Jeok Myo-ye’s Trembling Eyes
Jeok Myo-ye’s eyes trembled faintly. Now, even the guards standing at a distance fixed their lewd gazes openly on her. But there was something even more unbearable than that.
The fury bubbling up from her acquaintances downstairs, unable to hold back at the sounds drifting from one floor below. Among them was Yeom Jung-tak, with whom she had shared a bed just recently. To suffer this humiliation in front of someone she was slowly opening her heart to.
‘How embarrassing.’
As her boiling rage and sense of degradation made her grit her teeth, her usually restrained, fiery temper exploded in a fit of anger. The moment she realized where the hand piercing her robes was headed, she shot to her feet without thinking.
Thud!
“I’ll take my leave now.”
The liquor spilled from her sudden rise soaked Seol Jin-gwang’s chest. His lips curled into a sneer.
He’d caught her perfectly.
“Ho! Grown some guts in the meantime, have you?”
“I’m sorry. If you need a courtesan, I can call one for you…”
In that instant, Seol Jin-gwang’s sweat-slick hand seized her hair.
Whoosh!
“Aaaagh!”
As he struck several of her acupoints, Seol Jin-gwang’s chilling smile turned toward Cheong-ho Bang’s leader, Gok Jeong-pil.
“Seems the Bangju summoned me here to humiliate me.”
Instead of surprise, Gok Jeong-pil returned a sly, knowing smile.
“Would I dare do such a thing?”
“Then this bitch must think she can mock me.”
Gok Jeong-pil bowed at a perfect right angle.
“I should have warned her more strictly, but I failed. Shall I handle it myself? Or…?”
“Why ruin my rapport with the Bangju over one wench? I’ll deal with it.”
“Understood. I’ll withdraw.”
As Seol Jin-gwang’s hand reached for her again with a venomous grin, a sharp female voice from the third floor pierced toward him.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Seol Jin-gwang’s eyes widened involuntarily as they met hers.
‘Who is she?’
His shock came in two waves. First, she was a stunning beauty. But beyond her snow-white skin, starlit eyes, sharp nose, and firmly pressed crimson lips, something else held his gaze captive.
‘Strange!’
She exuded a natural aura, an intangible presence no one could dare approach—an enigmatic fragrance that demanded reverence from afar, untouchable.
Seol Jin-gwang flushed red. To gape like a fool at a woman scolding him.
Only then did reality snap back. His second shock: the effortless way she had slipped past the guards blocking the third floor.
‘An expert.’
Yet the heat from her unprecedented beauty quickly cooled in his eyes. The young men following behind her. They knew well who he was, yet they strode in boldly.
‘Orthodox faction.’
In Chim-ju, no one ignored Ha Hu Sega, the top orthodox clan. Even Jeok-un Mun, the pinnacle of unorthodoxy, cowered like a mouse before a cat. These must be connected to Ha Hu.
‘Not worth provoking.’
But he couldn’t just tuck tail either. At that moment, Cheong-ho Bangju Gok Jeong-pil’s eyes darted slyly, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
‘Perfect.’
He’d only planned to bait today, but this was a chance to hook something bigger. Raising his voice toward one of the two targets present, he called out.
“Hey! Squad Leader Dam!”
Dam Sa-un—Squad Leader Mu Yun—rushed over.
“You called?”
Gok Jeong-pil signaled with his chin instead of words.
Mu Yun’s face hardened.
‘Them?’
It was a command to step up. Of course, neither he nor the Bangju thought he could match them. Even unleashing his hidden strength, he was only mid-first-rate.
But in such situations, the weak had one way to avoid submission. That was what the Bangju ordered him to do.
Squad Leader Mu Yun took a step forward before the woman.
“We’re all from the same world here. By the laws of the jianghu, I’d appreciate if you didn’t interfere.”
The woman, Jin Seo-yeon, let out an incredulous sigh.
“Is that something you do to your own side?”
There was nothing else to say in such moments.
“We’ll handle it ourselves.”
Jin Seo-yeon waved her hand dismissively, as if annoyed. How many times had she seen this?
“Stop this nonsense, or get out of here.”
“It’s not my decision.”
Jin Seo-yeon had no desire to argue further. She stepped forward, making her intent clear.
“Then call whoever decides. Hurry up!”
Now it was time to act on orders. Mu Yun raised his sword, still sheathed.
“Please stand back.”
Jin Seo-yeon’s pitying gaze turned to him.
‘How can he be so eerily similar?’
She could see exactly what would unfold. Knowing this was their way of life still made her frown every time.
All that remained was to wait—they’d handle it themselves.
But as time passed, the expected didn’t happen. As Jin Seo-yeon’s puzzled eyes turned to Mu Yun, his puzzled eyes turned to the Bangju.
‘Why?’
The Bangju should step in now, berate him harshly. Then beat him soundly for daring such insolence before an orthodox warrior, offer the woman a light apology, and withdraw. That was how to escape without losing face to the orthodox.
Of course, he’d take the brunt of it.
But the Bangju’s cold gaze signaled otherwise. Only then did a chill run down Mu Yun’s spine.
‘It’s me!’
The Bangju had been eyeing him and Squad Leader Ak Mu-gil warily lately.
Drawing a sword before the foe signaled intent to fight. Now, even if they attacked, he’d have no grounds to complain.
Sheathing it would give the Bangju cause for severe reprimand.
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
As he hesitated, unable to decide, a gust of wind heralded an unsheathed strike.
The attacker was the male warrior beside the woman.
Shing!
Mu Yun’s eyes bulged.
‘An expert!’
