The Bet
I never dreamed my identity would be exposed in a single instant. How the hell did he know?
“How could I not recognize you after seeing you every single day for two months?”
Hye-yul’s stupid, confused expression made my chest tighten with frustration.
“That’s exactly what I’m asking! My face has changed, so how did you recognize me?!”
“I don’t understand. It’s the same face I’ve always seen. What’s supposed to have changed?”
As expected, talking to him was pointless.
Well, I guess this was always his character.
For a split second I even wondered if my face really hadn’t changed, but the reactions I’d gotten from everyone else proved that wasn’t the case. This bastard’s eyes were either broken or he had some special ability. I let out a sigh and met Hye-yul’s gaze.
“So… you’re alone?”
“...?”
“I’m asking if you came by yourself. Didn’t the other Shaolin monks come with you? Or are they approaching from another direction?”
“I am alone. If you are worried about additional pursuers… I can assure you there is no need for concern.”
“Really?”
I breathed a sigh of relief, but decided I should double-check.
“Then why are you alone? Why aren’t the other Shaolin monks chasing me?”
“Hmm…”
He trailed off and studied my expression. I wasn’t sure if he had some hidden motive, but the way he was hesitating looked suspicious.
“If you are concerned that others might pursue you… no one except me knows that you have escaped. I am the only one who knows you fled the Repentance Cave.”
“Well, that’s a relief…”
I organized my next thoughts.
“Then why did you come? Did you want to become the hero who single-handedly captured an escaped demonic head?”
“No! I simply… with you…”
“What are you even saying? Can’t a grown man speak clearly?”
Hye-yul’s fidgeting was painfully obvious. After hesitating for a long time, he finally opened his mouth.
“Would you… consider returning to Shaolin with me?”
“Are you insane… Would you go back if you were me?”
“Ah, then… perhaps…”
“Hey, hold on.”
I retrieved the sword I had hidden in the bushes.
“Let’s make this clear. No one in Shaolin knows except you? There’s no pursuit team? Right?”
“That is correct, but… why are you drawing your sword?”
“Oh! This~.”
Suddenly I remembered what Gapjil Jijon had said about this fake monk having a crush on me.
“Hey. Do you like me? Why are you chasing after someone who clearly doesn’t want you? Or are you afraid I’ll submit and go back to that shitty place where I have to eat that awful porridge without even a spoon?”
I drew my sword and pointed it at him.
That’s right! Let’s use the Dark Heaven-Defying Sword properly in the real world too.
I sheathed the sword again and took the opening stance of Heugam-dol. Every nerve and cell in my body warmed up for battle, but Hye-yul said something completely ridiculous.
“I will… make sure to bring you a spoon.”
“...?”
“The senior brothers scolded me for giving spoons to the demonic heads, so I had no choice but to stop…”
“Hey!”
I cut him off. If I listened any longer I was going to die of exasperation.
“Damn it, I’m so stunned I can’t even speak.”
I finished every preparation to launch my sword at any moment.
“So in the end, you’re here to capture me, right? Then it’ll be impossible unless you kill me first.”
I have a great mission to fulfill. Where does this pathetic wordplay come from? The fate of humanity rests on my shoulders, yet some primitive monk from a primitive world dares to stand in my way?
Of course, it’s not because I cherish or love the humans of my world and want to protect them. I’ve seen far too much of their ugly behavior after the Great Catastrophe for that. I just need them to stay alive so they can praise my greatness for saving them.
I briefly straightened out my twisted thoughts and focused on the hand gripping my sword.
Hye-yul… that fake monk was, from what I’d heard, a genius who had reached the Peak realm at a young age. The weapon he carried was a long staff. His martial prowess was also a step—no, several steps—above mine. He held every advantage. This was an absolutely unfavorable situation for me.
And he didn’t seem like he would let me go easily. He was the psycho who had even tried to follow me all the way to Wudang. So there was only one conclusion.
I’ll cut him down.
I knew he wasn’t truly evil. But if he was trying to drag me back to hell, then to me he was evil. And evil must be killed.
“I will cut you down. Block it if you can.”
I saw Hye-yul’s eyes shake violently. Was he scared now that we were actually going to fight? Whatever. At least I knew this was an opening.
