Shocked speechless, Seomoon Hye-Ryung stared at Jin Mu-Won in silence for a while.
Seven years ago, she and Dam Soo-Cheon had been attacked by the Chaos Demon and were forced to run with their tails between their legs.
Ashad of what they had done, Dam Soo-Cheon couldn't even look at her. He blad her for making the decision to run away, and he carried this sha for a whole year, until he finally shut himself away and devoted himself to martial arts training like a madman.
anwhile, she and Shim Won-Yi did their best to bury what had happened that day. After all, who would join the Azure Dragon Society if they knew that its leaders had fled from a Silent Night martial artist?
Thus, they thoroughly swept what had happened in the Northern Army under the rug. However, today, a man who knew everything appeared before them.
The last successor of the Northern Army, Jin Mu-Won.
Jin Mu-Won wasn't just so ghost from the past. He was a walking ti bomb who knew their weaknesses, the Azure Dragon Society's dirty laundry. If he spilled the beans, the Azure Dragon would crash and burn before it could even take flight.
Feeling giddy, Seomoon Hye-Ryung asked, "Master Jin, how did you survive that day?"
"I got lucky," Jin Mu-Won replied calmly.
Seomoon Hye-Ryung didn't believe him.
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Luck only favors those who are prepared. He must have created a contingency plan long before eting us.
The problem was that she, who prided herself on being smarter and more intelligent than anyone else, hadn't noticed anything unusual about Jin Mu-Won at all back then.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her shoulders trembled, but in her agitation, she was oblivious to her own movents.
"Master Jin, are you really the Northern Blade?"
"That's what people call ."
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"Then what about martial arts? Were you already learning martial arts before you t us?"
"I started training in earnest after you guys left."
Seomoon Hye-Ryung's face clouded with uncertainty. Jin Mu-Won's words could be interpreted in many ways, but she could not make a calm judgnt right now.
A ghost of the past was standing before her eyes. A ghost nad Jin Mu-Won.
"Y-You…" she stamred, but couldn't finish her line.
Jin Mu-Won studied her quietly. Seven years had passed, yet her appearance was almost unchanged. She remained as beautiful as ever, though her eyes were now deeper and more intense.
She seems flustered now, but knowing her, she'll soon regain her composure. When that happens, I need to carefully tailor my responses according to what she chooses.
"Phew!" Seomoon Hye-Ryung took a deep breath to steady herself. She circulated her family's cultivation thod, clearing her mind enough to think rationally.
Regardless of how it happened, Jin Mu-Won was here. There was no reason to dwell on the past. She needed to consider the consequences of his presence and plan counterasures.
The most troubling part is that he is the rightful successor of the Northern Army
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Countless possibilities flashed through her mind in an instant, and among them, she picked out a few plans.
The first is to eliminate him here without anyone knowing, the second is to recruit him, and the last was to use him.
These three plans were the most pragmatic. Before making a decision though, she first had to understand Jin Mu-Won's intentions.
"Master Jin."
"Yes, Miss Seomoon?"
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"Do you dream of going against Heaven?"
Jin Mu-Won's eyebrows twitched at her candor, but he didn't waver. "That's grand. Going against Heaven. Which heaven are you talking about?"
"Heaven's Summit, of course. Are you acting dumb, or do you truly not know what I am referring to?"
Jin Mu-Won laughed, "Since when did Heaven's Summit beco synonymous with Heaven?"
"Heaven's Summit rules the current jianghu. To call it a substitute for heaven is not an exaggeration."
"I see."
"You haven't answered my question, Master Jin."
"I'll say one thing: I will do anything and everything I can to survive."
Seomoon Hye-Ryung quickly picked up on Jin Mu-Won's hidden allusions. "Survival in Heaven's Summit, or survival in the jianghu?"
"Survival from everything that threatens ."
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"Just survival, or do you dream of sothing more?"
Jin Mu-Won smiled. "Everyone is free to dream. I don't know what you an by 'sothing more'."
Seomoon Hye-Ryung squird. Jin Mu-Won's smile made her uncomfortable. No, it was more than that. Just being in the sa space as Jin Mu-Won put her on edge.
All of a sudden, she had a revelation. There was no need to continue this conversation. There was never any room for compromise between her and Jin Mu-Won. They were fundantally different.
"That's unfortunate," she said, a hint of regret in her voice.
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"What is?"
"Many things. I sincerely wish you all the best in your endeavors, Master Jin."
"Thank you, Miss Seomoon."
Seomoon Hye-Ryung smiled politely. Jin Mu-Won's appearance was unexpected, and his existence posed a threat to her and the Azure Dragon Society, but a true strategist should know how to turn any situation to their advantage.
She turned and left the prison.
Jin Mu-Won stood there, silently watching her retreating figure. Is it starting now?
Since Seomoon Hye-Ryung had found out about him, then it was only a matter of ti before Heaven's Summit's top executives noticed him.
