friend is very suspicious.ââI was taught to doubt everything except for myself.ââIs that so? Then you learned it right.âZhang Mu-ryang laughed out loud.Food came out in the midst of such meaningless conversations.As the top-class dishes from the guesthouse came out one after another, Go DOsa trembled with his chopsticks.âLetâs chat while eating food. When youâre hungry, good words donât come out.ââYeah! Iâve been starving all day and Iâm hungry.âHeo Ran-ju also hurriedly picked up her chopsticks.As the two of them livened up the atmosphere, Zhang Mu-ryang also smiled and raised his chopsticks.But until the end, Pyo-wol did not raise his chopsticks.âWhy? Do you think the food is poisoned?ââNo. Iâm just not hungry.ââThen why didnât you tell me right away? If I had, I would have ordered a little less food.ââBut youâre going to eat it all, right?ââButâŚâZhang Mu-ryang smiled and looked at Heo Ran-ju and Go Dosa.The two were playing with their chopsticks like crazy. Where their chopsticks passed, the food disappeared. The two of them ate and ate the food as if they were obsessed with face. Thanks to this, more than half of the food has already disappeared into their stomachs.It seemed that there was no need to worry about the food having leftovers.Zhang Mu-ryang knew that it would be of no use to drag the horse beyond this. Although he hadnât said a few words to Pyo-wol, his personality was already pictured in his mind.âHe has a lot of doubts, and he doesnât trust people easily. He also draws a clear line and refuses to let anyone in.âFor such a person, it might have been more effective to bring out the main point in a straight-forward way than to speak in a roundabout manner.âIâve researched your past. Nothing came out. Oh! Donât be offended. Isnât it natural that you want to know about someone youâre interested in? The reason I say this is because Iâm interested in you.ââInterested?ââYeah! I would be lying if I said Iâm not interested on someone who overpowered Ranju in a short span of time. I want to recruit you into the Black Cloud Mercenary Group. From your point of view, it may just be a group of rogues, but I have a dream. My goal is to make it a proper sect. To do that, I need at least one more talented person. I wonât ask you what your past is or why you came to Chengdu. I can also promise you the best treatment, so join the Black Cloud Mercenary Group.âZhang Mu-ryang looked directly into Pyo-wolâs eyes.Pyo-wol thought his eyes resembled those of a bear.At first glance, he looked more honest than any other animal, but in fact, it was the bear that was cunning which no other animal can rival. With the overwhelming power that came from its huge body, the cunning brain, and the brutality of eating its prey alive with its breath attached, the bear was a top-notch beast.If you are deceived by that personâs nice smile, you will surely be eaten.âIâll give you anything. If you want, Iâll give you Ranju as well.ââOraboni!âHeo Ran-ju shouted, but Zhang Mu-ryang did not care and continued,âNo matter what her personality is, her looks make up for it. I donât know how the nights with her are like, but all the guys sheâs slept with seem to be satisfied.ââOh! ReallyâŚâHeo Ran-ju groaned as if angry. But Pyo-wol knew she wasnât mad.No matter how angry her expression was, there was something she could never hide. It was the movement of the fine muscles around the eyes. Pyo-wol was able to grasp the emotions of the other person through such fine muscle movements.Heo Ran-ju was not angry. Rather, she was expecting a positive response from Pyo-wol. Heo Ran-juâs slightly shriveled breath was telling Pyo-wol how she felt.âThat bitch really likes that guy.âGo Dosa looked at Heo Ran-ju and smiled slightly.Heo Ran-ju was never a virtuous woman. In fact, it would be strange if a woman who had been a rogue for many years was quiet.Heo Ran-ju was not called the âBlack Ranjuâ for nothing.She was a woman who had to possess a man she liked. The red blush that appeared on her face as she looked at Pyo-wol was proof that she longed for him.âEven if you look at the same guy, that guyâs face is amazing. If itâs Ranjuâs personality, Iâll leave it in the room and get bitten and kicked.