Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Virtue of Deals (2)
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'Dawn has broken.'
Jin Gwang glanced out the window before stepping out of his room and heading downstairs to the inn's main floor.
"Oh? You're up early. Shall I prepare breakfast?"
"I'm just going for a short walk."
"Ah, yes! Let me know ahead of time next time, and I'll have it ready."
"No need. I'll order it when I get back."
"Yes, sir!"
Jin Gwang brushed past the diligent server and strode openly right down the center of the street.
A short while later.
He arrived at a small grove behind the street, arms crossed as he waited.
"Squad leader."
His four squad members came to him.
"Everyone's here except Yeonpyeong."
Jin Gwang looked at Ungpae, who stood at the far right.
"I remember Yeonpyeong stopping by the inn where you were staying."
"That's right. I heard everything about what happened at the clan."
He seemed quite excited.
Just in case, everyone except Yeonpyeong had stayed in their positions. This was the first time they'd gathered like this, so the others had no idea what had gone down at the clan.
"Tell me."
Ungpae eagerly unpacked his bundle of tales.
"What?!"
"N-No way!"
"No way my ass! I suspected it all along! Didn't you see how Lady Hwang Jihwa and Elder Lee Jeong were acting?!"
Some still couldn't believe it, others were dumbfounded, and some clenched their fists tight.
'Just as I thought.'
Jin Gwang figured it was only natural.
'If the young master has the power of the Divine Physician, this is par for the course.'
He'd declared that it was all a lie—no, everything about the Murong clan's history up until twenty-odd years ago was nothing but a scam. Rumors swirled endlessly: that the mysterious House Hoyeon, which had dominated the Yunryeong and Gilim regions, had its blood sucked dry, its power and lineage stolen by this shameless clan.
But Jin Gwang believed. The legends of the Murong clan were real.
Even in his current lowly position, the intellect and knowledge passed down from his father remained intact.
'I'm ashamed of myself for ever doubting.'
He had been disappointed in Murong Bi, that much was true.
Still, he'd never denied the Murong clan's history. He had lived with the firm conviction that the world was ignorant, not him.
'At last, the legends of the main house are awakening.'
Jin Gwang clenched his fist where the others couldn't see. If not for appearances, he might have shouted it out.
Dignity be damned...
"Anyway, that's the situation. Honestly, sticking around longer seems pointless, but what do we do?"
Jin Gwang shook his head at Ungpae's question.
"The young master wants us to stay here until tonight. Unless a separate messenger comes from the main house with new orders, we hold our positions."
"Haha, you make it sound like we're some elite special forces unit we've been trained for."
Jin Gwang's gaze sharpened.
Ungpae, who'd been spouting nonsense, shut his mouth and averted his eyes.
"...The young master has it all figured out. We carry out our assigned duties from our positions and return when the time comes."
"Yes, sir."
"Hang in there until nightfall. Let's go."
With that, the five men emerged from the grove.
As Jin Gwang led the way, he suddenly spun around, blocking his squad members' path.
"Squad leader?"
Jin Gwang silently pressed a finger to his lips.
The squad members' expressions hardened. They realized the situation had turned serious.
A moment later.
Whoosh.
Three men appeared along with a gust of wind.
Peering from the alley, Jin Gwang's eyes flickered faintly at the sight of them.
'No way.'
The men walking the street were cloaked in pitch-black bloodwind robes.
Their bamboo hats were wide and broad. From their clothes to their hats, they were outfitted for long journeys.
But Jin Gwang could see it.
A glimpse of a crimson longsword as the central man's robe fluttered in the wind.
And even the three feathers emblazoned on the scabbard's center.
'A red longsword...!'
The Hong Sword Clan's elite Crimson Sword Brigade.
And with three feathers on the scabbard? That marked them as the absolute elites within the elites: Crimson Sword Squad Three.
The select few of Crimson Sword Squad Three were said to be able to take on the rest of the brigade single-handedly.
The Ten Sword Sect and Hong Sword Clan might vie endlessly for hegemony in Wuhuan, but no one disputed that the Crimson Sword Brigade held the region's strongest martial force.
