Chapter 138
The Alliance Leader's office.
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist still had dazed expressions.
In front of them, the Hidden Dragon Unit members, including Cheon Woojin, were sitting comfortably.
The Hidden Dragon Unit members would usually be very nervous when having a private meeting with the Alliance Leader, but after having a few meals with the emperor, they now felt quite comfortable with just the Alliance Leader.
The Alliance Leader contemplated for a moment whether he should offer Cheon Woojin the seat of honor. In the meantime, Cheon Woojin sat in the seat he always sat in.
The Chief Strategist, who had brewed the tea, was startled after unconsciously placing the teacup in front of Cheon Woojin before the Alliance Leader.
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist's eyes met.
An awkward silence flowed.
The embarrassed Chief Strategist let out a dry cough and hurriedly spoke.
"Ahem, what on earth happened?"
The news of the Peng family, the news that Cheon Woojin's other master was the Black Master, had spread quickly. But the rumor that Cheon Woojin had become the Grand Tutor had not yet reached the entire Central Plains.
Since it was news directly related to the imperial family, there were many things to consider before letting the rumor out.
Cheon Woojin answered nonchalantly.
The things that had happened on the battlefield of the Shandong Peninsula with the Grand General, the Hebei Peng family head, and the Eastern Sea Ghost.
The fact that the Sword Demon and the Explosion Demon had intervened and had taken them and disappeared.
The fact that the emperor had suddenly asked him to teach him martial arts, so he had become the Grand Tutor and had beaten him up a little, and that he had decided to visit from time to time.
The Alliance Leader's brow furrowed.
While he was constantly surprised, there was a part he could not understand.
"With your personality, you would have refused without a second thought, wouldn't you?"
At their first meeting, the Alliance Leader had proposed to Cheon Woojin to lead the Orthodox Path martial world with him.
Of course, he had been refused in a single stroke.
Could it be that the proposal he had made at that time was too weak?
Recently, there was this saying.
'If there is something that cannot be solved with money, look back and see if the amount is small.'
To satisfy Cheon Woojin, the Martial Alliance was far from enough, and did it have to be at least the imperial palace?
While the Alliance Leader was lost in such contemplation, Cheon Woojin answered nonchalantly.
"Wouldn't it be helpful for my missions if I became the Grand Tutor? For example, when I suddenly need people, I can call a local official and use the military."
Although it was said that the government and the martial world should not interfere with each other, what did it matter when Cheon Woojin himself was the Grand Tutor and at the same time a member of the Martial Alliance?
The Chief Strategist and the Alliance Leader creakily nodded.
"...I see."
Here was a guy who had received the position of Grand Tutor, the center of the imperial palace's power, to use it for his Martial Alliance missions.
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist exchanged glances. The two were talking with their eyes.
'Is this right?'
'I don't know either.'
It was roughly that kind of look.
In the meantime, Cheon Woojin said.
"Chief Strategist. The mission is over now."
"You did well. When I recommended you for the position of the Hidden Dragon Unit Commander, I never expected you to do this much."
The Chief Strategist was planning to cite making Cheon Woojin the commander as one of his greatest achievements when he retired.
But Cheon Woojin stared at him as if he hadn't said it just to hear a compliment.
Only then did the Chief Strategist recall something.
"Ah, the vacation! That's right. I promised to give you a total of one month, including the vacation you couldn't take after the Qingcheng Sect mission."
"Yes."
Cheon Woojin was not originally a person who craved rest. But he had noticed that the Hidden Dragon Unit members were on the verge of collapsing.
It was because they had been digesting a rather arduous schedule without a single day of rest since the Hidden Dragon Unit's first mission.
Unlike Cheon Woojin, the Hidden Dragon Unit members were ordinary geniuses. People who wanted to rest when they were tired, and who would collapse when they surpassed their limits. The expression 'ordinary genius' was funny, but it was the truth.
