Chapter 158
Translator: penny
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Divine Dragon or Mad Dragon
The Sword Phoenix returned to the Murim Alliance, bringing along a man named Mok Jimyeong whom she introduced as her lover.
This was exactly the kind of rumor that gossipmongers would eat up.
Moyong Hui, the Sword Phoenix, renowned as the most beautiful female expert in the Central Plains martial world.
She had vanished from the public eye due to her family's circumstances, only to suddenly reappear with a lover in tow—what better fodder for conversation could there be?
But that was all it amounted to.
What was the martial world, after all?
It was a realm where martial prowess reigned supreme above everything else.
Thus, while the rumor drew the interest of the gossips, it failed to resonate with the true powerhouses of the Murim Alliance—the warriors who embodied its strength.
In fact, it only wounded the pride of many such fighters.
"The Sword Phoenix's lover joined the White Tiger Unit?"
"Some no-name nobody in the White Tiger Unit? The Sword Phoenix's reputation must carry a lot of weight."
"Tsk tsk, the White Tiger Unit guys must be pretty humiliated."
In truth, many in the White Tiger Unit looked upon Mok Jimyeong unfavorably for precisely these reasons.
Of course, that sentiment evaporated the very first day when he easily defeated Juwangpil of the Three Eyes.
In any case, the buzz around Mok Jimyeong had quickly died down.
Partly because the White Tiger Unit members had come to acknowledge him, but mostly because he himself hadn't done anything particularly attention-grabbing.
Besides, there were far more pressing matters in the Murim Alliance at the moment.
"So, when are we finally fighting those unorthodox scum?"
"Aren't our superiors doing anything?"
"This won't actually turn into a full-blown war, will it?"
The skirmishes in Shandong and Jiangsu provinces were escalating daily, and the atmosphere in the Murim Alliance grew increasingly tense by the day.
Amid all this, the name Mok Jimyeong was slowly fading from memory.
Until that fateful day.
"Did you hear? That Mok Jimyeong guy..."
"Broke the Sword Dragon's limbs?"
"The White Tiger Unit, to a single man?"
As mentioned, the martial world was a place that worshipped martial might.
And the Sword Dragon was one of the Ten Greatest Later-generation Prodigies, acknowledged as the most skilled even among the Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes.
Thus, this rumor captured not just the gossips' attention, but that of every warrior.
"So what happened to that Mok Jimyeong fellow?"
"They say he was hauled off by the Enforcement Hall?"
That interest naturally persisted right up until the trial concluded the next day.
"A month of confinement, they say."
"Confinement? That's barely a punishment—it's practically a pardon."
"Can't blame them. Word is he's an absolute expert of the Fusion Realm."
"Hah, Fusion Realm at just over twenty? Does that even make sense?"
"He'd have to be at that level to take down the White Tiger Unit."
"I heard that during the trial, Mok Jimyeong..."
Even details of the trial—somehow leaked from who-knows-where—spread far and wide, sending interest in Mok Jimyeong skyrocketing.
Wherever two or more people gathered, the talk turned to him, and the name "Mok Jimyeong" became firmly etched in everyone's minds.
But there was one problem.
"So, what's his nickname supposed to be?"
"Beats me... I haven't heard anything specific."
Mok Jimyeong was a complete unknown with no moniker to his name.
This shifted everyone's curiosity toward what nickname he might earn.
"He's a young male later-generation prodigy, so obviously a Dragon. He beat the Sword Dragon, and he wields a sword—Sword Dragon sounds perfect."
"Then what happens to the current Sword Dragon? He's too young to relinquish the Dragon title."
"If we demote him to another Dragon..."
Generally, the Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes titles only opened up when a spot became vacant—typically due to someone turning thirty or dying.
Of course, Phoenix titles could also vanish upon marriage, but newcomers never displaced an existing Dragon or Phoenix.
It was hard enough for a new prodigy to surpass them in the first place, and even if they did, the gap was never that wide.
Some suggested simply assigning a new Dragon and promoting to Six Dragons and Five Phoenixes, but this idea sank under the weight of warriors too accustomed to the number ten.
"Does a Dragon title even suit an absolute Fusion Realm expert in the first place?"
"But he's still a later-generation prodigy. There's this perception that nicknames for the young should be lesser than the Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes..."
Thus, prospective nicknames rose and fell in rapid succession until one began gaining traction.
"He's young, so a Dragon, but far superior to the other Dragons and Phoenixes—how about Divine Dragon?"
"Wouldn't that make it Six Dragons and Five Phoenixes?"
"Come on! With 'Divine' prefixed, how can you lump it with the Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes? They're them, and Divine Dragon is its own thing."
"Ho, that sounds like a solid idea."
Yet even this failed to win universal acclaim.
