Back to Square One (3)

At the same time, in the Hyun-cheon Pavilion of the Murim Alliance.

The Hyun-cheon Pavilion, led by Grand Strategist Je-gal Hyeon, served as the brain of the Murim Alliance. It gathered and analyzed all information from the jianghu, issuing various orders to each organization within the alliance.

Three years had passed since the truce with the Black Heaven Alliance.

These days, with ominous signs emerging—such as the Black Heaven Alliance resuming exchanges with the Blood Cult beyond the western borders and reorganizing the Sa-do Chil-ga—the Hyun-cheon Pavilion's duties had become all the more critical.

"Strategist, it's Il-jung."

"Come in."

Strategist Sa-ma Il-jung of the Strategy Division entered Je-gal Hyeon's office.

As a direct descendant of the Sa-ma family, he was sharp-minded and quick to judge, diligently handling his tasks. He was the young strategist most watched in the Hyun-cheon Pavilion.

"Baek So-cheon has packed his belongings and returned to his residence. The appointment order will be delivered to his home early tomorrow morning. His posting is the Mun-seong Branch in Jeol-gang Province."

Je-gal Hyeon nodded slowly at Sa-ma Il-jung's report.

"I still don't quite understand it. Why is this happening?"

Of course, he was referring to Baek So-cheon and the disposition related to him. When Je-gal Hyeon had first joined the alliance and become a strategist in the Hyun-cheon Pavilion, Baek So-cheon had been at the pinnacle as the lord of Bi-gak.

What followed was his downfall.

He had broken alliance rules, disobeyed orders, acted recklessly, and even assaulted his superior.

"Understanding someone is never an easy task."

"Do you understand him, Strategist?"

"I..."

Je-gal Hyeon trailed off, unable to continue. It was unclear whether he didn't understand or simply didn't wish to speak of it.

"Have you received clearance for the Strategic Command Center?"

"No, sir. It's scheduled for next month."

To access the Hyun-cheon Pavilion's Strategic Command Center, one needed five years of alliance service.

"I'll advance it by a month on my authority. Follow me."

"Yes, sir."

Je-gal Hyeon led Sa-ma Il-jung out of the office.

Sa-ma Il-jung's heart raced as he followed. There was a saying in the Hyun-cheon Pavilion: true strategists were only those who could enter the Strategic Command Center.

Je-gal Hyeon took him down to the third underground level.

The deeper they went, the more dilapidated the corridors, doors, and everything else appeared.

But Sa-ma Il-jung knew.

These seemingly empty, worn corridors were rigged with intricate mechanisms that barred even the intrusion of supreme masters. Only someone of the Alliance Lord's caliber could breach them.

The place they entered was a storage room at the end of the third underground corridor, managing supplies. It was shabby, filled with miscellaneous items. Je-gal Hyeon, walking ahead, casually shifted an iron pole stuck haphazardly in place. Then, as he continued, he laid a standing broom on its side. He tapped a spiderweb on the wall. It looked like a spiderweb at a glance, but it was a thin thread made of cheon-jam-sa silk.

Once that was moved, the wall in the corner slid open.

Beyond it was a space large enough for a few people. As the two entered, it began descending automatically.

Zing—

How far did it go?

When the door opened, another long corridor stretched out. Two masters stood at the entrance. Even though Je-gal Hyeon passed through daily, they exchanged the day's code words anew.

They traversed another corridor laced with hidden traps.

Opening the door at its end revealed the scene within.

"Ah!"

The moment he saw inside, Sa-ma Il-jung exclaimed in awe.

In the vast space, dozens of strategists were at work.

Bamboo tubes descended from dozens of pipes connected to the ceiling, carrying messages from carrier pigeons. Dispatches from all corners of the Central Plains, from ordinary to top-secret. Here, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they were sorted and categorized by urgency and importance.

Sa-ma Il-jung's steps halted the instant he glanced at the opposite wall. He froze upon confirming its contents.

Names were inscribed there, from top to bottom.

At the very top, a single line:

Murim Seol-yeol-log.

The jianghu rankings, analyzed and compiled by the Hyun-cheon Pavilion.

"It really exists!"

The rumors were true: the Hyun-cheon Pavilion researched and ranked the Central Plains' masters by their martial prowess. Even after five years here, he was only now confirming it. His seniors had never breathed a word over meals or drinks.

And at the top of the Murim Seol-yeol-log, the proud name.

Murim Ranking 1st: Ak So-gun. Murim Alliance Lord.

Murim Ranking 2nd: Yeom Hwa-sin. Black Heaven Alliance Lord.

Murim Ranking 3rd: Yang Jin. Sword Emperor.

Murim Ranking 4th: Beom Cheong. Mad Evil.

Murim Ranking 5th: Yoo Pae-ryeong. Lord of the Worldly Clan...

Je-gal Hyeon stood beside Sa-ma Il-jung, gazing up at the rankings. From first to hundredth, they were the masters who shook the jianghu.

