Chapter 81
Chapter 81
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Martial Alliance (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
* * *
Tap. Tap.
On a drab, black table, fingers that seemed carved from granite tapped impatiently against the wood.
Then, the man’s gaze fell upon the mess Jeok Sa-goeng had left behind, and he let out a heavy sigh.
“Ouyang Jue… I hadn’t paid him much mind. Is he truly such a prodigy?”
An unwelcome guest who had suddenly appeared on the Martial Alliance’s doorstep. To the man, that was what the Mount Hua Sect had become.
The Martial Alliance was already complete.
At its core were the great sects with their long and storied histories, followed by the mid-to-small sects that revered them, all under the banner of the Orthodox Faction.
The number of fledgling warriors who followed their lead was too great to count.
The man’s role in all this was simple.
He was to color the dragons that emerged from humble streams with the hues of the Martial Alliance, bestowing upon them an honor others could follow.
Through this process, the Martial Alliance’s power would solidify, and its value would rise.
In that regard, the Mount Hua Sect, and Ouyang Jue, were not good prospects.
“No matter how much they declined after the war with the former Demonic Cult, they are by no means weak.”
They were not the type to bow their heads to the Martial Alliance first. The history Mount Hua carried was not to be taken lightly either.
Treating Mount Hua carelessly was a tricky matter, as it would undoubtedly create friction not only with the related Zhongnan Sect but also with other Taoist sects that traced their lineage back to Lü Dongbin, like Kongtong and Emei.
‘Though, it is somewhat surprising that they surpassed Zhongnan to become the number one sect in Shaanxi.’
Knock, knock.
At that moment, a familiar voice came from outside.
“Vice-Leader! I've brought the documents you requested!”
“Bring them in!”
The man scanned the records his subordinate had organized.
Though dense text filled both sides of each page, he somehow felt there were empty spaces.
Between the occurrence of a problem and its resolution, something had been deliberately concealed.
“…….”
Swish, swish.
His fingers brushed across the paper, making a crisp sound. His gaze stopped at one particular entry. It was an incident just before the Black Dragon Gang’s Shaanxi branch was dismantled.
The man leaned forward.
‘Two mountain villages, burned down a week apart, eh.’
Of course, both villages had been committing the evil act of paying tribute to the Black Dragon Gang. In terms of grudges and debts, they were liable to be attacked at any time.
The problem was that both incidents were perpetrated by outsiders wearing Taoist robes.
The man found this point interesting.
“...Hoh.”
He licked his dry lips. The fingers that had been tapping impatiently on the table finally stopped.
After the matter was settled, the Beggars' Sect had asserted that Bai Cheong-il was responsible for both incidents, but the man sensed something was cleverly hidden.
What if the Beggars' Sect was on friendly terms with Mount Hua?
Could this information be trusted?
‘If they are close, was there some event that allowed them to become so?’
The man’s gaze drifted up to the ceiling of the vice-leader’s office. A map known as the Chart of the Martial World was drawn there.
Next to it, a dense block of text was updated each morning by his subordinate. It was a log of who had met whom.
For at least a year, and at most five.
As far as the man could remember, the Mount Hua Sect had never reached out to the Beggars' Sect. And the Beggars' Sect, with its own wretched pride, would never ask for help.
‘If so… then what?’
The man’s fingers immediately flipped to the first page, as if he meant to tear the book in half.
He stopped at the very beginning.
The youngest of the Three Evils of Shaanxi, Du Jue-guang.
They had first killed a disciple of the Zhongnan Sect. It was only natural they would have targeted a disciple of Mount Hua as well.
‘But strangely, a branch leader of the Beggars’ Sect who was watching dealt with it.’
Does that mean there was no contact with Ouyang Jue? Did the Three Evils of Shaanxi simply miss him, despite how close Zhongnan and Mount Hua were?
That made no sense. The man suspected there was more to the story.
Just as this simple idea was beginning to take concrete shape…
Screeeech…
The door let out a sound like a hinge tearing.
He deliberately left the door unoiled, yet the unwelcome guest seemed to know this and opened it anyway.
“A pleasure to meet you for the first time, elder. I am Ouyang Jue of the Mount Hua Sect.”
The man’s gaze turned to Ouyang Jue.
At a glance, he appeared polite and respectful, yet his head was not bowed deeply, and his back was held straight, without a trace of meekness.
And what of the distance between his feet?
His stance was wide enough to draw his sword at any moment without losing his balance.
The man instinctively knew that Ouyang Jue had reached a higher level of martial prowess than he had anticipated.
And based on a rough guess, he sensed one more thing.
One side of the man’s lips twitched.
‘A fellow with a nasty personality, unbecoming of a Taoist.’
The man hid his wry smile.
“Welcome to the Martial Alliance, young hero. I am the Vice-Leader of the Martial Alliance, Nangong Cheon.”
“It is an honor to meet the Heavenly Sword of the martial world.”
Clasp.
As Ouyang Jue offered another fist-and-palm salute, Nangong Cheon gave him a gentle smile.
“You’ve flattered me enough. That will do. Come, have a seat.”
After seating Ouyang Jue in a suitable spot, Nangong Cheon ordered a waiting servant to bring tea.
Then, Nangong Cheon picked up the broken inkstone.
“More importantly, I've heard an earful from the Black Wind Unit Commander. Is it true you are so skilled in both letters and arms?”
At those words, Ouyang Jue lightly shook his head, a gesture of humility befitting a junior.
But then, his eyes fell on the open book.
‘The Three Evils of Shaanxi, the Beggars' Sect branch leader… It’s not like Nangong Cheon to leave these out by accident.’
Unlike Jeok Sa-goeng, whom he knew little about, Ouyang Jue knew Nangong Cheon well.
