Mission
"Don't misunderstand. I don't bla you for anything."
Baek Sang waved his hand, still wearing that gentle smile.
"I don't know what sort of relationship you have with Elder Cheong Jin, but it's true there was a bit of commotion after the Cloud Dragon Token was handed to an outsider."
"... We're not particularly close."
Jeong-un answered simply. There wasn't really a close relationship, nor any reason to claim a connection.
Above all, Jeong-un himself was puzzled as to why Cheong Jin had given him the Cloud Dragon Token.
"The elders of the sect questioned him, but he wasn't fazed at all. Instead, he boldly declared that there would soon be a reason for them to be grateful to him."
"...?"
"Except for the head disciple, he was never one to easily praise any student of Mount Hua. So of course I had to be curious about you."
"I see."
Was he such a strict person? Jeong-un tilted his head inwardly.
It was because he recalled the warmth in Cheong Jin's gaze toward him.
"Well, that's enough about that. Really, I bear you no ill will. Co see whenever you need help."
"Yes."
Jeong-un replied briefly. Baek Sang nodded, then walked out of the training hall.
As Jeong-un was about to return to training, he spoke without much thought.
"What happened to that disciple?"
"Hmm?"
Baek Sang turned around with a puzzled look.
"I an, the disciple who was originally supposed to receive the Cloud Dragon Token."
"Oh."
After hearing Jeong-un's words, Baek Sang chuckled.
"To be honest, it was more that the disciple expected to receive it, not that it was actually promised."
"Isn't that the sa thing?"
"Well, I guess. But Elder Cheong Jin is a strict man... Anyway, that kid had to take the general test. So he had to co to Hanyang County a month ago. It was unprecedented at Mount Hua."
He explained that the general test took much longer, involving more people and steps than the special test.
Perhaps, just because Jeong-un was a disciple of a major sect, he might be resented for that reason alone.
"No need to worry. That kid passed with flying colors. I heard he was assigned to the Red Dragon Corps."
"I see. Thank you for telling ."
Waving his hand as if it was nothing, Baek Sang moved away again.
Jeong-un watched Baek Sang's back for a mont, then turned to leave, feeling sowhat complicated inside.
'Was I truly more qualified than a disciple of Mount Hua?'
Enough so that soone would hand the Cloud Dragon Token to an outsider, against everyone's opposition?
Jeong-un couldn't help but feel a little bothered, even if he didn't show it.
The more he wielded his sword and trained, the more he beca aware, paradoxically, of his own shortcomings.
He had won a few duels here, but none seed like a true fair contest.
Strictly speaking, all his victories had been by catching his opponents off guard.
'There are so many things I lack.'
From the sword technique that he had only a vague direction for, to the body-strengthening art that didn't even have its foundation set yet.
There were countless issues he had to solve.
'For that, I need real combat experience.'
At the very least, he needed sothing akin to it.
He almost regretted not being able to duel Baek Sang, who, though about the sa age, seed quite powerful.
'Should I ask for a mission instead?'
He hoped it wouldn't make him seem too impatient.
With that serious thought, Jeong-un returned to the training hall.
***
Inspiration did not co suddenly.
Though he trained every day, he only felt his sword strikes growing a bit keener; the three moves of the Three Talent Sword Technique still seed ordinary, not worthy of new nas even in his own view.
He didn't want to force nas onto them just for the sake of appearances.
What troubled him the most was the flow of true ki when wielding his sword.
He had thought deep down that he was channeling his true ki in the most optimal way, but realized otherwise during the duel with Yeo Ho-jun.
'When I swung the sword while rotating my body, the true ki moved more flexibly.'
Though the bodily motion was greater than usual, he could swing his sword faster than ever.
He had gained at least a little inspiration by linking the force of waist rotation with his true ki.
'There's definitely room for further improvent.'
Which is why he felt the need for real combat. There was a clear limit to swinging his sword alone.
"As expected, you were in the training hall."
At the familiar voice, Jeong-un loosened his sword arm.
It was Baek Il-gang, his roommate.
His initial cynical attitude had completely disappeared once he learned that Jeong-un was not from a prestigious sect.
Now he treated him comfortably.
"You're relentless. Don't you spend all your ti in the training hall except for als?"
"What else would I do?"
Jeong-un widened his eyes, genuinely curious.
What did everyone else do all day?
While there were others who ca to the training hall daily like him, few seed to devote themselves solely to training.
So were seldom seen at all.
"What do they do? They're building friendships with each other, of course."
"Friendships...?"
Jeong-un looked at him quizzically, and Baek Il-gang grinned.
"Even among martial artists wandering the Central Plains, it's hard to see one another's faces in such a vast land. They've gathered and filtered out the talented ones here, so naturally people are eager. Not to ntion, even seeing the famous heirs of ancient sects and noble houses is enough to make heads spin."
His last words were nearly a curse.
Over ti, Jeong-un noticed that Baek Il-gang harbored a subtle resentnt toward prestigious sects.
"Why do you dislike them?"
"Who?"
"You grit your teeth every ti you see the scions of the great sects."
"Ha! ?"
He exclaid exaggeratedly, as if hearing utter nonsense, then curled his lip into a sneer.
"Why would I? I'd love to wag my tail at them myself if I only saw the chance."
"Then why don't you?"
"There are already too many dogs crowding around them. I can't get a spot, that's all."
Jeong-un chuckled lightly at the rough language.
He didn't know Baek Il-gang's background, but at the very least, the man trained in martial arts with considerable devotion.
'That's enough, I guess.'
