novelraw Chapter 56 : Chapter 56
Chapter 56 : Chapter 56
Chapter 56. The Negotiation at Yueyang Tower (2)
The Righteous Faction of Hunan had been attacked.
The attacks occurred simultaneously at several Righteous Faction sects, making it impossible to specify a particular region or scale.
The assailants appeared like the wind, striking at the weaknesses of each faction and inflicting damage, then vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
Their movements were swift and secretive.
Of course, it wasn't that no one was captured, but far from revealing who was behind it, they showed symptoms close to madness and couldn't even speak properly.
They even went so far as to take their own lives.
As a result, even though the Righteous Faction suffered damage, they couldn't obtain any decisive evidence to identify the opponent.
However, judging from the martial arts used, it was definitely not the work of a fellow Righteous Faction force.
Also, given the scale and coordinated nature, it must have been a meticulously planned operation by a specific mastermind.
Of course, in the current Murim, there was no other faction besides the Evil Faction that would commit such an act.
“As I have said time and time again, we were not the ones who attacked you. What possible benefit would the Evil Faction gain from doing such a thing?”
Ma Jun, the leader of the Geumgang Society, said.
The Righteous Faction side wanted evidence. But it was impossible to easily prove that they hadn't committed the act.
“If you wish, we can form a joint investigation team to track down the assailants together. We can determine who is right and who is wrong after that—”
“Hmph! You talk a good game. But what guarantee is there that you won't backstab us again after forming this so-called investigation team? Huh?”
At that moment, a snort cut off Ma Jun's words.
The middle-aged man sitting opposite them.
He was Namgung Cheon-su, the Heavy Heaven Sword, the head of the Sungmu Hall located in the west of Hunan and a collateral descendant of the Anhui Namgung Clan.
“…This is frustrating. Then what exactly do you want us to do?”
“Ha! Are you going to deny it to the end? Even if, by some chance, it wasn't your doing, that doesn't absolve you of responsibility.”
“What on earth is that—”
“It means that while unknown assailants were running rampant in your territory, you were completely unaware of it, doesn't it? In that case, you don't have the right to protect this land in the first place.”
“Th-That's absurd!”
Namgung Cheon-su's meaning was clear.
In other words, if you don't have the ability to protect it, then step aside.
Perhaps it no longer mattered whether the attack was truly the work of the Evil Faction or not.
“In this Jianghu Murim, being powerless is as good as a sin. Isn't that right, Society Leader Ma?”
“…Keuk.”
Ma Jun swallowed a groan.
Sitting across from him were Namgung Cheon-su of the Sungmu Hall and Yang Ho-myeong of the Righteous Sword Sect, along with other minor Righteous Faction sects of Hunan, but the reality was different.
They were merely representatives of the will of the Namgung Clan and Diancang.
That was why they were so arrogant.
Furthermore, the fact that they had launched an attack out of the blue, naming them as the assailants before any clear evidence was found, was as good as saying that the two factions had finally decided to set foot in Hunan directly.
Ma Jun looked at the head seat.
At the very front of the Evil Faction side sat a man named Maeng Sang-tae from the Black Heaven Gang, representing the Evil Faction Alliance.
‘…I expected this, but how could they.’
Grit. He ground his teeth.
He had done nothing.
Whatever happened in the Hunan Murim, he had made it clear that it had nothing to do with the Evil Faction Alliance and that they would not interfere in any way from now on.
And then he had shut his mouth.
On the contrary, if the Iron-Faced Beggar of the Beggar's Gang, a Righteous Faction member, hadn't properly mediated, the current negotiations would have long since gone in their favor.
“In other words, are you, Master Namgung, telling us to vacate the land of Hunan and get lost somewhere?”
“Th—”
At that moment, U Jin-hui, the Soul-Stealing White Claw, the leader of the Rakshasa Sect, opened her mouth.
As their eyes met, Namgung Cheon-su was momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn't expected her to come at him so directly.
“I see. To my ears as well, it sounds like you’re telling us to give up our territory if we don’t want to die.”
