Chapter 506: If the Enemy is Smart, It’s to Our Advantage
Chapter 506: If the Enemy is Smart, It’s to Our Advantage
“Are you accusing me of deception?”
My statement—that Father already knew the answer—was certainly prone to misunderstanding. It sounded as if I were accusing him of knowing the truth behind the scenes but choosing to withhold it.
“No, Father. That is not what I meant.”
“Then what do you mean by saying I already know?”
After a brief pause, I looked him in the eye.
“I mean that I believe the key to this mystery lies somewhere in your past.”
I had a clear reason for thinking so.
“The culprits are undoubtedly people who share a history or a grudge with Elder Blade Demon. One can tell just by how easily he follows them.”
Father nodded, his expression showing he agreed.
“But is that all?” I prompted.
“What are you getting at?”
“If they only held a grudge against Elder Blade Demon, they would have found a way to kill him—whether by poison, traps, or some other scheme. Instead, they brutally annihilated Orthodox sects and framed him for it. There is no greater disgrace they could have brought upon our Cult.”
Father’s eyes sharpened. Until now, he had assumed this was merely an issue involving the Blade Demon that had spiraled out of control, but now the scope of the situation was expanding.
“That’s not all. They tried to kill Pavilion Master Seo and attempted to assassinate the Demon Extermination Squad Leader to incite a war with the Cult. They are escalating things far too much for this to be about settling a simple score with Elder Blade Demon.”
Father slowly nodded again, his thoughts aligning with mine.
“So it isn't just a grudge against the Blade Demon...”
This was the emotion my instincts had detected.
“I sense a deep-seated resentment toward the Cult itself.”
“...!”
“A profound hatred that seeks to destroy not only Elder Blade Demon but the entire Divine Cult.”
I could feel Father’s surprise. His reaction told me everything: he hadn't considered the possibility that the scope was that large.
“That is why I said it. Somewhere in Elder Blade Demon’s past—and somewhere in yours—there must be someone who orchestrated this. Even if you cannot recall them right now.”
Silence fell between us. Worried I had spoken too confidently about something uncertain, I added, “Please just keep it in mind. It’s only a feeling, a hunch.”
“And how accurate is this ‘hunch’ of yours?”
I gave an awkward smile and replied, “It’s almost always right.”
Father stood up and walked slowly toward the window. Looking out at the horizon, he spoke in a low voice.
“Then the situation is worse than I thought.”
It meant a new enemy had emerged, separate from the masterminds we were already dealing with. However, I viewed this situation positively.
“No, it might actually be for the better.”
Father turned his gaze from the window back to me. His eyes silently asked why.
“Now that the original masterminds have been forced to back down, it’s the perfect opportunity to deal with this new enemy.”
There was another reason I felt this was a personal grudge. If it were the original masterminds, they would have been more cautious and waited for a better opportunity. They wouldn't have caused Chongqing to be blockaded while Father and I were passing through. They would have known how foolish it was to take us both on at once.
But these people were different. I could feel raw emotion in their actions.
“I feel as if they are shouting at us.”
I conveyed that feeling to Father exactly as I felt it.
“‘We have returned!’”
In that moment, I saw a flicker of emotion cross Father’s face. It was a look of cold derision.
“If they wanted to say that, they should have walked through the gates of the Heavenly Demon Hall and said it to my face.”
That was Father’s way. Framing others and exploiting weaknesses—he despised such cowardly tactics.
Father, I don’t know who they are or what their reasons might be.
“But let’s send them back together.”
*
When I stepped out of Father’s quarters, I found Seo Dae-ryong pacing the courtyard of the safe house.
“You must be tired. Why aren't you resting?”
“I tried to lie down and close my eyes, but I couldn't sleep.”
He was likely worried about the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. I knew better than anyone how deep the bond between them had grown during his training.
“When you were learning the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form, did the Elder ever mention anything? Like someone else knowing the technique?”
“No. He said the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form is passed down only to the successor of the Blade Demon. It is not a martial art that could ever leak to the outside.”
Then who on earth was using it? Was it the previous Blade Demon? He was known to be dead. Or did Elder Blade Demon have another martial brother? If so, there was no way Father wouldn't know about it.
“Young Cult Leader.”
Seo Dae-ryong spoke with a face more serious than I had ever seen.
“If you need me, please tell me at any time. I don't care how dangerous it is.”
Learning high-level martial arts doesn't automatically make a warrior willing to sacrifice themselves for others. Seo Dae-ryong’s eyes had always burned with passion because he was someone who desired change within the Cult for the sake of his unjustly killed seniors.
