Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Brocade Guards
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White Lotus Cult!
What the hell did that mean?
The White Lotus Cult was a religion that had carried on from the Southern Song dynasty. Truth be told, I wasn't well-read and had zero interest in that sort of thing, so I knew next to nothing about it.
There were all sorts of minor circumstances involved too, but right now, what concerned me most was the White Lotus Cult's standing in the martial world. As a religion, they had largely lost their influence, but things were different in the jianghu.
The prime candidate for the strongest force in the current martial world!
The White Lotus Cult was classified as neutral between righteousness and evil in the martial world. To be more precise, they took almost no part in worldly affairs, remaining utterly detached, which made it hard to pin them as good or evil. Even so, their fame for possessing formidable protective martial arts had spread far and wide across the land.
It was said that even during Emperor Hongwu's reign, they had tried to suppress the cult, but held back out of fear of its leader and divine envoys, who were too terrifying to confront. Unlike the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families, or even the Eight Demonic Sects that showed their strength openly, the White Lotus Cult was counted among the hidden supreme powers.
'Damn it... what the hell kind of misunderstanding is this?'
By the time my thoughts reached that point, I realized what Triple Excellence Lee Gwang, master of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, meant.
'If it's White Lotus Cult martial arts, then even a kid like me being an expert makes sense?'
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang had arrived at the most rational conclusion within his knowledge. I could confirm it from his following words.
"If you're from the White Lotus Cult, we can't accept you into our hall."
I answered hastily.
"I'm not with the White Lotus Cult."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang's expression didn't change in the slightest. There was no chilling glare, just a detached gaze fixed on me. It was odd, but the moment our eyes met, I felt like I was being drawn in.
"No one who hasn't consumed the White Lotus Cult's Sacred Lotus can reach the peak realm at your age."
"Sacred Lotus? What's that?"
"You're playing dumb."
Swoosh.
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang gripped his spear beside the table. In that instant, every cell in my body screamed danger, and I felt a straight line drawn from the crown of my head to my groin, prickling painfully within that range. It was like a vivid illusion of being sliced clean in two. I stifled a scream and stumbled back three steps.
Thud.
But Triple Excellence Lee Gwang had only grasped his spear—he hadn't moved. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I swallowed hard.
'W-What the hell was that just now? Killing intent? But that wasn't...'
It was too real!
I'd genuinely thought my body had been cleaved a moment ago.
Only after snapping out of it and realizing I was still alive did it feel like mere illusion.
It was beyond the realm of ordinary killing intent.
Then Triple Excellence Lee Gwang stroked his neat goatee with a hum.
"You don't seem to be just a mere protector who consumed the Sacred Lotus. To pinpoint the range of my formless energy so precisely."
"Formless energy...?"
"It's the process of understanding your weapon, awakening to its spirit, and ultimately uniting with it. Achieve that, and you can wield formless energy."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang explained kindly, but the eerie detachment and chill woven into his tone made my teeth chatter. He wasn't even unleashing killing intent, yet I instinctively knew that one swing of that spear would disintegrate my body.
'That realm... I can't comprehend it. It's fundamentally different from sword aura or sword flame!'
This won't do. I'll die.
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang had pegged me as a White Lotus Cultist completely.
He showed no qualms about cutting down a child, either.
I gritted my teeth and shouted.
"Wait! I'm really not with the White Lotus Cult. I can prove it!!"
"Prove it... how do you intend to do that?"
"Well..."
My words caught in my throat.
How could I convince Triple Excellence Lee Gwang?
If I demonstrated the Thunder Spirit Eight Forms, Thunder Shadow Swordsmanship, or Thunder Shadow Step, he'd think his hall's secrets had leaked. Faced with this realistic barrier I'd been mulling over, a chill ran down my spine.
But I'd come to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall prepared to risk it all.
Even if I died here, I had no choice but to muster my courage!
"...You'll know once you see my martial demonstration."
I was winging it now. Time to persuade him however I could.
"A martial demonstration..."
"It's cramped here, so I'll show you outside."
Without waiting for his reply, I flung open the doors of Crouching Dragon Hall and leaped down to the wide training ground in front. This was the space where instructors and third-line disciples usually lined up to show Triple Excellence Lee Gwang their progress.
Whoosh.
