Episode 415

A Feast Day Isn’t Always Joyful (3)

 

Lee Gwak stood on the platform and looked around.

 

Countless martial artists were cheering for him with fiery enthusiasm, gazing at him as if he were an idol. Their fervor was palpable even on the platform.

 

Perhaps this was the moment Lee Gwak had dreamed of since childhood.

 

Any man with ambition would desire to stand atop the highest platform, admired by all.

 

Yet, bearing the weight of everyone’s expectations and being the center of attention was burdensome.

 

For a fleeting moment, he thought it would be easier to be among those applauding below. But now, he could neither step down nor retreat.

 

Life in the Jianghu was like walking a tightrope—stop moving forward, and you fall.

 

His heart pounded with the roar of the crowd. The louder the cheers, the colder his mind became.

 

He walked toward his seat.

 

His chair was next to Mok Seon-wol’s, a result of Lim Ji-mun’s proposal being accepted.

 

As he sat down, Mok Seon-wol gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment, which he returned with a subtle bow.

 

Amidst the countless gazes fixed upon him, one in particular stood out, filled with unmistakable hostility.

 

Lee Gwak shifted his gaze toward the source.

 

‘The Wudang Sect.’

 

It was the area where the Wudang Taoists had gathered.

 

Among the many Taoists, one figure stood out with an overwhelming presence: Jinghae.

 

Jinghae no longer hid his competitive spirit and animosity toward Lee Gwak. His eyes burned like a hunter locking onto prey.

 

“Hah…”

 

Lee Gwak exhaled softly.

 

Just then, Cheongun’s booming voice rang out.

 

“Our final honored guest is truly extraordinary.”

 

“……”

 

The Jianghu’s finest martial artists all fell silent, curious to see who could warrant such praise.

 

Just looking at those already on the stage made it clear  they were the best of the Jianghu. But Cheongun’s unusually grand introduction made everyone even more excited.

 

He paused and looked around the crowd.

 

The sensation of being the center of attention was not unpleasant.

 

For the first time, he truly felt that the Wudang Sect had re-emerged into the world.

 

They had endured a century of hardship for this moment.

 

Infusing his voice with internal energy, he announced:

 

“Our final guest is none other than the Inner Court Master of the Jade Heaven Alliance, the great hero Joo Shin Yoon! Master Joo has come in place of the Alliance’s leader, Ja Hong-cheon, to celebrate our grand reopening. Let us all welcome him with a round of enthusiastic applause!”

 

“……”

 

The introduction was so shocking that the expected applause did not come.

 

The martial artists exchanged bewildered glances.

 

In the current Jianghu, the Jade Heaven Alliance was regarded as a great evil. It had plunged the once-peaceful world into the chaos of war.

 

For the public enemy of the Jianghu—especially one of the four court leaders of the Alliance—to attend the Wudang Sect’s celebration was unthinkable.

 

If this was the reaction of the gathered martial artists, the response from the seven major sects on the platform was even more extreme.

 

“Him?!”

 

“Have they gone mad? They invited the Jade Heaven Alliance?!”

 

Mok Seon-wol and the martial artists of Dragon Valley reacted most fiercely.

 

This was understandable—the Dragon Heaven Valley had been locked in brutal conflict with the Jade Heaven Alliance until very recently.

 

“How could the Wudang Sect do this?”

 

Mok Seon-wol and the martial artists of Dragon Heaven Valley reacted most fiercely.

 

This was understandable — the Dragon Heaven Valley had been locked in a brutal conflict with the Jade Heaven Alliance until recently.

 

Nearly wiped out by the Alliance’s conspiracy with the Martial Sword Troupe, the Dragon Heaven Valley harbored a deep intense hatred.

 

“Miss Mok, you can’t stay silent!”

 

“Wudang’s actions are a clear betrayal of our sect!”

 

The Dragon Heaven Valley martial artists behind Muk Seon-wol were furious and on the verge of drawing their weapons and rushing the stage.

 

Mok Seon-wol raised a hand, stopping them.

 

“Stand down, all of you.”

 

“But…”

 

“It’s true we have a deep and irreconcilable grudge against the Jade Heaven Alliance. But this is Wudang’s home. We can’t be the ones to ruin their celebration.”

 

Her voice was calm.

 

It wasn’t that she wasn’t angry—she was. But she swallowed her rage.

 

She wasn’t here as an individual.

 

She represented the Dragon Heaven Valley, a major sect of the Jianghu.

