Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Nine Dragons Tournament (7)
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The moment I saw the sword flying at me, I knew instinctively.
That even with the Dragon Scale Armor, if I couldn't dissipate the force behind the sword, I could die.
The problem was, in my current wretched state, that was impossible.
“......!”
But I couldn't just stand here and wait to die.
I hastily pulled back the hand that was about to crush Baek Mu-ha's eyeball, intending to somehow parry the sword.
*Dammit...*
It seemed utterly hopeless.
The only difference was whether I died half a second sooner or later.
Just as the shadow of death closed in.
*Fwoosh. Craaack!*
With a sound like the air itself tearing, the Sunlight Sword was sent flying.
“......?”
Bukgung Baek had appeared from nowhere and deflected the blade.
His eyes, tinged with a subtle anger, glared at the one who had thrown the sword at me.
“Are you alright?”
His words finally brought me back to my senses, and I followed his gaze.
A middle-aged man with long white hair stood there, holding a white longsword.
It was the Master of the White Dragon Hall, the Sun and Moon Divine Sword, Baek Jung-cheon.
Bukgung Baek spoke in a low voice.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“......I was merely stepping forward to protect my son.”
“For someone just protecting their son, your sword was brimming with killing intent, wasn't it?”
Bukgung Baek was right.
If he had wanted to protect Baek Mu-ha, he should have aimed for my hand.
Not my chest.
“I must have been in a hurry, and my sword slipped.”
“The Sun and Moon Divine Sword... slipping up...”
When you name the greatest swordsman in the Nine Dragons Fortress, one name always comes up.
The Great Pure Adept of the Black Dragon Hall.
And the name that comes up right after him is the Sun and Moon Divine Sword, Baek Jung-cheon.
For such a renowned, supreme master of the sword to claim his hand slipped...
What a flimsy excuse.
It would have been more honest to just admit he was trying to kill me for beating his son.
*Pfft.*
Bukgung Baek must have thought the same, as he sneered.
*Fwoosh.*
He thrust his hand toward Baek Mu-ha's head.
“......!”
Baek Jung-cheon shot forward like lightning, his Sunlight Sword erupting with power.
*Craaang! Whoosh.*
A cloud of dust rose over the entire dueling stage before quickly settling.
As my vision cleared, I saw Bukgung Baek and Baek Jung-cheon facing off, with Baek Mu-ha between them.
“My hand slipped too, it seems.”
“Are you looking to die?”
Bukgung Baek stared at Baek Jung-cheon with cold eyes, and the other man met his gaze with an equally murderous glare.
Bukgung Baek twisted one corner of his mouth up into a smirk and said.
“How about we just continue where the kids left off? We'll each be responsible for our own lives.”
A sudden proposal for a deathmatch.
Given his position as the White Dragon Hall Master, he couldn't easily refuse Bukgung Baek's challenge.
As the head of an organization that leads countless martial artists, he couldn't afford to look like a coward.
However, Baek Jung-cheon's mouth did not open easily.
It was only natural.
No matter how skilled a swordsman he was, second only to one in the Nine Dragons Fortress, Bukgung Baek was a warrior who had reached the pinnacle of supremacy. The chances of winning a fight against him were slim.
“What's wrong? Scared?”
“You...!”
Baek Jung-cheon's face reddened at Bukgung Baek's light taunt.
The atmosphere was so tense it seemed they would lunge at each other at any moment.
But the commotion was brought to an end by one person's intervention.
“Stop. The eyes of the entire martial world are upon you both.”
It was the Great Pure Adept.
“......Greetings, Adept.”
From Baek Jung-cheon's perspective, the man was practically his savior, so he bowed respectfully.
“It's been a while.”
Bukgung Baek, on the other hand, seemed to have lost interest and replied without even looking his way.
The Great Pure Adept gave a slight nod, looked down at Baek Mu-ha, and urged in a subtle voice.
“The match seems to be decided. What do you think?”
Baek Mu-ha readily admitted defeat.
“I... lost.”
And as for me, who had been watching all of this unfold...
“Son... of a...”
The War King's energy, which I had been barely holding in check, began to flow backward, and I lost consciousness.
*Thud.*
If I sleep here, I'll catch a cold.
* * *
The moment Mujeon collapsed, Cheong So-so and Myo Hyang screamed.
Cheong So-so's expression, in particular, was grave.
She had an intuition about how serious Mujeon's condition was.
“Adept!”
She strained her voice to call out to the Great Pure Adept, whom she knew.
The Great Pure Adept, who must have suspected the same, lifted Mujeon into his arms and descended from the stage.
