I Shouldn't Have Joined the Martial Arts Alliance - Chapter 76

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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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For no good reason, entering the Murim Alliance — Chapter 76
Yeo Ui-cheon, proprietor of the Yeseong Merchant Guild.
Geum O-ryeon, proprietor of the Geumhon Merchant Guild.
Yeon Ga-si, proprietor of the Wonhyeon Merchant Guild.
Ok Ji-rim, proprietor of the Sanon Merchant Guild.
And Yeong Ju-ryeon, the sole woman among them, proprietor of the Beyoung Merchant Guild.
The five proprietors exchanged greetings with one another, and in that same breath, they shared an air of dignified aloofness.
“It’s been five years since we last gathered, hasn’t it?”
“Five years already? How the time has slipped away.”
“Ah yes, so it has.”
“The older one grows, the more cruelly swift the years become. Would you not agree?”
“Ha, so I thought it was only I who felt it thus. How fortunate to learn otherwise.”
“Ha, we all grow petty and narrow-minded with age, it seems. What is to be done?”
“One cannot help but surrender to the weight of years as they accumulate.”
As if only now grasping that nothing withstands the passage of time, the five proprietors turned as one toward the moon hanging rich and appetizing in the sky, each exhaling a wistful sigh.
The moon, they seemed to say, time itself bypasses.
When the clouds obscure it, how small and fugitive it appears.
Yet tonight it shone with youth so vivid that a strange bittersweet ache stirred in the heart.
A salt-touched melancholy—whether from saturation in the Gangho, from being worn down by time, or from disgust with the mortal world, none could say.
“But still, to hear that the Cheonhon Sect has failed—it defies belief.”
“They took the Gangho far too lightly, I should think.”
“We counseled them time and again to act with the utmost caution. Tsk, tsk.”
“They are not the sort to heed wise counsel.”
“And that fault belongs to no one but themselves. All martial artists are cast from the same arrogant mold.”
“Did we not all foresee that such a day might come?”
“Yet truthfully, this affair is rather bewildering.”
All nodded in agreement.
“Had we been in their place, we would likely have stumbled in the same manner.”
Again, all inclined their heads in unison.
“True enough. They are mere soldiers of the Murim Alliance, or so we are told. There was mention of a division commander among them, yes, but to suppose that a single commander could have unraveled this entire scheme—such thinking strains credulity itself.”
“And that is precisely what bewilders us. Mere Murim Alliance soldiers, yet how could such men possibly have patrons we ourselves cannot fathom? Most curious indeed.”
“The world remains full of mysteries, even for those who think they understand it.”
“And that is what makes it interesting.”
“True. We labor as earnestly as we do for precisely that reason.”
All agreed, and laughter spilled forth in tones the moonlight could not hear.
And so it was.
“I hear the Cheonhon Sect is ceasing their human trafficking.”
“I have heard the same.”
“They should have stopped long ago. Such work is unfit for human hands.”
“For trifling profit, to sell one’s conscience seemed ill to me. This development gladdens the heart.”
“I confess the same, though only now. What need have we for such shameful enterprise? We continued solely because the Cheonhon Sect compelled us to—a burden inherited from our ancestors that we could not refuse.”
“Ha, it appears we all harbored the same feeling. How remarkable.”
At this, all bore bittersweet smiles.
“Yet I understand they mean to continue recruiting Origin Sense Perceivers, which troubles me somewhat.”
“Since they now undertake the task themselves, we need not concern ourselves—which is no bad thing, I suppose.”
“That much is fortunate.”
“What they truly seek, then, is to seize the Gangho itself, is it not?”
“Ha, as if such a thing were ever easily done.”
“Which is to say, they regard us as mere instruments beneath their feet.”
“Contemptible.”
“After witnessing for all these centuries that the Gangho flows by no man’s will, how can they harbor such foolish ambitions? It is truly a mystery.”
“Indeed. Even we dare not claim the Gangho moves to our design.”
“Martial artists—every last one of them—seem cursed with stupidity. They master such intricate arts, yet their minds remain dull as stone.”
“Ha, truly so.”
“Well, that is their concern. But this matter—now that the Cheonhon Sect has failed, the task of eliminating them has fallen to us, has it not?”
They spoke of ridding the world of Jang Hye-in and his men.
“It has.”
