Chapter 346
Chapter 346
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 346
Chapter Title: Departure for the Truce
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The next day, Cheonhwi's spirits lifted.
It was still early dawn, but he had already woken from sleep and was gazing out the window with clear eyes.
Whoosh―
The faint breeze blowing through the open window rustled his hair, which had grown long enough to brush his shoulders.
Had full spring truly arrived?
Just recently, the early morning air had been nothing but cold, yet now it carried the distinctive warmth of a spring breeze.
Cheonhwi murmured as he looked outside.
"The Leader of the Evil-Black Alliance, huh..."
His lips curved into a wide grin.
It was a pleased smile tinged with intrigue.
"That Baekun guy I saw yesterday had some decent skill. And the Leader of the Evil-Black Alliance beat him and made him a subordinate?"
Cheonhwi said it almost humming to himself.
The aura emanating from Baekun, the Escape Soul Master, had been intense enough to rival the Murim Alliance Leader.
An instinctive emanation of energy.
A perfectly refined flow of internal energy.
Everything pointed to his cultivation having reached an exalted realm.
And the Leader of the Evil-Black Alliance was said to be the top evildoer of the age who had defeated such a man. How could Cheonhwi not be excited?
"Wonder just how strong he is."
His interest surged, but he tamped it down for the moment.
He would meet the man soon enough anyway.
It was the mission he had received through the Snow Sword just last night, and he had soon after gotten word to depart today.
The meeting had concluded with the decision not to delay any further—for the sake of the other warriors, and especially the common folk—opting instead to resolve it swiftly.
"If only it doesn't end peacefully with some agreement and a fight breaks out instead."
Cheonhwi muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing to slits.
In truth, he had little interest in whether this truce went off without a hitch.
What did he care if the Murim Alliance fell or not?
As long as Mount Hua Sect remained intact, that was enough.
That was why he secretly hoped the talks would fall apart right there, sparking a battle on the spot.
But.
"Slim chance of that, though."
Cheonhwi shrugged.
The Evil-Black Alliance had bowed their heads.
They had even handed over the authority to decide the location and time of the truce to the Murim Alliance.
It was a massive concession.
With the Murim Alliance setting the terms, they could prepare anything ahead of the Evil-Black Alliance.
In the extreme, they could use the truce as bait to dig a trap or ambush them as they approached.
No sane person would make such an offer.
Yet Cheonhwi knew the reason the Evil-Black Alliance had made this unreasonable proposal.
'Because the opponent is the Murim Alliance.'
The righteous faction, where trust and honor were everything.
If they pulled something that despicable, the Murim Alliance would be pointed at and condemned not just by the martial world, but by all under heaven, their credibility shattered.
From the start, there would be no discussion of scheming at the truce table itself.
Even suggesting it would draw a storm of criticism within the Murim Alliance.
"Tch. Shame, but guess I'll have to settle for just watching."
Smacking his lips, he draped a pristine white robe over his shoulders and strapped on his two swords.
With his preparations complete, Cheonhwi stepped out of the hall, only for Cheonhyang and Danri Gwancheon—who had been training at the nearby drill ground—to approach.
The moment they faced each other.
"Huh? Junior Brother, something happen?"
"Did something come up?"
Their questions overlapped.
It was that bewildering.
After all, he wasn't wearing his usual robes, but the formal white ones reserved for missions with the Annihilation Squadron.
He looked ready to head out immediately.
Yet neither had heard even a whisper of a mission, let alone been assigned one.
"Got a mission."
Cheonhwi turned to leave after telling the bewildered pair, but paused briefly.
"Oh, right. Don't slack on training while I'm gone. I'll check as soon as I get back."
His tone was almost a declaration as he delivered the message, and his form soon blurred.
"Hey! Wait! Junior Brother! What do you mean mission..."
"No way you're going alone, right...?"
The two shouted their remaining questions in panic, but Cheonhwi had already vanished without a trace.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In front of the Murim Alliance's inner quarters, four carriages bearing the banner of the Heavenly Merchant Group fluttered in the breeze, lined up neatly.
"Here they are."
Song Won-gyeong, the Hubei branch manager of the Heavenly Merchant Group who had brought the carriages, spoke to the man before him.
"Thank you for your help."
The man bowed his head.
"N-no, please."
Song Won-gyeong waved his hands in a fluster.
It was something he would normally brush off with a hearty laugh, but the one bowing was no ordinary high-ranking figure.
"You're embarrassing me. The Heavenly Merchant Group and the Murim Alliance are in the same boat, aren't we? This is nothing. Please, lift your head, Military Strategist."
Song Won-gyeong couldn't hide his discomfort.
No matter his position as Hubei branch manager of the Heavenly Merchant Group, he was but a firefly before the sun compared to the Murim Alliance's Military Strategist.
Zhuge Gong slowly raised his head at Song Won-gyeong's flustered reaction and replied.
"We'll pay the fee without fail."
As the two conversed.
Thud.
Cheonhwi appeared out of nowhere, landing lightly and surveying the inner quarters.
For a brief moment, he looked puzzled.
"Why so few people?"
This was the procession for the Murim Alliance Leader.
For negotiating a truce with the Evil-Black Alliance, no less...
Yet only about twenty people had gathered here to see him off.
'Mostly familiar faces.'
They were the core members of the Murim Alliance he had seen upon his return.
'But I don't see the captains and leaders of the Three Great Vanguard Commands from back then... Huh?'
As Cheonhwi scanned the group, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
He had locked eyes with two people.
'There were still masters like this left in the Murim Alliance?'
Cheonhwi slowly took in the figures stimulating his senses.
A gentle-faced old woman.
A stern-faced man with eyes closed.
