Chapter 67: Unexpected Fame
Why is she suddenly asking this?
Her unexpected request to join us caught me completely off guard.
“Wait a moment.”
First, I needed to know why.
“Lady Soyeon, why do you specifically want to join our group?”
Tang Soyeon answered immediately.
“Why else?”
She smiled.
“Because I'm interested in you, Young Master Mujin.”
“...I-Interested?”
I stared at her in confusion at what sounded almost like a confession.
Tang Soyeon saw my expression and let out a small laugh.
“Don't misunderstand.”
“I absolutely don't mean that I like you as a man.”
“Then...?”
Tang Soyeon rubbed her chin and studied me.
“Curiosity.”
“I want to learn more about you as a fellow martial artist.”
Curiosity?
What exactly did she mean?
Tang Soyeon's gaze became more serious.
“That paralyzing poison the masked man used.”
She looked directly at me.
“You were completely unaffected by it.”
"..."
“Even I had never encountered such a vicious paralytic poison before, despite handling poisons myself.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Yet you remained perfectly fine.”
Then she continued,
“And what you did afterward to help me breathe...”
“You looked like someone who already knew exactly how to respond to that poison.”
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
She's frighteningly perceptive.
Still...
I couldn't exactly admit she was right.
“I happened to gain some resistance to poison because of a fortuitous encounter.”
I met her gaze directly.
“And at Black Spirit Valley, I rescued people who had been struck by a similar paralyzing poison.”
“That's why I knew roughly how to respond.”
Tang Soyeon lifted one corner of her mouth.
“...I see.”
Then she smiled faintly.
“Let's leave it at that.”
She didn't look like she believed me at all.
Then she added,
“And there's another reason.”
“Another?”
“I have this feeling that interesting things keep happening around you.”
I blinked.
“Pardon?”
Tang Soyeon smiled brightly.
“I'm traveling through the martial world to broaden my experience.”
“And you seem like exactly the kind of connection that could help with that.”
"..."
For some reason...
I had a strong feeling that getting involved with Tang Soyeon would only bring me trouble.
I answered cautiously.
“But I'm not sure whether the others will agree...”
Tang Soyeon waved that concern away.
“Don't worry about that.”
“I'll speak to them myself.”
“Still—”
“Anyway, I've said everything I wanted to say.”
I tried to continue...
but Tang Soyeon clearly had no intention of listening.
Whoosh.
She lightly turned and walked straight out of the room.
I stared blankly at the closed door.
“...Are all people from the Sichuan Tang Clan this reckless?”
Still...
part of me felt relieved.
Kunlun was a Taoist sect with strict rules.
No matter what Tang Soyeon said...
there was no way the others would casually accept an outsider into our group.
That would be absurd.
That afternoon.
Our Kunlun group finished preparing to depart for Luoyang.
Everyone gathered in front of the inn with their luggage.
And...
there was one new person standing beside me.
Tang Soyeon.
No.
Since she was still disguised as a man...
“Young Master Tang.”
At my call, Tang Soyeon calmly nodded.
“Yes, Young Master Mujin?”
I stared at her.
“You're really coming with us?”
“Of course.”
She answered as though it were obvious.
“Why else would I be standing here?”
Her confidence left me speechless.
I turned toward everyone else.
“You're all really fine with this?”
Everyone shrugged as though it were nothing.
Elder Yu Gwangcheol answered first.
“Luoyang isn't far from here.”
“We've agreed to travel together with Young Master Tang for a few days.”
Jin Gwangung chuckled beside him.
“Exactly.”
“It wouldn't hurt for you brats to form a connection with the Tang Clan.”
Then he added,
“And that boy has a pleasant enough personality.”
"..."
Yu Gwangcheol and Jin Gwangung had accepted her far too easily.
How the hell did she convince those two stubborn old men?
I looked toward the others.
Hyeongwon...
“Young Master Tang is a fine person.”
He looked pleased.
“He said he wanted to hear more about the martial arts of the Blue-Flame Dragon Spear.”
Then he laughed loudly.
“Hahahaha!”
"..."
I looked at Myeongjeon.
“Well, the First Elders said it's fine.”
He shrugged.
“Who am I to object?”
"..."
Then Yu Seola.
“He's handsome.”
She answered immediately.
“I've been looking at nothing but gloomy faces this entire journey.”
She smiled.
“Seeing Young Master Tang puts me in a better mood, so I'm in favor.”
"..."
For some reason...
I felt strangely hurt by that.
Tang Soyeon looked at me with an annoyingly triumphant smile.
“Young Master Mujin.”
“I'll be in your care until Luoyang.”
"..."
And just like that...
with one more unexpected connection added to our group...
we headed toward Luoyang.
Contrary to what I had worried about...
traveling with Tang Soyeon caused no real problems.
She blended in surprisingly well with the Kunlun group.
Several uneventful days passed.
Then, at last...
we arrived in Luoyang.
And Luoyang...
was truly Luoyang.
From the city entrance onward, people and carriages never stopped flowing.
Countless merchants had set up stalls along the streets.
Colorful lanterns hung from every inn overflowing with customers.
“Woooow!”
Myeongjeon exclaimed excitedly.
“Luoyang really is incredible.”
His eyes shone.
“Even the air feels different!”
Honestly...
the others probably felt the same.
