Chapter 74
A slip from the Celestial Realm that only Jaseong could see.
Upon reading the words written there, Jaseong was utterly puzzled.
'... To create a rift in the martial world? Could it be... Am I being ordered to cause a great divide among the major powers of the martial world?'
It was truly a monumental Heaven's Mandate.
No matter how much Jaseong had conquered the dark path factions of Guangxi Province, and even recently forged an alliance with the North Sea Ice Palace to expand his influence, a task like causing a crack in the martial world was beyond the scope of ordinary missions. The difficulty was overwhelming.
'Why has the Celestial Realm suddenly issued such a Heaven's Mandate?'
Of course, at first he couldn't understand the Celestial Realm's intent.
But as he pondered, realization dawned.
'... Currently, the Central Plains are completely dominated by the Murim Alliance. And the latest entries on the Celestial Realm's Kill List consist largely of those from the Murim Alliance and the Righteous Faction...'
Powerhouses so mighty that they were candidates for transcendence, ruthless prodigies who would stop at nothing to become even stronger.
They had banded together into formidable cliques, sheltering within that strength, making it difficult to eliminate them.
Thus, the Celestial Realm had commanded him to create a rift between the martial world's factions.
If the existing order was shaken and a new one established, it would be easier to isolate and execute those individuals.
In short, this was the Celestial Realm's way of preparing the stage for the removal of those on the Kill List—it was the groundwork.
Coming to this realization, a smirk curled on Jaseong's lips.
'This Heaven's Mandate is building the very stage for my revenge.'
Of course, dividing the martial world was no simple feat.
It called for more caution and meticulous planning than ever before.
So Jaseong fell into deep thought.
And then, a sudden idea struck him—a particular individual came to mind.
It was time to make use of Gal Seo-ryeong, the guardian general of the Hao Sect.
'... This time, I'll have to exploit the upper ranks of the Hao Sect.'
* * *
While Jaseong was off subjugating the dark path factions in Guangxi Province...
At the ancestral home of the Murong clan, one of the Five Great Clans of the Central Plains.
It stood magnificently, more palace than residence.
A vast gate soared toward the sky, and beyond it stretched endless grounds and a gigantic pond.
White herons danced gracefully on the pond, rare ornamental stones arranged in harmony—like a painted landscape.
Everything reflected the wealth and power of the Murong clan.
Within one of the inner chambers, thick darkness had settled.
Inside, two men sat facing each other.
One, with heavy brows and a sharply defined nose, was Namgung Hui-yeon, the head of the Namgung family.
The other, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a haughty mouth, was Murong Cheolsan, head of the Murong clan.
He was one of the main culprits behind the death of Jaseong's eldest brother, having struck him down with the Blade Wind.
Both were heads of their clans and renowned experts.
Their mere presence made the hearts of the waiting attendants thrum with nervous tension.
Even pouring tea, the hands of the serving girls trembled faintly in the atmosphere.
It was Murong Cheolsan who spoke first.
"Namgung Head, rumor has it your third son was beaten senseless by that mere leader of the Hao Sect—can that be true?"
Namgung Hui-yeon met Murong Cheolsan's gaze with a blank expression.
"I was told you had urgent business, and that is why I came. Was I summoned here to be mocked?"
"Heh heh. You've grown rather testy. It brings to mind the Dragon-Phoenix Festival twenty years ago. Your temper is unchanged."
"Get to the point. I am not in the mood for banter."
"The branch leader of the Hao Sect, who beat your third son—I invited you to discuss him."
"?"
Murong Cheolsan sipped his steaming tea, then continued.
"Listen, Namgung head. Our Murong clan's reputation has also been dragged through the mud because of that Hao Sect branch leader."
"What do you mean?"
"That Elder Murong Dangcheon from our clan—surely you've heard he colluded with Three Souls Hall. But it was the Hao Sect branch leader who spread that fact far and wide in the martial world. In other words, our family's reputation has taken a heavy blow because of that wretch."
Namgung Hui-yeon now understood, vaguely, why Murong Cheolsan had called him here.
Murong Cheolsan questioned again.
