Chapter 180

The Venomous One, The Truth Only I Know

The evening he returned to the Martial Alliance, Dan Wooseong toured various parts of the Alliance with Cheol Myeongho. These were places he hadn’t been able to visit before, as they were all spaces reserved for the personal use of the Martial Alliance leader.

These were the areas used by former leader Yu Jeong-hong, and contrary to his personality, they were quite grand.

They were all spaces reserved solely for the Wulin Alliance leader.

A bathhouse exclusively for the leader, a training room just for him, a study, a treasury, a bedroom, an office, and even the leader’s throne room.

Following orders from Yoo Jeong-hong, who had retired to the Council of Elders, everything had been meticulously cleaned.

Cheol Myeong-ho had followed along because his friend suggested they look around together, but seeing the leader’s exclusive spaces somehow made him feel strange.

‘Is it okay for me to come in?’

That was how he felt.

Dan Woo-sung, who had been looking around the spacious training hall with me, suddenly blurted out,

“I heard the head of the escort unit is retiring too.”

“Oh?”

Cheol Myeong-ho casually replied while looking at the various weapons set up in the training room, and Dan Woo-seong continued.

“You’ll take over as the next Guard Captain.”

“Me?”

Cheol Myeong-ho looked at Dan Woo-seong with a startled expression.

“No, there are plenty of masters in the sect. Why me?”

Dan Wooseong looked up at the ceiling as he spoke.

“Why would I appoint anyone? Even if the sect has many masters, few men could fight like that against the Ten Thousand Horses Palace Lord.”

“It was three against one, wasn’t it?”

Dan Woo-sung retorted.

“If you say so, I’ll do it. The martial prowess of the Guard Commander doesn’t matter to me now. Look at this training ground.”

Cheol Myeong-ho looked around and said.

“It’s surprisingly spacious.”

“You use it too. While I’m the leader, I need to watch over the growth process of Samaguk, the Ssangbo brothers, and you.”

“Why?”

Cheol Myeong-ho and Dan Woo-seong locked eyes.

Dan Woosung replied, hiding his true thoughts.

“We must grow stronger.”

“…But won’t you be busy as the leader?”

“Well, even if I’m busy, I have to do what needs to be done.”

Dan Woo-sung had no intention of serving as the martial arts leader until his hair turned white like Yoo Jeong-hong’s.

At most five years.

In five years, he thought he could eliminate any remaining remnants of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace and find the descendants of the Heavenly Lord and the Blood God—those the gentleman had mentioned in passing—to either kill or spare them, bringing the matter to a decisive conclusion.

In the meantime, Cheolmyeongho and Samagyeok, and even Lee Ja-eon, who now resided at the Eunhwasangdan.

Dan Woo-sung intended to continue teaching martial arts.

Of course, his methods would be brutal…

That was why Dan Woosung deliberately placed Sima Geuk in the escort unit and intended to appoint Cheol Myeongho, now far stronger than Sima Geuk, as the escort unit leader.

Five years later, who would be stronger?

Dan Wooseong intended to pass the next Martial Alliance leadership to someone strong, if possible.

However, given Cheol Myeong-ho’s fierce temperament, he anticipated that Cheol Myeong-ho would be incomparably stronger five years from now.

In other words, Cheol Myeong-ho was Dan Woo-seong’s choice for the next leader of the martial arts world.

As a disciple of Kwang-shin, he had no reason whatsoever to lack either the distribution of the martial world or the strength.

He was young like himself and a loner with almost no family or friends.

A man with nowhere to go and nothing to do, he was perfectly suited for the position of Martial Alliance Leader.

Cheol Myeong-ho, completely unaware of Dan Woo-seong’s true intentions, carefully surveyed the place used by the leader.

Cheolmyeongho said.

“Well, if the leader says so, I’ll do it.”

Suddenly, Cheol Myeong-ho glanced around, then confirmed once more that no one was present. His voice sank as he spoke.

“Jinyun.”

“Speak.”

“You really were the Martial Alliance Leader. Gambling at the gambling house, drinking when you got bored of gambling, rolling around with courtesans, occasionally getting beaten by me… Looking back, I think I really hated your personality. You were indecisive and kind. I hated kind guys like that.”

Cheolmyeongho pointed at Danwooseong with his finger.

The world I imagined, the world I saw, wasn’t one where you could live honestly. I just hated that difference. I lived ruthlessly day after day, counting the money I made each day, scamming, stealing… doing every dirty trick to make money, while you just had a lot of money at home. You were extravagant, splurging here and there… You didn’t even get particularly upset when you lost at gambling. Not that I ever thought of killing you. I was just jealous. I planned to watch you for a long, long time, see if you lived well or if I lived well, and then see the result. Because I was someone who simply couldn’t understand living a good life.”

