Heavenly Inquisition Sword

Chapter 317: Is It Like the Tip of a Spear or Like a Bamboo Leaf?

Jegal Seun, the leader of the Sage of Heaven and Earth, noticed something crucial through the hesitant attitude of Yang Soran, the representative of the Yoomyung Cult. Just like the Sage of Heaven and Earth, the Yoomyung Cult also desired to end the war.

With the predetermined outcome of ending the war, an intense battle of nerves began between both negotiation teams.

Yang Soran sat back down in front of Jegal Seun. Both stared directly into each other’s eyes without saying a word.

The prolonged silence from Jegal Seun prompted Yang Soran to speak with a look of disdain.

“Are you holding back someone who wants to leave without saying a word?”

“Lady Yang, you know as well as I do the pride and stubbornness of the Great Sects and Prestigious Families. It’s not just about opposing the Yoomyung Cult; it’s about not being able to accept a hundred-year restriction.”

“If this continues, the Great Sects and Prestigious Families will face annihilation. We’re not asking them to close their doors, just not to confront the Yoomyung Cult. Does rejecting that mean they want to continue the war?”

“Ha, ha, of course not. But think about this: in the Jianghu, families often fight among themselves. It’s not easy to decide whether to fight or not, especially for a hundred years. Can the Yoomyung Cult promise not to oppose the Great Sects and Families for a hundred years?”

Jegal Seun’s counter-proposal made Yang Soran sneer.

“Ha! Our sect has never attacked first, whether it be righteous sects or evil sects. Have you forgotten? Thirty years ago, it was the same; this time as well, the Justice Alliance attacked first.”

“…”

Jegal Seun was speechless for a moment. He tried to put himself in the other’s shoes but failed to achieve his goal.

Yang Soran spoke coldly.

“We cannot reduce a single day of those hundred years. Decide.”

“Life is uncertain; we cannot promise a hundred years.”

Jegal Seun remained firm. There was no reason to concede when the Yoomyung Cult also desired the end of the war.

“Should I interpret this as a desire to continue the war?”

Yang Soran’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. Depending on the response, there could be bloodshed. The five Demon Warriors beside her also emitted a killing aura.

‘Gulp!’

Han Baek-sang, Leader of the Byeokgeom Sect, swallowed hard. If the negotiations failed, the negotiation team would be annihilated. Although he had the Leaders of the Gong Family and the Peng Family by his side, they were facing the Demon Warriors.

‘I should never have come. I shouldn’t have joined this team…’

He now regretted accepting Jegal Seun’s proposal. If he had known it would be this dangerous, he would have refused.

He glanced sideways at Ma Gon, Leader of the Seungcheon Sect. Ma Gon also had a pale face.

‘Ah, caterpillars must eat pine needles to survive…’

Blinded by the power in Namjikrye, he was now in a deadly situation. Han Baek-sang lamented his own stupidity as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

Meanwhile, Jegal Seun knew the time had come for a decisive confrontation.

‘Is it serious? Or just an empty threat?’

If that murderous intent was real, the negotiation team would die right there. But if it was just a threat, the situation would change. If they managed to overcome it, the negotiation team would gain great merit.

Jegal Seun endured Yang Soran’s killing aura as he deliberated. It was the first time since the war with the Yoomyung Cult began that he faced a life-or-death situation.

He glanced sideways at Gong Son-il, Leader of the Gong Family, and Peng Manho, Leader of the Peng Family. Both were visibly tense.

‘Keeping calm in front of the Demon Warriors is not easy… What to do?’

He knew the negotiations would be difficult. The Great Sects and Prestigious Families had to decide whether to submit to the Yoomyung Cult for a hundred years or not. The Yoomyung Cult did not want to let this opportunity pass either.

‘Is there no way to satisfy both sides?’

Jegal Seun sought a compromise. The Jegal Family, being a small military sect, had more freedom than the Great Sects and Families. But there was no easy solution. The sects wouldn’t accept a single day of submission. They hoped the negotiations would eliminate the Yoomyung Cult’s conditions.

Jegal Seun knew that if he didn’t resolve this, the Jegal Family would lose its position. Although Jegal Seun’s silence prolonged, Yang Soran did not press further. Finally, Jegal Seun spoke.

“The Sage of Heaven and Earth does not desire war.”

Yang Soran gave a slight smile. It seemed that Maehwa’s wish to end the war would come true.

“But we cannot accept the condition of not opposing the Yoomyung Cult for a hundred years.”

“What? Is that all you have to say? If not, then there’s only war.”

Yang Soran, unable to contain her anger, shouted. The more exasperated she became, the calmer Jegal Seun felt.

‘So it was just an empty threat.’

Yang Soran was using words, not swords. Although the killing aura persisted, Jegal Seun interpreted it as an intimidation tactic.

‘Let her talk as much as she wants. Barking dogs don’t bite.’

Jegal Seun listened to Yang Soran’s words without taking them seriously.

‘What could have happened to the Yoomyung Cult for them to want to end the war?’

If he knew the reason, he might find a way out.

After her torrent of words, Yang Soran stood up.

