Episode 161 Sometimes tragedy is close by.
The two prayers were different.
If the father’s prayer was a prayer that made his body feel cold, his vitality slow down, and he was gripped by the fear of suffocation as if he was falling into an endless abyss, then the prayer of the martial arts leader Jin Pae-cheon was like a typhoon facing a dark sea.
I stood firm against the prayers of the leader. The storm pushed me up into the air and sank me to the bottom of the sea, but I did not lose my senses.
My martial arts began to react reflexively. When I met a strong opponent, the Wind God Sage stimulated me like this.
―Let’s fight. Let’s tear that prayer apart! Let’s break through the typhoon!
I tried my best to suppress the temptation of this highest level of martial arts and held onto the prayer of the Martial Arts Leader until the end. Just as my father and the secret fight at the tavern had helped me greatly, holding onto this prayer would be a great learning experience.
As I held on to my prayer, the expression on the Murim Leader’s face said, ‘Look at this guy?’
At the same time, the pressure grew stronger. Now, lightning began to strike the sea where the typhoon was raging. Huge whirlwinds emerged from all over the sea, raising the seawater. The prayer of the leader truly brought about great fear.
The leader of the martial arts world was such a tyrannical person. I thought that perhaps the reason my father dreamed of unifying the martial arts world was because of this leader of the martial arts world. There was no way that the existence of such a powerful enemy would not have provoked my father.
Enduring has reached its limit. Now it’s time to either collapse or run away.
Just then, I saw it again.
Two eyes.
Giant eyes looking at me.
A huge being was staring at me. I could tell it was the same Thousand Horse Spirit I had seen in the painting before.
I haven’t even learned the Nine Flower Magic Techniques yet, so why do I keep seeing visions of the Heavenly Horse Spirit?
A giant Cheonmahon stood tall in the sea, blocking the coming typhoon and looking down at me. Its eyes seemed to ridicule me, miss me, pity me, or lack any emotion.
The illusion of the Heavenly Horse Spirit slowly disappeared.
The prayer of the martial arts leader that had been pressing forward as if to kill him had already disappeared. The martial arts leader standing far away was surprised at me holding out until the end.
I was almost on the verge of collapse. If the Heavenly Demon Spirit hadn’t stopped me at the last moment, I would have lost consciousness and collapsed. The Heavenly Demon Spirit was probably an illusion created by my own mental power, but it was so vivid that it felt like the real Heavenly Demon Spirit had visited me.
I repeated to the leader what I had said before.
-Only I can save my granddaughter.
Now Jinpaecheon was not just angry. It was the words of someone who had endured his prayers.
-What does that mean?
Meeting the leader of the martial arts world and revealing one’s identity.
It was a choice I wouldn’t have made originally. But the reason I ended up choosing it was because of the two weapons I had.
The first is because I trust my experience. From the experience before the regression to the experience I gained from dealing with the Amazons after the regression. Because I trust myself.
However, if it weren’t for the second weapon, I wouldn’t have made the reckless choice of meeting the Murim Leader based solely on my experience.
My second weapon is his granddaughter, Jin Ha-ryeong.
Since she was so deeply involved in this matter, I was certain that the Murim Lord would eventually have no choice but to help me. I feel sorry for her, but I intend to use her completely. I hope she understands, since it is also for her sake.
-Have you heard of Cheonmyeonghoe?
Jinpaecheon nodded. Recently, he has been committing various evil acts by impersonating the school, so of course the Murim Alliance would know about this.
– I was tracking them under my father’s orders. I got information that they were plotting something related to this Little Dragon War.
-What is the source of the information?
-This is a song by a wicked man.
Jinpaecheon wasn’t surprised. Like Cheonmyeonghoe, he had probably heard about the recent death of the evil song master. He just didn’t know that these two incidents were connected.
-I heard that the owner of the evil song has changed.
―It is certain information, since it is what he revealed in order to survive. That is why I sent my men to the Little Dragon Battle and came here to capture them.
-If that happened, you should have told us.
-There are circumstances that make that impossible.
-What are the circumstances?
―Because the task of defeating Cheonmyeonghoeju is a test of succession that has been passed down to me.
