090
090
The Two Phoenixes Decisive Match!
The 18th Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, which had stirred the world into a frenzy, came to an end, and a new martial arts tournament opened its doors to fill the two empty Phoenix seats.
The location was Henan Province, where the Murim Alliance was based.
After roughly half a year of preparation following the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, it was decided that the Alliance itself would host the Two Phoenixes Decisive Match.
Why? Because the Murim Alliance was in Henan Province!
Some people said,
-Isn't it because the Alliance Leader's daughter is sick and can't travel far?
-The Alliance Leader is desperate to get his daughter into the Six Phoenixes!
-You crazy bastard?!
...and the one who said that was beaten up by countless people, receiving 'Justice Realization'. It wasn't just that his wording sounded bad—the very suggestion that the Alliance Leader would abuse his authority for his daughter's sake was grounds for a power-abuse scandal all on its own.
-Still, I do want to see the Alliance Leader's daughter.
-But if she's Dokgo Ja-yeong's daughter, she must be strong, right? She's probably learned the Dugu Nine Swords, so she'd at least rank at the bottom of the Six Phoenixes.
-Even if she's young, the Young Heavenly Demon is also twenty... twenty-one now, and look at her level. The Alliance Leader's daughter is an adult.
Spring.
The season when flowers bloom brilliantly after winter passes.
To occupy the two remaining spots in the flower bed where the phoenixes alighted, flowers from all over the Central Plains began to gather in Xuchang, where the Murim Alliance was located in Henan Province.
* * *
"Bi-cheon, do you know why the Alliance is in Xuchang?"
"Because it's a place the imperial government doesn't scrutinize too closely."
I answered Lee Si-a's question right away.
"There's nowhere more convenient for the Alliance to settle than Xuchang."
Xuchang, once called the City of Ruins, became the seat of the Murim Alliance. It had been in decline since the post-Three Kingdoms era, but that very decline made it the optimal location.
"After it withered following the Cao Wei period, no dynasty ever truly paid attention to it. Perfect for a gang of thugs to play local gentry under the guise of an alliance."
"Calling orthodox righteous martial artists thugs. You're bold."
"It's not just my liver. Ahem. ...That's why we settled in Xuchang—looking for a large city far enough from the emperor's eyes."
A place in the Central Plains, yet beyond the reach of the government. A place where they could still throw their weight around. A place suited to become the de facto capital of 'Murim' under the principle of Inviolability of Government and Martial Arts.
"What better place is there than a ruined old capital?"
The Imperial Court also felt uneasy about the Murim Alliance's existence, but since they claimed they were settling a ruined city and bringing it prosperity, there was no real reason to stop them.
"Suppose the Murim Alliance raises a rebellion and tries to found a new nation. It's already a ruined city and a den of thugs—if things go south, wouldn't it just be a matter of sweeping away this rebel conspiratorial band? I don't know whether the government actually has the power to do that, though."
"That's an oddly amusing way to put it. People say it's because the Dokgo Clan is here, though."
"There's that, too."
The Dokgo Clan. The family of the current Murim Alliance Leader, Dokgo Ja-yeong, had established itself in Xuchang.
It wasn't a clan with the deep history of the Five Great Clans like the Hebei Paeng Clan or the Anhui Namgung Family, but it was a rare household that produced a master of the Five Great Swordsmen of the World in every generation through the power of its hereditary martial art, the 'Dugu Nine Swords'. The same held true now.
"The Murim Alliance Leader must be the Number One of the White Path. You've seen him yourself once, so you know. How powerful Dokgo Ja-yeong is."
"Yes. I understand why my father said he was evenly matched with him."
Dokgo Ja-yeong was a peerless genius acknowledged even by the Heavenly Demon. True to his reputation as a man rumored to be the strongest in the world, he was incredibly powerful.
To the point where I had to avoid his gaze at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
'I was circulating the Blue Satchel Divine Art back then, so I didn't get caught. If I'd been using anything else, he definitely would have picked a fight.'
That day. Back when I was running around as a physician at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
Dokgo Ja-yeong had watched me carefully.
He observed me with suspicion, wondering whether I was truly the Divine Doctor's disciple, but when he saw me tirelessly tending to patients while operating the Blue Satchel Divine Art, he withdrew his doubts.
'Haha! Greetings to the senior from Wudang! I am the Murim Alliance Leader! I request a spar!'
If I had been operating the Taiji Divine Art, he would have approached me under the guise of 'greetings'.
'Haha! What business does an unidentified master have at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering! I shall reveal your identity through a spar!'
If I were using any other martial art, he would have branded it a 'suspicious matter' and picked that fight.
'We wouldn't have been hiding thirty percent of our strength. We would have been forced to go all out.'
Dokgo Ja-yeong was a powerhouse on the Heavenly Demon's level.
His Dugu Nine Swords were worthy of being called the greatest under heaven, and among the martial arts I knew, the Dugu Nine Swords boasted a martial prowess that ranked—alongside the Heavenly Demon Divine Art—within my top five.
