Sword God Reborn

Chapter 174 : Black Assembly

"The River King and the Great Strength King have clashed twice."

The man in splendid attire, sitting on a grand chair made of sturdy rosewood that had a faint sheen, slowly nodded his head at his subordinate's report.

The name of the middle-aged man leaning against the backrest was Dokgo Pae.

A man of great talent who had established the huge Unorthodox Alliance sect called the Great Dragon Gang in the midst of the Righteous-Demonic War.

He was the Great Dragon Gang leader.

Dokgo Pae's eyes rolled and landed on the man who had given the report.

One of the Great Dragon Gang leader's personal guards, known in the world as the Three Monsters.

Haei flinched at Dokgo Pae's gaze.

Although he was a master who feared nothing in the world, Dokgo Pae's snake-like gaze was hard to bear.

Sometimes as unapproachable as a dragon, and sometimes as sinister as a snake to the point of giving one the creeps.

Receiving it head-on was quite an ordeal. Dokgo Pae's voice, which sounded like scraping metal, asked.

"The result?"

"Although there were some losses among the subordinates they each brought, both are safe. They are currently on their way to participate in the Black Assembly."

"Hmm. The Green Forest leader has been doing some cute things lately, did he try to swallow up the river pirates too?"

Dokgo Pae let out a hollow laugh.

It was a sneer.

"Tsk tsk tsk... if he coveted the position of the Unorthodox Alliance leader so much, he should have challenged me openly like a man. Isn't that right?"

"That's right. Then... shall we eliminate the Great Strength King?"

"No."

Dokgo Pae waved his hand.

"To completely tie the Green Forest within the coalition, the Great Strength King's skill is necessary. Because his experience in encompassing the Green Forest is irreplaceable."

"But if the Green Forest leader continues to try to expand his influence like this, and if he overthrows the River King, Wang Jeonyu, and integrates the river pirates..."

Haei trailed off.

No matter how hard the Green Forest tried, even if they won over the Unorthodox Alliance sects that were rebelling against the Great Dragon Gang, it was nothing more than a struggle. It was impossible to overcome the Great Dragon Gang's stronghold.

Haei thought that it was more likely that he would break through the wall of his realm and reach the realm of entering the divine.

For decades.

That is, the Great Dragon Gang had been building a solid foundation since the time when the Righteous-Demonic War was at its most intense.

The current Great Dragon Gang had laid a foundation comparable to that of a prestigious Orthodox Path sect with hundreds of years of history.

But as Haei said, if the Green Forest swallowed the Yangtze River waterway, it would be a serious threat.

What if the already unified Green Forest and Yangtze River joined forces?

They would have the power to challenge the absolute authority of the Great Dragon Gang leader.

"The River King, Wang Jeonyu, is not such an easy opponent. Although his power is relatively weak, the river pirate bastards are also very strong. They are guys who would rather die than submit."

That was the reason why Dokgo Pae did not kill the River King and kept him alive.

The Green Forest and the Yangtze River waterway.

His great goal was to encompass both forces.

"Even if the Orthodox Path guys gather under the worthless name of the Righteous Alliance, they are worthy of a fight."

That was right.

To create a new Unorthodox Alliance coalition that encompassed all of the Unorthodox Alliance and to rise to the position of leader.

That was Dokgo Pae's goal.

For that, the River King and the Great Strength King, who had seized the fierce and strong river pirates and mountain bandits, had to be alive and bow their heads to him.

If the two of them were killed by Dokgo Pae, at least the Green Forest and the river pirates would rebel against Dokgo Pae with all their might.

"Then will you subdue them by force?"

"Is there a need to do that? If we hold the Black Assembly, integrate the forces, and offer a sweet fruit, they will slowly be absorbed by us."

Dokgo Pae was wise. He was like a giant of the era who had created the Great Dragon Gang by himself.

Like a snake aiming for its prey, he knew how to wait.

He did not rashly step up and pick the fruit.

If there was only time, it was quite possible for the Green Forest and the Yangtze River to be gradually absorbed by the Great Dragon Gang.

But the problem was...

"Our two friends are more greedy than I thought."

Dokgo Pae let out a sneer.

It was fine to be moderately greedy, but to struggle to challenge his authority.

As for the Great Strength King, he understood, as the Green Forest's sphere of influence often overlapped with the Great Dragon Gang's sphere of influence.

But for even Wang Jeonyu to be like that.

"I'll have to press them down once. At this Black Assembly."

"What are you planning to do?"

"If I had my way, I would beat them up myself, but since they are the leaders of a force, I can't do that. I have to be a gentleman. Loosen up your bodies. Both you and your younger brother."

Three personal guards.

Haei, who had realized what it meant to have the Three Monsters loosen up their bodies, smiled.

