Chapter 348 : A Place for Loyalty

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 348: A Place for Loyalty?

The marketplace under the Unorthodox Alliance was no different from Maga Village.

Merchants laughing, chattering, and shouting among the passersby. Aside from the silent prayers of the martial artists, if you only looked at this scene while eclipsing all the rest, it was impossible to tell whether this place stood before the Martial Alliance or the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. It was a sight that made one instinctively say, "People live the same everywhere”.

“What are you looking at so curiously?”

“It’s been a while since I came out here, as I’ve been devoted to training.”

“You must’ve worked hard, which is why you’re now serving the Young Leader at such a young age.”

Pyo Gigwang brought Geom Yeon to his regular restaurant.

“This is a place I come to often. The food is pretty good.”

However, the owner and the server treated him in no way like a regular customer.

“I’ve had a few fights here.”

That he could say such a thing so casually meant Geom Yeon made him feel at ease. Could something like that happen in just one day? Especially when he’d always walked around like a porcupine with his quills raised.

As you can see, it did. He really felt at ease with Geom Yeon.

“Your injury turned out to be a great blessing for the owner here, didn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“If not for that, this place would’ve been completely wrecked, no?”

Someone who listened to him so earnestly and even joked like this—how could being with him not be enjoyable?

His mood was reflected in his order. He ordered good liquor and several of the most expensive dishes the restaurant had to offer.

“Isn’t this a bit excessive?”

“Not like I’ll get to spend it if I die anyway.”

“Please be frugal. As long as I protect you, you will never die.”

“You sure are confident.” 1

Instead of picking up his chopsticks, Pyo Gigwang poured himself a drink.

“That person is not someone you can handle.”

For the first time, he spoke of the figure behind all this.

“Even if I can’t handle them, don’t I have my fisherman?”

In response to the unspoken question of why he was worried with Bih Sa-in around, he drank in silence.

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. He didn’t believe Bih Sa-in could handle the mastermind.

“The food is delicious.”

They said this was a well-known spot nearby, and the taste truly was excellent. If Jo Chunbae had been with them, he would’ve cracked a joke asking Geom Yeon, as the representative of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, to evaluate the Unorthodox Alliance’s cuisine.

“Don’t just drink—have something to eat.”

“You go ahead and eat more.”

Pyo Gigwang had no appetite. The thought that he might die soon had caused his appetite to vanish as if by magic.

And the only person who could bring it back wasn’t a skilled chef—it was Geom Yeon.

“How did you become the Black Dragon Division Leader?”

You wouldn’t understand how much I had to go through. Starting with those words, Pyo Gigwang once again gauged Geom Yeon’s reaction.

As if to show he wasn’t asking out of courtesy, Geom Yeon listened to him with gleaming eyes even while eating.

As he recounted the past, Pyo Gigwang grew increasingly animated. And how could he not? He was boasting of the greatest accomplishment of his life.

“My rival at the time came from a very good family. You can't even imagine how much scheming he did.”

“So you overcame it purely with skill.”

“That’s one way to see it.”

“How could someone who relies only on their backing and dirty schemes ever defeat someone who climbed up from the bottom through experience and effort?”

A smile naturally formed at the corners of Pyo Gigwang’s mouth.

To hear someone say that his life had been about overcoming hardship with skill—that was something he hadn’t heard even when he was still a Division Leader, before he got injured. Perhaps it was because he’d lived an ill-fated life? Even with so many people around him, not one had ever said those words.

It made him think: maybe all those years of being slighted over the past decade were meant to lead him to this one person today. Geom Yeon’s words truly lifted his spirits.

“Tell me another story.”

Geom Mugeuk understood Pyo Gigwang’s heart well. During his time living as a wanderer, he had often met martial artists who’d become wanderers after being injured. People who could no longer use internal energy due to damage to their dantian, or who had lost an arm or a leg.

After being expelled from their organizations, what else could those who’d lived their whole lives by the sword do? And so they continued on as third-rate wanderers.

When drunk, they would always boast about the days when they’d been somebody. But it wasn’t really boasting—it was a way of venting their frustration and loneliness.

“Is my story that interesting?”

“It is.”

Pyo Gigwang stared at Geom Yeon. This youngster continued to defy his expectations.

“Do you know what my first impression of you was? I thought you’d be very talkative. When I heard you say it was the ‘smoke’ yeon character, not the ‘performance’ yeon, I figured, ‘Ah, this one talks a lot.’ But turns out, you’re actually someone who listens well.”

“No, I talk a lot. I just haven’t gotten close enough yet to loosen my tongue.”

