People’s thoughts on Sima Pyeong were clearly split.

He is smart.

He is cunning.

He is extremely prideful.

He has no pride at all.

The records of Sima Pyeong that Cale received from the Imperial family showed numerous things that were the complete opposite of each other.

However, there was something about Sima Pyeong that was in all of the reports.

< He is strong. >

< He is someone who suits the Unorthodox faction more than anybody else. >

The Zhuge Clan, which had birthed the most Chief Advisors in the Orthodox faction throughout history due to their extraordinary minds… It was extremely rare for them to get their name out for their martial arts. Those born in the Zhuge Clan rarely had physical abilities that matched their smart brains.

The Sima Clan were their equivalents in the Unorthodox faction.

And the person who became the leader of the Divergent Coalition despite being born from that Sima Clan… That person was none other than Sima Pyeong.

‘Of course, he is known to be in a battle for power with the leader of the Green Forest right now.’

That had led to Sima Pyeong’s current evaluation being lower than before.

They were calling him a tiger without his teeth.

However, completely unrelated to that, Cale felt a mysterious sense of discomfort the moment he saw Sima Pyeong.

“Haha. Did I greet you too suddenly, sir?”

Shh.

He took a step forward to match the step Cale moved back.

No.

He took two steps forward.

“I, Sima Pyeong, have acted senselessly because I was so happy to see you like this, young master-nim. Haha!”

He took three steps forward and stopped in front of Cale.

He then reached his hand out.

The Martial Arts Alliance and the Demon Cult…

There were no leaders like this anywhere else.

Honestly speaking, he looked more like a vassal who stuck himself right next to an incompetent king continuously flattering him.

His goat beard made him seem even more like that.

“…Sir, my name is Kim Hae-il. It is an honor to meet Sima Pyeong-nim, the Divergent Coalition Leader.”

“Aigoo!”

Sima Pyeong grabbed the hand that Cale warily stuck out with both hands and shook it.

‘Is it okay for the Divergent Coalition Leader to act so lightly?’

Cale even had that kind of thought.

He did not seem to be the only one who had such a thought.

The Heavenly Demon, who had walked up next to Cale at some point, stared at Sima Pyeong with his hands behind his back.

He then nonchalantly commented.

“How peculiar.”

The Heavenly Demon was calling a person, the Divergent Coalition Leader, peculiar. The funny thing was that there was nobody saying anything against it.

“This son greets his father.”

“Father, have you been well?”

His son and daughter… Even Sima Gong and Sima Dan greeted Sima Pyeong without any other reaction.

But the mood was quite sharp.

Cale’s group had currently moved with the different major forces separated from each other.

The Orthodox faction. The Unorthodox faction. The Demon Cult. Cale’s people.

These three groups, with Cale at the center, followed without talking to each other unless it was necessary conversation for what was to happen.

This awkward confrontation continued. However, this confrontation became more tense the moment the Divergent Coalition Leader appeared.

‘It’s not the Demon Cult.’

The Sage Demon and Heavenly Demon… Pavilion Master Gong as well… These three people were looking at Sima Pyeong as if he was unbelievable.

In that case, which side was causing this tense atmosphere?

There were two sides that were giving off vicious auras.

Naturally, one of those sides was the Orthodox faction.

‘This is unexpected.’

The other side was the second in command of the Green Forest, Xia Mun.

The bastard who had acted as if he was sworn brothers with Sima Jung and Toonka was now openly showing hostility toward Sima Pyeong.

This seemed a bit weird but even Chief Advisor Zhuge Mi Ryeo was smiling but keeping a clear line between her and Sima Pyeong.

“Coalition leader. You arrived earlier than I expected.”

“Of course I had to hurry. Nice to see you after such a long time as well, Chief Advisor.”

Sima Pyeong greeted the Chief Advisor as if there were no issues.

The problem was that he was not letting go of Cale’s hand.

“Mm.”

Cale tried to pull his hand away, but…

‘Wow, young master-nim! Now that I am seeing it up close, your skin is as white as a baby and full of nobility. You must have been overflowing with nobility since birth, which only makes sense as someone who has the blood of the master of the Central Plains flowing inside of you! Haha!”

Cale had been eating and sleeping well but he did not look very good because he currently looked like a young Kim Rok Soo.

He was still a bit skinny.

He looked stiff and disrespectful more than noble.

– Human. This Divergent Coalition Leader really knows how to accurately judge a person.

