Rumors had already spread throughout the Martial Alliance.
The Gu family's bodyguard hired assassins to murder an applicant.
Of course, no one believed that was the whole story.
Everyone suspected Gu Jinseok had been involved. But without concrete evidence, no one dared confront him directly.
Gu Jinseok, for his part, remained remarkably thick-skinned despite the accusing looks directed his way.
He had no intention of concerning himself with the opinions of fools.
All he wanted was to enter the Martial Alliance, establish himself with the backing of the Gu family, and eventually set his sights on becoming the Alliance Leader.
For hundreds of years, the Gu family had straddled the boundary between the Orthodox and Black Paths. Only recently had it been fully accepted into the Orthodox Path.
Even now, many orthodox martial artists secretly looked down on the family and regarded it with contempt.
Under such circumstances, producing a Martial Alliance Leader would be an extraordinary achievement.
Gu Jinseok's name would be remembered within the Gu family for generations.
"The third examination has been canceled. The results will be announced tomorrow."
The voice was low and heavy, carrying an intimidating weight.
A burly middle-aged man sat opposite Gu Jinseok, his imposing physique rivaling that of Gu Jinseok himself.
For once, Gu Jinseok looked distinctly nervous.
He nodded.
"Yes, Father."
The man was Gu Yongbaek, head of the Gu family.
He studied his disappointing eldest son and released a deep sigh.
At the sound, Gu Jinseok flinched.
"...I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For doing something so foolish and unnecessary..."
"Wrong."
Gu Jinseok looked up at his father, eyes widening.
Gu Yongbaek continued coldly.
"Your mistake wasn't trying to kill that applicant. Your mistake was failing to handle the matter properly. And now, after one minor setback, you've lost all confidence in yourself. That's your real failure."
"Father..."
Gu Jinseok's shoulders sagged.
Gu Yongbaek clicked his tongue at the sight.
"That fellow will be disqualified tomorrow. He won't even be permitted to take the examination again."
Gu Jinseok's face immediately brightened.
The sight only made Gu Yongbaek more disgusted.
This was the man who was supposed to lead the Gu family one day, yet his mood rose and fell at the mere mention of a single brat.
"You must enter the Heavenly Tiger Unit. You understand that the five highest-ranking applicants are allowed to choose which combat unit they wish to join, don't you?"
"Yes, of course."
"Among this generation, there are three outstanding young talents from the Five Great Families and the Nine Sects and One Gang. Aside from them, the only particularly notable candidates are you, Song Yiyeon, and that Cheon Woojin fellow."
Gu Yongbaek looked directly at his son.
"But if Cheon Woojin is disqualified, who do you think will take his place?"
Gu Jinseok felt his heart begin to pound.
The Heavenly Tiger Unit.
It was the most prestigious combat unit in the Martial Alliance, having produced more Alliance Leaders throughout history than any other.
Every rising talent of the Orthodox Path dreamed of joining its ranks.
And now, Gu Jinseok's opportunity to become a member of that illustrious unit was almost within reach.
Yet even as excitement surged through him, a sudden uneasiness crept into his heart.
"Father... what if Ink Guest tells them everything? I've heard the Martial Alliance's interrogations can be extremely brutal..."
"You pathetic fool! Is that really what you're worrying about right now?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
Gu Yongbaek jabbed a finger toward his son.
"How could Ink Guest possibly betray us? Stop worrying about such nonsense and devote every ounce of your attention to getting into the Heavenly Tiger Unit!"
By the end, he was practically roaring.
Fortunately, a powerful sound-blocking barrier had been erected around the room, preventing even the slightest noise from escaping.
Gu Yongbaek was beside himself with frustration.
Unlike his brilliant second and third sons, his eldest was not only stubborn but painfully stupid.
Yet his innate martial aptitude was extraordinary, sufficient for him to be considered someone blessed with a Heavenly Martial Physique.
That was why Gu Yongbaek had invested so much in him.
After all, teaching an exceptional martial artist how to deal with people was far easier than turning an intelligent person into an exceptional martial artist.
That reasoning had led him to send Gu Jinseok to the Martial Alliance.
And what had his son done?
Caused one disaster after another.
Even now, he seemed incapable of understanding what truly mattered.
How could Gu Yongbaek not be furious?
He abruptly rose from his chair.
"You are the man who will one day become head of the Gu family! Stop behaving like some petty, insignificant fool! Think and act as a family head should! As a man should!"
His voice thundered through the room.
"If you're going to kill someone, then kill them properly! If you're going to spare someone, then see it through properly! Do you understand?"
"...Yes, Father. I'll remember that."
Gu Jinseok bowed deeply.
Gu Yongbaek strode toward the door and flung it open.
Then, with a startled expression, he immediately slammed it shut again.
"What?"
Someone was standing directly outside.
A remarkably handsome young man, with an almost annoyingly polished appearance.