Not missing the opportunity, Jeon Sa-uk, the Evil Blood Sword, the leader of the Red Evil Sect, chimed in.
“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? With even the Evil Faction Alliance turning their backs on us, how could people like us dare to stand against your illustrious ‘backers’?”
Jeon Sa-uk shrugged.
“But we have our pride as the Evil Faction. We can't just step aside because you tell us to. We have to fight, even if it means death. With the mindset of cracking at least one more skull and breaking one more spine.”
Jeon Sa-uk glared at Namgung Cheon-su.
His words were rather quiet, but they were laced with a subtle anger.
Taang.
“Evil Blood Sword! You speak so freely with that mouth of yours! Do you wish to meet your end today!”
As if angered by losing the momentum even for a moment, Namgung Cheon-su shot up from his seat.
“Ha, can you do it? You've got a few brats from the Namgung Clan standing behind you, and you're acting all high and mighty, aren't you?”
“What?!”
Kuoong.
The moment the atmosphere turned hostile, a heavy thud echoed from the head seat at the front.
The Iron-Faced Beggar of the Beggar's Gang had struck the table with his staff.
“Now, now, everyone calm down. Calm down!”
“……”
It was a crude staff.
But its meaning was not light.
It was the Dog-Beating Staff, a sacred object of the Beggar's Gang and a symbol of its leader. As long as it was in the hands of the Iron-Faced Beggar, the Gang Leader's direct disciple, its meaning was clear.
His will was the will of the Beggar's Gang.
“Fifty years ago, right here, a pact was made between the Righteous and Evil Factions. After our predecessors joined forces to defeat the Demonic Cult, we agreed to divide our territories for mutual coexistence. Isn't that right, Master Namgung?”
The Iron-Faced Beggar's gaze turned to Namgung Cheon-su.
Namgung Cheon-su's expression wavered slightly, but soon his brow furrowed again.
“Hmph! Those who don't even have the strength to protect themselves are clinging to a fifty-year-old promise and staying put! How long do we have to keep that unsightly promise?!”
However, it seemed he had no intention of backing down easily either.
No, in the first place, it was not his will alone but the will of the Namgung Clan, so he couldn't back down.
“……”
Lee Byeok thought.
In the end, as expected, the negotiations were heading towards a catastrophe. In that case, he just had to proceed as planned.
“…Utterly ridiculous.”
Lee Byeok opened his mouth.
The voice that came from the far end of the Evil Faction side was low, but it clearly pierced the ears of the assembly.
“What? Who are you! Where did some ill-mannered brat come from to speak so recklessly—”
“Master Namgung! Control yourself!”
The Iron-Faced Beggar finally roared.
Flinch. Namgung Cheon-su's shoulders trembled.
Although he was representing the Namgung Clan, he wasn't capable of handling the anger of a man who might become the next leader of the Beggar's Gang.
“Now, speak, young warrior.”
The Iron-Faced Beggar turned to Lee Byeok.
A very friendly smile was on his face. Looking back at that shabby face, Lee Byeok slowly opened his mouth.
“If you think about it, the very fact that the Righteous Sword Sect or the Sungmu Hall are located in the Hunan Murim in the first place is as good as the Righteous Faction having already broken the Pact of Yueyang, isn't it? How much exactly have they protected us all this time to be talking like that?”
“……”
Lee Byeok slowly continued.
It was something he had prepared through conversations with Gongson Su and Yeom U-gil, but it was also Lee Byeok's own opinion.
Using the attack by unknown assailants as a pretext to shift responsibility and indulge in their ambitions. That was certainly not the direction of the Righteous Faction he had in mind.
“…Young warrior, strictly speaking, that is a little different. The Righteous Sword Sect and the Sungmu Hall are already separate martial sects from Diancang and the Namgung Clan, who were part of the Pact of Yueyang—”
“Then why are the disciples of the Namgung Clan and Diancang staying behind them?”
