CHAPTER 83 - Bright Smile
Jin Muhon had battled Ma-seon's divided soul before.
The memory of that day lingered vividly in his fingertips—the soul splitting apart, the Blood Demon writhing and burrowing in, and the sensation of slicing them away one by one.
Based on that memory, if he faced the Nangong family head, he could surely detect traces of Ma-seon.
Yet Geomje shook his head, his face rigid.
"Impossible."
It was a short, resolute statement.
"Impossible?"
"Only those with permission can enter the Family Head Residence."
"What? Even you, the Supreme Family Head, can't get in?"
Muheo raised his voice in protest.
Geomje ground his molars slightly.
"It's shameful, but true. We have no idea what he's scheming... Otherwise, why would I have called on the distant palace lord for help?"
"Hmm..."
Muheo glanced subtly at Jin Muhon.
Buso-yong and Geomje's gazes also fixed on him.
"......"
"......"
The silence stretched on. The air in the room grew heavy.
Finally, unable to bear it, Muheo voiced his thought.
"We're sparring with the Nangong fellow anyway. When the time comes, just—"
Muheo mimed slicing his own throat with his hand.
Buso-yong and Geomje looked at him with utter disdain.
"What? Why?"
"Are you in your right mind? The sparring match will be watched by the heads of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, not to mention countless martial artists. You think we should have the Sword Demon behead the Nangong family head in front of everyone? Want to make him a public enemy of the Murim?"
"Ahem! Well, he's already a public enemy anyway..."
Jin Muhon fixed Muheo with a steady gaze.
Muheo promptly shut his mouth.
"Geomje."
"Speak. If you have a good plan, I'll follow it without question."
Geomje and Jin Muhon's eyes met in the air.
"First, don't call me Sword Demon."
Geomje thought for a moment, then nodded.
It was obvious what chaos would erupt if someone slipped and called him Sword Demon at the Murim Conference.
"Fair enough. What should I call you, then?"
"Jin family head."
"Understood. But do you have a plan?"
In response to Geomje's question, Jin Muhon continued.
"If we can't meet him, we'll make him come to us."
"Lure him out? That won't be easy..."
Jin Muhon raised a finger slightly, silencing Geomje.
Then he focused his awareness out the window.
Buso-yong's Aura Barrier blocked the flow of qi, but with his upper dantian inner energy, he could sense beyond it.
"Conveniently, one's come with a message to deliver."
"What?"
Whoosh—!
Jin Muhon's form vanished out the window in an instant.
Geomje had lost his inner energy, so that was one thing, but even Buso-yong and Muheo struggled to track his lightness skill.
Muheo stuck out his tongue in admiration.
"How does that guy keep getting stronger?"
"......"
Geomje stared silently out the open window before speaking.
"Are you sure the Sword Demon is on our side?"
Muheo chuckled.
"Trust me. That guy's niece is my disciple. She's a real good kid."
"What? You've taken a disciple?"
Geomje's eyes widened again.
"Yeah. Thanks to her, I got my head straight, and the Sword Demon washed his hands of it all. She's the real hero of the jianghu, isn't she?"
"...Hah!"
Buso-yong shook her head slowly,
and Geomje stared at the swaggering Muheo for a long while.
***
Geomje had brought multiple surveillance teams ever since they arrived at the inn.
Everyone knew that much.
That was why Buso-yong had blocked their ears with her Aura Barrier.
Swoosh—
Jin Muhon unleashed his lightness skill toward the farthest one, the warrior with the strongest qi.
He deliberately let his presence leak.
"......!"
The warrior, sensing Jin Muhon's approach too late, hurriedly fled.
Indeed, it was a lightness skill hard for most to pursue.
Thud thud thud!
Swoosh—
Jin Muhon followed at a measured distance.
As expected, the surveillance teams around the inn trailed them but gradually fell behind one by one.
By the time they reached a deserted forest,
Ping!
Jin Muhon kicked off the ground and lightly fired a Earth Finger Skill.
Thwack!
"Kuhk!"
The warrior, his thigh pierced, groaned and rolled on the ground.
"Damn it!"
Gritting his teeth, the warrior stood, drawing his sword.
Step. Step. Step.
Jin Muhon approached leisurely, hands behind his back.
"Stop!"
The warrior raised his sword, aiming at Jin Muhon.
Jin Muhon halted.
