The Murim Alliance's Offer
The Plum Blossom Sword Master of Mount Hua, Yeongho Jun.
He was one of the names that had stood shoulder to shoulder with others at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.
On the surface, he seemed like a talkative, gossipy fellow who could leap in any direction without warning. But beneath those playful eyes hid a sharper mind than anyone could guess.
He’s not as sloppy as he looks.
Excluding pure martial prowess, Hwan would have given him a higher score than even Namgung Cheon-hwi.
The fact that he had personally come all this way carrying the Murim Alliance’s banner meant this was far from a simple courtesy visit.
Beside him stood a woman following quietly in his wake. She had long, straight hair neatly tied back and a graceful face with gentle eyes.
Her name was Hwayeong-ryeong, wasn’t it?
She was Yeongho Jun’s junior sister, but what mattered more was that she was the granddaughter of the Plum Blossom Divine Sword, one of the Seven Supremes.
She had participated in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering alongside them, but she had failed to pass the third stage and been eliminated.
“Greetings, Patriarch Seomun. It is truly an honor to meet you in person like this!”
Yeongho Jun offered a deeply respectful bow to Seomun Dam, his attitude almost like a merchant trying to close a lucrative deal.
Seomun Dam returned the courtesy with proper etiquette.
“For the Murim Alliance to send an envoy directly to our family… I am deeply moved.”
His tone was polite yet carried weight. The two exchanged simple formalities.
His father maintained a solemn, almost oath-like dignity, while Yeongho Jun cheerfully peppered every sentence with “It is an honor” and “Thank you.”
It was a heartwarming display of the martial world’s senior-junior relationship, but to Seomun Hwan, all of it was nothing but a waste of time.
“…Enough.”
Seomun Hwan uncrossed his arms and spoke.
“At this rate, we’ll be here until sunrise. That should be enough formality. Shall we get to the real reason you’re here?”
At the rude interruption, Seomun Dam’s eyes widened in shock and he moved to stop his son, but Yeongho Jun simply grinned.
“Ahem. As expected, Young Hero is refreshingly direct. Then I’ll skip straight to the main point.”
Yeongho Jun straightened his posture and sat properly.
“News of your performance at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering has already reached the Murim Alliance. The majesty you displayed was more than enough to remind us of the forgotten legends of the Kunlun Sect.”
“I don’t need the flattery,” Seomun Hwan said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“So what kind of proposal have you come with? From the looks of it, you’re not here to simply invite me to join the Murim Alliance like an ordinary recruit.”
“As sharp as ever. This is exactly why I hate dealing with quick-witted kids… Ah, ahem!”
Yeongho Jun paused for a moment before finally revealing his true intentions.
“Joining the Murim Alliance is only natural. However, I would like to offer Young Hero something a little more… special.”
“Special?”
“Yes.”
Yeongho Jun leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a lower, far more serious tone than before.
“The Alliance Leader was deeply impressed by what he heard of your exploits. He wishes to place you not as a regular member, but in his own personal elite unit.”
For a brief moment, the air in the room grew heavy.
Seomun Dam’s eyebrows rose subtly in surprise.
“…The Leader’s personal unit? You don’t mean the Changryongdae, do you?”
“Exactly. The Blue Dragon Unit itself.”
The current leader of the Murim Alliance was Jang Gu-tak, the Iron Fist Hero.
Unusually, he belonged to neither the Nine Sects and One Gang nor the Five Great Noble Families. He was a third-party figure.
A survivor of a sect that had been destroyed during the Righteous-Demonic War.
Because of that, he had been accepted as a neutral choice who formed no factions and showed bias toward no one. He had been raised to the position of Alliance Leader as a way to maintain balance among the orthodox sects.
That had been seven years ago.
His father, Seomun Dam, spoke with clear admiration.
“If you were to enter the Changryongdae, it would be an immense honor for our family.”
The personal unit of the Murim Alliance Leader.
For the Seomun Clan, which had only just begun its resurgence, it might be the highest possible honor.
But…
“Hmm.”
Seomun Hwan kept his arms crossed, tilting his head slightly with a sullen expression.
It sounds good on the surface.
