Enshrinement as a God

After the return of the Black Qilin, the Black Contemplation Fortress, which had been crouching until now, was overflowing with vitality, as if blood were circulating through its veins.

In the huge garden spread out in the inner court of the Black Contemplation Fortress, Jeshin and Wenzhong were enjoying the sunlight and slowly walking.

Jeshin, upon Wenzhong's return, had a private audience with his father, Jeul, and asked to be able to take him as his master.

Although Jeshin was not pleased, he did not refuse Jeul's request.

The fact that Jeshin had taken Wenzhong as his master was like adding wings to his martial arts achievements.

He, who was originally a martial talent of the world and had outstanding aptitude, had made remarkable growth since he had begun to learn his father Jeul's Ten Variations True Art. With the subtlety of Wenzhong's Space-Time Sword and the teachings of the supreme martial arts, Jeshin was achieving a growth that was unrivaled among his peers.

"Master. The weather is very nice."

Wenzhong, seeing Jeshin, who strictly kept the master-disciple relationship even in private, instead of calling him 'uncle', felt both sad and proud at the same time.

"It is."

Wenzhong savored the leisure he had felt for the first time in a long time.

After a long life in the Hermit's Valley, where the weather was unpredictable, even this clear weather was giving him a small pleasure.

A heart that is grateful for small things.

Wenzhong, after meeting Jeshin, had time to reflect on how much he had been pushing himself.

Before being his nephew, Jeshin was an outstanding disciple.

Well, since he was the son of the Black Contemplation Fortress Lord, a martial talent of the world, it was unlikely that a tiger would give birth to a dog.

Wenzhong, while teaching Jeshin, realized the joy of sharing his martial arts.

How nice it would be if every day were like today...

The sun was temporarily hidden by the clouds, and the sky turned dark.

Wenzhong, looking at the sun hidden in the clouds, thought of the current Black Contemplation Fortress.

Just as clouds eventually form in a clear sky and a cloudy sky eventually pours down rain, the current peace would eventually bring about a storm.

A storm is a harbinger of a typhoon.

In order to not lose oneself in the coming storm, thorough preparation was needed.

Those who are not prepared will be swept away by the storm and will lose themselves.

"Master, aren't you called one of the Twelve Honored Ones of the World?"

Jeshin's question broke Wenzhong's thoughts.

Although Jeshin's expression was calm, the fighting spirit flowing in his eyes could not yet be hidden.

"Honored One..."

There was a time when he too had been obsessed with the word 'number one in the world'.

But what meaning would it have for him to be placed on the yardstick of the common people, such as the Twelve Honored Ones or the Four Unrivaled Swords of the World?

When he had encountered the Twelve Honored Ones, whom he had had a hard time meeting in his entire life, in the Hermit's Valley, he had not even felt a fighting spirit.

The state of a supreme master is a difference of a single sheet of paper, and that single sheet of paper divides a great class.

What fighting spirit would be left in those who had already thrown away everything of the secular world and had hidden in the Hermit's Valley to find their own purposes?

The world is wide, and strange and talented people are as numerous as grains of sand.

Looking at the monsters in the Hermit's Valley, the title of the Twelve Honored Ones, which the common people who were obsessed with empty fame had created, felt futile.

"Are all those who are called the Twelve Honored Ones possessed of a supreme martial prowess like you or my father, master?"

"Although I have not confirmed all of them, at least I could not guarantee victory or defeat."

"Have you met them?"

The Heavenly Demon, Tongtian Cult Master, the Sword Immortal, Taoist Lingbao, and Mo Guangdi, Jeul.

The three Honored Ones he had met.

And those who were not known to the world.

The three elders of the Non-Duality Gate.

And...

"Old Ancestor Hongjun..."

"What?"

"In the world, there are masters who are more powerful than what the common people say, so you should not think lightly of an opponent just by hearing their reputation."

"Yes."

Although it was a firm answer, Wenzhong was worried about the young Jeshin's fighting spirit.

It was clear that Jeshin had a skill that no one among the rising stars could follow.

But where was the law that there would not be another monster like Old Ancestor Hongjun in the world?

The heavens, cruelly, would take one away if they gave one, and if they gave a talent, they would also give an opponent to face it.

The Heavenly Demon and the Sword Immortal.

