Chapter 512 ·Side Story 32: The Twins (10)
Chapter 512: Side Story 32: The Twins (10)
Jegal Eun glared coldly at So Cheon.
“Grand Duke, your acting has improved quite a bit.”
“N-No! I wasn't the one who drank it!”
So Cheon truly felt wronged.
“Yes, you claimed your innocence like that before as well. They were all lies.”
“But this time I'm telling the truth!”
Given So Cheon's utterly ruined credibility, everyone expected him to be declared the culprit.
Surprisingly, however, someone came to his rescue.
“Ahem! Chief Strategist, I really don't think it was him this time.”
“Do you have evidence?”
Faced with Jegal Eun's sharp gaze, San Dojeon instinctively shrank his shoulders.
“To begin with, the Heavenly Three Creations Brew is known to be extremely potent.”
“That's right.”
Since it was said to be aged for fifty years, even its alcohol content surpassed that of Thousand-Day Brew, the very symbol of strong liquor.
“But there isn't a trace of alcohol on the Clan Head, is there?”
“…….”
Whether one neutralized the alcohol afterward or not, if someone hastily chugged such a powerful liquor straight from the bottle, traces would almost certainly remain.
A tiny clue like that was more than enough for an Extreme Demon Realm expert like San Dojeon to detect.
Yet Jegal Eun remained unconvinced.
“He must have some secret method for concealing it. So Cheon is certainly capable of something like that.”
Would a master capable of controlling the Formless and the Traceless truly be ignorant of concealing scent as well?
“Even so, this isn't the kind of thing he would deny so desperately.”
Admittedly, the old So Cheon really had been the type to deny things this desperately.
However, after getting married and having children, he had started caring about something called dignity.
“Ugh....”
Of course, that dignity usually disappeared the moment he was cornered.
Still, there were only a handful of people in the world capable of cornering him that far.
“Right Guardian!”
So Cheon looked at San Dojeon with deeply moved eyes.
There was actually someone who understood his sincerity!
“Then who do you believe the culprit is? Is there anyone else here besides him who could possibly be a suspect?”
“…There is one person.”
“Huh?”
San Dojeon turned his gaze toward a young boy quietly suppressing his presence in the distance.
Everyone immediately followed his gaze.
Standing there was Yuseong, awkwardly avoiding everyone's eyes.
“Surely... you don't mean that boy?”
“Hmm....”
Jegal Eun's expression instantly filled with disbelief.
“You mustn't judge that young man by appearances alone.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
Using voice transmission, San Dojeon briefly explained how he had met Yuseong.
'...An ancient ruin?'
Her expression immediately became grave.
Enough time had passed that the memory should have begun fading.
Yet whenever she heard words like those, the Heaven-Defying Society inevitably resurfaced in her thoughts.
Especially since evidence continued to emerge, little by little, proving that they had not yet been completely eradicated.
-Hmm, I don't believe it's anything worth worrying about. If anything... I suspect he may be connected to our Cult.
-The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult... you mean?
-Look over there.
San Dojeon gestured toward So Cheon with his chin.
Yuseong was the very one who had falsely accused him.
If this had been the old So Cheon, he would have exploded with rage and tried to beat the boy senseless regardless of his age.
“Hmm... mmm...!”
Yet for some reason, faced with Yuseong, So Cheon seemed completely at a loss, like a puppy desperately needing to relieve itself.
“…Grand Duke?”
“Clan Head?”
The great So Cheon...
Was actually watching someone's mood.
The only time anyone had ever seen him like this was when Baek Sang-ah's anger had reached its absolute peak.
Yuseong awkwardly cleared his throat before apologizing.
“Ahem... My apologies. It has simply been so long that I momentarily forgot the Way of Liquor.”
“Ah... i-it's... alright....”
The one who had effortlessly blocked his strike.
The first move had been one thing.
Anyone would instinctively attack first.
But the instant he saw his opponent's face before launching the second attack...
'...For some reason, I don't feel any hostility.'
More importantly, the face somehow seemed familiar.
He was certain he had seen it somewhere before.
Yet strangely, he couldn't remember where.
'A defense mechanism?'
For an instant, a chilling thought crossed his mind.
Could his own instincts be rejecting the memory?
Just then, Yuseong smacked his lips before speaking.
“In any case, the original owner of the liquor deserves suitable compensation.”
Jegal Eun frowned slightly.