But it was all flash and no substance. The power of an Alliance Leader who belonged to neither a major sect nor a noble family had clear limits.
He maintained influence through checks and balances, but the limitations of his origins were obvious.
A personal unit under such a leader?
The burden might outweigh any real benefit.
“It sounds nice and all,” Seomun Hwan said expressionlessly.
“So what exactly do I gain by joining the Changryongdae?”
He was asking for substance rather than an empty title.
Seomun Dam’s eyes widened slightly, and Hwayeong-ryeong lowered her gaze.
But Yeongho Jun didn’t frown even once. Instead, he smiled as if he had been waiting for exactly this.
“I knew you would ask that.”
Yeongho Jun nodded slowly. Then, as if he had been prepared all along, he played his hand.
“If Young Hero Seomun joins the Changryongdae, the Murim Alliance will provide full and unconditional support for the reconstruction of the Kunlun Sect.”
“…!”
Seomun Dam’s eyes flew wide open in shock.
And for good reason. Support at the level of the entire Murim Alliance?
The Leader must have already given his approval.
To invoke the Leader’s name and commit the Alliance’s resources was an enormous decision.
If that promise was real, it might be possible to bring the forgotten Kunlun Sect back to the forefront of the martial world.
But Seomun Hwan’s answer was still firm.
“I refuse.”
For an instant, the air in the room froze in silence.
Yeongho Jun blinked and maintained an easy smile, but he couldn’t completely hide his surprise.
“Young Hero, please think it over carefully…”
“No need.”
Seomun Hwan cut him off with a decisive answer.
“I already thought it over. That’s why I’m refusing.”
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy once again.
Seomun Hwan stared out the window for a moment with an indifferent expression before continuing in a calm voice.
“Kunlun has been forgotten. Its mountain range has crumbled, its legends have vanished, and now even its name exists only in old tales. Rebuilding such a Kunlun is not as simple as constructing a few buildings.”
He slowly turned his head to look at Yeongho Jun.
“Kunlun must stand as Kunlun. If it is built by leaning on someone else’s pillars, who would truly recognize it as Kunlun?”
The smile gradually faded from Yeongho Jun’s face.
Beneath his playful expression, the serious demeanor of a true martial artist began to surface.
Seomun Hwan added quietly.
“If Kunlun is to be reborn, it must be built with Kunlun’s blood, Kunlun’s sword, and Kunlun’s will.”
His words were resolute, and there wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his eyes.
It was an incredibly stubborn voice.
Yet within it flowed the conviction and bearing of a martial artist, carrying a determination that no one could easily break.
That’s what they must be thinking.
My eyeballs feel like they’re about to fall out from keeping this unshakable gaze going.
The claim that he was a descendant of Kunlun was a complete and utter lie to begin with.
What good would rebuilding the Kunlun Sect do for him now?
It might become a great force if truly rebuilt… but that’s at least ten years away.
When he couldn’t even guarantee tomorrow, what was the point of planning ten years ahead?
Seomun Hwan paused for a moment before speaking again.
“Instead.”
His low, calm voice filled the room.
“Give that support to the Seomun Merchant Group.”
“Hwan-ah!”
Seomun Dam was so startled he nearly jumped out of his seat, and Yeongho Jun’s brows narrowed for a split second.
“…To the Seomun Merchant Group?”
“The Kunlun Sect may no longer exist, but the Seomun Merchant Group is still alive. And it will grow even larger in the future.”
Seomun Hwan slowly picked up the teacup that had been sitting on the other side of the desk.
He took a sip as if moistening his lips, then continued quietly.
“If the Murim Alliance truly wishes to walk with me, they should show interest not just in me alone, but in the foundation that moves alongside me. Right now, that foundation is not Kunlun, but the Seomun Merchant Group.”
At the unexpected statement, Seomun Dam quietly raised his eyes and stared at his son.
He was busy trying to figure out exactly what his son was trying to say. But Seomun Hwan continued without the slightest disturbance.
“I won’t make any unreasonable demands. Simply…”
He tapped his finger on the table.
“All logistics and events of the Murim Alliance that pass through Hubei. Have the Seomun Merchant Group take full responsibility for them.”
