Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: The Sword King's Gamble
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Creeak.
The door opened, revealing the inside of the pavilion.
Inside the four-room pavilion sat a single table, and before it was a refined old man with a white beard that reached his chest.
“Welcome.”
“I am Neung Un-bi of the Demonic Cult.”
“And I am Yi Ok-sang, leader of the Orthodox Murim Alliance.”
At the calm greeting, Neung Un-bi bowed respectfully.
He had already heard the name in passing.
The Sword King, Yi Ok-sang. Born into an obscure martial family called the Yi Clan in Shandong, he had attained the title of Sword King by mastering the principles of the sword.
In the current martial world, he was a master whose skill with the sword rivaled that of the Sword Saint.
Thus, he held a sliver of hope.
A hope that perhaps he was one of those who had shared their cause back then.
He harbored this hope because he didn't know the names of all who had joined *his* cause from the light.
Having chosen to hide in the shadows of the world, he had to prepare for the possibility of being caught at any moment. Knowing someone's name meant the risk of revealing it, so he had deliberately avoided learning them.
Therefore, he only knew faces. He studied the man carefully, but unfortunately, the face was not one he remembered.
“Have a seat.”
“Yes.”
The way one offered the seat and the other accepted it was as natural as if they were old acquaintances. An outsider might have seen them simply as an ordinary old man and a young man, with no distinction between the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Faction.
“Would you care for a cup?”
“I won't refuse.”
As Yi Ok-sang slid the teapot forward and asked, Neung Un-bi nodded in response.
“My, you don't even ask what kind of tea it is?”
“It's not poison, so what does it matter what kind of tea it is?”
“Indeed. Heh heh.”
It was a foolish question, met with a wise answer.
But from that brief exchange, Yi Ok-sang couldn't hide his satisfaction.
It's not poison, so any tea would be fine.
Those words were an expression of trust in him.
“You have quite a bold personality.”
“I can be cautious when necessary.”
“Hah hah.”
Yi Ok-sang chuckled and filled Neung Un-bi's empty cup.
*Gurgle.*
In that moment, a strange light flickered in Neung Un-bi's eyes.
Truly, he was worthy of the title Sword King. The tea pouring from the pot, which had felt cool to the touch, was now steaming.
The Scorching Sun Art?
No. A man of the Sword King's stature wouldn't resort to such a crude technique.
It was the True Flame of Samadhi. He used such a formidable power so naturally, without any sign of circulating his energy.
“It seems you intend to break my spirit before we even begin our conversation.”
“Ah, don't misunderstand. It's just a habit from daily use…”
“Is that so? A certain someone I know says there's no need to use martial arts in daily life and prefers to row his boat slowly.”
“You must be talking about the River Dragon. That's just like him.”
“...You know him well?”
“More than well. We used to grab each other by the collar quite often back in the day. He's a truly good man.”
A good man. That phrase held many meanings. Moreover, being a good person didn't necessarily mean being a righteous one.
“Surprising. The leader of the Orthodox Murim Alliance, defending a pirate.”
“And yet, here I am, having tea with a member of the Demonic Cult.”
“True enough.”
Seeing Yi Ok-sang's playful wink, Neung Un-bi couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
The tea was quite delicious. The comfortable atmosphere created by his companion made it seem even more so.
But he couldn't judge a man on that alone. How could one grasp his true intentions from a single meeting?
Furthermore, a man of Yi Ok-sang's stature was incredibly difficult to read.
The years they had lived, the experiences they had endured—were they not vastly different?
To deal with him, he had to be cautious, and then cautious again.
Moreover, he needed to understand where the man stood. For when the day came that he left the Demonic Cult and returned to the Orthodox Faction, he had to know whether Yi Ok-sang would be an ally or an enemy.
“I heard you changed the meeting place at the last minute.”
“The council of elders would raise hell if they found out.”
“Why did you do it, knowing that?”
“...”
