Chapter 168: Not Ordinary, So Not Angry.
Chapter 168: Not Ordinary, So Not Angry.
“I completely forgot!”
Seo Dae-ryong shouted, his voice cracking. He had truly, utterly forgotten about the strategy pouch his master had entrusted to him.
“How on earth do you forget something like that?” I asked, shaking my head.
“Is that why the Elder gave it to me to hold onto instead of you?”
“Ah! I’m saved. I’m finally saved!”
“Is that so? Normally, you would have just lost gracefully. But by opening this pouch, you might end up overexerting yourself and dying, you know?”
Seo Dae-ryong flinched. “Are you using my own tactic against me? Killing the mood by imagining the worst-case scenario?”
“No. This time, I’m speaking of a very real possibility. Do you still want to open it?”
“I have to. Regardless of winning or losing, this is the first strategy my master ever left for me. I have to see it.”
I opened the pouch. Inside was a piece of paper rolled into a tight cylinder.
I handed it to Seo Dae-ryong. After taking a deep breath, he slowly unfurled it and began to read. As he processed the contents, his eyes widened in shock. Before he could even finish, he handed it back to me with trembling hands.
“L-Look at t-this!”
Written there was the oral formula for a blade technique.
It was the formula for the First Form of the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form, the signature technique of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. It wasn't the entire manual, only the mnemonic for the First Form.
[...It is only the first of the nine forms of the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form, but it will be of great help in a fight between rising stars. If there are parts you do not understand, learn them as the Second Young Master teaches you. He will also show you how to conceal the fact that it is my martial art.]
Seo Dae-ryong looked half-dazed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“The Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form is a martial art only passed down to an official successor,” he whispered.
“Naturally.”
“Then why aren't you surprised, Pavilion Master?”
“Why should I be?”
“It means... it means he considers me not just a disciple, but his successor.” Seo Dae-ryong’s voice was shaking. It was the most I had ever seen him tremble since the day we met.
“Isn't that obvious?”
“Obvious? My master considers me the next Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and you say that’s obvious?”
“Among the Elder’s disciples, who else but you is fit to become a Demon Lord?”
Seo Dae-ryong was so overwhelmed with emotion he didn't know what to do with himself. To be honest, I had only just confirmed that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon considered him his successor. I had expected it, but the decision was faster than I thought. It meant he was truly fond of Seo Dae-ryong.
“But to pass down such an important martial art via a mere note...?”
“That’s why he gave it to me. He knew I wouldn't lose it.”
Even if it was only a fragment, he had essentially shared the formula of his signature martial art with me. It was a clear indication of how much the Blood Heaven Blade Demon trusted me.
“Aaaaah!” Seo Dae-ryong paced back and forth, unable to contain his excitement.
That was when I pointed to the very last part of the paper. “Did you read this part too?”
“Which part?”
There was a single line written separately at the very end.
[If you lose, you die by my hand.]
“Gasp!” Seo Dae-ryong jumped in fright.
In contrast, I burst out laughing. Right—there was no way the Blood Heaven Blade Demon wouldn't leave a message like that, given his personality.
“Ah! This handwriting looks exceptionally dark, as if he pressed down hard while writing. Surely... he wouldn't actually kill me for losing, right?”
I wasn't about to miss this golden opportunity to tease him. “Is that so? Losing to a rising star while using his own martial art? Do you think a man with his prickly pride would just let that slide?”
“Oh, he really might kill me.” Seo Dae-ryong clutched his head.
“Even if he spares you for my sake, it’ll be hellish training for a while.”
“It’ll be hellish training for the rest of my life! Pavilion Master! I must win! Please, make sure I win!”
“Don't get overexcited. If you accidentally injure or kill Miss Jin, the Murim Alliance Leader will kill you. In that case, you really will die.”
Since the Alliance Leader already knew our true identities, we absolutely could not harm Miss Jin. The only reason he allowed us to reach the finals was because of our shared goal of eliminating the Heavenly Mandate Society.
“Pavilion Master! Please help me win without hurting Miss Jin! I must win using the First Form of the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form, but make it look like it’s not my master’s martial art to everyone else.”
“You do realize how impossible of a request that is, right?”
“I wouldn't ask anyone but you, Pavilion Master.”
*
There were five days left until the finals.
Fortunately, the First Form didn't seem overly difficult, and with Seo Dae-ryong’s intelligence, it was worth a shot. Our goal wasn't to achieve Twelve-Star Great Achievement, but to use the profundity of the technique to defeat Jin Ha-ryeong. We only needed one move.
“It’s a request from my right-hand man, so I have to grant it. Let’s go!”
