Chapter 146

Chapter 146: Laying the Mat and Waiting (3)

The Murim Alliance was a colossal coalition forged to uphold justice in the martial world. Yet the absence of an Alliance Leader had made it difficult for the alliance to wield unified strength.

It was not enough to possess superior martial arts alone to become Alliance Leader. One needed character above all, along with formidable leadership.

There were many powerful martial artists with leadership ability, but most of them were Sect Leaders.

A Sect Leader of a single sect could not become Alliance Leader. The Alliance Leader must not be beholden to any sect. Otherwise, self-interest might take precedence over the greater cause.

Thus, the selection of an Alliance Leader had been a protracted affair.

The task of finding a figure who was not tied to any of the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families, yet possessed both supreme martial arts and strong leadership, was no simple matter.

Countless candidates had been proposed and rejected.

After hundreds had been eliminated, only one remained.

Divine Spear Nam Cheon-san.

He was the current Sect Leader and sole successor of the Divine Spear Sect, a one-man lineage.

With no disciples, he had no entanglement in sectarian interests. His martial arts were also so formidable that they were spoken of as divine.

Nam Cheon-san was, at the very least, a supreme master who could rank among the top ten in the martial world. He was more than qualified to become Alliance Leader.

The elders of the Murim Alliance visited Nam Cheon-san and requested that he accept the position. He refused at first.

He was a martial artist who pursued the martial way in its purest form, he said; he lacked the capacity to lead a transcendent organization like the Murim Alliance.

But when they came three, four times, imploring him to defend justice in the martial world, he could not refuse any longer and accepted the post.

That was how Nam Cheon-san became Alliance Leader.

Through a similar process, the Vice Alliance Leader was chosen: Cho Ui-myeong of the Zhichang Sect, known as the Gale Divine Fist.

This was to satisfy the opinion that a figure from one of the Nine Great Sects should hold a key position.

Similarly, Namgung Chang of the Namgung Family was appointed to the military post.

They bore the tremendous responsibility of defending the Central Plains against the Demonic Cult's invasion.

The Alliance Leader's quarters were the largest and most magnificent among the many buildings of the Murim Alliance. Seated in the grand hall was Nam Cheon-san.

Nam Cheon-san was past fifty. But his powerful internal energy made him appear no older than his late thirties.

With refined features and a well-groomed beard, he was the sort of man who, had he not been known, might have been mistaken for a scholar.

To Nam Cheon-san's left sat a man in his late forties of imposing build, carrying a massive saber at his waist. This was none other than Vice Alliance Leader Cho Ui-myeong, the Gale Divine Fist.

Across from Cho Ui-myeong sat Namgung Chang.

In the dead of night, the three leaders of the Murim Alliance had convened.

Nam Cheon-san smiled as he looked at Cho Ui-myeong and Namgung Chang.

"This one, so lacking in merit, has been entrusted with a grave responsibility. I humbly request your assistance going forward."

"Assistance? There is no need for such formality. It is only natural that we support the Alliance Leader and drive the Demonic Cult from this land."

Cho Ui-myeong thumped his chest and spoke loudly.

A faint smile touched Nam Cheon-san's lips.

Cho Ui-myeong was, despite his reputation as a Gale Divine Fist, a natural martial artist who preferred action to thought.

For Nam Cheon-san, he was naturally easy to handle. In contrast, Namgung Chang, seated across from him, was a far more棘手 opponent.

Namgung Chang's epithet was the Seated Gaze of Thousand-Mile Vision.

It spoke to his sharp intellect and exceptional cunning.

In general, a man of superior wits was harder to contend with than a man of superior martial arts. By that measure, Namgung Chang was an exceedingly difficult adversary.

Moreover, unlike Nam Cheon-san, who had no backing, Namgung Chang possessed the formidable support of the Namgung Family and the Five Great Families.

For Nam Cheon-san, he was not someone who could be treated with ease. But Nam Cheon-san concealed his true feelings thoroughly and continued.

"I would first like to hear the Military Strategist's counsel. How can we most efficiently deploy the Murim Alliance's strength?"

"First, we must establish an organization to consolidate intelligence."

"Intelligence?"

"Indeed. To track the Demonic Cult's movements, we must first possess the means to gather information. Only then can we respond swiftly."

"Please continue."

Nam Cheon-san's expression showed interest.

Namgung Chang spoke without a change in expression.

"Across the Central Plains, there are sects that deal in buying and selling intelligence. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Beggars' Sect possesses the largest volume of information. But they lack those who can analyze it accurately, so they often let valuable intelligence slip away. On the other hand, the Haomen's intelligence is often precise, but it is not as vast as the Beggars' and tends to be fragmented."

Namgung Chang explained in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the various intelligence sects he knew.

Nam Cheon-san listened intently and was convinced.

"Your words are certainly sound. But how would we go about creating such an intelligence organization? As you know, building one in a short time is by no means easy."

"Of course. Building such an organization from scratch is next to impossible."

A faint smile touched Namgung Chang's lips. For some reason, it felt chilling.

"That is why I propose absorbing an existing sect."

"An existing sect?"

A deep furrow appeared between Nam Cheon-san's brows.

"Is that possible?"

"It is. In a time of crisis such as this."

"Is there a particular sect you have in mind?"

"I recommend the Haomen."

"The Haomen? Not the Beggars' Sect?"

