78.
In the original work, this part wasn’t properly depicted, so Namgung Mun’s treatment of Jin Geum-ryeon seemed somewhat exaggerated. Even if the rumors were embellished, to think they would portray inside information only known to the original author!
Jin Geum-ryeon watched Ak Mujin’s dumbfounded face, then placed some meat on his plate and filled his cup with alcohol. He wore a slightly concerned expression.
“You don’t seem to be enjoying it. Please eat.”
“No, no. I just…”
Ak Mujin trailed off and simply tasted the meat on his plate. It wasn’t bad. It was so tender it was hard to believe it was duck, and whatever spices they used made it fragrant without any gamey smell.
Somehow, Ak Mujin wasn’t the only one unsettled at this point. Four or five martial artists seated on the left side of the first floor stage exchanged meaningful glances and clenched their fists. Judging by their blue martial uniforms, they seemed to be Namgung Clan warriors.
“…Isn’t the naming of the main characters a bit too coincidental, Brother Moon?”
“Ahem… Let’s just watch for now.”
They seemed flustered that a secret buried deep within their clan was being revealed like this. One by one, they set down their food and passed drinks back and forth, taking large gulps.
Meanwhile, as the solo performance ended, a scene of martial arts combat began, accompanied by the actors’ boisterous dance movements. Or rather, it was a confrontation between a group and a single person. Nevertheless, the audience members stopped eating and began cheering for whichever side they preferred.
“Someone who conspired with the Demon Cult isn’t fit to be heir. What does it matter if he’s the legitimate son? Gang Mun can take his place!”
“No matter what, Gang Cheon is the rightful heir!”
Gang Mun led the Gang clan warriors to threaten Gang Cheon. After a long exchange of fierce battle cries, Gang Cheon first inflicted a wound on Gang Mun’s shoulder. But that was all. Gang Cheon hesitated to swing his sword again.
In the end, unable to ignore the bonds of blood, Gang Cheon fell to his knees.
“Brother Mun. Weren’t you like an older brother to me? We share the same blood, how can you point your sword at me…?”
The actor who had already been struck by the sword and was spilling red ribbons simulating blood from his chest sat slumped, looking up at his opponent with tears streaming down his face. The other actor contorted his face in anguish even as he performed these actions.
Still, this differed somewhat from the original work. It was Ak Mujin’s group who killed Namgung Cheon, after all. While the battle scene was very interesting, Ak Mujin felt somewhat uncomfortable with Jin Geum-ryeon right beside him, so he picked at the duck meat halfheartedly.
Meanwhile, the Namgung Clan warriors who had watched until Gang Cheon’s exit wore very sour expressions. It was bad enough to expose secrets, but to distort them like this? From any perspective, wasn’t this damaging the honor of the Martial Alliance Lord and the Namgung Clan?
But if they spoke up now, it would confirm all of this as fact. So despite their burning anger, they couldn’t carelessly open their mouths.
From Jin Geum-ryeon’s perspective, this wasn’t a welcome play either. It was unclear what he was thinking to allow such a performance. Ak Mujin glanced sideways, but Jin Geum-ryeon was still eating roasted peanuts without showing any particular reaction.
Still, this scandal was excellent for capturing people’s attention. As proof, everyone in the audience had set down their food and was watching this makjang drama as if entranced.
“You conspired with the Demon Cult! And you dare to protest this treatment?”
“Brother Mun…”
Gang Mun swung his sword without hesitation, and the actor playing Gang Mun exaggeratedly flung his body in the direction of the swing and fell. The collapsed body lay motionless on the floor for a long while.
For a moment, the hall fell silent. Eventually, that silence was broken by a man’s rough voice.
“How could Gang Cheon die so pitifully! Even the heavens are heartless. To side with that cowardly bastard Gang Mun!”
The man who shouted as he abruptly stood up was a bearded martial artist. Everyone in the tavern except the actors on stage turned to look at him. He burst out in anger.
“It’s obvious that Gang Mun was jealous of Gang Cheon’s talents and took this opportunity to get rid of him. Does this guy have no blood or tears? Am I right?”
“That’s just speculation!”
“What?”
Finally, when someone started criticizing Gang Mun, one of the Namgung Clan warriors who could no longer hold back raised his head stiffly and spoke to that man. The three Namgung warriors sitting nearby hurriedly grabbed his arms to stop him.
“It’s nothing, please continue watching.”
On the quickly rearranged stage, Gang Cheon and Gang Mun were no longer present. Instead, two new actors in elaborate costumes walked out. One person wore white clothes, while the other wore red.
As soon as the play resumed, they rushed at each other with swords pointed, so the bearded man couldn’t say anything more.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The clear sound of swords clashing filled the tavern in time with the music.
“As expected, Unbaek Ryeon! They say blood doesn’t lie, your fate is the same as your parents!”
At those lines, the audience began to stir.
“H-He’s Gang Cheon’s illegitimate child!”
“Wait! Then, his opponent is…?”
“It must be Gang Mun!”
People now forgot to close their mouths as they stared at the stage.
“I’ll avenge my father!”
“Do you think a bastard child who came out of nowhere can defeat me, the Sword Emperor Gang Mun?”
