I Somehow Became the Leader of the Black Faction - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: I’ll Make You a Proposal

How I Became the Leader of the Black Path Alliance

Chapter 3

“I’ll make you a proposal.”

Knock, knock.

At the sound of someone outside, Yun Seo-rin set down the documents she had been reviewing.

“Come in.”

Creeeak.

The door opened, and four men and women entered.

It was the Four Black Dragons, the ones who had escorted Seo Woo-jin all the way to Zhejiang.

“Greetings, Strategist.”

Yun Seo-rin nodded and gestured toward the low reception table.

“Please, take a seat. Ah, I only have Longjing tea. I hope that’s alright?”

Bae Seok-jin, acting as their spokesperson, replied, “That’s perfectly fine.”

Yun Seo-rin personally arranged the tea set and sat down across from them.

The Four Black Dragons looked uncomfortable as she poured the tea into their cups herself, but they didn’t stop her. They already knew her personality.

Only after pouring a cup for herself did Yun Seo-rin finally speak.

“How is the Young Alliance Leader faring?”

Strictly speaking, the title “Young Alliance Leader” was incorrect. Even if he was the Leader of the Black Path Alliance’s biological son, the matter of succession was a separate issue.

Yet Yun Seo-rin deliberately addressed him as such.

Most of what Gok Cheon-mu, the Head of the Gok Family of the Tyrant Blade, had said was nonsense, but he had spoken the truth on this one point. The Young Alliance Leader had spent over twenty years in the Murim Alliance. To put it bluntly, he could be acting as a spy under the Murim Alliance Leader’s orders.

She intended to keep him under strict surveillance, but since she couldn’t be certain, she wanted to avoid giving him any reason to complain.

“He remains confined to his quarters, resting.”

At Bae Seok-jin’s reply, Yun Seo-rin’s elegant brows furrowed.

“Still?”

It had been seven days since Seo Woo-jin’s return.

Until now, he had only shown himself when offering condolences at the memorial tablet of the Leader of the Black Path Alliance and when exchanging brief greetings with the heads of the Seven Wicked Families.

After all, this was an unfamiliar place for him.

That was why they had left him to rest, allowing him to recover from his journey while they kept a watchful eye.

Even so, seven days and nights have passed without him taking any action. If he had received any orders from the Murim Alliance, he surely would have moved by now.

Yun Seo-rin raised her head and looked at the Four Black Dragons.

“Ah, my apologies. Still, this is my first time meeting the Young Alliance Leader, so I feel I need to know what kind of person he is. Since you must have recovered from your journey by now, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you.”

Bae Seok-jin shook his head.

“Trouble? Not at all. Please, ask whatever you wish.”

“Thank you. Did anything unusual happen while you were bringing the Young Alliance Leader back?”

The four of them exchanged glances.

Yun Seo-rin immediately caught on.

“Something happened, didn’t it? The report said there was nothing of note other than a near-clash with the Murim Alliance warriors.”

At Yun Seo-rin’s chilling tone, Yu Geon-woo let out a soft sigh.

“Ha. It’s not that I was trying to hide it on purpose, but I thought I should tell you myself…”

Yun Seo-rin nodded.

“Fine. Then I’ll hear it ‘directly’ from you.”

Her tone suggested she was listening only to determine the severity of his punishment.

Yu Geon-woo glanced at Bae Seok-jin and Song Bi-ryeong, but they were completely ignoring him.

Since I was the one who brought it up, I have to take the fall, don’t I?

Yu Geon-woo grumbled inwardly before slowly speaking.

He reported everything: Seo Woo-jin’s sudden, erratic behavior and the subsequent chase.

“…Fortunately, we managed to escort the Young Alliance Leader to safety, but something felt off.”

As Yun Seo-rin listened, her gaze darkened further.

“The Young Alliance Leader’s intentions.”

Yu Geon-woo nodded at her brief remark. “Exactly. Specifically, it’s unclear who he was fleeing from. Whether it was the Murim Alliance warriors who suddenly appeared, or… us.”

