The Youngest Member Chapter 129

The Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, and the Chief Strategist, Sima Hui, sat facing each other.

Judging by the cold tea cups between them, it was clear how long they had been talking.

"Alliance Leader, you must tell

honestly. This is the most important part of the Military Affairs Departnt's duties."

Sima Hui wore a more serious expression than ever before.

He had lived with the title of a genius since he was a child.

He beca a strategist for the Martial Alliance at the re age of learning, and the youngest Chief Strategist in the alliance's history. He was also the man who had held the position of Chief Strategist for the longest period.

Yet, there was a part that Sima Hui's mind could not comprehend.

It was Cheon Woojin.

"Just how strong is the Hidden Dragon Unit Commander?"

As the Chief Strategist, he had a duty to accurately grasp the alliance's military strength.

However, there were those whose martial prowess could not be asured.

They were the ones called Heaven Beyond Heaven. In combat, they were considered what was known as an asymtric force.

In a war, no matter how many martial artists one had, if only one side had a Heaven Beyond Heaven master, the outco could never be changed.

To face a Heaven Beyond Heaven master, another Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artist was absolutely necessary.

On a large scale, there were the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Martial Alliance, and the Black Fortress.

On a smaller scale, there were the various families and sects.

When discussing their military strength, the first thing to be considered was how many Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artists they possessed.

It was Cheon Woojin who had annihilated the Qingcheng Sect, one of the Nine Sects, in half a day. Naturally, one of the characters symbolizing a Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artist—Zun, Di, Wang, or Ke—was attached to his title.

The Emotionless Guest, Cheon Woojin.

The martial world of the ti had already acknowledged a man, barely of age, as a Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artist.

As the Chief Strategist, it was truly a joyous occasion that a new Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artist had been born in the Martial Alliance. However, the problem was comparing the martial prowess among the Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artists themselves.

"I gathered all the information and pondered all night, but I couldn't co up with an answer. It's rare in the history of the martial world to find a martial artist who reached Heaven Beyond Heaven in such a short period and with so few battles. But, Alliance Leader, you must know."

Because they had exchanged blows directly, even if it was a spar.

The Chief Strategist waited for the Alliance Leader's answer with such expectations.

The Alliance Leader silently picked up his teacup. Soon, heat began to rise from his fingertips, and the cold tea boiled.

The rising steam seed to represent his complicated state of mind.

"Alliance Leader."

At the Chief Strategist's urging, the Alliance Leader, who had let out a sigh, finally opened his mouth.

"I don't know either."

"...Pardon?"

Sima Hui wore a rare, dumbfounded expression. He had never imagined that such an answer would co from the Alliance Leader's mouth.

Soon, the Alliance Leader's words continued.

"Actually, I thought I knew. At first, I thought he would surpass

before ten years had passed. It was truly surprising, but since Senior White Flower Sword Immortal had praised him to no end, I thought it was possible."

"..."

"But, my thoughts changed with each passing season. In the spring, he killed the Demonic Cult's elder and the Lust Demon and even faced the Blood Immortal. In the sumr, he killed Zhuge Seong. That itself was surprising, but before autumn was even over, he killed Gu Yongbaek and annihilated the Qingcheng Sect."

The Chief Strategist blinked his eyes. Hearing it like this, it was indeed surprising. What on earth would happen in the coming winter?

As he was thinking that.

The Alliance Leader, who had put down his teacup with a thud, said in a sighing voice.

"Honestly, I don't know anymore. Maybe it's not after ten years, but already..."

The Alliance Leader trailed off.

Nevertheless, the omitted words were clear.

The Chief Strategist's body trembled once.

'Could he be stronger than the Alliance Leader?'

A young man barely of age?

No matter how much he was the disciple of the White and Black Masters, no matter how much he was born with a martial talent bestowed by the heavens, was that possible?

In an instant, the nas of those who had carved their nas most deeply in the history of the martial world flashed through the Chief Strategist's mind.

Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang, Bodhidharma of Shaolin, the first Heavenly Demon who single-handedly stained the martial world with blood, and the first Alliance Leader who stopped him alone.

The very ones who had made the current martial world exist.

For so reason, in the Chief Strategist's mind, Cheon Woojin's na was placed next to theirs.

Just as a rather awkward silence flowed.

A familiar but unwelco voice was heard from outside.

"Alliance Leader. It is Heo Jin."

At that, the Chief Strategist and the Alliance Leader t each other's gazes.

Heo Jin was an elder of the Zhongnan Sect, which had dread of the Righteous Heaven Alliance along with the Tang family and the Qingcheng Sect.

Moreover, the presence felt was not just Heo Jin alone.