He ignored Raon’s serious comment.

“I am truly happy to meet you as well, Divergent Coalition Leader-nim. We just arrived from the Demon Cult; may we chat in a little bit?”

Cale slowly pulled his hand again.

However, he failed.

“Ah! You must get some rest at a lodging, yes?”

Sima Pyeong pointed to the side.

It was toward the village opposite from the Kunlun Sect.

“I purchased the best house in the village. Haha!”

‘Hmm?’

“I have prepared a feast there so please dine there and release the fatigue from your travels. No matter how important and urgent a matter may be, people have to get some rest as they live, don’t you agree?”

‘Hmm?

This guy seems a bit decent?’

– Human. I like Toonka’s friend’s dad a bit.

He let Raon’s comments in one ear and out the other.

Sima Pyeong let go of Cale’s hand and approached the Heavenly Demon before offering his hand.

The Heavenly Demon stared at the hand with his hands still behind his back and Sima Pyeong just clapped as if nothing was wrong.

“Wow! I heard that the strength of this generation’s Heavenly Demon was unbelievably high but to be able to sense your strength through your gaze! Hahaha!”

‘This bastard will easily defeat the crown prince.

He doesn’t have oil on his tongue, his tongue is just made of oil.’

“I have prepared things for the esteemed members of the Demon Cult as well, so please come this way!”

‘Oh.’

Cale was a bit amazed.

No matter how quickly Sima Pyeong would have arrived here, it would have been yesterday at the earliest. But for him to have purchased a house that could fit not just Cale but the members of the Demon Cult as well… His abilities were amazing.

“Ahem.”

The Kunlun Sect Leader stepped forward at that moment.

“Young master Kim-nim is a guest of our Sect so I believe it is only proper for us to serve him.”

“Haha!”

Sima Pyeong laughed and grabbed the Kunlun Sect Leader’s hand.

The Sect leader seemed truly shocked.

“We have prepared rooms for esteemed guests from the Kunlun Sect as well! Hahaha!”

“…Ours as well?”

Sima Pyeong answered as if it was obvious when the Sect leader subconsciously asked.

“The Demon Cult and the Unorthodox faction. Would Kunlun be able to allow us in?”

The Sect leader’s face stiffened at the question Sima Pyeong asked with a smile on his face.

Cale had his arms crossed as he looked at Sima Pyeong with an odd look on his face. Sima Pyeong had just tied the Demon Cult and Unorthodox faction together as ‘us.’

“How entertaining.”

The Heavenly Demon seemed amused. Cale watched as the Chief Advisor smiled and stepped in between the Sect leader and Sima Pyeong.

“Is there a room for me as well?”

“Of course! I’ve wanted to have a quiet chat with the Chief Advisor-nim. Of course, I would have no other wish in this world if I could have the honor of speaking with our young master Kim-nim.”

Sima Pyeong was speaking so highly of Cale that it seemed almost exaggerated. Cale stared at him before he heard an odd voice.

– Hmm?

It was Raon.

– Human, this Divergent Coalition Leader seems a bit weird?

Cale flinched and looked toward Durst.

“Hoohoo.”

Once he made eye contact with Durst… He repeated breathing and breathing out to show that the air was refreshing.

There were no living jiangshis here.

The Divergent Coalition Leader was at least normal.

“Young master-nim.”

Zhuge Mi Ryeo gently spoke to him.

“Wouldn’t it be better for us to stay with the Divergent Coalition Leader-nim as offered?”

“Hooo.”

The Heavenly Demon seemed wowed while Sima Pyeong stared at the Chief Advisor for a moment before smiling as if nothing had happened.

The Chief Advisor had tied young master Kim and the Orthodox faction as ‘us.’

Cale saw everything. He then felt the Cleave Saint, who would usually grind his teeth when the Unorthodox faction was mentioned, looking at him. Cale pretended not to see his weirdly heated gaze and answered.

“Then let us do that.”

“Sounds great! Please come this way! Haha!”

Sima Pyeong laughed frivolously and led the way.

Cale followed behind him before the Heavenly Demon walked up next to him and sent a sound transmission.

– The Divergent Coalition Leader is moving around on his own?

As he mentioned, Sima Pyeong had been moving on his own since the beginning. There was not a single subordinate hiding nearby. There were the ones that followed his children, but none of them seemed to care about him.

The corners of Cale’s lips curled up.

‘How entertaining.’

