Chapter 224
Chapter 224. Discernment
At the mention of the Demonic Sect, So-hwa's face stiffened.
How could she forget?
The day the Demonic Sect became known to the world was the day all tragedies began.
When So-hwa fell silent, the Blood Sect member took it as a sign that she knew and continued,
"Not only the Five Outer Palaces of the Outer Regions, but the Demonic Sect has also carried on its lineage. If you've been to the North Sea, you'll understand what I mean."
It meant that the Blood Demon had sent the Demonic Sect's vessel to Sichuan.
Just like back then, when the Tang Clan had been annihilated.
So-hwa clenched her hand inside her sleeve.
It was twenty years too soon.
After learning that the Blood Demon was reluctant to reveal himself in the Central Plains, she had naturally assumed he would move efficiently.
Even if he sent an armed force into the Central Plains, she had expected him to strike Hubei, where she was, not to go to Sichuan.
Her bloodless hand tingled.
So-hwa loosened her fingers, but the unease would not subside.
"You said you came from Sichuan. Did you encounter the Demonic Sect's vessel?"
At her utterance of vessel, the Blood Sect member flinched.
"Rather than encounter them......."
"Do you know when they crossed into Sichuan?"
"It's been about two days."
"Two days?"
"Yes. I heard about it at Emei Mountain and crossed through the passage right away, so if you calculate it precisely, it's a little under two days."
She might have asked how the Blood Sect member had encountered the Demonic Sect's vessel at Emei Mountain, or where the passage in Sichuan was, but So-hwa was not curious about such things.
"Is everything you've just said true?"
Because she had no room to think of anything else.
"Yes, of course it's true. Why would I lie about something like this?"
The woman replied.
So-hwa stared at her and demanded,
"Then give a testimony."
"Pardon?"
"Help me go to Sichuan immediately."
The woman frowned, as if asking what that was supposed to mean, but Tang So-hwa was not someone who kindly explained her thoughts.
Removing a small stone pillar attached to the window, she spoke in a low voice,
"Han-won."
Sensing the sudden killing intent, the Blood Sect member swiftly turned her body toward the window.
Kwang.
However, the Blood Sect member who burst out as if to smash the window was slammed straight to the ground.
"Why call the slow one first?"
Tang Min, who had jumped down from the second-floor window, sealed the woman's acupoints.
Han-won, standing by the window, scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
Tang Min glanced at So-hwa and asked,
"Are you going to kill her?"
“You must absolutely not kill her.”
"Then why do you look like that? What did you hear to make that face, as if you've seen an enemy of a thousand years?"
One might have dismissed it as nonsense, but Tang So-hwa wiped her face with her hand.
Seeing So-hwa shaken by what was meant as wordplay, Tang Min lowered his voice.
"What happened?"
"If that Blood Sect member's words are true, the Blood Demon's armed force has already arrived at the Tang Clan estate."
"What?"
Han-won's head snapped up as well.
"We need to verify the truth as soon as possible and go to the Tang Clan."
As if even explaining was a waste of time, So-hwa stopped speaking further and instead gave Han-won an order.
"Go to the Four Seasons Hall immediately and ask the Hall Lord to conduct an interrogation. And......."
She swallowed her words. In her flustered state, she had nearly spoken Namgung Clan's name outright.
So-hwa turned her head toward Tang Min.
"The Four Seasons Hall Lord is skilled at discerning lies. He must confront the Blood Sect member directly."
"Is discerning lies what matters? Even if the Hall Lord says the Blood Sect member is lying, how can we sit here at ease?"
Cutting off Tang Min's words, So-hwa added,
"The Hall Lord must judge that the Blood Demon's armed force has attacked Sichuan in order for us to receive support."
"There's no time. While Han-won takes the Blood Sect member to the Four Seasons Hall, Grand Elder, please tell Father about this."
"And what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to prepare antidotes to take to the Tang Clan."
At those words, Tang Min immediately shut his mouth. He did not want to reveal anything about the antidotes. It was a reaction born of knowing what the ingredients were.
As if afraid someone might overhear, Tang Min waved his hand and shouted unnecessarily at Han-won,
"Don't just stand there blankly! Hurry and take her!"
