---

**

“…Something’s odd. Military officer.”

Martial Alliance Leader Namgung Hyuk struggled to find calmness.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t regain his composure.

—KWAANG!!!

The table split in two and rolled across the floor. Before it stood the Martial Alliance’s military officer, Jegeol Soak, quietly staring without moving an inch.

“It’s strange. Very strange. Didn’t the military officer say? The loneliness implanted in their minds was specially developed by the Tang family, and no master or healer in the world could remove it.”

“That statement is correct.”

“But what has happened now? Huh? How did the situation change? Am I dreaming? If so, it’s a terrible nightmare! Hahaha! A truly terrible one!”

“…Calm down, Leader. There’s still a chance for recovery…”

“Recovery?! You say recover NOW?!”

Martial Alliance Leader Namgung Hyuk stomped forward, trampling the scattered tools with no restraint.

“You personally took responsibility for this mess, so how do you plan to make amends, huh? I remember you insisted several times that the Divine Army only followed me alone…and now those guys are tightening their grip around my neck… What? A chance for recovery?”

“……”

“The words I’m about to say must be chosen carefully. It seems I’m becoming increasingly impatient.”

“…The assassination using the Divine Army has failed, hence it is believed that the Blood Lord’s ability is superior to that of the current Leader. Therefore, the only options available now are…”

“I specifically asked you to choose your words carefully.”

Namgung Hyuk chuckled.

With a face twisted in anger.

“What’s with that brat? Overcoming me? Speak less nonsense, Military officer. Zhu Moxing and Dam Bi-chang. Those two punks together aren’t a threat to me at all!”

“…….”

“So? What’s next? Shall we just offer the remaining Divine Army over there? Huh? Is that the military officer’s plan? What a remarkable scheme! They say your mind is the best in the martial world, and truly I can’t argue with that!”

“…Leader, please calm down. Judging the current situation rationally, it may not be all that bad.”

“I’ve lost the strongest four that I raised, and you say that isn’t bad?”

“…They’ve been causing trouble for a long time. They’ve mentioned wanting to die more than once. So one could say that we’ve pruned the uncontrollable parts from the whole.”

“Truly optimistic! Haha! Good! It’s helpful for mental stability to think positively! But you know…Military officer…”

—Squish. Squish.

Underfoot, the powdered brush lay completely crushed on the floor.

The Martial Alliance Leader smiled coldly.

“I didn’t bring this up to receive comfort. Stop rambling nonsense. I could very well crush your skull.”

“……”

“So? How do you plan to resolve this kind of situation?”

Jegeol Soak hesitated for a moment.

“The situation has become quite chaotic, we could not eliminate him, and simultaneously our methods have been made known to the world through their mouths.”

“I never said to replay a messed-up situation!”

“The existence of the Divine Army has also been revealed, and it has secretly come to light that loneliness is implanted in their minds. Although those belonging to the Divine Army negate it as our command, some who survived opposing us may be seeking opportunities.”

“……”

“The situation is undeniably chaotic. A letter has come from the new Martial Alliance. They plan to formally address the treacherous acts committed by an organization that should be advocating justice. And as a witness, they will be casting the current Blood Lord.”

“That son of a dog Dan Ri Jin Su, how far has he come…!”

“But on the flip side, it means we now have a justification to gather these troublesome individuals in one place.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

The red-faced Martial Alliance Leader finally paused his actions.

“What… does that mean?”

“It means we can gather the troublesome ones all at once. You can see it as a chance to deal with all who harbor discontent against the Leader in one fell swoop.”

“…But that only works if there is power and justification. Jeok-un. That bastard couldn’t even handle the Divine Army’s martial artists. If they join together with those calling themselves the new Martial Alliance, my forces alone won’t be able to handle them.”

“But it will be different if it’s somewhere else.”

“…Somewhere else?”

“Reverse Heaven. I’m talking about Yeokcheon.”

The Martial Alliance Leader groaned briefly.

