“Grand Strategist, I am not sure what you mean by that question.”
Though Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi had flinched, he asked back calmly. Grand Strategist Sagong Ui said in an even voice,
“I am aware that Hidden Moon Forest acted because it was tempted by the Alliance of the Demonic Path’s public commission, but it seems to me they overreached.”
“......!”
“I was wondering whether the matter was truly worth risking our Martial Alliance’s retaliation. That is why I asked for your opinion, Right Military Strategist.”
Baek Ri-gi, relieved inwardly, quietly asked in return,
“Grand Strategist, would one million gold not be reason enough to take such a risk......?”
“One million gold is indeed a great deal.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded, then continued.
“To place as much as one million gold on a public commission... It seems the Alliance of the Demonic Path is quite furious with Taoist Kwak.”
“They would be furious, yes, but I imagine the damage to their face had more to do with it. Their Special Kill Squad was annihilated by Taoist Kwak alone. And since our Alliance stepped in and had them make an agreement with the Wudang Sect, the Alliance of the Demonic Path was left with no other means, was it not?”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui readily accepted that.
“That would be true.”
He himself had been the one to lead the agreement between the Wudang Sect and the Alliance of the Demonic Path.
“Hah. It seems I underestimated the Alliance of the Demonic Path’s obsession. I thought that once the agreement was made, the dispute would settle down.”
“I do not think this is something you need to blame yourself for, Grand Strategist. Taoist Kwak’s methods were somewhat excessive as well.”
SWISH!
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui lightly waved his crane-feather fan and said,
“You must be busy, Right Military Strategist. I have kept you here too long.”
“I will take my leave, then.”
After leaving the Grand Strategist’s hall, Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi’s expression darkened.
He was beginning to tire of constantly having to be careful in front of the keen-minded Grand Strategist.
The great work had reached its final stage, and there was not much time left, but that only made it weigh on his mind more.
STEP! STEP!
As Baek Ri-gi walked down the marble corridor leading to the Right Military Strategist’s hall, he noticed people entering the courtyard of the Strategists’ Office.
“......!”
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi recognized the three people following behind the gate guard at once.
The burly beggar and the young, beautiful woman did not even enter his eyes.
Baek Ri-gi’s gaze fixed as if nailed to the handsome young man in pale gray martial robes.
The Cave Hermit Taoist.
That a rising master who had reached the middle level of the Flower Realm at a terrifying speed should happen to come from Mount Wudang of all places.
CRACK!
As Baek Ri-gi glared at the Cave Hermit Taoist, both his fists clenched tight of their own accord.
Time itself is poison!
The moment Baek Ri-gi realized he was clenching his fists, he also realized there was no longer any reason to delay his answer to Hidden Shadow.
*****
“Grand Strategist, Hu Gae of the Beggar Clan greets you.”
Sagong Ui received Hu Gae’s cupped-fist bow and returned it.
“Hu Gae, welcome. Ever since I received word from Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu, I have been waiting to see when you would arrive.”
“There was a small matter on the way while we were hurrying here, so we were delayed despite ourselves.”
“I received a report that you and your companions suffered some difficulties. I am sorry you had to go through such hardship within the Martial Alliance’s territory. And......”
Sagong Ui turned his gaze toward Kwak Yeon and said,
“I also heard that Taoist Kwak risked himself in righteous sacrifice and saved the people of Aju. I am deeply grateful.”
Kwak Yeon cupped his fist and bent at the waist.
“Kwak Yeon, resident Taoist of Samryeong Palace on Mount Wudang, greets you. And I merely did what a martial artist ought to do, so please withdraw your thanks, Grand Strategist.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui also clasped his crane-feather fan and returned the greeting.
“I am Sagong Ui, in charge of the Martial Alliance’s Strategists’ Office. In any case, as a member of the Martial Alliance, it is only natural that I should thank you. Do not decline it, Taoist Kwak.”
Seeing Sagong Ui, already gray with age, use respectful speech toward someone far too young even to be his son, Kwak Yeon could sense the Grand Strategist’s character.
Perhaps because of that, even though this was his first meeting with Grand Strategist Sagong Ui, he felt at ease.
“Young lady, you must be Heroine Jin of Reed-Blossom Gate.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui looked at Jin Cheongha and smiled.
“Jin Cheongha of Reed-Blossom Gate is infinitely honored to meet you, Grand Strategist.”
“Hoho, what honor is there in seeing a mere scholar returned to the countryside? In any case, Heroine Jin, it is good to meet you.”
Once the greetings with the party were finished, Hu Gae said,
“Grand Strategist, I originally came to see my grand-martial uncle of the Jadeite Pavilion first, but he happened to be absent, so I had no choice but to trouble you.”
“Of course I know that Elder Begs-for-All, Lord of the Jadeite Pavilion, is away. And this is no trouble at all. More than that, is our Alliance not the side that asked the Beggar Clan for help? It is only proper that I, as Grand Strategist, receive you, Hu Gae.”
Hu Gae straightened his expression and said,
“In truth, even if my grand-martial uncle had been here, I would have come to see you immediately, Grand Strategist. There is news I must deliver as quickly as possible, even by a quarter-hour.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui saw Hu Gae’s grave expression and grasped that this was no ordinary news.
“If it is that urgent, yet you could not send it by carrier pigeon or messenger, it must be truly important.”
“It is. Grand Strategist, I would like you to clear the area around the hall.”
“Very well.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui readily nodded and addressed the scholars and guards inside the hall.
“All of you, withdraw. And make sure there is no one within thirty jang in every direction of this hall.”
Watching the scholars and guards busily leave the hall at the Grand Strategist’s order, Jin Cheongha carefully said to Hu Gae,
“Sub-Branch Master, if this is such an important matter, I will withdraw as well.”
