novelraw Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Tragedy of Hebei (2)
Under the round full moon, twilight had settled over the Bisa Clan. A single shadow moved stealthily between the buildings.
‘Is that the annex over there?’
Jiwon, dressed in black light armor, paused for a moment and stared at the Bisa Clan building located in the distance. He had been secretly investigating the locations recommended by Mak Hwaryeong, but he was unsure if he would be able to find any clues regarding the disappearances today.
‘I do not think they have noticed me yet.’
He glanced toward the building where the resident guests stayed. Two warriors were lying flat on the roof, monitoring the room where he was staying. The Bisa Clan was not foolish; they had been keeping a close watch on him this entire time.
‘But in the martial world, inner energy is king.’
Thanks to his energy sense, which transcended the five senses, their surveillance was largely useless. Jiwon looked toward the annex once more and leaped forward swiftly.
Swish.
Cutting through the darkness, he reached the annex in an instant. He opened a window and slipped inside.
‘...Now, let us see.’
The interior was pitch black, illuminated only by the seeping moonlight, but he could make out the layout to some extent thanks to his energy sense.
‘It looks like this place is used as a storehouse.’
Miscellaneous items were scattered everywhere. Far from being disappointed, Jiwon flashed a knowing smile. This was exactly the kind of place where hidden rooms appeared in Wuxia stories.
Fumble, fumble.
He crouched down and began moving around, pressing various parts of the floor.
Click.
Rumble.
“...!?”
As something was pressed, the center of the storehouse floor split open, revealing a staircase leading downward. He had not truly expected to find a secret location, so he felt an indescribable surge of excitement.
‘Yes!’
If he could just save the missing children with this, he could put an end to the Tragedy of Hebei.
Step. Step.
Jiwon carefully descended the stairs. At the bottom was a vast cavern. Fortunately or unfortunately, the kidnapped children were not there.
“Damn it. Was this for nothing?”
He frowned. To get a better look, he pulled a fire starter—a bundle of oil-soaked paper—from his robes and lit it.
Whoosh.
In the cavern where the darkness had been pushed back, books on shelves and various treasures reflected the light.
“What is this? Is it something like the Bisa Clan’s treasury?”
He walked slowly toward the bookshelf and pulled out a book. The title was written in powerful calligraphy: Flying Dragon Sword Manual.
“Hmm.”
Out of curiosity, he flipped through it. It contained detailed descriptions of postures and inner energy circulation methods required to master the Flying Dragon Sword Manual. However, after reading a few pages, Jiwon tucked it back in with an indifferent expression. A secret manual of the Bisa Clan would be nothing compared to the Heaven-Slaying Sword Script that Sama Seorin was currently creating.
“Wow. They certainly have piled up a lot of things.”
In addition to precious armor and swords, gold ingots and expensive-looking items were stacked in layers. He looked around for a moment but soon lost interest. He could not use the swords or armor even if he took them, and there was a limit to how many gold ingots or treasures he could sneak out without being noticed. Since there were no signs of the missing children, he had to head back up the stairs.
‘Is the Bisa Clan truly not the culprit?’
Forget evidence; he had not found a single trace related to the child abductions during his time as a resident guest.
‘This is not good.’
The moment he stepped back up into the storehouse while frowning—
Clang, clang, clang!
“...!?”
Warriors in red martial robes suddenly surrounded the entrance, pointing their swords at him all at once. They were clearly high-level warriors, as they had not been caught by his energy sense despite his distraction. Furthermore, Jang Gihu, the Clan Leader of the Bisa Clan who exuded a chilling aura, stood at the center of them. For now, Jiwon quietly raised both hands.
“...Search him.”
At the middle-aged man’s command, his son, Jang Pyo, searched Jiwon’s body with a grim expression. When he naturally found nothing, he looked at Jang Gihu with a surprised expression.
“He has nothing on him.”
“...”
Jang Gihu fell into thought for a moment at Jang Pyo’s report before speaking calmly.
“As you have seen, young hero, the treasury of our Bisa Clan lies beneath this floor. When the entrance opens, I, as the Clan Leader, am notified.”
