49 – 04# Mouth of Honey, Dagger in the Heart 口蜜腹劍 (8)

Ah, what a relief.

It felt like a decade’s worth of indigestion was being washed away in a tidal wave. There are those situations, aren’t there? Where someone has clearly done wrong, but it’s awkward to confront them directly.

That was exactly the case with Magang. It was true that he had caused harm by not revealing his betrayal. But on the other hand, what if Magang had joined the Demonic Cult instead of Gokyeom back then?

He might have actually been manipulated by those Demonic Cult b*stards. And there were mitigating circumstances for not revealing his betrayal.

What if he had refused the Demonic Cult’s offer back then?

Or what if he had shown any signs of betraying them in the middle of things?

He might have been killed by those Demonic Cult b*stards.

But even so, just letting him go like that felt… well, there was a strange feeling that he didn’t want to let go. Call it lingering resentment, call it regret.

But even that vanished entirely, as if washed away, when he knocked Magang flat on his back with that single strike. I nodded, a refreshing smile on my face.

But if there was one thing I hadn’t anticipated, it was that even Ma Gang, utterly defeated by me, was nodding with a face of serene enlightenment. What in the world?

“Thank you, Daehyeop.”

“What’s this sudden talk?”

“Thanks to Daehyeop, I have finally realized the path I must take. And at the same time, affirmed that the path I wish to walk is not wrong.”

“Is… is that so? Glad to have been of help… though I know not which path you speak of, strive ever onward.”

Even as I spoke, I found myself subtly pulling my disciples closer behind me. He couldn’t have possibly gained some perverse epiphany about enjoying being beaten, could he? This feels rather unsettling.

“I, too, extend my gratitude, Daehyeop.”

“What reason does Sohyeop Go Gyeom have to thank me?”

“That fellow Ma Gang, he is not such a bad sort, truly.”

“I’ve heard Sohyeop Go Gyeom and Sohyeop Ma Gang are like cats and dogs.”

“Indeed. However, I do not particularly relish seeing a worthy rival brought so low.”

Ah, what is this? This one also gives off a slightly unsettling aura.

I read wuxia novels most frequently, but that didn’t mean I read only wuxia. Fantasy and modern cultivation, of course. Even sports novels, I didn’t discriminate.

Thanks to that, I encountered many masterpieces.

And simultaneously, stepped on many landmines.

And that experience was whispering to me.

‘Could this be… homos*xual pining rejection?!’

Of course, nothing was certain. But coming from the perspective of someone familiar with modern novels, I couldn’t help but be more sensitive. I need to be a little more cautious.

“Ah, right! Sifu! Sajeo Sua received a marriage proposal from that man, Go Gyeom!”

“I told you to keep that a secret…?”

“But it’s good news! Doesn’t that deserve celebration?”

“…………”

However, my suspicions were instantly dispelled. Instead, I found myself needing to be cautious in a different direction. Wordlessly, I glared at Go Gyeom. This insolent pup, daring to covet my disciple.

“Ah, more importantly, Daehyeop. I actually have something urgent to discuss with you…”

“Another time. I am presently pressed for time and must be on my way.”

“My… my apologies. Then I shall seek you out again later.”

It was difficult to define with certainty. Disregarding the ill-fated first meeting, Sua was now a disciple I cherished as if she were my own daughter. And yet, he proposed to Sua?

‘You wretch! You shall not have my daughter!!’

Other things I might not understand. The reason why parents of daughters are so wary and despise their sons-in-law? At least the reason for that, I now understood clearly.

“Are you, by any chance, giving Sohyeop Go Gyeom’s proposal serious consideration?”

“That’s absolutely not the case! If anything, I refused properly, Master.”

“Is that so.”

“…Are you that worried about my marriage? Master.”

“Of course I’m worried. You are my disciple, after all.”

I didn’t bother with a lie and spoke the truth to Sua. At that, Sua sketched a pleasant smile on her lips and nodded.

“For now, I’ll be satisfied with just that. Master.”

“You’re not making fun of your Master, are you, you little rascal.”

“I apologize, Master. And Seolhwa? I need a word with you.”

Sua, who had been blushing slightly as she bowed to me in apology, abruptly changed her expression to a fearsome one and glared at Seolhwa. Seolhwa, sweating, opened her mouth.

“Why me, all of a sudden…?”

“Didn’t I clearly tell you to keep it a secret?”

“But isn’t it best to eliminate rivals whenever possible?”

“You’re truly hopeless. Master, I’d like to spar with Seolhwa for a bit.”

“Would I allow that? It’s plain to see you’re just going to torment her.”

“Hooray! Master’s the best!!!”

