ALL NOVEL Ch 9
Although only one person had gotten on, the cart became so cramped that it seemed about to burst, and its speed noticeably decreased.
Zhuge Wun’s dissatisfied gaze was directed at Nangong Zhangho.
“Didn’t you just join? Aren’t you still a low-ranking warrior with no official title? Why are you letting him ride in the cart?”
Is he trying to tease me?
I’d love to do the same thing, if it weren’t for that damn sister of mine with her strange preferences.
Nangong Zhangho, however, continued to ignore it, keeping his eyes closed.
Then, Zhuge Wun glared at Zhang Yilong.
“You seem to be in good shape. Why don’t you walk?”
“I’m not that physically fit,” Zhang Yilong replied.
“Ha, what a ridiculous joke.”
Nangong Soso rolled her eyes at Zhuge Wun.
“Even though he’s a low-ranking warrior, you should at least respect his experience. After all, he was the great disciple of the Green Forest King, a true hero. You can’t treat him carelessly.”
Zhou Hui was stunned.
Wait a second. Aren’t you from the righteous sect?
Can you really praise a member of the rogue sect like that?
“By the way, Zhang, how many siblings do you have?”
Wait, is this an interrogation?
“There are seven of us. Our father is quite strong.”
Zhuge Wun suddenly looked curious.
“…Is the second one, by any chance, named Yilong (Two Dragons)?”
“You’ve got some sharp eyes. The youngest is named Qilong (Seven Dragons).”
Zhou Hui clicked his tongue.
Zhang Yilong, Zhang Yilong, Zhang Sanlong, Zhang Salong?
They must have been too lazy to come up with proper names.
Wow, his parents are unbelievably uneducated.
Ah? Is it genetic?
Nangong Soso’s face lit up with even more curiosity.
“Wow! If they’re all named after dragons, does that mean they’re all sons?”
“No, the third one’s a daughter.”
“Still a dragon?”
“No, she’s a phoenix. That’s why the third one is Zhang Sanfeng (Three Phoenix).”
“Ha!”
Nangong Zhangho was desperately trying to suppress his laughter, his whole body trembling with the effort.
“…Did you open your eyes?”
“Looks like I did?”
Hua Serming, still not finding the humor in it, asked in admiration.
“If you’re the eldest son at seventeen, does that mean your parents had one every year?”
“Uh… maybe two years apart?”
“Wow.”
Zhou Hui’s deep admiration!
So this is why China has such a large population, huh?
Zhuge Wun suddenly asked, his curiosity piqued.
“By the way, why did you attack us? There must be some reason behind it?”
“Oh, I wanted to ask a favor.”
“A favor?”
Zhang Yilong scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
“I really wanted to attend the Small Dragon Grand Assembly. But no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t find a way with my status.”
The Small Dragon Grand Assembly is a festival of the righteous sect.
Of course, someone from the Green Forest could never participate.
“So, you’re using this as an excuse?”
“Ah, sorry about that.”
Zhou Hui shuddered at Zhang Yilong’s boldness.
Wow, this guy really just goes straight for what he wants.
Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where you could live like him without a brain?
Suddenly, Hua Serming tried to organize the hierarchy.
“Well, you claim to be a new warrior of the Nangong family, and if your age of seventeen is true, don’t you think it’s time to stop treating everyone so disrespectfully? You still seem to value the conventions of the rogue sect more than those of the righteous one.”
Listening to this, Hua Serming’s point made sense.
But until now, no one had felt awkward about Zhang Yilong’s disrespectful behavior.
That’s probably because they couldn’t imagine that face could belong to someone younger than themselves.
It truly wasn’t a case of a young-looking person.
“…How old are you all?”
Zhuge Wun answered.
“Aside from Soso, there’s no one here younger than you.”
Zhang Yilong smiled with an innocent face.
“Got it, brothers. I’m a righteous sect member now. Hehe.”
Zhou Hui couldn’t help but feel goosebumps on his arm as he forcibly avoided his gaze.
“Brother?”
“Ha, please stop!”
Zhang Yilong now looked at Nangong Zhangho.
“Nangong hyung?”
Nangong Zhangho, trembling, gripped the sword sheath.
“If you say one more word, I’ll shove my sword into that mouth.”
“Zhuge hyung?”
Zhuge Wun pulled out a talisman.
“Ha, stop!”
The only person who didn’t avoid his gaze was Nangong Soso.
“Yilong oppa!”
“Yeah, little sister.”
Zhou Hui suddenly took out a ledger from his chest and began organizing it, while Zhuge Wun also started reciting formulas and continuing his study of the calendar.
Soon, the Nangong family’s group arrived at the last checkpoint on the way to Xi’an (西安).
There had been some dangerous moments passing through a few canyons, but each time, Zhuge Wun used his remarkable wits to get them out of danger.
