Heart of the Northern Hegemon
Fierce and unstoppable though Dokgo Jin was, an uninvited guest visited him without fail whenever the night deepened.
Ugh!
A bone-chilling cold and an excruciating pain that felt as though it were tearing his entire body apart washed over him. It was the Nine Nether Dark Sky Scripture. In exchange for granting him overwhelming martial might, this abyssal art sought to gnaw away at his flesh and marrow with every passing breath.
At first, terrified of this agony, he had spent entire nights with his eyes wide open, fearing that if he slipped into slumber, qi deviation would take him and he would never wake again. Yet no mortal man could stave off sleep forever. In the end, Dokgo Jin chose acceptance. Now, this gruesome seizure had become part of his daily routine, no different from taking a meal or drawing breath.
By some cruel irony, the pain grew in direct proportion to the advancement of the Nine Nether Dark Sky Scripture. This bizarre martial art, which grew stronger on its own without dedicated cultivation, violently swelled in mass regardless of whether its master’s vessel could contain it. It was an agony that would have driven an ordinary man mad within a single night, yet Dokgo Jin endured every shred of it. Even while suffering night after night, he had never once regretted learning the Nine Nether Dark Sky Scripture.
Even if I eventually collapse and am devoured by the abyss… that will only happen after I take their heads.
Just then, Yoo Seol-ah’s calm voice cut through his thoughts.
“We’re here.”
Beyond the parting mists toward which her finger pointed, a colossal shadow crouched against the earth.
“That is the very heart of our alliance… Northern Heavens Fortress.”
Following her gesture, Dokgo Jin’s gaze settled upon an impregnable citadel that looked as though it had been carved from an entire mountain. Rather than something built by human hands, it seemed as if a primordial giant had molded the stone itself. The grey ramparts, erected high to take the brunt of the northern gales, stretched so far they seemed endless.
So this is the headquarters of the Northern Heaven Alliance?
It was vastly grander and more immense than he had anticipated.
This is merely one of the Four Hegemons of the Central Plains. Yet it possesses such scale.
The other three would surely match it at the very least.
Their might is far greater than I imagined.
At the same time, a question arose in his mind. As far as he knew, it had been less than half a century since the Four Hegemons had emerged onto the Jianghu stage.
There is definitely… something more to this.
Dokgo Jin quietly observed Northern Heavens Fortress. Atop the battlements, blue banners bearing the insignia of the Northern Heaven Alliance billowed like rolling waves. The display carried a presence akin to thousands of writhing dragons, more than enough to overwhelm any onlooker. From a distance, the endless stream of martial artists and carriages passing through the open fortress gates looked like a swarm of ants being drawn into the maw of a colossal beast.
And rising toward the clouds stood the central pavilion. The oppressive weight radiating from that structure was not the dank horror of the Death Forest, but the razor-sharp tension of a drawn blade. It was a majesty befitting the stronghold of a supreme hegemon, one counted among the handful of absolute powers across the martial realm.
“Well? What do you think of our Northern Heavens Fortress?” Yoo Seol-ah asked with an expectant look.
Dokgo Jin answered flatly, “It is large.”
“Huh? That’s all?”
It was indeed the largest fortress Dokgo Jin had ever seen. Yet no matter how immense a fortress might be, compared to the fathomless abyss he harbored within, it was merely a slightly larger pile of stones.
Oblivious to this, Yoo Seol-ah looked flabbergasted. “Wow. I can’t tell if you’ve got nerves of steel or if your senses are just completely numb.” She shook her head. …He’s definitely out of the ordinary.
During their journey, Yoo Seol-ah had probed into Dokgo Jin’s background whenever she found the chance. Dokgo Jin told her that he was an orphan who had lost his parents at a young age and learned martial arts after by chance encountering a master. After living deep in the mountains, his master passed away; he then settled his affairs and came down to Sword Selling Street to gauge where his martial prowess stood.
The Dark Soul Style…
It was a martial lineage that neither Yoo Seol-ah nor Yeom Baek, whose knowledge of the Jianghu was vast, had ever heard of. Naturally, with tens of thousands of martial arts scattered across the world, there were bound to be styles they did not recognize. Yet given the caliber of skill Dokgo Jin had displayed, he could never have hailed from some nameless, backwater sect.
