novelraw Chapter 9 : Chapter 9
Chapter 9 : Chapter 9
Chapter 9 - Moyong Family (2)
The young man, who had glanced at Hyeok-rin with narrowed eyes, took out a fan to cover his mouth with a frown and spoke.
“Who is the guard bastard who said he saw an old man?”
At the words of the young man called Young Master Li, Jaun tilted his head and opened his mouth.
“It is me. What is the matter?”
Young Master Li, who looked Jaun up and down with displeased eyes at his still youthful face, sighed and shook his head from side to side.
“To call such things guards……. Tsk tsk. Forget it. It’s obvious even without asking. What would I hear from a brat like you? I should have just handed Eun-wol over to the bandits……. Matters have become complicated.”
At Young Master Li's words, Hyeok-rin flushed red in the face and shouted.
“Young Master Li! Watch your mouth. How can you say such things!”
Young Master Li, hearing Hyeok-rin's shout, turned his head as if annoyed and spoke.
“Wind and Moon Guest. The close aides of the Green Forest King, called the Three Tigers of Yongho Fortress, are all dead, and a fortress has disappeared without a single survivor. On the other hand, there was no damage to the Moyong Merchant Group, and at most, a guard injured an arm. Does the Wind and Moon Guest think the Sado Alliance will just let this matter pass?”
At Young Master Li's words, Hyeok-rin stopped speaking.
“To anyone looking, it doesn't look like bandits trying to rob the caravan died, but rather that the Moyong Family brought experts and destroyed a nearby fortress. Just a day after the incident occurred, a protest letter arrived from the Sado Alliance. They said they would send an investigator to look into the full story of the matter.”
Young Master Li, having finished speaking, sighed heavily.
“In a situation where even the Murim Alliance can't properly exert its power, there was no need to build bad karma with the Sado Alliance like this. Rather, just handing Eun-wol over…….”
“Stop! Stop right there. Young Master Li.”
Hyeok-rin spoke while glaring at Young Master Li with burning eyes.
“……Both father and you. Why do you not understand that protecting Wol-i could shake the entire Moyong Family?”
At Young Master Li's words, Hyeok-rin clenched his teeth.
“Eun-wol is your younger sister. Young Master Li. How can a martial artist belonging to the Orthodox Sect talk about selling his sister? Even if the Moyong Family collapses from clashing with the Sado Alliance, such words should not come from your mouth, you who will continue the Moyong Family!”
At the words Hyeok-rin spat out, Young Master Li turned his head to look at Hyeok-rin.
“If you are a guest, just do what you are told like a guest. Wind and Moon Guest. Judgment is not your share. The Moyong Family is not yours, so how can the future of Moyong come out of your mouth? As long as the Murim Alliance's power has weakened, protecting Moyong rather than causing such useless clashes is my priority.”
The flushed Hyeok-rin's arm trembled slightly.
Young Master Li, watching Hyeok-rin catch his breath in agitation, sighed and continued speaking.
“Anyway, know that the caravan cannot continue until the investigator from the Sado Alliance finishes the investigation. And since those hangers-on won't be of much help to the investigation, organize and send everyone out except for the brat who said he saw the old man.”
Seeming to feel that talking further with Hyeok-rin was meaningless, Young Master Li didn't even listen to the answer, turned his body, and started walking toward the inside of the manor.
Hyeok-rin, glaring at Young Master Li's back, spat out a sigh and turned his body.
“If only it weren't for Wol-i, I would have left this place long ago……. It is stifling.”
In the heavy air that settled around, the guards fidgeted and looked at Hyeok-rin's reaction.
“I apologize for showing an unsightly appearance. As you just heard, it seems the situation is not such that we can continue the caravan immediately. If the caravan cannot continue for a long time, you will be tied down unnecessarily, and there must be many among you for whom the situation is not favorable.”
Hyeok-rin looked back at the guards.
“Others may leave tomorrow morning. I will calculate the wages for the time being and pay them in the morning. And you said you were Jaun, right? It will be inconvenient for you, but please stay a little longer.”
