The Lone Rebellion
The Cheoksagun Commander, Baekri Hyeok.
“Commander! We can’t endure this any longer!”
“That’s right! Even the discrimination from the Alliance has its limits. What is this?”
“All our achievements have been stolen! If things continue like this, everything we’ve built since rising to this position will be denied!”
“The grievances of countless warriors from various sects and clans have reached their peak! If we’re going to act, it must be now!”
The voices of his subordinates deepened the lines on Baekri Hyeok’s face. He was not without sympathy for their complaints. From the beginning, the discrimination within the Alliance had largely been directed at him. The Baekri Clan’s standing was never particularly high to begin with.
The trouble had begun after he crushed every rising star at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering and claimed the title of Divine Dragon. Baekri Hyeok had been young then, and he had not understood the power struggles within the Alliance. Yet the one who recognized his talent and took him in was none other than the Heavenly Sovereign, Ak Biryang.
After years of training under him, Baekri Hyeok returned to the Alliance with power that even the Alliance Leader, Namgung Yeong, could not match. On the surface, the discrimination vanished—though only the kind that had targeted the Baekri Clan alone. Discrimination against the smaller sects, clans, and martial families remained unchanged. For an organization calling itself the Murim Alliance, it had long since become a stage rigged by the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans.
“There will be no rebellion. I will not plunge the world back into chaos.”
“Commander!”
“I will take full responsibility. You know nothing about this rebellion.”
“What?”
“I go alone.”
“…!”
At Baekri Hyeok’s decision, the subordinates of the Cheoksagun and the people of the smaller clans and sects were stunned. He was a warrior who had endured every form of discrimination within the Murim Alliance and risen to the position of Cheoksagun Commander. Yet now he intended to face the colossal alliance of orthodox sects alone. It was a reckless choice.
But Baekri Hyeok had already made up his mind.
“All responsibility is mine. Therefore, you know nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Commander! We will go with you!”
“Yes! The Murim Alliance is an enormous force! For you to face them alone…”
“With the Four Heavenly Kings watching with open eyes, you want to topple the Alliance’s system? I cannot allow that.”
With those words, Baekri Hyeok rose from his seat without a trace of hesitation and left the meeting hall. Those who watched him depart for the heart of the Alliance, sword in hand and a resolute expression on his face, realized he was sacrificing himself for a greater cause. They offered silent prayers on his behalf.
The rebellion would fail. The Murim Alliance was no fragile organization that could be overturned by a single man. Therefore, they made a vow: if the day ever came when Baekri Hyeok set foot in the Murim Alliance again, they would follow him no matter what happened.
“Everyone! Salute the Cheoksagun Commander, Baekri Hyeok!”
“…”
Step, step, step, step.
The warriors seeing him off swallowed their surging emotions and offered their final salute. From this day forward, he would no longer be able to enter the Murim Alliance. Sensing their sincerity, Baekri Hyeok paused and turned back. Some shed hot tears; others desperately held them back.
And Baekri Hyeok spoke.
“Thank you, all of you.”
He bowed his head to them, then stepped out of the hall with a determined face. At the same time, he unleashed the energy of the Baekcheon Divine Art he had been holding in reserve to its fullest.
Kwoooooooong!!
“W-What is that?!”
“An ambush! No—wait! This energy belongs to the Cheoksagun Commander!”
“Forget who he is and stop him! His killing intent is mixed in!”
In an instant, the energy of the Baekcheon Divine Art spread throughout the entire Murim Alliance. The Alliance’s warriors immediately went on high alert. Yet in a corner of their hearts, they all shared the same thought: they had never imagined Baekri Hyeok possessed such overwhelming power.
“What is the meaning of this, Cheoksagun Commander? Are you raising your banner against the Murim Alliance?”
“What will you do, Sect Leader?”
“Move! How dare a mere commander commit such madness!”
“If you do not wish to die at the hands of a mere commander, step aside. I have no business with you, Sect Leader.”
“…!”
The one blocking Baekri Hyeok’s path was Jong Gwon, the Sect Leader of the Jongnam Sect. Despite his words, there were many grievances Baekri Hyeok still needed to settle with Jongnam. But what he sought now was far greater than Jongnam alone.
“I will pass. If you draw your sword, I will take it as a declaration of battle.”
