Chapter 113

Chapter 113

This is a story from a long time ago.

That is, before I even entered Muryeon Hall.

—Uncle.

—Why are you calling me?

—I compared it with the Daming Code, but why is this Murim Alliance code so vague?

After receiving the Murim Alliance code and memorizing it thoroughly, I threw out my question filled with curiosity. Uncle, Jegal Pyeong, was smoking his long pipe and tapped the ashes out the window. The answer that followed soon after.

—Because it’s easier to use when it’s vague.

—Pardon?

At my retort, Jegal Pyeong glanced sideways and continued.

—Do you think that code applies equally to everyone?

—Well… isn’t that the case? It says even the Murim Alliance Leader is not an exception.

—That’s right.

—Then it does apply equally to everyone.

—No, that’s not quite right either.

—…Pardon?

—I said it’s not quite right.

Jegal Pyeong irritably tapped out all the remaining tobacco ash, cleaned his pipe, and tossed it aside, then wiped his hands while glancing at the Murim Alliance code.

—The Daming Code has a solid structure. Even if countless scholars cling to it, they can’t easily find loopholes. It’s that excellent.

—Isn’t that because the creators were also scholars of their time?

—Yes. However, after a brief pause, Jegal Pyeong continued.

—Those who created the Murim Alliance code were also outstanding individuals, no less than such scholars. Do you know why the Murim Alliance code created by such people is so vague and full of loopholes?

—…Why is that?

—It’s simple. Because the knowledge level of subordinates differs.

What must one do to become an official of the Ming Dynasty?

First, one must pass the child examination, divided into county, prefecture, and academy examinations, to become a student. Only then are you qualified to take the provincial exam held in each province.

If you pass the provincial exam, you receive the qualification of recommended man, officially enter government service, and directly reach a position where you discuss the Daming Code. That means those who debate the application of law have at least survived a ten thousand to one competition in each province to rise to government office.

Such people never overlook loopholes in the law. Whether good officials or bad officials, if there are loopholes, they dig into those loopholes and transform the law to suit their tastes.

What about the Murim Alliance?

—I’m not saying martial artists are stupid, but their total amount of knowledge inevitably falls short compared to scholars.

—While it’s not impossible for someone to exploit it, the gains from leaving loopholes outweigh the losses.

“If you hang it on the ear, it’s an earring; if you hang it on the nose, it’s a nose ring.”

From the Murim Alliance upper echelon’s perspective, it’s beneficial to block loopholes that anyone can easily exploit while leaving loopholes they themselves can use. Moreover, given the characteristics of martial artists who don’t study law separately, that range is quite broad.

—That’s what it means when I say the law doesn’t apply equally to everyone.

Those who don’t know remain silent, and those who know transform it.

Even with the same clause, different laws apply. Not knowing is a crime; knowing is power.

—You are a martial artist.

—But you’re a martial artist who received my teachings.

If you don’t want to be on the receiving end, memorize it. Memorize it and learn how to transform it. That will become your power.

Jegal Pyeong said this and threw the Murim Alliance code back to me. Along with several hundred volumes of case studies.

And now?

“As of this moment, the honor punishment is concluded.”

I had no choice but to acknowledge that those teachings were tremendously valuable.

“Seonwoo Gang is now a dead person.”

Just like this.

At my appearance, smashing the cauldron and making a declaration, people who had fallen into silence for a moment stared blankly at Seonwoo Gang standing there. Confused expressions and gazes gathering together.

“What in the world… are you saying?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Seonwoo Gang is dead.”

After a brief silence, when Chu Mok asked, I burst into a chuckle, and Chu Mok frowned. Because our eyes met with Seonwoo Gang, who stood behind me with a dumbfounded expression.

“Isn’t he alive?”

“He is a dead person.”

“Ha, then are you saying that person standing there is a jiangshi?”

“That’s not it.”

“Is Former Great Corps Commander Baek Ri playing word games with me? What on earth is this…!”

“Didn’t I tell you? That ‘honor punishment’ was executed.”

“It seems Single-Heart Spear Young Hero and everyone here don’t really know what honor punishment is.”

Suppressing the agitated Chu Mok with a calming gesture, I looked around and continued.

“Honor punishment is an honor punishment.”

“…Honor punishment?”

“That’s right. Honor punishment.”

As I nodded, Chu Mok looked at me with a puzzled expression.

It’s probably an unfamiliar term to Chu Mok. After all, it’s a punishment that has rarely been implemented since the Murim Alliance was created.

“Honor punishment, simply put, is a punishment imposed on a person’s honor. Names and titles, a person’s social status… all of that falls under honor.”

“If it’s a punishment imposed on honor… does that mean the honor is treated as dead?”

“That’s correct.”

Unless you’re speaking to the deceased, no one speaks to the corpse of a dead person. Similarly, one whose honor has died is completely excluded from the Murim Alliance’s events and authority.

“Those sentenced to death as an honor punishment lose everything they received from the Murim Alliance and will receive in the future.”

Authority as a Murim Alliance member. Reputation gained in the Orthodox Murim. And even achievements and the Murim Alliance’s protection.

Literally, they lose everything that falls under honor. Those belonging to the Murim Alliance must treat those sentenced to honor punishment as dead, pretending not to see them even if they do, and must not converse with them.

