Rewriting the Sichuan Blood Massacre (9)
The return journey passed without major incident. With the Murim Alliance flag borrowed from the Chengdu branch leader flying high, no half-baked mountain bandits dared approach, and even Black Path martial artists could only glare enviously as they passed by. The Mokyeop Escort Bureau escorts, well aware of the flag's advantages, guided them along safer routes they wouldn't normally take due to dangers, so no one in the group felt the strain.
That said, some academy students grumbled about the food. The Seung Ho-dang members, used to frequent outdoor training and marches, had no trouble cooking for themselves. But the elite disciples from the Nine Great Sects' main branches, raised in luxury, weren't accustomed to field cooking. They ended up burning the supposedly easy porridge or eating it half-raw.
Eventually, a few students gathered their complaints and brought them to Gu Jeongryong.
"What? You say cooking is too hard? Then chew on some byeokgokdan pills. Haven't you ever eaten them while training at your main sect?"
His curt response left them crestfallen, on the verge of tears as they slunk away. They'd learned the hard way that the pampered treatment they received—like precious babies—only applied back at their sects.
And our group? Well...
"Eunho, we're short on meat."
"Geum Pyo-hyung, are your eyes hurt? We have plenty of meat. It's just that the dried veggies take up so much space."
"I still prefer more meat."
"That's why I told you to prepare extra dried jerky."
No one knew when they'd prepared it, but Geum Pyo and Eunho whipped up porridge loaded with twice as much meat and veggies as grains for every meal. Thanks to them, our group ate until our bellies nearly burst each time.
Have I ever starved these kids?
Far from it—I'd always fed them lavish feasts while traveling together. Yet their appetites only grew insatiable.
"Somehow, I feel like I'm gaining more weight during these outdoor meals than I did at the academy," Namgung Seonhwa remarked, and Seong Moran nodded in agreement.
"I actually feel like the academy portions were a bit skimpy by comparison."
I scanned the academy students. They all looked gaunt, cheeks hollowed, dark circles under their eyes. The exhaustion from the Sichuan ordeal followed by nights of rough camping had piled up. Even the elites among the 108 Peaks—the Twelve Bongseong—looked far from peak condition.
In contrast, Namgung Seonhwa, Seong Moran, and the rest of our group had glossy, healthy glows on their faces.
"Aren't you all tired?"
Seong Moran tilted her head at my question. "We eat three square meals comfortably and sleep soundly without night watches. What's to be tired about?"
No matter how I looked at it, our conditions weren't much different from the other students'...
Eunho clicked his tongue. "Dae-sa-hyung, the sisters and Jaehwa went through regular training hours with us."
"Ah..."
They say those who've endured real hardship don't even register lesser struggles afterward. It hit me anew just how hard I'd drilled them during training.
These kids grew up as preciously as true disciples of the Nine Great Sects.
Namgung Seonhwa alone had been raised as the Sword Immortal's treasured granddaughter, never lifting a finger to dirty work. Now she was wolfing down three bowls of meat porridge made from jerky right there on the ground...
"What's wrong, Gongja-nim?"
She tilted her head as I stared. "Nothing."
Just as guilt welled up for turning sheltered kids into this, a rationalizing voice in my mind—ruling like a king—smashed it down.
Still, thanks to that, they're strong now. They'll adapt fine to whatever division they join in the Alliance later.
Seong Moran scowled, reading my expression. "You're rationalizing it to yourself, aren't you?"
Was this women's intuition? I quickly changed the subject. "I was worrying about what lies ahead."
"What... kind of things?"
Seong Moran's lips quivered anxiously. What was I, a ghost? I hadn't even said anything specific yet.
"It makes me more anxious when Jin Gongja says he's worried!"
"..."
Truth be told, the situation wasn't all that relaxed. First, the Jeongdo Council elders. Why else would they abandon even their own disciples and rush to the Murim Alliance upon reaching Chengdu? Obviously to scheme something. If they just minimized their own faults, that'd be lucky. The real problem was not knowing what slanders they'd tie to this incident.
Second, the Murim Academy. The representative—top representatives, no less—had vanished mid-semester. We'd followed procedure, but if it came out that the chief strategist was absent and the division head overstepped? It could disrupt the entire schedule. And this would embolden those eyeing the representative seat to slink back out.
I'd realized clearly this time: Hand over the academy rep position, and who knew how much more of a mess the Murim Academy would become. If the academy turned into a mess, the Murim Alliance would follow, becoming the same cluster of idiots as in my previous life.
I absolutely won't let that happen.
I steeled my resolve once more.
