Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: A Promise Kept
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At Neung Un-bi's cold dismissal, Yeom Seong-in gritted his teeth and left.
Watching him go, Hwang Ja-seong couldn't help but feel anxious.
It felt as if everything was his fault.
Because of him, Neung Un-bi was now in a difficult situation.
"Third Young Master..."
"Lord Hwang."
"...Why did you have to provoke him?"
"Did it feel like a provocation?"
"Pardon?"
"There's no need to look at me like that."
"Pardon?"
"This isn't anyone's fault. It is simply the result of my own choices."
"But..."
"You remember, don't you? When you came to me with your request, it was I who refused."
"...That's true."
"It was also I who mentioned Taibai Wine and offered to restore the brewery."
"That may be, but..."
"Both were my choices. Therefore, I will take responsibility."
"..."
"And Sinpyeong Brewery will not be put in a difficult position simply for being associated with the Demonic Cult."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know. We haven't known each other long, but... I can tell you're not the type to shift blame onto others."
"..."
"If they had merely intended to compete according to business principles, I wouldn't have gotten involved, regardless of what wrongdoing the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild was engaged in. But the moment they brought the Orthodox Faction into it... this became a matter of the Murim. It is no longer an issue between Sinpyeong Brewery and the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild, but between the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Murim Alliance."
"Third Young Master."
"Well then, shall we go back inside? It seems the mood has been spoiled, so we should probably call it a night."
Neung Un-bi smiled and lightly patted Hwang Ja-seong's shoulder.
He seemed like a different person. Though he was smiling, a profound gravity could be felt within it.
Like someone about to undertake something momentous...
Back at the party, the atmosphere was still festive.
The first person to approach Neung Un-bi upon his return to the boisterous scene was Ju Seung.
"My lord, this Ju Seung has a full jar for you..."
Ju Seung, his face flushed with drink and his words slightly slurred, suddenly paused.
He had seen the look on Neung Un-bi's face and in his eyes, and sensed that something was amiss.
"Everyone, attention!"
At Ju Seung's immediate shout, the members of the Lunar Eclipse Squad, who had been bustling about, froze. A sudden, cold silence fell over the noisy gathering.
Everyone looked at Neung Un-bi. The atmosphere had turned so serious it was hard to believe they had been drunk and merry just moments before.
Only Hyang-i was still holding a wine jar to her lips.
She seemed to be enjoying her drink as before, but there was a strange, eerie quality to her.
In the atmosphere that had fallen silent in an instant, the people from Sinpyeong Brewery who had joined the party swallowed nervously without realizing it.
Seeing this, a peculiar look entered Hwang Ja-seong's eyes.
It was a strange sight.
He had dealt with inns and taverns, and had met countless people of high standing.
Weren't there martial artists among his clients?
But he had never seen people who could change the mood so completely in an instant.
When they were enjoying the drinks together, they were like any young men you might see anywhere, but now, their mere presence filled the area with an oppressive aura that made one's shoulders instinctively shrink.
It was as if the place and the people had suddenly transformed completely. A chill that made the fine hairs on his arms stand up was palpable, though there was no wind, and he found himself instinctively watching Neung Un-bi's expression.
"Hah, what is it now?"
"..."
Wang Cheon scratched his head vigorously in his usual manner, as if trying to change the mood, but it made little difference to how the Sinpyeong Brewery people felt.
"Something has come up that needs to be investigated."
"What? Suddenly?"
"Yes. I must confirm it."
"..."
As Neung Un-bi added emphasis, the eyes of the Lunar Eclipse Squad grew even more intense.
They were his guards. Neung Un-bi's hands and feet.
If their lord said he must know something, they had to find it out, no matter what.
This was no different for Wang Cheon, who usually acted informally with him.
"...What is it?"
"The Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild."
"The Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild?"
Wang Cheon had heard the name. The people of Sinpyeong Brewery had been badmouthing them in comparison to the Demonic Cult throughout the construction.
"Aren't they non-martial artists?"
"They are."
Neung Un-bi nodded in response to Wang Cheon's question.
Seeing his expression, devoid of any playfulness, no one objected and simply waited for the order.
The reason didn't matter. It was their lord's command.
But Un Hak was different.
The Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild?
He, too, had heard their name.
If it were just a carpentry guild, what would an investigation matter?
The problem was their connection to the Zhongnan Sect, which shared control of the Shaanxi region with the Mount Hua Sect.
A conflict with them could become troublesome.
He had to stop this, somehow.
"Young Master Neung! The Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild? Investigating them is not within the Demonic Cult's authority!"
His objection, sticking out like a sore thumb, made the atmosphere as cold as if doused with icy water.
"Don't worry, Un Hak. I'll handle it quietly."
"Absolutely not! If an investigation is needed, leave it to me. I will investigate whatever is necessary. I cannot condone the Demonic Cult getting directly involved, not over my dead body!"
"Is that so?"
As Un Hak vehemently resisted, Neung Un-bi nodded and glanced at Hyang-i.
"Then I guess we'll have to put some dirt in your eyes and see."
"What?"
"Hyang-i."
"...?"
"Put him to sleep."
"...!"
Neung Un-bi gave the short command, and a startled Un Hak quickly turned his head.
But Hyang-i was already standing right behind him, smiling, having approached without him noticing.
"W-wait...!"
*CRACK!*
An empty wine jar forcefully struck the back of Un Hak's head and shattered into pieces.
"You... son... of a..."
It was a moment when even Un Hak, who had cultivated the Way for a long time, couldn't hold back a curse.
But before he could finish the curse, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
*That damn maid...*
Watching the obstacle fall asleep, Wang Cheon let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"Well, this is unusual. You usually throw a fit at the thought of getting involved with or harming those unrelated to the Murim... Anyway, fine. What do you need us to find out?"
