The information obtained from Jeongalgyun was all valuable.
From identifying the true leader of the enemies to the organizational structure, the specific execution methods of operations, and the locations of hideouts.
It was information that only an insider could know.
In the midst of this, I learned an unexpected fact: when I met Jeongalgyun at the beginning of the semester, he had mentioned that Wangjik and Yangbang, subordinates of Mangwibi, were actually the ones leading all these incidents.
Whether he felt a pang of conscience and subtly leaked information, or if he was aiming to use them as a strategy, it was clear who our enemies were.
“Wangjik and Yangbang, huh…”
Baek Yujin murmured their names.
“Do you know them?”
“Recently, one of the guys came to our sect’s front yard wanting to buy a secret related to Yangsaengbeop, and his name was Yangbang. I thought it was a silly joke and sent him away, but now that I think about it, they might have been a part of it.”
Nodding at her words, I replied.
“The legend of Musaengnomo is well-known even in the Central Plains.”
Musaengnomo.
A deity worshiped by the Baekryun Sect based on the belief in Maitreya, representing a goddess who has never experienced reincarnation.
Not experiencing reincarnation means being immortal, and rumors about Bulsamahu, the founder of Myeonggyo, must have reached the imperial family.
“When the Baekryun Sect was founded, I crafted a story to avoid raising suspicion about my not aging, but it has been nearly 300 years, so I can’t blame them for treating it as a legend now.”
Nodding as she spoke, Baek Yujin turned to Cheonma, who was standing next to her.
“Kan, how large is this Seochang organization?”
With a serious expression, Cheonma replied.
“Seochang was originally a secret organization established to counteract the problems arising from the information organization of eunuchs, Dongchang. Naturally, substantial capital and manpower have been put into Seochang, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that its members are spread throughout the entire Central Plains.”
“So, is it a level of threat to our sect?”
Cheonma shook his head.
“Although they received substantial support from the imperial family, it would be difficult for them in their current state. With Weijichun, one of their critical forces, dead, and most of their members’ combat abilities at best on par with our sect’s elite warriors.”
“So, it’s not a big deal then.”
“However, according to that woman, it seems Seochang has at least one master at the Hwa-gyeong level, so it’s not to be underestimated.”
After meticulously explaining about Seochang, Cheonma gave Baek Yujin a strange look.
I wondered why he was giving her that look, but when Baek Yujin, lost in thought, finally realized it and said, “Ah, good job,” patting him on the shoulder, he finally shifted his gaze.
‘Did he want some praise?’
I felt as if the illusion I had about Cheonma came crashing down, but upon reflection, I realized there was no point in being disappointed now.
I had sensed something was off the moment I saw his noodle-like white teeth.
After exchanging opinions about the information Jeongalgyun disclosed for quite some time, we reached one conclusion.
‘It’s worth a shot.’
When we didn’t know the identity of our enemy, we couldn’t gauge how much power we needed to defeat them, but now that the majority of the outline was clear, it seemed very possible to achieve Dokgosega’s revenge with the help of Myeonggyo… no, the Myeonggyo.
“Then the only thing left is Jeongalgyun’s fate.”
As Baek Yujin muttered that while looking at him, Jeongalgyun flinched and averted his gaze.
We had gathered all the information we needed, and while it would be better to kill him to remove future troubles, the fact that the last person to visit the principal’s office was Dokgorin was known to Jeongalgyun’s secretary.
If Jeongalgyun were to disappear without a trace, the first to be suspected would be Dokgorin.
To prevent such a situation, we had to send Jeongalgyun back at least once, but with his safety assured, I couldn’t help but worry about what he might do.
So, while opinions were divided on whether to kill or spare Jeongalgyun, Baek Yujin proposed one solution.
“Then let’s use Godu.”
“Godu?”
“Yeah, Myeonggyo has specialists who cultivate Godu for situations like this.”
Saying that, Baek Yujin pulled out a small jar sealed by a talisman from her bosom.
“……”
Her demeanor looked incredibly villainous.
*
Godu.
A type of curse, it is also a common item that appears in martial arts.
