Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Martial Arts Tournament (3)
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Turning his head, Sima Geon caught sight not of Hahu Gok, but of Tang Ha Gyo leaping onto the martial arena.
Tang Ha Gyo had jumped up to stop Tang Cheol Yeong from using the Thunderclap Rain, but by the time he reached the arena, the fight was already over.
Tang Cheol Yeong's attack had come to nothing, and instead, he suffered a counterattack that snapped both his legs.
Even as Tang Cheol Yeong met his pathetic end, Tang Ha Gyo could do nothing.
From the moment the Thunderclap Rain appeared in what was supposed to be a simple contest of skill, he—no, the entire Tang Family—had no words to speak, even if they had ten mouths.
Sima Geon glanced at Tang Ha Gyo before dragging the limp, pain-wracked Tang Cheol Yeong by the ankles and tossing him out of the arena.
He could have handed him over politely to Tang Ha Gyo, but he chose not to.
The situation left the surrounding crowd stunned instead. No matter how much fault lay with Tang Cheol Yeong, he was still a member of the Tang Family. And with an elder of the Tang Family having climbed onto the arena, throwing him out like trash was a blatant insult to the Tang Family as a whole.
Tang Ha Gyo's gaze turned ice-cold as he stared at Sima Geon, and a terrifying killing intent rose from the Tang Family retainers waiting below the arena.
They looked ready to charge in at the slightest command, tournament be damned. Yet Tang Ha Gyo said nothing and quietly stepped down from the arena.
In this situation, anyone could see that Tang Cheol Yeong was the one at fault.
In the end, though Tang Cheol Yeong was the one humiliated and utterly defeated, holding Sima Geon accountable or harming him in any way would only tarnish the Tang Family's reputation. Of course, they had no intention of completely forgetting his rude behavior.
"You carry some interesting toys around. If I recall, it's one of the Tang Family's famed Ten Great Hidden Weapons, right?"
As Tang Ha Gyo returned to his seat, Hahu Gok asked as if he'd been waiting.
His face wore a smile, and his tone was casual, but his eyes told a different story.
It was lucky that Sima Geon had handled it well—otherwise, the arena could have turned into a bloodbath.
"My apologies. As you know, it's an item we can never remove from our persons, no matter the situation."
"I know how precious it is to the Tang Family. But 'never' sounds like an excuse to me. If it had been anyone else instead of that fool, it wouldn't have ended like this."
"Indeed. The fact that it ended at this level is a miracle."
Namgung Su, an elder of the Namgung Family and one of the judges, chimed in with a mocking smile.
The thought that the Thunderclap Rain might have been used on Namgung Hak, who had already reached the finals, filled him with rage.
"This was a situation that could have caused a major incident. We must address this point."
As Namgung Su pressed the issue strongly, the other judges added their own comments, glancing warily at the Tang Family. However, since Tang Cheol Yeong hadn't won but had instead retreated with severe injuries, it was hard to impose any real penalty.
In the end, Tang Ha Gyo formally apologized to the Hahu Family on behalf of the Tang Family, and the incident caused by Tang Cheol Yeong was provisionally laid to rest.
Thanks to Tang Cheol Yeong's blunder, the one who became the talk of the tournament was Sima Geon.
Everyone was awed by his incredible skill in blocking one of the Tang Family's Ten Great Hidden Weapons right before his eyes, and by his bold audacity in provoking the Tang Family without hesitation.
The assumption that Namgung Hak would naturally be the winner vanished completely.
It was then, as the chaotic atmosphere of the tournament began to settle.
Sima Geon, who had been standing blankly on the arena until now, turned toward where the Namgung Family retainers were gathered and locked eyes with Namgung Hak, who happened to be looking his way.
Sima Geon said nothing, but Namgung Hak instantly understood what his gaze meant.
Namgung Hak shot to his feet and slowly made his way toward the arena.
"Woooaaah!"