"Alright. From today, for one month, the Alliance will not give you any missions. Rest as much as you want. I will also give you the mission reward that would have been paid in advance so you can use it during your vacation."
The corners of Song Yiyeon, Jinun, and Namgung Jin's mouths twitched.
In the end, they were just young men of about twenty.
* * *
Dust had accumulated in the Hidden Dragon Unit's estate, which they had returned to after a long time. Although their bodies were tired, the Hidden Dragon Unit members, after a simple cleaning, began their training.
The period when the Hidden Dragon Unit trained the hardest was right after a mission. After seeing the commander's martial prowess with their own eyes, their will to train would naturally ignite.
And so, Song Yiyeon, Namgung Jin, and Jinun were having an emotion-filled, real-fight-like training as always.
While Cheon Woojin was sitting cross-legged and continuing his contemplation about the silver-haired man and the Dark Heavenly Son.
"Are you in?"
A familiar voice was heard.
Song Yiyeon sheathed his White Flower Saber and opened the door.
Two old men were standing in front.
"Ah! Elder Divine Doctor!"
Song Yiyeon greeted him cheerfully. Unlike Jinun and Namgung Jin, Song Yiyeon had seen the Divine Doctor at the Black Plaque Star before.
At the words 'Divine Doctor', the other two also rushed over and paid their respects with the utmost politeness.
Such was the presence of a physician, especially the Divine Doctor, in the martial world.
Cheon Woojin just got up from his seat and bowed his head.
Soon, the Divine Doctor and the other old man approached, accepting the greetings of the Hidden Dragon Unit members.
"It's been a long time, Alliance Member Cheon. Should I call you Commander now? This is a friend with whom I polish my medical skills."
The Divine Doctor said playfully.
But Cheon Woojin's gaze was fixed on the old man who had come with him. For some reason, the old man and the Divine Doctor had tense expressions.
Soon, Cheon Woojin's eyes narrowed, and.
"...You're a public enemy of the martial world, so is it okay for you to be here?"
At that, the old man had a disappointed expression, and the Divine Doctor burst into a hearty laugh.
"As expected, I can't deceive your eyes. Well, what does it matter? The reason this guy became a public enemy is nothing special."
"What reason is that?"
The answer came not from the Divine Doctor, but from the old man who had come with him.
"In the days when I was living in hiding from the Black Master, I disguised myself as a beggar and lived in the Beggars' Sect for a while. Seeing the Beggar Lord and his disciple drunk and sleeping like logs, I couldn't overcome my rising academic passion and put some poison on them. I barely escaped being beaten to death by the Beggar Lord that day, and the next day, I had become a public enemy of the martial world."
"...Don't wrap it up as academic passion. Didn't you end up living on the run for the rest of your life because you did that to the Black Master too?"
The identity of the old man with many liver spots, a slightly stooped back, and cloudy pupils was none other than the Poisonous Hand who had changed his appearance with a disguise technique.
Cheon Woojin was purely impressed. In fact, for a realm of Cheon Woojin's level, a disguise technique was not very meaningful. No matter how much one changed their appearance, they could recognize the opponent through their ki.
But, the Poisonous Hand had deliberately even fabricated his ki. It was something that was only possible if one had an extremely delicate operational ability.
"It seems you have been training hard."
The Poisonous Hand's realm was a little higher than when he had seen him before. Since he had already reached the peak, a bone-crushing training would have been necessary to raise his realm even a little.
At Cheon Woojin's compliment, the Poisonous Hand smiled brightly.
"I have worked hard to become a senior uncle who is not ashamed to be seen by my nephew. Thank you for recognizing it."
"...That nephew talk."
Cheon Woojin shook his head as if he were dumbfounded. But seeing that it was not as grating on his ears as before, it seemed he had become a little more comfortable with the Poisonous Hand.
And so, the three sat side by side in the main hall.
Cheon Woojin brought a teacup and a teapot through telekinesis and served tea.
The Hidden Dragon Unit members went back to their training. Thanks to having had an audience with the emperor a few times, they were no longer particularly nervous no matter who they met.
