Chapter 76
— — —
“…….”
Jegal Haesu remained silent, and Namgung Jin brought up another point to persuade him.
“If you’re hesitating to tell the truth because of your father, you don’t need to worry too much. Of course, I will tell my father, but he won’t go around spreading rumors to the Murim Alliance recklessly.”
Jegal Haesu eventually nodded, his energy spent.
Now that it was certain the Demonic Cult was involved in the affairs of the secret retreat, this was not something he could resolve on his own.
Furthermore, since he would likely be sticking with Namgung Jin, he wouldn’t be able to hide it forever.
Namgung Jin was a man who valued honor and righteousness more than his own life; he would not break a promise once given.
‘If I’m only informing the Namgung Clan and not the Murim Alliance, perhaps that would be acceptable.’
Jegal Haesu confessed that the spiritual elixirs and spiritual herbs hidden by his grand-uncle, Jegal Taek, were scattered throughout the Central Plains.
“So, what was it you went to retrieve this time?”
“It was the Nine-Leaf Purple Branch Grass.”
Jegal Haesu also told him about the things he had seen in that cave.
“Is your grand-uncle associated with the Demonic Cult?”
“I don’t know. I want to believe he isn’t, but… what is certain is that only my grand-uncle and I know the location of this secret retreat.”
“……I see.”
“Where could Young Master Jegal’s grand-uncle be?”
Soso thought that this matter could only be resolved by meeting Jegal Taek in person.
“I don’t know. But I feel we may need to find the next secret retreat faster than the Demonic Cult.”
“Where is the next one?”
“The next one is in the Sichuan region, but….”
Jegal Haesu couldn’t finish his sentence, glancing at her cautiously.
Sichuan.
It was a place name Soso knew all too well.
Her hometown, a place she always carried in her heart, naturally came to mind.
‘The place where the Qingcheng Sect once stood.’
Five years after Soso’s death, what had become of the place where the Qingcheng Sect used to be?
Had it become a ruin where no one visited?
It would be a lie to say she didn’t want to go.
But she was terrified to see for herself a place where not even the remnants of the buildings would remain.
If she were to stand there, she felt as though the horrific final moments of the Qingcheng Sect, swept away by the fire of war, would come flooding back.
Soso’s complexion turned deathly pale.
“But for now, stopping somewhere else should be our priority.”
Jegal Haesu changed the subject naturally, seeing how much she struggled at the thought of the Qingcheng Sect.
“Sami, if you don’t want to, we won’t stop in Sichuan. It’s a bit of a distance, but we can go somewhere else.”
“No. I do want to visit Sichuan at least once. But as you said, we should stop somewhere else first.”
“Right.”
“You meant the Wudang Sect, didn’t you?”
“Ah… about that.”
Jegal Haesu let out a long breath and confessed with a meaningful look.
“Could we stop by the Jegal Clan first? It seems something has gone wrong within the Jegal Clan.”
“……!”
“Don’t tell me….”
Namgung Jin, as if he had sensed something, let his words trail off.
Jegal Haesu nodded and, in a very low voice, shared what he had heard from Sau.
He revealed the fact that Demonic Cultists had infiltrated the Jegal Clan.
“Sami, Brother Namgung, I am sorry for changing our plans because of me.”
That apology was filled with nothing but sincerity. His voice was completely devoid of his usual playfulness.
“Please, don’t say that. If I heard that my own family was in danger, I would have rushed back immediately as well.”
Soso placed a delicious-looking dumpling onto the empty plate in front of Jegal Haesu.
“Eat and keep your strength up. A listless appearance doesn’t suit you, Young Master.”
“Are you truly a Celestial Maiden? Why is your heart so kind? I’m so moved by your great generosity that I’m about to tear up like a fool.”
“Again, you’re exaggerating again! It’s not as if I’m only looking out for your circumstances, Young Master.”
Soso lowered her voice and continued.
“You said they are associated with the Demonic Cult, right? Let’s find those remnants in the Jegal Clan and interrogate them. I know that you are a master of interrogation.”
Soso praised Jegal Haesu more than usual. At that, a small smile touched Jegal Haesu’s previously grave face.
