The Manager of the Alliance Leader's Pavilion reviewed the report once more while heading to the Murim Alliance Leader's office.

Delegation enters Wuhan.

Most of the reports that came up through the Mantong Bureau were only the most important or urgent ones.

It was customary for trivial matters, such as a mere delegation arriving in Wuhan, to be filtered out by the Cheonmok Pavilion before even reaching the Mantong Bureau.

The reason this report was delivered all the way to the Alliance Leader's Pavilion despite that was due to the personal instructions of the current Murim Alliance Leader, Hyuk Mugang.

"Alliance Leader, I am told the delegation will arrive shortly."

The Manager was startled when the office door opened right away as soon as he reported from outside the Alliance Leader's office.

And.

"Is that true?"

He flinched at the Alliance Leader's somewhat flushed expression.

Wouldn't that be the expression of someone whose nonexistent grandson brought home a granddaughter-in-law?

... The Manager, who had briefly entertained that thought, quickly gathered his senses and spoke.

"Yes. The Cheonmok Pavilion has delivered the news."

"I see."

With that, Hyuk Mugang immediately finished getting ready to head out.

The Manager tilted his head.

"Do you intend to go out yourself?"

For a delegation, being welcomed by the Manager of the Mantong Bureau was already an immense show of respect.

But for the Alliance Leader to step forward himself.

Hyuk Mugang snorted and spoke firmly.

"They are the ones who made great contributions in this matter. We cannot let them walk in the dark wearing brocade."

"..."

Leaving behind the Manager, who entirely failed to understand, Hyuk Mugang dashed to the Mantong Bureau like an arrow.

CLACK!

As Hyuk Mugang entered through the abruptly opened door, the startled Alliance members of the Mantong Bureau tensed up and began to line up.

"Tsk..."

Seeing that sight, Zhuge Somyeong furrowed his brow.

"Did I not tell you that I would respectfully bring them here myself?"

He understood that it was commendable and a glad occasion, but there were still people watching.

It was only natural that the authority of someone like the Alliance Leader would not stand if he moved about so easily.

However, Hyuk Mugang wore an expression that said he had no need for authority or face.

"They are heroes who have accomplished a great deed. If they do not receive the treatment they deserve, who would pledge their loyalty to the Murim Alliance?"

At this, even Zhuge Somyeong had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.

"Please come in for now. It won't be too late to move after hearing that the delegation has entered the Alliance."

"B-But..."

"Hurry!"

At the Chief Strategist's shout, Hyuk Mugang took a seat with an awkward expression.

Meanwhile, an Alliance member brought out tea for Hyuk Mugang, and Zhuge Somyeong began processing the mountain of reports once again.

"Do you still have that much work..."

CRUMPLE!

Before Hyuk Mugang's words could even finish, the report held in Zhuge Somyeong's hand became wrinkled, and his brow fiercely crumpled along with it.

"What did you just say...?"

"Huh?"

"Are you actually saying that right now?"

"N-No, I mean..."

Zhuge Somyeong held up the crumpled papers into the air one by one.

An endless feast of reports unfolded.

Seeing the madness dwelling in Zhuge Somyeong's eyes as he showed them one by one, Hyuk Mugang unconsciously leaned his body back.

"I-Is that so?"

Judging that he had misspoken, he tried hard to calm Zhuge Somyeong down, but having opened his mouth, Zhuge Somyeong had no intention of stopping.

"The handling of the numerous absolute arrays and traps installed by those Blood Cult bastards!"

"Support for the return of the dispatched warriors and the supply issues!"

"The scale of the branches that must be newly established in Shanxi Province due to the founding of the Underworld Alliance!"

Zhuge Somyeong vomited out his tasks until the Mantong Bureau rang loudly.

However, it did not end here.

"These are merely the immediate and urgent issues! But do you know something?"

While Hyuk Mugang was flustered by the sudden question, the madness in Zhuge Somyeong's eyes deepened even further.

"Once this is over, I have to process the postponed work, which amounts to ten times more than this!! And you ask if I have that much work???? Yes?? Do I have that much work????"

"I-I'm sorry, Chief Strategist... I-I've placed too great a burden..."

"Do not just say it, give me actual help! Actual help!"

Hyuk Mugang felt incredibly burdened by Zhuge Somyeong's face, which had turned crimson and drawn close.

He barely managed to squeeze out his voice.

"I-I understand. I-I will speak to the Elder's Hall to increase the budget allocation."

"It's not just that! Talent! No, I don't even need talent! People! I lack people!"

