The palace halls were bizarre.
And enormous.
Strange halls unlike any normal buildings lined the mountain summit.
They were crude buildings without the slightest trace of refinement.
At their center stretched a vast wasteland.
It was Hegemon Fortress's training ground.
'Why did I have to follow him all the way here…. Because that bastard killed Grand Elder Moin…'
Sim Baek broke out in a cold sweat.
All around the wasteland, vicious-looking men sat in groups.
No, calling them gangs suited them better than calling them martial artists.
Their massive builds.
Their bare upper bodies.
Their bizarre weapons, the sort no ordinary person could wield with ease.
They were men even more like bandits than bandits themselves.
They were the martial artists of Hegemon Fortress.
Sim Baek had occasionally encountered them in battle.
They watched the two people kneeling and bowing in the center of the wasteland with interested eyes.
There was no hostility in their gazes.
There was no reason to hold a grudge, and above all, they were on the same side.
They simply looked as though they were observing strange animals.
Before the vast training ground, beneath a gigantic platform, knelt Ja Cheon-gwang, who had seized the epithet of Ascending Dragon and become the Sect Leader of the Ascending Dragon Sect.
Beside him knelt Sim Baek, the Ascending Dragon Sect's Second Elder.
They were pressed close to the ground with their heads bowed, frozen in place.
The sight seemed quite entertaining to the martial artists of Hegemon Fortress.
"Must we really go this far?"
Ja Cheon-gwang muttered in an irritated voice.
It was barely loud enough to be heard.
"If we wish to preserve our lives, we must."
"Meanwhile, that bastard is only stuffing his face."
"The Supreme Among Hegemons is not the problem. Hegemon Fortress's Strategist, Myo-wol, is the problem."
Ja Cheon-gwang pressed his head to the training ground's floor, as Sim Baek instructed.
Even so, he kept stealing glances at the platform.
'The Golden Dragon Corps was right. Is that really a human? Is it not some malformed creature?'
Even the word animal felt too generous.
The Jang Hang he saw in person was closer to a monster than a human.
He had read about it in a book.
The elephant, said to be the largest beast in the world.
If such a creature took human form, would it look like that?
One of the Seven Venerables of the unorthodox martial world.
The Supreme Among Hegemons.
The Colossal Mountain of Hegemonic Might.
Jang Hang.
His hair was matted and tangled, as though it had not been washed in ages.
His thick, unruly beard brought Zhang Fei to mind.
And there was his massive, bloated body, nowhere near muscular.
Like the gangs in the training ground, he was bare-chested and not even wearing shoes.
The sight of him sprawled across an enormous chair was closer to a giant lump of meat than a person.
Loose folds of flesh spilled over beneath the chair.
Jang Hang repeatedly scooped liquor from an enormous barrel with a ladle and drank it down.
"GULP… GULP…."
An odd sound came from him each time he drank.
As though fearing the barrel might run dry, two attendants stood beside him and continuously carried over more liquor.
"Do not entertain any strange thoughts. Despite how he looks, he is a figure who has reached the realm of absolute masters. It would be difficult to find anyone in the martial world today who could match him through martial arts alone."
Sim Baek glanced at Ja Cheon-gwang and whispered.
His voice was still barely loud enough to be heard.
Hegemon Fortress was the strongest force in the northeast, commanding sixteen subordinate sects and forty-six mountain strongholds.
The Ascending Dragon Sect was merely one of those subordinate sects.
'An absolute master…. He does not look like one at all. And he does not even seem interested in us.'
Ja Cheon-gwang's eyes glinted slightly.
Could he not handle a lump of fat like that?
He almost regretted leaving his weapon behind.
If anything, the Hegemon Fortress martial artists who looked at them with interest appeared far stronger than Jang Hang.
'A man who looks as though he can barely move killed Moyong Yang in a single strike? Does that make any sense?'
That much intrigued him.
He, too, had once received a strike from Moyong Yang's sword.
Shortly after becoming a member of the Golden Dragon Corps, he had clashed with Moyong Yang, who had personally led the charge.
That was when he realized how powerful Moyong Yang was.
The Heaven-Revolving Mighty Path had not broken, but it had nearly been pierced.
