Chapter 74
Once the commotion of the Rogue Cultivators settled, a brief lull fell over the Banquet Hall.
But the lull was only temporary.
“Huh?”
Baek-Cheong blinked at the unfamiliar figures approaching from the other side of the Banquet Hall.
The processions of other factions entering the Banquet Hall politely stepped aside to clear a path.
An old man with pure white hair stood at the forefront of those walking with imposing dignity.
The Biun Sect’s Cloud Pattern was exquisitely embroidered on his robe, and with every step he took, the surrounding spiritual energy rippled gently, as if a stone had been thrown into a lake.
He was undoubtedly a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, entirely different from those at the Golden Core stage.
“The Biun Sect sent a Nascent Soul Cultivator?”
Baek-Cheong outwardly set her teacup down demurely, but inwardly, she could not hide her surprise.
This was on a completely different level from the Delegation composed of the Sect Master’s True Disciples that had visited previously.
“I am Pung Jin-Hae, an Inner Sect Elder of the Biun Sect. I congratulate Clan Head Baek on his Golden Core Breakthrough, and I have brought a personal letter from the Sect Master.”
Pung Jin-Hae did not exude any coercion, but his words alone captivated the atmosphere of the Banquet Hall.
The Golden Core Rogue Cultivators who had been roaming in front of the Seat of Honor just moments ago all lowered their bodies and paid their respects.
Baek Mu-Jin rose from the Seat of Honor, walked forward himself, and politely received the letter with both hands.
“I am simply grateful for the Biun Sect’s profound kindness. Elder Pung must have gone through great trouble to travel such a long way.”
“Haha, Clan Head Baek’s Three Tribulation Golden Core is something greatly celebrated even within the Biun Sect. I hope the ties between the Biun Sect and the Yeonha Baek Clan will deepen even further in the future.”
A short but weighty exchange of greetings took place.
And Baek-Cheong sat obediently on the outside, watching.
‘It’s amazing that they care this much.’
However, she only half-listened, fiddling with the Plaything Puppet she had secretly tucked inside her robes.
An affair of this magnitude was largely unrelated to her.
“Hm?”
Not even an hour had passed since the Biun Sect’s Delegation took their places at the Seat of Honor.
Another group appeared at the entrance of the Banquet Hall.
This time, instead of flags, the gold-dyed insignia of the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion drew everyone’s attention.
It looked identical to the one she had seen at the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion in the Yeonha Immortal City’s Marketplace, but the status the insignia carried was distinctly different this time.
Originally, the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion was the Cultivation World’s largest Merchant Guild Alliance, commanding subordinate Pavilions across every Continent, and it was a massive organization governed by five Pavilion Lords.
Among the five Pavilion Lords, the Southern Pavilion Lord, who oversaw the entire Southern Region, made a personal appearance.
The middle-aged woman walking at the front was the Southern Pavilion Lord.
The Gold and Silver Ornaments draped over her silk robes gleamed, but what truly captured one’s gaze was the calm and distinct majesty exuding from the woman’s eyes.
“Another Nascent Soul Cultivator is here.”
It was impossible not to know, given the aura she revealed as if to show off.
As two Nascent Soul Cultivators appeared at a single banquet in succession, a low Murmur spread throughout the Banquet Hall.
“I am So Hyeon-Jeong, the Southern Pavilion Lord of the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion. I congratulate the Yeonha Baek Clan on this joyous occasion on behalf of the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion.”
Baek Mu-Jin exchanged another polite greeting and guided her to the Seat of Honor.
“The atmosphere is completely different from before.”
Baek-Cheong observed her surroundings and grasped the situation.
The Golden Core Rogue Cultivators, who had been making a fuss and competing to offer their Arts just moments ago, were now sitting quietly back in their seats.
Their momentum had naturally been suppressed by the appearance of the Nascent Soul Cultivators.
“…To think the Southern Pavilion Lord of the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion would come in person.”
On the other hand, the Rogue Cultivators did not stay quiet.
Whispering circulated softly in every corner of the Banquet Hall.
“For a single Clan Head advancing to the Golden Core, aren’t the stature of the Guests far too grand?”
“You might not know since you wander around, but the Immortal City governed by the Yeonha Baek Clan is the largest in the entire Southern Continent.”
