Chapter 105: Within Each Other’s Past
Two days ago, Yichang.
Jin Seong-un, who had just arrived at the inn, blinked in surprise.
“What is this…”
Since Elder Shin Mok had made such bold claims, he had expected the inn to grow in size.
But not to this extent.
Walking around, Jin Seong-un looked in bewilderment at his own inn. It was so vast that it would take quite a while just to reach the main gate.
As he lifted the bead curtain and stepped inside, a familiar face was waiting.
“Seong-un, you’re here!”
Shin Mok, who had been drinking alone in the inn, raised his hand with a broad smile the moment he saw Jin Seong-un.
Confidence overflowed on his face.
‘More or less, this is what I managed. What do you think?’
With that very expression, Jin Seong-un gave him a thumbs up.
Shin Mok let out a booming laugh.
“You must be tired, but listen to the explanation first before resting. Since I built it ‘a little’ big, there’s much to explain.”
It was more than a little.
At the very least, it was larger and more splendid than any inn Jin Seong-un had ever seen.
Shin Mok led Jin Seong-un around while continuing his explanation.
“First of all, I left the restaurant as it was. It already had my touch, so there was no need to tamper with it. However…”
He pointed to one side.
It was a staircase. The originally single-story inn had been transformed into two stories.
“I didn’t touch your quarters or Chef Seo’s either. Murim people tend to be sensitive, don’t they?”
That too was Shin Mok’s consideration.
The restaurant and original living quarters remained nearly unchanged. Especially the rooms where Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom had stayed were left untouched.
“Now, from here on, these are all guest rooms.”
He had purchased several shops, torn them down, and built guest rooms for Seong-un Inn in their place.
As Jin Seong-un listened while walking alongside Shin Mok, he found it difficult to keep his mouth closed in awe.
“H-how many rooms are there in total?”
“Thirty. That’s the standard classification for a large inn, isn’t it? In truth, I had planned to make it fifty…”
Jin Seong-un clicked his tongue.
It was said that across the whole country, there were fewer than ten inns that possessed as many as fifty rooms.
Even an inn with just thirty or more rooms—classified as a large inn—was a rare sight unless it was in a significantly prosperous district.
The rooms were divided into three categories.
First, five of the largest and most lavishly decorated rooms. Spacious enough that even six people could use them without feeling cramped.
Then, ten rooms of decent size, neatly arranged and with an antique charm. Even these seemed better than the most expensive rooms in ordinary inns.
Lastly, fifteen rooms of modest size, perfect for one or two guests, yet still tidy and tastefully furnished.
“Haha, perhaps this will require much effort to maintain.”
Shin Mok chuckled, sounding slightly embarrassed.
Indeed, after building it, he realized it might be overwhelming for Jin Seong-un and Seomun Ak to manage all these rooms alone.
Still, he quickly dismissed the thought with a carefree, “They’ll figure it out.”
“On the contrary, this is wonderful.”
Jin Seong-un nodded with an uncharacteristically satisfied smile.
It was beyond the image of the inn he had once dreamed of before ever owning one.
Inns had their own hierarchy.
A small inn without guest rooms—like the original Seong-un Inn. The kind that only sold alcohol and food, nothing more than a half-inn.
Then, the more common type with a few guest rooms—like Deyang Inn, where he had stayed briefly in Deyang.
And finally, the Seong-un Inn of today. A place typically called a large or high-class inn.
It would draw all kinds of people: commoners, martial artists, merchants, the wealthy, entertainers, scholars, even government officials.
Every tranquil morning would begin with arranging, cleaning, and maintaining the well-decorated guest rooms…
Exchanging with many people, and becoming the inn that came to mind first when one thought of that particular region.
This was, in a way, the dream life for those who ran inns.
“Thank you so much, Elder.”
Jin Seong-un bowed deeply with sincere gratitude.
At this, Shin Mok burst out laughing.
“Think nothing of it. If anything, I should be thanking you more.”
“Pardon?”
“The matter of the Qinghai Iron Workshop. It was you, wasn’t it, Seong-un?”
The Qinghai Iron Workshop had colluded with the Demonic Cult, and when exposed, they were dragged to the Murim Alliance. The workshop was destroyed.
Though the name of Guest Dragon had yet to be mentioned in the rumors, perhaps because the Murim Alliance had shielded Jin Seong-un, or maybe the rumor simply hadn’t spread yet.
Still, Shin Mok firmly believed Jin Seong-un was behind it. The timing was too precise, and in recent times, whenever something big shook the Murim, Jin Seong-un was always there.
Jin Seong-un admitted readily.
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Thanks to you, I’m no longer one of the Three Great Master Artisans of the world. Now, it’s the Two Great Master Artisans.”
“…”
“A Murim saying comes to mind. Surviving means being strong. I simply sat still breathing, and a competitor vanished on his own. Ahahaha!”
After a long fit of laughter, Shin Mok continued.
“Put in some more effort and get rid of that drunkard too. Thanks to you, I may yet become the Number One Master Artisan under Heaven.”
One of the Three Great Master Artisans, the Master of Qinghai Iron Workshop, was now gone. The only ones left were Elder Shin Mok and a physician.
“…That physician, is he strange as well?”
Earlier, Elder Shin Mok had disparaged the blacksmith among the three as a fraud.
Even if he didn’t know the full story, perhaps he had at least sensed that the Iron Workshop’s master was not quite normal.
After all, this was a man who devoted his life to creation.
Shin Mok laughed heartily.
“Strange indeed. Physicians are always preaching the same things, aren’t they? Get enough sleep, avoid excessive drinking… yet that fellow never sleeps and is never sober. Isn’t that completely absurd?”
