Cheonhwa's Path of Accumulation
The banquet hall of the Sichuan Dang Family.
Though Cheonhwa, Yeobhwa, and Dang Sowol were absent, the exchange among the rising talents continued without pause.
Of course, not everyone was pleased by the missing faces. Paeng Yeon-hui, daughter of the Hebei Paeng Family, was one of them.
I had planned to meet Cheonhwa and speak with him. I never imagined it would turn out like this.
Truthfully, she had tried to approach him even during the preliminaries, yet no opportunity had ever presented itself. Throughout the entire preliminary round, Cheonhwa had moved only between his lodgings, the training halls, and the sparring platform. Beyond that, he led an almost ascetic life, never straying anywhere else. Anyone could see he was wholly absorbed in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. Approaching him under those circumstances had simply been impossible.
I myself spent those days going in and out of the training halls for the Gathering, after all.
A little breathing room had finally appeared only at the preliminary finals—because she had been defeated midway by a female Taoist of the Zhongnan Sect. She had never imagined that she, like her brother Paeng Gun-ak, would one day be left utterly helpless against a heavy sword.
Her name was Yeonhwa, wasn’t it?
A refined martial art, matched by a beauty every bit as striking. There were even spectators who came solely to watch her matches, captivated by her looks. Even Paeng Yeon-hui, who had herself been called the greatest beauty of Hebei, had no choice but to acknowledge that much.
And yet that same person is now in such a state…
Paeng Yeon-hui turned her gaze. There stood the very Yeonhwa she had just been thinking of. Her elegant bearing had not dimmed in the slightest even amid the banquet, yet not a single person—man or woman—approached her. Many had tried, only to be blocked every time by her companion, the Zhongnan Taoist Jeokhwa. At the same time, Yeonhwa herself radiated an unmistakable aura that warned others not to come near. Her eyes remained fixed near the banquet hall entrance, as if she were waiting for someone.
Could she be waiting for Cheonhwa?
Judging by the timing, she had been like that ever since Cheonhwa left. It all fit.
He really is far too late.
All he had done was escort someone who had indigestion to a physician. Yet even after the meal ended and the rising talents began their free conversation, he still had not returned. Something must have happened.
Did Dang Sowol snatch him away midway?
Both the Hebei Paeng Family and the Sichuan Dang Family belonged to the Five Great Noble Families, so Paeng Yeon-hui had known Dang Sowol since childhood. She knew the girl’s temperament well—lively and energetic, utterly unlike the cold reputation of the Dang Family. Especially when it came to fields that interested her, she would pounce without hesitation. Blacksmithing was the prime example.
She learned martial arts as a daughter of a great family, but it was really just an extension of her smithing.
The Dang Family’s martial arts were famous not only for hidden weapons and poison arts, but also for their deep ties to medicine and blacksmithing. Every physician and smith under the Dang Family practiced martial arts. Naturally Dang Sowol had learned martial arts for the sake of her forging.
I always thought she had no interest in martial men unless it concerned the family…
Honestly, imagining Dang Sowol mixing with a man was difficult, yet it was not impossible. The Zhongnan Sect was a Taoist order, but a rather secular one that permitted marriage—meaning they could even accept a son-in-law into the Dang Family.
Or perhaps Cheonhwa himself took a liking to Dang Sowol.
Dang Sowol might have the peculiar hobby of blacksmithing, but set that aside and look only at her appearance, and she was a beauty known as the First Beauty of Sichuan. Falling for her at first sight would hardly be strange.
I’m so curious!
At first he had merely been the man who defeated her brother Paeng Gun-ak. Now he was a rising talent who had claimed victory over a Shaolin master. As a martial artist she was naturally intrigued. And now Yeonhwa was involved, and Dang Sowol as well? For a teenage girl, no story could set the heart racing quite like this.
Just what kind of person is he to cause all this? I really must find out.
Just as the Hebei Paeng Family, as one of the Five Great Noble Families, maintained ties with houses like the Namgung Family, the Zhongnan Sect, as one of the Nine Great Sects, would have connections of its own. Indeed, several martial artists had already cast favorable glances toward Cheonhwa. Paeng Yeon-hui began circulating through the banquet hall to seek those people out.
Cheong-ha of the Huashan Sect.
“Cheonhwa? An interesting fellow. You could call him a true competitor. He knows when a match is on the line and isn’t afraid to go all in.”
Heogong of the Wudang Sect.
“Ah, Cheonhwa. A man who knows how to be modest. His martial arts are solid, built firmly around the fundamentals. He has grown considerably since we met on the Righteous Path Journey. I look forward to seeing more.”
