Absolute Dominion

Chapter 5

“Young Lady, you did great!”

Hyang Lee, who had grown as close as a real sister, exclaimed. As always, a pristine towel was draped over her wrist.

Cha-Ryun wiped off all of the accumulated sweat from training. It was the highlight of her day so far.

“You, just to confirm…”

“Don’t worry. You instructed me never to observe another martial artist’s training, no matter what!”

She had been a perceptive and intelligent child from a young age. Yet, Cha-Ryun emphasized this point repeatedly.

“There’s a saying that after three years of serving a martial artist, one can learn the Three Calamities Sword Technique.”

Hyang Lee chuckled at her own dark joke.

She was a radiant and virtuous child, but the reason Cha-Ryun repeatedly cautioned her was simple.

You don’t subconsciously make a mistake, instead, errors are formed from bad habits.

As they strolled side by side out of the training hall, Hyang Lee observed Cha-Ryun’s expression.

“Miss.”

The playfulness in her tone gave Cha-Ryun a clue into what she was thinking.

“If you’re going to talk about that topic again, then you should keep your mouth closed!”

“Please.”

Hyang Lee had been pestering her incessantly for the past month.

Hyang Lee’s wish was for Cha-Ryung to participate in the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

The Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

It was a martial arts competition for young martial artists that was both the greatest in reputation and size in the martial world.

Following the Great War of the Orthodox and the Demonic, the martial world was sunk into an irreparable sense of defeat and despondency.

Various efforts to rejuvenate and overcome the pervasive despair of the martial world emerged spontaneously throughout the Central Plains. The most effective of these initiatives was through a competition of martial arts.

Numerous martial arts competitions emerged and vanished. From minor contests hosted by local leaders to provincial-scale tournaments.

Among them, the two largest and most renowned competitions, targeting all martial artists in the Central Plains, were the Heavenly Dragon Tournament and the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament which were both hosted by the Four Great Conquerors.

The Four Great Conquerors were the four major factions that established themselves as the dominant forces of the martial world following the Great War of the Orthodox and the Demonic.

The Northern Sky Clan’s reign encompassed the provinces of Hubei, Henan, and Shanxi; the Southern Peak Alliance, held dominance over Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong; the Wind and Cloud Castle controlled Shaanxi and Gansu; and finally, the Black Path Clan was the unrivaled overlord of Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu.

Northern Sky Clan.

Southern Yue Alliance.

Wind and Cloud Castle.

Black Path Clan.

They were the new powerhouses of this era, the greatest beneficiaries of the Great War of the Orthodox and the Demonic, and the architects of the new history of the martial world. The tournaments that they hosted followed a format as follows.

The Heavenly Dragon Tournament was, in essence, the world’s premier martial arts competition. The masters of the Central Plains risk their lives in mortal combat for the honor of their sects, themselves, or both. It was the grandest festival of the martial world, and winning it was the aspiration of all martial artists.

Especially since most of the renowned masters had perished in the Great War of the Orthodox and the Demonic, the competition among those vying to become the new masters of the martial world was intense.

In contrast, the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament was a celebration for young martial artists. It targeted martial artists under the age of twenty and rather than a deadly tournament, it was more of a friendly competition between budding martial artists.

To win the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, you needed to have martial prowess, but that is only one of many qualities needed. The Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament consisted of numerous events. Although martial arts still carried a great significance within the tournament, there were many other factors that dictated the final outcome.

Thus, the pair of a man and a woman with the highest combined scores in the various events were bestowed the titles of Young Dragon for the man, and Young Phoenix for the woman, and they become idolized by the youth of the martial world.

The Heavenly Dragon Tournament was held every four years, while the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament was held every two years.

The one among the Four Great Conquerors to host the competitions this year was the Northern Sky Clan.

And as it turns out, this year both the Heavenly Dragon Tournament and the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament were held to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the end of the Great War of the Orthodox and the Demonic. They decided to hold the two competitions consecutively at the same venue in Wuchang.

Since Wuchang was a prefecture of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, the people of the Hubei province exhibited much excitement and anticipation for the event. Countless martial artists would converge in Wuchang, and they would spend a considerable amount of money during the competition period.

Hyang Lee’s enthusiasm for the tournament was what annoyed Cha-Ryun, because she wouldn’t even be a participant.

“If you participate, you’ll undoubtedly secure first place! It’s a tragedy for the martial world that a prodigy like you is confined to the training hall! Ah, if the young heroes of the martial world see your face, they’ll faint on the spot.”

You probably want to swoon looking at those young heroes.

“No.”

“Why? Why don’t you want to participate?”

Even Hyang Lee, who had nothing to do with martial arts, found herself thrilled by the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament for a particular reason.

The Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament garnered popularity not solely because it catered to young martial artists, but for another compelling reason as well.

The Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament was a unique competition where a pair, consisting of a man and a woman, competed together.

Often, siblings would enter the tournament as a team, and fellow disciples would also join forces.

