Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Gambit
Checkpoint setup condition: Achieve a rank of 10th place or higher in the midterm exam.
The checkpoint condition in the Ayuin World was based on grades. For someone like me who'd taken first place across the entire school, grades weren't a big issue. With the checkpoint now set, I could come and go from this world whenever I wanted.
Come to think of it, it's been a while since I last visited the Extreme Sword Heavenly Immortal world.
Jin Samwol's pussy felt like a distant memory. I was craving that martial arts vibe again after so long. Without hesitation, I chose the Extreme Sword Heavenly Immortal world.
In the Extreme Sword Heavenly Immortal world, I'd just finished training in Jilin and returned to Anhui. By my side were Na Okryeong, the deputy chief of the Lily Escort Bureau; Wisa Hu, the chief steward; the Rakshasa Witch Danyuha; Jin Samwol, disciple of the Black Rock Taoist; and finally, the imugi Cheonhwa.
There was a mountain of work waiting in Anhui. Top priority was getting the Moran Merchant Group and Gukhwajeonjang—the ones who controlled Anhui's money flow—firmly under my thumb. Together with the Lily Escort Bureau, they were known as Anhui's Three Flowers, wielding immense influence second only to the Nangong Family.
Surprisingly, they were collateral branches of the Yinlin Xu Family, which owned the Lily Escort Bureau. But even as collaterals, there wasn't much friendly exchange between the families. If anything, there was a subtle atmosphere of baring teeth at each other. Not all families in the world get along with haha-ho-ho laughter.
"How do you plan to handle those two?"
Na Okryeong asked me. Even she—one of the most resourceful minds in the Extreme Sword Heavenly Immortal world—didn't have a ready plan to swallow up two massive factions. And for good reason: absorbing them meant watching out for the Nangong Family's reaction.
The Nangong Family was Anhui's One Vault. Even the Martial Alliance had to yield a step before them in Anhui—their prestige was easy to gauge. From their perspective, a union of the Lily Escort Bureau, Moran Merchant Group, and Gukhwajeonjang was far from ideal.
If that happened, Anhui's logistics and currency would funnel to one side, creating a massive rival. Anyone with a brain would nip that in the bud.
Maybe that's why the Three Flowers, loosely tied by blood, had managed to build their own powers without interference—because they got along so poorly.
"I've considered several strategies, but this seems the best."
"What strategy?"
"We'll use the Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest held in Henan three months from now."
Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest (龍虎爭覇)
A massive martial tournament for late-stage disciples under 30. Hosted by the Martial Alliance every four years, it stands alongside the Black Society Martial Tournament hosted by the Evil Path Alliance as the twin pillars of martial contests.
Incidentally, those who reach the quarterfinals in either tournament qualify for the Red-Blue Great War, the martial world's grandest tournament. Danyuha had competed there too, probably taking third place.
"Use the Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest? How?"
"As you know, the biggest obstacle to taking the Moran Merchant Group and Gukhwajeonjang is the Nangong Family. Without their interference, we could snag them somehow. So our puzzle is how to divert their attention."
"I agree. So, use the contest to draw their eyes? Sure, they'll focus on it when it starts, but that's it. A giant like the Nangong Family won't pour all their resources into one event."
"Then we'll make them. The current Nangong Family is in dire straits. Family head Nangong Mosan can't even draw the Imperial King's Sword, so he's at the point of accepting a talented son-in-law. In that situation, what if the Thunder Spirit Pill is announced as a runner-up prize for the Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest?"
A potent elixir containing powerful thunder qi. The ultimate spiritual medicine for martial artists who wield lightning energy—and a perfect match for the Nangong Family.
Said to hold the power of five thunderbolts, it's extraordinarily effective and extremely rare. Everyone knows the Nangong Family goes crazy for it.
"Thunder Spirit Pill! The Nangong Family would flip if they heard."
"We'll offer this Thunder Spirit Pill as a prize in the Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest. Sponsor it under the Lily Escort Bureau's name—simple as that."
Countless merchant groups and escort bureaus in the Central Plains sponsor the Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest to boost their name. Offering prizes like us isn't uncommon. It's like corporate sponsorships in world-class sports.
That's why, excluding the Red-Blue Great War, it's the martial tournament with the biggest prize pool. Just making the semifinals could turn you into an overnight millionaire.
