Those Who Part Must Meet Again
Act with righteousness in mind; those who depart must meet again. For Yoo Jeong, who had parted with many acquaintances, these were welcome words—but not today.
"Ahem."
"Cough, cough."
An old man and a young man flinched as Yoo Jeong's cold gaze swept over them. They were Goegelgae and Byeok Sogun, whom he had run into at the inn. They had all boarded a boat bound for Wuhan.
*
It had started with Goegelgae. When Yoo Jeong boarded the vessel and realized Goegelgae was tailing him, he had frowned, though he had more or less expected it.
The man was a Transcendent Peak Expert. Though Goegelgae had been annoying and grating enough to warrant a swift blow, Yoo Jeong held no real grudge against him, so he had held back. Unless one used a specialized, qi-infused pressure point block, a master of that caliber was bound to regain consciousness quickly.
And the shock and astonishment Goegelgae had shown at the very end—that reaction had been directed at his sword brand.
He must have realized.
As an elder of the Beggars' Sect, Goegelgae was one of the few people privy to secrets regarding the Sword Empress.
"Y-you..."
Thus, it was only natural that he would wake up and pursue Yoo Jeong. Goegelgae scanned Yoo Jeong from head to toe with an expression of utter disbelief. He was so shocked he could barely form words.
"Stop staring."
"I knew it! You're that kid from back then!" Goegelgae let out a long sigh before shouting. His cold words mirrored exactly what Yoo Jeong had told him at the inn.
Goegelgae strode toward Yoo Jeong. But while the person and the words were the same, the surrounding atmosphere was entirely different.
Whispers broke out. Yoo Jeong's appearance turned heads wherever he went, and this boat, just on the verge of departure, was no exception.
"Ugh."
"Look at that dirty old man trying to hit on her."
Goegelgae faltered under the contemptuous glares and hushed murmurs. He whipped his head around, but though the passengers avoided his gaze, they didn't back down. Treated like some kind of degenerate lecher, Goegelgae hastily tried to reveal his identity, but the icy stares did not waver.
"The Beggars' Sect has truly hit rock bottom."
Fearing he would drag his sect's name through the mud, Goegelgae hurriedly sent a message via sound transmission.
–You brat! Why aren't you telling them this is a misunderstanding?!
His voice was desperate, but Yoo Jeong had no intention of doing so. At least, not yet.
Goegelgae had picked fights and made a nuisance of himself at every turn. Though Yoo Jeong had subdued him with martial arts, a lingering annoyance remained. Seeing the old beggar squirm was actually quite satisfying.
I want to tease him a bit more.
Just then, a piece of advice flashed through Yoo Jeong's mind.
–Young Lady Yoo. A woman's tears are a powerful weapon, whether used against friend or foe. You could call it an ultimate technique.
It was the advice of Hwayeolluju. As the mistress of Hangzhou's finest courtesan house, she knew exactly how to manipulate a man's heart, and she had tried her best to pass that wisdom down to Yoo Jeong.
Following her advice wounded his pride as a man, but the scales in his heart tipped firmly toward watching Goegelgae suffer rather than preserving his dignity.
Yoo Jeong raised his hand.
"Sniff..."
He covered his face with his sleeve and dabbed at the corners of his eyes. It was the perfect picture of a weeping maiden wiping away her tears. Not only Goegelgae but everyone watching gasped in shock.
At an angle only Goegelgae could see, Yoo Jeong smirked.
To think I'd actually use what I learned from Hwayeolluju like this.
For the first time, he realized the advantages of his appearance. Despite his clumsy acting, the effect was so potent that the surrounding crowd instantly flared with indignation. Such was the power of a woman's—especially a beautiful woman's—tears.
As the murmurs grew louder, Goegelgae's face flushed beet red.
"Was harassing her at the inn not enough? You followed her all the way here to molest her?!"
To make matters worse, a voice from the back threw fuel on the fire. Now, the onlookers—many of them martial artists—began gripping their weapons, and Goegelgae clutched the back of his neck in sheer stress.
"Everyone, please. It's alright. It's not what you think."
Seeing that blood might actually be shed, Yoo Jeong stepped in to defuse the situation. After he repeatedly assured them it was a misunderstanding, the crowd's hostile energy slowly dissipated. Of course, a few suspicious eyes remained fixed on them, but most of the passengers dispersed, telling him to call for help if he ever felt threatened.
