Deceptions of the Murim Alliance
The Murim Alliance first inquired about Ak So-cheon's movements after he had left the alliance that day.
A considerable amount of time had already passed, so it was uncertain whether they could find any leads, but they had to try even the slimmest possibility.
At the same time, they reinforced security across the entire Murim Alliance and tightened inspections on all entrants and exits.
It might be like locking the stable after losing the horse, but preparing for the worst, even belatedly, was crucial.
Woo-gang had been busy ever since the first day Sa Ma-gang told him the story.
As the only person who had made contact with Ak So-cheon, he was the sole channel for obtaining information.
Woo-gang faced a barrage of questions.
But there wasn't much he could answer.
He could only recount how they first met and what conversations followed.
Once he laid everything out exactly as it happened, Woo-gang realized anew how little he truly knew about the man.
All he had were a name and family background—and even those were fake. He knew nothing.
Confirming once more during the interrogation that he had been perfectly deceived, Woo-gang felt fresh anger surging within him.
By the time the long investigation ended and Woo-gang returned to his quarters, the sun had fully set.
He hadn't eaten properly, but his emotions were running so high that he didn't feel hunger.
In fact, he doubted he could stomach anything right now.
"Hoo…."
Woo-gang let out a deep sigh as he gazed up at the cloudless sky.
The biting winter air, growing ever colder toward its peak, seemed to cool the heat filling his head and body.
"You must be exhausted."
"It wasn't exhausting. I just told them exactly what happened."
"The Righteous Sword Squad's interrogations are infamous for being grueling. That's why people in the Murim Alliance avoid crossing paths with them if they can help it."
Even as Dok Go-seol-ran spoke, Woo-gang kept staring at the sky, lips pressed tight.
"Are you… afraid, perhaps?"
At her question, Woo-gang turned to look at her.
"Why would you think that?"
"I'm not assuming. Just asking."
Woo-gang shook his head at her reply.
"There's no fear. It's just bewildering how things like this keep happening to me when I'm just sitting quietly. Is this… because I'm the one who inherited Grandfather's legacy?"
"That might not be the whole reason, but it surely plays a part."
"Hm…."
"You don't regret it, do you?"
Dok Go-seol-ran asked cautiously, and Woo-gang let out a wry chuckle.
"No regrets. When I was young, reality felt like hell, so I tried to end it all by jumping off a cliff. Grandfather saved me. I learned martial arts to escape the nightmares that haunted me every night, and I have no regrets about that choice. So no fear, either."
Woo-gang spoke plainly of his past.
"What scares me is that, even after learning martial arts, incidents keep piling up when all I want is a quiet life. Grandfather's disappearance was the first. It's not the events themselves that frighten me, but the uncertainty of what consequences they'll bring and how I'll handle them."
His voice trembled faintly as he bared his inner thoughts.
"What if the missing Grandfather is truly dead? What if I face the one who did it? What would become of me then? Just imagining it fills me with trembling rage. I might not keep my reason. And if that thread snaps in such a moment, I have no idea how the power I possess might manifest."
"We can only hope it never comes to that. But even if… even if you face that situation, I don't think you'd lose yourself, young hero."
"How can you be so sure?"
"No, I know. From watching you all this time, you're a resilient man. Your heart may waver, but it won't break. You see not just yourself, but the world around you. People like that don't cast everything aside easily."
Woo-gang smiled at Dok Go-seol-ran's words.
"You're the adult here."
"Pardon?"
"You speak like one. I thought we were around the same age."
Dok Go-seol-ran smiled back at his words.
"I'm just repeating what I've picked up here and there."
"Still, thanks to you, my head's cooled a bit. I appreciate it."
Dok Go-seol-ran replied to his thanks with a smile.
But a few days later.
The cooled head heated up once more.
The incident struck without warning.
Han Seo-yeon visited at a surprisingly early hour, her demeanor no different from usual.
Woo-gang, having just risen and finished his morning qi circulation, looked puzzled at her untimely arrival.
"Can we talk?"
"Of course."
"Just the two of us, if possible."
Han Seo-yeon glanced at Dok Go-seol-ran nearby before speaking.
"Understood."
Woo-gang led Han Seo-yeon to the reception room.
Even in this private space, she didn't seem reassured. She circulated her true qi to prevent any sound from leaking out.
"What could be so important that you go to these lengths?"
"Remember when we talked about Senior Flame King's corpse?"
"Yes."
"Didn't you have even a shred of doubt?"
"Doubt? What kind of doubt?"
Woo-gang grew a bit sensitive.
Han Seo-yeon continued calmly.
"Before I came to the Central Plains, I asked my subordinates. There were indeed such rumors, a corpse was found, and identification confirmed it wasn't the Flame King."
