I Shouldn't Have Joined the Martial Arts Alliance - Chapter 4

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Reluctantly Joining the Murim Alliance — Episode 4
Inside the Gambling House sat a man alone in a chair, bleeding from his wounds.
This man, bleeding and seemingly resigned to his fate, was Seo Woo-chan — a member of Team 11 in the Biryong Division of the Patrol Unit under the Murim Alliance.
The Patrol Unit was the organization that commanded the greatest number of martial artists within the Murim Alliance. There was a simple reason for this: the Patrol Unit’s mission was to serve as the eyes and ears of the Murim Alliance, spread across the entire Kangho.
And naturally, in emergencies, they also served as the martial force that the Murim Alliance deployed.
Under the Patrol Unit were two divisions: the Chuyong Division and the Biryong Division. The Chuyong Division was currently garrisoned within the Murim Alliance’s main headquarters, while the Biryong Division spread throughout the Alliance’s branches across Kangho, performing their duties as the Alliance’s eyes and ears.
Seo Woo-chan had caught the scent of blood while traveling a night road, and at the end of that scent lay a corpse.
It was a common enough occurrence in Kangho. But the fresh blood pooling on the ground troubled him, so he began to track its source. His pursuit led him to a suspicious man.
And so he followed.
“Damn it. This wasn’t supposed to turn into a chase.”
If he’d only known from the start that the man was a master of the Demonic Cult. But regret now was pointless. Already, deep wounds bled freely from his body.
And that was just the beginning.
Soon enough, that Demonic Cult master would arrive and kill him. If word spread that a Demonic Master was roaming freely through Sichuan Province, he was as good as dead anyway. To silence him, that master would never let him walk away.
“Damn.”
At that moment, footsteps echoed through the Gambling House, breaking the silence thick with the smell of blood. Seo Woo-chan turned his head back.
“Ugh. This is really frustrating.”
He’d already lost so much blood that his internal energy was nearly depleted, and now something else was sapping what little strength remained.
“What are you doing? I clearly told you to leave this place because it’s dangerous.”
Sa Woo-rin paid no mind to whatever Seo Woo-chan was saying and continued walking toward him.
“If you’ve left any belongings behind, find them later. That master will be here any moment now — get out of here and save yourself.”
Still, Sa Woo-rin’s footsteps did not waver.
So Seo Woo-chan’s brow furrowed.
He had hoarded what little strength and internal energy remained, hoping to land at least one solid blow on that Demonic Cult bastard before dying — at least then his spirit could find some satisfaction. But now this boy had shown up and was wasting even that precious reserve.
“Are you deaf, you little fool? Hey! Can’t you hear me?! Stay here and you’ll die right alongside me!”
Only then did Sa Woo-rin’s footsteps stop.
Saving a dying Murim Alliance warrior would certainly be a great merit.
“Did you really fight a Demonic Cult master?”
And if he could also defeat that Demonic Cult master?
That would be a truly significant achievement.
“What are you? Didn’t your captain tell you anything?”
“He did. That’s why I came.”
To earn merit and join the Murim Alliance with ease.
“…What?”
‘…Is this kid insane?’
Or perhaps.
‘…Is he just an idiot?’
“Is that Demonic Cult master strong? No — how strong is he exactly?”
The stronger the enemy, the greater the merit for defeating him, wouldn’t it be?
Of course, if the enemy were too strong, that would be a problem. But looking at this bleeding Murim Alliance warrior, he thought the master was someone he could handle.
“Hey! Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Huh?”
“No. Never mind. Looking at you, I can get a sense of things now.”
Sa Woo-rin’s eyes perceived it.
The martial power of the man sitting here, bleeding out.
As his Hunyuan Gong had ascended to the third stage through the Youxin Xiaozao, he had begun to sense such things.
And if the man who had wounded this warrior so grievously — forcing him to flee like this — possessed strength of that caliber?
Sa Woo-rin’s lips curved into a smile. He thought it was more than worth attempting.
“…Heh. Heh.”