"Since he has the dignity of a leader, he can't fight himself, and doesn't the level of the subordinates determine the size of the force?"

"I will prepare."

Dokgo Pae slowly stood up from the grand chair, opened the door, and went outside.

The top of a high-class three-story building.

Before his eyes, a scene of well over a thousand members of the Unorthodox Alliance swarming unfolded.

It was just a part.

A part of the Unorthodox Alliance of the Central Plains, only the elites of the Great Dragon Gang had gathered to this extent.

Now, if all the Unorthodox Alliance gathered, and if he took the Green Forest and the Yangtze River into his hands.

'You damn Demonic Path bastards of the Blood Demon Valley... you may have intended to create a hunting dog to fight the Orthodox Path in place of the Great Dragon Gang, but it will not go as you wish.'

Dokgo Pae's eyes flashed.

* * *

Poseong County in Fujian was not a very large city.

But no matter how small a city it was, the feeling that the city itself was packed with people was not an ordinary daily life.

Black Assembly.

Because it was the place where an unprecedented event, where all the Unorthodox Alliance of the entire Central Plains gathered, was being held.

"If it weren't for the River King, we wouldn't have been able to get an inn."

At Neung-heo's words, Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head.

Perhaps because the famous Unorthodox Alliance of the Central Plains were gathering, the nameplate of the Black Heart Gang was not accepted at all. If Cheon Mubaeck and Neung-heo had come without the sixty or so members of the Unorthodox Alliance that Neung-heo had gathered, they would not have been able to enter Poseong County at all.

Since they were accepted as Wang Jeonyu's party, Cheon Mubaeck was able to stay at the huge manor where the meeting would soon be held.

"Well. There were a lot of amazing guys. In the old days, they were guys I wouldn't have been able to even look at."

"And now you can look at them?"

"Hey. What do you take me for? Except for the Great Dragon Gang leader, the River King, and the Great Strength King, they all have to lower their eyes in front of me."

Although Neung-heo spoke confidently, in fact, it was close to a bluff.

Because the leaders of the Unorthodox Alliance sects that were gathering at the manor one by one were all big shots.

The Black Heart Gang could not even present its name card. Although it was a sect that wielded power in Henan Province, it was not that big when looking at the entire Central Plains.

"Well, that's because the Lord is blocking the business expansion."

"I'm blocking the expansion?"

"For the Unorthodox Alliance, what makes money is human trafficking and gambling, isn't it? Since you're blocking all of that, there's no choice."

"If it's an Unorthodox Alliance that will go bankrupt because it doesn't do that, it should have gone bankrupt long ago."

"Well, that's what I'm saying. I'm rather at ease because I don't do that kind of thing either."

When Cheon Mubaeck's reaction was sharp, Neung-heo feigned ignorance as if he had never said such a thing.

"By the way, what on earth are they talking about?"

The Black Assembly had not yet been officially held. But the Great Dragon Gang leader, Wang Jeonyu, the Great Strength King, and the leaders of several large sects had held a meeting in advance.

"It must be fierce, this and that. From the composition of the coalition. Various organizations will be created within it, and they will be fighting to place their own people as the heads of those organizations."

It would probably be quite a headache.

Moreover, hadn't the Great Dragon Gang leader openly said to Wang Jeonyu and the Great Strength King?

To just decide on a leader instead of fighting like this.

'It's a headache.'

Cheon Mubaeck's brows furrowed.

Since he had said that the Blood Demon Valley was attached to the Great Dragon Gang leader, that must be a certain fact.

In fact, the power of the Great Dragon Gang that he had felt after coming here was stronger than the information from the Hao Faction.

Before, he had estimated that the Great Dragon Gang would have fifty percent of the influence at the Black Assembly.

But in Cheon Mubaeck's view, it was not.

'At least seventy percent, and if you include the variable of the Blood Demon Valley, it's impossible even if the Great Strength King and Wang Jeonyu join forces.'

It was too big.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Great Dragon Gang leader completely took control of the Black Assembly.

He understood why he had invited the Green Forest and the Yangtze River to the Black Assembly, and where that arrogant confidence had come from.

'Is the Great Dragon Gang leader a puppet of the Blood Demon Valley?'

When he asked himself, the answer was no.

'It's true that he received the help of the Blood Demon Valley. But one cannot rashly judge that he will be favorable to the Blood Demon Valley. The fact that he has built up this much power is solely due to the Great Dragon Gang leader's ability since the time of the Righteous-Demonic War. Rather, he is probably using the help of the Blood Demon Valley.'

If he created an Unorthodox Alliance coalition and took it into his hands.

The Great Dragon Gang leader would rather deal with the Blood Demon Valley on an equal footing, or confront them.

Just like during the Righteous-Demonic War.

Because it would fluctuate depending on how the Great Dragon Gang leader moved between the Righteous Alliance and the Blood Demon Valley.

