Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Daydream
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Tengwang Assembly!
That name alone was enough to make any young martial artist in Jiangxi Province's jianghu feel their dantian throb!
The gathering, named the Tengwang Assembly because it was held at Tengwang Pavilion, was—in simple terms—a fraternity for the righteous faction's later-generation disciples, spanning Jiangxi Province and the surrounding areas.
It was held twice a year.
The Lantern Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Every young martial artist in Jiangxi dreamed of attending the Tengwang Assembly at least once.
Simply being there earned one recognition as a future pillar of Jiangxi's jianghu.
For those without a nickname, even a minor incident at the assembly could grant them a fitting moniker.
For those fretting over marriage prospects, matchmakers would come knocking with proposals in tow.
For those stuck in their cultivation realm, mingling with fellow later-generation disciples could spark the key to enlightenment.
The Tengwang Assembly was Jiangxi jianghu's Peach Blossom Land, the Kunlun Mountain where the Queen Mother of the West held court.
And the one who decided the invitees was Namgung Hwan—one of the two candidates vying for leadership of the Namgung Clan.
In exchange for yielding the Mid-Autumn night event, he had claimed Tengwang Pavilion for himself.
He gazed down from beneath the window on the pavilion's top floor.
Not toward the entrance, but out the opposite window at the Gan River's winding waterway.
"Geumseong."
"Yes, Young Master."
"No 'young master.' Call me Eldest Young Lord. I don't want people badmouthing your master."
"It's just us here. And you'll become the young master anyway, won't you?"
"You talk big."
Namgung Hwan chuckled softly.
Then, in a slow, melodic chant, he recited:
"Surveying to the limits of the watery realm,
Thoughts wandering through the human world.
Speak no more of worldly dust,
Return and close the gate to guard oneself."
"A poem composed right here at Tengwang Pavilion by Zhang Jiuling."
"They say it was inspired by those western mountains over there."
Namgung Hwan spoke in a voice that somehow lacked vigor.
As he turned to Namgung Geumseong, he seemed lost in thought—haggard, for some reason.
"Should we leave the secular world behind and live in seclusion?"
"Are you serious?"
"And if I am?"
"Sigh... You've had too much to drink."
Namgung Geumseong started off earnest but ended with a sigh, at which Namgung Hwan swept the worry from his face and burst into laughter.
"Of course not! You think I'd let go of power? Never. I'd cling to it until my dying breath."
How could Zhang Jiuling have beheld this majestic scene and renounced the world?
He must have known the sweet allure of secular power from atop Tengwang Pavilion.
Namgung Geumseong teased.
"This time, I really almost believed you."
"Really? Guess the blood running through these veins can't be deceived."
"Don't say such things."
"It's fine. It's the truth. I'm the son of a dancer, after all. And Father—what a fool. Marrying a mere vase, no matter how beautiful. Was he some tyrant in a past life? And he already had a proper wife."
Thanks to that, the succession struggle had become a thing of beauty.
A concubine's bastard son, no different from an illegitimate child, and the legitimate firstborn daughter.
A perfect balance.
Those pushing for eldest-son succession backed Namgung Hwan; those insisting on direct bloodline backed Namgung Ji.
It was a matchup that fit together too perfectly.
Because of it, the Namgung Clan was split down the middle, locked in fierce opposition as each side fought to elevate their chosen heir.
"The incense seems well-prepared. Are the guides all finished?"
"Yes. We've confirmed attendance for everyone on the list. All that's left is you, Young Master, and the Eldest Young Lady."
"...Late as expected."
Irritation flickered across Namgung Hwan's face.
Not content with monopolizing the night's event, now she was scheming to steal the spotlight at the Tengwang Assembly itself.
Her intent to arrive last—like some protagonist—was glaringly obvious.
Did that precious half-sister of noble blood truly know no shame?
"Vicious wench."
Anticipating as much, Namgung Hwan had held out here on the top-floor loft instead of descending early.
It had wasted his precious time, but it was a trifle.
A small price to pay for thwarting that loathsome woman's ambitions.
Only upon hearing that Namgung Ji had finally arrived at Tengwang Pavilion did Namgung Hwan check his attire.
"That should do. Time to head down."
"I'll escort you."
He had no idea yet.
The scheme prepared to drag Namgung Ji's prestige through the mud had already been utterly dismantled.