Four years ago, the tale of the eldest disciple of the One Blade Sect formally proposing to his junior sister during the final match of the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament became a sensational topic in the Martial world.

The excitement didn’t end there. With men and women competing together, countless incidents ensued. Duels erupted over a woman, and at times, two pairs found themselves simultaneously drawn to each other’s partners, leading to amusing situations. The Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament was a one of a kind treasure trove for rumors and drama.

Cha-Ryun had never taken part in the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

She had never even attended as a spectator.

“Sometimes, people need to change!”

“I’m not interested in such a change.”

In truth, she was intrigued.

She turned eighteen this year.

The Righteous Sword Sect had no male heirs, so she was the one striving to inherit it, but even so, how could she not be intrigued by the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament? Yet, Cha-Ryun had to feign disinterest.

The incident that caused her to act like this happened when she was twelve.

At a family gathering, she declared that the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament was one of the Four Great Conquerors’ schemes to cater to the fools of the martial world, a place to vent the desires of young people obsessed with showing off, and a spectacle for those who lacked wit. She was merely twelve years old when she said such a thing.

Everyone was astonished by the young girl’s words. Her father, Jeong Lee-Chu, was particularly proud of her.

In truth, she hadn’t spoken such words because she was actually conscious of the happenings of the world. She had always had a beautiful appearance causing the spotlight to always be on her, but she didn’t like that men treated her like eye candy during puberty.

She had merely echoed something she had heard elsewhere, but to her father, it became ‘my intelligent daughter with a unique consciousness.’

For months, she dreamt that the person who originally said those words would reveal to her father that it wasn’t actually her who had thought of such a perspective. Anyway, from that day forward, the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament became an event she could never partake in, as she didn’t want to be called out for her mistakes.

“Finally, the time has come for Young Master Lim to participate as well.”

Cha-Ryun was also familiar with the Young Master Lim that Hyang Lee mentioned.

Young Divine Dragon Lim Ha-Gi.

He was the sole grandson of Lim Cheon-Se, the leader of the Northern Sky Clan. With his striking appearance, exceptional martial prowess, and promising future as the legitimate heir of the Northern Sky Clan, he was the ideal and dream of the women of the Martial World.

When the rumor spread that he would participate in this Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, various speculations emerged because he was the heir of the Northern Sky Clan, the host of this competition.

There were numerous discussions about fairness, but the Northern Sky Clan did not bother to respond to such talks. The silence shown by those in power carries a different kind of weight. Since the eyes of the martial world were focused, the opinion that they would judge more fairly dominated the rumors again.

Anyway, this is what the adults’ were discussing as of late.

The young people of the martial world were more interested in whether he would live up to his reputation and who he would pair up with for the competition.

“Oh, just imagining you and Young Hero Lim participating in the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament together makes me faint!”

Hyang Lee’s excitement persisted even as she entered the bath.

Usually, her mouth would be busy flattering Cha-Ryun’s dazzling beauty, but today she was fixated on one topic.

“…Although the rumors suggest that Young Hero Lim will pair up with the daughter of the Sama Family, the most prestigious family in the Martial world, if you were to participate…”

She toned out her incessant chatter by soaking herself in the wooden tub.

Her heart started to pound once again.

It was the same sensation she had felt upon waking up that morning.

The sensation that something inevitable was approaching.

It felt as though fate was targeting her from a distance, poised to strike with the swiftness of a sword. Her heart was trembling.

Splash.

She let her body submerge into the water.

The ceiling above the water seemed to be shaking.

She recalled what her father had said two years ago when he was drunk.

“I hope you will be the one to inherit the sect.”

Their family had always been harmonious, even without a son. Her father had never shown any signs of discontent about it.

But as he aged, his inner worries about the successor topic began to surface. The day after making such a statement, he acted as if the conversation never happened.

But Cha-Ryun took those words to heart, and from that day forward, she dedicated herself even more to her martial arts training.

Hyang Lee peered into the tub and said something, but she couldn’t hear clearly.

The face of Hyang Lee started to waver as she cupped her mouth and started to shout.

“Puah!”

Cha-Ryun emerged from the water as she couldn’t hold her breath any longer.

“The Sect Leader is calling for you!”

Cha-Ryun’s reflection in a mirror caught the corner of her eye as she walked down the corridor. Everyone praised her for possessing such a beautiful face–a beauty that would attract the attention of any man who passed by her. She didn’t mind the attention at first.

But as she delved deeper into martial arts, that beauty started to become a burden. She wanted to be known as Cha-Ryun the martial artist, but instead the title that preceded her was ‘The Most Beautiful Woman in Wuchang’.

‘If only I came into this world as a man…’

She had thought that if she were a man, she might have fully mastered the Red Silk Sword Technique by now. She was feeling dispirited due to the stagnation in the progress of her martial arts.

Cha-Ryun let out a short shout, as if to dispel the gloomy thoughts that riddled her mind.

Yes, she would overcome her wall.

She would strive tirelessly to elevate the Righteous Sword Sect to the pinnacle of the martial world!

