Chapter 355
What is a political meeting?
When an incident arises that could significantly shake the Murim Alliance, often referred to as the center of the righteous sect, it can be said that this is a meeting convened to address the situation.
The four great families that support the Murim Alliance are the pillars of this organization. Along with numerous other renowned clans spread across the area, there also exist colossal commercial groups that are funding and revitalizing the cities.
The leaders of these remarkable groups, whose mere mention is enough to drop jaws in disbelief, gather in one place to deliberate.
At the very least, they will discuss how to handle this incident. At the most, they will even consider the very existence of the Murim Alliance.
From my perspective, this incident is certainly of a magnitude that warrants a meeting, so one is sure to be held.
If that is the case, it is obvious that high-ranking individuals will flock to Hanam.
I’m not certain if it will be held there, but I have a strong feeling it will.
Of course, just because a meeting is convened, it does not mean they are obligated to attend.
‘I wonder whether he will actually show up?’
This is a gathering of the main figures of the righteous sect. Whatever topic arises in their discussions will carry significant weight. Simply being present would serve as a testament to one’s accomplishments and fame.
These are individuals who regard their pride as more vital than their very lives, so they will undoubtedly show.
Even regarding this incident, it seems like it’s personally crucial for them:
‘The safety of my children is at stake…’
I can imagine they would attend just to vent their frustrations. This part, I can somewhat understand.
However, I could hardly wrap my head around what Moyong Hi-ah had just uttered.
“…What do you mean by saying let’s run away?”
Her father, Moyong Tae—the head of the Moyong Clan and known as the Baekcheon Sword Master—was a formidable figure who once contested with Namgung Jin over the title of Sword King. Back in his prime, he was recognized as one of the most talented swordsmen with remarkable skills, but after marrying and giving birth to Moyong Hi-ah, he has somewhat fallen behind.
Regardless of his martial prowess, it was evident that he was the head of the Moyong Clan. If a meeting were to be held, he would certainly attend.
‘So, he wants to run away?’
That statement made zero sense.
What connection does Moyong Hi-ah’s father attending have with running away?
“What? Is Lord Moyong planning to kill me or something?”
It was such a peculiar thing to say that it slipped out as a joke.
And then…
“Yes.”
“…what?”
She nods, confirming it!
What on earth did she just say?!
“…Wait, what do you mean?”
Baekcheon Sword Master might actually target me?
As I squinted my eyes in disbelief, Moyong Hi-ah averted her gaze and then spoke.
“…Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit…”
From the way she brushed down her arm with one hand, it certainly seemed like it was a rather awkward topic for her.
“My father really holds a strong affection for me.”
With her ears flushed scarlet, Moyong Hi-ah confessed this.
Just how embarrassing is this story, I wondered.
‘But isn’t this common knowledge?’
It was such a famous narrative that it didn’t even require contemplation.
Moyong Tae’s exceptional devotion to his daughter is well-known. The reason he has lagged behind his peers is attributed to it. This is also the reason the Moyong Clan, as a martial family, has the smallest stature among the four major families.
In some ways, you could say it all traces back to Moyong Hi-ah.
“Anyway?”
That’s all fine. But that doesn’t provide me any context to perceive this differently.
“Our relationship with the Confucius… is quite unusual, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Unusual? It feels fairly ordinary to me…”
“Just, could you please keep your mouth shut for the time being?”
“…Uh, okay.”
I had no choice but to zip it at the ominous tone of her voice.
Speaking of our relationship, to be honest, it’s not your run-of-the-mill connection.
I supply my energy to her at scheduled intervals, primarily to cure what ails her constitution.
Once I realized that my energy could alleviate her circulation issues, this arrangement has persisted for several years.
Her condition is such that the cold aura progressively freezes her body. While I can stifle it with my energy to some extent, there are times during my martial arts practice when the chill bursts forth unexpectedly.
Because of that, by the time my warmth seeped into her body to negate that cold air, Moyong Hi-ah had entirely ceased her martial training.
It’s been like that for several years now.
This could be a somewhat critical situation for a martial artist, but Moyong Hi-ah doesn’t seem overly concerned about it. In fact, her treatment has been going quite smoothly.
Initially, I used to give her energy every few days, but as time progressed, the frequency settled to about once a month, proving to be sufficient, which definitely indicates it’s effective.
‘Ah, could that be the issue?’
It would undoubtedly raise alarm bells for a caring father to learn that some dubious character is sharing his daughter’s energy supply.
In the eyes of a doting father, such a scenario wouldn’t exactly invoke tranquility.
But there’s something a tad off.
“Didn’t you get permission for this in the first place?”
“Excuse me?”
What I’m implying is whether this exchange of my energy for therapeutic purposes wasn’t already negotiated with the Moyong Clan.
In fact, I had received quite valuable goods and trading rights in return.
There was a visit from an elder of the Moyong Clan, after all.
From that point on, several Moyong Clan merchants took root in Shanxi, making the area quite lively.
Such an event could hardly take place without the nod from the family head.
“…Well, the thing is.”
I could see Moyong Hi-ah lowering her gaze after hearing my point.
