Absolute Sword Sense - Chapter 251: The Unexpected Proposal (2)

“It hasn’t been declared yet, but the current alliance leader Baek Hyang-muk, the greatest swordsman of Wuhan, has been impeached at the meeting of elders.”

‘…!!’

Wait, this felt like being hit on the head with a hammer. It was entirely unexpected for me.

‘Can a leader be impeached like this?’

This man was also something. Jin Gyun was boldly requesting my help as he wanted to be the alliance leader.

-Why are you so surprised?

Short Sword asked me.

Why wouldn’t I be?

Before my regression, this did not happen at all.

-Did it not happen?

No.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the current Murim was still under control, and there had been no case of the Murim Alliance leader being changed through a meeting of elders.

I was aware that things would continue to change depending on my actions, but I didn’t think it would be like this.

‘… Is this because of Zhuge Won-myung?’

The first military head of the Murim Alliance — the one who led them to victory in the great war.

I suppose it had quite an impact. Since I didn’t know the full story, I decided to hear it from Jin Gyun.

“Now, what should I say…”

I couldn’t hide my shock, and Jin Gyun took a deep breath before responding,

“It must have been quite a shock for you, a promising member of the alliance.”

“I never even dreamt of this happening.”

“It is expected. This is a highly classified event within the Murim Alliance.”

‘Highly classified?’

But how did Jin Gyun become aware of such a secret?

Until now, he had walked his own path, separate from the Murim Alliance. He wasn’t in a position where he had access to such information, especially something that could cause turmoil within the Murim.

-Is it really that significant?

Absolutely.

The leader of the group controlling the current Murim Alliance had been replaced. This change would be mirrored in the future of Murim itself.

My sect would undoubtedly be impacted by this in the future as well.

‘If the leader is impeached, especially by someone with significant influence in the Murim Alliance, it will determine the strength of…’

It was possible that the Murim Alliance was also losing strength.

Ah!

Hold on.

Jin Gyun also expressed his desire to become the Alliance leader. What’s more, he knew about this ahead of time before it was even announced.

Then, was he attempting to replace Baek Hyang-muk?

-Don’t try to infer too much from limited information; it will only confuse you.

Short Sword clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Since I had been a spy for a few years, I could infer many things from small bits of information.

Jin Gyun carried on speaking.

“At the moment, it is not public as it may significantly impact the future. Once the next leader is decided, everything will be announced and put into motion.”

There was so much information here. I knew things that only the core of the Murim Alliance knew.

“I always disliked being confined, so I made sure to improve my martial arts. But those with great power must take responsibility.”

Those were nice words, but I had heard them somewhere else before.

Jin Gyun continued with seriousness.

“If Baek-hyung steps down, numerous Evil Factions, including the Blood Sect, will rise like a plague.”

“…”

The plague was right in front of you.

I couldn’t just let this go.

Jin Gyun, who had no way of knowing that I was the Blood Sect leader, clicked his tongue and said,

“If that happens, Murim will be caught in war again.”

“… yes.”

“As the alliance’s leader, the responsibility and burden Baek-hyung carried was too heavy. That’s why I also decided to sacrifice the later years of my life for Murim.”

It was a sacrifice for Murim.

When someone spoke with such resolute words, it sounded incredibly sincere. However, I couldn’t help but question his true motives.

In a sense, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to claim that the leader of the Murim Alliance held a position equivalent to that of a ruling monarch.

-I suppose he is not to be trusted.

In the first place, Jin Gyun wasn’t one to sacrifice himself, despite his well-known passion for martial arts. I couldn’t imagine him speaking of sacrifice when he didn’t even join the fight during the Great War.

Instead, I believed he desired power in his later years.

-Would he really show that?

Well, I highly doubted it.

The Justice Faction, on the other hand, valued a noble cause.

But first, I must address Jin Gyun’s words.

“Sigh… I never expected these things to happen.”

I spoke while looking utterly confused.

“Is there anything else you can be proud of, other than living as you please for a while and then guiding me to the top, helping Murim succeed in the future?”

“Still, this isn’t a decision I can make lightly.”

“Since you put it like that, my resolve is unwavering.”

“…”

Their attitude was truly astonishing.

I believed I was treading my own path, living the life of a solitary warrior. However, after conversing with him, it appeared that surviving within Murim would entail engaging in political maneuvering.

“But this is not a task I can accomplish through my strength alone.”