The pressure he felt then still seemed to linger at his fingertips.
And such a man had died from a single attack by that giant?
Frankly, it was hard to believe.
His flesh was merely enormous.
At least, the Jang Hang before him did not feel especially threatening.
'His inner arts? They are pathetic as well. They seem less than half of mine. Well, they said he is a master of external arts. Perhaps that is why.'
His martial arts had an entirely opposite nature to those of the Ascending Dragon Sect.
Jang Hang was regarded as the greatest master of external arts in all of history.
As Ja Cheon-gwang made his own assessment of Jang Hang, a clear, ringing voice spoke.
"You have endured a long journey. I hear that you became the head of your sect at such a young age. And by your own strength? Truly remarkable."
At Jang Hang's side, a wretched-looking old man was speaking.
He had a frail body that looked as though it would snap if struck.
He was Myo-wol, Hegemon Fortress's Strategist.
'The Second Elder told me that old man was more dangerous than Jang Hang.'
Jang Hang was a man who knew nothing but fighting.
It was Myo-wol who had taken such a man and built Hegemon Fortress into a force of this size.
He was Hegemon Fortress's brain.
'You skull-faced bastard. You can certainly spout insincere words with ease.'
Sim Baek smacked his lips bitterly.
'In any case, we need only avoid the worst outcome. What decision has that old man made?'
Sim Baek's heart pounded.
He was afraid of the words that would leave Myo-wol's mouth.
The mountain strongholds were one thing, but Hegemon Fortress had sixteen subordinate sects.
Whenever the head of one changed, Hegemon Fortress's approval was required.
Had Myo-wol called Ja Cheon-gwang truly remarkable?
Judging by his tone, it seemed the approval had been granted.
'The problem is what comes next. The new Sect Leader's future path is entirely in Myo-wol's hands.'
The instructions Hegemon Fortress would issue afterward.
To be precise, they would be Myo-wol's unilateral decision.
Jang Hang did not even care how the subordinate sects operated.
The clear, ringing voice continued.
"Ja Cheon-gwang, was it? Now that you have become the head of the Ascending Dragon Sect, the Supreme Among Hegemons wishes to commend your efforts. You should be grateful. The Supreme Among Hegemons has shown you special consideration, so that you may learn about the martial world and grow."
Sim Baek's face twisted at Myo-wol's words.
It was fortunate that his head was bowed, or his expression might have cost him his head.
'Damn it… so it has come to this…'
The worst situation Sim Baek had imagined.
The new Sect Leader being sent on a journey through the martial world.
When Myo-wol finished speaking, one of his subordinates stepped forward.
He placed a small pouch and a large chest before Ja Cheon-gwang.
"Sect Leader of the Ascending Dragon Sect, listen well. The small pouch contains travel money bestowed by the Supreme Among Hegemons. Though you may lack experience in the martial world, you are nevertheless the Sect Leader of a subordinate sect under the great Hegemon Fortress. Every one of your actions is directly connected to Hegemon Fortress's reputation. You must take particular care in your conduct."
Myo-wol continued with a light smile.
"The travel money is plentiful. Even if you see all the finest things in the martial world and eat rare foods for all three meals, it will not be lacking."
This time, he pointed to the large chest.
"That chest contains funds for the Ascending Dragon Sect to use while its Sect Leader is away. The Supreme Among Hegemons was deeply concerned when he heard that the Ascending Dragon Sect had suffered great losses in this incident. Please forgive us for not seeing to it sooner."
On the surface, it was dignified and generous consideration.
Myo-wol spoke as though he cared quite a bit about the Ascending Dragon Sect.
'Damn skull-faced bastard. This is not the end of it.'
What came after this.
That was what Sim Baek feared.
Nevertheless.
"We thank Hegemon Fortress for its consideration."
Sim Baek spoke words he did not mean.
There was nothing else he could say.
The decision just handed down was the outcome he had feared most.
Whenever a new leader arose from a subordinate sect, Hegemon Fortress evaluated that person's usefulness.
If the person was weak and obedient, Hegemon Fortress left him as Sect Leader.
If he was strong and obedient, Hegemon Fortress absorbed him as one of its retainers.
