Playing a Higher Hand
The moment their eyes met, Do Ye-cheon's eyes flared with a burning rage.
A fury as fierce and scorching as the fires of purgatory.
But soon, that vivid anger morphed into a sneer.
Amusing, he thought.
Do Ye-cheon curled one corner of his mouth upward.
The current situation was certainly unexpected and out of his calculations.
But what did that matter?
It doesn't matter if you two have formed a secret alliance. In the end, Jeok-un, you will die this time.
All he had to do was kill the boy, just as he had promised the Geumhwang Merchant Group.
With that thought, Do Ye-cheon feigned composure, acting as though nothing was amiss.
"I had no idea the two of you were so close," he said.
His performance was remarkably natural.
Indeed, his voice did not tremble, nor did it carry even a hint of awkwardness.
Jeok-un replied to Do Ye-cheon's sarcasm.
"Hmph. Close? I'd call it a one-sided pursuit."
"...?"
A pursuit?
Do Ye-cheon was once again lost for words.
What absolute nonsense was this?
Was he supposed to believe that the Lion Sword Emperor, Dok-go Cheon, was chasing after this reckless upstart?
"...What do you mean by that?"
"The Lord did what?"
Not only Do Ye-cheon, but everyone in the room was thrown into confusion.
But then, a voice cut through the murmurs.
"He isn't wrong," Dok-go Cheon said.
With those few words, the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically.
"It was my first time offering someone a place as my disciple, only to be flatly rejected."
"?!"
Though Dok-go Cheon spoke as if reprimanding Jeok-un, there was no trace of actual anger or malice in his eyes or tone.
Instead, it looked like the warm, affectionate teasing shared between a grandfather and his grandson.
It was a display of rough affection.
He... he offered to take him as a disciple?!
T-That's impossible...
It was only natural for the assembly to be struck dumb with shock.
He had invited Jeok-un to become his disciple?
Who was Dok-go Cheon?
He was the absolute ruler of Sadocheon, one of the supreme masters standing at the very pinnacle of the Jianghu.
And to reject an offer from such a man—
He actually turned it down?
"He must be out of his mind..." someone muttered aloud, before quickly clapping a hand over their mouth.
But that was how absurd the situation was.
If it meant becoming the disciple of the number one man in the Unorthodox faction, there were countless warriors in this world who would gladly wade through rivers of blood.
The Jianghu was teeming with people who would commit any atrocity just for a chance at such an honor.
What on earth did the Lord see in that boy?
As established, Dok-go Cheon was the strongest master of the Unorthodox path, the Lord of Sadocheon, and the Lion Sword Emperor.
Simply becoming his disciple would elevate one's status in the Unorthodox faction beyond measure, guaranteeing a future paved with gold and glory.
For this reason, countless geniuses had begged to be taken under his wing, and renowned figures of the Unorthodox path had constantly recommended their most promising talents.
Yet, Dok-go Cheon had rejected every single one of them without exception.
Whether they sought him out themselves or were recommended by others, none had met his standards.
None had been able to satisfy the Lion Sword Emperor's discerning eye.
Throughout the decades Dok-go Cheon had reigned at the apex of Sadocheon, not a single soul had ever come close to claiming the title of his disciple.
No one had even stood near that seat.
Naturally, there had never been a genius whom Dok-go Cheon himself had actively courted.
Yet, that long-standing tradition had now been shattered.
And by none other than Jeok-un, an upstart who had appeared out of nowhere.
Is he really so extraordinary that he surpasses all those legendary geniuses?
Jegal Jeok-un...!
The assembly erupted into a flurry of whispers.
Though disbelief was written clearly on every face, the words had come directly from the mouth of Dok-go Cheon himself.
Meanwhile, Do Ye-cheon, observing the reactions around him, surprisingly began to wear a look of satisfaction.
He slowly opened his mouth to speak.
"Hmm. It seems the tangled threads are finally unraveling," he murmured, his heavy voice drawing the attention of the entire room.
As everyone blinked in confusion, unable to grasp his meaning, Do Ye-cheon continued.
