Chapter 207
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Though Mount Tai is High (1)
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The current martial world was enjoying an unprecedented era of peace.
The reason was simple.
The power of the orthodox sects was stronger than ever before.
If asked to name the top five experts under heaven right now, three of them hailed from orthodox sects.
As for the other two...
The Sword Demon Wi Ji-ryang, recognized as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's supreme master in name and reality since the Great Orthodox-Demonic War.
And the top unorthodox expert, who had stepped back from the front lines to leisurely enjoy his smartphone.
Of course, if you factored in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Ten Thousand Demon Hall, the reclusive elders of the orthodox sects who had sealed themselves away, and similar figures who had vanished without a trace from the unorthodox paths, things might look different.
But even judging by the forces on display, the gap was that wide.
And on top of that...
With the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's power weakened by the mass defection of Blood Cult forces, they had quietly abandoned their frontline struggle against the orthodox martial world—and recently, they had even hunkered down in Ningxia and Xi'an.
"Damn it, you sons of bitches! Those two bastards finally hooked up!"
Sa Alliance Leader Heuk Bigwang exploded in rage.
A word without feet flies a thousand li.
But thanks to the wondrous artifact known as the smartphone, news didn't just travel a thousand li—it spread ten thousand li far and wide.
Naturally, even the third-rate riffraff of the unorthodox paths knew about the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and orthodox sects fostering a mood of reconciliation.
And it didn't stop there.
"Leader! We have to avenge the Waterway Stronghold Chief!"
"The Nangong Family is pushing their influence into Zhejiang past Anhui! Especially using the Shangguan Family to target Hangzhou..."
"Small sects in Nanning are getting wiped out left and right—shouldn't we investigate if this is orthodox meddling?"
"Black Snake Sect Leader, didn't we agree to pull out of Nanchang? Why are your guys still slinking around there!"
"Hey, the kids cause a little trouble, go sightseeing in another turf—it happens. Does the King of Hundred Skeletons have a long tongue or what?"
As was typical for meetings of rootless unorthodox bastards.
Even after gathering for the first time in ages, they just spewed whatever they wanted, drifting along on streams of consciousness.
Normally, the Sa Alliance Leader would sigh and think, Eh, you all bark while I do my thing.
"Shut up, all of you! Is this the time to bicker?!"
But today, he had no choice but to bellow in fury.
However...
The other men, gathered in the name of Sa Dogeon, didn't cower much at his shout.
That was just the nature of the so-called Unorthodox Alliance.
It wasn't like the Martial Alliance, formed for show or some grand cause.
- Hey? Orthodox guys are teaming up? Pisses me off.
- Aren't we all fucked if this keeps up?
They'd banded together in that mindset, so what else could you expect?
Besides, unlike the previous Sa Alliance Leader, Heuk Bigwang didn't have the solid backing to wield much authority.
His martial arts weren't overwhelmingly superior, either.
Of course, he was still the strongest under the Sa Alliance banner.
For a rootless street ronin to reach the Profound Realm, how many twists and turns had there been?
But in the guanxi-driven martial world, having no roots meant a fragile foundation.
"Leader, is Green Forest just going to sit back and watch?!"
Today, too, a man from the Waterway Stronghold wailed desperately.
He'd originally planned to soothe him a bit longer, biding for opportunity.
"No, fuck, you know it all already—why the hell are you whining like this?! You saying we go to war with the orthodox?!"
Heuk Bigwang erupted in anger once more.
Green Forest—now the Toll Road Party—had already half-converted to an orthodox stance.
Even if the Waterway Stronghold Chief had been slain at Dongting Lake, what could they do?
Seo Dohee wasn't just Green Forest's leader; she was an official instructor at Hundred Flowers Academy, squarely in orthodox territory.
"You wanna drag everyone to Xi'an for all-out war or what?!"
It was a truth no one in the room could refute.
Boom, thud!
Crack!
"All-out war... sounds good, doesn't it?"
The firmly shut meeting room door split cleanly in two.
What slipped through the gap was...
"This... it's the Mad Demon."
"Who's the Mad Demon?"
"One of the Blood Cult's trash."
Trash? This was high-class trash among them.
The Mad Demon, Dong Tanwoong.
The lunatic of the century who, wanting to strike the heavens, struck his heaven-like master and got excommunicated.
According to his fake old man, this guy matched him in skill—easily a late Profound Realm old monster.
