Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Dragon-Phoenix Tournament (4)
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“Monk! I hope you've been well!”
“Come on in. Nothing happen on your way here?”
Il-un was flustered.
It was due to the overwhelming welcome from Dang Hwa-seo and Jegal San, for reasons he couldn't quite fathom.
“Yes, yes... There were no incidents in the city....”
He appreciated their warm reception, but wasn't this a bit much?
Even as that thought crossed his mind, Mok Ri-won came over beaming, pulling up an extra chair.
“Monk! Have a seat here! Today, we can talk about that promise from before...!”
“Ah, of course.”
Il-un smiled gently in response to Mok Ri-won's kindness.
As he did, he glanced at Dang Hwa-seo and Jegal San.
Their gazes felt oddly burdensome for some reason.
“Oh, right. Since the monk's here, shouldn't we get some refreshments? Wait here, brother Mok. I'll be right back, so keep the monk company in the meantime.”
“Got it!”
Jegal San gave a thumbs-up.
“Monk, I'll get something to suit your taste!”
Clack-!
Il-un grabbed Jegal San's wrist.
His grip carried enough force to crush it if he wanted.
“I've already eaten. I had some vegetables before coming.”
It was a heartfelt defense.
Il-un sat Jegal San down, anxious he might bring meat dishes.
“Ahem, ahem.... So, have you spoken with the others?”
“Ah, they're all in groups, so I haven't approached them yet.”
Il-un nodded with a wry smile at Mok Ri-won's dejected reply.
‘That figures.’
On second thought, there was no one at this banquet he was close to except these two.
Jegal San was the closest, but who would boldly approach him first?
Only then did Il-un realize why they had welcomed him so eagerly upon seeing him.
‘They must feel awkward.’
It was embarrassing to be stuck in the corner at a banquet they'd come to.
“Perfect timing, then. Why don't you come around with me? I need to greet the other patrons anyway, so I can introduce you to everyone, brother Mok.”
“Really?!”
“Why would I lie about something like this?”
As he spoke, Il-un's gaze turned to Dang Hwa-seo.
“You should join us. It's been six years since you last visited here too, Lady Dang.”
“Y-Yes... Sure.”
Dang Hwa-seo nodded, clenching her fist under the table.
‘Not bad.’
It was a good opportunity.
Deepening her ties with him at this banquet would prove helpful later.
“Then let's go. Oh, may I greet the Emei Sect first?”
At those words, Dang Hwa-seo's body stiffened.
“Emei... you say.”
Why Emei of all places first?
The resentment bubbled up, but on reflection, it made sense.
Shaolin and Emei were both Buddhist sects, and aside from her lascivious nature, the White Phoenix's martial prowess was undeniable.
Dang Hwa-seo suppressed her inner discomfort and nodded.
Mok Ri-won, too, felt a discomfort different from hers upon hearing rumors of the White Phoenix just moments ago.
‘S-Slutty Phoenix....’
He worried an incident might occur if things went wrong.
“Il-un Monk, it's been a year.”
“Ah, Hye-un Nun.”
Whether she'd overheard or simply spotted Il-un, the White Phoenix Hye-un approached with her Emei disciples.
Il-un and Hye-un smiled and pressed their palms together in greeting.
In that moment, Mok Ri-won flinched.
‘W-Why is she looking at me...!’
Hye-un was staring at him with narrowed eyes.
Her smile seemed lasciviously sinister for some reason.
Mok Ri-won shuddered and instinctively hid behind Dang Hwa-seo.
At his movement, Hye-un's brows furrowed.
She quickly composed herself and addressed Dang Hwa-seo.
“It's been a while. Lady Dang?”
“...Indeed.”
A brief silence.
During it, Jegal San whispered to Mok Ri-won.
“Brother Mok, this is what they call a battle of wits between women.”
“I-I see...!”
Mok Ri-won swallowed dryly, cheering Dang Hwa-seo on.
No special reason—just that the pale woman terrified him.
“Lady Dang....”
Hye-un trailed off, scanning Dang Hwa-seo up and down.
Then she smirked and added,
“...Even after six years, you don't seem to have changed much.”
It sounded like praise at first glance.
But to a martial artist, it was a grave insult.
She was pointing out that Dang Hwa-seo's skills hadn't improved.
“Who knows, maybe you just wish I hadn't.”
“Is that so?”
“You seem unchanged from how I remember you, Nun.”
Hye-un's eyebrow twitched upward.
Then it drooped as a beaming smile spread across her face.
“Well, we'll find out on the sparring stage, won't we?”
Dang Hwa-seo suppressed her rising irritation.
