—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Your woman? I’m not sure what you’re talking about… but I’ll take that as a challenge.”
Yuehua’s golden eyes sparkled with interest at the unexpected, and frankly, rude, challenge.
She smiled mischievously, like a child who had found a new toy.
“Hee-hee… to challenge me, Xue Yuehua, the Snow Phoenix, younger sister of the Ice Dragon… you’re a toad in a well!”
He thought it should be “frog in a well,” not “toad in a well,” but it wasn’t important.
What mattered was that he had issued a challenge, and she had accepted.
His mind raced, calculating, predicting her next move.
Assuming her attendants weren’t trained fighters, the biggest threat would be the coordinated attack of her bodyguards. And…
He looked at the girl with the snow-white hair styled in buns, dressed in flowing robes, her golden eyes sparkling, who called herself the Snow Phoenix.
The “Phoenix” in her title suggested she was a high-ranking aspiring martial artist, a formidable opponent. There were threats everywhere.
As he assessed Yuehua and her bodyguards, calculating the risk of a coordinated attack,
“Are you worried about my guards? Rest assured, we do not engage in such dishonorable tactics as ganging up on a single opponent who has issued a formal challenge.”
Yuehua’s voice, elegant and mocking, suddenly turned cold.
“However, I will test your skills to see if they match your bravado.”
She nodded to one of her bodyguards, who stepped forward and faced Mancheon.
While the seemingly disadvantageous one versus many situation had been reduced to a one-on-one fight, he was still at a disadvantage.
Judging by the bodyguard’s aura, he was far stronger than the thugs he had fought earlier.
And Mancheon was currently without his staff, his primary weapon and fighting style sealed.
But… it didn’t matter. He would be fine.
He took a deep breath, circulating his internal energy, enhancing his physical abilities.
After all, true strength in combat wasn’t about martial arts techniques.
He recalled his master’s words, spoken years ago in a dilapidated training hall, a kind, firm voice that always answered his questions, even when he didn’t know what martial arts were.
‘Mancheon, when faced with a large, powerful enemy, true strength isn’t about powerful techniques.’
He observed his opponent carefully, noting every subtle movement.
‘It’s about the unwavering determination to find a way to win. Never forget that.’
He assumed a ready stance, extending his left arm, measuring the distance, searching for a path to victory.
He had entered this fight for purely personal reasons, and the die was cast.
Now, it was do or die. Time to improvise.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
And in a dimly lit corner of the inn…
A man, his most distinguishing feature the dark circles under his eyes, his presence otherwise unremarkable, observed Mancheon, who was preparing to fight against the foreign martial artists.
“Senior Brother… Sima?”
No, it couldn’t be. While the resemblance was striking, this man was too young. And more muscular. And Sima Bu wasn’t a cripple.
‘Wait… a cripple…?’
The man’s muddy eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of recognition, of… fondness.
“Is that… Mancheon? You’ve grown.”
He never thought he would encounter his senior brother’s son in a random inn in a small village, a chance encounter during his travels to the Martial Alliance headquarters. The connections between people were truly strange.
In the martial world, one’s master was like a parent, and fellow disciples were like siblings.
Therefore, technically, Mancheon was his nephew.
While he had been expelled from his sect, and hadn’t seen his senior brother since he had become a wanted criminal, it was still a precious connection, considering his limited social circle.
The man, Wu Ming (Nameless), with the dark circles under his eyes, considered intervening, but then shook his head.
If he, a wanted criminal, were to interfere and his identity were to be revealed, it would complicate matters significantly. And besides…
-Thud!!, The sound of a body hitting the floor echoed through the inn.
Mancheon was standing, the bodyguard lying on the ground.
He didn’t think Mancheon would lose.
Everyone in the inn, except for Wu Ming, stared in disbelief. Wu Ming’s eyes gleamed like a viper’s as he assessed his nephew’s skills.
His assassin’s instincts assessed the balance of power.
Even weakened and unsure of himself, a wolf was still a wolf, a tiger still a tiger.
A predator wasn’t easily defeated.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
And in another dimly lit corner of the inn…
Jang Sam-bung, servant, bodyguard, and assassin of the Sima Family, disguised using a technique that altered his appearance…
‘Shit… shit…what is he doing here?! He didn’t recognize me, did he? Buddha, please!!’
trembled, cursing inwardly, at the sight of Wu Ming, one of the Three Enemies of the Martial World, considered the most dangerous of the three.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Hmph, such fickleness,” Wang Meiyang muttered, her cheek puffed out slightly, as she thought of Mancheon.
While she had been busy with information gathering and other matters, and hadn’t had much time for his training, she hadn’t expected him to immediately seek out another woman for assistance.
