Chapter 46
Once Recruitment Ends, the Adventure Begins
News that the Hyeoncheon Unit was recruiting martial artists spread throughout the Murim Alliance.
Baek Socheon’s return.
The Hyeoncheon Unit’s recruitment drive.
When rumors of conflict between the Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist were added to the mix, it became one of the most interesting recent developments within the Alliance.
—Even so, who would actually go?
It was like volunteering to hang a bell around a cat’s neck.
No matter how much someone respected Baek Socheon or wished to serve alongside him, it was not a decision they could make lightly. Joining the Hyeoncheon Unit could mean earning the displeasure of the Iron Sword Corps Leader and perhaps even the Murim Alliance Leader himself.
However, events unfolded differently from what everyone expected.
The first person to volunteer to hang the bell was someone completely unexpected.
It was Cheon Su, Captain of the Sixth Unit of the Iron Sword Corps, who had sparred with Baek Socheon at the training ground.
“I have come to apply for the Hyeoncheon Unit. Will you accept my application?”
Even Baek Socheon had not expected him to come.
“At best, you may only become a squad leader here. You might even have to start as an ordinary warrior.”
“I came prepared for that.”
“May I ask why you applied?”
“Because I wish to serve you, Captain.”
“If this is because of what happened at the training ground, you need not do this.”
“If it were because of that incident, I would be even less likely to come.”
Given Chung Yang’s personality, he would undoubtedly torment Cheon su even more because of it.
“Then why?”
“I have respected you for a long time.”
Baek Socheon knew that Cheon su was not merely saying something pleasant to flatter him. At the training ground, he had remembered the days when Cheon su had followed him faithfully.
Even so, Baek Socheon asked casually,
“Then why did you demand that I demonstrate the Extreme difficulty at the training ground?”
It had been because of Chung Yang’s order, but Cheon su gave a more fundamental reason.
“I knew you would clear it.”
“And if I had died?”
“I was not worried.”
“Why not?”
“I believed that if it were truly impossible, you would not be foolish enough to attempt it.”
It was precisely because he possessed such faith that Cheon su had been able to obey Chung Yang’s command without showing much concern.
Had he trusted Baek Socheon any less, he would probably have been unable to carry out the order so faithfully.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
The unspoken meaning of the question was whether he feared Chung Yang’s resentment or retaliation.
“I am.”
“And yet?”
“I trust that you will protect me, Captain.”
No further questions were necessary.
“Welcome to the Hyeoncheon Unit.”
Baek Socheon extended his hand.
Cheon su firmly grasped it.
“I will serve you loyally from this day forward.”
Baek Socheon summoned Im Chung and Beon Saeng and introduced them to Cheon Su.
That same day, fourteen other Iron Sword Corps warriors joined the Hyeoncheon Unit alongside Cheon Su.
Three of them were squad leaders, including No Ung of the Third Squad.
Every one of them had taken part in life-or-death operations alongside Baek Socheon during his time as leader of the Iron Sword Corps.
Naturally, some owed him their lives. Others had admired him unwaveringly from those days until now.
After witnessing Baek Socheon at the training ground, they had realized that the man they remembered had returned, and so they had joined him.
Only fifteen people?
Hardly.
Baek Socheon had never imagined that as many as fifteen would come.
He knew all too well how difficult it was to gain even a single person who would come running when one needed help.
Naturally, when Iron Sword Corps Leader Chung Yang heard the news, he flew into a rage.
“What? Fifteen of them joined? Those worthless bastards!”
Hwang Ilbi stopped him from storming out immediately.
“Please restrain yourself!”
“Restrain myself? How am I supposed to restrain myself after this?”
“What will you do when you get there? Their hearts have already left.”
Of course, Hwang Ilbi himself had contributed to their decision.
Several warriors had cautiously asked whether they could leave, and he had told them that they naturally could.
He had even added that they should serve Baek Socheon well in his place.
