Chapter 1

Chapter 1
The shrill cry of cicadas, having waited years beneath the earth, resonated through the heavy summer air. Baek So-cheon lifted a hand to block out the harsh glare spilling through the windowpane. The burning heat pressing against his skin gave an unmistakable sign of just how oppressive the coming months would be. Out on the open training field, several fighters lounged beneath the broad branches of nearby trees, taking refuge from the blistering sun while sharing idle banter. Celestial omens had already predicted a record-breaking drought and heat wave, drawing weary sighs from the warriors of the Murim Alliance. Constant friction with their sworn enemies, the Black Heaven Alliance, had steadily worsened, locking everyone into a relentless routine of drill after drill. Even so, these martial artists would rather endure grueling exercises under the scorching sun than venture anywhere near Baek So-cheon’s current location.

It was a foreboding chamber most dared only look at from a distance: the interrogation quarters of the Am-yeong-gak. Serving as the primary internal affairs body within the Murim Alliance, the Am-yeong-gak wielded vast authority, tasked with rooting out misconduct, investigating abuses of power, and keeping discipline intact across every rank.

The door swung inward with a rattle, and a young man entered the room carrying a hefty bundle of documents tucked beneath his arm. “Investigator Lee Yeop,” he stated simply, seating himself across the table and thumbing through the parchment without missing a beat. “Pardon the delay. The senior official handling this had an unexpected complication arise, so I was assigned as an emergency replacement.”

In their bureau, reaching the rank of senior investigator took three years, while becoming a special investigator required seven. Lee Yeop, on the other hand, was an absolute novice who had barely joined during the recent spring recruitment. Far from displaying the fiery passion typical of a proud beginner, he looked utterly exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands of the office.

Looking across the desk, Lee Yeop observed Baek So-cheon’s striking presence. The man had an athletic, sturdy frame, facial features reminiscent of a charismatic hero, and a profound, tranquil gaze that belied his youthful countenance. Beyond all that, he exuded an incisive sharpness.

“You should keep in mind that if additional charges surface during this questioning, you’ll be remanded directly to the Ho-beop-won. You’d best think carefully before you speak.”

Baek So-cheon cast him a dry, sideways look. “A fresh recruit?”

Lee Yeop’s expression turned rigid at the dismissive remark. “I will be the one posing the questions here.”

“Can’t you even satisfy that little curiosity?” Though his posture was indifferent, the man’s voice possessed a soothing, resonant cadence.

“I repeat, I am conducting the questioning.”

“How miserable,” Baek So-cheon scoffed lightly. “Sending in a raw recruit simply because they were terrified of catching a beating themselves.”

Inside, Lee Yeop bristled with irritation. The man clearly failed to grasp the gravity of his predicament. Offending an official of the Am-yeong-gak could instantly transform a routine release into an indefinite stay inside an underground dungeon.

Pushing down his annoyance, Lee Yeop looked over the record in front of him. “Name: Baek So-cheon. Leader of the Third Squad, First Unit, Cheol-geom-dan. So you held command over a squad within the Iron Sword Unit.”

The Cheol-geom-dan represented the absolute pinnacle of combat strength in the Murim Alliance. Was that why he carried himself with such brazen disregard? Common martial artists might tremble at the unit’s title, but an investigator from the Am-yeong-gak felt no such intimidation. However, as Lee Yeop’s eyes trailed down the parchment, the noted age caught him completely off guard.

“Age: thirty-eight… Wait, thirty-eight?”

By any estimation, the man sitting before him did not appear a day over his early or mid-twenties. “Is this figure truly accurate?”

Receiving no reply from Baek So-cheon, Lee Yeop continued to read down the paper. “Enlisted with the Murim Alliance two decades ago. Heavens, you really are thirty-eight.”

He traced the timeline further. “Inducted into the Cheol-geom-dan shortly thereafter. Garnered notable combat merits the very following year, achieving an early promotion to squad leader… then rising to commander of the entire unit.”

