Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Part 1. Those You Are Meant to Meet, You Will Meet Again (3)
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The Eoyang Sword Sect was positioned right in the heart of Eoyang, as if to prove its dominance.
At the entrance to the Eoyang Sword Sect, more than a dozen warriors stood guard.
Passersby in front of the Eoyang Sword Sect kept their heads bowed low, careful not to make eye contact with them.
In the grandest and most ornate great hall of the Eoyang Sword Sect, Sect Leader Sima Gyeongwon sat upon the dais.
It was Sima Gyeongwon who had elevated the Eoyang Sword Sect to one of the Five Great Sects of Honam.
Though he had entered his mid-fifties, Sima Gyeongwon still boasted a sturdy build and a commanding gaze.
Seated before Sima Gyeongwon was Hae So-wol.
It was the Eoyang Sword Sect that had stepped in to clean up the chaos along the Dongting Lake shore after the assassins' attack the previous night.
Sima Gyeongwon opened his tightly shut mouth.
"Are you absolutely certain that True Heaven's Thunder was used?"
"As far as I know, yes."
"Hmm!"
Sima Gyeongwon let out a deep groan at Hae So-wol's response.
His face was rigidly tense.
The large-scale assassination attempt in front of so many people was a major issue in itself. But the bigger problem was that the assassins had resorted to True Heaven's Thunder—a weapon of mass destruction—as their final measure.
Over a hundred years ago, there had been a sect called the Fire Fusion Sect. They specialized in pyrotechnic weapons, and one day, one of their artisans botched a gunpowder mix, creating something entirely unexpected.
A thunderbolt far more powerful than standard ones—three or four times stronger—and easy to carry. That was True Heaven's Thunder.
When True Heaven's Thunder first appeared in the world, people shuddered at its horrific power.
With True Heaven's Thunder, even someone untrained in martial arts could kill masses of people—hundreds at a time.
And it had actually happened. Someone detonated True Heaven's Thunder at a gathering in the jianghu. Hundreds of warriors were killed or injured, and the Fire Fusion Sect became an enemy of the jianghu.
Warriors who had lost family at the gathering—along with their friends and kin—attacked the Fire Fusion Sect. But the sect didn't go down without a fight.
They countered with various pyrotechnics and True Heaven's Thunder, and in the process, hundreds more warriors fell victim to it.
Enraged, the warriors pressed their assault even more fiercely. In the end, the Fire Fusion Sect could not overcome its disadvantage in numbers and was wiped out.
The manufacturing method for True Heaven's Thunder was lost that day in the flames.
And so, True Heaven's Thunder faded from memory, and a century passed.
"Yet now, after a hundred years, it reappears."
If the assassins had truly used True Heaven's Thunder, this was beyond what Sima Gyeongwon could handle.
Though the Eoyang Sword Sect was one of Honam's Five Great Sects, it didn't possess the power to command the entire martial world.
Sima Gyeongwon asked,
"Do you know the assassins' identity?"
Hae So-wol quietly shook her head.
"Even with assassins wielding True Heaven's Thunder attacking you, you don't know?"
"It's true."
She had fought numerous duels on her way here. But not a single one harbored enough grudge to try killing her with True Heaven's Thunder—she would swear to it.
"This is serious."
Of all places, it had happened in Eoyang. Like it or not, the Eoyang Sword Sect couldn't stay uninvolved.
It was then.
"Perhaps..."
"What? Do you have some suspicion?"
Sima Gyeongwon pressed, but Hae So-wol couldn't answer easily. It was connected to the very reason she had come here.
Sima Gyeongwon's expression hardened.
"Lady Hae, I am showing you every courtesy and sincerity right now. The Eoyang Sword Sect may be insignificant compared to the Haenam Sect, but we claim lordship over Eoyang. We have a duty to know every little thing that happens here. So if you have even the slightest suspicion, please share it without holding back."
A heavy pressure emanated from Sima Gyeongwon's body.
There were no massive sects like the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Clans in Honam Province.
Once, the mighty Great Zhen Sect had claimed hegemony over Honam, but it was destroyed thirty years ago in the war against the Demonic Cult.