I snatched a spear from the rack on the training ground and took position in the center. Triple Excellence Lee Gwang stood at the hall's entrance, watching me with apparent interest.
'Watch closely.'
I focused my mind. Recalling the guidance of Hyuncheon Do-in, where we eliminated wasted motion, I began slowly unfolding the Thunder Spirit Eight Forms, concentrating on each movement.
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!
From Thunder Spirit Piercing Heaven to Thunder Spirit Lone Spin, the eight forms flowed like beads on a string at blinding speed. Glancing at Triple Excellence Lee Gwang mid-demonstration, his expression remained unchanged.
So I racked the spear and drew a sword this time, unleashing the Thunder Shadow Swordsmanship at even greater speed. This was my specialty, so I moved with full confidence. About halfway through, I sensed a faint shift in Triple Excellence Lee Gwang's expression.
Rumble.
Finally, chaining Thunder Cloud Palms, I unleashed a vibration of thunder qi across the training ground. My movements completed their rotation, ending in the final stance.
A demonstration of everything I had!
"......"
Silence fell. Only Triple Excellence Lee Gwang and I were in the space. Arms crossed, he pondered something, seemingly full of openings at a glance. But the formless energy emanating from him made it impossible to move rashly or flee.
After about a quarter of an hour, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang finally spoke.
"Who are you?"
It wasn't the polite, declarative tone from before. It carried considerable anger and gloom—a passionate voice. It was the reaction I'd expected; any normal person would pale, thinking the other would charge like a madman soon after. Especially against Triple Excellence Lee Gwang—I might die here.
I spoke calmly.
"As you can see, at least I'm no White Lotus Cultist."
"Seems true enough. Consuming the Sacred Lotus prevents attaining Thunder Spirit."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang spat the words bitterly, then fell silent, calming his emotions. He turned his back abruptly and sent me a transmission.
[If you're confident you can speak without a shred of deceit, follow me.]
It wasn't just a demand for confession—there was a heavier weight to it. I nodded faintly and followed him inside. Keeping about ten paces back, I realized one thing.
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang was different.
Fundamentally unlike any peak expert I'd seen so far.
Of course, at my level, I couldn't grasp what that difference was, which was frustrating.
Clunk...
We headed not to Lee Gwang's room from earlier, but elsewhere. He opened the door to a stark, dim chamber. As if infusing it with long-absent warmth, Lee Gwang tossed some kindling into the brazier, then gestured for me to sit.
"Sit there."
I hesitated briefly, wondering if it was a trap, but shook it off and sat.
'The gap in our levels is too vast.'
The disparity between Lee Gwang, confirmed by his formless energy earlier, and me was beyond what I'd imagined. I couldn't be sure, but it felt like the chasm between heaven and earth, greater than when I'd clashed with Iron Blood Sect's chief elder. Against a fully serious Lee Gwang, I had no chance of survival, so schemes held no meaning. From my inferior position, if even I thought that, he wouldn't resort to petty tricks.
Crackle...
Flames rose, gradually warming the room. Lee Gwang sat across, chin propped, staring at me before speaking.
"Tell me in detail. Where did you learn the Thunder God Style?"
What?
His sudden term threw me inwardly. I'd expected him to explode, accusing me of stealing his hall's secrets, but out came "Thunder God Style"—a name I'd never heard.
'No way... this isn't Triple Excellence Lee Gwang's original creation? It branched from a separate school called Thunder God Style!'
Or perhaps Triple Excellence Lee Gwang simply called his arts Thunder God Style separately. After pondering, I said.
"The one who taught me this art has already passed away. Before dying, he told me to seek you out, so here I am."
"Dead? Why?"
"He fell ill."
I was gambling. Revealing the Heavenly Dark Secret Book's reincarnation to Triple Excellence Lee Gwang outright was too risky, even trusting him. A tale of dying and reviving endlessly was too absurd, and no martial artist would pass true ultimate arts to someone like me. Even if caught lying here and killed, I'd bluff with bravado.
"What was his name?"
It worked!
As expected, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang's arts weren't purely his invention but derived from the Thunder God Style school. I was thrilled inwardly but kept calm.
"He never told me, even at the end."
"...That could be."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang muttered bitterly.
"Then how did you attain your internal energy?"
