Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: Exchange (1)
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After finishing the plaque unveiling ceremony at the Tak Clan Iron Forge.
Just as Eon Yong-un gathered the Azure Bamboo Hall students and his junior brothers.
Ye Hae-su spoke up to Eon Yong-un.
"Junior Brother Eon Yong-un? I need to head to the student council room."
"Right now?"
"Yes. I thought of something to put in the newsletter."
"Are you confident?"
"Of course…?"
"In that case, you should go. Hurry up."
"Yes!"
Returning to the student council room in the new Azure Bamboo Hall like that, Ye Hae-su entered the public relations office and picked up a brush.
And she came up with a headline for the next newsletter.
『Tak Clan Iron Forge: The Famous Forgers of Block Mountain Enter Dangan Valley! - Dangan Valley's Forgers, Who Tried to Bully Them But Ended Up Shedding Tears While Clapping!』
"Using red pigment for the 'clapping' part would make it even better, right? I need to tell the print shop separately."
Having quickly written one article for the newsletter like that, Ye Hae-su pushed aside the existing draft and pulled out a new sheet of paper.
And she began wielding the brush once more.
『The Reason the Nine Great Sects and Righteous Martial Academy Are on High Alert After the Martial Alliance Leader's Declaration!』
Under the second headline she came up with, she also wrote detailed content like the purpose and scale of the tournament.
Yet another piece of news penned in one go like that.
The headline was sensational to draw attention, but since it was about a tournament hosted by the Martial Alliance, there couldn't be any errors in the content.
So Ye Hae-su read aloud what she had written and began revising it.
"This tournament, which combines the exchange match where Righteous Martial Academy and the Shaolin affiliated academy competed and the Righteous Martial Academy's autumn dormitory competition, will be held under the name of the Rectitude Tournament… Ah. I unconsciously wrote 'Diligence Tournament'. The official name is 'Rectitude Tournament'?"
She corrected the typo, added more details where needed.
"… In this tournament held to show that the righteous martial world remains strong, we may witness the emergence and roar of new dragon-phoenix talents."
While Ye Hae-su was focusing on drafting the announcement about the Rectitude Tournament like that.
Someone approached silently and lightly tapped the desk where she was sitting to draw her attention.
Tap. Tap.
It hadn't been long since all the fuss about assassins and killers.
Startled, Ye Hae-su instinctively gulped in surprise.
"Eek!"
But when she looked at the face of the person who had caught her eye, it was Eon Yong-un.
Eon Yong-un, wearing a slightly worn red hat.
For some reason, seeing him made Ye Hae-su's throat go dry as she swallowed.
"Uh, Junior Brother Eon Yong-un? What brings you here?"
"That's what I want to ask you. Senior Sister Ye. What are you doing here right now?"
"… Huh? I was drafting the newsletter? Didn't I mention it at the Tak Clan Iron Forge earlier?"
"Didn't I call everyone to assemble first? That's why I even asked if you were confident."
"Ah?"
"Hm. I meant that you could stop by the student council room and still arrive on time."
Realizing the situation from Eon Yong-un's words.
"… Oh. So, I've become the 'one who arrived latest' right now?"
Seeing Eon Yong-un quietly nod.
Ye Hae-su hurriedly picked up the newsletter drafts she had been writing and spoke.
"I, I didn't know! Anyway, my skills are lacking, so I won't be much help with training. I thought it was okay to really make this."
To Ye Hae-su's words, Eon Yong-un simply nodded.
"I see. Seems there was a misunderstanding. The Azure Bamboo Hall folks are so in sync that I guess I wasn't precise enough."
"Yes. Really. You're not mad, right?"
"I'm not mad."
Despite his words, Eon Yong-un's stiff expression and atmosphere.
Ye Hae-su felt fear.
"Since you just returned from suspension and I went on a trip, we haven't really synced up properly, so it's understandable. It happens."
Thus, swallowing dryly while thinking that.
'Please don't let the next words be what I dread….'
That ominous premonition never lies.
"But anyway."
"……."
"Don't say you can't help from now on. What's not possible? If you do it, it works. Let's go to the training ground together."
Ye Hae-su trudged out following Eon Yong-un.
Beep beep! Beep beep beep!!
Arriving at the training ground like that.
Under the ear-piercing whistle sounds, the Azure Bamboo Hall seniors and juniors were twisting their bodies with faces that screamed they wanted to die.
