Chapter 122

Two things mattered when conveying information: speed and accuracy.

To that end, the Lower District Sect, which dealt in information, had established a dense information network around each of its branches.

Wolhwa had the authority to issue mobilization orders to the more than thirty branches established throughout Shanxi Province.

“How did it go? Is everything taken care of?”

A clean-cut middle-aged man answered her. He was the Jeongyang Branch Leader of the Lower District Sect.

“We separated and moved all the corpses. There were no more survivors from the Mount Heng Sword Sect, but some of the mounted bandits were still breathing.”

“How many?”

“Exactly forty-seven.”

“Quite a lot survived. How many can we save?”

“With the medicine we have on hand, thirty at most.”

“We don’t need to save every last one.”

At Wolhwa’s words, the Jeongyang Branch Leader bowed his head.

“I’ll see to it.”

That decided the surviving mounted bandits’ fates.

Those with severe injuries would rejoin the mountain-high pile of their comrades, while those with minor injuries might have their lives extended a little longer.

Of course, the moment their treatment was finished, they would be sold as slaves to the mines or fighting pits.

“Next. Honju Branch Leader?”

“No problems on our end, either.”

The Honju Branch Leader was a hulking man whose face was covered in sword scars. He scratched his stiff, wirelike beard and continued.

“Truth is, we didn’t even need to step in. They must’ve heard that Pung Yang was dead and the Red Wind Band had been smashed, because they didn’t come anywhere near the area.”

“For now, that’s enough. Pick your fastest, most loose-lipped people and have them spread the rumor. They’ll run away on their own.”

Although Pung Yang and his subordinates had been dealt with, a considerable number of mounted bandits were still prowling around the area like wolves.

They were watching for a chance to sink their teeth into the easy prey that was the Mount Heng Sword Sect.

“The Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi and the Heaven Shaking Sword beat Pung Yang to death with a single blow. Something like that should scare them out of their wits.”

“It’s not exactly true, but… spice it up as much as you need to. We can’t shed blood over someone else’s fight, can we?”

Whether the rumor was true didn’t matter. All that mattered was spreading the word that the two brothers of the Jin Family of Taiyuan had rescued the Mount Heng Sword Sect from Pung Yang and the Red Wind Band.

“Besides, the Jin Family of Taiyuan will make its move within a few days. Unless they’re complete idiots, they’ll return to Gaoyuan if they want to live.”

Word would soon spread far and wide that the great tiger known as the Jin Family of Taiyuan stood behind the Mount Heng Sword Sect. Wouldn’t one roar from the mountain king be enough to send those bandits running?

“Five days at most. Let’s hold out until then.”

The two Branch Leaders nodded.

“It’s hardly a hardship. These are the Chief Branch Leader’s orders. Of course we’ll obey.”

“I’m fine with it. Maybe it’s because Gaoyuan is right next door, but there’s something fun about riding across all this open land.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Wolhwa let out a short laugh and drew on her long-stemmed tobacco pipe.

“Um, by the way…”

“Yes?”

The Honju Branch Leader, considered the most aggressive and martial-arts-obsessed of her subordinates, had a bright gleam in his eyes.

“I heard from the wounded that bastard Pung Yang took down the Tiger of Mount Heng and the Heaven Shaking Sword all by himself. Is that true?”

“It is. Though I didn’t see it myself.”

“Wow. That’s impressive.”

“It is. Though the fact that he grew so strong so quickly reeks of something fishy.”

The Peak realm was a domain of enlightenment. From that point onward, a martial artist had to go beyond physical training and see through the principles of martial arts in order to advance to a higher realm.

But Pung Yang had been defeated by Cheol Mubaek, the Tiger of Mount Heng, only a short while ago. No matter how much enlightenment supported him, he had become far too strong in far too little time.

Wolhwa, who still knew nothing of the Temporary Strength Pill, focused on that point.

“He definitely used some kind of trick… I’ll have to look into it more closely.”

