novelraw Chapter 46 : Chapter 46
Chapter 46 : Chapter 46
Chapter46 - Prison (3)
Jegal Mu-ui, who had glanced at me, cleared his throat with a hem-hem.
“The martial arts of the Heavenly Demon that you have learned. That martial art capable of suppressing ten thousand demons—”
Jegal Mu-ui took a deep breath and continued speaking cautiously.
“How about using it for the sake of our Murim Alliance?”
“…….”
When I did not readily open my mouth, Jegal Mu-ui spoke to me again with earnest eyes.
“I know the reason you are hostile towards the Demonic Cult. I also know that you are in a situation where you need an ally. In such a situation, you wouldn't lose anything by joining hands with us.”
“Since you called it a deal, shall I hear what conditions you have brought?”
At my words, Jegal Mu-ui let out a small sigh as if relieved and unraveled a long story.
After hearing Jegal Mu-ui’s words to the end, I, who had been lost in thought, finally opened my mouth.
“I can use Demonic Arts while operating within the Murim Alliance?”
“Yes. However, exposing your origin is burdensome for us too, so we need to add one more device.”
Jegal Mu-ui, who paused for a moment, took out a small wooden plaque from his bosom and held it out to me.
“It is not well known, but there is a place within the Murim Alliance where members who analyze and learn Demonic Arts are affiliated. It is called the Demon Study Hall .”
The previous Heavenly Demon, Jeong-cheon, pursued only martial arts, and thus had connections with numerous masters belonging to the Murim Alliance.
Jegal Mu-ui said that the Demon Study Hall was created at that time.
“I intend to say that you are a master raised there. If we do that, there won't be a big problem even if you use Demonic Arts.”
The wooden plaque Jegal Mu-ui held out had the inscription ‘Anti-Demon Squad Special Task Group, Han Jaun’.
“Of course, that doesn't mean I'm asking you to actually work as a member of the Demon Study Hall. To achieve what you want and operate comfortably, it would be better to stay active in the Anti-Demon Squad as before. However, I plan to create a separate organization, not the existing search squad. An organization that can perform special missions fitting your situation.”
“The members of the organization?”
“I thought it would be convenient to operate as a small elite group. So I asked the Anti-Demon Squad members for their opinions in advance. Then Hyeon-dam and Baek-myo, those two volunteered to be with you. If only you agree, you will be performing missions with those two.”
Hyeon-dam, and Baek-myo.
They were nostalgic and welcome names.
‘I can be with the seniors again?’
It was not a bad offer no matter how I weighed it.
No, from my perspective, it was hard to find conditions as good as this.
To oppose the Demonic Cult, the power of the Murim Alliance was absolutely necessary for me.
To borrow their power later, it was best to become a part of the Murim Alliance and build trust with them.
And above all, if the people I would be with were composed of those I could trust sufficiently, there was nothing better for me.
Jegal Mu-ui spoke again to me as I was pondering.
“I will give you sufficient activity funds and freedom. I plan to let you decide the direction of the organization’s activities entirely. Unless we propose a separate mission, it doesn't matter if you move in the direction you want.”
“……I will decide after verifying a few things. First, even if the Murim Alliance proposes a mission, if that mission is not related to the Demonic Cult, I will not move.”
“Do not worry. I know well that a knife must be used for its proper purpose.”
“Organizational recruitment?”
“As many as there are volunteers.”
“I plan to gather people from other groups as well, not just the Murim Alliance, to pool our strength; I would prefer if you didn't interfere in that regard.”
“……Understood. Instead, please tell us in advance. We also need to know roughly what you are doing.”
“One last thing. How long is this proposal valid?”
“Until you aim your sword at the Murim Alliance.”
Jegal Mu-ui, having given the final answer, looked down at me with his back straightened stiffly.
Wharrrk
I, who had been looking into Jegal Mu-ui’s eyes for a while, instantly emitted energy and burned away the residues of Turbid Energy that were thickly covering my body.
Rising from my seat, I slowly approached Jegal Mu-ui and extended my hand.
“I accept the deal. Please take care of me from now on, Strategist.”
Looking at me, who had suddenly restrained my momentum and returned to being an ordinary boy, Jegal Mu-ui laughed loudly as if satisfied.
“I have obtained a good sword. Please take care of me too, Little Heavenly Demon.”
Clang!
As Jegal Mu-ui gestured, the Escort Warriors who had been standing behind came into the prison and cut the chains binding my hands and feet just like that.
***
‘Beautiful.’
Having made a simple vow with the Strategist and walked out of the prison, I looked around at the torches lit everywhere in the Murim Alliance.
Night had fallen, casting deep darkness.
People's footsteps were busy, though I didn't know what was so urgent.
Inhaling the night air deeply, I put the returned Ink Ring on my hand and looked around again.
‘I only imagined it; I didn't know I would be roaming the Murim Alliance freely this soon.’
Looking around with a light heart, I fell into thought.
