Episode 276

The situation was resolved in an instant.

Jeok Saeng grasped the geography of Niuxin Fort and the village and quickly utilized the Iron Sword Troops to create a defense line and retrieve the bodies.

So Yak-byeok operated a troop of surveillance by deploying the assassins throughout the village to prepare for the possibility of the enemy’s active pursuit team, and Myung Se-chan sent pigeons to move to the Lower District Sect with orders to isolate the village.

It was a move of total defense and information control.

As the three of the Evil Sect’s Heaven Five Emperors, who had excellent Murim skills and had brought about the glory of Evil Sect’s Heaven in the past, moved, the village, where an additional market was located, was swiftly turned into a fort.

After handing his daughter over to Chu Hyung-do and sending them into the main house, Jinmu and his party occupied the pavilion and sat down.

Chu Hyung-do, who had received a favor, offered them use of the main house, but Jinmu turned it down.

“Hmm, so that is it.”

Jinmu shook his head at Jeok Saeng’s concise explanation.

“I’ve been briefed on the general situation by Hwang Shin….”

“……”

At Jeok Saeng’s words, the corners of Jinmu’s eyes twitched and he glared further down the pavilion.

“Up straight! Will you not raise your arms straight!”

“…!”

Of course, Hwang Shin, who had been bending at the arms without Jinmu’s knowledge, slapped his slightly bent elbows against his ears at the sound of Jinmu yelling.

No, he wasn’t his kid or something, he did it out of concern for everyone, and a punishment like this is rather… He was even looking after So Dong-bo, who was recently designated as the ‘younger brother’…

“Are you pouting?”

Ahm!

Hwang Shin, who was pouting with his mouth wide, quickly curled his lips and bit his lip.

“This bastard was asked to be a messenger and then he goes and does something I didn’t tell him to? Just do what you are told!”

When Hwang Shin averted his gaze at the sight of Jinmu losing his balls, So Dong-bo who was behind So Yak-byeok, smiled slightly like complaining.

“Sir Heavenly Lord, forgive him now. Wasn’t it an action which could have put the Heavenly Lord in danger?”

“Shut up! How dare you take sides!”

Myung Se-chan tried to placate the anger, but kept his mouth shut in frustration.

“Damn it, if you wanted to give someone to me, you should have given me a sane one.”

“…N-no, it’s not that.”

“Mouth!”

As Jinmu opened his eyes wide, Myung Se-chan pouted and bent his head down.

Oh my, how can the leader and the subordinate be so similar?

“Should I rip the mouths off you people!”

“W-wait, Heavenly Lord.”

Jinmu opened his eyes and threatened with his fist, while Cheon Woo-myung and So Yak-byeok tried to stop him. In the meantime, Myung Se-chan, who was in the way, turned his head and began to mumble.

Those are the great people of the Evil Sect’s Heaven who reigned over it, and now they were all being scolded like children in front of the young man.

Jeok Saeng still didn’t understand their appearance and relationship.

Wasn’t he a disciple who learned the Way of Wudang, and at best a disciple of the former Heavenly Lord?

Then, why is it looking as such?

But their intimate appearance made him feel like he wanted to be a part of it.

“More than that, Heavenly Lord.”

“What!”

Jinmu, who was still angry at Jeok Saeng’s words, turned his head.

“What do we do now?”

“What do we do?”

“We decided that it would be a good idea to join, but since the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce wasn’t included in our original list of goals, we didn’t make any plans.”

“……”

“As you said, even though we are certain that the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce is part of the Palace, we cannot carelessly touch it.”

As Jeok Saeng glanced at him, Jinmu glanced at So Dong-bo with an indifferent expression.

“Ledger!”

As everyone’s attention was focused on Jinmu’s words, So Dong-bo put down the bundle of ledgers he had been carrying on his back with a stiff expression.

“This?”

“This is a ledger obtained from the San’in Escort Service. So Dong-bo conducted a thorough investigation and marked out the suspicious items, so take a look at them.”

“…?”

Hwang Shin, who was listening to those words, made an agitated look, but then lowered his head again at Jinmu’s harsh gaze.

Damn it, the number of ledgers he examined was much higher.

