Chapter v11c1: A New Era Dawns

As the old era passes, a new era is upon us.

Because with this tournament, all the old masters will disappear from the martial world.

Without clearing the past, the future cannot come.

Those who are the strengths and symbols of the old generation,

The fall of the Cheonmu Three Stars and the Sword Master will bring new winds and fresh blood to the stagnant martial world.

The person who boldly declares the fall of the Cheonmu Three Stars,

Anyone else would be ridiculed and deemed crazy,

But because it was the Grand Prince who said it, it felt possible.

The Grand Prince, with his handsome face, opened his red lips and spoke each word clearly.

New • Martial • World • Chronicle!

**The Hidden Meaning in the Egg**

Inside a private room within the residence of the Cheonmu Academy’s master.

In a room that felt more elegant than luxurious, two giants of the righteous path were sitting face to face. One of them was the leader of the Righteous Martial Alliance, Baek Hon Geom Shin Na Baekcheon.

Na Baekcheon, the leader of the Martial Alliance, was already 130 years old. Despite his age, his martial arts had reached a harmonious state, and he showed no signs of aging. Instead, the years had only added to his immense presence. Whether standing, sitting, or lying down, his mere existence exuded an overwhelming aura of authority.

In the current martial world, there were few who could sit with the Martial Alliance leader without feeling overshadowed. One such person was Iron Fist Majinga, the master of Cheonmu Academy, one of the two central figures of the righteous path.

The two men were sitting across from each other, separated by an antique rosewood table. Both wore serious expressions. It was Na Baekcheon who broke the silence first.

“This upcoming Mount Hua Sect’s Hundred-Year Agreement Conference will be more challenging than ever. Don’t you think so?”

“It can’t be helped.”

Majinga replied in a grave tone, and Na Baekcheon muttered as he gazed into the air.

“I can’t fathom what ‘he’ is thinking…”

Who could be the person worthy of such an honorific from Na Baekcheon, the pinnacle of the righteous path?

“For now, we have no choice but to trust ‘him,’ Master.”

Na Baekcheon sighed and continued with a frustrated expression.

“This conference is being conducted entirely based on ‘his’ opinion, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right. But that doesn’t mean our worries disappear.”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

A deep silence flowed like a river between the two men. After a long pause, Na Baekcheon looked around as if he had just remembered something and spoke with a subtle expression.

“Master Majinga!”

Na Baekcheon called, and Majinga listened intently, feeling tense.

“Yes, Master.”

“I love boiled eggs. Of course, I also enjoy many other dishes made with eggs.”

Majinga was momentarily taken aback by the sudden mention of eggs but quickly agreed.

“I do too. Eggs are an excellent ingredient.”

“Do you know why a boiled egg is included in the disciples’ dinner?”

“…?”

What kind of nonsense was this? Majinga couldn’t grasp the intent behind the question. Na Baekcheon’s question was so absurd and unexpected that Majinga couldn’t immediately understand it. He believed honesty was the best policy in such situations. Majinga shook his head quietly.

“Though I am the master of Cheonmu Academy, I have no idea why. Please enlighten me.”

“Hahaha, it’s nothing special. It’s because the budget is allocated that way. The dinner budget includes the cost of one boiled egg per disciple.”

With a bit of exaggeration, Majinga felt as if a light bulb had gone off in his head.

“Ah! I see. Hahaha, that makes sense. That’s an interesting perspective.”

“But it’s also very practical.”

Na Baekcheon paused and took a sip of the Dragon Well tea in front of him.

“This excellent Dragon Well tea is also a result of the budget for entertaining guests. Master Majinga, what do you think of money?”

Na Baekcheon asked. It was a blunt and direct question, but also a very realistic one.

“It’s good.”

“…”

Majinga answered with a straight face. It was a blunt answer to a blunt question. Fortunately, there was no one around to overhear their conversation.

Na Baekcheon burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, that’s a great answer. I’ve lived for over a hundred years, and I must say you’re right. Reality is harsh and unfavorable to those without money.”

“And very favorable and generous to those with money.”

Majinga cautiously agreed, and Na Baekcheon smiled and continued.

“Exactly. Especially for people like you and me, who lead large organizations, money, or rather the budget, is always a headache.”

“It’s truly a troublesome issue.”

Securing a budget was the top priority for the operation and maintenance of an organization. Without financial support, ideals and principles were meaningless because the organization itself couldn’t exist.

“We are not the Beggars’ Sect. We can’t separate ourselves from money even if we want to. It’s a persistent and troublesome thing.”

“And also the scariest thing.”

Majinga’s answer was sincere.

“Indeed. It’s the scariest and most troublesome thing. It’s also a perfect source of frustration. As you know, we have to plan the annual budget, predicting how many children will be born to our disciples next year. We also have to estimate how many will die, whether from natural causes, accidents, battles, overwork, or in the line of duty. We have to consider all possibilities and plan accordingly.”

Majinga added an appropriate explanation.

“Not only that. We have to give congratulatory money when a child is born and condolence money when someone dies.”

“Exactly. The world of budgeting is ruthless. It’s quite absurd how many issues arise because of it. I’m constantly troubled by people asking for money. Should I be counting coins at my age, over a hundred years old, while the forces of the Heavenly Tribulation haven’t been eradicated? Yet people treat me like a bank or a treasury.”

It seemed Na Baekcheon needed someone to commiserate with rather than a solution to the problem. Majinga was the perfect person for that. Na Baekcheon’s choice was excellent.

“Yes, I understand well. I’ve experienced it many times. Recently, there was a dispute between the Shadow Pavilion and the Cheonmu Corps over budget allocation. The Shadow Pavilion requires more funds due to their secretive missions. The Cheonmu Corps didn’t understand, and it was quite a headache.”

