Accord (2)
“An accord, you say...”
He couldn't read their intentions. Jang Hyo-un narrowed his eyes as he faced the Ilwolgyo Lord. Jegal Yu likewise squinted, as if struggling to gauge the man's motives. Meanwhile, Baek Su-gyeong sat between them, quietly sipping his tea.
He was pretending to be at ease, but in truth, no one was in a more awkward position than him—he had to watch all three of their expressions.
My stomach's twisting into knots.
The Murim Alliance Lord, representing the righteous factions, and the Ilwolgyo Lord, leader of Ilwolgyo. Under normal circumstances, these two powers' representatives would never share such a “peaceful” conversation.
The problem was that Baek Su-gyeong was the one who had brought them together. Well, not exactly—he hadn't called them here himself; the Ilwolgyo Lord had come directly, so even calling it “bringing them together” felt off.
I could just cry right now.
The hot tea did nothing to soothe his insides; if anything, it only stirred them up more. And since it was such fine tea, he couldn't just toss it away—a thousand regrets welled up inside him.
Where else am I going to taste Gunsan Silver Needle tea like this...?
Gunsan Silver Needle was one of the famed Zhongyuan Ten Great Teas. Produced on a small island at the heart of Dongting Lake, it was a rare treasure even offered to the imperial court.
The Baekho Silver Needle he'd tried recently was quite expensive too, but Gunsan Silver Needle was on another level, reserved for the emperor himself.
He took a deep sip.
Gunsan Silver Needle was smooth, sweet, and refreshingly crisp. It lived up to its imperial status—the invigorating flavor filled his mouth like the scent of pine.
If only the situation were different, I could've savored this properly.
Baek Su-gyeong clicked his tongue inwardly and glanced at Jang Hyo-un and the Ilwolgyo Lord, who were still locked in silence.
If not for the Ilwolgyo Lord's intervention, his stomach might have truly melted away. As he tilted his cup to soothe the burning in his gut, Jang Hyo-un's sharp voice pierced his ears.
“What exactly do you intend by putting Su-gyeong front and center, Lord?”
“Sura Blood Cult.”
The Ilwolgyo Lord's curt words carved deep lines into Jang Hyo-un's forehead.
Not content with attempting to kill Ju Geum-ye, they'd even tried to abduct Baek Su-gyeong—testimonies were pouring in. On his rush to Luoyang, he'd heard nonstop from Wudang and Shaolin elders that the Blood Cult must be crushed.
The Asura Blood Cult—or simply Blood Cult—the old nemesis of murim, a splinter of the former Ilwol Divine Cult.
“You're saying you'll strike the Blood Cult?”
“They touched Su-gyeong,” the Ilwolgyo Lord said. “It might have ended there, but they even reached for the imperial princess, heir to the throne.”
“Hmph. Everyone knows Ilwolgyo shows the least regard for the imperial house.”
“Ease off the barbs, Alliance Lord. As long as Su-gyeong lives, I have no intention of setting foot in the Zhongyuan.”
Surprise flashed across Jang Hyo-un and Jegal Yu's faces at the Ilwolgyo Lord's words. Baek Su-gyeong looked at him too, wondering what that meant.
“Did I hear that wrong?”
“You're not even ilrip yet—thirty—and your ears are already going, Su-gyeong?”
“As if.”
His ears going before thirty? What an insulting question.
Of course, Baek Su-gyeong wasn't naive enough to react hysterically. No, he couldn't afford to act naive.
The Ilwolgyo Lord and Murim Alliance Lord were in discussion. He couldn't just butt in and ruin the mood.
Behind the Ilwolgyo Lord stood ranks of Flame King Guard warriors. Behind Jang Hyo-un, the Murim Alliance's elite— the Four Divine Martial Corps, including the Soaring Heaven Azure Dragon Corps—glared at the Flame King Guard, barely containing their boiling killing intent.
“No jesting, Lord.”
Jang Hyo-un growled.
“Nine out of ten words from Ilwolgyo are lies. You expect me to believe that?”
“I am in earnest.”
The Ilwolgyo Lord's voice dropped coldly. A chill wind seemed to blow from him, lowering the temperature around them.
But it was fleeting. With a mere shift in mood, he altered the atmosphere. A master who could bend even the air's temperature to his will—already beyond the peak, gazing toward the super-peak realm.
If Baek Su-gyeong's hunch was right, he'd reached what modern wuxia novels called the Fire Transformation Realm.
Being stuck between masters like this is pure madness.
Walking on thin ice? No, more like tightroping over a blade as sharp as blue steel.
Wudang folk walked blades with divine skill, but Baek Su-gyeong would end up crippled for sure.
In other words, he was tofu here, liable to be crushed at any moment. He knew it all too well—which only made his stomach burn worse.
“For Su-gyeong's sake, I won't escalate. But I won't tolerate further insults to my cult or myself. Know your limits.”
“...Very well.”
Jang Hyo-un reined in his aura. As Murim Alliance Lord and righteous faction leader, he'd only clashed auras out of pride. If their interests aligned, there was no need to oppose the Ilwolgyo Lord.
Fortunately, Baek Su-gyeong was a common link between them. The Ilwolgyo Lord mentioning him suggested no desire for war with the righteous murim—or the Zhongyuan.