Surprised that Jin Muhon actually obeyed his command to stop, the warrior's eyes widened.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I'm with the Nangong family."
Jin Muhon nodded.
"I see."
"......"
It wasn't the reaction the warrior expected.
He'd thought revealing his identity would prompt an apology and an offer of reconciliation.
"I'm the captain of the Supreme Family Head's guard."
"Oh? Really? Geomje didn't mention that."
Frowning at what seemed like casual disrespect toward Geomje, the warrior scowled.
This was shaping up to bring more trouble than reward today.
"Well..."
The warrior trailed off, lowering his gaze.
His thigh was soaked in blood.
Without prompt treatment, it would trouble him for a while.
Finally, he sighed and spoke.
"This is top secret, but given the circumstances, I'll be frank."
"I'm listening."
"......"
The warrior, more accustomed to groveling than being groveled to, found the situation hard to adjust to.
'Why am I even doing this...'
Holding his sword while just talking like some helpless woman felt all wrong.
The real him would have mercilessly beheaded the opponent.
The warrior met Jin Muhon's eyes with resolve.
Jin Muhon's gaze was as calm and bottomless as a deep lake.
'No good. He'll kill me.'
Truly worthy of being assigned by the Nangong family head to guard Geomje, the warrior judged the situation swiftly.
Finally, he sheathed his sword and spoke again.
"Truth is, the Supreme Family Head occasionally loses his sanity. That's why we've been secretly guarding him."
"Since when?"
"I'm not sure exactly, but I heard it's been at least a few years."
"Fascinating. A master of his caliber with a mental affliction."
"No one can stand against illness."
Jin Muhon nodded as if understanding.
Relieved that it seemed to end without issue, the warrior relaxed slightly.
Snap—
In that instant,
Jin Muhon flicked his finger lightly.
"......"
Struck by Point Soul, the warrior froze like a statue, his expression serene.
Mysterious enough that he didn't even realize his state.
Step. Step. Step.
Jin Muhon approached and extended a finger right before the warrior's nose.
Ssss—
From Jin Muhon's fingertip, the Blood Demon emerged like a red thread-snake, slithering into the warrior's nostril.
The warrior shuddered. His unfocused pupils briefly flushed red.
Confirming the glow fade, Jin Muhon vanished.
A moment later.
"......?"
The Point Soul released, the warrior blinked.
"...What?"
He hurriedly looked around.
The mysterious master who'd been with Geomje was gone.
Glancing down, the blood from his thigh had stopped.
"I need to report to the family head."
Eccentrics were as numerous in the jianghu as grains of sand in the Yangtze.
Geomje encountering one wasn't something to brush off.
Limping, the warrior unleashed his lightness skill toward the family estate.
***
That night,
Nangong family head Nangong Yeong met the warrior alone in his study.
A single candle lit the vast room.
The flickering light from the corner cast faint shadows over Nangong Yeong's form.
"You reek of blood."
Nangong Yeong's voice echoed gloomily through the darkness.
The warrior, kneeling with his thigh pierced, bowed his head lower.
"My apologies. I was ambushed."
"Ambushed... I see. Who did Father meet?"
"Okhwa Palace Lord Buso-yong, Dao Destroyer Muheo, and Yunbong Jin family head Jin Muhon."
Having investigated the identities belatedly, the warrior reported to Nangong Yeong.
"Yunbong Jin family?"
Nangong Yeong tilted his head. The name sounded familiar.
The warrior spoke cautiously.
"The one... you accepted the sparring challenge from..."
"Ah! That one? I remember now."
Nangong Yeong's eyes gleamed in the dark.
The warrior flinched and bowed deeper.
"So, who ambushed you? Buso-yong? Or Muheo?"
"It... it was that Jin Muhon."
"I see. Must be quite skilled."
"Less skill, more that I was caught off guard..."
Nangong Yeong narrowed his eyes.
"You're trailing off a lot today."
"...My apologies."
Red energy began to creep around Nangong Yeong.
Seeing it, the warrior prostrated himself flat on the floor.
Shing—
The sound of a sword drawn in the darkness.
Step. Step. Step.
The warrior swallowed hard and peeked up.
Nangong Yeong's feet, once seated across the room, were now before him.
"Family head...?"
Being bested by Jin Muhon was embarrassing, but hardly a reason to die.
Yet the killing intent at his nape felt all too real.
Slash—!
The sword cut through the air with a chilling whoosh.
