Divergent Paths at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering
The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. Held once every five years, this grand event of the Orthodox Wulin served as a harmonious forum where outstanding young talents gathered to forge bonds and build connections.
The Wulin Alliance sent invitations to promising talents under the age of thirty. Even those who did not receive an invitation could still participate if they secured a letter of recommendation from a renowned master of the Murim. Thus, when this time of year arrived, countless martial artists from all across the Nine Provinces and Eight Desolates flocked to Wuhan.
From the participants of the gathering itself to their martial siblings, relatives, and servants—not to mention the onlookers and spies eager to catch a glimpse of these brilliant young masters—the entire city of Wuhan bustled with life. Commerce thrived, and a vibrant, festive atmosphere filled the air.
With the opening ceremony just around the corner, the excitement had reached its absolute peak. And amidst the bustling streets of Wuhan, a group of young women strolled together.
From the moment they stepped out of the Wulin Alliance headquarters, they instantly drew the attention of everyone around them. It was only natural; they were three beauties, each possessing a distinct and captivating charm. What man could possibly resist stealing a glance at them?
Yet, not a single man dared to approach them with flirtatious intent. First of all, two of the three women wore the long robes that symbolized the elite Phoenix Squad. Second, the headquarters of the Wulin Alliance was practically right before their eyes.
Had that been all, perhaps some exceptionally bold playboys might have tried their luck.
"Lady Yoo, relax your face. It's not like you're being dragged to the gallows."
However, the girl leading the way was the real deterrent. She possessed a seductive beauty reminiscent of a spider lily. While her green martial robes, adorned with dizzyingly intricate patterns beneath her Phoenix Squad robe, were unusual enough, it was the deerskin pouch and the nine-section whip hanging from her waist that made any experienced martial artist instantly watch their step.
The Sichuan Tang Clan. A prominent martial family renowned for their poisons and hidden weapons. Although the Tang Clan also produced exceptional physicians and artisans, people feared them above all else for their ruthless and merciless methods.
Return a favor tenfold, but repay a grudge a hundredfold. The Tang Clan's vengeance was notoriously terrifying. There was even a saying that one could obtain anything within the Tang family estate, save for one thing: forgiveness.
Because they were masters of poison and hidden weapons, their enemies could never eat or sleep in peace. Thus, it was common sense in the Murim never to cross anyone from the Tang Clan.
But Yoo Jeong was different. To him, Dang So-hye was...
A troublemaker with a peculiar way of speaking.
That was about it. Though officially called the Flower-Seeking Twin Butterflies, they were more commonly referred to as the Flower-Seeking Twin Phoenixes. A girl who couldn't resist the urge to dress up any pretty woman she saw—that was how Yoo Jeong viewed Dang So-hye.
"Exactly. Didn't we ask you perfectly nicely?"
Dang So-hye nudged Yoo Jeong. The woman chiming in beside her was Eon Mi-ryeong, a fellow member of the Phoenix Squad and the other half of the Twin Phoenixes.
A direct descendant of the Jinju Eon Clan and a master of the Eon Family Fist, Eon Mi-ryeong possessed a healthy, well-defined physique that showed through her clothes, matching her bright and energetic personality. Of course, to Yoo Jeong, she was simply...
A shameless troublemaker.
"Is it really 'fair' when you used a child as a shield?" Yoo Jeong retorted bluntly. His sullen attitude was partly due to the nature of their request, but mostly because of the underhanded method they had used to extract it.
Paeng So-eun. The youngest member of the Phoenix Squad and the precious darling of the Paeng Clan, she was widely known by her epithet, Paeng's Scaled Kitten. Yoo Jeong had always made an effort to avoid the Twin Phoenixes. Because their behavior reminded him too much of Hwayeolluju, he had resolved never to associate with them outside of martial sparring. And yet...
"Hmph. Who told you to say those things in the first place?"
"Exactly. I actually think the title they gave you is quite nice. It suits you perfectly, Lady Yoo. The Jade-Eyed Sword Princess."
"...That's in the past," Yoo Jeong muttered, averting his gaze. Looking back at the facts, he had no way to defend himself. In the end, he had made a slip of the tongue, which had hurt Paeng So-eun's feelings. To make amends, he had promised to spend the day with the Twin Phoenixes. He was only grumbling now because he knew exactly what kind of trouble lay ahead when associating with them.
"But you know, we didn't actually make her do it."
"What?"
