Murim Alliance Leader

After meeting Sword Dragon Moyong Hwi.
Contrary to his companions’ concerns, things remained quiet. Some looked at Gyo-ha with displeasure, but no one came to pick a fight with him.
His injury was one reason, but word had also spread that he had defeated Moyong Min.
Moyong Min might not have impressed Gyo-ha, but he was still a direct descendant of the Moyong Clan.
There was no way he lacked skill.
Even if someone defeated Gyo-ha, they would earn the disgrace of having beaten an injured man.
There was more to lose than gain.
That naturally made everyone cautious, much to Gyo-ha’s disappointment.
Time passed, and as Gyo-ha grew increasingly bored, he began wondering whether it was time to leave.
Then a member of the Murim Alliance came looking for him.

“The Alliance Leader wishes to see you.”

Gyo-ha’s bored eyes lit up at his words.
Gyo-ha sprang to his feet.

“Let’s hurry!”

The Alliance member looked bewildered by Gyo-ha’s urging.
But he soon nodded.

‘…They say Kunlun has drawn a line between itself and the Murim Alliance, but its disciple apparently feels differently.’

Many within the Murim Alliance respected the Alliance Leader. He assumed Gyo-ha was one of them.
But Gyo-ha’s thoughts were entirely different.

‘Just how strong is he?’
The Twelve Heavens.
The twelve strongest beings under Heaven.
His mind was filled entirely with that thought. The fact that the man led the Orthodox martial world did not even occur to him.

Gyo-ha followed his guide toward the Murim Alliance’s main building.
He had been at the Murim Alliance for some time, but this was his first time entering the main building.
No one could even enter without permission.
Gazes poured in from every direction.
Rather than wariness toward a stranger, their eyes showed that they knew who Gyo-ha was and were evaluating him.
Word about Gyo-ha had already spread.
That was only natural after he had clashed with the Moyong Clan, one of the Five Great Clans, immediately upon arriving.
Gyo-ha did not find those gazes unpleasant.
He examined those watching him in return.

‘Those ones are from a Taoist lineage, and that group seems to use Thunder Qi. Are they from the Namgung Clan?’

Unlike before, he was no longer looking only at their weapons.
Gyo-ha’s internal energy had not changed since then, but his senses had grown that much sharper.
Flinch.

‘Oops.’

Gyo-ha caught himself just as he was about to release his fighting spirit without realizing it.
Observing someone and releasing fighting spirit were entirely different things.
The latter was practically the same as provoking them.
As Kunlun’s eldest disciple, he couldn’t behave so rudely.
Moreover, this was the most heavily guarded place within the Murim Alliance.
Instead, he swept his gaze around in disappointment.
However, there was something Gyo-ha had failed to realize.
He might have suppressed his fighting spirit, but he couldn’t hide the look in his eyes.
Gyo-ha stared at them as though he wanted to devour them, smacking his lips.
At the sight, the others sighed inwardly.

‘They said he was eccentric.’
‘He truly is the Sword Freak’s disciple.’

In the meantime, Gyo-ha reached his destination.
It was the Murim Alliance Leader’s office.

“This is as far as I will guide you.”

The Alliance member bowed his head and left.
Gyo-ha blinked.
He was just going to leave him standing outside the door? Shouldn’t he at least announce his arrival?
Though puzzled, Gyo-ha walked toward the door.
At that moment, a voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Only then did Gyo-ha understand why the Alliance member had simply left.
There was no need to announce him.
The person inside had already sensed everything through his qi perception.
When Gyo-ha opened the door and entered, he saw two people.
One was a man somewhere between middle age and old age, while the other was a small elderly man with a graying beard.
The middle-aged man was seated, and the old man stood beside him.
Gyo-ha immediately recognized them both.
The old man was Sage Jegal Tae.
He was the Murim Alliance’s Strategist. The man beside him was Baek Gun-ak.
The current Murim Alliance Leader.
Gyo-ha swallowed dryly without realizing it.
The corners of Baek Gun-ak’s mouth creased at the sight.

“Did you see that, Strategist?”
“…I did.”

Jegal Tae shook his head in disbelief.
Jegal Tae was also a master who had crossed the wall.
There was no way he would fail to notice Gyo-ha’s gaze.
Gyo-ha had just measured the distance between them.
In other words, he had imagined what would happen if he attacked Baek Gun-ak.
Jegal Tae had met many younger-generation prodigies, but this was the first who had begun thinking about fighting him the moment they met.

“He is as belligerent as the rumors say.”

