Chapter 291: Chapter 291

Boom!

Hwangbo Gwon, who slid back, composed his breathing, and thrust his fist once again, penetrated between the endlessly flying sword strikes to pressure Namgung So-hye.

The power contained in his punches and kicks seemed capable of easily crushing even boulders, but he was unable to completely subdue Namgung So-hye, who showed nimble movements.

‘Damn it!’

Namgung So-hye’s movements were like a feather.

Even if he reached out, he could not touch her, and even if he did, there was no feeling.

The movement that perfectly deflected Hwangbo Gwon’s strength seemed like something no one could easily imitate.

He thought he had caught her, but she vanished without being caught, like a drifting cloud.

Every time Hwangbo Gwon thrust his punches and kicks with all his might, exclamations of admiration were heard.

However, every time Namgung So-hye, who deflected that power, showed hair-raising movements, the arena shouted as if it would burst.

Everyone seemed to be paying attention to Namgung So-hye rather than Hwangbo Gwon.

‘Damn it! Damn it!’

Slash!

Eventually, Namgung So-hye’s sword grazed Hwangbo Gwon’s cheek.

It was a light move, but it was enough to threaten the opponent.

Without even the spare energy to wipe the trickle of blood flowing down his cheek, Hwangbo Gwon had to dodge.

Namgung So-hye’s blade bent in an instant and struck his flank.

Slash!

Once again, his clothes were cut and blood splattered.

Although it was not deep, the proof that he had failed to evade the opponent’s move was clearly engraved on his body.

“Kugh!”

Hwangbo Gwon could not hide his panic.

He thought he would only need to be careful of the first move, but all of Namgung So-hye’s incoming sword strikes were at a level that Hwangbo Gwon could do nothing against.

Swish!

Every time he dodged a sword strike, his body staggered.

Although it had only been fifteen minutes since the match started, he was strangely exhausted.

He had to pour that much massive mental energy into facing Namgung So-hye.

‘If so!’

Hwangbo Gwon put strength into his legs.

Soaring high in a single bound, he unleashed countless kicks.

The power infused in the strike was all the internal energy Hwangbo Gwon possessed.

Slash, slash!

“Aaack!”

However, Hwangbo Gwon, who had unleashed his decisive move, clutched his leg, fell to the ground, and screamed.

Crimson blood spurted from his leg.

Namgung So-hye’s sword had hacked up his leg.

“W… Winner! Namgung So-hye!”

Waaaaaaaah!

The moment the referee’s declaration, judging that the match could no longer continue, ended, everyone let out a shout.

Although it was a short duel, since it was a fight between the Eight Great Families, its flashiness and spectacle were on an entirely different dimension from before.

Excited people shouted wildly, calling Namgung So-hye’s name repeatedly.

Bowing her head as if slightly embarrassed, she quickly stepped down from the sparring stage.

“I will not let you get away with this!”

From behind, Hwangbo Gwon’s spiteful shout echoed, but Namgung So-hye did not pay any attention to it. Rather, she provoked Hwangbo Gwon with a sneer on her lips.

The sound of gritting teeth was heard, but it rather made Namgung So-hye feel even more gratified.

“Amazing. She is So-hye indeed.”

“Huhuhu, more importantly, how are you?”

“I am fine. Although it hurts a bit…”

Zhuge Yeon scratched her head with an embarrassed look. Having lost to an unknown wanderer in the match just now, she looked extremely depressed.

She had made it up by using a sly trick to defeat even Ma Jang-gang, but she suffered a defeat in an unexpected place.

The fact that their skills were only a paper-thin margin apart troubled her mind even more.

Namgung So-hye patted Zhuge Yeon and looked outside.

On the sparring stage, Hwangbo Yeong stood with a firm expression.

“If only that girl is eliminated, the Heavenly Dao Society will be completely out.”

“Yes, but who was her opponent…?”

Namgung So-hye tilted her head, picturing the faces of the remaining people in her mind.

Since there were not many anyway, she soon looked at the sparring stage with an interested expression.

“Ma Cheon-gun.”

Zhuge Yeon muttered softly.

Hwangbo Yeong and Ma Cheon-gun?

Since she knew that the one wearing the mask was Jang Sam-tae, she thought that if things went well, Hwangbo Yeong might win.

“He will lose, right?”

“Well… who knows?”

Zhuge Yeon’s eyes sparkled.

There would be nothing more embarrassing than if she was eliminated but Jang Sam-tae advanced. Therefore, although she did not like it, she was inwardly hoping for Hwangbo Yeong’s victory.

Sensing Zhuge Yeon’s feelings, Namgung So-hye smiled awkwardly.

Waaaaaaaah!

The moment Ma Cheon-gun stepped onto the sparring stage, a resounding roar swept through the arena.

It was because he showed himself by performing flashy lightness art from somewhere other than the waiting room where the participants were.

Hwangbo Yeong frowned as she watched that.

It was frustrating enough that the members of the Heavenly Dao Society had all been eliminated, and there was no way she would look kindly upon Ma Cheon-gun, who captured the spectators’ attention with a flashy entrance.

She swept her hair back and muttered.

“Amusing. Do you want attention that much?”

“…”

“I heard there was someone playing hero in this countryside, but you are less than I thought. A rumor is indeed just a rumor. Sigh…”

Hwangbo Yeong smirked.

Gentleman Sword and Ma Cheon-gun.