“I shall have to teach them a lesson with my acupoint striking.”
“That will do.”
Soso smiled softly as well. She was relieved that Jegal Haesu was smiling, even if only slightly.
“Anyway, back to the matter at hand, I don’t fully trust what Young Master Sau said either.”
“Oh?”
“I will go to the Jegal Clan, but before that, let’s meet the Bewitching Healer of the Moonlit Night and gather information about the Jegal Clan.”
“…….”
“The inn called the Dragon Gate, where the Bewitching Healer of the Moonlit Night is scheduled to appear. People from the Jegal Clan frequent that place as well. If we go there, we should be able to get a rough idea of how things are going in the clan.”
The two people who had been listening to Jegal Haesu nodded in agreement. They were in accord with his words.
“But what about the medical fees? We didn’t manage to get the Nine-Leaf Purple Branch Grass.”
“I ended up receiving it from Young Master Sau. H-however, don’t say anything about it! I received it by accident.”
With him making excuses like this, she couldn’t bring herself to press Jegal Haesu. Sau must have given him the money out of pity for his situation.
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Jegal Haesu, I feel the same as Young Lady Baek. I don’t care whether we go to the Wudang Sect or the Jegal Clan first. However.”
Namgung Jin had worn a serious expression throughout Jegal Haesu’s story.
And only now did he finally reveal what he had been considering urgent.
“But, you see. Listening to what you said, two questions arose for which I cannot find the answer.”
“What are they?”
“First, I am still doubtful whether your grand-uncle is colluding with the Demonic Cult or not.”
“That is something I am curious about as well.”
“And second, I am curious why the Demonic Cult is targeting spiritual herbs and spiritual elixirs.”
Soso followed Namgung Jin’s line of thought and naturally voiced her own idea.
“Could it be because of the ‘Madness’?”
“……!”
“Since the Heavenly Demon is suffering from Madness, perhaps the Demonic Cultists are trying various methods to cure it.”
Otherwise, there would be no reason for someone with the status of a Brigade Leader, like Soma-gi, to move personally.
And they wouldn’t feed spiritual herbs or elixirs to just any cultist.
“Sami, you are truly clever!”
“I was thinking along the same lines as Young Lady Baek.”
A Heavenly Demon suffering from Madness….
Soso became curious about who that person might be.
Whether it was one of those kidnapped during the Blood Calamity of the Eight, or someone she didn’t know at all.
“But I don’t think spiritual elixirs or spiritual herbs can cure Madness.”
This was not a statement based on mere speculation.
Soso had once witnessed Namgung Hyuk transforming into a madman.
When she saw the Demonic Energy boiling explosively, she had felt a chill run down her spine.
The Demonic Energy that overflowed in an instant, like a bursting dam, was truly terrifying.
It was the same even after she had succeeded in driving out a certain amount of the Demonic Energy.
Daring to speak as one who possessed a body of spiritual herbs, she knew that the spiritual energy she possessed would never be able to suppress the Madness.
It was clear that something ‘explosive’ of equal magnitude was required.
‘Was the healing ability of the Golden Divine Healer from 50 years ago also that explosive? Or did she have another method?’
It was a mystery she could not fathom.
“If what Young Lady Baek says is true, that would be a relief.”
“But, Sami.”
“Yes, Young Master Jegal.”
“If, as you say, the Heavenly Demon is suffering from Madness and is desperate for a cure, collecting things that possess spiritual energy….”
“Yes.”
Jegal Haesu’s face became even more serious than when he had confessed to losing the spiritual herb.
“Shouldn’t we look for the Golden Divine Healer?”
“……Pardon?”
“Fifty years ago, everyone kept quiet about the Golden Divine Healer, but it is certainly being passed down. Didn’t even all the people of the Namgung Clan remember that event?”
“That’s… true.”
“The Demonic Cult must be the same. They would certainly know of the Golden Divine Healer.”
Soso felt she understood what Jegal Haesu was trying to say.
“You mean… I could be in danger?”
The two men could not bring themselves to answer, merely nodding their heads.
0 Comments