CHAPTER 139: FACE-CHANGING ART (3)

0% If you plotted the volume of voices during the meeting on a graph, it would probably make a rather nice parabola.

As the meeting seemed to be winding down, the raised voices gradually returned to normal levels.

Of course, this wasn’t a meeting that would conclude in a single day.

It would likely continue until the Dragon Phoenix Tournament ended.

Regardless, the content of the meeting itself was surprisingly substantial.

A rough framework had been established for how many troops each sect would dispatch, and the outline of how the Murim Alliance would handle the Demonic Cult’s involvement was taking shape.

The discussion mainly centered on maintaining martial artists’ morale in a situation that threatened to become a three-way conflict.

While masters at the Transcendent Realm rarely lost their composure due to their balanced essence-qi-spirit, most martial artists tended to break mentally when suddenly faced with an additional enemy.

As countermeasures, suggestions included classifying information about the Demonic Cult or creating a hero to boost morale.

Beyond that, discussions about spies and third forces were exchanged.

However, details about spies weren’t openly discussed, presumably due to the importance of maintaining security.

“Then we’ll end today’s session here.”

As soon as the Abbot adjourned the meeting, Seojun sprang to his feet.

He had been quite exhausted from multitasking—goofing off while still following the meeting content.

“See you tomorrow.”

The Red Face Beggar grinned, showing his yellowed teeth.

“Ah, yes.”

Seojun fled quickly. If he got caught again, he might have to listen to hours more chatter.

Pushing Pae Jingwang, Namgung Hyeok, and Namgung Myeong from behind, Seojun swiftly left the building and finally sighed with relief.

“Whew. Now I can breathe.”

“Weren’t you getting along well?”

At Namgung Hyeok’s comment, Seojun grimaced.

“It wasn’t getting along—I was just humoring him. You know, out of respect for the elderly.”

“Hmm...”

“Anyway, what do you think the Demonic Cult will do next?”

Despite the abrupt topic change, Namgung Hyeok, now accustomed to conversations with Seojun, continued naturally.

“Well... There’s a saying that one of the most pointless activities in the martial world is trying to predict what demonic adepts will do.”

“Is it that bad?”

Namgung Hyeok nodded.

“Considering that Mara, the deity they worship, is notoriously capricious, it’s not surprising.”

Moreover, most demonic practitioners who hadn’t reached the Demonic Transcendence Realm (the equivalent of the Profound Realm in demonic arts) were usually mentally unstable.

In fact, there was a saying that the Demonic Transcendence Realm itself represented coming full circle in madness, as the mental state of demonic practitioners often far exceeded what normal people could imagine.

“Wow, the more I hear about these Demonic Cult guys, the more curious I get about what they’re up to. That Soul-Stealing Demon I met before didn’t seem that crazy.”

“Soul-Stealing Demon? You mean the one who uses the Soul Absorption Art?”

“Didn’t you know? I took him down.”

As Namgung Hyeok registered mild surprise, a group of martial artists approached from behind.

Turning around, they saw imperial family members.

Three people—the Great General leading, with two men standing stiffly behind him.

As Seojun looked at them with a peculiar expression, the Great General spoke.

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Ju Cheoryak, the Heavenly Yang Great General.”

“Namgung Hyeok, the Azure Sky Great Sea.”

After briefly exchanging greetings with Namgung Hyeok, Ju Cheoryak stared fixedly at Seojun. His gaze was cold as a blade. Seojun returned the stare without backing down.

“I’d like a word with him.”

“As you wish.”

As Namgung Hyeok stepped slightly aside, Ju Cheoryak stood before Seojun and exhaled a long breath. His aura subtly rose, pressuring Seojun.

“I’ve heard what happened.”

Wait, why is he suddenly using informal speech with me?

“In front of countless people, you humiliated the Third Prince and similarly humiliated an agent of the Eunuch Bureau.”

His attitude was quite domineering. Seojun raised one corner of his mouth.

