Chapter 16: North Heaven Alliance Leader 3

Within the North Heaven Alliance’s headquarters, the place Lord Gu Yanghou frequented most was the rear garden.

To the north of the garden lay a fairly large pond. Seated with his back to the pond, Gu Yanghou often received reports from his subordinates. Consequently, it became a habit for his subordinates to check the garden before heading up to his office to see him.

For ten days now, Baek Mujin, invited to that garden, sat facing Lord Gu Yang-hu, peering at a wooden Go board.

Gu Yanghou played the white stones.

Baek Moo-jin played the black stones.

Beside the Go stones lay each player’s weapon.

As was known, Gu Yanghu’s weapon was the Pado, matching his nickname. Contrary to expectations that it would be a great sword, it was an ordinary sword of standard size. Only the tip of the blade was slightly curved.

The two merely glanced at each other’s weapons without offering to examine them.

Here, Gu Yang-hu and Baek Moo-jin spent about two hours together each day, mostly drinking tea and staring at the Go board.

Yet even during those two hours, people from various organizations frequently came to report matters to the leader. But for some reason, today, no one came to report.

Because of this, the rear courtyard was unusually quiet.

Baek Moo-jin, sensing it was quieter than usual, inwardly tilted his head in puzzlement, but Gu Yang-hu showed no sign of it.

Today, Baek Moo-jin simply couldn’t concentrate on the game. The silence was ominous, pervading every corner.

‘Could it be today? The atmosphere feels strangely subdued.’

Go wasn’t a field he had ever been particularly interested in, so he found it even harder to concentrate.

But it seemed Gu Yanghou wasn’t particularly intent on teaching him well either. Occasionally, Gu Yanghou would bring up old matters, hinting that he just wanted Baek Moo-jin to be a conversation partner.

The game itself held little significance for either man, but the very fact they were staying here together was profoundly important.

Baek Moo-jin understood this point, so he silently kept pace with whatever Gu Yang-hu did.

Gu Yanghou paused mid-move, his hand hovering over the stone.

“I learned Go from the former leader. Like you, I had absolutely no interest in the game.”

“Haha.”

Baek Moo-jin laughed awkwardly, and Gu Yang-hu chuckled softly too.

“One day, he taught me the Ten Principles of Go.”

“The Ten Precepts?”

“It refers to ten mental attitudes. They say it was composed by Wang Jiexin, a Go master. The former leader said he took these Ten Precepts as his guiding principles after entering the martial world.”

“What do they entail?”

“Simple enough. When attacking, first examine yourself. Do not covet victory. If your opponent is strong, exercise restraint… Commonplace words like that. But the late leader said these Ten Principles were excellent enough to serve as the mindset for all martial artists. Whether in Go or martial arts, one always makes the same mistakes again and again, repeating the same missteps in the same situations… He said martial artists and Go players are no different.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you know the trap in these Ten Resolutions? It’s that everyone thinks they can easily do it. Can you put what you just heard into practice?”

“I’m not sure.”

Baek Moo-jin shook his head.

The meaning wasn’t difficult, but it didn’t resonate with him. As if reading Baek Moo-jin’s thoughts, Gu Yang-hu added lightly.

“Remember this. If you don’t exercise restraint even when you know your opponent is strong, you’ll end up like those men.”

“Understood.”

For a moment, the two fell silent.

A quiet atmosphere flowed through the garden, as if they were savoring the stillness.

When Baek Moo-jin glanced outside the garden, it looked as if wisps of mist, born from human prayers, were rising.

2.

As the two men gazed briefly at the entrance to the courtyard, men wielding weapons surged in. Yet, not a drop of blood stained the weapons of those entering. Because of this, the rebels were entering the place where Gu Yanghou resided as easily as entering an empty field.

Just how many had gathered?

And what organization within the Northern Heaven Alliance did these men belong to?

Baek Moo-jin was intensely curious, but even as he studied the incoming figures, there was no way to tell.

At first glance, none of the familiar faces from the Execution Hall or the Shadow Hall seemed to be present.

However, seasoned veterans were scattered among them, and their subordinates appeared, gradually filling both sides of the rear entrance.

Baek Moo-jin found it remarkable that Gu Yang-hu had anticipated this long ago.

However, their numbers were far greater than Baek Moo-jin had imagined, and it seemed they had encountered no resistance whatsoever on their way here, which puzzled him somewhat.

Baek Moo-jin asked Gu Yang-hu.

“Lord Alliance Leader?”

“Hmm?”

“Was there perhaps a phrase like ‘prepare for the worst’ in that Tenfold Oath?”

“Heh heh, why? Are there more than you expected?”

“Yes. Did you anticipate this, Lord?”

