051
051
"Master, where have you been? Oh my, blood...!"
Jin Sa-wol, waiting for me in front of the house, was startled at the sight of the red blood soaked into my martial arts uniform. I stripped off every blood-soaked piece of clothing and dumped a gourd of water from the crock over my head.
"Three dogs were about to run wild, so I went and dealt with them."
"Good heavens... you weren't bitten anywhere, were you?"
"Of course not."
The blood wasn't mine. After washing all the sweat away with cool water, I dried off with the cloth Jin Sa-wol brought.
"Using my body a bit after a long time, I'm tired. Sa-wol, come sit here."
I sat Jin Sa-wol down on the wooden platform, then lay down with my head on her lap. The soft scent of a woman and the warm sunlight wrapped around me, dissolving my exhaustion.
"The result?"
"It's over. The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering ended too."
"......."
Had I taken too long? Or had the Flying Heaven Three Demons been that tenaciously persistent?
By the time I returned to our home, everything had already finished. The final match for the Supreme Phoenix Under Heaven was over, and by now a festival praising the new female martial master would be underway at Wudang Sect.
"Sa-wol, your expression is quite ambiguous."
"...Well, it's."
Jin Sa-wol avoided my eyes. Hiding my eyes with her ample breasts was certainly an effective tactic, but I was curious about the result immediately.
"What happened?"
"......They both won, and they both lost."
"......What?"
She spoke and I jolted upright in shock.
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
"So, what happened was...."
* * *
Goooo.
The dust cloud spread over the Martial Arts Arena, and people could barely open their eyes.
They had witnessed the two women executing their final techniques, but the shockwave kept the outcome hidden.
"Who won...?"
The dust began to settle.
Around the visible figures, steel gleamed in the sunlight.
"The Taiji Martial Phoenix's sword...!!"
"Three of them on the ground!"
The faces of the Orthodox Faction's martial artists twisted. The dust hadn't fully cleared yet, but a swordsman's blade falling to the ground meant only one thing.
"Could she have lost?"
"No, one sword remains!"
Unable to see, people strained their ears toward the arena.
No more sounds of fighting came, only the ragged breaths of two women echoing from within the dust.
"Haah, haah, haah."
The Little Princess, hair disheveled, was slumped over, gasping for air. She looked ready to collapse from exhaustion at any moment, and the red gleam in her eyes was faint as dying embers.
"Did the Little Princess lose...?"
"No, look below!!"
As the dust swept aside, a woman was sprawled flat beneath the Little Princess. The Taiji Martial Phoenix, covering her face with her hands, was catching her breath even more desperately.
"The Little Princess is mounted atop the Taiji Martial Phoenix's stomach."
Someone in the audience muttered. That was what it looked like, and that was the truth.
"Then the Little Princess won?"
"No, look at that!"
Once the dust fully settled, people saw that the two were still glaring at each other. They remained still, weapons aimed at one another.
The Little Princess's fist rested lightly just above the Taiji Martial Phoenix's lower chest.
The Taiji Martial Phoenix's sword precisely targeted the Little Princess's throat from below.
A situation where a little more push from either side would have meant death.
At the last possible instant, both martial artists held back their killing strokes. Thus, the match did not continue.
"So this means...."
"It's a, draw...?"
The spectators began murmuring one by one.
Ending a martial arts tournament match without deciding a winner? Unthinkable. If they hadn't ever ranked the Nine Dragons and Six Phoenixes, it could end as a friendly bout, but this was the seat to decide the foremost among the Phoenixes.
"Shouldn't they just fight again?"
"What draw? Are you joking right now?!"
One had to be ranked first, the other second. The audience buzzed louder.
"This... is trouble."
Just as the sect leaders were at a loss over the commotion in the stands, a burst of laughter filled the entire arena.
"UHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The Murim Alliance Leader Dokgo Ja-yeong's wild laughter spread far and wide. His voice was so loud that everyone in the stands turned to look at him.
"A great blessing for Murim!!"
Taaht. The Alliance Leader leaped from the stands into the arena in one step. His movement, as if treading across empty air, was clean without any wasteful motion.
"To achieve this level at such a young age! Setting aside righteousness and demonic, this cannot be anything but a joyous occasion for all of Murim!"
Clap, clap, clap.
The Alliance Leader spread his arms wide as he clapped.
"Everyone, give these two a round of applause! Now, put all your strength into an energetic applause for the future of Murim, who fought fairly and squarely!!"