Han-won immediately hoisted the Blood Sect member up and leapt over the wall. Tang Min soon disappeared toward the Clan Head's quarters as well.
The moment So-hwa sensed their presences receding, she slipped out of the hall.
* * *
It was fully night, yet the Four Seasons Hall Lord could not return to his quarters.
Even with the scope limited to Hubei, grasping all the distribution routes of the Five Minerals Powder was no easy task, and quietly inquiring after those showing symptoms of Five Minerals Powder intoxication was difficult as well.
To make matters worse, the improved antidote from the Medical Hall still could not remove the effects of post-brainwashing, and even extending resistance time against the powder was negligible.
After reviewing the Summer Pavilion's report, Zhuge In-hwi felt a wave of fatigue.
There was still a great deal left to do.
Once he finished examining the piled-up reports, he would need to go check on the Alliance Leader's condition.
More than half of the Alliance Members who had been brainwashed by the Five Minerals Powder had regained their senses. Judging by how similar the timing of their recovery was, it should soon be time for the Alliance Leader to awaken as well—assuming he had not previously been poisoned by the Five Minerals Powder.
However, the Alliance Leader remained silent.
With no response coming from the Alliance Leader's quarters, the Four Seasons Hall Lord grew increasingly uneasy.
Since several sects were still staying at the headquarters, the Four Seasons Hall Lord had been postponing checking on the Alliance Leader.
He could not cause a disturbance while outsiders were present. There was no knowing what kind of effect it might have on the Alliance Leader.
And if, by chance, word got out that he had once been poisoned by the Five Minerals Powder.......
The Four Seasons Hall Lord let out an unconscious sigh.
He felt it was fortunate that Tang So-hwa had said she would not share the Gu poison antidote. All that was needed was to confirm the quantity. If there were points to improve, Tang So-hwa would take care of them herself, and she had said that even the Blood Demon did not know the method of preparation, so there was no need for him to manage the ingredients.
After Tang So-hwa's public demonstration, many sects returned to their main estates. It was an understandable reaction. There might be members in their own sects afflicted by the Blood Sect's Gu poison, so they would want to eliminate the chaos in their main estates as soon as possible.
Since spreading the antidote widely was the Four Seasons Hall's objective, Zhuge In-hwi did not stop them from leaving. On the contrary, he made sure they took a sufficient supply of antidotes with them.
'We'll just need to replenish what's lacking. Perhaps about twenty more jars from Young Lady Tang.......'
Pressed for time, the Four Seasons Hall Lord suddenly lifted the hand he had placed on the paper.
He had sensed an approaching presence. The speed was anything but ordinary.
Rising from his seat, Zhuge In-hwi left the Summer Pavilion.
As he walked toward the main gate, the guard on watch recognized him and greeted him.
The Hall Lord did not return the greeting and instead commanded in an indifferent voice,
"Open the gate."
"Yes!"
Creeeak.
The closed gates of the Four Seasons Hall opened. Strangely, however, the Hall Lord did not step forward. He merely stood there, staring straight ahead.
The Four Seasons Hall disciple waited, reading the room.
Then it happened.
The disciple, too, felt an overwhelming presence and turned his head beyond the gate.
A young martial artist came running toward the Four Seasons Hall, carrying an elderly woman in his arms.
The woman's body was stiff. She appeared to have had her acupoints sealed.
Feeling uneasy, the disciple briefly considered closing the gate.
But it was a pointless worry.
"What is the matter?"
The Four Seasons Hall Lord asked the approaching martial artist.
Though there was still some distance, the martial artist seemed to hear him and replied,
"I am Han-won of the Tang Clan. I have come at the order of Young Lady Tang So-hwa to make a request of the Four Seasons Hall Lord."
By the time he finished speaking, Han-won had reached the gate.
He lowered himself, pressing one knee to the ground, presenting the woman to the Hall Lord.
"Young Lady Tang asked that you interrogate this person."
"Who is she?"
At the Hall Lord's question, Han-won unconsciously lifted his eyes and glanced at the gatekeeper. Sensing that reaction, Zhuge In-hwi's eyebrows rose slowly.
"A Blood Sect member?"
"Yes."
