Book 2 Chapter 18

What belongs to the owner

Hoa Meng Sword was practicing after a meal at his residence, the Mukho Temple.

It's always his regular postprandial practice time, so we'll use the

He told his disciples to always be quiet and not to interrupt.

I was taking it on faith.

But just when he thought it was unusually quiet outside, his training was shattered by a message from the governor's secretary. The news he received was so shocking that it shook him to the core.

It was reported that Zhang's outer courtyard had been ransacked by two invaders, and that they had already entered the inner courtyard. It was an unbelievable report that both the guests and the staff had tried to stop them, but they were powerless.

The Hoa field was divided into the outer and inner courts, with the inner court martial artists being far more skilled than the outer court martial artists. The martial artists guarding the inner hall were also considered to be of considerable skill. Moreover, the guests who had been invited from all over the realm were all martial artists whose skills were considered to be at least first-rate. If they were unable to stop just two people, Hao Tianshang could not help but doubt his ears. He even had a sneaking suspicion that the minister was in cahoots with the others and was now mocking him. But judging from the anger on the minister's face and the sweat covering his body, it was no joke.

As soon as he heard the shocking news, Hsiao-tian-san rushed out into the courtyard of the inner sanctum. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even bother to put on his robe, as he had been practicing. His eyes widened at the sight of the two uninvited guests, and he focused on the middle-aged man. He didn't look at the martial artists piled in a heap on the floor, or the guests who had passed out, their noses dripping with blood, or the still-intact martial artists and courtiers who stood toe-to-toe, barely able to contain their rising panic.

Just a moment ago, he had doubted his own two ears, and now he was doubting his own two eyes, for he recognized at a glance that one of the two was none other than the renowned Salt Islander Kwak Young Hee. Of course, the only person who couldn't recall his name after seeing his distinctive coloring would be Hoa Zhang's foolish disciple, Ganyuan Shu. If he had better eyes, he wouldn't have dared to rush in recklessly without knowing his own fountain.

Ho Tianshang couldn't believe that his manor had been attacked in broad daylight just a few weeks ago, with the outer gates breached and the intruders reaching the inner gates.

"What were all those disciples doing, and all those empty people sitting around celebrating the meal, sucking their fingers in boredom?

I had these deep doubts. But now I can believe in the intrusion. Of course, Bi Ryuyeon and Yan Dao hadn't thought of it as anything more than a simple visit. When Ho Tianxiang himself arrived at the scene in a daze, the elders and masters of the chapter, who had been working, had dropped everything and rushed out to confront the intruders, but no one was the first to move. That's because they knew exactly who one of the intruders was.

The samurai currently lying in the clinic had rushed in without checking their opponents' identities and were now facing death. By the time one of the intruders was identified as Yidou, dozens of warriors and three or four guests had been knocked unconscious. Everyone was on edge, watching each other's backs, waiting for the right moment to make a rash move that would undermine the entire foundation of the market. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and there was a heavy, unavoidable tension in the air.

Bi Ryuyeon and Yondo didn't like all the fuss and tension. It seemed to complicate a simple thing. They felt like they were making too much of a nuisance of themselves when they had come in a lighthearted mood. But what they didn't realize was that they were already in a messy situation. In fact, they didn't even want to care. They were confident that no matter how tangled the situation got, they could handle it. Whether they were laid-back or nervous, there was no mistaking the fact that they were both far beyond the common man's understanding.

To break up the confrontation, Ho Tianxiang spoke first, respectfully bowing to Yin Do. As the head of the Hoa family, he was responsible for defusing the situation and passing the torch.

"I am Ho Tian Shang, the master of the main hall, and I am honored by my peers as the undeserving Hoa Meng Sword. It is the honor of my life to meet you, Dao of the Five Greatest Thieves of the Heavenly Realm."

With the utmost politeness, Hao Tianxiang said. Although he was an uninvited visitor, given his position in the Jianghu Realm, he could not be treated lightly.

"For what purpose did you visit the closing, Kwok Dae-hyeop?"

"……."

