Chapter 341: Chapter 341

Namgung Seon-hwa, officer of the Academy Representative Delegation.

Currently serving as a member of Jin So-un’s squad, she was stationed at the center of the encampment with her comrades.

Following Jin So-un around at all times was impossible—his level of activity was simply too high, and trying to keep up would have left no time to recover from exhaustion.

‘Just how much stamina does he have?’

This wasn’t something that could be explained by good stamina and deep inner arts alone.

No matter how extraordinary the human body might be, it had its limits.

Even her grandfather, known as the Divine Sword, grew visibly gaunt when he trained without sleep.

There was no way Jin So-un wasn’t exhausted.

He was simply enduring it.

“Seon-hwa, be careful up there.”

Namgung Seon-hwa had stacked up supplies and climbed on top of them to observe what was happening at the Righteous Path Association’s camp.

The distance was too far to even see what they were doing, but as the one with the deepest inner arts among her group, she could at least catch rough fragments of their conversation.

“Seon-hwa, what are they saying?”

“They’re talking about breaking through the encirclement. ……But it sounds like they want to form a unit?”

Namgung Seon-hwa relayed the fragmentary words she could hear to her comrades.

But the snippets were so disjointed that the full meaning couldn’t possibly come through.

“A unit? What does that even mean……? Everyone fend for themselves, at a time like this? Have those Righteous Path Association bastards lost their minds? They just want to save their own skins?!”

“No. It was Young Master Jin’s side that brought it up.”

“Huh?”

Words drifting over in scattered fragments.

Namgung Seon-hwa strained her ears even harder, determined not to miss a single piece.

“The Young Master set a condition.”

“What condition?”

“Unconditional obedience.”

“……What is he thinking? Who’d agree to that……”

With everyone having their own sects, clans, and alliances, the group was tangled in a web of complicated relationships.

Falling under someone’s command or joining forces with someone—any such decision required careful consideration of complex political circumstances.

Moreover, their pride would not bend easily.

Even she thought it seemed impossible.

And yet.

“Still, it’s better than trying to fight through this alongside people you can’t agree with.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them, as if this were actually a good development.

It was unlike her.

She was not the type to cling to empty hope.

Even so.

‘If it’s Young Master Jin, he must have some kind of plan.’

Just as he always had.

Just then.

“Huh?”

“What? What is it?”

An incomplete but unmistakable voice reached her ears.

“Monk Il-gak says he’ll join.”

His voice was full of resolve.

“What? Why would he? The Righteous Path Association should be rallying around him……”

“I don’t know. He was talking with Young Master Jin, and then he said he’d follow Young Master Jin’s orders. Now the whole Righteous Path Association is in an uproar.”

Murong Jae-hwa, who had been listening in silence, brightened and exclaimed.

“Then that’s great news, isn’t it? Namgung!”

“Well, yes, but……”

Namgung Seon-hwa couldn’t hide the bewildered look on her face.

In a crisis like this, instead of leading the Righteous Path Association, Shaolin Temple’s Il-gak was placing himself under Jin So-un’s command.

‘Considering his relationship with the Righteous Path Association, there’s no way he should have been able to accept such a condition……’

She simply could not understand why.

“You can’t figure out why Monk Il-gak decided to side with us?”

When she asked Seong Mo-ran, the woman pondered briefly, then shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Young Master Jin is special. You know that better than anyone, Seon-hwa.”

“Because he’s…… special?”

He was certainly special. What he showed people was different from the conduct and thinking of ordinary Orthodox Path warriors.

But could that alone explain it?

“Hell’s gates have opened. Seeking out the Black Flame Dragon is only natural.”

Namgung Seon-hwa suddenly recalled something she’d heard at a drinking gathering.

When dragons and phoenixes frolic above the clouds,

the Black Flame Dragon roars in hell.

Compared to the current Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, she had dismissed it as nothing more than a mocking rumor about Jin So-un, whose every step tread a path of hardship.

