The Return of the Crazy Demon-Chapter 323: Like the Alliance Leader of a Suicide Squad

Im Sobaek gestured toward the library and said,

“See if there's any martial art you'd like to learn.”

“I don’t have one.”

“How can you answer that so quickly without even looking? You don’t know what martial arts are in there.”

I glanced around the study and replied,

“I’m already learning too many martial arts. Adding more would only make it messy. Since I haven’t seen anything through to the end, I don’t feel the need to learn more.”

“So you think it’s more important to see one technique through than to dabble in many?”

“That’s how I tend to be, but somehow I ended up learning various things, so there’s a bit of contradiction.”

That’s just how it is when you come from the bottom.

Honestly, just Moonlight Cold Heart Technique and Golden Nine Free-Wandering Manual are more than enough. Even dreaming of harmonizing those two is already a challenge. What I need to focus on is finishing Zaha Divine Technique, not digging through ancient retired manuals in storage.

It sounds strange, but Hundred Battles Tenfold Technique feels like a sub-technique of Golden Nine Free-Wandering Manual. It’s like something to be mastered between the intermediate stages of Beginning Enlightenment and Golden Nine. Both Golden Nine Free-Wandering Manual and Hundred Battles Tenfold Technique belong to the rare category of extreme yang-type martial arts, which might be why.

Im Sobaek nodded.

“Seeing it through to the end is important. Alright, let’s set aside martial arts and books for now. Ah, one more thing. What about weaponry? Your sword’s so thin that it’s been bothering me. It looks like something an assassin would use.”

Even with the Martial Alliance Leader offering things, I wasn’t particularly moved. I replied to Im Sobaek in a flat tone.

“That’s fine, because I am an assassin.”

“I didn’t know that. So you’re an assassin.”

“Yes. I dream of becoming the number one assassin under Heaven.”

“You’re the Haomun Leader and also an assassin? What an odd mix. I better not get on your bad side. I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

I had a hunch about what Im Sobaek would bring up next. Most likely something about Gongson Sim. But before that, Im Sobaek focused intently and listened to his surroundings. I joined in the silence, sharpening my senses—but heard nothing, not even a breath or rustle.

Im Sobaek spoke.

“If you were me, what would you do in this situation?”

“Hm.”

His words were clipped, but I took it as a question about how to deal with Gongson Sim.

“If I were you, I would have a private meeting with the Chief Strategist.”

Was I right?

After a moment of silence, Im Sobaek asked again,

“And after that private meeting?”

I adjusted my posture and answered.

“If I were you, I’d ask outright. ‘Are you also a Scholar?’”

Im Sobaek’s eyes widened a bit.

“That directly?”

“Why not? When the Martial Alliance Leader asks, he should get an honest answer. The Chief Strategist isn’t the head of the Alliance, is he?”

“What I meant was—”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t there a reason to ask so directly?”

I nodded.

“There is.”

In truth, the Chief Strategist is probably a particularly difficult opponent for Im Sobaek.

I heard Gongson Sim had been a strategist since the previous Alliance Leader’s time. That means his tenure as strategist with the Alliance predates Im Sobaek’s own rise through the ranks—from regular member, to hall leader, and then to Alliance Leader.

In other words, Gongson Sim watched Im Sobaek rise step-by-step all the way to the top.

I shared my thoughts.

“The truth is, there's no way to force someone to admit they’re a Scholar.”

“That’s true.”

“If he’s truly a great figure among Scholars, it’s likely he never wanted to be Alliance Leader in the first place. Like you, he probably had no interest in that role. And if he’s really not a Scholar, he’ll deny it outright.”

“And if he admits to being one?”

“Is that a crime for the Chief Strategist? Other Scholars have committed crimes—that’s why some of them were killed by me. But Chief Strategist Gongson doesn’t have any particularly bad reputation. In fact, isn’t he the second most well-known person after you? But before getting an answer... it might be best to make a proposal.”

“What kind?”

I wondered if what I was thinking made any sense. But in the end, it was up to Im Sobaek to initiate the conversation and make decisions. I could only propose—it was his judgment that mattered.

So I said to Im Sobaek,

“Propose an alliance with the entire Scholar faction.”

Im Sobaek looked at me in surprise, then crossed his arms.

