Chapter 825
Mu-gyeol asked with an expression of disbelief.
"Are you saying something even the Divine Calculator couldn't have predicted has occurred?"
"Correct."
Bu Eun-seol replied firmly.
"I will exploit that event to strike at the Martial Venerable's weak point and counterattack."
Mu-gyeol took a deep breath.
In truth, he knew full well that when it came to strategic wisdom and insight, Bu Eun-seol was no less than the Divine Calculator.
But such bold claims were extremely dangerous.
No—in their current situation, they absolutely shouldn't indulge in hopeful observations.
The slightest misstep would send them plummeting into an irreversible abyss.
"What exactly is it?"
"I cannot say."
"What did you say?"
Bu Eun-seol repeated firmly.
"The moment I speak of it, both heaven and you will come to know of it."
"You're asking me to leap into a pit of fire with you without even giving a proper explanation?"
"Correct."
Bu Eun-seol then asked Mu-gyeol:
"If you're afraid, you may refuse."
Mu-gyeol laughed.
Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed this as a clumsy provocation strategy and refused outright.
But for some reason, a conviction had taken root in him.
A belief that Bu Eun-seol truly could anticipate all of the Martial Venerable's schemes and devise a method to counter them.
"Well... Without taking such a gamble..."
Mu-gyeol spoke as if resolved.
"...we'd never land a blow on Danmok Gi, that fraud wearing the mask of the Foremost Sage of the Murim."
"Fine."
Clenching his fist, he continued:
"Then let's proceed with the plan to send that vile man plummeting into the abyss."
Mu-gyeol, having obtained irrefutable evidence of the Martial Venerable's involvement in his master's death.
From that day onward, he resolved to assist Bu Eun-seol.
Knowing the whereabouts of the real Seon-u Jin, Mu-gyeol had already persuaded and recruited him in advance.
And when the real Seon-u Jin arrived at the Martial Alliance under the Martial Venerable's orders.
Mu-gyeol had secretly switched him with Bu Eun-seol, who had been imprisoned.
Then disguised himself as the real Seon-u Jin.
"I was threatened by the Azure Dragon Hall's leader and disguised myself as Commander Seon-u."
Having finished his recollection, Mu-gyeol declared in a clear voice.
"He claimed this method would allow them to frame Commander Seon-u as a spy."
Then he lowered his head.
"I wanted to refuse, but since he knew my secret, I had no choice but to yield to his threats."
The Martial Venerable, acting as Alliance Leader, had prepared countermeasures against all accusations and attacks directed at himself.
Fully aware of this, Mu-gyeol first pinned the blame on the Azure Dragon Hall's leader.
The Hall leader was the Alliance Leader's close subordinate.
That alone would deal a blow to the morality of the Martial Venerable, who wore Jeong Cheon-je's mask.
Murmurs erupted.
Countless martial artists in the Grand Martial Training Ground began buzzing incessantly, clearly shocked.
"But now that things have come to this, I wish to confess my crimes."
Having learned the Martial Venerable's true nature, Mu-gyeol was already prepared to leave the Martial Alliance.
At his refreshing yet shocking confession, the Martial Venerable sent a voice transmission, sounding utterly bewildered.
[Why are you betraying me?]
Mu-gyeol's cold voice transmission replied:
[Shouldn't you take responsibility for Master's death?]
[Master?]
The Martial Venerable couldn't comprehend.
Hadn't he been the one who painstakingly taught Mu-gyeol? What nonsense was this?
[Was the Golden Cicada True Qi so tempting to you?]
At Mu-gyeol's words, the Martial Venerable's eyes shook violently.
Finally, he realized what Mu-gyeol meant—who he truly was.
[Could it be that you're—!]
The clamor grew.
An unstoppable wave of noise now filled the conference hall.
It was a torrent of harsh criticism against the Azure Dragon Hall's leader for once again framing Seon-u Jin as a spy.
—Isn't this going too far?
—Why do they keep treating Lord Seon-u as a spy?
—Could it be that the Azure Dragon Hall's leader acted out of jealousy because Lord Seon-u has the Alliance Leader's favor?
"Vice Alliance Leader."
At that moment, Seon-u Jin called to Bukri Seung.
His gesture requested the release of his suppressed internal power.
Bukri Seung immediately approached Seon-u Jin.
Normally, he would need the Alliance Leader's permission to release the acupoints.
But having assessed the situation, Bukri Seung didn't even glance at the Martial Venerable as he moved to release Seon-u Jin.
"Wait."
The Martial Venerable's low voice cut through.
"You must not release him."
Bukri Seung asked with a puzzled expression:
"Alliance Leader, you declared him a spy of the Demonic Path, claiming the disguise was proof."