Recruiting Zhang Yilong had also been a stroke of genius. After all, the position of the Green Forest King’s great disciple wasn’t won by luck.
Most small-time thugs were subdued just by his appearance, and there were even times when he almost got into a dispute with powerful leaders from the rogue sect, but as soon as Zhang Yilong mentioned a few names, they all passed without issue.
Since he handled most of those bothersome disputes, the difficult journey had become a lot easier.
“Ugh! I really want to wash now!”
Nangong Soso’s desperate cry.
The whole group had gone more than half a month without washing, and the stench inside the cart was unbearable.
“We’re almost there. We’ll arrive at the first gathering place soon.”
In response to Zhuge Wun’s answer, Zhou Hui showed curiosity.
“The first gathering place?”
“Even though the Huashan Sect is a large sect, if too many people suddenly gather, it would be overwhelming for them. So, our five great families are meeting at the Huaiyi Inn, waiting for our guest passes. You’ll soon see the flags of other families around this pass.”
As Hua Serming looked out the cart window, he spoke.
“I can already see them…”
At his words, everyone turned their eyes outside.
“Yellow flags with a Black Tortoise… They’re from the Pang family.”
The Pang family of Hebei.
A sacred place for swordsmen who revere power above all else.
Their powerful martial arts, comparable to Shaolin’s external arts, were legendary. Their King’s Blade technique (霸王功) was unmatched in the martial world.
They stood as the exact opposite of the Zhuge family’s philosophy.
Zhuge Wun grimaced.
“Ugh… I can’t believe I have to mingle with those brainless muscle heads again…”
On the other hand, Zhang Yilong’s face lit up with excitement.
“Wow! Who are those guys? We don’t even have people like that in our big mountain!”
Looking at their rugged physiques, Zhang Yilong already felt eager to have a match with them.
The eldest son of the Wujidowang (King of the Ultimate Blade), Xindo Wang Pang Jue, was flexing his muscles and inspecting his body.
The second Small Dragon Grand Assembly, hosted by the Pang family of Hebei.
At least in the world of the rogue sects, they had come to change the landscape dominated by swords by sharpening their blades and licking their gallbladders in anticipation.
A man’s strength is his sword (刀).
The first weapon created by humans when they began using iron tools wasn’t a sword, but a blade.
That’s why we call it the “Dao-Jian” (刀劍流) style when speaking about blades and swords — because the history of the blade is much older.
What a ridiculous sight it is when weak women, or men for that matter, thrust swords around with no power behind them.
Techniques like “changing moves” or “empty moves” are just shallow tricks and consolations used by the weak.
A true man uses all his strength to chop through with a mighty strike.
A man’s courage (勇力) must be expressed through such an attack.
There’s a saying in the martial world: One blade, two cuts (一刀兩斷), but there’s no saying for One sword, two cuts (一劍兩斷).
Swords are simply a derivative of the spear (槍), and they were unsuitable for brave men, as the ancient sages knew.
Losing to a sword master with a blade simply means one’s strength wasn’t enough.
Being dazzled by “changing moves” or “empty moves” is just a sign of lacking proper cultivation.
“Three years ago, I lost to that guy because I didn’t use my strength properly.”
The Huashan Small Dragon, Qingyunso.
That bastard, using tricks with a sword to dazzle the eyes with a red flower storm, thinking he’s some kind of playboy.
This time, he would defeat that guy with strength.
He would make him realize, with his own body, that strength is truth.
His Hun Yuan Pile Thunder Blade (混元霹靂刀) was not something just anyone could block anymore.
Moreover, thinking about the countless years he had spent training by submerging his body in red-hot sand iron (沙鐵), he was sure that his body could never be torn apart by a mere sword.
Any wound he might get would be nothing more than a scratch.
Before this year ends, he would surely reach the Jiucheng (九成) stage of his King’s Blade technique (霸王功).
With that, even the Huashan sect no longer seemed terrifying, so what could Nangong’s group possibly do?
Though they arrogantly called themselves kings and emperors, they were still just swordsmen.
It was merely the tricks of the weak.
“Heh! Those Nangong bastards… hmm?”
In the distance, a group was driving carriages. On the flagpole of the leading cart were unmistakably the flags of the Nangong and Zhuge families.
But among those walking was a man whose appearance seemed unbelievable.
His eyes were shaking, as though experiencing an earthquake.
‘Nangong?’
The clothes he wore were undoubtedly the blue martial attire worn by the entry-level warriors of the Nangong family.
However, his massive, strong body couldn’t seem to bear them, and the parts of his arms and thighs had been torn apart.
He looked like a wild beast.
In his hand was a huge, long spear.
Spears and blades have always been rivals.
Pang Jue could not help but feel tense.
‘The Nangong family has such a man?!’
Indeed, they were no ordinary opponents.
But he could not lose.
