Chapter 55

Chapter 55

In most groups, what is the most important thing?

It’s the hierarchy of command. When the upper ranks command, those belonging below must obey those orders like their lives depend on it.

Even families  formed through blood relations or sects  formed through master-disciple relationships are no exception. While it’s rare to summarily execute subordinates for not following orders even in such places, even those places have disciplinary procedures for disobeying orders. And.

“What did you say, Branch Chief Gwang Yeon?”

“I said I can’t do it.”

That’s why Yong Jin, the Vice Military Advisor  of the Murim Alliance’s Third Military Affairs Department , couldn’t understand the current situation.

“You can’t do it, what do you mean? This is an order that came down directly from the Third Military Affairs Department!”

Yong Jin, who raised his voice toward Gwang Yeon who refused his words, spoke with heat. And Gwang Yeon, who watched that appearance quietly, then turned over.

A day had passed since the battle with the Hundred Demons Night Parade occurred in front of Akyang, and Baek Riyun annihilated the entire Hundred Demons Night Parade. In just one day, many things had happened.

First, he himself was bedridden. Of course—wasn’t Gwang Yeon someone whose belly had been pierced and who had even drawn out his innate true energy? It would be stranger if he hadn’t collapsed.

He heard there was no threat to his life, but even so, needing time for recuperation was natural. Gwang Yeon received a diagnosis that he would need to focus on treatment for at least half a year before he could barely maintain his own life.

And next was the rumor about the Muryeongwan trainees currently making Akyang buzz.

“Right now, rumors about the Muryeongwan trainees are spreading loudly throughout Akyang. That sixteen Muryeongwan trainees blocked the Hundred Demons Night Parade and saved Akyang!”

Yong Jin, who poured out his passionate speech, pressed his throbbing temples and shook his head. Because this was how it shouldn’t be.

“The Muryeongwan trainees must not become heroes. Don’t you understand……!”

The bet with the Sado Alliance .

In that bet, the Murim Alliance declared it would support Mujeong Hall . Conversely, this meant the Murim Alliance pressured the Muryeongwan trainees to lose.

In fact, that was true. Knowing that if the Muryeongwan trainees won, the Sado Alliance’s condition—a one-year non-aggression treaty—would be nullified, most people would wish for the Muryeongwan trainees to lose. And the Muryeongwan trainees would know that too.

So when the atmosphere was formed like this, the plan of the Murim Alliance’s Third Military Affairs Department was to quickly pressure them to make the Muryeongwan trainees give up on the match. However.

If that atmosphere flipped even a little?

“If the atmosphere leans even a little toward the Muryeongwan trainees, the small and medium sects that are currently suppressed will rise up. The Muryeongwan trainees are in a position no different from representing the small and medium sects.”

As if agreeing with Yong Jin’s words, Gwang Yeon’s eyebrows twitched slightly. In fact, wasn’t it not wrong?

If Muryeon Hall  and Mujeong Hall’s current positions were similar, the small and medium sects wouldn’t have failed to rise up against the Murim Alliance’s conduct of taking Mujeong Hall’s side. Right now, the Muryeongwan trainees were the eldest martial brothers, small sect leaders, disciples, and next heads of the small and medium sects.

Oppressing them was the same as discriminating against the small and medium sects as a whole. If the Muryeongwan trainees hadn’t suffered a complete defeat to the Mujeongwan trainees for four years, if they had achieved even one victory, there would have been considerable backlash against the Murim Alliance’s large-scale announcement despite that.

However, there had been no proper backlash until now. Because the small and medium sects also knew. Who would win if the Muryeongwan trainees and Mujeongwan trainees properly faced off, how much chance of winning there was.

Since they’d lose anyway, everyone was rationalizing themselves with the feeling of at least securing an excuse that they lost unavoidably for the greater good.

But in that situation, if the story spread that the Muryeongwan trainees with sixteen people destroyed the Hundred Demons Night Parade, if the perception spread that ‘this time might be different’?

“The foundation of the Murim Alliance will shake. I’m saying the small and medium sects will distrust the Murim Alliance……!”

“Huuu.”

Gwang Yeon, who had been quietly listening to Yong Jin’s story, frowned and let out a long sigh and raised his upper body. And.

“So what do you want from me?”

The moment Gwang Yeon’s words fell.

“Ah, have you changed your mind now? It’s nothing much. Just say one thing. That those who fought valiantly were the Murim Alliance’s warriors. That the Muryeongwan trainees didn’t have any particular accomplishments. That’s all it takes…….”

