“Youhavebeensweatingbucketssincemorning,see?”
angwanwasnotsurprisedbyYeonojeong’ssuddenvisit.
“Whatisit?heaxeisnotfinishedyet.”
“catotellyousothingbesidestheaxe.ButyourrueQiseemsquiteunstable,doesn’tit?”
angwansnorted.
“hatisnoneofyourconcern.nanycase,thatbodyofyoursishardlynormaleither.Whattroubledidyoucausethisti,andwhere?”
Yeonojeongchuckled.
“hadaprettyintenseclashwithMoYonggun.”
angwan’sexpressionchangedinstantly.
“WithMoYonggun?”
“Yes.triedtoreceiveeverythinghethrewatsohow,buthetrulywasnojoke.”
“Whathappened?”
“Beforeexplainthat,thereissothingneedtotellyouseparately.Doyouhaveti?”
thadtrulybeenalongtisinceangwanhadseenit.
hatseriousnessandtensioncastoverYeonojeong’sface.
“Coin.”
*****
“Whatdidyousay?”
WasthistrulytheresponseoftheheadofShaolinemple,calledthegreatestsacredgroundoftherthodoxmartialworld?
enerableonggongdidnotevenseemsurprised.ispresencedidnotwaver,nordidhemakeafuss.
ButJealMunhoknewthatenerableonggongwasmoreshockedthanhehadeverbeen.ispresenceremainedlikeadeep,clearlake,buthiseyes,fullofBuddhistdevotion,wereshakingasifanearthquakehadstruck.
JealMunhoopenedhismouthagainandsaid,
“......”
Abriefsilencefell.
enerableonggongquietlylookedatJealMunho,thenmoistenedhisthroatwithasipoftea.ispresencewasstillcalm.
“hehreeFanaticCreeds...”
“hatiscorrect.”
enerableonggonglookedatJealMunhowithdeepeyes.
Althoughtherewasnohierarchybetweentheirpositions,JealMunhowaskneeling.
twasnotsimplyanapology.JealMunhohadnotcoasaheadoftherthodoxPath,norasoneofthehighest-rankingleadersoftheMartialAlliance.
Atthismont,hewasajuniorwhohadcotoleanonaseniorwiserandmoredeeplyrespectedthanhimself.
JealMunho,whowasalwaysexactinginseparatingpublicandprivatematters,hadloweredhimselfthisfar.enerableonggongcouldfeelthatthismatterwasnoordinaryone.
“notherwords,shouldunderstandthatthereasonyouonlynowtoldofthemisbecausetheyaresuchaterrifyingorganizationthatyouhadtospareyourwordsuntilnow?”
“hatiscorrect.heyhavesuccessfullyinfiltratedtheimperialpalaceandtheauthorities.Furthermore,thefactioncalledthePerverseustCultevenplayedadecisiveroleinthefoundingofnkDragonManor.”
“......”
“fcourse,suchathingshouldnotbepossible,butiftheirclawshavereachedevenintoourrthodoxPath,theremaybespiesamongus.hatiswhywehavebeencautious.”
enerableonggong’seyebrowstwitched.
herewasachancethatspiesexistedamongthem.twasatrulydangeroussentence.
JealMunhobowedhishead.
“knowfullwellthatyourBuddhistheartismorethanvastenoughtocoverallunderheaven.owever,giventhegravityofthematter,couldnotmakeexceptionsevenamongtheServiceords.”
“DoesthatanyouinvestigatedtheServiceordsfrombehind?”
Asexpected,enerableonggongwasnoordinaryman.eimdiatelycaughttheaninghiddeninJealMunho’swords.
“Yes.”
“......”
eadmitteditinanutterlycalmvoice.
owmuchhardshipmusthehaveenduredforthatvoicetobecosofirm?Settingasideeverythingelse,enerableonggongunderstoodthattheanguishJealMunhohadsufferedmusthaveexceededimagination.
enerableonggongsighed.
“Raiseyourheadnow.”
“......”
“houghmaybeolderthanyou,Strategist,amneithersovirtuousnorsonobleamanthatdeservetobetreatedasyoursenior.”
“hatisfarfromtrue.”
“knowthatyoubowingyourheadlikethisisnotantasapleafortolookkindlyuponyou.”
“......”
“Butinthisstate,itseemsimpossibleforustohaveadeepconversation.Raiseyourheadnow.”
“apologize.”
nlythendidJealMunhoraisehisheadandsitmorecomfortably.
enerableonggong’sfacegrewserious.
“knowyouarenotsoonewhowouldjestaboutsuchamatter,butmuststillask.sittrue?”
JealMunhotookoutmorethantencarefullyfoldeddocuntsfrominsidehisrobeandhandedthemover.
