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8.
Cheol-sun-jik banged on the table regularly.
His unique habit that comes out when he is lost in deep thought.
His fingers, which had been tapping for a long time, stopped.
“What on earth happened?”
After returning from Sacheon, it was Nam Hwa-seong who spoke first. [Brother Cheol… what do you think about me joining the representative executive group?]
Cheol Sun-jik could not answer immediately because it was an unexpected remark. [Wouldn’t the others want to go in too? I will go in first and assess the atmosphere inside.]
Of course, if Jin So-un’s wavering delegation manages to secure a position, it is advantageous to take at least one executive seat before then.
That way, I’ll be able to do things that will be of some help to the Twelve Peaks during the rest of my academic period.
but.[…….]
Even so, is it the right decision to appoint Nam Hwa-seong to a position where one must enter enemy territory and play politics? [Why, why do you see it that way? Do you not trust me?]
Just by looking at him unusually flustered and stammering, anyone can tell that he is not suited for schemes.
Isn’t it impossible to entrust the position of strategist to Jangbi?
Nam Hwa-seong has a soft heart that does not match his large build, and he often gives up his stubbornness if the other person pushes him recklessly.
It could be considered a decent hand for a general, but…
Moreover, there was something else Cheol-sun-jik was curious about. [Do you really want to do it?]
Nam Hwa-seong does not trust his own brain, so he does not take the lead in any matters.
It was quite incomprehensible to Cheol Sun-jik that Nam Hwa-seong, of all people, would personally step forward and take on the role of a spy, a role that was completely out of his league. [H-I dealt with him in Sacheon this time, and he was incredibly rough. Among the Twelve Peak Fortresses, if it weren’t for me… *cough*, could anyone endure such arduous work?]
Although the subject was omitted, I immediately realized who it was talking about.
Eventually, Nam Hwa-seong submitted an application for the recruitment of the representative executive team.
The other 12 Peak Stars expressed concern or worry about Namhwaseong’s choice, but that was all.
Because he was well aware of the impact his choice would have not only on Nam Hwa-seong himself but also on the entire Samwonmun.
That’s interesting.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The finger moves again.
The period during which Jin So-un and Nam Hwa-seong worked together was less than a week.
What exactly did Nam Hwa-seong see in Jin So-un in the meantime?
“Nam Hwa-seong surely knows my personality.”
It is planned and pursues perfection.
Guard against variables and anomalies, and control the situation to ensure things proceed as expected.
In other words, a personality that does not welcome sudden proposals.
Nevertheless, that timid fellow stepped forward on his own.
He himself did see something special in Jin So-un, but it was not great enough to stake the fate of the sect on.
Tap. Tap. Tap—Cheol-sun-jik’s fingers stop moving.
Or did you feel something so great that you couldn’t even pay attention to me?
What exactly is the aspect of Jin So-un that Nam Hwa-seong can see but she herself cannot?
“Pfft! There’s no way such a thing exists…….”
Cheol-sun-jik opened a report. It was a trend analysis regularly sent by the personnel of Bongseong.
It contains information about the Jeongdohoe being thrown into confusion due to the recent events in Sacheon, as well as details on the movements of the Baekdohoe.
Although it was merely what was outwardly visible, this information changes differently once it falls into Cheol-sun-jik’s hands.
So you’re saying the Baekdo Society is stepping forward?
He cunningly took advantage of the absence of Jeong Do-hoe.
However, I cannot shake the feeling that it is a bit premature.
Although Jin So-woon’s power, which has risen in public opinion due to this incident, has not yet worn off…
“I guess I’m just impatient. Hehe.”
The dispute between the clam and the heron
Situation.12 Bongseong just needs to wait for the clams and sandpipers to get tired and then pick them up.
“By then, the position of the Three Gates will likely be gone, though…….” The position of the Twelve Peaks is different from that of the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Clans.
At any time, the members of Baekpalbong can become 12 peaks and can rise to the top through competition.
Knowing this, the members of the other 12 Peaks also did not actively stop Namhwaseong.
“Hehe… things are going to get quite busy from now on. We have to reorganize the team as well.”
Cheol-sun-jik’s fingers began to move again. #InspectionCourt.
Supreme enforcement agency of the law.
It is the place most feared by the fearless members of the world, and at the same time, a place whose notoriety is widely spread externally.
In fact, it is also referred to as another absolute power institution within the Alliance.
“Inspection angle?”
The man glares at the word, which feels uncomfortable just by the sound of it.
Follow me.
The clothes, roughly pulled, stretch taut as if they will tear at any moment.
He is truly ignorant beyond measure.
“……
Let go of this.
As I sigh, his eyebrows rise.
Did they not understand what I said?
A sense of naturalness can be felt in his hands.
That it is okay to do this.
That this is only natural.
