Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Emissary (3)
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If you were to draw a line connecting Mount Hua in Shaanxi, Mount Song in Henan, and Mount Wudang in Hubei, it would form a triangle.
And at the very center of that triangle lies the Righteous Path Alliance.
It is a coalition of these three great sects and the faction with the deepest history among the Five Hegemons of the world.
Of course, since history doesn't guarantee strength, it is considered the weakest of the Five Hegemons.
Yet, no one in the world dared to underestimate the Righteous Path Alliance.
Long ago, before the Five Hegemons even existed, it was the Righteous Path Alliance that led the charge against the rise of the Demonic Cult, and it was they who ultimately annihilated it.
Because of this, the Righteous Path Alliance became the archenemy of the Ten Demon Alliance, and they formed a semi-alliance with the Nine Dragons Fortress, who shared a common foe.
It was against this backdrop that we had come to forge a mutual defense pact.
Upon arriving at the main gate of the Righteous Path Alliance, a Taoist priest with snow-white hair came out to greet us.
To greet an envoy meant he was a person of high status.
Moreover, his venerable age suggested he held a high rank in the hierarchy.
“Welcome to the Righteous Path Alliance. I am Ju Myeong of Mount Hua, in charge of the guest pavilion.”
As expected, he was quite a famous figure.
Ju Myeong of the Mount Hua Sect had been a renowned righteous warrior for thirty years.
The problem was…
*Nod.*
Despite being greeted by such a person, Bukgung Baek merely gave a slight nod.
"Hm?"
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Ju Myeong's eyes at the unexpected reaction.
Panicked, I quickly sent a telepathic message.
[What do you think you're doing, returning a greeting like that?]
[Didn't you tell me to just nod?]
Wow, he took it that way.
Bukgung Baek always managed to exceed my wildest imaginations.
[No, that's not what I meant!]
After receiving my message, Bukgung Baek finally dismounted and offered a fist-and-palm salute to Ju Myeong.
"I am Bukgung Baek. It is an honor to meet the Plum Blossom Sword, renowned for his righteous deeds."
"Haha, I have heard much of the Ten-Hand Heavenly Conqueror's fame. Please, don't stand on ceremony. Come in and rest from your journey."
"Thank you."
My heart pounding from the very start, I entered the fortress.
The sight of the Righteous Path Alliance, witnessed with my own two eyes, was surprising in many ways.
First, its scale was remarkably small.
There were only five large pavilions and about a dozen smaller ones in total.
And…
‘They all look quite old.’
The age of its members seemed quite high.
Of course, this was not good news for us.
Even neighborhood thugs respect seniority.
How much more so for martial artists, who could not ignore the hierarchy of ranks.
This factor was likely to be a disadvantage in the negotiations.
Sure enough.
"Please rest here and recover from your journey. I will send someone for you tomorrow morning."
The moment I saw the shabby pavilion the Righteous Path Alliance had assigned as our lodging, I had a feeling these negotiations would not be easy.
* * *
As soon as we settled into our quarters, I gathered everyone except for Bukgung Baek, who had immediately started drinking.
The purpose was to remind them of the objective and the precautions for these negotiations.
"...Therefore, you must be careful, and then be careful again, with your conduct. In particular, you must absolutely avoid rashly drawing your swords and injuring someone out of a competitive spirit."
As everyone nodded, Dan Un asked.
"So it's fine as long as we don't injure them?"
"Brother Dan, just stay locked up in your room. I can't trust you."
This time, Wi Ji-pung raised his hand.
"Yes, please speak."
"The negotiations look tough. Are we going to be okay?"
"It may be difficult, but what choice do we have? We have to succeed."
Depending on whether we succeed, I might have to flee to the distant land of Goryeo instead of returning to the Nine Dragons Fortress. That's why I brought plenty of money.
"For now, we won't know the Righteous Path Alliance's intentions until the negotiations begin, so let's call it a day and rest. Thank you all for your hard work getting here."
After everyone had returned to their rooms, Yu So-pyeong came to see me again.
"From the Righteous Path Alliance's perspective, there is no need to accept this pact."
He had accurately pointed out the crux of the matter.
"No need..."
It was something I had already guessed to some extent.
After all, the Nine Dragons Fortress was closer to Gansu, where the Ten Demon Alliance's main base was located, than the Righteous Path Alliance was.
