Chapter 770
At the masked man's words, the director of the Lotus Orphanage tilted his head slightly.
Then, a cloud-like aura unfurled and coiled around the masked man.
[What terrifying Internal Power. But that alone gave me a clear answer.]
The masked man nodded as he spoke.
[A charitable benefactor who does charitable deeds... A rather old-fashioned approach, I see.]
His eyes held something akin to admiration.
[But it's also a profession that can conceal one's identity well without relying on the complex aid of intelligence networks.]
In the past, assassins disguised themselves as merchants traveling Beyond the Frontier or created false identities through marriage.
Merchants didn't need to return home frequently and could freely traverse the Martial World to carry out assassinations.
And if they established a normal family, even if pursued, their identity would rarely be exposed.
But there was an even simpler way to create a double identity—by becoming an anonymous philanthropist who did good deeds.
They typically donated under anonymous names to conceal their charity.
Simply appearing occasionally at an orphanage was enough to maintain a perfect double identity.
[I assume you're prepared.]
Srrring.
The masked man drew the sword from his back.
For assassins, stealth was life.
They applied special oil to their blades to prevent any sound when unsheathing.
Given the resonant sword resonance he produced, it seemed the masked man's true profession was not that of an assassin.
Tap-tap-tap.
But then, the sound of footsteps echoed from afar.
At the same time, a small shadow came running through the forest.
It was So-bo, the child to whom the director of the Lotus Orphanage had personally fitted a prosthetic leg that very afternoon.
"Director."
So-bo, who had been asleep, had suddenly woken upon hearing the director step outside.
Though he hadn't been at the orphanage long,
he had grown fond of the director's kindness and generosity and wanted to speak with him more closely.
So when he heard the director leaving, he followed without a second thought.
But no matter how much he chased, the director was nowhere to be seen.
Just as So-bo, disheartened, was about to turn back—
Whoosh!
A brilliant light erupted from the distant forest.
So he ran here as fast as he could.
"Director. What are you doing out here at this hour?"
With bleary eyes, So-bo approached where the director stood.
Then he spotted the black-masked figure opposite him and froze in shock.
"Ah—ahhh!"
Stumbling backward in fright, So-bo fell flat on his back.
Thud.
But the director swiftly caught him.
"Th-thank y—"
Then, something abrupt happened.
Drip-drip.
Bright red blood spilled from So-bo's mouth.
Shhk.
Without even a scream, So-bo died on the spot.
As the director supported his body, he had smoothly pressed the Death Point.
[How ruthless. And yet, he was a child from the orphanage you built.]
At the masked man's words, the director chuckled.
"Children with disabilities are preferable."
Then came a horrifyingly shocking statement.
"When they're young and physically impaired, they can infiltrate anywhere without suspicion and continue their assassinations."
The reason the director had established an orphanage caring for disabled children—
was to raise them as assassins, to be used and discarded like consumables.
[Indeed.]
The masked man raised a thumb at the director's unfathomable cruelty.
[Then again, if you weren't that cold and ruthless, you wouldn't have risen to your position.]
Instead of answering, the director lightly opened his palm.
Kooong.
In that instant, a terrifying pressure began crushing the masked man's face.
Yet the mask did not come off—instead, the greater the pressure, the more a mysterious emblem became visible.
"The Indestructible Mask Armor that the Three Realms' envoys always wear."
The director—no, Baekri Mu-jo—stared coldly at the masked man as he exerted his power.
"So you're a rat from the Three Realms."
As he casually extended his hand—
Krrrrumble.
With a vibration that shook the world, the masked man's body began to crumple.
It was an overwhelming pressure, impossible to resist with mere Internal Energy.
Crack-crack.
Gradually, the masked man's back bent, his pupils dilating wildly before emitting a bizarre light.
He, too, had begun channeling his Internal Energy.
Snap.
With an eerie sound of bone, a faint energy spread from his body.
His posture straightened, and a piercing blue light erupted from his eyes.
Srrring.
Accompanied by a deep sword resonance, the greatsword at his waist revealed itself.
Swish!
As the masked man swung his blade, a sharp sound of breaking air tore through the atmosphere, and storm-like currents surged outward.
Sssshaaa—
Instantly, the rocks and trees around Baekri Mu-jo were riddled with holes, and an aura of death rapidly spread through the forest.
"Hmph."
From Baekri Mu-jo's hand, exposed to the violent currents, a white light flowed.
Kwaaauu!
