Chapter 343
Chapter 343
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 343
Chapter Title: The Envoy's Audience
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Gulp, gulp.
Before arriving at the Murim Alliance, Baekun, who had been chugging from a bottle of liquor he had purchased separately, stared at the massive walls blocking his path.
About six jang in height.
It was a wall worthy of being called a castle wall.
"Was it originally that tall? It feels even higher than before..."
As Baekun muttered to himself.
Rumble—
Suddenly, the gates opened.
And from between the opened gates, a man whose age was difficult to gauge walked out.
It was Zhuge Gong, the Military Strategist of the Murim Alliance.
Zhuge Gong walked right up to Baekun and cupped his fists in greeting as he spoke.
"Welcome."
It was a greeting of welcome.
However, for someone offering words of welcome, his face held only a dry, expressionless mask.
Baekun carefully examined Zhuge Gong, who had returned the greeting with an impassive face, then let out a smirk.
"The little brat from the Zhuge family, who was so tiny back then, has grown quite a bit. Hmm, was the last time I saw you forty years ago? My memory's a bit fuzzy."
"Forty-five years ago, at the Beginning of Spring."
Zhuge Gong stated it flatly, cutting through Baekun's reminiscing words.
"You remember it quite vividly."
"It's just unforgettable."
"Unforgettable, huh... Interesting."
Baekun eyed Zhuge Gong with narrowed gaze, then chugged from his bottle.
"Kuh, but your confidence is impressive."
Baekun pulled his mouth from the bottle and grinned at him.
"Coming out alone, without any of the Alliance's experts to greet me."
His eyes gleamed coldly.
A chilling killing intent had surfaced.
Zhuge Gong's mind was among the sharpest in the world, with few equals, but his martial prowess was that of a first-rate warrior, not even reaching the peak.
In contrast, Baekun was an absolute expert.
The gap was so vast that Baekun could take his life with a mere twitch of his finger.
Thus, standing so close like this was akin to Zhuge Gong's life hanging by a thread in Baekun's grasp.
But.
"Because I trust you."
Zhuge Gong remained unshaken and composed.
He simply gazed at Baekun with a steady stance and spoke calmly.
"That you won't lay a hand on me."
"...That's a boring answer."
For a moment, Baekun narrowed his eyes and whispered, then swiftly withdrew his killing intent.
It was an astonishingly quick retraction.
A display announcing that his martial arts had entered the supreme realm.
"But what a cunning move you've made."
Baekun scoffed.
Because he had seen through what Zhuge Gong intended.
The Nangong family of the Heavenly Assembly had made their move, but they hadn't openly declared full participation in the war yet.
They were only testing the waters bit by bit.
The reason was simple.
They still lacked justification.
And if he, the envoy from the Evil-Black Alliance visiting the Alliance, killed the strategist in the midst of that?
The Heavenly Assembly would have no reason to hold back; they would escalate it into a full Righteous-Demonic War and join hands with the Murim Alliance to intervene.
"You're betting your life on this gamble?"
"I'm just following suit."
Baekun's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Following suit? What do you mean?"
"What you're doing right now."
Zhuge Gong's voice was icy.
His gaze upon Baekun was as calm and cold as a northern blizzard.
"Hahaha!"
Meeting Zhuge Gong's gaze, Baekun suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"As expected, you figured it out. No, of course you would have noticed."
His eyes curved as he spoke.
Coming alone as a self-proclaimed envoy was all part of the plan.
No matter the war, they couldn't refuse an envoy's visit.
'If they refuse the visit, the common people will react poorly.'
Right now, the general populace was in a foul mood, swept up in the turmoil of the murim's war.
With the murim warriors on edge, how could it be otherwise?
And refusing a visit from what might be an envoy from the Evil-Black Alliance, potentially to end the war?
'Then even the Heavenly Assembly wouldn't dare attack us alongside the Murim Alliance.'
