Chapter 82

Chapter 82
“Yeom Sa-won is heading this way as well?”

Ak So-gun and Je-gal Hyeon were visibly shaken by the news Baek So-cheon delivered.

“Indeed. Yeom Hwa-sin met with me in person and stated it directly.”

Even before Baek So-cheon’s arrival, an urgent courier pigeon had already alerted them to Yeom Hwa-sin’s presence along the Jung-kyeong frontier. They had spent days intensely wondering what sort of extended dialogue had transpired between the two, but an outcome like this had never crossed their minds.

“How could such a thing happen?”

Following Je-gal Hyeon’s bewildered query, Baek So-cheon laid out the hidden context they were unaware of.

“It appears the Black Heaven Alliance was the first to send marriage emissaries toward the Blood Cult.”

“Ah!”

A wave of understanding swept over both men at once.

To put it plainly, the Blood Cult had turned down their wedding overtures and instead approached the Murim Alliance with matchmakers. Given the fierce, volatile nature of the Black Heaven Alliance, remaining passive was completely out of the question.

“The Blood Cult acts with immense daring.”

Hearing Ak So-gun’s comment, Je-gal Hyeon remarked, “They are fully conscious that they hold the power to sway the final result of this conflict.”

Ak So-gun shifted his focus back to Baek So-cheon. “Still, what reason does Yeom Sa-won have to travel here?”

They were well acquainted with his wretched disposition, yet what objective could he possibly seek by entering the Murim Alliance?

“He declared that whoever triumphs in a martial contest shall take Myeol Ji-ryun’s hand. He proposed a pre-nuptial duel.”

“Heavens above!”

The very concept of a pre-nuptial duel struck both men with utter astonishment.

A passing conjecture brushed past Baek So-cheon’s mind, only to be promptly dismissed.

Yeom Hwa-sin was by no means a credulous man. He had inspected Baek So-cheon with his own eyes and verified the total lack of internal energy.

Why would he instruct his own son to perform a second assessment?

“The Blood Cult would never agree to such a contest. Had they feared the Black Heaven Alliance, they would not have dispatched their matchmakers to our side to begin with.”

Both men gave solemn nods in response to Baek So-cheon’s reasoning.

“He surely recognizes that reality.”

“It is quite likely Yeom Sa-won is merely exploiting this pre-nuptial contest as a pretext to slaughter me.”

“To kill you?”

“Our paths have already crossed in hostility on two prior occasions.”

The first occurred during the purge of Go, and the second when he meddled in the affairs of Jeol-gang Province.

It stood as a thoroughly believable proposition. Believing Baek So-cheon to be devoid of inner cultivation, Yeom Sa-won would be brimming with certainty regarding his ability to strike him down. No matter how degenerate a scoundrel he might be, his standing as the recognized successor of the Black Heaven Alliance remained absolute.

“And his father chooses not to hold him back under such circumstances?”

“Rather than restraining him, he is most likely stoking the fire.”

Nevertheless, because the two men beside him were well aware that Baek So-cheon had successfully recovered his internal power, a distinct dilemma arose.

“Yeom Sa-won’s appearance carries the danger of laying bare your restored internal cultivation.”

Should he descend with murderous ferocity, holding back might become impossible, forcing an exposure of his true capabilities.

Baek So-cheon inclined his head. Concealing his state for as long as feasible was ideal, but having it brought to light at this stage held little difference. A mere month or two remained before spring settled upon them.

Barring a sudden burst of profound enlightenment or an extraordinary cosmic stroke of fortune, attaining Great Mastery over the Thousand-Handed Asura God Sword prior to spring’s arrival remained an unreachable feat.

“For the time being, we should grant an audience to Myeol Ji-ryun the moment she sets foot here.”

It was imperative to determine the exact schemes brewing within the Blood Cult.

Baek So-cheon poured his entire being into martial cultivation while awaiting her arrival.

Spring crept ever closer, and the shifting landscape grew increasingly volatile, defying even the slightest foresight. Having to openly wield his martial arts on the morrow would not come as a surprise.

Fortunately, by carving out hours from restless nights and sacrificing slumber, his relentless discipline was yielding unmistakable advancements.

To begin with, the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method surged directly from its fifth tier straight into the sixth realm. He had barely crossed into the fifth threshold before immediately advancing into the sixth.

Such rapid breakthroughs had never once occurred throughout his progress up through the fourth tier. He had anticipated an arduous passage of time, yet advancing into the sixth stage had unfolded with astonishing smoothness. He attributed this ease to the deep meditative focus and qi harmonization he had conducted within Yong-cheon.

Meanwhile, the Wind God Movement Technique stepped into its fourth stage of mastery.

Weighing the brief span since he had first taken up the art, this progress was moving at a staggering speed.

