They say it doesn’t snow, but winter is not a good season for traveling.
Still, if you follow the road, you might meet some travelers.
Among them were ascetic practitioners on their pilgrimage.
“Is it alright if I challenge you to a duel? Life-and-death stakes are fine, but just a sparring match is good too.”
Sometimes, there were martial artists standing by the roadside, approaching passing carts to strike up a conversation.
Such folks were easily spotted even in Heavenly Bright Moon.
“Sayoon. Go on. Let’s just have a friendly spar. Life-and-death stakes might leave a bitter taste.”
“I don’t mind. Come on.”
Wandering martial artists were out and about in winter, fighting each other to sharpen their skills.
These people, called ‘seekers of the way,’ were among the pests in Heavenly Bright Moon.
No matter the skill gap, the moment eyes met, they’d pounce; it’d be a lie to say it wasn’t annoying.
But the current seekers were quite pleasant beings.
And that was because they were great sparring partners to expand Sayoon’s real-world experience.
“Hah!!”
“Urghh!!”
-Clang! Clang! Clang!!
With fierce shouts, Sayoon swung her sword, while the seeker swung their club.
Despite the clash of sword and blunt weapon, Sayoon didn’t falter in strength.
“Impressive!!”
With admiration, the seeker swung their club widely.
Calmly blocking the oddly directed attack, Sayoon created an opening and aimed a strike.
Caught square in the chest, the seeker staggered back and fell to their knees.
As they knelt, Sayoon pointed her sword at them, and the seeker laughed, pointing to one side.
“Though young, your skills are truly remarkable. I am in awe of your martial prowess. Take this.”
Saying that, the man got up, swaying a bit as he left. Following his gaze, Sayoon spotted a bag with some silver pieces, a talisman, and a basket full of materials.
“There seem to be a lot of seekers this winter.”
“Well, it’s a harsh season. Many martial artists want to improve their skills this way.”
After experiencing days fighting martial artists who pushed themselves to their limits, Sayoon was growing stronger.
As Sayoon settled back on the cart and began to reflect on the recent spar, I drove the cart forward.
“At least it’s lucky we haven’t encountered many thugs.”
“Haha. They probably find it too bothersome to move in winter too.”
Even merchants don’t venture out much in winter. So, aside from the likes of Green Forest that set up shop and demand tolls, thugs don’t operate either.
Those traveling in winter are usually impoverished vagabonds or martial artists confident in their skills.
Most of the people in the Murim are like this.
As such, there were few bandits, but evil monsters still existed.
Just like now.
In the distance, a few large wolves were watching us, and a killing intent was beginning to emerge.
As the horses stopped in fear, Hongryeon and Chaejin stepped forward.
And the slaughter began.
As if finding the Marang amusing, Hongryeon and Chaejin started to slice them apart, and before long, they returned leisurely with the cart.
“Marang is a troublesome evil monster. We need to take them down as soon as we spot them,” Hongryeon said calmly, explaining that because Marang are evil monsters that can raid villages, they should be eliminated whenever possible.
Encountering those we could meet in winter, we continued our journey.
“Wow!”
About eight days after leaving Seomhwa Village, we could see a large city.
“Is that Mugakseong?”
Mugakseong (武刻成), the city that has been engraved with martial spirit.
The huge view of the city where the Murim Alliance is located came into sight.
Even from this distance, Mugakseong, one of the major cities in Heavenly Bright Moon, appeared quite colossal.
As Sayoon marveled at the city, which seemed several times larger than Seomhwa Village, Hyunhwi leaned slightly forward and pointed to one side.
“There are still many people wanting to enter the city.”
It’s common to have a lot of foot traffic in big cities. Just as she said, there were indeed quite a few people wanting to get into Mugakseong, as evidenced by the long line at the city gates.
“Come on. Let’s go. We’ll be able to eat dinner inside the city tonight.”
I drove the cart. As we arrived near Mugakseong to line up, Hongryeon and Chaejin held me back.
“We can enter through a different gate. Please go to the east gate.”
Mugakseong, where the Murim Alliance is located, means that high-ranking members like Hongryeon and Chaejin might enjoy some conveniences.
It wasn’t surprising, considering that one could gain such privileges in Heavenly Bright Moon after achieving a certain level of merit with the Murim Alliance.
So I drove the cart toward the east gate, and unlike the bustling south gate filled with seekers, the east gate was pretty much vacant.
“I’m the inspector Hongryeon of the Murim Alliance.”
Approaching the cart were men and women clad in white martial attire. They looked different from regular soldiers and were taken aback upon seeing the badge Hongryeon held out, bowing deeply in respect.
“We are honored to meet the inspector.”
I glanced at Hongryeon. She smiled awkwardly, slightly reddening her face.
“Uh. I feel like I’m showing off for no reason.”
“Haha. I can see how hard you’ve worked.”
“Hehe.”
As Hongryeon chuckled softly, Chaejin stepped down from the cart. The martial artists looked even more surprised at her presence.
The warriors were even more surprised.
“Ch-chan, even Lady Swordswoman?!”
