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If asked to name the strongest martial artist among women twenty-nine years or younger, I would choose Dokgo Yeon.
—What of Flame Demon, the fire-arts expert who wields the Zhongli Divine Fire Well and has reached the Harmony Realm?
...To that question, one could argue she isn't a martial artist at all, but an existence akin to a half-immortal. She has not learned martial arts but the divine arts of the primordial era, so calling her a martial artist is somewhat ambiguous.
By the standards of the Righteous, Unorthodox, and Demonic paths—limiting ourselves strictly to those who walk the way of martial arts, who train in martial techniques and wield martial forms—Dokgo Yeon is, without a doubt, the strongest martial artist.
'Had she entered the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, the First Phoenix would have been a foregone conclusion.'
She is barely twenty years old, yet she stepped into the Peak Realm long ago—a level Sagong Hee and Lee Si-a have not yet reached.
'That's also why the Murim Alliance Leader brought them both into the Dokgo Clan—even the Demonic Cult's Little Princess.'
Even if the Little Princess rampages, Dokgo Yeon can suppress her.
Even if the two have shown tremendous growth in the half year since the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, the gap that has already widened since then is not easily closed.
Three to seven.
Only when the two fight together can they secure a thirty percent chance of victory. Only when they move as perfectly as a single body can that rise to forty percent.
What if they attack separately out of pride and arrogance?
Zero to ten.
I was so certain of Dokgo Yeon's victory that I would stake my manhood on it.
Every step of my scheme—from impersonating the Divine Doctor's disciple to infiltrating the Dokgo Clan's villa under the Murim Alliance's aegis—was a stepping stone to make Dokgo Yeon, the strongest swordswoman of the White Path, my own.
No matter how great a genius she is, talent alone cannot overcome illness. She had been wasting away, dying, and her father, the Alliance Leader, was consumed with resentment that he could do nothing for her as she faded.
'Even the Demonic Cult's Eldest Son probably didn't know. He never imagined she'd survive past twenty, breaking through to the Harmony Realm to escape death.'
Those who suffer from the Eighteen Yin Torment Severed Meridian typically expire around the eighth year of their illness, but Dokgo Yeon endured past ten years and, with death before her eyes, polished her sword until she reached the Harmony Realm.
At twenty-five.
She suppressed the Eighteen Yin Torment Severed Meridian's symptoms through sheer martial might, attained the Harmony Realm, and ultimately succeeded in clinging to life.
Is it even conceivable for a woman to reach the Harmony Realm at twenty-five?
'It is.'
Throughout the entire Central Plains, only one. Only Dokgo Yeon could do it. True to the saying "a crane among chickens"—no, "a phoenix among chickens"—Dokgo Yeon's talent was supreme under heaven.
If I were to rank them by their future peaks, assuming each reached their pinnacle, I'd place Gucheon Hyeonnyeo first, Blood Jiangshi second, nail Dokgo Yeon into third, and only then line up the rest.
The strongest in the White Path.
Later, before she collapsed in battle against me, she was even honored as the Divine Sword for a time. Her widely known title was the Divine Maiden, but in a woman's body she earned the recognition of the entire Central Plains and ascended to the Divine Sword.
'I feel a little sorry for Sagong Hee and Lee Si-a, but this is simply reality.'
Neither the future Taiji Sword Empress nor the future Heavenly Demon ever surpassed the Murim Alliance Leader.
If Sagong Hee had been stronger than the Divine Sword, the seat of Alliance Leader would have gone to the Taiji Sword Empress.
If the Heavenly Demon had been stronger than the Divine Sword, the Central Plains would have been occupied by the Demonic Cult.
'It's just as true now.'
The ages of the three do not matter. What matters is who is the strongest now.
"Dokgo Yeon."
Just as the 'Yeon' in her name suggests, she soared like a swallow to land gracefully alone on the training ground.
* * *
"I have something to ask. Among the participants in the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle, who is the strongest?"