Jegal Tae had considerably softened his wording.
Looking at Gyo-ha reminded him of Gyo-ha’s master, Yun Heo.
Only then did Gyo-ha realize his mistake and bow his head.

“I’m sorry. You looked so strong that I couldn’t help myself.”

Even without Gyo-ha releasing his fighting spirit, the two men could tell what he was thinking from his gaze alone.
Jegal Tae shook his head at Gyo-ha’s excuse, while Baek Gun-ak burst out laughing.

“Well, now that you’ve seen me, what do you think?”
“…This is difficult. I can’t see any openings. It wasn’t even like this with Sword Grandpa.”
“Sword Grandpa?”
“Ah, Sword Grandpa Saint.”

Sword Saint Namgung Jin-yeong.
Jegal Tae’s eyes widened. It was not because Gyo-ha had implied that he had fought Namgung Jin-yeong before.

‘He calls that man that?’

As members of the Five Great Clans, they had known one another since childhood.
Despite their differing appearances, the three of them, including Baek Gun-ak, were practically the same age.
Unconcerned with any of that, Gyo-ha continued haltingly.

“He was overwhelming too, but I could still look for a chance to attack him. You’re different, Mister Alliance Leader.”

It felt as though attacking him was impossible in itself.
Gyo-ha had never felt this way before.

“…Mister Alliance Leader?”

Jegal Tae’s mouth fell open.
Baek Gun-ak, meanwhile, burst out laughing.
He glanced at Jegal Tae with eyes full of mischief.

“Then what do you think of our Strategist?”
“Hmm.”

Gyo-ha’s gaze shifted.
He considered the question carefully.

“…He would be difficult.”

Gyo-ha shook his head again. It was only natural.
Jegal Tae was not merely intelligent. He was also a martial artist who had reached the heights of mastery.
Baek Gun-ak watched Gyo-ha and spoke again.

“Even if you used that power?”
“……”

Flinch.
Gyo-ha’s body trembled.
Baek Gun-ak was smiling, but his eyes were calm.

‘He knows after all.’

Gyo-ha had expected this possibility, but he had not thought he would be exposed so quickly.
He scratched the back of his head vigorously.

“I’m not sure. I still can’t control it properly.”
“…Are you saying the result might be different if you could?”

Gyo-ha imagined himself wielding yokai power.
His gaze returned to Jegal Tae.
Jegal Tae’s eyebrow twitched under that gaze.

‘The look in his eyes has changed.’

Gyo-ha was no longer merely measuring the distance. He was looking at Jegal Tae as prey.

“…There might be a chance. But it wouldn’t be easy.”
“Why?”

At Baek Gun-ak’s question, Gyo-ha tapped the spot where his dantian lay.

“This thing and I don’t get along.”

It was a childish way of putting it, but both Baek Gun-ak and Jegal Tae understood.
Mystic Qi could also be sensed within Gyo-ha’s body.
In fact, his Mystic Qi was more readily apparent than his Yokai Qi.
However.

‘Once you become aware of it, it’s different.’

Its depth and density were on another level.
Mystic Qi naturally possessed the property of repelling sinister energies.
Baek Gun-ak nodded and turned his gaze back toward Jegal Tae.
Jegal Tae grew uneasy at his meaningful smile.

“How does he compare to Sword Grandpa?”
“You mean Strategist Grandpa?”
“Yes, Strategist Grandpa.”

Jegal Tae stiffened at the words Strategist Grandpa. Baek Gun-ak suppressed his laughter and nodded.

“…I think Sword Grandpa is a little stronger.”

Gyo-ha answered cautiously. Baek Gun-ak smiled in satisfaction as he looked at him.

“Precisely.”

Needless to say, Jegal Tae’s face crumpled at the final blow.
However, Jegal Tae was not upset because Gyo-ha had said he was weaker than Namgung Jin-yeong.
Jegal Tae already knew that himself.
But martial arts were not all Jegal Tae possessed.
He would inevitably lose if they met on an open battlefield, but the story would be different on a battlefield Jegal Tae had prepared.
Formation arts.
That was another power he possessed.
Preparing for battle was also an ability. One avoided unfavorable battlefields and created battlefields that favored one’s own side.
That was the very mindset of the Jegal Clan.
The only thing that truly bothered Jegal Tae was…

‘…Why does he get to be Mister?’