Yeomdo didn't say anything back. He simply remained silent. His mood could not have been light, as he had been forced to do something he did not want to do.

"Mr. Kwok, please tell me the purpose of your visit to the closed shop."

Ho Tianxiang asked politely once more, his mood uncomfortable. Bi Ryuyeon poked him in the side with her elbow as he continued to stand there bluntly without responding. It was a way of urging him to answer quickly.

They had decided to keep their relationship a secret before coming here, so she couldn't take any chances. If she made a mistake, their relationship might be exposed. If that happened, it wouldn't be so serious for her, but it would be devastating for him. He didn't want to take that risk. Finally, he spoke. His voice was low but dignified.

"I'm here to pick up one thing."

"Stuff? What stuff are you talking about?"

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't help but wonder.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Yeomdo answered the question of Hocheonsang, who was left scratching his head.

"It is an object that claims to be owned by the unworthy. This is the Seungryong Plaque."

"Win, dragon, lose (乘龍牌)!"

The same exclamation of astonishment came from the mouths of all the warriors in the hall, not to mention from Hsiao-tian Shang. No wonder.

Seungryong plaque!

A privilege granted to a select few schools recognized as first-rate. A plaque that certifies the eligibility of a disciple of a select first-rate sect to sit for the Heavenly Martial Academy's special selection examination, bypassing the once-a-year Ascension Festival!

Carved with a dragon ascending on a sword beyond the dragon gate, it was as precious as life itself to the young uninitiated who dreamed of the future. And now, Yindo was asking for it without a care in the world. It was an unreasonable request outside of common sense. It was a demand that could never come from the mouth of a sane, common sense person.

"Kwok Dae-hyeop, you must be joking, that thing already has an owner."

"Really? As far as I know, there are no masters of the Nirvana Plaque. Surely, I thought I heard that skill was the only measure of one's worthiness to be a master of the Nirvana Plaque? If not, my ears must be failing me. If you have something to say, why don't you say it?"

Everything Yan Dao had said was true. According to the rules set forth by the Heavenly Martial Academy, anyone with the right skills could take over the ownership of the Seungryong Plaque through due process. However, this was only on the condition that they did not teach life and death. The rules stated that if life and death were to occur during the bimu, both parties would be disqualified. The reason for this rule is that otherwise, there would have been a lot of death and destruction surrounding the Seungryong Pavilion.

The value of the Seungryong plaque was that it could call for blood and create a river of gore if it didn't have a clue. What Yindo said was true, even if he was angry.

"But it already belongs to our second son, Fate, and it would be unfair to insist on dictating the direction of its ownership now."

"Unfortunate? Oh, you mean the young man who fell to the ground earlier? He was a poor fellow. He'd only mastered the sword form, the shell of the sword, and he thought he'd mastered the sword. What's a sword form without sword intent? So we gave him a lesson, and I'm sure it was a good one. You should be grateful to us. We've saved you from embarrassment. They call it saving grace, and you've been extremely lucky this time."

Hao Tianxiang's eyes widened as he heard the long sarcasm that was never salt. His grip on the hilt of his mourning sword was crushingly tight. His entire body radiated with a fierce determination to draw his sword and make a life-or-death decision. The trembling of his hand on the hilt was evidence of this.

"Was it Kwok Dai-hyeop who admonished our Unsu?"

"No, I'm not the one who reprimanded you."

He pointed to Bi Ryuyeon, who stood silently beside him. Naturally, Hao Tianxiang's gaze fell upon her. Even under the fierce glare of the tiger's eyes, which pierced straight through her, she remained unperturbed. In fact, she even smiled and waved her hand in greeting.

To her, it was an innocent act with no malice whatsoever, but to the heavens, it was a stomach-churning, unbearable insult. Even to the eyes of the Zhongzhi, Bi Ryuyeon's ridiculous behavior was no different from shoveling my grave. His beaky muzzle flashed with rage, his teeth gnashed together, and he thought that the little blue brat had defeated him.

