Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
Yang Yeom rushed forward, his practice blade slashing with velocity that utterly eclipsed that of his younger brother, Yang Hak.
Even so, he proved no match for Yanghwi, collapsing in a single exchange.
Thud!
The arbiter approached the fallen combatant, assessed his state, and called the outcome.
“Young Master Yanghwi claims the victory…”
Below the raised platform, Baek Heonso beamed with unvarnished pride, whereas Yang Garyung, patriarch of the Yang Brew Sect seated at the place of honor, flushed a violent scarlet.
Watching two sons routed consecutively in lone clashes by the exact same challenger dragged the dignity of the Yang Brew Sect straight through the dirt.
Yet this was only the beginning.
Yanghwi held no intention of stepping down so soon.
This tournament existed precisely for such a demonstration of absolute authority.
Suho Alliance, I will shatter your arrogance so completely that you will never dare cast greedy eyes on our holdings again.
“Does no one else wish to test their mettle? If any young master seeks to exchange pointers, step onto the stage.”
“…”
“…”
Following a tense pause, the most imposing youth in the audience mounted the platform.
“Chul Byeonghu of the Yuhang Escort Service. I have stepped forth to measure your skill.”
His frame rivaled that of a grown man, his towering physique signaling that he stood right at the maximum age threshold of fifteen winters.
“I welcome your guidance.”
As the pair approached to perform the customary courtesies, Chul Byeonghu leaned forward, murmuring in a hushed sneer.
“A little runt whose stones have yet to descend dares speak so boldly. I will beat some discipline into you.”
An overt attempt to unbalance him.
Trying to rattle me, are you?
The brute was undoubtedly resorting to underhanded provocations because defeat here would mean unmitigated disgrace.
Parting his lips in a mocking grin, Yanghwi answered without missing a beat.
“That explains why your mother has always had such an appetite for unripe pickings.”
Chul Byeonghu blinked blankly for a breath before the venomous retort registered.
“You insolent wretch, die!”
Livid and purple with fury, Chul Byeonghu barreled across the floor before the arbiter could even signal the opening of the bout.
BZZZZZ!
Accompanied by a piercing hum like a swarm of hornets, he was hurled violently beyond the edge of the stage.
“…Young Master Baek Yanghwi has neutralized Young Master Chul Byeonghu following a foul! The win belongs to Young Master Baek Yanghwi!”
Even the most senior participant among them had been subdued in one clean strike.
A heavy, suffocating stillness fell across the banquet grounds.
A faint smile touched the edge of Yanghwi’s lips.
Now, word that a hidden dragon slumbers within our walls will echo across every corner of Ak’an County.
Dispatching every foe with a solitary blow without dampening his strength had served solely to ignite these rumors.
To think they dared conspire to sever the ties binding the Baek house to the Zhuge family.
They had dared because they viewed the estate with contempt. He would tear down that perception at its roots.
So long as Uncle Zhuge remains beneath our roof, I can invite any tempest I please without fearing retribution. The window is now.
The Suho Alliance was merely a confederation of minor factions deriving their coin from escorts, hired protection, and local training halls.
Once news of today’s display spread across the region?
Their patrons would naturally redirect their gaze toward the Baek house.
Under such conditions, the reformed hoodlums from the underworld could be forged into a legitimate private guard and immediately mobilized for substantial revenue.
Our family will secure both profound renown and vast riches in a single maneuver.
“It appears the stage is empty. Should another contender amass more triumphs than I have recorded, I shall return to face them.”
Leaving behind that declaration, Yanghwi descended from the fighting arena.
The competitive fire that had once burned through the grounds was extinguished, reduced to frigid ash.
The youthful combatants had lost all resolve, while the host and referee stood frozen in mute embarrassment.
Precisely then.
“Bwahahaha!”
A booming, thunderous burst of amusement shattered the silence of the courtyard.
“Yanghwi! That was magnificent to behold!”
It was the voice of Zhuge Seon.
“I am grateful it pleased your eyes, Uncle. I feared my unpolished maneuvers might offend your sight.”
Yanghwi performed an impeccably polite cupped-fist salute before speaking again.
“May this nephew consider our wager won?”
Their bet had hinged entirely on whether Yanghwi could dominate the entire gathering.
To settle the contest beyond any doubt, Zhuge Seon rose to his feet.
“I put the question to all gathered martial peers. Seeing the caliber displayed by these youths, it is evident this Zhuge Seon’s nephew stands without equal. Does anyone dispute his triumph?”
“…”
“…”
Not a single soul offered a word of challenge.
Zhuge Seon gave a satisfied nod, expecting nothing less.
“Yanghwi. I hereby proclaim you the undisputed champion of the Yuhang Conference sparring tournament!”
Though Zhuge Seon was merely a visiting dignitary holding neither rank nor affiliation within the Suho Alliance, no one dared dispute his judgment.
