In Search of the Head (1)
Jin’s report was nothing short of astonishing.
“The Martial Alliance has announced the revival of the Blood Heaven Demon Sect.”
I stood there, momentarily stunned.
Jin probably thought I felt like I’d been hit over the head, but that wasn’t the case.
I had already experienced attempts to break the deadly constraints of the Unyielding Demon Spirit.
To be precise, it wasn’t the revival of the Blood Heaven Demon Sect, but rather a new faction using its name for some sinister plot.
The Blood Heaven Demon Sect couldn’t be revived. I had personally seen to their end.
My moment of reflection was due to the flood of memories about the sect—the long battles, the grueling final showdown with their leader.
“So, come March, the Martial Alliance plans to recruit a large number of new warriors. This news will spread across the entire Central Plains in a few days.”
March was two months away.
How should I interpret this? Was it the will of the Demon King, or was there something else behind it?
This was information that could only be known if there was a spy deep within the Martial Alliance. We hadn’t yet placed any spies there. Jin and Su were confident, but I felt it was premature.
I was still thirsty for information, and I knew how to quench that thirst.
I visited Baekpyo after a long time.
He was in the midst of hellish training with the Black Panther Squad, rolling in the snow. Compared to their training, the Small Sword Squad’s exercises were mere warm-ups. The Black Panther Squad’s training was brutal and dangerous.
Their eyes had completely changed since my last visit.
“Have you shed your kitten skin?”
They answered my question with a resounding shout.
“Yes, we have.”
I called out the man who had faced me before.
This time, he drew his sword without a word and charged at me.
Swish.
He was faster and more precise than before. The fruits of his training were evident.
Whoosh.
Even as he spun through the air and crashed to the ground, his eyes never left mine.
Thud.
The outcome was the same, but this time he was aware of it.
I extended my hand, and he took it to stand up.
I smiled at him and said, “Still a kitten, but a fiercer one than last time.”
The man looked dejected but quickly showed determination not to be easily defeated next time.
As I turned to leave with Baekpyo, the man asked, “What was that technique you used just now?”
The other members of the Black Panther Squad shared the same curiosity, their eyes fixed on me.
I tapped the sword at my waist and said, “I’m a swordsman.”
Everyone, including the man, was taken aback. They had assumed my main skill was unarmed combat and that I carried a sword to mislead opponents. Given the high level of my martial arts, it was understandable.
“One day, you’ll be able to draw your sword against me.”
They exchanged surprised and bewildered glances as Baekpyo and I walked away together.
“How are they?”
“Very promising.”
Baekpyo’s spirit was sharper than ever. Transforming them would require immense effort, and Baekpyo himself was being honed like a blade on a whetstone.
“Take care not to overexert yourself.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
I shared with Baekpyo the details of Jin’s report. The supposed revival of the Blood Heaven Demon Sect and the Martial Alliance’s recruitment plans.
“The revival of the Blood Heaven Demon Sect? That’s hard to believe.”
Having spent much time with me, he knew how unlikely their revival was.
“Besides, hasn’t it been over thirty years since their downfall?”
“I think the same.”
“What could be their scheme?”
“After hearing the report, I realized we need someone.”
“Who?”
“The person you mentioned.”
Baekpyo’s face lit up with joy.
“Gal Gun-sa, then.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve made the right decision. To achieve our great task, we need Gal Gun-sa.”
Originally, I planned to bring him in later, but the situation was escalating. I decided we needed to bring Gal Sa-ryang before they could cause more trouble.
“I’ll go. If I persuade him, he might leave the Martial Alliance and join you.”
“Indeed.”
The fact that Gal Sa-ryang entrusted Baekpyo with the Suramyeongwang Sword showed the depth of their trust.
But there was a reason it couldn’t be him.
“You have your own duties, don’t you?”
Nurturing the Black Panther Squad was as crucial as bringing in Gal Sa-ryang. I didn’t want to disrupt their training.
“Moreover, as the former chief strategist, Gal Gun-sa is still under their watch. It’s not wise for you to make contact.”
And the decisive reason was this:
“As you know, this is something I must do myself.”
This was a matter of forming a bond between lord and vassal. It wasn’t something to be arranged by a matchmaker; I needed to win him over with sincerity.
“You’re right. Do you have a plan?”
“I’m going to meet him.”
“What? You, sir? How?”
“The entire Martial Alliance is recruiting new members. The same goes for Jeongui-gak.”
“Are you saying you’ll join Jeongui-gak?”
Baekpyo was taken aback by the unexpected statement.
“Yes. I’ll join Jeongui-gak and make him my ally.”
Whether I bring him out or leave him there will depend on the situation at the time.
“Is that possible?”
“It won’t be easy.”
“No, I mean entering Jeongui-gak.”
I had assumed it would be possible.
“Is it difficult?”
“Of course, it’s difficult. Even the heirs of the most prestigious scholarly families barely get in.”
I shrugged and said, “I’ll study hard from now on. We still have two months.”
Baekpyo shook his head and burst into laughter.
“Ha ha, truly remarkable.”
He might be skeptical, but I was serious. I would find a way to enter Jeongui-gak and make Gal Sa-ryang my ally.
“I’ll bring Gal Gun-sa.”
It was time to find my ally.
“Gal Gun-sa! Have you still not found his whereabouts?”
Sima Cheon’s voice rose in frustration.
“No.”
Gal Sa-ryang lowered his head, looking ashamed.
“The Nameless Hero has completely vanished from the martial world.”
“You useless fool, is that all you can say? Truly incompetent. Incompetent!”
“I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t for lack of trying. Gal Sa-ryang had done his utmost to find the Nameless Hero, even using his secret network.
But he found no trace.
