803 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The Greatest Warrior's Childhood Friend Chapter 803 - North Rabbit - Web Novel Archive "I don't quite understand what you're saying." In response to my question, Muk Yeon feigns ignorance. But pretending ignorance doesn't mean I don't know. 'Where did he catch on?' The reason he brought up those specific conditions. It was because those were conditions I would have mentioned anyway. Before coming up here, while I was preparing a statement regarding the incident, it was something I had prepared for. The alliance can't abandon me due to my current value, so even if I get punished for this incident, I could use it as a justification to reduce the punishment. Support from two sword brigades? It wasn't a needed part of the conditions anyway. What would be the need for their support? It was essentially to undermine the authority of the masters and— 'A reason to spark a flame.' It was merely a device to cause friction. In practice, some people actually got agitated hearing about it. I planned to twist the flow using this, or at least have it ready for moments like this. 'Did he know about this?' That old man, it's like he could foresee this. Even if he didn't know all of my intentions, at the very least, he seemed to understand the current context. To prove it, he directly brought up revisions to the conditions with me. 'I see.' Now it's starting to make sense. How he thought he would handle opposition from the masters. He was simply biding time because something was bound to explode anyway. And— 'No matter what I do, it seems like it aligns with the old man's plans. Is he planning to use me?' During the recent meeting with leaders. Muk Yeon seemed to have expectations from me. I could vaguely sense his intentions. Yes, Muk Yeon was— He was the god of the battlefield who returned to the alliance, and a demon in political strategy. 'He wants a reformation.' He wanted a reform in the Murim Alliance. A reform that would reduce opposition and overturn everything at once. Instead of leaving the stagnant waters as they were, he wanted to pour in new water to sweep it clean. Muk Yeon aimed to construct a new system in preparation for the upcoming crises. And to do that, it was necessary to replace the masters, who were considered the pillars. And for that— 'He plans to use me.' The method the old man chose was me. He intended to use me to control the masters' spirits or, if necessary, remove those who needed removing. Honestly, I didn't mind. I won't simply dance to their intentions, though. 'I have things to utilize as well.' I, too, need to create a connection within the alliance, especially with Muk Yeon, so I planned to go along with it for now. But— 'Did they know about this too?' The current conversation implied that just as I had realized Muk Yeon's intentions, Muk Yeon was also aware of mine. Knowing that is probably why I was called here straight away. 'He's really like a ghostly old man.' Anticipating that other divisions might rise due to the friction with the masters, my incident was used as a pretext to erase conditions. Because of this, it would reduce opposition from other divisions. 'I'm essentially useless and was merely a pretext for deletion, so it's fine.' Muk Yeon remains in a position to moderate without any damages, so it's a good situation for him too. 'Hahaha.' I wondered how he planned to handle the mess. 'It's really not easy.' That's why dealing with people who have been in politics for a long time is always difficult. 'As expected. Removing them quickly is the answer.' Staying by the side of this old man for too long seemed likely to result in losing more than gaining anything. "As for the conditions… I hope you wrap it up in a favorable way by your discretion, Muk Advisor." "I'll take that as an affirmative. I'll have someone convey the revised parts." "…Yes." "Normally, one should wait inside the alliance until the truth is clear, but I'll exercise a bit of my authority here." "…You're not worried you'll be fired for abuse of power?" "Haha." His laughter indicates there's no way that could happen. Right, I also think so. Who would dare to dismiss that old man? "I'll consider it a form of kindness. Hence, I won’t forget Muk Advisor's wishes." "What wishes are you talking about? This old man doesn’t quite understand." Feigning as though he truly doesn’t know. Whether it’s a play or if he genuinely doesn’t possess such intentions, it’s hard to determine. 'No, I’m sure of it.' I was convinced. This old man wishes to achieve something by using me. While casting suspicion on me, he still utilizes me. That's Muk Yeon’s intention. It's a risky selection from a glance, yet he must do it like this. Given that— 'Even if I don't kill him... he doesn't seem to have a long time left.' It didn’t appear that Muk Yeon had much time left to him. '...' Contemplating that silently invoked a subtle movement as if something had dawned on him. "Muk Advisor." "Yes." "Is there… anything else you wish to say?" "I think I’ve said all there is to say. If you're busy, you may return for now. I’ll talk separately to the guardians." "Understood. I’ll come back once there's any result." "Make sure to return safely. I won’t see you out." "Yes, see you next time." I gave a light nod of the head and turned around. As I reached for the doorknob to step outside. "Oh, and Muk Advisor." I turned my head slightly to speak to him. "About the tea." "Yes?" "Instead of that, why not dry and drink Muleongcho? While Taesemeonhwa has a paralytic effect, even when dried, some mild toxins remain. Muleongcho would be more effective for pain perception." "..." "Then, farewell." With those parting words, I closed the door and left. Immediately afterward. "…Haha." Muk Yeon let out a whisper, depicting the appearance of being a bit taken aback. "As expected… What a waste." His voice carried a subtle regret. ***************** After ending the meeting with Muk Yeon, I promptly returned to my residence. Due to the incident, the eyes within the alliance looking at me were peculiar. But since Muk Yeon had already informed them, no one actually stopped me. Even after turning a master into pulp, being let go freely. Moreover— 'Some even looked pleased.' A sense of satisfaction, perhaps. Amid faces that seem uneasy, there is clearly a refreshing feeling. 