Should I Just Quit?

A full week had already passed since the disaster known as Do Gwang set foot in Chengdu.

Inside the office of the Sichuan Branch Leader of the Murim Alliance.

"Haaah..."

Moyong Jin let out a long, heavy sigh. In his hand rested the thick report Gwak Byeok had just handed him.

"Tell me, Gwak Byeok. Is every word of this actually true?"

"Yes, Branch Leader. Starting with the fact that both elders were spies for the Blood Sect..."

Gwak Byeok stared down at the documents in his own hands, his face equally grim as he continued the report.

"...all the way to the part where those madmen kidnapped a hundred children over the past ten years and used them for experiments. Every last bit of it is true."

"Haaah..."

Moyong Jin pressed a hand to his forehead and groaned.

"A hundred of them..."

He squeezed his eyes shut and cast his mind back ten years. He could still see the faces of the parents who had come begging for help finding their missing children.

They had gone to the authorities first, of course. But most of them were poor, powerless commoners, and with not a single scrap of evidence to go on, they had been turned away at every door. So they had clung to the Murim Alliance—the so-called pillar of the orthodox path—and pleaded for aid.

And yet...

...We never found even the faintest clue either...

At the time, the Alliance had only managed to confirm thirty or forty missing children.

But a hundred...

With a desolate heart, Moyong Jin flipped through the report page by page. When he reached the Blood Sect's own experimental records, his lips pressed into a thin, hard line.

Is this truly something a human being should do...

He wasn't sure whether "fortunate" was even the right word, but at least—mercifully—this particular child's record did not end with the word "deceased" the way so many others did.

...Then where is this poor child now?

In that instant, the image of a bright, cheerful little ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠girl flashed through Moyong Jin's mind.

— Kyahaha~

— Can I kill them?

"...That little brat running around with the madman is probably her..."

"...Yes, sir."

Gwak Byeok nodded, his expression just as heavy.

The place they had rushed to search on Do Gwang's tip had been nothing short of a living hell. The bodies reduced to meat paste were clearly Do Gwang's crude handiwork, but the rest—the horrific experimental tools and the cages—were unmistakably the Blood Sect's. The records of their atrocities had been preserved intact, after all.

That was why Moyong Jin could only sigh as he thought of Do Hwa.

"Kidnapped at such a young age and put through horrors like that... no wonder her mind isn't whole..."

"Yes. Truly a pitiful child. Anyone would have broken..."

Gwak Byeok nodded again, face clouded. Then a sudden question rose in his mind, and he spoke carefully.

"Do you think that madman might have been one of their test subjects as well?"

It was a reasonable suspicion—that Do Gwang, too, had endured years of those monstrous experiments until his mind finally snapped.

Moyong Jin shook his head.

"...I don't think so."

"...No?"

"Of course not. Even as a side effect of experimentation, no human being can go that far off the rails. That one is simply... outside the specifications."

"Agreed. In my opinion, even the Mad Demon would have to take a step back from that lunatic."

"Exactly my point. And if they had ever managed to create a monster like that, do you really think the Blood Sect would still be hiding underground running more insane experiments?"

"No, sir. They would have put him at the front and marched straight into Sichuan."

Nod, nod.

The two of them arrived at a perfectly airtight conclusion and bobbed their heads in unison.

"Anyway... where is that madman right now?"

"At the Paedo Sect main hall, apparently."

"Still today?"

"...Yes. They're treating him like an honored guest and bowing and scraping the whole time."

"Ugh..."

Moyong Jin could only groan. The disaster he desperately wanted gone from Chengdu—no, from all of Sichuan—as soon as possible had instead settled in comfortably. And of all places, right in the heart of the Paedo Sect, one of the pillars of the Nine Provinces Black Lotus.

Just then—

BANG—!

A fist slammed down hard on the desk, the sound cracking through the office.

"Branch Leader! What do you think you're doing?!"

The owner of the voice was I Ja-un, elder of the Qingcheng Sect.

Moyong Jin's brow furrowed sharply as he answered.

"What does it look like? I'm working."

"That's not what I mean!!!"

I Ja-un jabbed a finger, face flushed crimson, and bellowed.

"You know perfectly well where that madman who slaughtered our Qingcheng disciples is, and you're just sitting here twiddling your thumbs?!"

"Heh heh..."

Moyong Jin let out a hollow laugh of pure disbelief.

