[Ah, but since we represent the Golden Blood Chamber, that fate won’t befall us. Conversely, if they are annihilated, there’s no debt to repay. While waging the Great Orthodox and Unorthodox War, they’ll likely go around slicing down other Unorthodox factions that their sons borrowed money from.]
Did he read his brother’s mind?
Answering like a ghost responding to an unbidden thought, Sama Hyeon crossed his legs.
[Daoist sects rooted in the Dao can simply be excommunicated by the Sect Leader. Unless the corruption has rotted the core, it usually resolves that way. But clans cannot do that. How do you replace your own child? In this Confucian society, is it easy to strike someone from the family register? Who, then, will perform the ancestral rites?]
Exactly. A headache was incoming.
Jin Cheon-hee glanced around. The garments of the Clan Heads, Sect Leaders, and those claiming the mantle of the Orthodox sitting in front, behind, and beside him were truly striking in their hues of white and blue. Some wore jade silk, others teal, and rarely, ink-black like the Wudang Sect. Regardless of the color, they were the clothes of those claiming righteousness—attire that screamed noble status wherever one looked.
But were their undergarments just as clean?
They must all be stained with their unspeakable circumstances. If handled internally, the rot would only fester. And so, they tried to solve it with swords.
“Driving me crazy.”
“Just enjoy it, Hyung. Ah, Hyung is a physician, so you can’t enjoy it.”
“Where do you think all the injured will go? Hyeon-ah.”
Waaaaaaah!
“One-Eyed Mad Dragon is out!”
“One-Eyed Iron Fist! I bet on you, so please show some skill!”
“I thought only the Orthodox could participate in this Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, why is an Unorthodox here?”
“It’s Wudang Sect! Daoist Cheon Woo of Wudang!”
“Wudang with a face like an evil god?”
As Cheon Woo threw off his cloak—whoosh—a giant Wudang symbol shone upon his back.
“…Must be Wudang. Seeing him safe carrying such a huge Taiji symbol, he must be Wudang.”
“That Taiji size… Wudang would never stay still if he were an imposter.”
“If an Unorthodox practitioner carried that Taiji on his back, Wudang would have subjugated him long ago.”
“……”
That was a relief. Cheon Woo.
People were recognizing him as Wudang more readily than last time. Jin Cheon-hee clenched his fist, his eyes shining. Didn’t the whole Gangho already know Cheon Woo was an absolute master who had reached the Realm of Transformation? He had distinguished himself during the war against the Suksin Tribe, and thanks to his martial travels, information about Cheon Woo had spread quite widely.
Cheon Woo. Highly renowned as the next Fist Emperor of Wudang, yet always the subject of gossip regarding his appearance due to the intimidating aura exuding from his physique and face.
Was that why?
Those who made it to the preliminaries weren’t even fighting properly.
One of them walked up to Cheon Woo and clasped his hands in a formal greeting.
“Daoist Cheon Woo. I am Jin Gae of the Beggars’ Sect. I ask for a lesson.”
A handsome man wearing rags! Even in tattered clothing, his features were striking.
After clasping his hands, he grabbed an ink-black staff and took a stance.
“Here I come. Hap!”
His staff thrust fiercely.
The famous supreme art of the Beggars’ Sect, the Dog Beating Staff Technique! The whirring sound, carrying fierce internal energy, could be heard even by Jin Cheon-hee sitting far away in the stands.
Thud.
However, the result was futile.
Cheon Woo’s huge, thick palm moved like a drifting cloud and simply brushed the staff aside.
“Uh?”
“Huh?”
“Heh?”
The spectators let out collective groans at the anti-climax.
Then came Cheon Woo’s follow-up. Not the left hand that had brushed the staff aside, but the right hand, which moved heavily yet lightly to strike the chest.
Bang!
With an explosive sound, the Beggars’ Sect rising star, Jin Gae, was blown backward.
“Keuk!”
He trembled, trying to stand, but his legs failed him. He fainted on the spot.
Immediately, another stepped forward.
“Amazing skill! I am Peng Cheon-jung of the Peng Clan. I ask for a lesson.”
This time, a rising star of the Hebei Peng Clan took the stage.
“Iyapp!”
He unleashed the Five Tiger Severing Door Blade with full power.
