Chapter 81: Chapter 81
“M-My arm…!”
Old Man Azure Mountain stared at his arm with a hollow expression.
The dark iron staff had penetrated his outstretched arm in a straight line, accurately piercing from his palm to his shoulder.
Because it was such an unrealistic sight, his mind froze for a moment. Cognitive dissonance had set in.
However, even pain could not be deceived. By the time he blinked three or four times, Old Man Azure Mountain’s jaw dropped open as if it would dislocate.
“K-Kggghhh…”
Terrible pain that prevented him from even screaming properly. No matter how outstanding a master of external arts Old Man Azure Mountain was, he could not temper the muscles and bones beneath his skin.
Soon, as the embedded iron staff smoothly slipped out, blood and flesh showered down from his mangled arm.
Forgetting all dignity, Old Man Azure Mountain collapsed to the ground, clutching his arm. As his breathing and energy flow fell into disarray, the vivid blue lightning qi gathered across his entire body sparked in all directions like firecrackers.
The White Dragon Squad Leader, Song Yi-yeon, and Jin Un hurriedly circulated their energy and stepped back. The lightning qi unleashed by a master of Old Man Azure Mountain’s caliber was fiercer than ordinary sword qi, even without intent.
However, there was no chance the lightning qi would harm them.
Because a step faster than that, the Crescent Moon Staff moved.
Thump!
A dull sound of tearing flesh echoed. After piercing Old Man Azure Mountain’s head, the Crescent Moon Staff indifferently struck the ground.
The eyes and mouths of everyone present fell open. They had never imagined he would strike down a master of Old Man Azure Mountain’s caliber without the slightest hesitation.
Old Man Azure Mountain was an executive of the Black Overlord Castle. Moreover, Cheon Woo-jin was a member of the Martial Alliance. It carried the potential to escalate into a political issue between the Black Overlord Castle and the Martial Alliance.
Of course, Cheon Woo-jin was not of a temperament to consider such things. Reading the expressions of Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon, Cheon Woo-jin spoke in his characteristically dry tone.
“He was raising his True Origin Qi. He was probably preparing a final desperate struggle. Even I cannot move faster than lightning qi expanding in all directions.”
Lightning qi boasted the fastest speed among all types of energy. In the history of the Central Plains martial world, three out of the five quick-sword masters said to have wielded the fastest swords were martial artists who handled lightning qi.
“Young Hero Cheon, did you do that out of concern for us?”
Song Yi-yeon wore a moved expression. It was because Cheon Woo-jin was not originally of a disposition to consider others when taking action.
Cheon Woo-jin shrugged his shoulders.
“Rather than concern, it is a sense of responsibility.”
In any case, it was Cheon Woo-jin who had brought Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon all the way here. For that reason, he did not wish for the two of them to die in this place.
“Furthermore, this one over here cannot die yet either.”
Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze turned toward the White Dragon Squad Leader.
The expression of the White Dragon Squad Leader was truly a sight to see. In that brief moment, he was experiencing countless emotions.
The predominant emotion was futility. It was a life where he had held a sword for most of his existence, yet it all felt completely useless.
The days spent training in martial arts, the money he had tried to earn even by betraying his close friend, and even his own value of existence as a martial artist.
A martial artist confronted with a wall that could never be overcome was bound to feel emptiness beyond respect and awe.
Of course, Cheon Woo-jin did not care in the least about the White Dragon Squad Leader’s emotions. He merely shook off Old Man Azure Mountain’s blood from the Crescent Moon Staff and slung it onto his back, when suddenly a group of martial artists appeared in the orchard with tense faces.
Cheon Woo-jin did not put his guard up against them. A subtle scent of plum blossoms lingered in the air. Martial artists from the Xi’an Branch of the Martial Alliance must have arrived after seeing the signal flare Song Yi-yeon had fired into the sky.
Being a branch located in Xi’an of Shaanxi Province, it was a place with many martial artists from Mount Hua and Zhongnan.
Sure enough, a young martial artist carefully scanning the gruesome scene discovered Jin Un and spoke with wide eyes.
“Huh! Senior Brother Jin Un!”
“Jin Un? The Plum Blossom Swordsman Jin Un?”
The members of the Xi’an Branch murmured among themselves. In Shaanxi, where Mount Hua was located, there was no one who did not know the reputation of the genius Plum Blossom Swordsman Jin Un.
Under the showering gazes, Jin Un scratched his head.
* * *
Fortunately, thanks to Jin Un’s junior brother coming out, handling the matter was far easier. The Unorthodox Path gang who had colluded with the White Dragon Squad Leader and used the orchard to smuggle salt and gunpowder were escorted to the Xi’an Branch.
