The Next Plan (2)
The Next Plan (2)
[The Murim Alliance commends Crimson Ring Sect's Sect Leader Docheol for resolving the suspicions.]
"Bullshit."
The document issued by the Murim Alliance seemed to imitate an imperial decree. As if granting a favor, they'd decked it out with pretty colors, and even the opening sentence was a sight to behold. What cleaner man than me existed under heaven, that they'd go on about resolving suspicions?
I sat on the wooden floor and laughed hollowly as I read through the paper.
[Wishing for the well-being of the Crimson Ring Sect and the righteous path of its Sect Leader.]
There was no mention of Venerable Geumbok. The Murim Alliance, it seemed, had decided to officially maintain the stance that they had merely conducted an inspection regarding legitimate suspicions. I tossed the paper aside and looked beside me.
Yeong-yu of the Zhuge Family had watched me throw the paper and smiled pleasantly as he spoke.
"You're being quite irreverent."
"I didn't expect you to come deliver this paper in person. A nobleman of the Zhuge Family must have plenty of other things to do besides this, no?"
Judging by the energy emanating from his body, his outstanding appearance, and the way he'd conducted himself at the tournament, Yeong-yu was clearly a considerable heavyweight even within the Zhuge Family. There was a certain dissonance in the fact that this man who behaved like a carefree playboy was actually such a figure.
He didn't answer my question and changed the subject.
"So, have you thought about my proposal?"
Whatever he was hiding inside, he was a man whose objectives, at least, were transparent. He stared at me with a beaming smile and clear eyes, waiting for my answer. For a moment, I recalled what I'd discussed on this topic with Sannyeo.
******
"The more allies, the better."
Back then, Sannyeo hadn't shown any aversion to the Zhuge Family's proposal. Rather, she seemed to actively want me to form an alliance with him.
'There are too many suspicious points. He could use me however he pleases and discard me.'
"Oh my, you were suddenly worrying about something like that? Aren't you and I also in a relationship where we could do that to each other?"
I had nothing to say to Sannyeo's question. From the start, Sannyeo and I traveled together because our goals aligned. If things went even slightly wrong, Sannyeo could easily discard me, and if her actions ever jeopardized my goals, I would have seriously considered betraying her too.
I shook my head and said,
"It's different with you."
Sannyeo blinked her eyes and paused briefly at those words. Her eyes, red as ever that day, watched me. She held my gaze in silence, then tilted her head and said,
"You're saying something embarrassing."
I laughed hollowly and said,
"His goal doesn't overlap with mine. The preservation and well-being of the imperial household— where does that align with my plan to devour the world?"
But trusting her and trusting Yeong-yu were clearly different. Being with Sannyeo was an alliance where, as long as I didn't deviate from the goal, she had no reason to betray me first. But Yeong-yu, once his own goals were met, was the type who might try to eliminate me.
His ultimate goal was to keep the Murim Alliance in check, not to become friends with me. And wasn't I exactly the kind of corrupt, greedy figure of the martial world he sought to keep in check? There would be nothing strange about him deciding I was a dangerous person and eliminating me the moment this matter was resolved.
"But if you refuse, what are you going to do about the consequences? If you refuse, aren't the enemies who consider you dangerous just going to increase?"
I had nothing to say to her words. I wanted to grab an axe like some macho man and just smash everyone, but even now, with my realm having expanded greatly, I was still second-rate, and the world was full of eccentrics ranging from those called peak masters to those who had the character 'realm' attached to their names.
If I refused just because it didn't suit me, I had no idea what attitude Yeong-yu would show next, and it gave me a headache. As I massaged my temples and frowned, Sannyeo approached me from the side. She looked down at me. Her face was backlit by the sunlight so shadows fell upon it, and her eyes gleamed an even deeper red.
With an attitude that openly mocked me, she said,
"You said you'd devour the world, and yet you're trembling in fear that you'll be toyed with by a mere young master of the Five Great Clans."
Our gazes met. Sannyeo continued without so much as a blink.
"Are you that afraid of the Zhuge Family? Do you lack confidence?"
It wasn't something that could end with a simple lack of confidence, but there was no solution either. The optimal direction was an alliance, and whether I would be devoured or do the devouring was a matter of my own capabilities thereafter. Sannyeo bent down as if waiting for my answer. Looking down at me, she raised her manacled hand and peered up at me.
