The Next Plan (3)
The Next Plan (3)
"You said you were returning to the Hengshan Sect. Why did you show up in Shaanxi Province?"
"I resigned as inspector for the Murim Alliance and was traveling around to soothe my mind and body for a while. Since when does the Murim Alliance demand an explanation for a martial artist's every single move? Is there any reason I shouldn't have traveled around the Shaanxi region?"
It was a lie. Im Seo-ryeon had wandered around Shaanxi, secretly inquiring about the Purple Nether Sword's whereabouts and gathering information. She had tracked him down, eliminated him when no one was watching, and buried the body in the dirt. It was a matter of eliminating the wicked and saving the good, so Im Seo-ryeon felt no shame over it.
"The day of the martial arts tournament, some people say they saw you, Im Seo-ryeon, in a nearby village. What were you doing there?"
"I was curious because Docheol, the Sect Leader of the Crimson Ring Sect I'd been investigating, was participating. However, since the suspicions against me as a former inspector hadn't fully cleared, I thought appearing at the tournament in person would cause gossip, so I decided against it."
It was a lie. She simply hadn't gone to the tournament grounds because she thought showing her face there would draw suspicion that she had eliminated the Purple Nether Sword.
"Do you know anything about the Purple Nether Sword?"
"When I was working at the Shaanxi branch, I heard there was a man called the Purple Nether Sword whose methods were so vicious that many were itching to kill him. A second-rate man certainly built up a lot of infamy. To think even you, sir, would mention that name."
"......Hmph."
"Do you have any more questions?"
"That's enough. You may leave now."
Im Seo-ryeon turned around and left the room. Glancing aside, she saw a man with a haggard face and a strangely displeased expression entering the room she had just vacated. Just before the door closed, she heard his voice through the crack.
"What do you mean you want to ask about the Purple Nether Sword? Did the bastard die or something? If he's dead, you have to tell me he's dead. I need to piss on his grave."
Im Seo-ryeon shook her head and stepped outside the Murim Alliance's Shaanxi branch. After the Purple Nether Sword's disappearance, the Shaanxi branch had been questioning various people to find his whereabouts. They asked those who held grudges against him if they had killed him, and they asked those on friendly terms with him if he had run away.
Im Seo-ryeon had neither favor nor grudge with the Purple Nether Sword, but she had said she was returning to Hengshan and then suddenly turned up in a village near where he disappeared, which drew suspicion.
Since there was no evidence, she was released without trouble, but for her, getting tripped up by something like this was regrettable in itself. It felt like being caught out for not being perfect yet.
'I can't shake the regret that I could have been a little more careful.'
She confided her inner feelings to Yeong-ha when they met again at the inn. Zhuge Yeong-ha gave a wry smile at her words and said this:
"Still, you were released without much fuss, weren't you? It's noisy for a moment now, but if they dig deeper, it's an awkward case for the Murim Alliance as well, so they'll investigate a bit and then drop it. They wouldn't have been able to do much even if you'd admitted to killing him from the start. Isn't the Purple Nether Sword a notorious villain in this region? Even if you'd said you cut off his head to set the righteous path straight, they'd have no justification to complain."
"They might have no justification to complain, but I'd keep drawing suspicion later on. If you're going to do something, you should do it perfectly."
"Senior Im, you're not an assassin. Considering that, you did it perfectly."
If the conversation continued like this, it was about to turn into a circular argument of who was right. Im Seo-ryeon didn't like that meaningless cycle of compliments and demurrals. She raised her cup and said:
"How's the internal atmosphere?"
"It's noisy in many ways. Rumors went around that my eldest brother was taking an interest in the Crimson Ring Sect, and it seems something is being discussed at the family level with Venerable Geumbok."
"I've heard that rumor too. He personally stepped forward on the day of the tournament, didn't he?"
"I don't know the detailed inside story, but since he's such an inscrutable and eccentric person, I can only hope things go well. My eldest brother has caused his fair share of incidents, so my worries come first."
"In the martial world, there is no one more frightening than a person who poses as an eccentric. You be careful too."
It was one of the facts she had realized while working as an inspector. In the martial world, people who styled themselves as eccentrics or oddballs were more dangerous than anyone else. Even if they were family, you had to be wary of their inner thoughts. Yeong-ha couldn't accept Im Seo-ryeon's warning to be careful of his own brother, but for now, he nodded.
"Yes. I will keep it in mind."
