Chapter 622

Pyo Wol rested near the reed field for a considerable time

It was almost an hour before he moved again.

Perhaps because he had rested well, his steps were notably light.

Pyo Wol leisurely walked, enjoying the scenery around him. Still, his pace was much quicker than when walking with two or three companions.

Suddenly, Pyo Wol took out another piece of jerky from his pocket and bit into it.

Normally, Pyo Wol wouldn’t eat while walking; he would consume enough during his rest periods.

The reason he was chewing on the dried meat now was to replenish his energy.

The air was changing.

The incoming wind carried a powerful presence.

Only a few assassins in Kangho could completely conceal their killing intent. Most would inadvertently leak a faint aura.

Even professionally trained assassins couldn’t escape this, let alone ordinary martial artists.

The moment one harbors the intent to kill, an aura starts to emanate.

Only the degree varied.

The current aura in the air was extremely strong.

It wasn’t the presence of just one or two individuals.

At least hundreds would have to involuntarily release their aura to create this feeling.

“It seems the Heavenly Net has been cast.”

He doesn’t need to see with his eyes to understand the situation around him.

Being at Pyo Wol’s level, he could gauge what was happening just by the flow and density of the air.

A suffocating presence was converging on him.

“Whew!”

The moment Pyo Wol sighed softly,

Swish!

A sharp, piercing sound echoed.

Without warning, a hidden weapon flew from the woods.

Pyo Wol raised his left arm to block its path.

Ting!

With a slight metallic sound, the hidden weapon deflected in all directions.

It couldn’t pierce the arm guard on Pyo Wol’s arm.

The armor made by Tang Sochu had outstanding strength, enough to easily deflect such a trivial weapon.

“Charge!”

“Get him!”

In an instant, dozens of martial artists appeared from the forest where the weapon had come from.

They wielded long spears in their hands.

These weren’t the regular spears people commonly knew.

Where the shaft met the blade, there was an additional crescent-shaped blade protruding.

It was a Hook-Scythe Spear, designed to both stab and slash, increasing its lethality.

The spear was designed to stab with the sharp tip and slash with the side crescent blade, increasing its lethality.

Very few martial artists in Kangho used this as their primary weapon.

The Hook-Scythe spear was mainly a weapon used by the military.

Swish!

The martial artists attacked Pyo Wol’s lower body with their Hook-Scythe spear.

Pyo Wol unleashed his snake steps to dodge the spears.

“Bastard!”

“Don’t run away.”

The ambushing warriors persistently chased Pyo Wol, targeting his legs.

Their goal was clear.

They wanted to wound or cut off his legs and rob him of his mobility.

Swish!

Whoosh!

The Hook-Scythe spear persistently targeted Pyo Wol’s feet.

Once caught by the blade on the side of the Hook-Scythe spear, it was certain that an ankle would be severed in an instant.

“Haah!”

“Zing!”

Even as Pyo Wol dodged, another Hook-Scythe spear soared towards him.

The martial artists wielding the Hook-Scythe spear moved with flawless precision.

Their ability to anticipate Pyo Wol’s evasive actions indicated that they were no ordinary fighters.

Such an attack technique was beyond the capabilities of the martial artists of Kangho.

Their movements were closer to those of soldiers in the military than of martial artists

Indeed, they had served in the military, skilled in group warfare and ambush tactics.

Their singular mission was clear: target Pyo Wol’s lower body and cripple his mobility.

Zing zing zing!

The Hook-Scythe spear relentlessly aimed for Pyo Wol’s legs.

“Pyo Wol!”

“Don’t run away like a coward.”

While attacking, they taunted Pyo Wol.

Swoosh!

In that instant, Pyo Wol unleashed his Soul Reaping Threads.

From his fingertips, the released Soul Reaping Thread pierced through the forehead of a charging martial artist, reminiscent of a hunting wolf.

“Ugh!”

The martial artist screamed and fell forward.

Yet, even as their comrade fell, the martial artist continued their assault on Pyo Wol without hesitation.

With his snake steps, Pyo Wol dodged their attacks, retaliating with his Soul Reaping Threads.

Each swing of the Soul Reaping Threads claimed another life. Still, undeterred, the martial artist continued their relentless pursuit.

Their wolf-like, fearless assault revealed their origins – they were warriors from the west.

Trained in Guryongsalmak, they mastered special ambush techniques. Fear was unknown to them.

Primarily operating in the lawless desert of the west—a hellish place with no rules or definitive champions—they had fought more fiercely than anyone to survive.

These warriors, who had gained notoriety even in the west, were not only proficient in using the Hook-Scythe spear but other weapons as well.

But now, they exclusively wielded the Hook-Scythe spear.

Their task was clear: injure Pyo Wol’s legs.

“Sever his ankles!”

“Charge!”

