The Murim Alliance subjugation squad... no, the delegation attending the Underworld Alliance's founding ceremony departed from Wuhan and headed north.

The place where the Underworld Alliance was located was Shanxi Province.

To get there from Wuhan, we had to cross Hubei Province and pass through Henan.

There were no great difficulties in the delegation's journey.

Competent escort warriors guided us along good roads so we moved comfortably, and by hanging the Murim Alliance's flag at the front of the group, we prevented minor disputes beforehand.

"Still, it's disappointing."

Tang Seo-hee, sitting on a horse that somehow looked larger than the others, put on a sullen expression.

"I heard that, historically, large and small incidents happen during a traveling group's journey."

What a terrifying thing to say.

There would be no answer if we got caught up in an incident with this current personnel.

We were in a situation where we had to prevent even existing incidents, let alone get caught up in large and small conflicts.

... Just imagining it was terrible.

However, Tang Seo-hee's sullen expression showed no signs of relaxing.

"Senior Tang, hasn't it been quite a while since you started operating in Jianghu?"

"When I travel with the Dragon-Phoenix Summit, no one picks fights with us."

"... Isn't that a good thing?"

When I looked at her questioningly, Tang Seo-hee's cheeks puffed up slightly as if she had blown air into them.

"... As a heroic warrior, I want to subdue villains."

"..."

Groan, what the hell was that expression?

I shook my head to snap myself back to reality.

No, didn't she play hero enough while active in the Dragon-Phoenix Summit?

What was the reason the Underworld Murim shuddered at the mention of the White-Handed Divine Maiden?

It was precisely because the number of people who died by her hands was greater than the number handled by the entire Dragon-Phoenix Summit...

"We are a delegation. It's actually better if we don't get swept up in such things."

Moreover, up until Henan could be considered the Shaolin Sect's territory, so even the Underworld practitioners would take it upon themselves to act carefully.

However, the Murim Alliance's influence began to weaken in Shanxi Province, which we were entering now.

Which meant that we had to be highly tense as well.

'Anyway, they settled down in an exquisite location.'

I had thought the Underworld Alliance would be established near Mount Daebyeol in Henan just like in my past life, but in this life, the Underworld Alliance settled down in Shanxi Province.

Honestly, no matter where they took root in Jianghu, they wouldn't be able to escape the Murim Alliance's influence, but Shanxi Province was a delicate location.

Since there were many Underworld sects at Mount Daebyeol in Henan, they could just use Mount Daebyeol as an advance base when fighting a battle with the Murim Alliance.

When targeting Shaolin, the Mount Tai and North Star of Murim, they could build an encirclement net from both Mount Daebyeol and Shanxi Province.

Conversely, if the Murim Alliance raised its warriors and headed north to subjugate the Underworld Alliance, the Emperor located right next door in Beijing would have his hackles raised and suspect the Murim Alliance of 'treason'.

It was a situation where the Murim Alliance had to gauge Beijing's reactions before striking the Underworld Alliance.

'Is there someone acting as the brains in the Underworld Alliance?'

In my past life, the Demonic Cult's attacks had been so swift that the formation of the Underworld Alliance happened in a flash, and even that ended up disbanding not long after.

In this life, the Underworld Alliance was formed even faster and had even preemptively occupied a strategic location.

I felt a sense of anticipation that perhaps the history of the future might truly change.

Around the time I was lost in those thoughts.

Our delegation's ideological inquisitor... no, our leader, Ak Byeongbi, spoke.

"From now on, we fold the flag."

"Pardon?"

Ak Byeongbi stared at me with eyes that still showed his displeasure.

"What is it? Do you have a complaint?"

"From now on, it's Shanxi Province. We don't know what kind of danger might be lurking, yet you want to lower the flag?"

"If we raise our flag in Shanxi, it could be mistaken as a signal that our Murim Alliance is submitting to the Underworld Alliance."

No, isn't it usually the other way around?

Why was he obstinately raising his pride in a dangerous place?

"With the Underworld Alliance's founding ceremony, the Underworld practitioners in the Shanxi Province area will also know that a lot of goods are moving around. An accident is bound to happen."

