354. Encounter with the Enemy
Baekdo and Heukdo. The conflict between these two irreconcilable forces began three hundred years ago. That was two hundred years after the formation of the Murim Alliance.
It was a time when the lines between Baekdo and Heukdo weren't yet clearly drawn. The Murim Alliance at that point still hadn't fully resolved doubts about its very existence. The Seven Great Sects, which served as the alliance's core, wielded influence as the representative factions of their regions—and even entire provinces—whether the alliance existed or not. The Murim Alliance had devolved into little more than a social club that accomplished nothing and simply took money from the sects.
In truth, during that era, the alliance not only mingled with the Seven Great Sects and the Three Great Families (predecessors to the Five Great Families) but also exchanged with the Three Gates and One Clan that claimed Heukdo status, and even bandits from the Nokrim or water fortresses would drop by like it was a tavern. There was no coercive power; it functioned solely as a forum for exchange.
From the perspective of the Seven Great Sects, who bore the financial burden, the alliance seemed like nothing but a wasteful playground where they squandered their family fortunes on idiotic nonsense. The alliance's dissolution appeared inevitable as it slowly crumbled.
Then, one incident occurred. Goyang-geuk, a wild man who had risen to the ranks of absolute masters through his unique martial arts, assassinated Choweol Sword Immortal Janyang, the alliance leader at the time.
One might think, "In the Central Plains, full of enemies, what's the big deal about someone dying at another's hand?" But the issue was their statuses. Especially since the alliance leader—essentially the half-hearted president of a social club—had been killed, it began to stir considerable waves.
His only duties had been hosting banquets, sharing drinks and snacks, and gossiping idly. Still, nominally, the Murim Alliance Leader represented those who professed Baekdo. With the leader having ties to the Wudang Sect, the sect couldn't just stand by with folded arms amid the bereaved family's outrage over the injustice.
In the end, the Seven Great Sects issued a statement in the alliance's name, arresting Goyang-geuk and imprisoning him in the golden prison for several years to settle the matter. Since he had no real power base and wasn't fully aligned with Baekdo anyway, it wasn't much of a burden.
But the backlash was fierce. The Heukdo's Three Gates and One Clan, along with Nokrim strongholds and ronin, vehemently protected him. The key point was that they reacted vehemently.
Their hypersensitivity made even those who wanted to brush it off start to stiffen. They had their own pride, after all. Having already declared him guilty, they couldn't back down now. Moreover, the victim was the Murim Alliance Leader. They couldn't just let it slide.
Due to Heukdo's extreme reaction, the feeble alliance as a whole couldn't step forward. Precisely, an investigation team was formed from Wudang, Huashan, and Shaolin. They went to Goyang-geuk's residence and arrested him.
"You've come."
Goyang-geuk calmly admitted his guilt and allowed himself to be escorted to the Murim Alliance by the team. The real problem came afterward.
Heukdo, as if to prove their opposition was no joke, assembled a "rescue team" five times larger than the investigation squad and freed him. This absurd drama left the Seven Great Sects of the alliance in utter shock.
Having the prisoner snatched during transport went beyond mere loss of face. After all, hadn't the alliance—centered on Baekdo—saved the Central Plains and brought peace in the past? But the martial world back then favored a free-spirited atmosphere, and Heukdo's forces were overwhelmingly strong, so the alliance ultimately failed to punish Goyang-geuk.
This incident became a major wake-up call for the Murim Alliance—or rather, Baekdo Murim. The Seven Great Sects began conscripting personnel in earnest, purging all Heukdo members who had been casually entering the alliance grounds. They laid the foundations for the current Nine Great Sects and Gates, brought in the Jegal and Namgung families alongside the Three Great Families to form the Five Great Families, solidifying the alliance's base.
Then, they launched full-scale war against Heukdo. From that point, the once-blurry distinctions between them became stark and vivid. Jeongdo to Baekdo, Sado to Heukdo. And the outcome was as we know it today: victory for Baekdo under the banner of "justice."
"...And so began the long, dark history of conflict between Heukdo and Baekdo."