"One hundred and one!"
Before she could even panic at the sight, Eon Yong-un's words continued.
"Your voice is too quiet! How are you going to beat Shaolin or the other dorms and invited groups like this?!"
"Ahhh!!!"
"Senior Sister Ye, go to that spot over there."
"… Uh. Yes. O, okay."
Ye Hae-su actually had something she wanted to say.
But before she could even open her mouth, she ended up rolling on the training ground.
After rolling around until her whole body was covered in dirt for a good while.
"Gymnastics ends here."
Forgetting completely what she wanted to say to Eon Yong-un.
Just as relief that it was finally over washed over her chest.
"Now we start sparring. Pair up with the person to your right…."
Thunderous words fell from Eon Yong-un's mouth.
"Senior Sister Ye Hae-su spars with me."
At those words, the students, who had become one with the ground from rolling and were utterly exhausted, scattered uniformly to create distance.
Eon Yong-un stood before Ye Hae-su and drew Regret from his waist.
Shing-
The fighting spirit emanating from Eon Yong-un like that was no joke.
Her arms felt heavy as if she'd been thoroughly beaten, but Ye Hae-su assumed a stance.
It felt like she had to.
Whoosh!
And sure enough.
In an instant, Eon Yong-un's body seemed to vanish as it charged toward Ye Hae-su.
Screeeeech!!!
With the sound of air splitting, a frost-like blade grazed past Ye Hae-su's eyes.
"Eek!"
Ye Hae-su instinctively raised her sword to block.
Clang!!!
Eon Yong-un's sword slightly changed direction from that.
But the sharp blade scattered the characteristic chill of millennium cold iron, slicing off a few strands of Ye Hae-su's hair as it passed.
'He, he's going easy on me, but if I'd been careless… I might have died?'
Considering Eon Yong-un's level, that would never happen.
But the fighting spirit and sword momentum he emitted made Ye Hae-su feel that way.
"See, Senior Sister? You can do it, right?"
"Is… this considered doing it?"
To survive, Ye Hae-su gripped her sword tighter and recalled the words she had wanted to say earlier but forgotten.
'… There were no words like this. …No words like this.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Two weeks had passed since raising the banner of conquering the Rectitude Tournament.
"Woo So-ryeong and I will go to the Tak Clan Iron Forge to drop off the broken weapons and pick up the repaired ones, so… Where's the Physical Education Minister, Senior Brother Go?"
"The Physical Education Minister went to manage the polo equipment."
"Then Eun So-jeo, you're in charge of going to Wudang Mountain."
"To stamp the sword test certificate?"
"Right on the mark."
"… I really don't want to know."
"Instead of saying that, shouldn't you head out? If I catch up after coming from the forge, you'll all be in trouble. And Jeong-hyeon."
"Yes, Brother Eon."
"You go to the horse stable and get a coffin with a jiangshi from Professor Young-hwan, then carry it back up."
"… Pardon?"
"You have stamina left. You need to increase the load."
"……."
"And think about what happened at the guard post last time. To stick with me, you need to get used to deathly aura."
"Ah. Yes!"
Leaving the morning training schedule of Azure Bamboo Hall like that.
I headed to the Tak Clan Iron Forge with Woo So-ryeong.
Clang! Clang! Claaang!!!
Amid the cheerful sounds of the master smiths striking iron with gusto.
"Young Master! The swords you left…."
Master Tak Jang-myeong came out smiling to greet us, then sighed deeply upon seeing the crates Woo So-ryeong and I were carrying.
"You broke them again?"
"With the Rectitude Tournament approaching, training got a bit intense."
"If you keep breaking swords like this… When will we ever get a good night's sleep?"
"Sleep's like that. If you die, you sleep forever, right? To avoid regretting it then, cut back a little while alive."
"… Yes?"
Watching that, Master said with a click of his tongue.
- Tsk tsk. Poor things…. They clearly had a chance to run. How did they end up caught by such a ruthless guy….
'?'
- ?
Ignoring Master's words, I stared at Master Tak Jang-myeong.
"Just kidding."
"Ha, hahaha."
"Ah, by any chance, can you make polo equipment too?"
"If you provide materials, yes. Weapons fundamentally can't be made with iron alone. Do you need some?"
"The stuff from the spring tournament got shabby, and I was wondering what to do. I'll send our Quartermaster and Physical Education Minister later."
