Chapter 61: Divine Sword of King Shura (4)
Translator: hwarang
Editor: Klaurem
Ban Suh Jung entered the inner halls of the Murim Alliance. Since Elder Bing couldn’t follow her any further, he was forced to wait outside.
The person who was waiting at the guest pavilion was Sa Ma Chun.
“Welcome Manager Ban.”
“It is an honor to meet you Chancellor Sa.”
“Now, please sit.”
Wine was already prepared at the table. However, considering that his guest was a female it was inappropriate for him to prepare alcohol beforehand.
Regardless of whether it was a male or female, serving alcohol on their first meeting was unacceptable in these sorts of situations. Usually at the first meeting, it was more appropriate to serve tea.
“Thank you for coming on such a short notice.”
“No, I should have come earlier.”
“Ha ha. Now, please have a cup.”
She would have gladly taken a cup, even on her first meeting with someone, if that person had a good character. However, she knew what kind of person was in front of her.
He was someone who had done all sort of evil deeds alongside the Heavenly Dao Gate.
He didn’t deserve to be the chancellor, nor did he have the ability to be one. Rather than being a chancellor he is more suited for politics.
Regardless of her thoughts, her outer appearance looked perfectly normal. She knew how to act in these sorts of situations. If the person who she was talking to was someone with a good character, then she could be honest as they won’t take too much offense in it. However, for people like Sa Ma Chun, if you made one wrong move then you would be finished.
Then, someone else entered the room.
“Have you called me?”
The person who arrived was Kal Sa Ryang.
He was rather surprised to see Ban Suh Jung here, and the same went for her. Who would have expected that these two would meet at this place?
“Ah, it seems like you know each other.”
Sa Ma Chun asked as if he didn’t know about the relation between the two of them.
However Kal Sa Ryang, as well as Ban Suh Jung, knew that this meeting was set up by Sa Ma Chun.
“It has been a long time, have you been well?” The first to speak and break the silence was Ban Suh Jung.
Kal Sa Ryang respectfully replied, “Yes, I have been well.”
But Ban Sa Jung felt the sadness in his response. She could feel his true thoughts in his words: ‘How could I be well after losing my master?’
Kal Sa Ryang handed Sa Ma Chun the documents that he brought.
“Here are the documents that you requested.”
“Ha ha, thank you. Here, have a drink since you are here.”
“Since I am still working, please take it as I have received one from you. Then I will take my leave.”
“Work hard.”
Sa Ma Chun did not know that these two had feelings for each other. The reason why he brought Kal Sa Ryang here was to humiliate him in front of her. It would be humiliating enough to make him do this sort of thing in front of others, and Sa Ma Chun enjoyed humiliating and mentally straining Kal Sa Ryang like this.
Right as Kal Sa Ryang was about to leave Sa Ma Chun said, “He was such a talented person.”
He said it in a past tense so that he would humiliate Kal Sa Ryang even more.
Ban Suh Jung said it while smiling, “There are many talented people in Kang Ho. However, there aren’t many people who are needed for the age.”
Although she said it emotionlessly, it was like honey in Sa Ma Chun’s ears.
He was laughing and thinking, ‘Yes, that is true.’
That was what power tasted like. If he wasn’t the chancellor how could he force her to drink the alcohol, and how could he force her to say something like this? If it was him from before he became chancellor, it would have been almost impossible to even meet the manager of the Heavenly Net Guild.
This was his reward for cleaning up after the Heavenly Dao Gates messes and working for their favor.
After a few exchanges, it was time for her to leave.
“It was nice to see you, I’ll meet you again, sir.”
“Yes, let’s meet again.”
Before she left, she took out a piece of paper from her robe.
“This was a piece of information that just came into our guild. I brought this to you as a present for our first meeting.”
After reading what was written on the paper, Sa Ma Chun was surprised.
“Is this really something that was left behind by the previous mengju?”
“Yes, we have already confirmed it.”
“How did you acquire this?”
Ban Suh Jung replied with a smile, “As you know, information in Kang Ho naturally flows like this. Just like how the seasons change naturally.”
Sa Ma Chun didn’t ask any further. This was a code that all information merchants never broke. They would never reveal the sources of their information, and she even brought this piece of news as a gift.
Ban Suh Jung was debating whether to hand this information over or not. She was worried how it would affect Kal Sa Ryang. However, after seeing Kal Sa Ryang like this she decided to share this information.
She quickly left the guest pavilion and Sa Ma Chun followed soon after.
***
“Something seems fishy,” Said Jo Byuk, after hearing the story. “And the timing is too close sir.”
“Didn’t she say that it was personally written by the Mengju?”
“Someone could have forged it.”
“It contained the Mengju’s personal sword art within it. No one but he knows it. So how can you explain that?”
“But we can’t prove whether or not it was truly is his.”
“We should wait first, since we are looking into it.”
Sa Ma Chun already handed off the paper to the person who was the best at this sort of work.
“If it comes out your way, then it shows that the Heavenly Net Guild is not giving me face.”
He didn’t believe that they would be that foolish. Fighting against him was like fighting against the Alliance itself.
“Would they really risk their lives trying something like that?”
“Someone could be using them, Sir.”
“Who? The previous mengju?”
The first person that came to his mind was Baek Pyo since he was under suspicion for having the sword.
“I got a feel of him that day and looking at his record, he isn’t that sort of a person.”