Despite my calm explanation, Ak Byeongbi shouted with his characteristic impassive eyes.

"Hmph! I am not afraid of Underworld scum!"

Fuck, this was why I didn't want to come.

If an administrator who knew no martial arts had come instead, they absolutely wouldn't have suggested lowering the flag.

Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, Ilmyeong put his hands together calmly, his bald head gleaming.

"Benefactor Jin, do not worry too much. Underworld practitioners are also all human. They will not commit atrocities against just anyone."

What would a monk who didn't know the ways of the world understand?

While my sigh deepened, Tang Seo-hee spoke with a rare sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm so excited!"

My heart was pounding too. Damn it.

* * *

After passing Zhengzhou, going through Luoyang, and crossing Jiyuan, we quickly entered Shanxi Province.

Unlike my worries, no major disputes occurred in the small cities.

'Well, our group is quite peculiar, after all.'

A giant man wielding an iron spear. A monk rolling prayer beads. A girl draped in green silk exuding an ominous aura. What a group to be traveling with.

No matter how much of a strutting thug someone was, they wouldn't dare to approach us.

Come to think of it, didn't the Underworld Murim also tend to be more wary of people with bizarre attire?

Unless they were big shots, they wouldn't attack us easily, and big shots wouldn't have any interest in us in the first place.

Perhaps my worries were nothing more than unfounded fears.

'That should have been the case...'

Gaoping, the first large city we stayed in after entering Shanxi Province.

While we were having an awkward meal at a guest house in Gaoping, voices that tickled our ears could be heard.

"You wanna die, you fucker? Keep your eyes down!"

"You dog-paw bastard! Should I use your guts for jump rope today?!"

A dispute commonly seen in guest houses.

Moreover, as Underworld practitioners from all over the country were gathering for the Underworld Alliance's founding ceremony, fights broke out inside the guest house more frequently than usual.

"This motherfucker really! Are you dying to get killed! Do you know the Sageom Gang? Their Gang Leader is my eldest brother's sworn brother!"

"You dog-paw bastard! You! Do you know the Akho Sect? Their Sect Leader is my cousin's friend's wife's cousin!"

As their voices grew louder, the companions of the fighters also began to stand up from their seats one by one, and the minor scuffling made the surroundings tense.

'Still, it won't lead to a full-blown fight.'

If they had any intention of fighting in the first place, they would have grabbed their weapons and lunged at each other.

But since the number of people on both sides was quite large, they would just engage in this war of nerves before ending it.

Just as I stopped paying attention and turned my head away.

THWACK!

Along with a strange sound, screams that filled the inside of the guest house rang out.

"Aaaagh!"

"Urgh! C-Chopsticks?!"

A wooden chopstick was lodged in the arm of each of the two men who had led the dispute.

Soon, a voice containing a somewhat inexplicable hint of excitement was heard from beside me.

"My leniency ends here. Do not cause harm to people any longer."

When I looked at Tang Seo-hee with disbelieving eyes.

... She was holding a bunch of chopsticks in her hand.

When Tang Seo-hee met my eyes, she whispered in a somewhat proud voice.

"I practiced because I knew something like this would happen."

'Crazy!!!'

No, they weren't even picking a fight with us and were just arguing amongst themselves, so why did you throw chopsticks at them?

As I remained speechless in absurdity, the bastards with chopsticks stuck in them rolled their eyes back and tried to lunge.

"You motherfucking dog! A sudden sneak attack?"

"You motherfucking dog-paw bastard, you want to die?!"

The Underworld practitioners, who had gone crazy after getting chopsticks stuck in them, seized the opportunity to label us as enemies.

It was because they had judged that it would be better to crush the four of us, despite our peculiar attire, rather than fighting among nearly forty people.

I quickly looked at Ilmyeong and Ak Byeongbi.

Unlike Ilmyeong, who was quietly rolling his prayer beads while looking at the Underworld practitioners, Ak Byeongbi actually slammed his iron spear into the floor with a thud, as if ready to strike at any moment.

No, you're the leader! You should be stopping it, not fighting alongside her!

'Haa... My head...'

I didn't know anymore either.

Because I felt like I had done enough.

