The Youngest Member of the Martial Alliance

The Black Tortoise Unit Commander, Cheol Jiak.

He was famous in the Martial Alliance. In a bad way.

His own beliefs came before his superior's orders, and he was a man who did not know how to bend.

While his peers were promoted to commander and hall master level, he had no choice but to remain a perennial unit commander.

Naturally, with such a personality, he had never visited the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, who was his former superior.

What reason would a unit commander and the alliance leader have to meet directly?

It was Cheol Jiak's belief that it was enough to just do his job silently in his place.

So when such a man entered the alliance leader's hall, everyone could not help but be surprised. The servant who was handling related miscellaneous tasks in the alliance leader's hall said with startled rabbit eyes.

"Huh? What brings the unit commander here?"

"Is the alliance leader inside?"

The servant's eyes narrowed.

Because Cheol Jiak seemed to be in a very good mood.

And he had even brought a young and handsome rising talent behind him.

"Yes, he is inside, but..."

"I need to see him."

"The reason?"

Cheol Jiak thought for a moment and then said this.

"To uphold the justice of the white path."

"...Ah, yes."

The servant bowed his head and then disappeared into the alliance leader's hall.

A short time passed like that.

A hearty laugh erupted from inside the alliance leader's hall, and then the servant came out again.

"He says to come in."

"It seems the alliance leader has some good news?"

At that question, the servant gave a gentle smile.

"The justice of the white path is good news for the alliance leader."

"That's true."

Cheol Jiak gave the servant a thumbs-up.

And so, guided by Cheol Jiak, Cheon Woojin entered the alliance leader's hall.

* * *

After coming to the martial world, it was the first time Cheon Woojin's neck had stiffened. It was not because he was meeting a high-ranking person.

It was because the aura felt from inside was tremendous, even though the door had not yet opened.

'A similar atmosphere to the White Master...'

In terms of pure energy, the person most similar to the White Master among all the people Cheon Woojin had seen was the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian.

Cheol Jiak asked politely.

"Alliance Leader, may we enter?"

At the same time, the sliding door of the alliance leader's hall opened with a rattle.

The inside was clearly visible, and the alliance leader was sitting behind a desk in his office, far from the door.

In other words, he was a master who could use the Void Object Manipulation to open a door.

Cheon Woojin's gaze turned to the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian.

His appearance seemed to have just passed forty, but his hair and eyebrows were quite white.

However, his eyes were full of intelligence, and even though he was just sitting, his posture looked dignified.

He was a man whose appearance, expression, posture, and atmosphere were full of confidence.

The Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, who was looking at Cheol Jiak and Cheon Woojin for a moment, shot up from his seat and then burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha, isn't it our Black Tortoise Unit Commander. The sun definitely rose from the east today, so what brings you to see me?"

Cheol Jiak laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.

Because it was the first time in decades since he had joined the Martial Alliance that he had come to the alliance leader's hall on his own.

The Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, moved to a guest chair and pointed to the seat opposite him with his hand.

"Don't just stand there blankly, come in and sit."

Cheol Jiak and Cheon Woojin sat facing the alliance leader with a tea table between them.

Beili Tian, who was looking at the two as if observing them for a moment, said.

"Black Tortoise Unit Commander, you are too upright and inflexible. That's why you're still a unit commander. What are you doing when all your peers are serving as commanders? If you didn't have the ability, I wouldn't even be frustrated."

"Haha... Then please give me a special promotion."

"That's not possible either. The personnel authority is not with me, but with the general commander. Were you a person who liked special favors so much?"

Of course, even if he was offered a seat, Cheol Jiak would refuse. The alliance leader also knew this, so they were comfortably exchanging jokes.

Suddenly, Beili Tian's expression became serious and he continued.

"Jiak, a bamboo that doesn't know how to bend is bound to break. Do you want to break? Do you like breaking? It's a joke. Anyway, that's enough nagging. So, what brings you here? Let's uphold the justice of the white path together."

Cheol Jiak was inwardly surprised.

In fact, he thought the alliance leader would not remember him.

Decades ago, they had only lived together for about a fortnight. And the alliance leader was a commander, and he was a newcomer.