“An alliance?”

“The White-Robed Scholar comes and goes from the Alliance like it’s nothing. No one knows what he’s thinking, or who exactly is a Scholar or their disciple. Everything’s cloaked in secrecy. That’s fine. But if the common enemy is the Demonic Cult, then at least until that enemy is defeated, you should offer a proper alliance. What the Scholars desire...”

I glanced at the library.

“If it’s things like these records, books, martial arts manuals... then I assume you wouldn’t be interested anyway. You even considered throwing them out.”

“That’s true. I did think about discarding them.”

“If the alliance is formed, it doesn’t matter if you hand them all over. Instead, if you can treat the entire Scholar faction as an allied force when facing the Demonic Cult... then the union of the Martial Alliance and the Scholars becomes what the ancients once called a true suicide squad. Not a volatile, untrustworthy group—but a united force with a clear purpose. And that, I believe, was the original intent of the Martial Alliance.”

It might sound off, but what I was proposing was the real Martial Alliance. Maybe Im Sobaek had only been a half-leader until now. But if he could unite even the Scholar faction, then he would become the true Martial Alliance Leader in every sense.

Im Sobaek murmured,

“An alliance with the entire Scholar faction...”

“Alliance Leader, you were the one who spared Scholar Chu Myeong in Dongho. Have you ever personally rounded up and executed Scholars, whether intentionally or not?”

“Never.”

“Even Noshin, who cooperated with the White-Robed Scholar, you merely locked him up. You didn’t kill him.”

Im Sobaek looked at me.

“You’re saying we should bury all this for the sake of fighting the Demonic Cult?”

“As you know, the Scholars are... a bit strange. They’re proud, smart, and powerful. I’m not sure how else to describe them. If tainted by dark arts, they become demonic. If left with the dark path, they’d enslave it. But under a great leader for many years, they’ll serve as Chief Strategist just fine. Whether Gongson Sim is a Scholar or not, I don’t believe he hates or resents you.”

“Why do you say that?”

Im Sobaek seemed to already know the answer, but asked anyway—so I gave him a practical one.

“If the Scholars hated you, they’d have tried to assassinate you long ago. And not through martial combat. A man like the Chief Strategist could control your food and shelter in the Alliance. How could you guard against poison in your everyday life? Just a tasteless, odorless poison in your daily tea would’ve done the trick.”

Cautious as he was, Im Sobaek considered the worst outcome.

“And if he denies it—rejects the proposal or becomes hostile?”

“Alliance Leader, you have me here. You have my sworn brothers. You have the Emperors. When words don’t work in Jianghu, we fight. You and I aren’t the kind of people to fear such fights.”

Then Im Sobaek veered off-topic with a sudden question.

“By the way, when did you become sworn brothers?”

“They were pathetic, so I just took them in.”

“Hahah...”

Im Sobaek nodded.

“So basically, you’re saying we push through head-on, whatever happens.”

“Yes. I’m sick of schemes and conspiracies. If the situation or tide of war displeases you, flip the board.”

“Overturn the whole game board, huh.”

At that point, we paused to reflect on our own thoughts.

The reason I even considered an alliance with the Scholars is simple.

In my past life, the Martial Alliance remained the Martial Alliance. And the Alliance Leader was still Im Sobaek. He endured.

But as the Demonic Cult chipped away at allied forces one by one, he became increasingly isolated.

So I shared my thoughts with Im Sobaek.

“Alliance Leader.”

“Yes?”

“Now that I think about it, killing the Chief Strategist would be a terrible mistake. If he’s not a Scholar, we lose a great strategist. If he is, he becomes a martyr to the Scholars. They’ll rally under Cheonak and march against the Alliance. It becomes a vicious cycle. If we lose to them, that’s the end. If we barely win, one day we’ll both be standing there, and the Cult Leader will appear before us laughing. Watching the Scholars and Alliance destroy each other would be a spectacle for him. Who’ll stop him then? Of course, Senior Shin Gae is still with us, but in terms of organization, the Cult Leader’s power is stronger.”

Im Sobaek nodded.

“So it’s better to ask directly and offer an alliance.”

“Yes.”

At this point, I might as well be the Chief Strategist of the Martial Alliance. Chief Strategist Gongson Sim, Head Strategist Yi Zaha, and regular strategist Gongson Wol.

