Chapter 59
Chapter 59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Opportunity Given by Heaven
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Branch Leader, a document has arrived from headquarters.”
“Mm. Bring it here quick.”
The Beggars' Sect gathers information from all corners of the world. As such, its headquarters is truly a massive warehouse of intelligence.
Naturally, not just anyone can access it, but someone of branch leader rank gains the authority to view a certain level of classified material.
Hunan Branch Leader Jang Song received the document that Yi Gyeol-gae had brought from headquarters, feeling a twinge of unease.
‘What exactly are the Dokgo Clan and the Murim Alliance hiding?’
A few days ago, he had heard something suspicious from Hao Clan Hunan Branch Chief Moon Seok.
‘Someone of your stature should be able to uncover the truth that the Murim Alliance and Dokgo Clan are concealing.’
If he had sat idle after hearing that, he wouldn't deserve to be a Beggars' Sect branch leader. Right after Moon Seok left, Jang Song had immediately requested information from headquarters, and it had arrived not long after.
The document he now held contained the activities of Dragon Slaughter Squad Leader Dokgo Young, who had perished in this recent disaster.
Jang Song pulled it out and read through it slowly.
And...
“Ah...”
...he let out a sigh the moment he saw the first page.
[Top Secret]
[In the Jipyang County evil sect suppression incident, none of those subjugated were evil sect members; all were confirmed to be villagers from Jipyang County. If this comes to light, it could cause a social uproar and public backlash against the Murim Alliance and Dokgo Clan. It stemmed from a misunderstanding by the person involved, Dokgo Young, so concealment has been decided. Pressure the local yamen for active cooperation.]
Jipyang County evil sect suppression.
This was an incident Jang Song knew about.
A band of evil sect members had overrun the small village of Jipyang County in a remote corner of Henan Province, massacring the villagers, and the second son of the Dokgo Clan—freshly debuted in the jianghu—had suppressed them, making a name for himself.
Jang Song remembered how everyone who heard about it rejoiced that another righteous hero had emerged in the orthodox faction. He had felt the same.
But...
“None of those subjugated were evil sect members..., all villagers...?”
...What in the world did this mean?
Moreover, the Murim Alliance and Dokgo Clan had known about it yet chosen to cover it up. They had even pressured the local yamen to disguise innocent civilians as evil sect thugs.
A young warrior who had just debuted had mistakenly slaughtered innocent villagers, and they were covering it up?
...Could something like this happen in the righteous murim?
With trembling hands, Jang Song read through the next pieces of intelligence.
Most of them detailed how Dokgo Young had driven off villains and faithfully carried out the Murim Alliance's missions.
But...
“This too..., this too...!”
...A few among them followed a pattern similar to the Jipyang County incident.
Once again, Dokgo Young had ‘mistakenly’ killed innocent people, and the Dokgo Clan and Murim Alliance had covered it up.
The document clearly labeled them as ‘mistakes.’
But Jang Song could tell right away.
‘This was definitely intentional.’
Unless one's eyes were knots in wood, an extremely well-trained warrior couldn't commit this many ‘mistakes.’
For whatever reason, Dokgo Young had deliberately killed those people.
And despite knowing this, the Dokgo Clan and Murim Alliance had concealed the incidents.
“These bastards—.”
The Murim Alliance and the countless orthodox sects and clans held their current positions not solely due to their overwhelming power.
It was because of the trust and support of the common folk.
The belief that when danger struck, the righteous factions would help them out of justice and chivalry. And from that belief stemmed absolute support.
Without it, sects would be nothing more than thuggish militias.
“How could they not know that obvious fact...! ...Ah.”
Jang Song trembled with rage at the actions of the Dokgo Clan and Murim Alliance, then realized something and sank into his seat.
Where had this intelligence report been drafted?
...Right here in the Beggars' Sect.
The very Beggars' Sect he belonged to. The one he had taken pride in his entire life.
The existence of this document meant the Beggars' Sect had known all these facts.
...Yet it had done nothing.
It had simply stood by from afar, watching.
...The Beggars' Sect, which prized justice and chivalry above all.
“Fuck...”
Jang Song had never felt shame toward his affiliation in his life. But now..., his face burned so hot he couldn't lift his head.
“We shouldn't be like this...”
If other sects and clans forgot chivalry, they became thugs. And if the Beggars' Sect forgot it..., they were just a den of beggar bastards.
Remembering this filled Jang Song with bitterness and despair, and Moon Seok's words came back to him.
‘If learning that truth changes your heart, come find me.’
“...That branch chief already knew everything.”
From Dokgo Young's record, it was clear. This clash with the Green Forest bandits... must have involved Dokgo Young's schemes.
‘Could it be he even killed the spy?’
It was a leap, but it seemed plausible enough.
The bandits had no way of discovering a Murim Alliance spy in the first place, and even if they did, they had no reason to kill him and provoke the Alliance's wrath.
Jang Song felt pieces clicking together in his mind. He immediately summoned a subordinate and gave an order.
“From now on, go straight to the Hao Clan.”
“...Pardon? The Hao Clan? Why there...”
“Go find the branch chief and convey my intent. Tell him that Hunan Branch Leader Jang Song will actively cooperate in mediating between the Green Forest and the Murim Alliance.”
