CFZ

“What did you just say?”

Jang Seong-myung stared at me in disbelief after hearing my response.
Enjoying his reaction, I answered again.
“I said, I’m not doing it.”

“May I ask why?”
“Why…?”
There were plenty of reasons, but I wasn’t sure which one to give.

A newly established commander position.
They were offering to put me in charge.
On the surface, it didn’t sound bad. In fact, it was an impressive offer.

A commander in the Alliance wasn’t just a rank; it required significant influence and power to achieve.
Even branch leaders, who governed entire regions, held authority, but they couldn’t defy a main commander.
Recalling that commanders had authority over branch leaders only emphasized how high this position was.

Besides, the benefits within the Alliance and the reputation across Zhongyuan ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) made it even more tempting.
‘But that was in the past.’
Right now, it was pointless.

No—considering the state of the Alliance, it wasn’t even worth it.
‘To be precise.’
Clink.

I set the teacup down and smirked.
“The fact that you’re calling this an offer is laughable.”
“…What?”
Jang Seong-myung narrowed his eyes at my words.

He seemed offended, but I had no intention of taking them back.
It really was ridiculous.
“This isn’t an offer—it’s a request.”

“…What are you saying?”
Creak.
Leaning back in my chair, I stared directly at Jang Seong-myung.

“You’re not offering me anything—you’re begging.”
“…!”
Jang Seong-myung’s face contorted in an instant.

“…Star King. What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Did I stutter? I said what I meant.”
Instead of calling it a weak attempt at a bribe—

“I’m saying you should be on your knees, begging me for help.”
“Star King—!”
Thud—!

Jang Seong-myung slammed the table as he stood, his face turning red with anger.
Ah, perfect.
‘This is going even better than I hoped.’

Suppressing the grin trying to creep up, I glanced at him—and then at the door.
“Despite your remarkable skills and the good deeds you’ve done in Hanam, you’re getting carried away.”
The room filled with his aura.

Jang Seong-myung glared at me sharply.
“The Alliance considered you worthy of a royal title even before conducting a full investigation. And yet you have the nerve to mock us? Do you think the Alliance is a joke?”
“Yes.”

“…What?”
He froze, clearly caught off guard by my blunt answer.
I couldn’t help but find his reaction amusing.

“So? Isn’t it?”
“You—!”
“Who acts like they’re handing me something precious? It’s laughable.”

I grabbed the teacup from the table.
Then—
Drip, drip.

I tilted it, letting the tea spill onto the floor.
The unexpected action drew Jang Seong-myung’s eyes.
I took advantage of the pause.

“You’re losing public trust, so now you want to make me a figurehead to buy time while you figure out what to do. Don’t think I don’t see through you.”
“…!”
“You think crowning me the youngest king and calling me a hero will distract people? Then what? Offer me a commander’s role and hope I’ll be grateful enough to follow orders?”

I scoffed.
And then—
“You bastards need to know when to quit the bullshit.”

Whoosh—!
“Urgh!”
I released my Qi, crushing his aura. It worked, but—

Throb—!
‘Damn it.’
Pain flared in my chest, and blood surged up my throat.

‘I didn’t check my internal injuries properly.’
I’d been too focused on other things to assess my condition. It was worse than I thought.
If I kept forcing my Qi out, my meridians would twist.

I had to suppress it.
“Star King this, Star King that—who asked for it? You throw titles at me and expect me to bow? Don’t make me laugh.”
Even while reeling in my Qi, I didn’t stop talking.

“You think I’m an idiot?”
I had to hide how bad my condition was.
“A new commander’s position? Sounds nice, sure. But let’s be real.”

Tap, tap, tap.
I drummed my fingers on the table four times.
That was enough to gather my thoughts.

“This isn’t just an offer—it’s desperation. You need me, don’t you?”
“…!!”
“Then stop pretending otherwise. If anything, you should be begging, not offering.”

Jang Seong-myung’s face fell.
That was all I needed.
“Am I wrong?”

“…You…”
I tilted my head.
“You’re speaking informally now? Should I do the same? That’d be easier for me.”

“Grrr…!”
He looked like he was about to draw his sword.
Honestly, if he did, it might be dangerous.

I could kill him if it came to that—but anything less would leave me at a disadvantage.
Still, I wasn’t worried.
It was about time for the main act to arrive.

