By Zephyria 
“There is no need to introduce Young Master Seong Mu-yeon, and this here is my disciple, Baek Ryeo-il.”
Baek Ryeo-il stood askew, making no effort to hide his displeasure, as if he found this entire situation utterly distasteful.
“So, you must be the Heartless Sword I’ve heard so much about. I heard my younger brothers owed you a great deal… Perhaps we should set a date soon to settle that debt?”
Seong Mu-cheon spoke with a chilling undertone, yet his expression didn’t match the tone at all. His eyes were full of interest as he scanned Baek Ryeo-il from head to toe.
Whether it was a spark of competitiveness, Baek Ryeo-il responded with a crooked smile.
“You’re welcome anytime.”
The moment their eyes met, the two began provoking one another. Ma Jin-cheon sent a silent warning glance to Baek Ryeo-il before continuing.
“Enough with the introductions. May I ask the reason you have come here leading such a vast force?”
“You already suspect the answer, so let us not waste energy on the useless act of beating around the bush. We have come to root out the Divine Demon Sect.”
“…….”
Seong Mu-cheon let out a loud snort at the mention of the ‘Divine Demon Sect.’
“According to the Black Shadow Unit Leader’s report, I heard you captured a close aide of the Third—no, the Third Young Master. Is that true?”
“……It is.”
“Good. We have also been putting all our effort into hunting the Divine Demon Sect, but we haven’t seen any results.”
Ma Jin-cheon stiffened slightly, perhaps unfamiliar with Seong Mu-cheon’s unrestrained attitude and blunt manner of speaking, but he didn’t seem offended.
“Even for us, who would do anything to gain power, there is a line that must be kept. In the end, it’s nothing more than spitting in one’s own face, but the Third has gone far too far.”
For a brief moment, Seong Mu-cheon’s face clouded with sorrow. Losing two of his brothers to the Third Young Master’s hands was a tragedy for him as well.
“But just in time, the Black Shadow Unit Leader brought some welcome news.”
That moment passed quickly, and Seong Mu-cheon regained his composure, returning to a face full of confidence.
“The Poison Freak, was it? If you hand that bastard over to us, I’ll ensure you don’t have to deal with us for a while. Let’s say ten years. On top of that, we’ll clean up the Divine Demon Sect for you. How does that sound? Quite an exceptional offer, wouldn’t you say?”
On the surface, it almost looked as if Seong Mu-cheon was the one conceding first. To the people of the orthodox sects, the Demonic Cult was like a deeply irritating mosquito. Just as they were starting to forget, it would bite them severely, and every time, a desire would surge to burn the roots entirely so it would never appear before their eyes again. However, that was an impossible task, even if one were to set fire to every mountain.
If they could simply avoid the Demonic Cult for a while, the orthodox sect members would praise and exalt Ma Jin-cheon for brokering such a negotiation.
However, the ten-year period was merely words. The demonic cultists would be unable to move for a while anyway, as they would be focused on reinforcing their internals after suppressing this civil war. In the end, it was nothing more than a pleasant-sounding facade.
“I doubt you have time to ponder. The forces of the Divine Demon Sect are growing larger by the day, and it would take more than a month or two for the heavy-bottomed lords of the orthodox sects to gather. In contrast, we have thousands of elite warriors right here, ready to move immediately. What will it be?”
There was a reason for Seong Mu-cheon’s imposing attitude. His confidence in his own skills played a part, but above all, the strategist standing behind him lent the most weight to his persuasion.
For the orthodox sects, it would look unsightly to hand over hard-won information to the Demonic Cult and then stand far back and watch while leaving everything to them. Seong Mu-cheon acted as if he were doing them a favor, knowing full well this fact.
“Before that, there is one thing I am curious about.”
“And what is that? They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Whatever the question, I shall answer with all my heart.”
“What happened to Kunlun? Upon leaving Shin-gang, you would have encountered Kunlun first, yet we have received no word from them. If something has happened to Kunlun…”
A chilling cold emanated from Ma Jin-cheon.
He did not possess an army of thousands like Seong Mu-cheon, but his presence did not lag behind in the slightest, as if to show he had not attained his position for nothing.
Seong Mu-yeon was quietly observing the situation from a step behind. He had judged that this was not a place for him to intervene.
However, as Kunlun was mentioned, he began to feel uneasy. Surely they hadn’t wiped out the Kunlun Sect just because they found them annoying for blocking the path?
