Chapter 8

Jeong Charyeon opened her eyes to the whisper of fate, telling her that a new life would begin today.

Familiar scenery of her room unfolded before her. The morning sunlight, sharp as sword energy, neatly sliced through the stale air of the night.

She turned her head towards the window.

The busy footsteps of servants starting their day and the chirping of larks filled the air. It was a morning like any other.

She vaguely remembered the contents of her dream.

It was a dream of becoming a lovebird and flying in the sky. The lovebird was a mythical bird with only one wing, so the male and female had to combine to fly together. It was the first time she had such a strange dream.

The male she flew with... The moment she tried to recall his face, the dream faded like sand swept away by the sea.

"Hoo--"

Charyeon rose from her bed and stretched.

Her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her body, revealing her slender figure. A narrow waist followed below her firm breasts.

Her perfect eight-head figure, radiant white skin, and a pure face that didn't match her well-proportioned body created an explosive beauty. She was known as the most beautiful woman in Wuhan, Hubei.

Jeong Charyeon, the Unrivaled Beauty of the Murim, the embodiment of pure beauty.

There were men who came from other regions just to see her once. They came with great fanfare, but none of them actually knocked on her door.

Righteous Sword Sect.

She was the second of the three daughters of the Sect.

The Righteous Sword Sect was a traditional martial arts Clan in Wuhan, Hubei, and the Sect Leader, Jeong I-chu, was a renowned master who had even systematized the Crimson Snake Sword Art.

Of course, compared to the past before the Orthodox-Demonic War, the Righteous Sword Sect's power had greatly declined. Jeong I-chu's father, Charyeon's grandfather, Jeong Sang-gwon, had participated in the Orthodox-Demonic War and lost his life, causing the Clan to decline significantly.

At the time of Jeong Sang-gwon's death, Jeong I-chu had not fully inherited the essence of the Crimson Snake Sword Art. As a result, Jeong I-chu had not mastered the Crimson Snake Sword Art even after twenty years. But the Righteous Sword Sect was still a deeply rooted martial arts Clan in Wuhan.

After washing her face, Charyeon put on a white martial arts uniform. Her tightly bound long hair and elegant face went perfectly with the white uniform. She also liked wearing white martial arts uniforms, so much so that she could ignore the disadvantage of having to change them often.

Leaving her room, she headed to her personal training ground.

Her daily routine began with a light warm-up in the training ground.

The Crimson Snake Sword Art was a sword technique with diverse and unconventional forms. Therefore, light Footwork and flexibility were essential elements.

After warming up, she began to unfold the Crimson Snake Sword Art from the first form to the seventy-seventh form in a continuous sequence.

Her father always emphasized consistent training. He said that if one mastered even a single form perfectly, they could face any Martial arts. Charyeon always kept that teaching in her heart and tried never to forget it.

She had reached the seventh level of the Crimson Snake Sword Art.

She was now eighteen years old.

Her father, Jeong I-chu, had reached the seventh level when he was over thirty, so it was a great achievement. But her desire for Martial arts did not stop there.

Rain or shine, she trained in Martial arts every day without fail. But after being stuck at the seventh level, she made no further progress.

Jeong I-chu was greatly pleased with his daughter's achievement but was also frustrated that he could not help her achieve more. The enlightenment he had when he crossed over to the eighth level was of no help to Charyeon. He could feel that even with the same Martial arts, the form and meaning of the limits that blocked progress differed depending on the person who practiced it.

"Hahap--"

With a long shout, Charyeon finished the seventy-seventh form of the sword and slowly sheathed it.

Then she sat down and calmed her breathing.

Her body, carefully circulating her inner energy, was soaked with sweat.

Her whole body was telling her that it was the right training. This refreshing and invigorating feeling.

'But why can't I break free from the seventh level?'

As she rose from her seat, someone approached her as if they had been waiting for that moment.

"Young lady, you've worked hard!"

It was Hyang Yi, who was so close to her that she was like a sister rather than a servant girl. As always, a clean towel was hanging on her wrist.

Charyeon received the towel and wiped away the sweat. It was the most pleasant moment of the day.

"You, by any chance..."

"Don't worry. I would never watch another Martial Artist training!"

She had been a quick-witted and intelligent child since she was young. But Charyeon emphasized this part again and again.

"If a Martial arts servant girl watches for three years, she can wield the Three Disaster Sword Art."

Hyang Yi giggled, making a corny joke.

