Chapter 73
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Setting the Stage
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Cheongjin of the Wudang Sect.
Although he was still grouped with the rising generation, his name carried a different weight even among his peers.
He walked a different path.
While the others were cornerstones of their respective sects or families, Cheongjin seemed to have no interest in such things.
*“What could be more glorious than attaining enlightenment through the sword? Therefore, the title of Sword Dragon suits you better. You are meant to be a king.”*
At the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly before last, Cheongjin had defeated Namgung Sang-hyeok’s sword and said those words.
Thus, the title of Sword Dragon still described Namgung Sang-hyeok, but those in the know all knew the truth.
*“The sword of the Sword King Family has yet to ascend the peaks of the Nine Sects.”*
Such rumors circulated in secret, and Namgung Sang-hyeok had gritted his teeth and honed his swordsmanship.
However, at the most recent Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, neither Cheongjin nor the Wudang Sect had participated.
And so, Namgung Sang-hyeok’s revenge came to nothing.
He was met with remarks like, *“Showing off when you only kept your title as Sword Dragon because Daoist Cheongjin yielded.”*
Namgung Sang-hyeok was consumed by his inner demons.
It was then that he saw the fully blossomed Namgung Seo-hui, and his inferiority complex toward Cheongjin was redirected at her.
“Cheongjin…”
In the past, despite unleashing every sword art he knew, Namgung Sang-hyeok had failed to penetrate Cheongjin’s enigmatic circle of defense.
Recalling that memory, Namgung Sang-hyeok bit his lip as he watched the duel between Cheongjin and Cheon Muryang.
The first exchange of swords.
At a glance, it seemed Cheon Muryang’s sword had also failed to break through Cheongjin’s circle.
‘Hmph. Of course.’
Namgung Sang-hyeok sneered.
Although he himself had been defeated by Cheon Muryang, he had dismissed it as a mere coincidence.
Even after Paeng Dohyeok was mercilessly trampled.
‘There’s no way that damn scoundrel could pierce Cheongjin’s sword.’
But what seemed blocked was not truly blocked.
Instead, watching Cheon Muryang’s sword strike down like a thunderbolt, Namgung Sang-hyeok clenched his fists.
‘If it were me…’
The question arose: could he have blocked that sword?
Namgung Sang-hyeok desperately denied reality.
‘I can do it too.’
He was confident that he could also block the sword of a mere scoundrel like that.
However, what followed was even more astonishing.
*Craaaash!*
With a tremendous roar, Cheongjin blocked the thunderbolt-like sword.
“……!”
In the end, Cheongjin’s circle remained unbroken.
Namgung Sang-hyeok trembled at the sight.
‘I thought it would be possible now…’
He had thought the new sword he had furiously polished would be able to break through.
‘Am I still so far behind?’
But just as he had improved, no, even more so, Cheongjin’s mastery had advanced to an unrecognizable degree.
He could feel, without it being said, that an insurmountable gap now existed between them.
And so, Namgung Sang-hyeok felt a sense of emptiness.
It was an admission of defeat without even swinging his sword.
That alone was enough to make him burst with frustration, but Cheongjin’s subsequent attitude provoked Namgung Sang-hyeok even further.
‘But why, to that scoundrel…’
Cheongjin was one of the rising generation, yet he had already surpassed them.
Moreover, he was like a noble crane; even when he attended the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, he showed little interest in its main purpose of fostering friendships.
The last image Namgung Sang-hyeok had of Cheongjin was of him leaving the assembly with eyes full of disappointment.
‘To think Cheongjin is acting so friendly.’
The sight of Cheongjin smiling so brightly, as if something were immensely amusing, was inevitably strange.
*Grind!*
At that sight, Namgung Sang-hyeok’s sharp inferiority complex toward Cheon Muryang reared its head once more.
‘If it weren’t for that damn scoundrel…’
That place would have been his.
*Flinch!*
But in that moment, Namgung Sang-hyeok realized something as he looked at where Cheongjin and Cheon Muryang stood.
