Chapter 261
Chapter 261
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 261
Chapter Title: 화산천마-261화
-----------------------------------------------------------------
```html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 261
Chapter Title: Seeds of Suspicion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Deputy Strategist."
A sharp voice rang out in an instant.
Cheonsu Ong, the Lord of the Enforcement Hall tasked with upholding the Murim Alliance's laws, glared at the Deputy Strategist and spat out his icy words.
"Are you saying the Strategist plans to betray the Alliance and return to his clan?"
"......That suspicion has indeed arisen."
The moment Seolgeom answered,
"Nonsense."
"Amitabha. The Deputy Strategist is crossing the line right now."
"There's a limit to such drivel."
Voices of rebuke followed one after another, turning the atmosphere in the grand hall hostile.
How could it not, when the claim was that the Alliance's Strategist was scheming to bolster the Bicheon Society?
Whether in favor or opposed to the agenda, all eyes turned to glare at Seolgeom.
Some even openly showed their displeasure.
At that moment, when every gaze was fixed on Seolgeom, the hitherto silent Strategist finally spoke.
"Is there a reason you think that?"
Despite the situation being tantamount to an attack on himself, the Strategist's expression and voice remained astonishingly calm.
'He won't be shaken by this much?'
Seolgeom met the Strategist's unwavering gaze without a flicker of change in his own expression and uttered the words he had prepared.
"I didn't suspect at first either. But by coincidence—or perhaps not—recently, there was suspicious movement from the Strategist's clan."
Seolgeom took a breath, facing the Strategist's unflinching eyes.
Then, steeling his gaze, he continued.
"I'm talking about the incident where the former head of the house, who had been in semi-seclusion for so long, appeared to break it."
"What?!"
"H-He broke his seclusion?"
"Now, of all times?"
Exclamations erupted from all around.
Who was the former head of the Zhuge family?
Zhuge Gocheon, the Vanquishing General.
One of the Eight Divine Martial Artists and a peerless master who had reached the realm beyond heaven.
Riding the wave of their shock, Seolgeom added the prepared follow-up.
"Isn't it too coincidental to call it mere chance? The man who seemed in seclusion for ages moves the moment the Murim Alliance prepares for war with the Evil-Black Alliance...... It almost looks like he planned for this day."
The Strategist looked at Seolgeom and said,
"Go on."
"Aren't you trying to spark this war deliberately for the revival of the Zhuge family?"
In that instant, the air in the hall grew heavy.
Even those who had sided with the Strategist moments ago fell silent.
If the Vanquishing General truly reemerged into the jianghu, it was no trifling matter.
All eyes fixed on the Strategist's mouth.
After a brief silence, the Strategist's firmly closed lips parted.
"For the Zhuge family......"
As he spoke, the Strategist lowered his eyes.
"So, you're saying that I've buried myself in the Alliance for decades, all for the Zhuge family?"
The Strategist continued in a displeased tone.
"If that were the case, I wouldn't have stayed in the Murim Alliance to begin with. What do you think my role was in building the stable Alliance we have today?"
"......"
"At least thirty percent, I'd say."
It was an arrogant claim.
Yet no one could refute it.
When the Eight Great Families had withdrawn from the Alliance, plunging it into chaos, it was none other than the Strategist who had done the most to restore order.
He had reorganized the structure, secured funds through contracts with merchant associations, and accomplished groundbreaking feats in establishing the current system.
His brilliance was unmatched, and his achievements were countless.
As the Strategist stared at Seolgeom as if demanding a response,
"Tch, tch. We don't have time for this endless bickering over nonsense."
The Beggar Clan's Leader, Yongju Ga, grumbled.
"The key issue now is whether to go to war with the Evil-Black Alliance. He hasn't actually broken his seclusion, has he?"
"The Beggar Leader is right."
Hyeondo chimed in from the side.
His face was serious, but inwardly, he was deeply impressed.
'Just as the Strategist predicted.'
The Strategist had visited him personally, and the situation was unfolding exactly as described.
'And now......'
Hyeondo emphasized his words.
"This is the time for the Alliance to unite its strength. What's the point of suspecting each other like this?"
Some flinched at Hyeondo's words.
Mount Hua Sect had received no aid from the Murim Alliance and had endured everything alone.
If they were in Mount Hua's position, they would have exploded in fury.
Yet Hyeondo, the very party involved, wasn't complaining but calling for unity, leaving their faces flushed with shame.
'That's why he's called a great hero.'
