WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 82: How the Black Heaven Alliance Gets a Woman Back (2)

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An urgent dispatch arrived at the Sage Heaven Pavilion's Strategic Command Center.

Sima Iljung brought the dispatch to Zhuge Hyeon and reported.

"An urgent report has come from the Chongqing Division. Black Heaven Alliance forces are moving toward Chongqing."

"What force?"

Sima Iljung answered in a trembling voice. It was a name more alarming than any Black Heaven Alliance organization he had reported before.

"The Black Banner."

Zhuge Hyeon sprang to their feet.

The Black Banner.

It was the Black Heaven Alliance's finest elite force.

The Black Banner was a direct unit that answered only to the Alliance Leader. It was known as the strongest organization in the Black Heaven Alliance.

"What is their target?"

"The Chongqing Division."

"Why now of all times!"

The Iron Cavalry Corps and Iron Sword Corps were undergoing special training in Hebei. They were too far away to return at once.

"The Iron Sword First Unit is standing by as a reserve force."

"Send them first."

"Yes."

As Zhuge Hyeon left, Zhuge Hyeon said, "I'm going to the Alliance Leader's Hall. Find Unit Commander Baek Socheon and tell him to come there!"

"Yes!"

Baek Socheon hurried into Cloud Dragon Hall.

He had rushed over as soon as he received the urgent message.

"What's happened?"

Zhuge Hyeon explained that the Black Banner was heading for the Chongqing Division.

After grasping the situation, Baek Socheon spoke to Ak Sogun.

"I'll lead the Sage Heaven Corps there as reinforcements."

"You?"

"The Black Banner's movement at a time like this is unusual. I believe it's connected to the Blood Cult sending a matchmaker."

What was more, the Black Heaven Alliance Leader's direct unit had moved at a time like this...

A premonition arose in Baek Socheon's mind.

'Yeom Hwasin is calling for me.'

He could not tell the other two about that feeling.

Even if his intuition was wrong, they still needed to reinforce the Chongqing Division.

"I'll go and find out what they intend."

Ak Sogun did not deliberate for long. In this situation, Baek Socheon was the person most capable of determining what was happening.

Ak Sogun gave his official order.

"Lead the Sage Heaven Corps there and resolve the matter. But proceed carefully."

"Yes, Alliance Leader."

Baek Socheon respectfully clasped his fists, then turned and left.

* * *

Gwak Won, the Chongqing Division Chief, had personally come to the border region.

This was the first time the Black Heaven Alliance had pressured Chongqing since the truce.

They currently had one hundred and fifty men, and the forces that had been away continued to gather.

But if their opponents were the Black Banner, their numbers meant little. The Black Banner was the elite among the Black Heaven Alliance's elite. It was said that each of them could handle dozens of ordinary martial artists.

"Still no word from headquarters?"

"No."

Reinforcements must have been dispatched, yet no news had arrived.

"Don't be afraid. We can stop them!"

"Yes!"

Gwak Won's expression remained grim. A Division Chief heard all sorts of rumors about the situation. Lately, rumors that war with the Black Heaven Alliance was close had become frequent. And now the Black Banner? He feared the war might begin here in Chongqing.

Then one of his subordinates came to report.

"The Iron Sword Corps has arrived."

Fifty members of the Iron Sword First Unit arrived.

Gwak Won and the Chongqing Division martial artists felt relieved. Their opponent was an elite force, so they needed elites on their side as well.

Of course, the Iron Sword First Unit alone could not take on the Black Banner, but their arrival still made it easier to breathe.

Hwang Ilbi dismounted and greeted Gwak Won.

"I am Hwang Ilbi, Unit Commander of the Iron Sword First Unit."

"I am Gwak Won, Chongqing Division Chief."

"How is the situation?"

"They should arrive within half a siju, about an hour. I don't think one unit will be enough to stop them. Are there no further reinforcements?"

"They're coming. The most reliable reinforcements possible."

"Oh! Is the Secret Pavilion coming?"

"No. The Sage Heaven Corps is on its way."

"The Sage Heaven Corps?"

Gwak Won's expression stiffened.

He had heard rumors about the Sage Heaven Corps. It was a newly formed corps led by Baek Socheon, with only around twenty members.

He had heard that Baek Socheon and Ak Sogun had reconciled, but that was beside the point.

The rumor should have been that Baek Socheon had recovered his martial arts, not that they had reconciled.

Several division martial artists whispered.

"Damn it. We're finished."

"We're dead."

"Why does it have to be the Sage Heaven Corps?"

Hwang Ilbi glared at them and shouted, "Quiet! If not for him, you'd already be rotting underground!"

Those who had complained clammed up.

Hwang Ilbi was capable of appeasing even Choong Yang, but this time he was genuinely angry. He understood their anxiety, but he could not tolerate them disparaging Baek Socheon.

Gwak Won cautiously asked, "Can the Sage Heaven Corps alone truly serve as reinforcements?"

