Chapter 164
Jeon Tae-su’s death was a tremendous shock to the entire Jeongdo Alliance.
Not only that, but the reputation of the Inspection General Bureau, which had resolved such a massive issue right after its launch, soared even higher.
Some people said that the Jeongdo Alliance would finally find its proper place, giving thumbs up toward the Inspection General Bureau.
However, there were also skeptical views.
Particularly, while people were surprised that the students had passed the verification, there were quite a few gazes containing subtle contempt.
Regardless, Sa Bigang continued to complete the organizational chart of the Inspection General Bureau.
First, he created an organization composed of Tang Iháp and his subordinates.
Their main duties were primarily to monitor, investigate, and search the martial artists belonging to the main body of the Jeongdo Alliance.
Since the main body was full of all kinds of dirty politics, he judged that Tang Iháp, who had relatively rich worldly experience, would be advantageous.
Tang Iháp named the organization the ‘Shadow Squad (暗影隊).’
Mae Seol-lan was appointed as the Heaven’s Eye Pavilion Master (闡暗閣主) within the Inspection Bureau, whose main duty was to gather various information, deduce, and examine it.
The Ghost Shadow Squad mainly collected information about the entire Jeongdo Alliance except for the main body.
Their main task was particularly to dig up information about the Alliance’s corruption and dishonesty.
And the martial artists of Ghost Night Stronghold, including Go Jeok-san, were transformed into an armored unit to be deployed when large-scale combat was needed.
Captain Go Jeok-san named the organization the ‘Iron Blood Squad (鐵血隊).’
The martial artists of Ghost Night Stronghold had also entered the barrier together, so they had all become masters of transcendent level or higher.
Not only that, but Sa Bigang had originally trained them for six years to suit the purpose of the Iron Blood Squad.
Finally, the Inspection Corps composed of students took on the core role of the organization.
The official name of the Inspection Corps, which was the most important part of the Inspection Bureau, was decided to be announced directly by Sa Bigang at the Alliance Leader Hall meeting.
With this, the Inspection General Bureau, which had reached its complete form, began to engage in earnest work to clean up the Alliance’s corruption.
“As you both well know, there are factions within our Alliance as well. Namely, the Alliance Leader and Lightning Hall Master Deung Wang-pae. Squad Leader Tang, investigate everything related to Deung Wang-pae. To the extent that you find out how many times he shakes his body after going to the outhouse to urinate.”
“I obey.”
“Seol-lan, I’d like you to focus on information related to him for a while as well.”
“I understand.”
Sa Bigang soon visited the training room of the Inspection General Bureau with the two of them.
Just then, all the students belonging to the Inspection Corps had gathered.
“Everyone, assemble.”
The Inspection Corps members moved swiftly and gathered in front of Sa Bigang.
Indeed, they gave off a quite different atmosphere from when they were students compared to when they became official Inspection Corps members.
“From now on, you are official members of the Inspection Corps. You will accompany me and mainly handle practical investigation, enforcement, and other duties. So, speaking of which… there should be a captain among you to lead the organization.”
As Sa Bigang’s words ended, the students swallowed their dry saliva.
Several people, including Yeom Ja-ryang and Yeon U-gyeong, showed subtly expectant looks.
Just then, Cho Mun-tak raised his hand and asked.
“Will we elect the captain ourselves?”
“No. I will appoint them. This isn’t a popularity contest. I will grasp the qualifications and capabilities more accurately than you all. Any objections?”
“None!”
“Good, then I’ll appoint them right away. Dan Li-jeong.”
“Yes!”
“Come forward. From now on, you are the Inspection Corps Captain.”
“Yes, I under…! Huh? Huh?”
Dan Li-jeong asked back with a startled expression.
As if he had never expected it at all.
On the other hand, the other students showed no change in expression, as if they had no particular complaints.
However, Yeom Ja-ryang and Yeon U-gyeong showed expressions with a slight tinge of disappointment.
