Chapter 166 :

<The Blood Sea Spreading Across Sichuan (2)>

"Damn it!"

In my previous life, I hadn't despised the Martial Alliance's higher-ups solely because of my own inferiority complex.

The hypocrisy of the privileged had been around for ages, and capable people reaching for power was nothing new.

The problem was that those bastards' incompetence hurt me.

The Sojeong Unit belonged to White Wolf Pavilion, where low-ranking warriors gathered.

It wasn't part of the Martial Alliance's main force.

It wasn't even a proper unit.

It was just a branch.

And their incompetence reached even me.

They gave the orders, and we followed them.

They were the ones without the ability, but we were the ones who died.

At that level of incompetence, they might as well have been spies for the Demonic Cult.

In this life, I fought tooth and nail against the privileged because I didn't want that kind of damnable situation to happen again.

I'd rather join the Demonic Cult and destroy the Martial Alliance with my own hands than watch my junior brothers and comrades come back as corpses again because of some stupid order from the higher-ups.

'They really are something.'

The members of the Righteous Path Association in the Elders' Council had taken the Nine Great Sects with them and headed for Sichuan.

As defections from the Righteous Path Association accelerated after the Soul-Destroying Formation incident, the elders must have wanted to recruit unaffiliated people.

So they'd rounded up every student left at the academy and taken them to Sichuan.

"They really are something."

No matter how hard I tried to stop them from making a mess, they always found a way to slip through and do it anyway.

If the Righteous Path Association got itself killed in Sichuan, that was their problem.

Fine. They'd chosen it, and it was their disciples who would die!

How could I stop them from destroying themselves with such stupidity?

But damn it.

Why did they have to take Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seollan, too?

I couldn't stand that kind of widespread troublemaking.

In my previous life, during the Martial Alliance's great retreat, Moyong Jaehwa had held off the Demonic Cult for a long time.

Eun Seollan later laid the groundwork that allowed the Martial Alliance to establish itself in the Northern Sea.

If my plans failed and this life turned into the same demonic era as my previous one, those two were the last hope for preserving the righteous spirit of the martial world.

And that was aside from the fact that they were precious to me as younger siblings.

Those bastards were using the deeds to the last stronghold our ancestors had left us as kindling for a huge bonfire.

When I thought about the tragic future ahead, setting fire to the entire Martial Alliance and burning down every hall would cause less harm than letting those two die.

'Ah! I want to join the Demonic Cult.'

Suppressing my frustration, I first rushed to Buk Wonpyeong's office.

"The Academy Director is away on a trip."

Perhaps I was so overwhelmed that I'd forgotten I was the one who had sent him to the Taeul Sect.

If Buk Wonpyeong had been at the academy, he would have stopped the Righteous Path Association from moving.

"Are you all right, Young Master Jin?"

Seong Moran asked with concern.

"..."

Was I all right?

Not at all.

The reason the losses in Sichuan had been so severe was partly that the students weren't prepared for the heretical sorcery used by the dark faction.

But the biggest reason was the lax way the units had been deployed.

Under that insane plan to split into ten units and search for the culprits, the Corpse-Mountain Blood-Sea Cult had simply waited with its mouth open, like someone waiting for persimmons to fall from a tree, and swallowed up the academy students.

Assuming the command staff was no different from last time, we first had to find out which of the ten units contained Eun Seollan and Moyong Jaehwa.

"Among the recent reports we received from Haomun, there was a warning that the people appearing in Sichuan were dangerous."

My companions flinched at my words.

They had encountered the Demonic Cult before, so their tension was palpable.

"Then... then we have to stop them, don't we?"

At Seong Moran's words, Namgung Seonhwa shook her head.

"They won't listen to us, Sister."

Seong Moran's eyes narrowed angrily.

"Why did those bastards have to take our younger siblings along?"

I barely managed to stop Seong Moran, who looked ready to draw her sword and rush to Sichuan right away.

"The urgent thing is to find out where Jaehwa and Seollan are."

The elders might willingly share the unit assignments, but I wasn't counting on it.

We'd have to search until our feet were covered in sweat, and I couldn't do it alone.

