Chapter 99: The Youngest Alliance Leader Candidate (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: The Youngest Alliance Leader Candidate (4)
Chief Strategist Bang Deok-hyun stared in bewilderment at the death of the middle-aged man who had served as his guard.
It was only natural for him to be shocked.
Given the level of surveillance he had maintained, he likely never imagined anyone could approach him in this manner. There was no better technique for catching an opponent off guard than the Body Transformation Art.
However, the strategist’s face, which I expected to remain troubled, quickly regained its composure.
Is this the result of his years of experience?
He stared at me with a hardened expression and spoke.
“It cannot be a human skin mask… Is it perhaps the Art of Disguise?”
The Art of Disguise was a technique used to forcibly alter one’s facial muscles.
However, compared to the Body Transformation Art, it lacked sophistication, possessed many flaws, and could not be maintained for long. It operated on a principle similar to the Bone Shrinking Art practiced by my master, Hae Ak-cheon.
“Impressive. I have never seen an Art of Disguise so sophisticated that it could mimic another’s face to this degree.”
“You’re quite calm.”
“Is there a reason to be surprised? The fact that you already know my title within the organization makes your identity clear.”
I snorted at his words and asked, “And what exactly is my identity?”
“Lesser Sword Immortal So Woon-hwi—no, the Successor of the Sword Immortal.”
He wasn't slow-witted.
I suppose he needed at least that much insight to serve as the Chief Strategist of the Martial Alliance and an advisor to the Golden Emperor.
“You know your stuff. Then you must also know why I’m here.”
At my words, Chief Strategist Bang Deok-hyun let out a short, dry laugh.
Was he being bold by acting so relaxed in this situation, or had he simply given up?
“You find this funny?”
“I laughed because of a variable I failed to account for.”
It was difficult for anyone to realize I could transform into others.
Every enemy who had discovered that fact was dead. The only living person who knew was Seol Baek.
I looked at Bang Deok-hyun and said, “I won’t make this long. I already know how devoted you lot are to the Golden Emperor.”
“I suppose you expect this old man to reveal everything about His Majesty.”
“Exactly.”
“Then, as you likely predicted, you must also know that I will not say a single word.”
“I figured as much.”
With those words, I stepped toward him.
If he wasn't going to talk, there was no reason to drag this out. I was short on time as it was.
He gave me a relaxed smile and said, “It is within your power as the Successor of the Sword Immortal to kill me, but can you handle the aftermath?”
“The aftermath?”
He tapped his temple with his finger.
“I have survived this treacherous martial world and endured for many years using nothing but my wits. Do you truly think I haven't anticipated a sudden variable like this?”
“You’re overconfident.”
“Do you think you can kill me and take my place without being caught? I have always prepared for the chaos that could be caused by human skin masks or disguise techniques. Even if you mimic my appearance, you can never truly replace me.”
It seemed he had prepared some sort of cipher or code that only they understood.
A strategist is a strategist, after all.
He appeared to have used his head to set up some countermeasures. Bang Deok-hyun gestured to his surroundings as he continued.
“Ah, and if you’re thinking of changing your plan to simply kill me and leave quietly, I suggest you give that up as well. Why do you think I keep nothing but a desk and a table in my office?”
As he said, his office was exceptionally clean for a strategist—no books, no shelves. There was nowhere to hide anything.
The corners of his mouth curled up.
“I am a cautious man. I have arranged for the organization’s warriors to patrol this office once every quarter-hour. How do you plan to hide the bodies?”
His face filled with triumph.
He seemed certain that he had trapped me in an impossible situation. Believing I couldn't escape his trap, he picked up a teacup from the table with an air of leisure and took a sip.
Slurp. “Not as impressive as I expected.”
“Impressive?”
“You escaped my schemes time and again, so I had high hopes. I thought someone had finally appeared who could entertain me with their intellect as much as that fellow did. But this is disappointing.”
He clicked his tongue and continued.
“I expected more, but you were overconfident in your own martial prowess and wit. If you intended to strike at the head, you should have found my weakness and backed me into a corner. To act so thoughtlessly like this… I overestimated you.”
“……”
“I suppose it isn't easy to find someone who can entertain me as much as Zhuge Won-myeong, the man I raised myself.”
