Chapter 372

Chapter 372
## Chapter 372. The Fluctuating Currents (4)

—

It was precisely as I prepared to exit the White Wolf Pavilion, abandoning the utterly deranged members of the Sojjeong-dae to their own devices.

“Hold on a moment, let us speak.”

The abrupt voice causing me to halt made me turn around, only to find an incredibly familiar countenance before me.

“……Du-cheon-gang.”

“Do you… actually recognize me?”

Du-cheon-gang regarded me with a gaze brimming with inquisitiveness. This was the same comrade who used to whine incessantly about minor aches, leading him to master movement and footwork techniques to an absolute pinnacle, yet he had thrown himself in front of an enemy’s blade meant for me when I lacked the ability to evade it.

[You must… survive. The knowledge within your mind… *cough*. It is of vital importance to the Murim Alliance…….]

He did it for the sake of the Murim Alliance, an organization that had essentially employed him as a human shield. Simply because my mind retained every single record belonging to the Mantong-bu.

That exact individual was currently standing alive right in front of me. After staring at him fixedly for a brief interval, I shook my head and gave my reply.

“No. I merely overheard the other squad members shouting your name just a moment ago…….”

“You certainly possess a remarkable memory.”

To this day, I remain clueless as to why a low-life street thief who did nothing but pickpocket before joining the Murim Alliance held such a profound, noble sense of duty. It was not as though his monthly compensation amounted to much.

Nevertheless, he interrogated me with a solemn expression, matching the exact demeanor from my past life.

“Is it your desire to become a warrior?”

“……A warrior, you say?”

That commonplace title felt peculiarly alien when spoken aloud.

“Indeed, a warrior serving the Murim Alliance.”

“Ah, of the Alliance…….”

Perhaps the word felt heavier because it originated from the lips of the man who had embraced the most honorable, warrior-like demise. As I murmured the title under my breath repeatedly, Du-cheon-gang flashed a wide grin.

“Is there any other type of warrior out there?”

“No. It is merely that I assumed you were referring to a true warrior.”

“Haha. You are quite an amusing fellow.”

Letting loose a boisterous laugh, he casually slung his arm over my shoulder.

“To be perfectly candid, even if you do secure a position as a warrior of the Murim Alliance, avoid the White Wolf Pavilion at all costs. The Sojjeong-dae in particular is the absolute pit of despair. If it is within your power, retake the evaluation and seek entry into an entirely different pavilion.”

“……What prompts you to offer such advice?”

“To speak plainly, this place serves as a gathering ground for the most wretched scoundrels imaginable. We wind up getting wounded from internal brawling far more frequently than we ever do while executing official assignments.”

I was well aware. Even within the Shinui-gak (Medical Pavilion), the members of the Sojjeong-dae were restricted to a specific quota for monthly medical treatment visits.

“Be that as it may……”

The jovial expression on Du-cheon-gang’s face quickly faded, replaced by a deep gravity. He tightened the grip of his arm around my shoulder and continued:

“If your desire is to stand alongside comrades possessing fiery hearts, clashing directly skin to skin, then by all means, join us.”

Comrades possessing fiery hearts……

“Because the most passionate bastards within the entirety of the Murim Alliance are concentrated right here in the Sojjeong-dae of the White Wolf Pavilion.”

Hearing Du-cheon-gang’s declaration, my head nodded almost involuntarily. At the very least, even if the martial prowess of the Sojjeong-dae was mediocre, they never once turned tail and fled from a foe. Regardless of how terrifying the adversary proved to be, or if the assignment meant certain doom, the Sojjeong-dae never retreated an inch.

As these vivid recollections flooded my mind, I nodded in agreement with his assertion.

“I understand.”

Patting my shoulder, Du-cheon-gang soon displayed a gratified grin. I offered him a respectful bow.

“My gratitude. My mind was already set on coming here, but your words have made me desire it even more intensely.”

“Is that so? Well, that is a relief.”

“We will undoubtedly cross paths again.”

