Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Cheon Woo-jin, having descended from the mountain, immediately decided on his destination.
The general alliance of the current Righteous Path, the Martial Alliance.
It was an alliance established in the past to stop the Heavenly Demon, who had dyed the Central Plains in blood with overwhelming martial prowess.
Its scale was truly enormous.
To the extent that one could say all the prominent Righteous Path sects and clans spread across the Central Plains belonged to the Martial Alliance.
The Martial Alliance aspired to righteousness and chivalry, peace, fairness, and the subjugation of evil.
For that reason, rising talents who were not born with prestigious backgrounds never hesitated to aspire to become martial artists of the Martial Alliance.
This was because the Martial Alliance was virtually the only group under the heavens where one could reach high positions purely on ability, regardless of social status.
Naturally, it was not that Cheon Woo-jin wished to become a martial artist of the Martial Alliance. He was merely going to deliver the news of the passing, as Master White Elder had said a junior he held dear was there.
Recalling the last wills of his two masters, Cheon Woo-jin burst into a soft chuckle.
– “To Woo-jin.”
Master White Elder’s last will, which began like that, amazingly took half a day just to read. In truth, rather than a will, it was safe to view it as a book compiling the theories on chivalry and benevolence that his master had realized over a lifetime.
Among them, five virtuous people to whom news of his passing should be delivered were written down, and the very first was none other than the ‘Sword Slower than a Turtle’ of the Martial Alliance.
“How can a person’s moniker be a turtle…”
Cheon Woo-jin let out a dry cough. Still, if he was a martial artist acknowledged by Master White Elder, he had to be a truly outstanding virtuous man.
On the other hand, Master Black Elder’s last will was truly refreshing, just like his personality.
– “Do not starve.”
Cheon Woo-jin broke into a fit of giggles.
There were times when that eccentric disposition was somewhat frightening, but thinking that he would not be able to see him in the future left a lingering sense of regret.
While pondering this and that, he ran quite a long distance.
Far ahead, the azure Poyang Lake came into view.
The width of the lake was so vast that a long horizon formed, making it look almost like an ocean.
Cheon Woo-jin stood quietly for a moment, taking in the scenery of the lakeside.
Boats large and small came and went ceaselessly, and on one side were street stalls selling simple liquor and food.
The reason he came here was simple.
It was because he would take a boat.
From Jiangxi Province here to Wuhan in Hubei, where the Martial Alliance was located, flowed the giant currents known as the Yangtze River.
He decided to use the waterway simply because he was reminded of occasionally going on outings on a ferryboat with Master White Elder.
“To do some sightseeing of people while I’m at it.”
Having come down from the mountain for the first time in several years, he did not want to sprint along mountain paths all alone for several days and nights.
Right about when Cheon Woo-jin was admiring the sunlight shattering upon the water’s surface of Poyang Lake.
“Is the young man over there not boarding?”
A thick voice could be heard from beside him.
Turning his head to check, he saw a middle-aged man with an appearance that matched his voice quite well.
Just like the boat he pointed at, he had a massive build, a shaggy beard, a thick neck, and sturdy eyes.
One could strangely feel the atmosphere of a person who had endured and lived a rather arduous life for a long time.
As Cheon Woo-jin stared quietly, the middle-aged boatman’s words continued.
“It is a boat bound for Hubei. It will depart shortly.”
To get to the Martial Alliance, he had to take that boat.
However, there was a problem.
Cheon Woo-jin rummaged through his robes.
He had no money. It was only natural. There had been no need to spend money on the mountain.
The boatman, watching this attentively, spoke.
“You’re going to the Martial Alliance, aren’t you?”
“Pardon?”
Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes went wide.
How did he know he was trying to go to the Martial Alliance?
Cheon Woo-jin’s expression grew quite serious.
At that, the boatman burst into boisterous laughter.
“Bwahaha, surprised, are you? I’ve been in this trade for thirty years already. Just one look at someone’s eyes and I catch on instantly.”
“…They did say the world is full of countless eccentrics and hidden masters.”
It was true.
To think there was a boatman who could deduce a destination purely by the look in one’s eyes.
“What? Bwahahaha, what an amusing fellow. Right, I am the eccentric master of Poyang Lake. My mood happens to be quite good today, so just get on.”
