Signs of Collapse (5)
The silence stretched on.
“……Is this true?”
“It is.”
Songha Sinni let out a long sigh.
“At least, that is what I know.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened. Her reaction was calmer than he had expected. In contrast, Hwang Seok-tae stared at her with a face full of shock.
“N-no matter what, that’s……”
The information was so shocking that even Hwang Seok-tae was stumbling over his words.
Songha Sinni spoke in a gloomy voice.
“I didn’t believe it at first either. I thought it was nonsense.”
“……”
“But now that I think about it… perhaps I was simply turning a blind eye because I didn’t want to believe it.”
Surprisingly, Hwang Seok-tae felt he could understand Songha Sinni’s feelings.
This went beyond the divide between the righteous and the dark factions. Anyone in the world, faced with such a situation, would begin with disbelief.
Songha Sinni, biting her lip, spoke urgently.
“You must never reveal this to the outside world! Several respected elders of Sichuan are already involved in this! I may not know much about the world, but I can imagine the horrific things they would do to keep this secret……!”
“It’s alright.”
Yeon Hojeong raised his hand, cutting her off.
“You have entrusted me—a benefactor—with a secret you were willing to protect with your life. And I am not such a fool that I fail to understand the weight of your words.”
“……”
“I can only thank you.”
“The problem is,” Yeon Hojeong said, his eyes gleaming, “do the various seat holders know about this?”
Songha Sinni bit her lip again.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know when this began. Naturally, I believe the seat holders are unaware, but……”
She could not say for certain.
Though she had virtually no experience in the jianghu, Songha Sinni was at least a cautious person. Her heart felt as if it were being torn apart, yet she had not discarded her suspicions simply because of personal ties.
Yeon Hojeong fell into thought for a moment.
If this is truly the case…
The great sects of Sichuan—parts of the Tang Family, Qingcheng, and Emei—had stepped into a deadly swamp.
It was a truly shocking development. However, Yeon Hojeong found it difficult to believe that their seat holders were aware of this.
First of all, the Tang Family Head probably doesn’t know.
It wasn’t because he had grown close to Dang Gwan.
The Sichuan Tang Family boasted a ruthlessness on a different level from other sects. The Yeon Family was also strict with its family laws, but the Tang Family went beyond strictness and sometimes displayed outright cruelty.
In other words, to become the head of the Tang Family, one needed an iron will capable of enduring that ruthlessness and cruelty, as well as absolute power.
Otherwise, why would Dang Gwan call himself the King of Sichuan? Even with Qingcheng and Emei possessing similar strength, the fact that he claimed the title of king showed just how much confidence he had.
If Dang Gwan had known about this, he would not have come outside until he had completely reorganized his family.
Moreover, if he too had been ensnared by the ‘swamp’ Songha Sinni mentioned, the Martial Alliance would have fallen into chaos long ago.
By the same logic, Bok-ho Satae, the head of the Emei Sect, most likely did not know either.
Then what about Qingcheng?
Pung-byeok-ja.
Pung-byeok-ja had been a spy dispatched by the Three Sects.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes grew coldly sunken.
Pung-byeok-ja is dead, but if these words are true, then he too must have been entangled in this from long ago.
Thinking of Pung-byeok-ja, Yeon Hojeong soon shook his head.
“Whatever the case, everything is still mere speculation. Until we investigate properly, we cannot be certain.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind.”
Yeon Hojeong rose from his seat.
“Leave this matter to us.”
Songha Sinni spoke in surprise.
“D-didn’t you say you would keep the secret?”
“Do not worry about the secret being leaked. I will not tell those I consider enemies.”
“……?!”
“If it were simply a matter of wanting to hide it, that would be one thing. But if you want to resolve it, then we must find a way.”
“That is true, but……”
Confusion settled over Songha Sinni’s face.
“Just what method could possibly resolve something like this… and everyone around me is……”
“This is not only your problem. It is a problem for all of us.”
“……!”
“Do not worry and trust me. After all, I came here to clear away the clouds hanging over Sichuan.”
Yeon Hojeong turned to Hwang Seok-tae.
“Stand guard for a while.”
“Are you thinking of going there?”
“I believe it would be fine to go, but right now I think caution should take precedence over recklessness.”
“I agree.”
Yeon Hojeong handed the iron spear to Hwang Seok-tae.
“I’ll clean up the surroundings first and return. Once things are roughly settled, escort Sinni to my room.”
Hwang Seok-tae nodded.
“Go without worry.”
“Understood.”
Songha Sinni asked urgently.
“Clean up the surroundings? What do you mean by that?”
“While following you, I realized something. Several people were watching you. Of course, it was only for an instant, but I counted roughly six or seven.”
“……?!”
“Take off your outer robe.”
“Pardon?”
“I said give me your outer robe and bamboo hat.”
Songha Sinni dazedly removed her outer robe and bamboo hat and handed them to Yeon Hojeong.
Yeon Hojeong put on her outer robe and wore the bamboo hat.
There was a difference in height and frame, but Yeon Hojeong had never possessed an especially large build to begin with. Though his body was packed with muscles compressed to the limit, his frame itself was on the slender side.
Yeon Hojeong drew his axe and cut his hair.
Slice!
Hair fell in clumps. The long hair that had reached down his back was now short.
Songha Sinni’s eyes shook with bewilderment.
“W-why are you cutting your hair……?”
Yeon Hojeong silently put on the bamboo hat. It was large and thick enough to completely cover his shortened hair.
