ISS-Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Hubei Province, near Wudang Mountain.

“Namgung Hyeon, did you hear that story?”

While heading to the training site with other Mujeong-gwan disciples, Namgung Hyeon responded with an indifferent voice to the voice of his classmate, Paeng Jin, that reached his ears.

“What story are you talking about?”

“About Muryeon-gwan.”

“I don’t know if you say it like that.”

“I mean, aren’t you curious about where this year’s training site was decided?”

Namgung Hyeon turned his gaze away while looking at Paeng Jin shrugging his shoulders.

“Not interested.”

Generally, Mujeong-gwan disciples had tremendous interest in Muryeon-gwan disciples, and that wasn’t strange at all. Because Muryeon-gwan disciples were like their sworn enemies.

The moment they entered Mujeong-gwan, they had no choice but to spend their days hearing from seniors, from instructors, from the academy master that they must never lose to Muryeon-gwan disciples. As they burned with rivalry against each other like that, it was natural that they would end up knowing every little detail about what the other side did.

However, that story didn’t apply to the current Mujeong-gwan disciples. Because.

“No matter where the Muryeon-gwan disciples go, the result won’t change.”

The exchange tournament—a sparring competition consisting of one-on-one and many-against-many matches where Mujeong-gwan and Muryeon-gwan competed with each other’s capabilities once a year.

In that sparring competition that had occurred for three years, Mujeong-gwan hadn’t recorded a single loss.

“You’re so blunt. Just listen. You’re not curious anyway?”

“Not really.”

“We have nothing to do on the way to Wudang anyway. Just listen to the story.”

“It’s bound to be trivial. Is this the first or second time you’ve made a fuss over nothing?”

Paeng Jin had a loose tongue that was hard to believe he was a descendant of the Hebei Paeng Family, known for their boldness. The story he brought this time would probably be nothing special either.

“Moreover, even if the Sword Saint directly guided Muryeon-gwan, the gap won’t narrow. You know that.”

“Well, that’s true, but.”

“If you have time to ramble on, check your forms at least once more. You don’t know what kind of training awaits during the training period, and aren’t you too relaxed?”

“Amitabha.”

At Namgung Hyeon’s appearance frowning and asking, Paeng Jin smiled awkwardly and stepped back slightly. Then a young man came forward with a smile.

“Don’t be so rigid, Doyou Namgung Hyeon. The road is boring, so wouldn’t it be good to have something to talk about?”

“…Cheonggyeong.”

“This poor daoist is also interested in the whereabouts of the Muryeon-gwan disciples. After all, if we’re assigned to a unit, we’ll be companions sharing hardships together.”

At the mediation of Cheonggyeong, the youngest disciple of Wudang, Namgung Hyeon frowned and shook his head.

“Do as you like.”

At Namgung Hyeon’s distasteful attitude, Cheonggyeong smiled bitterly, slipped next to the deflated Paeng Jin, and asked.

“Now that we have permission, why don’t you speak? Doyou Paeng Jin. What about the Muryeon-gwan disciples?”

“It’s hard to chatter just once… Anyway, their training site this time is suspicious.”

“Suspicious? In what way?”

“You know how Mujeong-gwan and Muryeon-gwan have received fairly similar treatment until now.”

“Amitabha. That’s true.”

Although Mujeong-gwan consisted of disciples from prestigious major sects and Muryeon-gwan consisted of those from small and medium sects, they hadn’t been discriminated against because of that. Wasn’t it natural from the start?

The pillars of the Murim Alliance were the Nine Sects and One Gang, but those who became the foundation of the Murim Alliance were the small and medium sects. If they felt they were being discriminated against from the prestigious major sects and themselves, the foundation of the Murim Alliance would be shaken.

They couldn’t discriminate even if they wanted to. Therefore, Muryeon-gwan and Mujeong-gwan had received similar treatment until now.

And from there, a question arose.

“Their training site this time is a new sect I’ve never heard of.”

“…A new sect you’ve never heard of?”

“Right. Strange, isn’t it?”

“Hmm.”

Cheonggyeong, who had been thinking deeply at Paeng Jin’s question, carefully asked back.

“No matter what, the Murim Alliance wouldn’t have discriminated. Perhaps the sect master of that new sect is a renowned master.”

“If a renowned master established a sect, how could I not know? Of course it would have reached my ears. At least they’re not among the Hundred Great Masters of the Orthodox Path.”

“Did you not inquire about it?”

“I didn’t have time. To dig out rumors, I need to look into it, but I had to leave for training right away. Still, I vaguely heard the sect name… what was it?”

“Goodness. Amitabha.”

“Wait, I think I can remember…”

At Paeng Jin’s appearance groaning while trying to recall the memory, Cheonggyeong shook his head and turned his gaze to find a conversation partner, moved his steps, and spoke to a woman who had been walking beside him.

“What do you think, Doyou?”

“…About what?”

