Chapter 186
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: North Heaven Hall's Reception Room
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North Heaven Hall's reception room.
A man sat sprawled out in a relaxed pose. Tea was set on the table, but the cup remained untouched and unfilled.
He smacked his lips as he stared at the teacup.
"Instead of serving something this expensive and tasteless, why not bring a bottle of liquor?"
The man, with his chair tilted way back, craned his neck this way and that, looking around the room.
"Not bad at all. They say it's booming these days... Gotta admit, I'm a bit envious."
He let out a sigh as thoughts of his own sect's sorry state crossed his mind.
"Sigh. Can't our sect leader show some interest in places like this? He's just endlessly training day and night..."
At that moment, the door opened, and someone entered. It was Yu Gong-seon.
"Why not recruit some decent talent and put them in charge?"
The man turned his head and shot back.
"Don't even get me started. I've brought it up to him several times already, you know what he said every time? 'No need for that nonsense.'"
"Haha. It may be unfortunate for the Heavenfall Sect, but that's just like the Fist Demon."
Yu Gong-seon took a seat across from him.
"Pleased to meet you, Hero Shin. I'm Yu Gong-seon, the Chief Steward of North Heaven Hall."
The man was Shin Wol, one of the Fist Demon's disciples known for his Radiant Fist. He had crossed paths with Seol Hwa-un in Sichuan during a recent trip to the Central Plains.
Back then, Shin Wol had tried to test Seol Hwa-un, only to get thoroughly thrashed and flee.
He gave Yu Gong-seon a meaningful look before flashing a faint smile.
"I've heard the rumors about you. They call you the North Heaven Dragon's strategist, right?"
"You're too kind. I'm just riding on the coattails of our Hall Master's fame."
"Hmph, no need to play humble with me. The military advisor of the North Sea Ice Palace has quite the reputation these days."
Though overshadowed by Seol Hwa-un's fame, Yu Gong-seon's name was now fairly well-known.
He was spotlighted as a key figure in North Heaven Hall repelling the unorthodox forces and establishing itself in Shanxi Province.
"More importantly, what brings you, Hero Shin, to our hall?"
"Come on, a sharp guy like you knows why. You already guessed it, didn't you?"
"......"
"Let's see the face of the North Heaven Dragon. I know he's already arrived."
Yu Gong-seon's eyes gleamed at Shin Wol's words.
"Impressive. Our Hall Master only just got here, and you already knew? I heard the Heavenfall Sect's intelligence network was pretty pathetic."
Shin Wol frowned.
"Who said that...? Well, it's not entirely wrong... But if we put our minds to it, we're pretty good at gathering intel!"
"Looks that way."
Yu Gong-seon nodded agreeably.
He had already heard from Bing Cho-pung that quite a few Heavenfall Sect members had entered Shanxi Province.
'Means they're putting serious effort into this.'
It wasn't just anyone—it was an official challenge from their sect leader, the Fist Demon. Nothing could be more important to the Heavenfall Sect.
"Our Hall Master is resting now. I'm acting on his behalf, so anything you have to say, tell me."
"Tch! Acting all high and mighty."
"Haha, if the Fist Demon, lord of the Heavenfall Sect, had come calling, our Hall Master would have greeted him personally."
Shin Wol nodded readily.
"Fair enough. Us underlings should handle it ourselves."
His expression turned serious.
"The reason I'm here at your hall is simple. To iron out the details for the duel in two months."
"Interesting. Our Hall Master hasn't even accepted the challenge yet."
Shin Wol's eyes widened.
"What? You're not thinking of refusing, are you? Not after all the rumors?"
Yu Gong-seon's gaze sharpened.
'I see. So he's the one who spread the rumors.'
A sharper fellow than he looked.
In truth, the Heavenfall Sect's continued existence owed much to Shin Wol's efforts.
"Of course we'll accept the duel."
"Obviously. That's why I came."
"......"
"Let's settle the venue first. To be upfront, our sect doesn't care where."
"Is that so? Makes things easier then. We'd prefer Shanxi Province. Taiyuan, the capital, seems fitting."
Seol Hwa-un had left everything to Yu Gong-seon, and Shin Wol had received orders from the Fist Demon to handle the duel arrangements himself. Thus, the key details were quickly decided.
Shin Wol pushed for a public duel instead of a private one in Shanxi, and Yu Gong-seon agreed without hesitation.
They settled on one arbitrator from each side, with North Heaven Hall handling the duel arena setup and all related matters.
Given the Heavenfall Sect's limited resources and the location being Shanxi, that was the agreement.
Shin Wol smiled in satisfaction.
"Looks like we've covered everything."
"Indeed."
He rose from his seat.
"I'll notify you once the arbitrators are set. See you in two months."
Shin Wol left the reception room and promptly departed North Heaven Hall. Alone now, Yu Gong-seon's face darkened slightly.
