Righteousness in Every Step

The righteous sects of the Murim gathered to form the Wulin Alliance. Commoners ignorant of the Jianghu often believe that the Wulin Alliance or its Alliance Leader wields absolute power, but the reality is quite different.

It is merely a consultative body established to keep in check and devise countermeasures against forces too formidable for any single sect to handle—such as the Sun Moon Sect, the Heavenly Martial Alliance, the North Sea Ice Palace, and the Four Black Lotus Alliance. Thus, the authority granted to the Alliance is limited to mediating disputes, offering recommendations, and hosting various events.

Of course, the Wulin Alliance possesses its own military might. If more and more sects refuse to abide by the Alliance's decisions, its authority will crumble. Since no one wants the Alliance to become a mere figurehead, the great sects pooled their strength.

The Phoenix Squad, the Jade Dragon Squad, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Righteousness Manifestation Group, and the Hundred Brightness Squad. These are the four martial units formed by gathering experts and rising stars drafted from each sect, as well as martial artists aligned with the Orthodox path. Although these ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠units, meant to serve as the Alliance's deterrent, sometimes ended up deterring the Alliance itself under the influence of the great sects, they have at least allowed the Wulin Alliance to maintain its existence for a century without major crises.

Among them, the training ground of the Phoenix Squad—a unit comprised entirely of women—was exceptionally noisy today. At the center of the commotion stood a mysterious guest.

***

Yoo Jeong was tired. It was not physical exhaustion, but mental fatigue.

"Let us stop here," he said.

Women lay scattered across the training ground, which was so meticulously swept that not a single stray pebble could be found. Having been struck in various places, they were covered in black-and-blue bruises, presenting a rather comical sight. Yet, their eyes still burned with fierce determination; if this continued, they would keep going until sunset.

"But you haven't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even drawn your sword yet," said a female disciple of the Wudang Sect, adjusting her crooked hair crown.

"Exactly. We have to keep going until you draw your sword, or until we land at least one hit!" Paeng So-eun chimed in, pushing herself back up. Her cute, exposed forehead was flushed red, adorned with three large bumps that looked like bee stings.

Did I go too far? Yoo Jeong wondered. She didn't seem angry, but she was a young girl in the bloom of youth. Those swellings would last for a while. Because of her bright and lively personality, he felt a slight pang of guilt.

When Yoo Jeong first began sparring with Paeng So-eun and Yang Se-hwi, it was less of a duel and more of an instructional session. However, as if immune to pain and fatigue, the two kept rising like roly-poly toys to charge at him again and again. Seeing this, other members of the Phoenix Squad returning to the grounds began to join in one by one. As a result, Yoo Jeong had been forced to use his hands.

His self-imposed restriction of using only a single finger had been broken by Yang Se-hwi. When a martial nun of the Emei Sect attacked, Yoo Jeong took his first step. When the Pear Blossom Spear of the divine Yang Spear Clan unfolded, its tassels fluttering like falling petals, he had to use both hands to execute the Sun-Shooting Sword to penetrate the gaps. And when a Wudang swordswoman drew a Taiji diagram in the air, a sudden surge of excitement prompted Yoo Jeong to raise his own sword to match her.

There are quite a few experts here. It was an ironic thought for someone who had just single-handedly defeated dozens of them, but Yoo Jeong was genuinely surprised. He had never imagined there would be so many female experts, let alone ones with such solid foundations in orthodox martial arts.

Most are first-class, and some are even peak experts. In particular, the woman wielding the Pine Pattern Sword was formidable enough to be compared to Namgung Sua. If you dispatched just these women, they could easily handle two or three mid-sized sects on their own. Though a few lacked real combat experience, the prestigious martial arts of their respective sects made up for the deficit. Add to that their thirst for martial improvement and competitive spirit. Clicking his tongue at how much they reminded him of a certain someone, Yoo Jeong slowly drew his sword.

"If you insist."

Whether he drew his sword or fought with the scabbard was a trivial matter to Yoo Jeong. The gap between his realm and that of the Phoenix Squad members was so vast that it could not be bridged even if he fought with a mere tree branch. Nevertheless, the reason he drew his sword was simple: he needed to show them the sheer difference in their levels to break their stubborn pride, competitiveness, and fighting spirit.

