Chapter 25: A Victim Who Was Not a Victim
The Shaolin Divine Monk soothed the raging Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood, then persuaded the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, who was glaring coldly, and only then managed to keep them staying within the Martial Alliance.
If talks ended after both sides had already seen blood, war would have been unavoidable.
After persuading Yul Han’s group like that, the Shaolin Divine Monk completely cleared out one entire hall belonging to the Martial Alliance’s External Affairs Office and had them stay there.
The building that had been used as a guest residence had burned down and collapsed during the Seven Sects’ attack.
Having brought the immediate situation to a close, the Shaolin Divine Monk sat face-to-face with the two surviving leaders among the Seven Sects whose standing was the highest.
They were the Blazing Fire Sword Lord and the Tang Clan’s Eldest.
One of the masterminds of this incident, Mujinja, was absent because he had been killed during the fighting, cut in half together with his beloved sword.
That was not all.
Among the Peak Masters sent by the Seven Sects for this incident were many famous figures, and a considerable number of them, like Mujinja, had been reduced to nothing more than miserable corpses, their souls turned into wandering ghosts.
It was an enormous loss not only for the Seven Sects but for the entire Martial Alliance.
“Haaah… What should be done about such a tragic affair?”
At the Shaolin Divine Monk’s lament, the Blazing Fire Sword Lord and the Tang Clan’s Eldest could not even raise their heads.
The Shaolin Divine Monk’s eyes, as he looked at the two of them, were filled with displeasure.
To be honest, he strongly wanted to convene a meeting gathering the heads of each sect, hold those involved accountable, and make an example of them.
But this had been an affair involving no less than seven of the Sixteen Great Sects, the so-called sixteen pillars that supported the Martial Alliance.
Nearly half of the sects had dipped their feet into this matter, so it was impossible to turn it into an official issue from the start.
If the Alliance Leader, who hailed from Shaolin and had taken a step back from this incident, were to step forward aggressively and make an issue of it, it could instead deepen internal strife within the Martial Alliance.
And so…
“Haaah… What do you intend to do now?”
At the Shaolin Divine Monk’s question, the Blazing Fire Sword Lord closed his eyes and said nothing.
After all, he had carried out this affair in defiance of Mount Hua’s explicit order to “exercise restraint.”
Even if the Martial Alliance did not pursue the matter, Mount Hua would never let him off lightly.
If he were left as is, those who had suffered losses because of this incident would apply pressure in their own way, and those who believed they had been excluded and dishonored would also quietly pressure Mount Hua.
Thus, even with a mouth, he could not answer. Because of that, the Shaolin Divine Monk’s gaze turned to the Tang Clan’s Eldest.
The Tang Clan’s Eldest, who had been summoned solely because he held the highest standing among the survivors despite not being a ringleader, replied in a voice that seemed to crawl along the floor.
“We will report the situation to the main clan and receive instructions…”
“So you mean you have no countermeasures at present.”
“Th-that is… No one thought it would turn out like this…”
At the Tang Clan’s Eldest’s answer, the Shaolin Divine Monk closed his eyes.
It was suffocating. Then why had he and the strategist Jegal Giyeon rejected the proposal to respond by mobilizing Peak Masters?
It was precisely because they had anticipated something like this could happen.
If anything were to raise the chances of success, they would have needed to gather all of the Martial Alliance’s Seven Great Masters and mobilize every Peak Master of the Sixteen Great Sects as support.
Even then, there would have been no guarantee of success against the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
Otherwise, there was no way the Taiji Sword Emperor of Wudang, universally acknowledged as the Number One of the Hundred Paths, would have been defeated without even drawing his sword in a frontal clash.
The Shaolin Divine Monk felt irritation toward the Seven Sects that had carried out this affair while excluding every sect to which the Martial Alliance’s Seven Great Masters belonged, unable to foresee even something that simple.
Of course, he could guess their thinking.
They had wanted to succeed in this affair and flatten the noses of those called the righteous leading sects.
