The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 137 : Public and Private Affairs (3)

Namgung Saeng and Zhuge Xian had every right to be surprised.

Slaves, human flesh, drugs. Legally, morally, and by anyone's standards, these were things that should not be done. No matter what reason was attached, this could not be justified.

To think that the Maoshan Sect, a corner of the Nine Sects One Alliance, was involved in not just one, but all three of these?

For what purpose?

Questions tailed questions in the minds of Namgung Saeng and Zhuge Xian.

Namgung Saeng, unable to follow the flow of thought, staggered back a big step. On the other hand, Zhuge Xian calmly continued his thoughts.

'The trade of human flesh, drugs, and slaves. The Maoshan Sect must have some intention.'

If the Alliance Leader was that enraged, it was clear that it was not a matter of one or two transactions. The amount of drugs traded would be enough to cover at least one county, and the number of slaves would be over a hundred. He didn't know how many cartloads of human flesh there were.

Why on earth did they gather so much until it caused problems?

'Damn it. But how would I know that?'

He could not read the intentions of the Maoshan Sect. The martial world was wide, there were many strange people, and countless strange things happened. He should not be arrogant enough to think that he could predict them all.

Rather than trying to understand what he could not understand, the present was important. Zhuge Xian turned his attention away from the intentions of the Maoshan Sect and focused on the Alliance Leader in front of him.

'The Alliance Leader is very angry.'

The scale that grew in the opposite direction under the dragon's neck was called the 'reverse scale'. If this scale was touched, the dragon would go mad and become furious.

The Gumen Long that Zhuge Xian saw was an optimist and a romantic. He would get greatly angry over trivial matters such as the suspicious death of a village head, the misfortune of a farmer or a miner, or the tyranny of a bureaucrat.

The reverse scale of such a Gumen Long was ugliness. If it was an evil deed that should not be done as a prestigious orthodox sect, the man called the Alliance Leader could never turn a blind eye to it.

The Alliance Leader continued.

"I think we must uproot these rotten bastards. A corner of the Nine Sects One Alliance is doing this kind of bullshit behind the scenes, so we can't just leave it alone. In the first place, if it's not our alliance, who will do it? Who can punish the Maoshan Sect!"

"You are right."

"Y-you are truly right."

Sima Hui, who replied calmly, and Namgung Saeng, who stuttered. Although Namgung Saeng had blurted out the words because he was scared of the Alliance Leader without any thought, it was natural for Sima Hui to agree.

Originally, the formation of the Martial Alliance was for the peace and stability of the martial world. It was not with the intention of the prestigious orthodox sects gathering together to protect their own interests and to live well.

So, as the Alliance Leader said, if the Maoshan Sect had to be punished, it was right that the Martial Alliance should do it.

But Zhuge Xian shook his head for now.

"Well, I think that's too hasty a conclusion?"

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Choosing between the words that should not be said and the words that should be said, he took a breath.

Zhuge Xian carefully brought up his words.

"If that is true, it is certainly an unforgivable matter, but we don't know for sure. The ledger of the Four Black Alliance might be false."

"The ledger of the Four Black Alliance is false?"

"In the end, they are a group of the Black Way. We cannot trust the truthfulness of the ledger. It might be that the unrighteous ones were trying to blackmail the orthodox sect to extort money from them. They might have made a fake ledger and said, 'I will spread a rumor that you are cooperating with us. So if you don't like that, give me the funds.'"

"Heo..."

"We have actually experienced a similar thing."

It was during the time when they were mopping up the remnants of the Demonic Cult after the Great War against the Demonic Cult had ended. There was a case where the remnants of the Demonic Cult had instead blackmailed a small or medium-sized sect that had refused to cooperate with them.

They had threatened that if they did not hide them and help them escape, they would report them as a collaborator of the Demonic Cult.

For the small and medium-sized sect that was being subjected to this, it was a maddening situation.

If they helped, they would really be collaborating with the Demonic Cult, so they would be subjugated by the Martial Alliance, and if they did not cooperate, they were afraid that they would be framed and subjugated because of the Demonic Cult's report. It was truly a dilemma.