"Everything."
"Hmm, so you basically want us to find out what kind of dirty deeds they've been up to?"
"Yes."
As Wang Cheon, who had been with him the longest, asked in a grumbling tone, Neung Un-bi smiled in satisfaction.
"Guard Captain, Wang Cheon. I have confirmed the lord's command."
"I'll be waiting."
Neung Un-bi's words were final.
Nothing more needed to be said. Since Wang Cheon had acknowledged the order, what else was there to say?
"You all heard that?"
Wang Cheon said sternly, looking at the Lunar Eclipse Squad.
"I don't know what's on the lord's mind, but when he speaks that seriously, you all know how you must report back, right?"
"Yes!"
"Good. The target is the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild. The owner is Yeom Seong-in, and that's all we know. So, from now on, find out everything. Everything related to them. Down to their distant relatives, and every business they've ever conducted. The deadline is tomorrow, by the end of the Hour of the Rabbit, 7 a.m. I know our lord well, and with that look on his face, he's itching for action. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, and don't forget this is the Orthodox Faction's territory. There's no good in drawing attention, so watch out for beggars and try not to cause any trouble. You all know how our lord hates dealing with unnecessary problems."
"Yes!"
"Then, begin!"
"We obey the command!"
With a powerful shout, the Lunar Eclipse Squad scattered in all directions in an instant.
As if they had planned it beforehand, each took a different path.
"Well then, shall we get going too, Ju Seung?"
"Let's. And while we're at it, let's find out just how that bastard Yeom Seong-in managed to displease our lord."
Wang Cheon and Ju Seung were the last to leap out of the Sinpyeong Brewery.
Guards? There was no need for such things.
Not when there was a monster beside him that Wang Cheon, Ju Seung, and the entire Lunar Eclipse Squad combined couldn't match.
"Hmm, should I lend a hand?"
"..."
After all traces of the group had vanished, Hyang-i asked calmly.
Her speech had suddenly shifted to an informal tone, but Neung Un-bi didn't mind in the slightest.
Whether she spoke informally or respectfully, who could stop her?
"Not you."
"Why?"
"You've been drinking."
"They haven't?"
"You drank a lot."
"..."
"Besides, if someone picks a fight, you won't hold back."
"Well... that's true."
"That's why you can't go."
"Tch. The alcohol was kicking in, and I was in a good mood... the kind of mood where beating someone up would feel just right."
As Hyang-i licked her lips in disappointment, Neung Un-bi shook his head.
In any case, with this, they would be able to uncover everything about the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild by tonight.
How could a mere family of carpenters, not some great sect of the Murim, possibly stand against warriors who were practically the elite of the Demonic Cult?
They would probably come back knowing every detail, down to what kind of underwear Yeom Seong-in was wearing today.
Now, all he had to do was wait.
But he couldn't just wait around.
"Hyang-i."
"Yes?"
"You haven't forgotten your promise, have you?"
"...?"
"The day I bought you Taibai Wine, you said you'd help me comprehend the Sound of Death."
"Ah! That's right."
"Let's do that training now."
"Now?"
"Yes. For some reason, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."
"Agh, what a pain... But, fine. A promise is a promise. And it suits my current mood perfectly."
Hyang-i smiled, dimples forming on her cheeks.
But her eyes... there was something ominous about them...
Something felt unsettling.
Why did she suddenly interlace her fingers and crack her knuckles?
And why was she rotating her ankles, loosening them up?
W-wait!
What did she say earlier?
If he hadn't misheard, Hyang-i had definitely said that her current mood, fueled by alcohol, was the kind where beating someone up would feel just right...
"H-hey, Hyang-i?"
"What is it now, Third Young Master?"
"I was just curious... about the help you said you'd give me."
"...?"
"It's something like... you'll say a few words to help me achieve enlightenment... right...?"
"Come on, how can a few words grant enlightenment?"
"Then?"
"It's acquisition through practical training, of course."
"P-practical?"
"Yes."
At her one-word reply, Hyang-i began to exude an ominous aura, and Neung Un-bi's eyes went wide.
Practical training? Practical training!
"Third Young Master."
"Huh? Y-yes?"
"That sound you heard the moment you dodged the King of the Green Forest's strike, you remember it, don't you?"
"..."
He remembered.
That chilling sound.
The feeling that death was right before his eyes.
And he had even experienced the illusion of his heart being pierced.
"I'm about to help you remember it."
"...!"
"And I'll engrave it into you, so that sound never leaves your mind, so that sensation is carved into your very body."
Daggers had already appeared in both of Hyang-i's hands.
Emitting a cold killing intent.
For a moment, he had the illusion that his throat was being slit.
*This one... she's serious.*
She genuinely intended to kill him.
"W-wait a minute, Hyang-i!"
Neung Un-bi waved his hands frantically.
He wasn't mentally prepared yet...
But Hyang-i seemed to have no intention of granting his request.
Her crimson tongue slid eerily across her lips, and the smile playing on them deepened.
"Wait, my ass. You'd better open your ears wide."
"..."
"Because unlike the King of the Green Forest, mine barely makes a sound!"
*FWOOSH!*
His eyes were wide open, yet he lost sight of Hyang-i.
"Son of a bitch!"
Without a moment's thought, Neung Un-bi executed the Three Nothings Footwork and leaped back.
*Swish.*
With a faint sound, a thin flash of light glinted where Neung Un-bi had just been.
That spot was definitely... where his neck had been.
"Too slow."
"..."
Hyang-i had already reappeared at Neung Un-bi's side, launching another attack.
*Hey, you brat! What kind of training is this!*
*This is just an attempt to kill me!*