The black-haired woman, Yoo Seol-ra, inserted herself among the gamblers at the betting table and posed the question. The gamblers, initially wary of a woman's appearance, clapped and welcomed her at the sight of the coin pouch Yoo Seol-ra was holding.
"Miss, are you here to bet? You're not in the wrong place, are you?"
"Is there a gender divide when it comes to gambling for money?"
Yoo Seol-ra flicked a silver coin to a passing young man.
"A bottle for everyone here. Two for me. That should cover the seat at the table, don't you think?"
"Whoooa! The lady's got guts! That's right—there's no women-only fighting pit."
"Kuh, I thought only your face was pretty, but you're lovely on the inside too!"
"That goes without saying. However..."
Yoo Seol-ra felt disgusted by the sticky gaze of the man who'd cracked that crude joke, but she twisted her lips and ignored it. Through that sticky gaze, a lecherous hand slowly reached from behind.
"Where do you think you're touching."
Smack!
Yoo Seol-ra flicked the coin pouch and struck the man's wrist as he tried to grope her rear. The man huffed and scowled, but he lost his nerve under the glaring eyes of the other men who had received bottles of liquor.
"Y-you bastards!"
"They say you're only supposed to look at a beautiful flower—never pluck it."
The gamblers burst into loud laughter at Yoo Seol-ra's words and clapped the man on the shoulder.
"Kahahaha! This lady's something else!"
"Hey, you picked the wrong one. Just go home!"
"Damn, what rotten luck... Ptooey!"
Once the man had vanished, Yoo Seol-ra took off her robe and hung it on the back of a chair. Underneath, she wore the martial attire common among women of the martial world, but the men's eyes widened, blinking at her jade-white skin.
"Looking is fine. But touching is not."
"Cool! I think I'm falling for you!"
"Falling for me? That's troublesome... The man who becomes my husband has to be stronger than I am."
"......Isn't this lady a little odd?"
The men tapped their temples. She clearly possessed formidable martial arts, but her demeanour—somehow naive, radiating an air of innocent charm—made them decide not to dwell on it.
"Now, look here."
The gamblers opened a book titled the Flower Guide: I-bong Chapter. Inside were names, sects, and simply drawn portraits of numerous women.
"Looking to put some money on a contender to win, ma'am?"
"Yes. I'm going to bet on the winner and the runner-up. On each of the Two Phoenixes separately."
"Kuh, smart! Then I recommend this woman."
The gamblers excitedly started shouting over each other.
"When it comes to a winning candidate, who else but the Namgung Clan's Namgung Yurin?! She's the younger sister of Exploding Dragon Namgung Pae and her skills have soared by leaps and bounds these past six months! She can now be called a full-fledged first-rate master!"
"It would grieve me to leave out the two reverend nuns of Emei! Abbess Jeongjo's skill was already proven at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and her junior sister Abbess Jeongja is no slouch either."
"And what of Mount Hua's Seon Ju-hee? She regrettably lost to Taiji Flower at last year's Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but since when does Mount Hua's representative carry an empty reputation?"
"Hmm... what about Dokgo Yeon? I heard the Alliance Leader's daughter is a strong favorite."
At Yoo Seol-ra's words, the gamblers sighed deeply.
"If she enters, she wins. The problem is it's uncertain whether she'll enter."
"They say her health is poor and she hasn't shown her face inside the Alliance again this time."
"Though the Divine Doctor's disciple has stepped up to treat her... well, they call an incurable disease incurable for a reason."
"So if she gets treated, she'll definitely enter and win?"
Everyone nodded. Yoo Seol-ra tossed her coin pouch into the box with Dokgo Yeon's name written on it.
"Seolhae-rang (雪海郞, Snow Sea Lad). I'm betting silver that Dokgo Yeon takes the Second Phoenix seat."
"Ooooh!!!"
The gamblers cried out in admiration at Yoo Seol-ra's gesture of flinging the coin pouch. She had said she was betting on the winner and runner-up, but since the tournament was expressly the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle, guessing who would take the top spot was also quite lucrative.
"If she's too ill and doesn't show, it's an automatic forfeit. You know that money of yours will fly away immediately, right, ma'am?"
