Uncomfortable Delegation (2)
The Murim Alliance subjugation force—no, the delegation—set off from Muhwan toward the north to attend the founding ceremony of the Four Black Alliance. Their base was in Shanxi Province. To get there from Muhwan, they had to cross Hubei Province and pass through Henan.
The journey proceeded without major incidents. Competent escorts guided them along good routes for a smooth trip, and the Murim Alliance banner at the front of the procession warded off any minor troubles in advance.
"Still, it's a shame."
Dang Seo-hee sat atop a horse that somehow looked bigger than the others, her face sullen.
"I've heard that processions always run into big and small incidents along the way."
She's saying some scary shit.
Getting tangled in any trouble with this group would be a disaster. They had enough on their plate preventing incidents without stirring up conflicts.
...Just imagining it is horrifying.
But Dang Seo-hee's sullen expression showed no signs of lifting.
"Hasn't Senior Dang been active in the martial world for quite a while?"
"When you're traveling with the Young Dragon Assembly, no one dares pick a fight."
"...Isn't that a good thing?"
When I looked at her puzzled, her cheeks puffed out slightly, as if she'd taken offense.
"...As a hero, I want to take down some villains."
"... "
Ugh, what's with that expression?
I shook my head vigorously to clear my mind. No, hadn't she played the hero plenty during her Young Dragon Assembly days? The reason black path martial artists trembled at the name White Water Divine Maiden was because the number she'd killed with her own hands exceeded the entire assembly's tally.
"We're a delegation. It's better if we don't get caught up in that sort of thing."
Besides, up to Henan, it was Shaolin territory, so even black path folks kept their behavior in check. But from here on, Shanxi's influence from the Murim Alliance weakened. It meant we had to stay on high alert.
They sure picked a clever spot.
I'd assumed the black path alliance would form near Daebyeol Mountain in Henan, like in my previous life. But in this life, they'd planted themselves in Shanxi. No place in the martial world could fully escape the Alliance's reach, but Shanxi's position was tricky.
With plenty of black path sects around Daebyeol Mountain in Henan, they could use it as a forward base for clashes with the Alliance. To target Shaolin, the martial world's pillar, they could encircle from Daebyeol and Shanxi. Conversely, if the Alliance mobilized north to conquer the Four Black Alliance, the emperor in nearby Beijing would bristle and suspect rebellion.
The Alliance would have to watch Beijing's mood before striking the Four Black Alliance.
Does the Four Black Alliance have a real strategist?
In my past life, the Demonic Cult's swift assault had forced the black path alliance into hasty formation—like stir-frying beans under lightning—only for it to collapse soon after. This time, they'd united faster and seized a strategic location. It sparked real hope that history might truly change.
Lost in those thoughts, our delegation's ideological inquisitor—no, leader—Ak Byeongbi spoke up.
"Lower the banner from now on."
"Pardon?"
Ak Byeongbi eyed me with a gaze that still clearly disliked me.
"What? Got a problem?"
"We're entering Shanxi now. Who knows what dangers lurk, and you're lowering the banner?"
"Flying the Alliance banner in Shanxi could be misinterpreted as us bowing to the Four Black Alliance."
No, wouldn't it usually be the opposite? Why flex pride in a dangerous place?
"With the founding ceremony, black path folks from across Shanxi are moving goods. Accidents are bound to happen."
Despite my calm explanation, Ak Byeongbi bellowed in his signature impassive glare.
"Hmph! Black path scum don't scare me!"
Damn it, this is why I didn't want to come.
If some non-martial administrator had led, they never would've suggested lowering the banner.
In the confused atmosphere, Ilgak calmly clasped his hands, prayer beads glinting.
"Don't worry too much, Jin lay donor. Black path folk are people too. They won't rampage at just anyone."
What does a worldly-naive monk know?
As my sigh deepened, Dang Seo-hee rarely sparkled with excitement.
"This is thrilling!"
My heart pounded too. Damn it.