“I knew that much. But would two Nascent Soul Cultivators come side by side just for the size of a single Immortal City?”
“That’s not where it ends.”
Han Gyeong-Do whispered, lowering his voice.
“Aren’t there the Immortal Villages governed by the Yeonha Baek Clan? They are all Prime Villages with active spiritual veins, and it’s said that if you combine the profits from them, the scale is comparable to that of another decent Immortal City.”
“…If it’s to that extent.”
“Even though the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion has Pavilions spread across every Continent, there are rumors that it falls behind the Baek Clan Merchant Guild when it comes to connections…”
Han Gyeong-Do continued his story.
“For Rogue Cultivators like us, just showing our faces at a place like this is more than we deserve. Look at that lineup - an Inner Sect Elder of the Biun Sect and the Southern Pavilion Lord of the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion.”
“A Golden Core Clan Head, a Golden Core Supreme Clan Head, and the full protection of the Biun Sect. It’s Extremely Fortunate that I moved quickly.”
“I was faster, though.”
In the end, the Rogue Cultivators raised their voices as they argued amongst themselves over who was first.
Before long, they realized that attention was being drawn to them and shut their mouths.
‘Ah, I’m bored.’
Baek-Cheong swallowed a yawn brought on by the creeping boredom.
Her interest in the adults' politics and struggle for power had long since hit rock bottom.
Inwardly, the urge to log into the Nameless Forum rose up, but she felt self-conscious because her uncle’s sharp gaze was still watching her.
Just as she gave up on foruming and was about to sip her spirit tea.
“This can’t be… Another Great Sect is attending.”
“Isn’t that the Taehyeon Sect?”
“For what reason would they come all the way from the Central Continent to the Southern Region…”
The entire Banquet Hall stirred once again.
This time, the atmosphere was quite different.
When the Biun Sect or the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion arrived, the exclamations were mostly of acknowledgment, but what flowed out now was genuine shock.
The aura of the old man crossing the entrance of the Banquet Hall leisurely held a depth that distinctly surpassed the spiritual waves of Pung Jin-Hae or So Hyeon-Jeong.
The Taehyeon Sect’s emblem was clearly embroidered on the old man’s robe.
It was a Great Sect that rivaled the Heavenly Sword Sect in the Central Continent, and a mid-Nascent Soul Cultivator of the Taehyeon Sect personally made an appearance at the banquet of a Golden Core Clan in the Southern Continent.
“Even the Taehyeon Sect came?”
Even Baek-Cheong blinked her eyes widely.
Even the Biun Sect’s Inner Sect Elder and the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion’s Southern Pavilion Lord widened their eyes at the appearance of the Taehyeon Sect’s Peak Lord.
They seemed to realize that the Yeonha Baek Clan’s prestige was deeper than they had estimated.
There was no need to even mention the Golden Core Rogue Cultivators.
At the sight of three Nascent Soul Great Cultivators gathered in one place - figures incomparable to Rogue Cultivators -, they kept their mouths shut and bowed their heads as if they had lost their words.
“I am Jin Mu-Hak, a Peak Lord of the Taehyeon Sect. I have come to visit, albeit late, due to a Personal Connection.”
Jin Mu-Hak withdrew all his coercion and offered a gentle smile.
Baek Mu-Jin rose from his Seat with quick steps to welcome him.
“For you to remember the connection with our Ancestor for so long, I, Mu-Jin, am truly humbled.”
“You say, Remember.”
Jin Mu-Hak lightly shook his head.
“How could I forget the grace of the one who rushed over without any conditions to lend his strength when my Senior Disciple Brother was in a crisis where he almost lost his life? It is a debt This Old Man absolutely must repay while he is alive.”
The connection that the Yeonha Baek Clan’s Ancestor had formed with the cultivator of the Taehyeon Sect is now being repaid, across multiple generations.
At that, sounds of Admiration spread throughout the Banquet Hall.
The Banquet Hall, where three Nascent Soul Cultivators were seated, had completely transformed into a different atmosphere from before.
The Golden Core Rogue Cultivators were careful even with their breathing, and the Guests from Minor Factions clearly showed signs of considering their attendance at the banquet itself a great honor.
“It really is amazing, our Family.”
Baek-Cheong felt inwardly satisfied as she sipped her spirit tea.
Eventually, once all the Guests had finished taking their seats, her father slowly stood up.
