Cheongyang Jinin was at a loss.

No matter how he turned it over, something was off.

What was Martial Deity Heaven?

The strongest force under the sky.

In effect, the power that ruled the Central Plains.

And that very force sneaks in like this to sabotage them?

It made no sense.

If they meant to disrupt things, they would have brazenly flooded the roster with their subordinate sects.

That made far more sense.

“The more I think about it, the less I buy it.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“Haa... First, I need to speak with the others.”

“They may be greatly agitated.”

“They still deserve to know. Until I give different orders, no one repeats a word of what we heard today.”

“Understood.”

****

Cheongyang Jinin was on the move with Shaolin’s Head Abbot Hyeon Go and the Gongdong Sect’s Sect Leader Jin Cheon.

They were headed to a place where the other heads of the Nine Schools and One Gang and the lords of the Five Great Clans were gathered.

He’d asked to see them urgently; they’d told him to come to them, so he was going to their location.

“Why did they leave just us out and huddle up on their own?” Jin Cheon grumbled.

“Are you feeling slighted?” Head Abbot Hyeon Go chuckled.

“No, I mean—beyond slighted. We’re orthodox peers. Doesn’t it feel like they’re cutting us out? If there’s a gathering like this, we should be invited.”

“Heh heh. We’ll know when we arrive. It could be they’re meeting for a different reason.”

“What other reason could there be? They’re excluding us, I’m telling you.”

Cheongyang Jinin interjected, “I doubt that. It may simply be a discussion about what happened today.”

“Which is precisely why I ask why we weren’t called.”

Muttering all the way, they arrived at a manor on Xi’an’s outskirts.

They approached the guards at the gate.

“Please announce us. Tell them the Head Abbot of Shaolin, and the Sect Leaders of Gongdong and Mount Hua, are here.”

“Ah! You’re expected. Please come in. I’ll guide you.”

The guards opened the gate kindly and led them inside.

“Thank you.”

Following the guard deep into the grounds, they heard a lively clamor from one pavilion.

Listening closely, the voices were familiar.

Jin Cheon snorted.

“Hmph! Everyone’s having a grand time.”

Face twisted with pique, he strode to the door and threw it open.

Bang—!

Every gaze within swung to Jin Cheon.

Cheongyang Jinin and Head Abbot Hyeon Go came in behind him.

What they saw made them blink.

“Well now... Even the Martial Alliance Leader and the Four Evils Alliance Leader are here?” Cheongyang Jinin said.

The Martial Alliance Leader and the Four Evils Alliance Leader cupped fists in greeting.

Not only that—the Blazing Fire Shrine Lord of the heretical world and the Master of Bukcheon Gate were present as well.

There was another familiar face, too.

Jin Cheon pointed, eyes wide.

“G—Green Forest Grand Emperor?”

“Heh heh. Long time no see, Sect Leader Jin,” Lee Hwa Un replied.

“H-how are you here?”

How did this make sense?

Orthodox, heretical, and Green Forest all in one room.

Jin Cheon wasn’t the only one surprised.

Cheongyang Jinin and Head Abbot Hyeon Go both stared, eyes wide.

What in the world was this?

He spotted the Zhongnan Sect Leader off to one side, too.

They hadn’t found him despite looking—when had he come here?

“Don’t just stand there—come in,” said Venerable White Cloud of Wudang.

The three stepped in, cautiously.

Jin Cheon asked, “What are you all doing here?”

“What do you mean, what? Fostering fellowship,” came the answer.

“Fellowship? With those heretical curs and the Green Forest?”

“The four seas are one road. What ‘orthodox’ and ‘heretical’?” Venerable White Cloud smiled.

“Venerable! What talk is that? Lord Alliance Leader! Why are you stuck to the Four Evils Alliance Leader?” Jin Cheon barked.

The Martial Alliance Leader idly picked his ear. “We swore brotherhood. What’s wrong with brothers sticking together?”

“W-what? B-brothers? Are you serious?”

Jin Cheon stared, dumbfounded.

Stranger still, no one else reacted.

“D-did none of you hear? The Martial Alliance Leader just said he swore brotherhood with the Four Evils Alliance Leader!”

“So what? People can swear bonds,” someone said.

“If they like each other and bind their fates, why object?”

“Shouldn’t we be congratulating them? Thanks to them, ties with the Four Evils Alliance will grow firmer. Hahaha!”

With everyone taking Hwa Sogwang’s side, not his, Jin Cheon—and even Cheongyang Jinin and Head Abbot Hyeon Go—wore baffled looks.

Were they conspiring to make fools of them?

Nothing else explained this.

“Are you all toying with us?”

“Toying? Why would we? Come, sit,” they urged.

Still bewildered, the three glanced around and took seats.

Once they had, the Zhuge Clan Lord, Zhuge Mun-yeok, spoke.

“Please wait a moment. We have more arrivals.”

“Arrivals?”

“Yes. The heads of the Twelve Zodiac Gates have not yet come.”

“What do you mean? The Twelve Zodiac Gates are coming here as well?”

“Hey—drop the ‘curs,’” Hwa Sogwang snapped. “It grates on the ears.”

Jin Cheon glared. “If you don’t like it, leave.”

“Can’t. I arrived first.”

Their locked stares sparked in midair.

Zhuge Mun-yeok hurried to mediate.

“Today we are to handle a truly important matter. Shrine Lord Hwa, you know what day this is.”

Hwa Sogwang’s eyes cooled. He bowed slightly. “Ah! I got carried away. My apologies.”

“No, I should apologize on Gongdong’s behalf,” Jin Cheon said stiffly.

