Shaking the Foundations (7)
The fabric of their clothes whipped wildly in the wind.
“Damn it!”
Muk Bi spat out a curse, something completely unlike her.
“Then what happens? Are you saying the entire Guangdong Province is going to experience a massive upheaval?”
“That’s right.”
Thududududu.
Yeon Hojeong, riding atop Jeokpung, had a face as hard as stone.
“According to this bastard, he’s already identified the exact locations of every key official in the Guangdong provincial government. Isn’t that correct?”
Sama Hyeon nodded.
Had he learned horsemanship alongside his assassination techniques? His riding was remarkably skilled and experienced.
“We left in such a hurry that I didn’t get the full details. Just how long has this been going on?”
“I don’t know exactly. However, once I began to stand out among his disciples, he started educating me as the next Shadow God. That’s when he began feeding me information, one piece at a time.”
Sama Hyeon’s eyes deepened.
“At the very least, I’m certain it didn’t begin with the previous generation. The Shadow God was never a king—merely the strongest figure revered like a god by every assassin in the world. That is a fact acknowledged by every assassin currently living in the shadows.”
“He rules, but does not dominate…”
“Precisely. That is why the Shadow God could be worshipped as a legend.”
A being who commanded the respect of all assassins through sheer presence alone.
But Yayul Jeok was different. The moment he became the Shadow God, he took the life of his predecessor and immediately began seizing control of everything around him.
Yayul Jeok’s grip on power was astonishing.
It was true that countless assassins had flocked to him without hesitation the moment the legend of the Shadow God declared he would create an underworld empire. Yet the one who had meticulously managed that vast number of assassins and terrifyingly expanded their influence was none other than Yayul Jeok.
In other words, Yayul Jeok was the man who had dragged the name of the legendary Shadow God down from myth into reality and transformed it into that of a true ruler.
It sounded grandiose, but in the end, he had simply established himself as an undeniable force in the southern Central Plains.
That was why a small number of assassins viewed the current Shadow God in a very negative light. While many assassins paid him respect, the reason they followed him was the dark romance unique to the Shadow God—the freedom to walk the boundary between life and death.
Even though their work involved killing people for money, to assassins, it apparently seemed like a form of romance.
By nature, the rougher and darker the work, the more it required clear rules. And only by living according to those rules could one earn proper respect.
In that regard, the current Shadow God was showing a very different face from those who had come before him.
“Surprisingly, Hong Gwan—or rather, the man you call Yayul Jeok—does not seem to have any intention of placing every assassin in the world under his command.”
Muk Bi asked in a puzzled voice.
“He gathered countless assassins and built his own kingdom. Yet you’re saying he has no such ambition?”
“That is how I see it.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Though he is my enemy, Yayul Jeok’s control over his organization was incredible. Honestly, if he had truly wanted to, he could have unified the entire assassination world years ago. He possesses both the ability and the power granted by the name of Shadow God.”
“…!”
“Nevertheless, he never stepped outside Guangdong Province. He only raised the level of the assassins under him and never reached for more. His stage was always Guangdong in the Central Plains.”
“But why…?”
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“Because he is a member of the Saeum Sect.”
“What?”
“He never forgot his true duty. Before he was the Shadow God, he was a spy sent by the Saeum Sect. When he fought me, his pride as a follower of the Saeum Sect seemed far greater than any sense of superiority from being called the Shadow God.”
“…!!”
Muk Bi’s eyes trembled.
“Then in the end, his goal is…?”
“Exactly.”
Chiririring!
As if sensing its master’s heart, the Flood Dragon Chain wrapped around Yeon Hojeong’s upper body let out a sharp cry.
“When the Saeum Sect attempts to invade the Central Plains, he intends to seize control of the south and serve as a solid rear base. If the Saeum Sect is defeated and forced to retreat, he can open an escape route. Furthermore, he can become the actual military force that strikes northward from the south.”
“…!!”
“To him, the Saeum Sect is everything. He is quite literally a fanatic. Yayul Jeok is the kind of man who would sacrifice anything for the Saeum Sect.”
Suddenly, Muk Bi felt goosebumps rise across her entire body.
The Yayul Jeok she had seen was strong. Not just ordinarily strong—he was strong enough to surpass the leaders of the Nine Great Schools and the Six Great Clans.
Excluding the supreme experts of the Heavenly Realm, he lacked nothing to be called a master capable of contending for supremacy over the world.
And such a powerhouse had staked his life for a single organization.
People pursued different things, but a warrior of that caliber would surely have harbored the desire to establish his own faction. Yet despite that, Yayul Jeok had faithfully followed the orders of the Saeum Sect.
How terrifying.
Muk Bi once again felt a deep fear toward the beings known as the Three Sects.
The doctrine that could command such fanatical loyalty from a master of that level without a shred of doubt, and the boldness and confidence to dispatch such a master—these things frightened her.
The fact that they would do so even though a single betrayal could deal them an irreversible blow only proved how absolute the Saeum Sect’s control over its followers truly was.
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“As I said, Yayul Jeok has identified the locations of every major figure in the Guangdong provincial government. And he has planted assassins beside each of them.”
“…”
“I don’t even know exactly how he will issue the order. However, there is one thing I do know.”
“What is it?”
“That at some action of his, the assassins stationed beside those key figures will simultaneously kill them.”
