The Youngest Member Chapter 14

Ink Guest's fingertips gathered energy.

His special skill was the Lower Draw Fast Sword.

Literally, it was to draw a longsword at an overwhelming speed and simultaneously cut the opponent's lower body.

The opponent would either die or lose their manhood even if it was just a graze.

Naturally, they would be unable to continue the fight.

It was a practical special skill befitting a man who had spent his entire life in the black path.

Screech-!

The mont Ink Guest, who had made up his mind, drew his longsword from his fingertips.

Thud!

"..."

The scene froze.

Ink Guest's sword hilt was blocked before it was even halfway drawn.

By a dark iron staff.

'I missed his movent.'

The staff of a re rising talent was perfectly blocking his sword hilt. He tried to resist by raising his internal energy, but it was useless.

Ink Guest operated his internal energy even more roughly.

Rumble-!

The floor trembled gently.

His face turned red, and veins popped out on his forehead.

His hands were trembling, but...

The longsword still wouldn't co out.

Cheon Woojin let out a smirk.

"What are you doing. Not drawing it."

Ink Guest cursed inwardly.

The guy had just lightly placed the iron staff, but no matter what he did, he couldn't overco his physical strength.

Cheon Woojin looked into Ink Guest's pupils.

Ink Guest felt his breath stop. His whole body's muscles tensed up like a herbivore in front of a beast.

He had the illusion that those deep, unfathomable eyes were looking right through his inner self.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the resistance that was blocking the sword hilt disappeared.

The longsword was naturally drawn, but at the sa ti, the world was dyed in darkness.

To be precise, a black Crescent Moon Staff had rushed in front of Ink Guest's eyes.

Thwack-!

At the sa ti as the hitting sound, a terrible pain ca from his left eye. Ink Guest, who had dropped his sword, sat down, clutching his left eye.

He could tell instinctively.

That in a single move, he had lost sight in one eye.

At the sa ti, a sense of doubt ca.

Because it was too harsh and practical an attack to have been shown by a rising talent of the white path.

However, before his doubt could continue.

Crack-!

The Crescent Moon Staff fell rcilessly on the back of his head.

Ink Guest's head split open, spewing blood.

Ink Guest, who had fallen on the floor, trembled as if struck by lightning and then limply collapsed.

Gu Jinseok, who was watching this with a terrified face, pointed at Cheon Woojin and suddenly shouted.

"Y-you crazy bastard! How dare you, in the Martial Alliance, k-k-kill a person..."

"I didn't kill him."

That cold voice instantly froze the room.

Cheon Woojin's eyes, which were looking at Ink Guest with a dry expression, turned to Gu Jinseok.

Gu Jinseok's whole body flinched.

"I can't kill him. He's a witness."

"..."

He was right. But it sounded as if he could kill Gu Jinseok and anyone related to Gu Jinseok without hesitation if it weren't for the Martial Alliance.

Gu Jinseok's mind was in a daze. The guy nad Cheon Woojin was not afraid of him, the eldest son of the Gu family.

No, far from being afraid, he wasn't even paying any attention. If he had, Ink Guest wouldn't be lying there bleeding.

"You, what's your identity..."

Gu Jinseok asked with a pale face.

Cheon Woojin thought for a mont and then answered calmly.

"Cheon Woojin."

"No, you son of a bitch! Who asked for your na...!"

Thwack-!

Gu Jinseok sat down with a thud at the terrible pain he felt in the back of his knee. The Crescent Moon Staff had struck his knee at so point.

Cheon Woojin looked down at Gu Jinseok with a cold gaze, then took out a book from his robes and threw it.

As soon as Gu Jinseok saw it, he realized. That the book was the ledger of the place that had made a deal with the damn Ink Guest.

It was then.

A boisterous commotion arose outside, and soone's footsteps quickly approached.

Soon, the door burst open, and...

"Wow, we're screwed."

Song Yiyeon looked at the room with a dumbfounded face.

The guard of Gu Jinseok, whose head was already broken, and Gu Jinseok, who was on the verge of having his head broken.

And Cheon Woojin, who was on the verge of breaking it.

