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Abbess Jeongja.
Yoo Seol-ra.
Dokgo Yeon.
And Hwangbo Hye-ji.
The crowd roared at the matchups that were truly worthy of the "Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle."
A duel between disciples of Emei Sect, one of the Nine Sects and One Gang.
A duel between two of the Eight Great Families.
- This is entertaining in its own way!
The Nine Sects and One Gang had preserved their pride when Emei Sect's Yoo Seol-ra defeated Namgung Yurin.
The Eight Great Families had preserved their pride when Dokgo Yeon defeated the Plum Blossom Swordwoman of Mount Hua Sect.
Since each side had both won and lost once, they preferred to keep the rivalry between Orthodox Factions from boiling over. Heaven might have arranged the bracket so that matches between the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Eight Great Families repeated, but fate did not desire internal strife within the White Path.
- If Namgung Yurin had won, the Nine Sects and One Gang would have lost all face.
- Then wouldn't they have insisted on deciding the White Path's Number One Flower to pressure the Taiji Flower?
- That cannot happen! I feel bad for the Namgung Clan, but Miss Namgung's defeat turned misfortune into a blessing. Ga ha ha!
Namgung Yurin's defeat—after she had been predicted to win the tournament—was shocking, but it actually cooled the heads of those who had been too heated.
- Using Thunder Slash Flash was too much.
- Everyone was out of their minds.
- Indeed, this tournament isn't for killing each other!
A martial contest is for demonstrating one's martial arts. Spilling blood and nursing rampant hatred for one another suit neither the purpose of the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle nor the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
However, there are always those who dislike such a wholesome atmosphere.
Two black-cloaked warriors gathered in a dark space devoid of a single ray of light, nodding as they reviewed the quarterfinal bracket.
"Everything is proceeding according to plan."
"The Ice Demon being matched against Namgung Yurin in the quarterfinals was unexpected, but fortunately, the Ice Demon won. Her opponent, Abbess Jeongja, is far weaker, so she should reach the match against Dokgo Yeon without trouble."
"The Ice Demon getting injured was also unexpected."
"...I think Namgung Yurin became unexpectedly strong. Much stronger than she was during the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."
Drip, drip. Red blood soaked Namgung Yurin's name. The two black-cloaked warriors nodded at the paper that began to redden.
"Let's add Namgung Yurin to the list of candidates as well. There's no one better to brainwash than a woman consumed by the sense of defeat."
"Indeed. Wasn't her body already said to be sullied by the Blade Demon? Then it's even better. That person will like her. Heh heh."
The two black-cloaked warriors pricked their fingers with a needle and let blood fall onto Namgung Yurin's reddening nameplate.
"Are there no other candidates?"
"None among those remaining. The Plum Blossom Swordwoman is too noble and accepted defeat gracefully, and none of the eliminated ones showed any notable 'qualities' either."
"Hmm..."
The black-cloaked warrior looked back at the bracket. First, both of their eyes went to the Ice Demon Yoo Seol-ra's opponent, Abbess Jeongja.
"Let's not touch this child."
"Agreed. The madman from Sichuan might pop out."
Though it was a subject everyone hushed up on the surface, malicious rumors were already spreading that Abbess Jeongja had lost her virginity to someone. For a female martial artist to be kidnapped and return alive, vicious rumors were only natural.
But what if they were true?
What if the Sichuan Sword Demon, who shattered the Qingcheng Sect and kidnapped one of its female disciples, became enraged that someone had touched Abbess Jeongja and clawed his way out of his grave?
"Hmm... Abbess Jeongja is at a decent age, and that person might like her too? She is a distant relative of the Emei Peak, but doesn't she resemble her so much you'd suspect she's her daughter?"
"I think it's best not to touch a mad dog. A mad dog is the type to growl and bite other mutts to death if they cling to a bone it already chewed up and discarded."
"Even though it discarded it?"
"That is precisely why it is a mad dog."
Abbess Jeongja, on hold. Ultimately, only Dokgo Yeon and Hwangbo Hye-ji remained.
"Are the operations against the Hwangbo Clan going well?"
"Of course. Using the Paeng Clan's failure as a stepping stone, all variables have been blocked. Setting aside the fact that she herself doesn't want it, it's a perfect marriage that even the clan desires."
Drip. The black-cloaked warriors soaked Hwangbo Hye-ji's name with blood.
And the last remaining name, Dokgo Yeon.
"Praying for the Ice Demon's success, Blood World."
"Sky's will is here, the Blood Heaven stands."
"Let the Yangtze River be dyed in blood."
Dokgo Yeon's nameplate had been soaked red from the very beginning.
* * *
Waaaaaah-----!!
Cheers echoed. Dokgo Yeon suppressed her excited heart and waited for her turn.