Just as I prepared to walk away after offering Du-cheon-gang a brief parting bow.

“Hold on!”

He halted my departure once more.

“Yes? Is there something else?”

This time, he stepped closer, lowering his voice to a soft whisper.

“I caught a brief glimpse of you earlier, but are you perhaps a practitioner from a Daoist martial sect?”

“……?”

Where was this sudden inquiry coming from? At any rate, despite recent skepticism regarding the true identity of the Tae-eul Sect, it was irrefutably a Daoist martial sect.

“That is accurate.”

As I confirmed this with a nod, Du-cheon-gang clapped his palms together in sheer delight.

“Oh! That is absolutely magnificent! Truly marvelous! For a gifted individual like yourself to enter the White Wolf Pavilion—it will be an immense blessing for the entire Sojjeong-dae.”

Just as my suspicions were being aroused by this overly grand and exaggerated adulation, Du-cheon-gang dropped his voice to an even lower whisper to question me. I wondered what momentous secret he was preparing to disclose…….

“By any chance…… have you also mastered the arts of Exorcism and Spirit Suppression?”

“Out of nowhere……?”

For a split second, I completely failed to maintain my composure. He hastily pushed forward with his words.

“It is not as though I require an expert of unparalleled mastery. There is an ancient burial site located within Honam Province where a low-level spirit lingers……”

“……Guryong-san?”

Upon hearing my words, Du-cheon-gang stiffened entirely, as though a bolt of lightning had directly struck his frame.

“*Gasp*! H-how are you aware of that?!! Do you possess knowledge of Wol-hyang’s Tomb?!”

“…….”

Good grief, this scoundrel…… I wondered why he was acting like a responsible adult for once in his life. It was entirely driven by a personal agenda. A breathless chuckle escaped my lips at his utterly transparent motives.

‘Yes, curse it all, this is the authentic Sojjeong-dae I remember. This is exactly how things ought to be.’

Yet, completely ignoring my unenthusiastic reaction, Du-cheon-gang’s eyes dilated like a panicked rabbit’s, and his profound bewilderment showed no signs of stopping.

“How could you possibly know of that place?!”

How did I know?

“Reports regarding a spirit manifestation there circulated several years ago. You are far too late to the party.”

“That cannot be true!!!”

Rolling my eyes, I pried myself away from Du-cheon-gang, who was currently howling, “My fortune!!!” in utter agony, and walked out of the White Wolf Pavilion. Behind my retreating back, the furious shouting of the man echoed loudly.

“Just which miserable bastard beat me to it?!!”

Guided by the sound of that voice, I reaffirmed my internal vow. I would make it my priority to return to the White Wolf Pavilion at the earliest opportunity. Leaving the actual survival of the Sojjeong-dae aside, I first needed to civilize those lunatics.

—

“Wh-what…… what did you just utter?”

Seong-mo-ran’s countenance mirrored that of someone who had just been told a mythical dragon was spotted flying in the sky.

“What is the meaning of this……”

It was a display of sheer skepticism, despite the event being an absolute reality.

“What sort of nonsense is this? There is zero possibility of such an event occurring…… it defies logic.”

She appeared just as utterly bewildered as I felt disheartened.

“I am not entirely clear on the details myself. I reclaimed my paperwork and requested that they reprocess it, but I was rejected directly to my face.”

I presented the returned paperwork for them to see. The remaining figures of the representative squad similarly displayed expressions of utter disbelief.

“You were g-genuinely turned away?”

“Regardless of my arguments, they refused to budge.”

“…….”

Seong-mo-ran snatched the document from my hands, glaring at it with enough intensity to burn a hole straight through the parchment.

“Why? For what reason?”

“Why what?”

“Why would you be turned away? It makes absolutely no sense. That garba—no, it is the White Wolf Pavilion we are talking about…… and you, Jin-so-un…… are you not the highest-ranking candidate?”

