Chapter 173
Chapter 173
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The invitations for the Thunder God Style's founding ceremony were distributed by the covert agents of the Half-Heaven Alliance, and it took only three days for them to reach their destinations. Not only to Guanzhong but also to nearby prestigious righteous sects, and even to the Righteous Heaven Alliance. Of course, the agents had concealed their identities with multiple layers of deception, routing through escort agencies and the like, so there was no chance of their true natures being exposed.
With the aid of the Golden Power, the Azure Dragon Martial Hall underwent a fresh makeover after a long time and began preparations to receive the guests. Workers bustled about noisily in every corner, setting up spaces for people to sit. The already spacious hall was expanded even further, and it didn't take much time at all.
The Thunder God Style's founding ceremony officially commenced exactly ten days after the invitations were sent out.
I was waiting inside, preparing to greet the guests at the ceremony, when people started arriving from dawn. Alongside Yun Gwang and the others, I guided them in, noting how every single one of them had bulging Sun Acupoints.
'Truly, these are martial world experts.'
In truth, there was no way I could know every minor expert by name, so I could only roughly guess based on the famous titles listed on the guest roster and their signatures in the visitor's log. Those arriving at dawn were mostly secular family experts, followed a bit later by masters from Buddhist and Taoist sects. The last to arrive were somewhat rough-looking figures with a demonic flair.
Chatter filled the air...
There seemed to be around 170 people in total. It was astonishing to think that each one had formally trained in martial arts. It would be hard to gather even this many ordinary folk, let alone with renowned elders from the Righteous Heaven Alliance and peak experts of the martial world mixed in. This was a clear sign of how the martial world viewed the Thunder God Style's founding ceremony.
A short while later, as noon approached, Lee Gwang ascended the platform in the center of the venue. Infusing his voice with subtle internal energy via Six Harmonies Projection, he addressed the assembly.
[To all you fellow wanderers of the rivers and lakes who have gathered for our Thunder God Style's founding ceremony, this Triple Excellence Lee Gwang offers his profound gratitude.]
Lee Gwang delivered a brief opening speech and was about to move on to the main proceedings when suddenly, a loud snort echoed through the venue.
"Ha! Gratitude? From this shameless villain!"
Lee Gwang's eyebrow twitched at the sharp, high-pitched voice. At the same time, the gazes of the Thunder God Style disciples and the assembled experts turned toward the source.
The voice belonged to a woman in her twenties dressed in white robes. Her sharp features and the sword slung across her back marked her as from a sword sect. She drew the blade from behind her back and shouted shrilly.
"Everyone! Do we need to wait any longer? Let's strike down this lackey of the vile White Lotus Cult, the Thunder God Style, and uphold justice in the martial world!"
"Right!"
Swoosh.
At her signal, more than a dozen figures suddenly rose in the venue. They appeared to be from the same sect as the woman or notable first-class experts. They stepped forward, arrayed themselves before the platform, and aimed their weapons at Lee Gwang.
"Thunder God Style! To slaughter the innocent and flaunt your wicked ambitions, then dare hold a founding ceremony? How brazen! We'll eliminate you here and now!"
My heart pounded as I watched the scene.
'Ugh, is that woman insane?'
Naturally, I couldn't help but worry about those dozen or so heroes. Lee Gwang, who had single-handedly massacred dozens of Golden Guards with Thunderclap Bomb, wouldn't bat an eye at such rabble. If anything, it would be fortunate if he didn't laugh while butchering them.
But Lee Gwang replied calmly, without a change in expression.
[I have no idea what you're talking about. What misdeed do you claim our Thunder God Style has committed?]
"Are you pretending not to know? You slaughtered everyone in Clear Stream Sect, Double Palm Sect, and Divine Sound Sect, then tried to cover up the traces! Not even sparing newborns and pregnant women—what heartless monsters!!"
The sects they mentioned were ones I'd never heard of in my life. It seemed the Wind God Style had plotted this scheme outside the Thunder God Style's sphere of influence.
"Kill them!!"
"Slaughter the bastards!!"
As the dozen heroes bellowed, killing intent began to flicker across the faces of the assembled martial artists. More than half looked dubious, but the denunciation of the [Thunder God Style's atrocities] led them to start viewing us as enemies.
The usual Lee Gwang would have exploded by now, but he responded leisurely.
