Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Song Yi-yeon scratched his head vigorously.
“Hah, I do not know if this is right.”
The chilly sight of the Heavenly Tiger Squad Leader departing was vivid. He was the man with the most promising future among the squad leaders of the Martial Alliance. Barring any extraordinary problems, he would smoothly pass through the hall master position and occupy one of the highest positions in the Alliance.
To be stamped with such a first impression by such a man…
Cheon Woo-jin shrugged his shoulders.
“Why did Young Hero Song choose the Black Tortoise Squad?”
“That is what I mean.”
The Heavenly Tiger Squad was the foremost elite combat squad with a guaranteed solid path, while the Black Tortoise Squad was a lower-tier combat squad whose leader could not escape being a perpetual squad leader.
With his head, he considered it right to choose the Heavenly Tiger Squad.
‘However…’
Song Yi-yeon looked at Cheon Woo-jin with peculiar eyes.
For some reason, he had the thought that starting this year, the Black Tortoise Squad would be different from before.
Of course, there was no basis.
It was true that Cheon Woo-jin was by far the best among their peers entering the Alliance, and was a young talent to be counted on one’s fingers throughout the history of the Alliance.
However, the Martial Alliance was not a neighborhood corner shop. There was almost no possibility that a single young generation talent could overturn the hierarchy of the Alliance.
“Phew…”
Song Yi-yeon let out a long sigh. Even though he knew everything with his head, his intuition was saying otherwise.
In the martial world, he was ignored as being of merchant blood, but the sharp intuition unique to merchants was warning him never to separate from Cheon Woo-jin.
Standing before the crossroads of choice, Song Yi-yeon contemplated between reason and intuition until the very last moment, and ultimately chose the latter.
‘Somehow, it seems I bought the Heavenly Tiger Squad Leader’s hatred, but…’
That was something to think about gradually. At any rate, what Song Yi-yeon was most confident in was winning people’s hearts.
Around the time Song Yi-yeon was racking his brains like that.
Rattle!
Through the very door where the Heavenly Tiger Squad Leader had coldly departed, a man with a bushy beard and an impression reminiscent of a bandit appeared.
He wore an exceedingly bright smile across his entire face.
The moment Song Yi-yeon saw that face, a slight regret washed over him.
“You punks…”
Black Tortoise Squad Leader Cheol Ji-ak slowly approached. His steps were heavy and stealthy, like a bear stalking prey.
The moment Song Yi-yeon unconsciously pulled his steps back.
Whoosh!
Cheol Ji-ak pounced upon him in an instant. He had properly stepped into his lightness art.
“Argh!”
Held in Cheol Ji-ak’s embrace in a single breath, Song Yi-yeon let out a strange scream. He even raised internal energy to break free, but the forearm larger than his head was as sturdy as an iron chain.
Song Yi-yeon’s gaze glanced sideways. Cheon Woo-jin had moved three paces away before anyone realized. Even if it was not full strength, for a young generation talent to react to a squad leader’s lightness art…
For a fleeting moment, he thought the world was unfair, but right now there was something far more important than that.
“Y-Young Hero! Save m…”
His breath was gradually stifled, and above all, the beard was so prickly and unpleasant.
Whether he did or not, Cheol Ji-ak burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha! You should have seen that White Dragon Squad Leader bastard’s face.”
The White Dragon Squad Leader had subtly ignored the Black Tortoise Squad in front of everyone. Because he lumped the White Dragon Squad together while disparaging them, he was the possessor of an irritating way of speaking where one could not openly complain.
However, the moment the news was delivered that as many as two of the top five accepted applicants, and none other than Cheon Woo-jin with the highest score, had chosen the Black Tortoise Squad, the White Dragon Squad Leader merely chugged liquor with a flushed face.
Locking Song Yi-yeon’s neck with his thick left arm, Cheol Ji-ak extended his right arm toward Cheon Woo-jin and spoke.
“You cute punks! You come here quickly too!”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin merely shook his head without a word. At that sight, Cheol Ji-ak’s eyes sparkled.
“Oho, you intend to refuse the Squad Leader’s first order?”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin felt absurd. Since he was not the type to hide his emotions, it was clearly revealed on his face.
Seeing this, Cheol Ji-ak subtly loosened the arm holding Song Yi-yeon. He had properly caught his next target.
Whoosh!
Cheol Ji-ak’s figure shot forward toward Cheon Woo-jin. However, his hand merely cut through empty air.
Cheol Ji-ak’s eyes opened wide.
“Oh, you dodged this?”
Not stopping at merely reacting, he dodged without difficulty. Furthermore, Cheon Woo-jin had merely shifted half a step sideways. Evading an attack with minimal movement meant that he had grasped the movement perfectly.
Even while still wearing a mischievous smile, Cheol Ji-ak was incessantly amazed.
Toward such a Cheol Ji-ak, Cheon Woo-jin lightly bowed his head.
“I am Cheon Woo-jin, formally incorporated into the Black Tortoise Squad. Please treat me well.”
“Right, treat me well as we…!”
Cheol Ji-ak’s figure vanished as if sinking into the floor.
