I Somehow Became the Leader of the Black Faction - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Found it.

How I Became the Leader of the Black Path Alliance

Chapter 10

Found it.

After returning to Hangzhou, I had spent several days in meetings with Yun Seo-rin.

Though it felt more like a lecture than a meeting.

“The Seven Families are the pillars of the Black Path Alliance,” she explained. “But they’re also the very thing that weakens it.”

Factions.

The Alliance was fractured by political ideologies, preventing the Black Path from ever truly uniting.

“Why would factions even form?” I asked. “Shouldn’t they unite against a common enemy?”

The Murim Alliance.

As I delved deeper into the Black Path’s affairs, I learned the truth: the Black Path Alliance was effectively a subordinate organization of the Murim Alliance.

If this arrangement were voluntary, I could understand. But the Black Path was composed of fierce, prideful martial artists. They wouldn’t just submit.

Their resentment toward the Murim Alliance must be immense.

That’s why I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

How could they let factions divide them when faced with a common enemy?

“If we could have managed that external threat, we would have united. But the Murim Alliance is currently at an unprecedented peak. The general consensus is that no matter how the Black Path factions unite, they can’t overcome them.”

Hearing that, I finally understood why the factions had formed.

“So, are they divided into Hardliners and Moderates?”

Yun Seo-rin let out a faint sigh.

“That’s how it started. The Hardliners wanted to break free from the Murim Alliance’s interference. The Moderates believed it wasn’t the right time and that we had to endure. But now, they’ll side with whoever offers their own clan the most benefit.”

That made sense.

The grand justifications of the beginning would have faded over time.

In the end, present gains would have become more important than the original reasons.

“Then, which faction is stronger?”

“When the Alliance Leader was still alive, the Moderates—though their numbers were small—were slightly more… No. I suppose the comparison is meaningless now. To put it bluntly, the Hardliners’ power has grown steadily, and by the time the Alliance Leader was on his deathbed, they were no longer inferior to the Moderates.”

Seeing Yun Seo-rin’s bitter expression, I knew.

The Black Dragon Yun Family belonged to the Moderates.

I’d heard that the Black Sword Thousand Family and the Gok Family of the Tyrant Blade were the most powerful in terms of martial might. Even with the Yun Family’s history as the former leaders of the Black Path and their control over commercial rights, it would be difficult for them to withstand those two families.

No. To be more precise, it was probably because they had commercial rights that they had managed to survive this long.

“But they won’t be able to make a hasty move. They denounce the Murim Alliance, but they still have to keep an eye on them.”

They’ll be more cautious now that their original justification has worn thin.

After all, their ultimate goal was to stand at the pinnacle of the Black Path without the Murim Alliance’s interference.

Seo Woo-jin pondered for a moment, then tilted his head. “What about the Murim Alliance?”

“Pardon?”

Yun Seo-rin’s elegant brows furrowed at the abrupt question.

Seo Woo-jin shrugged and asked again, “I’m asking what the Murim Alliance thinks of the Black Path Alliance right now.”

“…”

Yun Seo-rin, who had answered every question without hesitation so far, now kept her lips firmly sealed.

“Why…?”

Only when Seo Woo-jin voiced his confusion did she let out a deep sigh.

“Hah. I don’t know.”

“What?”

“Our intelligence doesn’t reach inside the Murim Alliance. That’s why I don’t know. We don’t know what they think of us.”

Seo Woo-jin let out a dry laugh.

“Hah, how does that make any sense? To put it bluntly, what if the Murim Alliance isn’t even interested in the Black Path, and you’re just walking on eggshells for no reason?”

Yun Seo-rin sighed again.

“Exactly. That’s why the Hardliners have become even more aggressive. They believe they must strike while the Murim Alliance’s gaze is averted from here.”

“What? You just said they were walking on eggshells…”

“I meant they started walking on eggshells after you appeared.”

“Ah!”

Seo Woo-jin let out an exclamation.

To them, my presence must be a cause for alarm.

The Murim Alliance, which he had assumed was indifferent to the Black Path, had sent the successor of the Black Path Alliance.

