Chapter 64: Sect Opening Ceremony (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 64: Sect Opening Ceremony (3)
Baek Wi-hyang, the Third Strategist of the Martial Alliance, and Wi Ji-sang, the Hunan Province Branch Leader, were at a loss in the face of this completely unexpected situation.
The Blood Cult they knew usually only went as far as justifying their own actions when engaging in a war of public opinion. They never expected to be blindsided like this.
"Negotiations... Strategist. If things go on like this, won't attacking them look like we're abandoning the hostages?"
That was the biggest problem.
They were an alliance of the Orthodox Martial World, a group that championed justice and chivalry.
Had public opinion not been stirred, it might have been different, but if they attacked the Blood Cult now while abandoning the prisoners, it would stain their honor as the Orthodox Faction.
"They've caught us off guard," Elder Baek Wi-hyang clicked his tongue.
The enemy had struck precisely at the weakness inherent in being part of the Orthodox Faction.
His embarrassment was brief; true to his role as a strategist, Baek Wi-hyang fell into deep thought.
Wi Ji-sang, the Hunan Branch Leader, asked him, "What should we do, Strategist? If we attack them now, our comrades in the martial world will surely condemn the Alliance."
"Indeed. However, dancing to their tune would be equally ridiculous."
They were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
If they chose to save the prisoners, their plan to nip the Blood Cult in the bud through an initial blitz would be ruined. The future repercussions of such a failure were hard to even imagine. If this dragged into a long-term conflict, it might return to the state of the Great Orthodox-Evil War from twenty years ago.
"More than that, something bothers me."
"Bothers you? What is it?"
"...They seem different from the Blood Cult of the past."
"Different? Just look at what they're doing now, using prisoners and all sorts of schemes..."
"Their nature is different."
"I don't quite follow..."
"It's too early to be certain based on this alone, so let's discuss this later."
"Then how do you intend to respond?"
At Wi Ji-sang's question, Elder Baek Wi-hyang’s lips curled into a cold smile.
"Hostages only have value as long as they are alive, do they not?"
At those words, Wi Ji-sang’s expression instantly stiffened.
"I-I am terribly sorry. My medical skills are lacking; there seems to be no way to neutralize the poison that has reached the brain."
"Sigh..."
At the old physician's words, Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma let out a heavy sigh.
He wasn't the only one; several other Revered Stars in the Great Hall shared a similar reaction.
Baek Ryeon-ha, the daughter of the previous Cult Leader, still hadn't regained consciousness due to the poison that had seeped into her brain.
The poison of the Blood Fiend King—no, the Blood Lord Gu Je-yang—was truly peerless. Even famous physicians and pharmacists skilled in handling toxins could find no way to detoxify it.
"Has that man still not opened his mouth?"
At my question, the Third Blood Star, Blood Killing Demon Yang Jeon, who was in charge of Gu Je-yang's interrogation, stood up and bowed his head apologetically.
"We are increasing the intensity of the torture, but his lips are sealed tight."
He was a truly stubborn man.
In fact, I had tried using the Illusion Eye to show him the Golden-Eyed Man as a hallucination. Since it had worked once with Mu Ak, I thought it might work again, but even though his Dantian had been destroyed, the Illusion Eye didn't affect him.
Whether it was because he had consumed countless poisonous herbs and medicinal ingredients to become a Poison Human, the Illusion Eye was useless, leaving us with no way to make him talk.
Is there no other way besides him breaking under torture or finding the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments?
Currently, the only person with the medical skill to neutralize Gu Je-yang's poison was the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments.
I had already sent people to Zhejiang Province, where the Divine Healer was last seen. However, given the distance, even if they managed to persuade him, the round trip alone would take at least a month.
Until then, there was no choice but to use detoxifying herbs and protect her brain with True Qi to prevent Baek Ryeon-ha's condition from worsening.
I agreed with the Short Conversation Sword's sentiment.
I didn't know how she had been deceived by Gu Je-yang, but it would be a tragedy if she died after being manipulated by an enemy like this.
