Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Grand Assembly
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The small gathering concluded in a way that couldn't have been better for the North Sea Ice Palace.
Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi had proven themselves to be experts on par with the dragon and phoenix prodigies of the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament, making their names known.
And the final spar.
Facing Island Dragon Peng Ga-ho, Seol Hwa-un unleashed the Ice White Divine Palm, shattering his blade in just three exchanges.
At first glance, it might seem like Seol Hwa-un had overwhelmed Peng Ga-ho, but that wasn't the whole story.
‘This is the nature of yin cold energy arts.’
The yin energy had seeped into his blade as it repeatedly blocked the Ice White Divine Palm strikes one after another, eventually freezing it solid.
That was why Peng Ga-ho's sword had broken so pathetically before he could even fully demonstrate his skills.
If he had unleashed his full blade energy from the start, the sword wouldn't have shattered so easily.
‘It’s a shame, but I confirmed one thing.’
Seol Hwa-un's internal energy had not weakened even in the Central Plains.
‘It’s good, but... it won’t help the other experts of our palace.’
The Nine Yin Primordial True Qi was an energy born by chance from the union of the Ice Essence's power, the Ice Extreme Heart Formula, and a trace of the Nine Yin Immortal Art.
Even Seol Hwa-un currently had no way to recreate that energy. He had some inkling of it, but to master it properly, he would need to enter secluded training and endure at least a few years of hardship.
‘I don’t have time for that yet.’
It would be far easier if he retraced the realm of his past life. For now, it was time to further refine his own martial arts.
Paradoxically, in his past life he had cultivated yang strong energy arts, while now he practiced yin cold energy arts.
The paths diverged, so his growth wasn't as rapid as expected.
‘But it’s not slow. I’ve already reached a realm that took me past the age of thirty in my past life.’
It was over ten years faster. Of course, he wasn't satisfied with that.
‘I need to pick up the pace a bit more.’
Even while traveling to the Central Plains, and even after the Namgung Family arrived, he hadn't neglected his training for a single day.
‘There’s much to do even after perfecting my martial arts.’
* * *
Two days after the small gathering ended, the day of the grand assembly finally arrived.
The Namgung Family was divided into the inner compound and the outer compound. The inner compound had strictly restricted access, originally limited to blood relatives.
Yet today, the gates of that inner compound were thrown open. Not only that, but a vast training ground within had been prepared with countless seats.
This was the venue for the grand assembly.
Under the guidance of the Namgung Family warriors, numerous martial artists entered the inner compound. The North Sea Ice Palace group was no exception.
The inner compound was different from the outer one. It felt a notch more luxurious overall.
Even the composed Eom Mu-hwi kept glancing around. Dong Ho-won chuckled at the sight.
“You’re no different, huh?”
“Of course. The Namgung Family rarely opens its inner compound. Even among their own warriors, some have never set foot here.”
“Huh! That much?”
“Yeah. It’s a rare opportunity, so I have to take a good look.”
“I suppose. It really is impressive.”
While they admired the Namgung Family buildings, Seol Hwa-un was intently observing something else.
‘The building layout is based on formations. In an emergency, just erecting a few barriers would complete the formation.’
Other things caught his eye as well.
‘Whoa, that’s not all. There are trap mechanisms installed too. ... At this level, it’s an iron fortress.’
It seemed comparable to the impregnable fortress of the Sichuan Tang Family.
As if proving his thoughts, Dang Cheong, who was looking around, had a slightly stiffened expression.
What was interesting was the seating arrangement.
As seen in the small gathering, the Eight Great Families occupied the upper seats, mid-to-small sects the periphery. And Seol Hwa-un's group had seats about in the middle.
Everyone attending the grand assembly took their seats. Combining the leaders of each sect and their entourages, over two thousand people had gathered in one place.
Someone ascended the platform in the center.
It was Namgung Seong, the Namgung Family head, who had been hard to see lately.
Cheers erupted from all around simultaneously.
“Waaaaah!”
In his mid-fifties, he was the younger brother of the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable and had made monumental contributions to elevating the Namgung Family to the world's foremost clan.
His martial prowess fell short of the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable, but his political acumen and drive were acknowledged by all.
“Greetings, fellow martial artists of the world! I am Namgung Seong, head of the Namgung Family, hosting this grand assembly.”
Cheers rang out once more, and he gestured for them to quiet down.
“I am truly grateful that you’ve accepted our invitation. As hosts, it was proper for me to visit each of you personally, but due to circumstances, I couldn’t. I apologize once again.”