It was unfair.
Baek Gun-ak and Jegal Tae were about the same age.
His only consolation was that Namgung Jin-yeong had also been called Grandpa.
No, he could even let that pass.
Jegal Tae glanced at Baek Gun-ak, who was still clutching his stomach and laughing.
The thought of being teased about this for some time gave him a headache.
It was one of Baek Gun-ak’s few pleasures while confined to the Alliance Leader’s office.
Sigh.
Jegal Tae sighed and gave him a look. Baek Gun-ak cleared his throat and adopted a serious expression.

“That power of yours. Does it truly come from a yokai?”
“Yes.”

Gyo-ha nodded.
Trying to hide it any further would only seem strange.

“I see.”

Baek Gun-ak nodded repeatedly. His reaction instead left Gyo-ha puzzled.

“You’re not surprised?”

It was surprising enough that he knew about yokai, but Gyo-ha had not expected him to recognize the nature of his power as well.
Baek Gun-ak nodded.

“The Abbot of Shaolin and the Sect Leader of Wudang came and informed us. We received other related reports afterward as well. Others have likely realized it by now.”
“Who do you mean by others?”
“The Evil Heaven Alliance… and likely some among the Five Great Clans.”

Strange phenomena were already occurring throughout the Central Plains.
There was no way the Five Great Clans could be unaware of them.
Yet the Central Plains remained quiet.
There was only one possible reason.
Someone was restricting the flow of information.

‘Perhaps it isn’t just one group.’

There were those who did not want the Murim Alliance and the Evil Heaven Alliance to end their war.
Baek Gun-ak stroked his beard.

“That is precisely why we are searching for your master.”
“My master?”

Gyo-ha blinked.

“Do you know where he is?”

Gyo-ha furrowed his brow at Baek Gun-ak’s question.

“The last I heard, he and my junior brother were going to… Where was it? Ghost…”
“Ghost Valley.”

Jegal Tae interjected suddenly.

“Right. That place. He said they were going there.”

Ghost Valley.
Gyo-ha did not know it, but three great mysterious sects existed within the Kangho.
Ghost Valley was one of them.

“Right. Your junior brother was Moon Ryang.”

Jegal Tae muttered as though he had just remembered. Baek Gun-ak turned toward him.
Jegal Tae spoke calmly.

“Ghost Reaper Moon Ryang. He is known to have come from the Green Forest, but he is actually from Ghost Gate.”
“Ghost Gate?”

Baek Gun-ak furrowed his brow, but no matter how he searched his memory, nothing came to mind.

“It was a sect that suffered near-total destruction during the Orthodox–Demon War after being mistaken for a branch of the Demon Cult.”
“Hmm.”

In the past, sinister martial arts were simply dismissed as Demonic Arts.
However, the distinction became clear after the Orthodox–Demon War.
Demonic Arts could not merely be described as sinister. Their very foundations were different.

“I understand that Ghost Valley later exterminated the remaining forces.”
“…It is surprising that Ghost Valley acted first.”

They were not called a mysterious sect for nothing. They remained apart from the secular world.

“I concluded that it was an internal dispute.”

Ghost Valley and Ghost Gate.
Even their names were similar.
Moreover, the nature of their martial arts was similar. They were clearly connected.
Gyo-ha looked at Jegal Tae in surprise.
Gyo-ha also knew that Moon Ryang came from Ghost Gate because Moon Ryang had told him himself. However, he didn’t know the details.
He hadn’t expected Jegal Tae to know even that much.

“…The Murim Alliance has eyes everywhere. Though that is a thing of the past now.”

Jegal Tae spoke bitterly.

“Then where is Ghost Valley?”

Jegal Tae shook his head at Baek Gun-ak’s question.

“I have several possible locations in mind, but considering when Young Hero Gyo left, they have most likely already moved elsewhere.”
“…That is unfortunate.”

Baek Gun-ak sighed.

“Then I will tell you why I called you here.”
“Huh?”

Gyo-ha tilted his head. Hadn’t the matter concerned his master?
Baek Gun-ak rested his chin on his hand.

“Some strange individuals have appeared recently. They are human, yet possess the power of yokai, just as you do.”

The look in Gyo-ha’s eyes changed at Baek Gun-ak’s words.
It was an intriguing subject.

“…They aren’t yokai in human form?”

Baek Gun-ak suppressed a laugh at the sight of Gyo-ha asking with sparkling eyes.

“We do not know their exact nature. However, we have managed to pick up the trail of some of them. I intend to dispatch martial artists, and I would like you, as someone with extensive experience dealing with yokai, to assist them. Of course, this is only a request.”

Baek Gun-ak spoke while glancing toward Gyo-ha’s arm.
But one look at Gyo-ha’s eyes told him what the answer would be.