Everything went smoothly after the 'Mountain King Struggle'.

First, we commandeered carts from the Hwaeom Stronghold to carry the wounded.

Whether they had frequently attacked merchants instead of just collecting tolls in the past, there were plenty of sturdy carriages and carts inside the stronghold.

"You dare attack innocent merchants?"

It was perhaps natural that Bang Duchil, enraged by this, beat up the Stronghold Masters.

The beating only stopped after the words, 'We will only collect tolls from now on,' popped out of their mouths.

On the way from the Hwaeom Stronghold to Chengdu, we drafted the stronghold's experts to handle escort duties and night watches.

The bizarre journey between the Murim Academy students, the Murim Alliance, and the bandits continued for several days until we finally reached Chengdu.

And there, Bang Duchil's group, who had accompanied us all the way to Chengdu, bid their farewells.

Regardless of what happened, I was grateful to him for rushing over unconditionally at my call.

"Where do you plan to go now?"

"I'm thinking of taking a tour around Sichuan for now."

"At this time, I would like to recommend taking a tour of Guizhou Province rather than Sichuan."

"Why is that?"

Because a massive war was about to break out in Sichuan.

But I couldn't just tell him the truth.

"Sichuan is going to be noisy for a while. I feel it would be difficult for you to travel comfortably."

"Hmm... Is that so?"

Judging by his expression, he somehow seemed to want to stay longer in the noisy Sichuan.

It seemed he had also roughly caught on to the way things were turning.

As expected, Baek Soryeong stepped forward first to settle the situation.

"Darling, let's do as Young Master Jin says. When have we ever suffered a loss from listening to Young Master Jin's words?"

"Shall we? I was planning to stop by other strongholds on the way back anyway, so moving a bit earlier wouldn't be bad."

He spoke incredibly lightly, but it was easy to predict that he would visit the Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Woods one by one to wage a 'Mountain King Struggle'.

'Has the Path of the Combat King already begun?'

Considering that his conquest of Jiangnan was much later in my past life, this was a truly dramatic change.

"Jiangnan will soon be under your feet, Brother."

Bang Duchil twitched his lips and said.

"Is that so?"

However, Jiangbei would not be so easy.

In reality, the experts of the Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Woods were mostly gathered in Jiangbei.

Still, he would be able to unify them a few years faster than in my past life.

Following that train of thought, I felt a renewed sense of surprise.

We had a certain degree of acquaintance in my past life too, but it wasn't to the extent where he would mobilize at a single missive like now.

I had prevented the situation where Bang Duchil's Dantian was injured, but it was hard to distinguish whether that had truly been for his sake or my own.

Even so, Bang Duchil was showing me limitless trust, and that pure, deep faith felt like it was pressing down on my heart a little.

"Please just listen well to Sister-in-law's words as you move. Then there won't be many hardships on your path, Brother."

"Ahem, ahem!"

I advised him with all my heart.

That rough Bang Duchil coughed dryly while his face dyed red, and Baek Soryeong covered her lips as she giggled.

It was a truly nostalgic sight, and I was pleased to see it again.

"Take care of yourself as well, Little Brother. From what I've heard through rumors, neither what has happened so far nor what will happen in the future seems very smooth."

"..."

Bang Duchil's face turned quite serious.

"People like you and me are bound to stick out wherever we are. It's all too natural to be ostracized because of it. But even if you try to hide and conceal it, you won't be able to blend in easily. A hawk looks far too unique among ducks."

Bang Duchil uncharacteristically continued with words full of profundity.

Then, his eyes soon sparkled as he grinned.

"If so, is there really a need to become a duck? You just have to become a hawk and rule over them, or become a predator, and that's it."

Did he also have a moment when he wanted to blend in with the flock of ducks?

While I was thinking that he must have gone through a difficult time, Bang Duchil was staring piercingly at me.

"So do not curse your own claws and sharp beak. We all have our own places, after all."

"..."

The reason he was suddenly saying this was likely because he had seen how I was among the academy students over the past few days.