Lee Yeop looked up, wide-eyed with disbelief. The shocking trajectory did not halt there. “Commander of the Cheol-geom-dan…”

For a second, Lee Yeop suspected his own eyes had deceived him. The supreme leader of the Cheol-geom-dan was numbered among the five greatest seats of authority across the entire Murim Alliance. Yet the subsequent line held an even greater shock.

“Reassigned to Bi-gak for special covert duties. Bi-gak?” Lee Yeop’s tone wavered slightly as the name left his mouth. Bi-gak was the Alliance’s paramount clandestine corps, drawing only the most lethal experts from every division to carry out the supreme orders of the Alliance Lord.

The sheet continued to detail a dizzying ascent. “Appointed as deputy lord of Bi-gak after six months, ascending to the post of lord within two years? This is insane.”

Lord of Bi-gak, and the youngest martial artist in history to hold that mantle. In that role, an individual answered only to the Alliance Lord, holding absolute command over all others. That position formed the beating heart of Alliance rule. Lee Yeop had never even caught a glimpse of that enigmatic commander, much less imagined sharing a room with him.

Re-evaluating the sheet, Lee Yeop felt an entirely different sort of trepidation. “Six special merits promotions aside from regular advancements since enlistment?”

His pupils dilated in shock. Earning even a single special promotion was an extraordinary rarity within the Alliance, yet Baek So-cheon had accomplished that milestone half a dozen times. How could someone like him, even as a newcomer, be completely unaware of this figure’s reputation?

The explanation appeared plainly in the subsequent section of the dossier. “What is all this? Nine separate demotions?”

From Bi-gak lord all the way back to leader of the Cheol-geom-dan, then downward to deputy, unit commander, and down to squad commander. The man had literally retraced his entire path of glory in reverse.

Lee Yeop lifted his head to study the man again. Even within the Murim Alliance, where eccentric masters were common, an anomaly like this was unprecedented.

“Grounds for demotion: direct insubordination, excessive violence, entering prohibited areas, insubordination again, repeated refusal of orders, prison break…” Lee Yeop stared at him in sheer bewilderment. “And you have somehow managed to stay alive through all that? Remarkable.”

A confusing detail suddenly nagged at his mind. Why had a senior or special investigator not been assigned to question an individual with such history? Going strictly by this record, it would not have been unusual for the pavilion master of the Am-yeong-gak to handle the matter personally. Was it merely because his formal rank was listed as squad leader? Special investigators typically oversaw matters involving unit captains or higher.

Yet Lee Yeop swiftly corrected his own assumption. The organization would never judge someone of this stature by an arbitrary title. Baek So-cheon’s mocking remark from earlier echoed back into his thoughts.

*Sending in a raw recruit simply because they were terrified of catching a beating themselves.*

This was not his first encounter with the Am-yeong-gak. The leadership had deliberately dispatched an inexperienced subordinate because none of the seasoned officials wanted to deal with him, calculating that a rookie might present an easier, less contentious target.

Lee Yeop groaned inwardly. They should have at least given him some warning. That also meant their Pavilion Lord was closely observing the outcome of this interrogation from above. The sudden realization set his heart hammering violently, making him feel as though he were the one under trial.

Steeling his nerves, Lee Yeop began the formal inquiry. “Now then, shall we address the matter at hand?”

“You are merely reading off a script. The disciplinary action was already determined beforehand, so why waste time with an interrogation?”

Now aware of the man’s past, Lee Yeop felt no irritation at his curt behavior; rather, an intense intrigue took root. “Two days ago, an offensive strike was ordered for your squad. However, you explicitly refused that directive. Is that accurate?”

“It is.”

“What was your justification?”

“The presence of an enemy trap.”

“Do you have concrete facts or evidence confirming such an ambush was laid?”

“Were you expecting me to stroll in and get my men slaughtered just to confirm it?”

“So it was based on an instinct?”

“A gut feeling.”

“You chose to violate military orders based solely on an instinct?”

Baek So-cheon nodded calmly. While his tone was informal and sharp, he did not avoid a single question.

“Following your refusal, an inspection squad from headquarters was dispatched to the sector. They found zero indications of an ambush.”

“Naturally, they wouldn’t find anything.”

“Are you questioning the competence of headquarters?”

