Chapter 223: Shake Up (3)
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The party that returned to the manor gathered in one place.
“Heo, this actually works.”
Ga Deuk-sang clicked his tongue.
“Honestly, I did not know you would be able to obtain Yang Cheon’s trust this easily.”
Tang Sang-ah shook her head with a heavy complexion.
“It was not easy. It just felt easy.”
She had realized anew the difficulty of this mission from her conversation with Yeon Ho-jeong earlier. The series of processes was smooth like flowing water, but thinking about it calmly, all of that would have been impossible if Yeon Ho-jeong had not negotiated with Yang Cheon.
“That is also true. Young Master Yeon suffered a lot.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“No. The Successor’s words are also correct. It was easier than expected. Even more so considering that the opponent was Yang Cheon.”
And one more thing.
‘Yang Cheon’s current condition is quite unstable.’
He could know just by reading Yang Cheon’s aura.
The higher the master of internal energy, the more the Qi they embrace permeates strongly into their mind and body. Mind, Qi, and Body are in the same vein as the unification of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, so if the Qi is disturbed, the harmony of mind and body has no choice but to break.
Of course, it was not common for the state achieved so far to shake or the mind to become diseased simply because a breakdown occurred in the true qi.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong was certain that Yang Cheon fell into those rare cases.
‘Even if the true qi is unstable, one does not perform even Void Manipulation so sloppily.’
Void Manipulation itself was an art that only a super master could show. Just naturally using such a technique like breathing, Yang Cheon deserved to be respected.
However, the flow of internal energy used in the process of using Void Manipulation was too arbitrary. It was to the point of being strange that he could not realize himself that his internal energy operation was a mess.
‘Was he like that in the past too? I don’t remember.’
The reason Yeon Ho-jeong could grasp Yang Cheon’s condition was because he had already broken through a state higher than Yang Cheon.
However, when he killed Yang Cheon in the past, he had not reached that level. Therefore, he did not know what Yang Cheon’s condition was at that time.
Then again, he had no time or composure to analyze such a thing back then.
“Then, what should we do now?”
Pae-yul furrowed his brows.
“We just need to establish that merit and infiltrate, but is that board laid out by Clan Head Murong really trustworthy?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon smacked her lips.
“I think it is not bad for now. Since we had so little time, I see it as the best among the circumstances.”
“Annihilate the merchant group of the Guizhou Merchant Association staying in Mount Heng, Hunan… That merchant group, is it true that Murong Jun swapped them with other people?”
“Of course it would be.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon scratched her head.
“It seems the Murong Clan has been trading with the Guizhou Merchant Association in the meantime. Then again, since it is an adjacent region, there is nothing strange about it, and Clan Head Murong also wouldn’t be able to pour cold water on this mission, so we have no choice but to trust and go. Right?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon looked at Yeon Ho-jeong and asked.
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
“We must trust him. And to put it bluntly, even if it is suspicious, what can we do?”
“True.”
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes became thin like threads.
“Do you really think so?”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s speak openly. Among us, no, the person who knows the most about Murong Jun in the Murim Alliance is precisely you, isn’t it?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“It is a misunderstanding. Strategist Zhuge probably grasps him much better.”
“I do not think so. If Strategist Zhuge is a hawk roaming the sky, you and Murong Jun are a tiger and a lion. The person who knows a competitor best is bound to be another competitor.”
“Let’s say that is true. But is there any problem with that?”
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes sparkled.
“It’s a bit much to say this now, but… this information manipulation, can we really trust it?”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Ho-jeong stroked his chin.
“The stage can be trusted.”
“That means?”
“No matter what he plotted behind the stage, I am certain the play will be properly concluded.”
The party’s gazes became fierce. Those words meant that Yeon Ho-jeong also did not completely trust the board laid out by Murong Jun.
Tang Sang-ah asked cautiously.
“Then, shouldn’t we at least set up some countermeasures?”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“Even if we try to set up countermeasures, there is no way to know what he plotted right now.”
Pae-yul clicked his tongue.
“No matter what stratagem Clan Head Murong plotted, shouldn’t we just do what we have to do? If we see any suspicious signs, we can just smash them then.”
It was truly a statement like him.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and received his words.
“Senior’s words are correct. Now that we cannot know what Murong Jun’s trick is, we just have to do what we must do. Furthermore, there is no proof that he definitely used a trick.”
Pae-yul raised his chin as if to say ‘see that’.
“Let’s organize.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face became serious.
“From now on, we are going to attack the merchant group of the Guizhou Merchant Association. That merchant group is a fake swapped by Murong Jun, the commander of this mission, and the real merchant group has decided to hide secretly and slip out of the region.”
Everyone nodded.
Yeon Ho-jeong continued speaking.
“The merchant route of the merchant group is the Orthodox Murim Alliance, and the goods they are transporting are treasures worth a thousand gold. We will take care of the merchant group and bring all the transported goods.”
“There is one thing I am curious about.”
Pae-yul asked.
“What exactly are those transported goods? Just how amazing are those items that just seizing them becomes a great merit?”
“The important thing is the act itself of cutting off the support heading to the Murim Alliance, not the value of the goods.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“However, Senior’s question is also valid. The goods they are transporting are said to be equivalent to five years’ budget of a great sect of the Nine Sects One Gang class, based on the fund value north of the Yangtze River.”
“Heok!”
Pae-yul, as well as Tang Sang-ah and Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon, were also startled.
