Chapter 80
The Matchmaker Comes (2)
“You’re saying they want me to marry her?”
Baek Socheon was so shocked that he even stumbled over his words. News that war had broken out would probably have been less shocking. He had not been this startled even when Yeomhwasin suddenly appeared in front of the main headquarters.
“That’s right. They sent a matchmaker because they want you to marry her.”
Baek Socheon alternated his gaze between Ak Sogun and Zhuge Hyeon.
The shock and bewilderment they felt were plainly written across their faces as well.
“What in the world are they plotting?”
Neither of them could answer Baek Socheon’s question.
In fact, they had been waiting to ask him the same thing.
“Have you ever met Meolsaeng’s daughter?”
At Zhuge Hyeon’s question, Baek Socheon shook his head.
“No.”
“I thought as much.”
He had never once heard Baek Socheon mention Meolsaeng’s daughter.
“Could their alliance with the Heaven Defying Alliance have fallen apart?”
Zhuge Hyeon answered Baek Socheon’s question.
“We haven’t received any such reports from the spies planted in the Heaven Defying Alliance and the Blood Cult, but it’s certainly possible. Their alliance is being handled under such strict secrecy that uncovering information about it is extremely difficult.”
Even if that were true, there was still one crucial point that made no sense.
“The Blood Cult should also know that you lost your martial arts.”
At that, Baek Socheon asked Ak Sogun to dismiss everyone nearby.
Ak Sogun withdrew all guards from both inside and outside the Unryong Hall.
“It’s time I told the Chief Strategist.”
“Told me what?”
“My internal energy has recovered.”
“What?”
Before Baek Socheon could even explain what had happened, Zhuge Hyeon grabbed both of his hands.
“That’s wonderful. Truly wonderful!”
Just like Ak Sogun, Zhuge Hyeon rejoiced as if it were his own good fortune.
“Thank you.”
“How did this happen?”
Baek Socheon explained everything involving Ban Yun-saeng.
He told him how he had learned Ban Yun-saeng’s whereabouts through Goeyeo in the Martial Alliance’s dungeon, how he had sought the man out, and how Ban Yun-saeng had performed the Rebirth and Marrow-Cleansing Great Art on him.
“I informed the Alliance Leader first.”
“Of course. Naturally, you should have.”
Zhuge Hyeon looked toward Ak Sogun and smiled brightly.
Only then did he feel as though a massive boulder pressing down on his chest had finally been removed.
As the Grand Strategist, how could he claim to bear no responsibility for Baek Socheon having lost his internal energy?
“It is Captain Baek’s good fortune, but it is also an enormous blessing for our Alliance. This is all thanks to the Alliance Leader’s great virtue.”
“How could this be because of an old man like me? Heaven simply has not abandoned the orthodox martial world.”
“Ah, this truly is a joyous day. In my entire life, this is the happiest day after the day the war ended.”
There was a trace of bitterness within Baek Socheon’s faint smile.
He realized that Zhuge Hyeon had lived much the same kind of life as himself.
The Martial Alliance had been everything to him as well.
He could understand the happiest day of Zhuge Hyeon’s life being the day the war ended.
But for the second happiest event of his entire life to be another man recovering his internal energy?
It made Baek Socheon realize anew just how thoroughly both of their lives had been confined within the framework called the Martial Alliance.
Of course, that did not mean the framework itself was insignificant or wrong.
Without it, the orthodox martial world as it existed now might not have survived at all.
It was not a framework to shatter, spit upon, and abandon.
It was something that had to be reinforced, carefully maintained, and only then entrusted to those who came after.
“Could they somehow have discovered that you recovered your internal energy?”
Baek Socheon shook his head at Zhuge Hyeon’s question.
“No. There are now only four people in the world who know that my internal energy has recovered. All four are people I trust completely. There is no chance they know.”
If Baek Socheon was this certain, then the Heaven Defying Alliance likely had no idea that his martial arts had returned.
Indeed, if Yeomhwasin had known, Baek Socheon probably would have been dragged to the Heaven Defying Alliance headquarters during their secret meeting and never returned.
“Do you think the Blood Cult genuinely sent a matchmaker believing this marriage would proceed normally? I don’t.”