Even after Cheol Sunjik finished his tale, no suitable questions or responses came. Only a heavy silence lingered.
Then, Seong Moran suddenly asked, as if it were odd.
"What does that story have to do with us being stuck here...?"
Cheol Sunjik shook his head lightly and added,
"The point is, Baekdo and Heukdo aren't so distant from each other. They've even shared history in the past, so they were quite close."
He nodded with a reassuring smile, as if to calm them.
"So, no need to be scared. There were times when they shared drinks at the Murim Alliance."
Seong Moran gave him a dumbfounded look.
"...That incident happened because Choweol Sword Immortal Janyang defiled Goyang-geuk's wife. And after the alliance declared Heukdo Murim as its archenemy, hasn't the hatred deepened over the past three hundred years?"
"Isn't it time to break that cycle of hatred?"
Seong Moran tilted her head at his forced logic that didn't quite connect.
"...Weren't you the one who hated Jin Sowoon from the start, Lord Cheol? Why are you speaking up for him, the one who threw us in here?"
Cheol Sunjik paused thoughtfully. He wanted to know why himself.
Don't waver. Tell the story well.
If Jin Sowoon hadn't said that before they got locked up, he wouldn't have stepped forward. But now, he was the captain of the Sahwal-dan. Failing a mission from the leader was a matter of pride.
"In any case, isn't this a safe place where we can rest comfortably?"
"Safe... you say?"
Seong Moran fingered the iron bars separating the inner and outer cells, tilting her head. They were famously sturdy black iron, gleaming darkly.
As Cheol Sunjik pondered his response, Dang Ki-han—the Seventh Squad Leader, whose face had been clouded with worry since entering Mandokmun—cautiously spoke up.
"Um..."
"These holes in the walls."
Dang Ki-han stroked the holes with dazed eyes, lost in imagination.
"These are probably... arrow-firing mechanisms."
"......"
Cheol Sunjik felt his head ring as if struck. The holes dotted every wall inside the bars. If arrows fired simultaneously from them, as Dang Ki-han said...
Everyone inside would turn into pincushions.
Cheol Sunjik shifted his gaze from the holes to Dang Ki-han.
"...You've never been to Mandokmun before. How can you be so sure?"
His words came out sharper than intended. Calming the group's agitation was his job now. The captain had gone to deal with the big shots, leaving him in full command. Revealing tragic info in this situation would only stir panic.
But Dang Ki-han continued obliviously, like a kid excited over a familiar topic.
"And do you see those smaller holes up there?"
The flickering torchlight made the tiny holes appear and vanish.
"Poison gas probably comes out of those."
"......"
"Oh, the Dang family has the exact same setup! We use it to confine demonic beasts brought in for research."
So, after risking their lives to escape Mukrim, piercing through Magyeong, and fending off those weird sorcerers... this was their destination.
A "demonic beast prison."
"......"
What could he say to prevent panic now? The exhausted group, who had complained of fatigue and physical limits, now stared wide-eyed in shock.
"Hoo..."
Murmurs rose among the academy students. Voices floated: "Are we dying here?" "We escaped the fox just to enter the tiger's den?"
Then—
Bang! Bang!
A patrolling warrior struck the bars and bellowed,
"Quiet! Quiet!"
The stern voice and chilling glare sealed the murmuring mouths. The Mandokmun warriors showed hostility, not goodwill.
Seong Moran whispered to Cheol Sunjik,
"Can we really relax?"
"......"
Seong Moran shrugged, pulling away from him.
"I'd feel safer hearing Buddhist teachings from Monk Ilgak than your nonsense history lesson."
"......"
Cheol Sunjik felt inexplicably frustrated. He envied Ilgak—the bald guy—who had gone with Jin Sowoon to face the Mandokmun lord.
# To Ilgak, choosing Mandokmun in this situation was the lesser evil.
Coming here to avoid suspected Demonic Cult members wasn't a bad call. With no way to seek help from the Murim Alliance branch, relying on mid-sized sects would only cause greater harm.
"But..."
Mandokmun was a sect even giant alliance factions eyed warily. Because of their poison handling, and because they rivaled the Dang family in toxicity.
