“Youhavebeensweatingbucketssincemorning,see?”
angwanwasnotsurprisedbyYeonojeong’ssuddenvisit.
“Whatisit?heaxeisnotfinishedyet.”
“cametotellyousomethingbesidestheaxe.ButyourrueQiseemsquiteunstable,doesn’tit?”
angwansnorted.
“hatisnoneofyourconcern.nanycase,thatbodyofyoursishardlynormaleither.Whattroubledidyoucausethistime,andwhere?”
Yeonojeongchuckled.
“hadaprettyintenseclashwithMoYonggun.”
angwan’sexpressionchangedinstantly.
“WithMoYonggun?”
“Yes.triedtoreceiveeverythinghethrewatmesomehow,buthetrulywasnojoke.”
“Whathappened?”
“Beforeexplainthat,thereissomethingneedtotellyouseparately.Doyouhavetime?”
thadtrulybeenalongtimesinceangwanhadseenit.
hatseriousnessandtensioncastoverYeonojeong’sface.
“Comein.”
*****
“Whatdidyousay?”
WasthistrulytheresponseoftheheadofShaolinemple,calledthegreatestsacredgroundoftherthodoxmartialworld?
enerableonggongdidnotevenseemsurprised.ispresencedidnotwaver,nordidhemakeafuss.
ButJealMunhoknewthatenerableonggongwasmoreshockedthanhehadeverbeen.ispresenceremainedlikeadeep,clearlake,buthiseyes,fullofBuddhistdevotion,wereshakingasifanearthquakehadstruck.
JealMunhoopenedhismouthagainandsaid,
“......”
Abriefsilencefell.
enerableonggongquietlylookedatJealMunho,thenmoistenedhisthroatwithasipoftea.ispresencewasstillcalm.
“hehreeFanaticCreeds...”
“hatiscorrect.”
enerableonggonglookedatJealMunhowithdeepeyes.
Althoughtherewasnohierarchybetweentheirpositions,JealMunhowaskneeling.
twasnotsimplyanapology.JealMunhohadnotcomeasaheadoftherthodoxPath,norasoneofthehighest-rankingleadersoftheMartialAlliance.
Atthismoment,hewasajuniorwhohadcometoleanonaseniorwiserandmoredeeplyrespectedthanhimself.
JealMunho,whowasalwaysexactinginseparatingpublicandprivatematters,hadloweredhimselfthisfar.enerableonggongcouldfeelthatthismatterwasnoordinaryone.
“notherwords,shouldunderstandthatthereasonyouonlynowtoldmeofthemisbecausetheyaresuchaterrifyingorganizationthatyouhadtospareyourwordsuntilnow?”
“hatiscorrect.heyhavesuccessfullyinfiltratedtheimperialpalaceandtheauthorities.Furthermore,thefactioncalledthePerverseustCultevenplayedadecisiveroleinthefoundingofnkDragonManor.”
“......”
“fcourse,suchathingshouldnotbepossible,butiftheirclawshavereachedevenintoourrthodoxPath,theremaybespiesamongus.hatiswhywehavebeencautious.”
enerableonggong’seyebrowstwitched.
herewasachancethatspiesexistedamongthem.twasatrulydangeroussentence.
JealMunhobowedhishead.
“knowfullwellthatyourBuddhistheartismorethanvastenoughtocoverallunderheaven.owever,giventhegravityofthematter,couldnotmakeexceptionsevenamongtheServiceords.”
“DoesthatmeanyouinvestigatedtheServiceordsfrombehind?”
Asexpected,enerableonggongwasnoordinaryman.eimmediatelycaughtthemeaninghiddeninJealMunho’swords.
“Yes.”
“......”
eadmitteditinanutterlycalmvoice.
owmuchhardshipmusthehaveenduredforthatvoicetobecomesofirm?Settingasideeverythingelse,enerableonggongunderstoodthattheanguishJealMunhohadsufferedmusthaveexceededimagination.
enerableonggongsighed.
“Raiseyourheadnow.”
“......”
“houghmaybeolderthanyou,Strategist,amneithersovirtuousnorsonobleamanthatdeservetobetreatedasyoursenior.”
“hatisfarfromtrue.”
“knowthatyoubowingyourheadlikethisisnotmeantasapleaformetolookkindlyuponyou.”
“......”
“Butinthisstate,itseemsimpossibleforustohaveadeepconversation.Raiseyourheadnow.”
“apologize.”
nlythendidJealMunhoraisehisheadandsitmorecomfortably.
enerableonggong’sfacegrewserious.
“knowyouarenotsomeonewhowouldjestaboutsuchamatter,butmuststillask.sittrue?”
JealMunhotookoutmorethantencarefullyfoldeddocumentsfrominsidehisrobeandhandedthemover.
