The entire Martial Alliance was already filled with rumors.
'The guard of the Gu family hired soone to assassinate an applicant.'
Of course, no one believed the rumor literally. Everyone expected that Gu Jinseok was involved. However, since there was no clear evidence, no one spoke to Gu Jinseok directly.
Gu Jinseok acted as if he had a thick skin, even while receiving people's glares. He didn't care about the gazes of foolish people. He just wanted to enter the Martial Alliance, have the Gu family at his back, and aim for the position of alliance leader in the future.
The Gu family had been between the righteous and the evil for hundreds of years and had only recently been fully incorporated into the white path. In the white path, there was a tendency to secretly look down on and despise them.
In such a situation, if they produced a Martial Alliance Leader, Gu Jinseok's na would remain in the Gu family for a long ti.
"The third exam has been canceled. The results will be announced tomorrow."
A low but heavy voice that felt intimidating. A burly middle-aged man, as big as the originally large Gu Jinseok, was sitting in front of him.
Gu Jinseok nodded his head with a tense face, unlike him.
"Yes, Father."
It was Gu Yongbaek, the head of the Gu family. He looked at his pathetic son and let out a deep sigh.
At that sight, Gu Jinseok flinched and said.
"...I'm sorry."
"For what."
"Because I did sothing useless..."
"Wrong."
Gu Jinseok's eyes widened as he looked at his father.
Gu Yongbaek's words continued.
"Your mistake was not trying to kill that applicant. The real mistake is that you didn't handle the matter properly and that you're showing such a lack of confidence just because you failed a little."
"Father..."
Gu Jinseok's shoulders slumped.
Seeing this, Gu Yongbaek clicked his tongue and continued.
"That guy will be disqualified tomorrow. He won't even be able to participate in the exam again."
For a mont, Gu Jinseok's face brightened considerably.
Gu Yongbaek found even that sight pathetic. It was not at all pleasing to see the guy who would lead the Gu family in the future be so happy and sad over one brat.
"You must enter the Heavenly Tiger Unit. You know that the top five applicants can choose their ard force, right?"
"Yes, of course."
"Apart from the three rising talents from the Five Great Families and the Nine Sects One Gang, the only other notable rising talents are you, Song Yiyeon, and that Cheon Woojin guy. But if Cheon Woojin is disqualified, who will fill that spot?"
Gu Jinseok's heart seed to pound.
The Heavenly Tiger Unit. It was the best ard force of the Martial Alliance and had produced the most alliance leaders in history. It was sothing that all the rising talents of the white path longed for.
The day he would be incorporated into that Heavenly Tiger Unit was just around the corner.
At the sa ti, a sudden anxiety ca over him.
"What if Ink Guest tells everything? I heard the Martial Alliance's torture is that harsh..."
"You pathetic fool. Is this the ti for you to be worrying about that?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
Gu Yongbaek pointed at his son with his index finger and said forcefully.
"How can that Ink Guest guy betray us? Don't worry about that and focus all your attention on being incorporated into the Heavenly Tiger Unit!"
In the end, Gu Yongbaek roared.
Of course, since a thorough sound-blocking barrier was placed in the room, there was no way the sound would leak out.
He was so frustrated with his son.
Unlike his brilliant second and third sons, this guy was not only stubborn but also stupid.
However, his innate martial skill was not lacking to be called a heavenly martial body, so he had poured everything into Gu Jinseok.
Because it was much easier to teach a master social skills than to make a smart guy a master.
And so he had sent him to the Martial Alliance, but he was only causing accidents one after another, and even in this situation, he couldn't grasp what was important, so he couldn't help but be frustrated.
Soon, Gu Yongbaek shot up from his seat and said.
"You are the man who will beco the head of the Gu family. Please don't act like a petty person, but think and act like a family head, like a man. If you're going to kill soone, kill them properly, and if you're going to save them, save them properly! Do you understand?"
"...Yes, I will keep that in mind."
Gu Jinseok bowed his head deeply, and Gu Yongbaek roughly opened the door and then closed it again in terror.
"What?"
A slickly handso guy was standing in front of the room.
