The Martial Alliance (3)
The moment I laid eyes on the man, I knew.
He wasn’t part of the Martial Alliance.
Surprisingly, he was as skilled as Cheon So-seon. If he were a member of the Alliance, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known about someone of his caliber.
If my skills had been even slightly lacking, my true identity would have been exposed.
Fortunately, he was less skilled than I, and he didn’t realize I was superior.
Yet, for some reason, he kept glancing at me, as if something about me caught his attention.
To avoid suspicion, I made a bold move. I spoke first.
“Excuse me, could I ask you something?”
He stopped in his tracks and looked at me with a piercing gaze.
“Do you know where the West Wing is? It’s my first time here, and I’m lost.”
“The West Wing? It should be to the west.”
With that curt reply, he walked off.
I didn’t follow him. Shadowing someone of his skill without being noticed would be extremely difficult.
If I got caught, it would be like stirring up a hornet’s nest. Besides, the main event would take place within the Alliance anyway.
Truly, they had gathered some formidable experts.
I wondered how they managed to recruit so many skilled individuals. These people don’t come cheap. Even if money wasn’t their primary motivation, a substantial amount must have been spent to create other incentives.
I decided I needed to have a deep discussion with Galsaryang about their financial resources.
I took a few steps in the direction I originally intended to go, then stopped.
Come to think of it…
I slowly turned back to where I had encountered him.
That wasn’t the direction of the Leader’s Hall.
The place he emerged from was nowhere near the Leader’s Hall, which Galsaryang and I had assumed would be the site of the main event.
So why did he come from there?
Of course, he could have been running an errand or simply exploring like I was.
But if not?
I changed my course and headed in the direction he had come from.
The path led to the eastern section of the inner compound. After passing through the East Wing, the first building I encountered was the Treasury.
The Treasury was one of the ten major organizations responsible for the Alliance’s finances.
After exchanging brief nods with the guards at the entrance, I moved past it.
Beyond the Treasury lay the stables and a vast meadow. The stables were enormous, capable of housing hundreds of horses, with a sprawling meadow behind them where the horses could graze freely.
This was the eastern part of the inner compound, giving a sense of the Alliance’s vast scale.
It had been a long time since I last visited this area.
Even during my time as the Alliance Leader, I rarely ventured to the eastern section. Most of the facilities I used were concentrated in the northern section, where the Leader’s Hall was located.
Past the stables and meadow stood the large building of the Iron Cavalry Unit.
I walked slowly towards it. One might think that members of other factions would be met with hostility, but that wasn’t the case.
Elite groups like the Light Moon Unit, Iron Cavalry Unit, and Heavenly Bow Unit were known for their strict discipline and rigorous daily training.
They had no time to pick fights with others; they would rather spend that time training or resting.
No one paid me any mind.
Of course, that didn’t mean I could just waltz into the Iron Cavalry Unit’s building. They didn’t allow just anyone to enter without a purpose.
It seemed he had met with the leader of the Iron Cavalry Unit.
A sudden question popped into my mind.
Why the leader of the Iron Cavalry Unit and not the Light Moon Unit?
Both had betrayed us, but the main instigator was Ju Cheol-ryong of the Light Moon Unit.
Beyond the Iron Cavalry Unit, the last building in the eastern section came into view. It was the largest building I had seen so far, the Armory.
The Armory stored the Alliance’s weapons, but it wasn’t a place for rare or mystical weapons, just a regular armory for swords, spears, bows, and arrows.
I turned back and walked away.
There was nothing particularly unusual. It seemed he had met with the leader of the Iron Cavalry Unit and left.
As I turned to leave, I encountered the man from earlier once more.
Two bottles of liquor hung from his waist. It seemed he had gone out to buy alcohol.
The sight of him with a sword tucked into his chest and liquor at his waist was quite striking.
I bowed slightly and spoke.
“We meet again. I still haven’t found the West Wing.”
The middle-aged man looked at me with a hint of disdain and walked past.
