The Tournament's Opening
The day of the Murim Alliance's grand meeting had dawned. The annex of the Changmu Guest House had been bustling with activity since morning. It would not be an exaggeration to say that their reason for remaining in Luoyang was precisely for today. Although the original plan had gone somewhat awry, there was still work left to be done in Luoyang. Even if the Murim Alliance's meeting itself offered no admission tickets, the martial arts tournament was open to anyone. Those in their thirties—especially mid-thirties—usually drew some scrutiny when entering, yet the tournament made no distinctions of age or gender. Many members of the Changcheon Squad had also registered for the competition.
While those who had applied were busy making their final preparations for today's preliminary rounds, Myo-rin—who had boldly opted out of the tournament altogether—descended to the first-floor lounge with the leisurely gait of a well-fed cat. Namgung Woo, who had likewise chosen not to participate, was already waiting downstairs.
"It's been a while since I've seen you like this."
"Haah… Perhaps because the Captain has been devoting all his attention to the young lady?"
"Even so, you yourself have been holed up in your room and rarely came out, haven't you?"
In truth, after arriving in Luoyang, Myo-rin had only gone out for two or three days before shutting herself in her room, showing her face only at mealtimes. She plopped down on the chair diagonally across from Namgung Woo and spoke with a sigh.
"What choice do I have? If I want to go anywhere, I must be accompanied by at least one squad member. Besides, having to get the Captain's permission for every little thing would be troublesome for both of us."
Myo-rin's treatment was markedly different from that of the other Changcheon Squad members. Though she was a member, she was also, in a sense, under surveillance.
"Don't take it the wrong way. There is some consideration for you in this arrangement as well."
She was required to report her destination to Namgung Woo in advance and travel with at least one squad member. The condition served both to monitor her and to ensure that Namgung Woo could respond immediately should her identity be discovered and trouble arise. Myo-rin, who understood her situation better than anyone, did not protest the measures. She merely grumbled out of self-pity.
"Sigh… What sin have I committed… Well, I did commit one… Haah, it's the first time I've ever resented my master."
"Still, the decision to help Lee Ja-ryong in order to obtain the secret manual was yours alone, wasn't it?"
"…That is true as well."
No matter how much she cursed and blamed Lee Ja-ryong in her heart, when all was said and done, the final person she blamed was herself.
"Haah… I wonder if I should look for a spell that turns back time…"
"If such a thing exists, let me know as well."
Namgung Woo casually responded to Myo-rin's regret-filled nonsense, then questioned his own words.
If such a thing truly existed, would I even be allowed to use it?
His longing for his original world had already grown faint. Even if he returned to the past, Namgung Woo would likely strive to live the same life again in order to come back here. The bonds he had formed in this world and the world itself now occupied a significant place in his life.
"No, never mind. You can use it by yourself."
"…What is it, Captain? That sudden shift from being serious to smiling. It's strangely unsettling, you know?"
"It's nothing. More importantly, that secret manual you received from Lee Ja-ryong—is it really something worthwhile?"
"Of course. The original is gone now, but it truly is just a secret manual of our Cheongjeong Sect's martial arts. There won't be any issues if it falls into the wrong hands."
Myo-rin was a skilled spellcaster herself. Had any tampering been done to the manual, she would have noticed immediately.
"But that manual has been lost for quite some time… I wonder how that bastard Lee Ja-ryong obtained it. I should have asked him back then."
"It may not have been Lee Ja-ryong who obtained it."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. Everyone is coming down now. Shall we have a light breakfast first and talk? How about huimian?"
"Eek… Huimian is tasteless."
Due to the sensory dulling side effect of the Jusulmun, Myo-rin's sense of taste had also weakened. She stuck out her tongue at Namgung Woo's menu choice. It was true that huimian was rather bland to begin with. However, Namgung Woo firmly rejected her complaint.
"It is suitable for breakfast."
Just as he was about to order breakfast at the Changmu Guest House, light yet strangely lively footsteps echoed down the stairs from the upper floor.
"Gaga, good morning!"
§
The annex of the Changmu Guest House, which they had chosen for being sufficiently large, felt cramped today. In addition to the original six members of the Changcheon Squad staying there, two more people had joined. With Namgung Sol added to the six, along with Jegal Seon-a and I Ho-yeong, a total of nine people made the single annex feel inadequate.
