Chapter 100: Variable (1)

The time remaining until the Great War of Righteousness and Evil is approximately six years.

Even so, I know that I must not barely achieve Pacifying the World by pouring all six years into it.

This is because my goal is not to be active all over the place in the Great War, but to make the history of the bloodbath that is the Great War a thing that never happened.

.

.

.

“Hey, Jaegal.”

“Isn’t that Myeong-gae? What is it?”

The Secret Pavilion where Myeong-gae belonged was a place where all sorts of people gathered.

This was because they hired talented individuals without discrimination as long as their background was clear and their abilities were proven.

Wasn’t it a time of war?

This was even more so because it was a time when they were short on hands.

“I have something to ask you.”

“Ask away.”

Among them, the member called ‘Jaegal’ was a peculiar fellow.

As can be seen from his name, it was peculiar that he was from the Divine Strategist Jaegal Clan, one of the Five Great Clans, but it was also because his true specialty was in military strategy rather than information.

“It’s about the Great War. What should have been done to make it a thing that never happened?”

“Hmm.”

As if intrigued by my question, the fellow Jaegal pondered for a moment.

“Myeong-gae, do you know that?”

“I do not.”

In the first place, I didn’t even know what ‘that’ was that the fellow Jaegal was talking about, and even if I had known what ‘that’ was, my answer would not have been different.

This was because the fellow Jaegal’s knowledge and thinking far surpassed an ordinary person like me.

“I suppose so.”

Anyway.

The fellow Jaegal nodded and accepted my saying that I didn’t know as if it were natural.

It means that fellow also asked knowing that I wouldn’t know, so if you think about it, it’s right to say that the fellow Jaegal is definitely on the unlucky side. This is why ink-stained scholars are unpopular.

“A war is not something that happens unexpectedly. There are bound to be portents and preparations. Considering the scale of the current Great War, it is right to see that the concrete preparations took at least a year, so it would have been right to have detected the signs and prevented it a year before the outbreak of the war. If you want to make the war itself a thing that never happened, that is.”

“A year?”

“It’s not exact, but that’s my deduction. As for how I deduced it……”

“I see. Thank you.”

A year. Having obtained the answer I wanted, I got up.

“No. Shouldn’t you hear the basis and method of the deduction?”

“I have no business with it.”

“No, this is a really interesting story.”

“It’s not interesting.”

Since I am not a strategist like the fellow Jaegal, what would I do with an explanation? Since it was clear that I wouldn’t understand even half of it, I was able to leave the unpopular ink-stained scholar, fellow Jaegal, without any lingering feelings.

.

.

.

Anyway, the time remaining until the Great War is six years.

If the fellow Jaegal’s words are right, then the signs of war must be erased a year before that, so five years are left.

“Is there enough time.”

Fortunately, there is leeway in the calculation.

This is because, according to the plan I made as Myeong-gae before the regression, I am scheduled to reach Pacifying the World in four years.

Although there were some differences, the situation has not deviated much from the plan I made in my Myeong-gae days, so it should be seen as a favorable sign.

“So far, there have been no major variables……”

I know that my existence, which has gone against time, is slightly twisting the course of history.

But at the same time, I was confident that the timing of the Great War would not change.

This was thanks to my realization that the ripples of fate I had stirred up were not enough to divert the course of the massive storm that was the Great War.

It is not wrong to see it as the intuition of a top-tier master, rather than the realm of calculation and deduction like the fellow Jaegal.

I also had a thought that perhaps the awakened Spirituality was informing me of the flow of the heavenly energy.

“Next is the Taecheong Pill, is it.”

After the Beggar’s Gang’s Emerald Rescue Pill, the next thing to obtain is Wudang’s secret treasure, the Taecheong Pill.

“There is still time left……”

There is no need to be impatient.

I will wait for the right time. This is because I know that it is the fastest way. Isn’t patience also the attitude of an intelligence agent?

I am now no different from Taigong Wang, who waited for the right time with his fishing rod cast.

I believe that luck will soon be reeled in on the fishing rod.

Luck.

Mr. Gwak said it was the right time.

As I have said many times, the Beggar’s Gang is a group with a very high illiteracy rate.

This is because, unlike with martial arts, it is rare for people who have accumulated knowledge to become beggars.

Therefore, an organization like the Beggar’s Gang, which has its identity in information, is always suffering from a famine of scholars.

Inevitably, beggars who could recite letters were the number one recruitment targets for the Headquarters.

-Myeong-gae, you know how to recite letters?

-Yes, I do.

-Do you, by any chance, have any thought of coming to the Headquarters?

-……Are you by any chance telling me to become an ink-stained beggar?

The ink-stained beggars who went to the Headquarters write the Thousand Immortals of the Jianghu, belong to the Martial Arts Hall and transcribe the martial arts secret manuals of the Beggar’s Gang, and belong to the Rumor Hall and record important information of the upper level and above. It is truly a grave mission.

