Chapter 54
“Stop. I’ve lost.” Baek Cheon-Sang dejectedly conceded defeat.
“I'm sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? You did the right thing. I realized that my martial prowess is still lacking because you gave it your all against me.”
Cheon-Sang unknowingly formed a sense of pride for reaching the Absolute Realm. However, his battle against Baek Mu-Gun made him realize his martial arts were still lacking. Hence, he became determined to improve his martial arts and throw away his pride.
“To be honest, your martial arts surprised me, Father. I didn’t expect you to master the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts to this level in such a short period of time.”
“Even so, it’s far from being able to stand up against you.”
“If you cultivate the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts to an even higher level, you’ll achieve a different result than today.”
“You don’t have to comfort me like that. I know that my current level is great enough, although I don’t intend to be satisfied with it.”
“I’m sure you’ll do well, Father.”
“At any rate, you’re seriously amazing. I knew had outstanding talent, but I didn’t expect it to be this great.”
“I still have a long way to go to catch up to the Seven Great Families.”
“Is reaching the Seven Great Families’ level your goal?”
“I’m aiming for a league higher than them.”
“A higher league?”
“I want our Baek Family to stand at the top as the best clan in the world.”
“Haha! My mind tells me what you just said is ridiculous, but my heart is thumping violently. Somehow, I think you’ll actually achieve that.”
“Father, it’s definitely achievable for as long as you, our uncles, and the entire Baek Sword Sect unite and work hard together.”
“All successful people throughout history were big dreamers, weren’t they?”Cheon-Sang nodded, then asked, “Do you have any specific plans to achieve that?”
“I have three steps for the plan. Of course, the final decision will be up to you as the Baek Sword Sect’s patriarch.”
“What’s your plan?”
“The first step is to enhance and develop our members’ martial arts.”
That was only natural. The method they’d use to do that was an important issue, however.
“How do we do that?”
“I’m planning on requesting the Medicine King Family to supply us with medicinal pills that can elevate our internal energy.”
“Have you mentioned this to the Medicine King Family?”
“I have yet to come to an agreement with them. If you allow me, I will try to push ahead with it, Father.”
“Where is the Medicine King Family based?”
“They were originally based in Mount Tai, but they moved their base to Mount Yandang not too long ago.”
“Was their move to Yandang Mountain related to you?”
“Yes. I was the one who recommended for them to move to that place.”
“Why did the Medicine King Family leave Mount Tai? I don’t think they would’ve left their home for no reason.”
“It was to avoid the Great Huangfu Family’s threat.”
“The Great Huangfu Family’s threat?” Cheon-Sang asked.
Mu-Gun told him about the matter regarding Shangguan Bihe in response. He kept silent about his involvement in wiping out the Great Huangfu Family’s martial artists in the Thousand Pine Valley since he didn’t want Cheon-Sang to worry for no reason.
“It could be a problem later on if the Great Huangfu Family tracks her down instead of giving up on her.”
“That’s unlikely to happen.”
“How can you be so sure about that?”
“You’ll find out about it soon, but the Nine Celestial Demons Sect has begun to move.”
“Are you certain?” Cheon-Sang asked, startled.
“The Great Sima Family had recently been confirmed to be under the control of the Asura Cult, one of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect’s factions. Hence, the Great Huangfu Family and Great Namgung Family annihilated them. Given that the Asura Cult has revealed itself, it is highly likely that the other factions have also begun their activities. The Great Huangfu Family will probably devote all their resources to tracking down the Nine Celestial Demons Sect, which has infiltrated murim, so they probably won’t be able to pay any attention to the Medicine King Family. The Great Huangfu Family has also already broken off the engagement with Lady Shangguan. For the sake of their great family’s honor, they cannot accept a woman who eloped with another man as their daughter-in-law. For those reasons, the Great Huangfu Family won’t track down the Medicine King Family.”
“That’s fortunate, but we’ll still have to tread carefully.”
“That’s a given. If the Medicine King Family’s existence is revealed, not only the Great Huangfu Family but all of the murim’s forces will act on their greed. That’s why we have to hide their existence to the best of our abilities.”
“Be that as it may, are the Medicine King Family’s skills really that great?”
“Although it’s not known in murim, the concoction method of the Shaolin Temple’s Greater Recovery Pill, the Wudang Sect’s Clear Effervescence Pill, and the Mount Hua Sect’s Violet Alienation Pill all originated from the Medicine King Family.”
In principle, the Medicine King Family didn’t intervene in the affairs of murim. However, whenever it was in chaos, they would secretly lend a helping hand from the shadows by providing medicinal pills.
The Shaolin Temple’s Greater Recovery Pill, the Wudang Sect’s Clear Effervescence Pill, and the Mount Hua Sect’s Violet Alienation Pill were all renowned medicinal pills supplied by the Medicine King Family to murim. However, there was barely anyone who was aware of that fact.
“The Medicine King Family is the real creator of those medicines?” Cheon-Sang asked, surprised by the huge secret.
“That’s right.”
“If what you said is true, then they’re really amazing.”
“In all probability, the moment the Medicine King Family decides to support murim’s forces, its situation would be reversed.”
“Then we should get their support no matter what.”
“We cannot force them. If they don’t want to, we have to give up on the first step of our plan.”
“That would be unfortunate, but I understand. What’s the second step?”
“Raise the Baek Sword Sect’s information power to a level equal to the Seven Great Families.”
“You mean our intel-gathering capabilities?”
“If we only aim to stay in Wenzhou just like right now, then we won’t have a huge problem with our current information power. However, we require greater information power to reach higher leagues.”
“I am well aware of that. The problem is how to increase our information power.”
“During my last trip, I became associated with an intel organization called the Heavenly Secret Hall.”
“Heavenly Secret Hall?”
