Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: A Council Divided
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“Th-This… Hak is…”
The old man’s eyes trembled as he read the letter that had just arrived. It was Namgung Mu-wi.
“Mu-wi, calm yourself.”
“…”
Paeng Wi-cheon, an old man with fierce, hawk-like eyes, tried to console him, but Namgung Mu-wi’s face was already flushed red with fury.
The letter in Namgung Mu-wi’s hand had been sent by the Beggars’ Union, which had laid a trap on the border of the Roha District.
Two traps, set under the command of Zhuge Tianyu.
However, Neung Un-bi, who was supposed to have gone to Samun Gorge, had unexpectedly appeared in the Roha District, rescued his subordinates, and fled.
As a result, the old men waiting for Neung Un-bi in Samun Gorge were left on a wild goose chase.
But the real problem was something else entirely.
In the process of escaping, Neung Un-bi had killed Namgung Hak—Namgung Mu-wi’s second son.
How could one possibly console a parent who had lost a child?
The heart-wrenching grief was palpable just from the sight of his trembling fingertips as he clenched his jaw and the bloodshot fury in his eyes.
“…I must go.”
At Namgung Mu-wi’s words, a strange light flickered in the other old men’s eyes.
“Mu-wi, I understand how you feel, but Tianyu’s next plan is to block the north.”
“Plan? What damn plan matters at a time like this!”
“…”
Namgung Mu-wi glared at Paeng Wi-cheon, who was trying to calm him, his eyes shot with blood.
“Wi-cheon, my son is dead.”
“…”
“His throat was slit by a filthy assassin from the Demonic Cult, and his head rolled in the dirt.”
“Hmm…”
Namgung Mu-wi screamed as if he were coughing up blood.
“Am I supposed to endure this!?”
“But Tianyu…”
“Shut up!”
“…”
“Thirty years.”
“…”
“That is the time our Pure Elites’ Society has lost.”
At Namgung Mu-wi’s words, the old men’s expressions hardened.
The Pure Elites’ Society.
They were men who had gathered under a name that proclaimed them to be the finest and most outstanding.
In truth, however, the Pure Elites’ Society was merely a gathering created to promote the interests of their respective families.
To seize power in the martial world of the Central Plains, to place their families at the very center of that power.
Sword Emperor Namgung Mu-wi, Blade Emperor Paeng Wi-cheon, Spear Emperor Seomun U-ryang, Fist Emperor Hwangbo Mun-cheon, and the Heavenly Strategist Zhuge Tianyu.
The martial artists who had once dominated an era and represented the Central Plains in their respective fields had gathered in one place.
Although all of them had been defeated by a single man, tarnishing their names, and some had since passed away, leaving only a few, their power remained immense.
Even though they had retired from the front lines, their will became the will of the Central Plains, and the Central Plains moved at their every word.
Even a shattered sky was still the sky.
“It all started when those bastards calling themselves The Unravelers appeared.”
“Hmm…”
“From the moment we were swayed by those who dug into our past—the dirty deeds we had to commit for the peace of the Central Plains—Tianyu has become too obsessed.”
“…”
“This incident is no different.”
“…”
“Did we not waste thirty years trying to find the shame that bastard Yun An-ro hid from us? Now, only we remain.”
“Hmm…”
“While we stepped back, Mount Hua raised the Sword Saint Dokgo Seong, and Shaolin nurtured its next Divine Monk.”
The old men’s faces grew even grimmer at Namgung Mu-wi’s words as he ground his teeth.
“Is that all? Although he was driven out by this incident, we even lost the position of Alliance Leader to a young upstart named Yi Ok-sang. If this continues, our Pure Elites’ Society will lose its legacy completely. We will once again cede everything to the Nine Great Sects, just as our ancestors did long ago.”
“…”
“We should have ripped them out by the roots from the start. Things have gotten to this point because of Tianyu’s complacent response.”
“Mu-wi, Tianyu is still our leader. We must move according to his plan.”
“Nonsense!”
Namgung Mu-wi shouted irritably at the words of another old man, Seomun U-ryang.
“Tianyu has grown old! His mind doesn’t work like it used to.”