"Elder I Ja-un—and Elder Su Seo-hwa as well—what exactly are the two of you doing barging in here? I distinctly sent word through a messenger that I would finish up and come right over, and asked you both to wait a moment in the guest hall."

Yet they had ignored the Branch Leader's polite request entirely and stormed straight into his office.

"Hmph. Are we the sort of people who simply wait when a Branch Leader tells us to?"

Su Seo-hwa of the Emei Sect snorted and sneered.

"Heh heh..."

Moyong Jin laughed hollowly again. He had lost count of how many times his insides had boiled today alone. From the moment that madman set foot in Chengdu—no, from the moment that disaster appeared in Sichuan—Moyong Jin's lifespan had clearly been draining away by the second.

But even so, this is a bit much...

They might be elders of great sects belonging to the Nine Great Sects, yet to so casually disregard the words of the Murim Alliance's Sichuan Branch Leader and act with such arrogance... Worse, their eyes held not the slightest respect or courtesy toward the Alliance.

They must think our Alliance sits beneath them.

Especially since this was only a branch, not the headquarters where the Alliance Leader resided, their contempt and condescension were plain as day.

They never send us support, only ever demand we clean up their messes, and still they have the gall to act this shameless...

While Moyong Jin was still sighing over it, I Ja-un slammed the desk again.

CRASH—!

"Answer the question I asked you, Branch Leader!!!"

"Heh heh..."

"Look here!!!"

Just as I Ja-un was about to jab his finger again at the Branch Leader who kept laughing in sheer exasperation—

"Elder I. That is enough."

Moyong Jin's voice dropped, heavy and cold.

"I fully understand that you are agitated after your disciples suffered such misfortune. But I will not tolerate any further rudeness."

He rose sharply from his seat, sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Treating me, the Branch Leader, with such disrespect is no different from insulting the Alliance itself."

Even if that out-of-spec monster Do Gwang had already shredded his dignity, Moyong Jin was still a Transcendent Peak master of a hundred battles. The presence he unleashed was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by no means light.

I Ja-un cleared his throat and quietly lowered his hand.

"Ahem...! It seems I got a little too worked up."

Even so, he still refused to back down, veins standing out on his neck as he pressed on.

"But we of Qingcheng have told you from the beginning—we asked for full cooperation in dealing with the one who slaughtered our disciples. Yet that man is still walking around Chengdu free as you please, and the Murim Alliance just stands there with its arms folded watching?!"

"You heard everything just now, didn't you? Why we cannot touch him."

"No—catching Blood Sect spies was pure luck! That man is a murderer who tore our disciples to pieces in the most horrific way! The Alliance must go after him at once!"

As I Ja-un began throwing another tantrum, Gwak Byeok stepped in, looking thoroughly fed up.

"Did we not send letters to every sect? And you must have heard the rumors flooding the streets of Chengdu as well."

By a single person.

No—strictly speaking, by two.

In any case, those two had reduced the Sichuan Tang Family to complete ruin, leaving it effectively destroyed. All four elders, including the Blood Sect spies, had either been sent to the underworld or left crippled, and countless elites had been turned into meat paste. Even the main hall itself had been reduced to dust in a single blow.

How exactly were they supposed to subjugate a madman who pulled off something that far outside the specifications?

"Moreover, according to a discreet confirmation from the Beggars' Guild the day before yesterday, a massive crater appeared on the outskirts of Chengdu—believed to have been carved out during a duel between that man and the Paedo Sect Leader."

Moyong Jin stroked his chin and added,

"There. Do you understand now why our Alliance cannot act rashly?"

It wasn't as if they were proposing a mass suicide pact. One careless move and an entire Alliance branch could be wiped off the map. And that man was not some demonic fiend randomly massacring helpless commoners either. It was clear he never drew his weapon unless someone picked a fight with him or attacked first.

From the Murim Alliance's perspective, they simply had neither the justification nor the strength to draw their blades recklessly.

"Hmph!"

Su Seo-hwa snorted as if the whole thing were a joke.

"Nonsense. A boy who doesn't even look of age, dueling the Saber King?"

"...Excuse me?"

Gwak Byeok doubted his own ears.

Nonsense? Well, yes, it defied common sense, but—

"Did you not hear what I just said? The Beggars' Guild's information network—"

He tried to explain, exasperated. But Su Seo-hwa lifted her chin high and cut him off coldly.

"Hmph. The beggars of the Guild didn't see it with their own eyes, did they? It's only an estimate."

