Chapter 94: Ma Young-gi, Chooses Left

“Any word from the men?”

At Ban Yeo’s question, Heukso shook his head.

“Not yet.”

“Hasn’t the time for them to report already passed?”

“That is true, but…”

Unlike the anxious Ban Yeo, Heukso did not seem all that worried.

The targets for elimination were only two people, Seop Mu-pyeong and Baek Seolyoung.

Even if Seop Mu-pyeong had the skill to win the marriage tournament, he was still nothing more than a young man.

No, even if Seop Mu-pyeong were an old and experienced master, the result would not change. There were barely any masters in the world who could withstand the combined assault of the three units sent by Ban Yeo.

In contrast, Ban Yeo could not hide his unease. A strange feeling of foreboding kept creeping over him.

“What about Seop Mu-pyeong?”

“He too has not returned to the Alliance yet.”

Ban Yeo spoke with suspicion in his voice.

“Could it be that they fell to him?”

Heukso spoke with a look of disbelief.

“Not just one unit, but all three went. There is no way they could have failed.”

“Then why is there no word?”

“There must be some circumstance.”

“All three units went, and you say there could be a circumstance where all contact is cut off?”

Heukso wasn’t able to answer that. It was strange. If a problem had occurred, the emergency communication network should have been activated, but even that had been silent.

Even so, Heukso reached his own conclusion.

‘It is just a simple mistake.’

He still trusted the three units.

Ban Yeo’s eyes gleamed as he asked.  

“Doesn’t he have disciples?”

“Yes, he does.”

“Do we know where they are?”

“Please wait a moment.”

Heukso called in a subordinate from outside and gave him some instructions.

A short while later, the subordinate returned with a report.

“Currently, only Mujin and Ma Young-gi’s whereabouts are confirmed. They are drinking in the market.”

Ban Yeo’s eyes grew cold. He could not simply ignore this uneasy feeling. It was time to prepare for any possible situation.

“Bring those two here.”

“Do you mean right now?”

Trying to seize them while they were drinking in the marketplace would certainly risk trouble. Normally, Ban Yeo would have considered that first, but today was different.

“For the next hour, I’ll keep the Alliance’s men tied up. So do not worry about the consequences and bring them to me.”

* * *

Mujin and Ma Young-gi were having a small squabble in a nearby inn.

“Which one?”

“I do not want to.”

“Stop avoiding and choose.”

“I said I do not want to.”

“Fine, then I will choose first. Don’t regret it later.”

Mujin stood up abruptly.

At that moment, Ma Young-gi muttered in a low voice.

“The one on the left.”

Mujin gave him a sly smile.

A little distance away from them, two female martial artists were drinking. Before going over to join them, Mujin had asked Ma Young-gi to pick which one he liked more.

When Mujin went over and said a few words, it was as if they had planned it in advance as the two women laughed brightly and came over to their table.

Ma Young-gi was quietly impressed. When it came to attracting women, Mujin truly was a master, almost as if he were casting a spell.

“This is my disciple brother, Young-gi. And these two lovely ladies are Lady Go and Lady Yim.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The two women smiled as they greeted him, and Ma Young-gi returned the greeting awkwardly. He especially wasn’t even able to make eye contact with Lady Go who was the girl he chose.

“Though my disciple may look dull like a cat that has taken medicine, at night he runs wild like a stallion.”

The women burst into laughter at Mujin’s joke.

If anyone else had said it, they might have been slapped and called a pervert, but coming from Mujin, the women seemed to love it.

“What do you two do?”

At Lady Go’s question, Mujin smirked.

“In this dirty world, we are idle wanderers, living leisurely to avoid the fierce sword winds of the Jianghu.”

The women laughed again.

Ma Young-gi felt certain now. If a man had charm, it did not matter what he said.

Mujin possessed a natural charm that drew women in. The first reason was surely his good looks, but that was not the only reason.

He had a certain ease about him, and it was not limited to dealing with women. Whether with himself, his subordinates, or even Lee Jaseung, Mujin showed a relaxed attitude toward people.

Ma Young-gi saw that ease as the depth of life.

He might seem like someone who only joked around, but Mujin was a man with depth. Ma Young-gi thought Mujin was both the person most like Lee Jaseung and the one least like him.

‘How did the Lord ever manage to bring him in?’

While thinking this, Ma Young-gi looked up to see Mujin and the two women staring straight at him.

Mujin explained to the women as if narrating.

“Sometimes he comes back from strolling in another world like that.”

Ma Young-gi quickly offered an excuse.

“I enjoy contemplation.”

Mujin seized on the remark.

“Contemplation with that gloomy face? More like deciding who to kill first, right? That face suits that thought better.”

The women laughed again. By teasing Ma Young-gi’s somewhat dark appearance first, Mujin kept it from becoming a drawback. Ma Young-gi knew this was Mujin looking out for him.

“Alright, let us liven things up and have a drink. Since my disciple is rich, bring us your best-”

In the middle of shouting to the server, Mujin stopped speaking.

