Chapter 305: The Jegal Family (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 305: The Jegal Family (7)
Despite the late hour, shouts echoed through the Sleeping Dragon Hall, a result of the attempted assassination within the family.
Bang!
“The Evil Alliance must be behind this!”
Jegal Jinhwan, the Head of the Jegal Family’s Outer Gate Hall, couldn’t contain his boiling rage, even in front of the family’s key figures.
He was the brother-in-law of the Family Head, Jegal Hyeon, and the uncle of Jegal Hyang. In the Xiangyang region, he was famous for doting on his niece.
Moreover, allowing an assassin to infiltrate was, without a doubt, his own failure as the Head of the Outer Gate Hall.
“We still don’t have all the facts. Refrain from making hasty statements!”
“The traces of the formation found around Hyang’s manor were clearly very similar to the Illusory Ghost-Forest Formation favored by those bastards from the Ghost-Spirit Sect! The Assassin’s Den and the Ghost-Spirit Sect! Is there anyone here who doesn’t know that both groups belong to the Twelve Demonic Sects?!”
“Enough! Only similarities were found!”
A few elders stepped forward to rebut Jegal Jinhwan’s words.
This was a matter that could easily escalate into a conflict with the Evil Alliance.
Of course, many others agreed with Jegal Jinhwan.
Everyone knew that the current Evil Alliance Leader, Goo Yangcheon, was a madman who craved war. More importantly, to overlook an assassination attempt on a direct family member out of fear of war would be nothing short of tarnishing the family’s name.
Ultimately, the meeting hall split into two factions: the moderates, who proposed lodging a formal protest with the Evil Alliance through the Murim Alliance, and the hardliners, who advocated for a covert attack on the Evil Alliance’s Jiangxi Branch.
But no matter how much time passed, their differences showed no sign of narrowing.
Voices naturally grew louder, eventually leading to mutual blame and condemnation.
Just as Jegal Hyeon, watching the pandemonium unfold, frowned and pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Enough!”
Jegal Tak, the Grand Elder of the Jegal Family who had been observing until now, stepped forward.
Although he was currently retired and living in seclusion, he was once a master who had reached the peak of the Transcendent Realm.
At his shout, which was laced with internal energy, the meeting hall fell deathly silent.
“You are the ones who should be acting and judging with the utmost composure. What is this disgraceful display in front of the Family Head?!”
The men who had been growling and fighting just moments ago couldn’t even dare to lift their heads before Jegal Tak, a respected elder of the family.
Only Jegal Hyeon, the Family Head, raised a hand to stop him.
“Uncle, I am fine. Please, calm yourself.”
“…My apologies.”
At Jegal Hyeon’s words, Jegal Tak bowed his head and stepped back.
He respected and revered the Family Head, never showing any greed for power.
Jegal Tak was praised as a model Grand Elder, but Jegal Hyeon felt a sense of unease about him deep down.
People called him the “Smiling Cloud Chivalrous Warrior” for his constant smile and lack of desire for power or wealth.
But to Jegal Hyeon, it always seemed as if he were wearing a mask.
He had once secretly investigated Jegal Tak, but it had yielded nothing.
Since he couldn’t persecute the family’s Grand Elder without concrete evidence, Jegal Hyeon had decided to set aside his suspicions for the time being.
‘…The timing is truly coincidental.’
It had been three months since he had called off the surveillance on Jegal Tak.
Though there was a bit of a time lag, if he was truly behind this incident, it was more than enough time to make the necessary preparations for an assassination.
The problem was, again, the lack of clear evidence.
Pressuring him into a confession was also impossible.
A significant number of people within the family admired and followed the upright and chivalrous Jegal Tak.
Jegal Hyeon sighed inwardly before speaking.
“Both sides have valid points. If we let this incident slide, the entire Central Plains will look down on and mock the Jegal Family. However, war is not an option. A war with the Evil Alliance would stain our family with blood, and that is not the Jegal way.”
Of course, if one were to pick the person in this room who most wanted war, it would be Jegal Hyeon himself.
When he heard that an assassin had broken into his precious daughter’s manor, he had struggled to maintain his composure.
If he had his way, he would burn down the Evil Alliance’s Jiangxi Branch right now, cut off the branch leader’s head, and send it to them.
But as the head leading the family, he could never permit war.
Although the Evil Alliance was the weakest of the four major powers, it was an undeniable fact that they were incomparably stronger than the Jegal Family.
Even if they were to start a war, it had to be on the level of the Murim Alliance.
It wouldn't be a war between the Jegal Family and the Evil Alliance, but a new stage set for a war between the Murim Alliance and the Evil Alliance.
Jegal Hyeon saw this as a good opportunity.
Discontent towards the Evil Alliance was already growing within the Murim Alliance.
If he could use this incident as a pretext to increase pressure on them and, at the same time, instill a sense of vigilance in the families and sects of the Murim Alliance, then the Murim Alliance would remain strong even if the flames of war were to engulf the Central Plains in the future.
So, what he could do now was send a letter of protest on behalf of the Murim Alliance and root out the collaborator within his own family.