“Is that really all right?”
“It’s up to the boatman. It’s not like taking on one more person costs any money.”
Cheon Woo-jin felt his heart swell with emotion.
Just as Master White Elder had said, there were many virtuous people in the world.
“Thank you.”
“Haha, I wish you martial fortune.”
Cheon Woo-jin, having bowed politely, boarded the boat.
As soon as he got on the boat, he was able to realize the fact that the boatman was no eccentric master.
“…”
The boat was entirely full of young martial artists.
Although there were martial artists of decent skill for their age, there was no one who could particularly be called a master.
Just from the atmosphere they exuded, one could tell that all of them were rising talents of the Righteous Path.
A boat bound for Hubei carrying a crowd of rising talents of the Righteous Path.
Cheon Woo-jin looked at the boatman and asked.
“It seems the recruitment for Martial Alliance members is taking place?”
“Haha, caught me.”
Once every three years, the Martial Alliance held a grand examination to select new personnel.
Rising talents of the Righteous Path from all over the country gathered with swelling dreams held in their hearts.
Only then did he realize the meaning behind wishing him martial fortune. The boatman seemed to have mistaken Cheon Woo-jin for an applicant for this exam.
Cheon Woo-jin pondered for a moment.
It seemed he was not taking a boat fare due to a misunderstanding, which was something Master White Elder would scold him for if he knew.
– “It is not as if you told a lie, is it? That bear-like boatman played the drums and gongs all by himself.”
In an instant, Master Black Elder’s voice seemed to ring in his ears.
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin stared at the bear-like boatman for a moment, then quietly took a seat on one side of the deck.
The boatman, who had been looking at Cheon Woo-jin with a pleased expression, soon raised the anchor and shouted in a thick voice.
“All right, we’re departing!”
Just as the boatman had told Cheon Woo-jin, he seemed to be in a very good mood.
Once every three years, whenever this period of raking in money came around, laughter could not help but burst forth.
* * *
Cheon Woo-jin was squatting on one side, feeling the breeze. For some reason, he felt as if he had deceived the boatman, which made him feel quite uncomfortable.
‘Still, he showed me kindness, but…’
He wondered whether he should say he would disembark from the boat even now.
Naturally, though they were crossing the middle of the vast Poyang Lake, that was not much of an issue for Cheon Woo-jin.
The Water-Gliding Art of walking on the water’s surface was a realm he had already comprehended so young that he could not even remember when.
The rising talents chattering in small groups entered Cheon Woo-jin’s sight. There were those whose tense expressions ahead of the exam were obvious, and there were also those preaching their swelling dreams of becoming the Martial Alliance Leader in the future.
Among them, there were two people who caught the eye the most.
A man leaning against the railing, looking at the lake with sorrowful eyes.
His features were on the distinct side, but because the lines were delicate, he looked pretty. Whenever the occasionally splashing water droplets brushed past him, the sunlight sparkled, making him look like a scene from a painting.
‘He sure is handsome.’
Such a thought came naturally.
It seemed this was not merely Cheon Woo-jin’s assessment, as the women aboard the boat were glancing at him peek by peek.
Also, a woman sitting quite far from the crowd with an expressionless, or perhaps even bored-looking face.
Even Cheon Woo-jin, who had lived on a mountain his entire life, could immediately sense that her beauty was outstanding, and the distinct intelligence filling both her eyes accentuated her ice-cold impression even more.
Due to the atmosphere that made it difficult to approach easily, the rising talents merely watched from afar as well.
Of course, it was not merely because of looks that the two men and women caught Cheon Woo-jin’s eye.
‘Unrivaled.’
Those two were the strongest among the rising talents aboard the boat.
They were not just slightly ahead, but had stepped into an entirely different realm from the others.
It was then.
“Do you like pretty young ladies that much?”
A man who approached out of nowhere spoke as he sat down naturally as if they were companions. It was the man who had been commanding the eyes of all the women.
Cheon Woo-jin furrowed his brows.
“I wasn’t looking because she’s pretty.”
“Come on.”
The man broke into a soft chuckle.
Cheon Woo-jin inwardly felt wronged, but considering there was no need to go as far as explaining, he kept his mouth shut.
The man spoke.
“Pleased to meet you, I am Song Yi-yeon from Anhui.”
