Chapter 193: Revealed Secret History-2
Chapter 193: Revealed Secret History-2
"It seems that Mo Yong-geom, who was then the second-in-command of the Murim Alliance, was deeply jealous of Alliance Leader Cheon Gi-gang. And before he even orchestrated the Emperor's Tomb Blood Incident, Blood Demon Jeon Mu-gwang had already made contact with that Mo Yong-geom, as well as with Jegal Ji-gang—who at the time had been suppressed by the Sama Family and failed to become the Alliance's military advisor."
Blood Demon Jeon Mu-gwang was truly a man of remarkable wisdom.
Long before he caused the Emperor's Tomb Blood Incident and seized Yunnan Province, he had already anticipated that the Murim Alliance's expeditionary force would come, and had planted the seeds of internal strife within them beforehand.
The Black Blood Illusion Demon Du Dang had said as much.
When Blood Demon Jeon Mu-gwang secretly met the current Alliance Leader Mo Yong-geom and the current Military Advisor Jegal Ji-gang at that place, he had planted suggestions in their minds without them ever noticing.
And so, Mo Yong-geom and Jegal Ji-gang had no choice but to move in the direction the Blood Demon desired, all without realizing it themselves.
Du Dang had said:
The suggestion the Blood Demon planted in Mo Yong-geom was 'arrogance,' and the suggestion he planted in Jegal Ji-gang was 'ambition.'
Those were, without a doubt, the very words that best explained the current conduct of Mo Yong-geom and Jegal Ji-gang.
"Perhaps because of that, though I cannot say for certain, the two men became blinded by ambition and decided to strike a deal with the Blood Demon. They agreed that during the Great Blood War, they would eliminate Alliance Leader Cheon Gi-gang and the then-Military Advisor Sama Jung-son together with the Blood Demon, and seize full authority over the Murim Alliance themselves."
Faced with such shockingly devastating facts heard so abruptly, Je Un Swordmaster Byeok Ri-jung asked with a stammer.
"Th-then, if that account is true, does it mean that Mo Yong-geom had already agreed to cede Yunnan Province to the Blood Demon back then? That everything happening now was already predetermined?"
Seonwoo Jin shook his head at that question.
"It seems it did not go quite that far. Perhaps because of that suggestion, Mo Yong-geom—who was then the Sword Saint—must have had his own confidence. Confidence, that is, that once he dealt with Cheon Gi-gang, he could thoroughly crush the likes of the Blood Cult with his own strength alone. But that was, in the end, nothing more than his 'arrogance.' Because Mo Yong-geom, who attacked the Blood Demon immediately after Cheon Gi-gang's death, suffered a crushing defeat at the Blood Demon's hands."
At that, Dang Yeoeun, her complexion having turned pale, asked urgently.
"Th-then, does that mean that our Dang Clan, which participated in that expedition together back then, was also an accomplice to that scheme?! That we have known this truth all along and have kept silent about it?!"
Seonwoo Jin gazed at her with eyes full of regret for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. That confrontation was an event attended by only a small number of observers on both sides, so the Tang Family Head would not be privy to that much. The observers at that time were, on the Murim Alliance side, the current Alliance Leader Mo Yong-geom, the then-Military Advisor Sama Jung-son, and the current Military Advisor Jegal Ji-gang—only those three. On the Blood Cult side, only the Five Demons of the Blood Cult were present. Among them, Sama Jung-son did not return from that place alive, so in the end, the only people who know that truth are the Alliance Leader, the Military Advisor, and the Five Demons of the Blood Cult."
"Haaa, I see."
Dang Yeoeun let out a sigh of relief.
That was because she felt that if her own family had also been complicit in that affair, she would not have been able to bear the weight of that guilt.
But Seonwoo Jin's words were not yet finished.
"However, even if they knew nothing of that matter, they are indeed accomplices to everything that followed."
"...Excuse me?"
Seonwoo Jin continued speaking with a heavy expression.
"After suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the Blood Demon and returning with the new suggestion of 'fear' planted in them, Mo Yong-geom and Jegal Ji-gang together persuaded the members of the Sichuan Dang Clan, the Ami Sect, and the Mount Qingcheng Sect who had come with the expeditionary force. They said that although the Alliance Leader had died, the Blood Demon had also been wounded, so for now, they themselves had driven him into retreat. And so, they had secured his promise not to come out of Yunnan Province, and they proposed that everyone withdraw at this point."