The formations covering the Jegal Family grounds were not something a mere assassin could pass through.
It would be impossible even for the Dark Emperor, the master of the Assassin’s Den.
Though traces of a formation similar to the Ghost-Spirit Sect’s had been found, there was no way a group like them could have secretly poked a hole in the Jegal Family’s formations.
Jegal Hyeon scanned the faces of those gathered in the Sleeping Dragon Hall.
The elders, the Head of the Outer Gate Hall, the Head of the Medical Hall, and the Head of the Law Enforcement Hall. All the key figures of the family were present.
‘…The mastermind behind this incident is among them.’
And Jegal Hyeon was half-convinced that the culprit was his uncle and the family’s Grand Elder, Jegal Tak.
Of course, it was just his gut feeling without any evidence, but in this treacherous martial world, those who disregarded their intuition were destined for a short life.
Jegal Hyeon called for Pung Muhyeok.
“How is the interrogation of the assassins going?”
“…We haven’t been able to get any useful information.”
“What? I’m sure I said you could increase the intensity of the interrogation.”
These were vile assassins who had tried to murder a direct member of the family.
There was no need for mercy.
Pung Muhyeok shook his head.
“There has already been one death. Any further torture is expected to have minimal effect.”
Jegal Hyeon frowned at his report.
“Haa… Is there no other way?”
“It would be best to either acquire the Bewitching Powder for confessions from the Sichuan Tang Family or request the help of the Maoshan Sect to perform the Bewildering Art.”
“The Sichuan Tang Family…”
Known as the masters of poison, the Sichuan Tang Family also had some expertise in medicine.
Above all, their Bewitching Powder, modified into a truth serum, was said to be the most effective in the Central Plains. It was a necessary tool for interrogating assassins who had undergone torture-resistance training.
There was just one problem: the relationship between the Sichuan Tang Family and the other Five Great Families was at its worst.
They barely had any proper interaction nowadays, and naturally, the Tang Family was not participating in the upcoming martial arts tournament.
To understand why their relationship had soured so much, one had to go back 200 years.
When the martial world of Sichuan was on the brink of collapse due to the rise of the Demonic Cult, the Murim Alliance failed to unite and offered little help, pushing the Sichuan Tang Family to the verge of annihilation.
This incident led the Tang Family to distance themselves from the Murim Alliance.
The Maoshan Sect’s situation was similar.
Driven to the brink of destruction by the damage they sustained in the Righteous-Demonic War, the Maoshan Sect went into indefinite seclusion and has not interfered in worldly affairs for many long years.
“Tsk, there’s no other choice. First, send a letter to the Sichuan Tang Family and the Maoshan Sect…”
Just as Jegal Hyeon was about to give the order, he sensed a strange presence outside the Sleeping Dragon Hall.
—Gr-Great Hero! You can’t go in right now!
—Hey! Stop him, quickly!
—No!
CRASH!
With a loud noise, the doors of the Sleeping Dragon Hall burst open, and someone appeared.
“You’re all working hard.”
“You are…?”
It was Kang Hyun-woo, Jegal Hyang’s guest and the one who had resolved the incident.
His appearance sent another wave of murmurs through the hall.
Outsiders were forbidden from participating in family meetings, and barging in unannounced in the middle of one was an even greater breach of etiquette.
“What is the meaning of this?!”
“Even if you are a benefactor to the Jegal Family, such a disturbance cannot be tolerated!”
“What in the world are the warriors of the Sleeping Dragon Hall doing?! Escort him out immediately!”
Several people raised their voices and shouted, but Kang Hyun-woo didn’t even blink.
Instead, his presence began to fill the hall, pressing down on the key members.
Of course, this was not intentional.
It was simply that the magic and martial arts he had accumulated were amplifying the very presence of the man named Kang Hyun-woo.
“Huu… Young Hero Kang, even for you, I cannot permit you to enter a family meeting without permission.”
“My apologies, Family Head.”
Kang Hyun-woo bowed his head respectfully.
Jegal Hyeon pressed a hand to his forehead at the sight.
Even if he was a guest, breaking the family’s laws was an issue that could not be overlooked.
But no matter what anyone said, he was the man who had saved Jegal Hyang’s life.
As a father before a Family Head, he didn’t want to lecture him on the family’s laws and nitpick his rights and wrongs.
“I sincerely apologize for my unavoidable rudeness. However, please understand that I had no choice but to step forward due to the gravity of the matter.”
“A grave matter? What do you mean?”
“First, would you please look at this?”
The moment Kang Hyun-woo took something out from his robes.
While shock and horror filled the faces of the Family Head and the key members, only one person among them glared at Kang Hyun-woo, his face contorted in a grimace.
“N-No way! Why is that in my nephew-in-law’s… no, Great Hero Kang’s hands?!”
Jegal Jinhwan rushed forward and began to examine the object Kang Hyun-woo had produced.
Soon, with a complicated expression, Jegal Jinhwan glanced around before speaking.
“…This is clearly the mark drawn on the Grand Elder’s talisman.”
“What does that mean?!”