With a dull clang, the prison's iron gate slamd shut.
"Hoo…" Seomoon Hye-Ryung leaned against the heavy gate and let out a suppressed sigh.
"Unnie, are you alright?" Chae Hwa-Yeong asked.
"I'm fine."
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"What happened? Did he make you uncomfortable?"
Seomoon Hye-Ryung shook her head. "No, it's nothing."
Chae Hwa-Yeong stared at her with suspicion.
Looking away, Seomoon Hye-Ryung called out, "Hall Leader Dan."
Dan Woon-Gang, who had been observing from the side, scurried over. "Yes, Miss?"
"Release him."
"Pardon?"
"Didn't you hear ? I said release him."
Dan Woon-Gang frowned, troubled. "I'm afraid… that's not possible."
Seomoon Hye-Ryung raised an eyebrow. "Are you ignoring my orders?"
"No, Miss. It's just…"
"Stop beating around the bush."
"I just checked, and a report has already been sent to the Investigation Departnt. I can no longer release Jin Mu-Won on my own authority."
"A report has already been sent?"
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"Yes. Soone bypassed my instructions and made a report."
"Who?"
"I don't know either. That's what I'm trying to find out too," Dan Woon-Gang replied, looking distressed.
The situation had clearly escalated beyond his control.
Anger flashed in Seomoon Hye-Ryung's eyes. Who dared to bypass and send a report to the Investigation Departnt?
Jin Mu-Won's arrest was now an official issue within Heaven's Summit. No matter her influence, she couldn't recklessly intervene in matters that had been formally docunted.
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Moreover, Chief Inspector Geum Ju-Sang of the Investigation Departnt was not soone who could be easily swayed. He was a man of principle with an unyielding personality.
Everything would have been simpler if that fool Jwa Moon-Ho had given so warning before pulling off this idiocy. Now I need to find another way!
Just then, soone swaggered confidently into the Outer Hall's prison.
"The weather is so beautiful today. Why on earth did I decide to quit drinking? Ufufu!"
Seomoon Hye-Ryung stiffened. This was a voice she would recognize anyti, anywhere. "The Triune Scholar, Ha Jin-Wol?" she mumbled.
"Oh, if it isn't Miss Seomoon! Long ti no see!" Ha Jin-Wol greeted Seomoon Hye-Ryung with feigned familiarity.
"Why are you here? I heard you were in Yunnan."
"I arrived in Wuhan not too long ago, but my companion caused trouble and got himself arrested."
"Your companion?"
"Yes, a foolish fellow nad Jin Mu-Won."
"You ca to see Master Jin Mu-Won?" Seomoon Hye-Ryung asked again, struggling to maintain her composure.
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Noticing the subtle tremor in Seomoon Hye-Ryung's voice, Ha Jin-Wol's eyes widened. "Oh? You know him too?"
"How do you know him?"
"I t him while boating in Yunnan."
"Boating?" Seomoon Hye-Ryung exclaid.
Obviously, she didn't believe him.
The Triune Scholar Ha Jin-Wol was one of the people she was most wary of. For one, despite his intelligence, he was unpredictable. No other strategist or genius had ever made her feel more uneasy.
Still, the jianghu was not a place where one brilliant mind could sway the world. Ha Jin-Wol wasn't a problem… as long as he was alone.
If he was working together with Jin Mu-Won, then that changed everything.
Not only did the Northern Blade Jin Mu-Won possess imnse martial prowess, his story and background would excite many within the jianghu.
As the last descendant of the Northern Army, which Heaven's Summit had destroyed, he could move the hearts of martial artists everywhere unlike any other.
Add the genius strategist Ha Jin-Wol into the mix, and… a whole host of invisible alarm bells went off in Seomoon Hye-Ryung's head.
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Ha Jin-Wol was smiling, but Seomoon Hye-Ryung only saw a contemptuous sneer. The man who had once tornted her ntally was here, allied with Jin Mu-Won.
This eting is no coincidence. This man, he let Jin Mu-Won be imprisoned? There's more to this…
A strong sense of crisis gripped Seomoon Hye-Ryung.
As if reading her thoughts, Ha Jin-Wol casually said, "You know, it's hard to get permission to visit soone in the Outer Hall prison. Do you think you could use your influence to help visit my friend, Miss Seomoon?"
"What?"
"Please, I'm asking you a favor."
Seomoon Hye-Ryung hesitated, then turned to Dan Woon-Gang. "You heard the man."
"Yes, Miss," Dan Woon-Gang replied unhesitatingly.
"Then, I'll wish you two a pleasant reunion."
"Thank you, Miss Seomoon. Bye bye!"
Ha Jin-Wol passed by Seomoon Hye-Ryung and entered the prison.
Seomoon Hye-Ryung watched him go, then said to Chae Hwa-Yeong, "Call a eting of the Azure Dragon Society. Every single mber currently in Heaven's Summit must attend."
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