“Hmm…”
“This time is no different. When that disciple of Dam Un-cheon—a bastard who deserves to be torn to shreds—appeared in the Central Plains, did he not just watch?”
“…”
“As always, I thought Tianyu had a plan. But what happened? Not only did we lose Yun An-ro, the leader of The Unravelers, but now we’ve lost that bastard Neung Un-bi as well. And because of that…”
Namgung Mu-wi couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
“This time… I will do as I see fit.”
“Mu-wi!”
“Do not stop me. We have already prepared for a battle with the Demonic Cult. I will personally find that bastard Neung Un-bi, cut off his head, and soothe my son’s spirit with his blood.”
With a grim expression, Namgung Mu-wi shot up from his seat.
“Calm down.”
“Let go!”
Seomun U-ryang and Hwangbo Mun-cheon hastily grabbed his shoulders, but they could not stop Namgung Mu-wi, who was already blinded by his son’s death.
Shaking off their hands, Namgung Mu-wi spoke, his bloodshot eyes flashing.
“Tianyu… will understand.”
“…”
“From this moment on, I will mobilize all of the Namgung family’s forces to pursue that bastard Neung Un-bi. I trust that you will be sufficient to block the north.”
With those final words, Namgung Mu-wi stormed out, but the old men couldn’t bring themselves to stop him.
How could they possibly restrain the fury of a man who had lost his son?
“Haa… still as selfish as ever.”
“Let him be. If my son had died, I would do the same.”
“…”
“Besides, you know as well as I do. He already held a grudge against Tianyu because the son he intended to make the Orthodox Murim Alliance Leader was pushed aside by Yi Ok-sang.”
“The situation was not good then. At the last minute, Mount Hua, Shaolin, and even Zhongnan supported Yi Ok-sang, so Tianyu had no choice.”
“Yes, I know. Mu-wi probably thought that once this situation was resolved, Hak would take the seat of Alliance Leader. But now that he’s dead like this, how must he feel?”
“…”
“And is that all? While your family and mine have held the position of Alliance Leader, the Namgung family has failed every time… Mu-wi must be in turmoil.”
Paeng Wi-cheon nodded at Seomun U-ryang’s words.
Having spent a long time together, they knew Namgung Mu-wi well.
The death of his son?
Of course, he was angry.
But the real reason for his fury was likely that.
Because even after pushing out Yi Ok-sang, he could no longer claim the position of Alliance Leader.
Having earned the disgrace of being the only member of the Pure Elites’ Society who had failed to produce an Alliance Leader, how much more bitter must his already sour heart have become?
“Anyway… say, Mun-cheon.”
“…?”
“I suppose congratulations are in order. With Hak gone, won’t the next Alliance Leader come from your family?”
“Haha, my friend. Don’t be ridiculous. My Kang may be old enough, but he still lacks the skill.”
Hwangbo Mun-cheon waved his hands as if dismissing the idea, but his true feelings were written all over his face. In their minds, the name Namgung Hak had already been erased, and a new game was afoot.
“Now, let’s hurry up and move. We must block the north according to Tianyu’s second plan, prepared for the case we lost that bastard Neung Un-bi.”
“But are we certain that Yun An-ro took the northern waterway?”
“The Beggars’ Union has already confirmed it. They said they discovered a fishing boat had disappeared from Mengjin. After making inquiries, they said there were three of them.”
“I see.”
“The Union Leader immediately sealed off the northern waterway, so they shouldn’t have been able to escape.”
“We must catch that bastard first, then.”
“You’re right. If Neung Un-bi helping them is the will of the Demonic Cult, there’s a chance others might intervene.”
“Indeed. It will be quite a headache if they fall into the hands of the Demonic Cult.”
“True. Tianyu was worried about that as well.”
Seomun U-ryang nodded.
This was the conclusion the Great Elder of the Orthodox Murim Alliance, Zhuge Tianyu, had reached after much deliberation.
The Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult, Neung Un-bi.
Zhuge Tianyu did not believe his helping The Unravelers, led by Yun An-ro, was an independent act. This was because he couldn’t find any connection between Neung Un-bi and Yun An-ro.