The quick-witted Jeongyang Branch Leader gave a silent bow, while the Honju Branch Leader vigorously scratched the back of his head.

“Of course, Pung Yang, that mounted-bandit bastard, is impressive too. But I was talking about someone else.”

“Who? Ah.”

“The Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi. Isn’t he incredible? According to what our sect has determined, his martial arts are still only First Rate, but he defies our expectations every time.”

Information had to be based on objective facts. As members of the Lower District Sect, they coolly judged how information could be used from a third-party perspective, then applied it to people and situations.

In that regard, Jin Taekyung was a headache. Every prediction they made about him proved wrong.

“But the strange thing is, I’m starting to look forward to it more and more.”

“Look forward to what?”

“Wondering how he’ll defy our expectations next time. That kind of anticipation.”

The Honju Branch Leader had been grinning, but his smile vanished at Wolhwa’s impassive expression.

“My apologies. I was running my mouth…”

“At least you know it. Go outside and handle your work.”

After driving the two Branch Leaders out, Wolhwa put her pipe back between her lips.

A tiny voice slipped from her barely moving lips along with the smoke.

“Jin Taekyung. Jin Taekyung.”

She suddenly remembered a conversation she had once shared with her Master.

There are people like that. People who always defy prediction. People who cannot be judged through information.

Then what should I do?

Do not judge them. Simply watch until you can reach your own conclusion about them.

What if I still can’t reach a conclusion after all that?

Unpredictable. If such a person exists, wouldn’t they possess the makings of someone who might one day move the world?

The makings of someone who could move the world…

Wolhwa tapped the ash from her pipe and left the pavilion.

Night had fallen thick and dark. Using the blazing torches as guideposts, she walked until she stopped in front of the pavilion where Jin Taekyung was staying.

“What are you doing out here?”

Hyuk Mujin, who had been squatting miserably in front of the pavilion, brightened when he saw Wolhwa.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Things are mostly wrapped up, so I stopped by for a moment. Young Master Jin is inside, right?”

In truth, there was no need to ask. Bright light was spilling out through the pavilion.

But Hyuk Mujin shook his head, his expression grim.

“He isn’t inside?”

“No, he is. It’s just…”

Hyuk Mujin let out a deep sigh before continuing.

“His condition isn’t very good. He’s been muttering things that make no sense for a while now. I get goose bumps just looking at him.”

“Things that make no sense?”

“Yes. Do you happen to know what ‘school lunch’ means?”¹

“School lunch?”

Wolhwa tilted her head. She had read plenty of books, but she had never heard the expression before.

“I don’t think so. It’s new to me.”

“Right? I thought maybe I was just too ignorant to know.”

“And then?”

“You know what our Squad Leader is like. He kept saying ‘school lunch, school lunch,’ so I asked him what it meant. Then he threw me out.”

Judging by the miserable look on his face as he rubbed his forehead, he hadn’t been shown the door gently.

What happened?

Unable to contain her curiosity, Wolhwa was about to knock when an eerie voice seeped through the gap in the door.

“School lunch, high schooler, clank, clank…”

Goose bumps prickled across Wolhwa’s skin, and she involuntarily stepped back.

“D-Did you hear that?”

“He’s been like that for a while.”

Even as the incomprehensible muttering continued, she backed away in hesitant steps.

“I-I’ll come back another time.”

She realized it once again.

The man named Jin Taekyung was still utterly unpredictable.

Two days flew by in the blink of an eye. Lee Seowol did not come back after that night, and I didn’t bother leaving the pavilion, either.

Even as I spent most of my time learning to control my newly acquired Scorching Yang Qi, her final words kept returning to me.

Marriage is one of life’s great human obligations, so take your time thinking it over.

I had been so flustered at the time that I could only open and close my mouth.

Who would have thought a woman would propose to me first—and a girl who looked so much younger than me, at that?

Although it was a cold political marriage proposal—cold enough that calling it a transaction wasn’t an exaggeration—a proposal was still a proposal.