Nevertheless, they didn’t seem to think Dan Li-jeong was unqualified.
Sa Bigang furrowed his brow.
“If you continue to take such a bewildered attitude like now, the captain will be changed.”
“N-no! Thank you!”
Dan Li-jeong hurriedly ran forward.
Sa Bigang looked around at everyone and spoke.
“From now on, Dan Li-jeong is the captain. Since you’re all peers, I won’t force you to treat him with difficulty. But remember one thing for certain. You must absolutely obey the captain’s orders.”
“Yes, we understand!”
“Depending on the need, the Inspection Corps may divide into groups and act separately. Each time, the group leaders will be directly appointed by the captain.”
“Understood!”
“Good, then we’ll be departing for inspection soon, so everyone prepare yourselves.”
After finishing his words, Sa Bigang turned his body around and walked away.
Mae Seol-lan followed behind and asked.
“Will it be okay?”
“What?”
“Dan Li-jeong taking on the captain role.”
“Why?”
“I thought he might be a bit too passive.”
“Huhuhuh. That’s because you don’t know that guy well. He has faster situational awareness than anyone, and good judgment too. Plus, he has good leadership as well.”
“What’s… leadership?”
“Hmm… it’s a term I used in the Demon Realm… something like the talent to lead organization members well?”
“I see. He does seem like he’d have a sense of stability.”
“Just watch. That guy will do better than anyone.”
Sa Bigang grinned.
In the future when the Demon Realm invaded, Dan Li-jeong was the one who led many people in resistance despite having little talent in martial arts.
When countless martial artists died, the people of the martial world floundered like beasts that had lost their head.
The person who became the head at that time was Dan Li-jeong.
‘Of course, since his martial arts level was weak and it was too late a situation, he couldn’t hold out very long.’
But the future that would come would be different.
Looking at the current Dan Li-jeong, no one could say he was weak.
Then Mae Seol-lan asked as if suddenly remembering.
“By the way, about the Inspection Corps. Have you decided on the official name?”
“I have. A truly amazing and cool name. Heheheh.”
From Sa Bigang’s laughter, Mae Seol-lan felt an inexplicable uneasiness.
***
The Inspection Corps, the organization that actually conducts inspection enforcement, can be called the flower and core of the Inspection Bureau.
Therefore, the official name of the Inspection Corps is very important.
Moreover, since righteous faction martial artists are excessively sensitive to justification and public attention, they pour much effort into determining the official name of an organization.
Therefore, what people were most curious about and interested in at today’s Alliance Leader Hall meeting was precisely the official name of the Inspection Corps that Sa Bigang would announce.
In fact, determining the official name of the previous Inspection Corps took a month despite the participation of numerous high-ranking officials.
Considering that the name decided after long armchair discussions was the extremely ordinary level name ‘Righteous Sword Corps (義劍隊),’ this shows how much these people were absorbed in a culture of substance-less formality.
However, this time all authority for organizational composition was delegated to Sa Bigang.
So Sa Bigang could arbitrarily decide the official name of the Inspection Corps as well.
However…
‘Don’t even think of mentioning some half-baked name!’
Deung Wang-pae glared at Sa Bigang, who stood on one side of the Alliance Leader Hall, his eyes full of venom.
Because of that damn bastard, his cherished subordinate had gone to the afterlife without even being able to scream.
Even now, just thinking about it made him resentful.
He would somehow find fault with the official name and persistently attack it.
It might seem like nothing much, but traditionally, an organization’s name tends to form that organization’s self-consciousness.
But if they receive criticism from the very beginning because of that name, anyone would inevitably be concerned about it.
Deung Wang-pae planned to use this psychology to tenaciously trip him up from the start.
Finally, the roughly mundane meeting ended and the moment came for Sa Bigang to announce the official name of the Inspection Corps.
As Sa Bigang stepped forward, Deung Wang-pae suddenly opened his mouth.
