Chapter 137
Chapter 137
Self-Invited Calamity
In the northwestern district of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, stood a mountain range with precipitous cliffs so steep they seemed carved by blades.
Yet people revered this place not for the mountain itself, but for the martial sect that had established its stronghold upon its slopes.
So much so that the mountain itself bore the sect's name.
Qingcheng Mountain.
And the Qingcheng Sect—one of the Nine Great Sects and Three Powers of Sichuan—was that very sect.
Donations poured in like tidal waves, both voluntarily and under coercion, as factions sought to align themselves with the Qingcheng Sect that dominated Sichuan.
Their Taoist temples erected across Qingcheng Mountain numbered in the dozens.
Unlike the Emei Sect, which showed no interest in expanding its influence, it had seemed certain until just a year ago that the Qingcheng Sect would become Sichuan's undisputed hegemon.
......But now, even that was becoming a thing of the past.
Recently, it had become common to refer to the Tang Family of Sichuan and the Emei Sect as the Twin Powers, while the Qingcheng Sect was relegated a step below.
Of course, no one in their right mind would dare say such things openly in front of Qingcheng's Taoist masters.
Everyone whispered it behind their backs.
Just wait and see.
Before long, it wouldn't be the Qingcheng Sect—but the Tang Family—that would rule Sichuan.
Qingcheng Sect.
Shangqing Palace.
Among Qingcheng's many ornate temples, the Shangqing Palace stood as the most lavishly decorated, a symbol of the sect itself.
Though entirely unbefitting the ascetic purity Taoist monks were meant to embody, there was no helping it.
The Shangqing Palace was none other than the residence of the sect's leader.
"......Is this information truly reliable?"
The Qingcheng Sect's leader, the Lone Flying Sword Juk Seong-ja, spoke in a voice cold enough to freeze the air.
His gaze fell upon his chief disciple, who stood before him with utmost deference.
Yet for some reason, the chief disciple's expression was graver than ever.
"Yes, Sect Leader. Last night, at a banquet attended by only a select few, Tang Mu-yeol himself made the announcement."
"Hah! This is absurd—!"
"What? Handing over the family to that blood-soaked brat already? Has the Tang Family Head lost his mind?"
"Tang Se-woon—that bastard has truly become the Tang Family's leader?!"
While Juk Seong-ja remained silent, the eight elders seated around him were visibly shaken.
The chief disciple had brought only one piece of news.
Tang Se-woon, the hated heir of Sichuan's Tang Family—whom every Qingcheng disciple despised—had abruptly ascended as the family's leader.
Given the gravity of the matter, the unrest in the hall showed no signs of settling.
Amidst the clamor, Juk Seong-ja alone calmly assessed the situation.
'To suddenly pass the leadership in these circumstances... This isn't the kind of thinking Tang Mu-yeol is capable of.'
A murderous glint flashed in Juk Seong-ja's eyes as he recalled a certain man.
Tang Se-woon.
That thunderstruck bastard was clearly up to his tricks again.
Crunch.
Unconsciously, Juk Seong-ja ground his teeth hard enough to produce an audible sound.
Ever since Namgung Myeong had declared his imminent withdrawal from the Martial Alliance to form the White Dao Coalition, Juk Seong-ja had worked tirelessly to elevate Qingcheng's standing amidst the shifting tides.
They couldn't allow the Namgung Family to monopolize power indefinitely.
Thus, he had pushed Qingcheng to firmly seize control of Sichuan—even if it meant overextending—yet so far, the results had been nothing but painful failures.
'The escort bureaus we secretly bought with extra funds barely receive any commissions now, and the donations flowing into our sect have dried up.'
The repercussions of reckless expansion were returning as poison far sooner than expected.
Moreover, the reliable support from the Lee Merchant Group—once a sturdy pillar—had vanished long ago after Yi Ho-seong's expulsion.
Though they had attempted to reconnect under the pretext of reconsidering Yi Ho-seong's expulsion, the merchant group's head, Lee Ja-myeong, had already allied with the Gongdong Faction and ignored them outright.
'If Tang Se-woon steps forward openly, the Tang Family of Sichuan will undoubtedly expand its influence far more aggressively than before.'
Unlike the weak-willed Tang Mu-yeol, who was full of hollow righteousness, Tang Se-woon was cut from the same cloth as Juk Seong-ja himself.
That utterly ruthless bastard would surely turn the blade hidden in his sleeve toward Qingcheng.
Yet even as Juk Seong-ja's heart blackened with fury—
"Hmm, well, in any case, that bastard doesn't have long to live. Is there really any need to take this so seriously?"
"Exactly. Why should we gather like this to devise countermeasures against some brat?"
"Once he dies, the Tang Family will collapse like a sandcastle without its center!"
"Quite right. Unlike our Qingcheng Sect, with its proud history and traditions, the Tang Family was a ruined clan that could barely breathe until just a year ago."
"By the time he breathes his last, the White Dao Coalition will have been established! If we ensure the Tang Family cannot join, we can devour every achievement they've made until now!"
The elders continued to chatter, naively interpreting the current situation at face value.
Idiots.
Juk Seong-ja cursed them inwardly.
Not a single one among them grasped the cold reality.
"Oh ho, that sounds plausible. Then perhaps Sect Leader should communicate closely with the Namgung Family Head—"
"Is that what you call advice, Elders?"
"!!"
"If what hangs above your necks isn't mere decoration, why not try using it for once?"