"I found it utterly incomprehensible why the Leader of the Law Enforcement Division was shielding Captain Jeok-un during the disciplinary hearing. But now, it all makes perfect sense. Hu Seong, were you protecting the Lord's prospective disciple all this time?"
Hearing this, Hu Seong scowled deeply.
"What are you implying? The Lord would never ask for such personal favors!" Hu Seong barked.
"Is that so? Then was it merely my misunderstanding?"
"Of course it was!"
"Well, in that case..."
As Hu Seong grit his teeth and glared, Do Ye-cheon maintained his relaxed, leisurely demeanor as he delivered his next blow.
"...There should be no further reason to object to assigning Captain Jeok-un a Red-grade mission, correct?"
"...!!"
Like a venomous viper baring its fangs, Do Ye-cheon sank his teeth directly into his prey's neck.
Turning his gaze back to Dok-go Cheon, Do Ye-cheon spoke.
"As Hu Seong said, I trust the Lord would never overlook a mistake due to personal relationships. However, to prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt, I believe Captain Jeok-un must face a fitting punishment. What say you, Lord?"
Understanding the Vice Lord's intent, the members of Do Ye-cheon's faction immediately chimed in, raising their voices in support.
"The Vice Lord is correct!"
"There has never been a precedent where someone who has barely joined our ranks has dragged Sadocheon's reputation through the dirt like this!"
"If he resolves the Red-grade mission in Uichun County, it will thoroughly wash away the damage and disrespect our alliance has suffered."
The captains of the Vice Lord's faction did not stop at mere agreement.
Fearing someone might interrupt, they rattled off their arguments in rapid succession, cornering Jeok-un further.
"Since it is a disciplinary task, Captain Jeok-un must accomplish it alone!"
"Indeed! It is a mission of atonement to the alliance. It would be absurd for the alliance to assist him!"
Even as the captains of the Vice Lord's faction clamored, Dok-go Cheon merely stared at Do Ye-cheon in silence.
Do Ye-cheon met his gaze head-on, refusing to back down.
The Vice Lord was now openly displaying his hostility toward Dok-go Cheon.
"Vice Lord, listen to yourself!"
It was Maeng Po, the Chief Military Advisor, who intervened.
Though he had just been locked in a battle of nerves with Jeok-un moments ago, right was right, and wrong was wrong.
"Captain Jeok-un is a mere captain! He does not lead one of the Ten Heaven Squads; he is simply the captain of an Outer Heaven Squad with barely any men under his command. To assign him a Red-grade mission—which requires at least two battalions of the Ten Heaven Squads—is preposterous! You are practically pushing him to his death!" Maeng Po roared, his voice thick with indignation.
Uichun County was a border region between Sadocheon and the Murim Alliance, a chaotic zone where territorial disputes erupted constantly.
It was a place so perilous that even a renowned Unorthodox master comparable to a Division Leader of Sadocheon could not guarantee their own survival.
"A disciplinary mission for a grave offense is naturally meant to be difficult," one of the opposing captains argued. "It has always been so, and it will remain so. Why should Captain Jeok-un receive special treatment and be made an exception?"
"Exactly! Shouldn't he clean up his own mess?"
Do Ye-cheon did not even need to speak.
The captains of the Lord's and Vice Lord's factions bickered back and forth, arguing over whether a Red-grade mission was too harsh or entirely justified.
As the voices grew louder and more aggressive, splitting along factional lines—
"Good grief, you people sure love to chatter."
"?!?!"
Jeok-un, who had been quietly listening to the debate surrounding his fate, finally spoke up.
Every eye in the room snapped to him.
"What's all this talk about a Red-grade mission?"
Of course. That's all you've got, Do Ye-cheon sneered inwardly.
He assumed Jeok-un was trying to back out of the mission out of fear.
If he refuses the order, that works just as well. We can simply expel him from Sadocheon for insubordination.
Once Jeok-un was outside the protection of Sadocheon, Do Ye-cheon could have him killed at any time.
But Jeok-un's next words shattered his expectations.