While watching the Hidden Dragon Unit members train and exchanging pleasantries and recent news.
"Are you in?"
"...We have a lot of guests today."
It was a vacation, of all things.
Cheon Woojin, who had managed to swallow those words, waved his hand in the air, and the door opened gently.
The guests were two beggars, the Disciplinary Hall Master and the Beggar Lord.
And the Postal Hall Master, dressed in a neat scholar-like outfit.
"Hahaha, I came in a hurry at the news that Commander Cheon has returned. How could you not greet me when you've come?"
"No. Now that he is the Grand Tutor, isn't it right for us to come and greet him?"
"Is that so?"
The Disciplinary Hall Master and the Postal Hall Master, who were friends, had such a conversation and still greeted Cheon Woojin cheerfully.
The Beggar Lord was drunk as usual, his face flushed, and although he had come to see Cheon Woojin, his gaze was fixed on the old man sitting next to the Divine Doctor.
In an instant, the Divine Doctor and the Hidden Dragon Unit members became tense.
Could the Poisonous Hand deceive the Beggar Lord?
If he was caught, there would be trouble. Since the Disciplinary Hall Master was also here, he would be tied up hand and foot and dragged to the Martial Alliance's prison.
"Beggar Lord, it's been a long time. This is a friend with whom I research medicine."
At the Divine Doctor's words, the Beggar Lord, with narrowed eyes, kept tilting his head.
How much time had passed like that?
The Beggar Lord suddenly blew his nose on the ground and then said with a slightly sober face.
"It's a pleasure. I am the Beggar Lord. All physicians are friends of our Beggars' Sect, so let's get along comfortably."
"Haha, you are a very cheerful person, Beggar Lord. If you treat me so, it would be an honor for me."
The Poisonous Hand changed his voice and tone and greeted him.
The Beggar Lord just nodded, as if he had not noticed in the end. Since even the Beggar Lord didn't know, the Disciplinary Hall Master and the Postal Hall Master had no idea at all.
Cheon Woojin felt anew that the Poisonous Hand's ki operational ability had become very delicate.
Suddenly, the Disciplinary Hall Master, Chu Punggae, said to Cheon Woojin.
"It's true that I came to greet you at the news of your return. But I came because there is something to confirm."
"What is it?"
"The Embroidered Uniform Guard has sent a communication to the Beggars' Sect. They said they are planning to mess up the Ten Thousand Gold Fortress on your order, so they asked for cooperation. Is it true that you gave the order? If the imperial palace is using you as a front to use us, we will also have to prepare."
In fact, investigating the Ten Thousand Gold Fortress, which was called the number one fortress in the world, was a welcome thing for the Beggars' Sect. In any case, it was the Ten Thousand Gold Fortress that had joined forces with the five factions that had tried to establish the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
However, since the Ten Thousand Gold Fortress was not a martial world faction, it could not be easily investigated, but if the imperial palace stepped in, it would be even better.
"Yes, I said it in passing, but they are already moving."
The Disciplinary Hall Master had a very pleased expression. What kind of existence was the Embroidered Uniform Guard? It was the emperor's direct institution that was said to be able to shoot down flying birds.
"To think that the day would come when the one who inherited the will of the Divine Beggar, Mangija, would command the Embroidered Uniform Guard, hehe."
"You brat, I am the one who inherited my master's true teachings."
"Then what's the use? The Divine Beggar left everything to Commander Cheon."
The angry Beggar Lord hit the back of the Disciplinary Hall Master's head.
The Disciplinary Hall Master put strength in his eyes.
"Hey, why did you suddenly hit me? Are you going to humiliate me like this in front of people? Do you want to have a Beggar Lord succession ceremony today?"
The Beggars' Sect's Beggar Lord succession ceremony was simple.
The Beggar Lord's disciple just had to defeat the Beggar Lord.
As the Disciplinary Hall Master raised his ki, the Beggar Lord also exuded his ki as if to say it was impossible.
