Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Chapter 349: I Never Gave Permission.
Bih Sa-in stepped into the long corridor.
On either side of the path leading to the Unorthodox Alliance Leader’s Hall, steel wolves stood as though they might pounce at any moment.
Whenever one passed through this corridor, a peculiar, stifling kind of aura could be felt.
Was that why?
There was a saying passed down that when an intruder entered, those steel wolves would move, tearing into the enemy’s throat until their own bodies were shredded to pieces—and maybe, just maybe, that saying might actually be true. 1
After passing through the corridor and opening the large doors, Bih Sa-in stepped inside to see a man standing at the far end of the Alliance Leader’s Hall, his back turned. His physique was ordinary. Neither thin nor fat, his back looked like someone you could find anywhere in the markets.
But Bih Sa-in knew. That it was a back unlike any other in the entire martial world.
Unorthodox Alliance Leader Baek Jagang.
The number one master of the Unorthodox Alliance, and the absolute ruler of the unorthodox martial world.
Bih Sa-in was Baek Jagang’s disciple. His master had no blood relatives. The reason was simple: family weakens the heart. In other words, he believed his heart should remain unweakened. 2
Bih Sa-in, tense, walked down to the bottom of the steps.
As always, standing before the Alliance Leader made one’s heart shrink and tense up.
“It feels like it’s going to rain.”
Baek Jagang’s voice echoed throughout the Alliance Leader’s Hall. He possessed a deep, resonant voice.
“It’ll be the first rain of the winter, then.”
Normally, Bih Sa-in would’ve responded stiffly with a “I’ve returned.” But today, he answered the Alliance Leader’s remark instead.
Though he didn’t want to admit it, this was because of Geom Mugeuk’s influence. Taking his advice to truly observe people, he had resolved to see the Alliance Leader differently from now on.
A different response drew out another different response.
“Come up here.”
Bih Sa-in climbed the steps and walked to where the Unorthodox Alliance Leader stood. It was his first time being summoned to this spot, where he could look down at the entire main division at a glance.
Only after standing next to him did he offer a formal greeting.
“I’ve returned, my lord.”
Baek Jagang slowly turned his head to look at Bih Sa-in.
His eyes were as small as buttonholes. Truly, eyes so small they looked like mere dots. Bih Sa-in occasionally wondered whether those eyes might suddenly open wide one day. Maybe they were hidden. That’s how small they were.
Because of that, it was difficult to read his emotions through his eyes—but conversely, the Alliance Leader could see straight into someone’s heart with those tiny eyes.
“You took care of the Black Snake Gang?”
But his voice—was better than anyone else’s. Every time Bih Sa-in heard it, he wished he had a voice like that.
“Yes, I eliminated the Black Snake Gang Leader and some of their leadership.”
“The reason?”
What should I say?
If I were to answer honestly, I would have said this: Because the Black Snake Gang kidnapped children and committed atrocities.
But that wasn’t the correct answer. Bih Sa-in might not have fully understood what kind of person the Unorthodox Alliance Leader truly was just yet, but at the very least, he knew that wasn’t the right answer.
Bih Sa-in said what he believed was the correct response.
“He acted arrogantly.”
Baek Jagang burst into loud laughter as even the tiny slits that were his eyes vanished completely. Though his eyes were small, his mouth was disproportionately large. So whenever he laughed heartily like this, it always gave the impression of a truly loud laugh.
Even if the Alliance Leader knew why he had really taken care of them, the answer had to be phrased this way. That was just the kind of man his master was.
“Now that things have reached this point, I plan to monitor external public opinion and gradually absorb the Black Snake Gang.”
Baek Jagang showed a satisfied expression. He was someone who would do whatever it took to strengthen the Unorthodox Alliance. And the root of that reason lay in the Demonic Cult.
“Geom Woojin will undoubtedly start a war to unify the martial world. We must prepare for that day.” 3
He was convinced that the Heavenly Demon of this generation would wage war.
“When that war begins, we’ll be the first ones he strikes.”
“Why us and not the Martial Alliance?”
“Because the Martial Alliance won’t get involved in that fight.”
Baek Jagang predicted the Martial Alliance’s response like this:
“They’ll never step in, hoping both we and the Demonic Cult destroy each other. Even if they wanted to help, do you really think they’d join hands with us?”
The decision to support the unorthodox sects would draw fierce opposition from countless orthodox elders, and even if against all expectations, Jin Paecheon really wanted it, forcing it through wouldn’t be easy.
“Even knowing that the loss of lips leads to cold teeth, they’ll still never help us. Even after all their teeth are pulled, they’ll mumble about negotiation with nothing but gums left.”
Hate was hate—but Baek Jagang’s judgment remained cold and clear.
“If, by any chance, war breaks out between the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance, we must support the Martial Alliance. The Demonic Cult will try to devour the martial world whole. The same applies for when you become the Alliance Leader.”
That’s how much Baek Jagang regarded the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—and Geom Woojin—as a threat.
