Chapter 64: The Tilted Ground (2)
Chapter 63 – The Tilted Ground (2)
Although the atmosphere was practically a celebratory banquet, a strange current flowed through the backyard of the Ascension Pavilion.
Even though they seemed to laugh and chatter while sharing drinks without a care, none of the cadets could help but be conscious of the tournament bracket.
Among them, the cadet whose worries were as massive as a mountain was none other than Yun Jong-seung.
Although he had somehow miraculously made it to this point thanks to Namgung Cheon, to think that his first sparring opponent would be Yue Goeng of the Righteous Chivalry Academy.
He had secretly prayed to avoid the cadets of the Righteous Chivalry Academy at all costs, but the heavens were truly heartless.
In particular, since Yue Goeng was close friends with Hwangbo Seung, he was bound to be determined to seek revenge.
Although he had defeated Hwangbo Seung, that was only because Hwangbo Seung had been injured.
But could he really win against Yue Goeng, whose limbs and body were perfectly fine?
Moreover, Yue Goeng’s martial arts were known to be of a higher level than Hwangbo Seung’s.
‘Sigh, it’s just one mountain after another.’
If he could, he wanted to change the tournament bracket right this instant.
‘No! How long are you going to be this scared, Yun Jong-seung? You are no longer the pushover of the Dragon Heaven Academy! You can do it!’
As he resolved to steel himself and slapped both of his cheeks with his palms, the nearby cadets opened their eyes wide and stared at him.
Yun Jong-seung shrank his neck like a turtle for no reason and laughed awkwardly, and just then, he locked eyes with Tang Wu-gi.
Quickly turning his head away from the growling gaze that seemed to ask what he was looking at, he coincidentally spotted the Valiant Martial Academy cadet who would be sparring with Tang Wu-gi.
Was his name… Baek Mu-geuk?
Although there was no detailed information about him, since he had been in the same group as Yu Hyeon and Ju Yeon-hwa, he must have made it to this point without expending much effort.
Feeling a strange sense of kinship, Yun Jong-seung smiled when he made eye contact with Baek Mu-geuk.
However, Baek Mu-geuk merely stared down at his cup with a sullen expression.
‘Tsk… He must be terribly nervous.’
Then again.
His opponent was none other than Tang Wu-gi, who was famous for his foul temper.
‘It would have been better if I were Baek Mu-geuk’s sparring opponent.’
Even though the opponent was from the Valiant Martial Academy, his performance so far had been decent, and just seeing him look so nervous made him seem like an easy target.
But it was not as if he could rig the bracket.
What could he do? He had no choice but to accept his fate.
‘Wait… Come to think of it…?’
What if Tang Wu-gi defeated that dim-witted-looking cadet and advanced?
And if he himself luckily defeated Yue Goeng and reached the quarterfinals?
‘Ugh! Then do I have to fight Tang Wu-gi again?’
It was truly a mountain beyond a mountain, and then Mount Tai!
As the future looked bleak to Yun Jong-seung, he let out a long sigh, just as a cold presence was felt from behind his back.
Looking back, he saw Yue Goeng watching him with one corner of his mouth curled up.
“I am glad to be sparring with Brother Yun on the first day. I will make sure to repay the debt my classmate incurred this time.”
Although his tone was polite, his eyes and expression clearly conveyed the sentiment of ‘Go die.’
Yun Jong-seung swallowed hard.
How should he respond?
Politely for now? Or strongly?
What would Namgung Cheon have done?
Having thought this far, Yun Jong-seung found a sudden surge of courage from somewhere, and a voice that surprised even himself burst out.
“It won’t be easy. My debt is quite heavy.”
“Ho. What grand confidence. You became quite arrogant after luckily beating the injured Brother Hwangbo.”
“Shouldn’t true friends share their pain? I shall make sure you feel Brother Hwangbo’s pain together with him.”
Although he had blurted the words out naturally by thinking of Namgung Cheon, Yun Jong-seung immediately regretted it.
‘I must be crazy. Why on earth did I say that…?’
Just as he was wondering if he should apologize even now, Yue Goeng twisted his lips, his eyes flashing sharply.
“I see now that Brother Yun is quite an amusing fellow. I shall look forward to it. I will personally find out with my own hands what on earth happened to the official pushovers of the Dragon Heaven Academy.”
With that, Yue Goeng walked away without even looking back.
