Black and White Martial Emperor

“Youhavebeensweatingbucketssincemorning,see?”

angwanwasnotsurprisedbyYeonojeong’ssuddenvisit.

“Whatisit?heaxeisnotfinishedyet.”

“cametotellyousomethingbesidestheaxe.ButyourrueQiseemsquiteunstable,doesn’tit?”

angwansnorted.

“hatisnoneofyourconcern.nanycase,thatbodyofyoursishardlynormaleither.Whattroubledidyoucausethistime,andwhere?”

Yeonojeongchuckled.

“hadaprettyintenseclashwithMoYonggun.”

angwan’sexpressionchangedinstantly.

“WithMoYonggun?”

“Yes.triedtoreceiveeverythinghethrewatmesomehow,buthetrulywasnojoke.”

“Whathappened?”

“Beforeexplainthat,thereissomethingneedtotellyouseparately.Doyouhavetime?”

thadtrulybeenalongtimesinceangwanhadseenit.

hatseriousnessandtensioncastoverYeonojeong’sface.

“Comein.”

*****

“Whatdidyousay?”

WasthistrulytheresponseoftheheadofShaolinemple,calledthegreatestsacredgroundoftherthodoxmartialworld?

enerableonggongdidnotevenseemsurprised.ispresencedidnotwaver,nordidhemakeafuss.

ButJealMunhoknewthatenerableonggongwasmoreshockedthanhehadeverbeen.ispresenceremainedlikeadeep,clearlake,buthiseyes,fullofBuddhistdevotion,wereshakingasifanearthquakehadstruck.

JealMunhoopenedhismouthagainandsaid,

“......”

Abriefsilencefell.

enerableonggongquietlylookedatJealMunho,thenmoistenedhisthroatwithasipoftea.ispresencewasstillcalm.

“hehreeFanaticCreeds...”

“hatiscorrect.”

enerableonggonglookedatJealMunhowithdeepeyes.

Althoughtherewasnohierarchybetweentheirpositions,JealMunhowaskneeling.

twasnotsimplyanapology.JealMunhohadnotcomeasaheadoftherthodoxPath,norasoneofthehighest-rankingleadersoftheMartialAlliance.

Atthismoment,hewasajuniorwhohadcometoleanonaseniorwiserandmoredeeplyrespectedthanhimself.

JealMunho,whowasalwaysexactinginseparatingpublicandprivatematters,hadloweredhimselfthisfar.enerableonggongcouldfeelthatthismatterwasnoordinaryone.

“notherwords,shouldunderstandthatthereasonyouonlynowtoldmeofthemisbecausetheyaresuchaterrifyingorganizationthatyouhadtospareyourwordsuntilnow?”

“hatiscorrect.heyhavesuccessfullyinfiltratedtheimperialpalaceandtheauthorities.Furthermore,thefactioncalledthePerverseustCultevenplayedadecisiveroleinthefoundingofnkDragonManor.”

“......”

“fcourse,suchathingshouldnotbepossible,butiftheirclawshavereachedevenintoourrthodoxPath,theremaybespiesamongus.hatiswhywehavebeencautious.”

enerableonggong’seyebrowstwitched.

herewasachancethatspiesexistedamongthem.twasatrulydangeroussentence.

JealMunhobowedhishead.

“knowfullwellthatyourBuddhistheartismorethanvastenoughtocoverallunderheaven.owever,giventhegravityofthematter,couldnotmakeexceptionsevenamongtheServiceords.”

“DoesthatmeanyouinvestigatedtheServiceordsfrombehind?”

Asexpected,enerableonggongwasnoordinaryman.eimmediatelycaughtthemeaninghiddeninJealMunho’swords.

“Yes.”

“......”

eadmitteditinanutterlycalmvoice.

owmuchhardshipmusthehaveenduredforthatvoicetobecomesofirm?Settingasideeverythingelse,enerableonggongunderstoodthattheanguishJealMunhohadsufferedmusthaveexceededimagination.

enerableonggongsighed.

“Raiseyourheadnow.”

“......”

“houghmaybeolderthanyou,Strategist,amneithersovirtuousnorsonobleamanthatdeservetobetreatedasyoursenior.”

“hatisfarfromtrue.”

“knowthatyoubowingyourheadlikethisisnotmeantasapleaformetolookkindlyuponyou.”

“......”

“Butinthisstate,itseemsimpossibleforustohaveadeepconversation.Raiseyourheadnow.”

“apologize.”

nlythendidJealMunhoraisehisheadandsitmorecomfortably.

enerableonggong’sfacegrewserious.

“knowyouarenotsomeonewhowouldjestaboutsuchamatter,butmuststillask.sittrue?”

