Chapter 91: Dangerous Sparring Continues (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: Dangerous Sparring Continues (1)
"Whoa! Did the New Dragon of Sichuan actually take a hit?"
"I knew it. No matter how much of a master he is, there’s no way Cho Maeryeong would just go down without a fight."
"Does this mean they’re evenly matched now?"
The crowd’s disappointment in Cho Maeryeong finally began to dissipate.
That was all well and good, but strangely enough, I was receiving more praise now than when I had actually been winning.
"Still, to be on par with Cho Maeryeong... he’s certainly worthy of being the Acting Squad Leader of the Blood Wind Squad."
"No wonder Ham Sobangju treasures him so much."
"I heard a rumor that he’s a rare master who was specially recruited."
"Haven't you heard? They say he wiped out all those Blood Lamas back at the New Dragon Inn."
"That explains it. Cho Maeryeong has finally met a worthy opponent."
With all these whispers flying around, I figured it would be best for my health to disappear from this place as quickly as possible.
Cho Maeryeong seemed to have found some consolation in my disheveled appearance as well; she slowly backed away and vanished into the crowd.
The atmosphere was winding down, and I was about to step off the platform when a guy suddenly jumped out.
"I challenge you to a duel!"
A young martial artist shouted with intense bravado.
What the—! Who is this guy?
But apparently, he wasn't just some random nobody.
"Oh! Isn't that the disciple of the Sixth Chamber Leader?"
"You're right. He’s the disciple of the 'Dark King Demon' Baek Sanghak. He’s a rising master whose skill with hidden weapons is said to have reached the level of a virtuoso."
Hearing the chatter around me made my skin crawl.
One of the things I hated most in this world was hidden weapons.
To dodge hidden weapons, one needed specialized training in counter-measures. But my martial arts had improved as suddenly as a boy hitting puberty and having his first wet dream—I had the power, but I didn't really understand the why or the how of it.
It might be a crude comparison, but that was exactly how I felt. I had achieved something, but I hadn't fully grasped its meaning.
In this situation, sparring with a master of hidden weapons was a recipe for disaster. Forget about being humiliated; I could actually die. I had to find a way out of this, no matter what.
I squeezed every ounce of internal energy I had into my tongue.
"Is this duel truly necessary?"
I put on an expression that was as dignified as possible, yet tinged with annoyance.
"Do you see martial arts as nothing more than a tool for comparison? What do you hope to achieve by proving you are superior to another? Do you not know that the joy of surpassing oneself through martial arts is far greater than the thrill of defeating others? If you spend all your time sparring with others, when will you ever spar with yourself? True sparring is not Tabimu—sparring with others—but Abimu—sparring with oneself."
Damn! Even I couldn't help but be impressed by my own words.
The guy’s initial bravado vanished. As the surrounding atmosphere turned solemn and contemplative, his momentum withered away.
That’s right! That’s how it should be.
I quickly stepped off the platform and began walking toward my quarters, but the bald elder who had been talking beside me earlier blocked my path.
"Wait. Since things have already come to this, why don't you spar right here in front of us elders to prove your worthiness for the position of Acting Squad Leader?"
I furrowed my brows. What kind of bullshit is this old man spewing now?
Just then, Deputy Bu stepped in.
"Elder Jang, I apologize, but what is this talk of a duel for the Acting Squad Leader position? With all due respect, there is no such rule in this chamber..."
As Deputy Bu spoke, the elder sneered.
"Ho ho, to think the strategist of the Sword Demon, the Ninth Chamber Leader, is unaware of the new legislation passed by the Elder Council. It has already been decided as a Chamber Rule that any appointment to a rank of Squad Leader or higher must be verified by defeating three masters recognized by the Elder Council."
"What? Without any prior notice?"
As Deputy Bu stammered in shock, the elder continued.
"Do we really need to ask permission from subordinates to create and implement Chamber Rules?"
"But the adoption of a new law requires a majority vote from the nine Chamber Leaders..."
"We have the majority. Is that enough for you?"
