Chapter 176
Chapter 176
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: War King Gate (5)
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A dark night.
Dang Cheong, the Dark Poison Star King and Lord of Nine Dragons Fortress, was tilling a small vegetable patch attached to a humble cottage.
*Thud. Thud.*
Heavy clouds had gathered, plunging the surroundings into a darkness so thick one could not see an inch ahead, but he paid it no mind, silently tilling the field.
*Thud. Thud.*
On and on he went, relentlessly, like an old farmer.
He continued for an hour.
*Whoosh.*
As a cool breeze blew, Dang Cheong set down his farming tool and looked up at the sky.
The strong wind pushed the dark clouds away, revealing the edge of the full moon that had been hidden behind them.
“…”
Gazing blankly at the pouring moonlight, he turned his head, his expression unreadable.
“Were you looking at the moon again today?”
“It’s the only way to remember Wol-a.”
At Dang Cheong’s words, the Grand Chancellor’s eyes wavered.
Dang Man-wol. The Lord’s eldest grandson, the one who was certain to inherit the position of Lord of Nine Dragons. Speaking his name was an unspoken taboo.
It was a rule the Lord himself had all but established.
“…”
The Grand Chancellor remained silent, trying to grasp the Lord’s true intentions.
*Has he forgotten his revenge?*
That couldn’t be.
On the day Dang Man-wol’s death was announced, the Lord had intended to lead the full might of the Nine Dragons Fortress and march on Xinjiang.
Had he not stopped him, the plan would have been carried out.
The Nine Dragons Fortress would have been torn between pro-war and pro-peace factions, and they would have been annihilated without ever setting foot in Xinjiang.
The Lord knew this as well, which was why he had shed tears of blood and postponed his revenge.
The Grand Chancellor knew that even now, the flames of vengeance, the desire to burn the Ten Demon Alliance to the ground, were growing larger in his heart with each passing day.
For the Lord to utter his dead grandson’s name amidst all this meant only one thing.
The time for revenge was drawing near.
As if he knew what the Grand Chancellor was thinking, the Lord gave a scornful smile.
“Don’t think too deeply. Nothing has been decided. I just feel that the day is approaching.”
“…Should I offer my… congratulations?”
“Congratulations for what? The seeds I’ve sown are only now beginning to sprout. In any case, what brings you here in the middle of the night?”
The Grand Chancellor took out an ornately decorated invitation from his robes.
“I came to deliver this invitation. My son pleaded with me to do so.”
“An invitation… It’s been a while since I’ve received one.”
Without even opening the invitation, the Lord asked.
“The War King Gate, was it?”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll have to clear my schedule.”
“Are you planning to go in person?”
“Is it not the moment the Bukgung family is revived? Others may not, but I, the one who brought Bukgung Baek here, must attend.”
The Grand Chancellor’s eyes twitched.
In truth, from the Nine Dragons Fortress’s perspective, the War King Gate’s actions should have been stopped.
While the individual martial prowess of its members might not be great, their numbers reached a staggering seven hundred. Add to that a thousand sets of armor fit for a regular army and a thousand warhorses, and their strength was no less than that of a warlord running rampant in the far north.
The problem was compounded by the fact that this warlord had set up camp right in front of the Nine Dragons Fortress.
This was the very point the White Dragon Hall and the Silver Dragon Hall had seized upon.
However, the Lord not only ignored their protests but had even ordered the military department to take no action.
For him to now attend their opening ceremony was as good as the Lord himself starting rumors.
In that moment, a suspicion began to bloom in the Grand Chancellor’s mind.
*‘The Lord has made a deal with the Bukgung family.’*
There was no other way to explain the Lord’s recent actions.
But despite this, the Grand Chancellor treated the Lord as he always did, betraying none of his inner thoughts.
“Then I will have preparations made in advance.”
“I’ll go alone, so don’t bother. It will only be a hassle.”
“…I understand.”
Only after the Grand Chancellor had left the cottage did the Lord look up at the sky.
The full moon, which had been shining brightly just moments ago, had once again hidden itself behind the thick, dark clouds.
*Thud. Thud.*
The sound of tilling echoed in the darkness.
***
On the day of the opening ceremony.