“I am Cheon Woo-jin.”
Having answered simply, Cheon Woo-jin looked forward once again. He only meant to admire the waves of the Yangtze River, but because that woman happened to catch in his field of vision, he was mindful of inviting another misunderstanding.
The man who introduced himself as Song Yi-yeon snickered and spoke.
“You are quite a taciturn young hero, more so than you look. Are you going to the Martial Alliance?”
“I am.”
“So am I.”
Cheon Woo-jin merely nodded casually.
At that, Song Yi-yeon leaned in a little closer and spoke.
“Young hero, to tell you the truth, I am going to become the Martial Alliance Leader.”
“…?”
What was he supposed to do about that?
Right about when he was dumbfounded, Song Yi-yeon’s words continued.
“However, looking at it from my perspective, the only rival on this boat is you, young hero. Just where did a monster like you pop out from?”
“Calling me a monster at our first meeting.”
“Ahem, I am sorry. It’s just that it is the first time I have seen someone my age who is as strong as you, young hero. Truth be told, I was also a fairly promising rising talent in the region where I lived.”
“I still have a long way to go before becoming strong.”
To Cheon Woo-jin, the standard of strength was his two masters.
Song Yi-yeon spoke in utter disbelief.
“Whoa, if you say that anywhere else, you’ll get cursed out. If you’re weak, young hero, then the people on this boat are all…”
Song Yi-yeon trailed off. He had been about to say something harsh, but became conscious of the gazes of others.
“Ahem, at any rate, taciturn young hero. It seems we will be seeing each other for a long time ahead, so please take care of me. Actually, this is my first time venturing into the jianghu, but they say one usually has to fail two or three times before becoming a Martial Alliance member. But I am different. I will definitely pass on the very first try.”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded.
For a man of this level of martial prowess, becoming a Martial Alliance member did not seem very difficult.
“I will root for you.”
“Heh, as expected, you are cold on the outside, warm on the inside, young hero.”
“What is that?”
“A man who is cold on the outside, but warm on the inside.”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin shook his head with an exasperated expression.
At that, Song Yi-yeon subtly held something out.
It was a rice ball.
“Would you like to eat as well, young hero?”
“It looks unappetizing.”
“My mother made it for me, though.”
“Let us eat.”
In that manner, the two silently shared and ate the rice balls.
In any case, Master Black Elder had told him not to skip meals…
When Cheon Woo-jin yielded the one remaining rice ball to Song Yi-yeon, and Song Yi-yeon pushed it back gently toward Cheon Woo-jin.
Boom!
Along with an unexpected roar, the boat shook violently from side to side.
Rattle!
At the same time, dozens of spiderweb-like iron chains flew over and latched firmly onto the bow of the boat.
Soon, flanking the thick reeds of the Yangtze River, three large ships revealed themselves.
“P-Pirates!”
Someone shouted, and the rising talents hurriedly backed away in the direction opposite the iron chains.
Amidst that confusion, the rice ball that had been between Cheon Woo-jin and Song Yi-yeon was trampled under someone’s foot.
“My rice ball!”
Song Yi-yeon let out a wail of despair.
Soon, sturdy martial artists began crossing over toward this side along the iron chains.
Compared to most of the rising talents moving in frantic confusion, Song Yi-yeon remained calm.
Cheon Woo-jin asked.
“Are you not going to run away, young hero?”
“Why would I run away? This is a matter between this boat’s boatman and the pirates, so it has nothing to do with us, does it?”
They were sensible words. A boat encountering pirates was more common than pouring rain in summer.
It was simply a matter of the boatman handing over a few coins to the pirates as customary toll money so both sides could save face, and that would be the end of it.
Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze turned toward the other rising talents.
They, too, merely stepped aside, not seeming to take the situation seriously.
Not to mention the woman of cold impression, even several rising talents who looked rather strong, and those who claimed they would become the Alliance Leader, had no one stepping forward.
‘Were Master Black Elder’s words also right?’
The Martial Alliance that claimed to protect justice.
Those who claimed they would become martial artists of that place were merely looking on at injustice as bystanders. Someone was even snickering as if this situation were amusing.
The boatman who had shown kindness to Cheon Woo-jin stepped forward while rubbing his palms together.