Well, would the world-renowned Blood Star, the White-Handed Divine Maiden, and the Little Buddha really die to some Underworld scrubs?

It would just mean that this incident would twist our relationship with the Underworld Alliance, ruin the alliance, break the pact, and start a war or something.

Tsk.

Just as I sat down and was about to toss some alcohol into my mouth, my strength draining as if a string in my head had snapped.

"Huh?"

A man and a woman mixed in with the Underworld group caught my eye.

A beautiful woman who seemed to have just entered her thirties, and a scrawny old man who looked to be in his eighties.

The two of them were sparkling their eyes as if waiting for the fight to start.

Those people...

My mind went numb as if I had been struck.

'Yeom Gwibi and Hyeoltu!'

Though their appearances were certainly different, their habits, actions, and even their gazes were exactly the same as I had seen in my past life.

Absolute experts of the notorious Underworld had hidden their auras and were hiding among the Underworld scrubs!

Without even having the time to think about why they were hiding here, I shouted.

"W-Wait!!!!"

My voice rang loudly through the guest house.

Everyone who was just about to start fighting looked at me, and I quickly stepped into their center and rummaged through my robes.

"Oh my... I am sorry. Our companion made a mistake."

At my sudden change in attitude, the eyes of the Underworld bastards narrowed.

Then, glaring at me, they pointed at the chopsticks stuck in their arms.

"A mistake?"

"What is this dog-paw bastard saying?"

I spoke with the most good-natured smile I could muster.

"I am sorry. I apologize. That person is a daughter of the Tang Clan, and because she practiced her martial arts too much, her hands often shoot out even in everyday life."

"A-A daughter of the Tang Clan?"

I felt the eyes of the two men waver slightly.

I quickly nodded my head.

"Yes, you have heard of the Dragon-Phoenix Summit's White-Handed Divine Maiden, right?"

"Hup..."

I took out a gold coin for each of them from my robes and held them out.

"I am sorry. The pain of your wounds cannot be converted into money, but wouldn't this be better than starting a pointless fight and getting hurt even more?"

As the gold coins shimmered before his eyes, the contemplating Underworld practitioner reached out and grabbed the coin.

"Hmph! Keep her in check from now on! If you make the same mistake next time, you will be meeting the Sageom Gang Leader, my eldest brother's sworn brother."

"Be careful if you don't want to meet the Akho Sect Leader, my cousin's friend's wife's cousin, either!"

"Y-Yes, yes. Of course. Of course."

The Underworld group turned around abruptly and began to pour out of the guest house.

Fortunately, Yeom Gwibi and Hyeoltu also left the guest house, unable to erase their disappointed expressions.

"Haa..."

When I turned around while letting out a long sigh, Tang Seo-hee and Ak Byeongbi were staring at me with expressions full of dissatisfaction.

"Why did you interfere? The justice of Jianghu has plummeted to the ground because of you!!!"

Not even knowing that I had saved her...!

And punishing those bastards wouldn't have established proper justice in the first place!

"You... Seeing you worry about the harm coming to Underworld practitioners, you are definitely a bastard with your roots in the Underworld!"

Our ideological inquisitor, Ak Byeongbi, was glaring at me with eyes that looked as if he wanted to 'implement justice' right this instant.

'Ha, fuck, you guys almost all died here!'

If I ended up dying in this delegation, it would probably be from stress-induced anger.

I felt like chanting the Buddhist prayers I had hated so much.

* * *

The road heading to Jinzhong after passing Gaoping and staying a day in Shangchi.

In the middle, we took a short break and had a meal.

While the escort warriors stood guard over the surroundings and checked the escorted goods and carriages, the porters fed the horses food and water and prepared the meals we would eat.

This was a very convenient aspect of traveling with an escort agency.

Because other people did all my work for me.

As I was eating my meal with satisfaction, a small voice could be heard from beside me.

"Um... But is it okay for you to eat with us?"

I answered the question of the porter who had entered his middle years.

"It's fine. I felt like I would get indigestion if I ate over there. Are you perhaps uncomfortable because I'm here?"

"O-Oh, no! We are fine."

