Chapter 126
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Shanxi Strife
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In the martial world, it was the nickname for the war between the Taegok Branch Hall and the Shanxi unorthodox factions.
When the news first broke, most martial artists favored the Shanxi unorthodox factions.
It wasn't the North Sea Ice Palace's main headquarters but merely a branch hall, and only five hundred warriors had been dispatched.
Of course, some saw a glimmer of hope with the addition of the North Heavenly Dragon.
But when word spread that the Mad Blood Sword Lord was among the unorthodox ranks, even that hope vanished.
The prevailing prediction was that the North Heavenly Dragon, despite his astonishing feats, would perish this time.
Yet when martial artists heard the outcome of the Shanxi Strife, they doubted their own ears.
"The North Sea Ice Palace's branch hall achieved a great victory against the Shanxi unorthodox factions!"
"The North Heavenly Dragon defeated not only the Blood Sound Death Lord but the Mad Blood Sword Lord as well!"
"The North Sea Twin Heroes took down the Heavenly Remnant Twin Fiends who came as reinforcements!"
All tales too incredible to believe. But with the rumors persisting, they had no choice but to accept them.
As a result, the Central Plains' three major powers—the Orthodox Heaven Alliance and the Martial Alliance—turned their attention to Shanxi Province, and even the Evil Path Union, natural enemies of the North Sea Ice Palace, went on high alert.
And the Shanxi Strife became the trigger for an unexpected force to take interest in the North Sea Ice Palace.
In the darkness, a figure spoke.
"...So Guo is dead?"
"My apologies."
"Tsk tsk. I was planning to use him for the grand undertaking...."
"We believe he stepped in due to his ties with the Blood Sound Death Lord. The emissary from this 'Order' sought him out, but we were one step too late."
"So that means...."
"Yes. Our judgment is that he couldn't have won without using the Ghost Charm Art."
"...."
"Whether he lost without using the Ghost Charm Art or won against the North Heavenly Dragon by using it—either way would have been undesirable...."
"North Heavenly Dragon?"
"Yes. The young lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, who has been making a name for himself these past few years. His growth is extraordinary."
"...Is that so? Come to think of it, I've been too neglectful of the martial world's currents lately."
"Not at all. He's been making some noise, but it hasn't affected the big picture yet. If it had, I would have reported to the 'Second Order Lord' long ago."
"And by 'yet,' you mean it might in the future?"
"Separate from the North Heavenly Dragon, we predicted the unorthodox factions would win the Shanxi Strife... but we were proven spectacularly wrong. The North Sea Ice Palace's potential seems greater than anticipated."
"Hoo."
"The Ice Emperor, one of the Three Venerables of the Outer Realm; the North Heavenly Dragon, whose fame has outgrown the label of 'late-generation talent'; and the North Sea Twin Heroes to boot."
"...."
"Their influence isn't significant yet, but if they grow a bit more, they could impact the grand plan."
"We'll have to act before that happens."
"Indeed, Order Lord. But to avoid the mistake of underestimating the grass while fearing the wind, we'll proceed with utmost caution."
"You'll handle that well enough. More importantly...."
The corner of the Order Lord's mouth twitched upward.
"With Guo defeated, do you think he didn't use the Ghost Charm Art?"
"Absolutely. If he had, the North Heavenly Dragon never would have stood a chance."
The Order Lord shook his head.
"No. That fool lacks the resolve to heed my words even in a crisis."
"Then you believe...?"
"He used the Ghost Charm Art but still lost."
"...!"
"Keep a close eye on the North Sea Ice Palace's movements. Especially... report every move of that North Heavenly Dragon."
"Even so, it's not worth the Order Lord's attention."
"No, it's just a hunch. I have a feeling that North Sea man called the North Heavenly Dragon will stir up quite a storm."
"...!"
"But I don't think it will necessarily harm the grand plan."
"...Understood."
"Heh heh, it's been a while since something this intriguing came along."
* * *
The victory in the Shanxi Strife.
It became a major turning point for the Taegok Branch Hall.
The infamous rumors of the past were revealed as deliberate slander by the unorthodox factions, and word spread far and wide that they were the true culprits behind the malicious gossip.
The surviving unorthodox forces went into hiding, while the North Sea Ice Palace's reputation soared sky-high.
People from across Shanxi Province flocked to offer aid to the Taegok Branch Hall, and the number of new warrior applicants surged.
Thanks to this, construction and repairs on the branch hall progressed at a rapid pace.
Bing Cho-pung found himself busy again, though this time for different reasons. At least with Yu Gong-seon's assistance, things were somewhat manageable.
The greatest beneficiary of the Shanxi Strife's growth was none other than the North Sea Warrior Corps.
The life-and-death battles had given them invaluable experience, awakening many to new heights in their martial arts.
They voluntarily joined the martial arts instruction sessions originally held for the Shanxi Martial Brigade and the Hidden Shadow Brigade.
This naturally led to interactions between veteran and new warriors, gradually fostering a shared identity as North Sea Ice Palace warriors.
Seol Hwa-un smiled as he watched.
'Yes, this is how we blend into the Central Plains.'
"Though the casualties were heavy, it ultimately allowed the branch hall to establish itself swiftly in Shanxi Province."
At Yu Gong-seon's words, Seol Hwa-un asked,
"How are the unorthodox factions behaving?"
"As expected, they're keeping quiet. They'll be busy defending their own territories for a while."
