I Shouldn't Have Joined the Martial Arts Alliance - Chapter 68

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Why had he carelessly joined the Murim Alliance? Episode 68
They’d been looking for him?
Why?
Setting aside the puzzle of it, what was he supposed to do now?
It was one of those moments when he genuinely couldn’t decide whether to draw his sword on the spot or hold back.
Yet the woman who served as Hao-moon’s branch chief radiated no hostility. So he decided to watch and wait.
Jang Hye-in stepped forward as their representative and spoke first.
“This is our first meeting, so it’s strange that you’ve been looking for us.”
“My, playing innocent, are we?”
……?
Jang Hye-in tilted his head. How could he disarm suspicion when there was nothing to be innocent of?
“Dear me. And you’ve killed our Hao-moon disciples without batting an eye. Ho-ho-ho. You’re certainly no ordinary folk. Your acting is truly superb.”
……What is this?
Was she trying to force a confession? Deliberately?
As if there was any need to prevaricate when she could just kill them.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We’ve never killed any Hao-moon disciples.”
Branch Chief Sol-ji’s eyes flickered.
Jang Hye-in’s denial was delivered with such absolute conviction that it seemed almost genuine.
“Ha-ha-ha. Fine then. Since you’re committing so thoroughly, I’ll have to spell it out myself.”
“……By all means.”
There was nothing to feel guilty about anyway.
“You crossed over from Hunan Province into Guizhou Province along a mountain ridge, didn’t you?”
“……Yes, we did. But how did you know that?”
However vast Hao-moon’s information network, it didn’t make sense that they’d be tracking the movements of mere Murim Alliance soldiers.
Hao-moon typically dug into the affairs of major regional figures to extract intelligence. In short, they didn’t waste effort on small-time martial artists.
They harvested only information that turned a profit.
It was like foraging in the mountains—not for every weed or herb, but only for mushrooms that sold well, or herbs and ginseng that commanded decent prices.
Hao-moon hunted the high-value intelligence that moved fortunes in the Gangho.
So why would they bother tracking Jang Hye-in and his team’s movements?
It only deepened his doubts.
Branch Chief Sol-ji held up a document and began reading from it.
“Jang Hye-in. Former squad leader of the Biryongdae patrol unit under the Murim Alliance, recently promoted to deputy commander. Combat strength at the threshold of Jeoljeong. Nine team members, all Il-ryu caliber. The youngest, Sa U-rin, not yet of age, earns the nickname ‘Jade-faced Dragon’ for his appearance. Possesses remarkable martial prowess for his years. Destined to represent the Murim Alliance’s future. And yet all came to nothing through attacking the Human Trafficking Organization. Still, he’s made quite a name for himself—a promising youth squandered on worthless pursuits. That’s what it says here?”
So Hao-moon had investigated Jang Hye-in and his team fairly thoroughly.
And they weren’t even renowned figures in the Gangho.
The fortunate part was that their assessment of Jang Hye-in and his team’s martial strength was completely wrong. If the Invisible Hand sent enemies based on this intelligence, they’d find the team far easier prey than they thought—though survival was still assured by their actual capabilities.
But that wouldn’t end the matter, of course.
“Most of that’s accurate. But why did Hao-moon investigate us in the first place? And what does any of this have to do with what you just said?”
“It has everything to do with it. That’s why I’ve brought it up.”
“I’m listening.”
“You seem unaware, but this story is spreading quite widely through the Gangho these days.”
Had Jang Hye-in and his team not taken the remote mountain pass through sparsely populated terrain, they would surely have heard whispers of it by now.
“……Our story?”
“Yes. These days, people in the Gangho are calling you Gwang-hyeop or Gwang-dae.”
“Gwang-hyeop……, Gwang-dae…….”
It meant either madmen obsessed with justice or clowns entertaining the Gangho.
“It’s not a pleasant epithet.”
“Does it matter?”
They were going to die anyway.
“……I suppose not. But your story keeps getting interrupted.”