But what did they gain from it?
Stirring up a single incident just to boast would not change a sect’s prosperity, nor would it allow them to surpass or overpower the so-called righteous leading sects.
His anger surged at their behavior of throwing away precious masters for such a worthless cause.
Yet there was still nothing the Shaolin Divine Monk could do.
All he could say was…
“Bring me an answer—an answer. In the meantime, this humble monk will try to placate the Vice Cult Leader…”
With those words, he closed his eyes, effectively issuing an unspoken dismissal. Seeing this, the Tang Clan’s Eldest had no choice but to withdraw from the Alliance Leader’s chamber together with the Blazing Fire Sword Lord.
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They said rumors were like the wind. Even though the Martial Alliance issued a gag order and maintained ironclad security, word of the incident spread through the martial world in an instant.
It spread so quickly that the rumors were already telling the story to each sect before the official message hawk sent by the Martial Alliance even arrived.
Shaolin and the Jegal Clan, who trusted the judgment of the Alliance Leader, the Shaolin Divine Monk, and the strategist Jegal Giyeon; Cheongseong, which had stepped back of its own accord; and the Namgung Clan, which had been subtly ostracized for being the head seat among the Six Great Clans—all were surprised by this incident, but none were greatly shaken.
That was because they had suffered no direct losses.
The Beggars’ Sect, famous for never involving itself in such matters in the first place, was simply diligent in gathering related information.
However, unlike them, Wudang, which had likewise stepped back from this affair by its own decision, was thrown into complete turmoil.
It was not because they had lost the elder Mujinja in this incident.
In the end, he was a criminal who had violated his sect’s order to “exercise restraint” and privately used his position to stir up chaos.
Wudang was harsher and more severe toward those who defied sect orders than any other sect.
So even if Mujinja had survived, it could not be said that a fate better than death would have awaited him.
Then why, exactly, was Wudang in such an uproar?
It was because the dead Mujinja was one of the masterminds behind this incident.
When one goes against the natural order, the backlash upon failure is several times greater than the glory of success.
The sects that had dipped their feet into this affair and suffered losses would all say the same thing—that they had believed Wudang was taking the lead.
They would try to conceal their own shame and shift all responsibility for this incident onto Wudang.
For that reason, Wudang’s explanation that this had been Mujinja’s unilateral action in violation of the main sect’s decision would never be accepted. Everyone would denounce it as a false excuse.
Nor was that all. The sects that had been excluded as if ostracized would, in their own way, surely pressure Wudang not to withdraw, since the ringleader had belonged to them.
Thus, Wudang became the aggressor in this incident, despite having lost their strongest master, the Taiji Sword Emperor of Wudang.
Though they were wronged, they had been put in a position where they could not even say they were wronged. In that situation, Wudang’s elders kept their eyes closed and mouths shut, maintaining only silence.
There was no proper way to resolve it.
If Mujinja, who had caused the affair, were still alive, they could have summoned him and subjected him to severe punishment, showing other sects a responsible attitude and calming their anger. But unfortunately, he had died “irresponsibly” in the midst of battle.
In the end, Wudang lost the most fundamental and simplest method of resolution.
Because of that, the Sect Master, who had been looking at the elders sunk in silence, opened his mouth.
“I also know there is no appropriate method. However, that does not mean we can do nothing in the current situation.”
Hearing sighs leaking out from all around, the Sect Master continued.
“The sects involved in this incident are likely in the midst of arguing over where responsibility lies. The sect masters who made the decisions will probably take responsibility and step down. Of course, it will not end with just that.”
They knew. They knew all too well, and that was why the elders still could not bring themselves to open their mouths.
Was that displeasing to him? True Martial Hall Master, evaluated as the most rough-tempered among Wudang’s elders, stepped forward.
“Since when have we lived while minding others’ opinions? Would it not suffice to simply ignore them?”
No sooner had True Martial Hall Master finished speaking than Treasury Hall Master stepped in.