“Pleaselookatthese.”
enerableonggongacceptedthedocuments.
nside,thefindingstheyhadgatheredthusfarconcerningthehreeFanaticCreedsweredenselywritteninfinebrush.
Asenerableonggongreadthroughthedocumentswithaheavyheart,surprisefilledhiseyes.
“hePavilionordoftheMedicalmmortalPavilion?!”
“hatiscorrect.hePavilionordoftheMedicalmmortalPavilionisoftheDivineFlameCult’sbloodline,oneofthehreeCreeds.CommanderYeonconvertedhimtoourside,andheprovideduswithagreatdealofinformation.”
“......”
“Pleasecontinuereading.hereismuchthatwillsurpriseyou.”
enerableonggongcalmedhismindforamoment,thenquietlyreadthroughthedocuments.
Ashortwhilelater—
“uh.”
Atlast,anemptylaughslippedfromenerableonggong’smouth.
“Suchthingswerehappeninginunseenplaces,yetthispoormonklivedidlywithoutknowingathing.”
“hisisnotyourfault,enerableAbbot.owcouldanyoneknowwhatwashappeningaroundhimunlesshehadseenandheardit?heonewhoblockedyoureyesandearswasme.willcarrythatsinentirely.”
“...donotthinkthatisamattertodiscusshere.”
enerableonggongcalmlybrushedthataside,thennoddedandasked,
“WhichoftheServiceordsknow?”
“YeonWi,ClanordoftheYeonClanofreenMountaininangdong;MoYonggun,ClanordoftheMoYongClaninunan;andangwan,ClanordoftheangClanofSichuan.”
“......”
“Atpresent,includingyouandme,therearefiveintotal.”
“DoyouintendnottotelltheotherServiceords?”
“Fornow...yes.”
Settingasidetheimportanceofthematter,itmadeonewonderjusthowcautioustheyhadtobeforhimtogothisfar.
ftheyhadgatheredthismuchinformationaboutanorganizationthathadnotrevealeditselfuntilnow,JealMunhomusthavebeenbusybeyondmeasure.Consideringthathehadalsotakeneverypossibleprecautiontopreservesecrecy,enerableonggongcouldnotbringhimselftosaytheyshouldrevealittoeveryone.
“Strategist.”
“Pleasespeak,enerable.”
“Wheneveryonelearnsofthissomeday,youmayhavetostepdownfromyourpositionthenandthere.”
twasacoldreality.JealMunhobowedhishead.
“famstrippedofthestrategist’sposition,willacceptithumbly.Afterthat,willriskmylifefightingtodriveoutthehreeCreeds.fstillsurviveafterthat,willpasstheclanlord’sseattothelegitimateheirofmymainhouseandspendtherestofmylifeintheBrainPrisonoftheMartialAlliancetoreceivepunishment.”
twasaterrifyingresolve.
twasallthemoreterrifyingbecausehewasnotsayingitlightly.fJealMunhowereimprisonedintheMartialAlliance’sBrainPrison,thenameoftheJealClanwouldinevitablybedraggedthroughthemud.
JealMunhohaddoneallthiswhileacceptingeventhat.
enerableonggongsighed.
“feverythingyouhavetoldmeistrue,andfurther,ifthetimecomeswhenallofusmustfightthem...”
“......”
“hen,too,willlendwhatlittlestrengthhave,andafterwardstepdownfrommypositionasabbot.”
hiswasit.
hiswaswhyJealMunhofeltsorrytowardenerableonggong.
enerableonggongwasaflexibleman,buthewasalsosomeonewhowouldneverexercisethatflexibilityunlessitwasnecessary.
heinstanthesharedthissecret,enerableonggongwouldbeinthesameboatasJealMunho.hen,whenJealMunhowasforcedtostepdownasstrategist,hetoowouldhavetoletgoofeverything.
JealMunhobowedhisheadoncemore.
“apologize.”
enerableonggongslowlyclosedhiseyes.
herewasnotremorinJealMunho’svoice,butenerableonggongwasnotsoblindthathecouldnotreadthedesperateemotioncontainedwithinit.
“believeyoudidwhatyouhadtodo,Strategist.fcourse,theprocesscannotbecalledentirelyupright,butifworldlymatterscouldberesolvedsimplybyhandlingthemuprightly,howgoodwouldthatbe?”
hosewerenotwordsonewouldexpecttocomefromthemasteroftheabbot’squartersofShaolinemple.
Yetthat,too,wasShaolinemple.
