Chapter 219

Chapter 219
Chapter 219. A Troublesome Diplomatic Mission (2)

The Murim Alliance punitive squad—no, the diplomatic delegation attending the opening ceremony of the Black Thought Alliance—left Wuhan and traveled north. The Black Thought Alliance was based in Shanxi Province. To reach it from Wuhan, the group had to traverse Hubei and pass through Henan. The journey itself went smoothly. The skilled escorts led them along well-maintained paths, and they traveled comfortably with the Murim Alliance banner displayed prominently at the front to prevent minor conflicts.

“Still, it’s a shame,” Dang Seo-hui said, looking gloomy while seated on a horse that appeared larger than the others. “I heard that all sorts of incidents are supposed to occur during a journey like this.”

Please, do not say such ominous things. If this group became entangled in any trouble, it would be a disaster. They were supposed to be preventing trouble, yet she was hoping to get involved in conflicts. It was a terrifying thought. However, her expression remained dismal.

“Senior Tang, haven’t you been active in the murim for a long time?”

“When I travel with the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, no one dares to challenge us.”

“…Isn’t that a good thing?”

When I looked at her, confused, Dang Seo-hui puffed up her cheeks as if holding her breath. “As a chivalrous hero, I want to suppress villains.”

“…”

What was that look for? I shook my head, trying to maintain my composure. Had she not played the role of a hero enough while working with the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly? Why else would the Black Path murim tremble at the mere mention of the Plain Hand Divine Maiden? The number of people who had fallen to her was higher than the rest of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly combined.

“We are a diplomatic delegation. It is better if we don’t get involved in such affairs,” I reasoned. Furthermore, Henan was essentially under the influence of the Shaolin Temple, so the Black Path members would be on their best behavior there. However, entering Shanxi Province meant they were moving away from the Murim Alliance’s reach, necessitating heightened vigilance.

‘Still, they chose a strategic location.’ I had assumed the Black Path alliance would settle near Mount Dabie in Henan, as they had in my previous life, but they had chosen Shanxi this time. Regardless of where they established themselves, the Murim Alliance’s influence was inescapable, but the position of Shanxi was tactical. They could use Mount Dabie as a forward base against the Murim Alliance and establish an encirclement against Shaolin—the Mount Tai and Northern Dipper of the martial world—from both fronts. Conversely, if the Murim Alliance marched north to suppress them, the Emperor in Beijing would undoubtedly suspect the Murim Alliance of rebellion. The Alliance had to be careful of the Emperor’s reaction before striking.

‘Is there a mastermind behind the Black Thought Alliance?’ In my past life, the Demonic Cult’s assault had been so rapid that the Black Path alliance was formed in a rush and dissolved quickly. In this life, they had organized earlier and secured a strategic position. Perhaps the future could truly be changed.

While I was deep in thought, the delegation’s ideological inquisitor—no, the team leader, Ak Byeong-bi, spoke up. “We will lower the banner from here.”

“Excuse me?”

Ak Byeong-bi glared at me with visible disdain. “What? Do you have a problem with that?”

“We are entering Shanxi Province. We don’t know what dangers lie ahead, yet you want to lower the flag?”

“If we keep the banner raised in Shanxi, it could be misinterpreted as the Murim Alliance submitting to the Black Thought Alliance.”

Wasn’t it usually the other way around? Why prioritize pride in such a dangerous territory? “With the founding of the Black Thought Alliance, Black Path members will know that supplies are moving through the area. Incidents will inevitably occur.”

Despite my calm explanation, Ak Byeong-bi shouted, his expression stone-cold. “Hmph! I do not fear a few Black Path rabble!”

Damn it, this is exactly why I didn’t want to come. If an administrator who knew nothing of martial arts had come, they wouldn’t have insisted on hiding the flag. Amid the tension, Il-myeong folded his palms together, his head shining. “Benefactor Jin, please don’t worry too much. The Black Path members are people, too. They won’t commit atrocities against just anyone.”

What would a cloistered monk know? As I sighed, Dang Seo-hui added with unusually bright eyes, “My heart is pounding!”

My heart was pounding too. Damn it.

—

After passing through Zhengzhou, Luoyang, and Jiyuan, they entered Shanxi Province. Contrary to my fears, no major issues occurred in the smaller towns. ‘Our group is simply too eccentric.’ A massive man with an iron spear, a monk counting beads, and a girl in green silk with a murderous aura. Even if a thug wanted to show off, they wouldn’t dare approach a group like this. Perhaps my worries were unnecessary.

‘It should have been that way…’

In Gaoping, the first large city they stayed in, they were having an awkward meal at an inn when voices reached them.

“You bastard, you want to die? Lower your eyes.”

“You dog, want me to use your intestines as a jump rope today?”

It was a common argument. Because so many Black Path members were gathering for the founding ceremony, fights were more frequent.

“You bastard! Are you crazy? Do you know the Evil Sword Gang? Its leader is my brother’s sworn sibling!”

“You fool! Do you know the Evil Tiger Sect? Its leader is my cousin’s friend’s wife’s cousin!”

As they grew louder, their companions began to rise, and the atmosphere grew tense. ‘Still, it won’t turn into a real fight,’ I thought. If they intended to kill, they would have drawn weapons immediately. They were likely just posturing.

Just as I turned away, *thwack*.

A strange noise erupted, followed by screams.

“Kyaaaak!”

“Ghk! Chopsticks?!”

A wooden chopstick was embedded in the arm of each of the two leaders. Beside me, I heard a voice tinged with excitement. “I’ll let you off this time. Don’t hurt anyone else.”

I looked at Dang Seo-hui in disbelief. She held a bundle of chopsticks in her hand. When our eyes met, she whispered proudly, “I practiced just in case something like this happened.”

‘She’s insane!’

They hadn’t even bothered us, yet she had attacked them. As I stood there stunned, the injured men rolled their eyes and lunged.

“You bastard! You ambushed us?”

“You’re dead!”

The Black Path members marked us as their target, realizing that fighting us—a small group of four—was easier than clashing with the forty people they had been arguing with previously.

I looked at Il-myeong and Ak Byeong-bi. While Il-myeong just watched, Ak Byeong-bi slammed his iron spear on the ground, ready to join the fray. No, you’re the leader! Stop them, don’t help them!

‘Haa… my head…’

I felt defeated. Would the Blood Star, the Plain Hand Divine Maiden, and the Small Buddha die to mere Black Path riffraff? Probably not. But this incident would ruin the diplomatic mission and lead to war.

Just as I prepared to pour a drink and accept my fate, I saw a man and woman in the crowd. A beautiful woman in her thirties and a thin eighty-year-old man. They were watching with shimmering eyes, waiting for the slaughter.

My head went numb. ‘Flame Ghost Consort and Blood Battle!’

Their appearances were different, but their habits and movements were identical to those from my past life. Absolute masters of the Black Path were hiding their presence among the common rabble.

“Wait!!!!” I shouted, my voice booming through the inn. Everyone froze. I rushed to the center and searched my robes. “Oh, I am so sorry. My companion made a mistake.”

The thugs glared at me, pointing at the chopsticks. “A mistake?”

I offered my kindest smile. “I apologize. She is a daughter of the Tang Clan. She has practiced martial arts so much that her hands move on their own even during daily life.”

“A d-daughter of the Tang Clan?” Their eyes wavered.

I nodded. “Yes. You have heard of the Plain Hand Divine Maiden of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, right?”

“Hup…”

I pulled out a gold coin for each of them and held them out. “I am truly sorry. This money can’t cover your pain, but isn’t it better than risking a fight?”

Seeing the gold, they grabbed the coins. “Hmph! Keep her under control! If you mess up again, you’ll have to answer to the Evil Sword Gang leader!”

“If you don’t want to deal with the Evil Tiger Sect leader, watch your back!”

“Yes, yes. Of course.”

The Black Path group scrambled out of the inn. Flame Ghost Consort and Blood Battle left as well, hiding their disappointment.

“Haa…” I sighed, turning around to find Dang Seo-hui and Ak Byeong-bi glaring at me.

“Why did you interfere? Because of you, justice in the murim has fallen!”

She didn’t even realize I had saved her!

“You… by worrying about Black Path members, you’re clearly one of them!” Ak Byeong-bi growled, looking as if he wanted to “enact justice” on me.

‘Haa, you idiots, you were all about to die!’ If I died on this trip, it would be from sheer frustration.

—

After Gaoping, they stayed in Shangchi before heading toward Jinzhong. While they rested and the cart hands prepared the meals, I sat away from the main group. Eating with the delegation was impossible because Ak Byeong-bi’s constant suspicious staring was killing my appetite.

‘My lifespan is shrinking by a year every day.’

A middle-aged cart hand approached nervously. “Um… is it really okay for you to eat with us?”

“It’s fine. I get indigestion over there.”

The man lowered his head. “Young Master, thank you. You keep stopping the fights, don’t you? It’s very reassuring.”

“It’s nothing.”

“I’m worried about what comes next. We’ll be hitting mountain strongholds soon. Since we lowered the flag, I’m worried if the leader will even let us pay the toll.”

“Mountain strongholds? Are there many?”

“There were only two originally, but many have appeared this year due to the drought.”

So, they were starvation bandits. It made me wonder about the local officials. I reassured him, “Don’t worry. Our mission is to reach Taiyuan safely, not to cause trouble.”

Of course, they had a ticking time bomb in Dang Seo-hui and a fool in Ak Byeong-bi, but they had made it this far. The cart hands looked relieved and bowed. For their sake, I resolved to stay sharp.

Shortly after leaving the main road, the lead escort stopped the group. “Someone is blocking the road.”

“Is it a mountain stronghold?” Ak Byeong-bi asked.

“It looks like it. They probably moved into the mountains due to the famine. What should we do?”

“The Murim Alliance neither compromises nor turns back!”

There he went again. The escorts sighed, picking up clubs instead of swords, intending to avoid killing if they could help it.

When they reached the top of the slope, they saw a bizarre sight. Dozens of amateur bandits were kneeling, and standing opposite them were a man and a woman. A foul odor hit the air. ‘Blood?’

My eyes shifted to the pile of fresh, dripping corpses on the side. The escorts gripped their swords.

“Oh my? Who is this? Didn’t we meet in Gaoping?” The beautiful woman turned and waved. “What a coincidence.”

A coincidence? There were dozens of roads between Gaoping and Taiyuan. This was no accident. I looked at the woman with the painted smile and the old man standing behind her.

‘Damn it… were they waiting for us?’

The figures were none other than the Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Battle.