Her face was filled with nothing but distrust and displeasure toward both the Murim Alliance and the Beggars' Guild.

"The street rumors are the same. Commoners who don't even understand the principles of martial arts saw something they couldn't comprehend, and then the loudmouths among them piled on exaggerations and distortions."

"Heh heh..."

Moyong Jin pressed his forehead and let out a deep sigh.

"Look here, Elder Su. We clearly wrote in the letter that not only I, but Gwak Byeok here and the Alliance warriors all personally witnessed that man's martial prowess."

"Hmph!"

Su Seo-hwa raised her chin even higher and narrowed her eyes.

"Isn't it possible the Alliance simply made up a convenient lie so it wouldn't have to take losses?"

"Look here!!!"

Moyong Jin finally raised his voice, unable to hold back any longer. Yet Su Seo-hwa, a Transcendent Peak master herself, refused to yield an inch in presence.

"Look at you. Raising your voice because you have nothing left to say?"

She glared back with perfect confidence.

"Heh heh..."

Moyong Jin felt his blood pressure spike and the back of his neck tighten. Of course he was shouting—because she was shamelessly spouting pure nonsense that left him with nothing to say.

Oblivious to how close he was to exploding, Su Seo-hwa only grew more triumphant and piled on more garbage.

"The old men of the Tang Family were the same. They grew complacent relying on their poisons and fell for that man's lucky break, plain and simple."

Faced with that arrogant, self-righteous logic, Gwak Byeok finally asked in sheer disbelief,

"...Then how do you explain the Tang Family main hall vanishing in a single blow?"

"That? The building was simply old, so it collapsed on its own."

"...Excuse me?"

Gwak Byeok's mouth fell open.

A building gets a little old and aged, and it evaporates without a trace? That was basic common sense. This wasn't just nonsense—it was next-level nonsense.

Yet someone was happily chiming in agreement with that barking.

"Elder Su is absolutely right!"

It was I Ja-un, who only moments ago had tucked his tail under Moyong Jin's pressure.

"It's all empty rumors, and the Alliance is just cowardly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dodging responsibility!"

"Hmph. Exactly."

Moyong Jin felt his mind go blank under the continuous stream of garbage from the two elders.

"Heh heh..."

He thought to himself,

Should I just quit right now?

While I Ja-un and Su Seo-hwa were stoking Moyong Jin's desire to resign, back in the guest hall where the Branch Leader had asked them to wait—

"Oh... so the fame of the Three Flowers of Sichuan wasn't empty talk after all!"

"Exactly, senior brother. I completely agree! Calling her the First Flower wouldn't be enough!"

"Miss Ryeo, you are truly dazzlingly beautiful!"

The second-generation disciples of Qingcheng were busy drooling and pouring on flattery toward the Emei disciples seated across from them.

The women, however, made no effort to hide their open disgust.

"What do you think you're doing? Take those unpleasant stares off us this instant."

"Hui, come here. This junior sister is far too worried those vulgar eyes of theirs might contaminate you."

"Honestly, Elder Su... even if Hui is a bit young, bringing her to a place like this..."

They formed a solid wall, shielding their beautiful junior sister—praised as one of the Three Flowers of Sichuan—from the Qingcheng disciples.

Third-generation disciple Ryeo Hui.

Not only was her beauty exceptional, her talent was outstanding as well; the Emei Sect treasured her like a precious jewel. Of course the Emei disciples would guard her with fire in their eyes.

Jin Hak, the second-generation Qingcheng disciple who seemed to be their representative, scratched the back of his head with an easy grin.

"Haha! My apologies! The fairy ladies of Emei are all as beautiful as flowers themselves—I must have focused too much on Miss Ryeo alone!"

"Hmph! We have no interest in such obvious, honeyed flattery."

Outwardly the Emei disciples snorted, yet the "fairy" compliment seemed to please them inwardly; their expressions softened just a fraction.

Seeing their reaction, Jin Hak tried to score more points by giving a light shove to the back of the only third-generation disciple who had remained silent the entire time.

"Haha! It's not flattery. Right, U Gyeong?"

He even threw an arm around the younger man's shoulders as if they were close, seeking agreement.

"...I have no interest, senior brother."

The youth called U Gyeong cut him off flatly, face expressionless.

"Haha! No interest? What kind of talk is that? This guy—first time down the mountain in ages and his head is still full of nothing but the sword."

