Luoyang's Welcoming Rite
Luoyang. The initiation rite in Luoyang had come to an end. The training ground lay in utter ruin. Cracked and shattered stone slabs, the ground itself overturned as though struck by cannon fire. Could this truly be the result of nothing more than human footwork? Even the residents of Luoyang stared in shock at the sight. And standing upon that ruined ground were two men.
Namgung Woo and Deung Jong-yu presented a stark contrast. Namgung Woo wore a black robe beneath a blue outer garment. Deung Jong-yu wore a blue robe beneath a black outer garment. Not only did their color schemes differ, but the condition of their clothing told an entirely different story. While Namgung Woo's black robe showed not a single speck of dust, Deung Jong-yu's outer garment was coated in fine powder, its original black hue lost beneath a layer of gray that made it appear as though it had always been that color.
Deung Jong-yu examined his sword. He had worried that Namgung Woo's sword qi might have dulled the edge. Though both wielded sword qi, the density was different. It was fortunate he had refrained from using sword aura out of consideration for their surroundings. If the gap was this wide with sword qi alone, the difference in sword aura would have been even greater.
Deung Jong-yu had faced peerless masters before. He had learned then that even the invincible aura he once believed in could be shattered by an aura of even greater refinement. He reversed his grip on the sword. He accepted that continuing to cross blades would only waste time. With the blade pointed downward, he offered a respectful salute. The gesture, filled with reverence toward a superior, spoke volumes about the dignity of the Jinroedan leader.
"I have lost. Thank you for allowing me to witness such magnificent sword qi."
"As have I."
Namgung Woo's reply was brief, yet Deung Jong-yu could read the sincerity within it. Deung Jong-yu, who had lived a life of relentless victories, had now suffered his second defeat. Strangely, it did not feel unpleasant. It was not as though he had never known defeat, and losing to the same thunder-attribute art had revealed a new path for growth.
Deung Jong-yu sheathed his sword and spoke. "At your age, with such martial prowess… remarkable. I see now that my belief in being the greatest under heaven in thunder-attribute arts was mere arrogance. It feels as though I am the one who underwent the initiation rite."
"It was a fine duel. Next time, I would like to face you at full strength."
"Haha! That is both terrifying and something to look forward to."
With a cheerful laugh, Deung Jong-yu seized the front of his outer garment and gave it a sharp shake. The motion carried little force, yet its effect was extraordinary. A light burst of qi scattered the dust clinging to his clothes in an instant. Though his garment was likely made of special material like Namgung Woo's, even without that, the control of his inner energy was remarkably refined. Even Paeng Ha-ryeong, whose meridians had been fully opened, would need considerable focus to move her qi with such delicacy. The sight of such artistry performed with casual ease revealed the presence of a true grandmaster.
Deung Jong-yu clasped his hands once more, this time offering a fist salute. "Muhyang, welcome to Luoyang."
Deung Jong-yu's words became the signal. "Welcome!" "Come in, come in!" "Blue Sword Emperor, look over here!" "Yang brothers! Thanks to you, I won three taels of silver! Much obliged!"
In Muhyang, martial prowess was everything. Thus, once one proved their strength, Luoyang offered a welcome befitting that proof. Changcheon-dae had demonstrated their martial might in the most splendid fashion, even surpassing the leader of Palwidan, one of the two most powerful factions in Luoyang. The events of the Unmong Great Battle had already spread to Luoyang as a famous incident, so Namgung Woo's name was known. And he had shown clearly that his reputation was no exaggeration. To the common folk of Luoyang, he was the very image of a mysterious young master who had descended from the heavens like something out of a novel. It would have been stranger if they had not been thrilled.
Amid the applause and cheers of Luoyang's citizens, the vagabonds who had been eyeing Changcheon-dae awkwardly clapped or offered half-hearted responses. Having drawn out this warm reception, Deung Jong-yu approached the still-dazed Namgung Woo and stated his purpose. "Though your body and mind must be weary after coming to Luoyang and undergoing the initiation, I would ask for a little more of your time. There is someone who wishes to meet you."
