Chapter 147 : Chapter 147

Chapter 147. Embers (2)

I clasped my hands in a fist salute to the man and woman and paid my respects.

“I greet the Fortress Leader and the Grand Lady.”

“Hoo. How did you know this person is my wife?”

“I thought that if there was a woman who could be with you here, Fortress Leader, it could only be the Grand Lady.”

I thought about pretending not to know, but it was too obvious, so I decided to act like I knew.

While the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader was nodding, Jo Ryeong opened her mouth with a modest attitude.

“My lord. May I ask a question too?”

“Hahaha. I brought you here for that, so don’t mind and ask.”

At the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader's answer, Jo Ryeong’s gaze turned towards me.

“I ask because you recognized me, but did you perhaps hear about me from the Third Leader?”

I wondered why she was asking such a thing, but I answered honestly for now.

“I did.”

“What did he say?”

“It was less about you, Grand Lady, and more about a plan. About what to do after this area has been organized.”

This time, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader stepped forward and asked.

“So. What did Ak say?”

An attitude of subtly prying into Hwangbo Ak’s words and actions.

I was starting to get an idea of why these two had called me.

“The Third Dragon Leader said he intended to fight against the government troops that would come later. But the Grand Lady said she intended to make a deal with them.”

“Then what are your thoughts?”

The Nine Dragons Fortress Leader's question confirmed my suspicion.

This guy was suspicious of Hwangbo Ak.

And the culprit was, of course, Jo Ryeong by his side.

No.

This was just a matter of time. Even without Jo Ryeong, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader would have undoubtedly cast out Hwangbo Ak.

There was no way a battle-hardened tiger would leave a guy who was getting stronger than him alone. Jo Ryeong had merely hastened that time.

Furthermore, our intervention seemed to have hastened it even more.

If things had flowed according to the original course, he wouldn't have cast out Hwangbo Ak at this time.

But because we came with Hwangbo Ak, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader's suspicion seemed to have grown even stronger.

I had to exercise extreme patience.

Now that I understood the situation, my lips kept twitching upwards.

Our first plan was to induce internal strife in the Nine Dragons Fortress.

But just by coming to Nine Dragons Mountain, the internal strife was being hastened.

Seeing the trashy bastards suspecting each other on their own, how could I not laugh?

Somehow managing to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out, I barely managed to open my mouth.

“To be honest, I believe we must fight the government troops.”

Of course, it was a lie.

The moment I heard it, I wondered if he was in his right mind.

Of course, I wasn't in favor of Jo Ryeong’s plan either.

My wish was for all bandits to just die.

“Heo. Is there a reason you oppose my wife's plan? There won't be any trouble, so speak your mind freely.”

“Yes. If it’s a reasonable story, I am prepared to listen.”

What kind of moron would answer honestly just because a superior said so? Unless it was a guy like Hwangbo Ak.

Of course, I thought about answering like Hwangbo Ak, but a problem came to mind later.

Giving the impression that we are on Hwangbo Ak’s side.

How would that cunning Nine Dragons Fortress Leader and Jo Ryeong react?

Would they deal with Hwangbo Ak and us at once?

No. That was unlikely.

These guys were considering a deal with the government that would come at any time.

They would want to prevent any loss of power as much as possible.

Then the simplest method was to defeat them one by one.

The leader would attack me in this very spot.

Moreover, since I had come in alone and even handed over my weapon, it would not be easy for me to face that leader alone.

In the meantime, the bandits outside would target my companions.

The pretext was simple.

They could just attach some label like a spy sent from the Righteous Path.

The foolish Hwangbo Ak would probably believe those words.

Because they were the words of the leader he trusted without a doubt.

Not even knowing that the leader was planning to kill the hound after the hunt.

Then I had to find a slightly different path.

I had to incite the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader's suspicion, but I couldn't give the impression that we were completely on Hwangbo Ak’s side.

The Nine Dragons Fortress Leader, who noticed my hesitation, said with a fierce look in his eyes.