“What do…”

Jin Gyun swiveled his chair towards me and bowed.

“Please lend this old man your assistance. I implore you.”

“Ahh…”

This was truly embarrassing.

I was oblivious to the details, yet this man persisted in trying to persuade me.

I politely responded by grabbing him by the arms.

“Please understand my words. What power do I even have to help you?”

“You do not know your power.”

“Uh?”

“As a young man, you are the envy of a lot of young people. Now, with the events on the Yangtze, you are emerging as the new hero of Murim.”

This was truly embarrassing to hear. I wasn’t quite sure, but it was certain that my fame had increased.

Jin Gyun smiled as he said,

“If you support me like this, it will have a greater impact than being supported by some useless elders.”

“That is excessive.”

If someone pushed like this, then we would be obligated to provide the response the other person desired. However, I must fully comprehend the situation before I can definitively answer his request to assist him, as his actions may impede my own progress.

“This is not an overstatement. If you aid me, it is akin to gaining thousands of troops.”

“Please refrain from speaking so boldly, Senior.”

“Hold my words? What are you implying?”

“I have many shortcomings.”

I attempted to convince him by nudging him. Still, when I gave an answer bordering on refusal, he appeared displeased and turned to the middle-aged man beside me.

Who is this individual? The one whom Jin Gyun was so concerned about?

-A warrior?

Not quite.

The aura I sensed wasn’t overwhelming. He wasn’t feeble, yet not someone to be cautious of either.

And then this man inhaled deeply and spoke,

“I wanted to hear what you have to say, but I think we need to talk first.”

‘…!?’

That voice.

I know I had heard it somewhere before.

“Military Head Sima?”

The face was unfamiliar, but that voice could only belong to Sima Jong-hyun, the second military head of the Murim Alliance.

The man smiled faintly at those words and then removed the mask from his ear. It was a mask made of human skin.

“Warrior So. It’s been a while. I should address you as the Great Warrior So now.”

I thought he had returned to the Murim Alliance, but he was here again?

My gaze shifted to both of them. So, was he the one who leaked the secret of the Murim Alliance?

“Elder, it has been a while.”

I began with a formal greeting. It hadn’t been long, but his face appeared weary.

Furthermore, there were scars and dark shadows under his eyes, as if he had endured great suffering.

“How is it that the elder is here with a mask and that countenance…?”

Before I could even finish, he shook his head and said,

“Warrior So, the Murim Alliance is facing its worst crisis.”

“What?”

Just what was he saying now?

“I almost lost my life. If it weren’t for the help of the Great Warrior Jin, I would have been wandering somewhere else by now.”

“What do you even mean?”

“After separating from you, I haven’t been able to return to the Murim Alliance until now.”

Did this mean he didn’t come here directly from the Murim Alliance’s castle?

I had no idea what happened to make him speak like this.

“Why didn’t you come back?”

I asked him this, puzzled, and he caught his breath and said.

“After you left, I had a question.”

“A question?”

“The plan we carefully crafted to defeat the Blood Demon was exposed too easily.”

Ah… he was referring to that.

I also wondered about it.

I attempted to set a trap to distract the alliance and shake off their surveillance, but the members of the golden-eyed man’s organization interfered.

This was impossible without an internal leak.

Naturally, I was certain that there was a spy within the alliance.

‘I believed that the other military leaders were inferior to Sir Zhuge, but it seems that was not the case.’

He realized this much but was uncertain of the enemy’s identity.

The Second Military Leader, Sima Jong-hyeon, proceeded.

“So, as a precaution, I sent a body double to transport the body of the fake Blood Demon to the Murim Alliance.”

The outcome was clear; even without hearing it, the body must have disappeared during the journey.

Although they didn’t openly meddle with the Murim Alliance, the man who posed as the fake Blood Demon was a high-ranking warrior. He also possessed the ability to heal wounds.

No organization would allow such individuals to be exposed.

“But the body disappeared along the way.”

It was just as I anticipated.

“And what occurred?”

“I tried to return to Murim Alliance, but I couldn’t go back because I was certain there was a suspicious person inside the alliance, colluding with the enemy.”

“Suspicious?”

“There are secret letters exchanged between the alliance leader and the first military head.”

Ah, I’ve heard about that.

It was regarding the direct involvement of those two, who ordered the securing of the Blood Sect even while I was living as a spy in my past life.

“But the letter wasn’t even from the alliance leader. It was a fake one.”

“Then?”

