Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Arrival at the Righteous Martial Alliance
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After Gu Deok dragged the boat back to their territory once more, Yu Hyun—who had been escorted by the martial artists almost like a prisoner— was immediately led to a carriage.
A carriage with windows on both sides blocked off by black cloth, making it impossible to see inside or out.
As Yu Hyun stared blankly at the carriage, a sharp-eyed martial artist who appeared to be at least a senior seat approached.
"Understand our position. With all eyes on us, we had no choice but to be rude. The Grand Strategist instructed us to bring you without exposing you for the time being."
"......"
The man politely untied Yu Hyun's bonds and released his meridian seal as he spoke.
Judging by the aura he exuded, he seemed roughly on par with Nangong Seong before entering the Seven Purities stage.
A martial artist who possessed an aura comparable to the young heir of the Nangong Clan—born with a naturally fierce demeanor and bushy eyebrows, blessed with a master teacher, and elevated through consuming spirit elixirs like daily meals...
For such a person to come out personally to greet him meant they intended to treat him with utmost respect.
Moreover, there were fully ten people waiting just for him to board the carriage. They were undoubtedly elite warriors prepared for any contingency.
Yu Hyun realized he was habitually assessing their strength and devising ways to counter them, then chuckled to himself.
What was the point of all this?
He had already decided to accept their invitation willingly.
He patted the tense, watchful Gu Deok on the back, shoving him into the carriage, then nodded calmly with an impassive expression and boarded without hesitation.
As the guiding martial artist climbed in with him, the sound of the coachman's whip crack came.
Rumble. Creak. Jolt!
"......"
Was the road uneven? Or was the carriage cheap?
The courtesy had been fine, but the ride was abysmal.
Yu Hyun grumbled inwardly but then chuckled.
He realized this dissatisfaction stemmed from living a life of luxury as the young master of Yu Clan Manor.
There had been times when, in the dead of winter, he swung his sword in the snow clad only in thin rags—yet after a few months of pampered living, here he was critiquing a carriage ride.
Humans truly were fickle, just as they said.
Yu Hyun suppressed another burst of laughter by pursing his lips tightly between his teeth and sank into thought.
He was curious.
The Nine Great Sects and the Beggars' Sect, along with numerous martial clans led by the Five Great Families.
The Righteous Martial Alliance, symbol of justice and chivalry, which divided the martial world alongside the unorthodox sects, the Demonic Cult, and the outsiders.
What had it looked like before the great upheaval?
He had heard stories.
"In the old days..."
"Back in my time..."
Through the mouths of his masters, who boasted of their past exploits over drinks, reminiscing proudly.
But he hadn't believed them.
Of course not.
At that time, the Righteous Martial Alliance hadn't even occupied such a grand place.
Who was he? The secret weapon nurtured by the Alliance to confront the upheaval's ringleaders.
After being captured by his masters, he had been confined to the Alliance, training endlessly.
Never even catching a glimpse of the enemy, forced solely into cultivation—Yu Hyun remembered the Alliance of that era all too clearly.
Hiding deep in the layered mountains to evade the upheaval's ringleaders and their forces... it had been little more than a bandit stronghold.
And above all, it was small.
Exaggerating slightly, one could tour the whole place with a single inhale and exhale.
"......"
Unable to contain his curiosity, Yu Hyun fiddled with the black cloth over the window and glanced at the martial artist riding with him.
He was asking permission. For now, he had agreed to follow their lead.
The man smiled faintly and nodded.
Yu Hyun smiled back, then stealthily lifted one corner of the black cloth.
Just a little...
His heart pounded like a child about to unbox a toy.
As his masters had described, would the walls stretch so high he had to crane his neck stiffly to see the top, with pavilions and halls spreading like a forest inside?
"......!"
In an instant, Yu Hyun's eyes widened round.
Whoa...
This... it was practically a fortress city?
