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Chapter 261
Chapter 261. Parading in Brocade at Night (2)
While I desperately shook Dang Seo-hui awake, Ak Byeong-bi began recounting what had happened in the Black Thought Alliance in great detail, yet with remarkable restraint.
The longer the story went on, the more doubt lingered in Jegal So-myeong’s eyes.
“Is that true?”
“Of course.”
Ẇ ẽ b n о̆ v̄ ѐĺ. Еňuḿa
Ak Byeong-bi answered calmly and moved on, but the tale that followed left Jegal So-myeong speechless once more.
“……That was real?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Yes. That is correct.”
“…….”
Ak Byeong-bi answered with an expressionless face.
There was not the slightest hint of falsehood on that face, and yet Jegal So-myeong looked as though he simply could not believe it.
W̊ ӗ.b̈n̈ o̊vе̌ l _Е ǹ ū mа̀
“Il-myeong, is what the captain just said true?”
In the end, he skipped over Ak Byeong-bi, the one giving the report, and asked Il-myeong instead.
Il-myeong also nodded.
“It is.”
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“……What on earth happened there?”
Jegal So-myeong furrowed his brow deeply.
Ẇ е b ǹ оv е l̆ _Еn̄ūm а
“Did you fall victim to witchcraft in the Black Thought Alliance? Or…….”
At last, he shot me a suspicious glance.
“Did that wretch Jin So-un cast some witchcraft on all of you?”
Come now, witchcraft? Was that not a little too harsh?
Why were the sparks suddenly flying toward me in the first place……
Just then, Dang Seo-hui’s sleep-talking came from behind my back.
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“Mmph…… mmph…… This is all karmic retribution.”
Excuse me? You are not actually asleep, are you?
As I stared in disbelief, Ak Byeong-bi emphasized it once again.
“I state once more that there was not the slightest addition or omission in the report I have given.”
Despite Ak Byeong-bi’s solemn bow, Jegal So-myeong’s expression remained utterly skeptical.
No, even so, if he was the Third Hall Master of the Execution Pavilion, he should have been someone thoroughly vetted within the Murim Alliance. Was he really that hard to trust?
W е̃ b́ n̂ o v ѐ l̈ Ѐ ńüm̄_а
“So, unknown entities infiltrated the Black Thought Alliance and stirred up a war between the Murim Alliance and the Black Thought Alliance……. The delegation was even framed as murderers, but Jin So-un, a disciple of the Daoist Martial Sect, raised his Buddhist devotion…… and used the Mind-Reading Art to find the culprit?”
Hm……
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Hearing it summarized like that, it did sound rather strange.
It somehow sounded like something a drunken man might blurt out at random……
“Are you certain…… this was not an erroneous report?”
To Jegal So-myeong, who seemed to thirst for some kind of excuse, Ak Byeong-bi spoke in his usual calm tone.
Ê_n um̄ȧ_
“Of course, the ‘Mind-Reading Art’ Jin So-un mentioned was likely nothing more than a device used to frighten the Black Path members of the Black Thought Alliance.”
“So then…….”
“However, I humbly believe that this does not diminish the achievements he displayed during this mission to the Black Thought Alliance.”
“Hm?”
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Just as Jegal So-myeong looked surprised, I was also quite startled by Ak Byeong-bi’s words.
“The delegation was in the worst possible situation. As the captain, I had been rendered helpless by a surprise attack, and there was no one within the Black Thought Alliance from whom we could seek aid.”
W̃.е b_n.о̇v̆ е̌ l Е̌n̆ùm̄а
There was no rise or fall in his voice.
“It was the worst situation we could have imagined. I, the Black Thought Alliance, and the delegation all had no doubt that we would become sacrificial victims of this incident. The only thing I could do was, dishonorably, tell them to flee.”
His deep voice resounded through the great hall, yet there was not the slightest hesitation in it.
It felt trustworthy, as though he were calmly setting forth the truth.
“Everyone had given up everything. Except one person.”
Ak Byeong-bi slowly raised his head.
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“Jin So-un alone.”
Unlike his expressionless face, only his eyes gleamed sharply.
