Chapter 264: The Festival Must Continue (3)
The tournament was on a tight schedule. No matter how much the Wuhan Money House supported us, we couldn’t build many arenas with diamond dust spread over them.
In the end, the tournament was held in a single place. While it was fine up to the Human group where the younger disciples were, from the first match of the Earth group, the arena was completely turned upside down.
“…It is quite heated.”
Namgung Hwi, who was in charge of the arena’s restoration work, spoke in a slightly dejected tone.
It was understandable for him to feel that way, as it had been overturned again right after he finished repairing it.
Soon, under Namgung Hwi’s direction, members of the Guijeong Sect wearing human-skin masks restored the arena. Before the arena was restored, many people approached me.
“I didn’t know the New Justice Association Master possessed such considerable skill.”
“To toy with the Six Harmonies Sword Dragon as if handling a child.”
Indeed, martial artists were weak before martial arts. Even if the New Justice Association was at odds with the Imperial Palace or the Martial Alliance, showing respect for someone who displayed outstanding martial arts was a separate matter.
“It seems there must have been some fortuitous encounter.”
At that moment, a boisterous voice of a man who was two heads taller than others resounded. Sensing the presence emanating from that voice, the crowd parted ways.
“It has been a while since we met.”
I smiled as I looked at the man approaching me.
The man two heads taller than others, Fighting Exalt Jang Gwang-yeong, threw his head back and laughed heartily.
“Is that novice from back then really you?”
“Of course.”
“Your atmosphere seems to have changed a lot. Your hair is quite a mess too.”
“A mess?”
“Outwardly, you look like you should be subordinate to me.”
“Such words are troublesome.”
Fighting Exalt Jang Gwang-yeong’s other title was the Chief of the Green Forest. He was saying that my current appearance looked like a Green Forest bandit.
Indeed, I had changed a lot from the days when I carried myself neatly.
When I engaged in commerce, a neat impression was naturally important, but now that I active more as a martial artist than a merchant, I didn’t pay attention to my appearance.
“Even back then, I thought you would become someone great, but I didn’t know you would become this great.”
“Thank you.”
“Seeing your martial arts has stimulated me slightly.”
“That is high praise.”
“Since we have come this far, shouldn’t we cross hands once more?”
“I believe we are in different groups.”
“What does that matter? Haha.”
Jang Gwang-yeong’s eyes blazed with vigor and combativeness.
It seemed truly true that I had stimulated him.
If I refused here, it seemed Jang Gwang-yeong wouldn’t budge from this spot. I had no choice but to nod.
“Let’s do so. I will be waiting.”
“Good.”
Jang Gwang-yeong nodded and left only after receiving my confirmation.
While I was conversing with Jang Gwang-yeong, the arena was restored before I knew it. Immediately after the restoration, the tournament resumed.
Suddenly recalling something, I looked around. Peng Chae-hyang, wearing a white face veil, stood nearby. She hadn’t been visible when the match started.
“Ah, Chae-hyang.”
“Yes.”
“Who won the Human group?”
I had paid slightly less attention to the Human group after Myeong-gyeong forfeited.
“Priest Myeong-il won.”
“Ah. So it turned out that way.”
Indeed, even if Myeong-gyeong had faced Myeong-il, he would have likely lost.
Although Myeong-gyeong possessed talent counted among the best of the youngest generation, he couldn’t catch up to Myeong-il yet.
‘Come to think of it, I don’t know Myeong-il’s sobriquet from my past life.’
Myeong-gyeong made a name for himself as the Taiji Invincible Sword. Myeong-il must have had one too, but I couldn’t recall the name.
At that time, I had little interest in the martial world, so I might have heard and forgotten it. I shook my head to clear the thought.
Right now, the tournament before me was more important than that.
Next was Namgung Hwi’s turn. Since Peng Chae-hyang had come in secret, she couldn’t participate in the tournament, but Namgung Hwi could.
Namgung Hwi gripped his sword hilt with tense eyes. That sword was not the sword of Namgung Hwi that I knew.
Because the Namgung Clan had donated the Azure Radiance to the New Justice Association. No matter how much it was, it pricked my conscience to take someone else’s beloved weapon, so I had declined, but since Namgung Hwi insisted on giving the Azure Radiance, I had no choice but to accept. He said his respect for me was that immense. Well, since I saved his life, perhaps I could accept this much.
