Chapter 184: The Rising Stars of the Great Clans (1)
This whole situation had started with just one remark from Baek Sang-ah.
She quietly lowered her head.
And just like that, Namgung Cheong—looking rather bashful(!)—ended up sitting next to her.
“Sang-ah unni, it’s been so long!”
Jegal Eun greeted her with a bright smile and immediately sat down on Baek Sang-ah’s other side.
The moment the atmosphere shifted into an impromptu joint gathering, the others looked baffled.
At that moment, Hwangbo Mun of the Hwangbo Clan glared at me and opened his mouth.
“A guard of Namcheon, is it? Do you have some fancy nickname or title, at least?”
“A nickname, you say?”
“Yes. Even if you’re a member of Namcheon, you’re not qualified to meddle in the affairs of the direct heirs of the Five Great Clans.”
Well, aren’t you full of yourself.
He looked decently built, but at best, he barely scraped by as a first-rate martial artist.
He even looked weaker than my younger brother—this guy was really pushing it.
“You asked for a nickname? I go by Jin Myeong, the Heavenly Divine Dragon (蒼天龍).”
“……”
“……”
The mood instantly turned icy.
Several of them stammered, as if they couldn’t believe what they just heard.
“…Huh?”
“Th-The Azure… Dragon?”
“What the hell is that…?”
Of course, I had already done my research beforehand.
Currently, among the Righteous Sect’s Six Divine Dragons, there was no one called the Heavenly Divine Dragon.
I had merely borrowed the name—more precisely, the future title—of the man who would one day be called the “Heavenly Divine Dragon.”
“A mere bodyguard dares to falsely claim the name of a dragon?”
“Besides, if you say Heavenly Divine Dragon… isn’t that the one related to that Wudang guy recently…?”
‘Wudang?’
The moment I heard Murong Gun muttering to himself, I almost grabbed him by the collar and demanded he explain what he meant.
‘No, don’t be hasty.’
They’d all be sitting at the same table soon anyway.
So I needed to show the appropriate level of decorum.
With a sly smile, I changed my tone.
“Wouldn’t a dragon be the perfect guardian for a phoenix?”
“You insolent bastard…!”
Anger immediately spread through the surroundings.
“Fine! I, Hwangbo Mun of the Hwangbo Clan, will see whether you’re worthy of calling yourself a dragon!”
“Hwangbo Mun of the Eight-Step Fist, is it.”
Honestly, it would’ve been better if Namgung Cheong stepped in—he would’ve been a more reliable test.
“……”
But the guy was completely uninterested in what was happening in the arena, focusing instead on Baek Sang-ah beside him with a goofy grin.
Huh? Goofy?
Just as I wondered why she looked like that—
—Is it really necessary to mention both dragon and phoenix when talking about bodyguards?
‘Ah…’
Cheon Yura’s displeased voice echoed in my head.
—Hmm, I may have exaggerated a bit. I’ll reflect on it.
—Just toy with them lightly. They’re not people we’ll be tied to for long.
I nodded and walked outside the guesthouse with Hwangbo Mun.
“Let’s see whether the fist techniques of the Hwangbo Clan surpass the sword techniques of Namcheon.”
* * *
“I shall show you the Taesan Heavenly Fist of my clan!”
Whether in the Righteous or Demonic factions, the essence of Murim was the same.
Disputes like these were usually settled with swords and fists.
Since Hwahum wasn’t exactly a small town, a large crowd quickly gathered to watch the spectacle.
With a slightly worried look, Baek Sang-ah spoke to Cheon Yura.
“Uh, will he be alright?”
“What do you mean?”
—The Hwangbo Clan might not be part of the Five Great Clans, but when it comes to fist techniques, they’re considered top-class in the Central Plains. And Jin Gongja doesn’t even know our family’s sword techniques, plus his internal energy…
Baek Sang-ah was genuinely worried about Jin Yeomyung.
But the response she received was unexpectedly flat.
—Do I need sword techniques to deal with someone like him?
…Huh?
—He’s a master who can fight even those at the peak of transcendence or higher. Why would he need sword qi against a barely first-rate martial artist?
“……”
Now that she thought about it, that made sense.
Baek Sang-ah realized just how high her standards had become.
Come to think of it, whether Hwangbo Mun used the Taesan Heavenly Fist or the Heavenly King Divine Fist, a technique just before the level of clan head—
None of it would amount to anything more than a child’s babbling in front of Jin Yeomyung!
—Instead of worrying about that guy, think of a way to deal with the guy beside you. His gaze is seriously uncomfortable.
Ugh!
Baek Sang-ah couldn’t argue with that.
* * *
“KRAAAHH!”
With a powerful stomp, Hwangbo Mun charged straight at me.
‘His momentum’s not bad.’
