Cheongpunghoe, building upon its recent growth and expanding influence in Murim, began to pursue greater power. Declaring themselves as the protectors of justice, they proclaimed that they would establish a new order in the martial world. Yucheonrin, together with Cheongpunghoe's core members, convened a meeting, convinced that they had gathered enough strength. Their next target: to exploit the weaknesses of the Jeongpa and Sapa factions, to destabilize Cheonwoohui's influence, and to solidify their own standing in Murim.
The leaders of Cheongpunghoe gathered to discuss their current intelligence and the vulnerabilities of various factions. They decided to seize the opportunity to infiltrate areas under Cheonwoohui's protection and attack weaker branches of the Jeongpa and Sapa factions.
"We no longer need to remain on the defensive. It's time to spread our justice across Murim," Yucheonrin declared. He specifically set his sights on smaller villages under Cheonwoohui's protection and the less-defended branches of Jeongpa and Sapa. "It's time to show the strength of Cheongpunghoe and realize our ideals."
However, the nature of Cheongpunghoe's plans began to reveal itself. Though they preached justice, their actions betrayed a different agenda: the protection of the strong, the expansion of their power, and the neglect of the common people.
The first target was a small village that Cheonwoohui had been protecting—a place where the poor and destitute had gathered, relying on Cheonwoohui for survival. When Cheongpunghoe arrived, they proclaimed their justice.
"This place no longer deserves Cheonwoohui's protection. We will restore order under our justice!" declared one of Cheongpunghoe's leaders. Before the words had even fully left his lips, Cheongpunghoe's forces began driving the villagers out.
The villagers protested, but Cheongpunghoe ignored their cries. They didn't see the villagers as simply "the weak," but rather as "lazy and corrupt" individuals who deserved to be cast out.
"These people are not the weak—they are simply lazy. We must cleanse this place and rule it anew," Seol Yeonhwa stated coldly. Her voice carried no hint of sympathy or compassion. Together with Cheongpunghoe's warriors, she drove out the villagers, repurposing the village as a stronghold for their expanding influence.
Kang Hyuk, participating in the operation as a member of Cheongpunghoe, tried to carry out his assigned duties. Yet, seeing the fear in the villagers' eyes, something deep inside him began to crumble. He had left Cheonwoohui to seek greater strength and to pursue a more realistic vision of justice—but what was unfolding before his eyes was far from the justice he had once envisioned.
"This isn't justice…" Kang Hyuk muttered to himself. He watched as villagers, forced to their knees by Cheongpunghoe's oppressive tactics, sobbed and were cast out from their homes. The sword in his hand felt heavier, and he began questioning what he was truly fighting for.
Some villagers resisted, determined to protect their homes, but they were no match for Cheongpunghoe's martial prowess. Their desperate struggle was crushed effortlessly, and Cheongpunghoe's forces showed no mercy, treating the villagers brutally as they were driven out.
"This place now belongs to Cheongpunghoe. The weak and incompetent have no right to remain here," Yucheonrin declared mercilessly. His words, though framed as a proclamation of justice, were steeped in the logic of power and desire.
Watching the scene unfold, Kang Hyuk felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. He couldn't shake the doubt gnawing at him—was he truly doing the right thing? He had joined Cheongpunghoe under the belief that Cheonwoohui's ideals were too naive and unrealistic, but the reality he now faced was a justice far more twisted. He began to realize that Cheonwoohui, at the very least, had been trying to help those in need—and that the values they had sought to protect were genuinely precious.
After the fighting and suppression were over, Cheongpunghoe's forces began preparing the village to serve as a base for the strong. Yucheonrin, smiling with satisfaction, said, "Now we will establish true justice in Murim. The weak will no longer hinder us here."
But Kang Hyuk's heart grew heavier with each passing moment. Something was building up within him—a realization that this was not the justice he had sought, and that countless innocents were suffering as a result.
That night, Kang Hyuk drank alone, berating himself. "This isn't what I wanted… Am I really upholding justice?" He was torn between the betrayal he felt toward Cheonwoohui and the remorse for his actions within Cheongpunghoe, sinking deeper into a state of confusion.
