When I was close to Yeon Tae-seon in the past, he used to say many words of regret to .
'If I had known that fact then, I would have responded sufficiently.'
'If I had reacted calmly in that situation then, I could have saved many more subordinates.'
'If I had given up quickly instead of dragging out the fight so long, there would have been far fewer dead.'
Most of the things he regretted were about failing to protect his people. That's why he wasn't ruthless when he returned as the Hao Mun Leader. He chose to exile the subordinates who had played a decisive role in Hu In-chwi's betrayal and rise to the position of Hao Mun Leader to so minor posts instead of killing them all. They slowly prepared for another betrayal in those leisurely places, and eventually, he suffered a second betrayal and died at that ti.
To be honest, at that ti, I thought he deserved to die. It was because he forgave those who betrayed him and didn't kill them all, creating the root of the trouble. But living this life, for so reason, I feel like I understand his heart. The reason he was able to beco the Hao Mun Leader in the first place was because he was a person who trusted others a lot. He was a person with much affection. He tried to return sothing even greater than the size of the loyalty to those who were loyal to him, and he showed kindness first even to those who didn't like him much.
'Yes. He was a person like Un Gwang.'
That's right. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons I beca close to him and rembered his death for a long ti was because his personality was similar to Un Gwang's. However, the biggest difference was that Un Gwang was a relatively safe Wudang Taoist, while Yeon Tae-seon was from the Hao Mun, where betrayal, power struggles, and secret plots were rampant.
"According to your words, Dojang, the number of people following Hu In-chwi even now is considerable."
I had told everything I knew, and Geum Sa-hyang, who had heard it all, spoke while narrowing her fine eyebrows.
"Yes. In the first place, isn't a rebellion sothing that can never be achieved without a force following him? Even if they were to kill the current Hao Mun Leader, if there's no one who recognizes him as the leader, he would instead beco a traitor for the cri of murdering the leader."
"Ha.... We were only just getting a clue about that...."
"But it's not too late at all."
"Pardon?!"
"From what we've grasped, there is a major difference between the current Hao Mun Leader and the one currently preparing the rebellion."
"What... is it?"
"Among those currently following Hu In-chwi, there are few who follow him because they truly like him."
"Then?"
"Most of them are people who seem to have taken his side for now because they think Hu In-chwi becoming the Hao Mun Leader will be beneficial to them."
At that, her face brightened slightly, and she said:
"Then you an if we prepare a plan to give them greater benefits, they might return to our side!"
To her, who was full of hope, I slowly shook my head. She, who naturally thought her words were correct, looked at with sowhat wide eyes when I shook my head. I let out a small sigh inwardly.
'How is she surviving in the Hao Mun with such naive and soft thoughts?'
In fact, as far as I know, Geum Sa-hyang is the first to die while trying to stop the first rebellion. In the martial world, naive and kind people originally die early. My role might be to help such a person survive even a little longer. Paradoxically, in the end, such people are the ones who gather strength and save the martial world from crisis.
"You must never approach them saying you'll give better conditions. If you do that, they'll eventually think they're the ones in power and will beco increasingly arrogant."
"Then how...."
"You have to think the opposite. The reason they stuck to Hu In-chwi is probably because Hu In-chwi guaranteed certain interests. So... what happens if the person who will give the interests disappears? Will they strive to raise the dead person to get the benefits he promised them? Or will they just stay quiet as if nothing happened, like a dead mouse?"
She didn't answer, but there was no need to hear her answer. Geum Sa-hyang might be a pure person, but she wouldn't be a fool. As expected, after thinking for a mont, she stood up and spoke while bowing deeply to .
"I understand well what I should do from now on. Thank you."
I could feel the sincerity in her greeting. I also accepted her thanks with a light nod and opened my mouth.
"It was a trade, so you don't need to be that thankful. Please assist the Hao Mun Leader well from now on."
"By any chance... do you have a personal acquaintance with the Hao Mun Leader?"
"....... Not particularly."
I shook my head with difficulty and continued.
"However, I think the Hao Mun is also an important part of the martial world. Since it's going to take on an important part anyway, wouldn't it be a better thing for the martial world to have a Hao Mun Leader who values people and affection rather than one who doesn't know the value of people and oppresses those who have nothing?"
"......."
She gazed at my face blankly. What I just said is truly sincere. It wasn't simply because of past acquaintance, but because I had often seen the Hao Mun disciples suffering after Hu In-chwi beca the Hao Mun Leader. And at the sa ti, I thought that I wanted to save the life of the person right in front of . Of course, it's not because she's a beautiful woman, but because she has to find out news about the strategist of the Four Evils Alliance and deliver it to .
"I am truly grateful. If everything you've said this ti is true and we overco this matter well...."
She paused for a mont and then opened her mouth again.
"Dojang, you will beco a noble person of our Hao Mun."
"Oh! If I beco a noble person, will you cut the price of information a bit? Even without that, every ti I use it, I felt like my back was bending."
