Chapter 240
Chapter 240
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: The World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament (3)
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“...So, the Underworld Guild struck first, huh?”
“I do not know what ‘struck first’ means, but if you are referring to a preemptive attack, then that would be correct.”
“Right. That guy from before… what generation was he again?”
“He was the seventeenth sect leader of our guild. I am the eighteenth.”
“Right, right. That old man was quite fiery. To think he’d try to subjugate the Green Forest Bandits with the Underworld Guild’s meager forces. And the Waterway Bandits, too.”
“It was not about being fiery; it was a choice born of desperation. Imagine if the Underworld Guild had become their pawns.”
“...?”
“In the world of commerce alone, they would know exactly when and where every merchant group was traveling. Had we submitted, the entire Central Plains would have been plunged into chaos.”
“...Yeah, I guess that's true.”
“Besides, we did not set out to subjugate them, but to kill their leaders and a select few.”
“So that's why you created the Red Dragon Hall… no, the Red Assassination Squad?”
“It was a last resort, as we could not keep running forever. We never imagined the Red Assassination Squad would betray us.”
“...Speaking of which... what happened with the Red Dragon Hall?”
“The Crimson Reaper offered a sincere apology. We received a considerable amount of wealth, martial arts manuals, and elixirs.”
“...You both handled it well. The Hall Master of Red Dragon for atoning for his ancestor's mistake, and you for accepting it so readily.”
“As his disciples kept dying, the seventeenth sect leader pushed the Red Assassination Squad into a corner. From their perspective, they fled to survive. It is not an issue where one side is solely to blame.”
“...”
“Besides, what reason is there to dwell on the past? Thanks to their help, we were able to rebuild the Underworld Guild quickly, so I have no regrets.”
“Anyway, so what's your plan? Do I just need to catch and kill those Mountain King Society guys who are heading this way? *Slice slice*?”
“How could that possibly be called revenge? The one coming now is the eldest son of the Mountain King Society's lord. We will kidnap him to lure out the lord himself.”
“You know the Lord of the Mountain King Society is one of the Ten Great Masters, right?”
“Do not worry. I have no intention of facing the lord directly.”
“Then?”
“Do you happen to know the Mountain King Society's weakness?”
“...Not really?”
Yong Ma-san declared, his head gleaming.
“Aside from the lord and his executives, they are nothing but a disorganized mob.”
“So?”
“The moment we lure out the lord and his inner circle, we will strike the Mountain King Escort Agency, their source of funding. On my signal, the Underworld Guild's strike team will steal their accumulated wealth and burn the escorted goods entrusted to them.”
“...That will certainly avenge the humiliation the Underworld Guild suffered, but many of your disciples will die.”
“They are a strike team that has endured harsh training for this day alone. None of them will spare their own lives.”
“Hmm...”
Something felt off. What was it? It felt like bungee jumping without a cord.
“Do you have any questions?”
“What about after? There's no way the Mountain King Society will just sit back and take it.”
“...As sharp as ever.”
“Sharp, my ass.”
“We will simply return to where the Underworld Guild belongs.”
It meant they would go back to being information brokers, selling secrets from the lowest rungs of society.
At a glance, it seemed like a sound plan, but operating from the shadows came with many restrictions.
They couldn't reveal their name, so getting help would be difficult. They couldn't reveal their name, so even if they had power, they couldn't use it.
That was how fearsome the power of the Mountain King Society, and by extension, the Lion's Alliance, was.
“...”
I fell into thought, staring at Yong Ma-san's shiny scalp.
What is my relationship with this bald man?
We met by chance, developed a bond, and I received his help whenever I needed it.
How many times had I taken advantage of this guy?
The funny thing was, even after all that, he was the kind of bald guy who would step up without complaint if I asked for help.
He even graciously let go of his cherished subordinate, Yang Ryeong, when she became pregnant.
And she was someone who knew the deepest secrets of the Underworld Guild.
In other words, he and I trusted each other that much.
*...He's a friend.*
If someone asked if I would die for him, the answer would be a resounding no. But if they asked if I wanted to protect him, I could answer in a heartbeat.
“Yong Ma-san! Just watch!”
“Huh? What's this all of a sudden...”
I said to the bewildered man.
“A revenge plot that's been brewing for generations can't just end like that, can it?”
