After the battle with Magyo, Cheongpunghoe spiraled deeper into chaos. Following their defeat, the influence of Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa diminished significantly, and their seats were quickly filled by powerful figures dispatched from Jeongpa and Sapa. These newcomers began raising their voices at Cheongpunghoe's strategy meetings, treating the organization as if it were their personal property.
"It's time for us to take control. We can no longer focus solely on this futile conflict with Cheonwoohoe. We must utilize Cheongpunghoe's resources effectively for the benefit of Jeongpa and Sapa," declared Shin Ganghyeon, a master from Jeongpa, his tone sharp and uncompromising. Some of the Cheongpunghoe members nodded at his words, but Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa couldn't hide the discomfort written on their faces.
Seol Yeonhwa eventually rose from her seat, her voice calm but laced with defiance. "We did not establish Cheongpunghoe to serve the interests of other factions. Cheongpunghoe has its own ideals. Do not think you can manipulate us like puppets." Her words were clear and resolute, yet despite her protest, the internal atmosphere within Cheongpunghoe had already begun to shift.
The masters from Jeongpa and Sapa were less interested in forming a new strategy against Cheonwoohoe. Instead, they schemed to use Cheongpunghoe's resources to expand their own influence in the Murim world. They sought to reshape Cheongpunghoe to serve their needs, and in doing so, the organization's once-independent identity began to fade.
Cheongpunghoe's internal structure fractured further. There were those loyal to Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa, who aimed to preserve the original ideals of Cheongpunghoe, and those who fell under the sway of Jeongpa and Sapa, following their commands in exchange for protection and benefits. The division eroded Cheongpunghoe's foundation, breeding discontent and escalating conflict from within.
Despite this, Yu Cheonrin continued to fight for Cheongpunghoe's founding spirit. Alongside Seol Yeonhwa, he quietly gathered a small, loyal faction to discuss how to safeguard their vision. In secret meetings, they reaffirmed their purpose. "We will not lose our way," Yu Cheonrin declared, his determination unwavering. "No matter how they try to shake us, Cheongpunghoe must stand for what we intended it to be."
Yet the pressure from Jeongpa and Sapa only grew stronger. Shin Ganghyeon and Yulimha—another master from Sapa—relentlessly sought to seize control of Cheongpunghoe. They maneuvered behind the scenes, recruiting support among the rank-and-file, gradually tightening their grip. Cheongpunghoe's core identity continued to erode, slowly being consumed by external interests.
This internal disarray wasn't Cheongpunghoe's only problem. Their increasingly fragmented structure created rifts in their dealings with other rising factions in Murim. No longer seen as a cohesive entity, Cheongpunghoe risked becoming little more than a tool for others—stripped of its own vision, bent to the needs of Jeongpa and Sapa.
Still, the loyalists within Cheongpunghoe didn't give up. Though small in number, they began quietly organizing, determined to defend their autonomy and ideals. The path forward was uncertain, but a sense of expectation began to grow: could these loyalists steer Cheongpunghoe back on course?
Amidst the brewing storm, the currents of Murim shifted once again, signaling that even greater conflicts—and the potential for profound change—lay ahead.
***
Chapter : The Fragmentation of Cheongpunghoe and the Fall of Its Two Leaders
Following the devastating battle with the Magyo, Cheongpunghoe was spiraling into chaos and infighting. The heavy losses they had suffered left them unable to function as an independent power, and the support they received from the Jeongpa and Sapa came with a steep price—the forfeiture of Cheongpunghoe's autonomy and independence.
To replenish lost funds and rebuild their forces, Jeongpa and Sapa dispatched their own elite martial artists. These were not mere supporters; their true mission was to reshape Cheongpunghoe into a tool serving their agendas. Jeongpa's master Shin Ganghyeon and Sapa's leader Yu Rimha took the reins, steering Cheongpunghoe's strategy according to their own designs. While the resources they brought were vital for Cheongpunghoe's recovery, they also became the new center of power, steadily eroding Cheongpunghoe's self-governance.