The moment the immense force capable of splitting a mountain struck down, Cheon Woo’s two hands drew a circle and deflected the blade.
Crack!
With the following single palm strike, Peng Cheon-jung was also struck down.
At least Peng Cheon-jung didn’t faint; was that better than Jin Gae? However, seeing him kneel and bleed from the mouth, he seemed to have suffered significant internal injury.
Following him, another martial artist stepped forward.
“Daoist Cheon Woo. This lowly one is Gongsun Jeon of the Gongsun Clan. I will learn a move.”
“Daoist Cheon Woo! This Daoist is of Kunlun…”
Others challenged him too, but all lost to Cheon Woo’s Taiji.
It wasn’t some grand, secret palm technique, but basic Taiji.
Everyone watching dropped their jaws. Even if he was a master of the Realm of Transformation, to defeat other rising stars so easily with just Taiji, without even using Hardened Qi!
“Waaaaaaah! One-Eyed Iron Fist!”
“Wudang Sect is the beeeest!”
The spectator seats filled with cheers.
Amidst the roar, Jin Cheon-hee shouted, infusing his voice with internal energy.
“Wudang Fist Dragon!!! Way to gooooo—!”
He was trying desperately to float this kid as Orthodox, to remove those damn ‘Mad’ and ‘Poison’ characters from his reputation.
Everyone in the martial arts arena heard Jin Cheon-hee’s shout.
Soon, fresh shouts rang out in response.
“Wudang Mad Fist is amaziiiing!”
“Wudang One-Eyed is coooool!”
Woooaaaaah—!
Amidst the cheers, only Sama Hyeon patted his brother’s back.
“Hyung, give up. This is only because you shouted with Sound Arts. More than this is impossible.”
“Ha… Hyeon-ah. I still hoped Cheon Woo wouldn’t get the character ‘Mad’ in his nickname. You got a good nickname like Thousand-Faced Fox. Without the character ‘Mad’ like me.”
Flinch.
At that moment, Sama Hyeon’s hand paused on his brother’s back.
“…Hahahaha, what are you saying, Hyung? I have the character ‘Mad’ too. Called Mad-Faced Fox.”
“Are you jealous even of nickname characters after the Imperial Palace ceiling incident? Hey, you know ‘Gwang’ means crazy ‘Mad’, right? Hyeon-ah. And Mad-Faced Fox… what a terrible sound.”
Sama Hyeon’s fingers cracked as he uncrossed them.
“I was Mad-Faced Fox from the start, Hyung. A nickname with the same ‘Mad’ character as yours.”
I see.
Now Jin Cheon-hee felt like Sama Hyeon would actively become the Mad-Faced Fox just to prove a point.
Thus, the preliminaries ended.
It was a wonderful day where both Cheon Woo and Sama Hyeon were confirmed to advance to the Round of 32 main tournament.
“Alright. Mad-Faced Fox.”
“Ha, tired of the ‘Mad’ character but… can’t be helped. What can I do if martial artists call me that?”
Look at him acting all nonchalant.
…Hyeon-ah. Why throw away the good nickname ‘Thousand-Faced Fox’ you worked hard to get? Your brother feels it’s wasteful. You rascal.
Jin Cheon-hee wept tears of blood in his heart.
***
A few hours later.
Night began to fall on the Martial Righteous Alliance.
Even though quite a few patients had been admitted, the White Qilin Medical Pavilion treatment center seemed reasonably quiet. It was thanks to the lack of serious injuries.
There were days like this. Days when people should have been flooding in, yet strangely, silence reigned. This was a miracle; nothing else could explain it.
Silent night, holy night. A night without emergency patients.
Jin Cheon-hee offered silent words of gratitude to the gods of various religions: Buddha, Jesus, Allah, Vishnu, Horus, Azathoth, Zeus, and the rest.
It seemed there was a spy in their midst, but did it matter?
“This is a first, Young Pavilion Master.”
The Head of the Therapeutic Massage Department, Ju Dan-ha, spoke up. Her cheeks were already flushed, likely thinking of the drinking party she would hold later.
“Because there are few serious injury patients, right?”
“Indeed. And there is one more thing. I doubt this was conveyed to you, Young Pavilion Master, since you were observing the preliminaries during the day.”