"Ahem, it is Moyong In."

The Moyong family was also a family that had dread of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.

The visit of the two, following the fall of the Tang family and the annihilation of the Qingcheng Sect.

The timing was truly coincidental.

.

.

.

The two who entered the Alliance Leader's office bowed their heads deeply. They looked as if they had completely lost their will to fight.

Surprisingly, they confessed with their own mouths that they had dread of the Righteous Heaven Alliance. And also, the evil deeds they had committed for it.

Heo Jin, the elder of the Zhongnan Sect, continued in a voice full of sighs.

"Alliance Leader, Chief Strategist. I was truly foolish, and I regret it so much."

The evil deeds they confessed were by no ans small. However, fortunately, they had not yet crossed the final line that should not be crossed, as the Qingcheng Sect or Tang Bicheon had.

Since the Zhongnan Sect was a Taoist sect, it could not collect money. Therefore, they had created their own evil path faction and sucked the blood of the common people. It was too dirty for a mber of the Nine Sects to have done.

What was funny was that the Xi'an and Chang'an evil paths, originally located in Shaanxi, were very fierce and strong, so they had unintentionally started a territorial war and had also unintentionally wiped out a part of the evil path.

Of course, in the process, the damage to the Zhongnan Sect was also not small.

Moyong In, the elder of the Moyong family, wore an even more ashad expression. They had not even drawn their swords like the Zhongnan Sect. They had sold cheap wild ginseng grown in Liaoning, pretending it was high-quality Goryeo wild ginseng.

Since they had mainly deceived the local influential figures, the profits were by no ans small. The rich people who had bought the wild ginseng would never have imagined that the Moyong family would commit such a low-quality fraud.

Also, since all the doctors in Liaoning were from the Moyong family, it was almost impossible to properly appraise the wild ginseng.

The Chief Strategist, Sima Hui, who had been listening all along, shouted in anger.

"How can those who are called the prestigious families of the Righteous Path commit such acts!"

The two elders bowed their heads deeply. It was truly a shaful matter.

It was Heo Jin of Zhongnan who spoke first.

"In this era, the Zhongnan Sect has gained an advantage over Mount Hua. It is the first ti in the history of Shaanxi. Therefore, we did not want to miss this opportunity and wanted to solidify it further to remain the number one in Shaanxi for the next few hundred years."

However, the Alliance Leader, who was wary of the vested interests, always interfered with that.

Because the Alliance Leader was always wary of the power of the Nine Sects One Union and the Five Great Families growing asymtrically.

So they had accepted the proposal of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.

"I never dread that the Tang family and the Qingcheng Sect would go so far. If I had known, I would never have participated, no matter how blinded by greed I was."

Heo Jin, who had said so, suddenly knelt on the floor.

He had seen the Qingcheng Sect being annihilated. If this continued, the Zhongnan Sect would also suffer a huge blow, and the Mount Hua Sect would not miss that opportunity.

Therefore, Heo Jin wanted to settle this matter.

With his own life.

"Please punish the Zhongnan Sect, which has lost its righteous spirit, by killing ."

Moyong In, who was next to him, was greatly flustered.

There was no such talk before they ca.

"Uh, uh, no, I'm not going as far as my life..."

At that, the three looked at Moyong In.

The flustered Moyong In held out his finger.

"My neck is a bit much, but how about a finger? Honestly, the cri of our Moyong family is lighter than that of the Zhongnan Sect..."

The Chief Strategist let out a sigh. It was true that he couldn't cut off the neck of a Moyong family elder for selling fake wild ginseng.

Of course, it was the sa for the Zhongnan Sect. They would be disciplined, but not to the extent of taking their lives.

"Both of you, please receive the alliance's investigation diligently. If no greater cris are revealed, we will confiscate the profits earned from your evil deeds and compensate those who were hard by them."

Of course, compensation money would also be needed, and that money would be taken from the pockets of the two factions.

"We will do so."

The two elders bowed their heads. What else could they say in this situation?

The Alliance Leader, who had been watching the whole process silently, suddenly asked.

"But, what about the Peng family?"

Tang Bicheon was dead. The Qingcheng Sect was annihilated, and Zhongnan and Moyong had co on their own to confess their cris.

What remained were the Hebei Peng family and the Ten Thousand Gold Chamber. The Ten Thousand Gold Chamber was not a faction under the alliance's command in the first place, so that was that, but why was the Hebei Peng family just watching this situation?

Elder Moyong In, who was being cautious, answered.

"...Will Elder Peng co?"

"Indeed."

In fact, the ones who feared the Martial Alliance the least were not the Namgung family, the number one of the Five Great Families, nor the Tang family, which was said to be no less than Namgung.

