Chapter 168
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Even More Intense Rematch
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The resumed duel was even more fierce.
Jeong Hye thrust her sword vigorously, filled with resolve to win through skill alone.
Bang Mu-jin, desperate for victory as well, swung his twin short staffs with far greater ferocity than before.
Clang!
This time, Jeong Hye's sword shoved the short staff aside.
'Good!'
She followed up by thrusting toward Bang Mu-jin's exposed chest.
Swish!
But she failed to notice the sinister smile curling on Bang Mu-jin's lips.
Creeeang!
By a hair's breadth, the short staff blocked her sword.
However.
Pfft!
The impact was so strong that part of the short staff broke off.
"......!"
Coincidentally, the fragment flew straight toward Jeong Hye's face.
Whoosh!
Startled, Jeong Hye whipped her head aside, and the fragment merely grazed her cheek.
'Ugh!'
Blood soon dyed her face red. But she was not one to falter from this.
Ignoring the blood streaming down, she swung her sword once more.
Swoosh!
Frightened, Bang Mu-jin retreated a step and defended with his short staff.
Creeeang!
A sharp metallic clash rang out, and another fragment from the shattered staff hurtled toward Jeong Hye.
'No way!'
This one was even faster and larger than the last. Just as it seemed unavoidable.
Pow!
Suddenly, the fragment crumbled into dust and vanished.
'Huh?'
Jeong Hye could not comprehend it.
"The match ends here."
"......!"
Seol Hwa-un had appeared on the arena stage. Only then did Jeong Hye realize he had pulverized the fragment.
His intervention forced the two to halt the duel once again.
"Huh?"
"North Heaven Dragon?"
"What's going on, again?"
As the spectators stared in baffled confusion, Seol Hwa-un fixed Bang Mu-jin with a glare.
"Bang Mu-jin. You ignored the warning and broke the rules again. You're disqualified. Therefore, Jeong Hye the monk wins this match."
Bang Mu-jin protested with an indignant look.
"What's this nonsense all of a sudden? What rule did I break?!"
"Denying it still? Very well. If you're so sure, lend me that short staff for a moment?"
"......!"
Bang Mu-jin's pupils trembled. But he quickly regained his composure and held out the staff readily.
"Fine! If there's nothing wrong, I'll lodge a formal complaint with the Martial Alliance!"
"Not that one. The one in your left hand."
With no choice, Bang Mu-jin extended the staff in his left hand.
"Examine it carefully! As you can see, it took a lot of damage from the clash just now..."
Seol Hwa-un snatched it and twisted it with both hands before he could finish.
Craaack!
The short staff shattered, unable to withstand the immense strength.
Bang Mu-jin cried out in shock.
"Wh-what is this...!"
Seol Hwa-un showed him the broken cross-section.
"Still going to deny it?"
The apparently hollow interior was packed with intricate mechanisms.
"Whoever crafted this has remarkable skill. Such precise hidden devices."
"I-I didn't know..."
"You wielded it flawlessly until moments ago. Think that excuse will hold?"
The Dragon-Phoenix Tournament fundamentally banned hidden weapons.
Reasons abounded—from upholding righteous sect dignity to simple danger above all else.
The Sichuan Tang Family suffered most from this rule, yet they accepted it without protest.
Confident in their other martial arts, they didn't mind. This forced other hidden weapon users to comply as well.
Thus, a subtle atmosphere of extra respect arose when a Tang Family warrior claimed the Dragon-Phoenix title.
Yet here, in a tournament with such ironclad rules, was a weapon with built-in mechanisms to fire hidden projectiles.
Unacceptable not just in the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament, but in any fair duel.
Bang Mu-jin had cunningly fired the hidden weapon the instant their weapons clashed.
Making it seem like mere impact damage. The mechanism was designed for exactly that from the start.
He likely planned to disguise it as an accident if Jeong Hye took a fatal hit, but Seol Hwa-un's keen eyes saw through it.
"......"
Exposed completely, Bang Mu-jin lowered his head in a daze.
The spectators, grasping the truth, hurled abuse at him.
"You cowardly scum!"
"Defiling the sacred Dragon-Phoenix Tournament!"
"Get out!"
Some gazed at Seol Hwa-un with fresh admiration.
"Impressive. Spotting that so quickly."
"Not for nothing he's the referee."
"As expected of the North Heaven Dragon."
Seol Hwa-un turned to Jeong Hye.
"What a pity, Jeong Hye the monk."
"Amitabha. It can't be helped. Thank you for saving me."
Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
"Just a referee's duty."
Meanwhile, Bang Mu-jin slowly lifted his head.
'Damn it!'
His eyes fixed on Seol Hwa-un's back.
'This is all your fault!'
Rage boiling, Bang Mu-jin raised his remaining short staff.
Jeong Hye spotted it and shouted in alarm.
"Watch out!"
"Die!"
Whoooosh!
The short staff hurtled toward Seol Hwa-un with terrifying momentum.
In that instant, Seol Hwa-un's figure spun around.
Whirl!
"......!"
Bang Mu-jin, mid-swing, met Seol Hwa-un's icy gaze.
'Foolish.'
At the same time, Seol Hwa-un's left hand moved.
Creeeang!
The short staff buckled completely under the fist strike and flew off. His fist then slammed into Bang Mu-jin's solar plexus.
Thuuud!
"Gaaack!"
Struck squarely on the vital point, Bang Mu-jin lost consciousness and collapsed.
Thud.
"......!"
In this unprecedented case of a contestant attacking the referee, the event staff rushed onto the stage.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"How could such a thing..."