Suddenly, Pang Jue flexed his chest muscles, making a solemn expression.
The competitive spirit between men who have honed their bodies!
Even if that Nangong giant was a real man, a Pang family man could not lose.
Then, the challenger’s shout rang out, causing Pang Jue to freeze like a statue.
“Haha! A man of some strength! Come, let’s have an arm wrestling match!”
‘…Arm wrestling?’
For a moment, Pang Jue’s eyes burned with intense fighting spirit.
“No internal power?”
The massive man from the Nangong family, Zhang Yilong, snorted.
“If I use my internal power, your arm will be crushed.”
“That’s nonsense!”
Thud!
In a flash, Pang Jue drew his blade and cut through a heavy tree next to the pass.
Crunch! Crack!
Pang Jue approached the now smooth stump and growled.
“Come on! Rookie!”
“Ho, this is exciting! Alright!”
Zhang Yilong, sitting across from him, grinned and placed his heavy arm on the stump.
As if not to lose, Pang Jue roughly took his hand.
“One round?”
“What, are we kids? Should we do it three times?”
“Now, that’s a real man!”
At that, Pang Jue’s muscular men came rushing over.
“Wow! It’s a match!”
“Arm wrestling!”
Thus began the brainless festival of men, with no thoughts but the contest.
Zhou Hui watched the scene in a daze.
“…Why are they doing this?”
Zhuge Wun chuckled.
“Well, that’s just how the Pang family is. They’ve always been like this.”
Of course, there was someone watching the spectacle with love-struck eyes, her face flushed.
“Really cool…”
Seeing his younger sister like that, Nangong Zhangho lowered his head.
“…I’ll head to the inn first.”
Zhou Hui tried to stop him.
“But watching a fight is always the most fun. Let’s at least see the result.”
“…Alright.”
The match was reaching its climax.
“Huuhhh!”
Pang Jue’s massive arm swelled as his veins bulged, and his face turned bright red as he exerted all his strength.
Shiver!
Zhang Yilong, gritting his teeth and straining every muscle, was also doing his best.
However, he was enjoying himself, as it was rare to find a man of such size even among the giants of the Great Mountain.
“Hahhh!”
Zhang Yilong summoned all his strength, even the strength of his youth.
As the match began to tilt slightly, Pang Jue’s face twisted in agony.
For a moment, he was in awe that his opponent still had such strength left, but then his lower abdomen instinctively quivered.
He unknowingly unleashed his Thunder God Technique (霹靂神功).
Boom!
“Wow! Our lord is amazing!”
“Xindo Wang! Xindo Wang!”
As the crowd cheered loudly for Pang Jue, Zhang Yilong, his face flushed red, suddenly sprang to his feet.
“Damn it! You used internal power! I didn’t expect you to be so underhanded!”
The Pang family’s muscle-bound men all stared at Pang Jue.
“Is that true?”
“Lord of the family? Really?”
With a face that seemed to have lost all spirit, Pang Jue avoided their gaze.
“Wow, I’m disappointed!”
“Unbelievable!”
The Pang family’s followers quickly turned away, disappearing one by one.
Abandoned even by his own family, Pang Jue cast a desperate glance at Zhang Yilong.
“One more round… Ah, I guess not?”
Before even facing off against the Huashan Qingyun Sect, Pang Jue had lost to ‘strength’ alone.
The shock was something he could hardly put into words.
Zhuge Wun stared at Zhang Yilong as if he were a monster.
‘To defeat that Xindo Wang with strength? Is he even human?’
When it comes to sheer strength, Xindo Wang Pang Jue’s might is second to none among the men of the Pang family.
How did the so-called “King of the Green Forest” manage to train such a monster, capable of appearing in the human world?
Now that I think about it, he must be a descendant of that ignorant man.
In the same era as the Sword God, there was a man known as the Blade Emperor.
To him, the memories of that man were far from pleasant.
Among the martial factions in the Jianghu, there are few who prioritize external martial arts over internal. These men are one of them.
Zhou Hui was curious.
“Does external martial arts matter more than internal?”
Whether you first train your body and then fill your internal energy, or you first fill your internal energy and then train your body, there is no definitive answer. The debate over whether external martial arts or internal martial arts come first has been ongoing for ages.
“Ah…!”
What matters is ‘balance,’ not the order of external and internal cultivation. Obsession leads to narrow-mindedness, and stubbornness to arrogance. The reason they cannot surpass Shaolin is exactly that. While their external martial arts are unrivaled in the Jianghu, they never neglect their internal cultivation. Above all…
The Sword God’s voice became resolute.
Their biggest problem lies in their inferiority complex toward the sword, and the obsessive attachment to the blade (刀). With such a twisted mindset, it’s nearly impossible to achieve greatness in martial arts.
The reason why the Sword God had chosen the sword as his weapon was because it was the weapon that best expressed his will, not because he believed the sword was supreme.
