Chapter 13
At the Martial Alliance (1)
He hurriedly rushed into the Martial Alliance.
“Grandfather—!”
His eyes widened.
Far ahead, an old man turned the corner of a massive building and disappeared. Madly, he sprinted after him—
“Hey! That’s rude!”
“What the—?! Why are you shoving people?!”
“Can’t you see the line here? Wait your turn, wait your turn!”
In his desperation, he bumped into several people, pushing past them roughly.
“A-ah! I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry—!”
He kept apologizing, but his gaze never strayed from the inside.
Nor did his feet stop.
Forcing his way through the crowd, he moved deeper and deeper into the Alliance grounds.
He passed through a massive plaza and several large buildings in an instant.
The crowd that had filled the surroundings suddenly thinned.
Grandfather—!
Was it really him?
Of course, he couldn’t be certain. And yet—
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!
For the first time in three years, Kang Yongun’s heart pounded with bursting excitement.
Then—
“Hey, stop right there!”
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Whoooosh—!
With a heavy pressure, two solid figures blocked his path.
“What’s this brat doing?!”
“He looks mighty suspicious!”
They were guards of the Martial Alliance.
The two warriors, sharp-eyed and stern-faced, swept their gazes up and down Yongun’s body.
“That’s the Military Affairs Division, Tianan Pavilion. Even Alliance warriors can’t wander in there as they please!”
“What were you thinking, barging straight in like that, huh?!”
“Ah!”
Only then did Yongun regain his senses.
I made a mistake.
This wasn’t just anywhere. This was the Martial Alliance.
One of the three great organizations upholding the world, alongside the Demonic Sect and the Blood Sect. And he had just tried to charge straight into the Alliance’s brain—the Military Affairs Division.
Should I just say someone who looked like my grandfather went inside, and ask them to let me check?
He hesitated, but in the end, couldn’t bring himself to speak.
What if it isn’t actually him, but just someone with a similar air?
These guards were already suspicious of him.
And then, out of nowhere, if he started talking about his grandfather and tried to enter the Military Affairs Division?
The only ones who could come and go there freely would be the heads of great sects. But if I reveal my identity, how would they react?!
It was obvious.
They’d only doubt me more.
And who could blame them?
He might insist the man was his grandfather, but once they checked, he’d be exposed as nothing more than a ruined noble of a fallen empire—not a disciple or descendant of some prestigious sect.
My already difficult situation would only grow worse.
The Seven Great Factions and the Five Noble Clans—
He didn’t belong to any of them.
They might very well subdue him on the spot and drag him off to a dungeon.
A trap of my own making.
To their eyes, he was nothing more than a suspicious fellow trying to force his way into the Alliance’s most critical building.
Regrettable, but—!
He had to back off for now.
But I can’t give up. Somehow, I must get into the Military Affairs Division and confirm it with my own eyes.
That was the only way to know if that back view had truly belonged to his grandfather.
But how do I get in?
And then the answer came to him immediately.
The Martial Alliance’s Hero Tournament.
At this very moment, the Alliance had thrown its gates wide open to gather the talents of the world for a grand examination.
Yes. I’ll enter the tournament too!
There was no other choice.
Yongun quickly declared,
“I am Kang Yongun, here to register for the upcoming Hero Tournament—”
“The Hero Tournament?”
“You came to register?”
“Yes.”
It was a reasonable answer, yet the two guards did not let go of their suspicion so easily.
“Then why come this way?”
“Didn’t you see the registration booths at the front entrance? They’ve got signs everywhere!”
Their doubt was unyielding.
Yongun had no choice but to play dumb.
“Ah, w-well… The grandeur of the Martial Alliance was just so overwhelming that I wandered around to look, and without realizing it, I… ended up here.”
Finally, it worked.
Pfft. Heh.
The guards burst into short laughs.
“Ha! Foolish kid.”
“Well, if he came from some remote countryside, being dazzled by the Alliance’s magnificence is understandable.”
“How many people have we had to push back already?”
“Who knows. Too many to count.”
Thankfully, it seemed such mistakes happened often.
The two guards finally withdrew their suspicion.
“Let’s just send him off.”
“Yeah. He looks honest enough. No ill intent, surely.”
The clear brightness in Yongun’s expression—something that had already won over Chunhwa’s Mistress and Honglu—helped as well.
In an instant, the guards became courteous guides.
“Go register first, then wait. The tournament won’t start for another three days.”
“The booths are over that way.”
They nudged him toward the bustling area near the entrance.
“Haha. We wish you good fortune.”
“May you achieve what you desire—!”
They even offered blessings.
Whew. Thank goodness.
Yongun quickly turned on his heel.
“Thank you—!”
Waving at them, he headed toward the registration booths.
Three days, they said?
His anxiety slowly eased.
Even if that man truly was his grandfather, he wouldn’t be leaving so soon.
He must have come because of the Hero Tournament. Naturally, he’ll remain until it ends.