Looking at Cheolmyeong-ho, who spoke with more seriousness than ever before, Danwooseong replied.

“So?”

“When you left to recuperate, I just assumed that’s what it was. You indulged in drink and women so much, it was bound to make you sick. As you know, a few years later, you came back and stormed straight into the gambling den. You’d changed too much. Can a person really change that much?”

Dan Woosung glared at Cheol Myeong-ho.

Cheol Myeong-ho smiled faintly, perhaps recalling that time.

“Jin-eon, I’ve lived honestly my entire life.”

“I know.”

“That’s why I’m saying this now.”

Cheolmyeong-ho pointed his finger around as if gesturing, then asked.

“It’s just the two of us here, right?”

Danwooseong nodded.

It was a private training room deep within the Myeongju Hall. With the newly appointed Myeongju and the man destined to become the Guard Captain surveying the place, naturally, there were only the two of them here.

Cheol Myeong-ho asked.

Who the hell are you? I’m asking you this for the first and last time. A person can’t change this much. You, who were so kind, left for recuperation, came back, beat me up, beat the martial arts masters, wiped out the demonic sects, and somehow ended up as the leader of the martial arts world. Neither Master Yu Zhenghong nor Master Guangxin would know. Probably not even your distant siblings or your father, who’s too busy managing the merchant guilds. Only I in this world would sense something strange. Because I’ve watched you for so long. Who are you… Can you tell me? I don’t think you’re Zhenyan.”

Danwooseong marveled inwardly.

‘Wow… Cheol Myeong-ho.’

As Dan Woo-sung stared silently, Cheol Myeong-ho raised his hand.

“Don’t misunderstand. I like the current you much better. Like? That’s an understatement. I’m also grateful. My life changed. What kind of nonsense is a gambling den owner being the head of the Martial Alliance’s escort unit? It’s completely absurd. That’s precisely why it feels even stranger. I’m just asking out of curiosity. What happened to Jin-eon, and who are you? There’s no way that bastard back then could have completely turned my life upside down like this.”

Dan Woo-sung answered.

“Myeong-ho, everyone changes.”

“Not everyone changes.”

“Anyone can change. Just as you’re not the same Cheolmyeong-ho you once were, neither am I. I’ve changed. That’s all.”

“Why did you change?”

Danwooseong revealed Kwonwang’s true feelings.

“I just felt I’d been living wrong all this time, so I tried changing things bit by bit. Starting with daily habits, then habits to thoughts, thoughts to actions—the cycle repeated until my personality changed. With my personality changed, my relationships shifted. And because of those relationships, I became the Wulin Alliance Leader—a position I never sought. The Wulin Alliance Leader… Do you think I wanted that?”

“Not particularly.”

Honestly, I don’t want to do this. If they’d asked me to be the leader of the Black Path, I might have been a bit more willing. This is the White Path, after all. I can’t exactly beat up the members just because I’m in a bad mood… I only took it on because of the seniors. I received internal energy from Senior Uisin, and I shared elixirs with Senior Gwangsin. I even received some internal energy from him. Leader Yoo Jeonghong protected me and the members while I was taking the elixir.”

Dan Woo-seong spread his hands wide.

“What did I say? I don’t know myself. My heart changed, and people helped me along. So I just changed more. Even becoming the leader of the martial arts world was, in a way, because of my seniors.”

Dan Woosung suddenly let out a short sigh before drawing a sword from the display rack and gripping it in his hand.

Dan Woosung pointed the sword at Cheol Myeong-ho and said.

“Myeong-ho, I’ll step down from the position of leader in five years.”

“Why?”

“I told you. This isn’t the right place for you. In five years, you’ll take over. I’ll make sure of it. Of course, that means I’ll make sure you have the skills to do it. I’m not forcing it on you.”

As Dan Woo-sung drew his sword, Cheol Myeong-ho glared and snapped,

“You bastard, you’re trying to kill me?”

“You’re joking. Raise your shield.”

“Spare me.”

Cheol Myeong-ho hastily raised his iron-tipped umbrella and glared at Dan Woo-seong. He wore a genuinely shocked expression.

Dan Wooseong spat out curses.

“You lunatic, it’s just training.”

“Seriously?”

“I won’t kill you, but let’s have a fight. Since I’ve filled it a million times, getting hit a million times should make me stronger.”

Cheol Myeong-ho launched his attack while hurling insults.

“Ugh, you son of a bitch. You think I’m just gonna stand here and take it?”

The weapons of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader and the Guard Commander clashed, erupting in a deafening roar.

Cheol Myeong-ho was instantly knocked backward.

A clamor erupted in the corridor as the escort guards rushed in, shouting.

“Leader!”

Dan Woo-seong called out to those outside.

“Ah, I am engaged in combat with the Guard Captain. Withdraw.”

