Chapter 371. I’ll Keep It a Secret.
The Lust Demon set down the wine and studied the Alliance Leader’s expression.
“…….”
For some reason, it struck him as an expression he had seen somewhere before. Searching his memory, he realized his master often wore that very look. He had an instinctive feeling that a long scolding was about to follow.
The Lust Demon filled the cups first, then sat down across from the Alliance Leader.
“I….”
“Mongrang.”
“Yes, Alliance Leader.”
“Let’s drink first.”
The two drank, then glared at each other. Remembering the times when he had carelessly run his mouth in moments like this and been struck in the head by his master, the Lust Demon kept his mouth shut for now.
Im Sobaek said,
“May I speak now?”
“Of course, Alliance Leader.”
Im Sobaek toyed with his wine cup as he spoke.
“You said the Sect Leader asked for some money?”
“Yes.”
“Then we should give it to him.”
“Pardon?”
“I said we’ll give it to him. The Sect Leader is not a man who would spend money on foolish things.”
“Mm.”
This time, Im Sobaek poured him wine as he continued.
“As you know, the Sect Leader yielded most of the wealth he obtained from the Nanyue Green Forest Alliance to the Murim Alliance. If he were a man greedy for money, he would not have done that then. Moreover, at the time, as soon as I settled matters in Nanyue, I headed north and struck Mokryeong Stockade. In other words, the Sect Leader had plenty of time to siphon off the money. But I heard he led the bandits, gathered up the wealth there on purpose, and brought it to the Hengshan Branch.”
“Yes, I know the rough details.”
“Mongrang, what do you think happened to the money the Sect Leader brought back then?”
The Lust Demon scratched his forehead, then answered.
“I do not know.”
“Most of it is still there. Ah, we did use a little. The Sect Leader gravely injured Patriarch Sima Hak at the Hengshan Branch.”
Im Sobaek lowered his voice as if revealing a secret.
“He was a fellow I never liked to begin with, but how did the Sect Leader know to beat him so thoroughly? In any case, that was a personal sentiment. Since the patriarch of an allied force was seriously injured, we delivered a generous sum for his treatment. Of course, with the Nanyue Green Forest Alliance’s money.”
“Yes.”
“It was an agreed-upon martial duel, so it also carried the meaning that the Hao Sect and the Sima Clan should not quarrel afterward.”
“I see.”
“So, whatever the case, if the Sect Leader asks me for some money, it is right to give it to him. From what I have observed, he is a man without greed for money. Why do you think I am telling you this?”
“I am not sure.”
“This is not money given for no reason. The Sect Leader has the right to ask me for money. And I am saying I have more than enough justification to provide it. Now let us hear why he needs the money.”
Only then did the Lust Demon calm down somewhat.
“Yes. There is an inn in a barren place south of Baekeungji, and the Sect Leader was attacked there. By the party of the Right Envoy of Light. Most of their forces were killed, but the Right Envoy escaped.”
Seeing that Im Sobaek was listening with seriousness, the Lust Demon continued.
“On the way back, the Sect Leader said he would occupy that inn. At first, I wondered if he was simply trying to take revenge on their behalf. That was how I felt.”
“And?”
The Lust Demon looked at the paper and brush at the edge of the desk.
“May I use those?”
“Use them.”
The Lust Demon dipped the thin brush in ink, brought over the paper, and set it down before Im Sobaek. He drew a circle in the center with the brush, then said,
“This is the location of the inn.”
The Lust Demon moved the brush as he continued his explanation.
“To the north is Baekeungji, to the northeast is the Murim Alliance, to the southeast is the Jecheon Alliance. Around here, to the east and south, scholar factions, clans, and orthodox forces are all scattered in disorder. The Sect Leader called this inn a gateway.”
“A gateway?”
“Yes. If you look to the west, the Demon Cult lies to the southwest, and the old main headquarters lies to the northwest. The Sect Leader knows that he is the Demon Cult’s foremost enemy. He also knows that since my master currently has the Sword of Light, he will continue to be a target. This time, it seems he intends not to move from the newly rebuilt Jaha Inn.”
“Its name is Jaha Inn?”
“Yes.”
Im Sobaek pondered for a moment, then said,
“Then it is the Hao Sect’s main base.”
The Lust Demon nodded.
“That is right. It seems he has told the Jecheon Alliance Leader to invest first.”
“To Ju Geuk? And that fellow agreed?”
“Yes. The Sect Leader’s idea is to receive investment from the Jecheon Alliance, investment from the Murim Alliance, and he is also hoping for investment from the scholar side. He will likely have the large and small factions under the Hao Sect participate as well. He told me to be sure to bring back the flag of every place that invests. So in truth, the amount of money does not matter. This place is the Hao Sect’s main base, invested in by the Jecheon Alliance and the Murim Alliance. It seems he wants to show off, with brilliantly colored flags, that countless sects helped establish the Hao Sect.”
