In the early hours of dawn, two carriages and a dozen horsemen quietly departed from the Martial Alliance.
In the first carriage sat Ma Bong-gi, while the second carried Gal Sa-ryang and me.
The escort consisted of Im Jung-tae, the leader of the Fierce Tiger Squad, and ten elite warriors. They wore plain clothes to conceal their identities. Compared to the usual entourage for the leader, this was a meager number.
It was a truly secretive departure.
As the carriages sped away from the Martial Alliance, Gal Sa-ryang leaned in to share with me, in a hushed voice, the story he had heard from Ma Bong-gi, ensuring no one outside could overhear. After finishing, he asked me:
“Aren’t you surprised?”
“Not really. To be honest…”
I lowered my voice even further.
“I always found it strange that Ma became the leader. How did someone like him rise to that position? Now, it all makes sense.”
“Do you know much about the leader?”
“I’ve heard various rumors. Or rather, scandals.”
“I see.”
“Earlier, I saw a woman get into Ma Bong-gi’s carriage.”
Ma Bong-gi had brought along a woman, likely for companionship, judging by her weak martial skills and appearance. Even in such a situation, he brought a woman along.
I could understand the human side of it—he must be under immense psychological stress. But instead of thinking, “Oh, he must be desperate,” it felt more like, “What a madman.”
“So, are we going to meet the person who made Ma the leader?”
“Yes.”
“Quite a remarkable individual, to draw the leader out like this.”
In truth, I was the most curious about the person behind it all.
That person might have been the one who killed me. No, it was almost certainly their doing. The circumstances following my death were too orchestrated to be natural.
While I could let go of the grudge since I was given a new life, the problem was that their goal wasn’t just to kill me.
After my death, they placed Ma Bong-gi as the leader and began some unknown schemes, even conducting research to eliminate the side effects of the Unyielding Demon Sect’s techniques.
What on earth are they planning? How did they manage to kill someone like me, who was immune to all poisons?
Lost in these thoughts, I suddenly asked:
“Why do you think they want to meet the leader now?”
Gal Sa-ryang shook his head.
“I don’t know that much.”
The people we’ve dealt with so far never acted on impulse. They always followed a set plan.
Could this meeting be part of that plan? Or is it truly a spontaneous decision?
The crux of this journey lay in that question.
In a spacious room, Il-ho was giving a report.
“It seems Gal Sa-ryang might be connected to Go-no’s death.”
A man sitting far away spoke softly.
“Is that so?”
His voice was unusually quiet, almost inaudible.
“Yes.”
Il-ho replied loudly, but there was no further response.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
As he turned to go, the man spoke again.
“Come closer.”
Il-ho was taken aback. Never before had he been asked to come closer. He didn’t even know what the man’s face looked like. He had lived as a mere tool, following orders, but now there was a change.
“Yes.”
Il-ho walked slowly. Though he was usually unflappable, he felt a slight tremor at this moment.
As he approached, the man’s appearance became clearer.
It was different from what he had imagined. The man was small and his face seemed petty. Il-ho had to be careful not to let his disappointment show.
In contrast, his attire was immaculate. He wore a white martial robe, and everything from his shoes to his sword’s scabbard and hilt was white.
Whether this white ensemble was because he was called Baek-seok (White Stone) was unknown.
One thing was certain: the man was a true master. There wasn’t a single opening in his stance. It was fitting for someone who commanded from the far end of the room.
“Damn it.”
Baek-seok frowned deeply.
“How have I endured in this place without a single window?”
Unusually, there were no windows in this large room. Everything was in place, except for windows.
Il-ho’s office was the same. Where windows should have been, there was a painting of waves crashing on a beach.
Here, instead of a painting, there was a fake window. From afar, it looked like there was a real window.
A bright spring scene was painted outside. From a distance, it seemed beautiful, but up close, it was rather eerie.
“Ma Bong-gi has left the Alliance.”
“Where to?”
“Zhejiang Province, Namhyeon Escort Agency.”
“Could it be?”
“Yes, what was prepared has begun.”
Il-ho swallowed hard. The event that would once again plunge the martial world into chaos had begun.
“I’ve entrusted the task to Heuk-seok (Black Stone).”
Now Il-ho understood why Baek-seok was acting differently.
Baek-seok looked at Il-ho with a somber expression.
“The master chose Heuk-seok for this task.”
Heuk-seok and Baek-seok, the black stone and the white stone.
Named after the stones on a Go board, they had come this far through fierce competition. Though part of the same organization, they had grown like rivals.
And now, the most important task had been given to Heuk-seok.
Il-ho spoke calmly.
“It hasn’t succeeded yet, has it?”
Baek-seok’s lips curled into a smile.
“That’s not comforting at all. You don’t know what kind of person Heuk-seok is, do you? She won’t miss this opportunity.”
Il-ho realized Heuk-seok was a woman. Regardless, he had always followed Baek-seok’s orders. Comforting and appeasing him was his duty.
“Did Gal Sa-ryang go with them?”
“Yes.”
“Like with Go-no, Gal Sa-ryang could be a variable.”
“Do you think so?”
Baek-seok’s eyes held a glimmer of hope.
Il-ho met that expectation.