The currents shattered like powdered dust before scattering to the ground.
Sacred Sword.
Baekri Mu-jo's secret swordsmanship—said to be impossible to evade—was now unleashed barehanded.
Fwaaa!
A blinding white light flooded the masked man's vision, filling the entire world.
As the afterimage of light seared his retinas, his sight was cut off, leaving him unable to perceive the shifting sword intent raining down upon him.
Not only that—the light radiating from the Sacred Sword seemed to drag all his senses into an endless abyss.
In moments like these, pure defense was the best strategy.
Unable to see even an inch ahead, the masked man stepped back,
swinging his greatsword wildly to create a fan-like barrier of light.
Fwoosh!
But blood erupted from the Masked Man's shoulder.
In the end, he had failed to block the Sacred Sword and suffered a slash to his shoulder.
Flash!
Then, the Sacred Sword, still mid-flight, blazed with another brilliant radiance in the air.
But something astonishing happened.
Sssk—
Not the Masked Man, but Baekri Mu-jo—the one who had unleashed the Sacred Sword—now bore a deep gash near his heart.
Blood trickled down in rivulets.
Before anyone realized it, the blinding light had vanished, and the forest scenery began to regain its colors.
"A bit shallow, wasn't it?"
The Masked Man muttered, sounding almost disappointed.
"Blocking all senses is an impressive technique, but it's not omnipotent."
The eyes visible above his mask gleamed with triumph.
"So the so-called Sacred Sword is just an Illusion Sword technique—temporarily severing the senses to deliver a fatal blow."
The Masked Man had already discerned the truth.
Baekri Mu-jo's Sacred Sword, said to annihilate all things, was nothing more than an illusory sword energy—a phantom blade that didn't truly exist.
It merely stole all senses, including vision, using sword light.
And the moment the opponent's senses were cut off, it unleashed a rapid, intricate series of sword strokes—an Illusion Sword technique.
The moment the Sacred Sword was unleashed, the Masked Man had feigned defense while retreating while losing his senses.
Then, seizing the opportunity, he had struck Baekri Mu-jo's heart in a single decisive blow.
Drip, drip.
The falling blood struck the ground with a weight heavier than iron.
A signature technique is a martial artist's face and final resort.
If it were dismantled... it would be no different from losing the very weapon that allowed them to stand tall in the martial world.
"..."
Yet, Baekri Mu-jo's expression remained unchanged.
As if he were listening to a story that had nothing to do with him.
Whoosh—
He extended his index and middle fingers once more, preparing to unleash the Sacred Sword barehanded again.
Fwoom!
With an explosive burst of light, hundreds of afterimages scattered like fragments, and the Masked Man's senses—vision included—were severed once more.
[It won't work!]
The Masked Man growled under his breath and instead lunged into the expanding light.
Ssshh...
When the light finally faded, only Baekri Mu-jo remained, standing alone.
The Masked Man, who had been charging toward him, had vanished as if evaporated into thin air.
Splurt!
At the same time, a spray of blood scattered across the ground.
Baekri Mu-jo, now alone in the empty forest, silently lowered his fingers and examined them.
A faint trace of blood clung to his fingertips.
It was the blood of the Masked Man, whose body he had pierced with his fingers.
Flick.
He flicked the blood away, and a deep hole was gouged into a great tree a hundred feet away.
"Swift escape, I'll give him that."
He smirked, gazing at the spot where the Masked Man had disappeared.
"Transparent intentions like this take all the fun out of it..."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the distant sky.
"It's a shame the Lotus Orphanage has to be shut down."
It had been a useful place for repurposing otherwise worthless children.
But now that it had been exposed, it had to be closed immediately.
"Clean it up."
At his low murmur—
Whoosh!
The sound of a movement technique echoed, and a black shadow shot into mid-air.
Roar—
Not long after, towering flames erupted from the direction of the Lotus Orphanage.
Located far from the village, the raging fire was met only with deathly silence.
"..."
As Baekri Mu-jo watched the acrid smoke billowing into the sky—
Shuuu—
His figure blurred at the edges before vanishing like a ghost, leaving no trace behind.
[You failed?]
A pitch-black secret chamber.
From the center, where a tattered robe lay, came a voice thick with disbelief.
[Even after dismantling the Sacred Sword, you couldn't take his head?]
"It was a fake."
The Masked Man's voice was laced with fury.
"The Dismantling Technique."
[Impossible.]
"Every trace of the Sacred Sword we've uncovered until now was deliberately fabricated by him."