Though Seong Mu-cheon was hot-tempered, he didn’t seem like such a hopeless person, but if something had happened to the Kunlun Sect, this meeting—which was barely maintaining peace—would become extremely awkward.
“Kunlun? Of course, I kept in mind that we would encounter them on the way down. Since time was short, I intended to seek their cooperation first, but if that failed, I planned to sweep them all away…”
Seong Mu-cheon smacked his lips as if he were genuinely disappointed.
“Unfortunately, Kunlun didn’t react at all, even as we passed through their front yard. Thanks to that, we were able to save time.”
It was an answer that clearly revealed his desire to wipe them out at any time, provided he had a proper justification.
On the other hand, Seong Mu-yeon let out a sigh of relief. Ever since relying on the orthodox sects, he felt as if he were performing a precarious tightrope act every single time.
What a family, utterly embarrassing no matter where they were placed.
“…Very well. We shall share the information we have obtained.”
After a moment of deliberation, Ma Jin-cheon made his decision.
“Master?”
Baek Ryeo-il looked back at his teacher in disbelief at the overly clean acceptance.
“…In exchange, there is a condition. We also have our reasons for pursuing the Divine Demon Sect, so we cannot simply sit back and wait. We will share the information, but we will also join the battle.”
“Nothing stopping us. Let’s do that.”
Seong Mu-cheon shrugged nonchalantly.
Because the other party accepted so easily, Ma Jin-cheon actually seemed uncomfortable. He appeared to be trying to discern Seong Mu-cheon’s true intentions hidden deep within.
“I know the old grudges between the Demonic Cult and the orthodox sects are deeply entangled, but let us set them aside just this once. You and I both know this is not the time to be stubbornly clinging to pride, right?”
As if sensing Ma Jin-cheon’s anxiety, Seong Mu-cheon spoke. He let out a light sigh.
“Especially in this matter… we are simply retrieving the child we released into the world; it is nothing more and nothing less. Unlike my father, I am a man who keeps his word once spoken. I will not turn around and stab you in the back the moment the goal is achieved, so I suggest you use the energy you’d spend worrying about that elsewhere.”
Ma Jin-cheon, having his inner thoughts read by a man far younger than himself, nodded awkwardly. Though Seong Mu-cheon boasted a hulking physique that made it seem as if his brain were made of muscle, he was surprisingly thoughtful.
He was a pragmatist who valued efficiency. He was the type of person who could discard his father’s teachings like an old shoe if it were necessary for his own gain.
“I shall trust you.”
“Once will be enough.”
The two men shook hands with smiles. It was the moment in history where the Orthodox and Demonic forces formed a temporary alliance for the first time.
“I’ll leave the rest to Mu-ryong and return to the Main Palace. You can discuss the details with him. I am quite busy with public and private affairs…”
Seong Mu-cheon pushed Seong Mu-ryong forward and stepped back.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Master of the Flowing Cloud Sword. I hope we don’t have a reason to see each other’s faces again.”
“Look who’s talking…”
It seemed that Seong Mu-cheon and Ma Jin-cheon had built a considerable amount of internal kinship in a short time. Both wore faint smiles as they parted.
“Oh, youngest. You come back to the Main Palace with me as well.”
“Huh? Me? Why me…?”
Seong Mu-yeon looked up in surprise as Seong Mu-cheon suddenly called him.
“What do you mean ‘why’? When your eldest brother speaks, you should promptly say ‘Yes, I understand’ and follow. How dare such a young brat talk back.”
Seong Mu-cheon frowned as if displeased. Seong Mu-yeon couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the sudden attempt to play the role of an older brother. Not just a brother, but a massive old-fashioned stickler.
“Hasn’t it been too long since you left home? Hearing what the Black Shadow Unit Leader says, your health is still not good. I feel I’ve been too indifferent until now. Let’s go back and find a solution together. What do you say?”
“No, I…”
Seong Mu-yeon was very flustered by the first kindness Seong Mu-cheon had ever shown him. Between him and Jegal Yeom-gang, it felt as if too much attention from superiors had been focused on him lately.
“Still talking? Honestly, kids these days climb right over your head the moment you treat them a little kindly. Stop talking and follow me!”
With that shout, Seong Mu-cheon turned around decisively, as if he would not permit any further refusal.
His stubbornness was so great that it seemed he wouldn’t listen to anything regardless of what was said. Seong Mu-yeon turned his head, searching for a helping hand.
“Yeah, you come along too. There’s something we need to find, so that’ll be better.”
Far from helping, Baek Ryeo-il pushed him from behind.
Seong Mu-yeon glared at him.