The Formal Proposal
Enlightenment.
Simply put, it was a miraculous leap in strength achieved in a single instant when truth was grasped.
Even if growth didn’t happen overnight, anyone in the martial world who obtained the correct enlightenment and cultivated would eventually reach the truth. It was a hope everyone wished to attain.
Han Beom-gyeom, who had already gained a great enlightenment when he broke through the Peak realm wall.
He finished his meditation quietly.
‘It looks like I truly took the right path.’
I could see it.
If I caught onto that enlightenment I gained from the life-or-death trial and continued cultivating, I would soon reach the Transcendence realm.
‘This really is the correct path. I can’t give up this method.’
When I had issued the strict order to visit the Military Affairs Department, the confident attitude of the mission commander had lingered in my mind, making me hesitate to go.
‘If Chief Physician Cha would just cooperate a little… With my talent, even reaching Grandmaster realm might be possible!’
I shuddered as I imagined becoming a Grandmaster expert and shaking the world with my name.
Then I stood up and walked toward the Military Affairs Department.
***
Ugiwan’s son had died and come back to life!
Doctor Cha and Yuseong had saved him!
The rumor spread far and wide inside the Military Affairs Department.
Everyone in the same department sent words of congratulations and concern to Ugiwan.
“Commander Ugiwan, we heard the story. You must have been so worried. Is your son all right now?”
Jegal Yeong-yeong’s words made Ugiwan bow his head deeply.
“He is perfectly fine now. Thanks to Chief Commander.”
“Eh? What did I do?”
“You created the Healing Pavilion, didn’t you? If there had been no Healing Pavilion… my son might have…”
Jegal Yeong-yeong had advocated for the Healing Pavilion, so that was why her son could survive.
It had become one of her astonishing achievements, but even she hadn’t realized at the time just how valuable it would turn out to be.
‘Perhaps among all the things I’ve done, this one might be the best.’
More accurately, it was the act of recruiting Yuseong…
“This foresight of the Chief Commander, I will remain loyal in the future.”
Watching Ugiwan bow repeatedly, she felt a pang of conscience.
Well… the real reason she had promoted the Healing Pavilion was always to get her headaches treated by Yuseong.
“Haa… I’ll go back to work now.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, she had been focusing on her tasks at the Chief Commander’s office when she suddenly stiffened upon reading a document.
Her brows furrowed on their own.
[Request for Reinforcement of Personnel at Guangxi Branch]
The cause was a request that looked ordinary at first glance.
She pressed her temples.
“Haa… Guangxi branch…”
Even though the Murim Alliance’s influence was weak south of the Yangtze, every province had branches.
Among them, Guangxi Province at the southernmost tip was a hotbed of demonic forces and frequent fights.
It was one of the bloodiest battlegrounds between orthodox and heretical sects.
People there died in droves.
That was why the request for reinforcements had come flying in—several positions were vacant due to deaths.
“Haa… I really have to make a difficult decision again…”
Just because no one wanted to go didn’t mean I could send no one at all.
Someone had to do the job.
Since there were no volunteers, the Military Affairs Department, and especially Chief Commander Jegal Yeong-yeong herself, had to make the call.
It wasn’t easy to send brave warriors to certain death.
Still, the only good thing was that the Guangxi branch chief was a high-level expert capable of leading the way, so I could at least offer the difficult mission to him.
Who should I send…
At least several Peak masters…
Faces of countless warriors flashed through my mind.
It was tough.
In situations like this, the only way was to eliminate those who wouldn’t go first.
First, the people to exclude.
‘Those who have only recently transferred from the external branch to the main unit.’
Transferring from the branch to the main unit and then immediately going back to the branch was inhumane.
A kind of consideration.
Several people were eliminated.
They were, in a sense, lucky ones.
‘Next, the people to exclude…’
At that moment.
“Chief Commander. This is Tae Jeong-heon. May I enter?”
It wasn’t time for the deputy to submit a formal report.
‘What’s going on? His voice sounds a little subdued…’
The Military Affairs Department was full of variables and bad news.
Tae Jeong-heon usually stayed calm even when delivering bad news.
What could make his voice so bad?
“Yes, please come in.”
His face was stiff.
It even looked a bit angry.
What could have made the deputy this angry?
‘I should reflect on myself too. My trailing edge has been too long lately, so I need to calm him down.’
When I heard Tae Jeong-heon’s report, Jegal Yeong-yeong clenched her teeth with the exact same expression.
“Bring him here immediately.”
“I’ll handle it right away.”
***
A man who would soon reach Transcendence and one day reach Grandmaster.
Han Beom-gyeom had evaluated himself that way and met Deputy Tae Jeong-heon, only to feel displeased.
‘The deputy said the Chief Physician saved his life once…’
When I heard the mission commander say Yuseong refused to treat him because he had broken a rule, I immediately denied it and treated him like a crazy person.
