How to Live as a Mage in the Murim World

Chapter 37 – Episode 9: The Inspector of the Murim Alliance (1)

The manual of Gal Sa-ryang’s Demonic Art, the Black Beast Demon Spirit Claw, along with his other possessions, had been securely stored in the Great Dragon Escort Agency’s warehouse.

There were several reasons for this.

First, the Green Forest Road Alliance wasn’t exactly suitable for safekeeping valuable items.

Nobody would want to entrust something precious to a place overrun with bandits.

Second, the lack of time and manpower, coupled with the great distance, made it difficult to send it to the Murim Alliance. The fact that Zhuge Hyeonmong immediately collapsed after the incident forced them to immediately move to Chengdu rather than dealing with the Alliance.

Third, entrusting the item to the scions of the martial sects or families was also problematic. It’s not about sharing credit, but rather that no reputable faction in Chengdu would willingly accept responsibility for the damn thing. It’s also a bigger problem if the items were lost after being entrusted to them.

Fourth, leaving it at Zhuge Hyeonmong’s residence was not an option.

Despite being protected by the Bewildering Maze Formation, his house was just an ordinary home. It was by no means a suitable place to store a Demonic Scripture.

That’s why they ended up storing Gal Sa-ryang’s possessions in an unused warehouse at the Great Dragon Escort Agency.

Of course, they hadn’t simply tossed the items inside without precautions.

Im Jun-gyu himself had personally taken responsibility for thorough security, and Zhuge Hyeonmong, despite his exhausted condition, constructed the Bewildering Maze Formation and the Illusory Dream Formation inside the warehouse.

Adapting to the limited space available, he had distorted the internal structure of the Formations so that the items inside couldn’t be easily found.

“Someone set a fire. It wasn’t a big fire, and it only scorched the outside before going out… but many people came in and out while trying to extinguish it.”

“The Formations must have been broken then.”

“Yes. After the fire was put out and an inspection was conducted, the Demonic Scripture had vanished without a trace. The culprit is likely among those who put out the fire.”

Formations weren’t foolproof.

While they could produce limitless phenomena, they could also be broken in countless ways.

With a multitude of people entering and disrupting the space, the Formation’s integrity would inevitably be compromised.

“That’s a serious problem.”

“Is it really that serious?”

Zhuge Jun nodded.

“No matter how unexpected this incident was, the Murim Alliance will never overlook it. They’ll use this opportunity to put pressure on us.”

“Even though the Demonic Scripture wasn’t lost, but stolen?”

“It’s up to the Murim Alliance to determine whether it was intentional or not. And this presents a perfect opportunity for them to tighten their grip on the Green Forest Road Alliance.”

Zhuge Hyeonmong understood this harsh truth.

He had heard various stories while mingling with the scions. Through these interactions, he had come to realize that the Green Forest Road Alliance was under far greater scrutiny from the Murim Alliance than he had initially thought.

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have let Im Jun-gyu be kidnapped.’

It was truly regrettable.

If only he had sent Im Jun-gyu away to be Ma Jin-gwang’s disciple back then, ninety percent of the troubles Zhuge Hyeonmong now faces might have been averted.

The mere thought stirred a wave of anger within him.

“Anyway, I understand. Then we should hurry and find it before the Inspector from the Murim Alliance arrives.”

“About that…”

Seeing Im Jun-gyu stuttering mid-sentence, Zhuge Hyeonmong mustered a strained face.

“Has the Inspector from the Murim Alliance already arrived?”

“…How did you know?”

Zhuge Hyeonmong felt his neck going stiff at this rate.

How merciless the heavens were—how could an inspector from the Murim Alliance arrive at the exact moment the Demonic Scripture disappeared?

“Who is it? Did they mention which Inspector it is?”

Just then, Sima Lin entered through the main gate and asked Im Jun-gyu.

“Yes, Lady Sima. They said it was someone called Cheon Yeo-hyang.”

“Plum Blossom Maniac… no, the Plum Blossom Immortal?”

Sima Lin’s brow furrowed.

By now, Zhuge Hyeonmong knew a bit about Sima Lin.

She was quite sensitive and temperamental. Though she tried to suppress it, her brow furrowed whenever something displeased her.

“Do you know this person?”

“Not personally. But I know of her, more or less.”

Sima Lin said this while sitting down on the wooden porch.

“You know how the Murim Alliance is structured, right?”

“Yes. It’s primarily composed of Daoist and Buddhist sects centered around the Nine Sects, with various families and sects supporting them from behind.”

“Although we call them the Nine Sects, not all of them are monolithic organizations. Cheon Yeo-hyang’s Mount Hua Sect is one of them.”

“The Mount Hua Sect?”

“How much do you know about the Mount Hua Sect?”

“Only that it’s located on Mount Hua.”

Sima Lin nodded.

“The Mount Hua Sect is exactly what its name suggests. It’s closer to a union formed by various Daoist temples situated on Mount Hua that practice martial arts. They share similar roots and freely exchange martial arts techniques, so they function almost as a single sect… Anyway, she belongs to the Plum Blossom Faction within the Mount Hua Sect.”

“The Plum Blossom Faction?”

“Yes. The Plum Blossom Faction. A rather eccentric group obsessed with making plum blossoms bloom on Mount Hua.”

Sima Lin gave a shallow, mocking laugh as she spoke.

She couldn’t understand it.

Mount Hua was a flower in itself; why obsess with plum blossoms only?

(Hua or Hwa already means flower. Plum Blossom is Maehwa or Meihua in Korean and Chinese, respectively.)

