Chapter 65: Vip (1)
Chapter 64 – Vip (1)
The test events of the Joint Conference changed every time.
However, the final test was always the same.
A public sparring tournament.
The public sparring tournament, which not only the three major academies of Wuhan but even the commoners could watch in person, was truly the flower of the Joint Conference.
It was to the point that famous figures from all over the Central Plains traveled all the way to Wuhan just to watch this public sparring tournament.
With that much increase in foot traffic, Wuhan’s commercial district bustled with energy, and the commoners could not help but be excited as well.
It was truly a festive atmosphere.
Now, in Wuhan, whenever people gathered in groups of twos and threes, they would strike up conversations about the Joint Conference.
And finally, the day of the round of sixteen.
Not only the martial artists who visited Wuhan, but even the commoners made their way to the Grand Martial Arena of the Martial Alliance.
The topic on most people’s lips was, without a doubt, the great leap forward of the Dragon Heaven Academy.
“I heard that four cadets from the Dragon Heaven Academy advanced this time?”
“Is that for real? Those blockheads?”
“My word! Man, to think you are so out of the loop. Did you just return from exile or something?”
“If that is so, then that rising star named Jo Gang-min must have really been a hidden dragon.”
“What are you talking about? I heard that cadet didn’t even participate.”
“What? Then how…?”
“Prepare to be surprised. Apparently, two cadets who were called the official pushovers of the Dragon Heaven Academy survived to the very end.”
“If they are the official pushovers…”
“I think they were Namgung Cheon and Yun Jong-seung?”
“Ah! If it’s Namgung Cheon, could he be the illegitimate son of the Great Killing Star that I only heard about in rumors…?”
“Perhaps so.”
“My! The father was hunted down by the Martial Alliance as the Great Killing Star and died, yet the son rises as a new star in a tournament hosted by the Martial Alliance. What a twist of fate.”
The performance of Namgung Cheon and Yun Jong-seung was, of course, constantly discussed among the cadets of the Dragon Heaven Academy as well.
Particularly because the cadets of the Dragon Heaven Academy were the ones who had watched the two live as pushovers closer than anyone else, they were swept up in a strange emotion.
The rebellion of the underdogs.
Although jealousy and envy could have arisen, the majority of the cadets felt a strange euphoria looking at Namgung Cheon and Yun Jong-seung.
Perhaps because the life-reversal story of losers always had the power to inspire hope and courage whenever one heard it?
The Blue Dragon Class, to which Namgung Cheon belonged, also headed to the Grand Martial Arena of the Martial Alliance under the guidance of Bi Ryang.
A cadet spoke in a somewhat excited voice.
“Actually, I knew Namgung Cheon would turn out like this. That guy is the child of the Great Killing Star, but he’s also the son of the Number One Dragon under Heaven.”
“True. Namgung Cheon wasn’t the Great Killing Star himself, yet he was the only one who suffered persecution, so it was a bit unfair for him.”
“Could he have been hiding his strength for today?”
“What would he hide his strength for?”
“To surprise everyone like this, of course. It’s like a story of a hero’s appearance, isn’t it? It’s also great for bringing down the noses of the bastards who used to torment him.”
“Shh. They’ll hear you.”
Because another cadet warned him, the cadet who had been chatting excitedly peeked at their surroundings and shut his mouth.
It was because Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang were walking nearby.
The two of them had returned straight to the academy after failing the third trial.
When Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang kept their mouths shut as if they had heard nothing, the cadet, perhaps gaining some courage, spoke loudly on purpose.
“Right, who told them to torment him like that? Honestly, although I had to participate a few times because I had no choice… I thought it was too harsh.”
“Is participating something to boast about?”
“The atmosphere was like that, so I couldn’t help it, could I? It was an atmosphere where anyone who didn’t fit in would be made a pushover. Damn it! Now that I think about it, it’s confusing who the son of the Great Killing Star really is.”
“Hey, lower your voice.”
“Why are you getting scared now? Once Namgung Cheon returns, those who took the lead in tormenting him might become the official pushovers instead.”
At the cadet’s words, the other cadets chuckled and laughed.
Of course, it was also a remark implicitly aimed at Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang.
The two grit their teeth but did not show any particular reaction.
The rumor that those two had been completely beaten by Namgung Cheon had already spread everywhere.
In truth, there was nothing as miserable as a deposed king.
Now, the cadets of the Dragon Heaven Academy’s Blue Dragon Class were in an atmosphere of deposing Song Won-gyo and Baekli Hyang and instating Namgung Cheon as the new king.