“It will not be that simple. The main sect may not need to mind anyone’s opinions, but the lay disciples will not be the same.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“As True Martial Hall Master is well aware, the escort agencies, workshops, and merchant houses operated by our lay disciples are connected to the lay branches of many other sects.”
“That is nothing I am unaware of.”
“Those lay disciples of other sects who do business with ours may, because of this incident, cut off transactions or divert them elsewhere.”
At Treasury Hall Master’s explanation, True Martial Hall Master’s mouth closed.
“Hm….”
Like True Martial Hall Master muttering in contemplation, most of the elders could not hide their concern.
Naturally so—each elder had anywhere from one or two to more than ten lay disciples under them.
It was not only the elders.
Even Wudang Daoists who had not become elders but held standing equal to them were the same.
Thus, the affairs of lay disciples were not someone else’s problem.
That was why voices arose here and there saying it must not be allowed to turn out that way.
“Then how does Treasury Hall Master think this matter should be handled?”
At the Sect Master’s question, Treasury Hall Master shook his head.
“I know the problem, but there is no answer. That is our burden.”
At his reply, lamentations and sighs flowed out again from all around. From the lowest seat among the elders, Chang Myeongja—who alone attended the elders’ council as a first-generation disciple—stepped forward.
“May this junior dare to offer a word?”
All eyes turned to him, who was attending in place of the Golden Hall Master seat left vacant by the death of his master, the Taiji Sword Emperor of Wudang.
“Speak.”
With the Sect Master’s permission granted, Chang Myeongja quietly rose from his seat.
“In matters such as this, would it not be the fastest solution to go to the victim and resolve it?”
“The victim?”
“The Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
At Chang Myeongja’s words, uncomfortable dry coughs erupted from here and there.
Naturally so, since their pride and strongest master, the Taiji Sword Emperor of Wudang, had died at the hands of that Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
Not only that—though he was hateful for having caused things to turn out this way, Mujinja, an elder of their own sect, had also died by his hand.
Even so, they could not shout that it was nonsense, because the fact that they had ambushed the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult while he was visiting the Martial Alliance for talks did not change.
That did not mean their discomfort vanished, and so the elders’ gazes toward Chang Myeongja were far from approving.
Receiving those uncomfortable stares in full, Chang Myeongja continued speaking.
“If we had refused dialogue from the beginning and struck him, the justification would have been on our side. But we agreed to talks, seated him in a guest residence, and then launched an ambush. I dislike it as well, but the unjust aggressors have become us.”
“Ahem!”
Once again, uncomfortable coughs burst out from all around. They could not deny it, yet they did not wish to acknowledge it so openly.
Seeing the elders like that, Chang Myeongja smiled bitterly and spoke again.
“Therefore, if we face him and bring this matter to a close, would that not mean Wudang has fulfilled its responsibility for this incident? Though this junior lacks ability, that is how I have thought.”
“Bring the matter to a close?”
At the Sect Master’s question, Chang Myeongja bowed his head.
“Yes. Sect Master, senior uncle.”
“The Martial Alliance has an Alliance Leader and a strategist. Did it not occur to you that they would not want Wudang to take the lead?”
“They also cannot step forward right now. Too many sects have lost masters, so until they gather those opinions, they cannot rashly make peace with the Vice Cult Leader.”
“I would think the same applies to Wudang.”
“In my view, Wudang is slightly different.”
“How so?”
At the Sect Master’s question, Chang Myeongja answered.
“Because we are aggressors, and at the same time victims who lost the Taiji Sword Emperor of Wudang—my master.”
Even though the Taiji Sword Emperor of Wudang had been killed after the Martial Alliance side provoked first, that was not what mattered.
What mattered was that it had been the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult who first stepped forward to resolve the issue through dialogue.
Thus, that matter made the Taiji Sword Emperor of Wudang into a ‘victim who was not a victim.’
Understanding that context from Chang Myeongja’s words, the Sect Master looked at him steadily.