Chapter 262

Chapter 262
Chapter 262. Parading in Brocade at Night (3)

『……Thus, the Black Thought Alliance has completely purged its interior and is in the process of perfecting its system. It has sent carrier pigeon letters to the sects that had not yet joined the Black Thought Alliance, urging them to come under its banner. Meanwhile, members of the Black Path Murim who have heard the rumors about the Black Thought Alliance are heading there one by one. The future expansion of the Black Thought Alliance will…….』

A report had arrived from Shanxi Province.

It contained detailed information that had not yet become known to the outside world.

It was a report sent by the Information Analysis Organization, commonly known as the “Research Institute,” which the major sects of the Twelve Peak Citadels had established in order to narrow the information gap between themselves and the Nine Sects and One Gang.

“Even if it is only natural for desk-bound scholars to look at the world from a negative perspective, this is rather severe.”

Cheol Sun-jik shook his head.

Not once since the creation of the Research Institute, whether now or in the past, had it ever analyzed the future in a positive light.

Even so, the Twelve Peak Citadels did not deny what they said, nor did they alter it to suit their own tastes.

That was because the perspective from which they viewed the world was cold and precise.

Cheol Sun-jik knew it well too.

Only when one looked back upon oneself with an objective gaze could one move forward.

If they wished to change the hierarchy of the murim world, which had not shifted once in the past five hundred years, would sleeping atop bundles of firewood and holding gall in one’s mouth truly be enough?

If it was for the sake of moving forward, he did not mind hearing bitter words every day.

Even so, the future of the Twelve Peak Citadels predicted by this report was so despairing that the previous reports seemed positive by comparison.

“The emergence of the Blood Cult and the rise of the Black Thought Alliance. The expansion of great sects that possess justification, and the small and medium-sized sects sacrificed because of it…….”

The picture it painted was far too clear.

Naturally, the Twelve Peak Citadels—no, the One Hundred Eight Peaks—would be included among those “small and medium-sized sects.”

To begin with, the very purpose of the One Hundred Eight Peaks was nothing more than the vested powers’ suppression of rising forces.

They handed out the position of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, which looked impressive on the surface but held no real authority or power, and acted as if to say, “This should be enough for you.”

It was a position with no rights and only responsibilities.

The problem was that this had not happened merely once or twice.

For the past five hundred years, whenever a new force had attempted to rise, all manner of incidents had ultimately brought that new force to ruin.

Even if each individual incident bore no connection to the others, if the same thing repeated itself throughout the broad sweep of history, no one would dismiss it as coincidence.

“Hwa-seong, what do you think?”

“…….”

The massive man merely kept his mouth shut in stubborn silence.

Nam Hwa-seong had joined the Representative Delegation, saying he would observe Jin So-un’s movements, but not once had he conveyed “information” about what Jin So-un and the Representative Delegation were doing.

“Do you truly think Jin So-un is the man who will bring about change?”

For an instant, a sharp gleam flashed through Nam Hwa-seong’s eyes, which had been locked in heavy silence.

“Brother Cheol, to be honest, I do not really know about such things.”

He continued in a plain and calm voice.

“To begin with, I am not the one who uses his head, am I? I merely pass along what I have seen and heard.”

Nam Hwa-seong played dumb, pretending not to know anything.

As Cheol Sun-jik looked at him, a smile slipped across his lips.

That was because Cheol Sun-jik could see how hard he was trying to pass along useless information with that mind of his, which was not particularly quick.

How very strange.

Lately, Jin So-un had been away from the Academy for quite some time due to his delegation duties.

Then why was Nam Hwa-seong so reluctant to act as a spy?

Cheol Sun-jik quietly stared at Nam Hwa-seong.

“Do you like him that much?”

“W-What are you talking about?”

As if a family secret had been exposed, Nam Hwa-seong’s expression, which he had been trying to keep calm, collapsed in an instant.

“What could I possibly like about that damned bastard? He treats me like a spy every day and makes me do menial chores.”

Nam Hwa-seong was angry at being treated like a spy, despite actually being one.

Cheol Sun-jik, who was quick to grasp another person’s inner nature, could feel it.

