Episode 285: Faith in faith.
Jin Pae-cheon, the leader of the martial arts world, was confused.
He clearly believed in the sword dance. But how could he believe that Baek Cheon-gyeong had kidnapped his granddaughter? He was the one who had been drinking tea and chatting with him just yesterday.
“First, please leave me alone. Since the leader is here, I can’t run away, right? Even if I were to run away, you would know exactly where I went.”
That was right. There was no way that Geommu-geuk would abandon his position as the leader of the Demonic Cult and hide in the mountains, so he was someone who had clearly decided where to go.
Everyone was killed, except for the guards that Jin Pae-cheon had kept close to him.
Geommu-geuk slowly looked at the remaining guards. Jin Pae-cheon could see that Geommu-geuk really believed that there were Baek Cheon-gyeong’s people around him.
“Why? Are these people suspicious too?”
“No, I trust your good judgment. Now, I will speak freely. I was asked by Prince Jin to find out what kind of person Baek Cheon-gyeong is. The reason I came here was because of Young Lady Jin. When Prince Jin asked for help, I made it seem like Young Lady Jin invited me.”
Afterwards, I briefly explained the situation, but Jin Pei-cheon still couldn’t believe it.
“Would you trust the person who has taught your grandson for ten years without a hitch, or the leader of the evil cult? In this situation, who would you trust?”
“Then why are you just leaving me alone?”
The answer was in the last words that Geommugeuk had said.
-If I had planned things, I would never have ended up in this situation.
Jinpaecheon knew what kind of person he was because he had experienced Geommu-geuk before. From what he had heard after that, Geommu-geuk was doing things that made him say, “As expected!”
Moreover, the fact that the Demonic Cult had kidnapped his own granddaughter meant that he would not hesitate to go to war, but there were currently no signs of war in the Demonic Cult.
“Is it really that Baek Cheon-gyeong’s doing?”
“Yes.”
“Can I confront that person?”
“Of course, but he won’t be at his place.”
Jin Pae-cheon sent a message to his fastest subordinate and ordered him to bring Baek Cheon-gyeong here.
“If what you say is true, why didn’t Ha-gun ask me for help?”
“I thought you wouldn’t believe me. You still don’t believe me, do you?”
“If Ha-gun-i had said so!”
“You couldn’t have believed it. You must have guessed that there was a conflict between the two of you.”
Jinpaecheon couldn’t deny that. It was something that Geommugeuk always said. Because it was close, he couldn’t see it properly.
“There is another reason. Jin Gongja suspected that Baek Cheon-gyeong’s eyes and ears were inside the Murim Alliance. It’s the same reason I told you earlier.”
Jinpaecheon decided to think from the perspective of someone who believed in Geommu-geuk. He had already saved his granddaughter once, so there was no reason for him to come and try to harm her now.
“Then that’s good. Why did that Baek Cheon-gyeong kidnap Ha-ryeong?”
“At first, I thought he was after me. But… … Now, I’m not so sure. Even if I’m a thorn in his side, I doubt he would go to such lengths to get rid of me. He probably expected a huge fight to break out here because he doesn’t know about the relationship between the leader and me.”
If that were the case, it would not be a problem between Geommu-geuk and Jinpae-cheon, but would have expanded to a problem between Cheonma Shingyo and the Murim Alliance. There was no way they wouldn’t have known that would happen.
Geommugeuk thought that there must be some reason he didn’t know about.
“Let me go. I will save Lady Jin and find out the reason.”
Jinpaecheon closed his eyes and said nothing. Last time, he had no choice but to entrust his granddaughter’s safety to Geommu-geuk. But now he has to entrust it to him again?
After some time had passed, the servant who had been sent to Baek Cheon-gyeong’s residence returned and reported that he had left the place, just as Geommu-geuk had said.
“Why should it be you?”
“Because it was aimed at me. If the leader comes forward, he will somehow deny the truth, and if that happens, I may never be able to find Lady Jin.”
Then Jinpaecheon shouted.
“Where did the threat come from? I will find my granddaughter.”
Jinpaecheon suddenly blew a gust of wind and subdued Geommu-geuk and Ian’s magic blood.
Ian was shocked at being caught off guard, but Geommugeuk wasn’t surprised at all.
“My granddaughter is not my blood relative, so what more can I do? Do as you wish.”
Jinpaecheon laughed and shouted.
“Now you’re showing your true colors. Escort these guys to Mang.”
“If you mess with me, you won’t be able to handle the consequences.”
“Shut up!”
At the leader’s shout, the warriors in the distance looked at the situation in the field.
