Matters Inevitably Return to Righteousness (1)
All eyes were fixed on Hanbin.
He shrugged his shoulders and spoke up.
“That’s what they mean by a trivial misunderstanding. Well, people make mistakes sometimes, right? That’s just how the jianghu is—things like that happen all the time. So don’t sweat it, everyone.”
Hanbin waved his hand dismissively as he walked over to the bed and flopped down onto it.
At that moment, Seolhwa muttered under her breath.
“As expected, the one who gets hit might fall into qi deviation, but the one who lands the blow sleeps like a baby. That proverb really holds true.”
“Seolhwa, something feels different about you,” Jang Ja-myeong said, narrowing his eyes.
Seolhwa pointed at the candied hawthorns and tanghwa.
“Uncle, that stuff!”
Jang Ja-myeong let out a sigh at the sight.
“Sigh… Fine. Better to have food than nothing, Seolhwa.”
He reached into his bosom and felt for his money pouch.
How did a guy working for free come by money?
It was because Yi Mu-myeong and Seolhwa had secretly slipped him some.
To Jang Ja-myeong, those two were his benefactors.
As he quietly left the guest room, Jang Ja-myeong thought to himself.
At least this much is a relief.
What worried him most was the fake Qingming Pill.
Even if Hanbin had spread the rumor, he was the one who’d made it.
But from what he’d heard, the Qingming Pills seemed to have faded from their attention after the decisive battle with the Blood Demon Sorcerers.
It was bittersweet to think of the fake spirit pills he’d poured his heart into going to waste, but he considered it a blessing amid misfortune.
Even among the unorthodox sects, renowned for their bravado, the Baeksa Gate was unusually hectic today.
The legendary showdown at Yeongdan Mountain just two days prior had already become the talk of the town.
Among those tales, stories of the Red Dragon Hero were growing more exaggerated by the minute, transforming him from a mere warrior into a transcendent master.
Some said he’d cleaved Yeongdan Mountain in half to drive off the Blood Demon Sorcerers.
Others claimed an immortal who dwelled above the mountain peaks had descended briefly to save the unorthodox warriors.
There were even rumors of an abandoned child on Yeongdan Mountain who’d grown into a transcendent master by consuming the mountain’s herbs alone.
Or that he was a secret weapon cultivated by the unorthodox factions.
All sorts of gossip swirled through the streets.
The most credible among them was the secret weapon rumor.
How could a transcendent master just drop from the sky?
The established truth of the jianghu was that masters weren’t born from heaven-sent opportunities but forged by human hands.
The problem was, no one knew who had raised him.
Jin Semi’s father, Baeksa Gate Lord Jin Samyeong, questioned the disciples who had returned first.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.”
“Please speak, my lord.”
A unorthodox warrior who had come back early due to injuries cupped his fists in salute.
Assessing the warrior’s condition, Jin Samyeong nodded and continued.
“I heard the wounds you suffered were inflicted by the Red Dragon Hero. Is that correct?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And afterward, this Red Dragon Hero saved you from the Blood Demon Sorcerers’ hands, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm. Then you must sense the inconsistency in that story yourselves.”
Baeksa Gate Lord Jin Samyeong narrowed his eyes, gazing at his subordinates.
He still harbored doubts about the Red Dragon Hero’s true identity.
A sudden hero of the unorthodox factions?
If he’d witnessed it firsthand, Jin Samyeong might have been swept up in the excitement too. But hearing the details raised far too many questions.
At that moment, one of the subordinates cautiously spoke up.
“I believe there was a reason the Red Dragon Hero attacked us.”
“A reason? Explain in detail.”
“At the time, we were mad with lust for the Qingming Pills. If the Red Dragon Hero hadn’t struck us down, we would’ve rampaged and died at the hands of other sects—or lost our heads to the Blood Demon Sorcerers’ blades. The same goes for the other unorthodox warriors.”
“Hm.”
Jin Samyeong stroked his goatee, studying his subordinate’s eyes.
There wasn’t a shred of fear in them.
A man with such eyes wouldn’t lie.
After a long silence, Jin Samyeong continued.
“Semi is still out searching, yes?”
The Semi he referred to was Jin Semi, currently scouring the lower reaches of the Gyeongtan River for the Red Dragon Hero.
The warrior bowed his head.
“Yes. The young lady remained at the site, rallying the surviving unorthodox warriors to search for the Red Dragon Hero.”
Turning to the chief steward, Jin Samyeong issued an order.
“Send all remaining warriors to assist Semi.”
“Understood.”
Jin Samyeong’s gaze deepened.
If everything he’d heard was true, this was an opportunity.
Finding the Red Dragon Hero would let Baeksa Gate seize dominance over the unorthodox factions.
Even if not, the emergence of such an extraordinary figure offered a chance to unite them.
Whether he lived or died was irrelevant.
The next morning, at the lower reaches of the Gyeongtan River.
Jin Semi of Baeksa Gate led a band of unorthodox warriors in searching the riverbanks for two straight days.
At this point, it was clear the Red Dragon Hero was no longer of this world.
The problem was that Jin Semi refused to accept it.
And she wasn’t alone.
Despite three days and nights of relentless marching without sleep, the unorthodox warriors’ eyes burned with fervor.
Determined to find even the Red Dragon Hero’s corpse, they scoured the riverbank without so much as blinking.
They had now reached their limits.
What was called “three days and nights” had already felled several warriors.
