Chapter 259
Chapter 259
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 259
Chapter Title: Rescuing My Brother-in-Law (10)
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Hearing Jo Gwang's request for me to reenlist, I realized one thing.
'That brat Yu Ryong kept my identity a secret until the end...'
Because there was no way he would make such a request to a Hall Master of the Nine Dragons Fortress, one of the Five Great Powers of the world.
After hearing my refusal, Jo Gwang met my gaze with a slightly disappointed look.
"A pity. The nation would thrive if there were more talented individuals like you, young warrior."
"Not 'young warrior,' but 'great warrior.' I may look young, but I'm old enough."
"..."
Being in my mid-twenties was more than enough to be called a great warrior in the martial world.
"If you have nothing else to say, I'll be on my way."
"There is still more."
"Then, please be quick. I don't have much time."
"I heard you worked as Lee Mu-cheong's guard. May I know why?"
"Well, it was an infiltration to achieve a goal. You can think of it as a sort of undercover employment."
"So you have no personal feelings for him."
"That's right."
"Then."
Jo Gwang met my eyes with a very serious gaze.
"Protect his life."
For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.
It would have been unbelievable even if he'd asked me to kill him, but to ask me to protect him instead...
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
"...You should be more careful with your words."
"I'll worry about that myself, so don't you mind. Left Protector, isn't Lee Mu-cheong an enemy of the little thief—I mean, the Right Protector here?"
"I'm not asking you to protect him while he's free. I'm asking you to protect him while he's in prison."
"But why...?"
Jo Gwang lowered his voice and said.
"The heads of the Six Ministries planned this, and the Left Protector carried it out. Now that it has failed, what do you think will happen?"
"...They'll try to kill the Left Protector. Dead men tell no tales, after all."
Indeed, murders in prison were a frequent occurrence.
"Correct. However, if the Left Protector lives, his testimony can be used to capture all the heads of the Six Ministries at once. If that happens..."
A powerful light entered Jo Gwang's eyes.
Called the Father of the Nation, his gaze was intelligent, righteous, and brimming with strength.
"The nation can be set right."
A plan to deal with the treacherous officials all at once.
It was an ambition befitting the Right Protector, known as the last hope of the empire.
"Will you lend me your strength?"
Hearing his incredibly noble voice, my heart was naturally moved.
"No, thanks."
Moved by the desire to go home even a day sooner, that is.
* * *
I refused firmly, but the little thief was persistent.
He tried to persuade me with promises of honor, a government position, and financial rewards.
'Even if I left my name in history, I wouldn't be around to see it. What's the point of a government post worth only a few hundred sacks of rice? And as for money, I probably have more than the Right Protector.'
But none of it worked on me.
Of course, my opponent was Jo Gwang, a man who held the nation's fate in his hands.
I didn't treat him too harshly, not knowing what kind of help I might need from him in the future.
'If you truly need people, I can introduce you to some. They are all masters of great sects, so they'll be of greater help than I. They're not far, so if you send a carrier pigeon, they can arrive within ten days.'
'Is that really true?!'
'However, the dispatch fee is a bit steep... Well, since you offered a thousand gold pieces, I'm sure you can afford it, right? Oh, but when you say a thousand gold pieces, you do mean a thousand nyang of gold, correct?'
'...'
I planned to introduce the three sect masters of the Loyalist Faction to him, who needed strength.
They had escaped poverty through their dealings with the Hanzhong Merchant Guild, but they hadn't become rich, so they would be more than satisfied with this job.
'Well, it's not bad to have them owe me a favor.'
By simply introducing them, I could make both sides indebted to me. What better role as a middleman could there be?
Having finished my negotiations with the little thief, I took the certificate and left the inn.
Yu Ryong trailed behind me as I left.
"What is it?"
"I will see you off."
"No need. I'm not a child."
After my firm refusal, Yu Ryong bid me farewell with a tone of resignation.
"It was brief, but it was an honor to be with you."
"..."
For a moment, I wondered if I had been too harsh, so I approached him and patted his shoulder.
"If your feelings were hurt, just brush it off. You know it's not because I dislike you, right?"
I said, while firmly gripping the Heavenly Net with my other hand.
*Pfft.*
Yu Ryong let out a small laugh and bowed his head.
"I know."
"Having you with me was also incredibly reassuring. Without you, I'd still be fumbling around."
"I'm truly glad I could be of help."
"I hope to see you again. Namgung Yu-ryong."
"...!"
His eyes widened as if they would tear.
It seemed he hadn't expected his identity to be discovered.
"...When did you find out?"
"In the ice cave? Your swordsmanship looked familiar."
In truth, I had agonized over it ever since I figured out his identity.
A genius who had reached the perfected state of a supreme master at just over twenty years of age.
I couldn't guess why he was in Nanjing, but he was a talent clearly destined to become a pillar of the Lion's League, so I even considered killing him on the spot.
However, if I acted so cowardly, could I really call myself an heir of the Bukgung?
'I can't restore the Bukgung family that way.'
My master probably wouldn't want that either.
Besides, despite knowing the circumstances between his family and the Bukgung family, the guy never betrayed me.
Namgung Yu-ryong gave a relieved smile and extended his hand.
"I am Gong Yu-ryong, Second Young Master of the Lion's League. My apologies for the late introduction."
"Jin Mujeon, Hall Master of the War Dragon Hall of the Nine Dragons Fortress. It was a pleasure to meet you."
