"Absolutely not!"
"What sort of madman would make such a demand?"
Yellow Dragon Fortress, the Martial Emperor Hall.
A raucous uproar of shouts and furious roars shook the chamber once again.
"This is not even worth hearing, Strategist! Give that wretched bastard a flogging and throw him out!"
"It was nonsense from the very start. A nobody First-Class Warrior whose name no one has even heard of killed the Blood Sky Demon? What fool would believe that?"
"Summon Gansu Branch Commander O Duseok and hold him strictly to account!"
Shouts poured out haphazardly, driven purely by emotion.
Even so, not everyone there was devoid of thought, and dissenting voices began to trickle in.
"This is not something to resolve with blind fury alone. What will you do if that man truly did kill the Blood Sky Demon?"
"Moreover, his demand in and of itself is not unjust."
"If all of this is true, then he is a hero not only to the Martial Alliance but to the entire Orthodox martial world! Talking of flogging him is what truly makes no sense."
"Then what? You would have us hand Yellow Dragon Fortress over just like that?"
"I am not saying that, but......"
Before long, the luminaries of the Martial Emperor Hall had split into two factions.
Those who wanted to throw Dan Sahyeok out without question, and those who argued they must not.
A standoff between the so-called hardliners and moderates.
In the end, it fell to Strategist Sama Jin to mediate.
And so his mind was a tangled mess.
"Why do you not say something, Strategist? Do you intend to hand Yellow Dragon Fortress over to that man?"
"I do not."
Pressed by one of the sect leaders, Sama Jin finally spoke.
"First and foremost, we must verify the authenticity of the Blood Dragon Blade he claims to have hidden. We must also send people to Gansu to confirm the Blood Sky Demon's death......"
"And if it all turns out to be true?"
This time the question came from the moderate side.
After a moment's deliberation, Sama Jin spoke.
"That vow was made by the previous Alliance Leader. It would be difficult to recant it now and declare it void."
"So in the end you are saying we should hand Yellow Dragon Fortress to some unknown nobody!"
"If that is the right thing to do, then we must, should we not?"
The moderates' retort sent the hardliners into a fury.
"The right thing? You call it right to simply hand over this place, steeped in the blood and sweat of our predecessors?"
"It was one of those very predecessors--the previous Alliance Leader--who made that vow!"
Emotions on both sides flared again.
Just then, a thunderous voice shook the chamber.
"Everyone, calm yourselves!"
It was no ordinary shout, but a resonant bellow imbued with profound power.
The luminaries held their tongues upon seeing who had spoken.
"Patriarch Namgung......"
"Strategist."
The middle-aged man offered Sama Jin a light, respectful bow.
The head of the Five Great Clans and one of the candidates for the next Martial Alliance Leader.
The current patriarch of the Namgung Clan, Azure Sky Sword King Namgung Un.
He was someone who had not only been absent from the previous meeting, but had not even been in Xi'an at the time.
"When did you arrive, Patriarch Namgung?"
"Hm, it just happened to work out that way."
A supremely evasive answer.
He had undoubtedly received word from one of the Namgung Clan's informants planted within Yellow Dragon Fortress.
'His ability to seize command of a room is as masterful as ever.'
Given how many people were in attendance, it was perhaps not surprising, yet Sama Jin had not even noticed the man's presence until just a moment ago.
The same was likely true for everyone else.
He had skillfully concealed his presence, hidden within the crowd, and then burst forth in a single instant to seize every eye in the room.
A truly formidable display.
"In any case, I understand well what our esteemed seniors and juniors are concerned about."
Namgung Un swept his gaze across the assembly and spoke.
"It is certainly true that the demand to hand over Yellow Dragon Fortress is so outrageous as to be staggering. At the same time, it is rather inspired."
"......"
"Consider this. Setting aside its historical and symbolic significance, Yellow Dragon Fortress is an excessively vast place."
Excluding the ancient palaces, Yellow Dragon Fortress was likely the largest structure in all of Xi'an.
That it held the greatest value among all assets belonging to the Martial Alliance was beyond any dispute.
It was simply the sort of thing people were unlikely to think of offhand.
"The combined wall length of the inner and outer fortifications spans ten li, and the three-story main keep can house over five hundred people. The number of surrounding buildings, storehouses included, exceeds one hundred, and in times of emergency, it can garrison several thousand troops."
"Oh......!"
"Which means......?"
"In short, it is a scale that no single person can manage."
"Oh!"
"Indeed......!"
At Namgung Un's observation, the luminaries' eyes lit up belatedly.
Sama Jin, who had been quietly listening, summarized.
"In other words, you are saying that even if we hand him Yellow Dragon Fortress, it will not be long before he finds himself unable to manage it and gives up."
"Precisely, Strategist."
Namgung Un flashed a triumphant smile.
"If he truly brought down the Blood Sky Demon, then his martial prowess is certainly no common man's. But there are things in this world that cannot be solved by martial strength alone."
"Indeed!"
"Patriarch Namgung speaks wisely!"
"Let that greenhorn have a taste of hardship, I say!"
"Now, now."
Namgung Un fixed a stern look on whoever had blurted that out.
"You misunderstand the intent behind my argument. I am not truly suggesting we hand Yellow Dragon Fortress over to that man."
"Then......?"
"Just as all of you were persuaded by the logic a moment ago, I am proposing we use the same reasoning to persuade that man."
"Ah."
"Is it not obvious? Let us say we hand Yellow Dragon Fortress to him, even if only in name. If he, as the new fortress lord, orders every one of you currently residing here to vacate, what do you suppose would happen?"