“Pleaselookatthese.”
enerableonggongacceptedthedocunts.
nside,thefindingstheyhadgatheredthusfarconcerningthehreeFanaticCreedsweredenselywritteninfinebrush.
Asenerableonggongreadthroughthedocuntswithaheavyheart,surprisefilledhiseyes.
“hePavilionordofthedicalmmortalPavilion?!”
“hatiscorrect.hePavilionordofthedicalmmortalPavilionisoftheDivineFlaCult’sbloodline,oneofthehreeCreedsmanderYeonconvertedhimtoourside,andheprovideduswithagreatdealofinformation.”
“......”
“Pleasecontinuereading.hereismuchthatwillsurpriseyou.”
enerableonggongcaldhismindforamont,thenquietlyreadthroughthedocunts.
Ashortwhilelater—
“uh.”
Atlast,anemptylaughslippedfronerableonggong’smouth.
“Suchthingswerehappeninginunseenplaces,yetthispoormonklivedidlywithoutknowingathing.”
“hisisnotyourfault,enerableAbbot.owcouldanyoneknowwhatwashappeningaroundhimunlesshehadseenandheardit?heonewhoblockedyoureyesandearswas.willcarrythatsinentirely.”
“...donotthinkthatisamattertodiscusshere.”
enerableonggongcalmlybrushedthataside,thennoddedandasked,
“WhichoftheServiceordsknow?”
“YeonWi,ClanordoftheYeonClanofreenMountaininangdong;MoYonggun,ClanordoftheMoYongClaninunan;andangwan,ClanordoftheangClanofSichuan.”
“......”
“Atpresent,includingyouand,therearefiveintotal.”
“DoyouintendnottotelltheotherServiceords?”
“Fornow...yes.”
Settingasidetheimportanceofthematter,itmadeonewonderjusthowcautioustheyhadtobeforhimtogothisfar.
ftheyhadgatheredthismuchinformationaboutanorganizationthathadnotrevealeditselfuntilnow,JealMunhomusthavebeenbusybeyondasure.Consideringthathehadalsotakeneverypossibleprecautiontopreservesecrecy,enerableonggongcouldnotbringhimselftosaytheyshouldrevealittoeveryone.
“Strategist.”
“Pleasespeak,enerable.”
“Wheneveryonelearnsofthissoday,youmayhavetostepdownfromyourpositionthenandthere.”
twasacoldreality.JealMunhobowedhishead.
“famstrippedofthestrategist’sposition,willacceptithumbly.Afterthat,willriskmylifefightingtodriveoutthehreeCreeds.fstillsurviveafterthat,willpasstheclanlord’sseattothelegitimateheirofmymainhouseandspendtherestofmylifeintheBrainPrisonoftheMartialAlliancetoreceivepunishnt.”
twasaterrifyingresolve.
twasallthemoreterrifyingbecausehewasnotsayingitlightly.fJealMunhowereimprisonedintheMartialAlliance’sBrainPrison,thenaoftheJealClanwouldinevitablybedraggedthroughthemud.
JealMunhohaddoneallthiswhileacceptingeventhat.
enerableonggongsighed.
“feverythingyouhavetoldistrue,andfurther,iftheticoswhenallofusmustfightthem...”
“......”
“hen,too,willlendwhatlittlestrengthhave,andafterwardstepdownfrommypositionasabbot.”
hiswasit.
hiswaswhyJealMunhofeltsorrytowardenerableonggong.
enerableonggongwasaflexibleman,buthewasalsosoonewhowouldneverexercisethatflexibilityunlessitwasnecessary.
heinstanthesharedthissecret,enerableonggongwouldbeinthesaboatasJealMunho.hen,whenJealMunhowasforcedtostepdownasstrategist,hetoowouldhavetoletgoofeverything.
JealMunhobowedhisheadoncemore.
“apologize.”
enerableonggongslowlyclosedhiseyes.
herewasnotremorinJealMunho’svoice,butenerableonggongwasnotsoblindthathecouldnotreadthedesperateemotioncontainedwithinit.
“believeyoudidwhatyouhadtodo,Strategist.fcourse,theprocesscannotbecalledentirelyupright,butifworldlymatterscouldberesolvedsimplybyhandlingthemuprightly,howgoodwouldthatbe?”
hosewerenotwordsonewouldexpecttocofromthemasteroftheabbot’squartersofShaolinemple.
Yetthat,too,wasShaolinemple.