“What is it?”
“We just detected signs that the Martial Righteous Alliance intends to distance themselves from us in earnest.”
As expected, they were making their move.
Jin Cheon-hee had deliberately avoided clearly stating his position. So, they reacted like this.
“Many patients have gone to the Hwaju Medical Pavilion. In other words, they started pushing urgent patients to the Hwaju Medical Pavilion.”
Ju Dan-ha spoke with a serious expression, but Jin Cheon-hee’s reaction was the opposite.
“Why… why such a grateful deed?”
“Yes, Young Pavilion Master thinks without politics… No, not that! They intend to prove the Hwaju Medical Pavilion is better than White Qilin Medical Pavilion! Aren’t you angry?”
“If the result is overwork, I’m not angry at all. You know how the last Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was.”
“K-Kuh-hm. That is true, but…”
Ju Dan-ha coughed dryly, her feelings seemingly complicated.
“Of course, I know merits are good. But patients going to the Hwaju Medical Pavilion and reducing our work is a good thing. Since it’s come to this, let’s make everyone rest well.”
Saying so, he ordered everyone except the night duty staff to leave work for the evening.
“They will prepare for the Great Orthodox and Unorthodox War in earnest.”
“Feels like it’s no longer a secret.”
“If it reached my ears, it’s obvious. Now the White Qilin Medical Pavilion’s course of action depends on your hands, Young Pavilion Master.”
“……”
When Jin Cheon-hee didn’t answer, Ju Dan-ha smiled bitterly.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pressure you…”
“No. Your words are correct. It is right for me, the Young Pavilion Master, to decide the direction of the White Qilin Medical Pavilion here in Master’s absence.”
Head of Therapeutic Massage Department Ju Dan-ha lightly nodded to Jin Cheon-hee and went outside.
All physicians except the duty staff departed.
It was still a joyful Dragon and Phoenix Assembly. There was plenty to eat and play on every street.
Boom.
A sound of gunpowder exploding came from nearby.
Flinch.
Mistaking it for a Heaven-Shaking Thunder of the Suksin Tribe, all the fine hairs on Jin Cheon-hee’s body stood on end. Only when he realized it was just a firecracker did he sweep his hands down his arms to calm himself.
“Silly me.”
It was a Great Orthodox and Unorthodox War of martial artists, so Heaven-Shaking Thunders wouldn’t appear, right? Just Sword Qi, Sword Aura, and Poison Qi spreading everywhere.
They had invited the White Qilin Medical Pavilion for the smooth progress of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly as a neutral grey element between Orthodox and Unorthodox, but they were now nailing down the fact that the Pavilion was not an ally yet. The Hwaju Medical Pavilion naturally sided with the Orthodox.
Tak.
Since there were no patients, Jin Cheon-hee took out a Go board and held a stone alone. His Master could place stones without looking at the board, but that level was still impossible for him. When predicting the future political situation and engaging in deep strategic battles, he used to play Go alone like this.
Even so, there was no need to attack the White Qilin Medical Pavilion at this point. Maybe. Right. If they conducted themselves well, the combatants might not attack the Pavilion during the Great War.
Tak.
The second stone landed near the star point.
The White Qilin Medical Pavilion had received a fiefdom, and his Master had obtained the title of Earl of Medical State as a martial artist. If they used the long-standing rule of non-aggression between the government and the martial world, they might be safe.
Ta-dak.
However, if that happened, the White Qilin Medical Pavilion must completely wash its hands of this affair.
Whether a bloodbath happened outside or countless people died, the prerequisite was to crouch peacefully in the White Qilin Medical Pavilion headquarters.
Did Master predict things would flow this way?
Tak.
The best move.
Where else would there be a better move for the safety of White Qilin Medical Pavilion?
And if left alone, many people would die, and that Heavenly Fate might recover to some extent. He might not be chased by the Defier of Heavenly Fate anymore. Then, a comfortable old age might be guaranteed.
Because it was his second life, he felt it more keenly.
Now he was young and an outstanding martial artist, but what about when he got old? No, could he even live until he was old?
It was the best move. The move of non-aggression between the government and the martial world. Master couldn’t not have thought of this…