Hold on, did she just address me directly by my given name? Regardless, I could not bring myself to disclose that the Alliance Leader himself had personally intervened. It would cause severe complications if the already unstable authority of the Alliance Leader was compromised on my account. When open warfare inevitably erupts, how could we manage without an Alliance Leader at the helm?

I had no alternative but to fabricate an explanation.

“They claimed that my performance records did not match the criteria required to enter the White Wolf Pavilion……”

“What kind of utterly ridiculous garbage is that?!!”

“!”

Not only myself, but every single member of the representative squad failed to conceal their utter shock. This marked the very first occasion I had ever heard Seong-mo-ran, despite her coarse edges, utter such vulgar profanity.

Breathing heavily in pure outrage, Seong-mo-ran barely reined in her explosive emotions and sank back into her seat.

“……Elaborate…… explain this situation thoroughly.”

Grinding her teeth in fury, Seong-mo-ran glared in my direction as though she intended to end my life right then and there.

“L-Lady Seong……. Hold on, please compose yourself. Why are you exhibiting such extreme agitation?”

“Why? Why?? You have the audacity to ask why I am agitated?! Only…… no, we are the only ones who ended up being assigned to the White Wolf Pavilion!”

*Gulp.*

An instinctual dread washed over me, signaling that matters had taken a disastrous turn. In that precise instant.

“*Unnie*, let us hear his explanation first. There must be a logical justification behind this.”

A saving grace of a voice reached my ears. Overjoyed at the intervention, I quickly turned my gaze toward her, about to call her name.

“Lady Namgung—*hic*!”

Namgung-seon-hwa stood there with her tresses in complete disarray, a crimson aura of pure animosity radiating from her eyes.

“Let us…… grant him an audience, shall we, just this once……”

Upon closer inspection, her tone was entirely detached from her customary serenity. It was a voice sharpened to a razor’s edge, resembling a freshly honed blade. It was a bone-chilling tone that implied my head might be severed at any given second.

“Furthermore…… regardless of the complications, Young Master Jin will undoubtedly find a way into the White Wolf Pavilion.”

“…….”

“Young Master Jin has consistently operated in that manner up until now, has he not? No matter the magnitude of the obstacle, you invariably crushed it to pieces and seized your desired objective.”

While her words were framed as an accolade, each sentence felt like a sharp needle piercing directly into my chest.

“There is no world in which you fail to gain entry. Considering the character of Young Master Jin, you would never abandon us in that ki—no, within the White Wolf Pavilion. Most certainly, even if the rest of humanity chose to do so, Young Master Jin would never commit such an act.”

“L-Lady Namgung. The reality of the matter is.”

Namgung-seon-hwa persisted with her low murmuring, as if my protests were incapable of penetrating her focus.

“Haha, because up to this very moment, Young Master Jin has never once failed us. Naturally, there is no chance you would fail us now. You are, after all, the prominent Young Master Jin-so-un of the esteemed ‘Tae-eul Sect,’ and no one else.”

It had to be a trick of my mind that the phrases “Tae-eul Sect” and my personal name were emphasized with such deliberate clarity, right? I shifted my sight slightly to gauge Namgung-seon-hwa. The edges of her mouth curled into a gentle, soft smile.

“Is that not correct, Young Master?”

Nevertheless, the intensity reflecting in her gaze was more lethal than anything I had previously witnessed.

“You went so far as to best my own uncle to seize control of the Changgung Merchant Guild. Weighing it against that feat, gaining access to the White Wolf Pavilion as originally arranged should be trivial. Am I incorrect?”

“…….”

“Surely you are not implying that entering the White Wolf Pavilion presents a greater challenge than wresting the Changgung Merchant Guild from the grasp of the Namgung Clan. Is that your claim?”

In truth, despite her reasoning, it appeared exceedingly complicated this time around. Given that the individual dictating my assignment was none other than the supreme Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance.

“…….”

“…….”