“Baek Socheon! That bastard!”
“Calling him in as an instructor was your mistake from the beginning.”
Hwang Ilbi placed the responsibility for the situation squarely on Chung Yang.
Since it was true, Chung Yang could not argue.
He had never dreamed that matters would develop this way.
Chung Yang abruptly rose from his seat.
“Where are you going?”
“When a tiger goes mad and runs wild, you call in a more experienced hunter.”
As leader of the Iron Sword Corps, handing his prey over to another hunter wounded his pride, but this was no time to worry about appearances.
“I will accompany you.”
Hwang Ilbi followed after Chung Yang.
Whatever Chung Yang intended to do, Hwang Ilbi needed to remain beside him to find out what was happening.
“You were just thinking that it isn’t the tiger but the hunters who have gone mad, weren’t you?”
“No!”
“Don’t lie. Stay here.”
Watching Chung Yang leave the office, Hwang Ilbi thought to himself,
‘What a fortune-teller.’
The person Chung Yang went to meet was the Master of the Secret Pavilion.
‘If I cannot handle him with my own strength, I have to move the Master of the Secret Pavilion.’
The only organizations currently capable of opposing Baek Socheon were the Iron Sword Corps and the Secret Pavilion.
More importantly, Baek Socheon had once led both organizations.
The current Master of the Secret Pavilion would surely feel the same anxiety Chung Yang did.
Following a guide warrior, Chung Yang entered the office of the Secret Pavilion Master.
The moment he stepped inside, he was startled.
‘What?’
Baek Socheon was already there.
‘Why is that bastard here?’
Seeing Chung Yang’s shocked expression, Baek Socheon smiled.
“You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I do not.”
Since the Master of the Secret Pavilion was present, Chung Yang quickly composed himself.
“Have you been well, Pavilion Master?”
“Welcome, Corps Leader.”
The current Master of the Secret Pavilion, On Byeokhwa, was a woman.
She was in her fifties and wore no makeup. Rather than diminishing her appearance, her lack of ornamentation made her look even more impressive.
The fine wrinkles around her eyes reflected her years of experience, and her gaze was so intense that ordinary martial artists would feel their knees weaken beneath it.
She had not originally come from the Murim Alliance. The Alliance Leader had personally recruited her from outside.
A native of Jiangxi, she had first become famous for cutting down all seven members of the Seven Swords of Guizhou in a single encounter. They had been notorious villains who committed every manner of atrocity.
Afterward, she performed many acts of chivalry and gained widespread respect throughout the martial world.
However, little was known about her true level of skill or her personal history.
“Please sit. If either of you feels uncomfortable, one of you may wait in another room for a while.”
“I am fine.”
Chung Yang sat beside Baek Socheon.
His original plan had been to form a united front with the Secret Pavilion Master and somehow force Baek Socheon to leave the Alliance headquarters once more.
‘Damn it. He got here first!’
He assumed Baek Socheon had come to convince the Secret Pavilion Master to drive him out.
However, that was not why Baek Socheon had visited.
“Then let us continue where we left off. You are asking me to send several warriors from the Secret Pavilion to the Hyeoncheon Unit?”
“Yes. Please send me ten.”
Listening to the conversation, Chung Yang was inwardly astonished.
‘He came here to ask for Secret Pavilion warriors? This bastard has truly lost his mind. As if the Secret Pavilion would hand over its people.’
Baek Socheon went even further.
“If you simply transfer them, they may feel dissatisfied. Please dispatch them temporarily instead.”
In other words, their salaries and official affiliations would remain with the Secret Pavilion.
It was an unreasonable demand, and no one would have blamed On Byeokhwa for becoming angry.
Instead, she calmly asked,
“Why should I do that?”
“The reason Hyeoncheon Pavilion created the Hyeoncheon Unit was to establish an organization capable of moving quickly and checking the Cheokcheon Alliance.”