The great martial sages who left their marks on the Jianghu all possessed a free, unconstrained mindset, unbound by any form or tradition.
Enlightenment is a continuous sea of doubt, a painful self-contradiction, and a destruction of concepts.
The Sword God, who understood better than anyone the solitary, painful, and arduous path of martial arts, knew how difficult it was to walk that path with a calm and peaceful heart. How could one hope to achieve greatness with a twisted and narrow heart?
Zhou Hui, having heard some of this before, grew even more curious.
“If that’s the case, are the sayings of the Hundred Days Spear (百日槍), Thousand Days Sword (千日刀), and Ten Thousand Days Sword (萬日劒) also unfounded rumors?”
The Jianghu proverb claims that it takes only a hundred days to master the spear, a thousand days to master the sword, but ten thousand days of hardship to master the sword.
Does it really only take a hundred days to master the spear? Xu De from Shu spent his entire life with his beloved Changpaosuo (长袍锁), enduring every hardship with it. Even if he had wielded a sword, could the generals of Wei have broken through Changban Bridge?
“Ah!”
That remark made Zhou Hui realize something.
The power of a martial artist is determined not by the weapon they wield, but by the person themselves.
It meant that if the Sword God had wielded a saber, he would have been known as the Blade God (刀神).
There’s no doubt that the sword is an excellent weapon. However, to claim that only the sword can be the King of All Weapons (萬兵之王) is a narrow view.
The reason there are many Sword Schools (劒門) in the Jianghu is because the martial arts of Central Plains have evolved and been shaped by the sword’s way of fighting. The sword, however, is an unsuitable weapon to extend the art of martial combat. Only the sword is truly capable of extending all the combat forms of martial art.
What? Does that mean that the sword really is the best?
Heh… does it really come down to that?
Exactly!
Isn’t it strange that the master of swords, the God of Swords, does not believe the sword is the best?
No. The reason is that primitive martial arts, which were based on imitating the movements of beasts, were more numerous. Without the development of martial combat techniques, we would all be using bows by now. The bow (弓) was the most powerful weapon before the emergence of martial combat techniques.
The logic of the Sword God was clear.
Why, then, did the founder of the Wu Dang sect, Zhang Sanfeng, create a more advanced version of Taiji Quan (Tai Chi) and integrate it into the Taiji Wisdom Sword (太極慧劒)? A Taiji Wisdom Saber (太極慧刀) would have been impossible. The sword’s forms are incompatible with the thrusting techniques of the Taiji.
The Taiji form has a technique where one strikes with the elbow, known as Ao Luan Zhou (拗鸞肘).
When applied to a weapon, this is a thrusting movement, but such a movement does not suit the form of the blade (刀).
The sword cannot be the King of All Weapons, but due to the cultural characteristics of Central Plains martial arts, it is the closest we have to it.
Only then did Zhou Hui seem to understand, slowly nodding.
It wasn’t that the sword was the most powerful, but rather that it was the cultural trend of Central Plains martial arts.
In fact, even in Japan, during the modern era, they only used the saber (刀).
Despite that, many historical figures left their names in history.
“The King of All Weapons…”
In that moment, Pang Jue’s ears twitched as he heard Zhou Hui’s muttering.
It was the sentence he hated the most.
Pang Jue glared at Zhou Hui with an intense gaze, as if he wanted to kill him.
“So, you also believe that weak sword is the best, huh?”
Looking at Pang Jue’s fiercely contorted face, Zhou Hui felt a chill run down his spine.
Namgung Jangho’s indifferent voice echoed.
“Ignore everything that man says.”
Pang Jue clenched his fist tightly, his eyes glaring fiercely.
“Is there really a need to go all the way to Mount Hua? How about settling this unfinished battle from three years ago right here?”
Namgung Jangho chuckled.
“How dare the man who lost to the entry-level warrior of our clan challenge me like this?”
At Namgung Jangho’s sudden attack, Pang Jue’s face once again darkened with frustration.
Zhuge Yun patted his back, as if to encourage him.
“Life is full of ups and downs, hardships and struggles. Cheer up, Brother Pang.”
“Get lost! Zhuge Demon!”
Pang Jue violently pushed away Zhuge Yun’s hand.
Three years ago, he had been caught in the Nine Palaces Illusion Formation (九宮幻魔陣) by that bastard and suffered for three days without a single drop of water.
Just thinking about it made Pang Jue want to smash Zhuge Yun’s head in right then and there.
The heirs of the Five Great Clans were growling at each other.
They had all known each other since their youth.
Although it was officially a gathering for the younger generation to socialize, it was really just a proxy battle for the elders, who had strong pride and honor.
When they were young, they had been curious and friendly, talking and playing together.
But once they grew older and realized they were representatives of their families, everything changed.
The fierce sense of competition had turned their relationship into one of both love and hatred.