‘Has Cheongjin ever retreated that far back?’
At the previous Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, Cheongjin had been an impregnable wall.
From beginning to end, he had never once stepped back from his position.
‘The Successor Beggar of the Beggars’ Sect was the only one who managed to make him take a single step back.’
At that time, the Shaolin Temple and the Huashan Sect had not attended.
Rumor even had it that their absence was due to Cheongjin's participation.
‘Even the Successor Beggar only managed one step, and neither I nor Paeng Dohyeok… could make him retreat.’
But what about Cheon Muryang?
Looking at their positions, it was Cheon Muryang who occupied the center of the training ground, while Cheongjin was cornered.
‘Cheon Muryang…’
Namgung Sang-hyeok’s eyes sank deep.
*Shudder!*
Those nearby felt a chill.
‘The future is my era. There will be no room for the Wudang Sect, the Cheon Family, or the Hebei Peng Family to interfere!’
It all had to be his.
Who was the one destined to become the head of the Namgung Family and be called the next Sword Emperor?
It was solely and uniquely him.
‘If you stand in my way…’
His eyes grew chillingly cold.
Namgung Sang-hyeok’s gaze briefly fell upon the Tang Clan.
He met the eyes of Dang So-hye, who happened to be looking at him.
*Whip!*
But it was only for a moment.
Her head turned away.
Towards Cheon Muryang and Cheongjin in the center of the training ground.
“……”
Envy and jealousy arose simultaneously.
*Ssk.*
And so, Namgung Sang-hyeok rose from his seat, intending to leave.
“Hey.”
Paeng Dohyeok noticed and approached him.
He likely intended to discuss their next move.
Though they constantly bickered, it was an unspoken rule among the great families to band together at times like these.
“What should we do…!”
However, even Paeng Dohyeok, who had been so imperious towards Namgung Sang-hyeok, was momentarily silenced by the murderous aura swirling around him.
*Step, step.*
Namgung Sang-hyeok left.
Left alone, Paeng Dohyeok smirked.
“I suppose I don’t need to ask what you’re going to do.”
***
After Namgung Sang-hyeok left and Cheongjin stepped forward to defend Cheon Muryang, the atmosphere of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly completely changed.
The significance of the invitations had been rendered meaningless.
“This must have been the original purpose of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.”
A banquet where everyone could mingle without distinction of color or class.
This was likely what the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was like when it first began.
“I see.”
Cheon Muryang smirked as he watched the bustling banquet.
It was surprising to see the young dragons and phoenixes of the Nine Sects leading the mood.
Watching them, Cheon Muryang turned to Cheongjin and the Successor Beggar beside him and asked.
“So, what’s the scheme?”
*Flinch.*
At Cheon Muryang’s words, Cheongjin and the Successor Beggar both froze for an instant.
Of course, even that momentary pause seemed natural for Cheongjin.
“……”
“Tell me your plan.”
“You knew?”
“The Successor Beggar I know is a very busy man who doesn’t move without reason. Doesn’t that mean you want something?”
In other words, he had attended the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly because he had a scheme.
‘And that scheme was probably planned from the moment I said I would attend the assembly.’
That was the kind of man the Successor Beggar was.
At least, in Cheon Muryang’s judgment.
‘After the fall of the Cheon Family, he is the one who will become the central figure to stand against the Demonic Cult, which will begin to rise in earnest.’
The one who would become the linchpin of the martial world.
That was the Successor Beggar.
Because he was the only one who had seen through the threat of the Demonic Cult.
Wasn’t it the Successor Beggar who had uncovered the Demonic Cult’s spies, like Cheon Jungho, who had quietly infiltrated the martial world of the Central Plains?
‘Of course, that’s in the future, but it’s also destined to happen.’
Therefore, Cheon Muryang trusted the Successor Beggar.
Even if he had been used, he felt he knew what the intention was.
“Don’t worry, though. I have a rough idea of what your scheme is.”
“I had no intention of using you. However, I apologize for having an agenda without informing you.”
The Successor Beggar bowed his head slightly.
