An Overstepping Proposal
"It has been a long time, Taecheong Jin'in. Have you been well?"
"Welcome, Clan Head Dang. Jongnam gladly welcomes your presence and that of the Dang Clan. Please, step inside."
"Pardon our intrusion, then."
Dang Heogun, Lord of the Sichuan Dang Clan, had arrived at Mount Jongnam accompanied by only a minimal retinue, including his Young Clan Head.
Taecheong Jin'in knew what had to come had finally arrived. He had wondered why there had been neither word nor movement from the Dang Clan until now, but the moment he sensed Dang Heogun's presence, the truth became clear. Dang Heogun had advanced one pace closer to that peerless realm of martial transcendence—the Profound Realm.
If his cultivation continued along this trajectory, he would likely cross the threshold into the Profound Realm shortly after his sixtieth year. For the Dang Clan, that would mean producing the very first Profound Realm master in their history.
He entered closed-door cultivation.
In the absence of its clan head, the Dang Clan's external operations merely maintained the status quo, meaning no major decisions or shifts in stance could take place. The will of the clan head was the will of the clan, and every member moved strictly beneath his command. Because Dang Heogun had been in deep seclusion, no one had dared touch upon the delicate issue of the sacred relic.
Yet the instant his seclusion ended and the report reached his ears, he had departed Sichuan without delay, bringing even his heir along to Mount Jongnam. What price would he demand to hold Jongnam accountable for mishandling the relic? A quiet gloom settled over Taecheong Jin'in's brow.
"I heard you suffered grievous losses recently," Dang Heogun said, his tone measured. "I pray for Jongnam's well-being."
"Thank you for your concern. As we always have, Jongnam shall rise again."
Taecheong Jin'in's thoughts drifted to Ryeong. Even he did not expect her to remain by Jongnam's side forever, but for the time being, she belonged to the sect. Whenever a peerless talent emerged within a faction, that faction was bound to experience a meteoric rise. Taecheong Jin'in had taken Ryeong under Jongnam's wing with precisely that in mind.
He needed to rebuild their shattered foundation. He needed to prove that although Jongnam had been raided, the sect remained steadfast—and was in fact reaching greater heights than before. Above all, he intended to astonish the entire martial world at the upcoming Dragon and Phoenix Sparring Tournament.
His plan had been to keep Ryeong's existence thoroughly concealed, but...
"Oho. When did you raise such a monster, Taecheong Jin'in?"
"..."
She had stepped into view of her own accord. Judging by her casual expression, she seemed to have run into them while trying to slip away elsewhere, yet she was a girl who lied as naturally as breathing. Perhaps even this encounter had been calculated.
Worse still, Dang Heogun was looking at her with keen intrigue. Did he see through her?
"Greetings to the Sect Leader and our esteemed guests," Ryeong said, offering a polite bow.
"Your name?" Dang Heogun asked.
"I am called Ryeong."
"I am Dang Heogun. Should you ever require any weapon, feel free to contact the Dang Clan at any time."
It was an explosive remark.
Not only did the Dang Clan's entourage stiffen, but even Taecheong Jin'in failed to mask his astonishment for a fleeting second. The smithing and forging arts of the Sichuan Dang Clan were unmatched under the heavens—especially when it came to concealed weapons.
Did he deduce what martial arts she practices from the subtlest shift in her movement?
Taecheong Jin'in could not suppress the spike of dread tightening in his chest. Dang Heogun was already a master who surpassed him. While nothing in Ryeong's everyday demeanor aroused suspicion to ordinary eyes, would someone standing at the absolute pinnacle of the Transcendent Realm perceive what others could not?
Just as the air grew dangerously taut, Ryeong spoke up with an innocent, wide-eyed smile.
"Ah, so you are the Lord of the Dang Clan! Please forgive me, I failed to recognize you!"
"Haha, think nothing of it. I simply had no idea the Jin'in was harboring such a monster."
Dang Heogun cast a sidelong glance toward Taecheong Jin'in. It was a silent invitation for a private conversation—away from the Dang entourage, strictly between the leaders of their respective factions.
Taecheong Jin'in was far too astute to miss the cue. Since matters had unfolded this way, he needed to ascertain exactly what Dang Heogun intended. Feigning ignorance was no longer an option.
"Young Clan Head," Dang Heogun called out.
"Yes, Clan Head."
"I would like to see you spar with that young lady."
"Pardon?"
Singled out without warning, the Young Clan Head of the Dang Clan, Dang Jin, blinked in disbelief. Inwardly, he had anticipated crossing blades with the Sword Dragon, not testing his skills against an unfamiliar girl.
Yet he could not refuse the command of his lord and father. Furthermore, Dang Heogun had just referred to this girl named Ryeong as a monster. He was a man who had never uttered such high praise even toward the Sword Dragon. She looked as though she had only recently entered the sect; could this girl truly possess talent that eclipsed the Sword Dragon's?
"Must I repeat myself?"
"I obey the Clan Head's command."
Dang Jin caught himself at his father's sharp tone. The Clan Head's orders were absolute; without sound justification and unshakeable logic, one did not refuse, let alone question them.
"Clan Head Dang. What is the meaning of this sudden request?"
"Jin'in, why don't we postpone our talk for a moment? My personal curiosity has been piqued."
