The Azure Dragon's Severed Arm
Sagong Wun’s resourcefulness was truly astounding.
Before Squad Leader Wu could even submit a formal report, the Hall Master had already returned, accompanied by skilled artisans from the Namgung Clan. To the rhythmic clatter of hammers and tools, the drafty pavilion was swiftly reinforced with thick, wind-blocking drapes, while fine charcoal braziers were placed throughout the interior. The biting wind was banished. What had been a bleak shelter was transformed into a proper heated barrack, brimming with cozy warmth.
"As expected of the Hall Master!"
"This is hardly any different from a proper guest lodge."
Seeing the color return to his guards' faces, Sagong Wun smiled warmly. "Forgive me. My abilities are modest, so this was the best I could arrange on short notice. If anyone finds it wanting, speak without hesitation. I will gladly surrender a room in my own quarters."
Naturally, no one took him up on the offer. Instead, the warriors' gazes filled with deep reverence at his meticulous consideration.
The Master of the Cloud Sea Hall truly possesses an extraordinary vessel.
That is the kind of master a warrior dreams of serving.
Dokgo Jin watched the spectacle with a cold, analytical eye.
If this is all calculated, he is truly a frightening man.
And if, by some slim chance, this genuinely came from the heart...
...then he might truly become the next Alliance Leader.
Having captured the hearts of everyone present, Sagong Wun turned his gaze over the escort squad. "I hear something quite interesting occurred while I was away. Our Dragon Tiger Plaque Master thoroughly flattened the arrogance of Holy Sword Heaven, did he not?"
"He did indeed, Hall Master!"
"It was a truly exhilarating victory!"
"He lived up to the name of the Dragon Tiger Plaque Master! His martial prowess was incredible!"
As the guards vied with one another to recount the duel, Sagong Wun's gaze settled naturally on Dokgo Jin.
"Just as expected of the Dragon Tiger Plaque Master. You have done splendidly. Thanks to you, the prestige of the Northern Heavenly Alliance was upheld."
"You flatter me, Hall Master."
"There is no need for false modesty. You performed an immense service, and it cannot go unrewarded. My guiding principle has always been strict merit and just reward. Come to my quarters later tonight."
Dokgo Jin attempted to politely decline, but Sagong Wun gave him no opening.
"I will brook no refusals."
"...Understood, Hall Master."
Faced with a courtesy so firm it bordered on an absolute command, Dokgo Jin could only bow his head.
Inside his private quarters, Sagong Wun wore an expression of mild regret.
"It is a pity I could not witness your display firsthand. Even from Squad Leader Wu's summary alone, I can easily picture how magnificent it must have been."
"I merely performed my duty as an escort."
"Is that so? Does an escort's duty not entail protecting me?"
"Preserving the honor of the one you escort is no different, in my view."
A rich laugh burst from Sagong Wun's chest.
"Hahaha! Well said. Yet you preserved far more than my personal dignity—you elevated the honor of the entire Northern Heavenly Alliance." His eyes gleamed as he asked with subtle intent, "Merit remains merit, nonetheless. Is there anything you desire as a reward?"
Dokgo Jin answered without hesitation. "Nothing."
"Just as I anticipated. I heard you gave the exact same answer to Grand Elder Yong."
"..."
"My view on the matter is somewhat different. Rescuing the Grand Elder's granddaughter was a confidential affair, so one could overlook a formal reward, but this duel unfolded before the eyes of many. If I leave you unrewarded, the martial artists of our alliance will revile me for stinginess."
In that case... could it be possible?
After a brief pause, Dokgo Jin spoke. "In that case, could you grant me access to first-grade intelligence in the Heavenly Secrets Hall?"
"First-grade?" Sagong Wun's eyes widened slightly.
Is there something specific he needs to uncover?
It occurred to Sagong Wun that this might well be the true reason Dokgo Jin had joined the Northern Heavenly Alliance in the first place. Yet he did not press for answers.
"I shall not ask your reasons. In principle, as a Cloud Sea Hall Master who holds little administrative authority, granting such access is impossible. However..." He winked knowingly. "That does not mean there is no way around it. In exchange, you may view only a single dossier. Will that suffice?"
