Would the volume levels during the meeting form a pretty parabola if plotted on a graph?

As the meeting drew to a close, the heated voices gradually returned to their usual tones.

Of course, this wasn’t the final meeting. It would likely continue until the Yongbong Gathering concluded.

Separate from that, the content of the meeting itself was unexpectedly productive.

The participating sects roughly determined how many troops they would deploy and outlined strategies for how the Martial Alliance should respond to the Demonic Sect's involvement.

In particular, the focus was on how to maintain morale among the righteous faction warriors amidst concerns of a potential three-way war.

For transcendent-level masters, balancing their essence, qi, and spirit ensured they rarely lost composure. However, most warriors tended to crumble mentally when faced with an additional enemy.

Suggestions ranged from keeping information about the Demonic Sect classified to creating a heroic figure to inspire morale.

There was also talk of spies and third-party factions, but discussions about spies were sparse, likely to maintain confidentiality.

“Well then, let’s wrap up for today,” the host of the meeting declared.

The moment the meeting was adjourned, Seo-jun shot up from his seat.

Keeping up with the meeting’s contents while entertaining himself with side distractions had been exhausting.

“See you tomorrow,” said Red-faced Beggar with a wide grin, revealing his yellowed teeth.

“Ah, yes,” Seo-jun replied hastily, quickly making his escape. If he got caught, he’d likely be stuck listening to endless chatter for hours.

Pushing Pae Jin-gwang, Namgung Hyeok, and Namgung Myung along, Seo-jun hurriedly exited the building and finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew. I feel alive again.”

“You seemed to fit in well,” Namgung Hyeok remarked.

Seo-jun made a face of distaste.

“Not fitting in—I was just humoring them. You know, out of respect for the elderly.”

“Ha…”

“Anyway, that aside, how do you think the Demonic Sect will act next?”

Despite the abrupt topic change, Namgung Hyeok, accustomed to Seo-jun’s conversational style, naturally continued.

“Who knows... There’s a saying that predicting the actions of demonic warriors is one of the most futile things in the martial world.”

“That bad?”

Namgung Hyeok nodded.

“Especially considering the deity they serve, Mara Pasun, is known for being highly capricious.”

Most demonic practitioners who hadn’t yet reached the Escape from Demonic Madness level were mentally unstable, to put it mildly. Even those who achieved that level were said to have gone completely mad, only to circle back to sanity, so their mental state was far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

“The more I hear about the Demonic Sect, the more curious I get about what kind of people they are. That Demon of Dissociation I fought before didn’t seem that crazy.”

“The Demon of Dissociation? You mean the one who used the Absorption Technique?”

“You didn’t know? I took him down.”

While Namgung Hyeok showed mild surprise, a group of warriors approached them from behind.

Turning around, Seo-jun saw members of the imperial household.

There were three of them. At the front stood a general, with two men following him in rigid postures.

As Seo-jun gave them a curious look, the general spoke up.

“This is our first meeting. I am Ju Cheol-yak, the Great General of the Sky Sun (天陽大將軍).”

“Namgung Hyeok of the Boundless Sea,” Namgung Hyeok replied briefly.

After a short exchange of greetings with Namgung Hyeok, Ju Cheol-yak fixed his sharp gaze on Seo-jun. His icy stare was as sharp as a blade, but Seo-jun met it without flinching.

“I have something I’d like to discuss with this young man.”

“Go ahead,” Namgung Hyeok said as he stepped aside.

Ju Cheol-yak exhaled deeply as he stood in front of Seo-jun, his aura subtly pressing down on him.

“I’ve heard the stories.”

What’s with the sudden informality? Seo-jun thought.

“They say you humiliated the Third Prince in front of countless witnesses and disgraced the Dongchang agents as well.”

His tone was imposing. Seo-jun smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“If they deserved a beating, they got one.”

Ju Cheol-yak’s eyebrow twitched at the blunt reply.

“I understand the reasoning behind your actions. However, do you not realize that publicly tarnishing the imperial family’s dignity is equally unacceptable?”

The general’s massive armored figure towered over Seo-jun, making him appear twice as large. His looming presence might have been intimidating, but Seo-jun furrowed his brows and pushed back with his own aura.

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

“I did. He wasn’t entirely wrong.”

“…Excuse me?”

Calling the heir of the Gold Sword Clan a “lowborn” wasn’t entirely wrong?

No sane person would say that.

Seo-jun’s mood, which had been fairly neutral until now, suddenly soured as heat rose to his head.

His golden eyes began to glow faintly.

“Are you sure you heard it right?”

“The Gold Clan’s name isn’t what it used to be. It’s already a fallen family, isn’t it? While ‘lowborn’ is indeed a vulgar term for a prince to use, it’s not entirely inaccurate.”

This lunatic. Seo-jun’s eyes twitched.

“…Looking at you and your men, I can see why the emperor’s a joke. Is the imperial family just a gathering of idiots?”

“…You’ve crossed the line. Had you apologized quietly, you could have avoided any trouble.”

“Bullshit.”

The two warriors’ auras clashed, causing the surrounding air to ripple violently.

The atmosphere grew so tense that it seemed swords might be drawn at any moment.

Namgung Hyeok stepped between them.

“Enough. What is the meaning of this?”

“Did you not hear him? He dared to insult the emperor. Are you truly defending a traitor guilty of such blasphemy?”

Ju Cheol-yak refused to back down.

The commotion began to attract other warriors to the scene.

Namgung Hyeok calmly released his own aura, pressing back against Ju Cheol-yak.

“I didn’t realize the imperial family had grown so bold as to look down on the Namgung Clan.”

“Are you planning to disrupt an imperial event?”