'Why are Crimson Sword Squad Three's swordsmen here?'
And not just one, but three of them.
'That direction... the Ten Sword Sect?!'
The Hong Sword Clan was just as sensitive to rumors and intelligence as the Ten Sword Sect.
'Word of what happened here might have already reached the clan.'
If so, the Hong Sword Clan's information network outpaced the Ten Sword Sect's. Their base was farther away, after all.
'Sending Crimson Sword Squad Three toward the Ten Sword Sect in a situation like this...'
He couldn't make sense of it.
Truth be told, he and his squad weren't paid to think. At least not right now.
A moment later.
Jin Gwang poked his head out.
The three swordsmen walked off into the distance.
"Phew."
"N-No way those were Crimson Sword Brigade, right?"
"You saw it too?"
"Yes. The hilt, the scabbard—everything was red."
Ungpae patted his chest in relief.
"We got lucky they didn't spot us."
"This isn't something to celebrate."
If their squad members' internal energy had been even a bit deeper, they would've been detected. They'd have sensed the natural aura leaking out.
Thanks to their all-nighter fatigue and meager internal energy, they'd actually been safer.
"Return to your positions. I'm heading back to the clan for a bit."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Gulp, gulp.
Murong Bi shoveled in every side dish while mixing his rice, eating like a total glutton.
The squad members watched in fascination. Just days ago, he could barely finish half a bowl; now he was polishing off six in one go.
"You're eating like a pig."
Murong Suhyang grumbled.
"Why? Should I chew the bowl too?"
"Eek? Can you even eat this bowl?"
"Ugh."
Murong Suhyang shuddered in exasperation and turned away sharply.
Having emptied his bowl with gusto, Murong Bi held it out to one squad member.
"Y-You've finished...?"
"One more."
"P-Pardon?"
"The veggies are seasoned well. Get me some more."
The squad member trudged off to the kitchen with a drained look.
'Nice.'
Murong Bi rubbed his belly, his face unexpectedly serious.
'Digestion's kicking in fast.'
He could feel the nutrients he'd crammed in spreading through his body.
And it was real. The Mixed Origin True Energy actively melted down the new intake to fill its master's depleted frame.
'It's been ages, but this kind of recovery...?'
He hadn't expected the Mixed Origin True Energy to activate this thoroughly.
Partly thanks to the Brain Gate Heart Technique, but the Hemostatic Pill had played the decisive role.
"Hey, where'd you get this Hemostatic Pill?"
Am Yeong stared at Murong Bi without a word.
His eyes were conflicted. But he didn't seem scared.
Murong Bi smirked, picking rice from his lips before grabbing Am Yeong by the collar.
Whoosh!
It was a terrifying strength.
He dragged a grown man to his knees right up to his face in an instant. Everyone jumped at the sight.
"The sun's lovely today. Barely a cloud in the sky. Gonna be nice weather."
"......"
"We'll talk Hemostatic Pills later. No rush."
The expression slowly drained from Murong Bi's face.
Am Yeong swallowed involuntarily.
A man who'd shown every colorful emotion under the sun turning blank-faced in a heartbeat was downright eerie.
"I'm certain, but I want to hear it straight from your mouth."
"......"
"The Ten Sword Sect Lord sent you, right?"
Am Yeong still said nothing.
In that moment, a faint heat began seeping from Murong Bi's eyes.
Roooar!
The crisp morning air rippled wildly, heating up.
Everyone except Murong Sujing and Seok Ung, who'd entered the patriarch's quarters, could feel the horrifying aura pouring from Murong Bi.
Nothing new there. They'd felt the same killing intent when he'd crushed Lady Hwang Jihwa's group. It was still chilling enough to make them want to back off, but not as shocking as before.
Not for Am Yeong.
"Guh...!"
He instinctively tried to turn away, but Murong Bi's hand clamped his jaw.
Shudder, shudder.
Am Yeong's body began trembling violently.
To become an assassin required enduring unimaginable pain. The training included torture, with countless deaths along the way.
