The Martial Alliance Leader, Byeok Lidan (1)
Life returned to normal.
No matter how chaotic the world becomes, everyone has their own responsibilities. Mine were to strengthen the bonds within the organization and to train in the Demonic Divine Art.
I met with my parents and Song Woo-kyung again. Thanks to the elixirs I sent them, they had all increased their internal energy by a significant margin.
They no longer seemed surprised by my actions or decisions. They acknowledged that the path of my destiny was far greater than they had imagined and quietly supported me.
I reunited with Gwan-hwi and the warriors of the Small Sword Brigade to guide them in martial arts. I corrected their stances and explained theories that matched their level.
Those who were lucky or particularly diligent would achieve something from this training.
Beyond martial arts, I also expressed my gratitude to them.
When I awoke as Byeok Lidan, without Gwangdu and the others, I might have lost my way in the flow of destiny. If I hadn’t adapted to my family and had left, who knows how my fate would have changed?
“Thank you, truly.”
I sincerely thanked them. It was a sentiment that resonated with the leadership lessons my father always tried to impart to me.
When I went to meet Gwangdu at the Taeseong Trading Company, he was with Suran.
“How about a drink together after so long?” I suggested.
Suran was taken aback by my proposal.
“Without the young lady?”
“Sometimes, just the three of us isn’t so bad. Hwarin will understand.”
And so, the three of us drank together.
This gathering was primarily for Gwangdu and his love. I didn’t overtly praise Gwangdu, fearing it might backfire.
Instead, I shared my honest feelings with him, unconcerned about her presence.
“I just came from thanking Gwan-hwi and the Small Sword Brigade. I’m a hundred times more grateful to you, Gwangdu.”
“Won’t the leader be upset?”
Suran whispered in a low voice, as if sharing a secret.
“Maybe he told the leader the opposite.”
Gwangdu waved his hand dismissively.
“There’s no way… or maybe there is. He probably told the leader he’s a thousand times more grateful.”
“Hahaha. With such foresight, you two won’t starve if you set up a fortune-telling stall.”
Gwangdu and Suran continued their whispered conversation.
“Our young master is quite the sly one.”
“Learn from him. You’re so sincere that you sometimes come off as too straightforward. You should learn to be as skillful as he is.”
“Yes, I’ll learn. I’ll cling to the tail of the snake and climb over the wall with determination.”
I watched them with a smile.
I never expected them to create such an atmosphere. Especially Suran, who was once so straightforward, now seemed like Gwangdu’s other half. Is this why they say love makes people alike?
After some lighthearted banter, the playfulness faded from Gwangdu’s face.
“You once told me, didn’t you? That what’s important in becoming a martial artist isn’t family or a master, but connections.”
I remembered. It was something I said while traveling to Dongpyeong with him and Yang Sobang.
“I asked you then, how do you know if you have a connection? And you said you didn’t know either.”
“That’s right.”
“Young master.”
“What is it?”
“Honestly, I still don’t know if I have a connection with the martial world. Even now, I often feel awkward and out of place holding a sword instead of a broom.”
It must have been difficult to admit this with Suran present, but Gwangdu was candid about his feelings.
“But there’s one thing I do know. Even if I don’t have a connection with the martial world, I definitely have connections with the people living in it. Meeting you, meeting Miss Suran here, my subordinates at Taeseong Trading Company, Leader Baek, Strategist Gal, Miss Song… I’ve formed so many precious connections.”
Gwangdu stood and bowed deeply.
“Thank you so much, young master. All these connections were made possible because of you. You’ve changed my life. I will remain loyal until my dying breath.”
Perhaps Gwangdu was making this vow, this declaration, to Suran. To say, this is who I am, the choice is yours.
Suddenly, I found Gwangdu impressive. I had always liked him, but I had never thought of him as impressive until now. Gwangdu is a remarkable person.
“Yes, thank you. I’m ten thousand times more grateful than to the leader.”
Despite my joke, a solemn silence followed.
Suran, who had been glancing between us, whispered softly.
