A Clan With Roots (8)

Although it was his first time seeing them, Sang-eon could tell at a glance that they were the White Tiger Unit.

To begin with, Sichuan was a region where the level of Murim people was markedly lower than in other regions. There was no way an organization here would emit such a well-trained qi presence.

Most decisively, their uniforms, well mended and shining pure white, proved their affiliation.

A faint killing intent rose in Sang-eon’s eyes, then disappeared.

‘They crawled here on their own feet. Still, they’re not completely without sense.’

He had thought they had been holed up in a courtesan house this whole time, fondling the breasts of courtesans. At that thought, he had been grinding his teeth all along, determined not to let them off when they met.

But now that he actually saw them waiting nearby, much of his anger subsided.

Of course, that didn’t mean he felt like forgiving them.

A moment later.

The White Tiger Unit stopped about fifteen meters in front of Sang-eon’s group.

Heo Do stepped three paces forward and clasped his fist with discipline.

“Heo Do, Leader of the White Tiger Unit, greets the Elder of Hengshan.”

At the same time, the hundred members of the White Tiger Unit, led by Song Oe, lowered their heads in unison.

“We greet the Elder!”

Their voices rang out so loudly that the entire forest seemed to shake. It was the force of the White Tiger Unit, now fully recovered after resting away their fatigue

Not only Sang-eon, but also the Lotus Seven Swords were greatly surprised.

They were not the merely rough White Tiger Unit he had heard of in rumors. The sight of them standing in perfect formation and offering greetings as if participating in a grand ceremony was the very image of the Alliance’s loyal warriors.

They were perfectly dressed, controlled their qi presence thoroughly, and proved their value through disciplined movements and resounding voices.

That alone could make those who saw them feel intimidated or inspire awe. It was one reason armies poured effort into drill.

Sang-eon calmed his surprised heart and cleared his throat.

“You are Heo Do, Leader of the White Tiger Unit, correct?”

“That is correct.”

It could not be called rude simply because it was a short answer. Bringing the entire unit and thoroughly showing respect toward a superior was standard conduct with nothing to add or subtract.

Sang-eon decided to postpone his punishment of Heo Do for the time being. Seeing the completely different appearance of the White Tiger Unit, which he had vaguely expected to be swaggering and sloppy, felt fresh, and their courteous treatment put him in a good mood.

“You worked hard on your two-year mission.”

“You are too kind. As an armed organization of the Heavenly Will Alliance, we merely carried out the mission we received.”

To the ceremonial praise he had offered half as a test, a clean answer without a single empty word returned. It was the very attitude of a stubborn soldier.

At this point, Sang-eon felt puzzled. He even wondered whether the White Tiger Unit had truly sent that letter.

“I received the letter you sent.”

Heo Do spoke respectfully.

“We were on our way back after completing our mission, so my wording was somewhat rough. I would like to use this occasion to apologize. Please forgive me.”

He had chosen to face it head-on. Sang-eon was surprised once again by Heo Do’s ready admission.

Normally, in a situation like this, people would make excuses or try to slip past it. And yet he was boldly apologizing in front of all his unit members.

His mood had already been thoroughly soured, but at the very least, the way Heo Do handled it looked good. Sang-eon felt confused by the other man’s words and actions, which defied his expectations.

But only for a moment.

“Have you been resting during that time?”

“That is correct. The White Tiger Unit had been scouring the borderlands without rest for two years, so our fatigue had reached its peak. In truth, many unit members fell ill and collapsed from excessive fatigue. Fortunately, the mission ended by the narrowest margin, so I intended to stop in Sichuan and let them rest well for a few days.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“That is correct.”

Again, there was no excuse. There was no need to go so far as to say they had been searching the borderlands, but if one thought of it as something he had no choice but to mention in order to convey sincerity, it was not incomprehensible.

Sang-eon kept clearing his throat. He had intended to smash him the moment they met, but with Heo Do acting like this, it became difficult to lay a hand on him.

“Even so, an official order was issued. First obeying orders is the nature of an organization, is it not?”

He rebuked him in an intentionally stern tone because the Lotus Seven Swords were watching.

Heo Do lowered his head again.

“I am deeply sorry that I did not properly explain that part.”

“Explain?”

“Unit leaders of the Heavenly Will Alliance’s central headquarters are permitted, in emergencies, to use Deferred Execution Authority, which temporarily delays the execution of an order that has been issued. Of course, it cannot be used at all times, and the circumstances and situation behind invoking Deferred Execution Authority must be reported to headquarters. If the action is judged proper, the use of Deferred Execution Authority is permitted once again. If it is judged improper, then use of that authority becomes impossible thereafter.”

“!”

“At the time, the White Tiger Unit’s fighting strength had fallen below half its original level, and I judged that engaging in actual combat itself was nearly impossible. However, in order to carry out the order, we first attempted information gathering and an assessment of the target’s combat strength. After approaching, I judged that the mission was absolutely impossible with only the White Tiger Unit at that time, and therefore invoked Deferred Execution Authority.”

Heo Do took a letter from inside his robes.

“This is the certificate of Deferred Execution Authority stamped with my fingerprint. Its handwriting and fingerprint can be compared against other official documents stored at the Heavenly Will Alliance’s central headquarters.”

In that instant, Sang-eon felt a pang of alarm.

Of course, there were cases where leaders of the Nine Sects and Five Great Families secretly issued the Alliance’s official orders. But if that was formally delivered to the Alliance’s decision-making body, there could be awkward scrutiny not only from the Alliance, but also from within one’s own sect.

He had been excited about his first outing in the Central Plains in a long time, and wanted to show his martial nephews, the Lotus Seven Swords, his ability as an elder. That was why he had issued the official order, but if this fact reached the Sect Leader or the Heavenly Will Alliance’s Twenty-Seven Elders Council, things would become quite troublesome.

