The Cheonwoohoe training grounds were always buzzing with energy.But beneath that liveliness, a fire brewed—clashing voices, conflicting beliefs.
It was inevitable.Trainees came from everywhere—Jeongpa, Sapa, even complete beginners who hadn't touched mugong before.Their pasts, their values—they didn't always align.
"Jeongpa only ever forced their so-called justice on others!"A trainee from Sapa snapped. His voice trembled with something deeper than anger.His family had been slaughtered by Jeongpa warriors."I didn't come here to listen to a bunch of old Jeongpa hypocrites preach!"
Another trainee stood up.
"And the Sapa? You crushed the weak and worshipped power.Don't act like your 'justice' is anything but glorified violence."
Baek Wolhui watched in silence. Then, with a sigh, she turned to Lee Dohyun.
"If we let this keep going, the Jeongpa and Sapa conflict will explode.What's your move, Dohyun-nim?"
He was silent for a beat. Then, he raised his voice.
"That's enough."
Everyone turned.
"You can carry your pain, your beliefs, your past—that's fine.But you don't get to turn Cheonwoohoe into your battlefield.This isn't the old Murim.We're not here to repeat it.We're here to build something new."
A younger trainee hesitated, then stepped forward.
"My village was destroyed… by a Sapa master.Now I have to train alongside them?How am I supposed to do that…?"
Lee Dohyun looked him in the eye, then took his hand.
"Your anger is real. It matters.But if you let it hurt someone else—someone innocent—then you're no different from the people who hurt you."
He spoke softly but firmly.
"We're walking a new path.And along the way, I hope you find a better way to carry that anger."
The courtyard went quiet.
For the first time, some realized—Cheonwoohoe wasn't just a place for vengeance or justice.It was… a chance. A new choice.
As more people joined, so did the problems.
"The training feels too Jeongpa,"some complained."Too stiff. Too rigid. It doesn't work for beginners."
"No," others argued."It's too loose. We'll never grow strong without structure."
Han Soyeon approached Dohyun.
"Now's the time to set up a proper system.Use universal mugong as the base, but adjust for each person's strengths.We can't train them all the same way."
Some Jeongpa-bred trainees weren't happy.
"This isn't how we did things in the Jeongpa.We had clear ranks and rules.That's how order is maintained."
That rubbed the younger ones the wrong way.
"Then go back to the Jeongpa.We came to Cheonwoohoe to learn something different!"
Lee Dohyun nodded to himself. Then made a decision.
"We'll write a training charter."
And so he did:
Cheonwoohoe Training Charter
Train to overcome yourself.This isn't about defeating Jeongpa or Sapa. It's about growth.
Custom training for each person.Everyone gets a plan based on their own strengths and weaknesses.
Mutual respect, no matter your past.Jeongpa, Sapa, even Magyo—if you're here, you're one of us.
Rules without oppression.Discipline exists, but it won't crush anyone. Autonomy is respected.
As Cheonwoohoe expanded, new masters were brought in.But skill alone wasn't enough. Character and philosophy mattered.
People like Yoo Sanbaek and Poongwol-geom were chosen as mentors not just for their strength—but because they could teach.
Baek Wolhui watched them with a smile.
"Cheonwoohoe isn't just a gathering of strong warriors.It's a place for those who can help others grow."
Then Lee Dohyun stepped forward, facing all the trainees.
"We don't force loyalty here.We don't care where you came from, or what mugong you learned.What matters is the path you're walking now."
He paused.
"This path won't be easy.But if we walk it together—we'll endure.Here, we don't divide the weak and the strong.We fight together. We grow together.That's what it means to be part of Murim."
The trainees stood in silence—then slowly, a new fire began to burn in their eyes.
Cheonwoohoe wasn't just a training ground anymore.It was the birthplace of a new Murim.
****
Chapter : The New Stars of the Murim
Even under the noon sun, tension simmered across the lands.
Cheonwoohoe was no longer a fledgling group scraping for survival.It had become a movement—and its rise shook the balance of the Murim.
But it wasn't rising alone.
Three banners now flew together across the Central Plains:
Cheonwoohoe.Hwanggeumhoe.Hongyu Pyoguk.
Three factions, one new era. The Murim had begun calling them something else:
The New Stars.
Hwanggeumhoe, once a financial shadow behind Cheonwoohoe, now stood tall as an economic power.Its leader, Jang Samgo, watched markets flourish like battlefield strategies unfolding in his favor.
"Cheonwoohoe didn't just survive. They created a whole new market.And we're the ones managing the river it flows through."
Traders, craftsmen, arms dealers—all gathered near Cheonwoohoe.And they all needed Jang Samgo's backing.
"If you want to do business here," one merchant laughed, "you don't move without Hwanggeumhoe's coin."
Hongyu Pyoguk moved differently.While Jang Samgo built wealth, Hong Yusang built trust.
Cheonwoohoe's trainees, now well-trained pyosa, operated across borders with neutral standing and martial skill.They weren't just couriers—they were bridges between Jeongpa, Sapa, and the outside world.
"We've stayed neutral for decades," said Hong Yusang."But now… that neutrality has found its meaning—through Cheonwoohoe."
Inside Cheonwoohoe's war room, Lee Dohyun stood before the gathered crowd.The atmosphere was sharper than ever.
"Together, we've reached this point.Hwanggeumhoe opened the gates of economy.Hongyu Pyoguk stood as the wall of trust.And Cheonwoohoe… we forge the path ahead."
At his side, Baek Wolhui added softly:
"We don't belong to anyone. But we walk with everyone.And on that path—strong or weak—we walk together."
But the other factions weren't clapping.
In distant halls, Jeongpa elders whispered.
"They're not just rebels anymore.They're building something. A new philosophy. A new order."
One elder clenched his fist.
"If we let them grow unchecked… we'll be the ones left behind."
From the shadows, a Sapa master muttered:
"They're not strong. But they're clever.They shift direction like a snake in tall grass. Let's see how far that wave spreads."
Even within Magyo, voices stirred.
"Cheonwoohoe could be our enemy… or a weapon.Either way, they've become a variable."
Back at Cheonwoohoe, the three leaders gathered again—Dohyun, Wolhui, Samgo.
Tension brewed like a storm.
"They see us," Dohyun said, voice calm."Not as a sect. Not as a group. But as a threat. That's enough."
"What's next?" asked Jang Samgo, already smiling.
"We don't act alone," said Chunhyang, stepping forward from the shadows."Let them clash. Let them fear each other more than us."
She placed documents on the table—rumor scripts, coded plans, merchant routes, infiltration logs.
"Jeongpa will hear that Sapa is dealing with Magyo.Sapa will hear that Jeongpa is using Cheonwoohoe to strike them first."
"And us?" asked Wolhui.
Chunhyang's eyes gleamed.
"We do nothing. Officially. But everywhere—our hands will be there."
The New Stars had no crown, no throne.But they were no longer background players.
They were shaping the game.
A new Murim was being born.And whether Jeongpa, Sapa, or Magyo liked it or not—they were already too late to stop it.