Chapter 13

The sixtieth-birthday banquet had been planned to last an entire week.

Instead, it ended on the second day.

Guests who had traveled from distant regions complained that they had barely enjoyed themselves, but none dared voice their anger openly.

After the incident, the atmosphere within the Iron Sword Sect had become so grim that even the most dissatisfied guests kept quiet.

Many important figures had attended the banquet, yet Seong Cheon-wol did not come out to see any of them off.

The Iron Sword Sect Leader had locked himself away, while Seong Mo-hyeon had been thrown into prison.

“He learned the Great Star-Absorbing Art! I am telling you, he definitely learned it!”

Seong Mo-hyeon continued shouting about the forbidden art like a madman.

Even the servants who brought him food only glared at him with resentment.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a room different from the guest quarters assigned to the Taeul Sect.

‘Where am I?’

The silk robes beside the bed could not belong to Father or Kang Chae-seok.

Even if they could afford such clothing, their bear-like bodies would never fit into it.

“You are awake.”

“Who are you?”

The man’s expression hardened.

“Is that question meant to test me, or are you mocking me?”

His voice grew cold.

“Whatever your intention, I find it unpleasant.”

“……”

“Is silence all you have to offer the man who helped with that ridiculous performance of yours? And after all your talk about righteousness.”

As expected, Jegal So-myeong had seen through everything.

The Taeul Heart Method was extraordinarily pure.

Although Seong Cheon-wol had recklessly disturbed my meridians, it had not been enough to cause any serious internal injuries.

“I was discourteous, Grand Strategist.”

“Enough. Sit down.”

Jegal So-myeong appeared buried beneath a mountain of delayed work.

He continued reading documents, signing some and placing others aside.

My throat felt dry, so I poured myself a cup of tea.

“The wound inside your mouth was rather severe. Should I have someone bring you water instead?”

“Ahem…… I-I am fine.”

I had not suffered any internal injuries.

To make myself vomit blood for dramatic effect, however, I had torn open the inside of my mouth.

For a while, I probably would not even be able to tolerate the smell of spicy food.

“You knew?”

“I became certain after examining your body. Still, I was surprised that you had suffered no internal damage.”

Jegal So-myeong studied me carefully.

“Does the Taeul Sect possess such an exceptional cultivation method?”

“It is the Taeul Heart Method, the foundation of our sect.”

“The Taeul Heart Method should not be capable of producing that much internal energy.”

That was not a question I needed to answer.

What mattered was why Jegal So-myeong had hidden the truth from Seong Cheon-wol.

If the wound inside my mouth had confirmed his suspicions, then he must have already guessed the truth before examining me.

He could have stepped away from the situation much earlier.

Instead, he had chosen to support my scheme.

“……”

Jegal So-myeong finished writing one document, picked up another, and either signed it or rolled it back up.

“How early did you begin planning all of this?”

“What do you mean?”

“At the banquet the night before? Or only after Seong Mo-hyeon accused you of practicing a forbidden art?”

“……I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“You are wasting both our time.”

Jegal So-myeong looked up from the document in his hands.

“Must I remind you how serious it was to drag the Murim Alliance into your performance by deliberately invoking the Execution Pavilion?”

Only then did I understand why Jegal So-myeong had knowingly gone along with my deception.

He had joined the game because he found the situation I had created interesting.

Jegal Cheon-gi had once told me that brilliant minds were naturally drawn to anything clever or unexpected.

Perhaps I could gain something from the Grand Strategist as well.

“I still have no idea what you are talking about.”

“……Must I truly bring out a whip?”

“I have always heard that silver works better than a whip when one wishes to loosen another man’s tongue.”

Jegal So-myeong stared at me in disbelief before placing the Ninefold Sword on the table.

“I heard you initially refused when Seong Mo-ran invited you to the gathering.”

It seemed he had investigated the entire incident.

“The Iron Sword Sect Leader also promised me three Iron Heart Pills. Has that agreement somehow vanished?”

“Heh heh.”

Jegal So-myeong reached into his robes and took out a small wooden box.

I immediately opened it and confirmed that three Iron Heart Pills were inside.

“……Are you truly checking them in front of me?”

“It is always best to make certain.”

Jegal So-myeong looked as though he could not believe how shameless I was.

“It began the moment I heard the Iron Sword Sect had used the Gyeryong Merchant Guild to summon the Taeul Sect.”

