Shangguan Ming was very displeased.
Baekji had arrived half an hour late for their scheduled tea eting.
Shangguan Ming had made others wait, but he had never waited for anyone.
Moreover, this brat was incredibly rude.
"I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well... Is the Alliance's location bad? I had a dream where a virgin ghost was running wild."
He spouted nonsensical gibberish in informal speech.
This was the first ti he had encountered such an absurd situation.
"You have no manners towards your elders. My age..."
"Does the Chief Military Advisor also think that age is a rank?"
"What?"
"Isn't age sothing you get just by enduring? Of course, it's not easy to live a long life without dying. It's worthy of respect. Then shall I speak formally to you?"
Shangguan Ming's face felt like it was flushing, but he held it in and said as if to persuade him, "Don't think that just because you are an absolute master, you can transcend even human ethics. That is no different from a beast. Haven't you heard that the more one becos a master, the more humble one becos?"
"Umm. Hearing that, it seems the Chief Military Advisor himself can beco a true absolute master. But I don't know where you heard it, but I'm not an absolute master."
'Ugh...'
"Does it make sense for soone my age to be an absolute master? Don't you think so too, Chief Military Advisor? This is delicious..."
The way he popped a pine nut candy, which had been served as a snack, into his mouth and mumbled was shalessly brazen.
'Is there such a rude brat!'
As Shangguan Ming was about to stand up from his seat, a thought flashed through his mind, and he ca to his senses.
'This brat, on purpose... is doing this.'
He had always been a cool-headed person.
Co to think of it, in the past few decades, no one had broken his composure.
And that, right after eting him.
'I had forgotten for a mont that this brat is an absolute master.'
The 'absolute realm' is a realm that has surpassed the limits of a human. As such, absolute masters are beings that cannot be judged by the common sense of ordinary people.
Becoming an absolute master is not sothing that can be achieved through training alone.
Although fortuitous encounters are also important, above all, the practitioner's enlightennt must be outstanding.
Although Baekji was young, he was said to be an absolute master.
That ant he was a genius comparable to himself.
It was not for no reason that such a brat was provoking him.
'No matter how much of an absolute master you are, I will not be played by your intentions!'
Shangguan Ming was a person who had moved his opponents according to his intentions for a long ti.
He imdiately composed his emotions and said, "I see. Even if you are not an absolute master, you are not an ordinary person. Then I will not argue about the ways of an ordinary person."
'So this is the Martial Alliance's Chief Military Advisor?'
Baekji stealthily scanned Shangguan Ming, who had regained his composure and was drinking tea.
He was a person who had been selected by the Martial Alliance Leader, Jeong Unbaek, and had served as his head for decades.
He could not be ordinary.
"Good. If you have that kind of mind, it's easy to talk. How about we settle the matter of the reward first?"
"That will be notified later. There is a procedure, so it's not sothing I can do anything about."
Shangguan Ming said flatly and imdiately changed the subject.
"I won't beat around the bush. I would like you to join us in attacking the Blood Sect."
"Is that the reason you wanted to see ?"
"Is there any other reason? Even if it's not the 'absolute realm', since you are a master who has subdued the Blood Corpse Brigade leader in a single blow, I am making a proposal. I have no intention of discussing the justice of the martial world. I will give you sufficient compensation."
"Ah... it seems you have also received a report that I like money. It's good that you're straightforward."
Baekji picked up a pine nut candy, put it in his mouth, and nodded.
"But why do I feel a different intention?"
"...!"
"Is the Martial Alliance complicated?"
"Since it is an alliance ford by nurous sects, isn't that natural? Although the great cause of upholding the righteous path is one, the ways to realize it are all different."
"Let's be honest. The Alliance Leader is old. And he has been in power for too long. He has no successor. Isn't that the problem?"
Shangguan Ming's hand, which was holding the teacup, trembled for a mont.
"The great sects and the great families would want to produce the next Alliance Leader, right? The Chief Military Advisor would be thinking of stepping down when the next Alliance Leader cos in. Even so, you would want to prevent power from being concentrated in one faction."
He spoke as if he had seen through his heart.
Shangguan Ming, trying hard to be calm, drank his tea and then put down the teacup.
This was a eting to find out what kind of person Baekji was, since he was an absolute master. He had thought of it as a place to check if he would be a harm to the future of the Alliance, and if he was irrelevant, to have a light chat.
If possible, it would be good to put him at the forefront of the war against the Blood Sect.
But Baekji had unexpectedly brought up a heavy topic.
He had co to lightly scout, but he had been caught off guard.
'I've lost the initiative!'
He could not decide whether to continue the conversation or not.
Baekji, who had driven the genius of the world, the Chief Military Advisor of the Martial Alliance, into a conflict, did not stop talking.
"Even if one becos the Alliance Leader, the sect that produced him cannot rule the martial world. The other sects will keep them in check. But... if the check goes too far and leads to antagonism, couldn't a situation arise where the Martial Alliance splits? In this ergency situation where the Blood Sect is stirring again."
A chill ran down Shangguan Ming's spine.
'What? This brat?'
He had accurately pointed out the point that he had been worrying about for a long ti.
Baekji again popped a pine nut candy into his mouth, mumbled, and watched Shangguan Ming.
Shangguan Ming opened his mouth under the pressure.
"It is a groundless fear. Since the Alliance Leader is in good health, there is no need to hurry with the matter of his successor. I did not know that you were so interested in the Martial Alliance."
"Do these people think so too?"
Baekji took out a letter from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
On the outer envelope was written the na of the Great Elder, Haewol.