At those words, the faces of everyone listening briefly showed puzzlement, and then slowly, gradually, began to turn pale.
At that time, the members of the Sichuan Dang Clan and the Mount Qingcheng Sect had, for the most part, returned safely. And that was why their influence remained strong even now.
But at that time, the Ami Sect had not a single member return; they had been completely annihilated.
And because of that event, they had completely lost their former prestige and had been in continuous decline ever since.
A horrifying conjecture was forming in the minds of those who now understood the situation.
Dang Yeoeun asked with a face drained white.
"Th-then, don't tell me?"
"Yes, at that time, the members of the Sichuan Dang Clan and the Mount Qingcheng Sect agreed to do just that. But the Ami Sect would never tolerate retreat."
The Ami Sect Leader, Gyeol-heo Satae, who had hated the Blood Cult more than anyone else, had insisted upon their total annihilation to the very end.
Whereupon, Mo Yong-geom and Jegal Ji-gang of that time goaded the Ami Sect, saying that if they truly wished to continue fighting, they should try pursuing the Blood Demon themselves.
Saying that since the Blood Demon was already grievously wounded, with any luck, they just might be able to capture him.
And so, Gyeol-heo Satae, the then-leader of the Ami Sect, denounced the people of the other sects who hesitated to fight the Blood Cult, and led her sect disciples in a solo pursuit of the Blood Demon.
And in the end, not a single one of them returned.
"Such..."
"Then that is, in the end..."
For a moment, no one in the room could utter a word.
It was true that the fact that it was the Blood Cult who had annihilated the Ami Sect did not change in itself.
But this story could not help but differ from the known facts as greatly as heaven differed from earth.
Breaking the brief silence, Seonwoo Jin finally spoke.
"Even if they did not directly use their own hands, their actions cannot be condoned. For they goaded the Ami Sect, and by standing by and doing nothing, ultimately brought about their ruin—they are, in every sense, accomplices."
Dang Yeoeun shut her eyes tightly.
Seonwoo Jin's words were correct.
The Sichuan Dang Clan, to which she belonged, had stood by and watched the downfall of the Ami Sect—their own allies who had gathered together to fight the Blood Cult. And afterward, they had taken advantage of the Ami Sect's weakened state to expand their own influence in Sichuan Province.
Under the tacit approval of the Murim Alliance—no, rather, with their covert support.
It was a point that explained why the relationship between the Dang Clan and the Murim Alliance had been so amicable.
And upon learning that fact, Dang Yeoeun's heart felt utterly devastated.
For it was truly a deed so shameless that she could scarcely believe it was an act committed by the Dang Clan, which prided itself on being one of the greatest pillars of the orthodox faction.
Then, Byeok Ri-jung, who had been gazing at her with pitying eyes, abruptly asked Seonwoo Jin.
"Can you be certain of those words? Do you possess any proof?"
At that, Seonwoo Jin shook his head resolutely.
"I have no proof whatsoever. Though I heard this story from a cultist of the Blood Cult, he is already dead. Everything I have said until now could well be a lie."
"Then...?"
"But do we not already know? How the Murim Alliance has maintained the front line ever since Mo Yong-geom became Alliance Leader and Jegal Ji-gang became Military Advisor. They abandoned this place. Even as countless warriors of the front line died at the hands of the demons, they made no attempt to resolve it. On the contrary, they went so far as to kill discharged frontline warriors to control information."
At those words, every member of the Flying Dragon Squad in the room hardened their expressions and bit their lips.
It was a tale that could not help but make fury surge up within them, even though they already knew it.
Seonwoo Jin continued speaking.
"That is not all. To the Ami Sect, which had fallen into ruin from the damage sustained in the Great Blood War, they outwardly feigned support while in fact encouraging internal division and accelerating their collapse. And this time, the Sword Saint Elder, who had been laboring on behalf of the front line's warriors, was attacked by the demon heads of the Blood Cult and ultimately passed away while traveling for a duel officially overseen by the Murim Alliance itself. Even so, if there is anyone who thinks it might not be true because there is no proof, then is that not indeed an unavoidable thing?"
