Chapter 34: Sword Demon Arrives at Dandong
“Units 4 and 5 just snuck out of Shenyang.”
At the report from Tianan Commander Murong Gyeom, Clan Head Murong Mugeol nodded.
“Let them go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tap!
Once the Tianan Commander disappeared, Murong Mugeol stood alone, gazing out the window.
The moonlight was tinged red, exuding a faint madness.
With a soft smile, Murong Mugeol whispered to the moon.
“Don’t resent me too much.”
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
A horse-drawn carriage galloped, kicking up dust.
A banner reading [Cheongsang Merchant Group (晴慡商團)] fluttered on the wagon.
Two young men sat in the driver’s seat. One had large earlobes, the other pronounced cheekbones.
“You were right, Sang-gwan.”
“Hm? About what?”
At Tang Segi’s comment, Sang-gwan Hae responded with a question.
“Namgung Hoyeon. Your judgment of people is better than mine.”
“Hahaha.”
Pleased with the praise, Sang-gwan Hae nodded.
“I knew it at first glance. He wasn’t ordinary.”
“Not just extraordinary—he’s practically unfathomable. He behaves like a veteran who’s seen it all.”
Tang Segi shook his head.
“Each of his actions hides multiple strategies, all converging toward one goal.”
“One act, many schemes, single purpose—eh?”
“It’s like… watching our old man.”
Startled, Sang-gwan Hae asked, “You mean the Poison King?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s the highest praise.”
“It’s an insult.”
With a snort, Tang Segi continued.
“The resolute will he showed at Dojeonru. The patience to lure enemies into traps. The decisiveness to pounce after careful tracking. The political savvy to control people by their weaknesses.”
“Haha, well, that’s natural for a dragon.”
“No… he’s more like a serpent.”
Tang Segi sharply looked at the carriage Namgung Hoyeon was riding in.
“…A giant serpent that’s already devoured several dragons.”
“Meow!”
“Mooncat, come here!”
“Myaa~!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Inside the small carriage, Mooncat darted around to avoid Murong Yul’s grasp.
Thud!
The wagon jolted over a stone, throwing Murong Yul off balance.
“Eek!”
Grab! Grab!
Hoyeon, seated across from her, caught both Murong Yul and the back of Mooncat’s neck at once.
“Hold still.”
“S-Sorry…”
“Not you. The rice cake.”
“Meowww!”
Mooncat flailed her soft paws as if to protest, but there was no way she could land a hit on Hoyeon.
Murong Yul returned to her seat, blushing and bowing her head.
“Sorry…”
“I wasn’t scolding you.”
“It’s just… everything feels like my fault.”
“…”
As Murong Yul muttered in a low voice, Hoyeon looked at her and spoke.
“Goats have poor eyesight, so they can only see what’s right in front of them.”
“…Pardon?”
“That’s why they just follow the tail in front of them without thinking.”
“…?”
Murong Yul looked up at him in confusion.
Hoyeon cleared his throat.
“Ahem. I don’t like goats. They’re all the same. They might as well all fall off a cliff together.”
“…”
From his words, Murong Yul could tell he was trying to comfort her.
A soft blue glow shimmered in his tousled hair, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
“Thank you.”
“Hm? For what? I was talking about Mooncat. She’s a peculiar one.”
“Hiss!”
He glanced at Mooncat in his grip, who hissed in protest.
“Here.”
Flick! Land!
Hoyeon lightly tossed Mooncat, who landed softly in Murong Yul’s lap with a graceful bounce.
“Cute, right?”
“Meow~!”
Murong Yul stroked Mooncat, who affectionately rubbed her head against her.
Seeing the scene, Hoyeon smacked his lips.
“Chmph, does she hate me?”
“Not really.”
“Then why avoid me?”
“Because you keep grabbing her by the neck.”
“Huh? Aren’t you supposed to grab cats by the scruff?”
Tilting his head, Hoyeon asked. Murong Yul gently patted Mooncat and replied.
“She came from Arasa. A merchant said her mother boarded a ship while pregnant and gave birth to six kittens aboard.”
“Six? That’s a lot.”
“I guess that’s why. The mother must’ve thought she couldn’t care for all of them and abandoned the weakest—Mooncat.”
“…”
“She took the others by the scruff, but Mooncat was left all alone in the cargo bay.”
Stroke, stroke.
Murong Yul gently petted Mooncat, her voice tinged with sadness.
“The merchant felt bad and took her in. But for some reason, Mooncat lashes out whenever someone grabs her neck.”
“…”
“Hearing that, I asked my father for the first favor in my life. And we became friends.”
Hearing this, Hoyeon recalled the first time they met.
“Mooncat is my… only friend.”
Murong Yul clearly saw herself in Mooncat—a blue-eyed creature abandoned by its mother and left alone in a strange world.
That’s why Mooncat was so dear to her.
“Killing the one I care for most… to prepare myself for survival! Please let her go!”
