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Chapter 75: The Only Good Nokrim is a Dead Nokrim
Luoyang, Henan Province.
In the Qing-Sha Tea House.
Two women were sitting by the window, drinking tea and watching people pass by. They were Yeon Seolju from Waryong Manor and Lee Somin from the Uicheon Sect, who had been granted permission to go out for the first time in almost a year.
Despite the anticipated outing, Yeon Seolju’s face did not show any joy.
Noticing her friend's concern, Lee Somin asked:
"Yeon Mae, is something on your mind?"
"Ah! I'm going crazy. It seems I'll soon be forced to marry."
"What?! Marry? To whom?"
"They say to the second son of the Jinpyeong Chamber of Commerce... they're practically selling me to that family."
"Selling?"
"My mother is desperate to expand her business connections."
"But still..."
"I’ve been saying no with all my might, but they are determined to go ahead."
"If you hate it that much, you could..."
Lee Somin left the sentence unfinished, recalling a previous incident when Seolju had run away from home, causing a great commotion.
Yeon Seolju, lost in her thoughts, commented:
"What about the Justice Alliance? Have you heard anything?"
"Nothing in particular. It seems they are just observing for now."
"Well, with the Cultists of the Yoomyung Cult visiting the palace, it's hard to imagine Murim attacking directly, right?"
"Exactly. Do you know the expression 'Three people can make a tiger'?"
"That many voices can turn a lie into the truth?"
"Yes, people are so full of praise for the Yoomyung Cult that they're getting confused."
Yeon Seolju lowered her voice.
"But they use people as sacrifices."
"For most, that’s just a rumor. Aside from that, the teachings of the Yoomyung Cult are quite pure. If the palace has invited them, that says it all, doesn’t it?"
"So, there won’t be any major fights for now."
"The Justice Alliance won’t start a war against the Yoomyung Cult, but... individual warriors won’t stay still. There are many with grudges."
"Like the Namgung Family?"
"Our Uicheon Sect is also sharpening its swords. We lost many disciples, and my father was seriously injured. Many sects are in the same situation."
"So, there won't be large-scale clashes between the Justice Alliance and the Yoomyung Cult?"
"That's right. But there will be power struggles everywhere. Many sects are aligning with the Yoomyung Cult. What about Waryong Manor? Are any sects meddling with the Baekse Chamber of Commerce?"
"Why wouldn't they? My brothers barely sleep."
"Is it that bad?"
"With the Lunar Fairy watching us, evil sects keep bothering us, hoping we'll fall."
Lee Somin nodded sympathetically. After the fall of the Namgung Family, many predicted the same for Waryong Manor.
Yeon Seolju sighed deeply.
"Ah! From Nokrim to the Lunar Fairy, I don't know why Waryong Manor has such bad luck."
"If you endure, better days will come. They say time sets everything in place."
"The problem is that I'll be married off before those days come."
"Insist that you don't want to marry."
"Don’t they bother you at home? Surely you have many marriage proposals."
"Ha! My grandfather said one word, and I’m free."
"The Great Swordmaster?"
"Yes, he said to leave me alone for a while. I’m free to do as I please."
Of course, the Great Swordmaster Lee Euijeong had in mind the bandits of the Five Peaks Mountain when he said that. Though Lee Somin suspected something, she hadn’t said anything. She knew there would be a great commotion in her family if they found out the truth.
"Wow! I really envy you."
"There's nothing to envy. Freedom comes with responsibilities. I haven’t been able to sleep well."
"What responsibilities?"
Lee Somin looked around and whispered:
"My grandfather seems interested in that young bandit from Five Peaks Mountain."
"What?! Really?"
Lee Somin nodded.
"Really? Wow!"
Yeon Seolju exclaimed involuntarily, quickly covering her mouth.
"Yeon Mae, this stays between us. I don't know what he's thinking."
"But why? With so many men, why a bandit?"
Yeon Seolju trembled with indignation.
It was natural for her to hate that bandit, as he had caused the ruin of Waryong Manor. They were still dealing with the aftermath and surviving thanks to loans.
"It must be because his martial skills are impressive. Men only think about that."
"How do you know? Did the Great Swordmaster go to Five Peaks Mountain?"
"Yes, I accompanied him once."
"And the camp is still intact? How can he be so strong? Really?"
"Yes, they fought."
"A fight? With the Great Swordmaster?"
Yeon Seolju couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
The Great Swordmaster fighting a young bandit?
"It was the first time I saw such a fight. He didn’t seem human. It was the first time I saw my grandfather so serious. Well, in the end, the bandit fled before my grandfather's Sword Control."
"He fled from the Sword Control uninjured?"
"Yes. My grandfather, surprised, could only laugh in the end."
Yeon Seolju finally understood why the Great Swordmaster was interested in him.
Sword Control could only be used by someone who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Escaping from a Sword Control master was no easy task.
The Uicheon Sect Leader, the Virtue Swordsman Lee Yeonik, had lost an arm to Sword Control.
"Still, a bandit is a bit..."
"They say he's not an ordinary bandit but someone respected in that region."
Yeon Seolju frowned.
It seemed that Lee Somin had some affection for that bandit.
"Somin, don’t you know the saying 'the only good Nokrim is a dead Nokrim'? For the Justice Alliance, the Nokrim are enemies to be eliminated."
"That's not known. We coexist with the Yoomyung Cult, which is the real enemy. Nokrim isn’t our main enemy. Even the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord meets with the Justice Alliance Leader."
"Somin, the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord and that bandit are not on the same level. The Chaeju (Leader) of Nokrim and a simple bandit are not the same. Are you already on his side? Not even a year has passed since we paid the compensation and were released."