Originally, I was supposed to eat with the delegation group, but because of Ak Byeongbi, who stared at me with suspicious eyes every time I lifted my spoon, I couldn't swallow my porridge at all.

'It feels like my lifespan will be cut by at least a year on this journey.'

If they were people who openly picked fights, I would suppress them at once and grate on their nerves even more, but Ak Byeongbi hadn't particularly raised any other issues with me since that day.

Likewise on this journey, he was merely displeased with me but treated me sufficiently well as a member, which actually made me feel even more uncomfortable.

The middle-aged porter bowed his head slightly.

"U-Um, we are grateful to you, Young Master."

"Pardon? For what?"

I had told the porters and escort warriors to speak comfortably with me, but it seemed my status as an academy student gave them a sense of tension.

"W-Well, you always stop fights and all, don't you."

The middle-aged porter scratched his head as if embarrassed.

"You don't know how reassuring it is."

Well, when a fight broke out, the ones who died first were the weakest.

"Don't mention it."

"Anyway, I am worried about the path ahead. We'll be encountering strongholds soon. Since the flag has been taken down... I'm worried if the leader will let us pay the tolls."

I became puzzled and asked back.

"Strongholds? Are there many strongholds?"

"Originally, there were only two large strongholds on the way from Shangchi to Jinzhong, but many have sprung up this year due to a drought in Shanxi Province."

The commonly known livelihood bandits.

How long had it been since the harvest ended for people to already be fleeing into the mountains?

Listening to his story, it seemed the officials in Shanxi Province were quite corrupt individuals.

"Still, they won't demand much for a toll. Especially if they see martial artists, they probably won't rush at us much either..."

I roughly understood what he meant.

I reassured him.

"Do not worry. The delegation's mission is to safely travel to Taiyuan, not to cause a commotion along the way."

Of course, there was a person who was like a Thunderbolt Bomb that exploded just from catching a whiff of the Underworld, and another who couldn't distinguish between martial arts novels and reality... but hadn't we managed to get this far somehow?

The middle-aged porter bowed his head with eyes shining as if moved.

"T-Thank you!"

"Thank you, Young Master!"

The other porters also bowed their heads in unison, as if they had been quite worried about that as well.

For their sakes too, I resolved to keep my wits about me even more.

It hadn't been long since we left the official road and began climbing an unnamed mountain.

An escort warrior standing at the front line of the group raised his hand and brought the caravan to a halt.

"What is the matter?"

At Ak Byeongbi's question, the escort warrior pointed forward and spoke.

"It seems a group of people is blocking the road."

"Is it a stronghold?"

"It's a place that didn't originally exist. It seems to have been established recently. They are probably people who went up the mountain because they had nothing to eat. What should we do?"

If we wanted to cross, we would have to pay the toll, and if we didn't want to pay the toll, we would have to fight.

Of course, there was no way the delegation group would be defeated by amateur bandits, so the escort warrior's intent was likely asking how about paying them money and passing through.

Because they also knew how cruel the reality was of not being able to bring food to their families as heads of their households.

However.

"The Murim Alliance neither compromises nor turns back!"

Look at that stubbornly rigid guy.

At Ak Byeongbi's words, the escort warrior let out a small sigh.

The other escort warriors also began to grab clubs instead of swords, as if they knew this would happen.

Their intention was that even if they couldn't give them money, they at least wouldn't take their lives.

It was around the time we reached the top of the hill like that.

A strange sight entered my eyes.

Dozens of people who looked like amateur bandits were kneeling on one side, and on the opposite side, a man and a woman were standing and looking down at the bandits.

Soon, an unpleasant smell wafted over on the wind.

'Blood?'

My gaze headed toward the corpses piled up on one side.

Corpses dripping with blood, as if it hadn't been long since they died.

The escort warriors quickly dropped their clubs and gripped their swords again.

Just as the delegation members were each carefully drawing their swords.

"Oh my? Who is this? Haven't we met in Gaoping?"

The beautiful woman who had been looking down at the bandits looked this way and waved her hand lightly.

"What a coincidence this is."

A coincidence?

Although the roads the escort warriors took were predetermined, there were dozens of paths from Gaoping to Taiyuan.

It was too exquisite to call it a coincidence.