"The Beggars' Sect is too vast and powerful for us to absorb at will. Moreover, the influence of the Beggars' Chief rivals that of the Nine Great Sects. We might request their cooperation, but absorbing them is unthinkable. The Haomen, however, is different."

"Different? How so?"

"First, they lack outstanding martial prowess. They are an organization that arose naturally for lowborn people to protect themselves."

"Hmm!"

"There is no need to absorb the entire Haomen. We need only co-opt a few of their leaders."

"What are the advantages?"

"We can gather information at no cost to ourselves. They are, after all, lowborn wretches living miserable lives—we can use them without burden."

"That's…"

At Namgung Chang's blunt words, Nam Cheon-san showed his distaste.

No matter how great the cause, to speak so lightly of human lives was, to him, deeply repugnant.

At that moment, Cho Ui-myeong interjected.

"I agree with the Military Strategist. War with the Demonic Cult is imminent. I cannot guarantee that even the combined strength of the entire martial world would be enough to win. In such a situation, to be bound by petty sentiment and bungle the great task would be foolish. We must use whatever tools are available."

"Hmm!"

Nam Cheon-san murmured.

In their view, an opinion utterly unacceptable to his values was being expressed with perfect composure.

"To save the whole, you must be willing to sacrifice the part. The Alliance Leader is not a mere individual—he holds the fate of the entire martial world in his hands. The future of the martial world will change depending on the choice you make."

"Hmm!"

"Walk the path of a hero. If sacrificing ten, a hundred lives saves a thousand, then that man is a hero. You, Alliance Leader, have been chosen as the hero who will rescue the martial world from the crisis of a candle in the wind. I pray you will render a wise judgment."

With those final words, Namgung Chang fell firmly silent. Cho Ui-myeong did the same.

Their silence bore down like a crushing weight.

Only then did Nam Cheon-san realize.

'So what they wanted was a puppet—to be buried in their place.'

Nam Cheon-san closed his eyes tightly.

For the first time, he regretted becoming Alliance Leader.

***

Dam Ho looked down at his hands. His fists, calloused into hardened lumps, resembled iron nails. They were rough hands, far from elegant or refined.

His fists were more fearsome weapons than any in the world. Countless lives had vanished beneath them like morning dew.

Though he had been in the martial world for only a few months, the number of those killed by his hands exceeded several hundred. And how many more he would kill in the future, no one dared imagine.

His life was a tapestry woven of struggle.

He fought to survive, fought to master martial arts, fought to live on…

Perhaps he would have to fight like this for the rest of his days.

But Dam Ho did not regret it.

This too was his life.

'I will fight until the moment my breath ceases.'

As Dam Ho's gaze deepened, a familiar voice reached him.

"Brother!"

It was Bang Jin-bo.

Beyond the iron bars, Bang Jin-bo appeared, a bundle in his hands. Behind him followed Hwang Hye-ryeong.

Bang Jin-bo, who was no different from a blood brother. And Hwang Hye-ryeong, his own flesh and blood.

Their presence created a faint crack in Dam Ho's expressionless face.

"What brings you here?"

"Heh heh!"

Instead of answering, Bang Jin-bo smiled and held out the bundle.

"What is it?"

"Your meal, Brother."

"……"

"There's no proper food in prison. Please eat."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. It's only natural. I'm your brother, after all."

"Yes."

Dam Ho nodded and took the bundle.

When he unwrapped it, a container appeared. Inside was the food Bang Jin-bo had painstakingly prepared.

"Eat quickly, Brother."

"Yes."

Dam Ho nodded and picked up his chopsticks.

Hwang Hye-ryeong watched the two of them in silence.

Watching Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo together, she felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

'Why am I like this?'

She hurriedly wiped them away with her sleeve.

Her eyes reddened quickly. But fortunately, she was standing in the shade behind Bang Jin-bo. The shadows concealed her tears.

'Why on earth…?'

It was as though a fog clouded her mind.

Something seemed about to surface, but the haze kept the memory indistinct.

At that moment, the words Jo Yun-san had spoken came back to her.

—Ah, but you were not born in the forest, so perhaps it doesn't apply to you?

In an instant, her thoughts became a tangled skein.

Hwang Hye-ryeong shook her head.

A hazy image surfaced in her mind.

A small girl, a boy caring for her, and a middle-aged couple she did not recognize…

"Ah!"

The image was so blurred she could not even make out the faces. Yet her chest ached.

'What on earth…?'

Her legs trembled so she could barely stand.

She walked out without a word.

Dam Ho, eating his meal, watched her leave. He did not know why she had suddenly gone outside, but he could not help feeling concerned.

Dam Ho set down his chopsticks.

"What's wrong? Is the food not good?"

"No, it's perfectly delicious."

"Then why?"

Bang Jin-bo's face crumpled. He wondered if the food he had made was not tasty after all.

"There is something I must tell you."

"Yes!"

Sensing the unusual tone in Dam Ho's voice, Bang Jin-bo answered quickly.

"Trouble is coming."

"Trouble?"

"A great battle will erupt."

Bang Jin-bo's eyes went wide. But he did not ask the foolish question of how Dam Ho knew. Dam Ho never spoke idle words.

"When the fighting starts, take Hye-ryeong and flee to the safest place you can find."

"Yes!"

"Trust no one. Only Hye-ryeong and Il-gwang."

"I will."

"Tell Il-gwang the same."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo nodded firmly.

Dam Ho closed his eyes.

The air within the stronghold was seething with heat. He knew all too well what that meant.

'The bloodbath begins.'