If I hadn't hidden my full power, nine times out of ten, one of us would have died.
'But that's not really important right now.'
The person I was interested in was not Dokgo Ja-yeong. The Dugu Nine Swords I had mastered were not Dokgo Ja-yeong's Dugu Nine Swords.
<Future Alliance Leader>. <Divine Maiden>. <Sky-Shattering Divine Sword>. <Greatest Sword Under Heaven>.
"Dokgo Yeon."
She, who later succeeded her father as the Murim Alliance Leader, was the Greatest Sword Under Heaven who had confronted me multiple times alongside the future Heavenly Demon.
Current age, twenty years old.
Just in time, the year had changed, and she had become an adult!
If she had appeared at the last Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, she would have clearly swept the stage with her peak-level skills at nineteen and ascended to the World's Greatest Phoenix. She was a 'super' genius whose talent and mastery were so outstanding that even her own father feared her.
If only she didn't have a single weakness.
"Little Princess. Do you know why I'm touring the world as the Divine Doctor's disciple?"
"You want to pretend to be a physician, unblock her meridians, or touch women's butts and try something."
"Correct. It's the same this time."
I grabbed Lee Si-a's buttocks. She was somewhat used to having her butt grabbed now, but it was still a little embarrassing for her to be groped so openly on the passing road where others could see.
"Lust Demon, do you want to die?"
"If it means dying at the Heavenly Demon's hands, anytime."
"...Just so you know, you'll be dead once we enter our quarters."
Her dress even had a slit intentionally made in the back, allowing my hand to slide inside and grab her bare flesh. Lee Si-a placed her hand on my thigh and asked.
"You're going to approach Dokgo Yeon pretending to be a physician?"
"That's right. I shall claim Dokgo Yeon."
Lee Si-a let out an open sigh.
"Even though I said it's fine for you to hold other women, isn't it a bit shameless to go looking at other flowers the moment you're sure you've put me in your flower bed?"
"What can a man like me do? It's the fault of those who fall for me."
"My god. Saying that after making someone fall for you—isn't that a threat? Honestly. If only I couldn't speak..."
Lee Si-a merely grumbled. Even if she was jealous, this much was easy for me to be satisfied with. The Blood Cult Leader once said that a woman was only overflowing with charm if she showed some jealousy.
-If she just grins and spreads her legs because she likes it, that's a whore. Isn't a real woman one with a bit of jealousy and a taste for playing hard to get?
...Anyway, that was what she said.
"But you know, do you think it'll be easy to meet her—the daughter the Alliance Leader cherishes so much?"
"Of course."
Dokgo Yeon must meet the Divine Doctor's disciple. Only then can she awaken as the true Greatest Sword Under Heaven.
"As you know, Dokgo Yeon is an invalid."
"...I heard that in passing last time. But the specific illness isn't known, right? What kind of illness is it? Does it require the Divine Doctor's disciple? Does she have the Nine Yin Severed Meridian or something?"
"Something similar. But it's a disease that only I can treat."
Before we knew it, the carriage was approaching the walls of Xuchang along the main road. Countless martial artists were already escorting female warriors and entering the city.
"Familiar faces everywhere."
"You mean women you've already tasted?"
"Little Princess. Don't scold a honeybee for busily going around flowers collecting nectar. Am I not refining delicious honey to feed you, the queen bee?"
Lee Si-a placed her finger on my thigh and tickled it.
"I see. Claiming Dokgo Yeon is all so you can hand over Dokgo Yeon's inner energy to me, right? Don't tell me... you want us to split the honey you take from these flowers fifty-fifty?"
"Ahem. Wrong."
"Really?"
"...One-third."
Smack. Lee Si-a reached her hand behind her, slapped my hand, and made me forcibly let go of her buttocks.
"Who's this other bitch? Someone I know?"
"...The Taiji Flower."
"Ah."
Lee Si-a's eyes briefly widened before she nodded deeply.
"Is that all? I was going to get genuinely angry if it was some woman beneath your league, like the Flame Demon. I can acknowledge a woman like the Taiji Flower."
Huh. I thought she would definitely be angry. Why?
"Heh, I see. The Taiji Flower, huh...."
Lee Si-a grabbed my hand with a refreshing smile.
"Shall we head to the inn first?"
"......."
"It's been almost ten days since we could... and we have to release what's built up in a quiet inn."
No. It was a scheme to scold me privately in the lodging, unable to openly discipline me in front of others for the sake of my pride.
'I am just as angry.'
How dare she try to monopolize me—the one who will someday be embraced by the strongest person under heaven?
Baby Lust Demon, indignant.
"Fine. Once in Xi'an, once in Luoyang. We haven't done it even once since then, right? Let's go inside."
We entered the inn, unloaded our travel luggage from the long journey, bathed and cleansed ourselves, and then began a duel of anger.
Six hours later.