It was also decided that Old Man Azure Mountain’s corpse would be collected by the Xi’an Branch, and after verifying his identity, a report would be sent to the Martial Alliance Headquarters in Hubei Province.
However, it was determined that Cheon Woo-jin’s group would take the White Dragon Squad Leader and return to headquarters.
Originally, the three of them should have also gone together to the branch to verify their identities since they lacked a mission directive, but at least in Shaanxi, Jin Un’s face itself was virtually a certificate of verification.
The group returned swiftly. Just as it had been on the way there, lightness art training continued on the journey back.
Cheon Woo-jin ran ahead light as a feather even while carrying the acupoint-sealed White Dragon Squad Leader over his shoulder, and Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon trailed behind him, panting with their tongues sticking out.
Having run day and night to arrive at the Alliance, the group went to the Courier Hall first. Because it was the Courier Hall Master who had granted permission for their excursion, it was only proper to notify him of their return as well.
“Hall Master, we have returned.”
The Courier Hall Master nodded at Jin Un’s dignified voice coming from outside the door. They had returned with plenty of the granted time still remaining. As expected, Daoists of the Mount Hua Sect were trustworthy.
“Yes, come in. Just now, tea with a fine fragrance…”
Soon, the office door opened.
At the sight of the appearing group, the Courier Hall Master’s originally fair face turned even paler.
Jin Un, with a bewildered expression like a guilty puppy.
Song Yi-yeon, with a strangely triumphant expression.
Cheon Woo-jin, with a dry face just as when he had left.
He did not even want to know why the expressions of the three people were so different from one another, yet he could not possibly avoid asking.
Because in Cheon Woo-jin’s hand, the ragged White Dragon Squad Leader hung limp like water-soaked seaweed.
Ah, those scoundrel rising stars caused an accident.
And the one who helped that accident happen was me.
Thinking so, the Courier Hall Master urgently spoke.
“Immediately, come inside immediately! Quickly close the door before anyone sees!”
“…Y-Yes!”
Feeling guilty, Jin Un quickly read the room and hurriedly shut the door.
Song Yi-yeon was drunk on the satisfaction of realizing justice, while Cheon Woo-jin silently took steps forward, dragging the White Dragon Squad Leader along.
The White Dragon Squad Leader’s completely limp body dragged across the wooden floor, leaving scratch marks behind. Greatly alarmed by his office turning into what looked like a crime scene for disposing of a corpse, the Courier Hall Master spoke.
“I-Is he dead? Just what on earth happened!”
“I merely sealed his acupoints for a moment.”
“Sealed his acupoints?”
The Courier Hall Master’s eyes narrowed. It was common sense that to seal someone’s acupoints so thoroughly, a level of martial prowess far surpassing the opponent’s realm was required.
‘Are the rumors truly real?’
The rumors about Cheon Woo-jin that had spread throughout the Martial Alliance were downplayed.
Incidents such as dealing with the Blood Immortal and the Lust Demon, disciples of the Dark Emperor, or killing the Black Wolf Hand, a third-grade public enemy of the martial world, were not properly made known.
Not only were the Black Tortoise and Heavenly Tiger squad members dispatched on the mission tight-lipped, but the Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist at the very top had also kept silent about the contents of the mission report to prevent turmoil in the Martial Alliance.
However, even if they were downplayed, single-handedly bringing down the Western Sky Society and saving the lives of Jin Un and Seok Do-byeok were already openly known facts.
Thus, rumors circulated within the Martial Alliance that Cheon Woo-jin’s martial prowess far surpassed the squad leaders of most martial force units.
The Courier Hall Master’s gaze toward Cheon Woo-jin grew profound.
“Alliance Member Cheon remain, and the other two wait outside.”
First, he needed to grasp the situation. In any case, a squad leader of the Martial Alliance returning in such a state was no small matter.
* * *
The Courier Hall Master asked Cheon Woo-jin for an overview of the incident.
Naturally, Cheon Woo-jin recounted the incident calmly, without adding or subtracting anything.
“So, you are saying the White Dragon Squad Leader was the mastermind behind the Black Tortoise Squad Leader and Vice Squad Leader being interrogated by the Disciplinary Hall regarding the recent treasure map of the Three Eccentrics?”
“Yes.”
“Hard to believe.”
Cheon Woo-jin merely shrugged his shoulders. There were as many hard-to-believe truths in the world as grains of sand.
The Courier Hall Master sent Cheon Woo-jin out and then called Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un in sequence to interrogate them. It was to prevent the three of them from exchanging glances and coordinating their stories.
