Chapter 150: Let Me Think About It Carefully. (3)
Chapter 149 – Let Me Think About It Carefully. (3)
“What… happened here?”
Gye Du-sik looked back and forth between Namgung Cheon and the Thieving Ghost carried on his shoulder.
Namgung Cheon put the Thieving Ghost down on the ground and slapped his cheek hard.
Slap!
That action was so unhesitating that Gye Du-sik and the Righteous Sword Squad members watching were startled.
“Get up. You have to get up. If you keep doing this, it’s a problem. The sun is high in the sky. Get up.”
“Keuuugh.”
The Thieving Ghost opened his eyes half-closed as if regaining consciousness late.
He glanced at Gye Du-sik and Bi Ryang standing next to him, scanned the surrounding people once, and grinned.
“Hehe. Glad to meet you, everyone. Hehehe.”
“…?”
Gye Du-sik frowned and looked at the Thieving Ghost.
Why does his condition look a bit strange?
“Hey, Thieving Ghost. Are you alright?”
“Hehehehe. The Thieving Ghost flashes in the east, flashes in the west. When the Thieving Ghost parts the darkness and crosses the Milky Way… starlight pours down on the imperial palace courtyard. Hehehehe.”
“This, it seems he has completely lost his mind?”
When a Righteous Sword Squad member watching frowned and said so, Gye Du-sik looked at Namgung Cheon.
He seemed to be asking what had happened.
Namgung Cheon shrugged his shoulders.
“Well. I don’t know what that guy inside did, but when I found him, he was already in this state.”
“Hehehehe. The Thieving Ghost is love. Hehehe.”
Gye Du-sik looked at the Thieving Ghost with a serious expression.
They had guarded the escorted prisoner, but for him to suffer qi deviation and become a fool.
Just then, a Righteous Sword Squad member who had inspected the inside of the cave reported.
“Just as Namgung Cheon said, a fellow was collapsed inside the cave.”
“Is his identity identified?”
But the one who answered was, unexpectedly, Bi Ryang.
“It is probably the Captain of the Black Blood Squad of the Red Xiang Gang.”
“Red Xiang Gang?”
“It is an unorthodox gang settled in the Chongqing area.”
Gye Du-sik pressed his temples hard and organized the current situation in his mind.
‘So… unorthodox groups including the Red Xiang Gang had the Thieving Ghost escape, but the one who retrieved that Thieving Ghost was that Namgung Cheon, and the ones who handled the unorthodox groups were also Namgung Cheon and the apprentice cadets. Sigh.’
To think the cadets, whom they had told to just stand like a folding screen, would achieve this much.
By the way, since the Thieving Ghost has become half-crippled, it is impossible to tell what reaction the Alliance will show.
If the leadership of the Martial Alliance had wanted some information from the Thieving Ghost, wouldn’t this mission be close to a failure?
Gye Du-sik roughly organized his complicated mind and looked around.
“First, reorganize the column and return to the Martial Alliance.”
“Understood!”
At the same time as answering, the Righteous Sword Squad members began to move busily.
* * *
Martial Alliance Leader Mok Cheon-ak was walking in the rear garden while listening to the business report from the Chief Administrator.
The Chief Administrator, who continued the report for a long time, bowed his head and greeted.
“…That is all, Alliance Leader.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Yes, then.”
As the Chief Administrator bowed politely and was about to withdraw, Mok Cheon-ak’s voice suddenly caught his steps.
“What do you think justice is?”
“Justice… do you mean?”
“Yes. What is justice to you?”
“Well. Isn’t it that all people are equal?”
“Equality of all people.”
Mok Cheon-ak smiled faintly and looked up at the sky.
The sunset-colored sky was now preparing to welcome the darkness.
Receiving the sunset glow, Mok Cheon-ak turned to the Chief Administrator.
“Nice. Then do you believe that a world where all people are equal is possible?”
“Well. In my short opinion, I think it would be difficult.”
Mok Cheon-ak slowly nodded his head.