It would be better to render the event itself null and void.

Right. Null and void.

"...Huh?"

"What is it? Do you have a good idea?"

"I think... there may be a way."

...

"What way?"

If they'd used a loophole, then we could use one, too.

"It won't be a perfect solution, but we can save those two."

The Martial Academy belonged to the Intelligence Department.

If the Academy Director was absent, the head of the Intelligence Department took charge of the academy.

That meant all we needed was an order from the Intelligence Department banning the event.

'Of course, it won't be easy.'

Jegal Somyeong was already under heavy pressure from the Elders' Council.

Naturally, he wouldn't want to provoke them.

Then at the very least, I had to get an order that would let us bring Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seollan back.

And I had to take my companions with me to rescue them.

There was no time to waste, so I headed straight to the Martial Alliance's Intelligence Department.

"Hm? What brings you here?"

Maeng Juwon, of the Intelligence Department, still had something like a dark smudge around his eyes.

"Where is the Chief Strategist?"

Despite my urgent question, Maeng Juwon's expression remained vacant.

"The Chief Strategist? He went to his family home a little while ago."

"What?"

The Martial Alliance's Chief Strategist had time to go home?

Why now, of all times?

"His examination is over, so he finally took a vacation after almost a year. What do you need?"

The Intelligence Department's chain of command was simpler than I'd expected.

When the Chief Strategist was away, the next person in rank took over.

Which meant that the person in charge of the Intelligence Department right now was—

"Department Head Maeng Juwon."

This poor Maeng Juwon standing right in front of me.

"The academy students have left for an event without approval from the academy representative."

"...I see."

"This is a violation of the Martial Alliance's strict regulations."

Maeng Juwon remained unruffled.

"Of course it is. But didn't the elders from the Elders' Council go with them? You know that, by custom, we're supposed to let something like this slide. Why bring it up now?"

Maeng Juwon spoke with the worn-out expression of a public official who'd been ground down until there was nothing left.

"I understand how you feel. You must hate that the old men of the Elders' Council are stepping in now. But what can we do? Sometimes we have no choice but to let things go."

"..."

"And can't you see? Those old men moved quickly while the Chief Strategist was away. They'd planned it that way from the start."

Maeng Juwon patted my shoulder, oblivious to how serious the situation was.

"It can't be helped. Just close your eyes and let it go this time. Once they return, you can use another event to put them in their place."

That wasn't the problem.

Our people were going to die.

"Then could you at least write an order to return Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seollan to the academy? They were forced to take part."

"Hmm?"

"I don't want those two attending the event."

"..."

Maeng Juwon set down the documents he was holding and stared right into my eyes.

"What are you plotting?"

"Pardon?"

"After all, it's just an event they went on, like an excursion. They'll come back on their own once it's over. If they're your people, taking part won't make them one of the elders' followers."

Ah, this was frustrating.

I couldn't just blurt out that the Blood Cult was about to appear in Sichuan.

"...I don't want them to be corrupted by the Righteous Path Association."

Maeng Juwon's vacant expression disappeared.

He glared at me, then shook his head.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no. Go back."

"Why not?"

"Didn't I tell you? The elders from the Elders' Council planned this event themselves. If I interfere with their event, can a mere member of the Martial Alliance withstand the consequences?"

Maeng Juwon picked up his documents again and turned his back to me.

So that was it.

Asking Maeng Juwon to take on a group even Jegal Somyeong was reluctant to provoke was like ordering a low-ranking warrior to fight the Heavenly Demon Side Sword Unit.

"...You should've listened to me from the start."

Had I heard that wrong?

"What did you just say?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Didn't you just say, 'You should've listened to me from the start'?"

Maeng Juwon tapped the innocent-looking papers with his finger.

"...Why are you listening to my muttering?"

That wasn't muttering.

I'd thought someone had spoken right into my ear.

"...What do you want?"

Maeng Juwon's eyes began to waver violently.

He looked like the Traceless Divine Thief standing before a pile of jewels, unable to stop himself from reaching out to take them.

"W-what would I want? I don't want anything."