It was the Hebei Peng family.

Because their background was in the military under the imperial court.

Even the Alliance Leader could not treat the Hebei Peng family head carelessly.

The majority of the generals of the ti had either directly learned the martial arts of the Peng family or had at least had a mber of the Peng family as their master.

* * *

A rather lavishly decorated office.

A man with a huge build was barely perched on a chair half his size.

While he was chugging a bottle of wine, a goat-bearded old man who had approached cautiously said.

"Elder. The elders of Zhongnan and Moyong have gone to the Alliance Leader and confessed their cris. The Inspection Hall's target will now be our Hebei Peng family, what should we do?"

Peng Minghu, the elder of the Peng family, roughly put down the wine bottle.

Soon, he said with a clearly displeased expression.

"What do you an, what should we do? Are you telling

to go to the Alliance Leader and bow my head like those unmanly fellows?"

"N-that's not it..."

"Stop with the nonsense and get lost."

The goat-bearded old man trembled and quickly left the office, as he seed ready to throw a punch at any mont.

Hot-tempered, magnanimous, ignorant, brave...

All were words that described the Peng family.

The martial artists of the Peng family were born with a magnificent physique, and due to their characteristic fiery and brave personality, they always shone on the battlefield.

However, outside the battlefield, that personality often beca a problem, and now was such a ti.

Thud.

When the sound of the door was heard again, Peng Minghu spat fire from his mouth.

"You bastard! I clearly told you to get lost..."

However, Peng Minghu's words were not completed.

The person who had entered the office was not the goat-bearded old man, but a pale, very tall, and skinny man.

A man wearing a dark green silk robe and looking at him with a ghostly expression. Peng Minghu knew this man very well.

The power of the Peng family ca from the military. But even the Grand General, the head of that military, was wary of that man.

"A-Admiral, what brings you here..."

Peng Minghu jumped up from his seat as if he would fly.

The Eastern Depot was an organization of eunuchs. They were not simple eunuchs. They always stayed by the emperor's side, and their words and actions were in line with the emperor's will.

Therefore, even high-ranking officials, the Grand General of the military, and the commander of the Embroidered Guard feared the Eastern Depot, and the head of that Eastern Depot was the Eastern Depot Admiral, Gong Han.

The Admiral looked at Peng Minghu intently. He basically disliked the people of the military. Because they were unnecessarily large and ignorant. And the people of the Peng family were just like that.

The Admiral frowned as if he was displeased just by looking at his face and said.

"I am looking for soone. The reason I did not go straight to the Alliance Leader was to show consideration for you, the Grand General's nephew."

"T-thank you!"

Peng Minghu shouted loudly.

At that, the Admiral, as if he was even more displeased, waved his hand as if shooing away an insect.

"Where is the Emotionless Guest?"

"...Pardon?"

Peng Minghu blinked his eyes for a mont. That arrogant title, the Emotionless Guest, ant Cheon Woojin, but why on earth was the Admiral of the Eastern Depot looking for him?

"M-may I ask for what reason..."

"The Son of Heaven wishes to et a commoner, and I have to report the reason to you? Why, since you are called the Saber King, do you think you have really beco a king?"

"H-how could that be!"

Peng Minghu, who had taken a breath, knelt on the floor. Although martial artists often attached all sorts of things to their titles, if the Eastern Depot put their mind to it, they could use it as a pretext to charge him with treason.

Above all, he had not known that the reason for looking for Cheon Woojin was the emperor's order.

As he bowed his head and shouted to be killed, the Admiral said in a cold tone.

"Instead of saying things you don't an, just tell

where he is. Ah, and you don't have to follow."

He didn't want to be with this ignorant fellow for a mont longer.

The Admiral, who had found out the location of the Hidden Dragon Unit's mansion from Peng Minghu, was about to leave imdiately but suddenly stopped.

Soon, he looked at Peng Minghu intently and said.

"But, are you going to continue?"

"...Pardon?"

"The thing you and your family are trying to do."

Peng Minghu closed his mouth. He had not known that the Eastern Depot even knew about the plan to establish the Righteous Heaven Alliance.

The Admiral, who was looking at such a Peng Minghu, clicked his tongue and left the office.

* * *

The Admiral headed straight for the Hidden Dragon Unit.

On the way, the Postal Hall Master and the Chief Strategist, who had learned of the Admiral's visit, hurriedly followed.

And so, when they opened the gate of the mansion wide, a chaotic scene unfolded.

'The eldest sons of the Namgung and Song families.'

The taxes collected from Anhui Province were very large, and those two families paid thirty percent of it.