“Since you achieved various merits right after holding the launch ceremony, the official name of the Inspection Corps, which is the core of this Inspection Bureau, must be quite impressive! I have great expectations!”
“Hahaha! Probably everyone will be greatly surprised when they hear the name I’ve chosen for the Inspection Corps!”
As Sa Bigang answered confidently, Deung Wang-pae smiled bitterly.
‘Hmph! Let me hear that great name of yours!’
Whether knowing this situation or not, Alliance Leader Neung Un-pa smiled gently and asked.
“Hehe, so what name has Inspection Bureau Chief Sa Bigang decided on for the Inspection Corps?”
“Shouldn’t the Inspection Corps play the role of firmly judging injustice? So I thought it should be powerful enough to make unjust people tremble with fear when they hear it.”
“Ooh, an excellent thought!”
“Indeed, well said.”
Since Sa Bigang had recently achieved consecutive merits and was about to begin his full duties as Inspection Bureau Chief, many martial artists were already giving thumbs up.
Of course, there were also groups like Deung Wang-pae who had decided to oppose from the beginning.
“Therefore, the official name of this Inspection Corps is…”
Sa Bigang took a deep breath for a moment.
Everyone’s attention focused on Sa Bigang.
“Heaven Above Heaven Below Only I Am Supreme Blood Wind Annihilation Squad (天上天下唯我獨尊血風滅殺隊)!”
“……”
“……”
Instantly, the hall became quiet as death.
Everyone opened their mouths wide, widened their eyes round, and couldn’t even move.
One thing was certain.
As Sa Bigang said, everyone was indeed surprised.
Though in a slightly different meaning.
Even Deung Wang-pae, who had intended to find fault immediately upon hearing the official name, was left speechless with a dazed expression.
Regardless, Sa Bigang smiled with a triumphant expression.
“Hahaha! I knew everyone would be surprised! How is it? Isn’t it really a good name?”
The person who showed a reaction after a long while was Staff Officer Gu Yoon.
“Uhh… Bureau Chief Sa. I think that name is rather difficult to pronounce and excessively provocative…”
“The Inspection Corps is not an organization that just anyone can easily call out. Moreover, if you express something strong as provocative, I think that provocative name suits it very well.”
“Hmm. But…”
As Gu Yoon was speaking, Deung Wang-pae, who had belatedly come to his senses, suddenly stepped forward.
“Bureau Chief Sa! Does establishing an organization’s name seem like a joke to you? How can you have such a name with no dignity to be found…!”
“Hall Master Deung.”
Sa Bigang suddenly cut off his words.
Since his expression felt momentarily chilly, Deung Wang-pae twitched his eyebrows and asked back.
“What?”
“Does dignity come from a name?”
“…!”
“Furthermore, the Inspection Corps is not an organization that pretends to be solemn and maintains dignity. It’s an organization that discovers internal enemies and eliminates them even if it means causing a bloody storm. In that sense, the Inspection Corps should become the supreme authority of justice and become the pillar that annihilates evil. So isn’t this name very fitting and cool?”
Endless pride could be felt from Sa Bigang’s expression.
Eventually, due to the unprecedentedly intense and long name, arguments continued for a while in the Alliance Leader Hall.
But the important thing was that the authority for organizational composition belonged solely to Sa Bigang.
No matter how much others requested reconsideration, Sa Bigang didn’t budge at all.
Rather, Sa Bigang thought that other people felt envy and jealousy toward this wonderful name.
In fact, his naming skills had been controversial even when he was in the Demon Realm, but the martial artists of the Jeongdo Alliance had no way of knowing such facts.
Eventually, making the long discussion meaningless, Sa Bigang didn’t bend his stubbornness, and the official name of the Inspection Corps was registered with the grandiose name ‘Heaven Above Heaven Below Only I Am Supreme Blood Wind Annihilation Squad.’
Of course, most people except Sa Bigang thereafter called the Inspection Corps the abbreviated ‘Heaven Annihilation Squad.’
