Episode 2
Cheon Woo-jin came down from the mountain and immediately decided on his destination.
The general union of the Baekdo Islands of the time, the Murim Alliance.
It is a federation created to stop Cheonma, who had stained the central plains with blood due to his overwhelming power in the past.
The scale of it (the Alliance)was truly enormous.
All three major Baekdo clans and families spread throughout the central plains could be said to belong to the Murim Alliance
The Murim Alliance pursues chivalry, peace, fairness, and evil spirits.
Because of this, those born with good background didn’t hesitate to become warriors of the Murim Alliance.
Also, the Murim Alliance is almost the only group in the world in which you can reach high places based on ability alone, regardless of social status.
Of course, Cheon Woo-jin did not want to become a warrior of the Murim Alliance. It was just that Master Baekno’s favorite junior was there, so he wanted to go there to tell him some news.
Cheon Woo-jin, who recalled the wills of his two teachers, burst into laughter.
– Look here, Woojin.
Master Baekno’s will, which started like that, surprisingly took half a day to read. In fact, rather than a will, it was safe to say that it was a book written about the principles of righteousness and goodness that Master had realized throughout his life.1In fact, his two masters are so hilarious that I am considering putting a comedy tag to the series 🤣
Among them, there were five good people who had to be told the news after his death. The first was the Murim Alliance’s ‘Sword Slower Than a Turtle’.
“How can a person’s nickname be turtle….?”2Not only a turtle, but slower than one, I want meet him(✷‿✷)
Cheon Woo-jin cleared his throat. Still, if he was a martial artist recognized by Master Baekno, he must have been a truly great sage.
On the other hand, Master Heukno’s will was truly refreshing, just like his nature.
– Don’t starve.
Cheon Woo-jin burst into laughter again.3Seriously, are you with or against the comedy tag ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ
There were times when his eccentric nature was scary, but when he thought about not seeing him in the future, he felt regretful.
***
He ran quite a distance while thinking about various things. Finally, he could see the deep blue Poyang Lake ahead.
The lake was so wide that it almost looked like the sea, creating a long horizontal line bordering the surface.
Cheon Woo-jin stood still for a moment and looked at the lakeside.
Boats large and small came and went constantly, and on one side there were street stalls selling simple drinks and food.
The reason he came here was simple.
Because he was going to take a boat.
A huge water current/channel called the Yangtze River flowed from here in Jiangxi Province to Wuhan in Hubei Province, where the Murim League is located.
He remembered the times he used to go out on a ferry with Master Baekno, so he decided to use the waterway.
“I also want to look around and see some people.”
He came down from the mountain after several years, and he didn’t want to run alone on the mountain paths for several days and nights.
Around the time when Cheon Woo-jin was watching the sunlight break over the water of Poyang Lake.
“Isn’t that young man going to ride?”
A deep voice came from next to him.
When he turned his head and checked, he saw that it was a middle-aged man whose appearance matched his voice.
He had a huge body like the boat he was pointing at, a bushy beard, a thick neck, and even strong eyes.
He strangely gave the feeling of someone living a difficult life for a long time
As Cheon Woo-jin watched him quietly, the middle-aged boatman continued speaking.
“It’s a ship heading to Hubei. It is leaving soon.”
To go to the Murim Alliance, he had to take that boat. But there was one problem.
Cheon Woo-jin rummaged through his pockets.
There was no money. It was natural. Because there was no need to spend money in the mountains.
The boatman who was watching this closely said.
“Are you going to the Murim Alliance?”
“Yes?”
Cheon Woo-jin opened his eyes wide.
How did he know that he was going to the Murim Alliance?
Cheon Woo-jin’s expression became quite serious.
Seeing this, the boatman burst into laughter.
“LOL, you look surprised, right? I’ve been living this life for thirty years already. I can tell by just looking at your eyes.”
“……They say there are countless strange people in the world.”
It really was true.
A boatman who could guess the destination of other people just by looking at their eyes.
