Chapter 197
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: The Dawn of the Female Tribulation
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Gu Jin-cheon's face hardened.
"...I see."
"Do you even realize how hypocritical that sounds coming from you, Vice Sect Leader Gu?"
Seol Hwa-un sneered and continued.
"Countless sects have been wiped out or suffered massive losses and forced to submit by the Bright King Sect. Did you show the same attitude to them?"
"That's..."
"Isn't it because this hall master is strong enough to threaten the Bright King Sect that you're making this proposal?"
Gu Jin-cheon's expression shifted several times. Then, he nodded with a calm face.
"You could think that way. I must look like a total hypocrite."
"Then, you're not?"
"No, you're right. If you just look at what I said, it's only natural to think so."
Gu Jin-cheon gave a wry smile.
"It's all because I wasn't honest from the start. I apologize for that too."
"...?"
"The truth is, I made that proposal for entirely personal reasons. Selfish ones, if you want to get technical."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Would it be all right if I shared a bit about my personal history?"
Gu Jin-cheon and Gu Hye-ryeong, the children of the Stormheaven Lord.
Neither of them fit the unorthodox path's mold.
The biggest reason was their mother, Lee Jeong-ok, the Stormheaven Lord's wife.
Lee Jeong-ok hailed from the prestigious Lee family of Luoyang—a renowned clan with great influence in government and commerce, even if not a martial sect.
One day, the Stormheaven Lord caught sight of her by chance and fell in love at first sight. After relentless courtship, they finally married.
They had two children, but with the Stormheaven Lord needing to lead the Bright King Sect, Lee Jeong-ok took charge of raising them.
Trained in the Lee family's systematic education, she was kind-hearted and upright by nature.
That temperament passed directly to her son and daughter. By the time the Stormheaven Lord realized something was wrong, it was already too late to turn back.
That said, Gu Jin-cheon and Gu Hye-ryeong weren't rigid or inflexible.
Raised in the Bright King Sect, they possessed the unorthodox path's characteristic freedom and flexibility.
They simply didn't mesh well with their father's pursuit of domination.
"It had been ages since I'd seen my little sister. We had so much catching up to do, but all she talked about all day was Hall Master Seol."
"..."
"I don't know what Hall Master Seol thinks, but my sister seems to have quite a favorable impression of you."
Gu Jin-cheon smiled faintly.
"But realistically, in the current situation, the chances of Hye-ryeong and Hall Master Seol getting together are basically zero, right?"
"So you're seeking reconciliation for your sister's sake?"
"That's a big part of it. That's why I came as a mediator. But there's another reason too."
"What's that?"
"That I also have a favorable impression of Hall Master Seol."
Gu Jin-cheon put on a playful expression.
"Ah, not romantic feelings, of course."
"..."
"It's more like an interest in you as a person. I'd like to get close, but given the current relations between our sect and the North Sea Ice Palace, that's difficult too."
Seol Hwa-un silently stared at Gu Jin-cheon.
"...I understand what you're saying. But that doesn't change my mind."
"I understand. Leaving all else aside, I can imagine how Hall Master Seol feels after losing subordinates like family. I sincerely convey my regrets."
'He's definitely an unusual character.'
Considering his position and reputation in the martial world, it wasn't easy to repeatedly apologize like this, no matter the opponent—even Seol Hwa-un.
"I'm not asking you to do anything right now. I just want you to understand my intentions."
"..."
It was hard to press him further after he'd opened up this much. Seol Hwa-un's mind grew complicated.
* * *
Word spread that Seol Hwa-un had shaken off his injuries and returned to his role as hall master of the North Heaven Fortress. Strange currents began stirring in the martial world.
One day, Bing Cho-pung came to Seol Hwa-un.
"Hall master, the sect leader of the Pine Sword Sect has come to visit."
"The Pine Sword Sect... Isn't that the sect in Jiangsu Province?"
"Yes."
The Pine Sword Sect wasn't on the level of the Nine Great Sects or prestigious powers, but it held considerable influence in Jiangsu.
"I don't think we're that close... Why did he come?"
"Well..."
Bing Cho-pung looked troubled.
"The sect leader brought his daughter with him."
"...?"
"From what I could see... it looks like he's thinking of a marriage alliance with you, hall master."
"Marriage?"
This marked the beginning of the female tribulation.
It started, unintentionally, with the Shanxi Sword Sect.
Vice Sect Leader Jin Pyo had a younger sister named Jin Yeong. One day, she visited the North Heaven Fortress.
She had no special agenda—just curiosity about Seol Hwa-un, whom her father and brother praised so highly.
Upon seeing him, she took a strong liking at first sight, but soon learned he had a fiancée and felt disappointed.
Still, some lingering feelings remained, so she stayed at the fortress for a few days before returning to the Shanxi Sword Sect. This got twisted into a strange rumor.
The Shanxi Sword Sect is pushing for a marriage with the North Heaven Fortress master!
The rumor spread like wildfire.
"The North Sea Divine Fist is still unmarried."