[Then all this time... he hid his true martial arts and still rose to the position of Leader?]
The voice from the ragged robe grew sharper.
[But why did you flee? Regardless of the Dismantling Technique, you could've finished him off now, couldn't you?]
A flash flickered in the Masked Man's eyes as he listened.
'He knew.'
He could sense it instinctively.
The fake Dismantling Technique for the Sacred Sword had been handed to him on purpose.
The figure concealed behind that tattered robe held all the world's information in his grasp.
If he truly hadn't known the Dismantling Technique was fake, this reaction would've been impossible.
"The Indestructible Mask Armor shattered."
The Masked Man pulled something from his robes and tossed it forward.
The mask, now reduced to a rag after being exposed to the Sacred Sword.
"If I hadn't fled immediately, my identity would've been completely exposed."
[Unavoidable, then.]
A frustrated voice emerged from the tattered robe.
[It's still too soon to move against him.]
"..."
[Hold off on killing him. Return for now.]
The Masked Man gave a short bow before exiting the chamber.
Swish.
With a spin, his mask disappeared, revealing the face of a man with a sturdy build and clear eyes.
His upright and imposing demeanor radiated an indomitable righteousness, as if not a single speck of evil could taint him.
A disciple of the Buddha Honored One, renowned throughout the Rivers and Lakes under the epithet Golden Upright Divine Dragon—
And now, the Leader of the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Martial Brigade—
Baek Mu-seong.
Click.
He entered the office with an impassive expression.
Sitting in the chair, he gazed at the large copper mirror placed to the side.
The face of Baek Mu-seong reflected in the mirror had unnaturally dark skin and sinister, shadowed eyes.
It was a completely different visage from his true face—pale skin and eyes brimming with righteous energy.
"Why did you lie? The mask was perfectly intact."
The Baek Mu-seong within the mirror questioned him.
"They already know. That we haven't unified our minds, that we harbor different intentions."
The Baek Mu-seong staring into the mirror muttered under his breath.
"If we merge our personalities now, we'll become nothing more than puppets dancing to their tune forever."
"Heh heh heh."
The mirror's Baek Mu-seong chuckled lowly and nodded.
"There was merit in swapping bodies with you again. You're doing splendidly."
Then, he curled his lips into an utterly wicked smile.
"Keep this up, and you'll obtain everything you desire. That foolish woman, of course, and the true Baekri Clan's—"
The whispering voice of the mirror's Baek Mu-seong gradually faded until nothing could be heard.
After a prolonged silence, Baek Mu-seong rose from his seat and turned his head.
The other version of himself in the copper mirror had vanished without a trace.
—"Perhaps it's time we select a candidate for the next Alliance Leader?"
During the Grand Council, the Martial Alliance's elders united to propose this to the senior members.
—"We can no longer afford to leave the position of the next Alliance Leader vacant."
Due to the Righteous Faction's inherent emphasis on hierarchy and status, the Elders' Hall wielded immense influence over the Alliance's operations.
However, since it would be unseemly for them to act directly, they had never openly intervened in gatherings of the senior members.
Yet here they were, boldly voicing their opinions at the Grand Council.
Was this a direct challenge to the Alliance Leader's authority?
—"It's not unreasonable for the elders to act this way..."
In a way, it was understandable.
Even at the Grand Council—the most critical assembly for managing the Alliance—Jeong Cheon-je still refused to attend.
Unless something extraordinary occurred, he remained perpetually in seclusion.
He had delegated most of his duties to Vice Alliance Leader Bukri Seung, running the Alliance with alarming negligence.
Meanwhile, the Star Guard Corps Leader Baek In-cheong had challenged the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, only to lose eight thousand elite troops.
Admittedly, this was his own reckless decision.
But considering that no one except the Alliance Leader could impose sanctions on the Seven Great Leaders...
As the sole supreme commander capable of directing them, Jeong Cheon-je could not evade responsibility for this incident.
—"Just what is the Alliance Leader doing?"
Once the elders opened the floodgates, even the senior members began airing their grievances at the Grand Council.
Despite the Demonic Heavenly Emperor completing his seclusion and now actively expanding the Demonic Path's influence...
Alliance Leader Jeong Cheon-je continued his closed-door training without so much as a reaction?
Moreover, even if the Star Guard Corps Leader had acted recklessly, his humiliating death and the complete annihilation of his unit demanded action.
As both the Alliance Leader and the Number One of the Righteous Path, he should have confronted the Demonic Heavenly Emperor again to blunt his momentum.
