Chapter 40
In front of the large main gate of the Martial Alliance, about fifty newcomers were gathered. Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon, who had received the order from the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, were also present, but unlike the others who were gathered in groups of three or five and chatting, they seemed to feel a strange sense of distance.
Song Yiyeon said with a serious face.
"Young hero, I think we're being ostracized."
"Ostracized? What's that?"
As Cheon Woojin tilted his head, Song Yiyeon, who was staring at him, let out a sigh.
"There's such a thing. It's probably better for you not to know."
"I understand."
The atmosphere was generally noisy. As they say, 'love for your peers, love for your country', when people of the same class gather, there are many things to talk about.
The main topic of conversation was the martial arts they had learned this time.
"Everyone, look carefully. This is the Golden Wolf Fast Claw Art..."
The newcomer of the Golden Wolf Unit sharpened his nails and sent his energy forward. At that, an energy similar to sword ki, although not reaching it, rushed forward in the shape of a nail.
The newcomer of the White Dragon Unit next to him was startled and responded with the Dragon Thunder Dividing Heaven Art.
Cheon Woojin, who was watching this from a little distance, said in a low voice.
"Young hero Song, it seems the first Black Tortoise Unit Commander was a very strong person."
Of course, the martial arts that had just been displayed were just the clumsy imitations of the newcomers. However, a martial artist with an eye like Cheon Woojin's could glimpse the essence behind the imitation.
In Cheon Woojin's view, the subtlety contained in the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art was quite profound compared to the martial arts of the other armed forces.
Thanks to that, there would be few who could master it.
As if Cheon Woojin's low voice had been heard from afar, Seok Dobyeok, who had displayed the Golden Wolf Fast Claw Art, turned his head.
"..."
Seok Dobyeok seemed to have something to say, but since the opponent was who he was, he could not easily open his mouth.
Soon, he spoke to Nangong Jin, who happened to be next to him.
"Young hero Nangong, please show us the martial arts of the Heavenly Tiger Unit as well. It must be amazing."
It was a shallow trick to dampen the spirits of Song Yiyeon and Cheon Woojin. Of course, Nangong Jin also knew this. If it were his usual self, he would have clicked his tongue at Seok Dobyeok's shallow trick but would have participated.
Because stepping on the spirits of those two, especially Song Yiyeon, was a very enjoyable thing for him.
However, Nangong Jin shook his head.
"That's enough. I detest useless things."
"...Ah, is that so."
Seok Dobyeok tilted his head. It seemed that the usual Nangong Jin was somewhat different when he looked at the two newcomers of the Black Tortoise Unit.
How long did that noisy atmosphere continue?
"Everyone's excited. Probably a few of you won't be able to return safely. That's how missions usually are."
For a moment, a silence fell on the scene.
At some point, a sturdy man was standing in front of the main gate, looking at the newcomers of the Martial Alliance.
Everyone looked at him with blank eyes.
"Nice to meet you. I am the Righteous Will Unit Commander, Jin Myeonghwa."
At the same time, everyone except Cheon Woojin cupped their fists. To them, the newcomers, even a unit commander was a distant existence, and now it was a commander who was above them.
The Righteous Will Unit Commander's gaze turned to Cheon Woojin, who was standing alone. Cheon Woojin bowed his head.
'So it's that guy.'
The newcomer who had made the Martial Alliance the most noisy recently.
The Righteous Will Unit Commander looked at Cheon Woojin's face intently and then continued calmly.
"The mission will be carried out in teams of one or two. The details are written in the mission order, so go and get them yourselves."
"..."
At the very weary attitude of the Righteous Will Unit Commander, everyone just watched his expression. At that, the Righteous Will Unit Commander's face crumpled for a moment. He had a sturdy build and a face with strong features, but when he crumpled his expression, a menacing atmosphere was created for a moment.
Seok Dobyeok, who was at the very front, was startled and shot out like an arrow. After him, the newcomers of the other armed forces, including the White Dragon Unit and the Heavenly Tiger Unit, took the mission orders with their names written on them.
The newcomers were assigned different missions. The military affairs department had grasped the newcomers of each armed force and assigned missions that considered their origin, the places they had connections to, or their individual characteristics.
While the newcomers were comparing their missions and their joys and sorrows were mixed.
"Aren't you going to take it?"
"..."
For a moment, everyone's attention was focused.
In the cylinder that the Righteous Will Unit Commander was holding, only the mission orders with Song Yiyeon's and Cheon Woojin's names written on them remained.
Everyone was looking at Cheon Woojin with eyes full of expectation and wariness.
The symbolism of this mission was very great. The more difficult the mission assigned, the more the Martial Alliance evaluated him, and at the same time, he could accumulate more contributions than others.
In particular, Nangong Jin of the Heavenly Tiger Unit, Jin Yun of the Huashan sect, and Tang Soyeon of the Tang family had already been assigned missions related to the black path.
In the midst of everyone's gaze, Cheon Woojin, who approached with steps that were neither slow nor fast, picked up the mission order. The following Song Yiyeon said with a tense face.
"Young hero, hurry up and open it."
Song Yiyeon had some expectations. Anyway, they were the two who had taken first and third place in the selection exam. A rather difficult and challenging mission must have been assigned.
Cheon Woojin, who had confirmed the mission order, said.
"It's an escort mission."
"Huh?"
Song Yiyeon let out a deflated sound.
Song Yiyeon, who was carefully examining the mission order that Cheon Woojin had handed him, let out a hollow laugh.
"We're really going to an escort agency."
The mission was truly simple.
Among the escort agencies cooperating with the Martial Alliance, there was a place that was having a conflict with a mountain stronghold belonging to the Green Forest over passage fees, so they were to go and help.
Of course, what would the newcomers do? They would just warn the mountain bandits. That 'the Martial Alliance is watching this matter'.
Moreover, it was not a large mountain stronghold that made up the main part of the Green Forest, but just a small mountain stronghold at the bottom.
"So, are you not going?"
As the Righteous Will Unit Commander asked with a bored tone, the startled Song Yiyeon hurriedly waved his hands.
"T-there's no way. I will go right away and show the mountain bandits the righteousness of the Martial Alliance."
"Uselessly grandiose."
"..."
The Righteous Will Unit Commander with a weary expression just waved his hand at the fifty newcomers and then went back into the alliance.
The newcomers, who stood in their places for a moment and looked at the place where the Righteous Will Unit Commander had disappeared, clicked their tongues.
"He seems annoyed."
"Well, since he's a commander, it must be troublesome for him to do even this kind of thing."
Soon, the newcomers of each armed force started walking one by one.
Suddenly, the newcomer of the Golden Wolf Unit from the Seok family, Seok Dobyeok, approached the newcomers of the Heavenly Tiger Unit and snooped around.
"Is there anyone going to Shaanxi?"
"Ah."
Jin Yun from the Huashan sect nodded his head. Since each mission considered their place of origin, Jin Yun had to go to Shaanxi, Nangong Jin to Anhui, and Tang Soyeon to Sichuan.
Seok Dobyeok smiled brightly and said.
"I'm also going to Shaanxi, so that's great. If it's not inconvenient, would you like to go together?"
"Umm..."
Jin Yun did not answer right away and dragged his words. In fact, he was more comfortable alone. However, seeing Seok Dobyeok's desperate expression, it was difficult to refuse.
'My senior brother also said not to turn away from those in a difficult situation...'
Soon, Jin Yun nodded his head.
"Good. Let's go together."
"Hahaha, thank you. I'll buy the meals instead."
Seok Dobyeok, who said so, glanced at Nangong Jin. His purpose in coming to the Martial Alliance was clear. Since he was not born with outstanding martial talent, it was to build friendships with prominent figures.
Among them, the person he prioritized the most was Nangong Jin, the young family head of the Nangong family.
'He can't take his eyes off those two.'
Honestly, he didn't quite understand. Even if they had achieved good results in the selection exam, what meaning did such things have in front of the name of the Nangong family?
Seok Dobyeok, who had approached Nangong Jin, said with a social smile.
"Did you hear, young hero Nangong? Those two, it's an escort mission. It's started in earnest. In just a year or two, the difference between young hero Nangong and those two will be enormous."
It was a typical flattery. Of course, if Seok Dobyeok had had any sense, he would not have said it.
Nangong Jin's brow narrowed with displeasure.
"Instead of talking nonsense, you should do well, young hero Seok."
Nangong Jin, who said so, clicked his tongue and left the place.
Jin Yun said to Seok Dobyeok with an awkward smile.
"It would probably be better not to talk about those two in front of young hero Nangong. There was a bit of an incident in this mission."
'This mission' referred to the joint operation of the Heavenly Tiger Unit and the Black Tortoise Unit to recover the body of the Giant Stone Monster.
Seok Dobyeok had no way of knowing that Nangong Jin owed his life to Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon.
And so, as each newcomer left for their mission, Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon also started walking at a leisurely pace.
Since the mission's deadline was not so urgent, there was no need to hurry.
Suddenly, Song Yiyeon said.
"Young hero Cheon, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I feel like you got this kind of mission because of me. Because I'm the son of a merchant family."
Song Yiyeon thought so. Cheon Woojin had the ability to handle any difficult mission. However, because he was involved with him for no reason, he had received such a low-level mission.
Cheon Woojin let out a smirk.
"What's wrong with being the son of a merchant family?"
"In the martial world, it's..."
"I'm an orphan."
"...Oops."
For a moment, Song Yiyeon's vision went dizzy.
In that slightly quiet atmosphere, the two just continued walking at a pace that was neither hurried nor weary.
* * *
Yicheng County, Hubei Province.
It was a small and medium-sized city located between Wuhan, where the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance was located, and Dankanggu, where the Zhuge family and the Wudang sect were located.
"This must be it."
Song Yiyeon said, looking at the high fluttering flag. The words 'Yicheng' were written in a fine script on the red flag.
This mission was to escort the Yicheng Escort Agency's escort to Henan.
As Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon were snooping around, an escort who was glancing at them from between the open gates approached.
"Are you perhaps from the alliance?"
"Yes, that's right. We were wondering if we came to the right place..."
The middle-aged escort with a sword at his waist cupped his fist to the two with a polite attitude. That was the existence of a Martial Alliance member in the martial world. Only the most outstanding martial artists of the white path gathered, and they were the ones who always fought for justice and fairness.
At the middle-aged escort's polite attitude, Song Yiyeon, not knowing what to do, cupped his fist in return.
In the meantime, Cheon Woojin asked.
"When does the escort depart?"
"Ah, it will take some time. We've just started packing the goods. I'll guide you to the head of the agency first."
And so, as they followed the escort into the Yicheng Escort Agency, everyone's attention was focused. It seemed the rumor had already spread throughout the escort agency, and soon, a middle-aged man with white hair came out to greet them from the inner house.
"Oh, welcome. I am So Sangjeong, the head of this small escort agency. The momentum of the mountain bandits was so menacing that I had no choice but to ask for help from the alliance, but to think you would come in person."
"Nice to meet you, Head of Agency. I am Song Yiyeon from the Black Tortoise Unit of the Martial Alliance."
"I am Cheon Woojin."
A simple greeting was exchanged.
The head of the agency, So Sangjeong, said he would prepare the escort soon and had the two wait in the reception room.
While drinking the tea provided by the Yicheng Escort Agency, Song Yiyeon said.
"An escort to Henan, it seems the mission will end sooner than I thought. Since it's not that far."
Cheon Woojin nodded his head.
It was then.
- Head of Agency, what is this? Just by looking, they're young brats who have just joined the alliance.
At the voice that came from quite a distance, Song Yiyeon's hand, which was holding the teacup, stopped.
Song Yiyeon let out an awkward laugh.
"It's understandable that they're not confident. Their livelihood depends on this."
"I understand."
However, the voice continued. Although he seemed to have lowered his voice, at Song Yiyeon's and Cheon Woojin's level, it sounded as if he was speaking right next to them.
- Ahem, in the first place, this is a matter to be resolved with the name of the Martial Alliance, not a fight.
- What if a fight breaks out? I'm one thing, but who will take responsibility if my kids get hurt or die?
- It's not that I don't know Head Escort Jang's heart. But would the Martial Alliance have sent them without even thinking that much?
- Hah...
It seemed there was a difference of opinion between the head of the Yicheng Escort Agency and the head escort of this escort.
Song Yiyeon let out an embarrassed laugh, and Cheon Woojin just shrugged his shoulders.
- That's enough. I'll talk to them myself.
- Ahem! Hey, Head Escort Jang! Head Escort Jang!
However, the rather angry footsteps soon came closer.
"I am Jang Seongguk, the head escort of this escort. May I have a word with you?"
Soon, a voice was heard from right in front of the reception room.
Song Yiyeon, who had shot up from his seat, opened the door, and a middle-aged man with an impressive reddish face appeared.
"I am Song Yiyeon from the Black Tortoise Unit of the Martial Alliance. Nice to meet you."
"What's your class?"
"Yes?"
"I'm asking what class of the Martial Alliance you are."
Head Escort Jang suddenly spoke informally. While Song Yiyeon could not hide his bewilderment, Head Escort Jang's words continued.
"I am Jang Seongguk of the 116th class of the Henan branch of the Martial Alliance."
(End of Chapter)