Chapter 241

Chapter 241
Chapter 241. Catching the Hidden Culprit (6)

Jin So-un’s next course of action after unmasking the moles within the Four Dragons Sect brought him directly to the Yellow Sand Sect.

Strangely enough, the traitor embedded deep within the Yellow Sand Sect turned out to be none other than Gal Cheon-gi.

“No! This is a mistake! It wasn’t me, I swear! Quit spouting this utterly baseless garbage!”

Because Gal Cheon-gi had wept over the passing of Gu Gye-ak with more intensity than anyone else, the disciples of the Yellow Sand Sect had never for a single moment suspected him of being the murderer.

Even so, Jin So-un forced his way past the Yellow Sand Sect guardians who attempted to block his path and claimed Gal Cheon-gi’s life with a single, swift strike. He then yanked the Human-Skin Mask from the corpse’s visage to expose the real face underneath, leaving the gathered Yellow Sand Sect martial artists completely dumbfounded.

Following this revelation, the rest of the figures within the Black Thought Alliance finally began to breathe a sigh of relief, under the assumption that the conspirators had all been apprehended.

Yet, Jin So-un’s application of the Mind-Reading Art(?) was far from finished.

“I intend to track down every last one of them and end them.”

The high-ranking leaders, gripped by a sudden panic over Jin So-un’s tempestuous behavior, confessed to their previous missteps and attempted to make him stand down, but Jin So-un showed absolutely no signs of relenting.

Sifting through the core factions of those pushing for hostilities, he dragged another spy out from the sole remaining Demonic Path Sect.

He did not stop there, exposing additional double agents within the Blood Tiger Sect and the Black Serpent Gang, both of which were part of the faction advocating for peace.

The manner in which he extracted the traitor from the Demonic Path Sect, in particular, was an unforgettable spectacle…….

“Dear me, you claim he fled? Rest easy. I made sure to prepare for that contingency.”

The hidden operative, who had not yet executed his assignment, had slipped away in the dead of night by blending in as a commonplace foot soldier.

“You merely require me to retrieve the runaway?”

Even so, Jin So-un dispatched Dang Seo-hui, a lady born to the notoriously brutal Tang Clan, to hunt down the escaping combatant and claim his head. He subsequently marched back to the Demonic Path Sect holding the dripping trophy and made an absolute display of peeling away the Human-Skin Mask right before their eyes.

The sect members had originally claimed they would take his word for it without requiring such explicit confirmation, but when he stubbornly insisted on stripping the Human-Skin Mask away right in front of them, even those hardened Black Path warriors couldn’t help but shudder in silence.

‘The man is utterly unhinged.’

‘……How can anyone call that an Orthodox Path cultivator? He is nothing but a maniac obsessed with slaughter.’

‘At this point, we might as well claim that fellow’s true technique is ripping off Human-Skin Masks.’

And yet, not a soul dared to voice any objection to Jin So-un’s ruthless crusade as he unerringly pointed out culprit after culprit using his Mind-Reading Art(?).

Should Jin So-un designate them as a Mara demon(?) at this juncture, their life would be forfeited on the spot before they could even draw a breath.

Furthermore, once their neck was severed, even if it came to light later on that they were entirely innocent of being a Mara demon, they would hardly be in a position to voice their grievances from beyond the grave.

“Why is everyone staring at me in that fashion?”

“Ahem…… It is of no consequence……”

“N-No, young master……”

Every person in his vicinity scrambled to shift their gaze the moment Jin So-un looked their way.

In this manner, Jin So-un’s dramatic purge finally ground to a halt.

Far more than being pleased about purging the hidden threats lurking in their midst, the members of the Black Thought Alliance breathed massive sighs of relief simply because Jin So-un’s bloody rampage had concluded.

It was the precise moment when the reputation of the Black Flame Dragon—lauded as a Later-Generation Talent of the Orthodox Path and a soaring star among the Black Path—solidified itself more deeply than ever before.

“Hmm…….”

Gun Yu-hyeon, who had been meticulously reviewing the entire sequence of events, let loose a heavy breath.

“I am completely at a loss as to how he managed such a feat.”

When it came to gathering and analyzing information, he had always taken immense pride in possessing an intellect so sharp that no peer could rival him, yet the current turn of events left him entirely baffled.

“There should have been absolutely no clues to uncover them.”

From the moment Jin So-un had approached him requesting assistance, he had strained his intellect to the limit, but he couldn’t devise a single strategy by which he could have identified those spies himself.

