Chapter 89: Chapter 89
The heat stirred up by the duel between Song Yi-yeon and Namgung Jin showed no signs of cooling easily.
The Martial Alliance’s Military Strategy Department, which oversaw the overall sparring tournament, had no intention of letting the atmosphere that had gained momentum die down.
The sparring tournament had two main purposes.
First, it was to give low-ranking alliance members who had entered the Martial Alliance a chance to shine on their own. Of course, there were those who imprinted their presence like Song Yi-yeon, and there were also those who only brought shame upon themselves before stepping down like Seok Do-myeong.
Second, money.
The Martial Alliance operated well over a thousand martial artists.
Naturally, an astronomical amount of money was needed. Of course, the Nine Great Sects, One Gang, the Five Great Clans, and local notables willingly shelled out a substantial amount of money, but… as the saying went, the more money, the better.
Especially in today’s martial world where the Heavenly Demon Cult and Black Overlord Castle remained robust, a full treasury brought immense peace of mind. For war was the very thing that required the most money in the world.
For that reason, the Martial Alliance earned money from people by providing various foods, lodgings, and entertainment.
“People’s enthusiasm directly translates to money.”
Chief Strategist Sima Hwi smiled while covering his mouth with a folding fan.
In official settings, he always stayed by Alliance Leader Bukli Cheon’s side, but at the sparring tournament, he mingled with the strategists to inspect the scene.
Because the Military Strategy Department was in charge of the entire sparring tournament.
Whenever there was a sign of the atmosphere cooling down, they unfailingly arranged duels that stirred people’s hearts.
Such was the case when Tang So-yeon, the daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan who had entered the realm of a poison master, performed a beautiful poison dance against the Poison King Squad Leader; and such was the case when Plum Blossom Swordsman Jin Un, who shouldered the hopes of the Mount Hua Sect, pointed out a fellow martial artist of the Dragon and Phoenix Society and struck him down mercilessly.
And now.
“Deputy Strategist. Are you prepared?”
“Yes, all preparations are complete.”
Ahead of the sparring tournament’s climax, the Military Strategy Department prepared to rake in money one last time. People whose hearts were filled with excitement did not spare their money. Flushed emotions made them forget reality, readily handing over large sums that they would not normally pay.
The petty spending of the commoners was not a consideration. No matter how urgent money was, the Martial Alliance was, after all, an organization that protected the commoners.
Highest-quality food, alcohol, ornaments, and jewels were prepared for local notables and high-ranking officials who had come to watch the sparring tournament. And as a secret card, beautiful weaponry had also been arranged.
They could surely be sold at truly tremendous prices.
“Send that fellow up.”
Sima Hwi said in a solemn voice. At that, the atmosphere among the strategists also grew somewhat flushed.
Soon, the martial artist in charge of hosting, having received the order from the Military Strategy Department, stepped onto the sparring stage with heavy steps.
People who had grown tired from watching the duels held all day let out cheers.
For now, only one person remained.
Not only the crowd, but every martial artist belonging to the Martial Alliance looked toward the sparring stage with expectant eyes.
“Martial Alliance Member Cheon Woo-jin, step onto the sparring stage.”
The host deliberately avoided flowery rhetoric. Unnecessarily ornate modifiers could instead dilute his presence.
The moment his name was called, the gazes of over a thousand people gathered at the venue turned toward Cheon Woo-jin simultaneously. Even the Black Tortoise Squad members beside him felt their breath catch in an instant.
Cheon Woo-jin was calm as always. With truly dry and steady steps, he slowly climbed onto the sparring stage.
Cheers and attention poured over his head from the crowd, but it was merely troublesome.
“Alliance Member Cheon, whom will you challenge?”
At the host’s question, Cheon Woo-jin stood for a moment and looked over the people. Because so many individuals had gathered, even decent experts failed to display their presence.
Even in such an atmosphere, two people stood out prominently. In truth, an opponent he had promised to challenge already existed. Tang Bi-cheon, the President of the Dragon and Phoenix Society and Young Patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Clan, was already gleaming with green eyes and preparing to come up.
Yet, while gazing steadily at him, Cheon Woo-jin did not actually call his name.
His mind kept drifting elsewhere.
Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze slowly drifted upward.
A place most visible to people, and at the same time a seat where one could best observe everyone. A martial artist who placed the eminent masters of the world beneath his feet, yet whom not a single person complained against.
“May I spar with the Alliance Leader?”
“…”
The host broke down.
From Chief Strategist Sima Hwi watching from afar, to Tang Bi-cheon preparing below the sparring stage, and even Song Yi-yeon and Zhuge Rin wearing expressions of wanting to wash their ears with water.
Everyone froze completely, unable to show any reaction.
“…Uh, what did you say?”
“I wish to spar with the Alliance Leader.”
It was then. Cheers that felt as though they would literally tear the eardrums erupted. Among the many who had gathered with high expectations for the sparring tournament, not a single one had imagined they would witness a duel involving the Alliance Leader.
Yet, some crazy low-ranking alliance member had challenged the Alliance Leader.
A duel between the one at the very bottom and the one standing at the very top of the Martial Alliance, the greatest coalition under heaven.
How could their hearts not blaze?
Amidst that thunderous atmosphere, only Tang Bi-cheon ground his teeth.
‘This reckless bastard! What on earth are you doing!’
Had he ever felt such immense humiliation in his life?
That punk whose blood had not even dried was mocking him.
An utterly unbearable rage surged to the top of his head. To the point where, even without his conscious intent, a dark green haze faintly blossomed around him.
A powerful urge gripped him to leap onto the sparring stage right this instant and plunge daggers into that guy’s two eyeballs.
However.
Tang Bi-cheon could never do that.
Because an old man boasting an overwhelming presence had already stepped onto the sparring stage. He moved his steps while chuckling with laughter filled with both bewilderment and amusement.
Even though it was merely that, he created a profound ambiance as if the air around him alone was of a different quality.
A martial artist standing completely at the pinnacle of the Righteous Path.
White Egret Sword Saint Bukli Cheon.
It was said that those who could oppose him in the world did not even number five. Such an expert moved his heavy steps to spar with a low-ranking member of the Martial Alliance.
‘Chief Strategist. I am sorry.’
Bukli Cheon inwardly wore a wry smile.
Right after Cheon Woo-jin challenged the Alliance Leader, Chief Strategist Sima Hwi rushed over at once and pleaded that he must never accept.
Of course, the people would grow more enthusiastic than ever. Their coin purses would readily open up as well. However, there was the prestige and gravitas that one had to uphold as the Martial Alliance Leader.
Sometimes, something that could not be traded even for hundreds of thousands of taels of gold was the gravitas of the pinnacle of the Righteous Path, the Martial Alliance Leader.
Sima Hwi knew that fact well.
Of course, knowing that the Alliance Leader would ultimately accept the duel anyway, he had pleaded all the more.
‘How could I possibly resist such an enjoyable thing?’
Ever since becoming Alliance Leader, not a single person had dared challenge him.
The Heavenly Demon Cult seemed to still have unhealed wounds suffered from the Dark Emperor, and the Castle Lord of Black Overlord Castle was originally easygoing by nature.
The supreme masters beyond the heavens, including the Sword King, always only blabbered with their mouths and never stepped forward in person. It was because they already had far too many family members and dependents attached to them.
Yet, to think that from a low-ranking alliance member.
And to be called out by none other than the disciple of Senior White Flower Sword Immortal.
“Woo-jin, you truly are no ordinary madman.”
“Did I make a mistake?”
Cheon Woo-jin asked nonchalantly. The host had long since retreated far away the moment Bukli Cheon appeared.
“Mistake, nonsense. But will you be alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“It seemed you already made a promise with someone.”
Bukli Cheon’s gaze was still fixed on Cheon Woo-jin. However, Cheon Woo-jin realized the Alliance Leader was speaking with Tang Bi-cheon in mind.
The Alliance Leader watched over everything occurring within the Martial Alliance. Naturally, he was also aware of the conflict between the Dragon and Phoenix Society and Cheon Woo-jin.
Although he did not know the details of the wager they had planned for the sparring tournament, he had noticed from Tang Bi-cheon’s intense reaction that there was some sort of promise.
Cheon Woo-jin broke into a light chuckle.
