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Chapter 2: Back to Square One (2)
Gain, Deputy Unit Captain of the White Dragon Unit, opened her eyes.
Her head throbbed with a dull hangover.
Ugh, how much did I drink last night?
She slowly sat up.
As the blanket slid off, it revealed the back of the man lying beside her.
It was a scar that sent a chill down her spine every time she saw it, a long sword wound stretching from his left shoulder down to his right hip. It was so long and deep that it seemed miraculous his body hadn’t been severed in two.
Gently stroking the scar on his back, she spoke.
“Every time I see you, your rank seems to have dropped.”
Waking up, the man replied, “If you’re embarrassed by it, you can toss me aside.”
The man was none other than Baek Socheon. He felt different from when he was being interrogated in the questioning room, where he had been cold and prickly, he now exuded a soft, relaxed aura.
“If I were going to do that, I would have thrown you out long ago.”
She let out a faint chuckle and added, “Honestly, a man like you isn’t easy to throw away anyway.”
Gain was his junior in the Alliance by five years. They were two people who occasionally met up to drink and share a bed. They weren’t lovers, comrades, or even proper friends, yet they were more comfortable with each other than anyone else. They strictly adhered to two rules, don’t pry into each other’s private lives, and don’t get overly attached or needy.
“Where do you think you’ll be assigned?”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll be placed in your White Dragon Unit.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? Do you think seeing you every single day would be a good thing? I’d have to walk on eggshells all the time, not to mention letting you see me without makeup. Absolutely not.”
“Wait, that face you had on yesterday was with makeup?”
“You’ve got some nerve. Saying that to a woman who knows martial arts while her back is turned.”
Only then did Baek Socheon turn over to face her. Just like his back, his chest bore a massive scar as well.
A lightning-shaped scar.
She had heard that anyone struck by the Thunderbolt Divine Sword of the Black Heaven Alliance Leader was left with a lightning-patterned wound like this.
That was why she had asked him in the past:
…It couldn’t be… right?
…Of course not.
Why hadn’t she pushed further and asked why not?
It was out of fear. The one who was publicly known to have engaged in a life-or-death battle with the Black Heaven Alliance Leader was the Murim Alliance Leader himself. That was the story known to the entire world. She had been terrified that he might say, ‘That was my fight.’ She was afraid of becoming the person who overheard a secret no one was meant to know.
There were other scars on his shoulder and abdomen as well.
The purple scar on his shoulder looked almost like a butterfly taking flight, while the wound on his belly was a gruesome sight, looking as if a chunk of flesh had been ripped out whole by something.
Whenever Gain looked at Baek Socheon’s body, she would think of her own smooth, unblemished skin and feel a surge of self-reproach, wondering if she had lived her life playing it far too safe. After all, she had made it through that entire war without sustaining a single major injury.
“Why don’t you just quit this time?”
“Should I?”
She knew. She knew there was some reason keeping Baek Socheon from leaving the Alliance. She had never asked about that reason, nor did she ever intend to. As far as privacy went, that belonged to the deepest, most sacred part of his life.
In any case, knowing he wouldn’t actually leave made it easy for her to speak carelessly.
“Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to try doing if you quit?”
“Never really thought about it.”
“Try thinking about it now.”
“Hmm.”
Baek Socheon had never once envisioned a life outside the Murim Alliance.
“You should live a little and try things you’ve never done before. You could try running a business or something.”
“Would I be able to hold back if an unruly customer showed up?”
“Guess that’s out. The shop would turn into a bloodbath every single day.”
Gain mused for a moment before coming up with another idea.
“How about traveling around the Central Plains and just relaxing? You could sample local delicacies in every region and meet beautiful women across the land.”
“There isn’t a single corner of the Central Plains I haven’t already trodden.”
“Then how about farming? You could become a hunter or a herb gatherer, living peacefully like a hermit.”
“Just thinking about it bores me to death.”
“What about becoming a Murim fixer?”
“I can’t even fix my own problems.”
“Ah, come on.”
She cradled her head in exaggerated frustration before finally tossing out a grand proposal.
“Fine! Since you’ve got nothing better to do, why don’t you just conquer the Murim?”
“Shall I give it a shot?”
“Oh, look at you, big man.”
“Might as well harbor a grand dream for once.”
“So when people ask later why you turned the Jianghu into a sea of blood, are you going to tell them a woman named Gain made you do it?”
“A man always needs someone else to take the blame.”
Baek Socheon and Gain looked at each other and laughed. It was a joke made possible only because his body no longer held a single drop of internal energy.
“Ah, I’m late! I need to go first.”
She got dressed first. Though she was now in her thirties, her figure remained as beautiful and her skin as smooth as the night they had first slept together.
“One more round?”
“We did it three times last night. Act your age.”
“Five times would be a breeze.”
“Go look in a bronze mirror and stop bragging.”
She walked over and lightly kissed Baek Socheon on the forehead.
“You childish old man. You have nowhere left to be demoted to. Please, just stay out of trouble and do well.”
“I have to earn a living to eat, so I’ll try.”
“I’m heading out first.”