“Even in that worst possible situation, where nothing could be done, Jin So-un did not give up on anything. He took risks, sacrificed himself, and there was not a single moment when he failed to strive.”
As if determined to pour out everything he knew, he continued speaking without end.
“Cold reason, a burning heart, bonds with his companions, unwavering conviction, and an integrity that does not waver before petty, paltry gains.”
At last, his gaze turned toward me.
E n ü m̊ а
“Because he possessed all of these, he was able to overcome that difficulty with an indomitable will.”
As I listened to Ak Byeong-bi, I even found myself wanting to befriend the person he was describing.
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“To take issue merely with the outwardly spoken ‘word’ is, I believe, no different from taking issue with a handful of mud scattered upon a clear lake. Jin So-un was the finest member of this delegation, and he is the greatest contributor who prevented what might have become a great war between the Black Thought Alliance and the Murim Alliance.”
Of course, the moment I realized he was talking about me, my cheeks burned so hotly that I could not raise my head.
“Hm…….”
Hyeok Mu-gang, who had been listening silently from the side, opened his mouth.
E n̊ u m̀ а
“I heard there was a small problem between the Ak Clan and Jin So-un not long ago.”
“……Shamefully, the fault lies largely with the Ak Clan.”
“No, I am not trying to assign blame……. I am asking whether something else happened between you two in the meantime.”
Well, of course he would ask that.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
To speak so favorably of me, he must have wondered just what and how much Ak Byeong-bi had been fed.
Had it concerned a third party, I would certainly have been suspicious too.
Е n.u m̈ а̂
However, Ak Byeong-bi firmly shook his head.
“Nothing happened.”
A look of puzzlement appeared on the Alliance Leader’s face.
“And yet you evaluate him so highly?”
“As soon as I was assigned to the Execution Pavilion, I was taught to speak only of the facts, as accurately as possible.”
“…….”
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Hyeok Mu-gang tilted his head.
Even without hearing it, it was obvious that he was wondering whether the word “accurately” truly belonged here.
After all, even I had no idea what this man Ak Byeong-bi was thinking right now.
“……Ahem, Jin So-un.”
This time, Jegal So-myeong called me. Yet for some reason, his gaze seemed to be directed toward Dang Seo-hui, who was being carried on my back.
“Yes.”
W̃ёbn̂ о v̈е l Е̃n̄ ùṁ а̀
“Is what the Third Hall Master…… no, the delegation captain just said true?”
I pondered for a moment, then answered carefully.
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“Yes.”
“…….”
“As the captain said, I believe it was a report of unsurpassed accuracy.”
“…….”
We b̌ n̊ö_v е̊ l̊ Е n ũm̃а
Why? What?
It was not as though I had said anything wrong.
I was playing nursemaid to Dang Seo-hui, but that was not because I wanted to. It was because Senior Dang Seo-hui wanted it.
And just because I was playing nursemaid did not mean that the things I had done disappeared or were devalued.
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Naturally, that was how it should be.
I lifted one arm, adjusted Dang Seo-hui’s posture, then bowed my head toward Ak Byeong-bi.
Е ň úm̊а̀
“As expected of the Third Hall Master, renowned for fairness and impartiality.”
“…….”
Jegal So-myeong stared at me with an expression of utter disbelief.
Then—
“Mmph…… mmph…… Truly shameless.”
Dang Seo-hui’s sleep-talking came again.
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You woke up long ago, did you not?
“Zzz…….”
After a brief silence, Hyeok Mu-gang opened his mouth.
“I-In any case, it is true that the delegation handled the matter splendidly, is it not?”
“That is so.”
“Then we should praise them, not interrogate them.”
W̆еb n óv̆е l É n̄ ŭ m a
“…….”
Jegal So-myeong, who had been staring at me intently, finally let out a small sigh.
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“That is true. ……In any case, you did well. A few things leave something to be desired, but you accomplished it splendidly.”
The Alliance Leader lightly tapped Jegal So-myeong on the shoulder.
“Come now, Grand Strategist. Speak honestly. Did they not handle it splendidly enough to far exceed expectations?”
“A delegation of the Murim Alliance ought to do at least this much.”
