Chapter 166: Jaseung, Ascends

The enthronement ceremony for the Alliance Leader took place abruptly three days after the vote.

Ordinarily it should have been a grand affair with all the renowned figures of Jianghu summoned, but Lee Jaseung omitted all of that.

Citing the state of emergency created by the assassination of the former Alliance Leader, he held a simple ceremony with only those Murim Alliance warriors who could attend.

At the ceremony, Lee Jaseung made two promises.

One was to eradicate corruption. It was the very reason he had been able to become Alliance Leader, so it was the pledge he had to value most.

The second was a promise to uncover the truth behind Jang Wonso’s death. He meant to use the findings when dealing with the forces behind it and with the Demonic Cult.

After ascending to the Alliance Leader’s seat, Lee Jaseung carried out new appointments.

He first filled two vacant posts. The head of the Guard Hall had stepped down for failing to prevent the assassination. Lee Jaseung appointed Ma Young-gi to that position.

Ordinarily Mook Young would have been the ideal choice, but Mook Young had never been publicly exposed. If he took charge of the Guard Hall, he would draw attention.

Lee Jaseung then appointed Mujin as head of the Virtuous Heroes, the organization he himself had led.

By entrusting the two units closest to the Murim Alliance Leader to those men, Lee Jaseung stabilized his power.

Meanwhile, Dan Woobin left the affairs of the Murim Alliance to Lee Jaseung and focused all his attention on the forces behind the scenes and on the Demonic Cult.

He heard that the Vice Leader, Elder Demon Lord, had learned of the backers’ existence. They had taken in the information he had leaked.

Dan Woobin continued to funnel intelligence about the hidden faction to the Demonic Cult. He did not intervene directly. He handled it through the Golden Ants.

He also sent word to the main alliance to dispatch a warrior who could act in Lee Jaseung’s stead. The most skilled shadow operative was already standing in for Lee Jaseung within the Black Way Alliance.

Dan Woobin kept that man in the Black Way Alliance Leader’s seat and called for the next strongest to be sent.

At the same time he tightened discipline across the Black Way Alliance. He greatly strengthened training and inspections. Since the Murim Alliance Leader had changed, such moves by the Black Way Alliance were only natural.

Dan Woobin worked with the mindset that a quasi-wartime situation had begun. No one could know when or why a war might break out.

For the time being, everyone was frantically busy.

* * *

“I ask that you pay even closer attention to the Alliance Leader’s meals from now on.”

Having become head of the Guard Hall, Ma Young-gi inspected every corner of the Alliance Leader’s quarters. He was especially thorough in managing the kitchen responsible for the Murim Alliance Leader’s food.

He summoned trustworthy subordinates from the Iron Cavalry Regiment to conduct poison checks and made those checks several times stricter than before.

One might have grumbled that such measures were excessive, yet the elderly head chef did not lose his smile.

“Do not worry. We will manage everything with absolute care.”

Ma Young-gi nodded to the head chef. He had already finished background checks on all the chefs.

The head chef in charge had been newly appointed when Jang Wonso ascended to the Alliance Leader’s seat. He had run the kitchen ever since without a single problem. He had a reputation as one of the most reliable men even during civil strife.

“Then I will rely on you, Head Chef.”

“Leave it to me.”

As soon as Ma Young-gi left, the head chef began cleaning.

He was a man who led by example. He came in early each morning to supervise cleaning and personally checked that day’s ingredients. He believed that the one responsible for an organization should arrive first and leave last.

A man pushed a cart piled high with vegetables into the rear yard of the kitchen.

“Have you slept well?”

“Come in.”

The man carried the ingredients from the cart into the kitchen. The chefs helped him move the goods.

The head chef personally examined each item as he took it. When all the ingredients had been moved, the head chef filled a bowl with wine.

“You have worked hard. Have a drink before you go.”

“Thank you.”

The man sat on the edge of his empty cart and drank. The head chef sat down beside him. The scene was common enough that no one paid it special attention.

Watching the chefs bustle about, the man spoke.

“Now that the Alliance Leader has changed, there must be many things on your mind.”

“That is true.”

“I am truly sorry.”

The man bowed his head as if he had caused them the extra work.

It was not surprising. The man who delivered the ingredients by cart was Rain.

And the head chef was Mountain.

He had concealed his identity for years, living as the head chef who prepared the Alliance Leader’s meals.

All matters related to the kitchen fell under the head chef’s authority, so with the pass he issued, one could enter and leave at any time.

The warriors only inspected the cart. They did not question anyone the head chef vouched for. Because of that, Mountain could call people in freely, and he could also go out freely under the pretext of buying supplies.

No one suspected the man who had run the kitchen flawlessly for years.

“Lee Jaseung is truly an extraordinary man.”

As his eyes grew piercing, the gentle, diligent head chef transformed into Mountain, filled with fierce ambition.

Mountain genuinely admired and acknowledged Lee Jaseung.

“He is far more remarkable than I expected.”

At that very moment, Rain was also feeling awed by Mountain.

Even when they had missed the map he had coveted for so many years, Mountain had shown no agitation. He was human. How could he not have felt anger?

Yet he possessed a breadth of mind beyond the reach of ordinary men, one that filed the past as past.

This time was the same.

Gwak Jinpung, whom they had intended to make Alliance Leader, had fallen, and the Black Way Alliance Leader had taken the seat. Even so, Mountain remained frighteningly calm.

‘The truly great one is you, elder.’

Hiding such thoughts, Rain spoke evenly.

“In three months, we should send Silent Death to eliminate Lee Jaseung.”

Mountain shook his head.

“Now that he is the Alliance Leader, killing him has become difficult. Even if he is to die, it must not be by our hand.”

