Chapter 81

Chapter 81
A critical communication raced directly into the primary strategic chambers of Hyun-cheon Pavilion.

Carrying the message cylinder freshly delivered by carrier bird, Sa-ma Il-jung hurried forward to present the intelligence to Je-gal Hyeon.

“A priority alert has just arrived from our outpost at the Jung-kyeong Branch,” he reported. “Troops belonging to the Black Heaven Alliance have begun advancing on Jung-kyeong.”

“Which division is marching?”

Sa-ma Il-jung’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke. The organization he had to name was far graver than any prior contingent he had ever documented.

“The Black Banner.”

Je-gal Hyeon leaped to his feet.

The Black Banner.

It stood as the paramount fighting echelon of the entire Black Heaven Alliance. Controlled exclusively by the personal directives of the Alliance Lord, it enjoyed renown as the single most formidable force in their syndicate.

“What is their destination?”

“The Jung-kyeong Branch.”

“Of all conceivable moments, why must it happen now!”

At present, both the Iron Cavalry Unit and the Iron Sword Unit were stationed far away for specialized exercises in Ha-buk. Calling them back swiftly was simply out of the question due to the distance.

“The Iron Sword First Unit remains behind on reserve duty.”

“Mobilize them immediately to the scene.”

“Understood, sir.”

Stepping toward the corridor, Je-gal Hyeon threw out one more directive over his shoulder: “I shall go directly to the Alliance Lord’s assembly hall. Instruct Deputy Leader Baek to rendezvous with me there at once!”

Baek So-cheon rushed into the hall, having responded without a moment’s hesitation to the emergency call.

“What has occurred?”

Je-gal Hyeon quickly laid out the details regarding the Black Banner’s sudden march toward the Jung-kyeong Branch.

Taking in the gravity of the crisis, Baek So-cheon addressed Ak So-gun. “Allow me to lead Hyun-cheon-dae out to reinforce them.”

“You personally?”

“A mobilization of the Black Banner under current circumstances signals serious trouble. It almost certainly ties into the emissary sent by the Blood Cult to propose a marriage.”

Furthermore, the sudden maneuvering of a contingent answering solely to the supreme master of the Black Heaven Alliance carried heavy implications.

A sharp intuition struck Baek So-cheon’s thoughts.

*Yeom Hwa-sin intends to draw me out.*

Yet such an intuitive conjecture was not something he could casually voice to the other two leaders.

Even setting that thought aside, the peril threatening the Jung-kyeong Branch made an immediate relief force mandatory.

“I will venture out and determine their true motives.”

Ak So-gun weighed the matter only briefly. Facing this exact predicament, no individual possessed a keener insight or better judgment than Baek So-cheon.

Ak So-gun issued his authoritative mandate. “Take command of Hyun-cheon-dae and settle this dispute! Exercise the utmost care throughout.”

“Understood, Alliance Lord.”

Offering a respectful fist-and-palm salute, Baek So-cheon spun around and took his leave.

Never before, since the armistice was forged, had the Black Heaven Alliance exerted such overt military hostility against Jung-kyeong.

The defensive detachment at the branch currently totaled one hundred and fifty warriors, with scattered local outposts continuing to assemble reinforcements.

Yet when pitted against an entity like the Black Banner, sheer headcounts offered little reassurance. Composed of the absolute finest combatants the Black Heaven Alliance could field, each warrior within the banner was said to rival dozens of common pugilists.

“Have we received any communication from the main fortress?”

“Nothing yet, Commander.”

Help was surely on the march, yet no official confirmation had managed to reach them.

“Maintain your composure. We possess the strength to resist them!”

“Yes, Commander!”

Despite his rallying cry, Gwak-won’s countenance remained dark. Given his standing, various murmurs regarding the wider political landscape had reached his ears. Whispers of an impending war against the Black Heaven Alliance had grown increasingly frequent of late. And now, facing the Black Banner directly, he worried that the first spark of full-scale conflict might ignite right here on their doorstep.

Just then, a sentry called out, “The Iron Sword Unit has reached our position!”

A contingent of fifty swordsmen from the Iron Sword First Unit had successfully arrived.

A collective breath of relief washed over Gwak-won and the defenders of the Jung-kyeong Branch. Staring down an impending strike from elite adversaries, possessing capable vanguard troops on their own side was an immense comfort.

Naturally, fifty warriors from the First Unit could hardly conquer the Black Banner alone, yet their presence noticeably eased the crushing dread.

Stepping down from his steed, Hwang Il-bi offered a formal greeting to Gwak-won.

