Chapter 245: Advent of the Divine Dragon (1)

The Murim Alliance was secretly in an uproar.

Several mid-to-low level officials of the Murim Alliance, including the Secretariat and Assessors, had died within the Alliance headquarters.

The victims suddenly complained of abdominal pain, then collapsed and died after convulsions.

Cho Hyeonryang held his head after hearing the autopsy results.

“Blood parasites? What does that mean?”

“A deadly poison burst out all at once, rotting the internal organs, but the gallbladder and liver were unusually clean in color. Moreover, there are reports of victims in government offices as well, not just the Alliance.”

“Hmm. And?”

“The Military Department’s opinion is that they spread blood parasites in Kaifeng for some purpose, then disposed of the entire group and left after achieving their goal or reaching an unattainable point.”

An unattainable point, huh. Cho Hyeonryang thought.

The Military Department’s opinion seems correct, using unnecessarily fancy words.

“Aren’t the Tang clan guests here? They’re experts in that field, why not ask for their cooperation?”

“Isn’t this something that could become a disgrace to the Alliance? We’re currently investigating whether there were any wrongdoings committed by the victims under the control of blood parasites.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Cho Hyeonryang nodded.

He wondered if there was any need to report if they were going to handle everything themselves.

But this was the fate of the Murim Alliance Leader.

While the practitioners handled the practical matters, the Leader had to know all the details of what happened in the Alliance.

“And here are the results of this Great Council. Please review everything and approve. It’s troublesome if you just stamp your seal carelessly and say you didn’t approve like last time.”

If that’s how it is, why don’t you be the Leader? Cho Hyeonryang just let out a big sigh.

The Murim Conference’s excitement was at its peak.

As various events were wrapping up, the announcement of the Great Council’s results was made before the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition semi-finals on the ship arena.

It was the collective will of the (orthodox) martial arts world, with even small and medium-sized local martial arts schools casting one vote each.

Cho Hyeonryang, dressed up almost like an immortal, declared the Murim Alliance’s future official activities in an amazing voice filled with inner force.

First, there was news of support for orthodox martial arts schools in the southeastern Central Plains, the Yangzhou and Jiaozhou regions.

The intention was to help them break free from pressure, as it was an area unable to raise its head due to the oppression of the Unorthodox Faction Alliance.

The establishment of the Murim Alliance’s Hunan branch was also an extension of this, as it was the optimal location to quickly spread to either Yangzhou or Jiaozhou.

However, what everyone was excited about was different – the news of the revival of the Righteous Martial Arts Academy.

Simply put, the Righteous Martial Arts Academy was the Murim Alliance’s irregular training institution.

The idea was to send all talented boys and girls, and they would turn them into masters.

With the (secular level) ultimate techniques of the Nine Great Sects, (branch family level) ultimate techniques of the Ten Great Clans, and even (lower grade) elixirs generously bestowed, it was said that whenever it opened occasionally, future masters poured out in droves.

In fact, it’s not such an attractive option for famous sects and clans.

If they have famous divine arts and an established disciple education system, there’s no need to leak talented individuals to be raised by the Murim Alliance.

But for small and medium martial arts schools or young unknowns who want to belong to the orthodox faction’s experts, it was truly a gateway, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a dragon to rise from a small stream.

– Ooooh!! Waaah!!

In that heated atmosphere, Qing heard the cheers clearly audible even through the window of the waiting room.

“What’s this? Did some famous restaurant hand out unlimited meal tickets?”

“As always. Everything leads to food with you.”

“How else could they be so excited? Unless the Alliance Leader said ‘I’m treating everyone today’ and threw a feast or something.”

Peng Daesan, waiting to compete, burst out laughing.

The two semi-final matches were Gongson Yoye vs Peng Daesan, and Wolbong vs Ximen Qing.

In the end, despite everything, the people with the highest realms remained.

“Mountain. What should we eat after the match? Anyway, either you or Ye will win, so I’ll treat generously today. Congratulatory drinks for the winner and consolation drinks for the loser. Sahongchun wine? I heard it’s a rising brand these days?”

“Aren’t you nervous? Hmm. If you fall, it might be your consolation drink.”

“No way. This Transcendent Realm Ximen Qing can’t possibly lose in this kids’ competition.”

Then Peng Daesan slightly raised the corner of his mouth and asked:

“So, who are you cheering for? Me or Miss Gongson?”

“What? How childish. Mountain. Were you the type to ask ‘Do you like mom or dad better’?”

“It’s not good to insist you like everyone equally either. So, who will you cheer for?”

“Hmm.”

Qing rubbed her chin pretending to think seriously, then finally gave an answer.

“I guess I should cheer for Mountain after all. We have the loyalty of knowing each other longer.”

“Are you sure? I feel like you’d give a different answer if Miss Gongson were here.”

“No. Based on our sparring results so far, if Mountain advances it’s an automatic win. Ye is somehow tricky to deal with. And it seems she hasn’t fully revealed her true abilities yet?”

At this, Peng Daesan’s eyebrows twitched.

It meant she’d cheer for him because he was much easier to handle.

“Do people usually say such things to someone’s face?”

“Heng. Win and advance if you’re upset.”

“Ha. You too. Don’t underestimate Shaolin’s martial arts or you’ll end up with a bloody nose. Even if you lose, don’t worry too much. I’ll pour you enough to drown in alcohol.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure if that’s a curse or blessing.”

While Qing was tilting her head, Peng Daesan’s turn finally came.