Honestly, there’s a flaw in my plan.

If Gongson Sim turns out to be a rare villain, everything falls apart. That’s why I thought—

This is why you must choose your Martial Alliance Leader wisely.

Whether this succeeds depends on whether the Scholars can believe in and accept Im Sobaek as the Martial Alliance Leader.

To me, this man seems like he was born for that role.

He was born into an ordinary family, yet restrains and disciplines himself under the weight of responsibility as Alliance Leader. If some petty, narrow-minded man had taken the position, he would’ve already been killed by the Scholars and Jianghu would be in chaos. But that didn’t happen.

Which makes me think...

The White-Robed Scholar didn’t come to watch a duel. He came to see what kind of man this rumored Im Sobaek truly is.

Lost in thought, Im Sobaek spoke.

“To be honest... I feel surprised, hollow, even betrayed.”

“I understand completely.”

“The reason it feels so complicated and bitter is because the Chief Strategist has always supported me. Even before I was Alliance Leader, I heard he often told the former Leader: ‘Why not consider Im Sobaek as the next Alliance Leader?’ That’s what I heard. From the previous Leader himself.”

“I see. That actually makes things better.”

“Was I just a puppet...? Life feels bitter.”

I snapped out of it and addressed him firmly.

“Alliance Leader?”

“Speak.”

I watched Im Sobaek’s face. His bottled-up anger, confusion, and emptiness overlapped so sharply I feared he might descend into internal deviation right then and there. I scrambled to think of something and babbled nonsense.

“You’re not a puppet. That’s impossible. That can’t be true.”

My words began to stumble.

“Let’s just step outside for now. The air in this archive is too heavy.”

“Let’s go.”

As soon as we stepped out of the archive, I took a deep breath and stretched my body. Thankfully, Im Sobaek did the same, walking slowly and inhaling deeply. He looked as if he had regained his composure in moments.

I’ve experienced internal deviation enough times to know.

It may come from martial training, but in the end, it’s a sickness of the heart. I finally found a topic to shift the mood.

“By the way, will you fight the Emperor tomorrow?”

“Is Sword Emperor still left?”

“Yes.”

“We’re tied one to one, so it’s only right to fight once more.”

I looked at him.

“You seem emotionally conflicted. Are you going to lose tomorrow because of that?”

“I used to lose a lot when I was younger, but it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted defeat.”

“But this is Namgung Sword Emperor. After losing to you, he must’ve endured painful years.”

Im Sobaek replied,

“It’s frustrating.”

“What part of it?”

“If it were a real sword fight, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° I could win more easily. But we’re using wooden swords. How can the Alliance Leader kill the head of an allied faction? I have to go easy, but that man doesn’t respond well to that. This is why I refused duels with Emperors. It’s all tangled up now.”

“It is tangled.”

Im Sobaek suddenly looked up at the stars in the night sky.

“But I have the Six Combat Blade. It’s not happening. Watch closely tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

We arrived at the Alliance Leader’s residence. Im Sobaek nodded.

“Leader of Haomun, go rest. The night is deep...”

“Yes.”

“You’ve given sincere, thoughtful advice in the right direction. Good work.”

“Please rest well.”

I turned after watching him head back to his office. I couldn’t predict exactly how he would handle it.

But I had already outlined the grand strategy.

If the Scholars had been using the Martial Alliance to suit their whims...

Then I’ll use the Scholars however I can. Hostile opposition is not the right strategy. Even if I can’t bring them all in, I’ll fracture the faction and pull some into our side.

I looked up at the night sky, the one Im Sobaek had just been watching.

There’s a hidden force in Jianghu?

Then I’m the hidden force behind that force.

I’m the one flipping over the game board in Ilyang County. The villain of Ilyang. The artisan of chicken-giblet noodles. The un-mysterious mystic. I might seem crazy, and I am crazy. The true identity: Leader of Haomun, true form: the Crazy Demon, but really... I’m Jomsoi.

Who could truly know who I am?

Honestly, I don’t even know myself. That in itself makes me mysterious.

“Damn, it’s beautiful.”

If those stars hold everyone’s fate... then to me, they all looked like members of Haomun.

Of course it was beautiful.