-That’s right. I will guarantee high-quality meals.

-Hmm.

High-quality meals, to be honest, it was tempting. What greater luxury could there be for beggars?

But as far as I know, it was said that the ink-stained beggars were more emaciated than the beggars who begged on the streets.

This is because although they eat high-quality meals, they are worked harder than that.

-I will think about it after I have learned a little more on the front lines.

-That’s not a bad idea either. Tell me whenever you want.

-Yes.

An ink-stained beggar would handle much more important information than a Three-Knot Myeong-gae, but he would lack freedom of movement.

Therefore, I remember choosing the option of postponement.

Anyway…….

How do the field sites, from which the ink-stained beggars have been taken away to the Headquarters, operate?

Isn’t it the way of human life, and the instinct of beggars, to make do with what you have when you don’t have something?

That’s right.

In the Beggar’s Gang, most information is handled orally.

This ensured speed and made the Beggar’s Gang the number one information faction in Jianghu.

But if there were no shortcomings, why would the importance of letters have been emphasized?

Information handled orally has the disadvantage of often being lost.

-One-Knot Beggar. What was that information about the Yue Family Manor in Shanxi that came up last time?

-The Yue Family Manor in Shanxi?

-Yes.

-You don’t know?

-Isn’t there anyone who remembers?

-You don’t know?

-Hmph.

I wanted to smash the One-Knot Beggar’s head with my begging bowl, but I didn’t. This was because it was a common occurrence that couldn’t even be called a mistake.

It means that although the Beggar’s Gang collects countless pieces of information, what is left is only a handful.

The treasure map of the Heavenly Artisan and his legacy, the Dancheon Sword, and the various treasure maps that brought about bloodbaths.

A colony of Fleeceflower Root over a hundred years old.

The annihilation of the Ice Palace delegation.

It also means that unless it is big information that has a great influence on the Jianghu Murim, it is not recorded in the Beggar’s Gang.

-What kind of dog-shit-like bastards are these.

-Sir, isn’t it too much to compare beggars to dog shit?

-What did you say?

-Apologize to the dog shit.

-……Alright.

Although I had mastered a lot of information from the Beggar’s Gang, this was the reason why I only knew the major events that had occurred from the time of my regression until I was twenty-three. It was because there was little information left in writing.

But at twenty-three, the Branch Lord Myeong-gae with three knots on his waist was different.

Having obtained the status of a Branch Lord, Myeong-gae was able to proactively master a variety of information while planning his regression.

It means that I crammed it into my head before it could evaporate.

It was also because I was confident in my innate insight, and because I knew that I could not regress with written records.

“From now on, it will be different.”

The reason I can be so sure is because the vast amount of information I personally collected and organized as a Branch Lord is dormant in my head.

The time has finally come when I can actively use the privileges of a regressor.

It can also be said that from now on, it is my era.

“Hmm?”

While lost in thought, I turned my head at a familiar presence, and there was the master of the Rogues’ Guild, Ma Sok of the Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Squad.

Having been granted free access to the Dancheon Clan for his grace in actively helping to rescue the Dancheon Clan in the past, it was not strange for Ma Sok to visit my quarters.

But…….

Ma Sok’s aura was unusual.

His aura, which had been upright and calm, unlike a martial artist of the Evil Faction, was gone, and in its place stood a martial artist who was staggering wildly.

His qi and blood were in turmoil.

Without caring for the stream of blood that moistened the corner of his mouth, Ma Sok opened his mouth.

“Young Master Myeong, please help me.”

I hurriedly approached Ma Sok, supported him, and asked.

“What on earth happened?”

Ma Sok, who clenched his teeth so hard that a grinding sound was heard, continued.

“The Mistress of the Pavilion…… has been kidnapped.”

“……!”

Something that had not happened in my past life had occurred.

This was a variable that even I had not anticipated.

***

The summit of Tuomeng Peak, the Skyscraper.

Drip-drip-

Wisu filled his cup with Wuliangye.

The Wuliangye currently held in Wisu’s hand is a liquor made by the Yao family of Sichuan. Therefore, it is right to call it a famous liquor rather than just any liquor.

A liquor made from five grains—sorghum, glutinous rice, rice, buckwheat, and corn—is called Wuliangye, but when the secret brewing method of the Yao family is added, it becomes a famous liquor called Yaozi Xuequ.

Wuliangye was usually a mixed grain liquor made by mixing various grains, but this Wuliangye, which met a rare master craftsman named Yao, obtained the name Yaozi Xuequ and became a famous liquor of the world.

For that reason, Wisu liked the Wuliangye of Sichuan, the Yaozi Xuequ.

This was because he considered its appearance to resemble the Demonic Path.

In truth, what importance do place of origin, ingredients, origin, or fame have in judging a liquor?