“Is the man I’m dating the type to be completely taken in by such words?”
“It seems so.”
At Gwangdu’s response, Suran feigned a sigh.
“Then I have no choice. I’ll have to do better. To live with a man who is ten thousand times more loyal to his lord than to anyone else.”
Gwangdu’s face lit up. She had accepted his heart as it was. She had promised a future together.
I thought she was a good woman.
Gwangdu, treat her well.
That night, I entered a dream for training using the Dream Lotus Technique.
Last time, I had awakened at the place of my final battle with the Heavenly Demon, but this time, I found myself in a different location.
[What a beautiful view. Where is this?]
[This is Seonhak Peak.]
[Seonhak Peak?]
Just like last time, it was unexpected.
[Why did I awaken here?]
[It seems this place was in your heart.]
[I once thought about living here someday.]
[It’s certainly a place worthy of that thought.]
Even the Heavenly Demon was impressed by the scenery.
[It’s a shame to destroy this place.]
Of course, since it’s a dream, it’s not really being destroyed, but I couldn’t help feeling that way.
Do I have to destroy my human desires to master the Demonic Divine Art?
[If you’re going to destroy it, do it thoroughly.]
[Shall we begin?]
I soared into the sky. I first trained in the Demonic Wind Step.
With the Demonic Floating Cloud, I flew to the ends of the sky. Starting from a high place and flying even higher, it truly felt like reaching the sky’s limit.
I ascended until I couldn’t breathe any further.
Below, clouds drifted by.
Swoosh.
This time, I flew through the sky using the Demonic Flight and then used the Demonic Teleportation. In a flash, I moved to the distant place I had targeted. The distance I could cover now was incomparable to before.
Was it because of the recent battle with the Heavenly Army? When I had exhausted all my internal energy, the Demonic Wind Step reached the eighth level.
It wasn’t because I had trained extensively in the Demonic Wind Step. The Demonic Divine Art, which had reached the ninth level, forcibly elevated the Demonic Wind Step during the battle with the Heavenly Army. It was a new experience.
In any case, with the Demonic Wind Step reaching the eighth level, my martial skills advanced once more. I was one step closer to mastering the Demonic Divine Art.
[Congratulations.]
[Thank you.]
[You truly grow endlessly.]
[It’s thanks to you.]
[Seeing that you know gratitude, you’re growing mentally as well.]
[Hahaha.]
After replenishing my internal energy through meditation, I practiced the Soul-Hunting Demon Sword Technique and the Seonhak Technique.
I had felt it clearly last time, but as my martial arts level rose, the level of these two techniques also increased.
The righteous, the demonic, and the martial arts that connect the two, the Righteous-Demonic Bridge.
Of course, the highest peak among the three is the Demonic Divine Art. That cannot be denied. The peaks of the Soul-Hunting Demon Sword Technique and the Seonhak Technique stand slightly below it, side by side.
After finishing with the two techniques, I finally practiced the swordsmanship of the Demonic Divine Art.
I executed the first to fifth forms in sequence, then unleashed the sixth form, the Demonic Sword Blood Rain, once more.
Swoosh!
This time, I scaled it down, just as I had when facing the Heavenly Army.
Was it a difference in concentration? It didn’t descend as cleanly as it did then.
I was about to attempt the Demonic Sword Blood Rain again when a thought occurred to me.
[Does this have any meaning?]
[What do you mean?]
[Is there a need to train to use it in a controlled manner like in that battle? Scaling down the Demonic Sword Blood Rain during the fight with the Heavenly Army was breaking the existing mold, wasn’t it?]
[That’s true.]
[But training to use it that way regularly is putting that freedom back into a mold, isn’t it?]
[Hmm. There’s some truth to that.]
[But?]
[Isn’t it just an excuse because it’s difficult to train?]
[Hahaha.]
[Your laughter is suspicious.]
[No, it’s not like that.]
And even if it were, what would it matter? It’s important to think freely.
Swoosh.