Jin Hak forced a laugh, trying to smooth things over, but U Gyeong openly scowled and shot back,

"What exactly are you doing right now, senior brother? Is this a place for chatting up women? Have you forgotten why we came down the mountain?"

"Y-you little..."

Jin Hak's face twisted for a moment; he barely swallowed his anger. Not only were the Emei female disciples watching with wide eyes, but even as a second-generation disciple his martial achievement was lower than U Gyeong's, so he had no choice but to bottle it up.

Thus—

"Haha...! Looks like this guy's in a bad mood today!"

—he forced another easy laugh and tried to brush it off.

At that pathetic display,

"Hmph. Qingfeng Parang is right. Aren't we all simply waiting for our respective elders?"

Yeo Rin snorted.

"More importantly, have you forgotten what kind of sect Emei is? And Qingcheng is a Daoist sect as well, is it not? Show some dignity."

"Haha... Yes, understood. I apologize for making you uncomfortable for no reason."

Jin Hak retreated with a forced smile, face flushed red.

No interest, my ass...

He ground his teeth. Every single Emei disciple was pretending to be haughty while still unable to tear their eyes away from U Gyeong.

It was only natural. U Gyeong possessed both outstanding talent and a clean-cut appearance worthy of the title Qingfeng Parang—Blue Wind Wave-Breaker. Of course, the fact that such a grand moniker had already been attached to a youth who spent all his time training deep in the mountains was... well, the result of Qingcheng deliberately exaggerating and spreading it.

Hmph. Still, at least that annoying bastard doesn't seem to have caught Miss Ryeo's eye. Truly fortunate.

Just as Jin Hak thought, Ryeo Hui had no interest in U Gyeong whatsoever.

Her attention was fixed solely on one thing.

"Senior sister! Is it really true that Elder Beop was a spy?"

The truth about the missing elder she had long respected and followed.

So Hui let out a troubled sigh.

"It's hard to believe, but... it seems that way..."

She, too, had respected the man, so her expression was far from bright.

Jin Hak smoothly inserted himself into their conversation with a consoling tone.

"We understand that devastated feeling better than anyone—we lost junior brothers of our own."

"...Well, yes. Our condolences to the Qingcheng daoists as well."

Yeo Rin found Jin Hak's constant attempts to talk irritating, yet she couldn't bring herself to be completely cold when fellow disciples had died in droves, so she offered a reluctant, polite expression of regret.

At that single courtesy line—

"Ah, not at all! To have an Emei fairy grieve and console us like this is truly appreciated."

"Yes! Just a moment ago our hearts were heavy with the loss of our junior brothers, but now we feel greatly comforted!"

—every second-generation Qingcheng disciple latched onto the Emei disciples like leeches and started talking again.

At that repulsive, pathetic spectacle,

Tsk...

U Gyeong clicked his tongue inwardly.

I never liked Jin Hoon or Myeong-ho or any of the ones who went with them either, but...

Using their dead junior brothers as an excuse just to squeeze in one more conversation with the women—the second-generation disciples' behavior was utterly disgusting.

On top of that—

"I will personally cut down that demonic fiend!"

"What are you talking about?! My sword will pierce that evil ghost first, without a doubt!"

—they were even putting on bravado in front of the women.

...These guys are seriously hilarious.

U Gyeong could only look at the second-generation disciples with cold eyes. Unlike those idiots, his grasp of the situation was sharp and accurate.

...Even if all of Qingcheng went after him it might not be enough, and they're talking about who will catch whom...

He, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too, had clearly heard the street rumors the moment he entered Chengdu. There was a monster who had reduced the Sichuan Tang Family to ashes in a single day.

Gwang-gong-ja, was it...

U Gyeong instinctively knew: he must never meet that catastrophic existence.

Yet he did not know—

Surely Elder wouldn't suggest something insane like going after that man by ourselves...

—that the elder would soon spit out exactly that insane suggestion.

How much time had passed?

Moyong Jin stood by the window of the Branch Leader's office with heavy steps.

"Heh heh..."

He watched the Qingcheng and Emei groups leave through the main gate, then slowly closed his eyes.

Gwak Byeok asked, face pale,

"Branch Leader... is it really all right to leave things like this?"

"How could it be all right?"

Moyong Jin shook his head slowly.

— I never expected much since you didn't help even when the Tang Family ended up like that, but today I am truly disappointed in the Murim Alliance!

— Exactly. The title of a hundred-battle master is wasted. Elder I, do you really need help from cowards like these?

— What? But...

