Spinning Absurd Logic to Outwit the Accusers
I wondered what kind of twisted logic I'd unleash this time to bamboozle them. With every eye locked on Cheonma and me—like we were staging a full-blown comedic farce—I started spinning my tale.
"Grand General, surely you encountered a group on your way here to the Divine Cult. Could you perhaps tell us what they said?"
I turned my head politely toward Dong Chobak, who nodded, figuring the matter involved private informants and thus required clear grounds and context, before opening his mouth.
"Well, it was something like a simple plea. Not a direct accusation of treason like the ones you folks made, but more of a roundabout insinuation."
"Yes, they must have cooked up all sorts of slander against our Cheonma Singyo—talk of gunpowder, plagues, every scandalous rumor in the book."
"Whether it's slander or not, we'll have to investigate that step by step, won't we?"
Dong Chobak was still straddling the fence, voicing a balanced opinion. But no matter how much he expressed his views or suspicions, none of it held water without hard evidence. Gunpowder? Ever since arriving in the murim world, I'd kept it locked away in my Inventory, never showing it to anyone or even mentioning it. Those explosion craters in the mountains from my anti-tank rounds or the scattered corpses? In a martial world like this, they could easily be dismissed as the aftermath of some advanced technique.
And if gunpowder was that easy to brush off, how the hell were they going to explain or prove a zombie virus that outdid even the leprosy still plaguing this era?
From the start, you bastards can't find shit or pin it on us. Heh heh.
Of course, this wasn't the modern era where evidence was king. Here, class and social status could slap false charges on anyone. But right now, Cheonma Singyo had Dong Chobak—the pinnacle of the Fire Realm—along with Cheonma himself, a Manifest Realm powerhouse whom even he hesitated to fight, standing firm as a wall.
So what I needed wasn't excuses, but an appeal.
"Slander, you say... If that's how you see it, Grand General, then by all means, start your investigation with the Imperial Guards you brought and scour our cult. I wouldn't mind at all. Your Supremacy, for the sake of proving our innocence, would you permit it?"
Cheonma, who had already heard reports of how I'd devised the strategy solo and snatched victory with a surprise attack, let out a smirk and nodded.
"As long as they don't touch our cult's sensitive matters, there's no reason for me to interfere with an investigation. I want to keep good relations with the Imperial Court, after all."
"Exactly, Your Supremacy. We're not some brute-force outfit like the Orthodox Murim Alliance—we're a religious order armed with faith. I want to nurture ties with the court so deeply that Cheonma Singyo becomes the state religion, and that's precisely what I desire."
As I smoothly painted the picture I wanted amid the nonsense, Dong Chobak furrowed his brow and shook his head.
"State religion isn't for this old man to meddle in, so pretend you didn't hear that..."
"Haha, disappointing."
"Anyway, since you want it too and the cult leader has approved, there'll be no backlash, right?"
"Of course. Manoi will guide you, so investigate to your heart's content."
With a definite answer from the grinning me and Cheonma, Dong Chobak signaled his lined-up Imperial Guards. Manoi nodded too—clearly having received Cheonma's transmission—and led them away from the outdoor banquet.
"Hmph... Such feats and boldness unbecoming your youth... Though it looks like we're persecuting you over irreverent matters, as I told those Orthodox fools earlier, if your innocence is proven, this old man will personally see to your compensation."
His voice dripped with greed as he stared right through me. I met his gaze with a smile in lieu of words, lifted the teacup set before me to my lips, and continued.
"Now, their claims against Cheonma Singyo will all come to light through the Imperial Guards' on-site probe, so let's get to the main point."
"Mm..."
"To put it bluntly, Grand General: Among the groups under the Orthodox Murim Alliance, at least two or three are harboring clear evidence of defying His Majesty's reign."
Juyeonhui's mouth fell open at my seamless declaration; she'd been gazing at me with dazed eyes ever since laying eyes on me. The look of a woman smitten at first sight. Dong Chobak clicked his tongue at her expression, leaning forward to block my line of sight to her.
"Which groups?"
"First: the Namgung Family."
"Nam...gung Family? You mean the murim clan in Anhui Province?"
"Yes, that Namgung Family."
Dong Chobak eyed my faint smile, urging me silently to continue. I didn't like how this old timer, oblivious to my cheeky antics even before Cheonma, was acting up—but after a quick glance at Juyeonhui staring at me with those dreamy eyes, I sighed inwardly and spoke.
"About that gunpowder you mentioned to us, Grand General... If they're not just hoarding it raw but forging it into weapons, wouldn't that qualify as solid proof of treason?"
"Mm... Indeed. Gunpowder is strictly controlled and documented by the court due to its dangers. Turning it into armaments? As you say, that could very well be treasonous evidence..."
Dangers my ass—they just didn't want to get one-shot by a blast like everyone else. I nodded along with a smile that didn't reach my eyes at his ridiculous words.
"Yes. From what I know, the Namgung Family possesses a weapon made from that gunpowder I mentioned: the Thunderclap Bomb."
"...!!!"
No sooner had the words left my mouth than shocked expressions—each laced with different implications—flashed across the faces of their respective factions.
"...No falsehood in those words, I trust...?"
"Grandfather..."
The imperial side's gravity was evident in Juyeonhui's hardened face and Dong Chobak's twitching beard, while
"Ho ho...! So that's why you proposed that strategy...?"
Cheonma stroked his chin in admiration, piecing together my earlier objection to Manoi's plan with my remote scouting intel from thousands of li away.
Delude yourselves. Heh heh. The setting book is my book of prophecies, and I'm the prophet, you fucks.
Whether they were shocked or not, what I'd revealed came from flipping through the setting book post-war to uncover details on the obliterated Namgung scum's Thunderclap Bombs and Formless Poison that hadn't been mentioned. Turns out, Formless Poison was a reward from the Sakcho Tang Clan questline, while Thunderclap Bombs were strategic escape weapons granted by the family head after passing the test to debut in the jianghu following the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament.
Like bombs in an airplane game... Fuck.
In the game, they were cliche items unusable in regular hunts, reserved for major scenarios like Orthodox-Righteous wars.
That was the truth behind Formless Poison and Thunderclap Bombs.
"Who... holds them...?"
Thick killing intent rose from his clenched fists and skin. At the sight of him like a perfectly heated griddle, I flashed a grin.
"Who else? It's a vital Namgung asset, so obviously the family head."
"...Hoo... Excellent. Simply excellent."
Dong Chobak muttered to himself, eyes blazing. A psychopathic edge crept into his smile, sending chills down spines as a eerie sound leaked from his lips.
"As I said clearly: Just like with our Cheonma Singyo investigation, search them too, and you'll have irrefutable proof in no time."
"I see... So that's why you so boldly urged a search...?"
Even in his heated frenzy, the imperial veteran's instincts held firm—he'd already grasped why I'd advocated and sought Cheonma's permission for the cult's search in that brief moment. I just shrugged with a serene smile under his sharp gaze.
"Did you think us that naive? In this world, everything has a give and take. As an imperial man, surely you understand, Grand General?"
"Ha...! Does your mouth keep pace with your realm?"
"You're too kind."
After our playful exchange, Dong Chobak glared long and hard before shaking his head and turning to Cheonma.
"Indeed, a talent and temperament even a Manifest Realm like you would tread carefully around."
"Mm. This seat picked a fine son-in-law. Heh heh."