Chapter 78: Jaseung, Shows

Lee Jaseung was training in the Yama's Dagger Art.

In truth, after hearing from Mook Young that she had come, he had switched from the Limitless Iron Chest’s techniques to the Yama's Dagger Art and began practicing.

He knew she was there, but that did not mean he would perform the techniques carelessly. He demonstrated each move with the same dedication he always gave to his training.

A quiet murmur of admiration escaped her lips again and again.

It was a strange feeling. It was not flashy, yet it was dazzling. It looked simple, yet it was never ordinary.

Each movement had precision and dignity.

She wanted to keep watching. But no matter that they were husband and wife, spying on someone’s martial arts training without permission was impolite, so she turned away reluctantly.

“You may watch.”

From behind, Dan Woobin approached with a smile.

“Senior Brother does not hide his training from others.”

Of course, the “others” meant only the four subordinates he trusted and valued like family.

Baek Seolyoung turned to look at Lee Jaseung again.

The longer the moves went on, the more her heart pounded and her fists clenched. A surge of intense stimulation and excitement welled up inside her.

She felt the urge to rush forward and train herself. To think she could feel this way just by watching someone else’s training!

After completing a full round of techniques, Lee Jaseung sat down and began circulating his inner Qi

Only then did Baek Seolyoung exhale a long breath. She was drenched in sweat as if she had trained herself. It was a first for her.

Dan Woobin finally spoke.

“He truly works hard.”

“I think so too.”

“He is someone I deeply respect.”

She could feel just how much Dan Woobin admired him.

“He must be lucky to have such good disciples.”

Then came a voice from behind.

“The problem is that he never expresses those feelings.”

They turned to see Mujin walking toward them with a yawn.

“To be training like that after drinking so late last night! He is tormenting himself and his disciples too!”

Dan Woobin said to Baek Seolyoung after.

“That is the drunken fool’s nonsense.”

She gave a small laugh. From the recent journey, she had gotten a general sense of the three disciples’ personalities. Mujin was cheerful, Dan Woobin was smart, and Ma Young-gi was quiet. That assessment had been accurate.

Mujin yawned and asked.

“Why does he call us in the morning? Is he going to beat us again?”

At that, Baek Seolyoung asked in surprise,

“Beat you?”

“With that overflowing strength, he beats us mercilessly sometimes.”

“He does?”

“Haha. You did not know? He is terrifying when it comes to that.”

“But he doesn’t look like he would do such a thing.”

“You really didn’t know? This marriage was a complete fraud huh?”

Dan Woobin flinched slightly at the words. Mujin, unconcerned, kept making jokes.

“You should have gotten to know your partner better before marrying.”

Baek Seolyoung smiled and played along.

“As you know, this wedding was the height of marrying someone you couldn’t possibly know.”

Her self-deprecating humor was unusual for her, making Mujin laugh loudly.

“Hahaha, that is true.”

Behind her, Dan Woobin gave him a look telling him not to stir up trouble.

In truth, Baek Seolyoung envied him for having such good disciples. The only person who truly cared for her was Chu Sang-gi, and even that was due to his strict professional sense of duty, not the natural closeness these men shared.

“Let’s leave that violent training addict and go have fun by ourselves. How’s that sound?”

Dan Woobin quickly rejected Mujin’s suggestion.

“Don’t forget we are here because that violent training addict called us.”

Mujin replied with disappointment.

“Then next time, please treat me to a meal!”

“I shall.”

Baek Seolyoung smiled and left.

The two of them walked over to Lee Jaseung.

He finished circulating his Qi and stood. He already knew Baek Seolyoung had come and spoken with them. There was no need to guess. Mook Young always sent him voice transmissions about what was happening nearby.

Mujin, watching her walk away in the distance, spoke.

“The more I see her, the better she seems.”

Lee Jaseung simply nodded in silence.

Perhaps that was why she weighed on his mind. If she had seemed like a bad woman, it would have been much easier to deal with her.

He changed the subject.

