Chapter 72
Chapter 72
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Righteous-Demonic Alliance
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I nodded and turned back toward Haeun. Soso and Rabbit were clinging tightly to her side.
"Haeun, take care of Soso and Rabbit for me. If I'm late, head back to the residence and rest first."
"Got it. See you later."
Haeun gazed at me with worried eyes. Beside her, Soso waved brightly.
"Senior Brother! Come back soon—!"
Rabbit simply stared at me with an expressionless face. After stroking each of their heads in turn, I followed the Black Tortoise Squad member and set off.
The Murim Alliance headquarters felt quite familiar by now, but the path the Black Tortoise Squad member was leading me on was new. He took me to the deepest, most central building in the compound. The Alliance Lord's Hall. It was the very heart of the Murim Alliance.
The building wasn't as grand as I'd imagined. If anything, it gave off a humble, austere impression. There were no flashy decorations or intimidating statues. Just sturdy wooden pillars and a well-crafted exterior. It was clearly modeled after the Alliance Lord's personality—no trace of ostentation anywhere.
As we stepped inside, several figures were already there. Our Azure Dragon Squad Leader, Byeok Cheonwi, of course, along with some unfamiliar faces. And in one corner, there was a familiar head of green hair, pacing restlessly.
Our eyes met, as if she'd spotted me.
Vermilion Bird Squad Leader, Zhuge Seo.
I smirked at her and let my gaze drift just a bit lower. Even her Vermilion Bird Squad uniform couldn't fully conceal the ample swell of her chest. She jolted in surprise, sucking in a sharp breath.
"Eek!"
Zhuge Seo's face flushed crimson as she hurriedly bowed her head to avoid my eyes. One of these days, I really need to give her a proper once-over.
At that moment, a burly middle-aged man approached me. His hair was streaked with gray, his skin tanned to a deep bronze. A powerful aura radiated from his entire body. His uniform bore the image of a white tiger. The White Tiger Squad Leader.
"First time meeting. I'm White Tiger Squad Leader Kang Cheol."
His voice boomed as well. Kang Cheol. What a straightforward name. It suited him perfectly, like it was modeled after the man himself. Though probably not.
I returned a light clasped-hands salute.
"I'm Shadowless, newly appointed as Azure Dragon Squad Vice Leader."
As we exchanged brief greetings, the doors to the Alliance Lord's Hall opened again.
It was the Murim Alliance Lord, Dokgo, accompanied by his strategist, Zhuge Jin.
Byeok Cheonwi and Kang Cheol spotted them first and immediately offered clasped-hands salutes. The Alliance Lord acknowledged them with a simple nod. He scanned the interior of the hall wordlessly before speaking in a dry, emotionless tone.
"Everyone, sit."
The Alliance Lord took the highest seat. To his left and right sat Zhuge Jin, Azure Dragon Squad Leader Byeok Cheonwi, White Tiger Squad Leader Kang Cheol, and Vermilion Bird Squad Leader Zhuge Seo, in that order. The vice leaders took seats prepared behind them. I settled into a spot behind Byeok Cheonwi.
Once everyone was seated, the Alliance Lord nodded toward Zhuge Jin.
"Jin."
At the call, Zhuge Jin rose and addressed the room. His expression was as calm as ever.
"The reason we've gathered the leadership of each squad today is to inform you of a major change unfolding in the Central Plains."
He paused briefly, surveying the room.
"A short while ago, the Righteous-Demonic Alliance was formed."
Righteous-Demonic Alliance?
The unfamiliar term caused a stir in the hall. The first to burst out was Byeok Cheonwi.
"Strategist! What nonsense is this? Righteous-Demonic Alliance?!"
Zhuge Jin replied to the shouting Byeok Cheonwi with a composed expression.
"Exactly as it sounds, Wall Squad Leader. It means an alliance between the orthodox and unorthodox factions has been created."
"What? We have the Murim Alliance right here—how can such an absurd thing happen?!"
Byeok Cheonwi shot to his feet, but Zhuge Seo sat silently, unmoving, as if she already knew everything. Meanwhile, Kang Cheol, seated beside him, pressed a heavy hand on his shoulder and murmured lowly.
"Brother, calm down first and hear the rest."
Byeok Cheonwi sat back down, still huffing roughly in frustration. Undeterred by the commotion, Zhuge Jin continued calmly.