The guards nearby came and took the two to the carriage. As they were being dragged away, Ian spoke urgently.
“What if I get dragged away like this?”
“But that doesn’t mean I can fight the leader of the martial arts world?”
Unlike her who was whispering, Geommugeuk also seemed as angry as the leader and spoke loudly so that everyone could hear.
“What about Miss Jin?”
“She’s my granddaughter, so she’ll figure out how to find it.”
“But I still have to ask! I have to persuade her. What am I going to do if I get dragged away like this?”
“You saw it too? It’s so blocked up that there’s nothing you can do.”
As soon as the escorts loaded the two people, the carriage set off.
Ian couldn’t understand this situation. No matter how frustrated the leader was, why would he give up Jinharyeong so easily? Why would he react so annoyed? It wasn’t like Geommu-geuk.
Ian asked cautiously from the moving carriage.
“No?”
Once the two were alone in the carriage, the annoyance disappeared from Geommugeuk’s face and it returned to its original expression.
“Of course not.”
Only then did Ian sigh. Yeah, of course not.
After a while, the carriage stopped in a deserted place. When I got out of the carriage, Jinpaecheon was waiting there.
He acted in case there was anyone among those he brought who had been planted by Baek Cheon-gyeong. If there was, it would have been reported that Geommu-geuk had been taken to the Murim Alliance.
Jinpaecheon definitely believed Geommugeuk’s words.
Jinpaecheon blew a gust of wind again to release the blood vessels he had subdued.
The reason why Geommugeuk didn’t avoid the wind in the first place and instead took it upon himself was because he trusted the leader.
Faith is faith. Jinpaecheon didn’t say anything else.
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“Please save Haryeong.”
Their gazes met in midair.
I know about Geommu-geuk. As the leader of the martial arts world, how could it be easy to entrust the life or death of my granddaughter to the leader of the Demonic Cult? And twice.
The sword dance was also not mentioned.
“I will save you.”
Jin Pae-cheon nodded once at the sincere gaze of the swordsman and climbed onto the carriage. He thought it was a good choice.
Of course, he left this matter to Geommugeuk, but he himself plans to do everything possible to save his granddaughter.
Geommugeuk, who was watching the departing carriage, spoke to Ian.
“You go straight to the main temple and tell the two demons exactly what happened.”
“What other messages?”
“What happens after this is up to the judgment of the Amazons.”
This was the kind of faith I had in Hyeolcheon Doma and Kwonma. The faith that they would make good decisions and act without me having to tell them what to do. The same goes for my faith in Ian. The faith that he would tell me everything that happened without leaving anything out.
As Ian left, the Sword Dance also flew in the opposite direction. From the leader to Ian, everyone was moving with faith.
* * *
Jin Ha-ryeong opened his eyes in an unfamiliar place.
It was a log house. Everything in the room was made of wood. The bed I was lying on was made of a single piece of wood, and all the furniture and fixtures were also made of wood.
‘Why am I here?’
Then I remembered the last moment.
As Ian and I were walking away, the wind blew and the leaves fell on me. The moment the leaves clung to my body and brushed against me, my vision suddenly went dark and I lost consciousness. There must have been some kind of magic mixed in the leaves, or I must have used some kind of magic with them.
She first checked his physical condition. His internal energy had been suppressed, but there were no other injuries.
She got up straight away and checked the door. Even though she couldn’t use her internal energy, she had trained in martial arts since she was young. She used all her strength, thinking that it would be nothing to worry about, but the door didn’t budge.
‘This is no ordinary door.’
I noticed that it wasn’t just any ordinary log door.
I carefully examined the walls, floor, and ceiling, but there was no way there could be an exit from the locked room.
‘Is this Baek Cheon-gyeong’s doing?’
In this situation, he was the most likely person to kidnap her. However, even after it happened, it was still unbelievable.
‘Even though you’re in conflict with your brother, you’re kidnapping me?’
Just then I heard someone walking through the door.
Jin Ha-ryeong lay down again and pretended to sleep. He hoped that the person coming through that door was not Baek Cheon-gyeong. Showing his face to him would ultimately mean that he would kill him.
‘please!’
The door opened and someone came in. A man’s voice was heard immediately afterwards.
“If you’re awake, get up.”
The other person already knew that she was awake.
Jin Ha-ryeong sat up and looked at the man. Fortunately, it was the first time he had seen the man. He was Cho-rim, a disciple of Baek Cheon-gyeong.
When Jin Ha-ryeong stared at her silently, Cho-rim asked.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“If you were someone worth talking to, you wouldn’t treat them like this, right?”