"If they learn the Thunder Spirit Pill is a prize, the Nangong Family will throw everything at it. And why not? It's exactly what they need right now."
"Makes sense. Their elders might even mobilize en masse. They'd definitely pull resources from watching Anhui."
"While they're all-in on the Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest, we'll swiftly take over the Moran Merchant Group and Gukhwajeonjang. Word is, the Moran Merchant Group's second steward loves gambling, and Gukhwajeonjang's Sa Gilcheon is obsessed with women."
"Gambling and women. The usual pitfalls for successful men."
"And nothing controls a man easier. In three months, those two factions will be ours."
Nangong Mosan, head of the Nangong Family, was swamped lately. Gluttonous guests flooding the family estate were at an all-time high, and entertaining them was no small task.
With vigorous young martial artists cooped up together, trouble was inevitable. Even the Nangong Family's prestige could only suppress youthful recklessness so much.
In the midst of this frenzy, some weirdo called the Twin Black Lust Demons popped up in Jansan County, nearly bursting Nangong Mosan's head. At least the bastard vanished like a dead rat.
Nangong Hyeok, handling the lust demon case, poked around the Lily Escort Bureau trying to make sense of the abrupt end but came up empty.
Anyway, just as Jansan County quieted from the lust demon uproar, a bombshell rumor hit the Nangong Family.
The Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest prize included a Thunder Spirit Pill.
The elders' meeting was called the moment the rumor reached their ears. Naturally, family head Nangong Mosan convened it.
"A Thunder Spirit Pill? The Martial Alliance wouldn't spout nonsense like that. Is it really on offer?"
"If the Alliance says so, it is. This is an opportunity we cannot ignore!"
"Indeed. It's been 50 years since our family last touched one. Ugh! With it, I could elevate the Heavenly Thunder Heart-Shattering Qi Art another level."
"The Imperial King's Swordsmanship would refine even further. Anyway, it's a golden chance for us."
The family heads gathered in the Azure Dragon Hall buzzed even before Nangong Mosan arrived. The chatter didn't die down until he took the head seat. It was that big a deal—the Thunder Spirit Pill was that monumental.
Father took one 50 years ago and jumped two whole stages in his arts overnight.
Especially synergistic with Nangong martial arts, they had to get it. That's why this elders' meeting was called.
"Ahem! With our family head here, let's quiet down."
Senior-most elder Nangong Jigon cleared his throat, and the din filling Azure Dragon Hall gradually faded.
Nangong Mosan scanned the room. The elders' expressions varied, but the excitement was universal.
They sensed it instinctively: With the Thunder Spirit Pill, the Nangong Family could leap forward. What they needed now was raw power.
It's because of my incompetence.
He was a half-baked failure who couldn't draw the Imperial King's Sword. He'd grown the family's strength through administration, but for a martial artist, weak personal might was a fatal flaw.
It was his complex. The Thunder Spirit Pill could overcome it. Organizing his thoughts, Nangong Mosan spoke.
"You all know why I called this elders' meeting—the recent rumor. We've inquired with the Martial Alliance today, so verifying authenticity will take time, but I believe it's true."
The elders nodded in unison.
"No smoke without fire. And the Alliance wouldn't lie about this."
"Assuming it's true, what's the plan?"
To elder Nangong Sanggi's question, Nangong Mosan replied firmly.
"Mobilize the family's full might to secure the Thunder Spirit Pill. Prizes go from 1st to 8th, picked in order. To guarantee it, we'd need 1st place... but realistically, tough."
No matter how dominant in Anhui, they couldn't claim certain victory in the Dragon-Tiger Supremacy Contest with all of Baekdo's late disciples swarming.
Embarrassingly, their best was 3rd. But that didn't diminish their stature. They'd consistently hit top 8, proving their caliber.
"From the rumored other prizes, nothing matches the Thunder Spirit Pill. Any champion would snatch it."
It was that extraordinary—not just for the Nangong Family.
"Best is taking 1st. If not, we'll prepare contingencies. Trade with the winner... options abound. For now, aim for victory. My sons Ho and Hyeok will compete. Elders, please train them intensively. Unlike their worthless father, they're gifted."
"Understood."
Nangong Jigon spoke for the elders. As Nangong Mosan said, they'd go straight for the win first.
The ideal was Nangong producing the champion. Everyone knew how grueling that would be.