Black and White Martial Emperor

Five days later.

Mo Yonggun came to the strategist’s office.

“You have come?”

“Are you busy?”

“It is fine. Say what you came to say.”

Mo Yonggun’s eyes sharpened.

“Are you truly all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“At this meeting, you proposed delaying the election until next year and suggested a joint field force.”

“I did.”

“Did Clan Lord Yeon and Clan Lord Tang tell you to get ahead of me?”

Je Gal Munho smiled.

“How could that be? I took the lead on my own.”

Mo Yonggun was puzzled.

Originally, he was supposed to be the one to present that agenda at the Service Council meeting. But Je Gal Munho had brought it up first and strongly recommended it as well.

Mo Yonggun and the supporters who had wanted it in the first place had all cast votes in favor. And yet Mo Yonggun himself could only feel bewildered.

“Why did you do it?”

“You mean why I proposed it first?”

“Yes. A man as clever as you had no need to take on that responsibility at your own loss.”

This proposal was an issue that inevitably carried a political burden in many ways.

As someone wary of Mo Yonggun, Je Gal Munho had no need to shoulder that burden alone.

Je Gal Munho shook his head.

“This is not a matter of shouldering responsibility or not. I found that proposal interesting, and furthermore, I thought this path was right.”

“Why?”

“I think Clan Lord Mo Yong is a dangerous man. But before that, Clan Lord Mo Yong is also clearly a member of the Service Lords. If Clan Lord Mo Yong had brought up this agenda, there is a high chance a pointless fight would have broken out regardless of the proposal’s effectiveness.”

“......”

“This much is a matter that this strategist can bear. There is no scheme behind it, so you need not worry.”

Mo Yonggun thought there was absolutely no way that was true.

Of course, Je Gal Munho was a man who could burn away his own life for the public good and the Martial Alliance. But in this case, he was taking too much of a loss.

There is definitely something.

Had he read Mo Yonggun’s thoughts?

Je Gal Munho said in a calm voice,

“To the eyes of a good person, a cup of wine offered by another looks like goodwill. To the eyes of a wicked person, a cup of wine offered by another looks like a poisoned cup.”

“......”

“I know Clan Lord Mo Yong must have been surprised, but there truly was no special intention, so be at ease.”

“May I believe that?”

“If you do not believe it, there is nothing I can do. Furthermore, I do not believe this is the time for you to be worrying about such things.”

Je Gal Munho shook a document.

“This is an agenda item I will propose at tomorrow’s Service Council meeting. Its content is that the Demon-Sweeping and Evil-Smiting Corps must be made into one and swiftly sent into the Central Plains.”

“......”

“As an elder of the Martial Alliance, and as the head of the Hunan Mo Yong Clan, which detests foreign enemies with such bitter hatred, I hope you will be of great help to those who will soon depart on campaign.”

Mo Yonggun stared silently at Je Gal Munho, then nodded.

“At tomorrow’s Service Council meeting, I will say what I think.”

“Please do.”

“Since I am already here, let me ask one more thing. I know you have been secretly investigating the Service Lords. Have the results come out?”

Je Gal Munho shook his head.

“No result I can be certain of has come out yet. However......”

“However?”

“There is an extremely low chance that Daoist Seunghyeon of Wudang has joined hands with the Three Creeds. Of course, I still cannot be certain.”

Mo Yonggun nodded. He had thought the same.

“However, in the unlikely event that there is a spy among the Service Lords, I have narrowed down several people with the highest probability.”

“Who are they?”

Je Gal Munho looked at Mo Yonggun without a word.

With an expression of frustration, Mo Yonggun said,

“It is your choice whether you trust me or not, Strategist, but at least in terms of hating those bastards......”

“It is not that I do not trust the Clan Lord regarding that part. I am simply being cautious.”

“Cautious?”

Je Gal Munho once again closed his mouth and simply stared straight at Mo Yonggun.

