Chapter 39. Think First, Act Later (3)

Thud!

"Master!"

The door was roughly thrown open. At the same time, the light smoke that had been flowing in the room was suddenly sucked out.

Shinhui paid no attention to his rudeness or the fact that the tobacco had become particularly toxic.

"Did you hear? In Jamaru..."

"I heard."

Huff.

A deep breath mixed with thick smoke was exhaled.

Shinhui spoke urgently.

"The situation is not good. Although everyone is keeping it hushed, the fact that the Third Master went there..."

"It's a trap for me."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sure. The bastard is targeting me and trying to stir up trouble."

"How can you be so sure..."

Hongweimin did not answer. He just looked up at the ceiling with a lazy gaze.

Shinhui swallowed hard.

'He has changed.'

When did it start?

It became hard to find a smile on Master's face, who used to never lose his smile even when lightning struck right in front of him. His lazy posture reminded one of a dangerous venomous snake, and his hazy eyes were full of ambiguity.

"Should we take action?"

"Action? What kind?"

"..."

"Guangmadazhu's mouth isn't that cheap. If there had been a violent conflict, he would have been even more tight-lipped. That's the kind of person he is."

"That's true, but..."

"Of course, I can't guarantee it."

Not being able to be certain, not being able to guarantee, the possibility of it going beyond my expectations.

These were the words that the smileless Hongweimin often repeated. He had become a person who could not be sure of anything, unlike in the past.

"Even if it turns out that way, there's not much we can do. There's no need to."

"But still..."

"I would rather Guangmadazhu turned himself in."

"Excuse me?!"

This was another unexpected statement.

Hongweimin, while cleaning his pipe, said,

"Do you know what's scarier than the truth?"

"..."

"Rumors."

"..."

"If I were him, I would just cause a commotion and leave. I wouldn't give any advice to Guangmadazhu. And then..."

Hongweimin's eyes sparkled.

"I would spread the rumor when the public's curiosity reaches its peak."

"Rumor..."

"There was some kind of deal between the Fourth Master and Guangmadazhu, and it turns out that Guangmadazhu was just a puppet in the Fourth Master's hands, etc."

"..."

"The public doesn't want a boring conclusion. Even if an official truth is revealed, they will still doubt and suggest other possibilities. If the truth isn't revealed, all sorts of scandals will spread like wildfire."

Shinhui's eyes wavered.

Using the public's desires to ruin someone's reputation was a common tactic in political struggles.

But it was not easy for the person involved to realize it until they were actually affected.

"Then shouldn't we take action even more?"

Hongweimin shook his head.

"That's what I would do. But he might be different."

"But to just sit and do nothing, the matter is..."

"Don't worry. If we didn't know, it would be different, but since we already know, it's easy to cover up the rumor on our side."

"..."

"Instead, if we can figure out the source of the rumor and expose it, we can shift all the blame to them. We just need to observe how the situation develops."

Shinhui couldn't help but admire.

'Indeed, he is remarkable.'

Despite his recent increase in worries, Hongweimin's ability to see one or two steps ahead was still admirable.

"Does that mean we just wait?"

"That's not it either."

"Excuse me?"

Hongweimin stuffed purple tobacco into his pipe, lit it, and took a deep drag.

Huff.

The spreading smoke had a rather fragrant aroma, unlike the previous tobacco.

"An attack-only martial art will eventually collapse. Attack and defense must always be balanced. The same goes for politics. We must prepare while also attacking the enemy to avoid showing any weaknesses."

"..."

"But my worry is not that."

Hongweimin closed his eyes.

"How did he find out?"

"!"

"Handing over back money to Guangmadazhu was a matter known to no one. While there are no secrets in the world, it's not something that would be revealed so quickly."

"Could it be Zhenmadazhu?"

"It's definitely not him. He's the type who would never reveal something that could get him in trouble."

Hongweimin closed his eyes.

'Su Yuanzhu?'

It couldn't have leaked from the military department. If so, the most likely source of information is Huanyuan.

'Was there some kind of deal between them then?'

That would be quite surprising. Huanyuan is an organization that has traditionally stayed out of succession struggles.

'This time should be no different. Su Yuanzhu is not a fool. He would never get involved in this fight.'

If Su Lianxin gave the information to Xuliang?

'That must mean the patient he needs to save is very important to him.'

It was also surprising that Su Lianxin knew about the deal between him and Guangmadazhu. If this were true, he should never touch Su Lianxin again.

'A fox-like woman.'

At that moment,

"Master!"

Shinhui frowned at the urgent voice from outside the door.

"What is it?"

"Guangmadazhu is heading to the Criminal Law Hall!"

Shinhui, startled, looked at Hongweimin.

Hongweimin smiled.

"I'm not sure whether to call this fortunate or unfortunate."

* * *

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Currently, Guangmadazhu is under investigation at the Criminal Law Hall. The amount is quite large, but he will probably be released in three or four days."

"That's to be expected. After all, Guangmadazhu is not just anyone."

Madongfil said with a worried look.

