Chapter 104
The reason was that the Protagonist in the Original Novel went out of his way to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, setting aside other fortuitous encounters.
It was partly to make a name for himself by participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but the biggest reason was that the Winning Prize was Gongcheongseokyu.
I had only just remembered that crucial fact.
‘Fuck…, I didn’t remember this because I had absolutely no intention of participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering…’
It made sense. I wasn’t a Rising Star of the Righteous Faction, so I couldn’t even participate. Why would I bother remembering a pie in the sky I couldn’t even eat?
I had immediately erased it from my mind, considering it something that wasn’t mine.
Anyway, having remembered it now, I immediately told the Haomun Leader this fact, but she wore a highly suspicious expression.
“Um…, Great Hero. Where exactly did that information come from?”
“I can’t tell you that. But I can bet everything I have that I’m certain of it.”
I was sorry, but to explain how I knew this information, I would have to say that I came from another world, so I couldn’t tell her.
I planned to hide that fact from everyone until the day I died.
“Hmm…”
The Haomun Leader slowly scanned my eyes.
“Why can’t you believe me?”
“No, how could I harbor doubts about you, Great Hero? It’s just…”
She rested her chin on her hand and continued.
“…Even if that information is true, wouldn’t there be any way to obtain it? If it’s the Winning Prize of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, the Murim Alliance must be guarding it thoroughly.”
“…So I gave it some thought on my way here.”
As the Haomun Leader said, the Murim Alliance would be thoroughly guarding the Gongcheongseokyu.
Unless we resolved to go to war against the Murim Alliance, snatching it would be almost absolutely impossible.
However…, this time, wasn’t there an obvious way to obtain the Gongcheongseokyu without having to steal it?
“…I’ll just win the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“Pardon?”
The Haomun Leader raised her voice like someone who had heard the absurd. Her face was also filled with bewilderment.
“…Wait, you’re saying you will participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Great Hero?”
“Why? I’m still only twenty-three. I’m at the perfect age to be a Rising Star.”
A Rising Star usually ranges from the late teens to the late twenties.
If you were a bit more generous, it even included the early thirties.
At twenty-three, looking purely at my age, I was naturally a proper Rising Star.
“Ah…, yes. Of course, I am not taking issue with your age, Great Hero. It’s just…”
“Just?”
“You are a Martial Artist of the Unorthodox Faction, Great Hero…”
Right, this was the problem.
The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering wasn’t a place where all Rising Stars gathered to compete in martial prowess.
It applied strictly to the Rising Stars of the ‘Righteous Faction’.
Even among the Righteous Faction’s Rising Stars, only the chosen ones could participate in the tournament.
“As far as I know, the issuance of invitations has already been completed. As a Martial Artist of the Unorthodox Faction rather than a Righteous Faction Rising Star, there is no way you could squeeze your way in, Great Hero. The Murim Alliance will absolutely not tolerate your participation.”
“I naturally expected that too. That’s why I came to find you like this.”
“Pardon? Why me…”
When I looked at her and grinned, the Haomun Leader’s face darkened as if she were a bit anxious.
I held my hand out to her and confidently demanded:
“Get me an invitation to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“…Pardon?”
The Haomun Leader momentarily froze in shock. I continued without caring.
“In the first place, there aren’t many people in the Murim Alliance who know my face. At most, only the people from the Shanxi Yu Family do.”
Of course, because I was the head of the Green Forest, my Wanted Poster would have spread to the higher-ups to some extent, but they probably hadn’t looked at it closely anyway.
If it seemed like a problem would arise, I could just put on a little disguise, couldn’t I?
“Haomun Leader, pinpoint some inconspicuous people among those participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering and get their invitations transferred to me. Then I’ll participate in the tournament in their stead and come back with the win.”
“…”
Of course, intercepting an invitation directly issued by the Murim Alliance would be a difficult task.
But the person in front of my eyes was none other than the Haomun Leader.
I thought that, true to her role as a budget Doraemon, she would be more than capable of granting my request this time as well.
However…
“…I’m afraid that will be impossible.”
“…What?”
…The Haomun Leader, who always granted my requests, showed an uncharacteristically weak side.
The Haomun Leader hesitated, continuing her words as if it couldn’t be helped.
“…Most Righteous Faction Rising Stars consider participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering a tremendous honor. Even if we offered to pay a hefty price, there probably wouldn’t be many willing to transfer their invitations.”
“If they won’t hand it over willingly, you can just threaten to kill them. Wasn’t that your Haomun’s specialty?”
“No, what on earth do you take us for, Great Hero…”
The Haomun Leader wore a hurt expression for a moment before sighing and answering.
“If we had a lot of time…, we might have chosen such a drastic method, but… As you know, we lack the time. The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering will begin soon.”
“Ah…, the time…”
True, the venue for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was Anhui Province, located in the middle of the continent, so those living on the Frontier Border would have already departed long ago.
Perhaps some had already arrived in Anhui.
In Anhui, where the Murim Alliance’s eyes were everywhere, we wouldn’t be able to pull any tricks like extorting or forcibly transferring an invitation.
“Damn it…, I should have remembered this sooner…”
As I lamented, the Haomun Leader spoke to me as if she had thought of another brilliant idea.