Iryeop of the Kongtong Sect.
“Cheonhwa is a bold hero who steps forward in moments of danger. He possesses the tenacity to endure even through great suffering, and privately he is the benefactor of my life. I respect him deeply.”
Everyone she met spoke of him only in glowing terms as a martial artist. Yet none of them knew anything about his personal relationships. They were outsiders, after all. For such private matters, one really needed to ask someone from the same sect.
Which means I’ll have to push through that crowd…
Paeng Yeon-hui looked toward the place where people had gathered most thickly. At its center stood two Taoists of the Zhongnan Sect. One was Jeokhwa, handling the crowd with the polished grace of a young lady of noble breeding. The other was Myeonghwa, who looked as though he simply enjoyed mingling with people. Five of Zhongnan’s disciples had advanced to the main tournament and made their names, yet the most famous of them—Cheonhwa—had left with Yeobhwa, and Yeonhwa herself gave off an aura that made approach all but impossible. Naturally the remaining two had drawn the crowd. Both accepted the attention as if it were nothing and kept the conversation flowing.
This feels strange because it’s so different from usual.
As a member of one of the Five Great Noble Families, Paeng Yeon-hui was accustomed to being the center of attention wherever she went. People normally came to her without her having to seek them out. But the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering hosted great sects of the Nine Great Sects that stood equal to the Five Families. Having to approach others first felt unfamiliar.
While she was still fretting over how to begin a conversation, Jeokhwa’s gaze turned toward her. Their eyes met across the air. Jeokhwa excused herself from those around her and walked over.
“I am Jeokhwa, a third-generation disciple of the Zhongnan Sect. I noticed you looking our way for some time. Might you have some business with us?”
“Forgive the intrusion, Jeokhwa. I am Paeng Yeon-hui of the Hebei Paeng Family.”
It was an ordinary introduction, yet it was more than mere politeness. The way each watched the other’s every movement with a smiling face resembled the reading of an opponent before a duel. After a brief mutual appraisal, the two recognized each other as kindred spirits and went straight to the point.
“In truth, I had hoped to speak with Cheonhwa, but as you know he is absent. I wished to hear about him from a fellow disciple instead.”
“I am aware. I have been watching you ask about him and then leave again. Could it be… that you have a romantic interest in him?”
“No, nothing of the sort. I was simply curious what kind of person he is.”
Jeokhwa’s expression said she understood well enough.
“As far as I know, he has never formed any such relationship. He seems far more interested in focusing on his martial arts.”
“I see. He left with Lady Dang Sowol and has been gone so long that I wondered whether they already shared some acquaintance.”
“He and Lady Dang Sowol met for the first time today. They cannot possibly be close.”
Jeokhwa spoke thus, unaware that Dang Sowol was in fact the same Dang Soso who had guided them through Dang-ga-ta earlier. Questions like Paeng Yeon-hui’s were not new to her. Members of the great families in particular had shown interest in Cheonhwa.
I had heard that outstanding performers at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering tend to become popular, but this exceeds anything I expected.
There were two main reasons. First, he had defeated Beomhye of Shaolin—the monk who had earned the title Iron Fist Dragon with his excellent results in the previous Gathering and who had already reached the Peak Expert realm. Second, he had left the banquet before anyone could properly speak with him, unintentionally tormenting every hopeful heart.
He said he would be right back. Why hasn’t he returned and caused all this fuss?
Dealing with people was fine. The real problem was Yeonhwa’s mood. In all their time together, Jeokhwa had never seen Yeonhwa in such a foul temper. She knew Cheonhwa and Yeonhwa were close, but even she had not expected it to run this deep. She could only hope he would hurry back and somehow soothe the girl who was currently radiating an atmosphere as cold as midwinter.
As if her silent prayer had reached heaven, Cheonhwa returned to the banquet hall with Dang Sowol at his side. The moment he appeared, Yeonhwa strode straight through the crowd, planted herself in front of him, and demanded:
“Why are you so late?”
“I apologize. The Grand Elder of the Sichuan Dang Family summoned me, so I went to pay my respects.”
At the mention of Dang Myeong-cheol, the Grand Elder of the Sichuan Dang Family, the surrounding people nodded in understanding. The host of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, and its greatest elder, had called him. Refusing would have been unthinkable for a junior of the martial world. Moreover, Dang Myeong-cheol was a Peerless Expert and the man closest to being the greatest craftsman under heaven—famous for his foul temper as well. Yeonhwa seemed to accept the explanation; she gave a short nod.
“From now on, if you’re going somewhere, tell me first.”
“Yes. I will.”
