Murim Alliance (1)
At the word crow, Deokheum narrowed his eyes and studied the bird.
It was indeed pitch-black, yet its appearance differed from any ordinary crow. Its tail feathers were far longer and more luxurious.
And its cry was unmistakably different, wasn’t it?
Seomun Hwan answered in a curt, lazy drawl.
“It’s still a chick. It’ll sound the same once it grows up.”
“Is… that so?”
“That’s what I said.”
Deokheum tilted his head, but he had watched his young master tame birds many times before, so he simply let the matter drop.
“Where is the mother?”
“No idea.”
“Then… are you really planning to raise it yourself?”
“That’s right.”
It was still a fledgling, but it was a Vermilion Bird. If trained properly, it would become immensely useful.
It would surely outperform the three yokai under Mok Sa-cheon’s command.
Anything less and there would have been no reason to surrender the spirit pill.
It was most certainly not because he had been charmed by its adorable appearance.
Ahem!
“Then what’s its name?”
“Name?”
“You said you’re raising it. It needs a name. Don’t tell me you hadn’t even thought of that?”
“Hmm!”
He wasn’t wrong. If he intended to raise it properly, a name was the least it deserved.
Just then, the bird’s jet-black plumage caught his eye.
“Ggamangi.”
“Pardon?”
“Ggamangi. That’s this one’s name.”
Deokheum stared at him with an expression of pure disbelief.
“…Isn’t that a little too half-hearted?”
“Why? It’s easy to remember. Isn’t that right, Ggamangi?”
Species: Juvenile Vermilion Bird (Jujak)
Current State: Newly hatched, imprinting in progress
Response: Peep!
The newly christened Ggamangi flapped its wings vigorously in answer.
“See? Even the bird likes it.”
“Hmph!”
Deokheum gave a single loud sniff and changed the subject.
“On another note, I heard you’ve taken in a new person. An elderly man nearing eighty, from what I understand?”
“Ah, yes. My new servant.”
“That person… is a servant?”
“What do you mean, ‘that person’?”
Deokheum tilted his head again.
From the moment he first laid eyes on the old man, he had sensed an inexplicable weighty aura. He couldn’t quite put it into words, but the man’s presence was nothing like that of an ordinary servant.
Deokheum might not be a martial artist, but he had spent enough time in the gangho to recognize when someone was more than they appeared. He was certain Mok Sa-cheon was no ordinary man.
“Is he… truly just a servant?”
“Good heavens! Yes, he is. You’re unusually suspicious today.”
Deokheum opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally nodding. Anyone could tell there was more to the story, but since his master wasn’t offering details, there was no point in pressing the matter.
With a resigned sigh, Deokheum asked, “Then what should I call him?”
Seomun Hwan lifted Ggamangi onto his palm and answered casually.
“Just call him Mokno.”
“…Mokno?”
As previously arranged, he had successfully brought Mok Sa-cheon into the family. He had even prepared a separate residence within the grounds for the old sorcerer.
He really is useful. If it were up to me, I’d keep him here forever, but…
Binding Mok Sa-cheon for life was nearly impossible. The man was a supreme sorcerer. Even with his primary power sealed, he would eventually find a way to break free.
In that case, setting a clear time limit and making proper use of him was far more advantageous.
So, several days earlier, Seomun Hwan had made him an offer.
Term: Mok Sa-cheon shall protect the Seomun Clan with all his power for exactly five years.
Compensation: Full transmission of the Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel.
Upon completion of the term, Mok Sa-cheon shall be granted complete freedom.
Penalty for breach: None. The contractor’s word is his bond.
Mok Sa-cheon’s eyes had widened in shock.
“Just five years?”
Five years was enough. In that time, both Seomun Hwan and the Seomun Clan would grow strong enough to need no one’s protection.
After a long moment of consideration, Mok Sa-cheon had asked, “What exactly do you want from me?”
“It’s simple. Keep annoying flies from buzzing around this place.”
Seomun Hwan intended to use the old sorcerer not as a mere servant, but as the sturdiest shield guarding his family.
Mok Sa-cheon was an exceptional sorcerer. If he focused on building defensive arrays, not even most superlative masters would be able to break through.
“You would use this Mok Sa-cheon… as a watchdog?”
The old man had trembled with rage. His pride was immense. It was time to offer a carrot.
“If you faithfully guard the house for five years as promised, I will teach you something good.”
“Something good? What could that be?”
“I will pass on the Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel.”
“…What did you just say?”
Mok Sa-cheon’s eyes had gone round as saucers. The fury that had shaken his body only moments before froze into pure astonishment.
Seomun Hwan had repeated calmly, “I said I will teach you the Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel.”
The old sorcerer had gone completely still. His lips quivered.
The Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel was the ultimate forbidden sorcery that bound yokai with inescapable chains, weaving their flesh and souls into the sorcerer’s sword and shield. Yet if one could not master it, the yokai’s nature would devour the practitioner instead.
So Ji-myeong had planned to use it to absorb the power of a divine beast and seize the world. Had Seomun Hwan not interfered, he likely would have succeeded.
Mok Sa-cheon had stared at him, still unable to believe what he was hearing.
“You would truly give it to me?”
His voice had begun to shake. It was too sweet a temptation to trust, yet too sweet to reject.
“You would hand over such a thing… for nothing in return?”