"So-eun was the one who came to us first and proposed the bet."
"That's right. You're far too hard on us, Lady Yoo." Eon Mi-ryeong puffed out her cheeks while Dang So-hye feigned tears. Listening to their explanation, Yoo Jeong pinched the bridge of his nose.
"She's been eyeing one of So-hye's hairpins for a while now."
"A very beautiful, very expensive hairpin with a lovely blue tint."
"That was her prize for winning the bet."
"It breaks my heart. It was one of my absolute favorites."
At that, Yoo Jeong could only let out a helpless chuckle. He could almost hear the mischievous snicker of a sly little kitten ringing in his ears.
"Let's just go. Wherever it is we're going." Like a maiden being sold off to a brothel, Yoo Jeong spoke with a face of utter resignation.
He had already experienced it on his very first day at the Phoenix Squad. They would bathe him, dress him in exquisite garments, and apply makeup to his face. All he had to do was surrender himself to their hands like a delicate doll.
It was a difficult pill to swallow, but he tried to rationalize it.
It's just for one day.
He convinced himself that indulging them for a single day wouldn't be so bad.
"Huh?" But he had completely miscalculated.
"I'm hurt. To think you thought of us that way."
"We aren't that shallow, Lady Yoo."
The two women spoke with wounded expressions. Knowing he was in the wrong, Yoo Jeong couldn't find the words to defend himself.
He had been entirely convinced they would treat him like a dress-up doll. He had envisioned stopping by a silk shop to try on flowing dresses, purchasing feminine undergarments and accessories, and finally being paraded in front of the other Phoenix Squad members after a heavy coat of makeup. That was the itinerary he had pictured for today.
"I'm sorry," Yoo Jeong apologized. His face flushed with an uncharacteristic mix of embarrassment and sheepishness.
Since arriving at the Wulin Alliance, he had found himself apologizing quite often. Apologizing was his way of preventing minor misunderstandings from snowballing into fractured relationships. It was an acknowledgment that he had made a mistake, whether intentional or not.
Of course, he could have simply feigned ignorance or used his strength to silence any complaints. The Murim was a world where might made right, and Yoo Jeong was easily one of its strongest. But the reason he chose not to do so was simple: despite their relentless teasing and constant demands for sparring, the members of the Phoenix Squad were genuinely good people. Knowing this, Yoo Jeong never hesitated to apologize. This moment was no different. He wasn't embarrassed by the act of apologizing, but rather by his own narrow-mindedness in misjudging their good intentions.
The Twin Phoenixes. They had spent the entire day dragging Yoo Jeong through the streets of Wuhan to buy supplies. But these were supplies meant for Yoo Jeong, who would soon be participating in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.
"We heard from Sister Yang that you hadn't prepared a single thing for the gathering."
"You can't do that. No matter how strong you are, Lady Yoo, you still need to pack your bags."
"Even the greatest martial master can't conjure supplies out of thin air when sleeping under the stars."
Yoo Jeong nodded. They were entirely correct. This wasn't a short one- or two-day trip; he had been far too negligent.
Sua used to take care of all these preparations.
This time, the Twin Phoenixes had stepped in to fill that role. They had helped him select high-quality fire starters, sturdy cloaks, dried rations, and water canteens. They hadn't bought any healing salves, however; Dang So-hye had promised to provide her own handmade medicine, boasting that it was far superior to anything sold in the markets.
Today, Yoo Jeong had truly received a great kindness from them.
"Thank you," he said, offering them a soft, genuine smile. The warm, ticklish sensation of being cared for by others washed over him. He realized how narrow-minded he had been to assume people would always act according to his prejudices. His smile carried both the embarrassment of his own lack of experience and a quiet gratitude for their thoughtfulness.
But their reaction was bizarre. The two women stared blankly at him. Eon Mi-ryeong slowly licked her lips, while Dang So-hye swallowed hard, her throat bobbing.
"...No matter how you look at me, I'm still not doing it."
"Aw, why not?!"
"Lady Yoo, once the Path of Righteousness is over, there's going to be a grand banquet. Can't we do it then? Please?"
"Yeah! The real Dragon and Phoenix Gathering only truly begins after that!"
At their desperate pleading, Yoo Jeong narrowed his eyes and glared. The warm gratitude he had felt just moments ago evaporated as if doused in cold water. Yet, this antics was so typical of them that he couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"We'll see when the time comes."