His aura as a Golden Core Cultivator spread faintly, and the Banquet Hall grew even quieter.
“To everyone who has taken precious steps from afar, I sincerely thank you on behalf of the Yeonha Baek Clan. The Yeonha Baek Clan will not forget the profound kindness of everyone who has joined us here today.”
Baek Mu-Jin spoke in a low voice, but his words spread to every corner of the Banquet Hall.
“And taking advantage of this occasion, I would like to offer one statement.”
Baek Mu-Jin raised his liquor cup and slowly looked around the entire Banquet Hall.
The atmosphere in the Banquet Hall gradually grew tense.
“From now on, the Yeonha Baek Clan intends to establish a Millennial Plan.”
It was an ambition to plan for the Clan’s survival for the next ten thousand years.
For a mere Clan to proclaim ten thousand years was a statement that could easily be seen as arrogance ignorant of the heavens.
However, among the Guests in the Banquet Hall, not a single person appeared offended or mocking.
Jin Mu-Hak of the Taehyeon Sect was the first to nod with smiling eyes.
After all, the very reason he had come all the way to the distant Southern Region was that he could not forget the Ancestor’s grace.
Pung Jin-Hae of the Biun Sect also looked on with an acknowledging gaze.
The reason the Baek Clan’s Eldest Son had entered as the Sect Master’s True Disciple was partly due to his aptitude, but it was also thanks to the connection being built upon a friendship passed down through generations, not a connection formed overnight.
So Hyeon-Jeong of the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion knew better than anyone.
Even through the eyes of the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion, which had insight into the Commercial Flow of every Continent, the Yeonha Baek Clan was on a different level from clans that had grown through wealth or martial might.
They have a history of valuing connections since the time of their Founder and always repaying the grace they received, even if it meant carving their own bones.
The result of such accumulation accumulating over a thousand years was having three Nascent Soul Great Cultivators simultaneously seated at a Golden Core Breakthrough Celebration.
The Rogue Cultivators competing to offer their Arts were in the same vein.
It was possible because there was a long-standing belief that a fitting reward would inevitably follow a connection once formed.
“Since I was young, I, Baek Mu-Jin, grew up by my father and grandfather’s side watching how they formed connections.”
Baek Mu-Jin’s words were calm, yet they carried an inner strength.
“Therefore, the Yeonha Baek Clan’s Millennial Plan is not a Grand Dream. It is simply a pledge to continue the connections with everyone who has formed ties with the Baek Clan for ten thousand years.”
As his words ended, exclamations naturally filled the Banquet Hall.
Pung Jin-Hae was the first to raise his liquor cup high.
So Hyeon-Jeong followed, and Jin Mu-Hak tilted his cup with a pleased expression.
A spectacular sight unfolded as the Golden Core Rogue Cultivators and the Guests from Minor Factions raised their cups in unison to respond.
“The Yeonha Baek Clan is truly endowed with the energy to last ten thousand years.”
Someone’s Admiration lingered with a deep resonance, circling the Banquet Hall.
There was no one who did not nod his or her head.
“Millennial Plan…”
Meanwhile, Baek-Cheong quietly drank her spirit tea, merely watching the entire spectacle.
‘Well, they’ll handle it fine on their own.’
Whether it was ten thousand years or a hundred thousand years, it was a topic that didn’t inspire much interest in Baek-Cheong.
What occupied her mind right now was the Plaything Puppet tucked inside her ceremonial robes.
While the Banquet Hall shouted and raised their cups for ten thousand years.
She took advantage of the fading attention on her to fall into thought.
“Anyway, if I do it right, I think Pill Refining might be possible with a puppet…”
If one were to weigh possibility against impossibility, it certainly wasn’t impossible.
However, there was a reason why Alchemists or Golem Masters in the Cultivation World didn’t do it.
“It would be too much for a Plaything Puppet, though.”
But Baek-Cheong had a personality that was exceptionally drawn to this kind of nonsense.
And she stared at the seats where the Rogue Cultivators were sitting, as if glaring at prey.
“I need another puppet.”
The Golem Master Yuk-Muk was quietly enjoying the banquet when he flinched from a sudden chill.
He carefully looked around to find the cause of the chill, but he couldn’t find it.
It was because he couldn’t even imagine that the chill was caused by a youngster, a mere Qi Condensation Kid.