The Traitor Among Us
“Everyone has gathered.”
Jegal Mun-ho’s expression remained unchanged as he surveyed the elders.
“Thank you for assembling despite your busy schedules. This is a gravely serious matter, and I sincerely apologize for insisting there be no absentees.”
Deung Cheon-gyo spoke curtly. “Enough with the formalities. Just tell us why you summoned everyone.”
“Elder Deung.”
At Gong Gong Dae-sa’s quiet voice, Deung Cheon-gyo clicked his tongue and turned his head. Even he could not ignore the abbot of Shaolin. Gong Gong Dae-sa gave Jegal Mun-ho a slight nod.
Jegal Mun-ho inclined his head in acknowledgment.
“As Elder Deung said, I will not waste time. I will speak plainly.”
His voice sank low.
The shift in atmosphere when he turned serious was striking. Every elder’s gaze fixed on him.
After sweeping his eyes across the room once, Jegal Mun-ho opened his mouth.
“Thanks to Elder Deung’s earlier remark, everyone now knows of the Three Sects beyond the frontier—their formidable strength and their designs on the Central Plains.”
The already heavy mood grew even more oppressive.
“I,”
Meeting the eyes of the elders from the Nine Great Sects and the Six Great Clans one by one, Jegal Mun-ho continued.
“am certain there is a spy among us.”
Bang!
Yong-hwa Jinin of Mount Hua slammed the table.
“What nonsense is this!”
It was not only him. Several elders’ faces flushed crimson, while the rest looked deeply uncomfortable.
“Counselor, do you truly believe an enemy agent sits among us?”
“I told you before. I withheld the existence of the Three Sects precisely because there might be spies among us.”
Jegal Mun-ho nodded.
“I am certain. I do not know whether it is one person or more, but there is definitely a spy in this room.”
“That is absurd!”
Yong-hwa Jinin’s voice was louder than ever.
“I refrained from openly showing anger at the abbot and the counselor last time because I could understand your positions! Especially you, Counselor! You kept silent about the Black Dragon Department without informing us! Even then, you offered that ridiculous excuse about possible spies!”
“That is correct.”
“Everyone present here is renowned throughout the martial world! None of us would ever serve as spies for some unknown foreign power!”
“If you remember what happened before, then you should also recall what I said at the time.”
As though he had fully anticipated this level of reaction, Jegal Mun-ho spoke calmly.
“The counselor trusts no one in the world, not even the greatest hero, by more than seventy percent. Even if a Martial Alliance Lord were elected, he would not place complete faith in that person. That is who the counselor is.”
“Even so!”
“I fully understand your reaction, Elder. Had our positions been reversed, I too would find this situation distressing and infuriating.”
Jegal Mun-ho’s eyes turned cold.
“But allow me to ask. Do you truly believe I would play games with elders of such high standing in the martial world?”
“……!!”
“Even if my words prove true, if I fail to catch the spy, the backlash will fall squarely on me. I could be removed from my post as counselor—or worse, imprisoned.”
He was staking his own neck on this claim. That was the weight behind Jegal Mun-ho’s words.
No matter how angry they were, none could lash out in the face of such an uncompromising response. Yong-hwa Jinin could only steady his ragged breathing.
Jegal Mun-ho continued.
“Set aside your anger and consider it. Even if you cannot believe it, try to imagine. What if there truly is a spy among us, and every word spoken here is being relayed to the enemy right now?”
“……!!”
The already heavy atmosphere froze over completely.
A spy among the elders? And that spy had been passing every major decision discussed in these meetings straight to the Three Sects?
There could be nothing more terrifying. It would mean they had been handing over the Martial Alliance’s most confidential information to the enemy without even realizing it.
What did that imply?
“We have been losing,” Jegal Mun-ho said. “And losing thoroughly.”
“……”
“Now that we know we are losing, it is time to change the game.”
Deung Cheon-gyo spoke as though tossing the words out. “You truly believe this?”
“I do.”
“I will ask again. Are you truly certain there is a spy of the Three Sects among us elders?”
“I am.”
The corner of Deung Cheon-gyo’s mouth curled upward.
“How amusing. Then we cannot rule out the possibility that you yourself are one of those spies, can we?”
Jegal Mun-ho smiled.
“If that is what the elders believe, I have nothing more to say.”
“You should have plenty to say. If you are the spy, then we have been dancing to your tune all along.”
At that moment, Paeng Mu-gang spoke.
“Elder Deung.”
Paeng Mu-gang, who rarely spoke more than ten sentences in any meeting, had opened his mouth. All eyes turned to him.
“This is a serious situation. I ask that you refrain from remarks that disrupt the atmosphere.”
“What did you say?”
“We are discussing the enemy’s spy. The counselor is certain one exists. Instead of uniting to root the traitor out as quickly as possible, you are sowing unnecessary discord.”
Deung Cheon-gyo’s face twisted.
“Are you finished?”
“Not yet, so listen. If there truly is a spy, we must drive them out through unity and focus, not through infighting. I understand your anger, but I ask you to view the situation more calmly.”
“Unity? Focus? Who is the one breaking that right now? We have been turning a blind eye to the counselor’s secret actions! No matter the circumstances, it was clearly overstepping authority!”
