The Youngest Member of the Martial Alliance

An estate located a short distance from the imperial palace.

From the high walls, the large gate, the dignified thick pillars, and the dozens of busy servants, one could tell how high the authority of the owner of this estate was.

Grand General Zhu Yuanyang put down his teacup with irritation.

He was the uncle of the Peng family head and was originally a person of the Peng family, but he was a man who had been granted the national surname by the previous emperor in recognition of his merits.

"His Majesty seems to be very fond of the fellow."

"It won't last long. The guy is a ruffian who doesn't know etiquette."

The Peng family head replied, watching his expression.

He, too, as a martial artist of Heaven Beyond Heaven and the head of the Hebei Peng family, was usually confident anywhere, but in front of the Grand General, he was just a child of a noble family.

The Grand General was lost in deep thought.

He had done a lot of things so far. Especially recently, he had made a huge amount of money from military expenses by creating a false war with the Hebei Peng family and some other factions.

But his unique intuition, which had placed him in the position of Grand General, was sending him an inexplicable warning. This feeling had started right after he had met the man called the Emotionless Guest.

"Let's wrap it up soon."

The Grand General said out of the blue.

He was a man who trusted his intuition quite a bit.

Even though he had said to fold a business that had brought him a rather large profit in an instant, the Peng family head just bowed his head.

"Yes, elder. I will do so."

The Peng family head was not without regret. But he had already accumulated enough gold, and the establishment of the Righteous Heaven Alliance had also gone up in smoke, so there was no need to be needlessly stubborn.

Rather, it was more advantageous to please his uncle and grand elder, Zhu Yuanyang.

'In any case, it's something that can't be done without my uncle's help.'

And so, the Peng family head, who had made up his mind, said.

"Then I will also inform the Eastern Sea Ghost. They have also made a lot of money thanks to us, so they probably won't have any complaints."

The Eastern Sea Ghost was a master from the Eastern Sea who had appeared recently.

Of course, since their invasion and the military's subjugation process were all under the Grand General's intention, he was not actually a master from the Eastern Sea.

Suddenly, the Grand General said, as if he were displeased.

"Are you saying they might dare to have a complaint against me?"

"Ahem! That can't be. I'm sorry, elder. I misspoke."

The Grand General clicked his tongue.

As someone from the Peng family, he had a favor for his relatives. But they could not be used for important matters. It was because they were basically good at building up their bodies, but they were inexperienced at using their heads.

"I'll wrap it up as having wiped out all the Japanese pirates in about half a month, so know that."

"Yes, I understand."

It was then.

"S-something terrible has happened!"

The Grand General's brow furrowed slightly.

Soon, as permission was granted, a military officer in armor rushed in and reported.

It was the news that Cheon Woojin and his friends had headed for the Shandong Peninsula.

"What? Why are those guys there!"

"...I-it's an imperial order."

"This is damn!"

The Grand General, pouring out his anger, glared at the Peng family head. It was because he had a rough idea of what was going on.

He had heard that there was a crack in the Martial Alliance recently and that they were conducting a large-scale inspection, and it seemed that the guy called the Emotionless Guest, as a member of the Inspection Hall, was targeting the Peng family.

The Peng family head's face also became somewhat mournful.

"...It seems the guy has smelled something."

The Peng family head, who had said so, glanced at the Grand General's expression for a moment and then suddenly knelt on the floor.

"Uncle, elder. Please help me just once. It seems to be because of the Righteous Heaven Alliance matter. Do you know what happened to those who were planning the work together?"

Tang Bicheon was dead.

The Qingcheng Sect was cleanly annihilated.

The Zhongnan Sect and the Murong family had bared their bellies to the Alliance Leader and pledged their allegiance.

According to rumors, the Ten Thousand Gold Fortress's owner, who had provided the funds, had been suffering from nightmares every day since the day the Qingcheng Sect disappeared and was not in his right mind.

The Grand General snorted and clearly showed his displeasure. But the Peng family head knew that the Grand General would eventually help. In any case, it was something they had done together.

At the Peng family head's earnest plea, the Grand General nodded as if he couldn't help it.

"I can't help it. How can I just watch my nephew's neck be cut off? I was close with your father, my cousin, since we were young."

Only then did the corners of the Peng family head's mouth, who had bowed his head, go up.

Emotionless Guest or whatever, at least within the fence of the battlefield, he could never act outside the Grand General's intentions.

