Chapter 280 - I Must See Him Myself

Jin Haryeong was physically in the banquet hall, but her mind was elsewhere.

Even as she greeted the promising young martial artists and chatted with them, she kept thinking of Geom Mugeuk and Yi An. Yi An’s beautiful appearance came to mind, and she could still feel her qi presence. She also remembered Geom Mugeuk standing beside her.

'Is my brother doing all right?'

With all that on her mind, she could hardly notice the young martial artists courting her favor.

Some were handsome, and some were skilled in martial arts. But when she thought of Geom Mugeuk, they all looked like children. It was a side effect of getting to know him.

When the gathering, which had felt particularly long today, finally ended and she returned to her quarters, Jin Hagun was waiting.

“Brother!”

Who would have thought she would be so glad to see him?

“I was just about to go see you. How did it go?”

Judging by his expression, the conversation seemed to have ended well.

Instead of answering, he asked her a question.

“How was the gathering?”

“Memorizing names and faces, listening to everyone brag and pretending we’re close, then ‘Down with the Demonic Cult! Defeat the Unorthodox Alliance!’ The same old thing, over and over.”

“That tedious work will one day protect orthodox Murim.”

“You protect Murim, Brother. This is where my part ends.”

“Do you think you’ll have anywhere to hide if the Demonic Cult takes over Murim?”

Her brother was suffering from side effects too—those of living as the alliance leader’s grandson. Since childhood, the fear that the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance might invade had taken root deep in his heart.

“Do you really think Geom Mugeuk is the sort of person who dreams of unifying Murim? Of slaughtering us all to do it?”

No matter how she tried, she could not picture it: Geom Mugeuk standing atop a mountain of corpses.

“I don’t know what sort of person he is. But one thing is certain: if he dreams of unifying Murim, he won’t be easy to stop.”

That would not be their grandfather’s task. It would fall to Jin Hagun and Jin Haryeong’s generation.

“You can never know whether your faith in someone is justified while things are still unfolding. That faith is only proven by the outcome. We’re still in the middle of things.”

That applied to his relationship with his master as much as to his relationship with Geom Mugeuk. What good were a hundred good deeds if someone revealed their true colors at the very end and brought everything to ruin?

“Oh, listen to you! Impressive, Brother!”

After a brief pause, Jin Hagun said,

“Geom Mugeuk said that.”

“Ah!”

For a moment she seemed to grow solemn, then burst out laughing.

“My brother’s had everything his way until now, but he’s finally met his match.”

He was neither angry nor offended by her remark.

She was the only person he could open his heart to, the only one with whom he could comfortably discuss such sensitive matters.

“What do you think of him?”

Haryeong wanted to know how her brother saw Geom Mugeuk.

Like her, Hagun had much to say about him. He was certainly trustworthy, yet it was impossible to know how far that trust should go.

Even so, Hagun acknowledged his worth.

“He’s a man of a different stature than I am.”

He extended one hand and curled it as though holding a ball.

“If I’m this big...”

Then he held both hands before his chest as though grasping a much larger ball.

“Geom Mugeuk is this big. If I’m to face him and win, I’ll have to begin by acknowledging that.”

Her brother had certainly changed since meeting Geom Mugeuk. The very fact that someone as proud as he was could say such a thing showed it.

Haryeong welcomed the change, but part of her was worried. What if he became too captivated by Geom Mugeuk?

“You can handle him, right?”

“I’ll have to try. If I can’t do it now, I won’t be able to later.”

His gaze was resolute. Though he was accepting help for now, she could feel his determination never to let Geom Mugeuk sway him.

“Watch how I surpass him.”

Haryeong clenched her fist, her expression showing her faith in him.

This time, Hagun asked,

“How was it for you? It’s been a while since you last saw Geom Mugeuk.”

Her clenched fist opened limply.

“That’s even more repetitive. He always surprises me and leaves me flustered. But today, he wasn’t the problem.”

Now Haryeong imitated his gestures.

“If I’m this beautiful, the person I met today was this beautiful.”

She smiled at her bewildered brother.

“I realized that Hubei was just a very spacious well.”

* * *

Jin Hagun arrived at Baek Cheongyeong’s workshop.

At the door, he recalled Geom Mugeuk’s advice.

[“Don’t walk on eggshells. Act as you normally would. Rather than trying to please him, subtly show that you’re dissatisfied with this affair. That way, he won’t suspect you.”]