Naturally, the sound-blocking barrier ensured that the stranger could not have overheard their conversation.
Even so, Gu Yongbaek found the situation distinctly unpleasant.
He opened the door again.
Song Yiyeon's handsome face appeared in the doorway.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Oh, my. Is that any way to address someone you've only just met? So rudely, too."
"What?"
Gu Yongbaek stared at Song Yiyeon's face.
After a moment, he gave an incredulous laugh.
"Are you a son of the Anhui Song family?"
That exceptionally handsome face was practically a copy of the infuriating head of the Song family.
At the question, Song Yiyeon flashed a broad smile.
"Indeed I am! The pride of the Song family, and its eldest son."
"I'm a friend of your father's. Shouldn't you have greeted me properly when you saw me? Why were you just standing there?"
"Ah, I see."
Song Yiyeon offered a perfunctory bow, then straightened.
"My room is just down the corridor. I happened to be passing by when your door suddenly flew open. It gave me quite a fright."
"Ahem."
"Well then, I hope you enjoy your time with Young Hero Gu Jinseok."
With those words, Song Yiyeon strolled away down the corridor, his steps light and unhurried.
Gu Yongbaek watched him go.
For some reason, he found the encounter deeply unsettling.
******
Song Yiyeon hurried back to his room, clutching his chest as his heart continued to pound.
"Good heavens. The family head really came in person."
His father had told him more than enough about Gu Yongbaek for him to know just how terrifying the man could be.
If the head of the Gu family had personally intervened, the situation had clearly taken a turn for the worse.
Song Yiyeon turned toward Cheon Woojin.
Even now, Woojin was standing by the window, gazing outside with his usual unruffled expression.
"Young Hero Cheon, we're in serious trouble! The head of the Gu family is here. He's meeting privately with Gu Jinseok, and he even put up a sound-blocking barrier!"
Song Yiyeon's thoughts raced.
Should I just take Young Hero Cheon and run?
They could worry about what to do afterward once they were safely away.
Certainly, fleeing would mean both of them forfeiting the examination.
But what was an examination compared to a friend's life?
Woojin glanced at the visibly agitated Song Yiyeon and asked calmly,
"Is the head of the Gu family really that formidable?"
"Of course he is! He's incredibly formidable! And he looks terrifying, too!"
"Is he more formidable than the Alliance Leader?"
Song Yiyeon frowned, suddenly looking quite serious.
"Of course not. Where in the world would you find a martial artist greater than the Alliance Leader?"
Woojin gave a faint chuckle.
"Then I'll wait and see."
"What do you mean?"
"What kind of place the Martial Alliance really is."
"What?"
Woojin merely smiled again and turned his gaze back toward the window.
Song Yiyeon stared at him helplessly.
With no idea what his friend was thinking, he could only continue worrying himself sick.
*******
Early the following morning, hundreds of young martial artists gathered on the Martial Alliance's spacious training grounds.
It was the day the examination results would finally be announced.
Naturally, the Martial Alliance officials responsible for overseeing the examination were present as well.
The commander of the White Dragon Unit, Zhang Seohwi, stepped forward to address the assembled applicants.
"As you are all aware, the third examination was canceled due to an unfortunate incident. However, we have determined that the first examination, the individual assessments, and the second examination have already provided sufficient grounds for evaluating your abilities. We ask for your understanding."
Having said this, Zhang Seohwi bowed respectfully to the gathered young martial artists.
At that moment, he was not merely a distant senior figure of the martial world.
He stood before them as a fellow martial artist, sincerely grateful to the next generation of chivalrous heroes who had chosen to seek a place within the Martial Alliance.
He continued.
"I am deeply grateful that so many talented young martial artists have gathered here, and equally sorry that we could not complete the examination as originally planned."
His voice carried across the training grounds.
"As previously announced, the five applicants with the highest overall scores will be granted the privilege of applying to the combat unit of their choice."
He paused.
"Unfortunately, one of those five applicants has been disqualified."
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.
Nearly everyone stole glances at Cheon Woojin and Gu Jinseok.
Gu Jinseok, however, was struggling to suppress a smile.
After all, he already knew that Cheon Woojin was the one who would supposedly be disqualified.
As the announcement proceeded, a peculiar chuckle sounded from among the officials.
"Heh, heh."
It came from Cheol Jiak, commander of the Black Tortoise Unit.
Ji Makpyeong, the Righteous Will Unit Commander standing beside him, turned to stare.
His expression was that of a man who had just witnessed something deeply disturbing.
Why the hell does this bastard look so pleased?
Cheol Jiak noticed the fierce glare directed at him.
He responded by casually picking his nose.
Meanwhile, Zhang Seohwi continued announcing the results.
"Fifth place, Jin Yun of the Mount Hua Sect."
"Fourth place, Tang Soyeon of the Sichuan Tang family."
"Third place, Song Yiyeon of the Anhui Song family."
"Second place, Nangong Jin of the Nangong family."
