NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 153
Chapter 153: Woman?
[·····If you want to reclaim the Gongdong Sect’s Supreme Technique, come to the Heavenly Mountain and compete with the Demon Sect’s Post-Stimulation Indicator.]
My face stiffened slightly upon reading the letter.
I knew that the Demon Sect had the Gongdong Sect’s Supreme Technique. In fact, it was a legend in the White Path Martial World that my brother, the greatest of the White Path, had single-handedly invaded the Demon Sect, defeated all five demons, confronted the Heavenly Demon, and won in battle to recover all of the Gongdong Sect’s Supreme Techniques.
There had been rumors circulating this round that the Demon Sect was guarding the Gongdong Sect’s Supreme Techniques.
‘It’s probably something Heaven Demon leaked.’
The current Heaven Demon, Baek Murang.
Together with the Flame King Jeoksawol and the Genius Won-geuk Dae-sa, he was a supreme being ruling the Martial World.
As a key figure in the Martial World, naturally, all his information was recorded, down to the color of his underwear.
Born with the Heavenly Body of the Heaven Demon, Baek Murang was a genius of the Demon Sect’s history, though not as strong as my brother, he could be compared to the first Heaven Demon.
He had broken through the stage of Hwakyung before even reaching adulthood. After defeating the previous sect leader, he ascended to the position of Heaven Demon. Unlike my brother, who was born with exceptional talent, the Heaven Demon led a lonely and dull life, unable to understand others.
What he desired was a rival. The reason he had passively watched my brother invade the Demon Sect and defeat the five demons, and why he had willingly surrendered all the Gongdong Sect’s secret techniques, was because he regarded my brother as a true rival.
The only person he found interesting was my brother, who was said to possess talents surpassing his own, the owner of the Heavenly Body. And that prediction had proven true; the only rival he had in his past life was my brother.
In this life as well, the Heaven Demon must have used tactics to lure my brother based on the fact that he was a Heavenly Body.
No need to play the video to know that.
Rumors could be easily dismissed. Just rumors, especially coming from the Demon Sect. There was no need to react.
However, if the Heaven Demon personally sent a signed letter like this as a provocation, that changes everything. The relationship between the Gongdong Sect and the Demon Sect is one of mortal enemies since the great battle of Orthodox Factions. If we don’t respond to such provocations, it would harm the Gongdong Sect’s honor.
Everyone in the Martial World would point at us and say we were cowards.
We had to react, one way or another.
“It’s not just the Gongdong Sect. I’ve heard that similar letters have been sent to the Martial Alliance and the Sado Family under the name of the Demon Sect. They spoke about deciding the best post-stimulation indicator at the Heavenly Mountain.”
The voice of Do-hwang followed.
His sunglasses sparkled. A rare serious shadow fell over his face, which was previously filled with a hearty smile.
“I never expected that the Heaven Demon would dare to provoke our White Path this way. What do you plan to do?”
I pondered slightly at Do-hwang’s question.
While ignoring the Martial Alliance and Sado Family’s letters could be fine since they weren’t personally signed by the Heaven Demon, the fact that a signed letter arrived for the Gongdong Sect makes it problematic.
Did the Heaven Demon really take this seriously? Unlike the past life, my brother has stepped into the martial world much earlier now.
“It’s only right for our mortal enemy to pay a price for daring to send a letter to us. Of course, I won’t thoughtlessly walk into the enemy’s trap. I’m not going anywhere without a guaranteed absolute safety order in the name of the Heaven Demon.”
After all, the Demon Sect was a place I had to visit at least once to reclaim the Gongdong Sect’s techniques.
Might as well go now. Of course, I would need some sort of safety guarantee in the name of the Heaven Demon.
If not, I’d have no intention of going.
Do I look like someone who would voluntarily walk into the Demon Sect’s den? To put it bluntly, if you want to see my brother’s face, at least show some seriousness.
From the Heaven Demon’s perspective, issuing a decree for absolute safety to protect the Orthodox Faction’s Post-Stimulation Indicator, which is in an adversarial relationship with the Demon Sect, would undermine his authority and impose significant political burden on him.
I was effectively turning the tables on the Heaven Demon.
If the Heaven Demon rejects my proposal, I can use that as an excuse not to go to the Demon Sect; if he accepts, I get to go to a place I was bound to visit anyway.
In either case, there was no loss on my end.
“Master, you need not respond to the Demon Sect’s letter. If the Heaven Demon accepts my proposal, my brother and I will represent the Gongdong Sect and the White Path Martial World and go to the Heavenly Mountain.”
I looked at Do-hwang as I spoke. He chuckled at my words.
“Hohohoho! If you do that, then I’m all for it.”
While it wasn’t the same predicament as us, Do-hwang must have felt awkward after receiving the Demon Sect’s letter directly.
