Chapter 537

“The tea smells wonderful.”

The first to speak was a graying middle-aged man. He looked at least ten years younger than his actual age, which was past sixty. Yet as he faced the man across the teacups, his expression was tight with tension and displeasure.

“Great Hero Mae. No, Alliance Leader.”

Only someone with a mind at ease could enjoy the fragrance of tea. Unable to contain his impatience any longer, the man spoke again. Sword Saint Mae Jonghak smiled at him.

“I’m listening. What is it?”

“You already know, don’t you? The Thousand-Faced Fox…”

“He’s the Chief of the Hidden Shadow Pavilion.”

“Yes. And the Chief of the Hidden Shadow Pavilion must have reported it to you already.”

“Reported what?”

“If you truly haven’t heard, then I’ll tell you myself.”

If Mae Jonghak meant to play ignorant, he would have to show his hand first. The middle-aged man bit his lip and spoke. He was Hwangbo Gun, Family Head of the Hwangbo Family.

“It concerns my son.”

Mae Jonghak’s eyes widened.

“You have a son?”

“Alliance Leader!”

Hwangbo Gun raised his voice before he could stop himself. Realizing his mistake, he lowered his head.

They might once have fought on the same battlefield, but the man before him was now the Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance. In the past, Sword Saint Mae Jonghak had let almost anything pass with a good-natured smile. An offense against the Alliance Leader, though, could leave the Hwangbo Family in a difficult position.

“I-I apologize. With my son involved, I spoke out of turn.”

Mae Jonghak lifted his teacup with a bright, guileless smile that belied his age.

“Don’t worry about it. These things happen. How many times have we fought together?”

“I’m grateful to hear you say so.”

Hwangbo Gun’s expression brightened a little. Their days on the battlefield were long past, and their positions now stood as far apart as heaven and earth, but Mae Jonghak clearly remembered their bond. Perhaps this would go well after all.

“I’ll get straight to the point. The reason I requested this private audience…”

He quickly recounted what had happened a few shichen¹ earlier. His account was embellished just enough to differ subtly from the truth, though Hwangbo Gun saw it differently.

How dare they do this!

His only son had come along when he was nearly forty. Hwangbo Gun had looked the other way no matter how much trouble the boy caused, and paid no mind to the endless scandals involving women. Now he had been told that his precious son had suffered every kind of humiliation before a crowd of onlookers.

That, Hwangbo Gun could not overlook.

“How can this be allowed? However far the principles of the martial world have fallen, how dare some spawn of demonic, heterodox arts attack the Lesser Family Head of the Hwangbo Family? And furthermore…”

His voice, thick with anger, suddenly dropped.

“An orthodox martial artist who witnessed such injustice and still protected that spawn of the demonic, heterodox arts could no longer be called orthodox, could he? Blazing Flame Divine Dragon Jin Taekyung. I’m speaking of that man.”

“Hmm. So that happened.”

Clink.

Mae Jonghak set down his half-empty teacup and tilted his head.

“But what do you want, exactly?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve heard your account. I understand what happened. Now tell me what you want.”

Hwangbo Gun stared at Mae Jonghak without speaking, then uttered a single word.

“Punishment. I want appropriate punishment.”

“For example?”

“I had my retainers look into it. The man who attacked my son belongs to the Black Dragon Demon Gate in Gansu.”

“The Black Dragon Demon Gate. I see. Very well.”

Mae Jonghak nodded at once. Hwangbo Gun’s expression brightened. Convinced the Alliance Leader had taken his side, he went on with renewed force.

“And I believe Blazing Flame Divine Dragon Jin Taekyung should be disciplined as well.”

“Disciplined…”

“You’ve heard what happened. He sided with those demonic, heterodox martial artists even after seeing the attack with his own eyes.”

“I suppose so.”

“And such a man is a pavilion master of the Murim Alliance. I’m not the only one who finds that deeply regrettable.”

Regrettable was the mildest word Hwangbo Gun could bring himself to use. This was what infuriated him most.

That young punk is a pavilion master?

A pavilion master was no ordinary post. It placed its holder among the Murim Alliance’s twenty highest-ranking members and carried the authority to command multiple groups and squads.

He’s directly under the Alliance Leader’s Office, so he can’t have subordinate units of his own. But he’s still a pavilion master. How does that make any sense?

Even his son, considered one of Murim’s foremost young prodigies, might or might not receive a Squad Leader’s post. Jin Taekyung had already been raised far above that. And the Jin Family of Taiyuan’s growing influence had lately reached as far as Shandong, where the Hwangbo Family was based. Hwangbo Gun had to put a stop to this, whatever it took.

“The Huashan Divine Dragon’s appointment as pavilion master is a blessing for Murim. I welcome it wholeheartedly. But Jin Taekyung…”

He deliberately trailed off and glanced at Mae Jonghak. The conversation had gone well so far; surely the Alliance Leader understood what he meant.

Mae Jonghak’s answer exceeded even his hopes.

“Now that I think about it, you have a point. I’ll consider not only disciplining him, but taking personnel action as well.”

“Th-Thank you, Alliance Leader!”

Discipline and personnel action? Hwangbo Gun had never expected it to go this well. As he bowed again and again, Mae Jonghak watched him with a smile, then murmured,

“The teacup is empty.”

“Pardon? Oh.”

“Time passes quickly these days.”

Hwangbo Gun froze for a moment. Then he understood and stood. Family Head or not, he could hardly take up more of the Alliance Leader’s time. The time allotted for their private audience—the time it took to drink a cup of tea—had already passed.

