Chapter 80 Wulin Alliance (2)

Chapter 80 Wulin Alliance (2)

“……….”

The banquet hall, which had been bustling with noise, sank into silence. This was no longer a situation that Zhuge Xian could control.

Gu Yangji had called for a fight.

A late-stage cultivator from Huashan against the Martial Alliance’s Black Wind Squad Leader, Zhi Sha Hong.

“How laughable.”

Amid the stillness, Zhi Sha Hong spoke expressionlessly.

“I’ll be frank. I dislike this charade of catering to Huashan Sect’s whims. That’s why I spoke out of turn.”

“…….”

Gu Yang Ji fell silent. Yet his resolve to stand his ground was unshakable.

Zhi Sha Hong spoke again.

“I don’t want to see the Huashan Sect join the alliance. Go back.”

“What nonsense.”

Gu Yangji muttered. Yet his voice alone spread steadily throughout the banquet hall.

In a way, it sounded like a resolution.

He would not accept it as a slip of the tongue. Therefore, he would demand an apology through a fair duel.

It was also Gu Yangji’s roar of anger.

“They say the mouth is the gate of calamity, the tongue a blade that cuts the body.”

“So you intend to punish me?”

“If necessary.”

Gu Yangji moved his left hand to the scabbard of his sword. He was prepared to respond the moment the unavoidable moment came.

Zhuge Xian and the other Martial Alliance members watched with complex expressions.

Opinions were divided.

‘The Plum Blossom Sword Hero is the pride of Huashan, a blade that knows no mercy… As expected, he won’t tolerate an insult to his sect!’

‘Even so, to fight right in the middle of the Martial Alliance? Tsk, isn’t that a bit reckless!’

It was ultimately a difference of opinion, and if one had to count, the latter view was more prevalent.

The Huashan Sect was an old comrade who had come late to the cause, while Zhi Sha Hong was a comrade-in-arms who had been with him from the beginning.

Naturally, a difference in attitude was inevitable.

Gu Yang Jie felt this acutely once more and considered two choices.

To fight, or not to fight.

Here, the latter was preferable. Even if he chose the former and won, the outcome wouldn’t be particularly favorable.

What if he had been a Blood Dog from the vagabond faction?

Gu Yangji let out a bitter laugh. His past self would have backed down here. He would have let Zhi Sha Hong’s words slide.

That’s why Gu Yangji realized he had changed without noticing. He was now a cultivator of the Huashan Sect.

The bloodhound was fading away, bit by bit.

The budding plum tree sprouting within him was growing, nourished by the bloodhound’s essence.

Therefore, he did not turn his head.

Gu Yangji stared straight at Zhi Sha Hong.

“If necessary, I’ll fight to convince you.”

When Gu Yangji declared this, most of the martial artists stepped back.

In effect, they had cleared the battlefield, leaving only Zhi Sha Hong and Gu Yang Jie.

Yet no one believed Gu Yang Jie would win. Nor was that the expectation.

Even those who had defended Gu Yang Jie would likely dislike it.

For the Black Wind Lord to lose to a greenhorn would tarnish the honor of the Martial Alliance.

So, Huashan, yield here.

If the Martial Alliance desires it, trim the branches a little, let the flowers fall.

Wasn’t the Burning Fragrance incident a thing of the past?

That gaze pierced Gu Yangjie. Not a killing intent, not a momentum, but something ambiguous pressed down upon him.

At that moment, Zhi Sha Hong looked at Gu Yangjie with deep, hollow eyes.

“I hear you defeated Ha Jin’ak.”

“…….”

“That child was truly remarkable. Though I met him only a few times, there was no one more coveted. I even considered entrusting the Black Wind Brigade to him later.”

Zhi Sha Hong spoke of a past Gu Yangji knew nothing about. At least, it didn’t seem like a lie.

He wouldn’t reveal such deep, lingering feelings for someone he disliked.

Gu Yangji suddenly realized how little he truly knew about his senior brother, Ha Jin’ak, and the other elders.

Especially Ha Jin’ak—had he really only properly known him for about ten days?

If it came down to closeness, that man might have been closer to him than he himself was.

‘……But.’

Ha Jin-ak had passed on everything he possessed to Gu Yang-jeok.

