Chapter 154
Knock, knock.
“Great Hero, may I come in?”
“Hmm?”
Just as I was lying down to sleep in the middle of the night, I heard someone knocking on the door.
It was the Haomun Leader.
I opened the door myself and welcomed her in.
“Eh? Haomun Leader. What brings you here at this time of night?”
“…I have something to report.”
“Come in first.”
Since it was late, I didn’t bother bringing out tea, but I had her sit at the only table in my room.
After a brief pause, I asked her.
“So…, what is it?”
“…I am on my way back from meeting your father, Great Hero.”
“My father? Ah…”
I could guess the reason why she had sought me out at this hour.
There were far too many suspicious things about my father who had suddenly appeared.
His expressions were awkward as if he were acting, and it seemed like he was hiding something.
It was like someone who had approached me with a purpose.
‘It probably isn’t the Demonic Cult… It must be the Murim Alliance.’
“You think my father is a spy for the Murim Alliance? Did you come to tell me that?”
“As expected…, you already knew…”
“He was never someone who was good at acting in the first place.”
Rather, he tended to be honest with his emotions - my father, that is.
As I said this calmly, the Haomun Leader studied my face and asked a question.
“Great Hero…, are you okay?”
“Huh? About what?”
“He is still your family…”
“Ah.”
Right, well…
Honestly, it would be a lie to say I felt nothing. Watching someone try to stab me in the back wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.
Still…
“I’m fine. Even though that person is my father…, how should I put it, he doesn’t really feel like a father? So it doesn’t matter.”
“…Is that so?”
Pat.
“…?”
Even though I said I was fine, the Haomun Leader patted my shoulder with pitiful eyes.
When I looked at her with a gaze that asked what she was doing…
“…I just wanted to pat you.”
“I kind of felt some maternal love from that gesture just now, didn’t I?”
“…There isn’t much of an age difference between you and me, Great Hero.”
“Got it, Older Sister Wolhwa.”
“No, that kind of title is…!”
Was her age her Achilles' heel? Seeing her flare up made me chuckle.
Right, before she met me, the Haomun Leader had lived her whole life being used by her own father.
She must have seen her own pain overlapping with my situation.
But I was truly fine.
“Thanks for caring, but it really doesn’t matter to me.”
“If you say so, Great Hero…, it would be rude of me to speak further on it…In that case, Great Hero.”
Her maternal affection from earlier vanished as her eyes turned cold, and she asked me.
“…What should we do about your father, Great Hero?”
She really was a cold-hearted person.
To openly ask how to dispose of my own flesh and blood like this.
“…”
As I pondered for a moment, she took something out and handed it to me.
It was a list containing the names and personal information of certain individuals.
“Haomun Leader, what is this?”
“These are the individuals suspected of being Murim Alliance spies among the applicants for our Mid-Low Grade Interview and Low-Grade Interview this time. The Haomun Hunan Branch Leader said he handled it on his end.”
“…Murim Alliance, these bastards. All their whining about the war being difficult was just an exaggeration. To think they still have the leeway to send spies like this…”
I guess even though we made a pact, they still can’t trust us bandits, Unorthodox Faction Bastards?
“We weeded them out for now, but there might still be more Murim Alliance spies remaining. Should we conduct a massive inspection, purge them, and consult with your father, Great Hero?”
“No…, not yet…”
I have no intention of stabbing the Murim Alliance in the back anyway.
“Just leave them be.”
There is no need to go out of our way to weed out the spies right now.
At my command, the Haomun Leader paused for a moment before slowly nodding her head.
“…Yes, understood.”
“Then is that all for today’s business?”
“Yes, that is all, but… I have one last thing I am curious about…”
“Something you’re curious about? Ask away.”
“…”
Even with my permission, she didn’t easily open her mouth.
She just…
Screech-.
“…?”
…stood up from her chair, approached me from behind, and simply examined the back of my head.
I felt a familiar sense of déjà vu for a moment before realizing what she was looking at.
“Ah, fuck. I don’t have the bone of rebellion.”
“Oh…, I didn’t say anything though?”
Didn’t say anything, my ass. Her face was already full of smiles.
She had definitely heard my real name from my father.
People who heard that name always smiled like that and examined the back of my head.
“Hahaha, did you abandon the name Wi Yeon because of that prejudice?”
“Ah, it’s fucking annoying. Whenever people hear my name, they all treat me like a potential traitor, spouting bullshit about the bone of rebellion and whatnot.”