To create Godu, dozens or hundreds of poisonous substances are sealed in a jar and left undisturbed for a certain period of time. After a long time passes and the jar is opened, the last creature that survives, having killed off all the others, is used as Godu.
Anyone who swallows Godu must act according to the order of its master, and if they try to refuse a command, the Godu in their stomach will go berserk and kill the host immediately.
In other words, it can be seen as a bomb collar in the martial arts world.
“Then please return to the principal’s office first. And don’t forget the promise we made.”
“…Understood.”
In less than an hour, Jeongalgyun, who had aged rapidly, nodded in agreement to Dokgorin’s words and carefully closed the storage door before leaving.
Once Jeongalgyun’s figure completely disappeared, I subtly asked Dokgorin.
“Are you perhaps disappointed you couldn’t kill Jeongalgyun?”
She shook her head.
“Mm, this time it’s more useful to leave him alive than to kill him, so it’s fine.”
But if his value diminishes, I would kill him right away.
“……”
With a smile, Dokgorin murmured something chilling, and then she bowed her head to Baek Yujin, who was standing next to her.
“Thank you for helping until the end. I hope you can forgive me for my rudeness at the start.”
Suddenly acting so respectfully, Baek Yujin looked at her with an expression of confusion.
“Why don’t you just do what you always do? It’s giving me goosebumps.”
“I can’t do that. I’ll continue to need your help.”
“…Do as you please.”
Baek Yujin shook her head in annoyance at Dokgorin’s audacious reply and then turned to me, speaking.
“Then we can say all urgent matters have been resolved, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Actually, our coming here was all done in secrecy, so we need to start heading back to Shiman Mountain soon. It wouldn’t be wise to betray our promise just because we’re leaving Chang’an.”
“I’m not the kind of person who repays kindness with malice.”
And besides, the revenge isn’t over yet, right?
“If that’s the case, I’m relieved.”
As she spoke, shrugging her shoulders, Baek Yujin handed the talisman connected to the Godu implanted in Jeongalgyun to Dokgorin and said it was time to get going.
Following her lead, we exited the storage, looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then parted ways at the courtyard.
“I’ll probably be back in Chang’an within a month. Then we can discuss more concrete methods for breaking Seochang.”
She waved her right hand as she said this.
Waving back at her, I quietly watched Baek Yujin’s retreating figure as she left with Cheonma, then turned to Dokgorin beside me.
“Should we get going too?”
To which Dokgorin replied, “Mm.” and nodded, taking my hand.
*
The next day.
Jeongalgyun, the principal of Cheonmu Academy and former military leader of the Murim Association, made a shocking announcement under the name of the Murim Association.
The Murim leader Weijichun, who died two years ago, was actually a planted seed by the Ming Dynasty imperial family, and the masterminds behind the recent sect attack incidents were him and the soldiers belonging to Seochang.
As the truth emerged that the previously unbroken tradition of “no harm shall come to the martial world” had actually been broken for a long time, the entire martial world was thrown into shock.
Moreover, Jeongalgyun, who revealed the fact that he had been involved in various crimes assisting Weijichun, announced that he would resign from his position as principal of Cheonmu Academy to take responsibility and retire to his family’s villa.
Because it happened so suddenly, conspiracy theories arose suggesting that someone had fabricated this to tarnish the honor of the deceased Murim leader, but Jeongalgyun proved the truth of his statements by making public the related materials he had整理해두었던.
As a result, the trust in the Murim Association plummeted, and angry protests from the martial artists ensued, demanding to know how this had happened.
However, even the Murim Association could not find any effective means to resolve this major incident, and the anger resulting from this situation ultimately turned towards the family left behind by Weijichun and those close to him.
If Weijichun was a pawn of the imperial family, then naturally, everyone who had been friendly with him was suspected of having some relation to the imperial family.
In fact, among the issues disclosed by Jeongalgyun was a list of sects and martial artists colluding with the imperial family, which caused the fallout from this incident to spread like wildfire.
While the entire martial world was in chaos due to Jeongalgyun’s declaration of conscience, the students of Cheonmu Academy were quietly taking their semester final exams in a space isolated from the outside.