“...Then what other way is there?”
“Let's raise the stakes. Much higher.”
* * *
There is an old saying in the martial world.
If you wish to be the strongest under heaven in ten years, seek divine arts and ultimate techniques. If you want to become a master in a year, find an elixir. But if you want to become strong right now, obtain a divine weapon.
It was a saying that perfectly captured the three things martial artists would risk their lives for.
And into this world, a rumor... no, a fact began to spread.
The disciple of the Lord of Nine Dragons, the former Master of the War Dragon Hall, was hosting a martial arts competition called the World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.
Up to this point, the news was nothing special.
But when another rumor was added to the mix, the entire martial world erupted.
The prize for the winner was rumored to be the Lightning Arrow.
And what was the Lightning Arrow?
It was the unique weapon of the Lightning God, who vied for the title of the strongest under heaven five hundred years ago. It was a treasure among treasures, said to allow its wielder to use the marvel of controlling a sword with ki, regardless of their own level of mastery.
It was only natural that the martial artists of the world grew restless.
Then, the Lord of Nine Dragons, Bukgung Baek, fanned the flames.
[The winner shall be granted one thousand silver taels, along with the Great Saber of the Green King and the Heavenly Arrow of the Waters.]
The silver was nothing.
The Great Saber of the Green King and the Heavenly Arrow of the Waters.
Weren't these the divine weapons used by the founding ancestors of the Green Forest, the predecessor of the Mountain King Society, and the Yangtze River Waterway Bandits, the predecessor of the Water Dragon Gate?
At this, a few quick-witted connoisseurs made a prediction.
‘Now that the White Dragon Hall and Silver Dragon Hall have been expelled from the Nine Dragons Fortress, the new Lord intends to win over the Mountain King Society and the Water Dragon Gate to serve as new pillars of support.’
It was a plausible prediction.
If the new Lord of Nine Dragons succeeded in winning over the two sects, the strength of the Lion's Alliance would decrease by twenty percent, and the Nine Dragons Fortress would surely become the dominant power under heaven.
There was another prediction.
The Lord of Nine Dragons himself would participate in the tournament to personally take the heads of the lords of the Mountain King Society and the Water Dragon Gate.
This, too, was plausible. In fact, it was perhaps even more realistic.
Eliminating the leaders of the two sects, who were effectively the vanguard of the Lion's Alliance, would be an incredibly favorable outcome for the Nine Dragons Fortress.
Naturally, it would be best for the leaders of the two sects not to make a move.
If they were to meet with the Lord of Nine Dragons, they would not be able to escape the suspicion of the Lord of the Lion's Alliance.
However, the reactions of the lords of the Mountain King Society and the Water Dragon Gate were different from what was expected.
True to their lineage as descendants of mountain bandits and river pirates, they both laughed heartily and led their elite warriors out of their gates.
The Lord of the Mountain King Society, in particular, even sent a message to his eldest son, who had departed earlier, telling him to secure a spot for them.
And so, a fortnight passed.
Martial artists gathered before the grand tournament arena set up outside the outer walls of the Nine Dragons Fortress.
The World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.
They had no idea what was about to unfold there.
* * *
Although the opening day was still seven days away, the tournament was already proceeding successfully, with over five hundred people having signed up to participate.
Furthermore, with the lords of the Mountain King Society and the Water Dragon Gate having arrived at the Nine Dragons Fortress, though they hadn't yet registered, our initial objective had been achieved.
In the midst of it all, I visited the Great Dragon Hall to report on the progress.
Since my master had thrown his weight behind this, it was only proper to let him know how things were going.
Well, not that it mattered.
“The report is unnecessary.”
My master had no interest in it.
“Just tell me what you plan to do from now on.”
“What do you mean? I need to enter the tournament and get a good result.”
“The Lord of the Mountain King Society is a warrior five or six steps ahead of you. No matter that you have found your path, you will not be able to surpass him.”
“You speak as if you know him well. Have you met him in person?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of man is he?”
“Strong.”
“...Is that all?”
“What more needs to be said when evaluating a warrior?”
“...”
As I stood there speechless in disbelief, my master elaborated.
“His nature is even harder to predict. He acts like a tiger to your face, but in truth, he is like a fox.”
“A man like two sides of a coin, then.”
