Chapter 350: Winner of the Secret Strife (4)
“As you know, when one becomes a Provincial Military Commander, they naturally keep outstanding masters as guards in secret. Even if they were not as good as you, there were some masters on the level of the elders of your clan.”
“…”
“They were all defeated. Those guys were undying monsters. They moved even when their limbs were blown off, and they didn’t fall even after shedding several buckets of blood.”
“Is that so.”
“They cannot be killed unless you blow off their heads or completely destroy their bodies. I pride myself on having gone through all sorts of hardships to reach my current position, but those were the first monsters of that kind.”
Originally, Yeo Sang-do was not a talkative character.
For him to speak in such detail despite that, it meant he had received that much of a shock.
‘It’s not unreasonable.’
Even he, who was listening, could not easily believe it.
Of course, since it was said they couldn’t endure if their heads were blown off or their hearts were pulled out, they were not immortals. However, if their combat power did not drop sharply even after receiving a fatal wound on the level of having their limbs cut off, that could truly be considered an amazing weapon.
‘However.’
Unless their bodies were made of steel, as long as one wasn’t careless, there wouldn’t be a big problem in killing them.
The probability was high that the masters under Yeo Sang-do were defeated because they were careless before the enemy’s combat power.
“Since Lord Yeo is worried, I will leave them alone for now.”
It was an amazing confidence.
He was saying he could kill them all, but he would stay still out of consideration for him. It was truly the confidence and pride fitting the conqueror of Hunan.
Yeo Sang-do opened his mouth.
“Yes, leaving that part aside, the reason you came to find me is…”
“Yes. We have already made contact.”
“…Who did you say you made contact with?”
“They said it was the Eighteen Martial Generals of the Divine Fire Cult. Among them, we clashed with a guy called the 12th Martial General.”
Yeo Sang-do’s face distorted.
“Gyu Jeok.”
“Do you know him?”
“I know. I think I know most of the guys secretly active within the Provincial Military Commission, the Guard Command, and furthermore, the Provincial Administration Commission.”
“How did you know?”
“Because I haven’t just been playing around either.”
He was indeed an amazing figure.
It seemed he had operated an intelligence organization and investigated them amidst the surroundings being full of watching eyes.
Leaving ability aside, this kind of boldness was not something anyone could show. Murong Jun could confirm that Yeo Sang-do had not changed at all from when he met him ten years ago.
‘Perhaps Lord Yeo might have more information than that guy Yeon Ho-jeong.’
Murong Jun opened his mouth.
“I have something to ask.”
“Ask away.”
It was a much more flexible attitude than he thought.
It was understandable, as unexpected reinforcements had come in a situation where he was threatened by external enemies. It was the reason Yeo Sang-do had become generous.
“Before that, I will tell you one fact first. Gyu Jeok is dead.”
“…!!”
Yeo Sang-do’s face was colored with shock.
“That guy is dead?!”
“That is right.”
“How… Could it be you?”
“No. There is a young master in our Alliance, and he died by that person’s hands.”
“Nonsense! Gyu Jeok is the 12th Martial General! Although I am a layman in martial arts, I heard that his martial arts were at the grandmaster level. They said he would not lack the ability to take charge as the sect leader of a faction.”
“That young master’s martial arts are already at the grandmaster level.”
“…!”
“From what I heard, he killed him by practically hacking his whole body to pieces. So that’s how he was able to kill him.”
“What on earth is that person’s name?”
“It is Yeon Ho-jeong.”
“Yeon Ho-jeong…”
“The eldest son of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan in Jiangdong.”
At that moment, Yeo Sang-do’s eyes flashed.
“The Number One Rising Star under Heaven?”
“Do you know him?”
“I can’t not know. Isn’t he called the best rising star in the Jianghu along with the young man from your clan? Rumors of that level reach even my ears.”
“Is that so.”
“Amazing. To kill Gyu Jeok at that age.”
“That is why it’s a problem.”
Murong Jun’s face turned serious.
