The Fox Deity's Dangerous Speech
As soon as Baru finished speaking, a man standing nearby raised his hand.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes. Speak.”
“Will we need any special materials for the restoration work?”
“There is nothing of the sort. However…”
Watching Baru answer questions with such solemn dignity—as if she were giving a news interview—made me wonder if this was really the right approach. It was far better than chaos breaking out, but still… how should I put it? It felt like what viewers often call cognitive dissonance. This wasn’t how I had planned to proceed. I had intended to conduct the sect’s reconstruction ceremony with far more gravity and tension. Yet here we were.
“How long will it take until the grounds of Mount Hua are fully restored?”
“That depends on how I feel that day, but even at the longest, I expect it to be finished within two weeks.”
“In that case…”
I watched Baru stand with her arms crossed, exchanging surprisingly proper questions and answers, then let out a deep sigh and turned my gaze toward Murim Choegang, who stood beside me.
“Young man. May I ask you a few things?”
“Of course.”
“You must have already finished discussing matters among yourselves before I arrived. Is that correct?”
“It is.”
Murim Choegang nodded as if it were obvious, and I accepted his answer the same way. I had roughly expected this from the moment he bowed to me without the slightest hesitation.
“Next. Do any of you object to me becoming the sect leader of Mount Hua?”
“None. If that is what you wish, then please do so.”
This was the part I had been worrying about the most. To be honest, I had no connection to Mount Hua whatsoever. I had only resolved the incidents that occurred there at Baru’s request and received the Plum Blossom Swordplay as compensation. That was all. Whether I possessed the qualifications to become the leader of the Mount Hua Sect was something I found difficult to answer.
Being the leader of a sect meant representing that sect. It wasn’t simply about being a figurehead. It meant symbolizing the sect’s direction and the martial arts it possessed. In that sense, it was true that I fell short in many ways to become the leader of Mount Hua. Because I knew that, I had planned to threaten them with the Purple Mist Divine Art and Plum Blossom Swordplay if there was any resistance, and in some cases, even demonstrate my power. Yet things had resolved far more easily than expected.
“There was no opposition?”
“I wouldn’t say there was none, but aren’t you bestowing great favors upon us, Lady Hwaryeong? It is only natural that we should yield.”
Murim Choegang smiled as he answered my question. There had been opposition, but it had been resolved well. Come to think of it, when this man introduced himself last time, he mentioned that he was in charge of leading the Mount Hua players. In other words, he could be seen as the central figure holding together the ruined Mount Hua Sect.
Hmm. This is troublesome. Truly troublesome.
I did want someone who could handle the annoying tasks in my stead, but I had no desire for someone who would turn me into a puppet leader. I had already had enough of being a figurehead during my time with the Heavenly Demon Cult. I had no wish to repeat that unpleasant experience.
Even so, I couldn’t drive him out. Since he had become the central pillar of Mount Hua, forcing him to step down would likely distort the very sect I intended to rebuild.
Sigh. Why is it that whenever I try to form an organization, I can never avoid dealing with this thing called politics? How nice it would be if, like in the movies, I could solve every conflict with sheer force. Then I could simply live however I pleased.
“Are there any more questions?”
“No!”
The loud, unified shout from the Mount Hua players snapped me out of my thoughts. Baru nodded in satisfaction and dramatically rolled up her sleeves.
“Then shall we put some effort into this?”
She then returned to my side and tugged insistently at my sleeve.
“So, where should we begin the reconstruction?”
“Follow me.”
I had a place in mind. I led Baru toward a location right in the center of Mount Hua.
“Um… Lady Hwaryeong. This place…”
The moment I stopped walking, one of the Mount Hua players tried to stop me.
“What is it?”
“…This was where the previous sect leader of Mount Hua and the elders resided.”
As soon as I asked, someone answered as if they had been waiting. The speaker’s voice trembled, likely from anger. Of course. It had only been a single day since the betrayal. It made sense that they couldn’t yet control their emotions. Just seeing a place stained with the traces of the former sect leader would be enough to ignite their fury. I had chosen this spot fully aware of that, so if they didn’t react this way, that would be the real problem.
“Then this building must have symbolized Mount Hua. Why should it not be restored?”
This time, no immediate answer came. I understood. Their pride would not allow them to admit that merely looking at the former sect leader’s residence filled them with rage. When it seemed no answer would come even after waiting, I spoke again.
“Does this place remind you of the former sect leader?”