Masked men were entering the inn. There were dozens of them, and they waved their swords as they drove everyone else out. Startled by the killing intent, the patrons all ran outside.

Mujin smiled at the women and spoke.

“Looks like we will have to drink next time huh?”

Frightened, the women stood up. They realized the two men were the targets.

“Will you be all right?”

Mujin gave a wink.

“My disciple also fights like a wild stallion.”

The women left, but at the entrance they turned back to glance worriedly at them.

Mujin spoke with a smile as he gazed back at them.  

“You have no idea how strong women’s loyalty can be.”

“Is that so?”

“It is incredible. Most just do not know it.”

Ma Young-gi thought perhaps he was right. Mujin might well be able to see hidden things about women that other men could not.

“But they would not show that loyalty to just anyone, right?”

When Mujin looked at him quizzically, Ma Young-gi added,

“Only to a man who can make them laugh even at dirty jokes.”

Mujin chuckled at his words.  

“You can be funny sometimes, you know.”

“What’s that good for? I still have no luck with women.”

“Hahaha.”

By then, the masked men had surrounded them. Their aura was no joke. This would not be easy without revealing their real skill.

Mujin quickly sent a sound transmission.

— If you make a move, you have to kill them all.

It was a single-line strategy, but it held the whole meaning of the fight. The enemy surely thought they were Seop Mu-pyeong’s disciples. Either they had to flee without revealing their skill, or wipe them all out at once if they choose to reveal their real skill.

But fleeing immediately was impossible. Besides those inside, many more men surrounded the inn outside.

They were members of the Black Sand Army, just below the first, second, and third units. Each one’s skill was from the First-rate to Peak Realm.

Their leader, Woo Myeong, stepped forward. He was a master martial artist who reached the Transcendent Peak Realm.  

“You will have to come with us.”

Mujin scratched his eyebrow as if amused.

“And if I say no?”

Woo Myeong snorted and signaled to his men. The Black Sand Army pressed in from both sides.

Mujin asked.

“Which side do you want?”

Ma Young-gi combined the two short spears at his waist into a single long spear and turned to the left.

“The left.”

He had chosen the left earlier as well.

Mujin smiled faintly at the sight.

“So you really were disappointed you had to send those ladies away.”

As if to prove it, Ma Young-gi launched himself forward without a word.

Swoosh! Thud!

The man in front flew away from Ma Young-gi’s kick.

That single strike was the start, and in an instant the place turned into a battlefield.

* * *

When Lee Jaseung stepped into the yard of a private house, the door opened and Baek Seolyoung came out.

“You are back?”

They looked at each other, feeling both shy and happy.

Lee Jaseung handed her something.

“What is this?”

“Change into it.”

It was a new martial robe. He had sent a guard to buy it.

“Thank you.”

Baek Seolyoung accepted it with a smile. On his belt hung a rabbit and a pheasant, likely caught so he could roast them for her if she was hungry.

Looking straight at him, she asked,

“Are you hiding something from me?”

Lee Jaseung was startled inside but kept his composure.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you are too good to me. I wonder why.”

“Can I not be good to you?”

“They say men treat women well when they are cheating.”

“That is just a saying. Do I seem like that kind of man to you?”

“You…”

She wasn’t able to finish.

The warmth she had felt when they kissed overlapped with the coldness from when she had first met him.

Which was the true side of him?

Was he just pretending to care because they were married? Or did he truly have feelings for her?

She could not tell.

A brief awkward silence followed.

Baek Seolyoung changed the subject.

“Those people, they had to be the Undying Ghouls, right?”

“Probably.”

She still believed they existed. He felt a pang of guilt for not telling her the truth, but there was no helping it.

“When will we go back?”

“I don’t think we should yet.”

He judged there was no need to go to the wounded beast now.

“Why?”

Lee Jaseung calmly responded to her question.

“Even though the Virtuous Heroes had begun investigating, they still attacked. That means they know the Murim Alliance’s movements.”

“Does that mean there’s a spy?”

He nodded, and her expression turned grave. She had thought going to the Alliance would solve everything, but instead they had suffered an even more serious attack.

She sighed and spoke.

“It won’t be easy huh.”

He smiled faintly.

Life in the Jianghu was never easy. Eat or be eaten, kill or be killed. An endless history of struggle was what made Jianghu.

Because of that, he was able to answer.

“Yes, it will not be easy.”

But because it was her, he was able to say this.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

This time, she smiled at Lee Jaseung’s words. Somehow, being with him gave her strength. Her fear faded, and she wanted to walk forward boldly. Looking at him made her think this.  

‘I want to become someone like this too.’

Just then, Lee Jaseung heard Mook Young’s voice in a sound transmission.

— They have attacked the Divine Sword Captain and the Iron Cavalry Captain. It’s the Black Sand Army and there are many of them.”

— Are the two with each other?”

— Yes.

Lee Jaseung did not reply further.

Taking the rabbit and pheasant from his belt, he asked her.

“Are you hungry?”

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