Book 23 Chapter 22

The Man in the Iron Mask

-Report of the Twelfth Captain (報告)

Clad in a jet-black robe that clung to his body, a blood-red robe of the same color, and an iron mask over his face, he walked through the corridors leading to the heart of the Temple of Heaven. At first glance, he looked suspicious enough, but there was no hesitation in his steps, for the path was the only one leading to the office of the Archon, the man who oversaw all things in the Great Hall, and yet no one stopped him. Rather, they retreated to either end of the corridor, bowing cautiously, respectfully, and fearfully. With everything shrouded in darkness and nothing to identify him, the only visible symbol was the number twelve written in the center of his fluttering blood wind.

The man who stood guard in front of the official residence recognized him and sent a message.

"Announcement! The Twenty-Third Lord of the Thousand and Twenty-Seventh Age, Mu Sheng, requests an audience."

Then a low but commanding voice sounded briefly from inside the Oval Office.

"Tell me."

As soon as the masked man arrives at the door, the door automatically swings open as if it's been waiting for him. No frisking. He was allowed to carry a weapon. It was a kind of special treatment for the captain.

There were only a few people who were able to meet with the master in such a mask. Anyone who saw beneath the mask had to die. Therefore, it was impossible to remove the mask. One cannot kill the master one worships.

Inside the office, a curtain was drawn between him and the skylight. He didn't care, because he was used to seeing it, so he stood where he always stood, knelt down on one knee, said yes, and reported.

"Report. Spiritual Master Nie Bai Tian has appeared in Jianghuoland."

He never used the title of Murimba. The all-encompassing title of Martial Monarch was technically a misnomer, as the Black Sea was technically one half of the Martial Kingdom. Such an arrogant title could not be tolerated in front of the Heavenly Master.

"Four hundred and ten thousand? Is it true?"

Even the man with the heart of steel, who never flinched at anything, seemed a little surprised by this.

"It's true. He was wearing a light disguise, but it was unmistakable."

"Why?"

Walking into the middle of the blackness with nothing to do was out of the question.

"We're not sure yet, but we're guessing it's for personal use."

"Rationale?"

"This is because the figure of the Ice Moon Prophet Ye Qing was found by his side."

"Even a preview?"

If so, it was most likely for personal use.

"This is just my guess, but……."

Muhun spoke cautiously.

"Speak!"

Permission granted by Machen Gakju.

"Most likely, it's for the purpose of participating in this year's speculative festival, and it's already been rumored that Bing Bai Peak Na Yerin, the longest-lived member of the Nine Hundred Thousand Heavenly Saints, will be there."

As a man of intelligence and covert operations, he was also very good at analyzing situations and reasoning.

"If that's his personality, that's a possibility, but to walk in here on his own…… is foolish."

As a father of a child, he was disqualified, but as a leader of a group, he was disqualified.

"And there's one thing that's bothering me."

"What is it?"

"We've received a request for covert surveillance on the movements of the Spiritual Master Nabaxian. It's as if they knew it was coming."

"Who made the request?"

He asks in a stern voice. This is because it could have been a case of somebody else's manipulative behavior.

Given the sensitivity of the matter, Muhon spoke cautiously from behind his iron mask.

"He's one of the twelve captains of the fourteen hundred and thirty-three like me."

It was enough to say that.

"Then it must be just one person."

Say it coldly.

"Yes, what do you think we should do, reject the request?"

"……."

He pondered for a moment, but this time his answer was not forthcoming. After a moment, he shook his head from behind the curtain as if he had made a decision.

"No, no. Now that things have come to this, do as I ask, but be sure to inform me first. And don't forget to keep an eye on 'him'."

"or not."

Bowing his iron-masked head deeply, Mu Heng replied politely.

"Get out."

The report was over. There was no reason for him to remain here unless he was assigned again. He must go back out into the world and fulfill his role as the eyes and ears of his south-facing master.

"Fuck!"

After greeting them with the utmost reverence, the Twenty-Second Battalion's leader, Mu Shengmu, carefully stepped back and retreated.

The door opened automatically again, and closed automatically again when he left.

Stepping out of his office, the intangible pressure that had been weighing down his entire body was suddenly gone. It was as if a heavy megalith had been lifted from his back. Fortunately, his mask keeps his emotions out of sight. In times like these, he takes solace in that fact. Pulling himself upright again, like the captain of a thousand and thirty-three, he turned and went about the task at hand.

* * *

A human hobby is a set of behaviors that involve enjoying unnecessary things. In other words, it's a kind of phenomenon where we perceive unnecessary things as necessary. The truth is, entertainment has absolutely nothing to do with human survival. We don't need to read books, we don't need to watch light opera, we don't need to wield a quill, we don't need to hold a needle and stitch on silk. They are completely unnecessary to survival, and sometimes they even hinder it. But humans create and enjoy pleasures that are not necessary for survival. The result is civilization. Civilization is the culmination of unnecessary and inefficient behaviors.

In that sense, the ability to do unnecessary things other than prolonging, preserving, and reproducing life may be the biggest difference between humans and animals. There is meaning in being unnecessary. Being able to be unnecessary is a sign that we have been given extra capabilities beyond our survival instincts. This is something that animals, who must live in a world of constant predation, cannot imagine. And as human history progressed, the games became more and more varied, and the scale of the games became more and more enormous, until, for the sake of entertainment, stones were hewn and stacked to create an arena that could hold thousands of people.

