Chapter 704: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 704: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (3)
The preliminary rounds concluded, and evening fell.
It was around the time we had finished our evening duties and eaten our fill. I looked at Bongsun, who was sitting across from me, and asked, “Did you stay out of trouble?”
“Huh?” Bongsun tilted her head.
Thinking she hadn’t understood, I scowled and repeated myself. “I’m asking if you caused any trouble.”
Finally catching on, Bongsun nodded her head vigorously.
“I didn’t! The Cult Leader told me not to do anything!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! I really didn’t! I didn’t do a single thing! So, let’s mate—”
“Shut up.”
“Okay.”
I cut her off before she could spout any more nonsense.
Did she really stay still?
Given her usual behavior, my suspicions were high, but I had no way to confirm them. Normally, I would have shadowed her to check, but the circumstances were different now.
It’s impossible to infiltrate their formation…
The problem was the barrier the Alliance had erected around the examination area. I could probably dismantle it if I tried, but one wrong move would lead to discovery, so I didn’t bother.
Perhaps my suspicion was the problem.
“I told you, I really didn’t do anything!” Bongsun shouted, sounding genuinely hurt. “I didn’t kill anyone! Yet!”
Yet…?
That last word was unsettling, but for now, I just gave a curt nod.
“…Right. Good job.”
“That’s right! I did a good job! So, let’s mate—”
“Get lost.”
“Okay.”
At least she was obedient. At my command, Bongsun shot up and disappeared instantly. I let out a deep sigh as I watched her scurry away. She had become much more human, but she was still as dense as ever.
No. It’s more like she’s a beast in human skin.
A beast putting on a human act—that was the perfect description of Bongsun.
It had been two years since I brought her back from the Gwangju region, where she had been living among wild dogs. I had taken her away while she was busy tearing apart members of the local Beggar’s Sect. At the time, Bongsun was a talking demon, plain and simple. She could speak a little, but she moved purely on instinct.
How she had managed to reach her level of martial attainment in that state was beyond me; she was a monster.
It’s a strange thing.
Her level was clearly far beyond the Peak Realm, yet her mental state was that of a child. It was a mystery who had taught her to cultivate to such heights. It was certain she was a blood relative of the previous Sword Queen, but more than a decade had passed since her death. The possibility that the Sword Queen had taught her personally was slim.
She says she can’t remember, either. There’s nothing more I can dig up.
When I asked Bongsun out of curiosity, she said she didn’t remember anything specific. The Demonic Qi prevented her from lying to me, so her words had to be true. I pondered it for a moment before dismissing the thought.
It doesn’t matter if she can’t remember.
What mattered was that I had a powerhouse of Bongsun’s caliber at my disposal, and I could use her to increase the chances of my plan’s success. In this situation, Bongsun’s past was irrelevant.
“The problem is the Emei Sect.”
I took a sip of tea, recalling the morning’s events. As the liquid hit my tongue, it tingled. I had mixed a small amount of poison into the water on purpose; drinking it this way strengthened my poison resistance, and since the taste wasn't bad, I made it a habit.
“…Hmph.”
The Emei Sect. The nuns of Sichuan.
What is their relationship with Bongsun?
From the looks of it, they seemed more interested in the treasure she possessed than in Bongsun herself.
Does that mean… they weren’t looking for the Sword Queen in the first place?
Their reaction had been ambiguous and the evidence was thin, making it difficult to decipher their motives. However…
“I’ve laid the trap. A reaction should come soon enough.”
I had already set a snare. I had killed one of the Emei Sect’s women and sent her body back to their residence. Using the Power of Oblivion, I had delivered it with the Alliance’s crest and a few vague words attached, then erased the traces when the time was right.
I wonder how they’ll react.
I did this to gauge their response. If they were plotting something behind the Alliance’s back, their behavior would change. If they were in a cooperative relationship with the Alliance, there would be a different shift.
If their Sect Leader isn’t an idiot, it might even serve as a decent warning.
The Sect Leader of the Emei Sect was known as the Pink Moon Fist Immortal, one of the Seven Steel and Three Fists. It was a title she earned because her fists were said to be extraordinary for a woman who wore makeup. I believed that, as one of the Ten Great Masters, she wouldn't be a fool.
The Alliance’s crest had been used so blatantly that she had to consider the possibility of a third party’s involvement—someone anticipating a conflict or an agreement with the Alliance and using them to observe the situation. If it were me, I would act with extreme caution.
Furthermore…
If they know I have this, they’ll be even more careful.