“…Is that all?”
Yeongho Jun’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes.”
Seomun Hwan nodded.
“The Alliance won’t need to expend funds or manpower. Instead, utilizing an already operating system would be the most efficient investment possible.”
He paused briefly, then added.
“It won’t burden the Leader either. He simply needs to recommend it with the Alliance’s authority. We’ll keep the formalities the same and simply handle the actual work.”
Yeongho Jun lowered his head for a moment. Then he slowly lifted it again, a smile forming on his lips.
“…Young Hero Seomun.”
He clapped once without saying a word.
“It seems you are just as skilled in negotiation as you are in martial arts. I’m truly impressed.”
Seomun Hwan let out a small chuckle.
“I am the son of a merchant family, after all.”
At those words, Yeongho Jun laughed again.
This time it wasn’t forced. It was a genuine laugh.
“The Leader will like this too. He wanted someone who knows how to secure real benefits.”
“I would be grateful if he sees it that way.”
Seomun Dam simply sat there with a dazed expression.
It had happened far too quickly.
In just a few exchanged sentences, the Seomun Merchant Group had become the exclusive trading partner of the Murim Alliance.
Only then did the reality of it begin to sink in.
If it’s not just Hubei, but all rights and interests passing through the entire Hubei region…
Events, supplies, security, escort services, taverns, inns, and even information distribution.
Just calculating the things that came to mind, the scale of the merchant group would easily grow more than twice as large.
Seomun Dam silently moistened his lips and gathered his thoughts.
Even as the patriarch, he couldn’t utter a single word about the transformation his child had achieved right before his eyes.
It was then.
Clap! Clap!
Yeongho Jun smiled and clapped his hands.
“Then I will take that as acceptance of your entry into the Changryongdae. You are now ready to hear the Leader’s first command.”
At those words, Seomun Dam snapped back to his senses. Without hesitation, he rose to his feet.
“If you are about to discuss confidential matters related to the Alliance, it would be best if I left the room.”
Although he was the head of the family, listening to the Murim Alliance’s secret agenda would clearly be crossing a line.
Seomun Dam was a man who knew how to separate public and private affairs.
He gave his son one last look with trembling eyes, then silently left the room.
The sound of the door closing heavily settled over the space for a moment.
Only then did Seomun Hwan set down his teacup and ask in a slightly calmer tone.
“Now that my father has left, tell me the real reason. You wouldn’t be offering such extraordinary conditions just to recruit me because I’m a slightly talented junior. This kind of aggressive recruitment is suspicious. Why is the Murim Alliance in such a hurry to pull me in?”
After a brief silence, Yeongho Jun straightened his posture with a far more serious expression.
The playful tone and smile had completely vanished.
“The truth is… our Changryongdae has been tasked with a classified mission.”
Yeongho Jun glanced around instinctively and lowered his voice another level.
“Followers of the Phantom Demon have begun to move.”
Seomun Hwan remained silent.
But his silence wasn’t because he had nothing to say. It was the time needed to solidify his certainty.
As expected… the Murim Alliance already knew.
But did they know about the reincarnations as well?
From what he could sense, it seemed they had not reached that level of information yet.
If they knew that the Ihon-daebeop had succeeded even halfway, they wouldn’t be responding this calmly.
Seomun Hwan asked.
“So what exactly do you want from me?”
“The secret techniques of your master, Taeheo Singeom.”
Yeongho Jun paused and quietly drew in a breath.
“Your master, Taeheo Singeom, was the only martial artist who could stand against the Phantom Demon. More precisely, he was the only person from the orthodox faction who ever dealt him a meaningful blow.”
Seomun Hwan’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
In his past-life memories, the final sword of Kunlun.
The pain and brilliance he had felt when that blade pierced him still lingered clearly in his mind.
“We believe that Taeheo Singeom must have known a way to counter the Phantom Demon Art.”
In other words, in exchange for massive support, they wanted the secret to breaking the Hwanma-gong or the martial arts that could achieve it.
Since it had inflicted a serious wound on the Phantom Demon himself, they must have assumed there was some special method.
However…
They’re completely barking up the wrong tree.