#184. Rewriting the Sichuan Blood History (4)
When the news first arrived that the Jeongdo Council had been hit in Sichuan, the other elders in the Elder Council couldn't hold back their sneers.
Hearing that a fierce rival had taken a nasty fall was more satisfying than any feast. Those from the Baekdo Council and the Twelve Peaks, who had been uncomfortable with the Jeongdo Council's flashy events, felt like a nagging toothache had finally been pulled.
The Murim Alliance, upon receiving the report from Sichuan, immediately began preparing a dispatch unit. In contrast, the Elder Council—hoping the Jeongdo Council would suffer a bit longer—kept delaying discussions on forming the unit. This left the Alliance's martial halls in confusion over whether to prepare or not.
But it didn't take long for the smug faces in the Elder Council to sour.
- Heavy casualties in Cheongsung Sect and affiliated lay sects.
- Heavy casualties in Ami Sect and affiliated lay sects.
- Heavy casualties in Huashan Sect and affiliated lay sects.
- Heavy casualties in Kongdong Sect and affiliated lay sects.
- Cheongsung Sect Elder Eun Hee-gwang missing.
- Ami Sect Elder Jeong Myeong missing.
- Huashan Sect Elder So Chung-hyeon confirmed dead.
- Kongdong Sect Elder Jeong Sa-ik confirmed dead.
- Shaolin Temple Elder Hye-seong suffering side effects from sorcery.
- Jeomcheong Sect Elder Myeonghyeon suffering side effects from sorcery.
*Exact casualty figures unavailable due to identification difficulties.
The endless stream of bad news left not just the Elder Council, but the entire Murim Alliance reeling in shock. Some nearly fainted upon reading the note at the end about the inability to tally precise numbers.
No one dared anymore to block the dispatch of warriors to Sichuan. But if it ended there, it wouldn't be the Murim Alliance. This time, objections arose over the scale of the dispatch.
"Jegal Strategist! Do you think this makes any sense? What, is the Black-White Great War breaking out? Cheongryong Pavilion, Jeokryong Pavilion, Heukmu Pavilion, and Geumbong Pavilion too? You planning to fight all of Sichuan?"
"It seems the Elder Council isn't taking the current crisis seriously. Elders from Huashan, Kongdong, Cheongsung, and Ami are missing or dead. Moreover, Shaolin's Elder Hye-seong and Jeomcheong's Elder Myeonghyeon are suffering from sorcery aftereffects."
"Even so, this is excessive. Excessive!"
"Are those who know the Way questioning the dispatch of warriors and putting on the brakes?"
"Hey now, Chief Strategist!"
Those who had galloped through the jianghu together in their youth forgot all decorum, pointing fingers like hot-blooded youngsters as their verbal sparring intensified. If not for their positions and watchful eyes, they might have settled it with martial arts. Jegal Somyeong, who knew the truth, was on the verge of exploding inside.
I can't even tell them the Blood Cult has appeared!
What Jin Sowoon had relayed was, at best, inference. Though Jegal Somyeong believed in its credibility and had planned to send the absolute minimum force—at the very least—that still irked the Elder Council and other sects. On top of that, Cheongsung and Ami, whose elders had vanished from what was practically their own backyard in Sichuan, were now threatening to mobilize their own warriors to hunt the culprits without waiting.
It was chaos incarnate. Some nitpicked why send so many troops, while Cheongsung and Ami boasted they'd dispatch their own. Even a marketplace seemed more orderly.
"Damn it. If you're gonna toss the problem in our laps, at least give us a solution!"
Meng Ju-won grumbled, his forehead bump still unsubsided, at Jegal Somyeong's words.
"Isn't convincing the Elder Council the Chief Strategist's job?"
"...This punk, eavesdropping on my mutterings and making a fuss!"
Of course, he knew this wasn't Jin Sowoon's fault, but from Jegal Somyeong's position, it was utterly frustrating. Believing the Blood Cult had emerged made even this many seem too few. Viewing it merely as elder murders brought unease—if it truly was the Blood Cult, small numbers wouldn't cut it.
As he wrestled with such dilemmas, another messenger bird arrived.
- Iron Corpses have appeared.
- Enemy identity confirmed as Blood Cult.