What’s with that reaction?
“So, did you… do something?”
“Not exactly, I didn’t do anything specific.”
That’s a rare expression on her face.
Seeing Moyong Hi-ah fumbling for excuses is indeed a rarity.
She, instead of making excuses, is probably looking for an escape route.
Just before that, she wouldn’t make a scene that would warrant her to make excuses in the first place.
“…You know, Confucius.”
With that expression, one could safely say it’s incredibly rare.
At the very least, it’s a face I never witnessed in my past life.
“Speak.”
“Living life means making mistakes sometimes, right?”
While it sounds valid, it’s also the most erroneous statement one could expect from Moyong Hi-ah.
Upon hearing that, I retorted, “Someone once said that as long as you prepare adequately to avoid mistakes, you’ll be fine. And if you can’t manage that, then don’t start something.”
“Who said that? How can someone be so arrogant and selfish? Did they receive their education incorrectly? Are they utterly devoid of empathy? That’s frightening.”
“….”
As she delivered those words, pinching her expression as if to ask how one could be so foolish, I felt compelled to let out a sigh inside.
That phrase was something Seolbong said to me in my past life after I had made a blunder while hunting monsters.
“So, what mistake did I commit?”
What did I do to provoke Baekcheon Sword Master to the extent that he might want to kill me on sight?
Hesitating for a moment after hearing my question, Moyong Hi-ah finally found her words.
“Maybe you don’t know, but there was a deal that was agreed to be set with the Gu family that was… a little more than we originally planned to pay.”
“Huh?”
“For instance, arranging for a merchant group in Shanxi felt somewhat coerced, although it did eventually come to fruition.”
True enough, Shanxi isn’t historically a bustling area.
Comparing it to the nearby Anhui or Hanam, placing a merchant group in Shanxi seems inherently disadvantageous.
It was a loss for the Moyong Clan.
I thought about what I was witnessing and figured, “Treatment must mean quite a lot.” Perhaps the reality had some differences?
“Most likely, I think what I said was the crux of the issue.”
“Huh?”
“My father… really dislikes the idea of me giving my body to another man.”
“Well, I can understand that…”
“Especially since he mentioned he could never allow such a thing for someone who already has a fiancé. As such, I found myself in quite a bind.”
Huh?
That sounds a bit odd.
“So, what did I say? Your Majesty has a fiancé, but his heart truly already lies with me… and he intends to break off the engagement later on, to become engaged to me!”
Wait, what?
“So wouldn’t it be prudent to treat him as a son-in-law beforehand without any worries?”
“…What was that again?”
“I guess he found it okay, and he agreed to my stubbornness. Such lucky circumstances, huh? Things have turned out well somehow.”
As Moyong Hi-ah expressed her thoughts, she still avoided my gaze. It appeared she was acutely aware of how ridiculous her own statements sounded.
Right now, what she’s essentially saying is that to the Baekcheon Sword Master, I might be perceived as someone engaged to the Namgung Clan while in my heart, I’m devoted to Moyong Hi-ah.
Translating that means I’m set to break off my engagement and get engaged to the Moyong Clan instead!
“Why did the narrative… twist like that?”
Just hearing it makes my head reel.
How did things spiral out of control?
“I’ve told you once already.”
When I asked about such a bewildering situation, Moyong Hi-ah simply said, “As you live, people can make mistakes…”
Is that what you call reasoning?
Without replying to Moyong Hi-ah’s words, I simply fixed my gaze upon her.
Noticing my stare, Moyong Hi-ah retained her bow while the awkward silence lingered.
If she’s the sharp-witted Moyong Hi-ah I know, she must have already known what to say by now.
But her unwillingness to speak up was likely driven by pride.
After a few more seconds ticked by.
Unable to withstand the tension any longer, she finally uttered, “…I’m sorry.”
Upon hearing Moyong Hi-ah’s apology, I nodded lightly.
Though she worked hard to pile on her pride, if she doesn’t vent it out like this, she’ll collapse quicker than I have anticipated.
From the beginning, Moyong Hi-ah must have built the words up just to express that.
Not entirely sure, but that’s the impression I gathered of her so far.
‘The situation is… such.’
From Baekcheon Sword Master’s viewpoint.
I, believed to be a potential son-in-law, am not what they expect.
My engagement with the Namgung Clan remains intact, and here I am, embroiled with not just him but also his daughter, Moyong Hi-ah.
In such a convoluted scenario, it would seem I keep pouring out energy while also touching her awkwardly.
Oh…
‘This warrants a death sentence, doesn’t it?’
I’ve never given birth, so I can’t fully grasp the implications.
Yet, if we contemplate it from the Baekcheon Sword Master’s standpoint, it wouldn’t be an odd thought that he might want my head.
It might even be a satisfaction for him to chop me down and fire me up to ash.
‘…Not good.’
This is truly not good.
I can somewhat comprehend why Moyong Hi-ah proposed to run away.
The dire issue here is that running away is utterly off the table.
Actually, running might even paint a clearer picture for the Baekcheon Sword Master.