"It's been so long, Miss Dokgo! It's good to see you in good health!"
"Yes, I think this is the first time we've met since that day. It's been a while, Hye-ji."
The beautiful woman with a ponytail, the lively Hwangbo Hye-ji, covered her mouth with her hand, moved to tears by Dokgo Yeon's words.
"Miss Dokgo...! You still call me Hye-ji!"
"Hye-ji is Hye-ji. Please call me Yeon-i."
"Yeon...!"
In a rush, Hwangbo Hye-ji embraced Dokgo Yeon. Until the day Dokgo Yeon collapsed from the poison, they had been quite close friends since the age of seven.
"I'm so relieved. I heard you were being treated by Physician Mubung, and it looks like your condition has improved!"
"Yes. Though it's not a complete cure yet."
"Ah... you're not feeling any discomfort moving your body, are you?"
"How could that be?"
Dokgo Yeon smiled and placed her hand on her scabbard. At the flawless Sword Qi, Hwangbo Hye-ji gulped and let out a hollow laugh.
"You're truly... strong. So strong I wouldn't dare to beat you."
"Ah."
At her dejected state, Dokgo Yeon immediately sensed her mistake. She had only wanted to show off her improved health, but the way she expressed it was wrong.
"......."
Hwangbo Hye-ji's martial arts level was First-Rate. It was akin to a lion baring its fangs and claws in front of a rabbit. Hwangbo Hye-ji turned her head for a moment and wiped near her eyes with her sleeve, then opened her arms wide and smiled brightly.
"I'll say it in advance. I've lost! You've gotten really strong, Yeon! I'm envious. What's your secret?"
"W-well, that is..."
"I knew your talent was always exceptional, but I didn't think you'd be this strong! Did you receive some kind of good Spirit Medicine instead of medicine from the physician?"
"Eek!"
Dokgo Yeon flinched in surprise. At her excessive reaction, Hwangbo Hye-ji flinched herself, but she smiled and grabbed Dokgo Yeon's hand.
"Really? Wow, that's so unfair. Keeping the good stuff Physician Mubung gives you to yourself! Yeon, can't you introduce me to the physician? I heard that the fleeceflower root he brews is really good!"
"F-fleeceflower root..."
At Hwangbo Hye-ji's explicit expression, Dokgo Yeon's hands and feet trembled.
"Brewing a long and thick fleeceflower root in hot water... hee hee. Ye-yes? Yeon, please do me this favor!"
"...No."
Overcoming her embarrassment, Dokgo Yeon glared at Hwangbo Hye-ji.
"The ph-physician's fleeceflower root is mine."
"......Hmph. Stingy. It's been 13 years since we last met, but Yeon-i has changed. Fine, if I win, you absolutely have to introduce me to the physician? Ah, never mind. Even if Yeon-i gets cut by my sword, that just means I'll have to be indebted to Physician Mubung!"
"!!"
Dokgo Yeon turned pale.
"Ah, ugh, even if it's you, Hye-ji, the physician is...!"
Seeing Dokgo Yeon react intensely to every little thing, Hwangbo Hye-ji smiled brightly, then grabbed Dokgo Yeon's hands with a serious expression.
"Yeon. You like the physician, don't you?"
"Urk...!"
"That's how all girls in love are. I was like that too."
A melancholy shadow briefly crossed Hwangbo Hye-ji's eyes.
"Don't be that way, Yeon. You're so much stronger than me, aren't you? You've lived nearly 13 years confined within the clan, so now you're allowed to enjoy your freedom. Isn't life too sad if you don't even have the freedom to like someone and have them like you back?"
"Ah..."
It was hard to understand with her mind, but from the deep sensation conveyed through their clasped hands, Dokgo Yeon felt her heart swell with emotion. It wasn't coughing up blood, but feelings that surged up.
"...Haha, what am I saying. Yeon, it's embarrassing, so forget it. Understood?"
"......I'll take it to heart. What Hye-ji said."
"No, not what I said! I mean take to heart that I told you to forget it!"
"Heh heh."
Dokgo Yeon only laughed meaningfully, and Hwangbo Hye-ji also smiled brightly at the sight of Dokgo Yeon so full of life.
Waaaaaah-----
The cheers of the crowd echoed from outside. The two women, who had been smiling only at each other, each stepped back one pace.
Hwangbo Clan!! Thunder Divine Fist!! Hwangbo---Hye-ji------!!
Hye-ji! Hye-ji! Hye-ji!!
"I'm up first. I'll go on ahead."
Hwangbo Hye-ji picked up the gauntlets hanging from her waist. The gauntlets reinforced with black steel on the back of the hand clearly showed the marks of countless blades clashing against them.
"......."
A swordswoman and a fist fighter.
