Chapter 141

Chapter 141
**Chapter 141**
**Chapter Title: The Meeting at Yueyang Tower**

Decades ago, the Blood Slaughter Union—fiercest evil faction of the unorthodox realms—unleashed the Sword King’s Total Bloodbath and swallowed the entire province of Honam.

Poets, scholars, wandering enthusiasts, and starry-eyed young masters of the jianghu sighed as one.

The reason was simple enough.

For Honam held Lake Dongting.

“What a magnificent sight.”

Of the Four Great Towers of Jiangnan stood Yueyang Tower, overlooking Lake Dongting.

From high within the pavilion, a man spoke under his breath, gazing out over the expanse below.

Lake Dongting stretched vast beneath him, and beyond it lay bustling port settlements lining the banks of the Yangtze to the north.

“Don’t you agree, Yin Blood?”

The chamber door slid open without the faintest sound, revealing a second figure.

“You’ve noticed my presence, then, Tyrant Spear.”

Gu Yang-bu, the Black Whale Gang Leader known as Giant Spear Tyrant, curled his lips into a sharp, feral grin. True to his renown, he bore an enormous spear tipped with a formidable, imposing head.

“If you were coming, you ought to have announced yourself rather than skulking about. Living right up to your name, aren’t you?”

Though his tone held clear mockery, Hengshan Yin Blood—Gok Baek-mun—spread his arms in easy fashion.

“As you see it, quite a few members of the Great Dong Alliance have gathered here. Meeting the celebrated Black Whale Gang Leader has kept me on edge—might I not have simply taken a moment to survey the surroundings?”

Ten warriors stood behind Hengshan Yin Blood. Each was either a leader of a black-path gang from eastern Honam, bordering Gangseo Province, or held a position of equivalent standing.

“You lot do not strike me as the sort to quail at the mere sight of this Gu Yang-bu.”

“Appearances can be deceptive; deep down, every last one of us is rather careful.”

“Fine excuses—just what one would expect from the foremost figure of blood-soaked Hengshan. Sly as a fox, through and through.”

“I take that as a compliment.”

Wine and food were brought in, and entertainers began to play instruments and perform. Amidst it all, the gang leaders took their seats.

“I presume you have heard the news. The Namgung Clan has dispatched reinforcements to those curs from the Baek Clan.”

“Plunging straight into business before the mood has even lightened?”

“What need is there for drawn-out pleasantries between us?”

Hengshan Yin Blood laughed openly before responding.

“Is even the Black Whale Gang Leader feeling the weight of this situation, then?”

“Amusing. You were the one who summoned me.”

The Black Whale Gang Leader scowled and pressed on.

“They say it is never worth wasting breath on the dregs of the Hengshan Sect. Enough with the theatrics.”

Hengshan Yin Blood was the leader of the Hengshan Sect, which made its home on Mount Heng—Nanshan—one of the Five Great Mountains.

“May fortune smile upon you. There is no need for such fierceness; it leaves me feeling quite wronged.”

“I said cut the pretense.”

Most who heard the name ‘Hengshan Sect’ thought of the renowned orthodox Taoist order, once numbered among the Nine Great Sects. Yet the present-day Hengshan Sect was no gathering of righteous Taoists.

They had been all but annihilated during the Sword King’s Total Bloodbath. The void left by that once-great order had since been filled by the Wudang Sect.

“To carry the name of a sect you yourself destroyed—what were you thinking?”

“Perhaps to uphold the orthodox spirit passed down through generations.”

“Ha! More like a mockery and a desecration.”

“Perhaps a touch of both. In any case, as the Black Whale Gang Leader desires, let us come straight to the matter.”

Hengshan Yin Blood gave a quiet chuckle and continued.

“Only a few years have passed since those unknown nobodies of the Baek Clan proclaimed the Heaven-Covering Alliance. It must rankle, does it not? If aid is what you require, you need only speak the word.”

The Black Whale Gang Leader gave a snort of disdain.

“You promised we would get to the point, yet all you offer is further nonsense.”

The unorthodox factions of western Gangseo Province were divided between two dominant powers. There was the Black Whale Gang, based in Gu River to the north, whose influence spread southward to encompass Wenzhou. Then there were the five gangs centered in Gilju, supported by Honam’s unorthodox martial community.