Anyone who knew their infamy wouldn't dare enter, even if enemies hid inside. In that sense, Mandokmun was ideal.
Yet it was still the lesser evil because Mandokmun hated Baekdo sects. No, beyond hate—they despised them.
Even Heukdo viewed them as extremists, and the man before him, Dan Se-woong, embodied that.
His declaration at his inauguration long ago—"Wipe out Baekdo Murim and turn the Central Plains into Heukdo territory"—had rocked the martial world for a time.
When he heard Jin Sowoon's dilemma involved requesting aid from Mandokmun, he'd been horrified. Sure, Jin Sowoon had ties to Sahyeokryeon and Heukdo connections, so he followed, assuming there was a reason.
"How can a man's face be so..."
That hope shattered upon seeing Dan Se-woong's villainous visage. And seeing the academy students thrown into prison right after entering only confirmed he meant to enact that old vow.
—Captain Jin, what do you plan to do?
Ilgak cautiously sent a transmission amid Dan Se-woong's stern face and his subordinates' piercing glares.
Jin Sowoon's eyes widened like a rabbit's.
—Why ask me? You're the one who suggested coming here.
Ilgak's heart sank.
"Pardon?"
So startled, he forgot the transmission and spoke aloud.
"Ahem...!"
Dan Se-woong and the Mandokmun members openly showed discomfort.
Ilgak wiped sweat from his scalp and hurriedly transmitted.
—W-what do you mean?! Captain Jin! Captain Jin!
He pleaded desperately, but Jin Sowoon ignored him.
Then, Dan Se-woong, frowning, spoke.
"So, you've come to request lodging at Mandokmun?"
His heavy voice rumbled low. Spoken plainly, yet it echoed through the hall as if amplified by some device.
Jin Sowoon, who had been casually feigning ignorance, replied immediately.
"Yes."
"Do you think Mandokmun is... an inn?"
Dan Se-woong's tone dripped displeasure. No, he seemed furious at being treated like an innkeeper.
Ilgak couldn't even imagine how to appease him. Cheol Sunjik would have handled this better with his wits...
Why had he been dragged here? He couldn't fathom it. All he could do now was trust his trusted captain, Jin Sowoon.
"But surely you acknowledge this is a dire emergency."
Could he really trust this man? As Ilgak inwardly chanted, Dan Se-woong's voice growled low again.
"Did you think I'd believe that absurd tale?"
"Then why did you let us in???"
That mad... no, was the captain yelling?
As Ilgak doubted his ears,
"If you were going to refuse, just refuse from the start. Why give us hope and do this?"
"...!!!"
This madman—no, Jin Sowoon was treating the infamous extremist Dan Se-woong like a neighborhood uncle.
Ilgak wasn't the only one sensing the disrespect. Murmurs of killing him rippled among the gathered Mandokmun elders.
Dan Se-woong snorted in response.
"Why let you in? I thought of executing all the academy brats and sending them back to the alliance."
"Amitabha..."
Ilgak's face took on an enlightened expression. Magyeong and Demonic Cultists hadn't taken his life, but Jin Sowoon would.
Then.
"Is that all you've got?"
"...Huh?"
Jin Sowoon's voice rang brightly through the hall.
"I heard when you were appointed sect leader, you boasted you'd sweep away all Baekdo in the martial world. Are you carrying out that plan now?"
"......"
"Do you think chopping academy kids' heads and sending them to the alliance fulfills that vow?"
"......At least they'll learn to fear Mandokmun."
Jin Sowoon snorted softly.
"That's just a bunch of murderers. After that stunt, people will cling even harder to the alliance. 'Never deal with Heukdo scum!'"
"......"
"Three hundred years ago, when the alliance unified and declared Heukdo its public enemy, it was because they had the banner of 'justice'."
Bam!
Dan Se-woong slammed his chair, irritation thick in his voice.
"So what?!"
Jin Sowoon's tone suddenly calmed. Ilgak had heard and seen that voice and expression many times before.
And bad things always followed.
Like now.
