Chapter 136
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: The Alliance Leader's Inauguration
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The day of the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader's inauguration ceremony had finally dawned.
The Righteous Heaven Alliance warriors were on high alert, and countless others bustled about in preparation.
Over two thousand martial artists of renown had been formally invited to the ceremony.
Adding in the congratulatory delegations from affiliated sects and their own warriors brought the total number of gathered martial experts to well over ten thousand.
Yet the alliance headquarters had more than enough space to accommodate them all.
"Man, it really is huge."
"They say it was designed from the start to hold up to twenty thousand people."
"No kidding. They weren't exaggerating when they said it was bigger than the Martial Alliance."
Eavesdropping on the chatter around them, Seol Hwa-un and his group headed toward the central plaza of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
Hong Gwang, however, had stayed back at the guest quarters, not wanting any unnecessary friction.
"Mu-hwi, when exactly does the inauguration start?"
Eom Mu-hwi frowned at Dong Ho-won's question.
"You didn't even know that? It's at noon."
"Oh, right. So we've still got time—aren't we going a bit early?"
"It's just right if we want to take our time looking around. And showing up right on the dot isn't polite anyway."
"I see."
Even as just the three of them moved, countless eyes immediately turned their way.
"It's the North Heaven Dragon!"
"The ones behind him must be the North Sea Twin Heroes, right?"
"Impressive. Who would've thought such talents would emerge from the outer realms."
"They say the North Heaven Dragon is already on par with the heads of most sects."
"Outside the great sects, he might not have a match."
The voices were low, but they weren't whispers to escape the ears of such experts.
Dong Ho-won in particular looked hilariously flushed, clearly forcing back a grin.
"Ahem!"
"Hey, just laugh it out. You look ridiculous holding it in."
"Heh heh. Hear that, Mu-hwi?"
"I've got ears too."
"See? We're famous now. Look at those envious stares."
"Most of them are aimed at the Young Palace Lord."
"We get some looks now and then too?"
In truth, only a fraction of those glances—just barely enough to count—were directed at Dong Ho-won.
Seol Hwa-un chuckled.
"Mu-hwi, you don't have to be so modest. You two have every reason to take pride in your skills."
Eom Mu-hwi bowed his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Yes, Young Palace Lord."
"See? Even the Young Palace Lord says so."
"You're overdoing it."
"This is hilarious. You're the one acting all prim and proper."
Amid the banter, Seol Hwa-un's group arrived at the plaza.
There was still half a shichen until the ceremony, but the plaza was already packed.
"Whoa!"
"What are you always so surprised about?"
Dong Ho-won caught some flak, but even Eom Mu-hwi was inwardly stunned.
It wasn't every day you saw thousands of martial artists gathered in one place.
Under a Righteous Heaven Alliance warrior's guidance, Seol Hwa-un's group soon reached their assigned seats.
To their surprise, they were in the absolute front row of the tiered VIP stands.
"Ha ha, our seats are right here."
This time, even Eom Mu-hwi nodded in agreement.
"You can really feel how much the palace's standing has changed."
Thinking back to how they'd been stuck in a corner at the last gathering, the contrast was striking.
And it didn't end there.
The moment Seol Hwa-un sat down, a swarm of martial artists rushed over, vying to greet him.
"It's an honor to meet you like this, Young Palace Lord."
"Pleased to meet you, Young Palace Lord. I'm from the Silver Tiger Sect..."
Back at the guest quarters, the Righteous Heaven Alliance had banned uninvited visits to other guests' rooms for convenience and privacy, so no one had approached.
Now, with no such restrictions, so many came to pay respects that even Seol Hwa-un, no slouch himself, started feeling worn out.
'I should've just received guests at the guest quarters if it'd be like this.'
On the bright side, though, this was a fine opportunity to shift perceptions about the North Sea Ice Palace.
In a dizzying blur, half a shichen passed.
"We will now begin the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader's inauguration ceremony!"
On the massive raised platform stood Chief Inspector Jegal Mun and Chief Commander Namgung Seong side by side.
Chief Inspector and Chief Commander.
These two held the alliance's true core positions, with authority even surpassing the Alliance Leader's in practical terms.
By contrast, the Alliance Leader was largely symbolic—lending prestige while checks prevented any one person from dominating.
Namgung Seong raised his voice.
"First, our thanks to all the esteemed guests who have joined us for this momentous event."
He offered a respectful fist salute toward the VIP seats, and most returned the gesture.
"Nearly three years have passed since we formed this new alliance in opposition to the Martial Alliance's injustices."
Namgung Seong's voice grew steadily louder.
"We apologize for the delay in formally enthroning our Alliance Leader. But this process was necessary to minimize opposition and ensure a universally accepted figure."
"......"
"Our alliance has poured much effort into inviting this man to lead us. And just a month ago, we finally secured his hard-won consent."
Smiling, he continued.
"I'm sure you all know who I mean. Please welcome our Alliance Leader, the Blade King!"
The crowd's cheers erupted in unison.
Waaaaah!
Amid the roar of thousands, a figure strode into the plaza's center.
"......!"
He was surprisingly a short elder, just over five cheok tall.
A large blade, slightly shorter than his height, was slung across his back, but his gaunt frame made him look unremarkable.
