Chapter 240

Chapter 240

“What are you standing there so blankly for, Jeokyeol? Making an expression as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I have no memory of making such an expression. Ilryun.”

“Is that so? Your expression is hard to read. Perhaps because you’re pretending to be stoic?”

Seohwa’s eyes widened at Ilryun, who chuckled while waving a long, slender tobacco pipe. Unlike her expectation of a venerable old person or at least a middle-aged person who had experienced life’s storms, Ilryun simply had the appearance of a young woman.

‘That person is…… Ilryun.’

Though since ancient times Magyo has designated and called the seven strongest people Magyo Chilryun, there’s no hierarchy among Magyo Chilryun members.

Isn’t that so? If there were hierarchy, they’d set rankings among themselves calling each other Iryun, Samryun, Saryun, but that’s not actually the case.

Magyo Chilryun are just Chilryun. There’s no ranking among them. Jeokyeol is also just called Jeokyeol, not called which ryun within Chilryun. Because they’re all Chilryun.

──However, Ilryun doesn’t belong to that.

Because they literally correspond to an ‘exception.’

“Seeing you come out to the checkpoint personally, you must be quite idle. Ilryun.”

“Oh?”

Ilryun, who had been silently laughing while bobbing the tobacco pipe in the air for a moment, stared at Jeokyeol intently. Simultaneously, a smile spreading across the lips.

“I’m very pleased that you’re taking interest in me, Jeokyeol. But don’t you know? I’m a very busy person. I came to the checkpoint simply because I have business.”

“……Business. What would that be?”

“Sipcheon has moved. Toward the main cult at that.”

“……What?”

At Ilryun’s sudden statement, Jeokyeol’s eyes widened as he asked back. Because it was a hard-to-believe story.

“You say Sipcheon moved, what do you mean…… Are you saying one of the Sipcheon is coming this way?”

“If it were merely one person, there’d be no reason to make such a fuss, would there?”

“Then?”

“Six.”

Looking at Jeokyeol’s eyes bulging with shock, Ilryun waved the tobacco pipe. White smoke dispersing in the air.

“I can’t say much since we’re still determining the exact personnel composition, but among them are figures we can’t ignore, and apparently Manwang is moving personally…… and Taeak is accompanying him.”

“Taeak……is it.”

Cheolhyeol Munju. The oldest among Heukdo’s Sipcheon, and probably the strongest.

“So I came to convey that we need to strengthen inspections…… Let’s see.”

While Jeokyeol frowned recalling the appearance of Cheolhyeol Munju he’d seen before, Ilryun slowly jumped down from the fortress wall as if swimming through air and met eyes with Seohwa. A pressure that strangely weighed down Seohwa’s shoulders.

“Child. What is your name?”

“……Ye, Yeonsam.”

“Yeonsam.”

At Ilryun staring directly at her with transparent eyes as if completely seeing through her interior, Seohwa swallowed hard. Anxiety sweeping through her mind even while thinking there was no way she’d be discovered.

What should she do if discovered?

Attack Ilryun and flee? Even so, there’s no way she could escape. Even if Jeokyeol blocked Ilryun, ultimately Jeokyeol was an assassin. The probability of successfully blocking Ilryun, the strongest in Magyo, was low.

Then what should she do? Should she beg to be spared? Or should she sacrifice her life to let at least her fellow disciples escape?

What should she do?

“Mm.”

Seohwa’s consciousness, which had been sinking inward, was forcibly pulled toward the surface by Ilryun’s small voice. As she snapped to attention, Ilryun showed a grinning expression.

“Eyes that haven’t experienced storms yet.”

“Your eyes…… were they affected by demonic power? It seems much has happened.”

“A child who went to the brink of death to a yokai.”

“It seems so. Not Sipcheon. I don’t sense that level of cultivation, and above all, eyes not accustomed to deceiving others.”

As if finding it cute, Ilryun stroked Seohwa’s head pat pat, then looked behind and grinned.

“Mm, pass. As expected, I can trust those you bring.”

