Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Subduing Demon Hall
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I followed the Young House Lord of the Han Family to the annex afterward. He walked ahead of me and spoke.
"My name is Baek Woong. And you are?"
"I am Han Jin-seong, the Young House Lord of the Han Family. I look forward to working with you."
"Does that mean I can stay on as a guest retainer now?"
"Of course. Though you'll have to do us a few favors in return."
I glanced at Han Jin-seong. He was a refined young man with handsome features, but he possessed considerable martial prowess. Otherwise, he couldn't have emerged unscathed from the clash between Han Baek-ryeong and me just moments ago, exposed to the shockwave of our auras. At his age, he seemed like quite the prodigy himself.
Han Jin-seong closed the door to the annex and said,
"Have you heard of the Imperial Palace Grand Tournament?"
"Isn't that a martial arts competition?"
"You know your stuff."
The Imperial Palace Grand Tournament!
It was a kind of martial tournament, but unlike ordinary ones, it was held under the direct observation of the Emperor himself. That's why I had heard that experts from sects across the continent participated, including even sect leaders of major factions. Held once every four years, martial sects sent their top talents to claim glory in this event.
However, the top three winners were forcibly inducted into the Imperial Brocade Guards. So, blindly aiming for victory and fame wasn't always wise. If a sect leader or elder who was meant to guide their faction suddenly became part of the palace, it would spell trouble.
That's why martial sects tacitly sent participants who were highly skilled but not quite at the level of fame that would lead their sect—usually promising youngsters in their twenties or thirties. Occasionally, peak experts in their forties would appear, but it didn't reflect well on them.
The leaders like Ryu and Gwak whom I'd seen were probably top rankers from past Imperial Palace Grand Tournaments, extreme powerhouses whose skills matched the elders of the Nine Great Righteous Sects. As I mulled over these thoughts, Han Jin-seong spoke up.
"The Twin Gates Temple receives two direct entries to the Imperial Palace Grand Tournament without needing to go through preliminaries. They start straight from the round of 128 in the main bracket. In exchange, no warriors from the Twin Gates Temple can enter the preliminaries additionally."
"What are you getting at?"
"The House Lord's intention is to send you, Baek Woong, as one of the Han Family's representatives for those two slots."
"......"
I gaped in disbelief.
The Imperial Palace Grand Tournament, held once every four years! It was a clash for sect honor and a showcase for the next generation of the Central Plains' rising stars. Handing a precious main bracket spot to a guest retainer like me, who had just walked in today? It was utterly absurd.
I said,
"That's insane. If you're trying to toy with me, I won't let it slide."
"I'm not joking. There are circumstances that make it necessary."
"What circumstances?"
Han Jin-seong sighed.
"Our House Lord doesn't care much for the Imperial Palace Grand Tournament. In fact, if possible, he'd rather not send anyone at all. That's why we usually send guest retainers instead of our own warriors. We were planning to select one from the guests this time too, and you caught the House Lord's eye."
"There must be plenty of experts among the other guests."
"But none of them can make the others tense just by their presence alone. At the very least, I believe you qualify."
It was far too suspicious.
Accepting this proposal would be foolish.
I was tempted to reject it outright and bolt, but I steadied my mind.
'Right. Didn't I decide to risk my life in training to gather information anyway?'
A place like the Imperial Palace Grand Tournament wouldn't involve ganging up. Plus, it was exactly the spot for one-on-one real combat experience I'd been craving. It was the perfect training ground. Backing out now over trap fears felt like ignoring prime bait. Bracing for betrayal and death, I nodded.
"Fine. So who else besides me?"
"The one you saw earlier, the Earth Dragon Divine Lord. He's the top expert among the guest retainers."
"Hmm."
I didn't know much about the Earth Dragon Divine Lord. But I agreed with Han Jin-seong's assessment. Among all those experts surrounding me earlier, his aura stood out the most. In terms of internal energy alone, he probably matched Present Heaven Daoist or Nine Great Righteous Sects elder level.
"But what if I place in the top ranks and end up in the Imperial Brocade Guards?"
"Then you join them. We have no intention of stopping you."
"......?"
Something was truly off. They couldn't just let a potentially powerful warrior go to the palace side without issue. Even if it was a guest retainer, handing over such a valuable asset? As I eyed Han Jin-seong suspiciously, he said,
"Hmm... Even I can see how this sounds misleading."
"Of course it does? It feels like something's stuck in my throat."
"I'll be more straightforward. The Han Family has zero attachment to the Imperial Palace Grand Tournament. We don't want to participate at all, and we certainly don't want to expose our house's martial arts to the world. That's why we recruit guest retainers and offer them this chance at glory. It's mutually beneficial."
They didn't want to expose their house's martial arts!
That was a solid reason. Recalling how Jin So-cheong had hidden his ultimate techniques, I nodded.
"So that's why you recruit guest retainers?"
"Of course, not all guest retainers come to our house solely for a shot at the tournament slots. We treat them exceptionally well, so some have stayed for decades because they like it here. And don't underestimate the tournament—it's no easy win."
"...Understood."
"As a guest retainer, we'll provide you this annex. You can live here from now on."
I glanced around the annex. It was spacious and comfortable, bigger than an average house, with luxurious furnishings. It might even surpass the house I'd bought with my gold ingot. After pondering, I said,
"No thanks. Sorry, but I've already bought a house, and I'd like to stay there."
"That defeats the purpose of being a guest retainer..."
"Can't you make an exception?"
"Hmm... How about this?"
Han Jin-seong smiled.
"The tournament is three months away. Just return to the main house four or five days before and wait here. Does that work?"
