Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 277
>Chapter Title: Confusion (2)
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While the Blood Cult Leader was lost in confusion, a strange silence hung over the Alliance Leader's hall in the Martial Alliance.
The Alliance Leader, watching the Chief Strategist who seemed lost in thought, soon made his decision.
"Regardless of whether it's true or not, why don't we steer this information in a way that's advantageous to us first?"
As expected of his brilliant mind, the Chief Strategist quickly grasped the Alliance Leader's intent.
"I will spread the word to all sects under the Alliance. We'll say the Blood Cult is preparing terrifying jiangshi and that they attacked the House of Beggars to make them."
The greater the threat posed by the Blood Cult, the easier it would be to rally the righteous sects under the Martial Alliance's banner. After all, their ultimate goal was to unite the righteous martial world, so the truth didn't really matter.
They had just finished sorting out a rough plan for handling the incident when the Alliance Leader suddenly voiced a question that had occurred to him.
"How goes the pursuit of the traces left by the Blood Cult's attack on the House of Beggars?"
"Traces were found up to the vicinity of Namyang, but they vanished after they got a certain distance away."
"It's just like that jiangshi business."
"Yes. I've already instructed them to keep searching for traces starting from that area."
"Well done. While we're at it, it might be good to share information with the House of Beggars too. They're chasing the Blood Cult as well, aren't they?"
At the Alliance Leader's question, the Chief Strategist let out a hollow laugh for some reason.
He belatedly apologized to the Alliance Leader for his impropriety.
"Ahem. My apologies. It wasn't because of what you said, Alliance Leader. It's just that the House of Beggars' movements were so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh."
"The House of Beggars' movements are ridiculous? Tell me the details."
"They're tracking the Blood Cult due to their sect leader's death, but... it's just a pretext."
"Just a pretext? What do you mean...? Ah!"
The Alliance Leader, realizing something belatedly, asked with a look of disbelief.
"Internal strife has broken out?"
"That's right. War has erupted among the House of Beggars' elders. They're accusing each other of colluding with the Blood Cult and attacking one another."
At the Chief Strategist's explanation, the Alliance Leader wore an expression similar to the one the Chief Strategist had shown moments ago.
"Hah."
Letting out a hollow laugh, the Alliance Leader clicked his tongue lightly and spoke.
"I've known it for a while, but they're truly a bunch of rat bastards."
"Isn't that just how the unorthodox are?"
Nodding at the Chief Strategist's words, the Alliance Leader said,
"Then forget cooperating with the House of Beggars and track down the Blood Cult's traces. No matter how well they covered them, such a large movement should leave something behind, right?"
"I will do so."
And so, for several days, they mocked the House of Beggars' foolish actions while pursuing the Blood Cult's traces.
New information arrived at the Martial Alliance.
"Chief Strategist! The Supreme Unity Sect in Tae-gang County, Guizhou Province, has attacked the Heavenly Sword Sect!"
The Chief Strategist furrowed his brow at his subordinate's report.
Both sects were mid-to-small factions based in Tae-gang County.
It was only because of his exceptional memory that the Chief Strategist remembered them. In the context of the entire Central Plains, they were insignificant enough not to warrant attention.
In other words, it wasn't even news worth reporting to him personally.
They could just send a few Alliance martial artists to mediate, and that would be it.
Thinking that far, the Chief Strategist asked just in case.
"Don't tell me we're short on manpower for mediation because of the Blood Cult matter?"
The Martial Alliance was originally born to counter the Demonic Cult's divine experts. Even afterward, it had continued to combat vile forces threatening the peace and safety of the martial world.
But now, with the balance of power heavily tilted toward the righteous factions, mediation between righteous sects had become their main duty.
However, with the emergence of the Blood Cult, they were in a transitional period, reverting to the Martial Alliance's original role.
"Sigh. Internal strife right before a major enemy like the Blood Cult."
Muttering to himself in disdain, the Chief Strategist prompted the strategist who had come to report to speak cautiously.
"I-it's not just simple internal strife. The Supreme Unity Sect claims the Heavenly Sword Sect was colluding with the Blood Cult."
"Colluding with the Blood Cult?"
Hoping this might be a usable lead, the Chief Strategist's eyes gleamed coldly.
Just then, another strategist arrived.
"Strategist! News on the Blood Cult!"
"Come in."
No sooner had the Chief Strategist responded than the door opened, and the strategist entered. He glanced at the one already there before making his report.
"An urgent letter from the Suspicion Sect in Susu County, Gangseo Province! The Yu Clan Manor there was colluding with the Blood Cult! The Suspicion Sect says they'll attack the Yu Clan Manor preemptively before they can escape, ahead of the Alliance reinforcements."
"The Yu Clan Manor in Susu County was colluding with the Blood Cult?"
As the Chief Strategist furrowed his brow at the eerie feeling, yet another person came to see him.
"Chief Strategist! News on the Blood Cult!"
"...Don't tell me it's another letter from some backwater sect claiming collusion with the Blood Cult and saying they'll attack it?"
The Chief Strategist called out from inside the room, and a flustered voice came from beyond the door.
"H-how did you know, Chief Strategist?"
It was an utterly absurd situation, but the Chief Strategist didn't feel like laughing.
Far from it—an ominous possibility dawned on him, sending chills down his spine and cold sweat trickling down his back unbidden.
* * *
Tae-gang County, Guizhou Province.
In the inner quarters of the manor bearing the plaque [Supreme Unity Sect].