She was a bright and good child. The reason Charyeon repeatedly warned her was simple.

Mistakes come from the unconscious? Nonsense! Mistakes come most often from habit.

Walking out of the training ground side by side, Hyang Yi looked at Charyeon carefully.

"Young lady."

From her affectionate tone, she could guess what she was about to say.

"If you're going to say that again, stop it!"

"Please."

There was something Hyang Yi had been nagging her about for a month.

It was to participate in the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.

Dragon Phoenix Gathering.

The largest Martial Arts Tournament in the Jianghu for young talents.

After the Orthodox-Demonic War, the Jianghu was truly soaked in irreversible defeat and helplessness.

Various efforts to renew and overcome the desperate atmosphere of the Jianghu arose spontaneously throughout the Central Plains. The most effective of these was the Martial Arts Tournament.

Numerous Martial Arts Tournaments arose and disappeared. From small-scale Martial Arts Tournaments held by local leaders to provincial-scale Martial Arts Tournaments.

Among them, the two largest and most popular tournaments for all Jianghu people in the entire Central Plains were the Heavenly Dragon Battle, held in turn by the Four Supreme Powers, and the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.

The Four Supreme Powers referred to the four giant forces that had established themselves as the strongmen of the Jianghu after the Orthodox-Demonic War.

The Northern Sky Clan, based in Hubei, Henan, and Shanxi, the Southern Mountains Alliance, based in Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong, Wind Cloud City, active mainly in Shaanxi and Gansu, and the Black Blade Sect, the absolute powerhouse in Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, were the Four Supreme Powers.

Northern Sky Clan.

Southern Mountains Alliance.

Wind Cloud City.

Black Blade Sect.

They were the biggest beneficiaries of the Orthodox-Demonic War and the new strongmen of this era, writing a new history of the Jianghu. The contents of the Heavenly Dragon Battle and the Dragon Phoenix Gathering they held were as follows.

The Heavenly Dragon Battle was, in a word, the Unrivaled Martial Arts Tournament. Masters of the Central Plains competed in life-or-death battles, risking their Sect's and their own honor. It was truly the biggest festival of the Jianghu, and winning there was the dream of all Jianghu people.

In particular, with most of the famous masters having died in the Orthodox-Demonic War, the competition among those who wanted to newly ascend as masters of the Jianghu was fierce.

In comparison, the Dragon Phoenix Gathering was a festival for young talents. It was aimed at young talents under the age of twenty, and it was more of a Martial Arts Tournament than a Martial arts competition.

The reason was that one could not win the Dragon Phoenix Gathering with just strong Martial arts. The Dragon Phoenix Gathering consisted of numerous events, and Martial arts competition was only one of them. Of course, the weight of Martial arts competition was large, but it was not enough to determine the outcome.

The male and female pair with the highest total score in the various events were chosen as the Dragon and Phoenix, and the Dragon and Phoenix became the idols of the young people.

The Heavenly Dragon Battle was held once every four years, and the Dragon Phoenix Gathering was held once every two years.

This year's tournament was hosted by the Northern Sky Clan.

Coincidentally, this year was the year in which both the Heavenly Dragon Battle and the Dragon Phoenix Gathering were held, and it was decided to hold the two tournaments one after another in the same place to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the end of the Orthodox-Demonic War. That place was Wuhan.

The people of Wuhan, as well as Hubei, were greatly delighted and excited. Countless Jianghu people would flock to Wuhan and spend a lot of money during the tournament.

The biggest problem that bothered Charyeon was that the most excited person, who had nothing to do with the tournament, was Hyang Yi.

"If young lady goes out, you will definitely win first place! It's a disaster for the Jianghu that a genius like you is locked up in the training ground! Ah, if the Sohyeop of the Jianghu see young lady's face, they will faint on the spot."

You probably want to faint while looking at those Sohyeop.

"No."

"Why? Why?"

There was a reason why even Hyang Yi, who was not a Jianghu person, was so excited about the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.

The reason why the Dragon Phoenix Gathering was popular was not only because it was aimed at young talents.

The Dragon Phoenix Gathering was a tournament in which a male and female pair participated as a team.

Siblings came out side by side, and fellow disciples participated together.

Four years ago, the story of the chief disciple of the One Blade Sect, who made an official proposal to his female disciple who had participated with him in the final round of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, was a major topic of conversation in the Jianghu.

The fun didn't stop there. Since men and women participated together, there were many incidents involved. There were duels over one woman, and there were even laughable incidents where two couples were attracted to each other's partners at the same time. The Dragon Phoenix Gathering was truly a treasure trove of rumors.

