Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Banquet on Golden Ship Lake
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He was a man whose true intentions were impossible to read, but Wi Seong-cheon quite liked Jegal I-hyeon. Part of it was the inexplicable fondness the man showed toward him, but to be frank, it was also enjoyable watching him beat up Jegal Ui-seok. This wasn't the first time he'd conversed with someone from the unorthodox sects.
Last year at the Heavenly Origin Festival, Wi Seong-cheon had met privately with the Black Demon King, the supreme unorthodox expert and leader of the Black Fiend Alliance, and gotten a sense of what kind of man he was.
The Black Demon King was ruthless. Decades ago, he'd drawn the attention of the unorthodox martial world by slaying his master, the Blood-Eye Mad General, and gone on to dominate it alongside the White Flame Witch and Heaven Killer.
In that process, countless sects and clans had been wiped out.
The Black Fiend Alliance leader at the time, Sama Il-jon, had yielded his position to the Black Demon King and gone into seclusion, but Wi Seong-cheon had heard the exact truth from the Black Demon King's own mouth.
Sama Il-jon, who had refused the Black Demon King's challenge and yielded the leadership, had his limb meridians severed and his dantian crippled, turning him into a cripple.
*'Just as your righteous factions pursue justice, value chivalry, and respect righteousness, this lord has his own pursuits, values, and respects. This lord admires unyielding resilience and blind conviction.'*
*'This lord turned Sama Il-jon into a cripple because he bent before even facing me. With no conviction befitting the position of Black Fiend Alliance leader, I made him a cripple.'*
Frankly, the Black Demon King was a terrifying figure. Unlike the vague threat of the Demonic Cult, the unorthodox sects were right next door, so tales of their infamy frequently reached the righteous martial world.
If one grew up viewing the Demonic Cult and unorthodox sects as enemies of the righteous factions, it was only natural to be taught to treat them as foes.
The Heavenly Flower Sect hadn't drilled such overt lessons into him, but from childhood, he'd heard that it was best to avoid entanglement with the unorthodox sects.
At the Heavenly Academy, the teachings had been even more direct. Even if they didn't worship a Demon King like the Demonic Cult, he'd been taught that the unorthodox sects were unequivocal evil.
But was that really true?
Wi Seong-cheon couldn't accept it unconditionally. If he thought about it, surely there were plenty of hypocrites with beastly hearts even among the righteous factions.
Human nature was human nature in the end—it didn't divide neatly into righteous or unorthodox. It was also a matter of perspective.
The Black Demon King was ruthless, but clear in his distinctions. He killed his master and his enemies. Sama Il-jon, who cowered and yielded his seat out of fear, he turned into a cripple.
Yet twenty years ago, the Black Demon King hadn't killed the righteous Heavenly Flower Sect Leader, the former Martial Alliance Leader Circle Light Buddha, or the Blood Victory Monk who had blocked his path.
"This question might be a bit sensitive."
Wi Seong-cheon glanced up. The lanterns illuminating the darkness flickered brightly. He'd thought the same when they first arrived—it was an incredibly extravagant place.
"What is it?"
Jegal I-hyeon, who had been gazing at the rippling water, lifted his cup smoothly and replied.
Wi Seong-cheon and Jegal I-hyeon were on a boat.
A banquet unfolding on a vessel gilded in gold and adorned with jewels, floating above an artificial lake stocked with colorful ornamental fish. It was the most luxurious pleasure house in Guang Province.
Even renting the boat for a single hour required a sum that far exceeded the imagination of ordinary folk.
"...How much does this place cost?"
Wi Seong-cheon asked with a troubled expression. As far as he knew, the Heavenly Flower Sect's finances had never once been ample.
They occasionally descended to villages to purchase necessities, but most things were obtained directly from the mountains. Hunting wild game, foraging herbs, farming, chopping firewood, and so on.
The silver his father had given him on the day he left the Heavenly Flower Sect was the most money Wi Seong-cheon had ever held in his life.
"How much was it? I can't quite remember."
Jegal I-hyeon tilted his head and murmured.
