As Kwak Yeon climbed the steps of the Right Military Strategist’s hall beneath the midday sunlight pouring down over his head, a man in his middle years came out to greet him.
“Chief Secretary Kwak, welcome.”
Sensing an extraordinary presence from the unfamiliar man in blue martial robes, Kwak Yeon cupped his hands politely.
“Kwak Yeon, Chief Secretary of the Alliance Leader’s Office, offers his greetings.”
The title of Chief Secretary still did not sit naturally in his mouth and felt awkward, but since he was inside the Martial Alliance, Kwak Yeon introduced himself that way.
At Kwak Yeon’s cupped-hand salute, the middle-aged man lowered his head lightly in return.
“I am Jwa Ye-geuk, commander of the Martial Alliance Outer Court’s Geoncheon Corps.”
“Ah! So you are Corps Commander Jwa. You seemed to be waiting for me. May I ask what business you have with me?”
Kwak Yeon knew that the Right Military Strategist commanded the Outer Court’s warrior corps, so he thought it only natural that the commander of the Outer Court’s Geoncheon Corps would be at the Right Military Strategist’s hall.
“Chief Secretary Kwak and I are meeting for the first time. What personal business could I have with you? I was waiting because the Right Military Strategist instructed me to meet you in his stead and pass on a message.”
Kwak Yeon did not take Geoncheon Corps Commander Jwa Ye-geuk’s cynical reply to heart. Most of the Martial Alliance figures who looked at him were the same.
A young man no one had ever heard of had suddenly appeared and been given the high post of Chief Secretary. Their reaction was understandable.
“It seems the Right Military Strategist had an urgent matter arise and cannot keep his appointment with me.”
Geoncheon Corps Commander Jwa Ye-geuk nodded.
“That is so.”
“I feel needlessly sorry toward you, Corps Commander Jwa. There was no need for you to wait like this. You could simply have sent someone to the guest residence.”
“It seems the Right Military Strategist felt it would be somewhat improper to have a mere errand runner deliver the message.”
“......?”
Geoncheon Corps Commander Jwa Ye-geuk continued in an indifferent tone.
“In any case, the Right Military Strategist said to tell Chief Secretary Kwak this once you arrived. Because it was urgently necessary to deliver the newly prepared operation manual and instructions to the eight corps, he had no choice but to leave his seat. One more thing. He also said that since Uncheon Zhenren, the Sword of Wudang, arrives today, the Right Military Strategist must go to greet him as well.”
“Ah!”
Kwak Yeon suddenly recalled that Uncheon Zhenren and his fellow Wudang disciples had rested one more day in Aju County and were due to arrive today.
“That is why the Right Military Strategist said to tell you that he hopes Chief Secretary Kwak will also join the welcoming party for Uncheon Zhenren. Since it is now virtually settled that Wudang Sect will take command of the First Corps, he thought it best for Chief Secretary Kwak to explain the circumstances directly to Uncheon Zhenren, an elder of your sect.”
“Even in the midst of his hurry, the Right Military Strategist thought of me.”
When Kwak Yeon answered politely, Geoncheon Corps Commander Jwa Ye-geuk cut him off.
“Then Chief Secretary Kwak should go out to the outer fortress at once. The Right Military Strategist said he would be waiting at the Wudang Sect’s Grand Envoy manor as soon as he finished making his rounds of the eight corps.”
Having delivered all of the Right Military Strategist’s words, Geoncheon Corps Commander Jwa Ye-geuk turned sharply away. As he did, the bow hanging at his waist swayed and struck his sword sheath.
CLANG!
Naturally, Kwak Yeon’s eyes went to the bow.
Of all the martial artists he had met thus far, this was the first who carried a bow.
Looking at the bowstave, black from end to end, Kwak Yeon could tell it was no ordinary bow.
“Ah! That is a Black-Iron Strongbow!”
When Kwak Yeon exclaimed despite himself, Geoncheon Corps Commander Jwa Ye-geuk, who had been about to step away, turned back.
“To recognize a Black-Iron Strongbow—Chief Secretary Kwak must have some knowledge of archery as well.”
Kwak Yeon shook his head.
“No. I merely happened to hear about the Black-Iron Strongbow once.”
At the External Martial Training Ground, where trainees who could not climb to the main mountain trained, the external martial hall taught each person various weapon arts according to that trainee’s traits.