“Dirty and dangerous work always costs more. The world is harsh. Why does it react so strongly against those without money?”

“You’re absolutely right. I completely agree with your perspective, Master.”

Majinga nodded in agreement, and Na Baekcheon smiled contentedly. After venting about the difficulties of budgeting for a while, Na Baekcheon and Majinga suddenly straightened their clothes and sat up properly.

“Now that we’ve finished venting, let’s get to the main topic.”

“Yes, let’s.”

Majinga replied calmly. What had come before was just a warm-up; now they were getting to the main issue. They were perfectly in sync.

“After the Phantom Demon Cave incident, I’ve been pondering something. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for the past 80 years but still haven’t found an answer to.”

“What is it?”

Majinga’s face grew serious as he asked. It was clear from Na Baekcheon’s expression that something important was about to be revealed.

“How much do you think that Flame Demon Thunder used in the Phantom Demon Cave incident costs?”

“What?”

Majinga stared blankly at Na Baekcheon’s sudden question. However, instead of criticizing the absurdity of the question (which he had every right to do), he immediately began to search for an answer. That was Majinga’s earnest nature.

“Considering how difficult it is to produce, its immense power, and its rarity, such a high-value item would cost at least five gold taels.”

That was a conservative estimate. Depending on the situation, the price could be more than double. Illegal items are always more expensive due to the laws of supply and demand.

Na Baekcheon slowly nodded.

“Indeed. That means it’s a very expensive item. Five gold taels… With that amount, you could easily support three branches of the Beggars’ Sect for a year.”

“They could probably stretch it to ten years.”

Majinga replied with a slight smile.

“So, the question is, where does the Heavenly Tribulation get such enormous funds? Do they have a money tree that showers them with gold?”

“…!”

Majinga finally understood what Na Baekcheon was getting at. He suddenly felt like hitting himself on the back of the head.

‘How could I have been so dense and not thought of that sooner!’

Na Baekcheon continued.

“Since the Heavenly Tribulation disappeared after the Heavenly Tribulation Bloodbath, I can’t say for sure that the Heavenly Tribulation is their successor. But the enormous costs of operating the Heavenly Tribulation Feathers, a sort of forward secret activity base, must come from somewhere. And if the Heavenly Tribulation Feathers are just the feathers, there must be a larger body behind them, which would require even more funding. The more secretive an organization, the higher the maintenance costs. You know that well. There’s nothing harder than maintaining secrecy.”

“So, you’re saying they have a benefactor somewhere. Someone who provides them with vast amounts of gold.”

Na Baekcheon slowly nodded.

“Exactly. And it must be someone with significant financial power supporting them. It’s likely an organization we’re familiar with. The problem is, we only know the name of the mask they wear, not the entity behind it. The issue is determining which organization or sect among the suspects is the one. The Central Plains merchant community isn’t within our full reach.”

“That’s true.”

For martial artists, merchants were a troublesome presence. They couldn’t ignore them because all the daily necessities for martial artists were provided by merchants. They also couldn’t underestimate them. The potential power of merchants, who had direct and indirect ties with many martial sects and government offices, was so immense that even the Righteous Martial Alliance couldn’t easily touch them.

“Remember that during the Heavenly Tribulation Bloodbath, they hardly touched businesses like trading firms, escort agencies, or the food industry! They need to eat to survive, don’t they? Unless they dig up gold from the ground, they can’t sustain themselves. People can’t live on swords alone. Without money, organizations and power are useless. As I lamented earlier, you know well that the time I pull my hair out the most is during the annual budget allocation for the Righteous Martial Alliance.”

“I understand the struggle, with everyone around you reaching out like hungry wolves.”

“Allocating the budget is tough, but raising the annual budget for an organization of this size is even harder. It’s about a hundred times more difficult. Of course, for large organizations like ours, we have many branches that bear fruit, so it’s not too difficult. But we’re not the only ones with such branches.”

Na Baekcheon slowly nodded.

“I don’t believe for a second that they’ve survived a hundred years without a budget, without a single penny. Unfortunately, almost everything in this world can be converted into money, and it requires that cost. In a world where even human lives are valued in money, it’s absurd to think they’ve survived a hundred years without it. They didn’t dig up gold from the ground to run their organization while hiding underground. There must be a merchant organization supporting them! Finding that will lead us to the elusive Heavenly Tribulation Feathers and their location.”

Na Baekcheon’s eyes were filled with conviction. They were vibrant with life, not the eyes of a man over a hundred years old.

“It’s quite a gamble, finding that benefactor… I’ve never heard of anyone in the merchant community diving into something unprofitable.”

“Many people jump in thinking it’s a jackpot, only to end up broke. With a bit of loyalty, a lot of fear, and enormous rewards, like a monopoly on the martial world’s trade, it’s not that difficult. In times of war, enormous quantities of supplies are needed, and they don’t fall from the sky like meteor showers. Whether rivers of blood flow or seas of blood form, there will always be those who profit. If the Heavenly Tribulation reappears, this fight won’t be called a fight but a war. It will be on that scale. And there will be those who profit from the bloodshed.”

Na Baekcheon paused to gather his thoughts before speaking again.

“They support it because there are visible profits. Why would so many people hide and follow the shadow of the Heavenly Tribulation without any gain? It’s because of the demonic allure of that shadow.”

“It could also be fear.”

Majinga pointed out.

“Of course, that’s possible, but I think the profit is greater. People with ambition often do reckless things. Their judgment changes. Merchants are those who chase profit to the ends of the earth. They must see this as a worthwhile investment.”

“But who could be so meticulously supporting them?”

Majinga asked, his curiosity piqued.