"Yes. Oh, and I have something for you."
With those words, Master Tak Jang-myeong held out a narrow longsword.
Shing-
I drew it and saw it was made of cold iron.
I immediately spoke up.
"What's this?"
"When re-forging Regret, we used up all the millennium cold iron ingots, and some of the original cold iron too… This is made from the leftover cold iron. Just enough for one narrow longsword."
I immediately sheathed the sword.
And tossed it to Woo So-ryeong.
"This suits you."
Woo So-ryeong caught the sword I threw and looked puzzled.
"Brother Eon?"
"You're the only one following me around still using a Hundred Lotus Sword. You're the only one using a narrow longsword too, right?"
"… True, but I wonder if I should accept something like this."
"If you say that… Wait, why not? You contributed when finding the Tyrant Dragon too, right? If you don't want it, throw it back. I'll give it to someone else. Or sell it."
"N, no, I don't hate it!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While repeatedly training and preparing for the tournament both materially and mentally.
Time flew by like an arrow.
And so, the day of the Rectitude Tournament arrived.
Originally, the exchange match was hosted alternately by Shaolin Temple and Righteous Martial Academy.
This year was Righteous Martial Academy's turn to begin with.
Plus, with the purpose of announcing that Righteous Martial Academy, which had burned down from the Demonic Cult's raid, had been rebuilt.
The Rectitude Tournament was held at Righteous Martial Academy.
"Students of Righteous Martial Academy's Four Great Dormitories, enter!"
To the resounding voice of Elder Gyeong Hye-sa.
I advanced toward the plaza in front of the main hall, holding the championship flag symbolizing the spring tournament victor.
Behind me walked the student council presidents carrying the banners of Yunmaeng, Hyangran, Yun-guk, and Azure Bamboo, along with the other students.
Since it was an event open to the public, many spectators had come to watch.
"It's the Little Dragon Hero! The one who saved Righteous Martial Academy and Dangan Valley! Eon Yong-un is at the front!!"
"Demon Sword Calamity! Namgung Yun! Look this way, young masters!"
"Hero Yeon-chan! Bring back the championship flag!!!"
"Young later-generation heroes! Fight on!!"
They poured hot cheers toward us from the prepared stands.
Amid the spectators' cheers like that.
Gong Son Mu-gyeol, the Martial Alliance Leader waiting for the championship flag right below the platform, spoke up.
"You're holding such a big event that even arriving yesterday, this is the first I see your face. Ah, I've been reading that newsletter well. The headlines are so sensational. Makes me flip it open without thinking."
"But in this current situation, is it okay to hold such a big event?"
"That's exactly why we can. Neither the Demonic Cult nor the Evil Alliance can touch it. If they strut around when we've laid out the mat, they'll have to prepare for war with the united righteous martial world."
"True enough. Anyway, here’s the championship flag."
"Hahaha. Coming back to claim it again?"
"Of course."
"I like that confidence of yours. Good luck."
After handing over the championship flag and returning to where the Azure Bamboo Hall students stood.
"Northern Sea Ice Palace later-generation disciples, enter!"
Guests from the outer martial world, along with.
The sect leaders and disciples qualified to participate in this tournament took positions one after another in one corner of the plaza in front of the main hall.
"Shaolin later-generation disciples, enter!"
Finally, Shaolin's name was called.
"It's Shaolin!"
"The North Star of the righteous martial world!"
The greatest cheers since the Four Great Dormitory students entered.
Shaolin's warrior monks stood occupying the spot right next to the Four Great Dormitory students, hearing those cheers.
Among them, the warrior monk at the very front smiled faintly and addressed me.
"The Little Dragon Hero's fame has spread even to the foothills of Little Burning Peak in Mt. Song. Let's have a proper clash."
The warrior monk's eyes flickered with competitive spirit like flames.
These guys had clearly been waiting eagerly for this day.
Well, even Grandmaster Dharma said they were guys who train martial arts facing a wall, so they'd be itching when these occasional tournaments come around.
'… This is refreshingly novel in its own way.'
Since coming to the martial world, the moments I'd stepped into fights were mostly against those picking quarrels or doing evil.
Seeing someone so purely wanting to fight me was actually a first, so this warrior monk's attitude felt quite fresh to me.
I cracked my neck and smirked.
"Let's do it."
It seemed like it would be a pretty fun exchange match.