I shook hands with him for the first time.
From his firm grip, I somehow got the feeling we would meet again someday.
"Well then."
And with that farewell, my eventful journey in Nanjing came to an end.
I thought to myself as I walked down the road.
"*Ptooey.*"
I'm never coming back.
* * *
Since the fire at the Imperial Palace had just been extinguished, the Imperial Guards were roaming around to catch the culprit, but with the Right Protector's certificate—a sort of all-access pass—we were able to leave Nanjing smoothly.
Thanks to that, our route home also changed quite a bit.
"Hmm... If you have a certificate with the Right Protector's seal, I don't think we need to travel in hiding."
"Then?"
"First, since we have an injured person, it would be best to take a boat. After we leave Anhui, we can switch to a carriage. That will be the fastest way."
"Let's do that, then."
As per the opinion of the Hao Clan member who was our guide, we decided to alternate between waterways and land routes.
For someone who had been prepared for the hardship of sleeping outdoors and traveling in hiding, this was a very welcome development.
'As expected, if you live a good life, it all comes back to you.'
I didn't know rescuing the scholars would pay off like this.
Whitey also seemed to be in a good mood, lying on his back against the side of the boat and making a strange noise.
*Prrr. Prrr.*
"Feeling good?"
*Heeeing.*
Seeing him even answer, he was undoubtedly a world-class steed.
Of course, once we entered Anhui, the territory of the Lion's League, I stayed cooped up in the boat and didn't come out.
Because if the Lion's League caught our tail, the aftermath would be difficult to handle.
After seven stuffy days and nights, we were able to safely pass through Anhui.
As soon as we arrived in Wuhan, we got off the boat and found a spacious carriage.
Myo San's condition had recovered considerably, so it was no longer a strain for him to ride in a carriage.
"*Hoo.*"
"Why the long face?"
"I'm worried about what's happening in Nanjing. I should be there, especially at a time like this..."
"It seemed like things would run just fine without you."
"..."
I had the Hao Clan send a message to the three sects belonging to the Loyalist Faction.
Telling them to dispatch their masters, as there was a job that paid handsomely.
Moreover, this wasn't just a good thing for the Loyalist Faction.
As power stems from martial strength, the cooperation of the three sects—poor in money but rich in martial prowess—was no different from giving wings to the Right Protector.
In other words, the scales of power, which had been tipped to one side, would now be somewhat balanced.
"Don't worry about that. Worry about what you'll wear to your sister's wedding. You're a scholar who passed the state examination with top honors; you can't show up in shabby clothes, can you?"
"...You're right."
Myo San, who was nodding, asked as if he had just remembered something.
"By the way, who exactly is my sister marrying? What does he look like? What's his personality? She's not marrying some bum who's only handsome and will just make her suffer, is she?"
"Ah! I forgot to tell you the most important part."
I extended my hand toward Myo San.
"Let's get along from now on. Brother-in-law."
"What?"
* * *
I finally managed to calm down Myo San, who had moved past surprise and was spewing anger.
'They say you should never take in a black-haired beast! Mujeon, how dare you do this to my sister!'
'Hey, who said anything about taking you in... We just happened to meet and fell for each other...'
'And you call yourself a human being?!'
'Well, if I'm not human, what am I?'
It seemed that because we had been friends, he couldn't accept me as his brother-in-law.
Since ancient times, the phrase "a friend's older sister" has been treated as something of a forbidden relationship, hasn't it?
Well, even so...
'The rice has already been cooked. Let's just accept it, Myo San.'
'Ugh!'
Now that it was a fait accompli, he had no choice but to accept me as his brother-in-law.
After that, whenever Myo San had a chance, he started interrogating me.
'Are you still working in the Outer Hall? Hmm, then you must be a Squad Leader by now. The monthly salary isn't small, but it's not huge either.'
'Where are you living now? Is it your own house, or are you renting from someone else?'
'I heard that white horse pulling the carriage is yours. If you can afford such a fine steed, you must be very interested in horses, but aren't you spending too much money on your ride?'
He was asking about my job, house, and car.
At first, I told him the truth.
'What? You're saying the War King Sect that rules Hanzhong is yours? And you're the current Hall Master of the War Dragon Hall? Mujeon, I may not look it, but I'm a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. Do I look like a fool to you?'
'What do you mean, my sister is running the Seocheon Merchant Guild and the Hanzhong Merchant Guild? Is that even possible for a woman?'
'You became the one and only disciple of the current Lord of Nine Dragons...? If you're going to keep teasing me, I won't talk to you anymore.'
He didn't believe a word I said.
It seemed it was because he had been stuck in Nanjing his whole life and was ignorant of the affairs of the martial world.
In response, Woo Je-jun and Sima Heun offered all sorts of testimony, but Myo San didn't waver from his belief that everyone was conspiring to deceive him.
In the end, I gave up on persuading him and asked the Hao Clan member driving the carriage to go as fast as possible.
'Just tell me the truth. I'll accept you as my brother-in-law regardless of your circumstances.'
That was the only way I could stop hearing that nonsense even a moment sooner.
"Go! Whiteymon!"
*Heeeeeigh-!*
Whitey, the Ferrari of the martial world, let out a powerful cry and pulled the carriage forward at speed.
*Dudududu.*
"Mujeon, I believe what's important for a married couple is their heart, not external factors."
"No."
Why do you keep treating an honest person like a liar?