Chapter 171: Bukri Sogun

The deaths of two martial artists who could be considered absolute powerhouses of the Murim shocked the entire village.

It would not be long before news of their deaths spread widely throughout the Murim.

I could not bear to leave Lee Geuk's corpse exposed, so I buried him in a sunny spot on the outskirts of the village.

"Do not forget this place. In the future, you will have to come here and relocate your grandfather's grave."

When I spoke, Bukri Sogun nodded.

It was far too great an ordeal for a child of about ten to bear.

Yet, he endured this sorrow with remarkable resilience.

I created another grave on the opposite side of Lee Geuk’s resting place.

It was the grave of Jeung Eungang.

Though he was a martial artist of the Demonic Path and had perished alongside Lee Geuk in mutual destruction, I could not let his body become food for wild dogs.

I believed that giving them both proper graves was, in its own small way, an act of chivalry.

Once things had settled to some extent, I left the village early.

After we left, and Bukri Sogun, immersed in sorrow, fell asleep in the carriage, Namgung Yoo suggested that we step outside for a moment.

I followed her, knowing she likely had something to say in private.

"Young Master Yong, do you know about the Bukri Clan?"

Namgung Yoo knew I was not very well-informed about the current state of the Murim and asked cautiously.

"How could I not know the Bukri Clan, one of the most prestigious martial families? Just as there are the three great sword clans and saber clans in the Murim, the Bukri Clan is one of the two great fist clans, isn’t it?"

The term 'two great fist clans' referred to the Bukri Clan of Kaifeng in Henan and the Jinju Eon Clan.

However, Namgung Yoo was not asking if I knew of the Bukri Clan’s reputation but if I knew the internal circumstances.

Seeing that I clearly had no idea, she continued.

"Though it is tragic that Senior Lee Geuk of Cloud-Beginning Rain Sword met such an end, taking custody of Bukri Sogun could, in a way, be a dangerous matter."

"Why do you say that? Do you think Jeung Eungang’s faction might come after Sogun?"

Since I had considered that possibility as well, I asked back.

Namgung Yoo shook her head.

"As I suspected, you were unaware."

She assumed that I, as the heir of a small merchant guild, would not have access to information known only to the leadership of the Murim.

"The Bukri Clan is affiliated with the Namwoong Alliance."

"I am aware of that much."

"But did you know that Bukri Chang, the head of the Bukri Clan, is poised to become the next leader of the Namwoong Alliance?"

"Is that so?"

This was the first I had heard of it. It was something known only to a few of the major martial families.

Being from the Namgung Clan, which held the position of a senior seat in the Murim, Namgung Yoo had access to such information.

The current leader of the Namwoong Alliance was Wu Hyeonjin, the head of the Wudang Sect.

Wu Hyeonjin had relinquished the position earlier than expected.

Namgung Yoo did not believe that Jeung Eungang’s appearance, while Lee Geuk was escorting Bukri Sogun, had been mere coincidence.

However, she could not simply abandon Bukri Sogun based on mere speculation.

"I made a promise to Senior Lee Geuk, and I intend to keep it."

I spoke firmly, then tried to recall if anything like this had happened in my previous life.

Since my past life had little to do with the Murim, I could not recall such a significant event.

'When I was involved in the Upper World, the leader of the Namwoong Alliance was Bukri Chang.'

That was the only memory that surfaced.

Because the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, based in Hunan, occasionally delivered goods to martial families, I vaguely remembered hearing that the leader of the Namwoong Alliance was Bukri Chang.

"Ah!"

Then I realized I had overlooked something.

"What is it?"

Namgung Yoo asked when I let out a small exclamation after being lost in thought.

"Come to think of it…"

I muttered but stopped myself upon noticing Namgung Yoo's presence.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

I smiled awkwardly and shook my head.

I suddenly remembered that Bukri Chang had died less than three years after becoming the leader of the Namwoong Alliance.

There had been rumors that he had been assassinated or poisoned, creating a noisy commotion at the time.

However, since I was a merchant back then, I had not paid much attention to it.

I could not bring myself to reveal all of this to Namgung Yoo.

I almost made the mistake of rambling on out of habit.

'But surely this matter isn’t connected to Bukri Chang’s death, is it?'

Because of Namgung Yoo's unease, I began to question whether taking custody of Bukri Sogun had been the right decision.

For a moment, the instincts of a merchant and the spirit of a martial artist conflicted within me.

However, I reaffirmed my resolve, wondering how I could ever protect my family and loved ones in the future if I could not even protect this child.

Abandoning my sense of chivalry based on vague and unseen threats contradicted all the martial understanding I had gained so far.

In a way, I had chosen the path of a martial artist's chivalrous spirit over a merchant's calculating instinct.

"I was just lost in thought for a moment. I think we can consider this a good deed."

Since Namgung Yoo saw that I had thought it through enough, she did not press the matter any further.

It wasn’t as if we could abandon a child in a place like this.

Understanding that, Namgung Yoo decided to follow my will.

'I just have to deliver him to the Bukri Clan, so I shouldn’t worry too much.'

Throughout the journey, Bukri Sogun never left my side.

Whether eating or sleeping, he stuck close to me.

"Why does Bukri Sogun cling to Young Master Yong like that?"

When Jeong Suji asked Jeong Minji, Namgung Yoo, who was nearby, answered instead.

"Sogun lost the people who were supposed to protect him on his way home. Emotionally, he has no choice but to rely on someone, and he will naturally follow the person he trusts the most. Right now, that person is probably Yong Hwarin."

