The Youngest Member Chapter 2

After coming down from the mountain, Cheon Woojin imdiately decided on his destination.

The Martial Alliance, the grand coalition of the white path of the current era.

It was a league founded to stop the Heavenly Demon who had once stained the central plains with blood through his overwhelming martial might.

Its scale was truly imnse.

It was to the point that all the major white path sects and families spread throughout the central plains were said to be mbers of the Martial Alliance.

The Martial Alliance aid for righteous chivalry, peace, fairness, and the subjugation of evil.

Therefore, the rising generation of martial artists who were not born with a background all aspired to beco warriors of the Martial Alliance.

This was because the Martial Alliance was almost the only group in the world where one could reach a high position based on ability alone, regardless of status.

Of course, it wasn't that Cheon Woojin wanted to beco a warrior of the Martial Alliance. He was simply going to deliver a small piece of news to a junior that his White Master had cherished.

Recalling his two masters' last wills, Cheon Woojin let out a smirk.

- To Woojin.

The White Master's last will, which began like that, surprisingly took half a day just to read. In fact, it was more like a book in which the master had written down his lifelong theories on chivalry and goodness, rather than a last will.

Among them were written the nas of five good people to whom he should deliver the news after his passing, and the first was the 'Sword Slower than a Turtle' of the Martial Alliance.

"How can a person's nickna be turtle..."

Cheon Woojin let out a dry cough. Still, if he was a martial artist acknowledged by the White Master, he must be a truly excellent good man.

On the other hand, the Black Master's last will was as refreshingly straightforward as his personality.

- Don't skip als.

Cheon Woojin chuckled.

There were tis when that eccentric personality was frightening, but now that he thought he wouldn't see it anymore, he felt a sense of regret.

Lost in various thoughts, he had run a considerable distance.

Up ahead, the clear blue Poyang Lake ca into view.

The width of the lake was so vast that it created a long horizon, making it look like the sea.

Cheon Woojin stood still for a mont and watched the lakeside.

Large and small boats ca and went ceaselessly, and on one side, there were stalls selling simple alcohol and food.

The reason he ca here was simple.

He was going to take a boat.

From here in Jiangxi Province to Wuhan in Hubei, where the Martial Alliance was located, flowed a massive current called the Yangtze River.

He had decided to use the waterway for no particular reason, just because it reminded him of the tis he went on outings with his White Master on a ferry boat.

"And I'll do so people-watching while I'm at it."

He had co down from the mountain for the first ti in several years, and he didn't want to run along a mountain path alone for days and nights.

Just as Cheon Woojin was watching the sunlight break over the surface of Poyang Lake.

"Hey, young man over there, aren't you getting on?"

A gruff voice ca from the side.

When he turned his head to check, it was a middle-aged man whose appearance matched his voice quite well.

A physique as large as the boat he was pointing to, a bushy beard, a thick neck, and a firm gaze.

He strangely exuded the aura of soone who had endured a rather difficult life for a long ti.

As Cheon Woojin stared blankly, the middle-aged boatman continued.

"It's the boat to Hubei. We're leaving soon."

To go to the Martial Alliance, he had to take that boat.

But there was a problem.

Cheon Woojin fumbled in his robes.

He had no money. It was natural. There was no need for money in the mountains.

The boatman, who had been watching him intently, spoke.

"You're going to the Martial Alliance, aren't you?"

"Pardon?"

Cheon Woojin's eyes widened.

How did he know he was going to the Martial Alliance?

Cheon Woojin's expression beca quite serious.

At that, the boatman burst into hearty laughter.

"Heh heh, you look surprised, don't you? I've been doing this for thirty years already. I can tell just by looking at your eyes."

"...They said there are countless prodigies and eccentrics in the world."

It was true.

A boatman who could deduce a destination just by looking at one's eyes.

"What's that? Hahahaha, you're an interesting one. That's right, I'm the prodigy and eccentric of Poyang Lake. I'm in a pretty good mood today, so just get on."

"Is that alright?"

"It's the boatman's call. It's not like it costs

anything to take one more person."

Cheon Woojin felt sothing welling up in his heart.

Just as the White Master had said, there were many good people in the world.

"Thank you."

"Heh heh, I wish you good luck in your martial endeavors."

Cheon Woojin bowed his head and boarded the boat.

As soon as he got on the boat, he realized that the boatman was not a prodigy or an eccentric.

"..."

The boat was filled with young martial artists.

There were so martial artists with decent skills for their age, but there was no one who could be called a master.

Just by their aura, he could tell that they were all rising talents of the white path.

A boat heading to Hubei, carrying a large number of rising talents of the white path.

Cheon Woojin looked at the boatman and asked.

"It seems the selection for the Martial Alliance mbers has opened, hasn't it?"

"Ho ho, you caught ."

Once every three years, the Martial Alliance holds a grand examination to select new officials.

Rising talents of the white path from all over the country gather with dreams swelling in their chests.

Only then did he understand the aning of the words wishing him good luck in his martial endeavors. The boatman seed to have mistaken Cheon Woojin for a candidate for this examination.

Cheon Woojin pondered for a mont.

