Chapter 443
## Chapter 443. Aftermath of the Typhoon (3)
—
For the moment, I escorted Yu Ji-ryang into a restaurant named Da-ru. Given his intense emotional state, attempting a reasoned discussion right then was out of the question. After securing the most lavish detached suite the establishment offered and sending away the attendants, my first priority was to hand him a vessel of cold water.
*Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp.*
He drained the entire container without pausing, reminiscent of rain hitting a completely dehydrated landscape.
“Heh…….”
Noticing that his desperate thirst had been somewhat alleviated, I took it upon myself to prepare a fresh pot of Gunsan-eunchim tea, pouring a portion into his cup. Yu Ji-ryang, seemingly recovering his presence of mind and recognizing my attempt to comfort him, flushed with embarrassment.
“……I have displayed a truly pathetic side of myself to you.”
“Not in the least. Please, calm yourself with some tea first.”
Yu Ji-ryang lifted the cup and took a measured sip. As the vapor rose from the hot beverage, his frantic state of mind seemed to decelerate in tandem with the cooling liquid. Although it appeared to me that he had recovered a sufficient amount of composure, Yu Ji-ryang remained silent as he continued to drink. He was clearly attempting to structure his thoughts.
At last, when the vessel of Gunsan-eunchim was completely drained, and just as I was tipping the pot to offer him another warm serving of Gunsan-eunchim, he spoke up with immense care.
“Are you aware of the shadowy collective referred to as the ‘Heuk-gwan’ (Black Officials)?”
“Do you mean…… the Inspection Bureau (Gam-chal-gak)?”
“Precisely.”
The instant that title crossed his lips, an uneasy premonition gripped me that this scenario was far more perilous than my initial estimations. Within the hierarchy of the Inspection Bureau, the operatives are split into two distinct branches based on their specific assignments. The first group consists of the Baek-gwan (White Officials), whom the public is generally familiar with. They manage the overt affairs that are meant for public scrutiny.
And then, there are
‘The Heuk-gwan.’
This term designates the clandestine operatives tasked with executing the dark deeds that the ‘Baek-gwan’ are forbidden from touching openly.
“Individuals who carry the unmistakable signs of the Heuk-gwan have been maintaining a relentless surveillance net around the Mo-san Sect.”
“…….”
Because they are responsible for operations that must never be brought to light, the identity and operational footprint of the Heuk-gwan are kept under absolute lock and key. Even with my extensive study of every document housed within the Sim-hyeon Pavilion, I had never once managed to uncover an official roster of these Heuk-gwan operatives.
“Is that truly taking place?”
“It is only natural that you would find such a claim difficult to believe.”
Yu Ji-ryang carried on with his explanation, his voice steadying.
“The initial inkling that something was fundamentally amiss occurred when unknown figures began breaching the defensive mechanical formations (**Gimun-jin-sik**) positioned throughout the territories surrounding the Mo-san Sect.”
Under normal circumstances, these arrays are configured as non-lethal deterrents to ward off intruders rather than to kill, meaning that occasional wanderers or common thieves might blunder into the mechanical formations. Because of this, the Mo-san Sect maintained a strict internal protocol requiring a thorough sweep of the internal mechanical formations twice every single week.
Lately, however, the frequency of individuals infiltrating these mechanical formations had escalated to a terrifying degree.
“Could there have been some external factor……?”
Before my query could be fully formed, Yu Ji-ryang shook his head in a negative gesture.
“I can state with absolute certainty that no such factor exists. To ensure that common travelers do not inadvertently stumble into the mechanical formations, the Mo-san Sect specifically layered illusion formations around the perimeter. Anyone unaware of the layout is instinctively deflected toward the outer paths rather than pushing deeper into the mechanical formations.”
This was an intentional safety measure by the Mo-san Sect to prevent innocent casualties. Therefore, the likelihood of a person actively resisting the psychological redirection of the illusion formation and successfully entering the active mechanical formation was nearly non-existent.
