The grand conference hall of the Martial Alliance.

As befitting a martial world where the clouds of war were gathering, a heavy atmosphere also lingered in the grand conference hall of the Martial Alliance.

Of course, the one who had brought the heavy atmosphere was none other than Cheon Yusin from the White Moon Palace.

“Everyone’s expressions are not good. It seems my visit is not welcome?”

At Cheon Yusin’s question, Dokgo Jeokmyeong hurriedly said.

“No, it’s not. It’s just that the situation is what it is…”

“That’s right. We don’t have time to chat idly. So I’ll be direct.”

The gazes of everyone gathered in the conference hall focused on Cheon Yusin.

“I will take on the role of acting alliance leader.”

“…”

Was it just a feeling?

The heavy air turned chilly.

“Acting… alliance leader, you say?”

At Zhuge Goun’s question, Cheon Yusin nodded his head and placed his hand on the table.

“Any group needs a leader to lead from the front. Don’t the elders think so too? Since we are all from sects and martial families.”

No one easily objected to Cheon Yusin’s words.

There was nothing wrong with what he said.

At the very least, the current Martial Alliance and the righteous martial world needed a being who could lead from the front.

But the problem was that he was the palace lord of the White Moon Palace.

For generations, the position of the alliance leader of the Martial Alliance had been held by a martial artist from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, or if not, a wise person with a good reputation and outstanding martial arts who did not belong anywhere had been selected as the alliance leader.

“Huhu… hahaha!”

Cheon Yusin nodded his head and laughed.

And then he looked at the faces of the elders one by one and said.

“Historically, the position of the alliance leader of the Martial Alliance has only been held by those from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families or those without an affiliation. Isn’t that truly ridiculous?”

“…”

“What are you so afraid of?”

“It’s not that we’re afraid.”

Peng Ogeol’s hand trembled slightly.

“The power of the Martial Alliance can bring prosperity to the Central Plains… or it can bring a bloody storm. So who holds the powerful sword hilt called the Martial Alliance was more important than anything. So we only entrust the position of alliance leader to a trustworthy person.”

As Peng Ogeol finished speaking, Cheon Yusin stood up from his chair and put his hands behind his back.

“The one who killed the young sect master of the Demonic Cult, Dan Yegang, was me. The one who killed the most demons of the Ming Cult was also me.”

Cheon Yusin walked around the conference hall, passing the elders one by one.

Every time he did, the elders flinched at the cold chill that flowed down their spines.

“On my way here, I also killed several demons in black. And it was also me who brought the martial artists and wealth of the White Moon Palace. Who else came to the Martial Alliance, where the alliance leader is absent, besides me?”

The elders, and even the two general managers.

They had nothing to say and could only keep their mouths shut.

As Cheon Yusin had said, the only one who had brought wealth and even martial artists to the Martial Alliance, where Gwak Doyeop had fallen, was the White Moon Palace.

“The so-called prestigious ones are all like this. They only talk about being prestigious… prestigious… but they can’t do their part in the important moments. It was the same when they were fighting the Ming Cult in the old days.”

“Aren’t your words too harsh!”

Peng Ogeol objected and stepped forward.

“The Peng Clan has suffered damage close to annihilation! In such a situation, how…!”

“Then are you boasting about that now?”

“What!?”

Peng Ogeol, who could not bear it, was about to shoot up from his seat, but Cheon Yusin grabbed his shoulder and pressed him down.

Peng Ogeol could not move his entire body due to the indescribable great force.

‘What kind of chill is this?!’

The chill that was creeping over his entire body was so cold that it seemed to freeze him to the bone.

“No matter what the past was, what’s important is the present. There is no designated person, and there is no suitable candidate. In such a situation, are you trying to say that I can’t become the alliance leader just because I’m not a martial artist belonging to the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families?”

“…”

Cheon Yusin, who was looking at the silent elders with a sly smile, let out a long sigh and then said.

“I, Cheon Yusin, declare here. I will only act as the acting alliance leader, and I swear that I will step down from the position of acting alliance leader as soon as the war with the heretic path is over or a suitable person for the alliance leader appears. This is an oath made with my name and the White Moon Palace at stake.”

