Chapter 724: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (32)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 724: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (32)
"Why leave out the part about the Emei Sect’s betrayal?"
The Fist Immortal’s reaction to my words was visceral.
Her eyes widened, her breathing hitched, and her heart began to thud erratically. Everything pointed to one conclusion.
Seeing her reaction, the corners of my mouth curled upward.
Honestly, I was just testing the waters.
I had only been about fifty percent sure, but an unpleasant sensation slithered up my spine as I organized my thoughts. The conclusion I reached was exactly what I suspected.
Squeeze!
I tightened my grip on the Fist Immortal’s cheek.
“Urk…” she let out a muffled groan.
“Almost nothing you’ve said adds up,” I said coldly.
The reason the Emei Sect was looking for Bongsun was to clear the Sword Queen’s name? What pretty words.
The previous Sword Queen had left the Emei Sect to act on her own for some reason, but she was still one of them. If she had been framed, they claimed they had a duty to clear her name. If that were their true intention, it would be a noble cause.
But there was a glaring problem.
“If that were the case, you should have acted much sooner.”
Why were they only stepping forward now?
“It’s been at least twenty years since the war ended.”
A long time had passed since the conclusion of the Orthodox-Demonic War. So, what had the Emei Sect been doing all those years?
“Nothing at all.”
They had done absolutely nothing.
If the Sword Queen was being treated as a member of the Unorthodox Faction and framed for starting the war, and they knew it, they should have intervened decades ago.
“You old hag. Saying you could only act because Bong… no, Pi Yeonyeon, appeared is just a pathetic excuse.”
There should have been some record of them doing something before this.
“Ah, I guess there was one thing.”
Something had indeed happened to the Emei Sect over the past decade or so. I knew exactly what it was.
I looked into it the moment they claimed a connection to Bongsun.
It wasn't exactly a secret; it was something anyone could find out with a little digging. But connecting it to the current situation made it seem incredibly suspicious.
“Over the past twenty years, your sect has become quite active. And it wasn't because you were receiving more donations from merchant associations.”
“…!”
The Fist Immortal’s body trembled slightly at my words. Watching her, I continued.
“You may be the guardians of Sichuan now… but you weren’t until recently, were you?”
Only now that the Tang Clan had withdrawn was the Emei Sect taking responsibility for Sichuan. Before that, the Tang Clan had controlled almost the entire territory. The difference in influence was vast.
At that time, the Tang Clan’s standing was skyrocketing, fueled by support from merchant associations and their own family businesses. Since the Tang Clan was also the one handling the Gates of Demons appearing all over Sichuan, the Emei Sect was comparatively powerless.
And yet.
“Rebuilding structures, expanding your territory… you even held quite a few festivals.”
Where on earth did they get the money for all that? As part of the Ten Sect Alliance, they wouldn't be broke, but compared to their actual standing, their spending was nothing short of excessive.
“Where could all that money have possibly come from?”
It was a complete mystery.
“Well? I’m asking you where it came from.”
What’s more, the Emei Sect rarely participated in the Alliance’s major events. While they occasionally sent young prodigies to the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament, they never achieved notable results. Despite that, the number of their disciples grew.
A sect's size is an indicator of its standing, but more disciples naturally mean higher maintenance costs.
A time when they weren’t building relationships with the Alliance and had little support from merchant associations. And yet, not only did their sect’s standing not decline, it was maintained—and even rose.
How was that possible? Was the sect just overflowing with gold? Perhaps. They could have secretly discovered a hidden vault. Money can come from many places, so it was possible.
Also, the reason the Emei Sect hadn't acted on the Sword Queen’s case until now… it could be that they didn't know about Bongsun and had only recently learned about the frame-up.
However.
“That’s not it, is it?”
Squeeze.
I don’t believe in such convenient miracles.
“Kugh… ugh…”
“You must have known she was framed long ago. Did you find out when the war ended? Or did you know even before then? I don’t care about the timing. What matters is that you knew.”
The Emei Sect most likely knew the truth of the Sword Queen’s circumstances.
“The reason you kept your mouths shut until now, even knowing the truth, must be because you made a separate agreement.”
The reason they maintained their position within the Ten Sect Alliance even while being completely overshadowed by the Tang Clan.
“What did you get from the Alliance?”
“…!!”
“It might not have been direct cash, but you must have received something. A promise for the future. Or enough funds to survive for the time being.”
A flicker of movement in the Fist Immortal’s eyes. A subtle fear was wrapped within her gaze.
“You must have gladly taken whatever they threw at you. And you call yourself the leader of a sect.”