As the leader of the White Path Martial World, he couldn’t ignore an official letter sent by the Demon Sect. However, sending the Post-Stimulation Indicator, the future of Orthodox Factions, into the dangerous heart of the Demon Sect was also out of the question.
In the end, he was caught in a bind due to the reputation of the White Path Martial World.
But if I were to go on behalf of the White Path, it would be as if he didn’t do anything personally.
Of course, I didn’t intend to do this for free.
“Instead, I’d like the Martial Alliance to increase its support and provide active backing for us.”
The Demon Sect is a perilous place.
Going there without a life allowance would be insane.
So, I needed to extract as much tangible and intangible support from the Martial Alliance as possible.
“That’s a given! Hohoho! Don’t worry too much. Sword Dragon!”
Of course, it wasn’t a bad deal for Do-hwang either.
He was promising to have someone else do a difficult task for him, and if the influence of the Gongdong Sect increased, the influence of the Seomun Family would decrease, benefiting Do-hwang’s position as well.
The Martial Alliance was a collective body of the White Path. While the Martial Alliance of the Ming Empire era had strong authority as a government-recognized institution, it still couldn’t surpass the authority of the six major families.
The deep historical roots and powerful military force of these six families made it so that the current UN-style Martial Alliance, funded largely by those major families, had to be mindful of their funding.
Thus, the Martial Alliance and the six major families were constantly vying for influence in Orthodox Faction’s Martial World, pulling each other’s strings.
It wasn’t because Zhu Yuanzhang established the Martial Alliance as a permanent institution out of goodwill. He did it as a political maneuver to fragment the Martial World, making them tear into each other.
Especially since Do-hwang came from a lowly background, he wanted to weaken the six major families’ power, tighten the leash on them, and gain control over the Martial Alliance.
This was why he had moved the Martial Alliance’s enforcement unit to topple the Moryong Family as soon as he seized a justification. Undoubtedly, weakening the influence of the Seomun Family, which was one of the six, would also benefit Do-hwang.
So this was a win-win situation for both sides.
Bang bang.
Do-hwang laughed heartily as he patted my shoulder. Sword Dragon.
Yeah, that’s right, I am the Sword Dragon. Hearing that title come from Do-hwang made me feel oddly good.
“Hohoho.”
“Hmm, hohohoho!”
I chuckled in a manly way, unlike before.
Do-hwang too adjusted his sunglasses while laughing heartily.
“Hohoho! Sword Dragon! Much better than that woman-like hohoho laughter from earlier! Now that’s a manly laugh!”
He laughed while patting my shoulder.
The moment the Yongbong Society came to a close.
*
A festival of the Orthodox Faction Martial World.
The Yongbong Society came to an end. There was a brief uproar during the middle involving the Moryong Family and the Cheongdam Meeting. Because of this, the Martial Alliance leader Do-hwang had directly moved the Martial Alliance’s enforcement unit to dismantle the Moryong Family, and everyone associated with the Post-Stimulation Indicator in the Cheongdam Meeting had lost their entry rights to the Yongbong Society.
Since most of the Post-Stimulation Indicators from the key pillars of the Orthodox Faction’s six major families had been eliminated due to the Cheongdam incident, concerns were rampant that this Yongbong Society only exposed the weaknesses of the Orthodox Faction.
However, as if mocking such concerns, the winning streak of Lee Cheol-soo from the fallen Gongdong Sect and the magnificent finale against the former Sword Dragon Jinpaeseon became the hottest topic throughout the Yongbong Society’s history.
In addition, the victory of Lee Cheol-soo and the stunning revival of the Gongdong Sect created a storyline reminiscent of a thrilling opera that had the world buzzing.
The tales of Lee Cheol-soo and Jinpaeseon’s finals quickly spread throughout the Central Plains.
“Did you hear that the Gongdong Sect won at this Yongbong Society?”
“I heard that too! They fought utterly naked with the Sword Dragon of the Mount Hua Sect, right?”
“Now that’s a ridiculous martial arts contest I’ve never heard of!”
“I heard that after winning the Yongbong Society, the Gongdong Alliance got the one sword from Do-hwang and were given the title of Sword Dragon······!”
“Sword Dragon? That’s more like ‘Monster Dragon’!”
The official title for Lee Cheol-soo was Sword Dragon. With this victory at the Yongbong Society, he had firmly claimed the seat of the present supreme Post-Stimulation Indicator.
However, the common folks did not call him Sword Dragon.
They referred to him as the “Monster Dragon” Lee Cheol-soo.
“Rumor has it that the Shaolin Temple has formed an alliance with the Gongdong Sect.”
“I’ve also heard that the new head of the Moryong Family sent a thank-you letter, expressing immense gratitude towards the Gongdong Sect.”
