Chapter 115

By the time the conversation reached this point, Deung Jong-yu, who had stepped out earlier, came back in.

“Alliance Leader.”

Though Deung Jong-yu’s words were just a simple call to Gakwon, Gakwon already knew what he had come to say. Namgung Woo had also figured it out before Deung Jong-yu even entered. Sensing the presence of new visitors, Gakwon immediately nodded.

“Go and bring them in.”

“Understood.”

And the ones who entered were people Namgung Woo was very glad to see.

“Alliance Leader, what on earth is going on here?”

The man who boldly confronted Gakwon the moment he entered. Despite Gakwon being a figure of reverence, known as the Buddha Venerable and holding the title of Alliance Leader, this man showed no fear whatsoever.

“Brother Paeng, it’s alright.”

Namgung Woo tried to calm down Paeng Ja-ryeong, who seemed ready to cause a scene right then and there.

“I was shocked when I got a message from Ha-ryeong saying the Alliance had suddenly found a benefactor.”

Right after Namgung Woo went to the Martial Alliance with Deung Jong-yu, Paeng Ha-ryeong informed Paeng Ja-ryeong about it. And Paeng Ja-ryeong immediately stormed into the Central Heaven Pavilion.

Seeing this, it was clear that no matter how calm the Paeng Family was known to be, they were still the Paeng Family.

“There was a bit of a misunderstanding. It’s been resolved, so there’s no need to worry.”

“What misunderstanding?”

As Namgung Woo tried to wrap things up, Seomun Pyo muttered irritably. Though it sounded like a soliloquy, it was clearly meant to be heard.

“…Elder Seomun. What do you mean by that?”

Paeng Ja-ryeong asked politely but with a hint of aggression.

But Seomun Pyo wasn’t one to back down easily. He met Paeng Ja-ryeong’s gaze without flinching.

“Exactly what I said. And since when has the Paeng Family been so reckless within the Alliance? Is the reputation of the Seven Great Families so great that it can ignore the authority of the Alliance?”

Though the Seomun Family isn’t counted among the Seven Great Families, they are a powerful family closely following them. Seomun Pyo, the uncle of the current Seomun Family head and the half-brother of the previous head, held influence that even the Hapbuk Paeng Family couldn’t take lightly.

Of course, compared to the Hapbuk Paeng Family, which has the Blade Sovereign as its head, the Seomun Family’s power is indeed weaker. If a conflict arose between the Seomun Family and the Hapbuk Paeng Family, most would side with the Paeng Family, but Seomun Pyo also held the position of an elder within the Martial Alliance.

“Pyo, have you forgotten that I just allowed their entry?”

However, the title of elder was powerless before the authority of the Alliance Leader.

“Alliance Leader…! Have you forgotten! That man made contact with the princess that day. If this isn’t clear evidence…!”

“Enough!!”

Finally, a roar erupted from Gakwon.

“Even though the outline of the culprit has already been revealed, you still speak like this!”

It had been decades since Gakwon Daesa, known for his benevolence and for choosing to guide even evil people rather than kill them, had raised his voice like this.

Beom Ryang and Jin Il-hak, who had been subtly supporting Seomun Pyo from the sidelines, also seemed to feel guilty and quickly turned their heads away to avoid Gakwon’s gaze.

But unlike the two, Seomun Pyo remained confident. No, he was shameless.

“No matter what the Alliance Leader says, the facts won’t change. The death of my friend Chae Mun-gwang—I will definitely uncover the truth!”

Seomun Pyo stormed out, even leaving his seat.

Beom Ryang and Jin Il-hak, after glancing at Gakwon, awkwardly got up and followed him.

Gakwon, as if he couldn’t bear to watch the three elders leave, closed his eyes and recited a Buddhist chant.

“May the Buddha have mercy…”

Namgung Woo had already sensed that the Martial Alliance wasn’t a unified organization, but it seemed the conflicts between factions ran deeper than expected.

If the elders could disregard the Alliance Leader’s authority and act collectively, then it was serious. No matter how high Gakwon Daesa’s reputation was or how profound his martial achievements were, politics was a different matter.

Even in the martial world, the monster called politics wielded a different measure.

“I knew about it, but seeing it in person feels different.”

The man who had entered with Paeng Ja-ryeong but hadn’t spoken until now finally spoke up.

“Blue Sword Emperor. Let me introduce myself. I am Jegal Hyul, leading the Star Net Group of the Jegal Family.”

“Ah, from the Jegal Family. I’m Namgung Woo. I’ve received help from the Star Net Group several times, but I think this is the first time I’ve met its leader in person.”

The Star Net Group, the intelligence organization of the Jegal Family. Jegal Hyul was one of the Jegal Family’s rising stars, having become the leader of the Star Net Group at a young age, not much older than Paeng Ja-ryeong.