I smirked, looking at the letter in my hand. I had taken it from the Emei nun’s belongings. There were several pages, and on them, a familiar name was written.
My name, along with several other martial artists.
It was a list of those participating in the martial arts tournament.
Probably the names of those they intended to poison.
The names overlapped with the information my assassins had gathered. Seeing a few additional names, it seemed to include even those we hadn't identified yet.
“Hmm.”
The Orthodox Faction. Why would the Emei Sect, a Buddhist sect of all things, go to such lengths? I hadn’t paid them any mind until now, but this situation piqued my interest.
Should I look into it a little?
Since it involved Bongsun, I had to investigate anyway. Of course, I wasn’t going to move personally. I put down my tea and spoke to the person beside me.
“Well then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“…Huh? What?”
At my words, Cheol Jiseon, who had been eating blankly, tilted his head in confusion.
* * *
Rustle.
I walked along the path, examining the letter in my hand. The pages were filled with dense text—information compiled by Zhuge Hyuk and Cheol Jiseon.
The Hubei side is more or less handled. The Shandong region can be left to the Lord of the Hwangbo Clan…
Zhuge Hyuk must have prepared this in advance, because despite the volume of information, it was easy to digest.
I’ll have to track the movements of the Captain of the First Dragon Army separately… and I need to check on that bastard Tang Duk’s situation as well.
I had sent Nahi to deal with Tang Duk, so that should be resolved soon. It would be ideal if she could tie up or kill the Captain of the First Dragon Army in the process, but that was likely asking too much.
It would be troublesome if things went sideways while I'm stuck here.
As long as my feet were tied to the tournament, I had to refrain from making any excessive moves.
To handle things properly, I'll have to wait until this is over.
I also had to see how the situation unfolded by the time the tournament ended. If everything went as planned, there would be no problem. But I knew my life had never been that lucky.
…I always have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
That was the only way to handle the inevitable trouble.
The problem here is… Tang Soyeol and Wi Seol-Ah.
The two of them, who had entered the tournament with me, were on my mind. Wi Seol-Ah had passed on the first day, and Tang Soyeol had passed today.
Hmm.
Honestly, I had no idea why those two entered the tournament, but that wasn't the issue. The problem was that once the preliminaries were over, it would immediately turn into a bracketed tournament. There was a chance they might end up in the same arena.
It would have been better if it were Woo Hyuk.
If it were Woo Hyuk on the stage, I could beat him senseless without holding back. Unfortunately, Woo Hyuk couldn’t participate.
What was the reason again?
I heard that since the Alliance Leader was from Wudang, the Wudang Sect wouldn’t participate for the sake of "fairness."
Ha.
Fairness. It was laughable that they were bringing that up now. At a point where they had already sent recommendation letters only to high-ranking individuals to invite them to the tournament, they were talking about fairness?
If they were going to be like that, they should have lived by it from the start.
The previous Alliance Leader, the Harmonic Sword. When I recalled that old man sending that bastard Jang to the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament, the Alliance’s "fairness" had long since been shattered.
Is he trying to give the impression that he, at least, is clean?
In fact, right after the Sword Immortal uttered those words, the public’s reaction wasn’t bad. They said he was a different kind of Alliance Leader than his predecessors.
Tsk…
I had plenty to say, but I held it in. Besides, that bastard Woo Hyuk didn’t seem to want to participate anyway.
…It’s dangerous for him to participate right now.
I’d been beating him up periodically under the pretext of sparring, but Woo Hyuk was now a dragon—even if only a half-dragon. Because his internal energy had surged and his body had changed, he had no control over his own strength. Woo Hyuk himself didn’t realize how much stronger he had become, and I needed to keep putting him through the wringer until he figured it out.
And while I’m putting him through it, I’ll be going through it myself.
There wasn’t much time left. I had surpassed the level of my past life, but I couldn’t afford to be complacent.
A situation could arise where I can’t use the Gu Flame Wheel Art.
It was a risk I realized after meeting my grandfather. I don’t know how it’s possible, but it seems my grandfather can take back the art I possess. If my flames were taken away, all my plans would shatter—all because I lost a single martial art.
I’m pathetic.
To be in a situation where I’m powerless if one ability is taken away… how incompetent is that? Out of that fear, I had to prepare. I had to ensure that even if one of my powers was stripped from me, I could still see things through.
Thud.
I stopped walking. I had arrived at my destination. I stood before a door and knocked.
Knock, knock—
“...”
No response. I knocked again.
