Chapter 46: After the 46th Recruitment Ended, the Adventure (1)
News spread throughout the Martial Alliance that the Hyuncheon Squad was recruiting martial artists.
Baek Socheon’s return, and the recruitment of martial artists for the Hyuncheon Squad.
With the conflict between the Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist added as seasoning, it became the most interesting piece of news in recent times.
“No matter what, who would actually go?”
It was like hanging a bell around a cat’s neck. No matter how much they respected Baek Socheon or wanted to serve alongside him, it was not an easy decision. Joining the Hyuncheon Squad could mean falling out of favour with the Commander of the Iron Sword Corps, or perhaps even the Martial Alliance Leader himself.
But events unfolded differently from what everyone had expected.
The very first person to volunteer to hang that bell was someone completely unexpected. It was none other than Cheon Su, the Sixth Leader of the Iron Sword Corps, who had sparred with him at the training grounds.
“I’ve come to apply to the Hyuncheon Squad. Will you accept my application?”
Even Baek Socheon had not expected him to come.
“At best, you’ll start here as a Squad Leader, or perhaps even as an ordinary martial artist.”
“I came prepared for that.”
“May I ask why you applied?”
“I wanted to serve under you, Commander.”
“If it’s because of what happened at the training camp, then you don’t need to.”
“If it were because of that incident, I would have done the opposite and stayed away.”
Judging by Chung Yang’s personality, he would only make Cheon Su’s life even more difficult.
“Then?”
“I’ve respected you for a long time.”
Baek Socheon knew those were not empty words meant to flatter him. He remembered how faithfully Cheon Su had followed him back at the training grounds. Even so, he casually asked,
“Then why did you tell me to demonstrate at the highest level during training?”
Although it had been on Chung Yang’s orders, Cheon Su gave a more fundamental reason instead.
“Because I believed you would pass.”
“And if I’d died?”
“I wasn’t worried at all. If it truly couldn’t be done, I trusted that you weren’t the sort of person who would stubbornly attempt it anyway.”
Because he had carried such faith, he had been able to accept Chung Yang’s order so calmly. Had his trust in Baek Socheon been lacking, he probably would not have carried out that order so faithfully.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
The unspoken meaning behind the question was Chung Yang’s resentment, or possible retaliation.
“I am.”
“And yet?”
“I believe you’ll protect me, Commander.”
No more questions were necessary.
“Welcome to the Hyuncheon Squad.”
Baek Socheon extended his hand. Cheon Su gripped it firmly.
“I’ll serve you with unwavering loyalty from now on.”
Baek Socheon called over Lim Chung and Beon Saeng and introduced them to Cheon Su.
That day, besides Cheon Su, another fourteen martial artists from the Iron Sword Corps joined the Hyuncheon Squad. Among them were three Squad Leaders, including No Woong of the Third Squad.
They were all men who had risked their lives together with Baek Socheon back when he had been the Commander of the Iron Sword Corps. Naturally, some of them owed him their lives, while others had admired him continuously ever since those days.
When they saw him at the training grounds, they realised that the Baek Socheon they had once known had truly returned, and so they joined him.
Only fifteen people? Not at all! Baek Socheon had never expected as many as fifteen to come. After all, he knew better than anyone how difficult it was to find even one person who would come running when you truly needed help.
Naturally, when Chung Yang, the Commander of the Iron Sword Corps, heard the news, he exploded with rage.
“What? Fifteen of them joined? Those worthless bastards!”
Just as he was about to storm out, Hwang Ilbi stopped him.
“Please restrain yourself!”
“Restrain myself? How am I supposed to do that?”
“What are you planning to accomplish by going there? Their hearts have already left.”
Of course, Hwang Ilbi himself had helped those hearts leave. Several martial artists had cautiously asked whether it would be acceptable to transfer, and he had told them that, naturally, it would be. He had even added that they should serve Baek Socheon well on his behalf too.
“Baek Socheon! You bastard!”
“It was a mistake to appoint him as an instructor in the first place.”
Hwang Ilbi shifted the blame for the whole affair onto Chung Yang.
Since it was true, Chung Yang had no rebuttal. He had never dreamed things would turn out like this.
Chung Yang abruptly rose to his feet.
“Where are you going?”
“When a tiger goes mad, you call in a more experienced hunter.”
As the Commander of the Iron Sword Corps, it wounded his pride to hand his prey over to another hunter, but this was no time to worry about appearances.
“I’ll accompany you.”
Hwang Ilbi followed after him. Whatever Chung Yang intended to do, he needed to stay close if he wanted to know what happened.
“You just thought the hunters had gone mad instead of the tiger, didn’t you?”
“N-No!”
“What a joke. Stay here.”
Watching Chung Yang leave the office, Hwang Ilbi thought to himself,
‘Fortune teller. A real fortune teller.’
The person Chung Yang went to see was the Pavilion Master of the Secret Pavilion.
‘If I can’t handle him with my own strength, I’ll have to move the Pavilion Master.’
