Chapter 209
“Hmm?”
The Hebei Peng Family.
The sun rose, and morning broke.
For some reason, Yul's eyes flew open today even though her mother hadn't come to wake her.
“Hmm…….”
Yet, for some reason, Yul looked unusually glum.
Could she have had a bad dream?
After sitting on the bed and pouting for a moment, Yul changed clothes and left the room.
Zhuque was always at Yul's side.
As she trotted off to learn martial arts from her grandfather, the members of the Peng family spotted Yul and greeted her warmly.
“Good morning, Miss Yul.”
“Oh my! You look lovely today too!”
“Yes… good morning…….”
But unlike usual, Yul's response was rather half-hearted.
The Peng family members tilted their heads.
Unless they were mistaken, Miss Yul's expression seemed particularly...
It wasn't only them who noticed that Yul was different from usual.
“Yul?”
“Yes.”
“Is something the matter?”
“No. Nothing.”
“I-I see. Ahem.”
Even Peng Mugang, Yul's grandfather, who was teaching her martial arts as usual, tilted his head with a puzzled expression at Yul's unusual appearance.
Yul's furrowed brow and protruding lower lip were certainly an unfamiliar sight.
But even that side of Yul was just as adorable.
As her martial arts lesson drew to a close and it was time to go to Sowol Academy, Peng Seo-yeon and Zhuque came to pick Yul up.
“I’m off.”
“Y-Yes.”
Peng Mugang tilted his head as he watched Yul's back recede with Zhuque.
“Yul is acting strange today.”
“Hmm, it was about that time.”
Peng Mugang asked Peng Seo-yeon, who was nodding.
“About time? Then are you saying you know why Yul is acting like that?”
“Of course. I’m her mother. But this isn't something that will improve through anyone else's efforts. There's only one solution.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“It’s just one of those things.”
Peng Seo-yeon merely gave a bitter smile as she looked at Peng Mugang's puzzled face.
Later, on the way back after finishing at Sowol Academy.
Yul's best friend, Eun Su-a, was riding in the Peng family carriage with her.
They had planned to play together at Yul's house that day.
But then,
“Yul.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you in a bad mood? Did something happen?”
“No. I don't know. I just am.”
But seeing Yul still acting differently from usual, Eun Su-a tilted her head.
She was quite unlike the Yul who always smiled brightly.
Hmm. She doesn't seem to be in a good mood. How can I cheer her up?
While Su-a was pondering this, the carriage arrived at the Peng residence.
But then.
“Huh?”
Just as Yul was getting out, she saw someone who appeared to have just arrived at the entrance to the Peng residence.
Yul's eyes widened.
A familiar back.
It was Yeo Un-hwi and the White Wolf Squad, who had just returned after wrapping everything up.
“Dad!
Yul shouted in a loud voice.
Yeo Un-hwi turned at the sound of Yul's voice, spotted her, and spread his arms wide with a smile.
At that sight, Yul ran toward Yeo Un-hwi with all her might and threw herself into his arms.
With a smile just as bright as usual—no, brighter than ever.
Everyone watching them understood.
Why Yul had been pouting all day.
Yul had missed her dad!
***
“Dad, Dad!”
“Yes, yes. Haha.”
Peng Mugang clicked his tongue as he watched Yul cling tightly to Yeo Un-hwi's side and giggle uncontrollably.
Yul's friend Su-a had long since gone home, saying they should play another time after seeing how delighted Yul was that her father had returned.
“Hmph. That little rascal.”
After learning that Yul had seemed down all day because she had missed her father, Peng Mugang felt sorry for his granddaughter, yet for some reason found himself annoyed as well.
It was only natural for Yul to adore Yeo Un-hwi, but he couldn't help feeling that way regardless.
But what could he do?
Some things simply had to be acknowledged.
And that evening.
Yul, who had seemed unlikely to leave Yeo Un-hwi's side all day, unexpectedly drifted off shortly after dusk.
Apparently, keeping such a deep frown on her face all day, unlike her usual self, had worn her out.
Yeo Un-hwi watched Yul sleep for a while, then headed to the family head's chambers.
His family was already waiting for him there, including Peng Mugang.
“Now, explain. What happened there?”
Peng Mugang had already heard about the events in the Martial Alliance from Jin So-baek, but receiving a general account and hearing what had happened directly from the person involved were entirely different matters.
Yeo Un-hwi soon began explaining everything that had happened in detail.
And when he finished his story.
“Hah.”
Peng Mugang let out a hollow laugh.
He already knew what had happened, but hearing it again was still utterly absurd.
“I never imagined Zhang Cheong was such a lunatic.”
They had known that Zhang Cheong wielded great power within the Martial Alliance.
But the truth behind that power and the truth about Zhang Cheong that had been revealed were shocking beyond anything they could have imagined.
He had not only sold information about the Martial Alliance to the Unorthodox Alliance for years, but had also committed countless horrific murders and crimes for his own benefit—and had even secretly learned demonic arts to protect his own safety.
Could anything be more shocking than that?
Moreover, Meteor Sword Emperor Song Il-do, the former leader of the Martial Alliance, had met such a futile death.