"It's been a while."
"Urgh..."
Yoo Jeong spoke casually, as if nothing had happened. Goegelgae's face, already crumpled with frustration, contorted even further.
"You certainly know how to teach a harsh lesson."
"Then why do you pick fights with me every chance you get?"
"Well, then stop acting so suspicious!"
"Don't you think you're just overly paranoid, Elder?"
"That's just how the Beggars' Sect is. Aigoo, do you have any water?"
"Why did you follow me?"
Yoo Jeong pulled a canteen from his luggage and handed it over. Goegelgae gulped it down greedily. His throat must have been parched and his temper boiling, for even after finishing, he took several deep breaths before shouting.
"Hey! You brat! Who followed whom? I was already headed to the Wulin Alliance anyway..."
But he quickly tucked his tail as the surrounding passengers glared at him again.
"Calm down. If you weren't following me, then you weren't. Why are you shouting?"
"Try being treated like a degenerate lecher at my age and see if you can stay calm! More importantly, you... what on earth is..."
Goegelgae abruptly shut his mouth. A man had just strode up to them.
"You there. You're the one who mentioned the inn earlier, aren't you?"
"My apologies. It seems I misunderstood," the large man said, smoothly clasping his hands in a martial salute. He had dark skin and curly hair, with a bulging, muscular physique that screamed of an external martial arts master. His name was Byeok Sogun.
"Hmph. I thought you'd be knocked out for at least half a day."
This was the same Byeok Sogun who had been subdued by Goegelgae at the inn. Yet now, there wasn't a single trace of his injuries left. Even Goegelgae, who had personally delivered the blow, clicked his tongue in disbelief.
"I have a sturdy body."
True to his words, he looked incredibly robust. His massive frame alone spoke of a steel-like constitution, and the muscles beneath his dark skin rippled with elastic power.
"I apologize once again for speaking so rudely to an elder without knowing the full story."
"Ahem. A simple apology won't cut it..."
"That's enough."
Goegelgae's eyes had gleamed as Sogun humbled himself, but at Yoo Jeong's curt intervention, he instantly backed down and carefully read Yoo Jeong's expression.
*
It wasn't just because Goegelgae felt guilty. There was a certain dignity woven into the youth's voice.
Come to think of it, his martial arts...
When they had met at the inn on Mount Kuaiji, Goegelgae had been able to gauge his level to some extent. That was why he had persistently pestered Yoo Jeong.
But now, it was different. There was absolutely no trace of martial energy radiating from him. It wasn't a forced suppression, either. It was so incredibly natural that even with Goegelgae's sharp eyes, he couldn't detect a single hint of cultivation.
Return to Simplicity and Truth.
The realm where essence, qi, and spirit achieve perfect unity. Was this not the defining characteristic of a master of the Divine Realm? A realm where one's martial arts became completely imperceptible. This paradoxical sensation of sensing a realm that could not be sensed was actually quite familiar to Goegelgae.
Is this kid in a similar realm to Reverend Hoho?
Of course, even within the Transformation Realm, there were vast differences in power. Even so, for a youth who didn't even look twenty to have reached the Transformation Realm was an utterly mind-boggling achievement. This was the truth that had been nagging at Goegelgae's senses since their encounter at the inn.
I may be old, but my instincts are still sharp.
His stubbornness, born of old age, had temporarily blinded him, but his sixth sense had been screaming of danger ever since he stood before this master.
Ugh. I have a mountain of questions I want to ask right now, but this giant is in the way.
The unbelievable martial achievement, the equally unbelievable change in appearance, the whereabouts of the Sword Empress and Namgung Sua... Goegelgae's mouth practically itched to ask. But these were not topics he could easily bring up with a descendant of the Byeok Clan standing right there.
"Ahem. Hey, darky, aren't you the one who followed us because you fell for this kid's looks?" He threw out the sharp question to show his displeasure and shake the giant off.
"That is not the case." But Sogun, completely missing the hostility, replied with utmost sincerity. "I, too, was already planning to head to the Wulin Alliance Headquarters."
"The Alliance? It's been years since the Byeok Clan cut ties with them. Has something happened to your family?"