In stark contrast, Jin So-un had plucked the traitors out one after the other.

And he had done so utilizing the preposterous claim of the Mind-Reading Art(?), no less.

He was well aware from the outset that such a technique was pure fiction.

Ultimately, Jin So-un’s assertions regarding the Mind-Reading Art were naught but a grand distraction designed to mask his actual strategy, instill a terrifying dread of the inexplicable in his targets, and push them to the brink of insanity.

In truth, because his psychological ploy had functioned flawlessly, one of the culprits had actually given himself away by attempting a desperate flight simply because he couldn’t endure the mounting terror.

Every piece of evidence had initially cast suspicion upon the Envoy Delegation.

There were the hawkish factions demanding open conflict with the Murim Alliance, alongside elements within the Alliance who secretly agreed with them.

Under normal circumstances, this was a puzzle where the real masterminds would remain hidden ninety-nine percent of the time.

Yet, in the exact same fashion as his performance during the sword cards match, Jin So-un defied those impossible calculations and dragged the guilty into the light.

“Did he employ some sort of deception once again?”

Try as he might, he couldn’t begin to fathom the nature of the deception deployed on this occasion.

“Is this the reason the Little Demon took an interest in his path…….?”

Lost in contemplation, Gun Yu-hyeon reached for the sword cards and began to lay them out to read his prospects.

Click, click-click, click.

A look of deep gratification spread across his features as he examined the arrayed cards.

“Just as I suspected.”

The arrangement taking shape on the floor was the Linked Sword.

Exactly like their previous encounter, a combination that stood as the absolute pinnacle of hands had manifested before him.

“Though one might drop an immediate skirmish, true victory belongs solely to the one who triumphs in the grand war at the very end.”

Gun Yu-hyeon carefully collected the sword cards into a neat stack.

Following the chaotic events that transpired in Sichuan, Il-gak, whom Il-myeong had crossed paths with at the Murim Academy, had offered this observation.

[Jin So-un appears to be an ‘Enlightened One.’]

Il-myeong had chosen neither to contest nor validate Il-gak’s perspective.

It was, after all, a frequent error in judgment.

Ascetics who had achieved the state of the Immovable Mind would on occasion escape the bitter taste of internal failure by elevating their adversary into a transcendent being.

Without resorting to such a mental shift, they would find themselves entirely unable to process their own feelings of inadequacy.

Only after a considerable period had passed and they recognized that the individual in question was merely a conventional human being would they finally acknowledge that what they had experienced was simple defeat, and that they had merely been running away from it.

That was simply the way human nature operated.

Even so, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, Il-myeong found himself wondering if the person who had been running away from his true feelings all this time wasn’t Il-gak after all, but rather himself.

The individual he had always perceived as a true “Enlightened One” was none other than Yong So-ah.

Since Yong So-ah was a figure revered by every soul under the heavens, Il-myeong had naturally accepted him as an “Enlightened One” as well…….

Yet it was only after arriving at the Black Thought Alliance and witnessing Jin So-un’s conduct firsthand that Il-myeong began to question whether he had inflated Yong So-ah—who might very well be an ordinary man—into a mythical legend simply to avoid confronting his own personal failures.

[The path of abandoning a companion to press forward is a choice I will entertain only when faced with a catastrophe of far greater magnitude.]

He retained a vivid memory of the retort Jin So-un had delivered when Ak Byeong-bi urged him to abandon him to save the rest.

At that exact memory, the image of another man surfaced.

Yong So-ah.

What sort of reply would that man have offered?

For some inexplicable reason, Il-myeong sensed it would have been a response that left a bitter aftertaste, prompting him to instantly banish the thought from his mind.

Jin So-un’s conduct had undeniably been a piece of reckless theater bordering on pure madness.

It was a perilous tightrope where every single one of them might have perished.

And yet, Jin So-un had utterly demolished the prevailing hopelessness and completely reversed their fortunes.

No longer were heavy rocks or sharpened weapons raining down upon their quarters.

Among the throngs of people walking the pathways, there were no longer any individuals projecting a murderous aura as if ready to demand a blood duel on the spot, nor did anyone exhibit the raw malice and antagonism that had greeted them upon their arrival.

On the contrary, as though weighed down by some immense misconduct, they went out of their way to avoid eye contact with the Envoy Delegation whenever their paths crossed, and whenever the Envoy Delegation moved along the thoroughfares, crowds of people literally altered their routes to give them a wide berth.

