The Second Eunuch Regains His Manhood

Chapter 43: Unfundamental

In the Black Dragon Clan’s main conference room after Jeoksawol had retreated, high-ranking officials surrounded the table where the Martial Arts Competition Document lay, arguing with enthusiasm.

“How dare the Gongdong Sect offer a Martial Arts Competition? Is there any reason we should accept this?”

“The military’s right! Leader! Just give me the order! Once you do, I’ll chop off those arrogant and hypocritical Gongdong Sect’s heads with the power of the Black Dragon Clan!”

“The Gongdong Sect has truly lost their senses! Do they still think they’re in the Gudaimun Sect? How dare they challenge the Black Dragon Clan!!”

With the officials heatedly raising their voices, Wi Cheon-myeong pressed his temples.

He had expected this.

If it were his choice, he’d like to ignore the Martial Arts Document as the officials suggested.

But he couldn’t.

Accept the competition.

Win, but not too much.

The absolute command given by Sado Ryeonju was imprinted in Wi Cheon-myeong’s mind.

No matter how treacherous and vile this faction was, there was no one in the sect who would defy the command of Sado Ryeonju.

It wasn’t that their virtue was based on a system of might makes right like the Demon Sect.

If it’s the faction, betrayal means the faction isn’t betraying, right? A disobedience that surpasses freedom is the true identity of the faction.

Yet the reason these faction members couldn’t defy Sado Ryeonju was simple.

‘If that damned hag weren’t the leader of the Hao Mun…’

That’s right.

Sado Ryeonju Jeoksawol, who could transform and adapt to any situation, held another title: the leader of the Hao Mun.

As the head of an intelligence organization that could uniquely rival the Orthodox Faction, Jeoksawol knew all the weaknesses of the key masters of the sect.

She thrived on the weaknesses of others. Wi Cheon-myeong knew all too well that defying her would mean those weaknesses would be exposed, and he would fall apart socially.

So, he couldn’t resist.

Besides, he was not just an adept but an absolute master who had achieved martial arts grandeur. Defying him would lead nowhere.

Thus, he needed to calm the officials here.

“Everyone, quiet.”

Thump! Thump!

Wi Cheon-myeong slammed the table forcefully.

He spoke.

“…I have decided to accept the Gongdong Sect’s Martial Arts challenge.”

A stunned silence filled the room.

These officials had raised their voices, expecting him to oppose.

But now he was in support?

This was the most awkward turn of events.

“May I ask why you’ve made such a decision, Leader?”

The silence was broken by the military.

In response to the head of internal affairs of the Black Dragon Clan, Wi Cheon-myeong replied.

“Originally, it is indeed an impossible act for the Gongdong Sect to challenge the Black Dragon Clan. However, the proposal put forth by the Gongdong Sect is also somewhat favorable for us. If we defeat them using the methods of the Orthodox Faction, won’t it be the perfect opportunity to humiliate those Seomun family bastards and all the fools of the Orthodox Faction?”

Wi Cheon-myeong spoke passionately.

Even though this Martial Arts Competition was pushed onto him by the leader, there were indeed benefits to it.

If it had been a completely pointless endeavor, he would have rebelled no matter who commanded him.

It was because there were gains involved that Wi Cheon-myeong accepted the leader’s order.

‘That’s quite crafty.’

She throws out a suggestion he cannot reject.

Impressed by the leader’s cunning, Wi Cheon-myeong continued speaking.

“Moreover, if we hold this Martial Arts Tournament, the Seomun family bastards will naturally participate as witnesses. If we break the Gongdong Sect right there and officially claim Hwajeong County, the Seomun family will not dare meddle with us. After all, these events will be recognized as factual outcomes of a legitimate competition. We can take away their justification.”

Wi Cheon-myeong explained.

The reason the Seomun family tolerated the affairs of Hwajeong County was singular.

To let the Black Dragon Clan eliminate the Gongdong Sect.

Following this, he also expected that the Seomun family would attack the Black Dragon Clan under the pretext of revenge for the Gongdong Sect.

