Ak Mujin clicked his tongue a few times inwardly, then nodded as if in agreement and straightened his upper body, adjusting his posture. Jin Geum-ryeon’s gaze naturally rose to look up at him.
“Now, tell me. What about the Martial Alliance?”
“About the Martial Alliance… everything you’ve heard so far is the truth.”
Jin Geum-ryeon slowly opened his mouth.
“It all started when Seol San-hae began to slander me, and the Martial Alliance Lord agreed with her, so public opinion turned against me. Everyone was pushing me, eager to imprison me in the Brain Prison… Frustrated, I drew my sword. Thanks to that, I was able to compete with the Martial Alliance Lord. That’s really all there is to it.”
It wasn’t a particularly long story, nor was it any different from what he had heard through their conversations.
However, Ak Mujin still felt like Jin Geum-ryeon was hiding something. He wasn’t satisfied with Jin Geum-ryeon’s answer and just stared at him for a long time.
“Namgung Eui also slandered you? So… Brother So, that person too?”
Ak Mujin almost said the name of someone he had never heard of. He hurriedly corrected himself, and Jin Geum-ryeon chuckled at Ak Mujin still mentioning Namgung Eui.
“That wasn’t the case. Strictly speaking, I think he would have taken my side to the very end if he hadn’t been his father.”
See, see? It’s clear that they both have feelings for each other! Isn’t it obvious that Namgung Eui betrayed him and he turned dark? At this rate, if I just give them a little push, they could become the Central Plains’ official couple. Honestly, if the original author acknowledged it, isn’t it practically official? Huh?
Although he couldn’t show it outwardly, Ak Mujin was inwardly burning with passion, like he was possessed by a BL demon.
“Still, that’s all there is to it. In the end, he chose his father over me.”
This statement was very disappointing to Ak Mujin, who was pushing the Jin Geum-ryeon X Namgung Eui official theory.
He looked at Jin Geum-ryeon and calmly opened his mouth. He couldn’t be sure of the inside story of what happened in the Martial Alliance, but he thought he should at least leave a good impression of Namgung Eui on him.
“But… it can’t be helped. There are few people as upright as he is. He was even willing to take your side without caring about your reputation.”
Ak Mujin wanted to tell Jin Geum-ryeon about Namgung Eui’s good qualities no matter what. So, he broke his taciturn character setting and began to pour out the most words he had ever spoken since becoming Ak Mujin.
“As you’ve experienced in the Orthodox Sect, there are few who will trust you without caring about your background. Wasn’t Namgung Eui the only one who recognized your true worth? He was born as a Young Master of the Martial Clan, but he grew up with a good personality. With that character, he’ll have a bright future wherever he goes. Well, the fact that he’s a member of the Martial Alliance and the heir of the Namgung Clan is a bit of a concern, but such obstacles are necessary for the friendship of men. And also…”
Ak Mujin chattered on enthusiastically. Throughout his speech, Jin Geum-ryeon calmly agreed with him, and sometimes pondered thoughtfully. Ak Mujin’s long speech continued for quite some time after that.
Just as his story ended, Jin Geum-ryeon looked at him and smiled. Jin Geum-ryeon said slowly, but kindly.
“Are you trying to turn my attention to Young Master Namgung right now?”
Ak Mujin felt the back of his neck getting hot and looked at him. Was it too obvious? Well, he was usually quiet, but he was rattling on about Namgung Eui at a time like this, so there was no way the perceptive Jin Geum-ryeon wouldn’t find it strange. Ak Mujin was instantly embarrassed, but he just cleared his throat several times and brazenly raised his head.
“Ahem, Young Master Namgung is much more suitable for you than I am, now that I have nowhere to go.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a low chuckle erupted.
“That’s not true. Didn’t you say that Young Master Namgung is a member of the Martial Alliance and the heir of the Namgung Clan? Rather… I can take care of you alone, so you, who have nowhere to go and no one to interfere, are more suitable for me.”
That was the crux of the matter.
Ak Mujin’s expression darkened slightly, as he felt like he had created a comparison group for nothing and hadn’t even broken even. Noticing this, Jin Geum-ryeon looked at him and drove the point home.
Jin Geum-ryeon took his injured left hand.
“How can I not be captivated by someone who blocked a sword with his bare hands for me?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Ak Mujin’s face turned pale.
“Let’s go eat now. I’ve already told them to prepare roast duck.”
Ak Mujin was still dazed. Before he could add anything, Jin Geum-ryeon got up from his seat first. He had been kneeling for a long time, but his movements didn’t seem uncomfortable at all, but rather light. Cheong-aeng had already organized the books and was standing by their side at a suitable distance. Ak Mujin looked back and forth between them, then turned his gaze back to Jin Geum-ryeon.
“You really don’t have any feelings for Namgung Eui at all?”
“I heard you praising someone else in front of me. I didn’t know you knew Young Master Namgung so well. Anyway, let’s go quickly. We mustn’t skip a big meal.”
Ak Mujin had nothing more to say. As he sat there dazed, Jin Geum-ryeon busily pulled his arm to get him up, laughing. His attitude was like that of a caring grandson or a volunteer youth trying to coax a grumpy old man to leave his seat.