At Yong Jin’s voice explaining with delight, Gwang Yeon, who had been listening, cut off Yong Jin’s words and bluntly spoke.

“Then, what changes?”

“……Pardon?”

“I’m saying nothing changes.”

If the foundation shakes, why does it shake?

It’s a simple story. Because the Murim Alliance’s conduct isn’t fair. The reason small and medium sects feel they’re being mistreated is because they actually are being mistreated.

“They say an awl in a bag. An awl in a bag will surely pierce through the bag and reveal itself.”

“You might be able to block it once. You might even be able to block it twice. But if it repeats three times, four times, do you think you can still block it then?”

He didn’t know how strong the Mujeongwan trainees were. Of course they’d be strong. It wasn’t for nothing that the words “golden generation ” came out.

At least the upper ranks must have thought this generation of Mujeong Hall was top-tier for such words to circulate. He could understand pushing the Mujeongwan trainees too.

However, did the Muryeongwan trainees fall behind them?

‘No.’

At least the Muryeongwan trainees he saw with his own eyes were all not greenhorns but martial artists. Real martial artists who would become the Murim Alliance’s future.

He couldn’t look down on such people just because it was beneficial. Wasn’t that the case?

Gwang Yeon, who organized his thoughts for a moment, let out a sigh.

“Muryeon Hall is also a pillar of the Alliance. I mean they’re talents who will support the Alliance going forward.”

“I can’t destroy the Alliance’s future for immediate profit. Even if I don’t directly spread rumors myself, I have no intention of blocking them.”

“……Even if orders from above come down?”

“If my life or position were important to me, I wouldn’t have ended up like this now.”

At Gwang Yeon’s words as he glanced down at his own body, Yong Jin, who couldn’t find words to respond, chewed his lips and rose from his seat. Soon cold words flowed out.

“You’ll regret this.”

“……I hope I do. If I regret it, that means the Alliance’s upper ranks’ eyes haven’t clouded yet.”

At Gwang Yeon’s words, Yong Jin, who opened his eyes wide as if surprised, stared at Gwang Yeon intently and spoke quietly.

“……Do you think they have that much value?”

“Value.”

Gwang Yeon, who paused for a moment, gave a bitter smile and shook his head. There was no need to painfully judge it here, was there?

“You’ll come to know even if I don’t answer. You too, and the Alliance.”

Looking sideways at Yong Jin, who bowed his head without answering and quietly disappeared, Gwang Yeon quietly closed his eyes and shook his head.

“……They’re all Alliance members anyway.”

Whether Mujeong Hall or Muryeon Hall, all were pillars of the Murim Alliance. Oppressing the Muryeongwan trainees just because the current situation was a bit unfavorable was ultimately like eating away at their own pillars, wasn’t it?

Gwang Yeon, who let out a deep sigh, lay down again.

“Pointless.”

Today especially, his mouth tasted bitter 

Nakhwaru  3rd floor.

“Euhahaha! Benefactor Wangpal. You should have seen it! The sight of that yokai bastard’s head splitting in two from my palm strike! I! Cut down a yokai bastard with a palm strike!!!”

“M, Master Unjin. You’re drunk. Lower your voice a bit…….”

“Twenty-two.”

“I think I caught about twenty-three?”

“……No, now that I think about it, I think I caught about twenty-four.”

“What! Why are you suddenly increasing the number! Then I caught about twenty-five!”

Looking at the Muryeongwan trainees laughing and chattering loudly while pouring alcohol and meat into their stomachs, I smirked and turned my gaze. Then Seonwoo Gang, who noticed my gaze and gave a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry…… They’re not usually like this, but, well, they must be excited from the battle.”

“It’s fine. After a battle risking lives, it’s originally like that. But more importantly…….”

While flowing past Seonwoo Gang’s words like water and raising my cup, I spoke.

“Have you heard that news?”

“What news?”

“The news that the Murim Alliance wishes for your defeat.”

The moment my words fell, silence momentarily filled Nakhwaru, which had been noisy. And gazes quietly gathering.

“Looking at this reaction, it seems you’ve heard.”

“……Yes.”

At my question, Seonwoo Gang, who heavily affirmed, let out a deep sigh.

“We heard the story. That if we lose…… the Sado Alliance won’t invade the Murim Alliance’s territory for one year.”

“That’s what they say. I heard the Alliance Leader bet on your defeat.”

Looking at Seonwoo Gang maintaining silence, I let out a smirk.