However, if the Black Dragon Clan could legitimately take down the Gongdong Sect through the official competition?

The Seomun family, stripped of justification, would have no moves left to make.

‘Fools living and dying by their justifications, heh. The moment we accepted the competition, those who lost their reasoning could do nothing.’

As the leader of the faction, Wi Cheon-myeong knew more about the ecological dynamics of the Orthodox Faction than anyone else while contending with the three giants of Baekdo: the Hao Mun, Qingcheng, and Amira.

Predicting the Seomun family’s actions was not difficult.

“Oh, what a brilliant idea!”

“Truly, that is our leader!”

“The leader’s strategy is divine!”

Encouraged by the officials’ praise, Wi Cheon-myeong’s shoulders lifted.

Hearing the praises of all made him feel even better about accepting the competition.

‘Hehe, I should thank that leader.’

Forgetting about the outside pressure, Wi Cheon-myeong placed a letter on the table.

It was a reply to the Gongdong Sect’s Martial Arts Competition Document with the seal of the Black Dragon Clan Leader stamped on it.

“Lady So.”

As soon as Wi Cheon-myeong’s sentence finished, all eyes turned toward So Bang-ju.

Seated at the other end of the table, directly facing Wi Cheon-myeong, sat a girl with a gorgeous bob cut, resembling black obsidian.

Her black eyes gazed at the leader from the pristine black martial uniform adorned with a silver dragon embroidered in stealthy lines.

Regarded as the top in the faction, she was not only a potential future leader of the Black Dragon Clan but also mentioned as a future Sado Ryeonju, she was the unparalleled genius bred by the faction, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Orthodox Faction’s top genius, the Sword Dragon.

So Bang-ju, Heuksaryong Wi Soryeon, was indeed that person.

The overwhelming talent recognized by even the rough men of the Black Dragon Clan provoked a smile on Wi Cheon-myeong’s face.

He declared, “Deliver this letter to the Gongdong Sect members.”

“Understood, Father.”

With the letter tucked away, Wi Soryeon’s eyes gleamed sharply.

*

The time it took for my injuries to heal was precisely one week.

During that time, I luxuriated on a sickbed, being pampered by the number one beauty of Gansu, no, the number one beauty of the Orthodox Faction, Seoharin.

“Oh, please, my young master.”

Lying in bed while being fed delicious boiled pork by emotionless and hollow-eyed Seoharin was a dream!

Of course, the scene of her feeding me with a blank expression might seem a bit eerie, but I didn’t care.

That expression reminded me of the Emperor, who had been wary of me the first time we met.

“Thank you, Lady Seo. I’m sorry for bothering you so much.”

“…It’s only right that I do this. Please don’t worry about it.”

Every time I thanked her, Seoharin’s expressions would twitch oddly, which I found adorable.

Just the sight of her filled me with warmth, and just being near her brought tranquility!

Unlike my male rival, who was an entirely different love language.

I hoped that Seoharin would officially join the Gongdong Sect soon.

As I passed my delightful days, I stood up, shaking off the remnants of my injuries.

After fully recovering, the first thing I did was squat at the Gongdong Sect’s Mountain Gate.

“Huuh, huuh, huuh!”

From the peak of Mount Chwibyung at the Gongdong Sect’s main gate, I looked down at the scenery of Gongdong Mountain.

Unlike modern times devoid of factories, the fresh air of China filled my lungs without any micro-dust.

I performed the Breath Regulation Method while continuing the squats.

Repeating squats using only my physical strength without any internal energy, I sweat profusely like it was raining.

But I didn’t stop squatting. The fundamentals of Cloud and Rain Pleasure stemmed from a strong lower body and waist. A solid foundation was essential for sending a woman to paradise, something I was well aware of.

Of course, I was also concurrently performing Kegel Exercises.

Flex!

The pubococcygeus muscles contracted and relaxed repeatedly.

While I was repeating my squats and Kegel exercises, I sensed a presence.

Wait, a presence?

