The people who’d been about to leave disappointed softened at the word that the Master of Shincheon Manor wished to offer thanks—and they grew curious about the gift.“So he’s not completely without manners after all.”“Exactly. If he even declined invitations from the great sects, something important must have come up.”“We barged in when he was busy—apologies to him.”With that, they accepted the gifts being handed out.“The Master asked us to convey his sincere apologies to everyone who came today. And what you’ve each received is one Harmony Pill.”“Harmony Pill!”“Good heavens! That precious thing!”“If he handed one out to every person here, how much is that worth!”“Hundreds at the very least.”Faces completely unknotted.“Whoever the Master of Shincheon Manor is, he’s generous to the core.”“With a vessel that big, no wonder talents like those chose to serve under Shincheon.”“Right—there’s a reason for everything.”“Hahaha! Let’s go—we have things to brag about to the others.”“Indeed. Spread the word on what kind of man the Master of Shincheon Manor is.”Public sentiment that had swung hard against the Master flipped back in an instant.The problem was Mount Heng Sect, Mount Tai Sect, and Heavenly Strength Gate—when they heard.“What? He slammed the door on our invitation, and then told the people waiting there he was sorry and handed out Harmony Pills?”“Y—yes.”“Do they take us for fools?”Thump—The Sect Leader of Mount Heng shot to his feet, face tight with rage.“So—they beat us in the match and now they look down on us.”Mount Heng had lost earlier—to Seon Woo Baek.“Show the way. I’ll ask the Master of Shincheon Manor myself.”“As you command.” ****After everyone had left and Shincheon Manor’s quarters had gone quiet—The Sect Leader of Mount Heng arrived.“Inform your master that the Sect Leader of Mount Heng has come in person.”At the mention that the Sect Leader himself had come, the warriors at the door stepped aside without comment.“Please, go on in.”“I needn’t announce myself inside?”“No. There are standing orders to escort you in immediately, should you come.”The Sect Leader’s face tightened.Should you come?So—they’d known he would.He decided they were making a fool of him.That they’d laid this out specifically to drag him here.Even the distribution of Harmony Pills—he decided it was all planned to lure him in.Wearing a cold expression, the Sect Leader of Mount Heng stepped inside.It wasn’t a large space—lodgings thrown up in haste—yet unlike elsewhere, it looked no different from quarters fit for honored guests; it was neat to the point of elegance.Clearly, they’d spent extra and reinforced the place.Where other lodgings were thrown together and finished with tents, this one could almost pass for a proper hall.They couldn’t have had much time—so to make it this refined meant they’d spent a fortune.So the money’s rotting in their coffers.Well—that would explain tossing out those pricey Harmony Pills to the crowd.They felt… suspicious.“Who might you be?”Someone came out from within to meet him and asked.The strategist-general accompanying Mount Heng stepped forward to answer.“This is the Sect Leader of Mount Heng. We were told to come in, so we did.”“Ah! Sect Leader of Mount Heng—please, inside.”“Hmph!”Snorting, the Sect Leader strode in.At last—he would see the face of the Master of Shincheon Manor who’d dealt him this humiliation.As the last door opened—He spotted familiar faces.One was the Sect Leader of Mount Tai; the other, the Master of Heavenly Strength Gate.So those two came to demand an explanation as well.All the better.He hadn’t liked the idea of confronting them alone—but three together was acceptable.“Hm! I see others have arrived.”He offered the first greeting.No reply came.What’s this? He looked more closely—and saw the two with heads bowed, their posture radiating fear.“What are you doing?”Still not understanding, he asked again—when a voice cut in.“You the Sect Leader of Mount Heng?”He was stunned.Who dared to address him like that?He turned to see the face of the man who’d spoken.There stood a man of about his own years, hands clasped behind his back.“You the Master of Shincheon Manor?”“No.”Another blunt answer.A twitch ran through the Sect Leader’s brow.The type he hated most were the ill-mannered.“Your tongue is short.”“Heh heh heh. Why—does that offend you?”The Sect Leader’s face twisted.Just then, the seated Sect Leader of Mount Tai and the Master of Heavenly Strength Gate came into view.They shook their heads toward him.As if to say—don’t.He should have read the room then.He didn’t.What are they doing? he thought, and addressed the middle-aged man who was slighting him.“What are you? Tired of living?”Shock splashed across the faces of the Mount Tai Sect Leader and the Heavenly Strength Gate Master.“Oh? Once in a lifetime, if that—you get to hear such words. Today, I’m hearing them a lot.”A lot?Then—who else had said it?The Sect Leader of Mount Heng’s eyes slid back to the other two.Seeing them shake their heads harder, panic on their faces, he realized something had gone wrong.Too late.“Let’s see if you’ve got the skill to match that mouth.”“What are you— Hrk!”Before he knew it, the middle-aged man was in his face—he flinched, trying to step back.Then—Slap—Something flashed before his eyes and a heavy shock landed.When he gathered himself, his head was turned to the side.The throbbing in his cheek told him he’d just been struck.