"On his side? I’m just saying what is. I told you I have many responsibilities. My marriage has only been postponed by my grandfather's whim."
Returning to the topic of marriage, Yeon Seolju sighed deeply.
"Ah! Somin, I might become independent."
"Independent?"
"If I go to a big city, I'll easily find a job. I can work as a guard in a Chamber of Commerce. That way, I'll become a Heroine of Murim..."
"Shouldn't you talk to your mom? Ask her to let you help with the work at Waryong Manor, like your brothers do."
"She said no. The work at Waryong Manor is enough with the boys. The only thing they expect from me is to get married."
"Wow! At times like this, I envy men, right?"
"Totally. If I ever disappear, assume I went to another city."
"Where would you go?"
"I'm thinking of Kaifeng. They say there are many places looking for people there."
"If you settle down, contact me discreetly. Okay? Let's keep the loyalty of the Five Heroes of Luoyang."
"I will. Sister, also think well about your future. Don’t just follow what the adults want."
Lee Somin nodded with a bitter smile.
Honestly, she wasn’t even sure what she really wanted at that moment. She didn’t know if she was following her grandfather’s wishes or if she really felt some affection.
-------------
Bobong County.
Five Peaks Mountain.
At the top of the mountain, a young man was sitting on a rock with his chin resting on his hand.
It was Yeon Jeokha.
But his expression was not good.
He had managed to master the ability to manipulate objects in the air at will, but he couldn't advance in the art of the distant sword.
He thought that once he mastered air manipulation, he would easily master the distant sword art, but that wasn’t the case.
"This isn’t right. This way, I won't achieve it."
Yeon Jeokha shook his head in frustration.
No matter how much he thought, it seemed that with air manipulation alone, he couldn't master the distant sword art.
The Master of Simyanggak clearly didn’t know much about the art of the distant sword.
When practicing, one is supposed to develop a sense or intuition.
Although he had managed to skillfully handle air manipulation, the distant sword art continued to elude him.
Yeon Jeokha practiced his Swordsmanship until sunset before descending the mountain with a heavy step.
He entered the Pavilion of Harmony and Peace without thinking and suddenly stopped.
It seemed there was a meeting, as the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain were all gathered, something unusual.
When the gazes of the Ten Heroes turned to him, Yeon Jeokha scratched his head awkwardly.
"What's going on?"
Han Chaeyeon quickly stepped forward to explain.
"The big brother and the second brother are thinking of coming down from the mountain. We've gathered to decide what to do."
"What? They’re coming down from the mountain?"
If it had been Ha Sobaek or Han Chaeyeon, he wouldn’t have been surprised. They always talked about wanting to leave the mountain.
But the fact that Boss Pung Yeoncho and vice boss Tak Gomyung mentioned it was unexpected. The two were the pillars of the Five Peaks Mountain, and he always thought they would be the last to leave.
Tak Gomyung spoke instead of Pung Yeoncho.
"Big brother has been having unsettling dreams lately. He says he keeps seeing his family, which worries him, so I suggested we come down from the mountain."
"Ah! Then they must go."
"Right? I did well to suggest it, didn’t I? Look, big brother, Yeon also says you should go."
Pung Yeoncho spoke with an uncomfortable expression.
"Who said anything? It’s just that as Boss, I feel a bit embarrassed to come down before the others."
"It’s not like you’ll never see them again, you're just visiting your home for a while."
"Do you think I left home because I wanted to become a bandit? Things are unpredictable."
"Oh! It seems that if your wife holds you back, you won’t come back. Is that what you think?"
"…"
Pung Yeoncho didn’t respond.
The atmosphere in the room became quiet due to the sudden change.
After a while, Pung Yeoncho spoke.
"It’s better to be honest. In the past, I would have returned because I had no way to support my family. But if my wife and children still consider me their husband and father... I want to live for them."
"…"
The Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain seemed deeply moved, as if they felt the same way.
Pung Yeoncho continued with an uncomfortable expression.
"But that probably won’t happen. I left in the middle of the night more than ten years ago. My wife may have remarried, and my children probably hate me. I’m sure of that."
Then, Tak Gomyung consoled him.
"No matter what they say, I’ll always be by your side, brother."
"Who said you’d take care of me? Take care of your own affairs first."
Ha Sobaek, who had been watching with a smile, asked curiously.
"But with big brother’s and second brother’s skills, they could become escorts, right?"
The third, Ma Hyeongdo, smiled and replied.
"Of course. They could even aspire to be top escorts. But I would recommend working in the Chamber of Commerce instead of as an escort."
"Why? Couldn’t they have trouble with Nokrim if they become caravan escorts?"
"Do you think the Chamber of Commerce only handles caravans? If you think about the family, it’s easier to work in the brothels, gambling houses, inns, and taverns managed by the Chamber of Commerce. Working as an escort involves a lot of travel."
"Ah! That makes sense."
Pung Yeoncho exclaimed with an exaggerated gesture.
"Wow! You seem to be doing everything alone. In any case, things have changed, so don’t criticize me too much for coming down from the mountain."
"Understood."
"Good luck and have a safe trip."
"Brothers, I’ll wait for good news from you."
The Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain wished Pung Yeoncho and Tak Gomyung good luck, one by one.
The next day, Pung Yeoncho and Tak Gomyung dressed in clean clothes and left the mountain camp.
It seemed that the departure of these two had inspired the other heroes.
Within a few days, Han Chaeyeon, Lee Cheolsan, and Ha Sobaek also came down from the mountain.
By the end of the summer, only three of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain remained in the camp: Ma Hyeongdo, Heo Imdal, and Yeon Jeokha.