Not long after the official announcement of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance's founding, news arrived that the Lord of the Black Alliance had set out for the Murim Alliance.
As the Martial Void Princess had said, all the leadership, including the Lord of the Black Alliance, were gathering to hold a meeting.
Within the Murim Alliance and the Black Alliance, rumors had been circulating for some time, so those who would object had already objected, and the current atmosphere was one of resignation…
In other words, the majority who had no way of hearing the rumors or sensing the mood beforehand were puzzled.
Well, I understand. Some might not fully grasp the danger of the Demonic Cult, and there were those who considered whatever happened in the martial world to be none of their concern.
It was a type I had seen often even before the regression, so I was neither surprised nor worried.
That was only natural—people like that rarely moved on their own initiative, and were more often than not swept along by those around them.
Once this meeting concludes and I announce our plans for the future, most of them will follow along readily.
So the current atmosphere—a mix of worry and anticipation—as well as the shock over the Lord of the Black Alliance visiting the Murim Alliance's main headquarters.
From my perspective, all of it was expected, but…
"Why are you here?"
"Well, with the Young Palace Mistress sticking her head into dangerous matters, of course the North Sea Ice Palace has to be involved too. Whether to lend a hand or to try and talk her out of it."
"Ah, well, my father's health has improved, so he said he wanted to leave the Beast Palace for the first time and take a trip to the Central Plains, and I came to help him with that… I didn't expect him to come to the Murim Alliance though…"
Bing Yerin of the North Sea Ice Palace shrugs her shoulders. And Maeng Yubaek of the Centipede Sect lets out a deep sigh.
The North Sea Ice Palace and the Centipede Sect. And through the Centipede Sect, even the South Man Beast Palace has formed friendly ties with the Tang Clan, so I knew they'd lend a hand in one way or another.
But that was only as far as I'd thought it would go—they'd provide supplies, or take us in if we ultimately failed to overcome the Heavenly Demon and had to flee.
I never imagined they'd go so far as to send people directly.
That said, it made sense. The North Sea Ice Palace was recovering, but they still lacked an absolute master of their generation, leaving them with no shortage of problems.
And the South Man Beast Palace had barely gotten their Palace Lord back on his feet after he'd shaken off the aftereffects of the Poison Demon's poisoning—on top of which, their second son had crossed the line and tried to kill even Maeng Yubaek after he left the sect, so they must have had their hands full keeping their own house in order.
Yet despite all that, the North Sea Ice Palace and the South Man Beast Palace had declared their intent to join the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance and had come in person.
Bing Yerin had followed the Lord of the Northern Ice Palace, and Maeng Yubaek had followed the Beast Palace Lord.
"Well, I can only be grateful. Thank you for coming. Make yourselves comfortable while you're here. …Just—Bing Yerin, don't torment Seol Ri-hyang too much."
"That's too harsh. How could I ever torment Lady Seol? At most, I just whisper to her whenever it crosses my mind whether she might need some help with her strength."
"…Anyone watching would think a wicked Demonic Head was trying to lure a Martial Artist trapped against a wall."
Asking if I needed power.
Spiritual Medicine, martial arts, training environment, money, the position of Young Palace Mistress, and so on. If I set my mind to it, I could grasp martial might, wealth, and authority all at once, so it wasn't exactly wrong…
But I couldn't help that the phrasing sounded a bit odd.
I let out a deep sigh and looked toward Maeng Yubaek. He, for his part, was letting out sigh after sigh as well.
"Maeng Yubaek. Is something troubling you?"
"Huh? No… it's not, well, not exactly a worry. It's just… I wonder if I truly deserve to be in this position."
"Hm?"
"We've been doing well thanks to the Tang Clan's support, but… our Centipede Sect is ultimately a small and insignificant sect. Is it really alright for us to participate in such a grand gathering? Why did Father bring me, of all people…"
"A pointless worry."
"Huh?"
"You are the sect leader of the Centipede Sect, but at the same time, you are also an important trading partner of the Tang Clan and a blood relative of the Beast Palace."
"But that's not because of my own ability—it's all thanks to Chilgong. Besides, I left home long ago."
"Why is that not your ability? If Maeng Yubaek hadn't been you, Chilgong would never have willingly handed over his poison."