It was crude but honest.
A fighting spirit that seemed capable of smashing through most cheap tricks head-on.
He was decent enough that even the Demon Dragon Hall might accept him.
Not that it meant much.
I began dodging each of Hwangbo Mun’s punches with pinpoint precision, avoiding every blow by a mere inch.
“Wow!”
“That’s amazing!”
The clueless commoners gasped at the dazzling display of martial arts.
But those with some experience—the heirs of the noble clans—had all stiffened.
“Namgung hyung. That guy…”
“Yes. He’s reading everything.”
Namgung Cheong, who had been watching at the guesthouse entrance with Baek Sang-ah, now wore a grave expression.
The Hwangbo Clan’s fist techniques, known for their fierce strength and chaining combinations, were difficult to escape from once entangled.
Especially among the people gathered here, no one else could have evaded such a barrage of attacks so effortlessly.
However—
“He’s completely toying with him…”
Those observing from a neutral standpoint couldn’t help but acknowledge the reality.
And true to those words—
Even after about thirty seconds had passed, I hadn’t once gone on the offensive.
All I did was marvel and comment.
“Oooh, so this is the ‘Bongrae Dance’ stance of the Taesan Heavenly Fist. It’s certainly worthy of being called the best in the realm!”
“You bastard?!”
“That’s the ‘Linked Taesan Swift Cannon’! Isn’t that the secret ultimate technique created by the Fist King Hwangbo Cheonmun a hundred years ago?!”
“How do you know that—no, are you mocking me right now?!”
“I was sincerely admiring it…”
As time passed, Hwangbo Mun’s expression gradually darkened.
It wasn’t just shortness of breath—his internal energy circulation had begun to falter from overexertion, tangling his qi and blood.
“That Hwangbo hyung is getting toyed with like this?!”
“Tch, guess there was a reason he dared use the name Heavenly Divine Dragon.”
“Did Namcheon have such a rising expert? I’ve never heard of him.”
“Unni, when we visited before, there wasn’t anyone like that, right? What’s going on?”
Jegal Eun, who had a good relationship with the Namcheon Baek Clan, pressed for an answer.
“Ah, that, well…”
Of course, Baek Sang-ah had no good response and quickly averted her gaze, trailing off.
“And he’s not even a Baek, but a Jin? It’s a fairly common surname, but are there any famous Jin Clans in the murim world?”
There is—like the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan…
“A young, skilled master like him isn’t just working as a guard, right? C-Could he be a live-in son-in-law?! Kyaaah!”
“……”
Setting aside Jegal Eun’s waterfall-like chatter, the moment the words “live-in son-in-law” were spoken, she instinctively glanced at a certain “someone.”
“Y-You’re not going to kill her, are you?”
“Who are you talking about?”
Cheon Yura replied nonchalantly.
“T-The thing is…”
She nearly said, ‘Everyone here among the heirs,’ but bit her tongue.
“I can’t get worked up over every child’s talent show.”
Kill? A talent show?
The heirs who had been listening tried to interpret the metaphor behind Cheon Yura’s words.
Meanwhile, Namgung Cheong looked at Baek Sang-ah with a gaze full of affection.
“Young lady, I haven’t had the chance to pay proper attention until now, but who exactly are you, the lady behind that mask?”
“Ah, well… I’ll introduce her later.”
Baek Sang-ah couldn’t bring herself to say, “She’s the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult,” and hurriedly glossed over it.
Even though she knew the truth, the fact that she couldn’t speak it aloud felt painfully bitter.
Whatever Baek Sang-ah was feeling inside, the duel that had suddenly begun was now racing toward its conclusion.
“Huff… Huff…”
After throwing punches into the air for over a hundred seconds, Hwangbo Mun, nearing exhaustion, was gasping for breath.
“A-Are you mocking me?!”
“That’s not really my intention.”
“Then why won’t you draw your sword?!”
“I’m holding back so you won’t get hurt.”
“H-Holding back?! How dare you—!”
Hwangbo Mun roared in fury.
“Don’t insult me, Hwangbo Mun! Even if I die, I won’t hold a grudge, so draw your sword and fight me fair and square!”
“Ah, is that so?”
If that’s what you want.
Before drawing my sword, I lightly pressed the area near my heart with my thumb.
“……?”
The heirs who didn’t understand the meaning of my action tilted their heads in confusion.
But I, on my part, adjusted myself with great care.
‘Just a bit. Just a tiiiiny bit.’
If I drew on it without restraint like last time, I’d end up writhing like a bug and dying—so just a little…
Flash!
In an instant, a radiant golden sword qi began to form around my unsheathed blade.
“G-Guh?!”
“No way…!”
A truly brilliant sword qi reminiscent of pure gold!
