Chapter 65
The day after the banquet, the Zhejiang Martial Alliance patriarchs gathered together to discuss the pending issues of murim and the operation of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance.
“Everyone probably knows now that the Jiangsu Province’s Great Sima Family was a disguised force of the Asura Cult, which is one of the factions of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. Now that they have revealed themselves, the other factions have also likely begun to move. If the Nine Celestial Demons Sect’s full-scale rampage is already underway, then our Zhejiang Martial Alliance will soon be put in an extremely precarious position. We should prepare countermeasures for that threat now.” Byeok Cheol-Gun, the patriarch of the Byeok Sword Manor, was the first to speak.
“How do you think we should prepare?” Tae Gong-Pyo, the Wind Saber Sect’s patriarch, asked.
“The Zhejiang Martial Alliance is currently only an alliance in name, but we do not actually have any system as an alliance. To efficiently respond to the Nine Celestial Demons Sect’s threat, we should first establish a solid system.”
“What do you mean?”
“First and foremost, we should elect a Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. The leader will be given strong authority, allowing us to respond in time during emergencies.”
“In other words, you want the other clans to follow the orders of the clan elected as the alliance leader?”
“Individually, we, the Ten Clans of Zhejiang, are just trifle organizations. However, if we join forces and share the same mind and goal, we’ll become a huge force that even the Seven Great Families cannot easily mess with. Don’t think of it as merely following the orders of the elected alliance leader. Rather, I hope you see it as developing the Zhejiang Martial Alliance together with the elected clan as the leader.”
“That clan should be qualified enough to make the others follow them. How will we determine that qualification?”
“Why don’t we elect an alliance leader through fair voting by the various patriarchs?”
“I don’t think that’s a good method,” Baek Cheon-Sang voiced out in opposition.
“How so?” Cheol-Gun asked with a frown, perhaps due to the fact that he didn’t like Cheon-Sang, who disagreed with him.
“If the alliance leader is elected by vote, factions will inevitably be formed within the Zhejiang Martial Alliance. It will only become a hindrance to our unity.”
“Patriarch Baek has a point.” Jeong Won-Hyo, the Justice Martial Sect’s patriarch, supported Cheon-Sang.
Cheol-Gun frowned. “How do you think we should elect the alliance leader, then?”
“Aren’t martial arts the most important criterion in murim?”
“You want to elect the alliance leader through a martial arts competition?” Cheol-Gun replied with a satisfied smile.
Cheol-Gun recently reached the Upper Peak Realm by consuming a medicinal pill he procured through the Hangzhou Merchant Company. Hence, he was confident in his own martial arts and had no reason to refuse.
“It is an undeniable truth that martial arts are the priority in murim. However, it will be difficult to lead the Zhejiang Martial Alliance with strong martial arts alone. Martial arts are certainly important, but the majority of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang should acknowledge the leader as well. That would immediately establish their authority.” Kang Won-Hee, the Kang Household’s patriarch, raised a disagreement.
“Why don’t we decide on the candidate for alliance leader by competing through martial arts, then vote on whether to acknowledge the candidate as the alliance leader?” Gong-Pyo, the Wind Saber Sect’s patriarch, suggested.
“What if the candidate is voted out?” Dam Hwa-Seong, the Iron Palm Sect’s patriarch, asked.
“Why don’t we take the first runner-up in the martial arts competition as the new candidate and vote again?”
“In short, you want to appoint the candidates through a martial arts competition, then verify whether they’re qualified through voting.”
“That’s right.”
“That would certainly eliminate any backbiting about the alliance leader election. It would ultimately establish the leader’s authority as well.” Cheol-Gun agreed with Gong-Pyo’s opinion.
If Cheol-Gun showed overwhelming martial arts in the martial arts competition with three clans already on his side, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to get majority support. Wind Saber Sect’s Tae Gong-Pyo was also confident that he could become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance Leader. He believed that although he had fewer clans on his side compared to the Byeok Sword Manor, he would be able to win over the support of the three clans that kept a neutral political stance if he showed superiority through his martial arts.
Meanwhile, Cheon-Sang was at a loss now that the candidate had to gain majority support. He was confident in the martial arts competition. The problem was that he had to win over the majority of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang. Would the clans on the Byeok Sword Manor and Wind Saber Sect’s side support the Baek Sword Sect? The Baek Sword Sect had a decent reputation, but it wasn’t outstanding enough to change the minds of the clans that followed the Byeok Sword Manor and Wind Saber Sect. At the very least, he could rely on his Absolute Realm martial arts. The Absolute Realm was a domain that garnered awe and respect. Showcasing it in the martial arts competition could move the hearts of the other clans.
Now that they had reached an agreement on the basic method of electing the alliance leader, a detailed discussion on the agenda ensued.