“Take care.”
“Feel free to meet other women besides me. I’ll let you go anytime. If you ever got possessive, it’d honestly scare me.”
Gain stepped out of the room. As she walked down the hallway, a self-mocking smile touched her lips.
Was that really the reason?
Unlikely. It was because she was afraid *she* would become attached to *him*. Even if his body could no longer use internal energy, that didn’t matter. She could easily protect him and provide for him herself.
That was the problem. Even in the absolute worst state a martial artist could fall into, he was still so irresistibly charming. If she allowed herself to fall for a man like him, her life would be swept up in a wild, chaotic storm.
There was another fear as well.
Baek Socheon was still captivating now, but would he still be the same ten years from now? Was there any guarantee he wouldn’t devolve into a ruined, washed-up wreck, drowning in alcohol and clinging to past glory? His past had been far too brilliant to dismiss that possibility entirely.
And lastly…
Over the past three years, there were times she felt his endless wandering wasn’t simply due to losing his internal energy.
Whenever she sensed that incomprehensible shadow hanging over him, hinting at a different kind of wound entirely…she felt an anxiety far greater than any of her other concerns.
For all these reasons, she couldn’t picture a future with him. No, she chose not to picture it.
I’m really just a woman who amounts to this much. I’m sorry, Senior.
—
Left alone, Baek Socheon stared at the bronze mirror hanging on the wall.
Just as she had said, the reflection in the mirror looked thoroughly exhausted.
It wasn’t merely because of their three rounds last night, but a profound, deep-seated fatigue that had accumulated over the past three years.
—
When Baek Socheon returned to the Iron Sword Corps quarters, Noh Woong of the Third Squad was waiting for him. He was the one in the Third Squad who liked and followed Baek Socheon the most. Since Baek Socheon was the kind of man who might strike a superior officer but would never lay a hand on his subordinates, many of his men still held deep affection for him.
“Squad Leader!”
“I’m not the Squad Leader anymore.”
“Damn it! So the rumors were true. I’ll take all the guys and go turn their place upside down!”
“Why? To make matters worse so I get kicked out completely?”
“No! There really was an ambush! You saved every single one of our lives, Squad Leader!”
“That’s enough. Stop making a fuss and get out.”
“I’ll go on a hunger strike!”
“You live for the joy of eating. What kind of hunger strike could you possibly pull off?”
“That’s precisely why it’s a strike!”
“Get out. I’m tired.”
“Yes, sir.”
Noh Woong, who was about to leave obediently, added one last line at the door.
“There definitely was an ambush that day. I believe in you, Squad Leader.”
“I get it, so just go already.”
From outside the door, the sound of Noh Woong greeting someone could be heard.
Moments later, another person entered the room.
“As prickly as ever, I see. He’s only doing that out of concern for you, Commander.”
The newcomer was Hwang Ilbi, Captain of the Iron Sword Corps’ First Unit.
The Iron Sword Corps consisted of seven units in total, with each unit comprised of five squads. Baek Socheon had been the Leader of the First Unit’s Third Squad. Though he was now demoted to a rank-and-file martial artist, his history ran deep.
“Didn’t I tell you not to call me Commander?”
“Fine, fine. I suppose I can just address you casually now anyway. Brother Baek! Happy now?”
The reason Hwang Ilbi called Baek Socheon “Commander” was that he had first joined the Iron Sword Corps back when Baek Socheon was its Corps Commander. Now, ironically, Hwang Ilbi had become his direct superior.
“What are you doing here?”
“Why? Are you going to give me an earful and kick me out too?”
As if knowing that wouldn’t work on him, Hwang Ilbi sat down on the edge of the bed and asked, “So what did they say? Are they letting you stay in the Iron Sword Corps?”
“Looks like I’m being reassigned somewhere new.”
“Those Shadow Pavilion bastards… completely inflexible as always.”
“Isn’t it better for you if I’m gone? Be honest, isn’t my presence uncomfortable for you?”
“Why are you like this? Do you break out in hives if you get close to us? Do your hands and feet shrivel up if someone says something nice to you?”
“Shut up and leave.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Did you forget? The reason for my previous demotion was ‘assault of a superior officer.’ You happen to be my superior officer right now.”
“Do you have any idea how magnificent our Commander…no, our Brother Baek, was when I first joined the Alliance?”
“Magnificent, my foot.”
“Back then, you were really…”
“Cut the crap about the damned past.”
“Why are you swearing so unrefinedly? You never used to swear back in the day.”
“That’s because I didn’t need to back then. A frightened dog barks, and a weakling swears. Enough. Get the hell out.”
“Damn it! When you put it so convincingly, I have no choice but to get the hell out.”
Just then, a martial artist arrived to deliver a message to Hwang Ilbi.
“Unit Captain, the Corps Commander urgently requests your presence.”
“That man only ever calls for me at times like this,” Hwang Ilbi grumbled as he stood up from the bed.
“Let’s have a drink before you go. It’s not like you’ll get a proper welcome party at your new post anyway, so let’s at least have a proper farewell drink.”
“Not interested.”
