Chapter 549

Chapter 549

Under Baek Li-jung's presidency, all of Baek Li Family's strategists gathered to discuss countermeasures for the current situation.

"Many sects are reluctant to participate. There are countless who turn back midway. At this rate, we may not fill the target numbers."

"Even in Shaanxi, the number gathered is less than one-tenth of the original estimate."

Baek Li-jung chewed a raw duck leg while listening to the strategist's words.

Crunch! The sound of bones being chewed echoed through the conference hall. The strategists swallowed dryly and watched Baek Li-jung's mood.

Baek Li-jung's expression looked very displeased.

Baek Li-jung thought a few more useless chaff coming or not wouldn't change anything. In battle, unnecessary numbers only hindered Baek Li-jung. If his disgrace was exposed, he'd have to catch and kill all those who fled, making cleanup bothersome.

However, when it became a battle of justification, their value completely changed.

No matter how much Baek Li-jung shouted, his words didn't spread throughout jianghu. His supporters who would spread Baek Li-jung's voice and will had decreased. Now there was no Cherry Blossom Group or Righteous Alliance. All abandoned by Baek Li-jung.

"Useless things. Vermin."

Baek Li-jung's voice flowed out very ominously. Yet chillingly, the clear light shining from his eyes was very clear. What showed was that of a chivalrous hero. Voice, thoughts, and expression were all different!

Baek Li-jung ordered.

"Present opinions."

If Baek Li-jung said to do it, they must. The strategists each presented opinions.

"What's important now is deciding whether to stop the Poison Dragon or draw back the sects that turned away."

"No. Now it's too late for a public opinion war. The establishment ceremony will start before we can create new public opinion."

"At this rate, even holding the establishment ceremony will be meaningless. If participation is too low, we'll lack the representativeness to represent orthodox martial world..."

However, Baek Li-jung's thoughts were different.

"I'll handle the Poison Dragon. Once I kill the Poison Dragon, those watching now will kneel before me again. But if those coming seem few right now, won't my face be damaged! This is work that I, Baek Li-jung, am doing. It must absolutely not be treated as a failed feast!"

The strategists blinked. In the end, regardless of how the establishment ceremony goes, just fill the numbers.

The crisis the strategists envisioned and the crisis Baek Li-jung envisioned were completely different.

It wasn't about solving fundamentals but making it look like many people were there right now. Fill numbers separately for those who left. Does that even make sense?

"Nothing?"

Baek Li-jung urged.

"Is there no one with useful thoughts?"

Even killing intent permeated his tone, making it eerie.

One narrow-eyed strategist with a goat beard cautiously spoke.

"Since ancient times, for a feast to seem splendid and grand, there must be entertainment rather than just fulfilling the purpose of visiting."

Baek Li-jung became curious.

"Entertainment? There isn't much time until the establishment ceremony. Do you have a plan?"

The strategist immediately answered.

"For entertainment, usually there's eating and drinking, and playing. Since they're vigorous martial artists, if we let them relieve their travel fatigue with alcohol and women..."

One person's eyes widened and retorted.

"What, is this a gathering of marketplace ruffians? This is the establishment event of the Murim Alliance representing the martial world! Alcohol aside, but women? Using women to entertain! How can you think such a thing!"

Instantly Baek Li-jung flicked his finger.

Thwack.

The arm of the strategist who retorted fell off. The strategist was dumbfounded for a moment, not recognizing what happened to his arm.

Baek Li-jung frowned.

"Rather than planning anything yourself, you slander others' opinions."

Only then did the strategist see blood spurting from his arm and screamed.

"Aaaagh! Aaaagh!"

The strategist rolled on the floor thrashing about.

"Noisy."

Baek Li-jung flicked his hand again. The strategist's head shattered. Blood and brain matter scattered.

"...!"

The conference hall froze in a murderous atmosphere. The strategists trembled.

No one could say anything.

"Continue."

The goat-bearded strategist who received permission spoke while watching Baek Li-jung's mood.

"Po-Poison Dragon is rampaging at this time, so alcohol and women are perfect for soothing the martial artists' hearts. However... we noble Baek Li Family among noble families cannot directly play the pimp's role."

"Then...?"

"Create a marketplace outside the Alliance headquarters."

The goat-bearded strategist bowed and said.

"Have merchants sell alcohol and food in the marketplace and bring in women. Though time is tight, merchants won't refuse since they can make money selling alcohol and food to tens of thousands. Since we're not doing it directly, we don't need to spend our money or be pointed at. Rather, we can charge merchants site fees to cover expenses for this event."

"Ho."

"Tens of thousands are customers. Shop owners, cooks, courtesans, all sorts of materials and workers to build temporary lodgings... their numbers cannot be ignored either. It will be very bustling until the establishment ceremony day, so the part you desire will be resolved to some degree. It will be a very grand and magnificent feast."

The strategists were dumbfounded but didn't dare counter since they didn't want to lose their heads. Though not directly operating it, at the Murim Alliance establishment ceremony, if taverns and red-light districts lined up right outside the main gate, what would that even be!

However, Baek Li-jung gladly laughed loudly.

"A very good opinion. I'll appoint you as the new Murim Alliance's Chief Strategist."

The goat-bearded strategist flinched. Becoming Chief Strategist was good but being too close to Baek Li-jung risked his life. He could die bringing up principles or ethics. He must only please his superior Baek Li-jung.