[I wouldn't know. Do you have any proof that we did it?]
"We have proof."
Swish.
Three or four experts rose from their seats. They were all disciples of Yellow Mountain Sect, clad in their sect's distinctive robes. The elder at their forefront clasped his hands in salute to the assembly and spoke.
"I am Gong Jae, the Cold Heaven Sword of Yellow Mountain Sect. I come at the sect leader's behest regarding this matter."
"Ooh...!!"
"An elder of the Nine Great Righteous Sects...!!"
The heroes showed surprise. Lee Gwang and the Thunder God Style disciples watched Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae without a flicker of change in their expressions. Gong Jae drew a silver badge from his bosom and continued softly.
"What I say now carries the authority of the Yellow Mountain Silver Command of Yellow Mountain Sect and its sect leader. You may take it as the absolute truth, without a shred of falsehood. I swear it."
"Speak!"
"Our Yellow Mountain Sect, alongside the Righteous Heaven Alliance's special investigation committee, examined the three sects where the horrific massacre occurred. And we discovered thunder marks on numerous corpses."
"Thunder marks?"
Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae glared at Lee Gwang on the platform and explained.
"It's the phenomenon that appears when a Thunder God Style master reaches the Thunder Spirit realm. The trace of a fearsome martial art that can scorch wounds with potent Thunder Spirit Qi!"
Of course, the Thunder Spirit realm was real, and thunder marks did exist as a technique. The difference was that Thunder God Style experts could leave them at will.
'They really mix just enough truth to weaponize the information.'
I let out a hollow chuckle in disbelief. It was hard to deny when they framed it like that.
"......!!"
The crowd stared at us in shock—not at our supposed role as villains in the tragedy, but at the fact that one could wield Thunder Spirit Qi through martial arts. It made sense; even orthodox internal arts rarely allowed manipulation of the five elements or natural forces until profound realms.
Lee Gwang countered with a cold smile.
[Impressive. Even our Thunder God Style masters don't all know of the Thunder Spirit realm, yet you claim the Nine Great Righteous Sects discerned such a grave secret at a glance?]
In response to Lee Gwang's sarcasm, Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae replied.
"We expected you'd say that. But we consulted the foremost authority on the White Lotus Cult for this investigation, and that person vouched for it. So we're certain."
[Who might that be?]
"We cannot reveal it. For their protection. But I stake the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader's name on the voucher's credibility."
Then, a stern-looking middle-aged man seated beside Gong Jae stood and declared.
"I, Nangong Mo, endorse his words."
"Ooh...!!"
"The Righteous Heaven Alliance's strategist, Mr. Nangong...!!"
The assembly erupted in exclamations as Mr. Nangong stepped forward.
Mr. Nangong!
He held the position of strategist for the Righteous Heaven Alliance, the federation of the Nine Great Righteous Sects and righteous factions. Born to the Nangong Family, he had entered Mount Hua Sect young, trained in its signature arts, and was renowned for his intellect and prowess. He was also a master politician balancing the Nine Great Righteous Sects and Five Great Families. His real name was unknown.
The situation escalated in an instant, and I found it tiresome.
'I expected this, but it still sours my mood more than I thought.'
Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae's claims lacked solid evidence. Normally, failing to name the 'reliable witness providing proof' rendered it meaningless. Yet they leveraged the authority of the Righteous Heaven Alliance and Yellow Mountain Sect to push it as logical inevitability. Being slandered like this was infuriating.
I'd never experienced anything like it before. Being instantly branded as kill-on-sight scum by the martial world's denizens, outtalked, and publicly condemned—it wasn't something one encountered easily. Unable to mask my frown, Jin So-cheong, standing beside me, smiled faintly and sent me a transmission.
[Relax your expression, junior brother. This was all anticipated, wasn't it?]
[Still, it pisses me off so much I want to kill them all.]
[Of course you could handle it alone, junior brother, but let's stick to the plan.]
[Understood.]
I grumbled a bit to Jin So-cheong before calming down. Not long ago, my reincarnation secret had inadvertently leaked to him, so we'd shared some honest talk. I'd decided to open up to him a little.
A moment later, Lee Gwang spoke.
[Then what do you think drove us to such reckless acts right before our vital founding ceremony?]