At first glance, it would seem like a dramatic escape fueled by romance, so then the Baekcheon Sword Master might…
“…?”
As my mind raced with thoughts, I quickly turned to Moyong Hi-ah.
Moyong Hi-ah shuddered slightly as she felt my gaze upon her again.
Seeing her react like that implies that she had caught on to my line of thought.
“…You.”
“Oh, it’s hot. It really is a scorcher today, isn’t it, Your Majesty?”
In the midst of spring weather that still bore remnants of winter.
Moyong Hi-ah, cold by constitution, claims to feel hot.
That’s a hard one to believe!
“Ha.”
Seeing that reaction made me chuckle.
Thank heavens things unfolded this way. If our relationship mirrored the previous life, Moyong Hi-ah might have just been a never-ending source of hassle for me.
With that thought, I unconsciously glanced up at the sky.
‘Whether it’s Baekcheon Sword Master or the political meeting… what on earth should be dealt with first?’
The black mist that envelops the area around us.
I need to break that to progress with my plans.
I have no inclination regarding how to clear it away.
‘I think I dealt some damage when I minimized myself.’
I naïvely thought back to when I reached Hwagyeong and wielded Jeokcheon.
At that moment, it did leave a few scratches, but eventually, it hurriedly reverted back to its original form. It seems like a troublesome power.
‘There must be another way to handle it.’
It appears brute force won’t cut it, thus I must find a way to dispel it.
The Black Dragon Sword, suspected to be the caster of the spell, is likely trapped somewhere.
Should I set out to find them?
“…Your Majesty.”
‘If this state persists, even torture won’t so much as make a dent…’
“Confucius…!”
“Huh?”
While I was preoccupied with deliberating what to do, Moyong Hi-ah suddenly shook me by the shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look over there!”
Curious about what had caught her attention, I turned my gaze to where she pointed.
And then…
“…What?”
Crack, crack, crack!
A strange occurrence was taking place within the black mist.
This was something entirely different from when I was exerting my energy to smash through it.
It was significantly quicker!
It took little time to comprehend the implications of this.
This meant the curtain was indeed vanishing.
A dark space crafted behind the Shinryonggwan.
A shadowy void that allows not a single beam of light to break through feels exceedingly unnatural.
This was neither an underground passage nor within the walls of the building.
The black curtain that had engulfed the sky around the Shinryonggwan until moments before was of a similar essence to this area.
Grrr…
Within it lay a person, barely hanging onto their senses and only able to groan.
It was the old man dubbed the Black Dragon Sword.
“Huff… Huff…”
Gone was the monstrous visage that spewed forth tendrils.
The old man had reverted to his original human form.
One thing, he found himself unable to move freely.
Although both his arms and legs were unshackled, the Black Dragon Sword appeared uneasy, as if bound by an invisible force.
And standing before him, a figure who had been observing the scene approached and knelt down.
Upon recognizing the person who drew near, the Black Dragon Sword gritted his teeth in agitation, letting out a growl.
“You… you…”
“I have a question.”
Undeterred by the black murderous intent radiating from the Black Dragon Sword, the man continued questioning.
“Who is behind you?”
“You pest… You vile wretch! Argh!”
The scream, infused with a will to survive, was unusually deep and booming.
That was precisely due to the intensity of emotion flowing through it.
The man, however—no, the Dark King—treated the voice with complete boredom.
Having heard it innumerable times, it now rendered any sense of thrill as obsolete.
His gaze bore deep, emotionless qualms.
The Dark King regarded the Black Dragon Sword thus.
“I already know the answer, but I ask for confirmation. Please respond.”
“…How could you betray me? Have you forgotten about our agreement?”
The Dark King tilted his head slightly at the Black Dragon Sword’s outburst.
An agreement?
“You proclaimed that you would never betray your clients, but is that a jest?”
As he spoke, the Dark King raised his arm.
Etched on his flesh was a mark symbolizing a contract.
The area surrounding it began to rot in tandem.
An unbearable stench erupted forth.
Moreover, given the consequences of the contract’s influence, the pain must be unbearable.
Yet, the Dark King made no sound of protest.
“I never betray my clients…”
Such a belief is one reason the All-Night Assassin Squad is famed.
Once you take on a request, it will never meet with failure.
An unspoken code of never betraying the client exists.
“That’s absurd…”
The Dark King was far from pleased with such a notion.
“Being that everyone who could spread the word about it was killed from the get-go, I must say, your perception is more naive than I gave you credit for.”
“…What?”
“What’s more, I was never inclined to heed your words in the first place.”
Crack.
Thud.
As he conveyed this, the Dark King casually drew a finger across his arm.
In that instant, the arm having the mark inscribed met its fate, lopped off, landing with a dull thud on the ground.
“You…”
“I sense answering with difficulty, so let’s shift to another question.”
Lopping off his arm was regarded with such indifference, the Dark King’s expression remained unchanged.
With that very expression, he interrogated the Black Dragon Sword anew.
“Is the one behind you the master of Taecheon?”
To the quietly posed query, the Black Dragon Sword bit down hard on his fresh wound.
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