*
As Jin Geum-ryeon was about to open the door to leave the inner room, Janghyo entered with an old man. Thanks to this, Ak Mujin was forced to undergo an examination before he could leave the place, unable to resist Jin Geum-ryeon’s pressure.
Ak Mujin looked down at his left hand, which was bandaged due to the simple treatment. His face was still flushed as he went down the stairs. The old Physician who had bandaged him seemed to think it was absurd that he had been called for such a minor injury, and he had nagged him throughout the treatment.
‘Seriously, you called me for this little scratch, as if you just cut yourself while peeling an apple?’
‘I insisted on bringing Physician here even though he said he didn’t want to. It would be a disaster if the wound festered.’
‘Well, it looks clean, so the sword probably wasn’t dirty. I’ll apply some medicine, and let it air out at night.’
Of course. So Seung-ji’s sword was a shiny sword with gold decorations. He cherished the sword and polished it every day, so there was no way it could be dirty. Jin Geum-ryeon tried to appease the Physician with a kind voice, but Ak Mujin still felt awkward and his ears turned red.
After finishing the examination, the Physician glanced at Ak Mujin while organizing Wang Jin’s box. He seemed to want to say something, but he was hesitant.
‘Is there anything else wrong?’
Jin Geum-ryeon keenly noticed this and asked the Physician, but the Physician looked back and forth between Ak Mujin and Jin Geum-ryeon for a moment, then just nodded several times as if he had understood something on his own.
‘It’s nothing. You’re very healthy!’
With that, the Physician grumbled and left the inner room, as if he was annoyed by Wang Jin. Ak Mujin and Jin Geum-ryeon looked at each other with puzzled faces.
They left the inner room on the top floor and headed straight to the second floor. It was almost dinner time, so there were quite a few customers, and most of the staff were busy carrying food. Jin Geum-ryeon led Ak Mujin to the place on the second floor with the best view of the stage.
A play seemed to be in full swing on the stage, with a certain martial artist as the protagonist. Ak Mujin couldn’t help but be quite surprised by this.
“What nonsense is this, Cheon? You and that… Demonic Cultist…?”
“There is no one more intimate to me than Brother Moon. I am only telling Brother Moon because I know he will keep the secret.”
“But, you, how…?”
“Lady Un is a Demonic Cultist, but she is definitely not an evil person! She knows righteousness and justice. I can never be apart from her. Brother Moon, please hide us.”
The audience’s voices erupted at Cheon’s bold request on stage.
“You’re going to live with a Demonic Cultist? You’re crazy!”
“I thought he had his head screwed on straight, but I guess not.”
The man playing the role who had been acting confused turned his back exaggeratedly at his brother’s request. And he shouted resolutely.
“Give up! You…”
“She’s pregnant!”
Before Mun could finish speaking, Cheon shouted and bent one knee, bowing with his fist cupped. Mun looked back in great shock. The audience could be heard gasping and dropping their cups, showing their agitation.
Ak Mujin was also startled and almost choked. But his agitation was for a different reason than the audience’s. This plot, it’s a plot I’ve seen somewhere before.
“I… I’ll think about it….”
In the end, Mun had no choice but to say that. Then Cheon looked up at him with shining eyes.
“You’re going to help us?”
“…….”
“Thank you, Brother Moon!”
The man called Cheon smiled happily, cupped his fist, and fluttered his sleeves as he left the stage.
“That reckless fool!”
“Tsk tsk tsk, how can the heir of a Martial Clan even think about consorting with the Demonic Cult?”
The audience once again poured out their over-involved grumbling. The actor playing Mun, who was left alone, looked at the sky with his hands behind his back.
“How can there be such a twist of fate….”
He looked up at the sky once, then sighed as if the ground was sinking.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s a headache.”
“That’s right. His brother is acting like that….”
The audience clicked their tongues as if they could predict the next line. But the words coming from the actor’s mouth were not what the audience expected.
“Un Seol-aeng…. Why did you give yourself to Cheon…? Is it true that we have no fate in this life…?”
“Heo! What a messed up family!”
“The upper stream must be clear for the lower stream to be clear…. Tsk tsk, what did he learn from?”
The curtain seemed to have fallen, and the actor’s song began, causing the audience to stir. Ak Mujin looked at Jin Geum-ryeon with a bewildered face.
“This is…?”
“They made a play out of the rumors that are going around these days. What do you think? I know you enjoy the scenery, but I don’t know if you enjoy plays too.”
Jin Geum-ryeon said with a smile. Around that time, a waiter approached and placed a delicious roast duck and a bottle of wine in front of them before leaving.
For some reason, Ak Mujin thought the names of these characters sounded familiar. Gang Mun and Gang Cheon. They just changed the surnames of Namgung Mun and Namgung Cheon!
Ak Mujin was surprised not only because this play was about Jin Geum-ryeon’s parents. It even covered the fact that the current Martial Alliance Lord Namgung Mun had secretly had a crush on Jin Sang-aeng in the past.