“Oh my, our great heroes!”
At that attitude, the pirates curled their lips into a grin.
This was because it seemed this matter would also wrap up smoothly.
“What’s this, it was Boatman Zhang’s boat?”
“Haha, that is correct.”
Having spoken thus, the boatman retrieved a money pouch from his robes.
The pirate who naturally received it patted the boatman’s shoulder warmly.
“You know the transit fee went up recently, right?”
“…Ah, yes.”
“Originally, seeing blood once is good since rumors spread quickly, but…”
At the ominous words, the boatman flinched.
The pirate grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.
“Given the years we’ve spent together with our Boatman Zhang, giving a pass just this once would be morally right, wouldn’t it?”
The pirates were discussing morality right in front of the rising talents of the Righteous Path. Even so, there was still no one stepping forward.
The boatman spoke with a forced smile.
“Yes, I will prepare well with the increased transit fee next time. It just so happens that there are many participants for this exam, so business is doing well…”
The boatman subtly mentioned that the people aboard this boat were rising talents of the Righteous Path. This was because pirates brandishing blades were bastards who might turn hostile at any moment, even if they were smiling right now.
However, the boatman’s petty trick backfired instead.
The face of the pirate looking at the rising talents contorted.
“Are you threatening me right now?”
“Pardon?”
The boatman, startled, waved his hands in denial.
“H-How could that be?”
“No. It looks to me like you’re hoping we get scared and beat it just because there are Righteous Path bastards over there.”
“N-No, it is not so.”
The boatman hurriedly bowed his head.
However, strength only grew in the pirate’s hand gripping the boatman’s shoulder.
“That’s right. Who knows if a scion of some distinguished clan is here, or if a Martial Alliance member might emerge, so one shouldn’t just run amok, of course.”
“…”
“But you see. Are you an orthodox martial artist, Boatman Zhang? Are you part of the Martial Alliance?”
“Pardon?”
“Since you aren’t that either, why are you stiffening your neck like that?”
Song Yi-yeon’s words were right. This was strictly a matter between the pirates and the boatman, having nothing to do with the rising talents.
The pirate gripped his hand tightly, even mobilizing internal energy.
At that, the boatman, whose neck was pressed deeply, let out a groan filled with pain.
“K-Krk…”
It was then.
Cheon Woo-jin sprang up from his seat.
Soon, everyone’s gazes converged on Cheon Woo-jin.
Song Yi-yeon lightly tugged at Cheon Woo-jin’s sleeve and spoke in a lowered voice.
“Young hero, what are you doing right now?”
However, Cheon Woo-jin silently shook off that hand.
In any case, the boatman was someone who had shown him kindness.
If Master White Elder had been here, he would have struck off that pirate’s neck in a single blow as an example, and even Master Black Elder had said that tormenting the weak was not being a villain, but an idiot.
Cheon Woo-jin approached the pirates and stood quietly.
At that, the rising talents, excluding Song Yi-yeon, had their eyes light up as if an attraction had appeared on the long boat voyage.
Cheon Woo-jin spoke politely to the pirates.
“Could it be that your livelihood has been difficult lately? For instance, living with an elderly mother without even money for medicine.”
“W-What?”
“If that is not the case, how about letting it pass for today? Since I have received kindness from the boatman here, I cannot simply turn a blind eye and move on.”
The pirates, scanning Cheon Woo-jin up and down, burst into scoffing laughter.
“Are you a precious young master from some noble household?”
“I am an orphan, however.”
“…And where did you learn martial arts?”
“In the mountains.”
The pirates exchanged glances.
Everyone seemed to share a similar thought.
‘He’s someone we can mess with without consequences.’
However, there was a fact they overlooked.
Originally, a newcomer to the martial world who descended from the mountain was traditionally a subject of wariness in the jianghu.
If only the pirates had grown up in a non-poor household reading even a single volume of martial arts tales, they would have known.
“First, how about letting go of the boatman before we talk.”
Cheon Woo-jin lightly grasped the pirate’s wrist.
However, the result was by no means light.
Crack!
Because the pirate’s wrist twisted into an abnormal shape.
“A-Aaargh!”
He let out a monstrous shriek, and at the same time, the pirates drew their menacing broadswords.
“Kill him!”