Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Following the Waves of the Yangtze (4)
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Six days later, Baek Eunhwa, the leader of the Lower Five Gates, boarded the very ship where I had sat face-to-face with the stronghold leader.
"The Gate Leader has arrived!"
"Woooaaah!"
The men of the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold cheered without restraint, and Baek Eunhwa looked utterly bewildered by their enthusiasm.
"What is all this...?"
I had given her advance notice, but honestly, she must have been half in doubt. Even I had struggled to believe that the entire Yangtze Waterway Stronghold would join the Lower Five Gates as a subordinate force.
Rather than explaining in roundabout ways, I figured it was better to just show her directly. But even I was taken aback by the sight before us.
"How in the world did this happen?"
She shot me a sharp glare, her eyes accusing me of springing this massive undertaking on her without any prior discussion.
"Haha, well, you see..."
"Greetings, Gate Leader! I am Jang Seokhyeon, leader of the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold and the loyal younger brother of Great Hero Yi Sowol!"
Just as I was about to offer an excuse, the stronghold leader appeared and bowed so deeply to Baek Eunhwa that his head nearly touched the deck.
The Gate Leader watched him silently for a moment before letting out a short sigh, relaxing her expression, and turning to me.
"No ulterior motives, it seems. Very well. We shall formally accept the entire Yangtze Waterway Stronghold as a subordinate force under the Lower Five Gates."
Even in her eyes, which could read a person's true intentions, there was no sign of betrayal from the stronghold leader. Coming from someone with that insight, it had to be true.
I had asked for her help precisely because I was half-suspicious myself. If he had any hidden agenda, I had planned to cut his throat right then and there.
Good thing it didn't come to that.
"Thank you for accepting us!!"
The stronghold leader and his subordinates bowed in unison, expressing their gratitude to the Gate Leader.
"However, your loyalty is to Yi Sowol Division Leader of the Lower Five Gates, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
And he stated his true feelings honestly. It was only natural—he had never held any fondness for the Lower Five Gates to begin with.
"In that case, it would be best for the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold to fall directly under Yi Sowol Division Leader. The problem is that a division leader position can't handle an organization of this scale..."
"If that's the issue, this old man has a fine idea."
No one knew where he came from, but in the blink of an eye, the Escort Unit Leader appeared beside the pondering Gate Leader and chimed in. Still as shadowy as ever.
"It's about time this old man retired to the back room. Why not pass the Escort Unit Leader position to Yi Sowol Division Leader? It would be a perfect fit."
Huh? What was this now...?
"An excellent suggestion. Then we'll promote Yi Sowol Division Leader to Unit Leader, and the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold can nominally be an alliance that follows Unit Leader Yi Sowol's orders."
"No, wait. Are we really deciding something this重大 so casually?"
The Escort Unit Leader position was rightfully called the second-in-command of the Lower Five Gates.
It came with responsibilities on an entirely different level from a mere division leader role.
Even if my martial arts surpassed the Escort Unit Leader's, it wasn't a position one could simply take based on skill alone.
"I had always planned to pass the Escort Unit Leader role to the man who would become the Gate Leader's son-in-law anyway, so this is a fine opportunity. This old man has earned the right to lay down his sword. I can spend my remaining years as a scribe."
The Escort Unit Leader flashed a kindly smile, looking somehow relieved. It made sense—having devoted his entire life to the Lower Five Gates as the former Gate Leader, it was only natural he'd want some rest now.
"In exchange, I promise you the position of Chief Steward directly under the Gate Leader. You still have much to teach us, so you can't retire just yet, Father."
Baek Eunhwa shot her father a chilling look. She clearly disapproved of him handing her the Gate Leader position and then trying to slip away.
"R-Right. There's still plenty to teach, so retirement can wait another ten years or so."
As the saying goes, no parent can win against their child. The Escort Unit Leader cleared his throat awkwardly a couple of times before yielding.
It was a scene that brought a smile to my face while also feeling heartwarmingly familial.
"Then I declare here and now: Yi Sowol of the Lower Five Gates, I appoint you to the Escort Unit Leader position. Serve the Lower Five Gates with unyielding devotion, body and soul."
"I shall obey the Gate Leader's command."
I knelt and paid my respects to the Gate Leader. It was completely unexpected, but gaining this position would make my future movements far smoother.
I was grateful for it.
"Furthermore, we accept Stronghold Leader Jang Seokhyeon of the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold and all his subordinate forces under the Lower Five Gates' banner. I delegate command authority to Escort Unit Leader Yi Sowol, so serve him with utmost loyalty."
"Stronghold Leader Jang Seokhyeon of the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold humbly accepts the Lower Five Gates Leader's command!"
The stronghold leader pledged his loyalty to Baek Eunhwa in a resolute voice. And so, the Lower Five Gates and the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold formally became allies in name and fact.
"Now, let's discuss future policies."
The massive warship that the stronghold leader had arrived on featured an equally enormous cabin tower befitting its size—a grand pavilion atop the ship. This was the commander's quarters, reserved for the stronghold leader alone.
