novelraw Chapter 13 : The Old Men (3)
Chapter 13 : The Old Men (3)
Won Young-choong stared at Kang Yu with wide, disbelieving eyes. He put down his wine cup, his expression changed, and he asked.
"I'd like to hear the details."
"Yes."
Kang Yu relayed the contents of the report he had received from Jin Sawoon to Won Young-choong. Won Young-choong's expression hardened seriously.
"When you went to the mountain fortress, they were all already dead, and the goods were also gone?"
"That's right."
"So there's nothing."
"Yes."
At Kang Yu's answer, Won Young-choong shook his head as if disappointed. If there was evidence, it would be a great help to the family head.
It was an open secret that the Seven Great Martial Families kept each other in check.
"It doesn't matter if there's nothing. Don't we have the eyes and ears of Number Ninety-nine? A Slaughter Ghost does not lie. Who knows about this?"
"Only myself and Number Ninety-nine, Jin Sawoon."
"Keep it under wraps."
"Yes."
Kang Yu replied and then quietly went outside. After he left, Won Young-choong also stood up and prepared to go out.
* * *
Jin Sawoon, who had returned to his room, just sat in the room without any particular movement. As he looked at the wall, strangely, he saw the image of Ha Shin-hak.
The image of Ha Shin-hak's hand grabbing the hilt of his sword, lightly extending it forward, and emitting sword energy was clearly drawn.
As he searched his memory further, he saw that Ha Shin-hak's back foot was slightly twisted.
He also remembered that his wrist was lightly twisted when he extended the sword.
'What kind of sword art is it?'
A question arose, but he couldn't find the answer.
Jin Sawoon couldn't know that it was the Light-Splitting Sword Art of the Zhongnan Sect.
Jin Sawoon recalled the Seven Swords of the Ghostly Soul of Ghost Spirit Valley that he was learning and compared them.
He overlapped the second form of the Seven Swords of the Ghostly Soul, the Ghostly God's Short Life, with Ha Shin-hak's sword drawing. Strangely, he saw parts that were similar yet different.
He himself didn't know why he saw that. It was like an illusion that just came to his mind.
Swish!
He stood up from his seat, grabbed the hilt of the flexible sword hanging from his waist, and was about to bend his waist but then stood to the side.
He put strength in his back foot, drew his sword, and recalled Ha Shin-hak.
Papapat! Chareureuk!
In an instant, five silver lights flickered, and the flexible sword pointing forward trembled.
Jin Sawoon, who put the flexible sword that rippled like a silk cloth back into his waist, moved again, unfolding the form of the Ghostly God's Short Life.
Wing! Papapat!
The sound of the wind and the sound of the sword flying around the room at the same time.
Woong! Woong!
As the tip of the bending flexible sword pointed to the ground, he heard footsteps approaching the door.
Knock! Knock!
After knocking on the door, he soon heard the sound of a meal being placed and then disappearing.
Jin Sawoon brought the meal to the table, placed it, and then picked up his sword again.
Jin Sawoon, who had brandished his sword until the food was cold, continued to practice the sword art in the small room until midnight even after eating.
The next day.
After eating breakfast, Jin Sawoon went into the stream that cut through the foggy forest of Ghost Spirit Valley and washed his body.
As he soaked his body in the cold stream water, his mind became clear.
"Aren't you cold?"
At the voice from behind, Jin Sawoon turned his head. He saw Seo Woon-gang taking off his clothes.
Splash!
Seo Woon-gang, despite asking if he was cold, came into the water.
As Seo Woon-gang washed his face with the cold water and shook his head, a faint haze rose from over his shoulders.
As the coldness subsided to some extent, Seo Woon-gang asked.
"Did you hear the news?"
"What?"
"They say that Team Seven, which went down to Sichuan, all died. They were chasing a traitor of the Cult, but it seems they were the ones who got caught."
Jin Sawoon frowned. If it had been good news, he would have tried to show a happy face, but he couldn't.
"Who was the opponent?"
"I don't know. Would the higher-ups tell us something like that?"
"That's true."
"Will we go?"
When Seo Woon-gang asked, Jin Sawoon shook his head.