"But is there reason to doubt that?"
"Yes. What if it was all a ploy by the Murim Alliance?"
At her question, Woo-gang stared at her, utterly baffled.
"A ploy?"
"Exactly. They might not have killed anyone themselves, but what if they procured the corpse and spread the rumors?"
Woo-gang frowned at her words.
He had never once considered such a possibility.
"Why would the Murim Alliance do that?"
"I wouldn't know. And that place we went to together recently—what if that was their doing too?"
Her relentless questions gave Woo-gang a headache.
"Do you have proof?"
At his demand, Han Seo-yeon produced something.
"This is a corpse transfer contract."
"A corpse transfer contract?"
Woo-gang had never heard of such a thing.
"It's absurd, I know. But around the time the rumors spread, someone bought the corpse for a large sum. And it was a body with no next of kin."
Woo-gang's eyes wavered as he listened.
"And this is from a discreet investigation—about that place we visited. It had been abandoned for nearly a decade, untouched by anyone."
"Such a thing…."
Woo-gang reacted with disbelief.
"I don't know why the Murim Alliance staged this. You'd have to ask them directly. But whatever the reason, the important thing is they deceived you."
Woo-gang's hand trembled as he gripped the paper she handed him.
It hadn't been long since he learned the Ak So-cheon he met was fake.
He had seethed then at being tricked by some unknown figure, and now, so soon after, another betrayal—this time by the Murim Alliance, which he had trusted.
The shock was even greater.
"Will you keep waiting here for whatever scraps of news they deign to feed you? Even if they bring you something, can you trust it's true?"
Han Seo-yeon asked.
But Woo-gang's ears rang with nothing.
Han Seo-yeon watched him silently.
Her secret investigation into the past wasn't just from that lingering unease she felt that day.
It stemmed from sensing something off while cooperating with the Murim Alliance.
There were no obvious flaws.
But everything fit together too perfectly, which felt even more suspicious.
What event in the world aligns like a flawlessly crafted sculpture?
Most wouldn't think it strange or doubt it.
This was purely the intuition of a woman who sensed an eerily perfect fit.
Bam!
Woo-gang slammed the table in front of him and shot to his feet.
He stormed out of the reception room, leaving Han Seo-yeon behind.
"Young hero?"
Dok Go-seol-ran, seeing Woo-gang exit in a fury, called out in surprise, but he didn't spare her a glance.
It wasn't the first time Dok Go-seol-ran had seen him like this.
It reminded her of when he first heard the rumors about Si-woo's corpse.
No—this rage burned even hotter.
Dok Go-seol-ran stared blankly at the spot Woo-gang had passed, then turned.
Han Seo-yeon was slowly emerging from the reception room.
"What on earth happened? Why did he react like that…."
Dok Go-seol-ran asked her.
"He learned the truth about the Murim Alliance, I suppose?"
At Han Seo-yeon's words, Dok Go-seol-ran frowned.
"The truth about the Murim Alliance? It sounds like you're implying they're hiding something."
"If you're curious, follow him. You'll find out soon enough."
Dok Go-seol-ran's retort carried an edge.
But Han Seo-yeon replied without a hint of perturbation.
Dok Go-seol-ran glared at her for a moment before hurrying out after him.
Only Han Seo-yeon remained, utterly composed.
***
"Young hero! Young hero!"
Ignoring the calls behind him, Woo-gang barged into the Guard Headquarters.
His furious momentum overwhelmed the guards, who couldn't properly stop him.
Bam!
He roughly threw open the door to Sa Ma-gang's office.
Facing Woo-gang, angrier than ever before, Sa Ma-gang was startled but maintained his characteristic composure.
"What is the meaning of this?"
At Sa Ma-gang's question, Woo-gang thrust the paper in his hand right up to his face.
"You have some serious explaining to do."
Woo-gang spoke, suppressing his rage as best he could.
Sa Ma-gang frowned and took the paper, then froze for a moment.
It contained information that absolutely should not be known—especially not by Woo-gang.
"Have you been deceiving me all this time? Were you even searching for Grandfather? Why! Why did you lie to me!"
Woo-gang finally erupted.
He glared into Sa Ma-gang's eyes with blazing intensity, awaiting an answer.
For a moment, their gazes locked in the air.
Then Sa Ma-gang's mouth opened.
"Yes. I deceived you."
Thud!
Something heavy seemed to crash deep in Woo-gang's heart.
His body began trembling uncontrollably from the surging fury.
And just then, Dok Go-seol-ran, who had hurriedly followed Woo-gang, overheard Sa Ma-gang's words—her face filled with shock.