Chapter 66: Right Army Commander's Office (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 66: Right Army Commander's Office (2)
A touch-and-go situation.
The bearded general’s hand trembled, unable to give the order to attack.
Normally, one might have given up by now, but his position as the leader of a massive army of thirty thousand seemed to prevent him from backing down.
Just then, a voice rang out.
“I had heard that the martial artists of the so-called Evil Faction were different from those of the Orthodox Faction, and seeing you now, I truly feel the weight of those words.”
My gaze naturally shifted toward the source.
Someone who had been hidden among the government soldiers stepped forward.
Though he had one eye closed, my Golden Eye clearly perceived his energy.
He was an ordinary man who had not trained in martial arts.
However, even without armor, his appearance suggested a middle-aged man of considerable official rank.
“And who might you be?”
“I am Go Jotak, serving as the Vice Commissioner of the Provincial Judicial Commission of Guizhou Province.”
The Provincial Judicial Commission?
—Why? Is he someone important?
He was.
The Provincial Judicial Commission was the judicial body that oversaw the trials and prisons of an entire province.
As a Vice Commissioner, he was essentially the head of a department within that office.
There was a high probability he belonged to the state inspection division.
Go Jotak, having revealed his identity, spoke to the bearded general.
“General Kang. Let us leave it at this. Since he has complied with the summons, what is the point of forcing a battle?”
He was a clever man.
He settled the situation while allowing the bearded general to save face.
“Ahem. Since Vice Commissioner Go says so, we must ensure there are no unnecessary sacrifices.”
—He jumped at the chance.
The Lesser Conversation Sword chuckled.
It was an opportunity to preserve his pride, so of course he would take it.
The bearded general turned and signaled to a soldier, who then waved a flag.
At that, the thirty thousand soldiers, who had been aiming their crossbows, lowered their weapons all at once.
Phew.
I felt a sense of relief inside, but I made sure not to let it show.
Go Jotak, the Vice Commissioner, then addressed me.
“Since General Kang has stepped back, if you would also consider the dignity of the government army and take your hand off your sword hilt...”
Before he could even finish, I removed my hand from the hilt.
Then, I brought my hands together in a fist-and-palm salute.
“I am Baek Mo, the one in charge of the Blood Cult.”
—Huh? Since when were you a Baek?
The lineage of the Blood Cult Leader has been the Baek family for generations.
If I were to call myself Jin or So here, it would be tantamount to announcing the internal changes of the Blood Cult to the world.
There was no need to reveal my real surname or name to outsiders.
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak said to me, “We nearly caused a scene over something that could be settled with words.”
“If it can be resolved peacefully, why would I have any reason to refuse?”
“Cult Leader Baek. Since you are being summoned on suspicion of violating a national decree, would you be willing to entrust your weapons to us for the time being? They will be returned once you are cleared of suspicion.”
He made the suggestion cautiously.
It seemed he wanted to eliminate any potential threats.
I replied with a smile.
“Even without a sword, the hands and feet of a martial artist are threatening weapons. In that case, would you like to cut off my arms and legs and reattach them later?”
“Hooh...”
At my words, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak shook his head as if conceding, then looked at the man called General Kang.
General Kang, realizing he couldn't seize my swords, let out a deep sigh and gave up on the idea.
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak spoke to me again.
“Then, could you at least remove that evil ghost mask? With you wearing it like that, we cannot tell if you are the real Cult Leader or an impostor.”
“Due to certain circumstances, it is difficult for me to remove the mask right now. I will do so once we reach the Commander's Office.”
I couldn't take it off immediately.
I had come in such a hurry that I hadn't washed off my makeup or put on a human skin mask.
Until I could wash my face and put on a proper disguise, I had no intention of becoming a laughingstock by showing a face covered in makeup.
Since I promised to remove it later, they couldn't force me further.
“I hope you keep that promise. If it turns out you are not the real Cult Leader when you unmask, the Governor will not let this matter slide easily.”
“Of course.”
“Then, please board the carriage.”
A carriage?
Where Vice Commissioner Go Jotak pointed, there stood a large carriage.
It wasn't just an ordinary one; it was quite elegant, the kind used to transport high-ranking officials.
They were summoning me on suspicion of violating a decree, yet they were putting me in a carriage like that?
It was strange.
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak smiled and said to me, “I shall be riding with you.”
...What exactly was he up to?
It wasn't long after the carriage started moving.
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak, sitting opposite me, lightly tapped the wall of the carriage and spoke.
“This carriage is made of a special material so that voices do not leak outside. You may speak freely.”
What was his intention in saying this?
While I was wondering, he spoke again.
“To be honest, I did not expect you to board the carriage so easily.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Frankly, you people of the Evil Faction are different from the so-called Orthodox Faction.”
They were indeed different.
The Orthodox Faction and the Martial Alliance maintained close ties with the government.
It wasn't because they feared the officials, but because there were many practical benefits to be gained from a friendly relationship.
Thus, Orthodox martial artists tended to cater to the whims of officials to some extent.
However, that wasn't the case for the Evil Faction or the Blood Cult until now.
