Chapter 397: Carpet (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 397: Carpet (6)
Silence flowed around the low tea table. Brief, and tranquil.
“……”
The two sect leaders possessed profound spiritual cultivation.
The pure, elegant aura unique to those who trained in Buddhist temples and Taoist sanctuaries made the luxurious inner chamber—once occupied by the Grandmaster of the Dark Night Hall—feel like a simple, cozy guest room.
Faint wisps of steam rose from their teacups like tiny chimneys. They sat in quiet consideration, giving the young peerless master time to process the stories of his grandfather.
Abbess Baekyak's benevolent gaze turned toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
“Strictly speaking, it was the Beggar Sect Leader who picked the fight first. Though, quite paradoxically, he never did join the Mount Hua Agreement in the end...” she said.
It was a tale of young geniuses.
These were talents who kept secular powerhouses like the Eight Great Families and the Thirteen Heavens at arm's length, roaming the Jianghu like young immortals.
The seven talents of the Nine Sects and One Gang were aloof and proud. Even back then, they possessed enough skill to establish their own schools.
Exceptionally bright stars catch the eye even from afar. Their encounter with Ma Yeon-jeok was inevitable.
Huayin County.
In an inn situated in the village below Mount Hua, a true Dragon-Phoenix Gathering took place.
The beggar youth, who was the Beggar Sect Successor at the time, stopped eating and formally challenged Ma Yeon-jeok to a martial duel.
Young martial artists clashing while traveling the Jianghu was as common then as it is now, but the event that unfolded that day was extraordinary.
“The Beggar Sect Leader of that generation took immense pride in his Drunken Fist. This was especially true in his youth, when he was known as Lord Chwi. He would stimulate his upper dantian with the warmth of alcohol to unleash unpredictable techniques, making even the Mount Hua Sect's splendid Plum Blossom Sword Art look neat and orderly by comparison. Though, for sheer visual pleasure, I believe the peak Plum Blossom Sword is a cut above...”
Abbess Baekyak spoke with a hint of humor.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not interrupt her. He barely knew the past stories of his parents, let alone his mother. He had rarely had a proper opportunity to hear anecdotes about his maternal grandfather, either.
“In any case, as soon as Benefactor Ma received the challenge, he downed an entire jar of Western Phoenix Wine to accept it. Not to be outdone, Lord Chwi drank the exact same amount and turned his jar upside down to show it was empty.”
I can defeat you even if we compete in Drunken Fist.
Those were not words the direct successor of the Beggar Sect's martial lineage could easily swallow.
The masters of the Beggar Sect were famous for not studying separate technique variations when learning martial arts. This was because the criteria distinguishing high-level masters from lower-ranking martial artists within the sect were crystal clear.
It all came down to the skill to exquisitely draw the alcohol's essence up to the upper dantian and utilize it.
There was a saying that the palm techniques of a completely drunk Beggar Sect master could choke even an imugi. Hence, the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.
This was precisely why Lord Chwi could not let Ma Yeon-jeok's provocation slide.
“At the time, Lord Chwi envied the Desolate Fortress's intelligence network, which spanned all the government offices in the land. Whenever the Fortress turned the Jianghu upside down, he would deliver passionate, jealous rants. He argued that well water should never invade river water, and that the Desolate Fortress—which had thrown the unwritten rule of non-interference between the government and the martial world to the dogs—deserved nothing but condemnation.”
“Rotten well water must be bailed out. Especially if commoners live nearby,” Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been listening quietly, said in a calm voice.
“Mmh.”
“He is not wrong.”
A heavy expression crossed the faces of Abbess Baekyak and the Twin-Wall Sword Lord. They did not seem inclined to let his casual remark slide.
To Yeon-shin, this was a strange reaction.
The sect leaders of the Nine Sects were the most widely known "strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural" beings in the Jianghu—absolute masters who could discuss the affairs of the world while sitting quietly in their mountain retreats.
Unless it was a matter of grave importance that would profoundly affect the martial world, they should have simply laughed it off.
“Please tell me more. What happened after the two of them got drunk?” he urged Abbess Baekyak.
The old Buddhist nun stared blankly at Yeon-shin for a moment, a wrinkled smile crinkling the corners of her eyes.
“Naturally, they clashed. Lord Chwi of the Beggar Sect and the Tyrant Divine Hero Ma Yeon-jeok. It was a duel more than worthy of becoming the talk of the entire Jianghu. Though, the only spectators were the seven of us from the Nine Sects, including myself, along with the innkeeper and the waiter who watched their bickering with anxious faces...”