Charyeon had never participated in the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.

She had never even gone to see it, let alone participate.

"Sometimes you need a change!"

"I'm not interested."

Actually, she was interested.

She was eighteen years old this year.

Although she was working hard to inherit the lineage of the Righteous Sword Sect, which had no sons, how could she not be curious about the Dragon Phoenix Gathering? But Charyeon had to pretend not to be interested.

The incident started when she was twelve years old.

In a gathering of all the family members, she said about the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, "It is one of the Jianghu's foolish people policies of the Four Supreme Powers, a vent for the desires of young people who are crazy about standing out, and a feast for empty-headed people." She was only twelve years old.

Everyone was surprised by her words. In particular, her father, Jeong I-chu, thought she was very admirable.

In fact, she didn't say that with such awareness at the time. She had always been the center of attention because of her pretty looks, but she was sensitive to the fact that it was becoming a spectacle for men during her puberty.

She had just repeated what she had heard somewhere, but it became 'my smart daughter with a different consciousness' to her father.

She had dreamed for months that the person who had said those words would reveal to her father that those words were not said by his daughter. Anyway, since that day, the Dragon Phoenix Gathering had become a tournament that she could never participate in in her life.

"This time, Sohyeop Lim is finally participating."

Charyeon also knew the Sohyeop Lim that Hyang Yi was talking about.

Little Divine Dragon Lim Ha-gi.

He was the only grandson of Lim Cheon-se, the Sect Leader of the Northern Sky Clan. He had a handsome appearance, excellent Martial arts, and a bright future as the legitimate successor of the Northern Sky Clan. He was the ideal and dream of Jianghu women.

When the rumor that he would participate in this Dragon Phoenix Gathering spread, all sorts of words poured out. He was the successor of the Northern Sky Clan, the host of this tournament.

Various comments were made about the issue of fairness. But the Northern Sky Clan did not mention it one by one. The silence of the powerful always has power. The opinion that they would rather judge more fairly because the eyes of the Jianghu were focused on the situation again dominated the rumors.

Anyway, that was a story for adults.

The young people of the Jianghu were focused on whether he lived up to his name and which woman he would team up with.

"Ah, the Dragon Phoenix Gathering where Sohyeop Lim and young lady team up! Just thinking about it makes me faint!"

Hyang Yi's fuss continued until she took a bath.

Her mouth, which would normally say all sorts of things, saying that she was so dazzling that even the same woman would be blinded, was only talking about one thing today.

"...Although the rumor is that Sohyeop Lim is teaming up with the daughter of the Sima Clan, which is said to be the most powerful Clan in the Jianghu, if young lady only participates..."

She, who was soaking in the wooden bathtub, was not listening to Hyang Yi's chatter.

Her heart was pounding again.

It was the same feeling she had when she woke up in the morning.

A feeling that something was bound to happen.

A feeling that fate was preparing to fly towards her with the speed of an energy sword, aiming at her from afar. Her heart was pounding.

Thump.

Charyeon sank into the water.

The ceiling outside the water was shaking.

She remembered what her father had said to her two years ago when he was drunk.

"I hope you will inherit the Sword Clan."

Even though there were no sons, it was always a harmonious family. Her father had never expressed his disappointment about it.

But now that he was getting older, he was starting to worry about the successor of the Sword Clan. The next day, her father seemed to have forgotten what he had said that day.

But since that day, she had been working harder to train in Martial arts.

Hyang Yi was looking into the bathtub and saying something. She couldn't hear it well.

Hyang Yi's face, gathering her hands to her mouth and shouting again, was rippling.

"Pua!"

Charyeon could no longer hold her breath and came out of the water.

"The Sect Leader is looking for you!"

As Charyeon was walking down the hallway, she reflected her appearance in the mirror attached to the wall. It was a beauty that everyone praised as beautiful. The man who passed by while walking would definitely look back. At first, she didn't dislike that gaze.

But after she became seriously involved in Martial arts, her beauty became a burden. She was seen as the Unrivaled Beauty of the Murim, not Charyeon as a Martial Artist.

'If I had been born a man...'

She thought she might have mastered the Crimson Snake Sword Art. She had been feeling a little depressed lately because her Martial arts had stagnated.

As if trying to shake off that feeling, Charyeon let out a short shout, 'Hap!'

Yes, I'm going to overcome it.

