Chapter 134
During the dinner, a note was handed to Yeo Un-hwi by an inn's servant as he briefly stepped outside.
It contained only the location of a place.
Upon receiving the note, Yeo Un-hwi soon set off.
The destination was a small, dilapidated house not far from the inn.
Though it seemed no one had lived there for quite some time, the interior was reasonably clean, as if someone occasionally maintained it.
Who could it be? Who had summoned Yeo Un-hwi here?
Entering the house, Yeo Un-hwi lightly dusted off the table and sat down.
After some time had passed, as he casually looked around,
With a creak, the door opened and someone quietly entered.
Sensing the presence, Yeo Un-hwi spoke first.
As if he already knew who it was, even though the other hadn't revealed their face yet.
As the man removed his bamboo hat, his face was soon revealed.
It was a familiar face.
He was a man with eyes characteristically gruff but deeper than anyone.
It was Jegal Gil, an investigator from the Murim Alliance.
It had been a truly long time since their first encounter during the incident with the Demonic Cult and the Scholar Forest Group, and when Yeo Un-hwi, upon his return to the Murim Alliance, saved his life.
The problem was that the Peng Family warriors filling that inn didn't tolerate the word 'moderation' when it came to drinking.
So Yeo Un-hwi-hwi-hwi was almost grateful that Jegal Gil had called him out like this.
In fact, he had been seriously considering just heading back after slipping out of the drinking party earlier.
Jegal Gil chuckled softly at Yeo Un-hwi's words and sat down across from him.
As he faced Jegal Gil directly, his face looked somewhat tired, and also a bit deeper and sharper.
Noticing that this was the result of Jegal Gil realizing and working on the advice Yeo Un-hwi had in the past given Jegal Gil, Yeo Un-hwi inwardly felt relieved while swallowing a bitter smile.
Have you been hearing news from the Central Plains?
News, huh. Well, I suppose I know as much as others know, and don't know as much as they don't.
Then you must have heard. These days, the name “Mu Myeong” is quite famous.
Mu Myeong, right. I have heard. He seems to be quite an extraordinary man.
Yes. His accomplishments span from his debut, defeating the Phantom Divine Monarch and taking a spot among the Ten Great Masters, to now defeating Tang Guhwi, the rogue son of the Tang Clan who became a Demon and massacred civilians. Even the Poison Rain Tang Jinwoo couldn't handle him.
Hmm. Is that so?
It seemed rumors spread quite quickly indeed.
The head of the Tang Clan must have gone easy on him.
Jegal Gil shook his head at Yeo Un-hwi's words.
He's the type to deliberate carefully before fighting, but once a fight starts, he shows no hesitation. Even if it had been his son, he would have tried to deal with it more quickly and decisively after his son had committed such a horrific act.
As expected, Jegal Gil had accurately grasped Tang Jinwoo's personality.
Then it seems this Mu Myeong is even more impressive than I thought.
Jegal Gil stared intently at Yeo Un-hwi, who was playing dumb to the end, with a smile on his face.
Why are you looking at me like that?
How does it feel to become a mysterious master who has stirred up the martial world?
What do you mean?
Don't you know what I mean?
So you're saying I'm Mu Myeong? Are you suspecting me of that now?
It's not suspicion, but certainty. If I'm wrong, I'll quit being an investigator.
Hmm. Is this what you call an investigator's intuition?
Let's say it is.
Yeo Un-hwi clicked his tongue at the answer given without the slightest hesitation.
To be honest, even Jegal Gil hadn't thought of it at first.
But when he visited the scene to investigate after the Phantom Divine Monarch's death, he heard the stories of three witnesses: Myeonghyeon of Wudang, Doil of Shaolin, and Jongpal of the Beggars' Union.
Stories about the young man who killed the Phantom Divine Monarch.
Not only had he defeated one of the Ten Great Masters far too easily, but he had also somehow detoxified the three who had been poisoned before disappearing without a trace.
The incredible martial arts skill that didn't match his young age, his manner of speech, and his general appearance was striking.
