Chapter 230: Return of the Sovereign (5)
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“W-what?!”
The party looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with surprised eyes.
Yeon Ho-jeong was calm. It was because he naturally expected this level of reaction.
Ga Deuk-sang furrowed his brows.
“The successor of the Ghost Iron Sword Sect… Then did that monkey guess it correctly back then?”
“That is so.”
“No, why on earth?”
Yeon Ho-jeong moistened his throat with alcohol. The alcohol went down really well today.
“Because he is a decent talent.”
“But he is from the Unorthodox?”
“There are many decent people even in the Unorthodox.”
“Well… that may be so, but.”
Ga Deuk-sang asked in a reluctant voice.
“If he is the successor of the Ghost Iron Sword Sect, his desire for revenge towards Combat King Yang Cheon and the Black Dragon Manor must be enormous?”
“It is.”
“Could it be, you’re planning to use that young man to draw the attention of the Black Dragon Manor?”
“I didn’t particularly have such a thought, but hearing it, that doesn’t seem bad either. I will consider it on the premise that he agrees.”
“Tsk, I didn’t particularly say it with that meaning. Anyway, seeing it now, it seems you are sincerely thinking of recruiting him as an ally.”
“To be exact, I wanted to make him my person, not our party’s.”
“Subordinate?”
“Friend.”
Ga Deuk-sang burst into a hollow laugh.
“I feel this sometimes, but I really don’t know even when I think I do. No matter how decent a person he is, to go out of your way to recruit a rising star of the Unorthodox…”
“I am sorry for not telling you in advance.”
“It’s fine. It’s not like I don’t know your personality. However, there is something important.”
“Speak.”
“Let’s say we return together with him. That person, is he really someone you can trust? Would it really be okay to bring him into the Murim Alliance?”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke in a calm tone.
“The Ghost Iron Sword Sect is a top-tier prestigious family in the Unorthodox. Although it is the Unorthodox, it is a sect that knows formality and laws enough to be called a sect of heroes from generation to generation. Therefore, they had many enemies even within the same Unorthodox.”
“I know that. What I am trying to say is, even if we are okay with it, that person named Gang-ryang might not be okay. And, if by some one in ten thousand chance he harbors a different mind, the situation will become excessively large.”
“Although he is incomparably clumsy, he is a bastard who knows reason.”
“Listen without misunderstanding. I trust Young Master Yeon’s discerning eye, but people can change at any time.”
He wouldn’t usually even say such things. The figure named Gang-ryang was an existence like a bomb to the party to that extent.
Perhaps all of the party wanted to say this. Knowing that, Ga Deuk-sang stepped forward as the representative.
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke calmly.
“Please trust me.”
Pae-yul smirked without realizing it.
Ga Deuk-sang smacked his lips.
“Why do you do that, Senior?”
“He is using his special move.”
“Yes?”
“It means what can we do when he asks us to trust him. It’s not like that guy is an idiot like you, if he asks to trust him, we have to trust him.”
It was a truly simple and clean answer.
Ga Deuk-sang frowned.
“I am not an idiot.”
“Are you talking back?”
“I am not talking back, okay? It’s just like that. You are looking down on people too much.”
“If you don’t like it, let’s have a bout anytime. I do not acknowledge someone who hasn’t proven their martial arts.”
“Never mind.”
Ga Deuk-sang shuddered as if he was fed up.
Pae-yul asked Yeon Ho-jeong.
“Is he a usable bastard?”
“He is.”
“His sword wielding?”
“It is unskillful, but just looking at the potential for development alone, he will rival soldier Tang Sang-ah.”
“Hoo.”
Satisfaction dwelt on Pae-yul’s face.
“I’d like to try a sword fight with him later.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“You will be satisfied.”
“Good, I am in favor.”
Tang Sang-ah opened her mouth cautiously.
“If we take that person to the alliance, are you thinking of simply making him a companion? Or are you thinking of recruiting him into the Evil-Annihilating Army?”
“I haven’t thought that far yet. However, even if he is unskillful, as the successor of the Number One Sword Sect of the Unorthodox, his skill is not on the lacking side. If that level of military power suddenly drops in, sooner or later people’s interest will be drawn.”
