Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Alliance
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Tricking the Beggars' Sect with Hyang-i's illusion seemed like a brilliant plan, but it was actually an incredibly risky gamble.
Of course, for the moment, it allowed them to shake off Namgung Mu-wi's pursuit and divert some of the Beggars' Sect's attention.
But after a day, once the Beggars' Sect members broke free from the illusion, Neung Un-bi's whereabouts would inevitably be exposed.
What if Yun An-ro and his group weren't in Mak Cheong-ju's hands?
Even if they were, what if Mak Cheong-ju refused to cooperate?
Furthermore, if he valued the name of the Orthodox Faction more than the Demonic Cult, Neung Un-bi could end up captured by him.
However, Neung Un-bi had no time to consider all the possibilities. It was a gamble where the risks were as great as the potential rewards.
Burying his heavy heart, Neung Un-bi immediately returned to the Three Gates Gorge.
When they had made their business deal, hadn't the man told him to come find him if he needed help, and given him a way to get in touch?
“The northern edge of the Three Gates Gorge.”
To contact him, he had to find a small fishing village located there. Fortunately, it was a distance he could cover in about an hour.
Despite that, Neung Un-bi couldn't help but feel anxious.
“Let's hurry!”
“Yes!”
Evading the eyes of the Beggars' Sect members scattered everywhere, Neung Un-bi's group headed south and soon arrived at a riverbank with a field of reeds. A few small boats were moored on the wide sandy beach, and fishermen were busy mending their nets.
Leaving his companions to wait at a distance, Neung Un-bi took only Hyang-i with him and approached a fisherman who looked quite old.
“Sir.”
“...Who are you?”
“By any chance, do you know Elder Mak Cheong-ju?”
“Haha, who doesn't know the King of the Yangtze River?”
“Then, do you also know how to meet him?”
The old man's expression remained unchanged at the question, but Neung Un-bi saw a flicker of something in his eyes.
He knew.
“Well... how would a fisherman like me know how to meet such a great man?”
“It's urgent.”
“I told you, I don't know.”
“I am... Neung Un-bi.”
“...”
When he revealed his name, the old man's face tightened slightly.
“I must see Elder Mak Cheong-ju. If you know how, will you please guide me?”
“Hmm...”
After a moment of thought, the old man put down his net and stood up. The other fishermen nearby surrounded Neung Un-bi, their auras turning cold.
Roughly ten men.
As their atmosphere changed, Hyang-i immediately drew a dagger and glared sharply at their surroundings, while the Waning Moon Squad, waiting in the distance, prepared to rush over.
But Neung Un-bi raised a hand to stop them.
He had come as a guest; he shouldn't make threats. Besides, he was the one in a hurry, so it was only natural for him to bow his head first.
“Hyang-i.”
“...”
At Neung Un-bi's command, Hyang-i sheathed her dagger, her eyes still full of suspicion.
Seeing that he had no intention of fighting, the old man asked with a completely different expression.
“Why is Young Master Neung, who has been turning the Central Plains upside down recently, looking for our Chief?”
“...”
It wasn't just his expression. The aura subtly flowing from the old man, who had straightened his posture, was extraordinary. It was incomparable to the river bandits he had met before.
It made sense.
This was the place Mak Cheong-ju had told him to come to. It had to be either his residence or the innermost sanctum of the river bandits he used for communication.
The men guarding such a place couldn't possibly be ordinary.
They were probably the strongest warriors under Mak Cheong-ju's command.
“I will explain the details when I meet the Chief.”
“...That is not possible.”
“What?”
When the old man refused without a moment's hesitation, Neung Un-bi's brow furrowed deeply.
“You are currently being pursued by all the Orthodox sects.”
“...”
“How can we let someone like that meet our Chief?”
The old man shook his head as if the idea was absurd. After a moment of thought, Neung Un-bi took a small black jade tablet from his robes and held it out.
“This is?”
“It's a black jade tablet that proves my identity. The Cult Leader bestowed it upon me himself.”
“...Why this?”
“I am the Cult Leader's disciple. This tablet carries authority equal to my own. For a member of the Demonic Cult, possessing this tablet is the same as being the disciple himself, granting the authority to command those under him. For an outsider, it allows them to seek refuge with the Demonic Cult at any time and, if needed, ask for their life to be saved exactly once. If they have an enemy, they can also request vengeance.”
“What?”