“You are aware why Baek Yi Gate, despite holding sway over Nanchang, was hailed as Nanchang’s Greatest Sect rather than Gangseo’s Greatest Sect.”

Baek Yi Gate had seized the provincial capital and ruled as its overlord, yet never earned recognition as the foremost power in Gangseo. All because of the Black Whale Gang.

Gangseo extended across more than ten regions, yet only the Black Whale Gang held dominion over two. In truth, with control over Gu River and Wenzhou, the Black Whale Gang was Gangseo’s preeminent force.

“Spare me the grandstanding, Yin Blood. I am well aware you called this meeting because your five subordinate gangs are in a panic.”

The subtle, cunning smile that had lingered on Hengshan Yin Blood’s face faded away.

The Black Whale Gang Leader was entirely correct.

“The Heaven-Covering Baek Clan is poised to strike either Wenzhou, your territory, or Gilju, ours—their position leaves no other option. You are on tenterhooks, fearing Gilju may be the first to fall.”

“…Indeed. Insight worthy of the leader of Gangseo’s Greatest Power. I am genuinely impressed.”

“But?”

“Let me speak plainly. My sect, backed as it is by the Blood Slaughter Union, has no reason to fear a rabble like the Baek Clan.”

There was truth to his words. Following the Blood Slaughter, Honam had become the Blood Slaughter Union’s domain, with its stronghold in Guizhou. What was more, the Hengshan Sect stood as one of its chief pillars.

“Which is exactly why I say set aside empty bravado and address what matters. Before this meeting ends, we shall stand together. The Baek Clan, bolstered by the Namgung, poses a genuine threat—we cannot stand idly by while they profit at our expense. You know it, and I know it. So let us waste no more time.”

“Understood. As you say, Black Whale Gang Leader.”

Having at last received a straightforward answer, the Black Whale Gang Leader let out a frustrated sigh. This was precisely why negotiations with members of the Hengshan Sect were so trying—every exchange frayed the nerves.

“My Wenzhou. Your Gilju. Whichever the Baek Clan strikes first, we stand united to repel them.”

“Agreed. Yet why merely defend? The best defense has always been a strong offense, is it not?”

The Black Whale Gang Leader did not reply at once; instead, he met Hengshan Yin Blood’s gaze.

*Proposing we take the fight to them, is he?*

Attack was always far more costly than defense. If the goal was to repel an invasion, there was no need to assume the offensive. For him to suggest otherwise meant there was some hidden motive.

“Even a mangy dog will bite fiercely when cornered on its own ground. Why should we venture out to attack?”

“Scarcely words one expects from the Black Whale Gang Leader—how amusing. Or does it trouble you that my sect and Honam’s forces would march into Gangseo?”

“Not at all. We shall do as you propose.”

“Ah?”

“You look surprised. I am agreeing to your suggestion—why so wary?”

For a moment, Hengshan Yin Blood and the Black Whale Gang Leader sat in silence, each studying the other. And the same thought crossed both their minds.

*He has designs of his own.*
*He holds something in reserve.*

“Very well. We shall take the offensive.”

“Then we are in full accord—excellent.”

The two clasped hands, matching sinister smiles on their faces. They had each spent decades navigating the treacherous, plot-ridden paths of the unorthodox world; neither placed full trust even in an ally.

—

“We must not be the first to take up arms, under any circumstances. Our clan shall wait for the enemy to show their hand.”

The declaration rang out within the Baek Clan’s council chamber.

Baek Mu-ryang responded to Baek Yang-hui’s words.

“Yang-hui, to present such a proposal without warning will only serve to confuse the others.”

The council gathered the most influential figures of the Baek Clan to deliberate and plan ahead. Yet today, two unexpected guests were in attendance: the Lord of the Heavenly Covering Martial Hall and the Lord of the Jeongwol Pavilion—formerly the Lord of the Namsan Martial Hall and the Lord of Jeongwol Gate.

“Speaking of which, allow me once more to express my profound gratitude to you both.”

“There is no need, Clan Leader.”

“Please speak with us more freely, Clan Leader.”