The ki of the two beggars collided in the air, and a strange smell spread throughout the entire estate.
While Cheon Woojin was quietly holding his breath, the Disciplinary Hall Master, who had been pushed back by the ki, was the first to back down.
It seemed it was not yet time to succeed to the position of Beggar Lord.
"Ah, that's right. I was supposed to see the Embroidered Uniform Guard guys today. You should consider yourself lucky, Beggar Lord."
The Disciplinary Hall Master, who had said so, left as if running away.
The Beggar Lord clicked his tongue.
"Anyway, these beggar bastards have no sense of hierarchy. You guys, don't even think of becoming a beggar."
Song Yiyeon, Jinun, and Namgung Jin, who had suddenly received the advice, had ambiguous expressions. To say they understood seemed to be ignoring the beggar, and to say they didn't, they all had too much money to become a beggar.
"He's a beggar himself, but he says all sorts of things."
The Divine Doctor, who had a nodding acquaintance with the Beggar Lord, clicked his tongue.
Soon, the Hidden Dragon Unit members, who had become somewhat uncomfortable, stealthily tried to leave the estate.
At that, the Postal Hall Master, who had noticed the atmosphere, hurriedly said.
"Commander Cheon, you've worked hard. In fact, I also came today because I have some business."
"What is it?"
"It's not you, it's that one over there. I heard you got a vacation?"
The Postal Hall Master pointed at Song Yiyeon.
The Postal Hall Master had coveted Song Yiyeon before.
Because of that, the Postal Hall Master's benevolent smile sent a chill down Song Yiyeon's spine.
"C-Commander Cheon. I've received a vacation, so I was going to go back to my hometown after a long time and see my father..."
Song Yiyeon, who had a good intuition, said hurriedly.
But the Postal Hall Master, who had approached Song Yiyeon faster than that, grabbed his collar.
The moment Song Yiyeon's eyes widened.
The two disappeared from the estate.
The remaining people looked at the spot where the kidnapped Song Yiyeon had been for a moment with a bewildered expression.
"Tsk, tsk, that Postal Hall Master guy. He's a good person, but when he sees guys who are fast and quick-witted, his eyes get overturned with a desire for talent."
The Beggar Lord clicked his tongue and looked at Jinun and Namgung Jin with a subtle gaze. Was it because they had witnessed Song Yiyeon being kidnapped? In an instant, Jinun and Namgung Jin, who had felt anxious, hurriedly ran away. The desperate feeling that they could not become a beggar no matter what was clearly felt.
Now, only the Beggar Lord, the Divine Doctor, the Poisonous Hand, and Cheon Woojin were left in the estate.
The Beggar Lord's words continued.
"Shall we go out too?"
"Where?"
"I've found an amazing tavern in front. It's a place that cooks in the Sichuan style, and the side dishes are very good."
The Beggar Lord swallowed his saliva.
The Poisonous Hand next to him also swallowed his saliva. As someone whose hometown was Sichuan, he sometimes missed the numbing dishes of Sichuan more than his family members of the Tang family.
.
.
.
The Beggar Lord half-dragged the three to the tavern. No one could easily block his steps towards a drinking party.
Cheon Woojin, who had ended up sitting in the tavern, called a waiter and was about to order liquor.
He was about to order a few simple Sichuan-style side dishes and bamboo leaf liquor, but the Beggar Lord suddenly interrupted.
"Order one bottle of white liquor."
"Does white liquor go well with Sichuan cuisine?"
"No, bamboo leaf liquor is better. But..."
The Beggar Lord suddenly pointed at the disguised Poisonous Hand and continued.
"You don't drink anything but white liquor, do you?"
"..."
"Did you think I wouldn't know? Seeing this bastard crawl into the Martial Alliance without fear, it seems you weren't beaten enough at that time."
The Beggar Lord spat on his palm and then rubbed his hands, and the Poisonous Hand half-lifted his buttocks with the momentum to run away immediately.
(End of Chapter)