Chapter 147
Translator: penny
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Lax Prison and Elders' Clash
Around morning, my whole body felt utterly stiff and drained.
It wasn't because I'd slept in a prison cell and the bedding didn't suit me.
After achieving Marrow Transformation, how could I possibly feel worn out from something like that?
This was mental fatigue rather than anything physical.
'Should've asked for a courtesan yesterday after all.'
How long had it been since I'd spent a night alone...
Ever since meeting Moyong Hui, I hadn't once passed a night solo, so trying to sleep alone after so long delivered a real mental blow.
I dragged my stiff body upright, feeling a slight pang of hunger.
I was just about to ask when breakfast would arrive when I realized no guard was visible beyond the iron bars.
'By the way, why is security here so damn lax?'
For someone supposedly imprisoned, I was in pretty comfortable shape.
My limbs weren't bound, and none of my acupoints had been sealed to block my inner energy.
Of course, the Marrow Transformation was a big reason why sealing wouldn't stick anyway, but regardless, I was in an incredibly free state.
To the point where I could bust out of here anytime I felt like it.
And in a setup like this, not a single guard in sight.
Were they maybe encouraging escapes from the Murim Alliance?
'...Maybe I should just train some martial arts?'
I cut off my idle thoughts there and assumed a lotus position to kill some time.
Right on cue, the sound of footsteps announced the guard's arrival.
"Ah, you're up, sir."
"Yeah, you rascal. Where the hell were you? Leaving a prisoner all alone like this? What if I escape or something?!"
I gave the absent guard a good scolding.
In response, he put on a bewildered expression and let out a hollow laugh.
"Rascal, if you're gonna step out, at least tell me ahead of time!"
"W-Well... didn't you say yesterday not to wake you until you got up on your own?"
The guard was treating me like his superior officer.
And the reason for that reaction was simple.
'Because I really am his superior.'
He was just a regular Murim Alliance warrior, while I was an official member of the White Tiger Unit.
Regular warriors took orders from the Vermilion Bird Unit, Azure Dragon Unit, Black Tortoise Unit, and so on.
The White Tiger Unit didn't cross paths with them much, but position-wise, we outranked them.
The guy I'd been ribbing finally remembered his errand, as if he'd forgotten until now.
"Anyway, you've got a visitor."
"A visitor?"
"Yes. A Cheon Woojin—he said you'd know who that is..."
For a split second, I thought it might be Moyong Hui, but all the excitement deflated instantly.
Catching my expression, the guard asked cautiously.
"Should I turn him away?"
"Nah. He made the trip, so the least I can do is show my face."
With that, he pulled out his keys and unlocked the cell door.
I strutted out with maximum arrogance, like a boss being escorted by his underling.
Chin held high, arms swinging wide in a swaggering gait.
We arrived at a small room, where Cheon Woojin stared at me in utter bewilderment.
"...Why the hell are you entering like you're hot shit?"
"So, what's the reason you wanted to see me?"
"Did you eat something bad?"
Bad food? Hell, I hadn't even had breakfast.
His reaction was no fun, so I dropped back to my usual demeanor.
"Rascal, you try sitting in here. It's boring as shit. Gotta entertain myself somehow."
Cheon Woojin shook his head with a sigh and grumbled.
"Man, you've got it good. Lady Moyong's been busting her ass since yesterday evening to help you out..."
"Yeah? Hui has?"
"Yeah. Can't you tell I couldn't even report for duty because of you? I'm here on visitor time."
I didn't give a damn about that.
I waved him off dismissively, and he finally got to the point of his visit.
"You know about the trial this afternoon via the elders' council, right? From what I've gathered, the Alliance has twelve elders total, with seven currently on-site. Add the Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist, and that's nine attendees expected. Lady Moyong's already met up with three of them..."
Not exactly the most useful intel.
Hearing it from in here wasn't gonna change a damn thing.
Instead, I handed him a crucial assignment.
"Whatever. Anyway, Hui's coming to the trial later?"
"Yes. She's scheduled to attend as a witness to yesterday's incident."
"Tell Hui not to come."
"...Pardon?"
He double-checked like he wasn't sure he'd heard right.
I repeated myself crystal clear.
"Pass it along to Hui: don't come."
Quick on the uptake, Cheon Woojin picked up on what I meant and let out a deep sigh.
Then he whispered softly.
"Lord, don't go too overboard."
Overboard? What choice did I have?
My role here had been set from the start.
Peng Seonho was a collateral branch member of the Peng Clan who had ascended to the Flower Realm and earned an elder seat in the Murim Alliance.
