The Youngest Member Chapter 58

Dragon and Phoenix Society.

It was a social gathering that only the most outstanding mbers of the Martial Alliance could join. It certainly started that way.

However, although it was called a social gathering, it had a great tradition, and many high-ranking officials of the Martial Alliance were from the Dragon and Phoenix Society.

The most outstanding juniors supported them from below, and the most successful seniors pulled them from above.

It was truly the epito of corruption, but it was a society that even the Martial Alliance Leader, who hated such things, could not dismantle. The influence that the Dragon and Phoenix Society had within the Martial Alliance was that great.

The man who had handed the letter to Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon was diligently explaining sothing to soone.

He made a gesture of crumpling the paper and throwing it behind him, then fluttered two fingers to express that the letter had burst into flas.

Then he stomped on the floor several tis.

The description was so vivid that even those who were not there had the illusion of seeing Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon.

"So that's what happened?"

"Yes, they were very arrogant guys. We must imdiately pressure the Black Tortoise Unit and revoke their mission authority."

"Tsk, don't cross the line."

Doing such a thing would be giving a reason to the anti-Dragon and Phoenix Society faction. Since the current alliance leader looked down on the Dragon and Phoenix Society, it was necessary to be careful.

The man who had heard the report shone with a deep green light. It was an eye that only the chosen ones in the Sichuan Tang family could have.

"But we can't just leave them like that. We'll have to keep an eye on them for the ti being. And..."

The man's gaze turned to the person sitting at the end of the round table. He was a newcor who had joined the Dragon and Phoenix Society this ti, but he had a bored and indifferent expression.

Nevertheless, no one thought he was arrogant.

Because he was the young family head of the Nangong family and the talent who would lead the Dragon and Phoenix Society in the future.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned? You're peers, after all."

"What can I do if they don't want to?"

Nangong Jin looked straight at the current president of the Dragon and Phoenix Society, Tang Bicheon. Anyway, since the Dragon and Phoenix Society was a gathering of rising talents, when they reached a certain age, they would pass on the presidency to a junior and retire from the front line.

If it were the usual Tang Bicheon, he would not have tolerated the challenging gaze directed at him.

However, Nangong Jin was also an uncomfortable existence for Tang Bicheon. Although there was a considerable difference in their classes and they were in a relationship of president and newcor, privately, they were both young family heads of the Five Great Families.

As the two had a staring contest, everyone just watched their expressions.

No matter how great a gathering the Dragon and Phoenix Society was, no one wanted to get involved in the power struggle between the Nangong family and the Sichuan Tang family.

"I see."

Tang Bicheon nodded his head.

Soon, the tension that had wrapped around the scene disappeared.

Tang Bicheon had taken a step back.

Nangong Jin just snorted and turned his head.

"Anyway, the strength of the Dragon and Phoenix Society cos from outstanding individuals gathering in one place. If people who don't join the society like this appear one by one, the Dragon and Phoenix Society will lose its strength in the future. It's not sothing to be taken lightly."

Tang Bicheon gave a grand reason to everyone and warned them again. However, the reason for doing this was actually simple.

Originally, he didn't particularly like the guys nad Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon, so he hadn't invited them.

However, after finishing their first solo mission, the achievents they had made quickly spread throughout the Martial Alliance.

To just ignore them, the two, especially the guy nad Cheon Woojin, were truly monstrous existences.

If he couldn't get such a person to join the Dragon and Phoenix Society, his ability as president would be questioned by his seniors.

So, he had swallowed his pride and had sent an invitation, but they had thrown it away. Not just thrown it away, but crumpled it, burned it, and even stomped on it.

It was truly a matter of pride.

Tang Bicheon's deep green light burned low. That gaze was deeper and more intense than that of his younger sister, Tang Soyeon, and even the forr master of the Tang family, the Poisonous Hand.

* * *

Song Yiyeon cleaned his ears.

"Is soone talking bad about ?"

"It seems they're talking bad about

too."

Cheon Woojin nodded his head in agreent.