As Cheon Muryang had said, the Successor Beggar had intended to create this scene through him.
“I believed unity was necessary. The current martial world is excessively overheated.”
“Overheated…”
Cheon Muryang nodded.
The Successor Beggar was right.
The reality of the current martial world was that people would trample over each other to achieve their goals if necessary.
“Well, the adults surely have their reasons… but what grudges could we possibly have?”
“You mean ‘new wine in new bottles’?”
“Yes, something like that. There’s no need for us to be bound by the stale feuds of the past, is there?”
“……”
“I agree as well. The martial world I first encountered after leaving Wudang was more disappointing than I expected.”
The reason Cheongjin had been disappointed at the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was in the same vein.
People in whom he couldn't find a shred of integrity.
People trapped in a sense of superiority, drawing lines between themselves and others.
Cheongjin couldn't hide his disappointment at the caliber of those who would lead the next generation.
“Of course, a few were different.”
Namgung Sang-hyeok was mistaken.
Cheongjin hadn't refused to befriend anyone; rather, he had joined hands with those who had the potential to forge a new future.
It was just that there was no place for Namgung Sang-hyeok among them.
“So, you joined in as well?”
“That is correct.”
“How amusing. You didn’t seem like the type to act on the Successor Beggar’s word alone.”
“Ah, if Sir Cheon’s sword had been below my expectations…”
Cheongjin smiled with childlike innocence.
“I would have done so myself.”
“I see.”
“Therefore, we sought to cool this overheating, at least here at the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.”
“For what purpose?”
“You already know. The Demonic Cult.”
“……”
Not only Cheongjin’s, but Cheon Muryang’s expression hardened in an instant.
“Very few know of their danger.”
It was a deliberate concealment.
Among the rising generation, almost no one would have information about the Demonic Cult.
“However, a few are aware of the threat they pose.”
*Ssk.*
The Successor Beggar gestured.
A few individuals approached.
Most were disciples of the Nine Sects.
“The purpose of this Dragon and Phoenix Assembly is to bring together the few who are awakened. And…”
“……!”
Cheon Muryang felt a thrill.
In that moment, he could faintly see the ultimate goal the Successor Beggar sought to achieve.
“Don’t tell me…”
The Successor Beggar nodded.
He continued.
“For when the Demonic Cult rises in the future.”
“Today’s unity will shine.”
“Yes. Today’s unity will have a great impact on establishing the ultimate form of union that the older generation could not achieve.”
“Are you talking about a Martial Alliance?”
The Successor Beggar smiled.
It was a mischievous grin.
“This Dragon and Phoenix Assembly is also a way of setting the stage for that.”
“Brilliant.”
The Martial Alliance—a tale that had only been discussed since ancient times.
In other words, it was a story that had no chance of ever being realized.
‘Did he decide it’s possible in the next generation?’
The Successor Beggar was an extremely pragmatic man.
If it were impossible, he wouldn’t have even tried in the first place.
This meant he saw a possibility.
“Do you agree?”
“Yes, to some extent. It means the threat of the Demonic Cult is that fierce.”
“I am relieved.”
“Those old-timers are complacent. Perhaps because in its long history, the Orthodox Martial World has never known defeat.”
Not once had the Orthodox Martial World fallen to the forces of heresy and evil.
While that spoke to the formidable power of the Orthodox Martial World, it had also grown dull over the long years.
“They’re like frogs, aren’t they? Unaware that the water they’re in is about to boil.”
As he had judged before.
The martial world of the Central Plains was a frog.
A clueless frog, idling away in a cauldron that would soon be boiling.
The Successor Beggar was a savior trying to rescue that foolish frog.
“But, listen.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“There’s something you’re overlooking.”
“……?”
“You can’t take everyone with you.”
*Ssk.*
The Tang Clan came into Cheon Muryang’s view.
“A tumor must be cut out, right?”
“A tumor…”
“Otherwise, everything will rot and fall apart.”
Cheon Muryang’s gaze, fixed on the mass of tumors, was endlessly cold.