Just then, one of the Revered Stars spoke up.
"Since we can't do anything about this right now, let's move on to more urgent matters."
"First Blood Star!"
It was the First Blood Star, Thunder Blood Sword Jang Ryong.
Perhaps because he hadn't been a supporter of Baek Ryeon-ha from the start, he didn't seem particularly concerned about her well-being. His attitude clearly displeased the Second Venerable Seo Gal-ma and several other Blood Stars.
Naturally, those were the ones who had supported Baek Ryeon-ha.
Ignoring them entirely, Jang Ryong spoke to me.
"Blood Demon. The enemy is only a day and a half's journey away. We must prepare a countermeasure."
At his words, my master, Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon, raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, First Blood Star. We already have a plan to buy time by negotiating with the prisoners. What other 'countermeasure' are you talking about?"
Jang Ryong snorted at Hae Ak-cheon's remark.
"...Do you really think that will succeed, Venerable?"
"What?"
The smile vanished from Hae Ak-cheon's face.
Had he forgotten my master's title and temperament after being apart for twenty years?
Just as my master’s expression turned fierce and he was about to snap, the First Venerable Dan Wi-gang spoke first.
"Then, do you believe it will fail?"
Jang Ryong answered with absolute certainty.
"I do."
The atmosphere in the room turned chilly.
And for good reason—I was the one who had spearheaded this plan. To state so definitively that it would fail was a direct challenge to my judgment.
It was just as the Short Conversation Sword said.
From separating the government troops to the success of the 'make a feint to the east while attacking in the west' strategy, most of the Revered Stars had agreed to the hostage negotiation plan.
The only one who had openly opposed it was the First Blood Star, Jang Ryong.
Even a few days ago, he had argued that negotiating with the Martial Alliance was pointless and insisted that everyone who didn't follow the Blood Doctrine should be executed.
"To go against the Blood Demon's will..."
The Fourth Blood Star, Do Jang-ho, started to say something to him, but I raised my hand. It was a signal for him to stop.
I looked at Jang Ryong and asked, "What is your reason for thinking it will fail?"
Thud!
In response to my question, Jang Ryong confidently placed several items on the meeting table.
They were rolled-up letters that looked like they came from carrier pigeons and secret documents written in cipher. The Revered Stars took them and began reading them one by one.
Guardian Great Leader No Seong-gu brought some of them to me as I sat on the stone throne.
This is...
The contents contained quite significant information. They were letters exchanged between the various branches of the Martial Alliance currently converging on this location, as well as reports from spies embedded within.
It's exactly what it looks like. He must have spies planted inside.
Baek Hye-hyang's side has spent far more years planting spies within the Martial Alliance and its branches than Baek Ryeon-ha's side ever did. The quality of their intelligence is on a different level.
Jang Ryong spoke. "As you can see, despite our efforts to manipulate public opinion, the Martial Alliance is ignoring it and intends to wage war against our Cult."
It was as he said.
The contents of the letters exchanged between them were as follows: when the various branches sent inquiries asking how to proceed, the Hunan Branch—which was leading them—replied that nothing had changed and ordered them not to stop their march.
"This is not something to be taken lightly."
"If this is true, we can consider the original plan to have gone awry."
Some of the Blood Stars began to murmur.
Indeed, according to these letters, it seemed the Martial Alliance was taking a hardline stance, even at the cost of their own reputation.
Then, Hae Ak-cheon spoke in a dissatisfied tone. "Hmph! What if this is just a deception strategy?"
He had a point. It was common in war to use spies to leak false information and cause confusion. If the information Jang Ryong obtained fell into that category, we would be falling right into the enemy's trap.
Jang Ryong replied in a heavy voice, "The letters and the reports from the spies dispatched to each branch match perfectly. If they cared about public opinion even a little, they would have focused on managing it. However, they have even recalled the men they sent to each department and county. How do you explain that?"
"That's..."