The Courier Hall Master utilized his seasoned insight to conclude the interrogation of Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un, ultimately realizing that there was not an inch of falsehood in the three people’s words.
As the Courier Hall Master, he could directly contact the Xi’an Branch at any time, so there was also no reason for them to speak falsehoods before him by mentioning another branch of the Martial Alliance.
Thus, the three of them sat side by side like acorns before the Courier Hall Master’s desk once again.
The Courier Hall Master looked at the faces of Cheon Woo-jin, Song Yi-yeon, and Jin Un one after another, then let out a deep sigh drawn from his dantian.
“I heard this batch was a bit peculiar, but I never imagined it would be to this extent.”
They were peculiar yet brilliant.
They were praiseworthy yet exasperating.
Using the trust he placed in the Mount Hua Sect to speak a falsehood and go out was something they deserved to be scolded for.
Yet rookie children rectifying the corruption of the Martial Alliance was indeed a deed worthy of praise.
As the Courier Hall Master narrowed his brow and looked at the three, Song Yi-yeon suddenly spoke.
“If this matter becomes known, we will probably receive punishment and reward at the same time.”
“You know it well. Even if the result was splendid, you are martial artists of the Righteous Path. You cannot fail to know that the process is just as important.”
“…Yes. So about that.”
The Courier Hall Master waited for Song Yi-yeon’s words with an intrigued expression. Jin Un, the dignified Daoist, and Cheon Woo-jin, the marvelous martial artist. Both were rising stars who drew considerable interest, but to the Courier Hall Master, Song Yi-yeon was the most intriguing.
Because the Courier Hall Master dealt with merchants very frequently in the course of his duties, he knew all too well the presence the Anhui Song Clan commanded in the Central Plains mercantile world.
After hesitating for a moment, Song Yi-yeon spoke.
“Could you perhaps say that you grasped the intelligence in advance and secretly sent us to verify it, only for things to turn out like this?”
“In other words, you want me to wrap this up not as something you carried out on your own initiative, but as something led by me?”
“Yes.”
A deep furrow appeared between the Courier Hall Master’s brows. If done according to Song Yi-yeon’s words, the three would not face disciplinary action. It would amount to a hall master assigning a special mission under his authority.
However, there was a paramount issue.
“Why should I?”
“…”
“Of course, catching the White Dragon Squad Leader’s ugly deeds would bring me merit. But I am not of a standing to cling to such things, and rather, I would suffer glares from the Disciplinary Hall Master for taking arbitrary action. You must know well just how vicious a fellow Chu Pung-gae is.”
“…If you are a hall master, do you not have the authority to assign missions independently?”
“How wonderful it would be if everything went strictly by the rules. In the end, it is work done by people gathered together. In the first place, disciplining the corruption of the Martial Alliance is the Disciplinary Hall Master’s duty. Would I not be infringing upon his authority? Above all…”
The Courier Hall Master narrowed his eyes and looked at the three in turn. In particular, he lingered longest on Jin Un, whom he had trusted most. Jin Un hung his head low.
“Why should I take the blame for you when you have done nothing to earn my favor?”
The Courier Hall Master was resolute.
In the end, Song Yi-yeon also nodded his head.
“…Yes, I understand.”
Thus, the three rose from their seats. Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un bowed their heads toward the Courier Hall Master with gratitude and apologies, while Cheon Woo-jin naturally picked up the White Dragon Squad Leader like baggage.
The moment the three were about to leave the office.
The Courier Hall Master asked in a low voice.
“Were you not making such a request to avoid disciplinary action?”
There was not the slightest lingering regret in the attitude of the three turning away. The Courier Hall Master thought that was strange.
Song Yi-yeon parted his lips with a hesitant expression.
Then the Courier Hall Master narrowed his eyes and urged him on.
“Speak. I will judge after hearing the real reason.”
“…It is for our squad leader’s sake.”
“Squad leader? Do you mean the Black Tortoise Squad Leader?”
“Yes. We carried out this matter keeping it secret from the squad leader as well. If rumors spread through the Martial Alliance about how this truly went down…”
The Courier Hall Master nodded. It was because he realized what Song Yi-yeon truly worried about.
“Are you concerned that the Black Tortoise Squad Leader will become a laughingstock?”
“…”
Song Yi-yeon shut his mouth. The Courier Hall Master’s words were right, but confirming it felt disrespectful.
The Black Tortoise Squad Leader had been betrayed by his closest friend. Furthermore, the ones who resolved the matter were not the squad leader himself, but his subordinates. If rumors spread, the Black Tortoise Squad Leader’s state would become quite ridiculous.
The Courier Hall Master tapped the desk with his index finger.