“Do you honestly place your trust in them? Ah, right, you’re far too green to understand. Don’t even bother arguing. Their field reviews are utterly shoddy.”

“So you remain adamant an ambush was set. Understood. But even if you felt that way, isn’t obedience to command the duty of a soldier?”

“Even when it guarantees the annihilation of your entire squad? Are orders worth more than their lives?”

A heavy stillness settled over the room. Lee Yeop gazed quietly at the former commander. Any impulse to judge the man had completely evaporated. What right did a novice like him have to question the judgment of someone who possessed such an astonishing history? Deep down, he suspected that if this man sensed an ambush, an ambush undoubtedly existed.

Still, just as Baek So-cheon had stated, the outcome had been decided long before they sat down. “I cannot wrap my head around it. You once held the highest pinnacle of authority, yet now you couldn’t even retain the title of squad leader.”

Taking a breath, Lee Yeop delivered the official decree. “Baek So-cheon, Squad Leader of the Third Squad, First Unit, Cheol-geom-dan; you are officially stripped of command and demoted to common warrior for insubordination. Return to your living quarters and wait for reassignment.”

It marked his tenth official demotion.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Lee Yeop spoke up. “What in the world happened to you?”

“Who knows? Let those brilliant investigators of yours figure it out. Am I dismissed?”

“Yes, you may depart. The transfer paperwork will arrive by tomorrow morning. Report to your newly assigned post before the deadline.”

As Baek So-cheon pushed his chair back and rose, Lee Yeop blurted out one more question. “Why remain in the Alliance at all? I ask this purely out of personal curiosity, as a junior warrior speaking to a senior, not as an investigator.”

Baek So-cheon paused and met his gaze evenly. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“What drove you to join the Murim Alliance?”

Startled by the counter-question, Lee Yeop answered without pretense. “It was my childhood dream to stand as a warrior of the Murim Alliance.”

“Mine as well. Ever since I was six years old.”

Leaving those words behind, Baek So-cheon strode out of the interrogation chamber. Lee Yeop watched his back fade into the hallway, standing in deep thought.

Stepping out of the judicial complex, Baek So-cheon took in the grand sight before him. Standing tall against the sky, the central palace of the Alliance Lord dominated the landscape, flanked by a sweeping network of imposing structures. The expansive apparatus—the One Hall, Two Courts, Three Pavilions, Four Units, and Five Brigades—housed thousands of martial masters constantly vying for influence and standing.

While everyone else scrambled frantically toward higher rank, Baek So-cheon had, after twenty long years, returned to where he began. Rather than seeking out the comforting shade along the edge of the courtyard, he walked directly across the sun-drenched training ground and headed toward the gates.

Up in his high office, Hwang Jong-shin, Lord of the Am-yeong-gak, stood quietly beside his window, looking down. Behind him waited Lee Yeop, who had been commanded to report the instant the inquiry concluded. Standing alone before the supreme head of his department, the rookie felt his pulse race just as intensely as it had during his encounter with the prisoner.

“What did he say?”

“Just as the preliminary report indicated, my lord. He remains certain an enemy trap was waiting.”

“Did he mention anything else?”

“No, nothing beyond that.”

Down in the courtyard, the solitary figure of Baek So-cheon continued across the stones. Watching the silhouette, Hwang Jong-shin uttered a startling revelation. “Baek So-cheon… he is actually my senior. By two full years.”

“I beg your pardon?” Lee Yeop gasped in astonishment.

Hwang Jong-shin explained the chronology. He had entered the Alliance eighteen years ago, whereas Baek So-cheon had already been serving for two years by that time. Of course, Hwang had enlisted at age twenty-five, while Baek had entered the ranks at eighteen, meaning Baek was younger in years despite having greater seniority.

“When I first joined, his reputation was already legendary throughout the faction.”

“Even though he had only served for two years back then?”

“His martial prowess was monstrous, and his strategic insight was terrifyingly sharp. He was never an ordinary recruit. You know those rare individuals who appear born with every tool necessary to rule a discipline? Everyone said it back then: the heavens had shaped Baek So-cheon to be a warrior.”

