Seol Unhwi asked politely.

“Then rather than making unnecessary gestures, would you offer your congratulations properly?”

Yeong Unseong stared at Unhwi with a blank expression.

It was certain that there was a connection to the True Source.

There was no possibility that Yeong Unseong would be unaware of the Go match played in the Bright Spirit Domain. And—

It was also clear that the two had met in secret recently.

What on earth had they discussed? Why had Yeong Unseong spoken as though he had not yet reached an understanding with the higher seat?

The answer was clear.

In a situation this unclear, Yeong Unseong would retreat in some fashion.

And Unhwi was laying out the board for him to do exactly that.

His face? Letting him save a little of it cost nothing.

“……Then congratulations on becoming Heavenly Arbit—”

“Ah, one moment.”

Unhwi’s brow knit sharply. What kind of bastard behaves like this?

He lifted a hand.

“You should not be saying that to me. Would it not be proper to offer it to the Alliance Lord over there?”

Unhwi pointed toward Mae Wuidong.

“The protagonist of today is not me. It is Alliance Lord Mae Wuidong. For the Great Elder of the Original Blood Cult to have come here to congratulate the Alliance Lord on his investiture, yet for me to receive the greeting first— I understand that to be discourteous.”

Yeong Unseong turned to look at Mae Wuidong.

Mae Wuidong, who had been observing all of this, gave a gentle smile when all eyes suddenly fell upon him.

At that smile, the line of Yeong Unseong’s gaze twitched faintly.

…Seeing him directly for the first time, yet why does he not feel unfamiliar?

Immediately, Mae Wuidong scratched his head as if embarrassed— though from Yeong Unseong’s perspective, the gesture had an oddly artificial gap in it, yet everyone else seemed to accept it naturally.

He quickly glanced at Unhwi— and there, the difference was evident.

Unhwi was watching Mae Wuidong with a cold gaze.

…A mess. Truly a mess.

Unhwi’s voice reached Yeong Unseong’s ear.

“It is proper etiquette to offer true congratulations to the Alliance Lord.”

Yeong Unseong was now completely unsettled.

What exactly was he doing?

He— the Great Elder and Gatekeeper of the Original Blood Cult— offering congratulations to the Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance?

And yet, strangely, he could not refuse.

Unhwi’s reasoning was too natural, and the surrounding gazes seemed to accept it as self-evident.

“Great Elder.”

Unhwi spoke again.

“What is there to hesitate {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} over? Or perhaps you have come for some other reason? For example— something to do with Jin Muhyeok lying dead over there…?”

The two had exchanged quiet words regarding Jin Muhyeok earlier, but no one else had heard them.

For Yeong Unseong, it would not be good if the fact that he had used Jin Muhyeok spread outward.

“……Impossible.”

Even as he said that, he knew.

He had been completely outmaneuvered.

What Unhwi was doing was nearly a threat.

If Yeong Unseong refused here, it would not only be an affront to the Heavenly Alliance— it would be the same as publicly declaring who had intended to swallow Gaebang from behind the veil.

And that would only drive the already strained distance between Gaebang and the Original Blood Cult into something far worse.

Hyejeongsan… that damned old bastard trapped me.

It was as though Hyejeongsan’s mocking laughter was echoing here.

Yeong Unseong exhaled.

He turned toward Mae Wuidong.

“Congratulations on assuming the seat of Alliance Lord.”

His voice was thick with displeasure, but the greeting was given.

Mae Wuidong replied.

“Thank you, Great Elder Yeong Unseong.”

Unhwi nodded with a satisfied expression.

“As expected. The Great Elder is a man who understands propriety.”

After a quiet moment, Yeong Unseong gave a crooked smile.

At first he had been uncertain— but no. This one was truly something.

He liked him.

“Do you enjoy drinking?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And bamboo-leaf liquor?”

Unhwi let out a small laugh.

He had once heard about a lunatic who enjoyed drinking bamboo-leaf liquor laced with poison— and now that madman was sitting right before him.

“I do not dislike it.”

“Good. There’s no reason for such an occasion to be without drink.”

Unhwi nodded.

“There are still formal procedures remaining. Once they conclude, I will see to preparing the table immediately.”

“Do that.”

Yeong Unseong turned and took a seat in an empty place.

The Eight Heavenly Seats, who had been frozen in place, sat as well, and the rest of the martial figures followed.

The ceremony of the Heavenly Alliance proceeded without further issue.

***

Night fell.

After the event of the Heavenly Alliance concluded and the Eight Heavenly Seats along with the guests had withdrawn—

Unhwi and Yeong Unseong sat together with only a single table between them, sharing liquor.

Unhwi drank.

“It is good liquor.”

Yeong Unseong looked pleased.

“It seems you have resistance to Man-Snake Wandering Soul Powder.”

“Man-Snake Wandering Soul Powder is produced in Red Eye. And that Red Eye was the city I governed until quite recently, Great Elder.”

“Heh… yes, that figures. But having resistance is another matter entirely. So you are nearly immune to all poison.”

“Not entirely, but close.”