He looked at Seon-u Jin and continued:
"But he wasn't disguised, and no crime has been proven. Shouldn't we release him now and clear his name?"
The Martial Venerable shook his head firmly.
"Absolutely not."
The murmurs intensified.
Martial artists in the Grand Martial Training Ground wore shocked expressions—even the senior members were stunned.
Why couldn't Seon-u Jin be released, even at this point?
"Commander Seon-u. I will acknowledge that you did not employ the disguise."
Martial Venerable fixed his gaze upon Seon-u Jin as he spoke.
"I made a mistake by listening to the Azure Dragon Hall Leader's words. However..."
His pupils shimmered mysteriously.
"That does not absolve you of your espionage charges."
"What do you mean?"
"Did you not conspire with external forces to brutally murder our Chief Strategist?"
Thud.
The air in the Grand Martial Training Ground froze at this shocking revelation.
Seon-u Jin brutally murdering Gongson Dan-gyeong? What kind of nonsense was this?
"That makes no sense, Alliance Chief."
Bukri Seung spoke with visible confusion.
"The Chief Strategist was on Demon Leave."
"She was assassinated by unknown forces during her leave. The Azure Dragon Hall Leader has already confirmed this."
Martial Venerable's face twisted in anguish as he raised his voice.
"In fact, we only discovered Commander Seon-u's espionage while investigating intelligence regarding Chief Strategist Gongson's tragic demise."
"Commander Seon-u was closer to the Chief Strategist than anyone else, and enjoyed her full support."
Sensing something amiss, Bukri Seung began defending Seon-u Jin.
"Then why would he possibly harm her?"
"I thought the same. That's why it was so unbelievable."
"Do you have evidence?"
Instead of answering, Martial Venerable nodded to the Azure Dragon Hall Leader.
The man then produced a book from his robes and approached Bukri Seung.
"This document details exactly how Commander Seon-u murdered the Chief Strategist at Twin Hands Valley."
Martial Venerable glared at Seon-u Jin with icy eyes.
—I anticipated you people might try some tricks.
Martial Venerable's shadow was none other than the Divine Calculator.
A man possessing both extraordinary wisdom and meticulous nature.
He had prepared for every contingency—
especially the possibility of failing to expose Seon-u Jin's true identity as Bu Eun-seol.
Thus he had created one irrefutable piece of evidence that Seon-u Jin could never escape.
For a moment, Seon-u Jin looked at Mu-gyeol with panicked eyes.
This was an unforeseen development—something they hadn't prepared for.
'So she really is dead after all.'
Mu-gyeol bit his lip.
Gongson Dan-gyeong's death hadn't been confirmed yet.
But Martial Venerable was no fool.
With the Chief Strategist confirmed dead, he would have fabricated flawless evidence.
Coming from the Alliance Chief himself, there would be no visible flaws in the documentation.
"Commander Seon-u."
At that moment, Martial Venerable curled his lips into a peculiar smile.
"If you confess your true identity and circumstances now, you might still avoid punishment."
He pointed at Mu-gyeol as he continued.
"Tell us who put you up to this."
Martial Venerable added one final remark.
"Think carefully. Otherwise, you may end up shouldering all the blame yourself."
The real Seon-u Jin's pupils trembled.
What if he didn't tell the truth?
He would be branded as Gongson Dan-gyeong's murderer and spend the rest of his life in Prison.
Tremble.
His fingertips shook uncontrollably.
No matter how he thought about it, there was no way out.
He had betrayed Martial Venerable because—
Mu-gyeol had staked his own life, promising they could escape Martial Venerable's grasp.
But it was useless.
In the end, he couldn't escape Martial Venerable's control, doomed to remain his puppet forever.
"I..."
Just as Seon-u Jin began to speak—
Roar.
An enormous commotion erupted from the far end of the Grand Martial Training Ground.
So loud that Martial Venerable and the elders all frowned in displeasure.
"The Grand Council is still in session! Cease private conversations!"
The Azure Dragon Hall Leader shouted, but the murmuring among the martial artists continued.
Because they had clearly seen the face of the figure approaching the platform.
Whoosh.
The crowd of martial artists gathered below the platform split cleanly in half.
Through this path walked a figure clad in white ceremonial robes.
With strikingly beautiful eyes so clear they could be seen from ten li away.
A breathtaking beauty with cloud-like hair piled elegantly atop her head.
None other than the Martial Alliance's Chief Strategist, the Star of Great Wisdom—Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"How—"
This time, Martial Venerable was genuinely shocked.
So shocked that—
he didn't even realize he'd leapt to his feet in an undignified manner.
"Chief Strategist."
As she ascended the platform, Bukri Seung asked in astonishment:
"What in the world is happening?"
"That's what I'd like to know."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's voice was colder than ice.
