Chapter 93
The Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander, Cheon Dohwi.
Although he was the youngest among the Martial Alliance unit commanders, he was a martial artist who was in charge of the Heavenly Tiger Unit, which was called the elite.
Since he had joined the alliance, he had never failed a single mission he was in charge of, and his personal martial might was also known to have already surpassed the commander level.
There were even some who said that after Beili Tian retired, Cheon Dohwi would take the position of the alliance leader.
"What a strange thing."
Such a Cheon Dohwi kept tilting his head.
Deputy Commander Zhuge Lin had sought him out. And she had not come in person, but had sent a letter asking him to come to the Black Tortoise Pavilion.
A deputy commander calling a unit commander. It was a disrespectful thing. Nevertheless, Cheon Dohwi just thought it was strange and willingly moved his steps.
Of course, it was not because Zhuge Lin was the most beautiful woman in the Martial Alliance.
'That guy will be there too.'
Cheon Dohwi set aside the beautiful woman and looked forward to thinking of a certain man. If someone had known, they would have sent a strange look, but Cheon Dohwi was a man who was more interested in martial arts than women.
When they had carried out a joint mission before, the martial might that Cheon Woojin had shown was truly amazing. Who would have known that a newcomer who had just joined the alliance would kill the subordinate of the Sex Demon and block the disciple of the Dark Heavenly Son?
Also, the appearance he had shown in this duel was impressive.
Although Tang Bicheon was an opponent that even Cheon Dohwi himself could not guarantee a victory against, that guy Cheon Woojin had literally played with him.
The thrill he had felt while watching the duel between the alliance leader and Cheon Woojin still remained as a lingering feeling.
As he walked while thinking such thoughts, he had already arrived at the Black Tortoise Pavilion.
The Black Tortoise Unit martial artists were training with awkward movements.
"Ah, Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander."
Jang Woopyeong greeted Cheon Dohwi brightly.
Cheon Dohwi nodded his head with his unique dry face. He did not think highly of the always clumsy Jang Woopyeong.
"Where is the deputy commander?"
"She is inside."
Cheon Dohwi just nodded his head and then entered the pavilion. Jang Woopyeong, who was looking at his receding back, advised inwardly.
'Don't be surprised.'
* * *
To the extent that Jang Woopyeong's advice was colorless, Cheon Dohwi was greatly flustered. Because inside the dark pavilion of the Black Tortoise Pavilion, the alliance leader and the commander-in-chief were squatting gloomily and eating rice balls.
"...Alliance Leader. Commander-in-Chief."
"Oh, you're here. Unit Commander."
Did they know that their appearance was a little strange? Beili Tian intentionally lowered his voice and showed the dignity of the alliance leader, and the Commander-in-Chief, Sima Hui, slightly took out his folding fan and fanned himself.
"Understand. It's because there's a mission that needs to be carried out secretly."
At the word 'mission', Cheon Dohwi's expression changed in an instant.
The man who seemed to have been born to become a martial artist of the Martial Alliance was Cheon Dohwi.
Cheon Dohwi asked in a serious tone.
"Please speak."
Cheon Dohwi bowed his head and at the same time lightly looked from side to side. There were Deputy Commander Zhuge Lin and Cheon Woojin. It seemed that they had received the contents of the mission first.
The alliance leader's words continued.
"You'll have to help the Black Tortoise Unit a little."
"I will summon the Heavenly Tiger Unit."
Cheon Dohwi did not ask this and that. He just carried out the order when it came down from above.
However, since it was a time when there were no missions right after the duel had ended, there were also some Heavenly Tiger Unit martial artists who had gone to their hometowns for a while.
In that short moment, Cheon Dohwi calculated the time it would take for all the members to return.
"It will take seven days for all the members of the Heavenly Tiger Unit to return. Is it an emergency mission?"
Tang Soyeon, who had gone to Sichuan, would take the longest to return.
After sending a letter urgently through the head of the postal hall, it would take exactly seven days for Tang Soyeon to return immediately.
The alliance leader shook his head.
"It's not a mission for the Heavenly Tiger Unit."
"Yes? Then..."
Cheon Dohwi looked at Zhuge Lin and Cheon Woojin alternately with a puzzled face.
The detailed contents of the mission were explained by the Commander-in-Chief, Sima Hui.
The signs of the establishment of the Righteous Heaven Alliance, led by Tang Bicheon.
The investigation of this, and the possibility of an armed conflict depending on the situation.
As the explanation continued, Cheon Dohwi's expression hardened.
"...It seems we certainly can't summon the Heavenly Tiger Unit."
The armed force that had the most martial artists from the Five Great Families and the Nine Sects One Gang was the Heavenly Tiger Unit.
Even in this selection exam, among the top five applicants, all the rising talents from prestigious families and prestigious sects, except for Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon, had chosen the Heavenly Tiger Unit.
"Can you do it?"
At the commander-in-chief's soft question, Cheon Dohwi once again had a puzzled expression. He did not understand the question itself.
"I will just carry it out."
The commander-in-chief said with a pleased smile.
"The Black Tortoise Unit Commander is currently down in his hometown. I will send him a letter telling him to go straight to Sichuan. He will probably arrive at a similar time as you. Then, I'll ask you."
"I understand."
As Cheon Dohwi nodded his head, the commander-in-chief handed two mission orders with the same content to Cheon Dohwi and Zhuge Lin respectively.
The expressions of the two, who were reading the mission orders, were serious.
In a word, it was a mission to monitor and observe the Sichuan Tang family. Whether they were communicating with someone, whether there was anything unusual in the flow of funds, whether there were any signs in the movements of the martial artists, and so on...
The words written at the very bottom particularly caught their eye.
- In the event of a conflict, prioritize saving your life and escape the scene.
In the silence, only the sound of someone swallowing their saliva was heard.
What broke the rather heavy silence was not the unit commander, Cheon Dohwi, nor the deputy commander, Zhuge Lin.
"If a conflict occurs..."
At the words of the low-ranking alliance member, everyone gathered in the place turned their heads.
Cheon Woojin's words continued calmly.
"Can I kill them?"
Anyway, Tang Bicheon was the young master of the Tang family, one of the Five Great Families.
If he were to be killed, the relationship between the Sichuan Tang family and the Martial Alliance would never be able to be restored.
The Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, looked at the commander-in-chief. Because it was his capacity regarding the mission.
Sima Hui, who was fanning himself as if he were troubled, soon said.
"While sending you to a place that could be a place of death, how can I tell you not to kill the opponent?"
Depending on the situation, it meant that he was allowing the summary execution of Tang Bicheon.
Cheon Woojin nodded his head.
"I understand."
* * *
A dark night where the moon was covered by clouds.
The Black Tortoise Unit martial artists, led by the Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander, Cheon Dohwi, were secretly lined up.
Their expressions were serious, unlike usual. Because they knew the importance and danger of this mission.
Suddenly, Cheon Dohwi said.
"Deputy Commander."
"Yes?"
"You will proceed with this mission. Anyway, it's the Black Tortoise Unit's mission, and I'm just helping."
Cheon Dohwi was put into this mission not as a unit commander, but as a role to supplement the military power of the Black Tortoise Unit.
Zhuge Lin scratched her head.
"...Even so."
How could a deputy commander give an order to a unit commander?
However, Cheon Dohwi was firm.
"I'm not saying this out of kindness."
Wasn't she the daughter of the Zhuge family?
At least in terms of judgment and strategy, Cheon Dohwi rated Zhuge Lin's ability higher than his own.
In the end, Zhuge Lin nodded her head. The order of the mission was already neatly organized in her head.
"Let's start for now. We will move with all our strength until we cross Hubei and reach Shaanxi. After that, we will move while conserving our internal energy until we enter Sichuan."
Cheon Dohwi nodded his head. It was a rational judgment. And so, the Black Tortoise Unit and the Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander secretly left the Martial Alliance.
Suddenly, Cheon Woojin, who was at the end of the line, lowered his voice and said to Song Yiyeon.
"Have you resolved that matter?"
Although it was an ambiguous question, Song Yiyeon understood it perfectly.
He was talking about the money he had received from the White Dragon Unit Commander.
He had even received permission from the head of the Punishment Hall. The problem was that there was a high probability that the Black Tortoise Unit Commander would not receive that money.
Thanks to that, Song Yiyeon, who had been worrying for a while, nodded his head with a somewhat relieved expression.
"I happened to meet someone who can handle money better than me, so I entrusted everything to him."
Cheon Woojin tilted his head.
Song Yiyeon was born and raised in a merchant family. There would be few among the Martial Alliance martial artists who knew more about money than him.
At that, Song Yiyeon's words continued.
"My father."
"Ah."
Song Yiyeon's father, Song Habaek.
The great merchant of Anhui, and one of the richest men in the central plains.
Cheon Woojin let out a smirk. Because he remembered the slogan that Song Habaek and those around him had shouted at Song Yiyeon at the time of the duel.
"So, were you recognized as the eldest son of Anhui?"
Song Yiyeon scratched his head as if embarrassed.
Even though he had thought that that slogan was somewhat embarrassing, he had dared to say to Nangong Jin, 'Let's see who is the eldest son of Anhui today'.
"Well, in the end, the duel was a draw, wasn't it? We decided to be the twins of Anhui."
Of course, it was just the position of the Anhui Song family.
"By the way, I wonder if my father handled it well."
He had heard that the Black Tortoise Unit Commander's mother had been suffering from a chronic illness for a long time. To the extent that it was somewhat difficult to cover the cost of medicine with just the salary of the Martial Alliance.
Although he trusted his father's ability as a merchant, on the other hand, it was also true that he was anxious because of his unique magnanimous and cool personality.
Soon, Song Yiyeon shook his head.
"Ah, I don't know. He must have handled it well on his own."
* * *
The end of Hubei Province.
The small village called Yun County, located on the border with Shaanxi, was the hometown of the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak.
Cheol Jiak, who had come down to his hometown after receiving a month's vacation, could not help but have his mouth drop open.
"...What is all this?"
It was a small house. The yard was not very large either.
Thanks to that, the piled-up medicinal herbs were full, going beyond the yard to the back of the house. And two doctors were carefully examining his mother.
At Cheol Jiak's question, the relative who was taking care of his old mother answered cheerfully.
"Why, wasn't there a Yun County Medical Clinic nearby?"
"Yes, that's right."
How could he not know? For a small village, it was a very large medical clinic. To the extent that there were as many as seven doctors belonging to it.
At least, since the Yun County Medical Clinic was the unit commander of the Martial Alliance, they had provided the medicinal herbs at a somewhat low price, so he had been able to lessen the burden a little.
The relative's words continued.
"It seems the Yun County Medical Clinic is planning to expand its business greatly. They say they will take care of the chronic illnesses of the nearby villagers for the purpose of training a large number of doctors."
"...For free? The loss will be great."
Medicinal herbs were expensive. The cost of a doctor was even more expensive.
But, no matter how much they aimed to expand their business, there would be no reason to bear that loss?
This time, the doctor who was examining the old mother's pulse answered.
"Our medical clinic has caught a big fish. It seems we have received a huge investment. To the extent that the number of doctors recruited this time is as many as fifty."
"F-f-fifty, you said?"
Cheol Jiak's jaw dropped.
Fifty doctors was almost the level of the Martial Alliance's medical hall.
No, how big a fish was it?
Although Cheol Jiak asked, the doctor just shrugged his shoulders.
Before he came here, the head of the medical clinic had warned him several times.
'The fact that the Anhui Song family has taken over the entire Yun County Medical Clinic is to be kept as an unwritten rule.'
He didn't know the reason. Perhaps it was because the big fish of Anhui had a taste for hiding his good deeds.
Anyway, as a doctor, it was just good that he could take care of patients without being limited by financial constraints.
Thanks to that, Cheol Jiak had nothing to do.
Perhaps because of the top-grade medicinal herbs and the top-grade manpower, even Cheol Jiak, who did not know much about medicine, could see that his mother's expression was much more comfortable.
In the end, just like the doctors, Cheol Jiak himself was also able to concentrate on his own work.
"It's a shameful thing."
He had only received help from the subordinates he should have been protecting.
While he was imprisoned in the investigation room and was spending a helpless time, Cheon Woojin had caught the Shadowless Divine Thief on his own, had resolved the matter of the Zhuge family, and had revealed the incident of the White Dragon Unit Commander.
How could he not be ashamed? He knew that there were voices in the Martial Alliance that were mocking him as a pathetic unit commander.
However, he was not the type to be frustrated.
Since he had gotten a vacation after a long time, he was thinking of concentrating fully on his training. Cheol Jiak unpacked his luggage and immediately left the house. Because his training had a rather rough side, the doctors might be surprised.
* * *
The place Cheol Jiak headed for was a mine located on the outskirts of the village.
The miners, whose faces were stained black, were diligently swinging their pickaxes, and a fat middle-aged man was supervising them.
Cheol Jiak approached him and asked cautiously.
"Excuse me, are you busy?"
"Then would I be free?"
He glanced at Cheol Jiak and then focused on the miners again. The mine was the business of the rich. The one who had hired him was a rich man with a rather vicious personality.
If he did not fill the target amount of ore within the set time, his salary would be cut.
The embarrassed Cheol Jiak asked cautiously again.
"I was wondering if I could do some work."
"Have you worked as a miner before?"
"For a very short time when I was young."
He had done similar training at that time as well.
The middle-aged man snorted.
"Then there's no work. Even though it looks like this, it's not a job that anyone can do. Looking at your build, you seem to have some strength, but it's a job that requires skill."
He looked down on Cheol Jiak. Several such people would come to him a day. A miner was a job that guaranteed a considerable income as much as it was hard. If he were to teach the riffraff who were attracted only by the money, they would run away before even a day had passed.
'What's a day. I'd be grateful if they lasted even an hour.'
Soon, the middle-aged man, who had completely taken his eyes off Cheol Jiak, shouted at a miner in the distance.
"Hey! If you slack off, your salary will be cut!"
The startled miner hurriedly picked up his pickaxe.
Cheol Jiak did not bother to reveal his identity as a unit commander of the Martial Alliance. Because there was no need to do so in the first place.
Cheol Jiak walked among the miners. At that, the middle-aged man shouted at him to come out because it was dangerous.
Whether that was the case or not, Cheol Jiak went to the place where the miners were pickaxing and looked straight ahead.
Soon, he raised his fist. There was not a single ounce of energy in it.
Jjeo-eong-!
A large hole was pierced in the front. He had broken the rock with just his pure physical strength, which had been trained with external arts.
Not only the miners, but also the manager shut their mouths.
Cheol Jiak had experience working in a mine. If he were to break it carelessly, it could collapse. It was a method of digging moderately and then making a wooden pillar to support it and gradually going deeper.
Cheol Jiak, who had entered the cave he had made, supported the ceiling.
"Carpenters, come in."
At that, the carpenters hurriedly came in and began to make wooden pillars.
Cheol Jiak looked at the manager and asked calmly.
"Can I work?"
"G-give that man a pickaxe right away! And water and dried meat!"
"I don't need a pickaxe."
Cheol Jiak raised his fist, which was as big as a pot lid, again.
Although he might not be able to become stronger than Cheon Woojin. To be honest, that was the case.
'But I can become harder than anyone else.'
He would become a shield harder than any iron lump and would block all the swords that rushed at his subordinates.
That was the image of himself that Cheol Jiak had chosen.
(End of Chapter)