“Hwang Il-bi, commanding the Iron Sword First Unit.”

“Gwak-won, Leader of the Jung-kyeong Branch.”

“How does the perimeter stand?”

“The enemy will descend upon us in less than half a shichen. Attempting to hold this line with merely a single unit appears reckless. Are no other detachments trailing behind you?”

“Additional forces are already en route! The most dependable support imaginable is riding this way.”

“Truly? Could it be that Bi-gak is deploying?”

“No. Hyun-cheon-dae is advancing toward us right now.”

Gwak-won’s features hardened on the spot. He had caught wind of whispers regarding Hyun-cheon-dae. It was an upstart formation led personally by Baek So-cheon, containing merely twenty-odd individuals.

News had traveled that Baek So-cheon and Ak So-gun had resolved their past differences, but political reconciliation was utterly useless in the face of an existential combat emergency.

What the rumors should have heralded was a restoration of supreme martial arts prowess, not administrative peace.

Nearby branch warriors began muttering among themselves in dismay.

“Curse it all! We are finished.”

“We might as well prepare our own graves.”

“Of all the forces they could deploy, why send Hyun-cheon-dae!”

Hwang Il-bi’s voice cracked across the camp like thunder. “Silence your tongues! Were it not for that man’s past sacrifices, every single one of you would be rotting six feet under by now!”

The grumbling men snapped their jaws shut, silenced completely.

Hwang Il-bi, who routinely tolerated the erratic whims of Chung Yang, was truly infuriated. While he could sympathize with their fear, he refused to permit any slander against Baek So-cheon’s name.

Gwak-won inquired in a cautious tone, “Can Hyun-cheon-dae truly provide sufficient strength to turn the tide?”

Hwang Il-bi countered without the slightest hesitation. “Without question.”

Though ignorant of whether Baek So-cheon’s lost cultivation had returned, his resolute certainty was rooted entirely in absolute reverence and loyalty toward the man.

“You are certain?”

“Indeed. Even should the entirety of the Black Heaven Alliance descend upon us rather than just the Black Banner, my answer remains unchanged.”

To be more precise, it was an open declaration that he would gladly sacrifice his life beside Baek So-cheon on any battlefield.

Hwang Il-bi set about organizing the tactical line. He dispatched nimble scouts ahead and arrayed the Iron Sword Unit across the primary defensive perimeter. Behind them assembled the rank-and-file fighters of the Jung-kyeong Branch. Barring rare tactical exceptions, superior combatants held the front line while lesser fighters provided rearward defense.

Even with the vanguard shielding them, the branch fighters could not master their nervous shivers.

“Their numbers vastly exceed ours.”

Scattered whispers continued to feed the pervasive dread.

In contrast, the warriors of the Iron Sword First Unit stood motionless, lips pressed tight, fixing their gazes on the horizon with grim determination.

Before long, an advance scout from the Iron Sword contingent rushed back to present his findings to Hwang Il-bi.

“The host will be upon us within one shichen.”

“What is their approximate strength?”

“Around two hundred riders.”

“Are auxiliary forces or lesser sects mixed into their formation?”

“None. Every single rider belongs strictly to the Black Banner.”

Overhearing the report, Gwak-won went deathly pale. Combining the branch garrison with the First Unit, their own side barely totaled two hundred souls. Given the disparity in individual martial prowess, the outcome was painfully obvious—a direct collision meant total slaughter.

Gwak-won barked at an aide, “Send word to central headquarters requesting additional support at once!”

“Right away, sir!”

The subordinate bolted into motion.

In contrast to the pervasive terror of the outpost guards, Hwang Il-bi stayed completely composed. His hardened First Unit mirrored his steady demeanor. Though internally aware of the stakes, these men were veterans forged through countless life-and-death engagements.

Suddenly, a sentry shouted into the wind, “Reinforcements! They are here!”

Every face turned toward the road, where a small squadron of roughly twenty horsemen was charging toward the encampment.

Gwak-won’s face betrayed deep skepticism, while Hwang Il-bi broke into a broad smile.

“He has arrived!”

Inwardly, Gwak-won could only wonder in disbelief: *Regardless of his historic glory, why show such fervor for a fallen commander who lacks internal energy?*

Hyun-cheon-dae halted their mounts right before the assembled line.

“Baek So-cheon.”

“Gwak-won.”

The two exchanged formal martial salutes.

Gwak-won let his eyes wander past the commander to take in the Hyun-cheon-dae warriors. Not just him, but every garrison fighter stood awestruck.

