Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Taking in Seol Ha-ryeong
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"This is my personal pavilion within the Martial Alliance. Mu-heun, Pae-seon, and Ha-ryeong, you may all rest here. No one can enter this place without permission, so please rest assured."
Jang Ryang spoke very kindly to Mu-heun, Pae-seon, and Seol Ha-ryeong, telling them to rest in the pavilion.
However, Dang So-so's name was not among those he had invited to rest comfortably. He soon approached her, snapped his index finger and thumb, and spoke.
"The Martial Alliance has quarters prepared for the Sichuan Tang Clan, so you should head there."
Jang Ryang snapped his fingers again with a *click!*, and Dang So-so replied with another vacant expression.
"Yes."
"Furthermore, forget everything from meeting me at the Yellow Crane Tower to the secret passage. You parted ways with us at the tower, came here alone, and entered through the main gate."
"Yes."
"You also explained that you were alone when you showed the Dragon and Phoenix Medallion to the gatekeeper. Understood?"
"Yes."
"And return the talisman I gave you when you entered this place."
"Yes."
Dang So-so replied with the same blank expression and returned the talisman to Jang Ryang. After retrieving it from her, Jang Ryang said.
"You may leave now."
"Yes."
As soon as she heard Jang Ryang's command, Dang So-so calmly departed alone to find her own quarters.
Pae-seon, looking quite surprised, shook his head but soon entered the residence with Mu-heun.
* * *
-Martial Alliance, Heavenly Dragon Fortress.
Currently, the Heavenly Dragon Fortress of the Martial Alliance was teeming with masters from the Orthodox Sects scattered throughout the Central Plains, led by the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families.
Mu-heun felt a sense of tension inwardly.
'To think that I, someone from the Demonic Cult, would be comfortably settled in a place like this, with such a fine view.'
It wasn't a situation he had ever imagined, but thanks to meeting Jang Ryang, things had turned out very well. Now, all he had to do was wait here, meet the Alliance Leader, observe the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, and then return.
'Yes, that should have been the plan...'
The strange sense of unease he felt when he saw that child in the market earlier still hadn't faded.
'There's no harm in being certain.'
When Mu-heun was left alone in his room, he decided to investigate the Martial Alliance and its surroundings further using his fragrance.
'And when night comes, I'll need to speak with Cheon-hyang.'
He didn't bother asking about Seol Ha-ryeong's restriction. However, seeing her follow him without a word, it seemed the matter had been resolved well.
If she said she didn't want to return to the Demonic Cult...
'I'll have to let her go.'
He felt sorry for the Sun and Moon Divine Maiden, Mi-wol, but he believed it was the right thing to do. Besides, if the Divine Maiden found out she was a spy, there was no telling what she might do.
The Soul-Stealing Immortal, Jang Ryang, led Mu-heun, Seol Ha-ryeong, and Pae-seon into a very luxurious residence and introduced the rooms.
"This is a mansion I built by shaking down some very wicked rich men and corrupt officials. The Alliance Leader even gave me permission to build it within the Martial Alliance grounds. If you need anything, just tell the maids, and they'll bring it."
"Thank you."
"Haha, I must go meet the Alliance Leader, and I have much to do for you, Mu-heun, so I'll take my leave. Ah, and while I'm away, you should wear these necklaces. Elder Pae-seon of Kunlun won't need one, but Ha-ryeong and Mu-heun will."
Pae-seon was startled when Jang Ryang called him 'big brother' and exclaimed.
"B-Big Brother?"
"Haha, I believe you're about two years older than me, so I'll just call you Big Brother."
"Hmph... Since when are we so familiar?"
"It's better than being called 'you rascal!', isn't it? Hahahaha!"
"Wh-What!?"
Mu-heun thought Jang Ryang was much more sociable than he had expected. Apart from that, Jang Ryang gave necklaces to Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong, excluding Pae-seon. A wooden plaque was attached to them, inscribed with the characters for 'Earth-Fighting Fang Unit'.
"The Earth-Fighting Fang Unit, meaning 'Fangs that fight on the ground,' is a secret unit of the Martial Alliance that I created. If you wear that necklace within the Alliance, no one will dare to treat you poorly."
"Hoh... An absolutely essential item for people from the Demonic Cult like us to move freely within the Martial Alliance."
"That's right. The Earth-Fighting Fang Unit is known publicly as a secret unit of the Martial Alliance, so even members of other sects who know of its existence won't dare to act rashly."
"Thank you."
"Not at all. Besides, wearing the necklace naturally makes it difficult for others to recognize your face, making it easier to hide your identity. However."
"However?"
"Members of the Earth-Fighting Fang Unit require the Alliance's permission to observe the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly. I will secure that permission by tomorrow, so please remain inside the mansion for today."
"Understood."
"It won't take long. I will soon make arrangements so the three of you can enter anywhere in the Alliance as members of the Earth-Fighting Fang Unit, so please wait just a little longer."
"...Immortal, you are truly a man of many talents."
"Hahahaha. Not as much as the Divine Doctor."
"Hm...!?"
"Oops. Well, everyone here already knows, so I suppose it doesn't matter?"
"...!?"
Pae-seon was shocked to hear Jang Ryang call Mu-heun 'Divine Doctor' and spoke up.
"Mu-heun! Did you tell him everything?"