“That sounds as if you suddenly trust me.”

“Hahaha. As if. There’s no way such trust could bloom between us, is there? I simply trust that if it were you, you’d bring them by some other method, not such a suspicious way.”

“You may go in. And there will be a Chilryun召assembly meeting in the evening, so I hope for your attendance.”

“If I have time.”

Jeokyeol, who replied curtly, grabbed the Uicheonmun disciples’ wrists and pushed his body inside. And the moment they entered the interior of the cult, Jeokyeol deployed an energy barrier and let out a sigh of relief.

“We caught our breath.”

“……That person.”

“Didn’t you hear? It’s Ilryun.”

Jeokyeol, who explained curtly and shook his head, frowned. Because it was truly a situation that could be called heavenly fortune.

“It’s extremely fortunate we weren’t discovered.”

“Would we normally be discovered?”

“They wouldn’t think you’re Sipcheon after confirming your level, but even so, you would have received suspicion. You survived because you, Yeonsam, were in the very front. Though such cases don’t exist in the Central Plains, in Xinjiang, being affected by demonic power happens occasionally.”

Such cases exist?

“Your case is a bit different. Such people aren’t invaded by demonic power but damaged by it, so it usually remains as a permanent disability. Cases like yours, Yeonsam, where an ability manifests, don’t exist. But externally they’re hard to distinguish.”

“Then…….”

“Ilryun probably thinks at least you were born and raised in Xinjiang. You’re lucky.”

“Fo, fortunate indeed.”

“Right.”

Jeokyeol, who spoke quietly, moved his steps busily. Simultaneously, Seohwa followed behind while looking around.

‘This is Magyo.’

A massive fortress.

Seohwa blinked at the scenery spreading inside the fortress walls rising high toward the sky as if installed to block house-sized yokai. Because a completely different landscape from what she’d imagined was unfolding.

“I don’t feel demonic energy.”

“Because if people are exposed to demonic power even inside, they become ferocious.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Jeokyeol, who nodded, continued explaining.

“Central Plains people think Xinjiang people aren’t affected by demonic power at all, but that’s not true. Xinjiang people have strong resistance to demonic power—they’re not unaffected.”

“If I had to compare, it’s like someone living in a clean place easily getting sick when going to a dirty place. Because they encounter it easily, their resistance is that much stronger, should I say.”

No matter how strong the resistance, it doesn’t mean they don’t take damage. Moreover, doesn’t Magyo have quite a few people who are congenitally weak in resistance to demonic power?

They can’t let all such people die. Even people with strong resistance often have something break somewhere if continuously exposed to demonic power.

Having explained that far, Jeokyeol glanced toward the fortress wall.

“That fortress wall serves the role of a formation blocking that demonic power.”

“Ah…….”

Understanding Jeokyeol’s explanation, Seohwa nodded and this time turned her gaze forward. Houses lined up in rows.

“Where are we going now?”

“First to my residence.”

“Is that okay? Normally when accepting refugees, isn’t it proper to hand them over to the person in charge…….”

“That would be convenient. But your room to maneuver would become too narrow. So I plan to make you my attendants.”

“Attendants?”

“Right. It’s a common occurrence. Taking children who survived from collapsed settlements as attendants.”

Those who lived outside for a long time don’t adapt well to the environment inside Magyo. In the first place, though Magyo is a martial artist group, it’s primarily a religious group.

“Children who first enter know nothing about doctrine, so they have time to study doctrine. Usually they serve in the homes of the martial artists who took them in while reading and memorizing scriptures. Of course, in the case of Chilryun, such cases are rare, but…….”

That’s simply because Chilryun rarely go out on refugee search roles. In the first place, it’s not like there are no precedents, so there’s no need to deliberately hand them over.

“Study the doctrine a bit. If you don’t want to be suspected, it’s good to know.”

“Is, is that okay? Won’t we be brainwashed or something?”

“The scriptures don’t have such magic art devices installed. Don’t treat the main cult the same as trash like Hyeolgyo.”

“Ah, sorry…….”