Song Yiyeon wanted to ignore this terrible situation, but since he had already decided to be friends with Cheon Woojin, he couldn't.

Unlike Zhuge Lin's evaluation of him as a slacker, Song Yiyeon was a man who valued loyalty.

"Young hero Cheon, it's not too late. You haven't smashed Gu Jinseok's head yet..."

Thwack-!

Gu Jinseok's forehead was broken. Blood trickled down between his hands that were clutching his forehead.

Song Yiyeon shook his head.

"Aigoo..."

In Song Yiyeon's family, there were many n who were, to put it nicely, high-spirited, and to put it badly, hot-tempered. They generally didn't have a backup plan, but at least they wouldn't smash the head of the eldest son of the Gu family without a second thought like Cheon Woojin.

"Young hero, what on earth are you going to do? Are you going to kill him?"

The fortunate thing was that both of them were still alive. If you kill soone within the Martial Alliance, you are imdiately put on the public enemy list. This was unchanging, no matter what influence Cheon Woojin's master could exert on the Martial Alliance.

Song Yiyeon grabbed Cheon Woojin's sleeve.

Cheon Woojin looked at Song Yiyeon nonchalantly.

"They tried to kill

and failed. So it's my turn to kill them."

Seeing his tone and gaze, a chill ran down Song Yiyeon's spine.

He caught a glimpse of the sa look he had when he had killed the n in black during the mission and when he had tortured the leader.

Usually, Cheon Woojin was a carefree person like the White Master, but when he faced a villain, he was just like the Black Master.

For that reason, Song Yiyeon couldn't bring himself to speak now.

Gu Jinseok, who was writhing on the floor in pain, suddenly said.

"...it wasn't ."

"What?"

Cheon Woojin, who had squatted down, grabbed Gu Jinseok's hair and lifted his head.

"I can't hear you, so speak clearly."

"I didn't do it..."

"Then."

Gu Jinseok pointed at the fallen Ink Guest with effort.

Cheon Woojin's eyes narrowed.

In fact, there was only a trace of Ink Guest in the ledger, and no trace of the Gu family or Gu Jinseok.

However, unless you were an idiot, you would know that there was an order from Gu Jinseok, and that Ink Guest was now cutting off his tail.

"Really?"

Cheon Woojin asked nonchalantly.

Song Yiyeon's complexion, who was watching his gaze from the side, turned blue.

Because it was the exact sa gaze he had when he had tortured the Tiger Hunt Team Leader.

Sure enough, Cheon Woojin stood up again, holding the Crescent Moon Staff. Song Yiyeon grabbed his sleeve and asked cautiously.

"Y-young hero?"

"It's fine."

"No, what's fine..."

Song Yiyeon felt like crying.

He hadn't known Cheon Woojin for long. But thanks to him, he had passed the first exam, and in the second exam, he owed him his life.

He hadn't had many conversations with Cheon Woojin, but he thought they could be friends for life because they had a lot in common.

He didn't want the first friend he had made after coming to the martial world to be locked up in the Martial Alliance's brain prison for life.

The long corridor was already filled with rising talents who had co out to watch the commotion. All of them would be witnesses.

Cheon Woojin looked down at the fallen Gu Jinseok blankly and said in a dry tone.

"I'll have to ask."

"I really didn't do it..."

Gu Jinseok said in a crawling voice.

However, Cheon Woojin's ears did not hear it. He thought there was no need to listen to a voice filled with lies.

Cheon Woojin knew two ways to extract the truth from soone who was telling a lie.

His White Master had said that sincerity always gets through, so it could move anyone's heart.

On the other hand, his Black Master had often said that if you beat it, the truth will open.

Cheon Woojin recalled the advice of his two masters, then put down the Crescent Moon Staff and grabbed Gu Jinseok's shoulder.

At that sight, Song Yiyeon's face brightened. However, as the hand gripping his shoulder gradually tightened, Gu Jinseok let out a groan.

He had chosen the Black Master's teaching. The reason was simple. Because in Cheon Woojin's eyes, Gu Jinseok was a villain.

Cheon Woojin did not bother to ask further.

He firmly held Gu Jinseok's shoulder with his left hand, and his right hand moved towards his collarbone.