“Whatever happened, he was a Garrison Commander of the Guard Post. In other words, a Jianghu person killed a government official, so can it just be overlooked?”
Only then could Yeo Sang-do know. Why Murong Jun had come to find him.
There might be various reasons, but the most important one was this.
“Are you asking me to cover it up?”
“That is right.”
“…”
“If the Divine Fire Cult guys are monitoring Lord Yeo, they also wouldn’t be pleased with the incident blowing up into a big deal. That is my expectation.”
Yeo Sang-do nodded.
“You are not wrong.”
If the Divine Fire Cult had completely swallowed the Henan Province government, they wouldn’t have monitored Yeo Sang-do, and wouldn’t have kept him alive in the first place.
In other words, the Divine Fire Cult’s side was currently moving covertly to swallow the entirety of Henan Province. They would not want the matter to escalate in any form.
“Although the matter has already escalated.”
“It will get even bigger.”
“Hmm?”
“A person wearing the clothes of a high-ranking government official appeared in the Dabie Mountains. It was said to be a large middle-aged man, at least an Assistant Provincial Military Commander or higher.”
Yeo Sang-do’s eyes wavered.
“Yo-roe…!”
“Currently, a master has moved to catch him.”
“To catch Yo-roe?!”
“That is right.”
“Do you think it’s possible? Yo-roe is a master even greater than Gyu Jeok. To catch a master like that…”
“He can catch him. Because I sent a beast.”
“A beast?”
“The master of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
Yeo Sang-do’s face slightly distorted.
“The Tang Clan Head, Tang Kwan, was it?”
“That is right.”
Even if one wasn’t a figure of the Murim, common sense dictated that one would naturally get a dark and unpleasant feeling when hearing about poison and hidden weapons.
The Sichuan Tang Clan was one of the strongest sects in Sichuan, known as the ancestor of poison and hidden weapons. Hearing that its head was moving, he felt both relieved and uneasy.
“In your opinion, do you think the Tang Clan Head can defeat Yo-roe?”
“I don’t know about that. Because I’ve never experienced how strong the martial arts of the person called Yo-roe is.”
“I heard he is a level above Gyu Jeok. They say the higher the master, the more tremendous the difference of one level is.”
“That is correct.”
“It is not just Gyu Jeok. From the 1st to the 10th, the ten Martial Generals are said to each have their own outstanding specialty. I heard the 5th Martial General Yo-roe is just an endlessly strong fist martial artist, but if he’s a master of that level, no matter how much it’s the Tang Clan Head…”
“A skill a level above the one defeated by Yeon Ho-jeong. Moreover, if he is a fist martial artist, no matter how proficient he is in qigong techniques, it will be hard for him to defeat the Tang Clan Head.”
“Why do you think so?”
Murong Jun was silent for a moment.
Why did he think so? There were various reasons. But there was not much time to explain all of them.
Eventually, Murong Jun opened his mouth.
“Under the premise that the environment and situation help, the Tang Clan Head would be able to withstand the combined attack of the other heads of the Six Great Clans for half a day.”
“…!!”
“It’s not because he is stronger than us. It’s because the characteristics of his martial arts themselves are unique.”
“Is that true?”
“That is right. Of course, just being able to withstand that much time is proof that he is an extremely outstanding martial artist. He’s not one of the Six Great Clans for nothing.”
It was a relationship that had already gone completely sour.
However, Murong Jun knew. He believed.
That Tang Kwan would never be defeated by a mutt from the Outer-territorial Region.
Setting aside their private ill-fated relationship, Tang Kwan was a man who could take a high win rate no matter what master he fought a battle with, excluding the Saintly Heaven Thirteen Seats. Even an absolute peak master who had learned a heat yang art highly resistant to poison arts would find it hard to escape from Tang Kwan’s demonic hands.
“That is not what is important. If the Tang Clan Head kills that guy called Yo-roe, this becomes a problem on a different dimension from killing a Garrison Commander of a Guard Post.”
“…Hmm.”
“Can you cover it up?”
