Chapter 58
"There are people in my family who are active in the Central Plains."
Pae Maling was now calling the Danli family her own.
Ya Socheong nodded, finding that both fortunate and admirable.
"They are a pursuit team that finds and eliminates people who have left the family and are tarnishing its reputation."
"I see. But has something happened to them?"
"It seems so. If the pursuit team is in trouble, it probably means that the people they were chasing are trying to escape from the family. Since the martial prowess of the people they are chasing this time is strong, I wonder if it's meaningful to form another pursuit team and send them. At a time when people's perception of the sect is gradually improving, it wouldn't be right for people who have left the main family to cause trouble, so I came to see you, brother."
Then Pae Maling continued with a dejected face.
"Because of what I've done so far, you might think that this is also a trap to catch you, but this is a really important matter for the family."
Hearing those words, Ya Socheong laughed.
A trap to catch him.
Seeing her say that, it seemed that the Danli family had been moving quite meticulously to capture his heart.
Seeing that the family head had even adopted Pae Maling as his foster daughter, there was definitely an excessive aspect.
"If something like that has happened, of course I should step up. You don't have to worry. How can I pretend not to know when you are worrying with such a dejected face, Maling?"
"Really? Then can I go with you?"
For some reason, it seemed that this was the aim from the beginning, but it was necessary to have someone who knew the escaped Danli family member well anyway.
"Yes. I'll be counting on you, Maling."
At Ya Socheong's words, Pae Maling blushed as if she were moved.
"This is my family's business, and yet you say you'll be counting on me."
"Even if it's your family's business, you came to me because you trusted me, didn't you?"
"You must have many other things to do... Although it was a matter that really needed your help, I didn't know you would grant my request so readily."
"Pae Maseong's younger sister is also my younger sister. I think of you as my own sister."
At that, Pae Maling immediately glared at Ya Socheong.
"Who's your own sister? No matter what you say, brother, I have no intention of becoming your own sister, so you should know that."
Ya Socheong burst out laughing.
Even if that wasn't the meaning, to the sensitive Pae Maling, it seemed to sound like words that were pushing her away.
"I get it, I get it. Just tell me when you're planning to leave."
There was a good reason why Ya Socheong had readily agreed to Pae Maling's words.
He had a desire to use the demonic arts he had learned so far in a real battle again, and he had a wish that that place would not be the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Now, a lot of people's attention was focused on him, so it was difficult to do things secretly.
In such a situation, if he caused trouble, it seemed that disaster could befall the Nether Shadow Faction, so he was being very careful with his actions.
At a time like this, if he could get an opportunity to go out into the martial world and compete with people who didn't know him well, it seemed that it would be helpful in many ways.
"But you, have you said hello to your brother, Maling?"
"I can see my brother later and say hello."
In the end, Ya Socheong gave Pae Maling a light flick on the forehead.
"How can you do this when your brother misses and cherishes you so much?"
"If you are so worried about my brother, you just have to marry me. What my brother wants most is my happiness, and in order for me to be happy, I just have to marry you."
Looking at Pae Maling, who was now speaking openly as if there was nothing to hide, Ya Socheong shook his head.
"Wouldn't it be nice if you knew a little bit of shame?"
"I can't help it. Do you like a woman who is shy, brother? Then I'll practice."
Pae Maling, who had been speaking with a good spirit at first, watched Ya Socheong's expression at the end.
Finding that cute, Ya Socheong flicked Pae Maling's forehead.
"If I were you, I would be worried about what to do if I couldn't properly show off the martial prowess I've been honing, you brat."
"You don't have to worry about that, brother. Because I'm the best in the guard in terms of martial arts skills. It's not just because my father wanted to hook you that he adopted me as his foster daughter... no, he said that was a secret..."
In the end, Ya Socheong burst out laughing.
It seemed that the time would come when Ya Socheong would also admit that there was no time when he laughed so loudly as when he was with Pae Maling.
* * *
"Isn't my brother really going too far? I don't know what he sees me as. Even if I have my eyes on my brother, I'm still a guard of the family head of the Danli family. Did he think that I couldn't distinguish between public and private affairs and would just hit on my brother?"
Pae Maling still seemed unable to contain her anger.
So Ya Socheong had to appease Pae Maling all the way.
That was understandable; Pae Maling had had to endure Pae Maseong's suspicious gaze until she had left the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Pae Maseong, who was anxious about sending just Pae Maling and Ya Socheong, had said that he had to go with them, and when Pae Maling had said that he couldn't until the end, he had cornered her, asking if it was because she had a dark intention towards Ya Socheong.
No matter how much he wanted his younger sister to do well, it wasn't to the extent of putting Ya Socheong and the Nether Shadow Faction in danger, and he had said that he couldn't send just the two of them on a mission where their lives could be in danger.
