2
3
8.
The explosives have caught fire.
It is already decided that it will explode.
The only remaining question is whether the timing of the explosion will be brought forward or if we can buy a little more time.
Is this the end?
Black Dao Alliance
It was a long-held wish.
People with the same beliefs band together to build power and strive for profit.
Over the past five hundred years, the Murim Alliance has taken root and firmly established itself, driving out the Black Dao.
As there were many free-spirited individuals in the Black Path, they were often misrepresented as evil along with criminals.
Judging by the ‘justice’ of the esteemed Murim Alliance, the Dark Path are beings that deserve to disappear.
Even the Black Daoists were growing weary of the ‘villain’ role they had been forced into against their will.
“And I thought the moment had come to put an end to that tedious role. But I guess that is as far as it goes.” I somehow made it this far thanks to meeting that peculiar guy from Baekdo, but it seems that is the end now.
The guys who had been scheming in the shadows since before the formation of the Dark Alliance struck at a precise weakness, as if they had been waiting for this very moment, and the Dark Alliance is now in a state of irreparable damage.
“……
I will conduct an inspection to tighten internal control. Since the Alliance Leader’s order has already been issued, no one will act recklessly.
Cha Seok-du stared blankly at Dam-ak, who was comforting him.
“…….”
A clever person like him would surely know that a fire that has already started cannot be extinguished.
Nevertheless, I was grateful to him for giving me comfort.
Even in his calculations, he must have already reached the conclusion that he and the Black Alliance were hopeless.
I’m sorry.
“What are you saying? It is largely my fault for not assisting you properly.”
Cha Seok-du shook his head.
No, that’s not what I meant.
Damak bit his lip at Cha Seok-du’s sudden words.
Cha Seok-du lowered his head as if he were ashamed.
“I couldn’t keep my promise to find the culprit in the end.”
Pleural effusion.
Not only Cha Seok-du, but also Dam-ak knows that the villain being mentioned does not refer to the being operating in the shadows of the Black Alliance, driving the delegation into a corner.
Damak trying hard to keep his expression intact.
Cha Seok-du couldn’t help but give a bitter smile as he watched him.
The most brilliant student at Seowon who was destined to enter the imperial court and secure a high government position.
From the very beginning, Damak was a being who had no reason to be active in the Jianghu, let alone the Saheukryeon.
If it hadn’t been for the bloody massacre that swept through Cheongwa Seowon while Dam-ak was in the capital taking the civil service examination, would he have ever entered the martial arts world, let alone the Saheukryeon, which is full of barbarians?
Had it not been for Bang Man of the Murim Alliance, who failed to protect Seowon, and Cha Seok-du’s promise, Dam-ak would have sat beside the Emperor, not next to Cha Seok-du. [Find the person who killed my master and comrade. Then, whatever you desire, I will grant it.]
Cha Seok-du stopped Dam-ak, who was speaking while shedding tears of blood.
Having already passed the local and national civil service examinations and secured a path to success, he thought he could take revenge on his own.
but.
Damak tore up the royal decree of acceptance with his own hands. [Those bastards will be living and breathing comfortably in this world until I seize power, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.]
Unable to ignore the deep resentment and determination in his eyes, Cha Seok-du made a promise on his own name.
As soon as the Black Alliance establishes itself, I will use its power to search the entire world to catch the culprit who burned down Cheongwa Seowon.
I’m sure that was the case…
In the end, it turned out this way.
You stand at the very front of the guys who will drive me out.
Cha Seok-du, who was unable to keep his promise, decided to do whatever he could for Dam-ak one last time.
“You have shown yourself to be a staunch advocate of war, so those who know your capabilities will not easily dismiss General Dam. Moreover, if you are seen personally taking me out, they will be even more so.”
Damak remains silent.
For some reason, Cha Seok-du felt that Dam-ak’s appearance was similar to the day he tore up the royal decree.
Cha Seok-du forced a smile.
“I know what you are thinking. But do not worry, as it is not your fault. Even if I am ousted from the position of Alliance Master, I am still the Second-in-command of the Four Emperors’ Peak.”
Then he made a promise.
“It may be hard to call myself a substitute, but I will go out and find the culprit who raided the Seowon.”
So please carry on my dream that has vanished.
Cha Seok-du bowed his head.
I’m begging you.
Silence has settled over the Yeonju Room.
Cha Seok-du, still with his head bowed.
Damak, watching the scene, bit his lip with a stiff expression.