“Ah yes. Before you reached Yeo-gyeong District, you must have encountered a man in a straw hat and another carrying a frame pack.”
“We did. So what?”
“Those men are our Hao-moon disciples.”
“……And?”
What exactly was she driving at?
Now it was Branch Chief Sol-ji whose head tilted in confusion.
At this point, she should have called them out directly. Yet there was something too brazen about their denials—or perhaps, she was beginning to suspect, they might actually be telling the truth.
“……You didn’t kill those two men?”
“No. Why would we kill people who were just passing by?”
“……That’s a fair question. Which is why we’ve been looking for you.”
“And now that you’ve found us? Are you after revenge?”
Hao-moon can’t become that kind of organization. They write off deaths as mere lack of ability. And besides, there’s no shortage of people eager to fill the vacant positions.
The fact that Hao-moon isn’t a military force played its part too.
“Revenge? No, I’m just curious how you knew they were with Hao-moon.”
There were other reasons, of course, but they weren’t things he could voice aloud.
“But who killed those people?”
“……That’s what I’d like to know.”
Jang Hye-in had two suspects in mind.
One was the Invisible Hand.
Though there’d be no real need for them to go to such trouble. Still, suspicion was suspicion.
The other was Sa U-rin’s mother.
Not that Sa U-rin’s mother moved directly, but rather—wasn’t it possible she was behind it?
If someone wants to avoid leaving traces, their tracks vanish without a whisper. So it seemed likely she’d eliminated anyone who’d seen Sa U-rin, to keep their meeting secret.
The second possibility seemed more plausible.
Sol-ji, the branch commander, stared through Jang Hye-in with penetrating eyes.
“You seem to know something.”
“……Do I look like it?”
“Yes. Tell me.”
As expected of a Hao-moon branch commander, she had a sharp eye for reading people.
“If I tell you, you’ll get hurt. Or worse—you’ll become like us.”
For a moment, the branch commander’s eyes widened.
“Ah. Then don’t say anything. But it seems you have quite impressive backing? I suppose that’s why you pulled off something so reckless.”
“The backing is impressive, true enough. But that’s not why I did something reckless.”
“Then why did you do something so reckless……?”
“Isn’t it natural for a Murim Alliance warrior to do such things? And it wasn’t even that reckless, really.”
Sol-ji the branch commander found it absurd.
Jang Hye-in spoke as if he were some righteous hero, and it struck her as almost comical.
‘Acting so naive. Tsk, tsk.’
Why court death like that?
As branch commander, Sol-ji couldn’t make sense of it.
Well, at least she’d gotten a tidy sum out of it.
“Come now, don’t just stand there. Sit down and talk.”
So they all took their seats. Just then, a woman arrived carrying a large tray with tea.
Teacups were arranged neatly on the table.
“This is rather fine tea. Since special guests have arrived, I’m serving something special. Please, enjoy without reservation.”
You’ll be dead soon anyway.
Right before branch commander Sol-ji’s eyes.
“How thoughtful. We’ll enjoy it thoroughly.”
They all reached for their cups.
Reached for them, but didn’t lift them. For some time now, anything that came to the table went through the youngest member Sa U-rin’s mouth first.
It could be poisoned, after all.
So Sa U-rin picked up the cup first and inhaled the tea’s fragrance.
“Nice aroma.”
He didn’t know how expensive the tea was.
Then he took a sip.
“Good taste too.”
Once Sa U-rin gave his approval, Jang Hye-in and the others relaxed and brought their cups to their lips.
But then.
Sa U-rin looked at branch commander Sol-ji and spoke.
“It’s poisoned.”
Jang Hye-in and the others froze, their faces contorting, the cups still halfway to their mouths.
“What the hell.”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner!”
“We almost drank it!”
“No—we almost died.”
“That’s right.”
“Now I can’t trust that bastard either. We nearly died here.”
“But he did warn us in time.”
“Even so!”
“But is it really poisoned?”
Sa U-rin nodded.
“This isn’t a joke, is it?”
“When have you ever seen me fool around like the seniors do?”
“……That’s true, you haven’t.”