We headed straight to a training ground hidden in the mountains. We put Jin Ha-ryeong, the Alliance Leader, and the Heavenly Mandate Society out of our minds.
In fact, I thought this was the best way to avoid suspicion. Who would imagine that people disappearing to train before a final match were plotting a conspiracy? They would simply think we were stubborn martial artists from the countryside.
We focused purely on the tournament. I believed that was the best way to approach the Heavenly Mandate Society.
A few days passed, and it was the eve of the finals.
The Murim Alliance was in a full-blown festive mood. The area was bustling with countless martial artists from all over the Central Plains. Merchants flocked to sell goods, and some warriors even demonstrated their skills on the streets to promote their sects. Swindlers tried to trick newcomers, and thieves targeted heavy purses.
The Murim Alliance deployed warriors from the Blue Dragon Unit and other elite organizations to maintain order and prevent any incidents.
Amidst the chaos, Jin Ha-ryeong entered an inn with her bamboo hat pulled low. When she asked the innkeeper about Geom Yeon, she was told that he hadn't returned for several days, along with his master.
‘Where on earth did he go?’
She had wanted to see Geom Yeon before the final match. She wanted to joke with him: Should I go easy on your young master or not? She had really wanted to share that laugh with him.
She was also curious about how she would feel if Geom Yeon actually begged her to go easy. Right now, she had no intention of doing so, but would she waver even a little?
With a lingering sense of regret, she left the inn. Since things had turned out this way, she had no choice but to change the joke. After winning, she would say this to him:
If you had come and asked me to go easy, I might have. My friend, where on earth were you?
*
Finally, the day of the finals dawned.
A massive crowd gathered. As befitting the finals, every important figure was in attendance. The Murim Alliance Leader, who hosted the tournament, was joined by the heads of the Alliance’s organizations and renowned masters from across the Central Plains.
The talk of the tournament was, without a doubt, Seo Dae-ryong. Interest was focused on whether he, a man from a small, unknown sect, could make history. Especially since his opponent was Jin Ha-ryeong, the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Leader. The moment he defeated her, Seo Dae-ryong would truly become a hero.
Of course, far more people were betting on Jin Ha-ryeong’s victory.
At the referee’s introduction, Seo Dae-ryong was the first to step onto the arena. The look in his eyes was different from his previous matches.
He had burned himself out over the past five days. Never in his life had he worked so hard for something, and he likely never would again. He would have no regrets even if he lost. Ah, no—he couldn't lose. The thought of lifelong hellish training was too terrifying.
Cheers chanting his name erupted from all sides. Seo Dae-ryong closed his eyes for a moment and savored it. It was a gift life had given him. Once this was over and he returned, he might have to live his entire life in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult as an investigator for the Huangquan Pavilion. The final match of the Young Dragon Tournament—a moment that would never happen again.
Seo Dae-ryong looked back at Geom Mu-geuk below the arena.
Geom Mu-geuk, who was watching with his arms crossed, nodded at him. Seo Dae-ryong nodded back. That single exchange was all they needed.
The referee then introduced Jin Ha-ryeong. An even greater roar of cheers erupted. Standing on the arena, her gaze moved past Seo Dae-ryong toward Geom Mu-geuk.
He was looking at them with an indifferent expression. She didn't know why, but at this moment, Geom Mu-geuk felt like a different person. Not an attendant, not a friend, but someone else entirely.
“Now, let the final match begin!”
At the referee’s shout, the match began amidst cheers that shook the heavens.
Seo Dae-ryong was the first to move. His blade sliced through the air with blistering speed. There would only be one chance to win. He had practiced for that single moment. He absolutely could not be defeated before he could create that opportunity.
Seo Dae-ryong pushed aggressively, but Jin Ha-ryeong blocked his attacks with ease. Her martial arts skill was clearly a level above his. The only saving grace was that, thanks to his increased internal energy, he wasn't being pushed back in terms of raw power.
The fierce battle continued. However, the match gradually began to tilt in Jin Ha-ryeong’s favor. Seo Dae-ryong’s attacks grew slower, while Jin Ha-ryeong’s sword became faster. Seo Dae-ryong had to exert all his strength just to block her strikes.
That he could even hold out this long was a testament to his effort. But no amount of effort could overcome this clear difference in skill. Seeing him pushed back, the spectators expected the match to end soon. The Murim Alliance Leader also watched his granddaughter’s match with a relaxed mind.
Just as Seo Dae-ryong was being pushed to the very edge of the arena...
The moment arrived.
