Chapter 378
Chapter 378
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 387
Chapter Title: Gathering at the Nine Dragons Hall
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The elders of the Nine Great Sects began gathering one by one in the Nine Dragons Hall within the inner castle of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
As these figures, known as the true power behind the Righteous Heaven Alliance, converged on the Nine Dragons Hall, the space seemed to fill up completely.
A look of puzzlement appeared on their faces as they took their seats one after another.
Daoist Zhenhe of Kunlun tilted his head.
“Do you know why we’re meeting in the Nine Dragons Hall instead of the Elders’ Hall? To suddenly call a meeting like this. Haha!”
At Daoist Zhenhe’s question, the other elders shook their heads.
Daoist Azure Cloud of the Qingcheng Sect answered.
“I don’t know. I hurried here after receiving a sudden summons as well.”
“Haha! This is ridiculous. But it has been a long time since we’ve all gathered like this.”
“Aren’t you all busy with your duties?”
“Indeed. It’s an honor.”
The elders of the Nine Great Sects rarely met face-to-face more than a handful of times a year.
“Isn’t this the first time since the unorthodox sects stirred up trouble?”
At Daoist Azure Cloud’s words, the elders cleared their throats awkwardly.
It was a memory they didn’t particularly want to recall.
Just thinking about the arrows of criticism that had flown their way due to the Righteous Heaven Alliance’s delayed response still made their ribs ache.
And the events that followed had hurt them even more deeply.
“That seems to be the case.”
“I think we met a few times before that too. Because of the Nangong family matter.”
As the Nangong family was directly mentioned, the elders’ expressions hardened once more.
The air in the Nine Dragons Hall grew thick, as if mingled with dust.
Daoist Baekjong of the Zhongnan Sect waved his hand lightly.
“By the way, I don’t see Daoist Heo-won of the Wudang Sect. Master Hye-gwang of Shaolin isn’t here either.”
“Master Hye-gwang is such a free spirit, isn’t he? But Heo-won’s absence is a bit surprising.”
“Hah, wasn’t it the Wudang Sect that called this meeting?”
“Hmm... Isn’t Wudang quite busy these days?”
It was an odd tone.
It sounded like mockery, or perhaps irritation.
The other elders cleared their throats as well.
There was no way they didn’t know what was going on with Wudang.
Though Wudang was keeping it quiet, these men were at the center of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
“The Nangong family again?”
“They say their Radiant Dragon, that kid Namgung Hyeok, humiliated them.”
“No, that’s not it. They got utterly humiliated by the Peng family kid traveling with Radiant Dragon and the others!”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk!”
Sighs, groans, and clicks of the tongue echoed from all around.
Irritated breaths rose once more.
If it had happened within the Nine Great Sects, they might have found it satisfying.
As the leaders of the two great pillars of the murim world and heads of the Five Great Sword Sects, they might have praised and boasted about a disciple who defeated Wudang’s prime and second disciples.
But the opponents were the Five Great Families.
The younger generation of the Five Great Families.
To other great sects, Wudang was a mountain to overcome, a rival.
But to the rest, it was not.
From other sects’ perspectives, Wudang should be an insurmountable peak, a lofty existence.
Wudang was meant to be the symbol of the Nine Great Sects.
For such a Wudang to fall to the younger generation of another sect—no, to the Five Great Families, rivals of the Righteous Heaven Alliance in the murim world.
It showed that the Cloud Dragon had plummeted to the earth, that the dragon was real, and that even dragons could fall.
They couldn’t simply rejoice or feel satisfaction.
No, it was rather wounding to their pride and unpleasant.
Daoist Baekjong of the Zhongnan Sect spoke.
“For now, we should fetch Daoist Heo-won. I’ll send a disciple to...”
Before he could finish.
Creak!
The door opened, and Daoist Heo-won appeared.
“No need. I was late because a distinguished guest arrived, and I went to greet him. My apologies.”
“A distinguished guest?”
How many in the current jianghu could Daoist Heo-won, the highest-ranking elder of Wudang and an elder of the Righteous Heaven Alliance, call a distinguished guest?
Had the Alliance Leader emerged from secluded cultivation?
As they wondered.