“Is that you, the Mugan of Hyeonmu-dae, the Muyeon siblings? Could you open the door for us?”
“Yes!”
More nervous than when they saw Hongryeon, they opened the door. At their anxious looks, Hongryeon clicked her tongue briefly, and Chaejin chuckled.
“I once went on a mission with Hyeonmu-dae. Hehe.”
“Impressive.”
“Remember this. A person of this caliber is protecting you.”
“Haha. It’s an honor.”
“…Hehe. It’s not that great, though.”
As I said this with a smile to the puffed-up Hongryeon, Chaejin scratched her head and twirled a stray lock of hair around her finger. I smiled back at her and drove the cart toward the open door.
I could easily tell that the bustling atmosphere beyond the castle gate indicated a lively area.
Could it be because this is the city where the Murim Alliance is located? Most of the shops near the gate catered to warriors.
There were stores selling easy-to-eat jerky or dried meat, shops selling daggers and short swords, as well as places for equipment repairs.
However, there wasn’t much interest shown in us. Not to mention Chaejin, but Hongseong was currently well-equipped with things made by Noya and Changju.
“Shall we stop by the Murim Alliance first? They have lodging there, so we can rest.”
“Or I know of an inn. We can go there if you’d prefer. Honestly, the Murim Alliance lodging isn’t that great.”
After thinking about the suggestions from Hongryeon and Chaejin, I nodded.
“If we’re going to stay, wouldn’t it be better to choose a good place? I’ll cover the cost, so let’s go to a better inn. We can stay at the Murim Alliance lodging before we leave.”
After all, this trip was mainly to broaden Sayoon’s experience. It’s better to try different things.
Everyone agreed with my suggestion, and under Chaejin’s guidance, we arrived at a fairly large inn.
“Welcome! How many guests do we have?!”
“Five, and we’d like three rooms.”
“Yes!”
The innkeeper cheerfully smiled and drove the cart inside. It seemed there were quite a few people arriving in carts like ours. I noticed horses and carts parked there and couldn’t help but admire the inn’s interior once I stepped inside.
The facilities were definitely impressive.
Of course, it wasn’t at the level of Cheonghoeru, but it was larger than my previous inn, and the decor inside was more splendid.
“This place is among the safest inns when mentioning the best in Mugak Seong. Just to avoid any unnecessary problems, patrols from the advanced combat division of the Murim Alliance I belong to come here quite often.”
As expected, even those arguing in the corner visibly flushed when a Jeomsoi approached and started talking to them.
“Actually, this is also a registration point for the small martial arts tournaments often hosted by the Murim Alliance. And the owner, Lady Yangihwa, earned her name in the advanced combat teams of the Murim Alliance before retiring, so petty conflicts don’t arise here.”
“It’s also the registration desk for the martial arts tournament. And the innkeeper, Yang Ihwa, is a retired top combat officer from the Murim Alliance, so there’s really no chance of unnecessary trouble here.”
“So if we fight here, the top combat officers from the Murim Alliance will come rushing in, right?”
“Anyway, if there’s a problem at the inn you run, it would also make things difficult for your juniors.”
“Plus, if a conflict arises, we can just resolve it through the tournament, which should help reduce pointless fights.”
“That does sound pretty safe.”
“Ah. Sayoon, do you want to see over there?”
Chaeran pointed to where Hyunhwi was looking.
There were quite a few name plaques hanging, and when Sayoon spotted one, she was taken aback.
“Ten consecutive wins… Chaeran?”
“Yeah. Ren has participated in the martial arts tournament held here before. She won ten matches in a row and even took home a prize. You should challenge it if you’re interested later.”
While Sayoon thought seriously about that, we moved our luggage to each room.
“Then… it’s probably best to visit Munsahgong’s place first.”
Munsahgong’s house wasn’t far from the inn. After passing through quite a bustling street and entering a luxurious yet quiet avenue, we soon arrived at a large estate guarded by soldiers.
“This is not a place anyone can enter.”
A soldier said seriously as he noticed us approaching. It was like this in Heavenly Bright Moon too. After showing my authority, I presented the introduction letter given by Cheonilhwa.
“I apologize for the intrusion, General Cheon.”
As expected, the introduction letter worked.
The soldiers politely bowed and opened the way for us, and Hongryeon looked quite surprised.
“Their skills are not just that of ordinary soldiers.”
“Of course. They would be at the elite level of the Empire’s royal guards.”
“Oh… that level of people guarding this place really shows how impressive Munsahgong must be.”
“Indeed. Now then…”
As we stepped into the spacious yet unadorned and humble estate, an old man appeared.
I bowed to him, and he returned the gesture as he spoke.
“I am Jang Gweong, the caretaker of this estate. The innkeeper is currently busy attending to the lady and cannot receive guests. May I ask what brings you here?”
“I have come to capture the evil monster, Mack, that is parasitizing the lady.”
At my words, the old man’s expression hardened, and before he could respond, Hongryeon said seriously.
“I can feel it now that we’re inside.”
As Hongryeon calmly spoke and raised her Hongseong Divine Art, a chilling and sticky aura began to emerge from within the estate, something only felt in the depths of Hongseongsan.
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