"She'll show. Since I'm betting on it."
"That's what they all say. All right, then who are you betting on for the other side? Namgung Yurin? Abbess Jeongjo?"
"Hmm..."
Yoo Seol-ra pondered for a long moment as she scanned through the Flower Guide. It was swarming with figures whose martial arts and identities were completely obscure, and Yoo Seol-ra pointed her finger squarely at one of them.
"I'll go with this one."
"Yoo... Seol-ra?"
"Yes."
Yoo Seol-ra pulled out another coin pouch from inside her clothes.
"It seems like you're aiming for a single big score, like Taiji Flower's case... Isn't it too risky?"
"I was told that life is a one-shot gamble anyway."
The gamblers all nodded. Not a single one argued with Yoo Seol-ra's words.
"Do you perhaps know this woman?"
"Snow Ice Phoenix (雪氷鳳)?"
"Heh, already deciding on a nickname. ...Hmm."
The gamblers who had gotten free drinks each took out their coins and threw them into the newly prepared box for Yoo Seol-ra.
"Kuhuhu! A toast to Snow Ice Phoenix!"
"To a new one-shot gamble in our lives!"
"Yoo Seol-ra! Yoo Seol-ra! Yoo Seol-ra!"
"........."
Yoo Seol-ra couldn't shake the feeling that the gamblers were poking fun at her.
"Kuhuhu! So, Yoo... ma'am! Who do you think will win the overall championship?"
"The overall win?"
"We've got to rank the Two Phoenixes, too!"
"......Hmm."
Yoo Seol-ra took a silver coin from her clothes and tossed it into the box with her own name.
"This side, obviously."
"Yoo Seol-ra! Yoo Seol-ra! Yoo Seol-ra!"
Yoo Seol-ra hurriedly left the gambling table. After she had gone, the gamblers watched her retreating figure and drained their drinks.
"A new beauty has appeared in the Martial World..."
"Yoo Seol-ra! Yoo Seol-ra! Yoo Seol-ra!"
* * *
Clang!
Three swords clattered to the ground at the same time. The hand clad in a black glove touched the empty earth.
"...Shall we continue?"
The white-haired woman standing in the center of the Martial Arts Arena, Dokgo Yeon, held her iron sword diagonally above her head and gazed placidly at Sagong Hee and Lee Si-a.
'That stance... looks somehow familiar.'
I felt as if something was surfacing in my memory and composed myself. It was about time to mediate.
"The bout is—"
"Haaaat—!"
Accompanied by a long kiai, a rippling sound rang out. Sagong Hee had grabbed the Reclining Dragon Sword I'd handed over and charged directly at Dokgo Yeon herself.
'Oh dear.'
The Taiji Wisdom Sword of Wudang, which is supposed to overcome strength with softness, is launching a preemptive attack?
That might be one thing against an opponent two levels lower than her, but when facing an existence far above her, it was problematic in many ways.
Especially when the opponent pursues all-out attack and extreme offense, like the Dugu Nine Swords.
"She shouldn't move directly—her chest makes her sluggish."
Clang!
Sure enough. Sagong Hee's attack, intending to swing her sword in a semicircle, was instantly thwarted.
"It's over, Taiji Flower."
Dokgo Yeon seized the opening, thrust the tip of her sword against the blade of the Reclining Dragon Sword to freeze its movement, and aimed her edge at Sagong Hee's throat.
"......A complete defeat."
Sagong Hee coolly admitted her loss and withdrew her sword energy.
'I expected Lee Si-a to fly into a rage and keep attacking. That's a surprise.'
"...What are you staring at? I don't fight losing battles."
Lee Si-a shook her head, pointing at the slightly torn edge of her sleeve.
"I could tell even after just one exchange. That one's a real monster."
The monster of talent Lee Si-a acknowledged—that was Dokgo Yeon. Inheriting the blood and talent of the Dokgo Clan, she displayed martial prowess befitting a woman destined to become one of the future "Three Greats Under Heaven."
"Gasp, gasp, gasp!"
