Chapter 132
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: The Giant Young Master of the Hwangbo Family
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The giant grinned as he spoke.
"I'm Hwangbo Yeong."
Seol Hwa-un's face showed clear surprise.
"Young Master Hwangbo?"
"Hahaha, now that you mention it, I have grown quite a bit, haven't I?"
The group was startled.
"As expected of the Hwangbo Family bloodline—it never disappoints. Who would have thought you'd grown this much."
"It's been a long time."
Seol Hwa-un smiled and nodded.
"Indeed it has. And I hear you're now the official young family head."
"Ah, you knew! I ascended to young family head last year."
He had heard bits and pieces of news about the Hwangbo Family from time to time.
Over the past two years, the Hwangbo Family's growth had been dazzling to behold.
After the Sasa Heavenly Gate Sect was wiped out, the Hwangbo Family had expanded its influence at a frightening pace, to the point where calling them the hegemons of Hunan Province was no exaggeration.
Hwangbo Yeong, now the young family head, had changed greatly from before.
'It's not just his body that's grown. His aura is completely different.'
He had matured into a late-generation expert who wouldn't pale in comparison anywhere.
After exchanging greetings with Seol Hwa-un's group, Hwangbo Yeong's gaze turned to Hong Gwang.
"And this gentleman is...?"
"Amitabha. Pleased to meet you, Patron Hwangbo. This humble monk is Hong Gwang."
Hwangbo Yeong's eyes widened.
"Ah! So you're the Shaolin Peak Dragon!"
"Haha, though lacking, that's what they call me."
"It's truly an honor. I'm Hwangbo Yeong."
The sight of the two burly men chatting somehow exuded an intimidating pressure.
Hong Gwang was slightly taller, but Hwangbo Yeong had broader shoulders.
"By any chance, is Master Hong Gwang also here to visit our alliance headquarters?"
"Indeed."
At his response, a strange expression flickered briefly across Hwangbo Yeong's face before vanishing. Seol Hwa-un didn't miss it.
'Hm?'
Hwangbo Yeong naturally turned his head toward Seol Hwa-un.
"Young Palace Lord, you've received an official invitation to our headquarters, correct?"
"Yes."
"As expected. Then there's no need to wait in this line. Please follow me."
Seol Hwa-un's group followed Hwangbo Yeong to the left side of the Righteous Heaven Alliance's main gate.
There stood a gate smaller than the main one but far more ornately decorated.
"This is the gate for honored guests."
"Oh, nice. You could have mentioned this sooner!"
"Huh? Didn't the one who gave you the invitation say anything?"
The group's eyes naturally turned to Seol Hwa-un.
'Seomun Gong...'
It wasn't that he'd deliberately omitted it; the man was simply too busy and must have forgotten.
As they approached the gate, a middle-aged man in a gatekeeper's uniform bowed politely.
"Welcome. The Righteous Heaven Alliance extends its warm regards."
"You've had a hard time, Hall Leader Son."
He was Son Man-won, one of the six Internal Affairs Hall Leaders of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
"Oh, aren't you the Hidden Dragon Brigade Leader?"
"Hidden Dragon Brigade Leader?"
At Eom Mu-hwi's question, Hwangbo Yeong looked embarrassed.
"I've been put in charge of a small martial unit this time."
"Impressive."
"Haha, it's nothing."
Indeed, the Hidden Dragon Brigade was a small organization made up of promising young warriors with great potential but currently weak overall strength.
Still, Hwangbo Yeong's experience seemed too lacking to lead even such a group.
'Thanks to the Hwangbo Family's influence?'
It could be due to his own martial prowess, but the appointment felt unnatural.
'As expected, the Righteous Heaven Alliance revolves around the Eight Great Families.'
Hall Leader Son asked.
"And these people are...?"
"Ah, my apologies. These are from the North Sea Ice Palace. This is the Young Palace Lord himself, and..."
"North Heaven Dragon!"
Hwangbo Yeong, about to introduce Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi next, froze at Hall Leader Son's sudden shout.
"...?"
His body trembled as he approached Seol Hwa-un.
"Y-you're really the North Heaven Dragon?"
