Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: The Turncoat
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“Did you all sleep well?”
As Jin San, accompanied by Ung Hyeon, arrived at their quarters at dawn and offered his greeting, Ju Seung replied, his face etched with exhaustion.
“You've arrived?”
“Hm? Why the long face? You look like you haven't slept a wink...”
“It's not that I didn't sleep, I *couldn't*.”
“What do you mean by that? Were you perhaps worried something might happen to Young Master Neung's safety, this being the Orthodox faction?”
“That's...”
“Tsk, tsk. You worry too much. Who would dare target a guest in the heart of the Orthodox Murim Alliance? If such a person existed, the Alliance's warriors would protect him before you even had the chance.”
“...”
As Jin San showed a hint of disappointment, Ju Seung let out a sigh.
“You've misunderstood me.”
“Misunderstood?”
“Yes. It's not because of the Orthodox Murim Alliance that I couldn't sleep...”
Ju Seung glanced toward the lodging, his eyes slightly narrowed.
More precisely, behind it.
“Hiyah! Hup! Chaah!”
Just then, the sound of spirited shouts began to drift over, causing Jin San to tilt his head in confusion.
What in the...?
“Ha, Young Master Neung is quite diligent, isn't he? The sun hasn't even fully risen, and he's already training?”
“Ah, about that...”
Thinking he was being misunderstood again, Ju Seung tried to quickly explain, but Jin San turned to Ung Hyeon with a serious expression.
“Ahem, Hyeon.”
“Yes.”
“Do you hear that?”
“Yes.”
Meanwhile, Ung Hyeon's eyes blazed with passion.
“I see now how Young Master Neung became so strong.”
“Indeed. And he is exceptionally talented on top of that. To surpass him, you must strive even harder.”
“I will take it to heart.”
“...”
Watching the two of them steel their resolve, Ju Seung gave up on his attempt to explain.
“You fool! What are you standing there for? Do you think making a vow is all it takes?”
“Ah! My apologies. I will go and begin training beside Young Master Neung at once, Master!”
“Good! Go quickly and learn from Young Master Neung's side.”
“Yes!”
Just as Ung Hyeon answered energetically and was about to run toward the back of the lodging.
“Learn what, exactly?”
“...?”
The door to the building burst open, and Neung Un-bi stepped out, yawning so wide it looked like his mouth would tear.
“Why are you coming out from there?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, the training back there...”
“...?”
Following Jin San's confused gaze, Neung Un-bi turned his head, then chuckled and looked at Ju Seung.
“Is he still at it?”
“Yes.”
“Don't tell me he was up all night?”
“Haa, please, make him stop. I felt so awkward I couldn't get a wink of sleep. The Lunar Eclipse Squad is the same.”
The one training was Wang Cheon.
Because of him, not only Ju Seung but also the warriors of the Lunar Eclipse Squad, who were supposed to be taking shifts to sleep and stand guard, couldn't sleep at all.
When their own Guard Captain was making such a ruckus, vowing to become stronger, how could they possibly lie down and sleep?
“What's gotten into him?”
“Well...”
Ju Seung was about to say it was because of Hyang-i, but he clamped his mouth shut.
He couldn't reveal what she was doing now while Jin San was listening.
“He's always so extra. Just leave him be. It's a bit early, but let's get something to eat.”
“Yes.”
Jin San could only tilt his head in confusion as he stared blankly at Neung Un-bi, who was shaking his head, and the sighing Ju Seung.
“By the way, Elder, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
“Ah! I came to have breakfast with you.”
“At this hour?”
“Well...”
As Jin San laughed awkwardly, Neung Un-bi looked at him with half-lidded eyes and then chuckled.
It was obvious.
He was curious. Curious about what he had discussed with the elders last night.
Wasn't his expression when he met the Alliance Leader completely different from when he met the elders?
That's why he skipped the banquet and returned to his own quarters.
“Nothing special was said.”
“Hm?”