Breathing regulation and footwork served as the absolute bedrock, allowing swift cultivation due to his profoundly solid fundamentals. According to his calculations, grasping Great Mastery across both arts remained solely a question of steady persistence.

As for the Thousand-Handed Asura God Sword, he had perfected his execution up to the ninth movement.

Yet the sixth form continued to shroud itself beyond his comprehension.

Baek So-cheon refrained from forcing the issue.

Instead, he turned his energy toward drilling the Heavenly Thunder Nine Fists. His conviction held that by attaining fluency across alternative arts, the obscured path would reveal its outline on its own.

Commencing with the opening sequence, Wind Flow Cloud Mountain, his movements slipped seamlessly into the second posture, Wind Well Wild Food.

The choreography surged with growing ferocity, blending into the third technique, Wind Wave Electric Strike, before detonating outward through the fourth strike, Moon Bright Star Shine.

By channeling his internal reserves without restraint, the devastating impact of the Heavenly Thunder Nine Fists resounded with staggering weight.

He had now initiated his practice of the fifth strike, Ten Thousand Li Vast Sky. Demanding a baseline threshold of twenty years of inner cultivation, its intrinsic might occupied an entirely superior plane right from the start.

Working through this fifth form stirred a twinge of regret regarding his past decision to dedicate himself strictly to the blade.

Had he not faced an insurmountable nemesis like Yeom Hwa-sin, he would have gladly taken the patient route, steadily cultivating both disciplines side by side.

Presently, every exertion served merely as a stepping stone toward unraveling the sixth technique of the Asura God Sword…

In that precise breath, a sudden flash of clarity pierced Baek So-cheon’s contemplation.

He was mistaken.

His entire perspective was fundamentally flawed.

A similar realization had struck him previously, back when he discovered that Yeom Hwa-sin had attained the Diamond Indestructible Body. At that moment, he recognized that despite driving his own flesh and sinew to the absolute breaking point, that divine realm had remained beyond his grasp.

During that time, he had entertained the thought that the true zenith of cultivation might lie down a completely separate path.

The exact same truth applied to the Heavenly Thunder Nine Fists.

He ought not to cultivate it as a mere workaround for his deadlock with the Thousand-Handed Asura God Sword; rather, he needed to seek out the ultimate height inherent to the fist art itself.

Only through that genuine dedication could proper fruit be harvested. The subtlest variance in mental posture inevitably yielded vastly divergent destinies.

If all else failed, he could simply weave together the diverse styles he had assimilated thus far to neutralize his adversaries. Under the pressing reality of the situation, that was the practical path required of him.

He needed greater composure.

His restlessness arose not only from Yeom Hwa-sin’s looming presence, but also from a different inner yearning.

He found himself continually envisioning a portrait of his own quiet contentment.

Crushing Yeom Hwa-sin beneath his feet, turning his back on the Murim Alliance, and discovering a peaceful existence.

He could not afford to dwell on such dreams prematurely.

The resolve he had harbored throughout the brutal closing days of the earlier conflict was far more fitting.

Pour out every drop of strength in battle… and should defeat follow, accept death without hesitation. He would have offered everything he possessed, leaving behind neither remorse nor lingering attachments.

Baek So-cheon remained unaware that this gentle internal realignment was steadily, invisibly reshaping his martial foundation.

Myeol Ji-ryun finally presented herself at the Murim Alliance.

This marked the very first occasion since the alliance was established that the daughter of the Blood Cult Lord had crossed their gates in an official capacity.

The assembly had anticipated an imposing and heavily guarded entourage, yet her retinue proved remarkably sparse.

She was flanked by merely two escorts: an aged man and a youthful companion. Nonetheless, the spiritual pressure rolling off the pair felt deeply abnormal and singular.

Led by Myeol Ji-ryun with her two companions trailing close behind, the small party stepped into Yun-ryong Hall.

Standing in wait to receive them were Ak So-gun, Baek So-cheon, Je-gal Hyeon, and On Byeok-hwa.

Myeol Ji-ryun possessed a captivatingly rare and exotic beauty. Her presence carried an aura of pristine clarity, enhanced by the mysterious allure of her pale gray eyes.

Stepping forward, Myeol Ji-ryun offered her salutations to Ak So-gun.

“It is an honor to greet you, Alliance Lord.”

Her measured, unhurried tone radiated unmistakable composure.

Simultaneously, the two escorts behind her raised their clasped hands in a traditional warrior’s greeting. The elder broke the silence first to declare his identity.

“I am Rap-sa, charged with guarding the young lady.”

“Pa-jeong,” the younger followed.

The bare reality that Rap-sa and Pa-jeong were deemed sufficient to accompany the Blood Cult Lord’s flesh and blood was a testament to their martial caliber. Naturally, formal confirmation regarding Myeol Ji-ryun’s true parentage was still pending.

Ak So-gun offered the traveling party an accommodating reception.