Yet somehow, the events of the Academy regular exam came flooding back to her.

She had joined Jin So-un’s group to repay the debt from the Demon Spirit Plateau, but—

‘Far from lending him aid, I ended up receiving his help and entered the Academy with a higher score than I’d ever expected……’

Even after that, no matter what difficulties she had encountered, being with Jin So-un had meant overcoming every ordeal as a matter of course.

“Just look at us. The truth is, you and I should both be with the Orthodox Path Association, and yet here we are, holding our ground in this camp as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.”

“……You’re right.”

Namgung Seon-hwa nodded.

She, too, had come to take her presence here for granted without even realizing it.

If she had never sensed anything special about Jin So-un, a direct-line member of the Namgung Clan would never have placed herself under a disciple of the Taeul Sect.

The present circumstances were no different.

Had he not roused the academy students one by one from their despair and hopelessness as killing intent from the Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare closed in?

Without him here, they might have all floundered in confusion and died.

Just then, Eun-ho cautiously chimed in.

“Maybe…… Eldest Senior Brother just conned him? He’s always had a silver tongue, after all.”

“……”

“……”

It was strange. She should have been quick to deny it, yet her mouth refused to open.

The gazes of Seong Mo-ran and Namgung Seon-hwa collided in midair.

It actually seemed plausible.

“If it’s Eldest Senior Brother, it’s entirely possible……”

“Ahem……”

Namgung Seon-hwa turned her gaze back toward the Righteous Path Association’s position.

Suddenly, her brow furrowed deeply.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

In response to Seong Mo-ran’s question, Namgung Seon-hwa answered haltingly.

“Someone who wanted to join the unit…… Young Master Jin just kicked them out.”

“What?!?”

“Yep, that’s Eldest Senior Brother for you.”

“And…… he’s cursing at them?”

“Why would he curse at someone who wants to join?!”

“Because he’s Eldest Senior Brother.”

“Shut up, Eun-ho!!!”

Namgung Seon-hwa tried to focus even harder to make sense of the situation, but—

“I…… can’t tell.”

“What on earth goes on inside that head of his?”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Seong Mo-ran’s grumbling.

Of course, none of them even realized they had done so.

Just then, a curious expression rose on Namgung Seon-hwa’s face.

“But…… the person who got kicked out wants back in.”

“What?”

“He says he’ll follow orders.”

Seong Mo-ran’s jaw dropped.

“What in the world is happening?”

That was only the beginning.

[I’ll follow orders too! Take me with you!]

[I’ll do whatever I’m told!]

[You’re the Representative, aren’t you? Let me serve under you!]

[Well, Representatives and academy students are only about one rank apart even at the Murim Alliance, so it’s no big deal.]

Those people who had clung so fiercely to their lofty pride now began to follow Jin So-un.

People who had been cursing and pointing fingers just the day before were now desperately chasing after him, like children terrified of losing their mother.

And yet, the sight didn’t look the least bit strange.

It was so utterly natural, as though this had always been the way things were meant to be.

A faint smile crept unbidden to the corners of her lips.

“So it wasn’t us who were strange.”

“No—we just had a keen eye.”

Like stars invisible in broad daylight.

There are those whose true worth is revealed only in the darkness of chaos and turmoil.

And such people—

[Just follow my orders. Then I’ll do whatever it takes so you can fight to survive.]

—people called them “heroes.”

***

Once the number of people willing to follow Jin So-un’s orders surpassed the halfway mark, the moment of choice arrived for those who remained.

“The Southern Fist Sect says they’ll follow Jin So-un.”

“What do you mean?! Those people have an obligation to protect our academy students…… and they’re all going to one person……?!”

“That’s exactly why they’re going. Jin So-un is the Academy Representative. Without the instructors, he’s the final decision-maker.”

Trying to band together on their own was already a lost cause.

When Il-gak was the first to join under Jin So-un, the Shaolin Temple and its affiliated sects all fell in line.