"It's huge, alright."
Playing up his country-bumpkin vibe from rural Gansu, Hwangbo Yun climbed Tengwang Pavilion.
Tengwang Pavilion was indeed massive—unmatched in scale by anything back in Gansu.
Even the stairs they were ascending now weren't part of the main structure but the two-story pedestal propping it up.
Namgung Ji, walking a step ahead, smoothly picked up on Hwangbo Yun's mutter and turned it into conversation.
"Hehe. Isn't it? Nanchang's pride—this building—was funded not just by the main family but by donations from countless renowned elders and common folk alike. And so, the two-story base and the grand hall of three bright and seven dark layers were completed."
"Three bright, seven dark?"
The conversation flowed naturally.
Namgung Ji explained kindly.
"The visible floors are called bright floors, and the hidden ones are dark floors. So Tengwang Pavilion looks like three stories from outside, but once you're in, there are actually seven."
"I see. Sowol, did you know?"
"No, first I've heard of it."
No matter how vast Wi Sowol's jianghu experience, she couldn't know every last building's secrets.
Wi Sowol took in Tengwang Pavilion with pure curiosity—a rare treat after so long.
Naturally, she wore her magpie mask.
But Hwangbo Yun could tell.
Wi Sowol was genuinely enjoying the tour.
'Better to drag her out than keep her cooped up inside!'
Hwangbo Yun patted himself on the back for a job well done.
"Hold on. We're heading up."
As the two tried to venture deeper into the first floor, Namgung Ji stopped them.
"Everyone has a designated floor for the Tengwang Assembly. It's divided by those three visible bright floors, and the intercalated dark floors serve as mingling spots between the bright ones."
Hwangbo Yun's brow furrowed ever so slightly.
Wasn't this dividing people too blatantly by status?
They were all gathered here—why fuss over rank and just bond with like-minded folks?
But the host and owner had decided, so what right did a guest have to complain?
Just accept it and move on.
And so the two followed Namgung Ji upward through Tengwang Pavilion.
Gazes from those stepping out—either to handle brief business or head to a dark floor—locked onto them.
Who the hell are they, climbing with Namgung Ji? Doubt mingled with jealousy.
[Feels kinda sticky. I just wanted to tour the pavilion.]
[With your position, you have to show up for stuff like this whether you like it or not. Call it practice.]
Wi Sowol ignored every last stare directed her way and kept eyeing the pavilion.
Hwangbo Yun felt awkward at first but soon acted the same.
"Here we are. Once you're inside, others will probably take interest in you two. If anyone asks how you got here, just say you're my friends. Oh, or you can mention that business from earlier."
Beneath the magpie mask, Wi Sowol's eyes narrowed slyly.
'Politics.'
Namgung Ji added that faking familiarity might cause misunderstandings, but Wi Sowol wasn't a complete novice at courtly games.
Hwangbo Yun, even more versed in such power dynamics, immediately grasped the true intent behind her words.
It wasn't purely innocent, whatever the exact details.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Hwangbo Yun replied politely.
Namgung Ji beamed and opened the door herself.
So well-maintained were the hinges that it swung silently.
But those inside were martial artists who had honed their bodies and sharpened their five senses to the limit.
They detected the faint shift in air from the opening door right away.
They had already sensed the approach from the footsteps and presence on the stairs.
And they were surprised.
The faces were utterly unlike what they'd expected.
A subtle undercurrent passed among them.
Those gathered on the upper floor were already renowned later-generation disciples in Jiangxi's jianghu.
Most had attended the Lantern Festival Tengwang Assembly the previous year and were thus acquainted with their peers.
Namgung Ji was one thing, but the two beside her were complete strangers.
"Little Sister's brought some new guests again."
The subtle probing concluded.
Now it was time to watch the confrontation between those two.
"Care to introduce them to me as well?"
"Of course. You two, shall we make introductions?"
Wi Sowol wanted no part in their factional squabbles.
But there was no helping it now.
Count it as the price of admission for touring Tengwang Pavilion.
She sighed inwardly.
She really should've stayed back at Liu Yeonseo's house studying syphilis.
"Hwangbo Yun of Gansu."
Sensing Wi Sowol's mood, Hwangbo Yun kept his introduction curt.
It subtly signaled that he wasn't here to network at the Tengwang Assembly.
