Chapter 221

Chapter 221
### Chapter 221. An Uncomfortable Envoy Delegation (4)

I had accepted the arrangement, yet after giving my consent, nobody bothered to give me any actual directions.

By all rights, our designated leader, Ak Byeong-bi, ought to have taken charge. Instead, for whatever reason, he just sealed his lips tightly and shot me a murderous glare, doing absolutely nothing else.

I couldn’t help but reflect on how lucky I was that Ak Byeong-bi hadn’t yet achieved the level of the Mind Sword.

“Dear me, do you really intend to force a young lady to travel on foot?”

Ultimately, it was Flame Ghost Consort who broke the silence.

Prompted by her brazen, cunning remark, a pair of guards shot a quick look at Ak Byeong-bi before hopping down to offer up their own mounts.

Flame Ghost Consort’s eyes crinkled into half-moons. “My, such gentlemen. I was simply implying that I wouldn’t be opposed to sharing a saddle.”

Her demeanor, paired with that peculiar look and grin, was undoubtedly alluring, yet it only made the guards stiffen and back away from her.

Regardless of her unmatched beauty, this was a killer who could drench her hands in gore without batting an eye.

To veterans who had seen enough of the martial world, she was naturally a figure warranting the utmost wariness.

“…….”

I walked over to the amateurish thugs who were still shivering off to the side.

“Are you holding up okay?”

“……H-huh? Oh, yeah, yeah!”

These fellows, who had basically been forced to recite their entire life stories in front of King Yama in the flesh, still appeared disoriented and completely shell-shocked.

“I get that a bad crop season has made things desperate, but robbing people isn’t a line of work meant for just anybody.”

What kind of father or husband could just idly watch his family starve to death? Even so, throwing their lives away wouldn’t solve anything, would it?

“On top of that, given the recent establishment of a Black Path Alliance in Shanxi Province, the odds are high that most travelers passing through here will be trained fighters. You’d be better off going back down the mountain.”

“A-absolutely. Let us live, and we swear we’ll never try to rob anyone again.”

I stared at the pathetic group of outlaws.

Each of them sported hollow cheeks. It was obvious they had starved for as long as they could bear before finally resorting to a life of crime in the hills.

Pulling a bag of silver pieces from my garments, I offered it to them.

The amateur thieves, however, vigorously shook their hands in refusal, unwilling to take the money.

“Please, sir. No, no. We won’t ever look at another traveler’s baggage.”

I grabbed their wrists and firmly pressed the bag into their palms.

“Start by using this to put food in your families’ bellies.”

The silver I handed over was quite substantial, easily enough to feed both the relatives of the men standing here and the rest of the hungry folks back in their settlement.

Watching the thugs hesitate to even close their fingers around the silver, I spoke up again:

“Furthermore, you have bodies to take care of here, right? You ought to give them a proper burial, no matter how small.”

“…….”

Eventually, the makeshift outlaw clenched his fist around the coin purse.

A tender moment almost settled over us, but then he stuttered out a correction.

“T-the thing is…… those corpses weren’t part of our group.”

“Oh?”

“They traveled with those two right there.”

“…….”

Because their heads had been entirely smashed and obliterated, I hadn’t been able to identify them, but it turned out they were originally associates of Flame Ghost Consort and Blood Battle.

“We felt something was off, too, which is why we didn’t block the path, but they abruptly turned on each other, resulting in…… well, that.”

What on earth?

Even considering the brutal nature of the heavyweights in the Black Path, what possible reason would they have to just bludgeon their own allies to death out of nowhere?

And why drag these incompetent crooks into the mess just to fake a hostage scenario?

“……Uh, so you really don’t need to give us this money…….”

Picking up on the shifting mood, the thug tentatively extended the purse back to me.

I met his gaze and replied,

“……Keep it. Take the coin and purchase some grain for the famished folks back home.”

My eyes immediately snapped toward Flame Ghost Consort and Blood Battle.

Furthermore, their only demand for letting these amateur thieves walk away alive was the permission to tag along on our journey.

