Chapter 696: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 696: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (6)
“So, how was it?”
A bit of time had passed since they returned to the lodge. The sky was now draped in total darkness. I stood facing the two who had just returned from finishing their trial at the gate.
“Everything go smoothly?”
“Yes.”
Wi Seol-Ah nodded at my question. The faint smile playing on her lips suggested she’d actually had some fun. I didn’t bother asking if she had passed; I took it for granted that she had, and her expression confirmed it.
“And you?”
I turned my head. Beside Wi Seol-Ah stood Seong Yul, looking remarkably haggard.
“…Yes. Same here.”
“No, it wasn’t. Your face is a mess. Something definitely happened.”
“...”
I knew it.
“What was it?”
“…It was nothing.”
It was written all over his face, yet Seong Yul seemed determined to play it off. Watching him, I simply tilted my head.
“Alright, then.”
If he didn’t want to talk, I wasn’t going to force him.
“...”
But the moment I dropped the subject, Seong Yul’s expression twisted subtly. This punk. I was trying to be considerate because he looked uncomfortable, but look at that face.
“What is it now? You’re the one who said you didn’t want to talk.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to… it’s just that, truly, nothing happened.”
“Right. And I said if nothing happened, then fine. Didn’t I?”
“...”
What was he so miserable about? It was a total mystery. As I stretched my stiff muscles—having just finished my own training—Seong Yul asked me in a questioning tone.
“But… how did you get out?”
“Hm?”
What did he mean, how did I get out?
“I finished, so I left. Obviously.”
“No… did you, perhaps, escape?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Escape? Who did he think I was? My scowl deepened at his ridiculous suggestion, and Seong Yul quickly added, “But after the gate closes, everyone is supposed to wait and return at the same time. When on earth did you get back?”
“Huh?”
His words left me dumbfounded.
“What are you talking about?”
We were all supposed to gather and leave together?
“…That doesn’t sound right.”
I looked at Seong Yul with genuine bewilderment. I was certain that when I asked Bimapa, she hadn’t mentioned anything like that. When I asked if I could go home, she simply said I could. I had returned to my quarters based on her word alone, so what was this all about?
“Is that really true?”
As I looked at him in disbelief, not only Seong Yul but also Wi Seol-Ah nodded in confirmation.
What the hell?
If what they were saying was true, why did Bimapa just let me go? I hadn’t heard a single instruction about waiting.
I don’t get it.
I really didn’t. I wondered if she had some ulterior motive, but then again…
It probably doesn’t matter.
The others must have seen Bimapa give me permission. If anyone questioned me, I had a valid excuse. It wouldn’t be a problem. In fact, it was better this way.
“Forget about that. Have you eaten?”
“We were just about to.”
“They should have saved some for you, so go eat. And you—are you sure nothing happened?”
I asked one last time. Seong Yul’s eyes flickered for a moment, but his answer remained the same.
“…Yes. Nothing at all.”
“Fine.”
I really wasn’t going to ask again.
“They said we can rest for the next two days. Make sure you get some sleep.”
Since the preliminaries were scheduled to last three days, we had a two-day window to recover.
Then, for the remaining time…
Something had occurred to me during today’s gate, and I felt the need to speak with Cheol Jiseon privately. It seemed I needed to make some adjustments to the plan.
* * *
After sending Seong Yul and Wi Seol-Ah off, I immediately went to find Cheol Jiseon. He was waiting in my room, buried under a massive pile of letters he’d acquired from somewhere.
Seeing the mountain of paper, I asked, “What’s all that?”
“Reports.”
“…All of them?”
“Hmm… about thirty percent of them?”
Thirty percent of that pile? The sheer volume was staggering. I was about to let out a hollow laugh when he continued.
“The strategist is likely looking at the other seventy percent.”
“...”
I cleared my throat. That meant Zhuge Hyuk was handling a workload far more monstrous than this.