“What about Yeo Beom?”

“Seems he enjoyed himself all night.”

No wonder. Mujin had arranged for a woman Yeo Beom liked, and had even given her extra money. In other words, he had promised her a huge sum if she could wrap Yeo Beom around her finger.

“I have a suggestion.”

“What is it?”

“Acquire the Hall of Honored Guests.”

The unexpected words surprised both Lee Jaseung and Dan Woobin. Normally, Mujin never involved himself in Black Way Alliance business.

Dan Woobin shook his head.

“Impossible. The Hall of Honored Guests, along with all brothels and inns near the Murim Alliance, is under their surveillance. The Alliance’s inspection unit may have grown lax compared to before, but that’s still one of the few parts that runs properly.”

Mujin turned and gave him a meaningful look.

“Even if we get caught, it’s not us buying it, right?”

“That’s true.”

It would be Seop Mu-pyeong making the purchase. The Murim Alliance would think it was acquired by the Northern Sky Clan.

“So that means we’re keeping it a secret from Lord Baek?”

“Of course. She would never approve, and the Northern Sky Clan probably doesn’t even have the funds to buy it right now.”

Lee Jaseung joined in and asked,

“How much will it take?”

“At least three million silver coins.”

Dan Woobin was shocked.

“Three million just to buy a brothel? Are you insane?”

“It’s not just any brothel. The Hall of Honored Guests is among the top three in the entire martial world. The name alone is worth a fortune. In fact, even if you want to buy it, it won’t be easy. The owner will likely refuse to sell.”

Mujin’s gaze shifted from Dan Woobin to Lee Jaseung.

“The Murim Alliance is more corrupt than it has ever been in history. The Hall of Honored Guests is the closest to it, and all kinds of martial artists and rich men go there. If we control it, our future operations will be much easier. Even after unifying the world, it will be essential. It will become an excellent source of top-class intelligence.”

After watching him for a moment, Lee Jaseung readily agreed.

“Alright, acquire it. I will leave it to you.”

Mujin bowed with a pleased expression.

“Thank you. I will handle it.”

That alone was worth boosting Mujin’s morale.

Dan Woobin spoke.,

“Tomorrow, you must meet the Captain of the Azure Dragon Hall.”

Lee Jaseung answered just as decisively.

“Set the meeting.”

Once he decided on a path, he would push forward with unstoppable momentum. That was his way.

* * *

The next day, he had drinks with Azure Dragon Hall Captain, Gwak Bon.

This time it was not at the Hall of Honored Guests, but at an ordinary inn. Gwak Bon was the most martial-oriented of the four Captains in the Murim Alliance. Entertaining him at a brothel would have backfired.

Instead, they chose an inn with the most renowned chef and served the finest liquor. That alone pleased Gwak Bon greatly.

If Ban Yeo learned of it later, he too would be secretly pleased, thinking he had been given special treatment.

Of course at first, Gwak Bon was very stiff.

But as they talked, he quickly relaxed.

Lee Jaseung knew everything about him. His personality, hobbies, relationships, ambitions, even forgotten parts of his past.

He steered the conversation skillfully, and the mood naturally softened.

The key was honesty. Lee Jaseung spoke without concealment, and it worked.

When the mood was ripe, he spoke openly.

“To be honest, our Northern Sky Clan needs the Murim Alliance’s help. Today I’m meeting you, and tomorrow I will meet someone else.”

“What’s your reason for this?”

“I am a man too. Though my marriage came through a martial arts tournament, I want to protect my woman with my own strength. But I can’t face the Undying Ghouls alone, so I desperately need your help.”

Lee Jaseung knew the Azure Dragon Hall Captain had loved only his wife all his life.

“Haha, I’m someone who follows orders, so I can’t act on my own you know?”

“I am not asking you to act on your own. I just hope that if you are ever involved in fighting the Undying Ghouls, you will give it more of your attention.”

“That much I can do. Even without you saying it, the Undying Ghouls must be erased from this world.”

