Book 14 Chapter 17

Sun Hall, Moon Hall

- Accommodation Assignment

"Well then, everyone, return to your accommodations and rest comfortably!"

People stared with blank eyes as Hyeokjung descended from the stage with a brisk pace uncharacteristic of his age.

As he stepped off the stage, a rule-enforcer named Mukseon Obong, with five black stripes on his left sleeve, stepped forward. Then, in a low voice that everyone could clearly hear, he said,

"Now that the official Mount Hua Treaty Council has begun, you will end your stay in the temporary accommodations and move to your assigned permanent lodgings!"

Until now, those from righteous sects had stayed with other righteous sect members, and those from dark paths had stayed with other dark path members in temporary accommodations. These were, in fact, not meant for participants but for distinguished guests during the Mount Hua Treaty Council.

"Men will stay in the red building you see there, Sun Hall, and women in the blue building next to it, Moon Hall. They are very easy to distinguish, so there will be no confusion."

Both buildings had very peculiar names.

All eyes turned to the buildings. Judging by their colors and shapes, they appeared to be recently constructed.

"These buildings were 'specially' newly built for this centennial Mount Hua Treaty Council! Everything is new, so you should have no inconvenience staying here."

The friendly explanation of the rule-enforcer followed. It was a very simple explanation.

'Just because they're newly built doesn't guarantee there won't be any inconveniences.'

In fact, newer buildings were more likely to have various minor issues. However, Biryu Yeon did not dwell on this fact.

"How will the room assignments be handled?"

Jang Hong raised his hand and asked.

"There's no need."

The rule-enforcer Mukseon Obong's resolute and clear answer came back.

"What? Why is that?"

"You will understand the reason once you go inside. Now, everyone, please move!"

Following the rule-enforcer's instructions, people returned to their temporary accommodations and began packing their belongings.

At this point, no one had given much thought to what those two permanent accommodations would be like. Everyone was under the complacent notion that accommodations were simply places to sleep and rest.

Rumble.

As dozens of people moved simultaneously according to the rule-enforcer's instructions, there was one person standing still in a corner, their cold eyes glinting.

"An interesting idea! But will it work out as well as they think?"

Daegongja Bi, who had been watching silently, murmured in a quiet voice. However, no one around understood the true meaning of his words.

"Please rest comfortably."

The rule-enforcer in charge of guidance said only that and then disappeared, leaving them behind. The dozens of male participants, thrown into an unexpected situation, could not help but be bewildered.

As the rule-enforcer's shadow and footsteps faded away toward the other end of the building, Nohak grumbled with a frown.

"Rest comfortably?"

Was that even a reasonable thing to say? Nohak felt like unleashing a torrent of curses. Most others were in a similar state of mind.

"How can they smile and tell us to rest comfortably after shoving us into such a damned situation?"

It wasn't because the lodgings were dilapidated, leaked, or seemed like they would blow away in the wind. The problem was that the enemies they detested were right next to them, in the same building and even the same room. That fact made their mental state uneasy.

"W-what is this!"

"Unbelievable!"

"This is a scam, a scam!"

"Did they get us?"

It was a peculiar bedroom, rarely seen in the Central Plains. In the center, a passage about six feet wide was paved with stone for people to walk through, and long wooden benches were placed on either side. Thirty futons were neatly arranged on top of them. Behind the neatly folded futons, there were cabinets for personal belongings.

Thirty on one side, totaling sixty people to stay at once, the accommodation was designed. The entire building was made into one large room. There were no partitions or even basic things like curtains to block others' gazes.

But that was bearable. Perhaps they lacked the funds. However, another aspect was truly unbearable.

"The old folks put a lot of thought into this."

Looking around the vast communal lodging, Sun Hall, Biryu Yeon could instantly grasp the sly intentions contained within. The method was quite rough, but it was certainly a way to inflict a strong shock. Or it could turn them into sworn enemies. It was an extremely drastic measure.

The people erupted in anger and irritation because they realized from this point on, they would all have to live together, everyone from the dark and righteous paths. They were all crammed into one place, regardless of their background or affiliation.

"Why do we have to live with those scoundrels?"

Someone from Cheonmu Academy shouted.

"To share the same space with these meek types… I worry I'll get so tired my body feels like cotton."

Then, someone from Machaengak retorted.

"Who are you calling meek! It's so annoying to have to live with those scoundrels! What makes you think we can live with them?"

Harsh words erupted again from the Cheonmu Academy side. And this time, they carried quite extreme implications.

"With those heretics who might slit our throats while we sleep!"

It was inevitable that dissatisfaction would erupt. Discord and fights were already a foregone conclusion.

"Wow, the atmosphere is great."

While everyone else exuded the feeling of a storm brewing, Biryu Yeon spoke in a cheerful and refreshing voice.

"Ahhh! Shall I try to get some sleep then!"

Biryu Yeon stretched widely.

"Can you even sleep in a situation like this?"

Hyoryong asked, finding it very strange.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You've still got a long way to go!"

Biryu Yeon waved his right index finger in front of Hyoryong's eyes and said.

"The most important thing in life is to accurately understand what you need to do at the present moment. Listening to the faint voice within my heart, it tells me to lie down and sleep right now. Therefore, I will try to sleep."

As soon as he finished speaking, he threw himself onto the bed. As if he felt none of this chilling atmosphere, he quickly fell asleep.

Snore, snore, snore…

Biryu Yeon, sprawled out and already asleep, seemed to be one step removed from all this discomfort and tension. He slept with a face that looked incredibly peaceful.

Whether he did it consciously or unconsciously is unknown, but it is a fact that his desire for sleep contributed significantly to preventing the first clash.

Screeeech!

