Chapter 269: An Uninvited Guest Who Came to the Succession Ceremony (3)
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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***
Heavenly Feast Pavilion.
If one asked where the largest courtesan house in the 6th-rank Immortal City of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City was, the place brought up first no matter who was asked was indeed the Heavenly Feast Pavilion.
The reasons were multiple.
This was because it was the only place in Heavenly Feast Prefecture City that used 6th-rank spiritual objects as food ingredients, and the price was also tremendously expensive so that ordinary cultivators could not even dare to dream of it.
The topmost floor of such Heavenly Feast Pavilion was even more special.
Because it was opened only when a Void Refinement Heavenly Lord visited.
The giant dining table, reaching as much as eight zhang in length, was filled with luxurious dishes, and beautiful women wearing radiant smiles plucked qixianqins, playing beautiful melodies.
“Haha. The fragrance of the wine is truly excellent.”
“Is it not? It is a spiritual wine I brewed myself with a 6th-rank spiritual object, the Drunken Flower Fruit.”
The elegant wine fragrance that spread subtly was indeed sweet.
Within the cheerful atmosphere where it felt as if one would get drunk even without drinking wine.
A white-haired old man with a neatly trimmed long beard muttered enviously.
“By the way, your grandson’s talent is truly grand. To conduct the succession ceremony without relying on the 6th-rank divine treasure; I am filled with admiration.”
“Haha. From my perspective, he is still highly lacking.”
“To say he is lacking when he achieved Great Success in the Ghost Soul Demonic Art, which is famous for being tricky, at such a young age; excessive humility is a discourtesy.”
Je Won-tak’s grandfather, Je Hyeon-muk, cleared his throat as if embarrassed, but could not hide his joyful look.
His lips twitching, he cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Frankly, I am not saying this just because he is my grandson, but the fellow is indeed diligent. Even though he was born with the Heavenly Spiritual Root, he did not grow arrogant and did not miss a single day of cultivation.”
“Indeed… I can clearly picture how hard your grandson must have worked.”
“Still, please do not praise him too much. Because if he happens to grow arrogant, he might pay a great price someday.”
“Come now, how could that be? Furthermore, your grandson will become a Void Refinement Heavenly Lord before long, so how could we praise him as if treating a subordinate?”
“Haha.”
Just as the harmonious congratulations were continuing,
“By the way, does this mean the 6th-rank spiritual veins managed by the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace have become five? Haha, it is expanding at a frighteningly rapid speed. Everyone will have to stay on their toes.”
A bald giant who usually was on bad terms threw a barb, but Je Hyeon-muk merely snorted.
Was there any need to argue back on a joyful day like today?
It was enough to just ignore minor noises.
Of course, since there was no need to unnecessarily become an object of wariness, he had to defend himself.
“Our Ghost Smoke Grand Palace has absolutely no intention of expanding unreasonably, so everyone rest assured. This time, the timing just happened to work out well.”
“Timing? Speaking of which, I am curious. Just what kind of price did you pay for the Castellan of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City to yield the successor position?”
“Well… we did not particularly give any grand treasure.”
At the bald giant’s persistent questioning, the white-haired old man also joined in.
“Frankly, I was also curious. Since the succession ceremony is drawing to an end anyway, can you not just tell us?”
Je Hyeon-muk, who was smiling as if put in a spot, cleared his throat.
“It is really nothing. We merely gave a few mid-grade immortal stones and some 6th-rank spiritual objects.”
“Heh. He yielded the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit for just that?”
“Yes. Because I was also puzzled and asked, and he said he planned to leave Heavenly Feast Prefecture City before long. Since he mentioned needing someone to take charge of the city, I said I would do it.”
“Heh. To think there was such fortune…”
Waving his hand at the gazes staring enviously, Je Hyeon-muk raised his wine cup.
“Let us stop talking about useless things and everyone just drink wine. Today is a good day, so I will treat.”
“…Very well.”
The Void Refinement Heavenly Lords who envied the fortune also raised their wine cups.
The profound wine fragrance spreading subtly and the beautiful qixianqin performance pleasing to the ears.
And hearty laughter filled the room.
– Is there no one else to challenge? There is still time left, so it is a pity to conclude it already.
At the proud shout of his grandson showing off his overwhelming skill, a pleased smile formed on Je Hyeon-muk’s lips.
Right then.