“Great Hero. Isn’t there a way to receive the prize without necessarily stealing it or participating directly?”
“…What is it?”
“Couldn’t we make someone who has already received an invitation our Agent, have that person win, and then get the Gongcheongseokyu transferred to us?”
“…What are you talking about? Explain in detail.”
As I leaned in to listen, the Haomun Leader explained in a serious tone.
“Don’t you have a connection with one of the promising Righteous Faction Rising Stars, Great Hero?”
“…A promising Righteous Faction Rising Star? Ah, Somyung-i?”
When I called Somyung-i’s name so familiarly, the Haomun Leader’s expression twitched for a moment. But she immediately focused on managing her expression and continued.
“…Yes, that is the Daughter of the Shanxi Yu Family. I hate to admit it, but isn’t her realm quite high for a Rising Star?”
…Was it to the point of hating to admit it? Anyway, it wasn’t the time to nitpick, so I nodded.
“I suppose so.”
“Therefore, we make her win the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and when she claims the prize, we politely request that she transfer it to us. That way, we can obtain the Gongcheongseokyu without participating.”
“…Yeah, that’s easy to say, but Somyung-i is human too. Wouldn’t she covet the Gongcheongseokyu?”
Unless she was an idiot or a pushover, there was no way she would hand over a treasure like Gongcheongseokyu to others so easily.
However…
“The Daughter of the Shanxi Yu Family has a pure nature, so if we ask ‘politely,’ she will transfer it without a word of complaint.”
“…”
It seemed the Haomun Leader viewed Somyung-i as an Idiot / a Pushover.
“Well…, you’re not wrong.”
Actually, I thought so too.
Even right now, thirty different ways to get the Gongcheongseokyu from Somyung-i have popped into my head.
“Right…, let’s make our Agent win and claim the Gongcheongseokyu instead… It’s a good plan.”
“In that case…”
“But it was rejected.”
When I firmly declared this, the Haomun Leader tilted her head.
“I thought it was a rather good method, so why…”
“It’s fine, but…, someone at Somyung-i’s level isn’t enough to win.”
“Hmm…, is that so? I think you are judging too strictly, Great Hero. Someone at the level of the Shanxi Yu Family’s Daughter should be…”
“No.”
The Haomun Leader was a smart person with an accurate eye. At Somyung-i’s current level, she could be considered highly outstanding among the Rising Stars.
However…
“Somyung-i’s level is absolutely not enough.”
“…If you say so, Great Hero.”
…This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was different.
There was a monster known as the Protagonist.
To win against him and secure the Gongcheongseokyu, the level of a mere Rising Star was far from enough.
That was why I had planned to go myself…, but we lacked the time…
“For now, Haomun Leader, find out as quickly as possible if there’s anyone willing to transfer their invitation. Don’t push it too hard, though. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just give up on the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Haomun Leader answered me like that and then stepped out of the room, seemingly intending to look into it right away. I also left the room with her and scratched my head.
I had said I would give up if necessary, but there wouldn’t be many opportunities to obtain an elixir like Gongcheongseokyu in the future.
As someone who wanted to fix Bang Sam-i’s body as quickly as possible, I couldn’t help but obsess over this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
“Ah, won’t an opportunity just fall right out of the sky somewhere…”
If only I could participate secretly, I could chew them all up.
Feeling regretful, I muttered like that and looked up at the sky.
* * *
Step, step.
The next day.
Two young Martial Artists set foot on the Hunan Mountain Path.
Wearing swords at their waists, they had light luggage, but their clothes were neat, and their expressions were filled with confidence.
It made sense, as the two were on their way to attend the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, which could be called the Flower of Harmony for the Righteous Faction’s Rising Stars.
“Senior Martial Brother…”
“What is it?”
“To think such a day has finally come for our Jongrimun… I am deeply moved.”
The two belonged to Jongrimun.
Jongrimun was an Affiliated Family of the Zhongnan Sect located in Guangxi Province.
Each Sect could send not only its Direct Disciples but also its Lay Disciples to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and this time, Jongrimun managed to receive two participation slots for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
Thanks to this, the two most outstanding Rising Stars of Jongrimun proudly set out for Anhui.
“Do not get too excited. Every single one of your actions right now is no different from the face of our Sect.”
“Yes, Senior Martial Brother. I will keep that in mind. But…”
The Junior Martial Brother asked his Senior Martial Brother with a slightly anxious face.
“Aren’t we a bit pressed for time? To get all the way to Anhui, the time…”
“Do not worry. I heard that if we use this Mountain Path that was opened while we were devoting ourselves to Training, we can reach Anhui in no time.”
“As expected, you are meticulous, Senior Martial Brother. Having a Senior Martial Brother like you makes me feel incredibly reassured.”
“I also feel reassured having you here.”
“Ahahaha-! Oh, Senior Martial Brother!”
“Hahaha-!”
The two men solidified their passionate, manly loyalty as they stepped onto the Mountain Path.
“Yes, let us raise the names of Jongrimun and the Zhongnan Sect high at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“Yes, Senior Martial Brother!”
The hearts of the two men were swelling with a lofty ambition.