Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The True Duel
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Crunch, creak.
As a strange sound filled the arena, everyone's gaze gradually converged on one spot.
The Third Young Master, Neung Un-bi.
A sinister energy rose from his body like a heat haze. The energy was so intense it was clearly visible, and the martial arts stage where Neung Un-bi stood was being crushed under the pressure.
The state of mastery he had achieved.
To avoid being discovered, to keep others from knowing, he had been inwardly chanting Taoist incantations day after day to suppress the energy of the Demonic Spirit Divine Pill.
But to hell with ‘quickly, as if by law or decree’ or any of that—it was no longer needed.
The Central Plains.
They said they'd send me where I wanted to go, so why would I hide my strength?
I will release all restraints, show them everything I have, and earn their full admiration.
Whoooosh!
As Neung Un-bi forcibly released everything he had been restraining, his demonic energy boiled up like water in a cauldron over a roaring fire.
This is the stuff.
With the demonic energy that surged in an instant, his eyes glittered like obsidian, and a chillingly cold laugh escaped from between his clenched teeth.
It felt like being high on a drug.
No, I was high on a drug.
The Demonic Spirit Divine Pill. The condensed core of it melted, not just filling his dantian but spreading throughout his energy channels, causing a murderous aura to rage through his entire body.
His gaze grew hazy, and killing intent surged relentlessly.
Now I think I understand.
Why those Demonic Cult bastards can't give up their demonic arts.
So this is the feeling.
Crack!
As he took his stance, the light step he took caused the martial arts stage to crumble and sink powerlessly.
“Hah, this feels good. I feel like I could kill someone and not even blink.”
A silence dominated the surroundings.
But the expression on the faces of those watching Neung Un-bi gather his energy was one of shock.
Even those who knew nothing of martial arts were stunned by the sight Neung Un-bi presented.
Of course, those who did know martial arts were even more so.
Who would believe this was a man who had recovered from Qi deviation only a year ago?
The faces of those seated in the VIP section, in particular, showed a variety of changes.
The most noticeable change was distortion.
Several of them had such expressions. They had realized they had been completely fooled by Neung Un-bi until now.
Seeing Neung Un-bi reveal his claws like a cunning beast that had waited for the opportune moment to hunt, they couldn't contain their fury.
“Wow! That's amazing! Third Brother has mastered his intent? And pushed it to the limit? Really?! Does this mean Second Brother nearly ended up in the infirmary?”
“Damn it…”
One who was genuinely impressed, and another who swallowed a curse.
So Seon-hwa fidgeted in her seat, as if she wanted to fight him right away, while Yeo Jin-gang's face twisted grotesquely.
Meanwhile, a few others puffed out their chests triumphantly and wore smiles.
The prime example was So Seol-ok-su.
Did she not look like she was about to die from joy?
Although they weren't in the VIP section, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung's expressions would have been much the same. Wang Cheon, in particular, must have been moved, feeling as though the years of persecution he had endured were finally being rewarded.
And among those who were smiling, there was one person.
No one could have known the meaning behind the expression of the Cult Leader, Dam Un-cheon.
This was all his doing.
From the moment he realized Neung Un-bi wished to leave for the Central Plains.
But he hadn't acted rashly.
First, to confirm his thoughts, he had dispatched his shadow guards to the entrance of the Snow Mountain Manor. It was to verify Neung Un-bi's movements on-site, not just on a map.
Furthermore, under the pretext of investigating the incident, he had stationed Yang Seon and the Protectorate Guard at Sakwol Pavilion.
And he became certain. It was time to open up an opportunity for him.
The power outside the fortress was currently divided among the four disciples who had gone ahead, spread across the north, south, east, and west.
There was no place for Neung Un-bi in the lands of the Demonic Cult.
But was the Demonic Cult's influence limited to just that place?
The Central Plains. Even on that vast continent, the Demonic Cult had branches.
Perhaps that place was the real prize.
Vast funds were circulated there, and the branch forces had honed their combat abilities through long years of clashing with the orthodox and unorthodox factions.
Neung Un-bi just needed to go there and build his own power base.
But this damn disciple of his was troublesome to the very end.
I laid out the stage for him, and what does he do? He cleverly pretends to be defeated. If I hadn't noticed what Neung Un-bi showed in that fleeting moment, I too would have been completely fooled.
What a cunning brat...
I don't know why he's hiding his strength so much, but I couldn't just let it be.
I'll make you display your true skills, one way or another.
So, he sent a telepathic message.
To the ear of Neung Un-bi, who was pretending to be unconscious with his eyes closed.
Just as expected, he shot right up. As if he had come back from the dead.
But since he had anticipated it from the start, there was no reason for Dam Un-cheon to be surprised.
However, his help would end here.
All five of his disciples were more than qualified to ascend to the position of Cult Leader, so he had to give each of them a fair chance.
He had set the stage, but it was up to Neung Un-bi to perform the trick.
Let's see you try.
But it won't be easy.
His opponent is Wi Ji-hyeok, after all.
Just as you have hidden things, he too has hidden much.
While everyone held their breath, Dam Un-cheon watched the two disciples on the stage with a relaxed expression.
