Chapter 94 : The General Assembly (2)

Chapter 94: The General Assembly (2)

A moment later.

Everyone was seated in the conference hall, and the General Assembly began.

The key elders who supported the Murim Alliance. They continued a heated debate, unwilling to yield an inch.

…or so outsiders might have thought.

But.

“At least thirty percent of the Alliance’s forces should have been sent immediately to rescue the Young Successors!”

“That is far too much hindsight talking!”

“Indeed! It was only through layers upon layers of sheer luck that we avoided greater disaster! Do you not realize that one misstep could have caused a calamity-level civilian tragedy within Kaifeng?”

“Hmph! Regardless, along with the Alliance Leader, it was your poor judgment that caused the needless deaths of the great clans’ heirs!”

“Hey!! Watch your tongue before you say something truly disgraceful!”

“What? Hey?! Do you dare bark at me like that—!”

In reality, there was no debate at all—only pure chaos.

For Tang Muyeol, who was attending the General Assembly for the first time, this was a shocking sight, something beyond even the worst of messes.

Even Geum Hwa Sa-tae, sitting beside him, couldn’t hide her embarrassment and let out a sigh.

The Alliance Leader, Yoo Jinhak, seated at the head of the conference table, also wore an unmistakably dark expression.

‘At this point, it’s practically open rebellion.’

Sewoon slowly turned his head toward Namgung Myeong, who sat opposite the Alliance Leader, as he thought this.

The Elders’ Faction, having secured justification, were now baring their ambitions without restraint.

“The survivors testified that they clearly saw the enemy using Demonic Arts! This proves there is a third force besides the Demonic Alliance!”

“Ha! In such a desperate situation, do you think they could properly identify Demonic Qi?”

“They faced experts far beyond their own skills. Terrified, they must have mistaken the vile martial arts of river bandits for Demonic Arts.”

“Do you think the survivors were greenhorn novices? What nonsense are you spouting?”

“Bah! Weren’t traces of the Flood Dragon Finger, martial arts of the Blood Sea Dragon King, found all over the ship?”

“Moreover, at the site where the Cursed Objects were discovered, numerous sorcery tools and rituals exclusive to the Heaven-Piercing Sect were also found!!”

Facts didn’t matter to them.

All they wanted was to drag down the Alliance Leader and his faction of elders, to pin the blame on them, and twist matters in their own favor.

And their desired direction was simple.

“In the end, all of this stems from the Alliance Leader’s misguided judgment!”

“Indeed it does!”

They sought to overthrow Yoo Jinhak and seize the Alliance Leader’s seat.

As the gruesome struggle between the Elders’ Faction and the Alliance Leader’s Faction dragged on without end—

Like fighters catching their breath mid-battle, both sides briefly found pause when the next agenda item was raised.

“Phew. Then, let us move on to the next matter: the reward for the Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Tang Sewoon, who rendered remarkable service in both the Blood Massacres.”

It was about Sewoon’s merits and rewards.

Jaegal Hoon, the Chief Strategist presiding over the assembly, called Sewoon to the center of the hall.

‘This is nostalgic.’

It was the same place where he had once stood bound as a criminal. Sewoon barely suppressed a smirk from slipping out.

At the moment when everyone’s attention focused on him, Sewoon slowly parted his lips.

“Greetings. I am Sewoon, Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Clan, newly admitted to the Seven Great Clans.”

Waaaa!

Surprisingly, thunderous cheers and applause erupted throughout the grand hall.

Of course, they did not come from the elders.

It was the Alliance Leader’s Faction and senior martial officials who deliberately applauded.

They, like the voices of the martial world at large, genuinely regarded Sewoon as a hero.

Public sentiment overwhelmingly leaned toward him.

Toward such people, Sewoon bowed slightly and spoke.

“First of all, I must apologize to everyone here. With urgent matters piled up like mountains, time is being wasted on something so trivial as my affairs.”

“No, not at all.”

At Sewoon’s humble words, Jaegal Hoon replied firmly.

“You displayed near-miraculous skill in saving countless civilians, and risked your life to rescue the Young Successors in peril. How could we not recognize such achievements?”