Normally, no one outside the stronghold leader could enter freely, but today, members of the Lower Five Gates—not the Waterway Stronghold—gathered here.
The reason was to plan future actions, particularly the Lower Five Gates' participation in the Black Dao Assembly.
"So, there's a Murim Alliance spy within the Four Black Alliances, and the Lower Five Gates wants to capture that spy alive?"
"That's right."
The stronghold leader, who had only known that the Lower Five Gates wished to join the Black Dao Assembly, sank into deep thought upon hearing the reason.
It was undoubtedly true that the Four Black Alliances' leadership would gather in one place at the Black Dao Assembly. But identifying the spy among them—and extracting them alive—was no easy task.
Especially since the ones tasked with this impossible feat were the Lower Five Gates, branded as traitors within the Four Black Alliances.
Even he, who had built a solid position in the Four Black Alliances as the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold's representative, couldn't have pulled it off.
If it were just a matter of identifying the spy, it might have been simple. They could inform the Alliance Leader and conduct a massive search.
But the Alliance Leader would never hand the spy over to the Lower Five Gates. Not only would their intelligence leak, but he had no reason to do the Lower Five Gates any favors.
"The key will be getting the Alliance Leader's approval."
It was impossible to identify the spy without the Alliance Leader's help. Nor could they receive the spy from him after identification. That left only one option: making the Alliance Leader an ally.
"Exactly. That's why I'm asking about what you know of the Alliance Leader."
The leader of the Four Black Alliances and master of the Black Water Hall. He stood at the pinnacle of the unorthodox factions. Yet, despite his fame, little information about him circulated publicly.
He showed no interest in external affairs and rarely left his stronghold, so aside from a select few, even his face and age were unknown.
However, his skill was the real deal, consistently named among the world's top hundred masters.
"Unfortunately, I don't know much about the Alliance Leader myself."
"Even you, one of the Four Black Alliances' representatives?"
"Yes. Of course, I know what he looks like, but he's a man who never talks about himself. All I know is that he stays in his residence, constantly immersed in martial arts training..."
Mid-sentence, the stronghold leader suddenly seemed to recall something. He pondered deeply before speaking with a grim expression.
"Come to think of it, there was a rumor that the Alliance Leader had fallen ill. He consumed massive quantities of rare herbs and elixirs, so I thought perhaps his energy channels had twisted during training. But when I met him, he seemed perfectly fine."
"That's all I needed."
Yi Sowol cut him off as if he'd gotten the answer he wanted. The color returning to his face suggested he had a plan.
"Oh, just to be sure—any guesses on the spy's identity?"
"None at all. The Four Black Alliances' executives have held their positions for over a decade, and I've seen no suspicious behavior."
While everyone else was lost in the fog, only Yi Sowol seemed to have grasped a clear clue.
He had likely pieced together the outline of events a step ahead, drawing on memories from his past life that no one else in the world possessed.
Baek Eunhwa, the first to notice, wore a smile of conviction.
"Looks like we've got our tasks set. We'll execute the plan tomorrow at the Drunken Soul Tower in Jagwi County, where the Black Dao Assembly will be held. We'll travel via the Waterway Stronghold's warships to avoid suspicion en route."
"Understood."
Baek Eunhwa, Yi Sowol, and now-Chief Steward Baek Hanseong rose from their seats. Without a word, it was clear they each knew their roles.
"Wait, is that it? Are we done?"
Only the stronghold leader felt bewildered as the meeting wrapped up without anything concrete being decided for him.
"What is there to deliberate? Don't let needless worries blind you to the path ahead. Just trust him. Follow the one you chose to serve."
With those parting words to him, Baek Eunhwa and the others left the room for their respective posts.
But the stronghold leader remained seated, still wearing a dazed expression. For someone accustomed to meticulously planning every detail, this situation made no sense.
"Hah, whatever. Let it be."
What he didn't realize was that the plan was already set. It simply required each person to make the best choices from their positions.
No matter how thoroughly one plans for every contingency, the chaos of battle brings unforeseen variables. Sometimes, trust is the best move.
And Baek Eunhwa trusted Yi Sowol more than anyone in the world. Her advice to the stronghold leader was, in truth, advice to herself as well.
Quietly follow the path of the one you chose to serve.
This didn't mean abandoning judgment. It meant: if you've chosen to follow, trust him and make the best decision you can.
"...I suppose I should at least outline some kind of plan."
The best decision he could make now was to compile and organize the information only he possessed. To be ready for any situation, at any time.
The stronghold leader immediately spread out paper and began sorting the profiles of the Four Black Alliances' executives and their connections to the Lower Five Gates.
He still didn't grasp Baek Eunhwa's words intellectually, but at its core, it was the same.
To aid the one he trusted and followed, believing he would handle the rest—doing one's absolute best.
At the same time, Yi Sowol and Baek Eunhwa emerged on deck, each contemplating their tasks as time steadily passed.
The night along the Yangtze deepened, and tomorrow would come for them all. But the form it took was entirely in their hands.
Their thoughts might differ, but they all knew it. Even if their paths varied, they aimed in the same direction.