“Thank you.”

“Come, have a drink.”

As the cups went back and forth, the drinking grew deeper. Gwak Bon was impressed by Lee Jaseung’s knowledge and quick mind.

After several bottles and getting drunk, Gwak Bon said,

“Does it really matter how many times or how long people meet? If the hearts align in one meeting, they can be friends. I will think of you as a younger brother from now on.”

“Thank you, elder brother.”

With that, they were calling each other elder and younger, and the drinks flowed even more freely.

Only after finishing several more bottles did they part ways.

“Take care until we meet again, brother.”

“See you next time.”

As he turned away, the smile faded from Lee Jaseung’s face.

He thought the man was good. Even in a corrupt Murim Alliance, there were sometimes such decent people.

But he had never truly treated him sincerely. If he did, he might not be able to kill him when the time came. As cruel as it was, the man was only someone to be used.

As he turned around, a woman was standing in the street. To his shock, it was Baek Seolyoung.

Judging by her expression, she had been waiting for him.

“It’s dangerous. Why are you alone here?”

“You’re one to talk. Is it alright for you to drink like this?”

“Let’s walk.”

He started moving. He knew that when the other person was on edge, it was better to walk side by side than face them head-on. It made the conversation flow more smoothly.

“I heard you met Elder Yeo yesterday.”

When she had asked Dan Woobin about his whereabouts, he had told her the truth, as Lee Jaseung had instructed.

“And today you met the Captain of the Azure Dragon Hall.”

She was honestly angry.

She could not know exactly why he met them, but she could guess it was for political reasons. What angered her was not that he acted, but that he had not discussed it with her.

Was meeting a chief Elder like Yeo Beom that trivial? And meeting the Captain of the Azure Dragon Hall?

He should have discussed it. She certainly would have.

Suppressing her temper, she asked calmly,

“May I ask why you met them?”

“To get close to them.”

“What?”

“It’s exactly as I said. I met them to get close.”

“Why didn’t you discuss such an important matter with me first?”

“Because I thought it was my business.”

His blunt reply left her looking incredulous. She asked again, holding back her anger.

“Why is it your business?”

“Entertaining someone to get close to them is a dirty and degrading thing. I didn’t want you to have to do it.”

She was momentarily speechless. Lee Jaseung emphasized again.

“I didn’t want to discuss with you a matter that involved bowing to others.”

“You still should have.”

“Why?”

“Because we are husband and wife.”

He understood what she meant and felt a pang of guilt. But this was something that had to be settled. He could not consult her on everything.

“Yes, because we are husband and wife, I can’t do that.”

“What?”

“I have no intention of making my wife do dirty, degrading work. It’s my job. Even if we discussed it, I would still decide to do it myself. I wouldn’t back down. That means you’d have to tell your husband to do it. The moment we discuss it, that’s how it’ll end.”

She was stunned by his response, but then raised her voice.

“I’m not an ordinary woman. I’m the Lord of the Northern Sky Clan. You know I can endure something as dirty and degrading as that. So don’t spout ridiculous nonsense and tell me honestly. Why did you do it?”

“Because you are too beautiful.”

“…!”

She was left speechless for a moment. She had never expected to hear such words from him.

It was as if she had been struck in the head with a lump of iron.

She had been called beautiful countless times since childhood, perhaps more than any other woman in the entire Jianghu.

But the moment she heard it from Lee Jaseung, it made her heart drop.

Her mind went blank. The only thought she had was that she must hide the feelings that had arisen.

His gaze toward her was more intense than ever.

Suddenly, he stepped closer. She instinctively stepped back. He kept advancing, and she kept retreating until she could go no further. A wall was at her back.

Leaning against it, she swallowed nervously.

He came right up to her face.

Baek Seolyoung’s heart started to pound crazily. She was able to feel his breath.

Lee Jaseung’s burning gaze soon turned into a sigh. Letting out a light breath, he spoke.

“Because you are so beautiful, you would end up ruining everything.”

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