Chapter 189 :

<Rewriting the Sichuan Blood Incident (9)>

The return journey proceeded without much difficulty.

With the Martial Alliance flag borrowed from the Chengdu Branch leader flying high, no minor strongholds dared bother us. Our numbers were so large that even heretical martial artists merely gave us displeased looks before passing by.

The Mukyeop Escort Agency's guards also understood the advantages of the Martial Alliance flag. They guided us along easier routes they normally avoided because of the danger, so no one found the journey particularly strenuous.

Some academy students did complain about the meals, however.

Shenghu Hall frequently trained outdoors and went on marches, so cooking for themselves presented no particular difficulty.

But our esteemed elites of the Nine Great Sects, who had grown up pampered at their main sects, were unfamiliar with outdoor cooking. They even managed to burn porridge, supposedly the easiest dish to make, or ate it half-cooked.

Eventually, several students gathered their complaints and brought them to Gu Jeongryong.

"What? Cooking is difficult? Then chew on fasting pills. Haven't you eaten those while training at your main sects?"

Receiving only that cold response, they returned looking dejected and ready to cry.

They must have learned the hard way that being treated as someone's precious little darling was a privilege limited to their main sects.

What about our group?

"Eunho, I think there isn't enough meat."

"Brother Geumpyo, did you hurt your eyes? There's plenty of meat. It only looks that way because there are so many dried vegetables."

"I'd still prefer more meat."

"That's why I told you to prepare more jerky."

I had no idea when they had prepared everything, but at every meal, Geumpyo and Eunho made porridge with twice as much meat and vegetables as dried grain.

Thanks to them, our group ate until we were stuffed every time.

'Have I ever starved these two?'

Far from starving them while traveling together, I had fed them all sorts of delicacies. Yet their appetite only continued to grow.

"I feel as though I gain more weight cooking outdoors than I do at the academy."

Seong Moran nodded at Namgung Seonhwa's words.

"If anything, I'm starting to feel that we eat rather poorly at the academy."

I glanced around at the other academy students.

Every one of them looked haggard, with sunken cheeks and dark circles around their eyes.

After the events in Sichuan, repeatedly sleeping outdoors had piled exhaustion upon exhaustion.

Even the Twelve Peaks Fortress members, supposedly the elite of the Hundred and Eight Peaks, looked far from well.

By contrast, everyone in our group, including Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran, positively glowed.

"Aren't any of you tired?"

At my question, Seong Moran tilted her head.

"We eat three comfortable meals a day and sleep soundly without having to stand night watch. What is there to be tired about?"

No matter how I looked at it, their circumstances did not seem much different from those of the other academy students…

Eunho clicked his tongue.

"Eldest Senior Brother, the ladies and Jaehwa took the official exam with us, remember?"

"Ah…"

Was this what they meant when they said that after experiencing true hardship, later difficulties no longer felt difficult?

I realized anew just how hard I had worked them during the official exam.

'They must all have grown up just as pampered as the true disciples of the Nine Great Sects.'

Namgung Seonhwa alone was the Divine Sword's cherished granddaughter. She must have grown up without ever having to lift a finger.

Now she could finish three bowls of meat porridge made with dried jerky in one sitting…

"Is something wrong, Young Master?"

Noticing my gaze, Namgung Seonhwa tilted her head.

"Nothing."

Guilt began to stir at having turned people raised so preciously into this.

But before it could rise any further, the rationalization reigning like a king in one corner of my mind stomped it flat.

'Well, they've become stronger thanks to it. Wherever they end up in the alliance, they shouldn't have much trouble adjusting to any martial pavilion.'

Watching my expression, Seong Moran frowned deeply.

"You're justifying something to yourself, aren't you?"

Was this the sixth sense women spoke of?

I quickly changed the subject.

"I was worrying about what lies ahead."

"What… Lies ahead?"

Seong Moran's lips trembled with unease.

Was I some kind of ghost? I had barely said anything. What was with that reaction?

"If even you're worried, Young Master Jin, that makes it worse!"

"…"

In truth, our situation was not entirely relaxed.

First, there were the Righteous Path Association elders.

Why else would they have abandoned even their own disciples and departed for the Martial Alliance as soon as we reached Chengdu?

