WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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Episode 37: First Military Advisor (Part 4)
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“Blood Cult may rise again soon.”
‘!?’
The mention of the Blood Cult came so suddenly that I was momentarily speechless.
I did not know how to react.
- They would be even more surprised if they knew there was a Blood Cult spy right in front of them.
SoDam Sword muttered.
This was not the time for jokes.
Seeing my grave expression, JeGal WonMyeong spoke sympathetically.
“It must be quite a shock. This is an established fact.”
‘Hmm...’
We had been discussing the Man with the golden eye, and suddenly the subject had shifted to the Blood Cult.
Did they think the Man with the golden eye was connected to the Blood Cult?
Concealing my thoughts, I carefully spoke.
“Could the Man with the golden eye you mentioned be connected to the Blood Cult?”
“I cannot be certain, but I believe there is a seventy percent chance.”
“...Why?”
“Woong Chun and Jang CheonJe.”
What?
- Do you know them?
How could I not?
They had once been renowned as the greatest masters of the force of justice, their fame rivaling that of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster.
- Then why are you surprised?
The reason was simple.
The two masters JeGal WonMyeong had just mentioned had both died, though at different times.
“And your master, along with the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary here.”
‘Surely not?’
“These four masters share two things in common.”
I could guess what JeGal WonMyeong was about to say.
“These four were supreme masters who could have become the next Eight Great Masters. They were the future of the force of justice, the people who would lead it. Yet all of them fell to a single person.”
“...You mean the Man with the golden eye?”
JeGal WonMyeong nodded.
“That is correct. To be honest, your master, the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster, had also disappeared for a long time, so it remained mere speculation. However, your testimony has made it fact.”
What JeGal WonMyeong meant was this.
The four greatest masters who would have led the force of justice had all suffered at the hands of the Man with the golden eye.
As a result, the force of justice had lost much of its strength.
- That is true.
But that was not the problem.
JeGal WonMyeong had said this was a secret known to the Council Elders of the martial artists’ alliance.
That meant the alliance’s high-ranking officials believed the Man with the golden eye was connected to the Blood Cult.
There was some logic to it.
If the Blood Cult was preparing to rise again, it would need to reduce the strength of the force of justice however it could.
But the Blood Cult had not done this.
‘...Could they be using the situation?’
I could not rule that out.
The martial artists’ alliance’s morale had fallen after its alliance with Peerless Castle fell apart.
They were holding the Martial Arts Tournament to overcome this situation, but if they instilled a sense of purpose, it would be enough to set the force of justice ablaze.
The image they could present was of a Blood Cult that had killed even the supreme masters who symbolized the force of justice and was now stirring once more.
From the martial artists’ alliance’s perspective, it was a perfect way to unite the force of justice again.
Then JeGal WonMyeong rose from the seat.
The First Military Advisor pointed at a large wooden board covered by cloth in the center of the office wall.
When the cloth was removed, it revealed a large map of the Central Plains.
‘!?’
Red dots marked locations all across the map.
Some of those places were familiar.
‘Blood-Nurturing Valley?’
I nearly swallowed with a gulp, but stopped myself.
It was a map of the Central Plains that would leave any untrained spy flustered.
JeGal WonMyeong spoke.
“Since the War Between Justice and Evil, our alliance has gathered information and rooted out the remnants of the Blood Cult for a long time. Does your heart not tremble when you see all these red dots?”
There were dozens of them.
I knew several of those places myself.
As expected of the martial artists’ alliance, which divided the current martial world in two, its intelligence network was astonishing.
“After the War Between Justice and Evil, the Blood Cult divided into a cell network and has slowly built its strength, like worms burrowing and feeding.”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
JeGal WonMyeong used a wooden pole fitted into the board to point at several locations.
One of them was Blood-Nurturing Valley.
The alliance must have learned of it when the small and mid-sized martial clans that had recently joined the alliance attacked the valley.
“Though the top of a lamp may be bright, beneath it is utterly dark. Those cunning Blood Cult vermin are ready to strike from beneath our very noses at any time.”
I needed to show some reaction.
I deliberately put on a grave expression and spoke.
“...I thought the Blood Cult had been destroyed over twenty years ago. I never imagined they had been hiding like this. This isn't something we can simply overlook, is it? Shouldn't we issue a Proclamation throughout the martial world and root them out?”
- Impressive. Very impressive.
SoDam Sword clicked its tongue at my act of pretending to have no connection to the Blood Cult.