Sang-eon cleared his throat once again.

“If that is the case, I shall understand.”

“Thank you.”

“And as for the Deferred Execution Authority, I shall overlook it as well. You were thousands of kilometers away, so it was difficult to know the White Tiger Unit was in such a difficult situation. It seems there was a misunderstanding of sorts.”

“Do you mean you will treat the use of Deferred Execution Authority as if it never happened?”

“That is correct.”

Sang-eon spoke in a subtle tone.

“Would it not also be tiring for you to report this to your superiors for no reason and have the legality checked through all the procedures? Besides, you have returned after handling a borderland mission for two years, so if by some chance even this Deferred Execution Authority is not recognized, that would be regrettable in its own way.”

Heo Do silently looked at Sang-eon.

Sang-eon grew anxious for no reason and hurriedly added.

“We now know there was a misunderstanding between us, so is that not enough? Nothing will happen to me, of course, but for you, a matter that could have been troublesome will disappear.”

Naturally, it was not true that nothing would happen. Moreover, if Heo Do or the White Tiger Unit members spread word of this immediately, it could become troublesome.

But Sang-eon thought that even that did not matter.

If Heo Do had a head on his shoulders, he would never spread word of this. He could end up making enemies with an elder of the Nine Sects for no reason.

Even if they did spread rumors, Sang-eon’s side could simply deny it outright. The Heavenly Will Alliance would side with an elder of the Nine Sects, not listen to the words of the leader of a washed-up combat unit.

As the White Tiger Unit Leader, Heo Do’s mind should work at least that much. Sang-eon believed Heo Do would accept this proposal.

Indeed, it was as he thought.

“Thank you. I will never forget your consideration for the White Tiger Unit.”

“Heh heh! Yes, do not forget it.”

It was an utterly shameless answer.

In any case, with this, the discord between the White Tiger Unit and Sang-eon completely disappeared.

‘So it was true.’

Heo Do recalled Jin-hyeon’s words, or more precisely, the information he had brought about Sang-eon.

‘His martial talent is excellent, but he is vain and has some leadership qualities. However, aside from martial arts, there is little he is good at. He has quite a severe inferiority complex, so he grows angry easily at even small criticisms, and conversely, if one bows low and approaches, he softens easily.’

The letter sent to Sang-eon had been sent personally by Heo Do after he finished talking with Jin-hyeon shortly after regaining consciousness. Whatever the case, it had not been a proper official order, and his desire to repay the favor of having his life spared mixed with his anger toward Sang-eon, causing the harsh contents to come out.

But after hearing Jin-hyeon’s words, Heo Do changed his mind.

That was precisely this scene now. Given his personality, lowering his head had not been easy, but when he shut his eyes, bowed, and guided the conversation according to the strategy set in advance, not only did the matter go well, he even gained unexpected trust.

Heo Do sighed inwardly.

‘Someone this stupid is an elder of the Nine Sects.’

What good was martial talent alone? He had no substance.

‘How laughable. To think the Heavenly Will Alliance’s warriors were being swayed by someone like this.’

He had known vaguely. But facing the reality directly, the misery was beyond words.

‘Was this what you told me to confirm?’

He remembered Jin-hyeon’s words, telling him to look at an elder of the Nine Sects and indirectly experience how ruined the Nine Sects and Five Great Families, and further, the Heavenly Will Alliance, had become.

Heo Do closed his eyes for a moment.

In that brief moment, he sorted out his heart, then opened his eyes and spoke.

“We have also recovered sufficiently from our fatigue and are confident we can win to some extent. However, since you have come all the way here, Elder, could you give our unit members the opportunity to witness Hengshan’s great martial arts?”

He did not think Sang-eon would immediately agree so readily to those words. So he had already thought of what he would say next, and after that.

But.

“Heh heh, good. On the way here, we haven’t properly caught even a single bandit. It has been a fine outing in its own way, but my martial nephews must be itching to move their bodies too. I will use this chance to properly show you Hengshan’s martial arts.”

Heo Do shook his head inwardly. If he had not truly remained tense, his disappointment would have shown immediately.

“Thank you. If you, Elder, and the Lotus Seven Swords, the most famous in Hengshan, join us, it will be a great honor for our White Tiger Unit as well.”

Sang-eon burst into hearty laughter. His mood greatly improved, and before he knew it, he was even patting Heo Do on the shoulder.

“I don’t know why someone like you is merely serving as the leader of something like the White Tiger Unit. A man with such good political sense.”

This was neither politics nor sense. Heo Do simply lowered his head.

“As it happens, before you arrived, we investigated where all of them had gathered. Perhaps to build up their power in their own way, they were training together with several masters.”

“Oh-ho, is that so?”

“His martial art was remarkable. He is still only in his twenties, but honestly, he is a master I am not confident I could defeat in single combat.”

Sang-eon was greatly surprised.

“He is superior to you at that age?”

“I cannot know without actually fighting him, but… that is my intuition.”

“That truly is remarkable. Where in the world did such a fellow jump out from?”

The Lotus Seven Swords were also quite surprised. The martial skill of White Tiger Unit Leader Heo Do before them was by no means ordinary. Even compared to Yeon-il, the leader of the Seven Swords, he was not lacking.

Sang-eon’s gaze hardened.

“Good, let us go. Since we have come this far, we should pull out the roots cleanly.”

He said that, but there was not much sign of tension.

“Thank you.”

“Let us handle this quickly and have a drink later. I would like to share a cup with you in private.”

“It would be my honor.”

And so the Hengshan Sect party and the White Tiger Unit headed west.

To a place that would become a beginning for some, and the pit of hell for others.