The Youngest Member Chapter 59

The Martial Alliance Main Headquarters, White Dragon Pavilion.

Inside the desolate office, only the crisp sound of the White Dragon Unit Commander, Jang Seohwi, nervously biting into an apple echoed.

He let out a continuous sigh, pressing his temples with his thumb as if a headache were coming on.

How much quiet ti had passed like that?

Jang Seohwi, who had quickly thrown away the apple that was left with only its core, lightly slamd the desk with his fist.

"Damn it..."

Rumors about the newcors of the Black Tortoise Unit were rampant within the alliance.

They had received a re escort mission and had returned with unbelievable achievents.

Since those two had shown their prominence from the selection exam, the saying 'a talent that stands out' naturally followed them.

Yes, that could happen.

"Geniuses and monsters that surpass them have always existed."

The problem was that they were the newcors of the Black Tortoise Unit.

This ti it was the newcors' solo mission, but in the future, they would belong to the Black Tortoise Unit and carry out missions together.

They would surely accumulate achievents quickly and succeed in increasingly difficult missions.

And of all tis, it was at this point when one commander position was vacant.

Jang Seohwi tilted his head back and let out a long sigh.

"To think I'd be worried about the promotion of the perennial unit commander."

He should have predicted this situation from the mont those guys chose the Black Tortoise Unit.

A rumor was already circulating that Cheol Jiak might be the next promotion candidate. The first step was this mission. He had heard that it was a mission that was not at the level that the Black Tortoise Unit could handle, but the alliance leader had strongly pushed for it.

On the other hand, the White Dragon Unit was currently idle. In the end, it ant that the alliance was already valuing the Black Tortoise Unit more than the White Dragon Unit.

The White Dragon Unit Commander glared at the plump money pouch placed on one side of the desk. He was going to visit the head of the personnel hall again and ask.

However, before he could even visit, a letter ca from the personnel hall.

'He is a child cherished by Grandmaster Fajin of Shaolin and the alliance leader. It's beyond my ability.'

It was a straightforward rejection.

It had beco impossible to block Cheol Jiak's path by bribing the head of the personnel hall. The reason he was trying to block his promotion so much was just one.

'If Cheol Jiak becos a commander, I can see him running wild like a madman.'

The White Dragon Unit Commander knew Cheol Jiak better than anyone else.

They had been unit commanders together for a long ti, and they were on such familiar terms that they would often drink together outside the alliance.

Cheol Jiak probably knew him well too. He would have a rough idea that he had other sources of inco besides the salary from the alliance.

The reason the White Dragon Unit Commander could hand over a plump money pouch to the head of the personnel hall. And the reason the orchard run by his family could grow exponentially.

It was a common story. A high-ranking official whose promotion was continuously delayed would collude with villains through his authority to fill his own pockets.

Everyone does this much. Wasn't it all to make a living in the first place? It was just that the amount was a little large. It was just a little more secretive, and just a little more evil.

"As expected, no matter how I think about it..."

Cheol Jiak must never beco a commander.

"Unit Commander. Are you inside?"

It was the deputy commander's voice.

As the White Dragon Unit Commander gave his permission, the deputy commander who entered the office handed over a tightly sealed letter.

"It's a letter that ca for you, Unit Commander, but the sender is unknown."

The White Dragon Unit Commander nodded his head.

It was obvious where it had co from without even looking.

Only after the deputy commander who had handed over the letter left the office did the unit commander take out the letter. The White Dragon Unit Commander's expression crumpled as he slowly read it.

"These worthless bastards..."

The content of the letter was long and rambling, but to summarize, it was simple.

'What? You're going to back out now? Did you drink pesticide? Go ahead and try. Even if our Black Ox Gang is ruined, I will personally lead my children and rush into the Martial Alliance and tell the alliance leader everything.'

In other words, you die, I die.

The furrow on the White Dragon Unit Commander's brow deepened. These black path guys had nothing to lose, so they were bastards who would really do that.

He could tell just by the fact that they had sent a letter to the Martial Alliance without any fear. The White Dragon Unit Commander tore the letter into small pieces and threw it into the desk drawer.

And so, it had beco impossible to wash his hands of the matter of colluding with the black path guys.

