Chapter 59: Friend

“Aigo, my back.”

Nameless, who had fallen hideously onto the floor, writhed in pain.

The fellow had been hiding in the ceiling’s shadows all along with the ability of the Dark King Steps, but Sewoo had snatched and yanked him down.

The Pursuit Thread’s ability was not limited to just ‘tracking’.

Its domain over ‘detection’ had risen to an astonishing degree.

“Must’ve fallen wrong. Ugh, I don’t think I can get up.”

“……”

Even though his identity had been revealed, Nameless shamelessly acted as if he would brazen it out.

Sewoo looked coldly at him, then said:

“Looks like you need to be washed awake with some warm water.”

Swoosh.

He slowly lifted the casting ladle with Heavenly Net.

The molten iron inside the ladle boiled furiously, radiating tremendous heat.

Startled, Nameless sprang up.

“Hehe, now, friend. That’s embarrassing.”

He brushed off the dust on his clothes and stood up lightly.

After all, Nameless was a martial artist of the Transformation Realm.

Falling from that height did not deal him any damage at all.

Avoiding Sewoo’s gaze and pretending to look elsewhere, Nameless heard Sewoo’s quiet words.

“Why didn’t you leave the Gate of Assassins?”

“Hmph, an assassin’s mouth is heavier than a thousand jin.”

“……Shall I add some tooth brushing too?”

“All right, all right!”

When Sewoo raised the ladle of molten iron again, Nameless quickly stepped back.

He let out a deep sigh and spoke heavily.

“Anyway, it’s reckless to move rashly. The fiend you told me about is too much of a big shot.”

“You mean the one called Hyeong Eyang.”

“Yes, that man is the Sect Leader of the Gate of Assassins.”

“……!”

Sewoo already knew this from his memories before his regression, but hearing it again felt bizarre.

A father killing his own son.

In the Sichuan Tang Clan, such a thing was absolutely unthinkable, for parent-child bonds were considered heaven’s law.

“Now do you understand how frustrating my situation is?”

“……”

“That guy catches the faintest hints of betrayal like a ghost. Even the smallest mistake, and it’s over.”

“……”

“If I go back without a perfect countermeasure, then before I even attempt revenge, I’ll be—”

Nameless mimed slashing his own throat.

“Hmm.”

“So what I’m saying is……”

Sewoo let out a thoughtful groan as if struggling with the matter.

Watching for his reaction, Nameless suddenly said something Sewoo hadn’t expected at all.

“Let me stay with you for a while.”

“……What?”

The fellow had just declared outright that he would cling to him.

Sewoo couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the unexpected turn, but Nameless continued confidently.

“Think about it. When am I the least suspicious? When I look like I’m just continuing my usual assassination work.”

“……”

“When a target turns out tougher than expected, we can circle around them for a year, two years, until the chance to kill them appears.”

“That long?”

“Yes. That’s the Gate of Assassins.”

Sewoo rubbed his forehead, his face twisting.

“Haa. This has gotten horribly tangled.”

“Hehe, think of it positively. Anyway, you still need to learn the new One Point Kill.”

“I already gave you the secret manual. You can learn it by yourself.”

“Come on, it’s not the same without a teacher.”

“……Teacher, my foot.”

“I’ll earn my keep properly. You should be moved, you know. The world’s greatest assassin will be your bodyguard for free.”

“Ha, what use is the protection of someone weaker than me?”

“You, that’s too harsh?!”

Tadadat!

Just then, loud footsteps thundered outside.

Sasasak!

In an instant, Nameless, who had been venting his frustrations, slipped back into the shadows.

Clack! The smithy’s door suddenly opened.

“Huff, huff! Young Clan Head!”

One of the Tang Clan’s martial artists rushed in, panting heavily.

Sewoo did not blame him for his rudeness, for his expression was anything but ordinary.

“What is it?”

“T-The Murim Alliance has sent word.”

At that moment, Sewoo’s eyes gleamed with interest.

Henan Province.

Kaifeng’s Golden Fresh Tower was not only the grandest pleasure house in Henan, but also in all of northern Jiangbei.

Built five stories tall, each floor of Golden Fresh Tower was ranked according to the social class of its guests.

It was said that even great merchants or high officials could hardly go beyond the first floor. Such was the renown of Golden Fresh Tower across the Central Plains.

Hahaha.

Laughter burst out from the highest floor of that Golden Fresh Tower.

The sound of their laughter resounded throughout the entire building.

Astonishingly, they had rented out the entire Golden Fresh Tower for today’s meeting.

Though such extravagance seemed impossible, anyone who saw who occupied the top floor would quickly understand.

The Namgung Clan, the Hwangbo Clan, the Jinju Eon Clan, the Shandong Ak Clan.

The Qingcheng Sect, the Kongtong Sect, the Kunlun Sect.

From the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Seven Great Clans, no less than seven leaders had gathered there.

“It is refreshing indeed to hold a meeting here, away from the stifling Alliance hall.”

The Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect, the Demon-Suppressing Sword Hero, Gwan Muryang, spoke with genuine relief.

Gwan Muryang had such heavy dark circles under his eyes, as though burdened with fatigue, that he resembled a raccoon even more than usual.

“Tsk, why did the Alliance Leader bother changing the meeting room to such a shabby little place?”

“Exactly. Seeing us crammed into that tiny room, won’t the people of the jianghu look down on us?”

“At the very least, it should have been larger and more splendid than the halls of those unorthodox riffraff.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying!”

The head of the Hwangbo Clan, Hwangbo Geon, nicknamed Fist Pillar Overlord, who had a massive frame but a sly face, spoke up.