Gender was not of importance, and if she were to lose, the reasons might be that she was poor, uneducated, unattractive, or lacked background, but not because she was a woman.

If she started to think of excuses for losing, defeat would start to become a habit and eventually it would be her only fate.

The battle of will never ends throughout a lifetime.

Although she couldn’t always be the victor, she would never regret the battles that she fought.

Clap, clap–

Standing alone in the corridor, Cha-Ryun clapped her hands to steady her resolve.

When she entered the room, her father was nowhere to be found. Instead, her sister, Jeong Hwa-Ryun, and her brother-in-law, Seo Baek, awaited her arrival.

Seo Baek waved with a cheerful demeanor.

“Good morning, sister-in-law.”

He was always smiling. People often said that he was frivolous and silly, yet his cheerfulness was unwavering. If everyone led a life like her brother-in-law, there would be no need for laws. He has been residing in the Righteous Sword Sect with her sister.

In stark contrast, Hwa-Ryun’s expression was rigid. Cha-Ryun, sensing her sister’s mood, attempted to lighten the atmosphere with a joke.

“You should take care of your better half’s mood first.”

“As you know, my wife is perpetually in a bad mood.”

Cha-Ryun had grown accustomed to the grin that never left Seo Baek’s face.

“Where’s father?”

“I asked him to step out for a while.”

Hwa-Ryun responded with a serious tone.

“Why?”

“Because it’s a difficult topic to discuss in his presence.”

Both Hwa-Ryun’s expression and her words were grave. Cha-Ryun felt a wave of tension.

“What’s going on?”

“Sit down first. Would you like some tea?”

“Just tell me!”

Neither Hwa-Ryun nor Cha-Ryun were ones to beat around the bush.

“Someone from the Palm Heart Clan came.”

“The Palm Heart Clan? Why?”

The Palm Heart Clan was the most famous martial arts sect in Wuchang, renowned for their Deadly Palm Technique. While the Righteous Sword Sect had steadily declined since the end of the Great War of the Orthodox and the Demonic, the Palm Heart Clan had consistently been growing. By now, the Righteous Sword Sect’s size and influence were less than half of the Palm Heart Clan’s.

The leader of the Palm Heart Clan enjoyed associating with martial artists and frequently invited numerous masters as guests to flaunt his power.

There were three major martial arts sects in Wuchang, and among them, the largest was the Palm Heart Clan, the second was the Righteous Sword Sect, and the third, comparable in size to the Righteous Sword Sect, was the Dragon Tiger Sect.

While The Righteous Sword Sect contained a long history as a martial arts sect, the Dragon Tiger Sect had recently ascended to become a power, but the Palm Heart Clan was completely different. They were more like a profit-driven organization masquerading as a martial arts sect.

Each had a distinct character and maintained their own positions. Of course, the greatest power in Hubei was still the Northern Sky Clan.

In any case, the Palm Heart Clan was not a place that typically had interactions with pure orthodox sects such as the Righteous Sword Sect.

Hwa-Ryun began to speak in a cautious tone.

“You’ve heard of Jang In-Gyeol, right? The heir to the Palm Heart Clan.”

Of course, she recognized the name.

She recalled seeing him a few times when she attended banquets with her father as a child.

From the first impression, he was someone she found distasteful, someone she couldn’t warm up to. Even as a child, his gaze was so lecherous, it was revolting.

Well, most men looked at her in a similar manner, which she could usually dismiss, but he took particular pride in being the heir to the Palm Heart Clan. He was authoritarian, violent, and cruel. In essence, he was someone she never wished to befriend.

As she aged, opportunities to encounter him naturally dwindled.

In recent years, her complete immersion in martial arts training meant she rarely ventured out of the sect, hearing only rumors through Hyang Lee. According to these rumors, he continued to live up to the saying that old habits die hard.

In various ways, he was at the top of her list of people she hated.

“Young Master Jang wants to compete in the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament with you.”

“What?”

She was so dumbfounded that she almost blurted out, ‘Is that bastard crazy?’ She restrained herself. If she said that, her kind-hearted brother-in-law would be shocked.

Cha-Ryun calmed herself before speaking.

“When did he have the chance to see me?”

“Didn’t you meet him a few times when you were younger? Back then…”

“Enough. Before making such a request you should tell him to manage his scandals properly.”

Cha-Ryun seated herself with an expression of disdain.

“Is that the reason you crafted this atmosphere?”

She was on the verge of pouring herself a cup of tea when she suddenly stopped. With an incredulous look, she asked.

“What? You didn’t refuse?”

“I said I’d think about it.”

Bang–

Cha-Ryun set the teapot down with a resounding thud.

“Are you out of your mind? What is there to contemplate?”

“Calm yourself and hear me out first.”

“How can I not be upset? So, what now? Are you proposing that I enter the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament with him?”

Hwa-Ryun’s silence spoke volumes, clearly indicating her intentions.

Cha-Ryun’s expression grew frosty.

“Is father aware of this?”