Fragment (4)
The one who reacted with surprising vehemence was Seunghyeon Jinin.
“What did you just say?!”
Jegal Mun-ho looked at him and spoke calmly.
“I expected you would find it startling.”
“Military Advisor. Is this true?”
“It is. He himself wished for it, and I see no harm in the arrangement.”
“No—after everything he has endured, what more would you have him do? And the Black Dragon Department, of all places? For what possible reason would you send him there?”
“It is not to fight or to test reactions.”
“Then?”
“I believe he should serve as a temporary bridge between the Martial Alliance and the Black Dragon Department.”
“……”
“A bridge?”
“Precisely. I propose sending Lord Yeon Hojeong to remain at the side of the Black Dragon Department’s Lord for a time.”
Bang!
Deung Cheon-gyo slammed his fist on the table.
“I must have misheard. Speak again.”
“I intend to dispatch Lord Yeon to the Black Dragon Department.”
“Dispatch?”
“Yes.”
“You said dispatch? To the Black Dragon Department—the very heart of the dark factions—not as infiltration, but as an official dispatch?”
“Correct.”
“Not to slit the throats of their leadership? Not to sow chaos among them? You mean to send him simply to build a bridge between our Alliance and those bastards?”
“You understand perfectly.”
“Have you lost your mind?!” Deung Cheon-gyo roared.
Jegal Mun-ho tilted his head slightly, as if puzzled.
“I anticipated surprise, but not quite this level of outrage. Was my choice of words inappropriate?”
“Inappropriate? You’ve gone completely off the rails! Do you truly not understand what kind of organization the Black Dragon Department is?!”
“I understand it very well. It is the alliance that the King of Combat, Yang Cheon—the strongest expert of the dark path—formed by uniting the scattered dark factions.”
“That is hardly all there is to it!”
“Indeed. It is a dangerous organization. Yang Cheon himself needs no explanation, and many powerful experts have gathered under his absolute martial prowess and influence.”
“That is precisely why you once insisted we must keep the Black Dragon Department in check!”
“I did. We even infiltrated spies, including Lord Yeon and several other experts, as part of a special operation.”
“The Black Dragon Department is an organization that can never coexist with us! And now you want to send someone not as a spy, but as an official dispatch? Is that even sane?!”
Jegal Mun-ho did not rise to the provocation. Instead, he scanned the room.
“Do the rest of you share Guardian Deung’s perspective?”
No one answered, but the majority of the Guardians wore deeply uncomfortable expressions.
It was only natural. This was not a matter of wisdom or insight.
The white path and the dark path could not coexist.
No matter how differently the Black Dragon Department had been behaving lately, the history between the orthodox Martial Alliance and the dark alliance known as the Black Dragon Department was simply too bloody for them to dream of a shining future together.
They were the kind of opponent who might stab you in the back at any moment. That was what the Guardians believed. And any orthodox martial artist would likely think the same.
The dark path felt no differently. They mocked the white path’s experts as nothing more than scheming, honorless scholars.
They lived in completely different worlds. No matter how brilliant one’s mind, the mutual hostility ran so deep that neither side wished to employ that intelligence toward cooperation.
Bok-ho Satae spoke carefully.
“The Military Advisor must have his reasons.”
“Indeed. I would not have called this meeting without them. I know all of you are busy.”
“Even so, the words you used strike like a thorn in the chest. A dispatch. A bridge. It sounds as though you are suggesting the Martial Alliance and the Black Dragon Department are no longer enemies, but allies.”
Yong-hwa Jinin cut in with a sharp voice.
“That must never happen. An alliance with those dark path dogs? You know better than anyone, Military Advisor. The commander of the Righteous Army is an exceptionally capable man. To dispatch such a person to the Black Dragon Department? What organization in the world sends someone of legion-commander rank into enemy territory?”
Though the number of soldiers under his direct command was only slightly over five hundred, Yeon Hojeong’s actual status was comparable to that of a legion commander.
In other words, he was the equivalent of a special forces general. The Righteous Army he led had more than earned that evaluation.
At Yong-hwa Jinin’s words, the other Guardians began throwing in their own opinions.
“He is not wrong.”
“Any friendship with the Black Dragon Department must be handled with extreme caution.”
“This is madness! Those bastards will definitely stab us in the back!”
“We all respect your abilities, Military Advisor… but this seems far too reckless.”
Jegal Mun-ho listened to them in silence.
He turned to Gong Gong Dae-sa.
“Abbot, do you have nothing to say?”
The Shaolin abbot gazed at Jegal Mun-ho with profound, unreadable eyes. Though impossible to decipher, those clear eyes were distinctly different from the others’.
“I wish only to hear the Military Advisor’s thoughts.”
“Very well. Then I shall speak plainly.”
Jegal Mun-ho looked at Yong-hwa Jinin.
“You said we must not join hands with the Black Dragon Department, correct?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
“You did.”
“What?!”
“We must join hands with the Black Dragon Department. No—we have no choice but to do so.”
“Military Advisor—!”
“On the contrary, I find it strange that all of you are so shocked. Did I not mention this before? That depending on the situation, we may need to form a temporary pact of friendship with the Black Dragon Department.”
He had indeed said those words.
Yet more than half the Guardians, though they had not voiced it aloud, had believed such a thing would never happen—and must never be allowed to happen.