He muttered in a softened voice.

“Military officer, hasn’t it been a long time since we lost contact with them? The last one I managed to contact was nothing but a madman.”

“But because he’s a madman, he’ll love this kind of situation even more.”

“How do you expect me to gauge his character? With a heart so impure, who knows what’s truly happening inside? Jin Baek-cheon. How can you expect me to trust him? He could decide to use the Martial Alliance for fun.”

“I will persuade him myself, Leader. So please arrange the meeting. It’s a fortuitous occasion that the opportunity has opened now…”

Jegeol Soak punctuated the conversation.

“This may be a chance to wrap up the troublesome heads of their factions at once. To clarify the rights and wrongs of the current situation, we’ll invite the Former Society, as well as the new Martial Alliance and that Blood Lord, and deal with them all in one place.”

“…If blood were to spill at the Martial Alliance’s place, wouldn’t our already shaky reputation tremble even more?”

“Don’t worry. Since there might come a day when we’ll need them, we still have the materials about the Demon Cult’s Man-sa-shin-of tucked away.”

“Materials…? What’re you talking about…”

“Just trust me, Leader. This military officer has sworn loyalty only to the current Leader.”

Jegeol Soak bowed deeply.

“I won’t disappoint this time. I’m putting my neck on the line. The incident can be covered up as something instigated by the Demon Cult. I will rectify all of these mishaps.”

. . .

The martial world was shaken.

Although the essence of the Martial Alliance Leader had been quietly exposed by the new Martial Alliance, many had dismissed it because they were seen merely as enemies.

But this time it was different. The four masters serving the Martial Alliance Leader—who had made quite a name for themselves in the martial world—were set to reveal the wrongdoings of one individual.

Dam Bi-chang.

Zhu Moxing.

Weiji Il-do.

Smaak.

The stories revealed by those four, who wagered their lives and names, stirred commotion among the people. Among them, those identifying themselves as the “new Martial Alliance” were the most engrossed.

With ties to the Mudaos and backed by the Dojon Muguk Jinin Baek So-pyeong.

And at the center, the former Elder of the Martial Alliance and current Leader of the new Martial Alliance, Dan Ri Jin Su, raised his voice.

Determined to reveal this incident clearly and prevent any further victims.

“……”

But if one were to ask if the new Martial Alliance was any cleaner…

Most who heard the question shook their heads.

The new Martial Alliance similarly craved power and had inflicted harm on civilians. While they preached justice, they treated potential foes ruthlessly.

They never offered help without reason, and if someone posed a hindrance, they moved without hesitation to eliminate them first.

If the old Martial Alliance represented distorted justice…

Then most would agree that the new Martial Alliance embodied cold justice.

“…….”

But I cared little for either of those two camps. I had come here not to correct wrongs but to fulfill my own mission.

After all, this place was foreign to me. I could not discern where right ended and wrong began. And I had long lost any attachment to an organization called the Martial Alliance, or to just causes…

I merely perceived this place as a stop along my journey.

Of course, if someone pitiable appeared before me, I couldn’t just ignore them. But if an organization leading with a righteous cause approached me, I could easily respond.

Don’t drag me into your political games.

“I greet the Blood Lord.”

But what kind of answer should I give in a situation like this?

“……”

The Martial Alliance’s domain had left me. There was no more business to attend to.

I sought out the head of Cheonmu Academy separately, but he was not within the Martial Alliance’s territory. Apparently, after losing his leverage as a grandson, he often clashed with the Martial Alliance Leader and recently shifted to the new Martial Alliance.

Thus, I turned toward my originally intended destination to meet with the Former Society. However, as soon as I exited the Martial Alliance’s domain, I encountered these individuals.

Those who arrived as emissaries of the new Martial Alliance.

I pondered deeply for the sake of the Former Society. Simultaneously, I looked at the two individuals before me.

Two people. And those two were people I had met before.

Myochoa and Geumpyeong.

The connection that had started at Shaolin Temple.

