Chapter 59
Episode 59
Friend
"Ack, my back..."
Mu Myeong writhed in pain after being unceremoniously dumped onto the floor.
Se-woon had yanked him down from the shadows where he had been hiding using the power of the Myeongwangbo. The Tracking Technique's abilities weren't limited to just pursuit—its detection capabilities had also improved to an astonishing degree.
"Must've landed wrong. Ugh... I don't think I can get up."
"......."
Despite being caught red-handed, Mu Myeong remained shamelessly unapologetic. Se-woon stared coldly at him before saying,
"Looks like you need a splash of warm water to wake you up."
Swoosh.
Slowly, he lifted the casting ladle using the Cheonra silk. Inside, molten metal bubbled violently, radiating scorching heat.
Thud!
"Haha, come on, friend. You're embarrassing me."
Mu Myeong dusted himself off and sprang up effortlessly. As a martial artist who had reached the Transcendent Realm level, a fall from that height was nothing.
Se-woon watched him feign innocence while avoiding eye contact and spoke quietly.
"Why haven't you left for Killing Gate yet?"
"Hmph. An assassin's lips are heavier than a thousand pounds."
"......Should I add teeth-cleaning to your wake-up call?"
"Alright, alright! I get it!"
When Se-woon raised the ladle of molten metal again, Mu Myeong hastily scrambled back. Heaving a deep sigh, he finally spoke seriously.
"The problem is, the traitor you mentioned is too big of a fish to act recklessly."
"You mean Hyeong Ye Yang?"
"Yeah. That bastard is the current leader of Killing Gate."
"......!"
Though Se-woon already knew this from his past life's memories, hearing it again still felt bizarre.
A father killing his own son—such a thing would never happen in the Sichuan Tang Clan, where familial bonds were sacred.
"Now you see how messed up my situation is, right?"
"......."
"That bastard has a sixth sense for betrayal. One wrong move, and it's over."
"......."
"If I go back without a foolproof plan, I'll be dead before I even get a chance at revenge. Kkh!"
Mu Myeong made a slicing motion across his throat with his finger.
"Hmm."
"So here's the thing..."
Se-woon pretended to ponder, letting out a groan.
Then, Mu Myeong suddenly dropped a bombshell Se-woon never saw coming.
"Let me crash at your place for a while."
"......What?"
The sheer audacity of the request left Se-woon momentarily stunned. But Mu Myeong continued with shameless confidence.
"Think about it. When would I be least suspicious? When I'm acting like I'm still on the job, stalking my target."
"......."
"If the target's tougher than expected, we sometimes shadow them for a year, even two, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."
"That long?"
"Yeah. That's just how Killing Gate operates."
Se-woon pressed a hand to his forehead, his face twisting in exasperation.
"Ugh. This is getting way too complicated."
"Hehe, look on the bright side. You still have to teach me the new One-Point Kill technique, right?"
"I already gave you the manual. Learn it yourself."
"Tch, it's not the same without a teacher."
"......Teacher, my ass."
"Don't worry, I'll pull my weight. You should be grateful—the world's greatest assassin is offering free bodyguard services."
"Ha. What good is a bodyguard weaker than me?"
"Damn, that's harsh—!"
Tap-tap-tap!
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Mu Myeong vanished back into the shadows, his complaints forgotten.
The forge door burst open.
"Huff... Huff! Young Master!"
One of the Tang Clan's warriors rushed in, gasping for breath.
Se-woon didn't scold him for the intrusion—the man's expression was far too urgent.
"What happened?"
"A—A message has arrived from the Murim Alliance!"
Se-woon's eyes flashed with intrigue.
Henan Province
The Golden Splendor Pavilion in Kaifeng wasn't just the grandest pleasure house in Henan—it was the most luxurious in all of Jiangbei.
Five stories tall, each floor was segregated by the status of its patrons. Rumors claimed that even wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials struggled to ascend beyond the first floor—such was the prestige of the Golden Splendor Pavilion, renowned throughout the Central Plains.
Ha-ha-ha!
Laughter boomed from the topmost floor, echoing through the entire building.
Shockingly, the group had reserved the entire pavilion for today's gathering.
At first glance, such extravagance seemed impossible—but a look at the attendees would silence any doubts.
The Namgung Family.
The Hwangbo Family.
The Jinju Eon Family.
The Shandong Ak Family.
The Qingcheng Sect.
The Gongdong Sect.
The Kunlun Sect.
Seven of the Ten Great Masters representing the Murim Alliance's Nine Sects and Seven Great Families were gathered here.
"Breaking free from that stifling Alliance hall and meeting in a place like this—truly refreshing."
Gwan Mu-ryang, leader of the Gongdong Sect and known as the Demon-Subduing Sword Hero, spoke with genuine delight. Dark circles under his eyes made him resemble a raccoon more than ever.
"Tch. Why the Alliance Leader insisted on moving meetings to that cramped, shabby room is beyond me."
"Exactly! How can the martial world respect us when we gather in such a pitiful space?"
"At the very least, it should've been larger and more extravagant than the dens of those unorthodox scum!"
"My thoughts precisely!"
