The Youngest Member of the Martial Alliance

Chupunggae had grown up begging under a bridge since he was five years old. People avoided him, saying he was smelly and unlucky, and there were many beggars who would sometimes come with clubs to take his territory.

He was a self-made man who had seen all sorts of things, good and bad, and had eventually reached the position of an elder of the Beggars' Sect.

Because he had lived such a rough life, he had a fiery temper that didn't care about the consequences, and he had the firmness to bite like a mad dog if he believed he was right, no matter who the opponent was.

For that reason, even Chupunggae, whose heart was not easily swayed, was quite flustered by the scene before his eyes.

Zhuge Seong, the real power of the Zhuge family, was dead. His head had burst open, and the family head's hall was stained with blood.

It was the doing of a low-ranking member of the Martial Alliance.

"Uh..."

Chupunggae couldn't say anything and just stared at the unrealistic scene. He was surprised by Cheon Woojin's martial might, surprised by his actions, and surprised by the result that followed.

Each one was a huge event, so he needed time to organize his thoughts.

In the meantime, a commotion was heard from outside.

"E-Elder!"

The huge explosion that had occurred when Cheon Woojin had torn apart the formation.

Because of that, the martial artists of the Zhuge family had flocked.

The Zhuge family martial artists who had confirmed the situation inside the family head's hall flinched. They probably hadn't expected such a scene to unfold.

The silence soon turned to anger. The head and elder of the family had been horribly treated by an outsider.

The momentum of the martial artists changed menacingly. The martial artists of the Zhuge family did not have the dominance of the Nangong family, the bravery of the Hebei Peng family, or the viciousness of the Sichuan Tang family.

However, even if it was just a low and cold anger, when the hearts of hundreds of people were combined, it could not be ignored.

The anger they poured out all at once...

"A beggar from the Beggars' Sect dared to kill the elder!"

Surprisingly, it was poured out on the head of the Punishment Hall.

It was a natural thing.

The elder of the Zhuge family, dead with his head smashed.

The head of the Punishment Hall of the Martial Alliance and a low-ranking member.

It was only right that Chupunggae was pointed out as the culprit.

"Uh, uh..."

Chupunggae was greatly flustered and instinctively raised his energy. It was a clear mistake. It was first to clear his name with words, but as a martial artist, he had reacted to the killing intent poured out by hundreds of people.

As Chupunggae raised his energy, the Zhuge family martial artists reacted as if they were having a seizure.

"This bastard! Chupunggae!"

The elders of the Zhuge family let out a roar, and the elite armed force, the Hyeonwon Sword Unit, unleashed their energy to the extreme.

The elite armed forces of the Five Great Families were rated several levels higher than the armed forces of the Martial Alliance. It was a natural thing, as the Five Great Families would not send their most outstanding martial artists to the Martial Alliance.

Their menacing energy filled the room.

"Family Head! Please give the order immediately!"

"Isn't Elder Zhuge Seong the family head's younger brother!"

The elders urged the family head.

"Uh, uh..."

However, the family head, Zhuge Min, hesitated and could not give the order rashly. Anyway, Chupunggae was an elder of the Beggars' Sect and a hall master of the Martial Alliance. Was it alright to kill such a person in this place?

Of course, if it were the family heads of the other Five Great Families, they would have ordered an attack without a moment's hesitation. No, rather, they would have stepped forward first themselves.

However, Zhuge Min had a weak and indecisive personality. That's why he had not even been able to resist when Zhuge Seong had taken all the power.

The short time that the family head had created was enough for the worn-out martial artist, Chupunggae, to regain his senses.

"W-wait! Please listen to me!"

Chupunggae shouted urgently. Thanks to the internal energy contained in his voice, it would be clearly heard not only by the family head and elders at the entrance, and the Hyeonwon unit members, but also by those outside the building.

Although the elders were furious, Chupunggae added before them.

"First, to be clear, I am not the one who killed Elder Zhuge Seong. It may be hard to believe, but it was alliance member Cheon Woojin over there. However, I cannot let you dispose of alliance member Cheon. Anyway, since he is a Martial Alliance member, he must be arrested and brought to the alliance..."

"Don't talk nonsense! Even if we concede a hundred steps and it was that guy who did that to the elder as you say, we have no intention of sending that guy back obediently!"

An elder, not the family head, shouted.

Chupunggae and the elders argued, unleashing their momentum as if they would clash at any moment.

Cheon Woojin looked at the whole scene blankly from in front of Zhuge Seong's corpse.

'The weight of the family head is so light. I understand what the deputy commander said.'