Passing Jeongju and Luoyang, crossing Jie Pass, we soon entered Shanxi. Contrary to my worries, no major scuffles erupted in the small towns.
Well, our procession is pretty unusual.
A hulking man with an iron spear. A monk rolling prayer beads. A girl in ominous green silk. No street toughs, no matter how bold, would dare approach.
Come to think of it, even in the black path world, they wary of folks in odd attire. Unless they were big shots—who wouldn't bother with us anyway—no one would rush in.
Maybe my concerns were overblown.
They should've been...
After entering Shanxi, our first major city was Goping. During an awkward meal at an inn there, a prickling voice reached our ears.
"You wanna die, you fuck? Eyes down!"
"You gutter trash! Wanna jump rope with your own intestines today?!"
Typical inn brawl. With black path folks from across the land gathering for the Four Black Alliance founding, fights were even more frequent inside.
"You fuck! You must be suicidal! Know Sajungbang? Their chief's sworn brother to my big bro!"
"You gutter trash! Know Akhomun? Their sect leader's cousin's wife's cousin's friend!"
As voices rose, their groups stood one by one, tensing the room with the promise of a scuffle.
But it won't escalate to a full fight.
If they meant business, they'd have weapons drawn. With numbers on both sides, it'd end in posturing.
As I turned away, dismissing it—
Puk—a strange sound, followed by screams filling the inn.
"Argh!"
"Gah! Chopsticks?!"
Wooden chopsticks were embedded in the two instigators' arms. Then, from beside me, a voice tinged with odd excitement.
"That's as far as I go easy. Stop harming people."
I stared at Dang Seo-hee in disbelief.
...A bundle of chopsticks in her hand.
Meeting my eyes, she whispered proudly.
"Knew something like this might happen, so I practiced."
Crazy!!!
They weren't messing with us—they were fighting each other! Why throw chopsticks?
As I gaped speechlessly, the stabbed men rolled their eyes and charged.
"You sneaky fuck! Ambush?!"
"You die-hard gutter trash?!"
Pinning us as enemies now that they were hurt. Better to gang up on our weirdly dressed quartet than fight their forty-strong rivals.
I glanced at Ilgak and Ak Byeongbi. Ilgak just rolled his beads, eyeing them calmly, but Ak Byeongbi slammed his iron spear down, ready to strike.
No, you're the leader! Stop them, don't join in!
Ha... headache...
Screw it. I'd done my part. Would the world's Blood Star, White Water Divine Maiden, and Little Buddha die to black path small fry? Worst case, this sours ties with the Four Black Alliance, tanks the alliance, voids the pact, sparks war. Whatever.
With a mental snap, I slumped back to down my drink—
"Huh?"
Two figures amid the black path mob caught my eye: a stunning beauty just entering her twenties, and a scrawny old man looking eighty. They watched the brewing fight with gleaming eyes.
Those people...
My head throbbed like I'd been hit. Salt Ghost Consort and Blood Duel!
Appearances differed, but habits, movements, eyes—identical to my past life. Notorious black path absolutes hiding among the rabble!
No time to ponder why here—I yelled.
"W-Wait a second!!!!"
My voice boomed through the inn. Everyone froze, staring. I rushed center stage, fumbling in my robes.
"S-Sorry... Our group made a mistake."
My sudden shift drew sharp glares. They pointed at the chopsticks in their arms, glaring.
"Mistake?"
"What're you babbling, gutter trash?"
Forcing my friendliest smile.
"Sorry, really sorry. She's from the Dang family—overtrained, so her hands slip even in daily life."
"D-Dang family girl?"
Their eyes wavered. I nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, heard of the Young Dragon Assembly's White Water Divine Maiden?"
"Hup..."
I pulled gold coins from my bosom, offering them.
"Sorry. Can't buy off the pain, but better than needless fighting and more hurt, right?"
Coins dangling, the pondering black path man snatched one.
"Hmph! Keep her in check! Next time, you'll meet my big bro's sworn brother, Sajungbang chief!"