'As expected, no matter how I think about it, it's dangerous for the Unorthodox Alliance coalition to be swayed by one person.'

It would become a trump card that could turn the tables. In the future, when facing the Blood Demon Valley, if the trump card that could change the game was not in his hands, it would be a headache.

So Cheon Mubaeck had made up his mind.

'At the very least, maintain a three-way division. The Great Strength King, Wang Jeonyu, and the Great Dragon Gang, somehow. Like the Three Kingdoms, even if the Great Dragon Gang's power is greater, so that they cannot dare to encompass both forces. So that they cannot rashly lean towards the Blood Demon Valley.'

Or.

'Or have a person I can control as I wish take control of the Black Assembly.'

At that moment, someone came to Cheon Mubaeck's mind.

'For now, Wang Jeonyu is the best.'

But whether Wang Jeonyu was a person he could control as he wished was still a problem.

Although he was simpler and more straightforward than he had thought, so he could be moved as he wished to some extent...

In any case, he was not his definite force.

But it was beneficial for Cheon Mubaeck for Wang Jeonyu to take the initiative first.

Then at least, if the Blood Demon Valley approached Wang Jeonyu, Cheon Mubaeck would know it right away from the side and could launch a counterattack.

'The problem is the method.'

The difference in power was clear.

So it was impossible to increase the power and crush the Great Dragon Gang.

Then he had to hold at least a minimum of justification and power.

For example, the position of the leader of this Black Assembly. Of course, if there was no power, would he have strength just by wearing an armband, but with Wang Jeonyu's reputation and the power of the Yangtze River, he could create a justification that did not exist.

'Well, it's not like the Unorthodox Alliance guys will vote to elect him. It will probably be the Great Dragon Gang leader anyway.'

Cheon Mubaeck stroked his chin. In any case, since the Great Dragon Gang leader had said that they should decide on a leader in the Unorthodox Alliance's way.

When that plan came out, it would be a problem to think about.

Fortunately, the contemplation was not long.

After the long and long preliminary meeting was over, Wang Jeonyu came to Cheon Mubaeck with a tired expression.

"You look tired."

"I'm tired. Because our interests are at stake."

"Hmm. So what was discussed?"

"Various organizations will be newly established, and who to place as the heads of those organizations, and many other things."

"What's the most important thing?"

"It was decided to elect the leader of the Black Assembly."

Cheon Mubaeck crossed his arms and stared at him.

"What kind of guy is the leader in the Unorthodox Alliance?"

"They pick a strong and vicious guy."

"Right. It was decided to pick a strong and vicious guy and enthrone him as the leader."

At those words, Cheon Mubaeck tilted his head.

"What, are you, the senior, the Great Strength King, and the Great Dragon Gang leader going to have a sparring match?"

"Only half."

Wang Jeonyu sighed with a tired expression.

"To be precise, it's a proxy war."

Proxy war.

At those words, the corners of Cheon Mubaeck's mouth went up slightly.

"He used a trick. He's pretty good."

If the three of them had had a sparring match, in fact, everyone would have expected the Great Dragon Gang leader's overwhelming victory. Wasn't it obvious? He was an absolute master of the realm of entering the divine.

If he had proposed a sparring match, most of the Unorthodox Alliance would have considered it a formality for a conclusion that had already been set. Rather, some would have even reacted by saying that he was being too obvious in trying to rise to the position of leader.

"The Great Dragon Gang leader's opinion is that the subordinates under each of us will hold a proxy war. Whether it's me or the Great Strength King, since we are the leaders of a force, it would look quite unseemly if we openly fought to sit in the leader's seat."

But the fact that it was a proxy war did not necessarily guarantee that the Great Dragon Gang leader would win. They would not think of it as a formality with a set conclusion like a sparring match.

'But in the end, the Great Dragon Gang leader will win. Because he has the Three Monsters.'

The leader of the Black Assembly.

Although it was understandable that if one's individual martial power was strong, one would be suitable for the position of leader. It was not an absolute proposition.

The saying that the strong becomes the king was only true in the Demonic Path.

In the Unorthodox Alliance, there was a strong tendency to value the power of the force more than one's own martial power.

So it was a proxy war.

Because it was to show in front of the Unorthodox Alliance that not only was he exceptionally strong, but his subordinates were also strong. The solidarity of that force would become even thicker.

'He used his head properly.'

If it were a sparring match, the Great Strength King or Wang Jeonyu might have created an opportunity with a mutually destructive move...

Cheon Mubaeck smiled. He had used his head properly. There was no problem with the justification, and it was also a sure method.

But.

"River King senior."

"Yes?"

"Do you have any intention of becoming the leader?"

He just hadn't thought of the variable called Cheon Mubaeck.

(End of Chapter)