In the Murim, the Five Great Clans referred to the following: the Namgung Clan of Anhui, the Zhuge Clan of Hubei, the Yang Clan of Shanxi, the Paeng Clan of Hebei, and the Dang Clan of Sichuan. These five clans maintained their power with almost no fluctuation.
However, when expanding the list to the Eight Great Clans to include those chasing their heels, the lineup shifted frequently, featuring names like the Eon, Murong, Hwangbo, and Danmok Clans. The competition among these clans to seize one of the three remaining spots to rival the Five Great Clans was fierce.
The Byeok Clan had once been a contender in that race. However, after the sudden death of their previous patriarch led to the partial loss of the Thunderbolt Divine Art's mnemonic formulas, the clan's fortunes had plummeted. Since then, they had been so consumed with internal affairs that their participation in the Wulin Alliance had virtually ceased. It was highly unusual for them to suddenly send the patriarch's son to the Alliance headquarters.
Understanding the old man's skepticism, Byeok Sogun nodded with a solemn expression.
"I am well aware that our ties with the Alliance have weakened. My visit to the Alliance is not because of trouble within the clan, but to make our name known once more."
"To make your name known... Ah, now that I think about it, there are only a few days left."
"Indeed. I was on my way to the Alliance to participate in it."
"In what?" The youth, who had been listening silently, finally spoke up. The mention of making a name for oneself seemed to have piqued his interest.
Goegelgae cleared his throat and explained.
"The Alliance hosts an event once every five years. It just so happens to be this year."
At this vague explanation, Yoo Jeong's gaze immediately drifted toward Goegelgae.
Why does even his simplest glance make me flinch? Swallowing his bruised pride, Goegelgae maintained his composure and continued.
"Ahem. Have you ever heard of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering?"
"The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering." The youth murmured the name softly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. Perhaps even a master of his caliber couldn't entirely hide his youthful nature. Goegelgae slyly threw out a bait.
"Kwahaha! Do you want to participate? If you wish, I can personally recommend you to the Alliance Leader."
"Does one need a recommendation to participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering?"
"Of course. If any random riffraff could just wander in, it wouldn't be the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. Normally, formal invitations are sent in advance to those who have already made a name for themselves through martial arts, righteous deeds, or other exceptional talents."
Naturally, the vast majority of those invitations went to the youth of the Five Great Clans or the Nine Great Sects. It was only logical, as those belonging to prestigious sects were far more likely to possess outstanding martial arts and character. However, if they only relied on invitations, the gathering would turn into an exclusive party for the elite. Thus, recommendations existed to give a chance to talents from smaller clans, remote regions, or the unaligned martial world.
"If a respected elder recognized by the Wulin Alliance recommends you, you can participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering even without an invitation."
"A respected elder?" Goegelgae bristled at Yoo Jeong's skeptical tone.
"I, Goegelgae, may have an eccentric temper, but I have dedicated over fifty years of my life to righteousness, you brat!"
"Elder, you are the esteemed Goegelgae?" Byeok Sogun's face filled with astonishment.
Goegelgae. The eccentric elder of the Beggars' Sect who roamed the Nine Provinces. The number of unorthodox and demonic martial artists who had met their end by his hand was countless, as were the commoners he had saved. Despite his fierce temperament, his deeds commanded deep respect from many in the Jianghu, and Byeok Sogun was one of them.
"Indeed, this old body is none other than Goegelgae." The very punk he had been bickering with just moments ago was suddenly looking at him with eyes full of reverence, leaving Goegelgae momentarily flustered.
"With Elder Goegelgae's recommendation, there is certainly no doubt..." If even Sogun, who had been at odds with him just moments ago, acknowledged it, there was no room for doubt. Yet, Yoo Jeong simply shook his head.
His black hair swayed gently with the motion. Yoo Jeong brushed his hair back and spoke.
"No, thank you. I have other things to do."
"Ahem. What a pity. The Jianghu would have surely been in an uproar over the birth of a brilliant new flower."
"...Now I want to go even less." Yoo Jeong grimaced in disgust and headed toward his cabin.
Left with none of his burning questions answered, a grumpy Goegelgae kicked Byeok Sogun in frustration. Sogun merely shrugged his shoulders at the unwarranted bullying.
Two days later, Yoo Jeong arrived in Wuhan.