The great trust hidden beneath that anger and those curses.

Nam Hwa-seong was showing Jin So-un, whom he had known for less than a year—and who had even been his fierce rival during the Regular Exam—a faith that he had never shown Cheol Sun-jik, despite having spent more than fifteen years by his side.

Because Cheol Sun-jik had lived without trusting anyone, and without desiring anyone’s trust, he had thought he would be fine even upon seeing such a thing.

And yet, before he knew it, a question had arisen within him.

“Are your own feelings more important to you than the revival of your sect?”

“…….”

Nam Hwa-seong, who had been huffing in agitation, suddenly stopped.

“The cost Three Origins Sect spent on this Regular Exam was astronomical. They made every effort to ensure your admission. Do you truly…… intend to betray the sect that forced you into the Academy out of necessity?”

Nam Hwa-seong’s eyes turned cold.

“Brother Cheol, mind your words.”

Even though he did not release killing intent, there seemed to be a sharpness in his gaze.

“Since the moment I took part in the Regular Exam, there has not been a single moment when I did not think of my sect. Not once have I betrayed my sect for the sake of my feelings.”

“Is that so?”

Cheol Sun-jik did not believe in trust between people.

He had thought those who exchanged such faith were ridiculous.

And yet, why was it that whenever he saw the foolish Nam Hwa-seong before his eyes, something twisted inside his chest?

“It is unfortunate to say this, but Jin So-un will not be able to change the world with his strength alone. At best, he will use the Nine Sects and One Gang as backing and expand the influence of himself and his sect.”

“…….”

“I cannot deny that he is a remarkable talent. But in the end, he too is someone who will climb to a suitable position and then stop there.”

Through this delegation mission, Jin So-un had come to serve as a bridge between the Murim Alliance and the Black Thought Alliance.

The Murim Alliance would have no choice but to make important use of him.

But even if he attained an important position, the Murim Alliance was not made of people who would hand over their own vested place.

They would grant him a gift by altering the position of the One Hundred Eight Peaks to an appropriate degree, and after refusing moderately, Jin So-un would accept the gift handed down from above.

“And he will be satisfied with that.”

Just as the One Hundred Eight Peaks had been for the past five hundred years.

“And that position may well replace Three Origins Sect.”

Cheol Sun-jik stared directly into Nam Hwa-seong’s eyes.

He hoped the discomfort rising in his chest would be resolved quickly.

“When the positions of Taeul Sect and Three Origins Sect are reversed, will you still be able to stand beside Jin So-un?”

The Twelve Peak Citadels were struggling desperately to change that very thing.

They had spent a long and arduous time trying to make those who maintained power across generations, as if they were the masters of the murim world, understand that the order of nature was not so.

Yet Jin So-un was placing a great obstacle before that great cause.

For nothing but his own benefit.

“If we respond in the same way, nothing will change in the end.”

“…….”

“Was it not your wish to change this world?”

Nam Hwa-seong had a simple side.

He fell deeply into whatever seized his attention and did not turn his gaze to his surroundings.

That was why he had been able to attain such fine achievement at a young age, but conversely, because he could not see the greater picture, he could not accomplish great things.

“The world will change soon.”

“What are you plotting, Brother Cheol?”

Cheol Sun-jik shook his head.

“You should know well enough that I cannot tell you that now.”

“…….”

“When that time comes, you will have to make a choice too.”

Cheol Sun-jik rolled up the long report and rose from his seat.

“You will have to decide what is for the sake of the great cause.”

Then he patted Nam Hwa-seong on the shoulder and headed outside.

Nam Hwa-seong stared for a long time at the door through which Cheol Sun-jik had left.

After finishing the delegation’s report, I intended to head straight to the Murim Academy.

I had already parted with my personal guards, and I was about to say my final farewells to Il-myeong and Dang Seo-hui as well.

But……

“It has been some time. I would like to see Junior Brother Il-gak.”

“I want to sleep a little more too. Mmph, mmph.”

……Go home and sleep!

In the end, I had no choice but to head to the Murim Academy with them.

It had not even been that long since I had left the Murim Academy, yet seeing the Academy’s main gate gave me a strangely fresh feeling.