The reason the former Jeongwol Gate Lord now sat as Jeongwol Pavilion Lord, alongside the invited Lord of the Heavenly Covering Martial Hall, was straightforward.

“There was no fitting way to repay the Young Master for the great kindness shown to our order.”

Following the recent banquet, Yang-hui had successfully brought Jeongwol Gate entirely within the Baek Clan fold. It was the fruit of having offered the Moon Ripple Fist Method—the signature technique of Jeongwol Gate—along with refinements and countermeasures he had devised from his past life, recalled in perfect detail.

“Jeongwol Gate has always pursued the advancement of martial arts above all else. We value the way of the fist above the survival of our sect; joining the Baek Clan was simply remaining true to that principle—do not concern yourself on our account.”

Baek Mu-ryang did not press the matter further. He bowed once more to the Lord of the Heavenly Covering Martial Hall and the Jeongwol Pavilion Lord before resuming the session.

“Yang-hui, would you care to explain your earlier statement?”

“Certainly, Clan Leader.”

He stepped forward to stand before the large wooden map displayed at the room’s center, which detailed western Gangseo and eastern Honam.

“All here are familiar with the broader situation, so I shall not repeat it. There are three core reasons we must not strike first.”

“First: the choice of battlefield carries as much weight as the fighting itself. To spare the common people suffering, meeting the enemy on their own soil would seem preferable.”

“Second: true to their nature, these unorthodox factions will strike without warning or declaration. Seizing the initiative and dictating the terms of engagement would therefore appear to favor an offensive.”

“And third: the longer this is drawn out, the worse it becomes for our clan.”

Confusion rippled through those assembled. Baek Mu-ryang spoke for them all.

“Yang-hui, you urge us to wait for the enemy to move. Yet all three points you have raised suggest the opposite.”

“Young Master, if we seek to choose the battleground and seize the initiative, should we not be the first to advance?”

“The third reason, too, would seem to support immediate action. Our clan’s structure remains fragile after absorbing new forces; unity against an external foe is needed to bind us together.”

He nodded quietly as opinions were voiced.

“You are correct—under ordinary circumstances, we ought to march at once. That is precisely why we must not.”

“Upon what do you base this?”

“Please explain your reasoning, Young Master.”

Before laying out his full argument, he thought back to his conversation with the young scholar from Nanchang.

*That boy, young though he may be, has conceived a truly brilliant stratagem.*

The scholar was a born tactician, a prodigy of letters capable of discourse on affairs of the whole realm. He lacked experience, yet given the facts and parameters, he had devised the optimal course of action.

“We shall feign an advance, yet halt firmly at the border! Thus we secure every advantage of striking first, while also reaping the benefits of letting the enemy commit themselves.”

*I, too, once believed a straightforward offensive was the surest path to victory with the least risk.*

He had drawn plans accordingly—until he heard the scholar’s proposal, at which point he had immediately revised them.

“Before going into further detail, I request that the heir of the Tang Clan and the young leader of the Namgung Clan join us.”

“Quite right—coordination with them is essential from the outset. I shall send for them at once.”

Shortly thereafter, Dang Gun and Namgung Cheon-hu entered the chamber. Yang-hui briefly summarized the discussion before turning his gaze toward Namgung Cheon-hu.

“We are weighing the merits of striking first or awaiting attack in our campaign to remove the unorthodox presence from Gangseo. I would value the esteemed perspective of the young Namgung leader.”

*Come now, let us hear a portion of your true design, Namgung Cheon-hu.*

He waited with quiet anticipation—yet no strategy was offered.

“In this campaign to purge the unorthodox, our Namgung Clan plays a supporting role, not the lead. We have come only to lend aid to the Heaven-Covering Alliance proclaimed by the Baek Clan—do as you see fit.”

The reply was compliant, yet entirely devoid of substance; his true intent remained impossible to discern.

Yet…

*Ah—one possibility may now be ruled out.*

To offer counsel in council and see one’s plan succeed was to earn credit and influence. To show no interest in such gain was to have no designs on authority once the conflict ended.

In other words…

*This man does not wish for our campaign to succeed.*

If that were indeed the case, he already knew how to respond.

With that, Yang-hui began to speak.