Chapter 136: The Conspiracy (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 136: The Conspiracy (3)
“Hmm…”
“Amitabha.”
True Person Damun and Abbot Hye Seung both wore looks of profound displeasure.
Regardless of the justification, this was a conspiracy—a scheme to use others as pawns to avoid staining one's own hands. It was highly unlikely that the noble Shaolin Sect or the pure Wudang Sect would want to involve themselves in such worldly machinations.
“True Person, Abbot. This is not merely some petty struggle for power.”
Of course, Chwui Il-geol had no intention of letting them back out. This was the kind of affair that only improved as the stakes grew higher.
“To the two of you, who drink only clear water and breathe the pure air of the mountains, I must seem like a man stained by the dust of the world. However, the secular world has its own circumstances that its people must endure.”
“I do not follow your reasoning. What does that have to do with the Qingcheng Sect?” True Person Damun asked, his face still clouded with discomfort.
Chwui Il-geol shook his head and replied, “To put it kindly, Qingcheng possesses the spirit to exterminate the Unorthodox Faction. To put it bluntly, they are a notoriously bellicose sect. They were always at the forefront when it came to executing the demon lords and cultists of old.”
“That is certainly true.”
“Then let us consider a question. After the Qingcheng Sect struck down the Demonic Cult and the followers of the dark path and burned their strongholds, what do you think they did with their important relics and secret manuals?”
“……”
“If left alone, those are dangerous items that would only attract more flies. And it is human nature to collect spoils and trophies once a war is over.”
“Hmph.”
“Amitabha.”
True Person Damun’s mouth hung open slightly, and Abbot Hye Seung let out a low groan as he chanted a prayer. Chwui Il-geol lowered his voice further as he continued.
“This old beggar believes there is a mastermind behind the frequent appearances of the Giant Demons lately. The Qingcheng Sect is the first martial sect that as many as five Giant Demons have sought out and invaded in a pack. Why Qingcheng, of all places?”
“…What exactly are you trying to say, Sect Leader of the Beggar Sect?” When True Person Damun asked with a frown, Chwui Il-geol shook his head.
“If—and this is strictly a hypothetical—if there is something those monsters want within Qingcheng, and if Qingcheng lets its guard down for even a moment and loses it, a storm of blood may once again sweep through the Central Plains.”
“……”
“……”
“So, please, lend us a little cooperation in this matter. If this later turns out to be a mistake, our Beggar Sect will go so far as to kneel before Qingcheng in apology. If a bloodbath occurs, those who will die needlessly are the powerless—the commoners who don't even know what's happening. Abbot. True Person.”
Click. Click.
As Chwui Il-geol spoke passionately, Abbot Hye Seung of the Shaolin Sect rolled his prayer beads. After agonizing over the decision for a long time, he finally nodded.
“If I do not enter hell, who will? Very well, Sect Leader. I shall cooperate.”
“Thank you, Abbot.”
“Sigh… It seems Wudang cannot stay out of this either. Since the boy Seok Myeong is skilled enough to be considered one of the Six Dragons, I intend to send someone of equal caliber.”
Chwui Il-geol’s eyes gleamed. “Then?”
“Yes, I intend to put forward Jin-cheon.”
“Ha! To think each sect will put forward one of the Five Dragons. This will be quite a sight,” Chwui Il-geol responded, sounding amused. However, the most interesting comment came next.
“Our sect will send the Little Divine Monk.”
“……”
A look of surprise crossed Chwui Il-geol’s face. Shaolin was also putting one of the Five Dragons at the forefront.
Yu Yeok-gil of the Mount Hua Sect, Jin-cheon of the Wudang Sect, and even the Little Divine Monk Beopgye of the Shaolin Sect—all of them were from the Five Dragons. However, Jin-cheon of Wudang and Beopgye of Shaolin were special children in many ways. They were warriors already evaluated to have surpassed the Peak Realm and reached the Absolute Realm—the undisputed top rising stars of the Central Plains.
“Seeing everyone come forward like this, it seems the boy Seok Myeong is truly receiving a great deal of attention.”
Chwui Il-geol smiled, thinking to himself: The purpose of this meeting might end up more complicated than I thought.
“Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, please exert your influence to give the Martial Alliance a hint so they will summon the Qingcheng Sect.”
“I shall do so immediately.”
The meeting atop the peak of the Shaolin Sect finally concluded once they agreed on the details of the encounter.
*
Days passed busily at the Qingcheng Sect. The events of the past six months had brought changes to many people.
First, the instructors increased the intensity of the disciples' cultivation. They judged that during times when one's mental state might become lax, there was nothing better than rigorous training. The effort seemed to pay off; a certain ferocity began to appear in the disciples' eyes, and their previously lethargic spirits gradually revived.
Following the Sect Leader’s orders, the Azure Peak Pavilion conducted a large-scale selection of intelligence agents. They added more personnel to the existing units and even incorporated elite Qingcheng swordsmen. Furthermore, they deployed Qingcheng agents throughout the Central Plains. The number reached a staggering one hundred—an unprecedented figure in the history of the Qingcheng Sect.
Qingcheng was changing.
Among these changes, the most significant was the heart method. They had replaced the martial arts manuals with the Qingcheng Heart Method created by Seok Myeong, rather than the existing Azure Origin Heart Method.
The fusion with Demonic Qi, and the Azure Wind Energy within it. In just six months, they saw the effect of achieving several times the internal energy progress, but the opposition was also formidable.