“How do you propose we proceed?”
“If we move too hastily to kill them, we risk meeting the same fate as the Cheonhon Sect. Caution is imperative.”
“Unlikely as it seems, we can now be certain—there is someone of considerable power standing behind them.”
Otherwise, there would be no way to escape so cleanly from the death trap the Cheonhon Sect had laid.
“Are you certain they’re truly ordinary martial artists from the Murim Alliance?”
“I made inquiries—nothing particularly remarkable came up. But there is one thing that troubles me. This boy, Sa U-rin…….”
“How young is he?”
“Not yet twenty, from what I’ve heard.”
“Not yet twenty?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hah. So he’s hardly insignificant, is he?”
“Precisely because he’s not insignificant—that’s what troubles me.”
“Do tell us.”
“This boy, you see…….”
He began his account from the moment Sa U-rin joined the Sunyeong District branch of Sacheon Province.
“Hah. So everything began when this boy arrived?”
“It did.”
“And not yet twenty, he’s already risen to the rank of a master.”
“Indeed.”
“That suggests extraordinary talent, does it not?”
“It does.”
“If this is truly the case, I would have him join our guild.”
“It’s verified fact. He’s already quite famous in the Murim Alliance, I’m told. He’s even earned an epithet.”
“An epithet?”
“Yes. They call him the Jade-faced Fire Dragon.”
“His appearance is striking as well?”
“If I were to tell you what I’ve heard……, well…….”
“Why do you falter?”
“I find it too embarrassing to speak aloud.”
“That only makes us more curious. Out with it.”
“Then I shall speak boldly, and I ask that none of you think strangely of me for it.”
“Don’t worry. Tell us.”
He cleared his throat and opened his mouth again.
“The women, it’s said, simply lose themselves in his presence.”
“……Lose themselves…….”
“Ahem.”
“Mm.”
“……I see.”
“……Quite embarrassing indeed.”
“Then, might the Cheonhon Sect have sent a female martial artist on this mission?”
“That, I couldn’t say.”
“Even if his appearance were remarkable, would it be enough to cause such a failure?”
“I doubt it. The Cheonhon Sect is not so careless as that.”
“I agree.”
“Since women are said to be so utterly captivated by him, I make this observation.”
“In any case, we must assume someone of consequence stands behind them and proceed accordingly. For safety’s sake, I suggest we exclude the women from this affair.”
“……I concur.”
“……I share the same view.”
“Since all agree, I find myself wanting to see this fellow’s face directly.”
“……I confess I do as well.”
“I have no daughters, so I’ve no particular reason to be curious.”
“My own daughter has reached marriageable age……. Hah, this is most vexing. I’m genuinely curious now.”
They all fell silent for a moment, lost in contemplation.
“This task has fallen to us, has it not?”
“Indeed.”
“Since they’ve also struck a blow against the Cheonhon Sect for us, shouldn’t we reward them instead?”
“……A reward, you say?”
“After all, we can handle the rest ourselves.”
“True enough.”
“But what sort of reward? Surely you don’t mean to spare them?”
“Yes. Spare them, and draw them to our side just as you’re all thinking now. With such talent, wouldn’t they grow strong enough to shake the Gangho itself in time?”
“It’s rare to find someone with that level of ability at such a young age.”
“Precisely why I suggest it.”
“But wouldn’t we need a death to replace theirs?”
“I’ve given it thought. And while we’re handling this matter, let’s replace the Alliance Leader too. He’s been doing nothing lately. No spark left in him.”
“True enough. He was passionate at first, thrashing about with purpose. Now he just seems… lifeless. Do you have a good method in mind?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t be speaking of it.”
And so the five of them sat beneath the moonlight, turning the Murim Alliance over in their hands like a toy.
* * *
Three months after Jang Hye-in and his unit left the Murim Alliance, Bi Ryeong, commander of the Beyoung Division, arrived at the Alliance headquarters on orders from the Alliance’s strategist, Jegal Su-yeon, who had sent her to Sacheon Province.
As Bi Ryeong entered the strategist’s office, she gazed at Jegal Su-yeon, whom she hadn’t seen in so long, with eyes brimming with longing, and wrapped her in an embrace.
Jegal Su-yeon met her with equally warm eyes, returning the embrace with fervent tenderness.
“Have you been well?”