"I get what you're worried about, but there's no need. I said I'd cover the drinks today."
"I didn't expect anywhere this extravagant."
"I said we'd drink in a nice place. This spot, Golden Ship Lake, is the best in Guang Province as far as I know."
"Not the best in the world?"
"Not quite. Even in the Black Forest alone, there are plenty of better places."
Wi Seong-cheon couldn't help but laugh in disbelief at that. They were both educational institutions—how could the difference be so vast? He'd thought the Heavenly Academy's cafeteria food was excellent, but it paled in comparison to the feasts at the Jegal Clan or the cuisine here at Golden Ship Lake.
And there were many better places in the Black Forest?
Wi Seong-cheon glanced around. On the deck below the Golden Ship's pavilion, musicians were performing.
Dishes prepared alongside fine liquor were being carried up to the pavilion. And this wasn't the only boat. The vast lake had several such vessels drifting about.
The banquets on those gleaming golden ships were impressive enough, but the ornamental fish swimming in the artificial lake were another marvel.
Some looked so bizarre he wondered if they were even fish. Was that a flood dragon? Wi Seong-cheon stuck out his tongue at the sight of a flat, massive lizard drifting across the lake.
"So. Is the price all you're curious about?"
Jegal I-hyeon smiled faintly. He seemed to enjoy Wi Seong-cheon's awe at the spectacle. Wi Seong-cheon cleared his throat and wet his throat with a cup of liquor.
"...What do you think of the Black Demon King?"
"The supreme unorthodox expert."
Jegal I-hyeon answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Excluding the enigmatic Demonic Cult, he's more than worthy of being called the foremost martial artist in the world."
"His character?"
"A righteous faction member curious about an unorthodox figure's character? Why do you ask?"
"It's childish to think all righteous are good and all unorthodox are evil—that's the view of someone ignorant of the world."
"It's simply a difference in the worlds they inhabit. The Black Demon King... to the righteous factions, the Black Fiend Alliance leader is a horrifying figure. In some ways, he might be a closer enemy than the Demonic Cult's Heavenly Demon or Ten Demons."
Fifty years had passed since the Black Demon King became the Black Fiend Alliance leader. In that time, the unorthodox and righteous factions had clashed in conflicts both large and small. The most infamous was his bloodbath with Poison Witch, one of the Ten Heroes of the Righteous Factions.
The newly ascended Black Fiend Alliance leader had issued a challenge to Poison Witch, the trickiest among the Ten Heroes, to solidify his power.
Countless people had wanted to witness the fight, but not a single one who went returned alive.
The small mountain that served as the stage for those two peerless masters had become a land of death where no one could live. Poison Witch's toxins had slain the earth itself, and the Black Demon King's Divine Demon Extermination Method had erased the mountain entirely.
The bloodbath lasted an entire day. Poison Witch fell to the Black Demon King. Her body was cleaved in two, and he returned to the Black Fiend Alliance.
The bloodbath ended there, but Poison Witch didn't die, and the Black Demon King suffered greatly from the extreme poison.
In the end, that incident made the righteous factions greatly wary of the new Black Fiend Alliance leader. Unlike the previous leader Sama Il-jon, who never encroached on righteous territory or challenged the Ten Heroes, Black Demon King Baek Ri-mu-won was different. He was ambitious, powerful, and ruthless.
Under his reign, the unorthodox territories solidified, and information sects like the Beggars' Clan found their activities in unorthodox lands greatly restricted.
"I don't know the era of the previous Black Fiend Alliance leader, Sama Il-jon, but I'm glad to live in the Black Demon King's time."
Jegal I-hyeon set down his empty cup and said.
"To put it bluntly, I respect the Black Demon King. Old fogeys past their prime who cling to rigid traditions, or fools like my brother who lack both drive and talent—they all disdain him."
A liquor bottle floated up lightly. Using telekinesis as naturally as breathing, Jegal I-hyeon smiled faintly.
"For a young man with both talent and drive like me, there's no reason not to respect him. What do you know about the Black Forest?"
"I know plenty. It's a completely different system from the Heavenly Academy."
