Chapter 140: Sparring Tournament-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 140: Sparring Tournament-2
All eyes were fixed on me.
How should I introduce myself? Should I say I’m someone learning the Flame Wheel Art?
"I am..."
Just as I was about to speak, I caught the Grandmaster’s sharp gaze.
Glancing at her face, I saw her give a slight, subtle shake of her head.
Ah... right. I’m an 'exception.'
The Three Great Inherited Martial Arts of the Orthodox Sect followed the principle of single-successor inheritance. The Grandmaster had taken me on as a disciple through a loophole, so the moment I admitted to learning the Flame Wheel Art here, she would be in a difficult position.
"I, I am..."
"He is a servant. I’ve had him with me since Sichuan."
As I stammered, the Grandmaster cut in first.
"Sichuan? Ah, there was the Blood Demon subjugation."
The man called Ice Sword nodded slowly at the Grandmaster’s words.
"I expected you to show up in Sichuan as well, Ice Sword," the Grandmaster said with a smirk.
Ice Sword replied, "I’ll have you know there are many threats in this world other than the Blood Demon."
"Oho, I see. It seems the Alliance Leader gave you a separate mission. Hmmm, understood."
"That aside, a servant? I’ve never seen you travel with a servant before... Ah, about ten years ago, your master had a servant—"
"Ice Sword. I don’t know about you and your disciple, but we are famished. Let’s save the rest of this conversation for later."
The Grandmaster cut him off cleanly and headed into the inn. Since Ice Sword didn't try to stop her, my Master followed the Grandmaster inside.
"......"
Feeling it would be awkward to just walk past, I gave them a quick nod before entering the inn myself. Even as I walked in, I could feel the gaze of the girl named Cheong-yeon following me.
Inside, the Grandmaster and my Master had already taken a seat in the corner. I hurried over to join them and sat in the remaining chair.
"I shall have the dumplings," the Grandmaster announced.
"Then I will have the vinegar rice," my Master added.
Then, both of their gazes shifted to me. I clapped my hands to call over the waiter.
"Hey, waiter! Whip me up a bowl of Carbonara, would you?"
I finally said the words I’d always wanted to try saying once.
"What kind of nonsensical gibberish is that? Stop talking rot and pick something to eat."
Having voiced the thought I’d been keeping to myself, I felt a little refreshed.
"I’ll have the same as my Master, then. Dumplings and two orders of vinegar rice."
I gave the order to the waiter, who shouted the names of the dishes toward the kitchen as he headed back.
"Fufu, I like you, In-ho. You’re quite funny, unlike how you look."
The Grandmaster spoke while resting her chin on her hand, having watched the whole exchange. Feeling bashful, I scratched the back of my head.
"Haha, thank you."
"What’s so funny about him?" my Master muttered, already sipping the tea placed on the table.
Geez, the Grandmaster finally gives me a compliment and she has to go and rain on my parade...
I gave my Master a long stare, but she didn't even flinch.
"It’s only been a little over two months since you two started traveling together, but I’m glad to see you’ve grown so close."
The Grandmaster smiled contentedly at the sight of us. My Master looked like she was about to snap back, but the arrival of the food quickly buried the commotion.
"By the way, Grandmaster. Who was that man, Ice Sword, we met earlier?"
Since the atmosphere between them hadn't seemed great, I decided to ask. The Grandmaster shrugged as if it were no big deal.
"Ah, I suppose you wouldn't know. He is the current successor of the Ice Wheel Art, and that girl is his disciple."
"Oh... the Ice Wheel Art?"
It was fascinating to see a practitioner of one of the Three Great Inherited Martial Arts I’d heard so much about. Since it was a martial art that utilized cold energy, I wondered if he could shoot ice out of his hands or something.
"But you two didn't seem to be on the best of terms."
I asked cautiously. My Master looked a bit annoyed by my curiosity, but the Grandmaster didn't mind.
"Well... how should I put it? Ice Sword has a bit of a competitive streak when it comes to me."
"A competitive streak?"
"Ever since I beat him one-sidedly in a sparring tournament when we were young, he’s been obsessed with competing with me."
"Aha..."
That happens quite often.
