Chapter 350

Tang Gui-ok said.

“How about using a shield?”

“That won’t work either.”

“The Righteous Alliance and Taoist Haewol’s Yangtze River Sword Sect still remain. Shandong Unorthodox Sects and Northern Heaven’s cliques are also worth using. If rear safety isn’t secured, Shaolin Temple won’t rashly advance either. If we can tie down their feet even temporarily, I’d consider it a success.”

“It won’t be easy since our relationship with Indestructible Heavenly Sword has soured midway… They probably want us to disappear.”

Tang Gui-ok smiled and said.

“For us, we just need to buy time anyway. Since Shaolin Temple’s Breaking Sect has stepped forward, it will be difficult for them to refuse the hand we extend.”

“Right. Distance-wise, they’ll be hit before us. But naturally they won’t obediently follow our words. Rather, we’re the ones in a hurry. When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold – if they’re defeated too quickly, we’ll be next.”

Tang Qing suddenly struck the table and laughed with his mouth stretched wide.

“That’s it! I’ve got a good idea!”

Tang Qing excitedly swept away the chess pieces on the table and brought out paper, brush, and ink.

“I’ll send envoys immediately! To the Righteous Alliance and Yangtze River Sword Sect! And to others too!”

Tang Gui-ok exclaimed and clapped.

“What content will you send the envoys with?”

“Naturally I should convey the intention to join hands. An alliance would be about right.”

Suddenly having a fun thought, Tang Qing laughed.

“Hehehe! Right, right… And I’ll also send an envoy to Shaolin Temple in the name of me, King of Hell!”

“What? To Shaolin Temple too?”

After thinking briefly, Tang Gui-ok smiled.

“That would be quite interesting. While Shaolin Temple hesitates after receiving the envoy, it could give the Righteous Alliance and Yangtze River Sword Sect time to move.”

“Originally Shaolin Temple aren’t the type to drag out time just because they receive my envoy. But the Righteous Alliance and Yangtze River Sword Sect will make up for what’s lacking.”

“Oh. Would that be possible?”

“What do you think will happen when Shaolin Temple learns that I sent envoys to the Righteous Alliance and Yangtze River Sword Sect asking to join hands?”

“They’ll naturally suspect the true intentions.”

“That’s what’s fun! The Righteous Alliance and Yangtze River Sword Sect guys aren’t ones to be easily defeated by me either. They’ll rack their brains trying to somehow use the fact that we sent envoys.”

“Will those two move as well as brother wants?”

“The Righteous Alliance has Mang Ryo. Though his temperament is damn annoying, he understands my intentions well. He’ll definitely make this work. Maybe he’ll do even more than I want.”

“What about nephew-in-law?”

“Ah, I should give him work too. Since his wife is eating our food, he should earn his keep.”

Tang Qing’s eyes gleamed.

“The conclusion is simple, but when greed gets involved, problems inevitably become complicated. I guarantee that Shaolin Temple will find it hard to distinguish what’s true!”

Tang Gui-ok narrowed her eyes and smiled.

“Hehehe. I’m very much looking forward to what will happen, brother.”

“Hehehe! Of course, feel free to look forward to it. This matter will be a move that stakes our family’s fate before the great undertaking.”

* * *

Tang Qing didn’t delay. At the maximum speed Tang family could produce, he dispatched urgent envoys to the Righteous Alliance’s Baek Li-jung and the Namgung family, representing Yangtze River Sword Sect.

He sent a separate envoy to Wudang Sect. Wudang Sect wasn’t just a simple sect – even excluding Taoist Haewol, its very existence was already one pillar of the martial world alongside Shaolin Temple. Though being such a large sect would take time to make decisions, if rumors spread that Wudang Sect was moving, even nearby Shaolin Temple could feel burdened.

He even sent people to Shandong Unorthodox Sects under Dan Ryeong-gyeong, who were like enemies, and several neutral sects.

But surprisingly, the envoys weren’t properly delivered to everyone.

That was because…

An envoy sent to one neutral sect was attacked by unknown people along the way, exposing the letter’s contents.

The letter contents revealed to the martial world were as follows:

My longtime friends of Tang family!

At this time, the martial world’s righteousness has disappeared and orthodox spirit has fallen to the ground.

As Sichuan’s longtime established power, I failed to prevent such events beforehand, and inevitably my family also quarreled with friends and showed greed, leading to this situation – truly a matter of endless regret!

However, shouldn’t we correct what’s wrong and ensure reflection when there are shortcomings?

