A very strange awkwardness permeated the conference room.
From Jong Ligok, Tang Gunak, Maeng So, Pung Yeongshingae, to Moyong Uigyeong.
Although there were familiar faces mixed with those who were still somewhat unfamiliar, there was no one in the Heavenly Friendship Alliance conference room who seemed out of place. Even Baek Cheon, Yun Jong, Jo Gol, and Hye Yeon being here felt completely natural.
Yet, despite the familiarity of the individuals gathered, the scene was incredibly awkward and tension-inducing, likely due to the unprecedented arrangement.
"Please lead us well, household head."
"Um. I also entrust you with this responsibility."
At Yun Jong's courteous greeting, Moyong Uigyeong flinched momentarily before nodding in agreement. With the information he knew about the Five Swords of Mount Hua, he secretly pondered.
'Yun Jong, huh... Is this the best outcome I could hope for?'
Moyong Uigyeong let out a sigh of relief.
"Nangong young family lord, who will coordinate with me, has not yet arrived in Shaanxi, so I will discuss separately as soon as he arrives."
"Please do, former sir house master."
"Just call me Elder."
Pung Yeongshingae replied with his characteristic gruffness. As Chung Myung stared at him for a while, his eyebrows furrowed suddenly.
"Um. Would it have been better to just appoint senior sister as vice household head? They seemed to suit each other well."
"...I was thinking the same thing."
Of course, they would find it amusing. But those who had to appoint them as household head and vice household head would likely be in quite a bind. After all, having two individuals who were so difficult to read in terms of expression and demeanor would make others uncomfortable.
Tang Gunak chuckled and then turned to look at Hye Yeon.
"It's a bit awkward for you to be vice household head... I also feel a bit awkward. I'll do my best not to cause any trouble."
"Amitabha. I truly entrust you with this responsibility, vice alliance lord... No, household head."
Tang Gunak and Hye Yeon exchanged smiles. Their combination was indeed rare and difficult to see.
However, they were not the ones making the atmosphere in the conference room peculiar. The true culprit was...
"...There's something I want to confirm."
Maeng So, who usually had a deep and imposing voice, spoke today with an ordinary and somewhat hesitant tone.
Chung Myung chuckled and replied, "What is it?"
"...Is it not possible to appoint a vice household head with household head authority?"
Chung Myung grinned.
"It's possible?"
"I know it's not possible... but still, isn't there any room for it?"
"Since it's already come to this, just take it easy."
Maeng So sighed deeply and leaned back, revealing his thick neck. Normally, his neck would be imposing, but today it looked oddly thin and pitiful.
"No, Sir Palace Lord? You're not pleased with me? Why? Oh! This feels like betrayal. I still liked Sir Palace Lord the most."
"...Yeah. Thanks."
"No..."
Seeing Jo Gol turning red and Maeng So already losing his spirit, Chung Myung chuckled.
"After all, aren't you familiar with animals? Think of it as raising a monkey."
"...I'd rather not, even if it's a monkey."
Maeng So muttered. Some nodded in agreement.
"That's right. A monkey doesn't talk."
"It won't talk back."
"It won't wield a sword either."
"In terms of bothering people, aren't they similar?"
"Isn't Chung Myung the same?"
"These people..."
Jo Gol stuttered and trembled. However, because Hyeon Jong and other sect leaders were present, he couldn't complain any further.
It was awkward in every aspect, but nevertheless, those who had taken on the roles of household head and vice household head seemed even more awkward and sheepish. Of course, considering only their positions, it would be normal for the Five Swords to feel more uncomfortable, but...
"Well then, Sir Palace Lord, is there no problem with everyone else?"
"Yes, sir alliance lord."
"Sigh. What complaints could there be when you're with Chung Myung?"
"That's what I'm saying."
Accustomed to receiving the vile antics of someone who hardly seemed human, the Five Swords didn't even feel discomfort with the uncomfortable presence of leaders from other sects. After all, wasn't communication possible?
"So, um... the only ones left are..."
And now, only the most uncomfortably awkward combinations remained.
"Uh... the ceremonial sect leader... no, sir alliance lord."
A mournful voice pierced Hyeon Jong's ears. It sounded like the whimper of a rabbit caught in a tiger's claws.
Hyeon Jong looked at the source of the voice with a perplexed expression.
To see such a despondent face on Baek Cheon, who usually exuded confidence, made Hyeon Jong sigh with pity. Baek Cheon seemed desperate.
"Is there really... no other way?"
But pity aside, there was nothing Hyeon Jong could do.
"Think about it again..."
A desperate voice echoed in the air.
"Jo Gol... was supposed to go... why am I..."
"Does Deputy Sect Leader not find me agreeable?"
"Well, um... of course not, Sect Leader."
"But why ask me to reconsider?"
Jong Ligok smiled slyly at Baek Cheon, who was sweating profusely.
"It's just that... I thought... maybe there was some kind of... understanding? Communication? From our conversation at yesterday's meal... or was it... during the day? No, at night?"
'It's gone bad.'
'It's broken.'
'He's going to die like this.'
'Elder Brother's face is covered in sweat.'
