Chapter 476: Groundwork (1)

Je Gal Munho greeted Yeon Hojeong warmly.

“You’re here.”

“Have you been well?”

“Ha ha. I’m the same as always.”

“You look like you’ve lost some weight.”

“That’s the fate of men who make a living with their heads. I’ve been pouring tonics down my throat, yet the white hairs just keep multiplying.”

There was unmistakable pride in his profession as a strategist in the way he laughed.

It was a truly exhausting position, but apparently one that gave him just as much satisfaction.

“By the way.”

Surprise entered Je Gal Munho’s face.

“You really are extraordinary. Before, I could at least tell where you stood. Now everything about you seems °• N ?? v ?? l i g h t •° hazy. Have you already advanced into territory beyond my sight?”

As Clan Lord of one of the Six Great Clans, Je Gal Munho possessed martial prowess more than worthy of his station.

His discernment in particular was sharper than almost anyone’s.

Yet even to his eyes, Yeon Hojeong’s limits were no longer visible.

That was how far the gap between them had widened. Yeon Hojeong had grown to the point that even Je Gal Munho’s keen eye could no longer discern where the end of his cultivation lay.

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“I still have a long way to go. At this level, I can’t fight with any peace of mind.”

Je Gal Munho let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Aren’t your standards rather too high? At this point, your age is almost meaningless. If your martial prowess exceeds even that of the leaders of the great orthodox sects, then you already possess strength worthy of being discussed among the finest under heaven.”

“To truly be discussed among the finest under heaven, I need to reach the level of the Supreme Heavens.”

“I never imagined I would be saying this to you, but...... that is excessive ambition. You are not even thirty yet. With martial prowess like yours at that age, I doubt all of history contains anyone suitable for comparison.”

“As you said, Strategist, age has little meaning in the world we live in. Especially now, when the enemy’s strength exceeds anything we imagined, I need to gain enough power to face their leaders head-on as quickly as possible.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Besides, there is at least one master around my age who approaches my level.”

Je Gal Munho’s eyes widened.

“Who?”

“One of Putuo Hermitage’s Sword Empress candidates. In terms of talent and martial prowess alone, she is probably the closest to becoming the next Sword Empress.”

“Good heavens! Putuo had someone of that caliber?!”

“She’s still incomplete. Her mentality isn’t strong enough to make proper use of martial arts that good. Whether that improves in the future remains to be seen.”

Je Gal Munho wondered what exactly Yeon Hojeong had seen in her to reach that conclusion.

“Even if it takes a while, could you tell me everything that has happened since you left? Including everything about that Sword Empress candidate you just mentioned.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled again.

“How could that possibly bore me?”

He told Je Gal Munho the same story he had told Mo Yonggun.

There was one difference.

This time, he told him everything about what had happened in Foshan.

Je Gal Munho nodded.

“There is inevitably a difference between receiving a written report and hearing the account directly from the person involved. And yet, I feel as though I have just heard almost exactly what I had already been told.”

“That only proves how capable the Successor is.”

The report Je Gal Munho had received had been written by Ga Deoksang.

Its contents aligned almost perfectly with the words of the man who had actually been working in the field.

That meant Ga Deoksang had conveyed the situation remarkably well.

It was an ability worthy of the Beggars’ Union Successor, from an organization said to contend for the finest intelligence network under heaven.

“Putuo, though......”

Je Gal Munho sighed.

“As you said, the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor let his ambitions go much too far. No matter how deep his grudge against the Perverse Lust Cult may be, to do such a thing in times like these......”

“To be precise, he had probably been planning it for years. But it was still something he could have left dormant while watching how the situation developed.”

“What do you think of him? The Lord of Ink Dragon Manor, I mean.”

“Probably not much different from what you think of him.”

“I want to hear it anyway.”

Je Gal Munho’s expression turned serious.

“We are in a position where we may have to dispatch one of the Martial Alliance’s core masters—and the commander of a field-force unit—to Ink Dragon Manor. When it comes to the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor, I need to know even the smallest detail.”

Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.

“I apologize. I made that decision without consulting you.”

“Yes. You went rather too far this time.”

“Tsk.”

“But the decision has already been made. And frankly, if I believed the harm it would cause outweighed the benefits, I would have been the first to stop you.”

Je Gal Munho sighed.

“It is extremely dangerous...... but if the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor genuinely thinks well of you, then I believe it could serve as a very effective strategy against the Three Creeds.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Tell me. What kind of man do you believe the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor to be?”

Yeon Hojeong gave him his assessment without reservation.

Je Gal Munho clicked his tongue.

“Recently, I had the feeling his movements had become sharper than before. Hearing what you have to say, it seems he truly has changed.”

“He has.”

“Very well. I’ll combine what you’ve told me with everything else and try to persuade the others in my own way.”

“Thank you.”

“And lastly.”

Now came the most important subject of all.

“We have to catch the infiltrator, don’t we?”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes sharpened.

They were more serious than they had been during any of the grave matters they had discussed so far.

“I imagine you feel the same way, Strategist...... but this infiltrator is far from ordinary.”

“Calling them extraordinary would still be an understatement. Every Martial Alliance councillor is a veteran with exceptional judgment and experience. Someone capable of hiding themselves completely among people like that cannot be explained by labels such as first-rate or top-tier.”

“What do you think? If we’re going to catch the infiltrator, where should we begin?”

Before presenting his own ideas, Yeon Hojeong asked for the strategist’s opinion.

From that alone, Je Gal Munho realized that Yeon Hojeong had already devised some kind of plan.

“My thoughts......”

Je Gal Munho closed his eyes and fell into contemplation.

He did not speak again until half a quarter-hour later.

“I’ll be frank. I am skeptical about the very idea of catching the infiltrator.”