Currently filling in as the Enforcement Hall Lord, Peng Seonho was nursing a pounding headache.
'Ugh, what the hell am I supposed to do?'
Nangong Se—a member of one of the Five Great Families—had shattered all four limbs of their eldest son.
Normally, he'd side with fellow Five Great Family, the Nangong Clan, and push for harsh punishment...
But...
-Elder, please. It all started because of me in the first place...
The Sword Phoenix who'd dropped by earlier weighed on his mind.
The Moyong Clan was another of the Five Great Families, after all.
What's more, the Moyong Clan held special importance for the North Hebei Peng Clan.
The Moyongs showed zero interest in the Murim Alliance but had grown exceptionally close to the imperial court.
And the North Hebei Pengs were based in Beiping, where the imperial palace stood.
These two houses were bound together tighter than anyone could hope to sever.
Their relations were already quite amicable on top of that.
Viewed that way, the right move was to back the Moyong side.
But there was another snag...
-Elder, my dear friend was gravely injured. They say it'll take at least six months for full recovery. I'd love for that insolent bastard to face severe punishment.
Thinking back to the Crouching Dragon who'd visited yesterday made picking a side just as tough.
The Pengs were close to the Moyongs, sure—but he was a Murim Alliance man through and through, and the Alliance bowed heavily to Zhuge Clan influence.
The trial kicked off without him settling his stance.
And there, Peng Seonho laid eyes on the very man giving him grief for the first time.
'...That kid beat the Sword Dragon?'
He'd heard the guy was still in his early twenties, but seeing him in person was disorienting.
He looked no different from the trainees honing their skills at the White Dragon Pavilion.
Mok Jimyeong made his entrance with a bold posture, as if demanding to know what he'd even done wrong.
The Patrol Hall Lord seated beside Peng Seonho exploded in fury.
"Y-You...! Insolent little shit! Not a shred of remorse on you!"
Patrol Hall Lord Song Yukang.
The reason for his rage was straightforward.
He was the uncle of Nangong Chan's mother, Song Hyeyoung.
With his own nephew's limbs snapped, of course he'd blow up like that.
On the flip side, someone was calmly reining him in.
"Patrol Lord, please calm yourself. We haven't even determined guilt yet."
It was Gong Jiliang, the Murim Alliance's Guest Reception Hall Lord and sworn brother to the Qingcheng Sect leader.
The Qingcheng Sect, on poor terms with the Five Great Families, wasn't seeing this incident in a bad light.
"Urgh! Guilt? There's an injured man right here—what kind of nonsense is that?!"
"They say your nephew provoked him first. Isn't it shameful enough to provoke someone and then haul them into a trial like this..."
As their back-and-forth heated up, Murim Alliance Leader Heo Eunchang stepped in.
"Enough! Everyone quiet down! Save the arguments for later. For now... Enforcement Lord? Proceed."
Peng Seonho inwardly sighed at Heo Eunchang's words.
He still hadn't decided where he stood, and now the trial was underway.
But he couldn't stall forever.
Peng Seonho began his assigned duty.
"Yesterday around the hour of the dog, Mok Jimyeong assaulted Nangong Chan, inflicting severe injuries. This stemmed from Nangong Chan insulting Mok Jimyeong's lover..."
"Hold on! Could you elaborate on that part? How exactly did he insult the lover? The details matter."
The interrupter was Gong Jiliang, who'd just been trading barbs with Song Yukang.
He'd zeroed in on the point most unfavorable to Nangong Chan.
Song Yukang erupted again.
"Even if that's true, does that make injuring someone okay?! Why not elaborate on the severity of the injuries instead?!"
Answering everyone would grind things to a halt.
Peng Seonho opted to ignore them all.
"...That was the incident, and in trying to intervene, all sixty-five White Tiger Unit members ended up injured as well. With that established, let's discuss the matter. Elders, please speak one by one in turn."
He'd clearly said "in turn," but Song Yukang, seated midway, jumped in first.
"Over fifty people were injured within the Murim Alliance itself. This is an unprecedented atrocity in Alliance history, utterly unforgivable. Therefore, I propose severing his limbs' meridians and crippling his dantian."
His wildly excessive statement left the room in stunned silence.
Even Gong Jiliang, who'd been clashing with him, gaped in disbelief.
Peng Seonho was the first to snap out of it.
"Ahem. Any other opinions?"
The moment Gong Jiliang opened his mouth to speak—
"That old man's lost his marbles..."
Mok Jimyeong's remark rocked the Guest Reception Hall.