Chapter 135: Hatred is not forgotten, but kept in the heart (1)

"What's this?"

Hajinwool asked with a puzzled expression as he looked at Myeongnyusan, sprawled out before him, while Jinmuwon was busy extracting a tooth.

"That's the thief from yesterday."

"I know that. What I'm asking is why this thing is in front of me."

Hajinwool kicked Myeongnyusan's body with his foot, and Tangimoon restrained him.

"Come on, let's hear the story first."

"Speak up. What's the reason for bringing this thing here?"

Hajinwool despised those who sought results without putting in any effort, a category that Myeongnyusan fell into. The fact that someone like Myeongnyusan, who was perfectly able-bodied, resorted to theft without considering working to earn a living, was itself revolting to Hajinwool.

Jinmuwon explained the events of the previous night, and only then did Hajinwool's expression soften slightly.

"Hmm! So, this guy is the son of the village chief's household, whom we had under our thumb for a day."

"Yes."

"What a funny twist of fate. Anyway, you handle this thing so that it doesn't cause any trouble."

"Understood."

Jinmuwon replied with a smile.

Finally, Tangimoon, who had been observing silently, sat down in front of Myeongnyusan. He carefully examined every inch of Myeongnyusan's unconscious body.

"You've really prepared him well."

"It seemed necessary for it not to break easily."

"Nevertheless, he seems to have the spirit. Muscles are better developed than I expected."

Admiration filled Tangimoon's face.

Hidden beneath his shabby clothes, Myeongnyusan's physique was surprisingly well-developed. Especially his densely packed muscles contained explosive elasticity, reminiscent of a wolf.

Surviving on the western plateau of Sacheon required exceptional physical abilities compared to others, and as a result, his physical strength and endurance seemed to be well developed.

Tangimoon stood up straight.

"Anyway, it's a strange thing. You deal with it."

"Aren't you going to provide any treatment?"

"Treatment? Forget about it. A few bruises like this will heal on their own with some spit."

Tangimoon shook his head and walked away.

Jinmuwon sighed. It might be a misconception, but Tangimoon's way of speaking was becoming more and more similar to Hajinwool's.

He looked down at Myeongnyusan, who was still unconscious.

"How long do you plan to lie there like this?"

Myeongnyusan's body twitched for a moment, indicating that he was already awake.

"I already know you're awake. Get up."

"..."

"Do you still need more beating?"

Finally, Myeongnyusan reluctantly raised his body. As he examined Myeongnyusan's injuries, he saw a mixture of fear and anger in the young man's eyes.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"You said you wanted to go to Unjungcheon, right?"

"But why?"

"In that case, come with us."

"Why should I?"

"Do you have money for your journey?"

"..."

"If you come with us, you won't have to worry about food and shelter at the very least."

A conflicted expression crossed Myeongnyusan's face. Despite his narrow-minded thinking, he had some sense. At a glance, Jinmuwon's group didn't seem like ordinary people. He thought that traveling with them might make it easier to enter Unjungcheon.

Furthermore, his pockets were now empty, and he thought it would be much more convenient to follow them rather than begging his way to Unjungcheon.

"Well, okay."

In the end, Myeongnyusan couldn't resist the temptation and found himself answering without realizing it. Jinmuwon smiled at his response. When Myeongnyusan saw that smile, he had a vague sense of foreboding. However, the words that came out of Jinmuwon's mouth blocked his thoughts.

"Let's go get some food."

"Food?"

"Aren't you hungry?"

Upon hearing those words, a loud rumble echoed from Myeongnyusan's stomach. His face turned red without him even realizing it.

Jinmuwon made a knowing expression and led the way. After a moment's hesitation, Myeongnyusan followed him.

Inside the first-floor restaurant of the inn, Hajinwool and Tangimoon were already seated.

Hajinwool frowned when he saw Myeongnyusan. "So, you're planning to take that thing with us after all?"

"It seemed like it would be interesting."

"Hmm!"

Hajinwool continued to gaze at Myeongnyusan without relaxing his expression, making Myeongnyusan tense up. He instinctively felt that Hajinwool wasn't an ordinary human being.

"Hmm! If you say so, then I guess that's it."

Hajinwool soon shifted his gaze away from Myeongnyusan.

Where his gaze landed, Tangmielyeo and Namsuryeon were walking towards them, appearing much friendlier than the day before.

"Oh!"

Myeongnyusan's eyes widened when he saw Namsuryeon. Hajinwool couldn't help but snort at Myeongnyusan's reaction.

Tangmielyeo and Namsuryeon greeted them.

"Did you all sleep well?"

"Hello."

In response to their greetings, Tangimoon and Hajinwool nodded their heads.

Tangmielyeo and Namsuryeon's gaze then turned towards Myeongnyusan, who stood somewhat awkwardly beside Jinmuwon. Hajinwool answered for him.

"He's the one who brought the item. It seems he intends to go with us to Unjungcheon."

"Oh!"

The two women stared directly at Myeongnyusan.

"Nice to meet you!"

Myeongnyusan replied loudly to their gazes, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant towards them.

Tangimoon told Myeongnyusan, "Don't just stand there, sit down."

"Yes, yes!"

