The Phoenixes' First Appraisal
As soon as I stepped onto the top floor of the Grand Pavilion, the entire room fell silent. Every gaze snapped toward me like arrows. A heartbeat later, the chatter resumed as if nothing had happened, but that single moment of stillness had already given the phoenixes more than enough information.
The women exchanged quick glances, instantly gauging my “rank.” What the heck, she’s covering her face? And using such a high-quality silk veil at that.Is she from the Bukga? That veil is straight-up luxury.But only the veil is expensive?She must lack confidence in her face.Just look at that body shape.Did all the food she ate spread out in every direction?Hah. With breasts like that, even nice clothes wouldn’t show anything. And what is that butt? Her skirt probably doesn’t even fit.I’m not saying this out of jealousy, okay? I’m not crying!But… martial robes?The fabric is decent but not top-tier.She doesn’t seem to care much about dressing up.The upper garment is a long jang-o that reaches the knees, and the collar is crossed high to completely cover the collarbones. Ugh, just looking at it feels stuffy.She’s probably not from a prestigious family but from a Murim sect. And among those, likely a Taoist one.Why is she carrying two swords? And she even brought a flute like she’s some kind of musician.At least use a decent flute. That thing looks like a wooden club. Is it even a flute?And if you’re going to show up, at least greet people properly. What’s with the awkward glancing around before sitting down?
The final conclusion the women reached was simple: She’s an ugly country bumpkin who crawled up from some rural Taoist temple.
Their wariness toward me plummeted in an instant.
If one were to analyze Dang Nan-a’s behavior by cutting it into individual scenes, a rather amusing pattern would emerge. The gazes that had all rushed toward me suddenly swung back to the women who had already secured their seats. And those women kept stealing glances at one another, sizing each other up.
The women receiving those looks were none other than the leaders of the factions—the recruiters. This was their bidding process.
Who wants to take that country girl?She doesn’t look like much.I’m good, thanks.She seems like the female martial artist type.Taking her would just mean dealing with someone clueless with no benefits.Ugh, what a waste of time.
Since no one asked “Who wants her first?” it also meant that after her entrance, she had failed to appeal to any faction enough for them to extend a hand.
In such cases, a woman had two choices, and a martial artist had one.
If Cheong had been socially adept, she would have approached one of the recruiters, introduced herself with a charming smile, and wagged her tail with a “Let’s be friends~” But since she wasn’t, she could also slump her shoulders in disappointment, thinking the Phoenix Society debut was a total failure, and head toward the “reject corner.” (There was always a gloomy “reject zone” in one corner of every Phoenix Society gathering.)
And if she were a true martial artist, either completely ignorant of women’s faction wars or simply uninterested, she would head to the separately prepared “female martial artist zone.” That was where women closer to being martial artists than ladies gathered—those uninterested in complicated faction politics.
Of course, Cheong knew none of this complicated subtext.
She simply scanned the room, thinking, They said Gongson Sojeo would be here… and came to a very simple conclusion.
Wow, everyone’s dressed so extravagantly.
At that moment, Dang Nan-a climbed the stairs.
“Hey, Cheong! I told you to wait! You went up first anyway. Here, wear this silk scarf. It’s one of my favorites. It’s made with real golden thread from the Western Regions.”
Dang Nan-a personally draped the long silk scarf over both of Cheong’s forearms and adjusted it with a proud expression. A pibak was a wide, long piece of fabric usually draped over both arms so that it hung down the back and sides. The mysterious long cloth often seen in paintings of fairies was exactly this.
“I still don’t get why people wear these. Isn’t it just uncomfortable? You can’t even lower your arms properly with this on.”
When wearing a pibak, your arms naturally ended up in an awkward jump-rope position. Otherwise the fabric would drag on the ground.
“It’s because it looks pretty, obviously. Ah, it looks good on you.”
At those words, tension rippled through the hall once more.
Isn’t that the Poison Flower?It is the Poison Flower.Oh man, the ultimate spoiled princess is here.That lucky girl who stays cooped up in Sichuan actually came all the way to Kaifeng? Why?The Poison Flower is lending her belongings to someone?Did she eat something wrong while handling her poisons and lose her mind?
