Chapter 15: I Attended the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly

I’m sure it’s the same anywhere in the world, but the Jianghu Murim could be called a truly unreasonable world.

It was a place where some people reached the marvel of the Peak before they even reached the age of twenty, a level that others might or might not reach even after a lifetime of polishing themselves.

I knew that there were beings who were born with outstanding insight and constitution and reached the Peak realm on their own before the age of thirty, but this was a probability so terribly low that it was ambiguous to take it as a sample.

Most of those who reached the Peak realm at a young age before thirty were those who had received help from their innate background.

They received the miraculous encounter of Marrow Cleansing from birth and received the help of numerous spiritual medicines.

They received the teachings of the high-level martial arts manuals passed down in their clans for generations and received systematic training so that they could walk the right path.

The so-called Dragons and Phoenixes of the Jianghu, the up-and-coming prodigies, were made that way.

The prestige of a prestigious martial clan would thus be passed down through the generations.

In order to qualify to participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, one had to reach the Peak before the age of thirty.

In the end, the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was a gathering of the up-and-coming prodigies who lived in the upper echelons of the Jianghu.

***

“Sir Dancheon Myeong of the Dancheon Sword Clan. Sir Wanderer Lee Chun-baek. Welcome to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.”

After a certain verification process, a Luohan monk from Shaolin, who was in charge of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, welcomed me and Lee Chun-baek.

Inside the huge pavilion, which surpassed the training ground of the Dancheon Clan, dozens of up-and-coming prodigies of the Jianghu were already gathered in groups.

Although their appearances had not yet shed their youthfulness, it was surprising that all of them were Peak masters.

And another surprising fact was that, without a single exception, they were all from the famous prestigious sects or martial clans of the Jianghu.

“Brother Chun-baek, let's stay with me.”

With the exception of Lee Chun-baek, who was next to me right now.

Lee Chun-baek and I, who had become close while traveling together, had become like brothers.

“Myeong, shouldn't you go over there too?”

He said without any lingering attachment, as if telling me to go to my place without minding him.

I smiled and shook my head.

“That place doesn't have much of a connection with me.”

That's right.

In reality, being a direct descendant of the Dancheon Clan was just a pretense; my situation was not much different from Lee Chun-baek's.

Although I was born with what was called a golden spoon in the Jianghu Murim, the reality was not so.

Due to the label of being a bastard, I was not given the miraculous encounter of Marrow Cleansing, which was said to have the greatest effect in childhood.

Because of the piercing glare of the woman, Baek Yeo-hae, there was also no provision of spiritual medicines for me.

The master who should have trained me systematically was the Third Elder, who had no interest in my progress and achievements at all.

Nevertheless, I reached the First-Rate at the age of seventeen.

It was thanks to the first half of the Dancheon Sword Art, a high-level martial arts manual that I had obtained thanks to being born with a golden spoon, and my innate insight and constitution.

Perhaps the reason the woman Baek Yeo-hae was so wary of me was that I had achieved the First-Rate at seventeen without all that support.

“Coming here makes me feel like an outsider.”

Lee Chun-baek, who had been silent, said.

“I agree.”

Lee Chun-baek smiled at me, as if he was glad that there was someone who felt a sense of kinship with him.

Just then.

“You're finally here?”

I turned my head towards the familiar voice.

It was Dancheon Hak, who had arrived early and was socializing with the prominent up-and-coming prodigies from Anhui Province.

Namgung Tan, the son of the prestigious Namgung Clan of Anhui Province, was also with him.

“You arrived first?”

Dancheon Hak flinched after confirming my face.

“You, you. What have you done?”

“What do you mean?”

For a moment, I wondered what this human was talking about, but I was able to figure out the reason quickly.

It was thanks to the several young ladies behind Dancheon Hak who were blushing while not being able to take their eyes off my face.

“Are all the people of the Dancheon Clan handsome?”

“I think Young Master Myeong over there is cooler than Young Master Hak? When did he get so handsome?”

The voices they whispered to themselves were clearly audible to my ears.

Gadeuk.

The sound of Namgung Tan grinding his teeth was also heard.

Since they were hot-blooded young men and women before being Dragons and Phoenixes, it was a plausible event.

Encouraged by the young ladies' support, I sent a refreshing smile to Dancheon Hak.

“Brother, have you already forgotten your younger brother's face?”

I had always been envious of his handsome appearance and refreshing smile, but it seemed I didn't have to be anymore.

Dancheon Hak, who had been trying to feel superior through me, found another way when the situation was not favorable.

“Hanging out with a wanderer, it's just your level.”

Dancheon Hak looked over Lee Chun-baek, who was dressed as a wanderer, with a blatant gaze.

Perhaps because he was away from home, the pretense on his face had faded, and a sneer that looked down on others was contained in it.

“Brother.”

I called Dancheon Hak.

He frowned as if he didn't like my address.

But I hadn't even started yet.

“What's with that way of speaking? What kind of family taught you to speak like that?”

“Pfft.”

“Kik.”

Several suppressed laughs burst out from behind Dancheon Hak.

This was because they all knew that Dancheon Hak and I were from the same family.

Dancheon Hak's face, who had not expected my attack, turned bright red.

“How arrogant. Don't forget that there is no father here to protect you.”

“Ah, I learned something new. Thank you for the teaching. As expected of my brother.”

I said so and cupped my fists at Dancheon Hak.

Laughter erupted from the surroundings again.

“Ha! This is fun.”

But since he couldn't draw his sword on his own flesh and blood in a place like this, Dancheon Hak forced a smile.

To think that Dancheon Hak once seemed like an insurmountable wall, it made me think that the Dancheon Myeong of that time was truly young.

“Be quiet and leave so that you don't bring dishonor to the clan's name.”