They were said to be great masters making a name for themselves in Yueyang. Since stories about them reached the ears of the Heavenly Dao Society quite frequently, they had judged them to be fairly grand figures.

However, after coming here and verifying their martial arts, she realized that the rumors had been greatly exaggerated.

There were even talks that they might be comparable to the Five Emperors, which was truly a laughable statement now that she thought about it.

Gentleman Sword had fallen absurdly in the first round, and Ma Cheon-gun was also much more mediocre than expected.

Except for being slightly good at lightness art, he was at a level that even Hwangbo Yeong could defeat.

“To think they tried to recruit such people… Sigh, it only makes me sigh.”

“…”

Ma Cheon-gun said nothing.

Showing no sign of caring at all whether Hwangbo Yeong muttered or not.

As if she was not even worth his concern, the gaze visible through the mask was not watching Hwangbo Yeong.

Hwangbo Yeong frowned.

Since she was already in a bad mood because her older brother had lost to Namgung So-hye, she intended to crush the man named Ma Cheon-gun with all her strength.

‘I will go all out from the start!’

She would show it to many people.

That the name of the Hwangbo Family was not dead yet!

She threw herself forward and rushed in an instant.

Intending to land one big blow and finish it in the next move. If she displayed overwhelming martial power, the Prince of Geum’s estate would also not easily end its connection with the Heavenly Dao Society.

Slap!

Crash!

“Gasp…!”

“W… What is this!”

“Wh… What just…”

Momentarily, everyone wore blank expressions.

The moment the vigorously rushing Hwangbo Yeong was slapped on the cheek, she rolled on the floor, flew, and crashed absurdly into the wall.

Having turned so ghastly that one could not think of her as a woman, she trembled shiveringly with her eyes rolled back in a wretched state.

“M… Ma Cheon-gun victory…”

The referee declared Ma Cheon-gun’s victory with a dazed voice. However, not even a cheer was heard, and only silence enveloped the place.

It meant it was a situation no one could be pleased with.

Ma Cheon-gun stepped down from the sparring stage, cracking his joints. Everyone watched with dumbfounded eyes as he walked into the waiting room with an indifferent face.

The second daughter of the Hwangbo Family, one of the Eight Great Families.

Since he had turned a direct descendant of the Hwangbo Family, who held high influence within the Heavenly Dao Society, into a rag, they would definitely not sit still.

Simply viewing it as an accident that occurred in a Martial World tournament meant it had crossed the line.

The sound of dry saliva being swallowed was heard from all around.

On the contrary, those sitting in the waiting room also looked at Ma Cheon-gun. However, Ma Cheon-gun ignored their gazes and walked toward one place.

He watched Gwimyeonja, who was sitting blankly and staring steadily up at him.

Laughter was heard from inside the mask.

“I told you, right? Winning just like that is not fun.”

“…”

Gwimyeonja did not say anything even at the sound that drifted over. He just stared at Ma Cheon-gun for a while and then naturally turned his gaze away.

However, interest was sparked in his eyes.

Perhaps he was thinking that things had become more interesting than expected.

* * *

“That… that… crazy old man…!”

Namgung Cheon, who was watching the sparring stage from the spectator seats, muttered, the corners of his mouth trembling.

Jang Sam-tae must have cried and begged him to swap places.

If so, since it was dealing with kids, he should have fought with as little strength as possible.

Nevertheless, Sado Hak had struck the opponent with all his might, and in the end, Hwangbo Yeong ended up crashed against the wall in a wretched state.

The silence of the dumbfounded people around drifted over heavily.

It was fortunate that Dan So-mi was not here.

Because she would have surely burst into tears if she saw such a wretched sight.

“Um… Elder…”

“What is it?”

“That lady… what will happen to her?”

“Hmm…”

At Jang Sam-tae’s question, Namgung Cheon swallowed a groan.

The sight of people pulling out Hwangbo Yeong, who was smashed against the wall, was visible. Was it at least fortunate that she could not feel the pain yet because she had fainted?

“The impact must have been quite large.”

“By any standard, it does not look like it is only to that extent?”

Jang Sam-tae broke into a cold sweat.

He wondered if he had chosen the wrong person to beg. If Jang Sam-tae had just gone out from the beginning, such sacrifice would not have occurred.

‘No, he could have just lost to that girl, right?’

He realized the correct answer too late, but it was already too late.

Sado Hak already seemed fully intent on having a match with Dan Woo-hyun.

“This is going to cause a massive uproar…”

At Namgung Cheon’s lament, Jang Sam-tae wore a blank expression.

He felt uneasy for no reason, as if all of this was his mistake.

He even worried if he should run away immediately.

“If the Family Head and Elder Sa fight…”

“No, that is not what I am worried about.”

“Yes?”

“The Heavenly Dao Society will move.”

Namgung Cheon frowned.

Hwangbo Yeong is the child whom the Hwangbo Family raised with extreme care. Since she was completely smashed to the point where she could not go outside for the time being, they would surely come to pay back the debt.

Namgung Cheon’s head was already throbbing.

“Are we going to fight the Heavenly Dao Society? Us?”

“It might turn out that way.”

“Haha, you are joking, right?”

“…”

Namgung Cheon let out a long sigh as he looked at Jang Sam-tae, who was wearing an expression begging him to say it was a joke.

That sigh was precisely what made him realize that he was speaking the truth.

Jang Sam-tae swallowed dry saliva and wiped his cold sweat.

“Of course, if they have no brains.”

Namgung Cheon laughed heartily.

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