Proof (2)
Mu-jin couldn’t reveal his true intentions, so he pointed at Ou-yang Pae and replied.
“Since the goal is to lure out Geum Yang-hwi, wouldn’t it be better for soone who knows him well to write the letter? At least if the letter is sent in the na of the Beast Palace Master, they won’t just throw it away without reading it.”
Ou-yang Pae, who was about to translate Mu-jin’s words, looked puzzled.
“I have never t Geum Yang-hwi. What do I know about him that I should write the letter?”
In response to Ou-yang Pae’s question, Mu-jin answered as if it were obvious.
“Just write it in accordance with the doctrines of the Demonic Cult. If he truly believes in their doctrines, he won’t be able to refuse.”
“And what if he still doesn’t co out?”
“Then it’s simple. If he doesn’t co out, it ans he’s not a true believer but a re apostate. There’s no need to et him.”
“!!!”
Hearing the precise logic, Ou-yang Pae nodded in agreent.
* * *
By the ti Mu-jin and the Red Tiger Group entered the Beast Palace, in the heart of the Five Poison Sect in the northeastern part of Southern Barbaria…
“Did you say they’ve allied with the Beast Palace?”
Hwang Gon, one of the five great leaders in Shinchun, asked with a sneer, and the Five Poison Sect’s leader nodded with a wicked grin.
“Hehehe. Yes.”
“And how did you obtain this information?”
As expected of a leader from Shinchun, Hwang Gon, who was naturally suspicious, asked. The Five Poison Sect’s leader answered with a sly smile.
“It was information from a spy I had sent to Mangdon to grasp the situation. If you still doubt it, you can send soone to Mangdon right now. Everyone in the area saw the commotion when the inn exploded.”
Hearing the explanation, Hwang Gon stroked his beard, a habit he had when deep in thought.
As Hwang Gon was deducing how things had co to this point, the Five Poison Sect’s leader smiled contentedly and said.
“Hehehe. It seems the heavens favor our Five Poison Sect. Those fools from the Taiyang Palace and the Beast Palace have started fighting each other. At first, I even wondered if this was all part of your plan, Hwang Gon Dae-hyup.”
It was indeed a situation prone to misunderstanding.
The plan to leak information to the Taiyang Palace about the Red Tiger Group targeting them was originally prepared by Hwang Gon.
However, he hadn’t anticipated that the Red Tiger Group would ally with the Beast Palace, or that the Beast Palace and Taiyang Palace would co into conflict.
Hwang Gon and the Five Poison Sect’s initial plan was rely to instigate a battle between the Red Tiger Group and the Taiyang Palace.
While the Red Tiger Group was disrupting the Taiyang Palace, the Five Poison Sect intended to attack the Beast Palace.
Through interactions with Mount Song, the Five Poison Sect had already prepared funds and developed various poisons, and with a bit of help from Hwang Gon’s forces, they calculated that they could easily swallow up the Beast Palace.
The only reason they hadn’t started a full-scale war was their concern that the Taiyang Palace might benefit from the situation.
In the midst of this, a letter arrived for Hwang Gon from soone deeply embedded in the Demonic Cult.
They wanted to eliminate a promising young talent in the Demonic Cult who could beco a major obstacle in their future plans.
Using the information they provided, Hwang Gon devised his plan.
His aim was to deal with the Red Tiger Group and Ou-yang Pae, who were the targets of those embedded in the Demonic Cult, while simultaneously enabling the Five Poison Sect to take over the Beast Palace.
‘But how did the Red Tiger Group end up joining forces with the Beast Palace?’
Thanks to this unexpected alliance, the Beast Palace and Taiyang Palace had ended up in a full-scale conflict, which was undoubtedly beneficial for the Five Poison Sect.
‘I will need to focus all my forces on Southern Barbaria for a while.’
Being cautious by nature, Hwang Gon found the deviation from his plan suspicious.
This situation was extrely important.
As a leader of Shinchun overseeing Southern Barbaria and Yunnan, this was a critical juncture to bring the area under his control.
* * *
Following Mu-jin’s suggestion, Ou-yang Pae wrote a letter to Geum Yang-hwi.
As Mu-jin looked at the letter written in the Southern Barbarian language, which resembled more of a drawing than text, he asked.
“What did you write?”
“I wrote about our teachings. An outsider like you wouldn’t understand or empathize with it, so there’s no need to know.”
At Ou-yang Pae’s response, Mu-jin shrugged and replied.
“The teachings of the Demonic Cult, right? Even if I don’t know the details, isn’t it sothing like this? Why the Heavenly Demon must lead the poor people, how a greater evil can better control evil, and finally, how the future Heavenly Demon will save the people.”