Jo Byuk agreed, “It could have been done by Kal Sa Ryang.”
“It could have.”
Since he had someone observing Kal Sa Ryang already, they would have reported that he went to the Heavenly Net Guild. However he didn’t get such report from anyone.
Also, by seeing their interaction today he could tell that they haven’t met in ages.
Then, one of the subordinates entered the room.
“After analyzing it, it really is written by the Mengju.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, they say they are certain.”
“Probability of it being forged?”
“Almost zero. From what I was told they believe that the Mengju wrote this a couple of months before he passed away. I also verified with some of the experts about his martial art and it was confirmed.”
“Alright, you are dismissed.”
After the subordinate left the room Sa Ma Chun looked at Jo Byuk who was still full of doubt.
“Even if it was real we still need to be suspicious of them.”
“If it was them it probably would be Kal Sa Ryang or Baek Pyo since they most likely would have kept some of the Mengju’s belongings. However, the important thing is that the sword is now gone.”
The reason why he wanted to find the Divine Sword of King Shura was so that he could present it to Ma Bong Gi. However since it was gone he said, “Stop wasting time investigating Baek Pyo. We have more important things we must do.”
Sa Ma Chun didn’t have any interest with Kang Ho-in since that was how he lived all his life.
***
That night I was able to meet Baek Pyo's son, Myung He, since he was doing chores for his mother.
“You should greet him, he is young master Byuk.”
“How are you, sir? I am called Myung He.”
He was Baek Pyo’s seven-year-old son. Having bright eyes and being well mannered, It really made me wonder who he takes after.
“Who does he take after that makes him so cute? Sister-in-law must be very beautiful.”
Baek Pyo was flustered after hearing the words sister-in-law. He was just the owner of a tavern while I was the heir of the Byuk Clan.
Seeing me smile he relaxed a bit. After giving me one more glance he finally relaxed.
I should have done this more in my previous life. Now that I look back, why didn’t I say something like this more often? What was so important about being the Mengju that I lived emotionlessly like that?
“Myung-Ah you must listen to your parents well.” Then I gave him a single nyang and Myung He asked Baek Pyo if he could keep it. After Baek Pyo gave a nod he thanked me and ran towards that back door.
Smiling as he watched his son leave, Baek Pyo said, “I now spend my days raising him.”
Baek Pyo spent the springtime of his youth fighting with me. He roamed the battlefield alongside me and fought by my side. Although he lost many comrades and received many wounds, there is a wound in his heart that will never heal. Now, after leaving the Alliance he was guarding my sword. His whole life had been protecting me and now it was protecting my belonging.
Thinking about his life…what was so important about some old man’s life. What is so important about his weapon?
Baek Pyo-ya, please take a rest and enjoy your life. Now I will protect you.
***
Three different men entered an inn in Mu Han.
They all looked different and had different atmospheres about them. The oldest looking one had hair all over his body making him look like a monkey. Another one was so muscular that his biceps were as big as a normal person’s waist. The final one was terrifyingly ugly.
Although they looked different, they had one similar attribute. They didn’t hide their killing intent and released their aura without restraint. These three were Jo Byuk’s shadows, the Three Rogues.
The person who was waiting for them was Jo Byuk.
“You have arrived?”
“Why have you called all three of us? What do you want us to do?”
“I am sorry, but your mission just got canceled.”
They showed some signs of disappointment. So Jo Byuk tossed them a pouch that had about hundred nyang inside of it.
“Go play with some women and rest for a while.”
Their expressions got a bit brighter.
“Wait for my order and don’t leave Mu Han.”
He didn’t send them back. Although Sa Ma Chun moved on from this case, there was something that was still bothering him. So he wanted to investigate about Baek Pyo secretly. He wanted to prove that his intuition was correct.
Then one of the men asked, “Who was our target?”
“The former chief guard of the former mengju.”
“So he must be pretty strong.”
“Not just strong. Even if you three joined forces you wouldn’t be able to kill him.”
“Is he that strong?”
“What do you see the Fierce Guard Sect as? They are all experts who protect the Mengju. He was the chief of them. Even if I fought him personally I wouldn’t have much chance. Don’t worry though, he has a wife and a child. We could always bring him to his knees.”
The look on these fours faces was vile. That was how they lived up to this point and that was how they would continue to live.
“Since he is on your hit list, even if he was the chief guard or his granddaddy the result would be the same.”
No one would remain alive after being put on their target list. Even an expert had some sort of a weakness, and they would exploit that to their advantage.
After they left, I came out of hiding. I was carefully watching them as they made their way through Mu Han and listened in on their conversation silently.
After hearing that the mission was canceled I learned that my plan had actually worked. However it only succeeded half way. Jo Byuk wasn’t completely satisfied, and the proof for that was that he didn’t send back the Rogue Three.
I decided that if they tried to lay even a finger on Baek Pyo’s family I would eliminate them all.
This was what I hated the most. How could a martial artist be so shameless as to attack someone who did not know martial arts? Or attack someone else’s family? Especially if it was Baek Pyo’s family.
I wanted to eliminate them all right then and there, but I could not. Since I diverted Sa Ma Chun’s attention away from Baek Pyo, I didn’t need him to have any second thoughts on this. I would give it some time to find an excuse to eliminate them.
Since now you are on my target list, you should prepare to leave behind a will.