"No way. Our more outstanding seniors will move."
Jin Sawoon's answer was a matter of course. They were still low-ranking Slaughter Ghosts who had not even reached the fifth rank.
Seo Woon-gang said as if he had remembered something.
"I still can't understand why they let someone like Ha Shin-hak go. The number of comrades who died at his hands must be over a hundred."
"As the team leader said, they don't care how many of us die."
"Still, it's sad that we're just pawns."
"Discard such emotions."
Chureureuk!
With his words, Jin Sawoon stood up, got out of the water, and fumbled with his clothes.
Seo Woon-gang also came out of the water and put on his clothes. Then he chuckled and said.
"I'm telling you in advance, if I die, you avenge me."
"Me? Why?"
"Because you seem like you'll live longer than me."
At Seo Woon-gang's words, Jin Sawoon answered without much thought.
"Alright."
"Keep your promise."
"Okay."
At Jin Sawoon's answer, Seo Woon-gang patted his shoulder and then walked forward.
Jin Sawoon followed him without a word.
Jin Sawoon was heading to his room. On the way, a member of the main hall appeared and he followed him to the Valley Lord's office.
When he opened the door and entered, the Valley Lord, Won Young-choong, and the steward, Hyung-wook, were sitting together, and behind them stood Kang Yu.
Kang Yu's expression did not look good.
Jin Sawoon instinctively knew that it was not a good thing.
"You called for me?"
As Jin Sawoon bowed his waist and cupped his fist, Won Young-choong nodded.
"I called you to give you a special mission."
At the word 'special', Jin Sawoon showed curiosity. Won Young-choong paused for a moment and then spoke again.
"From today, you are to monitor Cheon Woo-rin and report anything unusual to the valley."
"Yes."
Jin Sawoon did not ask for a reason.
As if he liked that, Won Young-choong nodded and looked at Hyung-wook. Steward Hyung-wook continued.
"Monitor from a suitable distance. Don't do anything dangerous and keep your distance."
"Understood."
As Jin Sawoon answered, Kang Yu led Jin Sawoon and went outside.
After they left, Won Young-choong let out a short breath. Hyung-wook asked with a hardened expression.
"Is the family head trying to fight with the Cheon family?"
Won Young-choong was silent for a moment and then answered.
"If Cheon Woo-rin instigated those who tried to kill the young lady, it is a matter that deserves punishment. That is all the family head wishes for."
Won Young-choong answered and then drank his tea. But if they pushed Cheon Woo-rin out, the Cheon family would not stand still.
This was a matter that could cause a great conflict if handled incorrectly.
Jin Sawoon, who had come down to the first floor of the main hall, entered a small room in the guest hall with Kang Yu and sat down.
As soon as he sat down, Kang Yu said.
"This is a dangerous mission."
"I know."
"You might die."
"Yes."
Even though he spoke of death, Jin Sawoon's expression did not change much.
Kang Yu observed Jin Sawoon as if he were strange.
The fact that there was almost no emotional fluctuation came to him as unfamiliar.
"Even if you infiltrate the Cheon family and die, we will deny your existence."
It was what he had expected. When Jin Sawoon heard that he had to monitor Cheon Woo-rin, he knew that he was completely alone.
The Cheon family was a family belonging to the Heavenly Divine Cult and could be called comrades. If the Cheon family found out that Ghost Spirit Valley was monitoring them, the sense of betrayal would be quite great.
"Currently, the only people who know about Cheon Woo-rin are the Valley Lord, the steward, the family head, you, and me."
"For now... is it?"
"That's right. As time passes, it will increase a little."
"Yes."
Even as Jin Sawoon answered, he couldn't gauge how big of a deal this was.
Kang Yu thought for a moment, then let out a short breath and said.
"To be honest, I was against this mission. I thought it wasn't a problem we needed to get involved in."
"What is the reason?"
"Because it's a dangerous job."
Kang Yu smiled. Jin Sawoon nodded as if he understood. Kang Yu patted Jin Sawoon's shoulder.
* * *
A young man in plain clothes was walking along the road between the numerous tall buildings and pavilions lined up around the south gate of Cheonsu City.