His thoughts ended there. A dull thud to his chest brought darkness.
In that moment of death, Mu Lun from a millennium past took residence in his body.
Mu Yun organized his memories from two hours prior. Now was the time to piece it together, one by one. To hide his unfamiliar tone, he kept words sparse.
“Who was that bastard?”
Ak Mu-gil’s puzzled eyes turned to him. A natural question, yet something felt off from his usual self. No tension, just that indifferent, cold gaze.
First, the urgent matter. It would clarify the situation. The opponent’s status was clearly significant.
“Zelgang Dan Mok Sega’s young master.”
Mu Yun’s eyes gleamed.
‘No wonder.’
Even as an unorthodox fighter, mid-first-rate like him wouldn’t fell someone with a sheathed strike unless they were that level.
Then Ak Mu-gil’s heavy voice rumbled.
“But he summoned you for tomorrow. Said he hasn’t held you accountable for drawing your blade yet.”
Mu Yun’s hair stood on end.
‘Why?’
He’d thought dealing with Bangju Gok Jeong-pil was enough, but the danger lingered. Dan Mok was off the Five Great Clans now, but still listed among the Seven Great. Their young master, at that age, had surely surpassed Peak realm.
Yet he’d cornered an unorthodox drifter he couldn’t even threaten to near death, then summoned him back.
In the jianghu, no one killed casually for just drawing a sword—especially not the righteous, who’d earn infamy for cruelty. Usually, they’d slice a limb or inflict internal wounds and call it done.
Nothing but a blunder explained it.
‘Why did I do that?’
No need for long thought. The woman who stepped forward, radiating an untouchable aura. He recalled the man’s gaze toward her.
That gaze’s meaning.
‘Not anger at a wretch like me daring to defy, but at her.’
Excitement from that fury, no doubt.
Another question arose.
“And the woman?”
“A Botamun swordswoman from Geom-gak, candidate for Little Sword Princess. Even the late-arriving Ha Hu young master treated her carefully. Might be because Botamun’s leader is visiting Ha Hu Sega.”
Now the situation made sense. Two sects from Zelgang knew each other well; a beauty and Sword Princess candidate would draw interest. Botamun’s leader oversaw as a monk, but Geom-gak’s swordswomen were led separately by the Sword Princess and could marry if they chose—though they’d leave Geom-gak.
Anyway, things had tangled badly. The Bangju issue, Dan Mok young master, and Chim-ju’s overlords Ha Hu Sega too. They’d arrived late but shamed the invitees before guests. The vermin pulling tricks before honored visitors wasn’t something to overlook.
Complications swirled in his mind. But compared to his previous life’s perils, this was child’s play. The iron rule that always surfaced in such times.
‘Untangle knots one by one.’
Mu Yun gathered his thoughts and met their four gazes.
‘Ones I can trust.’
Forced from his clan two years ago, hiding on Guangdong’s southern coast, then a year as squad leader in Chim-ju. These four marked the start of those bonds. Helping them fight bandits sparked it; a year of shared hardships followed. Recently, the sworn siblings of four invited him to join, but he politely declined. He couldn’t drag those he unconsciously relied on into danger.
They sensed his backstory and didn’t press. Trustworthy folk—start with them. Dan Mok he could handle alone, but the Bangju involved them too. The root of this mess.
“The Bangju?”
Ak Mu-gil ground his teeth.
“Obvious, ain’t it? Handle it yourself. Crawl out injured, and he’ll shove a blade in your gut. Right?”
Irreconcilable with the Bangju now. Mu Yun’s angry lips twisted.
Another iron rule from his past life as Mu Lun, one he’d resolved and executed. Unchanged since joining Chim-ju’s underworld.
‘Best not to make enemies. But when irreversible, hesitate and we die.’
Weak foes: eliminate quickly. Strong ones: crouch and submit first. Bravado then meant death. Once decided—flee or fight—act swiftly. No waffling since losing dear friend Yeo Dan to hesitation.
Mu Yun sorted his thoughts and spoke lowly. He sensed it in their eyes.
“You in?”
Ak Mu-gil’s gaze burned fierce.
“Why ask? Why else stick around? You seem fine—let’s move. Got rough prep ready.”
He knew what prep meant.
“Run?”
“Survive first. Dealing with Bangju later.”
Mu Yun shook his head firmly. Reasons against it.
“No. Dan Mok summoned me, but it’s as good as Ha Hu ordering. Ignore and flee, and it’s not Bangju—we all die by their hands.”
“Then what?”
“Got a plan.”
“What?”
Couldn’t give all answers upfront.
“Decide tomorrow at Ha Hu. Judge by the situation.”
Ak Mu-gil sighed deeply after thought. His skill outmatched Mu Yun’s, but not his wits.
“Hmph! Fine. You don’t act rashly, so I’ll trust you.”
Prep for Ha Hu next.
“Need a favor. Right after leaving Ha Hu tomorrow, spread rumors we’re gathering another gang to take down the Bangju.”
All four eyes widened.
“Huh? What? Sneaking’s hard enough—rumors?”
No need for lengthy explanations now.
“Trust once, trust fully.”
“……?”
Silent for a while, they exchanged glances. Knowing the point of no return, they steeled themselves. Mu Yun’s subtly changed gaze today inspired faith.
Still, Ak Mu-gil had to ask.
“He summoned you back—probably to lop off something at least.”
Mu Yun exhaled burning breath with fiery resolve. Not just today’s will.
“Survived once. Don’t wanna be crippled or dead again.”
“Think you can endure that?”
Mu Yun answered honestly.
“Train through the night.”
“……?”