“It’s an organization that’s not very well known in the world. However, their reconnaissance is spread throughout the Middle Plains. With their information power, we’ll be able to acquire intel on the movement of murim’s forces.”
“Did they say they would cooperate with us?”
“Yes.”
“What do they want in return?”
“Nothing.”
“They want nothing?”
Cheon-Sang looked at Mu-Gun bewilderedly.
“I helped them defeat their adversaries by chance. In return, they agreed to provide us with information.”
“Wow, what a coincidence. Was it really by chance?”
“What else would it be if not a coincidence?”
“I just think it’s too coincidental to call it a chanced happening, both with the Medicine King Family and the Heavenly Secret Hall.”
“I also think it’s too much of a coincidence, but it’s really just a chance encounter.”
“Alright, if you say so, then let’s leave it at that.”
Cheon-Sang was suspicious, but he didn’t ask any more questions. He knew Mu-Gun wouldn’t tell him even if he asked further. He also decided not to pry anymore because he believed in Mu-Gun.
“What’s the third and final step to your plan?”
“You have to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader, Father.”
“Why should I?”
“The Zhejiang Martial Alliance is currently just a simple coalition that usually acts individually and only joins forces in the case of an emergency. I would like for you to become its members’ leader.”
“I’d like for that to happen, but will the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s members accept it?”
“It naturally won’t be easy. However, if the Baek Sword Sect shows overwhelming power, I believe there’s a chance they’d concur.”
“As you said, if we demonstrate our strength, we will be able to make the other clans follow. However, that alone has its limits. Along with overwhelming power, we need to have a justification for the other martial sects to follow us.”
“Countering the Nine Celestial Demons Sect’s threat should be enough justification to unite them under our banner.”
“With that cause, I certainly doubt the other sects will oppose the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s unification for no reason.”
“I don’t know about the other sects, but the Byeok Sword Manor and the Wind Saber Sect will agree to the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s unification since they’ve been waiting for an opportunity to become its leader. The other martial sects who have interacted with them will also agree to the unification according to their will.”
“The other martial sects do support the Byeok Sword Manor and the Wind Saber Sect to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader. That being said, do you think they’d just sit still and watch us take that position for ourselves? It won’t be easy to win their support with overwhelming force alone. It is an undeniable truth that we are inferior in size and ability compared to the Byeok Sword Manor and the Wind Saber Sect.”
“No clan in the Zhejiang Martial Alliance possesses an Absolute Realm master. However, we, the Baek Sword Sect, have two Absolute Realm masters in our family. That alone is enough to show that we have an overwhelming force over other martial sects.”
Absolute Realm masters were more valuable than dozens or hundreds of martial artists combined. In fact, the status of a sect would change depending on whether they had an Absolute Realm master or not. Except for the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families, there were only a few sects or families in murim with Absolute Realm masters within their ranks. Hence, it could be said that the Baek Sword Sect’s status, which had two Absolute Realm masters, was much higher than the other members of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance combined.
“So I basically have to show that I have reached the Absolute Realm and make the other martial sects yield to us, right?”
“That’s right. We should set a stage where you’d stand out.”
“And by that, you mean?”
“We should propose to decide on the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader through a competition with the other members. The Byeok Sword Manor and the Wind Saber Sect won’t oppose this method.”
“That’s a good idea. However, we should make sure that the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s system and the alliance leader’s authority are absolute before deciding on the alliance leader. That would prevent anyone from saying otherwise in the later stages.”
On the off chance that the other martial sects lost their chance at the alliance leader position, they would do their best to reduce the alliance leader’s authority. Therefore, setting rules for that role’s authority in advance was imperative.
“You’re right.”
“The next gathering is in one month’s time, so we can discuss this matter then.”
“We should create a system for the Zhejiang Martial Alliance before that, then.”
“I’m curious about what sorts of ideas you have for that,” Cheon-Sang commented, guessing that Mu-Gun had already thought about it.
“It’s simple. The member clan where the alliance leader comes from will become the main family, and the other forces will become vassal branches.”
“Are you trying to build a single force, not just a union?”
“A well-organized command system is essential in order to fight the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. That’s why we need to reorganize the Zhejiang Martial Alliance into a single force with a vertical command system.”
“I get what you mean, but I wonder if the other martial sects would agree.”
“If the Zhejiang Martial Alliance is reorganized into a single force, it would literally be the leading force of Zhejiang Province. The Byeok Sword Manor and the Wind Saber Sect won’t miss out on that opportunity. They’ll even do whatever it takes to persuade the sects who follow them.”
“However, if they don’t come out as the victor, they’ll become subordinated to another martial sect. Will they be willing to bear that risk?”
“We can just have a yearly alliance leader reappointment through a martial arts competition instead of making it permanent. That would give them a chance at the position every year and make them think that even if they fail this time, they’ll get a chance to become the alliance leader in the coming year.”
“Isn’t once a year too quick?”
“As long as our martial arts is absolute, it won’t matter at all even if the tenure is short. The results won’t change after a year anyway.”
“I understand what you mean. Let’s discuss it in more detail later on.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll give you full authority regarding the plans related to the Medicine King Family and the Heavenly Secret Hall.”
“Will that be fine?”
“Both of those factions have a connection to you, so wouldn’t it be best for you to handle it?”
“Understood. I’ll do my best to get their support.”
“Is there anything else you want to talk about?”
“Not really.”
“Then, go and rest up.”
“Understood.”
“Wait a minute!” Mu-Gun bid farewell and was about to leave, but Cheon-Sang stopped him.
“I’m glad you came back safely,” Cheon-Sang said shyly. “Also, as your father, I’m so proud to see you achieve such great things.”
“Thank you.”
Mu-Gun smiled at Cheon-Sang, who expressed his feelings. He then left the training hall.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l