Yet all he did was express regret over Baek In-cheong's death before retreating back into seclusion...
Even long-time supporters among the martial artists were gradually turning away.
—"With the Alliance Leader absent, why don't we at least pre-select a candidate for his successor?"
Gaining support from numerous senior members, the Elders' Hall floated an unexpected proposal.
—"We can't replace the Alliance Leader immediately, nor can we afford to sit idle... Shouldn't we at least prepare a successor swiftly?"
Any lack of martial prowess could be remedied by opening the fourth floor of the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
The Pavilion only had three floors aboveground.
The fourth floor housed the Ultimate Arts of past Alliance Leaders, accessible solely to the incumbent and an officially recognized successor.
Since no one was yet qualified to assume the position, the elders proposed unsealing the fourth floor...
To accelerate the generational transition.
—"Selecting a successor is the Alliance Leader's exclusive prerogative."
Finally, Vice Alliance Leader Bukri Seung and several senior members stepped forward to oppose the elders.
—"Undermining the Alliance Leader's authority will only diminish the Alliance's prestige, won't it?"
But the elders refused to yield.
—"Even in this unprecedented crisis where an entire unit was wiped out, the Alliance Leader merely sent a few words urging us to 'handle it well'—without so much as showing his face."
They had prepared solid justifications to back their stance.
—"According to Alliance bylaws, if an urgent internal matter arises and receives unanimous consent from the Elders' Hall...
We can urgently nominate an Alliance Leader candidate."
The elders invoked a long-dormant statute, their voices rising with fervor.
But using such a bylaw to appoint an immediate successor was utterly unthinkable.
—"If we must select a candidate now, shouldn't it naturally be Leader Baekri?"
Yet when the elders made their move outright, something peculiar happened.
The middle-aged martial artists, who had remained silent until now, began voicing opinions about the successor—before any formal discussion had even begun.
—"Leader Baekri, as commander of the Sacred Guard Corps, has not only achieved illustrious merits and unparalleled martial prowess but also possesses every quality required of a leader—command ability, sense of responsibility, decisiveness... There's nothing lacking in him."
The Sacred Sword, Baekri Mu-jo.
He enjoyed absolute support from the Alliance's backbone—its middle-aged faction.
Considering his strength, seniority, status, and accumulated achievements... He was the undeniable choice for the next Alliance Leader.
—"Choosing the next leader is about selecting the future. Shouldn't it go to a promising new figure?"
As this sentiment spread...
The elders shocked everyone by endorsing an entirely unexpected candidate for the position.
"Though the Heavenly Martial Brigade Leader Baek Mu-seong is young, he has already demonstrated abilities no less than Brigade Leader Baekri."
"Moreover, unlike Brigade Leader Baekri,"
"he is someone capable of bridging both the old and new generations—making him an exceptionally suitable candidate for the next Alliance Leader."
When the Elders' Hall unexpectedly voiced support for Baek Mu-seong, the younger generation also began to speak up.
"If we're judging purely by capability, shouldn't Commander Seon-u, who rose to the position of Secret Intelligence Bureau Chief without any backing, be the most qualified?"
As the Alliance became divided between supporters of Baek Mu-seong and Baekri Mu-jo,
Gongson Dan-gyeong and Bukgung Ryeong, at the center of it all,
put forth Seon-u Jin—a man who enjoyed the absolute support of the Murim Alliance's young martial artists—as a new candidate for Alliance Leader.
"He is not a brigade leader, so he cannot be considered for the position of next Alliance Leader."
When the elders objected, Gongson Dan-gyeong countered.
"Didn't the Elders' Hall themselves propose selecting an Alliance Leader candidate based on emergency provisions in the bylaws?"
Under those emergency conditions,
anyone holding the rank of Won (Hall), Rim (Grove), or Jeon (Palace) leader was eligible—regardless of whether they were a brigade leader.
When she too invoked the Alliance's laws, the Elders' Hall had no rebuttal.
After all, it was they who had arbitrarily declared the situation urgent and pushed for this course of action in the first place.
"This is chaos. If the Alliance Leader doesn't step in soon, something disastrous will happen."
As the situation spiraled,
every martial artist in the Alliance waited for Jeong Cheon-je to appear.
Now, only the Alliance Leader's decision remained.
If he continued to ignore the matter, the Murim Alliance would inevitably fracture and descend into turmoil.
"Very well. I recognize all three as candidates for Alliance Leader."