However, he could never have known that a supreme master named Yin Dao, who was now one of the top five thieves in the heavens, had been defeated by a seemingly insignificant brat and turned into his disciple. Unless he was a god, how could he know the hidden secrets of such a powerhouse? If he did, he would not have harbored such rash thoughts of punishing Bi Ryuyeon so thoroughly. Ho Tianxiang gritted his teeth inwardly. "If I don't discipline him, I won't be a man," he said to himself.

"Well, then I guess you'll have to hold Bulcho responsible for that, huh?"

He was saying that since they had punished him, they would punish him with the same punishment. There was a clear intention in his voice to pay back the debt with interest. Hearing this, Yeomdo laughed bitterly. It was a sneer with the meaning of "four crabs. How could the heavens handle a monster that even he couldn't defeat, no matter how careful he was?

Little did he realize that it was not Bi Ryuyeon who was shoveling his grave, but himself. Of course, Yin Dao was not the kind-hearted person to teach her these facts, knowing full well that if such a scandalous act were known, all that would come back to her would be a torrent of ridicule and scorn. However, in the unlikely event that Bi Ryuyeon were to be smashed by Hao Tianxiang, she would have no regrets; in fact, she would gain immensely. He would be able to get rid of this tiresome bastard without lifting a finger. Suddenly, Yin Do did something unexpected. He'd stopped Hao Tianxiang in his tracks.

"Ho-ho? Go for it if you can. But you'll have to knock me out first."

Hao Tianshang was stunned by this statement. He was surprised that she would go out of her way to defend a seemingly insignificant youngster. His surprise was understandable, as this was a far cry from what he had heard in the rumor mill. He hated groups of people who bothered him, and he hated such behavior the most, so he volunteered to take on the task of wielding the Dao himself.

Glancing over at Bi Ryuyeon again, Hao Tianxiang couldn't help but wonder if there was anyone her age who could move the Yeomdo. But despite the grave atmosphere in the hall, she still wore her childlike, playful smile, as if she were enjoying it. It was the kind of ease of life that only the chosen ones had. Had Bi Ryuyeon already reached such a state of nonchalance at such a young age? Or did it simply stem from his foolishly optimistic nature? That remains to be seen.

"You're going to do it yourself?"

Bi Ryuyeon spoke softly into Yan Dao's ear. His eyes were filled with anticipation, sparkling countlessly like starlight. His eyes sparkled with a myriad of starry expectations, and he thought to himself, "You've finally agreed from the bottom of your heart, and you're going to settle this on your own terms, without bothering me." He didn't even think about the person he was going to give the rice cake to, and he was lost in his own joyful mood.

"I'll do……!"

In the Celestial Duel, Yin himself has offered to fight you. By himself, without causing any hassle to himself. Bi Ryuyeon is overjoyed. He pushed her away with a hand the size of a pot lid and took a step forward. She stood next to him and clapped enthusiastically. It was a cheer to cheer her up. Though it didn't seem to do much good.

But it was not by choice that Yeomdo took on this task. Submission from the heart? A passing dog would laugh. Quite the contrary. He had accepted the fight with the intention of using this opportunity to release some of the countless mental and physical tantrums he had unwittingly endured since becoming Bi Ryuyeon's disciple. It was nothing more than a simple outlet for the anger that had been building up in his heart for so long. Moreover, Yeomdo had always been unhappy with the fact that he had only reached this level of sword mastery. Naturally, the sight of Hoa Zhang standing in such an awkward position was quite disturbing.

There was a further reason for this. His nerves were now extremely irritable due to the steaming sensation that had been irritating his nerves ever since he had crossed the threshold of this hoa, and it was making his impression of the hoa and its owner, Heavenly Master, even worse. He was now in a very bad mood, so he decided to take this opportunity to make up for his tantrum and to teach him a lesson. He decided to make her realize that there are heavens above the heavens, and heaven above the heavens.

Although demeaned as insignificant and insignificant by Yi Tao, Hao Tianshang was also a master of the discipline. They were not opponents to be underestimated; both were masters who had experienced the depths of martial arts, whose sword and dao grip and prayer were unparalleled. When they clashed, it would never be a simple fight.

