Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Dragon-Phoenix Class Shock
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The disciples of the Nine Great Sects gathered in Heroes' Pavilion's Dragon-Phoenix Class stared at the Zhongnan Three Hounds slumped over the table with baffled expressions.
"Why are those guys so quiet today?"
"Infinite Mercy Buddha. Have they finally grown up?"
"It was definitely a shock."
"No kidding. Who would've thought they'd get beaten by Nangong Chang!"
The Zhongnan Three Hounds, who would normally be strutting around noisily by now, had been in that state ever since that day.
Unlike the other Nine Great Sects' disciples, who mixed outer court and main sect members, Zhongnan Sect only had main sect disciples, always making it lively and boisterous. But in an instant, it had turned into this.
The Nine Great Sects' disciples tilted their heads as they looked at the Zhongnan Three Hounds lying there like corpses.
"But didn't they cheer up just a while ago when their martial uncles arrived?"
"Yeah. They were grinding their teeth about getting revenge."
"Infinite Mercy Buddha. Revenge is but an empty thing."
"Amitabha."
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids were murmuring among themselves when—
Rumble! Thud!
The door swung wide open, and someone stepped inside.
"Hm? Class hasn't started yet... Huh?"
"N-Nangong Chang?"
"Why's he here again?"
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids widened their eyes as they watched Nangong Chang enter.
The kids jumped in surprise at the appearance of Nangong Chang, who had been quiet for a while after that incident.
Ever since the day he had thrashed the Zhongnan Three Hounds like stray dogs, Nangong Chang's standing had changed dramatically from before.
"Whoa. The man's totally different now."
"Nangong brother! Dragon-Phoenix Class is about to start."
"Hmm! Come to rack up more karma, have you?"
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids shook their heads and glanced at the Zhongnan Three Hounds still slumped over.
Knowing full well the bad blood between Nangong Chang and the Zhongnan Three Hounds, the kids couldn't help clicking their tongues.
That was when it happened.
The Zhongnan Three Hounds shot up from their slumped positions all at once.
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids' gazes stabbed toward them like lightning bolts.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Zhongnan Three Hounds advanced on Nangong Chang with fierce momentum.
Tension rose with their piercing glares and rough auras.
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids gulped nervously without realizing it.
'Looks like their martial uncles' arrival has them fired up to give him a beating!'
'Those Zhongnan punks are seething with venom!'
'Hmm! They're dead serious this time. The vibe's off!'
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids watched the Zhongnan Three Hounds and Nangong Chang with eager anticipation.
All sorts of scenarios swirled in their heads.
Would they throw the first punch?
Or drag him out to where their martial uncles were?
The kids were at least certain the Zhongnan Three Hounds would spit some curses at Nangong Chang.
And just as the tension peaked—
"B-Big brooother!"
"You've arrived!"
"B-Big brother!"
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids gaped in stunned disbelief as the Zhongnan Three Hounds bent at the waist before Nangong Chang like lightning.
"Huh?"
"...Wh-what's that? A greeting?"
"Big... brother?"
When did they become brothers?!
Didn't they say they'd get revenge now that their martial uncles were here?
What the—?
Nangong Chang turned with a grin, and the Zhongnan Three Hounds naturally fell in behind him.
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids watched in a daze as the Zhongnan Three Hounds followed Nangong Chang out.
"H-Haedong brother! Cl-class is about to start..."
At the call, Haedong turned his head.
Their eyes met in midair.
"Ah..."
Haedong's face, a mix of emotions, was left only with emptiness.
With a wistful gaze at the Dragon-Phoenix Class kids, Haedong quietly followed behind Nangong Chang and vanished.
One of the silent Dragon-Phoenix Class kids spotted Yi Se-gon watching them fondly from outside the door and hurriedly grabbed him.
"H-Hey! What in the world is going on?"
Yi Se-gon shrugged his shoulders.
"Heh heh."
"......?"
"Heh heh heh."
After chuckling and shrugging for a while, Yi Se-gon spoke.