"......I should have brought the Flame Demon."
Lee Si-a, her face bright red and clinging tightly to the blanket, had a tearful expression.
"Ho, how am I supposed to handle this by myself. Hic."
"What's wrong? Just earlier you said you'd make me look only at you. I'm still not appeased."
Baby Lust Demon was still going strong. Lee Si-a saw the manhood soaring proudly toward the sky and chuckled lowly, blinking her eyes.
"...Wo, would you like to visit a Pleasure House? I feel like I'm going to faint soon."
"No. Don't worry, you can last about three more rounds."
"How, how do you know my body better than me?!"
"Because you're my woman."
I made Lee Si-a cry until my anger was appeased. After exactly three more rounds, Lee Si-a writhed and fainted, and I neatly cleaned the traces covering her body.
"Don't you think you need a comrade?"
"......."
Even for the Young Heavenly Demon, it was impossible to beat the Lust Demon who hadn't gone a single round in ten days.
* * *
"I sincerely hope no dangerous incidents occur."
"Of course, Governor. On the name of the Alliance Leader, I will ensure such a thing never happens."
The Murim Alliance Leader, Dokgo Ja-yeong, welcomed the governor of Henan Province within the Alliance. The governor, who had come down from Zhengzhou, showed great interest in the Alliance's affairs but couldn't quite bring himself to ask them to hold the tournament in Zhengzhou where he resided.
-They say Hubei Province made a killing!
-The inns are screaming for joy from all the people coming just to see the one and only Taiji Flower!
-The Hubei Governor rejoiced so much at the soaring revenue that he coughed up blood!
The Murim Alliance was an annoying and bothersome bundle of chaos, but one couldn't deny it was handy for hosting an event that drew massive crowds.
"If this city cannot accommodate them, send the people to Zhengzhou. Since it's the neighborhood just above Xuchang, heh heh heh!"
"Of course. As many women are expected to visit, we will be counting on your great assistance, Governor."
The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering special.
Compared to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, which selected fifteen people, an event to select only two phoenixes seemed like it might draw somewhat smaller crowds—but in fact, it became an occasion that attracted even more.
-The Two Phoenixes Decisive Match? They're all faces we've already seen at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Why would we see the same people again?
-The right to participate is open to everyone, so I hear those who couldn't take part last time are coming too!
-The Alliance Leader's daughter is taking part this time!
-Let's go reserve an inn near the Alliance right now.
Those coming to Xuchang for the Two Phoenixes Decisive Match were not just female martial artists. Many came to see the flowers, and in fact, most of the men had already set up camp in the Alliance's vicinity for exactly that reason.
Where people gather, money is bound to circulate. The Henan Provincial Governor, just as Hubei's governor had, was filled with dreams of making a killing through the Murim Alliance's martial arts tournament.
"Ahem. As your governor, I do not wish for chaos, but it's also true that I wish to see beautiful women fighting each other with their full power. ...Hm hm, anyway."
The governor asked the Alliance Leader in a very cautious voice. If the conversation until now had been one he had as the governor, the topic from here on was one he asked as a man, not the governor.
"Is it true... that the Taiji Flower is also coming?"
"......."
As the Alliance Leader sipped his tea with a sharp, narrowed gaze, the governor waved his hands in defense.
"Ah, no! It's not that I'm interested in her! My daughter is an ardent follower of the Taiji Flower. The Taiji Plum Blossom (太極妹花)! Haven't you heard of it, Alliance Leader? The successor of the Taiji Wisdom Sword who gave up her seat as a Phoenix to become a single blossom! My daughter kept pestering me about it. Ahem, it's not as if I absolutely must see her, mind you."
"Yes, I understand perfectly."
There was no way he wouldn't know. The Alliance Leader himself had been the one to mediate the spar between the White Path's Number One Flower—Sagong Hee, whose name Gyeon-hui was said to be an alias—and the Black Path's Number One Flower, the Little Princess.
"My daughter is also looking forward to meeting the Taiji Flower."
"Is that so? Hahaha! Your daughter is a Taiji Plum Blossom too? Heh heh, I have a small favor to ask of you. Could you possibly arrange a meeting with the Taiji Flower? Ah, of course, not some shady private meeting! Just a small meal with my daughter..."
"I believe you will have to discuss that with the acting leader of the Wudang Sect."
"The acting Sect Leader...?"
The governor flinched in surprise.
"The Acting Sect Leader, of all people...?"
"Yes. From Wudang."
Even for the governor of Henan, dealing directly with the Sect Leader of a massive sect was awkward, and it was even more so if it was the Sect Leader of Wudang—practically the reason Hubei Province had risen again.
Especially more so now that the Wudang Sect had emerged as the 'strongest' sect among the current Nine Sects and One Gang through the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
But, an 'acting' leader?
"To support this Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle, the Wudang Sect has dispatched a large number of peak-level experts of the same generation as the Sect Leader."
"...Why?"
"To protect the Taiji Flower."