Whether it’s true or false will be revealed soon enough.
Although the Northern Heaven Alliance had lower barriers to entry than other factions, they did not recklessly admit anyone whose origin was murky. Of course, verifying such matters was not Yeom Baek or Yoo Seol-ah’s duty. Their primary objective was simply to recruit capable warriors.
The Heavenly Mechanism Hall will handle it.
The Heavenly Mechanism Hall was one of the Four Great Halls of the Northern Heaven Alliance, an organization tasked with analyzing intelligence gathered from diverse channels.
Before long, Dokgo Jin arrived before the fortress’s colossal main gate.
Up close, it is even more imposing.
His gaze drifted upward. Peculiarly, five banners of different colors were planted atop the gatehouse of the main entrance.
Yeom Baek pointed toward them. “Those banners represent the core pillars of our alliance, the Five Banners of Northern Heaven.”
The Five Banners of Northern Heaven—the collective name for the five martial divisions representing the military might of the Northern Heaven Alliance.
“Do you see the flag with the white tiger emblazoned on it?”
When Dokgo Jin nodded, Yeom Baek continued, “That is the banner of the White Tiger Banner, the foremost among the five.”
Yeom Baek fixed his gaze upon the massive flag billowing atop the ramparts.
“And our Iron Soul Unit is the sharpest fang of that very tiger.”
A deep pride resonated through his booming voice—the unmistakable honor of being the vanguard unit under the White Tiger Banner. Yet a cool, dry voice instantly threw cold water over his fervor.
“Fangs are always the first to break. Being the vanguard simply means you’re the first to die.”
It was Yoo Seol-ah’s blunt remark. Yeom Baek merely snorted, brushing it aside.
“A man who fears death has no right to call himself a martial artist. On the battlefield, momentum is life itself!”
It was a bold proclamation that any hot-blooded martial artist of the Jianghu would have cheered and clinked wine cups over. Yet Dokgo Jin’s gaze remained chillingly detached.
Is that truly so?
Not knowing fear was not courage; it was mere foolhardiness. True strength did not come from ignorance of mortal terror, but from looking death squarely in the face, feeling it deep within one’s bones, and chewing it down whole. Such was the creed Dokgo Jin had forged after crossing countless lines of death.
As they passed through the gates, a young man stepped forward to greet them.
“Greetings, Iron Soul Unit Leader.”
“And you are?”
“I am Im Gi-pyeong of the Heavenly Mechanism Hall.”
“Well met.”
“If I may ask, is the young man behind you the recruit you brought in this time, Dokgo Jin?”
“He is.”
“Then we shall take custody of him.”
Yeom Baek nodded readily. “Proceed.”
Every newly recruited warrior entering the Northern Heaven Alliance underwent a basic background check conducted by the Heavenly Mechanism Hall. Furthermore, this was a martial artist scouted personally by the Iron Soul Unit Leader himself. Since he was no low-ranking recruit, a more thorough verification was required.
Yoo Seol-ah chimed in, “Remember what I told you? Cooperate with the investigation and do well in your training.”
Passing the background check at the Heavenly Mechanism Hall was not the end. Afterward, recruits were transferred to the Martial Training Hall to undergo a ‘special’ regimen designed for newcomers. What that curriculum entailed was still unknown.
“Follow me,” Im Gi-pyeong said.
Yeom Baek and Yoo Seol-ah watched Dokgo Jin’s retreating back as he followed the escort.
“There shouldn’t be any problems, right?”
“Likely not. His temperament is peculiar, but he doesn’t seem like a spy.”
“If he were, he wouldn’t have provoked the Red Blood Gang like that.”
“I’m more worried about something else.”
“About what?”
Yeom Baek’s expression turned grave. “That others might covet him.”
“Come on, no way! We found him fair and square!”
“If the higher-ups step in, there won’t be much we can do.”
Yoo Seol-ah shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll put in a good word.”
“Heh heh. Times like this, you really are dependable.”
