Chapter 47
The Twelve Honored Ones who shook the martial world.
The absolute masters who had reigned as the supreme masters of the martial world for decades.
Whether they were martial artists or ordinary people, when they talked about the martial world, their interest and names could not be left out.
But it was also human nature to get tired of things easily.
There were also those who expected a new divinity that would surpass the Twelve Honored Ones, who had disappeared one by one.
Huang Feihu was also once called the Lion Escort King and was said to be a master close to the Twelve Honored Ones.
Although he had never met the Twelve Honored Ones, Huang Feihu had dismissed such comparisons from the common people as absurd.
Although several years had passed since he had reached the state of a supreme master, his martial arts were in a state of stagnation, as if they had hit a wall.
The opponent was one of the twelve superhumans who were said to have achieved the ultimate of martial arts.
If he had been given the opportunity to witness his martial arts in a normal state, he would surely have considered it a great fortune.
But now, his sword was aiming for Huang Feihu's own life.
Lion Heart, Lion Slashing Blade.
As long as he knew who the opponent was, being lenient was a luxury and an arrogance.
Huang Feihu gathered his internal energy with all his might, grabbed the crescent moon blade in one go, and displayed his ultimate move.
In a world where everything had slowed down, Huang Feihu's crescent moon blade slowly soared towards Wenzhong.
A strange light appeared in Wenzhong's eyes.
The realm of the Space-Time Sword was his absolute domain.
Only the strong who had reached the supreme state could have a proper fight against him.
But a martial artist from an escort agency, whom he had never even heard of, was displaying his move within his Space-Time Sword.
Although it was a crescent moon blade that was slowly counterattacking Wenzhong, unable to reach its full speed, it contained a fierce power, as it was Huang Feihu's peerless move.
Wenzhong, who had walked up to Huang Feihu's nose, thrusting his golden whip, slowly lifted the blade of the crescent moon blade with his golden whip.
Kiiiing!
As the blade of the golden whip and the blade of the crescent moon blade clashed, a chilling echo shook the arena.
A flame-like light flickered around and began to dance in the air like a will-o'-the-wisp.
The qi contained in the swords of Wenzhong and Huang Feihu was burning each other and vaporizing.
"What a splendid sword move."
Wenzhong, feeling the weight of the crescent moon blade transmitted from the golden whip, let out an exclamation of admiration.
Those who encountered his Space-Time Sword for the first time were often flustered by the situation they had never experienced before and would fall apart.
But Huang Feihu was sharply refining his sense of qi and was trying to create an opportunity in a crisis with the best ultimate move he could display.
Pang!
"Kuk!"
Huang Feihu, feeling a tremendous pressure on the hand holding the crescent moon blade, let out a short sigh.
Soon, the sensation in his palm disappeared, and the crescent moon blade, contrary to Huang Feihu's will, soared into the air and was stuck in the thick ceiling of the training ground.
Wenzhong quickly rotated his body and looked at the hand that had been holding the crescent moon blade.
Both palms, unable to withstand the applied force, were torn and covered in blood.
'This is bad!'
Huang Feihu quickly turned his body and grabbed one of the weapons that were arranged around the training ground at random.
And when he turned his gaze to face Wenzhong again, Wenzhong had already put the golden whip back at his waist and was turning his back and slowly moving away from him.
"What?"
Although Huang Feihu was bewildered for a moment, not understanding this situation, he soon realized that a young man and an old man who was assisting him had appeared at the entrance of the training ground.
"Have you finished the test, uncle?"
"Hmm..."
At Jeshin's question, who had been watching the martial arts contest of the two, Wenzhong nodded slightly.
Outstanding skills and an unyielding fighting spirit even after losing his weapon.
He was a talent who could achieve greater accomplishments if he had the teachings of a supreme master.
"You said your name was Huang Feihu?"
"That's right."
Huang Feihu flew his body into the air in one go and easily pulled out his crescent moon blade that was stuck in the ceiling.
Although his palms were covered in blood and blood was dripping along the handle, he was so angry and ashamed at the fact that he, a martial artist, had dropped his weapon that he didn't even care about the pain.
"Shiyue."
"Yes, young master."
At Jeshin's call, Shiyue brought a clean silk cloth from nearby and handed it to Huang Feihu.