The Black Tortoise Squad Leader was a steadfast man of deep loyalty. There were those who mocked that disposition at times, but the Courier Hall Master was not among them.
‘He is indeed a fellow with more than enough character and ability to become a division head.’
What was more, rookie rising stars who had just entered the Alliance made such an appeal, valuing their superior’s honor above the punishment looming over them.
As an eminent master of the Righteous Path and a senior of the martial world, how could he coldly refuse such a request?
“Dammit all. That bastard Disciplinary Hall Master will come storming in foaming at the mouth to demand answers…”
When the Courier Hall Master spoke thus, Song Yi-yeon’s face brightened.
“Will you grant our request?”
“Yes, you damned scoundrels.”
Saying so, the Courier Hall Master took out paper from a drawer and drafted two documents in an instant.
One was a mission directive issued to the three. It was an assignment ordering them to investigate, having detected circumstances that an orchard run by the White Dragon Squad Leader’s clan was dealing with the Unorthodox Path.
The other was a report. An outcome report stating that during the mission, they uncovered collusion between the White Dragon Squad Leader and the Unorthodox Path, and arbitrarily handled the situation due to concerns over evidence tampering.
“This, I will report directly to the Alliance Leader. All you need to do is show this mission report to the Black Tortoise Squad Leader and the Heavenly Tiger Squad Leader.”
Even as the Courier Hall Master ultimately granted their request, he could not shake off an uneasy feeling.
Because it was obvious that Disciplinary Hall Master Chu Pung-gae, red-faced, would barge into the Courier Hall, slam both hands onto the desk, and spit bowls of saliva as he lashed out.
– Hey, you crazy paper-pusher! If such a thing happened, you should have spoken to me first! How dare you handle things arbitrarily? You must think the Disciplinary Hall is a complete joke!
The Courier Hall Master already felt a throbbing headache coming on. Although he was a close friend of the Disciplinary Hall Master since childhood, there were still times when he felt terrifying, even now in his advanced years.
“I must prepare to receive the Disciplinary Hall Master, so everyone step back. Leave the White Dragon Squad Leader there, and I will hand him straight over to that bastard Chu Pung-gae.”
“Thank you!”
“…We are sorry, Hall Master.”
Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un offered contrasting greetings.
The Courier Hall Master, who had looked fondly upon Jin Un at first, was staring only at Song Yi-yeon from a certain point onward.
‘Clever, as expected of a merchant’s son. His ability to grasp how far and wide the repercussions of an affair will spread is also superb.’
At that young age, even after achieving merit, considering the possibility of a superior’s honor being tarnished once the matter became known was by no means an easy task.
It was something possible only when innate thoughtfulness, situational judgment, and intellect supported it.
“By the way, Alliance Member Song.”
“Yes?”
“Are your feet on the faster side?”
At the sudden question, Song Yi-yeon tilted his head.
The Courier Hall Master looked intently at Song Yi-yeon and let out a chuckle.
Many people looked down on the Courier Hall, thinking it merely a place that managed carrier pigeons. However, those who properly knew its true nature never took it lightly.
The Courier Hall fundamentally handled communications and intelligence.
Speed and precision, moving a step faster than the opponent.
Stealth, able to evade the opponent’s eyes.
Martial artists endowed with speed and stealth were abundant in the Courier Hall. When holding documents in their hands, they became Courier Hall martial artists; when clutching daggers, they became assassins.
For that reason, the Courier Hall was precisely the division that possessed the greatest number of assassins in the Martial Alliance.
Of course, he could not immediately bring over a new alliance member who had just been assigned to a martial force squad. An unprecedented promotion of that scale was something rarely found in the history of the Martial Alliance.
‘However, I can keep a watchful eye on him.’
In vulgar terms, staking a claim in advance.
He had no greed for Cheon Woo-jin from the start. As clear as day, he would be sold off to the Disciplinary Hall or the Alliance Leader’s direct organization later on.
The same went for Jin Un. How could he covet someone who might one day become the sect leader of Mount Hua?
The Courier Hall Master’s eyes shone as he looked at Song Yi-yeon. For some reason, Song Yi-yeon found that gaze burdensome and let out a dry cough.
“Ahem, my feet happen to be on the slower side.”
“Is that so? It will be delightful to teach you.”
“No… Khm! At any rate! Thank you very much for granting our request!”
Song Yi-yeon hastily bowed his head and fled from the office. Gazing at his retreating figure, Cheon Woo-jin let out a smirk and spoke as if wanting the Courier Hall Master to hear.
“He is extremely fast.”
“Oho.”
The Courier Hall Master’s eyes gleamed once more.