"Yes, but..."
"Heavens! To finally meet you like this! As the rumors say—a heroic appearance and a refined aura!"
As he spoke, Hall Leader Son suddenly pulled a piece of paper from his bosom and held it out.
"Could you perhaps write a few words? Something overflowing with vast righteous qi!"
"What is this...?"
"My son is a huge fan of the North Heaven Dragon! I wanted to deliver something written by the Young Palace Lord himself."
Seol Hwa-un found it odd but agreed since it was no trouble.
"...Very well."
After a moment's thought, Seol Hwa-un wrote 'Roc's Journey of Ten Thousand Miles.'
It meant a roc soaring ten thousand li, symbolizing a young person's grand ambitions.
"Oh! The North Heaven Dragon's calligraphy is masterful. Please add 'Son Pung' below it."
"Son Pung?"
"That's my son's name."
"......"
Hall Leader Son accepted the finished paper with a pleased expression.
"Hehehe, my boy will be thrilled."
Seol Hwa-un couldn't help but ask.
"Hall Leader Son, may I ask one thing?"
"Ask away, North Heaven Dragon."
"What on earth is the reason? There are plenty of other heroes in the martial world—why support me, someone from the North Sea? It's puzzling."
"Ah, that?"
Hall Leader Son smiled faintly.
"I heard that when you were young, Young Palace Lord, you were frail and couldn't properly learn martial arts. Is that true?"
Seol Hwa-un was surprised, as were Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi, who had drawn near out of curiosity.
"How did you...?"
"Hehe. The rumor has spread quite a bit within the Righteous Heaven Alliance. You didn't know?"
"......!"
"They say you overcame those physical limits through relentless effort and built up such incredible martial arts that you're called the North Heaven Dragon."
'It wasn't entirely wrong, though.'
Even in the North Sea Ice Palace, most believed that story.
"My son, Son Pung, is much like you, Young Palace Lord. Born with such a weak body that he couldn't properly learn martial arts."
"......"
"The boy was in despair, but hearing your story gave him great strength. This is all thanks to you, Young Palace Lord."
It was quite embarrassing for Seol Hwa-un.
"I'm glad if it helped."
"Hehehe, more than helped—it's everything."
Eom Mu-hwi tilted his head.
"What in the world is going on? How did the Young Palace Lord's story reach the Righteous Heaven Alliance...?"
Dong Ho-won chimed in.
"Exactly. It's not something outsiders to the palace would know."
"......"
After a brief moment of thought, Seol Hwa-un guessed who was behind it.
'Seomun Gong.'
No one else in the Central Plains would know.
When Seomun Gong visited the North Sea, he had a long conversation with Palace Lord Seol Wi-myeong before Seol Hwa-un arrived.
'He must have heard then.'
He could guess the intent too.
'To elevate my status to the extreme. He's planning to milk me for all I'm worth.'
Seol Hwa-un could easily picture Seomun Gong chuckling as he spread the tale.
'It wasn't a big secret anyway... and it's good for me.'
With his goal of advancing into the Central Plains, having such an uplifting story circulate was ideal.
Hwangbo Yeong, listening beside them, sparkled with excitement.
"So it really is true! That's awesome, Young Palace Lord."
Hall Leader Son clapped his hands.
"Ah, forgive me. My manners. My apologies, Young Palace Lord. Could you show me the invitation?"
Only then did Hall Leader Son remember his duty.
* * *
Finally entering the Righteous Heaven Alliance headquarters, Seol Hwa-un's group headed straight to the reception hall.
'As expected, they modeled it after the Martial Alliance.'
That was Seol Hwa-un's impression as he looked around the interior.
The building layout and style were strikingly similar. But the scale was larger, just like the exterior. The implication was clear.
'Though they split off to form a new alliance, they see themselves as the true Martial Alliance.'
It bespoke their intent to eventually absorb the current Martial Alliance and become the genuine one.
Seol Hwa-un smiled faintly.
'We'll see how it plays out.'
Hong Gwang seemed to share the sentiment, scanning the Righteous Heaven Alliance grounds with a peculiar glint in his eyes.
"......"