Baekri Hyeok brushed past Jong Gwon without hesitation and headed for the center of the Alliance. Jong Gwon wanted nothing more than to point his sword at him, but his body refused to obey. The aura Baekri Hyeok radiated was simply too vast for him to oppose.
‘Just how did he become so strong?!’
Still not yet thirty, the man carried an inner energy that made even the leader of one of the Nine Great Sects tremble. Could it be that the power he had displayed upon returning to the Murim Alliance had not been his full strength? Jong Gwon felt that this incident would not end easily. The current Baekri Hyeok had clearly reached the realm of a Murim Sage.
“The Sword Sovereign… is it…”
Jong Gwon knew well what it would take to stop Baekri Hyeok once he had risen. Yet achieving that goal would mean Baekri Hyeok could never remain in the Alliance again. Moreover, the enmity between the Namgung and Baekri families would spiral beyond control.
Meanwhile, Baekri Hyeok, who had driven back the approaching forces with nothing but his inner energy, finally stood before the Alliance Leader’s office at the heart of the Murim Alliance.
[Cheoksagun Commander Baekri Hyeok requests an audience with the great Murim Alliance Leader, Namgung Yeong! Open the door!]
His voice echoed loudly, stirring Namgung Yeong’s temper. Yet even the Alliance Leader was visibly shaken by the magnitude of Baekri Hyeok’s power. He had no choice but to consider how to resolve the situation peacefully.
Of course, Baekri Hyeok gave him no time.
[If you will not open it, I will break it down! I am doing this to preserve your dignity, Alliance Leader. Come out at once!]
“…Baekri Hyeok!”
Namgung Yeong emerged from his office, his face filled with rage. The sword at his waist suggested he had already considered the possibility of a clash of martial force.
“This is clearly rebellion. If you do not disarm immediately—”
“And if I don’t? Will you fight me?”
“…!”
When Baekri Hyeok released a ferocious aura, Namgung Yeong flinched. For a moment, he had sensed killing intent and nearly drawn his sword. Had he done so, the situation would have become irreversible. He barely managed to restrain himself through sheer willpower.
“Alliance Leader. No—Namgung Yeong.”
“You insolent—!”
“You already know why you stood by and did nothing. It is because of the nature of the Namgung Clan.”
“What?”
“Do you understand how great the anger of the oppressed smaller sects and clans has become?”
Strength naturally entered Baekri Hyeok’s voice. Every injustice he had suffered until now rose vividly in his mind.
“I am alone, yet I am not alone. Behind me stand the wills of countless warriors.”
“Baekri Hyeok… You wouldn’t dare—!”
“Bring Namgung Ak. If you do not, I will stake my life to slaughter every member of the Murim Alliance’s upper echelon!”
“…!”
Namgung Yeong ground his teeth until they threatened to crack. There was only one reason Baekri Hyeok had named Namgung Ak: he already knew the truth behind the death of his younger brother—the incident that had been kept hidden all this time.
‘What should I do…? The power Baekri Hyeok possesses is not something one man should hold…’
Now that he had witnessed it firsthand, he understood. Baekri Hyeok’s strength approached that of the current Murim Sage. Though there were still shortcomings, he was by no means on the same level as them. Moreover, he now understood why the man had come alone. He had taken upon himself the role of proxy, shouldering all responsibility for the smaller sects and clans. Even if Baekri Hyeok committed a massacre, the blame would fall on him alone.
Now Namgung Yeong stood at the crossroads of his life: fight Baekri Hyeok here, or bring his son before him.
“Decide quickly, Namgung Yeong. If your son does not appear, I will march straight into your clan.”
“W-What?! You would truly attack the Namgung Clan—!”
“The Namgung Clan—!!”
Rumble.
As Baekri Hyeok roared in fury and stomped the ground, a faint tremor ran through the earth. Namgung Yeong, who had been about to retort, could not help but flinch. Baekri Hyeok, emotions already surging, unleashed the words he had long kept buried.
“You covered up my younger brother’s death…”
“…”
“Now it is time for you to pay the price.”
At the same moment a tear fell from Baekri Hyeok’s eye and struck the ground—
Chaeaeaeaeeng!!
For the first time since the founding of the Murim Alliance, the rebellion that could not be concealed had begun.