The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 118 : An Unexpected Answer (3)

If the Shaolin Temple was the center, pillar, and symbol of Buddhist martial arts, the symbol of Daoist martial arts was originally the Quanzhen Sect.

Now the Quanzhen Sect was no more, but the martial arts of Quanzhen were torn into pieces and passed down to later generations.

The martial arts of the executioners who pursued and killed the enemies of Quanzhen were taken by Diancang.

The martial arts of subduing demons, which destroyed evil and suppressed wickedness, were taken by Kunlun.

The martial arts that governed yin and yang, and the taiji, were taken by Wudang.

The martial arts of stillness and heaviness, which were firm and unchanging, were taken by Zhongnan.

The martial arts of the wind, which swirled ceaselessly, and of lightness, were taken by Huashan.

Despite being torn into five branches, all those sects had formed a power that belonged to the Nine Sects One Alliance. Although they had been exterminated by the Asura Blood Cult and had disappeared into history, the potential that Quanzhen had possessed was truly mighty.

"So it's only natural that those guys are on bad terms with each other."

"What? Is that so? Come to think of it, they're like brothers, so shouldn't they be on good terms?"

Jang So-gil, who was looking blankly at Yang Gwan who was speaking naively, let out a wry smile.

"I've never seen such a naive fellow."

"But isn't there the saying 'all men are brothers within the four seas'? If you can call all the people of the world brothers and become close, and if their roots are the same, aren't they really brothers? If they're real brothers, they should be on even better terms."

"There's a point to what you say, but that's the perspective of a fellow who lives a very good life in the world. Unfortunately, things usually don't proceed so beautifully."

"Then...?"

"Let's say there's a rich man. That rich father had five children. He's a man with great strength. Anyway, while that man was alive, his children listened to their father's words and lived peacefully. But everyone dies someday. The rich father, when he died, tore his wealth into five pieces and divided it among his five children. You are fast on your feet, so take the lightness skill, and you like swordsmanship, so take the sword. Now, what would happen?"

The father was the Quanzhen Sect. The five children were the five great sects of Daoism.

Yang Gwan frowned. He understood at once what Jang So-gil was trying to say.

Jang So-gil, grinning, continued.

"As you say, it is most ideal for the five brothers to join forces in harmony. Then they can have the wealth of their father's generation as it is. These guys were not fools who didn't know that. So the eldest son came forward and said. 'I will take responsibility as the eldest son. First, let's gather the scattered wealth in one place,' he said."

Wealth, of course, and martial arts as well. If they were scattered, they would become weak.

Great wealth called for greater wealth, and great power called for greater power.

You had to play in big water to become a big fisherman. In theory, it was not wrong.

"But if you were the other children, what would you think?"

"...I would think my brother was using a shallow trick."

"That's right."

The one who had first raised its voice as the eldest son of the Quanzhen Sect was Wudang.

Now it was about the same as Huashan, but at that time, Wudang was definitely stronger.

"Would Wudang, which had taken all the martial arts, leave them alone? Of course, wouldn't they try to gather all their strength and stand on top of their heads? So the other sects did not cooperate. And the dispute began. That relationship has continued until now."

"It's bitter. In the end, you're saying all this happened because of selfishness."

"That's right. In short, the beginning of all this is selfishness and jealousy. It's a fight between children who don't want to share their rich father's inheritance even with their own brothers. 'That wealth that my brothers have should have originally been mine. So it's natural that it becomes mine. Take your hands off my martial arts and get lost.' It has been like this for hundreds of years. They think of themselves as brothers, but rather, because they are brothers, they hate each other enough to want to kill them."

"It was normal for them to be on bad terms."

"To say it's normal is also an ambiguous story. If someone first takes a step back and yields, and the one who received the concession also yields, everyone could benefit. But you're a martial artist, so you know, don't you?"

Yang Gwan's head slowly nodded. When it came to martial arts, there was no one as unyielding as a martial artist.

Although they could share a single bean and endure a slight loss for the sake of their neighbors.

Martial arts were different. For a single martial arts secret manual, countless people would not hesitate to shed blood.

"They are people who do not even hesitate to shed their own blood, so there is no reason for them to hesitate to shed the blood of others. For that reason, everyone has their blades sharpened when it comes to the legacy of Quanzhen. It is said that the smell of blood can be felt even from here."

"As expected, no matter how much I think about it, getting involved in such a matter does not seem to be a wise choice."

"That's right. Getting involved in a matter like this is not the right choice in itself. It's like that in terms of the righteousness of the martial world, and it's like that in terms of business ethics."

"Then why are you trying to get involved?"

"If I'm going to do big things in the Martial Alliance in the future, it's better to join hands with someone sooner or later. And if I have to choose between Huashan and Zhongnan, it's Huashan."

Jang So-gil slowly listed the reasons one by one.

"First, the power of Huashan is stronger than Zhongnan. This is not a phase where I can gain favor by siding with a weak force, and if I'm going to do it, it's better to join hands with the stronger side. Second, in Huashan, there is the Sword Saint of Huashan. He is an absolute master who has less than five people in the world who can match him, excluding the Alliance Leader-nim. If I can build a connection with him, it's worth enduring a slight loss. And third, if I join hands with Zhongnan, can I get the cooperation of the other Daoist sects? That's not the case either."

"What? Zhongnan is receiving the help of Wudang and Hengshan..."