Among those gathered, these two exuded a particularly sharp presence and intense aura.
It was instinctive...
Their innate energy.
'So those two must be the ones joining me on this mission.'
Cheonhwi's eyes narrowed.
Of the people accompanying him, he knew two well, but not these two.
Heavenly Martial Lord.
Martial Lord Dragon Heaven Guest.
All he knew were their titles, epithets, and that they were among the top masters remaining in the current Murim Alliance, as relayed by the Snow Sword.
'Then that old woman must be the Heavenly Martial Lord.'
As he recalled the Snow Sword's words and eyed the old woman he presumed to be the Heavenly Martial Lord.
Swish―
Sensing his gaze, she suddenly turned her head and met his eyes.
Beneath her white eyebrows, eyes divided sharply into black and white pupils pierced Cheonhwi.
A profoundly deep, transparent gaze.
'Well, now.'
Cheonhwi's eyes narrowed.
The subtle internal energy aura in her gaze tickled his senses.
'Sharp eyes indeed.'
Cheonhwi's gaze settled calmly.
The Plum Blossom Divine Art he quietly circulated spread vast and wide, lending a faint glow to his pitch-black eyes.
And then.
Flash!
An illusion of lightning striking the air where their gazes clashed flickered and vanished.
As the Heavenly Martial Lord, who had been staring intently, widened her wrinkled eyes in surprise.
"Hwi-ya!"
A booming voice assaulted his ears.
Turning, he saw Hyeondo rushing toward him, even using his movement technique.
Crossing the distance in an instant, Hyeondo stood before Cheonhwi and said with evident worry.
"I heard you're on escort duty. Be careful out there."
"What danger could there be?"
Cheonhwi chuckled it off lightly, but Hyeondo couldn't shake his concern.
Of course, he didn't doubt Cheonhwi's prowess, but one never knew.
The Evil-Black Alliance would surely send their elites to the truce site as well.
Hyeondo's eyes gleamed as he mumbled.
It was a transmission.
『If anything happens, drop everything and run.』
『Huh? You sure that's okay?』
Cheonhwi looked at Hyeondo with mild surprise.
He never imagined the rigidly principled Hyeondo would say such a thing.
『The others will make a fuss if they find out later.』
『Don't worry about that! We'll handle the rest. Your safety comes first.』
'Oh ho?'
Cheonhwi's lips tugged upward sharply.
Words he couldn't have dreamed of hearing before.
'He's changed a lot.'
Recalling their first meeting—when Hyeondo had been so stubborn and inflexible—Cheonhwi smiled faintly and nodded.
『If it gets dicey, I will.』
Hyeondo nodded in satisfaction at the reply and carefully placed a hand on Cheonhwi's shoulder.
"Then go carefully."
With those final words, he withdrew his hand and stepped back.
Whoosh―
Cheonhwi moved toward the carriages.
As he drew near, a familiar figure popped up from below.
The Beggar Clan Leader, Yongju-gae.
"Finally crawled out, huh? Hurry up, kid."
Despite his grumbling tone, Yongju-gae grinned at the sight of Cheonhwi.
"You're coming along too, right?"
At the question, Yongju-gae puffed out his chest.
"Who else but me?"
He declared it proudly, as if it were obvious.
Cheonhwi chuckled at the confident display.
For a moment.
"So where do I ride?"
Cheonhwi eyed the carriages as he spoke.
This truce with the Evil-Black Alliance was to be conducted in secret.
To that end, the Military Strategist had specifically requested carriages from the Heavenly Merchant Group to conceal their movements.
Perhaps because it was so rushed.
There were seven departing in total, but only four carriages—an awkward number.
"That's the tricky part. The Alliance Leader and Military Strategist will share one, so the remaining five have to split across three..."
As Yongju-gae fiddled with his scruffy beard and whispered.
"How about two sharing one?"
A soft voice tickled their ears.
"You've arrived too."
Yongju-gae said, glancing aside.
The Zhongnan Sword Saint was approaching them with measured steps.
The Sword Saint alternated glances between Cheonhwi and Yongju-gae before speaking.
"On this journey, wouldn't it be more comfortable to travel with those we know?"
No sooner had he finished.
"Then you two ride together?"
Cheonhwi said, sounding repulsed.
Riding with the utterly unkempt Yongju-gae would be torture.
"You know each other, after all."
As Cheonhwi quickly tried to foist Yongju-gae off, the Sword Saint pondered briefly before nodding.
"Haha, that works."
"No, I refuse."
But Yongju-gae snorted and rejected it outright.
"I'd rather ride with this kid than you."
As he sidled up to Cheonhwi, the Sword Saint smiled faintly.
"Then it's settled."
"I'd rather not..."
As Cheonhwi tried to refuse the arrangement.
"Got something to talk about inside."
Yongju-gae whispered lowly.
Cheonhwi shot him a sullen glare.
"What is it?"
"Later."
"Hmm..."
Cheonhwi stared at Yongju-gae.
His cold, settled eyes meticulously scanned the distant Military Strategist.
"Fine. Let's ride together."
As the Sword Saint smiled softly and nodded at Cheonhwi's answer.
"Then let's depart."
Zhuge Gong's voice rang out, signaling preparations were complete.
Right after, he boarded the carriage with the Murim Alliance Leader, and the five others split into the remaining ones.
Moments later, the carriages bearing them began to move.
The slow clip-clop of hooves.
The rumbling of the carriages followed, echoing through the streets of the Murim Alliance.
Upon reaching the alliance gates, the firmly shut doors swung open.
Clatter, clatter!
The carriages carrying the Murim Alliance Leader, the Military Strategist, and their escorts departed the alliance.
To end this war.