Chapter 357

Chapter 357: Intelligence (2)

Just as Il-mok was completely absorbed in devising various schemes to mislead the Martial Alliance, a traveler from the outside world was making his entrance into Tianshui County, located within Gansu Province.

The residents of the area paid little attention to the arrival of an unfamiliar face. Tianshui County served as the nearest territory bordering Shaanxi Province, functioning essentially as a vital crossroads for travelers. While it was nowhere near as sprawling or bustling as Lanzhou, it possessed more than enough commercial activity that seeing fresh faces from elsewhere was a completely normal occurrence.

The traveler made his way inside a tavern situated close to the local market and addressed the proprietor, “Do you happen to have any vacant quarters available?”

“Ah, most certainly! May I ask how many nights you intend to remain with us?”

“I cannot say for certain at the moment, though I expect it will be for quite some time.”

“Well, if that is the case, I would be happy to reduce the standard rate for your extended stay.”

The proprietor gestured for a servant, who promptly escorted the traveler up to his designated room. The guest unpacked a minimal amount of his belongings before immediately making his way back down to the main floor.

“Would you mind preparing a serving of dumplings for me?”

Having relayed his food choice to the establishment’s owner, the traveler took a seat at a table positioned right by the entranceway, offering him an unobstructed view of the bustling market outside.

He remained there observing the foot traffic for a short period until the servant returned, placing the plate of dumplings directly in front of him.

Thud.

“Hmph. It seems Tianshui County enjoys quite a vibrant and energetic atmosphere.”

The traveler threw the remark out casually toward the servant, who paused to look past the doorway and out into the marketplace. After observing the lively scene for a brief moment alongside his guest, the young servant grinned broadly and remarked, “Hearing an outsider say such things truly makes one realize just how incredibly benevolent the grace of the Maitreya Luminous Cult actually is.”

Taken completely aback by this sudden, unsolicited display of religious reverence, the traveler struggled to keep his expression neutral as he inquired, “The Maitreya Luminous Cult? What sort of belief system is that? What reason is there for that name to be mentioned so suddenly?”

“Ah, I take it you have not set foot in Gansu Province for the past several years? In that case, allow me to enlighten you regarding the magnificence of the Maitreya Luminous Cult…”

Spurred on by the traveler’s basic inquiry, the servant’s face lit up with joy as he launched into an exhaustive, passionate discourse celebrating the greatness of their faith.

The traveler listened intently to every single word the servant uttered, finally rising from his seat only after he had consumed the very last dumpling on his plate.

“I shall be stepping out to look around for a while.”

“Understood, sir. May your walk be pleasant.”

Plunging directly into the market area, the traveler smoothly integrated himself into the moving sea of people, wandering through the avenues while carefully observing the daily lives of the residents. Every now and then, he would pause before a merchant’s table or step inside a shopfront to inspect the various wares on display.

He eventually paused before a small table displaying inexpensive baubles, prompting the elderly vendor running the spot to initiate a conversation. “Ah, I do not believe I recognize your face. Have you journeyed here from far away?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Encountering a traveler from distant lands like yourself always reminds me to feel deeply appreciative of the Maitreya Luminous Cult all over again.”

Faced with a second unexpected declaration of religious devotion, the traveler carefully controlled his features to show no emotion as he questioned, “…And what connection does my presence here have to do with the Maitreya Luminous Cult?”

“Hahaha. You mean you are unaware? Just a few short years ago, this entire region was completely overrun by ruthless outlaws. They constantly ambushed and robbed the traders making their way across from Shaanxi Province. However, ever since the Cult thoroughly eradicated them, an increasing number of travelers have been able to journey safely to Tianshui County without facing any danger whatsoever.”

“Hmm. I understand.”

After courteously concluding their brief chat, the traveler purchased a cheap band from the vendor and continued on his way. He paused next at a fruit merchant’s stand, selecting an apple and taking a crisp bite out of it as he walked along.

“This fruit possesses an incredibly sweet flavor.”

“Hohoho. Is that sweetness not also a direct result of the immense blessings provided by the Maitreya Luminous Cult?”

It was at that exact moment that the traveler finally comprehended the reality of the situation.

The residents of this town were not merely offering spontaneous praise to the Maitreya Luminous Cult by mere coincidence. Their minds were practically conditioned to express constant reverence toward the organization, and he simply kept blundering directly into the path of their habitual, daily piety.