"I merely returned from Demon Leave, yet somehow I'm supposed to have been murdered by Commander Seon-u..."
Her clear voice rang out as she stared directly at Martial Venerable.
"Along with the Celestial Dragon Unit directly under the Alliance Leader's command—numerous covert organizations attacked the Chief Strategist, is that it?"
"What nonsense are you speaking?"
At Bukri Seung's words, Gongson Dan-gyeong drew a single booklet from her sleeve.
It was a volume no different in thickness from the one the Martial Venerable had produced earlier.
"Experts from the Azure Dragon Hall ambushed me at Twin Hands Valley. I barely survived, and my delayed return was because I was tracking their identities."
The Grand Martial Training Ground erupted into murmurs at this shocking testimony.
How could the Martial Alliance Leader's own secret forces have ambushed Gongson Dan-gyeong?
"I will formally request an explanation from the Alliance Leader regarding this matter."
The Martial Venerable could say nothing.
He had meticulously fabricated irrefutable evidence that Seon-u Jin had killed Gongson Dan-gyeong.
But now that she had returned alive to testify in person... he had fallen into his own trap.
How could she have returned unharmed?
The reason the meticulous Martial Venerable had been so certain of her death—
Was because he knew exactly how the Jungson Clan's experts killed their targets.
When they eliminated someone,
They never confirmed the death until all vital signs had completely ceased.
Though Bu Eun-seol had intervened, slaughtering the entire Jungson Clan's forces before they could retrieve her body—
They had dispatched an investigation unit wielding the One Hundred and Eight Stars' mysterious power, and they had confirmed Gongson Dan-gyeong's breath had truly stopped.
Of course, the Martial Venerable hadn't relied solely on their word.
If she had truly died—
He had predicted Bu Eun-seol would inevitably take her body to the Gongson Clan.
So he had immediately sent a skilled subordinate to infiltrate the Gongson Clan,
And had clearly confirmed that Gongson Dan-gyeong's funeral had been quietly conducted.
Then how could she be standing here alive?
"This matter is beyond comprehension."
But the Martial Venerable was the Martial Venerable.
Having weathered countless storms in the martial world and handled all manner of affairs, not to mention acting as the Alliance Leader for so long—
He did not panic, deftly severing the loose ends instead.
"Azure Dragon Hall Master. What manner of evidence did you collect to allow such a thing to happen?"
Since ancient times, shifting blame onto subordinates and cutting ties had been
An effective method for overcoming crises.
'Hah.'
Watching this, Mu-gyeol exhaled a sigh of relief in his heart.
'Martial Soul Lord. You truly know how to shock people.'
When the Martial Venerable had pinned Gongson Dan-gyeong's death on Seon-u Jin,
He had truly thought everything was over, cold sweat trickling down his spine.
'To foresee every move of Danmok Gi, who wears the mask of a sage, and counterattack like this...'
Bu Eun-seol had promised.
Something unpredictable would occur, and he would strike at the flaw without fail.
And he... had kept that promise.
'Danmok Gi. It seems you've run out of tricks.'
Mu-gyeol clenched his fists.
At last, they had shattered every barrier the Martial Venerable had erected and struck a blow to his integrity and morality.
'Now for the finale.'
Mu-gyeol nodded toward Seon-u Jin, standing in the distance.
The situation had reached its climax—it was time to execute the final plan Bu Eun-seol had prepared.
A nod.
Seon-u Jin nodded back, then—
"Alliance Leader!"
With veins bulging in his neck, he roared.
"How much longer must I endure being treated as a spy?!"
This was an act rehearsed in advance with Mu-gyeol.
The pinnacle of the moment,
The grand finale of the final stage.
"How much longer must I be entangled in these petty, cunning schemes? Is it because I have no backing, because I come from a merchant group?!"
He howled as if coughing up blood to the martial artists below the training ground.
"Must those like me—powerless, without support—be endlessly doubted and framed like this?!"
The martial artists who heard his outcry all wore solemn expressions.
Seon-u Jin had been falsely accused of being a spy multiple times, and each time, he had thoroughly cleared his name.
Yet now, even the Alliance Leader had branded him a spy due to the Azure Dragon Hall Master's mistake.
And once again, only his innocence had been proven.
Had it merely been suspicion of espionage—
They might have pitied him, but their condemnation wouldn't have reached the Alliance Leader.
But whether he had trusted the Azure Dragon Hall Master's evidence or sought to utterly erase Seon-u Jin—
The Alliance Leader had tried to pin the unprecedented crime of assassinating a Chief Strategist on him.
Fortunately, Gongson Dan-gyeong had returned alive to testify, allowing him to shed this unjust accusation—but...
Considering the gravity of the situation, the martial artists couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.