Jeong Suji nodded at her words.

She trusted Namgung Yoo a great deal because she was not arrogant like the other members of prestigious clans.

"Even if Sogun sticks to Young Master Yong, we need to understand."

Though the Three Chivalrous Sisters and Namgung Yoo felt a sense of loss, as if they had been deprived of Yong Hwarin, they could easily overcome such feelings since Bukri Sogun was just a child.

Namgung Yoo, in particular, wanted to have many conversations with Yong Hwarin, impressed by his vast knowledge, but rarely had the chance because Bukri Sogun was always in the way.

However, since the journey was still long, she was not discouraged.

"Let’s stay at this inn for the night."

The Ten Heavenly Talents had already gone ahead to book rooms at the inn, so there was no trouble finding accommodations.

Mu Iso had been of great help in that regard.

Thanks to him checking the inns in advance and making arrangements, we had never once slept in a shabby inn during our travels.

Jeong Daji seemed to be showing interest in Mu Iso.

Though she expressed loyalty to Yong Hwarin, she did not act servile.

“Daji, it seems like Captain Mu has a connection with Lady Paeng. I’m worried you might get hurt.”

Jeong Minji became concerned when her younger sister kept following Mu Iso for several days.

“Sister, I don’t care about things like that. And honestly, do you really think Captain Mu and Paeng Cheollyeon will end up together? I don’t think so. You know exactly what daughters of martial clans are like. Even you have had marriage talks with other clans, but have you ever once voiced your refusal to Mother at any of those events? Daughters of martial clans are nothing more than tools to expand their family’s influence. No matter how talented they are, they never get to learn the advanced martial arts. Why? Because once they marry, they become outsiders. If they teach them higher-level techniques, those techniques will just leak to another clan. That’s why they don’t teach them at all. I’m building a connection with Captain Mu for when that time comes. If things fall apart between him and Paeng Cheollyeon, that’s when I’ll win over Captain Mu’s heart.”

Jeong Daji, compared to her older sisters, had much more experience in relationships and could even predict how things might turn out between Mu Iso and Paeng Cheollyeon.

However, at those words, Jeong Minji’s face darkened.

The marriage discussions she had forgotten about for a while resurfaced in her mind, leaving her heart troubled.

Jeong Minji had been in marriage talks with Geum Yujin, the first son of the Geum Clan with whom she had a long-standing acquaintance.

“Why did you have to bring that up and scratch at your sister’s heart?”

Seeing Jeong Minji looking so down, Jeong Suji scolded her younger sister.

Jeong Daji glanced at Jeong Minji and spoke apologetically.

“Sister, I’m sorry.”

There was a reason both younger sisters were being unusually cautious around Jeong Minji.

On the surface, the Three Chivalrous Sisters had left the Jeong Clan’s manor under the pretext of pursuing Wonho, the Black Killer Sword, who had stolen and fled with the Black Silk Worm.

In truth, it was the duty of other warriors of the Jeong Clan to track down Wonho.

However, their elder sister Jeong Minji had insisted on going herself, claiming it was the clan’s treasure they were seeking, and thus she had come out to the Murim.

The two younger sisters believed their elder sister had left the manor to escape the pressure of her marriage talks.

In reality, Jeong Minji had indeed left the manor under the pretext of retrieving the Black Silk Worm because she feared that if she stayed any longer, the marriage with Geum Yujin would become a done deal.

In some ways, Jeong Minji felt grateful to Wonho, the Black Killer Sword.

Even after retrieving the Black Silk Worm, she continued to follow Yong Hwarin under various excuses because she didn’t want to return to the Jeong Clan.

If she returned to the clan, she might end up married right away.

Geum Yujin, who admired Jeong Minji, wanted the marriage to happen quickly, and Jeong Minji’s mother was also fond of Geum Yujin, leaving no reason to refuse.

That was why the two younger sisters could not bring themselves to suggest going back to the clan.

Though they now longed for home after suffering through the hardships of travel, they understood that Jeong Minji had given the Black Silk Worm to Yong Hwarin as a way to create a tie with him, so she would not have to return to the Jeong Clan.

Because they understood that, they refrained from making any remarks about it.

“I envy you, Daji. How you can openly express your feelings when you like someone.”

Jeong Daji glanced at them and muttered softly.

“Sister, you should express your feelings too. It’s not that hard. Do you know why people find it so hard to express their feelings? Because they’re afraid of being rejected. But isn’t it stupid to not even try because you’re afraid of rejection? When we were learning martial arts, did we stop learning because we were afraid we might get hurt or bleed when facing someone else’s sword? No. We learned while accepting all those risks. We might even die in battle. And yet, we still pushed through to learn martial arts. So why should we be too embarrassed to express our feelings, just because the other person might reject us? I wish you would use even just one-tenth of the courage you show when standing up against injustice to express your own heart. Before being a hero for others, you have to be a hero for yourself. That’s what I believe a true hero is.”

Jeong Suji, thinking her younger sister was talking nonsense, glared and raised her fist toward Jeong Daji.

As Jeong Daji quietly slipped away, Jeong Suji comforted her elder sister.

“Sister, don’t pay attention to what Daji says. She’s just rambling.”

“No, Daji is right. It’s the same with martial arts. If you don’t fully express the form, how can you unleash its true power? Maybe Daji is actually talking about the essence of martial arts. If you hide, avoid, and run away, you gain nothing. Maybe that’s why both my heart and my martial arts have been stuck for so long.”

Finishing her words, Jeong Minji crossed her legs and entered meditation, while Jeong Suji stood guard beside her.

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