Yoo Seol-ah, Vice-Commander of the Iron Soul Unit, happened to be the only daughter of Yoo Baek-seok, the Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Hall. She was an anomaly who had refused a comfortable desk post in her father’s hall, choosing instead to throw herself into the grueling frontline combat of the Iron Soul Unit.
Dokgo Jin, I don’t know what you have in mind, but our alliance isn’t an easy place. Once you pass through the Martial Training Hall, you’ll be reborn as a loyal warrior of our banner.
“Name?”
“Dokgo Jin.”
“Sect?”
“The Dark Soul Style.”
“Your master’s epithet?”
“Iron Mountain Old Monster.”
“Were there any other prominent masters in the Dark Soul Style besides the Iron Mountain Old Monster?”
“About fifty years ago, there was one known as Mad Pleasure Sword Gok Un-seong.”
“……”
The austere, middle-aged man seated across from Dokgo Jin raised his head and glared at him.
“Are your answers always so short?”
“Is that a question as well?”
“……”
The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed deeply. Where on earth did the Iron Soul Unit Leader dig up such an insolent brat?
This austere man was Lee Mun-jeong, Master of the Bright Mirror Pavilion. As a branch of the Heavenly Mechanism Hall, the Bright Mirror Pavilion was tasked with analyzing collected intelligence and determining its authenticity. Verifying the credentials of incoming martial recruits was also part of their portfolio. Because this recruit had been personally brought in by the Iron Soul Unit Leader, the Pavilion Master himself had stepped forward to handle the vetting.
For now, the details check out, but…
Most of what Dokgo Jin said was technically true. Following Dokgo Jin’s disappearance, Wi Geum-seong had scoured the world searching for him and happened across the corpse of the Iron Mountain Old Monster, who had died alone. Thinking it might prove useful one day, Wi Geum-seong had quietly gathered and preserved the hermit’s relics.
The Iron Mountain Old Monster had not been particularly famous, merely a reclusive expert of some minor renown on the frontier. The fact that he was a disciple of the Dark Soul Style was practically unknown. Above all, the techniques of the Dark Soul Style bore an outward resemblance to the Nine Nether Dark Sky Scripture. In every respect, it was an ideal cover identity. To ensure perfection, Dokgo Jin had even familiarized himself with the Dark Soul Style’s techniques.
Though the Pavilion Master fired off difficult questions, Dokgo Jin answered them without a moment’s hesitation. Elder Wi and I prepared this flawlessly. There are no holes. He was entirely confident.
“Hmph.” The Pavilion Master finished his questioning. …There is nothing overtly suspicious.
Even so, something felt off. It was an intuition honed over many long years working in the Bright Mirror Pavilion. Still… I cannot hold a man on mere intuition alone.
“Final question. What is your reason for wishing to become a warrior of our alliance?”
“You are mistaken.”
“What?”
“Strictly speaking, I am here on an observation tour. I have not yet decided whether to join the Northern Heaven Alliance.”
Lee Mun-jeong stared at him, dumbfounded. “What did you say?”
“Did the Iron Soul Unit Leader not inform you?”
“……!”
Lee Mun-jeong found the young man thoroughly intolerable. What could our alliance possibly lack that we must stoop to accepting someone like him?
He wanted nothing more than to summon his subordinates and order them to drag this upstart out of Northern Heavens Fortress at once, but so long as Dokgo Jin’s dossier was in order, he had no grounds to do so.
Just you wait, you insolent punk!
The eyes and ears of the Heavenly Mechanism Hall were spread across every corner of Northern Heavens Fortress. No one could escape their gaze.
Just let me catch the slightest slip from you.
Reading the sharp glint in the Pavilion Master’s eyes, Dokgo Jin easily deduced what he was thinking. There will be nothing you can do.
Personal feelings aside, Lee Mun-jeong had no choice but to transfer Dokgo Jin to the Martial Training Hall.
“……”
He silently glared at Dokgo Jin’s retreating back.
Hmph. Let’s see if your skills can back up that arrogance.
The Pavilion Master immediately called a subordinate and whispered a series of instructions, and the man hurried off toward the Martial Training Hall.