"...."
"Are you thinking of punishing them?"
Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
"Destroying the Black Refinement Sect, the main instigators, is enough."
Right after the battle, Seol Hwa-un had struck the Black Refinement Sect, which surrendered after being reduced to a hollow shell.
He disbanded it entirely, seizing their accumulated wealth in the process—a boon to the branch hall's finances.
"Shanxi Province is vast. We can't manage it all ourselves, so some coexistence is necessary. I have no intention of crushing even those groveling at our feet."
"Wise words."
"Excessive tyranny leads only to the demonic path. Looking ahead, the righteous path is best."
"Haha, you seem to have changed your thinking since your earlier days wandering the martial world."
Seol Hwa-un chuckled softly.
"Not really. It's just what's most beneficial for this palace."
"I agree."
Just then, as Seol Hwa-un gazed down at the training grounds, his eyes caught a young man in red training robes diligently practicing his swordsmanship.
"...He's putting in quite the effort."
Following his gaze, Yu Gong-seon said,
"Ah, you mean the Vice Sect Leader of the Shanxi Sword Sect?"
"Indeed."
Surprisingly, the Shanxi Sword Sect had sent both its Sect Leader and Vice Sect Leader to support the Taegok Branch Hall.
Seol Hwa-un expressed his sincere gratitude, but the Sect Leader humbly replied that he was merely repaying past favors from Seol Hwa-un.
Over the past two years, the Shanxi Sword Sect had undergone remarkable growth, focusing on elite training and building strength.
Now, they had the power to fend off attacks from two of the Green Forest Eighteen Bandits.
Behind this rapid rise were supports from the Martial Alliance and the Orthodox Heaven Alliance.
Though affiliated with the Martial Alliance, the sect had received scant aid before. The split between the two alliances ironically proved beneficial, as each vied to pull the sect to their side.
But Yu Gong-seon saw it differently.
"Perhaps they bolstered the Shanxi Sword Sect as a check against our palace establishing a foothold in Shanxi Province."
Seol Hwa-un thought it plausible but wasn't overly concerned.
They were allies with the Shanxi Sword Sect anyway, and Shanxi wasn't the North Sea Ice Palace's final destination.
In any case, the Shanxi Sword Sect, having provided such great aid, soon departed—except for Vice Sect Leader Jin Pyo, who stayed behind.
He approached Seol Hwa-un with a request.
"I've heard that the Taegok Branch Hall teaches North Sea Ice Palace martial arts. Please allow me to learn your swordsmanship as well."
Seol Hwa-un readily agreed.
Considering long-term relations with the Shanxi Sword Sect, granting this favor was wise.
As the Vice Sect Leader who had greatly aided the branch hall, no one inside opposed.
'Was it the spar with the Mount Hua Sword Spirit that sparked this?'
The Jin Pyo he met again was a completely different swordsman from before.
'The Ice White Sword Formula is our basic swordsmanship, but for the Vice Sect Leader, learning a new style will be immensely helpful.'
Moreover, the Shanxi Sword Sect's own martial arts weren't bad—they had plenty of potential.
'Who knows? They might even produce one of the Ten Great Orthodox Swordsmen someday.'
With such thoughts, Seol Hwa-un returned to his room and immediately noticed someone waiting for him.
"Heh heh heh. Long time no see, Young Palace Lord."
"Seomun Young Master, it's been a while."
Round-faced with small eyes, he was none other than Seomun Gong, young heir of the West Gate Family.
"Young Master? You flatter me."
Seol Hwa-un remembered debts owed. Seomun Gong had greatly helped establish the branch hall, so he treated him warmly.
"I've heard you've provided much convenience for the branch hall. It must not have been easy—my thanks."
"No need for thanks. I was the shocked one. Who'd have thought the Young Palace Lord would defeat even the Mad Blood Sword Lord."
"You've heard already?"
"Heh heh, merchants must have sharp ears, after all."
Seol Hwa-un let out a soft laugh.
"But the West Gate Family is still a martial house, isn't it? You push the merchant image too hard."
"Mercy, even seeing this body of mine? I'm barely scraping by as a martial artist."
Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
"No need to play that act in front of me. You already know my skills far surpass other late-generation talents."
He even seemed stronger than before their parting. But Seomun Gong widened his eyes in feigned surprise.
"Me?"
"If you'd rather keep it hidden, I'll respect that."
"Heh heh, no idea what you mean."
Seol Hwa-un shrugged at his persistent denial.
"Anyway, what's your business?"
"Oh, nothing much. First, congratulations...."
Seomun Gong pulled a letter from his bosom.
"This is from an Orthodox Heaven Alliance emissary seeking to meet you. They gave it to me, figuring I'm close to the Young Palace Lord."
"...."
Seol Hwa-un slowly unfolded and read the letter.
"...An alliance?"
"What do you think? Even the Martial Alliance has never seen terms this generous."
Incredibly, the Orthodox Heaven Alliance proposed an equal alliance with the North Sea Ice Palace.
"Certainly unexpected."
"Heh heh heh. No rush for an answer—take your time reviewing it."
And the letter contained one more item.
"The Orthodox Heaven Alliance Lord's inauguration?"
After two long years of vacancy, the Alliance Lord was finally to be formally installed.
Seol Hwa-un's curiosity piqued.
"Who was elected?"
"It's no secret, so I'll tell you. The Alliance Lord is...."