Chapter 730: I’m Not the Type to Take Things Lying Down
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 730: I’m Not the Type to Take Things Lying Down
“………”
Ha Su-ryeon could only stare at Sun-woo, her expression one of utter bewilderment.
The shocking, unbelievable truth had left her soul feeling as though it had drifted away. Her mind was a chaotic mess. The man’s words simply didn't fit together.
The disciple of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, yet also his sworn enemy?
What on earth did that mean?
The Cheonmu Alliance Leader had only ever had one disciple: Jang Sam, the Heavenly Heavy Sword, who had been declared a Public Enemy of the Murim after being framed. There was no one else.
Yet this man claimed to be his disciple?
Did that mean Jang Sun-woo was actually Jang Sam? Had he been acting as Jang Sun-woo all this time while dreaming of revenge?
She didn't know. It was too confusing. Her head felt like it was about to split open.
“You seem confused,” Sun-woo said, watching her struggle.
“……I am,” Ha Su-ryeon admitted, nodding slowly as she voiced her honest thoughts.
The impact of claiming to be the disciple of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader was monumental—enough to throw even her, the Leader of the Hao Clan, into total disarray.
“There’s no need to rush. We have plenty of time, so take it slow and process it.”
“……Thank you.”
Ha Su-ryeon gave a slight nod of gratitude and fell into a silent reverie, attempting to organize the chaos in her mind.
After some time had passed, she spoke again, her gaze fixed on Sun-woo with palpable tension.
“……Sword God…… are you truly Jang Sam?”
“I am.”
Sun-woo answered immediately, stating the simple fact.
“……I see. So it really is true……”
Ha Su-ryeon’s expression turned somber. Every piece of the puzzle finally clicked into place. All his words and actions began to make sense.
Why he was able to master the Zhu-Rong Art.
Why he demanded the truth about the serial rape and murder case.
Why he was so certain that Lee Jae-won was the culprit.
Why he was so confident he could protect the Hao Clan.
And why he referred to Lee Jae-won as both his master and his enemy.
She understood it all now. It was because he was Jang Sam—the "dullard" eldest disciple of Lee Jae-won, who had been sacrificed for the sake of Lee Jae-won’s safety and the Cheonmu Alliance’s honor.
“Do you believe me?” Sun-woo asked.
“I have no choice but to…… There would be no reason for the Sword God to go out of his way to claim the title of Public Enemy of the Murim.”
She had to believe him. There was absolutely no reason for someone of his stature to falsely claim such a status.
“I suppose that’s true.”
A faint, amused smile played on Sun-woo’s lips. It was ironic that his status as the Murim’s greatest villain was the very thing that earned her trust.
“Then, can you tell me now?” Sun-woo continued, his gaze steady. “About the truth you all have been hiding.”
“……I suppose I must.”
Ha Su-ryeon looked resigned. This man, the Sword God, had laid everything bare to earn her trust. The least she could do was show him the same courtesy.
“……I will tell you. I will tell you the foul truth that the Hao Clan has been concealing.”
She looked at Sun-woo with a calm, steady gaze and began to speak of the ugly secrets that had been buried for over twenty years.
*
It all began exactly one year after the founding of the Cheonmu Alliance.
One day, amidst a persistent drizzle, the body of a woman was discovered in a brothel. The state of the corpse was horrific beyond words. Every single orifice of her body had been ruptured, with blood streaming out, and her limbs were twisted into grotesque, unnatural angles. Her neck had been spun around so many times that it practically fell off when the body was being moved.
Even at a glance, it was clear she had been brutally toyed with before being murdered.
The members of the Hao Clan who first discovered the body immediately recovered it and worked tirelessly to identify her, scouring countless records. Before long, they were able to identify the victim.
She was a woman named Bi-yeon, a new recruit of the Phoenix Unit. She had been reported missing to the local authorities just a few days prior.
Upon identifying her, the Hao Clan handed the body over to the Law Enforcement Hall but launched their own internal investigation. They feared that if they weren't careful, the Cheonmu Alliance might use the incident as a pretext to interfere in their territory.
Under the active leadership of the then-Leader of the Hao Clan, the members began to narrow down suspects. They searched for witnesses and collected evidence from the scene, determined to find the culprit.
However, they failed to produce any significant results. The heavy rain had washed away most of the evidence, and no witnesses could be found. Ultimately, the first rape and murder case remained unsolved.
The Leader of the Hao Clan was furious. The reputation of the Hao Clan—known as the "Heavenly Ear" for having ears in the sky and the "Earthly Eye" for having eyes in the ground—had been severely tarnished.
A few months after the first case was closed, another occurred. It was a carbon copy of the first.
Again, the body was found in a brothel. Again, it showed signs of extreme sexual abuse and a broken neck. The Hao Clan immediately set to work, but they came up empty-handed once more. There were still no witnesses or evidence, and the pool of potential suspects was far too large.
The Leader of the Hao Clan officially announced a manhunt to his members. He declared that the clan’s honor was at stake. Thus began an invisible pursuit between the Hao Clan and the killer.
This pursuit lasted for fifteen years. They simply could not catch the culprit, who was meticulous enough to never leave a trace or a witness.