Myeongnyusan quickly responded and took his seat. Jinmuwon sat down next to him. On cue, Jeomsoi brought the food that Hajinwool and the others had ordered.

Seeing the hearty dishes, their hunger intensified. Myeongnyusan, who had been glancing around for a moment, closed his eyes and began eating eagerly, ignoring Hajinwool's sarcastic comment about a beggar in his belly. He simply indulged his instincts and savored the food.

For a moment, people around him stared at him in disbelief, but soon they too started quietly using their chopsticks.

Namsuryeon mentioned that they were going to meet a few disciples of the Musan Sect from Mohan at Hobukseong Infinite. Like Namsuryeon, they were young disciples who had come to gain experience. Tangmielyeo seemed eager to accompany Namsuryeon on this journey.

Tangmielyeo, who had never asserted her opinion before, couldn't refuse when it came to this. Unintentionally, two more companions joined the group.

The group left the inn and headed to a nearby horse market. There, they purchased horses for the group to ride and a cart pulled by a yellow mare. It cost a substantial amount of money, but they had enough funds in their possession, so it wasn't an issue.

Everyone was smiling, except for one person who remained an exception.

"Tch! Quite the character you are."

It was Myeongnyusan, sneering with his lips stretched out. Everyone else was riding horses, but he was walking alone.

Hajinwool looked at Myeongnyusan with disdain. "Calling you a thief is too good for you."

"Don't call me a thief. It was just a mistake..."

"That's how it always starts. Thieves become robbers, and robbers become murderers. You're lucky your martial arts skills aren't completely useless; otherwise, you would have caused a big incident," Hajinwool retorted.

"Oh, damn it! How long do I have to endure this..."

As Myeongnyusan was about to retort in frustration, he bit his tongue when he saw Jinmuwon riding beside Hajinwool.

Just looking at Jinmuwon made him shiver. His body still remembered the fear from last night. Seeing Jinmuwon, Hajinwool couldn't help but smile. To Myeongnyusan, that smile felt like nothing but mockery.

"Just wait and see. Right now, you might be looking down on me, but someday, you'll kneel in front of me and beg," he thought, grinding his teeth. However, his anger vanished completely when he saw Namsuryeon's back riding a horse. He stared at her with a helpless expression.

Hajinwool just chuckled as he watched Myeongnyusan.

After disconnecting the ropes and waiting for a short while, the Umma Dogang ferry arrived at the dock. Jinmuwon's group led their horses and the yellow mare onto the ferry.

The ferry's deck was bustling with people who intended to cross the river. Jinmuwon's group found a spot on one side of the deck and waited for the ferry to depart.

That's when it happened.

"Move, let's get on! Clear some space!"

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed from the entrance, accompanied by a commotion. People near the entrance hurriedly made way.

The three men who caused the commotion appeared. One of them was someone Namsuryeon knew.

"Who is that?"

Her temples throbbed involuntarily.

A man of about six feet tall with a broad face, wearing blue clothes and a belt with three round rings, along with a heavy saber strapped to his waist. He was none other than Biyeong Swordsmen leader Jo Munho.

Standing on either side of Jo Munho were two men who looked as if they were molded from the same mold. The only difference was that one had a tan complexion, while the other had an extremely fair complexion.

"Twins?"

They were colossal men, easily exceeding six feet in height, with muscles that looked like they were chiseled from rocks. They had identical faces, with the only difference being that one had a tan complexion, while the other was extremely fair-skinned.

"Black-and-White Twin Bears, the Guan brothers?"

The one with the tan complexion was Guansanung, the older brother, while the one with fair skin was Guansancheol, the younger brother.

Having mastered special external skills and possessing exceptionally tough skin along with innate powers, the Black-and-White Twin Bears were quite famous among the young martial artists of Seomseo Castle.

"So, these are the martial artists that Jo Gongja captured."

Seeing them move with Jo Munho, it was evident that they too had been captured by the Changryong Society.

People who were tired of the Black-and-White Twin Bears' stature and strength begrudgingly made way for them, quickly creating a vacant area around them.

As Jo Munho wore a satisfied expression, Yichae's eyes lit up. Reflected in his retinas was the image of Namsuryeon sitting on the opposite deck.

Jo Munho approached Namsuryeon with a sly smile.

"Young lady, it's truly a pleasure to meet you here."

"Jo Gongja."

Since she couldn't pretend not to recognize him, Namsuryeon got up from her seat and faced him.

Jo Munho gestured to the Black-and-White Twin Bears beside him.

"You may or may not know them, but these are the Black-and-White Twin Bears. They've decided to join our society on your behalf."

"I'm Guansanung."

"I'm Guansancheol."

The Black-and-White Twin Bears introduced themselves with an arrogant expression. Their faces as they looked down at Namsuryeon wore a similar smile to Jo Munho's.

Despite the mocking smiles from the Black-and-White Twin Bears, which seemed to belittle her decision, Namsuryeon remained composed and greeted them.

"I'm Namsuryeon of the Musan Sect."

"We've heard a lot about you. One of the Seven Masters, right?"

"Seven Masters? That sounds grandiose."

Guan Sancheol's sneer seemed to chill the air around them.