Chapter 3

Back to Square One (3)

At the same time, inside the Martial Alliance's Hall of Heavenly Wisdom.

Led by the Grand Strategist Zhuge Hyeon, the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom served as the brain of the Martial Alliance. It gathered and analyzed information from across the martial world before issuing directives to the Alliance's various organizations.

Three years had passed since the ceasefire with the Celestial Heaven Alliance.

Now, with the Celestial Heaven Alliance showing dangerous signs—renewing ties with the Blood Cult beyond the frontier and reorganizing the Seven Unorthodox Clans—the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom had become more important than ever.

"Grand Strategist, it's Sama Il-jung."

"Come in."

Sama Il-jung, a strategist from the Strategic Division, entered Zhuge Hyeon's office.

A direct descendant of the Sama Clan, he was intelligent, possessed exceptional judgment, and worked diligently. He was regarded as one of the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom's most promising young strategists.

"Baek Socheon packed his belongings and returned home. His assignment order will be delivered to his residence early tomorrow morning. His destination is the Wencheng Branch in Zhejiang Province."

Zhuge Hyeon slowly nodded after hearing the report.

"I still don't understand."

"I still can't understand why things have turned out this way."

Naturally, he was referring to Baek Socheon and the punishment imposed upon him.

When Sama Il-jung first joined the Martial Alliance and became a strategist in the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom, Baek Socheon had already reached the pinnacle of his career as the Master of the Secret Pavilion.

Everything afterward had been a long fall.

He violated Alliance rules.

He repeatedly disobeyed orders.

He acted with excessive violence.

He had even assaulted his superior.

"Understanding another person is never easy."

"Do you understand him, Grand Strategist?"

"I..."

Zhuge Hyeon left the sentence unfinished.

Whether he meant that he did not understand, or simply did not wish to speak about Baek Socheon, was impossible to tell.

"Have you received authorization to enter the Strategic Command Center yet?"

"Not yet. I'll receive it next month."

One had to serve in the Martial Alliance for five years before being granted access to the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom's Strategic Command Center.

"I'll move it up by a month under my authority. Come with me."

"Yes."

Zhuge Hyeon left his office with Sama Il-jung following behind.

Il-jung's heart pounded.

People often said that a true strategist of the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom only became one after gaining access to the Strategic Command Center.

Zhuge Hyeon led him down to the third underground level.

The farther they descended, the older and more rundown everything became—the hallways, the doors, every part of the structure.

But Sama Il-jung knew the truth.

This shabby, deserted corridor was protected by mechanisms so elaborate that even the greatest masters could not force their way through.

It was said that only someone at the level of the Alliance Leader himself possessed enough martial skill to break through.

The two eventually entered what appeared to be an old storage room at the end of the corridor.

It was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous supplies.

Walking ahead, Zhuge Hyeon casually slid several beads on an iron abacus.

He continued forward, laid a standing broom flat against the floor, then lightly tapped what looked like a spider web stretched across the wall.

Only it wasn't a spider web.

It was an almost invisible thread woven from Heavenly Silkworm Silk.

The moment he disturbed it, part of the wall slid open.

Behind it was a small chamber large enough for several people.

The moment they stepped inside, the floor beneath them began descending automatically.

Clank...

How far had they descended?

When the door finally opened again, another long corridor stretched before them.

Two masters stood guard at its entrance.

Although Zhuge Hyeon entered every day, they still exchanged that day's secret password.

They continued down another corridor filled with concealed mechanisms.

At the end stood a large door.

When it opened, the scene beyond unfolded before them.

The moment he stepped inside, Sama Il-jung couldn't help but gasp.

The enormous chamber housed dozens of strategists working busily.

Dozens of bamboo tubes connected to the ceiling continuously delivered message canisters from every corner of the Central Plains.

Reports ranging from routine intelligence to the highest-priority emergency dispatches arrived without end.

Each was carefully categorized according to its importance.

Then Sama Il-jung's eyes shifted to the opposite wall.

His footsteps stopped.

After reading what was written there, he froze.

Countless names were listed from top to bottom.

Above them all was a single title.

The Martial World Rankings.

The Hall of Heavenly Wisdom's ranking of the strongest martial artists in the world.

"So... it really exists."

The rumors had been true.

The Hall of Heavenly Wisdom truly analyzed the martial arts of the Central Plains' greatest experts and ranked them accordingly.

Even after serving here for five years, this was the first time Sama Il-jung had learned the rankings were real.

He had eaten, drunk, and worked alongside his seniors countless times, yet not once had any of them ever mentioned its existence.

At the very top stood the name everyone expected.

Rank 1 — Ak Sogun. Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance.

Rank 2 — Yeomhwa Shin. Leader of the Celestial Heaven Alliance.

Rank 3 — Yang Jin. Sword Emperor.

Rank 4 — Beom Cheong. Mad Fiend.

Rank 5 — Yu Paeryeong. Leader of the Heavenly Underworld Sect.

Standing beside Sama Il-jung, Zhuge Hyeon quietly looked up at the rankings.

From first place to one hundredth.

The names of the very people who shook the martial world.

"If you ever leak this information, you'll be executed regardless of the circumstances."

"Yes! I won't tell anyone."

"Not even in your sleep."

"Yes."

Seeing him tense with anxiety, Zhuge Hyeon chuckled.

"Hahaha. I'm joking. We wouldn't execute you over a little sleep-talking. Besides, who would believe these rankings anyway?"

