Chapter 441
Chapter 441
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 441
Chapter Title: What's Left? (5)
As soon as I revealed my identity, Old Man Sam broke into a delighted grin.
However, contrary to that expression, a shout burst from his mouth.
"You rascal! You startled me!"
I smirked and shot back.
"Has the worldly-wise Wild Wind Wanderer, who's seen it all, really been caught off guard by something like this?"
"How could I not be? I fancy myself a master of sorts. For someone like me to miss an intruder's presence entirely—how could I not be shocked?! Don't pop out like that again, you punk. If it had been anyone else, blades would have flown before any warning."
"I'll be careful. But today, I had no choice."
"Hmph. Well, anyway. Looks like you've taken another step forward since we last met. Back when you were wrapping things up at Jin Gwang-ryang, you felt like you were lugging around a massive water jar. That sensation's completely gone now."
"Haha. I went through some trial and error, but as you know, I've got a knack for drawing helpful people. With all the aid I got, I managed to push through somehow."
As I exchanged a few words with Old Man Sam like that,
Namgoong Yoon hesitantly spoke up.
"I heard the news. They call you the Invincible Sword now. And one of the Ten Great Swords of the World... Congratulations."
"The Ten Great Swords title is ambiguous in all sorts of ways. I haven't truly settled things with the seniors holding those ranks."
"Hm. Is that so?"
"Yeah. And as for the Invincible Sword moniker... given the atmosphere at the time and the fact that it came from your grandfather, I couldn't refuse. It's still an embarrassing name, though."
It was at that moment that Do Joong-gwang crossed his arms with a stern expression.
"That elder didn't become Alliance Leader for nothing! It'd be suffocating to think of crossing blades with a punk like you!"
I let out a chuckle at his words, then got straight to the point.
"Anyway. Let's move to a better spot first. There's a lot to discuss, and this place isn't ideal."
Old Man Sam nodded slowly.
"Very well. But we've already sent word to the beggar kids and the Morning Star Sect. What about that?"
"No need to worry about it."
"Alright? Well, you must have some plan in place. Got it."
Unlike Old Man Sam, however, Do Joong-gwang ostentatiously dusted off his hands and offered a farewell.
"Yeah, yeah! Safe travels! Finally getting rid of this pest and his lice! It was a drag hanging with you—let's never meet again! Haha! Guess I should buy some salt for the road."
I cut him off sharply.
"What are you talking about, Senior? You need to come with us too."
Do Joong-gwang looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
"Where to? The Alliance? Why would I?"
"It's the path where you survive, and your bandit crew survives too. You've seen the gazette, so you must sense the storm brewing in the martial world... Head to our safehouse first and hear us out. If you still think it's unnecessary after that, you can return to the Bandit Fortress. It's not far."
"Hah. Feels like you're about to pierce my nose with a ring... Fine. Lead the way."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Old Man Sam, Do Joong-gwang, Namgoong Yoon.
I headed to the safehouse of the Taewon Merchant Group in Myeonhyeon County with the three of them.
My younger Eon siblings, who had been waiting, welcomed us.
"Professor and Big Brother Eon are here!"
"Do Senior and Young Master Namgoong are here too. Heavenly Lord of Primeval Beginning. Looks like everyone made it through unscathed."
Old Man Sam spotted an unfamiliar face among the group and clapped his hands, speaking up.
"Langya Sword?! That's you, right? Jang Cheol-han!"
"Yes. Long time no see, Senior No."
"Heh. You look so polished now, I almost didn't recognize you. But what's a guy like you doing mixed in with these kids?"
"...Hrm. Circumstances led me to accept a professorship at the academy."
"Really? That's something else. Anyway, good to see you. Oh, this is Do Joong-gwang. You've heard the name. Bandit boss, right?"
"...One day I'll make this old bandit's neck snap. Always calling me the bandit boss! Anyway, pleased to meet you. Do Joong-gwang."
"The fame of the King of Bandits is unavoidable. Pleased to meet you, Senior. Jang Cheol-han."
While the elders exchanged names, Namgoong Yoon and my younger siblings started catching up.
"I heard you won the Heavenly Martial Tournament. Everyone seems a bit different now. Did you all make progress in that short time?"