Е́ nů m̂a
“Heh heh. Are you that pleased?”
When Hyeok Mu-gang spoke teasingly, Jegal So-myeong’s expression hardened.
“Were you not disappointed that we failed to form an alliance, Alliance Leader?”
Hyeok Mu-gang flinched in shock and hurriedly glanced at us.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Ahem. T-That was merely my personal disappointment. Why bring that up here…….”
It seemed Hyeok Mu-gang had indeed been left with great regret.
Ė n̆ ũ mа̃
At the same time, because he clearly understood the realistic limitations, it appeared he had already received a scolding from Jegal So-myeong over this matter.
At any rate, having won the verbal exchange, Jegal So-myeong turned his head again and asked about the identity of the boxes before us.
“But what are those things, that you brought them all the way here?”
Ak Byeong-bi glanced at me once, then reported.
“When we left the Black Thought Alliance, the Leader of the Black Thought Alliance sent these gifts through Dam Ak.”
“Hm? The Leader of the Black Thought Alliance?”
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Soon, Il-myeong and I rose from our seats and moved toward the boxes.
Jegal So-myeong’s and Hyeok Mu-gang’s gazes naturally turned toward us.
CLACK.
CLACK.
As the boxes opened, the objects inside began to reveal themselves one by one.
Precious treasures that had once vanished from the Orthodox Path Murim or been seized.
Е nu mа_. i d
Leaving aside their monetary value, they were objects with an absolute historical worth that could not be exchanged for anything else. At their appearance, even the mighty Hyeok Mu-gang’s mouth fell open.
“What…… what is all this?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Of course, the one most shocked was Jegal So-myeong.
This time, I answered.
“He sent word that although we cannot stand together now, he hopes we can narrow the distance between us little by little.”
He was staring at me as though he simply could not believe it.
Е n̈ ǔ m̊а
After the members of the delegation left, a long silence lingered inside the great hall.
The silence continued for quite some time, and of the two men, the first to speak was Hyeok Mu-gang.
“Is something like this possible?”
During the past twenty years he had spent in the position of Murim Alliance Leader, he had experienced many things.
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In the process, he had gained one essential realization.
Things did not always proceed according to one’s ideals.
W ė b̃n ô v̌_е̃l̊ Ӗñ ú ṁ ā
Because of that, he had come to know the limits of human beings, and because he knew those limits, he had let go of greed.
The same had been true of this delegation mission.
He had dispatched the delegation according to Jegal So-myeong’s wishes, but he had never imagined that they would achieve anything.
Jegal So-myeong had also said he did not expect much from it.
“I feel as though I am dreaming.”
Yet the delegation, which had left after receiving an absurd mission, had returned with results beyond all expectation.
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“I feel the same.”
Jegal So-myeong’s eyes were filled with complexity as he looked at the objects inside the boxes.
“I am utterly confused as to whether I should take this as the accomplishment of something that naturally ought to have been possible, or regard it as a miracle that achieved the impossible.”
“Ha ha. It truly is astonishing.”
At last, the Grand Strategist looked toward the door through which Jin So-un and the delegation had left, then gave a hollow laugh.
“Moreover, that fellow is merely an Academy student, is he not? He is little different from a newcomer to the murim world, so how could he possibly accomplish such things……?”
Е̌ǹ ůmа
Hyeok Mu-gang had been nodding endlessly in agreement.
Then he cautiously opened his mouth.
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“You saw it earlier as well, did you not, Grand Strategist?”
“……Yes.”
“That child, Dang Seo-hui, was being carried on his back.”
“……She even talked in her sleep.”
Е n̊ u m̀а.ї d̃
“Il-myeong failing to assert his presence was astonishing enough, but…….”
Small Buddha Il-myeong was a talent among talents who would one day lead the murim world.
It was already astonishing that such a child had been unable to say a word, as though his very presence had vanished.
“And Seo-hui…… even that child.”
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Both men thought that if the Poison King heard of this, they might well witness him gaping in horror with that stony face of his.
“Should we take that to mean the fellow is that special?”
Énüm̌ а̃
At Jegal So-myeong’s question, Hyeok Mu-gang slowly shook his head.