Knock, knock, knock—
“...”
Still nothing.
Knock…
Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock—
Knock…
Creak—!
After I maintained that rapid, annoying rhythm for a while, the person I was waiting for finally threw open the door.
“You rotten bastard! Do you have any idea what time it is?!”
A skinny old man with a full head of white hair and a matching beard—the Immortal Healer—greeted me with a "smile."
“It’s the crack of dawn! Dawn! Everyone’s asleep, so why are you here bothering me?!”
“Dawn, you say, Elder? It’s not even the Hour of the Pig yet.”
“It’s still a time when everyone else is asleep, isn’t it?!”
“But, Immortal Healer, you weren’t sleeping, were you?”
“You damn brat…!”
As I retorted without missing a beat, the Immortal Healer’s face turned beet red. Ah, this was dangerous. That was a sign he was truly angry. I quickly pulled the letter from my robes and held it out.
“What do you take me for—!”
“This is a letter from Hyuk for you, Elder. Please take it.”
“...”
The Immortal Healer, who was about to explode, fell silent the moment he saw the letter. As expected, bringing it was the right move.
“Hmm…”
“I brought it as soon as I received it. Please, calm your anger.”
“…I’ll let it slide for Hyuk’s sake, but next time…”
“Then, may I come in?”
“You’re already inside, you damn brat…”
Without waiting for him to finish, I stepped into his residence. Unlike the attached clinic, his personal quarters were small and humble. I heard the Immortal Healer had specifically requested a smaller place, claiming a large space was too distracting. In any case, he was a man without greed.
I took off my shoes and entered the room. Inside, there was a small table and a lamp. On the table sat a massive pile of letters. All of them concerned treatment methods or medicinal herbs. Seeing the stack, I let out a dry laugh.
“Do you read all of those all the time?”
“Read them, my ass. How could this old man read all that?”
“Then?”
“I memorized them all when I was young. I keep them there to look things up when I can’t remember a detail.”
“With them piled up like that, how do you find what you need?”
“It’s easy if you memorize what’s where and on which page.”
“...”
Right. But how do you memorize all that in the first place? I swallowed the question.
“So,” the Immortal Healer spoke up as I scanned the letters. “Are you planning to do it again today?”
I answered as if it were obvious. “Yes.”
The Immortal Healer frowned. “You said you have a group brawl in a few days. Wouldn’t it be better to rest your body?”
“A group brawl, Elder… There’s a much cooler name for it: a tournament.”
“It’s a brawl, what else would it be?”
“...”
He wasn't wrong, so I just smiled awkwardly. A group brawl—the words fit perfectly.
“I can rest after I’m dead. Besides, I have someone right here who can treat me if I get hurt, don’t I?”
“Not only do you speak of dying in front of a healer… but you’re also planning to use this old man as you please?”
“Since you’re already helping, you might as well go all the way.”
“Hah, your shamelessness is second only to a devil’s.”
The Immortal Healer acted like he hated it, but I knew better. Despite his prickly words, the old man was deeply affectionate. I knew he would end up helping me this time as well.
“…Sit down. Let’s get this over with quickly so I can get some sleep.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled and sat down. My reason for seeking out the Immortal Healer was simple.
“Get ready.”
Immediately after meeting my grandfather, I had gone to the Immortal Healer. I had been learning Sorcery from him ever since. The Immortal Healer had been surprised when I first mentioned Sorcery, but when I explained I had learned the basics in the North Sea, he seemed to understand. Since he had seen it when he fixed Zhuge Hyuk’s neck, and he himself was a practitioner, it was easy for him to grasp.
I had very little information about Sorcery, so I was receiving training from the Immortal Healer, who knew more than most. Honestly, I hadn't expected it to be helpful so soon. It was a strange power, and I just wanted to learn the basics… but after using it a few times, I felt like I was starting to understand something.
The Ring of Sorcery flowing in my heart.
This is…
If my prediction was correct, I could use Sorcery to create a new path, even if my grandfather took my flames away. Also…
I can use even greater flames.
I felt I could strengthen my other martial arts, including the Gu Flame Wheel Art.
“…Now then, try to unfold the ring.”
At the Immortal Healer’s command, I slowly focused my strength into my heart. Time passed as I immersed myself in the training.
* * *
Two days passed.
I was back inside the Murim Alliance headquarters. The two-stage preliminary rounds, held over three days, were over. The day for the main tournament to begin had finally arrived.
“So, are they going to group us by teams for the main tournament?”