“I’m tired of repeating the same thing. Tell them clearly that if the Great Sects and Families don’t change their minds, the war will continue.”

With those words, Yang Soran and the Demon Warriors left the restaurant.

Han Baek-sang and Ma Gon, who had been standing, collapsed into their chairs, drenched in sweat. Jegal Seun, Gong Son-il, and Peng Manho sat in silence.

Gong Son-il was the first to speak.

“It’s strange. I thought they would kill us, but they left so quietly.”

Jegal Seun responded calmly.

“Just like us, they also want to end the war.”

“Why stop a fight they’re winning?”

“I don’t know. If we knew, we could negotiate from a stronger position.”

Peng Manho, with an expression of disbelief, asked:

“Do you really believe that?”

Gong Son-il, known for his cunning in strategy, responded first.

“The Demon Warriors are known for their cruelty. If they wanted war, they would have attacked us when we rejected their proposal. But, although they raised their voices, they didn’t attack. It’s clear they also want the war to end.”

“That’s right. Yang Soran knows we’ve noticed. In the next negotiation, they might present a different condition.”

“A different condition?”

Peng Manho frowned. They couldn’t accept the hundred years, and now they were talking about another condition.

“They rejected us this time, so they’ll propose something else. After all, it’s their victory in thirty years. They won’t want to let it go easily.”

“What condition will they propose?”

“I don’t know. We’ll have to think about it.”

Jegal Seun didn’t give a concrete answer. He planned to send spies to negotiate in secret. Since they had lost, they had to concede something.

‘I must make sure that what I concede is what matters least to me.’

The advantage of negotiating in secret is that he could offer what he wanted to discard. Anything, as long as it was something they could do without.

The first round of negotiations ended in failure. The negotiation team reported the details of the meeting with the Yoomyung Cult. The bodyguards also divulged what happened, and the leaders of the sects knew that the negotiations were not going well and that the negotiation team was risking their lives.

Although the negotiation failed, the negotiation team’s position was considerably strengthened.

—————–

In this context, Namgung Yeon visited the leader of the Sage of Heaven and Earth, the Great Swordmaster Mu Geuk. It was on a sunny afternoon, a day before the second round of negotiations.

“Lately, I’ve taken a liking to drinking Gun San Eun Jin tea,” said the Great Swordmaster Mu Geuk as he poured hot water into Namgung Yeon’s cup.

The tea leaves floating on the surface began to slowly sink.

“The tea seems like a spearhead, doesn’t it? Or perhaps a bamboo leaf. What do you think? Does it resemble more the tip of a spear or a bamboo leaf?”

Looking into the cup, Namgung Yeon raised her head. The Great Swordmaster Mu Geuk was looking at her with meaningful eyes. Seeing the deep gaze of the leader, Namgung Yeon understood immediately.

‘Did he know what Jegal Seun did?’

Of course, everything in the Sage of Heaven and Earth was under the leader’s control. If he didn’t know, that would be more strange. If Jegal Seun had ten spies, the leader had a hundred.

When the tea leaves settled, Namgung Yeon took the cup. Although the aroma was clear, her heart was heavy.

“Did you give me this tea for any special reason?”

“You’re perceptive. With disciples like you, the future of the Jianghu is bright.”

“Please, tell me directly.”

“Look at the tea leaves. They seem like a spearhead, right? But they also resemble a bamboo leaf. Before, I was as sharp as a spear. I broke everything that didn’t match my will.”

“And now it’s not like that anymore?”

Namgung Yeon gave a bitter smile. It was strange to hear a righteous man speak of his past sharpness as something he left behind.

“Rather, I’ve learned to be patient and wait.”

“Patient and wait?”

“You surely know bamboo well, don’t you?”

Namgung Yeon didn’t respond. When a bamboo seed is planted, it takes three years to sprout. Even after that, it spends another two years spreading its underground roots. Only after five years does it grow rapidly, up to a meter per day.

The Great Swordmaster Mu Geuk wanted to compare himself to bamboo.

“The Sage of Heaven and Earth is less than a year old. It’s in danger of being cut down before it takes root.”

“What kind of roots do you want to plant in the Jianghu?”

Namgung Yeon placed documents related to Jegal Seun on the table. The Great Swordmaster Mu Geuk’s gaze briefly fell on them. For a moment, his eyes trembled. His past of unyielding to injustice touched his conscience, if only for an instant.

But he quickly shook his head. The fate of the Sage of Heaven and Earth and the future alliance of righteous sects depended on those negotiations. Jegal Seun was crucial. He couldn’t dispose of him for a mere offense.

No, even if the offense was serious, they needed to keep him for now. Exposing the flaws of the Great Strategist at a time when the righteous sects were united was unthinkable.

‘I can’t dismiss Jegal Seun for simply robbing and killing two bandits.’

The Great Sects and Prestigious Families would rise in arms. Even the Sword Emperor, Namgung Byeok, wouldn’t be pleased. But he couldn’t ignore the issue raised by the Incomparable Among Ten either.

After some reflection, the Great Swordmaster Mu Geuk spoke.

“I will consult with the Sword Emperor, and we will make a decision. Does that sound acceptable to you?”