When the cadets, who had been walking while sharing such trivial conversations, finally entered the spectator seats of the Martial Alliance’s Grand Martial Arena,
“Waaah!”
A roar loud enough to ring in their heads swallowed them up in an instant.
An immense crowd had gathered.
Even though the sparring match had not yet begun, the heat of the crowd filling the spectator seats was enough to make them forget the chilly weather.
On one side of the spectator area, seats were specially set aside for the cadets of the Dragon Heaven Academy.
The seats next to where the cadets of the Righteous Chivalry Academy sat.
The Dragon Heaven Academy cadets puffed out their chests and walked toward it.
Every single one of their faces overflowed with pride.
Until now, cadets from the Dragon Heaven Academy had rarely survived to the sparring tournament.
At most, one or two was all.
Therefore, the Martial Alliance did not even assign designated seats to the Dragon Heaven Academy cadets.
But this year, there were as many as four!
It was the exact same number as the cadets from the Righteous Chivalry Academy!
Thanks to that, designated seats were prepared on one side of the spectator area.
‘Ahem! We have nothing to be intimidated by now!’
The Dragon Heaven Academy cadets sat down in high spirits.
* * *
The VIP seats prepared on one side of the spectator area.
There, a person was looking down at the Grand Martial Arena with a heart as proud as that of the Dragon Heaven Academy cadets.
It was none other than Yun Cheom-san, the head of the Mount Huang Yun Clan.
How surprised he had been when he received the invitation to the sparring tournament a few days ago.
‘Whew, even now when I think about it…’
Yun Cheom-san placed one hand on his chest and grinned widely.
However, he was surprised once again after coming here.
It was the news that even Namgung Cheon was participating in the sparring tournament. Of course, he still remembered the incident where Namgung Cheon had beaten his son severely.
However, that must have been an accident caused solely by his son letting his guard down.
‘How on earth did that guy, who was said to be a pushover, make it all the way to the sparring tournament? Undoubtedly, our Seung-ah looked after him out of affection for their old days. What a soft-hearted fellow.’
Yun Cheom-san clicked his tongue and glanced around.
His slightly sour mood quickly cleared up.
Wherever he looked, there were leaders of the influential clans and sects that led this era. Since he was invited as one of those VIPs, how could he not be thrilled?
‘I am enjoying luxury thanks to my son.’
Just then, a stirring murmur was heard from behind.
Glancing back, he saw that the leaders were quite agitated, looking at a single person.
A strange middle-aged man had appeared in the VIP section, and everyone was muttering upon seeing him.
Catching snippets of their whispers, he heard words like ‘Gold King,’ ‘Myriad Gold,’ and ‘Leader.’
‘Wait… Gold King…? Myriad Gold? Gasp! Could… could that person be Immortal of Myriad Gold?’
As Yun Cheom-san sprang to his feet and looked, the figure presumed to be the Gold King was already walking toward the Alliance Leader.
In fact, even if he looked at the face, he could not know if he was indeed the Gold King, since no one knew the Gold King’s real face.
However, that robe!
That robe, embroidered with a pattern of two golden dragons intertwining and ascending to heaven, was undoubtedly the garment that the Gold King only wore at official events!
Finally, the Alliance Leader welcomed the man with open arms and struck up a pleasant conversation.
“Welcome. You must have had an arduous journey traveling from so far. To think the Gold King’s daughter would participate in the sparring tournament. I, too, only found out recently through the Lord of the Dragon Heaven Academy. Good heavens, how did you keep it so completely hidden? You have raised your daughter truly wonderfully.”
“You flatter me, Alliance Leader. I merely taught her to claim what is rightfully hers.”
“Hahaha, terrifying, isn’t it? If the Gold King’s daughter claims her share, I cannot even fathom how grand that scale would be.”
“The Alliance Leader teases me too much.”
“Hahaha!”
Listening to the pleasant conversation between the two, the people around them also seemed to finally catch on to the situation.
It seemed that Yun Cheom-san was not the only one who had been in the dark.
Was it a relief, in a way?
Once the Gold King finished his conversation with the Alliance Leader and took his seat, the other leaders stood up as if they had been waiting and approached the Gold King.
“It is an honor to meet the Gold King like this.”
“Greetings to the Gold King.”
“I have long heard of Immortal of Myriad Gold’s esteemed name. I cannot hide my joy at being able to meet you in person like this.”
Surely, financial power was just as terrifying as political power.
It was as if the prominent masters who held sway over the era were wagging their tails like puppies in front of Jiangnan’s number one wealthy merchant.