Song Yi-yeon opened his eyes wide and looked at Cheon Woo-jin. Cheol Ji-ak’s blurry afterimage headed toward him with terrifying speed.
Cheol Ji-ak wore a peculiar smile.
‘No matter how outstanding, he is still a young generation talent.’
Of course, the actions Cheon Woo-jin had shown thus far were astonishing. He had passed the examination with an unprecedented high score rarely found in history, and in the process, he had even killed the Shura Demon Lord, a disciple of the Dark Emperor.
However, it was already a self-evident fact that the Shura Demon Lord suffered from Severed Meridians Disease, making even proper internal energy circulation difficult.
Looking at Cheon Woo-jin, who had not even reacted yet, Cheol Ji-ak reached out with confidence. He intended to tightly embrace the pretty and taciturn child who chose the Black Tortoise Squad.
“W-What?”
However, Cheol Ji-ak’s cauldron-lid-sized hand merely cut through empty air this time as well. Cheol Ji-ak blinked his eyes.
Before he realized it, Cheon Woo-jin had backed away two paces.
‘I missed his movement?’
A Martial Alliance squad leader failed to track the movement of a mere young talent. Even if that young talent was called the best, and the squad leader was in a lot of repeatedly failing promotions, it was an astonishing thing.
Around the time Cheol Ji-ak was blinking his lips.
“My master told me to always be guarded against contact between martial artists.”
“…”
At Cheon Woo-jin’s calm answer, Cheol Ji-ak wore a dazed expression. It was truly the right saying. Touching another martial artist’s body without permission was strictly a taboo.
Because in the Jianghu, people who used bizarre internal cultivation arts or poison arts rarely existed.
Watching this, Song Yi-yeon thumped his chest repeatedly.
“Good grief, that inflexible Young Hero. Still, he is the Squad Leader we are to serve from now on.”
Cheon Woo-jin scratched his head as if sheepish. At that sight, Black Tortoise Squad Leader Cheol Ji-ak wore a full smile instead.
“Right, this is it.”
“…?”
Song Yi-yeon and Cheon Woo-jin tilted their heads simultaneously.
Whether they did or not, Cheol Ji-ak continued speaking while wearing a thick smile as before.
“All this time, our Black Tortoise Squad lacked a fellow sharp like a blade. Just like the Heavenly Tiger Squad.”
Because the Heavenly Tiger Squad was a combat squad formed by selecting only the elite within the Alliance, each individual tended to carry a somewhat sharp and unapproachable atmosphere.
On the other hand, the Black Tortoise Squad always had the phrase ‘The kids are nice’ attached to them.
Around the time Cheol Ji-ak was laughing heartily without worry.
“What are you two doing here?”
From the side, a sharp woman’s voice was heard.
The heads of Cheon Woo-jin, Song Yi-yeon, and Cheol Ji-ak turned simultaneously.
A woman with an ice-cold impression was glaring at the three people with transparent eyes.
“Uh, Vice Squad Leader. Shouldn’t you still be in your suspension period?”
Zhuge Rin was currently under a three-month suspension as punishment for her arbitrary actions during the examination.
Zhuge Rin retorted nonchalantly.
“I am the eldest daughter of the Zhuge Clan, after all. Even if our relationship is not good.”
“Cursed world.”
Having started from a small rural martial arts gym and seized the squad leader position of the Martial Alliance, Cheol Ji-ak clicked his tongue looking at the silver spoon.
Whether he did or not, Zhuge Rin passed Cheol Ji-ak and approached Cheon Woo-jin and Song Yi-yeon. Her gaze was as chilling as when they first met on the boat.
Song Yi-yeon tilted his head.
“Why are you like this, Vice Squad Leader?”
Zhuge Rin narrowed her eyes.
“Did you two not hear the words? Everyone told all the accepted applicants to gather at the Great Training Ground. Everyone gathered a long time ago, and only the proud youngest members of our Black Tortoise Squad have not arrived.”
“Ehh? I did not hear such a thing.”
Song Yi-yeon wore a wronged expression with all his might, and Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head beside him.
Rolling her eyes for a moment at that sight, Zhuge Rin let out a deep sigh.
“It seems the White Dragon Squad Leader omitted it on purpose. Truly that petty man…”
“What are you talking about?”
“This time, there is guidance on the Martial Alliance facilities and various matters for the accepted applicants. Because the Benevolence Division Head, who was in charge, ended up like that, the White Dragon Squad Leader is handling the work instead.”
“What? Hahahaha!”
Cheol Ji-ak burst into truly hearty laughter.
At that sight, Zhuge Rin asked as if dumbfounded.
“Does laughter come out now? I said the White Dragon Squad Leader purposely left out only our youngest members.”
“I know, I have that much brains too.”
Cheol Ji-ak was still wearing a smile.
“Just how envious was he to commit such a petty act? Well, even I would have felt a bit sour inside. I will summon that White Dragon Squad Leader bastard separately and stroke him, so Vice Squad Leader, take the two of them and go.”
“…Yes.”
Cheol Ji-ak chuckled while clenching and unclenching his fists. No matter how old a friend he was, since he played a trick on someone else’s youngest members, he had no intention of pretending not to know and letting it pass.