And he had made a request of Gu Yang-jeok.

He had cried out, wrapping his own body around Gu Yang-jeok, for the future of Hwasan.

He also wished for Gu Yang-jeok to live well alongside his master, Baek Dan-hyeon, and his fellow senior brothers.

Gu Yang-jeok remembered. Ha Jin-ak, pushing back five swordsmen beneath the moonlit night.

The image of Ha Jin-ak lying there, his flesh and bones emaciated.

Therefore, Gu Yang-jeok did not hesitate.

“Your words cannot be tolerated.”

“……”

Zhi Sha-hong did not avoid Gu Yang-jeok’s gaze. He wore an enigmatic expression.

It seemed he was projecting someone onto Gu Yang-jeok.

“……You resemble him. Good.”

Clang, clang!

The spear gripped in Zhi Sha Hong’s hand spun halfway and struck the ground.

That simple motion shattered the stone lying on the floor into multiple pieces. Among them, a sharp fragment flew toward Gu Yang Jie’s cheek.

Swish.

The fragment that had barely grazed his cheek fell limply, rolling to Gu Yangjeok’s feet. A small bead of blood formed on his wounded cheek.

Seeing this, Jik Sahong spoke.

“The opening move is over. Now, come at me.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth.

Thud!

Gu Yangji leapt up, stepping on the shattered fragments. Strangely, not a single mark remained on the stepped-on shards.

Seeing this, Zhi Sha Hong murmured his admiration. He was genuinely shaken by the appearance of this young master.

He almost forgot he was in the middle of a fight.

“…You!”

Whack!

Before Zhi Sha Hong could finish his words, Gu Yang Ji’s fist slammed into the side of his face.

The attack felt like it could knock his cheekbone right off, leaving his entire body numb.

Gu Yang Ji replied indifferently.

“I’ve finished my first move. Now it’s your turn to attack.”

In a way, it was a petty battle of pride, but the difference was stark.

For the weaker party to offer the first strike against the stronger.

Impressed by Gu Yangji’s magnanimity, Jie Sha Hong chuckled.

“…Very well!”

Thud! Crack!

As Jie Sha Hong widened his stride and whirled his spear in a full circle, Gu Yang Jie was swept up in an illusion, as if caught in a whirlwind.

This man possessed terrifyingly immense strength. Only such power could generate this level of pressure.

‘But strength alone cannot solve everything.’

That was why the path of martial arts knew no end, stretching infinitely.

Gu Yangji released his Zha Xinjing without further hesitation.

Faced with internal energy nearing the level of a true master, the warriors recoiled in terror, each taking another step back.

Swish!

The sword, freed from its scabbard, cried out with a cold gleam.

“…Hmph!”

For a moment, captivated by the sword’s name, Jie Sha Hong lost sight of Gu Yang Jie’s figure.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to search for him.

Kaga Gang!

He was right there. Jie Sha Hong swiftly repositioned the hand holding his spear forward and raised his knee.

It was also to prevent him from getting any closer.

Crack!

For him, once called One-Legged Heaven-Splitter, fist techniques were a fatal skill comparable to spearmanship.

That’s why many rogue martial artists who attempted Flesh-Slicing Bone-Breaking ended up crippled.

Jixia Hong faced Gu Yangjie with a relaxed thought: It’ll be fine.

But soon, he had to reconsider his judgment.

“I let you have one move.”

…… Rip, crack.

Before anyone knew it, Cham-hyeon had torn his clothes and flayed his flesh. Had Gu Yang-jeok harbored even a shred of malice, his flesh and bone would have been severed.

Even Je-gal Hyeon frowned at the utterly unexpected sight.

‘This is beyond the plan.’

Zhi Sha Hong’s actions were certainly excessive, but they were also unavoidable to quell discontent.

After all, the Martial Alliance was the greatest political arena of the orthodox martial world.

If the prestigious Huashan Sect joined now, sects lacking established legitimacy would be pushed aside.

The problem was that more than a few didn’t want that.

Of course, for Zhi Sha Hong, it stemmed from his connection with Ha Jin-ak and his dislike of Huashan.

Zhuge Xian bit his upper lip.

‘A storm is brewing.’