Judging by appearances alone, no one would dream this was the famed Blade King.
But looks weren't everything.
"......"
The cheers had already died down.
The Blade King exuded no overt aura, nor did he unleash any special technique.
He simply walked with ordinary steps toward the platform—yet the entire audience felt overwhelmingly dominated.
The crowd held their breath, eyes fixed solely on him.
'Ah!'
'This must be what true majesty is!'
Seol Hwa-un watched him intently, eyes gleaming.
'That's the Blade King!'
With his sharp senses, Seol Hwa-un could faintly gauge the man's power.
'Incredible. I can't pin down his exact level from here... but the rumors are clearly credible.'
The Blade King Peng Moyo was the one hailed as closest to the Nine Thousand Martial Emperor.
'Indeed. He has to be on that level.'
No amount of emphasis could overstate the symbolism of the 'Alliance Leader' title.
Few in the Martial Alliance could match him.
'Unless the Hidden Immortal Monk emerges from seclusion.'
As Seol Hwa-un pondered, the Blade King ascended the platform.
"Heh heh heh, good to see you all. This old man is Peng Moyo."
His calm voice carried evenly across the entire plaza, without grating on anyone's ears.
It spoke volumes about his exquisite internal energy control.
Waaaaah!
Cheers rang out once more. As they subsided, the Blade King continued.
"I was content living out my days as a forgotten retiree, but these fellows hounded me so relentlessly... I had no choice but to accept the Alliance Leader post."
"Blade King!"
"Blade King!"
"Blade King!"
The crowd chanted his moniker endlessly.
"Honestly, this old man has no great ambitions."
"......"
"But now that the Righteous Heaven Alliance has become another pillar of the righteous faction, it deserves a fitting role. So before I retire for good, I'll give it one last go as Alliance Leader."
Waaaaah!
Dong Ho-won leaned toward Seol Hwa-un.
"Young Palace Lord, do you know why the Blade King only accepted the post now?"
"No idea. You know something?"
"Heh heh heh."
Unlike Seol Hwa-un and Eom Mu-hwi, who'd rested at the guest quarters, Dong Ho-won had wandered the alliance grounds.
"I heard it by chance. You know how the Blade King trained the Blade Dragon all this time, right?"
"Yes."
"He passed down the Peng Family's secret blade arts to the Blade Dragon, and in the process, gained some unexpected insight himself."
"The Blade King did?"
"Yes. Then he immediately went into secluded training, so there was no time to persuade him until now."
"Hmm."
Seol Hwa-un had a hunch what that Peng Family secret blade art was.
'The incomplete blade technique he used against Elder Hong Gwang...'
"So the moment he emerged from seclusion, the heads of the Eight Great Families swarmed him and barely got his consent."
"I see."
"I wonder just how formidable the Blade King's blade arts have become."
Eom Mu-hwi, who'd been listening, chimed in.
"You'd probably soil yourself the second you saw them."
"What? You mocking me?"
Seol Hwa-un said gravely.
"He's not wrong."
"Wait, even you, Young Palace Lord?"
"I'm serious."
Dong Ho-won had shown terrifying growth, but even against a mere Celestial Martial Realm expert like the Blade King, blocking a single strike would be a stretch.
'He was already solidly in the Celestial Martial Realm before seclusion.'
If that was true, his level now was anyone's guess.
As they traded words, the Blade King finished speaking, and the formal salute from the assembled Righteous Heaven Alliance warriors followed.
Mirroring the Martial Alliance's structure, the Righteous Heaven Alliance had its own Four Great Martial Corps: North Nether Corps, South Cloud Corps, East Heaven Corps, and West Justice Corps—counterparts to the Martial Alliance's Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger Corps.
Each boasted five hundred handpicked elites.
Thus, two thousand warriors dropped to one knee in unison.
"We pay respects to the Alliance Leader!"
Their unified shout was so thunderous it felt like the entire headquarters shook.
It was no mere formality; this was a show of force to impress the invited dignitaries, and it lived up to the hype.
Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won both felt overwhelmed by their disciplined aura.
'Ugh! The Three Great Powers of the world, indeed?'
'What presence... I need to step up my game.'
The congratulatory delegates from the Martial Alliance looked particularly sour.
With the Four Great Martial Corps' display as the finale, the inauguration ceremony concluded.
* * *
Seol Hwa-un's group returned to the guest quarters.
"Young Palace Lord, heading back to the branch hall now?"
At Dong Ho-won's question, Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
"Not yet. Still got business to handle."
"Oh? What's left?"
"Well..."
Mid-sentence, Seol Hwa-un froze in place. Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi sensed it too, their faces hardening.
"......"
Soon, a group approached them. Leading the pack was a familiar face.
Eom Mu-hwi murmured unwittingly.
"Chain Soul Spear...?"
It was the Shandong Evil Family, headed by Chain Soul Spear Ak Ja-hwa.
And right behind Ak Ja-hwa was the Evil Family Head himself, Ak Bi-hyuk.
"......"
Stopping right in front of them, the Evil Family Head regarded Seol Hwa-un and spoke.
"Long time no see, Young Palace Lord."
The gazes of the Evil Family Head and Seol Hwa-un locked fiercely in the air.