At Neung Un-bi's words, the old man stared at the jade tablet with startled eyes.
What Neung Un-bi said was true.
The jade tablet, given directly by the Cult Leader, was a token that symbolized Neung Un-bi himself.
Even if one were to kill Neung Un-bi and take it, its effects would be the same as he described.
The mere fact that an outsider possessed the tablet proved they were a powerful warrior who had killed the Cult Leader's disciple.
The Demonic Cult, which followed the law of the strong, would even honor such a person.
“I wish to offer this as a gift in exchange for meeting Elder Mak Cheong-ju.”
“Umm...”
The old man fiddled with the tablet, lost in thought for a long while.
If what Neung Un-bi said was true, this black jade tablet was indeed an object of great power.
Even without seeking refuge or asking for one's life to be saved, the black jade itself was incredibly precious.
As an item bestowed directly by the Cult Leader upon his disciple, a piece the size of a palm would be comparable in value to a Luminous Pearl.
“Hoo... Alright. If you are so determined, please wait a moment.”
“Thank you.”
Neung Un-bi nodded, and the old man disappeared somewhere.
“Hey, are you allowed to just use that however you want?”
“We're in a situation where we'll die if I don't use it anyway. It's better to use what I have and die trying than to just die.”
“Hmm... True.”
Hyang-i nodded at Neung Un-bi's words.
About thirty minutes passed. When the old man returned, the black jade tablet was no longer in his hand.
“Young Master Neung.”
“Yes.”
“The Chief has agreed to see you.”
“...!”
At those words, Neung Un-bi's eyes lit up.
It worked.
He couldn't predict what would happen next, but wasn't this a good start?
“However, you must come alone.”
“What?”
“You cannot bring your subordinates.”
“I understand. I'll do that.”
As Neung Un-bi readily nodded, Hyang-i tugged on his sleeve.
“Hey!”
“It's fine. Nothing will happen.”
“But...”
“I told you. This could be our last chance.”
“What kind of chance? We could just abandon that guy, Yun An-ro. Yeah, we should have done that from the start. Let's just go back. If we just pretend we don't know Yun An-ro, we can easily avoid the Orthodox Murim Alliance and return to the Demonic Cult.”
“Haa, Hyang-i.”
Neung Un-bi gripped Hyang-i's shoulders and met her gaze directly.
“I can't abandon him.”
“...”
“Trust me and wait for a little while. I'll definitely repay this debt someday.”
Hyang-i scowled as she watched Neung Un-bi follow the old man, leaving her behind.
“M-Maid.”
“Aren't you going to follow? Are we really just going to stand here and watch?”
Wang Cheon and Ju Seung, as well as the Waning Moon Squad, looked at Hyang-i with worried expressions.
“...Shut up.”
“...”
As if she wasn't worried herself.
But Hyang-i couldn't bring herself to stop Neung Un-bi.
Because the look in his eyes as he gazed at her had been so desperate...
***
Following the old man, he arrived at a plain by the river where reeds stretched out. He had expected a hidden building, but it was just an empty reed field.
Reaching the riverbank, the old man stopped and carefully called out to someone.
“Lord Cheon-hyu, I've brought Young Master Neung.”
At the extremely polite voice, the reeds parted to the left and right, and a familiar face appeared.
In truth, he had expected it the moment he heard the name Cheon-hyu. The man was the warrior attendant who always followed Mak Cheong-ju.
His presence meant one thing.
Mak Cheong-ju had to be here.
It was a relief. If the old man had been merely a contact, he would have had to waste more time.
But since Mak Cheong-ju was here, all he had to do was strike a deal.
“I will take my leave now.”
“Good work.”
The old man bowed politely and withdrew. Cheon-hyu smiled at Neung Un-bi.
“It's been a while, Young Master Neung.”
“Yes, it has.”
“Follow me. The Chief is waiting.”
Following Cheon-hyu through the reeds, they came to a small pier where Mak Cheong-ju was sitting, enjoying some fishing.
“Aigoo! Look at this fishing rod bend! It's a big one! A big one!”
Mak Cheong-ju, pulling on the bent rod with all his might and a thrilled expression on his face, turned to Neung Un-bi and shouted.
“You damn brat! Can't you see the state I'm in? Hurry up and help me! I'm going to lose it!”
At those words, Neung Un-bi couldn't help but chuckle.
