The Martial Alliance (2)
“Is the child safe?”
A child asked about another’s well-being. This child was Jeong-ho, who now housed the soul of the Heavenly Demon. Earlier, when Byeok Lidan asked Cheon So-seon if she knew the child’s name, she couldn’t recall it, even though she had heard it before.
“Yes, the child is safe.”
Jeong-ho beamed at Cheon So-seon’s response.
“That’s a relief.”
Jeong-ho believed he had come here to assist Jang Geun and perform a great ritual, unaware that a new soul had entered his mind.
Out of three awakenings, one was as Jeong-ho, and the other two as the Heavenly Demon.
The child, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly frowned.
“Ah! My head hurts.”
Cheon So-seon and the old man exchanged glances as they watched.
The old man nodded, prompting Cheon So-seon to press a point on the child’s head.
Cheon So-seon laid the now-sleeping child back on the bed.
The headache symptoms were appearing faster than expected. Previously, such symptoms would take months to manifest after the soul-separation ritual, but now they appeared immediately.
“The headaches will likely worsen much faster.”
“Indeed.”
“Fortunately, Yang Jeong-hui has safely arrived at the alliance, so we can begin the ritual soon.”
“What about Ma Cheol-gun?”
“Bringing him into the ritual won’t be difficult.”
The target of this ritual was indeed Ma Cheol-gun.
The old man’s eyes deepened momentarily at Cheon So-seon’s confident reply before returning to normal.
“And Yang Jeong-hui?”
“He’s well hidden within the alliance.”
“He will surely try to interfere with our plans. We must be extremely cautious.”
“Now that we know his skills, we won’t be careless. Currently, Sword Master is with us, and the Twelve Serpents are on their way.”
“Good.”
The old man smiled with satisfaction.
“Grandfather.”
“What is it?”
“Who exactly is that person? He seems to exist like a nameless shadow.”
“He could be someone among us.”
“What do you mean?”
“That day, he wore an impeccable mask.”
Cheon So-seon was taken aback. Despite the high quality of the mask Byeok Lidan wore, the old man had accurately discerned its presence.
“My goodness! He was wearing a mask. I didn’t notice at all.”
“Therefore, he could be anywhere around us.”
The thought that he could be someone they hadn’t considered made Cheon So-seon feel a twinge of fear.
“Could he be someone sent by the Golden Bugs?”
The Golden Bugs referred to Seong Wang-bo and those behind him, who had recently approached the old man. Cheon So-seon and the old man called them the Golden Bugs, as they controlled the financial resources of their organization.
The old man and Cheon So-seon had built and led their organization with the Golden Bugs’ money.
“They are not.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“The Golden Bugs live by one principle. Do you know what it is?”
“What is it?”
“Whether it makes money or not. They live by that single logic.”
Cheon So-seon had never met them directly, only Seong Wang-bo, who represented them.
“They joined hands with me because they judged I was profitable. But that day, he tried to save the child. If he were sent by them, he would have killed the child possessed by the Heavenly Demon. They don’t value lives.”
Cheon So-seon nodded. The old man’s words made it clear that their opponent that day was not someone driven by money.
“So-seon.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Don’t underestimate them. The Golden Bugs are very dangerous. If they decide we’re no longer profitable, they’ll try to dispose of us.”
“If they try that, I’ll wipe them out.”
“You think we can win? Because we have power?”
“Can’t we?”
“Don’t underestimate the power of money. Money can command even spirits. They know the true power of money and how to wield it. They capture masters with money.”
The old man’s words were firm. If he spoke this way, it meant the danger was greater than Cheon So-seon had imagined.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
The old man asked calmly.
“When can the ritual be performed?”
“It should be possible in about ten days.”
“In three days, the ritual will be performed.”
“What?”
Cheon So-seon was startled. It was an unexpected timeline.
“Three days is too soon.”
“Three days.”
The old man said no more. His gaze said to make the impossible possible.
Cheon So-seon understood how important this was to his grandfather and how highly he regarded the enemy’s skills.
If it was in three days, it would be a surprise attack. Even if the enemy tried to interfere, they wouldn’t expect the ritual to proceed so quickly. It was a move to catch them off guard.
The basic preparations for the ritual were already in place. If they worked through the nights for three days, they could just about make it.
Cheon So-seon nodded.
“Understood. We’ll commence the ritual in three days.”
I introduced Gwang-du to Baek-pyo.
Gwang-du was delighted to reunite with Baek-pyo, not only because of a good first impression but also due to a shared history related to me.
Having observed the formation and growth of the Small Sword Squad, and with Baek-pyo’s advice and assistance, Gwang-du could establish his own new organization. I deliberately chose not to interfere.
After introducing the two, I returned to the island to continue my martial arts training.
The Soul-Chasing Demon Sword Technique and the Celestial Crane Technique. I had mastered both to their fullest potential. This meant I could execute the techniques in the most perfect form envisioned by their creators.
Of course, this wasn’t the end.
What if I could realize a higher martial understanding than the creators and overcome the existing limits of these techniques?
That’s when the saying that martial arts truly begin at mastery applies.
However, surpassing limits is easier said than done. Especially since both the Soul-Chasing Demon Sword Technique and the Celestial Crane Technique were of the highest caliber. Achieving mastery in these techniques alone was already a significant accomplishment.