As Cheon Yusin went this far, Dokgo Jeokmyeong could not understand at all.

“What is the reason for doing this.”

At his question, Cheon Yusin answered without hesitation.

“Does a righteous martial world member need a reason to act to protect the peace of the Central Plains?”

Dokgo Jeokmyeong shook his head.

“No, they don’t.”

The decision was made.

As Dokgo Jeokmyeong stood up, Zhuge Goun also stood up.

As the two general managers stood up, the remaining elders also stood up from their seats.

Finally, as Peng Ogeol also stood up, the executives who moved the Martial Alliance looked at Cheon Yusin.

And the internal general manager, Zhuge Goun, said on behalf of everyone.

“White Moon Divine Lord, Cheon Yusin. We hereby appoint you as the acting alliance leader. As it is a war situation, we will skip the other procedures.”

After that, Zhuge Goun held out the seal of the alliance leader, which he had been cherishing in his bosom, to Cheon Yusin.

“Please… take good care of it.”

“You won’t be disappointed.”

Cheon Yusin touched the seal, which felt heavy, with his fingertip and then immediately turned his body.

It was the first order he was giving as the acting alliance leader.

“The Martial Alliance will fight against the heretic path that is threatening the righteous martial world. Of course, it is not in my nature to just stand by and wait for the enemy to come. So from now on…”

Cheon Yusin’s two eyes shone blue like jade.

“We will move first.”

Kugugugugung—!!

The main gate of the Martial Alliance opened, and from within, the martial artists of the alliance poured out.

They proudly raised the flag symbolizing the Martial Alliance and went on an expedition.

Cheon Yusin, who was at the front, stood there, with the robe symbolizing the alliance leader flying, and looked up at the sky.

Snow was falling from the inky sky.

“It’s good weather.”

As he lowered his head, a man approached him.

“I greet the White Moon Divine Lord. I am a messenger from the Heretic Path's Alliance.”

The messenger from the Heretic Path's Alliance was a young man with fair skin.

He cupped his hands sincerely and offered his greetings.

“The Alliance Leader wanted to send his congratulations to the White Moon Divine Lord, who has newly become the alliance leader. However, he was very sorry that he could not deliver the message himself because he was injured by Gwak Doyeop’s surprise attack.”

“Oh my…”

Cheon Yusin approached the messenger sent by the Heretic Path's Alliance and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“It’s a very unfortunate thing. So please deliver a message to the Alliance Leader on my behalf.”

“I understand.”

“Ah, oh my… that won’t be possible.”

“What?”

Cheon Yusin’s gaze, as he looked down at the messenger, was desolate.

“Because you won’t be able to speak anymore.”

***

“Alliance Leader. The messenger has arrived… but there is a problem.”

Ju Cheon looked at the messenger who had been brought before him and smiled faintly.

“The White Moon Divine Lord’s way of answering is also unique.”

The messenger of the Heretic Path's Alliance, who had been a healthy young man, had returned with his entire body frozen.

Ju Cheon grabbed the head of the frozen messenger.

Wudeudeuk—!!

The frozen body shattered, and the flesh scattered into small pieces.

Ju Cheon looked at the face of the frozen messenger with his mouth open and sneered slyly.

“Since the Martial Alliance has moved, it’s time for us to move too.”

***

The second day since leaving Mount Jongnam.

Jin Sohyun chased the group of men in black based on the information that the Hao Sect had brought.

But there was a problem.

“This can’t be.”

Jin Sohyun was disheartened as he looked at the group of men in black who were scattering in all directions.

Of course, since Jin Sohyun was not the type to enjoy fighting, it couldn’t be better if he could stop the fight without fighting.

But the group of men in black would scream that the Flying Heaven Sword Ghost had appeared as soon as Jin Sohyun appeared, and then they would run away and gather in another place.

Since the situation was like this, he could not reduce the number of the group of men in black.

“Ugh… I don’t want to.”

Jin Sohyun, who was innately lazy, was getting tired of the hide-and-seek with the group of men in black.

“What should I do about this?”

Jin Sohyun scratched his cheek.