“Head of the Outer Gate Hall! What are you talking about?!”
“There’s no way an outsider would know the Grand Elder’s mark!”
The shock that spread in an instant showed no signs of subsiding.
However, a few people simply stared at the Grand Elder without a word.
“Enough, enough!”
Jegal Hyeon, shouting with his internal energy, rose from his seat and approached Kang Hyun-woo.
As Kang Hyun-woo sent a telepathic message along with the letter, Jegal Hyeon’s face twisted into a ferocity never seen before.
“Seize the Grand Elder at once!”
The moment the Family Head’s order fell, martial artists appeared from nowhere and surrounded the Grand Elder.
“Family Head, what is the meaning of this?!”
“Shut up! How dare a man who calls himself the Grand Elder of the family attempt to assassinate a direct descendant?!”
Jegal Tak raised his voice in feigned panic, but the killing intent radiating from Jegal Hyeon far surpassed it.
In the tense atmosphere, no one dared to speak rashly.
“Me, attempt an assassination? What kind of nonsense is that?!”
“If you’re not blind, see for yourself!”
The Jegal Family estate was covered by hundreds of Qimen formations.
Even family members often got lost, trapped in the formations if they didn’t move according to the set rules.
However, the direct line was an exception.
Like the talisman Jegal Hyeon had given Kang Hyun-woo, they were given a sort of pass that allowed them to completely ignore the family’s formations.
And the letter Kang Hyun-woo had presented bore the mark of Jegal Tak’s talisman.
Needless to say, this was one of the family’s highest-level secrets.
Of course, knowing the mark didn’t mean one could create a talisman, but there was a definite possibility of creating something that could partially replicate its effects.
“Ha! Since when does the head of the great Jegal Family accuse his own uncle, the Grand Elder, of being a heinous criminal based on a single talisman mark?! Is that the law of our family?!”
“Do you say that knowing the mark came from the assassins?!”
While handing the letter to Jegal Hyeon, Kang Hyun-woo had also telepathically informed him that it had been found on one of the assassins.
‘Of course, that’s a lie.’
The mark on the letter was something Kang Hyun-woo had drawn based on the memories of Neung Cheonseong, the Ghost Valley Master.
In reality, the disposable talismans the assassins had used to invade the manor had burned to ashes immediately after use.
Hmm? So isn’t that fabricated evidence?
That didn’t matter.
After all, Jegal Tak was the one who had ordered Jegal Hyang’s assassination.
To be precise, it was Jegal Tak’s confidant and a man from the Evil Alliance who had commissioned the Ghost Valley.
Neung Cheonseong, in preparation for being discarded after his use, had already finished investigating those who had commissioned the job.
‘Well… it’s not that I don’t have proper evidence, but I’d have to go all the way to the Ghost Valley’s headquarters for that.’
Of course, he wouldn’t mind going to that trouble for Jegal Hyang, but this way was easier and faster, so why bother?
Besides, the Ghost Valley wasn’t exactly close by.
“Do you have proof?! For all we know, you could have told him my mark and had him commit perjury, Family Head!”
The hall stirred at Jegal Tak’s appeal.
It was a reasonably valid argument.
If the assassin really had a letter with the mark, why didn’t Kang Hyun-woo bring it sooner, instead of waiting until now?
About an hour had passed since the incident.
It was enough time for the Family Head to have someone create false evidence.
“Moreover, if such a letter was found, you should have calmly investigated first, but you, Family Head, have cornered me as if you were waiting for this! Can you swear to the ancestors of our family that there is no personal motive in any of these judgments?!”
Indeed, Jegal Hyeon’s actions were excessively hostile and dogmatic for dealing with the family’s Grand Elder.
With the full story not yet revealed, his decision to bind a respected elder in front of everyone before even investigating was somewhat difficult to understand.
It was like the reaction of someone who had disliked Jegal Tak for a very long time.
As the atmosphere grew stranger, Kang Hyun-woo sighed inwardly and stepped forward.
“Grand Elder?”
Meeting Kang Hyun-woo’s eyes, Jegal Tak, his usual smile completely gone, glared at him as if to kill him.
“So, it was you. The one who dared to confuse the Family Head’s ears and frame me for this crime…”
“These are the last words of the Ghost Valley Master.”
“…What?”
Kang Hyun-woo whispered in a voice no one else could hear, then took a step back and continued calmly.
“He said he received the payment and would like to meet you in person next time. Oh, and the name of the subordinate you sent to the Ghost Valley in your stead was… Bang Muyoon?”
In that instant, ripples spread through Jegal Tak’s eyes.
“Tsk, tsk, you sent him all that way, but to bury him near Mt. Bokryong just to silence him? Isn’t that a bit much? And as if that wasn’t enough, you meddled with the family’s businesses to raise the commission fee… I’m not sure if a respected elder of the family should be doing such things.”
“H-How do you know that…?”
As secrets that no one should have known poured from Kang Hyun-woo’s lips, Jegal Tak’s face instantly turned pale.
Watching him, Kang Hyun-woo’s lips curled into a smirk.
“I told you, didn’t I? They were his last words.”