"If what I say is true, we will have to face a force of nearly twenty thousand from the Martial Alliance branches in a head-on battle."
To be precise, it was eighteen thousand.
That was not a number to be taken lightly. They nearly doubled our strength. Even with the First Venerable Dan Wi-gang, who had broken through the wall, and myself, who was nearly his equal, the numerical disadvantage was so overwhelming that it was hard to predict what variables or results might arise.
First Venerable Dan Wi-gang spoke up. "Then, let us hear your opinion."
"It's simple. Even now, we should execute all the prisoners except for those who surrender and join the Cult. Then, before the enemy arrives, we must scatter and operate the Cult in its original form of an intelligence network."
"An intelligence network?"
"In a direct confrontation of strength, the gap between our Cult and the Martial Alliance is still quite large."
That was undeniable. Even if we gathered all the Cult's forces scattered across the Central Plains, I knew we wouldn't even reach sixteen thousand. While we were the largest single sect after Peerless Fortress, we still fell short of the Martial Alliance.
"If we clumsily gather in one place like this, we will end up in a full-scale war with the Martial Alliance. Unless there is a certain countermeasure, we must return to an intelligence network."
Several Blood Stars nodded, seemingly finding his words logical. Even my master, Hae Ak-cheon, couldn't think of a proper rebuttal and merely glared at Jang Ryong with a scowl.
Hmm.
Before my regression, I thought the Blood Cult continued to operate as an intelligence network simply because the government got involved, but it seems that wasn't necessarily the case. It appears the structure was destined to be that way from the start.
Jang Ryong smiled triumphantly and said, "The Blood Demon is still young. The fewer years one has lived and the less experience one has, the more prone they are to mistakes. However, the Blood Demon is the leader of this Cult. Every single decision you make also decides the fate of countless Cult members. Please do not let vain stubbornness waste the efforts this Cult has built up over twenty years, and lead us with a wise choice."
In short, he was saying that if I had no rebuttal, I should follow his opinion.
To this, I spoke firmly. "The negotiations will proceed to the end."
"!?"
At those words, Jang Ryong's expression crumpled. He probably hadn't expected me to stick to my guns until the very end.
He stood up abruptly and shouted, "What do you intend to do if we end up in a full-scale war with the enemy? Can you handle the consequences of such a disaster?"
I smiled brightly at him and said, "First Blood Star. Shall we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
At my words, Jang Ryong's eyes narrowed. His eyes were already sharp, but now they looked like mere slits. On the other hand, my master, Hae Ak-cheon, shook his head as soon as the word 'bet' left my mouth.
Jang Ryong, confused, asked me, "What kind of bet are you proposing?"
"If the negotiations with the Martial Alliance fail, I will grant you whatever you wish."
Jang Ryong's eyes sparkled. Such an opportunity wouldn't come easily, so it was only natural.
"Anything?"
"Anything!"
When those words left my mouth, the corners of his lips curled up. He must have been imagining something sweet.
"Since the Blood Demon speaks with such confidence, I have no choice but to accept."
He acted as if he were accepting reluctantly.
I then informed him of the price of my success.
"However, if the negotiations succeed, you must perform the Stone Pillar Atonement before all the Cult members at the official inauguration ceremony for killing the father of the Guardian Great Leader here. Furthermore, you will hand over thirty percent of the wealth you accumulated through the Hwayue Merchant Group to him."
"!!!"
The smile that had been on Jang Ryong's face until a moment ago vanished instantly.
Conversely, Guardian Great Leader No Seong-gu looked at me with trembling, wide eyes. He must have thought I had forgotten my promise to avenge his father.
That night.
Around dawn, when everyone was asleep.
A man dressed in the attire of a Blood Cult member carefully entered a building under the guise of a guard shift change. This was the place where the prisoners from the Guangxi Branch of the Martial Alliance were being held.
Idiots. To gather all the prisoners in one place like this.
He hadn't expected them to cram nearly fifteen hundred people into a single building, no matter how large it was. Then again, it wasn't their own base, and it would have been ridiculous to scatter the prisoners all over the place.