Yun Jong-seung clenched his fists tight as he watched his retreating figure.
In that final moment, Yue Goeng’s gaze was truly fierce.
Enough to make his knees tremble.
Even so, at this rate…
‘I held out well. I already hit rock bottom anyway. There is nothing more miserable for me to fall to, is there?’
As Yun Jong-seung patted himself on the back, Paeng Su-hyeok walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Why are you standing there looking so serious?”
“Huh? Ah… it’s you.”
“You have terrible luck, don’t you? To think your first spar is against a guy who is gnashing his teeth at us.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Are you scared?”
“N-No.”
“Like hell. You look terrified.”
“W-Well, what about you? Who is your sparring opponent?”
Paeng Su-hyeok slightly knitted his brows and looked around.
He soon scratched the back of his head and shrugged.
“A cadet from the Valiant Martial Academy, but I forgot… his name.”
“Ha! Do you even care?”
“Well, whoever it is, I just have to do my best and win. When you climb to the peak of a mountain, do you remember the name of every single hill you pass by along the way?”
“…!”
“No matter who the opponent is, to this body aiming for the summit, they are merely hills to pass by.”
Yun Jong-seung stared at Paeng Su-hyeok with an expression as if he had been hit on the back of his head.
For some reason, Paeng Su-hyeok looked different today.
While Paeng Su-hyeok’s way of thinking could not be considered absolutely right, it was something he needed to learn.
‘Right. To someone heading for the summit, it would be a mere hill.’
His heart throbbed for some reason.
Yun Jong-seung placed his hand over his chest.
Was it fear that was making his heart beat right now?
No. A strange anticipation and excitement clearly coexisted within him.
Since completing the Red Lotus Palm, Yun Jong-seung had been making rapid progress even in his own estimation.
Originally, martial arts grew step-by-step, but Yun Jong-seung had now broken through a wall and ascended to the next step.
Because of that, he felt an urge to test his grown self.
‘Yes, it is merely a hill to cross in order to become stronger.’
When Yun Jong-seung smiled with a somewhat flushed face, Paeng Su-hyeok furrowed his brow slightly.
“You look like a total pervert right now, standing there with a red face all by yourself.”
“W-What nonsense…!”
When Yun Jong-seung yelled back, the cadets stared at him again.
* * *
Jin So-hong, who was watching Yun Jong-seung and Paeng Su-hyeok from a distance, smiled faintly and turned to Namgung Cheon.
“Did you make good use of the human skin mask?”
“Thanks to you.”
Namgung Cheon replied lightly and raised his cup.
“Now it’s my turn to receive the reward?”
“Come to my quarters starting tomorrow. I will polish your martial arts.”
“Sure. But actually, I don’t really care about that right now. Though I’ll take the help, of course.”
“What do you mean?”
“The person I invested in is you. Namgung Cheon, can you win this tournament?”
This was the most important thing.
Namgung Cheon glanced around once and asked back instead.
“Do you think I can’t?”
Depending on how one heard it, his tone seemed extremely arrogant, yet on the other hand, it felt innocent, as if he were asking out of genuine curiosity.
After hesitating for a moment, a smile graced Jin So-hong’s lips.
“I think you can. I just wanted to hear it from your own mouth.”
But now, she did not need to hear it anymore.
Because the answer was already fully conveyed in his eyes and expression.
Just from that, Jin So-hong’s heart was filled with excitement.
‘Yes, because you are definitely a hidden dragon.’
The person who would eventually ascend to the summit of the Jianghu.
The person she had recognized and started investing in before anyone else!
At first, she had been attracted to him by his unexpected qualities and grew fond of him, and later, she recognized his definite abilities and trusted him. And ever since Namgung Cheon saved her when they encountered the Golden Blood Rat and fell into danger…
‘That time was truly astonishing.’
As Jin So-hong stared blankly at him, Namgung Cheon knitted his brows slightly.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Huh? Ah, no. I was just thinking for a moment…”
Jin So-hong quickly flushed and whipped her head away.
Namgung Cheon looked at her indifferently and drank from his cup.
In truth, Namgung Cheon had also come to see Jin So-hong in a new light.
Despite her young age, she possessed grit, fitting for the sole offspring of Jiangnan’s greatest merchant association leader.
Then again, perhaps it was possible because she was at an age untainted by the world.
At such a stage, people often did reckless things in accordance with their own beliefs.