At Seonwoo Jin's words, Byeok Ri-jung could ultimately do nothing but nod his head with a somber face.
Then, White Crane Old Sword Yang Mun-heon murmured as if lamenting.
"'Arrogance' and 'fear'... 'fear' and 'ambition.' No wonder... I, too, had in truth been sensing something amiss. For before the Great Blood War, Mo Yong-geom, though no great man, was a sincere and diligent warrior. Jegal Ji-gang also, though he may have harbored a desire for fame, was not one devoid of principle. I had thought that the reason they became that way was because their positions had changed them... but the Blood Demon had planted truly dangerous seeds. Those seeds grew terrifyingly and swallowed the two men whole."
Yang Mun-heon's words were, in effect, no different from affirming Seonwoo Jin's account.
And now that he—the most experienced and most renowned among them—had acknowledged Seonwoo Jin's words, there was no longer anyone present who would raise doubts as to their truth.
And so, it was just when everyone was standing in stunned bewilderment before this heavy, difficult-to-accept truth.
Bi Sa-yeong, who had already heard this much of the story upon returning from the Emperor's Tomb, abruptly spoke up.
"Now then, since it seems everyone understands the situation, how about we move on to the next topic? What we ought to do going forward. I'm most curious about that, myself."
At that, everyone's eyes lit up once more as they gazed at Seonwoo Jin.
They were gazes filled with the expectation that the Seonwoo Jin they had witnessed until now would surely also possess a solution to this.
And indeed, Seonwoo Jin did not betray their expectations.
He nodded his head and spoke without the slightest hesitation.
"First of all, we need to redefine our enemy. Until now, we have thought of only the Blood Cult as our enemy. We knew that the Murim Alliance's conduct was strange, but even so, we did not consider them an outright enemy."
Having spoken that far, Seonwoo Jin's eyes now flashed fiercely as he declared in a resolute tone.
"However! Now we must regard Mo Yong-geom and Jegal Ji-gang as enemies in the exact same way as the Blood Demon. They have already colluded with the Blood Demon; they will actively obstruct us should we attempt to strike at the Blood Cult; and for the mere fact that we know this hidden history we have just spoken of, they will try to kill us by any means necessary."
At those words, several people involuntarily let out groans.
"Umm..."
"The Murim Alliance... is the enemy?"
It was an account that was difficult to accept emotionally, but realistically, it could not help but be even more bleak and dismaying.
No matter what anyone said, the Murim Alliance was, alongside the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Four Kings Association, one of the three great powers of the current martial world.
Furthermore, within the orthodox faction, they even held the authority to designate their enemies as public enemies of the martial world.
Bi Sa-yeong chuckled hollowly and said.
"This could get nasty. If we're not careful, we might end up branded as public enemies of the martial world and have our entire sects wiped out."
At those words, everyone's faces darkened.
Bi Sa-yeong had said it like a joke, but in truth, it was absolutely no laughing matter.
If the Murim Alliance branded them as public enemies of the martial world, they could spend the rest of their lives hunted by the chivalrous warriors of the orthodox faction.
And more importantly, even their own sects would be placed in danger.
Because of their own status as public enemies, it could lead to a situation where their sects were annihilated.
At that, Seonwoo Jin smiled faintly and spoke.
"Of course, we cannot openly antagonize the Murim Alliance right now. With our current strength, we could not even handle the power of the Blood Cult, let alone the Murim Alliance. So for now, we must first hide in the shadows and build up our strength."
At his words, Cheon Ju-eun's eyes went wide and she asked.
"Hide in the shadows? Do you mean we would slip away from the frontline and conceal ourselves?"
Seonwoo Jin nodded and replied.
"Yes, that is correct."
At that answer, the people's expressions grew somber.
No matter how necessary it was, while their other comrades were still risking their lives fighting on the frontline, abandoning them to slip away alone was something difficult for them to accept as frontline personnel themselves.
But Seonwoo Jin immediately explained the reason why they were now able to do so.
"In this expedition, we completely destroyed the Martial Emperor's Tomb, which had been producing the demonic beings."
For a moment, the people's expressions went blank at those words.
And in the next instant, their eyes widened enormously.
Cheon Ju-eun cried out in shock.
"You destroyed the place producing the demons?! That means, so then, could it be...?"