Saying so, Dancheon Hak squeezed my shoulder tightly.

My body was impervious to swords and blades, so it didn't hurt at all.

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Dancheon Hak, who glared at me as if he would kill me as I replied, finally moved away.

Following him, Namgung Tan glared at me as if to kill me and ground his teeth, but I pretended not to notice.

Looking at them like that, it seemed as if Namgung Tan was Dancheon Hak's subordinate.

Considering that the prestige of the Namgung Clan was a step ahead of the Dancheon Clan, it meant that Dancheon Hak's skills were also not ordinary.

Fortunately, Namgung Tan's fiancée, Yeon Se-hwa, was nowhere to be seen.

I hope she made a good choice.

“Brother, be careful not to bring dishonor to the clan as well!”

I saw Dancheon Hak off with a loud voice.

He must have heard it, but he walked away, pretending not to hear.

‘Honor.’

Just by qualifying to participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, it would be considered to have raised the honor of the clan, but that was not the end.

This was because although all the prominent up-and-coming prodigies of the Jianghu were called Dragons and Phoenixes, the true Dragons and Phoenixes were separate.

It was only natural that there was a heaven beyond heaven in everything, wasn't it?

The current righteous Murim had adopted the Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes system.

What this meant was that among the dozens of up-and-coming prodigies gathered here, only five male up-and-coming prodigies could receive the title of 'Dragon', and only five female up-and-coming prodigies could receive the title of 'Phoenix'.

The next Dragon and Phoenix Assembly would be held in three years, so during that time, those ten up-and-coming prodigies would be recognized as the true pillars of the Jianghu.

Everyone here was mostly someone who had grown up being called a genius.

Most of them were born as the treasured children of prestigious clans, and it was unlikely that they had not heard that they were geniuses.

Reaching the Peak realm before the age of thirty had that kind of meaning.

To select the best ten, five men and five women, from among them, it was only natural that the competition was fierce.

In my previous life.

Dancheon Hak became one of those Five Dragons and truly raised the honor of the clan.

His proud expression as he returned like a victorious general after the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was vivid.

The title he had won at the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was Severing Dragon.

Since he was a man who walked the path of the Clan Head, it was a fact that didn't even need to be mentioned that he had come a step closer to the position of Clan Head after obtaining the title of Dragon.

It could be said that he had widened the already existing gap between me and him even further.

But this life would be different.

I would not bring dishonor to the clan's name.

And Dancheon Hak would not raise the honor of the clan either.

And, Dancheon Hak would not become the Clan Head either.

I would make it so.

***

A place of true glory, limited to only ten.

How would the true Dragons and Phoenixes be chosen?

The easiest way to compare the capabilities of the up-and-coming prodigies was, of course, a martial arts duel or a spar, but one could not just gather the precious bodies and make them fight.

This was because they were not fighting dogs in an arena.

There were many reasons why everything could not be decided by a martial arts duel or a spar.

One of those reasons was that it was a common occurrence for a leg or two to be lopped off when martial artists who had reached the Peak fought fiercely.

One couldn't just gather the children of prestigious clans, make them have a martial arts duel, lop off an arm or a leg, and then say, 'It happened. I'm sorry' and end the assembly, could they?

Everyone participating here was a Peak master.

This meant that they were all capable of taking the opponent's life with a single swing of their sword.

Competition was bound to lead to overheating.

Hot-blooded masters who had reached the Peak were sparring with all their might; wasn't it foolish to hope that no accidents would occur?

Even with a mediator of a high realm, there were limits.

This was because if a mediator interfered in the middle, there would eventually be someone who could not accept the result.

Therefore, the righteous Murim came up with a method.

It was to compete in movement art, sword strikes, and internal energy, which could be called the essence of martial arts, and select the one who was outstanding overall.

In reality, there were almost no one who would deny the fact that a martial artist who was outstanding in those three was also high in actual martial arts.

At least, the 'official' way of selecting the Dragons and Phoenixes was like that.

“This humble monk will preside over the first test of the Dragon and Phoenix verification.”

Since the abbot of Shaolin of that time, Great Monk Beomgak, had stepped forward, it was not easy to disobey the 'official' judgment.

The high monk, who had a fine white beard and eyebrows and a benevolent impression befitting a monk of high virtue, looked around at the up-and-coming prodigies of the Jianghu Murim.

“I will give the first test.”

His voice, imbued with powerful internal energy, echoed clearly.

“As you all know, the first test is movement art. There will be a child monk at the entrance of the Shaolin temple gate. I have told him a secret password, so you just need to hear it and return here.”

The arrangement to prevent any unknown tricks was also excellent.

“Let's see……. The round trip is about two hundred li, so half a shichen should be enough, right?”

None of the up-and-coming prodigies answered.

“Right. I have no intention of giving the name of a Dragon or a Phoenix to someone who cannot cover two hundred li in half a shichen. Those who do not return within half a shichen will be given a zero for the first test at the discretion of the examiner.”

Although Beomgak had said it as if he were muttering, his voice, imbued with powerful internal energy, was delivered to all the up-and-coming prodigies.

“If you get a zero in the first test, it will not be easy to obtain the title of a Dragon or a Phoenix.”

The eyebrows of the Shaolin Abbot Beomgak, who had been chuckling to himself, moved.

“What are you all doing without starting? The test has already begun.”

Wudangtang.

As soon as Beomgak's words ended, the venue became noisy.

It was because they all hurriedly unfolded their movement arts and dashed out of the pavilion.

“Kkeolkkeolkkeol.”

Great Monk Beomgak laughed heartily, as if he was pleased with the sight.

However.

Beomgak's gaze was not on the up-and-coming prodigies who were running diligently, but on the up-and-coming prodigies who were still standing in their places.

He was talking about me and Lee Chun-baek.