The atmosphere dissolved so easily that Jeokhwa could only feel bewildered.
“Yeonhwa, weren’t you in a terrible mood just a moment ago?”
“Hm? About what?”
“Ah—no, I mean… never mind.”
Jeokhwa had been about to say something, then thought better of it. They said one could know a person’s depths of ten fathoms, yet never the depths of a single fathom of another’s heart. She truly could not guess what was going through Yeonhwa’s mind.
Just as their conversation ended, Dang Tae-un, head of the Sichuan Dang Family, returned. The time had come to close the banquet. He cast a glance around the hall and spoke.
“Forgive me for interrupting your enjoyment, but it is time we end the banquet. Still, it would be a pity to finish so abruptly, so I shall make one important announcement.”
At his gesture, servants brought forward a great board covered with paper along with various other items. Once everything was arranged, Dang Tae-un spoke again.
“We shall now draw the bracket for the main tournament. Main tournament participants, step forward.”
The declaration that the main bracket would be decided drew every eye in the hall. In accordance with his words, sixteen figures came forward.
“One by one, draw a bead from the jar. Each bead is numbered. The order of those numbers will determine the bracket.”
Dang Tae-un called names one after another. Each person who stepped up drew a bead, showed the number, and that number and name were written upon the great paper. Before long it was Cheonhwa’s turn. The number on the bead he drew was One. He would fight the very first match of the main tournament.
Who is my opponent?
He looked toward the paper. Moments later, when the number Two was written together with a name, Cheonhwa’s eyes widened. An all-too-familiar name stood there.
Yeonhwa.
Cheonhwa’s first opponent was none other than a fellow disciple of his own sect.
After the preliminaries ended, roughly a month of free time was granted before the main tournament. There were two principal reasons. One was to renovate the training grounds and prepare a proper sparring platform worthy of the main event. The other was to announce the preliminary results throughout the Central Plains and allow guests from every region time to arrive.
Those guests consisted mainly of the central figures of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Noble Families, as well as other renowned orthodox sects. Members of the lesser and mid-tier sects that had advanced also came, and countless outside spectators journeyed toward Chengdu of Sichuan simply to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. In short, the attention of the entire orthodox martial world was now fixed upon Sichuan Province.
“Which sects advanced to the main tournament this time?”
“What kind of question is that? Obviously the famous ones—the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.”
“True, but this year seems different. I heard three completely unknown mid-tier sects made it through.”
“That’s not all. Zhongnan alone sent five disciples into the main tournament. Because of that, quite a few famous disciples were eliminated.”
“Who got eliminated?”
“Among the Nine Great Sects, Qingcheng, Emei, Kunlun, Diancang, and the Beggars’ Guild all failed to advance. Among the Five Great Families, the Moyong Family and the Jegal Family were knocked out.”
“The other sects are one thing, but Qingcheng and Emei—two of the great powers of Sichuan itself—failing to advance? Their pride must be in tatters.”
“Exactly. At least the Sichuan Dang Family managed to send two, so they saved some face.”
“Who defeated Qingcheng and Emei? Zhongnan, like you mentioned earlier?”
“No. The ones who met them in the finals were from an unknown mid-tier sect. Rumor has it they were once a secular branch of the old Five Mountain Sword Sects that were destroyed long ago.”
The Five Mountain Sword Sects.
Before the Nine Great Sects rose to prominence, the name had once bound together the five great orthodox powers. Yet after Mount Heng, Mount Tai, and Mount Heng (the southern one) were wiped out in war, the name had become little more than an empty shell. Who could have imagined it would resurface in the world now?
And where were the subjects of those rumors at this very moment? They were receiving treatment in the medical hall inside the inner compound of the Sichuan Dang Family. The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering was not a death match, yet it was not rare for competitors driven by excessive competitive spirit to suffer external or internal injuries. Especially in the finals, taking wounds during a fierce contest was only natural.
The one treating them was Dang Baek-seon, eldest son of the Sichuan Dang Family. Outwardly he appeared to be offering ordinary treatment. In truth it was nothing of the sort. Midway through, a martial artist from one of those mid-tier sects whispered to him through sound transmission.
—How is the security arranged for the main tournament?
Dang Baek-seon answered by lightly tapping the man’s skin in a certain pattern—a cipher that conveyed information through motion rather than words.
—Once confirmation is complete, I shall keep my promise. I will prepare the Heaven-Defying Great Method.
When the words he had most desired reached his ear, a gentle smile curved Dang Baek-seon’s lips.
While the martial artists of the orthodox path gathered in Sichuan by the hour, the shadows, too, began to stir slowly in the darkness.