"After my master passed, wandering the land, I luckily consumed Millennium Snow Ginseng on Mount Huang."
"Extend your arm."
Swoosh.
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang seized my wrist and took my pulse. Eyes closed, he probed the raging, majestic quality of my internal energy like a detective, releasing after a long moment. Soon, he spoke.
"It's true. Extreme yin chill courses through you. But it harmonizes with extreme yang energy—what's that?"
"Actually, there was another elixir nearby. Consuming it together let me survive."
"I see."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang sat quietly, as if mulling. Then he said.
"Your master was undoubtedly one of the Thunder God Style inheritors. But unluckily failed to attain Thunder Spirit and died of illness."
"......"
"Then you and I are fellow disciples. If you're willing to serve me as master anew, perform the Nine Prostrations here."
Nine Prostrations!
I flinched at Triple Excellence Lee Gwang's words. It sounded like a common ritual for accepting a fellow disciple's student, but it was anything but. The Azure Dragon Martial Hall never demanded Nine Prostrations from any disciple. Not even the instructors had done it for Triple Excellence Lee Gwang. I'd only heard Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong had.
In short, Nine Prostrations meant more than ritual. Unlike disciples taken for profit, it signified choosing a true heir for one's ultimate arts. That was the only reason I could think of for Jin So-cheong alone performing it.
Naturally, I performed the Nine Prostrations without hesitation. After the ninth bow, Lee Gwang said.
"Rise. From now on, I am your master, and I will pass down the full Thunder God Style."
"Yes."
He showed no suspicion. Makes sense—Jin So-cheong, to whom he'd passed his ultimate arts like a son, had essentially secluded me in closed-door training for three years. With a separate Thunder God Style school, no reason to doubt me.
"Baek Woong. You've likely heard from your previous master, but Thunder God Style is a multi-lineage inheritance, a world-shaking martial school. With your potential, train diligently to reach its pinnacle."
"Understood."
Multi-lineage and world-shaking? First I'd heard of it, but I couldn't ask what it meant. In a successor school, masters pass down history even without teaching arts—ignorance would raise suspicion.
But I quickly changed tack and gambled again.
"Um... I'm slow-witted and don't remember the school's history well. Could you tell me again?"
"Hmm... You're young, so that makes sense."
No matter how skilled I seemed, I looked like a boy in his early to mid-teens. Playing it off as childish forgetfulness had to work. Instead of probing my arts first, wanting school history made Triple Excellence Lee Gwang eager to share.
"How much have you heard of the White Lotus Cult?"
"My master scarcely mentioned them. This is actually my first time hearing the name today."
"Is that so? He must have been one who didn't dwell on grudges against them."
"Grudges?"
His next words nearly made me gasp.
"Indeed. We of the Thunder God Style were the White Lotus Cult's protective martial school, purged and expelled to the Central Plains half a century ago. We lurk in shadows everywhere to evade notice, but our roots lie with the White Lotus Cult."
"......!!"
"Of course, I only heard from my master, so no personal grudge. But remember the history: they used and betrayed Thunder God Style warriors."
Thunder God Style!
It was the martial school that inherited the White Lotus Cult's protective arts.
Internal strife forced them out to the Central Plains, and rather than forming a new sect for survival, the inheritors scattered. Suppressing my shock, I asked.
"If seeking revenge, wouldn't uniting Thunder God Style into a great sect be better?"
"I've heard the White Lotus Cult Leader's power defies imagination. Better to quietly seclude in the jianghu, honing martial prowess, than eggs against a rock—that was our ancestors' thinking."
Come to think of it, Wudang's Hyuncheon Do-in had mentioned the White Lotus Cult Leader too. Amazed by my terrifying internal energy, he'd said only the leader could surpass me in raw power. My energy, bolstered by multiple Millennium Snow Ginsengs, was monstrous—if comparable, the leader's prowess was unimaginable.
"How strong is the White Lotus Cult Leader?"
"The leader has reigned invincible for 200 years without peer. Successive leaders have overwhelmed the Central Plains' righteous supreme experts. Their arts can truly be called the world's finest."
"Gasp..."
That strong? No wonder Hyuncheon Do-in brought it up!
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang said with his signature detached expression.
"I take our ancestors' grudge deeply. Had you truly been White Lotus, I'd have beheaded you back there."