"Exactly. The Black Forest is a land of the law of the jungle. Only strength protects and proves you. Clan prestige and sect power mean nothing. The weak are culled. Isn't that cool?"
It was the Black Demon King who had transformed the Black Forest that way.
"It's a method the righteous factions could never use. The Martial Alliance Leader lacks the authority for it, and righteous ideology doesn't tolerate such radical approaches."
Just as Jegal I-hyeon said. The Black Forest's dramatic change in mere decades was because the Black Demon King, upon becoming Black Fiend Alliance leader, wielded unchecked power. But the righteous Martial Alliance Leader had no such authority.
*'The Martial Alliance Leader can't act like the Black Fiend Alliance leader.'*
If the Martial Alliance Leader opened the Martial Alliance's armory to students and permitted killings among them, the Nine Great Righteous Sects and prestigious clans would rebel first.
No, the Martial Alliance elders wouldn't allow it beforehand.
In that regard, the Black Fiend Alliance leader was undeniably remarkable. Though the righteous could only view his deeds as villainous, it was natural for unorthodox prodigies like Jegal I-hyeon to respect the Black Demon King.
The Black Forest, with its rule of strong devouring weak, was indifferent to one's background.
"But."
Wi Seong-cheon grabbed the floating liquor bottle with his hand.
"Couldn't your brother stand out in the Black Forest and become one of the Black Tyrants precisely because he was born in the Jegal Clan?"
"Do you believe people are equal?"
Wi Seong-cheon shook his head.
"They're not."
Even among humans, true equality was impossible. If judging solely by life, all lives might be equal, but people weren't.
Appearance, ability, talent, background—there were countless criteria to distinguish high from low.
"Right. People aren't equal. As you say, I survived the Black Forest's law of the jungle because I was born in the Jegal Clan. And it's not just me. Most Black Tyrants hail from prestigious unorthodox clans."
Jegal I-hyeon's eyes narrowed.
"What's wrong with that? People aren't equal. Some are born to prestige, others to obscurity. Some to riches, some to beggary. That's the will of heaven—beyond human control."
"True."
"But a noble house can birth a cur, and a cur's den a noble. A mud pit can hide jade, or a beautiful gem prove fake. Birth is heaven's will, but how one grows and what one pursues is human affairs."
Wi Seong-cheon silently stared at Jegal I-hyeon. The man poured fresh liquor into his cup and continued.
"My brother was born in the Jegal Clan like me and learned our clan arts. But he couldn't last long in the Black Forest. He barely reached Four-Star before fleeing."
That was when Jegal I-hyeon began to despise his brother, Jegal Ui-seok.
"That's how it is in the end. People aren't equal. But origin doesn't definitively set one's worth. The Black Forest proves that. Even a prestigious heir gets culled without proof; even a minor sect's child can claim glory by proving themselves."
Indeed.
Wi Seong-cheon caressed his cup while gazing at Jegal I-hyeon. That was the kind of personality he had.
"So that's why you're interested in me?"
Jegal I-hyeon answered with a smile.
The Heavenly Flower Sect was a minor sect, scorned for its unorthodox origins. But what of its young leader, Wi Seong-cheon?
In mere months at the Heavenly Academy, he'd overturned the world's view of the Heavenly Flower Sect and earned himself the moniker Latent Dragon.
"For that alone, this is overkill. Treating me to a spot like this, providing conveniences from the Jegal Clan."
"Just giving my disgrace of a brother a beating. Not exactly a favor."
"Your brother has quite an open mind, actually. He's not narrow-minded just because he's righteous—he'll seriously consider any reasonable argument. If your views align, he'll side with you readily."
Wi Seong-cheon raised his cup toward Jegal I-hyeon. It clinked against the other's amid a chuckle.
"One month from now, the Black Heaven Young Lord will arrive at the Black Forest."
"You mentioned that earlier."
Catching the Black Heaven Young Lord meant becoming the Black Demon King's disciple.
"But we know nothing about the Black Heaven Young Lord. Anyone the Black Demon King deems worthy of discipleship isn't to be taken lightly. All the Black Tyrants are pondering it. Even Black Dragon Merchant Ho couldn't take him down alone."