Im Sobaek, who had been silently listening to the Lust Demon’s account, turned his gaze to the map. The sight of a circle drawn in the middle of an empty, barren place felt exceedingly precarious, and lonely as well.
‘And yet he calls it a gateway?’
Im Sobaek lifted his head and looked at the Lust Demon.
“…Did the Sect Leader say he intends to be destroyed?”
The Lust Demon nodded.
“Yes.”
“Is the picture that he urges all sorts of forces to invest, and then Jaha Inn is smashed by the Demon Cult?”
The Lust Demon let out a short sigh.
“Yes. You have seen it exactly.”
Perhaps because he was the Murim Alliance Leader, his understanding was extremely quick. The Lust Demon observed the Alliance Leader’s expression. He sat with his mouth closed, sunk in thought, and this time, the Lust Demon simply could not bring himself to say anything.
Only then did the Lust Demon realize that Im Sobaek had more white hairs than when he had seen him before.
Im Sobaek leaned back in his chair and touched his chin with one hand.
“Then Ju Geuk also knows the Sect Leader’s intention?”
“He probably does.”
“The board the Sect Leader is setting is far too large and dangerous. Handing over flags and investing are secondary matters. The Sect Leader himself will become too endangered. I can roughly guess what feelings he used to form this strategy, but why did he suddenly become so angry?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked why the Sect Leader became so angry.”
“Why do you think he is angry?”
“The Jaha I know has a tendency to enjoy making others suffer, so I thought he would harass the Demon Cult endlessly with tactics that torment them, strike, and withdraw. That is the Sect Leader’s nature. He is outstanding at improvisation, so even if he rampages alone, he can drag a portion of the Demon Cult’s forces around and wipe them out.”
“Mm.”
“Think about it. Even if the Sect Leader were an enemy of the Murim Alliance, he would not be easy to catch. Unless I personally sharpened my blade and went after him, it would be extremely difficult. The damage to my subordinates would only grow, so I would have told them to stop midway. The Demon Cult is the same. Of course, that Cult Leader bastard’s nature is different from mine.”
“That is true.”
“Anyway, the strategy the Gate Leader spoke of now is that he himself will take the vanguard. It means he intends to abandon the strategy he is best at—that is, his usual underhanded trickery. How could he abandon his very nature unless he were furious to the top of his head?”
“Hmm, I see.”
“The war has not even begun, yet it is as if the Hao Gate’s flag has been planted in the very heart of the Central Plains. Is it not as if he has issued a challenge to a life-and-death duel with the Demonic Cult? With the resolve of one who does not intend to flee.”
Saekma recalled the expression of the Third, who had been stabbing a dagger into the table.
“…….”
“In the end, judging that the Hao Gate alone cannot stop the Demonic Cult, he has gathered the flags of those who intend to fight the Demonic Cult in advance. If the Ja-ha Guesthouse collapses, the flags that joined will likewise be engulfed in the flames.”
“That is so.”
“Mongrang.”
“Yes.”
“The great cause and justification are clear, so I have no choice but to participate in the Gate Leader’s strategy regardless of my personal feelings. However, the problem is that those at the Ja-ha Guesthouse will be put in danger… Was there no other hint regarding that?”
“Yes. There was none. And I shall report on the matter that angered the Third—rather, the Gate Leader.”
“Let me hear it.”
“While chasing the Right Emissary Gwangmyong, that bastard staged a hostage crisis at Tongcheon Gate. He killed the men, took the women and children as hostages, called the Gate Leader, and demanded that he explain the technique called Ilwol Gwangcheon.”
“……Ilwol Gwangcheon.”
“At that time, contrary to my expectations, the Gate Leader explained Ilwol Gwangcheon and then kept persuading him, sending the Right Emissary away. It was a conversation and persuasion difficult to describe with words, but in any case, that was the result.”
“The women and children?”
“Fortunately, they all survived. At that time, together with the Jecheon Alliance Leader, who had come to aid Tongcheon, he promised a joint investment in Tongcheon’s reconstruction. Then, after being lost in thought for a long while, he presented this strategy. As the Alliance Leader said, he must have been very angry. I had failed to gauge his emotions because he is usually smiling so often.”
Saekma filled the Alliance Leader’s wine cup.
Im Sobaek muttered, looking at the wine cup.
“I shouldn’t drink this much during work hours.”
But contrary to his words, Im Sobaek drank again. Having set down his wine cup, Im Sobaek spoke to Saekma.
“I shall proceed with the investment as well, and I shall lend my flag.”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Wisa knocked on the door from outside.