It was often said that a tiger father has a dog son, referring to cases where an outstanding parent had a worthless child.

However, the Zhuge family was the opposite.

'A dog father has a tiger son?'

Even though there was a commotion on one side, as he was leisurely observing the family head as if it had nothing to do with him.

"If you block us any further, we can't forgive you, whether you're the head of the Punishment Hall or not!"

An elder declared firmly.

At that, the Hyeonwon unit drew their swords at once.

At the same time, dozens of martial artists fell into the training ground over the walls of the pavilion.

At that sight, the Hyeonwon unit members flinched.

Chupunggae's face brightened. They were the martial artists of the Punishment Hall.

"Hall Master! W-what is this?"

There was no time to explain the situation.

Chupunggae immediately gave the order.

"Arrest alliance member Cheon immediately!"

"Yes? Ah... Yes, I understand!"

Even in the terribly chaotic situation, the martial artists of the Punishment Hall, who had flinched for a moment, immediately unleashed their prayers.

If the head's order was given, they would not question it. It was a basic principle of the Martial Alliance, and since they were martial artists of the same Beggars' Sect, their solidarity was even stronger.

"What are you talking about! An elder of the family has passed away! That guy will be punished by our Zhuge family!"

As the martial artists of the Punishment Hall approached Cheon Woojin, the elders of the Zhuge family and the martial artists of the Hyeonwon unit also began to move.

If a fight broke out in this narrow space, it would be a complete mess. At least over a hundred casualties would occur.

Thinking so, Cheon Woojin, with the Crescent Moon Staff hanging down, said.

"Zhuge Seong is a villain."

His voice was not loud. However, there was no one who did not hear that voice.

It had the power to make people concentrate. Also, it had the martial power to make them have no choice but to concentrate.

Although he was just holding the dark iron staff hanging down, a pressure that made it impossible to approach carelessly was subtly dominating the surroundings.

Cheon Woojin looked at the two martial artists who had stopped with him in the middle and then continued.

"It started from the mission of the Black Tortoise Unit. Elder Zhuge Seong recruited the Shadowless Divine Thief and the Xiangyang Society and attacked the Black Tortoise Unit."

After that, Cheon Woojin explained the series of events in his unique calm tone.

The matter of catching and torturing the Shadowless Divine Thief, finding out the location of the secret cave and going there, the subordinate of Zhuge Seong he had met in the secret cave, and all the things that had happened since coming to the Zhuge family.

The reason Cheon Woojin explained all of this was simple. It was a clear warning to the martial artists of the Zhuge family.

Your elder is a villain. If you want to take revenge on him, know that you are becoming a villain yourself, and bear the consequences of that.

A stir arose among the martial artists of the Zhuge family. They also knew that what Cheon Woojin had said was very plausible.

Even outside the family, there were few who evaluated Elder Zhuge Seong favorably. Moreover, the martial artists of the family who had eaten, slept, and lived with him at close quarters would know him even better.

'Elder Zhuge Seong is a person who would do such a thing and more.'

It was the evaluation of most of the Zhuge family martial artists.

After Cheon Woojin's words ended, a long silence followed.

Cheon Woojin looked at the Zhuge family head, Zhuge Min. He was the one who could sort out the current situation most rationally.

However, Zhuge Min just kept his mouth shut and looked around like a mere member of an armed force.

Cheon Woojin let out a small sigh.

The one who opened his mouth was not the Zhuge family head, but the head of the Punishment Hall, Chupunggae.

"Alliance member Cheon."

"Yes."

"I'll ask you one thing. Did you kill any other martial artist besides Elder Zhuge Seong?"

That mad low-ranking alliance member had invaded the Zhuge family alone and had caused a disturbance. If a martial artist had died in the process, even the head of the Punishment Hall would not be able to handle it.

The justification would pass to the Zhuge family.

However, fortunately, Cheon Woojin shook his head.

"Not a single person."

The head of the Punishment Hall looked at the Zhuge family martial artists. They also exchanged glances. It was a question as if to ask if there were any dead, but no one reported.

Seeing this, the head of the Punishment Hall let out a small sigh of relief.

"Good. Then..."

Chupunggae organized his thoughts for a moment and then continued.

"Alliance member Cheon, you have acted on your own, disobeying the order of the Punishment Hall. You have broken the alliance's laws. Do you admit it?"

"I admit it."

"However, in the process, the merit of arresting the Shadowless Divine Thief, finishing the mission that the Black Tortoise Unit could not complete, and killing Zhuge Seong can be seen as self-defense, not a personal revenge."