The pressure rolling off these newcomers felt noticeably sharper and more menacing than that of the Iron Sword Unit. Their eyes crackled with a fierce, untamed vitality that matched their fearsome reputation.

Several Hyun-cheon-dae members, formerly part of the Iron Sword Unit themselves, casually raised hands in greeting toward their old comrades. The First Unit had heard hushed tales of the grueling, near-inhuman conditioning their peers had endured. Seeing them now, it was evident the men had completely transformed beyond their former limits.

“You have arrived, Deputy Leader?”

Hwang Il-bi bowed respectfully toward Baek So-cheon.

Though he had masked his internal unease, the pressure of standing against the legendary Black Banner had weighed heavily on him. The moment Baek So-cheon stepped onto the field, however, that suffocating anxiety dissolved like spring snow.

“What is the current situation?”

“Two hundred Black Banner troops, anticipated to reach us in less than a shichen.”

“Two hundred indicates their full active complement.”

“Indeed, sir.”

Such a force would never march en masse unless committed to a total, direct assault.

*Yet the true war has not yet been declared.*

Baek So-cheon remembered Yeom Hwa-sin’s earlier vow that open hostility would wait until the spring. The man possessed far too much pride to utter falsehoods regarding such commitments.

Consequently, this aggressive maneuver had to serve a different, symbolic aim.

Baek So-cheon turned back to Gwak-won. “I will oversee command of all active forces from this moment onward.”

“Understood, Deputy Leader. Please take the helm.”

Sensing the subtle hesitation and unease lingering behind Gwak-won’s compliance, Baek So-cheon paid it no heed.

Surveying the terrain, he swiftly repositioned their formations with such tactical precision that any seasoned general would have nodded in admiration.

Stationed at the very front of the line, Jin Saeng felt as if he were wandering through an unbelievable dream. Here he stood, placed directly in the path of the dreaded Black Banner. More astounding still, the esteemed Iron Sword Unit was positioned behind them, while Hyun-cheon-dae claimed the tip of the spear.

*We are the vanguard.*

A wave of fierce pride clashed with raw dread. The heavy silence hanging over the clearing smelled unmistakably of impending mortality.

Exactly one shichen later, the Black Banner swept into view.

At the head of the dark procession rode a standard-bearer clutching a massive standard. Deep black silk embroidered with gleaming golden characters reading “Black Banner” rippled against the sky, imposing and awe-inspiring.

The two hundred elite riders fanned out, settling into formation across the clearing. The sheer pressure radiating from their ranks was staggering. The lowest among them stood on equal footing with veterans of the Iron Sword Unit, while their commanders clearly outmatched the members of Hyun-cheon-dae.

If a clash ignited here, Baek So-cheon would have no choice but to unleash his hidden martial foundation.

A suffocating, razor-thin stillness descended upon both armies.

Without warning, the center of the Black Banner parted cleanly, and a towering figure strolled forward into the clearing.

Gasps of pure terror rippled through the allied lines. Several branch warriors let out involuntary cries of instinctive horror.

The arriving figure was none other than the supreme master of their enemies—the Black Heaven Alliance Lord, Yeom Hwa-sin.

Unleashing his boundless martial presence without restraint, a monstrous aura crashed over the surroundings like an invisible tidal wave. Several weaker warriors among the Jung-kyeong Branch collapsed to their knees on the spot, utterly overwhelmed by the sheer force saturating the air.

Yeom Hwa-sin bellowed toward Baek So-cheon, “Hahaha! Sharp as ever, young friend. You anticipated my arrival, didn’t you?”

Baek So-cheon gave a measured nod. “I expected as much.”

“Which is precisely why dealing with you is never dull. Walk over here.”

Without a shred of hesitation, Baek So-cheon stepped forward. From behind, Hwang Il-bi urgently whispered, “Deputy Leader, it is far too perilous.”

“Do not worry. Remain where you are.”

“Understood, sir.”

Baek So-cheon closed the distance until he stood right before Yeom Hwa-sin.

“With your men watching so intently, shouldn’t I grant you some dignity?” Yeom Hwa-sin teased, reaching out toward him.

Baek So-cheon casually parried the gesture away with a light brush of his sleeve.

“Hahahaha!”

Yeom Hwa-sin’s thunderous laughter erupted once more, leaving the onlookers staring in utter disbelief.

Who under the heavens possessed the audacity to brush aside a direct gesture from the Alliance Lord with such utter nonchalance?

The observers watched in stunned silence, most of all Gwak-won, who had previously harbored private contempt for the supposedly crippled hero. Baek So-cheon’s past legendary exploits had clearly been no exaggeration—he stood there as unflinching and imposing as he had ever been.