I had to be careful. If I failed to control my strength, I would crush her head right here.
“This is…”
A tremor entered my voice.
“This is why I hate you. You fucking bitches.”
Rumble—
A vibration shot out from the tips of my toes, and cracks spider-webbed across the training ground floor.
“I can’t bring myself to like you. You disgusting wretches.”
Maybe it was because I’d been living so diligently since my regression, but I seemed to have developed some modicum of patience. Look at me now—I’m keeping this senile old hag alive instead of killing her.
“Gasp… khak… hak.”
Drip.
Blood trickled down from beneath the hand covering her mouth. It was the Fist Immortal’s blood. Heat gathered in my gripping hand. My body was heating up with emotion, but my mind remained colder than ever.
“Alright, let’s break it down.”
The Emei Sect, who had taken their fill of hush money and kept quiet until now—why did they choose this moment to reveal themselves? Was it really because of Bongsun’s appearance?
No. They only discovered Bongsun after coming to Henan. That means they didn't know about her before they arrived.
So why did they crawl out? Connecting the circumstances, the answer was easy to find. The reason the Emei Sect reappeared was none other than…
“Because the Tang Clan fell.”
The fall of the Sichuan Tang Clan due to the recent incident. That had to be it. With the Tang Clan’s fall, their influence diminished. As a result, the Emei Sect’s standing naturally rose. The number of times they were put in charge of the Gates of Demons would have increased. Consequently, the frequency and amount of support from merchant associations would have grown.
So what happens then?
What do you think happens? Their heads get bigger.
It’s the same for anyone. When humans receive more than their vessel can hold, they forget their place. In other words, they forget how they used to live. I knew that kind of situation all too well. And I didn’t think it was particularly strange.
Because all humans are like that.
My expectations for humanity were at rock bottom to begin with. I just considered it natural for such beings to act that way.
It’s just that… I despise the ones who know this and still deny it. The ones who think they’re different. When I see bastards like that, I want to burn them to death.
Just like now.
“Is that why you showed yourselves?”
The reason the Emei Sect appeared in Henan.
“Now that you think you’ve regained some power, did the mistakes of the past suddenly weigh on your conscience?”
This was a warning to the Murim Alliance. A message that they hadn't forgotten what the Alliance had done. How ridiculous.
I also knew that the Emei Sect had tried to pull some tricks on the participants of the martial arts tournament. I didn't know their exact intention, but in the end, only one thing mattered.
“Your head got a little bigger, so you just had to crawl out into the open?”
I swung the hand holding her and sent her flying.
Thud! Tumble, tumble!
The Fist Immortal’s aged body rolled across the ground.
“Cough… cough… keuk!”
Thump!
I caught up to the coughing Fist Immortal and ground my foot into her chest.
“Guh… ugh…”
“Worse than insects. Old woman, you’ve lived a long life, yet you’ve failed to become an adult.”
The Fist Immortal had not become an adult. That’s why she was being played by her own disciples—the matter had progressed to a point where she was completely unaware.
Ah, but of course, I had no intention of telling her that. The little bit of pity I had felt was gone. Any respect in my words had long since vanished. Respect for elders is reserved for ‘adults.’ In my eyes, the Fist Immortal was nothing more than a child in an old body. All that was left for her was contempt and disgust.
“What do you want?”
“Heuk… you… you…”
“What do you plan to do once you find Pi Yeonyeon?”
Crrrack.
“Kuaaaargh!”
I pressed down harder. The sound of bone snapping echoed. The Fist Immortal’s ribs were breaking.
“How will her existence be of any help to you people?”
I pondered. My cold mind worked quickly. I would reach a conclusion soon. I knew that well, but…
“Actually, it doesn’t matter.”
It was meaningless now.
Swoosh.
I removed my foot and reached out. The Fist Immortal’s prone body floated up, and her neck was caught in my grasp.
“Guh… heok… ugh…”
“I think this is enough confirmation.”
There was no need to see any more.
“To me, you are not human.”
That was my judgment of the Fist Immortal. I felt there was no need to look any further.
“What… what are you… saying?”
As if she couldn't comprehend my words, the Fist Immortal struggled weakly. Her eyes were filled with confusion and questions.
“You… surely, you don’t intend to harm me…?”
“Oh my. Such scary words.”
I smiled at her.
“The great leader of the Emei Sect wouldn’t have come to see me without telling anyone. Killing you here would be such a pain in the ass later.”
For now, it would just be a hassle. I didn't know what it would be later.
“Besides, I can’t kill someone so precious, can I?”
As I spoke, I focused power in my heart.
Thump!