Chung Yang cautiously interrupted.
“Are the Secret Pavilion and the Iron Sword Corps not already fulfilling that role?”
“They are. Both are performing admirably. However, each organization has its own weakness.”
An interested look appeared in On Byeokhwa’s eyes.
“What are they?”
“The Secret Pavilion is unquestionably the Alliance’s most elite organization. However, it is also a force directly subordinate to the Alliance Leader and moves only under his orders. As a result, it cannot help but lack autonomy.
“Especially now, when the possibility of war with the Cheokcheon Alliance is increasing by the hour, I believe each organization must be capable of acting independently.”
His argument was not wrong.
The Secret Pavilion was the strongest organization within the Murim Alliance, but it was also an organization firmly bound to the Alliance Leader.
“Then what is the weakness of my corps?”
Chung Yang asked urgently.
Ordinarily, he should have defended the Secret Pavilion first and then allowed Baek Socheon to discuss the Iron Sword Corps.
However, Chung Yang was too impatient for that.
“The Iron Sword Corps is too large.”
“We may have many members, but they are divided into units.”
“And yet all of those units answer to one person, do they not?”
As long as there was only one supreme commander, it remained one enormous organization, no matter how many units and squads it was divided into.
“To put it plainly, Corps Leader Chung, how much do you know about the personal circumstances of every member under your command?”
Chung Yang could not answer.
Baek Socheon looked at On Byeokhwa.
“The Hyeoncheon Unit, on the other hand, will not be expanded excessively. We will remain a small, elite organization capable of moving quickly while supporting the Secret Pavilion and the Iron Sword Corps.
“If you do not trust me, then trust Strategist Zhuge.”
“What will you do if I send only the most troublesome warriors in the Secret Pavilion?”
“You will not.”
“You know almost nothing about me. How can you be so certain?”
“I may not know you well, Pavilion Master, but I know the Alliance Leader. He would never have entrusted such great power to someone who would do such a thing.”
Although Baek Socheon was currently in conflict with him, the Murim Alliance Leader possessed extraordinary skill in appointing and utilizing talented people.
Their gazes met in midair.
No matter how closely they studied one another, neither could read the other’s thoughts from their eyes or expressions alone.
At last, On Byeokhwa accepted his request.
“Very well. I will dispatch ten warriors from the Secret Pavilion.”
“Thank you.”
Chung Yang nearly lost control and shouted.
Now there would be no way for him to reclaim the warriors the Hyeoncheon Unit had taken from the Iron Sword Corps.
“Then I will take my leave.”
Baek Socheon bowed politely and departed.
Once On Byeokhwa and Chung Yang were alone, Chung Yang spoke.
“You must not send them.”
“Why not?”
“Do you think the Alliance Leader will permit it?”
“I possess enough discretionary authority to decide something of this level.”
When invoking the Alliance Leader failed, Chung Yang quickly offered another reason.
“That man is after your position, Pavilion Master.”
“My position?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? He once occupied that position himself, and it is one of the most powerful positions in the Alliance.”
“I do not believe that.”
“What?”
“It is the same as Captain Baek said. I do not know him well, but I know the Alliance Leader. In a crisis where war may erupt, he would never place such trust in someone who intended to engage in political infighting.”
“But…”
Chung Yang almost blurted out that the Alliance Leader no longer trusted Baek Socheon now.
However, he stopped himself.
That would cross a line.
Once the Secret Pavilion Master had made her decision, the matter was over.
On Byeokhwa observed Chung Yang for a moment before calmly revealing something new.
“Corps Leader Chung.”
“Yes, Pavilion Master.”
“Do you know whom Warrior Baek recommended as the next Corps Leader when he was demoted from command of the Iron Sword Corps?”
“Whom?”
Chung Yang immediately thought of Hwang Ilbi.
Then On Byeokhwa spoke a name he had never expected.
“You, Corps Leader Chung.”