The Iron-Faced Beggar tried to hastily smooth things over, but Lee Byeok spoke again. And he glanced at the Righteous Faction side.
Behind the Righteous Sword Sect Master, Sun-Piercing Sword Yang Ho-myeong, stood Diancang’s third great disciples, Chang Myeong and Chang Seong, with whom he had crossed swords at the Invincible Sect.
The same went for the Sungmu Hall Master, Namgung Cheon-su's side, where direct descendants wearing the martial robes of the Namgung Clan were seated.
“When it's inconvenient, they're an independent force, and when they need protection, they're my family that must be protected. What a convenient shield.”
“Y-You!”
Kwaang!
Namgung Cheon-su slammed the table.
His flushed face glared at Lee Byeok.
“Shut that mouth! I tried to endure it for the sake of the Beggar's Gang's position, but I can't listen anymore! Who is it! Who brought that insolent brat to this place?!”
What Lee Byeok had said was, in fact, something everyone in this place was well aware of. It was impossible not to know.
But it was also a story that was not spoken aloud due to their respective interests.
Although it was merely an act of covering one's eyes with a dry leaf, for the Righteous Faction, which valued honor, it was a fact that was like a thorn in their side.
Also, for the Evil Faction, which was already at a disadvantage in terms of military power, there was no great meaning in bringing up the existence of Diancang and the Namgung Clan, other than to offend the other party.
On the contrary, they would be lucky if it didn't become a pretext for more active intervention, citing insults to their sects.
But Lee Byeok, a mere prodigy, had brought that fact out into the open.
And the words that had already come out of his mouth had been clearly heard by everyone and could not be taken back.
“I may be a brat, but I came here on my own two feet, no one brought me. I am Lee Byeok, the leader of the Flying Dragon Squad, a newly established military unit of the Evil Faction Alliance.”
“W-What?!”
“…Flying Dragon Squad Leader, please restrain yourself.”
At that moment, an unfamiliar voice interjected.
All eyes turned to the head seat on the Evil Faction side. Maeng Sang-tae of the Black Heaven Gang, who had been silent until now, opened his mouth.
“It is not the role of the Evil Faction Alliance to interfere in the negotiations of this place. We have only agreed to abide by the outcome of the negotiations, so do not go against the Alliance's policy.”
“Why do you get to decide that on your own?”
Lee Byeok looked at Maeng Sang-tae.
Thump. The next moment, Lee Byeok took out a token from his robes with a sound. It was the token of the Flying Dragon Squad Leader, engraved with his name.
“I became the Flying Dragon Squad Leader in accordance with the will of the Evil Faction Alliance Leader, and I was given the authority to judge and act on my own will. This token is proof of that.”
“……”
“You have no authority to command me. In the first place, you yourself are just a warrior of the Black Heaven Gang, not anything of the Evil Faction Alliance, are you?”
Stir!
The Righteous Faction side was shaken for the first time.
The story that came from Lee Byeok's mouth was completely unexpected.
And the weight of the name 'Evil Faction Alliance Leader' was by no means light enough to be dismissed.
Three years since the Paewang Family had closed its doors.
The Evil Faction Alliance Leader had also relinquished all official activities.
In this way, the strong presence of the number one Evil Faction sect and one of the ten great masters of the world had finally disappeared from Hunan.
If it hadn't been for that in the first place, a situation like this would not have been created.
But.
At this moment, a completely unexpected brat suddenly came out, citing the will of the Evil Faction Alliance Leader.
If it was true, the story would be different.
“…Great Warrior Maeng, is that true? Did that brat really receive protection directly from the Evil Faction Alliance Leader?”
“……”
Namgung Cheon-su asked.
Maeng Sang-tae did not answer.
But that silence was as good as an answer. Namgung Cheon-su's expression contorted horribly.
It seemed he had been trying to use a 'borrowed knife to kill a man' strategy, which explained his strangely low posture.
“In any case, you all seem desperate to divide this land, but I will not let it happen as you wish.”
Lee Byeok said, as if declaring.