Shaolin Temple seeks to massacre countless people under the pretext of establishing righteous law. They’re revealing their wicked ambition to seize the martial world.

Embracing Sect. Breaking Sect.

Though the two sects differ, isn’t the first duty of those who became monks to help the masses reach the other shore, and the second to have altruistic hearts that save the secular masses!

Nevertheless, today’s Shaolin Temple has already forgotten its duty as a temple and only runs wild with eyes darkened by slaughter.

Thinking of the martial world that will soon be covered with corpses and blood, I cannot help but feel truly worried and heartbroken.

Feeling a trace of responsibility as a member of the martial world, how can I just stand by and watch?

Though Sichuan is far from Mount Song, if we stand by and watch, our family will eventually face a situation where lips disappear and teeth grow cold.

Taking up the brush as one who has placed his will on the sword’s edge is to break those blood monks’ ambition and raise orthodox spirit in the martial world once again.

Let us temporarily forget past unpleasant matters between us, and for the great cause, build friendship like Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya to fight against great evils – this comes from a pure heart.

Therefore, even at some loss, I wish to share our family’s strength with friends to the maximum.

Please don’t make the foolish choice of draining the pond for fish, blinded by immediate gains.

After losing the big while trying to gain the small, it becomes irreversible, so I hope and hope again that you won’t commit the folly of using pearls to shoot sparrows.

The letter’s contents were enough to turn the martial world upside down.

This was a direct declaration of war against Shaolin Temple. No matter how you looked at it, it meant to build a united front and attack Shaolin Temple.

Therefore, those who received this letter from Tang Qing became troubled.

Baek Li-jung called Mang Ryo and Sim Hak.

“What do you think of Tang family’s proposal this time?”

Sim Hak was already racking his brains over Tang Qing’s letter.

Just until yesterday, they had been discussing whether to join hands with Tang family or not. But with the letter’s contents revealed, the situation instantly entered a different phase.

Sim Hak even spat saliva in his excitement.

“Th-this, stupid! How could King of Hell handle affairs like this? Exposing such top-secret letters puts us in a position where… ugh! This is a complete checkmate!”

Baek Li-jung looked at Mang Ryo. Though Mang Ryo had been busy with Cherry Blossom Corps affairs, this situation was too urgent for him not to return.

Mang Ryo said.

“Actually, Shaolin Temple stumbled over a stone while attacking Physician Bell Healers, but Breaking Sect’s advance became known to all under heaven through other matters. Anyway, now that the letter’s contents are revealed, we can’t just keep our mouths shut and pretend ignorance.”

“Right.”

If the letter had been delivered secretly, in the worst case they could have just sent the envoy back and made no response. But because the contents were revealed, now Baek Li-jung was forced to choose one of two options.

Either announce joining hands with Tang family and openly become enemies with Shaolin Temple, or announce refusal and try not to displease Shaolin Temple.

Baek Li-jung’s gaze deepened.

“Once Shaolin Temple sets a path, they definitely move regardless of how the martial world responds. Those to be killed and spared have probably already been decided internally.”

The Righteous Alliance might or might not be Shaolin Temple’s target. If they were targets, Shaolin Temple’s actions wouldn’t change regardless of what choice Baek Li-jung made.

But if the Righteous Alliance wasn’t Shaolin Temple’s target, it would be problematic.

Shaolin Temple wouldn’t leave the Righteous Alliance alone if it turned hostile.

“King of Hell. Clinging to us to the very end.”

Baek Li-jung’s gaze wavered. As emotions surged, his body felt hunger.

Baek Li-jung reached to the side. Plucked raw chickens and chunks of meat were piled on a small table.

Baek Li-jung tore a raw chicken in half and chewed it bones and all.

Crunch crunch, crack crack.

Mang Ryo watched this scene impassively while Sim Hak forced a smile and pretended nothing was wrong.

Mang Ryo said.

“There’s one method.”

“Speak.”

“Show minimal sincerity to both sides.”

Baek Li-jung paused while chewing the raw chicken’s ribs.

“What do you mean?”

“This is a one-way path. There’s no way to escape. But just because there’s a path doesn’t mean we need to rush. Send people to Shaolin Temple and Sichuan.”

“To assess the situation?”

“Send people to both sides to gauge the atmosphere, appropriately cater to their tastes, then decide later. If by chance secret deals are possible, that would be good too. It would be fine to join hands with King of Hell for the time being.”

Sim Hak spat as he argued.

“What if we line up with King of Hell and things go wrong, provoking Shaolin Temple’s anger!”

“That’s why I’m saying to do it secretly behind the scenes. Since no one would know, if things go wrong later, we can break it off anytime, right?”