“What? Hahaha, what a fun guy. Yes, I am the eccentric director of Poyang Lake. I’m in a really good mood today, so just get on.”
“Is that okay?”
“It’s the captain will. It doesn’t cost money to bring one more person.”
Cheon Woo-jin felt something in his heart.
As Master Baekno said, there were many good people in the world.
“Thank you.”
“Ho, ho, ho, good luck.”
Cheon Woo-jin bowed his head and got on the boat.
As soon as he got on the boat, he realized that the boatman was not quirk person.
“…….”
The ship was filled with young martial artists.
There were warriors with decent skills for their age, but there was no one who could be called an expert.
Just by looking at the atmosphere they gave off, he could tell that they were all Baekdo followers.
A ship heading to Hubei carrying a large number of Baekdo followers.
Cheon Woo-jin looked at the boatman and asked.
“It looks like the selection process for Murim Alliance members has opened, right?”
“Hehe, I got caught.”
Once every three years, the Murim Alliance holds a grand exam to select new members.
At that time, from all over the world, Baekdo followers gather with big dreams in their hearts.
Only then did he realize the meaning of the boatman wishing him good luck. He seemed to have mistaken Cheon Woo-jin as an applicant for this exam.
Cheon Woo-jin thought for a moment.
It seems that there was a misunderstanding and the fare was not collected, but if Master Baekno found out, he would scold me.
– You didn’t lie, did you? That bear-like sailor was the one making assumptions on his own.
At that moment, Master Heukno’s voice seemed to ring in his ears.
“…….”
Cheon Woo-jin looked at the bear-like boatman for a moment and then quietly sat down on one side of the deck.
The boatman, who was looking at Cheon Woo-jin with a happy face, soon raised the anchor and shouted in a deep voice.
“Now, let’s go!”
As the boatman told Cheon Woo-jin, he seemed to be in a very good mood.
Once every three years, when the time came to be flooded with money like this, he couldn’t help but laugh.
***
Cheon Woo-jin was squatting on one side and facing the wind. He felt bad because he felt like he had somehow tricked the boatman.
‘Still, it was a favor given to me……’
He was wondering if he should get off the ship right now.
Of course, it was crossing the middle of the vast Poyang Lake, but it wasn’t a problem for Cheon Woo-jin.
Walking on water was something he had already mastered when he was so young that he didn’t even remember when.
Under Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze, the people on board gathered in groups of threes and fives and chatted. Some people showed signs of nervousness ahead of the exam, while others spoke of their wild dreams of becoming Murim lords in the future.
Among them, there were two who stood out the most.
A man leaning on the railing and looking at the lake with hazy eyes.
His facial features were distinct, but he also seemed delicate and elegant. Sometimes, whenever a splashing water wave passed by, the sunlight sparkled through it and he looked like a painting.
‘He is handsome.’
This thought came to him automatically.
It seems that this evaluation was not just made by Cheon Woo-jin, as the women on the boat were glancing at him.
The other person was a woman sitting quite far away from the group with an expressionless, almost bored, face.
Even Cheon Woo-jin, who had lived his entire life in the mountains, could immediately sense that she was beautiful, and the clear glint in her eyes made her ice-cold impression stand out even more.
Due to the atmosphere around her being difficult to approach, the other people could only watch her from afar.
Of course, the reason these two caught Cheon Woo-jin’s attention was not just because of their looks.
‘They are unrivaled.’
These two were the strongest among the material artists on the ship.
It wasn’t just by being a little bit ahead, they were on a completely different level from others.
At that moment…
“Do you like pretty girls that much?”
A man came out of nowhere, sat down naturally as if he was a member of a group and spoke. He was the man who received all the attention of women.
Cheon Woo-jin frowned.
“I didn’t look at her because she was pretty.”
“No way.”
The man burst out laughing.
Cheon Woo-jin felt aggrieved, but he thought it was unnecessary to explain, so he kept his mouth shut.
The man said.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Song Yi-yeon from Anhui.”
“I’m Cheon Woo-jin.”