Countless people flocked to the War King Gate.
Originally, the plan was to invite only the key figures of the eight Inner Halls, but I followed Myo Hyang’s insistence that we should invite as many people as possible.
It was a good thing we could set up seats outside the gate; if the War King Gate had been located inside the fortress walls, we never could have gathered so many guests.
The number of visitors was easily over a thousand.
Preparing the food and drinks must have cost three or four hundred silver taels, but Myo Hyang turned even this into an opportunity.
*‘Is my sister a genius?’*
She had posted promotional flyers for the Hanzhong Merchant Guild’s Nine Dragons Fortress branch all over the War King Gate.
Thanks to her, we gained a promotional effect worth far more than the money spent.
*‘Sponsored advertising.’*
I was in awe of an advertising technique that wouldn’t appear for hundreds of years.
The main character couldn’t be missing from such a grand feast.
With a smile that seemed to pierce the heavens, I greeted the guests.
With so many people, the visitors came from all walks of life.
“Squad Leader Jin… Oh, what am I thinking? It’s Gate Master now! Congratulations on the opening. This is just a small token, a gift from the merchant association to congratulate you.”
“Oh my, you shouldn’t have… Please, come in. It may not be a feast of delicacies, but the food should be to your liking.”
From the merchants who did business in the market street.
“What?! Old lady Jin! You can’t come all this way and leave without eating. Where’s the justice in that?”
“How could a lowly person like me dare… I just came to pray for the Gate Master’s future. I’ll only dirty the place…”
“What? Are you saying you won’t even acknowledge me now? Please, come in. Ah, the food’s getting cold. Quickly.”
To the common folk of the Outer Fortress and their families.
“Congratulations on the opening!”
“Thank you for coming. Please, come in. We’ve prepared a separate area for the Outer Hall.”
And my former colleagues from the Outer Hall.
“To think the brute my disciple brought in has become the master of a sect… It’s the end of days. The end of days.”
Finally, the dignitaries from the Inner Fortress, who had received separate invitations from us, arrived on time.
In particular, the Great Pure Adept, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was in such a good mood that he chided me with a broad smile.
“…If you’re just going to spout strange nonsense, why don’t you go inside and have something to eat?”
“Hmph, a brat who’s fed his manners to the dogs.”
“Sister, the Great Pure Adept here is like an immortal, so just a plate of vegetables should suffice…”
“Congratulations on the opening. This is a talisman I wrote myself. If you place it on the main gate, most evil spirits won’t even be able to approach.”
He should have just done that from the start.
“Ahem, welcome to the War King Gate. I will consider the Adept’s visit an honor for a lifetime. Please, come inside. My sister has prepared food and wine.”
The Great Pure Adept’s gaze shifted to Myo Hyang.
Myo Hyang smiled brightly and bowed her head.
“It is an honor to meet you, Adept.”
“Hah! I heard from the children that your beauty is like that of a celestial fairy, but the rumors don’t do you justice.”
“Oh, my.”
While she was flustered, the Great Pure Adept sent me a telepathic message.
[Her brow and fortune palace are wide, and her eyes are steady. Moreover, the balance of her features is perfect.]
He continued his telepathic message, revealing his yellowed teeth.
[She has the face of one who will grasp all the gold in the world. How is such a gold nugget staying by your side…? I should change the sect rules right now and have the Black Dragon Hall…]
[…Stop talking nonsense and go inside. A young maiden with a bright future ahead of her, a female Taoist? What are you thinking?]
Still, the face of one who will grasp all the gold in the world.
Did that mean she was fated to become a tycoon?
For some reason, Myo Hyang looked exceptionally beautiful today.
“Oh? Why are you staring so intently? You look like you’ve just discovered a gold nugget.”
“Ah, no. What are you talking about…”
Just as I thought I had welcomed the last guest, the Black Dragon Hall, an unwelcome visitor appeared.
“…What brings you here? I don’t recall sending an invitation.”
It was the White Dragon Hall Master and his warriors.
“I was curious to see how well you’ve done. If I’m not welcome, I’ll leave.”
He was irritating, but I couldn’t just kick out a guest who had come for the opening ceremony.
“Since we did ‘not’ send an invitation, we haven’t prepared a seat for you. Will that be alright?”
