I had thought about it before.

What would happen if I told the truth about my identity?

What if I let people know that I had returned to the past from the future?

What if I told them to work hard together to prevent the crisis that would befall Jianghu?

'It would sound like the ramblings of a madman.'

I could say with certainty that no one would agree with my opinion and step forward to join me.

When I already had so many enemies, I would only end up exposing another weakness by being labeled as insane.

I would probably spend my years with my limbs bound, playing brother with real lunatics inside the Golden Jade Prison.

... But what if I took an extremely optimistic view?

'Phew...'

That was a problem in its own right.

If the rumor that 'the master of Jianghu will change' spread wrongly and reached the ears of the high officials in Beijing, I could easily end up becoming the leader of the Yellow Turbans.

Beyond being the public enemy of Jianghu, I would instantly be confirmed as the public enemy of the Imperial Family as well.

["Did you dare say that the master of the world will change!"]

["No! I was just talking about the Demonic Cult bastards!!!"]

["Shut up, you traitor! Tear that bastard's limbs apart at once!"]

Ugh...

Just imagining it was terrible.

But right now.

I was in danger of my identity being exposed.

'Damn it...'

And by the person who would be upset to be called second in terms of brains within the Murim Alliance.

No, by the man with the most outstanding comprehension in all of Jianghu.

"What is your true identity?"

I could vividly feel myself swallowing a thick gulp of saliva.

Naturally, Zhuge Somyeong was not someone who could be brushed off by splitting hairs or deflecting.

The fact that Zhuge Somyeong asked this question meant that he had already roughly completed the picture through his 'puzzle piece theory'.

What he lacked was just a single piece for confirmation.

It was clear he had dismissed even the formation masters to ask that question in search of the 'final piece'.

I tried my best to feign a composed expression.

"... I am, of course, Jin Sowoon, the proud representative of the Murim Academy."

"..."

However.

Zhuge Somyeong's emotionless gaze sank even heavier.

'Damn it.'

A sharp gaze that seemed ready to pierce through my body at any moment swept over me.

"If it's you, you should know very well what the intention of my question is."

"..."

What should I do?

How could I present a piece that would completely change the shape of the roughly completed picture he had put together?

Zhuge Somyeong's heavy voice continued.

"The Two Modes Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Forms Array... I did tell you not to be arrogant, but it is not the kind of thing that can be broken the moment you see it for the first time. If you truly had that kind of ability, there would have been no need for you to so desperately enter the academy in the first place, nor to risk your life to save your sect."

Now the reason why he suppressed the formation masters from suspecting me and dismissed them from their seats became clear.

He was looking at this issue much more seriously.

Zhuge Somyeong snapped shut the iron fan in his hand and grasped it with one hand.

Naturally, the tip of the iron fan pointed toward my vital acupoint.

"Are you... a spy?"

I had been wondering why he was still carrying around a fan when a cool breeze had already started blowing a while ago.

So it was all to aim for my lifeline.

If there was one fortunate thing, was it the fact that he thought I was a spy rather than suspecting me of seeing the future?

'Should I consider this fortunate?'

I couldn't tell whether to laugh or cry at the situation of being suspected as a bad bastard instead of a crazy bastard.

Anyway, perhaps thanks to the effects of the golden wound medicine Sama Jeong had applied, the bleeding stopped, and my brain slowly began to work again.

It definitely... has a good effect.

I should ask for some separately later.

I quickly focused my mind and spoke.

"Ahem, what do you mean by that?"

"... If you tell the truth right now, I will not bring harm to those among your sect who were not involved in this matter."

Instead, he would investigate relentlessly until he got a confession of involvement.

And naturally, damn bastards like Ak Byeongbi would be mobilized for the investigation.

Who did he think he was fooling?

"I am falsely accused!"

"Then are you saying you analyzed the Two Modes Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Forms Array in a single glance?"

Honestly, that made even less sense.

Since I had accomplished in two hours what took the Demonic Brain a hundred days.

Regardless, if I didn't give him a convincing story right now, it seemed I would continue to be suspected in the future.