As Hyeok-rin finished speaking with a heavy expression and turned his body to trudgingly walk toward the inside of the manor, the guards murmured and headed to their rooms.
***
“Little brother. Are you really okay remaining alone?”
bearded man, who entered the room, asked Jaun.
Jaun, who was lost in thought for a moment, shrugged his shoulders.
“Can’t be helped. I want to go to Wuhan even a day sooner, but……. The atmosphere is not one where they would just let me go even if I said I was leaving.”
At Jaun's words, bearded man nodded.
“That is true. You probably need to be here for the Moyong Family to prove their innocence too.”
bearded man, stroking his beard for a moment, nodded.
“Good. I’ve decided. I will stay too. Since it has come to this, it’s fate, and I can't just leave little brother here alone and go.”
At bearded man's words thrown casually, Jaun stopped what he was doing and looked back at bearded man.
‘……Fate, huh.’
Jaun, who had absolutely no experience forming relationships with others besides his father, felt his heart sway at the word ‘fate’ that bearded man threw as if it were nothing.
‘Because of this sway, I couldn't just watch and leave Eun-wol alone back then either.’
To Jaun, who had to overcome everything alone after losing his biological parents until he was saved by his father, the kindness and consideration of others were just too unfamiliar.
Because it was warmth so rare as to be unfamiliar, Jaun, realizing only now that it was being engraved deep in his heart, gathered his emotions once.
‘Within the line of not leaning too much, I just need to repay goodwill with goodwill, and malice with malice.’
For Jaun, who hadn't been out in the world for long, dealing with people was also something he had to learn.
“Ahem.”
As Jaun was lost in thought staring intently at him, bearded man cleared his throat and continued speaking.
“And well…… actually, I don't really have anywhere else to go either.”
bearded man scratched his head.
“Besides, they say people from the Sado Alliance are coming here; isn't a dispute between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects a spectacle a martial artist cannot miss? If things wrap up well and the caravan continues again, I can continue the guard job too, so it’s good.”
As bearded man winked and flopped down on the bed, Jaun smirked.
“As expected, you look much better smiling. Why crumple that handsome face by frowning? Live smiling like now.”
At the words of bearded man, who was talking while lying in a 'dae' shape looking at the ceiling, Jaun smiled once again and replied.
“I will try.”
Jaun, who looked at bearded man for a moment, threw his body onto the bed with a thud and looked up at the ceiling comfortably.
He could see the solid rafters made of dark wood supporting above his head.
Jaun quite liked the guest hall finished with elegant colors and this time.
***
“May I come in?”
Someone knocked on the door of the strategist's office located in the deepest part of the Murim Alliance.
“If it is not urgent business……. Phew. No. If it weren't urgent business, you wouldn't have come. Come in.”
A man buried in a pile of enormous documents raised his sunken eyes steeped in fatigue and looked at the door.
Jegal Mu-ui , called the rising star of the Jegal Family.
On top of his head, who was the brightest star even within the Jegal Family that had boasted brilliance for generations, white dust was piled up thickly.
“I greet the Strategist. I am Nam Dan-hyeok of the Flying Eagle Pavilion .”
Jegal Mu-ui, putting down the document he was holding onto the table with a thud, stretched greatly and said.
“Yaawn. Yes, yes. Nice to meet you. As quickly as possible. Just the business briefly.”
“It is a request for support from the Moyong Family. Since the Sado Alliance is planning to dispatch an investigator, they are asking the Murim Alliance to send an investigator to jointly investigate the case as well.”
“If it’s the Moyong Family……. Ah, right. It’s related to the Yongho Fortress annihilation incident that happened a few days ago, right?”
Jegal Mu-ui asked with narrowed eyes.
“Yes, that is correct. Strategist.”
“Hmm. It was definitely strange. According to the investigation by the Black Dragon River branch members, they said it was the deed of those using swift swords pursuing extreme practicality and domineering fists…….”
Jegal Mu-ui took out a sheet of paper from among the piled-up documents, read it, and continued speaking.