Afterward, countless sects rose, claiming the mantle of Honam's hegemon, leading to the rise of the Five Great Sects of Honam, like the Eoyang Sword Sect and the Healing Immortal Sect.
Though called the strongest five sects in Honam, they lacked the influence or martial prowess of the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Clans.
Their power was insufficient to truly dominate the region, but the five evenly matched sects had struck a delicate balance, creating the current state of affairs.
Given this, those from giant sects like the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Clans tended to look down on Honam's Five Great Sects.
"Hoo!"
Hae So-wol let out a soft sigh. Sima Gyeongwon's pressure didn't scare her, but as he said, she had a duty to know what was happening here.
This was Eoyang Sword Sect territory, after all.
"Very well, I'll speak frankly."
"I am listening."
"Soon, there will be a major gathering at Dongting Lake."
"A gathering?"
"I don't know the details. Only that several influential sects from the Central Plains are organizing it here."
"What is the meaning of this?"
Suspicion clouded Sima Gyeongwon's face.
If such a grand gathering was to take place at Dongting Lake, he—as leader of the Eoyang Sword Sect—should have known. Yet he was completely in the dark.
"It's top secret. Only a handful know. Even I wouldn't have known if my master hadn't tipped me off."
"No, how does it make sense to hold a gathering in my own backyard without so much as a word to me?"
"A message was supposed to reach you soon, Sect Leader Sima. That's what I understand."
Sima Gyeongwon's cheeks trembled with rage. His face flushed red with an unbearable humiliation.
"So, a secret gathering in my backyard, possibly linked to this incident? Is that what you're saying? Right?"
"Yes."
"Hmm!"
Sima Gyeongwon tapped his chin with his finger.
'You don't call just any sect 'influential.' It has to be at least on the level of the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Clans.'
He knew well that the Eoyang Sword Sect, for all its local prestige in Honam, couldn't compare.
He couldn't lash out recklessly in anger. Provoking giant sects like the Nine Great Sects would only destroy the Eoyang Sword Sect.
He had to remain calm.
"Do you know why they're gathering here, Lady Hae?"
"No. We'll only know once they arrive."
"Hoo!"
In the end, Sima Gyeongwon sighed.
He realized pressing Hae So-wol further would yield nothing more.
"Understood. So we wait until the gathering to learn the truth."
"Yes."
"I have a request for you, Lady Hae."
"Please speak."
"Could you stay here until the gathering?"
"Why?"
"We can't predict when more assassins might strike."
"I can protect myself just fine."
"There's no guarantee they won't use True Heaven's Thunder again. If something happens to you here, I wouldn't be able to show my face. Please, just this once, honor my wish."
"Hmm!"
This time, Hae So-wol groaned. Sima Gyeongwon's words were reasonable.
Sima Gongcheon weighed on her mind, but there was no helping it now. The secret gathering and the reappearance of True Heaven's Thunder were both critical matters.
"Alright. I'll stay here for the time being."
"Good decision. I'll send men to fetch your belongings. Rest in our most luxurious annex."
"Thank you."
Hae So-wol nodded reluctantly.
Once the conversation ended, Hae So-wol exited the great hall.
"Lady Hae."
Sima Gongcheon, waiting outside, brightened at the sight of her. The bird he thought had flown had returned.
"Hoo!"
Hae So-wol let out a soft sigh.
Suddenly, that man came to mind.
The man in the black robe who had sent the True Heaven's Thunder-wielding assassin flying with a single strike.
She had deliberately omitted mention of him in her talk with Sima Gyeongwon. Even she doubted if her memory was real.
She had asked those around at the time, but they remembered nothing.
Ordinary folk untrained in martial arts, caught in True Heaven's Thunder explosion—remembering such a scene was impossible.
'If that man truly struck down the assassin in one blow, then we'll meet again someday.'
In the early dawn, Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo left the West Wind Inn.
They headed for Eoyang's docks. Pleasure boats for touring Dongting Lake were moored there.
Smaller than the Fate Horse Swift River Boat they'd taken to Dongting Lake, but still a sizable pleasure cruiser. The two bought tickets and boarded.