The disciple of the current Martial Alliance Leader known as the new Martial Alliance, and…

The quiet warrior who seemed to have been an aide to Jegeol Soak.

The two stood before me as members of the new Martial Alliance. But while I could understand the former, I couldn’t comprehend the latter’s presence.

If he served Jegeol Soak, that meant he was from the old Martial Alliance. As for Geumpyeong, he could only be a member of the old Martial Alliance…

Why in the world were the two of them together here?

“…You seem puzzled. About my presence here.”

In contrast to before, his demeanor was polite. Clearly adapted to my risen status.

Geumpyeong bowed deeply.

“I was originally a member of Elder Dan Ri Jin Su, the current Leader of the new Martial Alliance.”

“I didn’t know. Who would have thought that my Master would keep it a secret from me? Truly, such cunning…”

“I’ve said many times, to deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies.”

“Even so, I’m not someone who would blabber about these things…”

Myochoa, who was speaking quickly, suddenly gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. She glanced at me before maintaining her calm voice again.

“It’s been a while, dear rival. Have you been well?”

“With so much happening, ‘well’ seems a bit far-fetched.”

“…I know. We aren’t in a position to exchange pleasantries. But how about putting emotions aside for a moment and having a conversation?”

“What exactly are you talking about?”

“We need your testimony, dear rival. Additionally, we would greatly appreciate your cooperation with the four members accompanying you. This is a chance to shake the very foundations of the Former Martial Alliance’s legitimacy, and the new Martial Alliance intends to risk everything in this opportunity. As the justification comes, the people will come, and naturally, the paradigm will shift in our favor.”

Myochoa.

She wriggled her hands.

“…If you have something you want, do tell us. The new Martial Alliance is prepared to meet any demands. Moreover, besides personal gains, you do know, don’t you? How dreadful the current Martial Alliance Leader is. He sent you to your doom. He’s the kind that should never stand as a face for justice. It’s right to expose him during this opportunity.”

“Are you saying the new Martial Alliance is better than that?”

“We’ve committed our share of small wrongdoings. I won’t deny that. But all of it was for the greater good. If we were to go back to the past, we would commit the same deeds. It was unavoidable in order to establish the foundation of the new Martial Alliance and to punish the wicked.”

I stared quietly at the two.

“…I do have a request.”

Myochoa’s face brightened.

“Please speak. I will lay before you any treasure you desire.”

“I want the Former Society. Please protect them from the new Martial Alliance.”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean to recognize them as a legitimate organization and request that their legitimacy be guaranteed by the new Martial Alliance.”

I pondered alone.

About the name “Blood Lord” that would keep them safe after I had left.

But names are ultimately just names. If they don’t take action, they will gradually be forgotten. The name “Blood Lord” that would protect the Former Society would slowly disappear.

…But.

If it’s an organization that truly exists, it’s different. If it’s the new Martial Alliance, even after my name is forgotten, they can continue to safeguard the Former Society itself.

Of course, it differs in quality. The direction of the established organization is different, and the values pursued are completely dissimilar.

But even if the destinations are different, can’t we create at least a point of intersection?

“…Turning the Former Society itself into a monitoring department for the trespasses of the new Martial Alliance doesn’t sound bad. An agency to manage the new martial world with new order.”

“…What do you mean by that?! How is that any different from you wanting to seize power as part of the new Martial Alliance?”

It’s a lengthy story.

Above all, I never thought the other party would simply acquiesce to such a request. The individuals before me were mere messengers after all.

Ultimately, to discuss such matters, I would need to speak with their leaders.

“Of course, nothing is set in stone. To define my request, I first need to meet with the Head of the Former Society…”

I nodded my head.

“I’ll postpone discussions with you for now. For now, let’s head to the Former Society together. If any decisions are to be made, we’ll finalize them there.”

The headquarters of the Former Society.

I began to move toward that direction. To meet with my long-lost comrade from Huashan.

Gu Hwa-rin.

 

---