No matter that the Heavenly Assembly was righteous, up until now they had been at odds with the Murim Alliance.
Ignoring the people's reaction and joining forces? Absurd.
Watching the laughing Baekun, Zhuge Gong turned his body and moved his lips.
"Follow me. I'll escort you to the Alliance Leader."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Th-that's Baekun, isn't it?!"
"Don't talk nonsense. Baekun the Escaped Marriage Emperor is the leader of the Seven Freaks and the former greatest evil warrior. Why would someone like that come to the Alliance alone?"
"How should I know! But look at him. Who else in the world dresses so flamboyantly and bizarrely?"
"Th-then shouldn't we take him down?"
"Why is the Strategist with him..."
Commotion erupted throughout the Murim Alliance.
It was only natural.
Zhuge Gong had taken the open path all the way to the Alliance Leader's hall.
Thus, his companion's distinctive attire became known to everyone, and they all realized it.
That the one moving with the Strategist was Baekun the Escaped Marriage Emperor.
"Baekun the Escaped Marriage Emperor has come to the Alliance?"
Yong Ju-gae furrowed his brows and said.
"Hah, huff! Y-yes!"
The Beggar Clan disciple, out of breath from rushing over, replied urgently.
Yong Ju-gae looked at him and asked.
"What's the purpose?"
"We don't know the details yet..."
The Beggar Clan disciple shook his head.
He too had spotted Baekun's face while walking the streets and rushed over, without gathering more information.
Yong Ju-gae shot up from his chair.
"I'll check it out myself."
His expression was grave as he spoke.
'That guy's come all the way here. This isn't something to brush off.'
Not just anyone, but the Escaped Marriage Emperor.
While the current murim knew him only as the leader of the Seven Freaks, Yong Ju-gae, who had witnessed his prime firsthand, knew the past well.
The former greatest evil warrior, the Escaped Marriage Emperor.
He was a man of such tremendous feats and prowess that Yong Ju-gae hadn't believed the rumors of his defeat and subordination to the Evil-Black Alliance Leader.
"Toward the Alliance Leader's hall?"
"Yes."
"Tell the other Beggar Clan disciples not to miss any trace of the Escaped Marriage Emperor. Not just inside the Murim Alliance, but afterward as well."
"Understood!"
"Then I'll go see that bastard too..."
As Yong Ju-gae moved to step out.
"Who's this Escaped Marriage Emperor that's got you so worked up?"
A voice came from the side.
It was Cheonhwi, who had been languidly sipping tea, now showing curiosity.
Yong Ju-gae's eyes lit up upon seeing him.
'If I bring this guy along...'
His mind raced.
Cheonhwi was no pushover expert either.
After brief deliberation on whether it would be a gain or loss, he spoke.
"The former greatest evil warrior."
"The former greatest evil warrior...?"
Cheonhwi's eyes sparkled for a moment.
"That's quite intriguing."
With those words, Cheonhwi set down his teacup.
The half-full tea sloshed like waves, but Cheonhwi ignored it and stood.
He had lost all interest in it now.
"I'll come along too."
Cheonhwi stated to Yong Ju-gae like a declaration.
He had already strapped his sword to his waist.
Immediately after, Cheonhwi gazed out the wide-open window with eyes of interest and said.
"I want to see this Escaped Marriage Emperor."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Creeeak—
The old wooden door opened at the hands of two warriors standing beside it.
Even as they flung the door wide, the two warriors glared at Baekun, who walked side by side with Zhuge Gong, without letting their guard down.
Because the moment they saw him, they felt it.
The demonic energy and killing intent emanating from Baekun.
"I don't like the look in your eyes."
Baekun slowly shook his bottle as he regarded their sharply piercing auras.
The faint sloshing of liquor sounded.
Whoosh!
In an instant, their auras vanished.
"...!"
As the startled pair paled in shock.
"If you're an envoy, act like one."
A voice flowed from within.