Deputy Bu looked toward an elder among the group who was known to be close with the Sword Demon, Ham Jeok. That elder nodded with a grim expression.
"It has passed."
Deputy Bu looked like he was about to explode with indignation.
Looking at the situation, the fact that a majority of the Nine Demons had adopted this new rule meant that the faction opposing Ham Jeok now held more than half the power.
And for some reason, they seemed intent on preventing me from reaching Ham Jeok. It felt like they wanted Ham Jeok to die from his current predicament.
They probably didn't even know why I was going to see him. They just saw Ham Bi-hye and Deputy Bu desperately trying to get me into the closed-door cultivation room and decided to interfere out of pure spite, assuming I must be important.
I could see the conflict on Deputy Bu's face.
"Must I seek permission from the Young Lord?"
"No. He has delegated full authority to me. However..."
He was likely in a deep dilemma.
If only I could use Sound Transmission, I would have told him to reject the offer and find any way to get us out of there. But since I couldn't, my insides were burning with frustration. I couldn't exactly use Six Harmonies Voice Transmission to shout it out, either.
This was maddening. Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
"If such a rule exists, we shall naturally abide by it. However, for a fair duel, we also need time to prepare. We will hold it in a few days. Surely the Elder Council isn't so heartless as to force this immediately?"
"Ahem, ahem. Very well. We can coordinate the date for the duel."
Yes! Deputy Bu actually had a brain.
Phew. I breathed a sigh of relief. I take back everything I said about him being a blockhead. Seeing him hold his ground and even counter-offer made me feel much better.
Of course, if we could set a plan before the duel, I’d feel even more secure. In this place, my old trick of claiming to be a weakling wouldn't work at all. I just had to face it head-on.
However, it seemed they weren't planning on giving me those few days of leeway. Not by the look of things.
"If you duel right now, we will reduce the number of opponents from three to two. What do you say?"
Deputy Bu glanced at me, his face clouded with internal debate.
He probably thought the probability of winning against two people was higher than against three, but that was his calculation. For me, even one guy was a problem.
Their intention was crystal clear. They wanted to crush the momentum and morale of the new Blood Wind Squad entering the Hell Gate by defeating me. Furthermore, they wanted to expose me as a mediocre warrior to the entire world, diminishing my status and making me a laughingstock.
Seeing their obvious malice made a fire rise in my gut.
The old man, Elder Jang, began to needle me in earnest. He spoke as if he were talking to himself, but his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Why? Are you afraid? If you're that scared, you should never have come to the Nine Demons Chamber in the first place. Do you think our chamber is some lowly street gang? Every Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks they can be a Squad Leader. If you lack the skill, you should know your place and back off. You don't look like you even have the skill of a Unit Leader. You should have just stayed a Demon Subjugation Group Leader instead of being so greedy."
Endure it, Ja-seo. It’s better for your longevity.
I suppressed my anger and waited for Deputy Bu to speak. I expected him to find another excuse to delay this duel.
But then, Galwi stepped forward.
"Young Hero Eo, what are you afraid of? This isn't a matter for Deputy Bu to decide; it's a matter for you, isn't it? If it were me, I would accept this challenge. If you have to do it anyway, show us your passion right here and now. I, Gal, shall cheer for you! I also wish to witness the legendary skills of the New Dragon of Sichuan with my own two eyes. Will you grant me that honor?"
His words were polite, but his eyes were cunning. The bastard was dying to see me humiliated.
To make matters worse, Jeok Yeong, who had no idea what I was actually feeling, added fuel to the fire.
"Brother, I'm worried that backing down any further will tarnish your reputation. Take this chance to show them. Sweep away these fools who aren't even as good as the Blood Lamas. What are you worried about?"
Jeok Yeong spoke as if he were frustrated that I was taking insults without fighting back.
It seemed all the experts thought the same way. They didn't like seeing me, someone with supposed skill, constantly avoiding a fight.
And it seemed the low-level warriors felt the same.
This is why you people don't live long.
Suddenly, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang shouted.
