Chapter 288: Chapter 288

The Martial World tournament hosted by the royal estate.

Since countless people had participated, it was unavoidable for the security to be tightened.

Because if there were those targeting the royal estate, it would not be strange if they launched an attack at any time, taking advantage of this confusion.

Of course, a group with such impure motives was mixed in here right now as well.

[Do not forget. You must win and stand in front of the platform.]

Several people resolved while sharing such transmission.

Until just yesterday.

They were rebels trying to overthrow the imperial family, and the first step of their grand plan was the assassination of the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Geum.

Although some of their comrades would lose their lives in the process, even if everyone here died, as long as they achieved their goal, it would be a great source of strength for their other comrades.

With those thoughts, they renewed their determination.

However.

Crunch!

“Keheck…!”

A man clutched his nose and sat down.

He trembled all over from a pain so intense he could not gather his senses. Soon, his eyes rolled back, and by all appearances, it seemed too difficult for him to continue the match any longer.

Through his fading consciousness, the man blankly stared at the person in front of him.

The one wearing the goblin mask.

From the preliminaries to the main rounds.

He had knocked down their comrades one by one.

Whether the match bracket was bad or he was deliberately targeting only them, there was not a single comrade who had not fallen before that goblin-masked man.

Within his blurring vision, the man felt resentful.

‘D… Damn it…’

The plan they had painstakingly set up had gone up in smoke so absurdly.

“Winner is Gwimyeonja!”

[Woaaaaah!]

Along with the roar, the one who called himself Gwimyeonja nodded and stepped down from the platform.

The eyes staring intently at the opponent being carried away showed no expression at all, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Gwimyeonja sat down in the waiting room nonchalantly.

Ccuntless gazes were fixed upon him.

In a situation where only those who could be called candidates for victory remained, the appearance of an entirely unexpected master was not pleasant for anyone.

“You seem to possess impressive skill. Congratulations on your victory.”

At the words that drifted over, Gwimyeonja slightly turned his head.

There stood Hwangbo Gwon, whom he had seen last time, clasping his hands in greeting.

The contemptuous gaze seen before was nowhere to be found, and now it seemed he intended to recruit him into the Heavenly Dao Society.

Gwimyeonja waved his hand dismissively as if bothered.

It was an action akin to shooing away a fly.

Hwangbo Gwon’s face flushed bright red.

“What an insolent fellow!”

Flushed with anger, Hwangbo Gwon huffed and walked elsewhere. He did not seem to want to deal with Gwimyeonja any longer.

Zhuge Yeon smirked as she watched that.

‘You should approach someone you actually can approach.’

Although it could be considered a satisfying situation, she did not show any emotion on her face. Glancing to the side, she saw Namgung So-hye staring at Gwimyeonja with a peculiar expression.

“What is it?”

“No… I keep feeling like I have seen him somewhere…”

“Sigh…”

Watching Namgung So-hye, who had still not realized the opponent’s identity, Zhuge Yeon let out a small sigh.

She found her friend, who was seriously dense in this regard, quite frustrating.

Just then, a resounding roar was heard from outside again.

“Looks like he won.”

The cheers announcing Jang Sam-tae’s victory were heard.

The opponent was a late-generation disciple of the Heavenly Dao Society.

Sure enough, the expressions of the late-generation disciples were seen to be thoroughly hardened.

It was because, excluding those belonging to the Eight Great Families, others were continuously being eliminated.

The gazes of Hwangbo Yeong and Jin Yeon-hwa turned toward the figures of the Hunan Dan Family, including Namgung So-hye.

Unlike them, who were frowning deeply, the Hunan Dan Family’s side had smiles plastered across their faces, completely provoking the opponents.

Next was Namgung So-hye’s turn.

* * *

Stepping onto the sparring stage, Namgung So-hye adjusted her breathing while listening to the noisy clamor.

Her opponent was Jin Yeon-hwa of the Guangdong Jin Family, which was a pillar of the Eight Great Families and held quite a position within the Heavenly Dao Society.

Although she had already verified her skill last time, she was sending a gaze full of resolve, pledging that she would not lose this time.

‘I wish she would not glare so much…’

Jin Yeon-hwa was seen biting her lips sharply.

Namgung So-hye smiled awkwardly and took her starting stance. As both of them took their starting stances, a massive cheer like thunder erupted in the arena.

Waaaaaaaah!

A fight between none other than the Namgung Family and the Guangdong Jin Family.

Since such a spectacle could not be easily found, everyone’s face was clearly filled with anticipation.

“I will definitely not lose this time.”

“Ah… Right…”

Jin Yeon-hwa frowned.

She was angered by Namgung So-hye’s relaxed demeanor.

She had stood here today after enduring the hellish training of her family elders in preparation for the tournament, but Namgung So-hye did not seem to care about that in the least.

Rather, she seemed to be paying attention to someone else even now.

It was undoubtedly Tang Mun-hye.

Jin Yeon-hwa found that highly humiliating, and her resentment surged.

“Hah!”

The momentum gathered on Jin Yeon-hwa’s sword was sharp, and the footwork approaching lightly was concise.

It was a move containing the essence of the Guangdong Jin Family’s martial arts.

She intended to change the atmosphere by taking the initiative.

After seizing the upper hand, she wanted to lead the entire situation from the beginning to the end of the duel as she pleased.

Jin Yeon-hwa quickly thrust her sword.

Clang!

The sound of something breaking and flying away.