Rain nodded. Mountain likely wanted to make good use of the secret that the Murim Alliance’s Seop Mu-pyeong was also the Black Way Alliance Leader.

‘But…’

Yet Rain could not shake the thought that, no matter the reason, they ought to devote their full strength to removing Lee Jaseung.

Ever since Lee Jaseung had appeared, nothing had gone smoothly for them.

Just then, a subordinate rushed in and reported urgently.

“We have a serious problem.”

“What is it?”

“Earth has been abducted.”

At the unexpected report, Mountain and Rain were both startled.

“Abducted? By whom?”

“We are investigating at the moment.”

Mountain quickly turned to Rain.

“Was it the work of the Black Way Alliance Leader?”

Rain shook his head.

“I do not think so.”

With Lee Jaseung newly enthroned, he would not make the mistake of provoking them. Rain disliked the man, but he had to admit Lee Jaseung was intelligent.

“I will look into it myself.”

* * *

When the man called Earth came to his senses, he was bound in darkness.

After the death of the Dark One, he had been keeping a low profile. Earth believed that the one who had ordered his death had been Jang Wonso.

While he was nursing a drink with grim satisfaction over the news of Jang Wonso’s death, a sudden whoosh passed him, and a strange scent stabbed at his nose.

When he next awoke, he was here. He could not believe he had been kidnapped so easily.

Someone stood in the darkness with his back turned.

“Do you have any idea who I am, to dare such a thing?”

The man made no reply. He toyed with something in his hand.

Earth flinched. The man was holding a small medicine vial that looked sinister at a glance.

Earth swallowed hard and asked,

“What do you plan to do with me?”

“What do you think?”

When the man returned the question in an ominous voice, Earth started.

“Wait, you are?”

The man finally turned around. To Earth’s shock, he was Cheon Myeongin, the son of Yim Sayeon.

“It has been a while.”

“Why are you…?”

Earth’s voice trembled.

“Do you really need to ask?”

Cheon Myeongin’s words held the chill born of a long-nursed grudge.

“A traitor meets a traitor’s end.”

Cheon Myeongin lifted the vial and gave it a shake.

“It is a truth serum. There aren’t many who can withstand its effects.”

When Earth bared his teeth and glared with hatred, Cheon Myeongin mocked him instead.

“If you want to keep your secrets, kill yourself.”

Cheon Myeongin had suppressed only Earth’s inner Qi, not his pressure points. If he chose death, he could bite through his tongue.

“But you probably can’t. You don’t have such bravery.”

Provoked, Earth burst out shouting.

“All of this happened because of you!”

“Because of me you say?”

“Mountain acknowledged us properly! Yet you only saw us as expendables.”

Cheon Myeongin’s lips curled.

“No ruler truly acknowledges his subordinates. They only pretend.”

Earth laughed scornfully.

“Then it seems you could not even pretend.”

Earth knew begging for his life would not work on this man.

“You may be able to kill me, but you will never take on all of us alone. The organization will take revenge at once. You know that better than anyone, don’t you?”

“I know. I know it very well.”

Right on cue, the door opened and someone entered.

Pouring out overwhelming Demonic Qi, the man who stepped in was the Vice Leader of the Asura Demon Sect, Elder Demon Lord. Cheon Myeongin had joined hands with him.

In less than a year, Cheon Myeongin had chosen the fastest and most forceful way to take back his organization. It was also the most dangerous path, one whose end no one could foresee.

Cheon Myeongin approached, grinning.

“I have no intention of facing them alone.”

* * *

Wearing only his trousers, Lee Jaseung stood by the window.

The view of the Murim Alliance compound looked strangely unfamiliar.

When he had first considered this outcome, a part of him had thought it impossible. Yet fate had mocked that doubt and placed him in the Murim Alliance Leader’s seat.

How far did the path laid out by fate extend?

Lee Jaseung clenched his fist.

If fate ever blocked his way with the words that he had come far enough, he would strike back and keep walking. He would have to work even harder than he did now to do that. His efforts were not over.

Now that he had become Alliance Leader, he had to take hold of the Murim Alliance.

He would draw in as many people and organizations as he could make his own.

He did not expect deep loyalty from them. For the moment, it was enough if they would not betray him.

The problem lay with Yeo Beom and the others whom he had previously won over. They would now press him for returns through him. How he handled them would be the key battle of wills at the start.

As these thoughts churned, a soft voice sounded behind him.

“You’re up?”

When he turned, Baek Seolyoung was half-risen in bed, looking at him. Her beautiful shoulders were bare, and the blanket covered her chest.

They had spent a night like a dream. There had been spring breezes and raging storms. It had been sweet as honey and fierce as spilled blood.

With her help he had reached this seat. If she had not opened the free-for-all bout, he would have taken another path. If she had not gone to the Golden Ants, he would have lost the election. His life had changed greatly after meeting her.

“I have been thinking about what you said before. If I am going to be the ruler of the world, then I should become the kind of ruler who can embrace everyone.”

Baek Seolyoung waited with quiet tension to hear what he would say next.

This touched closely on their relationship.

“To be honest, I am not confident that I can become that admirable ruler. But I will make the effort. That is my answer.”

Baek Seolyoung smiled. She was grateful that he accepted it kindly, and grateful that he had taken her words so seriously.

“That much is enough.”

Yes, in a life where tomorrow was unknowable, what had more value than doing one’s best?

She felt that the time had come.

“Come here for a moment.”

Drawing the eye with smooth muscle, Lee Jaseung sat on the edge of the bed.

Facing him, Baek Seolyoung spoke in a serious tone.

“There is something I did not tell you.”

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