Chapter 341: Alliance (1)
“You sweated a bucketful since the morning?”
Tang Kwan was not surprised by Yeon Ho-jeong’s sudden visit.
“What is it? The axe is not finished yet.”
“I have something to tell you, not about the axe. But, why is your true qi quite unstable?”
Tang Kwan snorted.
“It is none of your business. By the way, your body is not normal either. What kind of trouble did you cause this time?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“I had a fierce battle with Murong Jun.”
In an instant, Tang Kwan’s expression changed abruptly.
“With Murong Jun?”
“Yes. I tried to withstand it somehow, but it was really no joke.”
“What happened?”
“Before I say that, I have something else to tell you. Do you have time?”
Tang Kwan saw it for the first time in a really long while. The seriousness and tension cast over Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
“Come in.”
“What did you say?”
Was it a reaction fitting for the head of the Shaolin Temple, known as the greatest holy land of the Orthodox Murim?
Master Kong-kong did not even seem surprised. His aura did not waver, and he did not make a fuss.
However, Zhuge Wen-hu knew that Master Kong-kong was more surprised than ever. His aura was still like a deep and clear lake, but his eyes full of Buddhist spirit were shaking as if an earthquake had occurred.
Zhuge Wen-hu opened his mouth and spoke again.
“…….”
A moment of silence arose.
Master Kong-kong, who was quietly looking at Zhuge Wen-hu, moistened his throat with a sip of tea. His aura was still calm.
“Three Cults of Fanaticism…”
“That is right.”
Master Kong-kong looked at Zhuge Wen-hu with profound eyes.
Even though there was no hierarchy in their positions, Zhuge Wen-hu was kneeling.
It was not merely an apology. Zhuge Wen-hu did not come as a fellow leader of the Orthodox Path or as the highest command of the Murim Alliance.
Right now, he was a junior who came to rely on a senior who was wiser and more deeply respected than him.
Zhuge Wen-hu, who had a clear distinction between public and private matters, took such a low posture. Master Kong-kong felt that the matter was unusual.
“In other words, should I take it that the reason you, the Strategist, only told me about them now is because you spared your words as they are such a fearsome organization?”
“That is right. They successfully infiltrated the Imperial Palace and the government office, and a group called the Evil Lust Cult even provided decisive help in establishing the Black Dragon Manor.”
“…….”
“It is unlikely, but if their demonic hands have extended to our Orthodox Path, there could be a spy among us. That is why I was being careful.”
Master Kong-kong’s eyebrows twitched.
There is a probability that there is a spy among us. It was a truly dangerous remark.
Zhuge Wen-hu bowed his head.
“I do not doubt that the Abbot’s Buddhist spirit is more than enough to cover the world. However, because of the nature of the matter, I could not discriminate against all the Honored Guests.”
“Does that mean you investigated the backgrounds of the Honored Guests?”
Indeed, Master Kong-kong was not ordinary. He immediately noticed the hidden meaning in Zhuge Wen-hu’s words.
“That is right.”
“…….”
He admitted it with too calm a voice.
How much hardship must he have suffered for his voice to become this solid? Aside from other things, Master Kong-kong knew that the agony Zhuge Wen-hu must have experienced exceeded imagination.
Master Kong-kong sighed.
“Please raise your head now.”
“…….”
“Although I may be older than the Strategist, I am neither a person who has accumulated enough virtue to be treated as a senior nor an elegant person.”
“That is an unreasonable thing to say.”
“I know that you bowing your head like that does not mean you want me to look favorably upon you.”
“…….”
“It seems impossible to have a deep conversation in this state. Please raise your head now.”
“I am sorry.”
Only then did Zhuge Wen-hu raise his head and sit comfortably.
Master Kong-kong’s face became serious.
“I know you are not one to joke about such matters, but I will ask anyway. Is it true?”
Zhuge Wen-hu took out about ten neatly folded documents from his bosom and handed them over.
“Please look at this.”
Master Kong-kong received the documents.