Gu Jinseok tried to push Cheon Woojin's hand away with a terrified face, but it was useless.

The mont Gu Jinseok, who had suddenly lifted his head, t Cheon Woojin's gaze.

"..."

He couldn't do anything.

The deep, dark pupils as black as lacquer seed to just be announcing his death.

Soon, Cheon Woojin's elegant right hand grabbed Gu Jinseok's collarbone. It didn't stop there and dug in.

Thud-!

Cheon Woojin's five fingers tore through Gu Jinseok's skin and dug in. Soon, as his fingers closed again, Gu Jinseok's collarbone was grabbed whole.

"Y-young hero?"

Song Yiyeon looked at Cheon Woojin with eyes that said 'no way'.

He had seen this sight before. When he was young and had followed his father to a butcher shop that sold at.

The grueso-looking butcher would grab and tear out the pig's bones with his bare hands.

That sight was unfolding before his eyes again.

The only difference was that now it was a person, not a pig.

Just as Song Yiyeon was about to grab Cheon Woojin's arm.

Crack!

Crack!

A grueso sound of tearing flesh rang out a breath faster than that.

Following that, Gu Jinseok's desperate scream erupted.

"K-kuaaak!"

His scream filled the entire building.

However, Cheon Woojin did not even blink an eye.

"I-I! I ordered it! I ordered you to be killed! So please, please...!!"

Despite Gu Jinseok's scream, Cheon Woojin did not loosen his grip, and.

Crack-!

The collarbone that should have been pulled out whole broke in half.

Because Gu Jinseok's bones were too fragile compared to the villains the Black Master had tortured.

Cheon Woojin clicked his tongue as if disappointed and then shook the blood off his hand into the air.

"Why."

At that short question, Gu Jinseok looked up at Cheon Woojin with a face covered in tears and snot.

He was asking why he had done such a thing.

"Because I was jealous when I saw you..."

"I see."

Cheon Woojin nodded nonchalantly.

Both his masters had said that the human heart is infinitely weak and that reason is often consud by trivial emotions.

Gu Jinseok was exactly like that now.

To try to kill soone just because he was jealous.

Cheon Woojin looked at Gu Jinseok with a dry gaze, then picked up the Crescent Moon Staff he had put down next to him.

'A guy who deserves to die.'

That was Cheon Woojin's assessnt of Gu Jinseok.

It was then.

"Move!"

"Everyone, get back in your rooms!?"

With urgent footsteps, a group of people pushed through the rising talents and approached. They were the various unit commanders and deputy commanders in charge of the Martial Alliance mber selection exam.

Of course, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak, was also there. Although the deputy commander, Zhuge Lin, was not seen as she was on a three-month suspension.

"What the hell is this!"

A man with a pale face roared.

It was Zhang Seohwi, the White Dragon Unit Commander of the Martial Alliance.

The Martial Alliance mbers imdiately blocked the space between Cheon Woojin and Gu Jinseok. So were checking the life and death of the fallen Ink Guest.

The White Dragon Unit Commander approached Cheon Woojin with a truly angry face.

"Explain."

Cheon Woojin silently pointed at the ledger on the floor.

At that sight, the White Dragon Unit Commander's eyebrows twitched.

"How dare you, a re applicant, be so arrogant? Pick it up and bring it."

"..."

Cheon Woojin's and the White Dragon Unit Commander's gazes intertwined in the air.

It was then.

"Hoho. I'll pick it up, then."

The Black Tortoise Unit Commander, who had picked up the ledger nonchalantly, began to read it slowly.

"Oh, this is the secret ledger of the West Heaven Society that we were investigating? Where did you find this?"

"I picked it up."

At Cheon Woojin's answer, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander burst into hearty laughter and pointed with his index finger.

"Really? You're lucky."

The White Dragon Unit Commander, who had lost his steam at that sight, sighed and stepped back. Of course, he did not forget to glare at Cheon Woojin once.

Soon, Cheol Jiak's face, who was reading down the ledger, gradually hardened.

"Is that guy Ink Guest?"

"Yes, that guy tried to kill our young hero Cheon."

Song Yiyeon imdiately tattled.

