Chapter 107
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Trivial Knowledge: The 'Feng' (鳳) in Phoenix is Male
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Finally, the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly that every promising talent in the martial world had been eagerly awaiting was held.
The Dragon-Phoenix Assembly was the world's greatest martial arts tournament exclusively for the younger generation.
It was one of the rare opportunities for participants to proudly display their true skills to the world, unbound by the influence of their sects or clans.
Countless young experts from across the land swarmed to the Murim Alliance headquarters in Ayang like clouds to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly.
Mount Hua's thirty core disciples from the three great lines all entered the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly as well. Since one of the top favorites was from Mount Hua, the sect had been drawing significant attention even before the event began.
"Ooh, Mount Hua's Snow Plum Blossom."
"Truly the number one beauty of Shaanxi..."
Biyeong frowned delicately at the whispers that followed in her wake wherever she went. Would she finally stop hearing such talk if she carved a big scar across her face?
Snow Plum Blossom. She ground the newly coined nickname between her teeth, clenching her molars.
"Nice nickname..."
Unaware of her feelings, Biyeong muttered beside her in an envious tone. Noticing Biyeong's crumpled expression a beat late, Biyeong tilted her head.
"Why, senior sister? Don't you like it? Still, Snow Plum Blossom is way better than Mad Sword."
"Huh, speaking of which, where'd Big Senior Brother go? Find him quick before he causes trouble."
Thanks to Biyeong's mention, Biyeon belatedly noticed the empty spot. Spotting Biyeon off in the distance, chatting with the youngest of the Hubei Peng Clan without a trace of his presence earlier, Biyeong turned around.
"I'll go get him."
"Don't wander off alone, come with me—"
"I'm fine on my own."
Cutting off Biyeon, Biyeong strode away purposefully. She knew why Biyeon said that, but she had no intention of being treated like some helpless fool who couldn't go anywhere alone.
The moment she was alone, flies started buzzing around her, and her hand instinctively went to the sword at her waist.
"Listen well, Iryeong. For a beautiful flower not to be easily plucked, it needs sharp thorns to protect itself."
The advice came back to her from one of the courtesans in the brothel, gripping her young shoulder and mumbling drunkenly with slurred speech. On the day that particularly beautiful courtesan, famous in the brothel for her looks, died, people whispered it was the curse of beauty.
Biyeong hated the phrase "beauty meets an early grave." It felt too much like a prophecy of her own future.
She had fled to escape a fate of being just another flower, only to be reduced to one here too? How ridiculous. If she swung her sword here and spilled their blood, would that serve as her thorns well enough?
"Tonight, some young experts are gathering at Cuiwol Tower. If you'd grace us with your presence, I'd be honored to personally invite—"
One persistent fly couldn't even finish his sentence before he suddenly tumbled across the ground.
"Wow, I just saved a life. Senior Sister Biyeong, even if these guys are annoying, murder's a problem here. We're from a prestigious righteous sect, after all."
Right, he was correct. She could bare her thorns on the arena stage just fine. Swinging her sword here would cause a uproar, but on the stage, it would be legitimate combat.
Biyeong released her grip on the sword hilt without regret.
The man whipped around irritably, then blanched upon seeing the face of the one who'd kicked his back.
"What kind of bastard... Gasp, Mount Hua Mad Sword?"
See? Even the top favorites weren't worth pestering or directly insulting—no one dared rush at them.
Hearing his own nickname bellowed loudly, Biyeon irritably swept back his bangs.
"Ha, hearing this shitty lifelong nickname all at once today. Why keep calling me by that instead of my proper Taoist name?"
"Nicknames are meant to be what people call you, after all."
Biyeon's nickname wasn't cool in meaning or origin by any flattery, but Biyeong envied it greatly.
"Still, isn't Mount Hua Mad Sword way better than Snow Plum Blossom?"
The nickname bearing Mount Hua's name and his weapon felt far more meaningful than her own, which reduced her solely to her appearance as a mere flower.
* * *
"You're joking, right?"
Biyeong narrowed her eyes at her words.
Ask a hundred people, and all hundred would say Snow Plum Blossom beats Mount Hua Mad Sword. What kind of outrageous nonsense was this?
If nicknames could be traded, he'd have swapped them long ago.
"A flower that blooms and withers in one season versus Mount Hua's name—which has more weight?"
"...Did puberty hit you just now?"
That line about flowers blooming and withering in a season—wasn't that an unforgettable quote from Biyeon's puberty phase?
Right, Biyeong had skipped puberty quietly. But wasn't twenty-two a bit late for it?