The two leaders paced side by side, slowly walking the buffer zone separating the two forces.

“The Blood Cult dispatched a marriage mediator, didn’t they?” Yeom Hwa-sin asked.

“So that matter is what brought you all this way.”

“Tell me honestly. Are you inclined to take her hand in marriage?”

“Did you really march the Black Banner just to pose that question?”

“It concerns your lifelong nuptials. Ought I not inquire?”

“Have you begun mistaking me for your own child?”

“Hahahaha!”

His boisterous laughter rolled across the valley. Although their low dialogue could not be overheard, the booming amusement reached both armies clearly.

“If only you were truly my son.”

“Spare me the ridiculous banter. What is your true objective here? Are you demanding I turn their proposal down?”

Yeom Hwa-sin offered a response that took him entirely by surprise. “Hardly. I am not so petty as to meddle directly in your marital prospects.”

“Then why march your elite forces here?”

“A father must ensure his own flesh and blood receives an equal opportunity.”

“What are you saying?”

“Our side had already dispatched formal marriage emissaries to the Blood Cult first.”

“They cast our proposal aside only to extend one to you? Such behavior is an outright insult to the Black Heaven Alliance.”

“Yet going to war over it would exact far too heavy a toll on our core strength.”

The might of the Blood Cult remained an indisputable reality.

“The older generation cannot wage open warfare right now, but nothing prevents the younger generation from settling it, correct?”

“What are you proposing?”

“Bi-mu Cho-chin.”

A martial tournament to win a maiden’s hand. In short, Baek So-cheon and Yeom Sa-won would cross blades directly to decide who would secure the matrimonial alliance.

“Why go through such convoluted lengths?”

“Myeol Ji-ryun is currently journeying toward the Murim Alliance, is she not?”

Yeom Hwa-sin had already unraveled that closely guarded intelligence.

“She is.”

“Then I shall dispatch my son to the same destination. The three of you can resolve the marriage between yourselves.”

“You intend to send your own heir straight into the heart of the Murim Alliance?”

“Precisely.”

“What prevents us from seizing him as a hostage the moment he arrives?”

“A man seeking the hand of his beloved must be willing to gamble his very life on the wager.”

Indeed—a ruthless sovereign like Yeom Hwa-sin would never falter over a captured son. If anything, he would eagerly seize upon such an incident as the perfect pretext for war.

Baek So-cheon stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes boring into the giant.

“Why fix your gaze on me in that manner?”

“You routinely praise my intellect, yet you act like a madman yourself. Your true motives remain entirely beyond comprehension.”

“My boy will arrive before long.”

“And if I simply refuse to participate?”

Yeom Hwa-sin cracked a broad grin. “You will find yourself unable to refuse.”

With a casual wave of his hand, Yeom Hwa-sin signaled his elite retinue, spun on his heel, and strode away.

His colossal, mountain-like silhouette receded into the distance.

Baek So-cheon quietly watched as the warlord and the Black Banner melted away amidst a rising cloud of dust.

*What scheme are you truly weaving within those depths?*

This monumental adversary presented an impervious exterior and thoughts impossible to chart.

Baek So-cheon walked back toward the defensive perimeter.

A collective sigh of profound relief swept through the allied ranks, yet the way they looked upon him had radically shifted. The members of Hyun-cheon-dae in particular regarded their commander with renewed reverence and awe.

To stroll directly into the presence of Yeom Hwa-sin, exchange words with the tyrant, and return without a scratch?

What other righteous master alive could boast of such poise?

Gwak-won stood before him with an intensely sheepish expression, burning with regret over his earlier quiet mockery.

Baek So-cheon displayed no hint of resentment. He had never taken the man’s petty doubts to heart in the first place—his spirit was far too vast to hold grudges over common human frailty.

Their genuine adversary was far too dangerous to waste energy on the minor shortcomings of their own allies.

“You have all performed admirably today. Remain vigilant and continue your duties.”

“Ah… yes! We shall heed your words, Deputy Leader!”

“Until we meet again.”

Swinging onto the saddle of his mount, Baek So-cheon called back toward Hwang Il-bi, “My detachment shall depart first!”

“Understood. We will secure the area and follow shortly behind you.”

As Baek So-cheon spurred his horse into a run, the riders of Hyun-cheon-dae mounted up and followed smoothly behind. Not a single drops of blood had been shed. The only change left in the wake of the confrontation was the immense, unwavering loyalty now binding the men to Baek So-cheon.