Of course, since he had spread a sound-blocking barrier, there was no way he had overheard the conversation, but it was true that it was uncomfortable.
Gu Yongbaek opened the door again.
Song Yiyeon's face was in between.
"Do you have sothing to say?"
"Aigoo. Why are you using informal speech on our first eting?"
"Hah, what?"
Gu Yongbaek stared at Song Yiyeon's face and then let out a hollow laugh.
"Are you a son of the Anhui Song family?"
That outstanding face was a spitting image of the annoying Song family head. At that question, Song Yiyeon grinned.
"Yes, I am the pride of the Song family, the eldest son."
"I am a friend of your father. You should have greeted
first when you saw , why are you just standing there blankly?"
"Aha."
Song Yiyeon bowed his head perfunctorily and then straightened up and said.
"My room is over there, and I was surprised because the door opened so roughly on my way."
"Ahem."
"Then I hope you have a good ti with young hero Gu Jinseok."
Song Yiyeon, who said so, passed through the corridor with light steps. Gu Yongbaek's heart, who was watching his back, couldn't be more uncomfortable.
* * *
Song Yiyeon clutched his trembling heart and headed straight to his room.
"Wow, the family head really ca."
He knew how scary a man he was from his father. If Gu Yongbaek had stepped forward, it ant that sothing was wrong.
Song Yiyeon said to Cheon Woojin, who was nonchalantly looking out the window even in this situation.
"Young hero, we're in big trouble. The head of the Gu family is here and is talking to Gu Jinseok. He even put up a sound-blocking barrier."
Song Yiyeon thought.
'Should I just run away with the young hero?'
First, secure their safety and then plan for the future.
Although he and young hero Cheon would fail the exam, what could be more important than a friend's life?
Cheon Woojin, who suddenly looked at the fidgeting Song Yiyeon, said nonchalantly.
"Is the head of the Gu family that great?"
"He is. He is great. He looks incredibly scary too."
"Is he a greater man than the alliance leader?"
Song Yiyeon's eyebrows gathered with a serious expression.
"Of course not. Where in the world is there a martial artist greater than the alliance leader."
Cheon Woojin let out a smirk.
"Then I'll watch."
"What do you an?"
"What kind of place the Martial Alliance?"
"What do you an by that?"
Cheon Woojin, who let out a smirk, his gaze turned back to the window. Only Song Yiyeon, who did not know the situation, his insides were burning.
* * *
Early in the morning.
Hundreds of rising talents were all gathered in the spacious training ground of the Martial Alliance.
It was the day the results of the exam were announced. Of course, the officials of the Martial Alliance who were in charge of the exam were also present. The White Dragon Unit Commander, who was in charge of the announcent, stepped forward and said.
"As you all know, the third exam has been canceled due to a certain incident. However, since a aningful result has been obtained with just the first exam, the grading, and the second exam, I hope everyone will understand."
The White Dragon Unit Commander, who said so, bowed his head to the rising talents. At this mont, he was not just a distant senior of the martial world, but a single martial artist in front of the next generation of chivalrous heroes who had thankfully applied for the exam.
The White Dragon Unit Commander's words continued.
"I am both grateful and sorry that so many good martial artists have gathered this ti. In particular, the top five who achieved the highest scores will be given the qualification to apply to the ard force of their choice... Unfortunately, one of those five has been disqualified."
The place beca noisy.
Everyone secretly glanced at Cheon Woojin and Gu Jinseok.
Of course, Gu Jinseok was trying hard to hide his smile because he already knew about Cheon Woojin's disqualification.
While the results were being announced like that.
"Hehe."
The Black Tortoise Unit Commander, who was watching this, snorted. The Righteous Will Unit Commander, Ji Makpyeong, who was next to him, looked at the Black Tortoise Unit Commander with eyes that had seen sothing they shouldn't have.
'Why does this bastard look so happy?'
The Black Tortoise Unit Commander, who received the Righteous Will Unit Commander's hot gaze, just picked his nose. Soon, the White Dragon Unit Commander's result announcent continued.
Fifth place, Jin Yun of the Huashan 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.
Most of it went as expected.
The problem was who would be first.
