Chapter 86: Unease in the Silence
The clinking of cups and the sound of laughter stopped at the same time.
Everyone's attention turned toward the upper seats.
And there...
sat the owner of the voice.
Kunlun's First Elder and the true head of the Martial Discipline Office.
Iron Lion Oh Gwangheon.
First Elder Oh Gwangheon slowly set down his cup.
“Has everyone forgotten?”
His voice was calm, but heavy.
“A Demonic Cult martial arts manual was found in the possession of Lee Munjeong, the man responsible for the tragedy at the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.”
"..."
Sounds of people swallowing nervously came from around the banquet hall.
Oh Gwangheon's gaze turned cold.
“That means the Demonic Cult has begun raising its head again.”
He paused.
“And that's not all.”
“I heard that some young martial artists disappeared completely while traveling to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.”
After taking a short breath, he continued slowly.
“...Calling all of this mere coincidence...”
“seems far too suspicious.”
Uneasy murmurs immediately spread through the hall.
“Were those stories really true?”
“They disappeared on their way to the tournament...?”
“Do you think all of that was done by the Demonic Cult?”
As those voices continued...
a recent memory flashed through my mind.
The inn where I'd first met Tang Soyeon.
And the remark she'd made almost casually at the time.
There are rumors that martial artists traveling to the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament have been disappearing.
The first thing I'd thought of when I heard that...
was the Shadow Corps.
I knew they abducted people and used them as test subjects.
But I had never been completely certain.
The Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament was a time when attention from across the martial world was concentrated in one place.
Would the Shadow Corps really go out of their way to abduct martial artists during such a sensitive period?
The timing doesn't make sense.
Of course...
there had been cases where the Shadow Corps was definitely involved, like the kidnapping of Jang Ho from the Iron Mountain Sect.
But connecting every missing martial artist to the Shadow Corps felt like too much of a leap.
And yet...
...there was a Shadow Corps scheme behind Lee Munjeong too.
Moyong Cheonhwi had tried to use the Lee Munjeong incident as an excuse to increase the Righteous Alliance's control over the martial world.
Maybe the disappearances of those martial artists were tied into the same larger plan.
Moyong Cheonhwi...
What the hell are you planning?
Would he really abduct martial artists simply to strengthen the Righteous Alliance's power?
That didn't make sense either.
There had to be another reason.
While I sank into thought...
the anxiety in the banquet hall only continued to grow.
“If the Demonic Cult has already reached into the very heart of the Righteous Alliance...”
“No, the fact that Lee Munjeong carried a Demonic Cult manual itself...”
“...Is the martial world going to become a sea of blood again?”
The color drained from many faces.
If war with the Demonic Cult broke out...
Kunlun would be the first place hit.
For the people of Kunlun...
the movements of the Demonic Cult were directly tied to survival.
Someone murmured in a trembling voice,
“Please... let the peace of the martial world continue.”
Then...
“Elder Oh.”
Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon spoke.
“I believe you may be thinking too far ahead.”
His steady voice softened the heavy atmosphere slightly.
Oh Gwangheon lowered his head.
“I only meant that we must not lower our guard against the Demonic Cult.”
Cheon Gwangcheon smiled faintly.
“Haha. I understand how you feel.”
“But at least for today...”
“why don't we allow ourselves to relax?”
Jin Gwangung raised his cup and chimed in.
“That old man kills the mood every time he opens his mouth.”
He waved his cup around.
“Enough with the serious talk. Everyone, have another drink!”
Others quickly agreed.
“That's right! Today is a day to celebrate!”
“The disciples who raised Kunlun's name at the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament have returned!”
The banquet hall began breathing again.
The dark mood lifted quickly.
Laughter returned.
Cups began clinking once more.
Naturally...
the conversation shifted back toward us, the tournament participants.
One of the elders spoke excitedly.
“Now our sect has four disciples that even the rest of the martial world envies!”
Another laughed.
“Haven't you heard the title they're calling them?”
“The Four Stars of Kunlun!”
“Four Stars?”
Someone chuckled.
“Judging by the name alone, they sound almost like Heavenly Origin Star Moyong Seong.”
The Four Stars of Kunlun.
Four stars shining upon Kunlun.
Myeongjeon's eyes immediately lit up as he glanced toward me.
Yu Seola's cheeks reddened slightly.
Hyeongwon cleared his throat for no reason.
Apparently feeling more confident...
Hyeongwon, who had been listening quietly until now, finally spoke.
“Hmph.”
“It's a shame I never got to face Moyong Seong in the semifinals.”
He raised his cup with a grin.
“Moyong Seong was lucky.”
“If he'd fought me...”
His smile widened.
“the fame of the Heavenly Origin Star would've become mine.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
Hyeongwon...
You really dream big.
From what I'd seen...
the gap between Moyong Seong and Hyeongwon was fairly large.
If the two had actually fought...
Hyeongwon might have lasted a few dozen exchanges at best.
You should be grateful you didn't fight him.
Of course...
I didn't say that aloud.
This was a celebration, after all.
“Such a shame.”
Hyeongwon shook his head dramatically.
“The semifinals were such a shame.”
I finally asked,
“What exactly are you so disappointed about?”
Hyeongwon lifted his chin.
“I'm disappointed that I couldn't show the legend of the Blue-Flame Dragon Spear piercing the Heavenly Origin Star.”
"..."
This bastard's confidence had reached a truly unrealistic level.
I was just about to say something because I couldn't take it anymore when...
“Blue-Flame Dragon Spear?”
A voice suddenly cut in.
Both Hyeongwon and I turned toward it.
Iron Lion Oh Gwangheon.
He set down his cup.
“Hmm...”
Then looked straight at Hyeongwon.
“Hyeongwon.”
“I hear they call you the Blue-Flame Dragon Spear.”
Hyeongwon's voice instantly trembled.
“Y-Yes... Master....”
All that confidence from a moment ago had vanished.
Anxiety was written all over his face.
Oh Gwangheon stared into his eyes for a moment.
Then narrowed his gaze.
“But...”
“I heard the spear techniques you used at the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament were rather unusual.”
Hyeongwon blinked.
“Y-Yes?”
His eyes widened sharply...
then began trembling.
Oh Gwangheon deliberately paused.
Then continued slowly.
“What did you call it?”
“Blue-Flame Dragon Break?”
He tilted his head.
“Interesting.”
“Did our Martial Discipline Spear Art always have a technique by that name?”
"?!"
Hyeongwon's face turned white as paper.
Caught.
He'd gone around making up flashy names for his techniques...
and now he'd been properly caught.
Quiet snickers escaped from all around the banquet hall.
“M-Master... that... well....”
Hyeongwon stammered.
Oh Gwangheon didn't laugh.
He didn't get angry either.
He simply continued speaking calmly.
“I'm very curious about that Blue-Flame Dragon Break of yours.”
"..."
“After the banquet...”
“I'll come find you personally.”
Oh Gwangheon's voice remained perfectly composed.
“When I do...”
“show me that impressive technique.”
"..."
Then his voice hardened like steel.
“I trust you didn't attach some absurd name to the Martial Discipline Spear Art...”
“a martial art carrying the will of our predecessors.”
Hyeongwon's lips trembled.
“M-Master....”
Cold sweat ran down his back.
Hyeongwon...
Just think of it as karma.
I lifted my cup and pretended not to notice.
And with that...
the banquet once again continued amid bright laughter.
Late that night...
after the banquet finally ended...
I returned to the Event Hall alone.
I entered my room and quietly closed the door behind me.