The more he heard, the more one man naturally came to Jegal Gil's mind.
And that thought soon became a certainty.
The certainty that Mu Myeong must be Yeo Un-hwi.
And the moment they met again, his thoughts became even more firm.
Jegal Gil, who had been staring at the table for a moment, raised his eyes again.
His eyes were now gleaming sharply.
The Murim Alliance is watching Mu Myeong.
"The Murim Alliance?"
Yeo Un-hwi asked back, due to the sudden change in Jegal Gil's demeanor and the fact that his tone suggested more than just the usual interest shown in the emergence of a new member of the Ten Great Masters.
Yes. They have no choice but to.
Oh?
Jegal Gil revealed a surprising story to Yeo Un-hwi-hwi-hwi's expression that seemed to ask what he meant.
A year ago, there was a similar incident to Tang Guhwi's in the Murim Alliance as well.
For a moment, Yeo Un-hwi's eyes narrowed.
Soon, Jegal Gil continued his story.
A year ago, one of the hall masters belonging to the Murim Alliance suddenly became a Demon and went on a rampage.
As a result, the Murim Alliance at the time was devastated, and even the Murim Alliance Leader, the Meteor Sword Emperor Song Il-do, who personally stepped in, eventually couldn't subdue the man who had become a Demon.
It was a shocking event.
Because there was no master within the Murim Alliance who had reached a higher level than he.
Just when it seemed impossible to predict how much more damage would be done, fortunately, if one could call it that,
The man who had become a Demon suddenly coughed up blood and melted away into blood water.
The Murim Alliance suffered quite significant damage from that incident.
But why wasn't this made known?
If such a major event had occurred and only a year had passed, rumors should normally still be circulating.
However,
They strictly controlled the information.
It was problematic enough that a martial artist belonging to the Murim Alliance had become a Demon and gone on a rampage, but the fact that even the Murim Alliance Leader, one of the Ten Great Masters and a symbolic figure representing the Murim Alliance, couldn't subdue him was even more so.
The Murim Alliance judged that this would harm their prestige and decided to conceal it thoroughly.
For them, the incident was only remembered as a disaster-like event at that time.
But recently, when news of Tang Guhwi, who had been the Young Master of the Tang Clan, spread, the Murim Alliance, recalling the memory of that time, began to closely watch the master called “Mu Myeong” who had easily subdued Tang Guhwi.
They were greatly surprised by the fact that someone had single-handedly subdued a being that even the Murim Alliance Leader couldn't defeat.
They didn't know.
Not only the martial arts, but the Heavenly Martial Divine Art itself was like a natural enemy to those who carried the seed of ruin in their bodies.
So Yeo Un-hwi-hwi-hwi was able to catch them more easily.
It was like the principle of night retreating when the sun shines.
Yeo Un-hwi had an overwhelming advantage in terms of compatibility.
Even without that compatibility, Tang Guhwi would not have been a match for Yeo Un-hwi anyway.
How disgusting.
Yeo Un-hwi, who had been listening to the story, unconsciously gritted his teeth.
Wanting to maintain face might be a habit of those sitting in such positions, but even so, the fact that the Murim Alliance had hidden what had happened to them was unacceptable.
If they were representatives of the Orthodox Martial World, they should have quickly announced the incident and prepared together for the danger that might occur again.
If they had done so, the damage from Tang Guhwi's incident might have been less.
Knowing or not knowing about what had happened before was that important.
But they didn't do that.
Even in such a situation, they sought their own prestige and face first rather than the safety of people.
How could it not be disgusting?
A cold smile appeared on Yeo Un-hwi's lips.
Jegal Gil, who had relayed the story, wore the same expression.
Hoo.
Yeo Un-hwi closed his eyes to calm his emotions.
And when he opened them again, the anger from earlier had disappeared from his face, replaced by a relaxed composure.
That's good information. Thank you. But did you come all this way just to tell me that story?
Well, it was killing two birds with one stone. I happened to have business near Hebei.