‘He said I would be working with Senior Hyeon-dam, right? To do that…… Right. Since Buddhist energy is a bit burdensome, I should find that before meeting Senior Hyeon-dam.’
Fiddling with an old piece of paper I had put into my bosom, I began to move my steps toward the Outer Court of the Murim Alliance.
Walking for a long time and passing through the Inner Court, I walked all the way to the Outer Court without stopping.
I, who was fully enjoying freedom while looking around the scenery, slowed down near the main gate of the Murim Alliance.
After examining the people gathered in front of the main gate, I took a spot at the very back of the line to pass through the gate.
Perhaps because it was late at night, the line wasn't that long, but since there was only one martial artist conducting inspections, it seemed like it would take some time.
‘Well, waiting like this is nothing.’
I looked around with a comfortable mind.
The flickering shadows created by the torches hanging above the main gate and the acrid smell stimulated my eyes and nose.
Having been confined in prison for seven months, every little thing felt new.
As I was taking a deep breath and fully savoring the surrounding stimuli, someone suddenly stood close behind me.
Someone hesitated and then tapped my back with a hand.
When I turned my head, the Ice Rakshasa with a pouty face was looking at me with narrowed eyes.
“I'm really disappointed. You're going out without even saying goodbye as soon as you get out of prison?”
The Ice Rakshasa asked coldly, placing both hands on her waist.
“Welcome, Miss. I had something urgent.”
“Ha. What could be more urgent than visiting the person who visited every single day for seven months?”
The Ice Rakshasa’s eyes and tone were a bit different from usual. With a chilly face, she huffed.
I answered with a smile.
“When I left the prison, I felt Il-ho moving somewhere. Since you would have known through Il-ho that I came out, I thought you would come to find me like this if you had business with me.”
“Ah, the person who visits is separate, and the person who grants a meeting is separate. I guess it's something like that.”
The Ice Rakshasa’s lips, filled with disappointed eyes, protruded further forward.
“I’m sorry, Miss. I just wanted to save some time…….”
“Forget it. It's my fault for expecting.”
The Ice Rakshasa let out a deep sigh and poked my waist.
“So what on earth is the matter that requires you to leave so urgently in the middle of this night?”
“I intended to visit the Four Seas Bank in Shaanxi briefly.”
“A bank? And the one in Shaanxi?”
The Ice Rakshasa tilted her head as if puzzled.
“Do you need money? Should I lend you some?”
“No. Not money, I'm going to retrieve an item I entrusted there.”
The Ice Rakshasa, who had been tilting her head, spoke again.
“An entrusted item. I'm very curious about what it is.”
“It's nothing special. It's clothes.”
“Going so urgently to get clothes that are nothing special is even weirder.”
The Ice Rakshasa fell into thought for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“Il-ho.”
At the Ice Rakshasa’s call, Il-ho quietly revealed himself from her side.
I bowed slightly to Il-ho, who was standing beside the Ice Rakshasa.
“I saw you passing by in front of the prison earlier, but I couldn't greet you.”
Il-ho, who paused at my greeting, nodded awkwardly once towards me and then turned his head to the Ice Rakshasa.
“Yes. Young Lady.”
“You heard Young Hero Jaun just now, right? Do we have anything in Shaanxi?”
Il-ho, who was thinking deeply about something, opened his mouth.
“There is some conflict between the Rain Forest Pavilion located in Shaanxi and Zhongnan. There were a few requests for support to the Sado Alliance, but I recall we just passed them over as they weren't very important matters.”
“Rain Forest Pavilion? What do those guys do anyway? Anyway, you mean it's in Shaanxi, right? That worked out well. Tell the Sado Alliance that I am going for support. I'm going to follow Young Hero Jaun.”
“That is not a matter for the Young Lady to go personally, just a small clash occurring in the neighborhood—”
Checking that the Ice Rakshasa’s gaze had sharpened, Il-ho stopped speaking and cleared his throat with a hem-hem.
“……but it seems it can only be resolved with the Young Lady’s support. I will report it as such to the higher-ups.”
Il-ho, who bowed deeply to the Ice Rakshasa, also nodded to me and then quietly disappeared from the spot.
The Ice Rakshasa winked at me.
“Let's go together. Shaanxi. There are probably many good tourist spots there too, right? We can get some fresh air together while we're at it.”
“I don't have that much time…….”
“Oh my. I am a very busy person too, you know. Yet I'm carving out time for Young Hero Jaun and asking like this; can't you spare even that much time? Can't you do even that much for the person who visited every day for seven months?”
At the Ice Rakshasa’s words, I scratched my head with a troubled expression.
Thinking about something deeply, I let out a small sigh and opened my mouth.
“Well, if you wish, let's go together. Instead, I'd like to move without wasting time as much as possible.”
“Good. Let's go.”
At my words, the Ice Rakshasa smiled brightly and linked arms with me.
***
The two of us, having run without rest using light footwork, reached the Shaanxi region in three days.
