Three days.
It had been three days since the attack on Hanam.
The past three days had truly been eventful.
A grand festival the League had hosted to bless peace and a new era.
Just as the Divine Dragon Martial Arts Tournament, held to select a new Divine Dragon Chief, was reaching its climax.
Suddenly, a being appeared who claimed to be the Heavenly Demon (天魔)—the leader and cult lord of an organization called the Demonic Cult—and turned Hanam into a wasteland.
Not only did he use sinister sorcery to immobilize the apex experts gathered in the main hall, but he also mustered immense forces to assault Hanam.
The result of that assault was catastrophic.
The forces of the Great Demonic Lord Heavenly Demon were strong.
With the experts who formed the mainstay immobilized, they could not properly resist the assault, and the city was reduced to a complete mess by the enemy.
Buildings became ruins, and the people lost their homes.
But that was not all.
What was lost in the assault was not just homes; there were many casualties as well.
Three of the League’s Eight Great Chiefs had died, but the greatest of all was that the Blade King (刀王) Peng Zhou—the head of the Hebei Peng Clan, one of the Four Great Families—had perished.
The assault had begun while the martial arts tournament was in full swing. The Blade King had just finished his duel and was moving with his son, Bi Seongdo, when they were suddenly ambushed.
He had tried to stand his ground alongside the Martial League, but the Ghostly Evil Spear—a Demonic Cult (魔敎) executive whom the Martial League had captured—escaped and intervened, worsening the situation.
The Ghostly Evil Spear was a powerful expert who had annihilated the entire Illyongdae, including the Illyong Chief, during his escape.
He ultimately killed the Blade King, and at the same time, dealt fatal wounds to the League martial artist who opposed him and to Bi Seongdo, who had tried to protect his father, before vanishing without a trace.
That was the reason the Blade King among the Six Thrones died.
A group called the Demonic Cult (魔敎) had masterminded this Hanam assault incident.
At the hands of its executives, both a League Chief and the Blade King were slain.
A Chief was one thing, but the death of a King-class martial artist must have been a considerable shock.
King-class martial artists.
In the Central Plains, they are called the Six Thrones.
Among them are those who never learned martial arts, and those whose realm still has quite a way to go.
In other words, it is not a position one can ascend to by cultivation alone.
King-class is, in short, symbolic.
It refers to beings who wield tremendous influence over an era.
It included not only figures like the Sword King, the Blade King, or the Sword Empress—who influenced through martial arts and ideology—but also those who spread influence in various other ways.
The Blade King was, among them, the symbol of the blade and had ascended as the head of the Peng Clan.
For such a figure to die in an assault...
Unexpectedly, one seat among the Six Thrones had become vacant, so it was only natural for people to be confused.
Yet surprisingly, there were few who actually were.
Because while a king’s seat was empty, two kings had appeared at the same time.
One was the head of the Hwangbo Clan, who had fought the enemy’s executives in place of the experts immobilized by sorcery.
Hwangbo Yeolwi—the Fierce Tiger Nine Fists (猛虎九拳).
It was said that not only had his prime passed, but his illness had worsened to the point where he did not show himself.
Yet the display of the Fierce Tiger Nine Fists during this assault was vastly different from the rumors.
His figure, driving the enemy back with overwhelming force, was far swifter and stronger than during his prime.
Some witnesses claimed that the real reason the Fierce Tiger Nine Fists had not appeared was not because his illness had worsened, but because he had gained a profound enlightenment and was tempering himself in seclusion.
He was just that strong, and furthermore, the Hwangbo Clan had contributed enormously to the League during this assault, so he was highly praised and bestowed the title of Tiger King (虎王).
When one recalled that the last person from the Hwangbo Clan to reach King-class was the Fist King (拳王), a former-generation clan head, this was a reputation regained after a century.
Thus, under ordinary circumstances, Hanam should have been filled with talk of the Tiger King... but surprisingly, talk of the Tiger King was rather sparse.
The reason was simple: all attention was poured not on the Tiger King, but on another king.