Though Cheongpunghoe continued to expand its territories, cracks had already begun to form within. Kang Hyuk's inner conflict grew, and he found himself questioning Cheongpunghoe's ideals more and more. It became increasingly clear that he could no longer follow their methods. His turmoil was destined to become a critical turning point in the looming conflict between Cheongpunghoe and Cheonwoohui.
*****
Chapter : Provocation and Conspiracy
Cheongpunghoe had begun to encroach on Cheonwoohui's territory, signaling a new phase in Murim. They deliberately targeted the villages and areas that Cheonwoohui protected, threatening the range of their influence. Outwardly, they claimed the banner of justice, promising to create new havens for the weak within Murim, but beneath that façade lay a clear provocation toward Cheonwoohui.
Yucheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa, the leaders of Cheongpunghoe, were scheming behind the scenes while waiting for Cheonwoohui to respond. Instead of waiting idly, they prepared a plan to publicly denounce Cheonwoohui, aiming to solidify Cheongpunghoe's image as the righteous force in Murim. To do that, they needed the right narrative—ammunition to use against Cheonwoohui.
Yucheonrin called for Kang Hyuk during a meeting of Cheongpunghoe's key members. Kang Hyuk, still burdened by guilt and conflict over leaving Cheonwoohui, tried his best to fulfill his duties within Cheongpunghoe to gain their trust. Yet, as he walked into the meeting room, a vague sense of unease crept over him.
"Kang Hyuk, it's time we clarified everything we know about Cheonwoohui," Yucheonrin said in a calm voice, though there was a sharp undercurrent beneath his words. "Cheonwoohui is trying to obstruct Cheongpunghoe's righteous path. They intend to stop us by force, and we must expose their true nature to all of Murim."
Seol Yeonhwa added with a gentle smile, "Kang Hyuk, you were once part of Cheonwoohui, so you must know their inner workings well. We need to tell the world how they claim to protect the weak but actually suppress their freedom, how they're nothing more than hypocrites. If you can reveal the flaws you witnessed within Cheonwoohui, it would greatly help us in discrediting them."
Kang Hyuk exhaled deeply, hesitating. What he had witnessed within Cheonwoohui was indeed a delicate mix of ideals and reality. Yet, he knew Cheonwoohui truly tried to help the weak. Their shortcomings were not malicious or intentional, and he found it painful to participate in any plan that would tarnish their name.
Before speaking, Kang Hyuk lowered his head slightly, carefully choosing his words. "Cheonwoohui is not perfect. At times, they become so attached to their ideals that they fail to make practical decisions. But their intentions have never been evil. They genuinely strive to help those in need."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Yucheonrin's face. His voice grew colder as he pressed, "Kang Hyuk, do you not understand what we're trying to accomplish here? We need to expose Cheonwoohui's weaknesses to Murim, to show how irresponsible they are, how their ideals don't match reality. You should be the one to support this effort."
Kang Hyuk felt a deep, growing turmoil within him. He knew he was supposed to fulfill his role within Cheongpunghoe, but he couldn't shake the feeling that helping to attack and slander Cheonwoohui was wrong. Though he had left them, Cheonwoohui still held a significant place in his heart. To denounce them now felt like a betrayal of his own beliefs.
"I'll explain what I can, within my limits," Kang Hyuk finally replied in a measured tone. He mentioned some of Cheonwoohui's flaws, but spoke carefully, ensuring that his words didn't undermine their pure intentions. Yucheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa were clearly dissatisfied with his response, yet they didn't press him further. For now, they decided to give Kang Hyuk more time, hoping to eventually extract more information.
After the meeting, Kang Hyuk returned to his room, lost in deep thought. Was Cheongpunghoe's justice truly just? Where did their talk of protecting the weak end, and where did their hypocrisy begin? He wrestled with his position, torn between his role in Cheongpunghoe and his memories of Cheonwoohui.
Cheongpunghoe was provoking Cheonwoohui, preparing for an inevitable clash, and Kang Hyuk found himself increasingly trapped between his beliefs and the reality around him. He was beginning to recognize the dark motives hidden behind Cheongpunghoe's righteous banner, but he still didn't know what decision he should make. The unease growing within him seemed to signal the beginning of a great upheaval yet to come.