Dokgo Jin bowed deeply. "Thank you, Hall Master."
He had secured an unexpected and monumental gain.
"Haha, I am glad to see you satisfied." The calm smile lingered on Sagong Wun's lips as he tilted his head, asking in an intimate tone, "Do you happen to know... why I came to the Namgung Clan?"
"I do not."
"That is rather disappointing. Were you not even curious? Had you taken an interest, you might have deduced it."
"My apologies."
"Allow me to tell you directly. I came to mediate among the noble clans."
"Mediate, you say...?"
"Though the noble martial clans and the Nine Sects and One Gang are scattered across the realm, many share close geographic borders. As they seek to expand their spheres of influence, friction erupts constantly."
Take, for instance, the Mount Hua and Zhongnan Sects contesting Shaanxi Province, or the Shandong Yue and Hwangbo Clans clashing within Shandong. In the lands of the Unorthodox underworld, such clashes were a daily occurrence, but among those who claimed the Orthodox mantle, this had once been unthinkable. It was a development sparked by the annihilation of the Dokgo Clan, which had shattered the fragile mutual trust between the great powers.
"The friction grew so fierce that open warfare seemed imminent. Yet, being sects and clans that espouse righteousness, they apparently realized this madness could not continue."
"..."
"Thus, the Nine Sects and One Gang agreed to mediate amongst themselves, while the Eight Great Clans sought to resolve their disputes internally. But that is far easier said than done."
"Which is why they requested mediation from the Four Hegemons of the Central Plains."
Sagong Wun nodded.
"Precisely. To be exact, they turned to Holy Sword Heaven, whose colors align more closely with their own. But I caught wind of the intelligence and wedged myself into the affair."
Only now did Dokgo Jin understand why the Namgung Clan had initially given them such a frosty reception.
The situation is far graver than I thought.
If Sagong Wun could seize leadership of this arbitration, it would vastly expand the Northern Heavenly Alliance's sphere of influence across the Central Plains.
And the Cloud Sea Hall Master took on such a monumental task alone?
Sagong Wun claimed he had volunteered, but the other Hall Masters could not possibly have been oblivious to this move.
Yet he traveled to the Namgung Clan entirely on his own.
That left only two possibilities: either the rival disciples paid it no mind, or they believed it an impossible task doomed to fail.
Dokgo Jin asked, "Have the clans accepted your role as mediator?"
A subtle smile played on Sagong Wun's lips.
"For now, the clans situated within our alliance's territory have responded favorably."
Dokgo Jin was inwardly impressed.
To force his way in uninvited and achieve such results already...
Swaying even a fraction of the clans was a remarkable accomplishment.
"This is merely the beginning. Using them as a foundation, I intend to persuade the remaining clans and the Nine Sects as well."
When two people speak the same words, it carries far more weight than one; when three or four echo it, persuasion becomes inevitable.
Sagong Wun's capability is formidable.
For the Northern Heavenly Alliance—hovering between the Orthodox and Unorthodox—to stand shoulder to shoulder with Holy Sword Heaven in mediating the affairs of the Eight Great Clans and the Nine Sects would be a triumph of unprecedented proportions.
"It pleases me to see that you comprehend the significance of this endeavor."
"..."
"I happen to be quite a capable man, you see."
Though Sagong Wun was unabashedly singing his own praises, Dokgo Jin could not deny it.
He has every right to be proud.
"My ultimate goal is to sideline Holy Sword Heaven entirely, cementing our alliance as the sole arbiter of the Central Plains."
"Is that truly possible?"
"Naturally. In fact, I believe our alliance holds an advantage over Holy Sword Heaven."
Dokgo Jin could not immediately grasp the logic. "Why is that?"
"At its core, their conflict stems from pragmatic self-interest. Yet Holy Sword Heaven, deeply entrenched in Orthodox ideology, remains bogged down in righteous rhetoric and chivalric posturing."
"..."
"In the end, only our alliance can offer genuine arbitration—one rooted in cold, objective calculation of gains and losses."
"...!"
