The Martial Arts Match Within the Chrysanthemum Gate (2)
Xiahou Dun sensed something hurtling toward him and twisted his body desperately to evade it. Thud!
Yet his frantic movement proved utterly futile. The force of Seo Jun’s punch sent him reeling; he tumbled across the floor several times before being hurled straight out of the Chrysanthemum Gate.
Out of bounds!
Waaaaah!!!
The crowd had just witnessed Seo Jun crushing the formidable fists of both Ji Ling and Xiahou Dun with overwhelming dominance. Forgetting all decorum, they rose from their seats, applauding wildly and cheering at the top of their lungs.
“Heh heh~ He still looks so young. Just who is this man the Grand General sent out?”
“What an incredible warrior!”
If I could make him mine, he would become a tremendous asset later.
He’s someone I truly want to possess.
Seo Jun’s presence commanded every eye. Some voiced their admiration openly, while others kept their thoughts hidden, but his overwhelming display stirred a whirlwind of emotions among the spectators.
While Seo Jun was busy knocking Xiahou Dun out of bounds, Ji Ling—who had been waiting for another opening—moved to attack Seo Jun in revenge. At the same moment Cao Ren charged in, and their paths collided. The two ended up tangling with each other by pure accident.
Seo Jun was granted a brief moment of respite.
Po Cheol and Wen Chou had been locked in a test of raw strength since nearly the midpoint of the match, gripping each other’s hands in a continuous grapple. They noticed through sidelong glances that the atmosphere inside the arena was gradually settling. Both simultaneously realized they could no longer afford to drag things out, and urgency flared in their hearts.
“Haaahap!”
With a mighty shout, the pair lunged, each trying to seize the more advantageous position—armpits, flanks, any opening. Entangled in a desperate struggle that burned through their last reserves, neither watched the ground. In a ridiculous turn, both stumbled beyond the Chrysanthemum Gate.
Out of bounds!
Eliminated together in such a comical fashion, the two provided quite the spectacle for the audience.
The duel between Sa-a and Yan Liang had been evenly matched at first. But Sa-a’s fists gradually accelerated, and from a certain point onward Yan Liang could no longer block them properly. Blow after blow slammed into his abdomen and face until he was driven out of the arena, handing Sa-a a clear victory.
The collision between Cao Ren and Ji Ling resembled a living textbook of boxing. Every motion was disciplined, every strike economical. The distilled essence of fist techniques refined over decades manifested through their bodies for all the world to see.
Yet a gap in skill existed. Before long Ji Ling began to be pushed back. Cao Ren’s powerful kick sent him completely outside the Chrysanthemum Gate, deciding the match.
Waaaaah!
Now only three men remained inside the arena: Seo Jun, Sa-a, and Cao Ren. Had they displayed their true abilities from the start, Yan Liang and Wen Chou might have survived instead. One could only say they had faced the wrong opponents.
Without exchanging a single word, the three naturally took up positions forming a triangle around the center of the Chrysanthemum Gate.
“Heh! It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun~”
Sa-a let out a small laugh, still showing not a trace of tension.
“Gaining empty fame by playing vigilante in the back alleys—how laughable!”
Cao Ren had accompanied Cao Cao onto the battlefield since a very young age, steadily building his reputation. Though he would only turn twenty next year, he had already reached his current standing. To others he still appeared young, yet he had experienced more battlefields than most seasoned generals. He had long harbored resentment that people ranked Sa-a—who merely acted as a yuxie in Luoyang’s streets—higher than the name he had worked so hard to forge.
This is the perfect chance to crush him once and for all!
Seo Jun studied the momentum and expressions of Sa-a and Cao Ren as they traded barbs.
Both of them really are like finely tempered weapons.
Sa-a appeared carefree yet was razor-sharp; Cao Ren seemed rough yet possessed solid foundations. Seo Jun felt a surge of pleasure at the thought that an opportunity to test his own limits had arrived. Facing both men at once would force him to unleash his full power and truly measure himself.
“You two should worry about me first!”
Seo Jun shot forward, leaping toward Cao Ren.
Whoosh—
Using his full strength for the first time in a while, his opening move was a straight punch aimed at Cao Ren.
Tsk tsk~ He should have waited just a little longer!
He Jin clicked his tongue inwardly, disappointed that Seo Jun had charged in instead of waiting for the other two to clash and exhaust each other. Had he done so, claiming the championship would have been far easier.
Cao Ren’s face hardened as Seo Jun closed in rapidly and threw the punch.
How dare this bastard look down on me!
He moved to block with his left arm as usual and counter with his right.
“Urrgh!!”
What is this pressure?
The attack he had believed he could easily deflect was far heavier and stronger than expected.
Bam! Bam-bam!
Seo Jun and Cao Ren collided head-on, exchanging lightning-fast blows.
“Haha! Excellent!”
Sa-a, watching their exchange, let out a delighted cry at the rich tension he hadn’t felt in years.
“Let me join in too~”
A smile brimming with pure joy spread across his face as he dove into the fray.
Three men intertwined, attacking and defending simultaneously in a rare and peculiar clash. The once flashy fight transformed into something direct and economical.
Thud! Bam!
Any movement that required even the slightest preparation left an opening that was instantly exploited. The gap between them slowly revealed itself. Cao Ren, who allowed attacks more frequently than the others, began to lose his balance.
“Haaap!”
Without any prior discussion, as if their minds were linked, Seo Jun and Sa-a launched a simultaneous assault meant to eject Cao Ren first.
Boom! Thud!
Struck squarely in the torso by both attacks, Cao Ren staggered backward and was driven out of the Chrysanthemum Gate.
Out of bounds!!
With Cao Ren’s elimination, only Seo Jun and Sa-a remained inside the gate.