Just as Hu Gae was about to nod for her to do so, Kwak Yeon abruptly spoke.
“Lady Jin, we are still traveling together. This is news we brought together as companions, so you have the right to hear it as well.”
Seeing Kwak Yeon give him a slight nod, Hu Gae said to Jin Cheongha,
“This is something it would be good for you to know as well, Lady Jin. Stay here with us.”
Hu Gae said it would be good for Jin Cheongha to know because he intended to recommend her as an agent of the Jadeite Pavilion, which his grand-martial uncle Elder Begs-for-All commanded.
Seeing Hu Gae and Kwak Yeon treat her like one of their own, Jin Cheongha felt happy, yet also troubled.
SWISH!
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui had been silently watching the three of them speak. He lightly waved his crane-feather fan and said,
“Hu Gae, it seems the surroundings have now been cleared. Tell me.”
“Understood. Ahem.”
Hu Gae cleared his throat once, then began speaking about their encounter with the madmen at Huayang Temple.
Only Hu Gae’s voice echoed for a long while through the silent Grand Strategist’s hall. At last, a sigh escaped Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s lips.
“Madmen who rise back up from the brink of death......!”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s expression had grown deeply clouded.
“That is certainly a great evil art.”
“Grand Strategist, the level of inner power they possessed, far beyond their martial skill, could not be ignored either.”
At Hu Gae’s added words, Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s expression darkened even further.
“Then it is an even more troublesome evil art to face.”
SWISH! SWISH!
For the first time, Grand Strategist Sagong Ui waved his crane-feather fan several times in succession and let out a low sigh.
“Hah! This is truly astonishing. I had never heard that the Demonic Eight Divisions possessed such a great evil art aside from the demonic arts that explode one’s origin true qi.”
Kwak Yeon, who had only been listening until now, suddenly spoke.
“Grand Strategist, in my judgment, that great evil art does not seem to belong to the Demonic Eight Divisions.”
“Taoist Kwak, what makes you think so?”
“The great demon who was acting as abbot of Huayang Temple, the Blood-Chant Demon Monk, had not received that great evil art himself. He also showed clear signs of fearing it. My thought is that if that great evil art had originally belonged to the Demonic Eight Divisions, he would not have reacted so strongly.”
“That makes sense.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui readily nodded and continued.
“In any case, Hu Gae and Taoist Kwak, you have brought truly important information. If we had marched out without the slightest knowledge of such a thing, we would have suffered a terrible setback. I am sincerely grateful to both of you.”
Hu Gae quickly said,
“Grand Strategist, we merely came to know of it by chance, so I must decline such praise.”
“By chance, is it......?”
SWISH!
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui waved his crane-feather fan and continued.
“I will take it that way. How you came by it is not important.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded readily and rose from his seat.
“Hu Gae, as you said, this news is urgent, so I must leave now. I have to inform the Alliance Leader at once and discuss countermeasures.”
“Understood.”
Hu Gae bowed his head respectfully and said,
“This little beggar will go with his companions to the Jadeite Pavilion and wait for my grand-martial uncle.”
“Hu Gae, you cannot simply wait indefinitely in the busy Jadeite Pavilion for the Pavilion Lord, not knowing when he will arrive. I will have one guest residence inside the inner fortress cleared, so unpack there first.”
“Grand Strategist, thank you for your consideration.”
“The Alliance Leader may call for you, so I would like you not to go far.”
After ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) leaving the Grand Strategist’s hall, the three were soon guided by a guard toward the guest residence.
The guest residence, which stood beside the high wall of the Strategists’ Office, was an extremely splendid detached annex.
Judging by the small pond, artificial hill, and well-kept garden, it seemed to be lodging prepared for especially honored guests.
“Now this is proper treatment for special envoys.”
Hu Gae did not hide his satisfied expression as he continued.
“That means the information was worth that much.”
Hu Gae was shrugging his shoulders while looking here and there around the guest residence when he suddenly smacked his palm against his forehead.
SMACK!
“Aigoo! Look at this damned head of mine!”
“......?”
“......?”
When Kwak Yeon and Jin Cheongha looked at him, Hu Gae said with an embarrassed expression,
“I forgot that as soon as I arrived at the Martial Alliance, I was supposed to send a transmitted message to that old—no, to my master.”
WHOOSH!
Hu Gae ran all the way to the front gate of the guest residence in a single breath and shouted toward Kwak Yeon.
“Brother Kwak, while I’m going to the Jadeite Pavilion, I may end up very, very late if I start training the Beggar Clan members dispatched here. So...... don’t wait for me.”
“......!”
Just as Kwak Yeon furrowed his brow, Hu Gae flashed a meaningful smile and had already vanished beyond the gate.
In truth, Hu Gae had been entrusted with overall command of the Beggar Clan members sent to support the Martial Alliance, so he was not in a position to be idle.
After the two of them were left alone in the large guest residence, some time passed before Jin Cheongha broke the heavy silence.
“Taoist Kwak, why did you not tell me about that?”
“What do you mean?”
When Kwak Yeon asked back with an ordinary expression, Jin Cheongha bit her lip lightly, then said,
“Huayang Temple. The story about those madmen from the Gathering Demons Division.”
Kwak Yeon realized that Jin Cheongha had decided to open the bolt on her heart, and he answered frankly.
“I thought telling that story would do neither of us any good.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“I mean I held back because, to Lady Jin—no, to the Young Castle Lord—that story would have sounded like pressure to reveal what happened at Ghost Night Castle.”
“So you were waiting for me to speak first?”
Kwak Yeon readily nodded.
“Did I not say I would wait until the Young Castle Lord wished to speak?”
“......You did.”
He had told her to speak then, if she decided she could trust him.
As Jin Cheongha nodded, her long eyelashes trembled faintly.
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