On its own, the poison is weak, but when mixed with other poisons, it reveals its true value—the poison of the Seven-Flower Centipede holds infinite potential from the Tang Clan's perspective.
Especially these days, as Spirit Beasts become increasingly rare, it is all the more precious.
Even if Tang Jincheon and Tang So-wol possessed the bodies of Poison Humans, capable of producing poison within their own bodies and combining it as needed.
In the end, they were only two people. Whether it was to strengthen the power of the entire clan, or to research new poisons that even Tang Jincheon and Tang So-wol hadn't thought of.
The value of the Seven-Flower Centipede and the Centipede Gate where that creature resided could only rise.
Why else would the Tang Clan have provided so much support for the Centipede Gate's settlement in the first place?
It was partly because of my request, but fundamentally, it was because they expected to gain more than the amount they invested.
"Besides, you might think you've drawn a line between yourself and the clan to some extent… but the Beast Palace Lord still considers you her daughter."
"Still, officially…"
"Official positions don't matter. What matters is that the Beast Palace Lord thinks that way, and that others think the same."
"…What?"
"At this meeting, the Centipede Sect will have more say than you think. I'm telling you not to lose heart. Just as you did in front of me."
"…"
After a moment of thought, Maeng Yu-baek nodded with a serious expression.
"Thank you, White Moon Sword Lord-nim. I suppose I came to such a big gathering that I momentarily forgot my position as sect leader."
"Good to hear. Ah, speaking of which—about that matter I mentioned last time… how did it go?"
"Hmm. Which research do you mean? I'm working with the Tang Clan on more than one project, so…"
"What else? That one. The medicine that Tang So-wol is personally working on, and that Seomun Hwa-rin is waiting for."
"???"
Maeng Yu-baek tilted her head in confusion. I sent a Voice Transmission so that only she could hear it.
"It's about that medicine, the Wind Flow Pill or whatever it's called. Last time I saw Senior Seomun Hwa-rin looking forward to it quite a bit."
"Ah!"
As if she had finally realized what I meant, Maeng Yu-baek's eyes went wide. She glanced sideways at Bing Yerin beside her, then cautiously approached me.
And instead of using her somewhat clumsy Voice Transmission, she whispered in a small voice.
"If you could give me just a little more time and budget…"
"What?"
She looked at me as if I were absurd for saying I didn't know about time but thought the budget was plenty, then hastily added an explanation.
"The effects are certain, but the side effects are just as certain."
"Side effects?"
"…They come out."
"What comes out?"
"Baby food comes out."
"…"
My mind raced for a moment. After pondering for a long while whether this could really be called a side effect, I reluctantly nodded.
Then there's no helping it.
"Thank you! B-but once this business with the Demonic Cult is over, I'll be able to focus only on this, so it'll be finished soon!"
"Is that so."
I now had one more reason to win.
***
The unexpected, active help from the North Sea Ice Palace and the South Man Beast Palace. Honestly, I felt a little proud that my deeds so far had come back to me like this.
Unfortunately, my schedule didn't align with the Palace Lord of the Ice Palace or the Palace Lord of the Beast Palace, so I met Bing Yerin and Maeng Yu-baek first, but…
Well. Even if it was late, I'd be able to see them after the assembly began.
"More than that, this proves it. I am a martial artist of the Orthodox Sects, and the righteous deeds I've performed over the past few years have come full circle to be rewarded."
"…Ah. Y-yes."
After finishing the day's schedule, I went to the Enchanting Witch's residence and told her about what had happened today, only to receive a rather lukewarm response.
A reaction that was lacking to the point of being almost nonexistent. So, tilting my head to the side, I said.
"Clap."
"W-wow! Amazing, White Moon Sword Lord! As expected, the hope of the Orthodox Sects! A living conscience! And the one who will take responsibility for my old age…!"
"Hm? Isn't this already your old age?"
"Kkeuk! I-I mean the time after I get even older than this… Hureop!"
A rare moment of Hwanhwan Witch getting flustered. It was the reaction of someone who had made a mistake—a mix of dissatisfaction and fright.
She clamped her mouth shut with her palm and cautiously glanced at me, and I let out a small chuckle.
"It was a joke, so relax your face."
"U-uh… It was only the old-age part that was a joke, right? Not the responsibility part?"
"Who knows. I suppose we'll find out when your old age arrives."