Although his ears weren't particularly itchy, by now, the news of what had happened to the invitation from the Dragon and Phoenix Society must have been delivered.

He wasn't particularly concerned.

In the world that his two masters had taught him, there were only people like the Dark Heavenly Son or his disciples, the alliance leader, the demonic cult leader, the Black Plaque Star Lord, and the heads of the Five Great Families or the Nine Sects One Gang.

There was no such thing as a child's play like the Dragon and Phoenix Society.

And so, the two headed for the dining hall. The alliance mbers who had no missions freely had their breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the dining hall at a set ti.

They put rice and food on a wooden tray and sat down.

Song Yiyeon said with interest.

"To think that even the people who cook in the Martial Alliance are martial artists. It's truly amazing."

Cheon Woojin nodded his head.

In fact, to prepare three als a day for a number of people on the scale of the Martial Alliance, it was impossible with the strength and stamina of an ordinary person.

Moreover, it was said that the people who traditionally managed the dining hall of the Martial Alliance had organized the techniques that were advantageous for preparing food, and in recent tis, it had even developed into a kind of martial art, so it was a great thing.

Cheon Woojin put the rice in his mouth and chewed it carefully. The taste of the Martial Alliance's rice had reached its peak. He thought it would be fun to learn the martial art of cooking if he had the chance soday.

It was then.

The atmosphere of the dining hall beca strange for a mont.

Song Yiyeon, who sensed this, looked around, and Cheon Woojin just ate his rice as if he were not interested.

"Young hero Cheon, it seems we've been properly marked."

At Song Yiyeon's words, Cheon Woojin finally raised his head. The group of people who had entered the dining hall were the martial artists of the Dragon and Phoenix Society, led by Nangong Jin.

Since there was an implicit order in using the dining hall, most of the people gathered now were those who belonged to the rising talents.

Everyone looked at the martial artists of the Dragon and Phoenix Society with eyes of admiration, and the martial artists of the Dragon and Phoenix Society looked at Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon with displeased eyes.

Cheon Woojin shrugged his shoulders. It was a look that said, 'what are you going to do if you glare', so Song Yiyeon also smirked and finished his rice.

It was then.

"Can I eat with you?"

Song Yiyeon and Cheon Woojin raised their heads at the sa ti.

It was Jin Yun, who had a clean hero's scarf wrapped around his forehead. The plum blossom pattern clearly placed between his long black hair was impressive.

Cheon Woojin said nothing, and Song Yiyeon nodded his head as if he were glad.

"Ah, young hero Jin Yun. Are you feeling better?"

"It's thanks to you two. I almost died at the hands of those horse bandits..."

Jin Yun's face turned slightly red as if he were ashad to think about it again. As a promising swordsman of Huashan, it was a shaful thing to have almost been defeated by re wandering horse bandits.

At least, because he had been saved by Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon, it remained as an experience that he could grow from again, but he had almost really died.

"Don't ntion it. But is it okay for you to eat with us?"

Song Yiyeon turned his head slightly. There were Nangong Jin and the martial artists of the Dragon and Phoenix Society with very displeased expressions.

Jin Yun gave a bitter smile.

"Don't worry about it. Ah, if by any chance you're uncomfortable because of ..."

"It's fine."

The mont Jin Yun was about to get up, Cheon Woojin said shortly.

His gaze was still fixed on the tray.

Jin Yun gave a gentle smile and sat down again.

The three ate, talking about this and that.

Mostly, Jin Yun and Song Yiyeon talked, and Cheon Woojin would nod or shake his head.

By the ti the trays were almost empty.

Cheon Woojin got up from his seat with his tray and chopsticks and took a step to the side. At the sa ti, a large, rock-like arm muscle filled the empty space.

Song Yiyeon, who couldn't avoid it in ti, groaned with his face stuck between the arm muscles of the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak.

"Keoheok! C-commander...!"

Cheol Jiak laughed and looked at Cheon Woojin.

"Do you have eyes on the back of your head? You dodged well."

Cheon Woojin just stood there and continued his al. At that sight, Cheol Jiak burst into a truly amused laugh.