“I cannot lose my master again…”
Only then does Cha Seok-du lift his head.
“Master… Master… Am I your master?”
As Damak nodded, Cha Seok-du chuckled.
“How could I be your teacher when I have barely mastered the Thousand Character Classic?”
Didn’t you tell me?
Damak clenched both fists tightly.
“As long as we are alive, we must keep moving forward.”
Did I ever say that?
Cha Seok-du felt ashamed of his arrogant past self.
“The matter will definitely be resolved. No, I will make it happen.”
I was extremely curious about how he intended to resolve the situation when he still didn’t know the identity of the culprit or the cooperating forces, but Cha Seok-du ultimately did not bring up the question.
I feel like if I open my mouth now, even the small glimmer of hope remaining will shatter. #Once the fierce skirmishes of the early war end, the tedious wheel warfare begins.
The Murim Alliance does not send enough troops to overwhelm the enemy, but neither do they neglect their units to the point where they have to retreat.
If that happens, days will follow one day where you push back the enemy, and the next day you are pushed back by the enemy.
The time when I went to the battlefield harboring rage after witnessing the death of a comrade has passed, and as I repeatedly watched seemingly good-natured low-ranking warriors being dispatched die within a week…
Even the emotions that one is naturally entitled to feel as a human are slowly eroded away, and the mind begins to turn into a sandy field.
And around the time when the daily routine of fighting, eating, and sleeping continued like a habit with a desertified mind.
These damn bastards are being deployed to the battlefield.
Twin Shadow Demon Brigade.
Zhuge Xiaoming assessed it this way: “[It is a unit created by that cunning bastard Ma Nai that seems to perfectly capture his own nature.]”
The Murim Alliance holds absolute command over its affiliated sects, but it is not a single force like the Demonic Cult.
It is strictly a political coalition, which means that the gap between them can widen or narrow at any time depending on interests and losses.
And the Twin Shadow Demon Brigade does not miss this gap and sharply penetrates.
Not only do they carry out assassination operations, but they also disguise themselves as White Road and blend in with the crowd, making them suspect each other.
He imitates the martial arts of the Baekdo sects, leaves the exact same traces, and thereby further heightens suspicion.
Driven into war, one’s reason has already been chipped away and one’s mind has turned into a desert.
Amidst the conflicts, both large and small, arising between sects due to the schemes of the Twin Shadow Demon Brigade, if traces of another sect’s martial arts are even discovered in the body of an assassinated comrade…
The Demonic Cult no longer feels like the main enemy.
In reality, there are few who died at the hands of the Twin Shadow Demon Brigade.
There are countless units that fell into the traps they set, turned against each other, and disappeared after resorting to sword fighting.
The reason these guys are particularly hateful is.
This is because he made not only high-ranking warriors but also infiltrate the ranks of low-ranking warriors like our Sojeongdae, causing them to fight each other with their swords.
In this life, I will not just sit back and take it.
The path leading to the Blood Sword Gate quarters.
I asked Gun Yu-hyeon, who was walking beside me.
What is the relationship between Blood Sword Sect Leader Do Bong-su and his sworn brothers?
True to his nature as a well-informed Gun Yu-hyeon, an immediate answer follows.
“The Master of Dobongsu was originally one of those known as the Five Guardians of Seopyeong. In his forties, he formed a friendship with the previous Master and joined the Blood Sword Sect.”
How did a guy who wasn’t even a member of the Blood Sword Sect in the first place become the Sect Leader?
I knew the answer without even having to ask.
Did those sworn brothers overthrow the sect among themselves?
It would have been condemned in the White Path martial arts world, but Gun Yu-hyeon nodded as if nothing were wrong.
“Seo Pyeong-o Gyeon and I had been working together in perfect harmony since our twenties, sharing joys and sorrows. Although the martial arts level of the previous Blood Sword Sect Leader was formidable, he could not withstand their combined attack.”
If they have maintained a nickname while hanging out in groups from their twenties to their fifties, they are usually either highly skilled in martial arts or quick-witted.
Or there are cases where both are suitable.
“Anyway, I guess it means we know everything there is to know about each other.”
That’s right.
Hostile stares flew in and pierced from all directions, but Gun Yu-hyeon’s face was filled with curiosity rather than fear.
But can you find the culprit with this kind of information?
Lord Yuhyeon, who do you think the culprit is?
Can the culprit be identified in the current situation?