Lee Yeop followed his master’s gaze toward the figure walking in the heat below.

“He possessed boundless talent, but luck favored him just as much. No matter how gifted someone is, without a proper stage, rapid elevation is impossible. A few years following our induction, the Black Heaven Alliance ignited the great conflict.”

“Yes, I know of it.” That bitter Great War of Righteousness and Evil had ravaged the martial world for over ten years.

“Reports concerning his actions arrived constantly from the front lines. Slashing through enemy commanders, securing impossible victories against overwhelming odds. He fought without hesitation or restraint, once ripping straight through an inescapable cordon single-handedly to save comrades, earning special promotion after promotion. His achievements were so mythic he hardly felt like an ordinary comrade. He felt like an immortal hero stepped out of legend.”

A quiet sigh slipped past Lee Yeop’s lips. “How could someone with that legacy collapse to this point?”

“You wouldn’t know the truth. It was never written into the public records.”

“Pardon?”

“During the decisive clash that ultimately forced the Black Heaven Alliance to agree to the armistice, he sustained catastrophic injuries. His dantian was entirely shattered, and his internal meridians were horribly mangled. Even the Divine Physician declared he would succumb to his wounds, yet he defied fate and survived.”

“Ah…” An icy chill crawled up Lee Yeop’s neck. He had never imagined such a harrowing ordeal.

“His physical flesh recovered, but a shattered dantian cannot be mended. The Divine Physician proclaimed that unless he somehow underwent the mythical Hwan-gol Tal-tae, he would never manipulate inner energy again.”

Lee Yeop held his breath in shock. It sounded like an excerpt from a tragic ballad.

“Upon waking, vast honors were heaped upon him, and his seat as Lord of Bi-gak was preserved. But an internal palace cannot be ruled by a hollow sword. Frequent insubordination followed, alongside continuous breaches of Alliance law. Observers called it the inevitable downfall of an arrogant hero, while others claimed deeper secrets were at play. Whispers spread of a rift between him and the Alliance Lord, with numerous elders demanding his outright banishment. Amid the endless rumors, his fall was swift. In a mere three years, he slid down the very mountain that had taken him seventeen years to conquer.”

Down below, Baek So-cheon’s figure finally disappeared beyond the gates.

“Hardly anyone knows this history. A strict gag order was placed upon the headquarters regarding Baek So-cheon.” It was an open secret carefully guarded among the core elite.

“So he is completely incapable of wielding internal arts now?”

“Even a tiger stripped of its teeth and claws will not easily fall to ordinary dogs or wolves,” Hwang Jong-shin replied. “Yet, without inner strength, his ceiling is painfully absolute.”

“Isn’t this treatment too severe, my lord?” Lee Yeop found himself sympathizing with the man. To plummet from the highest realm of martial dominance into absolute powerlessness—how could any warrior endure that and keep his sanity?

“Severe? If our treatment were truly harsh, he would be rotting in the deepest subterranean dungeon or facing an executioner. The Alliance cannot bend entirely around Baek So-cheon.”

That was an undeniable truth. The morale of the remaining forces took precedence; if blatant insubordination went unpunished, order throughout the ranks would dissolve.

“In truth, he survives solely through the grace of the Alliance Lord.”

“How so?”

“No one can read the Alliance Lord’s mind. Does our supreme leader truly wish to cast him aside, or does he still hold affection for him? The Lord has never voiced an opinion on the matter—neither approval nor condemnation, neither commendation nor rebuke. Even as Baek So-cheon suffered demotion after demotion, the Lord, who once treated him like a favored son, remained entirely silent. Without knowing what lies within the Alliance Lord’s heart, who would dare expel the hero who secured our hard-won peace?”

Lee Yeop understood. The single questioning session he had just conducted would remain the most monumental event of his entire career within the Am-yeong-gak, etched into his memory forever.

Hwang Jong-shin shifted his eyes toward the towering structure of the Alliance Lord’s residence in the distance. “Now that he has returned all the way to rock bottom… we will soon discover what our Lord truly intends.”

With that, Hwang Jong-shin turned away from the glass, letting silence settle over the room.