Chapter 47. A First-Rate Warrior Who Gathers People (6)
The people cheered.
They cheered because they had escaped a bleak future whose ending they could not know, and because they had returned to an ordinary life they could no longer even remember when they had last enjoyed.
At this moment, there was no distinction between the slash-and-burn farmers and the village people.
The village people ran back to the village, saying they had to slaughter pigs and cows, while the people remaining on Mount Geummok said they had to prepare a feast and began pulling pots and bowls from among the broken household goods.
At some point, jars of wine appeared, and the people could not stop laughing, as though they were drinking sweet wine without even needing side dishes.
“Come here, our Warrior Lord.”
The old Herb Gatherer held my hand as though welcoming his own child and would not let go, while Chief Heo continued shedding tears in front of me.
While the people played merrily, the members of the Jegal Clan, who had been excluded from this feast, were examining the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent.
“What is this……!”
Jegal Jeong still looked dazed, as though he could hardly believe what he was seeing with his own two eyes.
“What trick did you pull?!”
As if cold water had been poured over the lively gathering, a chill settled over the surroundings in an instant.
The people who had been laughing and drinking began glaring at the Jegal Clan one by one with contemptuous eyes.
“Explain in detail how you caught it.”
I freed myself from Chief Heo and Old Man Kang’s hands and stepped in front of Jegal Jeong.
“The Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent is one of the Demonic Beasts that Murim people avoid. Do you know why?”
To begin with, it was not that it could not be caught.
It was simply something one wished to avoid as much as possible.
“Because compared to how troublesome it is to catch, it has no Spiritual Pill, and most of its internal organs and flesh carry toxicity harmful to humans.”
The concept of catching prey with poisonous food was one of the oldest traditions of hunting, but since the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent carried poison from the start and therefore had immunity, even that method could not be used.
“I know that.”
“So I used detoxification.”
“Detoxification?”
“The herbs I stuffed inside the wild boars’ bellies dissolve in the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent’s stomach and mix with one another. Once mixed, those herbs become a powerful poison to the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent.”
In the Murim World, which had lost countless warriors to the Great Righteous-Demonic War, the common people had no choice but to handle work that warriors should have done.
“You are saying it can be caught merely by feeding it detoxifying herbs?”
“It does not work if they are fed to it at random. There is a fixed order for each of them as well.”
The method of catching the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent through detoxification was a poisoning method invented by the Divine Physician Hall during the height of the Great Righteous-Demonic War.
Naturally, it was a concept that had not yet appeared.
“That makes no sense…….”
Jegal Jeong clenched his teeth in frustration.
The warriors of the Jegal Clan were the same.
Rather than joy at the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent being caught, they were filled with the unfair resentment of seeing the other party easily solve a problem that had been difficult for them.
“You hunted it with such an absurd method?!”
As though agreeing with Jegal Jeong’s words, the Spell Practitioners and warriors of the Jegal Clan nodded faintly.
However, there was something Jegal Jeong was failing to see.
It was the expressions of the village people.
“…….”
“…….”
The village people were now wearing expressions as though they had met an irreconcilable enemy.
They were scattering not merely anger, but even killing intent.
The tone that denied the actions of the person who had resolved their suffering in a single stroke could not possibly sound pleasant to them.
Just as Jegal Hyeon-un noticed this and was about to restrain the people of the Jegal Clan, I shouted toward the village people.
“Please focus for a moment.”
The people’s gazes gathered on me.
Jegal Hyeon-un also closed his mouth just as he was about to speak and looked at me.
“The truth is, the reason I caught the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent was because of a request from the Jegal Clan.”
The village people looked at me as though wondering what sudden nonsense I was saying.
“As the handling of the matter through the Murim Alliance kept being delayed, one person in the Jegal Clan could not bear to watch any longer and asked me to catch the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent, saying the people had to be saved.”
Now even the people of the Jegal Clan were wearing expressions of incomprehension, as though asking what in the world I was talking about.
“That person said this. A single Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent is ruining the lives of hundreds of people. We cannot wait for the Murim Alliance any longer.”
I paused briefly to focus everyone’s attention, then pointed at Jegal Jeong.
“It is good to express gratitude to me, but I was worried that all of you might not know who you should truly be thanking, so I am telling you now. Grand Elder, would you please step forward for a moment?”
The people’s gazes gathered on Jegal Jeong.
Dumbfounded, Jegal Jeong did not know what to do for a moment, then slowly came forward.
“This is the person who asked me to make certain I caught the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent.”
Murmurs began growing among the village people.
At that moment, Jegal Jeong clenched his teeth and spoke in a low voice.
“What are you doing?”
“Is it not best when a good thing remains good?”
“What?”
Jegal Jeong was a timid person, but he had a strong desire for honor.