It was just like him. He could have used his martial arts to reel it in instantly, but instead, he was enjoying fishing with only the strength of his old body.
“You brat! What are you doing just standing there? I told you, I'm going to lose it!”
“Haa...”
Seeing the man so relaxed, unlike his own anxious self, Neung Un-bi sighed and ran over.
What else could he do?
He was the one digging a well because he was thirsty...
And now he had to persuade him. There was no need to reveal his urgency.
“Heave-ho! That's it! Got it.”
Looking at the large fish they had pulled onto the pier with Neung Un-bi's help, Mak Cheong-ju beamed.
“Cheon-hyu.”
“Yes.”
“Start a fire. Looks like we're having a feast for a change.”
“Understood.”
Cheon-hyu took the fish from Mak Cheong-ju and hurried to prepare it for grilling.
“Care for a drink?”
“...”
Mak Cheong-ju then offered him a bottle of wine, and Neung Un-bi's expression turned sour.
Was this really the time for drinking and idle chatter?
However, worried about revealing his impatience, Neung Un-bi forced himself to remain calm and said.
“Chief. As I've told you before, I'm the type to take care of business first.”
“Damn brat.”
“...”
“You're good at hiding what's on your mind, acting all composed.”
“Pardon?”
“I know, you brat. You think I wouldn't know why you've come?”
Neung Un-bi flinched at Mak Cheong-ju's words but did his best to hide his surprise.
“Is that so? As expected of the Chief...”
“It's because of Yun An-ro, isn't it?”
“...”
He was suddenly at a loss for words.
He had tried to act composed, but the moment Yun An-ro's name was mentioned, his heart began to race.
This was not good...
Since Mak Cheong-ju already knew what he wanted, wasn't it obvious he would be manipulated before they even started negotiating?
“Well, seeing as you've come all this way, you must have guessed... They're in my hands.”
Neung Un-bi finally failed to maintain his composure.
So Mak Cheong-ju's intervention was indeed the reason the group had disappeared, leaving only the ship behind.
“But seeing as you even used the black jade tablet given to you by Dam Un-cheon himself as a gift, you must want more than just to know that...”
“...?”
“You need my help, don't you?”
At Mak Cheong-ju's words, which seemed to know everything, Neung Un-bi let out a deep sigh. He had lost the initiative.
Then again, he wasn't called the king of the Central Plains' waterways for nothing.
His intentions were already laid bare... Now, he had no choice but to tell the truth.
“Let's have a drink first and talk while we eat. There's no hurry, is there?”
Mak Cheong-ju patted him on the back with a laugh, but Neung Un-bi shook his head and spoke calmly.
“Chief, since you say you know everything, I'll get straight to the point.”
“...”
“The Beggars' Sect is after me. Masters from the previous generation, including Namgung Mu-wi, have come out to capture me. I don't have time.”
“Heh heh, this kid. Who doesn't know the current situation? But the saying 'the more you rush, the more you should take a detour' doesn't exist for no reason.”
“...Pardon?”
“I'll help you, so let's eat first.”
At the casually thrown remark, Neung Un-bi blinked with a dazed expression.
“You dazed fool... what are you staring at?”
“Ah, no, what do you mean? You'll help me?”
“What do you mean, what do I mean? Helping you means helping you. Is there any other meaning?”
“What?”
He hadn't said anything yet, but the man was already agreeing to the contract? Just like that?
Why?
Seeing the bewildered look on Neung Un-bi's face, Mak Cheong-ju chuckled and raised a finger.
“You brat, look over there. Do you think I could have caught that big fish without your help? Thanks to you, I'm about to have a feast, so I have to pay for my meal.”
“...”
At the sight of Mak Cheong-ju's grinning face, Neung Un-bi glanced at the large fish Cheon-hyu was grilling.
Just... for that?
He could end up fighting the entire Orthodox Faction over this.
But Neung Un-bi soon realized.
Despite his talk of fish and feasts, Mak Cheong-ju had already decided to help him even before he arrived.
Of course, he still didn't know the reason...
But what did it matter?
The man was willing to help, so he should accept it at once!
“Chief!”
“Hm?”
Un-bi smiled brightly and took the wine bottle from Mak Cheong-ju.
“Allow me to pour you a drink.”
“Keke, this kid's got some nerve...”
Seeing Neung Un-bi's immediate change in attitude, Mak Cheong-ju laughed and accepted the drink.