Sichuan Branch of the Martial Alliance Headquarters
Inside the branch leaderâs office, Mok Ri-seon and Ilcheon Sword had just finished their conversation.
âThank you for the information. With the branch leaderâs help, the investigation should proceed much more smoothly.â
âNo need to thank meâ¦! If it helps in any way, Iâll prepare even more and visit you again.â
âYour sincerity alone is appreciated. Itâs truly reassuring.â
âHahahaâ¦.â
Ilcheon Sword tucked the letter given by the branch leader into his robes.
The information was sufficient. While the exact location wasnât clear, several reported sightings aligned, so starting the search there seemed reasonable.
The data on the target, including their sect leader and members, had originally come from the main alliance. Ilcheon Sword didnât anticipate the search itself to be particularly difficult.
The problem, however, wasâ
âHow far has the Star King progressed?â
The Star King had arrived three days earlier. How far had he advanced into the investigation? That was the real concern.
ââ¦That bastard.â
Just thinking about him made Ilcheon Swordâs expression twist in anger.
âDamn itâ¦.â
His fists clenched tightly.
It had been three days since Ilcheon Sword suffered humiliation.
Two days into the Sichuan expedition, he received an urgent letter from his subordinatesâan order for the Azure Dragon Division to return to the main alliance immediately.
Caught off guard by the sudden command, Ilcheon Sword didnât hesitate. He obeyed without question, relying on the unmistakable seal stamped on the letter.
After allâ
âThe allianceâs seals are crafted from rare artifacts.â
Their unique properties made it impossible to counterfeit. They could confirm whether a letter truly came from the alliance or not.
With such proof, Ilcheon Sword had no doubts. The letter had to be real.
It was official and undoubtedly sent by Muk Yeon himself.
With his suspicions cleared, he prioritized the allianceâs orders over the expedition and returned.
Yetâ
ââ¦What?â
His eyes had widened in shock upon hearing the response back at headquarters.
âYouâre saying no such order was issued?â
Neither Muk Yeon nor anyone in the main alliance had sent such a command.