Although Mu-jin had never read the teachings of the Demonic Cult, he had read enough conversations among its mbers in the first part of the novel to grasp the general outline.
Following the law of the strong didn’t an that the Demonic Cult was a completely insane group.
If anything, the justification for prioritizing the law of the strong was written into their teachings.
The reason why the Heavenly Demon must lead the people was that the weak could not protect them from external threats.
And why it must be the Heavenly Demon specifically was because evil can best deal with other evils.
Not protecting the people due to sticking strictly to principles was not true righteousness.
Finally, the way the future Heavenly Demon would bring salvation was essentially the code of conduct expected from soone who beca the cult leader.
Being the Heavenly Demon didn’t an destroying everything but rather using that strong power to save the people.
Furthermore, the followers of the Heavenly Demon also had to adhere to these rules.
‘Hmm. It seed so cool when I was younger, but now it feels like a seriously adolescent syndro-filled doctrine.’
Using evil to destroy evil. It felt like sothing that would make dark flas grow from one’s arm.
Nevertheless, it was because of the existence of such a seemingly legitimate doctrine that the Demonic Cult could function as a religion.
If their doctrine simply stated that the strong could take everything and do as they pleased, it wouldn’t have spread as a ‘religion’ among the common people.
As Mu-jin accurately pointed out the general aspects of the Demonic Cult’s doctrine, Ou-yang Pae showed interest.
“For a Shaolin monk to understand our teachings… Ah, are you perhaps an aspiring mber?”
“…I have no interest in adolescent syndro.”
“Adolescent syndro? What kind of illness is that?”
“Never mind. I asked what you wrote in the letter.”
“Hmm. As you said. I ntioned the doctrine and told him to co forward and prove himself if he is confident. If he is a re apostate, we will deal with him, and if he is spreading the doctrine in foreign lands, we will leave.”
Mu-jin nodded in understanding.
“The letter has been sent to the Taiyang Palace, so we have a few days until we et him. Now we should focus on healing.”
“That was my plan. Whether things go well or not, there’s a high chance we will have to fight at least once.”
After finishing the conversation, Ou-yang Pae handed over the letter he had written to the Beast Palace Master.
And the next morning.
Looking at the ssenger from the Beast Palace with the Beast Palace’s flag in one hand and the letter with the Beast Palace Master’s seal in the other, Mu-jin felt like covering his face.
This was because, of all people, the ssenger was Su-linya, who had caused the current ss.
‘Damn. It’s natural to choose a fast runner as the ssenger, but I forgot about this.’
Being familiar with the geography and being fast-footed, Su-linya was indeed the most suitable for the role of a ssenger.
Except for his indiscreet mouth.
‘No. Let’s think positively. The ones in the Beast Palace are all reckless anyway. It doesn’t matter who goes.’
Recalling the nature of the Beast Palace, Mu-jin realized his worries were pointless.
He could only hope that the Taiyang Palace had so patience.
Regardless of who went as the ssenger from the Beast Palace, their indiscreet mouths would make no difference.
Thus, amid nurous concerns and worries, Su-linya headed to the Taiyang Palace.
And Ou-yang Pae began his full-fledged treatnt.
To be precise, he shut himself in his room and continuously practiced energy cultivation day and night.
To recover from his internal injuries and to refine the martial arts insights he had gained from his fight with Mu-gyeong.
While Ou-yang Pae secluded himself and the mbers of the Red Tiger Group guarded his room…
“Huff. Huff.”
Mu-jin focused on weight training to make up for the lack of exercise from wandering around for the past few days.
And on the fourth day.
Su-linya returned from the Taiyang Palace with a letter from their leader.
* * *
Looking at Su-linya returning with a letter from the Taiyang Palace Master, Mu-jin muttered to himself.
“Hmm. It seems the Taiyang Palace Master is a patient man.”
And Ou-yang Pae, standing beside him, translated the words for Su-linya.
After hearing Ou-yang Pae’s translation, Su-linya snorted and exclaid.
“Hmph. He was a man with a patience smaller than a flea’s! He kicked out, saying if I stayed at the Taiyang Palace, a war would start imdiately!”
Understanding Su-linya’s words
thanks to Ou-yang Pae’s translation, Mu-jin nodded in agreent.
‘He’s not patient, but he’s wise.’
Even if he were a mber of the Taiyang Palace, he would have turned Su-linya’s jaw if Su-linya had stayed at the Taiyang Palace for a day.
Not paying attention to their trivial conversation, the Beast Palace Master asked Su-linya.
“Hmph! As expected of the cowardly Taiyang Palace! So, what did they say?”
Instead of answering directly, Su-linya handed over the letter he had received from the Taiyang Palace Master.
The Beast Palace Master glanced over the letter and tossed it aside in frustration.
