Chapter 373: Grand Zhengzhou Assembly (1)
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The rumor that I had defeated the Violet Mist Divine Sword Gu Jinqing spread even faster than when I had defeated the Eight Exalts. The reason was simple.
First, it was because the name value of the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven was heavier than that of the Eight Exalts, and second, while I had taken no action when the rumor of the Eight Exalts spread, this time we intentionally fanned the flames and disseminated it at the New Justice Association level.
Having come to know that news and rumors of me defeating someone aided my Legitimacy, there was no reason not to do so.
[ Transcendence ― Grade 2 ]
[ Price: 100,000 Legitimacy ]
Ultimately, before long, I was able to purchase the Transcendence talent.
Unlike other Grade 2 talents, Transcendence did not give the feeling of an immediate change. However, because I believed without a shadow of a doubt that a Grade 2 talent would shine someday, I was not worried.
And the rumor spread in that manner not only bestowed Legitimacy upon me, but also created other results I had not anticipated.
“A popular uprising?”
“Yes. They say it is breaking out starting from areas where the central government’s control is weak.”
Zhuge Yan said so while handing me papers organizing the information.
It was a report detailing the regions where popular uprisings were taking place and the progress in those areas. It was high-quality information created by combining the Demonic Cult’s intelligence gathering capability and Zhuge Yan’s analytical prowess.
Somehow, it felt as though the situation was ripening more and more to wave the banner of rebellion.
In addition to the Great Empire’s poor state of affairs, the chaos in the martial world had likely exerted an influence as well. And at the core of all of it stood myself.
“The preparations?”
“Everyone is ready.”
“Quick and sharp as always.”
I had intended to have the other forces cooperating with us prepare for a full-scale rebellion, but Zhuge Yan had already completed all of that. Truly, she was a remarkably capable subordinate.
“Still, the final preparation remains.”
Zhuge Yan said. I tilted my head.
“What is that?”
“At times like this, is a manifesto of war not necessary?”
Zhuge Yan looked at me and smiled.
“Since I cannot write the manifesto of war for you, I was waiting for Association Master.”
“Ah.”
That was true. In any case, to raise a banner against the Great Empire now, there had to be a righteous cause to appeal to the common people.
I picked up the brush Zhuge Yan handed me. And in one flowing stroke, I wrote down a declaration of war, a manifesto.
“……Oh.”
After dashing off the initial draft of the manifesto and showing it to Zhuge Yan, Zhuge Yan’s eyes widened slightly.
“I can feel your literary erudition. As expected, Association Master is equipped with both civil and martial mastery.”
“Flattery won’t get you anything.”
“No need to be so shy.”
Zhuge Yan covered her mouth and chuckled. Thinking about it lately, Zhuge Yan seemed to have brightened up quite a bit since joining the New Justice Association. Back when she belonged to the Zhuge Clan, she had always been expressionless.
“There won’t be anything particular to revise. We can distribute it across the Central Plains just as it is.”
“How long will it take?”
“Since at least several thousand notices will be needed, if we are to hand-copy them all, wouldn’t it take about a month?”
“Alright. Then proceed with that.”
Now, once we circulated the manifesto and drew out the response of the common people, from that point on, it would be a full-scale rebellion.
We had truly reached the very end of the end. Meanwhile, I practiced the martial arts I had honed as much as possible.
And the moment the preparations to scatter the manifesto across the entire Central Plains were complete, the plan hit an unexpected reef.
An envoy of the imperial palace had arrived at the headquarters of the New Justice Association. Moreover, it was no ordinary courier. The person with power second only to the Emperor, the Grand Chancellor below one person and above ten thousand, had come.
Even to me, the Grand Chancellor of this era was a first meeting. Of course, I knew his name.
The Grand Chancellor had visited out of the blue, without the slightest prior notice. It was undoubtedly an intention to throw us into confusion.
