Chapter 135: Chapter 135
Jeok Se-in stared blankly for a moment at Jang Geon rising without hesitation, but soon regained her composure and nodded.
“Ah, follow me. I will explain on the way.”
Behind her as she took the lead, Jang Geon, wearing his bamboo hat, adjusted the Azure Dragon at his waist once and followed close behind. And Yang Goeng, whose eyes had been sparkling ever since he heard the words Jeok Se-in had spoken, quietly tagged along as well. Jang Geon saw him, but did not bother to stop him.
“I apologize for being late, Jang Geon. But due to the strange atmosphere within the Council of Elders, neither I nor the Alliance Leader could easily make a move.”
“What is this talk about an execution?”
Leaving the Reception Hall, Jeok Se-in walked forward with long strides as she continued speaking.
“Elder Namgoong was scheduled to be transferred immediately to the Alliance Leader’s Office after entering the Alliance four days ago. It was because we could win over the defector while providing the tightest security and escort anywhere. However, Bae Won-chan, who brought Elder Namgoong inside, led him not to the Alliance Leader’s Office but to the prison, detaining him there.”
Jang Geon recalled the young martial artist of the Murim Alliance who had come out to meet their party days ago. He had said he belonged to a faction called the White Forest Sect.
“That bastard’s foolish antics were a problem, but what became an even bigger problem was that afterward, the Council of Elders, upon learning of Elder Namgoong’s background, claimed that his defection could not be trusted. They began asserting that instead of winning him over, he should simply be executed to demonstrate the Murim Alliance’s enduring power to the people of New Sichuan. The Alliance Leader tried to persuade them that since his demonic arts were already broken, he should be won over rather than executed, but…”
Following closely behind Jeok Se-in as she walked briskly, he could see here and there the pavilions of the Murim Alliance and the alliance members within them, whom he had previously only seen through the window. Everyone was busy with their own duties; even upon seeing Jeok Se-in, Jang Geon, and Yang Goeng traversing the Murim Alliance, they seemed indifferent, merely assuming they were other alliance members.
“What I find absurd is that because the Council of Elders put forward such arguments and set themselves in opposition to the Alliance Leader, the tribal alliance issue in Plateau City is actually being buried. The alliance members who ought to be actively resolving that issue are split into an axis centered on the Council of Elders and the large sects, and an axis centered on the Alliance Leader, growling at each other.”
At that moment, Jeok Se-in’s steps came to an abrupt halt. Then she knitted her brows sharply and turned around. The eyes of Yang Goeng, who had been following quietly, met hers.
“Who are you?”
Yang Goeng gave a somewhat servile smile and bowed awkwardly.
“Heh, hehe. It is truly a pleasure to meet Patrol Member Jeok Se-in, whose fame resounds so widely.”
“…You seem to be a guest of the Reception Hall, but we are not on our way to play around right now. If you follow, your life may be in danger.”
Yang Goeng’s bowing body stiffened completely. He looked at Jeok Se-in’s expression to see if her words were sincere, and concluding that it was indeed truly dangerous, he bowed again and spoke.
“Ah, yes. Well, then I should step back, hehe. Truly, my apologies not only to Patrol Member Jeok, but also to Brother Jang. Then I shall return to the Reception Hall…”
Just then, Jang Geon’s hand tightly grabbed the scruff of the bowing Yang Goeng’s neck. Yang Goeng let out a choked ‘Ack!’ and shrank his neck and shoulders completely.
Jang Geon spoke.
“You follow along as you please, and now you want to turn back?”
Rolling his eyes to look at Jang Geon, Yang Goeng shivered upon seeing his face, which remained utterly calm even while holding someone by the throat, before finally shutting both eyes tight and saying,
“N-no, that’s not it… I-I will go! Naturally, I will follow along! How could I stay still while Brother Jang throws himself into danger? Naturally, I shall go!”
Only after hearing his answer did Jang Geon loosen his grip. While Yang Goeng choked and wheezed after escaping the restraint, Jeok Se-in looked at Jang Geon with puzzled eyes.
“Who is that person?”
“Can’t you recognize him? You should have met him before.”
Hearing Jang Geon’s words, Jeok Se-in narrowed her eyes again and looked at Yang Goeng. Yang Goeng, who had been panting for breath, felt that gaze and hastily bent his body into a servile posture again, putting on a fawning expression, but Jeok Se-in’s eyes were already wide.
“…Dark Dragon Squad! To think you were operating inside the Murim Alliance, not even in New Sichuan!”
Jeok Se-in and Yang Goeng had already met during the New Sichuan Imperial Army commandant incident in the past. At that time, Yang Goeng had provided Jang Geon with intelligence regarding the Fierce Tiger Commandant, and thanks to that, they were able to follow the thread and wrap up the case when they had no proper clues.