"Our big bro tamed the Zhongnan Three Hounds."
"W-We know that! But why are they acting like that?!"
"The Zhongnan Three Hounds joined under our big bro!"
Yi Se-gon chuckled lowly as he eyed the dumbfounded Dragon-Phoenix Class kids.
What nonsense is this?
"H-How could Zhongnan Sect disciples join under Nangong Chang?!"
"Whoa! The Wise Elders from the main sect are here for the sparring tournament—how do you plan to deal with the fallout?"
Yi Se-gon chuckled at the panicking Dragon-Phoenix Class kids.
"Dragon-Phoenix Class sure is slow on the gossip."
"What gossip?"
"It's been ages since the Nangong Clan brothers turned the Zhongnan Sect's three great disciples upside down!"
Turned them upside down?
"Heh heh heh heh!"
Yi Se-gon let out a bizarre laugh and slipped out of the Dragon-Phoenix Class.
The Dragon-Phoenix Class kids stood there with slack jaws for a long while.
The news that the Nangong Clan's brothers had subdued Zhongnan Sect's three great disciples was shocking in itself.
* * *
Baek Jong entered the Orthodox Heaven Alliance's Elders' Hall with a stern face.
As he did, a strange silence fell over the previously jovial hall.
"Ahem! Hm!"
"H-Haha. True Person Baek Jong, you've arrived?"
The elders awkwardly cleared their throats and chuckled to greet Baek Jong.
As Baek Jong narrowed his eyes at the odd atmosphere, the Kongtong Sect's Celestial Vault Elder suddenly asked,
"I heard the Zhongnan Sect kids who came for the sparring tournament had a run-in with the Nangong Clan. Is that true?"
Baek Jong's expression stiffened briefly before relaxing.
Anyone of the Orthodox Heaven Alliance elders' caliber would already know about the friction between Zhongnan Sect disciples and the Nangong Clan.
That much was expected.
What came next was crucial.
To protect Zhongnan Sect's prestige and face, he had to handle this carefully from here on.
He couldn't leave room for baseless rumors...
"I heard they barged into the Nangong Clan warriors' lodgings and got a thorough scolding instead. True?"
...Barged in?
Scolding?
"Wh-who got scolded?!"
"All three great disciples, they say. And that Hyun-gung kid was there too."
"Wh-who's spouting such nonsense?!"
"Haha, just asking. With rumors going around that Zhongnan's sword was broken by the Nangong Clan's sword..."
Baek Jong's eyes flipped in rage.
"Wh-what absurd nonsense is that?! Zhongnan's sword broken?!"
"I just heard it from the kids. But it doesn't seem entirely unfounded..."
"What kind of ridiculous drivel is that?!"
Baek Jong bellowed, his face flushed red.
The Orthodox Heaven Alliance elders widened their eyes.
Celestial Vault Elder smirked.
"You're getting so worked up it sounds even more real."
"I-It's so outrageous I can't even speak! Of course I'm angry at such preposterous claims!"
"Haha!"
"Our Zhongnan! What kind of Zhongnan is our sect now?! How could we be pushed around by a declining Nangong Clan? Right? Tell me! Isn't that— No..."
Baek Jong, panting and venting his fury, stopped as he sensed the eerie atmosphere in the hall.
A subtle sneer hung on the elders' lips.
There was only one reason for those expressions.
'These old fogeys all know already!'
Kunlun's True Person Jin Heo glanced around before speaking.
"Celestial Vault Elder, that's not the important thing right now, is it? Ahem! We should discuss the upcoming sparring tournament."
Celestial Vault Elder stroked his beard, his lips curling high.
"We can talk about it, sure. But doesn't Zhongnan Sect not need to hear it?"
Veins bulged on Baek Jong's forehead.
'Wh-what? A mere Kongtong Sect daring to tell the main sect to butt out?!'
Baek Jong's face turned beet red, and the hall's atmosphere froze solid in an instant.
Celestial Vault Elder looked down on Baek Jong disdainfully, while Baek Jong glared at him with murderous eyes.