“Why is there so much?”
“That’s what I’m asking. Why is there so much?”
Cheol Jiseon looked up at me, his eyes brimming with a sense of profound injustice.
“Maybe it’s because someone is constantly causing trouble everywhere he goes?”
“…Hmph.”
“…The workload has doubled in just the last three months. What in the world have you been doing?”
I had been setting a lot of things in motion since the start of the year. I had increased the number of Demonic Humans, and with the Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament as a turning point, there were so many variables to account for that I’d had to establish a massive framework.
“There were a few things here and there…”
“Hoo…”
Though he sighed as if exhausted, Cheol Jiseon diligently returned to the letters. Even if the volume increased and things grew more complicated, he clearly had no intention of quitting.
Of course.
The man was just as desperate as I was, in his own way. We both had something to achieve—a relationship where we both stood to gain. It was a perfectly suitable arrangement. Knowing that, Cheol Jiseon had willingly joined me in this endeavor.
“So…”
Still scanning the letters, he posed a question.
“When do you plan to proceed with the matter concerning Young Lady Bongsun?”
“I’ve been thinking this for a while, but that title really doesn’t suit her.”
Young Lady Bongsun. The name had a strange, ill-fitting ring to it.
Cheol Jiseon gave me a flat look. “You’re the one who gave her that name.”
“I think the problem is the ‘Young Lady’ part, not the name itself.”
“I don’t think that’s the problem at all.”
We traded pointless banter for a moment before Cheol Jiseon let out a deep, restrained sigh.
“Enough with the chatter… What are you really going to do?”
“What do you mean? We stick to the plan.”
Not much had changed from the original intent. That was my stance. However, Cheol Jiseon seemed skeptical.
“Will that really work?”
I let a smirk play on my lips. “Why? You don’t think it will?”
“It’s all in the past. No matter what wrongs the Alliance committed, will something from so long ago really be that damaging?”
He had a point. Since it was an event from the distant past, he feared the public reaction would be one of indifference or skepticism. It wasn’t just Cheol Jiseon; Zhuge Hyuk had expressed similar concerns—that it was unlikely to deal a major blow.
“Something from the past, you say. On the surface, sure…”
But unfortunately, there was one thing they failed to realize.
“But there are so many people who are bound by the past. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
“...”
Cheol Jiseon clamped his mouth shut. He was a man who wanted to restore the Zhuge Clan. His entire goal was to clear the false accusations the Alliance had pinned on his family and rise to the ranks of a noble clan once more. He had joined hands with me for that very reason. He, too, was unable to escape the past.
And it’s the same for me.
No one can ever truly escape their past. The past constructs the present; how could one possibly walk away from it? The same would be true for the Alliance. As long as people remembered the Alliance’s history, it would be impossible for them to outrun this shame.
They can never escape.
Even if the Alliance forgot, those who learned the truth would not. When that happened, the very foundation of trust would begin to crumble. And with concrete evidence, the collapse would be inevitable.
“So don’t worry about that part. Just do as we planned.”
“…I understand.”
“How’s the situation in Hubei?”
“I’ve set it up as you requested. When you give the order, Young Lady Na will likely move immediately. However…” Cheol Jiseon’s expression clouded with worry. “It seems the Alliance caught on faster than we expected. I heard the Captain of the First Dragon Army has moved personally.”
The Captain of the First Dragon Army…
So, he’s one of the Assassins.
He was the leader of the assassination squad run by the Alliance. Though his name was somewhat overshadowed by the Dark King, he was a formidable assassin in his own right.
“That doesn’t matter either.”
“It doesn’t matter?”
“Yeah.”
Even so, it didn’t change anything.
“Because I did it knowing that would happen.”
“...”
I already knew that a Captain-level figure would get involved in what I had started. And the Captain of the First Dragon Army was exactly the right man for the job.
“…You.”