However, I still felt that I was not good enough. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that I wasn't strong enough to compete with him, either in terms of strength or luck. He also felt that Hocheon-san was merely a target for him to take out his anger on, and that he might react a bit. Of course, Ho Tianshang had sensed that, even if only in hindsight, and it had fueled his anger. However, in contrast to his intense anger and bloodthirsty determination, his love sword, a tiger's tooth clenched in anger, was trembling slightly. It had already been a considerable amount of time since he gripped the hilt of the sword, but the slight tremor hadn't gone away, and his hands were covered in sweat. It was an unavoidable manifestation of his inherent instincts, but his current position was a drainage ditch, and there was no place to retreat.

"I'm willing to be taught."

Hao Tianxiang spoke in a polite manner. However, his chewing and spitting seemed to indicate that he had no intention of learning. Instead, he was determined to teach him a lesson. That alone was worthy of praise. Yan Dao shook his head. He meant(意味) to come whenever he wanted.

Without warning, both men simultaneously drew their swords and sabers. Yeomdo was rooted to the spot, unable to move. The natural heavenly spirit leaped forward and slammed his sword down with terrifying force at Yin. A strong sword from a sect that emphasized strength and destruction! It was indeed a terrifying momentum. In an instant, sword and dao clashed.

"Boom!"

There was a deafening explosion. Sword and dao clashed, but there was no sound of iron, just an explosion. In the aftermath of the powerful blast of qi from where the sword and dao clashed, dust and gravel were blown into the air, and a furious wind whipped the hair of the onlookers around them, causing their long guns to flap wildly. A shiver ran through the men's bodies. Everyone could feel the clash of qi and its aftermath. It was the first battle.

The dust from the clash obscured their vision, but with a single sweep of his hand, Yin Dao created a gust of wind that cleared the dust, revealing the two men to the crowd.

"Oops! Oops!

Ho Tianxiang was inwardly astonished. While his opponent stood there, unmoving, as if frozen in place, what about him? He had retreated eight paces backward, kicking up a cloud of dust, leaving deep, clear footprints on the ground. The deep, clear footprints were a clear indication of the defeat he had suffered. The clear footprints on the floor were a clear indication of the extent of his defeat, as well as his own body's efforts to disperse the force.

It was only one fight, but the superiority of the martial artist was evident. The marks on Hao Tianshang's body, as well as his tanned face, fire-burned hair, and tattered and disheveled clothing, made the difference between the two men's skills clear and stark.

His grip was nearly torn from him by the violent impact he felt when he mixed the salt water with his sword, like an explosion of gunpowder. The explosion was accompanied by a burst of fire and a storm of heat that whirled around his body like a tornado. He couldn't wait to get out. He could barely keep himself together, much less fight back.

Indeed, it was the rumored "Sword Strike Heat Wave," which is said to be Yidou's main specialty. It was a rare festival called the Sword Fever for short. When I heard about it through the grapevine, I thought it was an exaggerated rumor, but in person, it was more than a rumor. The thought of crossing swords again filled me with trepidation. The thought of crossing swords again made me shudder with fear, and it made me doubt my own martial prowess, which I had been so confident in. It was a complete defeat.

He knew. He had deliberately delayed the moment when sword and dao clashed. He had allowed himself to be defeated in this way. He was the first to draw his sword. His sword struck at the same time as his foot. However, Yin Dao, who stood unmoving as if he had given way to the player, saw and confirmed Ho Tianshang's attack, and then drew his own sword to defend. A perfect reactive move. And a perfect skill differential. He was no match for Yeomdo in terms of speed, strength, and skill.

A single sword exchange, a single airborne conversion, and Ho Tianxiang was stripped to the bone. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to hide in a rat hole, but he could not retreat with dignity in death. He was too miserable and shabby to retreat. He was determined to kill. It could be said that it was a final struggle, a man's pride.

Then came the voice of salvation that saved him. It was a light from heaven.

"Stop!"