“If the matter had concluded there, I might have dismissed it as a bizarre series of coincidences or assumed our illusion formation had suffered a mechanical failure, but…….”
Yu Ji-ryang dropped his tone to a hushed whisper.
“I found it utterly impossible to verify the true backgrounds of the individuals we detained inside the mechanical formations.”
“…….”
Despite these captives claiming to be simple farmers, traveling merchants, security guards, cargo porters, masterless ronin, or wandering scholars, extensive background checks yielded absolutely zero records regarding their registered residences or ancestral lineages. If matters had truly reached this state, then without question—
“The likelihood that they are Heuk-gwan operatives is incredibly high.”
I voiced my deduction with measured precision, and Yu Ji-ryang offered a firm nod of concurrence.
“The situation worsens. We are facing a continuous string of disappearances involving our sorcerers who travel abroad on official assignments.”
“What is the current tally?”
“The number has already climbed past fifty individuals.”
“……!”
The sheer magnitude of that figure struck me dumb. Cultivating a single proficient sorcerer demands an investment of capital and years equivalent to training ten standard martial artists. Applying that metric, the sect had effectively lost an entire specialized ‘Unit’ (Dan) of core personnel to these disappearances.
“Furthermore, as requests for our mechanical formations have begun to rapidly dry up, I conducted some quiet investigations. It appears a pervasive rumor is making the rounds among the populace claiming that the total annihilation of the Mo-san Sect is imminent.”
Systematically neutralizing vital assets to cripple operational capacity, while simultaneously severing revenue streams to exert economic asphyxiation. Ultimately, as a final death blow, they execute a campaign of social erasure by dismantling their reputation through engineered slander. It was a textbook strategy I had witnessed play out on numerous occasions.
“What leads you to be so certain of the orchestrator?”
“I formally submitted a query to the Murim Alliance. More specifically, to the Man-tong-bu (Bureau of Information). However…… their official stance was that no such directives had ever been authorized.”
“…….”
“When I formally petitioned for their protective intervention, they gave assurances that a detachment would be mobilized, but…….”
The expression on Yu Ji-ryang’s face turned into one of profound dread.
“The promised forces from the Murim Alliance are nowhere to be seen.”
His words emerged with a visible tremor, as though he could feel an invisible blade resting against his throat at that very second.
“To compound our terror, definitive reports have just reached us confirming that the Sajung-mun has been utterly wiped out.”
“The Sajung-mun?”
The Sajung-mun was an ancient and deeply respected organization occupying the prominent 88th peak among the celebrated 108 Peaks. Established upon Hwang-bong, they had long maintained a commanding presence in a bustling commercial hub where merchants and wealth intersected, enjoying a level of affluence that rivaled the grandest organizations in the land……. To think that a power of that magnitude could be erased in the span of a single night was staggering.
“The intelligence indicates their destruction was mandated due to their alleged involvement with the forbidden arts (**Geum-gong**) tied to the notorious Blood Cult.”
“…….”
If an organization were merely under suspicion regarding illicit practices, protocol dictated a prolonged period of surveillance and a thorough investigation of the leadership. Yet they were liquidated instantly. This strongly implied that undeniable, damning proof had been brought forward.
‘Hold on a moment!’
A memory flashed of the core representatives of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, including Yong So-ah and Il-myeong, making a scheduled stop at the Tae-eul Sect. Yes, the chronological alignment……. When I mapped out the dates in my mind, the timeline fit together perfectly.
‘Could it be that a massive internal shift is currently unfolding within the Murim Alliance?’
I immediately began a rapid scan of the vast records stored within my mind. I reviewed the historical operational logs of the Inspection Bureau, secret directives, the historical compacts between the Mo-san Sect and the Murim Alliance, and the specific analytical stance the Man-tong-bu maintained regarding the Mo-san Sect.
‘Nothing…… there is absolutely nothing.’
I withdrew from my mental archives and focused entirely back on the reality before me.
“I must be careful in how I phrase this, but…….”
Before I could articulate my reservation, Yu Ji-ryang gave a disheartened nod, anticipating my thought.
