Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 267
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Chapter 267: The Art of Planning (謀事在人)
The face of Martial Mountain Maiden, Lee Maehwa, displayed a wry smile.
Honestly, she also understood the reactions of the two Great Demon Generals.
Until now, the Heaven and Earth Alliance had struggled even against one or two Demon Warriors.
And now, in Hodu Mountain, there were seven Demon Warriors and the Heavenly Blood Demon, Confused Kang Sangpi.
So it was natural that Kang Sangpi was upset.
“Summoning you here was to inform you of the enemy’s movements. It’s true that they don’t pose a threat to us. But, at the very least, we should be aware of what they are doing, don’t you think?”
The Demon of Illusion, Ungjaegwi, nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. But, are we just going to stand by while they move freely?”
“That is a decision for you to make. Is anyone willing to go out and deal with them?”
Lee Maehwa looked around at the Great Demon Generals.
They all avoided her gaze, with expressions of annoyance.
Lee Maehwa shrugged at Ungjaegwi.
This was the problem with a collective leadership system.
Unless the fire was under their own feet, everyone tried to avoid responsibility.
Right now, the Great Demon Generals were more focused on their leader than on the Heaven and Earth Alliance.
Naturally, preparing to receive the leader took priority over going out to eliminate the subordinates of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.
This applied to both Lee Maehwa and Ungjaegwi, so they stopped insisting on the matter.
Lee Maehwa casually remarked to Kang Sangpi:
“They wouldn’t dare approach the White Horse Temple, also known as Baekmasa. Perhaps they’ll only lurk near Hodu Mountain. I’m sure they can handle it.”
“Haha! If they dare to come to Hodu Mountain, I’ll send them to hell.”
Kang Sangpi responded confidently, to which Lee Maehwa replied with a forced smile.
Although she felt a bit uneasy, she knew that the strength of the Yoomyung Cult at Wanghosan Lodge was more than sufficient.
Finally, the Great Demon Generals dispersed without taking any action against the movements of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.
They thought there was nothing they could do with just two hundred and fifty men.
Not all returned to their posts.
Bang Cheongak and the Red Moon Demon, Gong Chwisan, met secretly somewhere in Luoyang.
Bang Cheongak spoke in an irritated tone:
“Damn it, the leader showing up now complicates things.”
“There will be another opportunity, don’t you think?”
Although his words were optimistic, Gong Chwisan was also visibly disappointed.
Not all the Great Demon Generals were loyal to the leader.
Perhaps they were at first, but as they ascended to Demon Warriors and Great Demon Generals, their loyalties changed.
The process of acquiring skills in the Yoomyung Cult was like a game of chance.
Anyone who knew the true texts could become a Demon Warrior, Great Demon General, or Heavenly Demon King.
Therefore, besides reverence for the leader, there were also those who coveted his position.
In the Evil Faction, where stealing and usurping was common, this was not surprising.
Bang Cheongak and Gong Chwisan had joined forces with that purpose in mind.
They planned to discover the leader’s true texts and challenge him together.
First, they had to capture the leader.
But they hadn’t been able to find him in twenty years, and their plans had failed.
Bang Cheongak murmured to himself:
“Well, at least we know we shouldn’t kill the leader…”
Before, they planned to capture the leader, obtain the texts, and then kill him.
But after seeing how the Demon Warriors transformed, they abandoned that idea.
They knew that if the leader became a demon, they would die too.
“Don’t worry too much. We just need to avoid killing him right away. Look at Sebiha and Tianmen Mountain. They look like ghosts trapped in the places where they died.”
Gong Chwisan nodded.
He was right.
Even if the leader died and became a demon, they just had to avoid it.
Both spoke confidently about handling the leader, suggesting they had a special plan.
Noon.
Huangtang Village.
About fifty well-armed warriors were walking along the river.
They were the warriors of the Black Turtle Division of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.
Leading the group was the leader of the Black Turtle Division, Jang Mudeok, and his second-in-command, Jang Kangho, the former Leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.
Both seemed tired under the warm sun.
Finally, Jang Kangho broke the silence.
“It’s a nice day today. How about we take a break and have lunch?”
“Agreed.”
Jang Mudeok nodded, and Jang Kangho called out to one of Mu Geuk’s disciples.
“You called?”
“We’re going to rest for a while and have lunch. Let everyone know.”
“Yes.”
The warrior ran towards the group to convey the message.
Soon after, the experts of the Black Turtle Division dispersed to find places to rest.
The Leader of the Moyong Family, Thousand Blade Moyong Hwang, sat with his people.
His eldest daughter, Rising Cloud Sword Moyong Mi, took food out of her bag and offered it to Moyong Hwang.
Moyong Hwang took the food in silence, and the others began to eat.
After a while, Moyong Hwang looked at his daughter.
“It seems the Jegal Family is interested in you. What do you think?”
There weren’t many occasions when members of the Seven Great Sects and Five Great Families gathered. So, they took advantage of these opportunities to discuss marital matters.