“If you deserve a beating, you get beaten.”

At this curt response, Ju Cheoryak’s eyebrow twitched.

“I understand your justification. But don’t you realize that diminishing the imperial dignity before so many people is an equally grave discourtesy?”

CLINK- Due to the armor on his massive frame, Ju Cheoryak appeared twice as large as Seojun.

The sight of him looking down at Seojun was quite intimidating, but Seojun instead frowned and emanated his aura.

“Didn’t you hear what that so-called prince said?”

“I did. And he wasn’t wrong.”

“...This is ridiculous.”

Calling the heir of the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword “lowborn trash” wasn’t wrong?

No sane person would say such things.

Until just a moment ago, Seojun hadn’t been particularly upset, but suddenly his head began to heat up.

His eyes gradually began to glow golden.

“Did I hear you correctly?”

“It’s a fact that the Geum Clan’s name isn’t what it used to be. It’s already a collapsed clan. While ‘lowborn trash’ is a vulgar term for a prince to use, I can’t say it’s entirely incorrect.”

Crazy bastard. Seojun’s eyes trembled.

“...Looking at you underlings, I can guess what your emperor is like. Is the imperial family a collection of idiots?”

“...You’ve finally crossed the line. If you had apologized properly, you wouldn’t have to suffer.”

“Bullshit.”

The surrounding air vibrated violently with the auras of the two martial artists.

The atmosphere was so tense that swords seemed about to be drawn at any moment.

Namgung Hyeok intervened between them.

“Enough. What is this behavior?”

“Did you not hear just now? Are you trying to defend someone who has committed the treasonous act of insulting the emperor?”

Ju Cheoryak would not back down.

Nearby martial artists gathered at the sudden commotion.

Namgung Hyeok emanated a subtle aura, pressuring Ju Cheoryak.

“I never knew the imperial family considered itself so grand as to look down on the Namgung Clan.”

“Are you threatening to disrupt an imperial event?”

“...What gives you such confidence? Has the Sword God returned to the imperial family?”

“Azure Sky Great Sea...!”

“Hmph... Very well, I understand the imperial family’s intentions. Your arrogance reaches to the heavens. Yet you remain merely a clan under those same heavens. If you’ve forgotten that, I shall remind you.”

Caught off guard by this unexpectedly harsh response, Ju Cheoryak was flustered.

Such disrespect toward the imperial family? Unthinkable in Beijing.

A flash of killing intent briefly crossed his eyes.

Seojun now struggled to find a reason to hold back.

Should I just bury them all?

Would the orthodox faction falter if one Great General disappeared? Seojun didn’t think so.

The chaos from severing ties with the imperial family?

He could handle it. What difficulty was there in going back and forth to the battlefield a few times?

Even more so if he reached the Unrestrained Realm.

Seojun well understood his potential once he reached the Unrestrained Realm.

The ability to manipulate natural qi within his domain held greater significance for Seojun than anyone else.

Upon reaching the Unrestrained Realm, he could immediately become several times stronger than he was now.

Yes, rather than enduring this, perhaps he should annihilate the imperial family and replace them with the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword.

Wasn’t it time for a change among the Six Noble Clans anyway?

SHING-

Seojun drew his sword.

The imperial personnel seemed momentarily confused, then reddened with anger and drew their swords as well.

A situation on the verge of explosion.

“ENOUGH────!”

The Abbot, who had suddenly appeared, roared with a Lion’s Roar.

He looked at the martial artists of both the imperial family and the Namgung Clan with a furrowed brow, as if having a headache.

“What are you doing at such a critical time?”

This wasn’t an unexpected occurrence.

Whenever the Sixteen Great Sects gathered in one place, friction arose at least once a day.

None were willing to back down.

Their towering pride wouldn’t allow them to humble themselves.

Moreover, the particularly insular imperial family had an even stronger tendency in this regard. Remnants from the era when the Sword God unified the Central Plains led them to believe the imperial family stood above all others.

