Only I Am A Reader

Since the actual government and the Emperor didn't interfere in the inner workings of the Murim, the privilege and duty of managing it fell to the head of the Righteous Path.

The Murim Alliance. The organization closest to being a governmental body of Murim. That was Leo and Yeon's destination.

The power and influence that such an organization possessed could be easily confirmed through the unconventional stance they took to face the invaders' relentless attacks. Most importantly, every major city mandatorily had a Murim Alliance Hall at its center!

Unfortunately, however…

'It's a mess.'

Ever since Geochin decided to overstep and take matters into his own hands, this leading structure no longer held any form or shape.

The trust built over centuries that was further strengthened by the dimensional defense's success could be said to have been completely destroyed!

As Leo and Yeon walked marched the center of the city at the Flat Plains' border, he could already see the stark difference.

The usual lively crowd that hovered around the Murim Alliance Hall was nowhere to be seen. Even when taking its focal location, it looked more like an abandoned building.

The pair easily let themselves in as there was no one to stand in their way. The inside was just as empty as the outside.

'But that's exactly why we are here.'

The current state of Murim was simply too fragile. Society didn't collapse just yet thanks to the fact that the Evil Faction was eradicated, courtesy of the invading monsters, but it wasn't far off from that point.

Even if those that were originally evil were no longer around, chaos was the perfect breeding pool for such characters to be born.

Once everyone truly realizes that the stakes that used to keep order in place could no longer look after themselves or the people around them, it wouldn't be too strange if normal people turned into pillaging bandits…

In fact, there would be no better time for a behemoth like the Heavenly Strength Society that barely lost any of its strength to swallow the current Murim whole, but that was never their target, to begin with.

Notwithstanding the recent revelation they received about their identities as guardians of the realm, what the Heavenly Strength Society advocated for the most was freedom!

The aloof and desireless members couldn't realistically control and manage all the land, especially for the sake of the resources and power that they lacked the least. Most importantly…

In the case they did conquer Murim today, maintaining their sovereignty over it with time would be impossible. After all, they were bound to meet the same resistance that made Leo reject Geochin's plans.

In short, it would be an endless cycle of chaos and disorder! A recipe for the disaster that the Society's reforming founder was trying to avoid!

As such, there were only two possible directions for the Society to take. Either to disregard everything and live in seclusion until the problem settles itself or to push the world towards a quicker recovery and obtain a few advantages.

Naturally, the option that Leo decided on with Yeon was the latter.

'It's hard to say it's ruling by proxy, but it guarantees having friends in high places.'

Just like he went through the trouble to make friends with the reinforcements, Leo wanted to cement everything by going one step further and buying off the Murim's 'government'!

Although it sounded a bit dirty, Leo's intentions were pure. He just wanted fewer people to suffer while making sure that Yeon wouldn't meet any major trouble in the future. In addition…

'I need to milk every last point.'

The seeds that Leo had sown as Saja Dokja were originally in preparation for the devastating damage that the Society would receive after the Azure Tree incident. However, thanks to his bold involvement, he never truly had to tap into his harvest.

Moreover, as Leo climbed the ladder further, he quickly realized the true depth of the Society's pockets. It was a bit drained now after preparing for a full-scale war, yet they weren't in dire straits either.

In contrast, the Murim Alliance was barely standing on its feet. When it came to producing 'change', injecting funds into the Alliance was likely to be the most effective.

To begin with, since these funds were reaped from the people at the time of distress, it made sense to be used for them, especially if that left a more favorable impression of the Heavenly Strength Society.

'Still, it all depends on whether he has the guts to accept this help or not.'

After slowly climbing the stairs, Leo stepped in front of Leo to push the door of the main room open. They had specifically sent a letter to ask for his presence…

"Cheon Baekho-nim, Society Leader-nim."

"Zhuge Gun, you did well coming here."

Thankfully, the Head of the Murim Alliance didn't chicken out. It seemed like he at least had the resolve to salvage the debris created by Geochin.

"You, no matter what. To address the Lord of the Murim Alliance by his name…"

"Enough, Bu-ha. If I really wanted to keep pretenses, there was no way that the supposed leader of the Righteous Faction would come here to meet the new leader of the former 'Demonic' Faction."

"My Lord-"

The little show made by the guard accompanying Zhuge Gun didn't bother Leo in the slightest as he made his way to the empty seat that was prepared for them.

"I must say that you are very blunt for someone drowning in politics, but I don't hate it."

"Politics? Who would worry about something like this now?"

"The fact that you understand makes me reassured."

"You are free to say what you want. However, just know that I have no plans to become the Heavenly Strength Society's puppet. I only came here out of foolish hope."

"In that case, you don't have to worry at all. After all…"

Hearing Zhuge Gun's defensive words, a large smile formed on Leo's face as he put one leg above the other.

"The one you will be dealing with today isn't the Heavenly Strength Society. Your charitable benefactor is just me."