The Unquenchable Fire and the Flame Emperor had also had a life-and-death battle.

And Mo Guangdi, Jeul, and he himself were also in such a relationship.

It would be best if a rival were a friend, but there was no guarantee that Jeshin and his opponent would become friends like Jeul and himself.

Of course, in the end, they had become worse than strangers from friends...

Wenzhong suddenly thought of the child who had been screaming in the rain in the Hermit's Valley.

If he were alive, and if he had a connection with the monsters of the Hermit's Valley, he might become a good opponent for Jeshin.

As Wenzhong and Jeshin were walking in the garden along the path, someone was hurrying his steps towards them.

Wenzhong, who had found him first, frowned and stopped his steps.

"Isn't that Shiyue?"

"Yes. Shiyue, I greet you, young master."

"Shiyue."

"I greet you, Grand Preceptor Wen."

Wenzhong's gaze, looking at Shiyue, had turned cold.

Although it was Jeshin's order, the fact that he had moved according to the plan that Shiyue had laid out was a very unpleasant thing.

If he were like this, if Shiyue were to change his mind, Jeshin would have no way to handle it. Who could know if he would try to devour Jeshin later, even if not right now?

"So, what's the matter?"

The fact that Shiyue had come to meet Jeshin in person was proof that it was an important matter.

"Huang Feihu has come to the Black Contemplation Fortress."

"You mean the Lion Escort King?"

As Jeshin tilted his head, Wenzhong, who was next to him, quietly opened his mouth.

"Who is he?"

Since Huang Feihu had just made a name for himself in the martial world when he had gone into seclusion, it was natural that Wenzhong did not know him.

"He is the head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency, and he is called the king of escorts because his martial prowess is outstanding among the escorts."

"Why has Huang Feihu come to the Black Contemplation Fortress?"

"A while ago... it seems it's because the leader of the Red Moon Squad was killed by his hand."

"How dare he!"

The news that the leader of the Red Moon Squad had died in battle was something that Jeshin had also been reported on early.

Although it was heartbreaking for a subordinate to die during a mission, it was a natural thing in the Black Contemplation Fortress.

But apart from that, the fact that the leader of the Black Contemplation Fortress had been killed by the head escort of a mere escort agency was a matter related to the prestige of the Black Contemplation Fortress.

"It seems he has come because of the matter of having laid a hand on the Seo Won Escort Agency. He wants to meet you, young master, and settle the grudge..."

"Shiyue."

"Yes, Grand Preceptor."

Before Jeshin could answer, Wenzhong's sharp voice fell on Shiyue.

"Are you in your right mind? Although he is the king of escorts, he is still an escort. Are you saying that the young master should move to meet a mere escort?"

"I am sorry."

Shiyue lowered his head.

As Wenzhong, who had not been hiding his displeasure with Shiyue anyway, reprimanded Shiyue to suppress his spirit, Jeshin stepped forward and defended Shiyue.

"Although they are escorts, he is a person who is called the king of the escorts of the world. Wouldn't it be worth meeting him once?"

"If he has challenged the authority of the Black Contemplation Fortress, it is enough to cut off his head. If he is a person who is worthy enough to be able to raise his own voice, it is not too late to hear his story then."

Wenzhong strode forward, one step ahead of Shiyue.

Jeshin had to walk the path of an emperor.

A person who walks the path of a hegemon has a dignity that is appropriate for it.

He thought that the people whom Jeshin would meet or face in the future should be made up of those who were worthy of him.

"It seems the Lion Escort King will pay a heavy price today."

Jeshin, for a moment, looked at Wenzhong's back and his two eyes sparkled with anticipation.

* * *

"The evil path supreme, the Black Contemplation Fortress."

Huang Feihu, with a huge crescent moon blade on his shoulder, looked around the training ground of the guest room in the inner court of the Black Contemplation Fortress and felt a pressure from the prestige of the Black Contemplation Fortress without realizing it.

After helping Xi Xichang's party, as he had worried, the Black Contemplation Fortress had immediately begun to intimidate the Seo Won Merchant Guild.

Not only that, but the all-out pressure on the trading partners and escort agencies that were trading with the Seo Won Merchant Guild was a great burden, no matter how great the prestige of the Seo Won Merchant Guild was.