Those in favor argued that Qingcheng needed to change, while those against it claimed that combining with Demonic Qi went against the spirit of Qingcheng. Furthermore, they argued it was not yet a complete martial art, citing the fact that it was useless for women. After several days of discussion, it was decided to wait and see the growth of Seok Jin and Yeon-hui a bit longer before making a final decision.
And then, fifteen days had passed.
“Heave-ho~”
Swish. Swish.
Seok Jin woke up early again today to sweep around the mountain gate. Because the news of the great damage Qingcheng suffered had spread through the martial world, the area had been crowded for a while, but now the front of the gate was empty, with only fallen leaves blowing in the wind.
Swish, swish.
“Rumors are truly terrifying. Not a single person is to be seen since that incident.”
Seok Jin swept as he recalled the time the monsters had attacked. Perhaps because it was autumn, the number of leaves he had to sweep every morning was no joke.
“But it’s truly amazing. Every day looks so different now.”
As his internal energy became abundant, the biggest change was his vision. Previously, he couldn't see well beyond ten zhang, but now he could see objects clearly even from thirty zhang away. Feeling the changes in his body, he continued sweeping in a good mood.
After some time had passed...
“……”
Sensing a sudden presence, Seok Jin stopped sweeping and looked up. Someone was approaching the mountain gate. Until he looked up, he only thought he felt a presence in the distance, but when he looked forward, they were already close.
One old man had a calm build, was not very tall, and had a smooth, polished appearance. The other old man had prominent cheekbones and eyes that seemed slightly crossed, looking a bit different from a normal person. Both were dressed in neat Taoist robes, which drew his attention.
Sensing they were no ordinary elders, Seok Jin instinctively showed respect. “Who might you be?”
“We have come from the Martial Alliance.”
“The Martial Alliance?”
With wide eyes, Seok Jin scanned the two old men again as they held out a fist-sized medallion. What business did the Martial Alliance have here? Since this was the first time such a thing had happened in his life, he was quite puzzled. However, realizing it would take too long to ask questions there, he skipped the formalities and continued.
“I shall go and report this immediately. Whom shall I say has arrived?”
At Seok Jin’s words, the old man in the back stroked his beard and looked at the old man beside him. Then, the smooth-looking old man approached with a smile and spoke.
“Tell them Go Ju-gang has arrived.”
“Pardon?”
“Just tell them the Leader of the Martial Alliance is here.”
*
Thanks to Seok Jin’s immediate guidance, they did not have to wait long before meeting Song Jeong. Song Jeong, the Sect Leader of Qingcheng, immediately opened his inner office to welcome the distinguished guests.
“Please place your swords here.”
When Song Jeong held out a wooden box, the gaunt old man scowled. At that reaction, Go Ju-gang immediately scolded him.
“Hey, you rascal! I told you that if you come to Qingcheng, you must follow their etiquette! Are you planning to go to the Shaolin Sect and clamor for meat dishes next?!”
“I-I am sorry. It was just out of habit.”
After a moment’s hesitation, the old man in white handed over his sword. The Sect Leader naturally placed the sword into the wooden box and set it aside. After that, he quietly returned to the seat prepared on one side.
The office was more than adequate for receiving guests. Outside the doors, which were open on three sides, various sculptures were arranged around a small artificial pond, and the back wall was also beautifully decorated with engraved paintings.
Click.
Once the two old men were seated, a Taoist wearing an Azure Sutra Robe entered the room as if he had been waiting. He placed tea down and exited.
“It has been a very long time, Alliance Leader. So, what brings you to travel such a long distance?” Song Jeong asked, matching their eye level. Today was only the second time he had seen the Martial Alliance Leader, Go Ju-gang, since his inauguration ceremony twenty years ago.
“I came to experience the fine weather. Is not Qingcheng, the holy land of Taoism, at its most magnificent in such weather?”
“……”
Song Jeong’s eyes narrowed. It was a strange thing to say for a greeting. Moreover, a "holy land of Taoism"? When had Qingcheng ever claimed such a title for itself? The words felt strangely thorny, yet perhaps they weren't.
After a brief pause, Go Ju-gang pointed to the old man beside him and said, “Ah, my apologies for the late introduction. This is Ji Jung. He is my aide and hails from the Diancang Sect.”
At those words, Song Jeong’s eyes widened. The Diancang Sect. It was a sect that did not have a very good relationship with Qingcheng, and there had even been several disputes between them. Those disputes had occurred during his own tenure as Sect Leader.
Is that why?
Song Jeong could understand his behavior now—even the reason why he had looked displeased while following Qingcheng’s etiquette.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect.”
Come to think of it, there was no particular sign of apology in the eyes he used to show respect. If anything, he was practically glaring.
“So you were a fellow Taoist from the Diancang Sect. In any case, it is an honor to meet you.”
Though the man's feelings were plain to see, Song Jeong simply smiled and let it pass. It seemed humorous now that he thought about it, but he too had once had such a hot-blooded period. There had been more than a few clashes with the Diancang Sect until now. Since they had always glossed over things without a single apology, there was no way the Diancang Sect’s resentment would have vanished.
Clearing his throat with a loud Ahem!, Song Jeong changed the subject.
“By the way, what business brings the Alliance Leader here? For you to make such an appearance without any prior notice, it must not be a trivial matter.”
“Well… you see.”
He slightly lifted his head and scanned the surroundings. He saw two men standing as stiff as stone statues to the left and right behind Song Jeong. He was signaling for the Pair of Silent Elders to be dismissed.
“There is no need to worry. They are as one with me.”
At that, Song Jeong shook his head.
“Haha, I see. Then it will be easier to talk.”
Go Ju-gang’s face crumpled slightly, but he changed his tone as if it were nothing.
“A serious matter has occurred recently.”