Chapter 137
Chapter 137. Today (2)
South of the bustling Arena on Central Great Road, a high platform had been prepared. The platform was arranged in tiers, where the Murim Alliance's key figures and invited guests appeared one after another and sat in rows.
Murim Alliance Leader Hyeoncheon Jinin sat in the center of the topmost tier. Beside him sat Eul Ji-tae, surveying the Arena and its entire surroundings with sharp eyes.
Demon Subduing Hall Lord Ja Do-un, Evil Conquering Hall Lord Lee Hyeon-gung, Manmu Hall Lord No Cheon, and others sat on the tier below according to hierarchy, and elders or guardians—renowned masters who came from the Nine Sects and One Society and Four Great Families—took seats further down on that tier.
In the center of the Arena stood the three military strategists of the Murim Alliance who had presided over the preliminaries—Namgung Hye, Zhuge Yang, and Sima Saui—each facing north, east, and west respectively, and below the northern side of the Arena, another checkerboard-style platform had been prepared.
It was precisely the platform for the finalists.
Wine Star Eul Ji-chu, Hainan Sword Phoenix Seo Hui, Qingcheng Sword Dragon Eight-Armed Swift Sword Wi Sang-hyu, Blood Battle Blade Dan On, and other Heavenly Youth members, as well as Ha Yeong-yeon, Jong Ji-hang, Seong Hui, Song Hyeon, Cheon Tae-ryeong, Eun Dae-rang, and other Young Ones on the Tiles members took their places one by one.
The crowd sent out cheers as if the Arena would collapse each time one of them appeared.
They had already become the future of Murim, and people believed without doubt that the champion among them would become the person closest to being the next Number One Under Heaven in the Martial World.
Soon Hwa Seon-hyang and Hwa Ye-ji also took their seats on chairs prepared on the northern platform.
However, even though the main tournament's start was imminent, only thirty-four people were seated.
This was because seven Heavenly Youth members couldn't attend the finals due to the extra incident that occurred in the dining hall yesterday.
And the one person who caused it also wasn't visible yet.
'Brother Dong still isn't showing. Why isn't he coming? He's in the first match!'
Hwa Seon-hyang was biting her nails while waiting for Dong Bong-soo. It would start soon, and if he didn't appear on time, he'd be disqualified right away.
As she fretted like that, the yellow-robed middle-aged man Huangshan Divine Spear Cho Baek, who had been sitting in front of Hyeoncheon Jinin, flew up toward the center of the Arena.
He was the Huangshan Sect Leader, the person in charge of the Murim Alliance's Outer Court as General Corps Leader, and also one of the Ten Greats.
Wooooooah—!
The crowd's cheers echoed loudly at Cho Baek's appearance. Everyone instinctively sensed that the Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament main stage would finally begin.
"Fellow martial artists. I won't make long speeches since you've waited so long. Let us now determine the one person who will remain at the end!"
Peeeek—
Wooooooah—!
Another round of cheers and whistle sounds shook not just Central Great Road but the entire Murim Alliance.
"Beggar Sect's Eul Ji-chu!"
At Cho Baek's call, the small monk sitting at the far left front of the northern platform stood up from his seat.
Rags so torn one couldn't know how long they'd been worn, magpie hair so tangled from not washing, and a grimy face with grime flowing down it. He looked like an upper-class beggar even among beggars.
However, when he stood up, thunderous cheers burst from people's mouths.
It was because of the fact that there were no fewer than eight knots on the string binding his waist.
Eight Knots.
This was the symbol of the Successor Beggar. Successor Beggar meant precisely the next Beggar Sect Leader. Whatever his appearance, such things didn't matter at all—these eight knots completely explained who he was.
He was the one and only disciple of Heaven-Shaking Wine Beggar Lee Gwal-jang, one of the Five Supremes—Wine Star Eul Ji-chu.
The cheers continued to grow. The major sect members especially so.
Eul Ji-chu wasn't simply the Beggar Sect's representative but from now on was also the representative of all major sects. If even he lost to the Young Ones on the Tiles, the only people left to trust on the Heavenly Youth side would be Shaolin and Wudang's representatives.
He staggered up onto the Arena. Though he reeked as if drunk, no one said anything.
'The Drunken Eight Immortals Step, Dog-Beating Staff Technique, and Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms when sober are at most eleven-tenths complete no matter how intensely practiced. What completes the final one-tenth is precisely one drop of alcohol.'
These three martial arts transmitted only to those who would become Beggar Sect Leaders were also called the Wine Fiend Secret Arts. Some sneered that it was just a good excuse to drink, but no one could say this openly.
The name Beggar Sect, the being called Sect Leader who stood at its peak, and the martial arts he used.
If one carelessly spoke mockingly of them, they could become a public enemy of all beggars under heaven. Though the masters of government or the Martial World might die or change, the master of beggars was always the Beggar Sect Leader and the leader of one hundred thousand beggars.
"Guk-"
Eul Ji-chu staggered but ultimately stepped onto the Arena.
Soon Cho Baek checked the participant roster in his hand and called his opponent's name.
"Dong Guang-chuan!"
Another wave of enthusiastic cheers poured out.
If one were to name the person who became most known through this tournament, it would undoubtedly be Dong Guang-chuan—precisely Dong Bong-soo. People marveled at his short but intense journey and also marveled each time rumors spread about what kind of person he was.
