Chapter 103: An Anomaly Within an Anomaly (2)
Chapter 102 – An Anomaly Within an Anomaly (2)
“Why? What is it?”
Standing next to him, Paeng Su-hyeok turned to look, furrowing his brow.
Namgung Cheon stared intently at Baek Mu-geuk instead of answering.
It would not be visible to others, but it was clearly visible to him.
The qi of the water phase flowing through the meridians of his entire body!
Furthermore, it was close to extreme yin.
Indeed, until just a moment ago, Baek Mu-geuk had been utilizing the qi of the metal phase and the fire phase.
Yet now, it was the water phase.
Had he ever seen someone who had not yet reached the Transcendence Realm freely change and circulate the qi of the Five Elements like this?
Well, there were occasionally fellows like that.
However, they generally handled only two properties, or even if they converted their qi, it took a long time.
But there were hardly any bastards who could swap it back and forth like that in the middle of a fight…
‘Is he a bastard like me?’
‘No, that is not it.’
‘If he were using the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes, there is no way I wouldn’t have known.’
‘The First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes is not such a common talent, either.’
‘Just what on earth is that bastard’s identity?’
At any rate, Yu Hyeon also noticed that Baek Mu-geuk’s atmosphere had changed once again.
‘Just what is this guy…!’
As Yu Hyeon’s eyes widened, Baek Mu-geuk rolled his eyes back, showing the whites, and closed in directly under his guard.
‘Where do you think you’re going!’
Parrying Baek Mu-geuk to the side with a fluid motion, Yu Hyeon unfolded the sixth stance, Falling Plum Blossoms.
It was as if countless petals were falling from the sky.
If he had fully mastered the Twenty-Four Movement Plum Blossom Sword, actual falling plum blossom petals would have been visible.
However, even this was enough.
For among the rising stars, there would be none who could block even this.
*Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!*
However…
‘What in the…!’
Instead of retreating, was Baek Mu-geuk not throwing himself directly toward the chaotic storm of sword strikes?
Startled, Yu Hyeon hesitated and pulled back his internal energy.
Seeing a moth flying into the flame without knowing it would die, he had shrunk back instinctively.
Because he did not want to kill his opponent during a spar.
However, that hesitation was Yu Hyeon’s clear mistake.
*Tatap!*
Slipping under his guard, Baek Mu-geuk let out a long breath.
“Haaa.”
At the same time as a puff of white breath was exhaled, a silvery blade surged upward.
*Swoooosh!*
*Clang-clang-clang-clang!*
Dozens of falling swords collided with the ascending saber, shattering with a crash. Or rather, it looked like they had shattered, but the weapons of the two were perfectly fine.
“Wh-What?”
“Is it an ice art?”
“Heavens! That cadet Baek Mu-geuk uses ice arts as well?”
“Just what on earth is that cadet’s identity?”
Paeng Su-hyeok was just as shocked as the spectators.
“That bastard… he didn’t make it up here by luck!”
“Did you only just realize that?”
At Namgung Cheon’s words, Paeng Su-hyeok whipped his head around.
“Did you know?”
“Naturally.”
Well, although he had not expected it to be to this extent.
“Tch! Look at you.”
Paeng Su-hyeok snapped his head back.
Knowing that Namgung Cheon’s words were not a bluff made him even more annoyed.
Meanwhile, Namgung Cheon crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.
‘Perhaps… things might get overturned with this.’
Sure enough, Yu Hyeon had a fatal weakness.
It was the fact that he showed a great deal of leniency in his execution because of his mindset as a Taoist.
‘In short, he is the perfect prey to be swindled. Tch.’
Exactly as he thought, the strike from a moment ago was fatal to Yu Hyeon. The ice particles coating the saber’s blade burst outward, assaulting Yu Hyeon’s eyes.
‘My eyes…!’
Yu Hyeon squeezed his eyes shut and quickly retreated, but Baek Mu-geuk pursued him rapidly, sweeping his saber upward from below.
*Krrrgh!*
As the floor caught by the saber’s tip shattered, the frozen fragments flew straight at Yu Hyeon.