The return journey wrapped up smoothly. Upon reaching Muhwan, the Mokyeop Escort Bureau took their carriages and men and headed back. From Muhwan to the academy, it was just Seung Ho-dang and the students.
"Awoooo! We're finally here!"
Seong Moran stretched grandly. Smiles bloomed on the others' faces too. Seeing the "Murim Academy" plaque made it real—we'd arrived.
"I just want to sleep for three days straight."
"Me too."
As we chatted idly and passed the main gate—
"““WAAAAAAAAH!”””
A thunderous roar erupted from all sides.
"Wh-what is this?"
Geum Pyo gaped in shock, and the rest of us were equally stunned. Academy students and outsiders lined the path to the main building, cheering wildly.
"What in the world...?"
Then, Jang Ujae and his friends emerged from the crowd.
"You must be exhausted, Representative-nim."
"What's going on here?"
"The academy rep rushed off to protect the students and brought them back safe. Who wouldn't come out to cheer?"
Is that it? But I didn't see a single Baekdo Council or Jeongdo Council face.
Jang Ujae gazed at me like a hero. "Just wave once, Representative-nim."
"..."
Sudden waves? This kind of welcome didn't suit me. As I hesitated, Jang Ujae suddenly grabbed my hand and thrust it high.
And with that—
"““WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”””
An even louder cheer shook the grounds.
"Black Flame Dragon! Black Flame Dragon!"
"So cool! Tae-eul Gate!"
"The best! The best!"
I could've done without that unwanted nickname slipping in...
But now the cheers were clearly for us, so the Tae-eul Gate kids, Namgung Seonhwa, Seong Moran, Moyong Jaehwa, and the others waved all around. Each time, the crowd chanted their names and roared louder. The group, who moments ago wanted nothing but to collapse from exhaustion, now beamed back, fatigue forgotten.
Watching them, I couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Well, this isn't so bad once in a while."
#
"What in the world is going on here?"
Despite responding as quickly as possible, the Sichuan dispatch had still been delayed. Jegal Somyeong, who hadn't slept properly fretting over how things might unfold in Sichuan, now stared at the utterly unexpected reports in bewilderment.
-Blood Cult's eastward advance halted
-Anomalies detected within Blood Cult forces
-Blood Cult's battle preparations inadequate
The biggest worry had been the Ami Sect, first to encounter the Blood Cult. They'd boasted publicly of crushing them easily, but clearly trembled in private. They'd urgently requested Jegal clan reinforcements to reinforce their main sect's Geomunjinbeop, even pulling in lay disciples for solid defense.
I could only pray desperately they'd hold out until the Alliance warriors arrived...
Yet the Blood Cult's advance had inexplicably stopped.
"Are they preparing something even bigger?"
Already on edge from rumors of Iron Corpses in the Blood Cult, Jegal Somyeong's nerves were sharpened to a blade's edge.
"Damn bastards..."
The decisive reason for the dispatch delay? The Spirit-Control Orbs. The Blood Cult's sorcery was so potent that even those strong in Dao or Buddhist power lost their minds in seconds. A single order to recheck orb stocks had yielded awkward reports from everywhere.
'We sold them all off long ago?'
The absurdity left him speechless. He'd have thrown a couple into the deepest Alliance prison on the spot, but the culprits numbered far too many. Beyond prison capacity—and executing it might wipe out entire divisions.
"Ugh... ugh..."
No outlet for the rage boiling from his chest. Scrambling to procure more orbs was futile; they were hard to craft, stocks woefully short. In the end, they'd rushed Hyeong Mountain's Demon-Exorcism Talismans—praised for efficacy—to Sichuan as substitutes.
Jegal Somyeong crumpled the report, grinding his teeth.
Just you wait. I won't let this slide. Never.
Beyond the orbs, he'd vowed a full audit of Alliance-supplied goods once this blew over. He could already hear the supply officers' wails.
But that was only natural for the current crisis—
Then.
"Chief Strategist-nim..."
Maeng Ju-won, sensing Jegal Somyeong's foul mood early, approached cautiously. Sure enough, the strategist unleashed.
"You bastard! Why are you bothering me like this!"
"..."
Maeng Ju-won, who'd only just arrived and spoken for the first time today, swallowed his injustice.
Ha... I'm in for hell for a while.
He'd suffer fallout from the orb sellers too, but couldn't snap back like usual. He had his own sins. One slip, and he'd end up in prison in their stead.
Careful not to irk him further, Maeng Ju-won got to the point. "It's not that—Jin Sowoon has returned."
Jegal Somyeong's eyes flashed wide. "...Huh? That guy?"
