Chapter 166

Even though she grumbles this and that, she still teaches and takes care of me well—my cute senior sister.


While I was learning the Jeonjin Sword Technique from Ma Nong.


“Young Master, someone from the Martial Alliance has arrived.”


I heard the news I had been waiting for from Jang Sam-i.


It was a message from a Martial Alliance executive helping with restoration work at Jeoseokhyeon.


It wasn’t for nothing that I waited while training in martial arts at the prepared accommodation.


Since things seemed busy, I was waiting for a message after delivering a letter from Senior Brother Jaro.


Well, it’s much better to just keep training in martial arts, but since they came to help, I should help too.


“I’ll go now. Tell them I’m coming.”


And the little girl, Ma Nong, who is also Sima Mantian’s senior sister, had completely forgotten about the Martial Alliance…


“Ah, right. I was supposed to scout the village.”


She remembered her duty as Ma Yang, the elder of the Ilwol God Sect.


She had been so happy living with Wang Miaoyang like old times that she had completely forgotten.


Though she had only temporarily joined the Ilwol God Sect out of necessity, having risen to the position of elder, she had responsibilities to fulfill.


…Though for some reason.


It was dangerous to travel alone since there were people chasing her younger self.


Moreover, though her martial arts level hadn’t dropped.


Perhaps because she was younger, her martial arts were weaker than her original body.


“………”


Ma Yang glanced at Sima Mantian.


She tugged at his sleeve with her fingertips and hesitantly spoke.


“Um… could you come with me?”


Since the Martial Alliance executive is currently overseeing restoration work at Jeoseokhyeon.


Following Sima Mantian might help her figure out what had been bothering her personally.


***


The legendary martial arts that the Jeonjin Sect might have found.


The Ilwol God Sect executive, originally from the Wudang Sect, who had been monitoring Ma Yang at Jeoseokhyeon to obtain the secret manual of the Thunder Sword Technique of the Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin.


A woman with a graceful appearance, charmingly sly eyes, and a voluptuous figure.


Jin Hyeryeong elegantly sipped tea while listening to her subordinate’s report.


“So, Ma Yang has come out.”


“Yes. She went out with Sima Mantian. Shall we attack?”


“No. Let’s observe a bit more. Don’t approach recklessly like now, just track their location.”


Jin Hyeryeong, with an inscrutable expression, pondered her next plan.


One of her close aides cautiously asked.


“Is it true that Ma Yang, a remnant of the Jeonjin Sect, has obtained the Thunder Sword Technique?”


“Hehe~ More precisely, the method to obtain the Thunder Sword Technique.”


Jin Hyeryeong smiled mysteriously and spoke of the Jeonjin Sect’s secret, now lost to time.


“Do you know why the Jeonjin Sect fell?”


“Wasn’t it because the Jeonjin Sect’s disciples, blinded by greed, fought over wealth?”


“That’s one reason, but what kind of wealth could have blinded them?”


“…Huh?”


Jin Hyeryeong’s sly eyes narrowed, gleaming sharply.


“At that time, the Jeonjin Sect’s status was immense. It wasn’t just a single sect but a massive coalition rivaling the current Martial Alliance.”


The sect founded by Wang Chongyang, the number one martial artist of his time.


During Wang Chongyang’s lifetime, even the Shaolin Temple lost its position as the orthodox sect of the martial world due to the Jeonjin Sect’s overwhelming influence.


After Wang Chongyang’s death, though their martial arts level declined, their momentum continued.


Because the Jeonjin Sect was a massive coalition of seven sects founded by Wang Chongyang’s direct disciples, the Seven True Ones.


The Yuxian Sect founded by Ma Yu, the second-generation leader of the Jeonjin Sect.


The Qingjing Sect founded by Sun Bu’er, Ma Yu’s wife and a highly skilled Taoist herself.


The Nanwu Sect founded by Tan Chuduan.


The Suishan Sect founded by Wang Chuyi.


The Longmen Sect founded by Qiu Chuji.


The Suishan Sect founded by Liu Chuxuan.


And the Huashan Sect, now famous as one of the Nine Great Clans, founded by Hao Datong.


These seven sects were renowned under the Jeonjin Sect.


However, the Huashan Sect later became independent as the Jeonjin Sect began to corrupt.


The internal division of the six sects over wealth disputes.


And what sealed the Jeonjin Sect’s downfall was…


The greatest treasure.


Before the internal division, the six sects united to create a single martial art to restore the Jeonjin Sect to its former glory.


To monopolize this martial art, the six sects turned their blades on each other.


And thus, they all fell and disappeared.


Jin Hyeryeong’s lips parted as the forbidden secret of the Jeonjin Sect flowed back into the world.