It was Zhuge Seong who had tried to kill Cheon Woojin first.

If it was the formation of the family head's hall, it would be the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.

In history, there were probably five people who had broken through the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.

The Zhuge family martial artists who knew this also let out a groan. Because it had been revealed that Zhuge Seong had tried to kill Cheon Woojin.

If a martial artist tried to kill another martial artist, and was killed in retaliation, there was nothing to say.

In that stir, the words of the head of the Punishment Hall continued.

"Of course, it only holds if all your words are true."

"That's right! We can't just believe everything that guy says!"

An elder of the Zhuge family chimed in.

Cheon Woojin looked at him blankly and then took out a red knot and a letter from his bosom.

"What is it?"

"It was in the secret cave of Man Gija."

"M-Man Gija...!"

Chupunggae and the other members of the Punishment Hall were greatly agitated. Man Gija was the former leader of the Beggars' Sect and was revered as one of the Three Great Talents of the White Path.

Definitely, there was not a single person in the Beggars' Sect who did not respect him.

Chupunggae cautiously accepted the red knot and the letter.

The letter was written to the members of the Beggars' Sect.

While Chupunggae was reading the letter, the elders and martial artists of the Zhuge family waited with anxious expressions.

How much time had passed like that?

"Hah."

Chupunggae let out a hollow laugh and then looked at Cheon Woojin.

A member of the Punishment Hall asked.

"Hall Master, what does it say? No, more than that, is it really a letter left by Master Man Gija?"

"It is definitely Master Man Gija's handwriting. How could I not recognize that? The content is more surprising than that fact."

Chupunggae handed the letter to the member of the Punishment Hall. The members gathered and read the letter.

The reaction that followed was similar. They let out a sigh mixed with bewilderment and then all looked at Cheon Woojin.

By the time the Zhuge family martial artists were feeling frustrated, Chupunggae said in a powerful voice.

"The Beggars' Sect will help the one who received this knot with all its might."

Like Man Gija's personality in life, the content was simple and concise. However, the meaning contained within was by no means light.

The one who had received the knot was Cheon Woojin.

Master Man Gija was a person who had read the heavenly ki and had pierced through the principles of all things. Such a person would have known that the first person to enter the secret cave would be Cheon Woojin.

Man Gija was such a person. The sect leader who had received the blind faith of the Beggars' Sect members.

A natural question followed in Chupunggae's mind.

'Why?'

It was a public fact that that low-ranking alliance member was special.

Not only his martial power, but his actions were also outstanding.

He didn't even know how many families, sects, forces, and demonic heads had been destroyed at his hands.

But was it to the extent that Master Man Gija would order the entire Beggars' Sect to help him with all their might?

The Beggars' Sect was by no means a light organization.

It was the only group that revered justice and righteousness, and would fight against any opponent, whether it was the Heavenly Demon Cult or the imperial palace, to protect the weak.

Chupunggae looked at Cheon Woojin.

'...He doesn't seem to be far from justice and righteousness.'

Of course, he was also far from corruption.

Chupunggae had been constantly observing Cheon Woojin as the head of the Punishment Hall of the Martial Alliance. That guy was not a person who fit into any of the generally known black and white values.

Having judged so, he could not help but be confused when Master Man Gija told him to help him.

Chupunggae placed his own judgment and Man Gija's judgment on a scale and thought for a long time. Originally, he would have believed his own judgment without a second thought.

However, the opponent who had risen on the scale with him was Man Gija, whom all the former Beggars' Sect members, and he himself, respected without reservation.

And so, Chupunggae, who had been thinking for a long time, finally let out a sigh.

He handed the red knot to Cheon Woojin.

With that, Chupunggae's intention was clearly conveyed to everyone.

"Take Cheon Woojin to the Martial Alliance."

"Yes, Hall Master!"

The members of the Punishment Hall surrounded Cheon Woojin in perfect order.

Soon, Chupunggae shouted.

"But!"

That resounding shout was hammered into everyone's ears.

Chupunggae looked at the martial artists of the Zhuge family with a menacing look and then continued.

"It's not an arrest, but an escort. Make sure that no one dares to touch a single hair on alliance member Cheon."

"What if someone tries?"

"Kill."

As Chupunggae's permission was given, the members of the Punishment Hall drew their swords and clubs at once.

In the middle of it, Cheon Woojin was unintentionally surrounded by beggars and was feeling a terrible stench.

"Umm..."

Although he wanted to block his nose, the atmosphere was not such that even Cheon Woojin could do so, so he just stood still.

Just holding his breath slightly.

(End of Chapter)