The seventh king who had ascended alongside the Tiger King.
At the moment the assault erupted, he had burned his very body to rescue hundreds.
Not only did he help with the evacuation, but he even hunted a Class 100 demonic creature—a curse spread by the Demonic Cult known as the Breathing Calamity.
Afterward, despite his battered body, he went to the League and, together with the Wind Dragon Chief, dispelled the sorcery placed upon the main hall.
Furthermore.
He was also the central figure of the incident that surfaced after the assault—a monster who incapacitated the Tiger King in a single strike and was unscathed by the Heavenly Lord’s onslaught, a figure even acknowledged by the Great Demonic Lord Heavenly Demon.
Thanks to such achievements, in Hanam these days, people called nothing but his name.
A hero found in troubled times. Or a holy child sent by heaven.
All manner of flowery rhetoric clung to him, so he received praise bordering on adulation.
That very person was the official seventh king mentioned by the League.
A martial artist who had become the youngest King-class in history at the age of twenty.
The representative of the current Meteor Generation, surpassing even the Divine Dragon.
Modeling after this, they called him the King of Stars.
And so his name was called.
Star King (星王).
People began calling him the Star King and expressing all manner of respect for him.
And that famous Star King, whom so many were praising—
“Star King.”
“...”
“Have you enjoyed your meal?”
“...”
“Star King. Why do you not speak? Star King? Does my voice displease you? Oh dear...! It seems I have offended Your Majesty’s dignity...”
“...Fuuuuck... Please, just stop...”
—had been a complete laughingstock since morning.
******************
When I first heard the news, it was probably around two days later by then.
I had barely managed to pull myself together and come to my senses about then, so that was probably right.
The news I’d heard right after waking up was exactly that.
The news that none other than I had been designated a King-class martial artist.
Honestly, I didn’t think much of it at first.
Youngest this or that. Just nice-sounding words. I’d long passed the stage of caring about such things.
Since I’d caused such a commotion, I’d more or less expected it.
Even if it wasn’t King-class, I figured I’d get saddled with something.
I’d done it expecting as much, but.
‘But I never thought they’d actually give it.’
I really didn’t know they’d bestow the title of King.
A King is a symbol.
A living influence and symbol of an era.
And they carved this onto a brat like me.
So I’d wondered if the League had lost its mind from the assault.
Tch.
‘Anyway, they never give anything cleanly.’
I realized the moment I saw the name they’d given me.
Star King (星王).
Literally, the King of Stars.
So on the surface it seemed like there was no problem.
‘Those damned bastards.’
But if you looked at the meaning inside, it was a name absolutely impossible to like.
At present, it was a time when geniuses were likened to stars and called the Meteor Generation.
Within that, the title Star King meant their representative.
In other words.
‘They’ll call me a King, but strictly speaking, it means I’m the King of the latecomers.’
So basically, don’t get cocky.
Roughly that kind of meaning was embedded in it.
It’s absurd.
‘If this is how it is, they shouldn’t have given it at all.’
Just from the name, you could feel they didn’t want to give it.
Yet they’d forced it onto me anyway.
‘Which also means they were pretty desperate.’
It had been three days since the assault. Only one day since I’d woken up, so I hadn’t obtained proper information yet.
But even with small snippets, I could tell why the League had gone out of its way to do this.
‘They’re trying to divert attention.’
They were probably racking their brains over there right now as well.
Not only the problem of the assault. Most importantly,
‘the state of public sentiment.’
What the public sentiment toward the Martial League was like right now...
Seeing as they’d shoved the title of Star King at me right away, it didn’t look too good.
It had always been that way.
To turn ruined public sentiment around, you needed something else to draw attention instead.
Why had the Divine Dragon Martial Arts Tournament been held?
It was a device to subtly imprint that the Central Plains were peaceful, and to appropriately assimilate the Sword Immortal and the Martial League.
The same had been true regarding the Divine Dragon.
With such a martial arts tournament ruined and Hanam even attacked, it was obvious what state the League was in.