I'm going to work hard to make the Righteous Sword Sect the best Sect in the Jianghu!

If you lose because you're a woman, you'll lose even if you're poor, uneducated, ugly, or have no background.

The moment you make excuses for losing, losing becomes a habit and fate.

Life is always a fight against will.

I can't always fight winning battles, but I shouldn't fight battles I regret.

Clap clap--

Standing alone in the hallway, Charyeon clapped her hands and steeled her heart.

When she entered her residence, her father was not there. Instead, her older sister Hwa Ryeon and her brother-in-law Seo Baek were guarding the room.

Seo Baek waved his hand happily.

"Sister-in-law, good morning."

He was a man who never lost his smile. He was often called silly and bland, but he was always smiling. If everyone in the world lived like her brother-in-law, there would be no need for laws. Her brother-in-law lived in the Righteous Sword Sect with her sister.

In comparison, Hwa Ryeon's expression was stiff. Charyeon, watching her sister's mood, joked.

"You should take care of your brother-in-law's mood before mine."

"As you know, my wife is always in a bad mood."

Seo Baek smiled. It was always like that, so she didn't care anymore.

"Where's Father?"

"I asked him to leave for a while."

Hwa Ryeon answered Charyeon's question seriously.

"Why?"

"Because it's a difficult story if he's here."

Charyeon felt the seriousness in Hwa Ryeon's expression and words. She was inwardly nervous.

"What's wrong?"

"Let's sit down first. Do you want some tea?"

"Just tell me!"

Neither Hwa Ryeon nor Charyeon were the type to beat around the bush.

"Someone from the Palm Heart Clan came."

"Palm Heart Clan? Why them?"

The Palm Heart Clan was the most famous Clan in Wuhan, known for its Deadly Palm. If the Righteous Sword Sect had been steadily declining since the end of the Orthodox-Demonic War, the Palm Heart Clan had been steadily growing. As of now, the size and power of the Righteous Sword Sect did not reach even half of that of the Palm Heart Clan.

The Clan Lord of the Palm Heart Clan liked to associate with Jianghu people and invited many masters as guests to show off his power.

There were three Martial arts Clans representing Wuhan. The Palm Heart Clan was the most powerful, the Righteous Sword Sect was the second, and the Dragon Tiger Clan, which had a similar power to the Righteous Sword Sect, was the third.

The Righteous Sword Sect was a traditional Martial arts Clan, the Dragon Tiger Clan was a case where a Martial arts school had developed and gained power, and the Palm Heart Clan was closer to a vested interest group disguised as a Martial arts Clan.

Their personalities were completely different, so they each kept their own place. Of course, the Northern Sky Clan existed above all of them.

Anyway, for that reason, she knew that the Palm Heart Clan was a place that did not usually interact with them, who were of pure orthodox lineage.

Hwa Ryeon carefully started the story.

"You know Jang In-geol, right? Their eldest son."

Of course, she knew the name.

She remembered seeing him a few times when she went to banquets with her father when she was young.

From the first impression, he was a guy she didn't like, a guy she just couldn't warm up to.

Even at a young age, the way he looked at her was disgustingly lecherous.

Well, most men looked at her that way, so she could let it slide, but he seemed quite proud of the fact that he was the heir to the Palm Heart Clan. He was young, but authoritarian, violent, and sly. In short, someone she absolutely didn't want to be friends with.

As she grew older, she naturally had fewer opportunities to see him.

Especially in the past few years, when Jeong Charyeon was immersed in Martial arts training, she barely went out, so she only heard rumors about him through Hyang Yi. According to the rumors, he was consistently living up to the proverb, "Old habits die hard."

In many ways, he was at the top of her list of least favorite people.

"Young Master Jang wants to compete with you in the upcoming Dragon Phoenix Gathering."

"What?"

She was so dumbfounded that she almost blurted out, "Is that bastard crazy?" Calm down. If she made that face, her kind brother-in-law would be horrified.

Jeong Charyeon calmly said, "When has he ever seen me?"

"He saw you a few times when you were young. Don't you remember? A long time ago..."

"Enough. Tell him to manage his own scandals properly."

Jeong Charyeon sat down with a look that said she didn't even want to mention him.

"You're making such a fuss over just that?"

As she poured herself a cup of tea from the teapot on the table, Jeong Charyeon suddenly stopped. She asked with a look of disbelief, "What? You didn't refuse?"

"I said I'd think about it."

Clang!

Jeong Charyeon slammed the teapot down.

