Sharing the Same Boat (3)
At early dawn, two carriages and around ten mounted martial artists quietly left the Grand Martial Alliance.
Ma Bong-Gi was riding in the first carriage, and Gal Sa-Ryang and I were riding in the second carriage.
The ones escorting the two carriages were Fierce Tiger Corps Leader Im Jung-Tae and ten elite martial artists of the Fierce Tiger Corps. They all wore ordinary martial robes to hide their identities. Considering the number of martial artists usually included in the Alliance Lord’s procession, it was a terribly insufficient number.
It was truly a secret departure from the Alliance.
Once the carriages left the Grand Martial Alliance and picked up speed, Gal Sa-Ryang told me in a low voice what he had heard from Ma Bong-Gi, making sure it could not be heard from outside. After finishing the story, he asked,
“Why are you not surprised?”
“It was not surprising. To be honest…”
I lowered my voice even further.
“It was strange that Alliance Lord Ma became the Alliance Lord. How did that man become the Alliance Lord? It feels like that question has finally been answered.”
“You know about the Alliance Lord?”
“I have heard many rumors. No, scandals.”
“I see.”
“I saw a woman get into his carriage earlier.”
Ma Bong-Gi had brought one woman into his carriage. Judging by her weak Martial Arts, face, and figure, she was someone he intended to sleep with. To think he had brought a woman even in this situation.
Yes, psychologically, he must have been very anxious. I could understand that on a human level.
But it was not the positive kind of understanding that made me think, “Ah, how bad must it be for him?” It was more like, “Good grief, that mad bastard.”
“Then are we going to meet the person who made Alliance Lord Ma the Alliance Lord?”
“That is right.”
“He must be an extraordinary person, seeing as he drew the Alliance Lord outside.”
In truth, the person most curious about that hidden force was me.
That bastard may have killed me. No, it was probably definitely his doing. Considering the situation after my death, it was too planned out to think that my death had been natural.
Because I had been given a new life, I could let go of the grudge over being killed. But the problem was that his objective was not simply to kill me.
After killing me, he placed Ma Bong-Gi in the position of Alliance Lord. And now he was doing something unknown. He was raising several organizations and even conducting research to remove the side effects of the Immortal Demon Spirit Pill.
What exactly was he trying to do? By what method had he killed me, someone immune to all poisons?
While lost in various thoughts, I suddenly asked,
“But why would he suddenly want to meet the Alliance Lord?”
Gal Sa-Ryang shook his head.
“I do not know that much either.”
The bastards we had encountered so far were definitely not people who acted impulsively. They were steadily carrying something out according to a set plan.
Was this meeting also part of that plan? Or was it truly a meeting born from accidental emotion?
The core of this journey lay there.
In the spacious room, Number One was giving a report.
“It is a report saying that Gal Sa-Ryang seems to be connected to Elder Go’s death after all.”
At Number One’s words, the man sitting far away spoke quietly.
“Is that so?”
Unlike usual, his voice was so small that Number One almost could not understand what he was saying.
“Yes.”
He answered loudly, but no further words followed.
“Then I will take my leave.”
He was about to turn and leave when the man opened his mouth.
“Come closer.”
Number One was inwardly startled. Until now, the man had never once told him to come closer. That was why he did not even know what the man’s face looked like. He had lived thoroughly like a consumable object that only carried out orders, but now a change had occurred.
“Yes.”
Number One slowly walked forward. He possessed courage that would not blink at most things, but at this moment, he was a little nervous.
The closer he went, the clearer the man’s appearance became.
He looked different from what Number One had imagined. First of all, he had a small frame, and his face looked petty. Number One had to tense himself in case an inexplicable disappointment showed on his face.
On the other hand, his clothing was extremely neat. He was wearing white martial robes, and everything from his shoes to his sword sheath and the sword’s handle was white.
Whether this feast of white was because the name he was called by was White Stone, Number One could not know.
In any case, one thing was certain. The man was truly an expert. Not the slightest opening could be felt from him. Number One naturally thought that he was indeed worthy of being the person who commanded him from the far end of the room.