What if he tells Shin to treat Su Dong-bo as the hyung from now on?

“If you look at it with Se-chan, something should appear.”

“……”

Jeok Saeng and Myung Se-chan opened the ledgers and looked through the places marked by Hwang Shin and So Dong-bo.

“Hmm…there are indeed many suspicious things.”

Jeok Saeng tilted his head at Myung Se-chan’s words.

Although his military-based knowledge was good, his ability to analyze something like this was far inferior to that of Myung Se-chan.

“Anyway, if we research based on this, I think we’ll have a lot to piece together.”

“Then good.”

Jinmu nodded and looked at Jeok Saeng.

“What are your plans?”

“……”

Plan? What plan?

Jeok Saeng was dumbfounded.

“Plan! We should hit the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce.”

“…Uh? So suddenly?”

“What do you want to wait for? Hwang Shin, because of that guy, but…well, we are all out here, so why wait anymore? What’s so scary about those bastards whose identity whether Palace or merchant is unknown?”

At Jinmu’s words, Cheon Woo-myung stood up, clenched his large fists and flexed his thick muscles.

“Right! Let’s go forward! I will take the lead!”

“Nice! Then gather the Iron Sword Troops. I will wipe out the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce.”

“Yes! Heavenly Lord!”

As Cheon Woo-myung showed enthusiasm and even snorted, Jeok Saeng urgently stopped them.

“W-wait a moment. That’s not possible.”

“…Uh?”

“…What?”

Jinmu and Cheon Woo-myung turned their heads at the same time.

“You cannot be so reckless, Heavenly Lord.”

“No, Commander, what do you mean? If Heavenly Lord has given an order, you have to follow it.”

At Cheon Woo-myung’s words, Jeok Saeng frowned like his head was pounding.

“Sigh, seriously.”

“……”

Cheon Woo-myung looked dumbfounded at the sight of Jeok Saeng sighing and sitting down.

“Commander! How can you be this rude in front of the Heavenly Lord….”

“It is Leader Cheon who isn’t being polite!”

“…?”

Jeok Saeng suddenly shouted and glared at Cheon Woo-myung.

“I am now the Commander of the Evil Sect’s Heaven! Also, this is a place where everyone is gathered to discuss the matter which will determine the future course of action! This is the most important thing! How dare a mere leader intervene in the conversation between the Heavenly Lord and the Commander!”

“……”

Cheon Woo-myung looked flustered at the sight of his eyes burning with flame and fists clenched.

“……”

Jinmu looked at this scene strangely.

Jeok Saeng is capable of looking like that? He, who was oftentimes with a timid appearance and insecure even when leading a team?

But he soon realized.

He was the head of the wanderers and a self-proclaimed tactician and although gentle, he was a man with great leadership skills.

Even in the fight between the Heavenly Strong Clan and Iron Sword Troops, he quickly adapted and used the appropriate tactics to secure victory.

Perhaps, to him, the differences between Evil Sect’s Heaven and the wanderers simply lay in the number of people and their size.

Well, thank goodness. Since he will have to lead a strong force like the Evil Sect’s Heaven in the future, it is good to possess this level of strength.

“Commander, how dare you do this to me?”

After a while, Cheon Woo-myung, who was in a bad mood, opened his eyes fiercely and aimed at Jeok Saeng…

“Sit.”

“……”

“Sit down, and listen.”

“…Yes.”

At Jinmu’s command, Cheon Woo-myung fell to the ground like burning firewood that had gotten extinguished.

What was really surprising was that even though he was angry to the core, he accepted everything readily at Jinmu’s words.

He had absolute faith in Jinmu. Cheon Woo-myung was just such a person.

“Fine. Tell me what you think.”

Jinmu sat down and said, resting his chin on one hand with his elbow propped on one knee.

“Heavenly Lord.”

Jeok Saeng straightened up, knelt down and kept his back straight.

“I, representative of the Evil Sect’s Heaven, greet the Heavenly Lord. Now that the war has broken out, we cannot move recklessly from now onwards, and you cannot be traveling alone.”

I know that.

It’s just that his personality isn’t like that. Whether before or now.

“Enough, tell me what to do next.”

“…Yes.”