I racked my brain more fiercely than ever before.

And I recalled a certain person in my memories.

"Actually, I didn't analyze it all at once."

"... From what I heard, it was said that your visit to the Grand Equestrian Ground after the incident occurred was your first time."

Among the Minor Orthodox Unit members, there was a guy named Seo Unchang. A swindler who joined the Minor Orthodox Unit despite not having a single shred of martial arts.

Seo Unchang used to say that if you want the other party to believe your lie, make them suspect something else.

He said that humans were beings who could not pour their suspicion into two contradictory things at once.

To think that swindling bastard would actually be helpful like this.

"Of course, it is true that that was the first time it was publicly known to others."

"... Publicly? Does that mean you had seen it before then?"

"That is correct."

"That makes no sense. That would mean you saw it at the Zhuge Clan..."

Zhuge Somyeong tilted his head, finding it strange.

I looked at him and shook my head.

"No. It is true that I saw it for the first time at the Murim Academy."

"Huh?"

"For the first three days, the Two Modes Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Forms Array wasn't a strange formation that posed a threat to people, was it? I was inside it every night during those three days."

"..."

And then I threw a small clue for him to suspect.

"Moreover, I am someone who memorized and escaped all the infinitely changing paths within the Boundless Indestructible Soul-Extinguishing Array."

Zhuge Somyeong withdrew his previously sharp gaze and looked at me with a sunken, deep stare.

At some point, the position of the iron fan had also changed, now being used to lightly tap his own head.

It meant that he was piecing together the overall picture with the final piece I had handed him.

It was lucky for me that he had shown even a glimpse of the picture he had drawn.

Because smart people like Zhuge Somyeong preferred to come up with answers through small clues like this.

Once they reached an answer that way, their suspicions naturally vanished.

Sure enough.

"Then does it have something to do with the method you used to bring back the Young Cult Master's head?"

He began to suspect in the direction I intended.

"That is correct."

"... Show me."

The suspicion had grown, and he was on the verge of drawing a conclusion.

If I could just get past this, I would be able to escape his suspicion.

Therefore.

"I refuse."

"What?"

"These were things I could only accomplish because I didn't show it to anyone. If I must be suspected for this, then it cannot be helped."

"Even if it means being suspected as a spy?"

I deliberately raised my head with a composed look.

"Didn't you, Chief Strategist, personally resolve the suspicions directed at me?"

"I can always take back the words I have spoken."

"If that was your intention, you wouldn't have brought up such words in the first place."

The corners of Zhuge Somyeong's eyes twitched.

It was a familiar look. A look that said, 'What kind of bastard is this?'

"I have many enemies. I must hide the cards I hold over and over again just to barely stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them."

"..."

Perhaps it was too difficult to use his brain anymore after talking this much, but Zhuge Somyeong firmly pressed his temples.

The tide had turned to me.

Then now it was my turn to apply pressure.

"So what kind of reward will you give us?"

"What?"

They say the brain capacity of geniuses like Zhuge Somyeong is larger than others, but its limit is still on a human level, isn't it?

I had to keep throwing things for him to think about so he would completely drop his suspicions about me.

Well, I also genuinely needed a reward.

My hand wasn't just hurting a little, after all.

I leaned forward and spoke.

"Didn't our representative officers clean up the mess caused by Zhuge Jeonggi?"

"... To be exact, the Academy Director was with you."

"I don't know if you're aware, but Senior Brother Buk is a lay disciple of our Taiyi Sect. Looking at it that way, he is strictly someone connected to our representative officers."

"Urgh..."

I deliberately sped up my speech.

"Isn't it an incident where an unprecedented supreme array like the Two Modes Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Forms Array almost swallowed up close to a hundred people entirely? Naturally, you can't just overlook this. Isn't that right?"

"It was seventy-eight people."

"Don't we usually round up numbers like this when talking?"

Zhuge Somyeong burst into laughter as if he found it absurd before asking me.

"... What do you want?"

Naturally, I want something complex enough to make your head explode.

I casually rubbed my two hands together and said.

"How much are you willing to offer?"

"..."