Yeo Sang-do stared intently at Murong Jun.
“It’s not that I don’t know what you are thinking, but that won’t be easy.”
“I know. That is why I am asking you.”
“Even if I conceal the incident for a short while, it’s just a stopgap measure. Not to mention my own life, the entire livelihood of the people in Henan Province could be shaken. The Divine Fire Cult guys are incredibly sinister, but at the same time, they all possess belligerent and fiery temperaments.”
“…”
“…You, don’t tell me?”
“That is right.”
Murong Jun smiled. It was the smile of an evil spirit.
“Please inform them of the whereabouts of the ones who killed the Divine Fire Cult masters, Yeon Ho-jeong and the Tang Clan Head.”
“…!!”
“They will come to deal with them on their own.”
The corners of Yeo Sang-do’s eyes trembled slightly.
“Are those two people your political enemies?”
“They were until a few days ago.”
“Are you saying they are not now?”
“We must deal with the external enemies before our internal fighting.”
“Then why do you say such things? No matter how strong those two are, if they become targets of the Divine Fire Cult…!”
“They will catch them all.”
Murong Jun’s eyes shone murderously.
“The Eighteen Martial Generals are the middle master layer of the Divine Fire Cult, and the guys holding the lifeline of the Henan Province government. Wouldn’t Lord Yeo have breathing room if we blow away just four or five of their lives?”
“…”
“Remember. We must deal with a common enemy. Just with us alone, no matter how much we run wild in all directions, we cannot pull out their roots.”
“…”
“You will have to help out properly. If you want to return the Henan government to its original state.”
Yeo Sang-do asked in a solemn tone.
“Are you saying that you guys can truly catch them?”
“Of course.”
Murong Jun smiled bitterly.
“I don’t want to admit it, but Yeon Ho-jeong and the Tang Clan Head are the types I’d least want to meet in real combat. I don’t know how much combat power they will dispatch, but as long as we are prepared in advance, you can consider that our side won’t be defeated.”
“…”
“Will you join us?”
“Are you saying I have to stake my life and the fate of the Henan Province government on you guys?”
“Pardon me for saying this, but if I hadn’t come to this place now, wouldn’t Lord Yeo have nothing else you could do besides running your intelligence organization?”
It was not wrong.
Staring blankly at Murong Jun, Yeo Sang-do soon closed his eyes.
“Coming to this point, what pride do I have to set myself on edge. My life is already mortgaged to them anyway; if I think of burning it for His Majesty, there is nothing to be afraid of.”
“…”
“I will cover it up. Furthermore, I will leak the information as you said.”
“Thank you.”
“There is no need to thank me. If you guys fail to deal with them properly, I will have no choice but to move targeting you guys for the sake of Henan Province.”
“I understand.”
Yeo Sang-do nodded.
“There is a tavern called the Swallow Bird Pavilion in Kaifeng. Go into the Golden Room on the third floor there and place three liquor cups upside down. An intelligence agent under me will come find you.”
“I will visit in three days. I need time to contact my colleagues.”
“Do that.”
“Then, I will take my leave now.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, before that…”
“Hmm?”
Murong Jun looked around the room with a puzzled look.
“Why are you working here instead of your office?”
Yeo Sang-do told him obediently, as if it was no secret.
“Because this is the stronghold of my intelligence organization.”
“…”
“The Divine Fire Cult guys probably think I’m slacking off. It’s more comfortable for me if they think that way.”
Murong Jun smiled.
“I’ll be going.”
“Murong Clan Head.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“I wish you good luck.”
“Look forward to the news of victory. Henan Province will soon be clean.”
Swoosh!
With those words, Murong Jun disappeared.
Yeo Sang-do sighed and buried his back in the chair.
“…Still, there is no law saying one must die.”
* * *
Murong Jun’s statement that he needed time to contact his colleagues was a complete lie.
Murong Jun observed Yeo Sang-do’s movements for three days. Because he could not trust him.
Three days later, he left for the Swallow Bird Pavilion Yeo Sang-do had mentioned.