Although it was after he had decided to quit being an escort, Huang Feihu, who had thought that if he continued like this, he would be running away after only causing trouble for the merchant guild he had been a part of, had eventually moved his feet to the Black Contemplation Fortress to resolve the grudge.

'If things go wrong, I might have to give up my life...'

Huang Feihu had originally come to the Black Contemplation Fortress, risking his life.

Although it was easy to say 'grudge', since he had interfered with the plan of the Black Contemplation Fortress and had also killed its leader, there was no reason for the Black Contemplation Fortress to let him go alive now that he had become a commoner without the backing of the Seo Won Merchant Guild.

'A strong enemy!'

Huang Feihu, who was looking around the training ground with a complicated heart, was startled to realize that someone was watching him from behind.

Since he had entered the ranks of a supreme master, he had never once given up his blind spot without realizing it.

If the opponent had made up his mind, he would have been caught from behind. It was no different from having lost the battle of wits before it had even begun.

'They say there are as many masters in the Black Contemplation Fortress as grains of sand in a desert... what a great momentum.'

Huang Feihu, looking at the opponent in front of him, who was wearing a white martial arts uniform, realized that he was clutching the lion crescent moon blade without realizing it.

Although his head had not intended it, his instinct was wary of the master in front of him.

"So you are the one called the Lion Escort King."

The opponent, who had gently drawn the sword from his waist, was the Black Qilin, Wenzhong, who had headed to the training ground of the inner court in one go to meet him.

Huang Feihu, feeling a strong pressure just from the fact that this unknown man was looking at him, corrected his posture.

Although he had not expected a favorable appearance, seeing him draw his sword in one go, he might have to have an unwanted fight.

"Since I have quit being an escort, the title of Escort King does not suit me. My name is Huang Feihu. Who are you?"

"You came to meet the young master?"

"I don't know who the young master is. I just said that I wanted to meet the person in charge."

It was the Black Contemplation Fortress that he had come to, thinking of the worst-case scenario.

Even at the rudeness of openly ignoring his words, Huang Feihu continued to speak as calmly as possible.

"Since a mere martial artist has come to meet the person in charge of the Black Contemplation Fortress, I will see if he has the appropriate qualifications."

The opponent was treating him as if he were a newcomer to the martial world.

It was the first time he had received such treatment since he had made a name for himself in the martial world, being called the Lion Escort King of Qinghai.

"I came to apologize to the Black Contemplation Fortress and to explain the situation, not to compete with you."

"Useless talk."

Wenzhong extended his beloved weapon, the golden whip, and thrust it forward an inch.

As the golden whip trembled lightly and extended towards Huang Feihu, the surrounding air shook. Huang Feihu suddenly felt the illusion that the ground was disappearing and the sky was turning upside down.

"Hmm!"

The most important thing when displaying martial arts is the center of the body.

No matter how great a martial art one displayed, if the center was not properly held, one could not display one's full power.

Although he didn't know what method Wenzhong had used, with just one move of thrusting his sword, Huang Feihu felt his center collapse.

Thump!

Huang Feihu hurriedly raised his unique martial art, the Lion Heart Art, and strongly struck the ground with the dragon head of his crescent moon blade.

He was also a person who had once been called the king of escorts.

As a supreme master of the martial world, an opportunity to have a fight worthy of a fight had come for the first time in a long time.

Wenzhong was inwardly interested. Originally, just by him displaying his Space-Time Sword, dozens of enemies would lose their center and fall.

But seeing him compose his posture in one go and try to display his move, it seemed that Huang Feihu had quite outstanding skills, as Shiyue had reported.

One step. One step.

Wenzhong, as if he had come out for a walk, slowly walked towards Huang Feihu with the posture of thrusting his sword.

Wenzhong's steps were so slow that a child could grab his sleeve, and the movement of his sword was also so clear that it seemed that he could know its location even if he closed his two eyes.

But on the forehead of Huang Feihu, who was looking at the golden whip of Wenzhong, who was slowly approaching him, sweat was constantly flowing.

It seemed that the world was moving as slowly as Wenzhong's slow steps towards him.

And in that slow world, he was standing still alone.

What kind of ultimate art in the world could cause such a divine change?

Huang Feihu also had ears, so he knew well that a peerless master had reappeared in the Black Contemplation Fortress.

"Black Qilin...!"

(End of Chapter)