I see.
Actually, even though I'm moving around like this, I'm not that free. They're pretending to trust me now, but I don't know when they might assign someone to watch me again. They're that kind of people.
That was a reference to the one who was effectively controlling the Murim Alliance.
The Murim Alliance Chief Elder, Jang Cheong.
Despite his gentle appearance and small stature, he was a figure who harbored a terrible snake inside.
On the surface, he seemed to be the most trusted and respected figure both inside and outside the Murim Alliance, but did people know?
Because of this one man, the Murim Alliance was thoroughly rotting away.
It didn't matter how many times the Murim Alliance Leader changed.
It would be fair to say that all the elders and those with power within the Alliance had already fallen into his hands long ago.
Only Jegal Gil's brother, the Murim Alliance Chief Strategist Jegal Mun, was not.
But even he, with his intelligence surpassing anyone else's, was not yet a match for Jang Cheong in politics.
Especially in dirty political warfare.
As long as he remained, the Murim Alliance could never change.
In the end, to overturn the current Murim Alliance, an unimaginable move was needed.
A divine move that would overturn all situations.
The person preparing that move was sitting in front of Yeo Un-hwi at that moment.
After being betrayed that day by the one he considered a close friend, Jegal Gil had entered Jang Cheong's inner circle.
At first, of course, he was met with suspicion.
Jang Cheong would laugh heartily and say he trusted him to his face, but behind his back, he constantly assigned people to watch Jegal Gil.
It was only recently that the watchful gaze lifted.
Finally, Jang Cheong had begun to truly trust Jegal Gil.
Of course, even so, he couldn't let his guard down.
He was still not an easy person to deal with.
No one would know.
Perhaps some might curse him as a traitor if they saw his current appearance.
But Yeo Un-hwi-hwi-hwi believed without a doubt that this man would play the most important role when it came time for the Murim Alliance to be cleaned up and renewed.
Of course, it would be a long and lonely battle to get there.
Is the task you decided to undertake going well?
I'm working on it. But I don't think I'll have to give you a disappointing answer.
Jegal Gil's eyes flashed.
For Jegal Gil, who was more cautious than anyone, to speak so confidently was quite something.
Jegal Gil was not the type to make such rash statements.
So if he said so, it must truly be the case.
Yeo Un-hwi quietly nodded.
If there's anything I can help with, let me know.
There isn't.
That's fortunate then.
But... I might have to ask for your help someday.
Gladly.
For a moment, the two men's eyes met.
Despite not having known each other for long, a deep sense of camaraderie could be felt between them.
For some reason, even Jegal Gil couldn't understand it.
Having finished what he had to say, Jegal Gil prepared to leave again.
He intended to return before his absence aroused suspicion.
Then, suddenly, he turned to Yeo Un-hwi and said,
I'll say it once more, : Mu Myeong is drawing the attention of the Murim Alliance and the Central Plains martial world.
That means, while you might have been able to hide your identity easily until now, it might become difficult in the future.
That may be so.
It might be good to prepare for that day.
Thank you for the advice.
Watching Yeo Un-hwi-hwi-hwi calmly accept his words, Jegal Gil let out a hollow laugh.
Such confidence.
He could only envy it.
Well, who in the current martial world could make that man tremble?
It would have to be at least one of the Twelve Venerables of the World, wouldn't it?
No, even that might be impossible, Jegal Gil thought.
At that young age, he had already joined the ranks of the Ten Great Masters, and on top of that, he had even defeated a Demon that the Ten Great Masters couldn't handle.
This was unprecedented.
Perhaps the future Zenith was standing right before his eyes.
Suddenly, Jegal Gil found himself wanting to see it at least once.
The day that man stood at the pinnacle of the martial world! How the world would change!
Then, I'll be going. Until we meet again.
With that, Jegal Gil left.
When Yeo Un-hwi was left alone, his eyes deepened.
Through the window of the dilapidated house, the lights of the inn where the Peng Family warriors were making merry twinkled in the distance.