Resentment toward the Alliance Chief was inevitable.
"I've worked like a dog ever since joining the Alliance! I've handled every matter fairly, never once abusing my authority for personal gain!"
Seon-u Jin's desperate cry echoed through the Grand Martial Training Ground like a mournful wail.
"Was I that much of an eyesore? Did my rise to prominence truly displease you so much?"
He shouted again, louder this time.
"Was that why you attacked the Chief Strategist and framed me? Or did you place me in this position from the start so I could attack the Chief Strategist?"
Clang!
Seon-u Jin flung the Secret Intelligence Bureau's Command Plaque from his robes onto the ground.
"I joined the Martial Alliance because I believed it was a place where justice was upheld—where I could pour everything I had into my duty!"
Then, amplifying his voice with his Internal Energy, he roared:
"But what's the point if the very place I serve is corrupt?"
His words resonated deep within the hearts of the younger martial artists.
Because they, too, understood.
They had come to the Martial Alliance with burning passion and soaring ambitions, dreaming of righteous glory.
But in the end, the Martial Alliance was nothing more than a stage for the disciples of major sects, those with powerful backers, and the elders.
Ordinary youths who failed to stand out—
Those who had nothing but passion—
No matter how hard they struggled here, they received neither reward nor recognition.
And yet...
Even Seon-u Jin, who had risen meteorically as the Righteous Faction's new-generation Grandmaster, was no exception.
—So, in the end, the Martial Alliance is their domain alone... A place where no one can rise through merit alone?
As the young martial artists lowered their heads in despair, their gazes hollow—
Clang!
A sharp, metallic sound rang out.
Seon-u Jin had thrown down another plaque from his robes.
This one was the Clear-Heart Command Token, granted to him by the Martial Venerable.
"This damn place—I quit!"
Rip!
Then, he tore the twin-winged phoenix embroidery from his sleeve and cast it aside.
It was a declaration of severance—an irreversible resignation from the Martial Alliance.
—...
The martial artists in the training ground stood speechless.
Never in the history of the Murim had anyone dared such an act—
Defying the Alliance Chief and all the high-ranking elders to their faces.
Thud. Thud.
Without so much as a backward glance, Seon-u Jin descended from the training ground.
Whoosh.
Instinctively, the crowd parted before him.
No one blocked his path now. No—no one could block it.
Because he had been the only lotus blooming untainted in the Martial Alliance's mire.
"Disciplinary Hall Master!"
At that moment, Gongson Dan-gyeong drew out the Chief Strategist's Command Token.
"Arrest and imprison every leader of the secret organizations listed in this ledger!"
"B-But..."
The Disciplinary Hall Master hesitated, glancing at the Martial Venerable for guidance.
Issuing such an order in front of the Alliance Chief was tantamount to undermining his authority.
"Are you telling me to carry this out personally?"
"That's not what I—"
"This Chief Strategist seeks to clear the name of the wronged Bureau Chief Seon-u who left and purge the factions gnawing at our Alliance's foundations. And yet, you refuse to obey?"
The Disciplinary Hall Master fell silent.
Any careless word now would only invite disaster—like shrimp crushed in a battle of whales.
"Fine. Then I shall formally petition the Alliance Chief."
Gongson Dan-gyeong turned to the Martial Venerable and declared loudly:
"Investigate and deal with fairly every secret organization in this ledger. They are the malignant forces rotting our Alliance from within."
The elders on the platform turned mute as if their mouths had been stuffed with honey.
They, too, operated covert factions—issuing missions to further their own interests.
With no guarantee their organizations weren't listed in that thick ledger, they couldn't possibly accept her demand.
"This matter cannot be resolved hastily. It requires thorough investigation over time."
The Martial Venerable spoke in a low voice.
"I promise it will be handled fairly."
Then, he clasped his hands together.
"I sincerely apologize for convening this meeting based on the Azure Dragon Hall Master's flawed investigation."
The legendary Martial Venerable bowed his head to the young Chief Strategist.
An unprecedented act—yet Gongson Dan-gyeong only smiled coldly.
Her expression seemed to say, "What a masterful display of cutting off loose ends."
"Very well."
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke solemnly.
"I will watch closely to ensure these organizations are eradicated. And—"
Her gaze swept across the assembly as she channeled her Internal Energy, ensuring every martial artist in the training ground heard her clearly:
"If justice is not served, I too will resign as Chief Strategist and leave this Alliance!"
Murmur—
The crowd erupted like thunder.
In the history of the Martial Alliance, the Chief Strategist position had been revoked before—but never voluntarily relinquished.
It was a seat of immense power.
Yet she was willing to step down—no, leave the Alliance entirely—if the investigation was mishandled?
This was an unprecedented crisis—a first in the annals of Murim history.