Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Glorious Martial Emperor Festival (3)
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At long last, the first day of the Glorious Martial Emperor Festival had dawned.
Countless martial artists from across the world had flooded in, turning the Murim Alliance into a veritable sea of people.
The Murim Alliance warriors had also gathered in the vast training grounds to attend the event.
A towering platform had been erected at the front of the training grounds, with the luminaries of the martial world seated behind it.
The Strategist waited for the right moment before giving a subtle nod.
Dong…!
A single drumbeat echoed out, and the raucous training grounds fell into a profound silence.
The Strategist stepped forward to the front of the platform and opened his mouth to speak.
“To commemorate the Glorious Martial Emperor Festival, allow me first to express our gratitude to all our fellow martial artists who have come to visit. Thirty-five years ago, the Demonic Cult invaded the martial world, and the Infinite Sword Immortal rose up in righteous fury to subjugate the Demonic Cult Leader and his demonic minions. Our fellow martial artists here will surely remember those events, and we must never forget them.”
He paused for a moment, surveying the crowd that filled the grounds.
“The Glorious Martial Emperor Festival will be held for the next five days, so please enjoy yourselves to the fullest. And now, let us welcome the Alliance Leader.”
Dong! Dong! Dong!
As soon as the Strategist finished speaking, the drums boomed loudly, and the Alliance Leader made his appearance.
‘So that’s Alliance Leader Namgung Je.’
Se Yeong fixed him with a deep, piercing gaze.
His square jaw, prominent nose, and eyes that flashed with sharp intensity evoked the image of the massive tiger he had once seen deep in the mountains.
On top of that, his broad shoulders, legs like felled logs stood upright, and long arms that looked as sturdy as steel cables made him seem like an impregnable fortress of iron or a golden citadel.
Woooong…
As the Alliance Leader appeared, the sword at his waist let out a resonant hum.
“Good boy. Quiet down now. I’ll let you two have some fun together soon enough.”
Se Yeong stroked the sword at his own waist as he looked up at the platform.
Woooong…
The Alliance Leader, stepping forward to the front of the platform, wore a faint smile on his lips.
What a magnificent sword it was.
There had never been its like before, nor would there ever be again.
‘I absolutely cannot lose it.’
It had once been the Infinite Sword Immortal’s sword, but now it was his.
And he would never hand it over to anyone else.
The Alliance Leader raised the sheathed sword high.
“This is the Demon Lord’s Sword, taken by the Infinite Sword Immortal after slaying the Demonic Cult Leader…!”
Infused with subtle inner energy, his voice carried beyond the grounds to echo throughout the entire Murim Alliance.
Waaaa…!
The crowd erupted in cheers all at once.
But not Se Yeong.
He had discerned the profound depth and weight hidden within that subtle inner energy.
‘The title of the martial world’s greatest is no empty rumor.’
The common assessment that Namgung Je was the foremost of the Five Absolutes of the Martial World was undoubtedly true.
Se Yeong regarded him with heavy eyes.
Shing.
As the Alliance Leader drew the sword, its dark blade caught the sunlight and gleamed with a subtle luster.
“Namgung Je swears here and now…! The Demonic Cult will never reclaim this sword…!”
Waaaa…!
The grounds filled once more with cheers.
Clack.
The Alliance Leader sheathed the sword and turned, descending from the platform.
Waaaa…!
The crowd’s cheers continued unabated until he vanished from sight.
Once the Alliance Leader had departed, the Strategist stepped forward again.
He began introducing the martial luminaries seated on the platform, one by one.
“Allow me to introduce the distinguished guests attending the Glorious Martial Emperor Festival. First, Master Gwangun of Shaolin…”
But Se Yeong had no interest in them.
“Let’s head back.”
Se Yeong turned first, and his squad members followed suit.
“Brother, the sparring tournament is about to start. How about we watch a bit more before we go?”
Outside the Murim Alliance, vendors were grilling all sorts of meats, and the savory aroma wafted all the way inside.
Meat without liquor was unthinkable, and liquor stirred people’s excitement.