Every person present understood that his participation in their gathering was like a master scholar of the imperial academy sitting down to write verse with village pupils.
The gulf separating the towering Zhuge noble house from the petty factions of a lone county in Ak’an was unimaginably vast.
Zhuge Seon would never have graced such a mundane gathering were it not for Baek Muryang.
Having escorted his sworn brother and their children back to the Baek Estate, Baek Muryang shouted with immense joy.
“My brother and I shall share a feast! Bring forth the wine and delicacies at once!”
The grand hall soon groaned beneath mountains of meat and spirits, with Baek Muryang and Zhuge Seon seated together in honor.
Beside each man sat their respective children.
“Brother, your boy astonished me today. With a scion of such extraordinary promise, the horizon before the Baek house shines as radiant as the moon at its peak.”
“How could his clumsy display compare to your bloodline, Brother? Word has reached me that your firstborn possesses gifts unmatched under the heavens.”
It was an undeniable truth. Zhuge Munha, Zhuge Seon’s elder son and Zhuge Seolha’s brother, was widely heralded as a supreme prodigy destined to lead the rising generation.
“Haha, has talk of him already traveled this far?”
Zhuge Seon shifted his attention directly to Yanghwi.
“You fulfilled your claim and seized the victory, which means the wager is yours. I shall deliver what you asked of me. Yet before we proceed, will you indulge a single inquiry from this old uncle?”
“Ask ten if you wish, Uncle. I shall answer them all.”
Zhuge Seon’s question went straight to the core.
“Why did you reveal so much? You laid bare the talent of an era today. Forgive my frankness before your father, but a brilliance so blinding can easily invite calamity upon the Baek house.”
Yanghwi was well aware. He had stepped forward with complete understanding of the danger.
His justification was straightforward.
Anchored by a resolve he had carried since rolling back the river of time, Yanghwi answered without hesitation.
“Some time ago, Father confessed that his greatest wish was for our family to restore its place among the noble houses.”
“I said such a thing?”
Baek Muryang blinked, his expression thoroughly bewildered.
Because the memory belonged to a previous existence, it was natural that Baek Muryang had no recollection of it, yet Yanghwi carried on with unblinking confidence.
“Indeed. You spoke those words while sharing wine with me by your side. Ever since that evening, this son’s sole pursuit has been to see our lineage stand proud among the noble houses. Nothing more.”
Though the words were simple, they held immense weight for Zhuge Seon.
“Ho! You possess far greater depth than I anticipated. Blessed with both martial genius and an eye for grand design!”
Exceptional brilliance resembled a sharp awl within a pouch; sooner or later, it would pierce through the fabric.
If that was the case, he would reveal it in its full glory—not merely existing as a crane amid poultry, but rising as a dragon among chickens (群鷄一龍).
Like an open blaze drawing moths into its radiance, he would seize the gaze and awe of all, transforming himself into the axis around which everything turned.
Such was the ambition Yanghwi laid bare.
“To be acknowledged as a noble house, a clan must gather legions of retainers under its banner and govern them through familial discipline. You seek to become the very pillar upon which that noble house is raised.”
Yanghwi inclined his head, bringing his fists together in formal respect.
“It is merely the unrefined reasoning of your junior. Should you find fault in it, Uncle, I welcome your correction.”
“There is no fault. Only apprehension. The road you tread is fraught with peril, where one often shatters before ever reaching the destination.”
Those who shone with brilliance invited countless adversaries.
Not without reason did the ancients declare time to be the most ruthless foe of heroes.
Yanghwi offered an unwavering, confident grin.
“If I break, it merely proves that shattering was the limit of my destiny.”
Every move served a single purpose: elevating the Baek house into the greatest power under heaven.
To construct even its earliest foundation within this lifetime, he had to embrace the fires of risk.
“…You speak the truth. Nephew, you are entirely correct! Then we must turn to the boon I promised you.”
Zhuge Seon beamed, his countenance filled with genuine delight.
When Yanghwi had initially presented his request, Zhuge Seon had burst into laughter.
The youth, having no inkling of his purpose, had abruptly requested to ride alongside him on his impending expedition.
The true source of Zhuge Seon’s amusement lay elsewhere.
“Tell me, Yanghwi. Did you unravel this uncle’s intent from the beginning?”
“I merely made a humble deduction with my limited wisdom.”
Intrigued, Zhuge Seon fixed his gaze upon the sworn nephew who had continually confounded his expectations.
“Let us see if your deduction aligns with the truth. Speak freely.”
Pausing briefly to collect his thoughts, Yanghwi spoke.
“Uncle, you mentioned arriving at our estate on important affairs while keeping Seolha by your side.”
“And you reasoned that her presence was not without intent.”
Whatever prize Zhuge Seon sought had to be essential to Zhuge Seolha’s survival.
In my former life, Zhuge Seolha perished before her youth could bloom. Broken by grief, Uncle withdrew from the world and lived in bitter isolation for decades.