“Elder Blade Demon would be pleased to hear you say that.”
“Please make sure to take the credit on my behalf later, Young Cult Leader.”
As we shared a small smile, a warrior from the safe house approached and handed me a thick stack of documents. Tongcheon Pavilion was sending information to the safe house several times a day.
“What is this?”
“Data on the Orthodox sects in Chongqing. I requested it from Tongcheon Pavilion to figure out their next target.”
Seo Dae-ryong looked at me, startled. “Do you think they’ll commit another massacre?”
“They failed to kill you and the Demon Extermination Squad Leader. So yes, I believe they’ll strike again. Not just once, but twice, three times—until they achieve their goal. Even if I’m wrong, it’s better to be fully prepared.”
Seo Dae-ryong’s expression darkened slightly. He was likely blaming himself, thinking that because he survived, someone else would have to die. It was this quality of his that made me like him.
“There is someone quite clever orchestrating things on the other side. That actually works to our advantage.”
“The enemy is smart, so why is that an advantage for us?”
“Because we also have someone smart who can figure out what they’re thinking.”
“Who?”
“You.”
I handed the documents to Seo Dae-ryong.
“Smart people tend to think alike. Find out where the next target will be.”
“But shouldn't you be the one looking at this, Young Cult Leader?”
I wasn't a genius like Strategist Sama, Go Wol, or Seo Dae-ryong. If I seemed smart, it was only because of the insight gained from my experiences before the regression; I wasn't the type who could have entered the Huangquan Pavilion at the top of the class.
“What if I choose wrong?”
“If you choose wrong, then I would have chosen wrong too. Dae-ryong, trust your own intelligence.”
Strength returned to Seo Dae-ryong’s eyes. His master’s life was on the line, as were the lives of many innocent people. In the past, he might have run away from such a burden.
“Yes... I’ll give it a try.”
Seo Dae-ryong began spreading the documents out on the ground. The empty courtyard of the safe house was better for surveying all the data at once than a cramped room or a desk. Soon, records of dozens of sects in Chongqing were laid out across the courtyard.
Seo Dae-ryong immersed himself with terrifying focus. He read rapidly, tossing aside what was unnecessary. He moved back and forth, reading one file before rushing to another.
I watched him quietly, making sure not to disturb him. I believed that simply being by his side would give him strength. He would focus even harder knowing I was watching.
Fortunately, Seo Dae-ryong didn't realize that Father was looking down at us from his window. If he had known, his terrifying concentration would have been replaced by nerves and panic, and he probably would have tripped over himself several times.
Hang in there, Dae-ryong! Let’s bring the Elder back to the Cult.
*
A man sat down in front of an old fortune-teller.
The man, who stared at the old man in silence with a massive great blade resting across his knees, was none other than the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. The old man didn't seem flustered at all, as if he had expected the Blade Demon to visit.
Perhaps it was because of his stubborn, piercing gaze, but even though the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat there without releasing any aura, he exerted a massive pressure on his counterpart.
“Where?”
“No matter how much of a fortune-teller I am, how am I supposed to know what you mean when you ask so abruptly?”
“I won't ask twice.”
Despite the blatant threat, the old man showed no fear. He knew exactly what the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was asking.
“Have you always been like this? The Blood Heaven Blade Demon I know wouldn't care a whit whether Orthodox people lived or died.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon placed his hand calmly on the Heaven Extermination Great Blade. He still didn't show any killing intent or even a hint of aura, but the mere act of touching his sword increased the pressure several times over.
“Can you cut me down?”
At the old man’s bravado, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied in a languid tone.
“It is what I do best.”
A strange smile played on the old man’s lips, and he soon picked up his divination cylinder.
“Even if I’m to die, let’s have a reading first. I want to see why our Demon Lord is so intent on saving these Orthodox people.”
Even in a situation where the Heaven Extermination Great Blade could fly out and take his head in a single stroke, the old man calmly selected a bamboo stick from the cylinder.
—A new bond transcends the old.
The old man looked down at the inscription on the stick and spoke.
“As I thought, it was because of the Young Cult Leader.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon gripped the hilt of his blade. He didn't release any killing intent, but the old man could tell: he was truly prepared to strike.
This time, the old man held the cylinder out to the Blade Demon.
“Draw one yourself.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared at the old man before shifting his gaze to the cylinder. One of the sticks rose into the air via telekinesis.
—He who tied the knot must be the one to untie it.