So far, the results were largely as expected.
Only one question remained.
Who would take first place?
Everyone already understood the situation.
Either Gu Jinseok or Cheon Woojin would be named the top applicant.
And the other would be the person Zhang Seohwi had mentioned as having been disqualified.
"First place..."
"..."
An expectant silence settled over the training grounds.
Zhang Seohwi paused briefly.
Then, in a firm, unmistakable voice, he declared,
"Applicant Cheon Woojin."
For a moment, the entire gathering fell silent.
Gu Jinseok's expression froze.
Boom!
Unable to contain his anger, he slammed his fist down with a thunderous crash.
Zhang Seohwi shot him a sharp glare.
Then, without allowing the disturbance to interrupt the proceedings, he continued announcing the successful applicants.
Sixth place.
Seventh.
Eighth.
The names continued, one after another, until the final successful applicant, ranked somewhere in the fifties, had been announced.
Yet Gu Jinseok's name was never called.
At last, Gu Jinseok was forced to confront the reality he had desperately refused to consider.
The applicant who had been disqualified was not Cheon Woojin.
It was him.
His expression darkening, Gu Jinseok strode directly toward Woojin.
Song Yiyeon immediately rushed forward and planted himself between them.
Not because he feared for Cheon Woojin's safety.
Quite the opposite.
He was terrified that Woojin might beat Gu Jinseok to death right here, in the middle of the Martial Alliance.
From a distance, the officials overseeing the examination watched the confrontation unfold.
Cheol Jiak suddenly burst into a booming laugh.
"Hahahaha! What a mess! An absolute mess!"
Ji Makpyeong seized him by the collar.
"It was you! You did this, didn't you?"
"H-hey! Commander, what are you talking about? What did I do? Let go of me and speak properly. There are people watching!"
Cheol Jiak could barely contain his laughter.
Furious, Ji Makpyeong tightened his grip, grabbing him around the neck.
Cheol Jiak's expression abruptly hardened.
He lowered his voice.
"Are you going to let go or not?"
"..."
At that moment, someone came striding toward them.
Ji Makpyeong looked up.
The instant he recognized the approaching man, all color drained from his face.
An oppressive, murderous aura seemed to accompany the newcomer, making him resemble a wrathful demon.
It was Gu Yongbaek.
His friend.
And the head of the Gu family.
Cheol Jiak noticed him as well and spoke in an unconcerned tone.
"Hey, Family Head Gu. This area is restricted to Martial Alliance personnel—"
Gu Yongbaek ignored him completely.
He walked straight up to Ji Makpyeong.
Then, in a voice cold enough to freeze the air, he spoke a single word.
"Explain."
"...N-no, this isn't what I expected either. I don't know what happened."
Ji Makpyeong hurried to defend himself.
Gu Yongbaek might be his friend, but the man was terrifying when angered.
"You're the one responsible for overseeing this examination. If you don't know what happened, who does?"
"No, that's..."
Ji Makpyeong felt profoundly wronged.
Yet he had no explanation to offer.
He was practically on the verge of tears when Gu Yongbaek continued in that same chilling voice.
"I don't care who placed first."
"..."
"But my son was disqualified?"
Gu Yongbaek took another step forward.
"You're telling me that the eldest son of the Gu family has been barred from ever setting foot in the Martial Alliance again?"
"W-wait. Please, just listen to me—"
"How dare you humiliate the Gu family!"
Ji Makpyeong's face turned deathly pale.
He knew only too well how the Gu family had dealt with its enemies during the centuries it had spent operating between the Orthodox and Black Paths.
Their methods had been ruthless.
They had tormented their enemies, stripped them of everything, and hounded them until they had nothing left.
And now that same terrifying family head stood before him, visibly enraged.
"W-wait! You've misunderstood! Just give me a moment. Something must have gone wrong. I'll investigate the matter again and—"
"What exactly has gone wrong?"
A calm voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
At that very instant, the oppressive aura that had been spreading from Gu Yongbaek vanished as though it had never existed.
Gu Yongbaek drew a long, steady breath.
He carefully composed his expression before turning around.
"Alliance Leader."
Standing before him was Beili Tian.
A man who had risen to become Martial Alliance Leader entirely through his own abilities, without the support of a powerful family or influential patron.
A man respected by virtually everyone throughout the Orthodox Path.
And now that man was watching Gu Yongbaek with a piercing, unfathomable gaze.
Gu Yongbaek swallowed involuntarily.
No matter how powerful the Gu family might be, Beili Tian was among the greatest martial masters of the Orthodox Path.
Why has the Alliance Leader suddenly appeared here...?
Beili Tian glanced between Gu Yongbaek and Ji Makpyeong, taking in the atmosphere surrounding them.
Then he spoke again, his voice calm but carrying unmistakable authority.
"I asked you what was so strange about the results."
His gaze settled on the two men.
"Why has everyone suddenly fallen silent?"