Suddenly, Zhuge Yun looked around.
“Why can’t I see anyone from the Tang family?”
Pang Jue pouted and replied.
“They said they’d stay at another inn, and they’ve already passed.”
It was yet another display of the Tang family’s extreme secrecy.
Zhuge Yun nodded bitterly.
“The Sima family is always reclusive, so they probably won’t join either… well, I guess everyone’s here. Let’s go.”
Namgung Jangho nodded silently.
“Let’s.”
To Zhou Hui, who had thought that all mountains were the same, Mount Hua proved to be the most treacherous mountain he had ever encountered.
He had heard of expressions like “ten thousand cliffs and a heavenly gorge,” but seeing it for himself, he could only marvel in awe.
One wrong step, and you’d plummet straight into the clouds below.
The narrow path winding up the cliffs seemed endless.
He couldn’t understand why a martial faction would set up their base in such a high, inaccessible location.
This was inefficiency at its finest.
Had they never considered transportation or communication? Was the idea to keep everyone out?
If it was only for defense, it was the perfect location.
“Hey, Brother, you look like you’re struggling. Want me to carry you?”
At this provocative comment from Zhang Yilong, Pang Jue, who had been breathing heavily, suddenly stopped, as if to show his strength, and tensed his muscles.
“Struggling? What do you mean struggling! I’ll carry you instead!”
“Haha! This is nothing, just a light walk!”
Zhang Yilong, having lived his entire life on the mountain, had far more experience with mountains than anyone, especially since he was from a bandit background.
“Heh… I just hope the next Small Dragon Tournament will be held by the Five Great Clans.”
Namgung Soso, who looked like she was about to collapse, was panting heavily with a grimace, when Hua Saiming quickly approached and bowed.
“Soso! Let me carry you!”
“What are you saying?”
With that, Namgung Soso walked past them, and Zhuge Yun quickly climbed onto her back.
“Let’s go!”
“Get off me!”
Zhuge Yun ignored the protests and clung to Hua Saiming like a leech.
“Don’t discriminate between men and women! Let’s go!”
“Ha!”
Namgung Jangho watched them with a look of disdain.
“Weaklings.”
With that single remark, Namgung Jangho suddenly activated his lightness skill and soared ahead.
Pang Jue clenched his teeth and readied himself.
“Alright! Let’s settle this!”
Whoosh!
Pang Jue furiously activated his martial arts and followed Namgung Jangho.
“Hahaha! I won’t lose!”
Zhang Yilong’s massive body shot forward like a cannonball.
Mount Hua.
A small mountain gate with an old sign hanging on it.
Contrary to its renowned status as the “World’s Greatest,” the first impression of the Hua Sect was rather modest and simple.
It almost seemed unremarkable.
“Phew…”
Zhou Hui managed to catch his breath and looked back at the path they had traveled.
An endless stairway along the cliffside.
Looking at the dark path, a shiver ran down his spine once again.
The formidable heirs of the Five Great Clans never wasted a single step.
Climbing up here with such warriors was nothing short of hellish.
If he had still been in his frail state before meeting the Sword Saint, it would have been absolutely impossible.
Looking around, Namgung Jangho, Pang Jue, and Zhang Yilong were sitting in the shade of a tree, meditating and practicing internal energy circulation.
Their clothes were soaked with sweat from their exertion, and vapor was rising from their bodies due to the internal energy.
“Nameless Buddha. The young heroes of the Five Great Clans. You’ve had a long journey, I see. You must be exhausted.”
An old Taoist monk appeared, chanting softly as he approached.
He was wearing a clean white robe, and his demeanor was as dignified as a crane.
A red plum blossom pattern decorated his shoulder, and a plum blossom charm hung from his sword at his waist.
He was the famous Plum Blossom Sword Hand of Mount Hua.
Zhuge Yun respectfully cupped his hands in greeting.
“Martial artist Mo from the Wu-Lin, I’m honored to meet a senior from Mount Hua.”
The old Taoist smiled warmly.
“That’s a familiar face. Anyone who experienced the Small Dragon Tournament three years ago would certainly recognize you. Come, enter. Mount Hua is a nice place to rest after such a long journey.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
By now, Namgung Jangho, Pang Jue, and Zhang Yilong had finished their internal energy practices and had also greeted the senior from Mount Hua. Each of them handed over their guest tokens.
The heirs of Namgung, Zhuge, and Pang families carried the Five Plum Blossom guest tokens, marked with five red plum blossoms. These were the highest-grade tokens, granting access to stay in the famous Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Hall at Mount Hua.
Zhou Hui, a guest of the Namgung family, had also received a Five Plum Blossom token, which allowed him to remain with the others.
The only one looking downcast was Hua Saiming.
He held a Three Plum Blossom guest token.