"You met the fellow yourself, I hear. What did you think, Namgung head?"
"... He's clearly not ordinary. Young as he is, his martial arts are formidable. To be honest, his future potential is alarming."
"Oh? If you hold him in such regard, he must be a truly big fish... Did you also hear that the 'big fish' is growing not only in martial prowess, but also in influence?"
"?"
"He has the North Sea Ice Palace at his back—the strongest of the four external forces. The elders of the Hainan Sect have taken a liking to him as well. And recently, he has absorbed the dark path factions of Guangxi Province into his strength."
"... The dark path factions of Guangxi?"
Namgung Hui-yeon's eyes twitched.
In the Central Plains, Guangxi Province had the densest population of dark path factions.
Defeating such numbers and uniting the region would skyrocket Jaseong's power.
But the dark paths of Guangxi were notorious for their unruliness—it couldn't be done with force alone.
How on earth had that young man managed to bring them all to heel?
"And on top of that, the upper ranks of the Hao Sect are making suspicious moves."
"?"
"The true powers among the Hao Sect's branch leaders are stepping into the open. And even the Beggar's Union has yet to uncover the new branch leader's real identity."
Murong Cheolsan's surprising intelligence made Namgung Hui-yeon realize that a new wind was blowing through the Central Plains.
'Why has the leader of the Murim Alliance—my own father—not shared such information with me? What is he thinking...?'
His mind grew increasingly tangled.
"In any case, with the current state of the Central Plains, don't you agree it's wise to nip that bud before it grows?"
"To nip it?"
"If the Hao Sect's prestige grows, so does his. It may become trouble too great to manage later."
"......"
"Namgung head, there are proper 'masters' who rule this Central Plains. Can you really sit still while that upstart shames not one, but two of them?"
Though Murong Cheolsan's eyes were smiling, a wild murderous intent flickered beneath.
'As expected, so this is how he wants to play it.'
Namgung Hui-yeon was lost in thought for a moment.
And after a while, he nodded slowly.
"Fine."
"......"
"We can't just leave the leader of the Hao Sect, who provoked two of the Five Great Clans, unchecked. So what do you propose?"
The gazes of these two absolute experts clashed icily.
There stood Murong Cheolsan—the enemy who had killed Jaseong's brother—and Namgung Hui-yeon, known as one of the Three Swords of the Land.
With their alliance, dark clouds began to gather over Jaseong's stronghold in Ansun, Guizhou City.
* * *
After completing the subjugation of the dark path factions in Guangxi Province, Jaseong returned to Ansun alongside Lee Rin and Gu Janghu.
He left the management of Guangxi Province to Little Devil and Silent Traveler.
As former Fierce Sky Faction executives, their martial arts were impressive, but more importantly, they had learned how to handle the dark paths directly under Pacheon Gong.
Not only could they read the dark paths' minds, they could impose order with firm rewards and punishment.
Thus, they were perfectly suited to manage the dark paths of Guangxi.
Dagdak! Dagdak!
After several days of fast riding, at last the familiar atmosphere of the Red Light District came into view.
Brilliant lanterns colored the night streets in crimson.
The beautiful melodies of courtesans welcomed Jaseong's group with splendor.
'It's been a while. This mission dragged on unusually long.'
The group headed straight for White Fragrant Pavilion, the headquarters of the Hao Sect's Ansun branch.
There, as always, the branch secretary in charge of internal affairs, Hyang-I, was waiting for them.
"Leader!"
At the sight of Jaseong, Hyang-I came running with delight.
Her complexion was bright as moonlight, her eyes cat-like but gentle.
For someone raised in the Red Light District, she possessed a startlingly pure beauty.
"You worked hard in our absence, Hyang."
"I'm just doing my part, that's all."
Beaming, Hyang-I turned to Lee Rin.
"My young lady, you must have gone through much."
"I missed you, big sis Hyang-I!"
"I missed you too! Hehe. I've prepared loads of sweets for your return, young lady."
"Gasp...! I was just craving sweets! How did you know?"
... Eating a dozen a day, how could anyone not know? Jaseong asked Hyang-I again.