Mu-heun simply nodded without a word. The reason was that his current concern was something else entirely. As Jang Ryang said, Pae-seon already knew, so it didn't really matter.
The problem was the potential variables that could arise now that Seol Ha-ryeong knew this fact. Had she truly decided to join his grand cause?
"Does Lady Ha-ryeong know as well?"
"Ah... Yes. I told her everything. And this choice was one Ha-ryeong made for herself."
Seol Ha-ryeong interjected almost before Jang Ryang could finish his sentence.
"That's right. I believe I also have the right to know the truth and make my own choice."
"That may be, but..."
"If you're worried that I might reveal your identity, you don't have to be. If you really can't trust me, I'll ask Sir Jang Ryang to cast a soul-stealing art on me right now to prevent me from speaking the secret."
Mu-heun said, flustered.
"No, it's not that. I'm just a little surprised."
"I know. The reason I didn't say anything despite knowing everything was because I was afraid you would oppose my return to the Demonic Cult. But hiding things just isn't in my nature. I'm sure Sir Jang Ryang said this knowing that."
"Ahem, hem..."
Jang Ryang cleared his throat and looked away.
"Rather than staying here to live freely or assisting Sir Jang Ryang, I want to remain by your side, Mu-heun, and help with your great cause. Even if that means hiding my identity and re-entering the Demonic Cult. Please allow me."
"Why do you want to help me?"
"The years I spent in the Demonic Cult, not in my right mind... all of it was to do the right thing. Before, I believed Sir Jang Ryang was right, which is why I calmed my mind and entered the cult to work as a spy."
"The right thing?"
"Yes. I have watched what you do from your side all this time. And after experiencing what happened in Okhwa Prefecture, I've come to a clear realization. Helping you, Mu-heun, is the most righteous path."
"Ha... This will be a different matter from your work as a spy. Are you still okay with that?"
"Of course. From now on, I will no longer think of you as someone younger than me, or merely as an extraordinary person."
"..."
"You were one of the three great Divine Doctors of the Central Plains in your past life, are now living a new one, and will soon ascend to the position of the Heavenly Demon."
'For a child from the Orthodox Sects, she says some rather strange things.'
"Does helping the Heavenly Demon seem like the right thing to do?"
"It's not that the Heavenly Demon is right. It's that what you intend to do after becoming the Heavenly Demon is right. You know this, don't you? Not everything about the Orthodox Sects is right, and not everything about the Demonic Cult is wrong. What matters is the intention."
"..."
Mu-heun could tell at once that Seol Ha-ryeong's words were sincere.
Previously, he could gauge an opponent's emotions with his seasoned senses or use his fragrance to faintly discern the scent of a lie.
This time, however, he could distinguish it on a completely different level, thanks to the Butterfly Dream bracelet on his wrist.
Mu-heun had already heard all of Seol Ha-ryeong's circumstances from the Soul-Stealing Immortal and had seen her will. Furthermore, he had more than confirmed her skills.
"Very well. But from now on, you must listen to my words carefully."
"Hoho, whose words would I ever disobey?"
And so, Mu-heun gained another subordinate in addition to Pa-sun and Un-pyo.
However, from that moment on, Ha-ryeong's attitude toward Mu-heun changed drastically. She began to treat him with the utmost respect, as if serving a much older elder.
Mu-heun both liked and disliked her attitude.
'I finally got young again, but I'm being treated like an old man...'
* * *
After Jang Ryang left, Pae-seon and Ha-ryeong went to their respective rooms, and Mu-heun began to look around the pavilion. He soon realized that a barrier had been cast over the entire pavilion using sorcery.
With sorcery of this level, it would not be easy for even Cheon-hyang, who roamed the skies, to enter.
'I'll need to study this.'
Mu-heun soon spread the Myriad Fragrance throughout the pavilion. Spreading his fragrance had now become something of a habit.
After reaching the pinnacle of the Demonic Path, his energy sense had become broader and more refined. Using this, along with the fragrance that felt as detailed as if he were touching and seeing with his own hands and eyes, he meticulously examined the barrier spread across the pavilion.
'As I thought...! It was the Mystic Gate Arts.'
Mu-heun soon returned to his room. He could study the rest using the Myriad Fragrance, so he left the window wide open, sat on his bed, and crossed his legs.
Then, he began to study the structure of the Mystic Gate formation spread across the pavilion. The core principles of such formations were generally similar; the nature of the formation and barrier depended on what kind of structure was built upon that foundation.
Since the barrier was maintained by a set of rules and arrangements, he should be able to create a momentary opening for Cheon-hyang to enter.
However.
The barrier was far more complex than Mu-heun had anticipated. It wasn't that he couldn't decipher it given enough time, but he had to summon Cheon-hyang tonight, so time was short.
Forcing a hole in the barrier would be simple, but doing so would shatter the entire barrier.
He couldn't completely dismantle the barrier the Soul-Stealing Immortal had set up. Therefore, he only needed to investigate it thoroughly enough to create an opening...
'What happened when Pae-seon, Ha-ryeong, and I first entered?'
The talisman... right, the Soul-Stealing Immortal gave talismans to Ha-ryeong, Pae-seon, and Dang So-so. But I didn't receive one.
The reason was the Butterfly Dream bracelet I was wearing. The Soul-Stealing Immortal had said that as long as I wore those prayer beads, a talisman wouldn't be necessary.
In that case...