Recalling the true purpose of his journey, he forced himself to probe further, asking, “What does the sweetness of an apple have to do with the Maitreya Luminous Cult? Are you suggesting that they have taken control of the local fruit orchards as well?”

He dedicated a significant amount of additional time to wandering through the crowded marketplace, collecting whatever pieces of information he could extract. By the time the sun had dropped low in the western sky, he finally retraced his steps back to the tavern.

In contrast to his behavior earlier that day, he selected a highly secluded table tucked away in a dark corner, requesting a flask of spirits alongside a meal. As he quietly and unhurriedly consumed his drink in isolation, the vacant seating surrounding his position rapidly filled up with patrons. The working-class citizens of Tianshui County quickly became boisterous and animated under the influence of their alcohol, presenting the traveler with the ideal environment to secretly listen in on their conversations and gather intelligence. However, a highly unusual tune suddenly reached his ears.

“Glo~ ry! Glory! O’ Divine Cult!!”

He shifted his gaze toward the sound, only to discover the tavern servant softly singing the strange melody while using a cloth to clean off the tabletop right next to him.

“What sort of melody is that you are singing?”

“Ah, that is right, you mentioned that you only arrived in town today. This is one of the sacred anthems of the Maitreya Luminous Cult. Chanting this particular melody while performing grueling physical tasks truly recharges a person’s inner energy. Hahaha.”

“…”

The traveler’s disciplined facade faltered for an instant, his features tightening into a look of absolute stupor and disbelief.

“Glo~ ry! Glory! O’ Divine Cult!!”

The servant continued to hum the repetitive tune as he went about performing his regular duties, and before long…

“I’ve got peace like a riiiiver~”

“I’ve got peace like a riiiiver~”

Without warning, the entire establishment joined in unison, taking turns loudly singing a shifting medley of various religious hymns together.

For some inexplicable reason, witnessing every single individual packed inside that tavern smiling joyfully and singing along as though it were the most mundane, ordinary habit in the world caused the goosebumps on the traveler’s arms to stand completely on end.

He remained for several more days enveloped by the deeply unsettling environment of Tianshui County, until one particular afternoon when the servant approached his table once more.

“Our tavern will not be open for business today, sir.”

“Closed down? Has the proprietor fallen ill or something of that nature?”

“Not in the slightest. Today is the designated day for the Maitreya Luminous Cult to deliver their grand religious discourse. Every single devotee ceases their labor for the day. Why don’t you join us and attend the assembly yourself, sir?”

The traveler recognized this as an excellent opening to extract further intelligence regarding their operations, so he gave an affirmative nod.

He proceeded to walk alongside the servant, arriving eventually at a large compound that featured a prominent sign reading “Maitreya Luminous Cult.”

By the time the massive gathering finally drew to a close…

“The Advent of Maitreya! Salvation for All!!”

The traveler was standing amidst the crowd with a completely blank, unblinking expression, screaming the religious mantra right alongside the rest of the congregation.

Roughly one month down the road.

Deep within the private chambers of the Alliance Leader, Cheok Pae-myeong and Grand Strategist Gongsun Hyeon were meticulously reviewing dozens upon dozens of written correspondence.

These documents consisted of detailed intelligence reports dispatched by the various covert operatives they had successfully embedded throughout the territories under the influence of the Maitreya Luminous Cult, primarily concentrated around Gansu Province.

The written accounts provided granular details on everything the undercover agents had witnessed over the preceding month. A portion of the reports illuminated the extreme degree to which the ordinary citizens revered the leadership of the Cult. Other dispatches outlined the intense devotion and care the Cult directed toward those very same commoners.

However, interspersed among those routine observations were alternative letters that, for some completely inexplicable reason, sent a profound shiver down one’s spine upon simply reading the words written on the parchment:

—gLo~ rY! gLOrY! o’ dIvINe cULt!! gLO~ Ry! gLoRY! o’ DiViNe cUlT!! gL o~ rY! gLoRy! O’ dIvInE cULt!! gLo~ rY! gLoRy! o’ DiViNe cULt!! rEpENt. RePeNt. rEPeNt. rEpEnT. gLo~ rY! gLoRy! O’ dIvInE CuLt!! gLo~ Ry! gLoRy! o’ dIvINe cUlT!! gLO~ rY! gLoRy! O’ dIvInE cUlT!! gLo~ rY! gLoRy! o’ dIvINe cULt!! tHE aDvENt oF mAiTrEyA! sALvAtIoN fOR aAlL!

