Chapter 247: New Justice Association (2)
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When people suddenly flooded into the Medical Hall, both Cheong-hwa and I were startled. Aside from the fact that those entering were all prominent seniors of the martial world, I was currently not wearing a disguise.
“……What is the meaning of this?”
Startled, Cheong-hwa immediately covered me with a blanket as I was eating my apple.
To the heavily guarded Cheong-hwa, Cheong-ui’s voice resounded.
“It is alright. These people are walking the same path as us.”
“No, I know that. But this is a somewhat different matter.”
“Are you saying you do not trust your Senior Brother now?”
Cheong-ui spoke in a slightly hurt tone. Nevertheless, Cheong-hwa seemed to have no intention of showing me.
“Master. Just pull it back. It is stuffy and hard to breathe.”
I said, chewing on the apple. I had no intention of keeping myself hidden forever anyway.
Hesitatingly, Cheong-hwa pulled back the blanket covering me.
“Ah!”
“……Is it truly him?”
The seniors of the martial world were astonished upon seeing me. Although I had never met them, they seemed to know my face. Then again, since the Beggars’ Sect had treated me as top-grade information, it made sense.
“Junior Muk Hui-yeong greets the esteemed seniors. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly in this state.”
I said. It was natural for me to find these leaders of great forces fascinating, but they found me just as fascinating. No, they were looking at me with far more curiosity than I was looking at them.
“He truly is the Eastern Emperor.”
“He was alive.”
“Is he truly the Eastern Emperor? I saw his portrait long ago, so my memory is a bit hazy…”
“He is.”
The Sect Leaders even murmured among themselves right in front of me. Until Cheong-ui let out a dry cough, their evaluation of me continued.
“I am Cho Seo-gi of Zhongnan. It is an honor to meet the renowned Eastern Emperor.”
“I am Muk Hui-yeong.”
So the moniker of Eastern Emperor had spread all the way to the Central Plains. But that was originally an honorary title, not a moniker. Somehow, it seemed to have become my moniker.
“I am Namgung Jin-hyeon of the Namgung Clan. I believe my son owes you a debt.”
“Ah. Young Master Namgung Hwi. I remember him. It wasn’t much of a debt.”
I exchanged greetings like that, one by one. To think I would meet so many prominent seniors of the martial world all at once, from my bed. I wondered if I was the first person to ever have such an experience.
“By the way, it seems the first disciple Wudang put forward was indeed you.”
The Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect, Blue Moon Sword Exalt, realized it immediately. However, the Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect, Dan Eumpyeong, widened his eyes in surprise.
“What? Was that so?”
“Have you ever seen such a child among Wudang’s Myeong generation rank?”
“How could I possibly remember every disciple of other sects?”
“If he were this strong, he would have left an impression.”
“Ah.”
Dan Eumpyeong nodded. Indeed, my current martial power was far too strong for a disciple of the Myeong generation.
“But still, I recall hearing he wasn’t quite this strong.”
“Who knows? Perhaps he found some decent fortune.”
The people stared at me with curious eyes. I nodded, confirming that I had indeed found a decent fortune. Compressing five years of training into six months could certainly be considered a great fortune.
“In any case, why have you all come? You must have a great deal to discuss right now.”
I brought the conversation to a point. Now that the New Justice Association had made its grand appearance in the martial world, it was time to handle the ensuing aftermath. This was no time to be leisurely visiting a patient.
“We indeed have much to discuss. Yes.”
Namgung Jin-hyeon said.
“Deciding on the New Justice Association Leader was one of those matters.”
“Ah. It hasn’t been decided yet.”
“Indeed, it hasn’t. And the Taiji Sword Emperor mentioned that he knew of someone perfectly suited to be the New Justice Association Leader.”
“Then you should simply appoint that person.”
I replied indifferently. However, when the room fell silent and everyone stared at me, a sudden chill ran down my spine. I forced a smile and said.
“……Esteemed seniors, you must not tease your junior like this.”
“We do not have time for games.”
Sect Leader Hyein, who was spinning her Buddhist beads, spoke quietly. Her voice possessed a strictness that permitted absolutely no joking.
Ultimately, I had to drop my smile and speak calmly.
“Are you truly serious?”
“Indeed. A person like you, who possesses a peculiar balance, would be perfect. Although you are of Wudang, you are nonetheless a secular disciple, and your primary profession is a merchant group leader. Furthermore, you are the symbolic figure of the Guiyou Incident, which triggered the Imperial Court’s current oppression of the martial world.”
“The position of New Justice Association Leader is one where negotiation with the Imperial Court is crucial. You surely know that the Imperial Court blamed me for the Guiyou Incident.”
If the Imperial Court found out I was alive, they would undoubtedly take measures. Judging by their momentum, they would likely punish me with a sentence akin to treason. How could someone like me negotiate directly with the Imperial Court?
“I think I understand the Sect Leader’s heart now.”
Namgung Jin-hyeon said.
“The Taiji Sword Emperor simply does not wish for you to live like a shadow, hiding away. Even if others do not know, we know, do we not? That you committed no wrong.”
“What does that matter? If the Imperial Court says so, then that is how it is. Is that not the way of this world?”
History is written by the victors. In fact, had not the Great Ming itself been virtually erased from people’s memories? And they had become the remnants of the Demonic Cult.
“Changing such a world is precisely the duty of the orthodox sects.”
I was temporarily left speechless by the look in Namgung Jin-hyeon’s eyes. That gaze fully contained the struggles of a senior who had pondered far before me about what it meant to be of the orthodox path and what it meant to be a righteous martial artist.
