Chapter 1: The Opening
Saving a life carries a significance beyond any other act.
Seong Wangbo bowed his head in gratitude, his voice sincere. “I will never forget the debt I owe you for saving my life.”
He had once prayed to the moon from his carriage, vowing to do anything for the person who would save him. Though he wasn’t as desperate now, having just emerged from a dire situation, his feelings had shifted dramatically from before.
“If it weren’t for him, I’d be among those corpses,” he thought, a simmering resentment towards Cheon Soseon boiling within him. “That bastard tried to kill me? I’ll have my revenge.”
I could see both gratitude and a thirst for vengeance in his eyes. “Who tried to kill you?” I asked.
“Cheon Soseon. You know him, don’t you?”
“Of course,” I replied, mimicking a gesture of throwing a dart with my fingers.
Seong Wangbo chuckled. “Yes, that’s him.”
“Why would he want you dead?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he thinks I brought you to our side, or perhaps there’s another reason.”
“What do you plan to do now?” I asked, knowing it was a difficult question for him.
“What about you?” he countered.
“What do you mean?”
“You killed the leader of the Martial Alliance, didn’t you?”
I firmly denied it. “You’re the one who killed him.”
Seong Wangbo nodded, acknowledging the truth. “True, he died because of me, so I suppose I did kill him.”
He was trying to use this as leverage to gain the upper hand in our relationship, but it was a futile attempt.
“Well, if there’s nothing else, let’s meet again another time,” I said, not showing any displeasure. There was no need to tarnish the gratitude for saving his life.
I acted as if I wasn’t bothered, showing no intention of exploiting him. Sometimes, not taking advantage of someone’s desperation can build trust, as it did in this case.
As I turned to leave, he called out, “Will you help me?”
I turned back to face him. “Do you know what that means?”
“Of course.”
“Then say it yourself.”
“It means betraying the organization.”
If Cheon Soseon had tried to kill him, he should have been clinging to the Dark Alliance for survival. Yet, he was speaking to me, indicating he wanted to keep both options open.
I saw through his cunning intentions but didn’t let it show. “Honestly, that’s what I want too. I want to know who’s behind you. So, I’ll ask again. Do you sincerely want to join forces with me?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t press him for details about his backers. If I pushed too hard, he’d mix truth with lies. Right now, he was only focused on survival.
With the upper hand, there was no need to rush. I expected he would eventually come to me with information about the Dark Alliance.
I walked over and extended my hand. “Let’s work well together.”
“Thank you,” Seong Wangbo said, gripping my hand tightly, his desperation palpable.
A small crack had formed in the dam.
＊ ＊ ＊
The death of Gwangwol’s leader, Ju Cheolryong, threw the Martial Alliance into chaos. An emergency was declared, and rumors quickly spread that it was the work of the Demonic Cult.
Of course, Ma Cheolgun didn’t believe those rumors. “What on earth is going on? I asked you to find out who’s behind this, not to kill Ju Cheolryong!”
He shouted, his voice echoing. In front of him, Ma Ryeongin protested, looking wronged. “It wasn’t me.”
“Then who was it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie!”
Ma Cheolgun stood up abruptly, itching to lash out. “Isn’t this a good thing?”
“A good thing?”
“Ju Cheolryong was a thorn in our side, wasn’t he? It’s good that he’s been dealt with.”
Ma Cheolgun frowned. It wasn’t wrong. He planned to place his own person as the new leader of Gwangwol, solidifying his base within the alliance. But what bothered him was that none of this was his doing. He hated being manipulated by forces beyond his control.
“Are you sure it wasn’t you?”
“I told you, it wasn’t me! I may be a scoundrel, but I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
Ma Cheolgun could tell Ma Ryeongin was telling the truth. His tone softened slightly. “Honestly, I feel like we’re just extras in someone else’s play. I’m supposed to be the leader of the Martial Alliance, yet I feel dispensable.”
Ma Ryeongin’s lips curled into a smirk, but he held back any sarcastic remarks. His situation wasn’t much different.
“I know we’re not allies, but let’s make an exception this time. We can settle our scores after we deal with them. Until then, I’ll keep an eye on my back.”
Ma Cheolgun didn’t trust Ma Ryeongin. He was the type to stab you in the back, not someone to genuinely join forces with. But with enemies on all sides, he needed Ma Ryeongin on his side.
Ma Ryeongin pondered for a moment. After meeting with him, Ju Cheolryong had died. It meant they knew he had tried to sway Ju Cheolryong, leading to his death.
“That’s dangerous.”
Sensing Ma Ryeongin’s hesitation, Ma Cheolgun extended his hand. “Unfortunate as it is, we’re family, aren’t we?”
Ma Ryeongin shook his hand. “Yeah, it’s unfortunate. But they’re even more unfortunate.”
As I had anticipated, Seong Wangbo reached out to me first. He looked worn out, as if burdened by many worries.
“I’ve made excuses, but my position within the organization has become even more precarious.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to do.”
