It had been days since Miryeong left.
On the surface, Cheonwoohoe remained the same—drills echoed in the courtyard, blades clashed, instructors called out commands.
But beneath it all, something felt missing.
Not just a person—but a rhythm.A presence.
She had never been the strongest warrior.But she had been the center of Cheonwoohoe's heartbeat—its structure, its diplomacy, its balance.
Lee Dohyun stood alone on the balcony, overlooking the grounds.
Trainees moved below, sparring under the midday sun.Everything was as it should be.
And yet—it wasn't.
Han Soyeon approached quietly.
"Thinking something, Captain?"
Dohyun nodded, voice low.
"Cheonwoohoe feels… off.I know it's not just me."
Soyeon tried to smile, but her eyes carried the same weight.
"She filled in what the rest of us couldn't.We fought. She built."
In the library, Baek Wolhui sifted through disordered reports.
"These aren't sorted properly…"
She stopped.
"This was her work. Always was."
Beside her, Cheong Unjin gave a rueful chuckle.
"We're good at fighting.But organizing a growing faction?Not like her."
Wolhui exhaled slowly.
"We need to figure it out.Somehow, we fill that space."
Even among the trainees, the shift was clear.
"Miryeong always knew how to point us in the right direction."
"We'll keep going.If anything, this is when we have to grow."
Dohyun called a council meeting.
Masters and newly recruited veterans gathered, the room heavy with silence.
"We can't wait for her return," Dohyun said firmly."We move forward—stronger, not weaker.We split her roles. We adapt."
Wolhui stepped forward first.
"I'll handle internal structure.I may not be her—but I learned enough from watching."
Soyeon raised her hand next.
"I'll manage trainee morale and training flows.She gave them belief. I'll keep that belief burning."
Cheong Unjin laughed.
"You won't see me with scrolls or ledgers.But I'll make damn sure their bodies and wills don't break."
Afterward, the four stood on the balcony—no longer scattered, but aligned.
Unjin broke the silence.
"You think she'll come back?"
Dohyun looked ahead, eyes steady.
"She will.But we won't just wait."
"We'll show her that Cheonwoohoe didn't pause—we grew."
Wolhui nodded, a quiet pride in her eyes.
"Let her see the home she helped build… become something even greater."
Soyeon smiled.
"She left because she believed in us.Let's prove she was right."
And so, Cheonwoohoe moved.
Not in mourning—but in determination.
Trainees pushed harder.Masters carried more.The missing heartbeat was not replaced—but its rhythm echoed in every decision, every step forward.
That night, Dohyun stood alone once more.
He whispered to the dark:
"Miryeong...While you're gone, we'll grow stronger.And when you return—we'll be the people worthy of everything you stood for."
***
Chapter : The Ambitions of Hwanggeumhoe
murmured, chuckling softly."Of course. She was never just a martial artist.She's a political asset—an imperial thread woven into the chaos of the Murim."
He set the teacup down, fingers tapping lightly.
"Her departure from Cheonwoohoe isn't a loss.It's an opening."
Jang hadn't invested in Cheonwoohoe out of sentiment.
He had seen the signs early—the surge of influence, the shifting power in the Murim.
Now, with Miryeong back in the palace, his investment reached even further.
He summoned his aides.
"Arrange meetings with the ministry.If they're paying attention, they'll understand by now—Cheonwoohoe and Hwanggeumhoe aren't just local powers.We're shaping the next order."
Hwanggeumhoe's envoys moved swiftly,meeting with mid- and high-level officials.
"Cheonwoohoe's rise is driving economic growth across the region.""With support from the court, this prosperity can become national.""We are prepared to share these benefits—with those who support us."
Some officials responded favorably.
"The influence of Cheonwoohoe is no longer just martial.It's fiscal. It's national.Cooperation with Hwanggeumhoe may be… wise."
But others, especially among the palace conservatives, weren't so eager.
"The Princess should elevate the throne—not entangle it with back-alley sects and merchant guilds.We must not lower the dignity of the crown."
Still, the reports reached Jang.
He smiled.
"Perfect.They can't ignore us now."
Then came the meeting.
Arranged in silence.Held in a private garden just beyond the palace walls.
Miryeong arrived first—calm, cautious.
Jang bowed deeply.
