Chapter 94
Chapter 94
The Martial Alliance Assembly (2)
A short while later.
All members had taken their seats, and the Martial Alliance Assembly officially commenced.
The core figures who upheld the Martial Alliance engaged in heated debates without yielding an inch.
...Or so outsiders might have imagined.
But in reality—
"At the very least, a third of the Alliance's forces should have been dispatched immediately to rescue the junior disciples!"
"That's nothing but hindsight bias!"
"Exactly! It was sheer luck that prevented a catastrophe! Had things gone even slightly wrong, Kaifeng could have suffered civilian casualties on a disastrous scale!"
"Hmph! Regardless, due to the Alliance Leader's—and your—misjudgment, young heirs of noble families who shouldn't have died were sacrificed!"
"Hey! Watch your words!"
"What? 'Hey'?! Who do you think you're talking to—!"
The so-called "debate" was nothing short of utter chaos.
For Tang Mu-yeol, attending the assembly for the first time, the sheer disorder was nothing short of shocking.
Even Abbess Abbess Geumhwa, seated beside him, sighed audibly, unable to hide her embarrassment.
At the head of the assembly, Alliance Leader Yoo Jin-hak's expression darkened visibly.
'This is practically open rebellion.'
Se-woon slowly turned his head and glanced at Namgung Myeong, seated opposite the Alliance Leader.
The Elder Faction, having secured their justification, was now brazenly revealing their ambitions.
"The survivors clearly stated they saw the enemy using demonic arts with their own eyes! This proves there's a third faction beyond the Unorthodox Alliance—!"
"Ha! In such a desperate situation, could they even properly identify demonic energy?"
"They were facing opponents far beyond their skill level. Fear must have made them mistake the unorthodox techniques of river pirates for demonic arts."
"Do you think those survivors were seasoned martial artists? What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Tch! Traces of the 'Dragon Subduing Palm,' the signature technique of the Blood Sea Dragon King, were found all over the wreckage!"
"Not to mention, ritual artifacts and sorcery formations exclusive to the Heaven-Piercing Gang were discovered in Kaifeng as well!"
The truth didn't matter to them.
Their goal was to pin everything on the Alliance Leader and his faction, shifting blame and steering the situation in their favor.
And the direction they desired was—
"In the end, all of this stems from the Alliance Leader's grave misjudgment!"
"Exactly!"
—to drag Yoo Jin-hak down and usurp his position.
As the vicious tug-of-war between the Elder Faction and the Alliance Leader's faction raged on endlessly, an agenda item emerged that allowed both sides to catch their breath—like fighters pausing to steady their breathing.
"Very well. Next, we shall move on to discussing the rewards for Tang Se-woon, the young master of the Sichuan Tang Family, who achieved remarkable feats in both incidents."
It was regarding Se-woon's merits and rewards.
Chief Strategist Jegal Hoon, overseeing the proceedings, called Se-woon forward and had him stand at the center of the assembly hall.
'This brings back memories.'
It was the exact same spot where he had once stood as a prisoner with his limbs sealed. Se-woon barely suppressed a bitter laugh.
As all eyes focused on him, Se-woon slowly parted his lips.
"Greetings. I am Tang Se-woon, the young master of the Sichuan Tang Family, newly reinstated among the Seven Great Families."
Whoooa—!
To everyone's surprise, thunderous cheers and applause erupted throughout the grand assembly hall.
Of course, none came from the Elders.
The applause was orchestrated by mid-ranking and high-ranking warriors aligned with both factions.
Like much of the martial world, they genuinely regarded Se-woon as a hero.
Public sentiment overwhelmingly favored him.
Se-woon bowed courteously to them and spoke.
"First, I must apologize to everyone present. With so many pressing matters piling up like mountains, it's regrettable that time must be wasted on something as trivial as my affairs."
"No, not at all."
Jegal Hoon firmly countered Se-woon's humility.
"You displayed near-divine skill in rescuing civilians and risked your life to save junior disciples in peril. How could we not honor such achievements?"
"...I am undeserving."
"Hold your head high and accept it. Now, I shall announce the Alliance Leader's decision regarding your rewards."
Clearing his throat, Jegal Hoon continued.
"For his indispensable contributions in both incidents, the achievements of Tang Se-woon, young master of the Sichuan Tang Family, shall be recorded as 'Special Grade.'"
Whoooa—!!
Cheers erupted once more.
Within the Martial Alliance, merits were ranked from Lowest (下下) to Highest (上上). Special Grade surpassed even the Highest rank—it was the pinnacle of recognition.
The last time someone had been awarded Special Grade was twenty years ago.
It was when the Divine Doctor of the Divine Doctor Sect used sorcery to halt the flooding of the Yangtze River and saved countless civilians. No one else had achieved it since.
Back then, the Divine Doctor had received two rewards for her Special Grade merits: a top-secret sorcery manual and a martial arts manual, both meticulously guarded by the Alliance.
That very day, the Divine Doctor Sect rose to become one of the three dominant powers in Sichuan.
"Using his authority, the Alliance Leader has decided to grant Young Master Tang two wishes of his choosing."
"......!!"
Not just one—but two wishes.
This time, even members of the Elder Faction couldn't simply rejoice.
It was blatantly obvious that this was an attempt to firmly align the Sichuan Tang Family and Tang Se-woon with the Alliance Leader's faction.
As some Elders glared at Se-woon with hostility—
'This is even better than I expected.'
Se-woon maintained a composed expression while inwardly celebrating.
In truth, ever since entering the assembly hall, he had been wrestling with a dilemma.
He had anticipated being granted a wish as a reward—but he actually wanted two things.
He had been wondering how to steer the situation in his favor. Yet now, they had handed him two wishes outright. He couldn't be more grateful.