That remark made Pyo Gigwang laugh. To think he could laugh with death right around the corner.

“Will we even have time to grow closer?”

To that self-mocking question, Geom Yeon responded confidently.

“I’ll protect you.”

“Forget that—why don’t you tell me a story of your own now.”

“My story is too long.”

How could he have known what lay behind that meaningful smile?

“You must’ve had it rough.”

“Don’t even get me started.”

Geom Yeon waved his hand as if he didn’t even want to think about it.

“With your personality, I’d think you’d be surrounded by people.”

“That’s what makes it lonelier.”

“Lonelier?”

“Even with so many people around, there’s no one to actually meet. Do you know how heartbreaking it is when no one really looks out for you? Everyone has the same excuse. They thought someone else would take care of it. That’s how people like us end up with a pitch-black hole in our hearts.”

“A pitch-black hole?”

“It’s something someone I like once told me. That everyone has a pitch-black hole inside them. A hole you mustn’t fall into, and one you mustn’t stare into for too long.”

Pyo Gigwang thought it was a strange thing for a young man to say, yet he couldn’t help but recall his own hole. He had one too. So deep and so large that no matter how hard he tried not to fall, he couldn’t help but sink into it.

It would’ve been nice if I had met this kid a little earlier.

If I had, would my fate have changed? Would I have lived an entirely different life instead of one destined for complete annihilation?

“If you’re done eating, let’s go.”

“Let’s go.”

The two of them left the restaurant and headed for home.

“Get some sleep.”

“I can’t do that. I need to keep watch.”

“How long can you stay awake and keep watch?”

I really don’t understand the Young Leader. He should’ve at least sent someone to take shifts.

“Did you perhaps make some mistake with the Young Leader?”

‘I did. If you knew how much I flustered him and teased him, you'd faint on the spot’.

“I told the Young Leader I was looking forward to seeing a dashing Unorthodox follower. Do you think that was a mistake?”

Pyo Gigwang gave him a dumbfounded look.

“A new martial artist said that to the Young Leader?”

“When else would I get the chance to say it? The higher up someone is, the harder it becomes to say things like that.”

So that’s why he ended up on the outs. Must’ve been those bright, shining eyes that got under his skin. A glow brighter than his own.

And yet, to throw away someone this decent?

Then Pyo Gigwang suddenly had a thought.

A decent person? Was he already thinking that due to the sole fact that the kid had listened to him?

Pyo Gigwang realized just how lonely he had been all this time.

Lost in thought, they turned down a quiet path.

That was when four masked figures blocked their way.

It wasn’t part of the plan with Bih Sa-in.

The one behind all of this had sent assassins to completely eliminate Pyo Gigwang. Judging by the overt hostility in their presence, they were clearly hired killers.

Pyo Gigwang’s heart sank.

‘So it’s finally come.’

And it had come much sooner than expected.

Fate was cruel like that. Giving you death in your most joyful moment. If only it had waited a few more days.

His eyes shifted to Geom Yeon standing beside him. He wanted to hear the kid’s story too. He still had things he wanted to share.

And more than anything—he felt sorry.

‘This young man is going to die because of me.’

Pyo Gigwang said to Geom Yeon,

“Looks like the fisherman is about to haul up his net. I’m sorry. Truly, I’m sorry.”

To his heartfelt apology, Geom Yeon drew his sword and replied,

“Unless it’s my fisherman doing the hauling, I have no intention of being dragged up by yours.”

At the same time, the assassins leapt at them all at once.

Two of them rushed toward Geom Yeon, while the other two went for Pyo Gigwang.

Pyo Gigwang closed his eyes. He was already prepared to die, so he didn’t bother with clumsy, useless resistance. He would end his life with dignity and composure.

Sssshk—

He heard the sound of a blade slicing through the air toward him.

At the moment he thought it was over—

Thunk!

He thought it was his body being stabbed—but it wasn’t.

At some point, Geom Yeon had stepped in front of him and struck first, stabbing the attacker.

He felt another sword flying in from behind. The one who had initially aimed for Geom Yeon had changed targets and now attacked him.

‘I’m really going to die this time.’

Just as he thought that, his body was pulled away.

Dragged toward Geom Yeon, he narrowly avoided the flying sword.

Thunk!

Geom Yeon’s sword pierced straight through the heart of the assassin attacking from behind. His motion was clean and precise—no wasted movement, incredibly swift.

The two remaining assassins charged at Pyo Gigwang simultaneously. It was an all-out suicide attack—they were determined to kill Pyo Gigwang even if they died doing it.

‘Ah! I really am going to die this time!’