Then, one day, during this seemingly endless chase, the granddaughter of the Plum Blossom Sword Emperor, Yoon Je-gyeom, was murdered.
Naturally, the Cheonmu Alliance was thrown into an uproar. Until then, the victims had mostly been disciples of minor sects or women from nameless martial families. But this time, it was the granddaughter of Yoon Je-gyeom, one of the highest-ranking figures in the Murim.
The city of Jinan was turned upside down. Yoon Je-gyeom himself roamed the streets with his sword, hunting for the killer. The Leader of the Hao Clan also personally took charge of the investigation, gritting his teeth. He intended to show this arrogant killer what happened when you crossed the line, while also restoring his clan’s battered pride.
Before the body was handed over to the Law Enforcement Hall, the Leader of the Hao Clan inspected it himself and determined the estimated time of death. Then, he began investigating the alibis of everyone living in Jinan. He started checking what everyone was doing at the time of the murder.
Initially, the investigation hit a wall. Investigating tens of thousands of people individually was a daunting task. So, the Leader of the Hao Clan came up with a strategy. He narrowed the scope. He assumed that only a master of equal caliber could kill a victim who possessed Peak Realm martial arts.
Thus, the investigation into every martial artist at or above the Peak Realm in Jinan began. Thousands of Hao Clan members worked through the night, pounding the pavement to protect their reputation as the Heavenly Ear and Earthly Eye.
Exactly fifteen days after the incident, the Leader of the Hao Clan suddenly halted the investigation. He issued a strict order that the murder case was never to be mentioned again.
Naturally, the clan members protested. They asked if he was going to abandon the pride of the Hao Clan. But the Leader remained stubborn, and eventually, the Hao Clan completely washed its hands of the case. They never looked into it again.
“The Leader of the Hao Clan realized the culprit was Lee Jae-won,” Sun-woo said in a calm tone after hearing her explanation.
Even without hearing the rest, he understood. He knew why the Leader had suddenly dropped the case, even at the cost of the clan’s pride.
“That’s right…… My master…… realized there was one person whose alibi didn't hold up…… The Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won.”
Ha Su-ryeon’s expression was deeply somber. Before passing away from illness, the previous Leader had summoned her, his disciple, and passed on all the clan’s top-secret information—secrets so sensitive that a single leak could trigger a bloodbath.
The information regarding the Cheonmu Alliance Leader was the most classified of them all. It was a secret that could determine the very survival of the Hao Clan.
“……I see.”
Sun-woo nodded. His suspicions had been correct. Even Tang Jin-seol, who had been confined within the Cheonmu Alliance, knew that Lee Jae-won was the serial killer. There was no way the Hao Clan, the masters of intelligence, didn't know. They knew, but they feigned ignorance for the sake of their clan’s survival.
“……I am sorry.”
Suddenly, Ha Su-ryeon bowed her head and offered a sincere apology, her face filled with remorse.
“I knew it wasn't right…… but I hid the truth……”
She continued, her voice heavy with guilt. Because they had hidden the truth, Jang Sam had been framed as the culprit. Furthermore, they had remained silent even when he was declared a Public Enemy, despite knowing the identity of the real killer. She felt she had to apologize for the selfish choice they made to ensure their clan’s existence.
“It’s fine,” Sun-woo said, waving it off. He felt it was unavoidable.
“But……”
“You did what you had to do to survive, didn't you?”
Sun-woo’s voice was steady. They were merely struggling to stay alive. While that didn't justify hiding the truth, it was an understandable reason. Lee Jae-won was like a natural disaster; it was only natural to fear him and tread carefully.
“……Thank you.”
Ha Su-ryeon expressed her gratitude for his magnanimity. Honestly, she felt she deserved to be beaten to death for her actions. They had been mere bystanders through it all—when he was framed, and when he was declared a Public Enemy. She would have had no right to complain even if he had struck her down then and there.
“Can you hand over the records?” Sun-woo asked.
“Records……?”
“All the documents and materials you have regarding the cases from fifteen years ago.”
“……Do you intend to reveal the truth to the public?” Ha Su-ryeon asked.
“I’m not the type to take things lying down,” Sun-woo replied with a thick smile. “Besides, don't I have the martial power and the nerve to stand my ground? All I need now is the physical evidence to bring him down.”
Sun-woo’s eyes flashed with a hint of suppressed rage. He intended to destroy Lee Jae-won completely—socially and physically. He needed the Hao Clan’s direct evidence to achieve his revenge.
“No one will believe it,” Ha Su-ryeon said firmly. “……Even though he’s currently plagued by rumors, he is still the great hero who saved the Murim…… Moreover, he is currently planning the subjugation of the Demonic Cult. If you try to fight him in the court of public opinion, you will be at a disadvantage.”
Despite the current scandals, he was the leader of the Cheonmu Alliance, an organization dedicated to justice, and a hero of the realm. Winning a war of public opinion against such a man was nearly impossible. In the end, the masses would side with the hero.
“It’s fine,” Sun-woo said, looking her straight in the eye. “I have a card that can flip public opinion on its head.”
He let out a refreshing, clear smile. Ha Su-ryeon tilted her head as she watched him. She couldn't fathom what kind of card could possibly achieve such a feat.
Just what are you thinking?
The doubt in Ha Su-ryeon’s eyes began to deepen.