Yeong Unseong sounded impressed.

“Truly, you are a man who defies explanation. When I heard rumor that you were cutting down martial artists of realms above your own, I wondered whether you were versed in sorcery— but to create a new realm entirely and kill one in the Celestial Being Stage? I will speak plainly. Across this vast Central Plains, there are ‘almost’ none who shine as brightly as you.”

“I hardly know how to respond to such praise.”

“If you don’t know how to respond—”

Yeong Unseong grinned slowly.

“Try responding with words.”

“You seem to have something you wish to ask.”

“How could I not? I’ll ask directly. When did you meet the True Source?”

“A few days ago.”

The answer was vague, yet definite. But Yeong Unseong was dissatisfied.

“Where?”

“A chance encounter near Seongjak Province.”

“A chance encounter, hm…”

He rotated his cup slowly.

“The True Source would not be in such a place by coincidence.”

“I found it strange as well. But it was an honor.”

“What did you speak about?”

Unhwi lifted his cup in silence and drank.

“So you do not wish to say.”

“You see correctly.”

“And if I insist?”

Unhwi shook his head.

“I know that the Great Elder values face.”

“Then we should be swift. I want to know what was discussed with the True Source.”

“You misunderstand. Precisely because the Great Elder values face, I cannot say.”

“……Hm?”

“If I speak of what I discussed with the True Source, and where we met— how do you suppose the True Source would regard that?”

“…….”

“The former, I cannot tell. The latter, I should not tell either, but I have already said it for your sake. As for the former secret— allow me to bury it in this cup for the sake of my own face.”

Yeong Unseong had no words.

This one… was truly remarkable.

To preserve his own face, Yeong Unseong’s face, and the True Source’s face— that required delicate balance.

Yet Unhwi conceded just enough to preserve all three.

“……You are not merely a prodigy.”

“You mean me?”

Yeong Unseong raised his cup.

“Talent in martial arts? It can exist. To create a new realm— that is earthshaking talent indeed, worthy of being called a prodigy. But—”

His gaze turned sharp.

“To perceive a situation, reframe it, and reshape it to your own advantage— that can never be achieved by talent alone.”

“I see.”

“You hold experience that one your age should not possess.”

Unhwi considered this for a moment, then spoke.

“When I think about it, I have experienced a great deal.”

“……”

“And if those experiences created the martial artist I am now— then I would like my senior to watch my growth with a good heart.”

Unexpectedly, Yeong Unseong nodded.

He understood.

Even simply sitting across from him and speaking with him— one could feel the extraordinariness of this youth. If such a martial artist existed, the True Source would assuredly take interest.

When confronted with an interesting opponent, the True Source would absolutely do so.

Because the True Source— Blood Heaven Venerable, the pinnacle sovereign of this world— was that kind of man.

“But listen. One does not leave without a gift when one has received one.”

Unhwi looked up. Yeong Unseong continued slowly.

“That I am sitting here with you— there is an old man’s intention behind it.”

“You mean Hyejeongsan.”

There were no spectators here, and no reason for pretense.

Thus, Unhwi did not address Hyejeongsan with courtesy.

Yeong Unseong understood.

If he were Unhwi, he would do the same.

“That sly old man laid two moves. First, by sending Jin Muhyeok to you, he intended to grant him the end of a martial artist. Second— he intended to use me to kill you, a murder-by-another’s-knife stratagem.”

It was true.

There was no possibility that Hyejeongsan did not know Jin Muhyeok would crawl to Yeong Unseong.

Above all, Hyejeongsan knew what kind of man Yeong Unseong was.

He was the pinnacle of Gaebang.

Not knowing would be absurd.

It was easy to anticipate that Yeong Unseong would also be present when Jin Muhyeok encountered Unhwi.

And based on Unhwi’s disposition, Hyejeongsan knew he would not back down from Yeong Unseong.

Thus only one situation could form—

A confrontation between Yeong Unseong and Unhwi.

And neither man was one to kneel rather than choose death.

Yes.

Just as Yeong Unseong had said— it was murder-by-another’s-knife.

“But it changed. The moment you spoke of your connection to the True Source, the second stratagem shattered. The moment I heard that name, I could no longer touch you.”

Unhwi nodded.

“I knew.”

Yeong Unseong looked genuinely startled.

“You knew? You knew what?”

“What Hyejeongsan intended with his final design.”

“……So you spoke that name to me because you already understood?”

“Yes.”

Yeong Unseong’s jaw dropped slightly.

“……Madman. Pour the drink.”

When the Great Elder filled his empty cup, Unhwi gave a faint smile and drank it down.

Then he accepted the bottle and poured for Yeong Unseong.

“Allow me.”

“Heh… very well.”

The two exchanged cups in amicable silence, and then Yeong Unseong asked— unable to hold back any longer:

“I heard you spoke alone with Hyejeongsan. What happened there?”

Ordinarily, Unhwi might have concealed it— but there was no need to hide it from Yeong Unseong.

“As you have likely already guessed— my meeting with Hyejeongsan was not a pleasant one.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep