The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

With a desire to interfere with Jang So-gil, even if it killed him, Sama Hwi gritted his teeth and endured his sleepy eyes, not returning home until the sun set. In the process, getting on Jang So-gil's nerves was a bonus.

Yang Gwan, who had returned after taking care of the children's meals, saw Jang So-gil sprinkling salt outside the door.

"Well, it's a rare sight to see you sprinkling salt, Guild Master So."

Sprinkling salt outside the door is a folk belief to ward off evil and bad luck. It is because salt is believed to purify bad things. But the reason Yang Gwan was surprised was not that, but the fact that Jang So-gil himself was sprinkling the salt.

Salt is expensive. Why would he meaninglessly sprinkle that expensive thing on the floor for a damn superstition? Stop wasting money! Jang So-gil's scolding from years ago still remained in his memory. But for such a Jang So-gil to be sprinkling salt himself.

"It seems something very unlucky has happened. Are you alright?"

"If you must know, it was a good thing, but the guy who did the good thing is unlucky. Anyway, damn it, if he had just done a good thing and left, our impressions of each other would have improved and there would be no hard feelings, but he just has to make an enemy!"

"Who are you talking about?"

"That's obviously the damn Sama family's..."

Jang So-gil cleared his throat. If his lineage was really from the Sama family, he would be cursing his own family with his own mouth. Anyway, Jang So-gil considered Lord Jang Daegil as his father, so he had no intention of questioning his family now, but it was still better not to do anything that would weigh on his mind. So, instead of cursing the entire Sama family, he decided to narrow down the target.

"It's about that petty little man named Sama Hwi."

"You two are so similar, why do you hate each other so much?"

"Similar, my ass!"

"You're the spitting image of each other."

"Be quiet. So, how are the kids?"

"They were so happy with the house that they didn't know what to do. They all ate until their stomachs were about to burst, saying Cook Heo's food was so delicious."

"What if they get a stomachache from that?"

"I touched their stomachs with my qi, so they should be fine."

"Really?"

His eyebrows, which had been raised high as if in a fit of pique, slowly went down. Jang So-gil pressed down on the corners of his mouth that were twitching and went inside with his hands behind his back. Yang Gwan, who was following his quick steps, saw something surprising. The white and blue sword lying there looked like a divine weapon at a glance.

"What is this sword called?"

"It's called the White-Clear Divine Sword."

"Isn't that the divine object of the North Sea Ice Palace, one of the three great heavens of the outer martial world!"

"If even a country bumpkin from the Shaolin Temple like you knows about it, then its very existence is a name tag. Can I really carry this around?"

Yang Gwan held his tongue. He had never seen such a divine object in his life in the martial world, so he had nothing to say. But people would stab people even for a Blue Steel Sword of much lower quality, incomparably insignificant. After witnessing a scene where five people died over three iron swords in the distant Zhejiang province, he had engraved in his bones how terrifying human greed was.

Recalling that time, Yang Gwan, who shivered, gritted his teeth.

"It won't be good, but I'll try harder."

I must protect this person with all my might. Yang Gwan made a vow and his eyes widened.

Jang So-gil, not unaware of his feelings, scratched his head and pondered.

"If I had my way, I'd like to mess up its appearance a bit to deceive the eye..."

"That wouldn't be bad either."

"The problem is that my sense of beauty won't allow it. How can I do such a thing to this work of art? I'll get struck by lightning if I do."

The White-Clear Divine Sword was too beautiful to be damaged and disguised as an ordinary iron sword.

Jang So-gil hesitated several times and then decided to just cherish, love, and take care of this beautiful sword.

Still, his anxious heart remained.

"Gwan-ah, you really have to protect me well, okay?"

"Is there any doubt?"

"Really? Really?"

He urged Yang Gwan several times.

He looked like a person with a golden calf by his side, so Yang Gwan couldn't even laugh.

* * *

A sense of vitality was circulating in the Martial Alliance for the first time in a long time. The symbol of the Martial Alliance was the Alliance Lord, and the Alliance Lord was the heart of the Martial Alliance. But until now, this heart had been broken. It was because it could not supply the blood called money smoothly.