Biyeong sighed, her expression dripping with pity. Thankfully, the murderous aura from moments ago, when she'd seemed ready to kill without hesitation, was gone.
While greeting Peng Haran after a long time, he'd casually glanced up and caught Biyeong's murderous glare—it was so vicious his feet moved on their own. Phew, he'd stopped his junior sister from committing murder.
He'd expected the kicked fly to argue, but no—the pest who'd been pestering Biyeong shouted Biyeon's nickname vigorously once and fled the scene with the others.
Somehow, he'd acquired Conqueror's Haki without realizing it.
"Ah, I really want to change my nickname."
Grumbling as he headed toward the group of Mount Hua's Bi-generation disciples, Biyeong replied indifferently.
"If you want to change the nickname others call you, senior brother, the easiest and fastest way right now is to win the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly."
"Don't like the winner's nickname either."
Was there a lunatic reconsidering victory because he disliked the winner's title?
Yes, that was him.
Of course, a hidden master could pop up out of nowhere, so he wasn't certain of winning, but he was still one of the top favorites.
"What's so bad about it?"
"Men get 'Dragon' (龍), women get 'Phoenix' (鳳)—Phoenix!"
He didn't want to become Mount Hua Sword Phoenix. He'd take Mad Sword over that. Why give men the majestic Dragon and women Phoenix?
Mount Hua Sword Dragon, or Plum Blossom Sword Dragon—how cool. Phoenix just evoked scrub or chicken crest.
"Isn't it ridiculous? The 'Feng' (鳳) in Phoenix is the male one—why slap it on women? If anything, use 'Huang' (凰)!"
"Got a nickname in mind with 'Huang'?"
"Piercing Heaven Huang."
"That's some Demonic Cult or unorthodox nickname. Your tastes..."
"Why? Isn't it cool?"
No one approached them as they rejoined the Mount Hua Bi-generation group. More precisely, they approached Biyeong but backpedaled upon seeing him.
Did he look like a Conqueror's Haki wielder to others?
He covered his mouth with his fist, chuckling inwardly without letting it escape.
If he called himself the Venerable One aloud, the old ginger monsters of the martial world would swarm to correct the impudent pup's manners.
"Why does Big Senior Brother seem to have hit 'that phase' after emerging from closed-door training?"
What was that supposed to mean? This poor Daoist never had a true dark history 'that phase' like you lot—he was just maintaining his concept.
And he had a perfectly valid reason: to hide his troubled feelings.
Because while chatting with Peng Haran just now, he'd gleaned that something had happened to Namgung Seheon.
"By the way, have you seen Namgung Seheon? I saw his sister, but not him."
"Biyeon, you haven't heard the rumors about the Namgung family's youngest?"
"What? Did something happen?"
"Well—"
"Ugh, hold on. Biyeong's eyes are flipping out. She's gonna kill someone."
He regretted dashing off to stop Biyeong without hearing the answer. Should've stuck around for details.
Still, his sect brothers mattered more than someone else's kid. Rumors could be heard anywhere.
Namgung Seheon's letter warning not to trust rumors or letters made him feel uneasy for no reason.
"Big Senior Brother, the Wudang third-generation disciples are gathering at Cuiwol Tower tonight?"
"They must be confident all their prelim guys will pass. Drop in prelims, and they won't step out for dinner—they'll hole up in their lodgings, watching the elders' faces."
His group's prelims were tomorrow. Excluding him, Bidam, and Biran, most Bi-generation disciples had theirs today.
Groups of five competed in prelims, with only the last one standing advancing to the main tournament.
Due to time constraints, several groups ran simultaneously, so they'd skipped Biyeop's prelims to watch Biyeong's.
"Senior brothers! Seniors! What do I do?!"
Biyeong, pale as a ghost on the arena, spotted them and screamed.
Wondering what was wrong, he scanned her group on the stage and clicked his tongue upon recognizing a familiar face.
"Wow, one of those two won't make Cuiwol Tower tonight."
Several familiar faces were already gathered below, ready to watch. Of all things, Mount Hua and Wudang drawn into the same prelim group.
"Go, Mount Hua!"
"Kid, lose and you're Mount Hua's shame!"
"Senior Brother! Show them Wudang's might!"
Amid the cheers for their sects, Baek Geon spotted him and grinned slyly.
"Biyeon, long time no see—won't cheer for me?"
Staring at the now fully adult man's face, he opened his mouth. Of course he'd cheer.
"Biyeong, lose and it's hell training! Crush Wudang!"
"Big Senior Brother, that's too much!"