Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Meeting the Sovereign of the Unorthodox Factions
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In the murim world, there were unorthodox wanderers who acted like righteous knights, and countless orthodox martial artists who behaved just like Demonic Cultists.
On the flip side, there were unorthodox folk who comported themselves like knights, and demonic path practitioners who might as well have been orthodox martial artists.
Few in the world believed that the lines between righteous, unorthodox, and demonic were drawn solely by the types of martial arts one practiced.
Mok Yeohyeon, the Demon King Vanguard, was no exception.
No one would ever think of the Hyeoncheon Gate as the name of an unorthodox sect rather than an orthodox Daoist faction.
The righteous factions refused to acknowledge that the reason talents flocked endlessly to Mok Yeohyeon stemmed from his upright and just character.
To admit as much would force them to question the very identity of the orthodox world.
A man of firm convictions and unyielding resolve.
A man who loved one woman his entire life, like a sunflower forever turned toward the sun.
That was Mok Yeohyeon.
'Come to think of it, it's precisely because he's that kind of man that he could entrust his son's discipline even to me, an alumnus of the Murim Alliance.'
Lost in such thoughts, I followed the steward to a serene corner of the estate.
It was a stark hall with neither pond nor garden in sight, giving it a somewhat austere air.
"Please enter. This is where the Sovereign resides."
Even from outside the hall, I could sense the flows of blood essence.
The blood flows were detectable, yet no signs of human presence could be felt at all—they had to be masters specialized in concealment techniques.
I stepped inside the hall.
Maidservants opened the doors for me and guided me in.
At a glance, every one of them was a beauty.
Examining their blood flows, I saw they weren't those of martial artists.
Masters cultivated their internal energy differently depending on their arts, which caused variations in their blood vessels—some quickened, some slowed.
In contrast, those who hadn't learned martial arts had blood flows that moved naturally, without alteration.
One of the maidservants spoke up.
"The guest has arrived."
"Come in."
It was a voice that sounded languid yet carried a profound resonance.
As I pushed open the door and entered, I saw a man seated upon a jade throne.
'Mok Yeohyeon is of an age to celebrate his sixtieth, yet he looks not even forty, let alone fifty.'
I knew this was a hallmark of martial artists with profound inner power.
'The rumors of him reaching the transcendent realm in his early forties must be true.'
A supreme expert who claimed one of the seats among the Three Great Kings of the World.
The only ones above them were the previous generation's legends, the Three Great Sovereigns.
But the Three Great Sovereigns had long secluded themselves from the world, making it no exaggeration to call the Three Great Kings the strongest in the current murim.
The ways of the world were truly laughable.
During my time in the Murim Alliance's Inspection Unit, I'd only glimpsed the Alliance Leader, the Martial King Jo Myeong, from afar a few times—I'd never even spoken to him face-to-face.
Even during my disputes with Elder Gal, matters were reported through the strategist, so the Martial King never saw me.
Yet here I was, facing the Sovereign of the Unorthodox first.
"Come in, have a seat. I heard your journey was arduous, plagued by flies. Glad to see you made it unscathed."
Nangong Hak had addressed me respectfully upon our first meeting out of esteem, but Mok Yeohyeon spoke plainly.
I didn't mind.
"I pay my respects to Great Hero Mok, Sovereign of the Unorthodox Factions. I am Cheon Taesan."
Had I been greeting him as a martial artist, I might have added flourishes like "the honor of three lifetimes," but as a scholar, I kept it simple and direct.
Mok Yeohyeon, who had been gazing steadily at me, broke into a gentle smile.
"Indeed, like the scholar said to have reformed so many scoundrels—unadorned yet with a magnanimous air. Even peak experts struggle to maintain composure in my presence."
Without even exuding any pressure, the transcendent realm master emanated an indescribable aura of dominance.
At first, I'd felt that pressure and found it uncomfortable, but circulating my vital energy dispersed it entirely.
"Impressive. A scholar with no detectable internal energy, yet so extraordinary."
Mok Yeohyeon expressed admiration at my composure.
I had deliberately left my secondary dantian empty before meeting him.
That faint trace of power was meant to catch his attention.
"If this seat has reached the edge of martial prowess, then you must have reached the edge of some world unknown to me. Extremes meet at the ends, after all. Have you reached the end you sought? Do you even know what that place is called?"
His tone was questioning, directed at me.
Mok Yeohyeon seemed convinced I'd attained some spiritual pinnacle.
And he was curious about what lay at that pinnacle of the mind.
I shook my head.
"I don't know what that place I've reached is called. Nor do I know its master. So I've decided to simply call it nature."
"So the place you've reached is called nature? Sounds plausible enough. And how do you wish to live within that nature?"
It was a question I'd never fielded from the Murim Alliance or even the Nangong Family.
So philosophical it reminded me of a conversation I'd once had with a Wudang elder.
"I harbor no ambitions for a grand life. I simply wish to live as one life among the many within that nature. Thus, I believe living as a good person to nature equates to living as a good person to myself."
I tossed out words I figured he'd like. Absolute masters enjoyed such esoteric musings.
"Oh ho! Nature and I are one. Should we call that divine union with nature?"
He likened it to the "sword and man as one."
"If we must name it as Your Excellency suggests, then union with nature would be apt. Since nature encompasses all things under heaven and earth."
"Union with nature—splendid. It has the ring of an absolute master's insight."
Mok Yeohyeon smiled for the first time.