“…I am only humbled.”

“Accept your due reward with pride. Now, I shall announce the conclusion decreed by the Alliance Leader.”

Jaegal Hoon cleared his throat and continued.

“For his indispensable contributions in both Blood Massacres, the Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Tang Sewoon, shall be granted the merit rank of ‘Special Grade.’”

Waaaa!!

Cheers erupted once again from every corner.

In the Murim Alliance, where merits were ranked from the lowest to the highest, “Special Grade” was an honor surpassing even the highest rank.

The last time such a rank was granted had been twenty years ago.

It was when the Shrine Maiden Sect Leader used her sorcery to stop the Yangtze River’s flooding and saved countless civilians. There had been no other case since.

At that time, she was rewarded with the Alliance’s most vital secret sorcery manuals and scriptures.

From that day on, the Shrine Maiden Sect rose to become one of the three dominant powers of Sichuan.

“The Alliance Leader has personally decreed that the Young Master may have two wishes of his choosing granted.”

This time, the Alliance Leader granted not just one, but two wishes to Sewoon.

This was something the Elders’ Faction could not celebrate.

It was far too obvious that the Alliance Leader intended to strengthen Sewoon and firmly anchor the Sichuan Tang Clan within his faction.

Some elders glared at Sewoon with grim eyes.

‘This is too good to be true.’

Naturally, Sewoon kept his composure outwardly, but inside he was rejoicing.

The truth was, ever since entering the hall, he had been pondering a dilemma.

He suspected the reward would be a wish, but he actually had two things he desired.

He had been wondering how to maneuver the outcome in his favor. But now, they had offered two wishes outright. He couldn’t be more grateful.

“Now then, Young Master Tang. Speak freely.”

“Hmm. In that case, my first wish is…”

In case they tried to retract it later, Sewoon emphasized the words “first wish” with particular weight.

“I would like the Alliance to restructure my clan’s smithy.”

Restructure the smithy?

Remembering how the Shrine Maiden Sect Leader once received an ultimate martial art, the audience was taken aback at what seemed a pitifully modest request.

But then…

“Young Master Tang, is that truly what you wish for?”

“To be precise, I desire the Heavenly Flame Furnace.”

Sewoon’s clarification shattered the mood instantly.

The Heavenly Flame Furnace.

A ‘sorcery-forged’ furnace that existed only in the smithy of the Murim Alliance and in the smithy of the Baekya Steel Workshop.

The defining feature of this furnace was that within it, an unquenchable Heavenly Flame continued to burn.

There were special materials that could only be melted with the Heavenly Flame, which made the Heavenly Flame Furnace a dreamlike tool and facility for every blacksmith.

The fact that only two places in the Central Plains were capable of operating such a furnace showed just how extraordinarily difficult Sewoon’s request truly was.

Leaving aside the immense funds required to construct the outer furnace capable of withstanding sorcery—

What was essential above all was a supreme sorcerer whose sorcery power had reached a celestial realm.

What was it that had turned the Heaven-Piercing Sect from drowning in perpetual deficit into sudden surplus?

It was precisely thanks to the Heavenly Flame Furnace that the Heaven-Piercing Sect Leader had first built for the Baekya Steel Workshop.

And within the orthodox path of the Central Plains, the only sorcerer capable of matching the Heaven-Piercing Sect Leader was none other than the Shrine Maiden Sect Leader.

Thus, strictly speaking, Sewoon was asking for two things at once with this single wish.

The construction funds and the Shrine Maiden Sect Leader. Both were required together.

But from the standpoint of the Murim Alliance, there was no reason at all to grant Sewoon’s request.

‘A man whom Lord Heukya himself calls “Divine Craftsman.” If such a person were to obtain a Heavenly Flame Furnace within his own clan…’

‘The Sichuan Tang Clan could gain financial power comparable to the Baekya Steel Workshop within ten years.’

‘But if we refuse his request as unreasonable…?’

Then they could bind Tang Sewoon, the Divine Craftsman, to the Heavenly Flame Furnace of the Murim Alliance.