However, at least Jin So-hong’s recklessness would bear fruit. He would make it so.
‘I am a man who returns as much as I receive. Both the bad and the good.’
As Namgung Cheon put down his cup, Jin So-hong asked stealthily.
“Yun Jong-seung seems very anxious, but he can win his first spar, right?”
“Probably.”
“Just as I thought.”
At Namgung Cheon’s reply, Jin So-hong smiled as if she had expected it.
But she soon shook her head with a look of regret.
“Although Yun Jong-seung has grown enough to defeat Yue Goeng, after all… Tang Wu-gi will be difficult, right? It looks like he will be sparring with Tang Wu-gi in the quarterfinals…”
“Well… I wonder about that.”
“Huh? What do you mean? Don’t tell me Yun Jong-seung has become strong enough to beat Tang Wu-gi as well?”
“No way.”
“Then?”
Jin So-hong asked, knitting her fine brows, but instead of answering, Namgung Cheon narrowed his eyes and stared intently at a single spot.
Jin So-hong unconsciously followed his gaze.
‘That cadet…?’
At the spot where their gazes met, Baek Mu-geuk, Tang Wu-gi’s first sparring opponent, was quietly eating his food.
His pupils seemed somewhat out of focus.
He looked excessively nervous, yet he also seemed to have an attitude of indifference toward the affairs of the world.
At any rate, it was a strange atmosphere.
Namgung Cheon muttered with a calm, settled look in his eyes.
“We will see once we wait.”
* * *
“Sit down.”
Alliance Leader Mok Cheon-ak offered a seat with a gentle smile.
Baek Mu-geuk bowed with his usual expressionless face and sat down across the table.
“So, did you enjoy the evening gathering?”
“It was… just so-so.”
When Baek Mu-geuk answered indifferently, Mok Cheon-ak burst into a hearty laugh.
“You rascal, I still cannot tell what you are thinking.”
“I apologize.”
As Baek Mu-geuk scratched his head and replied, the Alliance Leader waved his hand.
“It is not something to apologize for. Your somewhat dim-witted appearance might actually prove to be an advantage.”
“Did you have something to say to me…?”
“I have high expectations for you.”
“Thank you. My Sect Leader also asked me to convey his gratitude to you, Alliance Leader.”
“What is there to thank me for? It is simply because you are admirable and talented that I support you.”
“Thank you.”
“You rascal, you are still as boring as ever.”
“I apologize.”
At Baek Mu-geuk’s repeated responses, the Alliance Leader opened his eyes wide before bursting into a hearty laugh.
Certainly, Baek Mu-geuk exuded a unique atmosphere.
His colorless face was simply blank, as if it contained no emotion at all.
If Murong Gang or Murong Sin hid their emotions behind ice-cold expressions, Baek Mu-geuk seemed like a child who did not possess emotions in the first place.
Mok Cheon-ak curled the corners of his mouth slightly and asked.
“Who do you think is your greatest adversary in this tournament?”
“It is Namgung Cheon.”
Baek Mu-geuk replied without hesitation.
Mok Cheon-ak nodded with a faint smile.
“Are you confident you can win?”
“I intend to win.”
“Do not let your guard down under any circumstances. A beast of prey does its best even when hunting a rabbit.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Moreover… when you do your best, sometimes you might unintentionally bite the rabbit to death.”
Baek Mu-geuk’s gaze sank heavily.
Baek Mu-geuk quietly stared at Mok Cheon-ak before opening his mouth.
“Is that… really alright?”
“The examiner will be the Blue Wave Corps Leader. Sometimes that fellow can be a bit slow. Perhaps a moment will come when your hand is faster, will it not?”
“Your intention, Alliance Leader… I understand it well.”
“Indeed, because anything can happen during a spar.”
Having finished speaking, Mok Cheon-ak smiled pleasantly.
Certainly, while Baek Mu-geuk appeared dim-witted on the outside, he was not so in reality.
After sending Baek Mu-geuk back, Mok Cheon-ak summoned the Chief Administrator.
“Have all the invitations been sent to the acquaintances of the cadets participating in the sparring tournament?”
“Yes, most of them should have arrived by now.”
“That would include the Namgung Clan as well, of course.”
“As you commanded.”
“I shall see that face after a long time.”
A somewhat mean smile hung on the corners of Mok Cheon-ak’s mouth.