'Mount Hua toppled White Ghost Castle and Green Forest alone—now I see where that strength comes from.'
'Mount Hua, Mount Hua......'
As various thoughts stirred in response to Hyeondo's words, others spoke up.
"Amitabha. This monk shares the same view."
"Amitabha."
"As Zhenren Hyeondo says, what's the use in suspecting each other? We should prioritize resolving the immediate matter."
With voices of agreement rising from all sides,
"I apologize. I stirred unnecessary concern and soured the mood."
Seolgeom bowed his head, admitting his fault and gracefully withdrawing.
"Be more careful next time."
"Good that you understand."
Everyone brushed it off as if it were settled.
And in that fleeting moment, no one noticed the faint smile that ghosted across his bowed lips before vanishing.
'It's going according to plan.'
In truth, it was an absurd fabrication.
Zhuge Gong had served as the Alliance's Strategist for well over decades.
To claim betrayal now was forced.
But he knew that and pushed anyway.
For one single gain.
'Still, this will plant seeds of doubt about the Strategist in a few minds.'
Seolgeom erased his smile and straightened his posture.
This was his true aim.
To sow seeds of suspicion toward the Strategist—and it seemed to have worked.
The gazes of some toward the Strategist had already changed from before.
'I'll drag him down step by step.'
Meanwhile, the Strategist was watching Seolgeom.
'Moving just as expected.'
Seolgeom's scheme was plain as day to him.
And why not? He knew full well how greedy Seolgeom was.
That was why he had subtly leaked the Beggar Clan's intel on the Vanquishing General, leading to this very situation.
'Thanks to this, I've sifted out a few.'
Glancing around, the Strategist smiled inwardly.
Seolgeom's antics had allowed him to reliably identify those who weren't spies.
'Once war breaks out, the rest will show their tails inevitably.'
As the Strategist's eyes cooled coldly,
"Then I support going to war with the Evil-Black Alliance this time."
Seolgeom declared.
Everyone looked at him in puzzled surprise at his sudden change of heart.
"Deputy Strategist?"
"Why the sudden flip?"
The elder of the Iron Blood Sword Clan, who had opposed the war, Iron Sleeve Flying Sword, and the Golden Guard Captain, one of the Three Divisions, furrowed their brows and spoke.
"My concern was the Strategist's ties to the Bicheon Society. But if there's no connection, why fear the Bicheon Society?"
"The Bicheon Society is the Bicheon Society."
"Amitabha. Are you underestimating the Bicheon Society now, Deputy Strategist?"
Songbaek, an elder of the Jeomchang Sect, and Elder Wonjong of Shaolin suppressed their voices.
Seolgeom narrowed his eyes, subtly linking the Zhuge family and Strategist once more as he pressed his point.
"You've all forgotten because it's been so long since they've been exterminated. The Bicheon Society isn't unorthodox—it's righteous. Striking them without cause would invite public condemnation."
"......"
The opposition fell silent.
"I believe the Bicheon Society can be excluded from this war."
"And after it's over?"
Iron Sleeve Flying Sword asked urgently.
He had no choice; the Iron Blood Sword Clan was the closest sect to the Bicheon Society.
If they attacked, his clan would be first in the line of fire.
At that moment, the Strategist spoke.
"The Alliance will provide aid."
"Aid?"
"Immediately after the war ends, we'll dispatch the Patrol Squadron to the Iron Blood Sword Clan."
The Strategist glanced back, his eyes meeting those of Patrol Squadron Leader Chu Gwang.
Chu Gwang nodded silently in response.
"Ahem, very well then."
Iron Sleeve Flying Sword nodded, visibly relieved.
"In that case, I support it too."
"Great hero?!"
The Golden Guard Captain frowned at Iron Sleeve Flying Sword's immediate reversal.
"Not just the Iron Blood Sword Clan. Whenever you need the Alliance's help, just say the word, and we'll provide every convenience."
The sects near the Bicheon Society stirred.
But no more from the opposition flipped like Iron Sleeve Flying Sword.
The Strategist watched them.
'Shaolin and Sacheon have enemies in the Ami Sect and Jeomchang Sect, Qingcheng Sect......'
The expected sects were opposing.
Their locations were closest to the Evil-Black Alliance, making them most vulnerable in any war.
Sensing the tide turning toward approval, Jeomchang elder Songbaek spoke urgently.
"The Green Forest ambush already ended in their defeat. Why scratch at old wounds?"
"Amitabha. This monk agrees."