Bih Sa-in believed that the strength of the Alliance Leader lay in never clinging to useless pride. The Alliance Leader never overestimated the Unorthodox Alliance’s power. On the contrary, he proceeded with everything based on the premise that they were one step below both the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance. Bih Sa-in believed the strength of the current Unorthodox Alliance stemmed from the Alliance Leader’s thoroughly realistic view. 4
“I’ll bear it in mind.”
You don’t need to worry about when I become the Alliance Leader. There won’t be a war in our generation. The problem is in this era, not the next.
Baek Jagang might have had a firm grip on reality, but Bih Sa-in also knew—knew that he too dreamed of unifying the martial world. He had never once said it aloud, but it was something you could sense.
That with those tiny eyes, he wasn’t merely looking down at the Unorthodox Alliance—but at the entire martial world. That he was biding his time, holding back again and again, for that one decisive strike. 5
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
To handle this incident, Bih Sa-in had chosen the method of a frontal breakthrough.
“Is there a secret organization being raised within the main alliance—one I don’t know about?”
“And why are you asking that?”
“I discovered that the Black Snake Gang had supplied kidnapped children to the main alliance through the Flowing Sword Gate. If this organization wasn’t sanctioned by the main alliance, then someone must be fostering a private organization in secret.”
It was a serious matter—possibly even grave—but Baek Jagang didn’t show any particular reaction. He simply stared at Bih Sa-in in silence.
“If that’s true, then this matter can’t just be overlooked.”
Bih Sa-in didn’t avoid the intense aura radiating from those tiny eyes of the Alliance Leader. There was no need to fear. He was the Alliance Leader, and he was his successor. In the past, he might not have dared to meet his gaze, but now, he received it calmly, as much as he could.
“You’ve changed lately.”
Bih Sa-in made no effort to hide his transformation. There were exactly two people in this world before whom he could not conceal his heart—Geom Mugeuk and the Alliance Leader before him.
“I left the alliance this time and met the Young Leader of the Demonic Cult and the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader. They too are growing day by day. If I don’t want to fall behind, I have to keep pushing myself.”
Was it that the Alliance Leader was pleased with how confidently he spoke? A wide smile spread across his large mouth.
Baek Jagang’s gaze turned once more to the window. As he stared at the thickening storm clouds, he finally answered the first question.
“I never gave permission for such an organization.” 6
* * *
Swaaaaaa!
Geom Mugeuk and Pyo Gigwang were hiding in the brush, watching the downpour. They had been fleeing the assassins in a mad rush and had taken a brief moment to catch their breath.
“You’re more skilled than I expected.”
“Didn’t I tell you? I said I’d protect you.”
He’d assumed it was just bold confidence—but clearly, it wasn’t just that.
“I’m someone who protects the Young Leader. I don’t go down easily to assassins.”
At the mention of “assassins,” something Geom Mugeuk had said earlier came to Pyo Gigwang’s mind.
—What kind of Alliance sends hired assassins after their own subordinates just for doing what they were told? In this filthy situation, where could you find room for loyalty?
Sensing that Pyo Gigwang’s heart was wavering, Geom Mugeuk seized the moment.
“Did he threaten to kill you if you didn’t keep the secret?”
Pyo Gigwang slowly shook his head. That was the part that hurt the most. He was being treated like dog dung on the roadside.
“Forgive my boldness, but I think I can guess why he chose you, Division Leader.”
“Why?”
“Because any normal person would’ve jumped up in rage—but you, Division Leader, you accepted this extermination attempt like it was expected. That man knew. He knew how someone buried in deep despair would react in this kind of situation.” 7
If that’s why he had chosen him?
Pyo Gigwang’s face flushed hot. It was humiliating—deeply insulting to his pride.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk signaled with a quiet “shh” and then thrust his sword into the dense brush behind Pyo Gigwang.
With a short scream, a corpse fell forward.
“An entire assassin unit came. It’s probably because they realized you made contact with the Young Leader. Even if the Young Leader assigned a few escorts to you, the intention was clear—they were determined to eliminate you.”
In other words, the mastermind was that desperate. The reason they didn’t move in person was likely to avoid exposure. No matter how thoroughly they interrogate this assassin unit, they wouldn’t find any trace of him.
“Even though an entire organization was mobilized, they still couldn’t kill me, whom you’re guarding alone.”
“That’s one way to put it. Let’s go. We need to move.”
The two of them ran once more along the mountain path.
More assassins rushed them. Pyo Gigwang had no idea, but they weren’t running away.
Geom Mugeuk was deliberately tracking down the assassins and eliminating them. 8
These killers had been trained solely to take lives. They knew no fear.
But no amount of courage could bridge the vast gap in skill—greater than the distance between heaven and earth. No surprise attack could land.
The way Geom Mugeuk dealt with the assassins was so plain, so effortless, that to Pyo Gigwang, it made the assassins seem unimpressive by comparison.
He’s swinging so lightly—how are they not dodging that? Did an assassin really let a simple kick dislocate his jaw?
But when they turned their murderous intent toward him, their ferocity always brought the same cry to his mind:
‘I’m really going to die this time!’
Who knew how many times he had screamed that inside?
And then, it happened again.
Pook!
A sword thrust into view before Pyo Gigwang’s eyes. Blood dripped from its tip.