“Is this something you can realistically handle? If it is revealed that I am alive, I could immediately be branded a traitor. If that happens, whatever the New Justice Association planned, we will all become rebels.”
“We have already crossed the line too far. We have come too far to look back. Perhaps this, too, is a good strategy.”
Namgung Jin-hyeon turned his head to look at Cheong-ui.
“Is this not what you wanted, Sect Leader?”
“The Clan Head is indeed quick-witted.”
Cheong-ui smiled and turned his head toward me.
“Hui-yeong. You have done nothing wrong. There is no need for you to live in hiding.”
“It is not only the wrongdoers who live in hiding in this world.”
“If the wrongdoers walk the main roads while the innocent live in hiding, then something is deeply wrong. I miscalculated.”
Cheong-ui grabbed my shoulder as he spoke. In the midst of that, realizing that I was a patient, he did not apply any force.
“What angered me most during this match was when the Martial Alliance Leader referred to you as a shameful and embarrassing disciple.”
“I refuted him immediately, didn’t I?”
“No, that is not it. I was angry because I felt ashamed of myself.”
Cheong-ui shook his head.
“If you had said nothing, what would I have said? As the Sect Leader, how would I have protected you? I couldn’t think of anything at all. Only then did I realize that I had miscalculated.”
“You did so because you were thinking of me.”
“I believed so at first. But that was merely an excuse. Wudang is not a group that sacrifices a single disciple to cowardly extend the life of the sect. If the world oppresses a disciple of Wudang, it is only right that we walk the path together. I was not thinking of you; I was thinking of Wudang first.”
“It is nothing to feel hurt about. You know that I, too, once led an organization. How could I not understand such a choice?”
“We are a martial sect. Our purpose is to practice righteousness through martial arts. How can a sect that cannot even protect its own disciple protect the lives of the commoners?”
Cheong-ui seemed to harbor a guilt that he had no need to bear.
Suddenly, I thought of my past life as a merchant group leader. I had treated my employees excellently, but if their performance fell short, I fired them, and downsizing was a common occurrence. Among those who were fired, there were those who grabbed the hem of my trousers, saying they had nowhere else to go but the Huiyeong Merchant Group.
I had discarded people, yet was it right for me to be cared for like this? I, too, felt a twinge of guilt.
“Your past is your past. I am looking at your present. For in the present, you are unmistakably Wudang’s disciple.”
Cheong-ui’s words seemed to pierce right through my thoughts. I could say nothing.
“In any case, we wish for you to become the first Leader of the New Justice Association. Leave the rest to us and do not worry.”
I looked at Cheong-ui, the Namgung Clan Head, and the Sect Leaders. They seemed to have no complaints about someone as young as me assuming the role of New Justice Association Leader.
“It is indeed a brilliant choice, Sect Leader.”
Namgung Jin-hyeon even let out a grin. The Leader of such a massive force. I wondered if it was truly alright for me to assume the role.
“……Very well. But I still do not know if this is a position I am truly fit for.”
Finally, I accepted. Although the political situation would become quite troublesome once I became the New Justice Association Leader, that was not something I had to bear alone. I would be with them.
“We all owe a debt to the Eastern Emperor. Had it not been for the Eastern Emperor, we would have all perished to the East Sea Great Octopus. Even if the Eastern Emperor were truly dead, it would be one thing, but knowing he is alive, I cannot think of a more fitting candidate for the Association Leader.”
At Namgung Jin-hyeon’s words, everyone nodded. Cheong-ui also nodded with a proud expression before speaking.
“Indeed. You are now the Leader of the New Justice Association. Namgung Clan Head, and other Sect Leaders, do you all agree?”
“We do.”
The people nodded without hesitation. They, too, seemed to believe I was suited to be the New Justice Association Leader.
“Of course, I shall do my best to gather and respect everyone’s opinions, but there may be times when I must issue commands. Please do not view me poorly for doing so despite my youth.”
“We are not children who cannot distinguish between public and private matters.”
Zhongnan Sect Leader Cho Seo-gi spoke, pouting slightly. His blunt tone brought laughter from the crowd.
“Then, shall we begin the first business of the New Justice Association Leader?”
I said. The people’s eyes widened slightly.
“Suddenly?”
“The New Justice Association currently has no time to waste, does it not? We must move even a step faster.”
“That is true, but…”
The people reacted hesitantly. Although they were leaders of forces and I was also the leader of a force, our methods were different. This was likely the difference between a martial force and a merchant group. However, at a time like this when rapid movement was necessary, the merchant group’s way of thinking was far superior.
“The New Justice Association is not merely an alliance of martial forces. It is also a political group that opposes the Imperial Court’s policy. Therefore, we need to move differently from other martial forces.”
“What is that?”
“We shall hold an inauguration ceremony.”
“An inauguration ceremony?”
At this, even Cheong-ui, who was entirely on my side, tilted his head.
“Are we in a position to be leisurely holding ceremonies that can be omitted?”
“It is not a ceremony that can be omitted. It is something we absolutely must do.”
Any organization must start on the right foot. An inauguration ceremony was essential.
“In fact, omitting it would cause issues. The Imperial Palace might frame us as a shady private organization operating in the shadows of the martial world. Legitimacy is crucial in everything. Especially when dealing with the Imperial Court, there must not be a single flaw in our legitimacy.”
As I spoke fluently, the people nodded as if under a spell. Although they possessed the basic skills to manage organizations as leaders of forces, they were fundamentally martial artists. They were different from a professional manager like me.
“If I had no intention of doing this properly, I wouldn’t have accepted this position in the first place.”
I looked at them and let out a grin.
It was a brief acceptance speech.