But, it wasn't just that he remembered, he knew Cheol Jiak's personality and situation in detail.

He thought that he was truly an alliance leader who looked after the entire Martial Alliance.

Cheol Jiak pointed at Cheon Woojin.

"This friend wanted to see the alliance leader, so I brought him."

Beili Tian's gaze turned to Cheon Woojin.

The two met eyes for a moment, and a strange silence fell.

Beili Tian asked with a somehow interested expression.

"Who is he?"

"He is an applicant for this selection exam."

"Really?"

It was strange. If he was a Martial Alliance applicant, he was a distant junior and a lovely child. He was confident that he would welcome anyone who came to see him, but no one had dared to come to see the alliance leader.

Then, Cheon Woojin, who had stood up from his seat, cupped his fist towards the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, with the utmost politeness.

"I've heard a lot about you."

"From whom?"

Beili Tian was a famous man even before he became the alliance leader, so there were countless rumors. But this young rising talent did not seem to be talking about such rumors.

Cheon Woojin, who had lifted his head, looked straight at Beili Tian and asked.

"Are you the Sword Slower than a Turtle, Alliance Leader?"

Cheol Jiak next to him had a startled expression, and the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian's expression hardened.

"...Who are you? How do you know that nickname?"

"I am Cheon Woojin, the disciple of the White Master. I pay my respects."

Cheon Woojin lightly bowed his head once more.

Then the alliance leader shot up from his seat.

"W-what did you say? Where is he now?"

As he extended his hand into the air, the white monk's robe that had been carelessly thrown on the desk was sucked in.

The way he hurriedly put on the monk's robe was as if he was going to find the White Master right away.

"...He has passed away."

The alliance leader's movements froze.

His expression and breathing were frozen.

"I see..."

Soon, a deep sadness settled on the alliance leader's face.

The alliance leader, who slowly sat down, let out a long sigh, drank some tea, and said.

"How."

"He passed away peacefully with me and his old friend."

The alliance leader smiled and nodded his head.

"To deliver the news like this after more than a decade. He is truly like the senior even when he goes."

Cheon Woojin nodded his head.

Because he knew better than anyone what kind of people his masters were.

"He was a good person. He must have ascended to heaven."

"He must have."

Cheon Woojin answered calmly.

His White Master was a person who could definitely become a divine being. Of course, unfortunately, his Black Master...

Cheon Woojin let out a dry cough for no reason.

The alliance leader, who was looking at that sight, said.

"What happened to the Blue Feather Fan that the senior used?"

Cheon Woojin tilted his head.

Because the weapon the White Master used was not the Blue Feather Fan, but the Crane Feather Fan, a white fan.

Soon, Cheon Woojin, who met the alliance leader's gaze, realized.

'He's doubting me.'

The alliance leader was a very cautious man, unlike his appearance.

There were many secret stories of the martial world related to the White Master, and his grudges were also very complicated, so he did not readily believe Cheon Woojin.

Cheon Woojin took out the Crane Feather Fan from his robes and placed it on the tea table.

"He never used the Blue Feather Fan in front of me. He just used this Crane Feather Fan."

"Hoho, you really are that child, Cheon Woojin."

The alliance leader burst into a playful laugh.

However, Cheon Woojin was puzzled.

"Did you hear about me from my master?"

"Did I just hear? I stayed up for several nights to come up with that name, Cheon Woojin."

"...Pardon?"

"The last time I saw him, he said he was raising a little kid, so I gave him a name. Because he said he had been calling the newborn baby just 'little kid' until he was three years old."

Beili Tian had a fed-up expression.

He had felt it then too, but how could he not have thought of giving him a name for three years.

Cheon Woojin's eyes widened.

Come to think of it, he had no memory of when he had been called by that name. He had just lived thinking that his masters had been calling him 'Cheon Woojin' since he was very young.

"Woojin, it's a name that means to display your talent and become a great person. Thinking about it now, it's a very good name."

Beili Tian looked at Cheon Woojin in detail.

'The senior was so proud of the child's talent...'

At the time, he had thought the senior was making a big fuss out of his love for his disciple, but now that he met him, he was rather calm.

Beili Tian said.

"What meaning would it have now? But it would be good to be sure, wouldn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Prove that you are the senior's disciple like a martial artist."