At the cold refusal, Hwang Ilbi made his way out the door.
“Fine, then. I’ll go pay my respects to our real Corps Commander.”
—
Left alone, Baek Socheon packed his belongings into a leather pouch he had brought along. His possessions amounted to little more than a few sets of martial arts robes and a handful of odds and ends.
Slinging the leather pouch over his shoulder, Baek Socheon walked across the training grounds before coming to a sudden halt.
He looked toward the Grand Alliance Hall standing far off in the distance.
After gazing at the Grand Alliance Hall for a moment, Baek Socheon resumed his steps and left the Alliance grounds.
—
There was someone watching his departure from afar.
It was Choong Yang, the Commander of the Iron Sword Corps.
His gaze toward Baek Socheon was fierce and hostile. It was only natural, considering that the target of the ‘assault of a superior officer’ on Baek Socheon’s demotion record was none other than Choong Yang himself.
“Arrogant bastard.”
Recalling the incident instantly made his blood boil with hatred.
When Baek Socheon, who used to be his superior officer…became his subordinate, Choong Yang naturally felt uncomfortable. It would have been fine if Baek Socheon were obedient, but he was hardly the type to bow his head.
Even so, Choong Yang should have simply ignored him. Baek Socheon wasn’t the type to go around picking fights unprovoked.
Yet, unable to stomach the thorn in his side that was Baek Socheon, Choong Yang ended up creating trouble. He had blown a minor issue completely out of proportion to harshly reprimand him.
I’ll teach you once and for all who your superior is.
That had been his intention. But there was one thing he hadn’t realized,
Baek Socheon was so deeply broken that he wouldn’t hesitate to beat up his own superior officer. In the end, Choong Yang was thoroughly beaten black and blue right in front of his own subordinates. For someone without a drop of internal energy, Baek Socheon was shockingly fast and possessed terrifying physical strength.
In a fit of rage, Choong Yang had tried to channel his internal energy to strike back.
His subordinates had desperately restrained him, preventing a catastrophe. Looking back now, that was the one right decision he had made. Harming a man who had lost his martial arts would have dealt a fatal blow to his own reputation.
“What does that leech think he has left to leech off here that he refuses to leave?”
Spitting out his hatred, Choong Yang glanced behind him.
“Do you also think I sent the Third Squad into an ambush on purpose?”
“How could that be, sir?”
The man standing behind him was Hwang Ilbi, the Captain of the First Unit, who had been in Baek Socheon’s room just moments ago.
“You like that bastard, don’t you? You listen to everything he says.”
“You misunderstand, sir.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I was merely catering to him, sir. You know how exceptionally prickly that man is.”
“True enough. That bastard has the worst temper in the entire Alliance.”
Soon, a triumphant smile spread across Choong Yang’s face.
“Well, we won’t have to look at his miserable face ever again.”
“Pardon?”
“His assignment location has already been decided: the Munseong Branch in Zhejiang Province.”
The Munseong Branch was situated far from the main headquarters, tucked away in a remote corner of the Central Plains. It wasn’t even a sub-division, but a mere branch office. This wasn’t a transfer; it was an exile.
“They’re sending him quite far.”
“I pulled a few special strings. He’ll be stuck in that backwater for the rest of his life until he dies a country ghost.”
Choong Yang was an ambitious and politically savvy man. Utilizing his extensive web of connections, he had maneuvered to cast Baek Socheon far away. He had decided not to worry about the Alliance Leader’s reaction. If things had come this far, it was clear that even the Alliance Leader had given up on Baek Socheon.
Hwang Ilbi watched Baek Socheon’s back as he walked further into the distance.
…Commander.
If it were up to him, he would have loved to follow him to the Munseong Branch. People here at least tiptoed around the Alliance Leader’s implicit presence to show some restraint, but in a countryside backwater, who knew what trouble a man without a drop of internal energy might run into? And it wasn’t as if Baek Socheon possessed a patient temperament. With that prickly attitude of his, any corrupt scoundrels who laid eyes on him would surely try to eliminate him.
Yet Hwang Ilbi couldn’t just follow him. Just as Baek Socheon had his own life, Hwang Ilbi had his as well.
I’m sorry. I don’t care for you enough to throw away everything to follow you.
In truth, if he hadn’t started a family, he might have followed him.
However, he had a precious wife and child. Even so, the fact that he had actually pondered following him at least once showed just how much he liked Baek Socheon.
Baek Socheon was a man who had never uttered a single warm word to him, yet Hwang Ilbi couldn’t explain why he liked him so much. He had liked him right from the start. Baek Socheon possessed an indefinable, human magnetic pull. That was why Hwang Ilbi had hurt more than anyone watching Baek Socheon fall apart over the years.
You’re not the type of man to die as a country ghost, so I’m sure we’ll meet again soon. Go enjoy a nice, relaxing break in a place with good scenery. Ah, and since you won’t join me for a drink, I’ll just have to drink this farewell wine all by myself.
Hwang Ilbi flashed a bright smile and turned to Choong Yang.
“On a wonderful day like this, shouldn’t we have a celebratory drink, Commander?”
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