 

She had to set aside her personal emotions and act solely for the valley’s benefit.

 

“Our chance for vengeance will come. When it does, we will make them understand the depth of our wrath. But for today, we endure. Don’t forget this humiliation. Don’t forget this fury.”

 

“Grr…”

 

“Grr…”

 

“We will remember, Miss Mok!”

 

Her crimson eyes fixed on the black-clad figures ascending the platform.

 

Though the intensity varied, the reactions of the Nine Dragons Clan, the Thousand Kingdom School, and the martial artists of Sky High Castle were no different. They, too, had clashed repeatedly with the Jade Heaven Alliance, suffering heavy losses.

 

They glared at the black-clad figures with undisguised hostility.

 

Yet, the Alliance members walked up the steps calmly, showing no sign of tension.

 

One of them, whose presence radiated an especially fierce aura, removed his bamboo hat. Beneath it was a scholar with a cold, sharp face, his hair tied back with a warrior’s headband.

 

His eyes, clear as glass, seemed to pierce straight through anyone they met, and his sharp presence naturally made those nearby tense up.

 

Among all the martial artists in the Jade Heaven Alliance, only one man had such a unique energy.

 

Joo Shin Yoon, Lord of the Inner Court.

 

One of the Alliance’s most important figures and a fearsome swordsman known by the title “Phantom Moon Sword”

 

Every martial artist, save for the Wudang Taoists, stared at him with seething hatred, but his expression remained unchanged.

 

“I, Joo Shin Yoon, Inner Court Master of the Jade Heaven Alliance, have come in place of our busy leader to celebrate the Wudang Sect’s grand reopening. I congratulate the Wudang Sect on emerging into the world after a hundred years and hope for prosperous exchanges between our sects in the future. This is a gift from our Alliance to commemorate the occasion.”

 

As he finished speaking, one of his subordinates stepped forward carrying a large wooden box.

 

The box was handed to Jingyun, one of the Wudang Sect’s first-generation disciples, who then presented it to Cheongsong.

 

“Amitabha! You need not have brought a gift, yet you’ve gone to such lengths…”

 

But the moment Cheongsong looked inside the box, his smile vanished. He stared in shock.

 

Inside was a sword.

 

On its scabbard, written in bold, majestic strokes, were the characters:

 

Taecheong.^[a]

 

“The… Taecheong Treasure Sword?”

 

The Taecheong Treasure Sword was one of the Wudang Sect’s lost relics.

 

It had vanished a century ago when Wudang was brought down by the Demonic Cult. Though Wudang had long wanted to recover it, their seclusion had kept them from searching.

 

Cheongsong lifted the sword.

 

The inscription, the craftsmanship, and even the unique pommel— all were unmistakably genuine.

 

“Shhhling!”

 

When he pulled the sword out of the scabbard, its razor-sharp edge gleamed, capable of slicing through metal in a single stroke.

 

“Ooooh!”

 

“It really is the Taecheong Treasure Sword!”

 

The Wudang disciples gasped in awe.

 

There was no doubt—it was genuine.

 

Cheongsong was convinced as well.

 

“How… did you come by this?”

 

“Decades ago, a disciple of our Alliance happened to come across it. We wished to return it to its rightful owner, but the Wudang Sect was in seclusion, so we kept it safe until now.”

 

“Ah! This must be the will of the Primordial Heavenly Lord! To think our treasure was in the hands of the Jade Heaven Alliance…”

 

“It is Wudang’s blessing. We’re glad to return it, even if it is belated.”

 

“We shall never forget this kindness, Lord Joo!”

 

Joo Shin Yoon offered a quiet smile in response.

 

Though the Taecheong Treasure Sword was not a divine weapon, its symbolic value to the Wudang Sect was immense.

 

It represented authority—often wielded by the sect leader as a symbol of power. Returning such a treasure without conditions was no small gesture.

 

But there was a reason.

 

Currently, the Jade Heaven Alliance has made enemies of the entire Jianghu.

 

If their conquest had gone as planned, they would have unified Jianghu by now. However, unforeseen variables and unexpected setbacks stalled their campaign, leaving them surrounded by enemies.

 

When news of the Wudang Sect’s reopening reached them, they could not afford to make another enemy.

 

Thus, Joo Shin Yoon came in person to match the stature of the other sects’ representatives.

 

As the leader of one of the Alliance’s four courts, his status was equivalent to that of a major sect leader.

