Offer the Tribute
"Offer tribute."
"...These are the disciples and children that the Demonic Cult's dogs snatched from us."
"Those crazy bastards."
"Is it really the Demonic Cult...?"
Hyun-chung Jin-in raised a hand to calm the briefly chaotic atmosphere before speaking calmly.
"To be frank, abandon any thoughts that these people might still be alive and well."
"...!"
"I believe you all know this without me having to spell it out."
As Hyun-chung Jin-in's grave words hung in the air, all eyes turned to those whose daughters and female disciples had been abducted.
"From the Beggars' Sect's intelligence, we know that during the kidnappings, some of the Demonic fiends exuded an aura like that of corpses."
Pausing to wet his throat, Hyun-chung Jin-in took a sip of tea and continued.
"Kidnappings involving jiangshi... For the women, it's obvious what treatment they're enduring."
BAM!
The Hwasan Sect leader, who had failed to protect his priest's daughter, could no longer contain his boiling rage at Hyun-chung Jin-in's bluntly direct words and pulverized the table into dust.
"Watch your words! Hyun-chung!"
"That's exactly it, Cheonjong Jin-in."
Caught off-guard by the unexpected response, Cheonjong Jin-in froze in his awkward stance.
"That's the posture I'm talking about. To be honest, the women might still be clinging to life due to their circumstances, but the boys with widely known martial talent? They're all jiangshi by now, aren't they?"
Hyun-chung Jin-in snuffed out even the faintest sprout of hope.
"So what we must do is not hide our rage like Cheonjong Jin-in here—we must utterly crush the Demonic fiends. Remember, before we are the righteous sects upholding justice, we are all fathers and masters to these children. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
In that moment, a killing intent utterly at odds with his status as the Wudang Sect leader—a pillar of Taoism—began to pour forth in thick waves.
The masters flinched at the intent that pressed down on the air without targeting anyone specifically, but as they mulled over Hyun-chung Jin-in's words, they nodded and began unleashing their own suppressed killing intent.
One by one, they twisted their faces into demonic scowls and radiated malice. Hyeon Yeon Sunim let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.
How can they think so narrowly...? Amitabha.
With all the righteous sects gathered at the Kongtong Sect to exterminate the Demonic Cult, Hyeon Yeon Sunim turned toward the clouded future of the Central Plains, chanting sutras and rolling his prayer beads.
From that day, the Murim Alliance coalition army marched toward Kunlun with bloodshot eyes, the masters at the forefront.
When the leaders changed so drastically, could their underlings remain unaffected? Inevitably, word of the thousands of martial artists from all sects spewing killing intent as they advanced reached the imperial ears.
+++
"So, they've finally left Kongtong behind?"
"Yes, Your Supremacy."
"Good."
Seated at the head of the vast audience hall, Cheonma leaned back with a lazy smile at the report from Ma-noe.
"Then they'll reach Kunlun soon. What's the plan after that?"
Though he already knew every step from prior reports, Cheonma pressed Ma-noe for the sake of the elders and division leaders gathered in the hall.
What a showboating asshole. Sigh.
Since I'd already pitched the killer idea and left everything to Ma-noe, I kept my head bowed silently. Ma-noe shot me a sullen glare, snorted, and spoke.
"Reports indicate that the Murim Alliance's fury over the kidnapping of their juniors has spread even to common folk. Thus, I suggest deviating from the original plan and advancing straight on Kunlun."
The prior plan had been to bypass Kunlun, push deep into Shaanxi for a surprise attack to whittle their forces, then win a frontal clash in the great battle. At Ma-noe's sudden proposal to march on Kunlun, surprise flickered in the eyes of Cheonma and the elders who knew the initial strategy.
"What do you mean? Didn't the Vice Military Officer say we'd hold off on Kunlun for the great battle?"
Cheonma's tone sharpened involuntarily, and Ma-noe wiped away his profuse sweat before replying.