They clearly intended to get there first and set something in motion.

It would be fortunate if they merely tried to minimize their own responsibility.

The biggest problem was that I could not predict what slander they might concoct by tying it to this incident.

Second, there was the Martial Academy.

During the academic term, its representative had left the academy, taking every senior member of the representative delegation with him.

We had followed official procedures, but what if it emerged that those procedures had been authorized by a department head exceeding his authority while the chief strategist was absent?

It could cause problems with our future academic activities.

And those coveting the academy representative's position would surely begin stirring again.

This incident had made one thing perfectly clear.

If I simply handed over the representative's position, there was no telling how much more of a mess the Martial Academy would become.

If the Martial Academy became a mess, the Martial Alliance would undoubtedly become the same collection of idiots it had been in my previous life.

'I absolutely cannot let that happen.'

I renewed my resolve.

The return journey ended smoothly.

Upon reaching Wuhan, the Mukyeop Escort Agency departed with its carriages and personnel.

From Wuhan to the Martial Academy, only Shenghu Hall and the academy students continued together.

"Aaaah! We're finally here!"

Seong Moran stretched luxuriously.

Smiles appeared on the others' faces as well.

Seeing the signboard bearing the words "Martial Academy" finally made our arrival feel real.

"I want to go back and sleep for three straight days."

"Me too."

Chatting about one thing and another, we passed through the main gate.

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

Thunderous cheers erupted from every direction.

"W-what's going on?"

The others looked just as bewildered as Geumpyo.

Academy students and people who appeared to be outsiders stood in rows along both sides of the path to the main building, cheering.

"What on earth…?"

Just then, Jang Ujae and his friends stepped out from among the students.

"You've worked hard, Representative."

"What is all this?"

"The academy representative rushed out to protect the students and brought them home safely. Naturally, anyone would want to come out and cheer."

Was that so?

If that was the case, why could I not see a single member of the White Path Association or the Righteous Path Association?

Jang Ujae spoke with the expression of someone looking at a hero.

"Give them a wave, Representative."

"…"

Why would I suddenly wave…?

This sort of welcome did not suit me.

As I hesitated, Jang Ujae suddenly grabbed my hand and raised it high.

At that instant—

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

Cheers even louder than before thundered through the grounds.

"Bloodflame Dragon! Bloodflame Dragon!"

"You're amazing! Taeul Sect!"

"The best! You're the best!"

A certain unwanted nickname seemed to have slipped naturally into the cheering…

Anyway, once it became clear whom the crowd was cheering for, the Taeul Sect disciples, Namgung Seonhwa, Seong Moran, Moyong Jaehwa, and the others began waving in every direction.

Each time they did, the crowd chanted their names.

My companions, who had just been saying they were so tired they wanted to collapse immediately, seemed to forget all their fatigue. They smiled brightly and returned the crowd's enthusiasm.

Watching them, I could not help chuckling.

"Well, I suppose this isn't so bad once in a while."

"What is going on?"

They had tried to respond as quickly as possible, but the dispatch to Sichuan had ultimately been delayed.

Unable to predict how events there would unfold, Jegal Somyeong had barely slept.

Now he was bewildered by reports he had never expected.

—Blood Cult's eastward advance halted.

—Unusual developments detected within Blood Cult forces.

—Blood Cult's combat preparations insufficient.

His greatest concern had been the Emei Sect, which would encounter the Blood Cult first.

Outwardly, Emei had confidently declared that it would never fall to the likes of the Blood Cult, but inwardly, it had clearly been trembling with fear.

That much was obvious from its urgent request for the Jegal Family to send personnel to reinforce the mystical formations at its main sect, and from its gathering even affiliated sect disciples to strengthen its defenses.

'I could only desperately hope they would hold out until the Martial Alliance's warriors arrived…'

Yet somehow, the Blood Cult's eastward advance had stopped.

"Are they preparing something bigger?"

With the news that the Blood Cult possessed iron jiangshi already pushing him to the limit, Jegal Somyeong's nerves were honed as sharply as a blade.

"Those damned bastards…"

The decisive reason the dispatch had been delayed was none other than the Spirit-Exorcism Orbs.

