Rising star.
A word literally referring to a newly risen star.
People commonly use this term when referring to 'an outstanding young talent who appeared suddenly.' From that perspective, Do Heo-ok was a person who fit perfectly.
He truly appeared suddenly in the Martial World.
Naturally, his initial steps were merely a breeze.
His name first became known to people of the Martial World when Do Heo-ok single-handedly eliminated a nameless bandit group in Liaoning Province. Even at this time, not many people paid attention to him.
But then.
Hebei's Eight Freaks of Hebei, Shanxi's Horse Dung Gang.
Shaanxi's Flying Heaven Demon Chef Harang.
Sichuan's Thunder Yang Spear Cheon Dae-gang...
As Do Heo-ok continued westward, continuously defeating those who walked the path of Evil Demons and Heretics, people gradually began to see him in a new light.
Even so, evaluations of him remained harsh. Dilettantes deliberately disparaged those he had faced as second-rate, and had no hesitation in saying that his unstoppable march would end if he encountered a true master of the Demonic Path or Evil Sects.
And...
Finally, that day came.
When Do Heo-ok arrived in Hubei, the Yin-Yang Twin Demons blocked his path. Though the Yin-Yang Twin Demons weren't included in the Two Divinities, Three Eccentrics, Five Supremes, and Ten Greats, they were veteran giants whose skills weren't far behind them. They weren't opponents an inexperienced youngster who had just recently emerged in the Martial World could face.
However, Do Heo-ok shattered people's preconceptions in one fell swoop. Though he didn't win, he alone withstood the Yin-Yang Twin Demons for one thousand exchanges. Eventually, both sides couldn't determine victory and withdrew from each other.
This result caused great ripples in the Martial World.
A young wanderer roaming the Martial World alone without a sect was on par with two giants who had dominated the Martial World for decades?
It was a major incident that was hard to believe easily. However, that fact was soon resolved when Do Heo-ok's martial arts background was revealed.
Do Heo-ok used a very domineering blade technique, and every time he unleashed one blade strike after another, thunder sounds as if heaven and earth were collapsing shook and rang in all directions. Though there were many martial arts in the Martial World accompanied by thunder sounds, there weren't many thunder blades that made such intense sounds.
Thunder Clap Blade Technique.
The exclusive martial art of the Thunder Clap Blade Emperor, who was the world's greatest three hundred years ago. The blade technique Do Heo-ok used was precisely that.
Though it wasn't known where he obtained the secret manual, in any case, by using that blade technique, he announced to the world that he was a descendant of the Thunder Clap Blade Emperor.
Fair and upright conduct, Thunder Clap Blade Technique, and skill befitting it.
Due to the exquisite harmony of those three things, his fame quickly began racing throughout the world.
Accordingly, many great Martial World sects threw flirtations at Do Heo-ok to embrace the young and promising him.
If they could only draw an outstanding rising star under their sect's shadow, wouldn't they not only gain such an excellent talent but also obtain the potential world's greatest blade technique in their hands?
Naturally, that competition unfolded even more fiercely.
However, as if mocking such great Martial World sects' strife, Do Heo-ok continued focusing only on executing evil people who walked the path of Evil Demons and Heretics.
Unavoidably, the Nine Sects and One Society or Five Great Families of the Central Plains could only continue watching him, but the rising star struggle was still ongoing.
But then.
The great Martial World sects' underwater competition that had unfolded at an inopportune time ended too anticlimactically after he arrived in Anhui Province's Hefei. Do Heo-ok fell in love at first sight with Namgung Hye, the second daughter of the Namgung Family.
Eventually, the victor became the Namgung Family, and the remaining great sects could only give up on him while clicking their tongues in regret.
***
These days, the Namgung Family was spinning frantically without time to even blink due to the wedding of Do Heo-ok and Namgung Hye, the result of that fierce rising star struggle.
The person in question, Do Heo-ok, was needless to say, very busy.
He was personally greeting congratulatory guests as they came to a temporary reception hall set up near the Namgung Family's gate.
With his tall stature and handsome southern-type face, Do Heo-ok exuded the bearing of a hero just with his appearance alone. Even as congratulatory guests exchanged greetings with him and left for the Guest Hall, they didn't stop praising him for even a moment.
Originally, there was no need for the groom to personally come out and receive guests. Nevertheless, since Do Heo-ok was voluntarily handling even the troublesome guest reception, from the congratulatory guests' standpoint, they could only admire Do Heo-ok's humble attitude even more.
However,
Do Heo-ok's actual purpose wasn't guest reception.
Though he was greeting guests with hearty laughter, in reality he was examining the guests' features with sharp eyes. He was meticulously organizing and categorizing in his mind who had come, what their exact sects were, how strong they were, etc.
Above all, confirming whether people who must come had come or not was more important to him.
For a performance to unfold, many actors are needed by law. Do Heo-ok was the lead, and there needed to be numerous extras and several essential supporting actors. However, differences in importance definitely existed even among supporting actors.
Do Heo-ok was waiting here every day for the most important supporting actor among them. Once he arrived, hundreds of useless extras or so could be absent. And when he showed his face at this Namgung Family was the point when preparations for starting the 'Grand Plan' would finally all be finished.
When about three days had passed since Do Heo-ok greeted guests while hiding his true face, finally the best supporting actor of this 'First Stratagem' he had been awaiting arrived at the Namgung Family.
