The Thousand-Li True Eye
Jegal Jin, the Thousand-Li True Eye.
Commonly known as the second-in-command of the Murim Alliance.
Though his martial prowess was never clearly documented, and many believed him to be no master of combat, not a single soul in the Central Plains dared to look down on him.
Anyone who had lived through the Great War between the Orthodox and Demonic Cults, or had even heard tales of it, knew why.
"Jegal Jin is the god of war."
"Had it not been for him, we would have lost the Great War."
Every martial artist who fought in that war said the same thing.
They all agreed that Jegal Jin was the one who exerted the greatest influence over the conflict.
He was the greatest genius in the history of the Jegal Clan.
A figure so legendary that people claimed his like would never be born again.
If one were to name the most influential person in the Central Plains today, everyone would point to him.
Jegal Jin.
"...The Thousand-Li True Eye...!"
"To think the Chief Strategist himself would come..."
For these martial artists, martial arts was their entire life. They dreamed only of enlightenment and ascending to higher realms.
Though contempt for the weak was deeply ingrained in their nature, they showed nothing but deep respect to Jegal Jin, a man who might very well be weaker than them in combat.
"I didn't get to see him during the last Yongbong Association. I never expected to lay eyes on the Chief Strategist like this."
"...His aura is entirely different. He is exactly as my sect leader described."
Standing on the platform, Jegal Jin looked down at the young talents. His gaze was calm, unwavering, and incredibly sharp.
Then, our eyes met.
...!
Meeting Jegal Jin's gaze, I flinched involuntarily.
"So you're the one. The child of that damn Bang bastard."
The voice I had heard before was still vivid in my mind.
I couldn't tell if there was outright hostility in it, but there was certainly no affection.
I'm screwed.
It was clear. Jegal Jin did not look upon me favorably.
I had harbored a tiny sliver of hope that he might show some warmth since he was my grandfather, but that was wishful thinking.
Why is his gaze so terrifying?
The way he looked down at me was far from ordinary.
I had gathered some information before coming here, but facing him in person was a completely different story.
He was sharper than I had heard. He was fiercer than I had heard.
He was a man who still held the position of clan head despite being well past his prime.
Perhaps because he wielded absolute influence as the Alliance's second-in-command, his sheer presence was overwhelming.
It made me wonder how a non-martial artist could command such gravity.
...Which only makes it stranger.
Because of that, I understood it even less.
How on earth did my father seduce his daughter?
How did my father manage to woo the daughter of a man like this?
I know looks are important, but still.
Considering I was the youngest, it meant my father was already a married man with a daughter when he seduced her.
And yet, a noble daughter of one of the Five Great Clans fell for his charms?
And she just ran away from her clan to live in Yoryeong?
...What a mess.
I could understand why the old man hated me.
His precious daughter had been stolen away by some worthless scoundrel. It made sense that he would despise me, but...
Why does it have to be now?
I was currently participating in the Yongbong Association.
Getting on his bad side right now was definitely not going to end well for me.
I was staring at Jegal Jin with these thoughts running through my head when—
I flinched.
I couldn't help but shudder because Jegal Jin's face contorted the moment he looked at me.
He even went so far as to—
"Tsk!"
He clicked his tongue sharply and averted his gaze.
I licked my dry lips at his painfully obvious reaction.
This is going to be rough.
First the Trustworthy Spear, and now Jegal Jin.
If things kept going like this...
Am I hated by both the number one and number two of the Alliance?
How could my life be this difficult?
Just as a sigh was about to escape my lips—
"Tsk, tsk. You have a long road ahead of you, boy..."
Yoo Chun-gil mimed patting my shoulder, though he couldn't actually touch me, looking at me with pity.
"..."
A curse almost slipped out instead of a sigh.
It was infuriating to hear that from the very person who had caused all this trouble in the first place.
The explanation for the second preliminary round did not take long.
True to his word, Jegal Jin delivered the explanation himself, but just like the first round, the rules were so simple that it was over in an instant.
He laid out the rules once, told everyone to do their best, and vanished on the spot.
The young martial artists watched him leave with lingering regret, but I could only breathe a sigh of relief.
...Well, nothing bad happened to me. Yet.
I didn't know if he just hadn't targeted me yet, or if he had no intention of doing so, but the whole situation had terrified me more than anything else.
Damn it. A grandfather out of nowhere?
I had lived my life as if I had no grandparents, paternal or maternal.
To find out not only that he was alive, but that he was the head of the Jegal Clan?
Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.
Why is my life so full of twists and turns?
It was honestly mind-boggling.
"This concludes the explanation for the preliminary round. May blessings be upon the rising stars who will lead our future."
The closing remarks were purely formal.
Once the Alliance officials finally departed, I was finally able to catch my breath.
"Whew..."
This was tough. It was really tough.
I wiped my forehead, wondering if I had broken a sweat, when—
"Are you alright?"
Someone spoke to me. When I looked up, a handsome face caught my eye.
"...Thunder Dragon."
It was the Thunder Dragon of the Namgung Clan. He approached me with a genial smile.
"Your expression has looked troubled for a while now. Are you feeling well?" he asked in a concerned tone.
"Ah, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night."
Between the lack of sleep and the terrible situation, I was having trouble keeping my poker face.
The Thunder Dragon chuckled softly.
"Ah, is that so?"
"Yes."
What was this guy's deal?
I frowned slightly as we exchanged brief words. Something felt off.
He wants something from me.
Realizing this, I decided to ask him directly.
"Is there something you want to say?"
"Oh..."