Gongsun Hyeon ran a hand over the sudden goosebumps that had broken out across his skin, while right beside him, the Alliance Leader violently cast the parchment away, exhaling heavily before finding his voice. “I cannot for the life of me comprehend what sort of individuals we are dealing with here.”

Observing the Alliance Leader, whose patience and temper had become notoriously short ever since their organization became entangled with the affairs of the Maitreya Luminous Cult, Gongsun Hyeon offered his analysis with a highly measured and cautious tone. “Be that as it may, it is not as though our efforts have yielded no valuable information. Upon conducting a thorough review of all the gathered dispatches, several highly critical patterns have emerged.”

“Critical patterns, you say. Explain them to me.”

“To begin with, they have been acquiring provisions in exceptionally massive quantities. I am speaking specifically of foodstuffs that are highly resistant to spoiling over long periods, such as grains of rice or dried meats. This activity spiked dramatically following the total downfall of the Emei Sect. They have been purchasing immense volumes of these items directly from Sichuan Province, a region widely recognized for its abundance of agricultural yields and grain stores.”

“I am already well aware of that particular development. Are they not distributing roughly half of those acquired goods directly to the local populace, while securing the remaining portion within their commercial caravans to transport outward toward the Western Regions?”

“The paramount detail to consider here is that even a mere half of that total acquisition constitutes an absolutely mind-boggling volume of provisions. Unless they are somehow commanding astronomical prices for agricultural goods from the Central Plains out within those Western Regions, there is absolutely no logistical justification for dragging such massive quantities across the terrain. Would it not be far more logical for a commercial enterprise to pack those transport wagons and carts with luxury items and wares that are guaranteed to yield high profits in the markets of the Western Regions?”

The underlying explanation for why the Maitreya Luminous Cult’s own Heavenly Light Merchant Guild was securing such staggering amounts of food supplies was quite straightforward. It was intended to sustain the various northern nomadic groups that they had recently successfully integrated into their network, alongside providing for their preexisting factions stationed throughout Qinghai, Tibet, and Xinjiang.

Approximately half of the stockpiles were being systematically moved by the internal forces of the Maitreya Luminous Cult into the regions of Gansu, northern Sichuan, Qinghai, and Tibet. Meanwhile, the remaining half of the provisions was being transported directly by the caravans of the Heavenly Light Merchant Guild out into the vast Northern Steppes and Xinjiang territory.

Possessing absolutely no method to uncover those hidden logistics, the Alliance Leader tilted his head in agreement, appearing as though he had just been fully persuaded by the logic.

“You speak the truth. That volume does indeed appear far greater than what would be deemed necessary for simple commercial trading ventures.”

“Precisely, Alliance Leader. Furthermore, this is by no means an isolated transaction; they are securing these massive quantities on a fixed, constantly recurring schedule. Looking at the broader picture, this behavior resembles a commercial trade operation far less than it resembles the systematic stockpiling of military provisions in direct anticipation of a major conflict.”

“Hmm. If that is truly the reality of the situation, we would be far wiser to focus our surveillance heavily upon that specific commercial enterprise and their northern trade routes, rather than squandering our operatives’ time tracking the movements of ordinary townspeople.”

“I shall immediately convey the necessary orders to ensure our assets pivot to that objective.”

A contingent of travelers was currently carving their path through the northernmost territories of Shaanxi Province and Ningxia, advancing steadily into the expansive northern steppes. The moment they stepped across the outer boundaries marking the edge of the Han domains and entered the unforgiving, desolate landscape, they abruptly shifted their direction, turning sharply toward the west from their previous northbound trajectory.

Following several grueling days of riding across a terrain far too harsh and barren to genuinely resemble a typical grassland steppe, the silhouette of a distant outpost finally materialized on the horizon.

They urged their mounts forward, quickening their pace toward the settlement.

As they drew near the perimeter, a local nomad stepped forward from the camp, projecting his voice across the distance to challenge them.

“From what territory do you hail, and what is your identity?”

The speaker’s articulation was somewhat strained and unrefined, yet it was undeniably the native tongue of the Central Plains.

“We are simple traders originating from the Han territories. We are currently navigating our way toward the Western Regions, and we were hoping to secure permission to lodge here for the duration of the night.”

The nomad who had addressed them in the language of the Central Plains countered, “Hold your position for a brief moment.”

He turned back into the interior of the outpost, returning to the perimeter a short while later.