'He's here.'
Dozens of people were entering the large tent-style temporary reception hall open on all sides.
Though it was considerably more people than Do Heo-ok had originally expected, that wasn't very important. The only person important to him was the middle-aged man in brown with a cold impression standing at the very front.
Sure enough.
At the middle-aged man's appearance, martial artists who had come earlier and were writing names on the congratulatory register recognized him and began buzzing. Though he was showing himself before people after a long time, the middle-aged man in brown was one of the masters with such high importance in the Martial World that he could stir people just with his appearance.
"Silence!"
The middle-aged man spat out a sharp rebuke while looking at people whispering while looking at him. Then the mouths of the buzzing martial artists fell into silence at once.
The middle-aged man coldly looking over people was famous not only as a master but also widely known as an eccentric. If he were just a bit stronger and more bizarre, there was a reason why the saying openly circulated that he would have become the Four Eccentrics rather than the Three Eccentrics of the Martial World. No one here would want to get on his bad side.
"Noisy. Are you saying I've come somewhere I shouldn't have?"
His cold eyes and characteristic cantankerous speech chilled people's hearts. People were busy avoiding his eyes while thinking of his epithet in their hearts. Even if they died, they didn't want to be chased even as ghosts, so they were crawling on their own.
'As expected of Soul Chasing Poison Hand.'
The middle-aged man in brown was precisely Tang O.
After performing the Crown Opening Great Method all night last night, he had walked a full day to reach this Namgung Family on the shores of Chaohu Lake in Hefei. The people who appeared with him were naturally Dong Bong-su, Tang Hwa, and the Danri Family people.
Unlike people being flustered, Do Heo-ok was smiling inside at Tang O's appearance.
Why wouldn't he?
For such a long time, he had moved in the shadows as a Shadow for just this one matter. Now, once he finished just this matter, he could finally become a proper shadow of the light rather than a shadow of darkness.
"If you have something to say, don't mutter in a corner like that but stick your head in front of me and jabber."
"...."
Naturally, no one came forward.
No, there was one person. The only person who hadn't lost his leisurely reception smile even once from when Tang O appeared until now.
"How do you do? Great Hero Tang."
It was Do Heo-ok.
At his greeting, Tang O's gaze finally shifted from the people toward him.
"Who are you?"
"I am meeting you for the first time. I am called Do Heo-ok."
A slightly interested expression rose on Tang O's face looking at Do Heo-ok's cupped fist salute. As if he had been curious who the rising star of the Martial World he knew by hearsay was, Tang O's eyes quickly examined Do Heo-ok up and down.
Though Tang O's eyes were scanning his entire body, Do Heo-ok didn't particularly care. In any case, just looking like that couldn't reveal anything about his true nature.
He was confident in himself.
That his transformation was the most perfect in the Martial World. At least in this, even 'he' couldn't follow him.
Do Heo-ok's transformation wasn't mere disguise arts. It was transformation arts based on Thousand Transformations Myriad Changes Arts, which completely reconstructed bones and muscles to change appearance.
"Oho, so you're that young man, that Blade Star, who troublesomely made me come here."
"Yes, Great Hero."
Do Heo-ok lightly bowed his head.
At that, Tang O's eyes sharpened once more. But it wasn't maintained very long.
"Excellent. Excellent. But that's all. If I'd met you yesterday, it would have been the best, but seeing you today is quite disappointing."
What did he mean?
Tang O threw words Do Heo-ok couldn't understand at all, then passed Do Heo-ok and walked toward the back of the temporary reception hall, toward the Namgung Family's inner quarters.
"That fellow Byeok is inside, right?"
"Yes. He is inside."
As expected, he was Tang O, known as a Martial World eccentric. Who would dare call the Namgung Family Head's name so carelessly? But Do Heo-ok was no pushover either and caught Tang O's words without any fluster.
"Then I'll go in."
"Yes, Great Hero. The Family Head has been waiting for several days."
If Tang O was an eccentric with an unrestrained personality, Do Heo-ok was a person like a waterfall. While having a flexible side like water, he possessed strong and hearty aspects. Of course, that wasn't his true appearance, but his shell was like that.
Do Heo-ok dealt with Tang O's behavior, which could be seen as rude, leisurely throughout. At that sight, people gathered there were admiring him once more.
However, only two people were exceptions to that.
Precisely Tang O and Dong Bong-su.
Tang O had already been sufficiently impressed by Dong Bong-su, the greatest talent, so there was nothing more to be impressed by.
On the other hand, Dong Bong-su was like that for a completely different reason.
Basically, Dong Bong-su doesn't admire people. He merely observes people. He observes and classifies them as prey, enemies, or natural objects like grass or trees.
If any subject was outstanding, to him they would merely become outstanding prey or an enemy. At this time, if that subject was prey, there was no need to worry—just hunt them or leave them alone.
However, if they were an enemy, one faced a completely different situation.
In such cases, Dong Bong-su typically chose one of three options. Eliminate them before they interfered with hunting, avoid them, or deceive them.
He had been watching Do Heo-ok from the moment he entered this temporary reception hall following Tang O.
It was precisely because of Spirit Eyes. Spirit Eyes had announced the appearance of a new high-level enemy.
[20... 10....]