◈ Episode 2. Verification
Pitch-black darkness settled over the quiet mountain.
“This way.”
The boy who had dug the tunnel with his tiny hands dragged his terrified younger sister along.
“Come on in.”
“It’s scary.”
“But you have to endure it. If you endure it just a little longer, they’ll go back.”
A bloody palm-shaped mark was clearly visible on the back of the girl who was pushed into the narrow cave.
As the boy who had gathered the branches tried to cover the entrance to the cave, the girl’s expression became anxious.
“Why aren’t you coming in?”
“Brother, you will hide somewhere else. You must not come out until the sun rises.”
The child, who had forcefully pushed away his younger brother’s hand, hid the entrance and ran down the mountain path.
But it was impossible for a small child to escape his pursuers by jumping. In an instant, three men surrounded the child.
“What? You’re a kid?”
“He is the son of an evil spirit. He must be cut down.”
As one man’s hand reached for the sword, another man stepped forward to block his way.
“Master Shinryong Daehyeop said not to touch those who have not learned martial arts and children.”
“Because of such complacency, the martial arts world paid a great price. Have you forgotten that the price for not completely uprooting the Eight Sovereigns two hundred years ago was the bloodshed that brought upon the world?”
The resentment of the man who lost his family and monks in the bloody disaster was intense.
“If you stop me, I will kill you too.”
The two men, who knew his circumstances well, closed their eyes in resignation and stepped back.
There were over a hundred martial arts factions that were destroyed in the bloody disaster that swept across the world, and countless others lost their power and fell into ruin.
The martial arts world, which had launched a counterattack centered around Hwaryeong, achieved victory when the divine dragon Danso-ryong killed the Palhwangmunju, but the war was not completely over.
After the end of the World War, the masters of the martial arts world began to search for the hidden valleys scattered throughout the world, where the Palhwangmun had been building up its power for two hundred years.
Because I had personally experienced how terrifying the warriors from Eungok were, I could never just sit by and watch.
The moment the flashing sword fell on the neck of the terrified child, the falling sword stopped abruptly in the breeze blowing from the right.
In the direction where the stiff-faced men’s heads were turned, there was an old monk with a bald head and a handsome young boy.
“Stop it. That kid is innocent.”
The very nervous man asked cautiously.
“Did Noya also come from Eungok?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then don’t get involved and go your way. This guy is a son of an evil spirit.”
“That child is not the child of an evil spirit. The Eungok Valley of Cheongsu Mountain is a place that opposed the Palhwangmun’s uprising and did not participate in the war. It is okay to think of them as different places, with only the same roots.”
The men’s eyes narrowed towards the old monk.
“I’m hearing this for the first time. But that doesn’t matter. To me, it’s just another evil spirit.”
The moment the man raised his sword again, the handsome boy standing next to the old monk kicked the ground.
“Be careful! This is the demon’s martial arts!”
The moment a long streak of light stretched out, the three men immediately changed direction and swung their swords.
But the child’s new method was amazing.
The child dodged the attack exquisitely and quickly struck the men’s wrists, causing them to drop their swords.
The child’s cold gaze was fixed on the men’s astonished eyes.
At the same time, the men shivered as the chilling cold air, like the icebergs of the North Sea, gripped their entire bodies.
“Go back. I won’t tell you twice.”
The look in their eyes and their speech were so childish, they felt as if their necks would fall off the moment they moved their bodies.
The men, overwhelmed by the coldness, bit their lips and turned away.
As they left, the boy, who had escaped the brink of death, lost consciousness and collapsed, perhaps because the tension had been relieved.
“Everything is my karma.”
The root that I spoke to the men about a little while ago. It was none other than the old monk himself.
The old monk turned his head, sighing as he examined the unconscious child.
“What the hell.”
“yes.”
“It would be right for me to reap what I sow, but unfortunately, there is not much time left. So, I must ask you a difficult favor.”
To Jinmu Rip, who had lost both his parents, the old monk was like a teacher and a parent.
“Please speak.”
“All the blame is on me for not recognizing people and passing on martial arts recklessly. Please help them see the light and live. You, who have learned the Eight Heavenly Lights Divine Art with the body of the Heavenly Sound Body, will be able to do it.”
“Should I kill the dragon?”
Jinmu Rip boldly blurted out that he would kill the best person in the world. The old monk shook his head.