“That is why I mobilized the troops of the Right Army Commander's Office, thinking you wouldn't easily follow a government order.”
“It is a pity. Had you sent a single messenger instead, so many government soldiers wouldn't have had to suffer.”
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak looked puzzled at my remark.
“If we intended to reject the government, we wouldn't have sought out the Regional Military Commander to obtain approval for our cult's assembly in the first place.”
“...I wonder if you are truly the Blood Cult Leader I once knew.”
“Those who fail to adapt to the times and resist are bound to be swept away by the tide. Our cult also has no desire to harm the officials leading the nation or the innocent people.”
“Hooh.”
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak let out a small exclamation of admiration.
Then, he spoke in a sincere voice.
“I must apologize. It seems I held unnecessary prejudices against your cult and yourself.”
For a government official to apologize so readily...
It was quite unexpected.
Regardless of status, he seemed like a decent man.
“Considering what happened twenty years ago, it's only natural for anyone to have prejudices. It is my duty as the current Cult Leader to change those perceptions.”
“Splendid. If the Governor learns that the Cult Leader is a person of such dignity and refinement, his worries will be eased.”
“I appreciate the kind words.”
He was a man easy to talk to.
If there were many like him in the government, the martial world and the officials would rarely clash.
—Wouldn't the opposite be true as well?
True, most martial artists were free-spirited by nature.
They didn't want to be bound by national decrees and wanted to unleash the power they possessed.
That was why the government and the martial world occasionally collided.
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak stroked his beard and said to me, “Is it not said that friendship forms when minds meet?”
“Are you referring to us?”
“After speaking with you, I feel that we can navigate this current situation well.”
“What do you mean by 'current situation'?”
I frowned.
Had this incident grown large enough to be called a 'situation'?
As I wondered, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak spoke.
“Don't you find it strange that I brought a carriage all this way, even though a war could have broken out while summoning the Cult Leader?”
“I did find it a bit curious.”
“Although the suspicion of bribery against the Regional Military Commander is a violation of a decree, if it's just a matter related to sect approval, even the most stubborn Governor could have turned a blind eye.”
Hmm.
Thinking about it, he was right.
Summoning the head of the Blood Cult, which was no small sect, was a serious matter.
If handled poorly, it could escalate into a major conflict for the government, so there was no reason to apply pressure so aggressively.
I, too, had thought it was merely a trick by the Martial Alliance because it happened so suddenly, and I had simply complied with the summons to avoid wasting energy against the government.
“May I ask one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Was it the Martial Alliance that moved the Governor?”
At my question, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak gave a short laugh and replied.
“Just as you suspected.”
“Then, does this mean the Martial Alliance is...”
“Are you asking if I know this is a scheme to have the government pressure your cult?”
“!?”
He had grasped the point exactly.
It seemed I had underestimated the government.
No, the same went for the Martial Alliance.
“Even though there are treaties between the government and the martial world, do you think we would just leave you dangerous people alone when you could turn into a source of trouble at any moment? The government always keeps an eye on the affairs within the martial world.”
It made sense.
To the government, the martial world was a dangerous entity even when kept close.
Naturally, they wouldn't just watch with indifference.
“If you knew, then why?”
“Do you think the money and offerings the Martial Alliance presents to the government are a small amount? They also have ties with the Imperial Court and high-ranking officials, so it's difficult for the Commander's Office to simply ignore their sincerity.”
“Then, will you take the side of the Martial Alliance?”
“No. If that were the case, we wouldn't have sent a messenger; we would have started by pressuring your cult first.”
If sending an army of thirty thousand wasn't pressure, then what was?
Was it just for show?
If so, their magnanimity was on a different level compared to the martial world.
“Then why did you summon me? If the outcome is already decided, it will be difficult for me to comply.”
If the game was rigged, there was no reason for me to go.
To this, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak said, “That is why I am telling you this.”
Was he going to show me a way out?
“Please, Vice Commissioner, enlighten me.”
“Originally, the Governor intended to settle this matter using the offerings and bribes provided by the Orthodox Alliance as a pretext.”
“Couldn't you just settle it that way?”
“But a problem has arisen.”
“What kind of problem?”
At my question, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak lowered his voice and whispered.
“Currently, the King of Qin, King Gyeong, and King Yeong are staying at the Right Army Commander's Office.”
“!!!”
The King of Qin? King Gyeong? King Yeong?
—Who are they that you're so surprised?
They are the princes of the Great Yan Empire.
—Princes!
This was completely unexpected.
Three princes who had received the title of 'King' were at the Right Army Commander's Office?
They were the offspring of the Empress Dowager, the First Consort, and the Second Consort—heavyweights vying for the position of the next Crown Prince.
There were many other princes, but only these three held the title of King, and the future Crown Prince would surely come from among them.
—You would know, wouldn't you?
Since this was happening about two years before the future I knew, of course I knew.
Furthermore, in three years, a national mourning would occur, and that Crown Prince would ascend to the throne in just one year.
—Is the Emperor ill?
It wasn't known to the public, but I suspected he was bedridden.
Otherwise, it would be strange for a national mourning to happen so suddenly in three years.
“You must be very surprised.”
