“What were you doing here in the first place?”
Mong-ah was taken aback. The person who had just seen her off a moment ago was now standing behind her. And to make matters worse, it was a member of the Jungpa.
“I’m sorry for the situation, but I need to take care of these guys first.”
But the man shamelessly ignored Mong-ah’s words and asked the bandits again.
“Tell me why you targeted her. I’ll really kill you.”
He exerted pressure on them, and his dominance was overwhelming.
In terms of power, he was at a level that could rival Mong-ah herself.
“Well, um…”
The bandit, who had been looking around, finally spoke up.
Mong-ah wanted to stop him from talking, but she had no reason to do so.
“Well, I don’t know the details, but there’s a rumor going around…”
“What rumor?”
“That Mong-ah, the female warrior, knows the whereabouts of the Cheonmu Bible.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“I heard it secretly, so it’s not widely known…”
Mong-ah scrutinized the man’s expression with a tense look.
Even the elders of the Amipa, who had been polishing their martial arts for many years, could not hide their greed for that name.
“That’s strange.”
“…”
“It’s a bit strange to say it in front of you, but it doesn’t seem easy for someone like you to obtain such confidential information…?”
In the martial arts world, martial arts were the greatest asset, and the name Cheonmu Bible was a name that made anyone’s heart beat faster.
It was a rare book that was said to contain the martial arts of the sword god Hwacheon-u, who had fought and defeated the heavenly demons 200 years ago.
But the man didn’t seem interested in that name at all.
“I don’t know either. But if I get my hands on it…”
“You’ll die. To someone who is more powerful than you and wants the Cheonmu Bible just as much as you do.”
“…Cheonmu Bible.”
“…Oh, I misspoke.”
The man turned his head quickly to Mong-ah and opened his mouth.
“Do you really know about it, Mong-ah?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Just because of this, so many people are after you?”
Mong-ah cautiously nodded her head. In fact, there were many cases where those who mocked her held grudges against her.
The man shook his head and brought down the bandit’s blood pressure.
The bandit closed his eyes tightly, but the man knew that his blood pressure had dropped and prevented him from running away.
“Where do you think you’re going? Line up, all of you.”
The man threatened the bandits with his power and made them line up, ordering his subordinates to tie their wrists by tearing their upper garments.
Mong-ah watched the man with a tense look, feeling both uneasy and excited.
As a member of the Jungpa, I came with Mong-ah to Cheonghaeseong to implement justice and we started having a meal at an inn.
Fortunately, there was a vacant room in the annex of the inn, so we set up a table there. Even if something secret came up, it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Why did you follow me?”
“I don’t think you know about the situation, but usually people don’t leave their homes in such dangerous situations.”
“…So?”
“Fortunately, they were just ordinary bandits this time, but it’s a bit…”
“Are you saying you’re following me?”
“I also needed to leave the castle for a while.”
I decided to be brazen. It’s better to be straightforward than to come up with a lame excuse.
“I really appreciate the intention of Sohyeop. But such rumors can be easily…”
“Is that so?”
Cheonmu Bible.
It was a name I had never heard before. Judging by the name and the fact that there was no explanation, it must be a great martial arts book that everyone knew about.
It was full of the sense of a middle schooler, so it might be a great martial art that was highly regarded in Gogum.
“Even if it’s a rumor that only a few people know, the fact that such confidential information has been secretly passed on to those bandits is not normal.”
I wasn’t particularly smart, but I knew that this situation was not normal.
‘An unnatural situation means that it is likely to be a situation created by someone’s arbitrary decision.’
I could understand if it was Gupa or Odaese, but…
“Please be honest about the situation.”
“Don’t get involved any further. You could be in danger too.”
I was a little surprised by the unexpectedly worried voice.
Mong-ah’s voice had always been blunt, but now it sounded quite warm.
“If there’s a problem, isn’t it wise to seek help from Amipa?”
“…I can’t get help from the main faction.”
I’m going crazy.
“I don’t want to interfere, I can’t get help from Amipa, what are you trying to do?”
“…It’s not that I don’t want interference.”
Huh?
“You don’t know how heavy the burden of Kangho’s Eunwon is. It’s not just a matter of lightly interfering, it could lead to a disaster.”
“…”
“Your intentions are…right. As a member of the Jungpa, it’s desirable not to turn a blind eye to others’ difficulties. But…”
Mong-ah trailed off, her expression suggesting that there was something painful she wanted to say.
“What about Amipa? Isn’t it natural for a member to seek help from their faction?”
“Ha…”
Seeing her fake laughter, I could tell there was something behind it.
“When you heard the name Cheonmu Bible, how did you feel?”
“Wow, it must be amazing…is it that great?”
I didn’t know how great of a martial art it was, but even if it was greater than the Dungseon Gong, it didn’t mean much to me.