In those documents, the contents investigated about the Three Cults of Fanaticism so far were densely written in fine brushstrokes.
Surprise filled the eyes of Master Kong-kong, who was reading the documents with a heavy heart.
“The Medical Immortal Pavilion Master?!”
“That is right. The Medical Immortal Pavilion Master is of the bloodline of the Divine Fire Cult among the Three Cults, and was reformed by Army Commander Yeon, giving us a lot of information.”
“…….”
“Please continue reading. There are many surprising things.”
After calming his mind for a moment, Master Kong-kong calmly read through the documents.
A moment later.
“Heo-eo.”
A dejected laugh finally flowed from Master Kong-kong’s mouth.
“Such things were happening in unseen places, yet this poor monk was living leisurely without knowing anything.”
“It is not the Abbot’s fault. How could you know what happened around you unless you saw and heard it? I was the one who blocked your eyes and ears. I will take all that sin with me.”
“…I do not think that is a matter to discuss here.”
Master Kong-kong, who calmly dismissed it, nodded and asked.
“Who among the Honored Guests knows?”
“Yeon Wi, the clan head of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan in Jiangdong, Murong Jun, the clan head of the Murong Clan in Hunan, and Tang Kwan, the clan head of the Tang Clan in Sichuan.”
“…….”
“Currently, there are a total of five, including the Abbot and me.”
“Do you not plan to tell the other Honored Guests?”
“For now… that is right.”
Aside from the importance of the matter, one could imagine how bad it was for him to be this careful.
If he had gathered this much information about an unrevealed organization, Zhuge Wen-hu must have been incredibly busy as well. Considering that he had taken every precaution to maintain the secret, he could not bring himself to tell him to reveal it to everyone.
“Strategist.”
“Please speak, Abbot.”
“In the future, when everyone knows this fact, you might have to step down from your position.”
It was a cold reality. Zhuge Wen-hu bowed his head.
“If I am stripped of my position as the Strategist, I will humbly accept it. After that, I will risk my life and fight to drive out the Three Cults. If I still survive after that, I will pass the clan head position to the direct descendant of the main family and enter the Murim Alliance’s prison for the rest of my life to receive punishment.”
It was a terrifying resolve.
It was even more terrifying because he was not just saying it. If Zhuge Wen-hu were imprisoned in the Murim Alliance’s prison, the name of the Zhuge Clan would inevitably fall to the ground.
Zhuge Wen-hu had done this while bearing all of that.
Master Kong-kong let out a sigh.
“If everything you said is true, and furthermore, the moment comes when we all have to fight them…”
“…….”
“I, too, will lend my meager strength and then step down from the position of Abbot.”
This was it. This was why Zhuge Wen-hu felt sorry for Master Kong-kong.
Master Kong-kong was a flexible person, but he was also a person who never tried to show that flexibility unless it was necessary.
The moment this secret was shared, Master Kong-kong would also be in the same boat as Zhuge Wen-hu. Then, when Zhuge Wen-hu stepped down from his position as Strategist, he too would have to lay everything down.
Zhuge Wen-hu bowed his head once more.
“I am sorry.”
Master Kong-kong slowly closed his eyes.
There was no wavering in his voice, but he was not one to fail to read the earnest emotion contained within it.
“I think you did what you had to do as the Strategist. Of course, the process cannot be said to have been completely upright, but how great would it be if worldly affairs could be solved just by handling them righteously?”
It was not something that should come out of the mouth of the master of the head monk’s room in the Shaolin Temple.
However, that was also the Shaolin Temple. Although the Shaolin Temple was one of the holy lands of Central Plains Buddhism and was called the sun of the Murim, the Abbot had no choice but to be well-versed in worldly affairs for that very reason.
He let most evil deeds flow according to reason. However, he actively intervened in unbearable disasters to uphold Chivalry.
There was hundreds of years of agony before the Shaolin Temple could lay down its sacred Buddhist spirit.