She wanted to retort, but Hye-un's words left no room for rebuttal.
Five years since leaving her clan.
Dang Hwa-seo, who had been mid-first-rate back then, still hadn't reached the Pinnacle Realm.
With her clan's full support and training forsaken, she'd stagnated, even giving up poison absorption.
She regretted nothing about that choice, but it was frustrating to be belittled by a rival with no comeback.
‘That's why I didn't want to face her.’
As that thought surfaced, another pitying matter arose for Dang Hwa-seo.
Hye-un's attention was shifting to Mok Ri-won.
“The patron behind you seems new. May I have an introduction?”
In that instant, Dang Hwa-seo felt a fire ignite within.
Her eyes bulged, veins starting to show.
“Ah, this is Patron Mok. You may have heard— he's risen to fame recently with the moniker Ink Sword.”
Unaware or not of Dang Hwa-seo's turmoil, Il-un continued the introduction. A strange glint passed through Hye-un's eyes.
“Ah, Ink Sword...!”
Step back-.
Mok Ri-won retreated a step.
Her crescent-moon eyes curving too frighteningly.
His instincts screamed.
‘N-No...!’
That woman was dangerous.
“Patron Mok? Is that how I should address you?”
Hye-un's smile deepened.
A thoroughly bewitching smile.
‘How cute.’
She felt like she'd found a delicious new toy.
Hye-un savored the rising thrill.
“He's with me.”
Dang Hwa-seo's words only added to Hye-un's delight.
‘With you? More than that, I'd say.’
They seemed quite intimate.
Mok Ri-won hiding behind her the moment their eyes met, and her flaring up the instant Hye-un showed interest.
‘Stealing him will be fun.’
Heh. A chuckle escaped.
Despite her vows as a nun, her irrepressible quirk was awakening.
“With you... Care to elaborate?”
Hye-un imagined it.
The haughty Dang Hwa-seo losing a man and the expression she'd make.
Fidgeting desperately as their bond crumbled pathetically.
‘Delightful....’
Far better than chanting sutras in some mountain hermitage.
“L-Little Sister....”
Mok Ri-won shrank, seeking help from Dang Hwa-seo.
Her voice snapped Dang Hwa-seo back to reason.
A relief.
Any closer approach by Hye-un, and she might have swung.
Dang Hwa-seo calmed herself at Mok Ri-won's tug on her sleeve and spoke.
“You seem awfully interested in others' affairs.”
“Others? Such harsh words.”
“I didn't know a nun could be so fixated on worldly romances.”
“My cultivation is lacking. But what can be done? Facing desires head-on might be one way to handle those we can't suppress.”
“Sounds like an excuse to me.”
The air between them sharpened.
No—Dang Hwa-seo was reacting sharply one-sidedly.
Even Il-un, initially puzzled, sensed the tension thickening.
As Jegal San watched with keen interest,
Boom-.
The banquet hall's great doors swung open.
*
The change was instantaneous.
Silence shattered.
The sharp atmosphere lost its edge.
All eyes in the hall converged on one spot.
“...He's here.”
Someone muttered in displeasure, laced with jealousy.
Step-.
A man entered the banquet hall.
“Brother Mok, you can tell at a glance, right?”
At Jegal San's words, Mok Ri-won forgot his fluster and stared blankly at the entrance.
Deep blue silk robes billowed.
A handsome man with sharp features strode toward the center, face stern.
Yet one bizarre feature captivated Mok Ri-won utterly.
Eyes like the clear blue sky.
That was it.
“Namgung Jincheon....”
“Yes, that's Namgung hyung.”
Namgung Jincheon's entrance alone was shocking.
Each step carried an immense pressure impossible to ignore, and those his gaze touched lowered their eyes as if by agreement.
‘Pinnacle's edge.’
He was twenty-two this year.
Same age as Dang Hwa-seo.
Yet he'd already reached that level.
This was what they meant by presence warping space.
As Mok Ri-won sat stunned by the unfamiliar shock, Jegal San draped an arm over his shoulder with a grin.
“The star of this gathering. King of the later generation. Sword Dragon. He has countless titles, but one eclipses them all.”
And he said,
“Next Greatest Under Heaven.”
“Next Greatest Under...”
Jegal San chuckled on.
“Enviable, isn't it? No one embodies 'born different' better.”
“Born...?”
“Namgung hyung was born under a lucky star.”
At that word, Mok Ri-won's fingertips trembled faintly.
His gaze locked precisely on those blue pupils.
“Emperor Star. From the moment he was born on this earth, Namgung hyung was promised a destiny of dominion.”
In that instant, Namgung Jincheon looked at Mok Ri-won.