Even SoDam Sword, which knew everything, found it impressive. JeGal WonMyeong watched my somewhat heated reaction closely with cool eyes.
‘...Even after confirming that I am the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s disciple, they have not fully set aside their suspicions.’
This person was truly dangerous.
If I relaxed my guard even a little, JeGal WonMyeong would immediately exploit it.
“You are correct. This is a serious matter. However, they are divided into cells. If we announce this rashly, they will only hide deeper beneath the surface.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Do you know how many of the locations marked with red dots on this map have been resolved?”
I gave no answer.
JeGal WonMyeong continued.
“Only around thirty percent have been dealt with. They have escaped our alliance’s grasp with remarkable skill. Do you know what that means?”
“...”
I immediately understood the point of the question.
I simply did not like saying it aloud.
But I had to answer.
“...Information is being leaked. There may be spies within the martial artists’ alliance.”
- You are bold too.
Who would have thought that I, a spy, would be discussing spies?
I had never experienced something like this even before returning to the past.
At the word spy, JeGal WonMyeong’s expression changed.
“Such insight is worthy of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s disciple.”
There had been a trace of suspicion until just now, but it had eased somewhat.
It was not complete trust, but I felt JeGal WonMyeong had begun to trust me a little.
It seemed JeGal WonMyeong had tested me in a different manner from Gwak HyeongJik, the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary.
JeGal WonMyeong smiled.
“Seeing a later wave of the Yangtze rise like this leaves me greatly reassured. The Southern Heavenly Swordmaster has found someone worthy of entrusting the sword to.”
“That is too much praise. I fear I may tarnish Master’s honor.”
“Modesty becomes unpleasant when it goes too far.”
“...Thank you.”
“As you said, there are Blood Cult spies within our alliance. We have identified more than fifteen already. There are likely even more.”
“That many?”
“How could an organization that encompasses tens of thousands have no spies?”
As expected, they had identified some of the spies.
Unlike the Blood Cult, which hid in cells, the martial artists’ alliance was open to everyone.
Planting spies within it was not particularly difficult.
The only difficulty was placing them among the officials who formed the backbone of the alliance’s intelligence.
“Do we not need to capture all the spies?”
Jang Myeong, Gwak HyeongJik’s disciple, who had been quietly listening, spoke.
JeGal WonMyeong shook their head.
“Even if they are spies, if we capture them indiscriminately, new ones will simply continue entering.”
“But leaving them alone as well...”
“It is to spread disinformation.”
At my words, a glint appeared in JeGal WonMyeong and Gwak HyeongJik’s eyes.
The reason for keeping spies alive was simple.
They could use them to leak false information.
That was a disinformation tactic.
“Hmm.”
JeGal WonMyeong looked at me with narrowed eyes.
I should have kept quiet.
Trying too hard to avoid suspicion had made me sound as though I knew too much.
However, JeGal WonMyeong said,
“What a promising talent. If you were not pursuing a Hall Head position through the Rising Talents Martial Contest, I would want to bring you into the First Military Advisor’s Office.”
“You praise me too highly.”
Fortunately, it was praise.
Yet when I had let my guard down, something unexpected followed.
“For such a talent, I would like to shamelessly ask a favor.”
‘A favor?’
The situation was becoming increasingly awkward.
JeGal WonMyeong spoke with a serious expression.
“This may be very important for the martial world of the force of justice. It is also a request I wish to make of you.”
“Of me as well?”
Jang Myeong looked at JeGal WonMyeong in confusion.
Judging by that reaction, this had not been discussed beforehand.
What favor could it be?
“Do not worry. It is related to the Rising Talents Martial Contest the two of you are about to enter.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is a strong possibility that Blood Cult spies will also participate in this Martial Arts Tournament.”
“...”
Yes. One was right in front of them.
This truly was not a place where I could relax for even a moment.
“I believe their goals can be narrowed down to two.”
“Two goals?”
“If they place high in the Rising Talents Martial Contest, they can enter key positions within the alliance. That is likely one of their goals. The second is...”
I felt uneasy.
What would come out of that mouth?
I prayed that it would not be mentioned, but with intelligence like this...
“They will likely be after the Blood Demon Sword in our alliance’s secret storehouse.”
‘Ah...’
A sigh naturally rose within me.
Things had already been difficult, but they were becoming even worse.
If the martial artists’ alliance knew the Blood Demon Sword was a target, stealing it would become far more difficult.
I needed to think.
Using this situation to gain information could become my way out.
