***
Fundamentally, why can the Iron Sword Sect not enter the One Hundred and Eight Peaks? There is no justification.
The One Hundred and Eight Peaks is a position that is like a symbol of the Murim Alliance.
The Murim Alliance was created by righteous sects that were scattered all over the Jianghu due to the appearance of the Demon Cult 500 years ago, gathering together by taking on their own sacrifices.
The Nine Great Sects and One Clan and the Five Great Clans were the pillars. It is a tribute to the allies who have shed blood by joining the Murim Alliance since then.
Sects that have continued the position of the One Hundred and Eight Peaks for 500 years account for one-third of the entire One Hundred and Eight Peaks.
The fact that the One Hundred and Eight Peaks are being replaced means that there must be a big justification for that.
Then, what about the Murim Alliance that decides that?
The Nine Great Sects and One Clan and the Five Great Clans are positioned as absolute power spheres and shake the Murim Alliance, but it is not operated only by the logic of absolute power just because it is the Murim Alliance.
In the end, what moves the Murim Alliance is also a big battle of justification.
In that sense, Jegal So-myeong lost his justification and fell into a difficult situation.
‘This......”
As he thought about the intentions while reviewing one by one the stage that the child named Jin So-un of the Tag-eul Sect had woven, he missed the moment he should have stepped in appropriately, and the fire that ignited at the Iron Sword Sect splashed onto him, the Chief Strategist.
“Impertinent! In front of whom are you spewing such nonsense!”
Seong Cheon-wol shouted, but there was a stronger desire for him to just shut his mouth.
If the situation worsened as it was, both the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance would end up covered in dung.
“My father was kneeling all night to save me, and the Iron Sword Sect Leader forced the duel even though their despicable plan was revealed. But when that duel became unfavorable, you intervened in the duel.”
Jin So-un pointed at Seong Mo-hyeon.
“At the words ‘it is evil arts’ spoken by that guy, the Iron Sword Sect Leader waited as if he had been waiting and drove the Tag-eul Sect into the evil path, and during that time, the Murim Alliance did nothing.”
Jin So-un’s voice was full of anger and resentment.
Actually, the thought that I should have stepped in at that time...... was still desperate.
“What should I trust to put away my sword!”
The people in the audience nodded their heads one by one.
And they were looking at him, who was as good as the representative of the Murim Alliance.
‘Checkmate.’
No matter how I thought about it, the events that had just happened did not seem like a coincidence.
The reason for thinking so was only one.
The child named Jin So-un was not flustered even once.
He confronted the conspiracy that seemed to be intended by the Iron Sword Sect head-on, and despite all the surrounding situations being unfavorable to him, he eventually made a stage advantageous to himself.
Does it make sense that a young man who is not yet twenty is not flustered when he hears the words ‘forbidden arts’?
Jin So-un showed his innocence with a dignified appearance, and furthermore, he even wove the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance into his stage.
I couldn't just be admiring. If I did it wrong, the name of the Murim Alliance could be covered in disgrace along with the Iron Sword Sect.
What should I give?
What should I give to calm the conflict between the Iron Sword Sect and the Tag-eul Sect and make people perceive that the Murim Alliance is indeed an entity that establishes order in the Jianghu?
Nothing came to mind even if I thought about it at a glance.
Because there is no way such a thing actually exists.
But that doesn't mean there is no answer.
“......Then what do you want?”
Just passing the answer is enough.
If there is something you want, such as wanting the truth, wanting an apology, or wanting something, just give it appropriately, soothe them, and end the situation.
If it looks like the situation has been finished well, this incident will disappear from people’s minds like that incident that happened twenty years ago.
However,
“I want the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s head.”
“......!”
Jegal So-myeong, who was listening to Jin So-un’s story, almost burst into laughter.
It is truly an unexpected move.
An extraordinary move that pressures not only the Iron Sword Sect Leader but also himself, the Chief Strategist.
If it were a situation of playing Janggi or Baduk, it was a surprising move that would make one want to flip the board.
Wanting the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s head means he wants a confrontation between the two people.
Even if the child named Jin So-un pulls up his Innate True Energy, can he even take the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s head?
But if Jin So-un dies due to mutual destruction, Jin So-un will become a victim who sacrificed his life for his sect and family that were falling into ruin, and the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance will become black-path rogues who drove a weak sect to an unjust death while ignoring ethics and justification.