"Do you really think something that trivial is enough?" Jeok-un asked.
He was raising the stakes.
"...What do you mean?"
"What am I supposed to accomplish with a mere Red-grade mission? If I'm going to do this, it has to be a Black-grade mission to match my caliber."
"?!?!"
Did I just hear that correctly?
Did he say a Black-grade mission?
He's asking for a Black-grade, not a Red-grade?
Even the smug Do Ye-cheon felt his eyes widen in sheer disbelief.
It was a testament to how utterly insane Jeok-un's declaration was.
Only the speaker himself, Jeok-un, and Dok-go Cheon remained perfectly calm.
"Hmm. Yes. The mission in Tongseong County should suffice," Dok-go Cheon mused.
"T-Tongseong County...?"
"The Black-grade mission to retrieve the sacred relic...!"
Not a single captain in the meeting room could maintain their composure.
That was the weight of the Black-grade mission in Tongseong County.
For the past ten years, it had yielded nothing but catastrophic failures.
Recently, it had been classified as an impossible task, with many suggesting it should be removed from the mission roster entirely.
The sheer geography of Tongseong County spoke volumes about its danger.
It was a volatile borderland where the three great powers dominating the Jianghu—the Murim Alliance, Sadocheon, and Heukpaeseong—clashed directly.
The danger was incomparable to the Red-grade mission Do Ye-cheon had proposed.
...He wants to walk into that death trap of his own free will? But why...?
Do Ye-cheon could not find an answer.
There had to be a reason, but his inability to grasp it made him uneasy.
His mouth remained shut tight, clamped like a clam.
"Well, Vice Lord, what do you think?" Dok-go Cheon broke the silence.
"...Excuse me?"
"Captain Jeok-un has volunteered for a far more difficult task. I see no reason to refuse him. I am asking for your thoughts, Vice Lord."
"..."
Do Ye-cheon kept his mouth shut.
He had no idea what game they were playing, but one thing was certain.
Damn it! They must have coordinated this beforehand!
He had been too startled to realize it at first, but looking at Dok-go Cheon's reaction and the flow of Jeok-un's words, it was highly likely.
He wanted nothing more than to tell them to shut up and stick to the Red-grade mission.
But since the boy had volunteered for a harder task, Do Ye-cheon had no logical ground to object.
While the Vice Lord and his faction stood there looking like fools, Jeok-un drove the final nail into the coffin.
"Well, let's consider the mission accepted then. Since I've chosen to walk this thorny path of my own accord, I have one request for the Lord."
"Speak," Dok-go Cheon replied.
"Even if this is a disciplinary task, I am still volunteering for a Black-grade mission for the sake of Sadocheon. Therefore, I believe I deserve a fitting reward upon its completion."
The moment Jeok-un finished speaking, Dok-go Cheon glanced at the Grand Chancellor, Jeung Yu-beom.
Jeung Yu-beom fell into thought for a moment before speaking.
"Given the nature of a Black-grade mission, even if it serves as a punishment, it is only proper to grant an appropriate reward upon its successful completion," Jeung Yu-beom advised.
"My thoughts exactly. Otherwise, no one would ever volunteer for a Black-grade mission," Dok-go Cheon agreed.
Before Do Ye-cheon could even open his mouth to protest, Dok-go Cheon and his allies had already set the stage. Dok-go Cheon turned back to Jeok-un.
"So, what is it that you want?"
Jeok-un flashed a meaningful smile.
"Ji Jung-yeong, the culprit who brought this humiliation upon me. I want to personally investigate his embezzlement case from start to finish, leaving no stone unturned."
"!!!"
A silent shockwave swept through the meeting room.
Jeok-un's demand was nothing short of an open declaration of war against the Vice Lord.
To drive the point home, Jeok-un stared directly at Do Ye-cheon.
His eyes delivered a clear message:
I am standing right above you, you insect.
Meeting Jeok-un's chilling gaze, Do Ye-cheon felt his blood boil.
You miserable bastard...!
Clench...!
He squeezed his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, as if trying to crush them to dust.