The First Epithet
It was a surge of inner force so overwhelming it couldn’t even be compared to the pressure he had used to pin me down in the Alliance Hall.
“Speak. Namgung Hwan! Where is that boy?”
“Alliance Leader... if you press me... like this, how am I supposed to... tell you anything?”
I gritted my teeth and lifted my head slightly as I spoke. But Namgung Cheon’s pressure did not weaken by even a fraction.
So I took Namgung Hwan’s family token from my robe and handed it to Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon accepted the token and stared at it for a long while.
Looking at the family token was fine. The problem was that this old bastard still wasn’t easing up on the force crushing me the entire time.
“Why is this in your possession?”
“If you keep... pressing me any further, I won’t... say another word.”
At my words, Namgung Cheon said nothing for a moment. Then he gradually began to release the pressure.
Damn old bastard. He could’ve just let it go right away.
It had been a silent warning. A warning from the pinnacle of the righteous faction that he could kill me whenever he wished.
“Fine. Speak. Why do you have this family token?”
“Before I explain, there’s something I need to confirm first.”
“Confirm?”
The Murim Alliance Leader frowned. Who in all of martial world history had ever dared to question the Murim Alliance Leader’s command?
But there was something I absolutely had to confirm.
“...”
“I’ll take your silence as permission. Excuse me for a moment.”
I stepped forward and stared straight at the Alliance Leader’s throat. At the same time, I reached out and placed my hand against it. Namgung Cheon immediately seized my wrist.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“This is a necessary confirmation.”
When the Alliance Leader saw the certainty on my face, he let go. This time, he didn’t stop my hand from touching his neck.
“Alliance Leader, you’re the real one.”
“Enough nonsense. Explain yourself properly.”
Urgency and anger were both evident in Namgung Cheon’s voice. So I took the human skin mask from my robe and showed it to him.
“What in the world is that?”
“A human skin mask.”
“Do you think I’m asking because I don’t know what it is?”
I brought the mask up to my face. Namgung Cheon’s expression twisted completely.
“Take that human skin mask off and explain.”
“It’s exactly what you’re seeing.”
“Then explain it!”
Namgung Cheon’s fury burst forth.
He probably already knew. That Namgung Hwan was dead. Otherwise there would have been no way to use that family token and that human skin mask.
Namgung Cheon simply refused to accept it. That one of his clan’s own had died, and someone else had taken his place.
“I’d rather ask you something. What became of Namgung Hwan, alive or dead?”
“...”
He fell silent, glaring at the human skin mask in my hand. Not long after, he spoke.
“A member of the Murim Alliance. Namgung Hwan. He did not report for work today.”
“Did you check his house?”
“I checked it myself. There were no signs that anyone had been living there...”
“He’s dead, then.”
Once again, the Alliance Leader’s pressure sharpened. It was so strong that I could feel bursts of lightning qi crackling around him.
But this time, that force did not point at me. He spoke slowly.
“Explain how you came by this family token and human skin mask.”
I told him everything, from what had happened with Song Wol in the prison dungeon to how I had killed the thirteen members of the samgye and found the cave.
When he heard the whole story, his cold expression somehow grew calmer instead.
He must have been enraged at first because of Namgung Hwan. But after hearing me out, he was no longer Namgung Cheon of the Namgung Clan. He had become Namgung Cheon, the Murim Alliance Leader.
“These are difficult claims to accept.”
“They’re reality, Alliance Leader. You need to accept them. There are righteous martial artists wearing human skin masks, and even the Mount Mao Sect’s head priest is involved.”
“Watch your words.”
When I mentioned the head of Mosan, Namgung Cheon held back his tongue.
“I’ve already reported the Songwon Sect matter and Jin Mu-heon’s involvement to Jang Won-sul.”
“What did you do with Jin Mu-heon?”
“I locked him in the Murim Alliance’s underground prison.”
“That makes two already, after the Treasury of the Divine Thief, Alliance Leader.”
“I know. But I can’t have him arrested on Jin Mu-heon’s word alone. Once his interrogation is finished, I’ll summon the head priest of Mosan.”
“Because it’s one of the great sects?”
“Because there isn’t enough evidence.”
“May I speak frankly, Alliance Leader?”
“...”
“The righteous faction is weak right now.”
At my words, Namgung Cheon’s brow twitched.
“Mind your tongue.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Do you even know who I am, and yet you dare spout such nonsense?”
His stare turned razor-sharp. But I had to say this now.
“There were spies among the Hyeonmu Guards protecting the Murim Alliance. On top of that, the captain of those Hyeonmu Guards covered up the extermination of an entire clan! Is that what you call a proper righteous faction?”
“A proper righteous faction? What exactly do you think the righteous faction is?”
“I don’t know!”
“What did you say?”
My answer reddened Namgung Cheon’s face. I had just stood in front of the Murim Alliance Leader and said I didn’t know what righteousness meant, even though I was from the righteous faction myself. There was no way he’d let that go quietly.
“How dare you talk that way just because you have a mouth, you insolent brat of the righteous faction?”
Namgung Cheon drew the sword from his waist and brought it to my throat. There was determination in his eyes. The determination to cut my throat this very instant if he chose to.
“What is the righteous faction to you, Baek Mugeuk?”
“Once, I thought it meant upholding righteousness and honor! That it meant revering those values and following the proper path.”
“And now?”
“Now that I’ve lived enough, I’ve realized the righteous faction of reality has no such thing as the proper path.”