He thought that Cheon Woojin, with his personality, would not be able to give a proper explanation. Originally, it was right to give a statent that was advantageous to oneself, but Cheon Woojin was not of that nature.

He was confident in his ability to talk, so he was thinking of testifying diligently for his friend.

But the Black Tortoise Unit Commander said.

"Why are you butting in?"

"Pardon? Because I'm young hero Cheon's friend..."

"A friend is a friend. Are you applicant Cheon Woojin's guardian?"

"That's not it, but..."

Song Yiyeon, who had been thinking for a mont, said.

"Actually, I'm from the Anhui Song family..."

He was thinking of selling his father's na a little for his friend.

However, seeing the Black Tortoise Unit Commander's expression harden, the quick-witted Song Yiyeon shut his mouth.

Soon, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander pointed at Song Yiyeon and the fallen Gu Jinseok in turn and said.

"Whether it's the Anhui Song family or the Gu family, you cannot interfere in the affairs of the Martial Alliance. We'll take care of it."

"...Yes."

Song Yiyeon clicked his tongue.

Then, one of the White Dragon Unit martial artists who was examining Ink Guest approached and said.

"Commander, Ink Guest is alive."

"Aftereffects?"

"His condition is serious, but he was lucky, and there are no wounds that are impossible to recover from."

"Lucky, my ass."

The White Dragon Unit Commander looked at Cheon Woojin with a new look.

"If sothing like this happens, you should report it to the alliance. How dare you harm soone in the Martial Alliance without fear. You will not be able to get away with this easily."

The Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak, who was next to him, also nodded his head.

"Yes, this was a bit much. Anyway, we'll take responsibility and investigate, so everyone, step back. Applicant Cheon Woojin, co with . Take these two to the dical hall."

"Yes, Commander."

And so, the incident was settled.

No, it seed to be.

* * *

The investigation did not take long.

As soon as the results ca out, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak, went to find the Righteous Will Unit Commander, Ji Makpyeong, who was his superior and the person in charge of this exam.

Boom-!

Cheol Jiak, who had roughly thrown open the door and entered the commander's office, suddenly roared.

"Commander! Are you kidding ?"

The Righteous Will Unit Commander calmly filled a teacup and said.

"Yes, I knew you would co. Would you like so tea to calm your insides?"

"Do I look like I can be cald? You can't find a connection between this incident and the Gu family! Do you know how many years that Ink Guest guy has been eating rice from the Gu family? How can he have done such a thing on his own?"

"If you're not going to drink it, then fine."

The Righteous Will Unit Commander, who had even drunk Cheol Jiak's teacup, continued.

"Hey, Cheol Jiak."

"..."

"You know you're committing insubordination right now, right? You're not unaware that insubordination is strictly forbidden in the Martial Alliance."

Cheol Jiak, who had approached with a flushed face, slamd the commander's desk.

"Hey, Ji Makpyeong."

"Hah, do I still look like your peer?"

"...This isn't right, is it? How far has the Gu family intervened? You? Or your superiors?"

"Hey, Cheol Jiak!"

The Righteous Will Unit Commander shot up from his seat.

He glared at Cheol Jiak as if to kill him and said.

"That's why you can't escape the status of a perennial unit commander while all your peers are holding positions at the commander or hall master level. Because you have no loyalty to the Martial Alliance, no loyalty."

"..."

The Righteous Will Unit Commander poked Cheol Jiak's solar plexus with his index finger and continued.

"Is the Martial Alliance a group that bows its head to the Gu family? The investigation results say so, the results. Who are you to doubt the Martial Alliance?"

"..."

Cheol Jiak's fist was clenched tightly. It was clenched so tightly that blood was dripping from between his fingernails to the floor.

While his peers were rising to high positions in the Martial Alliance, Cheol Jiak had no interest in promotion.

But at this mont, he regretted it.

'If I, if I had been in a higher position...'

He wouldn't have had to watch the corruption of the Martial Alliance and the injustice of the rising talents so helplessly.

Seeing this, the Righteous Will Unit Commander, Ji Makpyeong, said.

"Stop talking nonsense and get out. If you're so suspicious of the Martial Alliance, you can leave for good."

