Whisper, whisper.
In the quiet silence, only the sound of alcohol being poured filled the room.
However, despite the refined aroma of the liquor, the faces of those gathered remained stiff and unrelaxed.
“Everyone is silent. I assume there’s a reason you’ve called me here…”
The Great Celestial Scholar, with a beard like weasel fur, was the first to speak.
Before him, several family heads were seated at the table, including the heads of the Mi, Ji, and Peng families.
“I believe the Great Celestial Scholar is generally aware of why we’ve urgently arranged this meeting.”
It was Mi Se-son, the head of the Mi Clan. He seemed extremely agitated, as if deeply angered.
And why wouldn’t he be?
His son had committed a crime and was sent to Palyeoldo [Eight Exiles Island, a notorious prison island].
Among the eight places of exile, those sent to Palyeoldo were officially imprisoned for life and could not leave until death.
Palyeoldo was, from the start, a place where people were sent to die.
How could he not be distraught?
As a parent, he couldn’t help but be on edge, knowing his son was sent to Palyeoldo.
“My brother suffered the same fate. Because he was in the early stages of Ascension, his original spirit couldn’t be separated, so there was no way to save him.”
This time, it was Peng Jong-yeon of the Peng family.
He spoke of the man who, seventy years ago in Yongyeon, tried to destroy the Hu Clan with the Ji Clan and steal the Twin Annihilations of Cheonbeom [Heavenly Standard], only to be killed in the process.
“Moreover, this time…”
Ji Jeo-wi of the Ji Clan took a drink, as if in disbelief.
“He dared to fabricate stories. He claimed the Ji Clan drove him into a corner and imprisoned him in Palyeoldo!”
Smash!
Ji Jeo-wi’s cup shattered into powder.
“It is the Rank 4 Civil-Military Director who is shaking the hearts of the Water Realm with such absurd words. I trust you are aware of this.”
He turned to the Great Celestial Scholar as he spoke, who nodded in agreement.
“I am aware. He is quite clever, isn’t he? He stirs public sentiment with a few words in public, and as soon as he returns to the Water Palace, he beats up Yang Cheon and Byeon Cheon of the Four Heavenly Pillars, I hear.”
The Great Celestial Scholar praised him, remarking that a remarkable man had appeared.
But the family heads couldn’t possibly like such a figure.
They had all been beaten by Cheonbeom at least once, so what was there to say?
What’s even more absurd is that they all held a position in the Five Great Clans of the Water Realm.
The Great Celestial Scholar couldn’t help but laugh at this fact.
‘A remarkable man indeed.’
Could it be said that an Upper Immortal with no connections could gather three of the Five Great Clans of the Water Realm to sit together and bicker?
The Great Celestial Scholar found it both amazing and amusing that the heads of the Five Great Clans, three Ascension Late Stage cultivators, were gathered because they were bothered by a single Upper Immortal, and he struggled to suppress his laughter.
“The Great Celestial Scholar seems to find the current situation quite amusing.”
The Great Celestial Scholar waved his hand as if to deny it and poured alcohol into his cup.
“Haha, the Great Celestial Scholar finds it amusing that the reason the three heads of the Five Great Clans have come to me is merely because of one Upper Immortal.”
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not, suggesting that if he said one wrong word, they might come to blows.
“From what I’ve heard, there’s a reason why the family heads have sought me out. What would you like me to do?”
He asked directly, and the family heads exchanged glances before Mi Se-son of the Mi Clan spoke.
“No matter if he is a Civil-Military Director, no matter if he has inherited the truth of the Hu Clan! No matter what, we are uneasy entrusting treasures to a Civil-Military Director who remains an Upper Immortal!”
Then the Peng family chimed in.
“That’s right. Let’s say a monster attacks the Civil-Military Director. No matter how skilled he is in both civil and military arts, he is only at the Upper Immortal level. How could he stop a monster who is an Ascension Realm cultivator? Moreover, if it were to fall into the hands of the Devil Realm, the Four Realms, the Insect Realm, or the Immortal Realm, it would be a major event encompassing the entire Water Realm, not just the family.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, as if it were the right thing to say, and sipped their drinks.
“The Tongcheon Water Palace is a group representing the Water Realm. Wouldn’t it be better to protect it within the palace rather than burdening the Civil-Military Director with such a great responsibility?”
So.
“Are you saying that the Water Palace should protect the Twin Annihilations possessed by the Civil-Military Director?”
Then they slapped their knees.
“You understand perfectly.”
“Since the Hu Clan has already been destroyed and its bloodline severed, there’s no way there will be a successor to the Twin Annihilations, right? Wouldn’t it be better for the Water Palace to protect and manage it, like the Janjankyeongjeong [a valuable artifact or scripture], so that it can be used for the sake of the Water Realm?”
This time, he spoke as if appealing to him.
It might seem like a favor to relieve him of his burden, but weren’t these the same people who were emitting a fierce aura just a moment ago?
Their intentions were obvious.
‘If they try to take it by force again now, there will be a lot of talk.’
They had already destroyed the Gon and Hu Clans, and they had clashed with the Civil-Military Director once because of the Twin Annihilations.
That incident had been the subject of gossip among the cultivators, so they were starting to care about the rumors.
‘From the Water Palace’s perspective, there’s nothing wrong with it.’
There would be no better condition than managing the Twin Annihilations in the Water Palace.
But there was no guarantee that the Civil-Military Director would readily hand it over.
If he answered this way, the family heads would say, ‘Why not make him hand it over?’
No matter what, the Civil-Military Director belonged to the palace, so he couldn’t openly manipulate the long-standing traditions and laws of the Tongcheon Water Palace.
Traditions and regulations.