"Now, Young Master Tang. Speak freely."
"Hmm. In that case, my first wish is..."
As if fearing they might retract the offer, Se-woon emphasized the word first.
"I would like the Alliance to fully renovate my family's forge."
...Renovate the forge?
Recalling how the Divine Doctor had walked away with peerless techniques, the assembly was stunned by such a trivial request.
But—
"Young Master Tang, are you certain that's all you want?"
"To be precise, I desire a 'Divine Flame Forge.'"
"!!!"
Se-woon's clarification shattered their bewilderment.
The Divine Flame Forge.
A forge imbued with sorcery—one that existed only in the Alliance's main forge and the White Night Iron Forge.
Its defining feature was an eternal flame that burned endlessly within, never extinguishing.
Certain materials could only be melted by these divine flames, making the forge a dream facility for every blacksmith.
The fact that only two such forges existed in the entire Central Plains spoke volumes about the sheer difficulty of Se-woon's request.
The exorbitant cost of constructing a forge capable of withstanding sorcery was one thing—
But more critically, it required the expertise of a supreme sorcerer whose power touched the heavens.
What was it that had lifted the perpetually debt-ridden Heaven-Piercing Gang into profitability overnight?
Precisely because their leader had created the first Divine Flame Forge for the White Night Iron Forge.
And within the Central Plains, the only orthodox sorcerer who could rival the Heaven-Piercing Gang's leader was the Divine Doctor.
In essence, Se-woon's single wish was effectively two demands in one.
Construction costs and the Divine Doctor's cooperation—both were indispensable.
But from the Alliance's perspective, there was no reason to grant such a request.
'A man hailed as the Divine Craftsman by the Black Night Artisan... If such a person were to have a Divine Flame Forge within his family...'
'The Sichuan Tang Family could rival the White Night Iron Forge in metallurgical prowess within a decade.'
'But if we reject his request as unreasonable...?'
They could bind the Divine Craftsman, Tang Se-woon, to the Alliance's Divine Flame Forge.
The White Night Iron Forge would never open its facilities to outsiders.
Thus, if the Alliance played its cards right, it could demand a share of Se-woon's high-grade artifacts or other creations as usage fees.
Realizing this, the Elders exchanged uneasy glances before cautiously voicing their concerns.
"Ahem. Even so, a Divine Flame Forge is..."
"Isn't that asking for too much, Elder Namgung?"
Instantly, all eyes turned to Namgung Myeong.
Even if the Alliance Leader intended to approve the request, if the Elder Faction's leader stubbornly opposed it, Se-woon's wish could still be thwarted.
"I..."
The assembly waited with bated breath for Namgung Myeong's next words.
And then—
"I believe it's an excellent idea."
"—!!"
To everyone's shock, Namgung Myeong approved Se-woon's request outright, defying all expectations.
The Elders blinked in bewilderment, exchanging confused glances.
Without hesitation, Namgung Myeong continued.
"Isn't Young Master Tang the one hailed by the Black Night Artisan as possessing the skill of a Divine Craftsman? It would be impractical for him to travel here every time inspiration strikes. If his family forge is upgraded, he can create fine artifacts on the spot, benefiting the entire orthodox faction."
"Y-Yes, that's true."
Even Jegal Hoon was taken aback by the irrefutable logic.
Watching Namgung Myeong, Se-woon inwardly clicked his tongue.
'Tch. What a sly old fox.'
He alone in the assembly hall knew the real reason behind Namgung Myeong's support.
[I kept my promise.]
It was because of the deal they had struck just before entering the assembly.
Se-woon responded to Namgung Myeong's sound transmission with a subtle nod.
"If there are no further objections from the Elders, Tang Se-woon's first reward—the installation of a Divine Flame Forge within the Sichuan Tang Family—is hereby confirmed."
Once finalized, both factions were equally stunned.
The Elder Faction had been expected to obstruct Se-woon—yet their leader had instead aided him.
Everyone's minds raced with confusion.
Did this mean the Elder Faction also sought to win over the Sichuan Tang Family and Tang Se-woon?
But based on all prior interactions and public knowledge, Se-woon was known to be exceptionally close to Alliance Leader Yoo Jin-hak and his inner circle.
It seemed unlikely he would suddenly switch sides now, deepening the mystery.
Amidst the turmoil, the proceedings continued.
"Now, state your second wish."
Se-woon feigned hesitation before speaking.
"Hmm... To be honest, though the Divine Doctor aided me, my body still hasn't fully recovered."
Groans of sympathy arose from the crowd.
Of course he wasn't fine.
Rumors said he had used his innate qi just to craft a tracking artifact—and then he had drawn upon it further in battle.
People didn't tap into their innate qi in life-or-death situations for no reason.
"The backlash from using my innate qi has left me suffering scorching pain as if my body is burning, multiple times a day."
"Ah, how terrible..."
"Thus, I wish to alleviate the pain with cold and yin energy while seeking a fundamental cure."
"Understood. What is it you desire?"
All eyes locked onto Se-woon.
'Now, the real game begins.'
It was time to plunder the Martial Alliance's treasures to grow even stronger.
"If permitted, I would like the 'Frost Spirit Divine Armor.'"
"T-The Frost Spirit Divine Armor?!"
"!!!"
The assembly gasped in shock.
Even Yoo Jin-hak and Namgung Myeong were taken aback, their eyes widening like lanterns.
And for good reason.
The Frost Spirit Divine Armor was one of only two divine artifacts held by the Alliance.
Moreover—
It was the final legacy left behind by Moonlight Martial Emperor Dam Cheon-gun, a peerless master and former Alliance Leader from two hundred years ago.