As I maintained my silence, Namgung-seon-hwa likewise fell quiet. The heavy stillness stretching between us rapidly infected the rest of the representative squad, and an atmosphere toxic enough to draw blood began to permeate the chamber. I cast my eyes about the room seeking an ally, but for some inexplicable reason, every individual present was glaring at me with homicidal intent.

What exactly was happening? Had I committed some egregious offense without my own awareness……? I simply lacked the capacity to comprehend why circumstances had devolved into this mess. From my viewpoint, I was the true casualty who was blocked from entering the White Wolf Pavilion as I wished. Yet, every member of the representative squad, Seong-mo-ran and Namgung-seon-hwa included, glared at me with deep-seated resentment.

When I directed my gaze toward Eun-ho, who had at least applied for the Mantong-bu rather than the White Wolf Pavilion.

“Ahem……”

The scoundrel promptly averted his vision. Even Eun-ho, whom I considered a trustworthy ally, abandoned me to preserve his own well-being; it was an absolute textbook scenario of being completely isolated. Just as that suffocating tension peaked.

An individual casually tossed a remark into the silence.

“Well, I fully anticipated that things would transpire in this fashion. Therefore, what are Representative Jin’s backup or tertiary preferences?”

The hostile stares of the crowd instantly pivoted toward the speaker.

“Do you intend to vie for the Blue Dragon Pavilion after all? Personally, I have been meaning to advocate for the Red Phoenix Pavilion for quite some time.”

Why on earth was this idiot even present when he did not belong to the representative squad?

“Hold on a second, Young Master Cheol. You anticipated this outcome…… what exactly are you implying?”

Faced with Seong-mo-ran’s inquiry, Cheol-sun-jik merely shrugged his shoulders. Nam-hwa-seong, who had recently acquired a modicum of situational awareness, attempted to physically restrain Cheol-sun-jik, but that fellow was hardly the type to heed someone trying to hold him back.

“It defies logic for an individual of Representative Jin’s immense caliber to waste away inside the White Wolf Pavilion. The White Wolf Pavilion simply lacks the capacity to serve as a vessel for his talents. Furthermore, noting that the rivalry for the White Wolf Pavilion deviated from prior years, I foresaw an impending issue, which prompted me to instantly retract my own submission. It appears my instincts were entirely accurate.”

“Y-you foresaw this complication?”

Seong-mo-ran’s eyes widened significantly. Offering a serene nod, Cheol-sun-jik turned his head to look directly at me.

“Representative Jin must have foreseen it as well. Is that not the case?”

No, you absolute lunatic!

“Young Master Jin! Explain yourself. Did you truly foresee this? And despite knowing…… you hid it from us? ……You exclusively informed Cheol-sun-jik?”

“That is absurd, there is no possible way I would……”

Cheol-sun-jik swiftly cut through my response with an explicitly conceited demeanor.

“We possess the ability to comprehend one another’s minds perfectly without resorting to spoken words. Is that not right, Representative Jin?”

What absolute garbage are you spewing! Since when did we share that sort of connection……

“I…… understand.”

Yet, prior to my ability to voice a contradiction, Namgung-seon-hwa rose abruptly from her chair.

“L-Lady Namgung.”

I remained entirely clueless as to what madness was unfolding, but the raw combat intent emanating from her frame—a sensation I was experiencing from her for the very first time—triggered an internal alarm warning me to vacate the premises immediately.

“…….”

I deployed the classic, transparent fabrication utilized by countless individuals desperate to escape an awkward predicament.

“Ah, of course! I completely overlooked the fact that I left some tea water heating on the stove!”

“Your estate employs servants for such tasks!”

*Swoosh—*

Seong-mo-ran’s Grappling Hand technique cut through the air toward me in a flash. Evading her grasp, I threw myself headfirst out the window frame. Despite dropping from the elevation of the second story, the execution of the Heavenly Solitary Walk permitted a graceful, silent landing, enabling me to vacate the representative squad’s headquarters swifter than anyone else could manage.

“Don’t you dare flee right now!!”