JealMunhotookoutmorethantencarefullyfoldeddocumentsfrominsidehisrobeandhandedthemover.

“Pleaselookatthese.”

enerableonggongacceptedthedocuments.

nside,thefindingstheyhadgatheredthusfarconcerningthehreeFanaticCreedsweredenselywritteninfinebrush.

Asenerableonggongreadthroughthedocumentswithaheavyheart,surprisefilledhiseyes.

“hePavilionordoftheMedicalmmortalPavilion?!”

“hatiscorrect.hePavilionordoftheMedicalmmortalPavilionisoftheDivineFlameCult’sbloodline,oneofthehreeCreeds.CommanderYeonconvertedhimtoourside,andheprovideduswithagreatdealofinformation.”

“......”

“Pleasecontinuereading.hereismuchthatwillsurpriseyou.”

enerableonggongcalmedhismindforamoment,thenquietlyreadthroughthedocuments.

Ashortwhilelater—

“uh.”

Atlast,anemptylaughslippedfromenerableonggong’smouth.

“Suchthingswerehappeninginunseenplaces,yetthispoormonklivedidlywithoutknowingathing.”

“hisisnotyourfault,enerableAbbot.owcouldanyoneknowwhatwashappeningaroundhimunlesshehadseenandheardit?heonewhoblockedyoureyesandearswasme.willcarrythatsinentirely.”

“...donotthinkthatisamattertodiscusshere.”

enerableonggongcalmlybrushedthataside,thennoddedandasked,

“WhichoftheServiceordsknow?”

“YeonWi,ClanordoftheYeonClanofreenMountaininangdong;MoYonggun,ClanordoftheMoYongClaninunan;andangwan,ClanordoftheangClanofSichuan.”

“......”

“Atpresent,includingyouandme,therearefiveintotal.”

“DoyouintendnottotelltheotherServiceords?”

“Fornow...yes.”

Settingasidetheimportanceofthematter,itmadeonewonderjusthowcautioustheyhadtobeforhimtogothisfar.

ftheyhadgatheredthismuchinformationaboutanorganizationthathadnotrevealeditselfuntilnow,JealMunhomusthavebeenbusybeyondmeasure.Consideringthathehadalsotakeneverypossibleprecautiontopreservesecrecy,enerableonggongcouldnotbringhimselftosaytheyshouldrevealittoeveryone.

“Strategist.”

“Pleasespeak,enerable.”

“Wheneveryonelearnsofthissomeday,youmayhavetostepdownfromyourpositionthenandthere.”

twasacoldreality.JealMunhobowedhishead.

“famstrippedofthestrategist’sposition,willacceptithumbly.Afterthat,willriskmylifefightingtodriveoutthehreeCreeds.fstillsurviveafterthat,willpasstheclanlord’sseattothelegitimateheirofmymainhouseandspendtherestofmylifeintheBrainPrisonoftheMartialAlliancetoreceivepunishment.”

twasaterrifyingresolve.

twasallthemoreterrifyingbecausehewasnotsayingitlightly.fJealMunhowereimprisonedintheMartialAlliance’sBrainPrison,thenameoftheJealClanwouldinevitablybedraggedthroughthemud.

JealMunhohaddoneallthiswhileacceptingeventhat.

enerableonggongsighed.

“feverythingyouhavetoldmeistrue,andfurther,ifthetimecomeswhenallofusmustfightthem...”

“......”

“hen,too,willlendwhatlittlestrengthhave,andafterwardstepdownfrommypositionasabbot.”

hiswasit.

hiswaswhyJealMunhofeltsorrytowardenerableonggong.

enerableonggongwasaflexibleman,buthewasalsosomeonewhowouldneverexercisethatflexibilityunlessitwasnecessary.

heinstanthesharedthissecret,enerableonggongwouldbeinthesameboatasJealMunho.hen,whenJealMunhowasforcedtostepdownasstrategist,hetoowouldhavetoletgoofeverything.

JealMunhobowedhisheadoncemore.

“apologize.”

enerableonggongslowlyclosedhiseyes.

herewasnotremorinJealMunho’svoice,butenerableonggongwasnotsoblindthathecouldnotreadthedesperateemotioncontainedwithinit.

“believeyoudidwhatyouhadtodo,Strategist.fcourse,theprocesscannotbecalledentirelyupright,butifworldlymatterscouldberesolvedsimplybyhandlingthemuprightly,howgoodwouldthatbe?”

hosewerenotwordsonewouldexpecttocomefromthemasteroftheabbot’squartersofShaolinemple.

Yetthat,too,wasShaolinemple.