âZhang Mu-ryang looked at Pyo-wol with a grin.It was as if he was looking forward to Pyo-wolâs decision. It was his idea that a man could not refuse a beautiful woman like Heo Ran-ju.However, Pyo-wolâs reply betrayed his expectations.âItâs not that compelling.ââWhich one do you not like? Joining the group or giving away Ranju?ââAll of it.ââYouâre more greedy than you look. Youâre still not satisfied.ââIâm not very fond of food that Iâm sure Iâll get sick of eatingâŚââHmm!âZhang Mu-ryangâs eyes grew sharper. Heo Ran-juâs face, sitting next to him, was red with anger.âHow dare you reject me?âIâve met many men so far, but Pyo-wol was the first to reject her. Her face was full of shameful light. Heo Ran-ju bit her lip until it bled.Tension lingered over Pyo-wolâs refusal.Go Dosa wiggled his fingers and looked at Pyo-wol and Zhang Mu-ryang. If Zhang Mu-ryangâs command is given, he is ready to bounce at any time.That was then.âPuhahaha!âSuddenly, Zhang Mu-ryang burst into laughter.After a momentâs hesitation, he opened his mouth.âIâm joking, joking! Why are you making such a serious expression like a fool? No matter how much I like to have you, do you think Iâll give you Ranju? What a big person you are.âââŚâŚ..ââ I just wanted to make fun of you because of your serious expression. Well, it doesnât seem to work. Heh! But I want to say something like this. If possible, I hope we donât run into each other. I love to talk, but the other guys donât. Actions take precedence over brains. These words are all for you, so I hope you will listen to them.ââIâll say something tooââIâm listening.ââIf one day you go down the street with your head falling off your body and you see your world ending, itâs okay to think itâs because of me.âââŚâŚ..âAt Pyo-wolâs unexpected words, Zhang Mu-ryangâs expression hardened.âIâm joking. What makes you look so serious? Like a fool.âPyo-wol smiled. But Zhang Mu-ryang couldnât laugh any more.* * *Zhang Mu-ryang and his party left the guest house.When he came out, the smile disappeared from Zhang Mu-ryangâs face.He looked at the guest house with a dry face. To be precise, he was looking at the private room where he and Pyo-wol had been sitting before.Pyo-wolâs face could be seen through the window of the private room.Pyo-wol was also looking at him.âThat guy!âZhang Mu-ryangâs face, which had been dry, turned colder.A mercenaryâs life is hard.They have nowhere to go, and no one welcomes them.The only places where they are most useful are where disputes or big fights between sects take place.Most of the mercenaries only learned miscellaneous skills, let alone a proper martial art. So, the reality was that they were not treated properly.However, the Black Cloud Mercenary group led by Zhang Mu-ryang was different.There are about 50 warriors who can be called masters, about 100 who can be useful, and the remaining two hundred are horsemen.With this level of power, any clan could be annihilated overnight. Nevertheless, they wander the battlefield because no one in Jianghu welcomes them.Existing sects did not welcome the arrival of mercenary groups such as the Black Cloud Mercenary Group under a territory of their jurisdiction.There was no strong sect that would welcome the arrival of an armed group made up of wild savages. It would have been nice to be able to trample the existing sects by force and take their place, but it was not easy.Most of the existing strong sects were connected by a close relationship.In the Qingcheng sect, numerous branches, military officers, pyo-guk (security/escort company), and aristocrats were affiliated with them for over hundreds of years which have led to a sense of community. It was the same with the Emei sect.They usually work individually, but when the group they belong to is threatened, they will unite and fight as one.The power of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group was undoubtedly great. But it was just them.Unlike the Qingcheng sect, they didnât have their own aristocrats, and there was no other sects to help. Above all, they did not have a proper system and hierarchy. Although the hierarchy is maintained with the strong leadership of Zhang Mu-ryang and the power of the Vice Captain Heo Ran-ju and Yang Woo-jeong, they have not reached the depth and vastness of the powerful sects such as the Qingcheng sect and Emei sect.For that reason, they did not dare to rub and