Chapter 159
Translator: penny
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Visitor
The new year had dawned.
I, Mok Jimyeong, had now passed my twenties and turned twenty-one.
'Hmm, twenty-one, huh...'
Having already lived for over fifty years, a year or two more didn't change much for me. But the changing of the year felt special.
This was the year the Second Righteous-Unorthodox Great War would break out.
'The White Tiger Unit must have set off for Shandong Province by now.'
I recalled the White Tiger Unit Leader's words on New Year's Day: they would depart for Shandong at sunrise.
If not for my confinement, I'd be racing toward Shandong myself right about now.
Suddenly, the face of Red Peak Baek Ilyeong flickered in my mind.
Her small face with its delicately arranged beautiful eyes, nose, and mouth, and skin as fair and smooth as white jade...
'Tch, I should've snagged the Red Peak from the White Tiger Unit...'
Namgung Chan's sudden arrival at the White Tiger Unit had thrown all my plans into disarray.
I'd managed to hook up with his little sister, Namgung Sua, instead, but...
For the record, Moyong Hui still had no idea about my secret fling with Namgung Sua.
I'd worried she'd find out right away, but luckily, the two had never crossed paths.
Even so, in a limited space like the Murim Alliance, I couldn't shake the anxiety of them bumping into each other unexpectedly. That worry eased after yesterday's chat with Namgung Sua.
-I won't be able to see you for a while starting tomorrow.
-Huh? What's going on, Lady Namgung?
-I think I need to head to Anhui. Father wants to see me...
Namgung Sua, whom I'd been secretly meeting during the times Cheon Woojin and Moyong Hui were at work, had left for Jeongju yesterday.
Thanks to that, there was no risk of Moyong Hui finding out for the time being.
'But now I've got nothing to do...'
During the day, when those two were at work, I'd spent cozy time with Namgung Sua. In the evenings, it was Moyong Hui.
With Namgung Sua gone, though, my days were empty.
I got up from my seat, quickly washed my face, and stepped outside.
There I saw a familiar little guy going through his familiar routine.
'Baek Rihyeon really works his ass off.'
For a martial artist to train in martial arts is a given, but in truth, it's grueling work.
Think about it.
Who actually enjoys sweating buckets and pushing their body to the brink?
So even though every martial artist wants to become a master, none of them truly love the training itself.
They do it because their master, parents, or someone forces them to.
'And at some point, it just becomes habit.'
Of course, there were rare cases like my second sister, who genuinely enjoyed martial arts training, but that was exceptional.
Baek Rihyeon sure didn't look happy about it.
Yet he trained alone like this every single day...
'Must be from all the hardships he went through as a kid.'
Martial arts training is tough, exhausting, and painful in general.
But compared to starving while foraging and selling wild greens from the mountains since childhood? Nah, not even close.
Lately, I'd come to value Baek Rihyeon's effort more than his Heavenly Martial Physique.
I'd never seen a kid this dedicated to training in my life.
'...Excluding my second sister.'
She was the weird type who actually enjoyed it.
Sure, Baek Rihyeon might just have no hobbies or friends, and could end up like Cheon Woojin, hitting the brothels every day later on. But seeing him like this day in, day out was still impressive.
As I watched quietly, he finally noticed my presence and turned my way.
"Big Bro, you're up."
Big Bro, not brother-in-law.
Moyong Hui had thrown a fit, insisting brother-in-law was off-limits, so this was the new nickname.
'Tch, I preferred brother-in-law.'
I smacked my lips and spoke up.
"Yeah. No sticking points in your training?"
"No. Thanks to you, Big Bro, it's going smoothly."
His words were polite, but his attitude screamed "leave me alone."
After I'd pestered him a few times lately, offering to teach him whenever I was bored, he was on high alert.
Of course, I wasn't one to back down.
"Smoothly, my ass. Hurry up and assume your stance. His Divine Dragonship will give you a special once-over."
"...Lady Changbong is late today."
I'd left him alone whenever Namgung Sua visited so they could fool around, and now "Lady Changbong" was the first thing out of his mouth.
But what could I do?
Namgung Sua wasn't coming for a while.
"Didn't I tell you? Lady Namgung won't be around for a bit."
"Why not...?"
Baek Rihyeon looked like the world had ended.
I grinned and answered.
"No need for you to know."
Why bother explaining to this kid and tire myself out?
