novelraw Chapter 53 : Chapter 53
Chapter 53 : Chapter 53
Chapter 53 Rain Forest Pavilion (7)
Arriving in Xi'an, the city directly below Mt.
Zhongnan, the two sent carrier pigeons to the Strategist of the Murim Alliance and the Sado Alliance respectively, then moved their steps to the streets of Xi'an.
“I just came out to get some fresh air following Young Hero Jaun, but I don’t know what all this is about.”
“It must be my fate. I didn’t know things would connect to the Demonic Cult in this way either.”
At Jaun’s laugh, the Ice Rakshasa smiled.
“The wheel called fate is too colossal, so we who are beneath it have no way of knowing the true shape of fate. If it rolls towards us…… we have no choice but to be trampled.”
The Ice Rakshasa looked up at the sky for a moment and then looked back at Jaun with a bright expression again.
“Ah. Come to think of it, Young Hero Jaun, weren’t you originally here to find something?”
“That’s right. I’m going there now. It’s not far. The item is stored at the Four Seas Bank in this city.”
Jaun, taking the lead and looking around the street, pointed to a large signboard visible in the distance.
“That’s the Four Seas Bank over there. Let’s go.”
Located in the middle of the main street of the bustling city, the Four Seas Bank was quite large in scale.
Jaun, who opened the large door and entered the bank, widened his eyes at the people filling the surroundings.
“It’s noisy, right? They are all merchants. Since it’s a city with such active commerce, it’s bound to be chaotic like this.”
The Ice Rakshasa, looking around, pointed to a spot with her finger.
“Over there. It seems you can store and retrieve items over there.”
Following the Ice Rakshasa’s lead, Jaun approached the receptionist and took out a stained paper from his bosom and handed it over.
“Uh…… Oh my. This item was stored quite a long time ago. One moment please, it seems it will take some time to find it…….”
The receptionist, who headed somewhere holding the storage slip, came out with a small wooden box after a long while.
The receptionist, dusting off his body, compared the storage slip with the document he was holding and asked.
“The name of the person who entrusted the item?”
“Jeong-cheon.”
“And the person retrieving it?”
“Jaun.”
“Both the storage slip and the name have been confirmed. Let’s see the storage fee……. It’s two silver taels, ah! You already paid when you stored it. Here is the remaining amount from the advance payment.”
Accepting the wooden box and change handed by the receptionist, Jaun came out of the bank.
“What is it? Can’t I open it with you?”
When the Ice Rakshasa’s eyes shone, Jaun smirked.
“It’s nothing special.”
— Click
Jaun opened the wooden box.
Inside, a black robe was neatly folded.
「Since the owner of the Divine Art has obtained the Demon Dragon, he shall be the sole ruler under heaven.」
A paper with a short phrase written on it was placed on top of the robe, and the Ice Rakshasa saw the phrase and said.
“Arrogant.”
“He was a person worthy of that.”
Jaun slowly unfolded the robe and draped it over his body.
It was a size that fit perfectly on Jaun’s body, which had grown quite a bit in the meantime.
“Your father’s keepsake?”
“Yes. I didn’t know I would find this so quickly.”
“What kind of clothes are they?”
“It’s a Rare Item called the Demon Dragon Robe. It plays the role of blocking energies other than demonic energy. I thought it would be necessary to work with Senior Hyeon-dam, who is a disciple of Buddhism.”
“Wait. If it’s the Demon Dragon Robe, isn’t it one of the Heavenly Demon’s Three Divine Artifacts?”
After whispering in a lowered voice, the Ice Rakshasa looked around Jaun’s front and back.
“This is impenetrable by blades and swords, impenetrable by water and fire, and it blocks not only blade energy but also immortal energy, so our Alliance Leader coveted it tremendously.”
At those words, Jaun smiled bitterly.
“During the Great War between Good and Evil that happened in the past, rumors spread widely that the Murim Alliance suffered because of this. So our Alliance Leader jumped up and down saying he must possess that.”
“They said it has such effects if demonic energy is injected. I should try using it gradually.”