That thought calmed him.
He joined the long line at the registration booth, waiting his turn.
The line stretched endlessly.
He waited nearly half an hour before finally reaching the desk.
“I wish to register for the Hero Tournament.”
“Name and affiliation.”
“I am Kang Yongun. No affiliation.”
The registrar’s brow furrowed.
—Another stray drifter, huh?
His thoughts were written all over his face.
Anger surged from deep within Yongun’s chest, but knowing he needed this, he suppressed it and held his tongue.
“Applying as a warrior?”
“Main martial skill—swordsmanship?”
The registrar’s eyes swept up and down his body, then paused at the cheap steel sword at his waist. He shook his head.
Yongun ignored it.
Is there another option besides warrior?
Sensing there was, he asked,
“Other than warrior applications, are there any other categories?”
“There are, but…”
“You really want to apply for something else?”
Both registrars looked at him with disdain, their eyes full of ‘Who do you think you are?’
Yongun finally snapped.
“Whatever I apply for, whether I pass or fail—that responsibility is mine alone. It is not yours. So what kind of attitude is this?!”
His voice rang with force.
“Ah?!”
“Kh-hm!”
Startled, the registrars coughed awkwardly.
“The Military Affairs Division.”
“They’re filling a vacant strategist’s seat through this tournament.”
Spark!
Light flashed in Yongun’s eyes.
That’s it.
Wasn’t the Military Affairs Division exactly where he wanted to go?
He immediately declared,
“I’ll apply for the strategist position.”
“Hmm. Very well.”
“Here is your token.”
“Thank you.”
As he turned away, the registrars called after him,
“The test is in three days. Return then.”
“Do become a strategist!”
“And please forgive our earlier rudeness—!”
Clearly, they were hedging their bets in case he passed.
Strategist, my foot.
Yongun had no intention of taking the exam seriously.
All he wanted was one thing—
To confirm whether the man whose back resembled his grandfather’s truly was him.
Why would I join the Martial Alliance?
Once he confirmed, he’d leave immediately.
But since one couldn’t spit on a smiling face, he gave them a gracious reply.
“Hahaha. Of course. Thank you—!”
And with that, he stepped outside.
From then on, he asked every person of seeming importance he encountered the same desperate question:
“Excuse me. I’m searching for someone. Do you happen to know a man with the courtesy name Jin, given name Young-hwi?”
It was the name of his grandfather’s dearest friend—the one he said he must meet no matter what.
Three days flew by.
Yongun had spent the time investigating and had uncovered several notable pieces of information.
—Jin Young-hwi? Hm, isn’t that the former Left Inspector of Honam Province who retired two years ago?
—Wait… I know that name… Ah! That’s it! He was the former head of the Jin Clan, one of the top ten merchant groups in the world.
—If you mean Elder Jin Young-hwi, yes! He once served as Grand Treasurer, and during the great flood a decade ago, he gave away his entire fortune to aid the suffering people!
Yongun’s eyes and ears lit up.
At last—!
He was overwhelmed with emotion.
For the first time in three years, he had places he could actually go and people he could seek out.
It sure took long enough. From the sound of it, these were all names I should have come across before.
Regret stung.
Why hadn’t anyone mentioned Jin Young-hwi to him earlier?
Maybe because I kept searching only around Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong.
That made sense.
The Left Inspector of Honam and the Jin Clan’s base were all south of the Yangtze.
Good. Once I confirm the man who entered the Military Affairs Division, I’ll head out immediately.
Where first?
Hebei. The Left Inspector who retired two years ago—I’ll meet him first.
The Jin Clan, based in Sichuan, and the Grand Treasurer’s hometown near Zhejiang’s coast could come after.
Ah! And tomorrow is the day.
At last, the Hero Tournament would begin.
Thump, thump.
Yongun steadied his pounding heart, spending the night in cultivation until dawn.
The long-awaited morning arrived.
Yongun first stopped by a nearby blacksmith.
His iron sword, now beyond repair, he sold off as scrap, and purchased a fresh steel blade.
I won’t be dueling with martial arts, but better to be prepared. You never know.
With that, he headed for the Alliance.
Sparkle, sparkle.
The Martial Alliance’s grounds gleamed from afar—not because of the buildings, but because of the dazzling flashes of inner energy visible to his mind’s eye.
Every time, I’m struck by how many brilliant talents the world holds.
If it came down to quality, perhaps he had an edge, but in sheer quantity, there were countless people with greater inner strength than his.
“Thinking of all the martial arts on display, I do regret missing the tournament… But for now, the Military Affairs Division…”
He only needed to confirm and leave.
Clutching the token he had received three days earlier like a pass, he moved toward the inner grounds.
Where could that man be?
His sole purpose was still to find the figure who had so resembled his grandfather.
But then—
“Ah! A candidate.”
“This way.”
A new obstacle arose.
The warriors stationed as guides began leading Yongun in an entirely unexpected direction.