What manner of young genius under the heavens……. no, what kind of Orthodox Path swordsman could bring about a reality such as this?

This was not a result that could be achieved through sheer martial prowess and an analytical brain alone.

Was this not a state of being attainable only by ascending to a higher spiritual plane through true “enlightenment”?

‘Granted, his methodology is exceptionally peculiar…….’

The Mind-Reading Art(?)…….

It was enough to make anyone shake their head that a disciple originating from a Daoist sect would make use of terminology that wasn’t even uttered within the Shaolin Temple itself, but when all was said and done, did the method truly matter so long as the objective was achieved?

Right then, as if pulling Il-myeong away from his drifting thoughts, a figure cautiously stepped forward.

“Monk. This is for you.”

A youth who possessed the unremarkable appearance of a local tavern servant presented him with a substantial ream of documents.

Il-myeong remained entirely ignorant of the contents within.

He had merely delivered the scroll Jin So-un had entrusted to him alongside the Black Token exactly as he had been directed, and it appeared the corresponding reply had now arrived.

“Is this the entirety of it?”

“Indeed. I was instructed that once this reached your hands, Young Master Jin would oversee the remaining matters personally.”

“……Who gave you these instructions?”

“The Hao Gate Master conveyed them directly.”

“……Amitabha.”

The Hao Gate Master.

The commander of the most formidable espionage network, which stood as the direct rival to the Beggars’ Sect, had personally sent this dispatch.

Naturally, Il-myeong had never genuinely believed Jin So-un was fabricated when claiming to be a “Guest Retainer,” but confronting the tangible reality of it like this filled him with a renewed sense of awe.

The prestigious rank of a Hao Gate “Guest Retainer” was a title reserved for the select few.

Yet a young fellow who had barely crossed his twentieth year held the title of Guest Retainer within the Hao Gate…….

He felt such an intense curiosity regarding how Jin So-un had managed to secure such a standing with the Hao Gate that his hard-won Immovable Mind felt as though it might crack under the strain.

Il-myeong masterfully brought his swirling thoughts under control and pressed his palms together in a solemn gesture.

“I understand. I shall take my leave now.”

Curiosity was an internal distraction, but the task at hand demanded execution.

Il-myeong gathered the provisions, curative herbs, and various supplies, and began his rapid journey back toward the headquarters of the Black Thought Alliance.

Now that the hidden subversives had been entirely rooted out, the overt animosity directed at the Envoy Delegation within the Black Thought Alliance had vanished into thin air, yet for some peculiar reason, Jin So-un remained adamant about obtaining their food and medical supplies exclusively from external sources.

‘Could he possibly believe that more traitors are lingering in the shadows?’

Il-myeong accelerated his pace back to their assigned quarters inside the Black Thought Alliance, but upon his arrival, Jin So-un, Blood Battle, and Flame Ghost Consort were nowhere to be found.

“Has Benefactor Jin departed the premises?”

Seeing as there were ostensibly no more double agents left to hunt down, where could he have gone off to now?

Dang Seo-hui, whose hands were a blur of motion as she organized her gear, shifted her attention toward Il-myeong and remarked,

“He has gone to attend the gathering. We are expected there as well, so move quickly to set those bundles down and make yourself presentable.”

“A gathering, you say?”

“Precisely. The Alliance Leader has thrown a formal feast in our honor.”

“……”

The hosting of a formal feast was a symbolic proclamation of his desire to mend their fractured, adversarial dynamics and steer them back toward an amicable footing.

Taking it a step further, this development might open the door for them to introduce the topic of a peace treaty—a diplomatic goal they had previously been barred from even hinting at.

At this stage, Il-myeong had no choice but to internalize the truth.

[Jin So-un appears to be an ‘Enlightened One.’]

Il-gak’s assessment had been entirely precise, while his own judgment had been utterly flawed.

“Amitabha.”

The moment Il-myeong and Dang Seo-hui crossed the threshold into the grand reception hall, the boisterous sound of merriment echoing throughout the space struck their ears.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Heh-heh-heh-heh!!”

Oddly enough, only a pair of individuals were actually participating in the laughter.

“You consume your liquor with the exact boldness I anticipated!”

“The Black Thought Alliance may well be lacking in historical heritage, but the quality of its vintage is truly magnificent!”