‘Who dares disturb my training time?’

Time is money.

That old saying rings true. The time for my Vital Energy Training was worth more than gold.

Yet, how dare someone interrupt that precious time?

The only people left inside the main base were my rival, my master, and Seoharin. It wasn’t Seoharin. The sensed presence was clearly someone who practiced martial arts.

‘Is it those faction members?’

By the process of elimination, it could only be the faction members.

If they were faction members, it could mean two things: Did they actually send the masked one, or did they bring a reply about the Martial Arts Competition Document?

Whatever the case, they were a hindrance to my Vital Energy Training.

‘Damn it, I guess I’ll have to calm my internal energy again.’

Grumbling inwardly, I suppressed my rising frustration while picturing my rival’s face.

Just as I had calmed the raging mountain, a girl dressed in black martial attire appeared before the mountain gate.

She wore a black uniform that snugly conformed to her body, embellished with eight dragons embroidered in silver flight—a unique sight not found anywhere else.

The girl in the black uniform with eight dragons embroidered on it could only be one person.

Heuksaryong Wi Soryeon of the Black Dragon Clan.

She had personally arrived.

“Is this the Gongdong Sect? It’s absolutely pathetic.”

Wi Soryeon’s dark eyes locked onto me.

“You there.”

She called out to me.

“I, So Bang-ju, have personally brought the response to the esteemed leader of the Black Dragon Clan. Bring the main sect leader here.”

With an arrogant tone, Wi Soryeon spoke.

Well, claiming to be the top genius in the faction, and considering the immense disparity between the Gongdong Sect and the Black Dragon Clan, one could understand her demeanor.

However, this wasn’t a modern capitalist society grounded in equality; it was a medieval martial arts world governed by Confucian principles.

No matter how great a genius of the faction, insulting someone in such an overt manner was a faux pas.

Although Wi Soryeon had a boyish charm and a strong demeanor, she was a rather beautiful girl.

But unlike a reckless stallion chasing after any beauty, I was a man of reason and intellect in this era.

So, I wouldn’t be swayed by her looks.

Moreover, she was currently in an adversarial relationship with my faction, wasn’t she?

‘Besides, Wi Soryeon likes ‘bad boys’.’

And I already knew her ideal type.

Her preference leaned towards a strong yet bad boy.

So, it was best to take a strong stance.

I stopped squatting, wiped the sweat off my forehead with my right hand, and nonchalantly performed Kegel Exercises, saying, “How dare a So Bang-ju disrespect the leader of our longstanding sect, which boasts a thousand years of history? It appears Black Dragon Clan fails to properly teach the principles of Confucius and Mengzi to its heirs. This just proves that the faction members are fundamentally lacking. Tsk tsk.”

Wi Soryeon’s face began to flicker like a traffic light, turning red and blue in rapid succession at my words.

But I stood tall.

I hadn’t spoken out of line. Moreover, bowing my head after being treated with such disdain in the medieval martial arts world—where face mattered more than life—would feel like rolling over on the ground and exposing my belly.

“No matter how deep your history is, it amounts to a mere shell of a sect in decline. Etiquette must be backed by strength!”

Upon hearing my words, Wi Soryon quickly composed herself and looked at me.

A fierce aura surged from her body.

Attempting to crush me with her spiritual pressure. It was a classic and effective strategy to intimidate opponents in the medieval martial arts world.

I have no idea why people constantly resort to spiritual pressure battles.

An average second-rate master might falter under her pressure, but I was a master of Hyeongyeong.

I could easily brush off her pressure like it was spring breeze.

With that, if I redirected her pressure, she’d likely take an interest in me, just like in martial arts novels.

And naturally, if I could translate that interest into attraction…

Just as I was preparing to counter her pressure while channeling my inner energy and formulating a response.

“What in the world is causing this commotion in the Mountain Gate?”

With a familiar voice from afar, a boy dressed in martial attire dashed between me and Wi Soryeon.

Damn it!

My rival, Yujinhwi, had arrived.