"That only applies to this matter. Wudang and Hengshan, if they have to choose between Huashan and Zhongnan, they choose Zhongnan because they dislike Huashan, not because they like Zhongnan that much."

"Ah."

They did not side with the Zhongnan Sect because they were fond of them, but they were forced to side with Zhongnan simply to check Huashan.

Although the result was similar, it was an entirely different story in essence. As Yang Gwan, who had belatedly understood, let out a low exclamation, Jang So-gil crossed his arms.

"It is right to approach this matter politically, not with righteousness or morality. As long as I am in the core organization of the Martial Alliance, I cannot survive if I don't do politics. Although I have a powerful connection called the Alliance Leader-nim, a wise rabbit digs three burrows. If you live by relying on only one connection, you're bound to get a big nose. It's too late to regret after your head is broken while trusting only the Alliance Leader-nim. I have to make other connections in advance."

"A political judgment? Politics, it has a bad feeling."

Wrinkles formed on Yang Gwan's brow as if a wave were passing. It was the unavoidable nature of a martial artist to feel a sense of aversion to political stories. Jang So-gil, who had read his inner thoughts, clicked his tongue.

"Do you think the Sword Dragon, Song Baek, is doing this because he likes it? Strictly speaking, this is a request from the Huashan Sect to me. It's not a clean or praiseworthy matter. But the Zhongnan Sect is probably doing the same thing."

"Well, with the Dark Fragrance Float at stake, there's no way Zhongnan would just stand by and watch. And it's not like Young Master So to expect the opponent to stay still."

"You're getting pretty good at gilding, aren't you? You're right. This matter is now also a matter of pride between Zhongnan and Huashan. Just as Huashan requested my help, Zhongnan is probably using their connections as much as they can and contacting various places right now. But."

Jang So-gil was already placing the situation of this matter on the palm of his hand and measuring it.

That was why, with a confident gaze and an attitude that guaranteed victory, he asserted that defeat was impossible.

It was the appearance of a victor who would win because it was decided that he would win.

"In fact, from the moment Song Baek came to me, and from the moment he succeeded in persuading me, this was already won by the Huashan Sect."

"What? Why is that?"

At Yang Gwan's question, Jang So-gil uncrossed his arms and raised the corners of his mouth.

"If you know the behavior patterns of the Nine Sects One Alliance and the Five Great Noble Families, it's a simple matter. First of all, among the Five Great Noble Families, the Zhuge Clan and the Namgung Clan move so rationally that they are rather easy to read. It's the same principle as a master of an intermediate level being the easiest to read in martial arts."

"Ah, now that you put it that way, I understand at once."

"Looking at Zhuge Xian's behavior, the Zhuge Clan is a conservative group with a strong tendency to flee. Since this matter is not very important to them, they probably won't want to be at odds with me over a matter like this. Therefore, they will refuse whatever Zhongnan proposes."

"Then the Namgung Clan..."

"The Namgung Clan has already shown its intention to get involved with me through a marriage proposal, so for them to be hostile here? Then I would rather be grateful. A hundred out of a hundred, Namgung Yeohwa will try to add a vote to the side I support. To keep making me feel burdened. They are cunning fellows."

"What about the other noble families? As expected, Sima Military Advisor-nim will side with this side, right?"

"Well, that's right. So the Namgung Clan and the Sima Clan will each give a vote to Huashan. The rest will just abstain and say they don't know."

In fact, for a matter like this, it was also a common courtesy for sects or noble families that were not directly involved in the interests to cast an abstention vote. There was no need to deliberately escalate a dispute between powers.

"Then what about the other Nine Sects One Alliance?"

"As I said before, Wudang and Hengshan will side with Zhongnan, and Shaolin will side with Huashan. Diancang's seat is still vacant, so we'll exclude it. What's left are Emei, Maoshan, Kunlun, and the Beggars' Sect, right?"

"That's right. Then the whereabouts of their votes will decide the outcome of this matter."

"No, the answer to that is already out. Emei will never get involved in a matter like this, so they will abstain. The Beggars' Sect is indebted to me, so they will side with me, so one vote for Huashan. So in conclusion, it comes down to this."

The votes that Zhongnan had secured were Wudang and Hengshan.

The votes that Huashan had secured were Shaolin, the Beggars' Sect, the Sima Clan, the Namgung Clan, and the inspector.

"What's left of the votes here?"

"Kunlun and Maoshan. But already..."

"Yes. The only ones Zhongnan can attack are these two, but even if they do nothing, Huashan has already won. But I'm thinking of using this opportunity to sell Huashan's name and make a connection with Kunlun."

Jang So-gil finished his words with confidence. Although it was a large-scale dispute involving many sects, it was already settled with just a few words. Yang Gwan could only look at So with a dumbfounded look.

"Do you understand? We've already won. Do you understand why I'm telling you all this in detail?"

"Uh, um. Young Master So, you're amazing."

"...I didn't say it to hear your praise, you bastard."

'Ppung-', Jang So-gil kicked Yang Gwan's butt. Yang Gwan wiped away the tears that had welled up.

"Keuheum. Then what is it?"

"Since we've already won anyway, you don't have to worry about anything and just train in your martial arts comfortably until I come to find you in a month."

"Ah."

"If you don't have any achievements in a month, you'd better be prepared."

It was a kind word, as if he were indifferent.

Jang So-gil, who had made his conclusion, his eyes sparkled.

"Well then, shall I prepare for the one in a million chance? I'll have to put a spoke in Zhongnan's wheel."