It was Jeshin's kindness to wrap his wound.
"It's fine."
As Huang Feihu expressed his refusal, Shiyue shook his head slightly and advised.
"Are you planning to talk with the young master while bleeding like that? It is also not polite to refuse a favor that has been offered."
Huang Feihu was silent for a moment and faced Shiyue, and then finally took the silk cloth he had handed him and roughly tied his palm to stop the bleeding.
"Is that person the one in charge of the Red Moon Squad?"
"He is the second young master of the Black Contemplation Fortress Lord, Jeul, and the master of the Red Flower Annihilation Squad, including the Red Moon Squad, Young Master Jeshin."
"Jeshin..."
Huang Feihu had heard of the second, no, to be precise, the third young master of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
Originally, Jeul of the Black Contemplation Fortress had a first, Gye, and a second, Yeon, but the first had lost his life during the Sichuan Great War, and after that, the third son, Jeshin, was born from a new wife he had taken.
Although both were intelligent and had outstanding aptitude, it was also a topic that was often talked about in the streets that the succession structure of the Black Contemplation Fortress had fallen into a labyrinth because of that.
"My name is Huang Feihu."
Huang Feihu cupped his fists and showed his respect.
Although he had no connection to the Black Contemplation Fortress and did not need to show his respect first, he was in a position where he had to ask for Jeshin's mercy.
Perhaps the reason he had sent Wenzhong first was also a method to break his spirit.
"They say the Lion Escort King of Qinghai is a model for the escorts of the world... Indeed, his reputation was not in vain."
Jeshin smiled coolly, strode into the training ground, and faced Huang Feihu, cupping his fists.
Huang Feihu felt a sense of relief inwardly, as Jeshin seemed to have a more magnanimous temperament than he had expected.
Jeshin looked at Huang Feihu's hand, which was still dripping with blood, and his crescent moon blade.
Jeshin, who had hurriedly followed Wenzhong with Shiyue, had been able to watch the martial arts contest of Wenzhong and Huang Feihu from beginning to end.
Indeed, the Four Unrivaled Swords of the World, the Sword Demon of the World.
The space where the Black Qilin's Space-Time Sword was displayed was a sight that he could not believe even while watching it with his own two eyes.
The place where Wenzhong and Huang Feihu were was as calm and peaceful as the eye of a typhoon, but outside his domain, a powerful storm of qi that tore everything apart was being scattered.
Wenzhong was trying to take Huang Feihu's life slowly, as if taking something out of his pocket.
Although it was a desperate moment, Huang Feihu was not giving up.
Jeshin was greatly impressed as he watched the fighting spirit of Huang Feihu, who was trying to counterattack Wenzhong by displaying his move.
"Young master. This Huang family is no longer an escort, but a commoner. Since the grudge with the Black Contemplation Fortress was made as the martial artist Huang Feihu, not the escort Huang Feihu, please withdraw the retaliation against the Seo Won Merchant Guild."
Huang Feihu had no intention of dragging things out.
"You seem to be too confident in your martial arts. Do you think you can resolve the grudge with the Black Contemplation Fortress alone, not as the head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency, Huang Feihu?"
"I beg you."
"Even if you could turn back time, would you help the Qingcheng Sect again?"
At Jeshin's question, Huang Feihu took a deep breath and fell into thought.
If he went back to that time, would he help Xi Xichang's party again?
Although he had helped Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi as if he were being dragged by Jin Tianxiang, who had stepped forward first, in reality, that was something he should have done as a martial artist who practiced justice.
But that was only from the perspective of the martial artist Huang Feihu.
For the escort Huang Feihu, who had to prioritize the escorted goods, it was an act no different from a mistake.
If he thought of the Seo Won Merchant Guild, which was in trouble now, and himself, the escort Huang Feihu should never have helped them.
"I would help."
It would be a lie if he said he didn't regret it.
But for Huang Feihu, the duty of righteousness was more important than the responsibility of an escort.
'I'm not a young man anymore...'
Unlike Huang Feihu, who was smiling self-deprecatingly, the smile disappeared from Jeshin's face, as if this answer had touched his nerves.
"You would stand against the Black Contemplation Fortress even if you turned back time...?"