"If the Shanxi Sword Sect is making a move, maybe our sect can too?"
"It's our chance to take the North Heaven Dragon—no, the North Sea Divine Fist—as a son-in-law!"
Sect leaders or elders from all over the Central Plains brought marriageable daughters to visit the North Heaven Fortress.
Sects of any notable size openly sent matchmakers. All the women were daughters of sect leaders or family heads.
The North Heaven Fortress leadership was thrown into panic.
Everyone naturally knew Seol Hwa-un had a fiancée, but they couldn't just rudely turn away these well-meaning visitors.
The public duel against the Demon Lord had undoubtedly played a huge role.
Seol Hwa-un's fame had already echoed across the entire martial world even before that.
But until then, his status as an Outer Realm native had been a major barrier. No matter how exceptional the person, that fundamental aversion was unavoidable.
Winning against the Demon Lord shattered that barrier.
A master who had surpassed a Demonic Path grandmaster before even reaching thirty.
And he was still unmarried.
Even accounting for his Outer Realm origins, there was no better son-in-law prospect in the martial world.
Yu Gong-seon took proactive action.
"Let's receive them all in the guest hall for now. The decision will be yours, hall master."
It was a headache for Seol Hwa-un, but Yu Gong-seon saw it differently.
In just a few days, the guest hall filled with dozens of women and matchmakers. The number exceeded thirty.
Seol Hwa-un said with a troubled expression.
"Chief Steward, how am I supposed to handle you making this such a big deal?"
Yu Gong-seon smiled faintly.
"It's a golden opportunity to forge close ties with influential martial sects. As chief steward, I can't let it pass."
"I'm not interested in marriage. Besides, I already have a fiancée. Did you forget?"
"I know full well. But it's said that three wives and four concubines are no curse for a hero. They wouldn't mind being a second wife or concubine."
"Chief Steward, I have no intention of doing that."
Seol Hwa-un firmly stated his refusal, but Yu Gong-seon didn't back down easily.
"I'm sorry, hall master. If you make a small sacrifice, it brings great gains to the fortress. Please just consider it."
Seol Hwa-un let out a deep sigh.
"Haa."
"Why not meet them at least once? Who knows? There might be one that catches your eye."
"No such thing will happen."
Amid all this, one person took the matter especially seriously: Dong Ho-won.
'This is... a real disaster!'
He hurriedly wrote a letter to send to the North Sea Ice Palace.
'I have to let the Ice Family Head know right away!'
Meanwhile, as the number of women and matchmakers in the guest hall surpassed fifty, Seol Hwa-un made a decision.
He went to the guest hall, gathered everyone, and spoke.
"I am grateful that you all think well of me. However, this hall master has no intention of marrying yet. Moreover, my fiancée awaits me in the North Sea."
"..."
"I'm truly sorry to say this. Please don't waste any more time and return."
Seol Hwa-un's firm words proved effective; over half left in disappointment.
But there was backlash too. Women who saw him in person for the first time fell hard and refused to leave even when their sect elders departed.
Some sects even sent the women back after the matchmakers returned.
They were mostly stunning beauties from prestigious families, confident they could catch Seol Hwa-un's eye.
In the end, around twenty outstanding women remained in the guest hall.
He couldn't force them out, leaving Seol Hwa-un in a bind.
It was truly the female tribulation.
* * *
Two months passed since the women arrived at the North Heaven Fortress. Seol Hwa-un had completely lost interest, but the overall atmosphere in the fortress differed.
Strange undercurrents began flowing among the fortress warriors.
"Did you see the woman from the Stalwart Righteousness Clan?"
"Yeah, she was a real beauty."
"What about the daughter from the Flying Sword Sect? I never imagined a fairy-like woman like that existed."
"Man, Hall Master is so lucky."
Those reacting this way were mostly North Heaven Brigade warriors.
The North Sea Ice Palace natives were different. The palace had a high ratio of women to begin with, and most had seen Bing Su-hye.
"Hmph, one look at her beauty and they'd swallow those words."
"Yeah. The nerve of them..."
Even among them, one man drew special attention from the women: Eom Mu-hwi.
He couldn't compare to Seol Hwa-un, but with his striking looks and peerless martial arts for his age, he stood out.
With Seol Hwa-un showing zero interest, quite a few women turned their eyes to Eom Mu-hwi.
This was Dong Ho-won's greatest grievance.
"Why won't any of them pay attention to me?"
His looks weren't bad, but growing a beard recently had backfired.
The beard on his smooth face looked awkward and didn't suit him, naturally drawing women's disinterest.
He remained oblivious.
"People really have no eye for talent."
As he grumbled, one warrior hurried off somewhere.
"Hm?"
Bing Cho-pung stood where the warriors gathered, smiling as he greeted someone.
"It's been a while."
"Greetings, Uncle."
A woman bowing gracefully.
Dong Ho-won's eyes widened upon spotting her.
"Gasp!"
Seol Hwa-un's official fiancée, Bing Su-hye, had arrived at the North Heaven Fortress.