Even to his eyes, I must have looked quite out of place at the Murim Academy.

"Thank you, Brother."

I spoke with utter sincerity.

His advice felt as if it was leaving a fresh, deep mark in my heart.

We had forged the bond of sworn brothers in the spur of the moment, but I hadn't expected to feel such reliability and thoughtfulness from him as an older brother.

He lightly grabbed both of my shoulders with his massive hands and said.

"So come back to the Black Dragon Stronghold anytime. Now with the Hwaeom Stronghold too, don't you have two strongholds to lead?"

"Ah..."

Was that what all that talk about ducks was about?

Damn it... The feelings of reliability and thoughtfulness I had just felt vanished into dust.

"Listen well, after conquering all of Jiangnan, I will head to Jiangbei! We'll be together as the Twin Dragons then, how does..."

"Darling! Let's go already!"

Perhaps sensing that my expression was looking strange, Baek Soryeong began to drag Bang Duchil away.

Even as he was dragged away by Baek Soryeong, Bang Duchil didn't stop talking.

"When that happens, you'll rule Jiangbei, and I'll rule Jiangnan! The two of us will have the world beneath our feet! Mmph, mmph!"

In the end, Baek Soryeong even covered his mouth.

How do I change that damned Black Dragon Stronghold name?

I pressed down firmly on my throbbing temples.

* * *

As soon as we arrived at the Murim Alliance's Chengdu Branch, Elder Suheo and Elder Sangwon were the first to break away from the group.

Right after finishing their private meeting with the Branch Chief, they chartered carriages from the branch, loaded the other elders, and departed immediately.

The disciples couldn't hide their dumbfounded expressions at the sight of the elders leaving without even saying goodbye to them.

The wounded were all entrusted to the branch's medical hall, and the academy students were assigned rooms at the branch, cramming in three or four at a time.

Right now, to relieve the fatigue of the long journey, it didn't matter whether it was a guest house or an inn.

I also tried to wash up right away to relieve my fatigue, but someone called for me.

"The Branch Chief?"

"Yes. He wishes to see you right away."

"..."

In truth, the ones responsible for this event were the Council of Elders, and the next in charge would be the Seungho Hall Leader.

What reason would someone as important as a Murim Alliance Branch Chief have to meet with an academy representative?

"The Black Dragon Stronghold is a misunderstanding, though..."

To make a rough guess, it was highly likely a summons caused by the Black Dragon Stronghold—a massive snowball created by Bang Duchil's vain hopes and Baek Soryeong's prank.

Since the fact that I had participated in the Mountain King Struggle was exposed to all the academy students, it was obvious that someone would have snitched on me.

'Damned bastards. I only stepped up to save them.'

If I hadn't participated in the Mountain King Struggle there, wouldn't we have suffered quite a bit of damage too?

I had only done my best on my end...

"Please go on ahead."

At the servant's urging, I stared at him fixedly.

"Do I really have to go?"

"Excuse me?"

An expression that asked why I was questioning the obvious.

Right, that's how it is.

It would be stranger if I didn't go after coming all this way.

But what I hate is what I hate.

Even in my past life, I didn't have a single good memory of getting involved with the various Murim Alliance Branch Chiefs.

Every single one of them was high-handed, self-righteous, and selfish.

It was only because of my status as an academy student that I was at least told to come and go; back in my Minor Orthodox Unit days, I wasn't even treated like a human being.

Compared to my past life, I had risen to a mind-boggling degree of success, but my past sense of defeatism still remained.

"Please go on ahead. He has been waiting for a while."

In the end, I moved my heavy footsteps.

When I arrived at the Branch Chief's office, there was someone who had arrived before me.

"Seungho Hall Leader."

I acknowledged him, but he simply gave a short nod without much reaction.

Could it be that he was trying to distance himself now because I was the Black Dragon Stronghold Master?

I didn't think of him as that kind of person...

It was a natural reaction, but it would be a lie to say I didn't feel disappointed.