Sima Pyeong seemed quite entertaining as a person.

The Heavenly Demon, who has reached the Profound Realm. The Cleave Saint, one of the Five Saints. And the Fist King who resides with the Imperial family.

Furthermore, Cale’s group whose powers were mysterious.

He had come to greet such people by himself. Not only that, it was at the main gate of the Kunlun Sect. He flattered this group of people without blinking an eye despite the fact that there were numerous members of the Kunlun Sect staring daggers at him from the other side of the gate.

This was why people found Sima Pyeong entertaining but did not take him for a fool.

They would be wary and alert around him.

‘Let’s just go first.’

Cale followed behind Sima Pyeong with relaxed steps. Everybody other than people heading to Kunlun followed behind him.

– Something is weird.

Cale just ignored Raon’s voice he heard in his mind.

* * *

“Looks nice.”

Cale looked around.

Sima Pyeong had brought only two people as his subordinates. The house he had purchased was quite nice compared to the small number of people with him.

It was not that the house was dazzling but that it was easy to defend and located a bit away from the village, giving off a tranquil mood.

“Young master-nim.”

Chief Eunuch Wi started talking to him. The Fist King and Mok Hee were with him as well.

The Fist King spoke once he made eye contact with Cale.

“I think we will need to chat a bit with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

It meant that he was going to go procure an elixir.

“Please go ahead, sir.”

The three of them left and the Heavenly Demon asked in a casual tone.

“Are you going to move after purifying the living jiangshis of the Orthodox faction first?”

Cale casually answered back as well.

“That’s probably better. We will deal with the ones on the Divergent Coalition’s side as we go too.”

“After that, I guess we will immediately head toward Yunnan and Nanman. To find the Blood Cult.”

“That’s right.”

While Cale moved with a small group to find the Blood Cult, the Blood Cult would have to appear in the Central Plains to figure out what was going on with the suddenly purified living jiangshis.

“Looks like our path will be busy.”

The Heavenly Demon nonchalantly responded before turning his head to the side.

“Are you the Sword Demon?”

Choi Jung Soo flinched after seeing the Heavenly Demon’s gaze on him and looked toward Cale. Cale nodded his head and he finally pulled up his bamboo hat a bit.

“Hi?”

He then greeted the Heavenly Demon.

Cale scowled at that stupid greeting but the Heavenly Demon calmly answered.

“Yes, I am well.” (TL: This is a pun that works in Korean)

‘What is up with these two bastards?’

The Heavenly Demon then turned his gaze to Choi Han, who was standing next to Choi Jung Soo.

Sui Khan and Beacrox were not here right now and Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo were standing by Cale’s side. The two Chois seemed to be oddly sticking next to each other since their spar.

The Heavenly Demon looked at Choi Han and nonchalantly asked.

“You, do you believe in the Demon?”

‘What is going on?’

Cale instantly thought about people who asked, ‘Do you believe in Daoism?’ Those religious people on the road.

He saw Choi Han responding with an innocent look on his face.

“I do not, sir.”

“I don’t know about that.”

Heavenly Demon commented with a casual look on his face.

“The Demon is suitable for you.”

Choi Han stared at him. The Heavenly Demon continued to speak.

“Why don’t we spar next time?”

“Sure.”

‘Hmm?’

Cale blankly watched as the two of them casually promised to fight each other. It was at that moment.

“Young master-nim~”

He heard an extremely cunning voice.

It was Sima Pyeong.

“May we have a private chat?”

Sima Pyeong requested a private conversation with Cale.

The two Chois and the Heavenly Demon moved away without any issues. The reason behind it was simple.

– Human! I found something out!

The invisible Raon was always by Cale’s side.

Cale soon sat down across from Sima Pyeong. Sima Pyeong boiled some tea and served Cale as if it was normal.

“Little Gong told me everything just now, young master-nim.”

Chhh-

Sima Pyeong spoke gently as the tea poured into the cup.

“He thoroughly explained what happened in the Demon Cult as well as the information regarding the Blood Cult.”

It was as if he was explaining about the tea he was serving. He was extremely calm.

“I immediately gave an order and came to see you, young master-nim.”

“What was the order, sir?”

Cale picked up the teacup and looked outside for a moment after feeling a breeze through the window.

The sky was starting to turn grey from a distance. It looked as if it might start raining.

The feast was supposedly planned for the yard but that seemed difficult now.

Sima Pyeong gently commented.