“It would be better to recruit him after all.”
“I think so.”
Tang Sang-ah, who fell in thought for a moment, nodded.
“I am also in favor. In fact, it is also funny for me to say it’s okay or not. However, what I care about is this mission, but the Army Commander will take care of that, right?”
“Of course.”
“Yes, then it’s fine.”
Now there was one person left.
Everyone’s gaze headed towards Zhuge Ah-yeon.
Zhuge Ah-yeon, who was calmly sipping tea, blinked her eyes as if panicked when gazes were drawn to her.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Ga Deuk-sang cleared his throat.
“Are you in favor?”
“If I put a spoke in the wheel saying I can’t agree, is that guy one who won’t take him?”
Yeon Ho-jeong firmly shook his head.
“He is a guy I want to make my person, but I have no thought of going out of my way to take him if it means causing a nuisance to the surroundings.”
“But you would bring him someday.”
“Right, someday.”
“See. Then what meaning would there be if I oppose now. Since you’ve already made up your mind to take him, you should do so.”
“Will it really be okay?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon snorted.
“Common-sensically, would it be okay? Before trusting you, that person is the successor of a prestigious family of the Unorthodox. No matter how good a person he is, there is no way it would be okay since the path he walked is different. Whether more or less, there will be quite a bit of conflict too.”
“I suppose so.”
“The you I know doesn’t hastily trust just because it’s the Orthodox, and doesn’t carelessly neglect just because it’s the Unorthodox. It means you look at the person in the end. However, since human affairs are unknowable, if you’re going to take him anyway, take proper responsibility.”
“Thank you.”
“Dog shit, you bastard.”
Ga Deuk-sang smacked his lips.
“Well, it was decided quicker than expected. Then again, Young Master Yeon is the leader of the operations group, so maybe later, but for now, it’s funny for us to pick faults with everything you do.”
“It is not a matter to do dogmatically just because I’m the operations group leader. That’s why I called everyone.”
“Keung! You’re being funny. Then you should have told us in advance at least.”
“I have no face to show.”
“It’s fine. You must have been busy without a moment to open your eyes or nose anyway.”
He stood up from his seat.
“Let’s slowly break up the gathering. We have to enter the Black Dragon Manor soon, and I want to rest deeply while I can.”
“Do so.”
Like that, the party stood up from their seats one by one.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong and Zhuge Ah-yeon did not stand up. The two people were looking at each other with somehow heavy eyes.
A moment later.
“I am sorry.”
“Do you even know?”
“Yes.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon smirked.
“If you really live like that, you’ll get stabbed in the back someday.”
“My spine also feels chilling sometimes.”
“It’s not a joke.”
“I know.”
She, who let out a sigh, scratched her head vigorously.
“I felt this while bringing him, but he was a decent kid.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Whether he’s from the Unorthodox or whatever, coming sticking with a person he had never seen the face of once, he was quite cautious. He clearly keeps his lines, and knows how to be considerate. The person also has a naive side.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“Right, he is such a bastard.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon, who was staring fixedly at Yeon Ho-jeong, asked as if tossing it.
“You speak as if you know him well?”
“I know enough to know.”
“He shouldn’t even be a person you’ve seen before.”
Yeon Ho-jeong only showed a smile. He had nothing else to say.
Zhuge Ah-yeon shook her head.
“I’ll speak honestly. I don’t think that person will cause a big problem. You too. But a problem might burst from somewhere unexpected.”
“Murong Jun.”
“Right.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon’s face clouded.
“He is a person who takes care of his own interests even while coming as the commander of a perilous mission that could overturn the power dynamic of the Central Plains Murim. Leaving ambition or greed aside, his ability alone really cannot help but be acknowledged.”
“That’s right.”
“What’s more chilling is that that person is vigilantly targeting you.”
“And I am also targeting him.”
“Right, you are mutually targeting each other. However, the moment you go accompanied by the successor of the Ghost Iron Sword Sect, Murong Jun will try to bite you somehow.”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“He won’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because he will know that there’s nothing good about provoking me any further.”
“Are you certain?”
