Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: A Secret Backroom Deal
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“That’s right!”
Namgung Wi-gyeong shot to his feet, clenching his fist tight.
He pointed at the sparring arena with his finger and burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha! Did you see that? Did you see it? Did you see him move faster than Kunlun’s Cloud Dragon Squad Eight Forms? And then slam him straight into the ground!”
“…….”
“Ha ha! First Jeomchang, now Kunlun!”
Namgung Wi-gyeong turned to the elders of the Five Great Families, his face flushed with excitement.
Ecstasy, satisfaction, and superiority shone plainly on his features.
Namgung Wi-gyeong’s eyes relentlessly pursued the elders of the Five Great Families, who were desperately avoiding his gaze.
The elders cleared their throats awkwardly, their faces sour.
“Ahem!”
“Cough, hem!”
While the Namgung Family racked up victory after victory, the Five Great Families’ results were far from impressive.
No, they were disastrous.
The Huangbo Family had been entirely eliminated, and though the Moyong Family had won, their injuries left it uncertain if they could compete in the next round.
Only Peng Jung-hyeok of the Hebei Peng Family had emerged unscathed with a win, but compared to the exploits of the Namgung Hyeok and Namgung Ryong brothers, it was a drop in the bucket.
So it was no wonder the Five Great Families’ elders didn’t welcome Namgung Wi-gyeong’s antics.
Huangbo Gong, elder of the Huangbo Family, let his discomfort show.
“An elder of the Namgung Family should act with dignity befitting his station. What’s with the frivolity?”
Namgung Wi-gyeong laughed heartily.
“Isn’t it natural to celebrate a victory?”
“There are many watching!”
“Ha ha ha, it’s our family tradition, family tradition.”
“What kind of family tradition is that…….”
“Better than losing, isn’t it? Ha ha ha ha ha!”
Namgung Wi-gyeong’s retort made Huangbo Gong’s face curdle like spoiled milk.
He’d only opened his mouth and ended up worse off than before.
With the Huangbo Family fully eliminated, they had no place to interject.
The other Five Great Families’ elders were too busy watching Namgung Wi-gyeong’s mood.
With most of their later-generation disciples knocked out, they couldn’t dare retort.
‘What in the world is going on?’
‘The day a Namgung Family elder raises his voice like this!’
‘Damn it all. Sigh!’
The elders sighed and turned away.
The corners of Namgung Wi-gyeong’s mouth stretched toward the heavens.
He couldn’t care less about the rift between the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.
The Namgung Family’s enemies were solely the other Five Great Families!
Every time Namgung Hyeok and Namgung Ryong won, seeing the twisted faces of those Five Great Families scum cleared the pent-up frustration in his chest.
Those bastards who never missed a chance to badmouth the Namgung Family were now too cowed to utter a word—what could be more satisfying!
‘Ha ha ha! Ryong, Hyeok! Keep winning, win nonstop!’
It was a shame there was no liquor in the VIP seats.
If there were, he’d down a cup right now and dance a shoulder shimmy!
Instead of dancing, Namgung Wi-gyeong shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
Peng Cheon-wi wore a bitter expression.
‘So it’s come to this, after all.’
The Namgung Family’s performance wasn’t just standout.
This sparring tournament had become the Namgung Family’s complete solo stage.
Not only their results, but people’s attention—even the Nine Great Sects’ focus—was all directed at the Namgung Family.
‘It feels less like the Five Great Families versus the Nine Great Sects, and more like the Namgung Family alone battling the entire Nine Great Sects.’
The Namgung Family, always treated as the lowest rung and dismissed for dragging down the Five Great Families’ prestige, was now the one upholding the dignity, face, and pride of the Five Great Families, who had nearly been trampled by the Nine Great Sects.
Peng Cheon-wi’s face grew grave.
‘Namgung Hyeok is one thing, but that Namgung Ryong kid running wild too…….’
Even the usually quiet Namgung Ryong was provocatively slitting his throat in the direction of the Jeomchang Sect.
With the two brothers rampaging side by side like that, how could attention not flock to them?
‘Even that Namgung Ryong kid has surpassed the level of later-generation disciples.’
A phoenix had burst from the declining Namgung Family, shaking up the entire tournament.