“Miss, I did not come here to fight you. I came to talk—”
“Talk? Fuck off!”
I cut him off, drawing my sword from its sheath and closing the distance in a single breath. Dark Heaven-Defying Sword, First Stance—Heugam-dol. I closed the gap instantly and thrust the blade forward like I was throwing it!
Dark Heaven-Defying Sword — First Stance: Heugam-dol
[Clang!]
It was practically a surprise attack, but Hye-yul blocked it far too easily. The eyes that had been shaking just moments ago now gleamed with astonishing focus.
Fuck… So this is what Peak looks like.
I was Peak in my dreams too, you know?
My first stance was blocked, but I didn’t get discouraged. I swung my sword in a continuous flurry. If one move was blocked, I just had to try another.
[Clang! Clang! Clang!]
Faint afterimages of darkness drew changing trajectories, aiming for Hye-yul’s vital points. But he used the tip of his staff with minimal movement, cutting off each technique before it could even begin. He had severed the dozens of variations of the ‘Phantom Strike’ before they could even manifest.
The changes aren’t as sharp as they were in the dream.
The Phantom Strike that Geomjeong-i used in my dreams wrapped the sword forms in darkness like a living entity. But right now, my sword only created faint shadows. A head-on fight wouldn’t be easy. Besides, he still hadn’t even started counterattacking. I couldn’t tell if he was letting his guard down or simply observing my attacks.
I’ll aim for his blind spot.
Sixth Stance—Jolmyeongseom. A lightning-fast assassination sword that severs life in an imperceptible instant. I erased my presence and stepped into his blind spot using footwork. The Phantom Butterfly Soul-Bewildering Steps I had mastered helped compensate for my insufficient internal energy. In the blink of an eye I slipped into his side blind spot and thrust my sword toward his lower abdomen!
[Thud!]
But Hye-yul didn’t even look. He simply spun the center of his staff, deflecting the blade that came from an awkward angle. A perfect Jolmyeongseom was supposed to erase one’s presence like air, but it seemed my current level still wasn’t enough.
After blocking several attacks, Hye-yul’s expression finally changed. At first he had looked relaxed, as if saying ‘Go ahead and try,’ but now his face was growing rigid.
This is bad…
The guy who had been standing in place purely defending finally took his first step.
[Boom!]
He stamped hard with his left foot, then used the long reach of his staff to deliver a simple yet powerful thrust. The essence of Shaolin staff arts—Dokryongchuldong!
[Whoooong—!]
The staff, laden with internal energy, tore through the air as it shot forward. I barely dodged and tried to close in, but the staff that had been shooting straight suddenly bent like a snake and aimed for my side. I was about to use the Bancheonse technique to defend and counter, but the momentum of his staff was no joke. I abandoned the counterattack. Right now I had to block.
If I tried to block with just the blade, the sword would probably shatter. I gripped the hilt tightly with my right hand and supported the flat of the blade with my left arm.
[Kaaang—!]
“Ugh!”
My bones rang. The internal energy contained in his staff was no ordinary thing. The impact felt like it would rip both my hands off. I nearly dropped my sword. I hurriedly retreated to dissipate the remaining energy. My right wrist throbbed and my left forearm, which had supported the blade, burned with pain.
Breaking through the long reach of that staff wasn’t easy. A dark premonition told me today was going to be a very long day. The only option was to use the dandelion-seed-like movements of the Phantom Butterfly Soul-Bewildering Steps to somehow create an opening, even if I had to force it.
After several more exchanges, Hye-yul’s expression had become completely serious. The hesitation he showed at the beginning, the worry that I might get hurt—those had vanished long ago.
Taking advantage of the distance between us, he opened his mouth with a grave expression.
“When I was eighteen years old, I reached the Peak realm.”
“...?”
Suddenly?
“They said I was the greatest genius of the righteous path, that Shaolin had received a great blessing, and everyone praised me. At the time, there was no one in the righteous Murim younger than me who had reached Peak.”
So what?
“Yes, yes. You really are amazing.”
Even my sarcasm didn’t stop him. He continued.
“Yet although I was called the greatest genius of the righteous path, I was never called the greatest genius of the entire Murim. Do you know why?”