Seomun Hwan had smirked. “Nothing? Guarding the Seomun Clan for five years is the price.”
Mok Sa-cheon’s breathing had grown ragged. Deep in his eyes, something had begun to burn.
He knew exactly what miracles So Ji-myeong had performed with that sorcery.
If I obtain that technique…
He had pictured his three yokai—already trained and brainwashed. With the Ghost Wheel’s binding added to them, they would be reborn as true divine beasts. And if he absorbed their power completely…
I could plant the Mosan Sect’s banner in this murim once more!
Mok Sa-cheon had bitten his lip hard enough to draw blood. The mere thought made his blood boil.
Seomun Hwan had stroked Ggamangi in silence before speaking again in a calm, even tone.
“I swear on my name. Protect the Seomun Clan faithfully for five years, and I will hand the Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel over to you in full.”
After a long internal struggle, Mok Sa-cheon had no choice but to believe him.
“Very well. If that is the case, I will ask no further questions.”
He had crossed his arms and declared with solemn determination, “Only five years. For the glory of the Mosan Sect, this Mok Sa-cheon would sell even his own body. It is a profitable trade.”
Only then had he gained a true ally.
With Mok Sa-cheon on our side, I can breathe a little easier.
There had been a reason he offered the Ghost Wheel despite its value. After defeating So Ji-myeong and absorbing the fragment of the Phantom Demon’s soul, forgotten memories from his previous life had resurfaced.
I never cared about unifying the murim or conquering the world.
In his youth he had been obsessed with such things. Drunk on power, he had wanted everything beneath his feet.
Then… why did I change?
There had been a catalyst. A plan so grand that ruling the world seemed trivial by comparison. He had abandoned the tedious business of unifying the central plains and thrown himself into research.
He had been so absorbed in that research that he left an opening and met his end.
That much had returned to him, yet the most crucial part remained elusive.
What exactly was that plan?
The single most important memory still refused to surface. It seemed the fragments of his soul were not yet complete. He clearly remembered being so impressed by the idea that he had slapped his own knee in admiration.
These days, he had zero interest in the Phantom Demon’s grand designs. However…
That so-called magnificent plan probably wasn’t anything good for the world.
Objectively and subjectively, the Phantom Demon had been a villain. Though he had possessed unmatched strength, he had been equally unmatched in his bastardry.
What could possibly have made even that monster abandon everything else?
All he could recall was that the plan had been enough to overturn his entire worldview and values. It would have turned the world upside down.
In any case, it would not have benefited his family.
If another Phantom Demon reincarnation achieves it…
If his expectations were correct, there were at least four more reincarnations besides So Ji-myeong and himself. Born from the same root yet possessing different environments and personalities. So Ji-myeong had tried to kill his own sect brothers and master. The others were likely no different.
One problem after another.
The current situation was far from simple. The Heavenly Demon Cult, the First Disciple, and the other reincarnations… Dark currents writhed everywhere.
Simply hiding in the clan and waiting was no longer enough. It was time to move in earnest.
It’ll be a bit of a hassle, but…
What choice did he have? To protect his family, he would have to become a little more diligent.
While he was lost in thought, Deokheum suddenly clapped his hands as if remembering something.
Clap!
“Ah! That’s right! Someone arrived from the Murim Alliance.”
This was the real reason Deokheum had come looking for him. He had been so distracted by Ggamangi that he had forgotten until now.
“Huh? Suddenly?”
Thinking about it, it wasn’t strange at all. He had been posing as a descendant of the Kunlun Sect and had even become a member of the Dragon Phoenix Assembly. With his fame rising daily, the Murim Alliance could no longer ignore him.
The Dragon Phoenix Assembly was probably the verification process.
Having passed their test with flying colors, the Alliance had sent an envoy. In other words, they had officially recognized Seomun Hwan as the true successor of Kunlun.
Now there’s no escaping it.
The casual excuse he had thrown out had returned as solid truth. Soon the Murim Alliance would publicly declare that the legitimate lineage of Kunlun belonged to Seomun Hwan.
It would bring honor, but responsibility would follow in equal measure.
It means carrying the thousand-year history of Kunlun on my back.
Kunlun had completely collapsed. Taeheo Singeom was dead, their sword lineage severed, and countless branch sects and disciples had scattered to the winds.
Rebuilding Kunlun’s name was not merely about restoring honor. It meant shouldering every grudge and obligation tied to it.
The surviving remnants of Kunlun who had been living in hiding, the outer branches that existed in name only, the old sects that had opposed Kunlun, those who had mocked its downfall, and even those who had desperately tried to revive it… He would have to bear them all.
Well, I expected as much.
If he had feared such entanglements, he never would have started down this path.
Having organized his thoughts, he asked Deokheum, “Where are the people from the Murim Alliance now?”
“The clan head has invited them to the reception hall.”
“Who came as the envoy?”
“It appears to be two young martial artists from the Mount Hua Sect.”
There was only one young martial artist from Mount Hua that he knew.
When he followed Deokheum to the reception hall, a familiar face greeted him. A man with gentle, smiling eyes full of mischief. It was none other than Yeongho Jun of Mount Hua, his fellow member from the Dragon Phoenix Assembly.
“Yo! Young Master Seomun Hwan. It’s been a while… wait, no. I saw you just recently, didn’t I? Haha! In any case, it’s good to see you.”