Gazing at Cheol Ji-ak moving away like that for a moment, Zhuge Rin shook her head.
Suddenly, Song Yi-yeon asked.
“By the way, Vice Squad Leader.”
“What.”
Even at Zhuge Rin’s indifferent response, Song Yi-yeon continued speaking while smiling radiantly with that handsome face of his.
“Just what is your duty, Vice Squad Leader? Are you even personally giving guidance to the accepted applicants?”
“…They said they would lift my suspension only if I did so. Since you two are my juniors now, I will speak casually, alright?”
“Of course, Vice Squad Leader. Hehe.”
Song Yi-yeon smiled genially, and Cheon Woo-jin merely nodded his head. Watching the two for a moment, Zhuge Rin suddenly asked back.
“By the way, why the Black Tortoise Squad? Even if this one makes sense, choosing the Black Tortoise Squad is frankly a bit of a waste for that one, isn’t it?”
“Vice Squad Leader, who is ‘this one’ and who is ‘that one’? Surely I am not ‘this one’?”
Lightly ignoring Song Yi-yeon’s inquiry, Zhuge Rin continued speaking once more.
“With Junior Cheon’s skills, you would certainly be able to reveal quite a presence even in the Heavenly Tiger Squad. Barring any extraordinary problems, a solid path in the Alliance was guaranteed.”
Pouting his lips, Song Yi-yeon looked at Cheon Woo-jin. Frankly, he was inwardly curious about the reason as well.
Receiving the gazes of the two people entirely upon himself, Cheon Woo-jin thought for a moment, then answered nonchalantly.
“Because I was curious.”
“About what?”
“What kind of place the Black Tortoise Squad is.”
“Really? Is that truly all the reason?”
When Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head, Zhuge Rin wore a touched expression. In a word, did it not mean he chose the Black Tortoise Squad due to some inner calling?
Of course, Cheon Woo-jin’s true feelings were slightly different. By the dying wishes of White Elder and Black Elder, he had come here to judge what kind of place the Martial Alliance was, precisely what kind of people were in this place.
To Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes, the Black Tortoise Squad seemed like the place with the most human touch in the Martial Alliance. Although he did not know the Alliance well yet, looking at just the Squad Leader and Vice Squad Leader, somehow it seemed it would be so.
* * *
When Zhuge Rin arrived at the Great Training Ground leading the two people. Forty-eight accepted applicants, exhausted from waiting, looked at the two with irritated expressions.
Since Zhuge Rin also felt those gazes, she spoke as if making an excuse.
“Everyone suffered from waiting. It is not the fault of the two here; there was a problem in the process of relaying the guidance.”
Of course, it was difficult to give credibility to those who were already irritated. Everyone had complaints, but wore expressions as though they could not dare nitpick the Vice Squad Leader’s words.
Quick-witted Zhuge Rin also felt it, but she was not a woman warm enough to consider each and every feeling of the young martial artists.
It was at that moment.
“Are you taking their side already just because they are your direct juniors?”
Everyone’s gazes turned following the voice.
Standing there was a man who was slightly taller than others and possessed quite the bearing of a martial artist due to his broadly spread shoulders.
Furthermore, his straight eyebrows and sculpted jawline gave off a sharp atmosphere, making him appear far from ordinary at a glance.
Confirming him, Zhuge Rin retorted with an irritated expression.
“Do you have a complaint? No, if you do, what are you going to do about it?”
Even if Zhuge Rin was not a warm woman, her character was not of this level. However, the moment she confirmed that detestable face, irritation surged.
The Namgung Clan, called one of the Five Great Clans alongside the Zhuge Clan.
The eldest son of that clan and a young talent who had already earned the moniker ‘Sword Dragon,’ Namgung Jin.
Since they were the eldest son and eldest daughter of the same Five Great Clans, they were people who had seen each other occasionally since childhood. Truly arrogant as befitting the bloodline of the Namgung Clan, but an even more detestable fellow because his skill backed it up.
“You are sensitive.”
Namgung Jin let out a chuckle. Zhuge Rin struggled to suppress her boiling insides.
They were of the same age, but Namgung Jin only took his steps into the outside world after Zhuge Rin had become a vice squad leader.
Originally, that was how the Namgung Clan was. Due to their disposition of pursuing perfection, they carved and polished their young generation until they were in a state without a shred of flaw according to the clan’s standards before permitting them to leave home.
‘It seems character is not included in those standards?’
Zhuge Rin shook her head. At any rate, the Namgung Clan bastards were generally detestable, so getting involved with them was tiresome.
For that reason, just as she was about to roughly ignore it and move on.
“What complaint would I have against the Vice Squad Leader? I will just have to receive an apology directly from those who stole the precious time of others.”
Namgung Jin’s gaze turned toward the two youngest members of the Black Tortoise Squad.
In particular, his eyes looking at Cheon Woo-jin were burning fiercely, as if looking at an ancient nemesis.
Meeting that gaze, Cheon Woo-jin faintly smiled, and seeing this, Namgung Jin’s eyebrows twitched into an inverted eight.
“You smile?”