A sword cultivator wearing a single sword ascended to the stage, but Je Hyeon-muk, let alone the other Void Refinement Heavenly Lords, did not care.
They merely shared wine cups and enjoyed the laughter.
Because to them, a succession ceremony whose result was already decided was not important at all.
***
Meanwhile,
Jin So-myeong, who had ascended to the stage under the gazes of millions of spectators, narrowed his brows.
He scanned Je Won-tak, who was still leisurely holding his hands behind his back even though Jin So-myeong had ascended to the stage, from head to toe.
How should he express this feeling?
It reminded him of the time when the newly hatched Geum-cheong called herself “this lady” and behaved loftily.
Geum-cheong was at least cute, but Je Won-tak was…
It felt like watching a kid whose height reached only to his waist swaggering as if he were a supreme expert of the world.
‘Even so, I must not let down my guard.’
Since victory and defeat were decided in a split second, he had to prepare to exert his full strength at any time.
Before the sparring began.
He suggestively advised Je Won-tak, whose clothes did not even have a single speck of dust.
“How about taking out the 6th-rank Magic Treasure now? Before it is too late.”
Was it because the speech style was bothersome?
Je Won-tak, who knit his brows, paused and then shouted as if remembering something.
“Ah! I wondered why you were so familiar; you are the Daoist Friend I encountered in front of the Thousand Gold Merchant Union twenty years ago.”
Correct. At that time, Je Won-tak had failed to control the ghost in the shadow and had caused a nuisance to Jin So-myeong.
As he nodded his head to answer instead, Je Won-tak smiled broadly.
“It is nice to meet you after a long time. However, I must say that I am sorry.”
“…”
“As I have constantly said, the 6th-rank divine treasure is difficult to control. I might inadvertently use too much force, so I will try fighting without the divine treasure first.”
“If you say so. However, it is a bit of a pity.”
“…Pardon?”
Although he had wanted to gauge the difference between the Asuras and the human race through the power of the 6th-rank Magic Treasure for combat,
There was no need to forcibly compel someone who did not want to.
Je Won-tak, narrowing his brows, tried to say something, but Jin So-myeong waved his hand to cut him off.
No more conversation was needed.
Seureureung…
Taking a step, he drew the sword at his waist and drew a diagonal line, and
“Keok!”
That was the end.
Je Won-tak’s silk robe split diagonally, and the bell on his chest cracked open with a loud sound.
And,
Je Won-tak, who poured out a grand fountain of blood, collapsed with a splat.
Because a backlash had surged in as the 6th-rank Magic Treasure he was forcibly controlling cracked open.
In an instant, the entire square was dyed with panic.
“……?”
What on earth was this?
Shock.
And astonishment.
This was a scene no one had expected.
At the sight of Je Won-tak collapsed unconscious in a miserable state as soon as the sparring began,
Millions of spectators, who were only blinking their eyes, stared at each other blankly.
Because they wanted to confirm whether the scene they had just witnessed was true or not.
***
At the same time, in the Heavenly Feast Pavilion where Void Refinement Heavenly Lords gathered.
“Huh…?”
It seemed as if time had stopped.
Exactly in the posture of sharing wine cups,
Exactly in the state of letting out hearty laughter,
Everyone merely turned their heads to stare at the stage. And they froze stiffly, unable to move.
“…”
The shocking event that had occurred on the stage.
No, it was because of an absurd situation that would not be lacking even if called a catastrophe.
“What on earth is this.”
The Void Refinement Heavenly Lords, who doubted their eyes, looked at one another before inspecting the stage again, and opened their mouths wide belatedly.
It was chilly.
Although they inspected the situation repeatedly several times, the result did not change.
Je Won-tak fainted from a single sword strike without even being able to pull out the 6th-rank divine treasure. Even that was because the opponent had shown mercy. Otherwise, he would have already been on his way to the afterlife.
Silence.
The beautiful melody that was continuing like background noise cut off abruptly.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down the necks of the beautiful women who were playing qixianqins.
Their fingertips twitching, they seemed to be debating whether they should continue the performance or stop tactfully.
It was not much different even for the Void Refinement cultivators.
Although they did not shed cold sweat, it was the same that they were in a difficult spot.
“……”
If it was a moderately embarrassing situation, they could have laughed and moved on.
However, was it not that when one saw a person suffer a miserable state beyond simply being embarrassed, they would grow solemn despite themselves?