“Such vividly refined sword qi?”
“There’s not a trace of wasted energy in its formation!”
“There’s something… almost sacred about it.”
“……!”
The heirs were stunned, their eyes glued to the golden sword I had drawn.
“A first-rate… no, could he be someone who’s reached the Master Level?!”
Normally, when first-rate heirs release sword qi, it tends to leak in streams, causing inefficiencies in internal energy flow.
But this sword qi had clearly taken the form of a blade.
An unmistakable technique achievable only by those at the pinnacle of first-rate martial artists—or those who had already surpassed it!
“Shall we continue?”
Naturally, before we could even exchange another move, Hwangbo Mun just stood there with his arms limp.
The moment he saw the golden sword qi, he realized there wasn’t even a sliver of hope for victory.
“I-I concede…”
* * *
Surprisingly, the heirs of the Orthodox factions showed no signs of bitterness afterward and cleanly let go of any grudges.
Especially at the joint table, Hwangbo Mun, despite his earlier arrogance, bowed before me and apologized for having doubted my skill.
“That was an incredible display!”
“The footwork you used to dodge Hwangbo hyung’s strikes… was that the Heavenly Wolf Step?!”
The Heavenly Wolf Step—Namcheon Baek Clan’s signature footwork.
It was so distinctive that anyone with martial arts experience could recognize its traits immediately.
“Haha, I merely clumsily mimicked the movements of an elder from my household.”
The ‘household elder’ I mentioned was none other than Miss Baek over there, currently glaring at me.
She was looking at me with eyes that said, “How…?”
But I had only one thing to say to her.
‘Just stole it with my eyes, that’s all.’
Back during my time at the Thousand-Day Pass, I had sparred with Baek Sang-ah plenty of times, so I had gotten used to replicating the form of her movements.
Of course, I couldn’t replicate the true essence of the footwork, but with these guys’ level, they’d never notice.
At any rate, having witnessed a technique well beyond what heirs of their level could normally see, the young nobles of the clans now looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
Even Dang Seryeong, who had acted aloof at first, was now watching me with shining eyes.
“Aha, so you had already been to Xi’an and were on your way back?”
“Indeed. Upon hearing the news that the Demonic Cult would be sending a delegation, I realized there was no need to stay in Xi’an any longer, so I was on my way back.”
I lied without batting an eye.
Hwangbo Mun nodded in understanding.
“As expected. I heard things have been lively lately with talk of a Murim Tournament being hosted in Namcheon. I hope everything proceeds smoothly.”
“…?!”
‘…A Murim Tournament?’
Of course, Baek Sang-ah, who hadn’t been told anything, widened her eyes in shock.
And from the reactions around me, I confirmed that it was indeed true.
“Yes, well, Lady Baek may not usually be involved in her clan’s affairs, but surely something like this wouldn’t escape her attention.”
Feigning familiarity, I smoothly played along.
“By the way, you said you’re heading to Luoyang?”
“Yes. We plan to enjoy the scenic beauty of Luoyang, and then briefly stop by the League in Xin’an.”
“Hahaha! With the skills of Hero Heavenly Divine Dragon, I’m sure the League will do everything in their power to hold onto you!”
“That’s right! It might be quite difficult for you to escape from them!”
“……”
“……”
My party and I fell silent at those words.
Yeah, no doubt.
They’d certainly try to hold onto me—though for… other reasons.
At that moment, Namgung Cheong subtly suggested something to his companions.
“Since it’s come to this, why don’t we just join these people instead?”
…What did he just say?
“Hmm!”
“That’s certainly an appealing proposal.”
“If what Hero Jin said is true, then heading to Xi’an now would be a wasted trip…”
No. Absolutely not!
There’s no way I’m dragging around a ticking time bomb like that! They’ll stab me in the back the first chance they get!
Just as I was about to signal Baek Sang-ah to reject them with a look—
“Timing-wise, the Wudang Sect should be arriving in Luoyang soon. If we’re lucky, we might get to witness something quite interesting.”
Wudang Sect.
The moment I heard that name.
A chill ran through me as my emotions slipped from control and began to sink.
‘…Wudang.’
The Wudang Sect, regarded as the most prestigious of the current Murim world.
The sect that harbored Sword Supreme Sage Gwan Hyun—the one who had ended Cheon Yura in my past life.
My eternal, unforgivable enemy.
“That’s right. There may even be a duel between Heavenly Divine Dragons! How could there possibly be two Azure Skies under heaven?”
They were watching me carefully, clearly hoping for a showdown.
Come to think of it—
Didn’t they say that someone else in the Wudang Sect was also being called Heavenly Divine Dragon?
I approached the one who first mentioned it—Murong Gun—with a friendly tone.
“Could you tell me more about that?”