For a moment, I think the word ‘No…’ came out and went back in… It must just be my imagination, right?
I asked again.
“If I had to specify.”
Gun Yu-hyeon answered after thinking for a moment.
If it were me, I would start by investigating the sworn brothers.
Why do you think that?
Because now is a truly good opportunity.
It is just as Gun Yu-hyeon said.
Now is a truly good time to carry out a scheme of killing by borrowing a sword.
Thanks to the atmosphere created by the Twin Shadow Demon Brigade, anyone who dies can be blamed on the White Path as long as they leave behind even the slightest trace.
I nodded.
I think so too.
“But we cannot point the finger at them as the culprits based on suspicion alone, can we?”
“That is correct. Moreover, while we can conduct investigations, we cannot interrogate.”
Of course, like Gun Yu-hyeon, I am not suspecting them based solely on suspicion.
In any case, the Twin Shadow Demon Brigade cannot be found through simple investigation and interrogation.
After all, the time these guys infiltrate is after they have gathered all the information about the infiltrating group.
Moreover, even though he has mastered demonic arts, he does not emit demonic energy.
“They disguised themselves more realistically than the real thing using bone-smashing tools and human skin masks, so it was impossible to find them. But those bastards at Sojeongdae pulled off that difficult task.” Our Sojeongdae was the first unit in the Murim Alliance to find a way to identify the Twin Shadow Demon Brigade.
Of course, the method was somewhat crude, but…
He spread the method to higher-ranking units and other units.
However, not everyone could find the Twin Shadow Demon Brigade as easily as we could.
Because high-ranking noblemen, for whom honor was more important than life, would never have used the exact same method we did.
Well, since they died like that because honor was more important than life, they probably didn’t feel all that wronged themselves.
While I was clearing my head, I found myself at the Blood Sword Sect’s quarters before I knew it.
As I stepped inside, menacing sounds began to fly in from all directions.
“Black Flame Dragon?”
“How dare you! What do you think you’re doing here!”
“If you don’t want to die right now, get lost!”
“Do you think you’ll stay alive forever just because the Bloodthirsty Elder is here!”
The sound coming from was not much different from what I had heard so far.
Do they think I, an elite of the White Path martial arts world, would be hurt by hearing such insults?
But what should I do about this?
In my previous life, I shared the joys and sorrows of life with the Sojeongdae, who were even more despicable than you guys.
Besides, even among those Sojeongdae bastards.
“Shut your mouths and go call the head. Unless you all want your mouths stretched from ear to ear.”
I mean, I have the foul mouth.
The heated atmosphere suddenly subsided.
Look-alikes saying, “What kind of jerk is this?”
As expected, the answer for guys like this is to act in a way that matches their level.
“You lunatic…….”
The bloody battle standing next to me stares at me with its mouth wide open.
Gun Yu-hyeon’s reaction was not much different.
Come to think of it, I don’t seem like an ordinary Baekdoin.
Srrrr.
visor.
chuck.
Guys pulling out weapons appeared here and there.
I’m already dying of busyness, and now this is driving me crazy.
I drew up the Taeeul Jingyeong and emitted killing intent.
I didn’t come here just to pick a fight with worthless guys like you.
“Heh!”
“What the hell is with this murderous aura?”
“Gasp!”
Soon, I saw the guys glaring and backing away hesitantly.
Among them were some who were struggling to muster up their killing intent, as if determined not to lose.
The atmosphere quickly turned into a volatile situation.
at that time.
“stop!!!”
With a voice that echoed loudly inside, four middle-aged men appeared on this floor.
Those surveying the venue with sharp eyes… … .
They were Dobongsu’s sworn brothers.#“It’s been a long time since I last greeted you.”
As the man who appears to be the eldest bows to Hyeoltu as a representative, his brothers follow suit and nod.
Even in the Black Path, there is etiquette between seniors and juniors, yet they concluded their greetings with that.
The representative man glared at me and spoke to Bloody Battle.
I apologize for my lack of courtesy, sir.
As expected, his behavior seemed to be conscious of me.
He shook his hands as if he didn’t care much about the bloody fight.
The man glares at me with blazing eyes.
“May I ask what kind of relationship this friend has with you, sir?”
Bloody Battle answered without the slightest hesitation.
We are not in any kind of relationship.
That’s really disappointing.
Even so, we even accompanied each other to the Black Alliance and shared joys and sorrows together for a few days.
At the concise answer, the man nodded as if he understood.