Boom-!

Cheol Jiak slamd the commander's desk with his fist.

The desk instantly split in half and collapsed.

Soon, Cheol Jiak left the office, panting, and Ji Makpyeong, who was watching his back, laughed heartily.

"He's strong. That guy is still in his youth."

* * *

There were two people who were as indignant as Cheol Jiak at the investigation results announced by the Martial Alliance.

"The world is rotten!"

Zhuge Lin, whose face was red, shouted and raised her glass.

In response, Song Yiyeon clinked his glass against hers.

"It seems it was a decision made by soone much higher than the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, right?"

Zhuge Lin nodded her head.

"Probably at least at the commander level. By the way, I hope our commander doesn't beat up the Righteous Will Unit Commander again."

"The commander beats up the commander? Was the Martial Alliance always such a ss?"

Zhuge Lin let out a smirk.

"Our commander and the Righteous Will Unit Commander are actually peers. No, all the current commander and hall master level personnel are the commander's peers."

Cheon Woojin, who had been listening to the two's conversation silently, said.

"Why is that? He seed to have skills."

At least in Cheon Woojin's eyes, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak, was a man who was at least a few levels above the other unit commander level people.

Zhuge Lin gave a bitter smile.

"It's because of his personality. He's not good at flattery, and he's a person who values his own beliefs more than rules. Even now, when the other unit commanders were just cursing because they couldn't accept the investigation results, he went to argue directly. Things like that have piled up for decades, and he's been properly disliked."

Cheon Woojin nodded his head.

It was a little different from the Martial Alliance his White Master had told him about, but anyway, this was also a place where people lived, so it was certainly possible.

Song Yiyeon suddenly said.

"Ah, but doesn't the young hero's master have connections with a pretty high-ranking person in the Martial Alliance? Even so, would it be too much to reach the commander or higher level?"

At the sa ti, Zhuge Lin's eyes also flashed.

"That's right. You said you ca to find soone. Who knows. It might be a very high-ranking person."

Zhuge Lin knew that Cheon Woojin was the disciple of the Black Master.

If it was a person who had connections with that big shot, they must be a pretty great person in the Martial Alliance.

'No, but is that okay?'

The more Zhuge Lin learned about Cheon Woojin, the more complicated her head beca.

Cheon Woojin said calmly.

"I told you before. I don't even know his na. Just the nickna 'Sword Slower than a Turtle'..."

It was then.

Boom-!

The nacing face of Cheol Jiak suddenly popped out from between the door that had been opened with great force.

"What? What did you just say?"

Zhuge Lin, who saw the blood still flowing from his hand, was startled and stood up.

"Commander, what's wrong with your hand? How many people did you beat up to..."

"...What nonsense are you talking about? No, applicant Cheon Woojin, what did you just say? Say it again."

"Sword Slower than a Turtle?"

Cheol Jiak's eyes widened like lanterns.

'To think there's soone else who knows that nickna besides .'

Cheol Jiak let out a hollow laugh.

"It's a nickna, not a title. Who would use such a title?"

"Huh? Is it soone you know, Commander?"

"I know him, I know him very well."

Cheol Jiak froze in place and recalled an old mory.

- Jiak, co here.

- Yes? Yes, Commander!

In his youth, not long after he had joined the Martial Alliance.

He had been in the sa ard force with that person for a fortnight. That person was a commander, and he was a newcor who had just joined.

- Jiak, is my sword that slow?

- Yes...? You're faster than any swordsman I know.

- Right? I'm not soone who would hear such a thing anywhere.

The commander, who was already making a big na for himself in the martial world at the ti, was dejected that day.

The young Cheol Jiak could not hold back his curiosity and asked.

- What on earth did you hear?

- Sword Slower than a Turtle.

-...Who on earth?

- There is. The person I respect the most.

Just like the young Cheol Jiak, Zhuge Lin, who could not hold back her curiosity, broke his reverie and asked.

"So who on earth is the Sword Slower than a Turtle?"

"The Alliance Leader."

"...?"

An awkward silence fell on the scene.

Only Cheol Jiak gave a triumphant smile inwardly.

'Ji Makpyeong, this bastard...'