Fake dad's buddy? Yeah, old monster confirmed.
"So the Blood Cult's taken over the Sa Alliance?"
"Atmosphere looks like it."
The photo attached to the gallery post showed the Mad Demon grinning ear-to-ear while hoisting a bloodied previous Sa Alliance Leader (presumed) by the collar.
And his described identity...
Not as the Blood Cult's Mad Demon, but as the head of the Doo Chang Sect—a faction with an ominously gruesome name.
Doo Chang Sect—what the hell was that?
He sorta remembered hearing of it, but honestly didn't care to recall.
Anyway.
This was more conflagration than boon.
He'd just plugged the brewing Mongol storm up north, and now the unorthodox down south were rattling their spears.
Well...
Even if they'd swallowed the Sa Alliance by force, the odds of the unorthodox truly rampaging into full war with the orthodox seemed slim.
Why else call them unorthodox?
Orthodox at least took losses for pride's sake sometimes.
Unorthodox? Not a chance.
They wouldn't bash their heads against an obvious defeat right now.
As per the original plan.
Up north, Mongols tap-dancing with upstairs noise complaints.
Left side, Lesser Thunderclap Sound Temple chanting om mani padme hum and invading to spread Hinayana Buddhism—maybe then.
Unorthodox wouldn't move solo.
That was the conclusion of I, the Throne Ruler Geum Sunuk.
"Haha! Geum bro, fishing for empty compliments?"
"..."
Deny it all you want.
No matter the slander, Geum Sihyeon as Throne Ruler was already certified by my darlings—I stood tall.
"Then, we'll part ways here for a bit."
On the way to handle yet another Northern Bright Secret Pavilion.
Nangong Hwi declared our farewell.
"Nangong hyung, why not come along?"
I honestly tempted him with the hidden pavilion's location, but Nangong Hwi laughed heartily and refused.
"Haha! Fortuitous encounters are prepared for one person alone. I'm no gentleman—I might even covet yours. Better no ties from the start, no?"
Really...
What a stubborn, foolish man.
But that's precisely why I always liked Nangong Hwi.
I extended my hand.
He grinned broadly and gripped it firmly.
"Thanks for saving me back in Liaodong."
"No big deal."
And so we bid farewell.
Arriving at the foothills of Mount Tai in Shandong.
Mount Tai was truly Mount Tai.
Gazing at its majestic form, an involuntary awe washed over me—a sigh escaped before I knew it.
"Mountains really are bullshit..."
The Phoenix Mountain near Moyong Family was just a modest hill at around 800 meters elevation.
Mount Tai? Double that.
Of course, still shorter than Mount Hua.
"Mount Tai is high, but beneath Mount Hua, it is but a hill."
Even setting aside that rotten tie with the boomer in question...
The scenery was so grand it leaked the poetic flair I'd absorbed from mandatory education.
No wonder Qin Shi Huang, after unifying China, climbed here for the fengshan ceremony and hit like.
(Not the Samsung origin one.)
Feng: Mound the earth into an altar for the heavenly gods.
Shan: Sweep and purify the earth for the terrestrial gods.
A ritual of sacrifice.
The emperor announcing his conquest of the realm to heaven and earth—like a WWE match for mythical approval and ritual magic.
Thus, for one aspiring to be the top of orthodox, demonic, unorthodox, under heaven, through ages—must I climb to cultivate heroic spirit?
...Yeah, I brainwashed myself like that.
Looks pretty vast—how to find the Northern Bright Secret Pavilion here...
Eight Emperors Six Harmonies Gong or whatever.
Screw it, give up?
.
.
.
But I am Geum Sihyeon, a man.
Cautious in accepting invitations, but a man of tenacity who never gives up.
After wandering for hours.
The Northern Bright True Qi finally gauged the direction of the Northern Bright Secret Pavilion.
"Wolfy. This way."
"Kyau!"
Herbalists and hunters dotted the path, so rather than startling civilians by riding Wolfy, I went on foot—delayed a bit.
But we found it. Good enough.
Wolfy didn't eye my jerky, contentedly chomping wild critters to fill her belly—saved on food costs too.
All good.
Just one tiny problem.
"Infinite Mercy Buddha. Masked Taoist, what brings you to our Mount Tai Sect?"
"Uh... the energy here's really nice."
At the Northern Bright Secret Pavilion's location...
A whole sect was planted there, firm as a rock.
...Didn't see this coming.