"Why shouldn't we be part of the sparring?"
"Can your disciples even fight? They looked pathetic, from what I heard."
"What nonsense! Pathetic?! They just got minor injuries from training!"
"Haha! Quite the intense training? Enough to end up in the medical hall? Take good care of them. Losing not in the tournament but elsewhere must sting badly."
"That's not it!"
"Then what is it?"
Baek Jong's cheeks quivered.
It hurt to the bone because it was true.
Recalling Hyun-gung and the three great disciples' enlightened faces made his gut churn even more.
Baek Jong wanted to cry.
'What a humiliation.'
These self-proclaimed Orthodox Heaven Alliance elders wouldn't defend them but mocked instead.
The problem was there was no good excuse to escape this situation.
Baek Jong inwardly recited a Taoist incantation at his fate of having to clean this up.
That was when—
Wudang's True Person Heo Won, sitting at the head seat with half-closed eyes, quietly spoke.
"This doesn't seem like something to brush off lightly."
All eyes turned to True Person Heo Won at his dignified yet resolute voice, full of gravitas.
Even Celestial Vault Elder, who had been sneering throughout, straightened his expression toward him alone and asked,
"True Person Heo Won, what do you mean?"
True Person Heo Won spoke calmly.
"It's not something to take lightly."
"Just Zhongnan losing..."
"Zhongnan is still one pillar of the Nine Great Sects. If word spreads that even they lost to the Nangong Clan—the lowest rung of the Five Great Families—what then?"
The elders flinched at True Person Heo Won's words.
"Wasn't the reason for this sparring tournament to show off the Nine Great Sects' power? If this gets out, everything we've prepared so far goes to waste. Is this trivial?"
"Ugh!"
Groans erupted here and there.
The elders envisioned the worst-case scenario.
If news leaked that Zhongnan Sect lost to the declining Nangong Clan, how much would the world mock the Nine Great Sects?
Could a Nine Great Sect whose sword bends to the Nangong Clan's truly claim to rule the world?
That was absolutely not what the Nine Great Sects wanted.
Restoring fallen face and prestige took several times the effort of the first time.
Celestial Vault Elder asked cautiously.
"Then what should we do?"
"Isn't it simple?"
True Person Heo Won opened his half-closed eyes, a sharp glint flashing briefly before subsiding.
"In this tournament, the Nine Great Sects just need to decisively crush the Five Great Families, no? We go all out, press them down, and turn this around."
"......"
"Think of the greater good. It's not about which sect wins now. Our enemy is set—the Five Great Families. We focus on them."
True Person Heo Won spoke in a calm yet forceful tone.
"Remember this. In this sparring tournament, the Nine Great Sects must completely trample the Five Great Families. Only then will our prepared plan come to fruition."
"Mm!"
"The winner's prize can be discussed later!"
His words and actions were far too aggressive for a Taoist, yet no one objected.
Instead, they nodded in agreement with his fervent voice.
"I trust you all know what's truly best for your sects. Then you know the order of priorities."
True Person Heo Won's voice rippled mysteriously through the hall.
One might think it was the voice of a general charging into enemy lines.
True Person Heo Won declared firmly.
"Elders, when your main sect disciples arrive, drill it into them. The Five Great Families are the main enemy in this sparring tournament."
"Yes, Elder!"
"Mm! We'll make sure they know."
The Orthodox Heaven Alliance elders nodded.
Baek Jong drew a breath as he looked at True Person Heo Won.
He marveled at how a few words had shifted the flow, at True Person Heo Won's eloquence and commanding presence over the assembly.
He also felt the stark weight of Wudang Sect compared to Zhongnan.
'...Mm, fortunate for us as the main sect!'
At any rate, there was nothing bad about it for the defeated Zhongnan Sect.
The events Zhongnan had suffered were long buried under this new topic among the Orthodox Heaven Alliance elders.
'Right, the main stage is what matters!'
Baek Jong ground his teeth, burning with vengeance against the Nangong Clan.