"Princess.A pleasure to see you outside of battlefield politics.You were formidable in Cheonwoohoe… but here, your influence can grow even further."
Miryeong nodded slowly.
"I'm grateful for Hwanggeumhoe's support.Your help brought Cheonwoohoe to where it is.That bond hasn't ended, just because I've returned."
Jang's eyes gleamed.
"Then let's continue.If you act for Cheonwoohoe from within the palace,we will act from without.And together—we'll shape the future."
After the meeting, Jang returned to his office, already planning his next move.
Reports piled on his desk—on trade, on alliances, on court sentiment.
He read them all.
"Hwanggeumhoe is no longer just a trading guild.We are the axis between the Murim, the government, and the imperial family."
But not everyone was blind to this ascent.
In closed circles, voices whispered.
"They've gone too far.Hwanggeumhoe is becoming a shadow empire—one that speaks softly, and buys everything."
And so, while Jang Samgo continued to map out his future—
opposition began to gather in the dark.
He stood by the window again, watching the city pulse beneath him.
"The palace. The court. The Murim...I'll bind them all together.And no one—not Miryeong, not Dohyun—will sever that thread."
Hwanggeumhoe's ambition was growing.And though it began with Cheonwoohoe,its next destination…was everything.
**
Chapter : Division and Unity Within Cheonwoohoe
The tension in the training grounds was thick enough to cut with a blade.
Master Yoon Baek-do and Master Namgoong Hwi stood face-to-face, voices raised, their disciples watching anxiously.
"If Cheonwoohoe wants legitimacy," Yoon said sharply,"we must build it like the orthodox sects did—on honor and trust.Otherwise, we are no better than the demonic cults."
Namgoong Hwi scoffed.
"And where did that trust lead them?To endless war, hypocrisy, and stagnation.Power is the only truth the Murim respects."
The clash of ideals shook the hearts of the trainees.
"If even our masters are divided, where is Cheonwoohoe heading?""Is our training even aligned with a single path?"
In the shadows, the agents of Jeongpa and Sapa moved quietly.
One whispered to Yoon:
"He's a remnant of Sapa, trying to bend Cheonwoohoe into something monstrous."
Another spoke to Namgoong:
"He's trying to turn Cheonwoohoe into a puppet of the orthodoxy."
The poison worked.Trust frayed.
The argument escalated into silence—the kind that comes before steel sings.
"If your belief is so righteous," Yoon said, unsheathing his blade,"prove it in battle."
"Words mean nothing," Namgoong replied coldly, drawing his own."Only power persuades."
Their swords clashed—one a straight, righteous flame;the other, a fluid, unpredictable storm.
The disciples stepped back.
Masters watched with rising concern.
Blow after blow, each strike a manifesto, each movement a challenge of values.
Until—
A third blade cut through the air.
Lee Dohyun stood between them.
"Enough!"
His sword intercepted both their strikes—clean, effortless, final.
Even the wind stilled.
His voice was firm. Not loud.But it carried through the field like thunder.
"You say you're fighting for Cheonwoohoe.But all I see is pride dressed up as purpose."
He turned, looking from one to the other.
"We are weakening ourselves—over labels."
He lowered his blade.
"Cheonwoohoe is neither Jeongpa nor Sapa.We came from different paths, but we look to the same horizon."
He looked to Yoon Baek-do first.
"Master Yoon, your belief in honor and trust is noble.But it's not enough.We must also empower the powerless and demand accountability from the strong."
Then to Namgoong Hwi.
"Master Namgoong, your respect for strength is not wrong.But strength without conscience only creates fear, not leadership."
He paused. Then faced them both.
"The Murim split itself over these differences.But we must not.Cheonwoohoe must be the bridge—not another wall."
Silence fell.
Then—
Yoon lowered his blade.
"I've clung too tightly to orthodoxy.You're right. Cheonwoohoe must be more than that."
Namgoong nodded.
"And I mistook force for clarity.Maybe it's time I start listening as much as I swing."
They turned.And for the first time—reached out.
"Let's make Cheonwoohoe stronger. Together."
The trainees exhaled in relief.
That night, unity returned.Not through victory—but understanding.
Lee Dohyun watched from above, arms crossed, eyes calm.
"This is what we're building," he whispered."Not a sect. Not a faction.A future."