Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Fate Is Unfathomable, and the World's Affairs Cannot Be Foreseen (3)

The sixtieth birthday celebration of Lee Sin-pung, Master of the Red Cliff Manor, was not merely a party. It was also a gathering of the numerous sects that made Gansu Province their home.

The number of prominent sects that had already arrived at the Red Cliff Manor exceeded twenty. The smaller, lesser-known organizations numbered at least twice that.

"Ha ha! It has been too long."

"Indeed. It must be three years, and the Sect Leader has not changed one bit."

"How could that be? Ho ho!"

Middle-aged martial artists exchanged pleasantries, while elsewhere, young martial artists introduced themselves and enjoyed the occasion.

"My, my! Remarkable."

A young man whistled at the sight.

He appeared to be in his late twenties, a strikingly handsome fellow. His black eyes gleamed like twin stars, the corners of his mouth curled slightly upward, and a mischievous air permeated his entire face.

The young man occupied one of the dozens of benches arranged in the vast martial grounds, watching the comings and goings of people.

While other benches were packed with people, strangely, no one approached the one where this young man sat.

Empty wine bottles lay scattered around his bench. He was the only one seated there.

Naturally, it was the young man himself who had been drinking. His face was flushed red.

Though he appeared drunk in broad daylight, nearby people merely clicked their tongues and kept their distance.

"Drinking like that in the middle of the day."

"Indeed. I do not know which sect he belongs to, but his prospects do not look promising."

Though he must have heard their murmurs, the young man's expression did not change. On the contrary, he called out to a passing servant.

"Might you bring me one more bottle of wine?"

"Sir, but you have already had quite a lot…"

When the servant looked troubled, the smile on the young man's lips deepened.

"What? Do I look drunk to you?"

"Not exactly, but…"

"'Life is not yours to own; it is the harmony of heaven and earth.' Thus spoke Master Lie in ancient times."

"Pardon?"

"Life is not your possession. It is entrusted by heaven and earth, a harmonious union. Do you understand the meaning of those words?"

"How could I…"

"Since human life and death are governed by heaven, it means we must faithfully enjoy this present moment. The sages of old said as much—how could I squander this present moment? There has never been a sage who did not drink wine, after all…"

"I-I will bring it right away."

Fearing the young man's sophistry would continue, the servant hastily cut him off and retreated. A short while later, he returned with a bottle of wine, handed it over, and disappeared.

Left alone once more, the young man smacked his lips and began to pour and drink.

"'Those who cannot walk the path with you do not know its ways.' If one does not walk the same road, even the truth will go unheeded. There is no one who walks my road. How lonely. Tch!"

After draining his cup, the young man looked around once more.

At that moment, a man whose appearance was markedly different from the surrounding scenery caught his eye. A man with black hair, wearing black robes. Upon closer inspection, he was limping slightly, and perhaps for that reason, no one had spoken to him.

The man looked about, as if searching for an empty seat. The young man waved to him.

"There is an empty seat here, brother."

He even flashed a broad smile.

From the young man's mouth drifted a potent scent of alcohol. Those nearby assumed he was making a drunken scene. They expected the man in black not to approach.

But contrary to their expectations, the man in black strode toward the young man's bench without hesitation.

The young man's eyes lit up. The man walking toward him was indeed limping.

The man who sat across from the young man was none other than Dam Ho.

The young man offered Dam Ho a cupped-fist salute.

"It is a pleasure. To share a seat like this is a remarkable fate. Let us exchange names. My name is Cho Yeon-woon."

The young man who identified himself as Cho Yeon-woon stared intently at Dam Ho. Though his face was flushed, his dark eyes betrayed not a trace of intoxication.

"Dam Ho."

Dam Ho offered only his name, briefly.

In an ordinary situation, one might have blushed at such curtness. But Cho Yeon-woon let out a hearty laugh.

"Ha ha! A fine name, Brother Dam."

Dam Ho merely nodded in silence.

Dam Ho's face, devoid of any emotion, might have been burdensome, but Cho Yeon-woon paid it no mind and offered Dam Ho a cup of wine.