“Hahaha! Given that this collective was originally forged by scoundrels who cannot function without a cup in hand, it is only natural that the vintage is superb!”

“Be that as it may, you are well aware that this outcome is entirely a result of my intervention, correct? Had I not stepped in, the Black Thought Alliance would have met its end—precisely like this.”

As Jin So-un drew his thumb sharply across his own neck in a slashing motion, Cha Seok-du offered an appreciative nod.

“Quite true, quite true! As expected of the Black Flame Dragon! Reflecting upon it now, that moniker was chosen with exceptional foresight.”

CRASH!

“Are you genuinely uttering those words right now?! Do you possess even the faintest inkling of how deeply I loathe that title?!”

Jin So-un, who had violently slammed his drinking vessel onto the wooden surface without warning, fixed a fierce glare upon Cha Seok-du.

Cha Seok-du had held an authoritative, high-ranking status within the Black Path Murim for an extended period, but he had currently ascended to the absolute zenith of the Black Path Murim.

Despite that immense power, Jin So-un was behaving with such brazen defiance…….

“Do you comprehend how completely ridiculous a moniker like ‘Black Flame’ sounds for a refined champion of the Orthodox Path?”

Cha Seok-du unhurriedly replenished Jin So-un’s vessel and replied,

“To begin with, isn’t it a bit of an exaggeration to characterize yourself as a refined champion of the Orthodox Path?”

Jin So-un emptied the liquor Cha Seok-du had poured for him in a single, fluid gulp, after which a subtle smirk crossed his face.

“God damn it, are you honestly saying that to me?”

Cease this at once, you utter lunatic!

Involuntarily, Il-myeong shifted his focus to read Cha Seok-du’s physical reaction.

And yet……

“Hahahaha! Just as I thought, you are far from an ordinary individual. Not an ordinary individual in the slightest!”

Cha Seok-du was clearly cut from an unconventional cloth as well.

The dialogue passing back and forth like the reckless banter of two drunkards was more than enough to make Il-myeong’s blood run cold with anxiety.

Questioning whether this unhinged atmosphere was simply the standard protocol within the Black Thought Alliance, he scanned the countenances of the Alliance’s senior leaders who were arrayed directly opposite the Envoy Delegation.

Unsurprisingly, not a single one of them was sharing in the amusement.

In fact, several of them had visible, throbbing veins appearing along their temples.

Only Cha Seok-du remained entirely swept up in the revelry, continuously topping off Jin So-un’s cup.

“Instead of continuing down this path, why not seize this moment to shift your allegiance entirely over to the Black Thought Alliance? Surely the title of Vice Alliance Leader of the Black Thought Alliance holds far more allure than serving as a mere errand boy for the Murim Alliance?”

“Oh? You actually maintain an available position for a Vice Alliance Leader?”

“Should you choose to align with us, we can easily establish such an office.”

“Your grandeur is truly unmatched, hahahaha!”

Cha Seok-du then shifted his tone, adopting a genuinely earnest expression.

“What is so implausible about it? When all is said and done, you possess neither an influential clan lineage nor financial backing, meaning regardless of your achievements, your advancement will inevitably stall at the level of a Murim Alliance Hall Master at best. If a man wishes to secure boundless fortune and eternal renown, he must possess the fortitude to embrace substantial hazards.”

“Hmm…… Perhaps I should consider it? I have already been offering plenty of curses, muttering about how I couldn’t bear to continue this path because it felt completely degrading and biased. Hahahaha!”

You absolute madman, check your tongue. The Third Hall Master of the Execution Pavilion is seated right here at our table……!

Il-myeong swallowed heavily, darting a nervous glance toward Ak Byeong-bi, who was positioned right next to him.

“……”

Ak Byeong-bi, his extensive physical injuries securely bound in thick layers of linen cloths, was sipping his beverage in absolute silence, behaving as though the entire exchange had failed to register with him.

Meanwhile, Dang Seo-hui, who sat adjacent to him, looked for all the world as if her eyes were gleaming with an intense desire to dive headfirst into the chaotic banter.

‘Amitabha, Amitabha.’

Listening to the crass jests that repeatedly crossed the boundaries of propriety, any casual observer would find it impossible to discern who the genuine Black Path figures truly were.

Furthermore, Cha Seok-du’s behavior, which conveyed an explicit intent to manage an institution as massive as the Black Thought Alliance as his own personal playground, was more than enough to deeply alienate the senior leadership of the Black Thought Alliance.

“Ahem.”