The reception hall they arrived at was even larger than the Martial Alliance's guest hall.
'I wonder if they have a Noble Guest Pavilion too?'
The special guest quarters where Seol Hwa-un's group had stayed at the Martial Alliance was called the Noble Guest Pavilion.
Sure enough.
The guiding warrior said.
"My apologies, Young Palace Lord. The special rooms aren't complete yet, so we'll have to use the standard reception rooms."
"Special rooms—like the Martial Alliance's Noble Guest Pavilion?"
The warrior's expression stiffened slightly.
"...That's not for me to answer."
"Understood."
Seol Hwa-un's group was assigned two rooms on the third floor of the reception hall.
Being a newly built structure, they were spotlessly clean: a large room with four beds and a small single room.
The single room went to Seol Hwa-un, while Hong Gwang, Eom Mu-hwi, and Dong Ho-won unpacked in the large one.
Afterward, they went down to the first-floor dining area.
It was still too early for dinner, so they planned to have tea.
"After days of just traveling, my body's itching for action."
Dong Ho-won glanced at Hong Gwang with a subtle tone.
"I saw a training ground in the rear garden earlier. What do you say, Master Hong Gwang?"
"Hm?"
"I've heard your staff techniques are exceptional. Care to let me witness them?"
Staff and spear techniques were closely related.
Though styles varied by school, spear training basics always included foundational staff work, as the principles were similar.
Hong Gwang smiled faintly.
"Amitabha. You wish to spar with this humble monk?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, well..."
As Hong Gwang was about to reply, a group of five young men and one woman suddenly entered the reception hall.
Their extraordinary auras drew Seol Hwa-un's group's attention immediately.
"Ah."
Eom Mu-hwi let out a quiet exclamation. They were all familiar faces.
They spotted Seol Hwa-un's group and lit up with joy.
"Young Palace Lord!"
All brimming with heroic spirit, they were Dang Cheong and Hwangbo Yeong, Jegal Hyeon and Paeng Ga-ho, plus Ha So-hyeon, whom he'd befriended at the Young Heroes' Gathering.
The lone woman was unexpectedly Namgung Hye-yeon, the sister of Heavenly Dragon and Namgung Seo-ok.
She stood quietly right beside Jegal Hyeon, stealing glances at Seol Hwa-un nonstop.
'He's even more handsome now.'
Jegal Hyeon gave the blushing girl a strange look.
"......"
"It's been a while, everyone."
As Seol Hwa-un rose to greet them, the others stood as well. They exchanged warm hellos.
The late-generation experts naturally joined them at the table.
Seol Hwa-un said.
"How did you all know to come here?"
Dang Cheong's eyes gleamed as he replied.
"Haha, Hwangbo the young family head told us. He wouldn't stop bragging."
Hwangbo Yeong scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Couldn't help it. Haha."
"I see."
"Truly a long time, Young Palace Lord."
"Indeed. How have you been?"
"Of course."
Seol Hwa-un inwardly admired Dang Cheong.
'Not even three years yet... but his aura has completely transformed.'
He must have undergone special training at the Dang Family. Not just him—the other late-generation experts all exuded sharper auras than before.
'As expected of prodigies. Their growth is astonishing.'
What Seol Hwa-un didn't know was that their rapid progress was all thanks to the stimulus from him.
With the North Heaven Dragon's fame overwhelming all Central Plains late-generation experts, their sects were naturally anxious.
Amid the greetings, the usually taciturn Paeng Ga-ho finally spoke.
"But who's this monk? From his robes, he looks like a Shaolin disciple."
"Shaolin?"
Too focused on Seol Hwa-un, they now noticed Hong Gwang.
"Amitabha. Pleased to meet these pillars of the martial world. This humble monk is Hong Gwang."
The late-generation experts' faces hardened at once.
"Hong Gwang? No way—the Shaolin Peak Dragon?"
"The Demon-Exterminating Monk?"
Jegal Hyeon spoke gravely.
"Surprising. A disciple of the Nine Great Sects entering our headquarters—and a Dragon-Phoenix talent at that."
The previously warm atmosphere turned icy cold.