He didn’t know it, but my heart was racing.
He had passed the Iron Cavalry Unit and continued walking. And the place he headed to was the Armory.
Why on earth there?
Baek Ryeon was strolling alone in the garden.
For some reason, she felt uneasy.
She had saved Jang Geun, pledged loyalty to Byeok Ri-dan, and even received the splendid name Baek Ryeon from Chilho. There was no reason to feel uneasy, yet she did.
Just then, Im Yeon-jeong approached.
“Sister.”
“Yeon-jeong.”
Unlike herself, Im Yeon-jeong seemed brighter, like a different person.
“You look well.”
“I’m very well.”
“Please feel free to treat me casually. I’ll do the same and treat you as my sister.”
Im Yeon-jeong nodded cheerfully.
“Alright.”
Finally, they officially became sisters.
“What about Geun?”
“He’s studying.”
“He likes it, doesn’t he?”
“He always loved books.”
She couldn’t remember the last time she spent time with her son like this. She thought he might feel awkward after not seeing her for a while, but he adored her and followed her well. She cherished this time with him.
“He’s such a good boy.”
What parent doesn’t love hearing praise for their child? Im Yeon-jeong smiled warmly.
The conversation naturally shifted to Song Hwa-rin, the person who occupied their thoughts the most.
“Miss Song has returned to Shandong.”
“She came to say goodbye to me too.”
“Miss Song turned out to be a much better person than I expected.”
“Indeed.”
Im Yeon-jeong looked at her. She had once thought Byeok Ri-dan was an unknown hero, and she had felt a pang of longing.
But she didn’t show it.
Emotions grow if you nurture them.
Even something insignificant can grow into a deep-seated grudge if you let it.
She had gained a wonderful sister and cherished memories, and that was enough.
“You’re just as beautiful, sister.”
“So are you.”
“That’s embarrassing. Let’s stop talking about this.”
“Alright.”
“But it does feel nice to compliment each other. Haha.”
Im Yeon-jeong laughed brightly. Baek Ryeon realized why she had become close to Im Yeon-jeong. It was that brightness, something she herself lacked.
As they shared stories and strolled through the estate, they climbed up to a pavilion.
Standing side by side, admiring the beautiful scenery, Im Yeon-jeong noticed a slight shadow on Baek Ryeon’s face.
“Sister, is something bothering you?”
“It’s not really a worry.”
Baek Ryeon opened up about her feelings. She explained how she felt inexplicably uneasy lately.
Im Yeon-jeong seemed to understand.
“You know, don’t you? If you do, please tell me.”
“For free? I don’t think so.”
“I’ll buy you a drink.”
“Alright, then!”
The playful look vanished from Im Yeon-jeong’s face.
“Sister, have you ever been this free in your life?”
“No, never.”
“Have you ever not been on a mission?”
“Never.”
Im Yeon-jeong said nothing more and simply looked at Baek Ryeon.
“Oh!”
Baek Ryeon exclaimed as she realized something.
They say that if you’ve been a slave for a long time, you don’t know what to do even if you’re given freedom. That was exactly her situation.
“You’re not used to this new life. That’s why you feel uneasy.”
“I think you’re right.”
“It’s only natural. So it’s okay to feel a bit uneasy.”
Baek Ryeon pondered for a moment and then shook her head.
“No, I want to overcome it as soon as possible.”
Yes, one could be tied to the past. But not her past. It wasn’t even a past she wanted to acknowledge.
“Thank you, sister.”
“Don’t mention it.”
She wouldn’t act foolishly. She knew better than anyone how precious this freedom was.
Her memories were filled with training and missions. Now, she would cover those memories with new ones. This moment of unease would be the starting point.
The two of them gazed at the shimmering lake.
“It’s really nice.”
“Yes, it is.”
Whether it was the place, the situation, or the fact that Byeok Ri-dan had made it all possible, they didn’t know.
But that one word was enough for them.
Nice.
From that day on, I hid near the Armory, keeping a close watch.
