Chapter 210

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 210

Chapter Title: The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword (1)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If you had to pick a hotspot from primitive ancient China, where would it be?

Tracing back a bit further from the pseudo-Central Plains where Geum Sihyeon lived, you could name countless major locations.

The most iconic one was a place that had likely surpassed a millennium and reached two, but sadly, after thousands of years, it wasn't chosen and barely made it to a single millennium.

Not just Luoyang, burned down by Dong Zhuo—the mid-20s fatty whose belly fat alone could sustain him through two whole nights—but also.

Yiling, devoured by flames from the incompetent vengeful ghost Liu Bei, the king of big-eared elves and their focal point, could qualify as a hotspot in the dictionary sense.

Excluding those places that scream "it's physically hot here."

From primitive antiquity through the medieval era to the modern age, exactly two cities stand out.

Those being.

As the saying goes, "Heaven has paradise above, and on earth, Hangzhou and Suzhou"—

Hangzhou and Suzhou, the pinnacles of their era.

"Hm, Suzhou's calling to me."

Geum Sihyeon, who hadn't yet shaken off 21st-century drinking culture, had arrived precisely in Suzhou.

At last, the Heavenly Demon's footsteps had conquered the entire north and reached the forefront of southern China, Suzhou in Jiangsu!

In its long history, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had launched many southern expeditions, but only this one had pierced through the enemies' military heartland to reach their cultural core.

The reason he hadn't charged straight to the Nangong Family was.

"Kyau?"

"Shh. Not yet."

Unlike the barren north, as he raced south across the Central Plains continent, the terrain hadn't allowed for carefree super-riding with his wolf pup.

But the biggest reason was the time spent with his prospective zero-priority father-in-law.

During his stay at the Moyong Family.

He'd had to fend off Moyong Danha's killing blows whenever boredom struck.

As fathers of daughters often do, he never stopped growling at the shameless bastard daring to devour his girl whole.

Even after various incidents and accidents led to tacit marriage approval—and even harem permission to boot.

Could he truly win unscathed in a life-or-death duel?

Geum Sihyeon couldn't easily answer "yes" to that question.

Even against the Moyong Family patriarch clinging to distant Yunnan.

Against the Nangong Family, top-tier nobility among the Ten Great Families and a model of the martial world—could he win cleanly?

"It's a bit tough."

As his mutter suggested, he lacked full confidence just yet.

From the start, clashing with martial prowess in the jianghu wasn't just a one-on-one affair.

Unlike the Tang Family, rife with internal strife, this was Geum Sihyeon alone seeking to resolve his grudge with the Nangong Family.

In the worst case.

Before even facing the patriarch, he might clash head-on with hordes of Nangong warriors.

And even if he won against the patriarch without that hassle, would they simply accept the defeat?

"If it were me, I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kill that outsider by any means and keep it from leaking out."

"Kyuaang, kyau...?"

The wolf pup in his arms shot him a look of "Human, you okay in there?"

But Geum Sihyeon was convinced his thinking was spot on.

This wasn't just family business—it entangled the Azure Heaven Society, transcending clans.

Thus.

Since he'd embarked on an eastern Central Plains tour anyway, as originally planned, he'd sweep all the Northern Bright Secret Tomes clean before heading to the Nangong Family.

Of course, that meant his footsteps shouldn't stop at Suzhou but push into Zhejiang, all the way to Mount Butuo.

"Aigoo! Young Master!"

"It's been a while, sirs."

Right now, he wasn't the East Sea Wanderer Seo Eunhyeon or the next-gen Heavenly Demon Wi Jihyeon.

He was back to being the third young master of Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress, Geum Sihyeon.

And the people facing him were.

Men with whom he'd forged longer bonds than even with Myo Narang or Cheon Luri.

Anyone who's lived in the 21st century would know the power of art firsthand.

Geum Sihyeon was no different.

The previous-gen director, burdened with his predecessor's responsibilities, evolving into a human instrument and dancing machine to mine rice worms.