“One Qi Transforming into Three Purities.”


One Qi Transforming into Three Purities—one energy reaching the Three Purities.


The Three Purities refer to the three palaces where gods and immortals reside in Taoism.


The Jade Purity, the Upper Purity, and the Supreme Purity.


“One energy (One Qi) transforms a person into the Three Purities (Three Purity Palaces).”


A martial art that allows a human body to contain gods and wield divine power.


“Hehe~ This martial art shows just how great and arrogant the Jeonjin Sect was at that time.”


No Thunder Sword Technique of Lü Dongbin?


Then let’s possess Lü Dongbin into a human body and obtain the Thunder Sword Technique.


It’s nothing short of madness. But it’s intriguing.


“Ma Yang and her master, Ma Xuan, are descendants of Ma Yu, the second-generation patriarch of the Jeonjin Sect, and the last survivors of the Yuxian Sect.”


Jin Hyeryeong smiled and slowly traced her fingers down her face, cheek, and lips.


“Ma Yang is the key. The precious key to finding out who her master, Ma Xuan, chose as the ‘vessel’ for Lü Dongbin.”


“…Vessel?”


At her aide’s puzzled question, Jin Hyeryeong smiled mysteriously and nodded.


“Yes, the vessel that Ma Yang is desperately hiding. Well~ I can somewhat guess who it is.”


The One Qi Transforming into Three Purities is a great martial art, but it’s equally dangerous.


Of course. It involves containing gods within a human body.


There’s a risk of losing one’s self and becoming merely a vessel for divine power.


That’s why a ‘vessel’ is needed.


A person with exceptional talent to contain divine power.


***


Wang Miaoyang was dreaming.


It was a faint memory of the past she had been dreaming of frequently lately.


What she saw in the dream…


Was her younger self bidding farewell to her master and senior sister Ma Yang as they went down the mountain for some business.


“Miaoyang, I’ll be back then.”


“Yes! Master! Have a safe trip! I’ll protect the Jeonjin Sect!”


Wang Miaoyang, trying not to show her loneliness, spoke bravely as Ma Yang gently patted her head.


“…What is there to protect? Don’t lose your spirit.”


“M-Ma Yang, senior sister!?”


Master Ma Xuan glared at Ma Yang as if scolding her, but the senior sister just shrugged.


It was a trivial moment.


But Wang Miaoyang liked such times.


She liked the time spent with her respected master and her slightly mischievous but caring senior sister.


That’s why it felt even lonelier when the two left her behind to go down the mountain.


She hated the voices she heard from behind the gate after seeing them off.


“Why… can’t Miaoyang… come to the village with us…!?”


“That child… is different… for the sake of the Jeonjin Sect….”


She hated hearing her senior sister and master argue.


At such times, Wang Miaoyang would train in martial arts.


The reason she couldn’t go down the mountain was that she wasn’t ready yet.


It was because of her inadequacy that her master and senior sister argued.


If she reached a higher level… if she became a great martial artist of the Jeonjin Sect…


Her master would acknowledge her.


***


I went to meet the Martial Alliance executive who had been sent to find me.


But it wasn’t because they needed help.


It was just that they couldn’t leave someone sent by the Martial Alliance leader unattended, so they invited me for tea.


And when the Ilwol God Sect caused a flood at Jeoseokhyeon using Yongyeon’s power.


Fortunately, only buildings were destroyed, and there were no civilian casualties, so there wasn’t much to help with.


Glancing down.


I saw Ma Nong quietly sigh in relief that no one had died in the flood caused by Yongyeon.


Was she relieved that no one died because of the Jeonjin Sect’s treasured sword?


Ma Yang sighed in relief that no one had died in the flood she caused.


Though she had ordered Yongyeon to cause trouble without harming people, hearing it directly from the Martial Alliance resolved her concerns.


Though she was an elder of the Demon Sect and a martial artist used to bloodshed…


She felt uneasy when civilians died because of martial artists’ conflicts.


Now that she knew what she wanted to know, it was time to return…


Just as Ma Yang thought that.


“Since we’re out, it’s a shame to go back right away. Want to grab a snack?”


Sima Mantian unexpectedly suggested.


Though his body was younger, his conservative nature as a seasoned martial artist remained.


‘Me, walking around the streets with a man-!?’


Ma Yang, startled, quickly distanced herself and looked at Sima Mantian with wary eyes.


“…Are you hitting on me now?”


Her cat-like, flustered expression made me smile.


A mischievous impulse took over.


“Yeah, I’m hitting on my cute senior sister.”


“Wha-wha-wha-what-!?”


Her face turned bright red, and as she froze, I approached her.


Laughing, I teased her in a soft voice.


“If you want, I can even pluck the stars from the sky for you.”