Is that all then?

No.

It’s not.

“Do you know this?”

“A person cannot die twice.”

The Murim Alliance abhors indiscriminate killing. At least in areas where the Alliance’s hand reaches, even if there is a grudge, it tends to mediate so that murder doesn’t occur and severely punish it.

But that’s only about ‘murder.’

“You cannot be held responsible for killing the dead once more. Because officially, they are already dead.”

“That means…….”

“Even if someone sentenced to honor punishment dies anywhere within the Murim Alliance, throughout Sangsan, or anywhere in the Murim Alliance’s territory, the Alliance does not intervene. Neither does the government.”

Because they’re already dead.

Because it’s impossible to kill a person who has already died once.

“Do you understand?”

“……Roughly.”

At my words, Chu Mok, who had been silently stroking his spear shaft, quietly nodded. Soon after, Chu Mok voiced what he understood.

“Even if someone tries to kill Seonwoo Gang on this spot, the Murim Alliance will not intervene, and even after killing him, they won’t care. Is that what you’re saying?”

“You see it accurately.”

“I don’t know why you’re using such a roundabout method…”

Chu Mok frowned briefly and gripped his spear shaft tightly.

“However it turns out doesn’t matter. The fact that the spy must be killed doesn’t change.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

Single-Heart Spear, who briefly looked at Seonwoo Gang, continued in a heavy, anger-filled tone.

“Former Great Corps Commander Baek Ri. Listen. I’m not a Murim Alliance member or a Muryeok Corps member, but I lost a close friend because of a spy.”

“It was a common occurrence. Though it wasn’t common to me.”

Local battles with the Sado Alliance. Operations leaking out in between.

Cases where people die due to information leaked by spies are so common in this Murim world that they don’t need mentioning. Even I would have experienced such things several times if I hadn’t been able to see Red Aura.

“He said he had an elderly mother back home. He said if he survived and returned after the battle, he wanted to live quietly somewhere with his mother.”

“My good-natured close friend took good care of such a person. Perhaps he overlapped with him, having a younger sibling of similar age. But do you know what the result was?”

“The ambush was exposed because of the information he leaked. My unit… everyone was annihilated except for about two of us.”

Jeobeok.

Chu Mok took a step forward and raised his spear shaft, aiming it at Seonwoo Gang. And the words that followed.

“I know that it wasn’t Seonwoo Gang who killed my close friend. I know he hasn’t committed any particular crimes yet. But that’s only the story so far.”

“Can you guarantee that he would have done the same 5 years from now, 10 years from now? Can you definitively say he wouldn’t have betrayed us no matter what? No!”

It can never be so. Even if someone guaranteed it, I couldn’t believe it. Because.

Spies are that kind of existence.

“I heard Uicheonmun underwent a plagiarism review for basic techniques.”

“The fact that you underwent the Murim Alliance’s review means you’re an affiliated sect that receives the Murim Alliance’s influence.”

After a brief pause, Chu Mok gritted his teeth.

“Step aside. Because the Murim Alliance cannot intervene in this matter.”

The Murim Alliance cannot intervene in this matter.

“You’re right. The Murim Alliance cannot intervene in this matter.”

One can’t get away with saying affiliated sects and the Murim Alliance are different. Such word games wouldn’t work, and even if they did, the people here wouldn’t accept it.

That’s only the story when Uicheonmun was an affiliated organization of the Murim Alliance.

[Murim Alliance Withdrawal Form]

I quietly blocked Chu Mok’s path and unfolded the paper I had received from the Alliance Leader this morning.

“We withdrew.”

“What?”

“Uicheonmun withdrew from the Murim Alliance. As of this morning.”

At my calm declaration, the watching crowd, Muryeon Hall disciples, and even Seonwoo Gang, who had been standing blankly behind, widened their eyes in shock. Soon after, Chu Mok asked in a trembling voice.

“Th-this is… Great Corps Commander, are you in your right mind?”

“Do you not know what withdrawing from the Murim Alliance means? If it were an individual, maybe, but an entire sect…!”

“Of course I know. I don’t mean to boast, but I’m a former Murim Alliance Great Corps Commander.”

“Then why on earth…!”

“An old saying goes that the relationship between master and disciple is like the relationship between parent and child.”

After a brief pause, I continued.

“There are almost no parents who abandon their children just because it’s hard to feed them.”

It’s not that there are none. There are many kinds of people in the world, and there are many who can’t be called people. However, such people are criticized for abandoning natural bonds. Then.

Then what about the master-disciple relationship?

“Should a master give up on a disciple just because keeping the disciple becomes a disadvantage?”

“Whether you taught for a month or a year, a disciple is a disciple.”

Uuuung!

“Single-Heart Spear. I cannot let you pass. Not you, nor anyone else.”

Righteous Heaven Sword, receiving my internal energy, deeply resonated with its sword cry and trembled.

“You will not harm my disciple without my permission on this spot.”

The moment I finished my declaration.

“I see. Then—”

Along with a dry voice.

“Die together with the traitor. Changcheon Corps Commander.”

From behind Single-Heart Spear, strong energy that flew in an instant bared its fangs toward my neck.

Sswaeaeaeaeaek!