Jeok Saeng began the explanation with a gentle face.

“Now that the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce has been revealed to be of the Palace, there are now four factions in total. The Shanxi Chamber of Commerce, Evil Sect’s Heaven, the Central Murim Alliance, and the Demonic Cult.”

Jinmu nodded and everyone listened.

“First, the immediate enemy is the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce. But we must not engage in a direct competition with them.”

“Why?”

“Even if the officials’ intervention is prevented by investigating corruption using the ledgers secued from the Escort Service, we have an enemy called the Evil Sect’s Heaven too.”

“Hmm…”

“Not only that, the moment we advance beyond Shanxi and into Hunan, there is a high chance that the Justice Faction will impose sanctions in earnest.”

“Don’t we have a truce?”

“Yes. In name, yes. However, interests can change at any time. The reason they agreed to a ceasefire was for the purpose of repairing the damage caused by the Palace’s actions and strengthening internal solidarity.”

“I guess so.”

“However, if the Evil Sect’s Heaven’s civil war ends without damage and it is revealed that the Five Emperors, including Yu Wol-cheong, have completely united around Heavenly Lord, the Justice Faction will not tolerate it.”

Jinmu rubbed his chin and nodded at Jeok Saeng’s analysis.

Right.

There are people who have been considered a thorn in Evil Sect’s Heaven’s side since the first they settled in Mount Cheonjung.

Now, at a time when it was declining due to the foolish actions of Yu Wol-cheong, it was by no means welcome from the Justice Faction’s standpoint for Evil Sect’s Heaven to get stronger again.

They will probably do their best to prevent it.

Jeok Saeng is said to be a tactician, but he was already looking this far ahead?

Jinmu looked at Jeok Saeng with a look of satisfaction.

“Nice. I will solve the problem with the Justice Faction somehow.”

“…Uh?”

“Did you forget? I am from Wudang. I have my own thoughts and plans, so don’t worry. For now, think of a plan to deal with the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce.”

“…Hmm.”

Jeok Saeng looked at Jinmu.

Although he couldn’t understand it, his words had a strange power which made the listener feel hopeful by hearing them.

“Then, I will tell you from now onwards. In preparation for the future war, we must never waste our strength in the fight against the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce. The biggest goal will be to preserve as much power as possible.”

Jeok Saeng’s eyes turned to Myung Se-chan.

“Lower District Sect Leader, please use all available manpower to alter the information. One can never know our movements.”

“I understand, Commander.”

“And, please use the records of the San’in Escort Service to facilitate the investigation by the officials.”

“Yes!”

The meeting began to become livelier with Jeok Saeng singling people out and administering orders.

After nearly two rounds of discussion, the plan to attack the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce was finalized.

From now on, all that remains is to move quickly.

Do not allow the enemies to notice.

While everyone was making up their minds, only one was left frowning.

“Yah, Commander.”

“……”

It was none other than Jinmu.

“It’s a good plan, but, if you do everything, what do I have left to do?”

Now that he thought about it, Jinmu’s role was missing.

Jeok Saeng, seeing his dissatisfied expression, smiled and said,

“Heavenly Lord, please wait near the main office of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce.”

“…Uh?”

Jinmu, who was about to refuse Jeok Saeng for not letting him wander, looked surprised.

“Near the main office?”

“Yes. Do we have to use a butcher knife to kill a hen? If you engage in battles with insignificant warriors one by one, your position will be lowered.”

“……”

When Jinmu, who was keen to participate in the battle and go on a rampage, looked forlorn, Jeok Saeng continued.

“I heard from Lower District Sect Leader that the leader of the enemy whom you fought a while back was far superior in Murim skills.”

At Jeok Saeng’s words, Jinmu nodded, recalling Jong Ryeo-gyun.

“If the leader of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce is just as strong, then the only warrior strong enough to handle them would be Heavenly Lord.”

“That…ahem.”

This bastard lifts people up after he lowers them. Still, it feels good to be praised.

“I will do whatever it takes to get the necessary people to move out to the main office of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce. At the same time, Heavenly Lord can kill the enemy leader and end this war.”

“Nice, I get it. Let’s do that.”

The meeting ended with Jinmu nodding.