Heavenly Martial Hall existed to hone martial arts for striking down the Evil Faction. As long as soone put their heart into their training, Jeong-un felt that was enough.
At that mont, Baek Il-gang spoke to him with a curious look.
"Co to think of it, young hero Yu is already friends with disciples of the major sects, isn't that so?"
"Excuse ?"
Jeong-un looked at him, puzzled by the out-of-the-blue question, and Baek Il-gang continued teasingly.
"I hear that the daughter of the Tang Clan leader can't pass without greeting young hero Yu whenever she sees you? And what about that man from the Black Snake Corps?"
The person he ntioned was Murong Cheon, whom Jeong-un had briefly spoken with during the exam.
Fortunately, Murong Cheon had passed all three tests safely and was assigned to the Black Snake Corps.
Afterward, Jeong-un had run into him by chance in the street, and Murong Cheon had imdiately run over and chatted several tis.
He was a face Jeong-un was genuinely happy to see.
"It's just that I know them a little. Truthfully, I don't have much to do with those circles either."
"Hmph, is that so?"
Baek Il-gang raised his brow but didn't press further.
In fact, he was aware that Jeong-un had little connection to children of prestigious sects.
He also knew that unless there was sothing special, Jeong-un wouldn't leave the training hall.
He was almost suspicious of what Jeong-un was thinking.
"Still, you should be careful. There aren't any great sect folks who aren't devious."
"And what does that an?"
Devious?
Of those Jeong-un had t, none seed that way.
Of course, he couldn't know their true intentions, but calling it out like this seed excessive.
"With famine and chaos everywhere and the Evil Faction running rampant, it's those types who are actually happy. Isn't it funny? They give off the sly attitude that they're protecting and leading the whole martial world."
'Is it that bad?'
He thought maybe it wasn't such a wrong observation. In truth, he didn't have much feeling either way.
Back at the Yu household, the disputes between the Evil Faction and Righteous Faction had nothing to do with his life.
Were his siblings still fighting over the position of head of the house?
For the first ti in ages, Jeong-un recalled his siblings.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Jeong-un quietly nodded. He didn't want to argue with a man of strong convictions.
"Hey, you two."
At that mont, a voice called Jeong-un and Baek Il-gang from so distance away.
Turning his head, he saw two warriors wearing the double stripe of the Blue Scale Corps.
"The corps leader is calling for you."
"...?"
Jeong-un glanced at Baek Il-gang, who just shrugged.
***
Yeom Baek's office, unlike a martial artist's room, felt more like a scholar's study.
It was broad, befitting the corps leader, but with bookshelves enclosing the space, it felt sowhat stifling.
Moreover, the shelves were packed haphazardly with booklets and docunts of various thicknesses.
Especially, behind his spacious desk, docunts were carelessly scattered on the floor, making it doubtful he could tell them apart at all.
"This way."
Even when Jeong-un and Baek Il-gang entered, Yeom Baek didn't so much as cast them a glance.
Yet his calm voice showed he knew precisely who had entered.
'Can soone really distinguish people by sensing their ki?'
Alongside training in swordsmanship, Jeong-un had been focusing hard on controlling his true ki.
He was studying how to extend his senses outward by releasing ki, beyond controlling it internally.
"You two need to go to Henan."
"...?"
At this unexpected statent, Jeong-un looked at him.
"A mission?"
"Yes."
Perhaps thanks to deep cultivation, Yeom Baek probably rarely felt physical fatigue—but sohow, his face looked tired.
He picked up a docunt from his desk and handed it to them.
"If you go to Danghyeon, there's a sect called Dragon Heart Gate. It just barely holds a place on the Murim Alliance's register. They've sent a letter requesting help."
"Help?"
Baek Il-gang, standing nearby, asked with a slightly skeptical tone.
"Is that sothing Heavenly Martial Hall even does?"
"What did you expect us to do then?"
Leaning back in his chair, Yeom Baek looked at Baek Il-gang.
"Dragon Heart Gate is a respected Righteous Faction sect that manages its area well enough. If they've asked Heavenly Martial Hall for help, they must see this as a serious matter. Moreover..."
Folding his arms, he continued curtly,
"They're a sect that brings regular tribute to the Murim Alliance. This is the ti for us to provide assistance."
"...."
Jeong-un had already heard that complicated interests were entwined throughout the Central Plains.
It seed sects on the Murim Alliance's list paid dues regularly.
'Indeed.'
He recalled how the Yu household used to send silver coins to Mount Hua every month as donations.
In return, soone of elder level would visit from Mount Hua to observe the duels with Five Star Gate each year.
"So, what are we supposed to do there?"
"They say over ten people have disappeared from a village near Dragon Heart Gate. At first, they sought help from the local authorities, but nothing ca of it. Then they turned to Dragon Heart Gate, but even the two warriors sent to search disappeared."
"...?"
Only then did even Baek Il-gang's expression grow more serious.
In a small village, every person was precious. Given the tis, commoners usually lived and died in the places they were born.
So a single person's lifeti of work was invaluable to that community.
Whenever soone went missing, the entire village would comb the surrounding hills.
'Ten people.'
Since Dragon Heart Gate was said to care for nearby villages, they probably took it seriously and searched properly.
Yet even the martial artists sent to search disappeared...?
No matter how you looked at it, this was no ordinary affair.
"Are we going alone?"
Yeom Baek shook his head.
"A double-stripe warrior will be leading you. The General Affairs Departnt also selected a few more who get along well with you."
'People who get along?'
Jeong-un looked at Yeom Baek with a puzzled face.
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