I soared into the sky with the Demonic Floating Cloud.
For now, I plan to focus on training. The battle with the Heavenly Army certainly contributed to my martial advancement.
But there’s no guarantee I’ll encounter such a master again. It’s highly unlikely.
However, there’s no need to be disappointed.
Even without such grand battles or fortuitous encounters, I believe I can reach mastery through training alone.
Daily training could be the final step to mastery. After all, nothing in the world is set in stone.
“Ugh! Stop!”
Ma Cheol-gun screamed.
The old man who had been pressing on his dantian stepped back.
“I’m sorry.”
The old man was Seo Bok, a master from the Elder Council known for his expertise in controlling and releasing acupoints within the Martial Alliance. Yet, he couldn’t undo the suppression inflicted on Ma Cheol-gun.
“My internal energy is insufficient to release it. Please punish me for my incompetence.”
“Damn it! I thought you could handle this. Damn it all!”
Ma Cheol-gun’s irritation was evident, and Seo Bok, too, showed a hint of displeasure. Unfortunately, Ma Cheol-gun noticed his expression.
Ma Cheol-gun was about to snap, but he held his tongue. Stirring up trouble over this would only make an already bad situation worse.
“Thank you for your efforts. You may leave now.”
“I’ll take my leave then.”
With a polite bow, Seobok turned and exited the temporary leader’s quarters. A peculiar smile spread across his face, the kind only someone privy to a secret could wear.
“It seems there’s no hope of restoring Ma’s energy center. In that case…”
The inevitability of a new leader taking over was becoming more apparent. Every day, the clamor for Ma Cheol-gun to step down grew louder.
“This is an opportunity.”
Now was the time to quickly back someone who could become the new leader. Once they were in power, he could finally reap the rewards of his support.
Meanwhile, Ma Cheol-gun gritted his teeth as he watched Seobok’s retreating figure. The lightness in his step was infuriating.
“I need to find a way.”
Giving up his position wasn’t the only issue. He might never be able to unblock his energy center.
If he couldn’t solve this problem as the leader, it would be impossible if he wasn’t.
Just then, someone entered the room.
“Whether the Heavenly King is here or not, you manage to make a mess of things all by yourself.”
It was Ma Ryeong-in. Ma Cheol-gun remained silent as he approached.
“You must really miss me. Normally, you’d have cursed me out by now.”
“Cut the nonsense and sit down.”
“Is there even a seat for me? Can someone who can’t keep their own seat offer one to others?”
“I won’t give up my seat. You have to make sure of that.”
“Is that a request or an order?”
“Think of it however you like.”
Ma Ryeong-in sat across from Ma Cheol-gun. Though he didn’t particularly like him, he sometimes envied his calm demeanor.
Both had their energy centers suppressed, yet Ma Ryeong-in seemed far more at ease. It stung his pride to ask for help from someone younger.
But in this situation, he needed Ma Ryeong-in. The cunning man must have already found a solution. That’s why he endured the taunts.
“What should I do?”
Ma Cheol-gun’s question was met with a ready answer.
“First, you need to regain your inner strength. Without power, they treat you like dirt. They tell you to step down? Would they dare say that if you hadn’t lost your strength?”
Of course not. They wouldn’t dare. That’s why he couldn’t step down.
“How do I regain my strength?”
“If even the elders can’t solve it, there’s only one way. Find the one who killed the Heavenly King.”
Ma Cheol-gun was about to ask how, but swallowed his frustration with a muttered curse.
“The killer didn’t just drop from the sky to take out the Heavenly King.”
“Exactly.”
“To take on someone like the Heavenly King, they must have an organization. And a significant information network. Spread the word through the major intelligence networks. Say the leader of the martial alliance wants to meet. It’ll reach him.”
“Will he agree to meet?”
“You’ll need to offer terms that will make him move.”
Before Ma Cheol-gun could ask how again, Ma Ryeong-in stood up abruptly.
“Think of the terms yourself. Surely you don’t expect me to spoon-feed you after setting the table?”