My Eyes Aren't Knot Holes
In the back alleys of Seon-mong-hyeon, even kids' brawls had their own tricks and tactics. No, because they were chaotic free-for-alls, the subtle reads were even more intense.
Pick fights you can win. And in ones that look bad, hightail it out at the first chance.
Kids who didn't learn that ended up as dog food in the alleys too.
I first checked the power of Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong.
My conclusion?
I might not know about the second round, but the first? I can end it inside fifty exchanges.
Geum Se-ryang, the Giant Sword Fierce Demon, had said he'd watch up to a hundred exchanges.
In other words, if I couldn't settle this inside a hundred, it'd be a win for Gye Cheon-bing.
So I'd finish it before then.
Yeah. Though they probably thought they'd seized the advantage with Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong.
"You just gonna keep running away?!"
The moment Gye Cheon-bing erupted with murderous intent and charged.
I fired off an invisible burst at her toes.
Thud!
"……!"
Her balance crumbled like she'd missed a step.
Gye Cheon-bing kicked off the air instinctively and recovered her center, but.
"Out of old times' sake, I'll end this in twenty exchanges, Senior Gye."
I was already there.
I chose Pa-cheon-seung-jang's Il-mu-tap-cheon.
Crouch low in an instant, then explode upward with a single palm strike that shakes the heavens.
Her side rib caught perfectly in my palm.
Crack!
"Guhk!"
The Giant Sword Fierce Demon watching trembled in his eyes.
Maybe a few of Gye Cheon-bing's ribs had snapped.
But they wouldn't call it for me over this.
Setting arbitrary rules and meddling recklessly—if they did, it'd be blatant bias.
And Gye Cheon-bing hadn't given up the fight.
"Yeah! Good! Come on! Get over here right now!"
"……."
She shrieked something eerily chilling and charged straight at me.
Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong clung to her sharp nails, slicing the air.
Power that'd shatter my current invisible bursts on contact.
Then dodge it is.
I channeled true demonic energy to open foresight.
Gye Cheon-bing's simple moves laid bare.
Blind with rage, she was all offense, no thought.
Dodging was a breeze.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Senior Gye, what's up? That's just my afterimage."
I even threw in some back-alley kid taunt from Seon-mong-hyeon for kicks.
Gye Cheon-bing, swinging at empty air, confirmed nothing on her claws with stunned eyes.
Then a scream of fury exploded.
"I'm really gonna kill you!"
Pop!
Shockingly, Gye Cheon-bing sped up even more.
This was surprising.
Her movements accelerated, almost catching up to what I saw in foresight.
Got it.
Gye Cheon-bing hadn't reached that realm.
But gripped by violent rage, she ignored feints, fighting purely on technique.
No need. Makes her easier to cook.
Gyeon So-hee's last words to me, enduring the Tanghyeol-go's agony.
-Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong…… It's a technique he shouldn't learn……
I knew the moment I heard Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong.
Gye Cheon-bing had mastered the supreme art Eun-hon-sin-ma-gong.
A pure-flowing demonic art based on cold, stern energy.
Bongmareung said it linked to Geuk-cheon-gu-ryun-gong.
But Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong is the opposite.
A method condensing demonic energy secretly with pure killing intent, then detonating.
A cold-based practitioner wielding explosive force—mismatch waiting to clash.
That's what I'd target.
Now.
The opening appeared.
I plunged into her torrent of attacks.
And slammed a fist into her side—same spot as before.
Splat!
"Heok……."
Refuse Horse Horizontal Charge—a brutal side punch.
Breath choked, she staggered back with a muffled scream.
Still swung for my throat.
I dodged easily.
Chained the next form.
Pa-cheon-seung-jang's Pae-ryu-il-mok.
Spin the whole body, channeling full power into a solar plexus strike.
Thwack!
Gye Cheon-bing crumpled to the ground.
"Heok, heu-euk……."
Down, gasping raggedly, immobile.
Then spewed blood.
Internal injury.
That was my aim.
Heavy silence fell over the arena.
Not calling it yet?
I clenched my fist to advance again.
Then the dazed Giant Sword Fierce Demon approached in panic.
"Halt! I call the match!"
Obviously.
Even a bribed judge had to call it here.