As Jin Semi and the unorthodox warriors pondered their next move, a boat appeared in the distance.
As the dot grew closer, Jin Semi tilted her head.
There were waterfalls upstream, and the water here was too shallow for boats—this wasn’t a navigable route.
The boat drew nearer.
Jin Semi’s eyes widened involuntarily.
Could the one I’m searching for be on that boat?
As she swallowed hard in tension, a thud echoed.
Thump!
The boat had snagged on a rock.
Jin Semi wasn’t surprised.
The shallow waters here occasionally caught even small ferries on the reefs.
Suddenly, commotion erupted from the upper deck.
“Why aren’t we moving?”
It was a woman’s voice, followed by a man’s whimpering tone.
“Miss, I’ve told you several times—this isn’t a waterway.”
“You said you didn’t know the land route, so we took the river!”
“Miss, that wasn’t our fault, was it?”
“Oh, really? You ambush me and now play innocent?”
“That was forgiven by that gentleman earlier…”
“How was I supposed to know? I was passed out under the deck! So find that Fourth Young Master!”
The woman barked an order.
Their hierarchy was obvious to anyone.
The woman was the leader, and the men her servants.
Of course, the woman was Musoryul.
In truth, Musoryul’s awakening had been a disaster for the river pirates.
They’d been dreaming of a fresh start by selling the boat, its cargo, and the grain below—until she stirred.
Without Yang Ak-gun, the pirates were little more than common bandits.
And common bandits defeating Musoryul?
Impossible.
Furious, Musoryul vented on them, forcing compliance with her every whim.
Even now, she was glaring daggers at the pirates.
Truth be told, Musoryul didn’t really want to take it out on them.
But she was pissed at Hanbin for leaving her—passed out under the deck—behind.
How insignificant was I that he could just forget me?
Fine, Hanbin aside—what about Akbigwang?
He’d trailed her like a lovesick puppy, yet even he forgot her?
Come to think of it, those Thousand-Li Escort Agency guards annoyed her too.
But the one who irked her most was that maid, Seolhwa.
Seolhwa had been the most meticulous of the group. For her to “forget” Musoryul?
It was more likely she’d pretended not to know.
In the midst of her rage, she spotted a crowd of warriors gathered along the riverbank.
They didn’t seem hostile, so Musoryul leaped from the boat.
Splash!
Landing on the gravel shore, she strode toward the warriors.
Crunch, crunch.
Surprisingly, no one regarded her warily as she approached alone, gravel crunching underfoot.
As she drew near, the woman at the front came into view.
Musoryul tilted her head at her expression.
It was one of gloom, and she seemed anxious, as if bursting to ask something.
Musoryul reached her and cupped her fists first.
“I am Musoryul of the Mu Sword Clan.”
“Ah, the young lady of the Mu Sword Clan. I’ve heard much of you. I am Jin Semi of Baeksa Gate.”
“Ah, I’ve heard much of you too, Miss Jin.”
Musoryul returned the greeting. Half of it was true.
Good stories about unorthodox warriors rarely circulated among the orthodox sects, but she had heard of Baeksa Gate’s Jin Semi.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two women hesitated briefly.
Once the silence had stretched appropriately, Jin Semi spoke.
“Um, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“As you came upriver by boat, did you perhaps see a warrior in red robes?”
“Red robes?”
Musoryul narrowed her eyes.
Red robes immediately brought Hanbin to mind.
Noticing her expression, Jin Semi pressed.
“Did you see him? Even a body floating in the river—please, if you did…”
Before she could finish, Musoryul countered.
“Why are you searching for a red-robed warrior in the river?”
“He saved us and fell into the river. That’s why we’re looking. We call him the Red Dragon Hero.”
“This red-robed warrior… are you referring to the Fourth Young Master of the Hebei Paeng Family?”
“No. The Hebei Paeng Family’s Fourth Young Master left Yeongdan Mountain long ago. As far as we know, he made it down safely.”
“Phew…”
Musoryul sighed in relief, prompting Jin Semi to ask.
“Is the one you’re looking for the Hebei Paeng Family’s Fourth Young Master?”
“Yes, I’m searching for his group. But you still haven’t found this Red Dragon Hero?”
“No. We confirmed he fell beneath the Jangbang Waterfall, but…”
Jin Semi pointed to the distant waterfall. Musoryul turned to look.
It was taller than expected.
Falling from there?
Injured, no less.
No matter how she thought about it, survival seemed impossible.
Reading her expression, Jin Semi said.
“He defeated a Hwagyeong Blood Demon Sorcerer. There’s no way he could’ve died.”
“Gasp, the Demonic Cult?”
“We clashed with the Demonic Cult. Well, more accurately, they were overwhelming us when the Red Dragon Hero came to our rescue.”
“The Demonic Cult came all the way to Henan? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know either. By now, the truth should have spread, so the Sapa Alliance and Justice Alliance leaders will be mobilizing.”
Jin Semi spoke the truth.
Both orthodox and unorthodox were factions of the Central Plains.
They snarled at each other over pretexts and profits in peacetime, but the Demonic Cult changed everything.
The Demonic Cult, holed up in the Tianshan Mountains beyond the border, wasn’t a Central Plains faction to the jianghu folk.
When the Demonic Cult appeared, even bickering orthodox and unorthodox sects would unite to some degree.
Of course, their assumption that the Demonic Cult had fully emerged in the Central Plains was a misunderstanding.