Mo Yonggun, who had been about to say something out of sheer frustration, suddenly opened his eyes wide at the thought that came to him.

“......Do you mean one of our supporters?”

“That is correct. More precisely, one of the people with the highest possibility is on that side.”

“Who is it?”

“I cannot tell you.”

Je Gal Munho was firm.

“Regarding this matter, I have not told anyone yet. It is an issue that requires the utmost caution. If there is even the smallest chance that a spy exists among the Service Lords, and that spy thinks an investigation into them has begun, we may never be able to catch them.”

“......”

“I have told you even this much—that it is one of your side’s supporters—because you are Clan Lord Mo Yong. In that respect, you are not someone who would make a mistake, are you?”

Mo Yonggun’s eyes deepened.

Je Gal Munho said as if sighing,

“Most importantly, this is literally only a possibility. It only means that if, by some chance, there is a spy among the Service Lords, the possibility is high that they are on that side. It does not mean I suspect them unconditionally.”

“......”

“I will handle internal matters myself, so leave that part to me and do what you must do in your own position. That is the path beneficial to everyone.”

“I accept your advice.”

“I say this once more. Do not act rashly. Trying to look further into something or setting a trap is absolutely forbidden.”

Je Gal Munho’s eyes sharpened.

“If you do such a thing, Clan Lord, then at that time, I will frame you with whatever crime I must and lock you in the Brain Prison.”

He was not simply saying it. Je Gal Munho truly intended to do so.

The weight and truthfulness emanating from those words were not something even Mo Yonggun under heaven could take lightly.

Mo Yonggun nodded.

“Promise me. The moment you become certain of the spy, you will tell me without fail.”

“Need I even say it? Not only will I tell the Clan Lord, I will tell everyone who knows of this matter. Do not worry.”

“Understood.”

Mo Yonggun left the office.

Je Gal Munho, who had maintained a stiff expression, let out a low sigh and buried his back into the chair.

“At this rate, I will turn white-haired before five years are up.”

Strategists often paid more attention to external affairs than internal administration.

But Je Gal Munho worked hard without drawing a distinction between internal and external affairs. His handling of work was also fast and accurate, so it would be fair to call him the greatest contributor to the Martial Alliance’s growth so far without any major trouble.

But now, he had to handle not only foreign enemies, but also the possible existence of a spy and even the relationships between the Service Lords. He truly was spending days where ten bodies would not be enough.

Je Gal Munho fell into thought.

With this, my influence has grown stronger, and at the same time, I have made it possible to gather everyone’s eyes on me.

The reason he had gotten ahead of Mo Yonggun’s proposal and introduced it at the meeting was to increase his own political influence.

If Mo Yonggun proposed it, it would become a fight, but if the strategist proposed it, it would become a serious discussion. And since many people would agree with this proposal, the Martial Alliance Leader election would ultimately be delayed by one year, and the two field forces would be merged into one.

If he accomplished something that significant, Je Gal Munho’s influence could not help but grow stronger. Naturally, the Service Lords’ gazes would have no choice but to focus on Je Gal Munho.

That was what Je Gal Munho was aiming for.

If, by any chance, there truly is a spy among the Service Lords, they will watch me most closely.

He did not care about that. No, rather, he needed it to happen.

Because when the enemies focused on him, his allies, those rare monsters, would move covertly and crush the enemy.

That was why Je Gal Munho had stolen Mo Yonggun’s opinion and taken the initiative.

“......In any case.”

Je Gal Munho’s eyes deepened.

“Are they truly spies?”

Je Gal Munho was not a man with time to spare. If he had investigated a little and, no matter how he thought about it, decided it made no sense, he would have stopped the investigation long ago.

And yet, surprisingly, as he investigated the Service Lords, one or two suspicious people had begun to appear.

Are all of them spies? Or is one among them a spy? If they are spies, why have they kept their mouths shut until now? Of course, we did move without the Service Lords knowing, but even taking that into account, it has been too quiet.

Je Gal Munho pondered for a long while, then shook his head.