Seo Woo-chan was left speechless with exasperation.
“What, what are you saying? You can get a sense of things? Sense of what?”
“The martial power of the Demonic Master who left you in this condition.”
“…Really…?”
No. That couldn’t be right.
The boy in front of him was no more than twenty, at most. How could he possibly—
It made no sense.
“No. I must be delirious from blood loss, falling for this boy’s nonsense. Stop spouting garbage and get out of here. I won’t ask twice.”
“I’m not joking.”
“And yet this kid still—”
Sa Woo-rin stepped closer to Seo Woo-chan.
“But you’ve been bleeding like this without even applying hemostasis? I’d think you’d at least know how to stop blood flow.”
Seo Woo-chan’s death was at hand. Yet a bitter laugh escaped him nonetheless.
“Ha. So you’re trying to make a fool of me. Of course I applied Hemostasis—what, you think I didn’t? The wound’s simply too deep; there are limits to what the technique can do. Though I suppose you wouldn’t know that.”
A boy barely past his twenties, after all.
“From where I’m standing, it seems you’re the one who doesn’t know.”
Sa Woo-rin extended his arm toward Seo Woo-chan. Then, with swift, fluid grace, he pressed a pressure point.
“…….”
He hadn’t seen it.
No—he’d seen the movement, but not how it was executed. He’d had no time to react. If the boy had drawn and swung the sword he was holding……?
He would’ve been helpless. Taken down without a struggle.
‘……How……?’
“How does it feel now?”
Seo Woo-chan’s shocked eyes remained fixed on Sa Woo-rin, unable to look away.
“I know I’m handsome, but I’m still a man, after all. Not a woman. So please stop staring at me like that.”
“……Ah, yes, I, that’s right.”
“How is it?”
“……What do you mean?”
“The bleeding seems to have slowed considerably.”
Only then did Seo Woo-chan’s gaze drop to his own body, his thoughts scattering.
“This……. How did you do it?”
“How? I just pressed the point, that’s all.”
“I pressed the point too…….”
‘Then……is this boy stronger than me?’
No. That was absurd thinking. Perhaps he simply had deeper knowledge of pressure points?
‘Yes. Even physicians can locate pressure points better than I can.’
“Are you perhaps a physician……? No, you’re not.”
He was far too young to be a physician. And if he were, he wouldn’t be carrying a sword.
Besides, those broad shoulders and his outward bearing were unmistakably those of a warrior, not a healer.
“I’m not a physician. It’s simply that my abilities are more developed than most.”
It wasn’t an inborn talent. It was an ability gained through the Hunyuan Gong.
“I see. Then I understand. And……thank you.”
He’d lost so much blood that he’d thought he was headed for the underworld without even managing a final struggle against the Demonic Master. But now, it seemed he might yet squeeze out whatever strength remained.
All thanks to this young man who’d appeared before him.
“I’m grateful, but you should leave here now.”
Just then, Jang Chun and his men entered the Gambling House with faces drained of all color.
“……Why……?”
Weren’t these the same men who’d fled when Seo Woo-chan had warned them?
“Have you lost your minds? I clearly told you that you’d die if you stayed here.”
Sa Woo-rin added his voice to the protest.
“That’s right. Why did you come, sir? You and your men could be killed if you stay here.”
Jang Chun’s face twisted in exasperation.
“If you know full well how dangerous it is, why the hell did you have to come here anyway? Huh?”
“I’m saying you should have stayed away. I told you to.”
“This is driving me mad, truly. How can a mind that usually works so quickly become so thick when it counts?”
“……Excuse me? Are you calling me thick-headed right now? Really. You’re too much.”
“You’re the one who’s too much. We left you here and went our way. But if something happens to you, what about us? How do we all face Cheol-gang after we die? He’ll probably rise straight from his grave.”
“That’s nonsense. And why would anything happen to me? Don’t you trust me? I’ve done well so far. Haven’t I, everyone?”
Jang Chun’s face went blank. Not just him—all his men stood speechless.
“Those were just third-rate rabble you faced.”