“What are you hesitating for?”

I thought it was rather fortunate.

“I realized something strange.”

“What is it?”

“The Third Leader said that you, Fortress Leader, also intended to fight against the government. Your will must be the will of the Nine Dragons Fortress. But why are you asking me such a thing?”

I tilted my head and looked back and forth between the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader and the Grand Lady.

Acting brave but occasionally revealing a naive side.

Yes. I was going to act out the typical behavior of a young prodigy just starting out in Jianghu.

I thought it was a relief that I had returned to the past.

Just by my appearance, anyone would see me as a brat.

“Hmm. Did Ak say that?”

“To be precise, he said that dealing with the government is a thought that only cowards would have, so a magnanimous leader would naturally fight back.”

Depending on how one interpreted it, it could mean that the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader was a coward for trying to deal with the government.

To the ears of the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader, who was already suspicious of Hwangbo Ak, it would naturally sound that way.

After throwing in just enough embers, I frowned and asked the leader back.

“Am I perhaps mistaken about something?”

My lips kept twitching.

I was quite curious.

How big the embers I threw would grow.

And the reaction came faster than I had thought.

“Yes. It seems you have greatly misunderstood my intentions.”

“……What do you mean by that?”

“This Fortress Leader has no intention of fighting the government. So answer me again. Do you still intend to follow this Fortress Leader?”

I realized instinctively.

The moment I answered no here, that leader bastard would attack.

As expected, he seemed to be aiming for a one-by-one defeat.

This was not the picture I wanted.

But I couldn't just flatter him unconditionally here.

Because of the attitude I had shown so far.

So I asked the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader back.

“Before I answer, may I ask one thing?”

“Yes. What are you curious about?”

“Why are you trying to avoid a fight with the government?”

“Because it is still too early. As they say, one must endure humiliation for the sake of revenge. We must first wait until we have completely swallowed Zhejiang and built up our strength, shouldn't we?”

An answer that made him sound like the head of a warlord faction.

A sneer almost escaped, so I quickly bowed my head.

“This lowly one failed to recognize the Fortress Leader’s grand plan and seems to have committed a discourtesy!”

“Will you follow my will?”

I raised my head again and replied.

“If a man has great ambitions, shouldn't he follow a bigger picture?”

At this, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader laughed as if he were magnanimous.

“Hahaha. Good. Very good.”

But his eyes were not smiling at all.

“By the way, you said you came here with great ambitions, didn't you?”

“That is correct.”

“Hahaha. Then you must want to achieve some merit rather than just waiting around in the fortress.”

“That is what I have been waiting for. Just give the order.”

At my answer, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader revealed his yellow teeth.

“Even if it's a matter of killing someone you are close to?”

I thought of Hyeok Ilso in my mind.

Imitating the unique cold sneer he used to make, I replied to the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader.

“How can a man be bound by such personal matters?”

At this, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader said with a satisfied smile.

“Good. Then prove your skills and will. There is a spy in the fortress, kill him.”

“Who is he?”

“Hwangbo Ak. The one who brought you here.”

Thanks to the name I expected popping out, I could let out a sneer with a light heart.

After all, it would look like I was sneering at Hwangbo Ak.

But I had no intention of ending it with just killing Hwangbo Ak.

I had to make the embers bigger.

Until it became a huge forest fire that would burn down the entire Nine Dragons Fortress.

***

Having become a moron who fell for the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader’s divisive tactics, I went to find Hwangbo Ak with a confident stride.

My companions were with me.

The clueless Hwangbo Ak laughed like a moron and waved at us.

“Hahaha! Welcome!”

The Nine Dragons Fortress Leader had said.

That he would prepare evidence that Hwangbo Ak had tried to betray his mountain brothers, and that I should deal with Hwangbo Ak when the time was right.

But if I handled things so quietly, it would take time for the embers to grow.

A fire must be kindled as quickly as possible.