Of course, there were some among them who did not budge.
And Yun Cheom-san…
“Yun Cheom-san, the head of the Mount Huang Yun Clan, greets Immortal of Myriad Gold, the leader of the Myriad Gold Merchant Association! I am deeply moved to behold your golden countenance! To think such a day would come to me, I feel as though heaven itself has aided me.”
He approached and bowed so deeply that it seemed a bit excessive.
Only after the Gold King laughed heartily and gave a formal greeting in return did Yun Cheom-san calm his excited heart and return to his seat.
‘The Gold King… smiled at me.’
His heart would not settle down.
Though it was only a brief moment, he turned it over and over in his mind, trying to figure out how to get close to the Gold King using this opportunity.
As time passed like that and the start of the sparring tournament drew near,
Once again, a commotion arose behind him.
This time, it was a slightly different reaction than when the Gold King had appeared. Perhaps a strange sense of incongruity?
Turning his head instinctively, Yun Cheom-san immediately knew the reason.
‘That person… really came.’
The people who appeared in the VIP section were none other than Namgung Geom and Namgung Hwa.
Of course, the VIPs gathered here recognized the two at a glance, and none of them could hide their uncomfortable expressions.
A father whose daughter had fallen in love with the Great Killing Star.
Because of that, the family that once fell endlessly from the rank of the number one clan under heaven was now nowhere to be seen in the rankings.
In short, their reluctance to be associated with them was painfully obvious.
Yun Cheom-san sneered inwardly.
‘Tsk tsk. Why did you not accept my proposal? If you had at least established a marriage alliance with me, you would not be receiving such treatment.’
Come to think of it, did they say the Gold King has a daughter?
It wouldn’t be bad to form a marriage alliance with the Gold King through this opportunity.
While Yun Cheom-san was lost in his personal fantasies, the expressions of Namgung Geom and Namgung Hwa stiffened.
The invitation had clearly stated that they were invited as VIPs, but there were no seats for them anywhere.
As time passed and the VIPs began to murmur, only then did the Alliance Leader glance back and acknowledge them.
“Who is this? Is it not the Great Hero Namgung Geom? Welcome.”
“It has been a long time, Alliance Leader.”
When Namgung Geom replied with a sharp gaze, the Alliance Leader, Mok Cheon-ak, smiled faintly.
“You are as cold as ever. Still, today is a rare happy occasion, so it would be nice if you smiled a little.”
“Did you invite us just to perform such a petty trick? Disappointing.”
When Namgung Geom let out his usual cold sneer, the Alliance Leader’s expression stiffened slightly before softening.
“What a disappointing thing to say. Chief! Where are the designated seats for these two?”
“T-That is… we failed to prepare…”
“No, how could you make such a mistake!”
As the Alliance Leader scolded while pretending to be angry, Murong Sin, who was standing nearby, cut in with a gentle voice.
“The Chief Administrator is not at fault, Alliance Leader. It is my fault.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I never imagined that anyone from the Namgung family would actually show up. My thinking was short-sighted.”
At Murong Sin’s calm voice, several VIPs sneered.
It was because his words had a hidden barb.
It meant he had not expected the Namgung family, which was no different from the Great Killing Star’s household, to shamelessly show up. Calling them the Namgung family instead of the Clan on purpose was also in the same vein.
Yun Cheom-san also sneered mockingly, yet inwardly marvelled.
‘That old man doesn’t even bat an eye in this situation. My word, it is as if his face were carved from ice.’
Of course, Namgung Geom was not in a good mood.
Having come after being invited as a VIP, they were in a situation where they had to either stand because there were no designated seats, or be driven out.
Seeing that there was not even a response to make more seats despite the situation reaching this point, it meant the Alliance Leader had known from the very beginning.
Or perhaps, he had planned it.
It was a truly petty act.
Yet the Alliance Leader knew.
That such pettiness was the most effective psychological warfare to define relationships.
Was it not said that even in exchanges between nations, some countries intentionally provided a smaller chair to the opposing king?
This was also to show the public—solidifying internal cohesion while thoroughly isolating the opponent.
Just as a chill was rising in Namgung Geom’s chest, an unexpected twist occurred from an unforeseen person.
“Great Hero Namgung, I have respected and admired you for a long time. If you do not mind this humble seat of mine, please sit here. I would consider it an honor.”
In the spot where Yun Cheom-san and all the other VIPs looked with their mouths agape, the Gold King stood looking at Namgung Geom with an incredibly gentle expression.