The Revealed Conspiracy (1)

Princess Jang-ok was angry. Very, very angry. The reason she was angry was simple. It was because she had officially heard the news that Neung Je-gang had truly headed toward Kunlun.

“Call in the informants of the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance.”

The informants of both sides who were lying low in Beijing quickly gathered at her command.

Through the informants, Princess Jang-ok conveyed the contents of the report that had been investigated under Neung Je-gang’s orders to the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance. That information was sent to the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance in utmost secrecy.

The first reaction of the intelligence chiefs of the Martial Alliance and Black Alliance who received that information was disbelief.

Though it was located beyond the frontier, Kunlun was recognized as one of the Nine Sects and One Gang. What would they lack that they would create a heretical cult called the Necromancer Cult?

However, in the report the Eastern Depot had written under Secret Shadow’s orders, the process by which the four strange men who had led the Beijing Blood Incident had drifted into Beijing was packed in detail. And its starting point was clearly Kunlun.

Go Won-gi was even more startled. In the end, it was none other than he who had sent Neung Je-gang to Kunlun. It was truly no different from sending him into the tiger’s den.

But there was no method to do anything immediately. Kunlun was far too distant, and a considerable amount of time had already passed since Neung Je-gang had left for Kunlun.

“Send word to the Lord of the Hall of Ten Thousand Sounds of the Black Alliance that I want to meet him secretly.”

“Yes.”

“Contact the Eastern Depot too. Tell the newly appointed Commissioner, Princess Jang-ok, that for the time being, information about Kunlun must be hidden from her.”

“Yes.”

Beside Go Won-gi, Go So-jeong had now become an informant who fully carried out her role.

“But it is too late. Perhaps we may never be able to meet Secret Shadow again.”

Did she hear Go Won-gi’s low mutter? Go So-jeong’s hand, which was writing the documents to be sent to the Black Alliance, trembled lightly.

“Mountain Lord! Urgent news.”

Kunlun Sect Leader Jeong Hoe-ja ran to the Kunlun Record Keeper with the information that had just come in. That information was information that could bring down everything they were trying to achieve.

“What is it?”

“They say the people of the Central Plains have realized that Kunlun and Taepyeong Sect are one and the same.”

“How?”

The Kunlun Record Keeper was not greatly startled. No matter how much one tried to keep a secret, a secret was something that could leak out someday. He had predicted that such a day would come someday. It was only a little earlier than expected.

“It seems the experts of Hyeonok Territory who went to Beijing to kill Secret Shadow left many traces while moving. They say those traces were reverse-tracked.”

Really, from where exactly were these people obtaining that information? The information Go Won-gi of the Martial Alliance had tried to keep so secret was being delivered almost entirely without a single thing missing.

“What would be best to do?”

“What happened to the Lord of Hyeonok and Secret Shadow?”

“As expected, they say he failed. Unfortunately, because Godan set a trap on Gongdong Mountain, the hidden Four Masters of Gongdong stepped forward.”

“The Four Masters of Gongdong? If those bastards stepped forward, everyone must have died. They are more cruel than most demon heads.”

“It seems they have changed a lot too. They did not kill them, and the ones who were captured were handled by Soul-Hunting First Tiger.”

Jeong Hoe-ja also had a deep connection with the Four Masters of Gongdong. That was because Gongdong Sect, which lay at the end of the Central Plains, and Kunlun Sect, which was based beyond the frontier, had the common point of being located on the borderlands. Even among the Nine Sects and One Gang, regional sentiment had existed, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

“He did well. Give Soul-Hunting First Tiger a reward.”

“Understood.”

“Then Secret Shadow will arrive here soon.”

“That is correct. They say the information about us has not yet been delivered to Secret Shadow.”

“Kunlun is too far, so even the Central Plains will find it difficult to take any action in a short time. So we may still feel relieved for now. Instead, buy as much food as possible for the future. What we will need most now will not be knives and swords, but food.”

“Understood.”

“And now, is Jieun Territory the only one remaining to us?”

“No. We also have the Cheon-geum Domain.”

“That is right. If it is Cheon-geum Domain, it can overturn a difficult situation overnight. It would be good if those women succeed even halfway.”

“That is correct.”

“But it is not yet time to use that. Let us leave that for the very end.”

“Understood.”

“Then immediately tell all branch offices to begin moving. At last, we will show the arrogant ones of the Central Plains what kind of power we possess.”

“Yes.”

There was power in The Kunlun Record Keeper’s command and Jeong Hoe-ja’s answer.

After leaving Gongdong Mountain, Neung Je-gang headed toward Kunlun again.

Cheonghae was an enormously vast place. Unless one was near Seon-yeong, the provincial capital, even proper roads were not made.

