novelraw Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Considering the martial arts he had just displayed, it wouldn't have been strange at all if Seo Mugyeom collapsed on the spot. In fact, it would’ve been more surprising if he hadn’t.
However, Seo Mugyeom looked completely unbothered. His expression didn’t show the slightest hint that he had just exerted himself to his limit.
Hearing the Captain’s question, Seo Mugyeom looked at him and smiled.
"I'm fine."
Then he approached Pyo Inhaeng and spoke quietly.
"It seems my inner arts surged and moved on their own. It feels like they awakened in a different manner than before. I was surrounded by a multitude of people who all attacked at once, and I think that triggered it."
"Are you saying your inner arts moved on their own to save you when you were in a near-death situation?"
Even as he spoke, Pyo Inhaeng wondered if such a thing was truly possible. But it seemed to be true.
Seo Mugyeom’s face agreed.
“You really are something…”
Pyo Inhaeng shook his head in disbelief.
"Even if you hadn’t stepped in, I could’ve handled it. You know that, right? I was actually a bit excited to meet a worthy opponent after so long."
"I apologize, Captain. I hope such an opportunity arises again. And next time, I won’t steal your prey."
It was a casual remark, but Seo Mugyeom looked so serious that it worried him slightly.
"There's no need to go that far. We never know when an opportunity will come, so it's better to act when it does. If I don’t want my prey stolen, I should just move faster."
As he said this, he scanned Seo Mugyeom closely. Despite his words, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Seo Mugyeom might have unknowingly exhausted his energy. Too many strange things had happened to him—it felt necessary to keep an eye on him.
He must have obtained a miraculous encounter through unknown means, becoming stronger in a very short time. Because of that, he lacked the depth that comes from experience and time.
Pyo Inhaeng resolved that he would have to help fill in that gap.
"From now on, don’t do anything. We’ll handle the rest."
Even so, it didn’t feel right for him to rest while the Captain and Vice-Captain were still moving. When Seo Mugyeom shook his head, unwilling to agree, Pyo Inhaeng put on a fearsome expression.
"That’s an order. Are you going to disobey a Captain's command?"
"But…"
"We didn’t even do much, did we? If we return looking fresh while everyone else is exhausted, what do you think people will say about us?"
Then, as if he had nothing more to say, he moved through the mountain bandits, manipulating the scene.
Their objective wasn’t the bloodbath of Black Dragon Keep.
They had to make it seem as though Ak Seol-ah had died here.
“We should hide the Boss’s corpse, right? If someone was capable enough to take Young Mistress Ak from us and kill her, then they should be capable of escaping too.”
Ju Jirang said as she approached Pyo Inhaeng.
They were all staring down at the Boss’s corpse.
Pyo Inhaeng nodded.
“We should get rid of both the Boss and Sub-Boss’s bodies. Make it seem like the two of them took Young Mistress Ak and, when things didn’t go as planned, killed her. Let’s say we witnessed her death. They slit her throat and ran off with the body.”
Ju Jirang also nodded.
The Ak Clan Head might want to retrieve Ak Seol-ah’s body, but since she was already dead, he likely wouldn’t go to the ends of the earth as if looking for someone still alive.
“Come to think of it, the injuries sustained by the Tenth Division in the previous battle worked in our favor, Captain. Had that not been the case, it might’ve seemed suspicious that no one got hurt in such a fierce battle.”
After tidying up the area, Ho Jo-yeong remarked.
Hearing this, Pyo Inhaeng realized she was right.
With only four of them coming here, he had anticipated a fierce battle, even expecting injuries. He had thought it might actually be necessary. As Ho Jo-yeong pointed out, if they lost Ak Seol-ah without a scratch on them, it would have looked suspicious.
Yet here they were, barely injured.
Pyo Inhaeng glanced at Seo Mugyeom. He couldn’t help but wonder—just how much of a monster was this guy? But Seo Mugyeom didn’t realize they were talking about him.
In truth, he could barely focus on their conversation. He was far too curious about the inner arts that had awakened within him. All he wanted was to return quickly and perform circulation breathing.
Pyo Inhaeng and Ho Jo-yeong also realized Seo Mugyeom was lost in his own thoughts.
There was no need to linger here any longer.
Moreover, since some of the Black Dragon Keep’s bandits had escaped, it was better to leave quickly.
Not everything had gone exactly as planned, but it could still be called a success.
The four of them left Black Dragon Keep the same way they came—in secret. They made sure no bandits witnessed their departure.