Cheon Woo-jin, who answered briefly, looked straight ahead again. He was just trying to watch the waves of the Yangtze River, but he was worried that the woman would be caught in his field of vision and cause another misunderstanding.
The man who introduced himself as Song Yi-yeon giggled and said with a smile.
“You’re a more blunt person than you look. Are you going to the Murim Alliance?”
“Yes.”
“Me too.”
Cheon Woo-jin just nodded his head.
Then Song Yi-yeon came a little closer and said.
“Hey, Little Warrior, I will actually become the Murim lord.”
“……..?”
What do you want me to do?
While I was dumbfounded about the sudden claim, Song Yi-yeon’s words continued.
“But from what I can see, the only competitor on this ship is you, Little Warrior. Where on earth did a monster like you come from?”
“At first glance, you are the monster.”
“Ahem, I’m sorry. It’s because it’s my first time seeing someone as strong as the Little Warrior in my age group. Actually, I am also a pretty promising warrior in the area where I lived.”
“I still have a long way to go before I become strong.”
For Cheon Woo-jin, the standard of strength was his two teachers.
Song Yi-yeon said in disgust.
“Uh huh, if you say something like that somewhere, you’ll be criticized. If the Little Warrior is weak, everyone on this ship…….”
Song Yi-yeon trailed off. When he was about to say something harsh, he became conscious of the gaze of others.
“Hmm, anyway, you’re a blunt little fellow. I think we’ll be seeing each other for a long time, so please take care of me. In fact, this is my first time competing in the material arts exams. They say that to become a member of the Murim Alliance, you usually have to fail the exam two or three times. But I am different, I am sure I can pass on the first try.”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded.
It didn’t seem that difficult for a man of this level of power to become a member of the Murim Alliance.
“I’m rooting for you.”
“Wow, as expected, Little Warrior is a tsundere.”
“What is that?”
“A man who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside.”
“……..”
Cheon Woo-jin shook his head with a tired expression.
Then Song Yi-yeon slipped something out.
It was a rice ball.
“Would the Little Warrior like to eat too?”
“It doesn’t look tasty.”
“My mother made it for me.”
“I will eat.”
So the two people shared the rice balls in silence.
Anyway, Master Heukno said not to skip meals……
Cheon Woo-jin gave the remaining rice ball to Song Yi-yeon, but Song I-yeon nudged it back to Cheon Woo-jin.
Just then…
Thud-!
The ship shook violently from side to side with a sudden loud noise.
Clank-!
At the same time, dozens of spiderweb-like chains flew out and were firmly caught on the boat.
Soon, three large ships appeared among the waves of the Yangtze River.
“We are outnumbered!”
Someone shouted, and the warriors quickly moved away in the opposite direction of the iron chains.
In the confusion, the rice ball between Cheon Woo-jin and Song Yi-yeon was trampled by someone’s foot.
“My rice ball!”
Song Yi-yeon let out a scream.
Soon, sturdy warriors began to cross over using the chains.
Compared to most of the other material artists, who moved around in a missy manner, Song Yi-yeon was calm.
Cheon Woo-jin asked.
“Aren’t you going to run away?”
“Why would I run away? It’s the captain of this ship’s and the pirates’ business, it has nothing to do with us.”
That was correct. It was more common for a ship to encounter water thieves than summer rain.
All it takes for the boatman to save face is giving the pirates a few pennies as is customary.
Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze turned to the other warriors.
They also seemed to be just avoiding the situation and did not take it seriously.
Not only the cold-looking woman, but also the few strong-looking warriors and those who were hoping to be the leaders, none of them came forward.
‘Was Master Heukno’s words also correct?’
The Murim Alliance that protects justice.
Those who wanted to become warriors there were just watching the injustice, someone even giggled as if this situation was interesting.
The boatman who had been kind to Cheon Woo-jin stepped forward, rubbing his palms.
“Oh my, our great heros!”
The pirates raised the corner of their mouths at that attitude. Because it seemed like this matter would be completed easily.