ShaolinemplewasoneofthesacredgroundsofCentralPlainsBuddhismandwascalledthesunofthemartialworld.Preciselyforthatreason,theabbotcouldnothelpbutbedeeplyversedinworldlyaffairs.

rdinaryevilswerelefttoflowaccordingtoproperorder.Butwhenacalamitytoogreattoendureappeared,Shaolinactivelyintervenedtoupholdchivalrousjustice.

herehadbeenhundredsofyearsofanguishbehindShaolinemple’sdecisiontosetdownthatholyBuddhistheart.

“owever,evenifmuststepdownasabbot,willdomyutmosttoensurethatyoudonotrotintheBrainPrison.”

“enerableAbbot.Pleasedonot.”

“Youreyesareturnedtowardchivalrousjustice.adyounotmadesuchadecision,whoknowswhatwouldhavebecomeoftheworld?”

“Youpraisemetoohighly.Alldidwasmakeonedecision.verymerityoumaythinkestablishedwasaccomplishedbytheYeonfamily,soaskthatyoupleaseseethatclearly.”

enerableonggonggaveabittersmile.

“owgooditwouldhavebeenifeverypersonintheMartialAlliancewerelikeyou,Strategist.”

“......”

“understand.willkeepmymouthsealedforthetimebeing.”

“hankyou.”

“fyouhavetimetonight,letusshareacupoftea.”

“fcourse.hen.”

Aftergivinghisfinalfarewell,JealMunholeftthequarters.

enerableonggongclosedhiseyes.

“ftheWayrisesonefoot,thedemonrisesten...”

Suddenly,Yeonojeong’sboldwordscametomind.

“hemastersoftheDaoistandBuddhistpathsalwayssaythis,dotheynot?ftheWayrisesonefoot,thedemonrisesten.hecrookedandevilalwaysoutpacethegood.”

“fonehaspower,onemuststrive,throughceaselessself-cultivation,tomaketheWayrisethreefeet,sevenfeet.”

fyouhavepower,useitforrighteousness.Shaolinemplehadinvolveditselfintheaffairsofthemartialworldpreciselybecauseofsuchateachingleftbyitsmasters.

twasanutterlyobviousduty—onehemighthaveforgotten.

enerableonggongopenedhismouth.

“sanyonethere?”

“Yes,enerable.”

“SendwordtoDaoistSeunghyeonofWudang.ellhimwillvisitatnoontoday.”

*****

“Youhavecome?”

angwannoddedandsatinanychair.

Withhisarmscrossedandhiseyesturnedtowardthewindow,helookedstrangelycold.tseemedhismoodwasratherfoul.

YeonWisighed.

“Youheardfromojeong?”

“heard,whichiswhycametothisexceedinglyuncomfortablegathering.”

“oweyouanapology.”

angwansnorted.

“tmusthavebeentrulyentertainingallthistime.Whenthinkofyoupeoplelaughingamongyourselvesinfrontofafoolwhoknewnothing,mybloodstillboils.”

“Clanordang.Weneverdidthat.nfact...”

“Shutup.”

angwanglaredatYeonWi.

edidnotwastewords.

“sthereanythingelseyouarehiding?”

“hereisnot.”

“mph!Asifcanbelievethat.”

angwangrowledasifhisangerhadyettosubside.

“fthereisanothermatterthisgraveyouarehiding,thenitendsthere.”

“willkeepthatinmind.”

angwankickedthetablewithhisfoot.

UMP.

“Rudebrat.”

Yeonojeongsmackedhislips.

“Didyoucallme?”

“Whatareyoudoing?urryupandbrewsometea.”

nsidetheroomwereYeonWi,angwan,Mookbi,YeonJipyeong,andYeonojeong.JealMunhoandMoYonggunwouldalsoarrive.

hereweremorepeoplethanexpected.Yeonojeongclearedhisthroatandstood.

“Understood.”

YeonJipyeongquietlybegantorise.

“willhelp...”

nthatinstant,angwanglaredatYeonJipyeongwithterrifyingeyes.

YeonJipyeonghiccupedwithoutrealizingit.Yeonojeongwavedhishand.

“Stayseated.willbrewit.”

“Y-Yes!”

“...Ah,damnit.Makingthingsalluncomfortable.”

WhenYeonojeongmutteredquietly,angwanflewintoarage.

“Stopspoutingnonsenseandhurryup!”

“saidunderstood.”

rumbling,Yeonojeonghurriedoutoftheroom.

“......”

Silencepresseddownontheairwiththeweightoftenthousandgeun.

Ashortwhilelater,angwantossedoutaquestion.

“YousaidMoYongguniscomingtoo?”

“hatiscorrect.”

“fthatbastarddisruptsmymood,willcutoffhisheadonthespot,sodonotstopme.Understood?”

YeonWisighed.

“...willtry.”

twastrulyadifficultgathering.

DifficultenoughtomakeevenYeonWi’smouthfeeldry.