A plump Daoist with a round, kindly face and a gentle smile followed behind him.
The Righteous Heaven Alliance elders who recognized him widened their eyes.
“Sect Leader!”
“How is the Sect Leader here?”
“We pay respects to the Sect Leader!”
The elders of the Nine Great Sects bowed toward Daoist Heo-jong.
Considerable bewilderment and surprise mixed on their faces.
They never dreamed the distinguished guest was Wudang’s Sect Leader.
Daoist Heo-jong swept his gaze over the elders, his eyes curving happily.
“Nice to see you all. Haha! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”
“Y-Yes, Sect Leader!”
“Haha, let’s all sit comfortably. I’ve called you here on a bothersome matter. I hope you’re not offended.”
“How could we be? We were just a bit surprised to see you here, Sect Leader.”
Daoist Baekjong of the Zhongnan Sect smiled lightly.
But inside, he was far from comfortable.
‘This isn’t ordinary.’
It felt like it wouldn’t end with something simple.
The mere fact that Wudang’s Sect Leader had come in person was enough to shake the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
Daoist Heo-jong laughed heartily.
“Why are you all so stiff? Is it because of me?”
“H-Haha! Of course not.”
“Come, sit down. Haha.”
Only then did the elders of the Nine Great Sects take their seats as Daoist Heo-jong stroked his beard and spoke lightly.
The elders’ gazes darted between Daoist Heo-jong and Daoist Heo-won, swallowing hard.
What on earth did he want to say?
They had their suspicions, but no one voiced them carelessly.
They simply waited quietly for Daoist Heo-jong to speak.
Daoist Heo-jong glanced at Shaolin’s empty seat before quietly savoring his tea.
He closed his eyes as if enjoying the cooling air, holding the tea in his mouth, then spoke softly.
“I’ve called you busy elders here due to the incident at the Iron Heart Sect.”
Groans leaked out from various places.
It seemed to be the topic they had expected.
Daoist Baekjong of the Zhongnan Sect said.
“Yes. We heard the news. Something unsavory happened.”
“Haha! Indeed. It’s no light matter.”
Daoist Heo-won smiled gently as he looked at the elders.
Though his demeanor was mild, the elders felt a tightness in their chests.
At that moment, Daoist Jayang of the Huashan Sect spoke up.
“Sect Leader. What do you mean it’s no light matter? No matter how I think about it, I don’t understand what you’re getting at with ‘frequency.’”
“Exactly as I said—no light matter. Daoist Jayang.”
“Hmm! If I haven’t misunderstood, the unsavory incident at Wudang is Wudang’s affair, isn’t it? There’s nothing we can do even if we gather here.”
At Daoist Jayang’s blunt words, the other elders subtly nodded.
It was an expression of irritation at dragging Wudang’s internal matter here, and a clear line drawn that they had no part in helping with that unsavory incident.
No matter how much the Nine Great Sects’ prestige had been tarnished, there was truly nothing fitting for them to do.
It wouldn’t look good for a crowd to swarm and pressure them just because they’d been humiliated.
Nor was it justified.
So it was puzzling.
Why had Wudang called them regarding that incident?
Daoist Heo-jong’s smile grew even softer.
“You’re right. If I gathered you for such a thing, this old Daoist would be ashamed.”
“Hm?”
“Didn’t this old Daoist say? It’s no light matter.”
The elders’ expressions changed.
What exactly was it?
Not because of Wudang’s humiliation?
Daoist Heo-jong silently met the elders’ gazes, maintaining his smile throughout.
He watched them quietly for a moment.
The heavier the topic, the more weight it needed.
To paint the picture Wudang desired, the brush needed sufficient ink.
Their attention was the ink, and his three-inch tongue was the brush.
Daoist Heo-jong stroked his beard and opened his mouth.
“The Demonic Sword has appeared.”
Thud!
At his single remark, shock flashed across the faces of the Nine Great Sects’ elders.
The air in the Nine Dragons Hall grew heavy.
Groans and stifled sighs leaked out from all around.
How much time passed?
Daoist Baekjong asked with a face hard as stone.
“Is it true? The Demonic Sword has emerged?”
Demonic Sword.