But once again, both attacks missed and sliced through empty air. Just before he was stabbed, some unknown force caused Pyo Gigwang to fall forward, and the strikes veered off course.

The price for that failed one-sided attack was death.

Geom Mugeuk’s sword, which had just pierced the neck of the assassin on the left, smoothly slipped out and immediately stabbed the heart of the assassin on the right. The sequence was so natural, it was like watching a rehearsed sparring match.

Of course, the fallen Pyo Gigwang hadn’t witnessed that masterful, artful display.

‘I’m alive… again?’

Pyo Gigwang got up and looked around. All four masked figures blocking their path had collapsed into lifeless corpses.

“What just happened?”

“I told you I’d protect you, didn’t I?”

It was just then—

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Throwing weapons came flying from above.

Geom Yeon swung his sword and deflected them, shouting at Pyo Gigwang.

“Run behind that tree!”

The two of them sprinted and ducked behind a large tree, hiding themselves.

Geom Yeon extended his sword and checked the reflection of the enemies on its blade. 2

“There are three in the tree to the east. Two more are hiding in the bushes below.”

Of course, if Geom Yeon unleashed his true strength, he could eliminate every one of them in an instant.

But he didn’t. Right now, to Pyo Gigwang and to the enemy, he was just a martial artist from the Thirteen Wolves. The youngest member, still hiding his true strength, was only showing just enough to match that image.

“It’s not too late. Leave me and go.”

Pyo Gigwang never thought he’d say something like this to someone he’d only met yesterday. No—someone who wasn’t even at the level of a novice in terms of strength. Someone with whom he didn’t even share a full day’s connection, and yet he found himself trying to save him.

“You’ve already taken down four—surely even the Young Leader will understand.”

At that moment, someone dropped from the tree above.

Sssshk!

It was such a completely unexpected ambush that Pyo Gigwang truly believed this time he would die.

‘Aaaaahhhh!’

But just before the enemy’s sword struck his head, Geom Yeon pulled him slightly to the side.

He felt the blade graze past his ear. Wouldn’t it stab his shoulder, then?—he thought.

Splat!

The assassin, who had launched the ambush, spewed blood and rolled to the ground as a corpse.

Pyo Gigwang hadn’t seen how Geom Mugeuk had dealt with the attacker—once again.

‘Alive… what? How?’

Before he could even ask, Geom Yeon yanked him along once more.

“Behind that rock!”

Pyo Gigwang stumbled forward with Geom Yeon. He was so confused. He wasn’t alone—Geom Yeon was with him—so he had no choice but to run. And yet, this wasn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want to run like this.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Throwing daggers stabbed into the ground beneath their feet as they ran. No matter how skilled the assassin was in throwing techniques, how could they hit even once when Geom Mugeuk was dragging him?

Dodging the attacks by a hair’s breadth, the two managed to hide safely behind the rock.

“I told you to leave me behind!”

“They’re trying to wipe you out completely. Why would you accept that?”

“You don’t understand my feelings.”

Leaning against the rock, Geom Yeon looked at him.

“Is it because of loyalty to the alliance?”

Naturally, Pyo Gigwang stared back with eyes that said yes.

Geom Yeon’s gaze shifted to the corpses lying in the distance.

“Those are hired killers. What kind of alliance sends contract assassins to kill their own subordinates? In this filthy situation, where could you find room for loyalty?” 3

“!”

At that moment, another assassin climbed over the rock.

Slice—

As Geom Yeon beheaded him—

Assassins emerged from behind the trees and hurled throwing weapons.

Swishswishswishswishswishswishswishswishswish!

Watching more than ten weapons flying straight at him, Pyo Gigwang thought that this was finally the true end.

‘Please… at least you survive!’

Thwackthwackthwackthwackthwackthwackthwack!

He opened his eyes at the sound of flesh being torn. At some point, Geom Yeon had killed the assassin who’d come over the rock and used his corpse as a shield, standing in front of Pyo Gigwang. All the incoming weapons had embedded themselves into the dead body.

‘What the… I’m STILL alive?!!’

Before he could say a word, Geom Yeon pulled him again and started running into the mountain.

“Run!”

Behind them, the assassins—now revealing themselves fully—began to pursue in a wave.

As he ran frantically with Geom Yeon, Pyo Gigwang had only one thought.

‘Why the hell do I keep surviving?’ 4

1 : *Mysterious smile* ^^

2 : *Flashbacks of Corner Shot* (but it’s a sword)

3 : True, loyalty can only go so far.

4 : Lol, he’s so confused over his survival XDXDXD