Using Barbarians to Control Barbarians
Using barbarians to control barbarians. “The match begins!” With Cheongjin’s signal, the eighth preliminary match commenced. The four young geniuses quickly scanned one another, gauging their opponents’ strengths. Without question, the strongest among them was Hyeonhwan, the direct disciple of the Shaolin Abbot. Standing with palms pressed together, his eyes darting about, he was the one they all had to watch most carefully.
“In truth, that man is guaranteed to advance no matter what.” Monks rarely lost their composure even under provocation, and among those on the stage he was the oldest. His cultivation had already shattered the wall of the Peak Realm. If there was any way to deal with him, it would be to form an alliance, yet his face showed not the slightest hint of wavering. No offer of alliance would ever work.
“If we keep standing around like this, it will be dull. I shall make the first move.”
Kururung.
The one who broke the standoff was Myeonghon. Though he had come to fight, the duel had not yet begun, so he drew the Twenty-Four Petal Plum Blossom Sword Art. At that, Hyeonhwan and Seomun Jiseung also began to move, while Jegal Yujin readied her short staff, bracing for any sudden attack.
“Haaaaah!!”
Myeonghon charged straight at Seomun Jiseung. She looked the weakest of the four, and while Jegal Yujin was known as a prodigy in martial arts within the Jegal Clan, Seomun Jiseung was famed as a strategist. Of course, Seomun Jiseung did not simply stand there and take it. She hid behind the massive shield strapped to her back. Soon the first form of the Twenty-Four Petal Plum Blossom Sword Art, Plum Blossom in Full Bloom, struck her shield.
“What!?”
“Underestimate a woman and you will pay dearly!”
Having blocked the attack, Seomun Jiseung surged forward with her shield held high. It was a crude charge, yet the shield brimming with inner energy had become a deadly weapon. Just as Myeonghon tried to retreat in surprise—
Kwajijijijik!
“Kuhk!”
“Your shield is still not sturdy enough, benefactor. Come back after more training.”
Seomun Jiseung’s shield shattered under Hyeonhwan’s palm strike. It was only a single blow, but the force that pierced the shield and reached her body was enough to hurl her off the stage. Myeonghon and Jegal Yujin stared in shock at the vast gap in skill. At least Seomun Jiseung’s shield had been real. To think someone at the level of the young geniuses could smash a shield like it was a mere rock… Of course, the heirs of the Heavenly Venerables and Baekri Hyeong had already surpassed that level, so that was understandable. But no one had expected another young genius of their caliber to exist.
“It seems this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering will produce many extraordinary talents.”
“The dragons and phoenixes of this generation are exceptional. Several times stronger than the last, I would say.”
“A new generation has truly arrived…”
The spectators erupted in excitement. Following Namgung Suryeon, Mun Ho-sik, and Ak Bicheon came Hyeonhwan. The young geniuses of this generation were nothing short of monsters. Meanwhile, on the stage, Jegal Yujin and Myeonghon swallowed dryly as they watched the unshakable Hyeonhwan. With that kind of power, he could easily eliminate both of them at once. Yet he simply stood there with palms joined, watching them as though silently urging them to fight each other.
“Haha, young lady. It seems the two of us must fight.”
“…”
“I shall go first.”
Understanding Hyeonhwan’s intent, Myeonghon immediately rushed at Jegal Yujin. She calmly met his sword with her short staff.
Chaechaechaechaechaechaeng!!
Myeonghon was impressed by Jegal Yujin’s unexpectedly refined skill. She was only twelve years old, yet the occasional thrust of her staff sent chills down his spine. Still, the advantage was his. The plum blossoms of Mount Hua were not weak, and the continuous blossoms blooming from his blade gradually pushed her into a corner. What he did not realize was that every move was unfolding exactly as Jegal Yujin had planned.
“Haaaaah!!”
Carried by momentum, Myeonghon pressed her harder and faster. Jegal Yujin, who had seemed to deflect the plum blossoms, suddenly focused entirely on evasion. The moment she stomped the stage to launch her counter—
Giiiiing!
“What?”
Tuquaang!
A strange light rose from the stage surface, and his body was engulfed in a small explosion. Myeonghon, scorched by the unexpected attack, clicked his tongue and retreated. Seeing the satisfied look on Jegal Yujin’s face, he realized it had been her doing.