"......"
The mood in the hall plummeted.
Hundreds of people had brought all manner of household goods and valuables, effectively making this place their home.
Beyond the belongings alone, the simple matter of several hundred people evacuating was no trivial affair.
Even a temporary departure would be an ordeal of monstrous proportions.
"Ngh......!"
"That...... is true."
"And so."
Namgung Un's gaze turned toward Sama Jin.
"I would ask that the Strategist, taking my words into consideration, persuade this Dan Sahyeok well."
"Patriarch Namgung, allow me one question."
Sama Jin spoke with courtesy, yet in a tone that brooked no doubt.
"Did you think this Sama Jin incapable of arriving at the same conclusion you did?"
"......Hm."
The mood shifted yet again. Namgung Un stroked his beard repeatedly, then narrowed his eyes.
"You mean to say you had already thought that far?"
"I had."
"Then why did you say nothing of it to that man?"
"Because it would not have worked."
The low voice that echoed through the chamber did not belong to Sama Jin.
CLANK!
"......!"
The doors of the Martial Emperor Hall swung open, and light spilled inward.
A single shadow glided through its center.
Dan Sahyeok stepped inside.
A sword sheathed in a thick scabbard was slung across his back, and in his right hand he gripped another long blade.
Every eye in the room was naturally drawn to him as he strode in with measured steps.
'Is that the man......?'
'Could the one on his back be--? No, is it the weapon in his hand?'
'That stripling, still wet behind the ears......'
'Brought down the Blood Sky Demon Cheon Muyeol?'
Hundreds of glinting gazes and the thoughts that drifted through the air.
Dan Sahyeok met none of their eyes as he walked to the center of the Martial Emperor Hall.
Before long, a massive figure stepped into his path.
It was Namgung Un.
"How interesting."
"......"
"So you are Dan Sahyeok. The very man who brought down the Blood Sky Demon. And...... who demanded this place--Yellow Dragon Fortress, headquarters of the Martial Alliance--as his reward. Am I right?"
"You are."
"Then."
Namgung Un performed a respectful clasped hands greeting.
"You are worthy of the gratitude and respect of us all. You have accomplished a truly great deed."
A scene so noble it could stir even the most hardened heart.
Several of the luminaries, swept up in the atmosphere Namgung Un had crafted, found themselves returning the gesture without even realizing it.
But Dan Sahyeok showed no particular emotion, merely turning to look at Sama Jin.
"I brought it, Strategist."
Before Sama Jin could respond to Dan Sahyeok's words, Namgung Un spoke.
"Brought what, exactly?"
"Physical proof of the Blood Sky Demon's death."
Having answered Namgung Un, Dan Sahyeok raised the long blade he had been holding in his right hand upright.
A faint aura condensed around the cloth-wrapped edge, and then--
WHOOSH—!
The cloth binding tore apart in shreds, revealing the fearsome splendor of a keen, glinting blade.
A silver blade so pure it appeared almost transparent, and upon it, the shape of a dragon etched in crimson.
No one present could fail to recognize the weapon--its form so exquisite that even the most celebrated swordsmiths would struggle to imitate it.
"The Blood Dragon Blade......!"
"Can that truly be the Blood Sky Demon's divine weapon?"
"I heard he refused to let go of it even after being grievously wounded during the Bloody Battle of Mount Hua......"
The prized weapon that the Supreme of the martial world had kept at his side his entire life, cherishing it above even a spouse.
Its appearance here could mean only one thing.
The Blood Sky Demon had truly met his death!
As everyone swallowed hard, Dan Sahyeok's flat voice continued.
"Now it is your turn. The Martial Alliance's turn to honor its vow."
The Martial Alliance's vow.
Those who recalled it anew felt as though they had been scalded.
"Hold on a moment! Even so, handing over Yellow Dragon Fortress just like that is......!"
"That vow was made by the previous Alliance Leader! Now that he has passed, it should be considered void!"
"As Patriarch Namgung pointed out, even if you monopolize Yellow Dragon Fortress by yourself, can you even manage it?"
"So let us start this discussion over from the beg--"
THOOM—!
The massive metallic ring silenced every murmur in an instant.
The Blood Dragon Blade, slipped from Dan Sahyeok's hand, had embedded itself in the floor and swayed faintly.
The keening of that blade felt to every soul in the room as though their very hearts were being gouged out.
"Gah!"
"Ngh......!"
They could only stifle groans, desperately smoothing over their shock as they held their breath and watched.
Then Dan Sahyeok's gaze pierced through Sama Jin's face.
"I will ask you plainly, Strategist. When the previous Alliance Leader met his death, did he declare that the vow he had proclaimed was hereby void?"
"That...... he did not."
"Then does there exist, within the Martial Alliance's code, any provision stating that a dead Alliance Leader's promises may be freely disregarded?"
"There does not."
"Then even with the Alliance Leader's passing, the vow he declared in life remains in effect. Is that not so?"
"......"
"Answer me. Yes, or no?"
"It is...... as you say."
"Then the conclusion is clear. The Alliance Leader's vow remains in force, and the Martial Alliance must take responsibility for the promise it made."
Turning to survey the room, Dan Sahyeok raised his voice so all could hear.
"I will grant you ten days."
"......!"
"Within that time, gather all your personal belongings and vacate Yellow Dragon Fortress."
"S-so what you are saying is......!"
"You mean to throw us out?!"
At someone's exclamation, Dan Sahyeok nodded.
"That is exactly what I am saying."