Chapter 35
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Enemies Meet on a Single Log Bridge
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"You shouldn't just give something like that to your girl so carelessly."
"Why not?"
"You call that a question? Giving a woman a ring, necklace, or hairpin means you've got feelings for her, doesn't it?"
"I-is that so? I had no idea a mere hair ornament carried that kind of meaning."
"Heavens, what a blockhead. You've barely dated, haven't you?"
The sudden jab left Tae-seong speechless for a moment.
"W-well..."
"This guy's a true romantic bonehead."
Yang Cho-gun whispered softly.
"That's how he mastered such profound martial arts at his age."
"Come on, enough already."
It was then.
Tap!
Someone slapped Tae-seong's shoulder from behind as they passed.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
Three more followed in quick succession, each smacking Tae-seong's shoulder on their way by.
The last one, a burly brute, even smacked his mouth as he passed.
"Damn narrow road, and these Imperial Palace Martial Academy trash are blocking it like idiots?"
"......"
It was so absurd that when Tae-seong turned around, he saw it wasn't just him—they'd done the same to Yang Cho-gun and Jo Gi-myeong, both looking thoroughly annoyed.
The only one with a different expression was Sa Ma-ryang.
He looked faintly terrified.
Meanwhile, one of the women tagging along with the thugs spoke up.
"Oh? The grand prize for the arm-wrestling tournament is a voucher for the top floor of Blue Moon Tower?"
The top floor of Blue Moon Tower was the dream stay for every woman in the martial world—at least once in their lives.
But the price was outrageously steep.
The woman's eyes sparkled as she gazed up at the man, clearly coveting the voucher.
He responded like he could pluck the stars from the sky.
"Babe, you want that?"
"Yes!"
A lecherous gleam crossed the man's face.
After all, if he won the voucher, he'd be staying there with her.
"All right then. I'll make your wish come true."
"Really?"
"You ever seen me lose an arm wrestle?"
"As expected of a Tiger Claw Palace master."
Tiger Claw Palace—the place Sa Ma-ryang had mentioned having bad blood with.
All eyes turned to Tae-seong once more.
And they all said the same thing with their stares.
Go kill 'em all.
"I'll allow the seal to be released."
"What seal?"
"Just something like that. Go break a couple of their arms."
"Yeah, I was planning to anyway."
Tae-seong followed them to the arm-wrestling venue.
As he reached to pay the entry fee, someone grabbed his hand urgently.
It was Jo Gi-myeong.
"I'll cover this. Here's two silvers."
"Th-thanks."
"No big deal."
Tae-seong felt his comrades' sincerity and vowed to give it his all.
But as the tournament began, it was clear this wasn't just arm wrestling—it was a full-blown gambling den.
The competitors were mere racehorses.
In the shadows, bets flew on the entrants, the gambling in full swing.
"Place your bets! Chance to turn your life around! Fifty-fifty odds!"
Jo Gi-myeong caught on quick and moved fast.
"Hey! Empty your pockets—everything you've got!"
"Why?"
"Just do it—all of it!"
The three hurriedly pooled their money.
But it wasn't enough for Jo Gi-myeong.
"Damn! This is all we've got? How can no one have even a single silver tael?"
"What about you?"
"Too many clothes—slowed me down."
"Excuses come in all flavors."
Yang Cho-gun read the mood and joined the serious deliberation.
"Any way to borrow some cash?"
Sa Ma-ryang stroked his chin.
"How do you scrape up money in a strange place like this? No one we know."
Jo Gi-myeong stamped his foot in frustration.
"Argh, damn it! Letting a sure thing slip right in front of us."
At that moment, Yang Cho-gun spoke with grim resolve.
"I've got one idea."
"Idea?"
"What's that?"
"How about riling up some Imperial Palace Martial Academy buddies and 'borrowing' funds from them?"
"Crazy, but brilliant."
Sa Ma-ryang spoke hesitantly, a touch uneasy.
"But if we lose... what then?"
"I'll take responsibility."
As the son of a wealthy magnate, Jo Gi-myeong wasn't worried about that.
His focus was solely on stacking more chips.
Just as they turned to rally their Imperial Palace comrades, a booming shout rang out from somewhere.
"When it comes to raw power, I can't sit this out!"