In this incident, the victims might actually be the Green Forest bandits. If so..., he had to help.
If the Beggars' Sect wouldn't step up, then he would, to uphold its true essence.
When a group that had bestowed great favors on Hunan faced unjust crisis, extending a helping hand—was that not chivalry?
“Tell him I'll provide any assistance needed.”
“...Convey that to the Hao Clan? ...Understood.”
The subordinate seemed puzzled at the idea of delivering what sounded like a submissive message to the Hao Clan, but unable to defy the branch leader's command, he nodded and reached for the door handle.
It was then.
Creak—!
“Branch Leader!”
Just as the subordinate opened the door to head to the Hao Clan, another beggar burst in at the same time.
It was a beggar Jang Song didn't recognize, with three knots on his sash. Puzzled that a three-knot beggar from another region had come all the way here, Jang Song asked.
“Who are you? Where are you from?”
“...I-I'm Yeong-gang, sent urgently from Murim Alliance headquarters. They've ordered all Nine Great Righteous Sects to raise their alert levels.”
“Raise alert levels...?”
...Why?
There wasn't anything major brewing in the world right now.
Even if it was rotten inside, on the surface it was a peaceful era. So why suddenly raise alert levels...?
Jang Song tilted his head, and the three-knot beggar Yeong-gang delivered the news he had brought.
“It's news from Qinghai...”
Hearing Yeong-gang's words, Jang Song's jaw dropped in shock.
“...Is that true?”
**
“...Uncle Moon Seok. Is what you just said true? Something happened in Qinghai...?”
Qinghai.
It was the northwesternmost territory under the Murim Alliance, ruled by the Kunlun Sect, one of the Nine Great Righteous Sects.
And Qinghai... bordered the demonic cult's domain. A few years later, when the demonic cult's invasion began in earnest, Kunlun Mountain—the sect's headquarters—and Qinghai would be reduced to rubble.
Yes, trouble would indeed erupt in Qinghai. But..., that was definitely a few years in the future...?
“...A border skirmish broke out between the demonic cult and Kunlun Sect in Qinghai. These things happen frequently, but...”
“......”
“...This time, it was quite serious. A demonic cult elder on patrol beheaded the right-hand man of the Kunlun Sect Leader.”
“...Why?”
Right now was definitely the time for the original story's protagonist to gather opportunities and grow. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult bastards should be quietly preparing for war like dead rats.
Yet suddenly, a Heavenly Demon Divine Cult elder charged out from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and beheaded the right-hand man of the Kunlun Sect Leader...?
......
......Why on earth?
This was definitely not in the original story.
I suddenly recalled something the former Hao Clan Leader had told me.
‘It appears Heavenly Demon Divine Cult executives have left the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and infiltrated the Central Plains.’
I had been shocked then too, but it was somewhat understandable. They might be scouting the Central Plains in preparation for war.
But this time...
‘This is blatantly derailing the original story...’
In the midst of my confusion, Uncle Moon Seok continued.
Of course, my head was spinning so much I could barely follow.
“The Murim Alliance is in complete chaos right now. The Kunlun Sect Leader may be old now, but he was once in the running for the world's greatest warrior. ...Naturally, our Hao Clan is shocked too. Who knew those fanatics had such power...”
In truth, those guys are fucking strong.
In the novel, each Heavenly Demon Divine Cult elder was stated to be equal to or stronger than the sect leaders of the Nine Great Righteous Sects or the heads of the Five Great Clans.
An old man on the verge of retirement was no match for them.
Of course, the Murim Alliance folks saw demonic cultists as cornered fanatics, so this must be a shock.
‘More importantly, why is the original story changing like this? Why?’
How was this different from the novel? Was my presence affecting the story flow that much? Or was the protagonist in his 3rd or 4th regression, not his 2nd?
So many thoughts flooded my mind that I could barely stay sane.
And as I was like that...
“...Snap out of it, Muyeon!”
“Ah...”
...Uncle Moon Seok gripped my shoulder hard and snapped me awake.
He spoke clearly to me, my eyes glazed over.
“Of course you’re shocked too. But this is our opportunity.”
“...Opportunity?”
“The Alliance Leader and most of the Murim Alliance's forces have headed to Qinghai.”
“...!”
The Murim Alliance Leader..., to Qinghai?
“You get what I’m saying, right? We don’t know if the great righteous-demonic war will break out yet, but the key point is that the Murim Alliance's attention on us has significantly decreased.”
“Ah...”
...I see.
Yes. That’s right. With that chaos in the north, the Alliance would have far less resources to throw at us.
Just hearing that the Alliance Leader himself had gone to Qinghai said it all.
But...
“I don’t know if it’s coincidence or what, but we must seize this opportunity heaven has given us. Prepare thoroughly for making contact with the Murim Alliance.”
“...Yeah.”
It felt off. Like wearing shoes soaked through with rain.
...Right at this moment when crisis struck our Green Forest, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult made this extreme move that wasn’t in the original story. Thanks to it, we gained a chance to escape this crisis more easily.
If anything, the demonic cult's actions had helped us.
Was this really just coincidence...?
‘If not... what the hell is it...? What are those bastards thinking?’
Feeling that unease, I tried to shake off stray thoughts since there was work to do.