“No, you just leave something like this at a bank……? If rumors had spread, not even a trace of the Four Seas Bank would have remained, and the Demon Dragon Robe would have disappeared too?”
“True. Still, it’s fortunate that I found it safely.”
At the Ice Rakshasa’s words, Jaun smiled and looked ahead.
‘A person who had nothing to fear under heaven. Even if he lost the Demon Dragon Robe, he would have said it’s enough to just retrieve it again.’
Jaun, who was briefly lost in reminiscence thinking of his father, put his hand into his bosom. He felt the red dagger he had used in the underground stone cave.
Jaun, who took the red dagger out of his bosom and fixed it inside the Demon Dragon Robe, raised his head.
‘Moon Fang was broken, and the Asura Sword is in the Demonic Cult, so you will have to be my sword for the time being. As for the name……. Right. Red Blood would suit it well.’
Jaun tapped the red dagger fixed to his chest.
“Let’s go back now. Since we don’t know what else the Demonic Cult is plotting, we should save time.”
“Tch. Are you just going back to the Murim Alliance like this?”
The Ice Rakshasa looked back at Jaun with regrettable eyes, but there was no change in Jaun’s expression.
The Ice Rakshasa, who let out a small sigh, shrugged her shoulders.
“It can’t be helped. There were some regrettable things, but……. I’ll have to be satisfied with traveling just the two of us this time.”
The figures of Jaun, with his black robe fluttering, and the Ice Rakshasa began to move farther away from the main street of Xi'an.
***
Murim Alliance Strategist Office.
Jegal Mu-ui welcomed Jaun gladly.
“I haven’t even given you a mission yet, but you brought back a big catch.”
“It was a coincidence.”
Jegal Mu-ui turned his head and looked at Jaun.
“They say if coincidences repeat, it becomes inevitability. It seems fate has marked you as the sword to oppose the Demonic Cult.”
At Jegal Mu-ui’s words, Jaun smiled quietly.
“Right. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
“Are you ready to take on a mission?”
“Yes.”
At Jaun’s concise answer, Jegal Mu-ui slowly turned his body and sat back at his desk.
“After receiving your carrier pigeon and investigating urgently, I confirmed that the number of missing persons has certainly increased compared to last year.”
Jegal Mu-ui lifted one of the piled-up documents.
“Missing person cases have increased quite a lot throughout the Central Plains. It’s not something to take lightly, so I intend to examine the outer regions first…….”
Jegal Mu-ui, who was rummaging through the mountain of documents once again, took out another sheet of paper.
“This case weighs on my mind. You know that the Wudang Sect is located north of the Hubei region where we are, right?”
“Of course. Isn’t it one of the top three among the Nine Great Sects and One Beggar Clan?”
“That’s right. Wudang, possessing that much power, requested support a while ago. The Taoists of Wudang usually dislike asking for help from our side, so it is a very rare occurrence.”
“What is the matter?”
“Disappearance of third-generation disciples. It seems Wudang investigated on their own but couldn't find a clue at all.”
Jegal Mu-ui, lifting the paper, rubbed his eyes as if tired.
“My body isn’t what it used to be. Why don’t you read it yourself?”
Jaun, lifting the paper Jegal Mu-ui handed over, read the contents from the beginning.
“Twenty-two third-generation disciples disappeared without a trace during training. Suspected to be the deed of the Sado Alliance, but there is no evidence. The average martial prowess of the third-generation disciples is at the Second-Rate level. They searched the surroundings thoroughly but found no traces, and the families also don’t know their whereabouts…….”
Hearing Jaun’s words, Jegal Mu-ui nodded.
“It’s not easy to kidnap twenty martial artists of the Second-Rate level without a trace. It’s only possible if there are an equal number of martial artists of at least the First-Rate level.”
“That would be so.”
“And I think the only place that can mobilize that much military force in this Hubei region is the Sado Alliance.”
Jegal Mu-ui tilted his head while stroking his chin.
“But looking at the content you sent, I had an ominous feeling. What if the Demonic Cult has infiltrated the center of the Central Plains? Since there is also the matter of the altar you found, we must be suspicious.”
