Chapter 34
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: I Hate the Demonic Cult
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It wasn't one of those ordinary roof tiles we all knew. These were rock-hard and thick, like slabs of stone.
Even with a sledgehammer, smashing thirty of them seemed damn near impossible.
From the fifth tile onward, there were various prizes on offer, but even crunching the numbers, it was nowhere near worth a single coin entry fee.
Compared to the first difficulty level, that one coin felt a bit steep.
"I'll give it a shot this time!"
Boom!!
Sima Ryang stepped up boldly, but he only managed to shatter six tiles.
"What? Just six? Ahahaha!"
Despite Jo Gi-myeong's teasing, Sima Ryang rubbed his wrist with a serious look on his face.
"Hmm... These aren't the same tiles we use on roofs, are they?"
"That's your excuse? Pretty lame one at that."
"Why don't you give it a try, then?"
"Fine. I'll show you just how powerful a Mount Qingcheng Sect fist can be!"
Yang Cho-gun tilted his head curiously.
"Isn't Mount Qingcheng Sect famous for its swordsmanship?"
"You think we only have sword techniques? Ever heard of Chasing Cloud Fist? Let me tell you how incredible this fist technique is..."
Sima Ryang, clearly fed up with Jo Gi-myeong's boasting, snapped irritably.
"Come on, whether it's Chasing Cloud or Steaming Hot Fist, just show us already!"
"No need to rush... Keep your eyes wide open and watch."
After paying one coin to the owner, Jo Gi-myeong stepped up for the second round.
He swung his arms in a wide circle, took the deepest breath he could, and slammed down on the tiles.
"Hiiiyaaap!"
Boom!!
But for all his bluster, he only broke six tiles.
"Wahahaha! What? Just six? Same as me?"
"......"
Jo Gi-myeong shriveled up like a deflated balloon.
"Here you go, a consolation prize."
The owner flashed a bright smile at the wilted Jo Gi-myeong and handed over a bamboo chopstick holder and a flint striker.
It looked like cheap junk that wouldn't fetch twenty coppers at the local market.
Yang Cho-gun eyed the shattered tiles suspiciously.
"These are practically rocks."
He flicked one lightly with his finger, and it rang out with a metallic clang, feeling just like granite.
This place must be a magnet for martial artists on their first outing into the world, which explained why they didn't bother with regular tiles.
Just then, the Sword Emperor's grandson and his group—the ones they'd bumped into earlier—arrived at the tile-breaking stall.
Nangong Mo-cheon spotted Tae-seong and glared daggers at him.
Tae-seong treated him like he didn't exist.
Then Baek Sa-hong exclaimed,
"Oh! The top prize is the latest jade hairpin? Isn't that the one Yeo-rim wanted?"
At her words, Jang Baek-pung—the Sword Emperor's grandson—pulled a coin from his pocket and handed it to the owner.
"I'll take the challenge."
"How many tiles?"
"How many do I need to break for the jade hairpin?"
"Thirty."
"Thirty it is."
"Don't push too hard, or you might get hurt."
"No worries."
The owner stacked up thirty tiles.
The pile reached as high as an average man's waist.
No matter how you looked at it, this was borderline impossible.
Jang Baek-pung closed his eyes briefly, then struck down with the edge of his hand instead of a fist.
Astonishingly, all thirty tiles sliced cleanly apart.
He must have channeled his internal energy into his hand like a sword.
It was the kind of feat that made you mutter, "Worthy grandson of the Sword Emperor."
The onlookers gasped in awe, one after another.
"Whoa! He made that look easy!"
"Unbelievable."
"That guy's a martial artist for sure."
The owner's face, by contrast, soured completely.
But with a martial artist as the challenger, he handed over the jade hairpin without protest.
Jang Baek-pung took it with a radiant smile and offered it to Dang Yeo-rim.
"Here you go."
Baek Sa-hong poked his side playfully.
"You have to put it in for her yourself."
"Haha, right?"
And so Jang Baek-pung added the jade hairpin to Dang Yeo-rim's hair.
"Thank you, oppa."
"For you, I could do even more than this."
"Hohohoho."
"Hahaha."
Their lovey-dovey display made Tae-seong's group grimace, mirroring the owner's expression after losing the hairpin.
Then Yang Cho-gun glanced at Tae-seong.
"What?"
Sima Ryang and Jo Gi-myeong followed suit, looking at him too.
Their eyes matched Yang Cho-gun's exactly.
"Why are you all staring at me like that?"
The three kept gazing at Tae-seong in silent protest.
Tae-seong sighed amid the wordless pressure.
"You want me to do that right now?"
"Who else but you?"
"Why not you?"
"I don't need a hairpin."
"Neither do I."
Jo Gi-myeong placed a hand on Tae-seong's shoulder.
"This is a chance to raise the Imperial Palace Martial Academy's honor, isn't it?"
With that, Jo Gi-myeong pulled out a coin and shouted to the owner,
"We'll challenge here too!"
"How many?"
"Stack thirty."
The call for thirty drew everyone's attention.
"They're going for thirty too?"