"This ca in the morning. He's the Great Elder from Shaolin, right? He wants to see
at the Elder's Hall. He says he wants to hear the opinion of the young blood on the future of the martial world, citing the rit of subduing the Blood Sect mbers. Oh dear... I ca to get a reward, but it seems I'll be discussing the future of the martial world."
"..."
Shangguan Ming looked at the letter silently and then at Baekji.
Could he have already colluded with the Elder's Hall? Looking at the information that had co in so far, that was unlikely.
Baekji was a being that had suddenly appeared one day.
That's why he had wanted to see him in person.
"What is the intention of showing
this?"
He could not help but ask the intention of showing him the Great Elder's letter.
"Well... first, let's consider why this ca. Isn't it like this? Because I made a bit of a fuss, I beca known as a master. But the Chief Military Advisor wanted to et
alone. The Chief Military Advisor is not soone who ets just anyone, right? Honestly, in the martial world, isn't it a position of 'one person below, ten thousand people above'?"
Does the brat who knows that act so rudely?
Shangguan Ming was dumbfounded.
This brat would even climb over the Alliance Leader.
"An absolute master who appeared one day! But he even brought a Blood Sect mber and even solved the crisis of the Tang family. Shall we say he is a 'new star of the righteous path'?"
He was even powdering his own face.
"And that new star is a young brat with a long life ahead of him. The Chief Military Advisor t such a brat? If that brat falls for the Chief Military Advisor's outstanding eloquence and snatches the position of the Alliance Leader's successor? Since the Alliance Leader will live to be a hundred, if he looks after him for about ten years, won't that brat beco the next Alliance Leader?"
"...!"
Is this brat aiming for the position of Alliance Leader?
"Don't look at
like that. It's not my thought, but the story that the old n of the Elder's Hall might have thought so. Isn't that why this letter ca?"
"The Elder's Hall is recruiting you? That's impossible. They don't recruit unless they are from a great sect or a great family."
"They can find so fault and make things difficult. For example, like the Chief Military Advisor just now. If I act rudely, they can make a fuss and make
a public enemy of the martial world, right?"
The brat who knows himself that he has not a speck of courtesy...
Anyway, he's a brat who is quick to judge the situation.
If he goes to the Elder's Hall and speaks informally, he won't even be able to keep his bones.
He secretly wanted to see that.
"Not just anyone becos a public enemy of the martial world. Although you are rude, they cannot push you that far."
"Even if I don't beco a public enemy of the martial world, they can make it so that I can never set foot in the Alliance again. There are many ways to get rid of a troubleso brat."
Shangguan Ming could not help but admit it.
The brat in front of him, although he looked young, had about ten cunning snakes in his belly.
The more he thought about it, the more curious he beca.
'Where did such a brat co from?'
At the sa ti, he felt an unknown sense of anticipation.
'If this brat becos the Alliance Leader?'
Although he didn't know in what direction the Martial Alliance would go, it seed that it would not be swayed by the great sects or the great families.
If he had the martial prowess to have reached the 'absolute realm' at that age and was even skilled in scheming...
Shangguan Ming shook his head.
His identity was too unclear to make a hasty conclusion.
If he made a mistake, he could turn the martial world into a pandemonium.
"So what is my true intention that you have thought of?"
"You've already achieved it, haven't you? Using
to provoke the Elder's Hall. You're planning to do sothing in the anti, right?"
Shangguan Ming now felt a chill even in his belly.
This brat is a ghost.
"I don't care what the Chief Military Advisor is plotting. That's what that position is for. But the feeling of being used as bait is a bit unpleasant. You'll have to compensate
handsoly."
"You know... and you're going to let ?"
"No, I didn't say I would let you."
Baekji pushed the letter towards Shangguan Ming.
"What would I have to talk about with an old bald monk? The Chief Military Advisor can take care of this."
"..."
"The person who started it should take responsibility."
"Alright."
Shangguan Ming said, taking the letter.
"I heard you would catch the Blood Fiend."
"I didn't say I would catch him. I said I would make it so that he could be caught."
Baekji had definitely felt sothing after coming to the Martial Alliance.
There were more people interested in him than he had thought. At this rate, his 'rejuvenation' might be revealed before he could find his identity.
He shouldn't stand out anymore.
He had made up his mind at the Tang family, but because things had gotten bigger, he had ended up revealing his martial prowess.
'Now I have to hide it for sure.'
Baekji said, "You heard the condition too, right?"
Baekji had requested the records of the absolute masters.
"What is the reason you want to see it?"
"I told you. I'm not an absolute master. So shouldn't I go to soone and receive teachings?"
"..."
Shangguan Ming was also not a foolish person.
He was half-convinced, half-skeptical of Baekji's words.
But catching the Blood Fiend was a tempting offer.
"So be it."
"You'll give
the reward too, right?"
* * *
The main gate of the Martial Alliance's outer hall was crowded with people coming and going.
Mado left the Alliance with her disciple.
Although there were people who occasionally glanced at the two, who were both wearing bamboo hats and veils, no one particularly stopped them.
Cho-hye, who had co out of the main gate and saw the wide main street and the shops lined up on both sides, opened her eyes wide and looked around.
Then her eyes t Baekji's, who was looking at her.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
Mado asked her disciple.
"That brat... it's that brat from last night."
Mado looked in the direction her disciple was pointing.
Baekji was sitting at an outdoor table that had been set out from a restaurant, waving his hand.
"Let's just go."
Mado ignored him and walked along the main street.
Cho-hye, who was glancing back, whispered, "Master, that brat is following us."
"..."
Mado stopped walking.
A cold chill spread around Mado.
The people passing by tilted their heads at the unknown chill and hurried their steps.
Mado slowly turned around.
Baekji approached with a bright smile.
"We et again."
(End of Chapter)
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