The Time of Endurance (4)
“......”
Jegal Mun-ho’s voice remained utterly calm. “According to the report from the head of the Medical Pavilion, there will be no further casualties.”
Those who heard him understood the truth behind the even tone. They knew how deeply grief-stricken he was, how he was suppressing a mountain of rage through superhuman self-control.
“With that, we conclude the second casualty report. Next, I will brief you on the material damage sustained within the Martial Alliance.”
Jegal Mun-ho proceeded to deliver a meticulous account of the explosion site, the cost of repairs, the projected timeline, and every related detail.
Suppressing his boiling fury to deliver such a cold, precise analysis was no ordinary feat of mental fortitude. It was a clear testament to Jegal Mun-ho’s remarkable caliber.
“That concludes the damage assessment.”
Gong Gong Dae-sa, who had kept his eyes closed throughout, finally spoke.
“You said the spy was Pung-byeok-ja?”
“That is correct.”
The atmosphere inside the conference hall grew even heavier.
Normally reserved for the Guardians alone, the chamber was now packed. Elders from the other Nine Great Sects, along with representatives from smaller factions, had all gathered to hear Jegal Mun-ho’s report.
“Pung-byeok-ja… Pung-byeok-ja, of all people…”
Gong Gong Dae-sa let out a heavy sigh. “How could this be? He was never without his eccentricities, yet he also possessed a rare warmth of character. As the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, he carried himself with proper dignity and demonstrated genuine skill. That such a man could be a spy… I could never have imagined it.”
The entire assembly remained silent.
Bok-ho Satae’s expression in particular was one of pure devastation. Had she not shared a long and close friendship with Pung-byeok-ja? She had never harbored even the slightest suspicion that he might be working for the Three Sects.
Jegal Mun-ho continued, “Allow me to address that point directly. I speak now out of concern that the Guardians and Elders might feel uneasy, so please refrain from calling me cold-hearted until after the meeting has concluded.”
“……”
“The investigation has confirmed that there are no additional spies. Among us, Pung-byeok-ja was the sole traitor, though he was supported by a handler and a contact.”
There had been no need to use the word “cold-hearted” in such an official setting. Yet Jegal Mun-ho had chosen it deliberately to soothe the nerves of the leadership. The situation was simply that shocking to everyone present.
“There is one more matter I must disclose. I deliberately omitted this name from the casualty list, but those of you gathered here should know the truth.”
“……”
“As you may have anticipated… Yong-hwa Jinin did not survive the explosion.”
Sighs rippled across the room.
The blast had been powerful enough to obliterate an entire building in the punishment ward. Moreover, Yong-hwa Jinin’s internal energy had been sealed at the time. No matter how vigorously the purple mist qi had flowed through his body, he could not possibly have endured such a cataclysm.
Jegal Mun-ho lowered his head.
“While the goal was to capture the spy, the measures taken were undeniably extreme. In this world, no one deserves to die without reason, and Yong-hwa Jinin was certainly not someone who should have met such an end.”
“……”
“This sin is mine alone. Please rebuke this unworthy strategist.”
Once again, the hall fell into heavy silence.
In a sense, Yong-hwa Jinin had died because of Jegal Mun-ho and Yeon Hojeong. Had they not pushed the situation to such an extreme, the man would not have perished.
Yet using that as grounds to condemn Jegal Mun-ho was difficult. The threat posed by the Three Sects and their spies was simply too great.
He could be disciplined for procedural overreach during the spy purge. But to force his resignation or imprison him in the dungeon would be excessive.
Seunghyeon Jinin broke the silence.
“Strategist.”
“Yes, Jinin.”
“You suspected three of the Guardians. Myself, Bok-ho Satae, and Pung-byeok-ja.”
“I did.”
“I believe I carried out my duties with sincerity, yet being suspected as a spy left a rather foul taste in my mouth.”
“I understand.”
He acknowledged the feeling but offered no apology. In his view, this was not something that required one.
Surprisingly, that very attitude seemed to satisfy Seunghyeon Jinin.
“Why have we gathered here? The reason may sound grandiose, but ultimately, are we not assembled for the peace and safety of the world?”
“……”
“To achieve such a goal, how can we insist on using only clean methods? When the line is not crossed, there are times when more forceful measures become necessary.”
Namgoong In, who had remained quiet, now spoke.
“I agree in principle, yet the matter of Yong-hwa Jinin’s death seems to have gone beyond mere forcefulness.”
Several sect leaders nodded in agreement.
Regardless of Namgoong In’s personal motives, the point was valid. These people were simply not accustomed to such unilateral, heavy-handed actions.
Seunghyeon Jinin nodded.
“Indeed. This incident clearly crossed the line.”
“Even if punishment is not warranted, perhaps some restriction of authority…”
“Were this not a time of war, I would agree with that assessment.”
“……?!”
All eyes turned to Seunghyeon Jinin in confusion.
He let out a long sigh.
“I will speak honestly. When the strategist claimed there was a spy among us, and again when he suggested sending the Grand Young Master of the Yeon family to the Black Dragon Department, I did not fully accept his words. I confess I even thought him overly anxious.”
“……”
“But after experiencing this crisis, my thinking has changed.”
Seunghyeon Jinin swept his gaze across the assembly.
“This is war.”
Several people swallowed hard.
These words came from the leader of the Wudang Sect, a pillar alongside Shaolin that stood as one of the Two Great Mountains of the orthodox world. Their weight was immense.