"Hrmmm. Yes, there was such a thing. I'm getting forgetful because I'm old."

"At that time, I and Military Advisor Sima investigated carefully and punished them by distinguishing between those who were blackmailed and those who actively cooperated."

"That's right. That's right."

It was one of the few joint investigations between Sima Hui and Zhuge Xian, and the result was excellent. Recalling that time, Gumen Long also nodded his head gravely.

Certainly, you couldn't unilaterally attack a prestigious orthodox sect like the Maoshan Sect just because of one ledger from the Four Black Alliance.

As he regained his composure, his anger subsided a little.

"But, hmm. I see."

Zhuge Xian felt a wall for a moment. The Alliance Leader's thought that he had to attack the Maoshan Sect had not changed at all.

He was trusting the ledger that the inspector had presented more than his own words. He could feel the size of the trust that the Alliance Leader had for the inspector.

Jang So-gil was working for Gumen Long like a tongue in his mouth, and since Zhuge Xian had not shown any great achievements lately, there was bound to be a difference in their level of trust.

'Even so, the trust in the inspector is beyond my imagination.'

He had been thinking of putting a spoke in the wheel to check the inspector who was rising as the de facto number two, but the situation was bad.

If he said anything more that seemed to protect the Maoshan Sect, he might be thought to be involved with the Maoshan Sect. It was right to back off at this point.

"However, it's not for nothing that smoke rises from a chimney that's not on fire. I think an investigation into the Maoshan Sect should be carried out. I recommend Military Advisor Namgung for that task."

"No, why me when I was just sitting still!?"

Namgung Saeng shouted in a high voice like a rooster that had been hit on the rump. Seeing that he had forgotten his manners, he seemed quite surprised.

The Alliance Leader laughed, Sima Hui frowned, and Zhuge Xian, smiling at Namgung Saeng, continued.

"First, assuming that what the Maoshan Sect did is true. We won't know why they did such a thing unless we investigate."

"That's right."

"But the cause of many problems that arise in the world is mostly money. So shouldn't an expert in that field go?"

"That's persuasive."

"And the person who knows the most about money here is Military Advisor Namgung."

"Ugh..."

Namgung Saeng, making the sound of a chicken whose neck was being wrung just before being cooked, his face twitched. He looked quite pitiful.

But it made sense. Sima Hui and Zhuge Xian were, to the last, military experts, and since Namgung Saeng was in charge of finance, their duties matched.

"Well, that is to say. I'm not the right person to do that..."

Namgung Saeng, looking around with eyes asking for help. The words, 'Isn't Military Advisor Zhuge better than me,' were circling in his mouth, but as a financial advisor, he could not say those words out loud.

Sima Hui, not wanting to see that pathetic sight, closed his eyes tightly. The Alliance Leader, holding his stomach and laughing cheerfully, waved his hand.

"It's okay, it's okay. Stop bothering Military Advisor Namgung."

"Then I will take on the great task..."

"No, you're okay too. I've already decided to entrust it to the inspector. Don't ask why. It's for the same reason you recommended Military Advisor Namgung."

"Is that so? I heard the inspector is so busy he doesn't have time to even open his eyes and nose."

He must be busy. He was a fellow who had made work by running around so much. Since he was handling not only internal and external affairs but also his own training and the management of his merchant guild, even if he had five bodies, it would not be enough.

Should he entrust the investigation of the Maoshan Sect to such a busy fellow?

Zhuge Xian, although he spoke as if he were speaking for Jang So-gil, his true feelings were different.

'If that fellow achieves any more results, it will be a headache.'

He was already a fellow who had turned the Hengshan Sect into a sect of old men with strokes in the back room, and had dismantled the Diancang Sect into pieces. In addition, he had recently torn apart the Four Black Alliance.

If the Maoshan Sect was added to the inspector's achievements, his reputation would truly become a level that could not even be looked at.

'I can't see that happen.'

Already, that fellow's reputation had far surpassed Zhuge Xian's reputation.

Reputation was something that could not be seen but was valuable.

Zhuge Xian was a man of great ambition. For him, it was not a welcome thing for a competitor to build up achievements.