Even I could not fathom in the least why the imperial palace had sent the Grand Chancellor. When told the Grand Chancellor had suddenly arrived while I was cultivating in the training chamber, even I could not help but be flustered.
“I am Park Je-seon, who assists His Imperial Majesty.”
The Grand Chancellor, who was seated in the reception room, stood up and bowed as I entered late.
It was truly an awkward moment. The relationship between the imperial palace and the New Justice Association had already reached an extreme. Yet beating to death a Grand Chancellor who had not learned even a single half-form of martial arts was also something I hesitated to do.
Though I did not know much about the Grand Chancellor of this period, I remembered him as a person of high prestige renowned for policies favorable to farmers. I could not turn away or kill such a person at the doorstep here.
“I am Muk Hui-yeong.”
I started with polite speech for now. Since he was an elderly man who looked over eighty, no matter how much he was a person of the imperial palace, it was difficult for me to act recklessly.
Furthermore, since the Grand Chancellor was not expressing hostility toward me either, there was no reason to do so.
“Pleasure to meet you. I wanted to see you at least once, and only now do I get to see you.”
“You wanted to see me?”
“Where in the present Central Plains is there anyone who would not want to see you? A martial artist who openly clashed with the imperial palace. One would wish to see you out of sheer curiosity. I too wished to see you, so I made quite a few earnest petitions to His Imperial Majesty.”
“To the point of making earnest petitions?”
“Is that not natural? Right now, the greatest threat to the imperial palace is you, so as the Grand Chancellor, I could not remain idle.”
I looked at the Grand Chancellor. He was a person exuding a mysterious aura, his eyes half-concealed beneath white eyebrows.
Even to me, who possessed Heavenly Eye, the Grand Chancellor was a difficult person to read. It was not that I could not read the Grand Chancellor’s mind or will like other immortals. The Grand Chancellor was clearly an ordinary person. Yet astonishingly, the Grand Chancellor harbored no hidden motives for me to read with Heavenly Eye. It meant he had purely come because he wished to see me.
“So, having seen me in person, have your questions been resolved somewhat?”
“Well. If there is something I felt upon rising to the position of Grand Chancellor, it is that grasping a person is an impossible task.”
“That is unexpected. Has your eye for judging people not grown keener instead?”
“I too thought so at first. But that was merely the parts I wanted to see.”
In the Grand Chancellor’s half-opened eyes, there was a depth that even I could not read.
“Then what is your reason for coming here?”
“Naturally, I did not come merely to see you. We are not lovers after all. I still love my wife.”
The Grand Chancellor laughed heartily, but for some reason, I could not laugh. Because I still could not grasp the person known as the Grand Chancellor.
“I have come to make a proposal.”
“What sort of proposal?”
“In truth, it is closer to a favor rather than a proposal. Let us resolve this through dialogue. The conflict between the imperial palace and you, that is.”
The moment I heard that, a hollow laugh escaped me.
“If it were before the imperial palace burned Mount Wudang, it might have been possible.”
“If you raise a rebellion according to your plan, countless casualties will emerge across the Central Plains. As the Grand Chancellor, I wish to prevent that.”
For a moment, my breath caught. It was spoken so naturally in passing that I almost missed it, but the content was far too critical. Because it meant the imperial palace was currently aware of our rebellion.
Of course, it could be a strategy to test me, so I could not react immediately. For now, I routinely feigned ignorance.
“A rebellion, you say. You speak frightening words.”
“Was it not so?”
The Grand Chancellor tilted his head. I maintained my composure as much as possible.
“It seems the imperial palace wishes to frame me as a traitor.”
“Mm, I do not know what the imperial palace thinks. It is merely my own thought.”
Astonishingly, Heavenly Eye told me the old Grand Chancellor’s words were the truth. Even so, I could not show all my cards here.
“What is the reason you thought so?”
“Is it not natural to think so? Just as you said a moment ago, the imperial palace burned Mount Wudang, and you seem to possess the power and influence to do so.”
“Not everyone plots rebellion based on that alone.”
