Chapter 146: Woobin, Summons Everyone

“Has the Lord returned yet?”

At Dan Ah’s question, Baek Seolyoung lowered the sword she was wielding. Even though it was already late at night, Lee Jaseung had not yet returned.

“He seems to be a little late.”

She remembered how Lee Jaseung had looked when he left.

He had not shown it outwardly, but he had seemed far more serious than usual. That meant what he had to do was important and difficult.

There was a good way to forget her worries.

“Shall we spar?”

At Baek Seolyoung’s suggestion, Dan Ah smiled brightly and answered.

“Gladly.”

For Baek Seolyoung as well as for Dan Ah, there was always much to learn from a spar.

Especially since Dan Ah had rich practical experience, Baek Seolyoung could experience what it was like to fight a real opponent. Of course, there was no bloodshed as in real combat, but still, it was invaluable training for her.

The two faced each other, exchanged a respectful bow, and began sparring. In that moment, the graceful lady Dan Ah turned into a warrior.

“I’ll go first.”

Dan Ah thrust her sword and flew toward Baek Seolyoung.

Clang, clang, clang!

The light of their blades flashed in the darkness.

After about ten exchanges, Baek Seolyoung attempted a sharp attack.

Dan Ah rolled on the ground to avoid it. It was not the kind of move one would normally see from a scion of a prestigious household, but Dan Ah was a woman who had grown strong through real battles.

To her, practicality mattered far more than appearances. That kind of thinking was exactly what made her so helpful to Baek Seolyoung, the heir of a great clan.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Baek Seolyoung pressed her rapidly.

After another ten moves, there was a loud clash.

Clang!

Dan Ah’s sword flew from her hand. Her grip tore open, and blood began to flow.

“Oh no! Are you alright?”

Baek Seolyoung hurried toward her with a worried expression.

Dan Ah smiled and said,

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”

Baek Seolyoung tore a strip from her own clothing and bound Dan Ah’s hand.

“You don’t need to do this.”

“Come on, let’s go together. I have good medicine for wounds.”

Baek Seolyoung pulled Dan Ah along. Dan Ah allowed herself to be dragged with a faint smile. She felt once again that choosing to spar with this woman had been the right decision. It made her want to devote her whole life to supporting her.

“But something about you has changed.”

“Me? I thought you just weren’t in good condition.”

She had felt Dan Ah slower and weaker than usual, so she had not pressed too hard. Yet Dan Ah had been injured.

“No. I was in perfect condition.”

Baek Seolyoung showed a puzzled expression, then suddenly thought of something. Could it be? Was Yim Sayeon’s teaching already producing results?

Her heart pounded.

Please, let it be true.

She had always been striving relentlessly to grow stronger.

* * *

“It has already been a full day, and the Lord still has not returned.”

At Dan Woobin’s words, Mujin and Ma Young-gi grew serious.

If it had been a matter of business in a faraway place, it would not have been strange. A day or two of delay would not be anything unusual.

But Lee Jaseung had gone to the Alliance Leader’s Hall. Whenever he went there, he never stayed longer than two hours.

Even until last night, they had thought he simply had business to take care of. But now, with the sun already high in the sky, Lee Jaseung still had not returned.

“Is there any sign of something strange in the Alliance Leader’s Hall?”

At Mujin’s question, Dan Woobin shook his head.

“Not yet.”

Even so, he felt uneasy. On one hand, he believed nothing bad would happen, since Lee Jaseung could overcome anything. On the other hand, that very belief carried its own sense of fear.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. This is our Lord we’re talking about. Something unexpected must have come up.”

Mujin spoke lightly, but his eyes were grave.

He remembered a day when he had felt terribly uneasy about Lee Jaseung’s safety. Could that ominous premonition have been for today?

He shook off the thought and tried to lighten the mood.

“Maybe he has a hidden woman somewhere.”

“You’re joking at a time like this?”

“They say even heroes love women. Are you underestimating our Lord?”

“You’re the one underestimating him! How dare you question his loyalty!”

Their banter faded quickly. The unease was too great.

Mujin spoke in a serious tone.

“Let’s wait until tonight, at least.”

Dan Woobin spoke while leaving the room first.

“I’ll prepare for the worst, just in case.”

* * *

“Still no word?”

At Baek Seolyoung’s question, a voice answered from the empty air.

“No. Still nothing from him.”

It was Mook Young, who had recently been assigned to guard her.

“This makes the third day, right?”

“Yes.”

Though he spoke calmly, Mook Young was deeply worried.

He had served as Lee Jaseung’s guard for a long time. Now that he had left him to watch over Baek Seolyoung, he could not shake his unease.

If Lee Jaseung had not returned, then something must have happened.

He might be in grave danger.

“Are the others making plans?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s enough.”

Baek Seolyoung picked up her sword again.

There was nothing she could do now. Going after him herself would only make things worse. She had learned that from Lee Jaseung himself.

In the past, she would have thought that following her feelings was most important. If she was worried, she would run to him without hesitation.

But now she knew better.

True sincerity meant doing what was best for the other person. She could not call something selfishly done for her own comfort a gesture of love.