“The preliminaries were fought within teams. Won’t it be the same this time?”
The crowd was as massive as the first day. There were hundreds of martial artists present, but the difference was palpable. Every single person here had easily surpassed the Peak Realm. These were the ones who had passed by breaking Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Steel or shattering complex formations. The real-deal martial artists, filtered through two rounds, were gathered in one place.
This feels completely different from the first day.
The very density of the air had changed. The presence emanating from these people was heavy and brutally murderous. As if they had no intention of hiding their power, a battle of wills unfolded in the air.
Watching it, my expression soured.
What a bunch of idiots.
I wondered why they were wasting their energy like that already. Just then…
“Wow, there are so many people! Look over there, Sis! There’s another bald… Mmph!”
As Bongsun tried to shout, Tang Soyeol instantly covered her mouth.
“Please… please be quiet…!”
“Mmph! Mmmph… Slurp?”
“Aack!”
Tang Soyeol jumped in shock and pulled her hand away. It seemed Bongsun had licked her palm.
“...”
I watched them for a moment before shaking my head. For some reason, Bongsun had taken a liking to Tang Soyeol. Thanks to that, Tang Soyeol was the only one suffering from Bongsun’s feral pranks. For my part, I was just glad someone else was there to distract the girl.
The preliminaries were three days. The main tournament is two days.
I was in the first day’s group again. The same went for Tang Soyeol and Bongsun.
“…You. You haven’t forgotten what I said yesterday, have you?”
“Huh? Nope!”
“I’ll say it again: just win. Don’t cause a scene.”
“Of course! No breaking, no killing! I’ll just win!”
Bongsun puffed out her chest and spoke confidently, but her expression wasn't convincing at all.
Tsk.
I couldn’t help but worry. Starting today, as the name of the Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament suggested, martial artists would be fighting each other directly. This had already been announced by the Alliance.
They said today is the real start.
A giant wooden board stood in front of us. Beyond the densely packed crowd, Alliance members were setting something up—a tournament bracket. The matchups for today’s main tournament were being posted, and a swarm of people gathered to see.
Various emotions flickered in the eyes of the martial artists. There was desperation, but also joy. Each of them was here for a different reason. Was a tournament held by the Alliance really that desperate a goal? Honestly, it was something I couldn’t understand.
As I was looking around, trying to keep my cool, Tang Soyeol spoke up.
“Young Master. It’s up.”
I turned my gaze back to the board. As she said, the bracket was now visible. I quickly scanned it.
Hmm.
I frowned slightly.
It seems they aren’t fighting within their own groups.
White and Blue groups. Green and Red groups. It seemed they had matched the fights by color.
“Oh, no…”
“The Cunning Sword…! How am I supposed to beat him…?”
Laments erupted from the crowd. These were the weaker martial artists who had been matched against famous masters. At the same time, opposing voices rose.
“Good. I’ll finish the first match quickly.”
“I should get this over with and go for a drink.”
They smirked, filled with the conviction that they would never lose. Amidst the shifting moods, I looked for my name.
White Group: Gu Yangcheon of the Shanxi Gu Clan.
Found it.
My name was written near the middle. I checked my opponent.
Blue Group: Myeong Cheongseong of the Guangdong Myeongmun.
Myeong Cheongseong?
The name sounded familiar.
Ah.
I remembered. He was the one I’d been hearing about since the first day—the one with the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist. He was a fairly famous martial artist. Honestly, I didn't care. After getting a rough idea of my opponent, I checked the others.
Bongsun’s opponent is also someone I don’t know.
Then, I looked at Tang Soyeol’s side.
Look at this.
Things had just gotten interesting.
Green Group: Tang Soyeol of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Red Group: Baek Cheongjin of the Liaoning Baek Clan.
Baek Cheongjin of the Liaoning Baek Clan. I knew that name well. How could I not? Tang Soyeol’s opponent was none other than the Oil Bullet Sword.
What kind of prank was this? Did the Alliance intend for this, or was it truly a coincidence? It felt too suspicious to be random, but I couldn’t be certain.
I shifted my gaze to Tang Soyeol. She had clearly confirmed her opponent as well. Seeing her expression, I knew one thing for sure.
I don’t have to worry about her…
Her eyes were low and sunken, her energy perfectly refined. Tang Soyeol’s state was like a calm ripple on a deep lake. Rather…
…She’s actually a little scary.
I felt an inexplicable chill looking at her. Right now, Tang Soyeol’s eyes said only one thing:
‘How should I toy with my prey?’