"Songbaek Doju is correct."
The Ami Sect and Qingcheng Sect immediately agreed.
Not just them.
Shaolin, aligned with Ami, and Kunlun, tied to Qingcheng, quickly voiced support.
"This one shares the opinion. Reviving a settled matter for war makes no sense."
"Amitabha. War only spills blood."
"Even if a Bicheon ambush is unlikely, we'll weaken ourselves and hand them an opportunity."
The opposition's arguments were valid.
But the proponents were no less compelling.
"So we just let it slide? They attacked first—where's our pride?"
"Are we to sit idly after being struck?"
"What of Mount Hua Sect's position? They suffered a massive raid from Green Forest, yet we're to bury it? How can fellow Alliance sects say such things?!"
The two sides clashed sharply.
In the heated atmosphere, some even exuded sharp auras to assert their views.
And then.
"White Ghost Castle and Green Forest—twice."
Hyeondo spoke in a cold tone.
"Our sect belongs to the Murim Alliance, yet we've received not a single aid and felled them alone."
Whether for or against, all fell silent at Hyeondo's words.
"Truly grueling days. We nearly collapsed."
He spoke flatly, but his voice pierced their hearts.
Especially those who had ignored them during the Yulim Bloodbath.
"Think well, everyone. If our sect falls, will they stop?"
Hyeondo shook his head.
"No, they'll target the next. Whether nearby Jongnam, Wudang, Shaolin...... Or......"
He paused, sweeping his gaze over those opposing the agenda.
"Even you—no one knows."
"......"
"If you regret it then, I won't say a word."
As they met his eyes and fell silent,
Thud.
The Strategist placed the Thousand Treasure Tablet on the table.
"This won't end like this, so how about we decide by majority vote?"
The opposition's brows furrowed.
It was obviously against them.
But lacking grounds to object, they could only grimace.
The Strategist glanced at them and spoke.
"Then, those in favor, please raise your hands."
Many hands went up.
A rough count showed over half; the Strategist nodded calmly.
"It's decided."
With those words, he looked at those whose faces had twisted and said,
"Before declaring war, we'll prioritize dispatching some of the Alliance's forces to sects near the Evil-Black Alliance. Is that acceptable?"
The opposition's expressions brightened.
"Ahem, if you'll do that......"
"Amitabha."
On the other hand, some proponents showed displeasure.
"Declaring war yet sending forces outward—do you plan to leave the interior exposed?"
"What if they raid our rear?"
The Strategist smiled at them.
Though phrased that way, they were really demanding aid for their own sects.
"I said Alliance forces, but not the existing martial units or squads. We're forming a new special detachment. To wage war against the Evil-Black Alliance, don't we need to bolster our strength beyond the current?"
"......Special detachment?"
"What detachment?"
Everyone voiced their bewilderment.
The Murim Alliance's structure, established during the Nine Provinces Three Evils Families era, hadn't changed.
A new special detachment now—what did that mean?
"Drawing personnel from each sect?"
One of the Three Peak Experts, the People's Hero Duke, asked in a grave voice.
"Correct."
Complex emotions flickered in their eyes.
Good and bad.
Building fame in the special detachment would be ideal, but death was a risk...
Watching their conflicted faces, the Strategist spoke softly.
"Participation is voluntary. But know that later requests to join midway may not be possible."
It was a clear warning against latecomers eyeing easy fame.
After all, in the jianghu, fame held more power than anything.
At that moment, Mok Youngja spoke.
"How many special detachments do you have in mind?"
"Two."
Mok Youngja's eyes sparkled instantly.
"Have you chosen the leaders?"
"We haven't asked the candidates yet, but I have individuals in mind for each."
The Strategist added quietly.
"Even if it's a hastily formed detachment of the Alliance, it must be backed by real skill, no?"
Listeners nodded.
How could they appoint just anyone to lead the Murim Alliance's special detachment?
All focused on the Strategist's mouth.
Who would it be?
Finally, the Strategist spoke.
"For one, it's the Jade Qilin. If Wudang doesn't object, I'd like to appoint him as leader. What say you?"
Everyone nodded.
The Jade Qilin's prowess was more than enough to shake the current jianghu with fame.
Then, someone asked,
"Who is the other?"
Curiosity about the remaining leader filled the hall.
Who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Murim Alliance's top latecomer talent, the Jade Qilin?
Under all the gazes, the Strategist calmly revealed the moniker.
"The Plum Blossom Divine Knight." ```