Then he spoke to Bukgung Baek.
“I need you to stand guard. Is that alright?”
“Of course.”
Bukgung Baek nodded, and warriors from the Outer Hall, who had rushed over, surrounded them.
Once the area was tightly sealed off, the Great Pure Adept placed a hand on Mujeon's back.
And then.
“Hmm...”
He soon let out a small groan.
Mujeon's internal injuries were more severe than he had anticipated.
The fine meridians throughout his body were torn in numerous places, and the energy channels, unable to handle the force of the War King's energy, were either blocked or ruptured.
His internal organs must have been damaged as well, for he was coughing up mouthfuls of blood even while unconscious.
It was a miracle he was still alive.
Still.
“I will try.”
He had to be saved.
Although he wasn't officially part of the Black Dragon Hall, he was his martial brother's only grandson.
Having made up his mind, he channeled his energy into Mujeon's body.
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
The Great Pure Adept first identified the War King's energy rampaging inside Mujeon's body.
The War King's energy was coursing through the torn channels, spreading its violent force everywhere.
This placed an immense burden on his already torn organs and meridians.
He had to calm this energy before any treatment could begin.
*Whoooosh.*
He poured out his true internal energy like the rushing waters of the Yellow River.
His Heavenly Dragon Infinite True Energy—the Heavenly Dragon Energy—vast as the great sea, began to seize the rampaging War King's energy inside Mujeon.
It was no easy task, as the War King's energy was incredibly fast and powerful, but if the Great Pure Adept couldn't do it, no one in the world could.
For he was one of only two masters in the Nine Dragons Fortress to have reached the Transcendent Realm.
*Shwaaaa.*
His and Mujeon's bodies were enveloped in a blue light.
A storm-like haze rose from all over Mujeon's body.
This was because the War King's energy emitted a burst of power each time it was captured by the Heavenly Dragon Energy.
This continued for about half an hour.
The Great Pure Adept caught the last of the War King's energy.
Now it was time to carefully return the captured energy to his dantian.
It was also the most dangerous moment.
Beads of sweat formed on the Great Pure Adept's forehead.
The process was that difficult and required immense concentration.
After a short while.
“Huuu...”
The Great Pure Adept removed his hand from Mujeon's back and let out a sigh.
“I've stabilized his energy. From now on, it's in your hands.”
“Thank you, Adept!”
As Cheong So-so bowed her head, the Great Pure Adept smiled benevolently.
“He's like a grandson to me. I only did what was natural.”
Bukgung Baek bowed his head to the adept as he stood up.
“Thank you for saving my subordinate.”
“Heh heh, he doesn't seem to be a mere subordinate. I'll accept Hall Master Bukgung's thanks.”
The Great Pure Adept then left the scene.
Bukgung Baek, lifting Mujeon, asked Cheong So-so.
“Should I take him home?”
* * *
As soon as they arrived at the clinic attached to the house, Cheong So-so examined Mujeon's condition.
Other physicians might not be able to, but she could save him.
That was how much she trusted the medical arts of the Cheong Family.
Myo Hyang and Cheong So-so worked together to strip off all of Mujeon's clothes.
Once his clothes were off, his entire body, except for the area covered by the Dragon Scale Armor, was caked in blood.
“Hk...”
Seeing the wounds, which were worse than she'd imagined, Myo Hyang began to sob.
“Sister! This is no time for that. First, sprinkle styptic powder on the wounds and prepare some hot water.”
Cheong So-so chided her coolly.
“Ah, alright.”
The treatment that began immediately was similar to modern surgery.
She sprinkled anti-inflammatory powder and stitched Mujeon's wounds with a sterilized needle and silk thread.
The treatment of stab wounds and fractures was why the Cheong Family was considered the best physicians in the martial world.
After nearly an hour of treatment, the bleeding stopped. Myo Hyang began to wipe the blood from Mujeon's body with a cotton cloth that had been soaked in hot water.
They could breathe a little easier, but they couldn't let their guard down.
His internal injuries were surely more severe than the external ones.
Cheong So-so and Myo Hyang looked down at Mujeon, their faces set with the determination to save him.
“Mmm...”
“Mngh...”
Though for some reason, their gazes kept drifting toward the center of Mujeon's body.
* * *
The next day.
*Chirp, chirp. Chirp.*
I opened my eyes to the sound of sparrows chirping.
“Ugh.”
An intense pain wracked my entire body.
I lifted my head and saw that my body was covered in bandages.
I tried to circulate a tiny bit of the War King's energy to check my internal injuries.
“Kuh...”
A pain like needles stabbing my whole body washed over me.