After all, the Baekya Steel Workshop would never open their smithy for outsiders.

So, if the Murim Alliance played this well, they could demand as payment a share of high-grade treasure weapons or other products from Sewoon in return for use of the furnace.

Realizing this, the elders of the Elders’ Faction wore troubled expressions before cautiously voicing their concerns.

“Ahem, but even so, the Heavenly Flame Furnace is…”

“Don’t you think this goes too far, Elder Namgung?”

At that moment, all eyes turned toward Namgung Myeong.

Even if the Alliance Leader intended to approve it by direct authority, should the head of the Elders’ Faction stubbornly oppose, Sewoon’s choice could be obstructed.

“I…”

Everyone focused intently on Namgung Myeong’s next words.

And then—

“I believe it is a good idea.”

To everyone’s surprise, Namgung Myeong approved Sewoon’s request without resistance.

The elders of his faction were so bewildered, they could only blink at one another in confusion.

Namgung Myeong, having made this unexpected choice, continued without the slightest hesitation.

“Is he not the Young Master whom Lord Heukya himself recognized as possessing the skill of a Divine Craftsman? He cannot come here every time he conceives a new design. If he can set up a proper smithy within his clan, he will be able to craft excellent weapons on the spot, bringing great benefit to the entire Orthodox Path.”

“Th-That is true.”

Even Jaegal Hoon was flustered, for the words made too much sense.

Watching Namgung Myeong, Sewoon clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Tch, sly old fox.’

For in this assembly hall, only Sewoon knew Namgung Myeong’s true reason.

It was because of the ‘deal’ they had struck just before entering the chamber.

At Namgung Myeong’s telepathic words, Sewoon replied with nothing more than a glance.

“In that case, since no elder objects, it is hereby declared that Tang Sewoon’s first reward shall be the installation of a Heavenly Flame Furnace within the Sichuan Tang Clan.”

Once it was officially confirmed, everyone—whether from the Alliance Leader’s Faction or the Elders’ Faction—was left astonished.

They had expected the Elders’ Faction to obstruct Sewoon, yet the very leader of that faction had instead assisted him.

Confusion filled everyone’s minds.

Did this mean the Elders’ Faction also desired an alliance with the Sichuan Tang Clan and Tang Sewoon?

But until now, all of Tang Sewoon’s actions and public image showed him as closely aligned with Alliance Leader Yoo Jinhak and his faction’s inner circle.

It seemed doubtful that he would suddenly switch sides after mere late contact, deepening the mystery further.

Amidst these swirling doubts, the agenda pressed on.

“Now then, speak your second wish.”

Feigning hesitation, Sewoon exhaled lightly before speaking.

“Hm, to speak the truth, though the New Monk assisted me, my body is still not in normal condition.”

At his words, gasps of realization rippled through the hall.

Indeed, it was impossible for him to be fine.

It was said he had used his Innate True Qi to forge a tracking Divine Artifact, and then still drew upon it further in the midst of battle.

One did not draw upon Innate True Qi lightly—only in moments when life truly hung by a thread.

“As a backlash from using Innate True Qi, I now suffer burning pains that flare up several times a day, as though my body is on fire.”

“Haah, what a plight…”

“Thus, I wish to suppress this torment with cold qi and yin qi, and attempt a more fundamental healing as well.”

“Very well. What is it you desire?”

All eyes turned once again to Sewoon.

Now, it was time.

It was the moment to plunder the Murim Alliance to take one step closer to greater strength.

“If permitted, I wish to have the Cold Spirit Divine Armor.”

“W-What, the Cold Spirit Divine Armor?!”

Shock erupted throughout the hall.

Even Yoo Jinhak and Namgung Myeong widened their eyes like lanterns, having never expected such a request.

And little wonder.

The Cold Spirit Divine Armor was one of only two Divine Artifacts in the Alliance’s possession.

Moreover—

Two hundred years ago, it had been the last legacy left to the Alliance by the peerless master of his age, the Murim Alliance Leader at that time, the Moonlit Martial Emperor, Dam Cheon-gun.