**What are they plotting……?**

I couldn’t fathom what could possibly be going through their heads.

**Are they some kind of sadists who get a thrill out of making friends only to slaughter them later?**

In a twisted way, it made sense. The Black Path hadn’t earned its notorious reputation for no reason.

They embodied the Black Path because they acted entirely on their base urges, completely ignoring logic or basic decency.

Besides, these two were complete maniacs, even when judged against other madmen. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume they had sick tendencies.

Right as a deeply unsettling idea crossed my mind and sent a chill down my spine, a crisp voice called out.

“Young Master! It looks like we’re ready to head out~!”

Flame Ghost Consort yelled over to me, acting as though she’d been a member of our party since day one.

I dismissed my aching suspicions and climbed onto my steed.

—

Since he first enlisted in the Murim Alliance, this marked only the third occasion Ak Byeong-bi had ever been in such close proximity to Grand Strategist Jegal So-myeong.

During the prior two instances, he had been relegated to the opposite side of the room or the far corner of a long table, where he couldn’t even dream of getting near the man.

Now, positioned directly across from this terrifying figure, he was entirely unable to hold back the question bursting from his lips.

[Is this meant to be…… a form of punishment?]

Being assigned to an emissary group heading straight into the Black Thought Alliance.

Ak Byeong-bi briefly lost sight of the fact that the man before him was Jegal So-myeong of Mantongbu, blurting out an inquiry he knew full well was insolent.

*Rustle.*

Jegal So-myeong paused his tea drinking, lifting his lined eyelids to fix his gaze squarely on Ak Byeong-bi.

In a flash, Ak Byeong-bi trembled, overwhelmed by the sensation that his very soul had just been laid bare.

[What makes you draw that conclusion?]

Coming from an individual who resided at an unimaginable peak of power and pulled the strings of the world, even the most basic question possessed a crushing gravity.

Ak Byeong-bi took a hard gulp, experiencing a level of terror he had never known before.

Having already initiated the line of questioning, retreating was no longer an option.

He forced his vocal cords to work and managed a reply.

[Because the objective to forge a pact with the Black Thought Alliance is guaranteed to fail…… or rather, because the odds of failure are exceptionally high.]

[Hmm…….]

Jegal So-myeong shut his eyes for a moment, taking in the rich aroma of his brew.

Eventually, he lifted his gaze at a measured pace.

[I am aware. I am well aware it will be a failure.]

Without so much as circulating a fraction of his inner energy, an unfathomable, heavy presence radiated from Jegal So-myeong.

This aura stemmed from the reality that every single syllable he uttered dictated the security of the entire realm.

[Furthermore, the Alliance will not penalize you for an endeavor that is destined to collapse.]

It was impossible for Jegal So-myeong’s statement to contain any deceitful traps.

He was a freezing, merciless figure who showed zero favoritism to any sect within the Alliance.

His icy demeanor meant he was even strictly unforgiving when it came to his own bloodline.

Regardless, Ak Byeong-bi remained utterly baffled as to why someone from the Execution Pavilion, of all people, was required to visit the Black Thought Alliance.

Noting that Ak Byeong-bi’s eyes continued to flicker with uncertainty, Jegal So-myeong clarified,

[Hmm……. Consider that specific aspect a disciplinary measure. No matter the outcome, the fact remains that you incited Jin So-un and abused the power of the Execution Pavilion for personal motives.]

*Gulp.*

Jegal So-myeong’s gaze sharpened into metaphorical blades, skewering Ak Byeong-bi to the core.

Just as one would anticipate, Jegal So-myeong was fully informed about everything.

[I have designated you to lead the diplomatic party, though your actual duties are minimal. Attempt a standard negotiation, and if it bears no fruit, just come back.]

Yet wasn’t an affair of this magnitude too crucial to handle so casually?

Even as that thought crossed Ak Byeong-bi’s mind, Jegal So-myeong pressed on.