At present, only the Iron Sword Corps and the Secret Pavilion possessed the strength to deal with Baek Socheon.
In particular, both organisations had once been led by Baek Socheon himself. Without a doubt, the Pavilion Master would be feeling the same sense of unease.
Following a guide, Chung Yang entered the Pavilion Master’s office.
The moment he stepped inside, he froze in shock.
‘What?!’
Baek Socheon was already there.
‘Why is he here?’
Seeing his startled expression, Baek Socheon smiled.
“You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
“No.”
Since the Pavilion Master was present, Chung Yang quickly composed himself.
“Have you been well, Pavilion Master?”
“Welcome, Commander.”
The current Pavilion Master of the Secret Pavilion, On Byeokhwa, was a woman.
Though in her fifties, she wore no make-up. If anything, her unadorned appearance only made her seem more dignified. The fine wrinkles around her eyes reflected years of experience, while the intensity of her gaze alone was enough to make ordinary martial artists’ knees tremble.
She had not come from within the Martial Alliance. Instead, the Martial Alliance Leader had personally brought her in from outside. Originally from Jiangxi, she had become famous after slaughtering the Seven Swords of Guizhou in a single encounter, a notorious group responsible for countless atrocities. Afterwards, she continued performing countless righteous deeds and earned immense respect throughout the Martial World. However, little was known about either her true strength or her personal history.
“Please, have a seat. If it’s uncomfortable, you may wait in another room for a while.”
“It’s fine.”
Chung Yang sat beside Baek Socheon.
Originally, his plan had been to form a united front with the Pavilion Master and somehow force Baek Socheon back out into the field.
‘Damn it. He got here first!’
He assumed Baek Socheon had come to persuade the Pavilion Master to help drive him out.
But that was not why Baek Socheon had come.
“Then let’s continue where we left off. So, you’re asking me to send several martial artists from the Secret Pavilion to the Hyuncheon Squad?”
“Yes. Please send me just ten.”
Listening to the conversation, Chung Yang was inwardly stunned.
‘He came here to ask for Secret Pavilion martial artists? Has he completely lost his mind? There’s no way they’ll agree.’
Baek Socheon then went even further.
“If you simply send them over, they’ll likely become dissatisfied, so please dispatch them on temporary assignment.”
In other words, they would continue receiving their salary and remain officially attached to the Secret Pavilion.
It was an unreasonable request, yet instead of becoming angry, On Byeokhwa calmly asked,
“Why should I?”
“The reason the Hyuncheon Squad was created under the Hyuncheon Pavilion was to establish a force capable of moving swiftly and keeping the Black Heaven Alliance in check.”
Chung Yang quietly interjected.
“Isn’t that already the role of the Secret Pavilion and the Iron Sword Corps?”
“It is. Both perform that role exceptionally well. However, each organisation has its own weakness.”
On Byeokhwa’s eyes showed genuine interest.
“And what would those weaknesses be?”
“The Secret Pavilion is unquestionably the Alliance’s elite organisation, but it only moves under the Martial Alliance Leader’s direct orders. Naturally, that limits its autonomy. Especially now, when the possibility of war with the Black Heaven Alliance grows by the moment, I believe each organisation’s independence has become increasingly important.”
He was not wrong. The Secret Pavilion was both the strongest organisation within the Martial Alliance and one bound most tightly to the Martial Alliance Leader.
“Then what is the weakness of the Iron Sword Corps?”
Chung Yang hurriedly asked. Normally, he should first have defended the Secret Pavilion before allowing Baek Socheon to criticise the Iron Sword Corps, but right now he was too anxious to think that way.
“The Iron Sword Corps is simply too large.”
“There are many members, but they’re divided into separate units.”
“But don’t they all ultimately answer to one person?”
As long as there was a single person holding command authority, no matter how many units or squads they were divided into, they remained one enormous organisation.
“To put it simply, Commander, how much do you truly know about every member under your command?”
Chung Yang found himself unable to answer.
Baek Socheon turned to On Byeokhwa.
“The Hyuncheon Squad, on the other hand, has no intention of expanding into a massive organisation. We’ll remain a small elite force, moving swiftly while supporting both the Secret Pavilion and the Iron Sword Corps. If you don’t trust me, then trust Strategist Jegal.”
“And what if I deliberately send you only the troublemakers from the Secret Pavilion?”
“You won’t.”
“You barely know me. How can you be so certain?”
“I may not know you, Pavilion Master, but I know the Martial Alliance Leader well. He would never entrust such great authority to someone capable of doing that.”
Though the Martial Alliance Leader was currently at odds with him, he was nevertheless an outstanding judge of people.
Their gazes met in mid-air. No matter how carefully either of them observed the other’s expression, neither could read what lay beneath.
Finally, On Byeokhwa accepted his request.
“Very well. I’ll temporarily assign you ten people from the Secret Pavilion.”
“Thank you.”
Chung Yang almost failed to suppress his anger and shout aloud.