Gal Sa-ryang considered three possibilities: the hero was dead, had completely disappeared, or was operating under a new identity.
He leaned towards the latter. Someone capable of outsmarting the Demon Spirit wouldn’t have died or vanished so easily. They were likely preparing another move.
“In the process, I did discover something.”
Gal Sa-ryang handed over a document with a secretive air.
“Oh.”
Sima Cheon’s expression softened, a smile playing on his lips.
“Something worth investigating.”
He had reported on the corrupt dealings of certain figures in the martial world.
The investigation wasn’t just about gathering information. It involved pressuring them to extract money and influence, feeding the greed of greater villains.
In the past year, Sima Cheon’s coffers had swelled by a hundred thousand nyang. It was more money than he’d ever dreamed of.
Of course, Gal Sa-ryang took a share, proving they were in the same boat. If caught, they’d go down together.
Since they were extorting from villains, he felt no moral qualms and didn’t consider the method wrong. Gal Sa-ryang wasn’t concerned with personal honor or future consequences. His only goal was to find and avenge those who killed Cheonhajin, then leave the martial world forever.
Thanks to this, Gal Sa-ryang had escaped Sima Cheon’s scrutiny. Though he was still watched, the intense surveillance had eased. Despite being scolded for incompetence, they had grown closer. Sharing in wrongdoing tends to forge quick bonds. Gal Sa-ryang had worked hard to reach this point.
“You’ve heard the news, right? In spring, our division will also recruit new warriors. You’ll handle that.”
“Understood.”
As Gal Sa-ryang turned to leave, he paused and asked, “But where did this absurd talk of the Blood Heaven Demon Sect’s revival come from?”
The Martial Alliance had announced something even Jeongui-gak wasn’t aware of. Gal Sa-ryang knew it was Ma Bong-gi’s doing. He was probing for information.
“Well…”
Sima Cheon hesitated, glancing upward. It was an order from the leader’s quarters.
“Because mentioning a demon sect makes the martial world panic. It’s the fastest way to rally strength.”
“Isn’t the Alliance’s power already sufficient?”
“The stronger, the better. You don’t need to know more.”
“Yes, I’ll take my leave.”
From his response, Gal Sa-ryang sensed that Sima Cheon wasn’t fully informed either. Ma Bong-gi was excluding him from crucial matters.
Did Sima Cheon truly not know about the forces behind this? Or was he pretending not to know?
Though Gal Sa-ryang had closed the distance with Sima Cheon, there was still much he didn’t know.
Learning about the entrance exam for Jeongui-gak, I realized it was no easy feat.
I immediately began studying.
Whereas I used to spend most of my day training, now I devoted most of it to studying. With my internal energy at the second level and the ability to use the Five Elements Technique, martial arts training became more of a light exercise.
How long had it been since I last studied? Had I ever studied to enter somewhere in my past life?
I realized I hadn’t.
I asked Jin and Su to find out what the previous exams were like and what I needed to study. It wasn’t something to be taken lightly. There were dozens of essential books to read.
I read and reread them, staying up late into the night.
Even at the crack of dawn, I was absorbed in my studies.
Without turning around, I spoke to the person peeking through the door.
“Stop sneaking around and come in.”
Gwangdu, who had been spying on me through the door crack, stepped inside. He quietly approached and confirmed that the books on my desk were not martial arts manuals.
“So, the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?”
“That you’ve become strange again, young master.”
I chuckled. It was true that my mother had come by yesterday to feel my forehead, but there was one thing different from before. Now, she no longer tried to stop me from what I was doing. She truly believed in me.
“Why are you doing this?”
“There needs to be balance in learning.”
“Have you found that balance?”
“Not yet.”
As I delved into my studies, I realized just how skewed my life had been towards martial arts. Of course, I had seen and heard a lot during my years as a leader, so I assumed I could easily pass the entrance exam for the Hall of Justice. But when I actually started studying, I found it was different from what I had imagined. Casual knowledge and formal study were worlds apart.
Just like martial arts, studying had its own realm. It was not something to be taken lightly.
Fortunately, my memory had improved significantly, and my mind was clear. I memorized diligently, understanding that, just as in martial arts, where repetitive practice leads to creative techniques, there were basics in studying that needed to be memorized. I memorized what needed to be memorized and understood what needed to be understood.
“By the way, I heard some good news. You’re going out with Dosun?”
“Has that already gotten out?”
“Is there any secret in our sword squad?”
The camaraderie in the squad was strong, and the atmosphere was good.
“What happened?”
“One day, I just felt a surge of emotion and went to her, honestly expressing my feelings. I told her I still liked her, that before, I was too immature and clueless. Honestly, I don’t even remember what I said. I was so nervous.”
“Your courage paid off.”
“We haven’t decided to date yet. We’re just going out for a day.”
I handed Gwangdu ten silver coins.
“Here, buy something nice to eat that day.”
“No, it’s okay. I have plenty of money.”
Gwangdu was flustered, still overly stiff in situations like this.
“I’m not telling you to show off. Just wear something a bit nicer and eat somewhere with a good atmosphere. Show her you’re making an effort. If she were the type to take advantage of you, it would be foolish, but Dosun isn’t like that, is she?”
“Young master.”
Gwangdu was touched.
“Don’t try to do everything at once. Just have fun for the day. No need to create a mood or confess more.”
“Yes, I’ll remember that! I will definitely with Dosun…”
“Don’t use ‘definitely’ when it comes to relationships.”
“Yes!”
Relationships are unpredictable. Even a lifetime might not be enough to understand them.
After Gwangdu left, I returned to my books.
I might not understand relationships, but I knew this much: now is the time to put in the effort. A woman might betray you, but effort never will.