Chapter 167: Red Flag (2)

How much time had passed? A quarter of an hour? Maybe half an hour.

Hwangbo Hyeji panted with a pale face, her sharp eyes glaring at the figure in black.

He’s toying with me…

The difference in skill was overwhelming. Yet her body bore not a single wound. At most, her clothes were slightly torn.

As if to demonstrate the gap between them, the figure in black’s breathing remained unchanging.

“Time to end this.”

He didn’t even consider her a threat, approaching her as relaxed as can be.

She gritted her teeth.

Is this really all I amount to?

Her own helplessness drained her strength. Her will completely vanished, she could only watch as he neared.

The figure in black mocked her.

“Given up already? Well, that’s only expected. It suits you pathetic orthodox faction people.”

Hwangbo Hyeji’s eyes trembled. Pathetic. It was true. She didn’t even think to deny it.

However, pathetic orthodox faction people? That wasn’t something those wicked Black Serpent bastards had the right to say.

There were amazing people in the Sixteen Great Sects. Uncle Hwangbo Jun, Young Expert Namgung Myeong, Senior Heaven-reaching True Qi…

Her fists clenched tight. She recalled the always-confident Lady Namgung. She would have spoken her mind boldly even in this situation.

Yet at the same time, what came to her lips was Young Lady Geum’s favorite phrase.

Always brave and spirited. She threw her fist with all her might and tried to shout cheerfully.

“Go die…!”

The figure in black flinched.

This was her chance. Hwangbo Hyeji’s fist shot out straighter than ever before.

Within it was the firmness of Mount Tai, and also the grace that Hwangbo Hyeji had always aspired to.

Two principles strangely harmonized as one, bursting forth under the name Mount Tai Divine Fist.

BOOOOOM──────

Her fist struck empty air. Hwangbo Hyeji’s mouth fell open blankly.

“Ah…”

The figure in black had lightly stepped back half a pace to avoid her fist, and laughed.

“Excellent.”

His hand shot out immediately. The gleaming reinforced qi in his hand came towards her. It wasn’t hard to imagine what would happen when that starlight touched her. Her head would be crushed like tofu.

Scenes from her past flashed before her eyes like a flickering slideshow.

—Mother, mother. The woman who occupied most of her memories had always scolded her.

Her memories traveled back through time to the distant past when Hwangbo Hyeji was young. Her mother’s warm embrace.

Back then, her mother’s words carried no thorns. She always smiled when looking at her. When their smiling eyes met, she would spread her arms, and when she ran into that embrace, she would lift her up and hum a little song.

“Where did it all go wrong…”

What had made her mother change?

Swept up in swirling memories, Hwangbo Hyeji reached a conclusion. It wasn’t her fault. The reason her mother had changed was the damn clan itself.

The external pressure that forced her mother to abandon her dreams and walk a different path was the problem.

If I’m given another chance…

I’ll change it. I’ll make the red flag fly at the zenith of the Hwangbo Clan.

And help my mother regain her former warm self.

Flash!

Hwangbo Hyeji’s eyes snapped open.

The figure in black’s hand had stopped right in front of her eyes. He rolled his eyes and withdrew his hand, then thrust it forward again.

Whoosh!

Without blinking once, Hwangbo Hyeji ducked her head.

“Thank you, Senior Heaven-reaching True Qi.”

“…Huh.”

After thrusting his hand toward her several times while she gathered her insights, Seojun quietly stepped back.

His mind raced.

Is it better to deny it here? No, that’s too pathetic. There’s no problem even if I’m found out.

He removed his mask after coming to a conclusion. Just in case, he quickly changed his altered face back to Lee Seojun’s.

“Wow, how did you know?”

“I thought Senior Heaven-reaching True Qi was the only one who would give enlightenment in this way.”

“What.”

Seojun scratched his head. Watching him, Hwangbo Hyeji bowed with clasped fists.

“I think I understand my will now.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I will bring about the winds of revolution to the Hwangbo Clan.”

“Excuse me?”

Hwangbo Hyeji’s eyes gleamed brightly.

“Mother changed because reality forced her to abandon her will. If I change that reality, change the clan itself, then Mother could continue pursuing her former dream. Even if Mother says she doesn’t want that—no, that’s impossible. She may say so, but it wouldn’t be her true feelings. Mother will want to walk the path of a martial artist once more. I’ll make it possible for her to achieve that dream.”

“Oh… well… good luck.”

“This isn’t the time for that. Could you possibly help me with training? I need to increase the number of iron balls.”

“Uh, sure…”

It was different from what he’d expected, but it seemed he’d succeeded in helping Hwangbo Hyeji establish her own will.

Something completely unexpected had befallen Hwangbo Seorin.

That woman brought it all on herself.

Though Hwangbo Hyeji’s words sounded like she’d overturn the entire clan for Hwangbo Seorin’s sake, if you listened carefully, it meant she’d make her walk the martial path again whether she wanted to or not.

Since Hwangbo Hyeji would surpass Hwangbo Seorin in martial prowess, perhaps she would use some force as well?

He could almost see Hwangbo Seorin’s future, being worked to the bone under her daughter.

As for the Hwangbo Clan… they’ll figure it out themselves.

Seojun quickly shirked responsibility.

Seojun scrapped the (what he thought were) fairly cool pieces of advice he’d planned to give Hwangbo Hyeji.

Things like “Believe in the Myeong who believes in you,” or “Where your will points is the Dao…”

Without him saying anything, Hwangbo Hyeji had entered hellish training even more severe than before, and as time passed, the Dragon Phoenix Tournament semifinals began with the first match.

— Yang Sohong of the Dragon Tiger Sect!