If it was the five years’ budget of a great sect of the Nine Sects One Gang class, it was truly an astronomical amount.
The great sects that spread great fame in the Murim all have branches throughout the Central Plains. Just the one-year budget of a single branch exceeds the one-year budget of an average small or medium-sized sect.
If it was the five-year budget of a great sect commanding countless such branches, it was an amount that even the Murim Alliance, a massive coalition, could never ignore.
“To that extent? No matter if it is for the mission, is this really okay?”
It was a level that even Pae-yul, a battle maniac, couldn’t help but flinch at.
Ga Deuk-sang spoke.
“It is fine. In exchange for investing these funds, Murong Jun agreed to connect the Guizhou Merchant Association with the Murim Alliance.”
“What does that mean? Wasn’t the merchant group heading to the Murim Alliance from the beginning?”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“The Guizhou Merchant Association was scheduled to go to Sichuan Province, not the Murim Alliance. The fact that they were heading to the Murim Alliance itself was manipulated information.”
Ga Deuk-sang smiled triumphantly.
“The one who manipulated that information was our union.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon spoke as if she was dumbfounded.
“And the one who laid out the board based on that information was Clan Head Murong?”
“That side started first, but well, what does the order matter.”
“Heol!”
The three men and women clicked their tongues. A board was being steadily laid out without them knowing.
Tang Sang-ah asked.
“The Guizhou Merchant Association is also not ordinary. No matter how big the Murim Alliance is, such a huge sum just with the purpose of opening a trade with the alliance…?”
“That is underestimating the influence of the Murim Alliance too much. The Murim Alliance is the core of the Central Plains Murim. At least until now it is. As the Guizhou Merchant Association, they also would not have wanted to miss this opportunity.”
“I-is that so?”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke.
“The rough situation is like this. In truth, I also wondered if it would be better not to inform you of these parts, but I decided that everyone should at least know how the situation is turning and told you.”
Everyone nodded.
They were calm on the outside, but they were greatly surprised inwardly.
‘It was a mission of an enormous scale.’
A fact overlooked because things were progressing quite easily.
The opponent was Yang Cheon, and at the same time, the entire Unorthodox Murim. To exaggerate a little, it meant that this single mission could overturn the power dynamic of the world’s Murim.
That could be seen just by looking at the amount the Guizhou Merchant Association put out. To vomit out a great sect’s five years’ budget this easily, they realized anew how heavy this mission was.
“Now, I will hand down the mission.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Ga Deuk-sang.
“The Successor will perform the role of a bridge pier for this operation. You just need to stay in this manor, analyze the surrounding information every moment, and inform us and the commander.”
“Understood.”
“I laid down a threat that no one could come here under the pretext that there should be no connection with the Black Dragon Manor, but you never know. You must not let go of your tension every moment.”
“I understood.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes headed towards Zhuge Ah-yeon.
Zhuge Ah-yeon blinked her eyes.
“Do you have anything separate to order me?”
“This.”
Yeon Ho-jeong took out a small letter from his embrace.
“It’s a hill not far from here. I told the guy in advance, so you just need to secretly bring him here.”
“Huh? Who is it?”
“The successor of the Ghost Iron Sword Sect.”
“Eek?!”
The party looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with dumbfounded eyes.
“What? Then the words that monkey said were true?”
“Yeah.”
“Why, why?!”
“I’ll explain the detailed circumstances later. What is clear is that we still must not let the guy know that we belong to the Murim Alliance.”
“…I understand for now, but why does it have to be me?”
“You know at least a basic Phantom Formation, right?”
“Of course. Where do you think my family is from?”
“That guy is a target that Unorthodox informants are searching for with their eyes lit up. Amidst that, he is full of vigor, blinded by revenge, and lacks experience, so he cannot come here alone.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon nodded heavily.
“I know what you mean. Even if it takes a little late, you mean bring him without getting caught by the Unorthodox informants, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Alright, you definitely have to explain to me later.”
“Of course.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Pae-yul and Tang Sang-ah.
Pae-yul opened his mouth first.
“I’m sorry, but my only specialty is wielding a sword.”
He preempted him just in case he would be given a soft mission like Ga Deuk-sang and Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“I know. I had no thought of excluding Senior from this operation to plunder the merchant group from the beginning.”
“Hmph, that is fortunate.”
“However, what I must tell you is that you must not reveal Diancang’s martial arts during the battle. Please use extremely practical martial arts.”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke to Tang Sang-ah.
“It is the same for you. You must absolutely not use the hidden weapon arts of the Tang Clan. If even the slightest trace is seen, we will definitely be suspected.”
“Do not worry.”
Pae-yul asked.
“No, but battle? Didn’t you say the people were swapped? Does it mean there is a reason to really fight even though the board is already all set?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.
“That could be the case.”
Pae-yul’s eye light flashed.
“You were worried that Murong Jun might play a trick.”
“Rather than a trick… anyway, that is so. It is for emergencies, so please make sure to remember this point.”
“I understand.”
Yeon Ho-jeong stood up from his seat.
“You all have suffered a lot in the meantime. With this mission as the last, we will enter the deep core of the Black Dragon Manor, extract all the information we want, and return.”
“…”
“Since everyone has a role they are in charge of, it will be hard to expect outside help. Let’s be tense.”
A resolute light colored everyone’s eyes.
Slowly rolling up his sleeves, Yeon Ho-jeong spoke.
“Now, let’s shake up the board.”