“Blood-stained grudges go round and round. I wish we could create a world where these people can live together with the world.”
They both know how difficult it is.
Jinmu-rip sighed in a way that was unusual for a child.
“Why do people who leave have so many expectations from those who will live on?”
He had not even been able to keep his dead mother’s will, and now an even bigger burden was placed on his other shoulder.
An awkward smile spread across the old monk’s face.
“I just feel sorry for you.”
Jin Mu-rip, who was lying in bed reminiscing about old times, opened his closed eyes.
“If you’re sorry, don’t ask for favors. Thanks to you, my disciple has become the world’s best enemy.”
***
One month after Jinmu-rip arrived in Madorim.
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Jinmu-rip, who was spending a leisurely morning while his superiors attended a meeting, looked at the old man who had suddenly barged in with an unpleasant look.
“What do you want me to do?”
Even the current Rimju Chomu-gang does not treat them poorly. The Oerimwonju Uga-san hid his displeasure at Jinmu-rip’s tone and spoke.
“Please bring back the guest cup.”
Woogasan’s sudden proposal was the result of a meeting held since morning.
Among the sons of Chopyeongcheon, only Chopugang survived the bloody catastrophe.
Rim Ju Cho Moo-gang, who was looking at the 50th anniversary, had no sons and only a young daughter, so it was a situation that was enough to cause problems with the succession in the event of an emergency.
The Sangho Army, which brought Jinmu Rip, did not want to leave the position of Grand Duke, which could be held by Rimju’s successor, vacant for too long, as they were facing a major enemy called Daegeommun.
The Sangho Army wanted Jinmu Rip to take steps now to become a member of the Madorim faction and give him a suitable position, but Woogasan, the head of the Oerim faction, expressed his opposition, saying that his abilities had not been proven.
After a heated debate, Taesang Rimju, who attended the meeting in place of Rimju, who was away on a family event, gave instructions to Woogasan to verify Jinmurip’s abilities.
Jinmu-rip asked.
“Does asking for it back mean it was taken from me?”
“What we originally managed in Madorim was taken away by the Iron Wire.”
Jinmu Rip’s mind became complicated.
“What the heck is a wire fence?”
“A black bandit active in Chongqing.”
“They say that even if a rich man goes bankrupt, his fortune will last for three generations. So, did Madorim get to the point where he lost his business to a gang in Taiwan?”
Woogasan could no longer control his anger at Jinmurip’s harsh words.
“Your Highness! Be careful with your words! The Iron Fist is not just a simple black sword.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Mu-rip, who had been lying slanted on the bed, sat up.
“It’s noisy.”
Woogasan, whose eyes met Jinmurip’s, trembled without realizing it.
For a split second, it felt as if a raging beast had passed before my eyes.
But Jinmu-rip smiled as if nothing had happened and grabbed Wooga-san’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I have sensitive ears and am sensitive to loud noises. So you want me to bring back the guest cup?”
“Yes, that’s right. But you shouldn’t borrow the power of others.”
“Is that in Madorim’s best interest?”
“Of course.”
The burden on my mother’s heart that she carried until the day she died.
As a son, there was no better way to relieve it than to revive Madorim.
Jinmu-rip nodded willingly.
“Okay. When is the deadline?”
“I’ll give you five days.”
“Okay, then just get out.”
Woogasan was concerned about Jinmurip’s confident attitude.
Behind the iron gate that manages the Qingha guesthouse is the Grand Inspectorate that holds power in Chongqing.
If it had been easy from the beginning, he would have taken the tea from Madorim long ago, but Woogasan had set this test in hopes that Jinmurip would give up.
“Don’t you have any more questions?”
“There’s nothing to ask.”
Woogasan, who was looking at Jinmurip with a trembling face, opened his mouth again.
“I will appoint two warriors to guard the young prince.”
“surveillance?”
Woogasan said as if he was displeased.
“If you wish, I can personally draft an unmanned unit below the rank of captain.”
Attaching an escort is the minimum safety measure.
Although Woogasan did not like Jinmu-rip, he still had to prevent any misfortune from happening as he was the youngest prince of Madorim.
Since the unmanned Madorim would know well how dangerous this matter was, there was also an intention to make Jinmu-rip give up.
“Okay, then get out. Let’s get some sleep.”
