Chapter 48: That's What They Call a Side Path
"It's been a while, Young Master Yong Baek-heon. Today, I've been assigned as the judge for this match. Haha!"
A middle-aged man with narrow, elongated eyes. His slender frame was overshadowed by the massive sword strapped to his back, impossible to ignore.
Today's judge, who wouldn't side with me and would instead back my opponent.
Giant Sword Fierce Demon, Geum Se-ryang.
No reason to show him any respect. I accepted his greeting without so much as a bow.
"Long time no see, Elder Geum."
At that, the corners of the Giant Sword Fierce Demon's eyes twitched faintly, betraying a flicker of irritation. Having to take informal speech from someone who wasn't even the Young Cult Leader anymore must have gotten under his skin.
[He wants to establish his authority as judge. And he's come fully intent on biased rulings... Tsk tsk!]
Bongmareung clicked his tongue. It matched my final conclusion exactly.
Ever since Tae Sa-rok joined Wayong Hall, I'd been receiving detailed reports on the undercurrents in the Cult Leader's Palace, the Law Enforcement Hall, and the Eight Great Vassal Clans.
- Young Master, word is that Hong-an Hyeol-gwi Maeng Yeom-ro has been nominated as a candidate for Great Protector.
- Despite that, the Great Protectors are overburdened, so there's talk of expanding the Three Great Protectors to Five.
- The Giant Sword Fierce Demon is pulling strings everywhere to snag one of those spots.
- He's personally stepped up to judge your duel with Gye Cheon-bing. The other demonic clans are backing him.
The appointment of a new judge for this duel. It deviated slightly from my predictions, but the big picture aligned.
And this was the result.
"Ahem. Let's get ready."
"……."
"Just so you know, this won't be like your duel with Young Master Beom Se-un. I don't want to see you win with 'those kinds of tricks.'"
His tone dripped with subtle mockery.
I glared at the Giant Sword Fierce Demon and spoke.
"Elder Geum, what exactly do you mean by 'those kinds of tricks'?"
"The kind where you slyly exploit the rules for an easy win. As judge, I won't stand for it."
[Is this bastard insulting the rightful heir of the Yong Demon Clan? The nerve of him...!]
Bongmareung fumed. He had a point, honestly.
Two weeks ago, I'd used the duel's flexible rules to take down Beom Se-un in the simplest way possible. But it wasn't something to be mocked.
So I fired back immediately.
"Elder Geum might not know, but I'm proficient in 'those tricks' and many others. Bringing down one Law Enforcement elder is no big deal. Picked the wrong side, didn't you? Looks like you grabbed a rotten rope."
"……!"
Geum Se-ryang's face hardened like stone. His narrow eyes stretched toward his temples, sparking with fury, and a growl brushed my ears.
"Young Master Yong, you'll regret those words."
"I take it this fight's two against one."
The verbal spar with the Giant Sword Fierce Demon ended there.
Surprisingly, my opponent Gye Cheon-bing just stood at a distance, staring me down. Her eyes brimmed with murderous intent, of course.
[But there's a strange boiling intensity to it. I sense love-hate...]
Love-hate my ass.
[Plenty of guys frolic with women on their arms, happy as clams. What sin did you commit in a past life to end up like this? Such a pity!]
Who knew? Probably the price for looking like the Young Cult Leader's twin.
Just then, Vice Cult Leader Yong Jin-seok sidled up to me.
"Baek-heon, the atmosphere today feels off. The Gye Clan must have prepared thoroughly."
"And the judge seems prepared too. Do you know anything, Vice Cult Leader?"
He nodded gravely.
"Not exactly, but I have my suspicions. Elder Geum is cozying up to the Eight Great Vassal Clans for a Great Protector seat."
"I see. What does the Grand Cult Leader say?"
How would Yong Mu-geuk view this tilted arena? Would he just watch his grandson fight unfairly?
The Crimson Heaven Demon lived up to his name.
"The Grand Cult Leader said you can handle it yourself, no need for intervention."
"Hmm……."
"Ahem! Don't take it too harshly. It means he rates your skills highly."
Sounded like he was just gonna let it slide. But I flashed a relaxed smile. No point moping.
"Understood. Watch closely, and pass the results along. Should an opportunist climb to Great Protector?"
"You're right. But you'll have to prove it."
"I will."
I ended the conversation and turned away.
Moments later, the judge's voice boomed across the arena.
"Yong Baek-heon, Gye Cheon-bing! Step forward!"
I stepped into the blistering gazes scorching my face.
* * *
Giant Sword Fierce Demon Geum Se-ryang surveyed the arena with haughty eyes, hands clasped behind his back.
The silent witnesses came into view. From the Cult Leader's Palace side: Vice Cult Leader Yong Jin-seok and Great Elder Gu Man-bong. From the Gye Clan: Clan Leader Gye Yeong-mu and his wife.
I heard the Beom Clan's elder oversaw the last duel?
Wind God Fist Demon Beom Sang-gun, a great demon of the previous generation. Too bad he wasn't here today.
Would've been a fine show if he had.
That arrogant punk tossed into the gutter. Even rumors spreading would be nice.
Geum Se-ryang smirked inwardly and beckoned the two fighters.
"Here's the rules. Best of three—first to two wins takes it. Same as last time."
"Yes."
"……Understood."
But from here on, things would differ sharply.
The previous judge, Dang Cheon-gung-ma Yo Wi-deok, had left the first two rounds' rules to the fighters' discretion. He'd given them free rein to craft favorable conditions.