As he bowed his head, immediate responses came from the assembly.
“No problem!”
“Who doesn’t know the family head has been swamped preparing for this grand assembly?”
Namgung Seong smiled warmly.
“Thank you for your understanding. Then...”
His gaze turned serious.
“We shall begin the grand assembly!”
Waaaaah!
As expected, it started with a feast. An even greater variety of dishes was served than at the Emperor’s Tower.
The martial artists nodded in satisfaction as they tasted the food. Liquor was provided, but most only had a cup or two, avoiding drunkenness.
Seol Hwa-un's group was the same. Except for Dong Ho-won, they barely ate.
A full stomach naturally loosens tension. It was the most dangerous thing when carrying out a mission.
Even the big eater Dong Ho-won quietly set down his chopsticks once he felt sufficiently full.
‘Tch, can’t even eat comfortably.’
An undercurrent of tension permeated the hall. It was the weight of the grand assembly.
Before long, conversations among the martial artists dwindled sharply.
In the eerie silence, Namgung Seong spoke again.
“...Then let us begin the main discussion in earnest.”
His eyes changed.
“I assume no one is unaware of the purpose of this grand assembly.”
“That’s right!”
“As you all know, the current Martial Alliance is little more than a puppet of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools. Naturally, this family and the heads of the various great families have expressed significant concerns.”
Many nodded in agreement.
“This gathering was arranged to discuss this issue openly and honestly. I believe most of you here harbor much dissatisfaction with the Martial Alliance’s conduct.”
The common thread among the mid-to-small sects gathered, aside from the Eight Great Families, was their discontent with the Martial Alliance—whether due to the Nine Great Sects’ dominance or simple friction.
“Our Eight Great Families have not simply stood by. We’ve lodged protests through various channels, but the Martial Alliance ignored them. It’s time to consider other measures.”
Voices of agreement erupted here and there in response to Namgung Seong. One man stood from his seat.
At that moment, a man rose.
“I am Yan Geuk-ryeom, head of the Jinju Yan Family.”
Jinju Yan Family.
Not quite on the level of the Eight Great Families, but a considerable martial house in Hebei Province.
“Oh, Yan Family Head. Do you have something to say?”
“We’ve reached our limit watching the Nine Great Sects’ tyranny. Unless the Martial Alliance shows willingness to reform, it’s time to make a decision.”
“A decision, you say?”
“A new Martial Alliance.”
“...!”
Yan Geuk-ryeom’s words rippled through the hall like a thunderclap.
“A new Martial Alliance. What you mean is...”
“We can no longer trust the Nine Great Sects. Thus, the Eight Great Families must step forward and form a new alliance.”
“Hmm!”
“We know the Namgung Family is the leader among the Eight Great Families! Family Head, make the decision!”
Responses immediately burst from all directions.
“Right!”
“Namgung Family Head! Decide!”
“We want a new Martial Alliance!”
Watching, Seol Hwa-un let out a smirk.
‘It’s a full-blown play.’
He already knew the Eight Great Families had secretly agreed to form a new alliance centered on themselves.
Yet they went through this process to create legitimacy.
Yan Geuk-ryeom’s words were likely prearranged with the Namgung Family.
Namgung Seong, feigning deep thought, asked,
“Must we go that far? Does no one have other opinions?”
“No such thing!”
“The Eight Great Families must lead!”
The atmosphere was already decided. No one with differing views could speak up.
“...”
Namgung Seong closed his eyes, appearing to ponder deeply until the end. Only after a long while did he open them.
“Very well! I must discuss with the other family heads, but under these circumstances, our family will step forward to create a new Martial Alliance! But this won’t be easy—I ask for your active support and cooperation!”
“Waaaaah!”
Thus, the founding of the new Martial Alliance was declared.
What followed proceeded smoothly. Discussions arose on how to structure the new Martial Alliance and how to handle relations with the existing one.
But it held little significance. The Eight Great Families had already drawn up the detailed blueprint, and their allies stepped forward to confirm it.
That night, in the Namgung Family’s grand hall, the heads of each sect gathered.
About thirty were seated; smaller sect leaders were excluded due to the crowd. Seol Hwa-un was present as well.
Namgung Seong looked around and said,
“We shall begin the executive meeting on the new Martial Alliance, the Jeongcheon Alliance.”
Jeongcheon Alliance—the name of the new alliance independent from the Martial Alliance, decided at the daytime banquet.
This meeting was to discuss the specific composition of the Jeongcheon Alliance’s core organizations.