At that, Seonwoo Jin grinned and nodded.
"Yes, it's correct. That means, at least for a considerable time, the demonic beings will no longer increase in number. From now on, the more demons we kill, the more their numbers will gradually dwindle."
It was news that everyone was hearing for the first time, except those who had gone on the expedition together.
Wearing expressions of astonishment, they hastily clamored to ask questions.
"I-is that really true?!"
"The demons are going to disappear?"
"Th-that can't be...!"
They simply could not believe it.
Was this not saying that the demon attacks, which had driven so many comrades to their deaths until now, would vanish?
They could not bring themselves to believe the fact that this present reality, which had seemed like it would never change, was now changing.
It was then.
Ma Maeng-un, the son of the Strange Doctor of Life and Death Ma Jong-hwan, whose thoughts had raced a step ahead of the others, suddenly cried out with a shocked face.
"Ah, then this frontline?!"
At that, Seonwoo Jin nodded, grinning as if he had been seen through precisely.
"Yes, going forward, the purpose of this frontline will gradually become meaningless. Of course, the demon heads of the Blood Cult will continue to appear, but now that the demons, which were the greatest purpose of the frontline, have vanished, it means there is no longer a need for us to be here."
The frontline was going to disappear....
At those words, the frontline personnel felt a strange sense of emotion.
Seonwoo Jin was effectively saying that this frontline, which had taken the lives of so many comrades until now, would practically vanish.
At the statement that the environment of this place, which had seemed like it would never change, would become completely different, they felt dazed, as if still dreaming, unable to grasp the reality.
But regardless of their feelings, Seonwoo Jin continued speaking.
"So we shall withdraw from this place without lingering attachments. In any case, now that Jegal Ji-gang has arrived as the one in charge of the frontline, he will try to detain or eliminate everyone connected to Miss Cheongyeon. At the smallest scale, it could be the members of the Seventh Squad; at worst, he may try to eliminate the entire Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads. So, to prevent such a thing, let us disappear first. We'll say we ran into the jungle to avenge our comrades."
This was the conclusion Seonwoo Jin had reached.
Though he was worried about Hae Cheong-yeon, still held captive by the Blood Cult, there was no helping it.
He had no way to defeat the Blood Demon, and moreover, he no longer had any idea where she might truly be imprisoned.
According to what Na Seo-yu and Sak Mu-heun had said, the place where the Blood Demon and Hae Cheong-yeon were located seemed to be inside some sect's compound.
But he could not search the insides of every sect in Yunnan Province based on that alone.
Because Na Seo-yu and Sak Mu-heun, who had been injected with demon blood and lost their minds, could not even guess the distance to that place, let alone its location.
So now there was no choice but to fervently pray that she, who had agreed to make a wager with the Blood Demon, would somehow remain safe.
At that moment, Na Seo-yu suddenly asked cautiously, a worried look on her face.
"But even if we leave this place, would there be any location where all of us could build our strength while escaping the eyes of the Murim Alliance? And even if such a place exists, how long would we have to build strength before we could stand against the Murim Alliance?"
At Na Seo-yu's question, Seonwoo Jin suddenly gazed warmly at Dang Yeo-eun's face.
And he continued speaking.
"I have already thought of that as well. During this recent leave that Miss Dang and I took, we happened to gain a truly remarkable master. If it is that person, they will be able to help all of you grow far faster and stronger than training anywhere else under heaven."
Seonwoo Jin intended to send everyone who needed training to the Light Sword Tomb.
He could not know who else might learn the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance from the Light Sword, but since it was a place where time flowed quickly, even if they did not learn it, they would be able to achieve a much greater training effect.
Also, Seonwoo Jin had already handed over the Martial Emperor's secret manual of the Imperial Dragon Formless Energetic Force, which he had obtained from the Martial Emperor's Tomb this time, to Bi Sa-yeong and told him to learn it together with trustworthy people.
Since he had already memorized all its contents and had no need to carry it, and as he was now going to search for the Sword God's True Godly Ultimate Techniques, it was a martial study he no longer strictly needed.
Of course, as the Imperial Dragon Formless Energetic Force was an exceedingly high-level martial art, it would be impossible to master with just the secret manual alone.
But he believed that too would be sufficiently possible if they received aid from the Light Sword.