Finally, if he was strong but unwilling to bow, Hegemon Fortress sent him into the martial world.
The reason was simple.
To sever the bonds among the subordinate sects and thoroughly train every sect into Hegemon Fortress's hands and feet.
Hegemon Fortress forcibly seized most of the commercial rights of its larger subordinate sects.
In return, it sent them subsidies and made them economically dependent.
Economic rights and personnel authority.
Those were Hegemon Fortress's most powerful weapons for subjugating its subordinate sects.
'They should simply kill him instead. Kill the Sect Leader and appoint a new one…'
Sim Baek wanted to shout that aloud, but he forced himself to endure it.
Ultimately, the matter would be decided by the behavior of the Sect Leader sent into the martial world afterward.
What would happen if someone sent into the martial world gained experience and grew stronger?
Most never returned.
Many died young from overestimating their own strength.
And if they established themselves in the martial world, most settled somewhere pleasant or entered beneath a great power.
For the sake of a paltry Sect Leader's position, returning to Hegemon Fortress's subordinates would be little different from publicly declaring oneself insane.
From the perspective of the Central Plains, Liaoning was a frontier.
In truth, it was little different from a remote backwater.
Furthermore, invasions by foreign tribes, including the Mongols and Jurchens, were frequent.
Each time, government troops fought battles, and plundering followed as well, so there was no way the region could be wealthy.
There were countless lands left desolate by invasions repeated year after year.
Except for a few commercial cities, Liaoning was a far harsher region than people imagined.
That was why those who had once tasted the Central Plains never returned to Liaoning, whether dead or alive.
That was precisely why Myo-wol sent troublesome people into the martial world without hesitation.
It was a place where profit and martial strength came first.
That was the unorthodox faction.
They were a lawless lot, but as they commanded numerous subordinate groups, they needed at least a minimum pretext.
Thus, they sent people into the Central Plains under the plausible excuse of “experience and growth in the martial world.”
And if they did not return?
That was not Hegemon Fortress's responsibility either.
What could Hegemon Fortress do if they themselves refused to return?
Sim Baek's concern did not end there.
A sect without its leader would be subjected to Hegemon Fortress's direct interference.
Through the proxy Myo-wol sent.
Even if a subordinate sect was a puppet, the difference between having a leader and having none was like heaven and earth.
No matter how much Sim Baek disliked Ja Cheon-gwang, if the Sect Leader left for the martial world, the Ascending Dragon Sect would have no choice but to be dragged around like Hegemon Fortress's slave from then on.
'That bastard is dangerous. Now that I have seen him in person, even more so.'
Myo-wol's narrow eyes slowly scanned Ja Cheon-gwang, who was prostrated on the ground.
'Considering the Orthodox Allied Forces, he must remain in the Ascending Dragon Sect. But with the Moyong Family's internal structure collapsed, it should be all right for the time being.'
Over the past three days, Myo-wol had gathered every scrap of information he could.
Most of it concerned the Moyong Family.
After the Great Clash, the Martial Alliance had begun to reduce its support and impose restrictions on the Moyong Family.
They kept it quiet on the surface, but they could not evade Myo-wol's intelligence network.
'There will no longer be a large-scale war like before.'
Perhaps now was the best time to drive back the Moyong Family.
But Myo-wol discarded the thought.
The Hegemon Fortress Alliance had suffered a heavy blow just as great as the Moyong Family's.
More than half of the subordinate sects had suffered losses severe enough that they could not recover.
Hegemon Fortress's fighting strength had been greatly weakened as well.
The Ascending Dragon Sect, Ironblood Hall, and Tiger Fang Gang, known as Hegemon Fortress's shields, had each lost more than half of their strength.
There was no need to explain how fierce the battle had been.
Now was the time to strengthen their foundation rather than wage war.
That was Myo-wol's judgment.
Once he saw it that way, the Moyong Family was pushed into the background instead.
Now that the Martial Alliance had cut its support and begun neglecting it, the Moyong Family would need a long time to recover its former strength.
And there was another reason to strengthen their foundation.
'Tsk. If that bastard Jang Hang would only move properly, we could crush the Moyong Family right now.'
