Chapter 535

“Ma Daehyeop. No, the Lord is asking for you.”

At Jin Wi-gyeong’s sudden words, I paused for a second and asked back,

“For me?”

“Yes. And also Cheongpung.”

Cheongpung too?

Just as I was about to ask Jin Wi-gyeong the reason, a familiar face popped out from a window in the pavilion.

“Grandpa! Are we going to see Grandpa now?”

At Cheongpung’s excited shout, Jin Wi-gyeong gave a faint smile and shook his head slightly.

“Not your grandfather—it’s the Lord who’s asking for you.”

“Yes. So, Grandpa!”

“Same, but different. In any case, you should also prepare quickly and come down.”

“Just a moment! I need to grab some dumplings!”

“Sure, pack a variety. And some sweets too.”

He’s been around a while now, huh. Didn’t even blink. Looks like Jin Wi-gyeong has dealt with Cheongpung enough times to handle him with practiced ease.

As Cheongpung disappeared with a loud commotion, Jin Wi-gyeong turned his gaze to me.

“You’re not asking why.”

“…More like I didn’t have the chance to.”

“That’s true.”

“Well, I might as well go and hear it myself now. I had a feeling something was up anyway.”

“What kind of feeling?”

“Hmm. The kind that says he didn’t call me over just to see his grandson’s face.”

He’s calling for both me and Cheongpung.

Sword Saint Ma Jong-hak—no, the Lord of the Murim Alliance.

Same person, but the name used makes a difference. That’s probably what Jin Wi-gyeong meant when he corrected Cheongpung earlier.

‘Lord of the Murim Alliance.’
That name carries weight. For a giant who shoulders the entirety of Murim and all the martial artists across the nine provinces to summon me…

‘No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t feel right.’

Could something have happened again?

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

Shhhhhh!

With a gust of wind, Cheongpung appeared. In his hand was a silk bundle puffed up to bursting, and over his upper body he wore a gleaming silver breastplate.

Wait a sec. Armor?

Shff.

“You’re finally—what the hell?”

“Mimi. She’s grown too big to fit in my arms now.”

“…Then how about not bringing her?”

Cheongpung tilted his head.

“Why?”

“You seriously don’t know?”

“Yes!”

“Wow… not even a hint of hesitation. I’m losing my mind.”

It’s a snake. And not just any snake—one with horns.

At this point, Mimi’s name feels misleading. She’s huge.

To cut to the chase, even if the Murim Alliance has a few snake lovers, that thing is definitely not the kind of companion they’d welcome.

“…What exactly did you feed her?”

“Hehe, she got really big, right? Guess what, Benefactor!”

I answered without hesitation.

“Steroids. Lots of them.”

“She mainly ate dumplings and sweets. Ah, but she really started growing after I fed her [Bloodfish].”

I was about to scold him for feeding a snake dumplings and sweets—but stopped.

“Bloodfish?”

“Yes.”

Bloodfish were fish tainted with magic power from Lake Dongting.

So basically, she ate something seriously messed up…

“Nope. Mimi stays.”

“She’s fine though.”

“She’s not fine for other people. She could bite someone.”

“No, no. Mimi won’t bite even if you tell her to. Want to see?”

With a panicked expression, Cheongpung reached out to Mimi.

“Mimi, bite!”

Snap! CHOMP!

It happened in an instant.

Mimi’s mouth flung wide and darted like lightning, and Cheongpung’s hand vanished even faster.

Mimi clamped her jaws down on empty air, flicking her tongue in disappointment.

Shff.

“See? She didn’t bite.”

Is this kid insane?

No—she just missed.

While everyone, including myself, was left speechless, Cheongpung mumbled with a pouty face,

“Sa… I mean, Moon Kyung said she was fine though…”

“Moon Kyung?”

“Yeah. I’ve been seeing him a lot lately. He even checked Mimi’s condition.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen much of Cheongpung and Moon Kyung around recently. Sure, I’d been busy, but still, something felt off with how often they were apparently meeting.

‘That guy who never paid attention to anyone suddenly… what’s gotten into him?’
Cheongpung gulped when he saw my narrowing eyes.

“…Why?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Now you’re just making it more suspicious.

Still, I brushed it off with a shrug. Jin Wi-gyeong was clearly getting impatient.

“Maknae, um…”

“Ah, sorry. Is it urgent?”

“Honestly, being late wouldn’t do us any favors. There are others waiting as well.”

Others?

Looks like this is a bigger deal than I thought.

Suppressing my unease, I gestured toward Cheongpung.

“Let’s go, Cheong Sohyeop.”

“Yes, Benefactor!”

Gung Gi-bang and Hyuk Mu-jin nodded stiffly.

“All right, let’s go.”
“I’ll escort you, Squad Leader. And the young lord as well.”
“You two shut up and stay behind to clean up the piss and crap.”

The Murim Alliance—a city unto itself.

At its center stood the towering Lord’s Hall. We stood before its massive front doors.

“You’ve arrived.”

A sharp gaze and tense face. A tightly honed presence.