“I don’t mind sitting outside and eating over there.”
He said, looking at the area where the commoners were seated.
I wanted to tell him to do just that, but given his position, I had to set my personal feelings aside.
There was no telling what he might use against me later.
“…I’ll have a seat prepared, so please wait inside. Sister, could you do me a favor?”
“Of course.”
As the White Dragon Hall Master followed Myo Hyang inside, flapping the right sleeve of his robe, the boisterous atmosphere seemed to quiet down a little.
See, look at that. I knew it.
To come here without even reading the room.
He truly was a clueless fellow.
After greeting the very last guest, I headed to the seats reserved for the guests of honor.
At the head of the table sat my master, Bukgung, known as the Fire Demon King of the Black Sand Road. Next to him, the Hall Masters of the Eight Halls were seated in the order of their arrival.
To think that the first time we appeared together at an official event after forming our master-disciple bond would be at this opening ceremony.
I even felt a little choked up…
*Gulp, gulp. Swallow.*
“…”
No, why was he chugging straight from the bottle at such a nice event?
“Ahem, ahem!”
I cleared my throat, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Thank you for coming to our opening ceremony. I would like to briefly explain the ideology and philosophy of the War King Gate to our esteemed guests.”
“The ideology and philosophy of the War King Gate. This is quite interesting.”
“Indeed. As it is the philosophy of Gate Master Jin, a representative of the young martial artists, there will surely be much to learn.”
“Hahahaha, the Gold Dragon Hall Master is absolutely right. I’ve been wanting to hear the thoughts of the younger generation lately.”
“I as well…”
Thanks to the Red Dragon Hall Master chiming in at the right moment, a supportive atmosphere was created.
“Ahem, then…”
I cleared my throat and took out the speech I had prepared all night.
Ah, this was a speech I wrote myself, not one I had Yu So-pyeong do.
When I looked for him to ask, he had vanished like a ghost.
“First, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the distinguished guests who have attended the opening ceremony of the War King Gate… In the coming chaos of the martial world… our War King Gate, based on such a philosophy… will strive for peace in the martial world… Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Lion Alliance is… We will cooperate with everyone as much as possible… and for that, we need your help… Once again, I offer my thanks and conclude my explanation.”
“…”
After I finished the speech, which spanned over twelve pages and lasted for nearly half an hour, a silence descended upon the entire area where the guests of honor were seated.
*‘I did it.’*
They were probably speechless, overcome with admiration for my philosophy that encompassed the entire martial world.
Just as I was marveling at my own accomplishment.
“Boring. I fail to understand why you would drag on such nonsense for so long.”
The White Dragon Hall Master, sitting at the very end, spouted his nonsense.
*‘That son of a bitch?’*
For a moment, I was about to break the martial world’s taboo against harming a guest and lunge at him.
That is, if my master Bukgung hadn’t delivered a sharp retort.
“You seem quite relaxed for someone whose White Sword Unit was shattered. Do you have time for this? One of them must have been crippled, so you’ll have to train a new one.”
The sheer shamelessness of my master, speaking so casually about something he himself had destroyed, was enough to make my brain momentarily reject the reality.
“…”
I watched the White Dragon Hall Master, wondering if he would draw his sword, but he only flushed slightly and showed no other reaction.
*Clap!*
In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the Silver Dragon Hall Master clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Haha, the mood has grown quite grim on such a fine day.”
He made eye contact with the people sitting around him and continued.
“To liven things up, how about we witness the martial skills of the War King Gate’s warriors? Of course, only if Gate Master Jin allows it.”
“Then… I shall have the warriors prepare…”
“Haha, why not have a proper match?”
“…”
He was beating around the bush, but his intention was clear.
*‘He wants to check our capabilities before the competition.’*
The Silver Fortress, a branch of the Silver Dragon Hall’s family, had also submitted an application for the martial arts showcase to select partner companies.
Of course, even knowing his ulterior motives, I couldn’t refuse.
In the martial world, where one lives by reputation and dies for face, image was everything.
I couldn’t show them we were backing down on the very first day of our opening ceremony.
“Very well. Let’s prepare the stage.”
If that’s the case, it’s better to just crush them completely.