“About the Muryeon-gwan disciples. Aren’t you worried? That the Murim Alliance might have done something to balance things out.”

“Not really…”

The woman who had been quietly fiddling with the red tassel hanging from her sword hilt maintained her silence before tossing out an answer.

“It’s the same. Wherever they go.”

Their goals were different from the start. The woman’s goal wasn’t something trivial like the exchange tournament before her eyes.

“I’m going to win.”

The exchange tournament was merely a process. Such things weren’t important at all to the woman. What was important was only one thing.

Winning and remaining.

Winning and remaining, then joining Changcheondae.

—Brother, where are you going…! Where!

—I’m sorry.

She had to find out why he left home, what he accomplished after leaving home, and whether it was really worth abandoning the family.

“I have no intention of losing.”

Thinking that, the woman, Baek Risan, who fiddled with the red tassel she had received as a birthday present from her older brother long ago, clenched her fist tightly.

***

Near Hwayong County, in the mountains.

“Huuuuugh!”

The Muryeon-gwan disciple, Seonu Gang, who woke from sleep with intense breathing, looked around and saw his classmates lying here and there sleeping, then let out a sigh.

“That dream again…”

Feeling the cold sweat that had soaked his back damply, Seonu Gang flapped his collar. The nightmare that came every day.

Every time he fell asleep, he had the same dream. The cool gaze looking at him, where not even a trace of tension could be found.

No matter how much he ran away, he couldn’t distance himself. Just as in reality, Seonu Gang always lost to Namgung Hyeon. And after that, there was always Master’s gaze constricting his heart.

And so he would wake from the dream.

“…Hoo.”

Feeling that sleep had completely fled, Seonu Gang shook his head and quietly moved his position toward the campfire. Then a man who had been guarding the campfire glanced at Seonu Gang and opened his mouth.

“It’s not your shift yet. Sleep a bit more.”

“I can’t sleep. Anything unusual?”

“Nothing.”

Seonu Gang smiled awkwardly, shook his head, sat at the opposite point of the man looking at the campfire, took out provisions and chewed them, then suddenly opened his mouth.

“Want to eat something?”

“No. If you eat in the middle of the night, your balance gets disrupted.”

“You’re so picky.”

Seonu Gang chuckled and turned his gaze toward the campfire. The firewood that had decreased noticeably compared to when he went to sleep, as if more time had passed than he thought.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“About this training.”

“…”

At his classmate’s appearance maintaining silence, Seonu Gang continued speaking.

“It’s my fault.”

It was only a few weeks ago that they submitted the training refusal letters as a group. Until then, Seonu Gang had some confidence.

Mujeong-gwan and Muryeon-gwan were institutions no different from the foundation of the Murim Alliance. If either side crumbled, they would inevitably have to support that side. So he thought they would accommodate this training as well.

He thought that way because he had faith that at least the Murim Alliance wouldn’t abandon Muryeon-gwan. Even if it went wrong, he thought they would just hear some scolding and that would be it.

But what was the result?

“It’s like a punishment for insolence.”

Uicheonmun.

A sect he’d never heard of. It might be natural. They said it was a sect that hadn’t even been established for a couple of months yet, so it would be strange if he had heard of it.

When he heard that Muryeon-gwan’s training site had been decided as Uicheonmun, Seonu Gang had an intuition. That this situation occurred because they submitted the training refusal letters.

It had to be that way. No matter how much they wanted to help Muryeon-gwan, refusing training, which was a long-standing tradition, could be seen as insubordination depending on how it was interpreted. It wouldn’t be strange for the alliance’s upper echelons to think of taking this opportunity to establish discipline.

“I’m sorry.”

At least that’s what Seonu Gang thought.

“…”

The man, Seomun Cheok, who had been silent for a moment, glanced at the dying flames and tossed in firewood. Soon flames surged up.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“…”

“It’s the same no matter what training site we go to anyway. If you could become a master with momentary teachings, everyone would become masters. We’re not going through actual combat either, are we?”

“That’s true, but.”

“If the training site is truly untrustworthy, we can suppress the sect master with authority. If all sixteen of Muryeon-gwan request training time, do you think the sect master of a new sect could refuse?”

“…Isn’t that too extreme?”

“What are you saying now?”

Looking at Seomun Cheok speaking nonchalantly, Seonu Gang smiled bitterly, shook his head, and steeled his mind.

‘I can’t show weakness now.’

Right.

What’s already happened can’t be undone by anyone anyway. Then isn’t it time to seek solutions?

Although they were being pushed back by Mujeong-gwan, they were Muryeon-gwan disciples. As Seomun Cheok said, even if they didn’t suppress the Uicheonmun Sect Master, he would try to show them some respect. Then they could exploit that part to find a compromise.

“It seems about time to change shifts, so let’s switch. You need to sleep too.”

Having thought that far, Seonu Gang stood up with a faint smile and grasped the firewood. And.

“Then I’ll do that…”

The moment Seomun Cheok turned his head to answer.