The crowd's roar shook the arena and the Hahu Family grounds.
They realized that the decisive match to determine the winner would begin immediately, not after the half hour rest announced by the organizers.
Namgung Hak's expression was rigidly tense as he stepped onto the arena.
Even before the match had started, beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his breathing was noticeably irregular—clear signs of tension for anyone to see.
No one in the watching crowd questioned his unfamiliar demeanor, not even after he had swiftly dispatched numerous experts and even faced Hahu Yeon, the Hahu Family's secret weapon, without losing his composure.
It was only natural. They had all witnessed Sima Geon's prowess with their own eyes—neutralizing the Tang Family's hidden weapon up close and ending the match in the blink of an eye.
As Sima Geon moved to the center of the arena, thunderous cheers erupted.
Sima Geon, who hadn't garnered much support on his way to the finals, faced Namgung Hak with an awkward smile amid the crowd's adoration.
Namgung Hak and Sima Geon exchanged brief courtesies, and the area around the arena fell deathly silent.
All eyes fixed solely on the arena.
They widened their eyes, determined not to miss a single moment of the two fighters' movements.
'Tch, everyone's so excited, but they're in for disappointment.'
Cheol Woo clicked his tongue, feeling the blazing heat rising from the crowd.
From the transmission he'd exchanged with Sima Geon just before the match, he knew Sima Geon had no intention of dragging it out. He'd already revealed his strength against Tang Cheol Yeong, so there was no reason to hide it now.
'He seemed pretty proud of his own skills, so this might hit him hard. Well, if he's really talented, it could spur him to grow stronger instead.'
As Cheol Woo watched Namgung Hak with an intrigued expression, Sima Geon's sword rose toward the sky.
Namgung Hak's face twisted visibly.
'First Sword Intent, then Horizontal Sweep of Heaven's Army, and now Mount Tai Bearing Down.'
As the furious Namgung Hak pushed his inner energy to its limits, Namgung Su, watching from behind, stared at Sima Geon with a grave expression.
'Suffocating. To feel this much pressure from something as basic as Mount Tai Bearing Down. Hak, be careful. This isn't a simple Mount Tai Bearing Down. It's the momentum forged from at least hundreds of thousands of swings.'
Namgung Su's worries soon became reality.
Namgung Hak's movements, as he mustered his full power for an attack, suddenly grew sluggish.
He looked visibly confused, unable to understand why.
He desperately tried to regain his normal state, but it was futile.
At that moment, only a handful—Hahu Gok and three or four others—could withstand the aura Sima Geon had unleashed, which crushed Namgung Hak's in an instant.
No matter how renowned Namgung Hak was for his exceptional talent among his peers, he paled in comparison to the true martial arts veterans, making him no match from the start.
The sword that had pointed to the heavens fell in a straight line.
An unimaginable force followed its path, crashing down toward Namgung Hak.
Namgung Hak, exerting every ounce of strength to shake off the binding pressure, instinctively raised his sword.
Boom!
With an explosive roar, Namgung Hak flew through the air like a kite with its string cut.
He soared past the arena's edge, straight toward where the judges sat.
Just before he hit the ground, Namgung Su swiftly moved to catch him.
A suffocating silence enveloped the arena.
It had taken only a single strike.
Namgung Hak—the one the Namgung Family had nurtured with utmost care, inheriting the Sword Saint's legacy and said to surpass his contemporaries—fell with just one attack.
The crowd, who had anticipated at least a fierce exchange if not a grueling battle, stared blankly at the arena.
All that remained on the arena was Sima Geon with his sword dangling loosely, the shattered blade of Namgung Hak's sword, and the cracked stage split in two from failing to withstand the Mount Tai Bearing Down momentum.
"It's decided. The winner of the martial arts tournament is the Black Wolf!"
Hahu Gok's voice rang out—he was tacitly acknowledged as the head judge.