“The only experts moving with the Moyong Merchant Group were Wind and Moon Guest Hero Do Hyeok-rin and Righteous Spear Hero Eon Nam-chung. Yet, trusting the Moyong Family's words straight up that a reclusive expert suddenly appeared and helped feels too absurd.”
Jegal Mu-ui, tapping the table with his hand, opened his mouth again.
“Since we cannot ignore the Moyong Family's request, and personally I am curious as well, let’s go with supporting for now. It’s not just any other matter but one involved with the Sado Alliance, so if we send a clumsy person, we might get framed for nothing. Let’s see…….”
Jegal Mu-ui, this time, took out a sheet of paper from another mountain of documents and scanned it.
“It seems this person would be better than a Murim Alliance person. Please make a request to the Beggars' Sect. Ask them to send the Later Beggar to the Moyong Family.”
Jegal Mu-ui finished speaking and lifted the document again.
Nam Dan-hyeok, who flinched upon hearing his words, pondered for a moment and opened his mouth.
“Um, Strategist. If it is Later Beggar…… are you talking about Hero Gong Il-geon, the Mad Beggar designated as the next Sect Leader of the Beggars' Sect?”
Jegal Mu-ui raised his head.
“Yes, yes. Mad Beggar Gong Il-geon. That person is right. Ask them to send him.”
***
“No, damn it! Is he everything just because he’s a strategist? Does he think the Beggars' Sect is a group that wipes the Murim Alliance's ass? The more I think about it, the more pissed I get.
Ptooey!”
The Mad Beggar, arriving in front of the Shenyang city gate, shook off his body and spat with a thak. And looking up at the massive castle wall, he sighed.
“Well, since the Sect Leader bastard also told me to go, I came. But still, why me of all people.”
As the Mad Beggar scratched his waist vigorously, lice fell from his body in droves.
The Mad Beggar, looking at the city gate with a completely reluctant face, sighed once again and moved his steps slowly toward the city gate.
“Stop there!”
As the Mad Beggar tried to walk inside the city gate, the soldiers blocking the gate raised their spears.
“I am Gong Il-geon of the Beggars' Sect, you bastards. I’m not just a beggar, so leave me alone. It’s support requested by the Moyong Family.”
At the rough reaction, the soldiers' eyes became fierce, but having heard he was a guest of the Moyong Family, they had no choice but to step back.
The soldiers, whispering something among themselves and checking the entry list, nodded and reluctantly opened the way for the Mad Beggar slowly.
“Ptooey.”
The Mad Beggar, spitting on the ground once again, drew up his internal energy and threw his body inside the Shenyang city gate just like that.
***
“So. How much longer do you mean I have to wait?”
A voice exuding cold air rang through the reception hall.
A woman dressed in white martial arts uniform top and bottom was glaring at Nam Chung.
“No, well, he should be arriving by now…….”
In the ear of Nam Chung wiping the sweat beading on his forehead, the sound of someone running was heard.
“Hero Righteous Spear. The Later Beggar has arrived.”
“Tell him to come in quickly.”
Nam Chung, who went out the door with a welcoming face, brought in a filthy beggar, and the corners of the eyes of the woman sitting in the reception hall shot up sharply.
“Ha……. Is the investigator you brought after making me wait this beggar? It seems the Moyong Family and the Murim Alliance see the Sado Alliance as laughable.”
“Huh? Who is this ghost-like bitch picking a fight now? What’s wrong with a beggar being an investigator? Don't you know the Beggars' Sect?”
“You smell, so shut your trap. In an investigation scene, one must use all five senses, but what will you do if there are parts missed because of the smell coming from your body?”
“Trap? Did you just say trap now?”
As the Mad Beggar approached rolling up his sleeves, the woman, frowning sharply, stepped back to a distance.
Nam Chung intervened between the woman and the Mad Beggar and opened his mouth.
“Now now, everyone calm down.”
Nam Chung tried to calm the two down, but the woman with a sharp impression and the Mad Beggar glared at each other and poured out rude remarks endlessly.
Despite Nam Chung's restraint, hard-to-listen words continued between the two, and before long, the two people's curses filled the reception hall.