“Isn't that what you were curious about?”
“...?”
“What the elders said to me last night?”
“Well... haha! Goodness, you certainly have a talent for putting people in an awkward position.”
“Hey, I'm the one who should be saying that.”
“Hm?”
“Do you have any idea how bothersome it was?”
“...”
“I never imagined you'd just leave me all alone in the Orthodox Murim Alliance, where I don't know a soul. Especially not in a pack of wolves looking for something to tear apart.”
“Th-that's...”
As Neung Un-bi laid out his complaints point by point, Jin San broke into a cold sweat, flustered.
But he didn't refute it.
Even though he had called the elders of the Orthodox faction wolves...
In other words, Jin San was on the Alliance Leader's side.
Well, he had already expected it. Anyone could see he was brimming with pride in the Orthodox faction; it was unlikely he would side with elders who put their own interests first.
“I'm truly disappointed.”
“Uh, hm?”
“No matter how unpleasant the occasion, if it were me, I would have stayed with you.”
“No, that's...”
“How is that any different from abandoning someone in the middle of the vast ocean?”
“Th-that's...”
Jin San kept repeating the same words.
No... that's...
“This is why you can't trust people from the Orthodox faction. They act all friendly and pretend to care, but then they stab you in the back...”
“Now, hold on, it's not like that.”
Looking at Jin San, who was on the verge of tears, Neung Un-bi inwardly suppressed a laugh.
Teasing him was more fun than he'd expected.
“Still, it's a relief.”
“Hm?”
“That someone like Elder Jin San seems to be by the Alliance Leader's side.”
“...”
Jin San, who had been sweating bullets, wore a blank expression at Neung Un-bi's words.
He had said it as a light probe.
But seeing Jin San's expression, he seemed quite flustered. Didn't he look just like someone whose secret had been exposed?
“Perhaps the Sword Saint is of the same mind?”
“...You?”
“Elder Jin San, do you take me for a fool?”
“Hmm...”
Unable to hide his bewilderment, Jin San sighed.
“It seems the Alliance Leader told you quite a lot.”
“Not at all.”
“Hm?”
“The Alliance Leader simply asked me what path I intended to walk.”
“What path?”
“Yes.”
“...”
Staring blankly at the smiling Neung Un-bi, Jin San finally burst into a hearty laugh.
In the end, wasn't it as if he'd spilled all his secrets with his own mouth?
“You really know how to play people. Even those fellows from the Zhuge Clan probably couldn't manipulate people as well as you do.”
“...”
At Jin San's words, a bitter smile formed on Neung Un-bi's face.
Because it was something he had learned from them.
No one had taught him, but he had no choice but to learn.
To deal with them...
“So, what answer did you give him?”
Believing that Neung Un-bi knew everything, Jin San's expression turned quite serious.
“I gave him no answer.”
“The Alliance Leader must have been disappointed.”
“The affairs of the Orthodox faction should be resolved by the Orthodox faction. It is not something I, a member of the Demonic Cult, should interfere with.”
“You're right. I actually tried to dissuade the Alliance Leader when he said he wanted to meet you alone.”
“You were worried he was moving too hastily, I take it?”
“That's right. It was also dangerous. If they were to find out about his secret meeting with you, there's no telling how they would corner the Alliance Leader.”
“...I suppose so. Even with just the answer that the Demonic Cult would stand down, they would publicize it as a secret backroom deal to pressure the Alliance Leader.”
Nodding, Neung Un-bi briefly entertained a thought.
Perhaps the Cult Leader knew as well?
He might have considered that someone could find out about the Alliance Leader's request to him, or that someone might see the letter he sent.
That might be why he only wrote, "stop spouting bullshit"...
Also, stating the reason for seclusion as training a successor might have been for the same reason.
But how could he know the Cult Leader's true intentions?
He could only speculate in a way that was advantageous to himself.
“That's right. Still, he had to ask.”
“...?”