Immediately, Yeonghwa Dojang of the Kunlun Sect, called Master of the Wind, who dressed the most like a Taoist hermit yet couldn’t suppress his fiery temper, responded in excitement.

“He says it’s to reduce unnecessary spending and use the funds for helping commoners.”

“How can making the meeting room more comfortable for us—the core of the Alliance—be considered unnecessary?”

Encouraged by their agreement, Hwangbo Geon once again sneered, and the head of the Shandong Ak Clan, Ak Ho, who had stubbornly kept his mouth shut, finally spoke.

“……Anyone listening would think you were a real Taoist.”

Lastly, the head of the Jinju Eon Clan, Eon Jahu, nicknamed Illusory White Eyes Elder, placed the final sting.

Calling him a fake Taoist was in truth a mocking jab at Sword Emperor Yoo Jinhak for being from a lowly secular family.

“Hehe, regrettable as it is, surely the Alliance Leader must have insights we don’t know.”

At that moment, the middle-aged man seated at the highest seat spoke.

Though he wore a benevolent smile, the leonine presence radiating from his body could not be hidden.

It was Namgung Myeong, the Sword Emperor of Azure Heavens, who led the Namgung Clan, the foremost of the world’s clans. His voice brimmed with dignity and strength.

He was the actual number one of this gathering, leading the faction of clan elders assembled here.

Just then.

“The Alliance Leader has gone on yet another sudden outing.”

The Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect, Jeok Seongja, known as Venomous Flying Sword, who had been quietly listening, spoke.

If Namgung Myeong was a lion, he was a fierce wolf.

Jeok Seongja, in contrast, was the leader of the opposing faction—the alliance of Qingcheng, Kongtong, and Kunlun.

“Hmm, last time he went to Sichuan. I wonder where his destination is this time.”

“I hear he told Strategist Jaegal that he would return soon, but……”

“With the Alliance Leader constantly going off on these pointless trips, how could the Alliance run properly?”

“Tsk, and even outside, he meddles in affairs beyond his authority.”

Jeok Seongja’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

The affair Ak Ho mentioned was clearly when the Sword Emperor had interfered to stop his attempt to punish the Sichuan Tang Clan.

“Tch, if only the Sword Sovereign had been chosen as Alliance Leader instead of the Sword Emperor……”

“!!”

Hwangbo Geon hastily shut his mouth.

He realized he had just committed a slip of the tongue.

The Sword Sovereign was the posthumous title of Namgung Sewoog, father of the Sword Emperor of Azure Heavens, Namgung Myeong.

Always second to Yoo Jinhak, Namgung Sewoog had also lost heavily to him in the vote for Alliance Leader.

Thus, speaking of the Alliance Leader election in front of the Namgung Clan was an absolute taboo.

The atmosphere instantly turned frigid, and Hwangbo Geon broke into a cold sweat.

It was understandable.

Everyone in the Central Plains knew that the Hwangbo Clan’s rise to power had largely been due to the Namgung Clan’s secret backing.

Because of that, there were even whispers that the Hwangbo Clan was practically a branch of the Namgung Clan.

“Na, Namgung Clan Head, I-I didn’t mean it like that……”

“Ahem, come to think of it, the Tang Clan’s successor should be arriving at the Alliance in a few days.”

To ease the tense atmosphere, Yeonghwa Dojang quickly changed the subject.

Namgung Myeong slowly returned to his usual composure, and Hwangbo Geon sighed in relief after confirming it.

Then Eon Jahu tilted his head and questioned Jeok Seongja.

“……But wasn’t it already decided that the Tang Clan’s affair would be completely restrained?”

“What need is there to stop something so petty as using a smithy?”

“But that boy is in the Qingcheng Sect……”

“Just about then, the Grand Elder of the Hainan Sect whom I invited will also arrive at the Alliance.”

“!!”

At Jeok Seongja’s words, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

The Grand Elder of the Hainan Sect could only mean the Sea Sword Demon, Wi Tae-do.

He was the master of Sun Ugon, the Rear Dragon Guard Leader who had met his death at Sewoon’s hands, and within the Hainan Sect his standing was even higher than the young Sect Leader.

And……

‘If it’s Wi Tae-do, then surely……!’

‘He lost his disciple and went completely mad……!’

The rumor was widespread in the Central Plains: after losing his disciple, he drowned himself in liquor day after day.

In other words, Jeok Seongja intended to borrow the hand of the Sword Demon to eliminate the Tang Clan’s successor.

It was a chilling stratagem, unimaginable from an orthodox sect member.

“Hehe, to coincidentally meet your disciple’s killer on a narrow bridge.”

“Keh, let’s just hope nothing happens.”

Yet rather than blaming Jeok Seongja, the others mocked the Tang Clan and Tang Sewoon.

Were these people truly of the Orthodox Path, or were they from the Demonic Path?

Clink!

Namgung Myeong raised his wine cup like a sword and lifted his voice.

“The Murim Alliance’s reformation into a new order is near at hand!”

“……!”

“Though the Alliance Leader now seeks to snatch away what is ours, they will never break our unity!”

“……!”

“At the next conference, we will finally propose a new vote for Alliance Leader!”

“!!”

Even counting Wudang, Emei, Diancang, Jaegal Clan, Moyong Clan, and Peng Clan, the Alliance Leader’s faction only numbered six. Meanwhile, they had eight.

Since Mount Hua, Shaolin, and Beggars’ Sect had always maintained strict neutrality since the Alliance’s founding, there was no chance they would suddenly switch sides now.

Once voting took place, the majority would guarantee that the new Alliance Leader would come from their ranks.

Particularly, Namgung Myeong’s eyes burned with desire.

‘Your era is over, Yoo Jinhak.’

Thus, the filthy, hypocritical desires of these men filled the entire pleasure house.

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