For Peng Cheon-wi, the family head of the Peng Family, the emergence of two geniuses who would lead the next generation from the Namgung Family was an extremely uncomfortable reality.
After all, wouldn’t these rampaging brothers keep tangling with the Hebei Peng Family?
In the future, the shadow of the Namgung Family—which his predecessors had always been chased by—might loom over them once more.
“Ha ha ha! Well done, well done!”
Peng Cheon-wi’s face soured again as he watched Namgung Wi-gyeong, who made no effort to hide his glee.
Peng Cheon-wi let out a deep sigh.
‘From the Records of the Blade King to the sparring, I’ll have to keep watching this madman’s mood. Sigh, ha ha ha!’
How had the Peng Family come to this…….
‘……If things keep going like this, my boy will end up facing that lunatic. What to do?’
From his brief encounter, Namgung Hyeok wasn’t the type to go easy on fellow Five Great Families members.
He’d thrash him just like the Nine Great Sects disciples.
‘Damn it! I need to save my son first!’
Better to worry about surviving the present than some uncertain future.
Right now, he had to find a way to keep Peng Jung-hyeok from ending up like the Nine Great Sects disciples.
* * *
After the thirty-two spars concluded and the bracket was set, Peng Jung-hyeok examined it with a heavy expression.
His pupils trembled violently.
‘……Wh-why is the bracket like this?’
This was a path that guaranteed a clash with that madman if he advanced!
His head stiffly turned to the side.
There sat Namgung Hyeok, legs crossed arrogantly as he gazed up at the arena.
His twisted smirk seemed to reveal his true nature.
Peng Jung-hyeok swallowed hard.
Heavens above, why was the bracket shaped like this!
To face that madman in the main rounds, and on an upper bracket stage where attention would explode!
‘Cr-crazy. Something’s wrong here.’
No, what the hell had the Nine Great Sects done?!
How did they arrange things so that two from the Five Great Families faced off!
With so many Nine Great Sects, where did they all…….
‘……Ah, right, they all got knocked out.’
And he planned to knock out any more that came.
Peng Jung-hyeok sighed deeply.
‘……Crazy. Never thought I’d be worrying about this!’
It was so absurd he let out a hollow chuckle.
He should be thrilled to reach the upper brackets, yet here he was, filled with emptiness and resentment.
In this glorious arena where personal fame and sect honor were at stake, he felt pathetic for harboring such thoughts.
Pathetic, truly pathetic…….
‘……But I don’t want my head smashed into the ground.’
That wasn’t a fight between warriors.
He didn’t want to lose, but even if he did, not like that.
‘What a goddamn situation.’
He’d finally reached the upper brackets, only for the most humiliating defeat to await.
Losing to Namgung Hyeok would bring mockery, not fame.
‘……Better to drop out early than face him?’
But his next opponent was from a mid-tier sect.
That was the result of Nine Great Sects later-generation disciples flocking to the Namgung Hyeok and Namgung Ryong side.
Losing to a mid-tier sect would be even more humiliating than losing to Namgung Hyeok.
Peng Jung-hyeok sighed.
Why did the other dropped later-generation disciples look so enviable?
Huangbo Chung had it good.
No need for these worries.
‘I need a plan.’
A way to survive against that madman…….
Just then, Namgung Hyeok stretched and muttered.
“Ah, damn! What to do next? Lock ’em up and beat ’em? Break their legs? Ah, just bury ’em?”
Why not just kill them outright?
Peng Jung-hyeok schooled his expression into a grin.
“Namgung Hyeok, young hero.”
“Hm? Oh, it’s our Peng young lord. You won, so why the long face since earlier?”
Peng Jung-hyeok flinched at Namgung Hyeok’s cackling laugh.
It was like hearing a snake chuckle.
But he kept his composure and spoke.
“We’ll each win once more, and meet in the quarterfinals.”
“Oh, really? Already the quarters?”
“You’ve got one more left, but with your skills, Young Hero Namgung, the finals will be no trouble.”
Exactly.
The trouble’s all mine.
Peng Jung-hyeok cleared his throat and eyed Namgung Hyeok.
“Ahem, so I have something urgent to discuss.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Not here…….”
“Why? Something shady?”
Peng Jung-hyeok gritted his jaw at Namgung Hyeok’s smirking taunt, forcing a toothy white smile.