Clapclapclapclap. Everyone clapped and responded to the Alliance Leader. Though some were tilting their heads.
So who won?
"Little Princess, thank you for stopping the Heavenly Demon Fist. Likewise, Miss Gyeon-hui, thank you for not thrusting through with the Taiji Wisdom Sword. We can't see blood at a joyful festival. Am I right?!"
Ignoring the looks that said *Countless people have been stabbed by swords*, the Alliance Leader poured internal energy into his voice and launched into an impassioned speech.
"Number One Flower of the White Path!! Number One Flower of the Black Path!! Who would dare place them among the Nine Dragons and Six Phoenixes?! Who could call them mere Rising Stars!!!"
That was true. The spectators nodded at the Alliance Leader's words.
Place beings who could easily handle an average Peak Expert—when even the Exploding Dragon, though beyond First-Rate, hadn't properly entered the Peak Realm—among the Six Phoenixes?
The level doesn't match.
"The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is a place for the righteous, evil, and demonic to meet in harmony and exchange goodwill! Through their match, we bore witness to the consideration of these two female martial masters, and their beautiful hearts!"
"In the exchange of sword and fist, they fought fairly without a trace of dishonorable conduct! And even when victory was within reach for either, they stayed their hands so as not to take the other's life! Ah, this is surely the true image of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering our predecessors envisioned!!"
The Alliance Leader glared toward where the sect leaders were seated. A very brief moment, but there was one person in the special rooms who did not miss the cue.
"The Alliance Leader is right!!"
Ta—aht! Leaping into the arena with a clean motion, if not at the Alliance Leader's level, was Acting Sect Leader Hyeoncheol, who cupped his hands in a martial salute and shouted in a booming voice.
"We are not gathered here to kill each other! I, Hyeoncheol, as the host of this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering at Wudang, honestly feared that blood might be spilled on Wudang Mountain! But such a thing did not happen! Until the very end, we have successfully concluded a 'friendly match' without incident!"
"The Sect Leader's words are a hundred times right!"
Taoist Hyeoncheol was only an acting sect leader. Yet the Alliance Leader backed his words strongly, as if the slip were genuine.
"We are all companions walking the path of martial arts together! Only our paths differ! You two juniors, please rise! You are the victors of this day!"
The Alliance Leader looked at the two women with earnest eyes. The Little Princess and the Taiji Martial Phoenix—Sagong Hee—exchanged glances before sighing simultaneously.
"To think it would end, like this."
The Little Princess rose first. She forced her trembling legs to stand firm and extended a hand toward Sagong Hee.
"Can you rise?"
"...Thank you."
Sagong Hee grasped the Little Princess's hand and stood. The front of her martial arts uniform, torn by fist winds, slipped for a moment, stealing away the men's reason.
"Ah...."
The Little Princess grabbed her head and stumbled. Sagong Hee embraced her against her chest and supported her.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
"Ah, what wonderful friendship this is! Indeed! We have all won! Then with this, let the curtain of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering—"
"Then do the Six Phoenixes become the Four Phoenixes?"
At the voice someone let slip as if thinking out loud, the Alliance Leader's breath caught in his throat. Even the speaker tilted their head as they said it, but the sound rippled out in all directions.
-Those two are on a completely different level from the other four Phoenixes.
-Don't the Phoenixes have to be exactly six? That's the tradition.
-Why not just have those two keep fighting?
The spectators' voices began to turn the situation chaotic. At a sarcastic comment of 'So it'll be the Nine Dragons and Four Phoenixes next time,' even the Alliance Leader's mouth went dry, unable to speak.
From the start, he had jumped out as an improvisation to hastily conclude the situation. Now that it had failed, not even he could easily quell the crowd's confusion.
"Losers' Resurrection Match."
Step, step. A middle-aged man in Wudang's robes walked to the center of the arena.
"I am Taoist Hyeonta, martial junior to the current Sect Leader Hyeoncheol, and martial uncle to Taiji Flower Gyeon-hui. I humbly propose giving one more chance to the flowers that failed to bloom and wilted."
"Losers' Resurrection Match... you say...?"
It had never existed in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. The defeated were finished after one loss, and that was the end of their chance.
"Yes. Two Phoenix seats remain vacant—must they not be filled?"
"Correct!!"
Emei's Lust-Exorcising Abbess raised her voice powerfully and cried out.
"Hope for the flowers! We shall hold another tournament for the remaining two seats after some time has passed!"