“Tsk. They use such difficult words to say simple things.”
“What did they write?” Mu-jin asked.
The Beast Palace Master snorted and flexed his pectoral muscles as he replied.
“They said to et at Doi Mae Salong in three days and decide whether to fight or not.”
Hearing the Beast Palace Master’s concise answer, Mu-jin naturally looked at the letter lying on the ground.
‘…That long letter got reduced to a single sentence?’
The letter was filled with words that looked more like drawings.
* * *
The next day.
Mu-jin and the Red Tiger Group, along with the Beast Palace Master and about two hundred warriors from the Beast Palace, set out.
Given the number of people, it seed more like they were moving for a war rather than a negotiation.
However, they weren’t moving early to set up an ambush at the agreed location.
Despite having two days left, they departed early because the agreed location was quite far.
From what they heard, Doi Mae Salong was a vast mountain range located farther south than the Mangdon village they had previously visited, roughly halfway between the Beast Palace and the Taiyang Palace.
Even for soone as fast as Su-linya from the Beast Palace, it was a distance difficult to cover in a day, so they set off two days early.
As a forr soldier, Mu-jin found this puzzling.
‘What about supplies?’
With a total of about 250 people traveling more than a day’s distance, there were no visible arrangents for supplies.
Everyone seed to be carrying only their combat gear.
‘It doesn’t look like they plan to stop at any villages either…’
Judging by the behavior of the group, it didn’t seem like they intended to pass through any villages.
After all…
Grrr.
Roar.
Screech.
Two hundred warriors of the Beast Palace also ant they were accompanied by two hundred animals.
Among them were small creatures like monkeys and birds, but there were also many carnivorous animals like bears and cheetahs. Most notably…
“Hahaha. Seems like you’re excited for an outing, Mangkr.”
A huge serpent, Mangkr, about ten ters long, was also with them.
Mu-jin wondered how they planned to handle supplies without causing havoc in a village they might pass through.
His question was answered after about two hours.
The Beast Palace Master stopped the group and called out.
“We’ll regroup here in one hour! Prepare your food!”
“???”
Where were they supposed to find food?
While Mu-jin was contemplating this, the two hundred warriors of the Beast Palace quickly dispersed in all directions.
Soon after, there were various noises from the forest.
The warriors returned, each carrying hunted animals, gathered plants, and fruits from the forest.
“Oh… They’re foraging locally?”
While Mu-jin murmured in disbelief…
“Prepare food for the Young Master!”
“Show them the field skills of the Heavenly Demonic Cult’s elite force!”
The Red Tiger Group mbers, realizing the situation, began to spread out in all directions.
Fearing that the local food might run out, Mu-jin called out to his group, but Mu-yul was nowhere to be seen.
“By the way, where’s Mu-yul?”
Mu-jin asked, and Mu-gung and Mu-gyeong pointed to a direction.
Ugh!
“Ling-ling! Isn’t it delicious?”
“@#$@#$”
“Is this for ? Thank you!”
“!##$#@$#@”
There, Mu-yul, who had already returned from hunting with the Beast Palace warriors, was enjoying a al with them, communicating through gestures.
“That sneaky guy!”
While Mu-jin grumbled about Mu-yul’s betrayal…
The Red Tiger Group mbers, who had moved quickly, also began to gather animals and fruits and brought them to Ou-yang Pae.
“Please, have so, Young Master.”
The most noticeable was Dan Seo-yoon, who was the first to bring fruits to Ou-yang Pae with a slightly blushing face. Ou-yang Pae accepted them with a knowing cough, which was unbearable to watch.
anwhile, the Red Tiger Group mbers who had found food were preparing field als around Ou-yang Pae.
Feeling the gaze of Mu-jin and his group, the Red Tiger Group mbers glanced at them.
‘You guys can’t do this, right?’
‘After all, what can you pampered folks from the orthodox sects do?’
Though they didn’t say it out loud, their eyes conveyed the ssage.
“…Are we being ostracized?”
As if hearing Mu-jin’s murmur, Ou-yang Pae suddenly spoke to them.
“If you lack food, why not share this with us?”
Though Ou-yang Pae genuinely offered, it was an unbearable suggestion.
Dan Seo-yoon and the Red Tiger Group mbers’ glares were quite fierce.
“We’ll manage on our own, so don’t worry about us.”
Feeling a mix of frustration and wounded pride, Mu-jin rejected Ou-yang Pae’s kindness and led Mu-gung and Mu-gyeong into the bushes.
“Wait up. Despite appearances, I used to sneak out and hunt for at even while at Mount Song!”
As Mu-jin shouted in frustration, Mu-gyeong sighed.
“Mu-jin, that’s not sothing to brag about.”
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