The reason she had not recognized Yang Goeng right away was simple. At that time, there was not much time to observe Yang Goeng’s face closely, and the incident itself was quite a while ago. In addition, the Yang Goeng back then was a man who held poison in his mouth and bluffed for them to torture him if they dared. His servile laugh and bowing demeanor from just a moment ago had blurred that memory, so it was only natural she hadn’t recognized him.
As if having no choice, Yang Goeng scratched his head and bobbed his chin.
“I am Yang Goeng. It has been a long time.”
Looking at Yang Goeng, Jeok Se-in hesitated as if her thoughts were tangled, her lips parting and closing, but in the end, she kept her mouth firmly shut and began walking at the head once more.
Without even looking back at the following Yang Goeng, she spoke.
“…The situation is urgent right now, so I will let it pass, but if you still remain inside the Murim Alliance after this matter is resolved, I will arrest you for sure this time. So for now, do not stray from my sight, and quietly disappear once the business is done.”
Following behind her, Yang Goeng made a sullen expression even after hearing that warning, only to shrink back after feeling Jang Geon’s gaze from the side. Only then did Jang Geon take his eyes off him and ask Jeok Se-in.
“Continue explaining the situation. So where are we going right now?”
“We are currently heading to the prison. To protect Elder Namgoong.”
“Is the execution taking place right now?”
Jeok Se-in answered with her eyes fixed straight ahead.
“For now, the pretext is that they will transfer him to the Council of Elders and interrogate him in the presence of several elders. But if the Council of Elders already intends to kill him, there will naturally be torture during that process, and the frail Elder Namgoong will not be able to endure it. Therefore, we must stop the transfer today at all costs.”
“What about the Alliance Leader, and why are you stepping forward alone?”
“The Alliance Leader cannot step forward directly. The same goes for other alliance members. Had Elder Namgoong entered the Alliance Leader’s Office from the start, he could have taken action, but from the moment he entered the prison, he fell under the jurisdiction of the Council of Elders.”
Jang Geon twitched one eyebrow and looked at Jeok Se-in’s back.
“Yet you are stepping forward.”
“…Because of today’s actions, my patrol position might be stripped and I might be sentenced to penal labor.”
She glanced back slightly and gave a bitter smile. Jang Geon nodded, offering a faint smile in return. He could understand why she had requested help from him rather than anyone else. First of all, he was not a Murim Alliance member, and he possessed the merit of having captured Elder Namgoong. Moreover, he was also an individual who had uncovered the corruption of the Fierce Tiger Commandant in the past and received a medal from the Alliance Leader.
If it had been another alliance member, they would have been subject to punishment according to the Murim Alliance’s internal code the moment they obstructed the Council of Elders. But for Jang Geon, at most, it would end with having his medal revoked and being banned from entering the Murim Alliance in the future.
“It is enough if we can obstruct the transfer for just today. The Alliance Leader’s Office has been moving continuously since four days ago, and if we just block the Council of Elders’ surprise transfer today, we can sufficiently reclaim Elder Namgoong.”
Even while continuously explaining the situation, Jeok Se-in’s long strides did not hesitate for a moment. Thanks to that, they were soon able to arrive before a single-story building that was low-roofed and wide across. That place, whose underground was much deeper and wider than what was visible above ground, was none other than the Murim Alliance Prison.
The warrior standing guard at the entrance saw Jeok Se-in approaching, raised a hand slightly, and spoke.
“You have come again, Patrol Member Jeok. But you cannot enter today. The transfer personnel from the Council of Elders will arrive shortly, and until then, no one is permitted to meet…”
Jeok Se-in did not say anything. She merely glared into the guard’s eyes with a hardened face and gripped the hilt of the sword protruding over her shoulder with her right hand.
Seeing that, the guard’s mouth slowly fell open.
“…What are you planning?”
“Step back quietly. This isn’t a matter where I should draw my sword against you.”
“What are you trying to do?”
“I’m going to stop the transfer.”
After glancing at Jeok Se-in and then at Jang Geon and Yang Goeng behind her, the guard let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“…I truly don’t know what on earth is going on inside the Murim Alliance lately.”
He raised both hands and obediently stepped to one side. Then, Jeok Se-in walked up to the main gate of the prison where he had been standing, turned around, and planted herself firmly with arms crossed, as if declaring that no one could pass through that gate now.
Jang Geon leisurely walked beside her and stood leaning his back against the gate, while Yang Goeng, watching the mood with a drooping face, found an awkward spot that was neither far from the two nor close enough to be considered part of the group. Rather, he was practically closer to the guard who had stepped aside.
Standing with his back leaned against the gate, Jang Geon clasped both hands over the hilt of the Azure Dragon and opened his mouth.
“So all we have to do now is wait?”
“Since we moved the moment I heard the transfer was confirmed, it won’t take long.”
Just as she had answered, before very long, sturdy martial artists came pouring around the distant wall. Approaching with imposing momentum, they came to an abrupt halt upon realizing that the people guarding the main gate of the prison were not guards. At the very front of them stood a face Jang Geon recognized as well.
Bae Won-chan saw Jeok Se-in, Jang Geon, and Yang Goeng blocking the front of the prison, and took a step forward.