No. I should not think useless thoughts either. Right now, the investigation comes first. Deciding that this must have been so because of that, or asking why they did not do this, can wait until later.

What mattered was that the Three Creeds were dangerous enough that one had to consider the possibility they had turned a Service Lord of the Martial Alliance into a spy.

“Truly......”

Je Gal Munho could not help but sigh.

“What is going to happen to this rivers and lakes?”

*****

“Ugh.”

Mookbi clicked her tongue as she watched Yeon Hojeong groan and rub his shoulder.

“You’ve really turned into everyone’s punching bag.”

“Shut up. You should have seen that martial art in person. I’m lucky I didn’t actually cross the road to the underworld.”

“Then you should have just not faced it.”

“Hey, look at these magnificent weapons. Since I received such a huge gift, I should repay it properly, shouldn’t I?”

“As if. I bet you got excited all by yourself, stepped forward all full of spirit saying you’d receive it directly, then ended up crawling on the ground covered in blood.”

It was the sort of eloquence that left him with nothing to say. And it was true, too.

Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.

“In any case, I’m glad it ended at this much.”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“It hurts. Let’s stop at a reasonable point.”

“Whether I stop at a reasonable point or not is up to me.”

“Why are you so prickly?”

“What did I do? When I’m truly prickly, I don’t use words. I pick up my bow.”

“Good heavens......”

“So stop dawdling for no reason, put on your armor, and come out already! The field forces are waiting!”

At Mookbi’s sharp shout, Yeon Hojeong grumbled.

“What is this, I’ve got a master over me now. Fine, just wait a little.”

A short while later.

Yeon Hojeong appeared wearing the light armor of the Commander of the Evil-Smiting Corps.

Unlike usual, the Flood Dragon Chain, rolled into a circle, was worn at the belt on his right side, and the Black-White Twin Dragon Axes he had received as a gift from Tang Gwan were slung diagonally across his back.

On top of that, Yeon Hojeong appeared with the Mad Dragon resting firmly on his shoulder. It was the first time in quite a while that he had shown a commander-like appearance.

Mookbi hit his shoulder and urged him on.

“Hurry up, hurry.”

“Ah, be a little gentler. I haven’t even fully recovered yet. But there’s no horse?”

“What did you do so well that you think you get to ride a horse? Run!”

“Damn it.”

PAAAAANG!

The two dashed out with stylish movement techniques.

Yeon Hojeong asked,

“What about my brother?”

“He’ll be waiting. You know Commander Mo Yong’s personality. He’ll have tightened the military discipline hard to suppress dissatisfaction among the troops under him.”

“True. That man is good at that sort of thing.”

“But Young Master Yeon.”

“This is public.”

“You’re not listening.”

“Are we departing on campaign?”

“You really don’t listen.”

“Answer me. Are we departing as soon as we become a merged force? Rumors like that are going around all over the Alliance.”

Yeon Hojeong chuckled.

“Not immediately, but we probably will soon. A founding ceremony is only a founding ceremony. We need at least the minimum time to coordinate with each other.”

“So we are going either way.”

“Why? Are you looking forward to it?”

“I don’t know.”

Mookbi smacked her lips.

“Well, going out into the rivers and lakes is more interesting than staying in the Martial Alliance.”

“If we go out, combat will inevitably occur. Blood and death will flow. You must not start liking that sort of thing already.”

“I don’t like it. I simply think that if someone has to do it, it would be better if I did.”

As the two exchanged such quiet conversation, they soon arrived at a vast training ground.

There, a massive unit numbering five hundred and fifty stood in formation.

Yeon Hojeong took in a deep breath.

Mookbi asked with a smile,

“You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

“I am. Somehow, this makes me nervous.”

“You’re honest about the strangest things.”

“Kkulk, kkulk, kkulk.”

Yeon Hojeong laughed strangely like an old man of considerable age, then lightly slapped his own cheeks.

“Now then, shall we go?”