“What?”

“If they merely wished to invite us as friends, they could have sent a proper invitation.”

I closed the wooden box.

“Instead, they used the Gyeryong Merchant Guild—the faction with the greatest influence over the Taeul Sect—to force us to attend.”

I looked directly at him.

“Why would they go to such lengths unless they were planning something?”

“Huh……”

I answered honestly, using only what I could reasonably have known without revealing my previous life.

There was no point trying to deceive the Grand Strategist. One careless lie could expose everything.

“Then did you know Seong Mo-hyeon would accuse you of practicing a forbidden art? And how did you make him believe it?”

“Which question are you asking?”

“Both.”

“Then the exchange is unfair.”

“What exchange?”

Jegal So-myeong frowned.

“Without my intervention, you would never have obtained the Ninefold Sword or the Iron Heart Pills. You might even have lost your life.”

“And in return, the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance would have been condemned throughout Jianghu for years.”

I met his gaze.

“The Iron Sword Sect would never again have dared to oppress the Taeul Sect or try to steal our place among the One Hundred Eight Peaks.”

“Regardless, the matter ended this favorably only because I intervened.”

“Grand Strategist, you failed to do what should have been done from the beginning. You acted only after the situation had already spiraled out of control.”

I shook my head.

“That can hardly be called helping me.”

“You are saying I failed in my duty?”

“The Taeul Sect was being unjustly oppressed. Yet instead of deciding who was right and who was wrong, you were calculating which side would be more useful to the Murim Alliance.”

“……That is part of my duty.”

“Exactly.”

I leaned back slightly.

“That means you did not help me, and I owe you nothing. If I answered every question you asked, this exchange would be completely one-sided.”

For the first time, Jegal So-myeong’s mouth fell open.

“Throughout Jianghu, people are willing to wait for days with ten thousand gold merely for fifteen minutes of my time.”

He stared at me in disbelief.

“You have been given such an opportunity in exchange for a few answers, yet you still refuse?”

“Do those people not seek you out because they expect to gain something worth more than ten thousand gold?”

“Ha! Are you saying you have nothing to gain from me?”

“The Taeul Sect accepted Gye Cheol-yeong as a disciple merely so we could eat three meals a day instead of two.”

I gave him a faint smile.

“What could a poor sect like ours possibly gain from joining hands with the Grand Strategist?”

“Huh……”

His displeasure was obvious.

But if I never had to see him again, why should I care whether some powerful old man disliked me?

Even if I later joined the Murim Alliance, someone of my low rank would rarely have the chance to meet a high-ranking figure from Mantongbu.

“Today may be the last time we ever meet, Grand Strategist.”

“……”

“If you have nothing else to say, I will take my leave.”

“……Answer one question. Did you know Seong Mo-hyeon would accuse you of using a forbidden art?”

As expected of the Grand Strategist, he was more curious about the strategy behind my actions than my martial arts.

“It did not necessarily have to be a forbidden art.”

I continued calmly.

“Seong Mo-hyeon was certain he would win. Even the Taeul Sect believed he had the advantage. Once the duel turned against him, he could not accept that he was losing because I was simply more skilled.”

I gave a faint smile.

“Perhaps other celebrated prodigies who cross swords with me will also convince themselves that I must be using witchcraft.”

“……So all you needed to do was defeat him?”

“Surely you already understood that.”

Jegal So-myeong was not merely an extraordinary strategist. He was also a highly accomplished martial artist.

In his youth, whenever his Snowflower Iron Fan moved, the blood of Black Path warriors had flowed like rivers.

“Then why did you not defeat him cleanly and end the duel?”

“Because a simple victory would have gained me nothing.”

“……”

“Even if I had overwhelmed him, the Iron Sword Sect could have found countless other ways to harm the Taeul Sect afterward.”

I looked directly at him.

“But after causing a scandal this great, they will have no choice but to remain quiet for at least ten years.”

“I could have refused to intervene until the very end.”

“That would have destroyed the Murim Alliance’s justification for existing.”

Could he truly have remained silent while countless guests from across Jianghu watched?

Doing so would only have further damaged the Murim Alliance’s already declining reputation.

“……Even so, what if they had successfully branded you as a practitioner of forbidden arts?”

“Then the Murim Alliance’s Execution Pavilion would have taken away my corpse.”

I answered without hesitation.