The Leader of the Jegal Family, Jegal Seun, had shown interest in the Moyong Family.
Moyong Hwang also considered the Jegal Family, which was on the rise, a good match.
Moyong Mi thought about the young men of the Jegal Family.
The only one who seemed suitable for her was Jegal Sheng, the eldest son of the Grand Strategist. He was known for his martial arts skills and intelligence and was considered the successor to the leader.
A man like that could be a good match.
“I’ll do whatever you decide, father.”
“I understand. But make sure to observe Jegal Sheng. If you don’t like him, we won’t proceed.”
“Yes.”
Moyong Mi looked towards where the members of the Jegal Family were.
Ten of the family’s best warriors were eating together.
Among them, Jegal Sheng stood out for his height and presence.
Thinking of him as her possible future husband gave her a special feeling.
Moyong Hwang continued:
“Although Namgung Cheon is considered the best of the younger generation, the Namgung Family is in decline. After the era of the Sword Emperor, they will no longer be one of the great families.”
Moyong Mi looked at her father.
Moyong Hwang explained:
“Although the Jegal Family suffered losses, their power remains intact. If we had to choose between the Jegal Family and the Namgung Family, people would choose the Jegal Family.”
“Do you think the Jegal Family will replace the Namgung Family?”
“I’ll do everything I can to make sure of it. Especially if you marry Jegal Sheng.”
Moyong Mi nodded.
Her father seemed to have a plan in mind.
If they were talking about this, the marriage was almost certain.
It was likely that Moyong Hwang had already discussed this in detail with Jegal Seun.
At that moment, Moyong Hwang’s younger brother, Moyong Jin, intervened.
“Brother, the Namgung Family really seems to be in decline. Namgung Cheon is following a disciple of the Changin Sect instead of joining the Seven Great Sects or Five Great Families.”
“That’s the limit of his experience. They think what they like is all there is.”
“I don’t understand why the Sword Emperor allows it.”
“He’s probably too busy with his revenge to care. His family was massacred.”
“But this is the time to think about the future.”
“It’s frustrating. When a family is destined to fall, many problems accumulate. The Namgung Family’s luck has run out.”
All the members of the Moyong Family nodded.
That was the common opinion.
After the Sword Emperor, the Namgung Family would crumble.
Unbeknownst to them, Jegal Sheng and Moyong Mi exchanged glances.
Jegal Sheng quickly looked away, thinking it was inappropriate.
Just then, his uncle and guardian, Jegal Jungyeong, called out to him.
“Sheng-ah.”
“Yes.”
“This mission is more of a power balance show than anything else. Don’t worry too much.”
Jegal Sheng nodded.
He knew there wasn’t much danger.
Then, Jegal Jungyeong said something unexpected.
“The most important thing is our alliance with the Moyong Family. Has your father spoken to you about your possible marriage with Moyong Mi?”
“No.”
“Hmm. I see. It seems your father is considering a marriage between you and Moyong Mi. This mission is an opportunity for you to get to know her.”
“Really?”
“Impress the Moyong Family so they have no doubts about you.”
“Yes.”
Jegal Sheng understood and nodded.
He knew the mission wasn’t dangerous.
But he didn’t know anything about his possible marriage to Moyong Mi.
‘Is that why Moyong Mi was looking at me?’
Probably.
The very thought gave him a strange feeling.
He had been focused on fighting the Yoomyung Cult, but now, his heart was divided.
Chilriha Village.
The life of the Invisible Hand, Baek Gyo, was a daily torment.
Five days had passed since the departure ceremony.
He hadn’t had a single night of restful sleep.
Although he did nothing all day, his skin had become rough, and he had dark circles under his eyes.
How much he regretted not confessing the truth to Heart-Reading Solitary Flower, Namgung Yeon.
Especially after sunset, he lived in constant fear.
The feeling of being watched by an expert in the shadows was something only those who had experienced it could understand.
He lit the lamps before nightfall.
Two days had passed since he received the thirty thousand taels. He knew it was only a matter of time before they returned.
He didn’t even bother getting into bed. He spent his time sitting at the table, sipping cold tea.
After a while, he heard a noise outside and was startled.
He quickly got up and opened the door a bit to look outside.
The middle-aged man was in the courtyard, just like last time.
With no weapons in sight, Baek Gyo felt relieved and stepped out.
“You came faster than I expected.”
It was just a comment to break the ice.
He knew that getting the additional twenty thousand taels wouldn’t be difficult for the Jegal Family.
The man remained silent and said:
“Do you want to come and get it, or should I bring it to you?”
The question, which he hadn’t asked before, made Baek Gyo stare at him.
He couldn’t move immediately.
Last time he had run to the courtyard without thinking, but today felt different.
The man repeated:
“Do you want to come, or should I bring it to you?”
Baek Gyo swallowed nervously.
The question sounded like something a death messenger would ask:
“Do you want to come and die, or should I come and kill you?”
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