They say your mind freezes when you hear something too absurd. Jin Sowoon's dispatch turned the entire Murim Alliance to stone. Jegal Somyeong, who had anticipated the Blood Cult, shuddered as if struck by lightning.
"G-gangshi? Gaaaaangshi? Iron Corpses?!"
"Chief Strategist, compose yourself."
"Hey, man! How can I?! Gangshi! Gangshi! Not just any, but iron gangshi!"
Though the Sichuan events were being handled as top secret, word somehow spread through the entire Alliance, making it noisier than ever. The jittery Murim Alliance, trembling like an anxious exam-taker, finally decided to dispatch its elite forces to Sichuan.
No distinctions on scale or affiliation were made, and the Elder Council approved the dispatch unconditionally.
In the Alliance Lord's Hall, Jegal Somyeong, bearing the dispatch approvals from the Elder Council and Mantongbu, was moments from receiving the Lord's seal when he conversed with Hyeok Mu-gang.
"Iron Corpses... What do you make of it?"
Hyeok Mu-gang's question drew a candid reply from Jegal Somyeong, hiding none of his worry.
"I can only pray... it's not true."
"Even you believe it's real."
"There are some suspicious points. No records exist of the Blood Cult manufacturing Iron Corpses, even in historical archives."
"Does that mean they're ultimately tied to the Demonic Cult?"
Hyeok Mu-gang asked lightly, but Jegal Somyeong clamped his mouth shut. Even as the Alliance's Chief Strategist, there were truths he didn't wish to face. He believed in thorough preparation, but preventing the crisis altogether was paramount.
"If it comes to that, we'll have to confront it since it's happened."
"......"
Jegal Somyeong silently affirmed Hyeok Mu-gang's words.
"The number of dispatched warriors is impressive."
"Just in case, but if the Blood Cult and Iron Corpses are involved, even this might not suffice."
"Won't the Black Path Alliance take offense?"
Such a massive mobilization would irk rivals. For the nascent Black Path murim, just forming their alliance, the Alliance's actions were bound to chafe. If this sparked a fight with the Blood Cult drawing in the Black Path Alliance too, the Murim Alliance could end up surrounded on all sides.
Jegal Somyeong swallowed a rising sigh before replying.
"We must convey the details to quell their complaints. Even if it costs us, we can't just let the Blood Cult slide."
Hyeok Mu-gang's worried expression lingered.
"I'm already anxious about what the Four Emperors Peak Lord will demand."
Jegal Somyeong nodded in agreement.
"But right now, the priority is the Blood Cult and Iron Corpses. If they emerge into the jianghu, the damage will eclipse any squabbles with the Black Paths."
"Understood. I'll ponder what concessions to make. By the way, what of the academy students?"
The Chief Strategist's face grew complicated again at the question.
"...Thanks to the Sheng Ho Dang dispatched to Sichuan, major casualties were averted."
"Truly fortunate. Thanks to that Jin Sowoon boy again, eh?"
Hyeok Mu-gang seemed inexplicably excited, prompting a long sigh from Jegal Somyeong.
"Yes. However, procedural issues may require punishment or reward—I'm unsure."
All good. He rescued the academy students, exposed the Blood Cult, confirmed the Iron Corpses—reward was fitting. But he ignored the academy schedule and commandeered Mantongbu's Sheng Ho Dang. Procedurally clean on the surface, but nitpickers could find fault.
With headaches piling up from myriad issues, adding Jin Sowoon's only made his head throb.
"Reward him."
Hyeok Mu-gang's calm voice made Jegal Somyeong furrow his brow.
"It's not that simple..."
"Procedural issues pale against the greater crisis. He saved countless lives and bought us time to respond."
Thud. The Lord set down his teacup with a sharp clink.
"Punishing such a man would make no one act boldly hereafter, prioritizing their own safety."
"......"
Jegal Somyeong knew this truth too well to argue.
Humans conform within systems. Lose the will to question and reflection, and you're devoured by it—overlooking wrongs thereafter. Bringing in low-rank academy student Meng Ju-won to Mantongbu, seeking Tae-eul Gate's Jin Sowoon—all to check that.
"If anyone blocks rewarding him for this, I'll take responsibility here in the Lord's Hall."