Gripping the hilt with one hand and the scabbard with the other, he slowly drew the blade, revealing its pale blue steel. The Phoenix Squad martial artists gasped at the unmistakable sight of a masterpiece sword, and the Wudang swordswoman's eyes trembled. And that surprise will soon turn into sheer shock. With that thought, Yoo Jeong swung his sword.

His true qi flowed as loftily and boundlessly as the Yangtze River flowing backward. The moment he willed it, his energy circulated or withdrew according to the mnemonic of the Eight Flows of Radiant Splendor.

Whoosh—

"Huh?"

The women surrounding Yoo Jeong wore puzzled expressions. Despite the wave of energy sweeping past them, they felt no impact whatsoever.

But the peak experts among them were different. Having vaguely grasped what had just transpired, they immediately spun around.

There, they found it.

A razor-thin, perfectly straight line carved along the surface of the distant wall.

It was a strike meant to signal the end of their first day of sparring and to demonstrate the insurmountable gulf between them.

Yet, Yoo Jeong soon found himself wishing he had simply continued the duel instead.

***

"A banquet?"

Unpacking his belongings in his assigned quarters, Yoo Jeong tilted his head at the sudden invitation. Having spent his entire life in the mountains before recently entering the Jianghu, a "banquet" sounded like an incredibly grand and lavish affair. A feast, thrown so suddenly? The sun was already setting. Since he had planned to unpack and rest, it was a rather unwelcome proposal.

"Yes, a banquet."

"We really hope you'll join us, Lady Yoo."

A woman with a sly, fox-like smile nodded, followed by a young girl whose delicate features called to mind a spider lily. They were opponents he had faced on the training ground. Just a moment ago, they were covered in dirt and drenched in sweat. Unlike people who had just gone through a grueling spar, they were now dressed in clean clothes and wore light makeup.

The Jinju Eon Clan and the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Both of their martial arts had left a deep impression on him. It wasn't that their realms were exceptionally high, but rather because of their sheer unpredictability. The Jinju Eon Clan was originally considered a sect on the border between orthodox and unorthodox. The reason they hadn't been recognized as orthodox for so long was their practice of manipulating jiangshi.

I heard they were finally accepted into the Orthodox faction after they began exorcising those victimized by the Sun Moon Sect's sorcerers.

Derived from corpse manipulation, their Jiangshi Art formed the basis of the Eon Clan Fist. The techniques they unleashed using this art defied conventional martial logic, yet boasted formidable power.

The Tang Clan, of course, needed no introduction. They were famous for their poisons, hidden weapons, and a ruthless mindset far more terrifying than either.

Return a favor tenfold; repay a grudge a hundredfold.

Since that was the Tang Clan's favorite maxim, Yoo Jeong's master had always warned him never to cross them. Indeed, though the young woman before him was as beautiful as a flower, she had not hesitated for a single second when throwing her lethal hidden weapons.

Still, it was quite fun.

Hidden weapons were a type of armament Yoo Jeong had never encountered before entering the Jianghu. While fine needles and daggers made up the majority, some of the weapons mixed in were highly unusual. Especially those beads.

A smaller bead flying with a slight delay directly behind a larger one. The pair was called the Mother-and-Son Beads, if he recalled correctly. The sheer stealth of the smaller bead, its sound and presence completely masked by the larger one, had genuinely surprised him. It was a technique designed to strike a gap the moment an opponent twisted their body to deflect the larger bead and prepare for the next move. It certainly lived up to its name.

Slurp.

Yoo Jeong snapped out of his thoughts. Eon Mi-ryeong, the woman with the fox-like face, was licking her lips, and the distinct sound of Dang So-hye, the spider-lily-like beauty, swallowing her saliva echoed clearly.

Leaving their guest hanging like this...

Strictly speaking, Yoo Jeong was the guest and they were the hosts, but ignoring people who had gone out of their way to visit him was bad manners. Thus, Yoo Jeong prepared to firmly decline.

"Thank you for the invitation, but—"

"Our squad members worked really hard to prepare this."

"That's right, Lady Yoo."

Before he could finish, his words were cut off with even greater firmness. Stepping forward, the two women who had been lingering by the doorway entered the room.

"During our spar, you gave us advice as precious as gold and jade. Many of our members gained invaluable insights from it."