Lord Chwi of the Beggar Sect.
This was after he had achieved the feat of slaying a Lord of the Thirteen Heavens, albeit through a collaborative attack.
He yielded the first move to Ma Yeon-jeok. It was the typical pride martial artists often displayed.
“Benefactor Ma did not argue any further. He simply stomped his foot once right where he stood. At that moment, I had to deploy my sect's body protection scripture, Lotus Opening Without Trace, with all my might.”
“Why...?”
“Because an earthquake occurred,” Abbess Baekyak continued.
After the roaring sound rumbled beneath the earth and faded, the onlookers fell silent.
As Lord Chwi, having endured the terrifying vibration at point-blank range, stared blankly at his opponent, the Tyrant Divine Hero Ma Yeon-jeok threw out a compliment with a deeply impressed look.
“'Your body protection scripture must have been modeled after a bear balancing on a log...' I still remember it. It was a provocation of the highest order.”
A faint trace of amusement touched the corners of Abbess Baekyak's mouth. She seemed moved by the memories of her youth.
Yeon-shin inwardly shook his head at his young maternal grandfather. He certainly wasn't a gentleman.
“Of course, Lord Chwi did not back down. He couldn't, not in front of the disciples of the Nine Sects, whom he considered comrades-in-arms. We all shared deep friendships in our own ways, but at the same time, we competed in martial arts with our pride on the line. We were each other's only worthy rivals in the world.”
When Lord Chwi raised both arms and rushed forward, Ma Yeon-jeok didn't even draw his sword. He simply unleashed an invisible shockwave from where he stood. It was the starting stance of the Desolate Ma Clan's Harmonious Bloom Fist Technique.
“Eighteen techniques were launched at the Tyrant Divine Hero. Benefactor Ma did not retreat a single step, taking all of Lord Chwi's Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms right where he stood. Only then did the youngest among us—the Wudang Ancient Sword and the Diancang Sword Empress—along with our senior, the Shaolin Abbot of that generation, dust off their seats and stand up.”
“Why...?”
“Because Benefactor Ma was not using one of his hands. Even when he caught and suppressed the blue palm of Lord Chwi's eighteenth ultimate technique, the Heaven-Piercing Jade, Benefactor Ma kept his left hand tucked behind his back. That was the end of it.”
The devastated Lord Chwi was sent skipping like a stone across water by a single fist that struck the pit of his stomach.
The young Ma Yeon-jeok said, “You wouldn't even make a single bite for a flood dragon.”
It was an insult unlike anything they had ever heard. He was openly mocking the legend of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, an art that supposedly subdued even dragons.
To the geniuses of the Nine Sects, this behavior clearly crossed the line. Everyone sitting as witnesses to the duel stood up.
“Whether to call it good fortune or bad, it was also at that exact moment that the Blood Flame Cult Leader ambushed us. He had tracked our trail all the way from Sichuan. That supernatural monster was always terrified that the Nine Sects would restore Buddhist Dharma Power and the Taoist Three Pure Powers.”
It was a time when the conflict between the Thirteen Heavens and the Nine Sects was reaching its peak. The Deep Martial Alliance's martial arts army had also appeared.
However, as soon as they saw Ma Yeon-jeok, they withdrew their forces and vanished into the distance. The group only had to deal with the Blood Flame Cult Leader.
Even that was not easy. In fact, it was nigh impossible.
“Only four of us could properly withstand the techniques of that white-haired blood ghost: Benefactor Ma, the young Wudang Ancient Sword, the master of the now-deceased Mount Hua Sect Leader, and the Shaolin Abbot of that generation... However, even when our attacks landed, he would simply laugh, displaying his regenerative abilities. We could not face him for long. It was Benefactor Ma who opened a path of survival for us then.”
Along with the remark that he couldn't get things done while dragging a bunch of bears along. By then, Ma Yeon-jeok had already ascended to a realm beyond humanity.
He drew the Moon-Preserving Sword—the blade of the future Commander of the Divine Sword Corps—and in an instant, a heaven-shaking sword wind blew the Blood Flame Cult Leader far into the sky.
“This is only a temporary measure.”
It had merely bought them a brief moment of respite.
However, the geniuses of the Nine Sects at the time had just surpassed the achievement speed of the practical Eight Families' martial arts, despite practicing orthodox martial arts that pursued late-blooming greatness.
Their talent was extraordinary.