“Looks like the poison really is in there.”
“Indeed.”
Everyone set down their teacups.
Meanwhile, the branch leader Sol-ji, seized by shock, opened her eyes wide as lanterns. The plan she’d been certain would succeed had unraveled in the most absurd fashion imaginable.
“……No, how in the world…….”
How could he have known there was poison in it?
Ordinarily, there’d be no way to detect it through scent or taste alone.
And.
“……That, that…….”
Was such a thing even possible?
Sa U-rin was still sitting at ease, savoring his tea deliberately. He, the one who’d noticed and discerned the poison. And a green boy not even out of his twenties at that.
So Sa U-rin, sipping his tea, spoke.
“This tea is really quite excellent. Don’t you think we should start drinking tea instead of liquor?”
The members’ expressions darkened considerably.
“……What nonsense…….”
“……Is that bastard trying to mess with us right now?”
“I told you. U-rin doesn’t joke.”
“If this isn’t a joke, then what is it?”
“It’s like a beggar turning up his nose at dog meat.”
“……Madman.”
But what was the reaction of his comrades watching this unfold?
Did they not care whether he lived or died? Because he’d already ingested the poison?
Who knew. For branch leader Sol-ji, this situation made no sense whatsoever. An endless parade of incomprehensible events.
She only wished it were a dream. Because something impossible was happening before her eyes.
To Sol-ji, floundering in bewilderment, Jang Hye-in threw words as cold as ice, his eyes flashing.
“Hey.”
She still hadn’t come to her senses. Her gaze was completely unfocused.
So Jang Hye-in smashed the poisoned teacup against the ground. The cup shattered, and chaos erupted inside the room.
Crash!
Only then did branch leader Sol-ji’s mind return, her eyes meeting Jang Hye-in’s.
“Hey. You damn bitch. Is this revenge? No, it can’t be. This has to be someone else’s doing, doesn’t it?! Doesn’t it?!”
Jang Hye-in was certain — the Invisible Hand was moving behind all this.
“……That, that is…….”
This wasn’t supposed to go like this…….
She was supposed to drink her tea in peace and slip out of this world gently…….
Slice!
Jang Hye-in drew his sword and pressed it against branch leader Sol-ji’s throat.
“Wake up, you bitch! Hey!”
The members leaped to their feet in alarm.
“Vice-commander!”
“Please, that’s not right!”
“If we’re hunted down even by Hao-moon, we’ll have nowhere to breathe. Vice-commander!”
“Please, please calm down.”
Fire flashed in Jang Hye-in’s eyes.
“What are you saying, all of you! Dead this way or that way — we’re dying either way anyway. Damn it! U-rin, isn’t that right?!”
“That’s so.”
“Ah…….”
‘Our vice-commander’s finally lost his mind after all this time…….’
‘That man has arrived…….’
‘The youngest always was like this…….’
‘What sin have we committed?’
‘The sin of standing together…….’
‘Ah!’
Despite the members’ desperate pleas, Jang Hye-in spewed arrows of fire from his eyes, shouting again at branch leader Sol-ji.
“Who put you up to this, you damn bitch!”
“……That, that is…….”
She didn’t know who.
A masked figure appeared in the night, threw down five hundred silver coins, handed over the job to be done, and left.
Five hundred silver coins—an enormous sum.
And the task itself wasn’t particularly difficult. Draw the target here, poison him, bury him deep in the earth. That was all.
“……I, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? This is…… ah. I see. Well then. But what can we do? This won’t end just because you claim ignorance.”
After all, she had attempted to kill Jang Hye-in and his men with poison.
So Jang Hye-in drove his blade straight through the branch director’s throat—the very sword he’d held against Sol-ji’s neck.
Gurgle.
Blood poured from the branch director’s mouth in a torrent.
As Jang Hye-in withdrew the blade, crimson blood erupted from the wound in her throat.
The branch director’s eyes rolled back, and she toppled backward where she sat.
Thud.
In that instant, the Hao-moon warriors waiting outside burst through the door.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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