At my playful answer, she smiled brightly. As she smiled, the room seed to brighten. I can confidently say that Geum Sa-hyang is definitely the second most beautiful woman I've seen so far. The first is, ahem.... Why is Zhuge Ling coming to mind again now?
"Regrettably, I cannot cut the price of information. The price of information is what our Hao Mun disciples delivered by risking their lives. Proper compensation must return to them."
"Aww. Then what's good about becoming a noble person?"
"Instead, if it's a request from a noble person, we will look into it with the highest priority and truly do our best. Because that is the proper way."
I chuckled. It was because I saw confidence in her brazen words that she would do her best. Indeed, high-ranking officials of the Hao Mun often used to say this: that if they wanted to know, they could find out the color of the underwear a certain high official was wearing and even the number of spoons in his house. If she and Yeon Tae-seon successfully suppress the rebellion with the information I gave and solidify the position of the Hao Mun Leader this ti, it would be the sa as gaining a truly reliable ally.
"Good. I'll look forward to that 'proper way'. Then I'll be going now. You'll be busy from today."
"Yes. It seems I'll beco busy. Thanks to you, Dojang."
"I hope it goes well. See you again next ti. Oh! And contact as soon as you find out about the third request I ntioned earlier."
"Yes. I will do so."
I stood up and left the inn without lingering. Before moving away from there, I glanced back at the inn, and for so reason, I felt as if killing intent were flowing through that inn. It felt as if the tension before a big fight could be felt even here.
* * *
After returning to the inn where my senior brothers were waiting, I began to write a letter to be sent to the Sichuan Tang Family. After writing down the information I found out from the Hao Mun along with the actions I would take to so extent, I sent the letter by flying the ssenger pigeon I received from the Family Head, and I also told all the information I had obtained to my senior brothers who were waiting for to finish writing the letter.
"So in the end, if we sohow deal with that Shadow Annihilation Bag and the man nad Gu Gung-hwan, there's a possibility that the Sichuan Tang Family will be able to exert its strength?"
"Yes. That's exactly it. But they say their numbers are at least in the thousands. If you count other warriors of the Four Evils Heaven nearby who are not in the Shadow Annihilation Bag, there might be tens of thousands."
"What is the level of Gu Gung-hwan's martial arts?"
"It doesn't seem to be that strong. But he seems to be a person who competes with craftiness rather than martial arts itself. Perhaps the fact that they always fight in alleys and with commoners when fighting the Sichuan Tang Family ca from his head, not a strategist."
My senior brothers already know well how the three major sects of Sichuan Province are currently being attacked. Additionally, since they had heard all my speculations that there might be a strategist among them, they understood what I was saying at once.
"Then what should we do?"
"If the numbers are that large, we can't move first, can we? If our identity and location are discovered and they surround this area, we'll be in great danger."
"Exactly. So I have a thought...."
"What thought?"
All my senior brothers asked with eyes shining. Since there was almost nothing that didn't go as I thought usually, they must be pinning their hopes on this ti too.
"How about this? Instead of doing it with an ambiguous five, let's split into small numbers."
"Small numbers...?"
"If we do that, I think we can help the three sects at the sa ti. If we can help the three sects at the sa ti.... we'll be able to finish the work in Sichuan Province that much faster."
"If it's the three sects at the sa ti.... The Tang Family, Qingcheng, and Ei at the sa ti?"
"Yes. That's right."
"How?!"
My senior brothers looked at with eyes full of questions. It would be natural that they wouldn't understand what it ant to help the other two sects at the sa ti when even helping the Tang Family right now was a difficult task.
"First, we'll divide the personnel into three. Senior Brother Un Cheol and Senior Brother Un Shik, who are strong in general combat and skilled in fighting, will stay here. Senior Brother Un Jeong and Senior Brother Un Mi, who have fast footwork and agile bodies, will go to the Ei Sect, and I will go to Qingcheng."
"And then...?"
"Senior Brother Un Cheol and Senior Brother Un Shik, from now on, please persistently target the Four Evils Alliance Shadow Annihilation Bag warriors with thorough surprise attacks. By steadily reducing their numbers one by one when their numbers are small, once they realize they've beco targets, at so point they'll hole up in their hiding place and won't co out."
"Is the goal to make them unable to move for now?"
I shook my head. A fishy smile was blooming on my lips.
"No. The reason the Sichuan Tang Family has found it difficult to deal with them until now was because the Shadow Annihilation Bag and Gu Gung-hwan have decided the place to fight. But what if the battlefield is their hiding place...?"
"Ah...!"
"The Sichuan Tang Family will never lose on a battlefield they can choose. And there aren't many places where the Sichuan Tang Family can exert greater strength against a large number of opponents. If we just create that environnt.... from then on, the Sichuan Tang Family will take care of it on its own."
Strength dwells in Senior Brother Un Cheol's eyes. He has perfectly understood what he needs to do. Giving fear to the Four Evils Alliance bastards. That was what my senior brothers had to do.
(End of Chapter)
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