Seeing my reaction, Cheol Jiseon’s eyes widened. “…Is that why you intended to send Young Lady Na?”
I burst out laughing. “That’s a secret. Think what you will.”
As I smiled, Cheol Jiseon’s expression hardened slightly.
“…That’s scary. Truly.”
Seeing his genuinely fearful expression, I clicked my tongue and moved on.
“Enough about that. The important thing is the issue with the Dao King. I’m changing the plan for that part.”
“Why? Is the Dao King’s strength greater than you anticipated?”
“Are you crazy?”
Comparing that vermin to me?
“But you were thrilled earlier, saying it was a windfall.”
“That’s right. The Dao King’s participation in the tournament is a significant gain.”
With the Lord of one of the Four Noble Clans making a personal appearance, there were many ways to exploit the situation. However…
“The other things aren’t the problem. It’s just that a better method came to mind. If we’re going to use this opportunity, we should make the most of it.”
“What…?”
“Three scenarios. Listen carefully and remember them.”
I gave Cheol Jiseon a request disguised as an order.
The first was how to handle the situation if the Dao King faced me in the tournament.
The second was how to handle it if he did not face me.
And finally…
“The case where the Dao King dies before he even appears at the tournament.”
“…!”
Cheol Jiseon’s expression froze solid. I immediately added an explanation.
“I don’t mean I’m going to make it happen. It’s just a precaution for a what-if scenario.”
The situation had to be absolutely certain. This was a time when not even the slightest opening could be permitted. I gave him advance instructions so we could handle whichever of these three situations arose.
“And relay the second and third responses to the Lord of the Hwangbo Clan as well.”
“To the Lord of the Hwangbo Clan?”
“Yes. There’s something that old man needs to know in advance.”
That old man, in particular, had a lot of work to do.
“I need to start laying the groundwork now.”
It would make things easier later.
“I’ll write down the rest and send it to Hyuk. You just handle this much.”
“This is already a lot more than ‘this much’…”
“Then do you want to do the rest?”
“I’ll work hard on just this part.”
It seemed he was well aware that his workload was significantly lighter than Zhuge Hyuk’s.
Hyuk is a monster, but it’s not like this guy is lacking either.
He could probably do it if he tried. It was simply that Cheol Jiseon lacked Zhuge Hyuk’s obsessive ambition for work. Having relayed everything, I slowly stood up.
Looking at the letters scattered across the floor, I said, “I’ll get you a room soon. You can’t stay here forever.”
At the mention of separate rooms, Cheol Jiseon asked in a flustered tone, “…To—to stay by myself?”
“If I leave you alone, someone might come and kill you, so I’ll have to assign you a guard.”
“Uh, u-huh.”
At my grim words, Cheol Jiseon’s face turned pale. But it was the truth. This neighborhood was just that dangerous. It wouldn’t do for any problems to arise.
“For the guard… hmm.”
Who should I assign? After a moment of thought, I said nonchalantly, “You’ll be safe until the tournament, so I’ll just use someone from the Hwangbo Clan for now… and after that, I’ll assign Bongsun to you.”
“Y-You mean Young Lady Bongsun?”
At the mention of Bongsun, Cheol Jiseon flinched. His expression was one of complete disbelief. I understood; I could hardly believe it either. But what choice did I have?
“Is—is there anyone else?”
“Everyone’s busy.”
“You have Young Master Seong next to you! He seems strong too…?”
“Bongsun is stronger than him.”
For now, at least.
“That’s not the important part!”
“What’s more important than a strong guard? Anyway, just keep that in mind. I’m leaving.”
“Wait—!”
Cheol Jiseon tried to say more, but I had already closed the door. I quickly leaped away, worried he might follow and pester me. From there, I flew straight toward my next destination.
* * *
After leaving the lodge, I traveled for a while under the light of the moon. Before long, I had left Henan slightly behind and entered a dense forest.
This was my destination. Realizing this, I gradually lowered my altitude and landed.