“I didn’t expect this many either… Seeing strangers mixed in, it seems they’ve brought in outside forces.”

At Gu Yanghou’s words, Baek Mujin scratched his cheek as if troubled.

“For two of us to handle that many… Hmm, the Alliance Leader must hold me in very high regard.”

Yet Baek Moo-jin’s voice betrayed no emotional disturbance. Gu Yang-hu burst into laughter at this turn of events, as if pleased with the caliber of the man named Baek Moo-jin.

“Huh huh huh.”

At that moment, someone addressed Gu Yanghou by his old title in a haughty voice.

“Commander of the Guard, how have you been?”

When the gaunt man, who looked well over sixty, addressed Gu Yanghou not as Lord but as Commander of the Guard, Gu Yanghou grinned and retorted.

“I thought it would be either the Crimson Robe Sword Hall or Elder Duanmu. But there are more of you than I expected. Were you so unsure of your success? Introduce the rest of your rabble.”

“You speak so freely now that you’re the leader? When did you ever address me so casually?”

At that, Gu Yanghu burst into a thunderous laugh that echoed throughout the courtyard.

“Hahahaha. Elder Dan Mokheon, what a foolish thing to say after coming all this way to attack us?”

At Gu Yanghou’s words, Elder Danmu Xian snorted derisively. Suddenly, the middle-aged man beside him roared at Gu Yanghou.

“Not a single soul stopped us from reaching this place. I truly doubt you are the leader of the Northern Alliance!”

At the stranger’s words, Gu Yanghou chuckled and retorted.

“It was my order. I commanded them not to stop you.”

“What?”

“Go outside the courtyard. Everyone should be waiting. Dan Mokheon, you know my temperament. Did you orchestrate this?”

Dan Mok-heon calmly nodded.

“Of course. I knew it would come to this.”

Dan Mok-heon and Gu Yang-hu met each other’s eyes and smiled simultaneously.

3.

Baek Moo-jin also scanned the faces of those who had gathered.

Now that he saw them clearly, they appeared to be masters recruited from outside to handle the rebel forces.

The middle-aged men standing on either side of Dan Mok-heon particularly looked like masters.

Yet, somehow, their aura, whether from Dan Mokheon’s peculiar attire or facial features, bore a distinct resemblance. Crucially, the thin black sword Dan Mokheon held was quite unusual, and the middle-aged men around him wielded identical swords.

Gu Yanghou, having seen the same thing, spoke in a relaxed tone, as if explaining it to Baek Mujin.

“They are swordsmen of the Danmok Sword Clan.”

If other factions were involved, the aftermath would be messy, but it seemed Dan Mokheon was acting alone, Gu Yanghu thought.

Baek Moo-jin watched the approaching crowd and suddenly let out a sigh.

“Lord Alliance Leader, you have too many enemies.”

“Stop whining.”

With that, Gu Yanghou gripped his sword and rose.

Bai Wuzhen shook his head and said.

“Did you not say not to covet victory? Do you intend to kill them all alone?”

Hearing this, Gu Yanghou, who had taken a few steps forward, turned to look at Bai Muzhen and said.

“So what?”

Bai Wuzhen looked at Gu Yanghou and said.

“Then would it be alright if I spared a few?”

“Spare them? Why should I spare them?”

“I need to persuade them. It seems some were brought here against their will. There’s no need to kill them all.”

As Gu Yanghou, the warlord, and Baek Mujin continued their conversation as if engaging in light banter in front of the enemy, the entire rebel force looked at each other in utter bewilderment. Their dialogue was simply too bizarre. Someone muttered.

“What the hell is that young punk saying?”

“The Lord can get away with that. That pale-faced fool seems to have lost his mind, so ignore him…”

At that remark, some of the rebels burst into laughter.

Baek Moo-jin sighed and spoke.

“Leader, allow me to speak.”

“Go ahead.”

When Gu Yanghu nodded, Baek Moo-jin slowly rose, looked at the rebel forces, and spoke in a monotone.

“If any of you were brought here against your will, step over here.”

At Baek Moo-jin’s words, the people looked at each other’s faces.

Regardless of how they looked, what they thought, or what they might say, Baek Moo-jin continued speaking with a resolve not to care.

“There are surely those among you who came here unwillingly, following the superior they serve. Do not lose your lives by making a wrong judgment.”

Baek Moo-jin’s words flowed out with such naive sincerity.

An unavoidable silence briefly hung over the courtyard.

“······.”

Faced with such a stark disparity in numbers, it was hardly the right thing to say. Those who had gathered blinked at each other, exchanging glances. This was how they felt about Baek Moo-jin.

He’s either a madman or an absolute master.