Yang Sohong had advanced to the semifinals despite being from a minor sect. His opponent was…

— Geum Hee of the Divine Sword Geum Clan!

It was adorable little Geum Chunbong.

The two late-generation disciples standing opposite each other exchanged greetings.

“Please take care of me.”

“I shall learn from you.”

Yang Sohong suddenly spoke up right after finishing the customary greeting.

“Young Lady Geum, I respected you.”

“Pardon?”

Chunbong looked puzzled. Yang Sohong stared at her closely.

Yang Sohong’s home sect, the Dragon Tiger Sect, was a small sect in Hunan.

It was too small to even properly call a minor sect with only about ten members in total. That was the Dragon Tiger Sect.

“Who could not praise your efforts to rebuild your sect through your own power despite the Geum Clan’s destruction?”

“Uh… thank you…?”

Yang Sohong’s master, Il-pyeong, was just an ordinary Peak Realm early-stage martial artist.

He recognized young Yang Sohong’s potential and took him as a disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect, teaching him everything for the sect’s revival.

Basic spear techniques and the Dragon Tiger Sect’s martial art, Dragon Tiger Spear, along with the etiquette needed in the martial world and human virtues like righteousness and wisdom.

Yang Sohong gave his all to repay his master’s kindness. Through desperate effort, he eventually surpassed his master’s realm and used his own skills to take in disciples and revive the Dragon Tiger Sect.

“The late-generation disciples of the Sixteen Great Sects grow up walking the well-paved paths laid out by their ancestors.”

“Hmm…”

“Yet you were different. Years after the Geum Clan’s destruction, you overcame that period of emptiness and are now mentioned as a candidate for the Dragon Phoenix Tournament victory.”

The Dragon Tiger Sect’s spear technique, Dragon Tiger Spear, was a technique that embodied the spirit of dragons and tigers.

However, that was only in name. In reality, it was just an ordinary martial art only slightly superior to the Three Principles Sword Technique.

He and his master Il-pyeong had no choice but to agonize, as Yang Sohong had already mastered the Dragon Tiger Spear.

The realm that could be reached through the Dragon Tiger Spear’s principles ended around early Peak Realm. The moment Yang Sohong surpassed his master, he keenly felt the Dragon Tiger Spear’s limitations.

To reach new heights, he needed new martial arts.

But the Dragon Tiger Sect lacked the ability to obtain such advanced techniques. For this reason, Yang Sohong and Il-pyeong had to dismantle the Dragon Tiger Spear and create a new martial art.

“I had hoped that a genius like you would illuminate the path I should walk.”

“Hmm…?”

“The realm I achieved is that of ordinary people. A realm that anyone can reach if they try their hardest. I couldn’t help but feel the limits of my talent all along.”

Yang Sohong had surpassed early-stage Peak Realm with his newly created Dragon Tiger Spear.

Except for minimal rest time, he spent every living, breathing moment training.

Living his days like that made him think that anyone could reach the same realm if they trained like him.

That martial artists from minor sects fell behind those from major sects who were arrogant and lazy because they too didn’t give their all.

“But you’re no different. That’s why I respected you. I thought you could become a model for minor sect martial artists.”

After Yang Sohong’s rather lengthy speech, Chunbong thought to herself.

What the hell is this guy talking about?

He had quite a talent for making ordinary bullshit sound believable.

A talentless ordinary person? It was cruel to say, but someone like that couldn’t reach that realm at his age. Especially not if they were from a minor sect.

Ah, but compared to Lee Seojun, that might be true.

By that logic, he truly was talentless. If it were Lee Seojun, the Dragon Tiger Sect would have about ten divine arts by now.

Even that was a bit too exceptional a case. Compared to Lee Seojun, all martial artists were nothing more than ordinary people.

In short, Lee Seojun was the weird one, not Yang Sohong being talentless.

And one more thing.

Why would she be a model for minor sect martial artists? The Divine Sword Geum Clan was a Divine Clan that stood even above the Sixteen Great Sects.

“Uh… so what are you trying to say?”

“I’m disappointed.”

“I see…?”

“I climbed here through effort. Through desperation and sheer will. Yet what about you people? That’s not the case, is it?”

Yang Sohong continued.

“You too are ultimately just another martial artist dependent on the prestige of the Sixteen Great Sects. Even if you can’t make the Geum Clan shine through your own power, you’re trying to raise your clan by relying on the reputation of Heaven-reaching True Qi and the Namgung Clan.”

Yang Sohong glared at Chunbong with clear eyes.

“What are you fighting for?”

To get my big brother a spirit pill present?

Chunbong scratched her head.

But he didn’t seem to want an answer, as Yang Sohong immediately continued.

“I’m fighting to prove that anyone can do what I did. That minor sects need not fall behind major sects, that the names of the Sixteen Great Sects can always be overturned through effort.”

“Sounds great…”

“You should be ashamed that you chose the evil path when you could have achieved this through your own power.”

Yang Sohong’s words stirred the arena.

Some were moved by his words and looked at him with passionate eyes, while some looked at him like he was an idiot.

That someone was Seojun.

This is just trash talk, right?

Otherwise, it made no sense.

As Seojun watched Yang Sohong with curiously, Chunbong suddenly burst into laughter.

“Why should I be ashamed?”

“…I suppose it was a pointless conversation.”

“That’s not it.”

Chunbong proudly stuck out her chest.

“I’m cute, aren’t I?”

“…?”

Yang Sohong’s eyes went blank. Chunbong grinned cheekily.

“So I’m allowed. If you’re jealous, then you be as cute as me. Then maybe a mysterious master who fell from heaven will help you out too.”

Surprisingly, this was true.