“Then again, I have spent more time away from the Academy than actually living there.”

There were no particular changes to the Academy facilities.

However, apart from that, the atmosphere among the Academy students was different from usual.

In preparation for the upcoming year evaluation, the Academy students were training fiercely.

Perhaps Il-myeong knew that as well, for there was pity in his gaze as he looked at them.

“Everyone must be feeling very anxious because of the year evaluation.”

That was rather unexpected.

“Senior Il-myeong, were you also nervous because of the year evaluation?”

The name Il-myeong had been famous even before he began his activities in the murim world.

To think that even such a person had feared the year evaluation…… it felt strange.

However, the answer that came back was different from what I expected.

“No. I simply saw others feeling anxious every time.”

Il-myeong wore the smile of a Buddha who had already transcended the afflictions of the secular world.

“…….”

Ah, for some reason, he irritated me.

It was only natural for geniuses to receive envy and jealousy.

Look at this. Even when he was just standing still, he was insufferable, was he not?

Il-myeong glanced around once and continued speaking.

“Even so, watching classmates with whom one has shared hardship for a year return to their hometowns is not a particularly pleasant thing.”

Some said that the Academy’s rules were too harsh.

They questioned whether it was truly necessary, in an Academy that was difficult enough to enter already, to filter people out once more by order of grades.

However, the Murim Alliance’s stance had never changed even once.

Only the finest talents, selected and selected again, could possess authority.

Only those who could endure the weight of responsibility could bear the lives of others.

That cold stance had never changed.

“Of course, the contradiction is that they still got thrashed by the Demonic Cult even after doing that.”

While I was recalling my previous life, Il-myeong spoke to me with a somewhat bitter expression.

“Benefactor So-un, you hold the position of representative, do you not? If so, it will not be a particularly pleasant feeling.”

“What do you mean?”

“I attended the Academy with Yong So-ah, so I did not feel everyone’s expectations and the heavy responsibility of being the Academy Representative all that strongly. However, as I was the representative of Shaolin Temple, I was able to understand what it meant to bear the burden of a position that carried much responsibility.”

“…….”

He looked at my face once more and smiled softly.

“If it were someone else, I would not have even brought it up, thinking they would not understand even if I told them…… but somehow, Benefactor, it seems you already know.”

I did not give any particular answer.

As we walked toward the representative office again, murmuring voices reached my ears.

“Is that not Small Buddha over there?”

“Does the person on his back not look like the White-Hand Divine Maiden?”

“Has the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly come?”

Even the Academy students who had been training with such focus that they might not have noticed if the world collapsed forgot to wipe their sweat, looked this way, and shifted restlessly.

Merely by entering the Academy, they had already become rising stars acknowledged by the murim world.

Yet even to them, the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly of the previous cohort was no different from another form of deified heroes.

I had thought the same way too.

“Amitabha.”

As though answering the crowd’s support, Il-myeong quietly pressed his palms together.

Then the Academy students watching from afar all pressed their palms together at once, as if returning the greeting.

Seeing that spineless group behavior left me dumbfounded.

Why were those Daoist Sect disciples suddenly pressing their palms together? Did they have no pride?

There were many people murmuring from afar, but no one easily approached.

Then, when we arrived at the building where the Academy Representative’s Office was located—

“Representative, you have returned…… Huh! The people behind you are…….”

“Yes, these are the people who moved together with me……”

Before I could finish speaking, the Academy student shouted loudly enough for the corridor to ring and ran off.

“The Representative has returned with the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly!”

Soon, the people who had been working came pouring out and began running toward us.

“Representative!”

“Eldest Senior Brother!”

“Elder Brother!”

All the familiar faces came out to greet me at once.

Yes, it was only natural that I would lose to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly. Even so, I had these people……

“Huh! Senior Il-myeong!”

“It is Senior Dang Seo-hui!”

Without the slightest hesitation, the Academy students who had been running toward me passed me by and surrounded Il-myeong.

What was this? Could they not see me……

Slipped across his lips.
That was because Cheol Sun-jik could see how hard he was trying to pass along useless information with that mind of his, which was not particularly quick.

