Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Encounter (2)
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‘Gang Muhwi.’
The moment Jinmyeong saw him, he immediately recalled the young man’s name.
It was inevitable.
After all, that young man was the protagonist of this story.
‘He looks like he does on the cover.’
The reason Jinmyeong could recognize Gang Muhwi was because he looked similar to the novel’s cover art.
Moreover, as if he was meant to hear it, the man’s muttering reached his ears with perfect clarity.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
Shin Yehyang gave Jinmyeong a puzzled look when he suddenly froze.
She turned her head toward the young man Jinmyeong was observing.
‘Is he strong enough to warrant such tension?’
He was strong.
But compared to the disciples of the Heavenly Demon, he was still lacking.
His skills seemed comparable to Master Haksu of Kunlun.
That was why Jinmyeong’s tension seemed so strange to her.
“Is there something I’m not noticing?”
In the end, Shin Yehyang had to ask.
“Well… he’s probably not that strong. For now.”
“For now? Then why are you so tense?”
Everything that was about to happen would revolve around Gang Muhwi, unfolding solely to his advantage.
Jinmyeong might be stronger now, but it felt as though some law of the world would apply, allowing Gang Muhwi to defeat him one way or another.
He was tense because he feared that no matter how carefully he fought, he would inevitably make a mistake and lose his life.
“I know. Why is that?”
“…”
This was the same Jinmyeong who had remained composed while facing Mok Jagyeong, and even the Twin Elders of Kongtong and the Cloud Dragon Sword.
In fact, he had relentlessly taunted them, provoking the three into a state where they couldn't perform at their best.
‘I don’t think that man is that powerful.’
On the contrary, it seemed Jinmyeong could kill him instantly if he wished.
‘He said he’s not strong for now, didn’t he?’
Suddenly, Shin Yehyang recalled Jinmyeong’s words.
*He’s not strong for now.*
In other words, he would become stronger later.
‘He sounded so sure.’
And Jinmyeong was certain of it.
“Then how about killing him now?”
Jinmyeong stared silently at Shin Yehyang.
She met his gaze for a moment, then whipped her head around to look at Gang Muhwi.
“If you think he will hinder our cult in the future, why not kill him? At his current level, it seems more than possible.”
“I suppose. If I could kill him, I would have.”
But Gang Muhwi, the protagonist, had much to do.
Ultimately, there were things that only the protagonist could resolve.
‘I don’t know if anyone else can do it.’
There would be tasks that couldn't be solved by anyone but Gang Muhwi.
He suspected that even if he obtained all of Gang Muhwi’s fortuitous encounters and became stronger, he might still be unable to resolve them.
‘Or maybe not. If I become strong enough, could I solve them?’
But he couldn’t kill the protagonist over something so uncertain.
“I have no idea what’s gotten into you, Young Master Jin.”
Shin Yehyang’s voice felt colder.
She was likely frustrated by Jinmyeong’s tension over the seemingly weak Gang Muhwi.
But even Jinmyeong himself couldn’t understand why he was acting this way.
‘Is it simply the protagonist effect?’
To advance the story, a protagonist was needed.
In truth, they hadn't even reached the beginning of the novel’s first part yet.
He wondered if some unknown force was at play, preventing him from killing Gang Muhwi.
“Excuse me, do you have a moment?”
A voice cut through Jinmyeong’s troubled thoughts.
It was the same voice that had so clearly registered in his ears a moment ago.
Gang Muhwi had finally approached the two of them.
“What is it?”
Shin Yehyang asked as Gang Muhwi drew near.
His eyes met hers, and his face flushed red as he scratched his cheek.
“It’s just… it’s amazing to meet such a great martial artist like you in a place like this, Young Lady.”
Gang Muhwi had the look of a boy who had fallen in love for the first time.
Shin Yehyang, however, didn’t even look at him, showing no interest whatsoever.
“Ah, my apologies. I was late with my introduction. My name is Gang Muhwi.”
Hearing Gang Muhwi’s name, Jinmyeong struggled to maintain his composure.
“So, what is the reason you deliberately came to speak to me?”
Gang Muhwi glanced at Jinmyeong, who had posed the question, then quickly turned his head away.
It was as if he had no business with him.
‘What’s with this guy?’
Jinmyeong’s face soured at the gesture.
He had never imagined Gang Muhwi would ignore him.
‘Was the protagonist’s personality like this? It seems a bit different.’
Of course, Gang Muhwi had been entangled with many women.
He was involved with more than five, and all of them, except for those who died, became his wives.
‘He was the type who didn’t turn away anyone who came to him, but…’
That didn’t mean he was a womanizer who disliked men.
In fact, at the Righteous Alliance, he got along well with his male comrades.
“If you’re not going to answer, why did you come over?”
“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t expect a servant to ask me a question.”
“…”
Shin Yehyang sighed at Gang Muhwi’s casual remark.
“Young Master Jin is not a servant.”
“Is that so? Of course, since you were dining together, I suppose that could be the case.”
Then why did he call him a servant?
‘Could it be this guy felt something too?’
Just as Jinmyeong had felt something upon seeing Gang Muhwi, perhaps Gang Muhwi felt it too.
He wondered if Gang Muhwi had sensed something different about him, a transmigrator from the world of the reader.
“But I don’t understand why a young lady like you is accompanying someone so weak.”
Gang Muhwi wore an expression of complete bewilderment.
His gaze felt incredibly familiar to Jinmyeong.
It was a look he had rarely seen since he had returned after learning martial arts.
‘Was his personality always like this?’
A sigh escaped Jinmyeong’s lips as he watched Gang Muhwi send him a look brimming with contempt.