“My apologies, Young Master, but this isn't something that can simply be purchased with money. Unless it's a supreme spiritual medicine or something of comparable value....”
After all, one of its ingredients was Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.
At a time when high-grade spiritual medicines had all but disappeared, Snow Ginseng itself could scarcely be obtained except through barter.
“A spiritual medicine....”
After pondering for a moment, Yuseong looked somewhere into the distance.
“There is an entrance to the Heaven of Sacred Spirits somewhere within this city. Though it seems the interior has been completely sealed....”
“……!”
“T-The Heaven of Sacred Spirits?!”
Both Jegal Eun and So Cheon's expressions froze.
It was the place that had completely disappeared after Jin Yeomyung obtained the True Martial Legacy.
The fact that he knew of such a place meant...
Yuseong smiled meaningfully.
“Well, searching through it would be no different from digging through a trash heap. But if you search carefully, you'll probably find something worthwhile still left behind. So wait just a little longer.”
The following morning.
The Murim Alliance Leader, the Mysterious Flower Sword Supreme Baek Sang-ah, nodded while reading the written report placed before her.
“Really? That's good to hear everything was resolved.”
The report, which had been carefully distorted for the sake of preserving a beloved couple's domestic harmony, fortunately passed without raising any issues.
Her interest ended there.
She had far too many matters requiring her attention to waste time revisiting something that had already been resolved.
“More importantly, I heard Seonyu and Sunha arrived?”
Secretly breathing a sigh of relief, Jegal Eun answered.
“Yes. They said they wanted to tour the Central Plains. Apparently they received permission from both of them.”
“I'm so jealous....”
The envy on her face was completely genuine.
Even with nearly limitless internal energy and stamina, the position of Murim Alliance Leader relentlessly ground down the human spirit.
Her skin and hair remained as youthful and radiant as those of a woman in her twenties.
Yet around her eyes lingered the lifeless exhaustion of someone on the verge of collapse.
“They'll come greet you after the morning duties are over. By then, you'll probably have time to rest.”
“What about now?”
“They're out at the marketplace with Sohyeon.”
“I'm seriously jealous....”
She let out another long sigh.
“I really need to hand this position over to someone else and retire as soon as possible.”
Jegal Eun's expression became rather peculiar.
“There isn't anyone suitable, Alliance Leader.”
Baek Sang-ah frowned at her sudden return to formal speech.
“Haven't we recruited quite a few Flower Realm experts by now?”
Heaven's Favor had reduced the Central Plains' population by more than half and devastated its standard of living.
Yet in exchange, it had dramatically elevated the abilities of the martial artists who survived.
For example, the Ten Great Talents, once composed of young Peak Master Level experts, were now filled almost entirely with Flower Realm masters.
Immediately after the final battle in the past, the Murim Alliance had effectively lost every Flower Realm expert apart from the Alliance Leader and her husband.
But now...
The Alliance possessed no fewer than ten Flower Realm experts.
The problem was—
“That's exactly why it's a problem. If the Alliance Leader capable of controlling all of them disappears, the Alliance will immediately fracture into countless factions.”
“…Damn.”
A small curse escaped Baek Sang-ah's lips.
The authority of the Murim Alliance at present was absolute.
The power of the Murim Alliance Leader could practically be called absolute authority.
If the Murim Alliance truly wished, starving an entire province into submission would hardly be difficult.
Of course, Baek Sang-ah herself fully understood the dangers of such absolute power.
That was why, throughout the years, she had restrained the Alliance's excessive expansion and actively divided her own authority among others.
As a result of all those efforts—
The current Murim Alliance had split into numerous factions led by ambitious individuals seeking to become the next Alliance Leader.
Jegal Eun tilted her head slightly.
“For now, everyone keeps quiet because both you and your husband are still healthy. But looking at the current state of the Central Plains, you'll need to remain in power for at least another twenty years if you want a peaceful transfer of authority.”
Twenty years!
The overwhelming number darkened Baek Sang-ah's vision.
“Why can't I ever be happy?!”
Bang!
She slammed her desk in fury.
Fortunately, she hadn't infused it with internal energy.
Otherwise, the expensive red sandalwood desk would have shattered into pieces.
For an instant, words like "you reap what you sow" and "hoist by your own petard" flashed through Jegal Eun's mind.
But she wasn't foolish enough to say them aloud and provoke her.
“There is a way.”
Her speech returned to its usual casual tone.
“What is it?”
“Just become like Cheon Yura. Then you could openly loaf around all day. Who would dare complain?”