"But to be good to others, one cannot be good to oneself. You'd have to suppress your emotions, yield your interests, fail to assert your thoughts. Isn't becoming a good person to oneself more in line with unorthodox values?"
Mok Yeohyeon continued his philosophical exchange.
He seemed intrigued by how I remained utterly un intimidated by a transcendent realm master like him.
"To be good to oneself means casting aside hypocrisy."
Mok Yeohyeon murmured poetically.
"A scholar who has shed hypocrisy—now that's intriguing. Those in the righteous factions can never escape theirs."
Mok Yeohyeon rose from the jade throne.
His six-foot frame exuded the presence of a nine-footer.
"Shall we get to the point? My son isn't your average wastrel. How do you plan to discipline him?"
As Mok Yeohyeon broached the main topic, I responded.
"That depends on the level the Sovereign desires from the young master."
"Meaning you can tailor him to whatever level I want?"
"I'll strive to make it possible."
"Indeed, the specialist in taming wastrels."
Mok Yeohyeon stroked his beard once.
"At minimum, he should grasp worldly principles. Better yet, analyze them through reason rather than emotion. The one to lead the Hyeoncheon Gate can't fall short of that, or he'll be discarded."
This was a man who spoke of discarding even his own son if he didn't measure up.
I replied without hesitation.
"To reach that level, you'll need to grant me at least the authority to strike the young master."
"Hahaha!"
Mok Yeohyeon's stern expression shattered in an instant.
"Strike that wastrel? Do you know how many scholars he's beaten to death?"
"No."
"Over ten. From his writing tutor to any scholar or Confucian who dared speak truth to him."
Mok Yeohyeon added in a low voice.
"Ah, I heard you ran into some Poison People on the way and repelled them with soul-subduing arts. You're not relying on that, are you?"
"No."
"Good, good. Soul-subduing arts or whatever—use anything to strip away his wastrel nature, and I'll be grateful."
"......"
As I held my silence, Mok Yeohyeon spoke.
"To put it plainly, strike him or remake his personality with soul-subduing arts—I don't care."
"If that's your stance, Sovereign, you'll need to inform those around as well. It'd be troublesome if they tried to kill me for striking the young master."
"Wahahaha!"
Once the laughter burst forth, it came easily with any trigger.
"You're no scholar—you're a comedian. No one's made me laugh like this."
His words sparked several ideas for reforming the wastrel in my mind.
'After having their secondary dantian drained, they feel affinity toward me, its possessor. Time to make active use of it on this one.'
I'd realized the secondary dantian's effects when Nangong Cheolung showed me more loyalty and kindness than others.
It was akin to how those deprived of Seven Stars Primordial Energy felt fondness for me.
"Then, to ensure I have the strength to strike the young master, would you grant me a Dragon Blood Pill?"
"Kuhahaha! Isn't it already promised? Of course. To beat my son into shape."
Mok Yeohyeon summoned someone outside to fetch the Dragon Blood Pill.
"The Dragon Blood Pill is one of our sect's treasures. A spirit medicine that holds its own anywhere. Use it well for great effects."
The pill arrived promptly, and Mok Yeohyeon tossed me a small silver box.
It floated slowly through the air toward me.
'So this is the famed Void Grasping Technique. But my secondary dantian floats through the void too. By that logic, I can use Void Grasping as well.'
I entertained the silly thought inwardly as I bowed at the waist.
"My thanks, Sovereign."
"If you need a protector while absorbing the pill, tell this seat. I'll stand guard."
I didn't refuse.
"To have the Sovereign of the Unorthodox Factions as my protector—it'd be something to boast of for generations."
"Kuhuhuhu!"
Mok Yeohyeon chuckled at my jest.
"Anything else you desire?"
"Yes."
"Oh? Go on, speak."
"The young master's education hasn't succeeded yet, but if it does, could you grant the promised land first?"
Mok Yeohyeon took interest in my words.
"May I ask why?"
"First, to build a home for myself on that land. Second, to allow others to settle there."
I even mentioned providing farmland to the slash-and-burn folk I'd met en route, prompting Mok Yeohyeon to eye me with half-lidded gaze.
"Truly a rare scholar. Ambitious, erudite, and with compassion to boot."
"Not worthy of such praise. It's mere meddlesome busybodying from one who can't even secure his own livelihood."
"Very well. You'll have the land. Where do you want it?"
"Can it be anywhere I choose?"
"Naturally. In all Gangseo Province, there's no land this seat can't claim if desired."
"How could I presume to pick? I'll accept whatever suitable spot the Sovereign provides."
"Heh, knowing when to yield as well. I can't fathom how someone like you got chased out of the Murim Alliance. Why not work for me instead? I have a strategist, but I could give you an equal post."
The sudden offer made me look at him.
"I appreciate the words, but as I said earlier, I'm just a timid scholar with no desire for greatness."
"Fair enough. It'd be burdensome to thrust this upon you suddenly. I'll select the land and handle all the deeds, then send them your way."
He'd started with "you there" and now called me "you" with familiarity.
It was fortunate to earn his favor at first sight, but I sensed I shouldn't get too close.
"Since we're at it, shall we see my wastrel son?"
I was curious to lay eyes on the worst scoundrel I'd only heard of in tales.
"Very well. Best to gauge his level now anyway."
Mok Yeohyeon settled back onto the jade throne with a grin.
"You really grow on me. No wonder Nangong Hak holds you dear."
Muttering to himself, Mok Yeohyeon bellowed toward the outside.
"Summon that wastrel to the grand hall at once!"
"Understood!"