Chapter 549
I’m no general leading an army of thousands.
Including myself, the Fire Dragon Pavilion has a mere six members.
It only took a single [shikjeong] for all of us to gather in one place.
(T/N: A shikjeong is a traditional Korean time unit meaning the time it takes to eat a meal—approximately 30 minutes.)
“Everyone, pay attention.”
Without greetings or honorifics, I jumped straight into it—and the unusual tone immediately drew the focused gazes of the five before me.
Even Hyuk Mu-jin, who had gone to summon them, didn’t yet know the full story. I calmly looked at each of their puzzled expressions before I spoke.
“To get straight to the point… we’ve received a mission.”
There was nothing more or less to it.
I explained everything exactly as it was. The entire briefing took less than a moment.
And just as everyone fell silent, as if on cue, one person suddenly spoke.
“So in short…”
It was a familiar face and a calm voice.
Sama Pyo, Pavilion Lord of the Black Dragon Demon Sect, stared at me as he continued.
“We’re heading to the Southern Barbarian Region. That’s it, right?”
I nodded with a small correction.
“More precisely, not just Southern Barbarian—but the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.”
Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
A mysterious sect known for taming countless beasts and venomous creatures—training martial arts based on their movements and instincts.
Whether they’re an animal protection group or an animal abuse ring, I don’t know—but one thing is certain:
‘Hong Ran. No, the Southern Demon Empress would be drooling over this place.’
Assuming a second [gate] will open, Dark Heaven couldn’t find a more fitting target than the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
After all, it’s a veritable animal kingdom, crawling with more spirit beasts and poisonous creatures than anywhere else in the world.
Holding a Willow Leaf Blade at his waist, Song Ilseom muttered,
“We’re in for hell.”
And he had every reason to say that.
The Southern Barbarian region, also known as Yunnan in the central plains, lies just south of Sichuan and borders Guizhou and Guangxi.
It sounds like the only issue is distance, but…
‘The real problem is the terrain and climate of Southern Barbarian. It’s hell.’
I’ve heard it’s a steaming hot tropical region covered endlessly in jungles.
Forget well-maintained roads—you’d be lucky to even find a trail.
And instead of people, massive beasts and venomous bugs treat humans like lunch.
‘And this is just what I’ve heard… Who knows how bad it’ll really be?’
Looking at how it’s listed on the world map, you’d think it’s a major part of the continent, but it’s treated like a barbarian frontier for a reason.
‘From a modern perspective, it’s basically a foreign country.’
I think Yunnan is somewhere near Vietnam or Myanmar these days. Can’t remember exactly—I slept through geography class.
As I was digging through my foggy memory, Hyuk Mu-jin raised his hand high.
“Captain, I’ve got a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are we really going?”
“What, you think it’s a joke?”
“It just sounds really dangerous…”
“So what? Everything we’ve done so far has been dangerous.”
“…You say that so casually, I don’t even know how to respond.”
“If you’ve got nothing to say, shut up and start packing.”
“When are we leaving?”
“Oh. Did I not mention that?”
Oops.
Seems everyone got so focused on the destination and reason, no one thought to ask.
I looked around at each of them and dropped the line.
“Today. We’re leaving today.”
“?”
A ripple of shock spread instantly—especially from Hyuk Mu-jin and the Giant Tiger Cub, Taesan.
“You’re joking, right?”
“You think I’d joke at a time like this?”
“That’s insane. What about supplies? Clothes?”
“Not insane. Since when have we ever cared about food, clothes, and shelter? Just pack some [Fasting Pills].”
Huff, huff!
Whoa. That was hot. Was that [Scorching Yang Energy]?
Snorting steaming air, Taesan suddenly stood up and shouted,
“No! Taesan! Tonight! Eat meat!”
“Meat? Sounds good.”
I glanced at Hyuk Mu-jin and added,
“You heard him. Pack some jerky.”
“Jerky! Tastes bad!”
“…Just shut up and eat whatever you’re given.”
Guy looks like he could eat chopsticks and still has the nerve to be picky.
Noticing my stare, Sama Pyo shrugged and opened his mouth.
“Taesan. You little brat.”
“L-Lord.”
“How long do you plan to act like a spoiled beast? If you keep throwing tantrums like this…”
“Taesan. Won’t do it again. Forgive me. Lord.”
The big guy looked so dejected I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
I made a mental note—leave anything involving Taesan to Sama Pyo from now on.
Then I turned to Song Ilseom, whose brow was furrowed.
“What? You got a problem too?”
“Of course. It’s Southern Barbarian, of all places.”
Clicking his tongue, Song Ilseom sighed and continued,
“But never mind. Too late to back out anyway. I already got a fat advance payment. I wouldn’t be able to pay ten times the penalty fee even if I wanted to.”
“That’s cleaner than I expected. I like it.”
“A contract once made must be honored. If I hadn’t lived by that, I wouldn’t have the name of Death-Chaser.”
With conviction and pride in his voice, Song Ilseom spoke plainly and added,
“Of course, the final decision isn’t mine—it belongs to the employer. Am I wrong?”
Naturally, the last question wasn’t aimed at me.
From the beginning until now, one person had remained silent, lost in thought.