"Yes, Your Supremacy. However, our spies report that after passing Kongtong—for some reason—the Murim Alliance's mood has turned as turbulent as the unorthodox sects, harming commoners and the surroundings."
"So what does that have to do with Kunlun?"
"W-well... intelligence suggests possible imperial intervention..."
The hall's occupants scoffed at first—how bad could the Alliance be?—but tongues clicked and heads shook at the news of the palace taking note enough to potentially violate the non-interference pact.
Cheonma furrowed his brow at Ma-noe's mention of imperial meddling, glanced at me, then chuckled.
"Looks like the Vice Military Officer's provocation worked a little too well."
"They're the ones harming civilians with their advance anyway, so no need to worry. And if need be, as the Military Officer suggests, we march on Kunlun and crush them swiftly."
Cheonma smiled in satisfaction at my smooth, nonchalant words.
"True. Kunlun fits the initial plan the Military Officer mentioned anyway—no big issue. Right, Military Officer?"
"Y-yes, exactly, Your Supremacy. Thus, I'd like this meeting to select the first vanguard unit for the march."
The division leaders, led by the elders, perked up at those words.
Being vanguard is high-risk, high-reward, yeah.
These elders and leaders were all at Fire Realm superb-peak—like the cult's top ten. Brimming with confidence, their eyes overflowed with ambition toward Cheonma after Ma-noe's words.
"Discuss the vanguard with the Young Lord as you see fit. It'd be unseemly for me to micromanage something so minor, and the Young Lord needs to show his face externally now anyway."
""As you command.""
The elders and leaders, led by Dokgo Hwaryeon, bowed with gleaming eyes at Cheonma's words.
Fuck. If my wife's the rep, looks like I'm getting dragged into the shitshow too.
I'd planned to slather oil on my dick and sit this out, but after strutting too much, Cheonma was subtly shoving me onto the battlefield. My lips pursed involuntarily at his scheming grin.
Chuckling at my expression, Cheonma rose, deeming the meeting over, and strode out with his robe billowing.
Thud.
As the hall doors closed with a boom—while we bowed in farewell—the real haggling market kicked off.
"Ahem. Young Lord, what's your plan?"
"This vanguard is perfect for my jiangshi. Ignore the rabble and join this old man for some drinks?"
The elders swarmed Dokgo Hwaryeon, dangling their division leaders and fawning.
Dokgo Hwaryeon crossed her arms, gathering her nonexistent chest, and spoke.
"That should be discussed with my husband. The Vice Military Officer is my pillow-talk partner, after all."
I was picking my ear in a corner, avoiding the crowd, when her absurd thunderbolt hit.
This, this bitch?
Betrayed, I whipped around to stare. Dokgo Hwaryeon flushed but smirked mischievously.
At her ploy to dump the hassle and tease me, I hardened my expression and nodded.
How dare a mere woman disturb a man's rest...
No matter our whispered affections and tangled nights, I couldn't abide her betraying her husband. Resolved to discipline her, I spoke amid the focused attention.
"Offer up your women. First come, first served."
Laughter rippled through the hall at my blatant demand for sexual tribute, and a sharp-featured elder's arm shot up.
"Good. I'll give you my daughter."
"Huh?"
Dokgo Hwaryeon gaped, momentarily lost, and let out a dumb squeak.
"Men don't count?"
I ignored the creepy voice from the side and nodded.
"Excellent. Geom-ma Elder will lead the vanguard with the Young Lord. The rest is up to him."
"Straight to the point, as expected. I'll send my daughter tonight."
"I'll treasure her."
"Of course. No need to hold back—make her your concubine. She's been lovesick for you."
As Dokgo Hwaryeon spaced out, Geom-ma played matchmaker. I chuckled and clasped his extended hand.
"No objections from the Young Lord, so I'm all for it. Father-in-law from now on."
"Heh heh heh. Good. Very good."
"Hohoho."