It was an unexpected answer.

Je Gal Munho sighed before continuing.

“One of the councillors is an infiltrator. That fact means that even if we catch them, maintaining secrecy afterward will be difficult. More precisely, I cannot even estimate the likelihood of whether secrecy can be maintained at all.”

A strange light entered Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because we do not know how the Three Creeds will respond.”

“......!”

“There is an infiltrator among the Martial Alliance councillors? That is terrifying. Of course we must catch them as soon as possible. But do you realize something? The fact that an infiltrator managed to hide here proves not only how capable the Three Creeds are—it also amounts to admitting the Martial Alliance’s incompetence.”

“That is something we have to accept.”

“Yes. We do. Let me be clear: even if it were the Martial Alliance itself that committed a wrong, I believe the truth should be made public. If all we wanted were a century of peace, perhaps burying it completely would be better. But if we look farther into the future, wrongdoing cannot simply be covered up.”

“I agree.”

“The problem is the current situation. The Martial Alliance itself has a long history, but the Martial Alliance of this generation is, in truth, a newly formed coalition. That is one respect in which it differs from Ink Dragon Manor, yet also resembles it.”

“True.”

“What happens if we catch the infiltrator? And then the Three Creeds, rather than us, reveal to the world that such an infiltrator existed?”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes trembled.

He had never considered it from that angle.

If that happened......?

The Three Creeds publicly announcing to the entire world that they had planted an infiltrator within the Martial Alliance?

That made no sense.

If they revealed it, disappointing the martial world in the Martial Alliance would be the least of it. They could just as easily give the Central Plains the perfect reason to close ranks and unite.

No matter how formidable the Three Creeds were, they would never take such a reckless step.

If they did, there was only one conclusion that could follow.

All-out war.

A preemptive strike before the forces of the Central Plains could fully unite.

In other words, the Three Creeds had no reason to publicize the fact that they had planted an infiltrator in the Martial Alliance in the first place.

If they truly wanted all-out war, they would simply keep the secret and descend south with all their strength at once.

“I know what you’re thinking. They have no reason to do such a thing. If they were going that far, it would be better simply to gather all their forces and launch an all-out war.”

“Exactly.”

“And yet you seem shaken by what I said. Why?”

A shadow fell over Yeon Hojeong’s face.

“The Three Creeds must have planted infiltrators in places besides the Martial Alliance. Other regions. Other sects.”

“The probability is extremely high.”

“In a battle for public opinion, victory usually goes to the side that moves first. If the Three Creeds reveal the existence of the infiltrator and seize control of the narrative before we can respond, the Central Plains could fall into chaos before we ever have the chance to unite.”

Je Gal Munho smiled.

“You really are a clever man.”

“But...... the odds of them doing that still aren’t high.”

“And that is precisely the problem.”

The smile disappeared from Je Gal Munho’s face.

“We cannot judge the probability with any confidence. And I’m sure you understand why I cannot shake this ominous possibility.”

“The imperial court.”

“Exactly.”

Planting an infiltrator in the Martial Alliance was shocking enough.

But they had also sent countless infiltrators into the imperial court.

There was no way to know at present how much influence the remnants of the Three Creeds had already gained there.

That was unavoidable.

Even the Martial Alliance could not interfere in affairs of the imperial court.

Simply sending people in to investigate the situation was daunting.

“This war will not simply be the martial world against the martial world. One of the greatest variables in this entire conflict is the imperial court.”

No matter how thoroughly they won the battle for public opinion within the martial world, all their work would come to nothing if the imperial court raised its head in support of the Three Creeds.

Then why had the Martial Alliance not infiltrated the imperial court itself?

Impossible.

They were martial artists.

With the nonaggression pact between the empire and the martial world in effect, rashly starting a struggle inside the imperial court could cause the entire empire to brand the Martial Alliance an enemy.

The Three Creeds had spent years operating in the shadows and expanding their influence instead of seizing the imperial court by force because they understood the overwhelming power conferred by legitimacy.

If they occupied the court through force, the overwhelming victory they sought would become impossible.

They knew that.

“But the existence of the imperial court is no reason to leave the infiltrator alone and feed them false information.”

“You are right. If the Martial Alliance Leader were here, perhaps...... no. Even with the Martial Alliance Leader holding everything together, that would still be a poor method.”

“Then we have to catch them.”

“We do. I’m simply worried.”

Je Gal Munho sighed.

“We have to catch the infiltrator, but I cannot predict what kind of aftermath will follow.”

They were forced to contemplate the possibility of all-out war over the capture of a single infiltrator.

That was the nature of this struggle.

It was on an entirely different level from secretly annihilating the Divine Flame Cult’s warriors.

Silence settled between them.

Some time passed.

“Strategist.”

“Go on.”

“We have to catch the infiltrator. That is something that absolutely must be done.”

“You’re right. You are, but......”

“I also understand perfectly what you mean when you say you’re worried about what comes afterward.”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.

“In that case, there’s nothing else for it. We’ll have to strike first.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I said it a moment ago, didn’t I? In a battle for public opinion, the result is usually decided by whoever makes the first move.”

“You did.”

“......”

“Don’t tell me you mean—?!”

“Yes.”

Yeon Hojeong’s gaze turned cold.

“Isn’t it a little unlike us to agonize this much over catching a single infiltrator?”

“......!!”

“Whatever happens in the big fight later, let’s secure a few points in the corner first.”

“That’s far too dangerous!”

“Of course it is.”

Yeon Hojeong rose with a smile.

“But if acting is dangerous and doing nothing is dangerous too, then we might as well create a situation the enemy never imagined and smash them in the back of the head. That way, they won’t have the leisure to think about anything else.”