The key figures of the mid-to-small sect Supreme Unity Sect, composed of just over seventy members, had gathered to discuss the future and safety of the martial world.
"Sigh. I don't know why those Blood Cult bastards are making us do such trivial tasks over something so insignificant."
"Exactly. Isn't it a faction that collapsed long ago?"
"They've always been like that. The Martial Alliance does nothing for us but always gets in our way."
"They're definitely trying to keep our Supreme Unity Sect from growing bigger."
They harbored much resentment toward the Martial Alliance.
Tae-gang County wasn't as large as the major provinces or key counties. Though the Supreme Unity Sect was the biggest there, they couldn't fully claim it.
That was because of another righteous faction, the Heavenly Sword Sect.
But the Heavenly Sword Sect wasn't stronger than the Supreme Unity Sect.
Unlike them, who boasted over seventy members, the Heavenly Sword Sect had only about forty.
Their martial arts weren't superior either, so if they wanted, they could wipe them out.
The problem was that, as a righteous sect themselves, they couldn't attack without reason. And there was the Martial Alliance's mediation.
Their frustration boiled over because the Martial Alliance, which obstructed their domination of Tae-gang County, was frivolously ordering them to hunt the Blood Cult.
As is common with the disgruntled, their backbiting continued.
"I hear the Blood Cult is making some jiangshi."
At the sect leader's musing, everyone chimed in agreement.
"I heard that too. They even attacked the House of Beggars to make those jiangshi, right?"
"Tsk. Look at them trembling and issuing proclamations just because those rat-like House of Beggars got hit. The Alliance Leader's competence is truly questionable."
"Quite right. Trash like those jiangshi or House of Beggars rats—our disciples alone could slaughter them without you even needing to step in, Sect Leader."
After ranting against the Alliance Leader for a good while, the target of their slander naturally shifted.
"Speaking of which, have you heard the news about the House of Beggars? Those idiots are using the Blood Cult as an excuse to wage civil war among themselves, accusing each other of collusion and attacking."
"Hahaha. Truly rat bastards."
They all laughed mockingly at the House of Beggars' stupidity for quite some time.
"Ah!!"
Suddenly, the Supreme Unity Sect's chief steward exclaimed as if realizing something.
The gathered members looked at him puzzled, and the steward turned to the sect leader and spoke.
"Sect Leader, this is our chance."
"Chance? What chance?"
"Why can't we attack the Heavenly Sword Sect? We needed a pretext the Martial Alliance couldn't interfere with, didn't we?"
"That's true, but what does that have to do with this?"
"Think about the House of Beggars' actions, Sect Leader."
The sect leader, who had furrowed his brow thinking it nonsense, belatedly realized and let out an exclamation.
"Uhahaha! If we claim the Heavenly Sword Sect is colluding with the Blood Cult, everything's solved!"
At the sect leader's shout, everyone gathered there exclaimed in admiration.
"What a brilliant scheme, Sect Leader!"
"Now we can drive out that thorn in our side, the Heavenly Sword Sect, and become the hegemons of Tae-gang County!"
"With such a perfect pretext, we can start from Tae-gang County and keep expanding our Supreme Unity Sect!"
"Hahaha. Who knows—maybe in a few years, you won't be sect leader but Alliance Leader."
Amid his subordinates' praise, the Supreme Unity Sect leader cleared his throat, trying to maintain his dignity.
"Ahem. Show some restraint. Especially watch your words. Listen well. This isn't a scheme. The Heavenly Sword Sect really is colluding with the Blood Cult. Got it? This is all for the peace of the martial world."
"We will keep it in mind."
At the sect leader's warning, the gathered members replied with solemn expressions.
"Go find a Daoist right away and prepare an item inscribed with some bizarre incantation. Once we drive out the Heavenly Sword Sect, we can recoup the money no matter how much it costs, so don't hesitate to pay big."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
At the sect leader's order, they promptly left the hall. And a few days later.
The Heavenly Sword Sect, which had been sharing Tae-gang County, met with total annihilation, and similar incidents began occurring across the Central Plains.
* * *
How long had it been since they started moving while erasing their traces?
Il-mok and his group, departing from Namyang in Guangxi Province, only arrived in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, after quite some time had passed.
Perhaps because they had delayed by covering their tracks.
Various pieces of news were waiting for Il-mok.
"The Martial Alliance sent couriers everywhere in the Central Plains with news about the House of Beggars. It said they're making terrifying jiangshi, so the martial world's heroes must unite."
Il-mok nodded in satisfaction at Dam Bin's explanation, who had been managing Gansu Province in his stead.
'Good thing we weren't caught.'
But his satisfied expression didn't last. At the next piece of news, Il-mok nearly made a dumbfounded face despite himself.
"Because of this, battles are breaking out everywhere. Cases of the House of Beggars and righteous factions attacking sects accused of colluding with the Blood Cult are surging."
"...Were there that many sects colluding with the Blood Cult?"
At Il-mok's unexpected question, Dam Bin shook his head and replied.
"The collusion with the Blood Cult is just an excuse. It seems greedy sects are using it as a pretext to swallow up neighboring sects."
"......"
At a loss for words, Il-mok could only let out a hollow laugh inwardly.
'These crazy bastards?'
It had only been a ploy to divert the Martial Alliance's attention to the Blood Cult while avenging the House of Beggars' sect leader—and to sow confusion in the pursuit by fabricating crimes the Blood Cult hadn't committed.
Yet, that snowball tossed with light intent was growing at an enormous speed.