The Wulin Alliance
The Wulin Alliance!
It was a colossal organization that formed one of the two great pillars of the martial world. Comprising three hundred orthodox sects from across the Central Plains—including the Nine Great Schools and the Ten Great Clans—it stood as the unified front of the righteous path.
When Cheonhwa finally laid eyes on the Wulin Alliance he had only ever heard about from his parents, his jaw dropped in awe at its sheer scale.
“Even the Imperial Palace where the Emperor lives probably isn’t larger than this.”
“That’s likely true. There are even more astonishing sights once you step inside. Come, let’s go in.”
After briefly revealing their identities at the entrance and stating they had come to meet Yi So-ryong and Yi Jin-hwa, they were allowed inside.
“Whoa!”
The moment Cheonhwa stepped into the Wulin Alliance, an involuntary gasp of admiration escaped his lips.
The size was so immense it felt as if an entire small county had been lifted and dropped here whole. He couldn’t close his mouth.
“Restaurants, brothels, fabric shops, general stores… there’s nothing you can’t find in here.”
“Indeed. In the past, our merchant group operated all the shops inside the Wulin Alliance.”
At Yi Cheon-sang’s words, Cheonhwa asked curiously,
“Then why don’t you run them now?”
“We lost out in the competition.”
Cheonhwa glanced at Yi Ja-saeng. The look clearly asked for a more detailed explanation.
“The shops within the Wulin Alliance have their operating rights auctioned off once every two years.”
“So we were outbid.”
“That’s right.”
“When Mother was still here, the Haedong Merchant Group succeeded in the bidding and ran them.”
Yi Ja-saeng nodded.
“They’re nothing but pure scoundrels. There’s no loyalty or honor to be found in a place like this.”
Feeling a twinge of bitterness at Cheonhwa’s blunt assessment, Yi Ja-saeng looked at the children and said,
“In a world where you must step on others to survive, there’s no need to look for loyalty or honor. Just give them exactly what they call ‘the value of money’ and nothing more.”
“Is that how it is?”
“Yes. And if you ever choose to show genuine goodwill, don’t do it expecting something in return. Think of it as helping at the complete sacrifice of yourself.”
Cheonhwa frowned slightly, looking a bit lost.
“To put it simply, when money is involved, move only with money in mind. But when it comes to relationships between people, you mustn’t look at money.”
“That’s too difficult.”
“It might be. If you, Cheonhwa, were to become a merchant and meet people, most of them would also be merchants.”
“That makes sense. Like how martial artists meet other martial artists.”
“Exactly. To the people you meet as a merchant, there’s no need to give them deep affection or weigh loyalty and righteousness when dealing with them.”
“Why not?”
“People you meet after entering society may call each other big brother or little brother and get along well while you’re acquainted, but a small misunderstanding can turn them into strangers you’ll never see again.”
Cheonhwa had no experience in society yet, but he could imagine it was true.
“For people like that, it’s enough to meet them simply as a merchant, keeping your priorities straight.”
“Priorities?”
“Yes. This person can help me right now. This person might help me someday, so I should help them. This person offers no benefit to either side. You simply classify people this way, set your priorities, and interact accordingly.”
“But wouldn’t that make you heartless?”
“It does. That’s why people say merchants have no room for the emotion called ‘compassion,’ and that they view the world through greed.”
“Then is it impossible to find true friends in society?”
“Not at all. This only applies to people you meet as a merchant—those you encounter through business. You can become as close as you like with those you meet for reasons other than work. For example, childhood friends you grew up with in your hometown, or people from completely different fields whose hearts simply match yours, with whom you can share your true feelings…”
Yi Ja-saeng explained everything in a way that was easy for Cheonhwa and Yi Cheon-sang to understand. Still, when Cheonhwa continued to look confused, he smiled gently and spoke in a low voice.
“There’s no need to rush. Once you accumulate more experience in society, you’ll naturally come to understand what I mean.”
“Father, there’s the Cartoon Inn over there.”
The Cartoon Inn inside the Wulin Alliance was a sort of visitation hall where those who worked for the Alliance, along with their families or acquaintances, could meet. Because of this, while other locations were leased out to merchants, the Cartoon Inn was operated directly by the Wulin Alliance itself.
When they entered the inn, they saw countless people sitting at tables, either waiting for someone or chatting with those they had met.