Peng Mugang had never particularly liked him as the Alliance Leader or as a person, but he had respected him as a martial artist, so his death left a truly bitter taste.
And then,
“Have you heard? About the Nine Great Sects. I hear they've created a new alliance.”
Once the discussion of the Martial Alliance ended, the next topic naturally shifted to that matter.
Yeo Un-hwi nodded at Peng Mugang's words.
Perhaps it was one of the hottest topics in the martial world at the moment.
Thanks to it, the shocking story of the Martial Alliance was quickly forgotten.
People always paid more attention to something new than to what had already passed.
Especially when it was an alternative that could ease their fears.
“Yes. Before the rumors spread, I heard about it first from the Hao Sect Leader on my way here. They call it the Righteous Alliance.”
“Indeed. Even though news of the Heavenly Demon must have put them in a desperate hurry, I never expected them to abandon the Martial Alliance and choose to start anew instead of trying to expand their influence within it and seize control.”
“I feel the same. I never expected them to act so boldly.”
Perhaps the Martial Alliance's attitude and Zhang Cheong, the worst obstacle of all, had made their decision easier. Even so, their response had been faster than expected.
It was clearly because of their fear of the Heavenly Demon.
After all, no one in the history of the martial world had fought the Heavenly Demon so desperately and shed so much blood against it as they had.
In particular, the wars against the Second and Third Heavenly Demons must have remained as horrific, indelible memories for them.
And those memories must have been passed down to their descendants through the generations.
So that even if the world forgot, they alone would never forget their fear and wariness of the Heavenly Demon.
“How ironic.”
Things had ended up looking as though they had been beaten to the punch by the Nine Great Sects.
But even so, it didn't matter.
They were headed down a different path from them anyway.
“In any case, I think we should continue this discussion once all Five Great Families have gathered.”
“Yes, let's do that.”
It would not be long before the Five Great Families that had departed to establish the Taechun Alliance gathered together.
Things would become quite busy after that, so they decided to set this matter aside for now.
Yeo Un-hwi soon left the family head's chambers and headed somewhere.
He already knew whom he needed to meet next.
***
“Honestly, I was half expecting and half dreading how much trouble you'd get into before coming back. But I never imagined you'd wipe out the Martial Alliance itself.”
In a garden of the Peng residence that people rarely visited.
Jin So-baek spoke, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Yeo Un-hwi merely chuckled and shook his head.
“Anyone listening would get the wrong idea. I didn't destroy the Martial Alliance. It still exists perfectly well.”
“Come on. Chief Strategist Zhuge Mun has already officially announced that he'll be proceeding with the Martial Alliance's dissolution. And most of its personnel are being absorbed into the Righteous Alliance created by the Nine Great Sects. You have to consider it already gone. Besides, weren't you the one who made it happen?”
At that, Yeo Un-hwi merely gave a faint chuckle.
“It's a shame, though.”
“What is?”
“The Martial Alliance's personnel. There must be an enormous number of them, at the very least, but watching them get snatched up by the Righteous Alliance as soon as they leave is a waste, isn't it? If we'd announced the Taechun Alliance a little sooner, perhaps we could have drawn some of them over to our side.”
“No. That's not the case.”
Yeo Un-hwi shook his head as though he disagreed with Jin So-baek.
“They were on a different path from us to begin with. The Righteous Alliance was created to take the Martial Alliance's place, but we have an entirely different identity.”
The purpose of creating the Taechun Alliance was for Yeo Un-hwi to build a bulwark to protect his people.
“So if they had been haphazardly absorbed into our side, it would actually have caused no small number of problems. Our origins and purpose are fundamentally different.”
“Hmm. I see. I was thinking too narrowly.”
Only then did Jin So-baek nod as though he understood Yeo Un-hwi's words.
Then he looked at a woman standing behind Yeo Un-hwi.
He had clearly seen her a few times while coming and going, but had never properly exchanged greetings with her.
The fact that Yeo Un-hwi had brought her along while speaking privately with him meant that Yeo Un-hwi trusted this woman considerably as well.
So Jin So-baek gestured toward her and asked Yeo Un-hwi,
“By the way, who is this friend?”
“Ah. Let me introduce you. She’s Yul’s bodyguard.”
“Aha. The new one who joined recently…”
Yeo Un-hwi nodded.
“I see. Nice to meet you. I’m Jin So-baek, leader of the Hao Sect.”
“I’m Hong Yeon.”
Jin So-baek greeted her first with a very dashing smile, and Zhuque also briefly introduced herself.
As the two exchanged greetings, Yeo Un-hwi belatedly added an explanation.
“Ah. And she’s also one of the Four Guardians of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church.”
“Haha. I see. Being a bodyguard must keep you busy enough, but you’re also a Guardian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church… Huh?”
Jin So-baek's head creaked as he turned to look at Yeo Un-hwi.
“You just said she’s a Guardian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church, right? I must have misheard you.”
“You heard correctly.”
“So... she’s one of those Guardians of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church…”
Yeo Un-hwi nodded as though he had heard enough.
Jin So-baek then looked at Hong Yeon with a pale face.
“I-I’m sorry, but if I’ve made any mistake, please forgive me. I meant absolutely no offense.”
Tears were already brimming in Jin So-baek's eyes.