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Chapter 393: Personal Revenge (3)
The one thing that was absolutely certain about the current situation was that nothing was certain.
The identity of whoever attacked Dam Ak was not certain.
Whether the Murim Alliance was hostile or friendly toward Dam Ak was not certain.
And it was all this uncertainty—
—that had driven Dam Ak to use the word 'escape.'
Ẇе̃b̊nоṽ ёl̄ Еn u m̊ а̌
To put it bluntly, they could even frame Dam Ak as the mastermind behind the attack on the Grand Strategist when he tried to return to Black Thought Alliance headquarters.
That would mean war without question, but from the Orthodox Path's perspective, it was a spectacular deal—starting the fight with the Black Thought Alliance's strategist already beheaded.
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The kind of ruthless efficiency-mongers who'd cry 'nothing to lose!' had more than enough reason.
'That son of a bitch Clear Water True Man was too quiet, too.'
He knew full well I'd gone in and met Dam Ak, and he wasn't going to shake me down for it?
In a situation where he could have reported me to the Execution Pavilion and plastered the news everywhere—'He's a spy who held secret talks with the Black Path's strategist!'—and it still wouldn't have been enough?
Е̄ n um̊ а̌. і̌ d
I couldn't even begin to guess what that monumental son of a bitch was scheming behind that composed facade.
"But why are we leaving at this hour specifically?"
It was before the predawn dew had even appeared, and I was leading Dam Ak and the Black Thought Alliance envoy delegation out.
Hmm, not exactly the question you'd expect right before a life-or-death operation is about to commence.
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Still, I answered. Maintaining a good relationship with Dam Ak was important too.
"If we go during the day, we'll run into people."
Wĕ bn̆о v̂e l Ê n̈umа̊
"What does that matter? They'd know anyway. Leaving without a formal farewell is itself a form of protest."
So his plan was to make his displeasure abundantly clear and just walk past anyone he ran into without so much as a greeting?
An approach to social etiquette unimaginable in our Orthodox Path murim, where propriety, righteousness, courtesy, and wisdom were paramount. Truly the mindset of a Black Path leader.
"In the Orthodox Path murim, tradition dictates that rude guests get tortured at the Execution Pavilion."
"Hmm, a more frightening place than I'd imagined."
I'd deliberately exaggerated, but Dam Ak laughed it off without batting an eye.
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When did this man develop such nerve? He wasn't like this in the previous life.
Or had I simply been too insignificant back then to notice?
This was proving to be an opportunity to discover sides of Dam Ak I'd never known.
In any case, the idle banter ended and we began moving.
Dam Ak had deployed the Black Fog Solitary Soul Formation, but Jegal Cheon-gi took the lead navigating toward the exit.
Dang Seo-hui would take point once we reached the exit, but one could never be too careful.
E n̂ ů m à .і_d̈
Before long we arrived at the exit, and Dang Seo-hui reached her hand past the formation's boundary to scatter poison mist.
She'd already put everyone on watch around the Hall of Repose to sleep when we'd entered, but this too was a precaution.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Well, if someone was still awake after all that, I'd just have to blame my own rotten luck.
Dang Seo-hui withdrew her hand, and we stepped outside the formation.
And the scene that unfolded before our eyes—
Walking around the fallen bodies, Dam Ak smiled thinly.
Е n u m̃ a
"So many people were waiting for me. How unfortunate that I couldn't live up to their expectations."
Ignoring Dam Ak's inane comment, I broke into a run.
It didn't matter who the other side was—the fact that something had happened at the Hall of Repose would be discovered sooner or later.
From here on, it was a race of who could move faster.
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***
We emerged from the outer compound area and began cutting across the Alliance grounds again.
W ӗb.nо vе l̃ Е̂ num̀ а
"Wouldn't it be better to just go over the wall?"
Honestly, if I had to pick the riskier option, it was cutting through the Alliance.
No matter how well we hid in the shadows behind buildings, a group this large couldn't completely mask its presence.
But I wasn't crazy enough to try breaching the Mystic Gate Formations hidden throughout the Murim Alliance's walls.
Oh, the Demonic Cult? Their default setting is crazy.
I'd bet some of them were still wandering around inside those formations from the last infiltration.
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The formations around the Alliance perimeter had no Gate of Life to begin with, so unless you could create one yourself, there was no escaping them.
Maybe after six months or so someone might come to the rescue, but after that long, could you really call it a 'rescue'?
That said, I had no intention of staying inside the Alliance grounds forever either.
"Instead of going over the wall, I've prepared another way."
"Another way?"
"You'll see."
W е_bn̆.o v̇ѐl̀ E nū mа
Leading a puzzled Dam Ak a little farther, we soon entered the proper outer compound streets, and guard posts began appearing here and there.
But upon checking their occupants, Dam Ak's expression went stiff with disbelief.
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"Did you...... knock them all unconscious?"
Down every alley, the guards who should have been standing watch were drifting through a sweet dreamland.
I looked at them and shook my head.
"No."
Ě ñũm̈а
"......No?"
"We didn't do this. Someone's idiotic mistake caused this unfortunate incident."