Right now, the structure was densely packed with spectators gathering to enjoy something unnecessary to their survival. They had traveled from all over the country to watch the games that would begin today. Even if they couldn't participate in the contest for 500,000 Nyang, they wanted to at least watch, bet on it, and be a part of this noisy festival.

'We've been waiting! We've been waiting! Isn't that right, Mr. Matte?"'

Minor Eugene shouted excitedly from the commentator's box to the packed crowd.

"I see. Well, there's no point in analyzing all the boring qualifiers, that's just a waste of time. Well, some of the matches were pretty entertaining to watch."

Unlike Eugene's excitement, Mr. Wu Guang was cold. Aside from the strong and distinctive martial arts, nothing seemed to catch his attention.

"But for those of you gathered here today, rest assured. The tedious preliminary rounds are already over. We've made quick work of them - whiz, whiz, whiz - faster than the speed of light, so we're done with them. The main rounds that are about to take place are the pearl of the crown, the very finest jade, as they've been culled and selected from over a hundred entries. The finalists are going to be treated like never before, and you, the spectators, are going to be provided with even more delightful and colorful entertainment. Alas, I'm already burning hot just thinking about it!!!"

As Eugene said, the qualifiers were treated completely differently than the main event. There were more than a hundred pairs that made it through the three gates and into the qualifiers, so it was a waste of time to cheer them on. The two commentators didn't show up either. They didn't feel like commentating. The qualifiers were held over three days, with the usual oddities. Out of more than a hundred entries, only sixteen teams qualified for the main event, so the intensity of the qualifiers was unbelievable.

And so, after three days and three nights of sleep, only sixteen teams remained from over a hundred entries.

"The jade stones are covered, Zuo Zhengyi has long since been reduced to ash in the furnace, and all that remains are the finest grains. The sixteen groups that made it through the fierce competition are as follows, as you know, and the winner of one of them will have the good fortune of facing off against the Blood Salt Seven Scarlet!"

Eugene, who had gained momentum from the commentary, exclaimed in excitement, and Mr. Muguang added a word.

"It could be worse."

But the voice was drowned out by the roar of the crowd. And even if it had been heard, it was not powerful enough to bring them back from their rosy delusions to reality.

"And in this tournament, we'll be taking bets on each match. Put your money on who you think will win, and since there will be a bet on each match, a certain amount of prize money will be awarded to the winning group after each match. There's a lot of money at stake, so I'm sure everyone will fight hard."

"Money can buy you a seat to watch these masters fight. This was unthinkable in the past, when non-combatants were generally shunned and didn't want to be seen in public, and witnesses to festivals weren't necessarily spared."

There was a hint of bitterness in his voice, as if he was feeling the gap between the past and the present.

"People change over time, and if you keep it hidden, it's not going to be fun for the people watching, so I'd rather see it out in the open, hot and heavy!!!"

"I couldn't agree more."

Mr. Wu Guang added a short comment. It was obvious that he didn't want to comment on anything that wasn't martial arts. He was only interested in his field. The rest was none of his business, which is why the organizers chose the more talkative Eugene as his assistant. But in this case, Eugene felt like he was in the driver's seat, and whether he was aware of it or not, he spoke up even more fervently and passionately.

"Okay, then, the main competition for the Five Hundred Thousand Niang Competition is now open!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

As if in response to Eugene's declaration of the opening of the main event, a roar went up in the hall.

It was truly the beginning of the '500,000 Nyang speculation system'.

A smile tugs at the corners of the red silk robe as he looks down on the spectacular opening ceremony. It was a good stage, a good opportunity.

"C'mon, didn't they say that you need to have three things to win a fight: taiji, geography, and humanization? I'm sitting still and everything is rolling in. Is this fate?"

He had an unexpected opportunity to bring him into his territory, this Jianghuoland, and he had an unexpected gift as well. Xu Tian's red eyes landed on a beautiful middle-aged woman escorted by a swordsman.

"Brother, you're still beautiful! But what shall I do, for I cannot bear to see the face of my brother who has lost you?"

She was the best ingredient to make his brother Nabaxian unhappy. The greater the source of happiness, the greater the loss when it is taken away. Once a hole is made, it can never be filled. He wanted to create such a hole in his brother's heart before his armored beast pierced his heart.

"Black Death!"

"Yes, my lord."

"I need to bring in a guest."

"Only give orders."

"Venerable Ye Qing, you are the wife of the current Martial King, and you are precious. Please serve her respectfully. You may mobilize as many people as you wish. I won't ask you how."

"Honorific."

And then the blackness was gone.

A creepy smile curves his lips as he looks back at the cylindrical arena. I remember the look of amusement on his face. It was the smile of a child, tearing off the limbs of a mantis and lighting a rat's tail on fire.

"Brother, I'm glad you're happy, because it will be worthwhile for this brother to give you a gift."

His gaze drifted to the man standing next to his brother-in-law. He was smiling, smiling at his lovely wife, genuinely amused and pleased.

"Wait, I'm going to give you the ultimate in misery."

His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were icy cold. Reflected in those icy gazes was the figure of Bai Xiaochun, who was laughing merrily at his wife. Alas, if only that smiling face could be twisted into despair……. Just thinking about it made me shiver with excitement.

"I can't wait to see the look on your face when you do!"

<Continued from "Reliability" Volume 24