I hadn’t fucking done anything, yet they kept going on about traitors and bones of rebellion, so of course it was annoying. Thanks to that, there were more than one or two times I actually felt the urge to betray someone.
For a long time, I really didn’t like my name.
“But usually, when people change their names, they change their given name, not their surname, don’t they? How did you end up using the surname 'Mu' instead of 'Wi', Great Hero? Is there a special reason?”
“A special reason…”
…There was one reason.
But…
“A little more…”
“Pardon?”
“Try a little harder. I still don’t trust the Haomun Leader unconditionally.”
“…Still?”
In response to my answer, the Haomun Leader lowered her eyes as if she were disappointed and spoke.
Of course, it wasn’t that I still distrusted her.
But the door to my heart was still firmly closed to her.
It was a sorry thing to say to her, but the opportunity might never open for the rest of my life.
“Yeah, so try harder.”
“I don’t even have a clue how to try any harder now…”
As she sighed and shook her head, I playfully told her a way.
“Try giving me 100 Gold Gwan a day. Who knows? The door to my heart might open just a little.”
“…Tch.”
Hearing my words, she clicked her tongue as if she were fed up and stood up from her seat.
Since her business was done, it seemed she was about to leave.
Swish-.
Before returning to her Quarters, she turned back toward me and opened her mouth.
“You are far too cold-hearted, Great Hero.”
“Sorry, I’m naturally a bad guy.”
“Bad guys always end up regretting it in the end.”
And with that, she left me with a curse that wasn’t quite a curse and swiftly ran off.
“Regret? Pfft-!”
I burst into laughter alone at her cute antics and chewed over her words.
“Regret…, regret…”
Was there anyone who didn’t do such a thing?
Especially me…
“…”
Suddenly, I thought back to when I first started using the name Muyeon.
And the beginning of that was a few years ago, when I first met Dongryong-i, who had collapsed and was dying on the side of the road.
‘What is your name…?’
‘Name?’
‘I should… at least know… my Benefactor’s name.’
At that time, I didn’t know what I was thinking, but instead of the name that was my father’s surname…
‘…Muyeon.’
…I answered like that, and from then on, I became Muyeon.
“I really was a shameless bastard.”
I regret it.
I, who cannot use this name proudly.
In truth, I was a Man who suited the name 'Wi Yeon' better than anyone else.
* * *
Where our Hunan Green Forest is situated, there is a large Open Space that can accommodate many people.
I gathered all the guys who had newly joined the Green Forest there.
“It’s somehow become swarmed with people…”
Seeing that sight, Yongyong-i muttered as if dissatisfied. It seemed he didn’t like that there were even more people now.
“It can’t be helped, Yongyong-a. They are also our Faction Members now.”
“But why did you gather so many humans together like that? What are you going to do?”
“Since we’ve picked new Faction Members, shouldn’t we check who the strongest among them is?”
“Hmm? How?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
Step.
As I finished my last words, Dongryong-i approached me and bowed his head.
“Leader, I have gathered everyone. But…, why did you suddenly call all of them? Do you have something to say?”
“Since the number of Green Forest Members has increased, we need to pick more Executives.”
“Executives? Ah…, but by what method…? Should I draw up a Sparring Match Bracket?”
“A Sparring Match Bracket?”
Hearing those words, I felt like laughing for some reason.
A Sparring Match Bracket, he says.
This bastard went to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering once and now thinks this is the Murim Alliance.
“Dongryong-a, the Unorthodox Faction has its own way.”
“…What is that? It’s quite unsettling seeing that wicked smile appear on your face, Leader.”
“You’ll know soon enough. You and the other guys just keep a close watch so they don’t get too violent.”
Because something fun is about to happen.
* * *
“Sect Leader…, I still do not know if this choice is the right one.”
“Sect Leader, please reconsider…”
“…”
Here, where the bandits of the Hunan Green Forest were gathered, a dozen or so Disciples of the Jongrimun were also huddled together in a corner.
The reason they, Righteous Faction Members, were together with the Green Forest Members was that the Jongrimun Leader had declared they would join the Green Forest until the Jongrimun was rebuilt.
For them, as a proud Lay Branch of the Zhongnan Sect, to enter under the command of an Unorthodox Faction boss was a difficult choice even for the Jongrimun Leader, but…
“…It is Enduring Humiliation.”
…Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang persuaded her Disciples for the sake of practical gain.
“It may be shameful and painful right now, but this is the only way if we want to laugh in the end. This place pays well and we can also do our Martial Arts Training.”