“Our clan leader has granted his consent for your stay.”

Without further delay, the group of covert individuals posing as traders was permitted entry into the encampment.

The interior of the settlement maintained a remarkably calm and harmonious environment. Young children could be seen sprinting around in merriment throughout the spaces, and every so often, a resident would softly chant a brief tune that the disguised traders found deeply bizarre and uncomfortable.

“I’ve got peace like a riiiiver~”

“I’ve got peace like a riiiiver~”

The youths chanting the words were clearly native children belonging to the northern nomadic clans, yet for some completely inexplicable reason, they were articulating the melody perfectly in the language of the Central Plains. Furthermore, despite residing in a region notorious for its extreme scarcity and brutal climate, they were casually munching on bowls of grains and assorted dried fruits.

The disguised traders cast subtle, suspicious glances around the strangely artificial-feeling camp, eventually converging in an assigned area to set up their quarters.

Once the covert travelers had concluded their evening meal, a venerable elder who evidently served as the leader of this specific clan approached their location. He was accompanied by another figure who wore a terrifying, aggressively sculpted Heavenly Kings mask. This masked individual introduced himself to the newcomers as a traveling cleric representing the Maitreya Luminous Cult.

The visitors engaged in a polite exchange of words with both the clan leader and the cleric. After some time had passed, the masked cleric remarked, “Ah, that brings something to mind. You noted earlier that your caravan is charting a course for the Western Regions? Exercise extreme caution on your journey. We have received word that incredibly brutal bandit clans have been launching aggressive raids throughout the northern sectors of late.”

The individual acting as the commander of the disguised trading group inquired, “I have been led to understand that the Maitreya Luminous Cult’s very own Heavenly Light Merchant Guild frequently navigates back and forth along these same paths to the Western Regions. Have their caravans encountered any severe complications regarding these raids?”

“The Heavenly Light Merchant Guild has certainly faced significant hardships dealing with the threat as well. We have only managed to maintain the continuity of our trade expeditions due to the divine intervention and protection of the Maitreya.”

“I see. We are deeply grateful for your timely counsel.”

“I have merely conveyed the information that was necessary for you to know.”

The parties conversed for a brief period longer before the clan leader and the cleric politely took their leave of the group. “We have encroached upon our guests’ resting hours for far too long. Please enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.”

At the break of dawn the following day, the contingent of espionage agents posing as traders departed from the encampment and resumed their westward journey.

Astonishingly, every subsequent outpost they encountered along their route radiated an almost identical sociological environment. Each distinct settlement housed a dedicated cleric belonging to the Maitreya Luminous Cult, and the local youths could be heard humming those identical, bizarre melodies in the Central Plains tongue while consuming meals that were completely at odds with the impoverished resources of the northern wasteland.

They eventually departed another settlement where they had secured lodging for the night, riding west once more when one of the operatives grumbled beneath his breath, “It appears those miserable bastards from the Maitreya Luminous Cult have managed to wrap their tentacles completely around the northern nomadic clans as well.”

“Hmph. Subduing those wild barbarians. The gods alone know what manner of deceptive, underhanded methods they deployed to achieve this.”

They were right in the thick of this highly un-merchant-like dialogue when the operative riding at the vanguard of the formation bellowed an urgent alarm, “Hostile riders descending upon us!”

A heavily armed contingent of marauders was speeding directly toward their position.

The disguised operatives instantly shifted into a defensive posture, unleashing a barrage of incredibly high-tier, sophisticated martial techniques that no ordinary commercial trader could ever hope to possess.

However, the opposing marauders were similarly wielding a degree of martial prowess that was far too absurdly powerful and refined for a common band of highway thieves.

Yet, the most genuinely terrifying element among the attackers was their commander.

“Attempt to deflect my blade if you possess the strength!!”

He was an absolute titan of a warrior who roared continuously as he swung a gargantuan greatsword through the air. Every singular, thunderous arc of that massive weapon cleaved through the weapons and the bodies of the undercover agents simultaneously.

The disguised operatives were completely obliterated from existence within mere moments, leaving only a single, final survivor who could do nothing but stare blankly up at the towering commander with a hollow expression.

“Kuhahaha!”

In stark contrast to his combat techniques, which were far too extraordinary for a mere outlaw, the sight of him devolving into a crazed, ecstatic laughter while wiping away and tasting the warm blood splattered across his jaw made it appear as though he had been custom-made for a life of horrific banditry.