"Then you plan a joint assault?"
"Not a bad idea, but the Black Tyrants are all proud. Dividing credit gets messy, and betrayal's a concern."
"So you want to ally with me?"
"You catch on quick."
Jegal I-hyeon's smile deepened.
"It's not just about the Black Heaven Young Lord. Ahead of the exchange with the Heavenly Academy, word came down to the Black Forest's upper-rank Star Disciples."
"What?"
"Don't kill them."
Wi Seong-cheon's smile twitched at that.
"It's for the exchange, they said. Emphasized it heavily. And one more thing—they told us to ally."
"Ally?"
"Within the Black Forest, that is. Not a bad deal for either side. Even Heavenly Academy students must become Star Disciples upon entering. No special privileges. Everyone starts at One-Star."
"It's not like mediocrity's coming."
"True. Including Dragon-Phoenix and you, the Heavenly Academy's top prodigies will come. But no matter how strong, earning stars won't be easy."
"Then?"
"The goal is exchange. By allying with Black Forest upper-rank Star Disciples, Heavenly Academy students share Star Disciple stars. Easier and simpler than earning them solo. Builds camaraderie too."
"That's not the whole story."
Wi Seong-cheon chuckled and poured liquor into Jegal I-hyeon's cup.
"The Black Demon King himself said not to kill Heavenly Academy students. Among the Black Forest's upper-rank Star Disciples, who would defy that?"
"The Black Forest's law is strong devour weak. Who set that?"
"The Black Demon King."
"Exactly. His will is the Black Forest's law. He said not to kill Heavenly Academy students. No 'if possible' loophole."
Just "don't kill." That alone.
"He didn't say what happens if disobeyed."
That was enough.
"Your lives are guaranteed. No need to defend yourselves—the Black Demon King's will protects you."
If exchange students died in the Black Forest, it would embarrass not only the sponsoring Martial Alliance but the Black Fiend Alliance too. Fifty years ago, the Black Demon King actively clashed with the righteous factions, but now he wasn't so hardline.
"Your brother said allying lets Heavenly Academy students share Star Disciple stars, gaining upper-rank privileges. So what if a Heavenly Academy student defeats an upper-rank Star Disciple?"
"That gets shared too."
"As expected."
Wi Seong-cheon laughed heartily and brought his cup to his lips. Now he fully understood why Jegal I-hyeon had returned to the Black Forest and shown him such favor.
"What are you after, then? Other Star Disciples' stars? Or the Black Heaven Young Lord?"
"Why not both?"
Jegal I-hyeon bared his intentions with a laugh. By the Black Demon King's law, Heavenly Academy students' lives were assured.
But there were no restrictions on their actions. The disadvantage of "can't kill" burdened only Black Forest Star Disciples.
Heavenly Academy students could strike without mercy. Was there a sharper blade? The key was choosing the right ally.
It mattered equally to students and Star Disciples. Pick a partner that benefits both.
"Catching the Black Heaven Young Lord makes one the Black Demon King's disciple. You said that applies to Heavenly Academy students too."
"If you catch the Black Heaven Young Lord, you and I become the Black Demon King's disciples and learn the Divine Demon Extermination Method. If you want it, that is."
"Puhaha."
Wi Seong-cheon clutched his stomach laughing. The Black Demon King's Divine Demon Extermination Method—a peerless divine art coveted by all in the martial world.
Even prestigious righteous disciples would set aside orthodox-evil divides for such a prize.
The "can't kill students" restriction applied to the Black Heaven Young Lord too. No reason for students to hesitate.
"Indeed, nothing to lose for either side."
"This'll reach the Heavenly Academy soon. Upper-rank Star Disciples may already be scouting students to recruit."
"Like you?"
"Not just me."
Jegal I-hyeon murmured and turned his head.
"The Latent Dragon who felled Little Buddha. Plenty covet you. No need to seek when you've come right to us."
Wi Seong-cheon also turned to look where Jegal I-hyeon gazed.
Someone standing across the lake was staring straight at them.