Look at him.

At this rate, he'd tear up all the paperwork.

He tried to turn away, but his eyes stayed fixed on me.

His eyes were rolling so far back, he might be able to see behind himself.

"If you tell me what you want, I'll think about it."

"Ahem! Ahem!"

After coughing for a long time, as though he had phlegm caught in his throat, Maeng Juwon spoke.

"Come to the Intelligence Department on both of your days off, and come here two days a week after your classes end."

"..."

What was this?

Had he finally gone mad from talking too much?

"What do you want me to do at the Intelligence Department?"

"What do you think? You'll learn the work in advance and practice."

Why should I?

"I'm not doing it."

"Then it'll be hard for me to write the order."

"..."

I stared at Maeng Juwon.

He was pretending to be calm, but the tips of his toes were tapping nervously.

He was acting as if he didn't care, but he was afraid I'd let the opportunity slip away.

Amateur gamblers with a decent hand always looked like that.

I stood up.

"Fine."

Maeng Juwon's eyes widened.

"I'll just skip class without permission and go get them."

"You know unauthorized absences can get you expelled, right?"

"I do. I'll just finish my mandatory service and return to my sect."

"Without staying in the Martial Alliance?"

"I'm very hungry for wealth and glory. If I become an officer, I might have to pass through the Intelligence Department to get promoted. But if I don't become an officer, there's no reason for me to stay in the Martial Alliance."

"..."

"Sorry for taking up your time. I'll be going."

I said that and started for the door.

Maeng Juwon quickly grabbed my sleeve.

"Hey, come on! Why are you so impatient? Fine! Just come one day on your days off."

I was a man who used to run scams among the Sojeong Unit's street thugs.

Did he really think he could bluff me?

"One day off. I'll come, do the work properly, and leave."

"Fine! While you're learning the work, come two days a week. Once you think you've learned it all, you can come just once a week. I won't give in any further."

Maeng Juwon turned away, as if to threaten me.

I thought it over for a moment.

Losing one precious day off was a shame.

But in return, I could use the Intelligence Department to give the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families a hard time.

It wasn't necessarily a bad deal.

"Fine. Then please make sure to write the order canceling the Righteous Path Association's event—"

"Sure! And I should issue arrest warrants for the Elders' Council's anti-alliance actions, right?"

Before I could finish, Maeng Juwon excitedly started rummaging through the documents.

Wait.

Hadn't he just said he couldn't withstand it as a mere member of the Martial Alliance?

"...The order canceling the event is enough."

"Hmm... Well, I suppose I couldn't stay alive if I made enemies of all the Nine Great Sects."

"..."

"Oh, right. Do you need any warriors? How about a hundred elite warriors? They should be enough to intimidate everyone into stopping the event."

Maeng Juwon brought over stacks of documents of every kind, as if he wanted to show off the Intelligence Department's power.

What was this man?

Did he have nothing to lose?

There really wasn't a normal person in the Martial Alliance.

When we delivered the Intelligence Department's leave permits and the order canceling the event to the academy, the administrators and instructors were at a loss.

The delegation leader and all the officers had announced they were leaving just as the second semester was beginning.

They couldn't make sense of it.

But what could they do?

We had an order from the Intelligence Department.

If they hadn't wanted this situation, they shouldn't have agreed to the Elders' Council's demands in the first place.

"How did you get something like this from the Intelligence Department?"

Namgung Seonhwa examined the order several times, unable to believe it.

"That... is a sad story."

I'd lost a day off.

I looked at my companions and asked:

"I got the order, but the elders might ignore it anyway. Anyone who feels uncomfortable with that can stay behind....Uh, Eunho, stay right there. Unless you want to get hit. The Taeul Sect is coming along automatically."

I'd meant to be considerate of Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran, but both women answered emphatically.

"What are you talking about? We have to bring them back, even if it means fighting."

"We can't forgive anyone who disobeys an order from the Intelligence Department."

Seeing how determined they were made me smile.

"All right. Let's get ready right away."

We prepared quickly.

We gathered our weapons and emergency rations, then assembled.

"Take one of these each."