“But…, isn’t the Green Forest the Sworn Enemy of the Jongrimun…”
“And no matter what, to fall into the hands of atrocious bandits…”
The Disciples' words were not wrong in the slightest, but her thoughts were a little different.
“Of course, the guys here walk a different path from us, but…, they might not be as atrocious as we think.”
“…Pardon?”
At her sudden words, the Disciples asked back in surprise. However, having organized her thoughts all through the previous night, she calmly continued speaking.
“Usually, bandits exploit the property of the Common People to line their own pockets, but the guys here do not do that. Since it is said that the Murim Alliance has also joined hands with the Green Forest…, perhaps the Green Forest is a cleaner place than we thought?”
“…”
“The idea that the Green Forest is atrocious might just be a prejudice. Jong Hyo and A Hyeon here have also been doing well in this place. Hasn’t their martial arts ability improved as well?”
“That’s right, Junior Martial Brothers. This place is better than you think.”
“Trust your Senior Martial Brothers.”
“Mmm…”
With not only the Sect Leader but also their promising Senior Martial Brothers coming out like this, the other Disciples of the Jongrimun slowly began to lean that way.
Seeing that, the Jongrimun Leader nodded her head.
However, the truth was that she didn’t entirely trust the Green Forest either.
‘I will have to find out from now on.’
Of course, she would make them pay the price for daring to impersonate the Jongrimun later, but until then, she intended to thoroughly find out exactly what kind of guys these Green Forest bastards were.
‘Now, show me what kind of people you are.’
Whether they were people worthy of trust, or nothing more than ruffians.
It was then.
“Ah, ah, nice to meet you all. Bastards.”
“…!”
Suddenly, the General Stronghold Master, who had gathered all the bandits of the Green Forest in one place, began to spread his voice to the Assembly using the technique of Six Harmonies Sound Transmission.
“Uh…, first of all, congratulations to everyone on joining our Green Forest… Today, I called you all here to pick new Executives from among you.”
“Executives…?”
At the unexpected words, a continuous murmur could be heard from the surroundings.
“Naturally, I plan to grant various authorities and provide benefits to those who become Executives, in contrast to ordinary members.”
“Ooooh-!”
The other bandits around let out exclamations of awe.
The Jongrimun Leader was also tempted by Muyeon’s words. Even if she didn’t know exactly what the Executive benefits were, there would definitely be strong advantages to becoming one.
‘So how will the Executives be chosen? Recommendation? Or a Sparring Match?’
It was then that various thoughts were popping up in Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang’s mind.
“From now on, kill each other. No, slip of the tongue. From now on, fight each other.”
“…?”
For a moment, Yeon Mae-Hyang thought there was something wrong with her ears. But there wasn’t.
“There are roughly a thousand people here…, and I will pick the last 6 remaining among you as Executives.”
“…What.”
“The existing Executives will be strictly monitoring, so killing is absolutely forbidden. Still, well…, beating each other down is allowed. Then, everyone, do your best. Fighting!”
Click.
With those final words, Muyeon’s voice stopped, and an awkward atmosphere flowed among those left behind.
“Wh-what… We’re just supposed to fight?”
“Is this for real?”
But soon after, sounds of friction began to be heard from all over…
“Uahaha-! What are you doing, Bastards!! Bring it on!!”
“Did this motherfucker just hit me?”
CRASH-!
…Soon, a massive gang fight broke out.
It was truly Avici Hell.
Yeon Mae-Hyang, who was of the Righteous Faction to the bone, could only stutter in this sudden situation.
And the equally flustered Disciples of the Jongrimun asked her.
“S-Sect Leader? Wh-what should we do?!”
“A-are we supposed to fight too…?”
“Uh…, that is…”
The Jongrimun Leader couldn’t readily give an order. And understandably so - how could they suddenly fight people they had never even met before?
As the Jongrimun Leader hesitated, the Disciples' eyes turned to their Senior Martial Brothers who had joined the Green Forest first.
“S-Senior Martial Brothers! What is going on! Y-you said the Green Forest was a decent place!”
“Fight before you complain! Bastards!”
However, the Senior Martial Brothers, who had already undergone Unorthodox Faction-ization (?), were already beating down the other guys.
Seeing that sight, Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang had no choice but to draw her sword, scabbard and all.
“I-I don’t know! For now, we must fight back too!”
“…What in the world is this! It is understood for now…!”
And so, from her very first day, Jongrimun Leader Yeon Mae-Hyang came to regret joining this place.