“Damn it.”
White Stone frowned deeply.
“Do you know how I have endured in this place without a single window?”
Strangely enough, there were no windows anywhere in this spacious room. Everything else was furnished, yet there were no windows.
The office where Number One stayed was the same. In the place where there should have been a window, there was a painting of a seashore with waves breaking against it.
Here, instead of a painting, a fake window had been drawn. From far away, it truly looked as if there was a window there.
Outside the window, a bright spring landscape was painted. From a distance, it had looked beautiful, but up close, it was instead grotesque.
“Ma Bong-Gi has left the Alliance.”
“To where?”
“Namhyeon Escort Agency in Zhejiang Province.”
“Could it be?”
“Yes. The prepared thing has begun.”
Number One swallowed dryly. Something that would once again throw the Jianghu into turmoil had begun.
“That matter has been entrusted to Black Stone.”
Only now could Number One understand what this behavior of White Stone, different from usual, was about.
White Stone looked at Number One and said gloomily,
“That person chose Black Stone as the right one for this matter.”
Black Stone and White Stone, black stone and white stone.
Named after the two stones on a Go board, they had come this far while competing thoroughly. Though they belonged to the same organization, they had grown like enemies.
And this time, the most important matter had been entrusted to Black Stone.
Number One calmly said,
“It has not succeeded yet, has it?”
At that, the corners of White Stone’s mouth curled upward.
“That is not comforting at all. You do not know what kind of person Black Stone is, do you? That woman will never miss this opportunity.”
Number One realized that Black Stone was a woman. In any case, he was someone who had followed White Stone’s orders until now. Both consolation and pleasing someone’s mood had to be directed toward this person.
“Did Gal Sa-Ryang perhaps go with them?”
“He did.”
“Then, as with Elder Go’s matter this time, Gal Sa-Ryang may become a variable.”
“Do you truly think so?”
Earnest hope filled White Stone’s eyes.
Number One met that expectation.
“Judging from the report of the person who investigated Gal Sa-Ryang this time, that side cannot be certain either.”
“Do you trust the investigator?”
Number One nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, I trust that person’s intuition.”
It was not merely a nod meant to please his superior’s mood.
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The two carriages stopped at an inn.
“We will stay at this inn tonight.”
Usually, when the Alliance Lord moved, he stayed at Grand Martial Alliance safe houses prepared throughout the Central Plains, but this time it had been decided that they would stay at ordinary inns as they traveled. Instead, the Fierce Tiger Corps had rented an entire floor of this inn in advance.
Ma Bong-Gi, wearing his bamboo hat low, stepped down from the carriage with the woman. After the two of them entered, Gal Sa-Ryang and I followed them inside.
The entire top floor was for us. Centered around Ma Bong-Gi’s room in the middle, Gal Sa-Ryang and I stayed in the room on the left, while the Fierce Tiger Corps Leader stayed in the room on the right. The remaining rooms were divided among the Fierce Tiger Corps martial artists.
Ma Bong-Gi ate his meal in his guest room.
I went down to the first-floor dining hall with Gal Sa-Ryang. In any case, there was no one who would recognize us.
Two martial artists of the Fierce Tiger Corps were sitting at a table with a clear view of the entrance and drinking liquor. I could tell that their purpose was not drinking, but standing guard.
We sat a little away from them and comfortably ordered food and liquor.
“This matter may be dangerous.”
At my words, Gal Sa-Ryang nodded.
“I know.”
“If an urgent situation occurs… please trust me.”
“I understand.”
He did not hesitate in answering. No, because he had already felt that way, he must have brought me along for this important matter.
I ate with Gal Sa-Ryang while having a drink with the meal. He told me about various past operations. Of course, most of them were operations I also knew.
I realized anew the kinds of worries Gal Sa-Ryang had gone through at the time, thoughts I had not considered before.
I could tell that he was telling me these stories in order to raise me into a good strategist. It was a good sign. If he had intended to use me while thinking only of revenge, he would not have needed to tell me such things.