Yun Seo-rin’s gaze shifted to Song Bi-ryeong.

“You were chasing him too, right? What do you think, Sister?”

Song Bi-ryeong shook her head, her smile as bright as a child’s.

“Hmm. I was too busy thinking about how handsome our Young Alliance Leader is. And how well he’d suit our Rin.”

“Sister.”

Song Bi-ryeong licked her lips and scratched her cheek at Yun Seo-rin’s icy tone.

“You still can’t take a joke, can you? Hmm… Well, the first thing that surprised me was how much better his martial arts were than I expected. And the second was how it seemed like he’d planned his escape route in advance.”

Yu Geon-woo immediately retorted, “What are you talking about? The spot right where we caught up to the Young Alliance Leader was a cliff. Does it make any sense that he’d deliberately flee there?”

“Sigh. That’s exactly why I won the bet—because you’re saying such stupid things. Do you know why I threw that punch so hard? It’s because there was no hesitation in the Young Alliance Leader’s eyes. In fact, I even glimpsed a hint of joy. As if the edge of the cliff was his goal all along.”

“Ah? Really? Hmm. With that level of Lightfoot skill, I guess he might have survived falling down the cliff…”

“There’s something else that’s strange.”

Bae Seok-jin, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

Yun Seo-rin’s gaze immediately turned to him.

“What is it?”

“Five days. Contrary to our expectations, the Young Alliance Leader hasn’t shown himself for five whole days. And… it’s as if he’s trying to deny his own identity.”

Yun Seo-rin’s heart sank.

She didn’t know exactly what it was yet, but a sense of dread was gradually spreading.

And before she could even grasp the true nature of that dread—

Bang!

The door burst open.

“Y-Young Master! Something terrible has happened!”

“How dare you barge in here—!”

Before Bae Seok-jin could even erupt in fury, the subordinate dropped a bombshell.

“The Y-Young Alliance Leader…!! He’s vanished!!”

Yun Seo-rin’s anxiety continued to grow.

Seven days.

It took a full seven days.

For some reason, the Black Path bastards hadn’t made any demands of him yet.

This gave him time to scout the interior of the Black Path Alliance. He counted the eyes watching his quarters, noted their shift changes, and identified the weakest point in their security.

Perhaps they were so confident they had him trapped that they hadn’t bothered with a tight guard.

Thanks to that, seven days later, he had finally escaped.

Seo Woo-jin pulled his bamboo hat lower, obscuring his face as he scanned his surroundings.

Stay calm, Woo-jin. Getting out of the Alliance is a good start. But they’ll realize I’m gone any moment now.

The girls posing as maids had visited his room every two hours. Though they always asked if he needed anything, their true purpose was clearly surveillance.

Leaving Hangzhou right now is too dangerous. Unless they’re fools, they’ll definitely start their search at the city’s borders. In a situation like this, it’s better to…

Seo Woo-jin began to move.

Though night had fallen, the streets seemed more crowded than ever.

Hiding in this sea of people will make it harder for them to find me. I’ll find a good spot and wait for an opportunity. If they can’t find me, they’ll have to expand their search area. That’s when their vigilance will slacken. That’s my chance.

As he calmed down, the surrounding scenery finally came into focus.

Hangzhou’s streets are truly magnificent. And… the people look so happy.

It wasn’t just the joy of indulgence.

It was leisure.

He could sense a profound sense of ease in their expressions.

And for some reason, he felt a strange sense of wrongness about them.

Seo Woo-jin shook his head vigorously to clear his mind.

The most important thing right now is to get out of Hangzhou. If my guess is correct, I just need to lie low for the next three days. The security will loosen up then.

He was confident in hiding himself, second only to his mastery of Lightfoot. After all, he had escaped to the village at the foot of the mountain more than a few times to avoid his grandfather’s constant demands for training.

As he was looking for a suitable place to stay…

What was that…?