I wasn’t saying this from the perspective of this life alone. The righteous faction I had seen and felt in my previous life had no righteousness or honor either.
Those with skill and power among the righteous always invoked righteousness and honor only when it suited them, and when righteousness and honor were truly needed, they hid their faces.
“What is righteousness and honor, according to you, Alliance Leader? No, according to the righteous faction? I truly don’t know. Is it righteousness and honor to ignore the weak and chase only your own safety and profit?”
“Shut up, Baek Mugeuk.”
The Murim Alliance Leader’s sword began to descend toward my throat. Even so, I did not stop speaking.
“Young righteous men who still have a sense of righteousness and honor are always the first to die. All for the sake of protecting that damned righteousness and honor. And those who survive to rise into the upper ranks of the righteous faction are all nothing but pigs wallowing in greed.”
I felt the cold sensation of a blade pressing into my throat. I had no intention of dodging it. I simply stared straight into Namgung Cheon’s eyes.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Take back what you said.”
“No. I have no intention of taking my words back. The righteous faction lost its righteousness and honor because of old men like you, Namgung Cheon.”
Blood began to trickle from the sword pressed against my throat.
Namgung Cheon’s expression was like a yaksha’s.
“You truly mean that. This time, I won’t stop.”
The moment Namgung Cheon raised his sword again, a tremendous surge of inner force crashed down on me. Instinctively, my hand went to the blade. But I couldn’t move yet.
Maybe this would become the first beginning of changing the righteous faction.
Namgung Cheon’s sword came down toward my head. At that speed, there was no way to pull back. Death was drawing near.
Thwack!
A heavy impact struck my head.
“Gah!”
Before I knew it, I was clutching my head and rolling on the floor. Then Namgung Cheon’s hearty laughter rang out.
“Pwahahahaha! You spout all those grand words, and then that’s the face you make? Hahahaha!”
This damned old bastard was laughing his ass off. The pain was real. No matter that he’d hit me with the blunt side of the blade, it had still been a strike from the Murim Alliance Leader.
“Damn it! That hurts!”
“Weren’t you the one who bad-mouthed me to my face with such great spirit? Be grateful it ended at this level. In any case...”
Unlike before, Namgung Cheon’s mouth curled high.
“You pass, Baek Mugeuk of the Baek Clan.”
“Pass?”
“Didn’t you just check whether I had the human skin mask on? If I’m going to screen out someone worth trusting, I ought to go at least this far, shouldn’t I?”
“I didn’t even say I’d help.”
“You said the righteous and honorable path should be found, didn’t you?”
This old bastard would pass twice and still die without complaint.
“From now on, cooperate with me for the righteous faction you speak of.”
“And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“We root them all out. The ones who turned the righteous faction into this state.”
“Sounds like I’m the one taking the loss here.”
“As you said, the righteous faction rotted because of old men like me. Naturally, someone like you needs to step forward.”
I had the feeling I’d stepped on something strange, but having the Murim Alliance Leader as an ally was an incredible stroke of luck.
That had been my aim from the start, anyway.
“By the way, that sword of yours. I heard Song Wol grabbed it and became a sword demon. Are you all right?”
“This? It’s just a sword.”
“Is that so? May I see it for a moment?”
“A weapon belongs to a martial artist...”
“Enough nonsense. Hand it over.”
I drew the sword from my waist, still in its scabbard, and handed it over.
“If the Alliance Leader turns into a sword demon, the Murim Alliance dies today.”
“Do you think that’s likely? I’m the Murim Alliance Leader.”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Namgung Cheon drew the sword at once. As he held it, killing intent began seeping out around the Murim Alliance Leader.
“...No way.”
That killing intent began to turn toward me.
“...Wait, seriously?”
“Cut.”
“You’re insane.”
I grabbed at the sword at my waist. No, I tried to grab it. What was there to grab? The Murim Alliance Leader already had my sword in his hand.
My hand flailed through empty air, and just then—
“Pwahahahaha, why are you making such a serious face? Go on.”
Seeing my grim expression, Namgung Cheon was suddenly laughing uproariously at me.
For one brief instant, I wanted to smash that skull of his in.
“Jang Won-sul reported that it seemed like a demonic sword, but it’s just a normal sword. It only has all its focus set on cutting more than other swords do. A good sword, all in all.”
Namgung Cheon tossed the sword back to me.
“Have you named it yet?”
“Named it?”
I had never once thought a sword needed a name. Reading my expression, Namgung Cheon went on.
“If it doesn’t have a name, I could give it one for you.”
“Well, if the Alliance Leader named it, I’d be honored.”
“What do you think of Darkness-Dimming Sword?”
“Darkness-Dimming Sword? What kind of righteous martial artist names a sword something that cuts light?”
“Honestly, you say the funniest things. I mean the character for dark, not bright. How about a sword that cuts darkness?”
“What does the name matter? I’ll go with that.”
I gave the Murim Alliance Leader a respectful salute.
“Go on now, Darkness-Dimming Sword.”
“Why are you bowing to a sword?”
“I’m bowing to you.”
“I understand. You should rest as well, Alliance Leader.”
What an odd old man. He said he’d name the sword and then told me he was bowing to me. Had he gone senile or something? That was what I thought.
But I wouldn’t learn why the Alliance Leader had greeted me like that until the next day.
A sword that cuts darkness. The Darkness-Dimming Sword. That was the first epithet given to me in this life.
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