Chapter 190 :

<Rewriting the Sichuan Blood Incident (10)>

A heavy tension hung over the academy director's office.

It was not because of Jegal Somyeong, who was scowling and openly displaying his displeasure.

The real reason was—

"Hohoho. Had I known the academy director had such excellent taste in tea, I would have visited more often."

"…Pardon? Ah, is that so? Then I could send some of the same tea to the Alliance Leader's Hall…"

"No, no. We mustn't spend the alliance's money so freely. I'll simply visit from time to time."

Buk Wonpyeong struggled to conceal his appalled expression.

The Martial Alliance Leader would come calling at any hour to drink his tea?

The thought alone was suffocating.

But the alliance leader went one step further.

"Would my frequent visits perhaps make you uncomfortable?"

"Ah, no! Of course not. I would be deeply grateful if you visited often."

He forced a smile, but the corners of his mouth and eyes trembled.

Watching Buk Wonpyeong bow and scrape like a rabbit before a leopard, I felt an inexplicable sense of refreshment.

Served him right.

He had rejected his senior disciple's request outright, so the great-grandmaster must have sent him punishment.

Hyeok Mugang raised his chin slightly and continued.

"At my age, there are few places where I'm welcome. Staying in the Alliance Leader's Hall every day is quite an ordeal."

"…"

"I made many memories traveling the murim world with the previous successor of the Supreme Sword. Those were truly enjoyable days."

'I know your master, you know! We traveled the murim world together and did all sorts of things, you brat!'

…It was the sort of story any old man might tell, yet the atmosphere was distinctly different.

Should I say he exuded an imperial presence?

In a way, that was only natural.

The accomplishments he had left behind inspired awe in every martial artist active in the murim world, transcending the righteous and heretical factions.

'Perhaps the fact that neither the Nine Great Sects nor the Five Great Families can remove him from the alliance leader's seat says enough.'

He did not even have a sect or a master.

He had risen to become one of the ten greatest experts under heaven through his own unique martial arts, overcome countless schemes and power struggles, and finally been acclaimed as Martial Alliance Leader.

His story was enough to stir the ambitions of everyone living in the murim world.

Moreover, I held particularly special feelings toward him.

When the Righteous-Demonic War broke out, he had fought fiercely at the very forefront.

Even when we lost faith in the Nine Great Sects and became disillusioned with the Five Great Families, the White-Handed Divine Sword had never betrayed our trust.

'…Perhaps that was why he failed.'

In the end, he too had been one of the great stars to fall during the Righteous-Demonic War.

Yet even after the war ended, he remained an undying light in our hearts.

Seeing the hero I had once watched from afar right before my eyes made my heart tremble strangely.

'…Though perhaps I'm simply trembling with anxiety.'

Understandably so, since he had come along at the very moment I was about to be scolded by Jegal Somyeong.

I had come prepared for Jegal Somyeong's reprimand, but I did not want the White-Handed Divine Sword tearing into me as well.

While speaking with the sweating Buk Wonpyeong, Hyeok Mugang subtly turned his gaze toward me.

I bowed my head deeply, determined not to end up in the same situation as Buk Wonpyeong.

Fortunately, perhaps, Jegal Somyeong's teeth-grinding voice reached me first.

"Jin Sowoon… Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Gulp.

'To be honest, I did do a few things wrong, but didn't I save the academy students?'

I swallowed the words I had prepared.

I intended to simply abandon all defense and endure the abuse like a human shield.

I had plenty of experience as a human shield from my previous life.

But…

"Hoho. Chief Strategist, didn't you promise not to do that?"

That same relaxed, benevolent voice intervened.

'What?'

As I continued watching suspiciously—

"Wasn't that why I asked you not to follow me?"

"Hoho. Chief Strategist, wouldn't that render our agreement meaningless?"

Jegal Somyeong looked desperate to vent his anger, while Hyeok Mugang smiled pleasantly and kept him in check.

Unbelievable!