Taxes were loyalty to the emperor.

As he looked at the children of the two families with high loyalty, the Admiral's expression softened a little.

'Then that one is...'

In an instant, the Admiral, who t Cheon Woojin's gaze, flinched.

In those emotionless eyes, it was as if he was looking into an abyss. But he couldn't tell if that abyss was his own or that fellow's.

He had felt this way before...

Soon, the Admiral shook his head and shook off the thought. Because it was a truly irreverent thought.

The Admiral, who had approached Cheon Woojin, got straight to the point.

That the Son of Heaven wished to see him, so they had to go to the imperial palace together.

He had expected him to kneel, rejoice, and imdiately prepare to leave. Because all the commoners living under this sky did so.

But the answer that ca back was completely different from his expectation.

"I don't want to."

The Admiral blinked his eyes for a mont.

Did I hear wrong?

He had such a thought.

But as if to confirm that he had heard correctly, a wedge flew from the mouth of the fellow nad Cheon Woojin and was driven in.

"If you want to take soone, explain the proper reason."

"..."

The Admiral looked around with an expression that said, 'Is this right?' But everyone around him had the sa expression.

In fact, His Majesty the Emperor had a great liking and curiosity for the person nad Cheon Woojin, who had annihilated the Qingcheng Sect and found the corruption of the local officials.

He was originally a person who was very interested in martial artists. It was natural that he would be curious since a martial artist of barely of age had shown such an achievent.

However, there was no need to talk about these things one by one.

"It is an imperial order. Do you need more reason?"

Nevertheless, Cheon Woojin was indifferent.

To him, who had grown up in the mountains, the emperor was a very distant and separate existence. Also, since power was sothing that had nothing to do with the power in Cheon Woojin's world, it was even more so.

Cheon Woojin looked at the Admiral as if observing him for a mont and then suddenly rembered his mission. The next target of inspection was the Peng family.

But the location of the Peng family was Beijing.

Since it was Beijing where the imperial palace was located, a martial artist needed a clear justification to enter it.

What better justification could there be than this?

- Shall we start the mission?

The Chief Strategist, who had heard Cheon Woojin's telepathic ssage, was startled.

Was there really a fellow in the world who would use an imperial order as a justification for a mission?

Nevertheless, the Chief Strategist could not deny that there was no better justification than this.

- I-it is an opportunity. First, head to the imperial palace. I will soon issue a formal mission and have the Inspection Hall follow you.

- I thought I was guaranteed a fortnight's rest after finishing one mission.

It hadn't been long since he had finished the Qingcheng Sect mission.

- When it's over, will you give

a month, including the rest I couldn't take this ti?

- O-of course.

The Chief Strategist felt it again.

The alliance mber nad Cheon Woojin was difficult to grasp, not just his martial prowess, but just what kind of person he was. Sotis he seed uninterested in everything in the world, and at other tis, he would be surprised by trivial things or show great emotion.

While the Chief Strategist was looking at Cheon Woojin with a new perspective, Cheon Woojin said to the Admiral as if it were nothing.

"Let's go."

"You exchanged telepathic ssages with the strategist. What did you talk about?"

"A private matter."

"I am asking about that private matter."

Cheon Woojin just shrugged his shoulders as if he had no intention of answering and walked past the Admiral.

Just as the Admiral was looking at his back with a dumbfounded face, Cheon Woojin, who had suddenly stopped, turned around and asked.

"By the way, which way is Beijing?"

"..."

The Admiral, who had let out a sigh, began to walk ahead.

In any case, his mission was to take the Heaven Beyond Heaven master nad Cheon Woojin to the imperial palace.

The imperial palace also knew what kind of beings those called Heaven Beyond Heaven were, and how difficult it was to make them move.

That was why the head of the Eastern Depot, the Admiral, had personally moved.

The matter of scolding and punishing this arrogant fellow could be started after the mission given by His Majesty was over.

Of course, it didn't take more than a few hours for that thought to change.

* * *

The Admiral felt like his lungs would burst.

He was also one of the top masters in the imperial palace, but it was so difficult to match the fellow's speed.

Due to the pride of the imperial family, he didn't show it on the outside, but he desperately wanted to drink a glass of water.

Lightness skill was a asure of martial prowess.

Just by running together, he realized that Cheon Woojin's martial prowess was so profound that he could not even fathom it.

Before heading to the Martial Alliance, he had investigated all the information about Cheon Woojin.

He had no family, and his master was dead. In other words, it ant that he had no particular weakness.

Also, his personal martial prowess was this irrational.

'What if I try to punish this fellow?'

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't co up with a way.