ShaolinemplewasoneofthesacredgroundsofCentralPlainsBuddhismandwascalledthesunofthemartialworld.Preciselyforthatreason,theabbotcouldnothelpbutbedeeplyversedinworldlyaffairs.
rdinaryevilswerelefttoflowaccordingtoproperorder.Butwhenacalamitytoogreattoendureappeared,Shaolinactivelyintervenedtoupholdchivalrousjustice.
herehadbeenhundredsofyearsofanguishbehindShaolinemple’sdecisiontosetdownthatholyBuddhistheart.
“owever,evenifmuststepdownasabbot,willdomyutmosttoensurethatyoudonotrotintheBrainPrison.”
“enerableAbbot.Pleasedonot.”
“Youreyesareturnedtowardchivalrousjustice.adyounotmadesuchadecision,whoknowswhatwouldhavebecooftheworld?”
“Youpraisetoohighly.Alldidwasmakeonedecision.veryrityoumaythinkestablishedwasaccomplishedbytheYeonfamily,soaskthatyoupleaseseethatclearly.”
enerableonggonggaveabittersmile.
“owgooditwouldhavebeenifeverypersonintheMartialAlliancewerelikeyou,Strategist.”
“......”
“understand.willkeepmymouthsealedforthetibeing.”
“hankyou.”
“fyouhavetitonight,letusshareacupoftea.”
“fcourse.hen.”
Aftergivinghisfinalfarewell,JealMunholeftthequarters.
enerableonggongclosedhiseyes.
“ftheWayrisesonefoot,thedemonrisesten...”
Suddenly,Yeonojeong’sboldwordscatomind.
“hemastersoftheDaoistandBuddhistpathsalwayssaythis,dotheynot?ftheWayrisesonefoot,thedemonrisesten.hecrookedandevilalwaysoutpacethegood.”
“fonehaspower,onemuststrive,throughceaselessself-cultivation,tomaketheWayrisethreefeet,sevenfeet.”
fyouhavepower,useitforrighteousness.Shaolinemplehadinvolveditselfintheaffairsofthemartialworldpreciselybecauseofsuchateachingleftbyitsmasters.
twasanutterlyobviousduty—onehemighthaveforgotten.
enerableonggongopenedhismouth.
“sanyonethere?”
“Yes,enerable.”
“SendwordtoDaoistSeunghyeonofWudang.ellhimwillvisitatnoontoday.”
*****
“Youhaveco?”
angwannoddedandsatinanychair.
Withhisarmscrossedandhiseyesturnedtowardthewindow,helookedstrangelycold.tseedhismoodwasratherfoul.
YeonWisighed.
“Youheardfromojeong?”
“heard,whichiswhycatothisexceedinglyuncomfortablegathering.”
“oweyouanapology.”
angwansnorted.
“tmusthavebeentrulyentertainingallthisti.Whenthinkofyoupeoplelaughingamongyourselvesinfrontofafoolwhoknewnothing,mybloodstillboils.”
“Clanordang.Weneverdidthat.nfact...”
“Shutup.”
angwanglaredatYeonWi.
edidnotwastewords.
“sthereanythingelseyouarehiding?”
“hereisnot.”
“mph!Asifcanbelievethat.”
angwangrowledasifhisangerhadyettosubside.
“fthereisanothermatterthisgraveyouarehiding,thenitendsthere.”
“willkeepthatinmind.”
angwankickedthetablewithhisfoot.
UMP.
“Rudebrat.”
Yeonojeongsmackedhislips.
“Didyoucall?”
“Whatareyoudoing?urryupandbrewsotea.”
nsidetheroomwereYeonWi,angwan,Mookbi,YeonJipyeong,andYeonojeong.JealMunhoandMoYonggunwouldalsoarrive.
hereweremorepeoplethanexpected.Yeonojeongclearedhisthroatandstood.
“Understood.”
YeonJipyeongquietlybegantorise.
“willhelp...”
nthatinstant,angwanglaredatYeonJipyeongwithterrifyingeyes.
YeonJipyeonghiccupedwithoutrealizingit.Yeonojeongwavedhishand.
“Stayseated.willbrewit.”
“Y-Yes!”
“...Ah,damnit.Makingthingsalluncomfortable.”
WhenYeonojeongmutteredquietly,angwanflewintoarage.
“Stopspoutingnonsenseandhurryup!”
“saidunderstood.”
rumbling,Yeonojeonghurriedoutoftheroom.
“......”
Silencepresseddownontheairwiththeweightoftenthousandgeun.
Ashortwhilelater,angwantossedoutaquestion.
“YousaidMoYongguniscomingtoo?”
“hatiscorrect.”
“fthatbastarddisruptsmymood,willcutoffhisheadonthespot,sodonotstop.Understood?”
YeonWisighed.
“...willtry.”
twastrulyadifficultgathering.
DifficultenoughtomakeevenYeonWi’smouthfeeldry.
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