Chapter 243
Inside Sun Woo-jin’s mind, Mukrang burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha! This just keeps getting better! What an absolutely thrilling situation!”
Sun Woo-jin felt a headache coming on.
He had already anticipated that the survivors of the Haenam faction and the Sa family would follow him as their successor. It was a calculated move, essential for overthrowing Jin Tae-do. Of course, the aftermath would be complicated, but he thought that handing over the Baekho Sword, the Haenam faction’s treasured weapon, along with the Southern Cross Sword of the Haenam family, would be enough to smooth things over.
But this? This was something else entirely.
Suddenly, the claim that she was Inparang’s betrothed—something he had neither prior information about nor could have imagined—had just dropped into his lap.
A flood of thoughts raced through his mind.
“Is that really true? Could she truly be Inparang’s fiancée? Or is she just testing me, suspicious of my identity? If Inparang really is her betrothed, then Myeo Cheong-ju has essentially doomed his own prospective in-law. Does that even make sense?”
Countless questions swirled with no answers in sight, but he didn’t have the luxury of time to ponder them calmly. If he didn’t respond immediately, others from the Haenam faction might start doubting him as well.
Irritated by Mukrang’s relentless laughter, Sun Woo-jin snapped, “Enough enjoying my predicament! Just tell me—are her words true? Is what she says correct?”
Mukrang barely managed to suppress his laughter and replied, “Heh heh heh! Ah, I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard. Truly, you are the best successor.”
“Sir!” Sun Woo-jin thought.
“Alright, alright. What was your question again? Ah, whether her words are true? Yes, it seems she really is your—no, Inparang’s betrothed.”
Sun Woo-jin felt a slight relief. At least she wasn’t trying to probe him.
But that relief vanished the moment Mukrang added, “But it also seems she’s suspicious of you. Her heart is full of doubt.”
Sun Woo-jin cursed silently.
“Damn it.”
Outwardly, he kept a completely expressionless face and said to her, “It’s all in the past—forgotten matters. To be betrothed to the daughter of an enemy? Do you really think that makes any sense? I never imagined I’d have to explain such a thing.”
His words were a feeble excuse to justify her ignorance of his betrothal. But even as he spoke, he regretted how weak and drawn-out the excuse sounded. And it didn’t seem to convince her at all.
Her expression showed no sign of acceptance. If anything, her eyes looked more certain—almost as if she was convinced he was not Inparang.
“This is troublesome. Maybe I should just dismiss her as the enemy’s daughter and ignore her.”
As Sun Woo-jin wrestled with this thought, Myeo Aran suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud.
Then, with desperate earnestness, she began to plead.
“Please, just listen to me once! If what I say is unreasonable, you may punish both me and my father. But I beg you, just once…”
The sight of such a graceful woman, kneeling with a heartfelt expression and voice, was enough to soften everyone’s hearts.
The faces of the Haenam faction’s warriors watching her began to show sympathy.
At that moment, a voice came through Sun Woo-jin’s earpiece.
“Wait a moment. Speak with me. It won’t be a bad proposal for you, Lord.”
It was Myeo Aran’s voice—the same woman right before him—but the tone was completely different. Outside, she was pleading desperately; through the earpiece, her voice was cold, as if negotiating a deal.
Sun Woo-jin was now certain.
“She’s sure I’m not Inparang.”
Mukrang agreed with that thought.
“Seems so. Her heart is now filled with certainty.”
Sun Woo-jin pondered for a moment.
The surest way to prevent her from revealing anything elsewhere was to silence her here and now—kill her on the spot.
But he knew too little about her to justify such a drastic step.
Perhaps talking to her first wouldn’t be a bad idea.
As he made up his mind, Mukrang chuckled in his head.
“Oh! So you’re going to have a conversation with your beautiful betrothed? How exciting!”
Sun Woo-jin thought, This is the first time Mukrang’s presence has been this annoying, and said to Myeo Aran, “Very well. I will listen—for a short while. Let’s move somewhere more private.”
Then he looked toward the apparent leader of the Haenam faction and Sa family warriors and asked, “And you are?”