The corners of Zhuge Somyeong's eyes twitched once again.

* * *

The moment Zhuge Somyeong stepped into the Mantong Bureau, he got a strange feeling.

Should he say the atmosphere was heavier than usual?

When he usually returned from working outside, Maeng Ju-won would cling to him and whine, but for some reason, he was bowing politely.

"Have you arrived, Chief Strategist?"

"What is this? Did you take some weird medicine?"

Despite the scolding, Maeng Ju-won didn't even frown.

"... Why would you say such a thing? Isn't it only natural for the personnel of the Mantong Bureau to greet the head of the Mantong Bureau when they see him?"

"What... is wrong with him?"

He looked at the other Mantong Bureau employees, but they were all in a similar state to Maeng Ju-won.

Come to think of it, the inside of the Mantong Bureau, which was usually a total disaster zone, was somewhat tidied up.

'What the hell? Did they all take some weird medicine together?'

He already had a headache as it was, and with them acting like this, his mood naturally had to sour.

But then.

"Have you arrived?"

"Huh?"

As he entered his office, an even more absurd situation was waiting for him.

Hyuk Mugang was right there, drinking tea.

Only then did he understand why the Mantong Bureau members were doing things they normally wouldn't do.

"Chief Strategist... Should I prepare some tea for you?"

Looking at Maeng Ju-won asking politely, he saw the guy subtly shaking his head.

The intention was plainly obvious.

He wanted him to take the Alliance Leader outside.

Zhuge Somyeong deliberately gave a large nod.

"Yes, we'll be having a long chat, so go brew about three pots of tea."

A look of panic flickered across Maeng Ju-won's face.

"... I-In that case, how about heading to a tea house near the Alliance headquarters?"

"Ahem! How could you suggest wasting the Murim Alliance's funds on such a frivolous place when we need to save every single penny?"

Zhuge Somyeong shifted his gaze to Hyuk Mugang, as if seeking agreement.

"The Alliance Leader would also probably prefer to drink it here rather than going out. Isn't that right?"

"I don't mind either way."

Maeng Ju-won crumpled his face like a piece of paper and backed away.

Zhuge Somyeong clicked his tongue in disbelief.

"Hmph! Damn bastards. So they're scared of the Alliance Leader but not scared of me, is that it!"

Hyuk Mugang tilted his head as he watched the scene.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing. Anyway, why did you come all the way here? I said I would go to you."

"How could someone who eats and plays in the Alliance Leader's Pavilion every day order a busy person to come and go? I should be the one to come here."

"..."

How nice would it be if he acted like this when handling his regular duties?

The problem was always that Hyuk Mugang only moved his heavy rear end personally for matters he took a deep interest in.

This wasn't the first time he had shown such immense interest, but...

'Somehow, it feels like he's more interested than he was with Yong So-ah or Ilmyeong.'

Hyuk Mugang already had a face full of anticipation even before the tea came out.

"How was it? Was he really a spy as expected?"

Zhuge Somyeong said a word as he looked at the Murim Alliance Leader, who was brimming with expectation like a child.

"You look as if you're hoping he's a spy."

"Of course not!"

Zhuge Somyeong let out a long sigh.

"Your prediction was correct, Alliance Leader. He seems to possess a martial art related to stealth."

"Haha! Is that true?!"

Hyuk Mugang burst into a hearty laugh, as if he couldn't hold it back.

"This is no time to laugh. Doesn't this mean the Cheonmok Pavilion has been breached?"

The Two Modes Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Forms Array was an item treated as highly classified within the Murim Alliance.

Naturally, even if the Zhuge Clan maintained strict security, the Murim Alliance wouldn't just sit still.

Hyuk Mugang nodded.

"He is the kid who brought back the Young Cult Master's head from the very center of a Blood Cult unit. He would be too much for the Cheonmok Pavilion to handle."

"Phew..."

"In any case, we've just confirmed once again that the Murim Alliance has a brilliant talent, so why are you sighing?"

At that question, Zhuge Somyeong let out a groan.

"It's because he's outstanding in a rather peculiar way."