Even while unable to see, Yu Hyeon instinctively unfolded sword stances, wildly deflecting the fragments.
*Crash-shatter!*
With a loud noise, the fragments shattered and ricocheted in all directions.
The problem was that the ricocheting fragments flew all the way to the spectator seats, threatening even the civilians.
“Uaaak!”
“Keuk!”
“Aaak!”
At the sudden screams, Yu Hyeon barely managed to open his eyes and checked his surroundings.
Several spectators writhed in pain as they screamed. Splattered blood was also visible.
‘Oh no, because of me…!’
Yet, as if he had no intention of stopping, Baek Mu-geuk swept his blade upward once again.
*Krrrgh!*
“Heup!”
Yu Hyeon quickly swung his sword, deflecting the flying fragments once more.
However, because he was preoccupied with ensuring that the innocent civilians were not harmed, his sword forms were hardly executed properly.
With his movements restricted, his openings were laid wide open.
In that split second, Baek Mu-geuk pounced, targeting the opening with uncanny precision.
As he drew close, a smirk returned to Baek Mu-geuk’s face.
“Now it’s my turn, right?”
“…!”
*Clang!*
Yu Hyeon belatedly thrust his sword forward, but the blade, having scraped against it once, dug straight into his flank.
*Slash!*
“Senior Brother!”
From the spectator seats, Ju Yeon-hwa’s voice rang out sharply.
Everyone else shut their mouths and froze, holding their breath.
“Keuuup!”
*Spurt!*
The saber’s blade, which had sliced through his flank, descended diagonally once more.
*Swoosh!*
Yu Hyeon twisted his body and tried to block it, but…
‘A feint…?’
In an instant, the saber’s blade vanished as if by magic, only to fly toward his neck from the front.
‘I’m going to die…!’
A blade laden with clear killing intent.
There was no mercy on the tip of the blade.
“Haaap!”
Squeezing out every ounce of his strength, Yu Hyeon let out a shout and swung his sword.
*Clang!*
As the weapons clashed, a tingling sensation vibrated up to his shoulder.
At that moment, a voice filled with ecstasy softly drifted into Yu Hyeon’s ears.
“It’s the end, right? Hehe.”
*Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash!*
Dozens of saber strikes descended upon Yu Hyeon’s entire body.
Sighs erupted from the spectator seats.
“Isn’t… isn’t that a bit too much?”
“To think that… Yu Hyeon… is being thrashed like that.”
“This is… a bit too harsh…!”
It was not much different from what Yun Jong-seung had suffered.
Before Yu Hyeon, Baek Mu-geuk was dancing a splendid dance of blades.
As if trying to display a work of sculpture with his sharp blade.
Intoxicated by his own saber forms, Baek Mu-geuk seemed to have absolutely no intention of stopping.
“Look at… look at that…!”
Unable to watch any longer, the elder of the Mount Hua Sect leaped to his feet and clenched his fists tightly.
He knew very well why Yu Hyeon had hesitated.
It was because he worried that innocent civilians would get hurt.
His very first hesitation had also been out of consideration for his opponent’s life.
Yet now, was that cadet named Baek Mu-geuk not exploiting that very point to toy with and enjoy himself at the expense of his opponent!
Finally, just as Baek Mu-geuk’s blade fell diagonally, aiming to slice across Yu Hyeon’s chest,
*Swish—clang!*
A sword that appeared out of nowhere deflected Baek Mu-geuk’s blade.
His face instantly contorting in rage, Baek Mu-geuk spun around.
‘Who is this…!’
However, he quickly recognized his opponent and swiftly wiped the hostile expression from his face.
The one who had intervened between the two was none other than Murong Sin.
“That’s enough.”
As Murong Sin spoke coldly, Baek Mu-geuk reverted to a blank expression, as if he had never been excited, and took a couple of steps back.
It was truly mind-boggling to see him behave like a completely different person.
Meanwhile, Yu Hyeon, whose entire body had been slashed, slumped onto one knee.
