Unwanted Invitation
I'd thought about it before. What if I were completely honest about who I really was? What if I told everyone I'd returned from the future to the past? What if I rallied them, saying, "Let's all work together to avert the crisis coming to the martial world"?
It'd sound insane.
No one would side with me, that much was certain. With enemies already lining up against me, it'd just expose another weakness—proving I was mentally unhinged. I'd end up chained in a golden cage, swapping stories with the real lunatics for the rest of my days.
……But let's try extreme optimism, just for a second?
Sigh……
That had its own problems. If word spread that "the master of the martial world is about to change," and it reached the ears of some high official in Beijing, I could end up branded a rebel leader like the Yellow Turban bandits. One leap from martial world notoriety to imperial treason.
[How dare you claim the ruler of the world will change!]
[No! I was just talking about the Demonic Cult!]
[Silence, you traitor! Dismember the bastard right now!]
Ugh…… Even imagining it was horrifying.
And now, my identity was on the verge of exposure.
Damn it……
To the one man in the Murim Alliance whose intellect was second to none—no, the sharpest mind in the entire martial world.
"What is your true identity?"
I could vividly hear the thick gulp of saliva sliding down his throat.
Of course, Jegal Somyeong wasn't someone I could dodge with wordplay. The very fact he'd asked meant he'd already pieced together most of the puzzle with his 'fragment theory.' All he needed was that one final confirmation.
He'd clearly dismissed even the formation masters just to pry that last piece from me.
I tried my best to look nonchalant.
"……I'm naturally Jin Sowoon, the proud representative of the Murim Academy."
"……."
But Jegal Somyeong's emotionless gaze grew heavier.
Shit.
His piercing eyes, sharp enough to bore through me, scanned me head to toe.
"You know exactly what I'm getting at."
"……."
What should I do? How could I feed him a fragment that twisted the picture he'd half-assembled into something entirely different?
Jegal Somyeong's grave voice continued.
"The Yang's Eight Trigrams Myriad Phases Formation…… I told you not to be arrogant, but it's not something you can unravel at a glance. If you truly had that kind of skill, you wouldn't have needed to desperately claw your way into the academy or risk your life to save your sect in the first place."
Now it made sense why he'd shut down the formation masters' suspicions and sent them away. He'd viewed this as far more serious than I'd realized.
Jegal Somyeong coiled the iron wire in his hand with a sharp rattle, pointing its tip at my vital points.
"Are you…… a spy?"
So that's why he was still carrying a fan in this breeze—aimed at my lifeline.
At least it was a relief he suspected me of being a spy, not a future-seer?
Is this what counts as good news?
Replaced "madman" with "bastard spy"—should I laugh or cry? I couldn't tell.
Thanks to Sima Jeong's ointment, the bleeding had stopped, and my head was clearing up. Damn, it really worked. I'd have to ask for more.
I focused and cleared my throat.
"Ahem, what do you mean by that?"
"……If you come clean now, I won't harm anyone from your sect who wasn't involved."
Until he wrung confessions out of the ones who were, that is. And naturally, scum like Ak Byeongbi would be dragged in for the interrogation.
Who did he think he was fooling?
"I'm innocent!"
"Then explain how you analyzed the Yang's Eight Trigrams Myriad Phases Formation in one go?"
Honestly, that was even harder to believe. Even Ma Noe had taken a hundred days; I'd done it in less than an hour.
Without a convincing story now, the suspicions would linger forever.
I racked my brain harder than ever. Then, a figure from my memories surfaced.
"I didn't analyze it all at once."
"……I heard your visit to the Great Archive was your first—after the incident."
There was a guy named Seowoonchang in the Small Justice Squad. A con artist with zero martial prowess who'd somehow weaseled in. He'd said: To make someone believe a lie, give them something else to suspect. Humans can't split their doubt between two opposites.
Who knew that con man's advice would come in handy?
"Of course, publicly, that was my first time."
"……Publicly? So you'd seen it before?"
"Yes."
"Nonsense. That would mean at the Jegal Clan……."
Jegal Somyeong tilted his head in confusion.
I shook my head at him.
"No. My first time at the Murim Academy was true."
"Huh?"