Dang Nan-a, as if showing off, shot sharp glances in every direction. They were aimed at the recruiters. In response, the women burst into quiet laughter and exchanged knowing looks.
She’s clearly acting as a maid, right?The great Dang Nan-a is clinging to that plain-looking country girl?And that girl looks like she doesn’t know anything about this world.What’s the point of bringing someone who knows nothing?
Right then, something small came running over with high-pitched squeals.
“Sister! Gaga Sister!”
“Oh? Isn’t this our Hyang? Was our little Hyang here?”
Cheong lifted Jegal Hyang high into the air, spun her around twice, then pulled her into a tight hug. The seven-year-old little lady burst into bright, pleasant laughter.
“Ah, Gaga Sister, have you seen my big brother? I haven’t seen him in so long but he won’t even play with me. He’s so mean.”
“Your brother is over there with the men. He’ll probably go home today, so tell him to play with you twice as much to make up for it.”
“Hehe, okay!”
When Cheong tried to set the child down, Jegal Hyang wrapped her arms around Cheong’s neck and refused to let go, clinging like she was hanging from a tree. Cheong let out a small laugh and hugged her again.
At that sight, the women’s wariness shot back up to maximum levels.
She has the Poison Flower beneath her and even the precious daughter of the Jegal Clan follows her.She’s no mere country girl.
Then, a beautiful woman sitting in the middle smiled brightly and spoke.
“Hey, Poison Flower. A new phoenix has arrived, yet you’re not even going to introduce her?”
Cheong looked at the woman.
Whoa, what the—gulp.What kind of outfit is that?Seeing it in person is seriously intense.
It was the latest trend known as bak-tu-no. Thin, transparent, and revealing—all three elements combined into one outfit. A waistband was wrapped near the ribs to push the chest upward, then a very long skirt was worn underneath. Adding a sheer silk vest completed the look.
Many poets had been so moved by this “desirable attire” that they wrote verses about it. Famous lines included things like “The white snow piles upon her chest,” “The revealed breasts are as white as snow,” and “The offered chest is a sky-reflecting pool.” They all compared breasts to snow, but that wasn’t plagiarism—it was simply because her skin was as white as snow.
Of course, how much of the upper chest was revealed depended on one’s confidence, wealth, and power. The higher all three were, the lower and more area one dared to show.
And the woman who had spoken was displaying the maximum level of confidence—dangerously close to the edge.
Cheong struggled to pull her instinctively wandering eyes back into place and said,
“Ah. Hello, everyone. I am Seomun Cheong, an outer disciple of the Sinnyeo Sect. Though I am lacking, I have received instruction from the venerable Seomun Su-rin.”
“The Grand Matriarch!”
“The strongest among women!”
“The Grand Matriarch!”
So this chant works regardless of gender.And what’s with that perfectly timed chorus?It feels like they’re counting one, two, fire.But as long as everyone shouts at the same time, the exact words can vary a little.I should try joining in next time instead of standing there like an idiot.
Cheong made a mental note.
And that opportunity came immediately.
“So you are Lady Seomun. I am Jin Seol. I assume you’ve heard my name?”
Jin Seol wore an expectant expression. Cheong instinctively realized.
Ah. This is the moment I’m supposed to shout something!
Um… Jin Seol… who is she again?
Cheong realized she had encountered a critical error. She needed to actually know something to shout it.
At that moment, Jegal Hyang leaned close to Cheong’s ear, breathing warm childlike breath through the veil.
“She is Lady Jin Seol of the Gwangdong Jin Family. She holds the title of Understanding White Lily among the Five Flowers of Murim.”
“Understanding White Lily!”
Cheong copied the correct answer through shameless cheating. Although her timing was quite late, Jin Seol nodded with a proud expression.
In classical Chinese poetry, there was a line: “Sitting, a peony; standing, a peony; walking, a white lily.” It was a description of beauty. Among them, the white lily was considered the flower of flowers for its rich yet pure fragrance. That was exactly Jin Seol.