Above all, the greatest problem was that Jang Hang, his lord, lacked any will to fight.
For some unknown reason, Jang Hang had personally entered the battle and ended it.
That had been good enough.
But once he returned to Hegemon Fortress, he had done nothing but drink himself senseless.
Just as he was doing now.
'Who in the Orthodox Allied Forces could possibly handle that bastard's martial prowess? That useless pig.'
That was Myo-wol's honest thought.
If Jang Hang had possessed the will, Myo-wol would have advanced immediately instead of worrying about strengthening their foundation.
Perhaps even unifying the martial world would not have been a dream.
But Jang Hang had no intention of moving at all.
Seeing that, Myo-wol judged that any further offensive was meaningless.
If Jang Hang would not step forward, it was better to hone a useful blade instead.
"Sect Leader of the Ascending Dragon Sect and Elder, do not worry too much. I will select capable people and dispatch them to the Ascending Dragon Sect."
In the end.
Sim Baek's concern had become reality.
'Is Hegemon Fortress truly going to manage the Ascending Dragon Sect directly? And what did he say? Do not worry? It is not as though he does not know what atrocities those people might commit.'
Regardless of Sim Baek's thoughts, Myo-wol continued.
"I will take the Ascending Dragon Sect's circumstances into the fullest account and show every consideration, so you need not worry about the sect's affairs."
'The hell with your consideration.'
Now that the Sect Leader was leaving his post, Hegemon Fortress's proxy rule over the Ascending Dragon Sect would begin.
There was no reason for those men to show consideration.
Their interference would surely go beyond all bounds.
The Ascending Dragon Sect would be unable to resist.
Complaints?
What could they do?
That was Myo-wol's method.
The envoys sent down from Hegemon Fortress would be no different, from the Ascending Dragon Sect's perspective, from grim reapers.
'Now the Ascending Dragon Sect will be no concern. Lee Woo-yang listened quite well, but the Ascending Dragon Sect has always been a rather troublesome group.'
Myo-wol recalled thirty years ago.
The time when Hegemon Fortress had subjugated Liaoning's unorthodox factions.
The Ascending Dragon Sect had resisted the rising Hegemon Fortress to the very end.
'There must never be another incident like that. I must separate that bastard from the Ascending Dragon Sect. He is dangerous. He held back so many of the Orthodox Allied Forces at the Ascending Dragon Sect's front line. The level of martial arts he has mastered is dangerous as well. If he were to unite the Ascending Dragon Sect completely…'
Myo-wol shook his head on his own.
The thought alone sent a chill through him.
He looked down silently at Ja Cheon-gwang, who kept his head bowed.
No matter how many times he examined him, Ja Cheon-gwang was a man who would someday become a burden to Hegemon Fortress.
Sim Baek, who had been watching Myo-wol from the corner of his eye, clicked his tongue inwardly.
'That stupid Lee Woo-yang. And the Grand Elder as well. If they were going to start something, should they not have seen it through properly?'
Sim Baek resented Lee Woo-yang and Moin, who had died for nothing.
Lee Woo-yang's martial prowess had been fairly good.
He had not been especially intelligent, but he had known how to lower his head before someone stronger.
That was the image of the most ideal Sect Leader in Sim Baek and Moin's minds.
At the very least, while Lee Woo-yang was alive, Hegemon Fortress's interference had not been as blatant as it was now.
That was because he had lowered his head completely.
Of course, it had been a way of protecting himself rather than an action for the sake of the Ascending Dragon Sect, but the result had not been bad for the sect.
Sim Baek glanced at Ja Cheon-gwang again.
Ja Cheon-gwang was still staring intently at Jang Hang.
A faint smile had even appeared at the corner of his mouth.
At that sight, Sim Baek felt as though he might burst with frustration.
'That reckless hothead. That is why he is being driven into the martial world.'
No matter how ignorant and uneducated he might be, did he truly have no idea what would happen to the Ascending Dragon Sect from now on?
Sim Baek lamented the reality of Ja Cheon-gwang becoming Sect Leader once more.
'Haa…. A journey through the martial world…'
Sim Baek's worries were climbing ever higher.