“I hear the Martial Alliance is also looking favorably upon the Gongdong Sect! They not only received the Yongbong Society prize money but also additional support!”
“And that’s not all! The unparalleled master of One Sword Play and the supreme master of Hwakyung, Goeui, have both offered their services to the Gongdong Sect!”
“Doesn’t this mean we can safely declare the Gongdong Sect’s complete revival?”
Since the Gongdong Sect stepped back into the scene after winning in the Orthodox Faction Competition, defeating So Geom-hu in the Hangshan Great War, and triumphing in the Yongbong Society, it was nothing short of a perfect revival.
Moreover, Lee Cheol-soo, who had risen as the supreme Post-Stimulation Indicator and received Do-hwang’s one sword, was a resounding testament to the Gongdong Sect’s comeback.
As these rumors spread across the world, something else emerged.
“However, it might be too early to discuss revival. The Heaven Demon personally sent a signed letter to the Gongdong Sect.”
“Is that the letter calling for a competition to decide the best Post-Stimulation Indicator at the Heavenly Mountain?”
“He said that if they want to reclaim the Supreme Techniques, they should come to the Heavenly Mountain!”
“Oh, this is truly a bolt from the blue as the Gongdong Sect rises!”
“But they can’t ignore it either. If they want their techniques back, they will have no choice but to comply with the enemy’s proposal, right?”
The letters sent from the Demon Sect to both the Gongdong Sect and the Orthodox Faction stirred the world anew.
Let’s determine the best Post-Stimulation Indicator.
Come to the Demon Sect.
Breaking decades of silence since the Great War of Orthodox Factions, the Demon Sect’s first public declaration shook the Nine Provinces and Eight Monarchs.
And of course, the Heaven Demon’s proposal reached the ears of the Flame King Jeoksawol.
In the misty city of Chongqing, famous for its fog, the headquarters of the Black Dragon Clan sat in the center.
The major pillar supporting the Demon Sect, occupying one of the Eight Palaces, the grand Black Dragon Clan leader was there.
In the leader’s office of the Black Dragon Clan, there was someone sitting who wasn’t the leader.
With striking red hair and jewel-like, sparkling red eyes, she appeared as a stunning beauty known for her national charm.
The number one female of the Demon Sect, and the new leader of the Sado Family, Flame King Jeoksawol, was there.
Beside her stood the Black Dragon Clan leader and Hwakyung’s Mastery, Gwangma Dodgun Wi Cheon-myeong, who had lost his original seat.
But today’s protagonist was not Gwangma Dodgun.
Jeoksawol’s red gaze turned towards the black-haired girl with a bobbed cut, who appeared somewhat tense in front of her—Heuksaryong Wi Soryeon.
“You are the Heuksaryong?”
Upon Jeoksawol’s words, Wi Soryeon gulped dryly. Her eyes perceived Jeoksawol’s stunning beauty.
The Most Beautiful in the World.
I had heard that the leader of the Sado Family was referred to as such. They said her beauty could bring a nation to its knees. I thought it was an exaggeration.
However, standing face to face with Jeoksawol’s breathtaking beauty was overwhelming. The term “national charm” could hardly encapsulate how violently beautiful she was.
Unintentionally, jealousy stirred within my heart.
Being much younger than her, Wi Soryeon, who was the same age as Lee Cheol-soo, could almost read Jeoksawol’s envy reflected in her black eyes.
‘Yeah, if I’m to see a woman, it should be like this.’
Jeoksawol left scars after attending the Yongbong Society. Especially that bitch of One Sword Play showed no reaction even standing in front of her. It was humiliating.
The same should apply to Wi Soryeon, One Sword Play, So Geom-hu, and even Geumhu. Jealousy for women, inner passions for men—this is how the Most Beautiful in the World should be. That’s Jeoksawol.
‘One Sword Play, she’s not quite right.’
Normally, she would be a nuisance, but not now. Jeoksawol took out a letter from between her ample bosom, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.
“This is a letter from the Demon Sect.”
Rustle.
Wi Soryeon took the letter from Jeoksawol with the necessary respect and unfolded it.
She had heard the rumors about a letter being sent from the Demon Sect. But seeing the real thing was another story.
As she read the contents of the letter, Jeoksawol’s voice came into her ears.
“Black Dragon, Wi Soryeon. You will go to the Heavenly Mountain representing the Demon Sect. Go and….”
Jeoksawol smiled.
“…gather information on the movement of the Demon Sect and the Golden Dragon Lee Cheol-soo, who will also head to the Heavenly Mountain under similar circumstances.”
At that moment, upon hearing the name Lee Cheol-soo from Jeoksawol’s lips, Wi Soryeon’s body froze as if she had turned to stone.