“Abbot, you’ve arrived just in time. I couldn’t speak during the earlier meeting as it wasn’t relevant to the agenda, but how am I supposed to interpret the lack of punishment for someone who brazenly interfered in a duel?”

“Heavenly Yang Great General, that’s enough. The Third Prince’s remarks were excessively inappropriate in that incident.”

“Abbot...!”

Ju Cheoryak glared at the Abbot with a reddened face.

The Abbot frowned.

“That’s enough. Do you intend to make an enemy of Shaolin as well?”

“...I simply cannot understand this.”

Ju Cheoryak roughly sheathed his sword.

“...I won’t forget this.”

Then he turned and strode away.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

Seojun tried to follow, but the Abbot blocked him.

Only after Ju Cheoryak disappeared did the Abbot sigh deeply.

“I thought this time things might pass quietly...”

The Abbot clicked his tongue repeatedly, then looked at Seojun. His pensive expression with downcast eyes was quite unsettling.

“Don’t do anything reckless either. Instead, I’ll arrange a separate venue.”

“What kind of venue?”

“For martial artists, what other way is there to resolve conflict?”

Martial artists speak through martial arts.

Of course, the imperial family’s transgressions would need to be addressed first.

*The top 32 round of the Dragon Phoenix Tournament began.

The top 32 would feature four matches per day, spanning a total of four days.

However, the tournament brackets weren’t announced in advance.

Since no one knew who would be called, all participants had to attend.

The reason for this inefficient approach?

It was easier to protect the disciples of the younger generation when gathered in one place rather than wandering around.

If something happened to disciples from the Sixteen Great Sects, it would be quite troublesome for Shaolin.

As a result, Chunbong, Namgung Suah, and Namgung Myeong all waited for their turns in a prepared waiting room, while Seojun sat among the representatives of the Sixteen Great Sects, absentmindedly passing time.

More precisely, he was contemplating the Face-Changing Art.

Perhaps using it to terrorize the imperial palace while posing as the Black Serpent or the Demonic Cult...

No, posing as the Demonic Cult wouldn’t work.

It would be problematic if the orthodox faction attacked the Demonic Cult as a result.

With conflict against the Demonic Cult not yet confirmed, actions that might increase enemies should be avoided.

So the appropriate identity for this timing would be Baek Seojun.

Dropping an ice meteor on the imperial palace might be well-received by many.

When he asked Pae Jingwang about the Face-Changing Art, the response was:

‘Face-Changing Art? Ask that beggar you saw earlier. Someone of the Seven Knot rank should know about it.’

Seven Knot Beggar referred to a position within the Beggar’s Union.

It meant a beggar with seven knots, with more knots indicating higher rank.

As a Seven Knot Beggar, the Red Face Beggar was essentially an elder of the Beggar’s Union.

“Well, well, we meet again?”

The Red Face Beggar, who had been ambling over, grinned at Seojun, revealing his yellowed teeth.

Seojun, leaning back in his chair, waved his hand.

“Here to watch?”

“That’s right. My kid is participating.”

“What? You have a child?”

“Heheh, of course not. Just referring to members of the Beggar’s Union.”

Seojun burst into laughter.

This was actually quite convenient.

He had planned to ask at the next meeting, but this meant he could skip the next meeting altogether.

“Senior Red Face Beggar.”

“Senior? Just call me whatever.”

“Alright, alright, Red Face Beggar.”

“That’s a bit disrespectful.”

Seojun grinned and asked.

“Do you know the Face-Changing Art?”

“Face-Changing Art? I do know it.”

The Red Face Beggar covered his face with his hand.

When his hand fell away moments later, his face had completely changed.

It was now the face of a young man, befitting his title of Red Face Beggar.

“Is this what you’re asking about?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Heheh, join the Beggar’s Union and I’ll teach you.”

“That’s a bit...”

He had already learned it just by watching.

It wasn’t particularly difficult.