“There was an incident once. She declared she would turn Mount Hua into a plum blossom field, using her exceptional lightness skill to scatter plum blossom seeds everywhere while evading pursuit from every Daoist temple on Mount Hua except for her own Plum Blossom Faction…”

“Huh, why would she do that?”

“Who knows? In any case, they are a peculiar group, and the Plum Blossom Immortal is a prime example of this faction. They say she’s so infatuated with plum blossoms that she always carries a wooden sword made from a plum blossom tree.”

‘Ah. She’s definitely a strange person.’

Zhuge Hyeonmong couldn’t help but nod at Sima Lin’s assessment.

“But why is that a problem? She’s certainly unique, but how is that relevant now…?”

“Because she lives in her own world. Do you think someone obsessed with blanketing a rocky mountain with plum blossoms would listen well to others?”

“Ah, I see.”

Zhuge Hyeonmong let out a quiet exclamation at those words.

“And her reputation isn’t exactly stellar. You never know when she might act unpredictably, and once she sets her mind on something, she always follows through, no matter the consequences. Would you believe me if I said the Murim Alliance has a dedicated team just to clean up after her? And the worst part is…”

“The worst part?”

“She’s a Peak Realm master.”

“That truly is the worst.”

Zhuge Hyeonmong couldn’t help but nod.

Someone who was deaf to reason, driven by a strange belief, and possessing formidable martial arts skills could only be described as the worst-case scenario.

“That’s right. She once infiltrated a sect suspected of colluding with the Demonic Cult and single-handedly razed it to the ground. It turned out that the suspicion was true, but had they not been, the situation could have escalated into a major incident.”

Even Zhuge Jun shuddered as he spoke, making Zhuge Hyeonmong understand the gravity of the situation.

“Hmm, I understand. Then… it would be best to make some preparations.”

Zhuge Hyeonmong went into his room briefly and came back out.

Soon after, he wrote something, dried the ink with magical heat, and handed the letter to Zhuge Jun.

“Brother, this is…?”

“Just in case. I understand the situation now. Let’s go.”

The Great Dragon Escort Agency wasn’t far.

After all, it was also Zhuge Hyeonmong’s workplace.

‘But it’s the first time it’s felt so unwelcoming.’

The first thing they saw were unfamiliar figures surrounding the Agency, both inside and out, strictly controlling access.

Their expressions were stern, and the aura they emitted was incredibly solemn.

They were low-ranking warriors from the Murim Alliance.

“Damn it, even though this is our escort agency.”

Im Jun-gyu clicked his tongue, displeased with the sight, but there was truly nothing they could do about it.

After grumbling and venting his frustration, Im Jun-gyu stepped forward and said, “I’ve brought him!”

“Hmm.”

The Murim Alliance warriors scanned the group before nodding.

“Scholar’s robe. A hat. Tall. Matches the description. Are you the Master Zhuge whose fame has recently spread throughout the Jianghu?

“Me?”

Zhuge Jun, suddenly singled out, was flustered. Zhuge Hyeonmong nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“…”

Many people looked at Zhuge Hyeonmong as he responded without a change in his expression.

Even Zhuge Jun was among those looking at him.

“Good. Then only you may enter. Inspector Cheon wishes to speak with you privately.”

“Why?”

“Because I only wish to hear from the person involved.”

A clear voice resonated from inside.

As the Murim Alliance warrior hastily straightened his posture, the door of the Great Dragon Escort Agency opened.

The figure revealed from inside was a female Daoist with long hair, dressed in white Daoist robes.

She had a wooden sword on her back and held a real sword in one hand, giving off an otherworldly aura that seemed detached from mortal affairs.

Though she didn’t introduce herself, everyone present immediately sensed that she was Cheon Yeo-hyang.

“I’ve heard that the person who actually found and captured the Demonic Cultivator this time wasn’t any of you, but someone called Zhuge Hyeonmong. Is that incorrect?”

“It was possible thanks to everyone’s efforts.”

“No, it wasn’t. I hear the scions didn’t even see the Demonic Cultivator’s face and just chased after his tail before ending up under the protection of the Green Forest Road Alliance.”

Her words were sharp, but undeniably true, leaving the scions of the Jianghu speechless.

“Isn’t that right, Young Hero Zhuge Jun?”

“…That’s correct. It’s an honor to meet you, Heroine Cheon.”

“Indeed. It’s a pleasure. Then you must be Zhuge Hyeonmong, who’s been the talk of the Jianghu lately.  Why did you lie just now?”

Cheon Yeo-hyang narrowed her eyes sharply as she spoke.

That simple gesture exuded a palpable pressure.

It was an eerie feeling, like standing on the edge of a cliff.

Feeling this, Zhuge Hyeonmong spoke.

“I didn’t lie.”

“What! But just now…!”

“If you’re referring to the Master Zhuge who has recently gained fame in the martial world, wouldn’t that naturally refer to Young Master Zhuge Jun, one of the Three Jewels of the Zhuge Family?”

“…”

‘Is he trying to get himself stabbed?’

Sima Lin couldn’t help but wonder, even amidst her own irritation at Cheon Yeo-hyang’s dismissive words.

‘No, perhaps one stab won’t be enough.’

Even Cheon Yeo-hyang herself looked dumbfounded.

“Hmm. You’re quite an interesting person, just as I’ve heard. Very well. Master Zhuge, who is relatively less famous in Jianghu. I have business with you. Now that we’ve met, let me ask.”

Cheon Yeo-hyang smiled sweetly and asked.

“I came for the Demonic Scripture, but it’s missing. Tell me, is it truly gone?”