“Alliance Leader, Military Advisor Gongson requests an audience, so I am reporting it.”
Im Sobaek answered.
“Tell him to come again after half a shichen.”
“Understood.”
Im Sobaek spoke.
“Mongrang, your master will not leave the Gate Leader’s side.”
“I know.”
“For some reason, I feel the reason you know and the reason I know are slightly different.”
“Is that so?”
Im Sobaek studied Saekma’s expression and spoke.
“It is mixed with my own conjecture, but will you listen?”
“Yes.”
“A similar incident occurred before you were born.”
Saekma heard words he had never expected from Im Sobaek. Im Sobaek’s words continued.
“The location was Okhwa Palace then.”
“……Does that matter have anything to do with my master’s actions?”
“Why do you think it does not? To be precise, it was the defeat of the coalition of Okhwa Palace and the Righteous Path. The Righteous Path stepped forward to save those belonging to Okhwa Palace, but Okhwa Palace was also engulfed in an inferno, and the Palace Lord died then. The Demonic Cult had effectively punished the traitors and returned. At that time, your master would not yet have been the Left Emissary. He would have been young. I do not know whether he participated.”
“…….”
“Time passed, and he must have become the Left Emissary. Survivors of Okhwa Palace are extremely rare. Though only a few lines of records remain, those who witnessed the tragedy then must have understood why the Demonic Cult is the Demonic Cult. Many experts of the Righteous Path who went to help also died. Naturally, the fathers and masters of those now called the Sovereigns were among them too. And yet, in the end, they could not save many. Though the timeline is somewhat tangled, one day, as I watched you fight, I saw you use ice arts rarely seen in the martial world.”
Saekma looked at Im Sobaek.
“Yes.”
“Going back in time again, one day, word spread that the Demonic Cult’s Left Emissary Gwangmyong had left the cult. Surprisingly, it was said he was staying at Baeng’eungji. There were opinions among my subordinates that we should go capture him, but honestly, I was a bit confused. If he was an apostate, he was someone who had escaped the Demonic Cult.”
“That is so.”
“It seems he took a disciple; I heard a report that this was the second son of the Pungunmong family. They said he was born of a woman other than the main wife.”
Saekma looked at Im Sobaek without even blinking.
“…….”
Im Sobaek spoke.
“If the first thing the man who had been the Left Emissary did after leaving the Demonic Cult was to search for survivors of Okhwa Palace, what was his intention? What was his intention in taking that survivor’s child as his disciple? Atonement? Or perhaps a declaration that he would no longer walk the demonic path? While I was wondering about this alone, I ordered the Martial Alliance not to touch the former Left Emissary. I had also dispatched a few special task force members because he might come under attack. There were no major incidents, but perhaps because there was nothing else to report, I received several reports regarding the disciple boy’s conduct.”
“……Yes.”
“Unexpectedly, later the Sword Demon requested a duel. Then, the moment I saw your master, I knew. That he was no foolish man. He did not seem to be charging at me for fame or simple desire for victory. Setting aside his demonic sword, and a wooden sword, at that? It was an arrogant proposal. It seemed he wanted to show that duel to you. Of course, the Gate Leader must have watched together as well. On the other hand, though it sounds a bit strange, he also looked like someone newly learning the sword.”
Im Sobaek spoke, looking at Saekma.
“How about it? Is the reason you think not a bit different from the reason I think? If the Gate Leader plants his flag beneath Baeng’eungji, your master will not flee from there either. After all, he must have been seeking a place to die while constantly fighting the Demonic Cult.”
Saekma averted his gaze to the side and muttered.
“That’s, well…….”
At a loss for words, Saekma suddenly dropped his forehead and struck the desk. Even though the Martial Alliance Leader was watching, Saekma did not raise his head, clutching his head with one hand. After a moment, Saekma raised his head and looked at Im Sobaek.
“……I apologize.”
Im Sobaek poured him a drink as he spoke.
“Mongrang, in fact, I know what a strong man you are. I speak of martial arts. As time passes, I believe your heart will harden like those ice arts as well. Convey this to the Gate Leader. You may throw away as much investment money as you like. I too will support you in some way, but you must succeed in the strategy and then flee well. It is the guesthouse that burns in fire; there is no need for you to be engulfed as well. Let us all gather and counterattack. This is an order.”
“Understood, Alliance Leader.”
The two shared a drink and then let out a deep breath. Im Sobaek spoke, staring intently at Saekma.
“I shall keep it a secret that a fully grown lad shed some tears.”
Saekma answered, wiping around his eyes with his thumb.
“Ah, I wasn’t crying. A rather large speck of dust got in.”
Only then did Im Sobaek smile for the first time.
“Indeed.”