The Cheonmu-dae's Majority Vote
People were searching. In the distant past, before the Murim Alliance existed, the Jeongpa had been nothing more than a loose coalition of great sects and noble clans. The key point was that they had been loosely bound together at all. They maintained their connections by attending one another's celebrations and funerals, showing their faces, or exchanging letters to inquire after each other's well-being. It was during this era that the Dragon's Gathering was formed.
At first, it had not been a meeting of rising talents. It was simply an association of the actual power-holders within the sects and clans, a kind of mutual aid society for social occasions. They would pool small sums of money to help cover the costs of first-birthday celebrations, sixtieth birthdays, weddings, and funerals. Then the Demonic Cult invaded. The Jeongpa had no choice but to unite if they wished to survive. Fortunately, the members of the Dragon's Gathering already knew one another well. Moreover, one man's son was another's son-in-law, and that man's son was yet another's son-in-law. Crying "We are one family!" they banded together, and the combined might of the righteous Jeongpa halted the Demonic Cult's advance. Thus was the Murim Alliance born.
Once the formal alliance of the righteous factions was established, the Dragon's Gathering was reorganized into a reserve combat unit composed of young martial artists. However, even among cold water there are upper and lower layers. The noble youths of the Nine Great Sects and Ten Great Clans could hardly be expected to share a table with the common rabble of the Jeongpa. And so the Dragon's Gathering was divided into two units: the Cheonmu-dae and the Jiyong-dae.
The Cheonmu-dae consisted of the youths from the Nine Great Sects and Ten Great Clans, along with special members who had received recommendations from ten or more individuals outside their own affiliations. The Jiyong-dae gathered all the other young talents. Every young martial artist of the righteous factions dreamed of joining the Cheonmu-dae. To them, its members were the true powers of the Jeongpa, figures who walked upon the clouds.
Setting aside worldly considerations, every member was a master who had far surpassed their age. They were true hidden dragons who had achieved remarkable accomplishments. It was only natural that the Jeongpa's youths would look up to the Cheonmu-dae with longing. In their imaginations, the members of the Cheonmu-dae were people who diligently trained together, sharing their insights to elevate one another's martial arts. They would freely exchange and discuss the principles and truths of the martial arts they had each realized. Ah, if only one could join them in such discussions!
That was the dream of every young righteous martial artist. And here, Cheong was living that very dream. A serious martial discussion with the members of the Cheonmu-dae.
"Everyone says the Spear of a Hundred Days, the Saber of a Thousand Days, and the Sword of Ten Thousand Days. Does this not prove that the sword is the king of all weapons, the greatest among them? What do you think, Sword Friend?"
"I agree. What about you, Daoist Changbin?"
The Mount Hua Sect was also known as the Mount Hua Sword Sect. It meant they were a bunch of sword-wielding fellows.
"As one of the Plum Blossom Sword Masters, this poor Daoist has no choice but to acknowledge it……"
Cheong nodded and declared, "Then, by an overwhelming majority vote, the motion that the sword is far superior to the saber has passed."
Paeng Daesan frowned. Cheong grinned and brought up the next agenda.
"Next item: since the saber has a blade on only one side, it is merely half a sword. Therefore, from now on, should we not call it a half-sword instead of a saber? What do you all think?"
"Oh! Sword Friend, 'half-sword.' That is the most accurate description of the saber I have ever heard in my life. It is even moving. I acknowledge it."
"Even so, to speak of another's weapon in such a manner……"
"Daoist Changbin, are you betraying us right now? We are from the saber sect, aren't we? We are fellow practitioners of the saber path. You're abandoning the saber sect?"
"……I acknowledge the term half-sword."
"Then, with three votes of acknowledgment, from now on, a saber user shall be known not as a saber guest, but as a half-sword guest……"
There were three swordsmen and one half-sword user. Even if Paeng Daesan tried to object, he was outnumbered and defeated by the trap of majority rule.
"Hah. This is too childish for me to play along with."
Paeng Daesan ground his teeth. Had there ever been any reason to travel with Cheong? He could not even understand his own whim. But one thing was certain: it had been a mistake. He should have just let them go their own way. Damn it.
"Then today's refreshments will be paid for by the half-sword guest?"
Paeng Daesan growled. "Are you seriously claiming that after hearing such nonsense, I still have to treat you all? You have the thickest skin in the world. Hah."
"Why? You were still acknowledged as half a swordsman, weren't you? If it were me, I would have been so moved that I would have slaughtered a whole pig and thrown a feast for the entire neighborhood. Really."
Namgung Sinjae nodded vigorously from the side. Paeng Daesan's voice dropped an octave.
"You just say whatever comes out of that hole in your face."
"Fine. If you don't want to, then don't. Sword Friend? Aren't you thirsty? How about a nice cup of cool Yongjeong tea?"
"If Sword Friend is thirsty, how could I stand by?"
"Then can we have bingso too?"
Bingso referred to a frozen dessert made from fermented milk. It was the ancient equivalent of modern yogurt-flavored ice cream. Aside from the slight sourness of homemade yogurt, the taste and texture were a perfect match. Cheong had been greatly surprised to learn of its existence. Frozen treats in this primitive ancient China? Weren't these people supposed to be savages who only dug up ice in winter? How was this possible?
It was simply that Cheong had not known. Medieval China had been a technologically advanced nation leading the world. They had no trouble producing all manner of frozen desserts even in the height of summer. When it was hot, cold things were best. The West, which only shoveled snow and sprinkled sugar on it, had been the truly primitive ones in this era.
Of course, the brilliant legacy of medieval China had later been replaced by the dizzying pleasures of the red people.
"Would bingso alone suffice? We can have wheat ice, milk ice, and fill the table with cold pastries. We can eat it all."
Cheong raised her sword and cried out, "As expected of our Sword Friend! A sword technique of pure emotion! Sword!"
"Hoo!"
Namgung Sinjae shouted "Hoo!" and raised his sword. In midair, the two blades met and crossed at an angle. Paeng Daesan shook his head. Cheong was originally a madwoman, so that was one thing, but the real problem was Namgung, who kept indulging her.
In truth, Namgung Sinjae was considered the greatest among the hidden dragons. From a young age, his extraordinary comprehension and unconventional insight had marked him as a genius who could grasp ten things from seeing one. The entire Murim had placed its hopes on him. They said he would become not the Sword King, but the next Martial Emperor. If not for his strange obsession with reaching the pinnacle through the sword alone, he might have already reached the late Peak realm, or even the Transcendent realm.
All rivers return to the sea. All martial arts ultimately converge into one at their peak. Yet Namgung Sinjae remained fixated solely on swordsmanship. It was only natural that his realm did not advance. Namgung Sinjae himself knew this. Instead, he stubbornly continued to act as a sword idiot. Serious words are spoken to serious people. But one does not bother correcting fools. That was why the Sword King drowned his frustrations every night by drinking heavily, without even a cup or side dishes. He was truly a filial son burning with filial piety.
Paeng Daesan ground his teeth. "You're all acting like complete fools."
At that moment, Changbin, whose words had dwindled to nothing after Cheong joined, quietly asked a question.
"By the way, Young Master Paeng. I've been curious, so I must ask. What in the world is this 'cool Yongjeong tea'? I have never heard anything so horrifying in my life. Does such a thing truly exist?"
"Why don't you ask the person herself?"
"Hmm……"
Changbin stroked his chin and reached a conclusion. "……It is not easy."
Paeng Daesan swallowed the surge of irritation that rose to his throat. Even so, he was an elder brother, so he held it back and let out a deep sigh instead.
In the end, the debate concluded with Cheong grinning as she devoured the frozen treats. She ate with the same voracious appetite as before. Paeng Daesan found the sight inexplicably displeasing. She would eat anything as long as someone else paid. Even the black hounds raised by the clan would not accept food from strangers.
Be that as it may, Cheong was simply enjoying herself.
Currently, the party had traveled three days west from Hwangcheon and had been resting in Xinyang for two days. This was what traveling while stuck with young masters was like. They would ride a carriage to a city, rest for a day or two depending on their fatigue, then hire another carriage and depart again.
Of course, the relatively frugal Paeng Daesan and the truly frugal Changbin preferred to join merchant caravans rather than rent carriages and drivers. However, their group included Namgung Sinjae, who tore through banknotes like confetti and filled his purse to the brim at every armory they passed. Among the Five Great Clans, the Namgung Clan was the second wealthiest, and the Young Sword King's spending habits were no different from a god of wealth descended to the mortal realm.
For reference, the wealthiest of the Five Great Clans was said to be in Sichuan.
Having rested for two days, it was time to depart.
"This is the fork in the road. Going north would be more comfortable and faster. Going west means there will be no cities for a while, and we'll have to take a long detour."
"Then we should just go north, right?"
"Going north leads to Luoyang."
Ah, shit. There was bad blood in Luoyang. Whether then or now, her internal energy had increased, but her realm remained the same. If she had reached the Transcendent realm, she would have gone there and caused a ruckus. There was also that unresolved sudden quest. Just wait. Once I reach Transcendent, I'll slaughter the lot of you. Wash your necks and wait, Heukyeonghoe! No, was it Heukung Hoe? Whatever. This primitive China's names for sects and people were all so similar that it was driving her insane.
Of course, Cheong's appearance had changed considerably. But as long as Paeng Daesan was by her side, she would inevitably draw attention. If anything happened, she would have to flee again.
"If we go west……"
"The next city will be near the Dabie Mountains, so it should take about a week."
Cheong frowned. A week of either villages or camping outdoors. In the Central Plains, the two were not all that different anyway. From bedding to food, it was merely a matter of putting in more effort or paying a few coins to avoid it.
Still, there was no helping it. Cheong asked for her companions' understanding. Because of me, we'll have to take a rougher path.
"I am disappointed. Did I seem like the kind of person who would turn away from Sword Friend's difficulties?"
"Ah, this poor Daoist, at this point……"
"What? You're going to abandon your saber sect comrade? Throw away your sect affiliation? Don't you know your place in the hierarchy?"
"I agree……"
Both agreed readily. It was fortunate that they had avoided the disappearance of their financial backer.
They packed their belongings and stepped outside. The streets were strangely crowded, and the proportion of women was unusually high. It was no longer a surprising sight. Ignoring it, they headed toward the stables. That was when Cheong witnessed an odd scene.
"Please help me find my son……"
"This old hag! Do you even know where this is?!"
"Aigoo, please. My son definitely said he was going to the Daejeong Sect. Please, just let me look once. I'm begging you……"
Before a small side gate set into a grand wall, an old woman with white hair was clinging to a martial artist holding a staff, pleading desperately.