"Will it be alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"The public will be disappointed in the Fourth Master. But it won't lead to any substantial damage, right?"

"That's right."

"Surely, the Fourth Master's side will take some action, right? They won't just sit and watch."

"That's also true."

Unlike Madongfil, Xuliang seemed quite relaxed. He leaned his chin on his hand and scratched Jinhu's cheek, looking quite lazy.

"Doesn't it worry you, Master?"

"Worry? If worrying could solve everything, I wouldn't sleep and just worry."

"That's true, but..."

"Don't worry too much. How they react isn't that important. Unless it's a situation where our heads are on the line, we can worry about it later."

In fact, Xuliang didn't pay much attention to that. While it was surprising that Guangmadazhu turned himself in, he didn't consider him a missed opportunity. It was an unexpected gain.

What he was currently worrying about was Jinhu.

'Look at this.'

Scratch, scratch.

When he scratched Jinhu's cheek, she yawned widely and rolled over. She lay down with her eyes closed, snoring softly, looking incredibly cute.

Although she had a somewhat unique appearance, she was just a little fox. Not a strange creature like the treasures in Gaozhulin, but a normal animal.

'But why was I so agitated then?'

It was natural to be angry when an animal he was raising was almost hurt, but he didn't expect to lose his cool to that extent.

'Did this little thing become so important to me?'

While it's true that emotions can develop quickly between people and animals, ...

'And what about that qi?'

A subtle vibration that even the highly sensitive Xuliang found hard to discern.

'It felt like it was connected to me...'

Xuliang shook his head.

That's impossible.

Qi is fluid, and the art of internal cultivation is about processing and retaining this fluid qi into the body as true qi.

Even among those who practice the same internal cultivation, sharing qi is difficult because the nature of qi changes with the person's mind and body.

Sharing qi with an animal, which is not even human? That's absurd.

Blink, blink.

Jinhu opened her eyes.

Her clear eyes, like black jade, reflected his face.

'But... she's definitely not an ordinary animal.'

She lived in the deepest part of Gaozhulin, where the concentration of spiritual energy was the highest. The fact that she could handle such a high concentration of spiritual energy with her underdeveloped body was impressive.

'And she would disappear without me noticing several times.'

Her hiding technique was similar to but different from the highly trained assassin's stealth. While stealth eliminates all traces, Jinhu made one not pay attention to her even while sensing her presence.

Xuliang held a piece of cooked pork in front of Jinhu's nose and shook it.

Nom!

Jinhu quickly chewed the meat.

Despite being only the size of a forearm, she could eat a whole plate of meat. It was surprising that she seemed to have a big appetite but would eat everything given to her.

"This little thing has a very full belly."

Xuliang poked Jinhu's nose and stood up.

He couldn't keep pondering something without a clear answer for long.

He decided to spend his time more efficiently.

"By the way, Dongfil, your skills have improved, haven't they?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your sword techniques have become quite refined. When you were repelling those mad dogs."

"Oh, did you see that?"

"I could feel it even without seeing. It was the Demon-Protecting Sword Technique, right?"

"Yes."

"By slowing down the speed, you eliminated any gaps and incorporated the subtleties of the heavy sword... Well done. Martial arts adapt to the person. You've adapted it well to suit you. It's a good insight."

Madongfil's face showed genuine joy. For the Master, who rarely commented on martial arts, to say such things, it was clear that he was impressed.

"Now that we're on the topic, may I ask a question?"

"Sure."

"Is this truly the right path?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Madongfil's expression became more serious.

"Martial arts that lean too much in one direction will eventually reveal their limitations. Even if they grow temporarily, I wonder if this direction is truly correct..."

"You laid the groundwork to ask a question, but you're asking a question that isn't even a question."

"Excuse me?"

Xuliang snorted.

"Isn't demonic martial arts a one-sided martial art?"

"..."

"Being one-sided means losing balance, but it also means having a clear advantage. And demonic martial arts ultimately maximize their advantages. Why do you think your sword technique is different?"

"!"

"Also, this isn't the time for you to be worrying about such things."

"You mean it's not the time to worry..."

"Change means production. Whether it's growth or decline, it has its own meaning. When you should be moving forward without hesitation, why are you worrying about such things?"

"Y-Yes, I see."

"Believe in yourself. Instead of worrying, run forward without fear. The time to worry about such things is when you've reached your limits."

While anyone could say such things, Xuliang's words resonated deeply with Madongfil.

It was the right advice at the right time. The fact that Xuliang said it casually left no lingering doubts.

Xuliang pointed to the window. Beyond the window, a spacious training ground was visible.

"But I understand your feelings. Since we're talking about it, let me see your martial arts. If there's anything to correct, I'll adjust it."

"It's an honor."

Although it was a small matter, it was a great honor. Madongfil stood up with a smile.

At that moment,

Bang! Bang!

The sound of someone knocking on the main door.

"They're from the Criminal Law Hall! Third Master, please open the door!"

Madongfil's eyes widened.

Xuliang scratched his head.

"Hmm... I didn't expect this turn of events."