“No need. I’m fine.”

“Thank you.”

Jin Cheon was aghast at Zhuge Mun-yeok’s posture.

It felt like another world.

He was siding not with an orthodox peer, but with the Blazing Fire Shrine of the heretical path.

“Sect Leader Jin, you were out of line. Mind your words as much as you can.”

“Yes. It was grating even to my ears,” others chimed in—again backing Hwa Sogwang.

“Am I seeing and hearing reality? This feels like a dream. It can’t be real. I must have the wrong room. I’ll go wake up,” Jin Cheon said, rising.

He meant to leave.

One sentence nailed him in place:

“If you leave now, you won’t recover the Gongdong Sect’s secret art, Heaven-Thunder Demon-Subduing Divine Art.”

At Zhuge Mun-yeok’s words, Jin Cheon froze mid-step.

He slowly turned back, expression asking what that meant.

“Please sit. You’ll learn naturally,” Zhuge Mun-yeok said.

Could he trust this?

Amid his confusion, the hubbub outside swelled.

The door opened and the leaders of the Twelve Zodiac Gates filed in one by one.

Their reactions were much like Jin Cheon’s.

“What’s this? Why are orthodox types here?”

“Look over there—the Martial Alliance Leader.”

“Why is our Four Evils Alliance Leader glued to him?”

They questioned Hwa Sogwang, who had called them.

“Shrine Lord Hwa! Could you explain what exactly is going on?”

Hwa Sogwang grinned. “Sit tight and something good will happen. For now, have the wine that’s been set.”

“Something good? Tell us what.”

“If I tell you, it’s no fun. Trust me and wait.”

“Mm. Are we really doing this?”

“My mood’s foul enough today, and now I’m drinking with orthodox types?”

Grumbling, the heads of the Twelve Zodiac Gates took their seats.

Once all were seated, Cheongyang Jinin rose.

“On behalf of Mount Hua, I thank the honored leaders of the Twelve Zodiac Gates for visiting us.”

Perhaps the thanks took the edge off; the Twelve Zodiac Gates smiled back.

“Haha! Not at all. We had our fun thanks to you.”

“Those damned # Nоvеlight # wretches wrecked the end of the tournament—did you learn their purpose? If not, leave it to me. I’ll drag out every memory they have back to their swaddling days.”

Cheongyang Jinin smiled. “No need. They confessed their purpose in full.”

All eyes fixed on him.

“What purpose?”

“Who sent them?”

Cheongyang Jinin hesitated, cleared his throat, and chose his words with care.

“To be frank, I came to consult with you on this matter. As it turned out, we now also have the honored views of the Twelve Zodiac Gates.”

“Speak.”

“Haa... What they confessed is a bit shocking. I myself can hardly believe it, which is why I balk to say it aloud...”

He paused, then went to the point.

“They say they were sent by... Martial Deity Heaven.”

“What?”

Shock rippled through the room.

But not all shock looked the same.

Jin Cheon, Head Abbot Hyeon Go, and most of the Twelve Zodiac Gates’ leaders were aghast—while the rest were... differently aghast, stealing glances toward a single spot.

Puzzled, Cheongyang Jinin followed their eyes.

An elderly man he’d never seen before sat there, chin propped, wearing an incredulous look.

Then the old man straightened and asked Cheongyang Jinin,

“What did you just say? Martial Deity Heaven?”

“Correct.”

“You’re saying Martial Deity Heaven sent them?”

“Correct.”

“Why?”

“To sabotage the tournament, they said.”

“Truly?”

“Truly.”

“That’s odd. That can’t be.”

The old man scratched his jaw.

“They’re from what sub-sects?”

The constant familiarity in the man’s tone rubbed Cheongyang Jinin wrong, but he held it in.

“Heaven-and-Earth One Origin Gate, Golden Immortal Gate, and Dao Forest Gate.”

“Those three sent them?”

“Yes.”

“They wouldn’t do that.”

“What do you mean, they wouldn’t? On what basis do you say so?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I never gave the order. They act on their own? Unless they’re aching to die, no.”

What was this now?

He’d never given the order?

He was talking like he was the Lord of Martial Deity Heaven himself.

“You speak as if you were the Lord of Martial Deity Heaven,” Cheongyang Jinin said.

At that, he saw the others’ faces.

All of them went rigid with shock.

Why those faces?

He learned why, an instant later.

“That’s right,” the old man said.

“...Pardon?”

“I said that’s right.”

“Right about what?”

“That I am the Lord of Martial Deity Heaven.”

“—!”

Cheongyang Jinin, Jin Cheon, Head Abbot Hyeon Go, and the leaders of the Twelve Zodiac Gates all reeled.

“This seat is the Martial Deity Heaven Lord—Yeon Cheon Baek.”

Yeon Cheon Baek slowly rose.

“And what—my people took my order to come here and sabotage the Divine Dragon Tournament?”

“A-are you truly... who you say?” Cheongyang Jinin stammered.

Yeon Cheon Baek smirked. “Ask the kids here who I am.”

Then he asked, “Who am I?”

Voices answered in chorus,

“One Martial God! The Lord of Martial Deity Heaven!”

Grinning, Yeon Cheon Baek looked back to Cheongyang Jinin. “There you have it.”

Tremble—

Cheongyang Jinin couldn’t believe any of this.

Was he dreaming?

Whoom—.

As disbelief peaked, an overwhelming aura surged from Yeon Cheon Baek’s body—

A godlike force none dared profane.

“How about now? Is this proof enough? Or shall I show more?”

As the pressure mounted, people began to writhe in pain.

No one even thought of resisting.