A sharp-faced man in his early forties knelt with precision and declared, “I am Hyeon Cheong-gun, formerly a member of the Baekho Four Great Warriors! You may not remember me well, Lord!”
It was the story of a man who had once been a mere soldier over a decade ago but had now risen to lead the warriors of the Haenam family and Sa clan.
Sun Woo-jin stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and firmly grasped his hand.
“Thank you for not forgetting me, and for enduring all this time, Warrior Hyeon.”
Hyeon Cheong-gun looked at him with wide eyes, trembling with emotion at the unexpected words.
“Lo-Lord.”
Sun Woo-jin met his gaze steadily.
“I cannot promise you anything else, but this one thing I swear on my life: I will repay the years you and the others have suffered at their hands. I will bring comfort to those from the family and clan who died unjustly.”
Unable to hold back, Hyeon lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut, his voice thick with emotion.
“We will stand by your side until the very end, Lord!”
Sun Woo-jin gently patted his shoulder and rose.
“First, please handle the surrendered warriors of the Black Dragon ship. I will speak with Lady Myeo for a while.”
As he turned toward Myeo Aran, Hyeon spoke quietly behind him.
“Lord, please do not blame Lady Myeo too harshly. She is nothing like Myeo Cheong-ju, the head of the family. Along with Lady Jaga and Lord Yuga, she has helped us maintain our strength while avoiding Jin Tae-do’s notice.”
Sun Woo-jin paused.
He had never imagined that she had been aiding the family and clan warriors behind her father’s back.
It seemed the option of eliminating her here was off the table.
“…I will consider it.”
With that, Sun Woo-jin headed with Myeo Aran to a more secluded spot.
Mukrang’s voice echoed in his mind again.
“You really are a bad man. Definitely the enemy of women.”
Sun Woo-jin chuckled dryly and asked, What now?
Mukrang replied, “Look at Lady Jin So-eun.”
Sun Woo-jin glanced toward Jin So-eun with a puzzled look.
He saw her staring back with a sorrowful expression, on the verge of tears.
Suddenly, his head ached.
“When will Brother Parang return?” Myeo Aran asked for the first time since they had moved away from the others.
She had clearly realized that Sun Woo-jin was not Inparang.
But Sun Woo-jin couldn’t admit that outright.
He gave her a cold look and said, “I wondered what you wanted to say, but if that’s all, then I’ll be going.”
Myeo Aran’s voice hardened.
“Don’t think you can fool me. I have never forgotten Brother Parang for even a moment. I remember the small mole under his right eye, and the dimple that only appears on his left cheek.”
A mole under the eye and a dimple on the left cheek—both distinctive features that wouldn’t disappear with age.
“Damn.”
He had no rebuttal. He didn’t have those marks.
And her claim that she remembered someone she saw ten years ago was no lie. Mukrang had confirmed it, and Sun Woo-jin himself knew it was plausible.
Myeo Aran continued, “And you didn’t even know I was Inparang’s betrothed, did you? I saw your eyes waver the moment I said it.”
Sun Woo-jin let out a bitter laugh.
It felt like the battle was already lost.
“A complete defeat.”
He sighed in despair, then suddenly asked her, “Why didn’t you tell anyone else? You could have saved your father by claiming I’m not Inparang.”
Myeo Aran answered matter-of-factly, “Even if you’re not Brother Parang, it’s clear you have some connection to him. The Baekho Sword you carry, the Southern Cross Sword you wield—those couldn’t be unrelated. And you really intend to fight Jin Tae-do, don’t you? You’ve been holding back here, waiting for us.”
Sun Woo-jin genuinely admired her.
Since Haecheong-yeon, she was the first woman he’d met with such wisdom.
So this is the legendary Shinmyo Sword Peak…
Moreover, from her words, Sun Woo-jin sensed something else.
That she was truly on In Pa-rang’s side, completely at odds with her father, Myo Cheong-ju.
The reports from Hyeoncheong Army about supporting the warriors of Haenam and the Sa family seemed to be true.
‘Then there’s no reason to hesitate any longer.’
Sun Woo-jin finally decided to tell her the truth.