They bound Bang Mu-jin and dragged him off at once. Sima Yuan, the overseer, climbed up to apologize, bringing the incident to a close.
* * *
"What in the world was that? Things like this really happen."
"A contestant breaking rules twice and even attacking the referee."
"Yeah."
"Rare, but not entirely without precedent."
"Really?"
"Excited after a decided match, someone once pulled a knife. Dissatisfied with a call, a contestant caused a scene."
"Huh!"
"That's not all. A young expert once stormed a main-round match, crying injustice over his prelim loss."
"Hard to believe from righteous sect folk."
"Hot-blooded age. Even with perfect prep, surprises happen."
"So what happens to that Bang Family punk?"
"Disciplinary action later, probably. Tournament first."
As the commotion settled, the fourth match finally began.
At last, Jin Pyo and Ma Seong-gyun faced off on the arena stage.
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
"It's the Mount Hua Sword Prodigy!"
"A top contender for the win!"
Relatively little reaction for Jin Pyo. Most viewed him as merely Ma Seong-gyun's first-round fodder.
No one seemed to expect Jin Pyo to win.
And why not? The Mount Hua Sect was one of the powers dominating Shaanxi Province, seat of the Martial Alliance.
Naturally, Ma Seong-gyun, Mount Hua disciple, enjoyed overwhelming popularity.
"......"
Surprisingly, Jin Pyo ignored the crowd entirely.
All his focus locked on the foe before him: Ma Seong-gyun.
'I will win.'
In contrast, Ma Seong-gyun's face showed leisure.
"Never thought I'd face you again in the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament main rounds, Brother Jin."
"......"
"Our duel back then helped me greatly in many ways. My thanks."
Jin Pyo finally spoke.
"You must think I'm no match for you anymore."
Ma Seong-gyun smiled faintly.
"I won't deny it. But you know it's true, Brother Jin."
Jin Pyo slowly drew his sword.
Shing.
"I'll shatter that arrogance."
"Arrogance? I cast it off three years ago."
Ma Seong-gyun drew his sword as well. The match referee promptly shouted.
"Begin!"
After displaying their opening stances as before, the two eyed each other with sharp gazes.
Ma Seong-gyun was inwardly surprised.
'Just days ago... yet he feels more solid already.'
He glanced at the referee stand.
'North Heaven Dragon's doing?'
A twinge of envy stirred.
'Doesn't matter much.'
Ma Seong-gyun had received counsel and guidance from Mount Hua's many masters. If anything, more than Jin Pyo.
"......"
Failing to spot easy gaps, the two slowly circled on the stage.
Just as the probing dragged on.
Surprisingly, Jin Pyo struck first. He closed distance swiftly and thrust.
'No gap? Force one with offense!'
Swoooosh!
Sound judgment, but his foe was Ma Seong-gyun.
Ma Seong-gyun smacked the sword tip precisely.
Twaaang!
Shock jolted up the blade. Jin Pyo's face contorted.
"Urk!"
Ma Seong-gyun wouldn't let the slightest stance waver pass.
He thrust swiftly.
Zing!
Jin Pyo withdrew and blocked hastily, but Ma Seong-gyun's assault was just starting.
Swish swish swish!
His sword flew from four directions: up, down, left, right.
"......!"
Jin Pyo gritted his teeth and swung wide, tracing a circle.
Clang clang clang!
He repelled them all, but failed to disperse the full shock and staggered back.
'Good block, but...'
Ma Seong-gyun thrust relentlessly.
Swish swish!
Clang clang!
Driven defensive, Jin Pyo retreated nonstop. He barely blocked, with no room to counter.
Waaaaaah!
"Great, Mount Hua Sword Prodigy!"
"True to Mount Hua form!"
The crowd took Ma Seong-gyun's dominance for granted.
Then, Jin Pyo missed one amid solid defense.
Slash!
Ma Seong-gyun's sword grazed his flank. Blood soon stained Jin Pyo's side.
'Ugh.'
Not deep, thankfully, but his movements dulled slightly.
Minor wounds piled up as a result.
Slash!
Slaaash!
Soon, blood soaked Jin Pyo from head to toe.
"......"
The referee panel began conferring. Planning to stop before Jin Pyo was truly endangered.
Swish swish!
Clang clang!
Jin Pyo endured tenaciously, dodging lethal blows.
'...Strong, as expected.'
Unilaterally dominant, Ma Seong-gyun appeared relaxed throughout.
Yet Jin Pyo showed no intimidation.
'Never thought it'd be easy.'
Inferior arts were fact.
'Losing's fine, but...'
Losing without showing anything terrified him.
Clang clang!
Wounds accumulating from the barrage, yet Jin Pyo's eyes blazed.
'Such clumsy swordwork can't beat me, Mount Hua Sword Prodigy! Unleash your Plum Blossom Sword Art!'
Meanwhile, Ma Seong-gyun's face hardened gradually.
'Tenacious. How long will you last?'
At last, he steeled himself.
'No choice. I'll end it painlessly.'
Flaaash!
His sword aura shifted. About to unleash Plum Blossom Sword Art.
Jin Pyo's eyes gleamed.
'Finally.'
Swish swish swish!
Ma Seong-gyun's tip traced countless plum blossoms.
'Falling Plums in Scattered Dance!'
Petals detached one by one, raining toward Jin Pyo.
Pitter patter patter!
'Now!'
Jin Pyo stepped forward instead. Faster than any prior move.
Snap!
His sword lunged ahead. A strike with every ounce of his being.
'Nine Palaces One Thrust!'
Rooooar!
The plum petals began shattering against Jin Pyo's sword.
Boom boom boom boom!
"......!"
Ma Seong-gyun's eyes widened.