A woman who had been at the edge of his vision vanished in an instant.

An illusion? No. I definitely saw her.

Seo Woo-jin hesitated for a moment.

This was Black Path territory. The Black Path Alliance’s eyes were surely watching from every corner.

If he got caught up in this, he’d be exposed in an instant.

His plan to keep a low profile was falling apart from the start.

But his hesitation was brief.

Seo Woo-jin immediately dashed toward where the woman had vanished.

Unlike the vibrant street he had just left, the alleyway was shrouded in pitch-black darkness. He stepped straight into its depths.

The atmosphere has changed. Just a few steps, yet it’s like being plunged into a swamp. My breath feels labored, my legs heavy.

Killing intent.

He could sense it.

Compared to Grandfather’s, this is child’s play. But the malice behind it is chilling.

Thud. Thud.

He moved forward, sharpening his senses.

It wasn’t long before he heard it.

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

A muffled groan.

Whoosh!

Seo Woo-jin kicked off the ground and charged forward.

Swoosh!

The moment he rounded the corner, a blade descended.

Clang! Crash!

Seo Woo-jin drew his sword in a single motion, parrying the enemy’s blade before spinning his body.

Swish! Thud!

“Kugh!”

Seo Woo-jin’s foot slammed into the enemy’s abdomen.

As the man stumbled back, Seo Woo-jin followed through with another sword strike.

Clang! Crack! Shatter!

“Wh-What…?”

The enemy barely managed to bring his sword up to block, but the blade shattered into pieces.

While he was still reeling in shock, Seo Woo-jin’s foot descended again.

BAM!

Thump!

The man was struck squarely in the head and slammed face-first into the ground.

Having easily subdued one of them, Seo Woo-jin turned his head.

Five or six men were staring at him, visibly shaken.

And between them…

…he saw a woman, bound and halfway stuffed into a large sack.

“Who… Who the hell are you?!”

Grind.

Grandfather’s words had never been wrong.

How utterly despicable and vile.

Men kidnapping a defenseless woman…

He didn’t even want to speak to such scum.

Whooooosh!

A sudden gale swept over Seo Woo-jin.

“H-Hah…!”

“K-Kuh! I… can’t… breathe…!”

The enemies began to tremble violently.

Then—

Clang!

They dropped their weapons.

Thud.

They fell to their knees, bowing their heads to the ground.

“F-Forgive… please…”

“S-Spare… us…”

Seo Woo-jin, the one who had unleashed his fury, was now the one taken aback.

Just then, he sensed a presence behind him.

He swiftly stepped back and spun around.

A sword flashed like lightning.

Grab.

But the blade stopped short.

A familiar face.

Bae Seok-jin had caught Seo Woo-jin’s wrist.

“…”

Bae Seok-jin’s gaze was fixed on the men behind Seo Woo-jin.

“Arrest them all.”

Whoosh!

As soon as his order fell, the Black Path Alliance warriors he had brought with him bound the men lying prostrate on the ground.

They then rescued the woman and took her somewhere else.

Only then did Bae Seok-jin’s gaze turn toward Seo Woo-jin.

“We found you.”

Seo Woo-jin watched him with an expressionless face.

Was this man the reason they were acting this way? No. More importantly, their reaction was faster than I expected. Did they anticipate I would hide in the market in the first place?

Seo Woo-jin quickly scanned his surroundings.

Though invisible to the eye, he could sense the presence of more Black Path Alliance warriors.

Seo Woo-jin looked down at Bae Seok-jin’s hand, which was gripping his wrist.

A surprise attack is out of the question. I’ll be blocked no matter where I try to escape.

Seo Woo-jin asked a pointless question.

“What will happen to those men?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but they’re likely the ones who have been causing trouble in Hangzhou recently. Now we’ll interrogate them and root out the rest of their gang. Thanks to you, Young Alliance Leader, we were able to capture them with ease.”

Flattery. All of it was empty words.

Seo Woo-jin shook off his hand and sheathed his sword.