This boat would take them easily across Dongting Lake to the World's Best Tower. Across the lake lay Yuan River, home to the famed World's Best Tower.
If they hurried, they could go and return the same day.
"Finally, we're going to the World's Best Tower."
Bang Jin-bo's face was already alight with excitement.
It was his father Bang Woo-gwang's lifelong dream—and a pivotal moment in his own life.
"The Food Immortal—what a title! How does one cook to earn such a moniker?"
Food Immortal—the nickname of Do Hak-gyeong, hailed as the world's greatest chef.
Those who tasted his food even once could never forget it and returned again and again.
They said his dishes tasted of heaven, infused with the power to bring happiness.
Bang Jin-bo couldn't even imagine what realm of skill produced such flavors.
"Ugh! I can't wait any longer."
Bang Jin-bo fidgeted, eager for the boat to reach Yuan River.
Dam Ho silently watched him.
Nearly fifty passengers rode the pleasure boat, all wearing expressions of anticipation, waiting for departure.
Moments later, the boat set off amid everyone's expectations, sails billowing full with wind.
"Wah!"
Exclamations erupted from the crowd.
For some, it was a lifelong dream fulfilled; for others, a prime chance to indulge in leisure.
The boat sailed smoothly.
"Haha!"
"Take my cup."
Small boats with courtesans enjoying revelry passed occasionally—vessels owned by lakeside brothels.
They brimmed with delicacies of land and sea, laughter unending from the playboy flanked by girls. A true paradise on water.
Many aboard the pleasure boat eyed the playboy's boat enviously. But no sight caught Dam Ho's interest.
After half a day's sail, the boat docked at Yuan River. Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo disembarked and headed for the World's Best Tower.
Finding it was easy. From the docks, a massive five-story pavilion crowned the hilltop.
Matching its imposing scale, the World's Best Tower was gorgeously ornate. Near the entrance, countless carriages and drivers waited for their masters inside.
Those who came to the World's Best Tower were no ordinary folk in status or wealth. Lavish four-horse carriages were standard, with even grander ones aplenty.
At the main gate stood two burly men, evidently martial artists.
As Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo approached, the brutes blocked them.
"Reservation?"
"No."
"Then you can't enter."
The older-looking brute stated flatly at Bang Jin-bo's reply.
"Do we absolutely need a reservation?"
"Yes. Only those with reservations enter the World's Best Tower."
Bang Jin-bo's face fell.
All that anticipation, only to be turned away at the door—it stung.
At that moment, Dam Ho stepped forward.
"How long is the wait if I reserve now?"
"About a month."
"A month?"
"Yes! That's the minimum. Could be longer."
The brute eyed Dam Ho up and down, a sneer curling his lips.
The black leather robe was unusual, but shabby overall. No way someone dressed like that got into the World's Best Tower.
"Then reserve now."
"A deposit is required. Got any gold taels? At least one for the reservation."
Before he finished, Dam Ho tossed a gold tael. The brute's eyes widened slightly at the ready gesture.
But soon he grunted curtly.
"Name for the ledger."
"Dam Ho."
"Wait a moment."
The brute hauled out a massive ledger and flipped through. Finally, he spoke.
"First of next month is open. That work?"
Dam Ho nodded silently, and the brute wrote his name.
"Done. Come then."
"Will do."
Dam Ho turned away with his reply.
Bang Jin-bo followed with a disappointed look. But pleading wouldn't help, so he dragged his feet.
Then a carriage approached the World's Best Tower.
A six-horse carriage, pulled by six pure white steeds, emblazoned with ornate patterns. It halted before the gate.
A flag bearing "Silver Family Fortress" fluttered from the roof.
"Silver Family Fortress carriage."
Indifferent to Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo, the brutes rushed eagerly to the flagged carriage.
Bang Jin-bo halted unwittingly, staring. Curiosity burned—who could move these haughty gatekeepers?
The carriage door opened. A small foot lightly touched the step, followed by a petite girl in splendid robes.
A doll-like girl with obsidian-black eyes.
"Miss, you've arrived?"
The brutes bowed hastily to her.
The instant Bang Jin-bo saw her face, his pupils shook violently.
"Xiao... Qing?"