The Blood Cult's sorcery was so powerful that even people with considerable Daoist or Buddhist spiritual power had lost their reason in an instant.

Because of that, he had issued a single order instructing everyone to double-check their possession of Spirit-Exorcism Orbs, basic tools for banishing evil and exorcising spirits.

Troubling reports had then poured in from every direction.

'They sold them all long ago?'

The situation was so absurd that he could barely speak.

Had it been one or two offenders, he would have immediately held them accountable and thrown them into the deepest cells of the Martial Alliance's Golden Prison.

But far too many people had sold their Spirit-Exorcism Orbs.

Their numbers vastly exceeded the prison's capacity. If he actually carried out the punishment, several martial pavilions might cease to function.

"Ugh… Ugh…"

He had no way to release the anger erupting from deep within his chest.

He had tried urgently procuring more Spirit-Exorcism Orbs, but that was hardly easy.

They were difficult to manufacture, and available stocks were nowhere near sufficient.

In the end, following the reports from Sichuan, he had hurriedly purchased the Hengshan Sect's Demon-Subduing Talismans, which were said to be exceptionally effective, and sent the warriors off with those.

Jegal Somyeong crumpled the report in his hand and ground his teeth.

'Just you wait. I will absolutely, absolutely not let this pass.'

No, beyond the Spirit-Exorcism Orbs, once this situation was resolved, he would immediately investigate the condition of all supplies issued by the Martial Alliance.

He could already almost hear the supply officers wailing from every direction, but under the present circumstances, such action was only—

Just then—

"Chief Strategist…"

Maeng Juwon, who had long since sensed that Jegal Somyeong was in a very, very foul mood, approached cautiously.

Sure enough, Jegal Somyeong freely vented his irritation.

"You brat! Why must you keep bothering me?!"

"…"

It was the first time Maeng Juwon had spoken to him since arriving at work that day.

He felt terribly wronged, but firmly swallowed his resentment.

'Ha… I'm going to suffer for a while.'

He would be caught in the fallout caused by the bastards who had sold their Spirit-Exorcism Orbs, but he could not stand his ground as usual.

He had committed an offense of his own, after all.

One wrong move, and he might spend a while in the Golden Prison in their place.

Careful not to aggravate Jegal Somyeong, Maeng Juwon got to the point.

"It's just that Jin Sowoon has returned."

Jegal Somyeong's eyes flashed open.

"…Hm? That brat?"

"Yes. We just received word from the academy. Everyone has returned safely."

"Already?"

He had received reports, but they had arrived much sooner than expected.

'How did he sweet-talk the Chengdu Branch leader?'

Apparently, the Chengdu Branch leader had paid out of his own pocket for carriages and even hired an escort agency.

While everyone else carelessly spent the Martial Alliance's money, seeing someone diligently conserve its funds was naturally pleasing.

Jegal Somyeong forced down the corners of his mouth as they began to rise.

'No. I must still reprimand him where necessary.'

Hyeok Mugang would praise his achievements anyway, so Jegal Somyeong had decided to offer some harsher words.

The brat was supposed to join the Intelligence Department and accomplish great things. He could not be allowed to start finding ways around the rules already.

Besides, there were quite a few things Jegal Somyeong wanted to ask.

He abruptly rose from his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"To the academy."

"Pardon? If you're going to see Jin Sowoon, you could summon him to the Intelligence Department…"

"No, never mind. I'll go myself."

The moment Jin Sowoon entered the Martial Alliance grounds, word would reach Hyeok Mugang.

If he wanted to scold the brat, this was his only chance.

Bang.

He kicked open the Intelligence Department's loose-hinged door and stepped outside.

"…What brings you here?"

At the appearance of an unexpected visitor, Jegal Somyeong's brow furrowed deeply.

No sooner had I arrived and unpacked than I was summoned to the academy director's office.

'More precisely, they said the summons came from the Intelligence Department.'

The instructor who delivered the message apparently did not know the exact reason either. He passed it along and left.

'But why didn't they summon me to the Intelligence Department?'

I had known something like this would happen from the moment I handled matters through Maeng Juwon.

He had gleefully exceeded his authority, but it had been obvious that everything would be overturned once Jegal Somyeong returned.