“The Murim Alliance’s main body, even its core, is home to a spy.”

I wasn’t too shocked as this was something I had expected.

Wasn’t there a time when spies were planted everywhere in the Alliance, Dual Martial troops, and the Blood Sect too?

Surely there must be a few leaders there who were spies, but I acted surprised.

“How can that be!”

“I never imagined something like this would happen at the heart of the Murim Alliance.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“I believe there’s a nine out of ten chance it’s the one who retired and returned to the alliance before all of this started.”

Someone who stepped down but came back? Who was he referring to?

I wanted to ask for clarification, but Sima Jong-hyeon continued.

“So I sought the assistance of Elder Man Jong to stay under the radar.”

Elder Man Jong of the Jin Jeon sect was the 6th elder in the Murim Alliance. During the trial, he had lost most of his disciples due to the attack of the fake Blood Demon, and he was returning to the sect with the bodies of his dead disciples.

-I can understand what happened without even listening to it.

I agreed with Short Sword.

He and I were also involved in the fabricated Blood Demon incident. I was attacked by them at the Yangtze River. Did Elder Man Jong face a similar fate?

“… but he was ambushed during his journey.”

“So, you were attacked when you were with him?”

“Yes, luckily, I managed to escape thanks to Elder Man Jong buying me some time.”

“That’s amazing. Oh! Can you recall what the attackers looked like?”

They should have covered their faces, but I asked just in case. The answer I received was unexpected.

“It’s a bit much, but I couldn’t see it because I was running away. However, while running, I heard Elder Man Jong say these words.”

“What did he say?”

“He said ‘that eye’ during the fight.”

‘Eye?’

When he mentioned the eye, only one thing came to mind.

‘Gold eye!’

It may not be it, but the word ‘eye’ really bothered me. Did the Lord finally make a move?

This man would find it very difficult to survive.

“I wanted to fight alongside him, but I realized that the truth would be buried if I died. So, I attempted to escape using the underground waterway from the secret room.”

‘Ah…’

So, there was a secret room. This man was certainly fortunate.

Otherwise, it was strange that he managed to escape from the Lord. I wasn’t even sure how he survived.

“I escaped and went to Great Warrior Jin, who was closest.”

It seemed that Sima Jong-hyeon had gone through many hardships since we parted. That haggard face was clear evidence of that.

“Is this why you disguise yourself with the mask?”

“Yes, even now, I couldn’t stop doing it because they were targeting me. In the current situation, you can’t even tell who is a friend or enemy.”

Those feelings were understandable.

It was natural to be cautious. Since we believed everyone could be an enemy, he turned to me and said,

“There was one person who could be considered an ally.”

“Who is that?”

“You. Didn’t you go through the same as us back then?”

“Ah…”

“I heard you were attacked by this unknown group in the Yangtze River, so I knew that you were caught in it too.”

That was why he willingly spoke of everything to me. But then there was a question.

I guess I needed to ask this.

“Elder, I apologize, but may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“After hearing about the challenges you faced, I understand that you’re hiding because of the spy in the Murim Alliance, and you can’t return now.”

“…yes.”

“I thought that senior was trying to join the new leadership of the Murim Alliance after the incident. But based on the current situation, it seems even you are having difficulty understanding the Alliance’s secrets.”

His eyes brightened when I spoke.

He glanced at me and replied,

“Last time, I could sense it. You are truly astute.”

“… It’s something I can’t help but notice.”

“You’re correct. I don’t have any information about what’s happening there.”

“Do you have knowledge of what occurred inside the Murim Alliance?”

The individual speaking was Jin Gyun.

“We were informed by the current military leader.”

“The current military leader?”

The person who assumed control after Zhuge Won-myung’s passing?

Well, I did sense a newcomer on the Murim military’s side when they set the ambush for me.

Sima Jong-hyeon clenched his teeth.

“Elder Zhuge was responsible for overseeing the operations of the entire Murim, but someone else held this position before him. Now he has taken on the role again.”

But what was causing his hostility?

Until now, it appeared they were not on good terms, and the question was answered.

“This man named Bang Deok-hyun must be the one who communicates with the enemy.”

“What?”

The person who was once the military leader and had returned back to active duty was the spy? Were they even sure that what they were saying now made sense?

“…are you absolutely certain?”

“Didn’t I already explain? The methods used to verify the orders from the alliance leader are not shared with anyone else. Besides, the leader’s letter was created after Bang Deok-hyeon retired.”