The Hua family’s reputation was lacking compared to the Five Great Clans, so Hua Saiming had been assigned to a different guest hall, separating him from the group.
The martial world was cold like that.
Power and fame created strict divisions.
As the heirs of the Five Great Clans passed through the mountain gate, the atmosphere at Mount Hua seemed to change.
Though they hadn’t noticed it before, the reputation of the Five Great Clans wasn’t something simple.
Zhou Hui was overwhelmed by the numerous greetings from the young martial artists.
Namgung Jangho, with his noble family pride, accepted the greetings silently. Zhuge Yun and Pang Jue were no longer playful.
Zhou Hui quietly stepped back and took in the view of the Great Mount Hua.
Inside Mount Hua, everything was completely different.
The simplicity of the mountain gate was nowhere to be found.
The buildings at Mount Hua were not enormous, but they were elegant and serene.
They weren’t flashy, but they were grand in their own way.
The plum blossoms, blooming in full, framed the spires of the buildings, making them even more beautiful.
Despite being man-made structures, they didn’t disrupt the natural beauty of Mount Hua.
It was like a flowing, graceful painting.
Somehow, Zhou Hui felt he could faintly sense what Mount Hua’s martial way was about.
The plum blossoms bloom first, heralding the arrival of spring after surviving the harsh cold. Truly, just as it’s always been. Dark Fragrance Plum Blossoms.
The Sword Saint’s voice echoed with admiration.
It seemed that Mount Hua held special memories for him as well.
“Ugh! Look at this scenery! If I were to climb to the roof with a wine flask at my waist, I’d get drunk on the atmosphere, not knowing if it’s the wine or the view!”
Zhang Yilong, with an admiring expression, flexed his chest muscles while gazing at the landscape of Mount Hua.
“Seventeen and drinking?”
At Zhou Hui’s question, Zhang Yilong burst out laughing loudly.
“Hahaha! A man at seventeen should be able to drink fiery liquor with ease, shouldn’t he?”
Zhou Hui imagined Zhang Yilong gulping down a whole jar of strong liquor.
Indeed, a mountain bandit through and through.
It suited him perfectly.
“But what about you, brother? I thought you were someone from the Namgung family since you’re protecting them, but you don’t seem like one?”
Zhou Hui, suddenly addressed as ‘brother,’ felt a chill run down his spine and awkwardly smiled.
“I’m just a merchant.”
“A merchant?”
Zhang Yilong’s eyes widened in surprise.
“A merchant, you say? What do you sell? Ho ho! That means you must be very wealthy, right?”
“…”
Zhou Hui, not even wanting to respond, furrowed his brow and looked back at the view of Mount Hua. Zhang Yilong, patting his belly, spoke again.
“Ugh, I’m starving after climbing all day. The food here is bound to be late, right? Why does everything in the martial world have to be so complicated—roasting, boiling, frying? What’s so hard about it?”
As heirs of powerful clans, they didn’t just eat anything.
Since they traveled with a skilled cook from their sect, they were accustomed to having well-prepared meals even in rough conditions.
But for Zhang Yilong, with his peculiar tastes, this was driving him crazy.
“Food should just be a chunk of meat roasted whole with the bone on, then you take a bite. What’s all the fuss about?”
Truly, a barbaric mountain bandit.
Wait a minute?
Suddenly, an idea struck Zhou Hui.
How had he not thought of this before?
What was the cutting edge of modern foodservice?
Fast food.
Providing a reasonable level of taste at an affordable price, served quickly.
With this simple and smart concept, the company McDonald’s had taken over the global food industry.
Zhou Hui, a modern man, realized how foolish he had been to forget this. He felt embarrassed by his own ignorance.
Traveling across many inns in Hefei, collecting recipes from the central plains, and focusing only on developing local cuisine—how stupid he had been!
Why had he been so fixated on the sweet-salty balance and improving the Central Plains’ recipes?
He already had a head full of modern recipes.
And didn’t fast food fit perfectly with the delivery business he had in mind?
Sigh…
Let’s think this through.
To make bread, you need flour, a small amount of salt, and yeast.
Flour is easy to find, so that’s taken care of.
Salt is not much of an issue either since you don’t need a lot.
Yeast?
That’s just a type of fermentation agent, like the kind used in brewing. There’s no place in the Central Plains that doesn’t use yeast. It’s everywhere.
Minced meat?
That’s easy to get.
Lettuce? Ketchup?
Tomatoes, known as the “fruit of the devil,” were brought to Europe from Central America by explorer Cortez in the 16th century, so they didn’t exist yet.
But there are plenty of other sauces that can be used as substitutes.
While nothing can quite match the unique taste of ketchup, the Central Plains has many spices with rich flavors that can work as alternatives.
There might be a few trials and errors, but it wouldn’t be that difficult to make a hamburger.
Changing his perspective, Zhou Hui quickly thought of alternatives for sugar as well.