“Alliance Leader. I submit that this line of jesting has crossed the appropriate boundary.”

“Quite so. Irrespective of the fact that this is an informal drinking gathering…….”

The moment the senior figures let their profound irritation show, Cha Seok-du and Jin So-un, who had been locked in hysterical laughter mere seconds prior, cut their amusement instantly, as though they had simultaneously removed a pair of Human-Skin Masks.

They then directed cold, unblinking stares toward the complaining elders.

Just as that tense, suffocating stillness threatened to make cold perspiration erupt across the room.

Cha Seok-du let out a mocking chuckle.

“For pity’s sake…… Since when did martial artists of the Black Path become so sensitive regarding the boundaries of a joke? It is naught but a simple jest, a mere jest!”

“Kindly allow me a word, Alliance Leader. Given their utter inability to accept a humorous remark for what it is, it stands to reason that they were never true Black Path cultivators to begin with. I believe I shall employ my Mind-Reading Art(?) to crack open the skull of whichever scoundrel has been compromised by a Mara demon.”

“A-Ahem…….”

“Amitabha…….”

Faced with the flawlessly synchronized double-act presented by the pair, not only did the high-ranking members of the Black Thought Alliance look away in dismay, but even the companions of the Envoy Delegation could only shake their heads in disbelief.

“At any rate, given that you—who were on the verge of facing severe injustice at the very start—went so far as to resolve the internal crisis of the spies within the Black Thought Alliance, it is only proper that I offer you a suitable token of appreciation……. What is it that you desire?”

Jin So-un broke into an expansive, radiant grin, waving his hands dismissively.

“Oh, come now, you are voicing preposterous notions once more. If I, a respected representative of an Orthodox Path lineage, accept a material reward from your hands, Alliance Leader—a monumental figurehead of the Black Path Murim—would I not find myself hopelessly entangled in endless political scandal?”

This was a formal, public assembly where even the ordinary rank-and-file members of the Black Thought Alliance were seated in attendance.

Yet he openly referred to the Alliance Leader as a “monumental figurehead.”

Il-myeong felt his spirits plummet into his stomach with every single phrase that escaped Jin So-un’s mouth.

Cha Seok-du began swirling his liquor vessel, apparently lost in deep reflection.

“Hmm…… Such an arrangement would admittedly work out more favorably for my own interests, but…….”

Slide-

“Good heavens, I explicitly uttered the word ‘but.’ Who ever indicated that I intended to let this matter slide? ……Remove your fingers from the hilt of that Black Dragon Sword.”

Sliiide-

“……Be that as it may, our Black Thought Alliance is simply not the type of entity that can comfortably exist while harboring an outstanding obligation.”

Jin So-un, who had been casually tapping his fingers against the scabbard of the Black Dragon Sword, consumed another cup of wine before responding,

“In that case, rather than presenting me with a material token, how about we establish a formal pact between the Black Thought Alliance and the Murim Alliance instead?”

“A formal pact?”

Jin So-un gave a firm nod of affirmation.

“We have already verified beyond a shadow of doubt the presence of those elements seeking to engineer a bloody rift between the Black Thought Alliance and the Murim Alliance. There is absolutely no reason for us to play the part of puppets in their grand design, is there?”

“Hmm…….”

As Cha Seok-du drifted into a state of intense contemplation, the countenances of the surrounding Black Thought Alliance elders shifted into a kaleidoscope of conflicting emotions.

A few appeared visibly comforted, whereas others twisted their features into deep scowls.

“True enough. We cannot permit ourselves to be manipulated by the machinations of those scoundrels.”

“Your conclusion, then?”

“Even so, a full pact will present significant hurdles. I am still entirely unable to accurately decipher the true objectives of the Murim Alliance.”

Cha Seok-du reached his hand across the table, his posture indicating a definitive resolution.

“While it doesn’t serve as an exact equivalent, let us bring this matter to a close by ratifying a peace agreement for the time being.”

Jin So-un directed his gaze down at Cha Seok-du’s proffered hand, then inclined his head ever so slightly to catch the eye of Ak Byeong-bi.

The two men locked eyes for a brief, silent interval.

The moment Ak Byeong-bi quietly hoisted his drinking vessel once more, Jin So-un spoke aloud.

“They say that even a journey spanning a thousand li commences with a single step, so we can certainly chart this course one phase at a time.”

Cha Seok-du and Jin So-un locked their hands together in a firm grip.