“Electing an alliance leader isn’t the only issue. The alliance leader’s authority has to be clearly defined and thoroughly conformed to,” Cheon-Sang voiced his opinion, taking the initiative.
“I agree. There is no reason to pick an alliance leader if it’s nothing more than a title. We have to give the alliance leader strong authority.”
Cheol-Gun agreed with Cheon-Sang, surprised by his unexpectedly active participation in the discussion. Since it was highly likely that Cheol-Gun would become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader, obtaining strong authority over the alliance would be advantageous for him.
“What do you mean exactly by ‘strong authority’?” Gong-Pyo asked, suspecting that the Baek Sword Sect was on the Byeok Sword Manor’s side because of the perfect chemistry between Cheon-Sang and Cheol-Gun.
“We should give the alliance leader authority to arbitrarily move the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s forces. To that end, we should establish a united corps within the Zhejiang Martial Alliance composed of our own people.” Cheon-Sang told them what he had discussed with Mu-Gun earlier.
“If the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader uses the united corps for personal purposes, it will lead to a serious situation. We will have to prepare countermeasures for that,” Mei Jung-Hak of the Mei Household said, expressing his concern.
“That could be avoided by giving the Ten Clans of Zhejiang the right of veto.” Cheon-Sang calmly and immediately came up with a countermeasure.
“How do we use that right?”
“Each clan has to be notified in advance before the Zhejiang Martial Alliance can mobilize the forces. If the majority of the ten clans use the right of veto, the leader’s right to mobilize the forces will be restricted.”
“Wouldn’t that interfere with quick decision-making? During emergencies, we won’t have time to give advance notices and decide whether to proceed or not.” Kang Won-Hee, the Kang Household’s patriarch, raised a question.
“Giving the alliance leader the full authority to respond quickly in urgent situations will likely make up for that. Of course, the Ten Clans of Zhejiang’s consent should be required when granting full authority.”
“Setting up a Zhejiang Martial Alliance United Corps and dispatching our own forces will be quite expensive. How are we going to cover that cost?” Hwa-Seong, the Iron Palm Sect’s patriarch added.
“How about the clan elected as the alliance leader pay thirty percent of the funds required, and the remaining nine clans share the burden of the other seventy percent?” This time again, Cheon-Sang expressed his opinion without hesitation.
“Isn’t it too unfair for the alliance leader to pay thirty percent of the cost?” Gong-Pyo raised his disagreement with a dissatisfied look.
The Wind Saber Sect, which wasn’t financially well-funded, couldn’t help but find it burdensome to pay thirty percent of the funds. Of course, they’d only have to pay it if they actually became the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader.
“Isn’t it only right to take responsibility for that, considering the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader will possess authority on various matters? If you’re not willing to take on that much responsibility, you shouldn’t desire the position in the first place.”
“What Patriarch Baek said is reasonable. As the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader, you should set an example to lead the other clans.” Cheol-Gun supported Cheon-Sang.
Cheol-Gun was exhilarated. Cheon-Sang continued to offer opinions that were advantageous to him. In his mind, he thought that the Wind Saber Sect would be the greatest hindrance to him becoming the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader, but its weakness was its financial situation. Unlike the Byeok Sword Manor, which had the Hangzhou Merchant Company’s financial power on its back, the Wind Saber Sect had to procure funds on its own.
It wouldn’t be easy for them to pay thirty percent of the funds for establishing the Zhejiang Martial Alliance United Corps. Depending on the circumstances, the Wind Saber Sect could even step down from the competition for the alliance leader position. If they did, the Byeok Sword Manor would no longer have anything to worry about. As far as he knew, no clan was ahead of the Wind Saber Sect in terms of combat or financial power.
The other patriarchs of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang didn’t raise any disagreement, which indicated that they agreed with Cheon-Sang. Except for the Byeok Sword Manor and the Wind Saber Sect, there was virtually a very low possibility for the other clans to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader.
Having the elected alliance leader fund a huge amount to establish a united corps wasn’t a bad condition. After all, it would reduce the amount the others would have to pay. Since no one raised any disagreement, the Wind Saber Sect’s patriarch, Gong-Pyo, found it hard to object. If he opposed it, the other patriarchs would only antagonize him. Hence, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept Cheon-Sang’s opinion.
With a basic direction now in place, further discussion on the details continued. The meeting between the Ten Clans of Zhejiang’s patriarchs lasted for three days, and the reorganization plan for the Zhejiang Martial Alliance was finalized based on the election of the alliance leader and the establishment of the United Corps as a foundation.
The decisions made through the patriarchs’ meeting were as follows:
First, the sparring competition for the alliance leader election would be held in Hangzhou in two months.
Second, to ensure the sparring competition would be held fairly, the Shaolin Temple and the Putuo Sword Sect would be requested to attend as observers.