Looking inward was important, but so was looking outward. Understanding the hearts of those who stood before her.

Right now, the best thing she could do for Lee Jaseung was to wait.

“Captain Mook.”

“Yes.”

Instead of saying not to worry, Baek Seolyoung spoke with a calm face.

“Would you like to have a spar with me?”

She believed that in this situation, striving to grow stronger rather than worrying blindly for her husband was the best thing she could do. She believed it was exactly what Lee Jaseung himself would have done.

* * *

“It has been four days since the Lord of the Black Way Alliance entered the Alliance Leader’s Hall.”

At Water’s report, Rain narrowed his eyes.

“He still hasn’t come out?”

“No.”

“You’re sure he didn’t leave secretly?”

“He hasn’t returned to his quarters, so that’s unlikely.”

“What’s happening? Is he scheming with Jang Wonso?”

“That’s possible.”

Her vague words made Rain ask,

“Or do you think Jang Wonso might have killed him?”

“Perhaps. That’s also what you’re hoping for.”

The jab startled Woo, though he hid it quickly.

“Removing the Lord of the Black Way Alliance is my duty.”

He had not expected this. Previously, when he had wanted to act, Water had told him to wait and let Jang Wonso handle it.

He had trusted her intuition. Even though pressure had mounted from above to act quickly, he had held back. He had believed in Water’s judgment.

Now, has her premonition proven correct? Had Lee Jaseung been killed by Jang Wonso? Otherwise, why would he vanish so suddenly?

“If he really were colluding with Jang Wonso, he wouldn’t be drawing so much attention. He would act normally and plot in secret.”

That made sense. Whatever it was, something had clearly happened.

“What about the reactions from the Alliance Leader’s Hall or the Black Way Alliance?”

“Both are completely silent.”

“And the elder?”

“Also silent.”

“That’s strange.”

Rain knew that Lee Jaseung had taken Cheon Myeongin to Jang Wonso. He even suspected what Jang Wonso intended by securing Cheon Myeongin.

And with the situation shifting so suddenly, Lee Jaseung had vanished.

Water shook her head and spoke.

“What a shame. I thought he’d last long enough to shake this world to its core.”

She seemed to believe he was dead. After four days of silence, it was natural to think so.

“For someone who says it’s a shame, you look awfully cheerful.”

“Handsome men are a dime a dozen in the martial world after all.”

Rain looked exasperated.

Still, he felt oddly pleased. He had been jealous of how Water had shown interest in Lee Jaseung, but now she dismissed him so lightly. Perhaps she had said it to reassure him. Either way, he could not help but feel satisfied.

“Keep your eyes on everything.”

* * *

Everyone gathered in Lee Jaseung’s office.

Baek Seolyoung, Dan Woobin, Mujin, Ma Young-gi, and Mook Young, the core figures of the Black Way Alliance.

Their faces were grim. Even after five days, there had been no word from Lee Jaseung. Not once since meeting him had they ever experienced anything like this.

Dan Woobin spoke calmly, without a trace of his usual playful manner.

“From this moment, we enact the Black Earth Order.”

The Black Way Alliance had four levels of emergency.

The Black Heaven Order, the Black Earth Order, the Black Arcane Order, and the Black Yellow Order. The second of these, the Black Earth Order, had now been invoked.

The Black Heaven Order was an absolute order that only Lee Jaseung himself could give. Thus, in his absence, the Black Earth Order was the highest emergency order possible.

When the Lord was gone, the one authorized to act in his stead was the Chief Strategist, Dan Woobin. Someday, it would be Baek Seolyoung’s duty, but for now, she lacked the knowledge of the Alliance’s inner workings.

“I’ve already summoned the Berserk Dragon Army.”

He had issued several orders on the very first day of Lee Jaseung’s disappearance.

The Berserk Dragon Army was an elite corps newly formed by merging the Red Dragon Army, absorbed from Hae Ryang’s organization, with the Berserk Starving Ghouls, absorbed from the Undying Ghouls.

“And I’ve summoned the Dark Heaven Army as well.”

The Dark Heaven Army was composed of killers sustained by outer regions, a brutal and ferocious force.

Those two forces alone carried immense power, and since they were unknown to outsiders, they could move in secret.

Then Dan Woobin turned to Ma Young-gi.

“Captain Ma.”

“Yes.”

“Move the Iron Cavalry Regiment as close to the Murim Alliance as possible, but without provoking them.”

“I accept your order.”

Next, he gave orders to Mujin.

“Captain Mu.”

“Yes.”

“Place the Divine Sword Regiment on the highest level of alert and prepare them for immediate deployment.”

“I accept your order.”

Dan Woobin considered the worst. He hated to say it, especially in Baek Seolyoung’s presence, but it was his duty.

“You must all be prepared. If, by some chance, the Lord has passed away…”

The words felt so unreal that they almost seemed easier to bear.

Baek Seolyoung said nothing. She only listened in silence. Deep inside, she believed. Such a thing could not possibly happen.

But Dan Woobin’s eyes were cold as he finished his thought.

“By my authority… we will crush the Murim Alliance.”

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