"Lord! Show them your might! Flatten the noses of those who dare to look down on you! Show them how powerful and terrifying you are when you finally lose your patience!"
Following the Twin Heroes' lead, those Seven Cats bastards started acting up too. They literally prostrated themselves on the ground and cried out.
"Lord, we 'Seven Cats' are incompetent and have only caused you worry while serving you. We would rather die than see our Lord insulted and mocked like this. We hate those who speak so recklessly, unaware of our Lord's heart that loathes bloodshed and killing. Show the world who you truly are! Lord!"
At this point, the duel had become an inevitability.
Yet, if there was any way to escape this situation, I still wanted to take it. I looked at Deputy Bu, pinning my last hope on him.
"Fine. We accept the proposal."
Deputy Bu spoke with a grim, determined face, as if he had made a great resolution.
What? Who gave you permission? I have no intention of doing this!
He must have been blinded by the fact that I "beat" Cho Maeryeong, but I could see everything perfectly clearly. This was a plot to get me killed!
"Waaaaah!"
The members of the Blood Wind Squad suddenly erupted in cheers. They shouted as if I had already won, which only deepened my despair.
What on earth am I supposed to do now?
I looked up at the sky, feeling like I wanted to cry. In the blue sky, clouds were drifting westward in a line, and migratory birds were flying away. I wanted to be like those birds and fly far away from this place.
I really didn't want to act all scholarly and use fancy idioms, but looking at the red sun in the blue sky, a phrase that perfectly fit my situation came to mind.
Iljungdo영 (日中逃影)—trying to escape one's shadow at high noon. It meant trying to do the impossible. Since I was trapped in a situation where I absolutely had to duel, a sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.
Because the duel was happening so suddenly, we moved to the permanent sparring stage in a corner of the training grounds. People crowded around the stage. Moreover, people who had been nowhere to be seen started swarming in from all directions.
Everything happened so fast that I didn't even have time to think about escaping; my mind was a total blank.
Just then, Deputy Bu shouted toward the Blood Wind Squad.
"Watch closely! See for yourselves what kind of man your Acting Squad Leader is. Watch and learn. See why, out of all the masters who fought the Blood Lamas, only the name of our Acting Squad Leader stands tall!"
"Yes, sir!"
Thump!
As they answered and stomped their feet in unison, the ground shook. That vibration finally snapped me back to reality. The reality that I was standing on the brink of death.
"Who is the master recommended by the Elder Council?"
When Deputy Bu asked Elder Jang, one guy stepped forward.
"That would be me."
It was the disciple of the Dark King Demon who had challenged me earlier.
"I am Do Geon, the Ghost Rock Dragon."
Look at this guy, speaking so informally. Well, he’s the disciple of a Chamber Leader, so I’ll let it slide.
He looked gloomy and sinister, exactly how you’d imagine someone who handles hidden weapons. Though, looking at the Tang Clan warriors who also use hidden weapons, that wasn't always the case.
"I am Eo Ja-seo."
I spoke informally as well. This wasn't the Orthodox Murim; this was the Nine Demons Chamber. If someone acts uncouth, you don't respond with logic; you respond with even more rudeness and power.
"You certainly have some spirit. Let's see if you have the skill to match."
The guy shook his hands vigorously. It was a warm-up motion used before throwing hidden weapons.
If I’m going to deal with him, I have to end it in a single strike. I need to take him down before he can fire those weapons. To do that, I have to use the 'Draw Sword Instant Kill' from the 'Life Claiming Style' I recently perfected.
I had a plan of sorts. I had to make sure I got the first move. If I could strike first and hit his dead blood points with my Tongue Flicking Art, it would be over.
Alright, let's do this.
There was nowhere left to run. Since it had come to this, I had to fight with everything I had. I took a deep breath and stood at a distance from Do Geon.
I intentionally kept my distance. I would leap in and end it with a single Draw Sword Instant Kill. This distance was perfect.
"Is it alright if the 'weakling' attacks first?"
When I spoke, the guy smirked. He liked being called the superior master. With that, the first move was easily mine.
Simpleton.