“What’s this? The man who said he’d kill me can’t even dodge that?”The Sect Leader of Mount Heng stared, bewildered.Slap—Stars burst again.Slap—This time, it didn’t stop at one.Slap— slap—The pain doubled with the rapid-fire blows; his mind fuzzed out.Even focusing his inner power on his cheek couldn’t stave off the hurt.It was a sudden ambush—he hadn’t answered properly.So he told himself, centered his mind, and slid his body back.Slap—Huh?He’d pulled back—so why was he still getting hit?Again.This time he threw everything into retreat.Slap—What is this?Why does it hurt?Why am I still being hit?He couldn’t make sense of it.Slap— slap—“S—stop!”At his shout, the middle-aged man gave a disbelieving chuckle.“‘Stop’ is blunt.”“P—please, stop hitting me!”“No. If you tell me to stop, must I stop?”Thump—The Sect Leader of Mount Heng threw away his face and fell to his knees on the spot.The pain in his cheeks was too much to bear.If this kept up, he felt like his face would fly off.Survival came first—instinct moved his body on its own.Only when he knelt did the blows stop.The striking ceased—but his cheeks no longer felt like his.As the swell crept in, the middle-aged man crouched slowly in front of him.“You pick a fight knowing who I am?”“I— I did not, sir.”His cheeks were so swollen he could barely speak.“You didn’t even know who I was, and you said you’d kill me? Got a lot of guts, don’t you.”“I— I was out of line.”“You know why those two are like that over there?”He looked toward the Sect Leader of Mount Tai and the Master of Heavenly Strength Gate.Now he understood.Why they were shaking where they sat.They’d gone through it before him.“I— I think I do.”His speech slurred as his cheeks ballooned.“Then here’s a question. Who do you think I am?”The Sect Leader’s pupils shook.Fear washed over him—if he missed, he’d be hit again.Seeing the man about to cry, the middle-aged one sighed.“Fine. Even if you’re wrong, I won’t hit you. Say it.”Even at that assurance, the Sect Leader of Mount Heng, unconvinced, racked his brain.He was stronger than him.Not just strong—overwhelming.He’d gone to his knees from a few slaps.This wasn’t about the pain of a slap.He’d felt it with each strike.This was not someone he could do anything to.A being on a height so far above, comparison was insolence.He had to think of that kind of being.In the martial world—there was one.Just one.Tremble—As the figure came to mind, he gaped and shook.“Oh? Judging from your face, something came to you. Well—who do you think I am?”“Th— the Martial Deity Heaven Lord… sir?”“Heh heh heh. Not a complete fool.”Acknowledged.“—Hk!”The Sect Leader of Mount Heng recoiled.He’d just stepped to the gate of the afterlife and back.He’d told the Martial Deity Heaven Lord—the One Martial God—that he wanted him dead, and survived.It felt like he’d burned through a lifetime’s luck in one day.More than that—why was the Heaven Lord even here?He couldn’t fathom it.“You can’t understand why I’m here.”“Th— that’s right.”“You came looking for the Master of Shincheon Manor, didn’t you?”“Yes. Unless…”“I’m not him. The Master you’re looking for is my one and only grandson.”Good lord.So that’s why he was so strong.This wasn’t a rootless place.Not just any roots—the strongest root in the Central Plains.Of course that’s why he commanded such monsters.Now everything clicked.Jang Woon and Seon Woo Baek of Shincheon Manor weren’t from some nameless compound.They were from the strongest force in the martial world—Martial Deity Heaven.And warriors from Martial Deity Heaven would not be weak.Strength was a given.Damn. Then the Divine Dragon Tournament’s champion will be one of those two.Those two would stake their lives on winning.Lose?Lose while the Heaven Lord himself watched?You’d rather die.And they wouldn’t have sent just anyone.Even within Martial Deity Heaven, they’d have selected outstanding talents.It was settled.This year’s Divine Dragon Tournament crown would go to either Jang Woon or Seon Woo Baek.A late-generation of Mount Heng losing was no shame.Losing to someone from Martial Deity Heaven—how could that be shameful?If anything, to have exchanged even a few moves was something to be proud of.“Go sit over there. More are on their way—we’re waiting.”More?Who else, beyond the three here?Lion Iron-Fist Gate?Kunlun Sect?Whoever it was, at least he wouldn’t be the only one.The Sect Leader of Mount Heng traded a glance with the Sect Leader of Mount Tai and the Master of Heavenly Strength Gate, then quietly took a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) seat. ****The Sect Leader of Mount Heng, the Sect Leader of Mount Tai, and the Master of Heavenly Strength Gate stared wide-eyed at the people gathered here.“And these are… who?”At the Head of the Zhuge Clan’s question, Yeon Cheon Baek smiled and answered.“Oh—those who came to see our Woo Jin.”“Seeing the faces now… Sect Leader of Mount Heng! I didn’t recognize you through the swelling.”“The Sect Leader of Mount Tai is here as well.”“And the Master of Heavenly Strength Gate—what brings you?”As the curiosity swelled, Yeon Cheon Baek laid it out cleanly.“They came to complain to Woo Jin about losing today.”“…What?”“And then they picked a fight with me.”“…What?”“They asked me if I was tired of living.”“Ghk!”At the Heaven Lord’s words, all present blanched and stared at the three.“Are you mad?”“You live because the Primordial Lord of Heaven shielded you.”“You just spent a lifetime’s luck in this room.”Those gathered each put in a word.The people assembled here—Wudang Sect, Kunlun Sect, Emei Sect, Qingcheng Sect, the Beggars’ Sect—and the heads of the Five Great Clans, all of them.And the figures filing in behind were no less astonishing.

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