In my past life, whenever I was dragged from place to place, I felt such rough and coarse hands countless times.
At first, I was scared out of the blue, but later I realized.
The fact that it is nothing more than the cowardly and weak hands of those who run away before anyone else in the face of death.
I nodded my head to look down at his hand, then stared back into his eyes.
“I told you to let go.”
“…….”
As if my words offended him, a vein pops out between his eyebrows.
Tight.
The clothes make a snapping sound as if they are about to tear at any moment.
“Your pathetic power as the academy representative will protect you…….”
The guy couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Ugh!”
Because I used the strength of his grip on my collar to lift him up and throw him to the ground.
thud.
The one that hit its back on the dirt ground cannot breathe, perhaps because its lungs were shocked.
If you can’t breathe because you’re startled, what can you do?
I have no intention of ending it here.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
I stomped on his face until a white piece came out of his mouth.
“Ugh—how dare you, you bastard, the Inspectorate…….”
Seeing them talk about the Inspection Hall, wondering if life is still worth living, makes me laugh hollowly.
I grabbed the guy by the hair and lifted his messed-up face.
“Are you a man of the Ak family?”
what?”
The guy’s eyes waver.
I knew it.
“Impersonating the Inspector General is a serious crime.”
“What is that—.”
The Inspector General does not travel alone.
Even looking around, only onlookers had gathered at the sudden fight, and there was no one who appeared to be part of the man’s party.
I didn’t miss the moment a look of panic flashed in his eyes.
“And he shows his identity card first. Because that alone is enough to tighten the noose around his opponent.”
“What is your name?”
So you’re saying you won’t say anything?
I immediately punched him twice in the face.
Blood gushed from the nose, and another white piece popped out of the mouth.
“profit!”
The guy who scattered the Phoenix Bird Feng Shui retreated.
The guy quickly connected the three iron bars at his waist and made them into a single spear.
“As expected, you were a member of the Ak family.”
I have come as a representative of the Inspectorate.
A laugh escapes at the ridiculous excuse.
“Who sent the proxy?”
The guy rolls his eyes.
It certainly wouldn’t be easy to blurt out someone’s name here.
“I suppose I can’t say this where people are around?” The name ‘Inspection Hall’ is an object of fear for everyone.
People tremble in fear at the mere name ‘Inspection Office’ and are easily swayed.
I was like that in my past life, Sojeongdae was like that, and Baekhogak was like that as well.
“And you bastards must have taken advantage of that.”
Someone who knew that the transfer of the Inspection Bureau’s absolute power to the outside was absolutely unacceptable would not have dared to impersonate me. ‘I must have looked like such an easy target.’ Although I had risen to prominence in this life as a promising talent, it seems that in their eyes, I still don’t look much different from the me of my past life who was a member of the Sojeongdae.
“Jin So-un! Aren’t you afraid of the consequences after doing something like this!”
“The consequences?”
I tilted my head.
The person impersonating the Inspector General did not reveal the name of his representative, nor did he disclose his affiliation.
“Couldn’t you be a spy for the Black Sect?”
“What is that…….”
I spoke in a deliberately loud voice, as if I had attained a great realization, so that it would echo loudly around me.
“That’s it! You are a spy from the Dark Path of Martial Arts who impersonated the Inspectorate to kidnap the representative of the Martial Arts Academy. Or perhaps you are a spy from the Blood Cult who survived in Sichuan.”
A murmuring sound begins to rise around.
The atmosphere was created.
Srrrr.
I drew the Black Dragon Sword and raised my stakes.
Pow!
As the warrior exuded an overwhelming aura of intimidation, the onlookers surrounding him stepped back.
I shouted with as much determination as possible in my voice.
“How dare you fearlessly enter the territory of the Murim Alliance! As the representative of the Murim Academy, I will punish you and hand you over to the Inspection Pavilion!”
As the atmosphere took an odd turn, the guy twisted his body as if making a final desperate struggle.
“Yik! I am a member of the Shandong Yue family!”
The Phoenix Soaring Spear Technique unfolds from the window of the company.
The heat-filled changgeuk shoots out and pierces the vital points, but so what?
In essence, a single sentence is enough for incitement. After all, countless pieces of evidence for clarification can be fabricated as many times as one pleases.
To think you even stole Akga’s singing style to impersonate him. You are truly a terrifying fellow.
Chaechachachachachang.
“Uh, before I knew it…!”
“As expected, he is definitely a spy. There is no way someone from the Shandong Yue family would be this inexperienced.”
Shhhhh.
As the Flying Dragon Claw is pulled taut, the man, unable to endure the pain, is eventually dragged toward me.
Then, using that momentum, he attempts to pierce the pansori genre instead.
I turned my body slightly and let it flow out lightly.
“Your quick thinking was good, but… such a simple move will only make you prey for the opponent.”
