Chapter 540

Special Side Story Episode 14

“......That’s the situation.”

The window of the main building overlooking Dongdong Lake.

Woo Hwayeon, the woman sitting across from me across the drinking table, frowned slightly.

He seemed uneasy about the news he received from his hometown after a long time.

‘I guess so.’

The current situation in Namman was literally a mess.

The competition to occupy the position of lord of the small palace was prolonged and the situation became chaotic as a result.

The thieves and some tribesmen ran rampant at this point.

The palace owner’s children are preoccupied with the power struggle and do not pay attention to matters outside the palace.

Even the residents who are against them and complain about them.

‘Up to this point, this is exactly the picture that Dokgokju (毒谷主) intended.’

I clicked my tongue and took a sip of my drink.

[What the Lord of Gok really wants is probably not to have a princess around the palace.]

[The Palace of Beasts, caught in an internal power struggle, is gradually losing influence in Nanman society. That must be Gokju’s true goal. Isn’t that right?]

In the past, I had a conversation with Dokgokju, who came to visit me, and wondered about his intentions.

He dreamed of a future in which Dokgok, not the Beast Palace, would lead Southern Man society.

That was why they coordinated behind the scenes to balance the power of each faction and prolong the fight over the palace.

‘But things in the world don’t always work out the way you want.’

Everything went as Dokgokju intended.

At least for a while after the Murim Alliance delegation completed its mission and returned to the central plains.

The crack originated from Woo Ga-jin’s growth, which was faster than expected.

After losing in a fight with me, he became desperate and before long, he was on the verge of absolute perfection.

As Dokgokju, he could not help but be wary of his presence.

In a way, the people who are more passionate about the strong than the demonic cultists are the warriors of the Nanman.

There was no need to say how the upper echelons of the Beast Palace reacted as they watched Wu Jiajin progressing day by day.

[Before I tell the story, let me briefly explain Namman’s current situation. Grand Duke Wu Jiajin was deposed.]

[The torn factions were absorbed into other factions, and the Grand Duke, who lost his foundation, eventually fled to the central plains and disappeared.]

In the end, Dokgokju made a decision.

The brothers felt uneasy about the Grand Duke’s growing presence.

We decided to encourage and support them to oust Wu Jiajin.

In the end, Wu Jiajin’s faction was disbanded and the power of each faction was balanced again.

Woo Ga-jin, who came to the midfield as if driven out, became my subordinate.

‘The problem is that, through a series of processes, there were people who realized Dokgokju’s intentions.’

The person who realized the truth of everything before anyone else was Confucius Lee.

Being a shrewd person, he did not immediately spread what he learned to those around him.

Instead, he quietly gathered people to help him behind the scenes.

Elders and warriors who did not support any of the palace lord’s children and remained neutral.

They joined hands with this Confucius to stop the ambition of Sokgokju.

Even the left guard, one of the absolute masters representing the South, shook off his heavy ass and stood up.

Without anyone knowing, Confucius’s power grew rapidly.

‘The current Beast Palace is like a bomb that may explode at any moment.’

Yunnan, the home of the Jeomchang school, is a region adjacent to Nanman.

In a way, it was natural that the residents there were the first to feel the uneasy atmosphere.

Even though a non-aggression pact was signed, it did not guarantee security.

‘Of course, it is unlikely that a spark will suddenly fly to the midfield.’

It is unlikely that the Beast Palace will suddenly declare war on the Central Plains.

Because you will be preoccupied with just solving the problem at hand.

Even if a war broke out, victory or defeat was almost certain.

At least it might have been before the end of the Great War of True Demons.

With the current power of the Beast Palace, they could never do anything to the Jungwon martial arts team, which was entering its golden age.

‘But no one knows how things will turn out in the future.’

Be it poisonous wine or this Confucius.

If you were to say that there was absolutely no possibility that the new king of Namman would turn around and do something foolish, that was not the case.

Creating external enemies in order to achieve internal solidarity is a common tactic used by those in power.