Neung Un-bi, who was emitting a formidable demonic energy, and Wi Ji-hyeok, who watched him impassively, without a hint of agitation.
He simply looked at his opponent, as calm as a seasoned boatman standing on a ship tossed by a fierce storm.
There was no need to be surprised, no reason to be agitated.
It was simply how things were.
He had been the disciple who showed the most outstanding talent from the beginning.
Wi Ji-hyeok had envied the talent he possessed.
And so, he tried even harder.
He pushed himself beyond his limits.
But he didn't stoop to envy or jealousy.
The ones who tried to nip that bud were not him, but those who had placed their hopes in him.
Qi deviation?
Perhaps if it had happened to him, he would have done the same.
He would not have hesitated to hide his claws like a crouching tiger. Until he regained the strength to tear out his opponent's throat.
Neung Un-bi had simply accomplished that. Nothing had changed.
However.
“Why?”
“What are you so curious about?”
Neung Un-bi retorted, his eyes flashing, in response to Wi Ji-hyeok's question.
“Why were you hiding such power?”
“…”
“Why did you deliberately lose in a sacred duel?”
As Wi Ji-hyeok continued to speak, fury crept onto his face.
Yes, he had every right to be angry.
He must have felt as if he'd been mocked.
But it was a misunderstanding. I never intended that.
The usual Neung Un-bi would have apologized first.
But… could it be that this damn demonic art, this seething demonic energy, was changing his very nature?
It wasn't that he had perfect emotional control; he just didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse.
Should I say it makes a person self-centered?
But then again, were they really on terms where he needed to feel sorry for mocking him a little?
“Yes, I suppose you could be curious. But Brother, do we really need reasons between us?”
“What?”
“Was it about thirty times in total?”
“…”
“That your lackeys came to end my life?”
“…”
“Should I ask for a reason, too? Why they did it?”
At Neung Un-bi's words, the anger in Wi Ji-hyeok's eyes gradually faded.
“…I see. We were never on terms to discuss propriety.”
“That's how it is. But if you're really curious, I'll tell you. That is, if you can beat me.”
“…”
“You like it, don't you? That whole damn 'survival of the fittest' thing. The idea that the winner can do whatever they want.”
This time, it was truly mockery, and arrogance.
Wi Ji-hyeok's expression grew colder than ever before. His anger was contained within, and his gaze became as cold as frost.
Despite this, the stance he took was flawless and natural.
Truly the bearing of the First Young Master.
Separate from that, in Neung Un-bi's memory, he was always a villain who had sought his life.
But to Cheok Wol-rin's eyes, he was merely a martial artist striving toward a goal.
Neung Un-bi was probably just an obstacle in the path he wanted to take. And so, he had tried to eliminate him.
For that is the nature of those who walk the path of supremacy.
Even knowing all this, his words kept getting sharper.
It was probably the influence of the demonic art. If nothing else, it seemed to have a superb effect at getting on people's nerves.
Alright, that's enough useless chatter.
All that's left is a fistfight.
I've held back for a long time.
From the moment I stopped the Taoist incantations and fully embraced the demonic energy, I felt like I had to hit something, to break something, just to calm this killing intent.
Hmph.
Neung Un-bi took a ready stance and said coldly.
“You'd better be careful. I'm not who I used to be.”
“You talk too much.”
“…”
Seeing Wi Ji-hyeok's cold retort, Neung Un-bi's smile deepened.
“Then!”
Fwoosh!
His foot shot out, and as it did, the air exploded.
Neung Un-bi's form stretched like taffy as he closed the distance in an instant.
His clenched fist aimed for the side, at the point where the rib cage ends.
I'll end this in one blow!
Shwaaak!
Crack!
“…Huh?”
As his fist, thrown with all his might, met an unexpected dull impact, a flicker of confusion appeared in Neung Un-bi's eyes.
According to his plan, his fist should have slammed into Wi Ji-hyeok's side.
In Neung Un-bi's bewildered eyes, he saw Wi Ji-hyeok, who had twisted his body and blocked the punch with his elbow.
“Just as you are different from before, so am I!”
“...!”
Wi Ji-hyeok's foot shot high into the air before powerfully descending.
Damn it, this movement and the explosive power within it... it's clearly...
You bastard, you've mastered your intent?
And at a higher level than me?
But what formed on Neung Un-bi's lips was a smile.
You should have said so sooner. This changes things for me...
Paang!
As Neung Un-bi retreated, Wi Ji-hyeok's foot slammed into the ground.
Kwang!
The martial arts stage exploded with a deafening roar.
Simultaneously with the stomp, Wi Ji-hyeok's foot, which had pursued Neung Un-bi, flew in a wide arc.
Shwaaak!
Having pulled back, Neung Un-bi immediately bent his back so far it nearly touched the floor, and at the same time, he planted his hands on the ground and kicked his feet up.
Bbaaaak!
Within a single breath, offense and defense had shifted three or four times.
“Hah!”
Faced with the evenly matched contest, the figures in the VIP section were left speechless, able only to let out gasps of admiration.
Barely of age.
One had passed it, the other had not yet reached it.