With those words, he tried to subtly move his leg.
I smirked and raised my hand.
He began to tremble, his face contorting as if he were unable to move his body.
I flicked my left hand toward the desk. Using Void Object Retrieval, the desk slid aside, revealing a floor lever beneath it.
“You went through a lot of trouble waiting for a chance to press that.”
“……Even if I don't press it, nothing changes.”
Knock, knock!
Just then, someone knocked on the office door.
“They’re here.”
Bang Deok-hyun tried to grin maliciously, as if to say things were going exactly as he predicted, and opened his mouth to speak.
However, since I had sealed his mouth with internal energy, it wasn't going to open easily.
I lightly snapped my fingers.
Snap!
He looked at the gesture with confusion.
The door opened, and a warrior dressed in the uniform of the Strategist's Hall entered.
However, the man who entered simply clasped his hands in a salute toward the standing, paralyzed Bang Deok-hyun and spoke.
“There has been no movement from the side of Bukyeong Doseong yet.”
‘!?’
Bang Deok-hyun’s eyes widened in total disbelief.
Regardless of his reaction, the warrior continued to report various pieces of information. It was as if he couldn't even see the state of the room.
“Loyalty!”
With a short shout and a final salute, the warrior closed the door and left.
I turned to the dumbfounded Chief Strategist and said, “You’ve been up to some pretty interesting things, haven't you? Was that how you planned to take me down during the Martial Alliance meeting?”
He muttered in a trembling voice, “What… what did you do?”
What did I do? I simply used the Transformation Eye Scripture to make him see what he wanted to see.
He saw the strategist looking exactly as he always did.
I didn't need to know any ciphers; the warrior saw what he expected to see and left without a problem.
“Is it… sorcery?”
I didn't answer his question.
Instead, I pulled a small pouch from my robe.
Ignoring his bewildered gaze, I walked over to the corpses.
“Smart people always have a habit of judging everything by their own standards.”
With that, I picked up a corpse and shoved it into the pouch.
His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched a full-grown body disappear into the tiny pouch.
“What?!”
It would have been stranger if he hadn't been shocked to see a human body fit into such a small bag.
Next, I stuffed the guard with the broken neck into the pouch as well.
Then, I spoke to him casually.
“Now, the bodies are taken care of, right?”
He couldn't hide his utter dismay.
He never could have dreamed I would hide the evidence this way.
“H-How is this possible…?”
“The bodies are dealt with, so now…”
I reached deep into the pouch and pulled something out.
It was none other than the Evil Connection Sword.
“A sword?”
First the bodies, now a sword appearing out of nowhere—it must have been quite a sight for him.
Once out, the Evil Connection Sword began to chatter at me.
—Hmph. Why did you only take me out now? It’s so cramped in there.
She must have been quite frustrated.
You’ll be fine for a while.
I have a job for you now.
I gripped the Evil Connection Sword and approached the paralyzed Bang Deok-hyun.
I gave him a bright smile.
“I’ll return those words to you. This is quite disappointing.”
“What?”
“I had high hopes since you were the master, but it’s a shame you’re even worse than your disciple, Zhuge Won-myeong. At least that guy made things quite troublesome for me before he died.”
‘!?’
His eyes widened even further.
He couldn't have known I was the one who killed Zhuge Won-myeong, so his shock was natural.
“……Ha!”
He seemed utterly stunned.
Until now, they must have believed the Blood Cult killed Zhuge Won-myeong to steal the Blood Demon Sword.
Standing right in front of him, he looked at me as if he couldn't comprehend what I was.
“……Are you truly the Successor of the Sword Immortal?”
“Why? Do I not seem like it?”
He probably thought I was some champion of justice for the Orthodox Faction.
Sorry to disappoint, but I move for my own sake.
I reached out toward him.
“What… what are you trying to do?!”
“This.”
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
I struck his pressure points to keep him silent, then grabbed his head and funneled lightning energy into it.
Crackle!
“Ggggh… ggggh…”
He groaned as his entire body convulsed from the electric shock.
Soon, he was staring at me with a vacant expression, drool leaking from his mouth.
I had completely fried a portion of his brain with lightning energy; he was now a total vegetable.
Whoosh.
I sent my internal energy into his head to check his condition.
