Chapter 49: The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering
Jeong Yeon-shin stared quietly at the Hwangbo Young Master before turning his gaze away.
The reaction of Hwangbo Myeong-rin, whose collar he held gripped in his right hand, was amusing. At first, she looked bewildered, as if she were experiencing something that should have been impossible. Perhaps because Yeon-shin had lifted her without a shred of killing intent, her realization came late.
“You… you lowlife…!”
A wave of energy rippled from Hwangbo Myeong-rin's right hand. Though she was inferior to the man who had just collapsed, she had still mastered a high-level martial art. She was a martial artist from a prestigious clan; it was evident from her refined aura.
With the true qi of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art circulating through his body, Jeong Yeon-shin struck without hesitation.
Smack!
White face powder dusted the hand that struck Hwangbo Myeong-rin's cheek. He didn't care.
He struck her once, twice, then a third time. In that moment, he was perfectly mimicking a martial artist who walked the line between the orthodox and unorthodox paths.
“Ugh!”
The Internal Heavy Hand Technique was infused into Yeon-shin's palm as it brushed past her gasp. Because it carried a trace of true qi, her skull must have been thoroughly rattled.
Hwangbo Myeong-rin seemed unable to gather her senses. Her expression showed she couldn't believe what was happening to her. In an instant, the wave of energy she had gathered in her hand vanished.
“My, my.”
The Hwangbo Young Master intervened, a tipsy smile on his face.
“This is already a hassle. Just thinking about the clan elders…”
The hand he extended moved in a peculiar way, aiming for the arm Yeon-shin was using to grip the back of Hwangbo Myeong-rin's neck. Like a master of the Drunken Fist, it was difficult to distinguish his feints from his real strikes.
This was exactly what Yeon-shin had been waiting for. He triggered a layer of the Scripture of Initial Overcoming's true qi in the fine meridians of his right arm.
With a light flick of his wrist, he flung Hwangbo Myeong-rin’s body backward. Leaving her humiliated groan behind, Yeon-shin met the Young Master's strike.
Thud, thud!
Shadows of their hands tangled. The internal energy loaded into the Young Master's arm was incredibly heavy and hot. It was so intense that Yeon-shin wondered how anyone could remain unharmed while harboring such fervent yang internal energy in their blood vessels.
‘It's a super-ascension martial art.’
Yeon-shin summoned another stream of true qi, immediately wrapping an invisible barrier around his arm. It was an internal energy barrier known as protective qi—with further mastery, it would become the famous Body Protection Qi. The heat brushing against his skin faded slightly.
Smack!
The nature of the clash shifted. As they both tried to seize each other's wrists, the forms of their Grappling Techniques became incredibly complex. Yeon-shin had previously absorbed and developed the Thieving Ghost's techniques during his mission for the Mount Hua Sect's Purple Grace Pill, yet his opponent's skill was so outstanding that even that was not enough. The forms were brimming with ingenuity.
It almost felt as if he were trading blows with a slightly more experienced version of himself.
“Well, look at this.”
The Young Master spoke with a light chuckle. A strange light gleamed in his eyes, and the dark circles beneath them seemed to flicker with a faint spark of life.
“To think there was another bastard like me.”
He even had the leisure to speak. Their internal energy and experience were on different levels. Yeon-shin was gradually being pushed back. The internal energy gathering in the Young Master’s thrusting hand grew endlessly stronger.
Boom!
A powerful, spinning shockwave erupted. Yeon-shin's shoulder-length hair whipped backward. Unwilling to be swept away, he had unleashed the spiral form of the Infinite Flower of Time Fist from his palm.
The resulting rebound was immense. Yeon-shin naturally took a step back.
“You're participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering? Gu Gwa of the Pursuing Truth Sect. I'll remember that name. Once you’ve got a few more years on you, you'll be quite a sight to behold. That is, if you keep training.”
Standing askew with his weight on one leg, the Young Master laughed. He hadn't been pushed back a single step. He was incredibly strong.
