Chapter 87: A Suspicious Invitation
Why is a Mount Hua Taoist here?
Someone from Mount Hua had come to visit Kunlun.
As far as I could remember, this was a first.
It had never happened even in my previous life.
The Mount Hua Taoist glanced at me, then bowed once more to Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon.
“Sect Leader, then I will take my leave.”
“You've traveled a long way. Take care.”
The Taoist gave the Sect Leader a martial salute, then walked toward the entrance I'd just come through.
After briefly watching his retreating back, I turned my attention to the Sect Leader again.
There was a letter in Cheon Gwangcheon's hand.
It looked like the Mount Hua Taoist had just delivered it.
The Sect Leader held the letter silently, deep in thought.
Then...
BANG!
The doors of the Sect Leader's Palace flew open.
A massive figure, almost as large as a mountain, stepped inside.
“Sect Leader! Why did you call me here in such a hurry this early in the morning?”
Jin Gwangung.
He noticed me a moment later.
“Huh? Why are you here too?”
“The Sect Leader called for me.”
“Really? Hmm....”
Jin Gwangung turned back toward the Sect Leader.
“Why did you call both me and this brat?”
Then he frowned.
“And just now, I could've sworn I saw a Mount Hua bastard leaving this place.”
“What exactly is going on?”
The Sect Leader placed the letter on his desk.
Then stroked his chin.
He looked as though he were weighing something carefully.
A short while later, he finally spoke.
“We received word from Mount Hua.”
Jin Gwangung tilted his head.
“Word?”
“What do you mean? Why would Mount Hua suddenly contact us?”
His confusion was understandable.
Kunlun and Mount Hua were both members of the Nine Great Sects.
Both were Taoist sects as well.
But that didn't mean they regularly exchanged letters or maintained a particularly close relationship.
If anything...
because they were both prestigious Taoist sects within the Nine Great Sects...
they were closer to rivals.
The Sect Leader stroked his beard.
“Mount Hua says they would like to hold a friendly exchange with us.”
Jin Gwangung immediately reacted.
“A friendly exchange?”
His expression turned doubtful.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Why would they suddenly want an exchange with us?”
Cheon Gwangcheon took a short breath before answering in a low voice.
“The martial world has been unsettled since the tragedy at the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.”
“Rumors of disappearances have been spreading as well.”
He continued,
“Their reasoning is that the orthodox sects should meet face-to-face and strengthen our unity first.”
“They want to create an opportunity for the Taoist sects to gather.”
Jin Gwangung looked unconvinced.
“A gathering between Taoist sects?”
He snorted.
“What, did they invite us to drink in some valley together?”
The Sect Leader continued patiently.
“Mount Hua would like to invite members of Kunlun to visit them.”
Jin Gwangung shook his head.
“Well, that's unusual.”
“Mount Hua sending an official letter just to invite us...”
He looked at me.
Then back at the Sect Leader.
“Still, isn't that something you can decide yourself?”
“Why bother calling me and this brat here?”
Cheon Gwangcheon hesitated slightly.
“That's the thing....”
His eyes moved between Jin Gwangung and me.
Then he lightly tapped the letter on the desk.
“The invitation specifically says they would like both you and Mujin to be included.”
Jin Gwangung turned toward me in surprise.
“Me... and him?”
The Sect Leader nodded.
“That's right.”
"..."
Jin Gwangung fell silent.
It was rare to see him look genuinely dumbfounded.
“Sect Leader.”
He frowned.
“In my entire life, I don't think I've ever seen Mount Hua invite specific people like this.”
Cheon Gwangcheon sighed lightly.
“This is also the first time I've received a letter from Mount Hua since becoming Sect Leader.”
He continued,
“Even the disciples guarding the mountain gate panicked when they heard someone had arrived carrying a letter from Mount Hua.”
“They rushed here as though some disaster had occurred.”
At those words...
I remembered the figures I'd seen running toward the Sect Leader's Palace that morning.
So that was why they had been using movement techniques in such a hurry.
Cheon Gwangcheon continued.
“The sudden invitation under the name of a ‘friendly exchange’ already seemed unusual.”
Then he looked at us.
“And because they specifically requested that you and Mujin attend...”
“I wanted to hear both of your opinions before making a decision.”
Jin Gwangung scratched his chin.
“Hmm...”
“It is suspicious.”
Then he shrugged.
“But I can't imagine Mount Hua, one of the great orthodox sects, plotting anything malicious against us.”
He paused.
His eyes settled on me.
“Still...”
“why they specifically asked for me and this brat...”
He clicked his tongue.
“That's what bothers me.”
Jin Gwangung turned back toward the Sect Leader.
“Either way, if Mount Hua went as far as sending an official invitation...”
“it'd be awkward to reject them outright, wouldn't it?”
Cheon Gwangcheon nodded.
“Exactly.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“And who knows?”
“Perhaps this could deepen the relationship between Kunlun and Mount Hua.”
I immediately understood what the Sect Leader was thinking.
Unlike the other Nine Great Sects, which had actively expanded their influence...
Kunlun's power had remained relatively limited.
That was partly because we stood at the frontier bordering the Demonic Cult.
And partly because Kunlun was geographically isolated from the center of the martial world.
Strengthening relations with Mount Hua...
one of the most powerful sects among the Nine Great Sects...
was certainly worth considering from the Sect Leader's perspective.
Cheon Gwangcheon looked at me.
“Mujin.”
“What do you think?”
“Are you willing to accept Mount Hua's invitation?”
I answered without the slightest hesitation.
“If it will benefit the sect, how could I refuse?”
The Sect Leader's expression softened.
His eyes were filled with obvious pride as he looked at me.
He's going to tear up at this rate.
I lowered my head slightly and avoided his gaze.
Of course...
I hadn't accepted solely because it might help Kunlun.
Honestly...
I'd wanted to visit Mount Hua at least once anyway.
Kunlun may have produced the legendary True Immortal Cheongun...
but when it came to the long-standing traditions of swordsmanship, Mount Hua and Wudang had served as standards throughout the martial world for generations.
During my match against Jinwon at the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament...
I'd only brushed against the surface of the Plum Blossom Sword.
I wanted to visit Mount Hua and see their higher-level swordsmanship for myself.
And more importantly...
...there's something I need to collect there.
There were several fortuitous opportunities I'd sworn to claim after regressing.