It wasn’t the assassin’s blade. It was Geom Mugeuk’s sword, having pierced the assassin’s skull from behind.
It looked like he had thrown the sword in desperation to land the kill—but in truth, it was a flawless display of superior flying sword technique. 9
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“I believe that’s the last of the assassins.”
Pyo Gigwang was stunned. Run when told to run, duck when told to duck, dragged when pulled, toppled when pushed. And like that, the battle had ended while he was rolling around in the mud.
It’s over? That means… I actually survived?
With a face full of disbelief, Pyo Gigwang looked at Geom Mugeuk.
Swaaaaa!
Geom Mugeuk let the falling rain wash the blood from his face and body.
Suddenly, that sight felt unfamiliar.
He didn’t look like the youngest martial artist who had once excitedly nodded along to every word. Now, he looked like a true martial artist who had carved his way through the Sword Forest of Dosan, battle-hardened and weathered. 10
Maybe that was why—he somehow looked lonely.
“Let’s go.”
“To where?”
Where were they supposed to go now?
But Geom Mugeuk already knew exactly where they needed to be.
“To that bastard. We need to confront him. Ask him why he handled things like this. If he wanted things wrapped up, he should’ve come and done it himself. Why send assassins? We need to ask him why he treated you like a joke.”
Geom Mugeuk was saying all the things Pyo Gigwang had wanted to say himself.
“I believe this operation wasn’t sanctioned by the Alliance.”
For a moment, Pyo Gigwang flinched—but then shook his head.
“That can’t be.”
Now that the time had come, Geom Mugeuk finally shared the decisive point he’d been saving.
“If this had been something the Unorthodox Alliance Leader had authorized, there’s no way he would’ve sent hired assassins. I heard it once before—the Alliance Leader despises assassins more than anyone.”
“!”
In that moment, a memory flashed through Pyo Gigwang’s mind.
Back when he was the Black Dragon Division Leader, he had once spoken with his subordinates about that very thing. About how the Alliance Leader loathed assassins. About how, in the Unorthodox Alliance of this generation, no one from an assassin background had ever risen in rank. He’d said that himself.
Goosebumps spread across his entire body. He had completely forgotten about it all.
After being injured, after stepping down from the division, after living like a broken man—he had buried those painful memories under a pile of apathy, bitterness and resentment.
‘If that man really served the will of the Alliance Leader, he wouldn’t have used assassins, would he?’
With that powerful doubt, a past conversation naturally resurfaced in his mind.
—Does the Alliance Leader know about this operation?
—Of course. That’s why it must remain absolutely secret.
At the time, he had assumed, without question, that the Alliance Leader was aware. That was why that man had stepped forward. That’s why he’d believed the Young Leader shouldn’t get involved. Because it was a classified mission, one even the Young Leader hadn’t been informed about.
Why hadn’t he ever questioned it?
He already knew the answer to that question in the depths of his heart.
It was because all he wanted was to escape that agonising situation. Because he wanted to escape, and then boast to those who had looked down on him, “Look what a grand task I’ve taken on, you fools!”
“If this operation was carried out without the Alliance Leader’s knowledge, then it’s treason.”
Pyo Gigwang’s heart sank. If that were true, then that man had dragged him into treason, and he had no excuses for his actions.
Pyo Gigwang felt completely lost.
“Let’s find out what the truth is—together.”
Just yesterday, Pyo Gigwang had believed he alone knew the truth. He had been a man no words could reach. But now, he was asking:
“Can we really do this?”
“You’ve already resigned yourself to death, haven’t you?”
Yeah, that’s right. He’d lost count of how many times today he’d thought, This is it, I’m dying, and closed his eyes. One more time wouldn’t change anything.
Pyo Gigwang looked at Geom Mugeuk and gave a nod.
Now, the tide had turned.
“From this moment on, we’re no longer fish. Let’s become fishermen—cast the net together with me. And then, let’s hear what that fish who’s been pretending to be the fisherman all this time has to say.”
1 : In the Divine Cult, it’s the Path of Blood, and here it’s the Path of Wolves. Wonder what it's like in the Murim Alliance. We’ll need to find a good name for the throne when it happens.
2 : Doing so leads to misanthropy and solitude, which is great for impartiality, but not so much about not turning into a tyrant. Then again, it is the Unorthodox Alliance.
3 : Not if Mugeuk has his word to say about it.
4 : Your master has a good head on his shoulders. It might not be a pretty worldview to possess, but at the very least he won’t be blind to reality.
5 : At this point, I wonder if it’s this era's natural course that led to so many influential people dreaming of unifying the martial world, or if it’s the masterminds behind Hwa Moogi that whispered that dream to their ears for decades to weaken them in a total war before their strike.
6 : *DUNDUNDUN* (Well not really, we already knew it XDXDXD)
7 : No matter what else can be said about the masterminds, they do have a great grasp over their victims' psychology. At least Mugeuk’s level.
8 : Lol, it’s not the assassins who control the aggro, it’s the aggro who rush at them first XDXDXD
9 : And acting. Definitely some great acting there.
10 : I hope we get to visit one day, it’s only the second time this sword forest was mentioned but it sounds like a cool place ^^