“What kind of absurd talk is that… You’re saying to make promises and abandon them?”

But Baek Li-jung seemed to somewhat agree with Mang Ryo’s words.

“What can we gain?”

“Sichuan has little immediate damage. But someday they’ll have to fight Shaolin monks. You can tell from their use of the phrase ‘when lips are gone, teeth grow cold.’ So borrow Tang family’s military power as the letter said.”

“What must we give?”

“Hmm, with Physician Bell Healers’ destruction, Tang family’s connections in Henan were severed. They lost the intelligence network to monitor Shaolin Temple’s movements. If we pretend to take on that role, wouldn’t that work?”

“Hmm.”

“Use them as much as possible then abandon them. Shaolin Temple was a wall we’d eventually have to overcome to seize the world. Use Tang family’s power to strike Shaolin Temple.”

Sim Hak looked dumbfounded.

“What? Using others to kill with a borrowed knife? Would King of Hell be so easily fooled?”

Mang Ryo raised his finger, waved it left and right, and smiled.

“Shaolin Temple attacking Physician Bell Healers already means they’ve targeted Tang family. Tang family must be so anxious they sent such a letter and had a delivery accident. And how could we use Tang family to kill Shaolin Temple with a borrowed knife? Just causing mutual attrition through a war of wheels would be appropriate.”

Mang Ryo went to Baek Li-jung and picked up half the raw chicken Baek Li-jung had torn and left, eating it together.

“Sword Pavilion Lord. The Righteous Alliance has already devoured half the Martial Alliance. Now the world is not far off. There’s no need to be bound by useless illusions like conscience or promises.”

“There’s a misunderstanding.”

“Hmm? Am I misunderstanding something?”

Baek Li-jung’s mouth stretched long as a murderous smile formed.

“Who said I’m bound by a few useless words like conscience or promises?”

* * *

Runan, Henan Province.

Jin Ja-gang and Woon-jeong were staying temporarily at a village inn to assess Shaolin Temple and the martial world’s movements.

But Tang family’s person came looking for them there.

There was no killing intent, no hostility, nothing. The messenger simply delivered King of Hell’s personal letter wrapped in high-quality silk to Jin Ja-gang.

“Please deliver this to Shaolin Temple.”

“To Shaolin Temple!”

Woon-jeong was startled and looked worriedly at Jin Ja-gang and King of Hell’s personal letter.

News that Tang family’s letter had been robbed had already reached even here in Henan. It was also widely known that Tang family had raised a banner against Shaolin Temple.

In the midst of this, and especially having Jin Ja-gang, who wasn’t on good terms with Shaolin Temple due to the Physician Bell Healers incident, deliver a personal letter to Shaolin Temple!

“Poison Dragon. This doesn’t seem right. Absolutely not. Even with life-lock protection, we can’t guarantee safety.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at the messenger as if asking what would happen if he didn’t accept the letter.

Then the messenger said to Jin Ja-gang.

“His lordship said, ‘Earn your keep.'”

It was a threat with no room for misunderstanding, enough to make even Woon-jeong panic.

“What do you mean earn his keep…”

“He’s talking about my wife.”

“Ugh. That’s so petty!”

Though Woon-jeong glared at the messenger, the messenger’s expression didn’t budge.

Jin Ja-gang broke the letter’s seal.

“Let’s check the contents first.”

For Jin Ja-gang to read a letter meant for Shaolin Temple was almost taboo under normal circumstances.

So Woon-jeong looked at the messenger wondering if it was okay, but the messenger didn’t comment on it.

“My task is only to deliver. What happens after is up to young hero.”

The messenger politely bowed and left.

Jin Ja-gang’s expression darkened after opening and reading the letter’s contents. Woon-jeong crouched his whole body in tension and peeked at the letter’s contents from behind Jin Ja-gang’s back.

He glimpsed characters inside.

“Surrender…”

Woon-jeong blinked.

“Ahhhhh!”

Woon-jeong fell backward in shock.

“Are they using Poison Dragon to declare surrender to Shaolin Temple? This is completely sending you to pick a fight! If you go with this, Poison Dragon won’t come out of Shaolin Temple alive!”

“That’s not it.”

Woon-jeong jumped up, clenched both fists, and shouted.

“What do you mean it’s not? I saw everything. It says surrender right there!”

But Jin Ja-gang looked back at Woon-jeong with a strange expression and said.

“It’s the opposite. It’s content about Tang family surrendering to Shaolin Temple.”

Woon-jeong froze half-standing.

“…What?”