By now, the darkness had deepened around them, and a timely gust of wind carried the strong scent of blood.
Most of those assigned to escort Ak Seol-ah were now heading back to the Divine Martial Sect.
Only Pyo Inhaeng was traveling to the Ak Clan alone. It was to inform them of what had happened to Ak Seol-ah.
In truth, Ak Seol-ah was perfectly fine, but they couldn’t let the Clan Head find out.
Seo Mugyeom had said the road might be dangerous and insisted on accompanying him, but Pyo Inhaeng had declined.
Ho Jo-yeong also offered to go, but he turned her down as well.
He wanted it to seem like everyone else was wounded and struggling to return to the Divine Martial Sect, while he alone came to deliver the news to the Ak Clan.
To appear exhausted, Pyo Inhaeng had even skipped two meals. But missing just two meals wasn’t enough to make him look pale.
As he rode toward the Ak Clan, Pyo Inhaeng fell deep into thought.
‘What exactly happened with Seo Mugyeom? It didn’t seem like he was lying when I asked. Can a person really receive a miraculous encounter like that? Without even realizing when it happened?’
He was so envious, he felt like crying.
When he finally reached the Ak Clan, those who saw him looked puzzled.
After all, it was strange for the Tenth Division Leader of the Guardian Ten Division—who was supposed to escort Ak Seol-ah to the Imperial City—to return alone.
Some quickly moved to inform those inside, and the Young Lord came running out first.
Unless something serious had happened, there was no reason for him to be returning alone.
“Captain, why have you returned? Did something unfortunate happen on the way? What happened to Seol-ah?”
The Young Lord asked, his face anxious.
He didn’t even bother with greetings, immediately asking about Ak Seol-ah as if desperate to hear that she was safe.
“I believe I should speak with the Clan Head first. Please listen to the story together.”
The Young Lord’s anxiety heightened at those words.
“Captain, Seol-ah is safe, isn’t she? Nothing happened to her, right?”
It wasn’t difficult to answer on the way. He could have just said yes.
But Pyo Inhaeng kept his mouth shut. In that short time, the Young Lord’s heart seemed to burn to ashes.
Now, the only option was to head straight to the Clan Head’s office.
Knowing full well that the Young Lord was reacting out of concern for Ak Seol-ah, Pyo Inhaeng didn’t want to prolong his suffering. So he quickly made his way to the Clan Head’s office.
The martial artist guarding the entrance seemed to have already delivered the news and opened the door.
The Clan Head, waiting inside, greeted Pyo Inhaeng.
“What happened, Captain? Why have you returned so soon?”
He looked at him with a troubled face. But it was clearly different from the Young Lord’s expression.
Though both were concerned for Ak Seol-ah, the degree of worry seemed to differ.
“I failed to carry out the task you entrusted to me, Clan Head.”
“What… what do you mean? Are you saying something happened to our Seol-ah?”
The Clan Head shouted in disbelief.
Pyo Inhaeng, having anticipated this reaction to some extent, replied with an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry, Clan Head. On the way, we were attacked by mountain bandits from Black Dragon Keep. Caught off guard, everyone fought to the death, but we failed to protect Young Mistress Ak. The Boss and Sub-Boss fled with her. We pursued them, but during the chase, Young Mistress Ak died.”
“…!”
The Clan Head clutched his forehead and collapsed into his seat, speechless.
But the Young Lord seemed even more devastated. He looked at Pyo Inhaeng and asked again.
“What are you saying, Captain? What was the Guardian Ten Division doing? Are you saying you couldn’t even stop mere bandits and let Seol-ah—our Seol-ah—die? Answer me! If it was something you couldn’t handle, you should’ve stepped back from the start. If the Guardian Ten Division hadn’t gotten involved, we could’ve hired someone else, even if it cost us! Why did you get involved and ruin everything?!”
He screamed like he had lost his mind and ended up wailing.
“Seol-ah! It’s your brother’s fault. I shouldn’t have trusted them and sent you! I should’ve gone with you! It’s all my fault, Seol-ah!”
He collapsed to the floor, crying, his head bowed and hands pressed to the ground. It was a heartbreaking sight. Pyo Inhaeng thought—at least one person in the Ak Clan seemed to truly care for Ak Seol-ah.
Compared to the Young Lord’s reaction, the Clan Head remained composed.
As the head of a clan, it made sense that he couldn’t show all his emotions. But something about him didn’t quite sit right—he didn’t seem like someone suppressing grief.
Rather, it looked like he was calculating something in his head.