'The Twin Ecliptic Swords. It's clear what that man has been up to within the alliance.' This shows just how much trouble the Twin Ecliptic Swords caused as a part of the alliance. Even after having spent considerable time as a master, he was easily taken down by me, who had only just come in. And if there are more people who are happy about this? Just how was he living to evoke such reactions, I wonder. It's truly fascinating. 'Anyway, since Muk Yeon said he would handle it, I think this situation will somehow be resolved.' Muk Yeon has promised to cover up the incident where I took down a master. Even though the overall conversation was different, that was his intention. And besides— 'I can protect you if possible, so give it a try.' That was the feeling I got. This was purely my own assumption. 'I need to test the boundaries and lines carefully.' What exactly are Muk Yeon's intentions? What is he seeing, and where is my limit? I needed to repeatedly check this step by step. However, one thing that worried me was— 'It's ambiguous.' Operating while assessing Muk Yeon comes with many uncertainties in my view. No matter how much I think, I feel like I can't match his cunning. If I felt I was being toyed with, it was right to stay still as I was. I had to be cautious with making solo judgments and movements. 'Hmm…' The opponent is experienced. If there exists a Trinity that reached the heavens through martial arts, then he might have reached the heavens through other aspects. 'Even if Chun Yu Lang isn't as sharp in real combat.' That person is proficient even in those aspects. 'I cannot move hastily.' Planning in the connected city required utilizing several times more mental resources than usual. Of course, things might be slightly better since I knew Jegal Hyeok would come soon, but— 'Whether I can use Jegal Hyeok with Muk Yeon is another issue.' No matter how smart Jegal Hyeok is, he isn't exactly the same as in my previous life. Moreover, since he isn’t deeply involved in this matter, I needed to have many other strategies available. "Sigh…" Just thinking about it made me sigh involuntarily. Truly, it's not just one or two complicated things. A situation so suffocating that it feels like I am drowning in the sheer amount of work. A predicament I couldn't solve with my simple-mindedness. "How on earth did you find out…" I looked at the people in front of me, trying to suppress my irritation. "How did you know to come…?" "…" In response to my question, the three women sitting before me flinched. Their hair colors were different, but they all had their arms raised in surrender as though being punished. They were Namgung Bia, Wi Seol Ah, and Tang Sohyeol. Like receiving a punishment. I didn't tell them to do this; they just took up the stance themselves. "I tried to keep it a secret, so how did you know?" Even with a question posed, no answers came. All of them appeared busy evading my gaze. Out of the group, I pinched Wi Seol Ah's cheeks in the center. "Oww…!" "Not going to answer?" "S-seong Jua-nim, that hurts…" Even while claiming it hurts, Wi Seol Ah still doesn’t give me an answer. This was the same with the others as well. The reason for gathering and hassling them like this was nothing else. "…How did you know and join, really?" All three of them had applied to join the Divine Dragon Division. Knowing they would immediately apply if they found out, I posted a notice the day before and hastily started recruiting. And today, I found all three of them had already joined. 'I went to great lengths to divert their attention.' Even after posting the notice, I used many ways to divert attention so they wouldn't notice. Everyone seemed oblivious, so I thought the plan succeeded. 'All three of them joining means…' It's evident they knew well in advance and pretended not to until they just showed up like this. Thanks to this, things got tangled. Honestly, even if I realized this, I could have just disqualified them. 'It went wrong with Namgung Bia from the start.' It started going wrong when Namgung Bia began training with the Silver Wolf Sword. Rumors about Namgung Bia were subtly spreading in the city. Both skills and the appearance he showed fit well for spreading. He had been in seclusion recently, so there was no opportunity for such rumors to spread, but just one appearance seemed to stir everything up. And it wasn't just Namgung Bia. "…Why are you two here…." Wi Seol Ah of the Crescent Moon Sword and Tang Sohyeol with the Poison Fist. Both had shown outstanding performance in the Martial Arts Tournament, causing their reputations to soar at this point. Yet, they too applied and joined the Divine Dragon Division. Having already accepted Namgung Bia, I ultimately had to take in these two as well. Because of this, a baseless rumor had been added to my reputation. Something along the lines of— 'The Star King enrolled his women as he pleased to the Divine Dragon Division.' The moment I heard it, I wanted to find whoever spread that rumor and tear them apart. 'This is driving me crazy.' It was a situation where I couldn’t help but sigh. "We can do well too." "Yeah… Now that it's like this, wouldn’t it be good to try hard?" "…Sure." "Sigh." As if hard work is the issue here. Of course, they'd be good. But that wasn't the important issue right now. I couldn't do anything more as they’d already been accepted, but regrets lingered. 'I should have just not accepted them.' If only I hadn’t accepted Namgung Bia from the beginning, none of this would have happened. But I didn’t, and now it’s at this point. Well, considering everything so far— "How did you really know? Who told you?" "…" Again, there was no answer from the three. "I'll let it slide if whoever speaks up is honest." "That is…!" As soon as I murmured those words, Tang Sohyeol began to react. Smack-! "Gah!" Wi Seol Ah, in the middle, instantly swung her arm to cover Tang Sohyeol's mouth. "…Sister." "…Ehn…ehn." Upon Wi Seol Ah’s soft call, Tang Sohyeol quickly nodded her head. As I furrowed my brows and was about to ask again— "You're really not going to say…!" —Master. "…" I had to pause my anger when I heard a voice whispering in my ear. It was Na Hi's transmitted message. —I apologize for interrupting your conversation. —…What’s going on? This was an important situation on its own, and normally, Na Hi wouldn’t interrupt like this, so I paused to listen to what she had to say first. And then— —It's nothing else. —I just received word that the Dark Lord has arrived in the city. "..." It had been a long time since I heard that nickname.