For reference, the Golden Light Sword Flower Moyong Juhee had once claimed, “That Jin Seol bitch has no special talent, so they just slapped ‘lily’ on her.” She also accused her of constantly showing off her chest because she had nothing else to boast about, calling it perverted behavior aimed at earning the titles “Flower of Perversion” or “Flower of Lust.” She was openly hostile.
In truth, it wasn’t entirely baseless. There was the Poison Flower who used poison, the Sword Flower who was surprisingly serious about the sword, the Wise Flower who was intelligent, and the Snow Flower who used ice arts. While all five were beautiful enough to be called the Five Flowers of the Central Plains, Jin Seol lacked any other standout trait or specialty.
Of course, she herself claimed it was simply because she was the most beautiful.
“Wow, our Hyang is practically a little Zhuge Liang. As expected of the Jegal bloodline. So reliable.”
“Hehe.”
Cheong gently rubbed her cheek against the child’s through the thin veil. Jegal Hyang burst into delighted giggles, while Dang Nan-a’s eyes narrowed with jealousy. It was the pathetic sight of a wicked woman jealous of a seven-year-old.
Jin Seol smiled sweetly, testing the waters.
After all, even if there was a difference in seniority, only the strict Taoist and Buddhist sects cared about it. The great families were much more flexible.
“Let’s see… We should find a seat for Lady Seomun. Where is an empty spot…”
Just as even cold water had its upper and lower layers, the Phoenix Society banquet also had upper and lower seats. It was an unofficial rule that no one explained, but violating it would immediately trigger five hundred rounds of subtle backbiting and ostracism.
Therefore, one had to figure it out alone, read the room, and choose wisely.
And Jin Seol’s little scheme was precisely this: to shove Cheong into the absolute lowest seat among the lowest seats. If she didn’t know, she would sit there and be mocked. If she did know, she couldn’t refuse on her first banquet appearance and would have to swallow her anger. It was a wicked trap with no escape.
She didn’t particularly hate Cheong, but since that damn Dang Nan-a was sticking to her, she had no choice. That rabid bitch would definitely use poison. The humiliation and shame she had suffered last time were still vivid.
In the end, it was all Dang Nan-a’s fault.
Just as Jin Seol was about to make her move—
“Ah, it’s fine. I only stopped by because I heard Lady Gongson was here. I plan to have a quick private chat and then leave.”
“Oh, is that so? But since we’ve met like this…”
“I’m sorry as well, but I have companions and can’t stay long. Please understand.”
Jin Seol’s smiling face grew slightly awkward. Of course it would—she was thinking unpleasant thoughts.
So she’s going to slip away like this? Fine. Companions, she says. What companions could someone like her possibly have?
She’s probably relying on her connections to try and meet some men from the Nine Great Schools.Though I doubt any of those guys would understand women’s faction wars.
“Then will you definitely attend tomorrow’s gathering? I’d like to talk with you, and since all the participants of the Dragon Phoenix Assembly will be there, it would be good if your companions could join as well.”
“Oh? Really? Will there be lots of food?”
“Of course. It’s a gathering where rare delicacies from across the Central Plains are all brought together.”
Cheong’s eyes sparkled.
Then there’s no way I can miss it.
“Excuse me, is Lady Gongson here? Ah, there she is. Alright, Hyang. We have some personal matters to discuss, so the ‘dung-dung’ is over now.”
“Dung-dung? Is that a dialect? But I somehow immediately understood what it means…”
Cheong patted Dang Nan-a’s shoulder, telling her to chat with some familiar faces for a bit. Dang Nan-a strode forward confidently, shoved aside the woman sitting next to Jin Seol, and claimed the seat for herself.
Cheong figured the Five Flowers probably all knew each other and walked straight toward Gongson Yoye.
Unfortunately, the seat where Gongson Yoye was sitting happened to be the so-called lowest seat of all. Of course, Cheong had no idea. Even if she had known, she probably wouldn’t have cared, though that was hardly an excuse for her ignorance.