In response to Namgoong Yoon's words, Yin Xia Lian spoke coldly.
"...Short?"
"?"
As Namgoong Yoon made a puzzled face,
Eon Yong-myeong jumped in with an awkward laugh.
"Brother Yoon, it looks like you didn't waste your time either. Your aura's changed a lot."
"Just taking in the lives of us common folk brought some small enlightenment."
At that, Cheon Jang-ho snorted.
"Hah. How delicately must you have lived like flowers to gain insight from something so trivial?"
Even Namgoong Yoon couldn't miss the sharp atmosphere from Yin Xia Lian to Cheon Jang-ho.
But he still seemed puzzled about why.
Namgoong Yoon tilted his head and spoke.
"Feels like everyone's upset with me... Did I do something wrong? Did calling it enlightenment sound like boasting? That wasn't my intent at all."
Dang Ok-gi spoke up in exasperation.
"Kak!!! You said it was short! Short! Don't you know Eon Yong-un? A day felt like a year. It was so tough, and you call that short?!"
"...Ah? So that's it."
"That's it?! Playing around and eating with that bandit uncle made you lose all sense?! It was so hard, and you just skipped out!"
"I didn't skip out on purpose..."
"No need! Traitor Namgoong Yoon! Goongyoon is my enemy! Let's kill Goongyoon!"
My younger siblings chimed in unison.
"Hear, hear!"
The most enthusiastic in chanting was, without a doubt, Namgoong Young.
As Namgoong Yoon subtly sighed,
"......"
Old Man Sam sat in an empty seat and asked me.
"So, why head to the Alliance? If you're provoking them with that gazette, shouldn't we go somewhere they'd actually target?"
I answered immediately.
"Because the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult might unexpectedly be aiming for the Alliance."
With that opener, I nodded toward Dokgo Cheol, who had the materials I'd compiled at Ma Bang-yeon.
"Cheol."
"Yes, Chairman."
Dokgo Cheol immediately signaled to Jang Seon,
and the two of them unrolled the scroll containing the prepared documents. I began.
"There have been major and minor incidents in areas bordering the Western Frontier recently, but overall, the martial world has been relatively peaceful. As a result, the Alliance has become more like an administrative body mediating disputes between sects, diverting defense budgets to other urgent areas. Consequently, the outer walls and defensive formations have deteriorated significantly."
At my words, Old Man Sam looked skeptical.
"Come on. No way. It's still the Alliance. Unless they've gone mad, they wouldn't crawl all the way to Luoyang to target it, right?"
I continued.
"The second reason is exactly that 'no way' you just mentioned. The righteous folk vaguely think, 'Surely not the Alliance?' We've racked up big and small victories everywhere, fostering that complacency even more. Just look at the professor here."
"......"
"And the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult aren't the type to heed 'unless they've gone mad.'"
"They are mad, alright."
"Yes. On top of that, the Alliance's forces aren't as strong as one might think. You can see from the documents Seon is holding in his left hand—excluding the Leader's direct strike force, their main power rivals the Nine Great Sects' core units, but it's just that one strike force."
"So you're saying the demons will hit the Alliance, Yong-un?"
"More precisely, among symbolically significant targets, the Alliance is the most poorly defended. Right now, it's even more vulnerable to raids than Wuchang's naval formations."
As I finished, Je Gal-seol-ji quickly added,
"Even without isolating the Alliance, if Yong-un, the one who spread this gazette, heads there under the pretext of responding to the Elder Assembly's summons, it'd be an irresistible bait for the Cult."
Old Man Sam groaned and furrowed his brow,
when Do Joong-gwang spoke up.
"So, what was that talk earlier about me surviving and my men too?"
Paeng So-jin pointed to the map Dokgo Cheol held and replied.
"No matter where the Cult aims, they'll have to pass through the Great Pae Mountain Range where the Bandit Fortress is. Moving a large army would be a hassle, so they'll send elites, and to avoid our outposts, retracing the old secret paths through the muddy swamps would be easiest."
But Do Joong-gwang frustratingly spoke again.
"You think I understand that? What swamps?"
I clarified.