"Are you crazy? What is there to think about?"

"Don't get excited, and listen to what I have to say first."

"How can I not get excited? So? What is it? Are you telling me to go to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering with him?"

Hwa Ryeon didn't answer. It was an indication that she wanted her to.

Jeong Charyeon's expression immediately turned cold.

"Does Father know about this?"

Instead of answering, Hwa Ryeon brought up something else.

"The Palm Heart Clan has been putting pressure on us."

"What?"

This was news to her. She had been so focused on her Martial arts training that she had no idea what was going on in the Righteous Sword Sect.

"Last year, we made a small investment in the First Superior Commerce Alliance. The Palm Heart Clan invested in the Hubei Commerce Alliance, which is in competition with the First Superior Commerce Alliance. That caused a misunderstanding with the Palm Heart Clan."

"You didn't know the Palm Heart Clan was involved in that investment?"

"Of course. If I had known, I wouldn't have invested in the First Superior Commerce Alliance."

"How could you not know?"

"It can happen. It's business."

Jeong Charyeon stared at Hwa Ryeon with accusing eyes.

Her father was a pure Martial Artist. He wasn't savvy in business matters, nor was he the type to make such investments. Her sister must have persuaded him.

Her sister had taken on the role of strategist for the Sword Clan three years ago. Originally, she preferred academics to Martial arts. She had stopped training in the Crimson Snake Sword Art at the Fourth Round. There was a reason why she had stepped up as strategist.

The previous strategist was Im Cha-bok, her father's sworn brother. Trusting in their friendship since childhood, her father accepted everything he said.

But Im Cha-bok didn't see her father the same way. He had been waiting for an opportunity, and he embezzled a large sum of money and ran away.

That was a huge shock to her father. Originally gentle and kind-hearted, he couldn't get over the shock of being betrayed for a while. It was something he couldn't even complain about to anyone.

That incident prompted Hwa Ryeon, who had left to start her own family, to return to the Sword Clan. And she volunteered to be the Sword Clan's strategist.

Jeong Charyeon knew how much her sister cared for the Sword Clan and her family.

But being a strategist naturally fostered ambition. If she didn't expand the business, her work as a strategist wouldn't be noticeable at all. In the end, she had no choice but to overextend herself.

Hwa Ryeon readily admitted, "Since then, they've been pressuring us in every way."

If she was bringing it up like this, the pressure must be more than ordinary.

Jeong Charyeon sighed inwardly.

"So what are you saying? That I should sell my body to solve the problem you caused?"

"If I could sell my own body, I wouldn't ask you."

Seo Baek, who had been listening, interjected.

"Hey, wife. The man standing next to you is called a husband, you know."

But that frivolous Seo Baek, who was chuckling, was of no concern to the two women in the current situation.

"I don't want to. I'm not going."

"This is your problem too."

Jeong Charyeon, flared up and shouted.

"Why? Are they going to fight us if I don't go? Are they going to eat us alive?"

Hwa Ryeon didn't say anything. It was a silent affirmation.

Jeong Charyeon was shocked by the reaction.

"What on earth have you done in the meantime?"

"I haven't done anything."

In fact, there had been changes in the past few years. Hwa Ryeon had been focusing on expanding the Sword Clan's power by actively participating in its affairs. The number of Martial Artists in the Sword Clan had increased, and they had invested in various businesses to generate funds. Compared to before, the Righteous Sword Sect had definitely grown in power.

But the Palm Heart Clan must have been watching the situation closely.

With a negative eye, of course.

Seo Baek smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, why don't you go for the experience?"

It was nonsense. Especially with that Rogue Jang In-geol!

"It'll be a good memory for you. So..."

She hated her sister for not stopping Seo Baek, who was thoughtlessly rubbing salt in the wound, and her father, who wasn't here, even more. It was unspoken pressure.

She wished her sister was cruel enough to let her curse her out to her heart's content, but Hwa Ryeon had always cared for her younger siblings.

Forcing her to do this wouldn't change her sister's nature or her love. That was even more upsetting.

With all sorts of complicated feelings, Jeong Charyeon coldly spat out, "I'm not going! You go, or lie about your age and go!"

Jeong Charyeon slammed the door shut as she left.

"Our sister-in-law has quite the temper. She's definitely your sister!"

Seo Baek said something frivolous and massaged Hwa Ryeon's shoulders to cheer her up. Looking at his good-natured face, Hwa Ryeon sighed.