"Watch out unless you wanna meet my cousin's wife's cousin's friend, Akhomun leader!"
"Y-Yes, yes. Of course."
The mob turned and stormed out. Even Salt Ghost Consort and Blood Duel left with disappointed faces.
"Haa..."
Turning with a long sigh, Dang Seo-hee and Ak Byeongbi glared, full of discontent.
"Why butt in? You just soiled the martial world's justice!!!"
She didn't even know I'd saved her... Punishing those guys wouldn't make justice prevail anyway!
"You... Worried about black path victims? Proves you're black path at heart!"
Ideological inquisitor Ak Byeongbi glared, eager for "justice."
Ha, damn it, you nearly all died here!
If I died on this delegation, it'd be from frustration. I almost wanted to chant Amitabha.
Passing Goping, overnighting in Sangchi, en route to Jinjung. Midway, we paused for rest and a meal. Escorts patrolled and checked cargo and wagons; porters fed the horses and prepped our food.
Traveling with an escort bureau was convenient—they handled everything.
As I ate contentedly, a small voice piped up beside me.
"Um... Is it okay to eat with us?"
To the middle-aged porter's question:
"Fine. Eating over there would give me indigestion. Am I bothering you?"
"N-No! We're good."
I should've eaten with the delegation, but Ak Byeongbi's suspicious stares every spoonful killed my appetite.
This trip'll shave at least a year off my life.
Overts would get subdued and scratched back, but post-incident, Ak Byeongbi raised no direct issues—just treated me as a member while clearly disliking me, making me uncomfortable.
The middle-aged porter bowed slightly.
"Th-Thank you, young master."
"Huh? For what?"
I'd told porters and escorts to speak casually, but my academy student status tensed them.
"Y-You always stop the fights."
He scratched his head sheepishly.
"Feels so reassuring."
Makes sense—the weak die first in fights.
"No big deal."
"Still, worried about ahead. We'll hit bandit dens soon. Banner's down... Wonder if the leader'll pay tolls."
I asked curiously.
"Bandit dens? Many?"
"Normally just two big ones from Sangchi to Jinjung, but drought this year spawned more in Shanxi."
So-called survival bandits. Harvest just ended—people already up mountains? Officials must be rotten.
"Tolls won't be steep. Especially seeing martial artists, they back off..."
I got it. I reassured him.
"Don't worry. Delegation's mission is safe passage to Taiyuan, not stirring trouble."
Of course, with a human thunderbolt who explodes at black path whiff and a girl confusing novels for reality... We'd made it somehow.
The porter's eyes shone gratefully, bowing.
"Th-Thank you!"
"Thanks, young master!"
Others bowed too, clearly worried. Made me resolve to stay sharp—for them.
Shortly after leaving the main road, climbing an unnamed mountain, a lead escort raised a hand, halting us.
"What is it?"
To Ak Byeongbi's question, the escort pointed ahead.
"Group blocking the road."
"Bandits?"
"New ones. Probably drought refugees. What now?"
Pay toll to pass, or fight. Delegation wouldn't lose to amateurs, so suggestion: pay and go. They knew family hardship.
But.
"The Murim Alliance neither compromises nor retreats!"
Look at this stubborn ass.
Escort sighed softly. Others swapped swords for clubs—won't kill, at least.
Reaching the hilltop, a bizarre sight.
Dozens of ragged bandits knelt on one side; opposite, a man and woman loomed over them.
Then, wind carried a foul stench.
Blood?
My gaze hit piled fresh corpses, dripping blood.
Escorts dropped clubs, gripped swords. Delegation drew cautiously—
"Oh? Who's this? Didn't we meet in Goping?"
The beauty overlooking bandits waved languidly our way.
"What a coincidence?"
Coincidence? Routes fixed, but Goping to Taiyuan had dozens of paths. Too perfect.
I eyed the smiling beauty and rigid elder.
Damn... They were waiting for us?
Their identities: Salt Ghost Consort and Blood Duel.