“…What gives you the nerve to act so arrogantly? Did the War God return to the imperial family?”

“Boundless Sea…!”

“Ha… Very well, I now understand the imperial family’s intent. Your arrogance pierces the heavens. But remember, even the heavens are beneath the earth. If you’ve forgotten that, I will personally remind you.”

Ju Cheol-yak, caught off guard by Namgung Hyeok’s unexpected defiance, faltered.

How could someone so blatantly disregard the imperial family? Such defiance was unheard of in Beijing.

A hint of killing intent flickered in his eyes.

Seo-jun, meanwhile, found it increasingly difficult to hold back.

‘Should I just bury them all?’

Would losing a general destabilize the righteous faction? Seo-jun doubted it.

Would the chaos of breaking ties with the imperial family cause problems?

He could clean it up himself. A few trips to the battlefield were nothing to him.

Especially once he reached the Flowering Realm, where he knew his potential would skyrocket.

The ability to manipulate the natural energy within his domain would make him exponentially stronger.

Yes, why not wipe out the imperial family and replace them with the Gold Sword Clan?

Wasn’t it about time for the Six Great Clans to change?

Shing—

Seo-jun drew his sword.

The imperial warriors flinched, their faces flushing with anger as they drew their swords in response.

The tension reached a boiling point.

“Enough────!”

The host of the meeting suddenly appeared, his booming lion’s roar echoing through the air.

Frowning as if nursing a headache, he glanced between the imperial warriors and the Namgung Clan members.

“What in the world are you all doing at a time like this?”

It wasn’t unexpected.

Whenever the Sixteen Prestigious Clans gathered, conflicts inevitably arose at least once a day.

Their immense pride prevented anyone from backing down.

The imperial family, in particular, was notorious for this, still clinging to the remnants of their past when the War God had unified the Central Plains.

“Great General, you’ve come at the right time. During the last meeting, I couldn’t bring it up since it wasn’t relevant to the agenda, but how should I interpret the lack of consequences for the unauthorized interference in a duel?”

“Great General, let it go. The Third Prince’s comments were far too excessive.”

“Host…!”

Ju Cheol-yak glared at the host, his face turning red with anger.

The host furrowed his brows.

“Let it rest. Or do you intend to make an enemy of Shaolin as well?”

“…I cannot comprehend this.”

Ju Cheol-yak sheathed his sword with a sharp motion.

“…I will not forget this.”

He turned sharply and walked away.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Seo-jun moved to follow, but the host stepped in his way.

Only after Ju Cheol-yak had disappeared did the host let out a long sigh.

“I thought we’d get through this quietly for once…”

Clicking his tongue, the host turned to Seo-jun, his expression grim as he seemed lost in thought.

“Do not act recklessly. I’ll arrange a separate opportunity for resolution.”

“What kind of opportunity?”

“What other way do warriors resolve conflict?”

Warriors speak with their fists.

Though, of course, the imperial family’s faults would need to be addressed first.

 

The Round of 32 Begins

The Yongbong Gathering’s round of 32 had begun.

The round would feature four matches per day over four days.

However, the match schedule hadn’t been announced in advance.

Since no one knew when they’d be called, all participants had to remain present.

Why adopt such an inefficient system?

It was easier to protect the participants when they were all gathered in one place.

For prestigious clans like the Sixteen Prestigious Clans, any harm to one of their rising stars would be a major headache for Shaolin.

Thus, Chun-bong, Namgung Su-a, and Namgung Myung waited in the prepared waiting area for their turns, while Seo-jun idled among the representatives of the Sixteen Prestigious Clans, passing the time.

To be precise, he was pondering the Reverse Technique.

Should he use it to stage an attack on the imperial palace, framing it as an act by the Black Lotus Sect or the Demonic Sect?

No, impersonating the Demonic Sect wasn’t a good idea.

If the righteous faction ended up declaring war on the Demonic Sect, it could lead to even more trouble.

The fight with the Demonic Sect wasn’t guaranteed yet, and recklessly increasing their enemies was unwise.

So for now, the best identity to use was Baek Seo-jun.

Dropping an ice meteor on the imperial palace might stir things up quite nicely.

When Seo-jun asked Pae Jin-gwang about the Reverse Technique, he received this reply:

“Reverse Technique? Ask that beggar you met last time. If he’s a Seven-Knot Beggar, he should know about it.”

The Seven-Knot Beggar referred to a rank within the Beggars’ Union.

The knots on their clothing signified rank, with more knots indicating higher status.

As a Seven-Knot Beggar, Red-faced Beggar was essentially an elder of the Beggars’ Union.

“Hey, we meet again.”

Right on cue, Red-faced Beggar ambled over with a toothy grin.

Seo-jun, leaning back in his chair, waved lazily.

“Here to watch the matches?”

“Of course. One of our own is competing.”

“What? You have kids?”

“Heh, no. Just a junior from the Beggars’ Union.”

Seo-jun chuckled dryly.

This was perfect timing. He had planned to ask about it at the next meeting, but now he wouldn’t need to attend.

“Hey, Red-faced Beggar.”

“Why the ‘hey’? Call me properly.”

“Alright, alright. Red-faced Beggar.”

“That’s a bit rude, isn’t it?”

Seo-jun grinned and asked.

“Do you know the Reverse Technique?”

“The Reverse Technique? Of course, I do.”

Red-faced Beggar covered his face with his hands.

When he lowered them moments later, his entire face had changed.

It now resembled that of a youthful man, fitting his nickname.

“Is this what you mean?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Heh, join the Beggars’ Union, and I’ll teach you.”

“I’ll pass.”

Not that it mattered—Seo-jun had already learned it by watching.

It wasn’t a particularly difficult technique.