This meant their eyes were still fixed on this place.

Of course. That’s why they were willing to make the reckless move of hiring an assassin to target me.

If they were caught using an assassin, they would have to be prepared for their entire clan to be annihilated. Yet they had sent one without hesitation, which meant he was that much of a nuisance to them.

But I’m a fake. What does the disappearance of the real Young Alliance Leader mean?

What if the Murim Alliance had something to do with the Young Alliance Leader’s disappearance?

A chill ran down Seo Woo-jin’s spine.

What if… I wasn’t here? What if someone like me hadn’t taken his place?

Civil war.

A civil war would erupt.

The Black Path would tear itself apart, faction against faction, all to seize the throne at its peak. Their strength would crumble.

And then it would be easier to keep the Black Path Alliance under our thumb.

As far as his thoughts had strayed, Seo Woo-jin shook his head violently.

This is a leap. There’s no reason for the Murim Alliance to resort to such cunning schemes.

Meanwhile, Yun Seo-rin’s voice continued to drift over him.

“So, for now, we must maintain the status quo.”

“Excuse me?”

“You will soon stand before the heads of the Seven Families. To maintain the status quo, you need to leave a good impression.”

“What does that mean?”

For a moment, Yun Seo-rin’s eyes avoided his.

“Exactly what I said. You’ll stand before them, playing the part of someone moderately righteous and moderately naive. Let them lower their guard.”

Seo Woo-jin’s brow furrowed.

“I asked how that maintains the status quo.”

Yun Seo-rin let out a faint sigh.

“If they lower their guard against you, they won’t make any rash moves. They won’t resort to desperate measures like sending assassins. They won’t even try to prove anything against you. Instead, they’ll just watch you warily, trying to figure out how to use you. And that is the way to stand at the pinnacle of the Black Path without defying the Murim Alliance’s will.”

Seo Woo-jin barely managed to swallow a sigh that threatened to escape.

In the end, she was telling him to become a puppet.

Seeing his expression, Yun Seo-rin spoke again.

“This is for your own good, too. If the benefits of keeping you alive outweigh the benefits of killing you, the threats against you will decrease accordingly.”

“And what do you hope to gain from that?”

“Time.”

“Time?”

Yun Seo-rin nodded.

“While they lower their guard, we will find their weaknesses. Then, with you as our Alliance Leader, we will strike them.”

“…”

“A Black Path united as one. For now, that is our goal.”

She spoke concisely, but it would be far from easy.

Subjugating even a single faction, whether through politics or force, was a monumental task.

He remained skeptical.

Even if they managed to suppress the opposition as Yun Seo-rin planned, the Cheon and Gok families would have to be utterly destroyed.

They were the leaders of the Hardliners.

The two most powerful martial families in the Black Path Alliance, annihilated?

The Black Path’s power would plummet.

Even if Yun Seo-rin achieved her goal, the Black Path’s future would remain unchanged. After all, her words ultimately meant that they would continue to maintain their position as a subordinate organization of the Murim Alliance.

It has nothing to do with me.

He didn’t care what happened to the Black Path. His original goal was to find his enemy.

Therefore, he couldn’t act according to Yun Seo-rin’s wishes.

A puppet.

Yun Seo-rin was now telling him to become her puppet. She wanted to use the position of Leader of the Black Path Alliance as the Yun Family’s sword.

And she would discard me without hesitation when I’m no longer useful.

In the end, he was a fake. After using him as much as she wanted, she might even discard him and take the Alliance Leader’s seat herself.

Though he had seen through their intentions, Seo Woo-jin simply nodded.

“I understand. So for now, I should just act submissive to them.”

“Are you serious?”

Yun Seo-rin’s gaze was filled with doubt.

Seo Woo-jin smiled faintly and nodded.

“Didn’t you say this was the only way I’d be safe? Then following your advice is my best bet.”

“But…”

Yun Seo-rin started to say something, then quickly shut her mouth. She stared at Seo Woo-jin, her expression unreadable.

Seo Woo-jin laughed awkwardly.

“Haha. You’re staring so hard, it’s making me blush. Do you have something to say?”