"Well, the Red Blood Gang might be even better suited for calculating raw profit, but the Orthodox factions would never entertain them."
Dokgo Jin found himself nodding in agreement.
His perspective on the grand chessboard is entirely different.
Though Dokgo Jin had yet to meet the Alliance Leader's other two disciples, he suspected they were incapable of thinking on such a scale.
Is this the true measure of Sagong Wun?
He bore little resemblance to the superficial reports Dokgo Jin had read.
Nothing can be truly understood until one meets the man face-to-face.
Public knowledge was always distorted.
The probability of him becoming the next Alliance Leader exceeds forty percent.
Dokgo Jin was certain that the faction supporting Sagong Wun ran far deeper than the surface suggested.
Perhaps... his true ambition is to command the support of over ninety percent of the entire alliance.
That night.
Having safely arrived within the Namgung Clan Estate, the guards were excused from standing night watch, granting the escort unit their first restful slumber in days.
Lying upon his cot, Dokgo Jin was lost in thought.
Should I take Sagong Wun's hand?
His competence and charisma were undeniable. It seemed only natural that a talent of his caliber would eventually ascend to the seat of Alliance Leader.
No. Certainty is a dangerous presumption.
The other two Hall Masters might be monsters beyond reckoning, or the succession feud could escalate to the point where Sagong Wun was assassinated by them in the shadows.
Still, discovering that he is a force to be reckoned with was well worth the journey.
It was at that moment.
"...!"
The sudden, thunderous telepathic transmission caused Dokgo Jin's eyes to snap open.
Without a sound, his figure vanished into the night.
Rustle, rustle.
With each gust of the wind, the bamboo leaves brushed against one another, producing an eerie, whistling sigh.
Listening to the chilling rustle, Dokgo Jin made his way into the depths of the grove. His footsteps were measured and calm, yet his thoughts churned beneath the surface.
He recognized me after all.
At present, there was only one person within the Namgung Clan capable of guessing his true identity. The sole individual who had shown him genuine warmth and curiosity when he had visited this estate long ago as a boy, holding his father's hand.
Presently, the dense bamboo parted to reveal the solitary back of a man standing beneath an open pavilion.
"It has been a long time, Dokgo Jin." He spoke calmly, without even bothering to look back.
"..."
Dokgo Jin remained silent, studying him with cold, impassive eyes.
The man turned slowly, revealing the face of Namgung I-hyeon.
At that moment, Dokgo Jin's gaze dropped below the man's right shoulder.
"...?!"
An empty sleeve fluttered in the night breeze. There was nothing beneath it. Dokgo Jin's pupils trembled with profound shock.
His right arm... is gone?
The pride and genius of the Namgung Clan. The haughty swordsman once heralded as the future foremost blade of the clan had lost his sword arm.
What in the world happened to him?!
Suppressing the momentary turmoil within his chest, Dokgo Jin feigned complete composure.
"You have the wrong man. I am merely an escort warrior of the Northern Heavenly Alliance."
A faint smile touched the corner of Namgung I-hyeon's lips—a smile tinged with self-derision, yet burning with absolute conviction.
"Remarkable. To think you were alive... I verified the reports multiple times, yet the conclusion was always the same. Have you been hiding within the Northern Heavenly Alliance all this time?"
"I have no idea what you are speaking of. I merely came out of curiosity after receiving your sound transmission."
"Do you intend to play the fool even before me?"
"You seem to be mistaking me for someone else. I do not know you."
As Dokgo Jin persistently denied it, the light in Namgung I-hyeon's eyes turned freezing cold.
"You would deny it to the bitter end? Deny that you are Dokgo Jin, the Eldest Young Master of the Dokgo Clan?"
Only then did Dokgo Jin nod, as though suddenly realizing the misunderstanding.
"Ah, the Dokgo Clan. My surname may be Dokgo, but I share no connection whatsoever with that fallen house."
"Ha. No connection, you say..." Namgung I-hyeon let out a low, dry chuckle. Yet the laughter never reached his eyes. "Then allow me to prove it."
Namgung I-hyeon's left hand brushed against his waist. In that instant, a blinding, snowy-white flash of sword light burst forth.