If things continued like this, there would be no way to reclaim the martial artists he had already lost from the Iron Sword Corps.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Baek Socheon politely bowed before leaving.
Once only the two of them remained, Chung Yang spoke.
“You mustn’t send them.”
“And why not?”
“Will the Martial Alliance Leader permit it?”
“This falls well within my authority.”
Since invoking the Martial Alliance Leader had failed, Chung Yang quickly tried another approach.
“That man is after your position.”
“My position?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because it’s a position he once held, and because it’s the seat with the greatest power.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“What?”
“He said the same thing himself. I may not know Commander Baek very well, but I know the Martial Alliance Leader. During a crisis where war could break out at any moment, he wouldn’t place such importance on someone who would involve himself in political infighting.”
“But…”
He almost argued that things were different now.
But Chung Yang stopped himself. That would have crossed the line. Once the Pavilion Master had made her decision, the matter was already settled.
After watching him quietly for a moment, On Byeokhwa revealed something unexpected.
“Commander Chung.”
“Yes, Pavilion Master.”
“When Martial Artist Baek was demoted from the position of Commander of the Iron Sword Corps, do you know whom he recommended as his successor?”
“Who?”
Inwardly, Chung Yang thought of Hwang Ilbi.
Instead, a completely unexpected name came from On Byeokhwa’s lips.
“Commander Chung, it was you.”
“What?”
His eyes widened.
“No. That’s impossible.”
“It’s true. He recommended you to the Grand Strategist. It wasn’t official, but he did.”
“Why me?”
“I don’t know that. I can’t read what lies in his heart.”
After standing there blankly for a while, Chung Yang finally bid his farewell.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
“Take care.”
Once he had left, On Byeokhwa walked over to the window.
Far below, she saw Baek Socheon walking away from the building.
This time, unlike when he had first requested martial artists from the Secret Pavilion, she watched him disappear into the distance with a far deeper look in her eyes.
After leaving the Pavilion Master’s office, Chung Yang immediately went to find Baek Socheon.
“Is it true?”
“What is?”
“That you recommended me when you were removed as Commander?”
After a brief silence, Baek Socheon answered,
“Yes.”
Still stunned, Chung Yang asked again,
“Why? We weren’t even close back then.”
“Because I believed you were the right man for the job.”
“Why was I?”
“I knew you had great ambition. As long as you possessed that ambition, I believed you wouldn’t ruin the Iron Sword Corps. You’re selfish, your temper is terrible, but at least you aren’t corrupt. In the long run, I thought someone politically minded like you would be better suited to leading the Iron Sword Corps than someone overly rigid.”
A quiet sigh escaped Chung Yang’s lips.
He had never imagined such a thing had happened.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
If he had known, they never would have clashed in the first place. How could he have picked a fight with the very man who had recommended him? Nor would he have ended up being beaten by Baek Socheon.
“What was I supposed to say? That I’d even recommended you for the position, so you should treat me well? You would’ve turned that into political capital. I’m not that sort of person. Haven’t you figured that out after seeing me all this time?”
Chung Yang looked ready to explode, but instead let out another sigh.
“Even so, it doesn’t change anything between us.”
“Then so be it.”
Chung Yang turned sharply and left Baek Socheon’s office.
On his way downstairs, he encountered the martial artists from the Iron Sword Corps who had joined the Hyuncheon Squad. They greeted him with guilty expressions. At the front stood Cheon Su, the Sixth Leader.
Chung Yang spoke angrily.
“You damned fools.”
Cheon Su and the others lowered their heads without saying a word. Whatever the reason, they had indeed abandoned the Iron Sword Corps.
“You miserable bastards! Since you’ve gone, then do it properly. Don’t bring disgrace upon the reputation of our Iron Sword Corps. Understood?”
“Yes.”
The martial artists answered almost reflexively.
After returning to the Iron Sword Corps, Chung Yang sat alone in his chair, lost in thought.
When Hwang Ilbi came to see him, he asked cautiously,
“Did something happen?”
It was obvious that his trip to seek out the hunter had not gone as planned.
Chung Yang stood.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Let’s go drink.”
“Now? It’s still broad daylight.”
“Come. I said let’s go!”
“Yes… very well.”
As they walked, Chung Yang muttered quietly,
“If you want to leave too, then go join the Hyuncheon Squad.”
“What brought this on?”
Suddenly, Chung Yang stopped walking.
“Go then. You’re all so amazing, aren’t you? What gives you the right to act so superior? Am I the only piece of trash?”
It was the first time Hwang Ilbi had ever seen him this agitated and defeated. Usually, whenever someone wronged him, he would smile first and think about revenge later.
Hwang Ilbi understood why his emotions had finally exploded.
Who could possibly find dealing with Baek Socheon easy?
Gently taking hold of Chung Yang, Hwang Ilbi smiled.
“You haven’t even had a drink yet, Commander, and you’re already drunk. Come on, let’s go. Today the two of us will drink until we’re completely smashed. We’ve certainly got enough to snack on, so the drinks are on me!”
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