“Are you really prepared for bloodshed—?!”
“Commander Jang.”
Jang Seong-myung froze.

A frail voice came from outside the door.
I didn’t need to guess who it was.
Given the Alliance’s current state, there was only one person they’d send.

Cough.
A light cough sounded, followed by—
Creak—!

The door opened.
The first person I saw was a massive old man.
No—it wasn’t his size that stood out. It was his presence.

‘Sword Emperor.’
One of the top ten masters of Zhongyuan, renowned as the guardian of Hanam and the Alliance.
Rumor had it he refused to join the Three Monarchs to protect the Alliance instead.

Was he the one who called Jang Seong-myung?
No.
Behind him, another old man entered—a smaller figure with a cloth covering his mouth.

He exuded a similar air to the Divine Doctor.
This was the man I’d been waiting for.
“That’s enough.”

The frail old man spoke, and Jang Seong-myung grimaced.
“But Elder…! The Star King insulted the Alliance. How can we let this slide?”
Jang Seong-myung protested, clearly agitated.

“He’s not wrong.”
“…Elder!”
“I’m sorry for burdening you, Star King. I’ll handle the rest from here, so please step outside.”

“…Tsk.”
“Please.”
Reluctantly, Jang Seong-myung bowed deeply to the elder before leaving.

The respect he showed proved how influential this man was.
And he wasn’t wrong.
‘If the Alliance is to survive, they’ll need this man.’

The moment Jang Seong-myung left—
The elder took the vacant seat and spoke to me.
“May I sit here?”

His voice was careful.
I nodded.
“Go ahead. It’s free real estate now.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”
He sat down, and I straightened my posture.
It was time.

“This is our first meeting, Star King.”
The air felt heavy.
Not from his Qi, but from his presence.

It was the same pressure I felt when the Divine Doctor treated patients—or when Mi Horan scolded my father.
In other words, this man had reached a level worthy of his field.
Proving that—

“You already know who I am, so introductions aren’t necessary.”
I smirked.
“Still, isn’t it polite to introduce ourselves?”

“Ah, of course. I agree that’s important.”
He nodded briefly.
“I am Muk Yeon.”

As soon as he introduced himself, I began to think.
“A strategist of the Alliance—that's kind of the position an old man would take”
How should I deal with this man?

   ******************
   
Muk Yeon.
An elderly man, said to be over eighty, with no ties to any clan or sect.

An outsider.
This wasn’t particularly unusual within the Alliance.
Many of the lower-ranked positions were filled by unaffiliated individuals rather than members of prestigious families or sects.

But—
‘This old man is special. Exceptionally so.’
Muk Yeon was a figure completely different from the rest.

Despite being unaffiliated, he had risen to the upper echelons of the Martial Alliance.
Even more remarkable—Muk Yeon had no martial arts skills and a frail body. Yet, he had once occupied the third-highest position in the Alliance.
This was during the time when the Sword Master held the position of Leader.

At that time, the Sword Master had Ubong Chwigye as his ears, Cheonan as his eyes—
And Muk Yeon as his brain.
A man said to never forget a single detail and able to assess power at a glance.

He was called the Ink Ghost Strategist (Ji Muk Gwi In)—the most brilliant tactician in the Alliance’s history.
And now, that tactician was sitting right in front of me.
To be precise—

‘Not anymore.’
It would be more accurate to call him a former tactician.
Muk Yeon had retired several years after the Sword Master stepped down as Leader, leaving the Alliance.

It had been over a decade since then.
He hadn’t shown himself in all that time. Yet now, here he was.
It was strange—but not surprising.

‘…It happened in my past life too.’
When the Heavenly Demon appeared, foretelling a massacre—
Muk Yeon had returned to the Alliance.

Despite his frail body, he’d offered his help. But in the end—
‘He died.’
Muk Yeon didn’t survive long.

Why?
‘Because Cheon Yurang-a took him out first.’
Cheon Yurang-a, known as the brain of the Demonic Cult—

He mobilized his entire force to target Muk Yeon and succeeded in killing him after a three-month standoff.
Have I mentioned it before? The story where Cheon Yurang-a killed three peak-level martial artists alone and escaped?
Muk Yeon was the one who pushed him to that point.

That’s how formidable this old man’s strategies were.
“Gu Yangcheon.”
I introduced myself after hearing Muk Yeon’s name.