"Hahaha! You guys. I was worried that I wouldn't see you after seeing you for so long, whether you were doing your missions well, or whether you would be hit by a stray sword and die."

"P-please let go of this first..."

Song Yiyeon struggled, but it was not enough to overco Cheol Jiak's strength. At best, he could protect his neck with the Black Tortoise Iron Shell Art and secure his airway.

"But what's this? You did much better than I thought. It's a problem because you're too good. I heard from the Righteous Will Unit Commander. He's a guy who usually spares his praise."

Surprisingly, the Righteous Will Unit Commander and the Black Tortoise Unit Commander were peers.

It was keenly felt that Cheol Jiak's nickna was the 'perennial unit commander'.

Suddenly, Cheol Jiak's gaze turned to Jin Yun, who was sitting opposite him.

The startled Jin Yun shot up from his seat.

"Ah! Black Tortoise Unit Commander! I am Jin Yun from the Heavenly Tiger Unit..."

"Sit down, sit down. Hey, why are you getting up in the middle of a al? Anyone would think I'm catching people."

"I-I'm sorry."

Jin Yun sat down with an embarrassed look. At that sight, Cheol Jiak burst into a smirk.

"It's a joke, man. Eat well."

"Yes, yes..."

Jin Yun nodded his head with a dazed expression. Compared to his own unit commander, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander was a man who reeked of humanity so much that it felt like he would suffocate.

Cheol Jiak released his arm and ruffled Song Yiyeon's hair. Unfortunately, since Cheon Woojin was still not letting his guard down, it was impossible.

"Did you make a friend in the anti? I thought you would be an outsider among your peers forever."

Cheol Jiak's gaze, who said so, turned to Nangong Jin, who was looking at them from a distance. Cheol Jiak had also already grasped the flow of the hierarchy among the mbers of this class.

Naturally, the mainstream was the Dragon and Phoenix Society, centered on the young family head of the Nangong family, and the two newcors who had started to stand out by choosing the Black Tortoise Unit for no reason would be the targets of their checks.

"Anyway, after you finish eating, return to the Black Tortoise Pavilion imdiately and report formally. These guys, as soon as they returned, they should have co to find , but they're sitting here eating comfortably. When I was your age..."

Cheol Jiak's words went on and on. The topics changed rapidly, from the absurdity and discipline he had experienced, to corruption, patience, and etiquette, but his words did not stop.

Cheon Woojin thought it was a great way of speaking and spread a ki barrier to protect his ears.

And so, Cheol Jiak, who had been talking for a long ti, was about to turn around, but he suddenly took out three bright red apples from his bosom and handed them over.

"Eat one each."

Song Yiyeon and Cheon Woojin received them nonchalantly, and Jin Yun got up with a grateful look and received it politely with both hands.

Song Yiyeon asked.

"Why the sudden apple? It wasn't on the nu."

"That guy, Seohwi's family has an orchard. He sent so over, saying the quality of the apples is good this year. They're surprisingly delicious, so you guys eat them too."

Seohwi referred to the White Dragon Unit Commander, Jang Seohwi.

Soon, Cheol Jiak turned away without any lingering attachnt, as if he had finished his business.

Cheon Woojin, who was looking at his receding back, said in a low voice.

"...Where on earth was the apple?"

"Can't you see the muscles twitching even over those clothes? It probably ca out from sowhere around there."

Co to think of it, the apple seed a little warm.

Cheon Woojin, who had a slight frown, looked at the apple with a very uneasy expression and then gave it to Jin Yun.

"Eat a lot. It's good for you."

"..."

Jin Yun looked back and forth between the apple, Song Yiyeon, and Cheon Woojin.

'Should I have chosen the Black Tortoise Unit?'

Of course, he couldn't do that. Because the elders of Huashan would not have let that happen.

Jin Yun gave a bitter smile.

* * *

A pavilion located in the deepest part of the Martial Alliance.

"Alliance Leader. It's a big problem because there is no suitable person to send on this mission. I think it would be good to request support from the Five Great Families."