“Ah, yes. We obey your command.”

Cheol Myeong-ho stood up, his face flushed crimson.

“Wow, you really hit it?”

Dan Woo-sung grinned, and Cheol Myeong-ho nodded before breaking into a wide smile.

“You bet. Anyway, I’ll keep charging at you till I die. Master of the Martial Arts Alliance.”

Dan Woo-sung flicked the tip of his sword in response.

“Come at me. You worthless gambling den owner.”

“That’s ancient history!”

Cheol Myeong-ho charged forward, swinging his iron umbrella down toward Dan Woo-seong’s head.

.

.

.

As Dan Wooseong stared impassively at the nameplate on the desk, Hwa Eunwol’s voice came from outside.

“Lord Leader, may I come in?”

Dan Woo-sung replied.

“Come in.”

Hwa Eun-wol, who held the position of Chief Military Officer, entered with a bored expression, sat down opposite Dan Woo-sung, and sighed. Ju Ja-ryang was also part of the Military Council, but was currently learning the ropes as Hwa Eun-wol’s direct subordinate.

Hwa Eun-wol spoke.

“Lord Commander.”

“Speak.”

“If you brought me from the Imperial Council to the Martial Alliance, it must be because there’s work for me to do as a Martial Alliance military officer. I’m not the chief personnel officer or anything, yet I spend all day just conducting interviews. That said, it would be a bit strange if I didn’t even look at the new recruits.”

“Hua Military Officer.”

“Yes.”

Dan Woo-sung said.

“I feel the same way. At least the military commander comes and goes, pretending to hold interviews, getting to see people. But if I step outside, my escort unit follows me, and the trainees I was training get so startled, like they’ve seen a ghost, that I can’t even go out. Why don’t we swap positions—you take the military commander’s role, and I’ll take the leader’s?”

“That’s out of the question.”

As Hwa Eun-wol sighed, a voice was heard again from outside.

“Lord Leader.”

“Come in.”

Cheol Myeong-ho entered and bowed to Dan Woo-seong and Hwa Eun-wol.

“Lord Myeongju, General Commander.”

Hwa Eun-wol returned the bow perfunctorily as she replied.

“Welcome. Mr. Cheol Danju, you must be exhausted from your busy schedule every day.”

Cheol Myeong-ho retorted with a flushed expression.

“What? You’re mocking me because I have no work? I took this job because the Alliance Leader ordered me to, but there’s nothing to do. And since the Alliance Leader is dozens of times stronger than me, I can’t for the life of me understand why any escort is needed. The Mad Demon would be more fun than me. Maybe I should request a transfer to a guard post too.”

The Madman was appointed warden of the Brain Prison, the prison of the Martial Alliance. Since it was a position everyone disliked, no one complained when it was given to him. The Madman rarely ventured outside the Brain Prison, as if atoning for his sins.

Thus, the Martial Alliance Leader, the Martial Alliance Chief Military Commander, and the Martial Alliance Leader’s Bodyguard Commander, all temporarily without tasks, stared blankly at each other.

Cheolmyeongho asked.

“Shall the three of us grab a bite?”

“I already ate.”

“……”

Cheol Myeong-ho asked.

“Sir, is there some unruly black-clad force causing trouble around here lately?”

Hwa Eun-wol retorted.

“As you know, the leader of the House of Night has taken control of the entire Black Path. He’s under the leader’s command and was once a subordinate of the Eight Dragons Sect, the Water King Sect, and the Green Forest Sect. As for the Half-Moon Sect Leader, he’s become so close to the Martial Arts Alliance that he can now come and go as an honored guest. Expecting anything from the Black Path would be difficult.”

Cheolmyeongho asked.

“Still no word on the remnants of the Demon Sect?”

“Do you wish there were?”

“Heh heh, they shouldn’t be. But I can’t help but wonder if they might still be out there.”

Hua Eun-wol said.

Let’s wait and see what happens during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I’m also very curious to see which master will challenge the new leader. First, there are many matters that must be announced to the martial world, so I spent quite a bit of money posting banners everywhere. In any case, as the new leader, it seems important, as Senior Yoo Jeong-hong said, to demonstrate your martial prowess at least once. I wonder if Senior Sword Saint will actually visit. If he does, then it will be certain.”

Cheol Myeong-ho asked with a hesitant expression.

“You mean if the leader loses to Sword Saint? That would be like pouring cold water on the whole event.”

Cheol Myeong-ho and Hwa Eun-wol looked at Dan Woo-seong.

Dan Woo-sung spoke.

“Don’t worry about that—I’m not planning on losing no matter who comes.”

Dan Woo-sung suddenly recalled someone with a troubled expression.

‘It’s too late for remedies now.’

He had said he’d return by Mid-Autumn Festival at the latest, so Dan Woo-sung had no choice but to wait for that day.