“I won’t rebuke you. Because I roughly know what stories you Central Plains people hear and grow up with about the main cult.”

Jeokyeol, who clicked his tongue, continued.

“Anyway, it’s good to be cautious for a while. You caught Ilryun’s eye, and the situation isn’t ordinary.”

“……That story, right? About Sipcheon moving.”

“Right. Six of Sipcheon moved. I don’t know the details, but excluding a few who would absolutely never come, the candidates are roughly narrowed down.”

Among Sipcheon, there are exactly two who would absolutely never move. Gunggwi and Gwonryeong. Both Sipcheon belonging to the neutral zone.

“Gunggwi is in charge of the Imperial Court’s protection. No matter how important the matter, you can’t think they’d abandon protecting the imperial family and come this way.”

“What about Gwonryeong?”

“That crazy phantom is only interested in killing yokai. Likewise won’t come. It’s been a long time since they went beyond Xinjiang, so we don’t even know if they’re dead or alive.”

You can’t think those coming from the Central Plains would join up with Gwonryeong, who went beyond Xinjiang, completely into Saeoe, and come. So it’s out of the question.

“Manwang and Taeak. Daesageom. Geomje. Geomhu. Geomseon. Bulgoe. And Hyeolhwa. Six of eight will come.”

“Why would they come?”

“Well, searching for survivors would be the purpose. According to you guys, aren’t those caught up in this incident the elites of each sect, or Late-Stage Rising Stars? Hundreds of the Central Plains’ future were kidnapped—could they stay still?”

Jeokyeol, who let out a chuckle, shook his head.

“Mobilizing six Sipcheon means they’re prepared to battle the main cult if it comes to that. And there’s only one person who can make such a bold decision.”

“……Who is that? Manwang?”

“No, Young Lady. Your sect leader.”

“What?”

Why is Baek Riyun’s name suddenly coming up there?

At Seohwa staring at him with wide eyes, Jeokyeol wore a faint smile. The deduction that followed.

“Have you ever heard of Sipcheon and Chilryun seriously clashing?”

“……Well.”

Hasn’t there been?

“Huh?”

Seohwa, who tilted her head after carefully recalling memories and realizing she’d never heard such a story even once, was puzzled. Because it was strange.

“Though not common, Sipcheon occasionally clash with each other. Wasn’t there that incident about twenty years ago when Geomje clashed with Taeak and was defeated?”

“That’s…… right?”

“But Chilryun and Sipcheon almost never fight. That’s because Sipcheon share a secret.”

“Secret?”

“The Great Seal.”

“Ah……!”

Magyo are the guardians protecting the Great Seal. And Central Plains people are those benefiting from that seal.

Then it’s safe to say Central Plains people gain nothing by reducing Magyo’s military strength. Because if Magyo collapses right now, the Central Plains will suffer immediate damage.

“Usually the Central Plains don’t provoke Magyo. But the current case is different.”

“Because Baek Risan is missing?”

“Right. If the Young Lady is caught in Ilryun’s hands, the main cult gains the right to set foot in the Central Plains.”

“What’s important here is this fact. As far as I know, only two people know the Young Lady is of the main cult’s Divine Maiden’s bloodline. Geomje. And your sect leader.”

But Geomje isn’t the type to move first. Because his personality prioritizes family matters above everything.

Then only one remains.

“Your sect leader revealed the truth and summoned Sipcheon. That’s the right way to see it.”

“Then…….”

“The Young Master is rushing to rescue you guys.”

We’ve arrived.

“This is my residence. Rest comfortably.”

After confirming Jeokyeol, who finished speaking, entered inside the fairly well-organized tile-roofed house, Seohwa clenched her fist tight. A reassuring feeling newly felt.

‘Right.’

Baek Riyun is coming, isn’t he?

There’s no need to solve everything alone. No need to feel pressure about it either. Then there’s only one thing to do.

‘Gather information.’

So everything can proceed the moment Baek Riyun arrives.

Having finished her thoughts, Seohwa moved her steps.