"This won't work. That won't work..."

There was no place to retreat anymore.

The White Dragon Unit Commander went to the window and felt the wind in frustration.

The scenery of the Martial Alliance ca into view at a glance.

He could see the peaceful background and the young rising talents who were diligently walking around with sohow determined eyes.

Seeing this made his heart even more frustrated.

It was then.

"Wow, it's hard to see our newcors' faces!"

A shrill voice was heard. It was Zhuge Lin, the daughter of the Zhuge family and the deputy commander of the Black Tortoise Unit.

For a mont, the White Dragon Unit Commander's eyes flashed.

"That's right!"

Co to think of it, there was one more person besides himself who did not want Cheol Jiak to beco a commander.

She had enough power to influence the Martial Alliance, and her intentions also matched...

The White Dragon Unit Commander hurriedly put on the white robe hanging on the chair and prepared to go out.

* * *

The place the White Dragon Unit Commander, who had left the alliance, headed for, even riding a horse, was Longzhong Mountain in Hubei Province.

Here was the Zhuge family, one of the five most powerful families in the world. It was the family of Deputy Commander Zhuge Lin, and it was a family with a long history that had served as the brain of the white path martial world for generations.

The White Dragon Unit Commander, who had gotten off his horse, entered the Zhuge family with the guidance of a servant. The atmosphere was sowhere between a martial family and a scholar family. Scholars waving folding fans and martial artists wielding judge's pens and flexible swords were mixed together haphazardly.

It seed that a formation was basically installed, as the density of energy in the training ground was high, and books were scattered here and there in the wide yard.

'This is the Zhuge family...'

The White Dragon Unit Commander was inwardly amazed at the profound atmosphere. It was his first ti visiting the Zhuge family in person.

Passing the family head's pavilion where a stone statue of Zhuge Liang was located, he stood in front of a pavilion that was no less huge.

"He is waiting inside."

The servant bowed his head politely.

"Ah, thank you."

The White Dragon Unit Commander, who had nodded his head pretentiously, cautiously brought his hand to the doorknob.

Creak, the door opened by itself, and the inside was revealed.

'Smoke?'

The spacious room was filled with gray smoke.

The White Dragon Unit Commander instinctively held his breath. After all, he was a unit commander who had received formal training in the Martial Alliance.

A deep voice was heard through the smoke.

"It's a strange thing. To think a unit commander of the Martial Alliance would co to see ."

"I am Jang Seohwi, the White Dragon Unit Commander. I greet Elder Zhuge Seong."

The White Dragon Unit Commander politely cupped his fist to Elder Zhuge, who was not even visible due to the smoke.

A gaze was felt from behind the smoke.

Zhuge Seong had originally intended to refuse the White Dragon Unit Commander's request. What business would a re unit commander have to see him?

However, he beca curious because it was related to Zhuge Lin. That child's father was the head of the Zhuge family and his own older brother, Zhuge Min.

But, he had co to see him, not the family head?

It ant that he knew a certain amount about the internal affairs of the Zhuge family.

"Co in."

"...Yes."

The White Dragon Unit Commander entered the pavilion, still holding his breath. As the hazy smoke touched him, his eyes and skin stung a little.

'Forget-Worry Herb...'

The standard way was to roll it in a leaf and then light it and smoke it, but it seed that Elder Zhuge Seong had filled the room with the smoke of the Forget-Worry Herb in a different way.

As he entered deep into the pavilion through the smoke, there was Elder Zhuge Seong, sitting on the main seat, wearing a white robe.

The White Dragon Unit Commander swallowed hard. It was his first ti eting Zhuge Seong in person, but unlike the small and weak appearance that one would usually associate with a martial artist of the Zhuge family, his physique was large and his gaze was rough, like a man of the black path.

As the White Dragon Unit Commander was letting out a dry cough due to the smoke, Zhuge Seong pointed to the seat opposite him with an indifferent look.

"Sit."

"...Ah, yes."

The White Dragon Unit Commander sat down. A servant approached and placed a teacup, but he had no intention of drinking tea in such smoke.

Zhuge Seong asked bluntly.

"You have sothing to say about Lin'er."