Seeing as the War King's energy wouldn't move properly, my energy channels and meridians must have been completely wrecked.
And.
“Ugh! Blech.”
The taste of blood rising in my throat made it clear that some of my organs must have ruptured.
“You're awake... Oh my?! Blood, you're bleeding!”
Myo Hyang, who had just opened the door, rushed over in alarm.
At that, Cheong So-so, who had been sleeping collapsed in a corner of the clinic, quickly got up.
“Where?! What's wrong?”
After a brief examination, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew... That's a relief. You've just coughed up the stagnant blood inside you. It's a sign you're recovering, so you don't need to worry.”
“......What happened yesterday?”
“What do you mean? If you're talking about the duel, it ended with your victory, Squad Leader Jin.”
“No. Besides me...”
Myo Hyang answered my question instead.
“The Blue Dragon Sword won. I heard that after fighting for over five hundred moves, the Black Dragon Sword felt he was lacking and conceded.”
I was dumbfounded.
Why did they get to have a proper duel?
I fought a bloody life-or-death battle.
“Urgh, what time is it?”
“Late Hour of the Rabbit. The final match will be starting soon. Not that you'll be able to go, Squad Leader Jin.”
Good. There's still time.
“I have to go. So... please help me up.”
As I tried to get up, the two women protested frantically.
“Are you crazy?! You could die!”
“So-so is right. You nearly died yesterday.”
I shook my head at their words.
“I have a promise I can't break.”
Was it because she sensed my firm resolve?
Myo Hyang met my eyes and nodded with a meaningful expression.
“Wait just a moment. I'll bring someone to carry you, Squad Leader Jin.”
“Sister!”
“So-so, you don't know what Squad Leader Jin is like in these situations. If we don't help him, he's the type to walk there on his own. It's better to help him.”
...If they hadn't helped me, I was just going to give up.
*'Why would I go alone when I could die?'*
Myo Hyang seemed to have a huge misunderstanding about me.
She immediately opened the door and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Warrior Yong! Please help us!”
There's no way Yong Ma-san will come just from that... or so I thought.
*Thump.*
“You called.”
He actually came.
This bastard really has a thing for Sister Myo Hyang.
“I saw your match yesterday... Why do you have that look on your face? You look like someone who's discovered another's weakness.”
“It's nothing. Just... whatever. Anyway, can you give me a piggyback to the dueling grounds?”
Myo Hyang lightly touched Yong Ma-san's arm, urging him to grant my request.
“Could you please carry Squad Leader Jin?”
At that, his head instantly turned red, and Yong Ma-san nodded with a stiff expression.
“If it's a request from Lady Myo.”
Carried on Yong Ma-san's back, it wasn't long before we arrived at the dueling grounds where the Nine Dragons Tournament was being held.
*Murmur, murmur.*
A few people who recognized me stared at my pathetic state with curiosity.
“Stop. I'll go up on my own from here.”
“Will you be alright?”
“I can't show weakness before I even fight, can I?”
I said that, but the moment my feet touched the ground, I felt a pain so intense it was like my organs were being torn apart.
*Shaky, shaky.*
My steps were so precarious it looked like a gust of wind could knock me over, and people automatically cleared a path for me.
After more than twenty steps, I reached the stairs.
“Nngh.”
A groan escaped my lips with every step I took up the stairs.
Having overcome that ordeal, I...
“......I didn't think you'd be able to make it.”
...was met by Dan Un, his eyes wide with surprise, on the dueling stage.
“It's a promise.”
“You can barely stand... How about you forfeit?”
“That's my business.”
The judge approached me.
“I, too, think the Blue Dragon Sword is right.”
“I can't.”
“Hmm, very well. I've clearly advised against it, so don't complain later.”
“Don't worry.”
After shaking his head for a moment, the judge shouted.
“Then, let the duel begin!”
Dan Un sighed and drew his sword.
I started walking toward him, my legs trembling.
One step, two steps... twenty steps.
With each step, sweat poured down like rain.
After that agonizing journey, I finally reached him.
*Tap.*
At last, I managed to tap his chest with a feeble fist.
I immediately lost control of my body and fell.
*Thud.*
As I fell, Dan Un caught me as if in an embrace.
I whispered in his ear.
“...You win, Brother Dan. So please, stop sticking to me now. It's damn annoying.”
My eyes began to close.
Still, the thought of not having to see this guy's face anymore felt good.
At that time, I didn't know.
“To go this far with a body on the verge of death... you are truly worthy of being my lifelong rival.”
That this incident would only fuel his fighting spirit toward me even more.