Chapter 142

The patrol envoy of the demonic sect comes to deliver a notice!

Of course, no matter how much of an enemy they are, it’s not like they’d harm the envoy.

Especially since the recipient is the central headquarters of the righteous martial world, the Martial Alliance.

In fact, it was more about protecting the envoy from being attacked.

It was necessary to avoid giving the righteous martial world any excuse to claim that they had sneakily harmed the envoy.

The martial masters sent out by the Martial Alliance couldn’t even get too close, keeping a distant perimeter to monitor and protect.

Thus, the infamous black ebony carriage of the demonic sect crossed the Central Plains, guarded by layers of masters, with the rumors reaching the Martial Alliance like wildfire.

And there, in front of the main hall of the Martial Alliance, a crowd had already gathered, overflowing the area.

Even a martial tournament wouldn’t have attracted this many people!

However, everyone had their guesses about what the patrol envoy would announce, even if they didn’t voice it aloud.

It must be an ultimatum!

An ultimatum refers to a diplomatic message sent from one power to another.

The last and final ultimatum signifies that there’s no need for dialogue anymore; it’s time to settle matters with fists!

This suggested something important for the Martial Alliance.

If those demonic scoundrels were bold enough to come forward with an ultimatum, they must be quite certain of themselves!

They were the type to ambush and strike when the time was right, but now they were openly declaring their intent!

However, the power of the righteous martial sect was also at its peak.

After the Great Master Mucheondae, the level of skilled masters in the righteous sect had been updating to new heights daily, so they would rise to face the demonic fiends without hesitation.

In front of the main gate of the Martial Alliance, key figures stood in a line, brandishing their weapons.

This was the proud main hall of the righteous Martial Alliance.

They staged this display because they could not allow the filth of the demonic sect to breach their defenses.

You might wonder why all this fuss?

But maintaining face in the Central Plains is as crucial as life itself.

Through the onlookers, the black ebony carriages of the demonic sect appeared.

A sense of foreboding began to spread amongst the crowd.

“Halt!”

With an echoing lion’s roar infused with Buddhist power, the air reverberated.

The Shaolin sect’s Master Naegwang unleashed a pure aura he had honed his entire life.

It was a strategic move to seize the initiative.

As a result, the ominous murmurs in the crowd came to an abrupt halt.

Ah, that’s the Shaolin for you; their reputation as the leaders of the righteous sect prompted brief admiration before the tension returned.

Then, energized by the moment, the crowd began to jeer and denounce.

“How dare you, cursed offspring of the demonic sect, invade here!”

“Get lost, demonic scum!”

“Did you think the righteous martial world would cower? Justice always prevails!”

Amidst this, the patrol envoy raised the notice high and shouted.

“In celebration of your Alliance’s infinite glory, I hereby announce on behalf of the Supreme Being of the Divine Sect!”

“……?”

“……?”

For a moment, an eerie silence lingered.

Everyone exchanged bewildered looks, blinking in confusion, confirming that they had all indeed heard correctly.

“The new Supreme Being of the Divine Sect wishes to erase the long-standing grievances and animosities, seeking an end to the divisiveness that has lasted for ages! Thus, we open the gates of the Divine Sect and extend a plea for reconciliation, hoping to escape the sorrowful chain of bloodshed and suffering!”

Oh no, they pulled a fast one on us.

The soldiers of the Martial Alliance broke out in a cold sweat.

Had they welcomed the envoy inside the Alliance’s gates, it might have been different, but pledging reconciliation in front of all the assembled people of the Central Plains left them with no choice but to comply.

It wouldn’t hold up to refuse when the demonic sect forced them into an open conflict, especially when the Martial Alliance had to protect the peace of the Central Plains.

Their disguise of sending an ultimatum was all a clever ruse for this very moment.

The soldiers’ minds were spinning unnecessarily.

That’s the trait of the clever ones.

But what was the real motive behind this?

If peace was truly what they wanted, this might be a historic moment where one of the long-standing grudges of the martial world would finally dissolve.

But what if this was merely a ploy to ensnare them into another Grand Martial Tournament?

“The gates of the Divine Sect are now wide open, and any martial hero from the Alliance can visit the Heavenly Mountain City to see for themselves!”

“Hmm.”

The soldier let out an uncomfortable grunt.

Gates are meant to allow two-way passage.

With their shabby little hut door in the backwoods now ajar, it was essentially saying they intended to advance into the Central Plains.

But they didn’t have a solid justification to stop them either.

The old grudges were genuinely from a long time ago, so any suffering the demonic sect brought had mostly been learned through stories.

—-

The journey from Sichuan to the Divine Maiden Sect wasn’t much of an adventure, to be honest.

Just get on a boat and disembark; that’s it.

Of course, the scenery of the Yangtze River was splendid.

If you take a boat from the capital Ming Jiang and follow the current downstream, you eventually join the main flow.

If you don’t disembark, you would directly enter the eastern region of Sichuan, known as Chongqing.

Chongqing is prime territory, highly regarded for producing kings.

The term “Pazhou,” commonly referring to the Sichuan region, combines the territories of Ba and Shu, with Ba specifically meaning Chongqing.

Because of that, while people from Sichuan are treated like Chengdu folk, those from Chongqing get a bit miffed and want to be recognized as distinct from the Sichuanese.

Continuing through the long stretch of Chongqing, you quickly arrive at Musan Gorge, known for its stunning views.

The highest peak of Musan Gorge is the Divine Maiden Peak.

As the boatmen shout, “The Musan Gorge is here; come out and see!” and draw in the crowd, it’s just a short step to disembark right by your door.

In modern terms, the Divine Maiden Sect is prime real estate, having a riverside view and its own stop!