"Of the Hwangbo Clan, I presume. I'm Namgung Hwan. I've long heard of Young Hero's reputation. And the little one beside you... ah, so it's you."
The moment he spotted the magpie mask, Namgung Hwan realized Wi Sowol's identity.
"You're Wi Sowol, the one whose acceptance as disciple by the Weird Physician has the rumors flying, aren't you?"
Since he'd spared her the hassle of self-introduction, Wi Sowol simply nodded.
"That said, from what I heard, Lady Wi was with the Golden Justice Alliance... Ah, I see. Understood."
Namgung Hwan smiled softly.
Seeing him, Wi Sowol sensed that the day Hwangbo Yun's accumulated karma would crumble wasn't far off.
If he was going to hide it, he should've hidden both.
Wi Sowol paraded her name openly everywhere— what use was Hwangbo Yun alone switching identities back and forth?
It was karma he'd built himself. A pity, that was all.
"But how did you two end up with Lady Ji?"
That was a mistake.
"We didn't know the Tengwang Assembly rules well and couldn't enter, so Lady Namgung Ji kindly offered to bring us along."
Hwangbo Yun stated the facts calmly, but Namgung Ji had no intention of letting it end there.
"Looks like I need to tighten up on guard management. Turning away such esteemed guests at the door—what would become of the great Namgung Clan's name?"
'Damn it!'
Realizing his slip too late, Namgung Hwan frantically weighed his options.
And quickly arrived at an answer.
"No, I'll be rewarding that guard—not punishing him."
Namgung Hwan, who had just been oozing eagerness to befriend Wi Sowol and Hwangbo Yun, switched stances like a ghost.
His face hardened into stern, solemn, utter seriousness.
"Principles, rules, discipline, laws. Without these, how could any sect endure? He faithfully carried out his assigned duty. If that's a crime, then the entire Namgung Clan are criminals."
Backing down here would paint Namgung Hwan as a failure who couldn't properly manage the Tengwang Assembly.
The momentum was on his side.
No room for retreat.
Then advance it was.
Hwangbo Yun and Wi Sowol.
Valuable pieces, to be sure.
But only that valuable.
Not fatal.
The Hwangbo Clan wielded immense influence in far-off Gansu, but in the Central Plains, they were mere outlanders.
Wi Sowol was still a fledgling living in her master the Weird Physician's shadow.
Here, it was more important to boldly sacrifice those two and project the image of a principles-first steward safeguarding the Tengwang Assembly's value.
"My apologies to you two young ones, but as steward, I can't unconditionally welcome your visit."
No? Actually, perfect.
Wi Sowol and Hwangbo Yun swiftly hashed out and sealed an exit plan via transmission.
"Not at all. If anything, we were the rude ones for arriving so late. We'd just like to quietly take in Tengwang Pavilion's scenery, etch Nanchang's elegant vistas into our hearts, and depart. Please overlook it."
Eloquent words flowed flawlessly from Hwangbo Yun's lips.
At this moment, he was every inch the Hwangbo Clan's young master.
"Of course. Please enjoy the pavilion's views and make some fine memories."
The exchange of bows between Namgung Hwan and Hwangbo Yun cleanly resolved what could have escalated into outright conflict.
For Namgung Ji, who had watched it all, it was a less-than-satisfying conclusion.
But it was fine.
'Eh, this much is acceptable.'
It was a side dish, after all.
Nice if it worked out, a shame if not—that was the extent of it.
She hadn't expected Namgung Hwan to fall for such a petty scheme so easily.
When he'd nearly tripped over it himself, she'd gotten her hopes up, but his handling had been befitting a Namgung heir.
Besides, Namgung Ji's true goal lay elsewhere.
'Jeong Pilhwa, was it? In Gansu and Jiangxi, some are even saying the World's Four Beauties should become the Five...'
Namgung Ji's eyes resembled those of a child eyeing a cute puppy.
'Age: mid-teens. Pass. Background: direct disciple of a top Zhangyuan graduate. Pass. Looks: rumored on par with the World's Four Beauties. Pass. Dance: she'll pick it up easily once she learns martial arts. Pass. Marriage: no rumors of one. Pass.'
No disqualifying factors.
Examination result: all pass.
'It's you.'
You. From this moment on, you're my vase.