“Though I probably won't live to see it. There’s a grave waiting to cool my body. I've already had a grand one built, so all I have to do is go lie down in it.”
His words and actions were incredibly free-spirited. It made one wonder if he was truly the young master of a prominent martial clan that carried itself like royalty. His tone was entirely different from Hwangbo Myeong-rin, who had also sworn to remember his name. His attitude was like that of someone who had just encountered an entertaining new toy.
“Go easy on my siblings. In about ten years, they won't even be able to look you in the eye. They'll have to look way, way up. Well, they brought that beating on themselves anyway… See you around.”
Chewing on a poppy, he turned and trudged away. Even though his siblings had been beaten so thoroughly, he no longer seemed to care. His behavior made him look like someone with no lingering attachments to the world, not at all like the successor of a great clan.
‘He seems like he belongs in the Desolate Fortress. If he’s like that, why didn't he aim for the fruit of the World Tree?’
Yeon-shin stood still as Heonwon Chang placed a hand on his shoulder, mentally reviewing the Young Master's techniques. Meanwhile, the onlookers who had gathered began to disperse, muttering their own impressions. It seemed no one was bold enough to strike up a conversation with Yeon-shin, who had just crossed the Hwangbo Clan.
This was because of the frosty, resentful glare Hwangbo Myeong-rin shot him before she left. She was Yeon-shin's second contingency. Had the Young Master not acted, she would have been the one to ensure the mission's completion.
Yeon-shin’s focus returned to his martial arts.
‘So senses can be utilized that way. I must recognize when there is no need to be bound by forms.’
Even in that very moment, he took a step forward. He was already stronger than he had been just moments ago.
“Young Hero Gu.”
Heonwon Chang leaned in close. Since they were in a crowded place, he had changed how he addressed him.
“Are you alright? I was thinking of stepping in, but you looked strangely amused. Besides, you're the master of provocation.”
“You saw correctly. Though I have no idea what you mean by that last part.”
“At any rate, he’s a formidable character, that Hwangbo Young Master. The rumors paint him as a scoundrel who plays among the clouds, and his martial power and temperament seem to match them perfectly.”
“I find it even more amazing that you were only pushed back a single step, Senior Brother Gu Gwa,” Shin So-bin chimed in. She tossed her tied-back hair, revealing a neck beaded with cold sweat.
“The Hwangbo Young Master's alias is the Lazy Flame Dragon. He’s considered to possess the greatest talent north of the Yangtze River. He won the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering at twenty, and five years have passed since then. He’s someone who even looks down on the previous winner, White Qilin Namgung Hwa-shin. He’s so arrogant he probably thought our little scuffle was just amusing.”
“He’s lived five years past twenty?”
“I believe you’re the same age as me, Senior Brother. Don't you still have four years until you turn twenty? That's a nine-year difference from the Lazy Flame Dragon.”
“Right. Four years left.”
Yeon-shin replied with a calm expression. He had been enjoying his martial breakthrough, but now his stomach felt uneasy.
“Senior Brother Gu Gwa, you said you inherited your martial arts from your Sect Leader, right?” Unaware of his inner turmoil, Shin So-bin chattered on. “What you lack most right now is internal energy, but with your Sect Leader's cultivation method, you'll accumulate qi in no time. It's one of the greatest peerless divine arts in the world. Even the imperial family, who sweep up and consume all the rare spirit medicines under heaven, only practice that method. In five years, wouldn't your internal energy rival the Lazy Flame Dragon's?”
“As long as five years,” Yeon-shin muttered, shaking his head. As he thought, creating an internal cultivation method with an extraordinarily fast rate of qi accumulation was urgent.
Aside from that, there was a flaw in Shin So-bin's logic.
“It's not completely out of reach. As long as you aren't swept away by a single gesture, you can counter immense internal energy with profound forms. I heard the Wudang Sect's Tai Chi Sword, from the region below the Desolate Fortress, is that kind of martial art.”
“That wouldn't work under normal circumstances, would it? Your forms would have to be incredibly outstanding. Not that I'm saying you're lacking, Senior Brother.”