“A place to discuss the eternal friendship and prosperity between the Namgung Family and Hebei Peng Family…….”
“Prosperity sounds good. Over there?”
“……Yes!”
Namgung Hyeok brushed off his seat and stood.
As they moved, he curled one corner of his mouth.
“So, what’s this about?”
“Ahem!”
Peng Jung-hyeok glanced around after a few coughs.
No one nearby, just the distant Namgung Family group.
Grab.
Peng Jung-hyeok hurriedly seized Namgung Hyeok’s hand.
“Young Hero Namgung!”
“What’s this? I don’t have a hobby of holding men’s hands! Quite unpleasant, actually.”
“Young Hero Namgung, please spare me.”
“You think I’ll kill you? I’ll just knock you out. For our friendship’s sake.”
……This bastard, really.
Peng Jung-hyeok suppressed the vein bulging on his forehead and said.
“If you set your mind to it, how could I win? Knock me out, and I will!”
“Then we’re good!”
“……But!”
Squeeze!
Peng Jung-hyeok gripped Namgung Hyeok’s hand tighter, staring at him with resolute eyes.
“Give me just fifty exchanges.”
“I was gonna end it quick…….”
“Knock me out after fifty exchanges.”
Namgung Hyeok blinked at Peng Jung-hyeok.
Oh ho?
His cheek twitched.
“Is this any way for the Peng young lord to act?”
Peng Jung-hyeok declared firmly.
“Let me survive fifty exchanges, and I’ll do whatever Young Hero Namgung wants. Call you brother? I will. I’ll serve you with utmost respect.”
“Brother?”
“Yes!”
“Nah, I’m older anyway.”
He’d already passed ninety just before ascension, so brother didn’t fit.
“What does age matter? I don’t care about that at all. If I survive, the family survives, right?”
“Would mess up the family registry.”
“Then I’ll call Young Master Namgung Ryong my big brother.”
Peng Jung-hyeok spoke in a resolute voice.
Namgung Hyeok blinked.
“You’re more proactive than in the Records of the Blade King?”
“As I said earlier, I’m the young lord! If I fall, the family falls! I just want to protect the family’s reputation more than in the Records!”
“You just don’t wanna get planted face-first, right?”
“That too…….”
“…….”
Namgung Hyeok gave a hollow chuckle as he eyed Peng Jung-hyeok.
Peng Jung-hyeok continued awkwardly.
“Our true enemies are the Nine Great Sects, aren’t they? For the long-standing, unchanging friendship between our families—just once. Fifty exchanges…….”
“Nah, fifty’s too much.”
“Y-Young Master! Are we ordinary allies? Fifty exchanges would…….”
“Three exchanges.”
You bastard!
One or three, same difference!
Peng Jung-hyeok nearly spat out his rising fury but groaned and stared at Namgung Hyeok.
Namgung Hyeok smiled lightly and declared.
“Take it or leave it.”
“No, I mean, three is a bit…….”
“Ah, forget it then.”
“No!”
As Peng Jung-hyeok desperately grabbed for the turning Namgung Hyeok—
“You scoundrel!”
The thunderous roar, shaking heaven and earth, made Peng Jung-hyeok jump in fright and stagger.
Peng Cheon-wi had appeared, glaring at Peng Jung-hyeok with terrifying eyes.
“What in the world is the young lord of the Hebei Peng Family doing?!”
“F-Father! It’s not, I was just trying to salvage the situation somehow…….”
“Is that how I raised you?!”
Peng Cheon-wi’s shout was stern as a heavenly general’s, brimming with dignity.
At that lion-like roar, Peng Jung-hyeok snapped to his senses.
‘Wh-what have I done……? Ah, I’ve tarnished the family name!’
The Hebei Peng young lord trying to fix a match!
Since when did the Peng Family back down against the strong?!
Peng Jung-hyeok said gravely.
“Father, I’ve tarnished the family name…….”
“That’s not how you negotiate! Step aside!”
“F-Father?”
“How much?”
“……Pardon?”
“One hundred thousand silver taels per exchange!”
Excuse me, Father?
Peng Jung-hyeok gaped at Peng Cheon-wi.
Even Namgung Hyeok stared at him in disbelief.
Damn, the Peng Family runs a tight ship.
And so, a secret backroom deal(?) unfolded between the Namgung Family and the Hebei Peng Family.