Chapter 378: We Live in the Same Murim
Chapter 378: We Live in the Same Murim
"Lady Jin, please accept my sincere feelings."
The young man made his confession, his eyes pleading with earnestness.
Compared to the youth who had clearly fallen head over heels, Jin Ha-ryeong’s reaction was cool and composed. This was a frequent side effect of her time leading the Rising Stars as the Beauty of Hubei.
"Young Master Im."
"Lady Jin."
How well do you even know me to confess like this? We have work to do. I prioritize my duties over romance. She had tried many ways to turn suitors down, but the method she used now was the fastest and most certain.
"There is someone I like."
The young man flinched. Usually, when she said this, the reactions fell into two categories: those who gave up and walked away, and those like this man, who couldn't let go of their lingering attachment until the bitter end.
"Who is it?"
"And if you knew? Would you go to him and try to stop him, Young Master Im?"
At this point, they usually split into two groups again: those who realized they had overstepped and backed off, and those like this man, who wanted to push through regardless.
"If I could. I want to show you just how much I care for you, Lady Jin, even if I have to do that."
Perhaps someone had advised him that he needed to be bold to win a woman’s heart. Maybe this method had worked for him once or twice before. But it certainly wouldn't work on her.
"What if someone came to you right now and tried to stop you from liking me?"
"I wouldn't just let them be."
"I feel the same way."
Jin Ha-ryeong’s gaze turned cold. If he didn't back down now, she would have to release her aura.
Fortunately, the young man stopped there. He bowed his head and apologized.
"Please forgive my rudeness. I’m not usually this kind of person."
Only then did Jin Ha-ryeong soften her gaze.
"I’ll see you at the next meeting."
The young man gave a deep bow and departed.
As he left, Chu Ho, Jin Ha-ryeong’s guard who had been standing some distance away, walked up and spoke.
"Shall I take measures to ensure he cannot attend future meetings?"
The man had acted so rudely, yet claimed he wasn't that kind of person? Compared to Chu Ho, who wanted to deal with him sternly, Jin Ha-ryeong was generous.
"Leave him be. If you do that, his life will only become unnecessarily gloomy."
Having received so many confessions, she knew how to handle people.
"Can someone really stop liking someone just because they’re told to? You have to give him time. Whether he shows up or not should be his choice."
Chu Ho felt that Jin Ha-ryeong had become much more mature at some point. And he knew exactly when that change had occurred.
"But... do you really have someone you like?"
Jin Ha-ryeong looked at Chu Ho with an expression that asked why he was even questioning it.
"You always use that as an excuse to reject people. I wondered if it was just a pretext, or if perhaps...?"
"There is."
As Chu Ho feigned surprise, she asked him back.
"You asked even though you already knew, didn't you? Why play dumb with me?"
"My apologies. I just thought you might want to talk about him to someone, My Lady."
Chu Ho knew. He knew that Geom Mu-geuk occupied a special place in Jin Ha-ryeong’s heart.
She never showed those feelings to anyone. It would be better if she just blurted out a confession like that fellow earlier; at least she would feel unburdened.
Chu Ho was worried. He feared she might fall ill from bottling up her emotions. That was why he hoped she would confide in him.
"Are you worried about me?"
"No, My Lady."
"It’s not enough to worry about. I just miss him sometimes. On days like this, I want to see him once more. He appears in my dreams every now and then. That’s about it."
And on days like today, when there wasn't a single cloud in the sky...
— See that color of the sky? That’s the color of my Sword Force.
She remembered his words.
Jin Ha-ryeong recalled what Geom Mu-geuk had said before he left.
— There’s a tavern near the Main Headquarters of the Cult with great liquor and a good owner. I’ll invite you there sometime.
Liar.
Then again, was it really because Geom Mu-geuk was a liar? It was more likely the problem of where they were born.
Jin Ha-ryeong said it wasn't enough to worry about, but...
'That's called loving a man.'
Chu Ho didn't voice that thought, however. The two of them were in a relationship that could never be. Jin Ha-ryeong surely knew that better than anyone.
"He’ll probably just show up out of the blue one day and startle me."
It was right then.
Someone spoke from behind them.
"I guess today is that day."
The two of them spun around in surprise to find Geom Mu-geuk standing a short distance away.
"Have you been well?"
Jin Ha-ryeong asked, her face stunned.
"How long have you been here?"
"Just got here."
Fortunately, it didn't seem like he had overheard her conversation with Chu Ho.
She turned to Chu Ho and said, "Go find out where my brother is right now."
"Understood."
Chu Ho obeyed immediately. He knew the order was also a request for him to give them some space. Normally, he shouldn't leave her side, but he made an exception for Geom Mu-geuk. He knew all too well that if Mu-geuk harbored ill intentions, his presence wouldn't help anyway. The fact that he hadn't even noticed the man standing behind them until he spoke was proof enough.
"Shall we have a drink?"
"I'd like that."
Jin Ha-ryeong’s mood brightened instantly. There was a specific flutter she only felt when she met Geom Mu-geuk.
The two went to the inn where they had first met and ordered noodles and liquor.