The Alliance Lord had his dignity, so there was no end to those who admired him and sent him support funds from here and there, but the blood vessels going from the heart to the limbs were full of holes. The blood-like money was leaking out, so the money did not reach the extremities.

An organization collapses in an instant. The guards noticed that the signs of ruin had set in from the moment their salary payments were delayed day by day.

When should we run, when should we quit? It was natural for debates to come and go. The Martial Alliance was on a downward slope.

But after Jang So-gil came, the situation changed. He brought in a huge amount of money from the outside and released it, so the funds circulated and the salaries were paid. A smile spread on the face of Strategist Sama, who had been sharply irritable, and a flower bloomed on the face of the Alliance Lord, who had been gritting his teeth, saying he would kill anyone who got caught.

When the people in charge had some leeway, the people below them naturally had smiles on their faces and gained vitality.

"Sir!"

"Oh, good work."

Jang So-gil entered the building, passing by the guards who were saluting with all their heart and soul. He was not difficult to recognize because he was wearing the white treasured sword, the divine object of an inspector, on his side.

Even without that, he had many easy-to-recognize elements in this Martial Alliance. First, he was very young, and he did not pressure others by exuding the unique sense of intimidation of a martial artist. And unless there was a crime, he was surprisingly kind.

A maid had spilled a few drops of tea on him, and even though it had splashed on his expensive silk robe, he had smiled brightly, taken off the robe, and even drawn a picture on it with the tea water. It was a picture of a dragon ascending to the heavens, and as soon as he confirmed that it was well-drawn, he gave it to the maid as a gift. He even said kind words, telling her to give it to a man she liked if she had one. The maid's eyes became hazy, and it was clear to anyone that she had fallen head over heels.

It was understandable. Jang So-gil was young and had a beautiful appearance. On top of that, his artistic temperament and aesthetic sense were outstanding, so he had no shortage of popularity. The fact that his speech was arrogant only enhanced his charm and was not even a flaw.

Not long after that, Jang So-gil became a rather famous celebrity in the Martial Alliance.

When a celebrity appears, there are naturally those who admire them, but there are also those who are jealous.

"He's a child whose arrogance pierces the heavens."

One of the ten great elders of the Martial Alliance, Guyang Su of the Ten Thousand Li Solo Journey, was a more political person than anyone, belying his title which meant he ran ten thousand li alone. How political was he that he had chosen such a title for himself? A title was a second name that represented oneself, but it was also an expression of hope that others would see them in that way. Guyang Su was thoroughly the latter case.

He liked people's attention. It could be said that he had a natural clownish disposition. So, at regular intervals, he would go out into the martial world alone, do the work of a chivalrous man, and raise his own fame. The more fame you add, the better and more beautiful it is. The more people who talk about you, the better you feel, and the more people who admire you, the more your value increases.

So, the fact that there was someone who received more attention and admiration than him was a very unpleasant thing for him. But that person was much younger than him and even handsome, so it was natural for his insides to twist. In terms of martial arts, he was not just a low-level practitioner, but a complete beginner. He wanted to strike him down with a single blow.

"He's like a thunder-struck fool who runs wild without knowing how high the sky is. He'll only come to his senses when his leg breaks. I'll break his leg one day and establish discipline."

"What can you do but endure it, Elder Guyang? Please endure it."

"Elder Seok, why should I endure it?"

Elder Seok Pacheon was a man called the Autumn Wind Sword, and he was famous for his cruel and heartless sword technique, which was the complete opposite of his benevolent old man-like appearance. At Guyang Su's grumbling, Seok Pacheon let out a gentle laugh and replied.

"That little child named Jang So-gil is someone the Alliance Lord cherishes very much. No matter how much of an elder you are, Guyang Su, if you harm that child, the Alliance Lord will not stand by idly."

"The Alliance Lord dares to do that to me?"