"Have a cup."

"I do not drink."

"What a pity. To be unable to enjoy such a pleasure. Well, no matter. Each person has their own pursuits. Ha ha!"

Cho Yeon-woon wore a friendly smile.

Dam Ho regarded Cho Yeon-woon intently. Of all the people he had met since entering the world, Cho Yeon-woon was the most scatterbrained and talkative.

He seemed genuinely delighted that Dam Ho had taken a seat on his bench, and chattered on about one thing after another. Dam Ho did not let a single word slip past his ears.

After talking at length, Cho Yeon-woon scratched the back of his head under Dam Ho's intense gaze.

"I have been rambling too much about myself. By the way, Brother Dam, where are you from?"

"The outer territories."

"Beyond the Great Wall? My! You have come a long way. I envy you! I have always wanted to visit at least once. What are the landscapes beyond the wall like? Is it as barren as they say?"

"Perhaps."

"But you seem to be from the Central Plains. How did you come from the outer territories? Ah, you must have traveled with a merchant caravan. I have heard that more and more people have been making trips to the outer territories with trading companies lately."

Cho Yeon-woon answered his own question.

He seemed to be a born chatterbox. He spoke without pause, and it was remarkable that his voice did not grow hoarse.

As Cho Yeon-woon continued to prattle on—

"It is the Tongsu Sect. Martial artists from the Tongsu Sect have arrived."

Suddenly, the crowd began to buzz. Their voices carried an excitement that could not be concealed.

"The Tongsu Sect has sent a congratulatory delegation as well. The great hero Lee Sin-pung is truly remarkable."

"Need you say more? He is one of the two great powers of Gansu Province, together with the Tongsu Sect. In terms of tradition, the Tongsu Sect may be older, but in terms of current prestige, the Red Cliff Manor is in no way inferior."

The murmur of the crowd reached the ears of Cho Yeon-woon and Dam Ho.

Interest flickered across Cho Yeon-woon's face at once.

"Oh! At last we are to see those lazy Taoists of the Tongsu Sect."

He watched with keen interest as the figures parted the crowd and approached.

A dozen or so Taoists strode forward with dignified bearing. Each of them exuded a calm yet extraordinary presence.

They were the congratulatory delegation sent by the Tongsu Sect.

As one of the Nine Great Sects, the Tongsu Sect had polished these men like fine swords. The razor-sharp aura they emanated was so formidable that no one dared meet their gaze.

Among them, one figure stood out with a particularly intense presence.

Large, well-defined features, a stature of seven chi, a body that looked as though it had been carved from steel, and eyes that radiated both intensity and arrogance.

He gazed down upon the world as though it lay at his feet. The bearing suited him perfectly.

"It is Nam-hak, the Young Hero."

"Wow! So that is the Thunder Martial Hero?"

"To think we would see the Thunder Martial Hero, one of the Nine Martial Dragons, here. We have truly been blessed with great fortune."

The crowd murmured as they looked upon him. Their faces were alight with excitement.

"The Thunder Martial Hero, Nam-hak."

A playful smile curled Cho Yeon-woon's lips.

His gaze suddenly turned to Dam Ho.

Despite Nam-hak's arrival, Dam Ho's eyes remained deep and unwavering. As though he did not even know who Nam-hak was.

Cho Yeon-woon asked.

"Do you perhaps not know that fellow?"

Dam Ho turned to look at Cho Yeon-woon.

His gaze was devoid of emotion, yet somehow Cho Yeon-woon understood the language hidden within it.

"You do not know! Ha! There exists a person under heaven who does not know the Nine Martial Dragons."

Cho Yeon-woon slapped his forehead.

Dam Ho stared at him.

"Must I know?"

"No! Not necessarily. But it is better to know than not. By the way, why do you speak so informally upon first meeting?"

Only then did Cho Yeon-woon seem to realize, and he glared at Dam Ho. But Dam Ho spoke as though it were nothing.

"If you do not like it, speak informally as well."

"Ah! Then that will work. Damn it!"

Cho Yeon-woon's expression crumpled like a sheet of paper.