"It's not easy to admit that I've grown old myself…"
I held back the urge to say that she was the one who kept bringing up age. Teasing Hwhehwan Witch wasn't the main point.
"Anyway, there's something I'd like you to take a look at. Would that be alright?"
"Huh? What is that… why are you reaching into your waistband? What on earth are you trying to show me…!"
The Hwhehwan Witch covered her face with both hands. But if you looked closely, she was slyly pushing aside her drooping bangs with her fingers, and between her deliberately parted fingers, sparkling eyes were visible.
I shook my head at the sight of the Hwhehwan Witch like that.
"I don't know what kind of lewd thoughts you're having, but I doubt it'll live up to your expectations. Here, take it."
"This is…?"
She looked at the small piece of mirror I pulled from my pouch with a puzzled expression, but only for a moment. The Hwhehwan Witch's eyes narrowed, and then she asked again in a serious voice.
"It's beyond the level of an ordinary artifact. This is a divine object. I thought it had lost all its power or was broken… no, seeing that this is a fragment, it is broken. Where on earth did you get something like this?"
"Where else? The Imperial Court. They say it's a fragment of a mirror called the Ilwolgyeong."
"Surely Not—you robbed the Imperial Court's secret vault…!"
"This is why I can't stand you Unorthodox Sects lot. I received it from the Martial Arts Princess."
"Did you receive it by pressing a sword to her throat?"
"I only used words."
"So you threatened her with words!"
"Until the sword is drawn, it's a negotiation. Ah, but this time I didn't even need to negotiate—the moment I brought it up, she said she'd lend it to me."
"Just how much have you been terrorizing her on a daily basis…"
The Hwhehwan Witch had been spouting nonsense since a moment ago. I took the mirror fragment back from her hands and put it into my pouch.
"I just asked politely. Sure, I flicked her forehead a bit hard, but that was only after she lent me the mirror fragment… what the hell. Where are you putting your hand?!"
She was trying to snatch the mirror fragment back out of my pouch. The Hwhehwan Witch was rummaging through my waistband as naturally as could be.
I tried to push her away, but she just plopped down on the ground and hugged one of my legs tightly, refusing to budge.
"It's the White Moon Sword Lord who's in the wrong here, showing off a sacred relic like this and then taking it back! Show me more! Let me study it! And while you're at it, fund my research too!"
"Hey! Let go! You're going to pull my pants down! And haven't I given you enough funding already?"
"If you can't spare any more Gold Coins, then I'll take some of the White Moon Sword Lord's time instead…"
After barely shaking off the whining Hwhehwan Witch, I grabbed her ear and yanked it hard.
Squelch.
"Eeek!"
The Hwhehwan Witch wiggled her hips but absolutely refused to let go of the leg she was clinging to.
Whenever I looked at Seomun Hwa-rin or the Hwhehwan Witch, I couldn't help but think that people really do regress as they age…
"I'll give it back to you, so just calm down…"
"Eek! The fact that you brought such a precious thing just for me means the White Moon Sword Lord likes me too! So why are you being so mean to me?!"
"?"
She's crossing the line.
I lifted my leg with the Hwhehwan Witch still hanging from it. Then, as if executing a footwork, I thrashed through the air with all my strength.
"Ugh! Ack. Hic. Guueeek…"
The Hwaehwan Witch let out a series of strange sounds, eventually even dry-heaving from the dizziness.
Seeing the Hwaehwan Witch forcibly subdued put my mind at ease.
"Just listen. Can you use the power of the Ilwolgyeong fragment to prevent the Demonic Cult's sorcery, or a possible assassination attempt by the Slaughter King in the future? At the very least, if we could have learned the purpose of this incident…"
"We'll have to try to find out about the former, but I did find out why the Demonic Cult sent the Slaughter King…"
"Oh? How, exactly?"
"Geehee… Thanks to the White Moon Sword Lord, they seemed to think they could win even without me. So instead of fighting, I secretly opened the mind of the dying eunuch…"
"What."
"When in my life would I ever get to rummage through the head of the leader of the Eastern Chang Sect… Heehee."
"…"
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Right. This is the Demonic Head of an evil Unorthodox Sect.
Compared to this, I'm a perfectly courteous Martial Artist of the Orthodox Sects.
…Probably.