The Thunder Dragon's eyes widened slightly at my bluntness.
"You certainly don't beat around the bush."
"I don't like beating around the bush. What is it?"
When I asked him to get straight to the point, he gave an embarrassed laugh.
A moment later, he brought up the subject.
"It's about the second preliminary round."
"Yes."
"Would you care to team up with me?"
"Hmm?"
I tilted my head. Team up for the preliminary round?
"You and me, Young Master Namgung?"
"Indeed."
I pondered his proposal.
I had heard the explanation for the second preliminary round. This time, it was a two-man team format.
Perhaps the Alliance had calculated the numbers beforehand to make sure they paired up perfectly.
So, when I first heard the rules, my initial thought was...
I was planning to team up with Do-hyeong, Cheon Ui-jin, or even Dongnyong.
I never expected the Thunder Dragon to suddenly make this offer.
Moreover...
"Shouldn't you be teaming up with your brother?"
The Thunder Dragon had a twin brother, the Little Azure Sword.
Furthermore...
We don't exactly have a good history either.
The Little Azure Sword and I had a deep-seated ill history. Especially since—
That evil spirit is still clinging to him.
Seeing the evil spirit hovering behind him, it was clear he was someone I should avoid getting involved with.
Under such circumstances, it was highly baffling that the Thunder Dragon would extend his hand to me.
"Are you unaware of what happened between your brother and me?"
"Ah."
Understanding my point, the Thunder Dragon chuckled sheepishly.
Had he really not known? Just as the question crossed my mind—
"It doesn't matter."
"Pardon?"
The Thunder Dragon wiped the smile from his face and added,
"First of all, I have no desire to team up with someone who is utterly incompetent in everything except his face. Besides, I thought this would be much more interesting. What do you think, Little Sword Saint?"
"..."
His tone was filled with genuine disdain as he dismissed his own brother as incompetent.
Even to my ears, his blatant reluctance to associate with his twin was quite refreshing.
It seemed that...
Their family dynamic is a mess too.
First the Tang family, now the Namgung family.
And even the Jegal Clan—though that was mostly my father's fault.
It felt like the parenting in the Five Great Clans was a total disaster across the board, but that wasn't important right now, so I brushed it aside.
Hmm.
Teaming up with the Thunder Dragon, huh?
I pondered for a moment. I had never imagined teaming up with the Thunder Dragon.
But considering the nature of the test...
It might not be a bad idea.
In fact, it might actually work out quite well.
There were a few potential issues, but...
Well, I can just take care of those beforehand.
"Sounds good. Let's do it."
"Oh!"
When I accepted without hesitation, the Thunder Dragon beamed.
He looked identical to the Little Azure Sword, but he was definitely different.
However...
I can't say I have a great feeling about this.
From what I had seen of the Seven Great Talents so far, every single one of them was peculiar.
Perhaps it was because their talents were so exceptional, but they all possessed a fundamental arrogance.
They look down on the weak.
Contempt for the weak was practically baked into their bones.
Even putting that aside...
The Thunder Dragon is like...
A vast ocean. A deep, wide sea stretching out to the horizon.
It looked beautiful and refreshing at first glance, but...
If you look closely, it feels like there's trash floating in it.
Like unsightly bits of garbage bobbing on the surface of a pristine sea.
That was the kind of person he felt like.
Well, it doesn't really matter.
As long as we were only teaming up for the preliminary round, it was fine.
The moment I shook hands with the Thunder Dragon—
"Ah, damn it. I'm too late."
A massive figure cut in, expressing his disappointment.
It was the Black Greatsaber.
"I was going to claim you first. Trust a Namgung to be so quick on his feet."
"You were too slow, Brother Paeng."
The Black Greatsaber smacked his lips as he stared at our clasped hands.
Why did this guy always react like that? It was creeping me out.
"Tsk. Well, if that's the case..."
The Black Greatsaber rolled his eyes around, searching for someone.
Seeing this, it seemed he had been looking for me too.
...Why is he doing that?
I didn't know how he was connected to Moyong Yeong-sun, but it felt like he should be keeping his distance from me. Yet, he acted strangely friendly.
"Ah."
Scanning the crowd, the Black Greatsaber spotted someone and waved his hand.
"Hey! Sword Phoenix!"
All eyes turned at his call.
The Black Greatsaber was calling out to the Plum Blossom Sword Phoenix. And she...
Hmm?
She was staring at me.
She paid absolutely no attention to the Black Greatsaber calling her name.
As I stood there locking eyes with her, the Black Greatsaber walked over to her.
"If you don't have a partner, want to team up?"
"..."
The Sword Phoenix gave the Black Greatsaber a brief look.
She glanced back in my direction for a split second, and then—
Nod.
She nodded, accepting his offer.
"I like a quick decision maker," the Black Greatsaber laughed at her response.
Watching them, the other martial artists couldn't help but groan in dismay.
It was only natural.
The Black Greatsaber and the Sword Phoenix were among the strongest of the current Seven Great Talents.
The two of them teaming up was nothing short of a disaster for everyone else.
I should make sure I don't get tangled up with them.
That was my thought as well.
Just as I was resolving not to even look in the direction of the Black Greatsaber and the Sword Phoenix—
"Hey."
Someone sent me a telepathic message.
"Behind you."
I turned around. Standing there was—
"Hello."
Bang Seo-jin, smiling brightly at me.
"We still have things to talk about, don't we, brother?"
"..."
A wave of annoyance washed over me, but at the same time—
Actually, this works out.
I had a few questions I wanted to ask her as well.