“I share the same thought. A world where all people are equal. A very desirable world indeed. However, it is an overly idealistic world. Even if that is the ideal pursued by this Alliance, we cannot help but face reality. So shouldn’t this Alliance, which protects reality, be more realistic than reality itself?”
“You are correct. Then what is your justice, Alliance Leader?”
Mok Cheon-ak chuckled and looked back at the setting sun.
“Taking responsibility. Everyone taking responsibility for what they have done. However, are there not too many in this world who do not take responsibility?”
“Indeed.”
“So I am constantly striving to take responsibility for what I have done. To take responsibility for whatever action I take.”
Mok Cheon-ak’s gaze became quite firm.
Some might argue.
Whether any action is permitted as long as one can take responsibility.
Mok Cheon-ak’s answer to this was ‘yes’.
Because that was the way of the Jianghu.
Because his theory was that all justice starts precisely from taking responsibility.
The world of the law of the jungle is the Martial World. In such a chilling world, talking about fairness or equality alone is no different from pointing finger at the empty sky.
First, possessing power to carry out one’s will. And taking responsibility for the results.
‘The Jianghu is all about that.’
While Mok Cheon-ak was lost in thought, a servant came in carefully, whispered to the Chief Administrator, and left.
Soon, the Chief Administrator’s voice broke Mok Cheon-ak’s thoughts.
“Alliance Leader, it is said that the Righteous Sword Squad has returned.”
“Oh, finally. I will go myself.”
“However… it seems some problem has arisen.”
“A problem?”
“It is said that the Thieving Ghost suffered qi deviation and is in a state where communication is impossible.”
“What?”
In that instant, the Alliance Leader’s face crumpled.
Communication is impossible?
The Thieving Ghost was an important figure to him.
To realize the justice he thought of, he must absolutely utilize the Thieving Ghost.
Yet, qi deviation?
“Why did a perfectly fine guy suddenly suffer qi deviation!”
“It is said that they were attacked during the escort. When the escaped prisoner was found again, he was already in a state of qi deviation.”
“Who was the one who first discovered the prisoner?”
“It was… Namgung Cheon, the apprentice cadet.”
“What?”
Mok Cheon-ak flinched and turned to the Chief Administrator.
Namgung Cheon?
Do you mean that Namgung Cheon, the winner of the Joint Conference?
‘Namgung Cheon again!’
Coincidentally, every time a matter went wrong, Namgung Cheon intervened. Was it indeed a coincidence?
‘Great Killing Star Jin Cheon-rang! Is this the responsibility you ask of me? If so, I will take responsibility as much as you want.’
Mok Cheon-ak stiffened his expression and asked.
“What happened to the ones who smuggled the Thieving Ghost out?”
“All key figures have died. Several Black Blood Squad members of the Red Xiang Gang survived, but they seem to have moved according to orders without knowing the detailed inner story.”
“Then does it mean the unorthodox martial artists also failed to find out the Thieving Ghost’s secret?”
“For now, that is how it is understood.”
“Even so, it is too early to be relieved. Since they might have already smuggled out the information.”
Mok Cheon-ak’s gaze sank heavily.
* * *
Boom!
“You bragged that you would smuggle the information, so what on earth is this!”
The one who struck the table roughly with his fist was none other than the Black Immortal.
A person who listed his name as a Martial World Public Enemy.
He wore a completely black martial robe and a black Southern Flower cap, and he was a middle-aged man whose skin was even dark.
Frowning deeply, he questioned sharply.
“How will the Red Xiang Gang Leader take responsibility for this?”
“Responsibility? Wasn’t this matter decided by all of us together? Is this something I must take responsibility for alone? Isn’t this indeed taking credit when it goes well, and blaming others when it doesn’t?”
Red Xiang Gang Leader Yo Chung replied with a frown, as if displeased.
Then, a young man who did not erase his face full of smiles said while gently waving a golden fan.
“Come on, everyone calm down and slowly think of a countermeasure.”
“Young Master Jade Smile is indeed overflowing with relaxation.”
At the Black Immortal’s reprimand, the young man called Young Master Jade Smile merely replied with a smile.
Young Master Jade Smile.
An unorthodox martial artist known as one who never erases his smile.