Im Seo-ryeon put her cup down. She wasn't fond of drinking to begin with, and after the troublesome questioning, the alcohol held no appeal. She licked her lips and looked around, and saw a merchant who claimed to be from the Western Regions hawking his wares in the distance.
Yeong-ha picked up a dumpling from the plate and ate it as he spoke.
"So, what will you do now?"
"I really must return to the Hengshan Sect. Ever since I finished investigating the Crimson Ring Sect, a hint of enlightenment has been lingering in my mind. The situation seems to have entered a lull as well, so for the time being, I truly intend to throw myself into training. The things you can do grow in number when you have strength. Peak realm is always better than first-rate."
"It seems I won't see you for a while. How about stopping by the Crimson Ring Sect to show your face?"
At Yeong-ha's suggestion, Im Seo-ryeon's face briefly flushed red before fading. The passionate massage and pleasure she had received that time still lingered in her head. Imagining that moment for just a second made her lower belly tingle sharply and her underwear feel damp.
She rolled her eyes and said.
"D-don't say such absurd things."
"Understood."
Yeong-ha shrugged his shoulders and then pointed at the empty dumpling bowl, saying.
"Would you like to eat anything else? Since I won't see your face for a while, it's my treat."
"I appreciate the thought, but I should be getting up now."
Even as she said that, Docheol's massage kept surfacing in her mind. In truth, when she went to bed alone, she often tried to recall his hand movements and the sensation of him touching her secret region. Whenever she imagined an untouchable phantom Docheol firmly pressing her acupoints and sliding his hand between her legs to crudely rub around, the pillow wedged between her thighs grew wet, and her mouth grew so hot it puffed out white steam.
Im Seo-ryeon aimlessly looked around the empty air and shook her head. To erase the delusions surfacing in her mind, she needed to shake her head a little more vigorously. Yeong-ha watched her actions and recalled her warning about 'beware of eccentrics'.
"W-well then, I'll be going."
Im Seo-ryeon turned around like someone fleeing and walked out onto the street.
"Then be careful."
Yeong-ha ordered more dumplings and bid farewell to Im Seo-ryeon.
*******
"Buying goods! Buying goods! We have various goods!"
The merchant from the Western Regions had an exotic appearance, but his speech was fluent. Im Seo-ryeon, who had been quickening her pace to return to the Hengshan Sect quickly, momentarily had her gaze drawn to the merchant hawking with an awkward tone.
"This item. Very expensive jewels attached. When swung, it sparkles and shines!"
With his high-bridged nose, he had covered his stall with goods of mysterious colors, drawing people's eyes. A sword decorated with splendid jewels and patterned carpets of exotic design, good for decorating a home, were especially popular with the crowd.
Im Seo-ryeon, who had been watching the merchant for a moment, stiffened when she saw him pull out a small bottle. The transparent bottle, curved like a woman's body, contained an oddly viscous liquid, and a subtle fragrance—detectable even from afar—wafted from it.
Once enough people had gathered, he lifted the bottle and shouted.
"This item! Very good! Rub-rub woman's body! Rub-rub man's body! Has good scent and is slippery! Feels good when used for rubbing! Scent is good and washes off well, so best! This is oil that sells well back home!"
"Oh my, why would you sell such an embarrassing item?"
"Oh dear, who would buy such a thing?"
People's reactions, however, were not good. That was because his explanation sounded exactly like an adult product. People made a fuss, covering each other's mouths or blushing red to the tips of their ears, while Im Seo-ryeon stood among them, silent, with a flush on her face.
Another martial artist who was watching recognized Im Seo-ryeon and murmured softly.
"Goodness, I'd heard Western Region merchants bring strange goods, but their culture is certainly different from ours."
Im Seo-ryeon felt a pricking sensation in her chest and nodded her head.
"...Indeed, it is."
The martial artist nodded and said in a firm tone.
"I mean, if they openly advertise like that, who would buy such an item used for crude purposes and carry it off?"
********
Kung! Kung! Kung!
The sound of the front gate pounding from early morning was grating.
I scratched my head and said to the servant.
"Go see who it is."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
The servant, heading for the gate, opened it a crack and then called for me in a high voice.
"Sect Leader! Sect Leader!"
At the servant's urgent voice, I walked outside, scratching my stomach.
"What is it? The Green Forest coming to invade or something?"
The servant was looking beyond the gate with a troubled face, and at the end of his gaze stood Im Seo-ryeon.
With her face flushed bright red, she thrust the strange-looking bottle at me.
"....What?"
"A, a massage...."
"....Massage?"
"A, a massage with this...."
Im Seo-ryeon's voice grew even smaller.