“...Even for a martial artist, hearing of the Princes' presence is startling.”
“The matter has become complicated. The three Kings are currently touring each province and the Five Tiger Governor's Offices by order of His Majesty.”
“Did the Martial Alliance time it to coincide with their visit?”
“I can only guess that is the case.”
If so, they had certainly used their heads.
I wondered whose strategy this was—the Second Strategist or the Third Strategist?
“In any case, because the Kings were present when the strategist of the Martial Alliance came to visit, the summons became unavoidable.”
“Then what should I do?”
“The Governor has already had the Regional Military Commander dispose of all the bank notes received from your cult. They should all be burned by now, so there is no more evidence.”
Ah...
So that's why he called it a 'suspicion.'
I thought the Regional Military Commander had destroyed the evidence, but that wasn't it.
The Commander's Office had handled it to resolve the situation smoothly.
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak said, “If you simply comply with the summons and answer the questions during the inquiry at the Commander's Office, the matter will be settled as 'not guilty' without any major issues.”
“I am grateful for such consideration.”
“However...”
“However?”
“The Princes are a concern. Especially the King of Qin, who is closest to the throne; he is a man who reveres Taoism and is said to have received teachings from Taoist Master Zhongxian of the Wudang Sect.”
Taiji Sword Emperor Zhongxian.
That was quite a concerning piece of information.
The Great Yan Empire had adopted Taoism as the state religion.
Of course, adopting a state religion didn't mean they persecuted other religions.
That was why the Buddhist Shaolin Temple, Hengshan Sect, and Emei Sect could still operate.
“Considering the relationship between the government and the martial world, they likely won't do anything drastic, but they might say things to provoke you.”
“...I shall have to take that into account.”
“And there is one more thing to keep in mind.”
“Keep in mind?”
“King Yeong is extremely interested in martial arts. He is already showing considerable interest in the arrival of the head of the Blood Cult, which once divided the martial world in half.”
“That doesn't sound too bad.”
“I say this out of concern that he might try to test you.”
“Test me, you say...”
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak warned me seriously.
“If you wish to resolve this matter peacefully, I advise you not to offend the three Princes.”
Of course, I wanted to do that.
But would the Martial Alliance have prepared this so simply?
They might be digging a pit that I would be forced into, one way or another.
—Will you be okay?
I'll have to be prepared.
Fortunately, I knew which of them would become the Crown Prince.
Then, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak asked, “On a side note, since it's just the two of us, why did you come wearing such a hideous ghost mask?”
Was he really that curious?
I gave a short laugh and pulled the mask halfway off.
As half of my makeup-covered face was revealed, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak’s eyes widened.
“Was the Cult Leader a woman?”
At those words, the Lesser Conversation Sword burst into boisterous laughter.
Wait, I just have makeup on—why would he think I'm a woman?
I replied with a straight face.
“I am a man.”
Vice Commissioner Go Jotak laughed and said, “I know. You have a man's voice, a protruding Adam's apple, and a different shoulder structure—how could I mistake you for a woman?”
“.......”
He even knew how to joke.
Nine days passed like that.
During that time, I washed off the makeup and put on a human skin mask, so I took off the ghost mask.
Wearing that all day was exhausting, so the human skin mask was better.
Two shichen ago, we reached Guiyang in Guizhou Province, where the Right Army Commander's Office was located.
After talking with Vice Commissioner Go Jotak in the carriage all day, we had become quite close, even addressing each other as brothers.
He was more open-minded than other officials, and since I thought being close to him would be helpful, I was able to gain a lot of information.
—Clop, clop! Clop, clop! Screeeech.
The carriage, which had been running for a long time, came to a halt.
It seemed we had finally arrived at the Right Army Commander's Office.
Before getting out of the carriage, Vice Commissioner Go Jotak gave me a final piece of advice.
“Brother Baek. As I've said repeatedly, no matter what happens, do not make enemies of the three Princes.”
“I know, Brother Go. How could I forget that advice?”
“It would be best to stay as far away from them as possible.”
I was keeping that in mind as well.
If I were to clash with the Princes, things would inevitably spiral out of control.
I was trying not to clash even with the provincial officials, so why would I provoke the Princes?
As I stepped out of the carriage, a large building came into view.
The plaque clearly read 'Right Army Commander's Office.'
I had only taken a couple of steps after getting out when...
Hmm?
Sensing a significant energy that stimulated my Qi Sense, I looked toward it and saw a young man in his twenties with a noble countenance, dressed in blue silk, walking toward me with long strides.
He looked to be in his mid-twenties and had reached the Supreme Peak Realm.
Who is he?
As I wondered, the government soldiers, including Vice Commissioner Go Jotak, all knelt and shouted.
“We greet His Highness, King Yeong!”
King Yeong?
Since he was a prince of the Great Yan Empire, even if I didn't kneel like them, I was about to show my respect with a salute, but then King Yeong spoke to me.
“Are you the Leader of the Blood Cult?”
“I am, Your Highness.”
“I've been waiting for you with bated breath. I heard you are quite strong, is that true?”
“!?”
The Prince had come to me of his own accord—how was I supposed to stay away from him?