Fortunately, Jeong Cheon-je did appear, making a rational and measured decision that prevented the Alliance's division.
"I cannot deny the natural rise of a candidate who has earned the support of so many martial artists."
Then, he followed with a shocking announcement.
"I relinquish my right to appoint the next Alliance Leader."
"Let the martial artists of the Alliance themselves select a successor—one who can earn their unanimous acceptance."
The martial artists of the Murim Alliance were stunned.
To prevent the Alliance from splitting apart,
Jeong Cheon-je had surrendered the supreme authority of the Alliance Leader's position, entrusting the selection of his successor to the will of its members.
This was not a decision just anyone could make.
Moreover, by doing so, he had bought time.
Since the next Alliance Leader would not be directly appointed but chosen through natural competition,
it would take years for the Alliance's opinions to converge and reach a consensus.
Now, every martial artist in the Murim Alliance sensed it—
just as the Demon Hall had done, their time to select a successor had finally arrived.
Hidden Moon Hall, Gongson Dan-gyeong's private office.
Inside the concealed chamber, Gongson Dan-gyeong and Bu Eun-seol sat facing each other in conversation.
"This has spiraled into an entirely unforeseen situation."
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke calmly as she regarded Bu Eun-seol.
"Surely you didn't anticipate things going this far?"
Truthfully, she had never planned to put Bu Eun-seol forward as a candidate for Alliance Leader.
But when Bukgung Ryeong and the younger martial artists spontaneously voiced their support for him,
the tide became unstoppable—forcing Gongson Dan-gyeong to step in.
"How could I have?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"I never once considered ascending to the position of Alliance Leader."
In the past, he had proposed to Gongson Dan-gyeong
that they create a Murim Alliance where young talents could freely flourish.
She had agreed, and together they had spared no effort in supporting the younger generation.
But that was all.
Bu Eun-seol had never shown—nor even harbored—any ambition to rise higher.
Yet when the time came to select the next Alliance Leader,
the young martial artists had voluntarily raised their voices to make him a candidate.
This had become another current, and if luck favored him,
Bu Eun-seol might truly become the next Alliance Leader.
"Surely not. Didn't you prepare for this when dealing with the Heavenly Martial Brigade?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled playfully.
"You never broke your promise of support—continuing to aid the Heavenly Martial Brigade until Brigade Leader Baek was appointed."
During his own candidacy for Heavenly Martial Brigade Leader, Bu Eun-seol had recognized the brigade's dire state and pledged unwavering support.
And true to his word, he had supported them relentlessly until Baek Mu-seong was appointed.
Touched by this, the brigade's members
had spread word of Seon-u Jin's integrity and character among the martial artists.
The younger generation, aware of the hardships the brigade had endured,
had come to respect Seon-u Jin deeply upon hearing their accounts.
"That was the most decisive factor in earning the young martial artists' support."
"I merely kept my promise."
Bu Eun-seol answered plainly.
"At the time, I was certain I would become the Heavenly Martial Brigade Leader."
"We'll see."
Gongson Dan-gyeong shrugged.
"Since the Alliance Leader has permitted the next leader to be chosen by popular support... it will take quite some time."
Bu Eun-seol did not reply, maintaining only a faint smile.
As long as the Martial Venerable lived, it was impossible for him to become the next Alliance Leader.
Moreover, the Murim Alliance was likely the Three Realms' headquarters—
his goal was not to lead it, but to destroy it.
"The Alliance's atmosphere is in complete disarray after this incident."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together.
"The Demonic Path's factions may seize this opportunity to run rampant... I should return to the Rivers and Lakes to keep watch."
"Do as you see fit."
"Then I take my leave."
Bu Eun-seol bowed and exited the Hidden Moon Hall.
'Now is the perfect opportunity.'
He had long planned to expand the Martial Soul Society's influence,
but had hesitated, wary of drawing the Murim Alliance's attention.
Yet now, the Alliance was in extreme chaos.
And he could sense that this turmoil had been deliberately incited—
by someone lurking in the shadows behind the Murim Alliance.
"The Martial Alliance will soon be a place I leave behind anyway."
Why this chaos was being stirred, who would be elected as the next Alliance Leader—none of that concerned him.
As long as the turmoil continued, the Martial Alliance would be too preoccupied to meddle in the affairs of the Rivers and Lakes...
And he had no intention of wasting this opportunity. Now was the time to finally set in motion his long-delayed plan—to expand the Faction of the Soulless.