There was no reason to be hostile, and above all, since she had never forgotten In Pa-rang for even a single day in ten years, he believed she deserved to hear it.
With a heavy expression, he began.
“You’re right. I’m not actually In Pa-rang. I was only pretending to be the true In Pa-rang Gongja to fulfill the real In Gongja’s last wish.”
At that, Myo A-ran’s face stiffened for the first time.
She repeated in shock, “A last wish…? So Brother Pa-rang really…?”
Sun Woo-jin carefully recounted everything from the moment he first met In Pa-rang.
She was left speechless, her expression blank and stunned.
After a moment, she lowered her head and said quietly, “Even when everyone said he was dead, I somehow believed Brother was still alive. So I kept waiting. And it turns out he really was alive… but then, for him to vanish so tragically like that…”
Tears streamed down her bowed face.
It was clear she had truly loved In Pa-rang—cherishing that love even after ten years without seeing him.
Sun Woo-jin spoke to her with a heavy heart.
“I’m truly sorry to bring you such news. Please forgive me.”
Myo A-ran wept silently for a while.
Her effort to hold back sobs only made her sorrow more heartrending.
But she was a strong woman.
After a moment, she lifted her head, wiped away her tears, and looked at Sun Woo-jin with clear, determined eyes.
In a firm voice, she said, “I’ve shown my weakness. I apologize. And….”
Suddenly, she bowed politely toward him and said, “Thank you sincerely for deciding to take revenge on behalf of my fiancé. I know how difficult it must be to take on the fight against the two great sects, Hyeongsan and Haenam. Truly, I am grateful.”
But Sun Woo-jin shook his head.
“It was a request from someone I consider a benefactor. There’s no need to thank me.”
“I see. But regardless of the circumstances, the one who took action was Gongja.”
Myo A-ran’s eyes flashed coldly now.
It was as if a fierce flame of vengeance burned within them.
“And if I may speculate briefly, Gongja will probably send the warriors of Haenam and the Sa family back to the Haenam faction. Isn’t that right?”
Sun Woo-jin was genuinely impressed.
She had perfectly predicted his actions.
He suddenly recalled the times with Haecheong-yeon when they could read each other’s thoughts without speaking.
Smiling faintly, he asked her, “What makes you think that?”
Myo A-ran answered confidently, “Because Gongja intends to pull Jin Tae-do out of Haenam-do. His declaration to go to Ma-gyeong, and waiting for us only to defeat Jin Tae-do’s men—that was all part of the plan. So that while Jin Tae-do is forced to come after Gongja himself, the opposing faction can seize control of Haenam-do.”
A bitter laugh escaped him.
It had been a long time since he’d found someone worthy to strategize with.
“You’re exactly right. You’re probably much wiser than I am. Do you have any advice about this plan?”
Myo A-ran shook her head.
“I think Gongja’s plan is best for Haenam-pa. I admired it greatly. But… I worry that Gongja himself might be in danger when he tries to bring Jin Tae-do in. Do you have any other plan to defeat Jin Tae-do? Or at least confidence that you can?”
Sun Woo-jin sighed lightly and shook his head.
“How can I be confident facing one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World I haven’t even seen? But as for a plan…”
He explained what he had learned through Son Dae-su about the situation with Hyeongsan-pa and Ma-gyeong, and how he intended to use them.
“…This is the picture I’m drawing. But as you’ve probably sensed, there are many variables, so I can’t guarantee anything. We’ll have to rely on quick thinking and adaptability as things unfold.”
Myo A-ran bit her lip briefly at his words.
Then, with a heavy expression, she spoke hesitantly.
“It’s… very dangerous.”
After a pause, she asked, “Why go to such lengths? This isn’t really your fight with Gongja, is it?”
Sun Woo-jin smiled gently.
“As I said earlier, it’s something my benefactor wishes for. And… sometimes, there have to be people willing to risk their lives simply because something is wrong. That’s the only way the martial world can remain a place worth living in.”
Myo A-ran stared quietly at Sun Woo-jin’s radiant face, her eyes a complex mix of admiration, gratitude, and longing.
Then she bowed deeply and said, “Thank you for standing up for Brother In and for our Haenam-pa. I pray for your safety.”