As Peng Daesan got up and headed out of the waiting room, he suddenly grabbed the door, looked back and said:

“Win and come up. Shouldn’t we have a proper match in the finals?”

Then he left with slightly reddened earlobes.

Qing instantly sensed the match result.

Once you throw out lines like that, it’s absolute defeat, there’s no way you can win, yep.

And as a cosmic inevitability, it actually turned out that way.

Qing wasn’t particularly surprised since she had already expected it. She just brightened her eyes thinking she had another big thing to tease him about.

And then it was Qing’s turn.

As she was about to leap onto the arena through the now familiar ship’s passage-

A huge roar that shook the thick ceiling and floor of the ship arena rushed in.

The status Shaolin holds in the martial arts world can be expressed in one word.

Progenitor.

There’s even a saying that all martial arts came from Shaolin, that “All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin.”

Thanks to this, for civilians who don’t know much about martial arts, Shaolin was an idol almost synonymous with the martial arts world itself.

Moreover, the world’s greatest expert came from Shaolin.

And a young disciple carrying on the lineage was making a rapid advance with consecutive victories in the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition, so it was natural for everyone to be excited.

People everywhere were already making a fuss, calling it the earth-shattering emergence of the next world’s greatest expert in the martial arts world.

The atmosphere was as if the winner of the martial arts competition had already been decided.

Riding this excitement, when Wolbong leapt up and landed with a heavy thud, the cheers that shook the world erupted.

And when Wolbong performed Shaolin’s unique greeting in all directions, the sound grew even louder.

It was a greeting called the half-palm salute.

It originated from long ago when a very virtuous monk named Huike cut off his own arm and presented it as tuition to ask Bodhidharma for teachings.

Bodhidharma, who received a severed arm when he asked for an offering, thought “This guy is really intense” and accepted him as a disciple, or so the story goes.

The palm-press greeting is originally done by pressing both palms together, but since Master Huike had only one arm, he did the greeting with just one hand.

Since it was half a palm-press, it was called a half-palm salute.

But the cheering goes on for quite a while.

The audience, excited to see the moment the future world’s greatest expert spreads his wings, couldn’t contain their excitement.

So Wolbong performed the half-palm salute again.

Then the spectators, not caring about their precious vocal cords, raised their voices again.

Ximen Surin frowned at this sight.

Originally, in official events, when one person appears and cheers pour out, it’s basic etiquette for the next person to wait until it subsides.

However, if the excitement goes on too long, the next person has to wait endlessly, so there’s also an obligation for that person to request restraint and calm things down at an appropriate level.

So Ximen Surin couldn’t help but click her tongue.

That young monk has become quite arrogant.

Well, he’s probably only trained in the mountains of Songshan without making a name for himself, so it’s not incomprehensible that he’s intoxicated by the public’s excitement.

But as a Shaolin warrior monk who focuses on an unwavering, firm mind, she had to think he still has a long way to go in his studies.

Ximen Surin glared at the high seat without hiding her discomfort.

Sure enough, Wuxue Dashi, the Divine Monk called the world’s greatest expert, was also furrowing his protruding eyebrows, unable to hide his embarrassment.

Seeing that sight made Ximen Surin feel a little better.

It seems he taught martial arts well to his disciple but didn’t properly teach Buddhist studies.

Finally, even the host came out waving both hands asking for calm.

And then her lovely disciple appeared with a fairy-like beautiful figure-

– Waah. It’s the Ugly Veiled Sword Woman.

Ximen Surin clenched her fist tightly.

With few people responding, it was practically silent compared to the thunderous cheers that had shaken the arena earlier.

It was clearly different from the attitude when the Gongson clan’s child came out just before.

Of course, the Gongson clan’s child was a beauty though plain, and the opponent was the Jade Qilin, so more cheers poured out.

They must think my disciple has an ugly face since she covered it, so the sentiment is like this.

Ximen Surin was used to how women are treated in the martial arts world, but she worried that her disciple might be upset before the match even began.

Qing didn’t particularly care.

She was just waiting calmly, thinking “As expected, Shaolin is popular.”

Even past Qing who knew nothing about the martial arts world or wuxia knew that Shaolin was monks who used martial arts, so how much more would the Central Plains people know?

But where did this common knowledge about Shaolin martial arts come from? Everyone knows it. Well. No point in thinking about it, how would I know?

“I’m Ximen Qing of the Divine Maiden Sect.”

“Amitabha. I am Wolbong of Shaolin.”

Qing finally saw Wolbong up close.

Wolbong had acted aloof, not showing his face anywhere except the martial arts competition, and Qing who only hung out with her friends at the Wucheon Pavilion had only seen him from afar in the audience seats.

So Qing looked at Wolbong and thought:

Hmm. But. He looks a bit older.

Is he really a rising star…? He must be?

He looked to be in his mid-thirties at a glance, so she thought it was a bit odd for him to be in a rising star competition.

But by that standard, Qing wasn’t in a very upright situation either.

Qing was also participating as a 20-year-old this year, so she knew well that if you lie about your age and insist, that’s that.

Wolbong would have felt wronged if he knew.

Because Wolbong was 27 years old this year, in the prime of his youth.

Moreover, Shaolin’s young disciples tended to age a bit faster, due to the very strict external martial arts training from a young age.

Wolbong was just a bit more extreme among them.

Not knowing Qing’s rude thoughts, Wolbong continued with the half-palm salute and said:

“I’ll yield the first move to the patron.”

“I won’t decline. Here I come!”

Then Qing stepped forward powerfully.