"Ooh, will they pull it off?"
Even the Dragon Academy students turned to watch Tae-seong's group.
The owner, fearing he'd get fleeced twice in one day, eyed them warily as he prepared thirty tiles.
Tae-seong stepped forward with a reluctant expression.
As he clenched his fist, his knuckles cracked with a sharp pop!
'Hmm, might as well test the internal energy I've built up with the Muscle Heart Method.'
Tae-seong ignored the dormant demonic energy in his dantian and rapidly gathered the energy accumulated in his muscles back into his core.
Then, infusing it with the essence of the Dark Emperor Supreme Heaven Art, he smashed down on the tiles.
And then...
Kaboooom!!
A earth-shaking explosion erupted as the tiles shattered into powder.
Where Jang Baek-pung had neatly sliced them, Tae-seong obliterated them entirely.
A few stone fragments flew outward.
Jang Baek-pung quickly unfurled his fan, creating a breeze to deflect the shards heading toward Dang Yeo-rim.
The others swatted them away with their palms.
Luckily, most people here were skilled enough that no one was seriously hurt.
Jang Baek-pung was too stunned to close his mouth.
He'd guessed the man before him was no slouch, but he hadn't imagined this level of skill.
'With power like that, he'd rank near the top even at the Dragon Academy. So he was hiding his true strength.'
The crowd applauded, praising both men's prowess.
Tae-seong brushed the stone dust from his hand and turned to his group.
"That good enough?"
"O-Of course."
"I believed you'd succeed, but I didn't expect it to be this easy."
The owner stared blankly at the utterly pulverized tiles—not a single one intact—and wore a dazed expression.
Like an old man who'd seen it all, he handed the jade hairpin to Tae-seong with trembling hands.
"H-Here you go."
"Thanks."
And so Hwang Tae-seong claimed the top prize.
But as a man, he had zero use for a hairpin.
That's when he noticed two women staring holes through him.
Dang Yeo-rim and Baek Sa-hong.
They gazed at him like they were entranced.
Tae-seong approached Baek Sa-hong and offered her the hairpin.
"Here, take it."
The flustered Baek Sa-hong pointed at herself with her index finger.
"M-Me?"
"Yes."
"Why me?"
"I'm a guy, so I don't need it. You two are friends, so share one each."
Dang Yeo-rim had gotten one, so this was his way of keeping things friendly by giving her the other.
Plus, building rapport with Dang Yeo-rim's friend wasn't a bad idea.
But Baek Sa-hong's reaction to receiving the hairpin was odd.
Her face flushed red as a ripe persimmon, and she couldn't meet Tae-seong's eyes.
Dang Yeo-rim, on the other hand, glared back and forth between them with clear irritation.
Tae-seong couldn't hide his bewilderment at their bizarre behavior.
'What's going on? Are the two hairpins different values or something?'
He had no clue why they were acting this way.
Then Jang Baek-pung approached and sent a transmission.
-You're no ordinary fighter.
Surprised by the sudden transmission, Tae-seong replied anyway.
-Neither are you.
-Why did you want to join the Dragon Academy?
-I told you back at the Azure Moon Pavilion, didn't I?
-Skip the flimsy excuses. What's the real reason you want in?
Hwang Tae-seong pondered briefly, then decided to reveal a sliver of truth.
They shared a common enemy—he might prove useful.
-I hate the Demonic Cult.
Jang Baek-pung furrowed his brow slightly at the declaration.
-You hate the Demonic Cult?
His face filled with puzzlement.
Tae-seong explained to him why.
-The Demonic Cult bastards took my master, my family, my friends—everyone. That's why I was aiming for the White-Clothed Youth Corps for revenge. Satisfied now?
Jang Baek-pung stroked his chin thoughtfully before transmitting again.
-Hmm. So that's it.
Tae-seong had deliberately omitted any mention of the Heavenly Demon.
He couldn't risk exposure if Jang Baek-pung investigated and uncovered his affiliation or lies.
-The Demonic Cult's atrocities don't just victimize sects. I understand your pain completely.
The Sword Emperor's grandson paused his transmission, deep in thought, then asked,
-So, is that why you enrolled at the Imperial Palace Martial Academy?
-They recruit for the White-Clothed Youth Corps from there too, so yeah.
-I see. We might cross paths again soon, then.
-What do you mean?
-You'll find out before long. My group's waiting, so I'll head out.
With that, Jang Baek-pung ended the transmission and bid farewell aloud.
"See you around."
'What the hell? Drops that and just leaves.'
Tae-seong mulled over the Sword Emperor's grandson's words as he walked away.
Once Jang Baek-pung was gone, Tae-seong rejoined his group and moved on.
Sima Ryang spoke to him in a regretful tone.
"You worked hard for that top prize and just gave it away. Don't you feel bad?"
"What would a guy do with a hairpin?"
"It looked worth at least a silver tael. Too extravagant for a stranger, no?"
"You think?"
"Wait, do you have a thing for that girl?"
"No."
Jo Gi-myeong, who'd been listening quietly, chimed in worriedly.