Yu Cheonrin, as a founding member of Cheongpunghoe, fought to preserve the ideals upon which the organization had been built. But his voice grew smaller with each passing day. During strategy meetings, the atmosphere would turn cold whenever he spoke. Others averted their eyes, and there were subtle gestures to end discussions as soon as he raised his voice. Seol Yeonhwa noticed these shifts and tried to push back several times, but her objections were routinely ignored.
In a critical strategy meeting one day, as Shin Ganghyeon declared that Cheongpunghoe's failures were "the inevitable result of naive idealism," Seol Yeonhwa stood up abruptly."We fight for ideals! If we abandon our principles and promises, how can we still call ourselves Cheongpunghoe?"Her voice rang out with passion, but Shin merely smirked dismissively. He skillfully redirected the discussion, and most attendees aligned with his narrative, disregarding Seol Yeonhwa's protest.
Unable to contain her frustration, Seol Yeonhwa tried to argue further, but Yu Cheonrin gently grasped her hand and shook his head."It's over. We must step back—for now," he whispered, a deep resignation and despair lacing his words.
The Jeongpa and Sapa masters, Shin Ganghyeon and Yu Rimha, began reallocating Cheongpunghoe's resources and manpower according to their own priorities. Previously, Cheongpunghoe's assets had been used to further its own goals, but now they were redistributed to serve external agendas. Shin Ganghyeon reorganized the forces, saying, "Without the support of the Jeongpa, Cheongpunghoe would have crumbled by now," demanding loyalty from the martial artists. Yu Rimha, meanwhile, had no qualms about diverting resources to her own faction, declaring, "It's time for tangible results."
Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa found themselves increasingly isolated. They watched, powerless, as Cheongpunghoe's core resources were funneled elsewhere, and even some of the original founding members began defecting, pledging their allegiance to Jeongpa and Sapa. Yu Cheonrin tried to reason with them, but they replied coldly,"Without Jeongpa's backing, we have no future. Master Yu, you need to face reality."
Yu Cheonrin exhaled deeply, watching as more of his comrades turned away. He realized that Cheongpunghoe's original purpose had all but vanished.
As time passed, Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa were all but excluded from Cheongpunghoe's decision-making processes. They were rarely allowed to speak in meetings, and when they did, their input was disregarded. After one particularly tense session, Seol Yeonhwa stormed out, unable to suppress her anger any longer."This isn't Cheongpunghoe anymore. We've become nothing more than puppets of the Jeongpa and Sapa!" she exclaimed.
Yu Cheonrin saw it too: even key Cheongpunghoe members now treated him as an outsider. Following Jeongpa and Sapa's orders had become the safer, more profitable path, leaving Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa sidelined. One day, Yu Cheonrin was even barred from entering a strategy meeting, told he wasn't on the list. As the door closed in his face, the cold finality of his expulsion settled in.
Cheongpunghoe's internal divisions deepened. The Jeongpa and Sapa loyalists now fully controlled the organization, while the original members who once fought for ideals either defected or were sidelined. The dream Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa had nurtured of a righteous society protecting the weak was gone—replaced by an entity serving external powers.
Even their few remaining loyalists were growing weary. They faced constant pressure and were pushed to the margins, while Shin Ganghyeon and Yu Rimha consolidated control by directing resources only to their own supporters. Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa's influence faded, leaving them powerless in a group they had once led.
Finally, the two stood completely isolated. They were barred from major meetings, cut out from policy decisions, and reduced to silent observers on the periphery. One evening, sitting together in a quiet corner, they reflected on the collapse of their cause.
"Our Cheongpunghoe… it no longer exists. It's been reduced to a tool for the Jeongpa and Sapa," Yu Cheonrin said quietly.Seol Yeonhwa clenched her fists, her voice hard with resolve."We can't back down like this. We still have a mission. We won't let them steal our ideals." Her eyes burned with determination.
Yu Cheonrin listened, deep in thought. He realized they had to leave Cheongpunghoe. There was no longer a place for them there. But their ideals still mattered. They needed a new path—one that wasn't shackled to the Jeongpa and Sapa's strings.
That path, they decided, was the Cheonwoohoe. To break free from the Jeongpa and Sapa's influence and to uphold their ideals, Yu Cheonrin and Seol Yeonhwa resolved to join forces with Cheonwoohoe, the one group still fighting for the righteous cause they had once envisioned.