So I asked to meet even the Chief Commander, and my request was granted.
I was led to the Chief Commander’s office.
The Chief Commander I met for the first time was different from the deputy.
She was smiling warmly.
“We received word that you have obtained a clue to reaching the Transcendence realm through the deputy’s report.”
Chief Commander of the Murim Alliance, Jegal Yeong-yeong.
She held the power of life-and-death decisions for ordinary warriors.
I had eventually passed through her hands to reach the main unit.
Seeing her greet me so warmly with congratulations, Han Beom-gyeom felt strength return to his shoulders.
‘As expected, Transcendence masters are rare. I must be a position worthy of proper treatment! Besides, since I use the sword, my rarity is even higher!’
Of course, I was still only a Peak master, but I had boasted to the deputy.
Reaching Transcendence was a given.
I thought the Chief Commander, being on that level, had correctly appraised my worth unlike the deputy, and I smiled confidently.
“Haha, thank you, Chief Commander. Since I’ve taken the right path, I’ll soon prove that I was right.”
“Of course. I have no doubts. However, the deputy mentioned you have some business?”
“Ah, yes. Actually…”
Han Beom-gyeom poured out the method he had gained from the great enlightenment.
Since he had already mentioned it to other warriors, he couldn’t keep it to himself.
So the best way was to claim it as his own achievement.
He especially emphasized his own brilliance.
“I didn’t know about Commander Ugiwan’s situation, but I heard it was resolved well. However, Chief Physician Cha got angry and said he wouldn’t treat anyone like that in the future.”
“Uhm, that happened?”
Jegal Yeong-yeong nodded obediently.
Unlike the deputy, she had a clear sense of justice.
Confidence swelled in him.
“I honestly don’t know what I did wrong. Isn’t it true that Chief Physician should prioritize treating Murim Alliance warriors first by principle? My strength will help the Alliance, but she didn’t understand my heart… The Chief Physician has some narrow-mindedness. Out of unfairness, I ended up coming to the Military Affairs Department.”
A smile deepened on Jegal Yeong-yeong’s lips.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, making them look sharper.
‘This is just her mood.’
“No big deal,” Jegal Yeong-yeong muttered to Han Beom-gyeom.
“Enlightenment obtained through a real-life battle…”
“That’s exactly it. So please tell Chief Physician Cha just one thing, Chief Commander. Since this is your matter, please tell him to focus on the mission. My sparring partner didn’t obtain enlightenment this time, but I did. Once when I met Geomma, and once in this trial. It seems I grow greatly through real combat. Someday I will reach the supreme realm of Grandmaster…”
Han Beom-gyeom poured out many stories together with that day’s sparring.
“Indeed. It seems you are a person who can grow greatly through actual combat, sir.”
“Haha, of course. Then, shall I consider the Chief Physician’s matter resolved?”
“Of course. Since you told me a good method, I wouldn’t waste it. Can we actively promote it within the Murim Alliance?”
“Of course! Thank you for the great decision!”
With light steps, Han Beom-gyeom left the Military Affairs Department.
Not long after, he discovered his name listed among the personnel assigned to the Guangxi branch.
“...?”
“...You too?”
The names of the warriors he had sparred with and a few who had agreed that day were also listed.
Han Beom-gyeom went back to the Military Affairs Department again.
This time he faced the smiling Chief Commander.
“I… Chief Commander. I just returned from the Sichuan branch a while ago. Why am I being reassigned to the branch again? Is there some mistake?”
“That was merely a form of consideration. There is no problem with you being assigned to the Guangxi branch. By principle.”
“...I don’t want to go. Please reconsider.”
“Oh my, it’s not like you can’t go just because you don’t want to. This is a decision made by the Military Affairs Department, by principle. And this Sichuan trip was selected with the highest priority for those who seek to improve their martial arts through fierce real-combat experience. It will be a good opportunity.”
Jegal Yeong-yeong continued speaking with smiles intact until the end. Han Beom-gyeom had no choice but to return empty-handed.
***
After Han Beom-gyeom and several warriors left for the Guangxi branch like chickens roasted in lightning.
Yuseong received a proposal from Jegal Yeong-yeong.
“I want to formally allow high-level experts to hold sparring matches here that are exactly like real combat?”
She spoke while carefully watching his reaction.
“Yes. Of course, as long as Chief Physician Cha is okay with it. Although there was an unfortunate incident this time, it was not wrong that it helped the warriors’ development. What do you think?”
While on night duty and forced to wait for something unknown to happen, he had disliked Han Beom-gyeom for not informing him beforehand and acting so unreasonably. But it was true that his method was beneficial for the warriors’ growth.
And it was one of the most important motives that moved him.
‘If I can increase my holy power, and right beside me I can directly observe the real combat using even the hidden secret techniques…’