No matter how I thought about it, something was off. In such a critical situation, why would someone as skilled as Cheon So-seon be here without a reason?
I decided to monitor the area for a few days.
While waiting, I sent a message to the leader of the Heavenly Network.
Through Ban Seo-jeong, the leader, I learned the identity of the middle-aged man I had encountered earlier.
A master who carried a sword in his chest and loved alcohol.
Ban Seo-jeong informed me that he was known as Geomya.
I had heard of Geomya before. Back then, he was just an emerging master of considerable skill. I never imagined he would grow to possess such prowess. Nor did I expect him to be recruited by the old man behind the scenes.
How long had I been there?
When the guards on duty disappeared, another group of masters arrived.
There were twelve in total.
One of them had a snake tattoo on his face. Judging by their movements and demeanor, they were no ordinary masters.
They disappeared into the building.
Soon after, the Martial Alliance guards returned to their posts.
I was now certain. Something was happening here.
I left the Martial Alliance headquarters and went straight to find Ban Seo-jeong.
“Did you say the man had a snake tattoo on his face?”
“Yes, a blue snake.”
“Was the tattoo on his forehead?”
“That’s right.”
“Was he with anyone?”
“Yes, there were twelve of them.”
Ban Seo-jeong’s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of twelve.
“Twelve, you say?”
“Yes. Why are you so surprised?”
“If they’re who I think they are, it’s astonishing that all twelve of them are together.”
“Who are they?”
Ban Seo-jeong knew exactly who they were.
“The Twelve Serpents.”
“The Twelve Serpents?”
I’d never heard of them before, but the name suggested a group as dangerous as a dozen snakes.
“We only recently gathered information about them ourselves,” Ban Seo-jeong explained. “They’re classified as top-tier threats, involved in numerous incidents. Many have been killed by these snake-tattooed masters. They’re so skilled and leave no evidence, so they haven’t officially been listed as wanted by the Martial Alliance yet. They usually operate in small groups of one or two, maybe three. This is the first time all twelve have moved together.”
She continued to explain about them. Each member of the Twelve Serpents bore tattoos corresponding to their number—one snake for the first, two for the second, and so on up to twelve. Contrary to usual hierarchies, where the first is the strongest, in their case, the first was the weakest, and the twelfth was the most formidable.
“Understood. Thank you.”
Our intelligence network, the Three-Eyed Society, still couldn’t match the Heavenly Network’s reach, so I often relied on her insights.
“Be careful. The Twelve Serpents are ruthless.”
“Don’t worry.”
The more dangerous the opponent, the stronger I become.
That night, I approached the Manbyeong Pavilion with caution. It was a vast place, guarded by dozens. But they couldn’t detect my movements.
I slipped past the martial artists’ watchful eyes and approached the building. From the outside, nothing seemed amiss.
There were several ways to enter, but I chose to sneak in through a kitchen window at the back. After ensuring no one was inside, I climbed through.
The kitchen was empty, though the lingering aroma suggested it had been bustling with activity not long ago.
As I quietly opened the door to leave, I heard voices approaching. I quickly hid behind a shelf.
Two men entered, both dressed as cooks.
“They want us to prepare enough for twenty,” the older cook said.
The younger one grumbled, “Why are they doing weapon inspections all day?”
“How should I know? We just do as we’re told.”
“It’s unusual, that’s why.”
“Anyway, they have picky tastes, so we need to be careful. Why aren’t you responding?”
As the older cook turned, he found my sword pointed at him.
“Shh.”
The younger cook was already subdued, unconscious from a pressure point strike.
“When does the weapon inspection start?” I asked, my voice low.
“It’s already begun,” the cook replied, his voice trembling.
My heart sank. I realized immediately that the grand ritual had already started. The Eon Ritual wasn’t happening in the underground chambers of the main hall, but right here at the Manbyeong Pavilion.
“Where is it taking place?”
“On the first basement level.”
I lowered my sword and spoke softly, “I need your help.”