“However, even if this poor monk has to step down from the Abbot position, I will try to make sure that you do not rot in the prison.”
“Abbot. Please do not do that.”
“Your eyes are touching Chivalry. If you had not made such a decision, who knows what would have happened to the world?”
“You praise me too much. What I did was merely make a decision. All the merits that you think I have established were achieved by the Yeon Clan, so please look at that part clearly.”
Master Kong-kong smiled bitterly.
“How great would it have been if everyone in the Murim Alliance were like you.”
“…….”
“I understand well. I will keep my mouth shut for the time being.”
“Thank you.”
“Tonight, if you have time, let us have a cup of tea together.”
“Of course. Then.”
After Zhuge Wen-hu gave his final greeting, he left the residence.
Master Kong-kong closed his eyes.
“As virtue rises one foot, the devil rises one zhang…”
Suddenly, Yeon Ho-jeong’s bold words came to mind.
‘There is a saying that the Zen masters of Daoism and Buddhism always say. As virtue rises one foot, the devil rises one zhang, so the wicked and evil always precede the good.’
‘If one has power, they must strive to make virtue rise three feet, seven feet, under the premise of constant self-cultivation.’
Hearing those words, Master Kong-kong was greatly surprised.
If you have power, use it for righteousness. The Shaolin Temple’s involvement in the affairs of the Murim was precisely because of the dying wishes of such Zen masters.
A duty so obvious that he might have forgotten it.
Master Kong-kong opened his mouth.
“Is anyone there?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Send word to Immortal Seung-hyeon of Wudang. Tell him I will visit him at noon today.”
* * *
“You came?”
Tang Kwan nodded and sat on any chair.
With his arms crossed and his eyes turned toward the window, he looked strangely cold. He seemed to be in a quite bad mood.
Yeon Wi sighed.
“Did you hear from Ho-jeong?”
“I heard, which is why I came to this extremely uncomfortable place, isn’t it?”
“I am sorry.”
Tang Kwan snorted.
“It must have been really fun all this time. To think that you guys were rejoicing among yourselves in front of someone who didn’t know anything makes me still boil with anger.”
“Clan Head Tang. We never did that. Rather…”
“Be quiet.”
Tang Kwan glared at Yeon Wi.
He did not speak long.
“Are you hiding anything else?”
“No.”
“Hmph! As if I can believe that.”
Tang Kwan growled as if his anger had not yet dissipated.
“In such a crucial matter, if you hide anything else, it will be the end.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Tang Kwan lightly kicked the table with his foot.
Thud.
“Cheeky brat.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smacked his lips.
“Did you call me?”
“What are you doing? Hurry and brew some tea.”
In the room were Yeon Wi and Tang Kwan, Muk Bi and Yeon Ji-pyeong, and Yeon Ho-jeong. Zhuge Wen-hu and Murong Jun would also come.
There were quite a lot of people than expected. Yeon Ho-jeong cleared his throat and stood up.
“Understood.”
Yeon Ji-pyeong stealthily stood up.
“I will help…”
In an instant, Tang Kwan glared at Yeon Ji-pyeong with fearsome eyes.
Yeon Ji-pyeong unconsciously hiccupped. Yeon Ho-jeong waved his hand.
“Stay seated. I will brew it.”
“Yes, yes!”
“…Ah, damn it, making things uncomfortable.”
When Yeon Ho-jeong muttered softly, Tang Kwan suddenly got angry.
“Stop spouting nonsense and hurry up and brew it!”
“I said I understood.”
Grumbling, Yeon Ho-jeong hurriedly left the room.
“…….”
Silence became the weight of ten thousand geun and crushed the air.
A moment later, Tang Kwan asked as if tossing the words.
“Did you say Murong Jun is coming too?”
“Yes.”
“If that guy disturbs my mood, I will blow his head off immediately, so absolutely do not stop me. Understood?”
Yeon Wi sighed.
“…I will try.”
It was truly a difficult situation. So much so that even the great Yeon Wi’s mouth felt gritty.