Jong Ligok chuckled softly.
"If fate brought us together, couldn't Deputy Sect Leader and I have a good relationship? Perhaps it could even lead to mentorship."
"I remember someone else..."
"It's possible, Deputy Sect Leader."
"Um... yes."
Baek Cheon nodded absentmindedly. Everyone watched him with sympathetic eyes.
'Honestly, I feel sorry for him.'
'Having to accompany a human who deserted Southern Edge and is now going around with the Southern Edge sect leader.'
'Is this what a human bastard would do?'
While others simply sympathized, for Baek Cheon, it was a matter of survival. With a face drained of color and sweat pouring down, he managed to speak.
"Um... regardless, I'll do my best..."
"No, Deputy Sect Leader. It should be me who needs to shine. I won't disappoint Deputy Sect Leader like I did in the past."
Tink.
"This time, I wanted to prove that Southern Edge is quite a useful sect... but unfortunately, it didn't work out. If I could move with Southern Edge, I could have shown it more convincingly."
Tink.
"Oh... Deputy Sect Leader, do you happen to know?"
"What...?"
"Household heads can have assistants of a certain degree to perform their duties smoothly. Naturally, I also plan to bring one or two elders from Southern Edge."
"..."
"In that sense, I'm planning to accompany Southern Edge's Elder Jin Chobaek, but are you okay with that?"
Now, the backs of everyone in the room started to dampen with cold sweat. At this rate, they worried Baek Cheon might collapse forward with a knife in hand.
As if something was draining out of his body, Baek Cheon slumped into the chair like a soaked seaweed. Everyone swallowed their sobs as they watched him.
And then.
"It seems we've gotten closer, don't you think?"
"What?"
Chung Myung's casual remark prompted Five Swords and Tang Gunak to suddenly rise from their seats.
"Is this guy your buddy, you crazy bastard?"
"Are you even human? This evil demonic technique isn't just cruel!"
"Rather switch with me! I'll go! I'd rather go!"
"Amitabha. Even an asura would nod approvingly at the sight of a disciple! Disgusting!"
Amidst the barrage of criticism and curses from all directions, Chung Myung looked genuinely bewildered, as if he didn't know what he had done wrong.
"No, but still, I paired up people who seemed friendly after considering it! Even if you tried to accommodate them, they'd still complain!"
"...That lunatic."
Hyeon Jong looked at Baek Cheon with infinite pity. While it seemed fitting for Chung Myung to follow Jang Han's lead and for Baek Cheon to move with Jong Ligok, this was truly... what could he say? It was a grim reality that couldn't be avoided.
"Oh, come on, stop whining. It's natural to feel awkward at first. But as we spend time together, rapport will build, and friendships will form."
"Kill me..."
"No. Die after the war."
"More evil than the evil sect..."
Jang Ilso, witnessing this scene, would have shuddered, everyone here was certain.
Chung Myung chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"Anyway, we've roughly sorted out the combinations."
As he spoke, his laughter subsided, and his eyes grew slightly serious.
"We'll keep the command structure as simple as possible. Under Sir Alliance Lord's command, I'll be here, with two military advisors to assist me. Apart from these four, you should think of nobody else as your authority figures."
"Umm..."
The household heads and vice household heads looked at each other with some unease. Maeng So mustered the courage to speak up.
"...Military leader. I understand the method, but... now that we've taken our positions, I'm worried if this was the right choice."
"It's the right choice."
Chung Myung looked at them all firmly.
"However, there's one thing you must remember."
"What's that?"
"The Four Tyrants Alliance... No, that bastard Jang Ilso has no strategy."
"...What?"
Doubt clouded everyone's faces.
Not only had Shaolin fallen into Jang Ilso's hands but so had everything under heaven. Yet Jang Ilso had no strategy? What kind of nonsense was this?
If anyone else had said such a thing, there would have been laughter, but no one showed any signs of amusement here. Because it was Chung Myung who had spoken, they believed he must have a reason.
"That guy doesn't use military tactics. He doesn't even have the minimum principles for moving troops. He's never been in a war before."
"...Then what has he been doing?"
"Psychological warfare."
At Chung Myung's firm response, the people's faces contorted with confusion.
"To be precise, it's psychological warfare. He reads people's minds and knows how to use it. So, you can't deal with him using military tactics. He knows. Regardless of whether it's a thousand or a million, in the end, it's only a few people who move the army. So if he can read the minds of those few people, he can deal with anything."
As they listened, they began to see the logic in his words, nodding in agreement.
"Is that what we need to know?"
"No."
Chung Myung shook his head.
"That's just common sense. There's something else we need to know."
"..."
"He delves into the relationships between people. The small divides, the subtle boundaries where desires clash. Since everyone is on that boundary, he's been virtually invincible. Even if there are a hundred or a thousand people, if you pick them apart one by one, they're nothing. So..."
Chung Myung looked at them with grave eyes.
"You must trust each other."
"..."
"If we can do that... we will win."
Everyone's heads nodded heavily.
"Let's begin. The war where either he or we will be the last one standing."
It was a declaration as cold as the dawn air.