His martial achievements were decent, but his true strength lay in his intellect. At just a young age, he had topped the imperial examinations, though he didn’t participate in the final stage to take up an official position. Had he chosen to, all the other participants would have been pushed down a rank.

“Did Brother Paeng call you?”

“No.”

“I also received a message. From Seon-ah.”

“Ah… Lady Jegal as well.”

The importance of connections was evident.

When something happened, they sent the best help they could offer.

Even if it didn’t end up being of much practical help, their sincerity steadied the wavering heart.

Namgung Woo, feeling the warmth of the connections he had made, even if they weren’t physically present now.

But there was no time to bask in that warmth. Namgung Woo had noticed a few strange things in the earlier conversation.

“Alliance Leader, I don’t understand what the elder said earlier. That I made contact with the princess?”

Namgung Woo almost added “slander” but held back.

Just in case.

And as the saying goes, “what if” can kill a person.

This time, it was right again.

“Didn’t you know? The two women you helped. They came from Beijing.”

“Ah… They did seem to be of high status.”

Thinking they were of noble birth, he had avoided getting involved to prevent trouble, but it seemed they had caught the attention of others. The Martial Alliance headquarters wasn’t too far away, so it was unavoidable.

Jegal Hyul spoke up, confirming the truth in Namgung Woo’s words.

“It’s become quite a coincidence.”

“Star Net Leader, what do you mean by that?”

“Well… The Paeng Family must also know that there are various factions within the Martial Alliance.”

It was awkward for Jegal Hyul to discuss the internal affairs of the Martial Alliance in front of the Alliance Leader, but Gakwon closed his eyes, signaling it was okay.

Under this tacit approval, Jegal Hyul explained.

“Recently, the hardliners within the Martial Alliance have grown significantly in power.”

The reasons were varied.

The imperial court’s recent misfortunes had weakened its influence over the martial world.

Yet, the court had sided with the邪派 (evil faction) during the Unmong Great War, leading to backlash.

The collapse of the Banunbang, one of the major pillars of the邪派, had shifted the balance of power in the martial world.

In such a situation, the hardliners, who were a minority within the Martial Alliance, had exploded in numbers.

Their demands were simple.

The complete expulsion of imperial influence from the martial world.

As a starting point, they sought to eliminate the influence of the Yi Royal Residence in Luoyang.

“And the recently assassinated Elder Chae Mun-gwang was one of the key figures among the hardliners. While the hardliners were openly challenging the Alliance Leader’s authority, you, Great Hero, displayed your martial arts in Luoyang after making contact with the princess. It’s a stretch, but not entirely impossible to connect.”

“What a tangled mess.”

Paeng Ja-ryeong clicked his tongue.

“The elders have always had a strong hardline tendency, but the fact that their power is growing means even the Eight Elite Units are being swayed. Old men filled with pride for the White Path Martial World…”

The orthodox sects and the Seven Great Families, which had direct ties with the imperial court, could be classified as pro-imperial.

So, from Paeng Ja-ryeong’s perspective, no matter how plausible the situation seemed, the hardliners’ demand to exclude imperial interference sounded absurd.

And Gakwon, a member of the orthodox sects and closer to the moderates, felt the same.

“I’ve already burdened you greatly, but there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you.”

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yes. Think of it more as entrusting you with a request.”

The content of the request was something everyone already knew.

To catch the culprit behind this assassination.

Instead of asking about the details, Namgung Woo asked something else.

“What about the Alliance Leader?”

Even if it wasn’t entrusted to him, Gakwon himself could have handled it. There was also the Eight Elite Units, a formidable force within the Martial Alliance.

But Gakwon was convinced that Namgung Woo was the best person for the job.

The ability to sense the killer’s presence, something no one else had noticed, not even Gakwon himself.

Of course, it was possible because Namgung Woo had actually seen and personally killed Yi Ja-ryong. Gakwon might have been able to do the same if he had faced Yi Ja-ryong in battle.

But that was just a hypothetical. Currently, Namgung Woo was the only one who could accurately detect the killer’s presence.

“The martial competition will continue. And if what they’re aiming for goes beyond simple revenge to ruin this competition and eliminate future pillars, then we need someone to stop that.”

In short, if Namgung Woo was the search team, Gakwon was the guard team.

If Namgung Woo was the spear, Gakwon was the shield.

It was a fitting distribution of roles for two peerless masters.

There was no reason to refuse.

Chasing the culprit behind the assassination within the Martial Alliance, and fulfilling Gakwon’s request, which was connected to the Namgung Family, both aligned with Namgung Woo’s personal goals.

“I accept the Alliance Leader’s request.”