“I gave the order to the core members of the Divergent Coalition that we will soon have a meeting and that they must attend. My children, the leaders of the different major forces and the Green Forest will attend as well.”

Cale looked toward Sima Pyeong.

Sima Pyeong smiled as he asked.

“Wouldn’t there be living jiangshis in the Divergent Coalition as well?”

Cale nodded his head.

“I’m sure there are.”

He was certain that the Blood Cult would have planted living jiangshis in the Unorthodox faction as well. It would be weird if they did not.

“Young master-nim, I heard that you have a way to find the living jiangshis. May I invite you to that meeting?”

“Of course.”

He was planning on attending anyway.

Cale then shared his plan as well.

“I think it would be great to proceed with the purification after that as well, Coalition leader-nim. Of course, it might not be all at once depending on the numbers, but since the Heavenly Demon knows how to stop them from self-destructing-”

“Ah, you don’t need to purify them, young master-nim. I heard that it places a significant burden on your body to do that?”

“…Excuse me?”

Sima Pyeong was still smiling gently as Cale flinched and looked at him.

His smile looked extremely docile as if he was about to flatter Cale.

“Those bastards would have followed the orders of the Blood Cult to mess with the Divergent Coalition, so they must be punished.”

“…Coalition leader-nim.”

Cale questioned his hearing.

“They would have acted on those orders even if it went against their own wishes. You could say that they are the victims.”

“Why does that matter?”

Sima Pyeong quietly chuckled.

“Young master-nim, the fact that they harmed the Divergent Coalition until now and messed with us… That fact is true so they must be punished.”

Cale had no choice but to ask.

“Didn’t you say that you are calling your children to that meeting as well, Coalition leader-nim?”

“Yes, young master-nim. What is the issue with that?”

Cale suddenly recalled one of the things that was said about Sima Pyeong.

Sima Pyeong. He was the best fit for the Unorthodox faction than anybody else.

There were some explanations about it as well.

< The bandits and pirates, even the bastards of the Black Dao Gang bow down to the gentle looking Sima Pyeong's coldness. >

< In the Unorthodox faction where power is king, this was the first time that a person of the Sima Clan, a clan known as the bastards who run amok just relying on their brains, rose to the position of Coalition leader without any complaints. >

< The Sima Clan, which had been completely destroyed except for him, was restored during his generation. >

One corner of Cale’s lips curled up.

He looked at Sima Pyeong, who was looking at him with a gaze that seemed to be asking what the problem was and that his choice was actually beneficial to him, and responded.

“Not possible.”

He could not listen to Sima Pyeong’s thoughts.

Sima Pyeong’s lips oddly curled up at that moment. This smile was different from his smile until now.

“As expected, young master Kim-nim is someone who believes in justice and chivalry.”

No.

It was more beneficial for Cale to purify as many people as possible to fight with them.

Cale always says this, but he liked one-sided battles.

In order for that to happen, they needed a lot of people on their side.

It was simple logic.

“It is not because of justice and chivalry.”

Cale was about to explain.

However, Raon started talking in his mind.

– Now I get it!

‘Hmm?

What is it?’

He started to get an ominous feeling.

– Human! I think I know why this guy is weird!

This guy knows how to handle mana!

‘Hmm? Handle mana?’

Cale’s expression stiffened up.

‘Doesn’t that mean that he is a mage?

This guy is a mage?’

Raon continued to speak as Cale stared at Sima Pyeong.

– This Sima Pyeong guy smells similar to Gashan!

Gashan.

He was the Chief of the Tiger tribe and a shaman.

Shamans were similar to mages but different. They were the type to use the things in nature as they pleased.

The thing closest to nature in Cale’s world was naturally mana.

Furthermore, Cale had seen quite a lot of shamans in wuxia novels as well.

Of course, this was the first time he saw one in the Central Plains.

< Sima Pyeong's martial arts is so mysterious that we have no way of knowing what kind of fateful encounter he experienced. That is why it is impossible to figure out his true identity until now. >

Cale nonchalantly commented after recalling the records from the Imperial Palace.

“Coalition leader, do you use sorcery?”

Sima Pyeong stopped moving while picking up his teacup.

He then started speaking.

“As expected, young master Kim-nim is also walking the path of sorcery. I knew you would recognize it.”

With both his smile and expression gone… A face completely void of emotions was looking at Cale.

—

Translator’s Comments

Sorry dude, that’s not sorcery he is using…

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