It seed the boatman wasn't charging him because of a misunderstanding, which was sothing the White Master would scold him for if he found out.

- It's not like you lied, is it? That bear-like boatman was just playing his own tune.

For a mont, the Black Master's voice seed to ring in his ears.

"..."

Cheon Woojin looked at the bear-like boatman for a mont, then quietly found a spot on one side of the deck and sat down.

The boatman, who had been looking at Cheon Woojin with a pleased face, soon raised the anchor and shouted in his gruff voice.

"Alright, we're off!"

The boatman looked very happy, just as he had told Cheon Woojin.

Once every three years, when this period of raking in money ca around, he couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Cheon Woojin was squatting on one side, feeling the wind. For so reason, he felt uneasy, as if he had deceived the boatman.

'Still, he showed

kindness...'

He wondered if he should say he was getting off the boat now.

Of course, they were crossing the middle of the vast Poyang Lake, but that was no problem for Cheon Woojin.

Walking on water was a state he had already realized when he was so young he couldn't even rember when.

Cheon Woojin's gaze fell on the rising talents gathered in groups of three and five, chatting. There were those who were clearly nervous before the exam, and there were those who were passionately proclaiming their dreams of becoming the future leader of the Martial Alliance.

Among them, two people stood out the most.

A man leaning against the railing, looking at the lake with wistful eyes.

His features were distinct, but his lines were thin, making him look handso. Whenever a stray drop of water brushed past him, the sunlight would sparkle, making him look like a painting.

'He's quite handso.'

This thought ca to him naturally.

It seed it wasn't just Cheon Woojin's assessnt, as the won on the boat were glancing at him.

Also, a woman sitting quite far from the group with an expressionless, perhaps even bored-looking face.

Even Cheon Woojin, who had lived his entire life in the mountains, could imdiately feel that her beauty was outstanding, and the clear intelligence filling her two eyes further enhanced her ice-cold impression.

Due to her unapproachable aura, the rising talents also just watched from a distance.

Of course, it wasn't just their looks that caught Cheon Woojin's attention.

'They're in a league of their own.'

The two were the strongest among the rising talents on the boat.

They weren't just a little ahead; they were on a completely different level from the others.

It was then.

"Do you like pretty young ladies that much?"

A man who had approached out of nowhere sat down as naturally as if they were companions and spoke. It was the man who had been receiving all the won's attention.

Cheon Woojin frowned.

"I wasn't looking because she's pretty."

"Co on."

The man let out a smirk.

Cheon Woojin felt wronged inwardly but thought there was no need to explain and kept his mouth shut.

The man spoke.

"Nice to et you, I'm Song Yiyeon from Anhui."

"I'm Cheon Woojin."

After a simple reply, Cheon Woojin 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 in his line of sight again and cause another misunderstanding.

The man who had introduced himself as Song Yiyeon chuckled and said.

"You're a more stoic young hero than you look. Are you going to the Martial Alliance?"

"That's right."

" too."

Cheon Woojin just nodded his head vaguely.

Then Song Yiyeon moved a little closer and said.

"Young hero, I'm actually going to beco the leader of the Martial Alliance."

"...?"

What was he supposed to do about that?

Just as he was feeling dumbfounded, Song Yiyeon's words continued.

"But from what I can see, you're the only competitor on this boat. Where on earth did a monster like this pop out from?"

"Calling

a monster on our first eting."

"Ahem, my apologies. It's because I've never seen soone as strong as you at my age. In fact, I was a pretty promising rising talent in the area where I lived."

"I still have a long way to go to beco strong."

For Cheon Woojin, the standard of strength was his two masters.

Song Yiyeon said with a look of disgust.

"Oh, you'll get cursed at if you say that anywhere else. If you're weak, then everyone on this boat is..."

Song Yiyeon trailed off. He was about to say sothing harsh but beca conscious of the others' gazes.

"Ahem, anyway, stoic young hero. It seems we'll be seeing each other for a long ti, so I'll be in your care. Actually, this is my first ti venturing into the martial world, and they say you usually have to fail two or three tis to beco a Martial Alliance mber. But I'm different. I'll definitely pass on my first try."

Cheon Woojin nodded his head.

A man of this level of martial skill didn't seem like he would have much trouble becoming a Martial Alliance mber.

"I'll be cheering for you."

"Kuh, as expected, you're a cold-on-the-outside-warm-on-the-inside kind of guy."

"What's that?"

"A man who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside."

"..."

Cheon Woojin shook his head with a fed-up expression.

Then Song Yiyeon stealthily offered sothing.

It was a rice ball.

"Would you like one too, young hero?"

"It looks tasteless."

"My mother made them."

"Let's eat."

And so, the two of them silently shared the rice balls.

Anyway, the Black Master had told him not to skip als...

Just as Cheon Woojin was offering the last rice ball to Song Yiyeon, and Song Yiyeon was gently pushing it back to Cheon Woojin.

Boom-!

With a sudden loud noise, the boat shook violently from side to side.

Clang-!

At the sa ti, dozens of spiderweb-like iron chains flew in and firmly latched onto the bow of the boat.

Soon, three large ships erged from the dense reeds of the Yangtze River.