"The Yang's Eight Trigrams Myriad Phases Formation wasn't a threatening qimen formation for the first three days. I was inside it every night."
"……."
And toss in a little clue to stoke suspicion.
"And I memorized every infinite path shift in the Infinite Buddha's Indestructible Soul Formation."
Jegal Somyeong withdrew his sharp gaze, now studying me with a pensive one. The iron wire had shifted to tapping his own temple.
That last fragment was slotting into his puzzle.
It was lucky he'd shown me a glimpse of his own picture earlier. Geniuses like him preferred deriving answers from subtle clues like this. Once they did, doubts naturally faded.
And sure enough.
"So it ties into how you got the young cult leader's head?"
He was suspecting along my intended lines.
"Yes."
"……Show me."
The suspicion was building, right on the verge of resolution. If I passed this, I'd be clear.
So.
"No."
"What?"
"Those were things I could do precisely because no one saw. If that draws suspicion, so be it."
"Even if it brands you a spy?"
I deliberately lifted my chin with feigned calm.
"Didn't you personally resolve the suspicions against me?"
"I can retract my words anytime."
"If that was your plan, you wouldn't have said them."
Jegal Somyeong's eye twitched.
A familiar look. What kind of guy is this?
"I have many enemies. I have to hide my cards layer upon layer just to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them."
"……."
At this point, even Jegal Somyeong seemed worn out from the mental gymnastics, pressing his temples.
The tide had turned in my favor. Now it was my turn to press.
"So, what reward do we get?"
"What?"
Genius brains like his had greater capacity, but still human limits. I had to keep piling on distractions to bury any lingering doubts.
Plus, I actually needed compensation. My hand hurt like hell.
I leaned forward.
"Didn't our representative team clean up after Jegal Jeonggi's mess?"
"……The academy head helped, precisely."
"You might not know, but Buk Sahyung is a lay disciple of our Tae-eul Gate. So he's connected to our team."
"Urgh……."
I sped up deliberately.
"The Yang's Eight Trigrams Myriad Phases Formation—a once-in-a-lifetime killer trap—nearly devoured nearly a hundred people whole. You can't just let that slide, right?"
"Seventy-eight."
"Don't we round numbers like that?"
Jegal Somyeong let out an incredulous laugh before asking.
"……What do you want?"
Of course, something complex enough to make your head explode.
I naturally rubbed my hands together.
"How far did you investigate?"
"……."
His eye twitched again.
#
The moment Jegal Somyeong stepped into the Mantongbu, he sensed something off. The atmosphere was heavier than usual, maybe?
Normally, Maeng Ju-won would whine and cling to him upon his return from outside work, but today he greeted him politely.
"You've arrived, Chief Strategist."
"What? Did you eat something funny?"
Maeng Ju-won didn't even frown at the jab.
"……What do you mean? Greeting the head of Mantongbu is only natural, isn't it?"
"What's…… with this?"
The other staff were in a similar state. And upon closer look, the usually chaotic Mantongbu interior was somewhat tidied up.
What, did they all take medicine as a group?
His head already ached, and this only soured his mood further.
Then.
"You've arrived?"
"Huh?"
Entering his office revealed an even more absurd sight: Hyeok Mu-gang sipping tea.
Now it clicked why the Mantongbu crew was acting out of character.
"Shall I prepare tea for you, Chief Strategist?"
Looking at the politely inquiring Maeng Ju-won, he caught the man subtly shaking his head.
The intent was obvious. Take the Alliance Leader out.
Jegal Somyeong nodded exaggeratedly.
"Yes, we'll be talking long, so brew about three pots."
Maeng Ju-won's face paled in panic.
"……Th-then, how about the teahouse near the Alliance?"
"Heavens! You think the Murim Alliance's funds—every coin precious—should be wasted like that?"
Jegal Somyeong glanced at Hyeok Mu-gang for agreement.
"The Leader would prefer staying here over going out, right?"
"I don't mind."
Maeng Ju-won grimaced like he'd read a bad report and backed away.
Jegal Somyeong tsked in exasperation.
"Hmph! Damn fools. Scared of the Leader but not me!"
Hyeok Mu-gang, watching, tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Why are you here? I said I'd come."
"Should the guy lounging in the Alliance Lord's hall daily order a busy man around? I had to come myself."
