Aenoe Mountain (2)

They did not need a guide to No-Poison Sect, since they had gone once already.

“Inform them that Secret Shadow has come.”

The eyes assigned to keep watch scattered to spread word that Secret Shadow had come seeking the No-Poison Sect Lord.

Cheon Jang-myeong welcomed Neung Je-gang.

Since he had also dispatched watchers, he would know Neung Je-gang had not met with the other sect lords—and might therefore be treating Neung Je-gang as an ally.

“The Heavenly Poison Grove has revived.”

As soon as he sat, Neung Je-gang led with what would shock the No-Poison Sect Lord the most.

“Is… is that true?”

Cheon Jang-myeong sprang up.

If those he had personally wiped out had returned, it was obvious at whom they would sharpen the blade of revenge.

“Moreover, the vanished Escaping Demon Banwon is said to be the new Deputy Grove Lord.”

“Ha! And such a man was beside us, and we never knew?”

“He was a mere servant. It’s no wonder you spared him little thought.”

“Even so… Man-eum Pavilion should have dug up things like that.”

“Man-eum Pavilion is just one organ clutched in the Pavilion Lord’s fist. If he blocks it, nothing gets through.”

“If the Pavilion Lord truly stands behind this, I’ll tear him limb from limb.”

Cheon Jang-myeong was capable of it.

The three sect heads were much the same; if the Pavilion Lord truly was one of the enemy, he might well end up in three pieces.

“What will you do? Banwon’s trail was last confirmed at Seoknim in Yunnan. He most likely returned to Aenoe Mountain. I extracted this from the Eastern Depot’s files; it’s reliable.”

“Then we go to seize him—and smash the reborn Heavenly Poison Grove once more.”

Cheon Jang-myeong spoke flatly.

“Will you go in person?”

“I should. The matter began by my hand; it should be ended by my hand.”

“That, you must not do.”

“…?”

Cheon Jang-myeong looked at Neung Je-gang strangely, as if not understanding at all.

“There is surely another hand behind the Grove. Part of it is likely lurking inside the Black Alliance itself. If word leaks that we march to strike the Grove, they will certainly dig pits and wait. If we rush in a mass, we’ll die in a mass.”

Neung Je-gang thus laid out his full thought: the Grove’s backers; and that the true culprit behind the heirs’ deaths was precisely that hidden hand.

“Then what do you propose?”

“Send an elite few.”

“An elite few?”

“The Grove was nearly annihilated and has reappeared after just a decade. They seem to have regained strength with outside help, but it is not easy to raise true masters in so short a span.”

“That is so. Without extraordinary fortune, no one becomes a peak expert in a dozen years.”

“We can ignore the rabble. Strike by surprise and cut off the head—then the rest can be handled anytime.”

“But you cannot simply ignore their numbers. They wield poison freely. I do not think a small elite is wise.”

Uneasy, Cheon Jang-myeong strongly opposed striking the Grove with only a small force.

In the end, he and Neung Je-gang reached no conclusion.

“Why not use both?”

Go So-jeong, who had been quietly listening behind them, offered a stratagem when it seemed they were stuck.

“Both?”

“First, a few top experts depart in secret. Then a large force moves, openly and in strength. The enemy’s eyes will fix on the large force; their traps will be set to its marching pace. The vanguard elites could then strike the Grove with little interference.”

It sounded unexpectedly good.

Even if the small vanguard failed its mission, if it merely wrecked the Grove’s prepared traps, the following host would annihilate them again.

“What do you think of Lady Go’s plan?”

“It seems very good. But there is another problem.”

Cheon Jang-myeong looked somewhat worried.

“What is it?”

“Because of the Necromancer Cult affair, all usable experts are already out in the field.”

When things were meant to stall, nothing helped.

Nor could he summon the outside experts back; if he did, the traitors inside the Alliance might catch on.

“I must beg your help. Since you have helped this far, see it through.”

“Pardon?”

Cheon Jang-myeong clung to Neung Je-gang.

“I will personally lead the follow-up host. Please, Captain Secret Shadow, take charge of the elite vanguard.”

Damn.

Neung Je-gang was troubled.

He had intended to end matters here and return to Kuaiji Mountain.

He had suspected it might come to this, but when it actually did, refusing was hard.

“…All right. In any case, I first took on the job of seizing Banwon and exposing his backers. I will go to Aenoe Mountain.”

“Oh—my thanks. I will not forget this favor.”

Cheon Jang-myeong looked relieved.

Under the name “Secret Shadow,” Neung Je-gang’s ability was already proven: he had slain Yuk Cheon-u, who even the Alliance Lord Black Cloud Demon could not be sure to defeat one-on-one.

For that alone, the Black Alliance counted him among the absolute masters.

“It seems dangerous to gather here and move together. Is there a place near Aenoe Mountain where we can rendezvous?”

“Near Aenoe Mountain, I know none. But Lord Yang might.”

“You mean Yang Wi-ryeong of Cheolhyeolmun?”

“Yes. He loves travel and has been almost everywhere in the Central Plains; he may have several good villas in Yunnan.”

“Can we trust the other two sect lords?”

“We’ve led the Alliance together for years. I don’t want to believe they would betray the Alliance and turn enemy. They likely think the same of me…”

“If you can trust them, ask their support as well—both for a rendezvous point and for dispatching elite masters. If we pool strength, it will be easier. But do not tell the Pavilion Lord. I still suspect him.”

“Understood.”

“Send the location to the inn tomorrow. Once I know it, I’ll depart at once. After I set out, do not announce you are selecting masters to strike the Grove; simply send them to that point.”

“Understood. Thank you for this help.”

Receiving Cheon Jang-myeong’s thanks, Neung Je-gang left the Black Alliance and returned to the inn.

The innkeeper’s gaze was vicious, but in a world where the fist was law, he dared not tell them to get out.