Namgung Woo lowered his eyelids for a moment. When he opened them again, the Changnyeongmanan he had kept active until now faded, revealing his original black irises. Being surrounded and praised by many was something he had experienced even in Hahongho. Yet receiving it from common folk rather than martial artists felt oddly embarrassing. After steadying his emotions with a single blink, Namgung Woo nodded at Deung Jong-yu's words. There was only one person in Luoyang who could send the Murim Alliance's leader as a messenger.
"Let us go. I wished to meet them as well."
The meeting with the Murim Alliance Lord came far sooner than Namgung Woo had anticipated.
§
Luoyang was a large city. Though smaller in scale compared to Nanjing, which had served as the capital until recently, and the current capital Beijing, it possessed an ancient atmosphere that surpassed both. Built along the Luo River, Luoyang was divided north and south by the river. The north, home to Prince Yi's residence, felt the strong influence of the government offices, while the south, where the Murim Alliance stood, saw their power diminished.
Grateful that there was no need to cross the Luo River, Namgung Woo walked and voiced a question that had arisen from the martial artists who had recklessly challenged him earlier. "Those earlier… they seemed like vagabonds or disciples of smaller sects. Are they not kept under any particular control?"
"Indeed. To put it plainly, the Murim Alliance's influence in Luoyang far exceeds that of the government offices."
It could not be helped. It was the Murim Alliance that had restored Luoyang, which had declined to the level of an ordinary county during the Yuan Dynasty, back into a key city. The support of Luoyang's citizens for the Murim Alliance was absolute. The reason they could create open spaces throughout the city and build training grounds was because the Luoyang south of the Luo River had been rebuilt from its foundations under the Murim Alliance's leadership, a planned new city of sorts. The Murim Alliance, which had transformed a Luoyang reduced to a scale smaller than the Western Zhou era into a great city once more using the old sites from the Sui and Tang dynasties, was revered by the citizens even more than the Prince's residence. That was why the people showed no complaint even when loud battles erupted in broad daylight.
The Prince Yi's residence also acknowledged the Murim Alliance's authority, including the area south of the Luo River within Prince Yi's fief and collecting taxes while entrusting actual governance to the Murim Alliance. "However, the Murim Alliance is not a government office. We do not interfere with entries and exits from Luoyang. When conflicts arise, we mediate, but involving ourselves further in government affairs would only invite unnecessary trouble, would it not?"
Thinking back, the inspections at Luoyang's city gates were handled by the government offices. "Ironically, the government offices trust the Murim Alliance and barely control the comings and goings of martial artists. Thus, Muhyang does not discriminate among martial artists. The initiation rite is the one and only filter. Please do not think too poorly of it. There is a reason this tradition has been passed down."
"It was not unpleasant. I was able to feel the identity of the city of Luoyang all at once."
"Hah, then that is fortunate."
The Murim Alliance was a fortress. Though it lacked walls, anyone wishing to express it in a single word would give the same answer as Namgung Woo. Beyond the low fences, eight outer hall buildings arranged like the Eight Trigrams encircled the center. If that was not a fortress, what was?
When Namgung Woo showed the same reaction that first-time visitors to the Murim Alliance always displayed, Deung Jong-yu spoke with the thought that even a peerless master was still human. "These buildings serve as both lodgings and training halls for the Murim Alliance's Palwidan. The building directly ahead to the south belongs to Geoncheondan, and our Jinroedan is located to the northeast."
"Following the directions of the Prenatal Eight Trigrams?"
"Correct."
After his short reply, Deung Jong-yu waved to the gatekeepers in the south and had the gates opened before leading the way along the path between the buildings. "This way."
Namgung Woo could see traces of spellcraft even in the Murim Alliance's buildings. Though it felt somewhat lacking compared to the Forbidden City or the Jegal Family's estate, the Murim Alliance had also built their fortress with spellcraft in mind. Eight outer courtyard buildings arranged according to the Eight Trigrams' directions, and four inner courtyard buildings gathered under their protection. The Murim Alliance Lord's office was located on the top floor of the massive five-story pavilion at the very center.
"We are almost there. Once we pass this inner courtyard corridor, we will reach Jungcheon-gak."
Deung Jong-yu referred to the paths between the eight outer buildings as the outer courtyard corridors and the paths between the three inner buildings as the inner courtyard corridors. And Jungcheon-gak, located at the exact center, was the true headquarters where all major decisions of the Murim Alliance were made.
It was close. In a moment, he would meet the representative of the orthodox Murim. Though Namgung Woo had already held private audiences with Paeng Hu-sang of the Paeng Family, one of the Twelve Venerables, and Jegal Chong, head of one of the Seven Great Families, the weight carried by the Murim Alliance Lord felt different.
'The Murim Alliance Lord… I heard he is a monk from Shaolin.'
When the previous Alliance Lord stepped down and a new one was to be elected, the orthodox Murim, mindful of Heukmuryeon Lord Dan Un-ak, had tried to place the head of the Heonwon Family, the foremost of the orthodox faction, in the position. However, Heonwon Gang had refused, saying that the headship of the Heonwon Family alone was enough for him. The turn then passed to a peerless master of Shaolin, who held enormous influence across the entire Murim, not just the orthodox faction. That person was the current Murim Alliance Lord, the Undefeated Non-killer, Great Master Gak-won. And the world preferred to call him by another name rather than his title of Undefeated Non-killer or Murim Alliance Lord. The Buddhist Venerable. One of the Twelve Venerables, the peerless masters who surveyed the world. What intentions did he hold toward Namgung Woo in seeking him out? With a heart half expectant and half concerned, Namgung Woo arrived before Jungcheon-gak, only to find that a guest was already waiting.
"Ah, this is…"
Was it someone he knew? Deung Jong-yu, recognizing the guest, let out a quiet sigh and pressed a hand to his forehead. The guest was a small girl. She was about the same height as Jegal Seon-a, who was on the shorter side, though her build seemed a little sturdier.
"Do you know her?"
"Well… it is a bit difficult to explain right now."
It was a meaningful answer. Namgung Woo observed the girl more closely. Upon closer inspection, she did not look like a mere guest. It seemed she was being stopped by the guards while trying to enter Jungcheon-gak. The reason Namgung Woo, with his superior physical abilities, was still in the realm of speculation was because some special formation seemed to be laid around Jungcheon-gak, preventing sound from leaking outside. There were likely defenses applied even to the inner techniques to prevent eavesdropping, but he doubted they could block Changnyeongmanan, which the Forbidden City itself had failed to stop.
The moment Namgung Woo's eyes took on a blue glow, his expression turned serious and his pupils trembled. "Gaga?"
Paeng Ha-ryeong, who had reached the point where she could sense Namgung Woo's condition just from his back, noticed the change faster than anyone. Yet the voice that should have returned immediately did not come. Namgung Woo's mind was consumed by a tremendous shock. With a concentration comparable to when he had fought a life-and-death battle, Namgung Woo examined the girl over and over, wondering if what he had seen was an illusion. There was no mistake. There was no room for error with Changnyeongmanan. Yes. He could not have seen wrong. What Namgung Woo had seen in the girl. The inner energy she possessed. It was far too similar to the one he carried.
Namgung Woo instinctively realized the identity of that inner energy. 'Daeyeonsimbeop…' The family heart method that one learned before entering the Namgung Family's divine art, Changgung Daeyeon Singong. That inner energy resided within the girl's body. 'That child… is truly a survivor of this world's Namgung Family……'
The moment he recognized the girl's identity, Namgung Woo's feet were already moving.