How very strange.
Lately, Jin So-un had been away from the Academy for quite some time due to his delegation duties.
Then why was Nam Hwa-seong so reluctant to act as a spy?

Cheol Sun-jik quietly stared at Nam Hwa-seong.
“Do you like him that much?”
“W-What are you talking about?”

As if a family secret had been exposed, Nam Hwa-seong’s expression, which he had been trying to keep calm, collapsed in an instant.
“What could I possibly like about that damned bastard? He treats me like a spy every day and makes me do menial chores.”

Nam Hwa-seong was angry at being treated like a spy, despite actually being one.
Cheol Sun-jik, who was quick to grasp another person’s inner nature, could feel it.
The great trust hidden beneath that anger and those curses.

Nam Hwa-seong was showing Jin So-un, whom he had known for less than a year—and who had even been his fierce rival during the Regular Exam—a faith that he had never shown Cheol Sun-jik, despite having spent more than fifteen years by his side.

Because Cheol Sun-jik had lived without trusting anyone, and without desiring anyone’s trust, he had thought he would be fine even upon seeing such a thing.
And yet, before he knew it, a question had arisen within him.

“Are your own feelings more important to you than the revival of your sect?”
“…….”

Nam Hwa-seong, who had been huffing in agitation, suddenly stopped.
“The cost Three Origins Sect spent on this Regular Exam was astronomical. They made every effort to ensure your admission. Do you truly…… intend to betray the sect that forced you into the Academy out of necessity?”

Nam Hwa-seong’s eyes turned cold.
“Brother Cheol, mind your words.”

Even though he did not release killing intent, there seemed to be a sharpness in his gaze.
“Since the moment I took part in the Regular Exam, there has not been a single moment when I did not think of my sect. Not once have I betrayed my sect for the sake of my feelings.”

“Is that so?”

Cheol Sun-jik did not believe in trust between people.
He had thought those who exchanged such faith were ridiculous.
And yet, why was it that whenever he saw the foolish Nam Hwa-seong before his eyes, something twisted inside his chest?

“It is unfortunate to say this, but Jin So-un will not be able to change the world with his strength alone. At best, he will use the Nine Sects and One Gang as backing and expand the influence of himself and his sect.”
“…….”

“I cannot deny that he is a remarkable talent. But in the end, he too is someone who will climb to a suitable position and then stop there.”

Through this delegation mission, Jin So-un had come to serve as a bridge between the Murim Alliance and the Black Thought Alliance.
The Murim Alliance would have no choice but to make important use of him.

But even if he attained an important position, the Murim Alliance was not made of people who would hand over their own vested place.
They would grant him a gift by altering the position of the One Hundred Eight Peaks to an appropriate degree, and after refusing moderately, Jin So-un would accept the gift handed down from above.

“And he will be satisfied with that.”
Just as the One Hundred Eight Peaks had been for the past five hundred years.

“And that position may well replace Three Origins Sect.”
Cheol Sun-jik stared directly into Nam Hwa-seong’s eyes.
He hoped the discomfort rising in his chest would be resolved quickly.

“When the positions of Taeul Sect and Three Origins Sect are reversed, will you still be able to stand beside Jin So-un?”

The Twelve Peak Citadels were struggling desperately to change that very thing.
They had spent a long and arduous time trying to make those who maintained power across generations, as if they were the masters of the murim world, understand that the order of nature was not so.

Yet Jin So-un was placing a great obstacle before that great cause.
For nothing but his own benefit.
“If we respond in the same way, nothing will change in the end.”
“…….”

“Was it not your wish to change this world?”

Nam Hwa-seong had a simple side.
He fell deeply into whatever seized his attention and did not turn his gaze to his surroundings.
That was why he had been able to attain such fine achievement at a young age, but conversely, because he could not see the greater picture, he could not accomplish great things.

“The world will change soon.”
“What are you plotting, Brother Cheol?”

Cheol Sun-jik shook his head.
“You should know well enough that I cannot tell you that now.”
“…….”