In the thousand-year history of the murim world, the appearance of the Demonic Sword had always brought blood tribulations to the land.
The Nine Great Sects had endured that history of blood tribulations.
Naturally, they were sensitive to the Demonic Sword’s existence.
“Yes.”
“Who...”
“Who else?”
“N-No way?”
Whether the desired scenario had unfolded, a sly smile crept onto Daoist Heo-jong’s lips.
“The Nangong family’s kid had the Demonic Sword.”
“Th-the Nangong family!”
The elders’ expressions changed once more.
Was what they’d suspected actually true?
Daoist Jayang of Huashan’s voice rose.
“Is that really true, Sect Leader? If it is, this is a grave matter. If it’s just speculation...”
“The kid named Hyeon-won from our sect will prove it.”
“H-Hyeon-won?”
“The one who manages the Jade Form Pavilion. The kid who handles the famous swords delivered to our sect and the weapons in the Damage Sword Registry. He saw it with his own two eyes, and our sect’s prime disciple tried to retrieve it, only to suffer that unsavory incident.”
There was a witness and testimony.
Wudang’s Sect Leader did not move lightly.
Moreover, his words carried weight and power.
The elders’ expressions sank deeper than ever.
‘The Demonic Sword... the Demonic Sword...’
That alone was more than enough justification to mobilize the Righteous Heaven Alliance’s power and reason enough for the elders to gather in the Nine Dragons Hall.
Silence descended.
The elders’ brows furrowed and relaxed repeatedly, lost in thought.
Daoist Heo-jong leisurely awaited their reactions.
After quite some time.
Daoist Cheon-gong of the Kongtong Sect, who hadn’t spoken a word until now, finally opened his mouth.
“Sect Leader, how about we be frank?”
Daoist Heo-jong paused while stroking his beard.
The other elders widened their eyes and looked at Daoist Cheon-gong.
“What do you mean by that?”
Daoist Cheon-gong chuckled as he downed a cup of tea.
“Is it really because of the Demonic Sword?”
Daoist Heo-jong’s lips curved slightly as he lightly stroked his beard.
But his eyes narrowed thinly, sharp as swords.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you truly here to inform us of the Demonic Sword?”
“Haha, Daoist Cheon-gong, you’re saying things I can’t understand.”
“Let’s be frank. If it were truly about the Demonic Sword, there’d be no reason to gather only us elders from the Nine Great Sects in the Nine Dragons Hall for this discussion, would there?”
The elders rolled their eyes.
They stared at Daoist Cheon-gong with startled expressions.
Groans erupted from various places.
Ignoring the other elders’ gazes, Daoist Cheon-gong continued.
“Isn’t the Five Great Families’ recent activity suspicious? You all know there’s a strange undercurrent gathering around the Nangong family in the eastern murim, right?”
“So what?”
“The eastern murim is vast. Resources are plentiful. Where there are people, money flows, and money draws more people.”
At Daoist Cheon-gong’s words, Daoist Heo-jong’s lips twisted slightly.
“Indeed, Daoist Cheon-gong.”
“So speak plainly. The Demonic Sword is just a pretext to pressure the Five Great Families and stabilize the shaken positions of our Nine Great Sects. The movements of the merchant clans and secular families in the eastern murim lately are so odd, it’s enough to make one anxious—something like that.”
A tension thick enough to suffocate filled the Nine Dragons Hall.
By touching on the fact no one had dared mention, the other great sects’ elders looked awkward.
Daoist Heo-jong fixed Daoist Cheon-gong with eyes sharp as swords.
And as if acknowledging it, he quietly asked.
“So the Kongtong Sect intends to discard this fine justification?”
Daoist Cheon-gong chuckled.
“If we’re doing it, we should do it right, no? We need to trust the Sect Leader’s resolve to move.”
Daoist Heo-jong’s eyes curved softly once more.
“Hahaha! Then we must move quickly. Before the Demonic Sword brings a blood tribulation!”
Daoist Heo-jong and Daoist Cheon-gong’s expressions, along with those of the elders in the Nine Dragons Hall, began to intertwine in a strange harmony.
And so, the wind that began in the Nine Dragons Hall was heading toward the Nangong family.