The Heavenly Sword was one of the few remaining masters of the Orthodox Faction.
The martial skill and strategy he had displayed against hundreds of enemies were enough to make even the Omniscient One shake his head in awe.
He was not to be underestimated.
‘He must have already noticed my gaze landing there.’
Ouyang Jue’s expression hardened.
“You could have just summoned and asked me directly.”
“Well now, summoning you directly would be inconvenient for both of us, wouldn't it? Please understand it as a more efficient way of handling matters.”
Nangong Cheon maintained a gentle smile as he spoke, but his eyes were sharp and alert.
This was no easy man. He was different from the others who had been satisfied with a few words and a couple of duels.
A faint smile touched Nangong Cheon’s lips.
“And you’re quite handsome as well…”
At those words, Ouyang Jue’s hand tensed for a moment.
‘Could he be into men? I've never heard anything of the sort.’
As Ouyang Jue grew slightly wary, Nangong Cheon let out a hearty laugh.
“It’s not as shocking as all that. When a young master is also exceptionally handsome, people start calling them the Three Peaks or the Five Dragons, don’t they? The Martial Alliance has a hand in that sort of thing as well.”
“…”
Ouyang Jue remained silent for a moment.
He already knew that the Martial Alliance orchestrated the atmosphere of the Orthodox Faction.
But this was not something Nangong Cheon should be saying, especially not to Ouyang Jue.
While it wasn't a secret important enough to be treated as a major affair, it also wasn't something one would openly tell a junior.
Nangong Cheon’s smile vanished.
“You don’t seem particularly surprised.”
“I am just a little bewildered.”
“Is that so.”
Nangong Cheon gazed at the surface of his teacup with lonely eyes.
Thrum, thrumm.
Deep, large ripples spread out in circles.
“...Hmmm.”
Nangong Cheon hummed thoughtfully.
Even if it was a spar, he had fought evenly with the Black Wind Unit Commander, and his achievements as a member of the Orthodox Faction were significant.
Even the boldness he was showing now was captivating.
He was surprised once that Ouyang Jue had achieved such an unshakable mind before the age of twenty, and twice disappointed that he belonged to the Mount Hua Sect.
Realizing some time had passed, Nangong Cheon asked Ouyang Jue without further delay.
“What is it you want? You surely didn’t come here just to quietly blend in.”
“…….”
Ouyang Jue did not immediately reply.
In truth, he didn't know. He had not yet heard why Jin Mu-wol had sent him.
But he knew what he had to say here.
“I wish for my sect to enter the Martial Alliance.”
“That’s not a particularly difficult matter, is it?”
Nangong Cheon replied nonchalantly, as if he had already anticipated that much. It was an issue that could be resolved smoothly if they just silenced a few sects with guilty consciences.
As he was organizing his thoughts, Ouyang Jue spoke again, his voice firm.
“Recalling our past contributions during the war against the former Demonic Cult, please allow the Mount Hua Sect to stand at the core of the Martial Alliance once more.”
This time, it was Nangong Cheon who remained silent. Was the expression on his lips one of emptiness, or of disbelief?
It was closer to the latter. The problem was that it was accompanied by anger.
“Your jest goes too far!”
Nangong Cheon’s voice was somewhat agitated as he spoke.
From his perspective, it was an unexpected demand.
Or at least, he had not expected to hear it here, from Ouyang Jue’s lips.
It was an issue that would require deep, repeated deliberation even if he heard it from the Sect Leader, Bai Duanxian, after Mount Hua had been in the Alliance for some time.
To hear such a thing from the mouth of a mere junior warrior was utterly preposterous.
Nangong Cheon thought to himself.
‘His skills are extraordinary, but he is still arrogant.’
Any favorable impression he had was shattered in an instant.
The fact that Ouyang Jue had been waiting all this time to say those words fueled Nangong Cheon’s anger.
“I do not believe that is a matter for you to discuss.”
“If I may be so bold…”
“If you have the sense to think yourself bold, then close your mouth. How do you truly perceive the current situation?”
Nangong Cheon radiated an icy chill.
“I do not wish to hear any more of this. It is not a matter that can be accepted even if I were to permit it.”
At those words, Ouyang Jue bit his lower lip. He had expected opposition, but not such a strong backlash.
But having drawn his sword, shouldn't he cut something down?
Ouyang Jue readjusted his posture. His determined gaze met Nangong Cheon’s.
“Does the Mount Hua Sect not hold the very legitimacy upon which the Martial Alliance was founded? If we re-emphasize that, the standing of the sects from that founding period will…”
“Have you ever considered how long twenty years is in a martial world of swords and slaughter?”
Nangong Cheon’s lips twisted into a sneer that filled his face.
“People are more inclined to harbor hatred than gratitude. What then of martial artists, who constantly stand on the precipice of life and death?”
Nangong Cheon briefly recalled his days as the third young master of the Nangong Clan, then shook his head.
Those were the days he realized that being in the Orthodox Faction did not mean one was righteous.
“Time has a way of erasing memories. In that sense, twenty years is too long. How many martial artists have died in that time? And how many have had a change of heart?”
“…”
“To assert such a right now would only get you beaten. If you wish to erase what little honor you have left, I won’t stop you.”
Nangong Cheon’s gaze bore down on Ouyang Jue’s forehead.
“If your Sect Leader or someone else put you up to this, I am disappointed. Now, you may leave.”
Despite the unwavering order to leave, Ouyang Jue remained seated.
Nangong Cheon did not wait long before his patience wore thin, and he asked again.
“I told you to leave. What are you still doing?”
“I was giving you something.”
“…?”
“Enough time to think.”
Nangong Cheon’s gaze fell on Ouyang Jue’s now-empty cup, and his sneer vanished.