Yanghwi turned toward Zhuge Seolha. More specifically, he focused his internal perception, probing the peculiar pressure of qi drifting about her person.
At that exact heartbeat, Zhuge Seolha turned her head straight toward Yanghwi.
Across the sheer veil, their gazes locked.
Just as I suspected, the energy she carries could never be born of an ordinary constitution.
Yanghwi parted his lips to answer.
“This nephew suspects that Seolha was born under an extraordinary constitution or bodily state, and that her condition requires a rare remedy.”
All creation emerged from the primordial chaos (混原) and was governed by dual energies (二氣)—the balance of yin and yang (陰陽).
This flowed directly into the Three Powers (三才) of Heaven, Earth, and Man, which formed the foundational pillars of reality. Thus, mortals dwelling between the firmament and the soil inherited the qi of heaven and earth, occasionally coming into the world bearing anomalous physical constitutions.
In other words, rare bodily states.
Among the most infamous were the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, the Celestial Martial Body, or the Heavenly Demon Body.
What constitution could it be? The pressure itself veers toward yin… Nine Yin Severed Meridians? No, that cannot be.
The hallmark of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians was an essence both yin and bitterly frigid, whereas the presence radiating from Zhuge Seolha, though yin, bore no frost.
Rather than cold, it feels…
At that moment, Zhuge Seon, who had listened in quiet contemplation, looked at Yanghwi with an intensity far deeper than before.
“Yanghwi. I can no longer conceal my marvel at your perception. You have pierced straight through to the truth. This uncle came to the Baek Estate… to seek the Sound Empress.”
“The Sound Empress? Brother, you cannot mean the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress?!”
Baek Muryang vaulted to his feet in disbelief, his shout echoing through the hall, to which Zhuge Seon offered a solemn nod.
“That is the one, Brother.”
One of the Ten Paragons Under Heaven (天下十尊), the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress (波天音后).
An absolute sovereign whose name was inseparable from any discussion of the ultimate martial masters under heaven.
A titan revered for her peerless mastery over sound techniques (音功) and her unrivaled mastery of the realm’s finest lightfoot movements.
“According to intelligence gathered by the Crouching Dragon Pavilion, our family’s information network, her last known presence was recorded near Gokyeol Mountain, adjacent to Ak’an County.”
Zhuge Seon pulled his beloved daughter close, wrapping an arm around her small shoulders.
“My Seolha… if she is to overcome the heavenly affliction carved into her birth, she must be taken under the Sound Empress’s wing.”
In that instant.
With the final piece regarding the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress clicking into place, Yanghwi uncovered the reality.
A truth so staggering it rattled his thoughts.
Could it be… Zhuge Seolha was the Soul-Stealing Demon Empress?
A decade from now, an infamous demonic figure known as the Soul-Stealing Demon Empress (攝魂魔后) would rise across Hubei Province, the ancestral territory of the Zhuge clan.
A terrifying sovereign who ensnared and dominated martial masters through supreme soul-manipulation arts, drenching the region in rivers of blood.
The rumors maintained that she commanded such terrifying influence because she bore the Peach Blossom Body.
The Peach Blossom Body (桃花之體). A physical state where peach blossom qi collected within the upper dantian, compelling those of the opposite sex into irrational infatuation regardless of her desires.
In its most potent manifestations, merely glimpsing her countenance or catching the cadence of her voice was enough to set a man’s basest passions ablaze.
Her upper dantian is already unlocked by the peach blossom qi, which is why she noticed my attempt to probe her. Without doubt, Zhuge Seolha carries the Peach Blossom Body.
The veil concealing her features, her absolute silence.
The nature of her aura—dense with yin, yet radiating heat that caused the blood to quicken.
Under the framework of the Peach Blossom Body, every puzzle piece snapped cleanly into alignment.
Tracking down the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress, who held supreme command over sonic arts, was meant to grant her control over the peach blossom qi bleeding into her spoken words.
If so, and Zhuge Seolha did not perish in her youth as the previous timeline believed, then Uncle’s long seclusion had not been sparked by grief over her demise, but by something far more sinister…
In that past life, he had likely failed to reach the Sound Empress.
Given Zhuge Seon’s devotion, he would have braved any taboo to preserve his child from the ravages of this affliction.
If disaster struck because he dabbled in demonic sorcery akin to soul-stealing arts while desperately chasing a cure…
It remained a theory, yet it bore terrifying weight.
If that was the reality, then merely journeying alongside the Zhuge pair would not be enough; there was a far heavier duty resting upon him.
I never tested it during my past life, but if my deductions hold true…
The cryptic passages of the Harmonious Heaven Primordial Art drifted through Yanghwi’s mind.
The verses that held the supreme principles capable of assimilating every energy beneath the firmament, which he had forged through mastering countless cultivation techniques and surviving the horrors of qi deviation.
It might just be possible.
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