‘Ah. I did not think of that.’
“The treasury contains our clan’s secret manuals and treasures, yet you did not lay a finger on anything.”
His voice was calm, but a small hint of admiration could be felt. Jiwon did not miss this and lowered his voice to sound cool.
“I entered the Bisa Clan as a guest solely to investigate the disappearances.”
“It is said that seeing a thing creates the desire to possess it, yet I, Jang, shall acknowledge your sincerity, Young Hero Cheon.”
The middle-aged man nodded deeply, then suddenly narrowed his eyes coldly.
“Therefore, I shall overlook the rudeness you committed tonight.”
He gestured with his eyes, and the warriors sheathed their swords all at once.
“Thank you.”
Jiwon quickly cupped his fist and let out an inward sigh of relief.
‘Phew. That almost ended badly.’
Though he had unexpectedly left a deep impression on Jang Gihu, Jiwon had ultimately gained nothing from the endeavor.
***
“Man, the weather is great today~.”
Step. Step.
Jiwon moved with a leisurely stride while looking up at the clear sky. As he walked down the sparsely populated street, he eventually arrived at an abandoned house. Although it was falling apart, the wide walls and the large building made it clear that a wealthy person had once lived there.
“...”
A woman sat on the narrow wooden porch of the abandoned house, looking up at the sky. Dressed in spotless white martial robes and possessing an elegant appearance, she looked like a painting just by sitting there. Even Jiwon, who had developed an immunity to beautiful women thanks to Sama Seorin, paused for a moment to admire her charm.
“...Oh?”
However, when Mak Hwaryeong spotted him and waved, he let out a chuckle and approached her.
“The weather is lovely.”
“It truly is.”
After exchanging brief pleasantries, the two got straight to the point.
“It seems the Bisa Clan is not the culprit behind the disappearances. I searched all the locations you recommended, but I could not find a single trace.”
“Sigh. Is that so?”
She sighed at Jiwon's words and shared her own information.
“The investigation team dispatched by the Martial Alliance has not found any significant clues either. The people behind this are terrifyingly thorough. It is almost as if... we are dealing with ghosts.”
“Hmm...”
“And another child disappeared in the city yesterday.”
“Hah. In the middle of all this?”
Jiwon swallowed a groan and gasped at Mak Hwaryeong's continued explanation. Numerous warriors from both the righteous and wicked factions were scouring the city for the culprit. The fact that a child was still kidnapped despite that was simply absurd.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Well, first I should leave the Bisa Clan. There is no reason for me to hang around there anymore. I plan to start the investigation over from the beginning.”
When he replied casually with a shrug, Mak Hwaryeong raised her voice as if she had been waiting for this.
“Then how about investigating with us?! I can recommend you.”
Although their first meeting had been the worst, she had come to acknowledge the man named Cheon Siu in her own way. Even if his personality was frivolous, he was capable and bold. Moreover, since he had a firm resolve to solve the disappearance case, she believed he would be a great help.
“That does not sound bad.”
Jiwon also took it positively. His goal was to resolve the Tragedy of Hebei and build his reputation; it did not matter whether he worked with the righteous or the wicked.
“I will think it over and visit the Hyeobui Clan.”
“Alright. But please make your decision quickly.”
Jiwon bid farewell to Mak Hwaryeong and left the abandoned house.
‘...It really is better to stick with the Martial Alliance.’
He had said he would think it over, but he had actually made up his mind the moment he heard the proposal. It was much more efficient to move systematically as a group rather than chasing clouds alone. Thus, as soon as he arrived at the Bisa Clan, he went straight to the Clan Leader’s office.
“I intend to leave tomorrow morning.”
“Hmm? So suddenly?”
He smiled at the middle-aged man’s confused expression and told him the reason.
“Because I have not found any clues regarding the disappearances here.”
“...I see.”
Jang Gihu nodded calmly and suddenly cupped his fist.
“The Bisa Clan will always welcome Hero Cheon Siu. If you ever need a place to stay, please feel free to visit us.”