'Still, things went smoothly precisely because it was Maeng Juwon.'

Expecting some degree of disciplinary action from Jegal Somyeong, I picked up that familiar bundle.

Because Eun Seollan had regularly frozen it solid, it did not smell.

'Will this smooth things over a little?'

Lost in various thoughts, I knocked on the academy director's door.

It swung open immediately.

As though he had been waiting, Buk Wonpyeong appeared with a broad smile.

"Come in."

Buk Wonpyeong took his seat and served tea.

As expected of the academy director, he drank excellent tea.

"When did you return?"

"As soon as the academic term began. You certainly accomplished something extraordinary while I was away."

"The circumstances left little choice. You know roughly what happened, don't you, Director?"

In truth, it would be a problem if he did not.

It would call his qualifications as academy director into question.

"The Council of Elders went far beyond the line this time."

"…"

"To think they would do this while both the chief strategist and I were absent."

Buk Wonpyeong shook his head in dismay.

I immediately asked him a question.

"They left Chengdu ahead of us for the Martial Alliance… Have they done anything in the meantime?"

"They seem to have been poking around various parts of the alliance, trying something, but it appears they're having little success. This incident was simply too serious. Tsk."

Hmm. Did that mean one less thing to worry about?

"But don't relax just yet. Most of what they've been saying concerns you."

Damn it. Of course.

Still, it did not bother me too much.

There would be plenty of time to take revenge on the Council of Elders, step by step, once I joined the Intelligence Department.

Wanting to improve my mood, I changed the subject.

"Did the matter you went to look into work out?"

Buk Wonpyeong had planned to become an affiliated disciple of the Taeul Sect to overcome the limitations of the Three Pure Supreme Sword's single-successor lineage.

That was why he had left the academy director's office vacant.

Taking a sip of tea, Buk Wonpyeong grinned.

"It did."

"That's good to hear. Should I call you Martial Uncle from now on, then?"

This meant the Taeul Sect disciples now had a respectable supporter within the Martial Alliance.

With the Three Pure Supreme Sword becoming an affiliated disciple of the Taeul Sect, what bastard would dare call it a sect without proper foundations—

"Not Martial Uncle."

"Hm?"

The first generation currently consisted of the elders and a few other senior figures.

If he joined as an affiliated disciple, surely he would naturally enter the sect leader's generation?

As I fell briefly speechless in confusion, Buk Wonpyeong's voice broke the silence.

"Call me Senior Brother from now on."

"…"

I stared blankly, then dug at my ear.

Since no earwax came out, something must have gone wrong with my head.

As I tapped my temple a couple of times, Buk Wonpyeong smiled meaningfully.

"I shall call you Junior Brother, but honor you as the senior disciple."

Senior disciple…?

My mind froze, leaving me unable to speak.

Buk Wonpyeong nodded as though he understood.

"The elders said none of them would accept me. In the end, I offered three bows to the sect leader."

Hmm. Perhaps the Taeul Sect really was a sect without proper foundations.

At this rate, there was little we could do even if people cursed us for it.

Just then—

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

I quickly addressed Buk Wonpyeong.

"Then may I ask my first favor, Senior Brother?"

"What is it?"

"When the chief strategist scolds me, please try to hold him back a little."

Buk Wonpyeong suddenly lowered his eyes and shook his head.

"…I cannot do that. How could I possibly overshadow my esteemed Eldest Senior Brother?"

What was with this man? Why was he suddenly acting like this?

"…You just said you would call me Junior Brother."

"That and this are separate matters, Eldest Senior Brother."

Wasn't the title "Eldest Senior Brother" rolling off his tongue a little too easily?

The door burst open.

Jegal Somyeong entered with a face like a demon.

'He looks angrier than I expected.'

I hurriedly stood and bowed my head like a criminal guilty of a capital offense.

But Jegal Somyeong's expression showed no sign of softening.

"Jin Sowoon, you little…"

His teeth ground together.

Behind him, another man entered, resting a hand firmly on his shoulder.

I was so shocked that I could not close my mouth.

'Why is he here…?'

White-Handed Divine Sword Hyeok Mugang.

One of the absolute masters of the murim world, and the Martial Alliance Leader himself, had appeared at the Martial Academy.

…