The warrior twisted away, dodging, and leaped to his feet.
"Family head!"
His eyes bloodshot, the warrior bellowed.
If he'd had his sword in hand, he might have drawn it too.
"......"
Nangong Yeong simply stared into the warrior's eyes.
"What the hell are you—!"
Stab!
Nangong Yeong's sword pierced the warrior's heart.
Blood tears streamed from the warrior's bulging eyes as he slowly collapsed.
Thud!
A thick bloody scent filled the dim room.
Nangong Yeong gazed impassively at the fallen warrior.
The warrior's uncharacteristic speech and actions.
Normally, he wouldn't have rebelled even with a blade at his throat.
Nangong Yeong had selected him for that temperament and held his family in his grasp.
Yet the warrior had defied him.
"Why on earth..."
Then.
Ssss—
Something like a red thread emerged from the dead warrior's nose and floated into the air.
Nangong Yeong watched, frowning briefly.
"......!"
Then, realizing what it was, he instinctively stepped back.
"B-Blood Demon!"
The Blood Demon wriggled like a snake swimming through water, slipping out a window crack like it sought its home.
Sweat beaded on Nangong Yeong's hitherto cold face. Terror, as if he'd seen a ghost, twisted his features.
"The... Four Emperors..."
Nangong Yeong bit his lip hard, his face contorted.
A line of red blood trickled down his chin.
***
Days passed.
Jin Muhon's group still stayed at the Hebi Inn.
In that time, more people flooded Hefei for the Murim Conference, and rumors of the Yunbong Sword Hero spread just as quickly.
"Greetings. I'm Ha Deokmun, head of the Ha family from the western province. Might you be the Yunbong Sword Hero?"
Jin Muhon, about to take a bite of breakfast, furrowed his brow slightly.
No word from the Nangong Yeong he'd summoned, yet all sorts of jianghu riffraff bothered him several times a day.
Clack!
Jin Muhon set down his chopsticks.
It was obvious what would come out of his mouth next.
Jin Hayeon quickly stood, offering a polite clasped-hands salute to the kindly old man.
"Hello, family head. Yes, this is the Yunbong Sword Hero."
"Hmm. And who might you be?"
"I'm his niece, Jin Hayeon. My uncle needs rest due to internal injuries. Perhaps you can greet him another time."
"What? Internal injuries? Don't tell me—from that Southern Great Hero?"
The kindly old man's eyes widened as he clicked his tongue.
Jin Hayeon nodded gravely.
"Yes. Truly vicious. For a so-called great hero to use poison."
"The nerve! If poisoned, rest is paramount. I'll get some good medicine through an acquaintance and spread the word to keep the Sword Hero undisturbed."
"Thank you, family head!"
Jin Hayeon beamed and bowed her head.
Jin Muhon's expression soured further.
The old man, expecting thanks and seeing Jin Muhon's face, backed away hastily.
"The injury looks serious. My apologies. I'll take my leave. Get well, Yunbong Sword Hero."
"......"
Jin Muhon gave a slight nod.
As the old man retreated, Jin Hayeon sat and tugged at Jin Muhon's arm.
"Uncle! People come to build ties, and you keep chasing them off. Bad rumors will spread like this."
"I don't care about rumors."
"Rumors matter in the jianghu! At least smile brightly! I'll handle the rest!"
Step. Step. Step.
Just then,
the inn door opened, and another man approached their table.
Jin Hayeon quickly composed herself and whispered to Jin Muhon.
"Bright smile. Don't forget. Bright smile."
Buso-yong and Hongcheong watched from behind their veils, smiling to see what he'd do.
The man reached the table and offered a courteous salute.
Jin Hayeon glanced at Jin Muhon.
Jin Muhon sighed faintly and grinned.
The man flinched, dropping his salute.
"Hello. I'm Jin Hayeon, niece of the Yunbong Sword Hero. Here to see my uncle?"
Jin Hayeon stood with a bright smile to greet him.
A world apart from Jin Muhon's eerie grin.
"......"
The man awkwardly scanned the group at the table.
"Ah, yes. But actually, I've come to see not just the Yunbong Sword Hero, but all of you."
Jin Hayeon and the group tilted their heads.
"Us?"
"Yes. The Nangong family head invites you all."
"......!"
Jin Hayeon's eyes widened.
The corners of Jin Muhon's mouth curved upward ever so slightly.