Yi Ok-sang simply savored his tea slowly, offering no reply. Only after he had completely drained his cup did he speak.
“Sometimes, there are things one must do, even knowing the consequences.”
“Was there a reason you had to meet me privately, even at the risk of being condemned?”
“Condemned... Do you believe there is anyone here who would dare condemn me?”
“...My question was poorly phrased.”
Seeing Neung Un-bi admit his mistake, Yi Ok-sang smiled faintly and added.
“Of course, there will be those who gossip behind my back. And some will try to use this meeting with you to tarnish my reputation.”
“...”
“But I pay them no mind. When one seeks to change something, one must be prepared to brave not just waves, but a great tsunami.”
At that lament-like murmur, Neung Un-bi's brow furrowed slightly.
What was it that he sought to change?
He had heard rumors that the Alliance Leader was a revolutionary, unlike any before him.
“And so, I wish to ask.”
“Yes?”
“What path do you walk?”
The sudden question made Neung Un-bi tilt his head in confusion.
What path? What did he mean?
“If it is an important question, it would be best if you explained it in a way I can understand.”
“Haha, I thought you enjoyed Zen-like riddles, but it seems I was mistaken.”
“As I am neither a Buddhist nor a Taoist, how could I possibly understand such things?”
At the calm reply, Yi Ok-sang nodded and asked again.
“In the past, countless members of the Demonic Cult have walked the path of supremacy.”
“...”
“The direction of that path has always been toward the Central Plains. And so, the Central Plains always had to be united.”
Yi Ok-sang's words made Neung Un-bi's brow furrow even more. He couldn't quite grasp what the man was trying to say.
“It is a good thing for wills to unite as one. However, it can also become a bad thing, depending on who stands at the center.”
“...And so?”
“It feels strange to say this to you, but the path the Orthodox Faction has believed to be right... is wrong.”
“...!”
Seeing the deep sorrow in Yi Ok-sang's eyes, Neung Un-bi's own eyes widened in shock.
This man, could it be?
“The Heavenly Pillar Gate, with whom you had a conflict some time ago.”
“...”
“That is the face the current Orthodox Faction is hiding.”
His voice was calm, but a frost-like energy flashed through his composed eyes, making Neung Un-bi clench his fists without realizing it.
The Sword King, Yi Ok-sang. Could it be that he, too, shared the same will as *him*?
Suddenly, his heart began to pound.
“Alliance Leader.”
“Speak.”
“Why are you telling me such things, and why do you ask about the path I intend to walk?”
“To be certain.”
“Certain?”
“Yes.”
“Certain of what?”
“Of the path I intend to walk.”
“...”
Countless thoughts raced through Neung Un-bi's mind.
What was the path that the Sword King, Yi Ok-sang, sought to follow?
“This is so sudden, I don't know what to say.”
“Is that so?”
“Pardon?”
“Since the incident at the Heavenly Pillar Gate, I have been watching you closely.”
“...”
“I also heard about what happened with the Zhongnan Sect, and when the Mount Hua Sect announced its withdrawal from the Nine Dragons' Tournament, I even contacted the Sword Saint myself.”
“You did?”
“As I said, I needed to be certain.”
“...”
“It hasn't been long, but I also know what happened at the Three Gates Gorge.”
“You... you even know about that? Anyone would think you've mastered Clairaudience.”
“Such is the position of one who manages the affairs of the world. If one wishes to hear and see, one will come to know everything.”
“I suppose so...”
The Cult Leader was the same. Didn't he seem to know everything that happened in the Demonic Cult, all while sitting in the seven-story Gwangcheon Pagoda in the main fortress?
“Haha, a deferred payment system... You drove out the Peng Clan with quite a clever scheme. The River Dragon couldn't stop praising you.”
“...Pardon? The Lord of the Waterways was praising me?”
“Didn't I tell you? We used to grab each other by the collar. Even these days, we meet in secret for drinks.”