Thud!
I landed in a part of the forest where even the moonlight couldn't penetrate. It was pitch black. I had been here before, but it felt strangely darker tonight.
Hoo.
I steadied my breathing and looked around. The wind was cool, a sign that summer was fading. The chirping of insects filled the air as always, and I used the sound as a guide to slowly step forward.
Chirrrp.
The sound of insects and the scent of grass on the breeze were soothing, but my mind grew more tangled with every step.
Tsk…
The reason was none other than the fact that I was on my way to meet Gu Huibi. To be precise, it wasn’t so much Gu Huibi but…
The Heavenly Demon.
It was more accurate to say I was going to see the Heavenly Demon she had with her. I should have gone sooner. But I couldn’t.
It was the same even now. Though I could walk faster, my feet felt heavy. Enduring the resistance, I forced myself onward.
I don’t want to go.
I don’t want to see her.
But I have to.
This filthy contradiction waged a war inside my mind. At the same time, the moment I faced her last time flashed through my memory. The Heavenly Demon—so different from the one I knew—with those desolate eyes and that voice. The image resurfaced, making my stomach churn.
Honestly, I didn’t want to go. My thoughts weren’t sorted out yet. But…
Still, I have to go.
There was no other way. If I searched and searched and still found no solution, the only thing left was to face it head-on.
My Qi is…
The Qi I had depleted to break through the gate was now mostly replenished. I prepared my body for a possible battle. What should I ask first? I probably had to ask Gu Huibi about my grandfather first. Also…
I have to ask about my father.
My father hadn’t arrived by the day the tournament started. Lady Mi had told me not to worry, but it kept bothering me. Could Gu Huibi know the reason? I planned to ask about that first.
After that…
I have something to ask the Heavenly Demon.
The Lord of the Black Palace who took her. The Ferocious Beast he had with him. I needed to know his whereabouts. If she refused to tell me, there would likely be trouble, but I decided to figure that out when the time came.
And so…
Step.
As I walked, the short distance felt agonizingly long.
“...”
Halt!
A strange sensation made me stop in my tracks.
What is this?
Why…
Why can’t I hear anything?
It was a pitch-black night with only the moonlight visible. It wasn’t strange for it to be quiet, but this was on another level. Every sound from my surroundings had been erased. The chirping of insects I’d heard just moments before, the rustling of leaves in the wind—everything had vanished.
Complete silence.
I took half a step forward.
“...”
My foot touched the ground, but I heard no sound. A bizarre and chilling sensation made me immediately circulate my Qi.
Vwooom—!
The rings of the Gu Flame Wheel Art spun, heating my body.
Fwoosh—!!
Blue flames engulfed me. At the same time, I sharpened my senses and spread them in all directions. They instantly covered the entire forest, but still, I felt nothing.
“Dammit.”
What the hell was going on? Just as I grew tense in the face of the unknown…
“A fine flame.”
“…!”
A voice.
“The color is different from the intent, but it is brilliant in itself. You have cultivated it well.”
A deep, dark voice. I didn’t even need to turn my head. The voice was coming from directly in front of me.
“The quality is good. I like it.”
Flicker.
An ember burned. A flame was walking toward me.
Hiss.
In a moment where everything had stopped and fallen silent, a flame in the shape of a human was walking toward me.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard. Cold sweat trickled down my back.
VWOOOOM—!!!
My heart pounded as my Qi raged. Resonance. My flame was resonating with it. Which meant… did that mean the flame was the Gu Flame Wheel Art?
“And so, I am all the more curious.”
I wanted to say something, but my lips wouldn’t move.
“You are qualified enough. More than enough—already complete and then some.”
The flame reached out its hand until it was right before my nose.
“Why have you not yet inherited the karma?”
The sound made my heart sink.
“And along with that…”
Caressing my cheek, the flame added, “Why have you become a vile non-human? My precious bloodline.”