— What are you hesitating for? Elder of Qingcheng can simply handle it himself, can he not?

— Exactly! A mere demonic fiend like that! I will personally lead my disciples and cut him down myself! Do not try to stop me!

— As expected of Elder I. If you find yourself short-handed, we will gladly assist, so do not worry.

He briefly recalled the conversation between I Ja-un and Su Seo-hwa. They had even talked nonsense about holding a separate banquet after subduing that madman...

No matter how he looked at it, that banquet venue was never going to be located in this world.

"Yes... how could it be all right... when the elders of Qingcheng and Emei are taking their disciples off to commit mass suicide..."

"......"

Gwak Byeok stood there speechless. He had watched from the side exactly how hard Moyong Jin had tried—until his mouth wore out—to talk them out of it. He himself had done the same.

Yet neither of them had listened to a single word of advice, counsel, or warning.

"I even pulled out the Beggars' Guild's information on top of our own Alliance's, and they still refuse to believe it. I simply cannot understand why."

"Heh heh... People only ever believe what they want to believe. Especially high-nosed martial artists."

Martial artists.

Blind, arrogant creatures, one and all—orthodox or unorthodox made no difference.

"No... it seems our orthodox side has an especially large number of the severe cases..."

The unorthodox at least tended to be quick and cunning when it came to saving their own skins.

At Moyong Jin's bitter observation, Gwak Byeok nodded and spoke.

"True enough... But why is Emei going along with them? Qingcheng lost disciples, so that makes sense, but from Emei's perspective isn't that man a benefactor?"

"Why do you think?"

"Don't tell me..."

"Yes. That damned honor of theirs."

"......."

Gwak Byeok shut his mouth again and stared blankly up at the sky.

Honor?

They intended to slander and kill the very man who had cleanly executed a Blood Sect spy for them—just to forcibly prop up their sect's reputation?

To that unspoken question, Moyong Jin answered with a complicated look.

"They plan to claim that everything that man said was a lie, and that our Alliance is a pack of fools who fell for his nonsense."

He swallowed the rest of the sentence—using Qingcheng as a shield—and let out a deep sigh.

"Haaah..."

He, too, stared emptily up at the heavens.

"After the Sichuan Tang Family, is it Qingcheng and Emei's turn..."

He thought back. Those prestigious families and sects that strutted around calling themselves the greatest names in Sichuan had never cooperated with the Murim Alliance—the very symbol of the orthodox path—nor offered even the slightest support. In the past he had often felt it was unfair and thoroughly shitty to be stuck managing Sichuan...

Now I almost feel relieved.

Because the Alliance had no obligation whatsoever to risk its life protecting or speaking for them.

And the fact that the Nine Provinces Black Lotus presence here in Chengdu is the relatively reasonable Paedo Sect is also a tremendous stroke of luck...

Consoling himself with that bitter thought, Moyong Jin turned his head toward Gwak Byeok.

"By the way, any word from headquarters?"

"Ah..."

Gwak Byeok's face turned the color of dirt in an instant. Moyong Jin's face, by contrast, lit up with sudden hope.

"What is it?! Did the Alliance Leader say he was going to remove me from the Branch Leader post? Please tell me that's it!"

At this point he would quit on the spot!

But of course the Branch Leader's desperate wish was never going to come true. Instead—

"Well... when the Alliance Leader was receiving the report, Lord Kwonseong happened to be visiting headquarters..."

Gwak Byeok delivered even more despairing news.

Moyong Jin's face went paper-white.

"...No. Please say it isn't so."

"...Unfortunately, Branch Leader, it is exactly what you're thinking."

Gwak Byeok squeezed his eyes shut and continued.

"Lord Kwonseong has taken a very great interest in that madman."

"Heh heh... So he'll be coming here soon to raise hell... no, to cause a commotion."

Moyong Jin stared at the sky for a moment, then turned back to Gwak Byeok with a deadly serious expression.

"...Listen, Law Enforcement Chief."

"I refuse."

"No, listen, Gwak Byeok. A person should hear someone out to the end."

"I have zero interest in the Branch Leader position. Instead, can I just turn in my Alliance badge right now?"

Gwak Byeok looked ready to rip the identity token from his waist and hurl it away that very second. He, too, wanted nothing more than to quit.

"......."

"......."

The two men stared at each other in silence. Then, as one, they both looked back up at the sky.

"......."

"......."

And so the two of them could only stand there for a long while, blankly gazing at the sky over Chengdu.