This incident will become a political weapon for a long time, driving the Murim Alliance into a corner and causing the Iron Sword Sect to collapse.
It was a moment when one person’s life became equal to the Murim Alliance.
‘Haha, there was such a figure in the Tag-eul Sect?’
Cornered, curiosity was fully activated rather than anger or fluster.
It even reached the thought, ‘What would that guy look like in the Man-tong-bu?’
‘Then I cannot kill him here. It is not something that should be done for the Murim Alliance either.’
“If you feel you have been insulted, you should repay it with insults.”
Jegal So-myeong nodded his head as if agreeing.
“But do you have the skill to do so?”
“I will definitely receive the price in blood.”
“.......”
Jegal So-myeong’s gaze is steady.
If Yong So-ah is a genius beyond a genius who cannot be approached in the world of martial arts.
Jegal So-myeong is an existence like Yong So-ah in the world of literature.
Jegal So-myeong, who passed away just before the Great War of Righteous and Evil occurred.
In some quarters, there are many people who say that if only Jegal So-myeong had been there, the Murim Alliance would not have been torn apart like this.
An existence that is that outstanding.
Jegal So-myeong was already dodging the traps I had set here and there.
“No, no. If it becomes like that, you are solving the work in an unreasonable way, just as you experienced.”
As expected, it is not easy.
“Then there is another way.”
“What is it?”
“For those three shameless generations to prostrate themselves completely and apologize for everything that has happened in the meantime.”
“......Um, but if you do that, can’t we confirm that you have learned forbidden arts?”
“Then does the Chief Strategist have a solution? Objecting just for the sake of objecting is an act only politicians do.”
For some reason, Jegal So-myeong seems to be greatly enjoying this situation. It was visible that his lips were twitching and he was forcibly holding back laughter.
“Sect Leader, how confident are you?”
At Jegal So-myeong’s question, Seong Cheon-wol stammered.
“Yes? Th-that is......”
“Can you stake the sect’s signboard?”
“What?!”
Seong Cheon-wol raised his voice unseemly and soon let out a cough.
“Ahem. Chief Strategist. Discovering and rooting out forbidden arts is a natural action of us righteous people who perform the Tang-ma-myeol-sa (sweeping away demons). Why would we stake the sect’s signboard on such a thing? If you really ask me to take responsibility, I will take responsibility with the sword as that child said.”
Iron Sword Sect Leader Seong Cheon-wol was twisting his body wildly without knowing that he was caught in a spider web, and Jegal So-myeong, watching that, yelled in frustration.
“I already said that is the wrong way!”
“Th-th-then......”
“How about the Sect Leader’s divine weapon?”
Seong Cheon-wol stared with wide eyes at the Nine-Heavy Sword of the Ghost Sword Immortal hanging in the center of the great hall.
“Th-that.”
“Are you not confident, Sect Leader? I do not know what happened at the banquet last night, but every situation I have seen today was, as that child said, unreasonableness itself. Was it just a matter of acting despicable while hiding behind the Murim Alliance?”
At Jegal So-myeong’s words, the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s gaze went back and forth between Seong Mo-hyeon, who had turned pale, and me.
Following that, the sound of gnashing teeth was heard from his mouth.
“Good. Let’s do that!”
The Iron Sword Sect Leader approached me with a thumping sound along with his answer.
I raised my hand to stop him.
“There is a condition.”
“Stop it!”
“If you are going to do it, you have to do it properly. What if the Iron Sword Sect Leader checks it himself and nothing comes out, but he insists that I learned the Great Absorption Technique?”
“Do I look like such a person in your eyes!”
“Judging by your actions so far, I think you are more than capable of doing so.”
Jegal So-myeong nodded.
“Waiting for the Enforcement Pavilion takes too long, and it wouldn't do for the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s sixtieth birthday banquet to be delayed further due to bad events. I will check it myself. You can be convinced with that much, right?”
Jegal So-myeong passed by the Iron Sword Sect Leader and approached me slowly.
“Now, calm down your energy.”
I withdrew the Innate True Energy and held out my right hand to Jegal So-myeong.
Because the Great Absorption Technique absorbs others’ energy, all kinds of different energies exist in the internal energy.
Therefore, checking whether one has learned the Great Absorption Technique was not a difficult task.
“.......”
The energy of Jegal So-myeong, who was gently probing my Dantian, disappeared in an instant.
“......Ahem.”
Jegal So-myeong, who did not open his mouth for a while, looked at the Iron Sword Sect Leader.