When I forbade the sparring match, Seolhwa leaped for joy and embraced me. Thankfully. Because of it, she doesn’t see Sua glaring daggers at her back.

…Surely, she’s not doing this knowingly, right?

◇

Fortunately, traveling by horseback meant it didn’t take too long to reach Shandong. While Sua and Seolhwa couldn’t ride, we solved the problem by having Nangong Yeon and I give them rides.

Of course, in the process, Sua and Seolhwa squabbled over who would ride with me, but we resolved it by taking turns like good sisters. Nangong Yeon remarked with a smile.

“You are blessed to receive the affections of your disciples, Master.”

“It’s just because they haven’t met a good man yet. Once they do, this kind of childish behavior will come to an end.”

“I don’t think it’s such a simple matter…”

“Master! I see a village over there!!”

Indeed, when I looked in the direction Seolhwa pointed. A village of considerable size came into view. It was certainly smaller than Henan, but even so, it was quite large.

“Ma Gang and Ko Gyeom were to go ahead and deliver the news, you said.”

“That’s right. Unless we formally reveal the machinations of the Demonic Sect, the Righteous Alliance will be next in line.”

“…At first, it was difficult to believe, but after experiencing it firsthand, your words certainly resonate.”

Having personally experienced the threat of the Demonic Sect, Nangong Yeon shuddered and readily acknowledged my words. Thanks to Nangong Yeon, I was able to gain a considerable understanding of the movements of the Righteous Alliance.

In summation.

So thoroughly steeped in peace.

It could be said they failed to notice the solitude gnawing at their insides.

The truth is, upon closer inspection, the orthodox martial alliance’s greatest adversary had been none other than the Sword Demon. Back then, it was said that only the Sword God, a legend of the orthodox faction, could even stand against him.

Even that Sword God passed away not long after. In effect, the martial world was practically under the Sword Demon’s thumb. That was the orthodox faction’s greatest threat.

No master existed within the orthodox faction who could stop the Sword Demon. Furthermore, the Sword Demon was rampaging through the orthodox faction, even killing people. They had to stop him, somehow.

“Judging by the circumstances, I suspect they might have allied with the Demonic Cult at that time.”

“If that were the case, there would be no power capable of stopping the orthodox faction.”

“However, there’s one thing I don’t understand. I can understand the orthodox faction doing that, but what exactly was the unorthodox faction doing?”

Why ask me that? I’m not the Sword Demon.

But as a master, however nominal, it would be quite unbecoming to say I don’t know. Fortunately, I’d already heard the entire story from Muwol.

“The Demonic Cult had infiltrated the unorthodox faction as well. To completely isolate them. As a result, there were few people they could trust, and in the end, they had no choice but to act alone.”

“To think they infiltrated even the unorthodox faction. They’re truly meticulous b*stards.”

“Indeed. Not long ago, I buried the Black Serpent Brigade of the unorthodox faction, who had allied with the Demonic Cult, whole.”

“The Black Serpent Brigade… are you perhaps referring to the Black Serpent Brigade of the Dark Reversal Gate?!”

Unexpectedly, the ill repute of the unorthodox faction’s Black Serpent Brigade seemed to have spread even to the orthodox faction. Not only Namgung Yeon, but even the hundred greatest masters of the orthodox faction knew the name Black Serpent Brigade.

“Though it has now fallen from grace. Wasn’t it the elite unit of the Dark Reversal Gate, which once boasted a poison art equal to that of the Sichuan Tang Clan, one of the Five Great Clans?”

“Yes, that’s right. But let’s save that story for later.”

“Pardon?”

“It seems the Namgung Clan has sent someone.”

The conversation with Namgung Yeon was undoubtedly a beneficial and enjoyable time. However, the sound of approaching hooves disrupted it from afar. Roughly ten in number.

Furthermore, each and every one of them was a martial artist imbued with extraordinary inner strength. The orthodox martial alliance… no, the Namgung Clan, having heard of this story, seemed to have sent an escort.

Of course, I couldn’t shake the thought that they were a little late, but at most, only two days had passed. I casually overlooked it and welcomed the escort.

“Ah… t-that person…”

“Do you know him?”

“Y-yes. The truth is…”

However, the one who displayed an unexpected reaction was none other than Namgung Yeon. The moment Namgung Yeon saw the boy at the forefront, his face turned ashen.

The boy, like Namgung Yeon, wore a robe and had hair close to navy blue. The sharpness of his eyes gave the impression of looking at an eagle preying on its quarry.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Great Hero. I am Namgung Baek, the Young Clan Head of the Namgung Clan, come to serve you under the Clan Lord’s orders.”

Namgung Baek bowed, adopting a respectful posture. The words were courteous, but the tone underlying them was not. Rather, I felt a strong sense of him being wary of me.