Who on earth thought someone without even an epithet would defeat Murong Byeong? What kind of person anticipated that a newcomer to the Martial World would defeat Paeng Ho-ryu?
Who on earth!
Knew he would single-handedly smash three of the Nine Dragons and over ten flying rising stars all at once?
He was at the center of every upset.
Could he do it again this time?
Everyone waited for his appearance. But for some reason, he still hadn't appeared yet.
"Dong Guang-chuan! The one who writes the name with the characters Dong, Guang, and Chuan, come up onto the Arena immediately!"
Cho Baek called for Dong Bong-soo again.
"......"
Still no one appeared. As everyone grew anxious, Cho Baek called the name Dong Guang-chuan once more. Already the third time. If he called just two more times, Dong Bong-soo would be automatically disqualified.
Dong Guang-chuan, and again Dong Guang-chuan.
Just as Dong Bong-soo's elimination was about to be confirmed amid everyone's disappointment!
"...Wh-when!?"
"Huh? What?"
"......"
Before anyone knew it, Dong Bong-soo was standing beside Eul Ji-chu. Most of those in attendance didn't know how he had appeared. Perhaps no one knew.
Many showed bewildered reactions to his sudden appearance, but a few just silently gazed at the Arena. Among them was Cho Baek.
"You're late. Then let's start immediately. Sound the drums!"
Without showing any confusion, he immediately ordered the finals to begin and descended to the southern platform with the three military strategists.
Boom, boom, boom.
The drum sounds rang out and only Dong Bong-soo and Eul Ji-chu remained in the Arena.
"So you're that brat from the rumors, I see?"
Eul Ji-chu was seeing Dong Bong-soo for the first time. But his appearance was extraordinary from the start. A Movement Technique he'd never seen. No, should something like that even be called a Movement Technique?
"How exactly did you just get onto the Arena?"
There was no answer from Dong Bong-soo.
He merely quietly pulled out a crimson red sword from his bosom.
"So it's 'no questions allowed,' is that it? Well, aren't all those martial world brats like that anyway. Hiccup."
Click-clack.
Eul Ji-chu also hiccupped drunkenly while unfastening the two green jade staffs crossed behind his back and connected them using the joint in the middle.
Then it became one long staff. That was Eul Ji-chu's own Dog-Beating Staff.
"Then while I'm drunk, let's have ourselves a wild time!"
No sooner had the words ended than Eul Ji-chu lay down on the ground and brought the Dog-Beating Staff down on Dong Bong-soo. It was an attack like pressing down from above to flatten a dog's back.
Clang-!
It seemed like he'd swung it carelessly, but the sound it created was tremendous. A massive amount of Force energy had coalesced at the tip of Eul Ji-chu's staff.
Dong Bong-soo didn't meet it head-on but retreated half a step backward to evade. Thus all the power loaded in the Dog-Beating Staff was received by the Arena instead. If it hadn't been Cold Iron, the floor would have dented from this one move of the Split Character Formula Flatten Dog's Back technique.
Eul Ji-chu's attack wasn't over yet.
Swish-swish.
The Dog-Beating Staff lying on the ground swept toward Dong Bong-soo's feet as Eul Ji-chu moved his hand to sweep the floor.
Dong Bong-soo retreated another half step backward.
However, Eul Ji-chu's floor sweeping continued. No, he started spinning round and round while doing a handstand. He had executed the Turn Character Formula 'Send Dog to Heaven' technique in reverse. If the original 'Send Dog to Heaven' was an attack like lifting a dog to the sky, this was deploying it completely in reverse.
Truly an amazing realm.
The Eighteen-Path Dog-Beating Staff Technique consisted of eighteen paths and eight formulas. So even just the basic techniques actually used numbered one hundred forty-four. However, if one included application techniques like what Eul Ji-chu was doing now, those techniques were truly infinite. Of course, not just anyone could reach such a realm. It was only possible by going beyond memorizing and understanding the paths and formulas to perfectly mastering and assimilating them.
Right now, Eul Ji-chu had already reached such a realm.
Rustle-rustle.
Tap-tap.
Dong Bong-soo retreated backward while evading the Dog-Beating Staff that swept at his feet while spinning round and round.
Then when he reached the corner of the Arena and had nowhere left to retreat, he leaped upward.
"Ha-ap-!"
Was he waiting for that moment?
Eul Ji-chu bent his elbows while still in a handstand position, then extended them fully.
Then the rotational force that had been spinning shot upward just as it was, still alive.
Whirr!.
Eul Ji-chu's feet flew spinning toward the lower body of Dong Bong-soo floating in midair.
Dong Bong-soo extended the Wanderer's Sword he was gripping towards Eul Ji-chu’s feet.
Eul Ji-chu dropped the feet that had been heading upward toward the Arena. With that one move, he evaded Dong Bong-soo's counterattack. Moreover, because he lowered his lower body, his upper body that had been heading down reversed and shot upward.
In that state, he swung the Dog-Beating Staff utilizing all of the leaping momentum, the power of his upper body shooting up, and even the rotational force from sweeping the floor.
It was precisely an application of the Lift Character Formula Lead Dog Into Compound technique.
Dong Bong-soo's sword sliced through empty air and his back was completely exposed.
At that moment, the Dog-Beating Staff flew in fiercely to beat the dog that had entered inside the fence.
"Whoa-whoa-woot—!"
"Don't tell me it's ending already?"