“I have.”
“Really? I’ve missed you.”
“Then miss me.”
“What—after months apart, you’re already playing games?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I’m sorry.”
Bi Ryeong searches Jegal Su-yeon’s eyes carefully, then speaks with understanding.
“Ah. I heard what happened.”
“You did?”
“Yes. It’s absurd, but what can we do? But why on earth did he do something so reckless?”
She was referring to Jang Hye-in and his unit’s raid on the Human Trafficking Organization.
“It wasn’t reckless, exactly.”
“No, of course not. But that’s what people call such things.”
“……I know.”
It was a lamentable reality, one they were powerless to change.
“Any word from him?”
Jegal Su-yeon shakes her head slowly.
“As expected. When did you lose contact?”
“Two months ago, in Yeohyeong District.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes. His trail simply vanished.”
“And that’s as you feared?”
Jegal Su-yeon’s regret is palpable. When hope runs deep, disappointment cuts just as keenly.
“Likely. The fact that no trace of him has surfaced since……”
She cannot bring herself to speak it aloud, but the unspoken conclusion hangs between them—he is surely dead.
“Still, after all his efforts, you’ll at least hear what I found, won’t you?”
“Yes. Let’s hear it.”
“Truth be told, I didn’t uncover much of note.”
“I didn’t expect much anyway.”
“You’re disappointed?”
“Stop teasing.”
“Fine. But that boy Sa U-rin—he’s nothing but secrets.”
Curiosity flickers in Jegal Su-yeon’s eyes.
“How much so?”
“His father, a man named Sa Cheol-gang, is wrapped in mystery from the start. He has only one arm, yet he’s a formidable master—from what I gathered, a master of the highest tier. And his wealth is oddly suspicious too.”
“Despite having only one arm?”
“Yes. And no one in the surrounding area even knows of him. I’m also doubtful whether Sa U-rin’s father is truly Sa Cheol-gang.”
“Why?”
Sa U-rin appeared suddenly, without warning. No one knows who his mother is, or when or how he was born. No one nearby knows of him. According to locals, Sa U-rin didn’t show his face until he was about five. After that, he remained in Sunyeong District until thirteen, then vanished abruptly—after Sa Cheol-gang died, naturally. Five years passed, and then he suddenly appeared at a gambling den. From there, he joined the Sunyeong District branch.
“Is that all?”
“……Yes. There’s precious little, isn’t there?”
“Very little. Then, did you learn why Jang appeared?”
“I did investigate. But you already know.”
“As I thought.”
Deeds one wishes to hide cannot be uncovered. What remained visible were only the traces meant to be seen.
“No matter how much I think about it, that woman’s the key.”
Bi Ryeong nods in agreement.
“There’s something we can’t know. Something those dead companions had.”
“……But jumping to the conclusion that he’s dead—isn’t that premature?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ve been thinking the same thing, if I’m honest.”
“Don’t blame yourself too much. Those friends of yours must have accepted the risks when they chose to take on this work.”
“You’re right. Still, it doesn’t sit easy in my heart.”
Just then, the war room door burst open with sudden violence.
Bang.
Jegal Su-yeon and Bi Ryeong’s startled eyes snapped toward the door as it swung wide.
“…Of course.”
There was only one person in the Murim Alliance who could handle the war room door like that.
Jegal Lee-su, Jegal Su-yeon’s nephew.
“Oh? You’re here?”
At the word “you,” Bi Ryeong’s lips curled upward.
“Yeah. How have you been?”
“That’s not the issue right now.”
Jegal Su-yeon knitted her brow and spoke sharply to her nephew.
“If you keep doing this, I’m banning you from the war room. Do you understand?!”
“Auntie! Once you hear what I have to say, you’ll take that back immediately.”
“…What could it be?”
Why was he radiating such confidence?
“He’s come! He’s actually come!”
“What do you…?”
Jegal Su-yeon’s eyes widened in an instant.
“…You don’t mean…?”
“Yes! Our Jade-faced Fire Dragon came back alive! Can you believe it? Isn’t that incredible?! I’ve made my decision, Auntie. From now on, I…”
Before Jegal Lee-su could finish, Jegal Su-yeon was already on her feet.
Bi Ryeong followed after her.
“Auntie! You didn’t even let me finish! Ugh!”

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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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