At Juk Seong-ja's scathing rebuke, the elders could no longer hide their dismay.
But Juk Seong-ja didn't stop there.
"It's precisely because you blindly trusted that black-hearted old fox's words that we've reached this dire state."
"Sect Leader, this is—!"
"Your words go too far!"
"Silence!"
Boom!
Juk Seong-ja stomped his foot and unleashed a lion's roar, instantly shutting the elders' mouths.
As they broke into cold sweats and glanced around nervously, Juk Seong-ja continued, his aura razor-sharp.
"Think carefully. Isn't the timing far too convenient? Tang Se-woon—who was supposed to die soon—has proven his vitality by ascending as family leader. While we grew complacent, the Tang Family seized countless interests across Sichuan."
"......!"
"Do you truly believe they accomplished this solely through their own strength?"
The elders' pupils trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Juk Seong-ja's implication was clear.
There was a force supporting the Tang Family's movements from behind.
And that force was...
"Could it be the Namgung Family?!"
"Namgung Myeong—!"
Juk Seong-ja nodded.
Yes. He had mistakenly assumed Namgung Myeong was the mastermind behind the Tang Family's rise.
And it was an easy assumption to make.
'Namgung Myeong. That bastard intends to make the Tang Family a second Hwangbo Family.'
Having already absorbed the ousted Hwangbo Family, the Namgung Family had achieved unprecedented dominance.
What had been done once could surely be done again.
"Judging by recent events, Namgung Myeong must have struck some 'deal' with that bastard Tang Se-woon."
"A... deal?"
"Why else would Namgung Myeong hand over the Divine Flame Forge? If Namgung's warriors receive Divine Artifacts from him, even if the Martial Alliance splits in half, could we ever hope to match their strength?"
"!!"
"You don't mean... in exchange for—!"
"Correct. He must have promised to hand over Sichuan."
And the moment the Tang Family secured Sichuan, they would join the White Dao Coalition.
'Then, just like the Hwangbo Family, the Namgung Family will swallow the Tang Family whole.'
With that, the Namgung Family would ascend as the strongest single faction—one even the Wudang and Shaolin Sects wouldn't dare challenge.
Namgung Myeong would achieve what even the Sword Emperor Yoo Jin-hak could not.
'Damn it! I realized that bastard's scheme too late.'
Juk Seong-ja seethed inwardly with fury toward Namgung Myeong.
Though it was a completely baseless misunderstanding, his assumption was understandable.
The factions gathered in the White Dao Coalition for mutual benefit were riddled with suspicion and distrust.
There was no trust between them whatsoever.
"Preposterous! How could the Namgung Family do this to us?!"
"But if this is true, what can we possibly do? If they've truly allied with Namgung, how can we—"
Just as the elders poured out their anxieties—
Creak!
"I can resolve this!!"
The tightly shut doors of the Shangqing Palace burst open, revealing a man.
His attire was far too extravagant for a Taoist monk.
His face was lightly powdered and made up, and his robes dripped with ostentatious ornaments.
It was Ma Geol-ryun, who had become Juk Seong-ja's disciple just months prior and risen to the position of chief disciple.
Though born with exceptional martial talent, his violent temperament and cruel methods had previously kept him from securing the chief disciple position, relegating him to the Repentance Cave.
Just as Juk Seong-ja had grown displeased with his mediocre background—
The position had been snatched away by Yi Ho-seong of the Lee Merchant Group, who had appeared like a comet.
But after Yi Ho-seong's death, Ma Geol-ryun had opportunistically seized the vacant chief disciple seat and recently achieved a breakthrough, reaching the pinnacle of martial mastery.
As all eyes turned to him, Ma Geol-ryun smirked and spoke.
"If the Namgung Family is backing him, we simply make it impossible for them to do so."
"You fool!! How dare you speak so recklessly in this hall!"
"Just because you've become chief disciple doesn't mean you've forgotten your place!"
"Silence."
Though the elders raged, Juk Seong-ja quelled the uproar.
Why is this bastard here now?
Frowning, Juk Seong-ja spoke softly.
"Do you have a solution?"
"Yes."
"Explain."
Puffing out his chest, Ma Geol-ryun slowly began to speak.
And as he continued, the elders' expressions shifted rapidly from red to pale.
Ma Geol-ryun's plan was unexpectedly ingenious.
'If this works...!'
'It's risky, but if we aren't discovered...!'
'We can completely crush the Tang Family of Sichuan!!'
Finally, Ma Geol-ryun finished speaking.
But Juk Seong-ja's reaction was the opposite of the elders'.
"Who was it?"
"Huh?"
"You couldn't have come up with this yourself. Name the mastermind behind this plan."
"......!"
Ma Geol-ryun stiffened, caught off guard.
After a brief hesitation, he bit his lower lip and spoke quietly under Juk Seong-ja's piercing gaze.
"...Recently, I've been aided by a strategist. His skills are extraordinary—he's practically my right-hand man."
"Bring him in."
Rustle.
As if waiting outside, a man stepped forward.
Dressed like an ordinary scholar, he bowed courteously to everyone present.
Behind his crescent-moon eyes flickered a cold, serpent-like glint.
"A pleasure to meet you all. This humble one is Do Hoe-myeong of the Murim's Malicious Scholars."
Do Hoe-myeong.
No—Elder Gu of the Blood Cult.
The Blood Brain Ghost Shadow offered Juk Seong-ja a faint smile.
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