 

Cheongsong ordered his disciples:

 

“Hahaha! Escort our honored guests from the Jade Heaven Alliance to the highest seats!”

 

“Yes!”

 

Joo Shin Yoon and his warriors were escorted to the most prominent seats on the platform.

 

That’s Joo Shin Yoon, the Inner Court leader…

 

He actually came in person…

 

The warriors of the Seven Sects glared at him with burning hatred.

 

To them, Joo Shin Yoon was no different from a mortal enemy.

 

 

He had been untouchable until now, hidden within the Alliance’s grounds. Seeing him here, right before their eyes, made their blood boil with rage.

 

The fact that they couldn’t kill him right then and there was maddening.

 

Joo Shin Yoon’s lips curled into a faint, crooked smile.

 

In a way, the Wudang Sect’s platform was like the heart of enemy territory.

 

Except for Wudang, everyone around him harbored hostility. The fact that he could still smile under such hostile gazes showed just how bold and mentally strong Ju Shinyun was.

 

Joo Shin Yoon slowly scanned the martial artists on the platform.

 

Mok Seon-wol, Namgung Yeonhwa, Eun Mu-yeong…

 

Many others caught his eye. But none of them impressed him fully.

 

Having spent his entire life serving Ja Hong-cheon, the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance, no warrior could meet his standards.

 

That’s how high his expectations were.

 

But suddenly,  as if by some twist of fate, his gaze stopped.

 

“Lee… Gwak!”

 

His pupils locked onto the young man.

 

For the first time, a storm raged in Joo Shin Yoon’s gaze.

 

An absolute martial artist from the Jade Heaven Alliance. However, he was no longer part of it.

 

Instead, his blade was now turned against them.

 

“What a waste.”

 

Lee Gwak was the first talent Joo Shin Yoon had ever truly regretted losing.

 

If Lee Gwak had remained with them, Joo Shin Yoon’s position within the Alliance would have been even more solid, and the Alliance might have unified the Jianghu by now.

 

Joo Shin Yoon stared at him intently and Lee Gwak did not avert his gaze.

 

The Inner Court Master’s gaze was like that of a fierce beast. But he wasn’t intimidated.

 

Regardless of the past, Lee Gwak now stood among the strongest in Jianghu. Joo Shin Yoon was not foolish enough to let personal feelings ruin his plans.

 

Instead, he smirked.

 

It was the arrogance of a man who knew his own strength.

 

Even without the Alliance’s backing, Joo Shin Yoon was formidable.

 

He hadn’t earned the title of Phantom Moon Sword for nothing. Countless lives had fallen to his blade, paving his path to dominance.

 

“It’s been a while, Lee Gwak.”

 

“Indeed, it has.”

 

“Hmph! A former outer hall martial artist of the Alliance has made quite a name for himself. To think you’d stand here now.”

 

“Thanks to you.”

 

“Thanks to me?”

 

“Thanks to the Jade Heaven Alliance, I was able to carry a grudge. And for that, I’m grateful.”

 

Lee Gwak’s calm reply made Joo Shin Yoon’s brow twitch. This was not the reaction he expected.

 

“You’ve grown up to be quite cocky.”

 

“I’ll take that as praise.”

 

Joo Shin Yoon’s gaze turned cold.

 

Lee Gwak’s composure—his utter lack of fear—irritated him.

 

Though Lee Gwak was now the leader of his own faction, Ju Shin-yun still saw him as the lowly grunt he once was.

 

Truthfully, he didn’t even remember Lee Gwak from those days. A man like him had no reason to recall insignificant foot soldiers.

 

His knowledge came only from recent reports.

 

His mind acknowledged Lee Gwak’s status, but his pride refused to accept it.

 

“Some fish are born in rivers but grow in the sea. After roaming vast oceans, they return to their birthplace to die. Even lowly creatures understand loyalty. Yet most people do not, making them worse than beasts. I’d hate to see you become one of those ungrateful men.”

 

“Perhaps the river they were born in didn’t have loaches muddying up the waters. No fish wants to return to a filthy stream.”

 

“Sharp tongue, as expected. But remember this: Those who speak too freely rarely live long.   The mouth is the source of misfortune, and one who cannot control his words can never swim in deep waters.”

 

“I’ll take that wisdom to heart.”

 

Joo Shin Yoon’s provocation had no effect on Lee Gwak.

 

Lee Gwak was not the type to be rattled by mere words. That calm composure unsettled Joo Shin Yoon.

 

This bastard…