[That being said, once you depart the Murim Alliance, should that man Jin So-un wish to take any particular action, obey his lead completely. That is the exact reason I selected you.]

[…….]

Snapped back to the present from his memory of that secluded meeting with Jegal So-myeong, Ak Byeong-bi tightly shut his eyelids.

**What in the world is the Grand Strategist aiming for?**

Following Jin So-un’s whims, exactly as the Grand Strategist had commanded, had led directly to this very outcome: Blood Battle and a mysterious woman attaching themselves to the party.

He couldn’t wrap his head around Jegal So-myeong’s true purpose.

If all that was required was a puppet to lead the envoy, there were countless other suitable individuals.

There certainly had to be officials who actually liked Jin So-un, as opposed to someone like Ak Byeong-bi, who harbored deep resentment towards the man…….

**Is it possible…… that this decision also masks a deeper agenda?**

Could the mandate to blindly yield to Jin So-un’s decisions essentially be a covert command to evaluate the man’s underlying schemes?

And through watching these schemes unfold, he could perhaps discover if Jin So-un was secretly a Black Path infiltrator hiding his true allegiance.

When viewed in that light, the logic was straightforward.

This explained why an operative from the Execution Pavilion—an organization that stood in direct hostility to the Black Path—had been embedded in this diplomatic group.

Ultimately, wasn’t this a highly classified mission to root out a traitor?

**That has to be it!**

Ak Byeong-bi shifted his gaze and zeroed in on Jin So-un.

Despite having prominent titans of the Black Path traveling right next to him, Jin So-un looked entirely carefree.

How could a person behave so casually around them unless he had been raised alongside the Black Path, sharing in their triumphs and struggles from a young age?

What’s more, during Jin So-un’s clash with Blood Battle, the latter had evidently identified the specific sword art Jin So-un deployed.

Given just these fragments of evidence, the grounds for mistrust were boundless.

As if detecting Ak Byeong-bi’s scrutinizing stare, Jin So-un gestured toward the female newcomer and spoke.

“Delegation Leader, don’t tell me you’ve developed a fondness for this young woman?”

“Oh my?”

Ak Byeong-bi failed to conceal his utter bewilderment.

“……What kind of garbage are you babbling about?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Jin So-un answered,

“You haven’t stopped staring in this direction. If I might share a bit of counsel, I’d strongly suggest giving up. She is an incredibly terrifying individual.”

“Y-you little! I’ll butcher you!”

Ak Byeong-bi gnashed his teeth in fury, yet both Jin So-un and the woman appeared entirely indifferent to his rage.

The woman went so far as to hug herself, playing the part of a bashful maiden.

“Young Master! Whatever do you mean? This poor girl is fragile and sensitive…….”

Refusing to back down, Jin So-un shot back,

“What kind of ridiculous jest is that?”

“Oh my! Did you figure me out?”

Just witness this display. How on earth could a prime disciple from a prestigious Orthodox Path faction be comfortably bantering with the Black Path?

**I am going to rip away your disguise before this expedition is over!**

While Ak Byeong-bi was silently fuming, a guard rode up and offered him a canteen.

“……What is the meaning of this?”

“Well, your complexion is completely flushed, so I assumed you were overheating.”

“I am not!”

“……Ah, understood…….”

—

-What precisely is going through your head?

Initially, I played along and dutifully responded to Ak Byeong-bi’s interrogations.

-We can’t just stand by and allow people to be slaughtered, can we?

-This diplomatic party represents the Murim Alliance! It is absolutely not an affair the Black Path should meddle in!

Before long, it dawned on me that he wasn’t asking out of genuine curiosity; he merely wanted an excuse to harass me.

-Now that I think about it, you appeared to recognize Blood Battle’s identity too. How is that possible?

-Are you actually a mole for the Black Path?

-Why won’t you say anything?

-You really are a Black Path infiltrator, aren’t you? Well?

Ah, this guy was going to make me lose my mind.

If someone is giving you the silent treatment, you’d think they would assume there’s a valid reason for it. Why did he keep nagging me for a response he clearly wasn’t going to get?