Well, it would be complicated. Until now, the Muryeongwan trainees desperately trained to beat Mujeong Hall. It means they worked with the resolve to die to seize even one victory.

But the Murim Alliance, which should be fair, blocked Muryeon Hall’s victory at the source for their own benefit.

It would be strange if they didn’t feel deprived in this situation.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“If the Murim Alliance had wagered on your victory even a little, they would have at least sought understanding in advance. They would have sent an envoy to Uicheonmun  saying the situation is like this and that, so please concede this time. But the Alliance didn’t do that. Do you know why?”

“……Why?”

“Because you were weak.”

At my words, Seonwoo Gang’s eyes widened, and I quietly raised my cup. The sight of Seonwoo Gang receiving quite a shock.

For the past four years, the Muryeongwan trainees hadn’t beaten the Mujeongwan trainees even once.

It wasn’t even back and forth. There was no single outstanding individual either. If this generation’s Mujeongwan trainees were jade and precious stones to the Alliance, the Muryeongwan trainees seemed like just rolling pebbles.

So they could make such a plan without hesitation.

“It’s natural for a pebble not to compare to jade. It was that way before, and it will be that way this time too. Then giving legitimacy to the defeat might rather be for your sake. Don’t you think so?”

“……That’s.”

Seonwoo Gang, who couldn’t answer, lowered his head. Because facts were facts.

It was a terribly rational decision. A practical and pragmatic decision that didn’t consider human emotions.

Because it was rational, it couldn’t easily be refuted. If things went well, just trampling the pride of merely sixteen Muryeongwan trainees could buy a one-year reprieve. Because it could save the countless people who would die in that war.

That was only the Murim Alliance’s position, not my position.

“What do you plan to do?”

“……What can we do? If we win, our sects will suffer harm. Even aside from that, for the Alliance’s crisis…….”

“It seems I asked the wrong question.”

Filling Seonwoo Gang’s cup after raising mine, I slowly raised my gaze and looked directly at Seonwoo Gang. Seonwoo Gang with a strangely distorted expression looking at the alcohol in his cup.

“What do you want to do?”

“……Well.”

“Well?”

At my counter-question, Seonwoo Gang, who swallowed his groan, spoke quietly with a bitter voice.

“I want…… to win.”

“Is that so?”

It would be.

These were Muryeongwan trainees who had worked hard until now. Of course they wanted to win. At least they wanted to clash with their best efforts.

Right now, what the trainees lacked wasn’t passion. It wasn’t courage either. With this incident, these youngsters proved they were true martial artists.

Then, if all that was lacking was the wall of reality.

“Then win.”

If that’s the case, I just had to smash that wall for them.

“That……what do you.”

“I said win.”

At my words, all the trainees’ gazes, who had been chattering little by little, gathered on Seonwoo Gang and me. At the same time, Seonwoo Gang looking at me with a shocked expression.

“You don’t need to worry about the Alliance’s pressure. I’ll handle it somehow.”

“But the agreement with the Sado Alliance…….”

“You don’t need to think about that either. Because there’s a way to handle it. Have you forgotten that half the martial force is from Muryeon Hall?”

“What you need to do is just two things. Beat Mujeong Hall in the competition and prove that the Alliance Leader’s eyes are crooked!”

At my cutting words, all the Muryeongwan trainees clenched their fists, and I firmly finished my words.

“And prove that you’re also pillars of the Murim Alliance. Any objections?”

“……None!!!”

“Then good.”

When I raised my cup with a smirk, the trainees one by one picked up the cups in front of them. And soon the declaration that followed.

“Let’s give a blow to the rotten Murim Alliance and the arrogant Mujeongwan bastards.”

“Yes!!!”

Looking at the Muryeongwan trainees answering so loudly Nakhwaru might fly away, I let out a smirk and glanced at the semi-transparent window that had been floating beside me. The status window dodging my gaze here and there at the end of my sight.

[Due to the Sect Master and temporary disciples’ accomplishments, Uicheonmun’s fame has greatly increased!]

[As Uicheonmun’s overall grade rises to ‘9th grade,’ the status window evolves to the next stage.]

[Time remaining until evolution: 30 days]

“One month.”

Looking at the laughing and chattering Muryeongwan trainees, I smirked and dismissed the status window. The trainees chattering noisily as if putting down a burden from their hearts.

“Enjoy today.”

Morale rose. Justification was sufficient. They even gained real combat experience. Then what needed to be done was one thing.

“I’ll have to work you to death.”

From tomorrow, it would be hell.