He had tried to stall for time, but he had come up empty. Finally, Seo Woo-jin scratched his head with an awkward smile.

“Well, this is embarrassing. I feel like I’ve put you through all this trouble for nothing. I just couldn’t resist seeing the streets of Hangzhou for myself. Hahaha.”

“There is someone who wishes to see you, Young Alliance Leader.”

Seo Woo-jin had been acting the fool to lower their guard, but Bae Seok-jin cut straight to the point.

“Huh? Who… wants to see me?”

“I will escort you.”

Seo Woo-jin could only blink in bewilderment.

What? Did I not get caught?

He had no choice but to nod, his expression sour.

“Ugh, fine. Let’s go.”

And just like that, his brief escape ended in anticlimax.

When Seo Woo-jin returned to his quarters, Strategist Yun Seo-rin was already waiting for him.

She’s stunning. I felt it the first time we met, but she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, even more so than Cheong-ah from the village at the foot of the mountain.

Yun Seo-rin rose from her seat and clasped her fist in a formal salute. “Greetings, Young Alliance Leader.”

Seo Woo-jin scratched his head with an awkward laugh. “Ha, haha. Yes. Good to see you.”

A sharp glint flashed in Yun Seo-rin’s eyes, but Seo Woo-jin failed to notice. He took a seat opposite her, feigning confidence. “I heard you wanted to see me…”

Yun Seo-rin poured tea into a cup before speaking. “You were out for a while.”

“Ah, yes. Well…”

“If you had informed me, the Black Dragon Guard would have escorted you.”

“I didn’t want to cause any trouble.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes…”

Seo Woo-jin’s voice trailed off, his confidence withering under Yun Seo-rin’s piercing gaze.

What’s with her? Is she wary of me? She doesn’t seem friendly at all…

Yun Seo-rin continued to glare at Seo Woo-jin.

Just as the suffocating pressure of her gaze became unbearable, she spoke again.

“Come to think of it, you haven’t met my grandfather yet, have you?”

“……?”

“I’ll arrange a meeting soon. He’s the head of the Seven Wicked Families, so even the Young Alliance Leader will need to show proper respect.”

Seo Woo-jin let out a soft gasp.

The head of the Seven Wicked Families? Wait. I heard the Seven Wicked Families are the core of the Black Path Alliance. If he’s the head of such a place, isn’t he an incredibly powerful figure? Was that Young Alliance bastard his grandson?

Seo Woo-jin searched Yun Seo-rin’s face, trying to discern the intent behind her question.

But her serene expression revealed nothing.

In the end, he could only nod obediently. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention to himself right now.

“Understood. I’ll do so.”

Thud.

Yun Seo-rin slammed her teacup down.

Then, she glared at Seo Woo-jin with eyes as cold as ice.

“You… You’re not the Young Alliance Leader, are you?”

“……!!”

Seo Woo-jin froze.

I’ve been caught.

His eyes darted around, scanning his surroundings. But his gaze came to a dead stop.

“There is no Seo family among the Seven Wicked Families.”

“Ah…”

He had fallen for a simple, shallow trick.

Seo Woo-jin’s mind raced as he scrambled for an excuse. “Ah, I-I’m sorry. I went to the Murim Alliance when I was very young…”

But his excuse fell on deaf ears.

“Coming to the Black Path Alliance for the first time in twenty years and not knowing anything about it? That’s hardly convincing. Who are you?”

“…”

He was cornered. It felt as if enemies would swarm him at any moment.

“Well. That’s fine. I’ll learn who you are in time.”

Then, Yun Seo-rin uttered words I never expected.

“I don’t know if this is a coincidence or something else. But either way, I need you.”

“…?”

“To be precise, you must become the Leader of the Black Path Alliance.”

Right now.

What is this woman saying?

“I’m making you a formal offer. Will you become the Leader of the Black Path Alliance with me?”

Yun Seo-rin’s sweet voice sent a chill down my spine.