‘If that happens, enormous damage will occur regardless of whether we win or lose.’

I put down my empty glass and made eye contact with Woo Hwayeon.

There was no harm in being careful.

It would have been better to nip the anxiety in the bud in advance.

“Sozer.”

“Please speak.”

“I’d like to go on a short business trip.”

“I’m just doing what I have to do as a leader of the Murim Alliance.”

I answered humbly, but of course it was based on a calculation to increase my value.

At this time, there was no harm in owing debt to the Yunnan martial arts faction, including the Jeomchang faction.

Isn’t the long text in front of me looking at me with an expression of emotion?

“If you need anything, just tell me. “I will fully support you.”

“Then, without hesitation, I would like to ask you a few favors.”

“What do you mean by request?”

“I would like you to help me contact a specific person.”

“From what you’re saying, it doesn’t seem like you’re asking me to call you a disciple of the Fortune Chang Sect. “Who are you trying to meet?”

“Mujincheon, Daejeon Temple of Namman.”

“...!”

“This is the person who served as a guide when I visited the Beast Palace in the past. Could you please contact him?”

* * *

“It’s been a while.”

“How were you? “Old master.”

“I never thought I’d see you like this again.”

“Me too.”

“You turned into a monster while I didn’t see you. “Now I can’t even guess the state.”

“That’s too much praise.”

Bronze skin exposed under the sunlight.

A sturdy body that makes it hard to believe that he is that age.

Mu Jin-cheon, the former elder of the Beast Palace, smiled, revealing his pure white teeth.

Perhaps because he had such a ferocious look, he didn’t look senile at all even though I hadn’t seen him in years.

“So what else is going on in the Beast Palace?”

“You’re expecting it, aren’t you?”

“Don’t provoke the Jungwon martial arts group for no reason. “Are you going to warn me like that?”

“It’s not a warning, but let’s just say that a detailed discussion on the previously concluded treaty has become necessary.”

“Isn’t that what it is? “Bangbang, you’re still saying things back and forth.”

“It’s also not good to be too direct.”

“In the meantime, should I say that it is befitting of you not to deny it again?”

Mu Jin-cheon laughed and took the lead.

His six warriors came out and surrounded Woo Hwayeon as if they were guarding her.

‘It reminds me of the old days.’

The environment of the South was not easy to overlook.

How much hardship did we have to endure in the past when we gathered together only those with some level of skill?

In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that he was able to safely reach the Beast Palace thanks to Mu Jin-cheon’s help.

It was not for nothing that I asked Jang Mun-in of the Jeomchang faction to invite them.

“Is your business going well?”

“It’s not a shipping business, it’s a transportation business. “I explained Pyoguk-eop through analogy so that it would be easier for you to understand.”

“From what I heard, it seems like it was.”

“To answer your question, I personally realize that nothing is easy in this world. “Public security has gotten worse these days.”

“I heard that thieves are running rampant...”

“This is all because the palace lord’s children are negligent in maintaining public order. Anyway, I don’t like it.”

Hehe.

Mu Jin-cheon, who was fiddling with the curved sword on his belt, spat out spit mixed with phlegm.

Woo Hwa-yeon, who was walking behind, was carelessly fiddling with the pressed bamboo ribs.

She was also the palace lord’s child.

You can’t help but feel uncomfortable.

‘That’s right.’

A bitter laugh came out.

It was Mu Jin-cheon who ran out of the Beast Palace because he was frustrated with the palace owner’s children who were caught up in a power struggle.

He, no one else, had the right to say such things.

“by the way.”

I spoke to him in a soft voice.

Hiring him wasn’t just because we needed guidance.

As a former elder and great warrior of the Beast Palace, he would most likely have useful information.

I planned to find out as much as I could while heading to the Beast Palace.

“Has anything special happened in the Beast Palace recently? “There was a change in the power structure.”

“There was. “That was a very big deal.”

“What happened...”

“The three princes suddenly gave up the competition for succession and declared that they would support this prince. It seems they decided to join forces in the face of a common enemy.”

“...!”