“Finally, it’s just the two of us~ Hehe~ You may not know this, but my name is Sa-a~ If my guess is correct, you must be the Black Wind Heavenly General, Seo Baekryong, right?”
“You know me?”
After Cao Ren was eliminated, Sa-a took a step back.
“So that man was Seo Baekryong?”
“As expected! The rumors weren’t just empty gossip after all.”
Murmur, murmur.
People who now knew Seo Jun’s true identity whispered among themselves from every direction.
Most of those present had heard the rumors about Seo Jun. Unlike the common citizens who praised him fervently, however, many here had believed the stories were heavily distorted and exaggerated. After all, quite a few officials had entered government service precisely because of such inflated tales.
Yet today, faced with the reality behind those rumors, many were genuinely shocked. More than a few eyes now glittered with open greed as they looked at Seo Jun.
“I was somewhat interested after hearing the rumors. You don’t quite match what I heard, but you’re still quite impressive~”
“Well, you’ll find out for yourself once you experience it properly.”
As Seo Jun’s aura intensified, Sa-a shed his previous leisurely demeanor. He straightened his posture and fixed Seo Jun with a cold gaze.
“Try to block it if you can~”
Suppressing the fierce heat rising from the depths of his heart, Sa-a kicked off the ground and closed the distance in an instant.
Swish! Swish-swish! Swish!
Sa-a unleashed six or seven rapid strikes in succession, pressuring Seo Jun.
To the spectators, Sa-a’s attacks left only blurry afterimages, yet Seo Jun read the timing perfectly and deflected every blow with precise palm strikes.
Sa-a’s assault grew faster and fiercer, like a raging storm. Seo Jun’s defense resembled an impenetrable shield that could block anything.
Then, in a single moment—
Whoooosh!
Seo Jun’s fist tore through the dazzling barrage that had been confusing Sa-a’s vision.
Bam-bam-bam!
Sa-a barely managed to deflect the powerful punch with a flurry of counters.
Haa… haa…
Sa-a’s breathing had grown rough. It had been so long since he last breathed this heavily that he could scarcely remember the last time.
As expected, this is enjoyable.
This is fun.
Both Seo Jun and Sa-a were delighted to have encountered an opponent worthy of pouring out their full strength after so long.
“The spectators might be growing bored, so shall we end this now?”
A smile bloomed on Seo Jun’s face.
Their martial skills were close enough that further fighting would be needed to determine a clear superior. Yet victory was not decided by technique alone.
Seo Jun, who had focused mainly on defense until now, suddenly sprang forward with light footwork and closed in on Sa-a.
Whoong! Swish! Swish!
Sa-a barely evaded the fast, powerful fists. But each time Seo Jun’s strikes whistled past, the wind pressure against his skin made him grit his teeth. He could not afford to relax his tension for even an instant.
The fist flying toward Sa-a’s face suddenly opened, momentarily blocking his vision.
Startled, Sa-a thought of the previous trajectory and instinctively leaned his body the opposite way.
Whoooong!
From below his line of sight, Seo Jun’s front kick rose like a rising dragon, slicing through the air.
Kwaaaang!
Too late to dodge, Sa-a hastily raised both arms to block. The impact jolted through his limbs, and his body was sent flying clean out of the Chrysanthemum Gate’s circle.
Although he had taken the hit, the damage was not severe. Sa-a landed cleanly without further injury. Yet in terms of the match, he had lost.
Waaaaah!!
“The winner is Seo Baekryong!!”
Cao Cao approached Seo Jun, grabbed one of his arms, and raised it high as he declared the victor.
“Duke Baekryong, congratulations on your victory.”
“Duke Mengde, thank you.”
“Hm? You know who I am?”
Cao Cao looked surprised that Seo Jun recognized him, but delight quickly spread across his face.
“Haha~ I have heard rumors of Duke Mengde’s sense of justice and heroic spirit. I had always hoped to meet you one day, and here we are encountering each other in a place like this.”
“To think Duke Baekryong thought so highly of me—this truly makes me happy.”
While the two exchanged pleasantries, Jeong Hyeon and Cao Song approached.
Cao Song had failed to build a connection with Sa-a as originally planned, but he figured becoming close to Seo Jun—who had defeated Sa-a—would serve his purposes just as well.
“Strong Sage, please present the prize yourself.”
“Shouldn’t the Grand Commandant do the honors?”
“Wouldn’t that be me meddling? The host of this sixtieth birthday celebration should be the one to do it.”
“Haha~ Very well.”
Cao Song showed respect for Jeong Hyeon’s dignity while subtly reminding those around him once again of his own generosity.
“Baekryong, congratulations on your victory. When you arrived with the Grand General I did not recognize you, but learning that you are the Baekryong who labors for the people fills me with joy. Please continue to devote yourself to His Majesty the Emperor and the nation.”
“Strong Sage, I am still a man with many shortcomings. Thank you for viewing me so favorably.”
Seo Jun accepted the gold ingot Jeong Hyeon offered, exchanged final greetings with Jeong Hyeon, Cao Song, and Cao Cao, then moved to stand beside He Jin.
“Grand General! I have successfully carried out your command.”
“Hahahaha! Well done, Baekryong!! You worked very hard. I am in an excellent mood today!!!”
He Jin beamed with a wide smile, clearly overjoyed, and patted Seo Jun’s shoulder in praise of his efforts.
“Grand General! Please decide how the gold ingot should be handled.”
“That is a reward you earned through your own hard work. Naturally, you may decide its use as you see fit.”
Seo Jun deliberately created an atmosphere that allowed He Jin to make the final decision, working to reinforce the impression that he faithfully regarded He Jin as his superior.