He walked along a high wall for a long time, and when an alley between the walls appeared, he entered it and opened a small side door.
It was the back door of the Cheon family manor, and there too, two warriors were standing. They were warriors of the Cheon family, wearing white martial arts uniforms and with swords on their shoulders.
The two checked the nameplate the young man held out and let him in.
The young man was Jin Sawoon, who had left Ghost Spirit Valley.
Jin Sawoon passed the separate building, entered the rear garden of the main building, and began to chop firewood.
Besides himself, there were quite a few young and middle-aged men working. There was a middle-aged man named No-pal who managed the workers, but he was a taciturn person and didn't make useless conversation.
Thwack! Crack! Thwack! Crack!
While repeatedly chopping firewood, Jin Sawoon observed the workers coming and going.
There were two types of people working here.
There were servants who stayed at the Cheon family manor and worked, and there were outsiders like Jin Sawoon who commuted to work here.
The servants who lodged and boarded here were all brought from the Cheon family, and they were those who had worked at the Cheon family for generations.
Since they were people with a clear identity, their treatment was different.
The Cheon family manor was a house prepared by the Cheon family in Cheonsu City, and the current head of the manor was Cheon Mun-jung, the younger brother of the Cheon family head.
Next to the Cheon family manor was the Cheongmyeong Manor prepared by the Seomun family, and the people of the Seomun family stayed there.
On the opposite side, there were also the manor of the Shin family and the manor of the Naeng family. They were all families that held a position in the Heavenly Divine Cult.
It had been five days since he had entered this place, but Jin Sawoon had not yet seen the head of this manor.
Cheon Woo-rin also seemed to be staying at the Cult, so he couldn't see him.
Thwack! Thwack! Crack!
Next to Jin Sawoon, two large, well-built men were chopping firewood.
On one side, numerous logs were lined up, and he could also see several other workers cutting them into appropriate sizes.
"Before the snow comes, you are to make all the trees here into firewood."
"Yes, sir."
As the servants answered with weak voices, the old No-pal put his hands behind his back and headed elsewhere.
Jin Sawoon stared at the disappearing figure of No-pal and then looked at the high walls. What he had learned while working here was that outside workers could not go beyond that wall.
The guards standing near the gate strictly controlled the entry and exit of outsiders.
'A problem.'
Another problem was that outside workers could be fired at any time.
Now, because winter was coming, they were hired to make the necessary firewood for the whole winter, but once the necessary firewood was prepared, they all had to quit.
And they would be hired again when spring came. During the winter, the workers had to find other ways to make a living.
He spent the day chopping firewood, taking a short break, and then chopping firewood again.
In the evening, Jin Sawoon, who had left the Cheon family manor, passed the main road where the wealthy lived, walked for a long time, and then entered a shabby slum beyond the east gate.
It was outside Cheonsu City, and many houses were scattered around in a disorderly manner.
Jin Sawoon opened the door of a shack right next to a stream and sat down.
It was a house the size of a latrine, a small room with only a bed. A cold wind blew in through the gaps in the wood.
Jin Sawoon, who took out a small jar from under the bed, put the three iron coins he had received as wages for the day into it.
It was not much money, but it was enough for a day's meal. Since he had saved fifteen coins so far, it seemed he could stay at an inn for ten days.
As darkness fell, a black shadow opened the door and entered.
It was Seo Woon-gang.
He placed a pouch with steaming buns and a leather pouch filled with water on the bed without a greeting.
"It smells bad. Where did you find a house like this?"
Seo Woon-gang said, wrinkling his nose. Since it was next to a stream and there was no latrine, all the people here relieved themselves in the stream.
That smell of urine stimulated Seo Woon-gang's nose. But it was a smell that he would get used to after about a day.
"Cheon Woo-rin just entered the Cheon family manor. You can start moving from tonight."
"Really?"
"Muryong and I have entered the Sojeong Pavilion in front of the east gate as waiters. We're the contacts."
Hearing Seo Woon-gang's words, Jin Sawoon ate the buns without a reply. Seo Woon-gang, who was watching him, shook his head as if he was still the same and went out.
(End of Chapter)