As soon as Dokgo Yeon realized the bout was over, she panted roughly. Sagong Hee hurried over to support her, and Dokgo Yeon bowed her head, her face completely flushed.
"I-I've never moved my body this much before. Gasp, gasp."
Dokgo Yeon was drenched in sweat. She looked as if she were intoxicated by the improved state of her body after a pleasant workout.
"........."
Neither Sagong Hee nor Lee Si-a had their breathing greatly disrupted. Yet both had been utterly defeated by Dokgo Yeon.
Fighting one-on-one, they lost.
Coordinating two-on-one, they lost.
Even when they kept charging until they won, they lost again and again.
Ultimately, Sagong Hee's fit of pique—swinging her sword directly—was the signal that broke the losing streak. The two women, who had never known defeat, were crushed before the overwhelming power of talent.
"Lady Yeon. How are you?"
"I feel like I could fly. Thank you, Doctor."
Dokgo Yeon, who was grateful just to have unleashed her martial arts freely, was indeed a martial artist through and through. I could be satisfied merely by seeing her sincere smile.
"The Human-shaped Snow Ginseng I decocted and fed you was worth it."
"......What?"
Dokgo Yeon's expression grew pale.
"I picked it up on the way here. Truthfully, besides the Human-shaped Snow Ginseng, I have Kongqing Stone Milk and other precious medicines, but... to calm your illness, one must use at least this level of elixir."
During my journey through Xi'an and Luoyang, I ransacked places that would later be revealed as fortuitous encounter sites. Thanks to that, I had been able to turn a profit with numerous spirit medicines again today.
"Th-then the medicinal ingredients I ingested earlier...?"
"Please, do not feel burdened. It was all to suppress the momentum of your illness."
Which is to say, without even needing to use medicine to relieve the pain, I intended to treat the Eighteen Yin Torment Severed Meridian through Dual Cultivation.
"Whenever your heart is ready, speak. I am always prepared to administer the treatment."
"......M-may I go wash my body a bit?"
Dokgo Yeon left the Martial Arts Arena with rapid little steps. After seeing her off, I supported the two women who were deeply dejected in defeat.
"Do not be too distressed, Shia. Hee, you too, don't worry about it. The opponent was simply too strong."
"......I absolutely have to win. My lord, please help me."
"Same for me. I have a policy of not fighting losing battles, but that doesn't mean I intend to wallow in the mud as a loser."
The two women blazed with determination. I wrapped my arms around their waists and pointed toward the room.
"Then how about we first build up some Internal Energy? I still have leftover medicine from feeding you the Human-shaped Snow Ginseng. Let's take the elixir and accumulate some internal qi."
"M-my lord... R-right now is a little...."
"Wait. Right now I'm soaked with sweat...."
"Hm? What do you mean? I've decocted the medicine, so come and take it."
Instead of doing Internal Energy cultivation as instructed, all they can think about is coveting my Yang Energy. What lecherous women they are.
'Which makes me like them even more.'
Who on earth made them this lewd!
'The Sex Demon!'
"You'll have insights after the bout, so first take the medicine and regulate your internal qi."
"My lord... I see...."
"A little disappointing, though."
"That, a little later."
The moment I left an opening, the two women faced each other and clapped their hands. Then they came to my sides, linked their arms through mine with their sweat-soaked clothes, and restrained me.
"Come on, let's go, my lord. Hurry, hurry."
"We didn't get any insights or whatever, so we can start Internal Energy cultivation right now. Heh-heh."
"........."
I was about to use my internal energy to shake them off, but seeing Dokgo Yeon secretly watching us from far away, I withdrew my strength. I was merely a powerless physician; I had no strength to push them away.
—Do you know what the most difficult battle in the world is? Escaping the Heavenly Net? Fighting the Ten Great Masters of the World at once? Wrong. It's the Compulsory Defense Battle.
"Doctor, please examine us right now, will you?"
"Doctor. My lower abdomen is hot right now. Blow some warm breath inside, please. Hoo."
Blood Cult Leader, as expected, you were righ—