"What does it mean that I attained Thunder Spirit?"
"When Thunder Dragon One Qi Art reaches its peak, it grants resistance to all illnesses, extends lifespan, and fills the body with thunder qi's power. That realm is Thunder Spirit—you likely reached it via the Millennium Snow Ginseng."
"Ah..."
After cultivating Thunder Dragon One Qi Art, the constant crackling discharge of thunder qi—that was Thunder Spirit.
"Those who consume the Sacred Lotus gain fearsome internal energy but can't achieve Thunder Dragon One Qi Art's Thunder Spirit. That's why I believed you."
The Sacred Lotus seemed to be their distributed elixir. As I memorized this new knowledge, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang's expression turned peculiar.
"But there's another flow in you besides Thunder Dragon One Qi Art—what's that?"
No point in half-hearted lies here. I answered honestly.
"Profound Heaven Divine Art."
"Profound Heaven Divine Art! One of Wudang's Five Great Divine Arts?"
"Yes. It was just True Qi Do-in Method at first, but during travels, I formed a bond with a Wudang eccentric and learned it."
No lies.
"Hmm... With Profound Heaven Divine Art, you could have been a Wudang core disciple—yet you sought me out specifically?"
"Yes. It was my master's dying wish."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang looked oddly pleased. Even if Azure Dragon Martial Hall was grand and thriving, it paled against Wudang, pinnacle of the Nine Great Sects. Abandoning potential elder discipleship for him? He'd be inwardly delighted.
"Good. From today, you're my direct disciple. Treat Jin So-cheong as your direct senior brother. Given your skill, I'll grant you instructor rank first—train one-on-one with me for now."
"Understood."
Things had gone so smoothly I felt great.
I'd made it as Triple Excellence Lee Gwang's direct disciple somehow!
'...Well, if I hadn't botched revenge on my second death.'
That pointless stunt had cost me deep study of Azure Dragon Martial Hall arts. After all my ordeals to return, I couldn't help regretting that choice.
With matters settled, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang shared more on the White Lotus Cult and Thunder God Style. I gained considerable knowledge on the cult.
Originally a righteous religion, the White Lotus Cult was instrumental in founding the Great Ming, with even Emperor Hongwu once initiated. But post-empire, he flipped like a palm, subtly suppressing them. He never openly executed cultists but imprisoned or hounded them on pretexts whenever they expanded.
Forced into a secret society, they fled south, where ethnic minorities dominated beyond imperial reach. Rumors said they absorbed descendants of Jin Wuliang, Hongwu's rival, but unconfirmed.
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang said.
"Now that I think, So-cheong mentioned meeting a friend."
I nearly chuckled. This stern, icy Triple Excellence Lee Gwang using a nickname for Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong! It showed their master-disciple bond was closer than with other hall disciples. He'd protect Jin So-cheong above all.
"I'd like to meet senior brother myself."
"Would you?"
After brief thought, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang said.
"Then fetch him. He's likely with Sword Dragon of the Skies by now."
"Pardon?"
"Sorry to steal his personal time, but introducing a new Thunder God Style junior is more pressing."
He'd misunderstood my surprise.
With Sword Dragon of the Skies!
That meant Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong's friend was Sword Dragon of the Skies, Namgung-hwan.
Come to think, Namgung-hwan had come to Guanzhong with his fiancée to meet someone—could that be it?
Anyway, a chance to meet Sword Dragon of the Skies face-to-face. My eyes sparkled.
"Yes, I'll bring senior brother for sure."
"They're probably at the Cao family among Guanzhong's Six Great Houses."
Guanzhong's Six Great Houses referred to the six most influential merchant, arts, and martial families in the region. The Cao were a merchant clan running money houses with vast wealth.
"Not an inn or tavern?"
"I wouldn't know. So-cheong mentioned it, so go check."
"Yes."
Swoosh!
I dashed from Azure Dragon Martial Hall on swift lightness skill, flying like the wind. He'd entrusted it knowing my skill, no issue calling Jin So-cheong. Leaping rooftops, I thought.
'Perfect, just perfect.'
I'd even see Sword Dragon of the Skies Namgung-hwan and his fiancée Moyong-yeon! Feeling lucky today, a smile crept on my lips. Little did I know this errand was anything but simple.