Infuse the Black Dragon Sword with the secrets of the lotus flower, lift the guy half a turn along with the spear, and bring him down.
Pow.
The one who rolled on the dirt ground for the second time groans and twists his body, seemingly having no strength left to get up.
Then I readjusted my grip on the Black Dragon Sword and began striking the man with the blade.
*Thud*
– Peog
In the sudden silence, only the sound of flesh being crushed echoes all around.
The man could not endure even a moment and eventually fainted.
Looking down on an opponent when you have neither skill nor justification is the most foolish thing a warrior can do.
Or maybe I was overconfident in my background.
I searched his pockets, and sure enough, a nameplate of the Ak family came out.
Four
Jo O-un-gyeong.
Judging by the fact that it is not stated which organization they belonged to and their surname was not ‘Ak’, they were not a direct descendant of the Shandong Ak family.
I finished rummaging through my pockets to gather the money pouch, and then looked to see if there were any slips.
Various words begin to circulate among the onlookers.
“Is that person really a spy for the Black Sect?”
“But for that, the martial arts and the clothes are too much like the Ak family’s, aren’t they?”
“Is that really not a member of the Evil Family…?”
People who feel anxious for no reason, even though it is not their business.
“I wasn’t particularly worried. After all, I knew what I was doing from the start.” It might have been a daily routine for them, but the fact that they had been impersonating the Inspection Bureau would be a major issue if people from other agencies found out.
The truth is, they must genuinely not want to make a big deal out of it.
“Anyway, this is getting troublesome. To think Akga took matters into his own hands…”
Just when I thought I could wrap up some work and enjoy a peaceful life at the academy, another problem arises.
Leaving aside my past life, is my fate in this life really this fierce?
This is all because of that rude bastard, Yelü Ke.
I cursed at the guy who was probably groaning in pain in the dormitory trying to drain his blood clot, then headed to the meeting place. I was escorted by the waiter into the annex, but the atmosphere among those who had arrived earlier was strange.
Ahem…
What’s the reason?
Hmm, Jang Woo-jae and I have a history of fighting together in Akyang, and to begin with, there was no grudge between us.
In that case, the culprit behind this chaotic atmosphere is none other than… … .
Nam Hwa-seong really came.
Damn it.
Nam Hwa-seong, contorting his face like a sheet of paper, seemingly dissatisfied with something.
“Yes, didn’t you contact me to come!”
Anyway, look at that bastard’s sense of awareness.
“Well, that’s because you’re part of the representative executive team. But I didn’t expect you to actually come.”
Damn it.
Nam Hwa-seong’s face flushed red, looking as if it were about to explode.
But for me, I never thought they would actually come.
Because even before the incident in Sacheon, Nam Hwa-seong was a figure who was directly at odds with our delegation.
“Well, I suppose you have your own reasons, too.”
As soon as I sat down, the chaotic atmosphere settled down somewhat.
I looked around at the assembled people one by one.
“The members of the existing leadership team all know each other, right?”
The people sitting across from Jang Woo-jae and Nam Hwa-seong introduced themselves by name one by one.
As expected, wherever we go, our group never does anything to be criticized.
I looked across with a satisfied smile.
“Everyone knows this side, right? Jang Woo-jae of the Yoo Jang-moon.”
“I would like to greet you once again. I am Jang Woo-jae of the Yu Jang-mun. Regarding the matter in Akyang… I thank you once again.”
As he bowed his head politely, the existing party smiled brightly and waved their hands in refusal.
You’re welcome. I hope the elders within the gate are doing well.
“Yes. He is working day and night to re-establish the foundation of the Yujangmun.”
“thank god.”
Everyone nodded at Namgung Seon-hwa’s words, but Nam Hwa-seong, who was unaware of what had happened in Akyang, looked dumbfounded.
“What happened?”
Nam Hwa-seong asked a question, but no one answered.
Nam Hwa-seong, looking embarrassed, bowed his head and scratched the back of his head.
I know why you unnecessarily butted into an uncomfortable situation.
Since I couldn’t just leave it at that, I quickly continued with Nam Hwa-seong’s introduction.
This is Namhwaseong of Samwonmun.
Suddenly, Nam Hwa-seong jumps up from his seat and grabs the bow.
It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Nam Hwa-seong of the Samwon Gate. Let us leave the past behind like the Yangtze River and write a new history.
A loud voice echoes through the annex.
But they clap, albeit awkwardly.
I continued my explanation about Namhwaseong.
He is a fellow from the Twelve Peaks who infiltrated the representative leadership as a spy. So, do not speak secrets in front of him.
The air turned cold in an instant.
Nam Hwa-seong blinked his eyes and looked at me as if he were a cow deprived of fodder.
“What? Why?”
If you’re going to put a spy in, at least put in a smart one.
I have absolutely no idea what Cheol-sun-jik is thinking.