Third, the use of force is allowed against clans that refused to acknowledge the result of the sparring competition.
Fourth, the Zhejiang Martial Alliance United Corps will be established in Shaoxing, and the clan elected as alliance leader will bear thirty percent of the cost necessary for its establishment and maintenance. The other nine clans will share the remaining seventy percent of the cost.
Fifth, each clan in the Zhejiang Martial Alliance will dispatch an entire martial squad, numbering one hundred warriors, to the Zhejiang Martial Alliance United Corps.
Sixth, the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader will have a three-year term, and the patriarchs of the nine clans, except for the patriarch of the clan elected as the alliance leader, can veto the alliance leader’s use of the combat force. However, in the case of an emergency, a quorum could delegate full authority to the leader, eliminating the need to recognize the right of veto.
Seventh, the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader has to prioritize the interest of the entire Ten Clans of Zhejiang, which is a part of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance. If the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader arbitrarily uses the power of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance for the benefit of their own clan, the patriarchs of the other nine clans can unanimously impeach the alliance leader of their position.
The detailed agenda decided through the patriarch’s meeting satisfied Mu-Gun. It was pretty similar to what he and Cheon-Sang envisioned. The key was whether the other clans would vote in favor of Cheon-Sang becoming the alliance leader. It would be too complacent of them to simply believe in their martial arts capabilities and hope that the other clans would vote for them. They had to come up with a clear plan to ensure the other clans would vote in favor of the Baek Sword Sect. A surefire way would be to bring them over to their side through marriage.
However, Mu-Gun had no intention of going through a marriage of convenience. The story would change if both parties liked each other, but none of the rising stars of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang attracted Mu-Gun’s heart.
Ruling out the marriage of convenience, the best method was to show what sort of benefits they would gain if the Baek Sword Sect became the alliance leader. If the Zhejiang Martial Alliance became stronger, the clans belonging to it would also be able to gain more benefits. Even just absorbing the territories occupied by the notorious sects in Zhejiang could give them tremendous benefits.
The Baek Sword Sect had to confidently show they were capable of expanding the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s power. In addition, the Baek Sword Sect could gain more votes if they could help the other clans’ martial arts grow. Hence, Mu-Gun intended to actively help the clans belonging to the Zhejiang Martial Alliance develop their martial strength. He ultimately planned to make the Zhejiang Martial Alliance a single united force centered on the Baek Sword Sect, so it would be problematic if only the Baek Sword Sect grew stronger. The Zhejiang Martial Alliance as a whole should improve.
Mu-Gun was considering two ways to increase the martial strength of the other clans. The first was to improve their martial arts and lead them to achieve a higher martial arts level. The second was to provide them with the Medicine King Family’s medicinal pills to enhance their martial arts.
Paying attention to the other clans when the Baek Sword Sect’s growth required immediate attention could be foolish. However, as Mu-Gun previously mentioned, he wanted to turn the others into the Baek Sword Sect’s vassal clans. If they became stronger, the Baek Sword Sect’s power would as well. Helping them grow would eventually lead to the Baek Sword Sect’s growth.
Of course, everything Mu-Gun had done would go to waste if the other clans didn’t want to be regarded as vassal clans, but he believed they would eventually end up following the Baek Sword Sect. No, he would make sure they would. Mu-Gun had already expressed his thoughts to Cheon-Sang, and Cheon-Sang accepted them after much consideration. If he helped the other clans and excluded the Baek Sword Sect, Cheon-Sang would have never agreed to it.
However, Mu-Gun’s idea was to basically focus on the Baek Sword Sect’s growth while helping the other clans grow as well. Mu-Gun decided to prioritize developing the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect since they had an amicable relationship with the Baek Sword Sect.
Nevertheless, even if Mu-Gun offered to help grow their martial strength, all this would only be possible if the other party accepted his help. From the other clans’ perspective, his offer would likely sound absurd. What could Mu-Gun even do to help them improve? They would feel offended as well and could even think that he was looking down on them.
He had to approach the clans that wouldn’t misunderstand his true intention first, which was why he chose the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect. They were both relatively friendly with the Baek Sword Sect. The Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect could naturally still find it absurd and offensive, but there was more room for communication with them compared to the other clans. As long as Mu-Gun do a great job in persuading them, they would likely understand.
Mu-Gun had such overwhelming martial arts anyway that they would have no choice but to understand. If he displayed overwhelming martial arts before explaining and convincing the Zhejiang Martial Alliance about the way forward, they would likely trust Mu-Gun and the Baek Sword Sect. As a result, they would be willing to leave the task of improving their martial arts to Mu-Gun.
In addition, it would also be easier to persuade the other clans if the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect’s skills stood out in the sparring competition after being enhanced through an improved martial art and the Medicine King Family’s medicinal pills.
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