The reason he had returned straight to the clan after completing his mandatory service in the Murim Alliance in his youth was that he had not been confident he could stand out among the soaring Dragons and Phoenixes of that age.
“With this incident, Grand Elder’s name will ring throughout all of Hubei Province. As a chivalrous hero who always looks after the common folk, I mean.”
“…….”
Perhaps he liked the thought, because though Jegal Jeong’s brow was furrowed, the corners of his mouth twitched.
Seeing that, I spoke toward the people of the Slash-and-Burn Farmer Village.
“Ah, yes. Also, the Jegal Clan has decided to compensate for all the damage suffered by the Slash-and-Burn Farmer Village during the hunt.”
“What?”
Just as Jegal Jeong was about to say something to me.
“Goodness! Elder!”
Chief Heo burst forward, crying.
“I knew you would not abandon us. Thank you so much. Truly, thank you so much.”
As Chief Heo wept, Jegal Jeong also forced an awkward smile and said, “Heh heh. Why are you rising? Did I not…… did I not tell you? I said I would certainly help.”
“Thank you so much. Truly, thank you so much. At the very least, I will now be able to raise my granddaughter in a way that will not shame my son and daughter-in-law who went ahead.”
At the affectionate sight of the two, the watching village people also began nodding one by one.
“Well, there’s no way the Jegal Clan, famed under heaven, would just sit idly by.”
“That’s right. Aren’t we making our living thanks to the Jegal Clan anyway?”
Once the mood reversed, the village people sidled over to the people of the Jegal Clan.
“Warriors over there. Try some of this wine. I brewed it last year, and the taste is quite good.”
“Hey! Go slaughter more pigs and cows! They’re warriors, so they’ll eat a lot, won’t they!”
The people of the Jegal Clan also began acting naturally, though they had no idea what was going on.
“Compensation? What is that supposed to mean now?”
“Please just do it. How much could building a few houses for the Slash-and-Burn Farmer Village possibly cost, when you have so much money?”
“…….”
“And does it not look good?”
When I pointed at the sight of the village people and the people of the Jegal Clan mingling together, Jegal Jeong remained silent for a long while.
“Grand Elder. Please accept a cup from this old man.”
When Chief Heo approached and offered wine, Jegal Jeong hesitated, then drank.
“Hm? This tastes good.”
“I brewed it with cornelian cherry fruit. If it suits your palate, I will send you a jar every year.”
“Heh heh.”
Then, together with the old Herb Gatherer, the three began exchanging cups of wine.
“Huh…….”
Seeing that, Jegal Hyeon-un let out a small sigh.
“Just what kind of person are you?”
It was a gaze that seemed to be looking at a life form he had never seen before.
***
“To be honest, from the moment you easily caught the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent, I expected how the Grand Elder would act. He is not someone who would ever let Cheon-gi go.”
Jegal Hyeon-un and Jin So-un were on their way to the Prison where Jegal Cheon-gi was confined.
In the end, Jegal Jeong had reluctantly permitted Jegal Cheon-gi’s dispatch.
Because he had been treated as a benefactor in front of all the village people, he could not shamelessly ignore it and force his stubbornness through.
Thanks to that, Jegal Hyeon-un’s curiosity about Jin So-un grew even stronger.
“But I did not expect your actions at all. Since when had you been planning that?”
“Since he came to watch over me.”
“Heh heh! They say Black Flame Dragon’s head is faster than the feet of the Traceless Divine Thief.”
“…….”
The sight of Jin So-un faintly furrowing his brow when his epithet was mentioned looked even more endearing to Jegal Hyeon-un.
Did he think the epithet “Dragon” was still excessive for him?
“In any case, even so, how did you make the village people think to support the Grand Elder? What if the Elder had been someone who did not care about such gazes?”
Jegal Hyeon-un asked questions endlessly, as though he had met a close friend for the first time in ages.
Jin So-un explained step by step without showing the slightest sign of annoyance.
“Looking at the wealth and clothes the Grand Elder wore, I felt he was someone with a desire to show off. And in the process of how he dealt with Chief Heo, I felt he was also someone with a strong desire for honor. However, the village people living near Mount Longzhong had quite a bit of hostility toward the Jegal Clan.”
“That is all due to my lack of virtue.”
“Well…… could that truly be all? In any case, when someone who came to watch me brought Spell Practitioners and warriors with him, and though he was not going to war, came after observing every last bit of formality, I felt he also wanted to be revered by the people. So I acted accordingly.”
After hearing the interpretation of the whole process, Jegal Hyeon-un found himself admiring the other party even more.
The principles of all creation in this world seemed merely natural when one did not know them, but when one came to know them, one could not help but marvel.
Jegal Hyeon-un’s current feelings were exactly like that.