"Yes. Word just came through the academy. Everyone's back safe."
"Already?"
Expected, but far quicker than anticipated.
How'd he sweet-talk the Chengdu branch leader this time?
Rumor had it the branch leader dipped into personal funds for carriages and hired an escort bureau. Amid wasteful Alliance spending, such thriftiness was refreshing.
Jegal Somyeong suppressed a rising smirk.
No, still—gotta chew him out where needed.
With Hyeok Mu-gang sure to praise the merits, he'd play bad cop. A future Mantongbu key player couldn't start bending rules early. Plus, questions burned.
Jegal Somyeong shot to his feet. "Where are you off to?"
"The academy."
"If it's to see Jin Sowoon, have him come to Mantongbu..."
"No. I'll go myself."
Once Jin Sowoon entered the Alliance grounds, word would reach Hyeok Mu-gang. Scold him now or never.
Bam.
He kicked open Mantongbu's flimsy door—and froze.
"...What brings you here?"
An unexpected guest furrowed his brow deeply.
#
Hardly unpacked, a summons came from the academy head's office.
Technically from Mantongbu, from what the instructor said.
The instructor, unsure of details, just relayed that and left.
But why not summon me to Mantongbu?
I'd known this was coming since handling things through Maeng Ju-won. Bold overreach would flip once Jegal Somyeong caught wind.
Still, Maeng Ju-won made it smoother.
Expecting some reprimand, I grabbed that bundle. Sealed in ice by Eun Seollan periodically, no smell.
Will this smooth things over a bit?
Musing as I knocked on the head's door—
Bam.
It flew open, revealing Buk Wonpyeong with a beaming smile.
"Come in."
He sat first, pouring tea. Fitting for the head—fine brew.
"When did you arrive?"
"Right when the semester started. Quite the mess you stirred in my absence."
"Circumstances demanded it. You know the rough outline, Headmaster."
If he didn't, that'd be a problem—questioning his competence.
"The Elder Council crossed the line big time this round."
"..."
"Of all times, while you and the chief strategist were away."
Buk Wonpyeong shook his head pityingly. I asked straight. "You went to the Alliance first from Chengdu... Did they pull anything while there?"
"They're poking around various spots, but hitting walls. This mess was too big. Tsk."
Hm, one worry down?
"Don't let your guard down. Most of their talk centered on you."
Damn, figures. Still, no big concern. Revenge on the Elder Council could wait till Mantongbu—plenty of time.
To lighten the mood, I shifted topics. "Did your errand go well?"
Buk Wonpyeong planned to join Tae-eul Gate as a lay disciple to surpass the Three Pure Ones Unfettered Sword's single-line limits. He'd vacated the office for that.
He sipped tea and grinned. "Splendidly."
"Glad to hear. Should I call you Little Uncle now?"
This gave Tae-eul Gate's disciples a solid Alliance backer. Who'd dare call Tae-eul Gate rootless with a Three Pure Ones Unfettered Sword inheritor as lay disciple...?
"Not Little Uncle."
"Huh?"
With only elders like the sect leader now, joining as lay disciple meant entering the sect leader's generation, right?
Puzzled silent, his voice shattered the quiet.
"Call me Little Brother from now on."
"..."
I blanked, then dug my ear. No wax—must be my head.
As I tapped my temple, Buk Wonpyeong smiled meaningfully.
"I'll call you Little Uncle, and serve as your chief disciple."
Chief disciple...?
Brain stalled, words failed. He nodded understandingly.
"The elders all refused. Ended up kowtowing to the sect leader."
Hm, yeah—Tae-eul Gate really was rootless. No wonder the insults stuck.
Then, knock knock.
I quickly told Buk Wonpyeong. "First request, Little Brother?"
"What?"
"When I get chewed out, rein in the chief strategist a bit."
He lowered his eyes, shaking his head. "...Can't do that. How could I cast a shadow on my sky-like Chief Uncle?"
What the—this guy, suddenly?
"...You just called me Little Uncle."
"That's different. Chief Uncle."
That title stuck too well...
Bam.
The door burst open. Jegal Somyeong stormed in, face like a furious yaksha.
Grimmer than expected.
I jumped up, bowing like a condemned criminal. But his expression didn't soften.
"Jin Sowoon, you bastard... grrr."
As he ground his teeth, another figure entered, hand on his shoulder.
I gaped, mouth agape in shock.
Why is he here...?
Baek Su-sin-geom Hyeok Mu-gang. One of the realm's absolute masters—and Murim Alliance Leader—had appeared at the Murim Academy.