Only then did the crowd snap out of their daze and erupt in cheers, showering endless praise on the champion who had claimed victory with awe-inspiring skill.
"Kahahahaha!"
Cheol Woo, mixed in among them, laughed heartily and clapped enthusiastically.
"You've arrived?"
Hahu On rose from his seat with a broad smile.
"I came since you called. What's the matter?"
Hahu Gok replied curtly and sat down.
"Seems the liquor suited your taste."
Hahu On laughed as he poured more into Hahu Gok's empty cup.
As Hahu Gok frowned at him, Hahu On burst into hearty laughter and continued.
"I heard nearly an entire warehouse's worth is gone."
"Tch tch, there are too many bigmouths at the main house, gossiping about useless things. And a warehouse empty? Who spouted that nonsense? Just a few jars of liquor."
"Hahaha! I didn't mean to upset you. There's still plenty left, so take more whenever you like. It came from the same brewery as before, but this batch was exceptionally well-brewed. The flavor and aroma were superb."
"It was indeed."
Hahu Gok smoothed his furrowed brow and downed the cup in one gulp.
"But you didn't call me here just for idle chit-chat."
"Do I need a reason to see you? I just wanted to share a drink after so long."
"Hmph."
Hahu Gok snorted and lifted his cup, though his expression had softened considerably.
"And to express my thanks while I was at it."
"Thanks?"
"That fellow who won the tournament this time. I heard you recommended him."
"Ah, that one. Yes."
Hahu Gok nodded with a proud look.
"I recall it's been nearly ten years since you secluded yourself in the family. When did you even meet such a guy? He looks young, but his skills are truly remarkable."
"Yes. Truly remarkable ski... ll."
Recalling his match with Cheol Woo, Hahu Gok felt a twinge of regret at not having tested Sima Geon himself.
"Thanks to him, we avoided disgrace. Their scheme to ruin the main house's celebration was thoroughly crushed. It's a bit regrettable that Yeon lost to Namgung Hak, but that couldn't be helped."
"He was certainly exceptional. Achieving that much at his age can't be explained by talent alone. He must have put in tremendous effort. A lazy genius could never handle it."
Hahu On sensed a strange dissonance in Hahu Gok's words.
"A genius...?"
"What else? You think I kept him around out of pity?"
"I figured he had some talent, but genius? I hadn't considered that far."
"He's a genius. Namgung Hak is one too, but so is Yeon without a doubt. She reached that level without even trying. Imagine what she'd achieve if she put in real effort."
Hahu On couldn't respond lightly. An inexplicable mix of anticipation and trembling coursed through him.
"If that kid gets his act together, humiliations like this won't happen again."
Bang!
Hahu On slammed the table without realizing it.
As the cup flew into the air, Hahu Gok snatched it mid-flight and furrowed his brow.
"What was that?"
"What should I—we—do?"
Hahu On asked in a trembling voice.
"After treating her like discarded trash, what now?"
"Ha, but..."
"Just leave it as is. Stirring things up now wouldn't make her happy anyway. The spark seems to have been lit regardless."
"Spark?"
"It got crushed. Geniuses slack off for all sorts of reasons, but one big one is complacency. That's what happened with her. Looking around, everyone else was mediocre, so she never felt the need to try."
At the word "mediocre," Hahu On flushed. It was a jab at the Hahu Family's younger generation.
"But now she's been properly crushed. No way her pride isn't stung."
"A blessing in disguise."
"That's why I have one thing to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I think I need to leave the main house for a while."
"Pardon?"
Hahu On's eyes widened at the words from Hahu Gok, who had secluded himself in the family for nearly a decade.
"Namgung Hak isn't enough. I plan to make her truly feel how worthless the talent she prides herself on really is."
"Where are you thinking of going?"
Hahu Gok didn't answer the question. He simply smiled, thinking of Cheol Woo and Sima Geon happily heading home with the prizes from winning the tournament.