intervene in the area occupied by those existing clans. That was also the reason why they had no choice but to remain as a mercenary group despite possessing a powerful force.In the case of Thunder Gates, luck followed.They settled in Jintang County, where the War of Demons and Heaven took place, and at that time, the Qingcheng sect and Emei sect were living in a dark period.Thanks to that, they were able to become the owner of Jintang County in Sichuan without any checks. However, such luck did not follow the Black Cloud Mercenary Group.If a huge war such as the War of Demons and Heaven happened again then they could do the same but there was little chance of that happening.Therefore, he saw the current conflict in Sichuan as a golden opportunity.The exact reason why the Qingcheng sect and the Emei sect are fighting is not known, but if they can stand on the side of the Emei sect and inflict a heavy blow to the Qingcheng sect, theyâre sure that theyâll be able to occupy a place near the Western Highlands.If they exercise their acquaintance and influence with foreign personnel who have built up this place long ago, they will soon be able to establish themselves as a prestigious sect.If only the Black Cloud Mercenary Group could settle down, there were many rogues that could be attracted. If they absorb those who wander around the world like vagrants, then they wonât have to be afraid of the Emei sect either. That was Zhang Mu-ryangâs grand plan. However, a stumbling block appeared before his plan even started.It was Pyo-wol, who was just looking at him from the window.When he heard that Heo Ran-ju was the one who lost, he thought that Pyo-wolâs martial arts was only great. If he was such a great master, it was worth bringing him into the Black Cloud Mercenary Group. So he came to recruit him directly. However, the person he saw in person was not someone who would be under him.The moment he saw Pyo-wol for the first time, he felt goosebumps coming up his spine.As he led the Black Cloud Mercenary Group, he participated in numerous battles and met so many people. So Zhang Mu-ryang prided himself on having an accurate eye on judging people. Pyo-wol was the first person to make him feel such a creepy feeling at first sight.It wasnât just because of his strong martial arts that suppressed Heo Ran-ju at once.If you simply line up the warriors who will subdue Heo Ran-ju with no feats, there will be more than enough to go around a large lake. There were many masters in the river, and there were also many martial artists who reached a level that could not be guessed.Zhang Mu-ryang was not afraid of them. This is because even if their martial arts were strong, they could still understand their inner feelings.But Pyo-wol was different.From the moment he first saw him, he couldnât read anything. Not only his thoughts, but also the changes in his emotions, habits, and others could not be grasped.It was like facing a deep dark darkness.It was the first time in his life that he felt this way.If he had encountered it elsewhere, he would have just ignored it. No matter who the opponent is, if it has nothing to do with him, he can just ignore it.But this place was Sichuan.It was a place where the Black Cloud Mercenary Group decided to start anew.Any small variable could not be tolerated.âGo Dosa!ââTell me, Danju!ââAdd Maun and a few more boys to him. We must keep a close eye on him from now on.ââAlright.ââAnd Ranju!âHeo Ran-ju didnât answer. Her lips were torn and bleeding. It was so shocking that Pyo-wol had rejected her. There was a dark life in her eyes.âIâll kill him.âAt the creepy voice of Heo Ran-ju, Zhang Mu-ryang smirked.âOf course you should, because he dared to reject my offer. But not now. There is no profit in dealing with him.ââDoes wealth matter? When my self-esteem is broken?ââRanju! You fool. A person needs wealth to take care of their self-esteem. When this is over, I will let you do whatever you want, so be patient. For now, we need to set up our base in Sichuan Province first.ââDo you promise?ââOf course.âZhang Mu-ryangâs smile widened.Even if it wasnât because of Heo Ran-ju, he had no intention of keeping Pyo-wol alive.This is because Pyo-wolâs unique atmosphere and eyes were ingrained to his heart.âSurely, heâs going to cause some problems.â