In such an atmosphere, it was only natural for everyone’s spirits to be lifted.
“If you’re going to watch, watch the masters spar. It’s far better to train your martial arts than to spectate third-rate or second-rate bouts.”
Paeng Se Gi looked disappointed.
“I hear Namgung Seok has entered this sparring tournament.”
“Then he’ll make it to the finals.”
“You seem to rate Namgung Seok pretty highly, Brother.”
“It’s true he’s annoying, but it’s also true he’s an exceptional master. In his current state, he’s stronger than you.”
Paeng Se Gi seemed a bit shocked by Se Yeong’s frank assessment.
“Nah, no way…”
“It’s the truth.”
At Se Yeong’s firm declaration, his expression hardened.
“How big is the gap?”
“I haven’t clashed with him directly, so I don’t know exactly. But if you train like mad for a year, you might catch up. Or maybe not.”
Namgung Seok hadn’t exactly spent the past year lounging around either.
In the end, that one-year difference represented a massive chasm.
Se Yeong’s words seemed to deliver a great shock to his squad members as well.
Back at their quarters, they threw themselves into silent training.
Se Yeong felt a twinge of pity seeing his squad unable to enjoy the festival.
But it was a festival that came only once a year.
“Let’s have a drink together on the last day, just us.”
Paeng Se Gi’s face lit up instantly, as if he’d been waiting for those words.
“Got it, Brother.”
Se Yeong turned his gaze to Sa Sa Un, who was huddled in a corner.
If there was time left, he should at least practice his swordsmanship, but the guy was just sitting there looking like death warmed over.
“Why are you even here? Go out and have some fun.”
“I’m… fine.”
His words said one thing, but his face told another story.
‘You little shit, do you think you could just wander around freely like that?’
Sa Sa Un shed bloody tears inwardly.
Thanks to the nonsense rumors spread by his own squad mates from the Tenth Squad, he couldn’t even run into members from other squads anymore.
He was terrified of the abuse he might hear.
‘They’re definitely badmouthing me right now.’
Se Yeong read his thoughts plain as day.
“If you’re bored, practice your sword forms or something.”
Unable to defy Se Yeong’s words, Sa Sa Un shuffled to his feet.
Swish… whoosh…
Drawing his sword, he swung it half-heartedly.
‘That pathetic bastard… Huh?’
But Se Yeong’s eyes widened as he watched the sword forms.
The swordsmanship Sa Sa Un was demonstrating bore a striking resemblance to his family’s foundational technique, Heavenly Return Clarity.
Though a basic sword form, one could not advance to other techniques without mastering Heavenly Return Clarity.
“You… where did you learn that sword form?”
“This is the Sa Family’s Twenty-Four Swords, a hereditary art.”
‘Sa Family’s Twenty-Four Swords? No way.’
Se Yeong fell into deep thought for a moment.
And at the end of that contemplation, he recalled his father’s words.
‘When I wandered the martial world, I once stayed a few days at a wealthy household called the Sa Family in Hangzhou. The family head was a man of great virtue. He treated travelers with such generosity—how could that house not prosper? You too must cultivate virtue and become a model for all.’
“Oh, Father…”
Se Yeong clutched his face with both hands.
No matter how favorably his father viewed the Sa Family head, to teach him the family’s basic sword form?
This was exactly why he could never get close to his father.
A paragon of virtue?
The very word filled him with aversion.
‘At least it’s not identical to Heavenly Return Clarity. Small mercies.’
The final day of the Glorious Martial Emperor Festival had arrived.
After a quick breakfast, the squad members headed out to watch the sparring tournament.
“You’re not going?”
Sa Sa Un clearly didn’t want to leave the quarters and was just eyeing his squad mates nervously.
“I’ll… just stay here at the lodging.”
“Fine, suit yourself.”
Se Yeong turned away coolly.
He had no intention of dragging someone who didn’t want to go.
But Yi Cheon Yeong took pity on him and grabbed his arm, pulling him along by force.
“There’ll be so many spectators, no one from the other squads will even notice you.”