"Everyone wants to repay their debt of gratitude to you, Lady Yoo."

As Eon Mi-ryeong tossed the bait, Dang So-hye immediately reeled it in.

"Are you going to make us look like ungrateful scoundrels?"

"If you keep refusing, Lady Yoo, we won't even be able to look Sister Sua in the eye."

Yoo Jeong watched with mild amusement as Dang So-hye seamlessly toggled between formal and casual speech. However, his resolve wavered slightly at the mention of the name.

Namgung Sua.

He had visited the Phoenix Squad under the pretext of being an acquaintance of their vice-commander. If he flatly rejected the squad members' hospitality, it might reflect poorly on Sua.

"Very well. I will join you once I finish unpacking."

He finally relented. At his words, the two women exchanged a quick glance and strode right up to him, wrapping their arms around his like slithering snakes.

"What are you—"

The sudden contact and the soft, pillowy sensation pressing against both of his arms made Yoo Jeong freeze as if struck by lightning. Wearing mysterious smiles, the two women gently tugged at his arms.

"You can unpack later."

"You're going to a banquet, Lady Yoo. You need to get ready."

"Get ready?" Yoo Jeong asked, flustered.

At his question, Eon Mi-ryeong's eyes curved into mischievous crescents. "To doll you up, we have to wash you first!"

"Pardon?!" a high-pitched gasp escaped Yoo Jeong's lips.

***

"Sister Se-hwi, nothing bad will happen, right?"

Paeng So-eun, the adorable, cat-like girl doted on by the Paeng Clan, asked with her mouth stuffed full of dumplings. She flailed her arms wildly. Watching ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her, Yang Se-hwi clicked her tongue and handed her a cup of cold tea.

"Who eats freshly steamed dumplings like that?"

Gulp, gulp.

"Phew."

Catching her breath, the girl finally began to savor the flavor of the dumpling slowly. With her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel hoarding acorns, it took some time before she could speak again.

"But it's Sister Dang and the Fox Sister we're talking about!"

"..."

"They kept whispering 'premium grade, premium grade' earlier. Are they going to cause trouble?"

At that, even Yang Se-hwi began to feel a seed of doubt.

Eon Mi-ryeong of the Jinju Eon Clan and Dang So-hye of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Their close friendship was famous within the Phoenix Squad; they had even sworn sisterhood.

"Surely they wouldn't force a guest to dress up against their will."

"But no matter how I look at her, she doesn't seem like the type who cares about dressing up..."

The common hobby that bound the two together was makeup. The Jinju Eon Clan, which dealt with jiangshi and was well-versed in funeral rites, naturally developed advanced techniques for grooming and preparing the deceased. The Tang Clan, on the other hand, specialized in poisons and hidden weapons, both of which demanded absolute stealth. Perhaps because of this, they had developed methods to divert attention—such as biting sarcasm, dazzling eloquence, and wearing brilliantly colored clothes and striking makeup.

As direct descendants of the Eon and Tang Clans, the two were naturally skilled in the art of cosmetics. After joining the Phoenix Squad, their shared passion had blossomed into a rather peculiar hobby.

"Those sisters lose their minds whenever they see a pretty girl."

"Mmm."

Like a fish taking the bait, Yang Se-hwi found herself swayed by Paeng So-eun's gentle prodding.

Known as the Flower-Seeking Twin Butterflies because of their obsession with beautiful women, they were notoriously picky. As direct descendants of prestigious noble families, their standards were sky-high, and average beauties rarely earned their praise.

"Our vice-commander was rated as 'high grade,' right?"

"Yeah, they said Sister Sua was just a bit short of 'premium grade,' so she got 'high grade.'"

"If she's 'premium grade'... this might actually be dangerous."

Their guest was a master. An incredibly powerful one at that. Normally, they would have worried about the duo harassing an innocent young lady, but now, their concern was the exact opposite.

"Right? Right? Should I go check on them?"

"No, So-eun, you stay here. I'll—"

"Well, well. Look who we have here."

Just as Yang Se-hwi was about to stand up to prevent a potential disaster, a voice stopped her in her tracks. Hearing the greasy, oily voice of a man, Yang Se-hwi squeezed her eyes shut.

I'm going to have a lot more to be angry about today.