An aggressive shout, whose owner I could not identify, echoed from behind, though it rapidly diminished in volume. After a prolonged sprint, I finally reduced my pace only upon confirming that no pursuers remained on my trail. My lungs were not straining, but my mind was spinning violently.

“……Why on earth must everyone target me in this manner.”

I was busy lamenting my unfortunate circumstances after finally recovering my breath when…….

*Rumble, rumble, rumble—*

“……?”

The earth beneath my feet commenced a violent shaking, mimicking the approach of a massive military vanguard. Turning my head around.

*Patter, patter, patter—*

A massive contingent of academy pupils was sprinting directly toward my location. And those absolute bastards.

“Representative Jin!!!”

“Representative Jin!!!”

“Squad Leader!!!”

……For some inexplicable reason, they were crying out my name in utter desperation. As an aside, it seemed there were still idiots remaining who insisted on addressing me as Squad Leader.

“What is the meaning of this, assembling en masse so suddenly……”

“Squad Leader Jin!!!!!”

Curse it, my eardrums are on the verge of rupturing. The fools descended upon me, sealing off any escape routes, and began bombarding me with inquiries.

“Is it an absolute fact that you are avoiding the White Wolf Pavilion?”

“No, the Squad Leader explicitly stated his intention to join the White Wolf Pavilion!”

“Correct! I placed my full faith in those words as well!”

“Could it be…… you deliberately deceived us?!”

Is it that same grievance once more? Why in the world is the entire population so obsessed with my career trajectory? Since when did we share such an intimate bond.

A wave of irritation crested within me at the endless barrage of accusations flying from every angle. My disposition had already soured considerably upon learning of the Alliance Leader’s underhanded interference, and these pests had denied me even a solitary moment to sort through my thoughts since fleeing the representative chambers. Filling my lungs completely, I unleashed a thunderous Lion’s Roar.

“Ah, what is the matter with every single one of you!!”

Subjected to the staggering aura that reverberated through the vicinity, the chaotic questioning instantly ceased. However, an even more ferocious uproar erupted immediately afterward.

“How can you act in this manner! We all proceeded solely on the strength of your word!”

“Exactly! Because of your actions, Squad Leader, I have been thoroughly blacklisted by my senior disciples (*Sasuk*)!”

“Precisely! Are you aware of how many casualties of this deception exist?! How do you intend to remedy this!”

What exactly did these fools consume to behave with such sheer entitlement? Confronting the masses who were chirping relentlessly like a nest of newborns clamoring for sustenance, I channeled the energies of the Tae-eul True Scripture to their absolute peak.

*Pop!*

As my martial vestments billowed outward as though pushed to their physical limits, the surrounding assembly instinctively retreated several paces.

“You have all completely lost your sanity, haven’t you? Have you forgotten who I am? I am Jin-so-un of the Tae-eul Sect! Jin-so-un!!!”

“Ugh……”

“When did I ever press a blade against your throats and coerce you into applying for the White Wolf Pavilion?!”

“Th-that is not the point, however……”

As the surrounding atmosphere grew intensely oppressive, the academy pupils backed away with thoroughly sour expressions. These were individuals caught in a state of paralysis, unable to advance or retreat, cowed by the sheer velocity of the power I had unleashed. At that precise juncture, a lone voice rang out.

“To th-think you would resort to such low tactics, attempting to settle this through mere logic and martial dominance……”

“What kind of absolute garbage……”

Before I could even voice a counterargument, the remaining crowd began chiming in, echoing the sentiment in harmony.

“He speaks the truth! Let us resolve this through open discussion, discussion!”

“The Squad Leader owes it to his squad members to listen to their grievances……!”

“Reconsider! Reconsider! Squad Leader Jin, reconsider!”

“Reconsider! Reconsider!!”

The academy pupils commenced an organized demonstration, chanting slogans in perfect unison. Observing their resolute solidarity, bound together by a single grievance, I could do nothing but press my hands against my throbbing temples.

‘Just…… who in the world gave you permission to call me your Squad Leader?!!’

—