Pung-byeok-ja interjected smoothly.
“Elder Deung, calm yourself first. This will not solve anything.”
Bok-ho Satae of the Emei Sect also nodded.
“I agree. Now is not the time for us to fight among ourselves, but to put our heads together.”
Deung Cheon-gyo’s face contorted further.
“Is everyone going to be like this?! If so, why even hold these council meetings? If the counselor is going to handle everything alone, what meaning do these gatherings have?”
He turned to Gong Gong Dae-sa.
“Abbot, say something! You told us before that you were supporting the counselor from behind, did you not?”
Gong Gong Dae-sa regarded Deung Cheon-gyo in silence.
Flames seemed to blaze in Deung Cheon-gyo’s eyes.
“You said you would take responsibility, so speak like someone who actually bears it! Do you truly think this situation makes any sense?!”
Then Seunghyeon Jinin spoke.
“It is only natural.”
The remark came out of nowhere. Everyone, starting with Deung Cheon-gyo, turned to look at him.
Seunghyeon Jinin addressed Jegal Mun-ho.
“This level of reaction is only to be expected. It is not unreasonable for Elder Deung to be angry. Would you not agree?”
Jegal Mun-ho nodded.
“I would.”
“Furthermore, though his words were extreme, Elder Deung is not entirely wrong. Of course, the counselor’s abilities and character are exceptional, and the abbot’s Buddhist compassion is beyond doubt. Still, looking back, the two of you have indeed crossed certain lines.”
“I can only apologize.”
“The Martial Alliance is a vast organization. It inevitably has many enemies. However, whenever a crisis arises, proceeding in this manner will not do. The position of Alliance Lord remains vacant, so some things cannot be helped, but such secretive and radical decisions only leave everyone bewildered.”
“I am aware.”
“There will be moments when such measures are unavoidable. Still, I ask that you exercise greater caution in the future. After all, Elder Deung and the counselor are both walking the same righteous path, are you not?”
There was weight behind Seunghyeon Jinin’s words.
His voice was calm and unwavering. Moreover, he pointed out that Gong Gong Dae-sa, not only Jegal Mun-ho, had overstepped.
It was an undeniable fact. By stating facts as facts without inflaming the atmosphere, the tension that had burned like wildfire gradually cooled.
Thud!
Deung Cheon-gyo folded his arms and sat back down. With the mood like this, he could not keep raging forever.
Paeng Mu-gang spoke.
“I too spoke harshly out of frustration. I apologize.”
Seunghyeon Jinin smiled.
“Everyone knows the Paeng Clan’s straightforward nature. Elder Paeng only stepped forward for the sake of all of us. There is no need to apologize.”
“I am still embarrassed.”
Once the atmosphere settled, Jegal Mun-ho continued.
“I expected this much backlash, yet experiencing it firsthand is more unsettling than I imagined. I once again apologize for making unilateral decisions as counselor.”
Jegal Mun-ho bowed his head.
Whether his heart matched his expression was unknown, but at least outwardly, the apology appeared sincere. Deung Cheon-gyo snorted and looked away.
“However,”
When Jegal Mun-ho straightened, his face had returned to its usual impassive mask.
“I made one decision on my own before this meeting. I ask that the elders understand this final matter.”
Yong-hwa Jinin’s cheek twitched.
“What now?”
“By now, rumors should be spreading throughout the lands north of the Yangtze. Within three days, the entire Central Plains will be in an uproar over a single piece of news.”
“Rumors?”
“That an unknown force is eyeing the Central Plains—and that this force may have planted a spy within the Martial Alliance.”
“……!!”
Shock appeared on the elders’ faces.
Deung Cheon-gyo cried out in disbelief.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
It was the sort of thing one would say after such an act.
This was a blunder of catastrophic proportions. The elders’ gazes toward Jegal Mun-ho turned murderous in an instant.
“I was willing to give you another chance, but to cause such a massive incident without any consultation…!”
“Is it not better than war breaking out?”
Deung Cheon-gyo’s eyes wavered.
It was not only him. Most of the elders stared at Jegal Mun-ho in stunned silence.
“If we catch the spy, there is a slim but real chance we could suffer a devastating preemptive strike. Yet we cannot simply leave the spy alone, can we?”
“……”
“Launching an all-out war against an enemy stronger than the Martial Alliance while we are unprepared is madness. We cannot all die because of one rat.”
“……”
“Since the subject has come up, I will say this directly to that rat.”
Jegal Mun-ho smiled.
The smile was so chilling that even Deung Cheon-gyo, known for his fiery temper, felt a shiver run down his spine.
“Do not act recklessly.”
Jegal Mun-ho’s tone was languid.
“Even if you ignite fear in the hearts of the Central Plains people by revealing the unknown terror of the Three Sects, you will gain nothing but hollow glory. Stay exactly where you are. We will not create a battlefield for you here.”
“……”
“I will come for you soon, so prepare your chains quietly. If you surrender of your own accord, I will do my utmost to persuade the elders to spare your life.”
Jegal Mun-ho bowed his head.
“That concludes the meeting. Thank you for your time.”