A long line was drawn on the polished floor. A red line precisely dividing the accommodation in half, a hostile boundary marking each other's territory.

"Don't you dare cross this line! If you do, you'll be dead!"

The one who drew the line was Ma Cheolrang 'Igyu', one of the Machaengak participants. He was a man with fierce, wolf-like eyes and a temper as rough as his dirty gaze.

"Hmph! You guys better not think about crossing it either. Just brushing against you will make our skin rot!"

From across the line, Nohak, who was glaring menacingly, blabbered.

"And what if we cross it? Like this!"

Saying that, he poked the red line repeatedly with a slightly raised twig. His hand was naturally extending over to that side.

Swish!

A lightning-fast sword strike, drawn by an unknown hand, flew toward his wrist. A lightning-like sword gleam swept past the twig.

"Gasp!"

Startled, Nohak quickly pulled his hand back.

Tok!

The sword precisely cut off the remaining part of the twig from behind the red line. The cleanly severed piece of wood fell to the ground.

"W-what are you doing!"

Nohak let out a roar of fury.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

As one person drew their sword, the others also drew their weapons without backing down. Then, the sound of weapons being drawn echoed loudly from all around. A menacing aura began to envelop the entire lodging. The standoff lasted for a long time, but fortunately, it did not escalate into bloodshed.

Amidst this chaos, only Biryu Yeon and Daegongja remained calmly lying down with their eyes closed. Daegongja had quietly settled in a corner upon entering and glanced at Biryu Yeon, who was sleepily dozing as if nothing were happening. Then, he ignored him.

The weapons were soon put away. However, the killing intent and malice were not entirely dispelled.

The next day, people began the morning assembly with bloodshot eyes. Unable to trust each other, they had stayed up all night with anxiety and worry.

Everyone was the same. They were all shouting in their hearts all night.

'Grrr, I can't sleep! Damn it! I'd be more comfortable sleeping in a tiger's den.'

This clearly showed the immense psychological pressure they were feeling.

Everyone slept with their weapons by their left hip (so they could draw them with their right hand easily). Some, as if that wasn't enough, even slept with a knife under their pillow. It was strange that he could sleep so calmly in such a situation. Unfortunately, Biryu Yeon was one of those unfortunate and strange people. It seemed they would have to continue staying awake through the nights.

After staying awake for two nights, they finally reached an agreement on one thing. The first agreement reached between the dark and righteous paths was as follows:

'Let us sleep!'

With bloodshot eyes, they agreed. Then, they proposed a method and accepted it. Only after promising to set up watches for each other from today could they finally sleep with some peace of mind (though not completely).

Hyeokjung, the old man from the depths of Hongmaegok's residence

As the oil lamp flickered, shadows danced over the surrounding objects.

The book the old man was looking at was a register of the participants in the Mount Hua Treaty Council, detailing their personal information. It was a very ordinary booklet, except for the intelligence department's efforts to record the details thoroughly.

White is paper, black is ink.

Now, the old man's eyes were fixed at one point, as if frozen.

Bi Ryu Yeon

The affiliated sect written below it was left blank. For those who inherited their skills through individual transmission or from reclusive masters, it was not uncommon in the martial world as many could not carelessly divulge their sect. However, the fact that Yeomdo's Gwak Yeonghui was listed as the guarantor was indeed suspicious.

If anyone, the old man was one of the few people who knew who Yeomdo's master was.

"Indeed, what is his true identity…"

He was clearly hiding something, it just hadn't been revealed. It could be said that there hadn't been a single person who piqued his interest like this in decades.

"I need to investigate further."

It was at the moment the old man made a decision about one matter.

Suddenly, three presences appeared out of nowhere. Just a moment ago, there was clearly nothing in the space. When had they been there?

Despite appearing in a way that even the slightest vibration of air would not notice, the oil lamp showed no flicker. Despite the surprise entrance that even ghosts could not imitate, the old man showed no sign of surprise.

"Have you arrived?"

Without turning around, the old man said.

Thump! Thud!

Three shadows simultaneously knelt.

"The Four Great Dark Heavens are summoned!"

Their words were filled with profound reverence. Surprisingly, all three of these people possessed cultivation levels that surpassed those of sect leaders. However, despite the name Four Great Dark Heavens, there were only three presences, not four.

"It seems I will need your strength!"

The old man said in a calm voice. Then, a startled reaction was felt from behind the old man.

"All three of us?"

The shadow standing in the middle spoke. His voice was seasoned with experience, as if youth had long passed, conveying a sense of age. From his voice alone, one could infer that he was not young.

Then, the shadow standing at the far right also spoke in a slightly displeased voice.

"Even to destroy an entire sect, one of us would be more than enough. Yet you need all three?"

There was no falsehood in their words. And this old man acknowledged their abilities. These were beings who served only him, obeying no other authority.

"I apologize for troubling you. But please recognize that this is a matter of great importance."

Their relationship transcended that of master and subordinate. Therefore, there was no hesitation in apologizing.

"Understood!"

The three shadows bowed their heads in unison.

"Is there any news from Ilcheona?"

"Not yet."

"I see! That unfeeling friend is still out of contact!… Then rest assured. The detailed plan is here, so please read it carefully and implement it as is. If there are any other requests, I will contact you later."

It was the old man who specifically used the word "request" rather than "order." That too was quite unusual.

"We shall withdraw, my lord!"

Just as they had appeared, they vanished from the room without a trace.

The old man, called lord, Hyeokjung, gently patted his right shoulder and murmured quietly.

"It's going to get busy from now on!"

When he said that, it meant it would certainly come to pass. Amidst the chirping of insects, as the night deepened, the moon quietly sank into the waves of the night.