Or the director who shouldered the original sin of storytelling, baring his upper body in audacious style to craft a one-hit wonder—prime examples.

Like that.

These were the talents unearthed through Geum Sihyeon's Literary Prosperity Project: nurture promising sprouts at bargain prices.

"Lately, the hiatuses have been a bit frequent?"

"Haha..."

Masterpieces that stirred the souls of the era's Central Plains.

The very trigger that made former lecher Yeon Hongun vow to spread Jade Transformation Preservation across the Central Plains.

Jo Moojeong, author of the unparalleled masterpiece Martial World's Lustful Daughter Must Die.

And.

"Perhaps you've been grappling with writer's block lately too? Like wanting to kill off the protagonist, for instance."

"Aigoo, no way."

Many had tried writing martial tales before, but he compiled them all into the archetype of every martial novel: Jo Dongjeon.

After possession, to maximize capital, Geum Sihyeon was holding meetings with his long-term game investments' results.

Of course, he knew writing was pouring one's soul into print—no forcing it.

Instead.

"Sirs."

"Yes?"

"Let's do one job together."

The angel investor who'd poured in four years of long-term funds finally flicked his devilish tongue to reap returns.

.

.

.

.

Of course, it didn't end there.

"Third Young Master!"

"Long time no see. Everyone doing well?"

In a famous city like Suzhou, a Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress branch was inevitable.

The chaebol heir, mask off and identity revealed after ages, began wielding his power unchecked.

"Do you happen to know people who specialize in gallery-based opinion manipulation?"

"Of course."

Suzhou sat in Jiangsu, bordering Anhui and Shandong—a minor issue—but firmly in unorthodox territory over orthodox.

And unorthodox friends? Throw money at them, and they'd do anything.

Rumors began rampant in the martial world.

The origin? Naturally, the Central Plains Martial World Gallery.

Freshly minted accounts.

And a barrage of sizzling-hot posts flooding the Central Plains Martial World Gallery.

Using every meme and template to pull aggro, their core message was singular.

The Nine Great Sects and One Gang? All worthless idiots.

The Azure Heaven Society secret org pulls all the strings from behind!

Of course, zero concrete proof or evidence.

But conspiracy theories poured out, seemingly logically airtight.

With QAnon-level intricate setups, the Azure Heaven Society turned demonic in an instant.

And once it spread in the gallery, naturally.

It drew endless reactors' eyes, and Mutube expansion followed swiftly.

Unlike orthodox folk who couldn't openly reveal identities, unorthodox ones were bloodshot for views.

"Hm, here it is."

"Ah, no... how...!"

Wielding the ability once used just to track Hong Sundok—pinpointing live streamers' locations?

Lining up reactor Mutubers and slapping sense into them for desired footage was child's play.

And the final flourish.

"New work! It's a new one!"

"No, damn it! Finish your old crap first! Thanks for the grub anyway!"

"Is this for real?"

Unlike aggro-focused gallery posts and Mutube vids.

They fed on solitude to control others.

Hated commoners learning martial arts.

Hoped for Nine Great Sects and One Gang-centered order.

For power, they'd incite orthodox-demon, orthodox-unorthodox strife.

And.

"Even if it's fiction... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this is too much."

"To smear one righteous latter-gen scholar of clear conscience, they stoop this low...?"

"Heh, Azure Heaven my ass! This is straight to the underworld!"

A bit exaggerated, but untwisted truth of the Azure Heaven Society laid bare.

The novel Azure Heaven's Righteous Path—framing a minor sect youth for slander, overcome via knightly deeds—stormed the literary scene.

And its author? Not one, but two!

Martial novel experts Jo Moojeong and Jo Dongjeon's collab!

Blatantly, 'true reading editions' copying print verbatim flooded galleries.

And.

The hypocritical, duplicitous villains in Azure Heaven's Righteous Path, slandering fellow orthodox for gain, depicted hyper-realistically?

The group closest to "Azure Heaven."

The Nangong Family.