‘So.’
Tap, tap.
I drummed on the table, lifting the corner of my mouth.
‘You’re planning to use me for this?’
The League’s scheming had turned toward me this time.
The youngest King-class martial artist.
The representative of the Meteor Generation.
As if presenting a nice facade, the League seemed to be pulling attention toward me.
Ah, of course.
‘Not bad.’
Rather, this was the situation I’d wanted.
It was a bit shitty, but I could tolerate this much.
‘It was also the facade I needed.’
A title or a facade.
From the standpoint of someone who needed that, there was no reason to refuse when they placed it on my head.
A tool to draw attention? That was fine too.
After all.
‘I wasn’t planning to end things here.’
If I’d planned to end things at just that, I wouldn’t have done any of this in the first place.
Right now, I intended only to use the position they’d given me.
If there was just one shitty thing.
“The Star King smiles.”
“Seeing your smile, you seem happy about something.”
“I suppose the tea must be delicious. To think it satisfies the Star King’s palate... It must be remarkable tea.”
“Oh my, I brewed this tea myself.”
“Ho...”
Their idle chattering in front of me invaded my ears.
I had to frown deeply the moment I heard it.
“Can you both please just leave?”
I squeezed my brow and tried to say it, but—
“Oh my, the Star King seems angry.”
“Oh dear... We don’t know our place, how dare we...”
“...”
Fuck, stop it...
I couldn’t bring myself to curse out loud and only repeatedly ran a hand down my face in exasperation.
Right now, Paejon and Moyong Huia were sitting in front of me having a conversation, and about eighty percent of their steady exchange was just them messing with me.
This was what happened the moment they heard the news that my title had changed.
I was already pissed off, and being teased all day long—how was I supposed to stay sane?
So I barely held back a sigh and asked Moyong Huia.
“...You told me to eat.”
“Yes, I did.”
“You’re telling me to eat in this situation?”
“Why?”
Why do you think?
Because every time I tried to take a spoonful, they kept teasing me, so I couldn’t eat a single bite.
Right now, too, I couldn’t eat and was only sipping needless tea.
“We merely thought the Star King might be lonely, so we wished to be your conversation partners...”
“...Young Master Bi, shouldn’t you stop too?”
“I did stop... but it seems you are in quite a foul mood today.”
“...”
I was completely ignored.
Moyong Huia was one thing, but Paejon was worse.
The old man had come running as soon as he heard the title news, his face the brightest I’d seen in recent years.
He must have been overjoyed at the thought of teasing me.
Damn it.
I set down my spoon, suppressing my rising anger.
Because one look told me I’d lost my appetite anyway and wouldn’t be able to eat.
“...How are the kids’ conditions?”
“Oh my... How dare I report such things to the Star King...”
“Should I get angry?”
“I’ll stop.”
At the warning, Moyong Huia immediately changed her expression.
She must have realized I’d really blow up if she kept going.
Then she immediately answered my question.
“The physician said there are no major issues. Young Lady Wi’s wound opened slightly... but she has such good regenerative ability that she’ll heal quickly.”
Wi Seol-a, who had been wounded in the battle against the Divine Dragon.
I’d been worried because she’d joined the fight in such a condition, but it seemed there was no major issue.
“Young Lady Dang is said to have no major issues... Young Lady Namgung overused her energy and suffered a bit of internal energy exhaustion... but they said this too would be fine with time.”
“Internal energy exhaustion...”
It was a phenomenon caused by rapidly using excessive energy.
Namgung Bia hadn’t fully recovered either. Could it be that briefly exerting herself in that situation had caused the problem?
‘...I should go check on them.’
This wasn’t just about the kids.
I needed to grasp the overall situation.
Before losing consciousness, I’d wrapped up everything I could, but
I needed to know exactly what had happened after that.
“Anyway, then I should get up soon...”
“You haven’t finished your meal.”
“You think rice will go down in this situation?”
I hadn’t even planned to eat in the first place; Moyong Huia was the one who’d pushed her way in.