Once more, silence fell. This silence was even heavier than the last. It seemed my words had struck the mark. Their expressions were clearly darkening, yet I waited for an answer with perfect composure, as if I had seen nothing at all. Even after quite a long wait with no response, I raised my voice again.
“The reason the former sect leader and elders used this building was simply because they were the representatives of Mount Hua. It is the same now. From this moment on, those who will use this building are the ones who represent Mount Hua. And those representatives will be all of you. You will now stand in the place where others once stood and watched. You will claim the symbolic meaning of this building for yourselves! And yet, does the revival of this building offend you?! Will that resentment cause you to lose the chance to seize the glory they once held?!”
At my sharp rebuke, the expressions of the Mount Hua players began to change one by one.
“I ask again. Should this place not be restored?”
“No!”
“Do you lack the confidence to surpass the sect leader and elders who betrayed you?”
“No!”
“Then there is no problem at all!”
“That’s right!”
The faces that had been filled with a mix of sorrow and anticipation slowly transformed into ones burning with determination. If the very members of a sect I was trying to rebuild were so disheartened, how could we possibly succeed? The method of first touching their wounds to provoke anger, then converting that anger into motivation. It was a technique I had often used back in the Heavenly Demon Cult, and it still worked perfectly.
When I turned to ask Baru to begin restoration from this spot, I met her eyes staring at me as if I were some dangerous person.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Min-ga. You truly are a dangerous fellow.”
“…Huh? What?”
“So, shall we restore this building first?”
“Uh… yeah. Sure.”
I had no idea what she was suddenly talking about. All I had done was lift their spirits a little. I had also intended to raise my own support in the process, but that was all. I certainly hadn’t been seriously trying to incite them. To call this dangerous… Baru, it seems you have yet to witness something truly dangerous. If the chance arises later, I should let you experience the madness of the Cult. You will surely be horrified by the sight.
In the silence, one of the Mount Hua players spoke up. He explained that this was where the former sect leader and the elders had stayed. The player seemed angry at Hwaryeong’s insensitive behavior, but he did not cross the line. Since she had bestowed them with so much, he apparently considered this a minor mistake and let it slide.
However, even after hearing the explanation, Hwaryeong did not withdraw her opinion.
“This building must have symbolized Mount Hua. Why should it not be restored?”
At her attitude that seemed to suggest she couldn’t understand the players’ resentment, their eyes sharpened. Just what is wrong with this person? She says she wants to become the sect leader, yet she creates such a terrible atmosphere? What is she trying to do?
Unable to endure the silence any longer, Han Min-jun stepped forward to stop her—only for Hwaryeong to smile and speak again.
“Does this place remind you of the former sect leader?”
…So it wasn’t that she lacked tact. She knew everything and was deliberately provoking them? But why? Why would someone who claimed to be rebuilding the Mount Hua Sect try to earn the players’ hatred?
The atmosphere among the Mount Hua players grew even more hostile. Because Hwaryeong was the one who would be teaching them the Plum Blossom Swordplay and Purple Mist Divine Art, everyone held back. Had it not been for that, harsh words would have flown without question.
Even in the midst of such tension, Hwaryeong calmly looked around at the crowd. Just how bold is this person? How can she remain so composed in front of dozens of hostile people?
When the silence continued, Hwaryeong let out a small snort, clasped her hands behind her back, and began to speak. She said that the reason the former NPCs of Mount Hua had used this building was solely because they had been the representatives of the sect. Since those people had fallen in the past, the players gathered here would now become the representatives of Mount Hua. What the NPCs of Mount Hua once possessed would now fall into the hands of the players. And yet, did they still hate this building?
As Hwaryeong’s voice gradually rose in intensity, the players’ eyes were drawn to her. Watching her stand before the Mount Hua players and speak with such confidence, Han Min-jun could only feel admiration.
So even the earlier provocation had been a calculated move. Once he calmed down, many things became clear. Her eye contact. Her movements. Her projection. Her tone. Not a single element was used clumsily. Every single one had been employed to capture the hearts of the crowd.
That kind of skill wasn’t something one could learn just because they wanted to. It could only be acquired after countless experiences. She was a seasoned orator.
By the time Hwaryeong finished speaking, there was not a single person who denied that this was the place that needed to be restored first.
“Min-ga. You truly are a dangerous fellow.”
When Baru said those words, Han Min-jun unknowingly let out a laugh. A demagogue who could flip people’s opinions in an instant while simultaneously building favor toward herself was indeed a dangerous person. Just what did this person do in real life?