“…”
“Though the power of the imperial palace and the government has weakened, more than half of what allows the common people to live their lives is thanks to the provincial government. If all those high-ranking officials are slaughtered at once, Guangdong Province will fall into a crucible of chaos from that very day.”
Yeon Hojeong, who had been listening quietly, added more.
“And that’s not the end of it. The Guangdong provincial government is deeply involved in the daily lives of the local people, even handling the detailed management of fisheries and trade. No other region can compare in terms of precision and thoroughness.”
“W-why?!”
“Guangdong is a place where many people come from countries across the sea. That means there are many opportunities to encounter foreign cultures, which in turn means the imperial system itself could be shaken.”
“…!!”
“Moreover, it is an enormous distance from the imperial palace. It means the central government’s influence is weak. In reality, the people living in Guangdong maintain a culture distinctly different from those in the central and northern regions.”
Muk Bi’s eyes shook violently.
Even on Yeon Hojeong’s hardened face, a growing sense of urgency began to show.
“Do you remember when we defeated the Hoe-Rang-Dan in Shandong? At that time, A-Yeon said that if the Hae-Ryong Merchant Guild collapsed, Shandong’s entire commercial sector would collapse. If the commercial sector collapsed, public sentiment would fall into chaos, and eventually the entire Shandong Province would descend into turmoil.”
“…Yes, she did.”
“What Yayul Jeok is trying to do is far worse than that. He isn’t just trying to touch a single organization—he plans to paralyze the Guangdong provincial government itself in one fell swoop.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyelids trembled.
“If the government is paralyzed, Guangdong falls into chaos. The central government will then send countless officials and troops to restore order. Who stands to benefit from that?”
“…!”
“The Shinwha Sect. Their spies are still operating in secret within the imperial palace and the government. Taking advantage of the central government’s weakened power, the Shinwha Sect’s control over the palace will accelerate. And if that happens, the Saeum Sect’s invasion of the Central Plains will come even sooner.”
Muk Bi’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly.
Although she hadn’t been in the world for very long, she possessed an exceptionally sharp mind. After all, she had taken charge of the Myeolsa Army’s tactical training in Yeon Hojeong’s stead.
Still, her lack of worldly experience was an undeniable fact.
In political matters and in seeing the bigger picture, her capabilities were still lacking. Naturally, hearing such things left her in a state of immense shock.
This can’t be.
For a brief moment, a hellish vision flashed before Muk Bi’s eyes.
A vision of the common people suffering, the world set ablaze, and the Central Plains turned into a hell of utter chaos.
“Ever since the world of Murim took root in the Central Plains, the empire’s politics could no longer follow the same path as before. Everything large and small has changed, but one of the most important policies is the powerful control of coastal regions.”
“The sea…”
“If another world that exists outside imperial law appears—just like Murim—the foundation of the empire will hang by a thread. As I said earlier, Guangdong is a place where foreign cultures frequently enter. If Guangdong were to turn its back on the central government, the empire’s position would shrink even further until the entire Central Plains falls into a crucible of chaos.”
Sama Hyeon nodded.
“From the perspective of an invader, that period of chaos would be the perfect time to strike. Quite literally, the one who seizes the world first would take everything.”
“The era of the Warring States must not be allowed to arrive. At least not now. That is why we must stop them.”
Muk Bi took a deep breath.
“In short, we absolutely must stop Yayul Jeok.”
“Correct. However…”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.
In the distance, about five li ahead, a fork in the road was beginning to appear.
“We may already be too late. Even so, we cannot simply sit idle. You will go to Night Castle with Sama Hyeon. He will guide you.”
“What about you, Captain?”
Sama Hyeon answered.
“I will head to the provincial capital.”
“The provincial capital?!”
“It would be a problem if any high-ranking official died, but the most critical figures are gathered in the capital. And among them, there are two people who must never die.”
“Who are they?”
“The Left and Right Governors of the Seungseon-pojeongsasa, who oversee administration and governance.”
“Ah!”
Yeon Hojeong looked at Muk Bi.
“I will go protect them. We may already be too late, but…”
“Understood!”
“I’m counting on you. Even though he suffered a fatal wound, Yayul Jeok is still a formidable expert. You must stop his schemes together with Moyong Gun. Sama Hyeon will serve as your guide.”
“I understand.”
“Don’t die.”
Muk Bi smiled.
“You too, Young Master Yeon.”
Yeon Hojeong let out a small chuckle.
“It’s not Young Master. It’s Captain.”
With that, their conversation ended. Yeon Hojeong spurred Jeokpung forward with force.
Thudududududu!
Jeokpung’s speed was astonishing.
Jeokpung was the divine horse of the world, capable of easily carrying even the weight of the Mad Dragon Axe. As if it had read its master’s heart, it raced forward at more than twice its previous speed.
Faster than the movement technique of a Peak expert. The charge of Jeokpung, which possessed extreme strength and greater endurance than even a blood-sweating horse, ignited Yeon Hojeong’s fighting spirit.
“Hya!”
Kurrrrrung!
At the fork, Yeon Hojeong turned north.
Muk Bi looked at Sama Hyeon.
“Is your movement technique usable?”
“Don’t worry. At the very least, it will be better than yours.”
“Then let’s run.”
Paaaaak!
The two figures kicked off their saddles and shot into the air, racing southward.