When Jin Mu-rip, who had issued the order to evacuate guests, lay down on his bed again, Woo Ga-san, who had been looking at him with a dissatisfied expression, had no choice but to leave his quarters.
As he took in the blue sky stretching out over the eaves, Woogasan let out a deep sigh without realizing it.
‘Is this a mistake?’
It was an extremely fleeting moment, but the look in Jinmu-rip’s eyes for a moment did not belong to the criminal.
Woogasan wiped his wet hands on his clothes and stepped forward.
Not long after Ugasan left, the Sangho Army stormed in.
“Little prince!”
“What now?”
Unlike Jinmu-rip, who got up with an indifferent expression, Sangho-gun’s expression was clearly one of urgency.
“I heard that the head of the household came and went. What on earth did he say?”
“They say you shouldn’t borrow other people’s strength.”
The mutual army felt suffocated.
Because of Woogasan’s meticulous personality, he would never be given an easy task.
“Your Highness. If it is something external······.”
Jinmu Rip cut him off.
“He said he’d give me two guards. He said I could draft him, so bring me two useful ones. The lectures will be suspended for five days.”
I had no intention of continuing the lecture under these circumstances.
“Are you sure it’s okay if I don’t help you?”
“If you’re going to be picky, you have to be picky. Isn’t that how you survive among the stones that roll in and become entrenched?”
“Are you sure?”
A strange, incomprehensible smile appeared on Jinmu Rip’s lips.
“Wherever people live, it’s all the same.”
***
The time given is five days.
However, Jinmu-rip did not leave his quarters until four days had passed.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Sanghogun visited the residence several times, but was turned away each time.
He eventually went to find Chopyeongcheon.
“You just eat, sleep, and poop?”
A look of frustration was evident on the faces of the soldiers.
“Yes. The little prince and the Lord of the Forest are keeping their mouths shut, so I can’t even guess what they’re planning to do. Does Your Majesty the Grand Prince know anything about it?”
Chopyeongcheon shook his head.
“I don’t know either.”
“I heard that the Lord of Oerimwon permitted two escorts. So I sent a few people with great difficulty, but they said they were not satisfied and sent them all back.”
“Who did you send?”
“I sent Seok-oh and Dam-yeong from Geumcheongdae, Jin-po and Bangyu-ha, and Yu-seol from Cheongeomdae.”
Chopyeongcheon is also a familiar name.
Although he was not able to rise to a high position due to his young age, he was an outstanding figure who received the attention of Chopyeongcheon.
The mutual army expressed their frustration.
“In my eyes, there is no one better than them. I can’t understand the thoughts of the young prince at all. If the Supreme Lord comes forward······.”
“If I intervene, will I be able to convince the Oerimwonju when the results come out?”
The Sangho Army could not object. After hearing it, if Taesangrimju was involved, it would be a blow to fairness.
“Then are you just going to watch it like this?”
“Although the head of the household is stubborn, he is not the type of person who will just stick to his guns without a plan. He will watch and if something dangerous happens, he will step in himself. This time, let’s see how he handles it. I will not get involved until the matter is over.”
As the saying goes, although Woogasan has a stubborn side, his loyalty to Madorim is so special that no one can deny it.
And Chopyeongcheon believed that his grandson was not a thoughtless bum.
The fourth night from that promised day arrived.
***
Jinmu-rip, who had been catching up on his nap for four days after not sleeping for nearly a month, woke up as the moon rose.
“I told you to send only useful people, but you’re only sending people who know how to use a knife.”
In the world of martial arts, the best person to use is obviously someone who is good at fighting, but Jin Mu-rip didn’t need someone like that right now.
A man who knows his own talent is arrogant and has strong self-esteem.
There’s no way those guys would properly follow a superior who is known for his internal energy and a little bit of self-defense.
In the end, Jinmu Rip left his quarters to seek escort on his own.
In front of the door, Sibi Seongyo was squatting and sleeping.
Jinmu-rip, who was thinking about waking her up, gently carried her in and laid her down in the next room before leaving.
“There is no guide when you put that guy to sleep.”
Although the places he had been to within the group were few and far between, such as the Jukhyeon Pavilion of the Sangho Army and the residence of the Taesangrimju, Jinmu Rip set out anyway.
The moon is bright in the night sky.
Jinmu-rip snickered.
“It’s a perfect night for the sound of the three heads and six feet to be heard.”
