Chapter 140: Falling Sword, Long Sky. (2)

Falling Sword, Long Sky. (2)

To explain a bit about Nakgeom Jangcheon.

He is arguably the most ideal leader of the Alliance.

As the head of the Alliance, he not only skillfully coordinates the orthodox sects and families, but following Sword Venerable Wi Hyo-gun’s retirement and Jangcheon taking his place, the surrounding public order noticeably improved.

When he first took the position of Alliance Leader, there were many discussions questioning whether it was right to appoint a relatively less famous and younger martial artist, surpassing the Abbot of Shaolin and the Plum Blossom Sword Saint of Mount Hua, who were consistently mentioned.

He was a capable individual who managed to silence such talk within just a few years.

He was known as a perfect person, possessing not only a benevolent disposition but also outstanding martial arts.

Or so the world believed.

“I apologize for suddenly showing up like this.”

A handsome middle-aged man with soft facial features.

Rather than intentionally, his slightly downturned eyes, which were small to begin with, gave him the impression of always smiling, even when he wasn’t.

“…I greet the Alliance Leader.”

I immediately knelt on one knee towards Jangcheon, carefully.

Seeing that, Jangcheon hastily waved his hands.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony; I’m the one who committed the discourtesy.”

“How could I possibly be so casual?”

It’s the Alliance Leader, not just anyone.

Although his martial prowess might be lower than that of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint or the Three Venerables, the importance conferred by his position was incomparable.

For official commands, he held more power than the Four Great Families or the Nine Sects.

“Indeed… It would have been the proper procedure to summon you formally, but I was too hasty and made a mistake.”

He had come in a hurry.

And of all times, the situation we first encountered was dog-shitty.

Isn’t this the kind of situation where you say you’ve ruined the first impression?

“Once again, I apologize for the sudden visit, Young Master Gu.”

“It’s alright.”

I calmly met Jangcheon’s gaze and thought.

What could it be?

A reason for someone like the Alliance Leader to come find me personally, instead of summoning me.

As my thoughts reached that point, several possibilities surfaced simultaneously, but the most likely one…

Or rather, one thing I was half-certain of.

‘Paejon.’

It had to be that.

The recommendation letter for Paejon’s endorsement that Elder Yi had given me.

No matter how much I thought about it, that was the only reason the Alliance Leader would come find me like this.

‘The question is, is it really worth coming all this way for?’

While the Three Venerables’ reputation and name value were indeed outstanding, it wasn’t easy to fathom why the Alliance Leader himself would get involved to this extent.

‘Is there some kind of issue with Paejon?’

Jangcheon took something out from his robes.

Looking at it, it was none other than the recommendation letter I had brought.

For reference, the attendants waiting in the room had been sent out.

I had told Hongwa to join Gujeolyeop or the other party and go to the banquet beforehand if I was going to be late.

Especially Wi Seol-ah, I had instructed Hongwa to make her stand with her hands raised as punishment before leaving, so Hongwa would handle it properly.

“Young Master Gu, I came here in a hurry, disregarding propriety, because there’s something I want to ask you.”

My body vibrated slightly.

The sensation brushing past my shoulder made me subtly raise my internal energy, allowing me to feel a barrier being erected within the room.

“This recommendation letter, did Paejon truly write it himself?”

As expected, the reason the Alliance Leader came was indeed because of that damned recommendation letter.

At this point, I wondered if Elder Yi wasn’t actually throwing me off cliffs in the name of helping me.

Otherwise, there’s no way such incredibly troublesome things would keep happening.

“He didn’t give it to me directly.”

“So you mean you received it through someone else.”

What is it? I sense a strange feeling from the Alliance Leader’s expression and tone.

It feels a bit like an interrogation.

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

To suddenly come to my waiting room and question me like this, isn’t it like being treated like a criminal?

“First, may I ask why you, the Alliance Leader-nim, are asking me about this?”

I asked politely, minimizing any outward signs of displeasure.