Since the situation was what it was, they could not help but walk on eggshells.
Even the bald giant, who usually was on bad terms with Je Hyeon-muk and caught his words at every opportunity, closed his mouth and watched his expressions.
Within the uncomfortable silence,
The eyes of everyone, who did not dare to move, rolled.
They focused on how Je Hyeon-muk, the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace Elder, would react.
“…Heh.”
Je Hyeon-muk, who had been frozen like a stone statue, slowly closed his eyes and firmly pressed the bridge of his nose.
Relaxing the tense muscles, he narrowed his eyes tightly.
He inspected the stage repeatedly several times, and his appearance was like a person who saw an illusion in their sleep checking if what they saw was real.
“…”
Of course.
That did not change reality.
His proud grandson, Je Won-tak, collapsed vomiting blood and could not rise, and next to him stood the sword cultivator, who was incomparably lawless, with a casual expression.
As if in a peaceful attitude where nothing had happened.
Bwadeuk!
A sound of grinding teeth echoed.
Blood vessels stood out in the eyes of Je Hyeon-muk, who was trembling violently at the surging rage.
“That cursed rascal…!”
Just as he glared as if he would kill him right away,
“Daoist Friend Je. Calm down. There are many eyes watching.”
“…I know too.”
While they were unable to recover from the shock, time flowed constantly.
Ultimately, the final victor was decided.
Under the bright full moon, the sword cultivator standing alone on the stage became the owner of the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit.
“Since the promised time has come, I will decide the owner of the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit.”
The Castellan of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City shouted while ascending to the stage, wearing a thin smile on his lips as if something was highly amusing.
And,
Within the focused gazes, he handed over the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit to the young sword cultivator.
“It was the most wonderful sword strike I have seen in my life. The deceased who left the Profound Lotus Tree in Heavenly Feast Prefecture City in the past must have also wished for a day like today. May I ask your name?”
“…I am Jin So-myeong.”
“Indeed. It is the promised Profound Lotus Precious Fruit. Receive it.”
Was it because he gave it too cleanly that he was puzzled?
Jin So-myeong, staring intently at the jade box handed by the Castellan, extended his hand. He silently took the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit and left just like that.
The sight of which Je Hyeon-muk, who glared intently, ground his teeth.
“Grr.”
Flushed and trembling with rage, he took a deep breath, and his eyes turned cool.
Saaa…
Secretly casting a spell, he attached a ghost to Jin So-myeong who was leaving the stage, so that they could pursue him wherever he went.
And he waited while forcibly calming his boiling emotions.
Until the Castellan of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, who wrapped up the succession ceremony, visited the Heavenly Feast Pavilion.
“Castellan. This is different from the promise.”
“To say I broke the promise, what do you mean by that?”
Seeing the Castellan who asked back with a puzzled expression as if he knew nothing, rage welled up.
Even so, Je Hyeon-muk endured.
Mobilizing all of his patience, he maintained as much politeness as possible.
“While you agreed to yield the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit to my grandson, why did you hand over the Void Refinement spiritual object to a rascal whom I have never even heard of?”
Indeed.
If the Castellan of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, who was right next to the stage, had not played some trick, things could not have turned out this way.
Je Hyeon-muk sincerely believed so.
Because it was impossible for a mere Soul Formation cultivator to slice through the 6th-rank divine treasure into which he had personally injected spiritual power.
However,
“Hmm. You speak strange words. Since you personally witnessed how the situation turned out like this, you should know well.”
He had no choice but to pause at the Castellan’s attitude of replying calmly as if he had done nothing wrong.
Je Hyeon-muk, who forcibly suppressed his anger, recalled the shocking moment once again.
Jin So-myeong, who accelerated explosively, struck down with his sword, and his grandson fainted without even being able to react.
The problem here was that even he, a Void Refinement Heavenly Lord, had failed to properly grasp what had happened in the middle.
To be more precise, he had failed to see properly because he was laughing and talking while drinking spiritual wine.
Of course, this was a highly bizarre thing.
The gap between Void Refinement and Soul Formation was larger than heaven and earth.
Whether he was drinking wine, laughing, or even dozing off, the movement of a Soul Formation cultivator should normally be clearly visible.
Yet, to miss the movement just because he did not pay attention slightly…
It was a thing that made no sense.
As he stared while unable to clear his doubts, the Castellan of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City let out a sigh and spoke.
“In the first place…”
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