They displayed lightness skills that didn't even bend the grass, hiding their energy waves through true qi manipulation that surpassed even standard Turtle Breathing Techniques.
The young Ma Yeon-jeok dragged the collapsed Lord Chwi along like a piece of luggage.
Heavenly luck piled upon heavenly luck. After running day and night for several days, they finally shook off the Blood Flame Cult Leader's pursuit.
It was a fateful connection.
“None of us were in any position to show competitive pride after that. Furthermore, since we had compared our martial arts—if only by eye—while blocking the Blood Flame Cult Leader, we made a certain promise to compete through our martial lineages next time.”
They had felt the necessity, however vaguely.
It was a Jianghu where even the world's greatest masters could die sudden deaths.
If so, why not create an opportunity for sects that cherished the people's livelihood to join forces and coordinate their attacks?
“Though our territories were infinitely far apart, and the values we cherished and the grudges we held were vastly different... the future sect leaders of the Nine Sects—who had kept the Desolate Fortress at arm's length due to the grudges of countless lay sects—had benefited from the Hegemon Hero. We had to channel our competitive spirit in a positive direction.”
“What do you mean by competing through martial lineages...?”
“If the Hegemon Hero or his direct descendant ever requested it, the Nine Sects agreed to select their most outstanding disciples across all generations.”
The secret history of the highest echelons of the Jianghu drew to a close. Abbess Baekyak's eyes, calm as a tranquil lake, reflected Jeong Yeon-shin.
“To be precise, the six sects, excluding the Mount Heng, Kongtong, and Zhongnan sects. Four disciples from the Nine Sects who bound themselves to the Mount Hua Agreement must compete against four masters of the White, Blue, Black, and Purple ranks selected by the Desolate Fortress. The side with more victories can demand anything from the losing side, short of sealing their gates. If asked to mobilize forces for a personal matter, the Nine Sects must provide at least one sect leader... and the Hegemon Hero's side must offer a peerless master of the Purple Rank.”
“The fortress would never tolerate such an agreement.”
When Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head slightly, Abbess Baekyak's lips curved into a smile.
“The Lord of the Desolate Fortress permitted it. Likely because the Divine Sword Corps was always short-handed. In addition, I believe the Hegemon Hero's persuasion played a major role. He seemed deeply impressed by the Beggar Sect Leader's body protection scripture. He treated the young Lord Chwi very favorably, though Lord Chwi absolutely detested it.”
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled his maternal grandfather's remarks about the bear. He had heard there were many eccentric figures in the Jianghu, but as his grandson, he found such eccentricities rather embarrassing.
“...You said seven people made the Mount Hua Agreement. Why did the Beggar Sect Leader not join the pact?”
“He had no intention of leaving the final decision to future generations. Since the tyrannical martial arts of the Desolate Ma Clan are a discipline that borrows time in advance, he was confident that he would be much stronger after many years had passed. Though, to the embarrassment of his grand aspirations, the Hegemon Hero never met with us again.”
Jeong Yeon-shin guessed the reason. It was simply because his maternal grandfather was born with an extremely arrogant nature.
Once the agreement was made, he had likely erased the very thought of seeking help from other sects from his mind.
He slowly opened his mouth.
“It seems quite a bit of time will be needed. I am grateful to you for sharing this connection of the past generation, but...”
It didn't seem like it would be of immediate help. The matters of Sichuan had already been reported to the Desolate Fortress through the messages of various seniors, and what he had to do now was clearer than ever.
By subduing the Young Lord of the Dark Night Hall, he had obtained the Ominous Bird. It was now time to track down the Lord of the Dark Night Hall, who shared a deep grudge with the current Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
I have spent precious time with the sect leaders.
Did he sense that Jeong Yeon-shin wished to take his leave? The Twin-Wall Sword Lord, who had remained silent until now, looked at him.
“Listen, Commander of the Demonlight Wing.”
“Please, speak.”
“Though I may not look it, I am of the Brightfolk, and thus possess quite deep insight. You seem to be searching for someone... a precious person in some perilous place.”
“……”
“Humility is ingrained in you. But mark my words: you are someone capable of turning the entire Jianghu upside down.”
Jeong Yeon-shin was rarely surprised, but this observation accurately pierced through two deeply hidden truths.
The eyes of the Qingcheng Sect Leader glowed with a bluish tint, a result of his innate lineage and eye techniques.
“This land is vast. No matter how fast your lightness skill is, what if something happens to that precious person while you are traveling?”
“What do you mean by that...?”
“Invoke the Mount Hua Agreement. The Jianghu will answer.”