“You likely believe that I am overreacting and seeing threats where none exist.”
A crestfallen grin touched the corners of his lips.
“I have overstepped the bounds of courtesy by dumping this on you…….”
“No. I genuinely believe your hypothesis is entirely plausible.”
“What?”
I am acutely aware of the reality. I know the depths of depravity the Murim Alliance is capable of, the ruthless choices they settle upon, and their fundamental disposition. There is not a single soul alive who understands their true colors better than I do.
“From a purely logical standpoint, the institutional Murim Alliance has no valid justification to launch an assault against the Mo-san Sect. However—”
Yu Ji-ryang, still struggling to comprehend the broader picture, stared at me with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
“Despite that contradiction, I am convinced that the Murim Alliance is indeed the entity executing these maneuvers.”
The Murim Alliance does not function as a monolithic, singular entity. While it loudly proclaims to represent the righteous Middle Path, it is, at its core, a coalition where ‘competing factions’ assemble and ‘negotiate temporary alliances.’ To put it plainly, individual factions will readily exploit the prestigious banner of the Murim Alliance to achieve their private agendas.
“The piece of the puzzle I am desperate to uncover is the catalyst behind this sudden hostility.”
“The catalyst?”
“Yes.”
In the timeline of my previous existence, the Mo-san Sect never found itself at odds with the Murim Alliance. They remained a loyal constituent of the alliance and achieved legendary status through their immense sacrifices during the Great War of Justice and Evil. Their interventions were directly responsible for preserving the lives of countless low-tier combatants. For the Mo-san Sect to be subjected to such a targeted campaign in this current timeline—
‘It confirms that a critical variable has been altered.’
Yu Ji-ryang shook his head repeatedly, his expression blank as he failed to find an answer despite tracing his thoughts.
“I am completely at a loss…….”
“Think of anything, no matter how insignificant it might seem. Any operational deviation the Mo-san Sect wouldn’t typically authorize. Any event that strays from what should have occurred in the traditional timeline of your sect. Even the most minor anomaly could prove instrumental in deciphering this crisis.”
His brow furled deeply as he desperately combed through his recent memories.
“……We succeeded in engineering an entirely new tier of mechanical formation.”
“I am well aware of that development.”
The modernized iteration of the Invincible Spirit-Destroying Formation of Infinite Measurement that was debuted at the Murim Academy had sent shockwaves through the community, particularly because its production cost was drastically lower than the models distributed by the Jegal Family. Could the Jegal Family have initiated this shadowy campaign out of a desire to eliminate a market rival?
‘No, that explanation doesn’t hold up.’
Looking closely at the Murim Alliance itself, these newly minted mechanical formations from the Mo-san Sect had already been purchased and deployed within the headquarters of the Man-tong-bu, the Sim-hyeon Pavilion, and the defensive perimeter enveloping the Alliance Leader’s personal estate. Those acquisitions were authorized directly under the administrative power of Jegal So-myeong. Even though Jegal So-myeong had formally vacated the mantle of Family Head to assume the responsibilities of Chief Tactician, the core of the Jegal Family consistently synchronizes its strategic choices with his perspective. The true root cause had to lie elsewhere.
“Is there absolutely nothing else that comes to mind?”
At that prompt, Yu Ji-ryang spoke up hesitantly, his face a mask of uncertainty.
“There is one particular matter…… a specific project we undertook at the explicit request of the Man-tong-bu.”
“Tell me.”
“They formally commissioned us to conduct a deep-dive analysis into the specialized illusion arts utilized by the Blood Cult.”
An investigative study into the Blood Cult’s illusion methods.
“……You mentioned just a moment ago that the Sajung-mun was wiped out under the pretext of possessing the forbidden arts of the Blood Cult, correct?”
A look of sudden, profound realization began to dawn across Yu Ji-ryang’s features.
“But this research was something the Murim Alliance explicitly commanded us to perform in the first place.”
“Undoubtedly.”