An enigmatic smile entered my field of vision, and I rose from my seat.
"Fine, I'll show you what kind of man I am."
*******
I looked at Yeong-yu again. Once I had gathered my wits, even his inscrutable expression looked like that of a greenhorn.
"Let's form an alliance. I don't know what kind of help I could offer. But since you say you need my help, I'll gladly cooperate."
"You won't regret it."
Yeong-yu extended his hand. I stared at his palm for a moment. I caught a glimpse of the calluses characteristic of someone who had trained in martial arts. Yeong-yu gestured with his hand as if telling me to take it quickly, and I clasped it. Having given my hand a firm squeeze, Yeong-yu picked up the paper I had thrown and said,
"Even if we call it an alliance, there's nothing for you to help with right now, Sect Leader. The martial artists under Venerable Geumbok's command are packed with first-rate and peak masters, and his power is enormous. To sever the network of martial world connections centered around Venerable Geumbok, a very long period of effort will be needed."
I furrowed my brow.
"Then what do you want from me?"
"Simply to become a point of contact."
"A point of contact?"
I couldn't understand his words. What on earth did he mean by a point of contact? Yeong-yu rolled the paper up and slipped it into his pocket. Then he glanced around once and lowered his voice.
"Venerable Geumbok is an exceedingly greedy old man. Even though he became someone who dominates the Shaanxi region without any martial arts, he has always thirsted for more points of contact. Yet for all that, he's full of suspicion, and his wariness of others is second to none, so he's careful about casually opening dealings with anyone."
"But then, a man appeared who turned the whole Shaanxi region upside down. Without any tact, he jumped into a business operation that Venerable Geumbok had cultivated, killed the Sect Leader, and plundered the entire sect. It's only a small operation, but this act scratched Venerable Geumbok's pride."
I turned the thought over in my head. I felt I knew what he was aiming for: what Yeong-yu wanted to gain by flaunting his closeness with me, and what I could gain from it.
"That man became the Sect Leader of a sect, repelled all the Murim Alliance's checks, and even proved his skill by winning the martial tournament. And this tournament happened to be witnessed by the prodigal, hero-admiring young master of the Zhuge Family."
Yeong-yu flaunted his carefree, playboy-like attire. Watching that, I began to wonder exactly how long ago he had hidden his true self and started acting the idle wastrel. What was his true face really like? Was the personality he was showing me now really genuine?
"The young master, smitten by this man at first sight, does not wish for this promising man to die at Venerable Geumbok's hands. So he makes a proposition to create a point of contact with Venerable Geumbok and provide a foothold for his power to expand into other provinces."
Yeong-yu finished his story with exaggerated gestures like a Peking opera actor. Staring directly at him, I organized the picture he was painting in my head. In that brief time since I had killed the Sect Leader and passed the inspection, he had already been sketching this picture out.
"Venerable Geumbok, by letting go of his wounded pride, gained a point of contact with the Zhuge Family."
And I bought myself time to catch my breath, briefly free from Venerable Geumbok's attacks.
"The young master of the Zhuge Family gained the opportunity to dig into the people closely connected to Venerable Geumbok."
Yeong-yu looked at me and asked,
"How about it? Venerable Geumbok can't suspect anything. Because I've always been that kind of person. Because it's what Venerable Geumbok wanted. And because what he gains is far more than what he has to endure."
"You're a frightening man."
I offered a dry compliment. How he chose to interpret it was his affair. Yeong-yu nodded at my words and said,
"I'll take it as a compliment. There's one thing I'd like you to do for now."
"What's that?"
"Train and become stronger. You must have gained some insight from the martial tournament, so focus on training for now."
"That's welcome news if I ever heard any."
I smiled, but inside I thought differently.
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
If Yeong-yu could create a deal where Venerable Geumbok seemed to gain without losing anything, it meant he could pull the same trick on me. If he'd crafted the illusion of a friendly, carefree playboy for Venerable Geumbok, it meant he could create a similar illusion for me.
The man was dangerous. He nonchalantly hid his own gain inside acts of goodwill.
If I half-heartedly tested the waters to try and use him, I'd be the one who ended up getting played instead.
If I was going to strike from behind, I had to do it absolutely thoroughly.
"I think deciding to help the great hero was a truly excellent choice."
I nodded and said that.
Yeong-yu, too, was nodding very slowly.