At the commander-in-chief, Sima Hui's words, the Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, let out a groan.

"Is there really no talent?"

"There are many talents. But isn't it because this mission is that important? It's appropriate to send the Heavenly Tiger Unit, but they have to be dispatched on another mission soon, and the Poison King Unit doesn't suit the disposition..."

A deep furrow ford on the commander-in-chief's brow. It was always difficult to dispatch all-out on a mission.

If it was too much, it was a waste, and if it was too little, it was a failure.

Of course, waste was better than failure, but now, there was not even enough power to waste.

"So, the ard forces that can be sent on the mission now are?"

"...There are the Black Tortoise Unit and the White Dragon Unit. If you are thinking of sending one of the two, you must be careful in your choice. It will be a mission that plays an important role in the commander promotion that will take place in four months. There will probably be those who misunderstand the alliance leader's choice as a political view."

The Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, snorted.

"What politics is there in the alliance assigning a mission to a unit commander? It's just a matter of sending the children who seem to be able to do it best."

"That is a correct statent, but..."

Although the Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, said so, he knew. Every organization has a flow of power.

Even in a family made up of blood relatives, there was a bloody wind to seize power, so it was needless to say for the Martial Alliance, which was made up of martial artists from different backgrounds.

The Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, who had been thinking for a mont, opened his mouth.

"How long has Jiak been in his position?"

"It has been fifteen years this year since he obtained the position of the Black Tortoise Unit Commander."

"Hehe..."

Just a hollow laugh ca out. Usually, after becoming a unit commander of the main headquarters, one would see results in ten years at the latest.

Those with insufficient ability would be sent to a branch, and if they proved their ability, they would be promoted to a commander of the main headquarters or sotis to a hall master level.

But, to be a unit commander for fifteen years.

"That guy, if he just killed his temper a little, he would be fine."

There was no doubt about Cheol Jiak's martial power or mission execution ability. However, in the Martial Alliance, if not in the black path, that was not all.

He had to comfort and embrace his juniors from below, and he had to receive the trust of his superiors from above.

In Cheol Jiak's case, the forr was excellent, but the latter was the problem.

"The Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak, has a strange combination of that fiery temper and stubbornness, and he has clashed with more than twenty superiors. His performance evaluation cannot co out well. Of course, you can promote him to a commander position with the alliance leader's privilege, but..."

"That's not sothing to be said. Did the other children bow their heads to their superiors because they had no other way?"

"Yes, I thought you would say so."

Sima Hui nodded his head.

Who was the Alliance Leader, Beili Tian? He was a man who had reached the pinnacle of the white path by proving his abilities and paving his own way without any background.

There was no way such a person would tolerate a special promotion using power.

Of course, Sima Hui also had the sa intention.

From the commander level, it belonged to the managent position. The ability to operate and manage an organization beca very important, and to be frank, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak, did not have that.

"In a situation where the demonic path and the evil path have not been destroyed, the discipline of the alliance must be firmly maintained. In that respect, the act of ignoring a superior cannot be tolerated."

The Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, nodded his head. In a military organization, following orders from above was essential, and insubordination was a serious offense.

Rather, it could be seen as admirable that he was still holding the position of a unit commander of the main headquarters even after clashing with more than twenty superiors.

The Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, who had been thinking for a long ti, soon nodded his head.

"Right, let's entrust this mission to them. This year is a little different, isn't it?"

The commander-in-chief, Sima Hui, narrowed his eyes.

"This year is different... Are you talking about the newcors?"

"I suppose so. Also, there is a reason why this mission should go to that guy."

Sima Hui was about to say sothing, but he shut his mouth and got up from his seat. Anyway, he was a person who would follow the alliance leader's orders as long as it was reasonable.

In the hand of the risen Sima Hui, there was a mission order, and it was written like this.

'Secure the treasure map of the Three Great Talents of the White Path.'

Cheon Woojin's master, the White Flower Sword Saint, was one of the Three Great Talents of the White Path.

(End of Chapter)