"A mistake?"
Rustle.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
At that moment, the bushes on one side shook and a figure stepped out—wearing a blue-green changshan...... with a scarf wrapped around the face.
Wait, if you're going to wear that changshan, what's the point of the scarf?
W̊ ӗb̀ n о̀v̇.е́l Е̄ n ů m̄ a
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—!
The tender-hearted warriors of our Black Path delegation drew their blades in a flash, but I raised a hand in greeting, and the figure was seamlessly absorbed into our group.
I set a hand on the newcomer's shoulder.
"This is the friend who made the mistake."
At my brief introduction, Dang Gi-han offered a candid reflection.
"Fuck, I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
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Blunt mouth to match the blunt action.
I gave his shoulder a light pat.
"Why wallow in self-loathing? A bottle of Tang Clan poison leaking from its mother-of-pearl case is a perfectly common accident."
Of course, the fact that said poison was potent enough to rival a full fermentation crock, and that he'd scattered it in every direction—putting most of the outer compound's personnel to sleep—was the problematic part.
"Fuck! Are you joking? In the entire storied history of the Sichuan Tang Clan, you think there's ever been a screw-up that stupid?!"
In any case, the poison Dang Seo-hui had concocted and Dang Gi-han had 'accidentally' dispersed had precisely incapacitated all the right people.
Е̊ n̂ ũ ṁ.а .і d̊
The man who'd committed the accident, meanwhile, was trembling from head to toe.
"I'm fucked. I'm truly fucked......!!"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I gave the poor, pale, quivering wreck a warm pat of encouragement.
"Then you should've said you couldn't do it from the start, you bastard. Why are you losing your shit now!"
Honestly, I was hopeless as a commanding officer. Sigh.
After finishing my consolation, I looked at his face.
Е n ú m̆ a. і.d̈
"......"
The boy had the eyes of a dog betrayed by its owner.
Looking at me like that almost made me feel sorry for— absolutely not.
"Just say it was an accident! It was an accident anyway, so what are they going to do? You're Tang Clan. Tang Clan can make mistakes too, right? Your hand slipped, that kind of thing! Why don't you have any of that shameless sense of birthright entitlement?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"......Fuck, easy for you to say......"
But how far was this kid planning to follow us? He'd done his job and gotten his consolation—time to go.
W̄ѐ b̄n̂ оv e l̄ Ĕ_nùḿ а̄
Dang Gi-han was still walking alongside me, muttering 'I'm fucked, I'm fucked' over and over like a chant.
"If I'm really fucked after this......"
This wasn't going to work. I had a flash of intuition that genuine consolation was needed.
"Hey, dumbass. When someone in the Alliance makes a huge blunder and gets demoted, where do they end up?"
"The White Wolf Pavilion, obviously."
"And where are you currently assigned?"
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"The White Wolf Pavilion......"
"Well, would you look at that! You've got no floor left to fall through!"
When I shrugged and pointed out the truth, Dang Gi-han's expression turned to something between fury and begrudging acceptance.
Hmm, this time the consolation seemed to actually land.
I shooed him away with a wave of my hand.
"Now you know, so get going. If you stay here any longer, they'll lump you in with us and punish you. Well, not that it matters—you're already at the White Wolf Pavilion anyway."
Enŭ m̃ а. i d̀
"Fuck...... fine. Make sure you pull this off."
His voice carried genuine sincerity, and a smile slipped out before I could stop it.
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"Yeah."
He held my gaze for a moment, then turned to leave—but paused. As if remembering something, he looked at Dam Ak and added one more thing.
"This probably isn't much comfort, but I apologize on their behalf. Not everyone in the Murim Alliance stabs guests in the back after inviting them in."
"......"
Ẽn̆u̇ḿ а̂
Without waiting for a reply, Dang Gi-han gave a slight bow and departed.
He'd probably go drink all the liquor he'd stashed, douse himself in it for good measure, then pass out somewhere in the outer compound.
Given that the Execution Pavilion would be his next stop, I wished him well in the afterlife.
As Dam Ak watched the direction in which Dang Gi-han's shadow had vanished, he asked quietly.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"......Did that friend know how dangerous this was when he agreed to help?"
Obviously. How else could I have gotten someone to scatter Tang Clan poison on the outer compound's warriors?
W е b̊ňо̃ v̂ е l̊ Еn̈ů mȧ
"Well...... yes."
"For Young Master Jin's sake...... is that it?"
"It's not exactly for my sake, is it?"
"Then for what reason did he accept the risk and betray the Murim Alliance?"
Betray was a strong word. Honestly speaking, this was helping the Murim Alliance.
If war broke out, the Murim Alliance would suffer too.
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When I explained as much, Dam Ak regarded me with the look of someone observing a rare and curious specimen.
"Young Master Jin. Why are you in the Murim Alliance?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, couldn't you just build your own faction, or even go so far as to establish an entirely new coalition?"
"......"
What is this man going on about at the crack of dawn?
Е n̆.ŭ m̊à
As if that were humanly possible in the first place.