"It seems that rivalry has lasted until now and is being passed down to So-yu and Cheong-yeon... but in the end, aren't they both the same Three Great Inherited Martial Arts? Rather than worrying about who is superior, it would be far more constructive to think of ways to work harder for the peace of the world."
Having finished her piece, the Grandmaster took a large bite of a dumpling. Seeing that she had no intention of saying more, I focused on my own food.
*
After the meal, the innkeeper showed us to our rooms. We were given two. One was for the Grandmaster to use alone, and the other was for my Master and me. Since we had been sleeping outdoors together anyway, we didn't care much about the gender distinction.
After washing up, my Master and I lay down. We had to go to the Murim Alliance tomorrow to register for the sparring tournament, so we needed to sleep early.
I was about to say something, but seeing my Master already breathing evenly in sleep, I just stared wide-eyed at the ceiling.
Maybe it was because it had been a while since I’d been in a proper bed? I felt like I couldn't fall asleep. It also felt like the dinner I’d eaten hadn't fully digested yet.
In times like this, a night walk is the best remedy.
I got up quietly and slipped out the door. I was on high alert in case my Master woke up, but she remained asleep, perhaps exhausted from the journey.
Only after tiptoeing down the hallway like a thief did I reach the small garden behind the inn. A pleasantly cool night breeze chilled my skin.
"Wow... there are so many stars."
I’d felt this even when I was the Young Sect Leader of the Black Sky Cult, but this dimension was a great place for stargazing. Just by straightening your back and looking up, you could see stars pouring down like a rain shower.
I continued to look at the stars as I walked along the stone path. I thought about how to prepare for the upcoming tournament. I had no intention of being eliminated in a pathetic manner. Even if I were to be knocked out in the preliminaries, I wanted to show a proper fight.
"Master is seeded straight into the finals."
The power held by the title of the 37th successor of the Flame Wheel Art was immense.
"I’m in the preliminaries. Two matches."
On the other hand, I had to go through two matches to reach the main tournament. Even this was apparently the result of the Grandmaster pulling some strings. Normally, someone like me who hadn't properly proven themselves wouldn't even be able to apply for a tournament hosted by the Murim Alliance.
"I don't even expect to make the finals."
I just wanted to prove the results of my short but intense training. That was how I felt.
"Killing moves that threaten the opponent's life are forbidden."
That was a rule that worked in my favor. If I had the assurance that I wouldn't die, the range of strategic options I could choose from increased. Although I hadn't won a single time while sparring with my Master, I had at least grasped a clue on how to navigate this tournament.
So now, I just needed to flesh out a plan based on that clue.
"What are you... doing here?"
I spun around at the sudden voice from behind.
"Um... good evening?"
The woman I’d met in front of the inn earlier was speaking to me from a short distance away. With her blue hair, she gave off an even more mysterious aura under the moonlight.
"Ah... yes... well..."
"Cheong-yeon. Call me Cheong-yeon."
"Nice to meet you, Lady Cheong-yeon. I am Kang In-ho."
Out of habit, I extended my hand as I introduced myself. Ah, right, this wasn't how people greeted each other here.
Just as I was about to withdraw my hand and perform a martial arts salute, Cheong-yeon suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Wha-what are you doing?"
"Weren't you... trying to hold my hand?" she asked back.
I felt the heat rushing to my face.
"Ah, well, yes, but..."
I gave her hand a light shake up and down before carefully pulling away. Cheong-yeon stared blankly at her own hand. Then, she pointed a finger at me.
"You. A good person."
It was a random thing to say.
"Me?"
"Yes. You look kind. Your energy is kind, too."
"Ah... I see..."
"But why are you with the Flame Wheel Art?"
...?
What was she talking about?
"What do you mean by that?"
"Flame Wheel Art. Bad."
She continued to spout incomprehensible things while slowly approaching me. As Cheong-yeon took a step toward me, I took a step back.
"Flame Wheel Art. Dangerous. Follow me."
Cheong-yeon reached out her hand toward me, unconcerned. I kept backing away, not knowing what to do.
"Just what do you think you're doing?"
A voice drifted down from above.
With the moonlight acting as a spotlight, my Master was slowly descending from the sky. She landed between Cheong-yeon and me, her back turned to me.
My Master’s gaze was locked onto Cheong-yeon. Cheong-yeon also faced my Master with slow, deliberate movements.
It felt as if time itself had frozen.