Did I… try to make her kill her only friend with her own hands?
Hoyeon’s eyes narrowed.
The Murong family.
Didn’t they call it “Endless Struggle”?
A nasty game they’re playing.
“Haha! So, from now on, don’t grab Mooncat by the scruff anymore.”
As Hoyeon stayed silent, Murong Yul laughed awkwardly.
Hoyeon snorted and replied.
“Nope. Now I want to grab her even more.”
“Eh?”
“In short, she’s just not used to it. A grown-up cat throwing tantrums? Life is experience.”
Grab!
He seized Mooncat’s neck again as she squirmed in Murong Yul’s arms.
“Meowww!”
“Annoyed? But you can’t escape.”
“Meeoooow!”
“Nope, not letting go.”
Even as she flailed, Hoyeon wouldn’t release her. Mooncat hung limp like a rice cake and looked pleadingly at Murong Yul.
“Pfft!”
Murong Yul burst out laughing at the sight.
“Meow…”
Mooncat gave her a betrayed look.
Regaining her energy, Murong Yul asked Hoyeon, “By the way, why are we disguised as a merchant group?”
“Because it’s the safest choice.”
“Why disguise at all?”
“To avoid stirring suspicion.”
Hoyeon smiled mysteriously and added, “Actually, this is a disguise within a disguise.”
“…Huh?”
“Think about it. If four kids show up pretending to be merchants, anyone will assume it’s a disguise.”
“Then wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?”
Murong Yul asked with wide eyes. Hoyeon explained.
“Actually, that’s perfect. To the enemy, we’ll just look like clumsy novices trying to fake it.”
“Oh…”
“They’ll grow overconfident thinking they’ve seen through us. That gap—that arrogance—is deadly in the martial world.”
Hoyeon’s sharp gaze made Murong Yul look at him in awe.
“Wow… how do you know all this?”
“After being hunted like a dog for twenty years, you learn a few tricks.”
“…What?”
“Never mind. Kids don’t need to know.”
“I’m not a kid! I’m only a year younger than you!”
At her outburst, Hoyeon blinked in surprise.
“Huh? You’re fifteen?”
He looked her up and down.
Murong Yul’s small stature, timid posture, and quiet demeanor made her seem like she was twelve at most.
“I’m an adult too! I’ll grow taller and gain muscle soon!”
“…Oops, sorry.”
Hoyeon scratched his head. As someone short himself, he understood her frustration.
While glaring at him, Murong Yul asked, “You’re… engaged, right?”
“Not married yet. Just engaged. It’s a prenatal agreement.”
“Lady Jegal Ahyeon.”
“Huh? How’d you know?”
“I saw you talking with her.”
“You did?”
While Hoyeon puzzled over this, she continued.
“Are you going to marry her?”
“Hm… not sure.”
“Young Master Namgung. Marry me.”
As he recalled her words, he scratched his messy hair.
“It’s… complicated. Adult stuff.”
“I told you, I’m an adult too.”
“Hah, fine. Be an adult then.”
“…Tch. I really am.”
Just then, Sang-gwan Hae’s voice came from outside.
“We’re here! Dandong!”
Dandong (丹東).
The red land in the east.
Originally named for its vibrant autumn foliage, the name took on a new meaning fifty years ago when a certain sect established itself here.
Now, Dandong conjures images of blood-soaked lands.
That sect is [Salmak (殺幕)].
A terrifying force under Nine Heavens Castle, led by Salwang (King of Assassins), one of the Twelve Kings.
“What a world…”
Hoyeon muttered as he looked out the guesthouse window.
Dark streets. A few shops bore red lanterns with the character ‘殺’ (kill) written on them—secret drop points for assassination requests.
“Assassins strutting about like it’s nothing…”
As Hoyeon sighed, Sang-gwan Hae sipped his tea.
Slurp. “That’s why they chose a place like this. Just across the Amnok River is the territory of the Eastern Barbarians.”
“Clan Head Murong Mugeol even arranged a political marriage with Baekyak Mountain Villa’s eldest daughter just to check Salmak. So it’s clear he sees them as a threat.”
Hearing Tang Segi’s words, Hoyeon smiled and focused his energy on his forehead pressure point.
Buzzzzz.
Psychokinesis spread outward, forming a semi-spherical field.
One guy, two, three, four…
Many were watching the guesthouse. From the different auras, multiple factions were involved.
Heh, word’s already spread about this place, huh?
Just then, Sang-gwan Hae looked at Hoyeon grimly and said,
“I still can’t believe it. That those people are behind the Guaitong Incident…”
At his words, Tang Segi and Murong Yul’s expressions darkened.
Retracting his field, Hoyeon shrugged.
“It’s not certain yet. Just a possibility.”
“Even the possibility is dangerous.”
Gulp!
Swallowing hard, Sang-gwan Hae nearly shouted,
“If Nine Heavens Castle is really involved… then we can’t handle this alone!”