With the way back being so convenient, it’s no wonder Seomun Sulin rushed out upon hearing the news of the unrest in Sichuan.

In just a few days, she could return, but with her disciple taking their sweet time and not showing up, she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with concern and chase after them.

Finally arriving at the gate of the Divine Maiden Sect, Qing sighed with relief, thinking, “Ah, I’m finally home!”

While the lavishness of the Divine Maiden Sect couldn’t compare to that of the demonic sect or the Tang Family, the sense of comfort that home brings is something the world cannot provide.

“The Sect Leader has arrived. Gulp.”

The disciples of the Divine Maiden Sect tended to feel quite intimidated by Seomun Sulin.

That’s why, as soon as they entered the sect, she made an excuse to head off to water the plants, vanishing on her sword, allowing the disciples to enjoy a reunion after a long time apart.

“Sect Leader! Wow, you’re even more beautiful! Totally a divine beauty! Absolutely ravishing! Just a complete knockout!”

Divine Beauty refers to the stunning beauty of the famous lady from ages past!

They mention another lady named Woo, but her story hasn’t been passed down.

The term “Ravishing Beauty” references the ancient beauties like Zhao and Wang, famous for their gorgeous looks.

“What? The Sect Leader is here?”

“The Sect Leader!!”

“Sect Leader, where have you been? Can we hear your stories?”

“Could you play the flute for us? It always echoes pleasantly in my ears, and without you, it just doesn’t feel right!”

“Who’s that next to you? A new disciple?”

“Wow, the number one beauty of Sichuan! Heavenly Flower!”

“Can you show us the “Ten Thousand Flowers in Full Bloom”?”

“Hey, won’t that just get us all killed?”

They went into a frenzy among themselves, squealing with excitement.

Qing tried to welcome them with some Tang pastry, while her enthusiastic greeting was over the top.

Living blissfully in the mountains, these kids were sweet but also hypersensitive to outside stimulation.

The collective greeting came like a flock of birds swooping in.

While Qing, who was used to handling Tang pastries with ease, was quick and adept, Tang Nan-ah was looking visibly exhausted.

“I thought a sect would be a little quiet, but…?”

“Isn’t that just a stereotype?”

“Qing Sheng and A-mi were quiet. But you, you’re actually an elder of the Dao, huh…”

Tang Nan-ah exclaimed, seeing a completely different side to her.

Being around the Tang Family had changed her approach to things.

After lounging around and acting lazy with Pang Choryeo, she must have slipped back into a cozy and dainty appearance.

Yet now that she was home, her posture straightened, and her shoulders opened up as if she was a dignified elder.

Qing chuckled at the sight.

“Elder, huh? First, let’s pay our respects to the Sect Leader and then head to the Guest Hall.”

While traversing across the Divine Maiden Peak, something small dashed toward her and hugged her.

“Ack! I hurt my chest! Can you not smash your face into my wound?”

“Yikes.”

It was a face she didn’t recognize.

A little kid dressed in the attire of a disciple could barely reach the collarbone level of her height.

Despite Qing being quite tall for a woman, only just shy of six feet, it still made for an awkwardly small child.

And there was only one such person in the Divine Maiden Sect.

“Oh, Jang Myung! You’ve become quite a beauty. I can hardly recognize you!”

“Hehe.”

Jang Myung let out a funny little laugh.

Qing looked Jang Myung up and down, impressed.

“Oh, what’s this? Are you nearing the top tier?”

“Hehe.”

Then Jang Myung placed her hands on her hips and struck a pose.

Qing continued, “It’s not like a low-tier martial artist can block a top tier from advancing. Go on, play with your fellow newbies. Ugh, I’m so done. Get lost.”

“Che!”

Jang Myung frowned at her words.

Qing chuckled and opened her arms again, only for Jang Myung to stop and ask.

“Which side did you hurt? Left? Right?”

“Left.”

“Uh-huh.”

Jang Myung rushed toward her again.

Qing squealed in protest.

“Ow! That’s my left side! It’s still healing, don’t squish it again!”

“What? But you said left!”

“Left, as in my left side, not your left! What are you doing?”

“Well, you should say that.”

“Do you respond with left if I ask whether my left arm or right arm is hurt? You’re being silly, even after such a long time.”

“Hmph.”

“Now, let go. National laws are strict; a minor shouldn’t cling like this.”

“…? But I was already of age when we first met.”

“To me, both genders are the same; adulthood is twenty. Jang Myung, you’re eighteen this year, right? So you have two more years.”

“One year and one month. This year is practically gone.”

By the way, in traditional Chinese culture, men reach their adulthood at twenty, while women hit it at fifteen.

So while a boy is told to focus on studies at fifteen, girls are considered grown-ups and are expected to hurry and have kids.

With the state of things in the Central Plains, it’s no wonder Seomun Sulin penned countless legendary anecdotes for women’s rights.

After that, she turned to look at Tang Nan-ah and asked.

“Who’s this?”

Thwack.

Qing lightly flicked her on the head.

“What kind of speech is that to a guest? This is Tang Nan-ah. One of the five beauties of the martial world, and, um, a physician too.”

“Hey! What do you mean by that? Um, hello? I’m also a doctor.”

“Five beauties?”

Jang Myung looked at Tang Nan-ah’s face, then at Qing’s, back at Tang Nan-ah’s, and finally back to Qing’s before letting out a chuckle while pouting her lips a bit.

“What’s with this little kid? What does that even mean?”

“Hmph.”

Qing reminisced about the past at her reaction.

Thinking back, Jang Myung had always been quite a handful from the start.

Even if Jang Myung had acted sweet in the Divine Maiden Sect, it was easy to forget that she used to be stubborn.

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