“The more complicated it seems, the simpler the solution often is.”
“They’re strong.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t. They have masters stronger than you.”
“Masters?”
“Yes. At least two, maybe five, or even ten.”
“Are you saying there are ten people in this era who can wield the sword like that?”
“I know.”
“You mean it.”
Seong Wangbo looked up at me. “Their power wasn’t built in a day. It’s been accumulated over generations, layer upon layer, crushing what’s beneath and building anew. Even if the foundation collapses, they fill the gap and continue to build, creating a mountain. No one knows what’s inside that mountain.”
I could see he genuinely feared them. “Imagine an organization nurtured over centuries. Imagine they’ve collected martial arts manuals for hundreds of years. Imagine they’ve stockpiled elixirs for centuries.”
“Then why consider betrayal?”
“Until now, I thought I could climb that mountain. I believed my ambition was formidable. The stronger the opponent, the greater I felt. But now?”
“I’ve realized it’s all in vain. I’m like a chick raised at home, cute until it’s not, and when it dies, no one cares. Even if it survives, it becomes a chicken destined to be eaten. I won’t dream impossible dreams anymore.”
“Why tell me this?”
“Perhaps I hope you can bring down that mountain. I owe my life to you. Meeting you might be fate. I’ll stake my remaining fate on you.”
I sensed his sincerity. He might scheme later, but at this moment, he was genuine.
With a self-deprecating smile, he said, “I’ve given up on my dream. After all, dreams are called dreams because they don’t come true, right?”
“You can still achieve your dream.”
“What do you mean?”
“When that mountain falls, your mountain will be the highest.”
“You mean it.”
I looked at him calmly. “I’ll level that mountain.”
＊ ＊ ＊
After meeting with Byeoklidan, Seong Wangbo went straight to the Dark Alliance.
The Dark Alliance leader was with a corpulent man.
The corpulent man asked, “I heard Cheon Soseon tried to kill you?”
“Yes.”
“Good thing you survived. Our Seong Chief has excellent guards, after all. That’s fortunate.”
“No need to test me. You already know what happened that day, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“He saved me. Without him, I’d be dead.”
Seong Wangbo knew he couldn’t deceive them.
“Him? There are countless people you could call ‘him.’ Which one do you mean?”
“The one opposing us.”
“Come to think of it, we don’t even know who he is.”
“Neither do you, I suppose.”
“You seem to favor him.”
“If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing here.”
“So? Have you joined his side?”
“You never considered me one of you, did you?”
Seong Wangbo continued his conversation with the corpulent man, but his gaze remained fixed on the Dark Alliance leader.
“Facing death seems to have made you bolder.”
“When a person is cornered, this is what happens. I intended to live with dignity, but it seems that’s not so easy.”
The burly man revealed a menacing aura.
“How dare you pull such a stunt? These bastards always act up when you treat them well.”
It was a raw and violent side of him that had never been shown before, instantly turning the atmosphere tense and dangerous.
Normally, such behavior would have intimidated anyone, but Seong Wang-bo instead wore a calm smile.
At that moment, the shadowy figure, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.
“Apologies. Please forgive his rude behavior. He’s been on edge lately.”
“Of course, I’ll forget it.”
The burly man let out a cold laugh, as if the promise to forget was a provocation. Meanwhile, the shadowy figure continued in his usual gentle tone.
“What did he say?”
“He said he needs to collect the money, so I can’t die.”
“How did you manage to save yourself?”
“He said he was keeping an eye on Ju Cheol-ryong.”
Seong Wang-bo spoke candidly. This was not someone he could deceive, even if he wanted to. He had to tell ninety-nine truths and hide just one. Whether he could even manage that was uncertain.
“It seems they plan to use me to uncover your identity.”
The shadowy figure nodded.
“What did you think of the person you saw?”
“He’s more formidable than anyone I’ve encountered. If we’re not careful…”
“Am I in danger too?”
“No, I don’t believe so.”
“I see. It’s unfortunate that an outsider had to save you. I’m sorry I couldn’t prevent it.”
“Not at all. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
“Take care.”
As Seong Wang-bo left, the burly man spoke with a dissatisfied expression.
“That slippery fellow! He’s walking a tightrope.”
“I know.”
“Should we eliminate him?”
“Yes.”
“What? Are you serious about eliminating him?”
“Yes, and we’ll take care of Seong as well.”
The burly man looked at the shadowy figure in shock.
“Do you mean…?”
The shadowy figure nodded.
“We’ll open the underground market and start the night market.”
Opening the night market was a command to unseal the underground trade. The burly man knelt on the spot.
“Dark Merchant, Great Boar, I accept the solemn command of the Shadowy Figure.”
The shadowy figure gave a stern order.
“Summon all the Dark Ten Merchants immediately, and call in all the combat merchant groups of the underground trade. Also, summon the leaders of the Northern Trade Group, the Yellow Dragon Trade Group, the Night Market, and the Waterway Trade Group, and bring in the Blood Merchant at once.”