With every ragged breath he took, thick blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.
Because it had been such a brutal display of martial skill, no cheers rang out in the Grand Martial Arena.
Instead, a solemn atmosphere hung in the air.
Murong Sin approached and asked.
“Are you alright?”
“I am… fine.”
Contrary to his answer, Yu Hyeon lost consciousness and collapsed forward.
*Thud!*
Watching this, Paeng Su-hyeok clenched his fists tightly.
“Like hell he is…!”
His gaze turned toward Baek Mu-geuk.
He had not established a deep friendship with Yu Hyeon, but seeing Baek Mu-geuk’s brutal methods naturally bred resentment within him.
After calling for a physician to have Yu Hyeon transported, Murong Sin immediately declared Baek Mu-geuk the victor.
Another twist of events had occurred, but no cheers erupted.
Instead, on one side of the spectator seats, physician assistants moved busily to treat the injured civilians, and some people were seen being carried out on stretchers.
In the empty spots left behind by the injured, red bloodstains were messily splattered.
Thus, in the Grand Martial Arena where today’s final match had concluded, only a low murmur filled the air instead of cheers.
* * *
Returning to his quarters, Baek Mu-geuk propped his saber next to the bed and walked over to the bronze mirror.
There were bloodstains on his cheek and the nape of his neck.
They must have splattered when he was slashing Yu Hyeon’s body.
Baek Mu-geuk, having roughly wiped away the bloodstains with his sleeve, tilted his head askew.
His fingertips seemed to tremble faintly, and soon the tremor traveled up his elbow to set his shoulder shaking.
Before long, the corners of his mouth stretched wide, and his eyes filled with madness.
“Kikik. Did you see? How that guy turned pale and was completely terrified.”
“I saw.”
Surprisingly, Baek Mu-geuk returned to a blank expression and answered himself. Then, did he not immediately ask himself with a face full of joy?
“Ah, it’s a bit of a shame. It would have been much more fun if we had finished him off completely.”
“You go too far.”
“Too far? They look down on us, so of course we have to trample them thoroughly.”
“It would have been dangerous if Commander Murong hadn’t stopped us.”
“That’s why it’s fine to go too far, you idiot. Because there’s someone to stop us.”
“Still, the Alliance Leader won’t like it.”
“Tch, what do I care about that old man’s mood?”
“You shouldn’t call the Alliance Leader that.”
“Fuck, stop nagging. Seriously, what a frustrating bastard. Still, I was the one who finished it!”
“You enjoy it too much.”
“Still, it’s a good thing it ends at the level where I enjoy it. If the Second Pole stepped in, it would be hard to stop. I barely put him to sleep today, too.”
“We shouldn’t have let him step in to begin with.”
“Forget it. Talking to you makes me so frustrated that I feel like I’m going to die early. You’re like some kid who’s only grown old in age, like an old man.”
Shaking his head, Baek Mu-geuk walked to the bed and slumped down. His face soon returned to a blank expression, and he muttered to himself.
“Namgung Cheon might have noticed.”
“What?”
“That the Second Pole stepped in.”
“It doesn’t matter, does it? He’ll find out anyway.”
Baek Mu-geuk let out a long sigh and threw himself onto the bed. Then, turning onto his side, Baek Mu-geuk smirked.
“Anyway, there are no restrictions in the finals, are there? That old man of an Alliance Leader said it was fine to kill.”
“He didn’t say that.”
“It amounts to the same thing, you idiot.”
“Namgung Cheon is… unpleasant.”
“Do you fight based on feelings? You idiot, have confidence. We are here.”
“…”
“Mu-geuk.”
“What?”
“Don’t say another word and just trust this big brother. I’ll finish everything for you.”
“I don’t trust anyone.”
Even myself.
He swallowed his last words in his heart, but the First Pole had probably already noticed.
Baek Mu-geuk chuckled, the corners of his mouth stretching wide.
“What a funny bastard. Kikik.”
Just then, another voice suddenly piped up from behind him.
“Indeed. This is a fucking hilarious bastard. Are you… a split personality?”