Baek Su-gyeong spoke up.
“By 'accord,' do you mean the righteous factions and Ilwolgyo joining forces to eradicate the Blood Cult?”
“Naturally. Su-gyeong, they're the ones who tried to take you. They deserve annihilation from murim.”
Did it really warrant that? Sure, Baek Su-gyeong hated the Blood Cult too. But was wiping them out over targeting him alone truly justified?
Such thoughts crossed his mind, but it was their own karma anyway. From his perspective, whatever happened to them didn't matter. They'd tried to capture and exploit him, so why show mercy?
“Hmm...”
At Baek Su-gyeong's ambiguous reaction, Jang Hyo-un said,
“I hate to agree, but the Lord's words ring true. They didn't just target you—they went after Nakbong Gunju too. We can't let that slide.”
“What will you do, Alliance Lord? Ally with my cult?”
“If you vow not to touch the Zhongyuan while Su-gyeong lives, I'll accept.”
The Ilwolgyo Lord replied to Jang Hyo-un,
“I despise lies, Alliance Lord. And speaking from both sides of my mouth. Understood?”
A warning against breaking his word. His eyes gleamed coldly at Jang Hyo-un.
“If you don't wish to be seen as a hypocrite, you'd best consider that carefully.”
“And what say you, Su-gyeong?”
At Jang Hyo-un's sudden pivot, Baek Su-gyeong—who'd been quietly sipping his tea—turned to the two men, wondering why him all of a sudden.
Absurd. He'd been dragged to this meeting of murim titans against his will, and now they wanted his opinion? This was too much. He'd nearly spat out his tea, his throat still tingling from swallowing it down.
“I'm just a humble writer. No need for my views on this.”
Regaining his composure, Baek Su-gyeong answered. Jang Hyo-un stroked his chin with a hum.
Jegal Yu spoke.
“What do you think of the Blood Cult, sir?”
“Of course I despise them. The unorthodox—actually, the dark assassins too. I'm the type who wants to live long and thin. This situation is anything but welcome.”
He took another sip of Gunsan Silver Needle and set down his cup.
The gazes of the Ilwolgyo Lord, Jang Hyo-un, and Jegal Yu turned to him.
“They should pay, of course. But even if Ilwolgyo and the righteous factions ally, will the masses accept it?”
At Baek Su-gyeong's pragmatic words, the Ilwolgyo Lord chuckled softly.
“No need to worry on that score. My cult's followers will gladly devote themselves.”
“The Alliance stands ready too. These aren't mere thugs—they targeted you. We'll smash the Sa Alliance, the Ten Sa Sects, Blood Cult, whoever. No hesitation.”
Cracks formed on Baek Su-gyeong's forehead at their words. What the hell were they planning?
Jegal Yu added,
“Moreover, the emperor has issued an edict to the Alliance.”
“Ho. Intriguing. I figured the Bright Court—tied so deeply to murim—wouldn't sit idle.”
“Mind your tongue, Lord.”
“Hmph.”
A brief spat flew between Jang Hyo-un and the Ilwolgyo Lord, but Jegal Yu continued.
“The Blood Cult is a deceptive evil cult. The edict commands us to hunt and exterminate any who set foot in the Zhongyuan, ensuring no harm to innocents through thorough investigation. Thus, allying with Ilwolgyo has imperial sanction.”
Baek Su-gyeong's brows furrowed into an eight (八).
So, all because of him, a righteous-evil alliance was on the verge of forming. Did that even make sense?
What a madhouse this murim is.
One book causing this much ripple? Maybe he should just vanish somewhere.
But that might really turn murim upside down—terrifying. He swallowed his unspoken thoughts, groaning softly. The Ilwolgyo Lord's voice reached his ears.
“Appoint Su-gyeong as witness and formalize the accord. We can add trade relations if you wish.”
“In earnest, Lord?”
“Xinjiang is barren. Peaceful access to Zhongyuan goods would satisfy us.”
The Ilwolgyo Lord was pragmatic in his own way. The old Ilwol Divine Cult aimed for world domination, but this era's Ilwolgyo was different.
Having unified Xinjiang, they had little reason to aggressively target the Zhongyuan—tied as they were to the Baekryeon Cult, deeply linked to the current imperial house. Xinjiang's harshness played a role too.
Of course, that was overall; fertile pockets existed. Before Ilwolgyo's unification, disputes over Turpan's rich farmlands never ceased.
“Xinjiang's a trade hub, isn't it? Ilwolgyo must have amassed plenty of wealth.”
The Ilwolgyo Lord laughed at Baek Su-gyeong's words.
“You view it from a murim outsider's lens. Quite the broad perspective, Su-gyeong.”
“Just a bit of trivia.”
Researching wuxia novels padded his useless knowledge. Xinjiang linked east and west, the Eurasian crossroads—a trade centerpiece despite scant local produce.
Many sustained via commerce: mining, oasis farming, fruit cultivation. Frequent clashes or deals with nomads. “Barren” summed the big picture.
“My cult doesn't preach peace. But when interests align, we'll mingle even with the righteous.”
The Ilwolgyo Lord eyed Jang Hyo-un.
“What say you, Alliance Lord? Shall we deal?”