“What?”
Chung Yang’s eyes widened.
“That is impossible. There is no way.”
“It is true. He recommended you to the Grand Strategist. It was unofficial, of course.”
“Why me?”
“That, I do not know. I cannot see inside his heart.”
After sitting there in a daze for a moment, Chung Yang bid her farewell.
“I should leave as well.”
“Take care on your way.”
Once Chung Yang had departed, On Byeokhwa walked over to the window.
She could see Baek Socheon leaving the building and walking into the distance.
Her eyes now held a depth that had not been present when she first listened to his request for Secret Pavilion warriors.
She watched until his figure disappeared.
After leaving the Secret Pavilion Master’s office, Chung Yang immediately sought out Baek Socheon.
“Is it true?”
“What are you referring to?”
“When you were demoted from your position as Corps Leader, did you recommend me as your successor?”
After a brief pause, Baek Socheon answered.
“I did.”
Shaken, Chung Yang asked again,
“Why? We were not even close at the time.”
“Because I believed you were the right person.”
“Why did you think I was right for the position?”
“I knew you possessed great ambition. As long as you had that ambition, I believed you would never allow the Iron Sword Corps to be ruined.
“You are selfish and have a terrible temper, but at least you are not corrupt. In the long term, I thought it would be better for a politically minded person like you to lead the Iron Sword Corps than someone inflexible and narrow-minded.”
A short sigh escaped Chung Yang’s lips.
He had never imagined such a thing had happened.
“Then why did you never tell me?”
Had he known, he would never have picked a fight with Baek Socheon in the first place.
How could he have antagonized the man who recommended him for his position?
He would not have ended up being beaten by Baek Socheon either.
“What was I supposed to say? That I recommended you, so you should treat me well?
“You might have used such a thing politically, but I am not that kind of person. After watching me for so long, do you still not understand that?”
Chung Yang nearly erupted in anger, but instead he released a long sigh.
“This does not change anything between us.”
“As you wish.”
Chung Yang abruptly turned and left Baek Socheon’s office.
As he descended, he encountered the former Iron Sword Corps warriors who had transferred to the Hyeoncheon Unit.
They greeted him with apologetic expressions.
Cheon Su, the former Captain of the Sixth Unit, stood at their front.
Chung Yang spoke in an angry tone.
“You damned bastards.”
Cheon su and the other warriors lowered their heads without answering.
Regardless of their reasons, it was true that they had abandoned the Iron Sword Corps.
“You miserable bastards! Since you already left, then do your jobs properly. Do not disgrace the reputation of our Iron Sword Corps. Understood?”
“Yes!”
The warriors answered reflexively, caught off guard by his words.
After returning to the Iron Sword Corps, Chung Yang sat alone in his chair, lost in thought.
Hwang Ilbi approached him and asked cautiously,
“Did something happen?”
He could tell that Chung Yang’s attempt to find another hunter had gone badly.
Chung Yang rose from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Let’s go drink.”
“Now? It is still broad daylight.”
“Just come. I said we’re going!”
“Yes, all right.”
As they walked, Chung Yang muttered quietly,
“If you want to leave too, then go to the Hyeoncheon Unit.”
“What has gotten into you now?”
Chung Yang suddenly stopped walking.
“Go, then! All of you think you’re so impressive, don’t you? Who are you showing off to? Am I the only piece of trash here?”
It was the first time Hwang Ilbi had seen him so enraged and frustrated.
Normally, when someone wronged Chung Yang, he would smile first and immediately begin planning his revenge.
Hwang Ilbi understood why his emotions had finally exploded.
Who would find it easy to deal with a man like Baek Socheon?
Hwang Ilbi gently pulled Chung Yang along.
“Our Corps Leader is already drunk without even touching a drop. Come on. Let’s go. Today, the two of us will get completely wasted.
“We already have the perfect topic to drink over, so the liquor is on me!”