"Didn't you experience it in Sahyeokryeon too? A new enemy will appear in the martial world soon. One neither Baekdo nor Heukdo can handle alone."
"......"
"If we must fight together anyway, wouldn't the side extending the hand first seize the initiative?"
Dan Se-woong sneered after a pause.
"...Baekdo hypocrites won't take that hand easily."
"Even better."
"Huh?"
Dan Se-woong leaned forward slightly. Seizing the moment, Jin Sowoon leaned toward him too.
"Heukdo extends a hand first for the martial world's peace. But arrogant Baekdo slaps it away."
He curled his lips and added,
"Doesn't that paint a different picture from three hundred years ago?"
Dan Se-woong stared at Jin Sowoon, lips pressed tight.
"Terrifying monsters beyond imagination have appeared. Yet Baekdo pettily turns its back, refusing alliance with Heukdo. People die, Heukdo fights desperately. What would the martial world see?"
In response to Jin Sowoon's question, Dan Se-woong murmured,
"Baekdo... would look foolish."
"You get it."
Ilgak couldn't follow the shift. One thing was clear: Dan Se-woong was growing intrigued.
"......"
Dan Se-woong cupped his mouth, silent for a moment.
Then.
"But."
His eyes flashed open.
"How can I believe what you went through? It's hard enough to accept such massive forces moved, let alone capturing a spirit."
"That's why I brought proof."
"Huh?"
Jin Sowoon's hand pointed straight at Ilgak.
"Monk Ilgak here, who mastered Shaolin's Yugyeong Sutra."
Ilgak's face twisted grotesquely.
Ignoring him, Jin Sowoon turned to the room and shouted,
"Have you ever seen a high monk of Buddha lie?"
"......"
Like a market quack peddling medicine, Jin Sowoon hawked Ilgak to the crowd.
"Anyone seen a Shaolin high monk lie? Step up."
But reactions remained lukewarm. No one discerns truth by status or origin.
Ilgak's betrayed expression—"Is this why you brought me?"—was natural.
With responses tepid despite his efforts, Jin Sowoon smacked his lips.
"Tch, even selling Shaolin's name didn't work."
Wearing a regretful look, he reached into his bosom and pulled out a leather pouch.
"Gallbladder of the Man-nyeon To-ung. Check it."
"!!!"
"!!!"
"!!!"
The Mandokmun members flinched in unison. Dan Se-woong nodded grimly, and a warrior swiftly took the item from Jin Sowoon's hand to him.
"...!"
Dan Se-woong's eyes widened like a rabbit's upon inspecting the pouch.
"This size... You really hunted a Man-nyeon To-ung?"
"Told you."
"The inner core... the core?"
"No core."
"...Ridiculous..."
Jin Sowoon shrugged shamelessly.
"If it had one, we wouldn't have escaped so hard."
Then, a Mandokmun disciple interjected.
"Sect Leader, records say Mukrim spirits sometimes have very small or no essence."
"Hm... Is that so?"
Dan Se-woong couldn't tear his eyes from the gallbladder, looking wistful.
Jin Sowoon grinned mischievously.
"Oh, right. This gallbladder's a gift for you, Sect Leader. Please accept."
"Huh?"
"I learned not to visit empty-handed."
A brief silence.
Then, roaring laughter erupted from Dan Se-woong.
"Hahaha! Well-taught by a fine sect. No wonder the Four Emperors' Peak Lord likes you. Haha!"
As he laughed, the tense group began smiling one by one.
Dan Se-woong sobered, his face solemn.
"Listen up. These are Baekdo guests visiting Mandokmun after three hundred years. Treat them with utmost hospitality."
The subordinates replied in unison.
"""Yes!"""
Jin Sowoon grinned at Ilgak.
"Solved nicely. Good thing I brought the gallbladder."
"......"
"What? Why the sour face?"
Why?
"Was it... necessary to sell Shaolin's name...?"
Jin Sowoon tsked regretfully.
"If Shaolin's name sold, I wouldn't have needed the gallbladder. Waste."
"......"
"Ah, you guys need to step up. No trust. Tch."
At Jin Sowoon's brazenness, Ilgak was speechless for a while.