Jegal Somyeong nodded at Hyeok Mu-gang's firm tone.
"...Understood. Mantongbu will follow suit. But handle rewards and punishments after the Blood Cult matter."
"Naturally."
With key discussions wrapped, Jegal Somyeong proffered the mobilization order.
"Then, this..."
Hyeok Mu-gang, scanning the documents, raised his golden seal but paused.
"Once I stamp this, no turning back, right?"
"......"
Even without reply, Hyeok Mu-gang nodded and pressed the seal heavily.
Thud.
The colossal giant called the Murim Alliance, rigid as rotten timber, began to stir.
"Dangju-nim."
Gu Jeongryong turned at Jin Sowoon's call.
"Got everyone?"
"Yes, thanks to your attention."
Gu Jeongryong's brow furrowed slightly. What attention did I give? Truth be told, all he'd done was handle wounded evacuations. Jin Sowoon had led the Sichuan cleanup. Daring to imagine—if Jin Sowoon hadn't come, the academy's Jeongdo Council reps would've met their end there. That thought made Gu Jeongryong newly curious about him.
"You... what exactly are you?"
"Pardon?"
"What's your deal, I mean."
"My deal? Tae-eul Gate disciple, academy rep..."
"Never mind. Stupid question."
Jin Sowoon scratched his head, puzzled, at Gu Jeongryong's headshake.
"Anyway, why'd you call?"
"Ah, got a question."
"For me?"
"Yeah. Some Sheng Ho Dang members keep asking when I'll buy Par sa-je ryeong. What's that about?"
"......"
Gu Jeongryong's face flushed beet red.
"Ahem... well..."
"Is Par sa-je ryeong the Par-sa (Demon-Breaking) and Je-ryeong (Spirit-Subduing) I know?"
His fake cough grew louder.
"Ahehem! Ack! Ahem!"
"You injured internally?"
"Nngh... no. Just personal stuff. Uh, mind buying some food and spreading word of Par sa-je ryeong?"
"......"
Jin Sowoon tilted his head, utterly baffled. Gu Jeongryong had no choice but to dig out some silver coins.
"I'll cover it. For your hardworking comrades, treat 'em right."
Jin Sowoon beamed innocently, snatching the coins—his naive look vanished.
"Of course. For those who suffered, anything."
"......"
Gu Jeongryong felt an odd unease. He swiftly changed topics.
"Thinking of picking up the pace. Thoughts?"
"With so many wounded?"
"Sichuan's turning ugly. Blood Cult... They won't quit easy."
"Ah, that's fine."
Gu Jeongryong tilted his head.
"Fine?"
"Yeah. I lopped off their young cult leader's head. Blood Cult won't move for a while, just from that report."
"......"
Stunned by the casual explanation, Gu Jeongryong barely managed, "You... cut off his head?"
"Yeah. Figured they'd chase, so nipped it early."
"......"
His gaze drifted to the bundle in Jin Sowoon's hand—watermelon-sized, roundish. And Eunseollan's ice arts morning and night...
"No way that's..."
"Yep! What you're thinking."
"......"
Why the hell are you carrying it? The question nearly burst out, but Gu Jeongryong swallowed it. From predicting Sichuan to now, curiosities about Jin Sowoon abounded. But hearing them all might complicate his head too much. He resolved to cut interest.
"Hm, impressive."
"You're too kind."
He switched topics fast. "Still, better speed up. Seems bandit strongholds involved too, not just Blood Cult."
"...Ah, that?"
"You saw the bodies..."
"That was me."
"...What?"
Gu Jeongryong's head spun. Unlike him, Jin Sowoon remained nonchalant.
"No way to break through Blood Cult, so dragged in bandits for an infight."
"......"
He tried ignoring the complexity again, but couldn't this time.
"You mad? Blood Cult was tough enough, and you pulled in bandits?!"
"Ah, I handled that too—"
Then Gam Cheonak approached with a rare grim face.
"Dangju-nim."
"What!"
His snappish reply sharper than usual. Gam Cheonak, who'd normally snap back, spoke gravely.
"Bandits ahead."
"What?"
"About a thousand."
"......"
That explained Gam Cheonak enduring the prickliness.