The greater shock, however, was still to come.

Seventeen years old? Is this for real?

A first-year high school student was right in the prime school-lunch-eating years.

She was two years younger than my late-born little sister, Hayeon, and a full ten years younger than me.

That’s the Murim for you…

This was a world where getting married in middle school and becoming a parent in high school wouldn’t even be strange. If anything, the three brothers of the Jin Family of Taiyuan looked like the oddballs for remaining unmarried at our age.

No, wait a second.

“What are you staring at?”

Jin Mukyung noticed my gaze and asked irritably. He had suffered considerable injuries at Pung Yang’s hands, but he had now recovered enough to move around on his own.

Come to think of it…

I had never heard whether Jin Mukyung was married.

I opened my mouth, half expecting the worst.

“Just asking in case.”

“What?”

“Are you married?”

Pffft!

Jin Mukyung spat tea into my face and hurriedly shouted.

“W-What kind of nonsense is that?”

“If you’re not, then you’re not. Why are you so flustered?”

After receiving that unexpected facial wash, I wiped my face with my sleeve and continued asking questions.

“Why haven’t you married?”

Jin Mukyung seemed flustered for a moment, then answered readily.

“I’m too busy training in martial arts. Women are a luxury to me.”

“You make it sound downright frugal.”

“Don’t lump me in with a lecherous idler like you. That’s an insult to me.”

“…”

Lecherous, my ass. I had spent all twenty-seven years of my life single.

If dating was a luxury, then I was the very definition of a miser. The only slight difference was that while Jaringobi ate rice while staring at a strip of dried fish, I had a USB drive.²

“What’s with that expression? You look incredibly sad.”

“Call it regret over the life I’ve lived.”

“At last, you’re becoming human.”

He seemed to have a different interpretation of my past life, but fine. He could interpret it however he wanted.

“But why did you suddenly ask about marriage? It’s something you already know perfectly well.”

“Oh, because the Sect Leader of the Mount Heng Sword Sect asked me to marry her.”

Pffft!

“…For fuck’s sake. Stop spitting.”

As I wiped away the second mouthful of tea, Jin Mukyung regained his composure.

“The Sect Leader of the Mount Heng Sword Sect?”

“Yeah. She said it two days ago.”

“Why on earth would she marry someone like you… Ah, of course. It must be a political marriage.”

“…”

He wasn’t wrong, but it was still pretty damn irritating. At this point, wasn’t I prime husband material both in the Murim and in the real world?

“So, are you thinking of doing it?”

“Of course not. How could I marry a girl so much younger than me?”

“You’re barely twenty, and you say things like that.”

My body is twenty, but my mind is twenty-seven, you bastard.

Besides, I had decided on my answer to Lee Seowol’s proposal long ago.

You can’t set up two households when there’s someone you love. There was only one person in my heart right now.

What could Song-i be doing right now?

Just imagining it made me happy. I tilted my teacup with a blissful smile, and Jin Mukyung stared at me with a bizarre expression.

“What a disgusting look.”

“Anyway, I’m turning down the marriage for various reasons.”

“You made the right decision. At the very least, a political marriage has to offer us something in return. If you marry someone you have no feelings for and gain nothing from it, there’s no reason to enter into a political marriage.”

I had thought he was a fool who knew nothing but martial arts, but every now and then, he became a surprisingly sharp realist.

“And no matter what they offer, it’s out of the question as long as our eldest brother is around. He isn’t the sort of man who would bind you through a political marriage.”

“They did make a pretty substantial offer, though.”

“Hm. What did they say they would give you?”

Jin Mukyung tilted his teacup with an uninterested expression.

“The Blood Wolf Sword Technique, the Blood Wolf Footwork, and the Shura Annihilating Fist.”

Pffft!

“…Ah, fuck.”

This time, I didn’t even have time to wipe my face. Jin Mukyung grabbed me by the collar and shook me hard.

“Marry her right now!”