The crowd gasped at the shouter.
"Gasp! A giant!"
"Is that even human?"
"Whoa! A cow walking on two legs!"
Go Dae-han—the man who'd lifted five sacks of rice during Dragon Academy's fitness test—had arrived at the arm-wrestling arena.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
It felt like an adult crashing an elementary school wrestling match.
Jo Gi-myeong and Sa Ma-ryang pocketed their money and shrugged.
"No bets, then."
"Wise call."
"Fellow alumni."
And so their get-rich-quick dream fizzled into nothing.
While Tae-seong sat in the competitors' area, watching others warm up, a familiar hulking figure entered the waiting room.
Most contestants erupted, demanding refunds.
The organizer refused, citing no refunds once entered.
The giant sneered at them pitifully, then spotted Tae-seong and narrowed his beady eyes.
"You...?"
He'd never lost a test of strength to anyone—until Tae-seong, the first to beat him.
Losing to someone half his size? The shock lingered.
He plopped down next to Tae-seong and struck up a chummy chat.
"Enemies meet on a single log bridge, huh."
Tae-seong blinked, puzzled.
"Did we have a grudge?"
The giant scratched his head and deflated.
"Hm, come to think of it, not quite enemies. Sorry about that."
"All good."
Emboldened, the giant clammed up awkwardly.
The Tiger Claw Palace thugs watching him blanched.
Anyone would, facing arms thicker than their waists.
The chair under the giant looked precarious.
Sure enough?
Creak... crackle-crunch!
"Whoa!"
Unable to bear his weight, the chair gave out spectacularly.
"Who made a chair this flimsy?"
He blamed the furniture for his own destruction of it, then shoved the wreckage aside and sat cross-legged on the floor.
Now his eye level matched Tae-seong's seated height.
What a colossal frame.
Soon, the long-awaited match began.
The announcer drew a lot with the first pair's names and bellowed.
"First match! Do Dae-gil versus Baek Sang-no! To the stage!"
The bruisers climbed up.
True arm-wrestling beasts.
They gripped hands roughly.
Tension crackled over the table.
The announcer placed his hand over theirs and shouted.
"Okay! Relax your grips~ Readyyyy~ Gooo!"
They unleashed full power instantly.
"Hrahhh!"
"Hyap~!"
Both aimed for second or third prize—liquor and medicine—since first was out of reach.
After a deadlock, one arm began to tilt.
Bam!
"Do Dae-gil wins!"
"Woooah!"
The victor roared in triumph.
But the crowd hurled abuse at the loser.
"Fucking loser!"
"Ugh, couldn't beat that?"
"Piss off, you oversized wimp! All bulk, no power."
"Mommy didn't breastfeed you as a kid?"
"......"
The loser stood baffled, clueless why he deserved such jeers.
The next match followed swiftly.
"Nam Hee-chang! Dok Ju-won! To the stage!"
Two more giants ascended, both in Demon Dragon Academy uniforms—'Demon' emblazoned on their backs, striking.
Their bout was neck-and-neck.
Bets revealed themselves: cheers erupted as the arm teeter-tottered left, then right.
After ten back-and-forths, it ended.
Thud!!
The custom table shuddered like it might shatter.
"Nam Hee-chang wins!"
"Yeeeaahhh!"
Nam's backers cheered; Dok's groaned.
Regardless, the fighters exchanged courteous clasped fists, building camaraderie.
"Whew~ Barely got it."
"Congrats. Rematch at the academy sometime?"
"You bet."
The second match wrapped; the next began.
Tae-seong's turn.
"Already?"
But he hid his true strength, feigning a hard-fought win.
No need to reveal it before facing those damn Tiger Claw Palace bastards.
No one bet on the Imperial Palace guy, so his 'grueling' victory drew double curses from the crowd.
Tae-seong just grinned brightly, waving—middle finger raised, of course.
No one in this era would clock it as an insult but him.
As jeers continued, the next match proceeded.
"Next! Gu Jeong-mo! Go Dae-han! To the stage!"
Go Dae-han's turn.
His massive frame rose slowly.
"My go."
"Yeah?"
He needed no cheers.
Tae-seong just pitied his foe.
"Go easy."
"See you in the finals."