“Then I don’t need to worry about the elder when dealing with this friend, right?”
As expected, the bloody battle answered immediately.
“Do as you please. However, I will not permit killing unless it is an agreed-upon duel.”
All right.”
The man slowly turned his head and stared at me.
His younger brothers, one after another, bared their teeth and made no secret of their hostility.
“You found me?”
“you’re right.”
“What’s the matter?”
Because I found the leader of that sect and the culprit who killed my big brother.
The man gazed intently at me.
We also know the culprit.
You wouldn’t say I’m a daughter of the Tang family, would you?
The man let out a hollow laugh.
“Isn’t it stranger to say no?”
“In that case, you are being toyed with by the culprit. Do you intend to be satisfied with having taken revenge just by catching someone who isn’t even the real criminal?”
“Brother…! There’s no need to listen to this bullshit…!”
“Quiet.”
The man who had calmed down his rebelling younger brothers asked me.
Who do you think the culprit is?
I shrugged my shoulders refreshingly.
Of course, there is one among you.
A silent wave of energy slowly begins to target the vital point.
An expression of intent to withdraw at any time.
The man growled low.
“If you have come here to pick a petty fight, you would better stop. We have lost both our clan leader and our brother at the same time, so we have no room to play games.”
“What if I’m not joking?”
“Are you… prepared?”
Of course.
“Even your life?”
Life…
Throughout my life, there have been only a handful of moments when I did not risk my life.
I immediately nodded.
The man, who had been staring intently at me for a moment, took a step back.
“Fine. If you speak nonsense, I challenge you to a duel. You will have to bear the wrath of our brothers at the same time.”
A man who, as if conscious of what Bloody Battle said earlier, cowardly and boldly declares that he will launch a joint attack.
“great.”
When I answered readily, the man looked surprised.
And as if to confirm, he asked Bloody Battle.
Sir, this is an agreed-upon situation.
He answered curtly, as if the bloody fight was not his business.
“Do as you please.”
Alright, the board is set.
I clapped to draw people’s attention.
If it’s roughly organized, may we begin?
Start.
I looked through the book reviews.
Now, I will ask you a question, so you must answer immediately.
I cracked a joke to lighten the mood, but they aren’t laughing at all.
Anyway, they are such tough people.
“Now, first question. Where is the place where the five people became sworn brothers?”
It is Saepacheon.
The New Wave of Book Reviews.
Book Review Saepacheon.
It was Saepacheon.
An attitude as if asking the obvious. I continued asking questions.
“This is the second question. When is the birthday of the second person here?”
Excluding the man who was singled out, three people answered at the same time.
The Gyeong-o day of the Giyu month.
“The month of Giyu, the day of Gyeong-o. It is the hour of the rat.”
As expected, it seems that after spending about thirty years together, you really do get to know each other well.
“This is the third question. What is the final secret technique used by the third person?”
Perhaps because it was a question about martial arts, no one answered easily.
“Please answer me. What is the ultimate secret technique?”
I cannot answer that.
Is it more important than Munju’s death?
While I was staring at the man, the third one glared at me with piercing eyes and said
“Brothers, just say it. After this is over, I’m going to split this bastard’s head in half.”
Those who had been hesitating at the third’s chilling words finally spoke up.
It is Nodalvalyu.
Nodalvalyu.
There was some hesitation, but so far no one has faltered at the question.
“Then, the fourth question…….”
“How long do I have to keep doing this stupid thing?!”
The man who had been talking to me interrupted me, but I continued asking questions.
Now it is time to ask the questions used by the Sojeongdae to weed out the guys.
“This is the fourth question. What kind of woman did the deceased Munju go crazy at?”
The man’s eyes flared up at my vulgar question.
“You bastard…!”
“Answer. It’s the last question.”
The second son, filled with anger, tightly grips his sword and speaks.
He liked women who were voluptuous enough to be described as fat.
I liked fat guys.
It was hard to go to the brothel with him because he liked fat people.
People who spout identical answers as if they had coordinated them.
“I liked the chubby guy.”
Just one person.
There was someone whose answer was delayed.
The three people of Seo Pyeong-o Gyeon looked at the fourth one in disbelief.
The fourth one spoke while waving both hands in a flustered manner.
“W-what are you thinking? Brothers! I, I!”
The fourth one looks flustered, as if truly innocent.
A triumphant smile naturally formed on my lips as I looked at him.
Gotcha!
It’s peek-a-boo, you little brat!
