Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 232
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Episode 232: He Was in Charge of Dirty Work
Henan Province.
In an ancient temple on the outskirts of Zhengzhou.
At noon.
Two men sat around a campfire. They were Jegal Seungun, the leader of the Justice Alliance, and Gui Yeongja-gun, the first of the Twelve Demon Lords.
“We’ve decided to name the new alliance between Nokrim and the Evil Faction as the ‘Heaven and Earth Alliance.’ With that name, the alliance between the righteous and the wicked factions shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Jegal Seungun said nervously, fearing that Gui Yeongja-gun might change his mind at the last moment. Despite the approach of spring, he had yet to receive a clear response from the Evil Faction.
“Any name will do. As I said, as long as it’s not the Justice Alliance, it doesn’t matter,” Gui Yeongja-gun replied, acting as if he had the authority to make decisions.
“So, when will they join? The number of people leaving Chilriha Village increases every day,” Jegal Seungun asked.
“Nokrim will go to Chilriha Village at the beginning of spring,” Gui Yeongja-gun replied.
“Ah! At the beginning of spring?” Jegal Seungun displayed a broad smile. He had been anxiously waiting for this confirmation.
“Then, can I prepare the inauguration ceremony for the Heaven and Earth Alliance for the beginning of spring?”
“Yes.”
“Will the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord attend the ceremony?”
“The Great Chaeju will not attend. If there’s anything to be discussed, you can do it through me,” Gui Yeongja-gun, knowing that Yeon Jeokha also disliked being the center of attention, delegated the responsibility.
However, Jegal Seungun, unaware of this, believed that Gui Yeongja-gun was the representative of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord.
“Then, can I continue dealing with you on Nokrim’s matters in the future?”
“That’s correct.”
“It’s an honor. I appreciate your continued cooperation.”
Jegal Seungun bowed to Gui Yeongja-gun, who nodded indifferently, unaffected by Jegal Seungun’s enthusiasm.
———————
The arrival of spring brought great turmoil to Murim.
The alliance between the righteous and the wicked factions, which until then had only been a rumor, began to take shape. The leaders of Nokrim started gathering in Chilriha Village.
The village’s atmosphere changed dramatically. What had once been a peaceful place for martial arts practitioners turned into a dangerous site with the arrival of over three hundred and sixty bandits.
The mingling of the righteous and wicked factions increased the confusion. Conflicts arose with just a glance. Jegal Seungun tried to minimize the clashes by separating the factions: the righteous to the west and the bandits and wicked to the east.
Despite this measure, the tension continued. The martial arts practitioners of the righteous faction wanted to inaugurate the Heaven and Earth Alliance as soon as possible to control the wicked. But Gui Yeongja-gun insisted on waiting until the beginning of spring, even though all the fortifications and the Demon Lords were already present.
At the Justice Alliance headquarters in Zhengzhou, the leaders of the Seven Great Sects and the Five Great Families gathered.
The Leader of the Jongnam Sect, also known as Southern Edge Sect, Mu Jong-sang, tried to contain his anger.
“When will the inauguration ceremony take place? The thirty-six strongholds and the six Demon Lords are already here. Are they planning something else?”
The Leader of the Wudang Sect, Yeong Gyeol, added:
“It’s strange. Even if we create an organization, how are we going to control the wicked? The situation is very tense.”
Jegal Seungun, with an awkward smile, replied:
“The Demon Lords insist on waiting until the beginning of spring.”
“Although we agreed to wait until then, we should start if everyone is here. There are conflicts every day. I’m worried about a possible war between the righteous and wicked factions,” said the leader of the Shaolin Temple, Mu Beop.
“The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord would not allow such a thing. The Yoomyung Cult is also a great threat to Nokrim.”
“What about the titles for the Demon Lords in the Heaven and Earth Alliance?”
“We’ll give them the title of Guardians,” Jegal Seungun responded, and everyone nodded.
“By the way, will Yeon Jeokha, the Grand Inspector of Nokrim, attend the inauguration ceremony?”
“I haven’t confirmed that. The Demon Lords have avoided talking about him. They might be controlling him. To them, Yeon Jeokha is a newcomer.”
“What is Yeon Jeokha’s actual position in Nokrim?”
“It’s ambiguous. Although his skill is outstanding, it’s not easy for the bandits to follow him.”
“So, we don’t need to worry about him?”
“He has no real power. The Heaven and Earth Alliance was promoted by Gui Yeongja-gun and the Demon Lords.”
“Then, is Gui Yeongja-gun the representative of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord?”
“For now, yes. Until someone else stands out among the Demon Lords.”
The Leader of the Mugeuk Sect, Jang Kangho, the Thunder Wind Saber, commented:
“What power can a twenty-one-year-old have? He could only influence the Five Peaks.”
Mu Beop nodded.
“It seems that Yeon Jeokha is just someone in charge of dirty work.”