But the duel they fought was so tight that not even a needle could pass between them. It was even unclear who was attacking and who was defending.
The people in the VIP section felt their clenched fists grow damp with sweat without realizing it, and soon found themselves standing up, pressed against the edge of the VIP area.
Jjeo-eong!
After dozens of exchanges that were too fast to follow with the naked eye, the two separated as if by agreement, and as they caught their breath, everyone in the audience breathed along with them.
“Oh? Ooh! Woooaaah!”
It was only natural that the crowd would roar until their throats were raw.
“Not bad, Junior Brother.”
“…You're not so bad yourself, First Brother. My body's aching. I don't like this feeling.”
“Pretending to be weak doesn't suit you now.”
“…”
Having calmed his ragged breathing, Wi Ji-hyeok let out a short laugh and took his stance again.
However, even if they were at the same level, there was something he didn't know.
The fact that Neung Un-bi possessed not only his own martial arts but also those of Cheok Wol-rin.
He acknowledged that Wi Ji-hyeok was a formidable opponent, but Neung Un-bi absolutely could not lose.
The Cult Leader had said it. If he won, he would be sent.
So he would win, by any means necessary.
“Let's begin again! Before the excitement fades!”
“…”
Kicking off the floor, Wi Ji-hyeok shot forward like a cannonball.
In that instant, Neung Un-bi's pupils, already wide, dilated further, and Wi Ji-hyeok's movements were clearly etched within them.
A hand stretching straight forward.
Neung Un-bi let his body ride on the palm force of Wi Ji-hyeok, which rushed toward him like a piece of cloth fluttering in a light breeze.
Fwoooosh!
After retreating using his opponent's force, what followed was a completely unpredictable movement.
Pak!
The moment he lightly stepped on the floor, Neung Un-bi's body vanished.
The Three Nothings Footwork.
First, I'll break his balance.
Shwaak! Jjeoeok!
“Kuk!”
Having lost sight of Neung Un-bi for a moment, Wi Ji-hyeok's face contorted from the impact he felt on the back of his knee.
But his reaction was swift.
He threw a palm strike even as his balance was broken.
As the palm strike grazed his chest and tore his clothes, a shiver ran down Neung Un-bi's spine.
A counterattack in that situation?
But was he not still an incomplete martial artist? Compared to the experience of Cheok Wol-rin, who had crossed countless life-and-death situations, he was still far too green.
Shwaak! Jjeo-eong!
“Keoheok!”
His balance shattered, Wi Ji-hyeok allowed another attack, and the small opening began to widen.
Bbak! Bbabak!
Neung Un-bi held his breath and narrowly dodged Wi Ji-hyeok's attacks by a hair's breadth, pressing his advantage through the fleeting gaps like a storm.
The sturdy barrier of defense tore and faintly crumbled.
“Th-that… we have to stop them.”
The first to react among the spectators was Wi Ji-seung, the grandfather of the First Young Master Wi Ji-hyeok and the head of the Sinhyul Family.
The balance between the two, who had been fighting on even terms, had shattered.
It might be different if it were Neung Un-bi, but Wi Ji-hyeok could not be allowed to fall.
He would become a sacrifice. A sacrifice to elevate Neung Un-bi's fame.
“Cult Leader!”
“…”
At that moment, Dam Un-cheon, who had been observing the duel with his chin resting on his hand, slowly turned his eyes toward Wi Ji-seung.
“Who told you to interfere?”
“…”
A chillingly cold voice. Not only Wi Ji-seung but everyone who heard it felt a shiver run down their spine.
Kwang! Kwakwang!
In the meantime, their fight had reached its climax.
“Hah, hah…”
Though he was breathing heavily, Neung Un-bi was still standing, while Wi Ji-hyeok was before him, shoulders slumped, kneeling and unable to move.
“…I lost.”
“…”
Wi Ji-hyeok clenched his teeth and admitted defeat.
It was unexpected.
I thought he would at least struggle desperately, but he cleanly admitted his defeat.
He hung his head low as if awaiting his punishment, but now that he had conceded defeat, there was no reason to continue the duel.
O, Majesty of the Thunder God...
Having calmed the seething demonic energy with a Taoist demon-quelling incantation, Neung Un-bi took a deep, ragged breath.
Tap.
Then, he lightly tapped Wi Ji-hyeok's forehead with his finger.
“…?”
He looked up, perplexed.
You want to ask why, don't you?
You're curious why I'm leaving you alone without crippling you, even after you've tried to kill me dozens of times, right?
Because if it were you, you would have surely done something awful after winning.
Everyone who challenged for the Cult Leader's position has been like that.
But… I'm not.
“It's fine. We had a good fight, worked up a sweat. That's enough.”
“…What?”
Smiling wryly, Neung Un-bi said so and turned away.
In truth, it was a fight that was disadvantageous for Wi Ji-hyeok from the start.
The reason Neung Un-bi was able to seize victory was only possible because he had Cheok Wol-rin's memories added to his own.
So, Wi Ji-hyeok, let's call this fight a draw.
Since I've achieved my goal of going to the Central Plains anyway, I'll consider today me sparing the Demonic Cult's promising sapling.
…You were pretty good back there.