"T-That's because you set the minimum standards too high, Chief Strategist..."

"What did you just say?"

"..."

At the sight of Zhuge Somyeong suddenly turning cold, Hyuk Mugang couldn't even answer and merely gulped down his saliva.

To be honest, was it just one or two talents who wanted to enter the Mantong Bureau?

The one who had turned them away was none other than Zhuge Somyeong.

But if he picked at that issue right now, things would go horribly wrong no matter what.

Hyuk Mugang let out a long sigh and spoke.

"I-I will look into it."

"P. L. E. A. S. E."

The bags under his eyes looked darker than ever. It was certainly a time that called for change.

Right now, they were maintaining an agreement with the Underworld Alliance due to their common enemy, the Blood Cult, but they didn't know when a conflict with the Underworld Alliance might arise.

Moreover, 'those things' that threatened Jianghu.

Even if the Underworld had its share of conflicts, it had coexisted with them for hundreds of years, but 'those things' were entities that absolutely could not coexist.

Just looking at the times they briefly showed their heads in Jianghu was enough to know that their common sense was already completely different from that of Jianghu.

Thinking about it, there was truly a shortage of talent not only in the Mantong Bureau but throughout the entire Murim Alliance.

'Should I go to an academy and kidnap someone at least?'

Just as Hyuk Mugang was harboring thoughts that made absolutely no sense for the Murim Alliance Leader.

One of the Mantong Bureau members approached the two and reported.

"The delegation has entered the Murim Alliance."

It was the news Hyuk Mugang had been so desperately hoping for.

* * *

"What?"

I dug at my ear and asked once more.

However, seeing the Alliance member's poor expression, my attitude must have seemed quite arrogant.

Well, that wasn't it; I simply dug at my ear while asking again because I thought I had misheard something. Tsk.

The Alliance member spoke again with a sullen expression.

"They said everyone should come."

"..."

I looked at Ak Byeongbi.

We were a delegation selected in secret, anyway.

Didn't these kinds of reports usually proceed with the Head representing everyone and the rest receiving the information from the Head?

Moreover, we were in a somewhat difficult situation right now.

"I am so... sleepy. Mumble, mumble."

Tang Seo-hee was fast asleep while being carried on my back, soaking it wet with her drool.

... To have to report to the Mantong Bureau in this state.

I gestured to Tang Seo-hee and asked again.

"Does everyone have to attend?"

However, there was no warm consideration.

"... Wake her up. What are you doing?"

Tsk, as expected, the Murim Alliance was incredibly cold and rigid.

I jostled the arms carrying Tang Seo-hee.

"Senior, please wake up. They say we have to go to the Mantong Bureau now."

"Mumble, mumble, snore... I am tired. I have worked too much."

... You barely did anything! All you did was eat and sleep!

Senior Ilmyeong and I had taken care of the horse bandits we encountered on the way, and we had also saved the slash-and-burn farmers suffering from famine.

"Haa..."

As I let out a long sigh, Ak Byeongbi spoke as if it were no big deal.

"Let us just go. The Chief Strategist should also be aware of Tang Seo-hee."

Right, it wasn't me who would be scolded, anyway.

Tang Seo-hee also needed to learn about 'society' through this opportunity.

'Anyway, can't anything be done about this drool?'

I tried hard to ignore the warm sensation I felt on the nape of my neck and followed Ak Byeongbi.

The escort warriors, who were originally supposed to part ways with us here, ended up moving inside together because of the luggage.

"It is somewhat quiet."

The Murim Alliance, which should have normally been packed with people, felt somehow empty.

It seemed to be because of the warriors dispatched to Sichuan, but...

The anxiety cast over the faces of the Alliance members was not that deep.

Just from that, I could feel that the matters in Sichuan had been resolved well.

'So it has changed from my past life once again.'

The matters in Sichuan had concluded more than a year earlier.

The strength of the Murim Alliance was preserved, and none of the sects based in Sichuan suffered heavy damage.

The blood of the academy students had not been shed, and above all, there was no one using this matter as a tool for political strife.

I felt that everything had changed for the better, but on the other hand, there were new elements of anxiety that had taken root.

'Yin-Yang Twin Demon.'

I never imagined that the Fierce Lord Yin-Yang Twin Demon would already be active in Jianghu.

One could think it was good to know something they originally didn't, but conversely, it could also mean that entities that hadn't moved originally were forced to move due to the changed events.

Such changes were positive and simultaneously negative.