"Simply put, no matter their target, they'll pass through the Wujeo Valley below the Bandit Fortress. Think about it—blocking every treacherous path in the Great Pae Mountains would take a million troops, wouldn't it?"
"That's true, but... doesn't that mean I need to stay put even more? If they come this way?"
"No. The Bandit Fortress is the biggest obstacle to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult entering the Central Plains—geographically, and because you're with us. It's a roadblock on the way in and on the way out."
"And?"
"But what if Do Senior, who came down with Goongyoon, suddenly goes missing?"
"Hm. My men would panic."
"Yes. That panic will reach the demons' ears quickly, and they'll judge the bandits as a ragtag bunch. No reason to touch a Bandit Fortress without its leader. Naturally, you'll be safe, and the other bandit groups too."
As I finished,
Do Joong-gwang was nodding unconsciously.
"Ugh. Sounds right..."
But he didn't look fully convinced.
To dispel the lingering worry, I made a proposal.
"Just in case, I'll lend you Young Eung."
Gulp!
"Leave her with one of your trusted subordinates you've grown fond of through her visits for contact with Goongyoon. She can reach out in emergencies—how about that?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Old Man Sam and Namgoong Yoon.
And Do Joong-gwang, who decided to accompany us—we headed to Luoyang, where the Murim Alliance was.
After securing a discreet inn for the secretly traveling Do Joong-gwang and reporting our response to the Alliance summons,
the Elder Assembly was convened shortly after.
"Then, let us commence."
At the assembled Elder Assembly, I was questioned by Vice Chairman Jang Son-rip.
"The reason this assembly summoned you, a cadet of the Righteous Martial Academy, is due to this gazette circulating in the world lately. We believe it's issued from Cheongjuk Hall. Did you have a hand in creating it?"
"We generally give the publisher discretion. But for the one you're holding, I commissioned it entirely. So it's more accurate to say Eon Yong-un published it."
"Does that mean you acknowledge everything written in it?"
"Yes. No need for acknowledgment—I'm the sole victor over Sword Demon Wi Cheol-jin."
"...Understood. We thank you for complying with the assembly's summons and attendance demand. Today's meeting is adjourned here. We'll summon you again later, so please remain within Luoyang's jurisdiction."
"Yes, sir."
As I finished the relatively simple first appearance and turned to leave,
Jang Cheol-han, seated in the gallery, followed and spoke.
"Where to?"
"Hye-min Pavilion. And you, Senior?"
"Got some old friends near Bukmang Mountain I'm visiting after ages. Our paths overlap, so let's go together."
"Sure."
On the way, Jang Cheol-han gave a dry laugh.
"The academy's changed quite a bit, as you boasted. But this place is the same as ever."
"You'd be wrong there. It's changed plenty here too."
"Hmph. Changed my foot. They adjourned to scrutinize your claims for loopholes, looking ready to pounce. Pathetic."
"Well, this time I tossed them some bait."
As I replied nonchalantly, Jang Cheol-han pressed.
"Why go this far? If it were me, I wouldn't have revealed being the Sword Demon's victor."
As I opened my mouth to answer,
Master spoke first.
- That's just his temperament!
I unwittingly echoed it.
"It's just my temperament..."
Upon reflection, it wasn't wrong, so I continued.
"...What can I do about it? And after gathering luminaries like you, Senior, and daring to ask what remains in life, shouldn't my words match my actions at minimum?"
"But what if the demons don't show as expected? Won't you just tire yourself out?"
"The demons will come. With the young cult leader succession war raging, some of them can't ignore this bait. They have no choice."
Jang Cheol-han grinned at that.
"...Well, if so, good. Hm. The demons aside, I'm looking forward to those raccoons' faces when it happens."
Watching his smile, a thought flashed through my mind, and I spoke up.
"By the way, who exactly are these friends of yours, Senior?"
"You won't know them. They're the type holed up in remote mountains, just cultivating. Folks call me stubborn, but in my line, I'm downright sociable."
"So, in short, they're hidden masters in seclusion?"
"...Yeah?"
It was a meticulously planned move after thorough review.
I'd even brought Do Joong-gwang inside Luoyang.
But sufficiency was never enough against demons.
"Can I tag along too? I'm curious. Introduce me."