Chapter 268
Chapter 268
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 268
>Chapter Title: Plague (3)
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About ten days prior. Around the time when guests from various sects and clans, led by the Beggars' Gang's deputy leader, arrived at the Maitreya Divine Cult's grand estate.
In the Martial Alliance's Alliance Leader Hall, Chief Strategist Gong Son-hyeon was meeting with Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong.
However, the chief strategist's demeanor was different from his usual self.
The man who always appeared leisurely and cool-headed was, for some reason, giving off the air of someone being pursued.
In contrast, Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong smiled leisurely as he spoke.
“It seems lately that things aren't going according to your plans, Chief Strategist.”
“…My apologies, Alliance Leader.”
“Hahaha. I’m not trying to rebuke you. How could one person control the flow of the entire world?”
Though he said he wasn’t rebuking him, the chief strategist gritted his teeth as if his pride had been wounded upon hearing the alliance leader's consolation.
He had been confident in grasping and manipulating the flow of the entire Central Plains in his hands.
But ever since the Blood Cult appeared, things had kept going awry.
And it was the same recently.
‘Damn Sichuan Tang Clan bastards.’
They had formed a joint investigation team to pin the incident at Mount Baekhak on the Blood Cult, but it hadn’t gained any traction.
The witnesses' testimonies and evidence had been far too clear.
In the end, most of those involved in the bloodshed at Mount Baekhak had begun drawing their swords toward the Tang Clan rather than the Blood Cult.
It meant their goal of concentrating the Central Plains' power on the Martial Alliance was shaking.
“Don’t worry, Chief Strategist.”
The chief strategist, who had been gritting his teeth, snapped his head up to look at the alliance leader at his words.
Was there some clever scheme? No sooner had the question arisen than the alliance leader continued.
“I’ll go to Sichuan myself this time.”
“Personally, you mean?”
When the chief strategist asked with a guilty expression, the alliance leader nodded.
“It seems I’ll have to step in personally to mediate this matter. No half-baked figure would be listened to. And after wrapping up things in Sichuan, I’ve been thinking of stopping by Gansu Province as well.”
“Gansu Province… You mean because of the Maitreya Divine Cult?”
“Exactly. The Blood Cult is a problem, but doesn’t the Maitreya Divine Cult give you a nagging feeling too, Chief Strategist?”
At the alliance leader's question, the chief strategist nodded.
“They’re not openly obstructing us, but I can’t shake the sense that they’re at cross-purposes with us.”
“In this incident too, their involvement was minor, but it had a massive impact on the outcome. I should see for myself with my own eyes as the alliance leader, shouldn’t I?”
“I’ll select men to accompany you, Alliance Leader.”
At the chief strategist's words, the alliance leader shook his head.
“I’ll depart right now. No escorts needed—I’ll go alone.”
“Sending the Alliance Leader alone is unthinkable.”
At the chief strategist's protest, Cheok Pae-myeong smiled softly and replied.
“With the urgency in Sichuan, companions would only hinder me. And above all, how many in the Central Plains martial world could kill this alliance leader?”
* * *
Having decided on a solitary journey in a manner close to an order, Cheok Pae-myeong immediately left the Martial Alliance and headed for Sichuan.
Though Sichuan was quite a distance from the Martial Alliance near Lake Dongting, the alliance leader covered it in just a few days.
By the time the alliance leader arrived at Chengdu in Sichuan, a peculiar atmosphere hung over the place.
Centered on the Emei Sect and Peng Clan, with Mount Hua, Wudang, the Jeogal Clan, and Hwangbo Clan joining in—along with several mid- and small-sized Sichuan sects—they had formed a massive encirclement around the Tang Clan stronghold.
The Emei Sect had nearly emptied their main sect with the number of people they sent, and the Peng Clan had mobilized half their clan forces. Meanwhile, Wudang and Mount Hua, Jeogal and Hwangbo had each brought around twenty to thirty members.
Yet despite the alliance's enormous scale, for some reason, they weren’t advancing on the Tang Clan stronghold.
The Tang Clan stronghold, formed by the gathered experts of the poison- and hidden weapons-renowned Tang Clan, was naturally riddled with countless traps. Traps filled with poison and hidden weapons.
Breaking through there was tantamount to suicide, so they had opted to strangle the Tang Clan instead.
They sealed it off so no one from the Tang Clan stronghold could emerge, waiting for them to come out on their own once food and water ran out.
Having foreseen such a battle, the alliance leader mediated between the sects as he had discussed with the chief strategist.
However, the Emei Sect and North Sea Peng Clan were exceptions from mediation.