The reason Guyang Su's head was held high was because he also served as the chief elder of the Diancang Sect. The Martial Alliance was originally created by the union of the famous Nine Sects One Alliance and the Five Great Families among the many Orthodox factions. It was the Diancang Sect that first recommended Gu Munryong as the Alliance Lord. The Alliance Lord was neither a disciple of the Five Great Families nor the Nine Sects One Alliance. He was like a meteor that had suddenly fallen from the sky. He heard that he had met a fortuitous encounter in a mountain somewhere in Chang'an and had attained such a divine status?

In other words, Alliance Lord Gu Munryong was a master with no pedigree, no roots. It was the Diancang Sect that had firmly supported such a Gu Munryong, so the Alliance Lord always made various concessions to Guyang Su for that reason.

"Hehehe. Elder Guyang, how many years are you planning to milk that for?"

"Hmph. What have I milked?"

"It's pitiful to see you drunk on past glory."

"Elder Seok, did you come here to turn my stomach upside down?"

"That's not it. I came because I was worried about your future."

"My future? What's wrong?"

"You're so slow with the news. It's about that inspector child, Jang So-gil. That child is currently investigating the Seven Star Squad."

At those words, Guyang Su was astonished and jumped to his feet.

"The Seven Star Squad!"

"That's right. Your Seven Star Squad, Elder Guyang."

The ten great elders of the Martial Alliance each had their own forces. It was a custom that had existed for a very long time for the elders to prevent the movements of the Demonic Cult in advance and to protect the peace of the martial world. The elder's forces had one 'dan' (group) at the top, and three 'dae' (squads) below it.

The Seven Star Squad was a unit composed of rising young talents and promising prospects that the Diancang Sect had painstakingly nurtured, and it was a unit that Guyang Su particularly cherished.

"Why is he touching my Seven Star Squad!"

"Isn't it obvious? He brought in money from the outside, so he can't stand to see money leaking from the inside."

Guyang Su let out a groan. The Seven Star Squad were all members of the Diancang Sect. They were all Guyang Su's juniors, relatives, and the sons and daughters of his friends. What was so regrettable about the money that went into them? If he had his way, it wouldn't be enough to feed them spiritual medicines by the bowl. But since he could raise them with the Martial Alliance's money, there was even less to regret. He had to use the money as much as he could and raise them lavishly. So, all the members of the Seven Star Squad lived on spiritual medicines.

"I'm not the only one doing it!"

"Yes. That's right. That's true."

Elder Seok Pacheon, who said this, also loved his Heavenly Celebration Squad, so he was providing the best support. The other elders would be the same. No one had a different mind. Their own forces, factions, and sects were naturally a priority over the Martial Alliance.

"Let's just say it was bad luck."

"Just say it was bad luck?"

"It was a situation where anyone could have been his target. To be honest, isn't the person who doesn't do it a fool?"

"That's right."

"Among them, it's not like you did more than anyone else, Elder Guyang, so you don't have to feel too wronged."

"Are you talking as if it's someone else's business!"

"Don't tell me I would treat you like a stranger, Elder Guyang."

Although their sects were different, Seok Pacheon and Guyang Su had acted together in the Demonic Cult War. They had saved each other's lives several times and had formed a friendship several times. When Seok Pacheon bowed down a notch, using his young age as a weapon, Guyang Su welcomed him and they became friends regardless of their age.

Guyang Su sipped his tea with a much better feeling.

"That's right. There's no way Elder Seok would do that."

"I've come up with a little plan."

"What is it?"

"The work he's doing now is ultimately about going through the ledgers, finding the related people, estimating the scale of the damage, and trying to get the money back, isn't it?"

"That's right."

"Let's kill them."

"Who? That inspector fellow?"

"If we kill him, the Alliance Lord will be furious, so it's not him."

"Then who do we kill?"

"Let's kill the one who managed the ledgers and the money."

Guyang Su's hand paused.

"Are you telling me to cut off my own hand?"

"If you're bitten by a poisonous snake on the hand and you don't cut off your hand, your arm will die. If you cut off your arm then, can you live? It's better to cut it off before the poison reaches your head."

Seok Pacheon said that and smiled. It was a benevolent smile as usual, but to Guyang Su, it no longer looked benevolent.

(End of Chapter)