Baek Socheon himself had absolutely no intention of getting married.
Naturally, the Blood Cult had to know that he would refuse.
Zhuge Hyeon nodded before speaking to Ak Sogun.
“They may have sent the matchmaker simply to make a show of it to the Heaven Defying Alliance.”
“To the Heaven Defying Alliance?”
“The removal of the Heaven Beyond Ancient Poison from Yeomhwasin and his son may have intensified the conflict between the two factions. Perhaps this is a warning to the Heaven Defying Alliance. Something along the lines of, ‘We don’t necessarily need you. We can also join hands with the Martial Alliance.’”
Zhuge Hyeon’s theory was plausible.
“If that’s the case, then we should reject the proposal. We can’t allow ourselves to be manipulated according to their intentions.”
“Exactly.”
At that moment, Baek Socheon spoke.
“Before rejecting the marriage proposal, why don’t we arrange a meeting with Meol Jiryun? We can tell them marriage is impossible when the two people involved haven’t even seen each other, so they should at least let us meet once.”
“You want to see her?”
“I think we need to determine why they’re doing this. The key to this conflict is splitting the Heaven Defying Alliance and the Blood Cult apart. If a crack has already appeared between them, then it may have considerable value to us.”
“Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
“It would be more dangerous to remain completely ignorant. Between the Heaven Beyond Ancient Poison incident and this matchmaker, it’s obvious that the relationship between the Heaven Defying Alliance and the Blood Cult operates outside normal expectations.”
They had formed an alliance despite the Heaven Beyond Ancient Poison.
And even while allied, the Blood Cult was sending a matchmaker to the Martial Alliance.
“If we don’t actively investigate their relationship, we’ll have no idea what might happen next.”
Ak Sogun looked toward Zhuge Hyeon.
After thinking for a moment, Zhuge Hyeon replied,
“Then let us propose that the meeting take place here at the Martial Alliance. Captain Baek could be in danger if you meet at a location chosen by them.”
“Will they accept?”
“They’re the ones who proposed the marriage first. They should be prepared to accept our conditions. Even if they refuse, we lose nothing.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Ak Sogun looked at Baek Socheon.
“We can’t compromise beyond this. What do you think?”
Baek Socheon could tell that neither the Alliance Leader nor Zhuge Hyeon had any intention of allowing him to go to the Blood Cult.
He nodded as well.
“That works for me.”
Would the Blood Cult Leader really send his one and only daughter into the Martial Alliance?
Baek Socheon doubted it.
***
Baek Socheon went to see Cheongeuk again.
“Why are you back?”
She could tell from his expression alone that something had happened.
It was probably related to Sima Iljung having come all the way to the teahouse earlier and urgently taken him away.
“We’ve got a serious problem.”
“Why? Did war break out?”
“It’s worse than that.”
“What happened?”
Cheongeuk immediately grew tense.
What could possibly be worse than war?
“I’m getting married.”
“…!”
She froze in place.
The news was genuinely more shocking than hearing that war had broken out.
Normally, she would have immediately realized it was a joke, smiled sweetly, and planned some way to retaliate.
But this time, she was simply too stunned.
Cheongeuk swallowed hard.
“With whom?”
“The Blood Cult Leader’s daughter.”
“Are you serious?”
Seeing just how shocked she was, Baek Socheon could no longer continue the joke.
“No. I was joking.”
Cheongeuk stared blankly for a moment before suddenly shouting,
“Do you want to die?”
Realizing that she was genuinely angry, Baek Socheon hurriedly apologized.
“Sorry.”
Cheongeuk sat down.
“The Alliance has been struggling financially lately, so I can’t afford a wedding gift. Don’t get married for a while.”
“Got it.”
Overwhelmed by her intensity, Baek Socheon could say nothing else.
Then, in the next instant, she burst into laughter.
“Did I scare you?”
Baek Socheon was startled by how suddenly cheerful she became.
More accurately, he pretended to be startled.
She had definitely been genuinely flustered a moment ago.
Now she was clearly trying to recover from having been caught so completely off guard.
“You did. I thought you were really angry.”
“Hahaha. I knew you were joking.”
“You knew from the beginning?”
“Of course. Besides, why would I get angry just because you’re getting married?”