Convincing the Emei Sect, whose disciples had been massacred by Tang poisons, or the Peng Clan, which had lost the family head's third son, was impossible from the start.
Instead, he persuaded the other factions: Hwangbo Clan, Jeogal Clan, Mount Hua, Wudang, and the mid- and small-sized Sichuan sects.
They had the perfect justification: ‘The Blood Cult is plotting in the shadows, so now is the time to focus on them, not the Tang Clan.’
On top of that.
“Your words are right, Alliance Leader.”
“We must first eliminate those vile Blood Cult bastards!”
The Beggars' Gang's deputy leader and Qingcheng Sect's Daoist Cheong-mok stepped forward to support the alliance leader.
The Martial Alliance, Beggars' Gang, and Qingcheng Sect all prioritized exterminating the Blood Cult.
The Beggars' Gang for justice, Qingcheng Sect for revenge, and the Martial Alliance to concentrate the righteous factions' power on the alliance.
Though their reasons differed entirely, their goal of striking the Blood Cult first was the same.
Of course, persuading them with mere ‘justification’ alone was impossible.
Even in the righteous factions, where justification mattered most, few moved for one alone—especially the larger powers.
Thus, the Martial Alliance Leader made contact with the Tang Clan and extracted a promise.
“I know it wasn’t your doing. Likely, that Outer Tang Elder fell for the Blood Cult's scheme.”
To frame this incident as the Blood Cult's doing, the alliance leader tossed the Tang Clan a suitable justification as well.
“Even if Outer Tang Elder Tang Cheol-jin fell for the Blood Cult's scheme, he was still a Tang Clan man. Thus, you must provide ample compensation to those attacked by him.”
He drew out direct recompense so those besieging the Tang Clan could accept the ‘justification.’
In the end, the Sichuan Tang Clan had to disgorge a massive amount of gold and silver treasures accumulated over centuries in Chengdu.
Upon hearing the alliance leader's mediation proposal, the Jeogal and Hwangbo Clan elders, along with Mount Hua and Wudang, showed varied reactions.
“Amitabha.”
Wudang's Elder Hyeon-gong, murmuring his chant, spoke first.
“From the start, the entire Mount Baekhak battle was a Blood Cult trap, so your words seem correct.”
It wasn’t because of the gold and silver the Tang Clan offered. Though the Yunbaek matter lingered, Hyeon-gong believed prioritizing the eradication of the bizarre Blood Cult was best.
“Amitabha. Mount Hua shares Daoist Hyeon-gong's view.”
“Our Jeogal Clan thinks the same. Matters have priorities. The Tang Clan's sins are grave, but what about the Blood Cult?”
With Hyeon-gong stepping up for the greater cause first, Mount Hua's Elder Mok-jin and Jeogal Clan's Jeogal Mun agreed readily, hiding their true intentions while pretending to prioritize the greater good like Hyeon-gong.
At the blatantly obvious intentions of Mok-jin and Jeogal Mun, Hwangbo Gung swallowed a sigh inwardly.
‘My brother will be furious, but no matter how I think, this is best for the clan.’
Had Hwangbo Yeon or Hwangbo Se-hee been seriously injured or killed, they would have waged war without hesitation, but the situation was different now. Since both had returned safely, from the Hwangbo Clan's perspective, securing massive compensation was better than fighting the Tang Clan and losing elite warriors.
Especially now that Wudang, Mount Hua, and Jeogal had withdrawn.
Thus, Mount Hua, Wudang, Hwangbo Clan, and Jeogal Clan accepted the alliance leader's mediation, withdrew from the alliance, and returned to their territories—with massive compensation.
“Capturing the Blood Cult and restoring peace to the Central Plains martial world is our top priority now!”
Clinging to such justifications.
Though the Peng Clan and Emei Sect felt greatly slighted by what wasn’t quite betrayal, the justifications made it awkward to protest loudly.
Having sealed the urgent Sichuan crisis in just a few days, the alliance leader left Sichuan and headed north.
Toward Gansu Province, where the Maitreya Divine Cult was based.
A few more days passed, and upon arriving at Lanzhou, Gansu's provincial capital, Cheok Pae-myeong strolled leisurely through the city like a man on a pleasure trip, gauging the atmosphere.
“By chance, have you heard of a place called the Maitreya Divine Cult?”
Pretending ignorance, he asked the common folk of Lanzhou and received interesting responses.
“They’re the ones who saved us. Haha.”
“Truly wonderful people!”
Nearly all of Lanzhou's residents praised them effusively.
“Then, where might I meet these incarnations of Maitreya?”