Jinpaecheon’s eyes grew cold and deep, and he began to pray again. This prayer was different from the typhoon-swept sea that had been seen before. It was a gentle prayer that enveloped my body like a spring breeze, trying to read my emotional changes, and it was an attempt to confirm whether my words were true.
-Let Haryeong tell the story.
-I am convinced that Cheonmyeonghoe is after Jin So-jo.
-Why are you so sure?
―I found out that Cheonmyeonghoe was plotting a plot regarding the Soryongjeon. But when I came here, I found out that Soryong Jin is participating in this Soryongjeon and is even a strong candidate to win. You say it was just a coincidence? Not at all. They definitely targeted Soryong Jin. No, they knew Soryong Jin would participate and planned it from the beginning.
―Even if that’s true, it’s something I can take care of myself. Why would I leave my granddaughter’s affairs to you?
―If anyone other than me intervenes now, Lady Jin will be in danger.
The prayer that had been gently embracing me suddenly became cold. At the mere mention of my granddaughter’s danger, the prayer began to radiate life.
―Cheonmyeonghoe is a much larger and more powerful organization than we originally thought. There may already be some leaders of our school, Murim Alliance, and Sadomaeong who have been recruited by them. That’s why we need to talk to them through Jeonum right now.
I told them that the evil Gokju and the evil Soma Sa-baek had already been recruited by them. It would not have been easy to recruit such a large number of people.
―If you look into it, you will see that what I am saying is true. Fortunately, they do not yet know that I am here and chasing them. If you trust me, I will root out those bastards.
Jin Paechun stared at me silently. Originally, he would have thought it was a conspiracy by the main sect and would never have believed it. However, since Jin Haeryeong was involved, he couldn’t easily shake it off.
I am the only one who can save your granddaughter now.
My persuasion continued with my most powerful weapon at the forefront.
―I think you have heard a lot of information about me. I don’t know what it is, but this much is certain. I am trying to establish a different magic than before. At least I will not use the young granddaughter of the opposing faction to do things.
The Cheonmasingyo, the Murim Alliance, and the Sadomaeng have been sending each other countless messages. So they all know the basic information. I think they also know to some extent about my activities as the Hwangcheonju.
-Do you know why I decided to save my granddaughter?
-Why?
―She is the granddaughter of the leader of the martial arts world, but she is willing to marry him just to save the life of a servant. You raised her really well.
It was both sincere and flattering.
Jinpaecheon walked towards me with brisk strides.
In a flash, Jinpaecheon’s sword was aimed at my neck.
“Go back and wait. I’ll give you an answer soon.”
“yes I will wait.”
I greeted him politely and turned around.
The gaze I felt from behind me was so strong that it seemed like it would penetrate me.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
It’s natural for you to be suspicious of me, but I hope you make a wise decision.
* * *
When he returned to the inn, Seo Dae-ryong had packed his bags so that he could leave at any time.
“Ah! You’re back!”
“What is all this?”
“What could it be? I packed my bags to run away if the time comes.”
“I am?”
“Don’t worry, your luggage has been packed.”
“No. If something happened, doesn’t that mean something is wrong with me?”
“But I can’t be the one who suffers from it, right?”
“… … .”
“… … .”
“Ah! You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to hear your lame jokes.”
“I wasn’t joking. Anyway, how was it? Did you meet the leader of the martial arts world?”
“I thought I was going to die.”
“As expected, it’s strong, right?”
I nodded.
“Welcome back safely.”
Seo Dae-ryong started unpacking again. His face was filled with relief, his playfulness gone.
Now I know enough about Seo Dae-ryong. I’m not joking. If I do something wrong, he’ll run away right away. He’s not the type to emotionally rush in for revenge.
After he returns and reports the situation, his revenge will begin. Just as he memorized all the identities of the demons in order to take revenge on his senior Hwangcheon-gak, he may also memorize all the martial artists of the Murim Alliance. Whether it be ten years or a hundred years, he dreams of revenge until he dies. That is the person Seo Dae-ryong is.
“What is your identity, sir?”
“Now I know it’s me.”
“Then I understand.”
“yes.”
“But can I still win?”
Seo Dae-ryong’s expression was too serious to ask, “Can you do it?”
“I have to do it now.”
“why?”