“We had Dam Un-cheon's letter, but after seeing you, we were all certain.”
“Certain?”
“Yes. Certain that you would become the Cult Leader.”
“It seems the Alliance Leader wasn't the only one getting ahead of himself.”
“When you've lived for a long time, your eye for people tends to become quite accurate.”
At those words, Neung Un-bi couldn't help but sigh.
He didn't want to do it, but as if the Cult Leader wasn't enough, now even the elders of the Orthodox faction were pushing him.
“However, I did tell him that no matter what path I walk, I will not point my sword at the Orthodox faction.”
“...!”
Jin San's expression became the same as the Alliance Leader's.
“Haha! Then that's settled. That alone is enough.”
“...”
Seeing the joy spread across his face made him feel needlessly sorry.
If he were to abandon the Demonic Cult, it would be like them being betrayed by someone they trusted.
But on the other hand, it was a relief.
At a certain time in the past. There was no one who agreed with 'his' will.
But now, thirty years later, aren't there people facing the problem and trying to solve it?
The Alliance Leader, Jin San, the Sword Saint...
It made him think that it was because of people like them that the Orthodox faction still maintained its name.
He also wanted to ask. If they knew 'him'...
But Neung Un-bi quickly gave up on the idea.
If he knew him, even these people who were favorable to him would surely become suspicious.
About how he, who had lived his life in the Demonic Cult, could possibly know him.
Also, Hwang Byeong-chan weighed on his mind.
He had clearly changed somehow. So, for now, he had to keep it buried.
At least until he could find out all the details.
“Still... I'm a bit disappointed.”
“...”
“You stayed by my side all this time to gauge my intentions, didn't you?”
“Hmm, I won't deny it.”
“And you must have reported every little detail of what you saw of me to the Alliance Leader.”
“Hoo... I won't deny that either. If you were offended, I apologize. But my words and actions toward you were sincere.”
“I'll choose to believe that.”
“It's true.”
“I said I get it.”
“I'm telling you, it's true.”
Jin San didn't know what to do, feeling so apologetic.
“I get it, so let's just eat.”
“But it's true...”
Looking at his sullen face, Neung Un-bi smiled faintly and spoke as if something had just occurred to him.
“Oh, and from now on, let's keep some distance.”
“Hey, you! Why won't you believe my sincerity?”
“That's not what I mean.”
“Hm?”
“Elder Hwang is scheduled to arrive soon.”
“...?”
“It seems Elder Namgung Hak wants to have me monitored while I'm staying at the Orthodox Murim Alliance.”
“Namgung Hak?”
“Yes.”
“That damn bastard... ahem.”
Jin San spat out a curse, forgetting who he was in front of, before swallowing it back down.
“It seems you have a lot of pent-up feelings about him.”
“Hoo, my apologies. It does no good to show you the shameful side of the Orthodox Murim Alliance...”
“After laying everything bare, what's there to hesitate about?”
“That may be so, but...”
Neung Un-bi smiled faintly at Jin San's hesitation to speak.
“Shall we eat first, for now? We can talk more later.”
“...Let's do that.”
Neung Un-bi wanted to know.
More than what Jin San and the Alliance Leader were planning, he wanted to know what kind of person Hwang Byeong-chan was.
***
It was an early meal, so Hwang Byeong-chan had not yet arrived. Neung Un-bi offered him some tea and asked nonchalantly.
“What kind of person is Hwang Byeong-chan?”
“Elder Hwang is... a turncoat.”
“A turncoat?”
“Then again, it's funny for us to use that word.”
“...?”
At Jin San's words, Neung Un-bi's ears perked up.
“At one time... unlike the rest of us who were only obsessed with getting stronger, he was a man who championed justice.”
“And?”
“Was it thirty years ago? There was a rather major incident back then. Before you were even born.”
For a moment, Neung Un-bi felt as if the air had been knocked out of him.
Thirty years ago, when he had died...
Could it be that Jin San was about to talk about that time?