That wasn’t all. He even entrusted the Black Dragon Axe and White Dragon Axe to Hwang Seok-tae.
“I’ll be back.”
Swish.
With those words, Yeon Hojeong vanished from sight.
“W-what is……?”
She had no idea what was happening. Songha Sinni stared blankly at the street.
At that moment, Hwang Seok-tae spoke.
“Don’t worry about that man. Focus on circulating your energy to treat your internal injuries.”
“But… this matter is far too dangerous.”
“No matter how dangerous this is, could it be more dangerous than infiltrating the Black Dragon Department as a spy?”
“……”
“That man is the one who accomplished that. Especially when it comes to this kind of covert struggle, he is an expert. There is no need to worry at all.”
Songha Sinni’s mouth fell open.
Hwang Seok-tae unknowingly let out a small chuckle.
“Still, to leave even his axes behind… that’s some incredible confidence.”
The streets were still bustling with noise.
Midnight was still far off, but even if it passed, it seemed this vitality would not fade.
Inns and restaurants lined both sides of the street. Beyond the alleys lay the red-light district, and there were shops selling simple snacks, fabric stores, and places selling leather shoes.
It was a lively street.
Truly…
With the bamboo hat pressed low over his head, Yeon Hojeong walked through the streets with a complicated heart.
This surpasses imagination. If Songha Sinni’s words are true…
Yeon Hojeong knew all too well how horrific the things people could do to lead a war to complete victory.
Some people say that such inhuman and immoral acts must not be committed. That even war has its principles.
Nonsense.
Those who have never experienced war always speak of the bare minimum.
But the moment war becomes reality and falls before their eyes, no one speaks of the bare minimum anymore. The word “minimum” they once shouted instantly changes into “by any means necessary.”
For the sake of survival. For the sake of their homeland.
And for the sake of the future.
The reasons vary. What matters is that the stronger the desire attached to each reason, the more unimaginably horrific the things humans can do.
It had been that way with the Three Sects in the past, with the Martial Alliance, and with the Black Emperor Citadel as well. When dealing mercilessly with enemies, there was no distinction between black and white, nor between righteous and demonic.
However.
I never thought they would go this far.
The corners of Yeon Hojeong’s eyes trembled slightly.
He had never expected anything from the Three Sects. He considered them invaders who should be killed before they could attack.
Moreover, he had suffered their viciousness for many years. That was why he felt no guilt when killing members of the Three Sects.
Yet at least in his previous life, they had not committed such sticky and vicious acts. At least, not as far as Yeon Hojeong knew.
In a way, it is truly an effective method.
The more a wartime strategy lacks morality, the more horrific and effective its results become.
Right now, the Three Sects were attacking Sichuan with schemes deeper, more vicious, and more lethal than before.
Damn it. We’ve been counterattacked instead.
Yeon Hojeong realized how they had been able to use such tricks and how those tricks had so quickly ensnared the leadership of the great sects.
We tried to hide the existence of the Three Sects as much as possible. Because if their existence became known to the world, it would cause great chaos. We thought the time to inform the world about them would be when the majority of the murim was ready to unite as one.
He still thought that way. It was difficult, but even if everyone’s hearts were united, stopping the enemy would not be easy.
Yet the enemy had driven a wedge into that gap.
Corrupting the leadership of the great sects… impressive. If the entire Central Plains had known about the Three Sects, they would never have used this method. It would deal a serious blow to their morality. It is a method that would cause huge problems during the occupation after victory.
It was then.
Yeon Hojeong did not miss the single strand of sinister gaze directed at him.
Swish.
Yeon Hojeong, who had been buried in the crowd, moved behind a merchant selling leather shoes in an instant.
Crack!
He snapped the man’s neck in one motion and crumpled the corpse under the table.
The street remained noisy. No one noticed that the merchant had died.
Yeon Hojeong brushed off his hands.
The man had cultivated inner energy. And it was assassination arts at that.
He naturally blended back into the crowd.
But we still have not revealed the existence of the Three Sects. Although more people know about them than before, the majority still remain unaware. That is why they were able to slip through the gap.
Yeon Hojeong let out a sigh.
Swish.
Once again blending into the crowd, he appeared atop the roof of a tall restaurant building.
On the roof, a masked man was looking down at the street. The way he kept turning his head suggested he was searching for Yeon Hojeong, who was dressed in Songha Sinni’s clothes.
Yeon Hojeong’s hand grabbed the masked man by the back of the neck.
Crunch!
The masked man bit his tongue and collapsed.
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong descended to the street in an instant and once again disappeared into the crowd.
Even if we later announce that the Three Sects did such things, the depth of credibility will be different. It might incite people, but in the grand picture of war, it cannot be considered that important. By then, everyone will already be drawing their blades and fighting.
Yeon Hojeong smiled bitterly.
This is astounding. I don’t know whose head this plan came from, but they’ve landed a solid blow.
Swish.
Yeon Hojeong stopped walking.
Tang Family Head.
Dang Gwan came to mind.
The man who, in his days as the Black Dark Emperor, had driven a hidden weapon into his chest.
And in this era, the giant of Sichuan who had changed into an incredibly humane person.
I hope you do not fall.
It was then.
“You are not Songha.”
Yeon Hojeong looked straight ahead.
At a certain street corner where people were passing by, a middle-aged woman was glaring at him.
“Who are you?”
Yeon Hojeong smiled bitterly.
“I’m an empty-headed woodcutter, you damn bastards.”