"Really? It's a promise, then!"
"A martial artist's promise is as heavy as their sword. You're an exceptional martial artist, Lady Yoo, so you must keep your word!"
"Fine, I—hm?" Yoo Jeong, who had been about to give a half-hearted reply to brush them off, suddenly stiffened. A familiar voice had drifted over from the distance.
It felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck right before his eyes. By the time he regained his senses, he was sprawling on the ground. The young man, Byeok Sogun, wiped away the blood trickling down his nose and pushed himself up.
"It's a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? You filthy Kunlun slave, watch your tongue!" the man snarled, throwing a punch that was twice as fierce as his voice.
Byeok Sogun hastily raised both arms to guard, but—crack!—the straight punch shattered his defense and slammed directly into his face. It was a devastating blow.
Thanks to his guard absorbing some of the impact, he managed to stay on his feet instead of collapsing pathetically like before. He felt no pain. His body had been incredibly resilient since childhood. And yet...
The murmurs of the crowd gathered around them stung far worse than any physical blow. Byeok Sogun bit his thick lip and cried out once more.
"It's a misunderstanding!"
"You bastard! Even this lady here is saying you tried to molest her!" As the man shouted, the woman standing behind him nodded in agreement. Beside her, a wealthy-looking young master was comforting her, completely ignoring Byeok Sogun as if the youth weren't even worth his attention.
But Byeok Sogun was innocent. "I only saw that she had sprained her ankle and wanted to check on her!"
"You Kunlun slave! You've finally confessed! How dare you try to touch a lady's foot so casually!" The man stomped forward. Though he wasn't particularly large, each of his steps carried immense weight.
Byeok Sogun knew that even if he couldn't feel pain, his body would eventually break if he kept taking these blows. Thus, he threw a punch of his own.
Lightning is swift and powerful.
He unleashed the Thunderbolt Divine Art, a martial art designed to harness the explosive power of thunder and lightning. Imagining a strike as swift and devastating as a thunderbolt, he thrust his fist forward. With his naturally thick and long arm, his fist shot out like a black harpoon.
Thud! But it was blocked. As if mocking his strike for being too slow and predictable, the opponent met Byeok Sogun's fist precisely with his own.
Byeok Sogun's wide eyes widened further. Though there was no pain, the violent trembling of his arm told him everything he needed to know.
The gap between us is too wide.
His full-force punch was being pushed back. What was worse, his opponent was only using his left hand.
The Thunderbolt Divine Art was incomplete, with only its most basic mental cultivation methods remaining. Yet, because it was the legacy of the Byeok Clan, Byeok Sogun refused to abandon it. As a result, despite his endless training, he remained stuck as a mere Second-class expert.
Meanwhile, his opponent was clearly a master far superior to him. When fist met fist, and force clashed against force, the weaker side was bound to break. Overwhelmed by sheer power, Byeok Sogun's elbow buckled, leaving his front completely exposed.
Whoosh! He stared wide-eyed as the opponent's fist stopped a mere inch from his face, the sheer wind of the strike rustling his bangs.
"Apologize to the lady," the man commanded. An apology. In the end, it meant he was being forced to admit to a wrongdoing he hadn't committed. As Byeok Sogun's eyes shook with injustice—
"To a woman, her feet are as sacred as her chastity! A lowly wretch like you has no right to defile them!" The man's booming voice snapped Byeok Sogun back to reality.
I almost fell into victim mentality again.
"I... apologize. I did not know."
"Hmph." The man snorted and pulled back his fist. "See to it that you never do it again."
"I cannot promise that."
"What?" Fire flared once more in the sharp, tiger-like eyes of the man.
"If someone is injured, they must be examined and treated, or taken to a physician."
"Do you truly wish to bleed today?"
"Even if death awaits, righteousness must be upheld." It was sheer stubbornness. But it was also a conviction carved deep into his soul from watching his father, who had lost both an arm and his martial arts.
"You insolent fool!" Perhaps finding his words offensive, the man threw a punch with a momentum incomparably more ferocious than before.
Catch! But this time, no lightning struck before his eyes. Instead, a startled Byeok Sogun widened his eyes and gasped out a name.
"Lady Yoo..."
"And who is this now? Are you this Kunlun slave's master?"
"Well... just an acquaintance, I suppose?" Delicate fingers held the man's wrist in an iron grip. Their owner was none other than Yoo Jeong, his black hair fluttering gently in the wind.