The Leaders of the Seven Great Sects nodded in agreement. They were accustomed to dividing their disciples into two types: those in charge of dirty work and the future leaders. Although both were skilled, only a few would be entrusted with the sect’s future.
They saw Yeon Jeokha and Gui Yeongja-gun in that way. Yeon Jeokha was useful, but the true successor was Gui Yeongja-gun.
After discussing Nokrim’s matters, the leader of the Mount Hua Sect, Mu Geuk, asked:
“How is the recruitment of the Anti-Demon Division going?”
All eyes turned to Jegal Seungun.
The Anti-Demon Division was the Justice Alliance’s secret weapon, composed of sorcerers to deal with monsters.
“So far, we’ve recruited about thirty sorcerers from the Seven Great Sects. They’ve brought five sacred treasures. We won’t be easily defeated in the next battle.”
“Can the sorcerers protect themselves? Or do they need guards?”
“Unfortunately, they only specialize in magic and need protection.”
“Isn’t that very dangerous?”
“The danger is the same for everyone when monsters appear. It’s no more dangerous for the sorcerers.”
“Hmm.”
The Leader of the Mount Hua Sect made a thoughtful sound. Although Jegal Seungun’s response seemed irresponsible, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
The others remained silent, with no clear alternatives for dealing with the monsters.
After a moment of reflection, Jegal Seungun spoke.
“By the way, since we’re on the subject, I should inform you that the inspectors from Suzhou and Buyang visited us.”
The atmosphere immediately tensed.
The mention of Suzhou and Buyang reminded them of the incidents with the monsters at Mount Tianmen (Cheonmun Mountain) and Xi Biha (Seobiha).
“They say the monsters have caused great damage at Mount Tianmen and Xi Biha. Although they’ve blocked the area to prevent the monsters from moving, they’re asking us to resolve the problem quickly.”
Lee Uijeong, from the Uicheon Sect, commented:
“Since the monster problem is severe, the sorcerers should attend our meetings. We need information to plan our strategies.”
Jegal Seungun acknowledged his mistake.
“I hadn’t considered that. I’ll invite representatives from the sorcerers to our future meetings.”
“Do you have any representatives in mind?”
“The Three Immortals of Kunlun are skilled in both aspects, so I was thinking of them.”
Lee Uijeong nodded. The Three Immortals of Kunlun had experience in handling monsters and seemed like a good choice.
“We’ll deal with the monster issues in Suzhou and Buyang after the inauguration of the Heaven and Earth Alliance. It will be a good opportunity to assess our capabilities.”
The leaders nodded in agreement. Handling the monsters in those areas would determine the success of their alliance.
At the end of the meeting, the leader of the Moyong Family, Moyong Hwang, abruptly commented:
“There are constant fights between Nokrim’s bandits and the martial arts practitioners. What will we do about that?”
“I’ll speak with Gui Yeongja-gun to form a temporary alliance patrol. Once the Heaven and Earth Alliance is inaugurated, the situation will be resolved. Please be patient for a few more days,” Jegal Seungun replied.
It was a difficult situation to manage. Bringing former enemies together in one place naturally resulted in conflicts.
—————-
One day before the beginning of spring.
At dusk, Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong quietly entered Chilriha Village.
Shim Tong looked around and commented:
“Wow! The village is bigger than I thought. It’s almost the size of a county.”
“It’s because of the Justice Alliance headquarters. Many small factions must have come here.”
“The village is already crowded. I’m not sure if we’ll find an empty room.”
Shim Tong looked worriedly at the crowd. The street was filled with armed warriors, like in a marketplace.
As they moved forward, they heard the sound of clashing swords. Shim Tong looked and saw about ten men in a fight.
“Look! A fight!”
“Right in front of the inn! I’m hungry.”
“Hehe. Let me see if there are any seats by the window. Eating while watching a fight has its charm.”
“Yes, go quickly.”
With Yeon Jeokha’s permission, Shim Tong hurried to the inn, passing by the fighters like a ghost.
Inside the inn, Shim Tong quickly found empty seats by the window. Most of the tables were unoccupied, with untouched food, abandoned by customers who had joined the fight.
Shim Tong sat down, and a waiter approached him hastily.
“Excuse me, sir. That table is already taken. They’re outside…”
“The table has an owner? Whoever sits is the owner. Clean this up and take our order.”
The waiter looked uneasily at Shim Tong and then at the fighters outside.
At that moment, Yeon Jeokha also entered and sat down across from Shim Tong.
Seeing the waiter’s hesitation, Shim Tong frowned and raised his voice.
“Hey! Are you going to take our order or what? Are they the only customers, and we’re beggars? Do you want me to cut off your head?”
“Oh, no, sir! What would you like to order?”
Shim Tong pointed to the table.
“Bring us the same thing that’s here, but fresh.”
“Yes, right away.”
The waiter hurried to clean the table. Fights were so common that they didn’t surprise him.
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