In truth, Cheonghae was also a place that had received much neglect from the people of the Central Plains. The Silk Road for exchange with the Western Regions passed through Gansu Province and led to Xinjiang, and through Sichuan Province, direct exchange with Xizang was possible.

In the end, Cheonghae was located between them, so there was no revival of trade rights through commerce, and due to its barren land, there was no inflow of population either.

Because of that, although the land was vast, there were no people, so even if it tried to develop, it was in a situation where it could not develop because of a shortage of manpower.

Henan County at the southern end of Cheonghae Province.

It was a city one could encounter if one passed Gongdong Mountain and crossed into Cheonghae Province along the relatively small official road. After passing this place, there was no proper road to Kunlun.

Because it was the last place where he had to check everything for the journey, Neung Je-gang entered the county, bought what he needed, and purchased one horse as well.

Thinking that from now on there would be no place where he could comfortably lay down his body, he entered a small inn, got a room, and decided to rest for a day.

The next day, Neung Je-gang finally set out on the long road again. Across the land of Cheonghae, where it was hard to see a single person no matter how far he went, the tedious journey continued.

Then one day, a pleased look appeared on Neung Je-gang’s face. Though he could not know where they were headed, a group of people was moving in the same direction as Neung Je-gang while driving horses and wagons. It seemed to be a merchant caravan’s procession.

“Who are you?”

A merchant caravan was bound to be wary of strangers. That was because situations where someone approached as if they were a traveler and then transformed into a robber occurred all too often.

“I am a traveler going to Kunlun. I had not seen anyone for several days, so when I saw the caravan procession, I was glad and approached like this despite the discourtesy.”

Neung Je-gang answered honestly. He also gave them a smile.

The smile on his current face had lethal power. The caravan people seemed to forget that Neung Je-gang might be a dangerous person because of his smile, and did not stop him from coming closer.

“Seeing your sword…… are you a martial artist?”

A middle-aged man who seemed to be the caravan leader approached, looked him over from various angles, and asked.

“That is right.”

“Hoho! Even if you are a martial artist, to think of traveling that far alone. And there should have been an easier route to Kunlun through Seon-yeong, no?”

“I came this way because I passed through Gongdong Mountain.”

“You brought a difficult road upon yourself.”

“Hahaha! That is how it happened. But where are all of you going? I heard there are not many places to trade except near Seon-yeong.”

“Now that I see it, you seem to know a little about the circumstances of Cheonghae Province. We are also on our way to Kunlun.”

“Ah, that is fortunate. Since our destination is the same, may I travel with you?”

“Well, there is no particular problem with going together, but we are tight on food as well…….”

“I have my own food. You can simply think of it as me following along because I do not know the road well.”

“If so, what problem would there be with going together? Let us do that.”

“Thank you.”

Neung Je-gang was satisfied that, at least, he could go without being bored.

A caravan procession could not move quickly because it had to pull wagons. Before even three days had passed since Neung Je-gang began moving with them, he was forced to make a choice. It was the choice of whether to travel with the caravan and not be bored, or to be bored but hurry ahead quickly.

“It seems I must leave first.”

He asked the caravan leader for the general route to Kunlun, then decided to depart first. Meeting Dam Yeo-yeong was more urgent after all.

“If you are busy, it cannot be helped. Go carefully.”

“Then…….”

Neung Je-gang gave his farewell, galloped off on his horse, and disappeared. And it was when his figure had completely disappeared from sight. One person approached the caravan leader. He was the head of the warriors guarding the caravan.

“Elder Brother! That man is Secret Shadow, right?”

“Probably.”

“What will you do?”

“We will catch him at Xingxiu Sea. I taught him the road slightly wrong, so we will meet him again there. When he is glad to see us, we will attack together with the Soul-Hunting Tigers.”

“But the Mountain Lord told us not to touch him, did he not? Have you forgotten that our current mission is first and foremost to transport this food?”

Boom.

The caravan leader nervously struck the wagon hard with his palm.

“Then are you saying we should simply let him pass even after seeing the enemy of our comrades?”

“What will you do if you fail? And if that happens, what about this food? I am angry too. I wanted to spit on that shameless face. But do not forget that before anything else, the Mountain Lord’s order comes first. Right now, the most important thing for us is to transport this food safely.”

Grinding.

The caravan leader ground his teeth.

“You endured well. I was on edge, fearing that Elder Brother might strike first.”

“That bastard will never be able to leave Kunlun alive.”

“That is what will happen. First, contact the Mountain. Tell them that Secret Shadow is going this way. The Mountain will probably take the necessary measures on its own. Elder Brother and I will have another chance later.”

And a short while later, the curtain of one wagon was slightly lifted, and one pigeon powerfully flew up into the sky.