The distance between them, the position of her feet, the angle of her sword, his own body's center of gravity—everything reached the exact positions he had been waiting for.
Seo Dae-ryong did not miss his chance.
Swooooosh!
Seo Dae-ryong’s blade created a sudden variation, unleashing a modified version of the First Form of the Heaven Extermination Demonic Blade Form. It was the first variation he had used since the start of the match, a move that caught her completely off guard.
Startled, she swung her sword to block, but that too had been accounted for. Seo Dae-ryong’s blade twisted at a bizarre angle, striking her sword repeatedly and flying in to slash the fingers gripping the hilt.
The Murim Alliance Leader bolted upright from his seat!
Clang!
The sword, forced from Jin Ha-ryeong’s grasp, flew into the air in an arc before falling to the ground with a sharp metallic ring. She had been forced to abandon her weapon; her fingers would have been severed if she had tried to hold on.
Before she knew it, Seo Dae-ryong’s blade was pointed at her throat.
Jin Ha-ryeong couldn't believe it. The final move that had disarmed her was so exquisite that she hadn't known how to counter it. Words she truly didn't want to say escaped her lips.
“...I lost.”
The referee declared the result immediately. “The winner of the Young Dragon Tournament is Seo Ryong of the Gansu West Blade Sect!”
Cheers erupted from all directions. Seo Dae-ryong jumped down from the arena like a child and threw himself into Geom Mu-geuk’s arms.
“Thank you... thank you so much.”
Tears streamed down Seo Dae-ryong’s face. It was the first time I had seen him cry. He seemed like the type who wouldn't break easily, but he couldn't hold back. Though he wouldn't have won without Geom Mu-geuk, Seo Dae-ryong had put in an immense amount of effort. It was because of that sincerity that my teachings had worked.
Geom Mu-geuk hugged him tightly and whispered softly. “Well done.”
From an investigator of the Huangquan Pavilion to a disciple of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and now winning a tournament by defeating the Alliance Leader’s granddaughter—his joy wasn't just about the victory. He loved the feeling of finally stepping onto the path of a true martial artist.
“Stop crying and get back up there.”
“Yes.”
Wiping away his tears, Seo Dae-ryong climbed back onto the arena.
At that moment, Geom Mu-geuk felt a gaze. From afar, the Murim Alliance Leader was staring at him. It was a distance from which even a master could never send a voice transmission, but Geom Mu-geuk’s voice reached the Alliance Leader clearly.
— I apologize. My friend was so sincere that I helped him with his training.
— What was that final technique?
— It is the martial art of Lord Blade Demon.
The Murim Alliance Leader was shocked by the honest answer.
— The Blade Demon’s martial art?
— Yes. This friend is the Lord’s top disciple.
I told him on purpose. When Seo Dae-ryong was revealed to be no ordinary demonic cultist, the Alliance Leader’s anger would subside into intrigue. Indeed, the Murim Alliance Leader no longer took issue with the result.
— Sometimes, defeat can be more helpful than victory.
It seemed he thought this loss might be of greater help to his granddaughter, who had never known defeat.
— I am merely moved by your great magnanimity, Alliance Leader.
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze returned to the arena. And then, another moment arrived.
Beyond Seo Dae-ryong, who was overwhelmed with joy, a person caught my eye. It was the woman who had come to congratulate Seo Dae-ryong every time he won.
At that moment, Geom Mu-geuk saw it. Her eyes and expression were chillingly indifferent. Having only ever seen her shy, smiling face, that expression was incredibly jarring.
She practiced relaxing her face—smiling, frowning, then smiling again. Then, looking up at the arena, she waved her hand and called out to Seo Dae-ryong. The moment her eyes met his, she smiled brightly. She was a completely different person from the one I had seen just a second ago. The reason I could perceive this change so clearly was thanks to the New Eye Technique.
‘It’s the Heavenly Mandate Society!’
They had been working on him for a long time. Perhaps they had approached not only Seo Dae-ryong but every martial artist who had made it to the finals. With women for those who liked women, with friendship for those who needed friends, and with money for those who needed money. Truly, the Heavenly Mandate Society was no ordinary organization.
In any case, I had finally succeeded in catching their tail!
But my joy was short-lived. I looked at Seo Dae-ryong with a heavy heart. He was waving back at the woman with a wide, goofy smile.
‘Ah, Dae-ryong. What am I going to do with you?’
I intended not to tell him until the woman revealed her true colors. It would be more natural for him to act if he knew nothing.
I’m sorry, Investigator Seo. The more sincerely you fall for her, the more surely we can catch them. It can't be helped. Let’s grow through the pain!