Chapter 376: Your Father is Terrifyingly Scary (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 376: Your Father is Terrifyingly Scary (2)
The meeting concluded.
I hadn't been particularly invested in the details, but staying informed felt necessary. The outcome could influence my future plans. Since maintaining the status quo was crucial for my designs, I needed to know what had transpired.
I turned to Cheol Jiseon for answers. "What went on in there?"
"…Um… about that…" He hesitated briefly before launching into an explanation.
As anticipated, the Alliance Leader began by addressing the incident.
\- How it happened.
He detailed the events from the very beginning.
\- What the Murim Alliance did to stop it.
He outlined the measures implemented to address the crisis.
\- What action will be taken?
He elaborated on the changes that would follow as a result.
The Murim Alliance was forced to openly admit their near-total helplessness during the incident, the resulting casualties, and the negative impact on all affiliated clans, sects, and merchant associations. Failure to do so would have…
…I don’t know if they would be disbanded, but it would be a big problem for them.
If the Murim Alliance were to disband now, the cities currently under the protection of its forces would be thrown into chaos. Clans and sects would be compelled to assume responsibility for their own territories, a burden requiring immense resources in both manpower and funds. Knowing this, the assembly likely found disbanding the Alliance to be an unaffordable risk.
In summary, the Murim Alliance decided to temporarily close the Heavenly Dragon Academy.
They had already planned to shutter the academy after the current class graduated, but the incident forced an early closure. With no students able to attend, and obviously no families willing to leave their children in such a place any longer, the Heavenly Dragon Academy was shut down before anyone from the current year could graduate.
One detail, however, still piqued my curiosity.
It’s only a temporary closure?
I was surprised. I had assumed an incident of this magnitude would lead to a permanent shutdown, but reality proved otherwise. There could only be one reason.
It’s because of that damned honor.
It was the academy's prestige and reputation. In a world where most martial artists ended up joining armies, a diploma from the Heavenly Dragon Academy was a significant badge of honor. Graduating from there paved an easy path to building powerful connections. Furthermore, it burnished the reputation of one's future descendants and bloodline.
In the end, the decision for a temporary closure was driven by pure self-interest. The Murim Alliance understood this perfectly, which is why they acquiesced.
It bothers me… but in the end, the academy was temporarily closed, an event that had not occurred in my past life.
Then again, this incident didn’t happen in my past life either.
I didn't know where the timeline had begun to twist. All I could do was nod and move forward. Dwelling on it was pointless; I had no choice but to adapt to the new flow.
The second major point concerned the fate of the enemy leader who had ambushed the academy.
The Murim Alliance publicly identified the enemy as the Black Dragon.
The revelation sent a wave of murmurs through the attendees. And understandably so. The Black Dragon was a martial artist of the Unorthodox Faction, supposedly slain years ago by the Sword Emperor back when he was still known as the Wind Sword. The official records stated he had been decapitated.
Yet, he was somehow alive? It was shocking that such a figure had raised his sword against the Orthodox Faction again after decades of silence. The current peace existed largely because the Three Venerables and the Murim Alliance backed the Orthodox side. But did they truly believe that peace was unbreakable? They had simply grown drunk on it.
The Murim Alliance announced that the Black Dragon would be sent to the Tang Clan.
Tang Clan?
I frowned. Why send him to the Tang Clan instead of keeping him with the Murim Alliance?
Why?
Transporting him all the way to Sichuan was an unnecessarily long and risky journey. If the goal was interrogation or torture, holding him at the Alliance headquarters would have been far safer. It made me wonder why they would go to such lengths.
However, a bigger problem arose. Since it was a formal meeting, attendees were allowed to ask questions. This, of course, led to heated debates. And since I was the one who had subdued the Black Dragon, people naturally turned to me with their inquiries.
…But I had been asleep, leaning against my father’s shoulder.
It was an absolute embarrassment for a scion of a noble clan to act in such a manner. I had no memory of it happening. How did this even occur?
Could the recoil have been so severe that I couldn’t wake up…?
That was possible, but then Cheol Jiseon said something strange, his voice filled with terror. "…Your father… he’s absolutely terrifying."
"What?"
"N-Nothing…" Cheol Jiseon visibly shuddered, clearly unwilling to recall whatever had transpired.
What could he have seen to provoke such a reaction? Just as I was about to demand he finish his sentence, he continued, his voice utterly exhausted.
"…So, I had to handle all the questions while you were sound asleep."
"…"
I shut my mouth. Suddenly, his earlier resentful looks made perfect sense. While I had been fast asleep, Cheol Jiseon had been forced to answer questions on my behalf. Lords and Sect Heads from across the Central Plains had bombarded him, a task extremely difficult for someone with his personality. The situation was worsened by the fact that he was hiding his real name.
"…G-Good work."
"…"
That was all I could muster. Cheol Jiseon looked utterly drained, as if he might collapse at any moment. But after a tired shake of his head, he continued recounting the events.
Though much was discussed, three key outcomes emerged.
\- The Heavenly Dragon Academy will be closed for at least ten years.