He had already proved it with his name and the Crane Feather Fan.

However, to prove it 'like a martial artist' meant to speak through martial arts.

Cheon Woojin, who understood at once, picked up the Crane Feather Fan.

Soon, as he lightly fanned the Crane Feather Fan, a gentle breeze gathered.

Seeing this, the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian's eyes shone like stars.

Because it was the senior's martial art that he had faced after a long time.

The gentle breeze gathered at the end of the Crane Feather Fan headed towards the teacup in front of the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian.

Soon, the teacup, engulfed in the gentle breeze, was smoothly split in half as if cut by a rare treasured sword.

Before the tea inside could spill, the wind gently wrapped around it.

"Hah."

The Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, let out a sound of admiration. At that age, this level of operation was decades faster even compared to the White Master senior.

Soon, the gently blowing wind suddenly raged with a tyrannical momentum, and...

The tea scattered finely in the wind, creating a mist throughout the office.

And so, when Cheon Woojin fanned again.

The office window opened, and the mist that had filled the room instantly scattered outside.

Thud.

Cheon Woojin lightly folded the Crane Feather Fan and put it back in his robes.

Throughout that whole process, a smile never left the alliance leader's face.

"Did the senior see all of your growth before he left?"

"Yes, he did."

"Hahaha! How happy and proud he must have been. I can picture the senior's kind smile in front of my eyes. I miss him, I miss him so much."

The alliance leader smiled like a child.

Beili Tian, who had been laughing like that for a long time, suddenly said.

"But that was my favorite tea."

An awkward silence fell in the office.

Cheon Woojin said with an awkward face.

"...I'm sorry. I couldn't think of a proper way."

"Hahaha! It's a joke. But why did Jiak come with you? If you're the senior's disciple, you could have just come to see me directly."

Cheol Jiak glanced around for a moment.

He was hesitating for a moment whether it was okay to uphold the justice of the Martial Alliance in this cheerful atmosphere.

At that sight, the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, said.

"It doesn't seem like a good thing."

"Yes, a little..."

"It's fine. The more so, the more I should know."

The determined Cheol Jiak slowly explained the whole story.

From the conflict between Cheon Woojin and Gu Jinseok that had started at the grading.

The incident that had happened in the second exam and the matter of the West Heaven Society.

The discovered ledger and Ink Guest, the guard of Gu Jinseok, who was pointed out as the culprit.

And the somewhat hasty conclusion of the investigation by the Righteous Will Unit Commander.

In particular, he faithfully reported the last part with emotion.

Beili Tian's expression, which had been changing from time to time while Cheol Jiak's explanation continued, finally hardened.

"Hah, is the announcement ceremony tomorrow?"

"Yes. Applicant Cheon Woojin will probably be disqualified from this exam for causing a disturbance. Anyway, trying to pull out his collarbone whole was a bit excessive."

The Black Tortoise Unit Commander, who said so, glanced at Cheon Woojin.

However, there was no change in Cheon Woojin's expression.

Beili Tian nodded his head and said.

"Get out."

When Beili Tian said coldly, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, who was watching his expression, bowed his head and retreated. Just as Cheon Woojin was also about to follow him.

"Wait."

Cheon Woojin, who was about to leave the door, turned around.

The alliance leader's words continued.

"Welcome. You're really welcome. But I'm so ashamed to show you this side. I'll check the matter myself, so don't worry too much."

Cheon Woojin lightly bowed his head.

"It's fine. I've achieved all my goals for visiting the Martial Alliance by delivering the news of my master to the alliance leader."

At the attitude that it didn't matter what happened to the exam, the alliance leader's brow narrowed.

"No, what are you talking about? You must join the Martial Alliance. If the disciple of the White Master senior is not in the Martial Alliance, where would he go?"

"Hmm..."

However, the alliance leader was firm.

It was not just because Cheon Woojin was the disciple of the White Master.

He was a coveted talent, and he wanted to clean up the corruption of the alliance.

And most of all...

"You, you're going to kill applicant Gu Jinseok, aren't you?"

"..."

Cheon Woojin stared blankly at the Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian.

A heavy silence filled the office like that.

(End of Chapter)