"……."
If only he handled routine work with this diligence. The problem was Hyeok Mu-gang only moved his heavy frame for matters of deep interest.
This wasn't the first time he'd shown such focus, but……
Feels like more than even Yong So-a or that 'one-shot' guy.
Hyeok Mu-gang's face brimmed with anticipation before the tea even arrived.
"Well? Was he a spy, as expected?"
Jegal Somyeong eyed the childlike excitement of the Murim Alliance Leader.
"You almost seem to hope he was."
"Of course not!"
Jegal Somyeong sighed deeply.
"Your prediction was right, Leader. He seems to have stealth-related martial arts."
"Ha! Really?!"
Hyeok Mu-gang burst into booming laughter, unable to hold back.
"This isn't the time to laugh. It means Cheonmogak was breached."
The Yang's Eight Trigrams Myriad Phases Formation was a special secret of the Murim Alliance. Even with the Jegal Clan's tight security, the Alliance wouldn't sit idle.
Hyeok Mu-gang nodded.
"The kid who fetched the young cult leader's head from the heart of a Blood Cult camp. Too much even for Cheonmogak."
"Sigh……."
"Why sigh? We've confirmed another fine talent for the Alliance."
Jegal Somyeong groaned at the question.
"He's exceptional in…… peculiar ways."
"Peculiar?"
Jegal Somyeong nodded and continued.
"I lied to the clan formation masters in front of him. Without a moment's hesitation, he backed my story on the spot."
No sign of fluster, when anyone else would panic. Jegal himself had almost believed he'd really heard it from Cheon-gi.
"Even when I cleared everyone and pressured him, he never uttered a word about stealth arts."
"Bold kid."
"Is it supreme confidence or quick wits? I can't tell."
"Hmm……."
"True prodigies often have that innocent, unpolished air. But he has none of it. Sometimes feels like facing an old black path monster."
Hyeok Mu-gang nodded.
"In that sense, the Four Emperors Peak Lord earned his moniker well."
"Indeed."
A dragon, yet a black dragon. Unlike others cultivating in mountains for a yeouiju, this one forged its path through brutal ocean battles. Suddenly, an image flashed: a massive black dragon clutching a blue dragon's corpse in one claw, a phoenix's in the other.
"Aren't you worried, Leader?"
"Well."
Hyeok Mu-gang stroked his chin.
"If he acted solely for his own gain, he wouldn't have caught our eyes in the first place."
"……Tch. True."
This incident proved it. To hide snooping on the formation, best not to save the White Path Society. Especially since they threatened Jin Sowoon's team. If he were in Jin Sowoon's shoes, he'd never help them.
"His methods are rough, but that's just compensating for his origins."
Houseplants bloom easily but wilt in storms. Weeds struggle to flower but endure gales.
Jegal Somyeong knew how brilliantly wildflowers shone when they bloomed.
"Knowing his martial prowess that much, we can grant the Four Emperors Peak Lord's request."
After a moment's thought at Hyeok Mu-gang's question, Jegal Somyeong nodded.
"Well…… It wasn't going to be a big deal anyway."
Even if it was, he couldn't imagine the kid falling to some scheme.
"Truly fortunate. I agonized over rejecting a mere academy student's dispatch request. Thought of sending Yongbong or the Seven Stars."
"Exactly. Even the Four Emperors Peak Lord—asking for Jin Sowoon? Insane. Even with the Blood Cult debt!"
"Isn't that a relief?"
"No!"
"Huh?"
Hyeok Mu-gang looked up at Jegal Somyeong's firm tone.
"You'll need to open the budget."
"Huh? What……."
"Ah, and pull some funds from the Alliance Lord's hall too."
"Wait, what the hell……."
"Jin Sowoon sent a hefty bill for this."
Jegal Somyeong slapped a paper on the table from his bosom.
Hyeok Mu-gang gaped at the list.
"Why this……."
"No choice. I lost. If you're that upset, go negotiate with him yourself."
"……."
Yeah, even if the kid went, no real worry. The guy who skinned the Murim Alliance's Chief Strategist wouldn't get backstabbed by black path rabble.
"Damn bastard……."
Jegal Somyeong soothed his bitterness with unclear cursing.