Hwang Ilbi answered firmly.

"They can."

He did not know that Baek Socheon had regained his internal energy, but his confident answer came from his faith and loyalty toward Baek Socheon.

"They can?"

"Yes, they can. Even if the entire Black Heaven Alliance came, they could handle it."

More precisely, it was also a declaration that Hwang Ilbi was willing to die alongside Baek Socheon.

Hwang Ilbi positioned his men. He sent the swiftest among them out to scout and deployed the Iron Sword Corps at the front.

The Chongqing Division martial artists lined up behind them.

Unless there were unusual circumstances, stronger martial artists stood in front while the weaker ones supported them from the rear.

Though they had fallen back, the Chongqing Division martial artists were still trembling.

"The Iron Sword Corps may be strong, but the opponent is the Black Banner."

"There are far too few of us."

A few people whispered, spreading unease.

The Iron Sword First Unit martial artists, on the other hand, kept their mouths shut and watched the front.

A while later, an Iron Sword Corps martial artist who had gone scouting returned and reported to Hwang Ilbi.

"They should arrive within one gak."

"How many enemies?"

"There appeared to be around two hundred."

"Were there other martial artists mixed in with them?"

"No. They all appeared to be Black Banner members."

Gwak Won, who had been listening nearby, went pale. Including the Iron Sword First Unit, they had two hundred men here. There was no chance of an upset. If they fought, they would be annihilated.

Gwak Won shouted to a division subordinate.

"Send a request to headquarters for reinforcements, now!"

"Yes!"

The subordinate ran off.

Unlike the flustered division martial artists, Hwang Ilbi remained calm. The Iron Sword First Unit was calm as well, living up to its reputation as an elite force. They felt anxious deep down, but they had been through every hardship imaginable.

Then someone shouted, "Reinforcements have arrived!"

Everyone turned to see over twenty riders galloping toward them.

While Gwak Won was unimpressed, Hwang Ilbi was overjoyed.

"You're here!"

Gwak Won thought to himself.

'He may have been a hero once, but why is Hwang Ilbi waiting so eagerly for someone without internal energy?'

The Sage Heaven Corps rode up and stopped.

Baek Socheon dismounted and greeted Gwak Won first.

"I am Baek Socheon."

"I am Gwak Won."

The two exchanged greetings.

Gwak Won's gaze shifted to the Sage Heaven Corps martial artists behind Baek Socheon. Not only Gwak Won, but all the division martial artists were startled.

They radiated an aura more intense than that of the Iron Sword Corps. This was what people meant when they said someone's eyes were alive.

The Sage Heaven Corps martial artists, who had originally belonged to the Iron Sword Corps, raised their hands in greeting to their former comrades. The Iron Sword Corps had heard various rumors about the Sage Heaven Corps, especially that their training was beyond imagination. They were indeed no longer the comrades the Iron Sword Corps remembered.

"You're here?"

Hwang Ilbi respectfully greeted Baek Socheon.

Though he did not show it, Hwang Ilbi had been tense as well. Their opponent was none other than the Black Banner.

Yet the moment he saw Baek Socheon, his unease melted away like snow.

"What is the situation?"

"Two hundred Black Banner members will arrive within one gak."

"If there are two hundred, then they're all coming."

"Yes."

Unless they were launching a frontal assault, the entire Black Banner would not move together.

'It isn't war yet.'

Baek Socheon believed Yeom Hwasin's words that the war would begin in spring. Yeom Hwasin was not someone who would deceive him over something like that.

Then this move had to be symbolic.

Baek Socheon said to Gwak Won, "From this point on, I will command the operation."

"Yes, please do."

Gwak Won seemed uneasy and dissatisfied, but Baek Socheon pretended not to notice.

Baek Socheon deployed the forces according to the terrain. Anyone with experience in the field would have nodded at the arrangement.

The Sage Heaven Corps stood at the very front, followed by the Iron Cavalry Corps, with the Chongqing Division at the rear.

Beon Saeng, standing in the front line, felt as if he were dreaming. He was standing there to stop the Black Banner. Even more astonishingly, the Iron Sword Corps stood behind him.

'We're the vanguard.'

He felt proud and afraid at once. The tension in the air told him that death was close at hand.

One gak later, the Black Banner arrived.

The martial artist at the front carried a flag. The words Black Banner, written in gold on the black standard, looked imposing.

Two hundred Black Banner members lined up before them. Every one of them possessed an extraordinary presence. The weaker among them were as strong as Iron Sword Corps martial artists, while the stronger ones surpassed even the Sage Heaven Corps.

If a fight broke out, Baek Socheon would have no choice but to reveal his martial arts.

A suffocating tension hung in the air for a moment.

Then the Black Banner split to the left and right, and a man walked out from within.

The martial artists who recognized him were horrified. Some even let out instinctive screams.