"I sympathize with the Lust-Exorcising Abbess's words. If the Little Princess and the Taiji Martial Phoenix will permit the juniors to challenge the Phoenix seats they have graced with their presence, this Ok Seon-ru!! The First Tears Victory Sect shall not forget this grace!!"
"The Namgung Clan also supports this!!"
Exploding Dragon, Namgung Pae, stood and raised his fist.
"There are many who sadly could not attend this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering! For their sake as well, I propose a new <Two Phoenixes Gathering> where all may participate equally! If funds are needed, Namgung will sponsor it!!"
"To suddenly say such a thing... Ha!"
The Alliance Leader's eyes gleamed as if realizing something. Then he let out a clearing of the throat imbued with internal energy to pacify the assembly.
"...Even if we prepare a new tournament, it will take at least half a year at the quickest. Very well! However, this requires permission."
The Alliance Leader cupped his hands toward the two Phoenixes and bowed his waist.
"Juniors, I earnestly ask this of you."
The Little Princess and Sagong Hee, the two women, exchanged an empty chuckle.
"We will give up the seats of the Six Phoenixes."
Waaaaaahhhhhhh!!!
Amid countless cheers, the curtain fell on the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
* * *
"Incredible. The Alliance Leader isn't a position just anyone can fill. His gift of gab is truly number one under heaven."
"Aren't you quite skilled with your tongue too, sir?"
"I am quite good with my tongue."
"Oh my, then I might be even better?"
Jin Sa-wol and I exchanged banter while cooking.
"Sa-wol, the water's boiling over."
"What? It's not... Oh dear!"
If they saw a man in the kitchen cooking alongside a woman, most people would cry out to cut off his member. But could such words arise if the greatest chef under heaven was cooking with a sous-chef?
"So the two women couldn't ascend to the Six Phoenixes. What a sad ending."
"But they did obtain the alias Number One Flower. The White Path's Number One Flower and the Black Path's Number One Flower."
"Right. Chaos will break out. People will fight tooth-and-nail over whose flower is prettier."
Sagong Hee is prettier. The Little Princess is prettier. If even I find it hard to decide, how much worse must it be for the world?
"And they'll battle fiercely over the Phoenix seats those two vacated. Especially the women who lost to them this time, they'll all be thinking the same thing."
'I lost to the winner, so I didn't fully show my real skill.'
'I just had bad bracket luck.'
"Right."
Namgung Yurin, Abbess Jeongjo—there were plenty of candidates worthy of actually ascending to the Six Phoenixes. Of course, they would merely be locked in a fierce, bloody battle over a single seat.
"The next tournament is in half a year? The Alliance Leader is truly a foolish father. Raising a fuss just to let his own daughter show her face once."
"Now that you mention it, the Alliance Leader did have a daughter, right?"
"Yes. Dokgo Yeon. If she had entered this time, Gyeon-hui or the Little Princess might have had to fight over second place."
"Oh my... she's far younger than Hui, isn't she?"
"Age and martial arts aren't always proportionate. Think of how many geniuses exist in the world."
Peak Realm.
'Come to think of it, she had no reason not to participate, so why didn't she? Could her illness have flared up?'
Her martial arts are strong, but her body is weak. Undoubtedly, she couldn't make it to Hubei because of the illness she acquired while training in martial arts.
Sizzle-sizzle.
The whole beef tenderloin frying in oil was browning nicely. I guided the flame so the heat penetrated to the inside, then asked Jin Sa-wol.
"Do you think the black cow will taste better, or the white cow?"
"Hmm. To compare them, wouldn't we have to taste both anyway?"
"Just like you, Sa-wol."
Thus I gained another piece of life's wisdom. I poured liquor near the large chunk of meat and shook the cauldron.
Chwaaaaa----
Erasing the gamey smell of the beef tenderloin, I stretched out both arms toward the presence I felt at the entrance.
"Come on in."
"My lord!"
Sagong Hee, looking like she was about to cry or laugh, ran toward m—
"Is that beef?! Wow!"
"......Just go take off that Human Skin Mask first!"
I kicked Sagong Hee's rear as she stood at the kitchen entrance. Sagong Hee went into the room with a forlorn expression, and I bit my lip as I grabbed the cauldron handle again.
"Damn. So beef is more precious than her master, is that it?"
"Sir. She was just embarrassed. And besides...."
Jin Sa-wol pointed toward the room and grinned.
"Even when she was deliberately passing by, didn't her eyes keep looking at you, my lord?"
"......Definitely the spotted cow first."
Shlrp.