Nonetheless, my goal was to harmonize these two martial arts.
But there was a problem.
The techniques were so advanced that situations requiring their combination rarely arose.
There was no reason to switch from using the sword to the Celestial Crane Technique. The reverse was also true. If the Celestial Crane Technique sufficed, there was no need to draw the sword. The level was too high.
Of course, I could consciously switch techniques, but that would be an intentional change.
True harmony would mean the two techniques naturally merging without intent.
Perhaps only in extreme situations or against a formidable opponent, like the leader of the enemy forces, could this be possible.
But then another issue arose.
Would I have the luxury to think about harmonizing the two techniques in a life-or-death battle against such a strong opponent? Could I afford such a risky attempt? It might be a situation where I have to decide whether to use the Great Annihilation Technique.
Harmony.
How to achieve it?
No matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t find an answer.
I decided to think positively. This contemplation was the beginning.
After training, I returned to my quarters to find Song Hwa-rin waiting for me.
“I have something to say.”
Her face was tense, and she couldn’t speak immediately.
“Shall we talk over there?”
Not knowing her purpose, I led her to a pavilion in the yard, giving her time. It was the best spot in the estate for a view.
She stood beside me, seemingly oblivious to the scenery, lost in thought. After several moments of hesitation, she spoke.
“I want to officially join you.”
“What?”
I turned to her in surprise.
Once she started, it seemed easier to continue. With a determined expression, she repeated.
“I want to be part of what you’re doing. I want to be in your organization.”
It wasn’t a proposal of marriage. It was a declaration to fight alongside me against the enemy forces.
I asked her seriously, more so than ever since meeting her.
“Do you know what that means?”
“I do.”
“It means you could die.”
“I’m aware.”
“It could bring harm to the Song family.”
She understood what kind of harm I meant. After a brief hesitation, she replied softly.
“I know.”
Her answer showed the magnitude of her resolve.
“I want to fight alongside you.”
It must be a frightening prospect. It wasn’t just her life at stake. But I saw her firm determination in her face.
“Alright.”
“Really?”
“Yes, let’s do this together.”
Her face lit up with joy.
“Really? Really? Oh, I’m so happy.”
“You’re happy even though you might die?”
“Yes, I am.”
I sat with her and explained what I knew about my organization and the enemy’s. She probably realized they were far more formidable than she had imagined.
“You’ve been fighting such a powerful enemy?”
She looked at me with admiration.
“You can still change your mind.”
“I’m even more excited.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel like I can be of more help. If the enemy were trivial, it wouldn’t even show.”
“Hahaha.”
I laughed heartily at her joke.
After the laughter subsided, I spoke seriously.
“I’ll give you your first command.”
Song Hwa-rin stood up straight, her demeanor serious.
“It’s a simple command.”
“What is it?”
“Take control of the Song family. Make sure they can move whenever we need their help.”
She looked at me incredulously.
“You do know what ‘simple’ means, right?”
“Of course.”
She would understand. The tasks ahead of us required that taking control of the Song family be a simple matter.
“Next, we need to bring Shandong under our control as quickly as possible. I want you to lead that effort.”
“Oh my goodness!”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Do you really think I can do it?”
“When starting something new, everyone has that doubt. That’s why some succeed and others fail. But I believe you can do it.”
Encouraged by my words, she looked at me with determination.
“I’ll go back and start right away.”
“Thank you.”
“Save your thanks for later, once I’ve finished what I need to do.”
I smiled at her. Yes, that’s how change happens—one step at a time, until you suddenly find yourself in a different place.
Just then, Galsaryang appeared in the distance.
As I walked over to him, he greeted me with a faint smile.
“I’ve found a way to enter the inner circle of the Martial Alliance.”
The next day, I found myself inside the inner sanctum of the Martial Alliance headquarters.
“I’ve heard Galsaryang’s request. Feel free to make yourself at home,” said Jong Cheonrak, the leader of the Heavenly Bow Sect, with a smile.
Galsaryang had devised a plan to use the Heavenly Bow Sect as our entry point into the Martial Alliance.
Fortunately, Jong Cheonrak had a strong bond with us. During a past mission to Saengsaru, Galsaryang and I had saved his and his elite warriors’ lives multiple times.
Since then, he had become almost one of us. Not officially, but close enough.
“I’ll only impose on you for a short while.”
I was wearing a new disguise. There was no need to reveal my true identity to him, as the situation didn’t allow it.
Instead, Galsaryang had asked him to cooperate with me, emphasizing my importance.
“I’ve invited you as a special instructor to the headquarters, so you can move freely within the inner circle, except for the leader’s quarters.”
“Thank you.”
That was more than enough.
After our conversation, I wandered around the inner sanctum. This place was as familiar to me as the back of my hand.
Some areas had changing security measures, while others remained constant. Even when they changed, the locations were predictable, so I was well aware of them.
As I was exploring, I encountered a middle-aged man.
He carried a sword tucked into his chest, an unusual choice compared to the typical practice of wearing it at the waist or back.
His aura was as well-contained as the sword he carried, marking him as no ordinary master.
He quickly scanned me from head to toe.