Soon, a violent sound followed as what was presumed to be a person floated high in the sky and then fell.

No one could believe the sight of Jin Yeon-hwa, a pillar of the Eight Great Families who carried the name of the Guangdong Jin Family on her back, flying back so absurdly, and they could only stare blankly.

Thud!

It was shock itself.

It felt as if everyone shared the same mind.

Jin Yeon-hwa was a fairly promising woman even within the Heavenly Dao Society.

Though there were talks that she fell behind Namgung So-hye, since the skills of the late-generation disciples were thought to be only a paper-thin margin apart, people believed she would still show a splendid duel.

However, a single sword strike.

Namgung So-hye’s single strike cut Jin Yeon-hwa’s sword in two, and Jin Yeon-hwa, thrown by the recoil, collapsed absurdly and could not even stand up.

“V… Winner… Namgung So-hye!”

No cheers were heard.

Everyone was just watching blankly. Was the name Namgung So-hye this heavy?

The expressions on their faces indicated they finally understood why the Namgung Family had led the Eight Great Families.

Clap, clap, clap!

A small sound of clapping was heard from somewhere.

Glancing toward that spot, Namgung So-hye smiled without realizing.

Ju Ji-yak was clapping from the seat of honor with a satisfied expression. From the spectator seats, a girl who appeared to be Dan So-mi also cheered and clapped.

That soon spread like a wave and echoed throughout the arena.

With a small smile on her lips, Namgung So-hye walked slowly toward the waiting room.

“…”

* * *

“Wow! Sister was so amazing!”

Dan So-mi recalled the events of moments ago in her mind with a look of disbelief.

Because although she had seen many martial artists while watching the tournament, no one had extended such a splendid single strike like Namgung So-hye just now.

Dan So-mi, still jumping around in excitement, mimicked swinging a sword as if she herself were Namgung So-hye.

At those swishing gestures, Namgung Cheon’s and Sado Hak’s eyes sparkled.

Because although she seemed to move in play, that sword path was identical to Namgung So-hye’s.

The two old men were reminded once again that she was indeed Dan Woo-hyun’s daughter.

“That just now was not the Namgung Family’s sword technique, right? Is it Family Head Dan’s?”

“It looks that way.”

Namgung Cheon nodded.

What Namgung So-hye had displayed was undoubtedly drawing sword art.

Although there were techniques based on drawing sword art in the Namgung Family’s sword style, there was nothing that possessed the strength to subdue the opponent lightly yet surely like what she showed just now.

Furthermore, the sword path contained not only power but also a touch of elegance somehow.

‘The Illusory Bird Sword…’

Namgung Cheon nodded with a pleased expression.

The proof that they were the descendants of the Three Heavens.

And since Namgung So-hye was growing day by day as if following in that woman’s footsteps, how could he not be in a good mood?

Although his Emperor’s Sword Form was no less intense and destructive, that Illusory Bird Sword was a sword technique that seemed to be created specifically for Namgung So-hye.

Just like the Emperor’s Sword Form that Namgung Cheon had created solely for himself.

A laugh escaped him without realizing.

“Quite impressive. That Guangdong Jin Family girl… her opponent was bad. If not for So-hye, she would have shown quite an interesting sparring match.”

Namgung Cheon nodded at Sado Hak’s assessment.

It was not that Jin Yeon-hwa’s skills were bad, but her opponent was simply too formidable.

Dan Woo-hyun and together with Namgung So-hye was already not the her of the past, and Namgung So-hye who had learned and digested the Illusory Bird Sword should be seen as equal to Ma Jang-gang or perhaps one level below him.

“She can no longer be called a late-generation disciple either. Hahaha.”

“She has already passed that realm. All of them have.”

Sado Hak clicked his tongue with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.

The two siblings of the Hwangbo Family, Tang Mun-hye, and Zhuge Yeon and Namgung So-hye.

Although there were differences among each of them, they were those who had already surpassed the realm of late-generation disciples.

Proper martial artists in their own right.

“That girl Tang Mun-hye is also quite impressive.”

“The Sichuan Tang Family has had outstanding martial bones since ancient times. Since she was called one of the children comparable to So-hye, it is only natural.”

“Hmm…”

Sado Hak’s eyes were accurate.

Tang Mun-hye, who performed hidden weapon arts and poison arts, was certainly threatening.

Since even her punch-and-kick technique had reached a considerable level, there would be no one who could face her unless it were Namgung So-hye or Ma Jang-gang.

“But with things like that…”

“Urgh… Indeed.”

The two of them broke into a cold sweat as they looked at the sparring stage.

Tang Mun-hye, standing blankly, was fingering a hidden weapon.

In front of her stood Gwimyeonja, who had not even taken a starting stance.

He did not even budge, as if she were not even a threat.

Those who knew nothing chanted Tang Mun-hye’s name repeatedly. A main pillar of the Eight Great Families, a place that once vied for the top position even among the Five Great Families.

The ruler of Sichuan, the Sichuan Tang Family.

Her flashy poison arts and hidden weapon arts were grand enough to capture many people’s attention in an instant.

Furthermore, since she was a woman who could be called the best among the late-generation disciples of the Heavenly Dao Society participating in this tournament, that many people had bet money on Tang Mun-hye and expected her to defeat Gwimyeonja.

That was why Sado Hak and Namgung Cheon were extremely regretful.

Of all people, it had to be Gwimyeonja.

“I hope she does not fall into despair…”

“Hmm…”

The groans of the two old men spread quietly.

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