"Chief Military Advisor? Are we discussing the reward? There's sothing I need to make clear. The negotiations for Bai Renguang and i Zhongjun are already over. Ti has passed, and you can't go back on it."
"Keung..."
Nangong Zhao let out an incomprehensible groan.
When Bai Renguang and i Zhongjun were captured, he had negotiated with Ajok and had set the rewards at one hundred thousand taels and ten thousand taels respectively.
Of course, he had reported it to the military affairs departnt and had received approval. At that ti, the value of the information related to the Blood Sect that Bai Renguang had was important.
"That is... as I said before, the value of ti is important for information. Because you were dawdling..."
"What's more important is the promise. The talk about Bai Renguang and i Zhongjun is over. I have no intention of being unreasonable either. There is room for negotiation for Tang Tian'e and the two Blood Sect mbers. First, you present the amount."
Nangong Zhao felt like he was dealing with a human trafficker.
"The military affairs departnt will take care of the reward. It's not under my jurisdiction. The Chief Military Advisor is also not soone who negotiates things like rewards."
"Then why does he want to see ?"
"You are the Honored One of the Yang-Bai rchant Sect and the Honored One of the Household of the Tang family. Since you are an important person in the Sichuan martial world, he wants to see you."
"Hmm... so... he wants to get acquainted?"
"Heo..."
Nangong Zhao let out a sigh.
He had t the Chief Military Advisor alone for the first ti in five years since entering the Martial Alliance.
A private eting with the Chief Military Advisor was a very special thing.
"It seems you don't know. The Chief Military Advisor is the real power that moves the Martial Alliance. Haven't you seen how huge the Martial Alliance is?"
"That's right. It's really wide."
Just to cross from the outer hall to the inner hall, one had to ride a horse for the ti it takes to drink a cup of tea.
The Alliance itself was a city.
"He is the one who moves that huge Martial Alliance. The eting itself is an honor."
"Yes... then what is the Alliance Leader? If the Chief Military Advisor controls the Martial Alliance... the Alliance Leader is... a puppet?"
Ugh...
Nangong Zhao's expression beca fierce.
"Alright. Would it be difficult to see his face? He wants to have dinner together tonight, right?"
Baekji nodded and then, as if he had just rembered, asked, "Since he's such a great person, he must eat delicious food, right?"
"The Chief Military Advisor eats lightly, mainly vegetables, so it's better not to expect much."
Nangong Zhao said, recalling the al he had with the Chief Military Advisor, Shangguan Ming.
He had eaten noodles with a few vegetables.
Shangguan Ming was controlling his diet to enter the 'true realm'.
"What? Weeds and noodles?"
Baekji jumped up as if it were absurd.
"Even if you eat one al, you should eat heartily. Instead, tell him I'll treat him. Where is the best restaurant in this Alliance?"
"It's not for you to decide."
"Then tell him we'll see him next ti. I have to eat my fill today. I've suffered so much. Let's eat among ourselves. I'll buy."
"Hey..."
"Enough! If you don't want to, then don't. What good would it do for
to know the Chief Military Advisor?"
Baekji was being careful after Tang Qianhui had found out the secret of his 'rejuvenation'.
He had to be wary of smart people.
The Chief Military Advisor of the Martial Alliance must be an extrely outstanding person.
Honestly, he didn't want to et him.
"Ha... this is the Martial Alliance. It's not a place where you can do as you please!"
"I'm not even an Alliance mber, so you can't tell
to co and go."
Nangong Zhao sighed.
There were only two people in the Alliance who properly knew Baekji's martial prowess.
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Military Advisor.
Since Quan Bai had estimated Baekji to be a master of the 'true realm' or higher, at the level of the 'manifestation realm', he would have reported it to the Alliance Leader as such.
He himself had been skeptical at first, but had found out for sure at the Tang family. Baekji was a master who had at least reached the 'manifestation realm'.
The Chief Military Advisor, upon hearing that Baekji was an absolute master who had reached the 'manifestation realm', had wanted to et him in person to confirm.
Nangong Zhao looked at Baekji.
An absolute master at that age...
'Unless he rolled around in a ten-thousand-year-old snow ginseng field or swam in a pond of 'empty green stone oil'...'