No, more than that, he wondered if it was even okay to put such a person in front of His Majesty.

Naturally, the emperor's safety was a matter that had to be considered with the utmost priority, but he couldn't think of a way to stop this fellow if he decided to use his martial force.

'...I should call the Peng family head, the Grand General, and the commander.'

The commander of the Embroidered Guard, the Grand General of the military, and himself.

The three who were called the top masters in the imperial palace.

If he also called the head of the Peng family, the head of one of the five great families of the martial world, he would be more at ease. No matter what kind of master it was, they would not be able to face the four of them at the sa ti.

* * *

The two who arrived in Beijing had opposite expressions.

The Admiral was letting out a rough breath, but his face showed that he was finally alive. How could a person run so fast without resting?

On the other hand, Cheon Woojin's eyes and mouth had widened, a rare sight, after entering the imperial palace.

"...This is a house?"

The walls, gates, buildings, land, pillars, etc. of the Forbidden City...

There was nothing that was not large.

No, the word 'large' was not enough.

It was as if a whole village had been locked inside the walls. Also, since so many people were densely filling it...

The Admiral looked at the scene with a dumbfounded face. It was the first ti in his life that he had seen soone describe the imperial palace as a house.

Strictly speaking, it was a house, though.

Regardless, Cheon Woojin was busy looking around the inside of the imperial palace as if he found it fascinating.

Did the Admiral know? That Cheon Woojin was really looking deep into the imperial palace.

In his widely spread ki sense, everyone located in the imperial palace was felt in detail.

Naturally, what interested him the most were the martial artists.

Those training in the training ground were learning martial arts close to the orthodox sect. Since their skills were similar to the masters of a rather large family or sect, they must be the ones called the Embroidered Guard.

Also, there were cool gazes felt from here and there.

Since their energy was similar to the eunuch walking next to him, they must be the martial artists of the Eastern Depot.

Their martial arts were quite interesting. It was similar to that of an assassin, but it was also mixed with the prayer-like energy that a guard martial artist would exude.

And so, by the ti he had figured out how many Embroidered Guard mbers there were in the imperial palace, how many Eastern Depot martial artists there were, and also how many masters of a level to be concerned about there were.

Cheon Woojin and the Admiral stopped in front of the largest building in the imperial palace. Its majesty was as if a red pillar that reached the sky was supporting a cloud dyed in gold.

"Don't roll your eyes so carelessly in front of His Majesty. Also, don't open your mouth to things you haven't been asked. And especially, never ntion His Majesty's appearance."

'Yong-sang' ant the emperor's appearance.

Just as the Admiral was giving that warning, an Embroidered Guard martial artist who had approached asked Cheon Woojin to entrust him with the Crescent Moon Staff on his back. Because he could not let him have an audience with His Majesty carrying such a crude weapon.

Tension was etched on the face of the demanding Embroidered Guard martial artist. The rumor that Cheon Woojin had single-handedly beaten down the Qingcheng Sect was already widespread.

A Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artist who had 'ke' attached to his title at a re age of twenty.

The Embroidered Guard mber, as a fellow martial artist, was also filled with awe, fear, and curiosity at the sa ti.

Cheon Woojin took out the Crescent Moon Staff and the Crane Feather Fan with an indifferent expression and handed them to him. Since it was already a famous fact that Cheon Woojin was the disciple of the White Flower Sword Immortal, everyone looked at the Crane Feather Fan as if they found it fascinating.

Martial artists usually cherished their weapons more than their lovers, so accidents often occurred in places that demanded weapons, such as the Wudang Sect's sword-checking place.

Of course, Cheon Woojin had no need for that.

Because every place his ki sense reached was his domain.

And so, when Cheon Woojin entrusted his two weapons.

The Embroidered Guard mbers who were guarding the front opened the gate.

The huge gate opened with a heavy sound.

And an interior that was more than just vast ca into view.

'The emperor's room is also very spacious.'

The mont Cheon Woojin was thinking this and raised his gaze to look at the emperor on the high throne.

"So you are Cheon Woojin."

"Hah."

Cheon Woojin let out a breath of air.

A truly absurd picture was unfolding.

Soon, when he stretched his hand into the air, the Crescent Moon Staff he had entrusted ca flying in as if it were attached to a string.

At that sight, not only the Admiral next to him, but also the Grand General, the commander of the Embroidered Guard, and the head of the Peng family, who were waiting in advance.

Everyone was startled and exuded their ki.

Regardless, Cheon Woojin looked straight at the emperor's face while holding the Crescent Moon Staff.

The silver-haired man he had t in the Green Forest.

He was sitting on the throne.

(End of Chapter)