Something that prestigious families had to protect more than their own lives.
“I understand what you’re saying. The main point is that the Water Palace should recover and manage the Twin Annihilations. Is that right?”
“That’s exactly what we’re saying.”
“As expected, the Great Celestial Scholar is easy to talk to. He understands immediately.”
“Haha, that’s why we’re here together.”
Together… The Great Celestial Scholar smiled meaningfully and nodded.
“It’s good that the Water Palace is running smoothly with the Great Celestial Scholar. The Great Celestial Warrior is too… inflexible, isn’t he?”
“But there must be someone like that in the Water Palace.”
“Well, that’s true, haha.”
Soon, private conversations and compliments between the prestigious families continued, and the gathering ended not long after.
And a little later.
Two secret letters arrived before the Great Celestial Scholar.
He opened both of them.
“Hmm…”
The contents were nothing special.
It was a question of what to do with the Civil-Military Director after recovering the Twin Annihilations.
The senders of these secret letters were the Mi and Peng families.
The contents were obvious.
“They must be planning revenge.”
The Great Celestial Scholar sat in his office, tapping the table with his finger.
He was weighing what was best for the Water Palace.
The moment the scales in his mind were about to tip to one side.
He sensed someone’s presence.
“What brings you here in the middle of the night?”
As he asked, the door creaked open, and a woman with a black veil covering her face appeared.
It was the Great Celestial Warrior.
“I came because I have something to say. I heard the Mi, Ji, and Peng families visited. Is that correct?”
“You ask knowing the answer.”
The Great Celestial Palace is divided into the East Palace and the West Palace.
Even if the distance is far, the Great Celestial Scholar and the Great Celestial Warrior would know who visited each other’s palaces, even without using modern methods.
“I don’t know what you talked about, but if it’s about the Civil-Military Director, you should think carefully.”
“You seem to care a lot about the Civil-Military Director.”
“Isn’t it natural to care for a cultivator with outstanding talent?”
“Is that so? May I ask if that will is yours or someone behind you?”
“…It’s better not to know.”
“Haha, that’s right. What would you do if you knew? The Great Celestial Warrior is right. It’s meaningless for a mere Upper Immortal to know the intentions of the Grand Scholar.”
Those were loaded words.
As he remained silent, the Great Celestial Scholar subtly rose and glared at her.
“But I find it difficult to accept that. The Water Realm is unstable both internally and externally… Moreover, the Immortal Slaughter War is approaching, so how could it be otherwise?”
“What does that have to do with the Civil-Military Director?”
“It has everything to do with it.”
“What…”
“His very existence brings the families that form the core of the Five Great Clans to me. Although the Civil-Military Director has outstanding talent and may achieve the Great Dao [the path to immortality] in the future, he is currently exacerbating the chaos in the Water Realm. I trust you are aware of this, Great Celestial Warrior.”
At his words, the Great Celestial Warrior sighed softly and retorted.
“He did it to save his own life. How is that the Civil-Military Director’s fault?”
“Great Celestial Warrior. We are in a position where we must see the forest, not the trees. If the Water Realm cannot unite due to the chaos created by one Civil-Military Director, we will not be able to prevent the upcoming Immortal Slaughter.”
The Great Celestial Warrior frowned.
“You should speak properly, even if your mouth is crooked. To say that the Civil-Military Director is causing chaos is absurd. Are you saying that our Water Realm is swayed by a mere Upper Immortal? If that’s the case, we should hand over the position of Great Celestial Warrior to the Civil-Military Director rather than someone like me! At least he can exert more influence on the Water Realm than I can!”
The Great Celestial Scholar offered her tea as if to calm her down, but she didn’t even glance at it.
“Aren’t you going to sit down?”
He urged her to sit, but she firmly shook her head.
“I will send him to the Immortal Realm.”
“You mean the Civil-Military Director?”
“Yes. Because the Water Palace is not a safe haven for him now, but a dangerous place where some beast might tear him apart.”
Certainly.
That would be better.
The Great Celestial Scholar also had to care for the well-being of the Water Realm and the Water Palace.
He couldn’t lean to one side.
Moreover, the Civil-Military Director had obtained a position within the palace, and he and the Great Celestial Warrior had personally selected and given him the position.
He didn’t want to take his life for no particular reason.
Besides, he was a man of such outstanding talent, so he was inwardly regretful as well.
“Great Celestial Warrior, aren’t you hiding the Civil-Military Director in your skirt like you’re taking care of a child? He’s not a child.”
“He’s an Upper Immortal who hasn’t even lived for three thousand years. He’s younger than most Lesser Immortals, so he’s no different from a child.”
“Haha, I didn’t expect the Great Celestial Warrior to say such a thing. Do you like the Civil-Military Director that much?”
But if you hold him too close, the child will not grow.
“Don’t you know because you’ve never given birth to a child? Well, how would a virgin who hasn’t even tasted a man know how to raise a child?”
“Keep talking. I can make sure you never get to play the role of a man again.”
Soon, the two who had been glaring at each other simultaneously averted their gazes.
“I am not the Warrior’s enemy.”
“You are not on my side either. There’s nothing more to say. I will send the Civil-Military Director to the Immortal Realm, so be aware of that.”
“…I understand. Since most of the family heads’ interest is in the Twin Annihilations, I think the idea of sending him to the Immortal Realm is not bad.”
“Twin Annihilations?”
“The family heads said that the Twin Annihilations should be managed by the Water Palace. Surely you won’t say that’s not allowed either.”
The Great Celestial Warrior remained silent, as if pondering something.
Soon, she turned her back and left, and the Great Celestial Scholar wondered what that woman was thinking again.
‘Surely she wouldn’t steal it away.’