“Based on the report from the person who investigated Gal Sa-ryang, they can’t be too confident either.”
“Do you trust the investigator?”
Il-ho nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, I trust their instincts.”
It wasn’t just a nod to please his superior.
The two carriages stopped at an inn.
“We’ll stay here for the night.”
Normally, when the leader traveled, they would stay at a safe house prepared by the Martial Alliance across the land. But this time, they decided to stay at a regular inn. The Fierce Tiger Squad had already reserved an entire floor.
Ma Bong-gi and the woman, wearing a bamboo hat, stepped out of the carriage. After they entered, Gal Sa-ryang and I followed.
The entire top floor was reserved for us. Ma Bong-gi’s room was in the center, with Gal Sa-ryang and me on the left, and the leader of the Fierce Tiger Squad on the right. The rest of the rooms were occupied by the squad members.
Ma Bong-gi dined in his room.
Gal Sa-ryang and I went down to the inn’s first-floor tavern. There was no one who would recognize us anyway.
Two members of the Fierce Tiger Squad sat at a table with a clear view of the entrance, drinking. It was clear they were on guard duty, not there for the alcohol.
We sat a little away from them, ordering food and drinks to enjoy.
“This could be dangerous,” I said.
Gal Sa-ryang nodded.
“I’m aware.”
“If things get urgent… trust me.”
“I will.”
He didn’t hesitate to answer. In fact, he must have already had that trust, which is why he brought me along on this critical mission.
As we ate and drank, Gal Sa-ryang shared stories of past operations. Most of them were ones I was familiar with.
It was enlightening to learn about the concerns he had during those times, things I hadn’t considered before.
His sharing these stories with me was a sign he wanted to nurture me into a good strategist. It was a positive sign. If he only intended to use me for revenge, he wouldn’t have shared such insights.
Gal Sa-ryang genuinely cared for me. He hoped I would become a great strategist in the future.
Perhaps he was even contemplating his own end, wanting to pass everything on and face death with a clear conscience.
Sa-ryang, things won’t go as you plan.
That day, I learned much from Gal Sa-ryang, gaining valuable insights as a strategist.
Ma Cheol-gun awoke from his sleep.
As he tried to recall why he had woken up, he suddenly sat up.
Someone was sitting in a corner of his room. In the darkness, he couldn’t see their face, only their silhouette.
“A woman?”
The figure’s outline resembled a woman’s.
Ma Cheol-gun felt a chill run down his spine. If the intruder had intended to kill him, he would already be dead.
Yet, as the head of the Heavenly Dao Sect and the most likely successor to Ma Bong-gi, he remained calm. He didn’t attempt to call for his subordinates.
The intruder had spared him, and it would be disgraceful to act otherwise.
“Could you pass me some water?”
The figure chuckled, their white teeth gleaming in the dark. It confirmed his suspicion that it was a woman.
With a soft whoosh, a nearby jug flew through the air towards Ma Cheol-gun.
Catching the jug, Ma Cheol-gun felt another chill. To send a full jug of water flying so effortlessly? It was a remarkable display of telekinesis.
“She’s far more skilled than I am.”
He quickly ran through the list of female martial artists with such prowess, but none seemed to fit the situation.
After drinking directly from the jug, he offered it to the woman.
“Would you like some?”
In the darkness, a woman shook her head.
“Why have you come looking for me?”
“Ma Munju.”
It was indeed the woman’s voice. Calm and ageless, yet carrying an undeniable force.
“I’ve come to make you the leader of the martial alliance. What do you think? Are you interested?”
Her tone was composed and polite, but the proposition was utterly unexpected.
Ma Cheolgun stared blankly at the woman in the shadows before speaking.
“Of course, I want that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be embroiled in this struggle for succession with my kin.”
“And how long do you think it will take to become the leader? Your father is sustaining himself with all sorts of elixirs and young women. He’ll live another thirty years.”
“What exactly are you suggesting?”
“I can make it happen. Quickly.”
If he hadn’t witnessed her abilities, this conversation wouldn’t have continued.
“It’s simple. When the current leader dies, a new one will be needed. That’s when you can take the position.”
“What?”
Ma Cheolgun’s eyes widened.
“Are you insane?”
His voice trembled.
“I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll handle the rest.”
“When did I ever agree to this? Shut up! I never consented!”
The woman stood up, speaking calmly.
“Tian Hwa-jin became the leader at a younger age than you. There’s no reason you can’t.”
Just as Ma Cheolgun was about to protest, the woman looked at him.
In the darkness, her eyes shone white. The moment he saw them, fear gripped him.
He instinctively closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, she was gone. Vanished without a trace, as if she had never been there. It was the most extraordinary technique he had ever witnessed, more like sorcery than martial arts.
Ma Cheolgun’s heart began to pound violently.
‘I must tell Father about this immediately!’
Yet his feet wouldn’t move. In that moment, Ma Cheolgun realized something.
‘Father.’
The trembling of his heart wasn’t just from fear of his father’s death or anger at the woman. There was also a fierce excitement pounding within him.
In that instant, the woman in the darkness had planted a seed deep in his heart. A seed of ambition that, once it began to grow, would shoot up to the heavens.