“Normally, only at gatherings or when villains appear, but right now, you can see them over there~. They’re tending to plague victims.”
“Plague victims?”
“Yes. For them to care for plague victims too—aren’t they truly remarkable?”
At the middle-aged man's response, still praising the Maitreya Divine Cult, the alliance leader replied with a friendly smile.
“Indeed they are. Haha.”
Afterward, Cheok Pae-myeong continued strolling leisurely through Lanzhou, as if on a tour.
But beneath his outward expression, different thoughts swirled.
‘They resemble a horde of fanatics.’
He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling.
From Cheok Pae-myeong's perspective, seeking to unify the Central Plains under the Martial Alliance, the commoners’ faith in the Maitreya Divine Cult felt somehow unpleasant.
As he wandered Lanzhou with thoughts diverging from his appearance, he soon arrived near the hall said to be tending plague victims.
‘That must be the Maitreya Divine Cult's leader.’
His eyes met those of a masked man.
* * *
“What is the meaning of this, Martial Alliance Leader?”
At Il-mok's question as he blocked their path, the Martial Alliance Leader stroked his beard with his left hand, not gripping his sword, and replied.
“To recognize this alliance leader so quickly—seems I’ve become too famous. Haha.”
As his leisurely response prompted the group to step forward, Il-mok gestured again.
“Hold!”
Around Il-mok's mouth as he shouted hung a damp aura.
In just that one exchange, internal injuries had caused blood to well up, staining the cloth around his mouth red.
That was why Il-mok had restrained his group.
‘If we fight, we’ll be massacred.’
Even granting the surprise attack, the skill gap was clear. And that man showed no sign of using his full power.
‘This must be the realm beyond the heavens.’
Thanks to his enlightenment at Mount Baekhak, Il-mok stood on the verge of Transcending Demon, yet the gulf with the righteous martial world's top expert remained vast.
But he couldn’t just grovel.
It wasn’t because of the fanatics watching from behind. From experience, showing weakness only invited more bullying.
“I’ll ask again. What is the meaning of this?”
As Il-mok asked sternly once more, Cheok Pae-myeong sheathed the sword he held loosely at his waist and clasped his hands in salute.
He even bowed his head halfway as he spoke.
“My apologies. Encountering the leader of a rising sect famed across the Central Plains lately, I couldn’t resist testing your skills. Seems it’s an occupational disease of us martial artists. Haha.”
Even with his head slightly lowered, there was no servility. It was an oddly playful apology.
Moreover, after finishing, Cheok Pae-myeong raised his head and swept his gaze over those who had stepped forward to aid Il-mok.
“To seize Gansu Province in an instant—indeed, I see several outstanding talents.”
Feeling their forces exposed at a glance, Il-mok swallowed a sigh inwardly and said.
“You all, return and tend to the patients.”
“But….”
“That’s an order. Surely the Martial Alliance Leader won’t strike down the leader of a group caring for plague victims in broad daylight?”
“…….”
“Hahaha.”
The group glanced at Il-mok hesitantly, while the alliance leader burst into amused laughter.
Having forcibly sent the group away, Il-mok turned back to the alliance leader and asked.
“So, what brings the busy Alliance Leader to this backwater?”
Il-mok had already roughly grasped why the man had ambushed them from the start.
‘It was a test.’
Likely a ploy to gauge his martial arts or the Maitreya Divine Cult's level.
If he had revealed himself and started talking before sparring, they might have pulled tricks or hidden things.
In fact, the alliance leader hadn’t gone all out and stopped after just a few exchanges without even proper combat.
But this was only for the initial ambush. He still hadn’t revealed why he’d come here.
At Il-mok's direct question, Cheok Pae-myeong laughed heartily and replied.
“The Maitreya Divine Cult thwarted the Blood Cult's plot, so as the Martial Alliance's representative, shouldn’t I come to pay my respects? Haha.”
“Was that ambush just now your thanks?”
“A spar with a master can be the key to enlightenment. Some offer vast sums to request a match with this alliance leader—couldn’t that count as thanks?”
The alliance leader replied quite shamelessly, then smiled softly, bowed his head.
“It was a jest. Allow me to thank you sincerely once more.”
As Il-mok fell silent, unable to read his intentions amid the inscrutable attitude, the alliance leader—who had finished his dubious sincere thanks—spoke again.
“Also, as the Martial Alliance's representative, I’d like to make a proposal.”
“What proposal?”
“According to word from the Beggars' Gang, the Maitreya Divine Cult seems to be a righteous faction like us. Why not join our alliance and work together for the peace of the martial world?”