Geom Mu-geuk didn't rush. Persuading the Murim Alliance Leader was important, but his relationship with her was just as vital.
Eating with her, drinking with her, and engaging in banter—this was his life. It was just as important as killing his enemies.
"How have you been?"
At Jin Ha-ryeong’s question, Geom Mu-geuk made a fuss.
"Don't even get me started. You won't believe the incredible things that happened."
"Tell me. All of it."
Geom Mu-geuk looked at her. He expected her to say, 'Stop exaggerating!' but she seemed genuinely intent on hearing everything.
"I heard from my brother. That you went to the Unorthodox Path Alliance with their Young Alliance Leader. You have no idea how closely our Alliance has been watching that."
This was why he had come. Because the Murim Alliance was keeping a sharp eye on every move made by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Unorthodox Path Alliance.
"Didn't you know? When you move, the Murim starts moving with you now."
"They're just worried a loach might muddy the waters."
Jin Ha-ryeong knew now.
She knew that what her grandfather and the Murim Alliance worried about was whether the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl this dragon would grasp upon his ascension would be the color of the blue sky or stained with blood.
"Is everything okay with the Unorthodox Path Alliance?"
Geom Mu-geuk nodded once.
A thought flashed through her mind.
'Well, of course, since you were the one who went.'
That was the kind of person Geom Mu-geuk was to her.
"To think that I, the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Leader, would feel relieved to hear that the Unorthodox Path Alliance is doing well!"
At her banter, Geom Mu-geuk smiled and said, "It’s also because it involves a friend."
"A friend?"
"A friend of a friend is a friend."
"Grandfather would faint if he heard that. To think you’ve become friends with the Young Alliance Leader of the Unorthodox Path as well. You alone are more than enough."
She enjoyed talking about anything with Geom Mu-geuk. Whether they discussed the fate of the Murim or complained that the noodles were salty today. He was someone who seemed to understand and accept whatever she said. He was someone who could show her a new perspective.
"By the way, how is Lee An?"
"She’s busy lately. She’s out on business."
Lee An had left to recruit Seo Jin, Gwi Ryeongja’s younger sister, as a team leader for the Ghost Shadow Squad. For the first time in her life, she was carving out her own destiny alone in the Central Plains.
"I miss her. Lee An."
"You can just see her."
"Easier said than done."
"What’s so hard about it? If you want to see us, come visit anytime. Or we can come to you."
"That’s how it works in your Murim. It doesn't work in mine."
"We live in the same Murim."
Jin Ha-ryeong stared at Geom Mu-geuk in silence.
Are we really living in the same Murim? To her, he was still like a dream—someone who appeared suddenly and vanished like smoke.
"Actually, I came because I have a favor to ask of you and Captain Jin."
"What kind of favor?"
"There’s something I must persuade the Alliance Leader about. I need a second and third backup plan in case I fail to persuade him myself."
"Am I the second backup plan?"
"And Captain Jin is the third."
"What on earth is the favor?"
"Let’s meet your brother and talk about it all at once."
Jin Ha-ryeong met dozens of new Rising Stars every month, but it was always stifling and tedious. Yet, she hadn't even been with Geom Mu-geuk for fifteen minutes, and her heart was already starting to race.
Seeing Chu Ho enter the inn just then, Geom Mu-geuk stood up first.
"Well then, shall we go meet the third backup plan?"
*
Jin Ha-gun was training at the grounds.
The area was sweltering with the heat of his exertion.
Lately, he had been pushing himself to his absolute limits.
He felt an urgent need to grow; he couldn't stay as he was if he wanted to face Geom Mu-geuk. And it wasn't just Mu-geuk—he had clearly felt a similar fire in the eyes of his realistic rival, Bi Sa-in.
It wasn't just his training that had changed.
As he had told Geom Mu-geuk, he tried to be more observant when dealing with people. He would think twice about things he would have previously dismissed with a simple 'I guess that's how it is.' He tried to consider things from the other person's perspective instead of judging by his own standards.
It happened not long ago.
A warrior from the Demon Extermination Squad requested leave. It overlapped with a mission, but he granted it readily. In the past, he would have stopped there.
But Jin Ha-gun called him aside and asked the reason for the leave. It turned out there was a conflict in the man's family regarding the selection of an heir. Since the Demon Extermination Squad was mostly composed of children from prestigious families, such issues were common.
Jin Ha-gun went a step further than just asking the reason.
— Do you happen to need my help? If so, tell me anytime.
The man declined the help, but he was deeply moved that the offer had even been made.
Jin Ha-gun had never said such things before.
Of course, the sentiment had always been there. They were comrades who shed blood on the battlefield together; how could he not feel that way? But he had never expressed it directly.
Through this experience, Jin Ha-gun realized anew how powerful words could be.
— I thought you obviously knew how I felt.
Saying such things after everything is over is just an excuse.
— What need is there for words between us?
No, the other person only knows if you tell them directly.
And having tried it, he realized something else. With his personality—always striving to keep his word—it wasn't easy to speak in the first place.
What if his subordinate actually asked for help? What if he asked Jin Ha-gun to pressure someone in his family to back down?