Yu Gwangcheol, Jin Gwangung, and perhaps Tang Soyeon had experience traveling through the martial world.
But for the rest of us...
this was probably our first time seeing a great city like Luoyang.
And Luoyang was already known for being crowded.
Right now...
it was even more so.
Because of the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.
The entire city seemed heated by anticipation.
“Do you think we'll actually get to see the Five Dragons and Two Phoenixes at this tournament?”
“Which of the Nine Great Sects are participating?”
“I heard Shaolin and Wudang might not be coming.”
Everywhere we passed...
people were talking about the tournament.
As we looked around at the crowds and magnificent buildings...
Elder Yu Gwangcheol's voice reached us.
“What are you all staring around for?”
He frowned.
“Follow me.”
I asked,
“Where are we going first?”
Yu Gwangcheol answered immediately.
“Where else?”
“We need to register for the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.”
I looked at him.
“Then...”
“Yes.”
His voice settled.
“We're going to the Righteous Alliance.”
The moment I heard those words...
a strange emotion rose inside me.
The Righteous Alliance.
The hellish place that had destroyed my life.
I was returning there.
With my own feet.
“What's wrong?”
Yu Gwangcheol stared at my face.
“Why do you look so troubled?”
Damn.
Apparently, my emotions had shown on my face.
I quickly adjusted my expression.
“It's nothing.”
“I've only ever heard about the Righteous Alliance, so I'm a little nervous about seeing it in person.”
Yu Gwangcheol chuckled.
“That's unexpected.”
“You never struck me as someone who'd be shaken by something like that.”
Then Jin Gwangung cut in.
“What a country bumpkin.”
He laughed.
“Getting nervous over something like the Righteous Alliance.”
Then he smirked.
“At this rate, if you actually see Alliance Leader Moyong Cheonhwi, you'll probably piss yourself.”
“Kekeke.”
It was clearly meant as a joke.
And yet...
his words sent a strange tremor through me.
Not excitement.
Rage.
And something close to anticipation.
...Will I actually see Moyong Cheonhwi?
If the opportunity came...
what would I do?
I silently pushed those emotions deep into my chest and continued walking toward the Righteous Alliance.
We followed the main road for a long time.
Then, at some point...
the roofs of the shops on both sides disappeared beneath an enormous shadow.
A fortress-like wall stood ahead.
The stone walls were easily four or five times taller than a person, surrounding the entire area and blocking off the end of the road.
Beyond them...
countless halls and towers rose in layers.
The Righteous Alliance.
People said it could be compared to the Emperor's own palace.
Looking at it now...
I could understand why.
To me...
it looked like the Righteous Alliance had swallowed an entire section of Luoyang whole.
The avenue leading toward its gates was completely packed.
A massive crowd flowed toward the entrance.
I looked at Yu Gwangcheol.
“Don't tell me...”
“Are all these people here to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament?”
Yu Gwangcheol let out a short laugh.
“Of course not.”
“They're spectators.”
I blinked.
“Spectators?”
“The Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament is a martial competition...”
Yu Gwangcheol explained,
“but it's also a festival.”
“Most of these people came simply to see the martial artists participating.”
I was genuinely surprised.
I knew about the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament...
but I hadn't realized this many people cared about it.
Then...
the voices of nearby passersby reached my ears.
“Who do you think will win this Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament?”
“Probably one of the Five Dragons and Two Phoenixes.”
“Which Dragon?”
The other man began counting names on his fingers.
“There are three among the Five Dragons and Two Phoenixes especially famous for their martial arts, aren't there?”
“Baek Hyeon of Wudang.”
“Jinwon of Mount Hua.”
“And Namgung Hyeon of the Namgung Family.”
His companion asked,
“So which of those three?”
The man thought for a moment.
“I heard Baek Hyeon of Wudang isn't participating this time, so if we exclude him...”
He hummed.
“I'd say Namgung Hyeon has a good chance.”
“He's only around twenty, yet they say he's already reached the fourth stage of the Namgung Family's secret Firmament Sword Art.”
Another man listening from nearby immediately scoffed.
“Nonsense.”
He shook his head.
“No matter what, the Nine Great Sects are the true main line of the martial world.”
“Which sect?”
“Mount Hua and Wudang.”
He answered confidently.
“Aren't the Nine Great Sects ultimately the orthodox roots of the martial world?”
“No matter how great the Namgung Family is, they can't surpass that foundation.”
Several people nearby agreed.
“True.”
“Their standing is different.”
“The Nine Great Sects are still the orthodox line.”
Then someone immediately argued back.
“Even so...”
“Who's the strongest under heaven right now?”
Another voice answered,
“Isn't he from the Moyong Family?”
“Alliance Leader Moyong Cheonhwi?”
“Exactly.”
“That alone proves being from one of the Nine Great Sects doesn't automatically place you above everyone else.”
The other man waved him off.
“That's only because Moyong Cheonhwi himself is exceptional.”
“There is such a thing as proper lineage.”
“And what lineage is more orthodox than the Nine Great Sects?”
Their heated debate suddenly shifted direction.
“Besides...”
“didn't one of the Nine Great Sects recently produce another rising genius?”
“Another genius?”
“Who?”
The man answered,
“Kunlun's Young Hero.”
My ears instantly perked up.