Fortunately, the goat-bearded strategist was skilled at such things. With the most servile expression, rubbing his hands, he said.

"Moreover, if we completely block cripples from entering Nanchang, even those too afraid of the Poison Dragon can come. If the Poison Dragon causes trouble, he'll rather reveal himself, so if the Alliance Leader steps forward and kills the Poison Dragon before people, it's killing two birds with one stone."

"Hmm. That's also a good idea. It'd be better to kill cripples on sight so they can't even think of entering from the start. Truly the insight befitting a Chief Strategist."

At the words to kill cripples, the strategists felt chills. But they couldn't oppose Baek Li-jung's words. Inevitably they bowed and agreed.

"It seems like a good idea to us as well."

"We'll prepare and implement immediately."

However, Baek Li-jung thought briefly then frowned.

"No. It's better to leave the cripples alone rather than killing them. Let cripples in but monitor them."

The strategists were puzzled. Wouldn't that be allowing the Poison Dragon to enter?

The strategists gave looks to the goat-bearded strategist. They needed to know the reason to respond accordingly.

"We humble ones find it difficult to understand the Alliance Leader's profound thoughts. Whether you mean it's fine to let the Poison Dragon in..."

"If we kill him too easily, there will surely be those who try to diminish my achievement. To show this one's majesty, there must be casualties. The more die, the more my accomplishment shines, doesn't it?"

They just proposed a plan to bring civilians outside the Alliance. Yet he meant to deliberately leave them to die to make himself stand out.

If even they suffered damage, Baek Li-jung's reputation would truly fall to the lowest of lows. When the current situation was caused by such actions!

However, in the current atmosphere, they couldn't say that. Cold sweat formed on the strategists' foreheads.

"Many must die. His reputation will be cut and mine will rise. If he doesn't kill, it'd be good if we use poison to kill about one or two hundred as an example."

The worst.

Baek Li-jung was rushing toward the worst.

The strategists trembled while desperately racking their brains. In the end, they were the ones who had to handle the aftermath.

After pondering, one said.

"The Alliance Leader's words... are correct. However, only the Alliance Leader can face the Poison Dragon, and ordinary warriors cannot handle the Poison Dragon. Monitoring the Poison Dragon would be impossible. If he administers poison everywhere evading the warriors' eyes and poison spreads in directions we cannot control, I fear that might harm the Alliance Leader's majesty."

"Right. It must be controlled. If poison is scattered wildly, it will look to others like I'm not controlling the situation. An alternative?"

"When the Poison Dragon uses poison, poison swamps form. If those who discover poison swamps leave markers, the Poison Dragon's evil deeds will be revealed more and it will look like the situation is controlled. Also, if we miss the Poison Dragon due to wrong information, the responsibility falls on those who discovered it, not ours."

Only then did a smile form on Baek Li-jung's face.

"That's very good. Proceed as such."

The strategists finally felt relieved.

Having avoided all situations where they'd be responsible, now all that remained was for Baek Li-jung to catch Jin Ja-gang. If he failed to catch him, what would happen... they didn't even want to think about it.

* * *

Baek Li-jung threatened the merchant world to create a marketplace outside the Murim Alliance headquarters in Nanchang. He even demanded delivery of tens of thousands of small flags in three colors that could fit in sleeves.

The merchant world didn't want to get involved in Jin Ja-gang's affair. But they couldn't ignore the blade Baek Li-jung held to their throats. Having already been severely intimidated by Baek Li-jung, fear made them move automatically.

Merchant houses and trading companies urgently sent supplies to Nanchang to erect temporary buildings and begin creating the marketplace.

With the tight deadline, everything was haphazard. They gathered manpower by paying whatever it took, and most goods weren't proper quality. To meet the time until the establishment ceremony, they gathered people and goods indiscriminately.

Daily processions of carts and crowds continued without cease to the Murim Alliance headquarters.

* * *

As people greatly increased, the warriors in charge of security grew extremely tense.

"Damn it, how do we pick out and find cripples among all these people. Does anyone know the Poison Dragon's face?"

"Who would know? If they saw his face, they'd all be dead."

"Anyway, all sorts of riffraff are coming, so even knowing his face, we couldn't find him."

The squad leader in charge of southern security passed by and told the warriors.

"Don't worry."

"Why, squad leader?"

"Everyone in the world knows the Poison Dragon is a cripple. But what insane cripple would come here to die?"

"True... No wait, that's not it. Then if we see a cripple, that would be..."

"The Poison Dragon."

The warriors awkwardly looked at each other.

The squad leader said.

"So abandon thoughts of catching a cripple to do something. Our mission is only to report if there's a cripple."

"Outside they spit and kick cripples as unlucky, but here we have to avoid cripples."

"Who's stopping you? Go pick a fight if you want to die."

The warriors made sour expressions.

However, very fortunately for them, not a single cripple was seen among the thousands of people coming and going daily.

It was as the squad leader said. Unless insane, when the whole world knew Jin Ja-gang was a cripple, there was no reason to come.

Since entering Huguang, Jin Ja-gang's whereabouts weren't revealed at all. As the establishment ceremony drew near, everyone's nerves sharpened. They didn't know when or where Jin Ja-gang would appear.

Time continued to flow and now less than five days remained until the establishment ceremony.