Even the Dungseon Gong was difficult to digest properly, and my understanding of martial arts couldn’t keep up with my inner strength growth, so what use would a greater martial art be?
“I thought so. I guessed from your calm expression when you heard the name, but…”
“…That means Amipa people weren’t like that.”
I understood. If the Moonpa had to protect the Moon Do, then conversely, the Moon Do had to dedicate themselves to the Moonpa.
If Amipa had heard rumors about the Cheonmu Bible, it was natural for them to want it too.
“So even though you’re suffering like this, you’re not returning to your faction?”
“Yeah, only the prince knows about my situation.”
Geomsung.
Even though he was a crazy guy who couldn’t bite his master, he was a famous great master among the Jungpa people, so he could be trusted.
It seemed like he was diverting it outwardly by making various requests to Mong-ah in the name of the Munglimmaeng, rather than openly revealing the affairs of someone else’s faction.
“Then I’m the second one.”
“…That’s right.”
It was twisted beyond belief. Someone was spreading rumors that Mong-ah knew the whereabouts of a very valuable item.
In the eyes of martial artists, it was as valuable as gold or silver, and someone knew its whereabouts.
Even though Mong-ah herself didn’t know anything, it was a dog-like situation where others wouldn’t believe her even if she said she didn’t know.
“Well, then I think you understand. It’s not a problem that can be solved by your involvement.”
“But you’re still trying to do something about it, aren’t you? What’s the reason for coming all the way to Cheonghaeseong?”
“…”
Mong-ah hesitated for a moment before sending me a message with a determined expression.
[Actually…it’s not that there are no clues.]
What is she talking about now?
[Before I entered Amisan…I had a husband. He happened to obtain a clue about the whereabouts of the Cheonmu Bible.]
“Now, my late husband had a clue, but I just kept it safe. But in the past few months, the problem suddenly surfaced.”
“So, you’re carrying around the clue your husband had to find the Cheonmu Bible?”
“…Yes.”
Damn it, if she wasn’t interested in the Cheonmu Bible itself, she could have just destroyed or given away the clue.
I don’t even know if her husband’s death is related to this.
“If it’s something you’re doing because you don’t want to waste your husband’s death, then it makes sense.”
“Then the next destination is Gonryunsan, right?”
Mong-ah nodded. I remembered going to Mudangsan in Hobuk and guessed correctly.
“Let’s go together.”
Even though Mong-ah was annoying, I could understand her situation to some extent.
If that’s the case, I wanted to help. I couldn’t bear to see a woman who couldn’t face her memories with her husband.
As I was thinking that, something suddenly came to mind, and I spoke up.
“Then, what about the people we saw on our last journey?”
“Oh, almost all of them were people who were with me and Eun-won. There are many people in the world who mock others lightly, calling them Yeoseung.”
…But it’s not like there are many people who will take care of everything.
As expected, you reap what you sow.
“Well, Hye-ah, what’s going on?”
Nam Gung-hye put down the teacup she had been tilting. There was a mother on the other side smiling kindly, but Nam Gung-hye just wanted to sigh.
But she had to talk about it. It was unnatural for the head of the household not to be involved in a marriage.
“Mother, there’s a matchmaking proposal from the Hwangbo family.”
“I see.”
Un So-young also put down the teacup she had been tilting and spoke.
“You’re saying this because the conversation is progressing quite a bit… Who’s the other party? Have you met them?”
“It’s Hwangbo Jun-sohyeong, the eldest grandson of the current head of the Hwangbo family.”
Nam Gung-hye recalled Hwangbo Jun’s face. He was a young man with a gentle impression who had come all the way to Anhwi from Sandong.
He was somewhat small in stature, but he seemed kind and considerate, so she felt that he was not a bad match.
“Nowadays, it’s not a trend to rush into marriage, so do you really have to do it now? It’s better to take your time and find a good match…”
“No. I don’t need to.”
Nam Gung-hye cut off Un So-young’s words harshly.
She still loved her mother, but on the other hand, every aspect of her mother reminded her of that night, so she couldn’t help but say something mean.
Nam Gung-hye glanced at Un So-young’s belly. Her belly was now quite swollen, and there wasn’t much time left.
Choosing Hwangbo Jun was also a rebellion against her mother.
“I can never live with a man like him.”
She wanted to meet a man who would cherish her like a woman, rather than a man who would lust after her like an animal. The result of her choice was Hwangbo Jun.
“I think I’ll have to meet with their elders a few times.”
“Okay…”
After the child was born, her mother would be able to resume her external activities.
But even though others might not see it, Nam Gung-hye couldn’t look at her mother with the same eyes as before.
She just needed to have the wedding, just have the wedding.
That way, Nam Gung-hye would become a part of the Hwangbo family, and she wouldn’t have to think about her changed mother anymore.
Sincerely.