"Leaking that is punishable by execution, no exceptions."

"Yes, sir! I won't breathe a word."

"Not even in your sleep."

"Yes, sir."

Je-gal Hyeon chuckled at his tense subordinate.

"Haha, just kidding. You think we'd kill you over sleep-talk? Who'd believe those rankings anyway?"

"Pardon? Ah, yes, sir."

Sa-ma Il-jung felt a strange mix of emotions.

He couldn't verify the rankings' accuracy. Perhaps the Black Heaven Alliance's own list crowned their lord first.

But he knew better than anyone how elite the Hyun-cheon Pavilion was. Even prodigies were mere floor-scrubbers here.

Then Je-gal Hyeon said something unexpected.

"Do you know who was once at the very top?"

Sa-ma Il-jung startled at the loaded question.

"No way?"

In this context, only one name came to mind.

"Baek So-cheon?"

"Right. For a few years right before his fall, he held first place. It was written like this back then."

"Was he really first?"

"That's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like asking if our Hyun-cheon Pavilion does shoddy work—or if your Grand Strategist is a liar."

"Ah, no, sir! Forgive my impertinence."

Je-gal Hyeon smiled playfully and pointed to the very bottom of the rankings.

"Look down there."

At the end of the list, up to the hundredth rank, his name was inscribed.

"Out of respect for him, we haven't erased his name yet."

"Ah!"

Sa-ma Il-jung's heart trembled.

In this moment, learning such an inside story, he truly felt like a Hyun-cheon Pavilion strategist at last.

It was then.

Ding-ding-ding— The bell tolled, drawing all eyes to one spot.

It came from the most special tube among those connected to various organizations—the one delivering the Alliance Lord's direct orders.

The assigned strategist swiftly brought it to Je-gal Hyeon.

After checking the order, Je-gal Hyeon summoned his subordinate warriors. They were the Hyun-cheon Pavilion's own fighters, elite guards protecting the strategists.

Je-gal Hyeon issued the command.

"Retrieve the Gui-yeong Geom from Baek So-cheon. He'll hand it over willingly if it's the Lord's order."

"Yes, sir."

The warriors departed.

The Gui-yeong Geom was the treasured sword the Alliance Lord had personally bestowed upon Baek So-cheon.

Sa-ma Il-jung asked in a trembling voice.

"Is this a complete severance?"

Forgetting decorum in questioning the Grand Strategist, he was swept up in this historic moment.

"Who knows. Even I can't say."

Je-gal Hyeon, who prided himself on knowing all the Central Plains' affairs, couldn't fathom the inner thoughts of Baek So-cheon and the Alliance Lord.

Soon after, the warriors returned with the sword recovered.

"Did he hand it over smoothly?"

The lead warrior shook his head.

"No, sir. At first, he refused and told us to get lost."

Je-gal Hyeon smiled faintly, as if he'd expected it.

"And then?"

"The Lord's order didn't sway him, so we pleaded. Said we'd all die if we couldn't bring it back. He gave in eventually."

"Why? You could've just returned and reported defying the Lord's order."

The warrior hesitated, his face shadowed by old memories and debts.

"...During the last war, Baek warrior saved my life. He doesn't even remember it."

"Ah, I see."

How many others owed him their lives?

"What did he say when he handed over the sword?"

"How did you know?"

"He'd give up the sword for your sake, but with that temper, he'd have a parting shot."

"Well..."

"It's fine. Repeat it exactly, word for word."

After a pause, the warrior relayed the message verbatim.

"'Sneaky bastards, giving it and then taking it back? It's filthy now—I won't use a sword anymore. Tell 'em I'll wander bare-handed till the Black Heaven scum finish me off, so quit fretting. Not one word out! Ptooey, ptooey.'"

"Hahaha."

Je-gal Hyeon laughed heartily, though no one else dared show amusement.

"Send it up to the Lord's presence as is. Omit the spit."

"Pardon?"

"Those were words for us, right? Include them then. We took his sword; might as well take his final words too."

"Understood, sir."

The lead warrior left with the sword after reporting.

Je-gal Hyeon turned to Sa-ma Il-jung.

"Well, shall we head out too?"

"Yes, sir."

Sa-ma Il-jung's mind reeled. Too many thoughts in such a short time. His earlier words to Je-gal Hyeon still rang true.

'I still don't understand. No, now ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I understand even less.'

One question surfaced in his mind.

'What exactly happened between Baek So-cheon and the Alliance Lord?'

But it rose to his throat and sank back. He couldn't dare speak the Lord's name.

As they exited the Strategic Command Center with Je-gal Hyeon, a senior strategist was just then updating the entry at the very bottom of the Seol-yeol-log.

Behind Baek So-cheon's name, the position of "Cheol-geom-dan 1st Unit 3rd Squad Leader" had been revised to new wording.