If she failed to control her strength, the fist fighter definitely had a high chance of being seriously injured.
"Ugh, urgh... how do I win without leaving a scratch..."
Dokgo Yeon climbed into the Martial Arts Arena with a tearful face.
"B-but, even so."
Dokgo Yeon composed her breathing and picked up the handkerchief Mubung had used to wipe her sweat.
Breathe, ha, breathe, ha.
The scent of medicinal herbs. And the hidden lust-fragrance seemingly concealed within the herbs.
"...So this is what a Clear Mind Pill is."
With her mind and spirit at ease, Dokgo Yeon walked calmly toward the arena.
Waaaaaaaah---------!!
* * *
Before the quarterfinals—the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle—began, I called Sagong Hee and Lee Si-a aside separately. Yoo Seol-ra was already waiting inside the warehouse of the Unmarried Marker Nine Palace Formation.
"Miss Yeon has made up her mind to receive treatment."
At my words, the three women smiled with complex expressions. They felt the need for comrades who could withstand a night battle against the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon, but they couldn't simply be happy about the number of women staying by my side increasing.
"Lord, in that case, will you also reveal your true identity?"
"Yes. That's why I need to come up with a plan now."
I couldn't keep hiding my identity while pretending to be Physician Mubung forever.
For the day when I would discuss bedroom affairs with Sagong Hee, Lee Si-a, and Dokgo Yeon, I had to reveal my true self to Dokgo Yeon without holding back.
Myself as the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon.
"W-wouldn't revealing your identity be a bit dangerous? She's still the Murim Alliance Leader's daughter, after all."
"How would that be an issue? From the moment he said he'd reveal his identity, that already means Bi-cheon judged it would be fine to reveal it to Dokgo Yeon."
As expected of Lee Si-a. She accurately grasped my intent even from casual remarks.
"The question is 'how' I will convince Dokgo Yeon. It's not over just by treating her Eighteen Yin Torment Severed Meridian. We can't keep staying here either."
"That's right. No matter how great the Lord's Bedroom Arts are, trust built on lies is bound to collapse once the truth comes to light."
"Don't worry about that. There's a way for everything."
"...If you say so, my lord, then I believe you."
Sagong Hee showed me infinite trust. Even if I said we should cause a Killing Calamity here and run away, Sagong Hee would cast aside her identity as the Taiji Flower, betray Wudang, and follow me.
"The important thing is this. Getting Dokgo Yeon out of this estate. Dokgo Ja-yeong will definitely try to shield his daughter. He will try to confine her under the pretext that, though her illness is cured, you never know. And he will certainly use Dokgo Yeon as a card for the resurgence of the Dokgo Clan."
"What? How could he? A man who loves his daughter so much would do that?"
"Right. Would the Alliance Leader really use his daughter as a tool for a political marriage?"
"...Namgung Pae."
At Yoo Seol-ra's words, the two women hardened their expressions. Yoo Seol-ra, who nonchalantly circulated her Ice White Divine Art and tidied her silver hair, continued with a cool-headed face.
"The two of you might not know because you're staying here, but outside, there are already signs of trying to tie Dokgo Yeon to the Exploding Dragon Namgung Pae. There's an atmosphere in the air as if they're about to get engaged any moment now. It's not a natural atmosphere."
"Does that mean someone is plotting this?"
"Hmm... since I don't feel anything disgusting from it, it doesn't look like that bastard's doing."
"It's likely a rumor spread by the Alliance itself. They have to save face for the Namgung Clan."
If there is a force behind spreading engagement rumors between Dokgo Yeon and Namgung Pae, it would be the Murim Alliance, not the Eldest Prince. To erase Namgung Yurin's existence, the goal must be to shift the mood by mentioning Namgung Pae as the partner for Dokgo Yeon, who is certain to become one of the Two Phoenixes.
'It really could proceed.'
The Namgung Clan's Exploding Dragon, Namgung Pae. The Dokgo Clan's Sword Phoenix, Dokgo Yeon.
Objectively, and from an external perspective, it's clearly a meeting of a handsome man and a Celestial Maiden. Even if they didn't fall for each other, once the families made a marriage pact, lighting the Wedding Candle was the fate of the successors of the Eight Great Families.
"Marriage alliances. That's the foundation upon which the Eight Great Families maintain their power."
The World's Greatest Dragon and the World's Greatest Phoenix. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but historically, cases where such a man and woman fell in love or ended up married were frequent. It's a rumor I can't accept.
"Heh heh, I shall widely spread the truth of the Great Roc to the foolish sparrows bound by prejudice."
I informed the three of my plan in detail.
The best plan to screw over the Eldest Prince and let Dokgo Yeon escape from her narrow cage and the noose of an engagement.
"It's Arson and Mayhem."
I'm going to turn the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle into a complete mess.