“Hah. Young Lady, who is this man to be so insolent?”
“From my perspective, you are the more insolent one.”
Shin Yehyang’s voice dropped low.
At her tone, Gang Muhwi looked at her with a flustered expression.
But she, as if she had nothing more to say, placed some money on the table and rose from her seat.
Jinmyeong also stood and followed her out of the tavern.
“You were tense because of someone like that?”
“…”
The man had made dismissive remarks without even being able to gauge his opponent’s true strength.
Even Jinmyeong couldn’t help but be surprised by Gang Muhwi’s behavior.
‘In the novel, Gang Muhwi wasn’t like that.’
He had a personality that was, by all accounts, befitting a member of the righteous faction.
He was full of chivalry and had a cautious nature, never looking down on his opponents.
He wasn’t a very interesting character.
But he was definitely not the type to disrespect others like that.
‘Could it be that this isn’t the novel?’
Until now, he had been completely convinced he had been transmigrated into the novel.
Although some characters who didn't appear in the novel had shown up, the majority were from the story.
Besides, hadn’t he obtained a fortuitous encounter that was featured in the novel?
‘Is this different from the novel I know?’
He was in the world of the novel, that much was certain.
However, the reality might be slightly different from the novel.
After all, this was the past, before the novel’s events, and things were already changing.
‘Then was the protagonist’s personality originally like this?’
He was still young.
Several more years had to pass before the start of the novel’s first part.
‘Did some event change the protagonist’s personality?’
Or perhaps he had just suddenly matured.
‘If this really isn’t the world of the novel…’
A thought suddenly occurred to him.
The possibility that this world wasn't actually a novel.
He wondered if someone from this world had been born in the modern era and wrote the novel.
‘It’s not entirely impossible.’
If something like transmigrating into a novel could happen, there was no law saying someone from this world couldn't be reincarnated in the modern world.
If that were true, he could understand why Gang Muhwi, who was originally like this, was depicted as a perfect hero in the novel.
It made sense that Gang Muhwi, the eventual hero, would be glorified.
‘Well, it’s all just speculation anyway.’
Which of his hypotheses was true didn’t matter.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Oh, nothing. Just various things.”
Jinmyeong quietly looked down at his hands.
‘They’re not trembling at all.’
Just a moment ago, his body had trembled uncontrollably just from looking at Gang Muhwi.
He had become tense the moment he heard the name Gang Muhwi.
He had thought that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to defeat the protagonist of this story.
But this Gang Muhwi was different from the protagonist he had seen in the novel.
‘Still, I should avoid getting involved with him as much as possible.’
He didn’t want to think about Gang Muhwi anymore.
He just planned to avoid him as much as he could.
While rapidly growing stronger.
“Ah, you’ve returned?”
As Jinmyeong and Shin Yehyang entered the Yuwun Escort Agency, an escort guard who spotted them approached.
“The Head of the Agency is looking for you two.”
The two realized that the person looking for them was not Head Go.
‘Are they finally making a move?’
About ten days had passed since they arrived in Shaanxi.
During those ten days, all the scattered young martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had arrived at the Yuwun Escort Agency.
Not a single one was missing.
And now, seemingly ready to make their move, Neung Byeokmun, the Demonic Shadow Brigade Leader, had finally summoned them.
“You’re here?”
Guided by the guard to the Head’s office, they found Neung Byeokmun waiting for them, just as expected.
Not only Neung Byeokmun, but the other disciples of the Heavenly Demon were there as well.
“You probably have a rough idea of why I’ve called you.”
Neung Byeokmun pointed to a spot on a map spread out on the table.
“Here. We will be going here.”
The place he pointed to was Henan, right next to Shaanxi.
“What exactly is there?”
“There is nothing there.”
If they thought some treasure was sleeping there, they were mistaken.
Nothing of the sort existed in Henan.
“But an escort agency is on the move.”
“Are you saying we’re going to attack an escort agency?”
Neung Byeokmun nodded firmly at Jang Hu’s question.
“So we’ve become bandits.”
Gye Buil scowled, clearly displeased.
“Is that escort agency from Henan? If so, I hope it has no connection to Shaolin.”
Biyoung asked curiously.
Henan was Shaolin’s territory.
And many of Shaolin’s lay disciples ran businesses like escort agencies and martial arts schools.
Getting entangled with Shaolin was an uncomfortable affair, even for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared of Shaolin, Senior Sister?”
At Yeong Soso’s words, Gye Buil smiled and puffed out his chest.
“If you’re that scared, this senior brother can protect you.”
“This is why foolish people are the way they are.”
Yeong Soso clicked her tongue and shook her head.
“If we needlessly provoke Shaolin, the Righteous Alliance might get involved.”
The standing of Shaolin within the righteous faction was not to be underestimated.
If the Righteous Alliance moved, the main forces of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would have to move as well.
In other words, their small action could potentially trigger a war between the Righteous and Demonic factions.
“Aren’t you jumping to conclusions?”
“You must always consider the worst-case scenario. You’re too optimistic about everything.”
“It’s you who thinks too pessimistically about everything, Senior Sister.”
Suddenly, Yeong Soso and Gye Buil were glaring and growling at each other.
The others watched with undisguised interest.
“Save the fighting for after the meeting is over. In any case, it’s not Shaolin.”
The Demonic Shadow Brigade Leader broke the tense atmosphere, which had seemed ready to erupt into a sword fight at any moment.
“It’s not Shaolin, but affiliated with the Mount Hua Sect.”
Just as they began to think the mission would be easy with Shaolin out of the picture, the mention of the Mount Hua Sect caused the atmosphere to grow heavy once more.