“The leader of the martial arts world knew about the existence of Cheonmyeonghoe, right? Then he would want his granddaughter to win and become their target?”
“I hope I win and become their goal instead.”
“yes.”
“Oh, how can someone live in sorrow without a grandfather? Grandfather! Are you watching?”
I laughed at Seo Dae-ryong’s joke.
“Think positively. This is the moment in your life when you receive support from the leader of the martial arts world.”
“Oh! I see. I have something else to brag about at the drinking party. But can I tell everything to the leader of the martial arts world?”
“You should give up the idea that you can achieve something by deceiving the leader of the martial arts world. I will continue to treat him honestly. I will show him all ninety-nine truths.”
“Then what is the remaining lie?”
“Why do you think it’s a lie?”
“yes?”
“It may be a truth that has not been told yet.”
“What truth?”
I said, looking out the window at the Murim Alliance building in the distance.
“You’ll find out later, much later.”
* * *
The next morning, I woke up from my sleep.
It was the Cheonmahosingong that woke me up.
When I left the guest room and went down to the first floor, someone was sitting alone in the closed first-floor guest room. He didn’t show any signs of prayer, but his presence was evident even with just his outline in the darkness. He was the leader of the martial arts world, Jin Pae-cheon, who made me nervous just by sitting there with his back turned.
“Are you here?”
I sat across from him. I couldn’t see the Dragon Guardians around me. However, they were not far away and were probably hiding in various places, guarding the area like an iron wall.
Jinpaecheon suddenly brought up the topic of his father.
“I’ve only met your father twice in my life.”
I listened to his story in silence.
“Every time I met him, he was the person who made me think that I should try harder. It was your father who made me not stop.”
I thought I knew what the leader was thinking. My father was a man who longed to become stronger than anyone else.
“I had forgotten about you for a while, but yesterday you rekindled the dying spark in my heart.”
It meant that he had been so impressed by me for receiving his prayers. If I was this young, what would I be like later on? He must have felt a sense of crisis.
“Okay, I’ll leave this one up to you.”
He must have thought a lot before making this decision. Who did he consult with? Who did he trust the most?
“But there is one condition.”
“Please speak.”
“I need to know everything that happens from now on. From this moment on, you will have one of my men attached to you. He will be watching your every move.”
Even now, I felt that someone was hiding around us. He was as skilled in stealth as my father’s bodyguard, Hui. Of course, I didn’t reveal that I was sensing him.
The reason the Murim leader entrusted this matter to me was not just because of a possible traitor.
There was also a desire to test me. It was a desire to find out what kind of person I was as a potential next leader, and in the end, I ended up taking the test from both the Demonic Cult Leader and the Martial Arts Leader.
“But I also have a condition.”
“Something?”
“We will handle the Cheonmyeonghoeju on our side. Instead, we will handle it as secretly as possible and then return.”
Jinpaecheon nodded and got up from his seat.
“Just do what you have to do and go.”
I could tell what Jinpaecheon was worried about. It was to prevent Jinharyeong from being shaken.
“The man who came with me teases me. He says that fateful love always ends in tragedy. But young people these days don’t like tragedy. It’s not just me, but your granddaughter too.”
I know very well why Jinpaecheon is so worried. It is because his son met a tragic end with his daughter-in-law, and he hopes that his granddaughter will not be caught up in a tragedy caused by a man-woman problem.
“Sometimes tragedy can be close at hand.”
“What does it mean?”
“My granddaughter probably didn’t just say she was dating me in front of so many people because she had feelings for me or was kind to me.”
“Are you saying it’s because of that guy who’s trying to kill Janelle?”
“Miss Jin is like the Lord. She is someone who can never tolerate injustice.”
“That’s why there are times when I worry more.”
“Then find out who it is and how he is pressuring your granddaughter. That one investigation will do more to improve your relationship with your granddaughter than a hundred worries.”
Jin Pae-cheon stared at me for a moment as if glaring at me, then said a word and left.
“Stop worrying about useless things and just do your job well.”
After watching the back of the leader disappearing into the distance, I went up to the guest room on this floor. Before entering the room, I spoke to the air.
“Sleep with me when I sleep. I’ll tell you where I’m going.”
He didn’t respond at all, pretending to be friendly and hiding.