The Iron Sword Sect Leader swallowed saliva with the feeling of revealing the last card in a gamble where his entire fortune was at stake.
And,
“This person has not learned the Great Absorption Technique.”
“Ah......!”
At Jegal So-myeong’s words, the Iron Sword Sect Leader and Seong Mo-hyeon had expressions of disbelief.
“That is not true! He clearly learned the Great Absorption Technique.”
“C-can I check it too?”
At the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s words, Jegal So-myeong furrowed his brow.
“It is a matter where the founder’s sword is staked.”
“.......”
As Jegal So-myeong stepped back one step, the Iron Sword Sect Leader grabbed my hand as if snatching it and began to roughly inject energy to search my whole body.
“W-wait......”
Because of his rough energy, the blood vessels that were already straining from pulling up the Innate True Energy began to run wild.
“Stay still!”
The energy searching my whole body finally roughly touched my Dantian, and the running blood vessels eventually began to reverse.
“Ugh.”
Without a chance to defend, heavy blood surged up my throat.
The floor was soon filled with the blood I spat out.
“What are you doing!”
“So-un!”
“This guy eventually!”
Jegal So-myeong was startled and shook off the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s hand and attempted to strike the pressure points, but I kept vomiting blood.
Jin Tae-san and Gang Chae-seok had expressions as if they were about to have a showdown with the Iron Sword Sect Leader right away.
“How can this be......”
The Iron Sword Sect Leader’s expression of disbelief.
Seong Mo-hyeon, who felt that something was not right, said desperately.
“That is not it! Grandfather! I clearly felt it for sure. If not, how could I have lost to that guy?”
“Shut up!”
I shook off Father, who was supporting me, and tried to stand up.
“You must not stand up yet. It is not fully treated.”
Jegal So-myeong pressed my shoulder firmly, but I roughly shook off his hand with my blood-stained hand.
“.......”
“So-un!”
After barely standing up, I also shook off Jin Tae-san’s hand.
Blood was still flowing from the corners of my mouth, and Seong Cheon-wol and Seong Mo-hyeon were looking at me with eyes that were fed up.
“Pay...... the price!”
I reached out my hand.
“.......”
“For this despicable act you and your descendants committed, cough...... pay the proper price!”
My fingertips were trembling.
The Iron Sword Sect Leader was rolling his eyes diligently, unable to do neither this nor that.
“Ugh!”
As I vomited a mouthful of blood once again, Jegal So-myeong, who could no longer watch, grabbed my hand and glared at the Iron Sword Sect Leader.
“Sect Leader, keep your promise.”
“......Chief Strategist, how could you tell me......”
“Being full of confidence and promising, and damaging the opponent’s body with rough energy are all the Sect Leader’s actions. Show responsibility and confirm that you are an ally of the Murim Alliance!”
“......I will compensate for this incident, and I will bestow three Iron Heart Pills to that child at the sect level.”
“Grandfather!”
The Iron Sword Sect Leader looked at Seong Mo-hyeon as if to kill him.
“If you open your mouth one more time, I will cut off that tongue.”
The Iron Sword Sect Leader said to Jegal So-myeong as if begging.
“I have made a big mistake regarding this incident as a disciple of this sect. Even so, the founder’s divine object cannot be handed over to just anyone recklessly. Wouldn't it be more helpful to each sect to settle here?”
Jegal So-myeong looked at me as if asking for agreement, and I held my sword instead of answering.
“Then...... I must receive the price in blood.”
As I was about to shake off even Jegal So-myeong’s hand, Jegal So-myeong shouted.
“Iron Sword Sect Leader! Are you thinking of tarnishing the name of the Murim Alliance as a member of the Murim Alliance!”
At the thunderous shout, Seong Cheon-wol’s two eyes flashed open.
“This Strategist participated as a witness to this incident. Are you going to frame an innocent person as a criminal and not pay any price? Do you truly want to know the terror of the Murim Alliance’s Enforcement Pavilion?”
“.......”
In the end, the Iron Sword Sect Leader, who had no confidence in accepting Jegal So-myeong’s anger, bowed his head.
“Bring the Nine-Heavy Sword.”
Seong Ju-tak brought the Nine-Heavy Sword with trembling hands, and Seong Cheon-wol received that sword and held it out to Jegal So-myeong.
And Jegal So-myeong placed the Nine-Heavy Sword on my hand.
“Is it enough now?”
With his words, I closed my eyes.
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