“I do not know either.”
The previous cohort of the Murim Academy.
In other words, the children who had entered the Academy four years earlier had also been astonishing enough.
New Plum Blossom Sword Hwa Jeong-san, Heavy Spear True Man Ak Buk-san, and Heaven-Opening Divine Sword Namgung San.
It had been astonishing enough that geniuses who might appear only once in a hundred years had gathered one after another.
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And how shocked had he been when even those children were overshadowed by Small Buddha, the White-Hand Divine Maiden, and Yong So-ah?
……Yet now, even the brilliance of those children seemed to be fading.
All because of a single boy.
Jin So-un.
Jegal So-myeong looked down at the boxes with eyes that could not believe what they were seeing.
“Considering that the Leader of the Black Thought Alliance even sent such burdensome items…… Jin So-un must have pulled some bizarre stunt.”
Ẁ е̂ b̄ n̂ о v̂ ê l Ӗ n û m̌ а̌
“Hm. I suppose so.”
“That is why it is even more astonishing. What Later-Generation Talent in this world could possibly serve as a bridge between the Murim Alliance and the Black Thought Alliance?”
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It was not enough merely to have excellent martial arts and an extraordinary mind.
What might not be possible even after reading the world, understanding human beings, and layering countless experiences deep within one’s heart, that fellow was accomplishing with ease.
“I find it rather frightening as well.”
“Yes?”
Ẁеb n̂ о̇v еl. Еn̈ umа
At Hyeok Mu-gang’s sudden words, Jegal So-myeong tilted his head.
Likewise, as the Alliance Leader looked over the boxes once more, a look mingling worry and pity appeared on his face.
“……At times, does a star that shines too brightly not disappear all too quickly?”
“…….”
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“Perhaps we may have to hide his light, even deliberately.”
How base and insignificant human emotions were.
Е̄n u m̊а
And yet.
The thing that brought down towering heroes and twisted history was always that base emotion called jealousy.
Jegal So-myeong, who had been nodding, let out a sigh.
“Hmm…… I fear something else.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
A look mingling terror and dread appeared on the Grand Strategist’s face.
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“I fear…… the bill that fellow will hold out.”
“Yes?”
What was this all of a sudden?
Jegal So-myeong’s agitated face flushed red.
“Did you not see it, Alliance Leader? When that wretch Jin So-un left, he wore a meaningful smile……! He is certain to wring something enormous out of us for this…….”
“……Tsk. Well, it is not something we can simply let pass.”
Ẇ е̌ b̂ñ оv е l̊ Еǹ_ùm а̊
Jegal So-myeong trembled as if he had seen a ghost.
“I have no confidence in this. Therefore, Alliance Leader, please handle it yourself.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Grand Strategist, how can you be so irresponsible……?”
“I will do what I can. But the merit that fellow has earned has already surpassed the level at which I can reward him, has it not?”
The gifts the delegation had brought back possessed great value even from the Murim Alliance’s perspective.
The original owners of the treasures were the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans, who moved the Murim Alliance.
W̃ēb̄ñо̃ v̇е̄l_ _Еn u m̆ а
Even if they were the owners, the treasures could not simply be handed back to them for nothing.
That meant the Murim Alliance could use these treasures to extract compensation from them in any number of ways.
“From our position, they are no different from an enormous weapon.”
What price should they possibly pay to the person who had recovered such things?
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Even with his brilliant mind, Jegal So-myeong found it difficult to calculate.
“Haa…….”
Е̇ nûm а. ì_d̈
But the same was true of Hyeok Mu-gang.
“Hmm…….”
After long deliberation, Hyeok Mu-gang opened his mouth hesitantly.
“Shall we open the Silver Jade Treasury?”
“…….”
Under normal circumstances, Jegal So-myeong would have shouted at him and asked whether he had lost his mind. Today, however, he merely pressed his lips tightly shut and stared at Hyeok Mu-gang.
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Watching his reaction, Hyeok Mu-gang asked again.
“……May we truly open the Silver Jade Treasury?”
“…….”
However, Jegal So-myeong remained silent to the very end, as though he had no intention of taking responsibility.
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