“When that time comes, you will have to make a choice too.”
Cheol Sun-jik rolled up the long report and rose from his seat.
“You will have to decide what is for the sake of the great cause.”

Then he patted Nam Hwa-seong on the shoulder and headed outside.
Nam Hwa-seong stared for a long time at the door through which Cheol Sun-jik had left.

After finishing the delegation’s report, I intended to head straight to the Murim Academy.
I had already parted with my personal guards, and I was about to say my final farewells to Il-myeong and Dang Seo-hui as well.
But……

“It has been some time. I would like to see Junior Brother Il-gak.”
“I want to sleep a little more too. Mmph, mmph.”

……Go home and sleep!
In the end, I had no choice but to head to the Murim Academy with them.
It had not even been that long since I had left the Murim Academy, yet seeing the Academy’s main gate gave me a strangely fresh feeling.

“Then again, I have spent more time away from the Academy than actually living there.”

There were no particular changes to the Academy facilities.
However, apart from that, the atmosphere among the Academy students was different from usual.
In preparation for the upcoming year evaluation, the Academy students were training fiercely.

Perhaps Il-myeong knew that as well, for there was pity in his gaze as he looked at them.
“Everyone must be feeling very anxious because of the year evaluation.”

That was rather unexpected.
“Senior Il-myeong, were you also nervous because of the year evaluation?”

The name Il-myeong had been famous even before he began his activities in the murim world.
To think that even such a person had feared the year evaluation…… it felt strange.
However, the answer that came back was different from what I expected.

“No. I simply saw others feeling anxious every time.”
Il-myeong wore the smile of a Buddha who had already transcended the afflictions of the secular world.
“…….”

Ah, for some reason, he irritated me.
It was only natural for geniuses to receive envy and jealousy.
Look at this. Even when he was just standing still, he was insufferable, was he not?

Il-myeong glanced around once and continued speaking.
“Even so, watching classmates with whom one has shared hardship for a year return to their hometowns is not a particularly pleasant thing.”

Some said that the Academy’s rules were too harsh.
They questioned whether it was truly necessary, in an Academy that was difficult enough to enter already, to filter people out once more by order of grades.

However, the Murim Alliance’s stance had never changed even once.
Only the finest talents, selected and selected again, could possess authority.
Only those who could endure the weight of responsibility could bear the lives of others.
That cold stance had never changed.

“Of course, the contradiction is that they still got thrashed by the Demonic Cult even after doing that.”
While I was recalling my previous life, Il-myeong spoke to me with a somewhat bitter expression.

“Benefactor So-un, you hold the position of representative, do you not? If so, it will not be a particularly pleasant feeling.”
“What do you mean?”

“I attended the Academy with Yong So-ah, so I did not feel everyone’s expectations and the heavy responsibility of being the Academy Representative all that strongly. However, as I was the representative of Shaolin Temple, I was able to understand what it meant to bear the burden of a position that carried much responsibility.”
“…….”

He looked at my face once more and smiled softly.
“If it were someone else, I would not have even brought it up, thinking they would not understand even if I told them…… but somehow, Benefactor, it seems you already know.”

I did not give any particular answer.
As we walked toward the representative office again, murmuring voices reached my ears.

“Is that not Small Buddha over there?”
“Does the person on his back not look like the White-Hand Divine Maiden?”
“Has the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly come?”

Even the Academy students who had been training with such focus that they might not have noticed if the world collapsed forgot to wipe their sweat, looked this way, and shifted restlessly.

Merely by entering the Academy, they had already become rising stars acknowledged by the murim world.
Yet even to them, the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly of the previous cohort was no different from another form of deified heroes.
I had thought the same way too.

“Amitabha.”
As though answering the crowd’s support, Il-myeong quietly pressed his palms together.

Then the Academy students watching from afar all pressed their palms together at once, as if returning the greeting.
Seeing that spineless group behavior left me dumbfounded.

Why were those Daoist Sect disciples suddenly pressing their palms together? Did they have no pride?
There were many people murmuring from afar, but no one easily approached.

Then, when we arrived at the building where the Academy Representative’s Office was located—
“Representative, you have returned…… Huh! The people behind you are…….”