“Oh, so you and your men were intimidated by third-rate rabble.”
“Ahem. Why does this always turn that way? Forget it. Do you really have to be so stubborn? Huh? Just this once, let’s do this the easy way. Please. Huh?”
“If you’re so afraid of dying, then just leave. Really, this is frustrating.”
“Yes, truly frustrating. Damn it all.”
And Seo Woo-chan, who had been listening quietly beside them all this while, was equally frustrated.
“Are you not afraid of death? The Demonic Master pursuing me is clearly a master. Whether you have vigor and some skill, I don’t know, but you’re not at the level to charge in with youthful recklessness. Look at me. I’m in this state, and you—what do you think will become of you?”
“You don’t know until you try. And my late father once told me that death is like a common cold to a warrior. A warrior cannot grow stronger if he fears death. So I’m not afraid of it. And how can a warrior living in Kangho abandon someone who can be saved and run away? Am I wrong, sir?”
“……You’re not wrong.”
No—you’re absolutely right on every count. A warrior in Kangho can never grow strong if he fears death. And a warrior with justice in his heart cannot abandon the dying.
The problem was simply that so few warriors in Kangho actually lived by such principles.
“You see? Even you say I’m right.”
From Jang Chun and his men came sighs and laments so heavy it seemed the Gambling House itself might collapse under their weight.
“Sigh. Well done, truly well done.”
“Pouring oil on a burning house. Go on.”
“Listen to the Heavenly Demon catch a cold and talk nonsense.”
“Who’s going to break that stubbornness?”
“Mad.”
“Today’s a memorial day.”
“And no son to perform the rites.”
“This is driving me insane.”
Seo Woo-chan, frustrated beyond measure, spoke to Jang Chun.
“Why don’t we simply drag this fellow away by force? There are plenty of people here—surely there’s no need to waste time persuading him?”
Jang Chun looked down at Seo Woo-chan with genuine pity.
“Martial Artist. Do you think we’re so stupid we’d still be running our mouths if we could just muscle him out of here?”
“Then you’re saying… even if everyone here combined their strength, they couldn’t subdue him…?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Incredible. He couldn’t believe it.
“But surely… even if we’re third-rate rabble, there are so many of us here…”
“Listen, Martial Artist.”
“Yes?”
“It’s hard to hear it from someone sitting there bleeding, but no matter how third-rate we are, we know what we’re looking at.”
“…Ah, my apologies.”
“And you’re supposedly a warrior of the Murim Alliance—can’t you tell just by looking? What rank is this one?”
Jang Chun was asking because he truly didn’t know either. Whether Sa Woo-rin would live or die fighting this Demonic Cult cultist was the question.
Seo Woo-chan felt a jolt. He hadn’t allowed himself that thought.
With death looming, he’d been unable to think clearly.
So he studied Sa Woo-rin more carefully.
…But he couldn’t tell.
There was no aura to sense, no way to gauge his level. On the surface, he seemed weaker than the brutes crowding in from behind. And yet, everyone claimed that even if all those men threw themselves at him, they’d be helpless. That contradiction made no sense.
In other words—Sa Woo-rin was operating at a level beyond Seo Woo-chan’s ability to perceive.
‘…If that’s the case… then surely….’
Was this boy standing right in front of him actually stronger than Seo Woo-chan himself?
Impossible. So he pressed Sa Woo-rin further.
“How old are you this year?”
“Eighteen.”
“…Eighteen…?”
It was absurd.
Logic demanded he accept it, and yet he couldn’t.
Even among the direct disciples of the Nine Sects and One Alliance or the bloodline heirs of the Five Great Families, it would be extraordinarily rare to find someone at that age who surpassed Seo Woo-chan in skill.
And least of all, locked away in a backwater gambling den like this.
When Seo Woo-chan gave no answer, Jang Chun pressed him.
“Well?”
“Ah.”
“And?”
“That is…”
It was then.
Thud.
Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the gambling den, and at that mere sound, everyone froze in place.
Everyone, that is, except Sa Woo-rin.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————