As the top assassin of the vanished Hobuk killer group, Crimson Mist Society, Am Yeong's endurance was formidable.
Yet.
"Urghhh!"
Foam bubbled from his mouth like he'd been struck by lightning.
Not content with foaming, his eyes rolled back. The Brain Gate Heart Technique-amplified killing intent right in his face overwhelmed his mind.
Murong Bi glared silently at Am Yeong, then felt a sudden headache.
'Oh ho.'
A mere first method, yet he wouldn't talk even after nearly depleting his Brain Gate True Energy on that killing intent.
'Not bad at all.'
The more he saw, the more he liked him.
Whoosh.
A cool breeze blew again.
"Hah! Hah!"
Am Yeong, regaining his senses, heaved ragged breaths.
His bloodshot eyes brimmed with unconcealed terror. Even an assassin was human. Overcoming Murong Bi's mental pressure was no easy feat.
"Gwanyeom, toss this guy in a warehouse."
"The one with Lady Hwang Jihwa?"
"Somewhere else."
"Got it."
Then.
"H-How...?"
Am Yeong drooled as he asked.
"How are you still alive after taking the Hemostatic Pill?"
Everyone was stunned.
'What? Was that thing poisoned?!'
Am Yeong stared quietly at Murong Bi. He was terrified, but equally curious.
His mind shaken by the amplified killing intent, he blurted it out. He wasn't in his right state.
Murong Bi tilted his head.
"Don't you know? Depending on true energy control, a Hemostatic Pill can be the ultimate healing tonic for internal injuries."
"...?!"
"It takes finesse, but in the right dose, it's huge for recovering internal energy. It hyper-activates your qi."
"H-How do you...?!"
"Gwanyeom, take him away."
"Are you perhaps the successor to the Death King?"
Death King?
'Haven't heard that name in a while.'
So many assassins had taken Holy Blood Palace commissions that he'd once hunted down the Death King himself and smashed him.
'Felt damn good.'
Murong Bi shook out his limbs. Time to loosen up.
Then Murong Suhyang approached.
"What is it?"
"Hm?"
"Did you learn assassin martial arts or something?"
Her tone was brusque as ever, but Murong Bi didn't miss the faint worry in her eyes.
"Why would I bother with such trashy techniques?"
"You say no, but that damn assassin seems to think so."
"You ever seen a sane assassin?"
Murong Suhyang tilted her head. She'd never even seen an assassin before, let alone gauged one's sanity.
"Anyway, feeling refreshed, so today we'll just—"
Then.
"Young master!"
Jin Gwang appeared with Old Man Gwak.
Murong Bi and Murong Suhyang's expressions shifted instantly. They read the urgency on Jin Gwang's face.
"What happened?"
"Hong Sword Clan's Crimson Sword Brigade—Crimson Sword Squad Three, by my guess—three swordsmen are heading toward the Ten Sword Sect."
Crimson Sword Squad Three?
"Cr-Crimson Sword Squad Three?!"
"Yes!"
Murong Bi glanced at Murong Suhyang.
The iron-willed Suhyang's face paled. That said it all about how formidable they were.
"I can't confirm they're actually going to the Ten Sword Sect, but their direction from here is..."
"So Hong Sword Clan elites are heading that way anyway?"
"Yes."
Murong Bi smiled.
"Well, well."
Murong Suhyang asked.
"What? What's going on? What do they want? You know?"
"What else? Declaration of war or negotiations."
"...?"
"War means we dig graves for the Ten Sword Sect. Negotiations mean we prep ours... Probably the latter."
"Speak plainly!"
"Means the main house is in danger."
"...?!"
"Want it simpler?"
"Crazy! The main house is in danger?!"
"Also an opportunity. If they're really heading to the Ten Sword Sect."
Murong Bi shouted to his squad.
"Jonghwan! Grab a decent staff and a long saber!"
"L-Long saber? Not a sword?"
"What are you on about."
Murong Bi adjusted his sash as he spoke.
"The Murongs always fought barehanded or with spear and blade."