If the Demonic Cult gained power now, the Murim Alliance would be destroyed once again, and Jianghu would become a hellscape.

'I need a more drastic change.'

A drastic change sufficient enough to completely twist the past.

Even if it meant spilling blood in a different way, a massive change was needed.

While I was having such thoughts, the Alliance member stopped in front of a pavilion and turned his gaze toward me.

"You should slowly wake her up now. We cannot commit an act of disrespect, can we?"

"..."

No, I'm telling you, it's not because I don't want to wake her up that I'm not doing it.

If I had to choose between being marked by the Alliance member and getting poisoned by the poison Tang Seo-hee would throw in her sleep-deprived tantrum...

I would choose being marked by the Alliance member.

I stood still, trying hard to ignore his words, and the Alliance member, frowning, eventually opened the door.

"The delegation that went to the Underworld Alliance has arrived."

Along with the Alliance member's report, our group stepped inside.

In the small hall, a single table was placed conspicuously, and two people were seated on either side of it.

Hmm, as expected, I knew the Chief Strategist would be here, but next to him...

'Hyuk Mugang!?'

I thought Zhuge Somyeong, who had sent the delegation, would have been waiting because he wanted to hear the results, but I never expected the Alliance Leader, Hyuk Mugang, to be waiting as well.

"Delegation Head Ak Byeongbi, reporting our return as of today."

As Ak Byeongbi clasped his fist in a salute, Ilmyeong and the communication guard escort warriors followed suit, and since I was carrying Tang Seo-hee on my back, I replaced it by politely bowing my head.

"You have all worked hard. Rest easy."

As Zhuge Somyeong nodded, the escort warriors, who had finished their greetings, carefully placed their boxes on the floor and exited the hall.

After the Alliance member who guided us left as well and the door closed, Zhuge Somyeong opened his mouth.

"The inside of the Alliance is still in an uproar, so I intentionally did not announce your mission. Please understand my failure to prepare a grand welcoming banquet."

The relationship between the Underworld Alliance and the Murim Alliance had not yet been defined.

It was a matter that had to be decided after listening to the opinions of the Elder's Hall and each pavilion, as well as synthesizing the opinions of the sects supporting the Murim Alliance.

Even though it was only natural to maintain an amicable relationship for now, the system of the Murim Alliance dictated that such a process must be followed.

Ak Byeongbi bowed his head respectfully.

"We did not do this desiring merits or rewards. You do not need to mind it."

Zhuge Somyeong, nodding as if satisfied, began to examine each of our faces.

When his gaze, which had been directed at Ilmyeong, passed over the communication guards and fixed upon me...

... I briefly debated whether I should wake Tang Seo-hee up even now.

But fortunately.

"... It seems she was very tired."

Zhuge Somyeong looked at Tang Seo-hee and let it pass without saying much.

He was actually letting this pass?

Was it because she was a Tang Clan member?

If so, that would feel far too tragic.

"What you have all accomplished this time is no different from saving the Murim Alliance from a massive crisis. Just because we cannot disclose it does not mean we will simply overlook it, so do not worry."

"Thank you."

"Hmm, still, I have arranged this separate meeting because I wished to hear the full story of what transpired."

For a moment, Zhuge Somyeong's brow slightly contorted.

"... Especially since information was not properly transmitted while you were at the Underworld Alliance."

Glaring at the communication guards before fixing his expression, Zhuge Somyeong continued speaking calmly.

"Judging from the accounts sent by the Cheonmok Pavilion, I heard there were many voices within the Underworld Alliance advocating for striking the Murim Alliance in the back this time. However, how were you able to convince them?"

At the Chief Strategist's question, Ak Byeongbi answered immediately.

"We were unable to convince them."

"Huh?"

"Far from convincing them, we were framed and nearly killed instead."

"Framed?"

They had said all information in the Shanxi Province area was cut off, so it seemed that information had already failed to transmit properly since then.

Ak Byeongbi nodded calmly.

"Yes."

"No, then how?"

Zhuge Somyeong tilted his head, as if he entirely failed to understand.

The same went for Hyuk Mugang, who was merely listening from the side.

"This is all thanks to Jin Sowoon."

"... Jin Sowoon?"

"..."

Zhuge Somyeong and Hyuk Mugang's gazes pierced into me.

Ah, I wanted to strike a cool fist salute as if it were no big deal.

... But Tang Seo-hee, who was sleeping behind me, showed no signs of waking up.

Whether she knew what I was feeling inside or not.