"Everyone here is surely aware of the treasure maps scattered across the Central Plains a while back, and the secret cave associated with them."
The air in the Alliance Lord's Hall grew heavy at his words. No one could be ignorant of it. At the time, every core combat unit of the Murim Alliance had been dispatched to the secret cave to prevent clashes between orthodox and unorthodox forces—everyone except the Vermilion Bird Squad, our information unit. My Azure Dragon Squad with Byeok Cheonwi, Kang Cheol's White Tiger Squad, and even the Black Tortoise Squad guarding headquarters.
"And the many orthodox and unorthodox martial artists who entered the secret cave seeking treasure... encountered demons there. That sparked the vicious rumors that the Demonic Cult was stirring again. You're all aware of this as well."
Zhuge Jin pressed on.
"That Righteous-Demonic Alliance was formed using the Demonic Cult's supposed resurgence as a pretext."
Despite his explanation, Byeok Cheonwi and Kang Cheol fell silent. A bitter look crossed their faces, as if they'd half-suspected it. Vermilion Bird Squad Leader Zhuge Seo remained still, head bowed. She had known the full intelligence all along.
Zhuge Jin dropped the crucial revelation.
"However, according to intelligence compiled by the Vermilion Bird Squad, the demons that appeared in the secret cave were not Demonic Cult members. They were simply orthodox and unorthodox martial artists who had lost their reason after being corrupted by the 'Mad Demon Sword' inside the cave. No genuine Demonic Cult activity was detected anywhere in the secret cave."
In the end, it was all a staged plot by someone.
Zhuge Jin concluded.
"To summarize: Someone deliberately spread fake treasure maps to lure martial artists to the secret cave, used the Mad Demon Sword to manufacture a sense of crisis about 'Demonic Cult unrest,' and then leveraged that crisis to unite orthodox and unorthodox forces against us, the Murim Alliance. This is our current working theory."
What could I say? Zhuge Jin's words sounded like a targeted investigation where the culprit was decided in advance and evidence shoehorned to fit. Yet they carried considerable persuasive power. How much time and effort must have gone into orchestrating such a massive scheme? It didn't quite add up that their sole aim was merely to check the Murim Alliance. Hmm. Honestly, I had no clue. These convoluted political intrigues weren't my expertise.
Unable to hold back any longer, Byeok Cheonwi spoke up again. His voice was much calmer this time.
"So, what do we do now, Strategist? They wave that pretext around, and we're just supposed to sit idly by?"
"For now... there's nothing we can do."
Zhuge Jin's response was firm.
"The Righteous-Demonic Alliance's public justification is 'exterminating the Demonic Cult.' If we challenge their formation, it could be misconstrued as the Murim Alliance defending or ignoring the Demonic Cult's activities. That's why we can't act rashly."
Byeok Cheonwi's face flushed red again at the idea of being forced to sit on our hands.
Righteous-Demonic Alliance. Orthodox and unorthodox united.
Chewing on the words, a face flashed through my mind.
Sinister aura, gaunt build, sharp eyes. And an unyieldingly righteous will.
A unorthodox man who was anything but unorthodox. The Blood Blade Guest.
Without thinking, I spoke up. For a mere vice squad leader to interject in such an important meeting was a breach of etiquette, but I had to confirm.
"Strategist, is the one who formed this Righteous-Demonic Alliance... by any chance, the Blood Blade Guest?"
At the time we met in the secret cave, his realm was peak. With my enhancement added, he had briefly reached the transcendent level matching Byeok Cheonwi's. Even Paeng Daesan, who was barely third-rate back then, had leaped two whole stages after the cave. It was possible the Blood Blade Guest had broken through to transcendent as well. Transcendent was on par with sect leaders of great clans. If he'd truly crossed that wall, he might have formed the alliance.
My question drew every eye in the Alliance Lord's Hall to me. Zhuge Jin looked puzzled for a moment before sinking into thought.
"Blood Blade Guest...?"
He furrowed his brow, as if searching his memory.
"No. It's not him."
Zhuge Jin shook his head.
"The one who formed the alliance is a man called 'Evil Frenzy.' No alias yet, as far as we know. Though now that he's alliance leader, he'll probably earn one soon enough."
Then, as if adding trivial trivia, he said offhandedly,
"Oh, and that Blood Blade Guest fellow. According to the Vermilion Bird Squad's reports... he's believed to be dead."
What?