And once inside, she just kept teasing me.
If I stayed here, I’d probably just throw up instead of getting anything down.
So, just as I was about to move to check my physical condition as well—
“Then, Young Master.”
“Hm?”
“Take this.”
Moyong Huia spoke and pulled something out. It was a letter.
Just as I wondered why she was suddenly giving me this, Moyong Huia spat out words like an excuse.
“This was originally my purpose for coming... I’m sorry. I forgot because I was too busy teasing you, Young Master.”
“...”
I lost my words at her brazen admission.
Yeah, that was better than putting on airs... Yeah.
I examined it and saw a familiar pattern.
It was the seal of the League.
After confirming it, I opened the letter at once.
“Hm?”
A short passage.
It seemed written with every courtesy crammed in, but once I grasped the meaning embedded within, my face scrunched up.
“...Hmm.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was just about to head out, but something came up.”
“...You’re going out now?”
Moyong Huia’s eyes turned fierce upon hearing that.
“Where are you planning to go in that condition?”
Wow, those eyes are fierce.
I’d thought I’d gotten used to it, but whenever Moyong Huia opened her eyes like that, I instinctively shrank back.
That was how scary her gaze was.
“...No, well... I won’t be out long. Something just came up.”
“What business is so important that someone unwell has to go out...”
“Who knows.”
I answered with a faint smile.
“I don’t know the reason, but the great Martial League is calling. I should go in person.”
“...”
A message from the League.
I didn’t know when they’d learned I’d woken up, but the Martial League had sent me a letter. The gist of it was, in the end, to come visit the Martial League once.
What could be the reason?
Several guesses naturally came to mind, but I didn’t care either way.
‘I would’ve had to go even if they hadn’t called.’
Having them call right after I woke up was almost something to be grateful for.
“So I’ll be back in a bit.”
As I spoke and rose, Moyong Huia urgently tried to stop me.
“No, someone who still has wounds...!”
She tried to stop me, fussing about the wounds on my body, but.
Rustle.
“Huh?”
As the bandages unraveled and my body was revealed, she lost her words.
The wounds on my body had long since healed.
“I’m going out and coming back. Young Master Bi, let’s talk later.”
Taking advantage of Moyong Huia’s reaction, I hurriedly strode forward. She belatedly tried to grab me.
“...This man, really...!”
I had already escaped.
“Running away again...? And in a sick body?”
Watching the vanished Gu Yangcheon, Moyong Huia huffed.
Paejon, who was watching this, took a sip of the tea Gu Yangcheon had left behind and spoke.
“You don’t need to chase him?”
“No. It’s fine.”
At his question, Moyong Huia sighed and then smirked.
Normally, she would have warned him before chasing after him.
That it would be troublesome to go out right now. She had even been about to explain.
“That man... needs to be scolded once.”
He was so insolent that she didn’t feel like doing that anymore.
Moyong Huia snorted briefly and left the room. Paejon, seeing that, also laughed shortly and said.
“You’re right.”
That he needed to be scolded once.
He, too, strongly agreed.
******************
“Hoo.”
Like that, I came out of my quarters and walked.
Judging by the lack of pursuit, I seemed to have gotten away cleanly.
I’d suffer for it later when I returned... but that was a problem for future me.
Thinking so, I turned my head forward.
I didn’t bring any guards either.
I’d always been the type to move alone without such things, and I’d intended to do the same this time.
Just as I took a step toward the League over the already ruined road.
“Uh...!”
“Th-that person is...!”
“Hm?”
I felt a presence from somewhere.
I turned my head following the gaze and saw people clearing the debris.
Then.
“S-Star King.”
“The Star King has come!”
“What!? The Star King is here?”
Those who saw me began shouting with gleaming eyes.
“...Huh?”
Just when I wondered why they were acting like that.
“Star King-!!”
“Star King...!!!”
“The Star King has arrived!”
“...The hell?”
People swarmed in.
Watching them, I realized.
It seemed that something had changed greatly over the past few nights.
And in a very strange direction, at that.