He glared at Dam Ho. But there was no malice to be found anywhere on his face.

"Very well! Then I shall explain from the beginning. Do you know of the Nine Martial Dragons?"

"…"

"I thought as much. You must be new to the Murim. Well, no matter. Everyone starts somewhere. The Nine Martial Dragons are the top young talents of the current Murim."

As Cho Yeon-woon explained, the Nine Martial Dragons were indeed composed of the finest young talents of the current Murim. But their achievements were by no means light enough to be dismissed as merely "young talents."

Their martial prowess was already on par with the elders of the Nine Great Sects. The problem was that they were not yet fully developed.

Given their age, there remained enormous room for growth. In fact, even at this very moment, they were growing terrifyingly stronger.

The first was Mu SSang-geom of the Wudang Sect, hailed as the prodigy who would lead the sect for the next century. His talent with the sword was nothing short of genius, such that even the elders of the Wudang were said to bow a measure of respect.

So much so that his epithet was the Peerless Sword—no one who could match him.

The second was Myeong Gyeong of the Mount Hua Sect, the Lone Sword of Mount Hua.

A prodigy of the ages nurtured by Sage Hyeon-geom of the Mount Hua Sect. Few had seen his face, but his renown had already resounded throughout the world.

The third was Pyo Seo-un of the Rushing Wind Yama.

Unusually, he was an outer disciple of the Jeomchang Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. To be precise, he was the young lord of the Unchang Escort Agency, an affiliate of the Jeomchang Sect, and his talent was nothing short of genius.

The fourth was Eom Tae-cheon of the Shadowless Divine Dragon.

He was a martial artist from the Shinguji School of the Kunlun Sect.

True to his epithet, he traversed the Murim without leaving a trace, and very few knew his true face.

"The fifth of the Nine Martial Dragons is Cheong-un. His epithet is the Star of Sichuan. He hails from the Cheongseong Sect. The three pillars of Sichuan—the Cheongseong Sect, the Dang Family, and the Ami Sect—are notgenerous in their praise of one another. But not a single doubt has ever been cast upon Cheong-un's talent. Hence the ridiculous epithet: the Lone Star of Sichuan."

The sixth was a monk trained by the Shaolin Temple.

A monk named So-cheon.

His epithet, One Fist Shatters Mountains, was no exaggeration for the formidable power he wielded.

The seventh, unusually, was a woman.

Hae So-wol, the Flower of the Sea.

A heroine of the Hainan Sect, she was a seeker who roamed the world to comprehend the ultimate truth of the sword. As beautiful and proud as a single blossom, it was said that whoever beheld her face once could not help but fall in love.

The eighth was Geum Han-su of the Heavenly Strong Young Master.

A disciple of the Zhongnan Sect who had begun his journey in the Murim twelve years ago, Geum Han-su had quickly risen to prominence.

He was a man who would rather break than bend. Hence his epithet: the Heavenly Strong Young Master.

"And the ninth, the last, is that fellow. The Thunder Martial Hero, Nam-hak. The prodigy that the Tongsu Sect has raised with everything they have. I hear that to complete his internal energy, six elders of the Tongsu Sect each sacrificed half of their own."

"…"

"You do not understand? It means they transmitted their internal energy to him through the Body Transmission Technique. The elders sacrificed half of their internal energy and transferred it to him. In theory, his internal energy is three times that of the Tongsu Sect's elders. In terms of internal energy alone, he could truly be called the greatest under heaven. Keuk!"

The corner of Cho Yeon-woon's mouth curled upward.

"There is no ranking among the Nine Martial Dragons. They are all of comparable prowess, like tigers and dragons matched. And as for me…"

"It has been a while. Cho Yeon-woon."

"That is right. I am Cho Yeon-woon. Hm?"

At the sudden sound of an unfamiliar voice, Cho Yeon-woon looked up. A familiar face was looking down at him.

"Nam-hak?"

"Cho Yeon-woon. That mouth of yours, which never stops wagging, is still going strong, I see."

"And your unpleasant, squinting gaze is still as ever, I see."

The man looking down at Cho Yeon-woon was none other than Nam-hak.