But Baek Cheongyeong was not in the workshop.

Hagun was about to leave when he glanced at the display stand. A black cloth covered the stand where the figurines had been placed. His master sometimes covered it like this. Yet now the cloth looked different to him.

He walked slowly toward it. Just as he was about to lift the cloth, he sensed someone behind him.

Turning, he found Baek Cheongyeong standing at the door.

“Master.”

“You’re here.”

Though curious about what lay beneath the cloth, Hagun left it untouched and walked toward his master.

Baek Cheongyeong passed him, sat down at his usual place, and began carving.

SCRITCH, SCRITCH.

Lately, his master had been spending much more time carving. It had seemed to be no more than a hobby before.

What was he carving so busily, when he had even covered the display with a cloth?

“Well? Have you thought about how to reclaim the Heavenly Harmony School?”

His master’s gaze remained on the figurine he was carving.

“I’m considering winning over those experts in the Heavenly Harmony School who support the orthodox factions. The school maintained its neutrality for many years, so its loyalty to the Demonic Cult isn’t strong. Of course, the same applies to our Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance. The sect’s leanings change according to its leader and senior leadership, so it will take time, but if we can bring the orthodox-leaning experts within the school over to our side...”

Even as he spoke, Hagun carefully watched his master’s every movement. He could tell that Baek Cheongyeong was not listening closely.

Was his master truly waiting for him to find a solution?

As though to deny it, Baek Cheongyeong cut him off.

“Doesn’t your pride hurt?”

He goaded Hagun in a calm voice.

“The three successors of the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions gathered in one place. Two returned bearing lavish gifts, while you alone came back empty-handed.”

He was bringing up pride and comparing him to the other successors? Hagun was angry, but forced himself to answer calmly.

“I don’t believe this is a matter of pride. Hunan was their territory to begin with. And the school master’s son was a beast in human skin. There was never a gift for me there.”

He followed Geom Mugeuk’s advice faithfully. He did not simply admit fault and submit to his master’s opinion.

“Why is the Heavenly Harmony School so important to you, Master?”

“Do you think I’m doing this because of the Heavenly Harmony School?”

“Aren’t you?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

An astonishing answer came from Baek Cheongyeong’s lips.

“To prevent a war.”

The word “war” made Hagun freeze.

“What do you mean?”

“Hunan borders Hubei, where the Orthodox Martial Alliance’s headquarters are located. It has been a strategic stronghold for generations. Now a major sect that maintained neutrality there has fallen into the Demonic Cult’s hands. That means the balance has been broken.”

“Isn’t it too great a leap to say that will lead to war?”

“Why does our Alliance exist? To eliminate even that slim possibility. A war can begin over the smallest incident. This time, you greatly increased the chances of war, all because of your ambition to become alliance leader.”

For a moment, Hagun could not answer. Before meeting Geom Mugeuk, he would have accepted his master’s words wholeheartedly, even blaming himself for his ambition.

But not now. However plausible it sounded, he would reserve judgment.

Concealing those thoughts, he feigned bewilderment as he asked,

“Then what should I do now?”

His master’s reply was cold.

“Why ask me? You caused this. You must find the answer yourself.”

SCRITCH, SCRITCH.

Baek Cheongyeong resumed carving. Recognizing the silent dismissal, Hagun bowed quietly and left, thinking that he still did not truly understand his master.

* * *

“Lower your arm a little more, and put more strength into your left leg.”

Geom Mugeuk was examining Yi An’s moves.

It had been some time since he last saw her Heaven-Soaring Sword Art, and she had improved further. Of course, complete mastery would still require much more time and effort. She had to train again and again at the ninth level, allowing her skill to ripen so that, when the time came, she could attain complete mastery like a flower bud bursting into bloom.

“Brace your waist more. If your balance collapses, every stance collapses with it.”

They were training at the safe house Jin Hagun had provided.

“Focus! Why are you so distracted today?”

“I’m sorry.”

For some reason, she could not concentrate on her training today. She did not know why.

'I don’t get opportunities like this often. Focus!'

Yi An swung her sword with all she had. When the training session ended, she apologized again.

“I’m sorry, Young Master.”

She had expected a scolding, but Geom Mugeuk’s reaction surprised her.

“I actually liked it. Sometimes you hardly seem human. People lose focus and make mistakes. That’s how it should be.”

“Thank you for saying that, but I’m still disappointed. It’s been so long since you taught me yourself.”