No matter how upset I was, I couldn’t bare my teeth at the Alliance Leader within the Murim Alliance.

[One becomes endlessly docile in front of the strong… How complex these feelings are.]

I need to distinguish well between when I can push back and when I can’t.

One’s life is precious.

It was one of the few useful experiences I learned while stumbling through my past life.

“…”

The Alliance Leader, perhaps realizing his mistake, cleared his throat and adjusted his voice.

“I apologize; I was impatient just now and acted unbecomingly.”

It was a swift apology.

For someone like the Alliance Leader to bow his head so readily to a mere junior disciple…

‘Is it an act?’

Was that expression genuine or an act?

I couldn’t tell yet.

While the Alliance Leader’s apology was noted, I was primarily curious.

About what this situation entailed.

‘What on earth did that old man give me this time?’

I thought he was just giving me things for my own good, but what else is there?

Honestly, nothing about him is normal.

Before explaining, the Alliance Leader returned the recommendation letter to me and said,

“Have you read the contents inside this?”

“No, I haven’t read it.”

I hadn’t bothered to open it.

There was no need, and usually, it’s considered impolite.

Moreover, I had considerable trust in Elder Yi.

Even if dog-shitty incidents occurred, it was a passive trust that, at its core, he was looking out for me.

“Read it.”

Following the Alliance Leader’s words, I unfolded the torn recommendation letter.

The writing was rough, and the few brief lines revealed Paejon’s personality.

The content was the kind typically found in any recommendation letter.

-This is a child I, Bi-ju, am keeping an eye on.

‘When did he even see me?’

Furthermore, Elder Yi mentioned that this recommendation letter was obtained two years ago.

During that time, I had never met the person known as Paejon.

Moreover, it’s unlikely he could appear in the Central Plains martial arts world right now.

The problematic lines started from the next part.

-This is a child raised with utmost sincerity by me, the lazy and indolent one, so you won’t be disappointed.

Huh…?

-This child will one day shatter the heavens. I will make it so, so you can look forward to it.

Something’s wrong. Very, very wrong.

The lines contained incomprehensible statements.

‘This….

This doesn’t seem like a recommendation letter written for me.

No matter how I looked at it, that’s how it seemed.

The content couldn’t possibly be like this if it were written for me.

Yet, despite that, the name written on the recommendation letter was mine.

I felt like an unknown story was unfolding without my knowledge.

It crept up from within.

That ominous and unsettling, subtle feeling.

And finally, the last line written on the recommendation letter was enough to take my breath away.

-P.S. I used the ‘귀물’ well. I’ll send it via my disciple, so please don’t scold me too much.

Oh, shit.

After reading to the end, I looked at the Alliance Leader with trembling eyes.

Because I think I understood why this situation had arisen.

“…”

I couldn’t think of anything to say and had no choice but to remain silent.

‘This shouldn’t be written here. You damn old man….

It’s a phrase with considerable room for misunderstanding.

Especially since it’s a recommendation letter that doesn’t even seem to be written for me.

The Alliance Leader looked at me and asked.

“Young Master Gu, are you truly Paejon’s disciple?”

“No….”

Disciple? What bullshit.

Let alone learning martial arts, I’ve never even met him face-to-face.

Even if it might happen someday, it certainly hasn’t happened now.

A recommendation letter, you say? That old man… Did he perhaps bring back a letter Paejon wrote for someone else?

What the hell are these people doing?

I had to bear the embarrassment for the incident that had occurred.

It was the kind of feeling where I wished I could crawl into a mouse hole if possible.

And the difficult part was that the Alliance Leader, who was showing a thoughtful expression just before, was in the same predicament.

“…The writing seems to be Paejon’s, that much is true. But I don’t know how to interpret this.”

“Can’t we just pretend this recommendation letter never happened?”

I thought maybe it could work since I have an invitation letter.

Since getting involved in troublesome matters is undesirable, it would be better to just make it null and void.