I handed out a small leather bag to everyone.

The others had been polishing their swords.

They took the bags, looked inside, and asked:

"I understand the signal flare, but what are the necklace and talisman?"

The necklace was made of White Fragrance Jade, which I'd entrusted to Jang Dowon.

The Corpse-Mountain Blood-Sea Cult was a branch of the Demonic Cult, and its members used sinister arts that disturbed the mind.

Like demonic energy, prolonged exposure could damage the mind and leave lasting effects.

A person might even spend the rest of their life seeing illusions.

We'd have to be more careful not to fall victim to their sorcery than to focus on blocking their attacks directly.

It wasn't as effective as the Demon-Cleansing Spirit Beads, but it was better than having to recite the Demon-Subduing Mantra Beads like madmen.

"The talisman is a Demon-Subduing Talisman from the Hengshan Sect. Use it to guard against evil swords and heretical arts."

Namgung Seonhwa looked at the talisman with astonishment.

"A talisman from the Hengshan Sect is incredibly expensive..."

"If we got hurt while trying to save someone, that would defeat the purpose."

Just as we finished preparing for the expedition, the people Maeng Juwon had sent arrived at the academy.

"..."

I couldn't speak when I saw who they were.

"I'm Gu Jeongryong, Hall Master of Shenghu Hall."

Maeng Juwon had said he'd send an appropriate number of people, so I'd expected the Cheukmu Pavilion or the Red Phoenix Pavilion.

'The man just sent whoever he wanted.'

He'd sent the Shenghu Hall.

It was the assault unit best suited to attack in the entire Blue Dragon Pavilion.

He'd sent the kind of unit that showed up when the heretical factions invaded the Martial Alliance.

Did he want us to pick a fight with the Elders' Council?

'Could the head of the Intelligence Department even order a unit of this rank around?'

Even Chief Strategist Jegal Somyeong had to weigh the interests of each group carefully when sending out a unit.

Of course, considering we might have to face both the Corpse-Mountain Blood-Sea Cult and the Elders' Council, it was better to have the Shenghu Hall with us.

That wasn't the problem.

I was worried they might not listen to me.

"You're heading to Sichuan?"

Gu Jeongryong's expression was hard to read.

Even with an assignment order from the Intelligence Department, he probably didn't want to take orders from an academy student who was his junior.

"Yes."

"How are you going to organize the units?"

"We'll locate the academy students in Sichuan and move as one."

"...You know ours is a unit made up mainly of strong martial artists, right?"

"We'll handle the search. Hall Master, you only need to help carry out the order."

"You expect us to sit still and oppose the Elders' Council?"

"Would that be difficult?"

"...If it's an order from the Alliance, we have to follow it."

Oh?

He seemed fairly reasonable.

"However, you'll take responsibility for everything, including command."

"..."

So he meant he wouldn't take responsibility.

That suited me just fine.

Picking a fight with the Shenghu Hall now would be a serious loss.

We still didn't have enough people, but the group wasn't completely useless.

The most important thing was to deliver the Intelligence Department's order to the Elders' Council and have grounds to cancel the event.

Our lack of force was a secondary issue.

We all set off quickly, with no one waiting for anyone else.

We crossed the grounds of the vast Martial Academy and reached the main gate.

Then someone called to me from one side.

"Representative Jin Sowoon."

If I cracked his head open once, maybe he'd learn not to stop busy people.

I looked at him, ready to smash his skull this time if he had anything useless to say.

But then—

"May we go with you, Representative?"

"..."

Cheol Sunjik smiled in a way that made his intentions impossible to read.

Someone I was never glad to see had come over.

"I'm busy. What do you want?"

I let my displeasure show, but my visitor remained relaxed.

"I heard the academy representative was planning something, so I came to see what was going on."

"This has nothing to do with the Twelve Peaks Fortress. Go back."

Cheol Sunjik continued with that polished, oily face of his.

"Could you at least hear me out for a moment?"

"...Hear you out?"

I haven't cracked his head open yet, which is why he's holding up someone this busy.

I was definitely going to smash his skull during the entrance exam—