'And I was even going to buy the Demon-Crushing Spirit-Subduing Sabers for the Seungho Hall members.'

Next, just as I was about to clasp my fist in greeting to the Murim Alliance's Chengdu Branch Chief, he sprang up from his seat.

"Young Hero Jin, thank you for coming when you must be tired."

"..."

The first words he spat out were incredibly bizarre.

'Young Hero?'

The position of a Murim Alliance Branch Chief was one treated on the level of a Pavilion Master within the Alliance.

They governed the region while simultaneously serving the role of conveying the Murim Alliance's will.

The title of Branch Chief was a high position that represented the Murim Alliance in each region.

Because of that, it wasn't a position one could reach with an ordinary background.

Looking just at the Chengdu Branch Chief's background, he was an elite of the Mount Cangshan Sect, and in terms of academy cohorts, he was a senior so far ahead it was dizzying.

Tang Hyeokjae, who was the Yueyang Branch Chief, had been peculiar; in the case of normal Branch Chiefs, they wouldn't even treat an academy student as an official warrior...

"What kind of tea do you prefer? I have Dragon Well tea and Junshan Silver Needle..."

He was even giving me the choice of tea?

Just why was he acting like this?

"Junshan Silver Needle suits my palate."

"Ah, ah...! I-Is that so?"

What's this?

For a moment there, didn't he look a bit like it was a waste?

If it was such a waste, he shouldn't have said he had it.

"It's rewarding that I saved exactly enough for 'one' serving."

The Branch Chief was trying desperately to win my favor, as if he were dealing with a creditor.

'How are things turning out like this?'

Even before coming here, I had thought I might be dragged to the Golden Jade Prison and interrogated about my relationship with Bang Duchil, or whether I was a spy for the Black Dragon Stronghold...

"The aroma of the tea is truly excellent."

"I am truly glad that it suits your palate, Young Hero."

"By the way, why did you wish to see me?"

When the other party was going out of his way to lower himself first, was there any need for me to follow suit?

I straightened my hunched shoulders.

CRACK! CRACK! Sounds rang out from various parts of my body.

The Chengdu Branch Chief smiled at me, looking as if he had met a peerless noble.

"I cannot express how grateful I am that you prevented the damage to the Orthodox Council from spreading further."

"I simply did what I had to do, naturally."

"To think of sacrifice for others as a matter of course... The future of Jianghu is incredibly bright."

When one reached the level of a Branch Chief, they had to be seen as half-politician.

The Chengdu Branch Chief's tongue rolled around in his mouth as if it had been oiled.

Never having received such flattery in either my past or current life, I felt goosebumps rising instead.

Regardless, there was no doubt that this attitude from the Chengdu Branch Chief was incredibly strange.

'Did Daoist Myeonghyeon leave without saying anything?'

Given that Daoist Myeonghyeon harbored a grudge against me, I thought he would have alienated me from his junior of the same sect right from the branch. So why was this junior acting so obsequious toward me?

"This incident is just as highly embarrassing from the perspective of the Sichuan Chengdu Branch. Because of that, you don't know how grateful I am for your help, Young Hero."

"..."

Now, the Branch Chief was speaking as if I were altogether his superior.

When I remained silent with a stiff expression, the Branch Chief, perhaps finally sensing something odd, cleared his throat and tried to bring up the main point.

"I heard that you have a good connection with Stronghold Master Bang Duchil, the Green Dragon of Zhejiang."

Hmm... From the Branch Chief's perspective, it shouldn't be just a 'good connection', right?

The Branch Chief asked me in a subtle tone.

"Perhaps your chivalry moved even the heart of that mere bandit, Stronghold Master Bang Duchil, Young Hero?"

"... What is it you want to say?"

Feeling too frustrated, I eventually asked point-blank.

At that, the Branch Chief repeatedly parted his lips.

"May I ask just how deep your friendship with Stronghold Master Bang Duchil is, Young Hero?"

My gaze turned toward the Seungho Hall Leader.