"One more thing. Even if I'm representing as a guest, won't the other guests be pissed?"
"If they're unhappy, they'll challenge you to a duel for the spot themselves. Bear with that much."
In other words, they wouldn't interfere if angry guests challenged me to duels. Realizing how hands-off they were, I was dumbfounded. Grasping the Han Family's intent, I said,
"You don't care who represents the Han Family, do you?"
"Precisely, as long as they don't utterly humiliate us. You fit the bill."
"Alright. I have my own goals, so I'll accept your offer."
I glared at Han Jin-seong and growled,
"But don't underestimate me. If you're using me, you'll pay a harsh price."
This was no empty threat.
Having repeated lifetimes, I'd harbored countless grudges. Especially against the Eight Demonic Sects—I was fully intent on revenge whenever time allowed. Nothing was more foolish than earning my enmity. Han Jin-seong said,
"Don't be so angry. You knew this was a mutual using relationship when you signed on, right?"
"That's true, but..."
"It's late, so let us treat you to dinner here. Eat your fill."
I followed Han Jin-seong to the dining hall. After he left, I stared at the lavish meal from the Han Family and stood up. The two maids beside me exclaimed in surprise.
"Oh..."
"Is something wrong, sir?"
I told them,
"Sorry, but I'm not that hungry. Tell Han Jin-seong I ate well."
Whoosh!
With that, I left the Han Family compound. For some reason, I'd developed a habit of avoiding food or drink from others unless I felt completely safe. It was ingrained unless the situation was secure. Perhaps it stemmed from an unconscious fear of sudden poisoning and a miserable death.
I found some random inn, rented a room, and lay down.
'The Imperial Palace Grand Tournament.'
I could die in combat or end up crippled. What then? Death might bring relief, but crippling was another nightmare—just wasting time in suffering. I resolved that if crippled, I'd sever my heart meridian and end it myself.
And if possible, I'd fight without holding back this time, aiming straight for victory in the tournament. Battling the peak experts there would hone my skills, and joining the Imperial Brocade Guards would let me scout their movements. Eat the pheasant and its eggs too.
But thinking of Han Baek-ryeong muddled my mind.
'What the hell is that woman's deal?'
She'd declared herself the Han Family House Lord—a transcendent expert in reverse aging, a super peak master. Casually calling out the Azure Dragon and willing to kill her own disciple suggested she wasn't on good terms with Lee Gwang. Incredibly, her internal energy rivaled mine, who'd consumed Millennium Snow Ginseng multiple times.
I'd thought the Twin Gates Temple leader outclassed the Han Family House Lord, but such a being existed? Plus, the Han Family being the Central Plains' richest clan nagged at me. I felt like I was missing some key connection about them.
Anyway, three months remained.
With Han Jin-seong granting me that grace period, I could do as I pleased until then.
Three days later, I visited the official and received the house deed and seal. He handed over the documents and said,
"I even hired people to clean the place top to bottom. Just move in and live."
"Thanks."
"Heh heh. You got a steal. No one as kind as me around."
I sneered inwardly at the catfish-whiskered official chuckling.
'Who doesn't know you pocketed hundreds of silver taels in the difference?'
He'd probably taken my gold ingot, haggled the stingy seller down to three hundred taels at most instead of five, and skimmed a broker's fee on top. The amount he'd swindled was massive.
But I'd knowingly handed over the gold anyway. In return for the big payout, he'd keep his mouth shut and handle things cleanly to avoid backlash. The catfish official saw me as a sucker, but I'd just chosen the best way to dodge hassle.
I entered the house and basked in the peaceful sunlight. It was so pleasant it erased memories of hardships from past lives.
'Truth is, owning a house like this was always my dream.'
Back in my first life as a destitute escort warrior, I'd desperately wanted wealth for a big house and leisurely life. Using the gold from the Shepherd's Ruins, I'd achieved it effortlessly. Grasping in one go what decades of escort work couldn't buy—it felt unreal.
Rolling on the wooden floor for a nap, a thought struck me.
...Do I even need to keep grinding?
The Geomgye Village incident seemed sealed away. Couldn't I just live comfortably off my remaining wealth for life?
With the right mindset, my gold could buy stunning beauties as wives and concubines, letting me idle in bliss daily. Nine ingots held more than enough for that.
"......."
It tempted me sorely.
I groaned, clutching my head in agony. Indeed, I now had the luxury to enjoy life without presuming death. I could ditch the Han Family's tournament nonsense and lounge here forever.
'Yeah... Why must I fight the Brocade Guard Chief? The shaman's gone, so no human sacrifices. Whether they gather the Seven Needs or not, it doesn't concern me now!'
My mind went blank.
Because right then, I realized this was a pivotal life choice moment.
Press on—or abandon the path and stop!
Either way mattered little, but stopping meant no more death's agony. I sat dazed, agonizing longer and more painfully than ever in this life.
After half a shichen of torment, I muttered,
"No. I can't stop yet."
Deep down, quitting wasn't possible. I hadn't mastered the Thunder God Style fully, nor avenged dying like a dog to the Eight Demonic Sects' gang-up. Above all, without landing a blow on that Brocade Guard Chief, I couldn't call myself a man.
The grudge of gazing at the rolling head of Mangnyang!
Until repaid, peaceful life was impossible.
Swish swish.
Soon after, I rose and quietly swung my sword in the empty yard.
"Chief. I'll cut your head off for sure."
Life isn't segmented moments.
Actions now connect to the future, so time must be cherished.
For the next three months before the tournament, I'd perfect the Thunder God Style techniques and internal arts. I'd also train to draw out the untapped potential of my internal energy more fluidly.