Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Bet
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“Squad Leader Byeok, what are you talking about?”
Mo Yongbi frowned, his face twisted in confusion as he asked. His gaze scanned me up and down. It brimmed with wariness and doubt.
Byeok Cheonwi seemed pleased by Mo Yongbi's reaction. He clamped a heavy hand on my shoulder and bellowed triumphantly.
“Elder Mo Yong, take a good look! It's this guy right here! The moment he joined the Azure Dragon Squad, he had the guts to challenge this squad leader to a fight and snapped my nasal bone in one shot. A real bold one!”
“……”
A strange silence fell over the tent in that instant.
I couldn't believe my ears. What the hell had this guy just spouted? While my sense of absurdity rocketed off to Andromeda, Mo Yongbi's expression shifted dramatically.
“Hoo…”
He let out a low murmur of admiration and stared straight through me. His eyes now gleamed with sharp interest and appraisal, far beyond mere curiosity.
“I can't sense any flow of internal energy… Does that mean he's a pure external arts master?”
His earnest admiration left me speechless. I could only stare blankly at Byeok Cheonwi.
What the hell was this man's memory made of?
For starters, I'd never officially joined the Azure Dragon Squad. I was just a temporary physician on dispatch.
And I hadn't broken his nasal bone—I'd only made his nose bleed a bit.
Above all, I hadn't challenged him to a fight. This guy had forced a spar on me and dragged me into it.
Not a single thing checked out from one to ten. A reasonable suspicion crept in that this man's recollections were pure fabrication and exaggeration.
Mo Yongbi's burning gaze pierced right through me. And it wasn't just him. Every righteous faction leader in the tent had their eyes locked on me now. A pure external arts master. The bold newcomer who'd broken Squad Leader Byeok's nasal bone.
This is a joke, right?
I swallowed a curse under my breath. If I got into a spar with those unorthodox bastards here, it'd be like advertising myself pointlessly to the entire martial world. A Healer Immortal Sect physician—no internal energy at all—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with masters through some mysterious external art? That kind of juicy rumor would spread like wildfire.
And if even a sliver of it reached that woman Cheonha Young's ears…
It'd be game over. That pink-haired girl would come hunting me down by any means necessary. Bringing along that enigmatic monster, the Black Elder. I had no desire to relive that helplessness and terror from before. I had to avoid drawing attention at all costs.
Forcing a calm expression, I took a step back, slipping out from under Byeok Cheonwi's massive grip. Then, I opened my mouth with feigned nonchalance.
“Squad Leader, how could a lowly physician like me dare take on such an important mission?”
Byeok Cheonwi tried to brush it off with a “Haha, no need for humility…” but I cut him off, nodding subtly toward the other side. It was Paeng Daesan, waiting near the tent entrance with the other Azure Dragon Squad members.
“What about that guy? Paeng Daesan—you hold him in high regard too, don't you, Squad Leader? This kind of opportunity suits him perfectly, always training day in and day out, hungering to grow stronger.”
Byeok Cheonwi's face crumpled at my suggestion.
“What nonsense is that?!”
His roar echoed through the tent once more.
“Paeng Daesan has barely crossed the threshold into third-rate! Sending a guy like that as the Azure Dragon Squad's representative? If he loses, it'll shame not just our squad but the entire Martial Alliance! What will those unorthodox scum think of us?!”
It was an utterly reasonable rebuttal.
“Don't worry. He won't lose, at least.”
And inwardly, I added,
Probably… He'll tie at best, or win if luck's on his side.
This was a guy who'd endured hellish training every day—getting beaten until his bones shattered, then having them reset. He wasn't some third-rate you could underestimate with his toughness and grit. Even if they threw a mismatched opponent at him, Byeok Cheonwi—who surely knew better—would object and get a proper matchup. That gave us a solid shot at victory.
But Byeok Cheonwi's doubts lingered. Arms crossed, he glared daggers at me before a mischievous—yet somehow sleazy—smile crept onto his lips.
“Fine. If you're that confident… Let's make a bet.”
“A bet, sir?”
“Yeah. If Paeng Daesan holds his own like you say, I'll admit it clean. But… if he loses, that's on you tarnishing the Azure Dragon Squad and the whole Martial Alliance. Take responsibility and become our squad's vice leader on the spot!”
I was stunned by his shameless opportunism, seizing the moment to post a job listing. What kind of twisted logic was this? The vice leader spot was vacant, and he was clearly trying to snag a sucker. I wanted to call him out, but I swallowed the words.
My silence made him think I was chickening out. He arched one eyebrow and smirked smugly. He must've realized I couldn't just bail from the Azure Dragon Squad right now.
“What's wrong? If you don't like it, step up yourself.”
I chuckled at his provoking stare and shot back.
“Very well. But for a fair bet, shouldn't you stake something too, Squad Leader?”
Instantly, the smile vanished from Byeok Cheonwi's face.
“Hah.”
He looked at me like he'd stumbled on the world's funniest spectacle and burst into booming laughter.
“Kahahahaha! Listen to this guy!”
But unlike his laughter, a blue vein bulged like a worm on his temple. It seemed his pride stung that a mere underling physician—especially in front of all these faction leaders—had talked back to him. Seeing that fiery glare, my back instinctively tensed, still sore from our earlier clash.
Byeok Cheonwi cut his laugh short and smirked, just lifting one corner of his mouth.
“Fine. What do you want?”
His eyes weren't smiling at all.
This man was dead serious. The overwhelming pressure radiating from him made me gulp dryly without thinking. It was the first time since facing the Black Elder that every hair on my body stood on end like this.
But I couldn't back down here. Steadying my trembling voice, I stated my demand.
“Whatever items come from the Secret Cave… let me pick one first.”
Byeok Cheonwi pretended to mull it over, his lips twitching. He savored my anxious face like it was a treat before speaking as if granting a favor.
“Deal. Take that one, and grab another.”
“……!”
“But.”
His eyes flashed.
“If you lose the bet… You're vice leader until I step down as squad leader.”
What confidence was this guy riding on? Bluffing? Testing me? Should I call and raise? My mind raced. But his offer was too sweet. Two items from the Secret Cave. Could be spirit pills or divine weapons. It was worth risking my… no, my future freedom for.
If it was a bluff, I'd call it.
But it wasn't a bluff on my end.
I nodded with a faint smile.
“Agreed. I accept the bet.”
Byeok Cheonwi's lips curved in satisfaction. Like a hunter gazing down at trapped prey. Mo Yongbi, standing behind him, shook his head in disbelief, muttering, “Hanging around a madman must be rubbing off on you.” But his voice carried an undercurrent of unavoidable anticipation. If it could upend this exhausting game of chicken, he'd shake hands with the devil himself.
Ignoring their stares, I gave Byeok Cheonwi a light bow.
“Then, I'll go talk to our fighter for a moment.”
“Kahaha! Yeah, go sweet-talk him good! It's the fighter your fate hinges on!”
Byeok Cheonwi waved me off with exaggerated gusto. Without another word, I quietly turned and exited the tent with Soso. Dozens of stinging gazes bored into my back. There was no turning back now.
Outside, the tense air felt refreshing compared to inside. The Azure Dragon Squad members were still huddled together, watching the tent with worried eyes. Amid them stood a massive figure pacing restlessly. Paeng Daesan.
As we approached, he spotted us first and came rushing over in a fluster.
“Bro! Sis-in-law! You okay? From afar, it looked like you and the squad leader were fighting…”
Looking at that dopey face drained my confidence like a popped balloon in seconds. Was I really okay entrusting my future to this guy?
But the bet had already begun. We had to win, no matter what.