Even though I hadn't asked via sound transmission, he seemed to know what my look meant and gave a small shake of his head.

'Setting aside the Seungho Hall Leader, neither Daoist Myeonghyeon nor the academy students of the Mount Cangshan Sect said anything?'

Judging by the atmosphere, the Branch Chief seemed unaware that I was sworn brothers with Bang Duchil.

Naturally, he also seemed completely clueless that I was the Master of the Black Dragon Stronghold.

These punks, they were quite loyal after all, weren't they?

I found myself feeling somewhat touched.

"I apologize for asking something so personal. However, the survival of the Sichuan Chengdu Branch currently depends on you, Young Hero."

In other words... the Sichuan Chengdu Branch Chief seemingly wanted to ask a favor of Bang Duchil through me.

I casually lifted one foot and rested it on my other knee.

Sitting in a tense state for a long time had made my legs ache a bit.

And at the same time, I gave a long stretch.

Though it felt like the Chengdu Branch Chief's eyebrow twitched slightly at that.

When the body is stiff, words don't come out well, after all.

I lightly cleared my throat.

"Ahem. As a rising star of the Orthodox faction, I must be careful in saying this, but... you can consider us to be at the level of sworn brothers."

"Oh-ho! Is that so?!"

The Branch Chief's eyes shot wide open.

Gu Jeongryong, who had been glancing at me, also opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"I have heard that Stronghold Master Bang Duchil has brought the Green Woods strongholds under his feet through the Mountain King Struggle this time. Could you perhaps ask him for help?"

Now I roughly understood.

The Orthodox Council came to Sichuan and suffered damage from a Blood Cult ambush.

Moreover, as soon as the Blood Cult's identity was revealed, the Murim Alliance would dispatch a large number of warriors, and a war against the Blood Cult would break out in Sichuan.

Then why was the Branch Chief looking for Bang Duchil?

"It is for the peace and tranquility of Jianghu."

...he packaged it so plausibly, but in truth, he was likely terrified that the Green Woods strongholds would not stand idly by once a massive force from the Murim Alliance began roaming around Sichuan.

His neck was already on the line for not knowing that the Blood Cult had set up base near Sichuan; if he failed to control the Green Woods strongholds and the Underworld on top of that, he could consider his head completely gone.

Furthermore, even the Mount Cangshan Sect had suffered heavy losses. If things stayed as they were, it was certain that the sect would use any excuse to discipline him upon returning to the main mountain.

'Peace of Jianghu, my ass... What a cunning human.'

Listening to the guy's hypocritical story made the back of my neck feel stiff.

I rolled my head from side to side to loosen my neck.

The Branch Chief pleaded with a servile expression.

"... It really is an important matter."

Since it was a desperate moment where whether his neck would be chopped off or not was on the line, the title 'Young Hero' naturally rolled out even for a junior much younger than him.

In fact, setting aside his despicable display, I had planned to make the Green Woods strongholds lay low anyway.

If they needlessly intervened here, the Green Woods strongholds would end up with nothing.

I was about to tell them to keep their heads down for the sake of the complete Green Woods Alliance in the future.

'Even so, I can't just help for free.'

When that guy was securing his own safety under the pretext of Jianghu's peace, what need was there for me to naively play along?

Still, I couldn't just reveal my true intentions outright.

'If it is for the peace of Jianghu, I should naturally help.'

Starting off with something to that extent should work.

As the academy representative and a rising star of the Orthodox faction, I adjusted my posture.

And I spat out the words I had prepared.

"How much are you prepared to offer?"

Not to mention the Branch Chief, even Gu Jeongryong blankly dropped his jaw.

"...?!"

"...?!"

What is with this silence?

Amidst the strange atmosphere, I looked back and forth between the two men's faces.

'Huh? What is it? Ah!'

Then I realized my inner thoughts and spoken words had been swapped.

"Haha, oh my. I misspoke..."

Did playing the role of the Black Dragon Stronghold Master once cause my intelligence to match Bang Duchil's?