Therefore, there had also been trainees who talked about archery, and Kwak Yeon had heard of the Black-Iron Strongbow.
“I have long wanted to see the archery of a master archer someday.”
He had often heard that an arrow shot from a strongbow was on an entirely different level from a hidden weapon, so he had been curious.
“Then I shall show you my arrows one day. Of course, if such an opportunity comes.”
Geoncheon Corps Commander Jwa Ye-geuk said it with a bland expression, then turned around.
“.......”
For some reason, one corner of Kwak Yeon’s heart felt uncomfortable.
It was clearly something the Geoncheon Corps Commander had said in passing out of courtesy, yet it left a strange aftertaste.
THUD!
Once the doors of the Right Military Strategist’s hall closed, Kwak Yeon shook his head and turned away.
It only felt that way because I am not used to living among so many people.
Moreover, the Martial Alliance was a vast organization, and it even possessed the authority to sway the martial world of the rivers and lakes.
It was only natural that there would be envy and jealousy toward a newcomer who had rolled in from nowhere.
There was no way for him to open up his heart and show people that he had no desire whatsoever for the Martial Alliance.
Once I throw down the Chief Secretary position and leave, that will be the end of it. There is no need to concern myself too much.
After leaving the Strategists’ Office, Kwak Yeon briefly looked toward the guest residence.
Hu Gae was busy with the Jadeite Pavilion’s matters, so Jin Cheongha had remained alone at the guest residence.
Remembering that she too needed time to herself, Kwak Yeon headed straight for the inner fortress gate.
By the time he had returned the silent bows of the patrol warriors who recognized him, he had already reached the inner fortress gate.
“Chief Secretary Kwak, are you heading out to the outer fortress?”
The gate guard who had guided him on his first day in the inner fortress spotted Kwak Yeon and approached him in a friendly manner.
“Yes. Are there procedures required to leave for the outer fortress?”
“There are procedures for entering the inner fortress, but none at all for leaving it. Of course, now that you are Chief Secretary of the Alliance Leader’s Office, even those are unnecessary for you.”
The mere ability to enter and exit the heavily guarded inner fortress gate freely was a great privilege.
When he stepped out into the outer fortress and stood on the main road, Kwak Yeon felt a momentary sense of liberation.
Hooooo.
It seemed he had been under a kind of psychological pressure from being inside the high walls surrounding the inner fortress.
On the outer fortress’s main road, martial artists in all manner of martial robes were coming and going.
Realizing anew that the Martial Alliance had gathered every renowned sect and family of the orthodox martial world, Kwak Yeon walked along the main road.
He had already seen the location of the Wudang Sect’s Grand Envoy manor from the gate tower of the Alliance Leader’s Office, so there was no reason to let his attention wander.
Because of that, he did not notice that among the warriors on the main road, several dressed in red martial robes were glancing sidelong at him.
*****
“So you are saying there has been no word from my grand-martial uncle today either?”
At Hu Gae’s counterquestion, Jadeite Pavilion Deputy Lord Ga Yeongdam nodded.
“That is so, Hu Gae.”
“No, does that make any sense?”
Hu Gae burst out in frustration.
“How can the Jadeite Pavilion, which handles the Martial Alliance’s intelligence, have no information at all on the whereabouts of its own Pavilion Lord?”
Deputy Lord Ga Yeongdam spoke with a troubled expression.
“Hu Gae, did I not tell you? The Pavilion Lord said that this outing would be conducted in secret, so we were not to expect contact from him, nor try to find him.”
“.......”
“As Hu Gae also knows, the Pavilion Lord’s stubbornness is no ordinary thing.”
Of course Hu Gae knew very well how stubborn Elder Begs-for-All, his grand-martial uncle, could be.
His stubbornness was evenly matched with Hu Gae’s master’s, so the two had clashed over every little thing, until finally his grand-martial uncle had even run out of the Beggar Clan.
“Even so, if there has been no word for this long, should you not be looking for him? It is not as though my grand-martial uncle is still young and full of vigor.”
As Hu Gae continued grumbling, Deputy Lord Ga Yeongdam spoke with a stifled expression.
“How could we not have looked for the Pavilion Lord’s whereabouts? But the Pavilion Lord is so elusive when moving in secret that......”
Elder Begs-for-All was so skilled in disguise that he was also called the beggar of a hundred faces.
“Well, that is true. If my grand-martial uncle decides to hide, no one under heaven can find him.”