“Well, what can be done.”
It was an ambiguous answer with double meaning.
What can be done since it is already done?
What could that bastard possibly dare to do?
To Bukli Cheon, it somehow sounded closer to the latter. For if it were Senior White Flower Sword Immortal, he certainly would have spoken like that.
“Hahaha! Indeed.”
Bukli Cheon’s laughter spread resoundingly. His voice, laden with truly profound internal energy, echoed in the ears of the thousands gathered at the sparring tournament.
While spreading the sound so broadly, he did not burden commoners who possessed not even a handful of internal energy in the slightest.
It was truly an overwhelming control of internal energy.
Cheon Woo-jin admired it purely. It was a moment that reaffirmed that his choice had been correct.
“Let us begin.”
Cheon Woo-jin was about to draw the Crescent Moon Staff, but held the Crane Feather Fan instead.
How could he wield the Crescent Moon Staff against the cherished junior of his master, White Elder?
At that, Bukli Cheon smacked his lips in disappointment.
“Do you not intend to draw that?”
“The Crane Feather Fan is a better weapon.”
Bukli Cheon’s eyebrows twitched. He was almost the only martial artist who had fought against both White Elder holding the Crane Feather Fan and Black Elder holding the Crescent Moon Staff.
It was true that the Crane Feather Fan was a better weapon. For its uses were truly endless.
However, if confined purely to raw might, the Crescent Moon Staff was overwhelmingly superior.
“The stronger one should be that iron staff.”
With many ears listening, he did not call it the Crescent Moon Staff.
Cheon Woo-jin smiled in agreement. Because that sight felt quite provocative, Bukli Cheon’s words continued.
“Very well. As the Alliance Leader, I cannot fight with full strength against an alliance member who has barely passed the age of twenty. If you end up drawing that iron staff before five exchanges pass, it is my victory. If you endure, let us make it your victory, Woo-jin.”
Bukli Cheon spoke so everyone could hear.
One could not display full strength in front of everyone. That was something with no benefit to either the Alliance Leader or Cheon Woo-jin.
Of course, he did not lack a sense of regret, but he was not an Alliance Leader to make a mistake by giving in to a momentary emotion.
“Let us do so.”
Cheon Woo-jin took a stance.
The host, who had been watching from afar, was about to approach to throw the signal firecracker.
The Alliance Leader lightly raised his hand to stop him.
The signal firecracker developed by the Thunderbolt Gate was certainly an interesting and wondrous item, but after all, it was merely gunpowder.
He knew that martial artists of the Thunderbolt Gate were in attendance here. There was a need to properly show them once. That tools made of gunpowder could never surpass that of a martial artist.
‘So give up on that conquest of the martial world or whatever, which you think is a secret plan known only to yourselves.’
Shring!
As if the first snow that had fallen overnight, a truly pure white blade was drawn out. It was White Phoenix, the Alliance Leader’s cherished weapon and a divine sword called rare across the ages.
“Thank you all for attending the Martial Alliance’s event. I shall commence the final duel.”
The Alliance Leader expressed gratitude to the crowd. Meanwhile, White Phoenix was covered in a pure white sword qi that was dazzling to the eyes.
Soon, White Phoenix was lightly swung toward the sky.
Reaching the end of the long sparring tournament. Before anyone knew it, the sun had set and the surroundings had darkened considerably.
The sword qi shot out from White Phoenix ascended endlessly toward the clouds like a white egret.
Whooosh!
The sound of air tearing coincided with what also sounded like a bird’s cry. Exclamations of admiration erupted from here and there. Despite the pitch-dark evening, the pure white sword qi brightly illuminated the surroundings as it ascended into heaven.
Soon, just as the white egret seemed to hide into the clouds.
Boooom!
It burst, spreading splendid fireworks in all directions on a completely different dimension from the Thunderbolt Gate’s signal firecracker.
It was so beautiful that tender-hearted children and women were even wiping away tears. Only the martial artists of the Thunderbolt Gate, who had come out to watch the splendor of their signal firecrackers, turned back sullenly.
Just like that, amidst that enchanting spectacle.
Two martial artists, one standing at the summit and the other at the lowest point of the Martial Alliance, surged toward each other.