"R-Right..."

Sama Il-jung felt strangely conflicted.

He had no way of knowing how accurate the rankings truly were.

Perhaps the Celestial Heaven Alliance possessed its own ranking with its own leader sitting at number one.

Even so...

No one knew better than Sama Il-jung just how extraordinary the minds gathered within the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom were.

Calling someone a genius was merely enough to qualify them to sweep the floors here.

Then Zhuge Hyeon unexpectedly asked,

"Do you know who once stood at the very top of that list?"

The meaningful question made Sama Il-jung stiffen.

"Surely..."

Only one name came to mind.

"Baek Socheon?"

"That's right."

"For several years before he was injured, he ranked first."

"Back then, it looked like this."

Rank 1 — Baek Socheon. Master of the Martial Alliance's Secret Pavilion.

"He really was ranked first?"

"That's the same as asking, 'Is our Hall of Heavenly Wisdom incompetent?'"

"Or perhaps, 'Grand Strategist, are you a liar?'"

"Ah! No, of course not! I misspoke. Please forgive me."

Smiling as though it had all been a joke, Zhuge Hyeon pointed toward the very bottom of the ranking.

"Look down there."

Below the hundredth rank, one final entry remained.

Ranking Suspended — Baek Socheon. Third Squad Leader, First Unit, Iron Sword Corps.

"We haven't erased his name yet."

"It's our way of showing him respect."

"Ah..."

Sama Il-jung's heart trembled.

At that very moment, learning such hidden history, he finally felt like a true strategist of the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom.

Just then—

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The ringing bell caused everyone in the room to turn.

Among the many message tubes connected to the various organizations, one tube was unique.

It carried only one thing.

Orders from the Alliance Leader.

The duty strategist hurriedly retrieved the bamboo tube and brought it to Zhuge Hyeon.

After reading the order, Zhuge Hyeon called over several martial artists.

These men belonged to the Hall of Heavenly Wisdom itself, serving as bodyguards for its strategists.

Zhuge Hyeon issued his command.

"Recover the Ghost Shadow Sword from Baek Socheon."

"If it's the Alliance Leader's order, he'll surrender the sword."

The martial artists immediately departed.

The Ghost Shadow Sword was the treasured sword personally bestowed upon Baek Socheon by the Alliance Leader.

Sama Il-jung asked in a trembling voice,

"Is... this a complete severance?"

Unable to restrain himself, he continued questioning the Grand Strategist, forgetting how disrespectful it was.

He was utterly absorbed in witnessing this astonishing moment in history.

"I don't know."

"Even I can't answer that."

Despite priding himself on knowing everything that happened in the Central Plains, Zhuge Hyeon admitted he could not understand what lay in the hearts of Baek Socheon and the Alliance Leader.

Some time later, the martial artists returned carrying the Ghost Shadow Sword.

"Did he hand it over willingly?"

The leader of the group shook his head.

"No."

"At first he refused and told us to get lost."

Zhuge Hyeon smiled as though he had expected exactly that.

"And then?"

"The Alliance Leader's order didn't work."

"So... we begged him."

"We told him we'd all die if we returned without it."

"In the end, he gave it to us."

"Why?"

"You could simply have returned and reported that he had disobeyed the Alliance Leader's order."

The martial artist hesitated before answering.

Memories and old debts filled his expression.

"...During the last war, Martial Brother Baek once saved my life."

"He doesn't even remember it."

"I see."

Indeed.

How many people owed Baek Socheon their lives?

Far more than just this one man.

"What did he say when he handed over the sword?"

"How did you know he said something?"

"Because even if he surrendered the sword, with that personality of his, there was no way he would leave without saying at least one thing."

"Well..."

"It's fine."

"Repeat it exactly."

"Not a single word different."

After another brief hesitation, the martial artist quoted Baek Socheon word for word.

"'How cheap. You give me a sword, then take it back? Fine. I'm done using swords."

"'I'll just walk around barehanded until some Celestial Heaven Alliance bastard kills me."

"'Tell him to stop making such a damn fuss about it."

"'Don't leave out a single word."

"'Make sure you tell him exactly that."

"'Ptoo! Ptoo!'"

"Hahaha!"

Zhuge Hyeon burst into hearty laughter.

No one else in the room even dared smile.

"Report everything to the Alliance Leader's Hall exactly as he said."

"Leave out the spitting."

"...Yes?"

"Do you think those words were directed at us?"

"Report them exactly."

"Now that we've taken back the sword, we should also take back his final words."

"Yes, understood."

The martial artist departed with the Ghost Shadow Sword.

Turning toward Sama Il-jung, Zhuge Hyeon said,

"Well then."

"Shall we leave as well?"

"Yes."

Sama Il-jung's thoughts were in complete disarray.

Too many revelations had come in too short a time.

Before entering this place, he had said,

"I still don't understand."

Now...

He understood even less.

At the same time, a single question echoed in his heart.

What exactly happened between Baek Socheon and the Alliance Leader?

The question rose to his lips—

Only to be swallowed again.

He did not dare speak of the Alliance Leader so casually.

As the two left the Strategic Command Center together, they happened to pass a senior strategist updating the final line of the Martial World Rankings.

The title following Baek Socheon's name—

Third Squad Leader

—was carefully erased.

In its place, new words were written.

Baek Socheon. Ordinary Martial Artist, Wencheng Branch, Zhejiang Regional Division, Martial Alliance.