“I’m certain. I didn’t send Senior Pae-yul for nothing.”
Sending Pae-yul while going out of his way to even make Mong Ui’s existence known was a declaration of war towards Murong Jun, and at the same time, to lay down a threat not to move hastily.
Murong Jun will clearly notice. That he shouldn’t provoke the opponent anymore. This was not a matter of crossing the line or not, but a matter of seeing blood or not.
“Furthermore, I am the Information Department Head of the Black Dragon Manor. Since I even struck a declaration of war, he must definitely be preparing to strike back. If my guess is right, Murong Jun will be defending his clan’s intelligence group like an iron wall right now.”
“He is tense?”
“He’ll pretend not to be, but he definitely will be.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon smiled bitterly.
“Jeez, being blood of the world’s Zhuge Clan, I didn’t even know how the board was turning.”
“Because you didn’t deliberately set foot in it. That is natural.”
She stood up from her seat.
“I should get some rest too. It was extremely hard coming while examining the surroundings one by one.”
“You suffered a lot.”
“If you know, buy me some nice alcohol later.”
“Anytime.”
“Jeong-ah.”
“Yeah.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon’s eyes surged.
“We are on the same side, right?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“My life’s first friend is you.”
“…Hihi.”
“There was a bit of coercion though.”
“Shut up.”
* * *
“…Above, I appoint Jeong of the Martial Ancestor Sect as the head of this manor’s Information Department.”
It was a quite solemn atmosphere.
It was a seat where numerous leaders of the Black Dragon Manor were watching. He couldn’t help but feel pressure.
Yeon Ho-jeong knelt on one knee.
“I swear to the gods of heaven and earth that I will do my best in the mission entrusted to me.”
Yang Cheon smiled a satisfied smile.
“Stand up.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who stood up from his seat, looked up at Yang Cheon.
Yang Cheon spoke while looking around.
“The manor is cluttered so I ended the appointment ceremony simply, but in truth, the status of this manor’s Information Department that will be newly reorganized is on a different dimension from before.”
Tremendous majesty oozed from the heavily laid voice.
“Jeong of the Martial Ancestor Sect possesses outstanding resourcefulness and his martial arts are also as excellent as anyone else’s, and even though he is a talent possessing both literary and martial arts, he is a person who even combined the prudence of stepping forward to establish a merit to prevent internal confusion.”
“…”
“Since he is a person who does not fall behind you all in talent, ability, or achievement in any aspect, I hope you do not destroy the discipline of the manor with useless disturbances.”
It was tremendous favor.
No matter how much it was an Information Department Head appointment ceremony, there was no need to even add such an explanation for him.
However, Yang Cheon did so, and its effect was truly amazing.
The majority of the leaders gathered here swore to absolutely not touch Yeon Ho-jeong. Leaving abilities aside, if he is a person the Manor Lord favors to this extent, their necks could fly off if they mistakenly touched him.
Of course, not everyone thought so.
“With this, I will end the Information Department Head appointment ceremony.”
All of the leadership simultaneously knelt and bowed their heads.
‘Now it’s the final stage.’
The Information Department Head was the person who oversees all information within the Black Dragon Manor.
As it was a position where one can see not only the manor’s military forces and financial power but also how far the manor’s informants have stretched out at a glance, he will be able to obtain a large amount of information within a short time.
‘I should set to work immediately.’
At that time, Yang Cheon spoke.
“The Information Department Head will remain, and all the rest retreat from the hall.”
The leaders left the Black Dragon Manor.
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yang Cheon with wondering eyes.
“Information Department Head.”
“Yes, Manor Lord.”
“In truth, I wondered if I should tell you three days ago, but I quit. Because you weren’t officially the Information Department Head.”
“…”
“But since we even finished the appointment ceremony, I think I can tell you now. You’ll find out later anyway, but I don’t want to bother giving you confusion.”
“Please speak.”
Yang Cheon’s face became serious.
“There is a certain faction helping this manor.”
“…?!”
“And they are in the Outer-territorial Region, not the Central Plains.”
“…Who are they?”
“It is a group called the Evil Lust Cult, have you heard of it?”
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eye light flashed.