After finishing breakfast and completing their preparations to depart, the group naturally divided themselves according to who would be moving together. Namgung Woo spoke first, looking toward Geumsin.
"I know you're looking forward to this, but don't overdo it."
"Do not worry. I am well aware of what a martial tournament entails."
That said, his muscles and inner energy were visibly brimming with excitement, twitching restlessly.
"You don't have to come watch, do you?"
"I will see you in the main tournament, so it is fine."
Geumsin's confidence was well-founded. At the extreme peak of the Peak Realm—surpassing even Paeng Ha-ryeong—he would have easily secured a spot in the main tournament even during the previous competition, which had been said to feature an unprecedented level of participants.
"Yang brothers, take good care of Myo-rin."
"Don't worry. Since Jeong and I have different match times anyway, we'll take turns keeping an eye on her."
"What do you mean by 'keeping an eye on me'? Am I some kind of prisoner?"
"Even if you're not a prisoner, you're certainly a person of interest, aren't you?"
The Yang brothers had also entered the tournament. Having lived as vagabonds, their desire for honor and success had grown considerably. Having only recently entered the Peak Realm, advancing to the main tournament would not be easy and would depend on the luck of the draw, but simply participating would be a valuable experience.
Excluding Geumsin, Yang Kvae, Yang Jeong, and Myo-rin, the remaining members would move together. Including the newly joined Jegal Seon-a and I Ho-yeong, that made five people—more than half the group. Yet only one among them was participating in the tournament. Namgung Sol, the temporary protagonist of this group, was visibly tense under the increased attention, her face stiff.
"Relax. There's no need to think too hard about it. Just do as you've been taught."
Did Namgung Woo realize how difficult that advice truly was? Still, it was a hurdle she would have had to face eventually, even without him. Though her wish to proudly bear the Namgung name as a survivor and elevate the family's reputation through an outstanding performance in the tournament had been dashed, the weight attached to Namgung Sol's name remained significant.
Since Namgung Woo had chosen not to participate and remained shut inside the Changmu Guest House, people had begun making all sorts of speculations. Just as they had at the gambling house, many attempted to extract information from the Changcheon Squad members. However, Geumsin and the Yang brothers provided no useful details. Based on the scant information available, several hypotheses emerged, some of which were quite credible. Among them, the most widely accepted theory was the "disciple training hypothesis."
"The Blue Sword Emperor himself cannot participate because the level is too low for him, so he is raising a disciple to take his place!"
In other words, the label attached to Namgung Sol was no longer simply "survivor of the Namgung Family," but "disciple of the Blue Sword Emperor." Having heard the rumor from the Yang brothers, Namgung Woo understood the burden Namgung Sol was feeling. Yet he also knew that no words from him would truly reach her at this moment, so he offered no lengthy advice.
"Jegal Lady has agreed to accompany us, but are you truly all right with this, Great Hero I?"
"If I join you, it will only make things awkward. I will follow at a distance, so do not worry."
I Ho-yeong intended to travel separately rather than together. Since he himself found that more comfortable, Namgung Woo had no reason to object. Moreover, I Ho-yeong's client was not Namgung Woo but the Jegal Family. Additionally, he was staying in a regular room at the Changmu Guest House rather than the annex. How had he secured a room when there were none available? A vagabond who recognized him had voluntarily given up his own room. I Ho-yeong had not accepted it for free and had provided appropriate compensation (which he planned to bill to the Jegal Family later), but the important point was that the room had been offered voluntarily. Such was the reputation of the Yellow Dragon Tiger, the most renowned among the Three Great Vagabonds, who was even called a great hero in the orthodox Murim.
"Then let us depart. We will return here before dinner."
The moment Namgung Woo finished speaking, the door to the annex swung open. As they passed through the main building and stepped onto the main street, countless gazes and presences that had been waiting for their appearance poured over them.
Unlike the previous mixture of curiosity, envy, suspicion, and distrust, these gazes were different. Clear hostility. Sharp wariness. It was the fighting spirit of martial artists directed at their rivals.
The martial arts tournament had already begun.