That was what she said.
But truthfully, she had been genuinely stunned.
She herself had not known she would react so strongly.
Her vision had gone white, and she had not known what to say.
“But why did you suddenly make a joke like that?”
Baek Socheon told her about the matchmaker sent by the Blood Cult.
Cheongeuk’s eyes widened.
“The Blood Cult sent a matchmaker? They want you as their son-in-law?”
“Yeah.”
“Then it wasn’t really a joke!”
Cheongeuk immediately became serious again.
“There’s no way the Blood Cult Leader actually wants me as his son-in-law.”
“You can’t know that.”
“It’s pretty obvious. Anyway, I came because I thought you should know.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?”
“I mean, why did you think I needed to know?”
She pressed him persistently.
Baek Socheon still felt guilty about teasing her earlier, so he played along.
“Because I shouldn’t keep secrets from the Assassin King?”
At his playful response, Cheongeuk asked,
“Were you worried that I might find out later and kill that woman?”
“No. If I worried about that, I’d be underestimating you.”
“At least you understand.”
“We agreed that I’ll meet her here at the Martial Alliance anyway. The Blood Cult Leader will never send his daughter here.”
“What if he does? He really might.”
“There’s no way, but if he does… I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“Think about it. Otherwise, you’ll panic when it happens.”
“There’s nothing to panic about. I have no intention of getting married, and even if I did, there’s absolutely no chance my bride would be the Blood Cult Leader’s daughter.”
“What if a truly beautiful woman comes?”
Seeing her unease, Baek Socheon unleashed his particular brand of “kindhearted” flirtation.
“I see you so often that I doubt it’ll be easy for me to look at another woman and think she’s beautiful.”
After Baek Socheon left, Cheongeuk found herself strangely unsettled and drank alone.
By the time she had nearly emptied an entire bottle, Seoseong appeared.
Seoseong was the only woman among the Guardian Assassin Saints.
“May I have a drink as well?”
“Sure. Sit down.”
They had drunk together many times before, but Seoseong had never been the one to suggest it first.
Cheongeuk poured her a cup.
“It’s been a long time since it was just the two of us.”
“Yes.”
“Things have been difficult lately, haven’t they?”
“I’d be lying if I said they weren’t, but I’m enjoying the work.”
“It would probably be easier if all four Guardian Assassin Saints were women. Instead, there are three men and only one woman.”
“Wouldn’t that actually make things easier? Compared to having four women?”
“Hahahaha. You have a point.”
Cheongeuk laughed happily.
Seoseong deliberately avoided mentioning Baek Socheon.
They did not know the Blood Cult’s intentions, so discussing it endlessly would only make Cheongeuk’s thoughts more tangled.
At a time like this, simply drinking quietly with her was probably the best thing Seoseong could do.
Inwardly, Seoseong cheered her on.
Have confidence, Alliance Leader. You’re more remarkable than any woman in the world.
A few days later, Baek Socheon entered Unryong Hall.
Ak Sogun and Zhuge Hyeon were waiting for him with expressions even tenser than when they had first told him about the matchmaker.
“What happened?”
“A letter arrived from the Blood Cult.”
They had conveyed their request to meet the Blood Cult Leader’s daughter at the Martial Alliance, and now the reply had arrived.
“What did they say?”
“They accepted our proposal.”
“What?”
Baek Socheon was genuinely shocked.
He had been convinced that the Blood Cult Leader would never send his daughter into orthodox territory, much less directly into the Martial Alliance headquarters.
Then Ak Sogun said something even more surprising.
“The Blood Cult Leader’s daughter has already departed for our Alliance.”
Before curiosity could even take hold, Baek Socheon felt fear.
Meol Jiryun was Meolsaeng’s only daughter.
Just what kind of person would send his one and only daughter into a place that could effectively be called enemy territory?
“Perhaps… they might send a fake Meol Jiryun.”
Zhuge Hyeon nodded in agreement with Baek Socheon.
“That’s entirely possible. No one has actually seen her in person.”
“No one?”
“As far as I know, none of the Martial Alliance’s warriors have.”
At that moment, Baek Socheon suddenly thought of one person who might know about her.
If even that person did not know, then perhaps no one did.