The logic I had come up with was the principle of mutual dependency.
"By emphasizing that without the lips, the teeth will grow cold..."
"No. The Nine Dragons Fortress is not the lips to the Righteous Path Alliance's teeth. Rather, the Righteous Path Alliance is the lips to the Martial Emperor Fortress's teeth."
It seems my logic was a bit weak.
Listening to Yu So-pyeong's reasoning, I realized my view of the world had been too narrow.
"...If it were you, how would you persuade them?"
"There's no persuading them with logic. The pact itself is a loss for the Righteous Path Alliance. Instead..."
"......?"
"If we flip the board, the situation will change."
I couldn't help but be surprised by Yu So-pyeong's subsequent explanation.
"Will that method work?"
"Is there any other way?"
* * *
The next morning.
After a simple meal, we waited, and men from the Righteous Path Alliance came for us.
"The Alliance Lord and the elders are waiting for you."
We followed them into the grand hall where the leaders of the Righteous Path Alliance were waiting.
An old Taoist priest seated at the head of the hall rose to welcome us.
"Welcome to the Righteous Path Alliance."
It was Yeong Myeong, the Sword Saint of Mount Hua, the only one among the Ten Great Masters in the Righteous Path Alliance and its lord.
In response to the greeting from the aged master, Bukgung Baek merely nodded his head.
Today, it was not a mistake.
On the contrary, I had asked him to do it.
I stepped forward in Bukgung Baek's place and bowed my head.
"This junior martial artist, Jin Mujeon, greets the Lord of the Righteous Path Alliance."
The dozen or so leaders of the Righteous Path Alliance fixed their gazes on me, full of questions.
Facing them, I spoke very slowly, clearly, and precisely.
"Last night, a draft in the lodging caused Hall Master Bukgung to catch a cold. As it has become difficult for him to use his voice, I will be speaking on his behalf in today's negotiations. I ask for your kind consideration."
"......"
Everyone was speechless.
It was only natural.
Anyone who had reached the first-rate level of internal energy would not catch a cold.
Furthermore, the probability of Bukgung Baek catching a cold was about the same as winning first prize in the lottery by picking the numbers 123456.
In other words, it was zero.
There was only one reason for telling such an obvious lie.
‘I have to flip the board.’
It was to hide our desperate desire for an alliance and make it seem as if we thought it was something we could take or leave.
And that intention worked better than I expected.
"...For now, please be seated."
The Alliance Lord and everyone below him gestured for us to sit, their faces etched with confusion.
The first to speak was Yujin-ja Hyeon Ho, an elder of the Wudang Sect and one of the three elders of the Righteous Path Alliance.
"Did you not come here to form an alliance?"
Known for his hasty nature, he bluntly questioned our intentions.
"That is correct."
"Then why are you being so stiff?"
"Third Elder!"
The Alliance Lord called out to him urgently.
The surrounding elders were equally flustered.
I waited for the commotion to die down before speaking slowly.
"On my way here, a thought occurred to me."
"What was it?"
"I wondered if the Righteous Path Alliance of today is the same as the Righteous Path Alliance of the past."
The atmosphere chilled in real time.
I spoke as clearly as I could.
"I came to the conclusion that it is not."
"What did you say?"
*Fwoosh.*
The elders of the Righteous Path Alliance unleashed a fierce aura.
The pressure was considerable.
However, I too was a martial artist who had entered the ranks of the masters.
I could easily brush off something of this level.
"The spirit that sought to bring peace to the world by annihilating the Demonic Cult, the predecessor of the Ten Demon Alliance, is long gone. Now, are you not just holed up in the middle of the Central Plains, concerned only with your own safety?"
*Clang.*
"You insolent whelp!"
As the Great Unity Adept drew his sword with fiery momentum, Bukgung Baek quietly rose to his feet.
A ferocious energy swirled within the grand hall.
It was a touch-and-go situation.
At that moment, the Alliance Lord quietly waved his hand.
"Everyone, stop."
At the sound of his clear voice, the blazing momentum vanished in an instant.
It was a display of divine authority befitting the Sword Saint of Mount Hua, who, along with the Great Pure Adept, was known as one of the two great sword saints of Taoism.
When the atmosphere had somewhat settled, he spoke in a low voice.