"Isn't it obvious? Secretly eliminating sects in your way while satisfying your perverse bloodlust!"
[Clear Stream Sect, fine. But Double Palm Sect and Divine Sound Sect are over 300 li from here—how do you explain that?]
"The fact remains: traces of your martial arts were on the victims' bodies. You bear responsibility for their lives."
Had he retorted 'With what?' there, they would have shouted 'Your lives!' and battle would erupt. Lee Gwang knew this flow well and deftly parried as Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae drove toward combat.
[Without seeing the corpses myself, I can't believe it. Don't mislead the crowd so rashly. You think dropping 'Righteous Heaven Alliance' ends it?]
"What...?"
[Frankly, I'm worried you're a novelist or a pitiful madman. Unless you show these thunder marks clearly before these heroes, I won't tolerate such absurd slander.]
Mr. Nangong then interjected, glaring sharply at Lee Gwang.
"Does that mean you're openly defying the Righteous Heaven Alliance's authority?"
[If authority means truth emerges from baseless bluster without proof, that's my first question.]
"......"
I clicked my tongue in admiration at the exchange.
'Why is Lee Gwang so damn eloquent?'
He must have prepared, but he countered without a hint of agitation. Even when they tried to crush him with authority, he plausibly swayed the crowd back. It was rhetoric born of pinpointing logical flaws and grasping crowd psychology. Lee Gwang wasn't just a musclehead brute; he was a cunning schemer.
That was when it happened.
"If it's corpses you want, we have them here."
Yellow Mountain Sect warriors appeared from somewhere, hauling gruesome bodies into the venue. The corpses, preserved by special freezing, showed no decay and were rimed with frost. The warriors set them down, and Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae seized the moment, shouting loudly.
"Behold these bodies! Thunder marks slice the fatal wounds precisely! Still deny it?"
They'd come prepared, it seemed. I grumbled inwardly.
'No matter what, hauling corpses to someone else's founding ceremony—who raised these thugs?'
The more I thought, the more I wanted to beat the Wind God Style bastards. And what was the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader doing, swayed by such scum? As my gut boiled, Lee Gwang spoke as if he'd been waiting.
"Deny, you say..."
That was when it happened. Lee Gwang subtly moved his lips. The covert transmission seemed aimed at Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae, who had been spitting as he incited the crowd. He suddenly shuddered like he'd been struck by lightning, cold sweat pouring from his brow like rain.
"......"
The crowd murmured in confusion at Gong Jae's sudden freeze. Lee Gwang now spoke without Six Harmonies Projection, his lion's roar booming through the venue.
"Apologies, but our sect's founding ceremony cannot proceed with riffraff who barge in with foul corpses. On the honor of Thunder God Style, I must settle with these madmen to conclude it properly. Those agreeing with the lunatics, please leave. Good people who don't, stay."
Murmurs rippled.
The martial artists whispered among themselves. Had Gong Jae pushed a bit harder, we'd have fought all 170-plus experts here. It ended ambiguously. Mr. Nangong, beside Gong Jae, scolded him.
"Hey! This isn't what we agreed! Why stop midway?!"
"......"
Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae didn't respond, sweat streaming as he stood mute like a gagged fool. Even his disciples, worried, supported him as he limply slumped into a chair. He looked like a ragdoll.
'What happened?'
Puzzled, I examined him but saw no visible wounds. Soon after, one by one, some heroes began departing the venue.
Rustle...
A short time later, about a dozen from Yellow Mountain Sect and Righteous Heaven Alliance, plus another dozen hostile experts, remained—along with ten or so observers. Over seventy percent had left.
Mr. Nangong fidgeted, clearly far from his calculations. He'd likely planned to incite everyone for a mass assault and slip away in the chaos. But Lee Gwang's open slaughter had ruined the timing.
Lee Gwang calmly addressed the remaining martial artists before the platform.
"Do you truly believe our Thunder God Style caused that horrific tragedy?"
"Spare us the talk! Don't think you can talk your way out, villain!"
"Hmm..."
Lee Gwang pondered briefly before speaking.
"Fine then. Let's add a few more lines to the tragedy."
"What..."
Boom!
It happened in an instant. Lee Gwang's hand moved invisibly fast, gripped a spear, and the necks of the protesting martial artists before the platform exploded simultaneously. A female warrior among them received no mercy; he massacred them all in a blink.