“I’m really fine…”
Sa Sa Un’s complexion didn’t look all that bad, even as he was dragged along unwillingly.
The moment they stepped outside, the noisy chatter of the crowds reached their ears.
The training grounds hosting the sparring tournament were packed so tight with onlookers there was barely room to stand.
“We’re gonna get trampled to death here.”
At Paeng Se Gi’s exaggeration, Se Yeong scanned the surroundings.
“Let’s watch from over there.”
The spot Se Yeong pointed to was right beside the elevated platform where the martial luminaries were seated.
In the center of the platform sat the Alliance Leader and the Strategist, observing the tournament.
“Brother Han, we squad members can’t just go up there freely.”
“It’s fine. They might not like it, but they won’t chase us off outright.”
With Se Yeong’s assurance, Paeng Se Gi took the lead.
“I’ll clear the way, Brother.”
He pushed through the densely packed crowd, making a path.
As Paeng Se Gi and the squad approached the platform, they paid their respects to the martial luminaries watching the matches.
The luminaries, focused on the sparring grounds, gave them a brief glance before turning their attention back.
Se Yeong sat first, and the squad members followed suit.
Whew… tsk tsk…
One of the luminaries clicked his tongue in clear disapproval at their audacity.
The squad members flushed red, but Se Yeong and Paeng Se Gi remained unfazed.
Clang… dong! Dong…!
In the sparring grounds, Namgung Seok and a member of the First Squad were locked in a fierce back-and-forth exchange.
“Namgung Seok’s opponent is Jo Eok Gi of the Spear Fortress, Brother.”
Paeng Se Gi informed Se Yeong of the opponent’s sect and name.
Their exchange was so tense it had the crowd gripping their seats.
Namgung Seok’s sword grazed past his opponent’s face, while Jo Eok Gi’s blade whistled by Namgung Seok’s waist.
“What do your eyes tell you?”
“Looks like Namgung Seok is holding back.”
Just as Paeng Se Gi said.
To ordinary onlookers or third-rates, the bout seemed thrilling, but true masters could see the gap between them.
Se Yeong shifted his gaze to the Alliance Leader atop the platform.
Though he could only see the back of his head, he was surely smiling.
Clang…!
Jo Eok Gi parried Namgung Seok’s sword and retreated, flipping his grip and bowing at the waist.
“I yield. Young Master Namgung.”
In response, Namgung Seok returned a gracious smile and a respectful bow.
Haha…
“Thank you for yielding, Young Master Jo.”
Waaaa…!
As the victor was decided, the spectators roared in unison.
“The Namgung heavens soar ever high…!”
“The Spear Fortress is impressive too…!”
As the cheers died down, a Murim Alliance master stepped forward.
“The finals of the sparring tournament will begin shortly…!”
After a brief respite, a man in his early thirties, his face pockmarked and scarred, entered the grounds first.
“So the Mount Tai Sword Hero really showed up for the tournament. The rumors were true.”
Yi Cheon Yeong, seated toward the back, recognized the pockmarked man.
His face was ugly with pockmarks, but his aura was as sharp and chilling as a drawn blade.
“Who’s this guy?”
“They call him the Mount Tai Sword Hero because he came down from Mount Tai. He earned his fame subduing bandits. He really made a name for himself by cleaving the Poison Flying Ghost—who terrorized Guangdong—with a single stroke. But there are some unsavory rumors too.”
“Unsavory rumors?”
“Yeah. No one who knows him believes it, but they say he’s raped and killed women, and that he’s got a nasty temper when drunk.”
As Yi Cheon Yeong finished, Namgung Seok entered the sparring grounds as if on cue.
The two faced off at a distance, and the Murim Alliance master raised his voice.
“The finals will now commence! This is Ma Jang Myeong, the renowned Mount Tai Sword Hero! And this is Namgung Seok, squad leader of the Murim Alliance’s First Squad!”
Waaaa…!
The introductions complete, the grounds exploded in cheers once more.
But Se Yeong’s eyes weren’t on them.
His gaze had turned toward the direction of the Murim Alliance’s main gate.