'Hyeok Mugang truly is a man worthy of being called a hero!'

Hyeok Mugang turned toward me.

"Representative Jin Sowoon, you have done something truly admirable."

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

Meanwhile, Jegal Somyeong's face crumpled like paper.

'Oh?'

The situation took shape vividly in my mind.

Jegal Somyeong had clearly wanted to scold me before praising my accomplishments.

Hyeok Mugang must have opposed that.

So Jegal Somyeong had come all the way to the Martial Academy to avoid Hyeok Mugang's notice, only for Hyeok Mugang to somehow catch up with him.

'That seems about right.'

Once I understood the situation, what I needed to do became clear.

I answered as respectfully as possible.

"You flatter me. I merely did what had to be done."

Hyeok Mugang looked pleased and patted my shoulder.

"Not everyone can do what ought to be done. Moreover, I hear you had considerable conflict with the Righteous Path Association while serving as academy representative."

"Isn't that an inevitable hardship for someone trying to rise without anyone to support him? Still, it was nothing compared with what you endured, Alliance Leader, so I never considered it particularly difficult."

"Hohoho. Indeed! Quite right. A true man must know how to embrace even those with faults. Yes, indeed."

Hyeok Mugang laughed heartily for quite some time.

That was enough flattery.

Now it was time to deal with my mistakes.

I cupped my fist and bowed deeply.

"Even so, I am deeply ashamed of myself."

At my sudden change in attitude, Hyeok Mugang, who had been smiling all along, asked in puzzlement.

"About what?"

I answered in a desolate voice.

"Although I rescued 'hundreds' of people and prevented the 'Blood Cult crisis' in Sichuan from escalating further, saving the academy students immediately and, in the longer term, the Martial Alliance's warriors…"

I paused and casually glanced at Jegal Somyeong.

"Some might believe that I failed to follow proper procedures in the process."

Then I looked at Hyeok Mugang and made my eyes droop as much as I could.

"That is why I feel so deeply ashamed and embarrassed. If you choose to punish me, I will willingly accept any punishment."

The instant I finished, Jegal Somyeong's eyes sharpened like axes.

Hyeok Mugang chuckled softly and closed his eyes.

He stroked his long, white, immortal-like beard several times.

After a brief silence, his eyes opened wide.

Golden light flashed momentarily within them.

"I… Am truly a fortunate man."

His gaze toward me brimmed with affection.

"For such an outstanding young talent to emerge during my tenure… Surely I can say I have fulfilled my duties as Martial Alliance Leader?"

This went beyond excessive praise and into admiration…!

Struggling to restrain my shoulders from dancing with delight, I answered even more humbly.

"You praise me too highly."

As I kept my head lowered like a criminal, I felt furious snorts coming from beside me.

"You damned brat…! How dare you try to talk your way out of your wrongdoing with that glib tongue!"

Jegal Somyeong's face turned scarlet with frustration.

Was that still not enough to fool him?

But what did it matter? The Martial Alliance Leader was already on my side.

Hehe.

I deliberately adopted an even guiltier expression.

"Chief Strategist… I am truly sorry. But with my limited abilities, it was the best I could do for the greater good. If you punish me… If you truly believe you must, I will gladly accept it."

Growing agitated, Jegal Somyeong finally pointed at me.

"Ha…! Alliance Leader, did you see that? This brat is dangerous. He knew I would scold him, so he's trying to use you as his shield…"

"Now, now, Chief Strategist. Calm yourself. What are you saying to our young hero?"

"Wow… Wow… Seriously! Wow…"

Having calmed Jegal Somyeong, Hyeok Mugang addressed me again.

"Representative Jin Sowoon, raise your head. There may have been faults in the process, but you prevented tremendous bloodshed in the murim world. Your achievements outweigh your mistakes."

His benevolent expression briefly grew solemn.

"Of course, that does not mean a good outcome excuses everything."

His voice remained gentle but firm.