“You’ve chosen a good omen. Indeed, the knot must be untied by those who tied it.” The old man said to the Blade Demon, “Go to the Bongsan Sword Gate in three days.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon could tell. It wasn't that the old man was telling him this because the divination said so. Somehow, this reading had also been intended by the old man.
Perhaps it was his will.
As the Blood Heaven Blade Demon prepared to stand, the old man shook the cylinder again.
“Shall I see my own fortune as well?”
The old man pulled out a stick.
—Those meant to live shall surely live, and those meant to die shall surely die.
After glancing at the reading, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stood up without a word.
“Why don't you ask? Which side do you think I fall on?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied as he walked away.
“I already know which side it is.”
*
“I’ve narrowed it down to two places.”
Only two sects remained on the ground. The Ungang Sect and the Bongsan Sword Gate.
This was the result of Seo Dae-ryong’s agonizing deliberation. The discarded documents of the excluded sects were piled high to the side.
“Both are sects where the leaders have excellent reputations among the representative Orthodox factions of Chongqing. If it’s reported that even they were victimized by our Cult, the Orthodox world won't just sit idly by.”
I examined the documents of the two sects.
“It’s definitely one of these two, but I can't seem to make the final choice.”
It was understandable. The lives of countless people depended on this single decision.
“This is as far as my limits take me. We need Strategist Sama or Strategist Go.”
Just then, I spoke up with a surprising claim.
“I think I know which one it is.”
Seo Dae-ryong looked at me with wide eyes. “You know? How?”
I looked at Seo Dae-ryong with a sly, villainous glint in my eyes.
“If you look closely, the true mastermind behind all of this is actually... me!”
Seo Dae-ryong flinched and took a step back. “Have you finally realized my secret?”
Seo Dae-ryong stared at me blankly for a moment before shaking his head and letting out a sigh. “I don't even want to joke about things like that. You, the enemy? That would be the end of the Murim.”
“From my perspective, it would be the Unification of the Murim.”
“Ugh, please stop!” Seo Dae-ryong stepped closer to me and asked, “Which sect is it?”
I picked up one of the two documents on the ground. The Bongsan Sword Gate.
“How on earth did you know?”
The reason I chose the Bongsan Sword Gate was something Seo Dae-ryong hadn't considered at all.
“They chose a place that has a bad relationship with the previously annihilated Yumyeong Manor and Daejeong Sect.”
The other candidate, the Ungang Sect, was very close with the leader of the Daejeong Sect. They were also on friendly terms with Yumyeong Manor. In contrast, the Bongsan Sword Gate was a rival and often in conflict with them, despite being part of the same Orthodox faction.
“But why?”
Seo Dae-ryong couldn't understand it at all. Then, an unexpected answer came from my lips.
“Because that’s how you incense the maximum number of Orthodox people.”
“...!”
Even within the Orthodox faction, there are friendships and sub-factions. Naturally, the deeper the friendship, the greater the rage. Their intention was to draw out the fury of the other sub-factions as well.
“Ah! That makes perfect sense!” Seo Dae-ryong’s voice trembled involuntarily.
Just then, new information arrived from Tongcheon Pavilion. I checked the missive brought by the safe house warrior.
“It’s confirmed.”
The missive stated that in three days, the leaders of various sects in Chongqing would gather at the Bongsan Sword Gate for a meeting.
“That’s the day.”
At my confirmation, Seo Dae-ryong raised a question. “Isn't it the opposite? Given the current atmosphere, if the sect leaders move, they’ll bring many high-level experts with them...”
He trailed off as a realization hit him. When they had attacked the Murim Alliance’s Chongqing Branch to kill him, the branch had been bustling with warriors who had come as reinforcements. And that wasn't all. These were people who had tried to kill the Demon Extermination Squad Leader and his entire squad. These people had no limits.
“Yes. They won't miss the opportunity when so many sects are gathered in one place.”
I patted Seo Dae-ryong on the shoulder. “Good work. You’re the one who found it.”
Worry and fear outweighed joy for Seo Dae-ryong. “Will my Master be there that day too?”
“I don't know. But one thing is certain: someone who can use the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form will be there.”
Seo Dae-ryong could feel it. Because he had learned the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form, he too stood on this line of fate. That day, when he had drunkenly grabbed his Master’s pant leg, he had stepped onto this line for the first time.
And come to think of it, he had been walking along it ever since.
One step when his Master took him as a successor; another when he was gifted the great blade his Master used in his youth; another when he was taught martial arts; another when he was scolded; and another when his Master smiled at him.
So, he would have to walk it this time as well.
“If Master comes too, then three people who can use that technique will be gathered in one place.”