Ultimately, the only conclusion was the intervention of the Demonic Cult.
They, who had always coveted the Central Plains, must have dispatched Neung Un-bi to target their hidden shame.
If Yun An-ro were to hand over their secrets to the Demonic Cult, the power the Pure Elites’ Society had built would crumble like a sandcastle.
That, they had to prevent at all costs.
“Now, let’s move quickly.”
Excited at the thought that the next Alliance Leader might come from his family, Hwangbo Mun-cheon urged them to action.
* * *
After escaping the trap in the Roha District, Neung Un-bi’s party bypassed Samun Gorge and rode north along the river before stopping for a short rest.
Having received information from Black Dog, they needed to pursue Yun An-ro as quickly as possible, but they couldn’t keep running indefinitely. They had to replenish their strength for a battle that could break out at any moment.
Soon, Hyang-i disappeared to scout the area, and the rest of the group caught their breath and checked their conditions.
A moment later, Neung Un-bi cautiously asked Wang Cheon.
“Aren’t you going to ask?”
“About what?”
“…”
“You wouldn’t answer even if I did, would you?”
“Hmm.”
Despite his cautious question, Neung Un-bi couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at Wang Cheon’s nonchalant reply.
How strange. He had expected to be grilled with questions and had even prepared excuses…
He felt a sense of anticlimax as something that had been weighing on his mind was resolved so easily.
“I don’t know who they are, but you’re going to rescue them and return, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s all that matters. If that is what my lord wishes… For us, it is enough that you are alive.”
Following Wang Cheon, Ju Seung also spoke with a gentle smile.
At that, Neung Un-bi couldn’t say anything more. He simply felt grateful for their trust in him.
“I… will become the Cult Leader.”
“…”
“I swear it!”
When Neung Un-bi spoke as if making a vow, filled with his apology for the past, Wang Cheon stared at him intently before speaking.
“Why are you stating the obvious with such determination?”
“…”
“Anyone would think you were about to run away.”
Wang Cheon smiled and shook his head, but Neung Un-bi couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.
Although he hadn’t shown it to them, hadn’t he resolved to abandon the Demonic Cult and return to the orthodox faction once he met Yun An-ro?
He suddenly felt sorry for the thoughts he had once harbored.
But just you wait.
I will repay this feeling of guilt for years to come.
“By the way, my lord, are you certain the people you rescued went to the northern waterway?”
“I’m sure.”
“But it’s too quiet. Considering how easily those beggars from the Union found our tracks… they should have searched every boat moving on the waterway. There’s no way the fishing boat that left Mengjin has already entered the territory of the northern nomads, and if they had been caught, our enemies would have been shouting it from the rooftops to lure us in.”
“…”
Neung Un-bi nodded at Wang Cheon’s muttering.
That part had puzzled him as well.
The Orthodox Murim Alliance must already know everything about them. After all, Black Dog had followed him right to his doorstep.
But as Wang Cheon said, it was too quiet. They had traveled along the northern waterway on the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi, but they hadn’t found anything yet.
“Well, for now, I was planning to find a high-ranking beggar from the Union nearby, catch him, and shake him down for information.”
“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea. If they’ve found any trace of them on the northern waterway, he’ll have the information.”
“Let’s rest a little more for now. You two take turns getting some sleep. I’ll be with Hyang-i… Huh? She’s still not back?”
Neung Un-bi quickly looked around.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t paid Hyang-i enough attention.
She was the one who had suffered the most during this ordeal.
And yet, while others were resting, she had gone out to scout the area. He had nothing to give her at the moment, so he had at least wanted to express his thanks…
“Ah! There she is.”
“…?”
Wang Cheon, who had also been looking around, pointed. Hyang-i was walking toward them.
But she wasn't alone.
“Found this on the way. I’m going to rest now, so whoever wakes me up is dead.”
“…”
As she approached, she casually tossed a beggar to the ground and went to sleep.
Neung Un-bi stared down at the beggar with a dumbfounded expression for a moment, then the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.
Tied to the beggar’s waist was a five-knot cord.
As expected… our Hyang-i is so good at doing things without even being asked.