Pae Maling had thought that she could borrow Ya Socheong with an easy mind only if Pae Maseong remained in the Nether Shadow Faction, but Pae Maseong's thoughts had been different.
Ya Socheong had the same thought as Pae Maling.
Although the children of the Nether Shadow Faction had become much stronger, he could only be at ease if one of him and Pae Maseong was there.
Even though many allies had been made in the meantime, if the Heavenly Demon started to pay attention to the Nether Shadow Faction, he didn't know what would happen and when.
And yet, the reason he had taken the risk and followed Pae Maling was largely because the martial arts he had been practicing had hit a wall, and he wanted to try something new in a completely new place.
So he had persuaded Pae Maseong with many words and had come out, but Pae Maling had been angry until now, saying that her brother hadn't believed her words and had suspected her.
Pae Maling, who was constantly fuming with a round and cute face, was so cute that Ya Socheong kept smiling and appeasing her.
"By the way, tell me about that person again accurately."
"Ah, yes, brother. I'm sorry. I should have told you earlier."
"That's right. You should have told me earlier."
There had been several opportunities to talk about that until then, but whenever he thought he could hear it now, it would flow into a story of denouncing her brother again, so it seemed he was only now getting to hear it.
"That person is a man named Danli Cheon, and he was said to be very famous for a claw technique called the Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Claw that he created himself. Before he escaped from the Danli family, he was said to be the grandmaster of the martial force that was the predecessor of the Blood Martial Force, and he had a great desire to develop his claw technique even stronger. He felt a limit because of his internal energy and was once caught and punished for trying to steal an elixir from the family, and after that, they suspect that he was involved in several murder cases that occurred in the family."
As Ya Socheong listened to that story, he tried to remember if such a character had appeared in the novel.
'Danli Cheon, Danli Cheon.'
It seemed that there had been a similar person, but he was confused about whether it was the same person with the same surname or a different person.
Several people came to mind, but for now, it seemed that he had to listen to the story more, so he focused more on Pae Maling's words.
"Due to the nature of demonic arts, he became strong quickly, but I heard that he hit a limit quickly in the subsequent process. So he had a great desire for elixirs, and it seems that he also stole the pills and elixirs passed down in each family and took them himself. My father said that at least one pill from the Danli family must have been stolen by him."
If so, it seemed that his internal energy would be considerable just from that.
"But recently, a strange rumor has been heard in the martial world. A spiritual beast that can increase one's internal energy by 90 years' worth if you eat its inner core has been discovered, and the person who took it in the end is a demonic head who uses a claw technique."
"So you think that's Danli Cheon?"
Pae Maling nodded.
It was certainly a possible story.
"But did he eat it?"
"I don't know about that. If he ate the inner core of a spiritual beast, there would be no one who could stop Danli Cheon. People say that he was not a person with a good disposition from the beginning, but he became even more cruel after hitting a wall. He didn't hesitate to kill people. Although there are cases where you have no choice but to kill people depending on the circumstances, other people show respect."
But it meant that Danli Cheon was not like that.
At a time when the perception of the Heavenly Demon Sect was just changing, if such a demonic head appeared and made the world noisy, it would be a matter of time before the atmosphere changed.
"But Maling, did you bring me out thinking that I could stop that person?"
The more he heard the story, the more it seemed that Danli Cheon was not his opponent, so he asked, and Pae Maling shook her head.
"Since there are people from the sect everywhere, we just have to find out his location and tell them. Then the news will be sent to the sect, and the masters of the sect will come out and catch him."
Ya Socheong nodded for now.
If so, it seemed that he could put down the burden a little.
Still, in a corner of his heart, he had a strong desire to solve it himself.
He had a feeling that if he fought a life-and-death battle with him, he could break through the wall that was blocking him.
"Do you know where to find him?"
"The place where the news was cut off is the Imperial City. But I can't guarantee that he is still staying in the Imperial City."
"The Imperial City?"
It was surprising that he had hidden in the Imperial City.
It could be a way to make it difficult for other martial artists to pursue him, but it was because he thought that his own movements would also be difficult.
To think that he had hidden in the Imperial City, where the patrols would be strict to prevent martial artists from fighting a fierce battle where the emperor was staying.
"Have you not heard any news since then?"
"Everyone is looking hard, but it feels like we're always one step behind."
"He has to make a living too. Does it seem that he has enough money?"
"I heard he likes alcohol and women. He doesn't spare money on women, and if there's a woman he likes, he'll even give her a gold ingot. So even if he earns a lot of money, I heard that he rarely has money on him. It's even more so because he never drinks cheap alcohol and only drinks high-end liquor."
For a moment, the story came out smoothly without any blockage.
(End of Chapter)