"Hmm, yes. He's busy, he's busy."

At Zhuge Xian's words, Gumen Long's mouth raised. Just thinking about the busy inspector, a smile like that of a father appeared on his face.

Looking at such a Gumen Long, Zhuge Xian felt bad. And at the words that followed, he felt even worse.

"But even so, I've already decided to entrust the investigation of the Maoshan Sect to the inspector."

"Is that so? Then would you please tell us the reason you called us?"

"Well, the reason I called you is also what our Military Advisor Zhuge has already said. There's no need to speak at length."

"...What?"

"As you said, our inspector is too busy with public and private affairs and is having a hard time. He has a mountain of work to do. So you guys will have to help him out a bit."

Zhuge Xian's fine eyebrows twitched. Although he was famous in the Martial Alliance for his handsome looks along with Sima Hui, his elegant eyebrows, because his pride had been hurt, his hair stood on end and he looked a little fierce.

Gumen Long, as if even that were enjoyable, did not hide his smile.

"The inspector will investigate the Maoshan Sect. You guys will take charge of investigating the many orthodox sects that have traded with the Four Black Alliance, which I just called out, and the other trivial small and medium-sized sects."

As Gumen Long gestured with his eyes, Sima Hui brought an order.

It was a real order with the Alliance Leader's official seal stamped on it. It meant there was no right of refusal.

Namgung Saeng's pupils trembled, and Zhuge Xian clenched his fist until it shattered.

The inspector will do the big work.

So you guys do the small work.

He was clearly being treated as a 'substitute for the inspector'.

Although Namgung Saeng, who had low self-esteem, had no particular thoughts, for Zhuge Xian, it was a matter of hurting his pride and rubbing salt in the wound.

Gumen Long, enjoying the expressions of the two, grinned.

"It goes without saying, but if you try to go easy on your own family or change the results while investigating, you'll have to be prepared. Fairly, cleanly. Do your best to handle it perfectly. Then, Military Advisor Sima. Will you divide the work among them?"

"Yes. Please leave it to me."

Sima Hui calmly bowed his head. Namgung Saeng, who had almost been entrusted with the absurdly large task of investigating the Maoshan Sect, was relieved that he didn't have to do it and repeated it to himself countless times.

Between the two of them, Zhuge Xian silently closed his eyes.

A feeling he had never felt before was born in Zhuge Xian. Although he had never experienced it, it was a feeling he knew through knowledge.

It was jealousy.

In Zhuge Xian's eyes, which had opened again, a clear killing intent was lodged.

* * *

The gap between a prestigious orthodox sect and a local small or medium-sized sect was large.

Secret martial arts, ample assets, and talented people who came on their own due to their reputation.

Among the countless factors that could be listed one by one, the existence of a training room was also included.

A training room was an important place that made a prestigious family a prestigious family. Because you had to have a place where you could practice martial arts with a peaceful mind to have a sense of stability and to be able to concentrate.

Even if you had the same talent, learned the same martial art, and ate the same elixir, if you didn't have a place where you could train with a peaceful mind, there was bound to be a difference in your growth rate.

A large sect would have at least one training room. Among such training rooms, the training room of the Martial Alliance was on a different level from the training rooms of other sects. It was thanks to the mobilization of experts in four fields for the training of the Martial Alliance Leader, Gumen Long.

They had hired an expert in 'feng shui' to choose the most outstanding place, had invited Daoists to hold a memorial service to the sky to find out the auspicious time, and had even obtained the protection of the Buddha by installing the 'Statues of the Benevolent Kings' that they had received from the Shaolin Temple on the left and right.

In addition, since the Zhuge Clan, who were experts in formations, had spread the 'Eight Trigrams Formation' and had adjusted it so that the most auspicious 'life gate' was located in the training room, it could be called the best training room in the world.

It was around the time Zhuge Xian was biting his molars until they bled with jealousy and hatred.

A strange thing was happening in that training room.

Ye-er, who was staring blankly at Jang So-gil, muttered.

"He's floating."

As she said.

Jang So-gil was floating in the air while sitting in a cross-legged position.

(End of Chapter)