“Let’s sit over there and wait.”
They took an empty table. A waiter soon approached.
“We’ll order food once the children arrive, so please bring us three cups of Nanjing Wuhua tea for now.”
“Understood.”
Cheonhwa sat down and listened carefully to the conversations around him. Part of it was to see if any useful information could be gleaned, but having grown up on an island with only his parents, he was simply curious what people talked about in such a noisy atmosphere.
—Your wife ran off with Bong-pal.
—Bong-pal?
—He’s a martial artist from the Nokshan Sect. Can you believe that bastard…
There was a warrior who stormed out of the inn upon hearing his wife had been unfaithful while he was stationed at the Alliance, and another who flew into a rage after learning his father had sold land to take a new wife.
Even trivial everyday stories drifted over—how the dog next door had given birth to several puppies.
“That person and that person are wearing different uniforms.”
Even among warriors of the same Wulin Alliance, the uniforms they wore differed.
“That’s because they belong to different organizations within the Alliance.”
“Really?”
“There are twelve regular military units, plus additional units composed of warriors from the Ten Great Clans and the Nine Great Schools.”
Yi Cheon-sang explained the Alliance’s military structure to Cheonhwa.
“The regular units are named after the twelve zodiac animals—Rat Unit, Ox Unit, Tiger Unit, and so on. The warriors from the Ten Great Clans are organized into four units: Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger.”
“What about the Nine Great Schools?”
“The warriors from the Nine Great Schools are divided into four units—East, West, South, and North. From what I know, they rarely mobilize.”
“Then?”
“There are representative groups like Shaolin’s Eighteen Arhat Guardians, Wudang’s Seven Star Warriors, or Mount Hua’s Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordsmen. You can think of those as the ones who actually move.”
“I think I’ve heard of those.”
“See the characters on their left chests?”
“Yes. It says ‘Si.’”
“Correct. That person belongs to the Si Unit.”
Cheonhwa nodded and looked around the inn, but he couldn’t spot any warriors from the Ten Great Clans or the Nine Great Schools.
The Ten Great Clans and Nine Great Schools served as the true core that led the Wulin Alliance. They usually met people inside the Inner City rather than the Outer City. Even among Alliance members, it was rare for those belonging to the Outer City’s Twelve Zodiac Units to meet and converse with warriors from the Ten Great Clans or Nine Great Schools.
Unaware of this fact, Cheonhwa simply thought so that’s how it is and waited for his cousins.
Quite a bit of time passed, yet his cousins still hadn’t arrived.
One hour. Two hours. Just as the wait was becoming tedious and evening had fallen, the two finally appeared at the inn.
“Father!”
Yi So-ryong approached Yi Ja-saeng and bowed deeply. The moment Yi Ja-saeng saw Yi So-ryong and Yi Jin-hwa, his eyebrows trembled faintly.
They were far too thin compared to before. The sight broke his heart.
“Wait, let me see.”
Cheonhwa approached Yi So-ryong and began examining his body. Yi So-ryong looked at his father with a puzzled expression, wondering why this stranger was acting this way.
“He is your cousin.”
After checking Yi So-ryong, Cheonhwa turned his gaze to Yi Jin-hwa. Though she found his behavior strange, she had no choice but to stand still.
“By the way, why don’t either of your uniforms have any writing on them?”
“That’s because we belong to the Reserve Unit…”
“Well, if it isn’t So-ryong and Jin-hwa.”
A group of young men who clearly knew them approached. They didn’t look very old. On the left chest of their uniforms, the character “Myo” was written clearly.
“Greetings, Brother Jae-man.”
When Yi So-ryong greeted him, the young man glanced at Yi Ja-saeng and Yi Cheon-sang before asking,
“Who are they?”
“They are our father and older cousin.”
“Is that so? Nice to meet you. My name is Jae-man.”
The moment they appeared, Cheonhwa noticed Yi Jin-hwa trembling faintly. A strange smile formed on his lips.
“I really cherish So-ryong, you see…”
When he placed a hand on Yi So-ryong’s shoulder and felt the boy flinch, Cheonhwa immediately understood. These were the ones tormenting his cousins.
“So-ryong, you should tell your parents about my…”
“Is it them?”
Cheonhwa cut Jae-man off mid-sentence. Both Yi So-ryong and Yi Jin-hwa looked at him in confusion.
“I’m asking if these are the bastards who’ve been bullying you.”
“Brother, what are you…”
“What are you talking about? It’s obvious just looking at you. It’s them, right?”
“This is our first meeting and you’re already…”
When Jae-man tried to speak, Cheonhwa shoved his face right up to the other boy’s.
“So?”
Startled, Jae-man took a step back. Realizing he had retreated, his face flushed with embarrassment.
“Wow. In the righteous Wulin Alliance that claims to walk the proper path, they bully children? I’m honestly speechless.”
When Cheonhwa spoke loudly, every eye in the inn turned toward them.
“Cheonhwa!”
Fearing the situation would escalate, Yi Ja-saeng tried to stop him, but Cheonhwa paid no attention.
“Bullying? Who exactly are we bullying?”
“So-ryong, come here.”
When Cheonhwa called him over, Yi So-ryong approached. Suddenly, Cheonhwa ripped open the boy’s outer robe. His torso was covered in blue and red bruises.
“So-ryong!”
Shocked, Yi Cheon-sang rushed over to his younger brother.
“In an organization that claims to pursue the righteous path, they torment someone simply because he lacks strength…”
“Brother, these are from training in martial arts…”
“Do you think I can’t tell the difference between injuries from training and injuries from being beaten? And you too, Jin-hwa!”
When Yi Ja-saeng’s gaze turned to her, tears welled up in Yi Jin-hwa’s eyes.
“Today is the first time I’ve met So-ryong and Jin-hwa, but as their older cousin, let me say this—enduring everything isn’t always the right choice.”
“This little bastard, who does he think he is…”
Slap!
With a crisp sound, Jae-man’s head snapped to the side. White teeth flew from his mouth and scattered across the floor as he tumbled backward.
“What are you looking at? According to your logic, since I’m stronger than you, isn’t it fine if I bully you?”
“You son of a—!”
Slap!
Another crisp sound rang out. Even more teeth flew out—enough that the boy would have trouble eating properly from now on.
Seeing this, Yi Jin-hwa finally burst into tears. Yi So-ryong, his emotions stirred, bit down hard on his lip to hold back his own tears.
Yi Ja-saeng felt his heart ache at the sight. These two were also his precious children.
The thought that his children had been living such difficult days while enduring constant harassment filled him with unbearable guilt.
When the commotion broke out, warriors from the Wulin Alliance entered the inn.
“We greet Squad Leader Hyeong-cheon.”
The Alliance warriors inside the inn stood and bowed toward him.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Squad Leader Sa? So he’s the leader of the Si Unit?”
When Cheonhwa asked Yi So-ryong, the boy nodded.
Cheonhwa looked at Hyeong-cheon and called out,
“Hey!”
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock as they stared at him.
“Hey?”
“You’re not my squad leader, are you?”
“Such insolence from a mere child…”
“Insolence? You want to talk about manners in an organization that reduces children to this state? You’ve done this to someone else’s precious child, and you dare speak of manners?”
Angry now, Cheonhwa shouted at Hyeong-cheon.
Yi Ja-saeng knew he should step in and calm things down before they grew worse, but this time he chose not to.
Just as Cheonhwa had punished the pirates on the Yangtze River in his place, he secretly hoped the boy would do the same here.
Hyeong-cheon’s gaze lingered on Yi So-ryong’s bare torso. As a martial artist himself, he could easily distinguish between training injuries and those received from beatings.
“What is your affiliation?”
“I am Yi So-ryong, belonging to the Myo Unit Reserve Division.”
Hyeong-cheon looked at the fallen Jae-man and the other warriors standing with him.
It seemed they were the cause of this disturbance. However, as a member of the Wulin Alliance, he had to take the Alliance’s side. He pressed Cheonhwa.
“Who are you to cause such a disturbance inside the Wulin Alliance?”
“Calling this a disturbance? Looks like I’ll end up becoming a public enemy of the righteous path just like Sword Maniac Baek Do-san. Right? They wear the mask of righteousness but can’t solve their own problems, so when someone else does it for them…”
The moment the name Baek Do-san left Cheonhwa’s mouth, everyone froze.
“What is your relationship with him?”
All eyes locked onto Cheonhwa’s lips.
“If you must know, I once gave Baek Do-san a realization. So we have that kind of relationship.”