The Ice Rakshasa, sweeping a hand over her disheveled face once, said to me.
“Young Hero Jaun…… I, want to wash. Until when are we only going to camp out? The sun is setting again.”
The fastest way to cross into Shaanxi was to go over the mountains.
The clothes of the two of us, who had traveled the shortest distance taking only mountain paths for three days, were full of dirt marks here and there.
I looked up at the sky to gauge the direction and answered with a similarly tired face.
“It’s the Zhongnan Sect's territory soon, so there should be a place to rest there. Let's rest a bit there today.”
At my words answering while loosening my exhausted body here and there, a smile rose on the Ice Rakshasa’s lips.
“Good. If you had said to keep taking the mountain path like this, I might have really gotten angry. Let's go to a village. Go find a place to rest, eat something delicious, and look around the market.”
The Ice Rakshasa, suddenly energized, grabbed my wrist and took the lead, starting to descend the mountain.
Not long after, the Ice Rakshasa and I were able to find a large road, and connected to that road, we discovered a small but lively village.
Since it happened to be evening time with the sunset glowing, warm steam was rising from various places in the market.
“Here, hot noodles for one coin. Noodles for just one coin. We have hot noodles soaked in broth boiled from a wild boar caught yesterday!”
“Sweets that melt softly once they enter your mouth. One pop into the mouth of a son who only cries and doesn't listen. One pop into the mouth of a husband returning from a tiring workplace. Take home sweets that bring peace to the household!”
The Ice Rakshasa, having entered the village, looked around the lively market with sparkling eyes.
“Wow! A place like this really has been a while. Let's eat dinner here!”
“Let's do that.”
The Ice Rakshasa pulled my hand and took a seat in front of a shop selling noodles in the middle of the bustling market.
“Two bowls of noodles, please.”
The old woman, who glanced once at the Ice Rakshasa and me, smiled a genial smile and spoke.
“Looks like you've been through some hardship. Eat plenty.”
Two bowls full of noodles were placed in front of the Ice Rakshasa and me.
“Thank you for the food!”
The Ice Rakshasa lifted her chopsticks, ate a mouthful of noodles, and opened her eyes wide as if surprised.
Then, lifting the bowl, she poured the broth straight into her mouth.
Slurp
Watching the Ice Rakshasa’s appearance, I also tasted the broth once and started moving my chopsticks quickly.
‘This is really delicious?’
The warm meat broth filled our bodies.
“Ah. I feel alive.”
The Ice Rakshasa, having gulped down the warm broth, closed her eyes and tilted her body slightly, leaning her body against mine.
“I chose well, right?”
“It was decent.”
It was food containing considerable sincerity for something sold in a market.
For me, who had been eating only prison food for a while, these noodles containing the vitality of the market felt more delicious than most delicacies.
The two of us, occasionally looking at each other amidst the noisy market, emptied the noodle bowls in an instant and stood up patting our full stomachs.
“Shall we get accommodation nearby and eat another bowl of this tomorrow?”
At the Ice Rakshasa’s words brought up after a moment of hesitation, I looked around.
For me, who had lived through rough and urgent days, the moderate busyness of this small village gave a sufficiently warm feeling.
I nodded and answered.
“Let's do that. We can rest over there.”
I pointed to a two-story inn situated to the side, and the Ice Rakshasa responded with a bright smile.
***
“Hmm-hmm-hmm.”
A hum flowed from the Ice Rakshasa, who had immersed her body in warm water.
A village not that big.
Simple food.
An old but cozy inn.
It was a place that reminded her of the days she spent with her brother in her childhood.
‘I’m so glad I followed.’
She couldn't even remember how long it had been since she enjoyed such small happiness.
The Ice Rakshasa, having put down her self as the Law Enforcer of the Sado Alliance and returned to being a single woman, washed her body slowly.
‘Well. Since the partner is Young Hero Jaun, I shouldn't expect much. But still, you never know what might happen.’
Entering the room after warming her body in the hot water, the Ice Rakshasa let down her hair, which was like ebony, and slowly groomed it.
The Ice Rakshasa, who tied her hair this way and that several times, eventually shook her head and let her hair down.
‘Too artificial is a bit much, right? Naturally.’
The Ice Rakshasa, having let her hair down and gathered it neatly on one shoulder, took out a thin silk robe from her bundle.
‘Good thing I prepared it.’
Throwing her dirty martial arts uniform into a corner and draping the fluttering thin silk robe, the Ice Rakshasa checked the copper mirror taken from her bosom, pondered for a moment, and then soon loosened the front of her clothes slightly.
‘Let's do about this much for now.’
Checking her own appearance reflected in the copper mirror once again, the Ice Rakshasa left the room and went down to the first floor.
Not long after, the Ice Rakshasa, holding Bamboo Leaf Green liquor and snacks in both hands, climbed the stairs, stood in front of Jaun’s room, and knocked quietly.