"A peculiar way?"

Zhuge Somyeong nodded and continued.

"I told a lie to the family's formation masters right in front of him. Yet, without a moment of hesitation, he lied to match my words right on the spot."

It would have been normal for him to show at least a hint of panic, but he hadn't shown any such signs at all.

Even as he listened, it was enough to make him mistakenly think that he had genuinely heard such a story from Cheongi.

"Moreover, even when I sent everyone away and pressured him, he didn't breathe a single word about his stealth-related martial art until the very end."

"He's a kid with incredible guts."

"I just can't tell if he is fully confident in himself or if he's just incredibly quick-witted."

"Hmm..."

"Usually, those called rising stars have a somewhat naive side, showing untainted aspects. But that guy has absolutely none of that. Sometimes, it feels like I'm dealing with an old monster from the Underworld."

Hyuk Mugang nodded.

"In that regard, that Peak Master of the Four Emperors Peak really chose a fitting alias for him."

"I completely agree."

He was a dragon, but a Black Dragon.

Unlike other dragons who cultivate the Dao in the mountains and rivers solely for a single Dragon Orb, he was a Black Dragon who achieved the Dao while fighting fierce battles in the rough seas.

Why did the image of a massive Black Dragon gripping the corpse of an Azure Dragon in one hand and the corpse of a Phoenix in the other suddenly paint itself in his mind?

"Aren't you worried, Alliance Leader?"

"Well."

Hyuk Mugang stroked his chin with his finger.

"If that kid had only acted for his own benefit, he wouldn't have caught your eye or mine in the first place, would he?"

"... Tsk. That is true."

Just looking at this incident proved it.

If he didn't want to be caught secretly looking into the Two Modes Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Forms Array, not stepping up to save the White Path Council would have been the best course of action.

Furthermore, the White Path Council was an entity that had threatened Jin Sowoon's representative officers.

If he himself had been in Jin Sowoon's situation right now, he naturally would not have helped the White Path Council.

"His methods might have a rough edge to them, but wasn't that ultimately to make up for the shortcomings of his background?"

A flower grown indoors blooms easily but is vulnerable to the wind and rain.

A weed grown in the wild does not bloom easily, but it is not easily broken by strong wind and rain either.

Zhuge Somyeong knew very well just how brilliantly such a wildflower shone when it finally bloomed.

"Since we now know his martial arts are that outstanding, we can grant the request of the Peak Master of the Four Emperors Peak."

After pondering Hyuk Mugang's question for a moment, Zhuge Somyeong nodded.

"Well... It wasn't a place where anything major would happen in the first place."

Even if something major were to happen, he couldn't imagine that guy falling victim to foul play.

"That is truly a relief. I was wondering how I should decline his request to send a mere academy student as part of an envoy. Didn't we originally plan to send someone from the Dragon-Phoenix Summit or the Seven Stars?"

"That is true. The Peak Master of the Four Emperors Peak is also unbelievable. No matter the situation, isn't it crazy to ask us to send Jin Sowoon? Even if we owe them a debt for the Blood Cult matter!"

"Isn't it at least a relief?"

"It's not a relief!"

"Huh?"

Hyuk Mugang raised his head at Zhuge Somyeong's firm words.

"I think you will need to open the treasury."

"Huh? What does that..."

"Ah, and you will also have to pull some budget from the Alliance Leader's Pavilion."

"No, w-wait a minute, what does that..."

"Because that bastard Jin Sowoon sent a very expensive bill for this matter."

Zhuge Somyeong pulled a piece of paper from his chest and slapped it down onto the table.

Hyuk Mugang dropped his jaw as he looked at the list.

"No, why is this..."

"I didn't have a choice either. I ended up losing in the end. If you feel it's so unfair, then why don't you go negotiate with him yourself, Alliance Leader?"

"..."

Yes, even if that guy went, there was no great need to worry.

After all, a guy who could bleed dry the Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance wouldn't end up getting stabbed in the back by mere Underworld thugs.

"Damn bastard..."

Zhuge Somyeong soothed his bitter stomach with a curse directed at who-knows-who.