Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Division Leaders' Overtures
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The division leaders stirred restlessly.
"You think that's possible just on instinct?"
"You shouldn't judge a genius by your own standards. He seems far superior to anyone your age."
"And what about you? Besides, does it even make sense to go through the coming-of-age ceremony and then straight into fierce battles? With a body that hasn't even opened the Middle Dantian yet."
"He's from the Yuk Clan."
"...Fair point."
The four great family heads reacted much the same way. Jeogal Hwan's response was particularly dramatic.
"Lend me your grandson for just three days. I want to see if he's worth teaching."
"Don't talk nonsense. What would you do with a boy who hasn't even mastered the Yuk Clan's martial arts?"
"The more talents, the better, no? Opportunities to learn our Jeogal Clan's techniques don't come often. And aren't sound arts and formations our Jeogal Clan's specialties? How did a child like that come from under your watch?"
"Pretend you didn't say that."
Ahem. Someone cleared their throat to draw attention. Muryeong Garden Master Soheon resumed steering the conversation.
"Do you know about the Thirteen Divisions of the Alliance?"
"I know the basics."
"While you're with the Alliance, you'll eventually need to affiliate with one. You can't stay unaffiliated forever."
"Do I get to choose my affiliation?"
Muryeong Garden Master Soheon grinned and nodded.
"Not everyone gets that opportunity. Only those whom the majority desire. And you're the first to attract everyone's interest."
His guess from last time in Shandong Province had been spot on. Yuk Jin-yang would be given the choice.
"You have talent. Why not come to Muryeong Garden? You'll surely master all the world's formations..."
Soheon's words cut off midway. The other division leaders were shooting him sharp glares.
"Cutting in line? That's not right."
"It'd be a waste to teach a prodigy who already invented his own sword art just sound arts. Join our Valor Division instead. You've already built rapport with Jeong Baek, right?"
"I heard his specialty is palm strikes. That makes him a perfect fit for our Black Lion Division."
"Enough! Arguing like this will just lead to a fight."
As their debate heated up, the Yuk Clan Head interjected at the perfect moment.
"If you've confirmed his level, let's end it here. My grandson looks exhausted in every way. Give him time to think it over."
The clan head's words carried undeniable authority. Soon, the division leaders rose one by one and left the room.
Once they were all gone, the Yuk Clan Head spoke.
"It'll be soon."
Yuk Jin-yang recalled their old promise. The indefinite vow to personally teach him his divine art. Thankfully, his grandfather hadn't forgotten.
The clan head added,
"Once you open your Middle Dantian, you'll finally be ready to handle my divine art."
"The Middle Dantian, Grandfather?"
Just recently, when he'd consumed the Humanoid Snow Ginseng, he'd felt the precursors to opening it. He'd thought it would happen soon, but surprisingly, it was taking longer.
"Don't be too impatient. With your talent, it'll open naturally without forcing it."
The division leaders had left, but the four great family heads remained at the round table, continuing their meeting. They reviewed reports from Yuk Jin-yang and Yuk Ryul together.
"The Soaring Wave Sword handled things cleanly. Pulling in the Mt. Tai Sect—who would've thought? No room for venting frustration now."
Yu Cheong-ah raised an objection to Jeogal Hwan's words.
"Is that really the case? Now that the White Lotus Cult is involved."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think it was the Huangbo Clan's independent action."
Yu Cheong-ah scanned the other family heads' faces.
"They brought in rising clans to check us, but what guarantee is there they didn't reach out to the heretics?"
"Evidence?"
"My intuition."
Jeogal Hwan snorted. He shared the intelligence he had with the other heads.
"The emperor sent an envoy to the Nine Great Sects. It was solely the Huangbo Clan's doing—against the emperor's true intentions."
"You think those old fogies from the Nine Sects will buy that?"
"It's not about belief. Just like us, they're weighing the practical benefits."
A sneer curled on Yu Cheong-ah's lips.
"At that point, what's the difference from a mere secular faction?"
"They've always wanted distance from the court. They might see this as a chance to block all the court's meddling and interference."
Purity unbound by the secular world. Or, no government intrusion—the principle had long crumbled. Even if the Nine Great Sects wished to stay aloof, secular politics wouldn't let them.
The Yuan Dynasty, having conquered the realm, eyed the Nine Sects' religious martial veins warily and sought to suppress them. Fearing they might become centers of rebellion.
The result was atrocities even Buddha couldn't endure, occurring across the land.
Mt. Hua, Mt. Zhongnan, and Wudang's main halls burned one after another. Shaolin, unable to withstand the harsh persecution, even fled temporarily to Hainan Island.
The Yuan's rule lasted a full century, but such a span couldn't erase the deep-seated grudge.
Thus, the Nine Great Sects allied with Ming Taizu, Zhu Yuanzhang. They drove out the Mongols and mercilessly repaid old grudges.