Shin So-bin, who had joined as his junior, had a bold side to her. While she acknowledged Yeon-shin, she still maintained her pride as the precious daughter of a prestigious clan. Yeon-shin didn't much care. She still followed orders well enough. That was all that mattered. Useless pride was something that would naturally correct itself after surviving a few bloody battles.
“Let's go.”
Yeon-shin grabbed his travel bag from under the tree and mounted his horse. Just below the Hwangbo Clan's Shandong Province, Huizhou—home of the Namgung Clan, which was hosting this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering—lay right before them.
* * *
“The energy here is strange,” Heonwon Chang said.
Huizhou was a very wealthy city, said to have many merchant groups due to the massive amount of goods passing through. Indeed, the roads inside the city were paved incredibly smoothly, and the bustling noise of people trading and haggling filled the air.
However, the expressions of the passersby were not entirely bright. Dismounting his horse, Heonwon Chang shook his head.
“Is it a bad harvest here as well? Huizhou's tea leaves are famous, but it seems it won't be easy to get a taste.”
“They say an especially high number of lands have been suffering from poor harvests lately. It's happening all over the Central Plains. I don’t know what the world is coming to.”
Yeon-shin let Heonwon Chang and Shin So-bin's words drift past him. He was fully immersed in his martial arts even as they headed toward the Namgung Clan. This mental rehearsal, where he researched techniques and gained insight, was a form of training in itself. His efficiency didn't drop even when he meditated while walking. From the moment he entered the Desolate Fortress, his very life had become a study of martial arts.
“We've arrived. It is grand indeed.”
Standing before the main gate of the Namgung Clan, Heonwon Chang marveled, though a faint bitterness could be heard in his tone. The Namgung Clan’s estate was as vast and immaculate as its reputation suggested. While it could not compare to the Desolate Fortress, for a single clan, its prestige was surely rare under heaven.
“Welcome. Have you come for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”
Even the gatekeepers possessed a restrained posture and refined speech. Yeon-shin nodded and clasped his hands.
“I am Gu Gwa of the Pursuing Truth Sect.”
“…Confirmed.”
The warrior who took the paper Yeon-shin handed over nodded. He seemed to have memorized the list. The warrior, clad in blue martial robes, spoke.
“We apologize, but this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering will not be held within the clan estate. A matter of grave importance has occurred in the main house, forcing us to relocate. We ask for your understanding.”
“Then where…?”
“There is a pavilion called the Lotus Pavilion to the north of Huizhou. I will call someone to guide you.”
The atmosphere was strange. Their attitude suggested the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was unimportant. Just what had happened inside the Namgung Clan?
‘Hmm.’
In that instant, Yeon-shin felt a bizarre sensation spreading from his head. The distinct aura of the Thirteen Heavens—the same one he'd felt when dealing with the Hegemon Sword Sect and the Blood Flame Cult—was approaching. It was rough and sinister. It belonged to the realm of intuition, a foresight from his Upper Dantian that had been visiting him with sudden frequency lately.
‘Have they been raided by the Thirteen Heavens?’
His heightened senses led to a single deduction. Without showing any outward sign, Yeon-shin followed the guide, casually tuning out Shin So-bin's whispering beside him.
They had to walk for quite a long time, a distance that would have felt far even on horseback. It seemed any mishap regarding the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, which the host clan was responsible for, was a secondary issue. Rather, it felt as though they were extremely reluctant to let anyone see the interior of the clan grounds.
“You may stay at any nearby inn under the name of the Namgung family. May you forge good connections.”
The guide, displaying the neat conduct characteristic of a prestigious clan, walked away without seeing them off.
The group had no choice but to turn their heads, drawn by the powerful energies surging nearby.
Boom!
Waves on the lakeshore surged upward. White foam caught the sunlight before cascading back down.
Beneath a massive, luxuriously built pavilion over the water, a handsome young Taoist and the Hwangbo Clan's Lazy Flame Dragon were clashing swords. The boy looked familiar; the plum blossom pattern on his robes made it clear he was from the Mount Hua Sect.