The abandoned members of Wudang, Kongtong, the Jegal Clan, and the Ak Clan all chose Jin So-un, leaving both the Righteous Path Association and the Orthodox Path Association unable to rally on their own.

At that point, those who had been watching and waiting began joining Jin So-un’s unit one by one.

As if he had been expecting this, Jin So-un tore apart every group that came to join, scattering them across different squads. The unit was assembled in a form that had never been attempted before.

Members of the Righteous Path Association, the Orthodox Path Association, and the Twelve Peak Citadels were all mixed together, and there were even battalions where a junior brother gave orders to a senior brother, inverting the usual hierarchy.

Yet no complaints erupted.

From the moment they had sworn unconditional obedience, they were nothing more than individual soldiers.

In the end, every single academy student joined—but simultaneously, the unit was organized into something entirely different from what had existed before.

Having assembled the unit into eight battalions, Jin So-un immediately summoned the Captains.

“Take one each.”

With the Four Treasures of the Study laid beside him, Jin So-un began writing operations orders on the spot.

Since they had already studied operations orders at the Academy, the act itself was not surprising.

What was truly astonishing was Jin So-un’s unhesitating speed.

“……It’s as if he’s actually commanded a battle before.”

Il-gak could not contain his admiration as he read the operations order, and Cheol Sun-jik nodded in agreement.

“I expected him to hold a meeting with the Captains after forming the unit, but he already had the entire plan drawn up…… And there aren’t even any gaps in it.”

Had Jin So-un experienced something like this before?

The question would not leave Cheol Sun-jik’s mind.

Il-gak, standing beside him, was marveling at something else entirely.

“Cheol, have you seen this? Now that I look at it, the battalion assignments weren’t just about splitting factions apart.”

Cheol Sun-jik compared his own operations order with the one Il-gak had received.

What each battalion’s top priority should be. How to respond in emergencies.

Which individuals to utilize most and which to protect as a priority.

Each battalion’s orders were meticulously detailed, tailored to its composition and circumstances.

And only then did he grasp the meaning of Il-gak’s words.

“The battalion assignments themselves…… were made with each individual’s specialty and martial arts in mind.”

There was a reason that he, the very first to join, had been designated the Third Captain.

“To have every single person memorized to this degree…… is that not truly remarkable?”

Was it, though?

As Academy Representative, Jin So-un had access to all the academy students’ records.

If one combined that with everything he had personally observed and assessed, gathering this level of information would not be terribly difficult.

Especially for Jin So-un.

“They say he was born with extraordinary memory. For him, it must be nothing.”

“Even so, to have memorized each person’s specialty and the caliber of their martial arts…… that means he cared about the academy students, does it not?”

Cared. Cared, he said.

“Even while they were at odds with him, Young Master Jin must have been thinking of the academy students with the heart of a Buddha. That would be the proof of it.”

Cheol Sun-jik tilted his head.

Did Jin So-un truly memorize the academy students’ information out of “caring”?

Knowing him the way he did—

“He probably memorized it in case they ever became his enemies. He was prepared to fight every single academy student at once, after all.”

Yes, that had to be it.

Jin So-un was exactly the kind of person who would do such a thing.

Noticing the sudden lull in conversation, he turned his head to find Il-gak gazing at him intently.

What? Why was the man looking at him like that?

“Cheol, there is something I have been meaning to tell you……”

Il-gak continued with a genuinely concerned expression.

“It is not good to view the world so negatively.”

“Where did that come from……”

“If you see the world through the eyes of a demon, the world becomes hell. Carry the heart of a Buddha instead. Then the world will become a Pure Land of paradise.”

“……”

Who was he calling a demon?

Cheol Sun-jik had over ten pieces of evidence to prove that Jin So-un did not possess a kind heart, but he held his tongue.

There was no time for such leisurely conversation to begin with, and besides—

“Is there something on my face?”

Il-gak’s eyes were sparkling far too brightly.