There were no signs of regeneration or recovery. Just as Seol Baek had said, it was clear he hadn't undergone the procedure for the Golden Imperial Body.
I placed the Evil Connection Sword into his hand.
Then…
“Ugh, I hate old bodies.”
Bang Deok-hyun’s voice, now sounding strangely coquettish, complained to me.
I’d prefer it if you didn't twist that body around like that.
It was a bit grotesque.
*
Around the Hour of the Sheep (2:00 PM).
The elders of every sect had gathered in the main assembly hall of the Martial Alliance.
They were there for a meeting regarding the election of the Alliance Leader, which was to take place tomorrow—a matter that had been kept strictly confidential until now.
Most of the elders had taken their seats, and even Deputy Alliance Leader Jin Gyun, the Ardent King Hegemon, had arrived and sat down. Yet, Chief Strategist Bang Deok-hyun was nowhere to be seen.
Everyone was puzzled, as he was a man who was usually punctual to a fault.
‘Why is he late?’
‘He’s the one who was supposed to make the motion…’
The elders who had coordinated with him beforehand were growing anxious.
If he didn't step forward to make the motion, one of the elders would have to do it, which would surely draw the blatant ire of Deputy Alliance Leader Jin Gyun.
Fifteen minutes passed.
When the Chief Strategist still hadn't appeared, Jin Gyun’s irritation became visible.
“Why has the Chief Strategist not arrived yet?”
At his question, Second Strategist Sama Jung-hyeon gestured to a subordinate.
“Go to the Strategist's Hall immediately and escort the Chief Strategist—”
It was at that moment.
Creeeeeak!
The doors to the assembly hall swung open, and Bang Deok-hyun appeared, leaning on a heavy-looking staff—a departure from his usual manner.
Jin Gyun was about to scold him for his lateness, but his brow furrowed instead.
It was because of the person following behind Bang Deok-hyun.
“The Lesser Sword Immortal?”
“Why is the Lesser Sword Immortal here?”
It was indeed So Woon-hwi.
Most of the people present looked bewildered to see Bang Deok-hyun bringing him to a high-level meeting that was restricted to the Council of Elders and the Strategist's Hall.
‘Why are those two together?’
The elders who were supposed to be working with Bang Deok-hyun felt the same.
At the very least, those two were not supposed to be on the same side.
‘What on earth is going on?’
‘Has the plan changed?’
The very purpose of this meeting was to exclude So Woon-hwi from the list of candidates for the Alliance Leader election.
Second Strategist Sama Jung-hyeon stood up and spoke loudly.
“Chief Strategist, you are late. However, this is a meeting of grave importance. I believe you are aware that entry is forbidden to anyone outside the Council of Elders and the Strategist's Hall.”
Bang Deok-hyun opened his mouth to respond.
“First, I offer my apologies to everyone for my lateness. However, I have brought the Lesser Sword Immortal with me because a matter of great urgency has arisen regarding this meeting.”
“A matter of great urgency? What is it?”
At that question, So Woon-hwi clasped his hands in a salute to the elders.
“First, I apologize for intruding upon this gathering without permission and causing an inconvenience to the Deputy Alliance Leader and the esteemed elders.”
Taoist Master Jong-oh, the new Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect, spoke up.
“Omitofo. I do not know what this urgent matter is, but rules were made to be followed. Lesser Sword Immortal, please step outside for now.”
“I am sorry, but I cannot do that.”
“What?”
The elders’ expressions hardened into masks of fury.
In particular, Deputy Alliance Leader Jin Gyun made his displeasure clear.
“Brother So. Even if we are on friendly terms, this is not a place you can just walk into. If you do not leave immediately—”
“Please, look at this first.”
Before he could finish, So Woon-hwi pulled something from his robe.
It was wrapped in cloth, and when he unfurled it, a long needle was revealed.
“What of it?”
“This is a long needle coated in Illusion Demon Poison.”
“Illusion Demon Poison?”
As Jin Gyun questioned him, So Woon-hwi pointed toward Bang Deok-hyun, who was leaning quietly on his staff, and spoke in a voice filled with pity.
“Everyone. The venerable Chief Strategist Bang Deok-hyun has been under the control of this Illusion Demon Poison until now.”