“……In my eyes, you should have become a disciple of the Jegal Clan rather than a disciple of the Taeul Sect.”
“Your words alone are more than enough.”
“To think there truly was someone who could roast and boil the Grand Elder into submission. I experienced it myself, and I still cannot believe it.”
“……Mm, he was certainly very different from the Grand Strategist.”
“……Hm?”
At the sudden mention of Jegal So-myeong’s post, Jegal Hyeon-un even stopped walking.
“You know my father…… no, the Grand Strategist?”
“Ah, yes. I met him once before at the Iron Sword Sect.”
“……Did you figure him out then too after seeing him from afar?”
“No. At that time, I met him separately and spoke with him too…….”
“The Entry Token!”
Jegal Hyeon-un cried out in astonishment.
Then Jin So-un’s eyes also flashed wide, as though asking how he knew that.
“You were the owner of that Entry Token!”
“……How did you know?”
How could he not know?
Because of that, an uproar had broken out among the famous figures of the Murim.
It was because everyone wondered which sect the person acknowledged by Jegal So-myeong belonged to, when Jegal So-myeong was so sparing in his judgment of people that he had not given an Entry Token even to members of his own family.
“D-Did Namgung San not go looking for you?”
Jegal Hyeon-un was now even stammering.
Originally, he had heard that at Namgung San’s earnest request, since Namgung San belonged to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, the token had been taken away to decide whether or not to evaluate his younger sister and grant it to her.
However, he had only heard that someone acknowledged by Jegal So-myeong had taken the Entry Token in the middle of things, and that Namgung San had left home to retrieve it.
Everyone’s attention had been focused on who could possibly be facing Namgung San, the rising star of Anhui Province.
“Yes.”
“Surely, he did not take it from you?”
“I do not let what is mine be taken.”
“Huh.”
What he had seen so far had already been enough to astonish him.
Yet seeing the sides he had not known about made him feel as though he might collapse in shock.
“Come to think of it, the Taeul Sect disciple who saved the daughter of the Wang Estate was then…….”
Jin So-un scratched the back of his head as though embarrassed.
Even without answering, Jegal Hyeon-un could tell what that meant.
He had heard that Wang Geum-san, the current Estate Lord of Wang Estate, was desperate to bring someone in as his son-in-law.
But he had never imagined that person would be this young man before his eyes.
“Just what is your identity?”
“I am a disciple of the Taeul Sect.”
That was precisely the problem.
He was a disciple of the Taeul Sect, yet the things he had accomplished, the things he did, his words and conduct, and even his thoughts were all far from ordinary.
If he had achieved so much with the martial arts of the Taeul Sect, then Jegal Hyeon-un could not even imagine what he would become if he possessed greater martial power.
‘Wait, the martial arts of the Jegal Clan are not bad either…….’
As his thoughts went that far, Jegal Hyeon-un lamented the fact that he had no daughter.
“Truly, I envy your father and your sect’s Sect Leader more than I can say.”
“I do not know about my Sect Leader, but my father would not think so. Haha.”
Seeing him burst into a hearty laugh, his relationship with his father seemed good too.
Truly, nothing was lacking in him, and the more one looked at him, the more covetable he became.
‘Yes, he will be taking Cheon-gi with him anyway, so we can continue forming ties during that time. If necessary, there are also girls in the family who are of marriageable age…….’
While Jegal Hyeon-un spread the wings of his own imagination like that, the two arrived at the Prison.
The warriors who had been guarding the area around the Prison had all withdrawn from the moment Jegal Cheon-gi’s dispatch was decided.
“Cheon-gi, your guest is here.”
CREEEEAK.
The hinges, which had not been opened in a long time, made a loud sound as the door opened, and inside, Jegal Cheon-gi, dressed neatly, was kneeling on one knee with his hands clasped.
“I, your humble servant Jegal Cheon-gi, greet my liege.”
“…….”
“…….”
At Jegal Cheon-gi’s incomprehensible behavior, Jin So-un and Jegal Hyeon-un looked at each other.
Jegal Cheon-gi spoke as loudly as he could.
“In ancient times, Liu Bei Xuande only made the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage to gain our Grand Patriarch’s service. Yet to make use of a mere insignificant learner of the Murim like me, you caught the Ironclad Black Python Great Serpent. How could I remain still? I will serve you as my liege for life, so please do not cast me away, Great Hero Black Flame Dragon.”
Though flustered by Cheon-gi’s sudden behavior, Jegal Hyeon-un could understand it to some extent.
This wounded heart must have been greatly comforted by the fact that someone had not feared danger in order to make use of him, when he had spent his entire life being denied by the family in which he was born and raised.
“…….”
Before this grave event that might decide his son’s future, Jegal Hyeon-un silently looked only at Jin So-un.
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