Defeat was something a martial artist could never accept. Especially not Zhi Sha Hong, who had reigned through sheer force.

Even if he had been careless, and even if Gu Yangdi had proven unexpectedly formidable, if the interim result was this…

Then, Zhi Sha Hong snorted loudly.

“You’re making a big fuss just because you caught my ankle once!”

It was around thirty seconds later.

Zhi Sha Hong was greatly startled by Gu Yang Ji.

‘Late-stage Jizhu, so accustomed to fighting masters…!’

Moreover, it seemed he had amassed immense experience in real combat, where life and death hung on a single strike.

Otherwise, he couldn’t have caught the moment to raise his knee and parry the sword.

Any late-stage cultivator would have been overcome by fear, retreating or losing their offensive momentum.

But what about Gu Yangji?

Thinking this, Zhi Sha Hong couldn’t hold back his laughter.

‘The future of the righteous faction looks bright!’

He now understood a little why Zhuge Xian had shielded Gu Yangji just now.

Though he was a scholar who’d never dipped his brush in ink, Zhi Sha Hong prided himself on knowing martial arts better than anyone.

Even if he had fought Gu Yangji with all his might, Gu Yangji would have held out for at least ten seconds.

Only then did Jie Sha Hong feel shame.

‘I, of all people, pushed forward words I shouldn’t have, relying on my strength!’

Before seeing Gu Yang Jie, he had thought Huashan was a stupid, dull sect.

That’s why he neglected Ha Jin Eak, letting him die. His beloved late-stage cultivator had died, and he spent two whole days drinking himself into a stupor.

But look at Gu Yang Jie now.

He stood out even among the many late-stage cultivators. Seeing him up close, the Plum Blossom Sword Hero wasn’t just an empty title.

‘Then his senior brother, Yu Zhangming, must be even stronger.’

Zhi Sha Hong reflected on the words he had carelessly spoken.

‘That disciple must have had a heart even stronger than mine.’

Realizing he’d spoken far too harshly to a late-stage cultivator not even of age, Zhi Sha Hong pressed his lips tightly together.

He regretted it. Yet he also wondered what kind of figure Gu Yang Jie would become later.

Who knows? Perhaps he’d surpass the peak realm in the future.

Before they knew it, their exchange had lasted over fifty seconds.

Clang!

Zhi Sha Hong released his spear without hesitation.

Traces of their battle had already been etched into the spear shaft and blade.

“I apologize. If necessary, I’ll write a formal apology letter here and send it to the Huashan Sect.”

True to his usually straightforward nature, Zhi Sha Hong bowed his head.

Given that a man nearing forty had publicly bowed his head, Gu Yangjie saw no point in further argument.

Rather, he had gained much from this fight.

A foothold within the Martial Alliance.

And clarity on his own heart.

Meanwhile, as expected, whispers began to stir.

“Good heavens, bowing to someone not even of age.”

“Could it be they had an agreement beforehand? Otherwise, why would that Black Wind Sect leader…”

Only heaven knew how such talk would eventually resurface.

But as they say, human affairs are resolved by humans.

“Now, now! The night is deepening, so please start heading back!”

Zhuge Xian dismissed the Martial Alliance members in an unusually loud voice.

In other words, it meant that only someone of Zhuge Xian’s stature could personally step in to resolve the matter.

Gu Yangjie was satisfied with that. Having gone this far, he certainly couldn’t claim he wasn’t qualified.

Gu Yangjie’s gaze turned to Zhi Sha Hong.

“I’ll be waiting at my quarters. If you have anything else to say, please come find me.”

“Understood.”

With that reply, Gu Yangjie returned to his quarters.

But the one who arrived belatedly was not Zhi Sha Hong, but another.

“The Deputy Leader wishes to see you privately.”

Hearing this, Gu Yangjie sensed the situation was turning in his favor and let out a hollow laugh.

Then he asked Zhuge Xian.

“So, Zhi Sha Hong—that is, the Black Wind Lord—persuaded the Deputy Leader, I see.”

“…Yes.”

Zhuge Xian recalled Zhi Sha Hong smashing the inkstone in the Deputy Leader’s chamber and causing a ruckus.

His desire for talent was usually like that.