The man who emerged was none other than Yeom Hwasin, the Black Heaven Alliance Leader.

He freely unleashed his formidable presence. An overwhelming force swept through the area. Some of the less courageous division martial artists collapsed where they stood under the wild pressure.

Yeom Hwasin looked at Baek Socheon and said, "Hahaha, you really are clever. You knew I would come, didn't you?"

Baek Socheon nodded.

"I thought you might."

"That's why playing with you is so entertaining. Come, come closer."

Baek Socheon walked forward without hesitation. Hwang Ilbi quietly tried to stop him from behind.

"Unit Commander, it's dangerous."

"It's fine. Stay where you are."

"Yes."

Baek Socheon walked up to Yeom Hwasin.

"Your subordinates are watching, so I should preserve your dignity a little, shouldn't I?"

Yeom Hwasin warmly placed a hand on Baek Socheon's shoulder, as though putting an arm around him.

Baek Socheon brushed the hand away.

"Hahaha!"

Yeom Hwasin laughed loudly, and those watching widened their eyes.

Who in the world could casually brush away Yeom Hwasin's touch like that?

Everyone watched the two men in shock. Gwak Won, who had looked down on Baek Socheon, was especially stunned.

He had thought Baek Socheon was only a hero of the past...

He was wrong. Baek Socheon still carried himself with the same confidence as before.

The two walked side by side along the line of confrontation as though taking a stroll.

"I heard the Blood Cult sent a matchmaker."

"So that's why you came."

"What do you think? Do you want to marry her?"

"Did you come all this way to ask that?"

"It concerns your marriage. Shouldn't I know?"

"Do you mistake me for your son?"

"Hahahaha!"

Yeom Hwasin's hearty laughter echoed across the area. Neither side could hear their conversation, but both sides heard that laughter.

"It would be wonderful if you were my son."

"Enough nonsense. Why did you come? Are you telling me to reject their proposal?"

Yeom Hwasin gave an unexpected answer.

"No. I'm not so unreasonable that I would interfere in your marriage."

"Then why did you come?"

"My son deserves a chance too."

"What do you mean?"

"We sent a matchmaker to the Blood Cult first."

"...!"

"They rejected that proposal and sent a matchmaker to you. They have made fools of us."

"Don't hold back. You could wipe out the Blood Cult if you wanted, couldn't you?"

"But our Alliance would suffer tremendous losses as well."

The Blood Cult's strength was no trifling matter.

"We can't wage war, but you young people can, can't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"A Martial Match for a Bride."

"...!"

It meant finding a son-in-law through a martial contest. In other words, Baek Socheon and Yeom Sawon would fight to determine the marriage.

"Why are you doing this?"

"The Blood Cult's Myeol Jiryun is coming to the Murim Alliance, correct?"

As expected, Yeom Hwasin had already learned the confidential news that Myeol Jiryun was coming.

"That's correct."

"I'll send my son too. The three of you can gather and decide this marriage."

"You mean to send your son to the Murim Alliance now?"

"Yes."

"What if we take him hostage?"

"To win the person you love, you must risk your life and fight for them."

Yes, even if they took Yeom Sawon hostage, Yeom Hwasin would not bat an eye. If anything, he would gladly make use of the situation.

Baek Socheon stopped walking and silently stared at Yeom Hwasin.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You always say I'm clever, but I think I may be a fool. No matter how much I think about it, I can't understand why you're doing this."

"I'll send my son soon."

"What if I refuse?"

Yeom Hwasin grinned.

"It would be better if you didn't."

It was more threatening because Yeom Hwasin did not explain the threat.

Yeom Hwasin waved once toward the orthodox martial artists, then turned away.

Yeom Hwasin's mountain-like figure strode into the distance.

Baek Socheon watched as Yeom Hwasin and the Black Banner disappeared in a cloud of dust.

'What exactly are you planning?'

That enormous enemy possessed an unbreakable exterior and an utterly unfathomable interior.

Baek Socheon returned.

Everyone was relieved, but the way they looked at Baek Socheon had changed. The Sage Heaven Corps martial artists especially felt anew how extraordinary their leader was.

He had simply walked up to Yeom Hwasin, spoken with him, and returned?

Which orthodox martial artist could possibly accomplish that?

Gwak Won stood before him hesitantly. He had privately looked down on such an extraordinary man.

Baek Socheon showed no displeasure. He had not been offended in the first place. His heart was broad enough to accept such a thing as human nature.

The enemy they needed to fight now was not a companion's small failing.

"You've worked hard. Please continue your efforts."

"Ah... yes! I understand."

"Then I'll see you again."

As Baek Socheon mounted his horse, he said to Hwang Ilbi, "We'll leave first!"

"We'll finish here and follow shortly."

Baek Socheon rode off, and the Sage Heaven Corps mounted their horses and followed behind him. No one had been injured. Only one thing had changed: the weight of their loyalty toward Baek Socheon.

Footnotes:

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