If it simply has a superb flavor and goes down smoothly, that is a famous liquor.

Moreover, since it is high in alcohol content and faithful to the original role of liquor, the reputation of Yaozi Xuequ as one of the top eight famous liquors of the Central Plains is by no means an empty boast.

It means that whether Yaozi Xuequ resembled the Demonic Path or not, Wisu would have come to love the Wuliangye of the Yao family.

Although he said the place of origin was not important, the fact that he could encounter Yaozi Xuequ like this because it was produced in Sichuan, which was relatively close to Xinjiang where the Tianshan Mountains are located, was also a point that pleased Wisu.

Slurp-

“Hmm.”

Although it was his favorite Yaozi Xuequ, Wisu only wet his lips slightly and put down the cup.

This was because, considering the harsh environment of the Tianshan Mountains and the finances of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, liquor was a luxury among luxuries.

This is even more so for a liquor made using grains like Wuliangye.

This is because grains can relieve hunger, but liquor cannot.

It was also ambiguous to feel that the simply fermented grains were a waste, as he also knew that it took about ten sacks of grain to buy the famous Yaozi Xuequ.

He could not just drink down like a river the food that would be responsible for a hearty meal for about ten thousand cult members.

-This is a gift to praise the Chief Strategist’s hard work.

In the first place, if the Heavenly Demon Seol Cheon-sang had not personally bestowed it, this Yaozi Xuequ would not have come into Wisu’s possession.

The Chief Strategist of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Mashintong Wisu, had the appearance of a scholar, but his essence was that of a demon to the bone.

Having been born in the Tianshan Mountains, lived in the Tianshan Mountains, and risen to the position of one man below, ten thousand men above in those Tianshan Mountains, this was a natural thing.

Since he had the identity of a demon, he did not have the disposition to feel compassion for all people. This too was the law of nature.

But the one who was more faithful to his duty as Chief Strategist than anyone else was precisely Mashintong Wisu, so his heart of caring for the cult members and thinking about the cult’s finances was sincere.

That was the reason.

The reason why he could not easily swallow the gift from the Heavenly Demon, Yaozi Xuequ, which he had taken out after a long time with a heavy heart.

Slurp-

“Hmm.”

Nevertheless, Wisu wet his lips with Yaozi Xuequ.

Moreover, in the Skyscraper, which had never allowed the intrusion of anything wicked, he was borrowing the flavor of Yaozi Xuequ.

This was because Wisu’s heart was that complicated.

“Hoo-”

Borrowing the power of the intoxication that wet his lips, Wisu looked at the sky.

Because he had climbed the Skyscraper, there were no clouds to obstruct his view, so his gaze fully captured the sky and the heavenly energy.

“Tsk.”

A cooling star was captured in Wisu’s gaze.

The star that had boasted a brilliant light until a while ago belonged to the Yin Blood Divine Demon.

The fact that the star was cooling meant that the soul of the Yin Blood Divine Demon Goru Gwang had crossed the Sanzu River, so it would by no means be a coincidence that his whereabouts had become unknown.

It is probably the result of an encounter with a New Star.

He expressed it as ‘probably’ because he had not witnessed it directly, but it would not be wrong. This is because the flow of heavenly energy had informed Wisu so.

The star of the Yin Blood had been devoured by the New Star.

From the perspective of Wisu, who had been arranging the great undertaking by stealing the heavenly energy, it would be called a misfortune.

This was because if the flow of heavenly energy that Wisu had fathomed so far was correct, the star of the Yin Blood was a star that should never have faded at this point in time.

Nevertheless, the reason why it was not entirely regrettable was because Wisu, as an individual apart from the great undertaking of the cult, had considered the person known as the Yin Blood Divine Demon Goru Gwang to be very displeasing.

Furthermore, Wisu, who had been observing the heavenly energy for a long time, knew.

The fact that the flow of heavenly energy had its own restorative power.

The star of the Yin Blood had faded, but it would rise again.

Just because the Yin Blood Divine Demon Goru Gwang had disappeared did not mean that the roots of the Goru Clan were shaken.

On the contrary, among those who had been coveting Goru Gwang’s position, someone would stand out, and he would rise as a new star.

Since the essence of the Five Great Demonic Families was still intact, it was a part that would be resolved without Wisu having to lift a finger.

If you think about it that way, it could be a blessing in disguise.

Wisu, who had foreseen this situation, had already planted seeds in the Yin Blood Goru Clan.

Since his arrangement would not be wrong, a controllable Divine Demon would finally ascend in the Yin Blood Goru Clan.

To sum up, it would be right to call it a blessing in disguise.

But Wisu’s brow could not unfold.

“Tsk.”

This was because he had caught sight of the brilliantly shining New Star next to the fading star of the Yin Blood.

The brilliantly shining New Star.

It was the reason why Wisu had visited the Skyscraper today.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep