The Murim Alliance Lord
Seomun Hwan stared at the items attached to the end of the letter.
Crude yet carefully wrapped bundles of rare medicinal herbs gathered from the mountains, along with a small pouch of silver coins.
He gazed quietly at the letter, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
His elder brother had been right.
Even if the man had been a vicious bandit, he was no irredeemable beast.
As he looked down at the letter from the bandit, a strange light flickered in Seomun Hwan’s eyes.
“Interesting.”
The Heavenly Demon Cult was already moving in the shadows.
The whereabouts of their first disciple, Cho Mu-jin, remained unknown, but his instincts told him clearly.
Before long, the entire martial world would be plunged into unprecedented chaos.
To protect his clan and the people he cherished, his own martial arts and strength alone would not suffice.
He had learned that lesson bitterly in his previous life.
Back then, he had believed himself the greatest under heaven and tried to seize everything with absolute power—only to collapse into nothingness in the end.
Yet now, as he looked at the rough letter sent by the bandit, Seomun Hwan found the answer in his brother’s words and actions.
“A hero……”
Everyone in the martial world longed for heroes and followed them.
The very existence of a hero possessed a centripetal force stronger than mere power.
When one hero rose, ten would follow, a hundred would revere him, and a thousand would carry out his will.
Such a mighty current would prevent even the Heavenly Demon Cult from swinging their blades recklessly.
It was something he had never obtained in his past life, despite priding himself on being the cleverest and most capable.
Righteousness and chivalry.
Righteous chivalry was the true force that moved this martial world.
It was the sharpest blade and the sturdiest armor that had guided the world.
A quiet smile formed on Seomun Hwan’s lips.
‘In the end, Brother’s way was correct. Even after living nearly a hundred years, there were still things I didn’t know.’
Thus, Seomun Hwan attained a true realization that had eluded him even in his previous life.
* * *
“……I’ve realized that much, but what do I do now?”
Seomun Hwan was still lounging on his wooden bench.
He had decided to become a hero.
But how exactly was one supposed to become a hero?
“Haaam! I’ve spent my days fighting and scheming, but I’ve never done a single good deed in my life!”
Though he prided himself on having a mind as sharp as his martial arts, this particular matter left him completely stumped.
“As expected, people should stick to what they’re good at.”
While rolling around in frustration, Seomun Hwan spotted a familiar figure in the distance and called out.
“Deokheum!”
At his summons, Deokheum approached at a leisurely pace, his reluctance visible at a glance.
“What is it this time, Young Master?”
Seomun Hwan sighed while still sprawled on the bench.
“Hey. What do people think of heroes?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Deokheum stopped in his tracks. He let out a sigh as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Haa… Young Master, why are you suddenly saying such incomprehensible things?”
“What? I’m just curious. In your opinion, what does it take to become a hero?”
Deokheum furrowed his brows and scratched his chin.
It seemed he had realized Seomun Hwan wasn’t joking and was seriously pondering the question.
“Well… how to become a hero. How would a mere servant like me know something like that?”
Seomun Hwan turned onto his back again and muttered.
“Just tell me what you think.”
Though Deokheum pouted in annoyance, he soon answered without much thought.
“Well… from a servant’s perspective, a hero is ultimately just a story, isn’t it?”
“A story?”
“Yes. Everyone loves stories, don’t they? Rather than terrifying tales of powerful martial artists rampaging across the world, people prefer stories that feel heartfelt, even if they’re a bit clumsy. For example… standing up to an opponent you can’t possibly defeat with strength, or keeping your word even if it brings you loss. Things like that.”
Seomun Hwan’s eyes sparkled.
“Go on.”
Deokheum, who had started out flustered, gradually grew more interested and continued.
“Well, people’s hearts are all similar. At first they think, ‘Can that really work?’ but in the end, they’re moved by that person’s sincerity. It’s not about skill or talent… It’s more like, ‘I trust him because it’s him,’ or ‘If it’s that person, they would have done it that way.’ Something like that, perhaps?”
Seomun Hwan slowly mulled over Deokheum’s words.
‘I trust him because it’s him.’
He felt like he understood exactly what that meant.
Seomun Jin-gang’s martial arts had clearly not been strong, yet people had begun to trust the Seomun Clan after witnessing his actions.
Only now did he clearly see that this trust stemmed not from power or fame, but from sincerity.
Deokheum shrugged lightly and added.
“Well, since Young Master is already known as the rising star of the martial world who made it into the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, you probably don’t need any other kind of story.”
Seomun Hwan chuckled softly.
“No, Deokheum. You’re right. That was an incredibly accurate observation.”
Deokheum looked at him in confusion. Seomun Hwan had already sat up, his expression deep in thought.
“A hero isn’t made by strength, but by stories. Is that what you’re saying?”
Deokheum nodded.
“That’s right. In the end, people don’t submit to overwhelming power—they’re moved by trustworthy stories and people.”
Seomun Hwan clapped his hands.
“Good. I’ve decided!”
“Pardon? Decided what?”
“I’m going to create the kind of story you described. A story that can move the hearts of people in this world.”
Deokheum scratched his head with a bewildered expression.
“Young Master, I’m not even sure what I said……”
Seomun Hwan sprang to his feet and patted Deokheum’s shoulder with a grin.
“Thanks to you, I’ve had a realization. You really are a genius.”
Though Deokheum wore a completely lost expression, Seomun Hwan’s eyes were already shining as he began planning his next move.
Until now, he had always tried to become the strongest. But what moved the hearts of the martial world’s people was not absolute strength.
Therefore, what he needed to do was clear.
Not to become a powerful martial artist, but to create a hero’s story—one that could genuinely move people’s hearts.
Seomun Hwan smiled brightly. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this kind of excitement that brightened a corner of his heart.
Watching Seomun Hwan’s cheerful demeanor, Deokheum frowned and muttered.
“That expression… that’s the face he makes when he’s plotting something bad……”
Deokheum’s worries only grew heavier.
* * *
Seomun Hwan headed toward the Murim Alliance.
He was going to meet the Alliance Lord, as he had promised Yeongho Jun.
“There are things I need to ask as well.”
The beginning of the last Jang Bo incident had clearly been the Murim Alliance.
There had been a secret manual and a fake Jang Bo-do requested by the Alliance.
After the incident, they had eventually found someone connected to the Alliance, but it was already too late.
The person had been discovered as a cold corpse in the hills.
Clearly, they had cut off their own tail.
“Still, I should at least hear the Alliance Lord’s side of the story.”
Seomun Hwan turned his head to observe the city.
This was Changsha.
A city known as the heart of Hunan Province.
To the north it bordered the Central Plains, and to the south it connected to the waterways of Gangnam and the South Sea.
With merchant ships, escort agencies, and various martial sects coming and going, this place had accumulated wealth and power—it was worthy of being called the heart of the martial world.
“Though that’s an old story now.”
The Murim Alliance had originally been established to unite the martial world against powerful foreign tribes or great enemies like the Demonic Cult.
In times of war, it would mobilize every sect, clan, and even the scattered martial artists under its banner to form a tight frontline—the final bastion and shield of the martial world.
During the great war against the Phantom Demon, this place had indeed served as the central hub that gathered all the energy and manpower of the martial world to stop the Demonic Cult.
Back then, the authority and power of the Murim Alliance Lord had been second only to the Emperor.
“But now that the war is over, it’s fallen out of favor.”
Decades after the war’s end, the Murim Alliance had already lost its sharp edge.
The influence of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Families was far too strong, and they despised being interfered with or pressured by others more than anything.
Now the Murim Alliance had become little more than a name, its actual influence greatly diminished from its former glory.
Its only remaining role was to mediate minor disputes throughout the martial world or suppress the activities of unorthodox factions.
Even that required the consent of the Nine Sects and One Gang to have any real effect.
Seomun Hwan smirked as he looked at the Murim Alliance’s main hall.
“They built such a grand building, yet all they do is mediate disputes… What a waste of such an imposing structure.”
The shadow of the giant that had once dominated the martial world with steel-like authority now appeared only faintly.
That didn’t mean the Murim Alliance had completely collapsed, however.
“Still, I hear the Alliance Lord is quite capable?”
The Alliance Lord, who came from a fallen sect, had almost no connections.
Yet he had become the Alliance Lord because the orthodox factions had chosen someone easy to control.
Naturally, in the beginning he had faced many difficulties due to his weak political foundation.
But through remarkable skill, the Alliance Lord had overcome numerous challenges and established his own authority.
Thanks to that skill, the current martial world was said to be enjoying its most peaceful era in decades.
“Even if only half the rumors are true, he’s still an impressive man.”
He knew better than to believe every rumor.
Nevertheless, Seomun Hwan had expectations for the Alliance Lord because he had read the documents from the Hao Clan.
The suspicious shadows that had recently fallen over the martial world were events that had occurred less than a few months ago.
But according to the Hao Clan’s records, the Murim Alliance had already been moving several years earlier.
It meant the Alliance had not yet grown rusty from the sweet poison of peace.
“Is it because they have a competent leader? Well, I’ll find out once I meet him.”
The reason he had come all this way despite the trouble wasn’t simply because of the promise.
Before handling matters, it was more important to understand the people involved.
He needed to know what kind of person the Alliance Lord was before he could make any other plans.
In fact, he had asked Yeongho Jun about the Alliance Lord as well, and received an unexpected reaction.
Looking slightly flustered, Yeongho Jun had said……
[He is someone I respect, but the Alliance Lord and the strategist are… somewhat unique individuals.]
And then he had avoided answering what exactly made them unique.
Well, he would find out for himself.
‘No one can match my eye for people.’
Just as he was about to enter the Murim Alliance, something stirred at Seomun Hwan’s chest and popped out.
“Piiit!”
It was Ggamangi, who had made Seomun Hwan’s robes its nest.
“Hungry again?”
“Piit!”
“Do you have a glutton living in your stomach? How many meals do you eat in a day?”
Though he grumbled, Seomun Hwan took out the dried meat he had prepared and fed it to the bird.
Perhaps because it was a Vermilion Bird, it refused anything but beef.
He had originally planned to leave it at home, but since the bird saw him as its mother, it refused to be separated.
So he had no choice but to bring it along.
Fortunately, being a hatchling, it ate and quickly fell asleep again.
This time too, after eating diligently, it burrowed back into his robes and began snoring softly.
“You can sleep anywhere, can’t you?”
After putting Ggamangi to sleep, he moved again.
However, the moment he arrived at the Alliance Lord’s hall, strange things began to happen.
Just before entering the building, a group of maidservants holding white towels came rushing toward him.
“Pardon us.”
“Wait a moment……”
Before he could finish speaking, the maidservants approached and began wiping his body with the towels.
One wiped his shoulders and back, while another ran a cloth soaked in strongly scented medicinal liquid over his hands and neck.
A herbal scent that went beyond subtle and pierced the nose spread through the air, and a cool sensation seeped into his skin.
The final maidservant took white powder from a small pouch and tapped it onto the crown of his head.
Tap, tap.
“Excuse me……”
Before Seomun Hwan could even begin speaking, the maidservants bowed politely and then retreated like the tide.
It seemed this wasn’t their first time doing this.
“What in the world is going on……”
He hadn’t been this flustered even when the monsters had poured out.
Seomun Hwan stood there dumbfounded for a moment before stepping forward.
The only maidservant who remained by his side spoke quietly.
“Young Hero, this way, please.”
The place the maidservant guided him to was not the Alliance Lord’s main hall, but another space connected through a narrow corridor.
When they reached the door, a vibration was already emanating from inside.
Thud! Thud!
A heavy, rumbling sound like boulders rolling down a mountain.
The closer they got, the more the floor trembled, and standing before the door, the impact that shook his very heart traveled up through the soles of his feet.
When Seomun Hwan pushed open the door with a puzzled expression, an incredible sight unfolded before his eyes.
In the center of a vast training hall stood a massive man with his upper body completely bare.
He was slowly lifting a staff with heavy iron weights resembling mountains attached to both ends, resting it on his shoulders.
His muscles bulged as if they might burst, and sweat poured down like rain.
“Hup! Eleven, twelve……”
Was this what the reincarnation of Zhang Fei looked like?
A beard as thick as wire covered half his face, and his arms were as thick as tree trunks.
He stood well over nine cheok tall, and his enormous body exuded an intimidating presence, like a bear standing upright.
Thud!
While Seomun Hwan stared blankly at the scene, the maidservant beside him carefully bowed her head and spoke.
“Young Hero, this is the Alliance Lord.”
“……What?”
The moment Seomun Hwan’s eyes widened, the massive man turned to look at him with a grin.
His shoulders shook with laughter as a deep, resonant voice rang out, accompanied by a sharp glint in his eyes.
“You must be the Divine Condor Hero. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”