Dozens of Hook-Scythe spear simultaneously flew towards Pyo Wol.

Thud thud thud!

They managed to strike Pyo Wol’s legs, but the warriors looked dismayed.

They felt no feedback, no sensation of hitting flesh.

Suddenly, the figure they’d struck vanished.

“What?”

“It’s an illusion!”

“shit!”

As the warriors frantically scanned their surroundings, Pyo Wol silently appeared behind them.

Employing the Demonic Shadow Exchange, he had taken position behind them.

By the time they realized they’d been fooled by an illusion, Pyo Wol had already unleashed his threaded serpent qi.

Swoosh!

The threaded serpent qi brushed past the necks of more than ten men.

“Gah!”

“Cough!”

Blood gushed from their throats, staining the ground.

Within moments, about ten warriors lost their lives to the deadly strike.

“Shit!”

“You cowardly bastard…….”

The remaining warriors turned, but Pyo Wol had already vanished from their sight.

Suddenly behind them, Pyo Wol held a Hook-Scythe spear, taken from a fallen warrior.

Slash!

Pyo Wol masterfully wielded the Hook-Scythe spear .

The sickle-like blade caught a warrior’s ankle.

With a ruthless pull, Pyo Wol severed it cleanly.

Gush!

“Argh!”

With a scream, a warrior’s ankle was severed, and he writhed on the ground.

Pyo Wol targeted another warrior’s ankle with his Hook-Scythe spear. Without hesitation, he pulled it with force.

Another warrior’s ankle was severed, and he, too, crumpled to the ground.

“Watch out!”

“He’s targeting our ankles!”

The remaining warriors cried out in alarm.

Though they were on guard, they couldn’t prevent Pyo Wol’s swift attacks.

It was the first time Pyo Wol had used such the Hook-Scythe spear.

Yet, he wielded it as if he had been familiar with it for ages.

Stabbing and slicing.

He repaid the warriors with the same brutality they had shown him.

Continuous screams filled the air.

Warriors with severed ankles or calves writhed in agony on the ground.

Pyo Wol chose not to finish them off.

Merely crippling their mobility was enough for him, just as they had intended to do to him.

“Choke!”

The last of the warriors who fought to the end screamed as his thigh was sliced open by the Hook-Scythe spear.

Blood gushed profusely from the wound.

Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain, the warrior fainted. Most of the warriors met the same fate.

But among them, one with a large scar on his face showed resilience. Clutching his severed ankle, he addressed Pyo Wol.

“Pyo Wol! You… will never escape this place.”

“You have laid out the Heavenly Net?”

“How?”

The scarred warrior’s eyes widened in shock.

Discarding the spear, Pyo Wol responded,

“Obvious. Those with limited imagination can only set predictable traps.”

“Kuh! You’ll still die.”

“Perhaps, but after you.”

“What?”

Thunk!

A Ghost Dagger from Pyo Wol’s hand pierced the scarred man’s forehead. He died instantly.

Just then.

Whizz!

Suddenly, arrows flew from the distance.

Dozens and dozens of arrows reached Pyo Wol’s location in an instant.

Using his snake steps, he retreated several meters in a flash, leaving the spot where dozens of arrows had been embedded moments before.

“Screech!”

“Choke!”

The warriors, unable to move due to their severed ankles, were hit and killed by their allies’ arrows.

‘Archers after the spearmen?’

Without hesitation, Pyo Wol moved.

One way to break the formation was to continuously evade, avoiding concentrated enemy forces.

It wasn’t just about evasion.

It was crucial to anticipate the enemy’s intentions and avoid being trapped.

It was akin to playing a game of chess.

Anticipate the opponent’s moves and act several steps ahead.

Pyo Wol first identified the direction of the oncoming archers.

They were charging from the south, releasing arrows.

Clearly, they intended to push Pyo Wol north.

‘Their main force must be to the north.’

Releasing arrows wasn’t about wounding him.

They must know that unless an archer infused their arrows with internal energy, they couldn’t hurt him. The barrage was to drive him into a trap.

It was clear: they had started a chase.

The archers took positions, releasing arrows at an astonishing speed.

It was nearly impossible to catch an arrow due to the sheer force behind each shot.

Moreover, dozens were aimed at Pyo Wol simultaneously.

Pyo Wol leaped northward to evade the arrows.

“We got him!”

“We’ve driven him into our territory!”

The archers cried out, increasing their barrage intensity.

The plain where Pyo Wol found refuge had scarce cover. There were spots with tall grass, but they already hid enemy troops.

“Stay alert, everyone. We don’t know when he’ll strike.”

“Yes!”

“We’ll corner him.”

“Charge!”

The archers, using every ounce of their strength, pursued Pyo Wol.

To them, Pyo Wol seemed like prey ready to be captured.