“I’ll teach you often until you achieve complete mastery, so don’t worry.”

Delighted, Yi An swayed as though dancing. Compared with how stiff she had been when I first returned to the past, she seemed much freer.

Yes, that was how change happened, little by little. Those changes would accumulate until one day they became a different life. Yi An, in this life, you would not die in a pool of blood. I would let you go on dancing through life just as you were now.

Moving back and forth around me like a child, she asked,

“By the way, Young Master, did you really bring me along to introduce me to Miss Jin?”

“No.”

“Then why did you bring me?”

“Why else? I wanted to go out and have fun with you for the first time in a while. It was an excuse.”

Yi An looked back toward her bottom.

“A few of my tails are missing. You took them, didn’t you?”

Knowing she meant his answer was wonderfully smooth, Geom Mugeuk pretended to stroke his own tails.

“Actually, I had more tails than you from the beginning.”

As they laughed together, Jin Hagun arrived.

He had expected to find Geom Mugeuk alone. Seeing a woman with him, he stayed at a distance rather than approaching.

“Come over.”

Only when Geom Mugeuk called did he approach.

By then, Yi An had put on a face covering. Of course, it could not hide her beauty.

“I’m Yi An. I serve the young lord.”

“I’m Jin Hagun, the Demon-Slaying Squad commander.”

“I’ll leave you to your conversation, then.”

“Until next time.”

Yi An bowed politely and went inside.

Hagun understood at once whom his sister had meant when she spoke of that greater beauty.

Geom Mugeuk came up beside him and casually asked,

“Have you fallen for her?”

Hagun looked at him as though asking what on earth he meant.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Isn’t it only natural for a man to fall for a beautiful woman? I understand completely.”

“Do you fall so easily for women you’ve just met?”

He could hardly let that pass. It was as good as drawing a sword in front of Geom Mugeuk.

“Love at first sight is possible.”

“Not for me. I don’t give my heart to someone I know nothing about.”

Since that was plainly almost entirely sincere, Geom Mugeuk attacked from another angle.

“Ah, Yi An. You’ll have to try harder. You weren’t beautiful enough to move this man’s ironclad heart. I’ll tell her that—she wasn’t beautiful enough to move you.”

Hagun grew flustered.

“What? Don’t go telling her that!”

“But isn’t that what you mean? ‘How dare you try to sway me with mere beauty! Your looks aren’t enough to move me!’”

“No! She’s more than beautiful enough.”

“Then have you fallen for her?”

At last, Hagun shook his head in defeat.

“Think whatever you like.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled in triumph.

After that round of banter, Hagun brought up his visit to his master.

“I went to see my master.”

He recounted their conversation exactly.

Geom Mugeuk considered it for a moment. Watching him, Hagun felt a peculiar tension. His face was entirely different from when he had been joking just moments before.

Whatever Geom Mugeuk was about to say, Hagun needed to be able to say it himself. He needed to learn to think that way. Only then could he contend with him.

“Did his words make you waver?”

“Isn’t it possible that my master truly did it for peace in Murim?”

“Nonsense. If he wanted peace in Murim, he should never have tried to save the school master’s son in the first place. Think about it. The Orthodox Martial Alliance pressured us into releasing someone the Demonic Cult’s young lord had taken prisoner to punish. It only passed without incident because my father let it go to test me. What if we had responded harshly? That would truly have brought us one step closer to war.”

Hagun nodded, regretting that he had not been able to say this to his master then and there.

“I must see your master myself.”

“Are you serious?”

Geom Mugeuk nodded. He had concluded that drawing out the man’s true nature through Hagun would be difficult. His opponent was moving far too cautiously.

“How? My master will never agree to meet you.”

He had lived in secrecy all this time. Hagun thought that even Geom Mugeuk would be unable to find a way to see him.

Just then, someone else arrived: Jin Haryeong.

“You’re here too, Brother.”

“What brings you here?”

“I have no business with either of you. I came to see Martial Artist Yi.”

Geom Mugeuk told her,

“Yi An’s in her room, at the end of the corridor. Oh, tell her something for me. She still isn’t enough to move your brother’s heart...”

“Stop!”

Hagun hastily cut him off. Haryeong, who could guess roughly what was happening at a glance, said to Geom Mugeuk,

“Even if you play with him, be sure to put him back where he belongs.”

“Of course. He’s the most dangerous toy in Murim.”