"When we use the outcome to justify everything, unlawful acts and violations arise along the way. So take this incident as a lesson, and always examine your own actions."

"I will remember that."

"If you understand, relax your expression and raise your head. Your present appearance hardly suits a hero."

I began lifting my head, then paused and made a show of nervously checking Jegal Somyeong's reaction.

At that, Jegal Somyeong pounded his chest in disbelief.

"Wow… This brat is an incredible actor. Rather than bringing him into the Intelligence Department, we should send him to perform opera."

"…"

Hyeok Mugang shook his head.

"Chief Strategist, enough. Isn't he already reflecting sufficiently?"

"No! Ha… Hoo…"

At a loss for words, Jegal Somyeong finally let out a long, defeated sigh.

I barely concealed the corners of my mouth as they threatened to rise.

With Hyeok Mugang having spoken so firmly, I could consider my worries about Jegal Somyeong's scolding practically gone.

'That went far better than expected.'

Just as I thought I could leave the academy director's office with a light heart—

"More importantly, he has accomplished a great deed, so we ought to reward him. What would be suitable?"

Was a hero who had risen alone to become Martial Alliance Leader truly different from other men?

"What reward? Escaping punishment is reward enough for that brat."

As expected, Jegal Somyeong showed none of a hero's qualities.

Hyeok Mugang chuckled and looked at him.

"You are mischievous, Chief Strategist. You thought harder than anyone about what to give Representative Jin."

"That was… After he had properly accepted his punishment."

"In any case, what would be suitable to give this child?"

At Hyeok Mugang's firm attitude, Jegal Somyeong finally sighed.

"Well, he isn't an official alliance member yet, so we cannot promote him. Nor can we simply give wealth to an academy student…"

As Jegal Somyeong trailed off, Hyeok Mugang asked me.

"Representative Jin Sowoon, is there anything you need? If so, speak freely."

I quickly searched the archives in my mind.

For something to be given as a reward, it would be best if the Martial Alliance already possessed it.

At the same time, it could not be so extravagant that it exceeded my achievements.

Better still would be something whose true value had not yet been properly assessed.

Taking all of that into consideration, what I needed most among the Martial Alliance's current possessions was…

"I would like Vajra Indestructible Iron and Wind Crow Copper."

"Vajra Indestructible Iron… I understand that, but why do you need Wind Crow Copper?"

"I have a personal use for it."

After considering it carefully, Hyeok Mugang asked another question.

"Are you perhaps planning to make a sword?"

"Yes."

"…Then wouldn't profound iron be better?"

"Alliance Leader!"

Jegal Somyeong looked appalled beside him.

Understandably so. Vajra Indestructible Iron and profound iron were both rare, but the murim world regarded profound iron as the superior metal.

Above all, profound iron had a high capacity for energy, allowing greater efficiency even when using the same sword energy.

In my previous life, the Red Light Sword had also been a divine weapon forged from profound iron.

'But few people know that it's less hard than Vajra Indestructible Iron.'

That difference in hardness would not become widely known until the Righteous-Demonic War, after the Demonic Cult's demonic beasts appeared.

As I had felt during this iron jiangshi incident, nothing surpassed Vajra Indestructible Iron for fighting creatures whose skin was harder than any human's.

Considering the beings that I, and the people of the murim world, would eventually have to face, preparing weapons made from Vajra Indestructible Iron was a better choice than profound iron.

Moreover, there was a secret people did not know.

The hidden properties of Wind Crow Copper and Vajra Indestructible Iron.

When Wind Crow Copper was mixed into Vajra Indestructible Iron during smelting, the resulting metal showed an even greater capacity for energy than profound iron.

If I made the Red Light Sword with Vajra Indestructible Iron, Wind Crow Copper, and Blood-Sea Jade, I would obtain something beyond what I had seen in my previous life.

"Profound iron is too fine a material for me. Vajra Indestructible Iron and Wind Crow Copper will be sufficient."

"Hoho… Most martial artists would show greater ambition when it comes to their weapons."