Malt syrup— jeocheong.
Drying and grinding malt syrup in the sun could create something just like sugar.
Hot dogs, hotteok (Korean pancakes), tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and all kinds of fast food flashed through Zhou Hui’s mind.
But wait, had fast food been all Zhou Hui had enjoyed in modern times?
Zhou Hui, still smiling warmly, looked at Zhang Yilong’s large, muscular frame.
“Would you like to start a business with me?”
Zhang Yilong looked at him with great curiosity.
“A business? You mean trade?”
Zhou Hui gave his softest, most friendly smile, making the kind of pitch you’d make to a friend for a multi-level marketing company!
“Well, it’s not anything that grand. I’ll explain in detail later. You won’t regret it.”
“Alright! I’m a legitimate man now! I can earn money fairly and squarely! Hahaha!”
Ah, how nice it would be if the world were full of such simple-minded people!
Zhou Hui kept his warm smile as he pulled a ledger from his coat.
“Here… This is the employment contract.”
Zhang Yilong, with an excited expression, took the contract, feeling like he was about to make money in a clean way rather than using threats or swords.
“Oh! A contract!”
He had threatened others with swords before, but this was the first time he’d ever earned money this way.
“It’s simple, really. The most important thing is the monthly salary. How does fifty silver a month sound?”
Zhang Yilong’s eyes widened in shock.
“Fifty… fifty silver a month?”
There were mountain bandits who could barely make thirty silver in a month, so how could someone’s monthly wage be fifty silver?
Is this really happening? That was the expression on Jang Il-ryong’s face.
“Brother! Are you really saying you’ll give me fifty nyang as a monthly salary?”
“Don’t make me say it again. I never tell lies.”
Anyone would have doubts if they suddenly received such an offer.
“I’m now an upright righteous man! You’re not asking me to kill anyone or do anything shady, right?”
Jang Il-ryong had a suspicious look on his face.
In response, Jo Hwi flashed another angelic smile.
“It’s just a matter of standing there.”
“Just stand there? Is that even a job?”
“Haha! Take your time, you’ll understand soon enough.”
At that moment, a commotion was heard in the distance.
“It’s the Fire Mountain Dragon!”
“The greatest rising star of the martial world!”
The young Taoists from Fire Mountain were walking in formation.
Jo Hwi couldn’t help but admire them from a distance.
“Wow!”
They had a different atmosphere compared to the later generations of the Namgung family.
While the Namgung swordsmen felt like heavy rocks, these young Taoists had a simple yet elegant vibe.
Simple yet elegant? It sounded contradictory, but that was exactly how it felt.
Their white robes were immaculate, and except for the plum blossom design engraved on their sword hilts, their swords were plain and ordinary.
Everything about them was so average that it felt almost out of place.
One thing that stood out was their complexions and skin tone, which seemed different from ordinary people’s.
They looked bright and radiant.
To put it in words, they had a kind of vitality that was distinct from others.
“Their plum blossom technique is called the Plum Blossom Vitality Technique, or Meihua Shengong. It’s one of the few martial arts that trains the innate life force, similar to the Taicheng Heart Method of Wudang. It’s a remarkable technique.”
Is it even more impressive than the Sword Heaven Divine Skill I’m learning?
The Sword God didn’t respond, as if it weren’t even worth answering.
Jo Hwi had no idea just how incredible the martial arts he was learning were, and it was truly pathetic.
The young Taoist at the front of the Fire Mountain group stepped forward with a well-defined salute.
“You must have had a long and tiring journey. Thank you for coming.”
Namgung Jang-ho returned the salute.
“Indeed, the Fire Mountain Dragon. You’ve become even more magnificent.”
With his polite yet confident demeanor, Namgung Jang-ho seemed unfazed.
“Rather, I’m impressed by you. Your skills have improved significantly.”
Namgung Jang-ho clenched his teeth tightly. This was it!
He hated the tone of this person! It was as though he was pretending to be courteous, but there was an underlying sense of superiority.
Three years ago, he didn’t understand why he felt such a fierce competitive spirit toward this person, but now he understood perfectly.
“You’re just a human, after all!”
The poison of human nature: arrogance.
This man was clearly already deep in that dangerous and treacherous swamp.
Perhaps it was inevitable. Being praised as the greatest star of the martial world, it would be strange if he didn’t have a swollen ego.
Namgung Jang-ho was certain. In terms of martial arts, maybe he wasn’t as great, but in terms of inner growth, he was superior.
The elders of his family had always said, “With a petty and arrogant heart, one can never achieve great success.”
Surely, even someone like the Sword God could see this, right?
The talent may reach the skies, but he’s already intoxicated by the sword. It’s dangerous.
The Sword God’s deep concern.
In such cases, the danger was greater than any demonic power.
If someone didn’t intervene soon, all this person’s potential would be wasted, and he would fall into becoming a Sword Demon.