The White Dragon Unit Commander looked at Zhuge Seong. Although he had been worried until he ca, he did not turn back in the end. If Cheol Jiak beca a commander, his life as a unit commander would be over.

The White Dragon Unit Commander, who had been thinking for a mont, opened his mouth.

"Elder, you do not wish for Deputy Commander Zhuge Lin to be promoted, do you?"

"Hmm."

Zhuge Seong looked at the White Dragon Unit Commander.

He was clearly watching his expression. It was a natural thing. Because a re unit commander was trying to get involved in the deep affairs of the Five Great Families.

Nevertheless, the greed for wealth that was clearly present in his two eyes had led him here.

Zhuge Seong let out a smirk as if he had seen sothing interesting.

"Tell

in detail."

* * *

Zhuge Seong, who had heard the White Dragon Unit Commander's story, just nodded his head for a while without saying a word. When he held out his hand to the empty air, a servant approached and placed a Forget-Worry Herb in his hand.

"Hoo."

The smoke of the Forget-Worry Herb spread thickly over the desk.

For the White Dragon Unit Commander, who could not read the intentions of the man sitting in front of him, it was just an anxious ti.

Only after exhaling the smoke of the Forget-Worry Herb a couple more tis did Zhuge Seong open his mouth.

"Good. Hand over all the information you know about the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, including this mission. Family relationships, of course, what he likes and dislikes, where he often goes, what he does to spend his ti when he rests, and all the trivial things you know. Even the color of his underwear. If you do so, I will draw a picture myself."

The White Dragon Unit Commander finally let out a sigh of relief. Visiting Zhuge Seong was a kind of gamble for him as well. After all, the Zhuge family was one of the pillars of the white path.

If Elder Zhuge Seong had not accepted this and had made it a problem, the White Dragon Unit Commander would have been imprisoned. However, Elder Zhuge Seong was looking at him with a satisfied look.

"First, that guy, Cheol Jiak..."

After that, the White Dragon Unit Commander told everything he knew about Cheol Jiak, and Zhuge Seong just nodded his head.

Soon, as Zhuge Seong waved his hand as if to go, the White Dragon Unit Commander left the pavilion with a relieved expression.

Zhuge Seong, who was looking at his receding back, took a deep drag of the Forget-Worry Herb.

"Lucky. I was just wondering what to do with that child, Zhuge Lin. And the treasure map of the Three Great Talents."

Zhuge Seong's laugh spread low over the desk.

Suddenly, the servant who was standing blankly by his side asked.

"But, Elder. Can we trust that person? He's a guy who sells out his old friend to cover up his own mistakes..."

At that question, Zhuge Seong let out a chuckle.

"I am not trusting the person. I am trusting that guy's desire. Would a guy who ca to

to save his life dare to do anything foolish?"

"...I see."

Suddenly, Zhuge Seong placed the Forget-Worry Herb on the desk.

A deep smile spread across his face.

"I have a good idea. Call the Divine Thief."

The servant's eyes widened for a mont. The Divine Thief referred to the most famous thief of the era, the Shadowless Divine Thief. It seed that Elder Zhuge Seong was going to do this properly this ti.

'The young lady is also really at her end now...'

The long and long-standing secret struggle of the Zhuge family was coming to an end. The servant thought that he should be careful not to get involved and have his head cut off.

Elder Zhuge Seong got up from his seat with a satisfied smile.

He would get rid of his niece who was a thorn in his side, gain a subordinate who was blind with greed, and at the sa ti, obtain the treasure of the Three Great Talents.

Wasn't it literally a case of killing two birds with one stone?

He had a feeling that this year would be a very successful year. Thinking so, Zhuge Seong, who was about to leave the pavilion, suddenly turned around and said.

"But, isn't it interesting?"

"...Yes?"

"He said his na was Cheon Woojin. In the end, a unit commander of the Martial Alliance ca to see , nervous and wary, because of a re newcor. Anyway, the martial world is like this. It's interesting because things that are beyond common sense always happen."

Zhuge Seong suddenly felt a mixture of curiosity and pity.

What kind of guy was he to cause such a stir as a re low-ranking alliance mber?

Also, a light pity that such young guys would get caught up in a political whirlwind and disappear without a sound.

(End of Chapter)