Han-won hesitated, then answered.
"But why ask me to conduct the interrogation? It seems like something Young Lady Tang herself could do."
In fact, he thought she would be better at it.
Tang So-hwa would probably inflict endless pain while keeping the other's lifeline intact, all without feeling the slightest remorse.
Of course, the Four Seasons Hall Lord did not voice that thought aloud.
Sensing the Hall Lord's displeasure, Han-won immediately replied,
“It was said that the Hall Lord has the ability to discern lies.”
Zhuge In-hwi swallowed a hollow chuckle.
It seemed they were not trying to extract information from the Blood Sect member, but to verify whether the information they had already obtained was true.
'Have they already heard everything they wanted to hear?'
His eye technique allowed him to sense subtle fluctuations in a person's aura. Detecting the minute disturbances of someone lying was an easy matter for him.
"Bring her in."
The Hall Lord granted Han-won entry.
Only then did Han-won rise and follow the Four Seasons Hall Lord. Han-won did not know it, but the Hall Lord was heading toward the Winter Pavilion—the place where criminals were interrogated.
Creeeak.
As the door closed, the Hall Lord asked,
"What did this person say that made you come to verify it at such a late hour?"
Han-won instinctively sensed that a formation had been set up inside the hall. No sounds from outside could be heard, and the Hall Lord had asked something sensitive.
Han-won answered without embellishment,
"She claims that the Blood Sect has sent an armed force toward the Tang Clan."
"An armed force?"
"Yes. At present, all of the Tang Clan's main forces are in Hubei, so if her words are true, there is no time. I apologize for coming so late, but the situation is urgent."
Without a word, Zhuge In-hwi released the woman's sealed acupoints.
"Hah."
The moment her body loosened, the woman tried to flee. However, before she could even take a step, Han-won subdued her.
"At this point, there's no use regretting it."
Zhuge In-hwi spoke as if to comfort her.
"You came in because you wanted something anyway, didn't you? You took the risk, and it seems you obtained what you wanted. Be satisfied with having gained your freedom."
Speaking in a gentle tone, Zhuge In-hwi gestured toward a chair.
"Sit."
"......."
Accepting that escape was impossible, the Blood Sect member sat where the Four Seasons Hall Lord indicated.
In a calm voice, Zhuge In-hwi asked,
"Is it true that the Blood Demon sent an armed force to Sichuan?"
"Yes."
The Blood Sect member answered readily.
The reply came so quickly that it was, if anything, suspicious.
However, the Four Seasons Hall Lord did not judge its truth or falsehood and instead asked another question.
"Do you know the scale of their forces?"
"If you're asking about numbers, around three to four hundred. If you're asking about their level, I don't know what standard to use."
"Is it a level capable of annihilating the Tang Clan, as the Blood Demon intends?"
"Yes."
"If the headquarters provides support, can they be driven off without difficulty?"
"Well. I think that would depend on how much support the headquarters can provide."
The woman added cautiously,
"However, if you pull an armed force out of the headquarters right now, wouldn't that create another problem? Hubei is probably the most dangerous place in the Central Plains."
At her words, Zhuge In-hwi nodded inwardly.
He, too, had believed that if the Blood Demon made a move, he would strike the headquarters.
Yet for reasons unknown, the man had sent his forces to Sichuan instead. He could annihilate a single sect to make an example, but it was not a particularly good move.
All the frightened sects of the Central Plains might unite to drive them out—just as the five palace lords of the Outer Regions had once joined forces in the past.
Soon, Zhuge In-hwi realized something.
Even so, the alliance of the Outer Regions had failed to defeat the Blood Demon.
After listening quietly to the woman, Zhuge In-hwi rose from his seat.
"You stay here and keep watch over her."
Leaving the Blood Sect member in Han-won's care, the Four Seasons Hall Lord left the Winter Pavilion.
At the door, he encountered the Summer Pavilion Lord, who had been waiting for him.
"Hall Lord, what is going on?"
It seemed the Summer Pavilion Lord had sensed the disturbance and rushed over.
Zhuge In-hwi spoke to the Hall Lord, who was waiting for his words.
“Summon all the sect leaders who are still at the headquarters to Spring Pavilion.”