\- The Murim Alliance declared war against the Unorthodox Faction.
And then came the most crucial matter. Someone had to take responsibility for the incident. Even if they were innocent, the masses demanded a scapegoat. There was no way around it. Thus, the Alliance designated the individuals who would shoulder the blame.
The first was the Head of the Kunlun Sect. The Qinghai Sword accepted responsibility and decided to step down from his position.
My fist tightened involuntarily. The Kunlun Sect would suffer a significant blow from his departure. In my past life, the Qinghai Sword had only relinquished his position after becoming a Demonic Human. This time, the circumstances were entirely different.
I didn’t think he would step down.
As the Head of the Academy, he was the logical choice to bear the blame. Still, I couldn't suppress the frustration that surged within me.
Not only that, this wasn't the only problem. The Qinghai Sword's resignation was a major event, but an even bigger issue remained.
\- The Harmonic Sword will be taking responsibility as well, and will be stepping down from his current position as the Alliance Leader.
After more than a decade as Leader of the Murim Alliance, the Harmonic Sword, Jang Cheon, had also decided to step down.
"…The Alliance Leader?"
I instantly spun my head around upon hearing this from Cheol Jiseon. The Harmonic Sword is stepping down?
"What the…"
"The room erupted when the Alliance Leader made the announcement."
"Well, obviously…!"
It was monumental news. He was stepping down to take responsibility? That much was understandable. It also meant the selection of a new Alliance Leader was now inevitable, complicating matters immensely.
In my past life, Jang Cheon had retained his position until Wi Seol-Ah succeeded him. But now, with him stepping down…
Then who will become the next Alliance Leader?
A new leader needed to be appointed as soon as possible. The Murim Alliance was the heart of the Orthodox Faction; they couldn't afford to leave that seat vacant.
"Sigh…"
The situation had become unnecessarily complex. I had never anticipated the seat of the Alliance Leader would be left open.
The sun had set. I exhaustedly made my way to the inn. Lady Mi had instructed me to go there, and it seemed all members of the Gu Clan who had come to Henan were already gathered inside.
The streets of Henan felt busier than any other day since my arrival. They were so crowded that navigating on foot became troublesome, so I reached my destination by leaping over a few rooftops.
Surprisingly, the inn itself wasn't crowded. Lady Mi had likely rented out the entire building.
Just as I was about to open the door…
"Hey… Yangcheon."
Cheol Jiseon, who I was carrying on my back, hurriedly called my name.
"What?"
"A-Am I really allowed to go as well…?"
"She said it’s okay. You are fine."
"B-But still…" Cheol Jiseon spoke nervously.
He had been invited to the meal as well. Since he'd mentioned his family wasn't coming, and I felt bad about dragging him everywhere, I had invited him as my guest. I remembered Lady Mi gladly accepting my request with a smile when I asked if I could bring a friend.
"C-Can I… really come? S-Someone like me-"
"Why wouldn't you be allowed? Quit whining and get in."
"Agh…!"
After saying that, I tossed Cheol Jiseon off my back, telling him to walk on his own now that we'd arrived. Ignoring his complaints, I pushed open the inn door.
Inside, I saw beautifully arranged decorations. While most inns had similar furnishings, the absence of a crowd made the beauty stand out all the more.
As I walked in, someone welcomed me.
"Oh! It's been a while."
A giant walked toward me with a big smile. It was none other than the First Elder, Gu Ryoon. Like Lady Mi and Gu Huibi, I hadn't seen him in months. For reasons I couldn't quite explain, seeing him lifted my spirits.
"It's been a while."
"Have you been well?"
Haha-!
The First Elder laughed loudly and smacked my back a few times. …It still stung like hell. It was his way of welcoming me, but this old man's hands were as painfully strong as ever.
"Oh hey, Yangcheon."
"…Yes?"
As I responded, suppressing the ache in my back, the First Elder's face twisted into a creepy grin. "You've built up your body since the last time I saw you. I'm impressed." He flexed his own biceps, which bulged so much I feared his sleeves might tear. His muscles looked like they might burst through the fabric with just a light touch.
"You seem like you've been well, First Elder."
"Haha! Just like always! But you seem particularly well, Yangcheon. You even earned yourself a new title, didn't you? What was it again? The Lesser-"
"Ah, I'm so hungry." I walked past him before he could finish. I had no desire to hear that title again.
-Hmm? Who are you?
-Ah… Hello, I am Cheol Jiseon from the Cheol Clan.
-Ah, so you are the friend of my Yangcheon, huh. But how could a guy look so thin. Those arms…
-Pardon? Ah… wait…! Agh!
I heard Cheol Jiseon screaming from behind as the First Elder captured him, but I ignored it.
Your sacrifice won't be in vain.
Offering a brief, silent prayer for Cheol Jiseon's plight, I headed toward the room where my family was gathered.
Creak.
When I opened the door and entered, I saw familiar faces, including Lady Mi and Father.
"Hmm?"
Their presence was expected; this was a family gathering.
"…What?"
But there, seated comfortably among them, was someone I never expected to see.