Looking at me benevolently, Hyeok Mugang turned toward Jegal Somyeong.

"What do you think? Our young hero wishes for those materials. Do we have them in the treasury?"

The corners of Jegal Somyeong's eyes twitched.

"How does he know every last thing in the treasury…?"

Then he sighed deeply, as though resigned.

"I believe we can provide them."

"Then that settles it. Do you have anything else to add, Chief Strategist?"

"No."

Hyeok Mugang smiled and looked back at me.

"Representative Jin Sowoon, the award ceremony must wait until the situation in Sichuan is resolved. But I will arrange for you to use the materials beforehand."

Who cared about the ceremony? The materials were what mattered.

That was generosity worthy of a hero of the murim world.

I glanced at the chief strategist, then quickly answered.

"Thank you."

With things ending on a pleasant note that satisfied almost everyone except Jegal Somyeong, we naturally moved into casual conversation.

The topic soon turned to Sichuan.

Since I did not know what discussions had taken place within the Martial Alliance, it was a good opportunity to satisfy my curiosity.

I listened quietly so as not to interrupt the flow.

"Fortunately, that old Poison King and the Daoist from Qingcheng have agreed to step forward."

"What a relief. I was worried about what we would do if they refused."

"This happened in their own backyard. Naturally, they must act."

The Martial Alliance had dispatched sufficient personnel, so it had no shortage of fighters.

However, it lacked enough absolute masters, making the Blood Cult's strongest experts the greatest challenge.

Fortunately, Sichuan's absolute masters had stepped forward, resolving that problem to some extent.

'This should be settled sooner than expected.'

In my previous life, they had spent too long identifying the enemy, delaying the response.

They had also underestimated the power of the sorcery and suffered devastating losses.

On top of that, beings possessing overwhelming martial power, such as the iron jiangshi and the Blood Demon, had caused enough deaths to shake the Martial Alliance.

Compared with that time, the present losses were so small that they could almost be called nonexistent.

"Still, one thing remains puzzling. Why have the Blood Cult bastards stopped advancing east?"

"…"

Even the brilliant Jegal Somyeong tilted his head in confusion.

"If their identity were still concealed, that would be one thing. But with their identity fully exposed, buying time cannot possibly benefit them."

"For now, we should tell our people to remain cautious. There may be some kind of trap."

Listening quietly to their conversation, I finally remembered something extremely important that I had forgotten.

"Um…"

As I spoke after remaining silent all this time, everyone turned toward me.

"I should have mentioned this earlier."

I placed the bundle I had brought on the table.

Once again, everyone's gaze gathered in one place.

"What is that?"

Hyeok Mugang looked at the bundle in puzzlement.

I scratched my head for no particular reason.

"Ah, well… It's the head of the man they called the Blood Cult's young cult leader."

"…"

"…?"

The three stared blankly, as though unable to comprehend what they had heard.

After a brief silence—

"Huh?"

Buk Wonpyeong made a strange sound, hurriedly rose, and untied the bundle.

Then—

"Ha…"

The face of the Blood Cult's young cult leader appeared, his eyes still wide from the shock of the unexpected attack that had killed him.

Horror spread across all three faces.

Looking at them, I finished my report.

"So… They probably haven't been advancing east because he died. He seemed to play a fairly central role within the Blood Cult."

In truth, losing the Blood-Sea Jade and the Illusion Ring probably had more to do with it, but there was no need to mention that.

"Y-you're the one who did this to him?"

At Jegal Somyeong's question, I nodded.

"I thought they might attack us from behind while we retreated, so I eliminated the threat beforehand."

Jegal Somyeong and Buk Wonpyeong looked appalled in turn.

Even Hyeok Mugang's gaze wavered as he struggled to maintain his expression.

"…"

Their eyes seemed to ask what kind of person I was.

Unable to think of anything else to say, I quietly sipped my tea.

Slurp.

Oh, it really was delicious.

There was a reason Hyeok Mugang had said he would visit often.