"I was under the impression that the Nine Dragons Fortress wished to form an alliance. Was I mistaken?"
"You are correct."
"Then why are you insulting the Righteous Path Alliance?"
"Insulting you? Not at all."
"Then?"
"I was merely stating reality."
"Reality..."
At the word 'reality', the Alliance Lord's gaze deepened.
He thought for a moment before speaking again.
"We are all agitated. It seems best to postpone the talks until tomorrow. What do you think?"
"Very well."
And so, the first day of talks came to an end.
* * *
"A tree that does not bend is the first to break."
Isn't the Hall Master, who's chugging alcohol even here, a much sturdier tree?
"In any case, the Grand Chancellor entrusted this to you, so do your best."
"Is there any other choice?"
If I fail, I'll be excommunicated.
Just as I was about to leave Bukgung Baek's room, he spoke as if a thought had just occurred to him.
"The Righteous Path Alliance is a righteous sect."
"Pardon?"
"The Nine Dragons Fortress is also a righteous sect. But the world doesn't see the two factions in the same light. Think about why that is."
"Ah. Yes. I will keep that in mind."
It was sudden, but it had a common thread with what I had discussed with Yu So-pyeong.
And that night.
"Are you Young Warrior Jin?"
A Taoist priest with a spirited demeanor, like looking at a shark, came to find me.
What do I mean by that?
I mean that a guy who looked menacing, not at all like a Taoist priest, had shown up.
"I am..."
"Follow me."
"And who might you be, to be ordering me around?"
*Twitch.*
At my question, the corners of his eyes twitched for a moment.
"I am Jin Gung of Mount Hua."
"Ah..."
It was a name I couldn't possibly not know.
He was the head disciple of the Mount Hua Sect and one of the most prominent rising stars in the world.
He was basically a guy like Dan Un.
Of course.
"Telling me to follow without even giving a reason... Is this the way of the Righteous Path Alliance?"
That wasn't a reason for me to bow my head and follow.
"...The Alliance Lord has asked me to escort you."
"Just me?"
"That's right. Don't bother asking for details. I don't know either. What will you do?"
"I'll go."
I followed Jin Gung, whose eyes were full of dissatisfaction, to a small thatched hut in the innermost part of the Righteous Path Alliance's grounds.
"Go on."
As he said, I walked down the only path, and in the distance, I saw the Alliance Lord and a few other people.
*Step. Step.*
As I took a step, my footsteps echoed in the silent space.
Not long after I started walking, I noticed something strange.
‘The distance isn't closing. It's a formation.’
I was, after all, an emissary from the Nine Dragons Fortress.
To trap me in a formation despite that…
‘It's a test.’
It meant they intended to test me.
Was there anything to think about?
I just had to blow it wide open and get out.
"Hup."
*Kwoong.*
Apex of Mind, Body of Ki.
The moment I made up my mind, the War King's energy moved, and when I stomped my foot, the ground shook.
The Thirteen Strikes of the War King unleashed an incomparable force.
*Pang.*
A light sound echoed.
*Kwaaaang!*
Followed by a massive explosion.
*Kuuuooo.*
A small black sphere materialized and began to suck in everything around it.
*Crack. Thud.*
Not only small pebbles but even trees deeply rooted in the ground were pulled in and crushed to dust.
Perhaps even the core of the formation had been pulverized, as the surrounding mist soon dissipated, clearing my vision.
In the distance, I could see the Alliance Lord with a look of considerable surprise on his face.
I used the Flying Heavenly Wind to land before him and bowed my head.
"I heard you summoned me."
"...I had heard rumors that your achievements were not small, but I never imagined they were this great."
A question arose at his tone, which sounded as if he knew me.
"...Do you know me?"
"You were too young, so you must not remember."
The Alliance Lord exclaimed in a stern voice.
"You rascal! There's a limit to how much you can mock the Way. Are you saying you'd forsake the path for the sake of getting married?!"
And just like that, as if by magic, a scene from the past came to mind.
My grandfather trying to persuade me, who refused to become a Taoist priest.
And next to him, my grandfather's Taoist priest friend, scolding me along with him.
And nine-year-old me, completely ignoring them both while picking my nose.
Overcome with a sense of familiarity, I blurted out without thinking.
"Ah! That crazy old coot?"
*Smack!*