"That's right. But that is the will of this Huang Feihu, not the will of the Seo Won Merchant Guild."
He was already prepared.
Seeing Huang Feihu's determination, Jeshin's expression became even more chilly.
"Kukuk... hahaha!"
"?"
Huang Feihu, who had thought that he would be made to pay for his blood right away, looked at Jeshin in a bewildered way as he suddenly burst into laughter.
Wenzhong and Shiyue, who were next to him, showed a small smile as Jeshin laughed loudly.
"Good! A man should have that much magnanimity! I like you even more."
"What... do you mean?"
Jeshin, seeing the bewildered expression on Huang Feihu's face, offered him a seat on one side of the training ground.
Huang Feihu sat down in the seat that Jeshin had offered with a dazed expression.
"Lion Escort King... no, Great Hero Huang. Even if we let the Seo Won Merchant Guild go, we can't just let the matter of the leader of the Red Moon Squad go."
"I am prepared."
Although they would not attack him here right away for the sake of the prestige of the Black Contemplation Fortress, if he made an enemy of the Black Contemplation Fortress, it would be difficult to survive in Sichuan with his head on his shoulders.
"So surrender to the Black Contemplation Fortress, no, to me."
"Surrender...?"
"If you are an escort, you are a person who does not belong to either the righteous or the evil path. I am saying you should rely on me."
Huang Feihu could not easily answer the unexpected proposal.
"How about we lead the evil path under heaven martial world together?"
"..."
The evil path under heaven.
What man who had learned martial arts would not dream of walking the path of a hegemon with ambition?
But the evil path under heaven was a path he had never once thought of.
"I'm sorry, but the proposal..."
"If you need a reason, think of the Seo Won Merchant Guild."
As Shiyue, who was next to him, chimed in, Huang Feihu's eyebrows twitched.
It was a statement no different from a threat.
"I have no intention of obtaining a person by intimidation. Shiyue."
Jeshin, after giving a warning to Shiyue, continued to speak to Huang Feihu, who was showing his displeasure.
"For the next three years, serve me and help me. After that, if you don't like me, you can leave the Black Contemplation Fortress. At least you owe me and the Black Contemplation Fortress for the matter of the leader of the Red Moon Squad, don't you?"
And yet, as Huang Feihu could not easily answer, Jeshin gestured to Shiyue.
"Shiyue. Withdraw all the sanctions that were being imposed on the Seo Won Merchant Guild."
"Yes, young master."
"That is...!"
"If you stop me now, I have no choice but to pull out the cornerstone of the Seo Won Merchant Guild."
Jeshin was implying to Huang Feihu that he had already yielded a lot.
No matter how much Huang Feihu was a master he liked, to let him go alive like this was to tarnish the prestige of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
The death of the leader of the Red Moon Squad was a matter that would also reach the ears of his father, Jeul.
If he did not take measures, it was no different from leaving a blemish on the succession battle that would intensify in the future.
"Three years. The promise is valid, right?"
"Of course. Perhaps you will like me so much that you will help me for the rest of your life, won't you?"
At Jeshin's confident answer, Huang Feihu knelt down, holding his crescent moon blade, and cupped his fists.
"I, Huang Feihu, greet you again, my lord, Young Master Jeshin."
"Indeed, you are a man! Uncle, doesn't he need a new title?"
"That's right. Now that he is a martial artist of the Black Contemplation Fortress, not an escort, he should have a title that is appropriate for him."
"It would be better for you to give him a title, uncle, than for me."
"Wucheng."
Wenzhong said the two characters in one go, as if he had had this situation in mind.
"From Lion Escort King to Wucheng... yes, I will call you King Wucheng from now on and entrust you with the position of the general leader of the Red Flower Annihilation Squad!"
"As you command."
It was an unconventional measure, and it was an appointment that showed how much Jeshin liked Huang Feihu.
Not only Wenzhong, but also Huang Feihu.
In order to conquer the world, the camp had to be equipped with the dragon of military force and the phoenix of strategy.
Now, with Grand Preceptor Wenzhong, Huang Feihu, who would be called King Wucheng, and Shiyue of the inner court, it was no different from Jeshin being ready to take a step forward to the Sichuan martial world, beyond the Black Contemplation Fortress.
(End of Chapter)