The audience stirred once again. The title “Sword Emperor” was enough to remind them of the current Martial Alliance Lord’s epithet. Even the audience members who had been engrossed in the play at first began to look at each other and whisper, comparing the facts they knew. The Namgung Clan warriors who hadn’t left yet were visibly shaking, unable to contain their anger.
At that moment, in some kind of theatrical direction, a woman clung to a man on stage, swaying her body and fluttering her skirts. She was dressed in black from head to toe, with a purple waist ornament, clearly portraying a Demon Cult.
Ak Mujin’s breath caught in his throat.
“Unbaek Ryeon! Help me!”
“Mu Jin-yak! Hold on a little longer!”
That was the dialogue between Unbaek Ryeon and a woman named Jin-yak.
No… This is too much! From any angle, isn’t “Mu Jin-yak” clearly an adaptation of “Ak Mujin”? This Unbaek Ryeon is none other than Jin Geum-ryeon, and what Demon Cult does he have a close relationship with besides Ak Mujin? Even the names are similar! It was truly maddening.
At this moment, a choked sound came from beside him. When Ak Mujin quickly turned, he saw Jin Geum-ryeon with his head turned away, his shoulders shaking as he chuckled.
“Jin Geum-ryeon, Jin Geum-ryeon. What is this all about? Huh?”
“Hehehe… I don’t really know either…”
Ak Mujin urgently grabbed his shoulder and asked, but Jin Geum-ryeon couldn’t raise his head.
The theater troupe seemed to have put considerable effort into this scene and actor. The actor’s face was extremely beautiful, with rouge applied to both cheeks making them look as appetizing as ripe peaches.
Ak Mujin felt a surge of indignation. Why did they go so far as to change him into a woman to create a love line? At that time, Jin Geum-ryeon didn’t have the slightest feelings for Ak Mujin!
Nothing at all happened between the two of them…
Well…
It’s not that nothing at all happened, but…
As that thought occurred to him, Ak Mujin unconsciously deflated. While he trembled, unable to look at the stage with his shadowed face, the woman’s body swaying in midair disappeared from the stage.
“Ha, with looks like that, I’d accept even a Demon Cult! Unbaek Ryeon’s got good taste!”
“Wow~”
“He’s the spitting image of his father! Gang Mun! Kill him too!”
“No! Take revenge, Unbaek Ryeon!”
“Go for it! Stab him in the chest!”
“May either of them win!”
The tavern had now turned into a scene of chaos. Some praised Mu Jin-yak’s beauty, others called for Unbaek Ryeon’s execution, and some were simply interested in the fight itself.
Even to Ak Mujin, who could barely look at the stage directly and only glanced sideways, the production was quite thrilling. Just when it seemed one person might narrowly win, the losing person would strike back forcefully and counterattack. The tense music added to the scene made it very exciting.
“Jin-yak!”
It was Unbaek Ryeon’s cry. Driven into a corner, Gang Mun finally took Mu Jin-yak hostage and held a sword to her throat. At this cowardly act, fierce criticism erupted from the audience.
The seated Namgung Clan warriors were unnecessarily angered by the play’s content. They were already irritated, and now this Gang Mun character was acting disgracefully again, drawing scorn. It became unbearable. Finally, one of them slammed the table and stood up abruptly. Dishes and food flew in all directions.
“I can’t stand this anymore! Stop this nonsense play!”
The stage and the audience fell silent in an instant, as if doused with cold water. It was no wonder, as ordinary civilians couldn’t raise their heads and confront a martial artist who clearly appeared to be of high skill. Even the actors who had been passionately performing hesitated and stopped acting, and the musicians did the same.
Ak Mujin looked at Jin Geum-ryeon. Jin Geum-ryeon, without erasing his smile, gestured to the innkeeper Janghyo to continue the performance. The briefly paused play resumed.
That’s when it happened.
“Why are you getting so worked up over a mere play and ruining the atmosphere?”
The man who said those words stood up, and with slight exaggeration, he was about twice the height of an average woman. He had a thick rope at his left waist and a Wolf Fang Staff with quite a long handle leaning diagonally under the table. People stirred. This figure was none other than Pungcheon Baek, known as Manripyo, a supreme master from the Demon Sect.
The Namgung Clan warriors couldn’t fail to recognize Pungcheon Baek, whom even ordinary civilians recognized. They hesitated a bit, seemingly not wanting to fight with such a prominent figure.
Now Unbaek Ryeon had snatched Mu Jin-yak from Gang Mun’s grasp and was holding her in one arm. Seeing this, Jin Geum-ryeon burst into laughter.
“Hahaha…”
That laughter echoed clearly through the tavern. It caused Pungcheon Baek and the Namgung Clan warriors, who had been in a standoff, to pause and look at him. The rest of the people’s attention also turned to Jin Geum-ryeon.
The Namgung Clan warriors narrowed their eyes and looked at the laughing Jin Geum-ryeon. He seemed familiar somehow. The handsome face, the extraordinary bearing, and the Jade Token of the Sandow Union at his waist…
“E-even the Annihilation Sword…”
The warriors began to look at each other’s faces, assessing the situation.