Dang Heogun's gaze remained locked onto Ryeong. Though his eyes searched for something beneath her veneer, Ryeong had to remain perfectly still. To flinch now would be tantamount to a confession. Even if others could not sense it, Dang Heogun was directing an invisible, suffocating pressure straight at her.
At her supposed level of cultivation, Ryeong should not have been capable of detecting such subtle intimidation. In other words, it was a trap. If she felt the threat and reacted, her disguise was finished. It was a provocation she had to ignore to the bitter end, no matter what.
And thus, the duel was set.
Word spread through unseen channels, and before long, the third-generation disciples gathered in droves around the martial grounds to cheer Ryeong on.
"A spar against the Young Clan Head of the Dang Clan? Isn't the gap in skill way too wide?"
"The Sect Leader must have his reasons for permitting it. Let's trust him."
"Since poison is forbidden, she might hold her ground for a bit, but still..."
Anxiety dominated the spectators. They had witnessed the exchange between Ryeong and Jinyeong. Even if she possessed an uncanny knack for mimicking movement arts, pitting her against a rising star bearing the epithet of a Dragon was simply too much.
There was no conceivable way she could match him. Yet one person alone—Jinyeong—held a different conviction.
This is the perfect chance to test her Willow Cloud Sword Technique.
Besides, if she truly intended to hide her abilities completely, she was not the type to accept a spar in the first place. She would have concocted every excuse under the heavens to wriggle out of it.
She's going to show something.
It was not mere speculation; it was absolute certainty. Ryeong was already an apex master. So long as she paced and calibrated her strength, she would merely be viewed as an exceptionally gifted disciple.
"Both of you, step onto the sparring stage," Taecheong Jin'in called out, taking the role of arbiter himself to ensure he could intervene should anything spiral out of hand.
Ryeong was an assassin, and Dang Jin was the heir of the Dang Clan. Both were killers capable of claiming a life with a single slender flying dagger. Deep concern gnawed at the sect leader, but Ryeong had transmitted her voice directly into his mind, telling him to trust her. Coming from someone notoriously untrustworthy, it was hard to swallow, but Taecheong Jin'in chose to place his faith in her this once. For she had, after all, protected the disciples of Mount Jongnam.
"Begin."
"I shall yield the first three moves. Come at me," Dang Jin offered, stepping back slightly.
"Thank you for your consideration. Well then, here I come!"
At the signal, Dang Jin ceded the initiative as the senior martial artist. It was the expected courtesy; had he struck first, he would have faced immediate reproach from his father. With that, Ryeong was granted breathing room.
Yet throughout all of this, Dang Heogun stared with piercing intensity not at his son, but exclusively at Ryeong.
Who on earth could concentrate with someone glaring at them like that?
Dang Heogun was a monster. Even during her prime, Ryeong had never crossed the Dang Clan—precisely because of him. When had he reached the absolute pinnacle of the Transcendent Realm? By now, he was a monster in the truest sense, far beyond what she could handle in her current state.
Phew.
Whatever you're hoping to see... She had no intention of obliging him. Firm in that resolve, Ryeong took a single step forward.
Wuuung.
A subtle tremor rippled outward. It was no earth-shattering stomp, merely a light step marking the opening of a stance. Yet in that split second, goosebumps erupted across Dang Jin's flesh. He could not comprehend why such an instinctual dread seized him—the primal terror of prey wandering straight into a predator's hunting grounds.
This is bizarre. Something is wrong.
He had already declared he would yield the first moves. He could not violate his own word and strike first. Remember why the Clan Head ordered this duel. He wants to witness the martial arts of the woman he called a monster. My victory is already guaranteed. In that case, I must draw out this young lady's full power.
"You're ready, right?" Ryeong asked lightly.
"I have been ready for a while."
"Here I really come!"
Tracing the qi pathways of the Willow Cloud Sword Technique once more through the Celestial Immortal Divine Art, Ryeong took another step forward.
This time, the result was entirely different.
K-Rrrrrrumble!
"Kuh!"
A monstrous stomp shattered the ground! For an instant, Dang Jin felt as if the world before his eyes violently shuddered. But what snapped his senses back to reality was her cry.
"First move!"
"...!?"
First Stance: Willow Clouds Part the Valley
Drawn with blinding speed, the sword carved a dazzling arc through the air—a breathtaking feast of steel, elegant yet concealing lethal cruelty beneath its grace. Dang Jin was struck dumb by Ryeong's sheer mastery. A display of Willow Clouds Part the Valley this flawless was something he had only ever seen from the Sword Dragon himself.
Clang! Cl-clang!
Yet Dang Jin was not so easily bested. Yielding a single step back, he loosed concealed weapons that shattered every illusion spun by her sword, aiming directly for the tips of Ryeong's toes to halt her advance. Poised to transition into the second stance, Ryeong came to an abrupt halt.
It had been a perilous strike right from the opening gambit. Just as Dang Jin was thinking that his father's description of her as a monster was entirely accurate, her voice rang out again.
"Third stance."
"What?"
Third Stance: Moon Swallowing Crimson Clouds
Absurd. The third stance of the Willow Cloud Sword Technique was strictly defensive—a technique that could never be deployed on the offense!
Then why!
Why was she lunging straight at him, thrusting her blade with lethal intent?!
Pure, unadulterated shock carved itself across Dang Jin's face.