Regardless, having them gathered like this was good for him.
Scanning the area, the man found his target.
O Ja-seo!
It was O Ja-seo, the Branch Leader of the Guangxi Martial Alliance.
Having found O Ja-seo, the man quietly approached him as he lay with his eyes closed.
[Branch Leader. Branch Leader!]
At the Sound Transmission, the sleeping O Ja-seo woke up. The man who woke him delivered the Third Strategist's orders.
[...If there is no sacrifice from your side, we will be forced to retreat. We need a decision from you and the remaining brothers of the Guangxi Branch.]
"Ahhh..."
Hearing this, O Ja-seo’s face hardened. Eventually, he nodded and had all the sleeping Alliance warriors wake each other.
Once they were awake, O Ja-seo relayed what he had heard from the spy. Soon, he himself took the lead and bit his tongue.
The other Alliance prisoners followed suit and bit their tongues as well.
I will soothe your sacrifices with the blood of those Blood Cult bastards.
Watching the numerous Alliance brothers dying after biting their tongues, the Third Strategist's spy held back tears and gave a Fist-and-Palm Salute, expressing his gratitude for their sacrifice for the greater cause.
Then, he quietly slipped out of the building, avoiding the guards.
Shortly after the spy disappeared, Jin Un-hwi walked out from the shadows inside the building and let out a smirk.
-
Day broke.
By afternoon, the forces from various branches of the Martial Alliance, carrying five different flags, gathered near the main headquarters of the Guangxi Martial Alliance in Lingzongxia.
Forces from Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou, and Guangdong had assembled. Their numbers totaled a staggering eighteen thousand five hundred.
The fighting spirit of the martial artists from each branch, gathered with the single-minded goal of destroying the Blood Cult before it could properly rise, was at its peak.
The warriors from each branch stood in rows and columns like soldiers in an army. Before them stood the branch leaders, sect leaders, and chamber leaders of various groups, positioned like generals and commanders.
Murmur, murmur!
People from nearby villages flocked to the area a few miles away. Since it was a war between martial artists, many government officials, including county magistrates, had also come to watch. The stage had become as large as it could possibly be.
You Blood Cult bastards. Did you really think you could outsmart Baek Wi-hyang? This is what strategy and military tactics are all about.
Now that the stage was set, the play had to begin.
Elder Baek Wi-hyang, the Third Strategist of the Martial Alliance, raised his sword high and shouted.
"Originally, we came here to save our brothers in Guangxi. However, the situation has changed. Last night, it is said that our brothers died because they could not endure the torture and humiliation of those villains!"
His voice, infused with internal energy, spread far and wide. It was as if he wanted everyone who had come to watch to hear him.
"Those wicked Blood Cult bastards insulted us, who tried to negotiate for the sake of our brothers. Brothers of this Alliance! Raise your weapons! If we do not strike down this cunning evil today, the justice of the martial world will—"
"!?"
Baek Wi-hyang couldn't finish his sentence.
As the main gate of the Guangxi Martial Alliance headquarters opened and people began to walk out in five rows, he could not hide his bewilderment.
They were none other than the prisoners of the Guangxi Martial Alliance branch.
What is the meaning of this? That man is...
At the front, the Guangxi Branch Leader, O Ja-seo, was walking out, bound in ropes.
The people from the various branches of the Martial Alliance were also thrown into confusion and began to murmur.
Buzz, buzz!
"They're alive?"
"He just said they were all dead..."
Hearing the whispers around him, Elder Baek Wi-hyang glared at the man standing next to him as if he were absurd. He was the spy who had infiltrated the Guangxi Martial Alliance headquarters, which had fallen to the Blood Cult, the previous night.
"T-That's impossible. I saw it with my own eyes. Every single one of them bit their tongues and committed suicide right in front of me!"
It was unbelievable.
The people he had seen commit suicide and die right before his eyes were all alive, down to the last man.
It was enough to make a ghost wail in confusion.