“They will be even less willing to miss this chance because the secret storehouse will be opened especially for this tournament.”
I cautiously spoke.
“If they are after that sword, we must not lower our guard further. Could the favor you wish to ask of us be related to the Blood Demon Sword?”
JeGal WonMyeong shook their head.
“No. You need not worry about that.”
“What do you mean, we need not worry?”
“Even if they win the Rising Talents Martial Contest through extraordinary luck, they will not be able to take the Blood Demon Sword from the secret storehouse. In five days, the Blood Demon Sword will be moved to Wudang.”
‘!!!’
“True Person Jongseon has agreed to safeguard the Blood Demon Sword during the Martial Arts Tournament, so there is no need for you to worry.”
Important information had come from the First Military Advisor’s mouth.
The Blood Demon Sword would be moved from the martial artists’ alliance’s secret storehouse to Wudang.
True Person Jongseon, the Taiji Sword Emperor and sect leader of Wudang, was one of the Eight Great Masters. With that person guarding it, its safety was practically guaranteed.
Jang Myeong spoke.
“Then what do you wish to entrust to us?”
“What you must do is find any suspicious spies among the contestants in the Rising Talents Martial Contest.”
‘...This is absurd.’
They were asking me, a Blood Cult spy, to find spies.
SaMa Yeong also wore an odd expression, apparently feeling the same way.
JeGal WonMyeong smiled.
“If possible, I would like the two of you to achieve high rankings in the Rising Talents Martial Contest and prevent Blood Cult spies from entering key positions in the alliance.”
At those words, Jang Myeong rose, gave a fist-and-palm salute, and replied firmly.
“As a member of the force of justice, how could I avoid such an important duty? I will not disappoint you.”
...Damn it.
Jang Myeong had stepped up so boldly that I had no choice but to make the same pledge.
Without meaning to, I had planted a foot in both camps.
* * *
After So WoonHwi left the office, Gwak HyeongJik, the Northern Heroic Blade Luminary, who had only been sitting and listening, spoke.
“Military Advisor JeGal. Is that true?”
“Which part?”
“When the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s successor was here, you said the Blood Demon Sword would be entrusted to Wudang. Was that not something we had yet to arrange?”
At the question, JeGal WonMyeong smiled faintly.
“Heh heh heh.”
‘!?’
Gwak HyeongJik spoke in disbelief.
“...You deceived that boy?”
“I needed to make certain.”
“Do you not trust that boy?”
Gwak HyeongJik had personally tested So WoonHwi.
The result had left no room for doubt. So WoonHwi was the genuine successor of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster.
But JeGal WonMyeong apparently felt otherwise.
“Great Hero Gwak confirmed it personally, so how could I not trust him? I too believe with ninety percent certainty that the boy is the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster’s successor.”
“Ninety percent?”
“It is merely that the remaining ten percent troubles me.”
“Why?”
“There are other youths besides him who vanished for over a year before returning.”
“Who are they?”
At the question, JeGal WonMyeong rose and examined a sheet of paper on the office desk.
“The Jo Hang Song Clan youths. They belong to the same Hunan Martial World Branch.”
“The Jo Hang Song Clan? Is that true?”
When JeGal WonMyeong nodded, Gwak HyeongJik frowned.
“If there is even the slightest room for suspicion, should we not confirm it?”
“We will.”
“How?”
“Have I not already cast the bait?”
“Bait?”
“If they act on the false information and target the Blood Demon Sword, would that not be a perfect chance to round them all up in one sweep?”
JeGal WonMyeong smiled as they looked at Jang Myeong.
Jang Myeong let out a soft exclamation.
“Disinformation.”
“Heh heh heh. Do you understand? That is why we do not capture all the spies.”
At JeGal WonMyeong’s words, Jang Myeong privately thought that the First Military Advisor was frightening.
Jang Myeong had learned that being skilled in martial arts was not enough.
If there was even a ten percent chance that So WoonHwi truly was a spy, So WoonHwi would have no choice but to fall into the trap.
After their conversation, Gwak HyeongJik and Jang Myeong exchanged farewells and prepared to leave the office.
Then Gwak HyeongJik, who was about to depart, noticed something.
“Hmm? What is that?”
“What do you mean?”
JeGal WonMyeong, who had been seeing them off, turned around.
A short sword lay in a spot where it was difficult to see, wedged between a chair and a desk.
Jang Myeong saw it and said,
“That short sword seems to belong to Brother So.”
The short sword was none other than So WoonHwi’s SoDam Sword.
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