Even though her internal energy was suppressed, she was confident. If she had wanted to kill her in the first place, she would have already killed her. It was clear that she was trying to use her by keeping her alive.
“Aren’t you curious about who I am?”
Jin Ha-ryeong realized that the man in front of her was the one who had kidnapped her. The smell she had smelled when the leaves were flying was coming from him.
“I don’t care who you are. I care if you know what you’re doing. Are you really risking your life?”
Chorim just smiled leisurely and didn’t give in to the provocation at all.
“You must be thirsty. Have some tea.”
Although he was thirsty, Jin Ha-ryeong did not touch the kettle next to him.
“Why did you kidnap me?”
Instead of answering, Chorim poured the teapot herself and poured it into a glass.
“It’s good for your health, so you can drink it.”
He drank his tea first, as if to show that it was not poisoned.
Then he poured tea into another cup and held it out.
But instead of accepting the drink, Jin Ha-ryeong carefully examined the other person’s face, hands, and clothes. He tried to find a clue or a weakness. Something that could help him escape from this place.
Chorim put her teacup down on the table and turned around.
“I will prepare the meal for you soon.”
Only after he left did Jin Ha-ryeong open the lid of the kettle. It wasn’t just water, it was herbal tea.
I was thirsty and wanted to gulp it down, but I closed the lid again. I couldn’t drink it even though I didn’t know what kind of herb it was.
But you can’t endure it forever without eating or drinking.
Seriously, I never dreamed that something like this would happen around the main headquarters of the Murim Alliance. Ian and Ian had their escort, Chuho, wait far away to fight. They must have been looking for me by now because of the chaos.
In a moment of crisis, the first person she thought of was not her grandfather or her brother.
But soon Jin Ha-ryeong got up from his seat and began to search around the room to find something that could help him escape.
Because the people who survive in the world of martial arts are not those who have trustworthy people around them, but those who find their own way to survive.
* * *
The place I arrived was Baek Cheon-gyeong’s workshop.
It was empty, and the first thing they did was remove the cloth that had been covering the display case.
All the dolls were removed, leaving only one doll standing there.
The thing lying on the floor was the hero doll that Baek Cheon-gyeong had called the Sword Dance Theater. The rest of the dolls were all gone.
This must be a doll left to show me. This is not a doll, but leisure and mockery.
After I picked up the doll, I left the place right away.
How do I find out where Baek Cheon-gyeong went?
First of all, one thing was certain. At least it wouldn’t be too far from the Murim Alliance.
The fact that Jin Ha-ryeong spent time with the Murim Alliance leader when he was kidnapped means that he is trying to assert his innocence, or in other words, that he has no intention of leaving the Murim Alliance.
In that case, Baek Cheon-gyeong would definitely be nearby. And he would be in the place where he can best demonstrate his power. That would be the forest.
“I’m looking for you with my speedster!”
I ran at a terrifying speed and landed in a nearby forest. After landing, I released my energy.
What he was looking for was not Baek Cheon-gyeong. What he was looking for was the wooden doll he had made.
When I first visited his workshop, I felt an energy at that time. If I had not learned the art of the Nine-Handed Demon, I would never have felt a dizzying energy permeating everywhere.
I was trying to find the energy that flowed through those wooden dolls. I believed that I would definitely be able to find them, since there were more than one or two dolls.
When I didn’t feel the energy, I ran again at a speedboat and moved to another location. I released my energy again to find the energy, and moved to another location. In a flash, I was releasing energy ten miles away. The speedboat that had achieved great success really showed its worth today.
How far behind could it be?
‘Found it!’
I finally found the energy I felt in the workshop.
I walked slowly towards the place where I felt energy. The dense forest blocked the path, but the trees and grass could not stop me.
I continued to dig deeper, wondering if there really was a path in such a place. The more I went in, the more dizzy I became. At the end of the path, there was a wide space like a plaza.
The moment I entered the place, I was astonished. The four sides of the place, decorated like a circular unarmed battlefield, were filled with small wooden dolls.
These were wooden dolls that Baek Cheon-gyeong had carved in his workshop over the past ten years. Those thousands of dolls looked as if they would grow in size at any moment and rush toward me.
He placed the hero doll he had brought in the middle of the square. Then, thousands of dolls began attacking the hero doll.
The voices I heard at that time.
“I told you, that seat is yours.”
Baek Cheon-gyeong appeared and walked out slowly.
Instead of looking at him, I looked down at the hero doll standing alone and answered.
“I knew it would be me. I like being the center of attention.”