"Slapping 'Divine' on a mere later-generation prodigy? Isn't that a bit much? There are so many greater warriors out there."
"Besides, what has he even done to deserve such a glorious title? All he's got is beating up fellow righteous faction members."
(For reference, the rumor of him killing Chumunrak hadn't spread much. It circulated briefly but was overshadowed by the shocking trial details and quickly faded.)
Thus, some rejected it out of envy, others in the name of justice and chivalry.
"Hurting someone just over a woman?"
"I heard he even threatened the elders in court, oblivious to his place."
"Threatened the elders? That's straight-up insane."
"Divine Dragon, my ass. Mad Dragon fits him perfectly!"
And so, his fans dubbed him Divine Dragon, while his detractors called him Mad Dragon.
"...And that's what happened."
"I see."
I nodded as I listened to Cheon Woojin's report.
Divine Dragon and Mad Dragon, huh.
Looks like a lot had gone down while I was spending that secret time with Nangong Sua.
Divine Dragon wasn't far off, though.
'Now I just need to casually drop hints about the Creation Art. Creation Divine Dragon—time to put that nickname I prepared to use.'
As I nodded in satisfaction, Moyong Hui frowned beside me.
"Calling you Mad Dragon, Lord? Who the hell said that?!"
"It's just rumors, rumors. Calm down, Lady Moyong. And for our lord, Mad Dragon isn't entirely inaccurate..."
"Cheon Musa!"
Cheon Woojin cowered and backed off at Moyong Hui's shout.
He glanced around cautiously before speaking up again.
"That said, if our lord is Divine Dragon as a Fusion Realm master... shouldn't Lady Moyong be Divine Phoenix too?"
"You idiot, that sounds weird."
I immediately shot down Cheon Woojin's suggestion.
Besides, I had no desire for Moyong Hui's skills to become public knowledge.
'It might put her in danger needlessly.'
With the great war against the Demonic Cult not far off, if her strength got out, she might end up on the battlefield.
As we discussed the day's events in the Murim Alliance, Baek Rihyeon, who had been listening quietly, chimed in.
"So, Brother-in-Law, you're Divine Dragon now?"
"...What?"
"...Brother-in-Law?"
The two gaped at Baek Rihyeon's words, then looked back and forth between me and him.
I gave an awkward smile and explained.
"I told him to call me Brother-in-Law since there's no other fitting title. He and Hyea are close, so..."
"Makes sense. I call you Lord, so it would be odd for him to call you Brother."
Cheon Woojin accepted my excuse readily.
But Moyong Hui narrowed her eyes.
"Is that really all there is to it?"
"Of course. Just for convenience..."
"Baek Ri Eunjeong."
I froze at Moyong Hui's icy tone.
Then it hit me late.
'Oh right, Hyea was there when I met the kid.'
I'd been too focused on Nangong Sua and overlooked that crucial detail.
Cheon Woojin and Baek Rihyeon looked curious about who that was, but I felt sweat trickling down my back.
"Ahem, what're you talking about? Who's that?"
"Lord!"
Moyong Hui finally shrieked.
I hurriedly soothed her.
"It's just a casual nickname, nothing more. Like Cheon Woojin said, him calling me Brother is weird when you're all Lord this and that."
"You've never had issues with titles before—why change now?"
"This punk suddenly decides to call me Father."
"...Father?"
Moyong Hui, mid-rant, faltered in surprise.
She glanced back and forth between me and Baek Rihyeon again.
Baek Rihyeon spoke up.
"After what happened with my mom, calling you Father wouldn't be..."
"Hyeon-ah!!"
Moyong Hui yelled as if she'd heard something she shouldn't have.
She glared at me, but I was the wronged one here.
"No, I didn't say anything. I was just checking his martial arts out of boredom earlier, and he blurts that out."
I'd had my secret time with Nangong Sua in between, sure, but that was separate.
He'd seemed to catch on even before that.
Baek Rihyeon nodded in agreement.
"Sister Hyea knows what there is to know. Teaching martial arts out of nowhere when we're not even close, providing food and shelter, and even giving my mom that precious elixir—how could she not figure it out?"
"..."
Moyong Hui clamped her mouth shut.
Instead, Cheon Woojin, who had been listening with keen interest, piped up.
"Brother-in-Law does sound better than Father, for sure. It'd be easier on Lady Moyong too, right?"
"Shut your mouth!"
At Moyong Hui's sharp rebuke, Cheon Woojin—whose background and martial arts were both middling—cringed and retreated once more.
After a brief silence, Moyong Hui glared at me.
"Lord, let's talk privately first."
And so began the nagging.
I can't help who I meet, but this is too much— what does that make me?—Moyong Hui went on for quite a while.
I understood her feelings, so I listened quietly, thinking to myself:
'Whatever happened with Nangong Sua today absolutely cannot get out.'