Gal Sa-Ryang had feelings of concern for me. He was telling me those things with the hope that I would become a good strategist later.
Perhaps he was thinking of his own end. He might be trying to pass everything on and then die with an easy heart.
Sa-Ryang, that will not go as you intend.
That day, I talked with Gal Sa-Ryang about many things, and as a strategist, I learned a great deal.
Ma Cheol-Gun woke from sleep.
As he tried to recall why he had awakened, he suddenly raised his body.
Someone was sitting in one corner of his room. Because the person was in the darkness, their face could not be seen, only the shape of their body.
“A woman?”
The outline of the body looked like a woman.
Ma Cheol-Gun felt a chill in his heart. If the other party had intended to kill him, his neck would already have been cut and he would be dead.
But as expected of the Sect Leader who led the Heavenly Blade Sect, and as expected of the man still considered the most likely successor to Ma Bong-Gi, he was calm. He did not try to shout and summon his subordinates either.
Since the other party had spared him, doing that would be truly unsightly.
“Please give me some water over there.”
At Ma Cheol-Gun’s words, the other person grinned. In the darkness, especially white teeth shone. He thought it was definitely a woman.
Rustle.
The kettle placed to the side flew through the air toward Ma Cheol-Gun.
Ma Cheol-Gun’s heart chilled once again as he caught the kettle. To send a kettle full of water flying so lightly? It was truly a tremendous level of object control through the air.
“She is far stronger than me.”
Who was there among female experts with such incredible skill? He hurriedly thought of several people, but no one suited this situation.
After drinking water straight from the kettle, he held it out toward the woman.
“Would you like some?”
Then, in the darkness, the woman shook her head.
“Why did you come to find me?”
“Sect Leader Ma.”
As expected, it was a woman’s voice. It was a calm voice whose age could not be guessed, but the energy contained in her words was far from ordinary.
“To make you the Murim Alliance Lord. What do you think? Are you interested?”
It was calm and polite, but the content was truly something he had never expected.
After staring blankly at the woman in the darkness for a while, Ma Cheol-Gun said,
“Of course I want to become it. If not, I would not be fighting with my blood relatives over the succession.”
“And when, in all those years, will you become the Alliance Lord? Your father is using all kinds of spiritual medicines and young women for harvesting yin to nourish yang. He will live another thirty years.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I will make you one. As quickly as possible.”
“How?”
If he had not seen the other party’s ability, this conversation would not have continued.
“It is simple. If the Alliance Lord dies, a new Alliance Lord will be needed, and at that time, Sect Leader Ma can take that seat.”
“What?”
Ma Cheol-Gun’s eyes widened.
“What kind of insane nonsense is that?”
Ma Cheol-Gun’s voice trembled.
“I will take it as permission. I will handle the rest.”
“When did I? Shut up! I never gave permission!”
The woman rose from her seat and said calmly,
“Cheon Ha-Jin became Alliance Lord when he was younger than Sect Leader Ma. There is no reason Sect Leader Ma cannot become one.”
Just as Ma Cheol-Gun was about to say something, the woman looked at him.
In the darkness, the woman’s two eyes glowed white. The moment he saw those eyes, Ma Cheol-Gun felt fear.
When he unconsciously closed and opened his eyes, the woman had disappeared from that spot. Without any presence, she had simply vanished before his eyes. It was the first time in his life he had seen such an extraordinary movement art. It felt not like a movement art, but like sorcery.
Ma Cheol-Gun’s heart began beating as if it would burst.
“I must hurry and inform Father of this!”
But his feet did not immediately move. In that moment, Ma Cheol-Gun realized.
“Father.”
The trembling of his heart did not contain only worry over his father’s death and anger toward the woman. There was also a certain intense excitement beating against his heart.
It was the moment when the woman in the darkness planted a single seed deep in his heart. It was a small seed filled with a desire that, once it began to grow, would shoot up to the end of the sky in an instant.
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