“Yes, these are the people who moved together with me……”
Before I could finish speaking, the Academy student shouted loudly enough for the corridor to ring and ran off.

“The Representative has returned with the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly!”
Soon, the people who had been working came pouring out and began running toward us.

“Representative!”
“Eldest Senior Brother!”
“Elder Brother!”

All the familiar faces came out to greet me at once.
Yes, it was only natural that I would lose to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly. Even so, I had these people……

“Huh! Senior Il-myeong!”
“It is Senior Dang Seo-hui!”

Without the slightest hesitation, the Academy students who had been running toward me passed me by and surrounded Il-myeong.
What was this? Could they not see me……

“Seniors, what brings you here?! Please, have a seat!”
“This is insane……. Her cheeks are so white and soft……!”

Though I was right in front of them, the Academy students acted as if I did not exist at all, poking Dang Seo-hui’s cheek and speaking to Il-myeong.
“Ah, how terribly lonely.”

I just wanted them all to go away.
“Did you finish the matter you went to handle?”

I savored the fragrance of the Seven-Colored Flower that I had missed so dearly and nodded.
“Of course, of course. Who do you think I am?”

Eun-ho looked at me with doubtful eyes, still seemingly unable to trust me.
“There are rumors spreading through the Black Path Murim that the Black Flame Dragon is the true rising star of the Black Thought Alliance……. What sort of misdeed…… no, what sort of work did you do this time?”

“……Have their fabrications and incitements only begun today? If you believed everything you heard, would that make the rumor that I am the Joint Successor of the Black Path Murim true too?”
“…….”

Eun-ho stared at me in silence for a moment.
I ignored his gaze as naturally as possible.

“I heard that the Black Flame Dragon’s epithet has changed to Black Maitreya…… Is that also a fabrication?”
Pfft.

For a moment, I lost myself in the fragrant scent of the Seven-Colored Flower tea that I had unwittingly spat out.
“Black…… Maitreya?”

“Yes. They say that whenever a disciple of Taeul Sect used the ‘Mind-Reading Art,’ the Black Path members bowed their heads on their own.”

Those mad bastards, those mad bastards, those mad bastards.
As expected of the Black Path, even when they gave someone an epithet, they made it thoroughly malicious.

To attach an epithet that would make the Buddhist sects rooted in the murim world convulse if they heard it.
They were simply feeding me an insult with exquisite subtlety……

Huh. Could it be…… Did Dam Ak use the Borrowed-Knife Murder Scheme?
“In any case, the moment Senior Sister Hong heard that story, she entered seclusion training, saying she would shatter Eldest Senior Brother’s legs.”

Perhaps recalling Sa-ryeon’s face right before she entered seclusion training, Eun-ho trembled for a moment.
What was that……? Why did he react like that? It made me anxious.

“You should probably prepare yourself.”
“…….”

It was worthy of praise that she had entered seclusion training of her own accord, but the motive being to shatter the legs of an Eldest Senior Brother as lofty as the heavens……

Hm…… I honestly could not decide whether I should be pleased about this or not.
After pressing my throbbing head for a while, I changed the subject.
Thinking about it any further would only make my head hurt.

“But why is that thing here?”
In one corner of the office I pointed at, Yaryul Geuk was staring at me with sharp eyes.

“Do you think I came because I wanted to?”
“…….”

That bastard still acted like that whenever he saw me.
“So I am asking why you are here. You are not part of the Representative Delegation……”

“He is part of the Representative Delegation.”
“Hm?”

That fellow, who was brimming with rebelliousness, had joined the Representative Delegation?
It was as absurd as a thief working as a constable.

As I even stopped drinking the Seven-Colored Flower tea and stared in disbelief, Eun-ho calmly added an explanation.
“I brought him in.”

Hm? I thought you were smart, which was why I trusted you, but why……
I guessed toward Yaryul Geuk with my chin.

“Why bring someone who clearly hates it?”
Eun-ho shrugged calmly, as if it were nothing important.

“Because he is going to die soon.”
“What?”

The fellow I had barely managed to save was going to die again?
Damn it, what on earth had happened at the Academy while I was gone?