"Did a carrier pigeon arrive from the Hao Sect's guardian general while I was away?"
"No. There's been no word from the upper ranks."
"I see... Understood."
"Shall I send a carrier pigeon to headquarters?"
"Yes. Let me know the moment a reply comes."
"Understood!"
Before leaving for Guangxi, the guardian general Gal Seo-ryeong had sent Jaseong the following carrier pigeon message:
[.... Thanks to you, the prestige of our Hao Sect is rising by the day. As such, the Sect Leader and several branch leaders wish to present you with a fitting reward. Before long, we will contact you again—come to the designated place when summoned.]
Judging by this message, further contact seemed imminent.
Yet, even though he had returned from Guangxi, there was still no word.
'Did something happen?'
Well, with Hyang-I sending a carrier pigeon, there should be a reply soon.
In the meantime, Jaseong resolved to devote himself to the training he had been neglecting.
"Gasp, great hero, are you going straight to the main training yard on your first day back?"
"I didn't get to train properly during the mission."
"We could start tomorrow, couldn't we~?"
"We could also start today."
"... You really have nothing in your head besides martial arts, great hero."
Even Lee Rin shook her head in exasperation at Jaseong's single-minded devotion to training.
At dawn each morning, he would cultivate internal energy for over two hours using the Heaven Evading Soul Transformation Formula.
After internal energy training, he would hone the forms of the Heaven Evading Flash Sword.
In the evenings, he, Lee Rin, and Gu Janghu would train together on the Shadowless Body Technique, a movement skill from Shadowless Divine Thief.
'... Ever since I stumbled across that manual in Shadowless Divine Thief's training cave and learned its techniques, I haven't trained properly. I must keep at it and reach the next stage of the Shadowless Body Technique.'
The Shadowless Body Technique consisted of five stages in total.
[Stage One: Light Spirit True Step - beginning of the lightest steps.]
[Stage Two: Floating Formless Breeze — enables instant acceleration.]
[Stage Three: Divine Seamless Movement — movements seemingly unbound by space itself, running up vertical walls as if on flat ground.]
[Stage Four: True Shadowless Body — achieving true shadowlessness, leaving not even a shadow behind.]
[Stage Five: Heaven and Earth as One—harmonizing with the world's energy, transcending spatial constraints.]
Shuak! Ssak! Shuak!
The shadows of the three flashed through the trees of the main training yard like lightning.
Thanks to the opening of his meridians at Meridian-Clearing Powder, Gu Janghu's progress was visibly rapid.
His steps grew lighter by the day; he would soon reach the Floating Formless Breeze stage.
Lee Rin, too, had greatly increased her internal power through the celestial pill, so she was picking up the Shadowless Body Technique at a far faster pace than before.
But it was Jaseong whose progress shone brightest.
His movement was like wind across the training field, having already reached the realm of Divine Seamless Movement — running up vertical walls with ease.
'He's a real monster... He started the same time as us, yet he's already reached the third stage? We're only just finishing the first...!'
'... The leader's innate talent defies description.'
Both Lee Rin, once hailed a prodigy at the North Sea Ice Palace, and Gu Janghu, called the genius of Killing Valley, could not hope to catch up to Jaseong's natural gifts.
How many days of training passed thus?
One day, after finishing morning martial arts, the group was enjoying a late lunch at White Fragrant Pavilion's table.
On the table were shrimp dumplings, hot porridge, and yusanseul, ordered on Hyang-I's recommendation.
Lee Rin bit into a shrimp dumpling and smiled with contentment.
Gu Janghu, as usual, sipped his meal with a bit of wine.
It was a peaceful afternoon, as always.
But then, suddenly—
Step, step—
A heavy, chilling presence entered White Fragrant Pavilion, as six or seven martial artists made their way inside.
Shrouded in black clothes, their arrival radiated an ominous aura.
Jaseong's chopsticks froze in midair.
Lee Rin and Gu Janghu also sharpened their gazes and reached for their waists.
In an instant, the peaceful atmosphere of White Fragrant Pavilion turned tense.
Amid silence and mounting tension, the eyes of the men in black focused only on Jaseong.
'Who are they?'