The Weight of Promises
The expressions on Yi So-ryong and Yi Jin-hwa's faces as they left the Wulin Alliance were bright. From their looks alone, Cheonhwa could tell just how much torment they had endured there.
“The road ahead is going to be troublesome.”
Yi Ja-saeng felt nothing but gloom when he thought about what was to come.
The Wulin Alliance might not act directly, but they could easily turn a blind eye if other merchant groups or murim sects decided to interfere.
“Don’t worry. Having So-ryong and Jin-hwa in the Wulin Alliance never brought us any real help anyway.”
“This isn’t something you can dismiss so lightly.”
“The things you’re worried about won’t happen, Uncle. If they try to harm us, we simply return the favor.”
“We?”
“When you have no power, you have to endure it. But when you do have power, there’s no need to suffer in silence.”
Yi Ja-saeng shook his head at Cheonhwa’s words.
“I know your martial arts are exceptional, but one person cannot defeat an entire faction.”
“That’s true. But do we really need to cling to the Wulin Alliance?”
“What?”
“I’m asking why we should remain attached to them. The murim isn’t made up of only the Wulin Alliance. The righteous path isn’t dominant right now either. And they aren’t even helping the Haedong Merchant Group. So why stay loyal to them?”
“What are you saying? We belong to the righteous path.”
“We’re not righteous warriors—we’re merchants. Don’t merchants move according to profit?”
“But there is such a thing as credibility. Even if one disregards personal trust or loyalty, credibility is the greatest weapon a merchant can possess.”
“What exactly is credibility?”
“It’s a promise. For a merchant, a promise must be kept no matter what. Credibility between myself and others is built upon those promises. If a merchant loses credibility over money—placing money above all else—then that person no longer deserves to be called a merchant.”
“Then what do they become?”
“They become a swindler, not a merchant.”
To Cheonhwa, the explanation still felt somewhat vague.
“Think of it more simply,” Yi Cheon-sang said.
“It means that when people look at you, they say, ‘I may not know much about that person, but one thing is certain—his promises are absolute.’”
Cheonhwa nodded.
“By the way, Uncle.”
“Speak.”
“Did you make any promises with the Wulin Alliance?”
“None.”
“Then why…?”
“There was no direct promise with our main family, but we don’t know what promises your mother made while she was in the Wulin Alliance, or what trust she built there. We simply wish to honor that.”
It could be seen as the stubbornness of merchants, but Cheonhwa felt both grateful and sorry toward his maternal relatives who were sacrificing themselves for his mother’s honor.
Help? As if. Mother will really have to treat the maternal family well once she returns to the murim.
Cheonhwa forced an awkward smile and turned to So-ryong and Jin-hwa.
“So, did you two learn much martial arts in the Wulin Alliance?”
“We only learned the basic martial arts that the warriors of the Wulin Alliance study.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. After learning the basics, one is assigned to the Twelve Earthly Branches Division. But we were never accepted and remained in the reserve unit.”
“Everyone else got in?”
“All our peers were assigned.”
“You two must have suffered a lot because of Mother. I’m sorry.”
The Wulin Alliance was a coalition of the righteous murim where many gathered to play politics. Back when the Grand Princess Hwarin had been rising through the ranks, there must have been those who envied her and those who resented her.
Now, twenty-five years later, it seemed the very people who had resented her had seized power within the Wulin Alliance. That likely explained why both the Haedong Merchant Group and So-ryong and Jin-hwa had been treated so poorly.
“What are the basic martial arts of the Wulin Alliance?”
“There are many. The Three Talents Sword, Six Harmonies Sword, Seven Stars Sword, Eight Trigrams Sword, and so on…”
From the names, most of them were the foundational techniques that disciples of the Nine Great Schools and Ten Great Clans were expected to learn.
“After learning those and joining the Twelve Earthly Branches Division, do they teach you even better techniques?”
“Yes. In the division, you can learn the representative martial arts of each branch. If you show outstanding performance or possess great talent, you may be selected for the Special Affairs Unit and learn even higher-level techniques of the Wulin Alliance.”
“Still, I doubt they teach you the real secrets.”
“Not unless you catch the eye of a division head, an elder, or the Alliance Leader himself and become their disciple.”
“What a waste—spending your best years just grinding away at basic techniques. So-ryong.”
“Yes, Brother!”
“Which side currently holds the most influence in the Wulin Alliance?”
Not understanding the intent behind the question, So-ryong asked for clarification.
“Which side…?”
“The Nine Great Schools, or the Ten Great Clans?”
“Ah. Right now, the Ten Great Clans hold the strongest influence. Starting with the Alliance Leader, the Sword King Paeng Jin-gi, members of the Ten Great Clans occupy most of the important positions.”
Cheonhwa nodded as if he had expected as much. His mother, Hwarin, had been closer to the people of the Nine Great Schools than the Ten Great Clans during her time in the Wulin Alliance, and she had received much of her support from them.
It appeared that over the past twenty-five years, the people of the Nine Great Schools had been pushed out of key positions, which were now occupied by the Ten Great Clans.
“I see. It would have been slightly better if the Nine Great Schools still held those posts. But what’s done is done. Once we return home, I’ll teach you martial arts myself, so don’t worry.”
“You will, Brother?”
“Why? Don’t trust me?”
“N-no, that’s not it.”
He recalled the martial display Cheonhwa had shown at the inn. If he could force the leader of the Four Evils Division to his knees with nothing but formless energy, then learning from Cheonhwa would clearly be far better than staying in the Wulin Alliance, where he couldn’t even learn proper martial arts and only suffered.
“Good. Cheon-sang.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll train with them too.”
“But I have a weak body. I can’t learn martial arts.”
“Just think of it as exercise for your health.”
“Alright. Got it. We need to turn our So-ryong and Jin-hwa into experts just like you. Right?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make them the very best.”
As he spoke, Cheonhwa looked at So-ryong and Jin-hwa.
“If you train hard, I’ll turn you both into members of the Wulin Hundred Great Experts.”
The reason Cheonhwa could speak with such confidence was because he had already crossed swords with one of them—Baek Do-san, the Sword Crazy.
While Cheonhwa was confident, So-ryong and Jin-hwa still looked doubtful.
“If So-ryong and Jin-hwa become members of the Wulin Hundred Great Experts by learning martial arts from you, our family will grow tremendously. Don’t you think?”
“Then in that case, you’ll have to support me, right?”
“Me?”
“Of course. After Uncle, you’re the one who will have to lead the family, Cheon-sang.”
Yi Cheon-sang broke into a wide smile at Cheonhwa’s words.
“Alright. I’ll support you with everything I have.”
When they returned from the Wulin Alliance to the Haedong Merchant Group, they encountered an unexpected person.
“What brings you here, Uncle?”
“I’ve decided to stay here as a guest elder for a while.”
“A guest elder? Isn’t that just a fancy way of saying you’re freeloading off someone else’s food?”
Baek Do-san, the Sword Crazy, stared blankly at Cheonhwa’s response.
“Besides, aren’t you supposed to be an enemy of the righteous murim? If someone like you stays at our maternal family’s home, those righteous faction brats will come swarming in every other day and turn everything upside down.”
“Cheonhwa, that’s why I’m saying…”
“Ah, never mind. Just stay at the inn right in front instead of becoming a guest elder. Don’t make things harder for our maternal family. We’ve already had enough trouble with the Wulin Alliance today.”
“What? Did those Wulin Alliance bastards recognize you?”
Baek Do-san asked in surprise.
“No. It’s just that they treated my younger siblings so terribly…”
When Cheonhwa began recounting what had happened at the Wulin Alliance, Yi Ja-saeng shook his head and headed quietly toward the inner courtyard of the main residence. His children followed behind him.
Whether they went inside or not, Cheonhwa was too busy telling Baek Do-san everything that had occurred at the Wulin Alliance.
“And then?”
“And then? I just knocked out all their teeth. They won’t be able to eat meat for a while.”
“Haha, then that guy will have no choice but to become a monk by force.”
“But really, why did you come?”
“I came to snatch up some of the crumbs that fall from you.”
“What crumbs do I even have?”
“Anyway, I’ll take care of all the disputes that arise for the Haedong Merchant Group. In return, teach me the sword.”
“Sigh… You’re one of the Wulin Hundred Great Experts, and I’m just a rookie who’s barely stepped into the murim.”
“What does that matter? The important thing is that you’re stronger than me, and you were the one who ignited the spark of enlightenment in me. So you need to keep that flame burning.”
“Uncle, you’re getting on in years. Can’t you be satisfied with where you are now?”
“Nonsense. Even if I have to reverse my aging, I will obtain what I desire.”
“And what is it that you desire?”
“The sword!”
It was a short and clear answer.
“Goodness, asking me about a sword even I don’t fully understand. Fine, I accept. But in return, you must step forward whenever any unsavory incidents occur involving the merchant group.”
“Understood. I shall do so.”
“Then you can protect my maternal family. When people from that side come, you handle the merchant group’s escort duties. When people from this side come, you take care of the shops. That should cover everything.”
Cheonhwa muttered to himself as if organizing his thoughts. Baek Do-san, listening nearby, grew curious and asked.
“Who else is coming?”
“I’m not certain, but since I’ve already caught their scent, I suspect some will come looking.”
After giving the vague answer, Cheonhwa turned away. Baek Do-san tilted his head in confusion before hurrying after him and walking by his side.
“There is the concept of mutual overcoming and mutual generation, is there not?”
“Yes.”
“Does that concept only apply in nature?”
“I’m not sure. What do you think, Uncle?”
“Looking at the Five Elements, when wood meets fire, the flame grows stronger…”
Baek Do-san explained his thoughts based on the theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.
“That’s right. But while it’s said that trees can live by meeting water, if there’s too much water, the tree can die. How would you explain that?”
“That’s exactly why it’s a problem. If everything were rigidly fixed, how easy would it be? We wouldn’t have to worry about any of this.”
“Rather than me telling you, wouldn’t it be better if you looked into it a bit more yourself?”
“Me?”
“They say enlightenment comes suddenly one day.”
“That’s true.”
“But that’s not actually the case. In reality, you’ve been preparing to obtain that enlightenment for a long time. We simply weren’t aware of it.”
Cheonhwa shared his thoughts with Baek Do-san.
“You keep listening to me, thinking about it, and training, right? But if you do that, it doesn’t become enlightenment—it simply becomes knowledge.”
“Knowledge?”
“Yes. The kind of knowledge you only understand with your head, not with your body or your heart.”
“Hmm…”
Baek Do-san nodded, finding the reasoning sound.
“Once knowledge piles up, curiosity disappears. Then training for enlightenment turns into studying merely to resolve that curiosity.”
“I see.”
“And there’s a huge difference between struggling desperately to find an answer and finally receiving help, versus receiving help without any effort at all.”
Baek Do-san realized that although Cheonhwa was young, the enlightenment he had attained was far greater than anything he could imagine.
“Imagine two people learning the same martial art. One trains with everything he has, while the other only practices because everyone else is doing it. If you gave both of them the same advice to help them gain enlightenment, who do you think would attain it?”
“Obviously, the one who trained with everything he has.”
Cheonhwa smiled brightly at Baek Do-san’s answer.
“Exactly.”
He gave a slight bow and disappeared into the inner courtyard.
Baek Do-san stood there blankly for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh.
“Heh heh heh. So that’s what enlightenment is.”