"......?"
The Yellow Mountain Sect and Righteous Heaven Alliance experts blinked, slow to grasp. Mr. Nangong realized first, his face screaming 'This isn't right.' Looking utterly defeated, he hurriedly shouted at Lee Gwang.
"L-Lee Gwang! Wait! Hold on! This is suicide for you..."
Lee Gwang cut him off flatly.
"Mr. Nangong. One thing: I've always despised you. Fawning over my friend Yu Ji-hon to his face while puppeteering the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader as a figurehead and bending to the Five Great Families' whims behind his back—you treacherous worm."
"Uh... th-that..."
Lee Gwang bared his fangs like a beast.
"A day like this feels damn refreshing, trash."
Splatter-crunch.
"Argh!!"
As his words ended, Lee Gwang lunged, blending Orchid and刹 techniques to shred Mr. Nangong's body into dozens of chunks in seconds. Despite being peak realm himself, Mr. Nangong couldn't resist once and died in one exchange. His guards rushed Lee Gwang, but he swung his spear stoically, expression unchanged.
Slash!
"Arrrrgh..."
"Mercy..."
Boom-boom-boom.
It was over in a flash. The dozen Righteous Heaven Alliance warriors were slaughtered like livestock. The brevity left onlookers frozen in shock, faces etched with terror and horror.
Now only Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae, the Yellow Mountain Sect warriors, and the observing martial artists remained. Lee Gwang glanced around, approached Gong Jae, and stood before him.
"Shut up quietly, and I'll spare your two direct disciples. Point them out."
"......"
Gong Jae trembled, pointing shakily at two disciples beside him. Lee Gwang nodded after checking their faces, then resumed the slaughter.
Flash.
Crunch.
Thud.
"Arghhhhh!!"
The killing resumed, exterminating all Yellow Mountain Sect warriors except the two disciples. Lee Gwang had butchered nearly thirty in moments, without a drop of blood on his clothes.
"Ah... aaaah..."
"Master..."
The two disciples wailed, clinging to Gong Jae's mangled corpse. Lee Gwang said coldly.
"Your master saved your lives instead of yapping. Never forget his death today and hole up on Yellow Mountain for life."
Indeed.
Lee Gwang had let Cold Heaven Sword Gong Jae and Mr. Nangong rant, then struck Gong Jae's mind with formless qi at the crucial moment, silencing him. He'd threatened to spare the disciples if he stayed quiet.
"......"
The disciples wept blood tears, gathered their master's body, and fled. Lee Gwang sneered at their backs before addressing the onlookers.
"And you lot, get out. This place will soon be a battlefield."
"Eek!"
They abandoned all pride as strongmen and bolted at his words. They'd wanted to flee earlier but feared Lee Gwang too much to move. Amid the blood sea, Lee Gwang stretched his arms and said.
"Now it begins."
"Indeed. Heaven's Net has been cast."
Mang Ryang emerged from behind the platform, twirling Five Flowers Seven Gold Thread. He regarded Lee Gwang calmly amid the gore.
"If it gets tough midway, don't forget to call for Baek Woong."
"Haha, no need until Yong Bi-cheon steps in."
"Good."
By now, the area was surrounded by the Righteous Heaven Alliance's elite forces, regional experts, and mercenaries galore. Gong Jae and Mr. Nangong had planned to incite the venue's experts against us and escape in the melee, but Lee Gwang's blatant massacre foiled it.
Mihu, beside me, sent a transmission.
[This'll be fun today! How many do you think we'll kill?]
"Hmm..."
I knew the Thunder God Style's true goal today was a grand slaughter disguised as a founding ceremony. After a moment's thought, I muttered.
"We'll pile corpses into mountains..."
The louder, the better.
Infamy was fine.
That's how we'd draw in the Thunder God Style masters!
It sounded mad, but Mang Ryang had gotten the White Lotus Leader to approve a hold on other ops, confident in our forces. It also seemed a desire to slap down the Righteous Heaven Alliance strutting with heavenly mandate.
Dialogue had failed; now only force to forge new order remained. Fearing their grudges barred fighting the White Lotus Cult, better to make them acknowledge our might. That was the Thunder God Style's way in the martial world.
============================ Works Afterword ============================
Please leave novel recommendation comments!
Slightly edited.