“That won’t do. Regardless, it was written by Paejon, and the name written is yours, Young Master.”

“Perhaps impersonation…”

“I doubt anyone would dare impersonate a member of the Three Venerables, and besides, the seal and aura imprinted on the letter were undeniably genuine.”

He certainly handled things cleanly, leaving no room for escape.

Uselessly, I might add.

“I understand your concerns, but if you say it’s not the case, Young Master, I have no intention of making it an issue or blaming you.”

The Alliance Leader’s words were a relief to hear.

My mind was already racing with possibilities on how to handle this.

“…I was merely wondering if, should you be Paejon’s disciple, you might know Paejon’s current whereabouts.”

Was it because of the ‘귀물’ mentioned in the letter?

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you don’t know. Is that correct?”

“…Yes.”

Actually, I do know.

That Paejon is currently holed up somewhere in Xi’an, having disappeared from the public eye.

And even the reason why he disappeared.

Of course, I have no intention of revealing this.

If they ask, they’ll probably ask Elder Yi.

“…Is that so.”

He looked disappointed, as if he had just missed a clue he had barely grasped.

Conversely, he also showed a look of relief, as if he had found a new clue.

“Perhaps, is it because of the ‘귀물’ mentioned in the letter?”

At my question, the Alliance Leader paused for a moment.

“It’s true that the item Paejon took is concerning, but that’s not all.”

Meaning there’s another reason.

That was enough.

I didn’t intend to ask further.

It didn’t seem like something he would answer even if I asked, and if I did hear the answer, I’d get entangled in the matter.

‘I came here with a purpose, and getting involved in other matters isn’t ideal.’

If I had known the recommendation letter would cause such a stir, maybe I should have told him not to write it.

As the conversation drew to a close, the Alliance Leader stood up and said,

“I apologize for wasting your valuable time, junior.”

“Not at all. It was good to have this valuable meeting.”

“I appreciate you saying that.”

It didn’t feel like a good meeting at all, but I had to say something nice.

Honestly, from the Alliance Leader’s perspective, it wasn’t easy to believe my words.

In a way, he was backing down from a situation where he could have interrogated me more forcefully.

‘It doesn’t seem like everything resolved perfectly, though.’

Of course, his suspicion probably hasn’t completely disappeared.

I don’t know if he’ll do something behind my back.

That’s something the Murim Alliance excels at, after all.

The Central Plains were divided into righteous and demonic paths, but many knew that the dividing line had long since blurred.

The difference, perhaps, is that.

The orthodox sects pretend not to know, or try to cover the sky with their beliefs, while the demonic sects have no qualms about it.

The Alliance Leader just now gave the impression of being a benevolent person and a good man to anyone who saw him, but I didn’t believe all of it.

Although I don’t know much about that person.

Prejudice is truly a fearsome thing.

‘The fact that he’s that bastard’s father is probably the biggest factor.’

Just thinking about him makes my blood boil.

Recalling that damn impression, I unconsciously ground my teeth.

“Thank you for talking with me. I shouldn’t take up more of your time, so I’ll be going.”

As the Alliance Leader left through the door, he suddenly looked back towards me and added,

“When I heard you weren’t his disciple, I was actually surprised.”

Wondering what he meant by such a sudden, out-of-the-blue remark, I met the Alliance Leader’s gaze.

“Even if you were Paejon’s disciple, your level is astonishingly high, but to hear you’re not… It’s surprising, and from the Alliance’s perspective, the birth of a new star is truly something to welcome.”

“…Thank you.”

“Just looking at your sister, I thought the Gu family had produced a tiger like a chivalrous hero, but it seems you’ve hidden an even greater dragon.”

As expected, the Alliance Leader seems to have grasped my level.

It wasn’t strange.

After all, he too was a martial artist who had reached a very high level.

Perhaps because of that, his words felt overwhelmingly burdensome.

“I look forward to your performance at this event.”

With those words, the Alliance Leader exited through the door.

His presence quickly faded away.