“…”
“And that’s not all. His words are as harsh as his habits. Instead of comforting patients, he stabs their hearts with his blunt tongue. If he hadn’t saved more than a thousand lives by now, he would’ve been stabbed to death long ago.”
Jin Seong-un was speechless.
In short: a divine physician who never slept, saved a thousand lives, and spared no unpleasant truths for his patients.
And he was being asked to get rid of such a man.
“…Are you trying to turn me into the public enemy of Murim?”
Shin Mok grinned as if finding it amusing.
“To think you’d make such a joke. Even that Seomun family rascal, even Chef Seo… all of you are changing for the better.”
Satisfied, Shin Mok nodded, then soon excused himself, saying he had pressing matters.
‘Looks like he’s going for a drink with Elder Hyeon-un.’
Jin Seong-un thought he’d better prepare some Yangha Daegu wine and a light side dish before bringing it to them.
* * *
Soon after, Jin Seong-un headed straight for the Martial God Realm.
Thanks to Elder Shin Mok’s consideration, the room had not changed in the slightest, which brought a sense of relief.
But something felt strange.
The Martial God Realm looked no different from usual.
Sword Immortal and the Noble Enchantress were playing Go, the Merchant King was lost in thought, while the Blood Demon lay down staring at the sky.
Only one thing was different.
“Where did Master Divine Thief go?”
At that, everyone stopped what they were doing.
Sword Immortal and the Noble Enchantress both wore bitter expressions.
The Merchant King let out a small sigh, then forced a strangely complicated smile.
The Blood Demon simply turned his body over.
“……”
Jin Seong-un realized it instinctively.
Master Divine Thief had disappeared.
Should it be called ascension? Or becoming an immortal?
He wasn’t sure, but in any case, he had resolved his regrets and gone far, far away.
Bitterness welled in his heart.
Right now, he wanted to tell Master Divine Thief about Falling Flame Manor, about the Qinghai Iron Workshop, about Chae Ok-hyeon.
Even if that master had left without regret, Jin Seong-un’s heart did not feel at ease.
It was, after all, the very first master he had served. Someone he had grown deeply attached to.
“If I had known, I would have lingered longer that day when we parted.”
Just as Jin Seong-un spoke with a bitter tone—
Whoosh!
From afar, a figure charged at him like the wind.
Jin Seong-un instinctively retreated ten steps.
The man stepped exactly into Jin Seong-un’s retreating footsteps, rapidly closing the distance once again.
Feeling suddenly threatened, Jin Seong-un unfolded the Technique of Exchanging Two Forms and shifted his position entirely. Yet the man relentlessly chased after him.
Jin Seong-un reached out his hand.
Bang!
Pressure burst forth in the air.
But the man dipped his body and evaded lightly, drawing even closer to Jin Seong-un.
A folded fan soon touched Jin Seong-un’s neck.
“……”
Clicking his tongue in disbelief, Jin Seong-un’s expression turned absurd.
Then Divine Thief revealed a deeply satisfied smile.
“My disciple. You’ve leapt forward once more. Of course, you’re still far from this master.”
“…I have returned.”
It was absurd.
Why on earth had everyone been making such faces then?
When Jin Seong-un looked at Sword Immortal, the Noble Enchantress, and the Merchant King with questioning eyes, they all chuckled.
The Martial God Realm was always like this. With absolutely nothing to do, even Martial Gods became restless with boredom.
“Hahaha! Excellent, excellent.”
Divine Thief’s trademark hearty laughter rang out. His mood seemed better than ever.
“So then, did you resolve the matter I asked of you?”
It was not a simple question.
It was the tone of one who already knew the result, but wished to hear about the process.
Jin Seong-un recounted everything he had experienced.
Since it had been a long journey, the explanation was lengthy, but Divine Thief—and the other Martial Gods—listened intently.
When he reached the part about Qinghai Iron Workshop committing atrocities against children, Sword Immortal furrowed his brows and exploded in rage.
“Those wretched vermin!”
For a brief moment, the very air of the Martial God Realm trembled.
Only after Jin Seong-un explained that he had cut them down with Fire Dragon Escape Sword did Sword Immortal finally calm, though his beard still quivered with lingering fury.
Jin Seong-un then spoke of his final moments with Chae Ok-hyeon.
Of the decades of regret, longing, and repentance she had carried…
Divine Thief’s gaze grew momentarily deep. But then, as if he had already known everything, he replied in a casual tone.
“Do you know what that death eighty years ago brought me?”
“……”
“It brought me you.”
Jin Seong-un’s eyes widened slightly.
He hadn’t expected such words.
“I never once imagined in my lifetime that I would take on a disciple. And yet, I came to meet one as precious as a son. So how could I say that death took everything from me?”
With that, Divine Thief flashed a grin.
It was the grin of someone utterly convinced that his own words had been magnificent.
Jin Seong-un’s heart quivered faintly. Though it was the first time he felt such an emotion, he thought, if I had ever had a family, perhaps this is what it would have felt like.
“If there are words you wish conveyed, I can visit Falling Flame Manor from time to time.”
After all, Chae Ok-hyeon was still alive.
Jin Seong-un believed Divine Thief would surely have much he wanted to say.
Yet contrary to his expectation, Divine Thief shook his head.
“Haha, no.”
“…Are you truly fine with that? If you speak, she would surely be glad.”
“Seong-un. There are words that can only be said at a certain time. Chae Ok-hyeon and I belong to the past. The woman I knew is gone, and the man she knew is gone as well. We are better off remaining in each other’s past.”
With deepened eyes, Divine Thief gazed into the void, then murmured with a smile.
“Even so, this is good. Thank you.”
Jin Seong-un understood Divine Thief’s sincerity immediately.
Because it was the most content smile he had ever seen from him.