I whipped my head around and glared directly at Ak Byeong-bi.

“If you are so incredibly upset about them traveling with us, go complain to them yourself!”

Since I had shouted quite forcefully, the eyes of both Flame Ghost Consort and Blood Battle snapped toward us.

“……!”

Ak Byeong-bi shot me a lethal glower before quickly spurring his horse to ride further ahead.

Right on cue, Dang Seo-hui nudged her mount over to ride beside me.

“……Are those two the literal root of all evil? If I execute them, will righteousness prevail in the martial world?”

*Sigh*……. What has gotten into you now?

I issued a stern warning to Dang Seo-hui.

“Do not! Ever! Under any circumstances! Launch a preemptive attack against those two. I mean it! Do not!”

Setting Blood Battle aside for a moment, Flame Ghost Consort was an absolute nightmare of an opponent for Dang Seo-hui.

Flame Ghost Consort’s Fire Qi—which she cultivated by hoarding Yang Qi via the Yin-Yang Great Art—operated on a fundamentally different trajectory than standard Yang-based martial arts.

Since she exclusively drained the most intense vitality from men, her sheer firepower outclassed traditional Yang Qi martial arts. Furthermore, the internal energy churning within her veins was so scorching that it would incinerate almost any poison upon contact.

She was, quite literally, the ultimate living counter to the Tang Clan.

As for Blood Battle…… that didn’t even warrant an explanation.

He had undoubtedly already attained complete immunity to toxins.

“……Why am I forbidden from executing a heroic act of justice?”

Dang Seo-hui inflated her cheeks, her face completely deadpan.

“……We can track down some third-rate thug for you to deal with once we reach a tavern.”

We just needed to locate an acceptable dummy for her to throw her chopsticks at, right?

Luckily, Flame Ghost Consort’s striking looks were exactly the kind guaranteed to draw in clueless fools.

After chucking her chopsticks a couple of times and delivering a few dramatic quotes, Dang Seo-hui would likely grow bored with the whole situation anyway.

That was just how kids operated, wasn’t it?

Granted, the fact that this particular “kid” was actually two years my senior made it a rather bizarre dynamic.

At this stage, I genuinely couldn’t determine if I was on a serious diplomatic mission or if I was simply chaperoning an outdoor picnic for a bunch of unruly toddlers of varying ages.

Thankfully, Il-myeong was at least moderately sane compared to the rest, which provided some small comfort.

I was just immensely thankful that he hadn’t thoughtlessly flared up with hostility toward Blood Battle and Flame Ghost Consort.

**Wait, where did he wander off to?**

The shaved head that typically lingered near Ak Byeong-bi was glaringly absent, prompting me to scan our surroundings. Suddenly, a bright glint of sunlight caught my eye near the back of the group.

He had positioned his mount right alongside Flame Ghost Consort and Blood Battle.

**What on earth is he up to?**

I strained my ears and zeroed in on their conversation.

“……And thus, the Buddha cast aside all the riches, prestige, and glamour of the mortal realm, took his seat beneath the bodhi tree, and slipped into deep meditation. Following that…….”

What in the world are you doing?

Attempting to convert them right here and now?

And to notorious titans of the Black Path, of all people?

When I gaped at him, Il-myeong caught my stare and beamed a smile just as radiant as his polished scalp.

“Ah! Benefactor Jin. We were simply exchanging a wonderful tale. Would Benefactor Jin care to join us? Junior Brother Il-gak mentioned that your devotion was rather lacking.”

The sheer ridiculousness of the scene was so intense that even Flame Ghost Consort and Blood Battle were staring at Il-myeong as though he had lost his mind.

Wow, to elicit that specific look from genuine lunatics…… As one might expect, Shaolin’s top prodigy truly operated on a different wavelength.

*Sigh*…….

The old saying goes that sighing too often blows all your good luck away.

If things kept going like this, I was going to drain away whatever miserable drop of good fortune I still clung to.