Okay. If his words were true, it could be considered a serious matter. It meant that the military general was likely a spy.

This was the absolute worst.

“But why did he talk to senior Jin about what’s happening in the Alliance?”

Jin Gyun snorted in response.

“They didn’t inform me; they requested my assistance.”

“What?”

“The leader said he was captured, and they needed to choose a new leader.”

“Ah… and they suggested you.”

To which he wore a sad expression while shaking his head. And if he wasn’t recommended for the position, why bother speaking to me at all?

I was perplexed when Sima Jong-hyeon mentioned,

“He mentioned Jong Cheon without hesitation.”

Ha!

Somehow, there must have been a reason for Jin Gyun’s behavior.

Jong Cheon, one of the Eight Great Warriors, was a rival to Jin Gyun. This was because, among the eight, he was the one who stood at the pinnacle with his sword.

It was discussed among many about which of the two was superior with the blade.

-It is as they said,

It was true, but Jong Cheon was regarded as the best blade warrior.

-Eh?

Jong Cheon was one of the Eight Great Warriors and was considered one of the top five in Murim.

On the other hand, Jin Gyun wasn’t greatly revered. Jin Gyun spoke with an uncomfortable voice.

“How can a person suspected as a spy help him?”

I glanced at Jin Gun.

Now I knew why he spoke of this.

It wasn’t sufficient that Jong Cheon, who could be considered his life rival, was recommended as the alliance leader. This was why he decided to ask for help, even at the cost of his pride.

-Aha! Understood.

Naturally, there was no motive for him to aid Bang Deok-hyeon, a spy. On the contrary, he had to obstruct any endeavors.

Opposing the rival for the alliance leader position was a reasonable cause.

“Will you then challenge the formidable warrior Jong Cheon for the position?”

To this, Sima Jong-hyeon remarked,

“He’s unaware of the fact that esteemed warrior Jin is vying for the position.”

“He doesn’t know? So…”

“Exactly. He’s only aware that esteemed warrior Jin will assist his own candidate in winning.”

He possessed considerable skill.

He wasn’t a military leader without merit. Deception and cunning were his tools to achieve favorable outcomes.

“That was well done. Therefore, Bang Deok-hyeon must believe that esteemed warrior Jong Cheon shall assume leadership.”

“… No.”

“No…are there any other candidates?”

“Yes. Baek Hyang-muk also recommended someone.”

“Ah…who is it?”

“As you might guess. He recommended Elder Jong Seon from the Wudang Sect.”

The right choice.

Besides Baek Hyang-muk, wasn’t elder Jong Seon the one who supported the Murim Alliance for a long time?

When it came to selecting a new leader, he couldn’t be overlooked.

Rather, there was a chance that if Jong Seon was supported, he could become the leader. But why was Jong Cheon, who has no long connection with the Murim Alliance, provoking Jin Gyun?

Was he trying to play an insider role?

I cautiously asked.

“If Baek Hyang-muk was taken down because of Bang Deok-hyeon’s plan, wouldn’t it be better to support Elder Jong Seon, whom he recommended?”

In response to that, Sima Jong-hyeon spoke in a serious voice.

“I don’t trust what Baek, the leader of the alliance, says.”

“… but why?”

“In the past, the leader admitted to learning the martial arts of Blood Demon.”

‘…!’

Ah…

I forgot.

I did see it through the heavenly qi emanating from the swords at the forge. The swords that Baek Hyang-muk was trying to make were meant to withstand the attacks of Blood Demon arts.

I always wondered why he was doing it, but I suppose his own actions led to his impeachment.

Sima Jong-hyeon sighed.

“Alliance leader Baek may have ties to the Blood Sect, and even the military general is connected to these unknown enemies. How can I trust them?”

I believe I understood why Jin Gyun was being forced into this role.

Sima Jong-hyeon rose to his feet and respectfully stated,

“You are the only person who can aid the great warrior in this predicament.”

This was quite excessive.

To ask me to become involved in a civil war within the Murim Alliance was truly too much.

I was at a loss for an answer as too many things were involved, but he continued.

“Even if it’s not the case, the Murim Alliance is trying to create and elect the lieutenant to transfer the single ruling system into a split one.”

“Lieutenant leader?”

Wait then…

“I want you, the idol of the young, to be the lieutenant leader and help great warrior Jin.”

‘…!!’

Oh, shit.

Was he really suggesting this now?