“What, was it Boatman Jang’s boat?”
“Haha, yes.”
The boatman who said that took out a bag from his pocket.
The pirate naturally accepted it and patted the boatman on the shoulder in a friendly way.
“You know that the toll tax has gone up recently, right?”
“…… Ah, yes.”
“Originally, it’s good to see blood because this way the word spreads quickly, but…….”
The boatman flinched at the ugly words.
The pirate smiled, showing his yellow teeth.
“Since we have spent so many years together with Mr. Jang, it would be morally right to take care of him at least this once, right?”
The pirates were discussing morality in front of the candidates of the Murim Alliance members. Still, no one came forward.
The boatman said with a forced smile.
“Yes, I will prepare well for the next toll increase. There are a lot of participants in this test, so there is a lot of business..…”
The boatman subtly mentioned that the people on this ship were participants of the exam. Those who were smiling right now, were pirates wielding weapons, you never know when they might change their minds and attack.
However, the boatman’s trick backfired.
The face of the pirate, who was looking at the warriors, became distorted.
“Are you threatening me now?”
“What?”
The boatman was startled and waves his hands in surprise.
“How is that possible?”
“No. There are Baekdo bastards out there, so I think they want us to get scared and go away.”
“Oh, no.”
The boatman quickly lowered his head.
However, the enemy’s hand clutching the boatman’s shoulder only gained more and more strength.
“That’s right. There may be a son of a prominent family here, or a member of the Murim Alliance, so we shouldn’t just act out a misdeed.”
“……”
“But you know. Could captain Jang be a Jeongpa member? Or, a Murim Alliance member?”
“Yes?”
“If that’s not the case, why are you straining your neck?”
Song Yi-yeon was right. This was ultimately a matter between the captain and the pirates and had nothing to do with the material artists.
The pirate then raised his inner strength and clenched his hands tightly.
The boatman, whose neck was pressured, let out a groan in pain.
“Kee, ugh….”
At that moment…
Cheon Woo-jin jumped up from his seat.
Soon everyone’s eyes focused on Cheon Woo-jin.
Song Yi-yeon gently pulled Cheon Woo-jin’s sleeve and lowered his voice.
“Little fellow, what are you doing now?”
However, Cheon Woo-jin silently shook off his hand.
In any case, the boatman was a person who did him a favor.
If Master Baekno had been here, he would have struck off that enemy’s head as an example, and even Master Heukno would have said that those who bully the weak were not evil, but idiots.
Cheon Woo-jin approached the enemies and stood still.
Then, the eyes of the material artists, except for Song Yi-yeon, brightened as if there was finally something to see on the long sea journey.
Cheon Woo-jin spoke politely to his opponents.
“Are you having a hard time making a living these days? For example, you live with your old mother and don’t even have money for medicine.”
“W-what?”
“If not, why don’t you just skip today? You see, I received favor from the boatman here, so I can’t just stay quiet and ignore it.”
The pirates who were looking at Cheon Woo-jin up and down burst into laughter.
“Are you from some noble family?”
“I’m an orphan.”
“……Where did you learn martial arts?”
“On the mountain.”
The enemies exchanged glances with each other.
Everyone seemed to have similar thoughts.
‘It’s okay to get rid of him.’
However, there was one fact they overlooked.
Actually, material artists, who originally came down from the mountains, were traditionally an object of vigilance in the material arts world.
If they had grown up in a non-poor household and read at least one copy of a martial arts book, they would have known.
“Shall we first let the boatman go and talk about it?”
Cheon Woo-jin lightly grabbed the pirate’s wrist.
But the results were by no means light.
Crack-!
Because the pirate’s wrist was twisted into a strange shape.
“Aaahh!”
He let out a roar, and at the same time, the bandits pulled out their vicious swords.
“Kill!”
***
TL:
Wow, this is a one fat long chapter ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ
Anyways, thank you for reading and please consider supporting the translation and getting extra chapters by buying me a Kofi ❄️