“Yes, that is an accurate description.”
“But how did you two cross paths? As far as I know, you were active in the west, while he was in the east.”
“...We fought once, in my youth.”
“Oh, what was the outcome?”
“It was a close draw. *Ahem*.”
That meant he lost.
My master was generally a man who spoke no falsehoods, but on the single topic of a fight's outcome, lies tended to spring forth automatically.
His duel with the Lord of the Southern Heaven Palace was a case in point.
Even though the thirty Black Mountain Tigers and I had watched with our own eyes, hadn't he stubbornly insisted it was a draw?
In any case, that wasn't what was important right now.
“Don't worry. There's someone else who will deal with the Lord of the Mountain King Society.”
“If you are counting on me...”
“Come on, no way. I'm not a child...”
“Then who is it?”
“You'll see.”
My master sighed and spoke.
“...Very well.”
“Then, I'll see you on the day of the tournament. I don't think I'll be able to visit for a while, as I'll be busy.”
“Do as you please.”
My master waved his hand, signaling for me to leave.
As I left the Great Dragon Hall, I saw the Grand Chancellor.
He was pacing back and forth like a puppy needing to go, and upon seeing me, he rushed over like a hawk.
“What in the world are you doing!”
He was so agitated that he had forgotten the need for formality in a public setting.
“So many people are watching...”
“Is this really the time to worry about that?”
“Did you not say that etiquette and rules must be observed at all times and in all places?”
“Hmph!”
His face flushing, the Grand Chancellor turned away.
“Follow me!”
When we reached a secluded corner of the Fortress Lord's Hall, the Grand Chancellor, who had managed to compose himself, uttered two phrases.
“The Great Saber of the Green King, the Heavenly Arrow of the Waters.”
“Ah...”
“I have confirmed they are not genuine.”
“Ha. Ha. ha. ha.”
*Busted.*
“You have already made a public declaration to the entire martial world in the name of the Lord of Nine Dragons. Do you intend to make the Fortress Lord out to be a fraud?”
That was right.
The prizes offered in my master's name, the Great Saber of the Green King and the Heavenly Arrow of the Waters, were not actually in our possession.
To be precise, they didn't exist anywhere in the world.
‘Is it likely that divine weapons from a thousand years ago would still be around? They would have either rusted away or been melted down somewhere.’
Yong Ma-san had stated it with certainty, so it had to be true.
Instead, using the Underworld Guild's information network, we had created fakes that looked as close as possible to their historical descriptions.
The reason for such a reckless move was simple.
To lure the lords of the Mountain King Society and the Water Dragon Gate.
And the plan had worked perfectly.
Still, to doubt the words of the Fortress Lord's one and only disciple...
That was the meticulous Grand Chancellor for you.
“To see through it at a glance! As expected of the Grand Chancellor who carries the Nine Dragons Fortress on his shoulders. Hahaha.”
“Hmph!”
As I laid on the flattery, the Grand Chancellor's face instantly turned red, and he made a shocking declaration.
“If this affair goes wrong, I will submit my resignation immediately.”
“What?”
“I was deceived by your silver tongue and brought great harm to the honor of the Nine Dragons Fortress and the Fortress Lord. It is only natural.”
“Ha. Ha. Surely you don't need to be so extreme?”
“Don't laugh. I want to kill you.”
“Hup.”
“...Hoo, fine. You wouldn't intend to make the Fortress Lord a fraud... If you have a plan, tell me now. I need to hear it beforehand to feel at ease.”
“Of course, I have a plan. We won't lose the Lightning Arrow, and it's a plan where no one will find out the other two treasures are fakes.”
The Grand Chancellor's eyes were filled with anticipation.
“And that is.”
“That is.”
“We just have to win. Then nothing will happen, right?”
Just win it back.
The so-called "win-to-repay" mindset.
*Hmm. In this case, would it be 'win to make it all go away'?*
It was a plan that made my heart swell just thinking about it.
I naturally expected a shower of praise, but...
“Guuuh!”
Upon hearing my words, the Grand Chancellor clutched the back of his neck and collapsed.
It looked like he was having an acute hypertensive crisis.
“Huh? Grand Chancellor! Are you alright?”
This is why you should take your omega-3s regularly. You can just drop dead in an instant.