My heart pounded like a war drum, and Demonic Qi flooded my veins.
Swoooosh! A dark heat filled my eyes.
Watching this, the Fist Immortal’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head.
“Wh-what… Keuk!”
She tried to scream in surprise, but her body froze. It was inevitable. An immense, suffocating energy was seeping into her body.
“Gaaah… guuuuh!!”
The Fist Immortal’s body began to tremble violently. I watched her with calm, detached eyes.
If only there was a little.
If there had been even a tiny redeeming quality, I wouldn't have gone this far. As I thought that, I let out a smirk.
Or maybe not.
That didn't seem right either. I knew it all along, didn't I? That it would come to this.
If I had to pinpoint the moment, it would have been the day of the tournament.
A few days ago. Right after I killed the Emei Sect martial artist who was running away after seeing Bongsun. If I knew, I would have known since then.
That it would end up like this.
The problem was that I had held onto a useless expectation. That maybe she was a decent person. That maybe she wasn't completely rotten. Such a foolish expectation.
“I have a lot of problems too. My body gets younger, and I become needlessly sentimental.”
This made my scolding of Cheol Jiseon seem ridiculous.
“But it’s a relief. Thanks to you, I’m certain now.”
I erased the last of the expectation within me. Thanks to that, I could smile.
“I’ll use you well and then throw you away. You, in particular, will have a lot to do.”
What would I throw away? I didn't bother to mention it. She would find out soon enough.
I smiled as I spoke to the Fist Immortal.
“Heo-eok—!!”
And then, darkness consumed her eyes.
* * *
Four days had already passed since the end of the third round of the main tournament. That was how long it had been postponed since the Dragon Warrior shattered the arena.
I heard that the repairs on the broken arena were finally finished, and the fourth round of the main tournament was about to begin. As it was an unprecedented event, there were a few changes.
The third round of the main tournament had not been properly concluded. The few remaining participants who were supposed to compete then had been mixed into the fourth round. Although there weren't many matches left to begin with, the addition of more people led to a change in the bracket.
Most people probably didn't care much.
“What’s with that look on your face?”
I had to let out a dry laugh as I looked at the person who had come with me.
“What do you mean, sir?”
“You’re completely different from last time.”
The person I was looking at was Seong Yul. The guy who looked like he was about to die from extreme nervousness last time now seemed somewhat relaxed. The reason was probably…
Is it because of the changed bracket?
Seong Yul had been scheduled to fight a martial artist from Kunlun. But with the bracket change, he was now facing a different opponent. Perhaps because of that, Seong Yul looked much more at ease.
“…Are you that happy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“…”
I shook my head at Seong Yul’s reaction. What a terrible lie. Why on earth was he so uncomfortable about it? At this point, I was becoming curious even though I hadn't been before.
Should I try to find out? I could probably just beat him until he confesses. I considered it for a moment, then dismissed the thought.
This doesn’t seem like a situation to be so happy just because the bracket changed.
I felt a bit sorry for Seong Yul, who was so relieved by the change. I turned my gaze to the tournament bracket.
– Jin Imseok of the Gwangju Jin Clan vs. Peng Woojin of the Hebei Peng Clan.
“Sigh.”
Of all the people to run into, it had to be them. I sighed as I looked at Seong Yul, who was pretending to be expressionless and at ease.
He’ll figure it out on his own.
For the record, the Kunlun Sect disciple Seong Yul was originally supposed to fight was now matched against Tang Soyeol.
There were only a few people left now. It was a time when it became natural for familiar names to face each other. As if to prove that, familiar names were visible on the bracket.
– Pi Yeonyeon of the Xi’an Pi Clan vs. Yung Pung of the Mount Hua Sect.
Surprisingly, Bongsun was matched against Yung Pung.
I wonder who will win.
I was genuinely curious. Based on their styles, Bongsun has the advantage, but… you never know. There was no telling how much stronger Yung Pung had become since I last saw him. It was something I couldn't be sure of.
Other than that, I saw many of the Fusion Realm-level martial artists I had identified beforehand. And just as a few individuals who seemed to be hiding their strength caught my eye…
“Haha.”
I had to let out a dry laugh after confirming my own name written at the bottom of the bracket.
“I was wondering why they’d go through the trouble of changing the bracket.”
Logically, they would just add the matches, so I wondered why they would do this, but seeing that, I understood. I sighed after confirming the name of the opponent written across from mine.
I couldn't help it. My opponent was who he was.
– Gu Yangcheon of the Shanxi Gu Clan vs. Yu Yeon of Shaolin.
The Heavenly Dragon.
My opponent was the hope of Shaolin.