While it had improved the efficiency of his training… it was still irritating.
He clearly lacked a sense of propriety, of his position as the direct disciple of the current Quanzhen Sect leader.
She sighed, looking at Mancheon’s staff, worn smooth from years of use.
And he needed to break his habit of relying on his staff.
She had initially hesitated to confiscate it, feeling it was unfair to take away a cripple’s support, but his reaction to its absence had confirmed her suspicions.
Having used a staff his entire life, he was overly reliant on it.
While it wouldn’t be a problem if he were an ordinary cripple, as a martial artist, it was a weakness that needed to be addressed.
And…
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the staff, a shadow falling over her delicate, doll-like features.
He had already learned powerful Quanzhen techniques, and yet he continued to rely on another sect’s martial arts. It was infuriating.
“He claims the martial arts of Quanzhen are unmatched… and yet he keeps using that staff technique…”
Her cheek, which had deflated slightly, puffed out again.
He was a frustrating disciple, constantly testing her patience.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The bodyguard of the North Sea Ice Palace, sprawled on the floor, blinked in confusion.
He had thought this would be a quick and easy spar, a mere whim of his young mistress. He had targeted his legs, aiming for a swift victory.
And he had been instantly countered and thrown to the ground, a victim of Mancheon’s trap.
Mancheon had feigned weakness, exposing a vulnerability, luring him into a trap.
It was an anticlimactic end to the spar, but a predictable one.
The bodyguard had underestimated his opponent, and Mancheon had not.
“So, do you think you’re worthy of accepting a challenge from me now?”
Mancheon’s voice, low and menacing, was directed at Yuehua.
He had thrown her own words back at her, a clear taunt, an invitation to a one-on-one duel.
“Hmph… very well! I acknowledge your strength! You are indeed a worthy opponent for Xue Yuehua, younger sister of the Ice Dragon, the Snow Phoenix!”
As she spoke, Yuehua rose to her feet and extended a delicate white hand towards Mancheon. Her attendants and guards quickly backed away, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire.
Mancheon’s performance and taunts had struck a nerve with the proud princess.
“I shall grant you the honor of witnessing the martial arts of the North Sea Ice Palace!”
It was a display of power that defied logic and common sense, a supernatural ability disguised as a martial art.
A chilling aura emanated from her outstretched hand, the temperature in the room plummeting.
“If you value your life, roll on the ground like a cute baby seal!”
A white blizzard, as cold and harsh as the seas of the North Sea, erupted from her hand, engulfing everything.
The Ice White Divine Palm.
He was stunned, caught off guard by the unexpected area of effect attack.
He had a split second to decide: prostrate himself and live, or stand and fight.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward with his left foot, extending his right arm, releasing his energy.
He wasn’t sure why he had made that choice.
Perhaps it was foolish pride, or perhaps it was the faintest hint of a human presence he sensed behind him.
But he remembered Gwahae, shielding a small sparrow from a stray stone, enduring the pain without complaint.
‘No one helped me… not even Birdie… so… I’ll… help him.’
He remembered her innocent, earnest gaze, which silenced him.
He couldn’t bring himself to crawl on the ground like a baby seal, allowing these strangers to insult and belittle Gwahae, a girl they knew nothing about.
He had to teach them a lesson, to shut them up, perhaps not permanently, but… painfully.
He channeled his internal energy, pushing past his limits, drawing upon every ounce of strength.
He drew upon the pure, refined energy cultivated through the Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method, weaving it into a fine thread, intertwining it with other threads.
He used the Thousand-Pound Weight technique to increase the weight of his lower body, anchoring himself against the force of the attack. He gripped his trembling right wrist with his left hand, steadying it.
His legs were the base, his arm the barrel. His aim was slightly off, his left eyebrow frozen, but he was ready.
He was about to attempt a technique he had never successfully executed before. He had no idea what would happen.
He simply released the energy from his fingertips, a beam of pure qi.
The Frost Treading Ice Shattering Palm.
The energy extended outwards from his hand, splitting the space around it, spreading like a spiderweb,
shattering the incoming blizzard like a pane of glass.
-Crack—!!
It surged forward relentlessly, devouring the white storm, crushing and destroying everything in its path.
The secret technique of the Quanzhen Sect, once known as the “deadly star,” was unleashed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The inn, its walls partially destroyed by the force of the attack, bathed in warm sunlight and shimmering snowflakes.
“Huh? Wha…?”
The girl, utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend the situation,
Xue Yuehua, the Snow Phoenix, shed tears, clear and pure as the melting snow.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
New technique acquired!👏congrat’s my G!