……Even more than his head.

“……No. I suppose that could be the case.”

Cheol Sun-jik felt he was beginning to understand why Il-gak always got swept up by Jin So-un.

***

The part I paid the most attention to during the unit formation was the wounded.

Disciples from prestigious sects each carried Qi Circulation Recovery Formulas of their own, so many of them had recovered to some degree. Those from sects that lacked such formulas, on the other hand, had their wounds sealed with the best emergency treatment available.

Those who could run without issue and whose injuries were not severe were assigned to direct combat.

Those who could move on their own were given only the task of carrying those who could not.

Weapons were confiscated from those unable to move freely.

The confiscated weapons went to those who had lost theirs in combat or whose weapons had been destroyed.

Those who had their weapons taken were given throwing daggers and heavy swords for self-defense as a last resort.

Of course, if those people ever had to draw their heavy swords, it would mean our unit was already finished—so I prayed they’d never need to.

Ordinarily, this would have been impossible at the Murim Academy, but with the oath of unconditional obedience in place, everything proceeded smoothly.

‘Honor-obsessed fools sure are easy to handle in situations like these.’

An hour and a half had passed since the deserters fled.

I kept the soldiers on standby, waiting for the signal.

Just then.

“Commander!”

Second Captain Nam Hwa-seong suddenly shot his hand into the air.

The same fellow who’d been grinning ear to ear without even knowing what role his Second Battalion would play—now wearing a solemn expression, his question was:

“We’ve founded a unit, so shouldn’t it have a name?!”

“A name?”

“We gave up our status as mere academy students to become soldiers! The least we deserve is to know what we belong to!”

Well, he had a point.

Come to think of it, even the meat-shield soldiers of the Sojeong Squad had been quite attached to the name meaning “to achieve even a small measure of justice.”

I looked up at the sky.

The sun was sinking into twilight.

Once the light burst, it would be clearly visible.

“Name it whatever you want.”

“I—I can name it? Ahem.”

Nam Hwa-seong pondered with surprising seriousness, as though entrusted with a matter of grave importance, then cautiously spoke.

“Hmm…… How about the Self-Survival Unit?”

“……”

I put too much faith in Nam Hwa-seong’s brain.

“Self-Survival sounds too close to Suicide. How about the Safe Return Unit instead?”

And now this one too.

Cheol Sun-jik, of all people, cut in with a dead-serious expression.

Is this really that important right now……?

“That sounds like we’re wishing for the dead to come back to life…… Hmm, what about the Righteous Path Uni—”

“Oh, come on!”

“Shut up!”

Fourth Captain Gwak Su-san was promptly shot down after offering his suggestion.

Just then.

“Um……”

Sixth Captain Namgung Seon-hwa, leader of the support squad, quietly raised her hand.

“Life-or-Death. How about the Life-or-Death Unit?”

Silence fell over the group in an instant.

Then, as if tasting the word on their tongues, murmurs began to ripple through the air like a song.

And then.

“Life or death—on the razor’s edge between the two. A perfect fit for where we stand.”

“I like it!”

“I second the Sixth Captain’s suggestion!”

Hands rose one by one, accompanied by wry grins.

And so, the unit had its name.

Everyone repeated it once, glancing at one another.

But that moment was brief. An ominous sound echoed through the forest.

PIIIIIII—

BANG.

A red light flickered faintly, then vanished just as quickly.

Everyone here knew what that light meant.

Just moments ago they had been laughing and chattering, and now, as if to mock that levity, despair seeped back into the air.

I gazed at the sky where the red afterimage lingered.

“We move out.”

Then I lowered my gaze and met the eyes of every soldier staring straight at me.

“Life-or-Death Unit.”

In those eyes where despair had been settling, a small flame kindled.

“Understood!”

“Understood.”

“Understood!!!”

With that signal, the battalions began to move.

Standing at the crossroads of life and death, are we?

Let’s see about that.

We’ll claw our way out, by any means necessary.