“I seem to have stayed too long. Ha ha.”

“Hmm? You’re leaving?”

Even that polite attempt to keep him there warmed Hwangbo Gun’s heart. He had gained more than he’d hoped for, and he appreciated Mae Jonghak’s consideration for his dignity. The bond they had forged during the Great Faction War felt stronger than ever.

“I can’t take up any more of your valuable time. I’ll take my leave, Alliance Leader.”

“Then I suppose it can’t be helped.”

“Yes. I’ll be going.”

“Take care. I’ll see you again.”

Pat, pat.

Someone else might have offended Hwangbo Gun by patting the Family Head of the Hwangbo Family on the shoulder. But this was the Number One Sword Under Heaven, the Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance. Hwangbo Gun left with a broad smile.

Moments later—

Clack.

The door opened, and a man entered the office. His prosthetic leg made a dull sound as he walked.

“For the Family Head of the Hwangbo Family to request a private audience over something like this… He must have been desperate.”

“That fellow seems to have neglected his martial arts training. His personality has changed a little, too.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. Sit down.”

Mae Jonghak looked at the hand he had used to pat Hwangbo Gun’s shoulder, then offered his visitor a seat.

The Chief of the Hidden Shadow Pavilion, Thousand-Faced Fox Song Ho, cast a brief glance at the teacup Hwangbo Gun had not even half emptied before speaking.

“Some people are unhappy with the recent appointments.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“They met in secret before the Hwangbo Family Head requested his audience.”

“That can happen.”

“Rather than oppose you directly, they seem to have urged him on.”

“Come to think of it, Hwangbo Gun always did tend to put himself forward. He even stood at the vanguard during the battle in Guizhou.”

“…Hoo.”

Mae Jonghak’s eyes widened at Song Ho’s sigh.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“In the end, aren’t we talking about people? Ha ha.”

Song Ho started to answer, then paused.

Mae Jonghak wasn’t wrong. It came down to who did what, and how. Now and then, he would toss off a remark like that, and Song Ho would sense a depth of insight in it.

“In any case, you made the Hwangbo Family Head a promise you can’t keep.”

“A promise?”

“Didn’t you say you would discipline the Black Dragon Demon Gate and the Blazing Flame Divine Dragon, and take appropriate personnel action?”

“Ah, yes. I did. I’m thinking about that now.”

“Alliance Leader, you can’t—”

“Wait. Give me a moment.”

Mae Jonghak scratched his chin. A moment later, he spoke again.

“All right. I’m done. Then let’s pretend the whole thing never happened.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve considered it, and I don’t think personnel action is necessary. There should be some discipline, but I can decide on that later.”

“…!”

Song Ho stared at him, his eyes trembling, then let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Of course. You only said you would consider it, Alliance Leader.”

“Even so, he was once a comrade I fought alongside. Shouldn’t I keep my promise?”

“The Hwangbo Family Head is going to clutch the back of his neck.”

“Oh. Don’t you think he’ll understand?”

“Ha ha. I wonder.”

“I was sincere. If he doesn’t understand, there’s nothing I can do.”

Song Ho struggled to hold back his laughter. Mae Jonghak was far better suited to the role of Alliance Leader than he had expected. He was so easygoing by nature that he could let almost anything pass with That can happen. However hard others pressed him, the pressure never seemed to touch him.

His inner resolve is upright and firm.

He was more than Song Ho had hoped for. Song Ho addressed him with genuine feeling.

“Alliance Leader.”

“What is it?”

“I just felt like calling you.”

“Hmm. That can happen.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Mae Jonghak tilted his head at Song Ho’s laughter.

“Oh, right. How are matters with the Nanman Beast Palace and the North Sea Ice Palace?”

Song Ho’s smile faded.

“Neither has replied yet. We sent the letters to both earlier than planned, but they’re a long way off…”

“I see.”

“Yes. But as you know, things are going well with the Green Forest Alliance and the Yangtze River Channel League. Both Alliance Leaders have said they’ll come to Henan in person.”

Neither organization belonged to the orthodox faction, but their leaders were unquestionably giants of the martial world. They commanded forces to rival the great sects and had outstanding masters among their ranks.

“They’ll be a great help if they join us.”

Mae Jonghak gave a small nod, then spoke again.

“Oh. About the discipline.”

“The discipline? Ah, yes.”

“I’ll dictate it. Write a letter and deliver it to the Blazing Flame Divine Dragon—no, to Pavilion Master Jin.”

“As you command.”

Song Ho cupped his hands respectfully. Jin Taekyung’s role from here on would be crucial. Even if the punishment was severe, he had to remain a pavilion master.

I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears.

“Discipline? For me?”

The martial artist from the Alliance Leader’s Office nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why all of a sudden? And this punishment is too harsh.”

“I’ve delivered the message. I’ll be going.”

Whoosh!

What kind of situation is this supposed to be?

I stared blankly after him as he vanished like the wind. Hyuk Mujin came over and asked cautiously,

“Discipline? What did they say?”

I let out a long sigh.

“I have to go hungry.”

“Pardon?”

“I have to skip dinner.”

“…?”

“Ugh, I was going to have roast duck tonight.”

I grumbled under my breath and kicked Hyuk Mujin in the butt.

“Enough. Let’s go.”

“What kind of punishment is that? And where are we going?”

“To recruit some teammates.”

“Whaaat?”