Jegal Mu-ui stood up from his seat.
“Especially this invasion by the Demonic Cult had an aspect that was excessively violent, unlike them. That means they have something to rely on that we don’t know about…….”
Jegal Mu-ui tapped the carrier pigeon message Jaun sent with his finger.
“If those things called altars are planted all over the Central Plains, I thought that could be what they are relying on. How about it. Would you go to Wudang?”
Jaun, who had been deep in thought, slowly nodded.
“It seems best to go. If the Demonic Cult really accepted the Blood Cult’s martial arts…… I also need to investigate the inside story in detail.”
“Good. Then let your first mission be supporting the Wudang Sect.”
Smiling, Jegal Mu-ui handed the request for support from Wudang to Jaun.
“Try clashing with them. This old man is also curious if fate is really watching over you. Oh right. Take that child from Mt. Zhongnan whom you picked up with you if possible.”
At Jegal Mu-ui’s words, Jaun scratched his head.
***
“Youngest!”
Baek-myo, spotting Jaun walking into the Anti-Demon Squad’s training ground, ran with quick steps and grabbed Jaun’s arm.
Hyeon-dam, who ran following her, tapped Jaun’s shoulder with a glad expression.
“Long time no see.”
In Hyeon-dam’s eyes looking at Jaun, deep emotions were contained.
Hyeon-dam felt boundless sorrow and gratitude at the same time towards Jaun, who withdrew his energy for his sake even knowing he would be confined in prison.
Jaun, reading the emotions in those eyes, smiled quietly as if to say it was okay.
“Glad to see you again, Senior.”
It wasn’t a long answer, but Jaun and Hyeon-dam confirmed each other’s hearts in that short greeting.
Hyeon-dam, squeezing Jaun’s hand once, tapped Jaun’s shoulder again.
Baek-myo, examining Jaun, who was exchanging greetings with Hyeon-dam, from side to side, tilted her head.
“Oh? Our Youngest grew incredibly tall in the meantime? Your body got better too. Did you get clothes tailored too?”
At Baek-myo’s words, Jaun scratched his head as if embarrassed.
“Amazing. You became a man in no time.”
Jaun stepped back avoiding Baek-myo who was poking here and there on his body, and watching Jaun like that, Baek-myo laughed loudly.
‘I’m glad I can be with these people like this again.’
A sense of relief flashed through Jaun’s eyes.
He worried that distance might be created due to the fact that he learned Demonic Arts, but the two seemed not to care about that matter at all.
To Jaun, who was enjoying a peaceful time sharing trivial stories, Baek-myo asked.
“Then what do we have to do now? After Team Leader Yeon went up to Vice Squad Leader, no one looks for us. They said we are some special mission squad and excluded us from all missions?”
Towards the grumbling Baek-myo, Jaun took out a paper from his bosom and held it out.
“From now on, our Squad 30 will move as an organization directly under the Strategist. We might support the Anti-Demon Squad’s missions occasionally, but basically, we plan to move separately, so please be aware of that.”
Jaun held up the paper he took out from his bosom.
“I brought the mission the Strategist gave. I will explain it briefly.”
Jaun briefly explained to the two the request for support from Wudang along with what happened in the stone cave.
“……Blood Cult’s martial arts, huh.”
Hyeon-dam shook his head with a dark face.
“In the end, the Demonic Cult bastards touched the martial arts they shouldn't have touched.”
Baek-myo gritted her teeth with a pale face.
“Offering people as sacrifices……. Anyway, Demonic Cult bastards are unforgivable.”
Jaun nodded.
“That’s right. Whatever the reason, whatever the purpose, it is absolutely unacceptable.”
“Then we go straight to Wudang and investigate, right?”
At Baek-myo’s question, Jaun answered.
“Yes. Listening to the Strategist, there are certainly many suspicious parts. We intend to start the investigation from there.”
“Okay. Let’s go. I’ve never been to Wudang even while being in Hubei, but finally, I get to go. Although I didn’t know I would go for something like this.”
Baek-myo smiled bitterly.