Yun Seo-rin sighed and shook her head.

“Hah. No. It’s just… it is true that this is the only way you’ll stay safe.”

Yun Seo-rin’s expression hardened again as she continued.

“A half-hearted attempt won’t be enough to lower their guard. We’ve already lost too much time, so none of them will be looking at you with friendly eyes.”

Seo Woo-jin nodded.

“They’ll probably start by nitpicking every little thing.”

“Yes. In fact, they might react even more aggressively than you expect.”

“Aggressively?”

Yun Seo-rin’s face contorted as if she were picturing someone specific.

“I don’t know. He’s unpredictable in the worst way. Regardless, you must keep a low profile. You need to play the perfect gentleman to break down their defenses.”

“Understood. Don’t worry. So, when are you scheduling this?”

Yun Seo-rin offered a faint smile.

“Tomorrow.”

The meeting with Yun Seo-rin didn’t end until late into the night.

Seo Woo-jin collapsed onto his bed, utterly exhausted.

“Hah… A scarecrow…”

Until now, they had only exchanged ideas on how to make him look even more foolish, how to make him seem even easier to manipulate.

For Seo Woo-jin, it was a waste of time.

He had no intention of playing along with Yun Seo-rin’s plan.

I need to create a variable.

Though he was currently relying on Yun Seo-rin, it was too dangerous to trust her completely. If he blindly followed her, he could be swept away by the torrent without even realizing it.

I have to make sure Yun Seo-rin and the Yun Family can’t discard me. To do that, I need a variable.

But he couldn’t think of what to do right now.

He was physically and mentally drained, and he didn’t have enough time to utilize the information about the Black Path that he only remembered in his mind.

“Sigh. This is a real headache.”

Back when he lived with his grandfather on Cloud Pavilion Mountain, he never had a single worry.

Well, I guess his biggest problem back then was figuring out how to sneak away to White Cloud Village without Grandfather knowing.

Seo Woo-jin forced a wry smile and pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the bed.

He was exhausted, but the memory seemed to give him just enough strength to move.

He reached for the book lying beside him.

It was a history of the Black Path. He had set it aside to read, but he’d been too busy lately to even open it.

After a moment’s hesitation, Seo Woo-jin turned the page.

With no clear solution in sight, he figured he might as well start by learning about the Black Path’s history.

[ The Black Path was a faction that yearned for freedom. However, the world condemned their freedom, leaving them no choice but to unite in order to protect themselves… ]

I burst out laughing the moment I read the preface.

Yearning for freedom? What a load of bullshit.

Living recklessly without a care in the world shouldn’t be described with a noble word like “freedom.”

I wanted to slam the book shut right then and there, but I forced myself to be patient.

Fortunately, aside from the initial preface, the rest of the content was quite candid. It detailed the atrocities committed by Black Path Martial Artists and how the White Path heroes dealt with them.

I wondered if the Murim Alliance had written this history book themselves.

Seo Woo-jin, who had been reading with growing interest, suddenly froze. A familiar word caught his eye.

“Sword… Saint…?”

His eyes darted across the page, and his hand flew through the remaining chapters.

Thud.

“Ha…”

A soft sigh escaped Seo Woo-jin’s lips as he closed the book.

His gaze turned to the sword hanging on the wall.

It was the Sword Star’s blade, a keepsake from his grandfather.

Seo Woo-jin walked toward the wall as if entranced.

Thud. Shhh.

As he drew the sword, a chilling sound echoed, and a faint blue dragon pattern revealed itself.

Could Grandfather have been the Sword Star?

His grandfather had never claimed the title himself. He had only mentioned the Sword Star once.

But he had always said he lived the life of a chivalrous warrior in his youth, so it was possible.

Was it a mere coincidence that he had come across the word “Sword Star” just now?

Or was it a blessing from his grandfather in heaven?

Clack!

Seo Woo-jin sheathed the sword, his eyes darkening.

His conversation with Yun Seo-rin, and the history of the Black Path he had just read—all of it began to connect.

Found it. A variable.

Seo Woo-jin had found the variable that would upend the entire board.