An alliance between the white path and the dark path?
They had been at war for hundreds of years—longer, if one counted the conflicts that came before. Of course, there had been a few instances of temporary cooperation during turbulent times, but most of those alliances had been shattered by schemes from the dark path.
It was only natural not to trust them. Every Guardian present had fought against villains of the dark path during their younger days wandering the Jianghu.
Revulsion was inevitable.
“I understand. Your hearts are troubled. You may not believe me, but I feel similarly. However…”
Jegal Mun-ho’s face was as rigid as a mask.
“If we sit idle and watch the world burn for the sake of face, future threats, anger, or hatred, then that is what contradicts the spirit of righteousness. Because while we may die with honor, the powerless common people cannot afford to.”
It was the kind of rhetoric that left no room for argument. Even the hot-tempered Deung Cheon-gyo and the previously vocal Yong-hwa Jinin fell silent.
“You must see the situation clearly. We are facing groups with no precedent in the history of the martial world. If even one of them makes a move, the Martial Alliance could be annihilated. And there are three such groups.”
“……”
“A temporary alliance with the Black Dragon Department is inevitable. Without borrowing their strength… no, even if we borrow their lives and their resolve, this will not be an easy fight.”
Jegal Mun-ho lowered his head.
“I implore you. Please think of the powerless people who will burn and disappear in the flames. It may be unpleasant and infuriating, but I ask that you understand deep in your hearts that this is a situation where we must combine our strength.”
A brief silence fell.
Namgoong In, the patriarch of the Namgoong Family who had remained quiet until now, spoke.
“I understand what the Military Advisor is saying. However, there are points that must be addressed.”
“Please speak.”
“Yang Cheon is a dangerous man. I acknowledge that among those from the dark path, he is one who can rightly be called a hero. Yet in the end, he is still a beast that will tear out flesh the moment it sees a throat.”
“I agree.”
“I support a temporary pact of friendship. At least, I do. But if we cannot closely observe the King of Combat Yang Cheon’s reaction, then such a pact would be perilous. That is my view.”
Jegal Mun-ho smiled.
“You have spoken wisely.”
“In other words, from what I see…”
“That is why we must dispatch Lord Yeon.”
Namgoong In frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Because the King of Combat, the Lord of the Black Dragon Department, looks upon Yeon Hojeong with great favor.”
“……?!”
What was this nonsense?
Seeing the Guardians’ faces filled with disbelief, Jegal Mun-ho realized the time had finally come.
The moment had arrived to reveal one of the secrets that only he, Yeon Hojeong, and Yeon Wi had known until now.
“In truth, the Lord of the Black Dragon Department covets Lord Yeon Hojeong.”
Jegal Mun-ho recounted the events that had occurred between Yeon Hojeong and Yang Cheon.
Of course, he was careful not to provoke the Guardians’ emotions. Though it had been hidden until now, it was ultimately a rather trivial matter. If he spoke of it as though it were some grand secret, it would only cause unnecessary discord.
“In short,” Bok-ho Satae said, looking dazed, “from the moment he infiltrated as a spy, Lord Yang took a liking to Lord Yeon. And even when they met again, he could not let go of his attachment, to the point of sparring with him in hopes of making him a subordinate?”
“You see it exactly. As you all know, Lord Yang’s judgment is second to none. Perhaps it is only natural. Coveting a talent like Lord Yeon may simply be what any leader of the Jianghu would do.”
Deung Cheon-gyo spoke with clear mockery.
“He is the greatest genius of the younger generation, after all. How could he not?”
“Precisely.”
“Have you not considered this, Military Advisor? That because he is such a talent, he is all the more dangerous.”
“What do you mean?”
“A beauty knows she is beautiful. A genius knows he is exceptional.”
Deung Cheon-gyo continued in a cutting tone.
“So what will you do if Lord Yeon truly ends up falling to Lord Yang’s side?”
The atmosphere in the conference room froze instantly.
Deung Cheon-gyo had a true talent for saying the most sensitive things. Even Yeon Wi, who had been listening with an unchanging expression, now wore a noticeably hardened face.
Seunghyeon Jinin spoke.
“Guardian Deung, your words go too far. Lord Yeon Hojeong’s character is as pure and clean as his martial arts.”
“One may see ten feet into the water, but not even one foot into a person’s heart. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”
“Guardian Deung.”
It was then.
Jegal Mun-ho smiled and said,
“Then why don’t we test him this time?”
“What are you saying?”
“I will send Lord Yeon to each of the Guardians here, one by one, according to a schedule.”
“What?!”
All the Guardians were visibly shocked.
“Are you worried about Lord Yeon’s martial integrity? Then test him. Do you doubt his ideology? Then speak with him.”
The look in Jegal Mun-ho’s eyes as he gazed at the Guardians was as cold as the north wind, completely at odds with his gentle tone.
“Tell me what impression Lord Yeon leaves on you. We will compile all your opinions and decide whether to approve this operation.”
Deung Cheon-gyo spoke hastily.
“What is this…”
“We shall begin,” Jegal Mun-ho said, looking directly at Deung Cheon-gyo.
For a moment, Deung Cheon-gyo felt overwhelmed by the sharp gaze of the Martial Alliance’s Military Advisor.
“It would be best if Guardian Deung Cheon-gyo, the sect leader of the Kongtong Sect, goes first.”