“What are you doing right now, Senior Jeok?”
“Elder Namgoong cannot be transferred to the Council of Elders. Since he has already expressed his intention to defect, the Alliance Leader’s Office will soon receive him as an official guest. Turn back.”
Hearing Jeok Se-in’s reply, Bae Won-chan blinked both eyes in genuine astonishment, then turned his gaze to Jang Geon beside her and asked.
“Martial Artist Jang? You aren’t even affiliated with the Murim Alliance, are you? What brings you here?”
Jang Geon merely shrugged without answering. At that attitude, which could be considered insolent, Bae Won-chan let out an incredulous hollow laugh.
He soon shouted angrily.
“Is this really an issue that can be solved by blocking the gate like that? It’s an order from the Council of Elders! Did the Alliance Leader command you to block it, by any chance?”
“The Alliance Leader never did that. This is an action taken by my own judgment. Unless you truly want blood spilled between fellow alliance members, turn back.”
Compared to Bae Won-chan’s shout, Jeok Se-in’s reply was utterly composed, and perhaps because of that, the warriors gathered for the transfer began murmuring among themselves. Hearing that murmur behind him, Bae Won-chan took another step forward and spoke.
“What if we back down right now? If a report goes up to the Council of Elders, Senior Jeok’s disciplinary action is certain. Your rank could be stripped, and depending on the situation, you could be demoted to some strange backwater corner. Why are you acting like this?”
“Then do you think the Murim Alliance is functioning properly right now? Right now in Plateau City, thousands of native warriors have gathered demanding the Murim Alliance present a stance regarding the massacre of tribes in the east. At a time when we should be hastily forming an investigation squad based on Elder Namgoong’s information and clearing the grievances of the natives, do you think it is right to hold us back simply to check the Alliance Leader?”
At Jeok Se-in’s quiet words, the murmuring crowd grew quiet. Listening from behind, Jang Geon looked around at them, wondering whether the tribal alliance warriors fell a bit short of thousands. Since Bae Won-chan was their representative, the transfer personnel were all young martial artists, and they seemed to empathize with Jeok Se-in’s words to some degree.
However, it seemed Bae Won-chan was not one of them. He raised his voice as though the quieted courtyard of the prison was a stage meant solely for him.
“The Elders are people who have operated in the Murim for a long time, possessing their own insight and convictions. Their decision is ultimately for the sake of the Murim Alliance. In the first place, didn’t they say that Namgoong fellow was a major figure in the Demonic Palace? Yet despite such high status, the one who captured him was Martial Artist Jang standing right there. Isn’t that strange?”
He rested his hands on both hips and continued speaking as if interrogating.
“Setting aside its bizarre and evil nature, the sheer power of demonic arts is astonishing. That was the reason why the Ancient Hegemon-Demon King Xiang Yu could nearly unify the Central Plains. Naturally, shouldn’t a high-ranking demonic person of the Demonic Palace possess correspondingly stronger demonic arts? Yet Martial Artist Jang, who captured him, is far too young. Of course, a youth can possess outstanding martial arts as well… but well. As far as I know, Martial Artist Jang is merely the son of a merchant family…”
Bae Won-chan trailed off like that and looked at Jang Geon as if merely raising doubts. That was an insinuation that Jang Geon’s martial arts were suspicious, and it also carried the suspicion of whether Namgoong Cheon being captured by him was not part of the Demonic Palace’s scheme.
When his words ended, the eyes of the Murim Alliance members turned toward Jang Geon. Those were gazes mixed with a bit of hostility and curiosity.
Jeok Se-in, who already had some grasp of his martial arts, uncrossed her arms and tried to clarify upon hearing Bae Won-chan’s words and the alliance members’ stares. However, before her mouth could open, Jang Geon pushed himself off the door and strode forward with steady steps.
“Jang Geon…!”
Jang Geon gave a slight glance to Jeok Se-in as she called him, as if telling her not to worry, and stepped in front of Bae Won-chan and the alliance members. Then, holding his belt and standing somewhat askew, he looked at Bae Won-chan and said sullenly,
“Cut the crap; you’re just curious about my skill, aren’t you?”
“…You like being straightforward. If so, then that is correct. I am curious whether you are truly an outstanding martial artist capable of capturing a demonic person.”
Hearing Bae Won-chan’s answer, Jang Geon nodded and fiddled with the brim of his bamboo hat. And he said briefly,
“If you want to see it, I should show you.”
The next moment, Bae Won-chan felt as though something had flashed before his eyes. So he frowned and instinctively raised a hand to rub his eyes. The instant Bae Won-chan’s hand touched his eye area, his belt and clothes fasteners snapped with a click, and his trousers and coat smoothly fell to the ground.
While Bae Won-chan and every martial artist there opened their eyes wide in shock, Jang Geon gave the Azure Dragon he had drawn a magnificent spin and slid it back into its scabbard.
“Did you get a good look?”