After thinking for a mont, Nangong Zhao persuaded Baekji again.
"There is a reason why the Chief Military Advisor wants to see you."
"Enough. I have no reason to listen. If he really wants to see , tell him we'll have tea tomorrow morning. To eat weeds together... he has no consideration."
Baekji cut him off, stood up from his seat, and went into his room.
* * *
The Chief Military Advisor, Shangguan Ming, was leaning back in his chair and reading a docunt.
Even when Nangong Zhao entered, he did not take his eyes off the docunt and asked, "What is it?"
"The Honored One of the Yang-Bai rchant Sect says he would rather have tea than dinner."
Shangguan Ming did not answer and quickly scanned the docunt.
Because Baekji had refused the dinner, Nangong Zhao had to report directly to Shangguan Ming.
Although Nangong Zhao was putting on his usual expressionless face, he was inwardly troubled.
Shangguan Ming was a very prickly person. Although he was over sixty, he still looked like he was in his forties.
A mont later, Shangguan Ming, who had finished reading the docunt, 'thwack', threw the docunt on the desk and looked at Nangong Zhao.
"He wants to have tea?"
"He says tomorrow morning would be good."
"So be it... but."
Shangguan Ming said, rubbing the area around his eyes.
"I've looked at the report again, but I can't find an answer."
Nangong Zhao looked at the docunt that Shangguan Ming had been reading until just a mont ago.
[Investigation Report on Yang Baekji]
It was a compilation of what Nangong Zhao had seen and heard and the information that the military affairs departnt investigators had collected. He must have been looking it over again to have dinner together.
Shangguan Ming was a thorough person. The reason he wanted to see Baekji as soon as he arrived was probably to detect his strengths and weaknesses by eting him when he was not yet prepared.
"His origin, the source of his martial arts... an unknown absolute master. But he's only in his teens... this is the first ti I've received such a report."
"..."
"Didn't you solve the internal dispute of the Tang family with him? And yet you have no idea... are you telling
to believe that?"
"It is true. With my ability, it is difficult to find out the source of his martial arts."
"Umm..."
Shangguan Ming's two eyes were sharp as he looked at Nangong Zhao, letting out a groan.
Shangguan Ming stood up and paced around the room.
"Was the Alliance Leader around forty when he entered the 'manifestation realm'? He himself has not revealed it, but looking at the records, we can estimate it as such. The sa is true for the top ten masters..."
Shangguan Ming muttered to himself as if talking to himself.
"Seongseung was famous as the number one prodigy of Shaolin since he was young. It is said that Muguk Jin-in reached the level of an absolute master after belatedly obtaining the legacy of Jangbong Jin-in... and even the most mysterious 'Shadowless Saber', who was a wanderer from Guangdong, is said to have obtained the inner core of a 'seven-horned dragon', right?"
"..."
Since he was not particularly looking for an answer, Nangong Zhao just listened.
"As long as one is a person, there is a past and a trace. It's not for no reason that one becos an absolute master. But this person... did he fall from the sky or spring from the ground... I can't tell. An absolute master who suddenly appeared one day? But he's only in his teens?"
Shangguan Ming stopped walking and looked at Nangong Zhao.
"He is a person who is beyond common sense. Where in the martial world do things that are beyond common sense happen?"
"..."
Nangong Zhao felt an ominous premonition.
"The Blood Sect and the Demonic Cult! Isn't that where such things happen?"
When the Blood Sect and the Demonic Cult were ntioned from Shangguan Ming's mouth, Nangong Zhao beca tense.
"That can't be. From what I have observed... he is close to the righteous path."
Nangong Zhao had not thought he would be defending Baekji with his own mouth. But for so reason, he felt he had to.
If Shangguan Ming branded Baekji as a suspicious person... the military affairs departnt would treat the suspicious person as an enemy... and if necessary, they could really make him a Blood Sect or Demonic Cult mber.
That had to be stopped.
"Close to... the expression is ambiguous. Can you be sure?"
Nangong Zhao hesitated for a mont and then answered, "Yes."
Shangguan Ming looked at Nangong Zhao silently.
"You... have changed a bit."