“You bastard Hwangbo Ak!!!!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

So that all the bandits nearby would look this way.

“How dare you collude with outsiders and try to betray your brothers!!”

Hwangbo Ak’s eyes widened.

Somehow. It was similar to the expression the Tang Clan guy often made when looking at me.

“Wh, what kind of crazy talk is that!?”

“Where did you learn such shoddy acting! I’ve already heard everything from the Fortress Leader!”

The bandits who were looking this way, wondering what the commotion was, also made similar expressions.

It was a good thing.

Because they were morons who were watching a forest fire right next to them, not even knowing that they would be caught in it.

“Hmph! I’ve already heard from the Fortress Leader and the Grand Lady! That you are inciting a fight between our fortress and the government! The Fortress Leader and the Grand Lady said!! This is a scheme to bring down the fortress by colluding with outsiders!”

At the end of every sentence, I threw in the names of the Fortress Leader and the Grand Lady.

“Also! The Fortress Leader has ordered me! To kill you! If you truly follow the Fortress Leader like a father, then give me your head!”

At that, Hwangbo Ak’s face turned bright red.

“How dare you insult not only my name but also the Fortress Leader’s name!!! I’ll beat you to a pulp today!!”

The guy rushed at me, unfolding his movement arts at full power.

They were techniques I had seen several times while dueling with this guy.

After a few instances of easily dodging or deflecting with the Moonlight Coiling Sword.

The bandits who were watching nearby began to approach one by one.

Some of them drew their weapons, but my companions blocked them.

“It’s the Fortress Leader’s order!!”

“The Fortress Leader has ordered the death of the Third Leader!!”

“I, if you’re suspicious, a, ask the Fortress Leader!!”

At my companions’ shouts, the approaching bandits began to murmur among themselves.

“Th, the Fortress Leader, the Third Leader?”

“But why?”

To help them with their reasoning, I blocked Hwangbo Ak’s iron fist and shouted.

Clang!!

“If it weren't the Fortress Leader’s order, how could I attack you in the middle of the fortress in broad daylight!!!”

At that, Hwangbo Ak’s movements, who had been throwing his iron fist like a madman, faltered.

The murmuring of the surrounding bandits grew louder.

“Did the Third Leader really betray us?”

“There’s no way the Third Leader would do that……?”

Suspicion deepens, and a few bandits fall silent with expressions of disbelief.

One by one, they were starting to notice.

That this was a kind of killing the hound after the hunt.

All those who were about to step forward to help Hwangbo Ak stopped in their tracks.

Instead, more bandits were flocking from all directions, seemingly because of the commotion here.

I shouted loudly for all of them to hear and swung my sword.

“The Fortress Leader has ordered me to bring your head!! So bring that head to me right now!!”

“Why would the Fortress Leader kill this Hwangbo Ak!!”

“How dare you defy the Fortress Leader’s order! You really are a traitor!!”

“Where is this dog-like bastard spouting such nonsense!!”

I exchanged curses with Hwangbo Ak.

Perhaps because his heart was already wavering, his movements were slightly slower than before.

Slice.

I continued the fight, creating scratch-level wounds on his body.

In the meantime, my companions also shouted loudly, fanning the embers.

“The Fortress Leader has ordered the death of the Third Leader!!”

“If you interfere, the Fortress Leader himself will punish you!!”

By now, almost all the bandits in the fortress had gathered around.

At that moment, the voice of the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader was heard from beyond the thick crowd.

“What is this commotion!!”

A murmuring sound was heard from behind, and soon the wall of people crumbled, revealing the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader.

At that, Hwangbo Ak, with his body covered in blood, quickly shouted.

“Fortress Leader!! That bastard is calling me a traitor! Did you really order my death?”

The Nine Dragons Fortress Leader flinched for a moment and looked at me.

At this, I also smirked and shouted boldly.

“Fortress Leader! Is there any need to drag out the process of dealing with a traitor! I will show you my skills and will!!”

Like a moron whose eyes had gone crazy for merit.