At that moment, Seol Pung suddenly asked.
"Seeing as you used the word 'all of you,' does that mean you do not intend to go with them?"
At his question, Seonwoo Jin nodded, then first looked at Dang Yeo-eun and White Crane Old Sword Yang Mun-heon and spoke.
"Yes, only the people excluding a few will be going. Firstly, Miss Dang has no particular need to go to that place. She has already learned everything there is to learn there, so it would arguably be better for her to simply continue receiving training here from Elder Yang Mun-heon as she has been."
Dang Yeo-eun had recently been receiving the transmission of White Crane Old Sword Yang Mun-heon's White Crane Sword Technique.
Since there were no other disciples, there was a high probability she would become the White Crane Old Sword's formal successor.
Seonwoo Jin continued speaking.
"Furthermore, Miss Dang is someone who has no direct connection to Miss Cheongyeon. No matter how ruthless Jegal Ji-gang is, he will not carelessly lay a hand on Miss Dang, a direct descendant of the Sichuan Dang Clan. On the contrary, if Miss Dang and Elder Yang were to leave this place, that is precisely when Jegal Ji-gang might attempt something. So, I would like to ask Elder Yang to remain here with Miss Dang and protect the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads. Would you be willing to do this?"
It was a request made with the calculation that as long as Yang Mun-heon, one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, held his ground here, even Jegal Ji-gang would not dare to carelessly touch the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads.
At that, Yang Mun-heon readily laughed and nodded.
"Was my purpose in coming here not to be by Yeo-eun's side in the first place? I shall protect this place, so do not worry too much."
After bowing deeply to express his gratitude for those words, Seonwoo Jin next looked at Seol Pung and spoke.
"Also, to stand against the Murim Alliance, merely raising our individual martial arts will be insufficient. We will need a force we can utilize as well. A powerful force, if possible, capable of confronting the Murim Alliance head-on. I would like to entrust that task to you, squad leader. That is, if you are now fully ready in your heart to face your past."
At that, Seol Pung, who had been staring at Seonwoo Jin with momentarily surprised eyes, soon let out a hollow laugh and replied.
"How did you...? Ha, very well. Now, it would actually be more surprising if it turned out there was something you didn't know."
Then, with gleaming eyes, he nodded.
"Do not worry. I have now finished preparing my heart to face my past squarely."
At his resolute answer, Seonwoo Jin grinned and said.
"Then, squad leader, let us go to that place together. I have business that requires me to head that way as well, in any case."
Seonwoo Jin intended to go immediately to find the Sword God's True Godly Ultimate Techniques.
And according to Mukrang, the place where it was hidden was Zhejiang Province, the divine land, the birthplace of the legends of the Martial God, Thunder God, and Sword God.
So the place Seonwoo Jin had to go was Zhejiang Province, located at the eastern edge of the Central Plains, and the place Seol Pung also had to go to gain power was Jiangsu Province, located directly above it.
So it seemed this time they would have to move as just the two of them, Seol Pung and himself.
Having said that much, Seonwoo Jin now looked at everyone and spoke.
"Now then, except for myself, Squad Leader Seolpung, Miss Dang, Elder Yang, Senior Byeok, and Senior Jeung, all remaining members should go to the master I mentioned earlier...!"
It was just as he was about to conclude.
Suddenly, Jeung Chil jumped up and raised an objection.
"Hold on! I shall not stay here! I'm going with you as well!"
It was a completely unexpected declaration.
Flustered by his words, Seonwoo Jin asked back.
"Pardon? You, Senior Jeung? Why in the world...?"
At that, Jeung Chil shouted as if irritated.
"What's with all the questions when I'm offering to go with you?! You just have to say, 'Thank you!'"
At his words, Seonwoo Jin gave an awkward laugh.
Of course, it would be a great help if a transcendent peak master of Jeung Chil's caliber accompanied them.
But it was also true that he felt an uneasy premonition that it might become noisier than anything else beyond that.
In any case, unable to find a reason to refuse, Seonwoo Jin eventually smiled and bowed his head to him.
"Thank you for coming with us, Senior Jeung."
At that, Jeung Chil nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Indeed, that's how it should be."
With this, it was the moment when the destinations of all the members of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads' Seventh Squad, completely different from anything before, were decided.