He just needed to know she wasn't coming.
I picked up a wooden stick I'd prepared in advance and headed toward him.
For the record, the stick was my "teaching cane" for correcting any flaws in his form on the spot.
Just as he resigned himself to it, a knock-knock echoed from the estate's main gate.
'Huh? Lady Namgung?'
She'd definitely said she was leaving for Anhui yesterday... Did something happen?
As I tilted my head, Baek Rihyeon bowed deeply.
"Then I'll head inside."
And off he scampered to his room.
After shoving him in there every time Namgung Sua visited, he now knew the drill without me saying a word.
I confirmed he was gone and opened the gate.
What I saw was not at all who I'd expected.
'Huh? Why's this guy here?'
It was Dragon Head Branch Leader—no, Vice Leader Bae Cheolsan.
We hadn't met since he brought me to Jeongju, and now he was paying a house call...
'Ah, must be about my affiliation.'
He was the one who'd dragged me to the Alliance Lord last time.
Not weird if he was here as a messenger.
Bae Cheolsan flashed a wide grin, his weathered dark face contrasting sharply.
"Long time no see?"
His pearly white teeth stood out against the darkness.
I deflated a bit, my expectations dashed.
"What brings you here?"
"Hmm, you gonna leave me standing outside?"
I wasn't thrilled about letting a guy in, but I couldn't just slam the door on a guest.
I nodded reluctantly.
"Come in."
The moment we entered the room, I took the initiative.
"No snacks or tea. Booze is all gone. Cold water do?"
For the record, I had plenty of snacks, tea, and booze.
I just couldn't be bothered.
"No food?"
"Get to the point. Alliance Lord send you?"
"Tch, heartless as ever. Fine, straight to business."
Bae Cheolsan smacked his lips needlessly and got to it.
"You know the White Tiger Unit headed to Shandong today?"
"Yeah, sure..."
"Then you know what that means?"
"They're gearing up for a real clash with the unorthodox sects."
I answered indifferently, and he sighed deeply.
"The Four Black Alliance will see it that way. But the Murim Alliance doesn't actually want that."
"Then why not stop them?"
"Sigh, we couldn't. Truth is, the current murim situation has a lot of oddities. Before I explain, in your view, what's the three biggest powers in murim?"
It was annoying as hell, but I played along.
"Righteous, unorthodox, demonic, right?"
"Exactly. Righteous factions, unorthodox sects, Demonic Cult. They're evenly matched. Now, if we go to war with the unorthodox, what happens?"
"What happens? We fight."
"Playing dumb, or just bored talking to me?"
Bored? Yeah.
Dumb? No.
'What's the angle?'
I cocked my head, and Bae Cheolsan yelled in disbelief.
"The Demonic Cult, who've been stockpiling strength, will invade!"
"Huh? The Demonic Cult?"
Why bring them up out of nowhere?
They should be busy conquering the Outer Frontier right now...
'Ah, this hasn't come to light yet?'
It sounded ridiculous to me, knowing the future, but Bae Cheolsan stayed dead serious.
"I said the murim situation is weird, remember? There are too many suspicious things happening in Shandong. People with no reason to fight are killing each other, righteous and unorthodox are burning with hatred."
"...And?"
"Our Beggar Clan thinks it's the Demonic Cult's scheme."
Wrong.
It'd make sense if it were the Blood Cult, but...
'Not that I'm certain...'
Anyway, it wasn't the Demonic Cult.
I knew a bit about them, and this sneaky backstabbing wasn't their style.
But Bae Cheolsan nodded firmly.
"No proof yet, but it's definitely them. So we absolutely can't go to full war with the Four Black Alliance right now."
The target was off, but the logic held.
There were indeed many fishy parts.
'Like with the Shandong Yak Family and Death Command Sect.'
Instead of pretending to know, I turned it back on him.
"So?"
"Thus, the Murim Alliance wants you to head to Shandong and uncover the evidence."
Even if it's the wrong road, as long as it leads to Beijing, they say.
Not a bad deal for me.
'I was planning to look into the Blood Cult anyway.'
Bonus: seduce Baek Ilyeong while at it.
Still, it was too vague.
"That's it?"
"Chief Strategist will fill in the details. Let's head to the Alliance."
Then why'd he come into my house?
'Seriously here for a free meal?'
In any case, I followed Bae Cheolsan back to the Murim Alliance after a long while.