Hwangbo Geon, the brutish leader of the Hwangbo Family—despite his towering physique—chimed in, earning nods from the others.
Even Daoist Master Yeonghwa, the Kunlun Sect's hot-tempered elder known as the Wind Master, despite his Daoist robes, couldn't contain his excitement.
"'Cutting wasteful spending to aid the common folk,' my foot."
"How is making our meeting space more comfortable wasteful?"
Encouraged by the agreement, Hwangbo Geon sneered again.
Ak Ho, the stubborn leader of the Shandong Ak Family, finally broke his silence.
"......Anyone watching would think you're a real Daoist."
Eon Ja-hu, the White-Eyed Phantom of the Jinju Eon Family, delivered the final jab.
The remark about being a "fake Daoist" was a veiled mockery of Sword Emperor Yoo Jin-hak's humble origins.
"Haha, while it's regrettable, the Alliance Leader must have his own lofty reasons."
Then, the middle-aged man seated at the head of the table spoke.
Though he wore a benevolent smile, the lion-like aura radiating from him was unmistakable.
Namgung Myeong, the Azure Sky Sword Emperor and leader of the Namgung Family—the foremost among the Ten Great Families—spoke with overwhelming authority.
He was the de facto leader of this gathering, representing the coalition of conservative noble families.
But then—
"The Alliance Leader has gone on another sudden trip."
Juk Seong-ja, the Lone Flying Sword and leader of the Qingcheng Sect, spoke up calmly.
If Namgung Myeong was a lion, Juk Seong-ja was a fierce wolf.
He led the opposing faction—the coalition of the Gongdong, Kunlun, and Qingcheng Sects.
"Hmm. Last time, he went to Sichuan. I wonder where he's headed now."
"He told Military Advisor Jegal he'd return soon, but..."
"How can the Alliance function properly when its leader keeps gallivanting off?"
"Tch. A problem when he's here, a problem when he's gone."
Juk Seong-ja's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Ak Ho's remark about "overstepping authority" likely referred to the Sword Emperor interfering with his plans to punish the Sichuan Tang Clan.
"Sigh... If only Sword Venerable had been elected Alliance Leader instead, none of this would've—"
"!!"
Hwangbo Geon abruptly shut his mouth, realizing his blunder.
"Sword Venerable" was the title of Namgung Seung, the late father of Namgung Myeong.
Always second to Yoo Jin-hak, he had lost the Alliance Leader election by a wide margin.
Thus, mentioning the election in front of the Namgung Family was taboo.
The atmosphere instantly chilled. Hwangbo Geon broke into a cold sweat—and for good reason.
The Hwangbo Family's rise to power had been heavily backed by the Namgung Family, a fact well-known throughout the Central Plains.
Some even whispered that the Hwangbo were little more than a branch of the Namgung.
"L-Lord Namgung, I-I didn't mean it like that..."
"Ahem. Speaking of which, the Sichuan Tang Clan's heir will arrive at the Alliance in a few days."
Daoist Master Yeonghwa quickly changed the subject to diffuse the tension.
Namgung Myeong gradually regained his composure, and Hwangbo Geon exhaled in relief.
Then, Eon Ja-hu tilted his head and asked Juk Seong-ja,
"......But wasn't the Tang Clan's event completely suppressed?"
"Why bother blocking something as trivial as borrowing a forge?"
"But that brat targeted the Qingcheng Sect..."
"However, around that time, the Hainan Sect's Elder Wei will also arrive at the Alliance."
"!!"
Everyone's eyes widened at Juk Seong-ja's words.
"Elder Wei" could only mean Wei Taido, the Sea Sword Ghost.
He was the master of Son Wu-gon, the Fire Dragon Spear Master who had died at Se-woon's hands—and his influence within the Hainan Sect surpassed even that of its young leader.
And...
'Wei Taido...!'
'They say he lost his mind after his disciple's death...!'
Rumors claimed he drowned his grief in alcohol daily.
In other words, Juk Seong-ja intended to borrow the Sword Ghost's hand to eliminate the Tang Clan's heir.
A scheme too sinister for an orthodox faction.
"Hehe, what a coincidence—meeting his disciple's killer on a narrow bridge."
"Keugh. Let's hope nothing unfortunate happens."
But rather than condemning Juk Seong-ja, the others laughed at the Tang Clan's misfortune.
One might question whether these men were truly orthodox or unorthodox.
Clink!
Namgung Myeong raised his wine cup like a sword and declared,
"The Murim Alliance will soon be reformed under a new order!"
"......!"
"The Alliance Leader may try to strip us of our privileges, but he will never break our unity!"
"......!"
"At the next grand assembly, we will finally propose a vote for the next Alliance Leader!"
"!!"
The pro-Leader faction—comprising the Wudang, Emei, Diancang, Jegal, Moyong, and Hebei Peng Families—numbered only six.
In contrast, their faction had eight.
With the traditionally neutral factions—Mount Hua, Shaolin, and Beggar's Sect—unlikely to shift allegiances, a vote would secure them a majority.
Namgung Myeong's eyes burned with ambition.
'Your era ends now, Yoo Jin-hak.'
The pavilion was thick with the vile, covetous energy of hypocrites.