“Why are the Taoists of Fire Mountain doing nothing about this? I must step in and suppress him!”
‘W-Wait, Elder!’
Jo Hwi’s face grew pale.
What are you talking about? Please, stop!
This body is mine, after all?
“Unless something is done soon, he will become a great calamity in the martial world.”
The Sword God was convinced that the person from Fire Mountain needed to be handled carefully.
Having hit rock bottom in life, such a person would never waste it, as long as they could rise again.
Feeling the burden, Jo Hwi tried to shake off these thoughts.
“Now, this year, the prizes for the grand competition are quite magnificent. I hope the results will be good.”
The high stakes of the upcoming event only added to the anticipation among the later generations of martial artists.
Three years ago, the biggest prize was at the martial arts tournament, and it was a significant one: the Zixiao Pill, the greatest elixir of the martial world, on par with the Shaolin’s Dahuandan.
The moment when the greatest prize was announced, a new figure, Zaha Sword Sage, from Fire Mountain, had already made an announcement about the next event’s grand prize.
Everyone was curious about the grand prizes this year.
“Of course, you already know about the Qichai Salingdan and the Mugong Xinbo,” he said, referring to legendary martial arts texts and pills.
The prize for this year was even more grand, including the Taiyang Shenjian (Sun God Sword) and Wannian Bingjing (Eternal Ice Essence).
The name alone caused a stir.
One participant raised his voice.
“Weren’t those items lost after the Saewae War?”
Saewae War.
The name alone was heavy, evoking memories of one of the three greatest disasters in martial arts history.
The past saw the invasion of the South Sea Warlocks, led by the Sun God Archery, the North Sea Ice Palace, and the Southern Barbarian Beast Sect.
The ones who first fought and defeated them weren’t the great clans, but a single hero, a martial artist named Samachun.
Was there a better word than absolute for him?
He was the one who single-handedly fought and won against the Southern Sea forces.
Here is the translation of the text you provided:
—
In the history of the martial world, there had never been a martial artist with such god-like power until that time.
When he swung his fist, mountains crumbled; with a single kick, lava erupted.
In the history of martial arts, there were only three martial artists who had the title of *God* engraved in their alias.
Thus, Samachunse (司馬天世) became one of them, the Martial God (武神).
“That’s right. The Sun God Sword and Eternal Ice Essence are treasures of the Sun God Archery and the North Sea Ice Palace,” said Je Galyun, his eyes shining brightly.
“Could it be…?”
Qing Yunso smiled faintly and nodded.
“Yes. That’s correct. The Sun God Sword and Eternal Ice Essence were offered by the Martial God’s family.”
The Martial God’s family?
Doesn’t that refer to the Samase family?
In that moment, Jo Hwi’s mind was flooded with the voices of various elders, filled with agitation.
Most of them were harsh curses, criticisms, sneers, and mockery.
Jo Hwi, now used to it, simply scanned the room with a calm expression.
“Then, is the Samase family participating in the grand competition this time?”
At this question from one of the martial artists, the room was suddenly filled with a heavy silence, as if cold water had been poured over it.
Officially, Fire Mountain was considered the number one in the world, but unofficially, the Samase family held that title. The weight of the name *descendants of the Martial God* was immense.
However, the Samase family had long ceased its activities.
Now, these people were suddenly sponsoring the grand competition and stepping forward.
“No, the Samase family has notified us that they will still not be participating.”
A collective sigh of relief echoed around the room.
As expected.
If they were to immediately withdraw the prizes they had put up, they would be ridiculed by the martial world.
Everyone believed that if they participated, they would win the competition without question.
Qing Yunso, observing the relief on the faces of the other martial artists, inwardly sneered.
It was laughable.
After all, they couldn’t claim the Sun God Sword or the Eternal Ice Essence.
These people, who feared the Samase family so much, could never surpass Fire Mountain.
At that moment, a cold voice cut through the air.
“I see now.”
Qing Yunso’s puzzled gaze turned toward Jo Hwi.
“Those who have learned the profound martial arts of Fire Mountain should never display such narrow-mindedness and arrogance. In this sacred ground of the Taoist arts, demons should not be allowed to thrive so easily.”
Young master Qing.
This isn’t my line.
I’m only saying this because of the pressure I’m under.
If I don’t do this, the moment this elder collapses, my body will surely be taken.
Then, the young master will probably be beaten like a dog on a hot day. Isn’t this a better alternative?
Now, I don’t even know anymore.
“So, the Demon God’s connection has reached Fire Mountain.”
At that moment, a violet aura shimmered in Qing Yunso’s eyes.
The momentum of the later martial artists of Fire Mountain also shifted.
There was only one person in the martial world who was ever known as the Demon God.
The Zihua Demon God (Purple Mist Demon God).
It was the appearance of that cursed name.