The utmost concern was, without doubt, the alliance leader position. No one dared step forward rashly, eyeing each other.
Finally, the most impatient Huangbo Family head, Huangbo Tae-ryeong, spoke up.
“Why hesitate? The alliance leader should naturally be the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable, no?”
Most nodded. The leader held authority, but more importantly, symbolic weight.
In that regard, the world’s top expert, the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable, was most fitting. But Namgung Seong looked troubled.
“My brother has no interest in the Martial Alliance, let alone this new Jeongcheon Alliance. I’ve repeatedly asked, but he refused. He’s annoyed with me now and his whereabouts are unknown.”
“Well, that’s... The only one who can rival the Martial Alliance Leader, Buddha Soul Divine Monk, is the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable.”
Buddha Soul Divine Monk Mu-gap Dosa.
A senior monk of Shaolin holding the Martial Alliance leader position. He was said to possess martial arts rivaling the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable, whose skills were said to touch the heavens.
Though the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable was repeatedly mentioned, Namgung Seong’s reluctance forced them to seek alternatives.
It was ‘Blade King Peng Yeom,’ former head of the Hebei Peng Family. This time, the Peng Family head looked troubled.
“I’ll mention it, but I doubt he’ll accept.”
In truth, the alliance leader position wasn’t that crucial. Symbolic though it was, the power it held in the Jeongcheon Alliance envisioned by the Eight Great Families was minimal.
With the leader discussion tentatively settled, talks on various executive roles began.
Immediately, the sect heads’ eyes sharpened. This was the core of the Jeongcheon Alliance and where the greatest interests lay.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—this too had been secretly agreed upon to some extent, so decisions came quickly.
As a third party, Seol Hwa-un felt bored.
‘Too predictable to be fun. In the end, the Eight Great Families will be the center of the Jeongcheon Alliance.’
Every key position went to the Eight Great Families. Other sect heads protested, but to no avail.
As the meeting progressed, the expressions of the non-Eight Great Families heads visibly hardened.
‘These bastards...’
‘They plan to hog everything!’
Jegal Mun, head of the Jegal Family appointed as Chief Strategist, didn’t miss their looks.
‘Tsk, trouble already at the start.’
In the end, the feared situation unfolded.
“Isn’t this going too far?”
“Is the Jeongcheon Alliance just for the Eight Great Families? Not even a shred of consideration for other sects?”
The Eight Great Families didn’t stay silent.
“You’re out of line!”
“Do you think the Martial Alliance will sit idle once the Jeongcheon Alliance forms? The Eight Great Families are stepping up as shields. Of course we take the key roles!”
“What is this!”
Soon, fierce arguments erupted. The pointless debate dragged on, with neither side yielding an inch.
One misstep, and the alliance could crumble before even holding the founding ceremony.
Meanwhile, Ak Bi-hyeok, head of the Shandong Ak Family, paid little heed to the meeting. Since most was pre-decided, there was no need to expend effort.
Instead, from start to finish, he watched only Seol Hwa-un.
“...”
When he heard his son Ak Su-jeon had struggled against one of Seol Hwa-un’s subordinates, he had been furious.
‘Ice Palace... Truly distasteful.’
Seol Hwa-un, sitting with arms crossed in a relaxed posture, grated on him.
‘How can I deal with that guy... Ah!’
Suddenly, a good idea struck the Ak Family head.
“Hey, hey! Everyone, calm down for a moment!”
When he shouted with internal energy, despite not having spoken once, the hall fell silent instantly.
“How long will we just bicker? This won’t lead to conclusions.”
“Then what do you propose? Got a good plan?”
The Ak Family head shook his head.
“No. Our family must side with the Eight Great Families in the end.”
“What? You interrupted just to say that...”
“Hear me out. We all end up in the same position. So why not ask the opinion of someone completely uninvolved with the Jeongcheon Alliance?”
“Someone uninvolved?”
“Ah!”
Only then did the assembly notice Seol Hwa-un’s presence. Naturally, eyes turned to him.
“Young Palace Lord, you’ve been observing the meeting, yes?”
Sudden attention made Seol Hwa-un furrow his brow.
“The two sides are evenly matched. Perhaps you have a good solution?”
“...”
“Speak freely from a third-party perspective, without burden.”
‘Hah, trying to embarrass me.’
Seol Hwa-un nearly laughed at the Ak Family head’s obvious scheme.
“You want my honest opinion?”
“That’s right.”
“Very well.”
He smiled meaningfully and slowly began to speak.