The endlessly stretching walls filled his entire field of view, leaving his mouth agape in awe.
Nor was the astonishment limited to the walls.
Flags fluttered at regular intervals, and beneath them, sturdy watchtowers housed martial artists glaring fiercely outward in vigilant watch.
Wow...
He felt ashamed for inwardly mocking his boasting masters.
'See?'
'I told you, right?'
'The Righteous Martial Alliance was really like this!'
It was as if he could hear his masters' smug voices in his ears.
As Yu Hyun swallowed dryly and rolled his widened eyes around in wonder, the carriage drew nearer to the walls.
"Azure Dragon Carriage entering the Alliance! Open the gates!"
"......"
Rumble, creak.
At the booming command from someone atop the watchtower, the massive gates below groaned open.
"Whoa!"
Was it the involuntary exclamation that escaped him?
"......You can remove the cloth now."
"......"
At the martial artist's words, Yu Hyun swiftly pulled back the cloth and stuck his head out the window.
He felt no embarrassment at all.
So what if he looked like a country bumpkin fresh in the capital?
It was only natural to be awed by such a spectacle. This was nothing like the Righteous Martial Alliance he remembered.
The first thing to catch Yu Hyun's eyes, plastered to the window, was the grand avenue piercing straight through the center of the fortress.
Wide enough for two carriages to pass with room to spare.
And lining both sides of the road: training grounds, and beyond them, countless halls and pavilions.
A true forest. A forest of buildings.
Righteous Martial Alliance... Master's words were true. It really is magnificent.
The martial artist smiled at Yu Hyun's boyish wonder, swiveling his head like a rural lad seeing a city for the first time.
The rumors were astonishing, yet his demeanor was no different from any young martial artist his age.
Yu Hyun the martial artist, whose name had never been known until now.
Though the Grand Strategist had issued a gag order, tales of him had already spread like wildfire among the Alliance members.
Martial artists always cheered the emergence of a new hero of justice, didn't they?
The full details of the Yangtze incident weren't yet clear, but according to witnesses on the Wanzhang Lake boats, he had single-handedly faced the bandits to protect the passengers.
As a result, the Black Mirror Bandits—who terrorized Anhui Province's waterways—were annihilated.
Moreover, he had broken through the barrage of cannon fire from the riverboats, holding out for an entire day.
Finally, a one-on-one audience with Water Dragon King Gu Ja-jin, something even seasoned veterans rarely achieved.
Truly astonishing, wasn't it?
All this from a young martial artist who had drawn no attention until yesterday—in a single day.
And he had survived.
No one knew yet what he discussed with the Water Dragon King, but he had returned alive from that monster's clutches.
Even forcing the Black Mirror deputy chief—who came with them—to row the boat himself...
And on top of decimating the bandits to embody justice and chivalry, he had voluntarily bound himself and offered his meridian seal to the encircling Righteous Martial Alliance warriors?
Displaying not just righteousness and boldness, but magnanimity too—how could it not amaze?
'Huh, he's like an innocent child untouched by the world's filth. A handsome young warrior embodying justice, chivalry, boldness, and even purity. If he sets his sights on the jianghu, one of the Seven Dragons might fall, birthing an Eight Dragons. The storytellers and romantics won't shut up anytime soon.'
Unable to hold back, the martial artist let out a small laugh at Yu Hyun's rapt fascination, then realized his slip and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, Young Master Yu."
"......Yes?"
"The Grand Strategist instructed us to escort you directly to your quarters."
"Ah, yes."
Yu Hyun replied indifferently and returned to gawking.
But his mind was filled with thoughts utterly different from what the martial artist imagined.
The upheaval's ringleaders, you bastards. You toppled something like this?
Forget the buildings—they must have cost a fortune to construct...
The Alliance Lord has it good.
Sitting in such a lofty position—how luxurious.
Wait, could the Righteous Martial Alliance be even richer than Yu Clan Manor?