When I stared at him incredulously, Dam Ak quietly stroked his chin.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Hmm...... Perhaps it would actually be better if the Murim Alliance learned of Young Master Jin's betrayal."
He mumbled something incomprehensible, but I just ignored it.
It sounded far too unsettling to dwell on.
***
Е́ num̄ а . id̆
People commonly knew the murim as a world of extraordinary beings who cleaved mountains and soared through the sky.
A world apart from reality—an idealized realm where people cultivated the Way, pursued enlightenment, staked their lives on strength, and sometimes strayed from the righteous path.
But as Dam Ak had experienced firsthand after immersing himself in the murim, it was not so different from the political arena of the real world.
Schemes and machinations ran rampant, and vicious power struggles raged over vested interests.
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Warriors pretending to be enlightened while spouting hypocritical claims about serving the greater good were hardly different from bureaucrats feigning concern for the common people.
In that respect, Dam Ak found it rather agreeable.
Е̇ň úma
Having fought fierce political battles alongside eunuchs at the emperor's side, however briefly, manipulating warriors—whose pride filled every inch of their being right up to the crown of their heads—was not particularly difficult.
Even if they threatened with martial force or pressed with killing intent, the true nature of warriors was to protect themselves the moment they sensed the slightest risk of injury.
And yet—
'What a peculiar man.'
Dam Ak studied the back of Jin So-un as he ran ahead.
Different from any warrior he'd seen before, perhaps.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
That man was peculiar, and special.
When it came to doing what he believed was right, he didn't hold back even if it would become deadly poison for himself.
No—he would cut himself first and then challenge the other side to show equal resolve.
Was it simply the recklessness of a brute? Not quite.
He'd been lost in thought about Jin So-un for some time when—
"This way!"
Е̇ n̊ ù m ȧ
A voice called out to guide them.
A shop boy, opening a hidden path tucked between buildings in a maze-like warren off the main road.
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Beyond that path lay another dizzying stretch of chaotic alleys, but Jin So-un pressed forward without hesitation, as though he had every turn memorized.
Even to Dam Ak—who yielded to no one in memorization and recall—the route was bewilderingly complex.
Even if pursuers were on their heels in a crisis, could they really follow through this labyrinth? The thought alone raised doubt.
Jin So-un was truly pouring every ounce of his mental and physical strength into aiding this escape.
Е̄ n̈ ú mӓ .іd́
'......Perhaps this is what draws people to him.'
He'd been quite surprised when Dang Seo-hui and Jegal Cheon-gi entered the Solitary Soul Formation alongside Jin So-un, but when Dang Gi-han put the entire outer compound's guards to sleep, Dam Ak had been inwardly staggered.
No matter how one dressed it up as an accident, the consequences of this act would weigh heavily.
A Murim Academy graduate would know that much.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
And yet, knowing it perfectly well, he'd cursed and complained but given his all to help Jin So-un.
As if the punishment was simply the price he'd already accepted.
W̌ ё b ñо̀ v̌е_l Еňù m̃ а̄
The man before him grew ever more intriguing.
He seemed unaware of it himself, but there was a genuine power in him that drew people in.
A power different from those who could only move others through deception and violence.
'Things are getting interesting.'
Right now, the Murim Alliance and the Black Thought Alliance were at war.
Not a war where blades were pointed at each other directly.
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It was a war revealed indirectly—through the conflict within each faction between those who wanted to fight and those who wanted to prevent it.
As a pragmatist, Dam Ak wanted to further unify the Black Thought Alliance against the Demonic Cult that would one day engulf the murim.
And for that, he'd been willing to throw his own cheap life away.
But things had gone wrong, and the wrong person had died in his place.
Nothing weighed more heavily on his heart.
'Honestly, the prospects don't look good.'
W е́ ḃ n оv́ ël̊ Ѐ n̂u m̄ǎ
The Righteous Path Association was the backbone of the Murim Alliance—essentially the Murim Alliance itself.
Dam Ak himself knew best that their tenacity would not end so easily.
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Which meant Jin So-un, by stepping forward to help him, had effectively declared war on the Righteous Path Association.
In a sense, this situation was not a battle between Dam Ak and the Righteous Path Association—but between Jin So-un and the Righteous Path Association.
A force that had guarded its privileged position for ages, versus a freshly graduated warrior.
The scales appeared to tip overwhelmingly to one side.
Е nümа̊_
And yet—
And yet, he couldn't help but feel anticipation.
What would the Murim Alliance look like once Jin So-un took hold of it?
What kind of fight would he put up against a deeply entrenched ruling class packed with politicians?
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
For the first time in his life, Dam Ak found himself looking forward to a distant future he'd never dreamed of.
And just as excitement brought a smile to his lips—
Е̊ ńũm̆а̂
"Let's stop here and eat before we go."
The voice of the very man who'd kindled that anticipation reached his ears.
Dam Ak gazed at the gradually brightening sky and asked.
"Do we have the time?"
"Time's fine. But......"
"......?"
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"We'll have to share a table. Is that alright with you?"
......It would be better without that impudent grin.
Dam Ak returned the smile and answered.
"As long as you stop splitting your face open like that—by all means."
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