“An examination of my body would have proven that I had never learned such an art.”

Jegal So-myeong fell silent.

Only after a long while did he speak again.

“……You risked your life over something so minor?”

“Minor?”

My voice hardened.

“Because of that ‘minor’ matter, the Iron Sword Sect used the Gyeryong Merchant Guild to pressure the Taeul Sect.”

“Because of that ‘minor’ matter, the scar Seong Ju-tak carved into my father’s back twenty years ago remains to this day.”

“And because of that ‘minor’ matter, every member of the Taeul Sect was prepared to risk their lives against the entire Iron Sword Sect.”

“……”

“Is the name of the Jegal Clan not worth more to you than gold?”

I stared directly at him.

“Then why should the name of a small sect be worth any less?”

“Hmm……”

That was always the problem with those in power.

They treated their own names and reputations as sacred, yet considered ours too insignificant to defend with our lives.

Perhaps that was how the Murim Alliance of my previous life had become what it was.

Jegal So-myeong studied me for a moment before speaking.

“Then let me ask you one thing.”

His gaze sharpened.

“If the name of a small sect holds such value, how would the Taeul Sect respond if it one day found itself opposing the Jegal Clan?”

“……”

Instead of answering, I simply looked at him.

Jegal So-myeong immediately understood my meaning and let out an incredulous laugh.

“Heh heh. The exchange is uneven again, is that it?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. What must I offer to make it fair? I joined this journey with little more than the clothes on my back, so I have no money to give you.”

He searched inside his robes and produced a small ivory token.

It was about two fingers wide, with the word Entry engraved on its surface.

Many had heard rumors of such an object, but few had ever seen one.

An Entry Token.

It granted admission to the Murim Academy without requiring the regular entrance examination—known among applicants as the hellish examination—or the special admission privilege reserved for the One Hundred Eight Peaks.

It was a treasure that could not be purchased even with an enormous fortune.

And now, one sat directly before me.

“Will this be enough?”

I snatched the token from his hand and slipped it into my robes.

Jegal So-myeong sighed in disbelief.

“To stand against the Jegal Clan…… Merely imagining it is terrifying. If I had to choose the most troublesome enemy among the Five Great Clans, I would choose the Jegal Clan.”

“Enough flattery. Answer the question.”

“Let me think.”

I pretended to consider it seriously.

“First, I would sell every piece of property owned by the Taeul Sect.”

“And then?”

“I would divide the money, separate the adults from the children, and scatter everyone across Jianghu.”

“……”

“The Jegal Clan belongs to the Orthodox Path. Surely it would not send assassins after us and slaughter everyone to silence us?”

Jegal So-myeong stared at me as though he had just watched a dog eat filth.

“Is that truly your entire answer?”

“Yes.”

“……”

“You asked me to answer. You never said the answer had to be useful.”

“……Was this also part of your strategy?”

“The exchange was uneven.”

“……I am beginning to hate those words.”

“May I leave now?”

“You intend to attend the Murim Academy, do you not?”

“……Does the person who receives the token have to use it personally?”

“I gave it to you. What you do with it is your decision. The token itself proves its legitimacy.”

“I understand. I intend to enter the Murim Academy.”

“Graduating from the academy would greatly improve your chances of joining Mantongbu.”

“Yes…… I suppose it would.”

Mantongbu accepted only the most brilliant minds in the Murim Alliance.

Without exceptional intelligence, one could not even dream of entering.

Unfortunately, it was also the last place I wanted to go.

“If you graduate from the Murim Academy, I will prepare a position for you in Mantongbu.”

“……?”

Jegal So-myeong’s sudden declaration nearly made me faint.

Mantongbu?

What nonsense was he talking about?

In my previous life, I had been trapped behind a desk reading documents while my junior brothers fought and died on the battlefield.

And now he wanted me to repeat the same miserable life?

I would rather die.

Once the war began, I would eventually be sent to the battlefield anyway.

It would be better for me, my junior disciples, and every warrior fighting beside me if I gained field experience from the beginning and rose through the ranks properly.

“Ah…… I have no interest in Mantongbu.”

For the first time, Jegal So-myeong tilted his head.

“I have been wondering this since the duel.”

He studied me with genuine suspicion.

“Are you perhaps slightly insane?”

Honestly, was he not the crazy one for asking me to sit behind a desk while my junior brothers fought and died?

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