But Geum Se-ryang, scheming with Yong Jin-seok, had exploited that flaw.
"First round: No internal energy, bare-handed fists only. Second round: Internal energy allowed, legs only. No attacks causing major injury."
"……?"
"Lethal strikes strictly forbidden. Both rounds limited to 100 exchanges. If no winner, I'll judge fairly as referee."
"……!"
"Final round: No rules. Any objections?"
No leeway for the fighters. Rigorous rules to control the outcome himself. That was the core of the Giant Sword Fierce Demon's bought-judge strategy.
The Gye Clan knows in advance—they've prepared strategies.
And he was right. Gye Yeong-mu had leveraged Yong Jin-seok's connections to hire Blood Wind Valley's Valley Lord, Ok-su Hyeol-yo, to train his daughter. For a king's ransom, he'd bought special techniques solely to crush Yong Baek-heon.
So Geum Se-ryang and Gye Yeong-mu had no doubt Yong Baek-heon would suffer utter humiliation.
But then—
"Objection."
"……?"
Out of nowhere, Gye Cheon-bing raised her hand.
To the baffled judge, she lodged her protest.
"Allow internal energy in the first round too. And permit major-injury attacks."
"Uh……."
Not from Yong Baek-heon, but Gye Cheon-bing? For the Giant Sword Fierce Demon, who'd schemed tirelessly, it was absurd.
* * *
She must really want me dead.
In the end, Gye Cheon-bing's demand was rejected. The judge declared sternly,
"Impossible. For a fair duel, follow the rules I've set!"
Perfectly natural. Why let an ally unravel his hard-laid plans?
"But……!"
"Gye miss, return to your position."
I caught Gye Yeong-mu glaring daggers at his daughter. Probably sent a transmission too.
[‘You fool of a filly! What are you doing? Stick to the plan!’ Something like that. Obvious as day.]
Bongmareung spoke as if he'd overheard the transmission.
Anyway, the duel was about to begin.
I backed away to distance myself at the Giant Sword Fierce Demon's command.
Then I saw Gye Cheon-bing's lips moving toward me.
- Yong Baek-heon, I'm really going to kill you. So dodge properly and forfeit! If you don't want to die for real!
A bit confusing. She'll definitely kill me, so forfeit if I don't want to die?
Does she want me dead? Or alive? Getting mixed up here.
[Means she loves you so hotly she wants you dead. Touching, really.]
Damn it. Stuck in someone else's lovers' quarrel...
I didn't finish the thought.
A vicious killing intent and chill shot up my spine.
[Incoming!]
Flash!
A shadow lunged in the blink of an eye. Her speed mocked the no-internal-energy rule.
As Gye Cheon-bing's claw-like hand tore toward my nose, I twisted my waist and swung my arm.
The strike I unleashed was a single palm of Paecheon Seung-jang.
Whack!
‘Jeolchang Jeol-eung!’
Sever the song, sever the shadow.
No internal energy, but I poured everything into this opening move, refusing to lose the battle of wills.
Take this!
I smacked away her icy claw with my forearm and thrust the palm forward.
Paecheon Seung-jang cleverly overpowered her technique, advancing to smash her left shoulder.
That was when Gye Cheon-bing's eyes changed.
[Below! Dodge!]
A claw technique grazed my jaw and shot upward. I evaded by a hair's breadth.
Insane power again.
"Come here!"
Gye Cheon-bing bellowed like a demon.
Fatal strikes targeted my throat in succession. I crossed my forearms to block and deflect, then fired a Tak-san Seok-ho palm at her face.
Suddenly, something fluttered wildly before my eyes.
I retreated a few steps and frowned.
"Tch. Lost a sleeve."
My uniform sleeve, snagged by Gye Cheon-bing's nails, hung in tatters.
I'd reinforced it with tough fabric for bare-handed combat...
[Useless after all. Her nails might as well be blades.]
Bongmareung tsked knowingly.
I ripped it off and spoke.
"Send me a new robe after this duel, Senior Gye."
"Sure. I'll knit your burial shroud myself—for old times' sake!"
The assault resumed.
Her blade-like nails aimed for vitals. Red lines bloomed up my forearms.
She should've tired from ramping up speed, but Gye Cheon-bing seemed to accelerate.
"Die!"
[Yao-ma Sal-seon-gong indeed...]
Her bloodthirsty shout overlapped Bongmareung's murmur.
Demon-Slaying Immortal Art.
This demonic art was designed for assassination and ambushes among sinister techniques.
Infuse weapons with demonic energy beforehand, then explode it on contact for burst power.
Gye Cheon-bing was four years my senior, first-rate like Beom Se-un. A claw expert above all.
And she's loaded those nails with Yao-ma Sal-seon-gong demonic energy...
That's why it packed such terrifying force without internal energy.
Standard counters would leave me on the defensive.
So I'll counter unconventionally.
No plans to just take it.
Every hit I'd eaten had purpose.
I shook blood from my arms and asked Bongmareung,
How many exchanges so far?
[That was the 31st.]
About a third done, then.
That damn judge wanted a finish within 100.
[You've taken enough hits. Time to start.]
Yeah.
Bongmareung and I had planned countermeasures since Gyeon So-hee mentioned Yao-ma Sal-seon-gong.
Simple one.
True Origin Demonic Energy isn't internal energy, right? Formless Edge isn't either.
And Hyeol-lyeong Gye-ma-sul isn't an internal art.
In short, side paths work just fine for me too.