Finally, Ju Hwaran—the Hidden Dagger Flower—spoke at last.
“I’m sure you already know what my answer will be. Don’t you?”
Her gentle and clear voice softly pierced the air. I gave a faint laugh, and Song Ilseom sighed under his breath.
“Knew it. Dammit, of all places… Southern Barbarian.”
“I don’t believe I need to remind you of the contract terms, do I, Sir Song?”
Leaving the grumbling Song Ilseom behind, Ju Hwaran calmly looked at me.
In her mysterious, deep blue eyes, my reflection appeared. From this close…
“Sir Jin?”
“Ah, yes.”
What was that just now? Did I zone out?
Snapping out of it at Ju Hwaran’s call, I silently scolded myself.
‘No. Don’t.’
It was too early for this. With what’s ahead, I needed to remain cool-headed at all times.
Chanting that resolve in my mind over and over, I steadied my tone and spoke.
“Good. I actually had something to ask. It’s about—”
“—the fastest route to the Southern Barbarian region and the necessary preparations, right? Understood.”
“…Huh?”
“What’s wrong? Was I off?”
“No… Quite the opposite.”
Too spot-on, it startled me.
What is this? Did she learn telepathy or something?
Before I could respond, Ju Hwaran smiled faintly.
“No need to be surprised. I’ve been thinking about what I could contribute since earlier.”
“I see…”
“As an official member of the Fire Dragon Pavilion, I’ll do my part—just as I mentioned before.”
Tap. Tap tap.
To show she was also a swordswoman, her pale yet rough fingers tapped steadily against the table.
And then, her voice flowed again.
“First, as you said, we should keep supplies minimal. No need for extra clothes. Two days’ worth of dry rations should be enough.”
“Dry rations! No, please! Taesan will die!”
At Taesan’s lament, Ju Hwaran quickly added,
“Of course, that includes jerky.”
“Where’s his handler? Miss Ju, please go on.”
“Yes. Then…”
Having dismissed the problem child, Ju Hwaran calmly continued.
From what items were needed to the fastest path to the Southern Barbarian region.
Fortunately, she had traveled there years ago as part of an escort mission and was familiar with the region thanks to records left behind by her grandfather—the Escort King.
Even Song Ilseom, who had wandered the world like a nomad since childhood, was visibly surprised.
“There was such a route?”
Ju Hwaran nodded confidently.
“Of course. It’s all in my grandfather’s records.”
“I myself spent about a year there. But from what I know—”
“According to my grandfather’s records, it’s reliable.”
“No, I get that. What I mean is—”
“My grandfather. His records.”
“Can I finish my sentence?”
“Escort King.”
“…Alright, I believe you. Please continue.”
Who was the Escort King?
A living legend who successfully completed the famous ten-thousand-mile escort mission even while the Demonic Cult flooded the world with over 100,000 cultists.
As the successor of that Escort King, Ju Hwaran now flowed like a ship gliding smoothly through calm waters, crafting a complete route to Southern Barbarian in less than a single shikjeong.
“Hoo… That should cover everything for now. Any questions?”
Whoosh!
An arm as thick as a troll’s shot straight into the air.
“Yes, go ahead. Ask anything.”
Taesan, face frozen stiff, opened his mouth.
“Taesan. Didn’t understand anything after jerky.”
Which idiot brought a kid into a no-kids zone?
I shot a piercing glare at one man.
“Hey, handler.”
“…My apologies.”
Thunk.
“Mm-mmph!”
At my rebuke, Sama Pyo immediately silenced Taesan and nodded toward Ju Hwaran.
“Sorry about that.”
“…It’s alright.”
Her tone was calm, but the heaviness in her voice couldn’t be hidden.
Given the circumstances, it couldn’t be helped.
Of course it couldn’t.
‘Even if it was a political engagement, they were still officially engaged.’
Maybe in ice-cold Hollywood it wouldn’t matter, but here in modern-day Korea—or in Murim—Confucian values still run deep.
If even I felt awkward watching, how must Ju Hwaran feel?
‘Not that I even know what really happened between the two of them.’
That thought left me with a strange feeling.
Like the sensation of clothes rubbing the wrong way against my skin—or being lightly pricked by an invisible needle.
“Captain?”
“…Hm?”
Hyuk Mu-jin’s voice snapped me out of it.
I didn’t need to look to know everyone was staring at me.
Straightening my thoughts, I calmly spoke.
“Alright then. Let’s proceed with what we’ve discussed. Minimal supplies only. As for the timeframe…”
Ju Hwaran, catching my gaze, answered clearly.
“Half a [shijinn]. At most. That’s plenty of time to quietly secure horses and a carriage.”
(T/N: A shijinn is a traditional time unit equal to 2 hours. “Half a shijinn” means about 1 hour.)
“Where should we regroup?”
“Hmm. What do you think, Sir Jin?”
This wasn’t a public mission.
It had to be quick—but also discreet.
To quietly slip away from the nearby crowds, we needed to scatter first, then determine a second rendezvous point.
“The Great Byeol Mountain Range. We’ll regroup there.”
“A good choice.”
At my decision, reached after careful thought, Ju Hwaran and the others nodded in agreement.