“It’s an honor to meet the Hero of Hanam.”
Muk Yeon smiled as he greeted me, and I returned it with a faint smile of my own.
“It’s also an honor to meet the man once called the brain of the Martial Alliance.”

“Haha, those days are long past…. It’s nothing but old glory now.”
“Old glory, huh….”
I echoed his words before replying.

“Considering you still look healthy and managed to orchestrate this situation—I’m not so sure.”
Muk Yeon’s expression didn’t change.
His smile simply deepened.

“May I ask why you think that way?”
Ah.
I already didn’t like this.

After just a few exchanges, I was sure of it.
This old man—
‘He’s exactly the kind of person I hate.’

The kind of person I’d kill without hesitation, given the chance.
“The first thing that struck me as odd was offering me the commander position out of nowhere.”
I held my composure as I answered.

“At first, I thought you were desperate to draw attention. I was willing to let that slide.”
Tap. Tap.
I rapped my fingers on the table twice.

“But then the Azure Dragon Unit came to escort me. That’s what really got to me.”
“Why is that?”
“It’s simple.”

It didn’t even require a complex explanation.
“The Martial Alliance may seem vast, but it’s small. News travels fast.”
Muk Yeon nodded.

“And yet, no one noticed?”
I narrowed my eyes as I got to the point.
“I had a minor clash with Jang Seong-myung. But then you sent the Azure Dragon Unit—not just to escort me, but to put me face-to-face with him in an interrogation room? Just to make an offer under the pretense of questioning me? Doesn’t that seem odd?”

Even if our clash wasn’t that serious, it was still a known issue among the Alliance.
And yet they arranged for us to meet in such a tense situation?
It didn’t make sense.

Unless there was a specific reason.
In my mind, there were only two possibilities.
“To provoke me—or to set up a scenario.”

“Hmm.”
“Provoking me wouldn’t gain much. So it has to be the latter. The real question is—what kind of scenario were you trying to create?”
Everything felt tangled but deliberately connected.

From that, one problem stood out.
“It wasn’t about provoking me. It was about testing me.”
They wanted to gauge my reaction.

And the reason for that?
“They don’t know me. They don’t know how I’ll react—or what I’ll do. And the best way to find out is to provoke me and watch.”
“…So you think this old man arranged all that just to observe you?”

“Not exactly. That’s part of it, but there’s more to it.”
It wasn’t just about gauging my reaction.
“The moment I was talking to Jang Seong-myung, you were standing outside.”

“That’s correct.”
“I also know you don’t practice martial arts.”
“Also correct. I only know enough for self-defense.”

“But someone with your experience wouldn’t expect me not to notice you standing outside.”
“…”
Muk Yeon fell silent.

His eyes sharpened slightly.
“You knew I’d sense you. The Sword Emperor may have tried to hide you with his aura, but you’d already studied my level beforehand.”
“Hmm.”

“And yet, you still chose to stand there.”
Tap.
I rapped the table once.

“You wanted to evaluate my temperament, my condition, and my attitude toward the Alliance. Isn’t that right?”
It was a test—seeing if I’d notice and how I’d respond.
It was mostly speculation, even absurd.

But it made sense to me, given my memories of the past.
The Azure Dragon Unit escorting me?
Maybe it was reasonable for the situation.

Jang Seong-myung interrogating me and making an offer?
It could be coincidence.
But putting Muk Yeon in the picture tied everything together.

And just as I finished—
“Haha.”
Muk Yeon finally broke the silence with a laugh.

And then—
Cough.
Covering his mouth with a cloth, he coughed violently.

Even so, the smile never left his face.
After a moment—
“Well, Star King.”

“Yes?”
“Would you be interested in taking my place someday?”
It sounded like a joke, so I gave a serious answer.

“Thanks, but I’m better at punching people than thinking. I’ll pass.”
Muk Yeon tilted his head.
“…Hmm… Is that so?”

Ignoring his reaction, I asked my own question.
“So, Elder. Why did you call me here?”
Muk Yeon didn’t dodge the question.

“I admit it—I wanted to observe you.”
That much he openly acknowledged.
And then—

“But now that we’re face-to-face, there’s something I must ask.”
“Go ahead—”
“What is your relationship with the Heavenly Demon (Cheonma)?”

“…”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.