“Oh my. Thank you.”
Jiwon grinned and expressed his gratitude politely before leaving the office. The sky was already stained with the colors of twilight. He stared up at it for a moment as if entranced, then stepped forward with a bitter smile.
“The view is to die for.”
He entered his room and began packing his things. Since he did not have much to begin with, he finished quickly and sat in a chair, staring blankly.
“...I am bored to death.”
There was absolutely nothing to do. No computer, no phone, no internet. There was nothing to stimulate his brain.
‘I finally understand why martial artists in these novels are so obsessed with training.’
It was because there was nothing else to do. Eventually, he also grumbled as he left his room and headed toward the training ground.
“Ha! Hah! Ha!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The warriors of the Bisa Clan were swinging their swords in groups or engaging in duels. Jiwon watched them from a distance with his arms crossed when something suddenly occurred to him.
‘Ah. In the martial world, is it rude to watch others practice?’
After all, martial arts were essentially the same as modern trade secrets. Just as he was debating whether to return to his room, a sharp-eyed young man approached and greeted him.
“You have come, Hero Cheon Siu.”
The man with the agile body and red martial robes was Jang Pyo, the Young Clan Leader of the Bisa Clan. His first impression had been blunt, but he had been friendly ever since the incident in the treasury. Thus, Jiwon scratched his head with an awkward expression.
“I hope I am not intruding.”
“Taking you in as a guest means we are prepared to handle that much. Please do not worry about it.”
“Ah... I see.”
As he nodded, Jang Pyo asked with eyes that were uncharacteristically sparkling.
“By the way, Hero Cheon, what kind of martial arts do you use?”
“I use a sword.”
He gave the answer he had prepared in advance for his cover, and Jang Pyo looked puzzled.
“But you do not have a sword...”
Jiwon could not help but feel a prick of guilt. Come to think of it, he had not bought a sword. So, he gave a hollow laugh and made an excuse.
“Haha. It broke while I was traveling the martial world, and I have not been able to get a new one because I lack the funds.”
“Oh... I see.”
One would think he would be suspicious, but Jang Pyo was actually impressed. A swordsman so poor(?) that he could not even afford a sword, yet he looked upon the treasures of the vault as if they were mere stones. Looking at Jiwon with newfound respect, he asked cautiously.
“If you do not mind, would you like me to give you a sword?”
“Oh, I would be grateful if you gave me one.”
Jiwon bowed and accepted it readily. Why let pride get in the way of a free gift? Jang Pyo showed a faint smile and returned with a sword.
“This is a sword that has been sleeping in the treasury for a long time. It seems it has finally met its master today.”
Jiwon slowly took the sword held out to him. The bluish metal hilt had a simple elegance, and the black wood scabbard wrapping the blade had a deep, refined quality.
“Go ahead and draw it.”
At Jang Pyo’s smiling encouragement, he gripped the hilt and pulled.
Chirrrp.
The blade was drawn, ringing with a unique metallic cry. Its appearance was also extraordinary, as shimmering red scales covered the entire surface. It was a sword that reminded one of a living snake.
“For now, we call it the Snake Scale Sword. I do not know if you will like it.”
Snapping out of it at Jang Pyo’s words, Jiwon gave him a look as if the gift was too much.
“No, is it really alright for me to accept such a sword?”
“To be honest, it is not actually that great of a sword. Aside from the fact that it is sturdier than an average blade.”
He looked embarrassed, as if he wasn't just being humble. Thanks to that, Jiwon could cup his fist with a light heart.
“I will put it to good use. Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it.”
The two were sharing a warm moment when sharp voices suddenly cut through the air.
“Fall back immediately!”
“What is the meaning of this?!”
For some reason, the entrance was in an uproar.
“...Please excuse me for a moment.”
Jang Pyo ran out with a grim expression, and Jiwon followed behind him for the time being.
When the two reached the entrance of the Bisa Clan, they both had to frown at the same time. This was because a large number of righteous warriors were surrounding the area with murderous expressions.