In other words—
Turn the Murim Alliance into your personal property.
Baek Sang-ah frowned.
“…Have you lost your mind?”
“That would've been complete madness back when it was the Righteous Alliance. But now? I honestly think it's completely achievable.”
“…….”
“Most of the Flower Realm captains are practically your disciples anyway.”
The Flower Realm wasn't a level one could reach simply by accumulating internal energy quickly.
To shorten the journey toward it, a guide capable of showing the proper path was absolutely essential.
To maintain the Murim Alliance's ever-growing standards, Baek Sang-ah had personally instructed only those martial artists with exceptional talent.
Among them, several captains had ultimately broken through into the Flower Realm.
Yang Ho, the Guardian of a Hundred Swords, was one of those disciples.
“Well... that's true....”
“Besides, there are at least three or four men who are genuinely in love with you.”
“…Shut up.”
Baek Sang-ah answered with complete seriousness.
Yet, absurdly enough, Jegal Eun wasn't lying.
Admiration often grew into love.
Her beauty, still that of a woman in her twenties.
Her supreme martial prowess, having reached the Mysterious Realm.
Her fame as both the Murim Alliance Leader and the Sword Supreme.
There really had been men who forgot she was married and acted recklessly—
Only to receive a midnight visit from the Hidden Shadow So Clan's elite forces.
Naturally, after that incident, no one dared openly pursue her while So Cheon was glaring at them.
Still, from Jegal Eun's perspective, there were at least several men whose feelings practically screamed,
'That idiot is in love with the Alliance Leader.'
“If you don't like that idea, then I suppose you'll just have to keep working.”
“…Eun, aren't you going to get married?”
Having failed to gain any ground, Baek Sang-ah pouted and changed the subject.
“You'll be forty before long yourself. You're still fine now, but if you don't reach the Flower Realm soon, wrinkles will start showing.”
Jegal Eun snorted at the petty counterattack.
“Hmph. I'm still safe for another few years.”
“What about Yang Ho? The way he looks at you isn't exactly ordinary.”
“He's manly enough, but he still has a long way to go.”
Their struggle for conversational dominance gradually turned into meaningless small talk.
After all, Baek Sang-ah handled an absurd amount of work every single day.
Taking her mental well-being into consideration, Jegal Eun simply matched her conversation and allowed her to relax.
Once their private conversation had ended—
Leaving behind Baek Sang-ah despairing over the mountain of work awaiting her, Jegal Eun exited the Alliance Leader's Hall with a refreshed expression.
'Well... before long, I'll probably end up looking just like her anyway....'
In terms of workload alone, the Chief Strategist actually handled far more than the Alliance Leader.
Just then—
“Ah, Chief Strategist.”
“Captain Danmok Ha.”
As though waiting specifically for her to come out, a young man with a gentle appearance approached.
The current Captain of the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad—
The Dragon Divine Sword Lord, Danmok Ha.
One who had surpassed the Ten Great Talents and entered the ranks of the Eight Lords.
Apart from the Alliance Leader and her husband, he was among the Murim Alliance's greatest experts.
He was also one of the publicly acknowledged ambitious figures "aiming" to become the next Alliance Leader and one of the candidates for the next Three Supremes of the Central Plains.
“How is the Alliance Leader doing?”
“Well, the same as always.”
Seeing her shrug, Danmok Ha smiled faintly.
“Please continue taking good care of her, Chief Strategist. It would be disastrous if the Alliance Leader were ever to lose interest in the Alliance's affairs.”
“…….”
Jegal Eun stared at him silently for a moment.
To be honest...
The look in Danmok Ha's eyes wasn't much different from the fanatical believers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult when they looked at Cheon Yura or Jin Yeomyung.
“You don't need to worry about that. Whenever she's about to forget, I make sure to give her just enough tension.”
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
“Rather, Captain, you'll need to keep trying harder. If you want the Alliance Leader to continue feeling a sense of urgency, your ambition has to look genuine from the outside.”
“Ah, naturally. I shall continue pretending to pursue that position with all my effort, so that her attention never leaves the Alliance. I'll make sure the other competitors continue doing the same.”
How had such an upright young man ended up like this?
Well...
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
It was far better for everyone to remain united around a single person than to splinter apart.
Jegal Eun and Danmok Ha exchanged meaningful smiles.
Without Baek Sang-ah ever realizing it(?),
The Murim Alliance had long since become her personal domain.
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