"What?"
Shangguan Ming did not answer Nangong Zhao's question.
"He considers the Blood Sect an enemy. Not to ntion the Blood Corpse Brigade leader, he personally brought Tang Tian'e, who had joined the Blood Sect."
"During the calamity of the Blood Sect in the past, we lost quite a few masters by falling for such a self-sacrificing trick."
"..."
"Even if it's not the Blood Sect, as you say, we can't rule out the possibility of it being the Demonic Cult. Isn't it estimated that half of the Yang-Bai rchant Sect's martial force are Demonic Cult mbers?"
"Then I will say that the other half are Martial Alliance mbers."
"Hmm..."
"Besides, there are quite a few places that can rival the Blood Sect or the Demonic Cult."
Quan Bai and Nangong Zhao had made all sorts of speculations about Baekji's origin.
The North Sea Ice Palace, the 'Extre Heavy Island', the South Sea Sword Sect, the 'Mysterious Moon Divine Palace'... they had brought up all the countless mysterious sects that were now forgotten and had compared them to Baekji.
Of course, they could not find a point of contact with any of them.
Shangguan Ming nodded.
"That's right. The martial world is wide and its origins are deep... but have you forgotten that reasoning must be based on reality?"
"The Demonic Cult is not realistic either."
Shangguan Ming, who had been t with Nangong Zhao's strong denial again, nodded.
"That's true. It has been a hundred years since they appeared. But that doesn't an the Demonic Cult has disappeared... let's et him first and talk again. And by the way..."
Shangguan Ming sat down and changed the subject.
"It was not a coincidence that the Blood Sect attacked the Poison King. It is the judgnt of the military advisors that a similar thing may be happening in other sects."
"..."
"So we have decided to form an inspection team."
"An inspection team?"
"We have decided to divide it into four regions, east, west, south, and north, and to closely monitor the movents of each sect."
"..."
"I have recomnded you as the head of the southern inspection team, so be aware."
The southern inspection team... included the Nangong family.
"I am an investigator..."
"This inspection is very important. In the case of the Tang family, it fortunately ended in an attempt, but if even one of the great sects or the great families falls, the aftermath is unimaginable. That's why we have selected people from the great sects and the great families who are in the Alliance. Be aware of that."
"I understand."
Nangong Zhao bowed, and as he was about to leave, he turned back and said, "Baekji is a person who should be made an ally, not an enemy."
"..."
When Shangguan Ming gave a perfunctory nod, Nangong Zhao bowed again and left.
Watching him, Shangguan Ming muttered to himself, 'What's wrong with that brat?'
It was Shangguan Ming who had promoted Nangong Zhao to chief investigator.
He had highly valued his coolness, which was not swayed by personal feelings, but he was going beyond the bounds in Baekji's case.
* * *
The third floor of the Tianlong Restaurant, the largest in the vicinity of the Martial Alliance.
Baekji, for so reason, looked out the window for a long ti without a word.
Here and there, large and small estates were lined up.
Even in the distant river and forest, there were many estates.
It was an unfamiliar landscape.
"Honored One, what are you thinking about so much?"
Tang Yunseol, who was sitting across from him, asked.
"Why are there so many estates?"
Instead of Tang Yunseol, the answer ca from behind. At this, Nangong Zhao approached and said, "Of course. This is where the Martial Alliance is. They are the estates built by the great sects, the great families, and the rchant guilds."
"Yes. It seems this is my first ti here..."
Baekji muttered.
Looking at the scenery outside the window, he had a realization.
Although he had no mory, there was a feeling.
For example, just thinking about the Blood Sect made him shudder. It wasn't just that he disliked them; he had to catch them on sight.
The scenery of Sichuan was familiar. The rugged mountains and the rivers flowing everywhere ca to him naturally.
But coming to Hubei, where the Alliance was, felt unfamiliar.
The mountains, the water, the shape of the houses where people lived...
The Martial Alliance was even more so.
'It seems I wasn't close to the Martial Alliance... then is there a need to et the Alliance Leader?'
Looking at how unfamiliar it was, it seed that he had not been the Alliance Leader or an Alliance mber before his 'rejuvenation'.
(End of Chapter)
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