“The Exploding Array. It detonates when stepped on.”
“Then the reason you kept dodging until now…”
“To keep you from noticing me drawing the formation.”
“Haha, as expected of the Jegal Clan.”
He had to admit her cunning. Still, her martial prowess was exactly as he had expected. Even after taking a surprise hit, Jegal Yujin could not stop his sword art. Myeonghon once again bloomed plum blossoms and unleashed them at her—the second form of the Twenty-Four Petal Plum Blossom Sword Art, Plum Blossom Butterfly Dance.
Shwaaaa!
A swarm of plum blossoms, reminiscent of butterfly wings, surged toward Jegal Yujin. It was clearly an inner-energy mass she could never withstand. If she admitted defeat here, Myeonghon intended to withdraw the technique. But the instant he noticed the corner of her mouth curling upward, he frowned, sensing something had gone wrong.
Huik.
“..!”
She had used the Shifting Steps to evade the technique. Not only that—because she dodged, the sword energy Myeonghon had fired now flew straight at Hyeonhwan. The monk, who had been standing with palms joined, suddenly clenched his fist and unleashed Shaolin’s ultimate technique, the Hundred Steps Divine Fist.
Tuwaaaang!
“Kuhk!!”
Myeonghon was blasted off the stage, unable to resist the overwhelming force. Using barbarians to control barbarians—Jegal Yujin had used Hyeonhwan’s power to eliminate Myeonghon. She had minimized her own effort while defeating her opponent. It was a duel that perfectly showcased the Jegal Clan’s strategic brilliance.
“The match is over. The finalists advancing are Hyeonhwan of Shaolin and Jegal Yujin of the Jegal Clan.”
“Waaaaaaaah!!”
“Jegal Yujin! Jegal Yujin! Jegal Yujin!!”
“Hyeonhwan was incredible too! Insane!!”
“His head shines as brightly as his martial arts!”
Grind.
Jegal Yujin turned sharply at the sudden sound of grinding teeth. There stood Hyeonhwan, barely suppressing his anger. Perhaps the remark about his shining head had offended him. Since even the smallest clue could prove decisive, Jegal Yujin decided to keep his mood in mind.
“This once only, benefactor.”
“Pardon?”
“Your strategy was a gamble. Using another’s strength to eliminate another. I merely played along because that is how you fight. There will be no second time.”
“Yes. Thank you, monk.”
If this had been a real battle, Jegal Yujin’s choice would have been correct a hundred times over. In a three-way fight where only one survives, forcing the other two to fight each other and reaping the benefits was the right move. Everyone had their own fighting style, and Jegal Yujin had chosen to use her opponent’s power. Besides, standing still while attacks flew at you was simply infuriating. Since this was the final preliminary of the day, she had decided to end it spectacularly and used the Hundred Steps Divine Fist.
“Let us meet again in the main tournament, benefactor.”
“Yes!”
Hyeonhwan pressed his palms together toward Jegal Yujin before stepping down from the stage. Once she too had left, Moyong Gwang ascended and amplified his voice with inner energy.
“The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering has begun today. I hope you have all enjoyed it thoroughly.”
“Of course we have!!”
“Long live the greatest Alliance Leader in history, Moyong Gwang!!”
“Hahaha, your warm welcome leaves me at a loss. Today’s preliminaries conclude with this match. Tomorrow will be the final day of the preliminaries. You will also be able to see the young geniuses you have been waiting for, so let us end today’s Dragon-Phoenix Gathering here.”
With the Alliance Leader’s closing remarks, the first day of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering came to a splendid close.
“Whew… I really thought I was going to die back there. It was a gamble, but I didn’t expect him to actually go along with it.”
“You fought exactly like someone from the Jegal Clan. You did well enough.”
“Will I be able to do well in the main tournament…? I’m not so sure.”
After the preliminaries ended, Jegal Yujin poured out her worries to Baekri Hyeong. The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering she had entered with confidence was filled with far more monsters than she had anticipated. Some of those monsters had not even existed in her previous life. If she was not careful, Jegal Yujin might fail to claim the title of Phoenix.
“Tomorrow’s match, right?”
“Yeah, the opening match.”
“You don’t even need me to tell you to win, do you? You’re going to win anyway.”
“Of course.”
After all, she had not come here with the intention of losing.