In my past incarnation, it was similarly the high command of the Murim Alliance that forced me to commit every single shred of data within the Man-tong-bu and the Sim-hyeon Pavilion to absolute memory.
“Without a doubt, it was the leadership of the Murim Alliance who initiated—”
The very forces who ultimately marched out to execute me in that past life were also.
“It was an assignment that originated entirely from their own directives.”
It was none other than the Murim Alliance.
My immediate course of action was to bring this developing situation to the attention of the Chief Tactician. While traveling directly to the headquarters of the Murim Alliance to dissect the issue at its source would yield the most precise answers, the sheer logistics of such a journey would consume an unacceptable amount of time. Requiring a detour through Hebei Province only to double back down to Jiangsu Province was a logistical nightmare. Who could possibly justify such a reckless expenditure of time given the stakes?
“Is the Invincible Spirit-Destroying Formation of Infinite Measurement currently active across the entirety of the Mo-san Sect’s main grounds?”
“What? Oh, no. Implementing an array of that scale demands an astronomical amount of liquidity and months of preparation…….”
Regardless of the fact that they had successfully designed the most formidable defensive barrier in recent history, it was a practical impossibility for the Mo-san Sect to dismantle a perfectly functional, pre-existing barrier overnight to deploy a replacement.
“I understand. For now, are you capable of sending an urgent dispatch to the leadership back at the Mo-san Sect?”
“What directives should the dispatch contain?”
“Instruct them to immediately prepare for a prolonged siege (**Gong-seong**).”
“What?! If we take such a drastic step…….”
It would almost certainly trigger an open, bloody conflict. At this precise moment, they were navigating a razor-thin tightrope. Yet, it was painfully obvious that continuing along this current trajectory would inevitably terminate in their utter annihilation anyway.
“The Dae-cheon Merchant Group will fully underwrite and deliver all the necessary provisions and military logistics required to sustain your forces within the walls.”
“But…… even so…….”
I reached out and clamped my hand down onto his shoulder with absolute gravity.
“Proving your innocence and overturning a fabricated charge means absolutely nothing if the vindication is delivered to a graveyard.”
“……!”
“Even if an insurmountable mountain of false perceptions piles up against you, so long as you draw breath—”
I envisioned the elders and the younger disciples (**Saje**) who had been consumed by the inferno. I remembered Sa-ryeon, whose psyche had shattered completely under the trauma. I saw the brave souls of the So-jeong Squad, who had been callously deployed as expendable frontline fodder only to be butchered by the blades of the Demonic Cult. And I remembered my past self, standing by as a helpless spectator to the horror.
The pressure of my fingers digging into Yu Ji-ryang’s shoulder tightened significantly.
“You can ensure that you do not have to endure the agony of losing the people you hold dear.”
In that heavy beat, an overwhelming wave of unvoiced grief seemed to permeate the room. Yu Ji-ryang, who had been staring back at me with a slack jawed expression, suddenly steeled his features.
“I understand completely.”
After ensuring Yu Ji-ryang was safely settled back at his quarters, I turned and made a direct line toward the inner chambers of the Tae-eul Sect.
“**Dae-sahyeong**, regarding the logistical arrangements for our departure at dawn tomorrow, everything is…….”
“Where can I find the Chief Tactician?”
“……He is currently occupying the Tae-eul Hall.”
Eun-ho, immediately registering the intense, volatile aura rolling off me, bypassed any further pleasantries and escorted me directly to the Tae-eul Hall. Inside the grand structure, only the Chief Tactician and the Murim Alliance Leader were present, quietly sharing a pot of tea.
“Oh? What urgent matter brings you into our presence?”
“I have broken protocol to come here because there is a fundamental question I require an answer to.”
“And what might that question be?”
I leveled my gaze and demanded an answer without a shred of hesitation.
“Are you planning to cast the Mo-san Sect aside to be destroyed?”
“……?”
The Murim Alliance Leader Hyeok Mu-gang and the Chief Tactician Jegal So-myeong froze, their eyes locking onto one another in a silent, charged exchange.