Everyone knew. That either Gu Jinseok or Cheon Woojin would be first, and the other would be the disqualified person the White Dragon Unit Commander had ntioned.
"First place is."
"..."
A tense air filled the room.
The White Dragon Unit Commander, who had paused for a mont, continued firmly.
"Applicant Cheon Woojin."
For a mont, silence fell.
In particular, Gu Jinseok's face was hardened.
Boom-!
Gu Jinseok, unable to contain his anger, slamd his fist down.
Nevertheless, the White Dragon Unit Commander glared at him and continued to announce.
After that, from sixth place to seventh, eighth, and beyond to the last successful applicant, fifty-sothing. Gu Jinseok's na was nowhere to be found.
Gu Jinseok had to face the reality he had been trying to ignore. That the disqualified person the White Dragon Unit Commander had ntioned earlier was not Cheon Woojin, but himself.
Gu Jinseok strode towards Cheon Woojin with a hardened face.
Song Yiyeon urgently pushed between Cheon Woojin and Gu Jinseok and blocked them. It was not because he was worried about Cheon Woojin. It was because he was afraid that Cheon Woojin would beat Gu Jinseok to death within the Martial Alliance.
The officials in charge of this exam were watching the scene from a distance. The Black Tortoise Unit Commander burst into a truly hearty laugh.
"Hahahaha! It's a complete ss, a complete ss."
The Righteous Will Unit Commander, Ji Makpyeong, grabbed Cheol Jiak by the collar.
"It was you. You did it, didn't you?"
"H-hey, Commander. What did I do? Let go and speak. There are many eyes watching."
Cheol Jiak burst into laughter that he couldn't hold back. The Righteous Will Unit Commander, unable to contain his anger, grabbed Cheol Jiak by the neck. Then the serious Cheol Jiak lowered his voice and said.
"You're not letting go?"
"..."
It was then. There was a man striding towards where the two were. The Righteous Will Unit Commander's complexion turned white when he confird his face.
A man approaching with a dangerous atmosphere like a fierce god of evil.
It was his friend, and the head of the Gu family, Gu Yongbaek.
Seeing this, Cheol Jiak said nonchalantly.
"Hey, Family Head. This is a place where only Martial Alliance mbers are allowed..."
However, Gu Yongbaek ignored his words and went straight to the Righteous Will Unit Commander. Soon, he said in a truly cold voice.
"Explain."
"...No, that's not it, I don't know either."
The Righteous Will Unit Commander made an excuse. Although he was his friend, Gu Yongbaek was also a very fearso man.
"You're the one in charge of the exam, so if you don't know, who does?"
"No..."
The Righteous Will Unit Commander was very wronged, but he had no way to explain.
While he was on the verge of tears, Gu Yongbaek's chilly voice continued.
"Yes, it doesn't matter who is first. But my son is disqualified?"
"..."
"You're making the eldest son of the Gu family unable to even set foot in the Martial Alliance for life?"
"Hey, first, my words..."
"How dare you insult our Gu family!"
The Righteous Will Unit Commander's face turned pale. He knew how brutally the Gu family had tornted and dried up their enemies when they were between the righteous and the evil.
"H-hey. It's a misunderstanding. Wait a little. Sothing seems to be going wrong, so I'll look into it again..."
"What is strange?"
A calm voice suddenly ca from behind.
At the sa ti, the rough aura of Gu Yongbaek, which had been subtly dominating the room, disappeared as if washed away.
Gu Yongbaek took a long deep breath, composed his expression, and then turned his head.
"Alliance Leader."
Beili Tian, the man who had risen to the position of Martial Alliance Leader solely with his own abilities, without any support or foundation.
The man whom everyone in the white path respected was glaring at Gu Yongba-ek with very deep eyes.
Gu Yongbaek swallowed hard without realizing it.
No matter how great the Gu family was, the alliance leader was one of the top masters representing the white path.
'Why is the alliance leader suddenly here...'
Soon, the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, who was observing the atmosphere of the Righteous Will Unit Commander and Gu Yongbaek, asked again.
"I asked what is so strange. Why is everyone silent."
(End of Chapter)
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