Even if the Alliance Leader himself came, not just the Emotionless Guest.

* * *

The Hidden Dragon Unit, including Cheon Woojin, was able to head to the front lines without anyone's interference.

However, the problem was after that.

There were five major front lines on the Shandong Peninsula, but for some reason, he felt that he was only being deployed to insignificant battlefields.

"Hmm."

Cheon Woojin looked at the battlefield with his Crescent Moon Staff planted on the ground.

Song Yiyeon, Namgung Jin, and Jinun were excitedly cutting down the Japanese pirates, and the soldiers were amazed at the sight.

What Cheon Woojin was looking at carefully were the enemies.

They were said to be warriors from the Eastern Sea, and their martial arts were quite interesting.

He knew most of the martial arts of the Central Plains from his masters.

The martial arts of the Eastern Sea were similar to that of the Hainan Sect.

"Is it because it's the martial arts of the sea?"

It was the way the White Master classified martial arts.

The martial arts of the Central Plains were mostly martial arts that imitated mountains and the sky. It was probably because all of the Nine Sects were located in the mountains.

The most peculiar was the Hainan Sect. Their martial arts imitated the sea. To borrow the White Master's words, they were people who devoted their entire lives to containing the waves in their swords.

He hadn't quite understood it when he had only heard it in words, but seeing the martial arts of the Eastern Sea like this, he could roughly guess what it felt like.

After watching the martial arts to his heart's content, he began to think that he should find the Eastern Sea Ghost, who was said to be a master of the Eastern Sea.

However, since the Grand General had personally deployed him here, it was not easy to leave the front lines.

Of course, Cheon Woojin had a plan.

- For the next half an hour, everyone, please do your best. So that the warriors of the Eastern Sea can be as scared as possible.

Cheon Woojin sent a telepathic message to the Hidden Dragon Unit members.

At that, Song Yiyeon, Jinun, and Namgung Jin, as if possessed by a slaughterer, cut down even more martial artists.

At this point, the soldiers of the Central Plains had nothing much to do. The three had started to compete, and soon, saber ki and sword ki were rampant on the battlefield.

And so, when the half an hour that Cheon Woojin had mentioned had passed.

The warriors of the Eastern Sea completely lost their will to fight and shouted something.

Seeing that they were all starting to swim towards the ships they had set up, it seemed that a retreat order had been given.

The warriors of the Eastern Sea were very good at handling ships. They got on the ships so quickly that the soldiers of the Central Plains could hardly respond, and then they started to race towards the sea.

Of course, there was one outsider on that ship.

If they wouldn't send him to the front line where the Eastern Sea Ghost appeared, he would just go to the Eastern Sea Ghost's house.

- I'll be back. I've been kidnapped as a prisoner.

At Cheon Woojin's telepathic message, the Hidden Dragon Unit members looked at the receding ship with truly bewildered expressions.

Did those who were fleeing with their tails between their legs know? The fact that they had captured a martial artist of Heaven Beyond Heaven as a prisoner.

* * *

At the same time.

The atmosphere between the Grand General and the Peng family head had softened considerably.

The Peng family head had gifted a golden toad in the name of filial piety, and the Grand General had granted his request in the name of taking care of his relatives.

"There's nothing to worry about. The guy will just go around insignificant front lines until the war is settled in half a month, and then it will be over."

"Thank you, elder. As you said, I have firmly locked the gates of the Peng family. I have strictly ordered not to open them even if the Alliance Leader comes, so the Inspection Hall will not be able to come and go freely."

The two were a good match at times like this.

And so, with the sense of camaraderie of having successfully made a lot of money without any problems for the past half a year, they were about to happily clink their liquor cups.

The military officer who had previously reported the news of the Hidden Dragon Unit's participation in the front lines came running in a hurry again.

In an instant, a look of anxiety flickered across the faces of the two.

Soon, as the Grand General's permission was granted, the military officer, panting, reported.

"Th-the Emotionless Guest has disappeared."

"What!"

"According to his friends, he was kidnapped as a prisoner by the warriors of the Eastern Sea..."

The liquor cup that had hit the military officer's forehead shattered.

Blood dripped down his face and onto the floor. Nevertheless, his posture did not waver in the slightest, so he was a man with truly excellent military spirit.