“If the word rebellion is somewhat bothersome, let us change it to revolution.”
“Did you come to play word games?”
I narrowed my eyes, but the gaze in the Grand Chancellor’s eyes remained unchanged.
“Even if you were not contemplating rebellion, you have no choice but to raise a rebellion. That is an inevitability.”
“Did you not just say that grasping a person is impossible?”
“I am not saying this by grasping the person that you are. I am merely reading the trend of the times. If one is the Grand Chancellor, one must possess eyes to see the trend of the times. If you too have eyes and ears, you must know that popular uprisings are taking place across various regions right now.”
The most confusing part was that the Grand Chancellor was speaking only the truth right now. Pressing forward with only the truth like this, I was at a loss as to what to do instead.
“If you thought so, why did you not tell the Emperor that I would raise a rebellion?”
“Because then what I fear would happen just as it is. Casualties in the Central Plains would increase, would they not? When war breaks out, unforeseen casualties are bound to emerge. That is a tragic thing.”
I was at a loss for words. Strangely enough, the logic of what the Grand Chancellor said aligned. The Grand Chancellor was attempting to stop this turmoil itself.
“Are you saying you wish to converse before war breaks out?”
“It is the last chance. To prevent unnecessary casualties from emerging.”
“As I mentioned earlier, since the imperial palace burned Mount Wudang, I have had no intention of conversing with the imperial palace. Why did you not come before that?”
“Even before then, I asked to arrange a meeting with you. His Imperial Majesty simply did not accept it.”
“Then why did he accept it now?”
“Thinking there would be no more chances, I spoke with the desperate feeling of vomiting blood. Only when I staked my position as Grand Chancellor did he finally grant permission.”
The Grand Chancellor spoke slowly, yet with clear pronunciation.
“I have no intention of telling you to forgive the imperial palace. That is up to you. But consider the commoners and your subordinates who will be swept up in it. Is an unjust peace not better than a righteous war?”
“Is the Emperor also in agreement with those words?”
“I must persuade him. That is why I came to propose dialogue.”
I was at a loss for words. I had thought only the start of the rebellion remained, never imagining I would encounter such an obstacle.
I too had lived a long life spanning both my previous life and current life, but I had never directly experienced war or a popular uprising.
“Between Beijing and Hubei. I shall arrange a place in Zhengzhou, Henan. It will be a gathering where only the Emperor, you, and I assemble.”
“…….”
This was not a trap. I knew. The Grand Chancellor was truly speaking like that out of concern for the lives of the common people.
However, the Emperor utilizing that venue like a trap was a different matter. While I was deliberating, the Grand Chancellor spoke.
“Of course, you are a great person, and accordingly, there are many subordinates who follow you loyally. But even those subordinates, right before dying, will end up thinking of their mothers rather than you.”
The Grand Chancellor was truly not Grand Chancellor for nothing. At those words, I could not help but be at a loss for words.
Certainly, once the rebellion began and full-scale fighting with the imperial palace ensued, many people would die.
……That was something the original me would not have been able to bear.
Yet bewilderingly, for some reason, it did not hit home that deeply. I could feel the Grand Chancellor’s earnestness, but I could not empathize.
Only then did I realize: what the talent of Transcendence had changed was none other than my bonds with people.
Just as the immortals had said, I was currently viewing humans and myself as separate entities.
The Grand Chancellor spoke in an anxious voice.
“What will you do?”
“If the talk does not go well, what do you plan to do?”
“I do not know. I am merely doing my best to prevent the worst.”
I looked at the Grand Chancellor. The Grand Chancellor was truly sincere. However, I could not resonate with the Grand Chancellor’s pure and good heart. In fact, I was at the point of no longer knowing whether that was even good.
“Very well.”
So without harboring the slightest guilt, I smiled and nodded.
The Grand Chancellor grasped my hand with a touched face. For some reason, it felt pitiful.
Because he wore an expression that could not even begin to imagine what I would do at the assembly.