Rustle—!

“Hueok!”

Claaang—!!!

At the shadow that suddenly popped out from ahead, Seonu Gang, startled, reflexively struck out and frowned at the stinging pain vibrating through his wrist as he stepped back one step. And at that moment, the shadow cried out in bewilderment.

“A-Amitabha. What a damn benefactor. Why are you attacking!”

“…Unjin? Why are you here?”

At the appearance of his comrade wearing a familiar monk’s robe, Seonu Gang unknowingly opened his mouth and threw out a question. Then Unjin answered.

“What do you mean? Didn’t you tell me to come?”

“…What on earth are you talking about?”

“You said something was suspicious, that the plan had changed, to gather here. Through the codes carved here and there. Wasn’t it you?”

“What?”

He had never carved such codes. Wasn’t it natural from the start?

To carve codes for other Muryeon-gwan disciples to see, he would have to intrude on the Muryeon-gwan disciples’ routes and carve the codes. From Seonu Gang’s position, who had to head straight toward where Uicheonmun was located, it was impossible.

However.

Swoosh!

“What, where are the others?”

One by one.

“They said the plan changed, what happened?”

One by one.

At the appearance of Muryeon-gwan disciples revealing themselves, Seonu Gang unknowingly examined the nearby trees and widened his eyes.

[Something is strange. The plan has changed. Gather at the road leading to Uicheonmun.]

There, codes used only within Muryeon-gwan that he had never carved were engraved.

“Th-this… what on earth?”

Seonu Gang, who had been blankly caressing the codes carved on the tree, hurriedly looked around. The forest at night exuding an eerie atmosphere.

“The codes were deciphered…?”

That couldn’t be.

Muryeon-gwan’s codes continuously changed their interpretation every six months. Even if the opponent was a former Muryeon-gwan disciple, at present, there would be no way to discover the current codes. But to decipher the codes one by one without prior knowledge?

‘It doesn’t make sense…!’

What were the Murim Alliance’s codes?

They were things created by the literary scholars of the Jegal Family, said to be unrivaled under heaven in using their heads, all wracking their brains together. Of course, due to frequent updates, if you looked at them earnestly for a month or two, you could decode them to some extent.

However.

To accomplish that alone, and in this short time?

That was.

“Impossible…!”

Something that could only be explained as a monster, close to the bizarre.

“Everyone, prepare for combat…”

At Seonu Gang’s appearance grinding out his words after grasping the entire situation, most of the Muryeon-gwan disciples realized the situation and grasped their cherished weapons. Then Seomun Cheok, looking around, let out a contemplative sound.

“Is this everyone?”

“…More might come.”

Seven people.

Not many, not few. Considering the original number of sixteen Muryeon-gwan disciples, it was less than half.

‘Let’s calm down.’

Seonu Gang, who had grasped the current situation, settled his thoughts as calmly as possible.

‘Except for the first signal flare, not a single signal flare has been fired yet. That means no one has been caught yet.’

The last confirmed number of survivors was ten. Even if all those people gathered, it would be impossible to break through Baek Riyun.

But still, the strategies they could use were endless. They could deploy a diversionary operation again, or use a time-stalling strategy. They had numbers, and the opponent couldn’t hurt them. If they just grabbed onto even his robe hem and hung on, somehow…

Countless thoughts intruded into and confused Seonu Gang’s mind before exiting. Continuing his thoughts like maintaining his body in the middle of the sea where waves crashed. And.

When those thoughts were organized.

The sound of stepping on grass.

Echoed.

“…Muryeon-gwan disciples?”

At someone’s question, Seonu Gang didn’t answer and quietly grasped his sword hilt firmly. Then, as if answering that question, a shadow quietly walked out.

“—The first thing I killed after being assigned to the unit for the first time wasn’t a demonic cult member or an evil faction member, but a fellow unit member.”

The tree branches that had been sparsely casting deep shadows trembled and lifted their curtain. Moonlight spreading forward as if opening the path.

“He was a classmate I had studied with for three years at the academy. He had mediocre martial arts and talent, but he was someone who worked harder than anyone. But during the first mission, he stuck a knife in my back while crying.”

“Only after I became desperate and killed him did I learn. About the demonic energy clinging to his body.”

“I learned then that codes and systems created by humans are meaningless in battles with things that aren’t human.”

Slowly.

Leather shoes with rough traces stepped on the grass. Leisurely, as if out for a walk.

“About half a shichen until dawn?”

And soon Baek Riyun, who arrived in front of the Muryeon-gwan disciples, erased the smile he had been wearing, opened his clenched hand, and dropped signal flares that someone hadn’t been able to fire.

Thud thud thud!

“Since you seem to have failed the first test, let’s move on to the second test. The test content is simple.”

“…What is it?”

“Survive. The deadline is—”

Confirming that the drawn sword was shining in the moonlight, Seonu Gang bit his lip tightly in despair. And.

“Until dawn.”

Again, darkness descended.