“The enemy has been waging war against us. We simply failed to notice. Even after learning of the spy’s existence, we did not prepare for war. We refused to properly heed the words of those who saw the situation clearly, and instead busied ourselves with condemning the use of extreme measures.”
Namgoong In spoke cautiously.
“However, Seunghyeon Jinin, the strategist’s unilateral decision should have at least been discussed with the Guardians present before—”
“Would such a discussion have succeeded? We did not even believe in the existence of a spy. We treated the unprecedented threat of the Three Sects as some vague problem. Do you truly believe the strategist’s persuasion would have worked on us?”
“Your words are not wrong, yet they are somewhat harsh. The people here are not fools. Furthermore, the role of strategist is not to act alone when persuasion fails, but to find solutions by any means necessary.”
“And must that person bear the burden of finding those solutions in solitude? Why does a strategist even exist? Are we nothing more than fledglings waiting to be fed the results of his labor?”
Namgoong In fell silent.
If they began splitting hairs, the debate could last three days and nights. But doing so would only make him appear petty. Especially when the person speaking was Seunghyeon Jinin, who had himself been under suspicion.
Pressing the issue further would only paint him as someone too blind to see the larger picture.
“Even without the threat of the Three Sects, we should be supporting the strategist. Not only him. We must help one another and guide the Martial Alliance toward a better future. Yet now, with a clear enemy before us, instead of helping each other we have divided into factions and done nothing but tear one another down. I would not be surprised if some among us have used their positions as Guardians or Elders to pursue personal gain.”
Seunghyeon Jinin had never done such a thing.
Yet several people flushed with embarrassment at his words. They understood his true meaning and recognized that he was criticizing those who had focused on the wrong priorities.
“Do not think that by saying this, this old Daoist is defending the strategist. His actions were clearly wrong. However, I am saying that the reason he was forced to take such actions lies with us.”
Seunghyeon Jinin’s voice was grave and filled with genuine appeal.
“Yong-hwa Jinin’s death, and the countless casualties that resulted, are not sins that belong to the strategist alone. They belong to every one of us.”
“……”
“We who refused to listen properly, who refused to see clearly, share the same guilt as the strategist. That is what I believe.”
Seunghyeon Jinin turned to Bok-ho Satae.
“Bok-ho Satae.”
“……”
“Please speak.”
“Is what this person said wrong?”
Bok-ho Satae let out a deep sigh.
“It is not wrong. Not at all. No matter how much of a retired elder one might be, if they had truly seen the situation for what it was, they would not have simply sat still until their backsides grew numb. It seems that even our eyes and ears have grown as dull as those of the elderly.”
She was still reeling from the shocking revelation that her closest friend, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, had been a spy. Perhaps because of that, her words carried unusual depth.
Bok-ho Satae looked at Jegal Mun-ho.
“Strategist.”
“Please speak.”
“I have no desire to debate your methods. Do you know why?”
“……”
“Because only now, at this very moment, have I fully accepted the fact that we are at war.”
A chill ran down every spine.
The sorrow-laden weight of Bok-ho Satae’s words sent shivers through everyone present.
“The enemy is throwing everything they have at the Central Plains. They seek to seize the imperial palace as well, do they not? They even tried to manipulate the master of the Black Dragon Department. And they managed to turn one of the Guardians into their spy.”
“……”
“This is war. A grim war that will not end until one side is destroyed. In the midst of that war, only the strategist and the Grand Young Master recognized the severity of the situation and took action. While receiving no recognition, in a place that offered no glory, they silently did everything in their power.”
Bok-ho Satae looked around the room. Her eyes were bloodshot.
“I say this clearly. If you wish to hold the strategist accountable for Yong-hwa Jinin’s death, then hold me accountable as well. I ask that you expel this incompetent old woman who failed to recognize that her longtime friend was a spy.”
The atmosphere grew somber.
Seunghyeon Jinin’s words had carried power, but Bok-ho Satae’s cut straight into everyone’s hearts. Everyone knew how close she had been to the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, which only made her sincerity more piercing.
Namgoong In spoke again.
“May I offer a word?”
“Please do.”
“After hearing both Seunghyeon Jinin and Bok-ho Satae, I realize I may have viewed the situation too myopically.”
“There is no need to say that. The Namgoong Family Head’s perspective also holds merit.”
“I am grateful you see it that way, but regardless, what matters now is preventing any recurrence of this tragedy. At the same time, we cannot simply pretend the incident never happened.”
Namgoong In sighed.
“No matter who takes responsibility, we cannot simply let the matter of Yong-hwa Jinin pass. If the Mount Hua Sect rises up in response, even the Martial Alliance will find itself in a difficult position.”
Jegal Mun-ho said, “I will go to the Mount Hua Sect myself.”
Everyone looked at him in surprise.
“As the Namgoong Family Head stated, this cannot simply be overlooked. Regardless of the process, someone must take responsibility, and it is only right that the one who led this operation bears it.”
Jegal Mun-ho bowed his head.
“I will clearly take responsibility for Yong-hwa Jinin’s death.”
At that moment, Gong Gong Dae-sa spoke.
“Regarding that matter, this old monk has something to say.”
“Yes?”
Gong Gong Dae-sa called toward the door of the conference room.
“You may enter.”
A moment later, the door opened and a figure appeared.
“This one greets the esteemed leaders of the Martial Alliance.”
A middle-aged Daoist with sharp features spoke in a calm tone.
“I am called Yong-seon of the Mount Hua Sect.”