Numerous young men and women were watching the duel, scattered not only across the pavilion but all around it. Some sat with their feet propped on the railings, while others stood tall on the pavilion's roof. There already appeared to be over thirty people. Though young, they all carried the aura of experts.
Rising Stars.
It was an incredibly unfamiliar sight to Yeon-shin. Having fought one bloody battle after another on his missions, this was the first time he had seen so many young, fresh-faced disciples from various sects. Seeing so many peers his age stirred a strange sensation within him.
“Did they say he's the first disciple of the Mount Hua Sect? That Taoist named Yu-hyeon has truly deep internal energy.”
“There are rumors that he consumed the Purple Grace Pill. Even so, I think he's in danger.”
“The Lazy Flame Dragon's eyes have rolled back. He actually drew his sword for once.”
“He’s older, yet does he have no shame?”
From the children of prestigious clans to the Taoists and monks, the expressions of those who appeared relatively older were grave. Yeon-shin understood immediately.
Perhaps due to his internal energy emitting immense heat, the poppy-chewing Lazy Flame Dragon's eyes were bloodshot. He was completely different from when he had faced Yeon-shin. A palpable madness hung in the smile on his lips. He had cast aside both clan and reputation.
“A bastard with pathetic talent dares to lecture me? If you were in my shoes, what could you possibly leave behind? It's all futile!” he shouted arrogantly, suggesting an argument had preceded this. Waves of true qi rang in their ears.
The expression of Yu-hyeon, the very disciple who had received the energy of the Purple Grace Pill from Yeon-shin, contorted. Fear was visible on his face. As he kept backing away, blood dripped from his shredded Mount Hua Sect robes.
No one seemed to dare intervene, not even Hwangbo Myeong-rin and her brother. With every clash of swords, those with shallower internal energy flinched. The Lazy Flame Dragon's martial power was on a different level. His forms were also incredibly fluid and intuitive.
“What do we do about this!”
“Young Hero Baek went to call for help!”
Clans were families rooted in the secular world. This was a gathering of many successors from various lineages. They had more than enough power to dismiss the elders in order to socialize with their peers—a gathering of rebellious youths, suppressed by their families, taking advantage of a weakened Namgung Clan.
Into this premature ruin, Yeon-shin stepped. He had not even introduced himself or greeted anyone.
By the time the Rising Stars widened their eyes, having only just noticed his arrival, he was already standing beside the Lazy Flame Dragon.
“Why you again! You're still a nobody!”
The Lazy Flame Dragon's madness surged. Turning his head sharply to glare at Yeon-shin, his eyes overflowed with killing intent. A burning, crazed light was practically visible within them.
Crash!
The sound was like military artillery. Yu-hyeon, who had barely blocked the man's strike, was sent flying.
At the same time, the hand the Lazy Flame Dragon thrust toward Yeon-shin held not a shred of mercy. Accompanied by a massive wave of true qi, it slammed straight down toward his head.
Slam!
It was not the sound of colliding shockwaves. Yeon-shin's hand traced a peculiar trajectory. Deflecting forearm with forearm, he brought his wrist straight down. In that instant, he wedged the inner joint of the man’s arm between his thumb and fingers.
‘This actually works.’
At the same time, he gripped tightly. True qi layered with the Scripture of Initial Overcoming concentrated in his grasp. Applying pressure to the Neiguan Point where the arm bent, he circulated his internal energy. It was an acupoint sealing. He had completely drained the arm's strength.
His internal energy remained the same, but Yeon-shin had surpassed him in forms. In an instant, the Lazy Flame Dragon's expression went blank.
“What…”
The movements of both men came to a halt. Yeon-shin stared at him silently before speaking.
“You spoke of talent. You don't seem like me at all.”
“What?”
Yeon-shin had dug deep into the man’s space, a distance too close for even close-quarters combat. The heat radiating from the Lazy Flame Dragon's entire body could be felt directly. It did not feel daunting.
“You are a bit slower,” Yeon-shin whispered, his tone devoid of any emotion.