Undoubtedly a master at the level of [Sword Qi Projection], yet this nameless man served only as the gatekeeper.

He must’ve known Jin Wi-gyeong already. After a soft greeting, he opened the doors.

Scrrrrrrrrk… Scrrrrrrk…

One creaking door after another. Only after five massive doors opened did the scene finally unfold before us.

‘I’m glad I left those two behind.’

Gung Gi-bang and Hyuk Mu-jin should be thanking me.

If they’d come along, they’d be soaked in cold sweat, stinking of nerves and fear, unable to say a word.

That’s how overwhelming the presence and status of the figures seated around the massive table were.

“Whoa…”

A small gasp escaped beside me.

Cheongpung’s wide-eyed gaze scanned the room. Jin Wi-gyeong gave him a discreet nudge and whispered via [Sound Transmission].

– This is as far as I go.

There was no need for further explanation—I understood completely.

I nodded and stepped across the threshold.

Step.
My footsteps echoed through the silence.

At the same time, sharp, calm, and faintly admiring and curious gazes poured toward me and Cheongpung.

“Heh… so those are the ones I’ve only heard about in stories…”

“Even seeing them again, it’s incredible.”

“Hmm. They’re quite something.”

“What do you mean? It’s truly remarkable. A blessing for all of Murim, no less.”

Gravelly voices flowing in from either side.

Even though their mastery of martial arts had slowed their aging, the stark white of their hair betrayed the years that had passed.

‘Heads of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans.’

Fifteen pillars that uphold all of Murim.

Even during the nationwide martial gathering known as the Seongra Grand Assembly, they had never all come together like this.

Not even at the Songshan Mountain Murim Alliance declaration. Some couldn’t make it in time due to the distance involved.

But now, finally—

‘They’re all gathered in one place.’
If the Seongra Grand Assembly was a celebration of rising stars, this was a banquet of giants—those who had carved their names and legacies into the ancient history of Murim.

And even among this banquet of legends, several figures radiated overwhelming presence.

Though they no longer held the positions of family heads, their influence far surpassed the title. The martial world respectfully referred to them as:

The One God, the Three Stars, and the Ten Kings.

Long ago, when one hundred thousand demonic troops surged east across the blood-red sunset sky, there were heroes who stood to oppose them.

They became the swords and spears that cut down evil, the shields that defended the Central Plains, and in the end, they became vast and shining myths.

After the [Martial God] disappeared from the heavens, the three stars that had once lit the sky began to fade one by one. The ten kings stepped down from their thrones, either growing old or perishing over time—yet some had returned to this place.

‘The Azure Sky Sword King, the Thunderblade King. And…’
There were familiar faces, and unfamiliar ones too.

Among them, one figure stood out—raising an eyebrow as he looked at me.

– Took you long enough to show up after being summoned. You trying to get yourself killed?
It was the Fire King, Jeok Cheon-Gang.

Though brusque, there was warmth in his voice. I couldn’t help but let out a silent chuckle.

– Look at you. You find this funny?

Well, I couldn’t help it.

– You damn brat. Just moments ago you looked like you were frozen stiff. These Nine Great Sects and Five Clans… they’re all the same. Nothing special. The real deal is right here.

Who else could speak so bluntly?

Bold and arrogant, his words carried a strange reassurance. And then, a hint of hesitation slipped into his next whisper.

– So raise your head. Stand tall. You… are this old man’s pride.

Pride.

A word I never expected.

He didn’t say it aloud—but the idea that Jeok Cheon-Gang would ever say something like that to me was unimaginable.

I couldn’t hold back. My lips moved instinctively.

– Gramps.

Jeok Cheon-Gang, who had been averting his gaze, flinched.

– Ahem.

– Gramps.

– W-What?

– It’s about time for your medicine.

– You little shit…!

– And thank you.

His red eyebrows twitched.

Turning my gaze away, I straightened my back.

The tension in my body melted away. My mind cleared.

‘I am someone’s pride.’

I still didn’t know why this gathering was being held.

But at least now, I understood one thing:

The confidence I had briefly lost and regained was what brought me here.

Step.
Cheongpung and I stopped walking at the same time.

The corridor that had felt so long was now behind us. There was nowhere further to go.

The murmurs between the giants who had been chatting quietly all ceased—as if this very moment was what they had all been waiting for.

Silence.

A silence for one person. A silence prepared for one purpose.

Among the twenty-some giants seated in the room, the one who held the highest seat of honor stood.

Unlike the others whose hair had turned white, his remained dark. His eyes were clear as crystal.

Scrape.

One of the three stars that had lit the sky above the martial world.

Now the brightest—and only—remaining star: the Sword Saint, Ma Jong-hak, rose to speak.

…

‘Ma Jong-hak, Lord of the Murim Alliance.’
The man standing there was him.

And I wasn’t the only one who realized it.

A whisper escaped from Cheongpung’s lips, barely audible even to me.

“Grandpa…”

Ma Jong-hak looked at the two of us. A warm smile touched his lips.

And then his voice rang out, steady and powerful.

“The masters of the Two Dragons Pavilion have arrived.”