One had to be prepared to follow through to that extent before even bringing it up. Only then could one respond without panic: 'Very well, leave it to me.'
Suddenly, Geom Mu-geuk came to mind.
Did that man, who said all sorts of things, truly have the resolve to take responsibility for every word he uttered?
Since he couldn't imagine Geom Mu-geuk making pathetic excuses to avoid responsibility...
'You certainly live a tiring life too.'
Having tried it himself, he realized how difficult it was. He even wondered if his own bluntness had been a form of escapism.
Just then, news arrived that he had visitors. Two people entered the training area: Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-ryeong.
"It’s been a while."
Since he had just been thinking about Geom Mu-geuk, the surprise was palpable.
"We haven't seen each other for a bit, and you've already become awkward. It’s me, your friend."
Because he was so glad to see him, Jin Ha-gun found it harder to show his joy.
"What brings you here?"
"So blunt! Why else? I came because I missed you."
Then, Jin Ha-ryeong, who was standing beside him, spoke up.
"He’s lying. He said he came because he needs our help."
Jin Ha-gun was worried about his sister, who already seemed excited, but he was equally intrigued.
"What is it?"
"I’ve invited the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader to a tavern in front of the Main Headquarters."
For a moment, Jin Ha-gun thought the person invited was Bi Sa-in. He mistakenly thought Mu-geuk had invited Bi Sa-in and was here to ask him to come along.
"I’m not going."
When Geom Mu-geuk and Jin Ha-ryeong realized he had misheard, they stared at him blankly. Startled by their gazes, Jin Ha-gun asked again.
"Who did you say you invited?"
"The Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader."
Only then did Jin Ha-gun’s eyes widen.
He had clear limits. As evidenced by his mishearing, the idea of inviting the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader to a tavern right in front of the Murim Alliance headquarters simply didn't exist in his mind.
But Geom Mu-geuk always leaped far beyond those boundaries. He would leap over and give a reason that Jin Ha-gun simply didn't possess.
"I just wanted to treat him to a drink."
If it had been anyone else, he would have thought it a ridiculous lie, but he knew what kind of person Geom Mu-geuk was now. He must have made a deep enough impression on the Alliance Leader during his visit to the Unorthodox Path Alliance to extend such an invitation.
Jin Ha-ryeong was no less shocked.
"We just met after a long time; why are you making such a joke?"
"It’s not a joke."
Yes, they knew it wasn't a joke. The thought that it was 'so like him' was already crossing their minds.
Jin Ha-gun asked again.
"Did the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader accept the invitation?"
"He said he would if the Murim Alliance Leader accepts this meeting with pure intentions."
"Pure? How can he accept it with pure intentions when the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox Path Alliance are holding a secret meeting?"
"A secret meeting? Is there such a thing as a secret meeting that’s been completely exposed like this?"
"Whatever it is! The Alliance Leader will never allow it."
He knew better than anyone how much his grandfather guarded against and disliked the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox Path Alliance. The only reason he had built a rapport with Geom Mu-geuk was because of the man's deep relationship with his grandchildren and the fact that he had later saved their lives. It was a truly exceptional case.
"That’s why I came to ask for help. I want the two of you to help me persuade him."
"Wouldn't it have been better to just invite him without telling us in the first place?"
At Jin Ha-gun’s probing question, Jin Ha-ryeong looked at Geom Mu-geuk with the same thought.
"I couldn't do that."
"Why?"
"Because you and I are friends."
In truth, the reason he wanted to invite Baek Ja-gang was to prevent a potential future war. However, if this invitation led the Murim Alliance to believe that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Unorthodox Path Alliance were joining hands behind their backs, the invitation would cause more harm than good.
"Even if it wasn't a condition set by the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader, I would have come to ask for permission."
A thought suddenly occurred to Jin Ha-gun. What if it were me? What if it was something I absolutely had to do, regardless of the intent?
Wouldn't he have just gone ahead with it to avoid unnecessary variables and then said later, 'I’m sorry, it just turned out that way'?
As the thought surfaced, his face flushed slightly. He felt as though Geom Mu-geuk was swimming in an ocean of friendship while he was only dipping his ankles in.
"The two of you, please help me persuade the Alliance Leader."
Jin Ha-gun shook his head firmly.
"Absolutely not!"
Jin Ha-ryeong was the same. She shook her head.
"I can't do it either. It’s because you don't know our grandfather well. If we bring that up, we’ll be kicked out of the Alliance."
"If you get kicked out, I’ll take you in at the Main Headquarters!"
"And my brother won't be able to become the successor."
"How about taking this opportunity to free yourself from the lust for power?"
"What wonderful words, Successor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!"
At that, Geom Mu-geuk let out a feigned sigh.
"Ah! I didn't think I’d be abandoned by my friends!"
The moment he heard those words, a doubt sprouted in Jin Ha-gun’s mind.
'Did he really not expect this? A man as clever as him?'
The thought suddenly struck him that perhaps Mu-geuk hadn't come simply to ask for permission from their grandfather.
'Could it be?'
The one who voiced the thought in his mind was his sister, who was even quicker on the uptake than he was.
"You’re not... planning to invite Grandfather too, are you?"