In exchange for abandoning the no-government-intrusion custom.
Jeogal Hwan continued in a grave tone.
"Prince Yan has allied with us. No reason to invoke that dusty purity principle. But the court? They'll try to coax and placate the Nine Sects in our stead."
Not all in the martial world cried out for no-government-intrusion. There, the stances of the clans and the Nine Sects diverged sharply.
The clans pursued coexistence of court and martial world. They sought official recognition of their power from the court and dreamed of hereditary privileges.
The Nine Sects were different. Citing precepts, they wished distance from the court. They even shunned imperial endorsement and the ensuing wealth and glory, desiring only to aid the common folk.
Noble intent, but harsh reality.
The imperial house coveted the Nine Sects' immense backing. They held authority enough to bolster the emperor and house's legitimacy. Valuable tools they wouldn't easily release.
Yu Cheong-ah nodded.
"Agreed. Whether old Nine Sect fogies or the young emperor, they can offer what each wants."
The Yuan was the realm's enemy, but Prince Yan's rebellion was mere civil war between Zhu clans. Like the Five Harmony Alliance, the Nine Sects had leeway to calculate gains and losses.
The emperor wasn't foolish. Compromise was possible. Thus, no-government-intrusion remained a grave issue for the Nine Sects.
Hence their agony. The emperor might heed their wishes.
"That's what makes it so contradictory. To distance from the secular world, they must plunge deeper into samsara's mire, no?"
Yu Cheong-ah smirked. Her gaze turned to the two who had remained silent thus far.
"Why so quiet over there?"
"A more pressing issue than the Nine Sects has arisen."
Yi Jin-gul frowned slightly.
"Prince Yan sent a secret missive. Says the realm's support isn't sufficient yet."
"Not even with Yan Province?"
Jeogal Hwan countered gravely. Yuk Mu-hyeok joined in.
"Legitimacy—that bastard's obsessed. He doesn't want history recording him as the uncle who bullied his young nephew to steal the throne."
Yu Cheong-ah held a similar view.
"Fair point, isn't it? Rather than Prince Yan coveting the throne first, it's the young emperor who persecuted his uncle, sparking the mess. So, what exactly does he want?"
"Rescue his brothers."
Excluding Prince Yan, the other regional princes were in precarious positions.
Some were escorted to the capital in chains, others confined in their fiefs. They could be executed at the emperor's whim.
A few still had freedom of movement—those posted to border regions in service. But the emperor's claws could strike anytime.
"Craving most of the imperial house's endorsement? Easier said than done."
Yu Cheong-ah scoffed. Jeogal Hwan replied earnestly.
"What can we do? We push harder."
"What?"
"It's worth considering. If Prince Yan ascends but doesn't resolve this cleanly, it'll cause talk. We must prevent another rebellion."
"Foolish nonsense!"
Yi Jin-gul slammed the round table with his palm. Even without inner energy, the stone table bore the perfect imprint of his hand.
The guards outside sighed softly at the thud.
"How many times is this?"
"Three. No, four?"
"The Grand Steward's office begged us. 'Do they think marble grows by the roadside?' Unless we trek to Yunnan for more, please rein in the heads."
"...No thought of reining them in themselves?"
Oblivious to his subordinates' plight, Yi Jin-gul bellowed on.
"Legitimacy can wait until victory. Holding a feast before even winning?"
But Jeogal Hwan had already turned to the others.
"What's your take?"
"Should we indulge such whims? I say no."
"You called it reasonable earlier?"
"To a degree. It could touch the emperor's reverse scale. We'd face the imperial army's blades first."
Yu Cheong-ah seemed indifferent. Yuk Mu-hyeok's response differed starkly. He gazed toward the post-war world.
"Grant the request. Rescuing the already confined ones will be tough, of course. But protecting regional princes still free from the Brocade Guard's blades is feasible."
"Why? Yuk Clan Head, I thought you valued your clan's safety above all. Yet you'd take such risks?"
Yu Cheong-ah widened her eyes in query, as if suspecting hidden motives. Yuk Mu-hyeok brushed off the probing lightly.
"Arrangements for after Prince Yan takes the throne."
"Arrangements?"
"Once he's on the dragon seat, the other princes must check the emperor."
Jeogal Hwan voiced agreement.
"With imperial power grown excessively vast, the princes will adopt new survival tactics?"
"Exactly."
"Possible. They won't stand idle as before, watching central events. They won't want to relive this crisis."
"Oh ho."
Yu Cheong-ah nodded in admiration, a sly smile forming. She added,
"A Prince Yan with overly strong power isn't good for us. Once the new hunt ends, the good bow gets stowed; once the swift hare dies, the hound gets cooked!"
"Indeed, we can't reenact Han Xin's tale."
Yuk Mu-hyeok nailed it shut. The other heads nodded.