"P-pirates!"

Soone shouted, and the rising talents hurriedly moved away from the chains.

In that chaos, the rice ball between Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon was trampled by soone's foot.

"My rice ball!"

Song Yiyeon let out a scream.

Soon, burly martial artists began to cross over on the chains.

Compared to most of the rising talents who moved in a disorderly fashion, Song Yiyeon was calm.

Cheon Woojin asked.

"Aren't you going to run away, young hero?"

"Why would I run away? This is a matter between the boatman and the pirates, it has nothing to do with us."

He was right. Encounters with pirates on a boat were more common than sumr rain.

It was a matter that would end with the boatman giving the pirates a few coins as a formality to save face for both sides.

Cheon Woojin's gaze turned to the other rising talents.

They too seed to just be getting out of the way, not taking the situation seriously.

Not only the cold-looking woman, but also the few stronger-looking rising talents, and even those who had claid they would beco the alliance leader, no one stepped forward.

'Was the Black Master's words also right?'

The Martial Alliance, which was supposed to protect justice.

The ones who wanted to beco its warriors were just standing by and watching injustice. So were even chuckling as if they found the situation interesting.

The boatman who had shown kindness to Cheon Woojin stepped forward, rubbing his palms together.

"Aigoo, our great heroes!"

At his attitude, the pirates' lips curled up in a smirk.

It seed this matter would also be resolved smoothly.

"What, it was Boatman Jang's boat?"

"Haha, yes, it is."

The boatman said so and took out a money pouch from his robes.

The pirate who naturally took it patted the boatman's shoulder familiarly.

"You know the toll has gone up recently, right?"

"...Ah, yes."

"It's usually better to see blood once for the rumors to spread quickly, but..."

The boatman flinched at the ominous words.

The pirate grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.

"We've been together with our Boatman Jang for a long ti, so it would be right in terms of principle to let it slide once, right?"

The pirates were discussing principles in front of the rising talents of the white path. Yet, still, no one stepped forward.

The boatman forced a smile and said.

"Yes, I will prepare well with the increased toll next ti. As it happens, there are many participants in this exam, so business is good..."

The boatman subtly ntioned that the people on this boat were rising talents of the white path. This was because the sword-wielding pirates were bastards who could turn on you at any mont, even if they were smiling now.

However, the boatman's little trick backfired.

The pirate's face, who had been looking at the rising talents, contorted.

"Are you threatening

right now?"

"Pardon?"

The boatman was startled and waved his hands.

"H-how could that be?"

"No, it seems like you're hoping we'll get scared and piss off because those white path bastards are over there."

"N-no, sir."

The boatman hurriedly bowed his head.

However, the pirate's hand gripping the boatman's shoulder only tightened.

"That's right. There might be a son of so noble family here, and a Martial Alliance mber might co out, so we can't just go on a rampage."

"..."

"But you know what. Is Boatman Jang a mber of the righteous faction? Are you the Martial Alliance?"

"Pardon?"

"If not, then why are you acting so high and mighty?"

Song Yiyeon was right. This was strictly a matter between the pirates and the boatman, and had nothing to do with the rising talents.

The pirate even roused his internal energy and squeezed his hand tightly.

Then the boatman, whose neck was being squeezed, let out a pained groan.

"K-keuk..."

It was then.

Cheon Woojin shot up from his seat.

Soon, everyone's eyes were on Cheon Woojin.

Song Yiyeon lightly tugged on Cheon Woojin's sleeve and lowered his voice.

"Young hero, what are you doing right now?"

However, Cheon Woojin silently shook off his hand.

After all, the boatman was soone who had shown him kindness.

If the White Master had been here, he would have struck down that pirate's neck as an example in one blow, and even the Black Master had said that bullying the weak was not the act of a villain, but a moron.

Cheon Woojin approached the pirates and stood still.

At that, the rising talents, except for Song Yiyeon,'s eyes lit up as if they had found sothing to watch on the long boat ride.

Cheon Woojin spoke politely to the pirates.

"Are you perhaps having a hard ti making a living these days? For example, you're taking care of your old mother but don't even have money for dicine."

"W-what did you say?"

"If that's not the case, how about you just let it go for today? I received a kindness from the boatman here, so I can't just pretend I didn't see it and move on."

The pirates, who were looking Cheon Woojin up and down, let out a hollow laugh.

"Are you the son of so noble family?"

"I'm an orphan."

"...Where did you learn martial arts?"

"In the mountains."

The pirates exchanged glances.

They all seed to be thinking the sa thing.

'He's soone we can ss with without any repercussions.'

However, there was one fact they had overlooked.

Traditionally, a martial arts novice who had just co down from the mountains was an object of caution in the martial world.

If the pirates had grown up reading even one martial arts novel in a not-so-poor family, they would have known.

"Shall we talk after you let go of the boatman first?"

Cheon Woojin lightly grabbed the pirate's wrist.

But the result was by no ans light.

Crack-!

Because the pirate's wrist was twisted into a strange shape.

"K-kuaaak!"

He let out a scream, and at the sa ti, the pirates drew their nacing broadswords.

"Kill him!"

(End of Chapter)