“What are you trying to say?”
Why was he trying to have a conversation in the middle of a fight? What a waste of time.
…Wait, no. I used to do the exact same thing. Whenever Geomjeong-i was in front of me, I would stop fighting and start running my mouth. A lot.
Hye-yul stared straight at me.
“In the evil path, there was already someone who had reached Peak at the age of fifteen.”
His eyes burned with intensity.
“That person was the Blood Demon Witch. It was you.”
“!!!”
Was that true? I had no idea.
…This woman was way more impressive than I thought.
“Because my cultivation was lacking, I was jealous of you. I wanted to fight you directly. But a few years later, that proud Blood Demon Witch became a public enemy of the Murim and was imprisoned in the Repentance Cave. And not only that—her dantian and meridians were destroyed… She was reduced to a complete cripple.”
From what Hye-yul was saying, she had been an incredible genius, but she had either fallen or her true nature had always been like that… In any case, it sounded like she had suddenly gone mad, committed crimes, and been captured. Why did she do it?
Was it puberty?
While I was having ridiculous thoughts, Hye-yul kept talking.
“So when I saw the pathetic state of the rival I had considered my equal, I deliberately ignored her. My disappointment was simply too great… But over time, she began to weigh on my mind.”
Yikes! This is getting dangerous if I keep listening.
A chill ran down my spine. I really shouldn’t hear any more.
“Stop! Stop talking! I’m not interested!”
“But!”
His eyes grew even more intense. It was almost oppressive.
“When exactly did you recover your martial arts? I heard your dantian was destroyed and your meridians were severed.”
I could see his grip tightening on the staff.
“Have the other escaped demonic heads also regained their strength? Or… is it only you?”
…I can’t let this go on any longer.
There was no answer in a fair fight. He was strong, and I was still weak.
“Hey, fake monk.”
Hye-yul answered with his eyes.
“I don’t want to kill you. You don’t want to kill me either, right?”
From his behavior and words, it seemed that way. My countless battle experiences were telling me so. He was only trying to subdue me; he wasn’t using lethal techniques.
“So here’s an idea… Let’s make a bet.”
“...A bet?”
“Yeah. Since neither of us wants to kill the other, let’s fight and the winner gets to decide what happens.”
I pretended to be relaxed as I made the suggestion.
“If I win, you shut your mouth, erase all thoughts about me and the demonic heads from your head, and go back to Shaolin to live your life like before. Clean and simple, right?”
“......”
“On the other hand, if I lose… I’ll obediently follow your wishes. How about it?”
At my proposal, Hye-yul’s eyes wavered. He asked carefully.
“...You don’t care what my wish is? You will follow my will no matter what?”
“That’s right. No matter what.”
I drove the point home.
“Think about it. You have the advantage. As you can see, I haven’t even recovered half of my former strength yet. Half? I haven’t even reached that.”
“Hmm…”
Hye-yul, who had been thinking for a moment, nodded as if he had judged that the bet was overwhelmingly in his favor.
“Very well. I swear it.”
“Great! Since you’re a Buddhist disciple, you won’t lie, right? I trust you’ll keep your word.”
I barely held back the sly smile that threatened to break out.
Now then… I just had to create an opening.
The moment Hye-yul’s gaze was fixed on me, I suddenly pointed behind him with a horrified expression.
“Hey! Your master is right behind you!”
“!!!”
Hye-yul reflexively spun around in shock.
Now!
I didn’t miss that instant of an opening. Using the Phantom Butterfly Soul-Bewildering Steps, I closed the distance in a flash and swung my sword at his chest.
[Riiip—!]
“Ugh!”
His monk’s robe tore open and red blood sprayed out. But Hye-yul was a Peak expert. In that brief moment he instinctively twisted his body, avoiding a fatal wound and deflecting the attack.
Hye-yul glared at me with eyes full of shock and fury.
“Y-you…! How despicable!”
“It’s not despicable!”
I shouted confidently.
Before he could fully regain his stance, I continued my assault without giving him a moment’s rest.
[Clang! Clang!]
Sword and staff clashed violently once again.
It looked like… this fight was going to be longer than I thought.