A young man who always wears bright clothing and draws a smile beautiful enough to bewitch people. However, behind that, he hides a hand colder and more cruel than anyone else.
Without erasing that characteristic beautiful smile, Young Master Jade Smile replied.
“It is not that I am overflowing with relaxation, but isn’t there no other way? We shouldn’t just engage in armchair discussion, but establish some countermeasure.”
“Hmph, according to what is heard, the Thieving Ghost fell into qi deviation and became completely brain-dead, and even the Captain of the Black Blood Squad, who would be the only one who knows the secret, has died, so this is indeed like chasing a chicken only to stare at the roof!”
“Could it be that the Martial Alliance has realized everything?”
At Young Master Jade Smile’s words, the unorthodox martial artists flinched and shut their mouths.
If that were the case, the matter would become much more serious.
Even now, the unorthodox martial artists have to fight over their own food bowls, but if the Martial Alliance even joins in?
“It is not a situation I want to recall much.”
The one who spoke in a sharp voice was none other than the Crimson Anger Madam.
Possessing the characteristic of her entire body turning red like blood when she unfolded martial arts, she was known as a considerable expert even among unorthodox martial artists.
Although she had a cruel hand and killed regardless of age or gender, strangely, she was someone who had not yet listed her name as a Martial World Public Enemy.
The unorthodox martial artists guessed the reason lay in her unique social skills and resourcefulness. Actually, she had very wide connections regardless of orthodox or unorthodox sects, and knew how to utilize people.
Red Xiang Gang Leader Yo Chung gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
Although he evaded responsibility for now, in fact, the one with the greatest responsibility for this matter was indeed the Red Xiang Gang.
Since he had led the plan to seize the Thieving Ghost.
Honestly, he was also confident.
They prepared thoroughly, and the Black Blood Squad was among the elite of the Red Xiang Gang. Of course, not every single member of the Black Blood Squad had reached the realm of an expert.
However, since the Captain of the Black Blood Squad, the Three Killers of Guizhou, and even the Giant-Bodied Twin Blades had joined, he believed there would be no anomalies.
Yet, to think there was such a fast fellow in the Righteous Sword Squad.
Young Master Jade Smile muttered while still not erasing his faint smile.
“If even the Martial Alliance doesn’t know, the Jianghu would indeed lose a great opportunity.”
“It is not that there is no way at all. Originally, the Thieving Ghost also had a place where he obtained that information.”
At the Black Immortal’s words, the eyes of the others flashed.
However, they did not know.
The fact that there was one more person who already knew the secret of the Thieving Ghost.
* * *
‘There is no guarantee that I am the only one who knows the secret…’
Namgung Cheon sat on a rock in the rear garden of his lodging and fell silently into thought.
‘Hmm. First, the faster the better… but there is no justification to go all the way there. Sigh, having a clear identity is not entirely good.’
Sighing lightly, Namgung Cheon continued his thoughts.
‘First, I think I can take one box of Superior Clarity Elixir all for myself. There is no need to share it with other guys, right? Because I worked the hardest. Well, giving about two boxes of Essence-Gathering Elixirs to the old man wouldn’t be bad. Come to think of it, the Azure Eagle Squad is a bit of a concern… what should I share with these guys?’
Namgung Cheon, who was lost in deep thought, recalled when he interrogated the Thieving Ghost inside the cave that day.
At that time, the Thieving Ghost, whose face was pale and who was dripping with cold sweat, held Namgung Cheon’s leg and begged.
“Pl-Please spare my life! I’ve told you everything I know!”
“Come on, then let’s organize it once again.”
At Namgung Cheon’s words spoken with a grin, the Thieving Ghost nodded with a terrified face.
“Sp-Speak.”
Only about a quarter of an hour had passed since the interrogation began, but the Thieving Ghost’s appearance looked ten years older.
‘Seriously, it is the first time I’ve seen such a cruel guy. This guy is a demon, a demon!’
Whether he did or not, Namgung Cheon asked with a goosebumps-inducing smile.
“So, among the items you stole, there is a map of the Demonic Pill Valley? Hahaha.”