'Shin Wol was confident from start to finish. As if the duel was as good as won for the Fist Demon no matter what.'
If a master of his caliber was that assured, there had to be a reason.
'This duel... might be tougher than I thought.'
* * *
Behind Seol Hwa-un's office, all of North Heaven Hall's leadership had gathered.
Seol Hwa-un asked.
"Did you build it sturdy?"
Bing Cho-pung replied with a confident grin.
"Of course. You'll be satisfied once you see it."
Seol Hwa-un's private underground training chamber was finally complete.
They had started constructing it when the estate was first built, and now it was finished.
"We've stocked plenty of preserved rations. I even added a water channel for fresh flowing water, so drinking water won't be an issue."
Seol Hwa-un planned to enter secluded training until the duel to prepare for his match with the Fist Demon.
He had gained much from the Mount Hua elders, but lacked the time to fully assimilate it all.
Seol Hwa-un nodded in approval.
"Good work."
Bing Cho-pung and the rest of the leadership had all come out to see him off.
He looked at them and said.
"It's just secluded training. Isn't this a bit much?"
"Who else but our Hall Master? It's only right. ...Not feeling burdened, I hope?"
Seol Hwa-un shrugged at the North Wind Brigade Leader's question.
"Maybe a little. See you in two months."
"Yes. Best of luck, Hall Master."
The leadership clasped their hands in unison toward him.
"Hall Master, best of luck!"
As Seol Hwa-un descended the stairs, Bing Cho-pung's smiling face suddenly hardened.
"Hmm."
The Armory Brigade Leader noticed and asked.
"Chief Steward, why the long face?"
"I'm worried about the Hall Master..."
"You're not thinking he'll lose to the Fist Demon, are you?"
"No one can say for sure."
"You...?"
"The Hall Master told us not to worry, but he's acting differently himself."
"What do you mean?"
"If he was truly confident against the Fist Demon, he wouldn't bother with secluded training."
"......"
"He'd just squeeze in practice like always. But the moment he got back and saw the challenge letter, he went straight into seclusion..."
The Armory Brigade Leader scowled.
"That's enough."
"Isn't it the opposite? It means he still lacks confidence to face the Fist Demon."
"I said enough!"
As the Armory Brigade Leader raised his voice, Bing Cho-pung finally fell silent.
In truth, the others harbored similar thoughts. They just hadn't voiced them.
As the mood grew heavy, Yu Gong-seon spoke up.
"We don't have to see it that way."
"Hm?"
"Our Hall Master gained much from the Mount Hua elders. He worked hard, but didn't have time to fully digest it all."
"......"
"Regardless of his confidence in the duel, he needed time to consolidate it all."
"Of course he said as much. But..."
"The key point is, when he emerges from seclusion, he'll be much stronger. He might even overwhelm the Fist Demon."
"Hmm."
"Since the duel is set, we must trust our Hall Master to the end."
"The Chief Steward is right."
Yu Gong-seon gazed toward the underground training chamber.
'Hall Master, please emerge stronger than the Fist Demon.'
Meanwhile, Seol Hwa-un reached the bottom of the stairs and faced a massive iron door.
"......"
He gripped the handle and shoved it aside. Though heavy, it couldn't withstand his strength.
Grind!
As he entered, the iron door mysteriously closed on its own.
Boom!
'I heard the Chief Steward studied trap mechanisms. He did a fine job.'
Despite being underground, the training chamber wasn't dark.
A few night-luminous pearls were embedded— not too many— and surprisingly, light filtered through small windows.
It seemed crafted with precise angle calculations.
Thanks to that, Seol Hwa-un could track the passage of time.
"......"
He surveyed the spacious chamber. The square room spanned over two hundred pyeong, with a ceiling over ten cheok high.
The floor was paved with azure stone, the same material as the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament arena, making it rock-solid. It screamed of massive time and expense.
As Bing Cho-pung said, clear water flowed in one channel, with a large jar nearby—likely filled with preserved rations.
Weapons of all kinds lined the opposite wall.
"Perfect."
Seol Hwa-un's eyes burned with intensity.
"Now... let's begin."
His Mount Hua training had yielded more than expected.
Even with nightly meditation, he hadn't fully made it his own.
'I'll use that to elevate the Ice White Divine Art, and raise the Pure Yang Infinite Art accordingly.'
He was certain that would propel him to the next realm.
He promptly sat cross-legged.
'I'll succeed within two months.'
Three years ago, the Fist Demon was already a Heavenly Martial Realm master. Given his obsession with martial arts, he had surely grown stronger.
'I need at least to reach the same realm for a shot at victory.'
Once he attained Heavenly Martial Realm, he was confident he wouldn't lose.
'First, some preparation?'
Seol Hwa-un began unleashing the arts he had cultivated one by one.