“The passage here was long; you must be weary from your travels.”

The representatives of the Murim Alliance introduced themselves one after the other.

Once the formalities concluded, Myeol Ji-ryun turned her focus directly upon Baek So-cheon.

“You appear far more youthful than I had envisioned.”

“I appreciate the compliment.”

Baek So-cheon detected a profound magnetism swirling about her. Without a doubt, she carried the martial heritage of her father, Myeol Saeng.

Quietly, he examined her presence to see whether she was held beneath the sway of the Soul Subjugation Art or attempting to weave its influence.

She showed no signs of its enchantment, nor did she exhibit any telltale markers of ever having trained in such a discipline.

“How do I appear to you?” she asked, her voice laced with untamed poise.

“I held no preconceptions whatsoever. Not a single rumor regarding your existence had reached my ears.”

“And what thoughts arise upon laying eyes on me now?”

Facing her forward inquiry, Baek So-cheon gave a detached response.

“You are exquisite.”

“Truly? That strikes me as empty flattery.”

“Indeed. There are simply too many incomprehensible circumstances unfolding around us for me to fixate on your appearance.”

Smoothly, Baek So-cheon steered their dialogue toward the matter at hand.

“It was my impression that your cult maintained a coalition with the Black Heaven Alliance.”

“Our cult? That is entirely unfamiliar to me.”

Her answer carried an air of innocence so unblemished that it nearly led him to believe she was genuinely oblivious.

“It seems you distance yourself from the external dealings of your faction.”

“Tending to my own affairs occupies all my faculties.”

Whether driven by sheer candor or reckless courage, her answers came forth without the slightest hesitation.

At that moment, On Byeok-hwa interjected.

“Allow me to pose an inquiry as well.”

“Pray, speak.”

“Should a marital pact be forged to bind our factions, would not the Alliance Lord’s direct scion, Ak Seo-pyeong, serve as the natural match?”

“Naturally.”

“On what grounds, then, do you single out Hero Baek? As far as I am aware, the two of you have never shared an encounter.”

“Yet his name has reached me continuously. Across my entire life, no martial artist has been the subject of more tales than him—surpassing even my own father and the Alliance Lord.”

Myeol Ji-ryun swung her gaze once more toward Baek So-cheon.

“Could that explain it? It hardly feels as though we are encountering one another for the first time.”

Her eyes creased into an enchanting arch—an overt gesture of warmth, a deliberate attempt to beguile.

On Byeok-hwa refused to yield. “That hardly addresses my question.”

“Is that reason insufficient? You are a woman yourself, Pavilion Lord On, and surely recognize the sentiment. Taking a peerless figure like Hero Baek as my husband has been my lifelong ambition since youth.”

“Is that so.”

It stood as a defensible justification, closing off any immediate avenue for deeper interrogation.

At that point, Baek So-cheon directed his voice toward her.

“There is one tale that must have escaped your ears.”

“And which tale might that be?”

“The report that my internal power has been entirely extinguished.”

Myeol Ji-ryun looked straight into Baek So-cheon’s eyes.

“I was already conscious of it.”

“Even with that knowledge, you still seek my hand? I hold no title of hero any longer, nor will that standing ever return.”

“That changes nothing. A hero remains a hero, regardless of circumstance.”

Her countenance remained utterly impenetrable, betraying nothing of what lay within her heart.

Ak So-gun addressed the guest, “You have crossed a great distance and must need repose. Take your ease for the remainder of the day, and we shall resume our discussions at a later hour.”

“I am grateful for your gracious consideration.”

Turning to take her departure, she cast a glance back toward Baek So-cheon.

“Hero Baek, might we share a midday meal on the morrow? You could guide me across the grounds.”

Offering a courteous bow to Ak So-gun and the gathered company, she stepped through the doorway behind the attendant guiding her way.

With her departure, On Byeok-hwa was the first to speak.

“She is far from an ordinary maiden.”

It was an intuition discernible only by another woman. Beneath that placid facade, she perceived a remarkably fierce spirit, separate from any measure of physical prowess.

“She harbors a distinct scheme of her own.”

Baek So-cheon added his assessment. “Whatever design she nurtures, candor is certainly not among her virtues.”

She had carefully avoided uttering a single syllable regarding the matchmakers from the Black Heaven Alliance.

Of course, their side had similarly kept their cards hidden—withholding any mention of Yeom Sa-won’s imminent arrival.

“What were your impressions of her, Pavilion Lord Baek?”

To On Byeok-hwa’s question, Baek So-cheon offered a cryptic reflection.

“I was not observing her.”

His gaze had no business lingering upon the figure standing directly before him.

What truly demanded his sight was the shadow lurking behind her: the obscured motives of those merciless parents who cast their own children into enemy domains without a shred of reluctance.

Baek So-cheon looked at the gathering and concluded, “I shall uncover what deeper design is at play.”