ShaolinemplewasoneofthesacredgroundsofCentralPlainsBuddhismandwascalledthesunofthemartialworld.Preciselyforthatreason,theabbotcouldnothelpbutbedeeplyversedinworldlyaffairs.
rdinaryevilswerelefttoflowaccordingtoproperorder.Butwhenacalamitytoogreattoendureappeared,Shaolinactivelyintervenedtoupholdchivalrousjustice.
herehadbeenhundredsofyearsofanguishbehindShaolinemple’sdecisiontosetdownthatholyBuddhistheart.
“owever,evenifmuststepdownasabbot,willdomyutmosttoensurethatyoudonotrotintheBrainPrison.”
“enerableAbbot.Pleasedonot.”
“Youreyesareturnedtowardchivalrousjustice.adyounotmadesuchadecision,whoknowswhatwouldhavebecomeoftheworld?”
“Youpraisemetoohighly.Alldidwasmakeonedecision.verymerityoumaythinkestablishedwasaccomplishedbytheYeonfamily,soaskthatyoupleaseseethatclearly.”
enerableonggonggaveabittersmile.
“owgooditwouldhavebeenifeverypersonintheMartialAlliancewerelikeyou,Strategist.”
“......”
“understand.willkeepmymouthsealedforthetimebeing.”
“hankyou.”
“fyouhavetimetonight,letusshareacupoftea.”
“fcourse.hen.”
Aftergivinghisfinalfarewell,JealMunholeftthequarters.
enerableonggongclosedhiseyes.
“ftheWayrisesonefoot,thedemonrisesten...”
Suddenly,Yeonojeong’sboldwordscametomind.
“hemastersoftheDaoistandBuddhistpathsalwayssaythis,dotheynot?ftheWayrisesonefoot,thedemonrisesten.hecrookedandevilalwaysoutpacethegood.”
“fonehaspower,onemuststrive,throughceaselessself-cultivation,tomaketheWayrisethreefeet,sevenfeet.”
fyouhavepower,useitforrighteousness.Shaolinemplehadinvolveditselfintheaffairsofthemartialworldpreciselybecauseofsuchateachingleftbyitsmasters.
twasanutterlyobviousduty—onehemighthaveforgotten.
enerableonggongopenedhismouth.
“sanyonethere?”
“Yes,enerable.”
“SendwordtoDaoistSeunghyeonofWudang.ellhimwillvisitatnoontoday.”
*****
“Youhavecome?”
angwannoddedandsatinanychair.
Withhisarmscrossedandhiseyesturnedtowardthewindow,helookedstrangelycold.tseemedhismoodwasratherfoul.
YeonWisighed.
“Youheardfromojeong?”
“heard,whichiswhycametothisexceedinglyuncomfortablegathering.”
“oweyouanapology.”
angwansnorted.
“tmusthavebeentrulyentertainingallthistime.Whenthinkofyoupeoplelaughingamongyourselvesinfrontofafoolwhoknewnothing,mybloodstillboils.”
“Clanordang.Weneverdidthat.nfact...”
“Shutup.”
angwanglaredatYeonWi.
edidnotwastewords.
“sthereanythingelseyouarehiding?”
“hereisnot.”
“mph!Asifcanbelievethat.”
angwangrowledasifhisangerhadyettosubside.
“fthereisanothermatterthisgraveyouarehiding,thenitendsthere.”
“willkeepthatinmind.”
angwankickedthetablewithhisfoot.
UMP.
“Rudebrat.”
Yeonojeongsmackedhislips.
“Didyoucallme?”
“Whatareyoudoing?urryupandbrewsometea.”
nsidetheroomwereYeonWi,angwan,Mookbi,YeonJipyeong,andYeonojeong.JealMunhoandMoYonggunwouldalsoarrive.
hereweremorepeoplethanexpected.Yeonojeongclearedhisthroatandstood.
“Understood.”
YeonJipyeongquietlybegantorise.
“willhelp...”
nthatinstant,angwanglaredatYeonJipyeongwithterrifyingeyes.
YeonJipyeonghiccupedwithoutrealizingit.Yeonojeongwavedhishand.
“Stayseated.willbrewit.”
“Y-Yes!”
“...Ah,damnit.Makingthingsalluncomfortable.”
WhenYeonojeongmutteredquietly,angwanflewintoarage.
“Stopspoutingnonsenseandhurryup!”
“saidunderstood.”
rumbling,Yeonojeonghurriedoutoftheroom.
“......”
Silencepresseddownontheairwiththeweightoftenthousandgeun.
Ashortwhilelater,angwantossedoutaquestion.
“YousaidMoYongguniscomingtoo?”
“hatiscorrect.”
“fthatbastarddisruptsmymood,willcutoffhisheadonthespot,sodonotstopme.Understood?”
YeonWisighed.
“...willtry.”
twastrulyadifficultgathering.
DifficultenoughtomakeevenYeonWi’smouthfeeldry.