With buildings like these and the upkeep, it seemed plausible.
But what if—just what if—he became the hero who stopped the upheaval and protected the martial world?
And in reward for that merit, was acclaimed by the people to become the Alliance Lord?
"......!"
The calculations finished in an instant.
"......Warrior."
"Yes?"
"Does... the Alliance Lord receive a stipend too?"
"Well, of course..."
"How much?"
"......O-One or two taels, perhaps?"
"Silver?"
"Gold. He's the Lord... I hear they provide separate funds for maintaining dignity as well."
"Gold! Plus dignity maintenance funds!"
"But why do you ask?"
"......"
His mind sharpened in a flash.
A stipend of one or two gold taels?
Plus pocket money to dress well and eat grandly in public to uphold prestige?
This... this was a goldmine!
One year as Lord: twenty-four taels of gold in twelve months!
Yu Hyun's mind spun furiously.
Another reason to stop the upheaval's ringleaders had emerged.
Talk about having your cake and eating it too!
Why else had he trained to death under those hot-tempered masters and returned to the past?
Until now, he'd thought: just gain power, let the martial world fall as it may, inherit Yu Clan Manor and live comfortably.
But now the choice was obvious.
You sons of bitches behind the upheaval—I'll stop you for sure.
As the saying goes, more is always better, and no one hates money, right?
In this world, money above all! You need money.
With full coffers, prestige follows naturally.
Personal wealth from Yu Clan Manor, high-salary career as Alliance Lord with guaranteed pay.
No retirement plan could be more perfect.
Who knows? Maybe he'd swallow up the unorthodox sects and Demonic Cult too.
Having become the provisional disciple of the Water Dragon King, the Yangtze would be his in the future as well.
The criminal origins of the money nagged a bit, but he could sort that out later... Anyway, Alliance Lord plus unorthodox sects and Demonic Cult?
Wow, just the monthly stipends alone—what would that amount to?
He couldn't calculate precisely without details, but it'd be absurdly huge.
In Yu Hyun's heart, the dream of ending life as a local rich man grew grander.
Yeah, I'll devour the Central Plains to this extent.
Later, form a Unified Alliance Lord position or something.
Gather up my capable master uncles—the so-called Righteous Six Saints—dump all the hard work on them, and just collect the money myself.
Ah, what a blissful fantasy!
He could already see it. This promised future—he saw it all now!
Lost in euphoric imaginings of soaring into the skies on widespread wings, Yu Hyun huffed through his nose and set an immediate goal, his hips twitching in excitement.
First, Deok Sam. He had to find Deok Sam.
If that guy slipped away elsewhere, Alliance Lord dreams or whatever—up in smoke.
"Warrior!"
"Yes?"
"Hey! Isn't this carriage too damn slow?"
"Yes?"
"Hurry up! Come on!"
"......"
Stunned by Yu Hyun's sudden bellow, the martial artist blinked in bewilderment.
Just moments ago, he'd been endlessly amazed by the Alliance... Quite a flighty personality, unlike his appearance.
"We've already arrived at the Strategist's compound anyway. The Grand Strategist is waiting in your quarters..."
"Where's the quarters? I need to meet him posthaste."
"......Ah, yes. I was just about to guide you."
"Let's go quickly. Can't keep a busy man waiting. Of course!"
"......"
The martial artist watched Yu Hyun fling open the carriage door and stride ahead, shaking his head.
What a peculiar fellow.
So full of justice, chivalry, and boldness—yet utterly unpredictable.
"This place is going to get lively, I wager."
"Yes? Deputy Division Leader, what was that?"
The martial artist muttered to himself, and a subordinate who overheard asked curiously.
"Nothing. You wait here. I'll go meet the Grand Strategist with Young Master Yu."
"Yes."
As the martial artist heard his subordinate's reply, Yu Hyun—who had gone ahead—turned back with a frown.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Yes! Coming. Let's go!"