Bong, how many exchanges?
Not bad.
I nodded and turned.
But someone climbed onto the arena.
"I object!"
Gye Clan head. Gye Cheon-bing's father, Gye Yeong-mu, advanced with fierce eyes.
* * *
The moment Gye Cheon-bing fell, Geum Se-ryang the Giant Sword Fierce Demon was thoroughly flustered.
At first, things seemed perfect.
Yong Baek-heon underperformed more than expected, even deflating him a bit.
Worried since he crushed promising Beom Se-un with fists.
But he couldn't handle Gye Cheon-bing's claw arts.
Pulling out his specialty Pa-cheon-seung-jang right away proved it.
Maybe burdened fighting an ex-lover.
Could wrap this in two rounds easy.
If even after a hundred exchanges, slight lean to Gye Cheon-bing.
Gye Yeong-mu said the second round would be easier.
Internal energy allowed, but Yong Baek-heon lacked leg arts.
Young Cult Leader's a novice at kicks?
Gye Cheon-bing's win was assured.
But past thirty exchanges, momentum flipped.
Yong Baek-heon turned beast, pressing her.
She unleashed everything, but he deflected all.
No effective hits at all?
Geum Se-ryang bit his molars, eyeing Yong Baek-heon's faint smile.
Not cornered—he was probing.
If so, brilliant.
With hundred-exchange limit, stalemate was worst.
Better yield early to gauge fully……
Then reverse instantly.
Yong Baek-heon declared it.
"Out of old times' sake, I'll end this in twenty exchanges, Senior Gye."
"Yeah! Good! Come on! Get over here right now!"
A cheap taunt flipped her eyes, leading to this.
Precise body strikes left her gasping on the ground.
As judge, he halted it.
Then Gye Clan intervened.
"I object!"
Gye head Gye Yeong-mu climbed up, biting his lip at his wrecked daughter.
"Speak, Gye Head."
"This match strictly banned internal energy, no? But Yong Baek-heon just used some shady sorcery!"
"……Shady sorcery?"
Geum Se-ryang tilted his head.
He sensed no energy use.
Yong Baek-heon conserved power doggedly.
If anything, Gye Cheon-bing used tricks.
He spotted Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong immediately.
Maintaining that power with plain nails, sans energy? Tough.
But Gye Yeong-mu accused Yong Baek-heon instead.
"Something invisible hindered my daughter's movements! I sensed it clearly!"
Spot-on once: my invisible burst tripping her step.
I inwardly admired.
Damn, he saw that?
Makes sense.
Gye Yeong-mu obsessed over her training.
But Giant Sword Fierce Demon missed the oddity.
So he looked mortified.
"Gye Head, sorry, but what's this 'invisible something'? No offense—I felt nothing……."
"Exactly! An unseen force! Like something yanked her foot, making her stumble! How'd you miss it?!"
"……."
His face crumpled at the sharp jab—pride stung as judge.
But allied, he just twitched, unable to snap back.
Then.
"I have an objection too."
New voice. Arena climber: Vice Cult Leader Yong Hyeon-seok.
"May I speak?"
Gye Yeong-mu and Geum Se-ryang flinched back in unison.
Power in Yong Hyeon-seok's voice—Yong Demon Clan's bloodline, subtle yet sharp.
He stared calmly, drawing their assent.
"P-please, Vice Cult Leader."
"Ahem! Speak freely."
Yong Hyeon-seok's point was simple.
Devastating.
"Gye Head, my eyes aren't knot holes."
"……!"
"You get it."
Vice Cult Leader glanced at them, then turned smoothly.
Done.
But Gye head and judge couldn't retort.
Damn! Vice Cult Leader saw through it clean!
He knew Cheon-bing learned Yo-ma-sal-seon-gong.
Just spared their faces by not voicing it.
Push more, pure humiliation.
Gye Yeong-mu bit his lip, descending the arena.
Judgment instant.
"First round to Young Master Yong Baek-heon!"
"Woo!"
Cheers erupted from Wayong Hall retainers in the corner.
Ok Geum-ran and Gyeon So-hee beamed.
Sound transmission hit me then.
The Vice Cult Leader who'd neatly wrapped things gazed at me.
Yong Hyeon-seok paused, then.
"……?"