"Immediately contact Yeongdong Island and tell them to turn the ship around! The moment that guy enters Yeongdong Island and meets the Eastern Sea Ghost, it's all over!"

Yeongdong Island was a small island located in the eastern sea. It was the Grand General's private property and also the place where the warriors of the Eastern Sea stayed.

They stayed on Yeongdong Island, and whenever the Grand General's order was given, they would cross over by ship and cause a ruckus.

The Grand General used this as an excuse to replenish military funds, and to avoid any possible inspection by the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he had actually planted a master who used the martial arts of the Eastern Sea.

It was the Eastern Sea Ghost that the Peng family head had introduced.

But, he was just a master who used the martial arts of the Eastern Sea well; he was actually a person from the Central Plains. If a master of the Emotionless Guest's level met him, there was a possibility that he would find out that fact.

At the Grand General's anger, the military officer bowed his head.

"I will convey that immediately. But since the distance is what it is, there is a possibility that the communication will be later than the ship..."

"If it's late, is it over? Does your military life end with that?"

"N-no, sir!"

"Run now! Make sure the communication arrives first, no matter what!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

The military officer flew away as if he had been kicked.

But before the communication that had left the estate could even reach the coast.

The situation they were trying to avoid had already happened.

* * *

"Is that the ship?"

Cheon Woojin said in his characteristic languid tone.

Around him, the wreckage of ships and people was scattered about, mixed with blood.

After getting off the ship, he had waited for the man called the Eastern Sea Ghost.

With the thought that he would come eventually if he waited here.

But, only strange ships kept arriving.

He had tried to talk to them, but they only spouted words he couldn't understand. So he was about to ignore them, but they suddenly swung their swords and sabers.

Since he couldn't just sit and be stabbed, he had moved his Crescent Moon Staff a few times. The result was now. After killing about fifty people, no one attacked him.

Since all of them had invaded from the Central Plains and had killed quite a few of the common people living on the coast, he didn't feel particularly guilty.

Cheon Woojin looked at a ship that had approached.

The prayer felt from there was quite different from the others.

Soon, a thin, stooped middle-aged man got off the ship. Of course, it was difficult to grasp a martial artist's real age from their appearance.

"Are you the Eastern Sea Ghost?"

At that calm question, the Eastern Sea Ghost stared at Cheon Woojin's face. Soon, surprise began to spread across his face, and in the end, his eyes widened as if they would pop out.

"Y-you, how did you get here...!"

"Oh, you can speak our language. But do you know me?"

The Eastern Sea Ghost could not even finish his words. What was in his face was a very clear fear.

Cheon Woojin was puzzled, as it was the first time he had seen him.

At that time, a martial artist who had gotten off the ship with the Eastern Sea Ghost took a stance of drawing his sword and spoke.

Of course, since it was the language of the Eastern Sea, it was difficult to understand, but seeing that his momentum was quite strong, he seemed to be the Eastern Sea Ghost's right-hand man.

Suddenly, his head shot up into the air, spraying blood.

The Eastern Sea Ghost had killed him in a single blow.

"Who does this crazy bastard think he's killing!"

Cheon Woojin's eyes narrowed.

A moment ago, he had felt a very familiar ki from the strike he had shown.

Soon, Cheon Woojin, who had lowered his Crescent Moon Staff, began to approach the Eastern Sea Ghost with calm steps.

"So you were a disciple of the Dark Heavenly Son. How tiresome."

How many disciples did that guy leave behind?

Just as he was having this thought and had raised his Crescent Moon Staff.

"W-wait! I have no intention of fighting you."

The Eastern Sea Ghost suddenly threw the saber he was holding in his hand to the ground. He already knew. The fact that the Lust Demon and the Demonic Physician had died at Cheon Woojin's hands.

Among the disciples of the Dark Heavenly Son, Cheon Woojin was already rumored to be a crazy slaughterer.

As befitting the disciple of the Black Master, his skills were also incredibly amazing, and the general opinion was that unless one was a disciple who had reached the very top among the named disciples of the Dark Heavenly Son, one could not even face him.

Unfortunately, the Eastern Sea Ghost himself was not a disciple who was ranked at the top. He was about the same as or slightly superior to the Lust Demon, who was said to be the weakest among the named disciples.

The Eastern Sea Ghost, with a smile that was as gentle and meek as possible, perhaps even desperate, said.

"I-I liked Senior Brother Black Master. Really, please believe me."

(End of Chapter)