Since he had to take Cha Seol with him, he could not chase them far, and he could not leave his position for a long time.

As the situation was not favorable, Jin Sohyun was suddenly annoyed.

“Fight me! Fight me head-on!!”

“No!!”

“Run away! Run away as far as you can!”

“Aaaargh! It’s the Sword Ghost!!”

No matter how much he shouted to fight head-on, the group of men in black seemed to have no intention of doing so and ran away as if their feet were on fire.

Since he had been doing this for two days now, Jin Sohyun sat down on the floor and bit his lip.

“Damn it…”

Jin Sohyun, who was lying on the floor and looking up at the inky sky, discovered that it was snowing.

A white snowflake fluttered down and landed on the tip of Jin Sohyun’s nose, and then it quickly melted and disappeared.

“Here! He’s here!”

The sound of footsteps from somewhere.

Jin Sohyun’s eyes flashed, and he shot up from his seat.

“You’re finally going to fight me!”

Jin Sohyun, who had turned around with a wide smile, and the group of martial artists who had come to find him stared at each other with strange expressions.

“Was there such a handsome demon?”

“How would I know.”

“Boss, you go first. We’ll follow.”

“You’re talking nonsense! You bastards will run away without even looking back if I die!”

“Then we have to run away! The boss is the strongest among us! If the boss dies, we’ll all die anyway, right?”

“That’s true.”

“So boss, you go first.”

By a strange logic, the leader of the group stealthily approached.

He was holding a broadsword in his hand, but the clothes he was wearing were not black, but fur clothes made of bear skin, and his face was shabby and his beard was sparse, as if he had not washed for a long time.

Jin Sohyun figured out their identity at once.

“You guys, are you bandits?”

“Can’t you tell by looking!”

“Tsk… normally, I would have to catch you guys and hand you over to the authorities, but I’ll let you go this once, so live a good life.”

“What!? A dog covered in bran, huh? What was it… a dog says something to a dog! You’re exactly like that.”

“Boss. It’s a dog covered in dung says something to a dog covered in bran.”

“Shut up!”

The leader of the bandits stealthily approached and aimed his broadsword at Jin Sohyun’s neck.

“Do you know how many of our family members you guys have killed!?”

“Me?”

“Yes! It’s no use sticking out your chicken feet!”

“Boss. It’s not chicken feet, it’s duck feet.”

“Shut up!”

Jin Sohyun, who was ignoring the two bandits who were having a conversation and was looking at his own appearance, finally realized what the bandits had misunderstood.

“It’s because of the clothes.”

The black clothes that Jin Sohyun was wearing were clothes that he had taken from a group of men in black.

He had worn their clothes to approach the group of men in black without being discovered, but because of that, the bandits had misunderstood.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not what you bandit uncles think I am.”

“You’re talking nonsense!”

“I don’t want to fight.”

To be honest, it was a hassle.

Unlike the group of men in black, he could not kill the bandits, and it was also ambiguous to cut their tendons. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

But to let them go was also unsettling.

And to take them to the authorities was even more of a hassle.

‘What should I do.’

Jin Sohyun first grabbed the saber of the bandit leader, which was shaking below his neck, with his fingers.

“What are you doing! Do you want your fingers cut off?”

Tuk— tuk— tuk—!

Jin Sohyun slowly broke the leader’s broadsword with just his index finger and thumb.

The faces of the bandits who had discovered this turned pale.

“H-heok! A… a master!!”

The remaining bandits, who had realized that Jin Sohyun was a master, ran away in a hurry, just as the group of men in black had done.

Now, what was left was Jin Sohyun and the bandit leader.

Only the two of them.

The leader sniffled and said.

“Please spare me.”

“Why should I?”

“I am a member of the Green Forest. So… please spare me. Otherwise, all the bandits of the Green Forest will chase you, Great Master.”

“I didn’t know the loyalty of bandits was so outstanding. By the way, the Green Forest?”

“Y-yes!”

The leader’s face brightened.

As expected, the Seventy-Two Fortresses of the Green Forest was not a being that anyone could touch.

But.

“That’s great. Can you guide me to the general fortress master?”

Jin Sohyun was not a person who belonged to anyone.