Hu Gae nodded weakly, then narrowed his eyes and asked, “That aside, tell me what my grand-martial uncle left for. If I am going to send out the Beggar Clan’s disciples to look for him, I need at least that much to go on, do I not?”
Deputy Lord Ga Yeongdam looked troubled again.
“Hu Gae, I have told you several times. I truly do not know at all. The Pavilion Lord did not say a single word.”
“My grand-martial uncle may not have said anything, but surely there must have been some sign. Reports he showed interest in lately, things he ordered you to look into, matters of that sort.”
“Hu Gae, there were far too many such matters for me to even guess. After the Demonic Eight Divisions rose, our Jadeite Pavilion has been so busy we have had no time to breathe.”
At Deputy Lord Ga Yeongdam’s weary expression, Hu Gae could only let out a frustrated sigh.
“Huaaah! Where in the world has he gone and what is he doing? It seems he means to dry a perfectly healthy man to death.”
“Hu Gae.”
Deputy Lord Ga Yeongdam called Hu Gae in a low voice, then continued cautiously.
“I do not know anything else, but I can guess why the Pavilion Lord acted that way.”
Hu Gae’s eyes widened.
“What reason are you saying he had?”
“The Pavilion Lord did it because he could not trust those around him. Especially when it came to the matter he meant to leave and investigate. Is that not why he went out in person, with that aged body of his, without telling a soul?”
Hu Gae flinched and asked, “Deputy Lord, you have something in mind, don’t you?”
“It is not certain, but...... ever since the Great Demon Prison was breached, the Pavilion Lord has gone out more often. He has also spoken less about that matter.”
“The Great Demon Prison, as in...... the place where the demonic men of the Demonic Eight Divisions were imprisoned?”
“That is so.”
“Then are you saying the Demonic Eight Divisions’ strings are inside the Martial Alliance?”
“In truth, I cannot say they are, nor can I say they are not. Is the Martial Alliance not also a place where people live? No matter how carefully one selects and verifies them, there is no knowing what lies inside a person’s heart.”
It was true. One could know the depths of ten fathoms of water, but not the depths of a single person’s heart.
“In any case, it seems certain that the Pavilion Lord was being cautious.”
Hu Gae’s head throbbed.
The matter of the Demonic Eight Divisions’ madmen was already enough to give him a headache, yet now he had to worry about his grand-martial uncle’s safety on top of spies inside the Martial Alliance.
He understood now why the Deputy Lord had not readily accepted Jin Cheongha, whom Hu Gae had recommended, as an operative of the Jadeite Pavilion.
In a situation where they had to suspect even people they had worked with for decades, it would be difficult to accept a new recruit, no matter how strong the recommendation from the future leader of the Beggar Clan.
“Hu Gae, in any case, the Pavilion Lord sent word that he would return soon, so it would be best to wait calmly.”
Since there was nothing more to gain by pressing the Deputy Lord any further, Hu Gae nodded weakly.
“Well, there is no helping it. Given my nature, I cannot promise to be calm, but I will at least keep my mouth shut and stay quiet.”
However, Hu Gae’s resolution to keep his mouth shut and stay quiet did not last very long.
“Deputy Lord, there is a gate guard outside who says he must urgently see Hu Gae.”
The moment that voice came from beyond the door—
CRASH! CLATTER! SMASH!
At the words gate guard, Hu Gae sprang up in alarm, and in doing so overturned the tea table, sending the dishes crashing down and shattering.
Deputy Lord Ga Yeongdam was about to ask why he was so startled, but Hu Gae had already flung the door open hard enough to break it and rushed outside.
THUDDUDDUD!
And soon, a thunderous shout rang out from the courtyard.
“When did Taoist Kwak...... when did he leave?”
“Chief Secretary Kwak left the inner fortress gate not long ago. It happened to be the shift change, so I ran here immediately, just as Hu Gae requested.”
“Damn it all! The bastard said he was going to the Right Military Strategist’s hall, so why did he go to the outer fortress?”
“......?”
“Fine, did Brother Kwak say where he was going after leaving for the outer fortress?”
“I apologize. I did not dare ask the Chief Secretary that much...... Huh? Hu Gae! You have to give me the fee you promised before you go......”
Hu Gae’s voice came from nearly ten jang away.
“Put it on my tab.”
The gate guard could only feel dumbfounded.
Put it on his tab?
It was not as though the fee were a tavern bill.......
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