“Drinks with the Lord of the Waterways?”
“He's a good man. He sent me a letter saying we should postpone our next drink since you caught the Yellow Dragon Fish.”
“...”
Seeing Yi Ok-sang's faint smile, Neung Un-bi was utterly bewildered.
So, the leader of the Orthodox Murim Alliance not only meets the head of a pirate faction for drinks but is also close enough to exchange letters with him?
And most importantly...
“For someone like the Lord of the Waterways, he sure has a big mouth. I can't believe he told the Alliance Leader every little detail...”
As Neung Un-bi pouted, Yi Ok-sang said consolingly.
“He didn't spread any rumors.”
“...”
Of course not. If he did, the fact that the Alliance Leader is friendly with a pirate would also get out.
“It's a wonder you haven't been caught. The Orthodox Murim Alliance must have many eyes and ears.”
“Haha, if I set my mind to deceiving them, do you think I couldn't succeed?”
“...”
He would succeed. And he'd do it perfectly.
What else could you expect from a man who heats his teapot with the True Flame of Samadhi?
“Strangely enough, everyone who has met you says the same thing.”
“That is why I wish to ask you.”
He didn't know what the man had become certain of.
But one thing, he felt he understood vaguely.
That he, too, was striving to lead the Orthodox Faction in the right direction...
“But, is the path I walk really that important?”
“It is.”
“Why?”
“Because if the Demonic Cult doesn't threaten the Central Plains, I can pour all my strength into reform.”
“...”
Damn, just when I thought he was suddenly showing his hand...
It seemed he had already investigated everything he needed to.
“By any chance... are you also close with the King of the Green Forest?”
“We grabbed each other by the collar a few times in our youth.”
At that, Neung Un-bi burst out laughing.
The King of the Green Forest and the River Dragon, the two titans representing the Unorthodox Faction.
He was already on friendly terms with two of the Three Calamities of the Central Plains—the bandits, the pirates, and the Demonic Cult. That said it all.
It seemed he was the last piece of the puzzle.
And now, he thought he vaguely understood what the man was trying to achieve.
The collapse of the alliance.
It's extremely rare for the Orthodox Faction to unite without an external threat. With no one to fight, they would become obsessed with expanding their own power.
As they pursued their own interests, friction would inevitably arise, and Yi Ok-sang intended to use that moment to prune the rotten branches.
“Have you not considered that I might reveal what I've just heard to someone else?”
“It's a gamble of sorts. And I trust that you won't.”
“Hah... You're even bolder than I am, Alliance Leader.”
“Even so, I've learned to be more careful in my old age. Didn't I say? I've been closely watching your every move since the Heavenly Pillar Gate incident.”
At Yi Ok-sang's words, Neung Un-bi sighed and said.
“You've observed well. I won't go spreading this around.”
“Thank you.”
“However, I don't think my path will give you the certainty you seek.”
“...?”
“Because I have no intention of becoming the Cult Leader.”
“What?”
“I'm not doing it. The Cult Leader thing.”
“That can't be.”
“Unfortunately, it's the truth.”
Yi Ok-sang shook his head at Neung Un-bi's words.
“My, it seems you know your master even less than I do.”
“Pardon?”
“Dam Un-cheon has already chosen you as the next Cult Leader.”
“...”
What was this now? Dam Un-cheon had chosen him as the next Cult Leader?
“On what grounds do you say that?”
“...Hmm.”
At Neung Un-bi's question, Yi Ok-sang fumbled inside his robes and took something out.
“It's a letter Dam Un-cheon sent me.”
“...A letter?”
“It was delivered through a secret channel, so no one else knows.”
“...”
For a moment, his mind went blank.
Hey, wait. What in the world are you?
The King of the Green Forest, the Lord of the Waterways... don't tell me you're also on friendly terms with the Cult Leader?
Is your title Sword King, or something like the King of Connections of this era?