The voice, infused with subtle internal energy, instantly dispersed the formless pressure that had been bearing down on the two warriors, scattering it away.
Baekun's eyes turned inward.
It was a neat audience hall.
Red, bright pillars supported the ceiling, wrapped in simple fabric.
But right now, Baekun had no mind to appreciate the tidy interior; his gaze focused on one spot.
The raised seat at the top of the steps.
On the person seated there.
"Your skills have improved a lot since we last met, Sword Hero of the Pure Heart."
The Murim Alliance Leader smiled faintly at the long unheard nickname and spoke.
"It's been a while. Escaped Marriage Emperor."
Responding to the Alliance Leader's words and smile, Baekun grinned as well.
"I never thought seeing that mug of yours again would feel so welcoming."
"Same here."
As their conversation paused momentarily.
Thud.
The wide-open door closed.
Once the door fully shut, the Murim Alliance Leader addressed Baekun.
"So, what brings you here?"
His voice rippled, shooting toward Baekun from all eight directions.
It was the Six Harmonies Fullness.
Baekun put the bottle to his lips amid the buzzing in his ears from the Alliance Leader's voice.
"Gulp, gulp."
After drinking, he finally spoke again.
"The Alliance Leader has a message for you."
With that, he rummaged in his bosom and tossed a tightly rolled scroll.
The scroll arced through the air but began to fall before reaching the Alliance Leader.
As it was about to hit the floor powerlessly.
Float—
The scroll suddenly halted midair and rose.
Air Grasp.
"Oops, I must've thrown it too weakly."
With a crooked smirk, Baekun used Air Grasp to lift the falling scroll upward, delivering it politely right to the Alliance Leader's nose.
"Showing off unnecessarily."
"Just a simple trick."
"... "
The Alliance Leader glanced alternately at the scroll and the smirking Baekun, then extended his hand.
Swish—
After catching the scroll, he untied the string and read the contents. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Soon, he looked at Baekun and asked.
"Do you know what's written inside?"
"Roughly."
"Heh, you've changed a lot."
With those words, the Alliance Leader chuckled softly.
"For the Escaped Marriage Emperor of the world to come deliver this himself."
Baekun's eyebrow twitched faintly.
He had touched a reverse scale.
But soon, Baekun relaxed his stiffened face and wore a full smile.
A cold, chilling smile.
"The past is the past, isn't it? Now I'm Baekun, not the Escaped Marriage Emperor."
"... "
The Alliance Leader didn't respond and released the scroll.
At that moment, like before, the scroll floated up lightly and was delivered this time to Zhuge Gong beside Baekun.
Zhuge Gong took it, read the contents, and his eyes gleamed coldly as the corner of his mouth lifted.
Just then, a very faint smile appeared and vanished from his lips.
"Then I'll be off."
Baekun turned to leave.
Seeing Baekun about to exit with an attitude of nothing more to see, the Alliance Leader spoke.
"Aren't you going to hear my response?"
"Give your answer directly to the Alliance Leader that day, at that place. I only came to deliver this."
Baekun waved his hand as he spoke.
An attitude showing utter disinterest in the Murim Alliance's reply.
The Alliance Leader watched Baekun heading for the door and instructed the strategist.
"Escort him safely out of the Murim Alliance, Strategist."
Chaos must be reigning outside the Alliance Leader's hall right now.
The envoy from the Evil-Black Alliance, Baekun himself, had visited.
No one knew what might happen.
And in such a situation, they couldn't just let Baekun go alone.
"Understood."
Zhuge Gong immediately grasped the Alliance Leader's intent, bowed his head, and replied.
Soon, the two exited the hall.
Thud.
The Alliance Leader leaned back in his chair, gazing at the closing door after they left, his eyes gleaming coldly.
"A peace proposal from the Evil-Black Alliance..."
Recalling the words on the scroll, the corner of his mouth slowly rose.
A smile full of satisfaction.
"Everything is proceeding according to plan."