“Namgung Hwi of the Namgung Clan.”
“Jeon Rip-saeng.”
“…Iron-Bold Flying Fork?”
“I was called by such a name.”
The crowd gasped when Namgung Hwi’s opponent revealed his name.
“Iron-Bold Flying Fork?”
“My. People have truly come from all over.”
Since I had heard the names of key figures from Peng Chae-hyang, I had known beforehand.
Iron-Bold Flying Fork. He was an unorthodox rogue expert famous for slaying the son of a Prefect Lord who had been committing outrages against women in a single strike.
Naturally, the Prefect Lord had been enraged and mobilized all the government soldiers to capture him, but he was famous for flying over the heads of the soldiers and slaughtering them.
The sobriquet Iron-Bold Flying Fork was a mark of respect for his courage to slay the Prefect Lord’s son in a single strike and his swift lightness skill.
“But it is truly unexpected that the Iron-Bold Flying Fork came here.”
Peng Chae-hyang whispered nearby, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Why?”
“Is he not still a wanted man? Appearing in such a public place must be burdensome, after all. His face will also become known.”
“Indeed. Does he possess the ambition of a martial artist?”
“From what I heard, he isn’t that kind of person either. I am not sure why he came.”
At that moment, Jeon Rip-saeng’s eyes met mine. As if it wasn’t a passing glance, he stared at me intently before subtly avoiding my gaze. Does he have some business with me?
“Are you ready?”
Cheong-yu asked Namgung Hwi and Jeon Rip-saeng.
Namgung Hwi nodded with a tense face, while Jeon Rip-saeng nodded with a flat face.
“Then, begin.”
With Cheong-yu’s words, the match began.
“Oh!”
The crowd cheered. Namgung Hwi first enveloped his sword with blue qi. Even though it wasn’t the Azure Radiance, the blade was dyed blue to the point of looking like it.
“It has been a while since I saw Young Master Namgung’s Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art.”
Namgung Hwi’s energy, manifesting in clear blue, filled the entire arena.
It is said that the Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art cannot be used unless one has mastered the Namgung Clan’s Azure Sky Great Expansion Divine Art. That blue energy emanated from the Azure Sky Great Expansion Divine Art.
“…It is a fine martial art.”
Although Namgung Hwi was weaker than me now, the level of his martial art could not be ignored.
Even without my deliberate analysis, the function of my upper dantian naturally blazed, analyzing the Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art.
I could now tell which acupoints the internal energy circulated through and in which direction the sword path extended for most martial arts. However, analyzing the Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art was difficult.
“The Namgung Clan is indeed a prestigious family.”
“Yes. They are the head of the Five Great Families, after all.”
“Hearing the daughter of the Hebei Peng Clan say that makes it feel real.”
“I am simply speaking objectively.”
In that instant, Namgung Hwi and Jeon Rip-saeng’s swords clashed. Unlike Namgung Hwi’s grand sword art, Jeon Rip-saeng’s sword was swift and simple.
Boom…
With sounds resembling consecutive claps of thunder, Namgung Hwi and Jeon Rip-saeng’s swords clashed repeatedly.
Against Namgung Hwi’s brilliant sword art, Jeon Rip-saeng merely kept backing away.
“As expected of the Azure Dragon Rising Hero!”
“Defeat the unorthodox rascal!”
The orthodox martial artists shouted. Conversely, the unorthodox martial artists crossed their arms and groaned in silence.
Although this wasn’t a duel between orthodox and unorthodox factions, as long as a sense of belonging existed, such cheering was inevitable.
“Young Master Namgung is dominating.”
Peng Chae-hyang spoke.
“He isn’t the number one younger-generation talent of the orthodox faction for nothing.”
“Indeed.”
“However, it seems Jeon Rip-saeng will win.”
“Pardon?”
I was imagining their match as if viewing it from above. Namgung Hwi’s sword path was limited, while Jeon Rip-saeng’s sword path could extend anywhere.
“…Ugh!”
Indeed, while anxiety hovered on Namgung Hwi’s face, Jeon Rip-saeng remained expressionless.
Even if Namgung Hwi lost here, it wasn’t a humiliating defeat. Jeon Rip-saeng clearly looked to be between his thirties and forties. Namgung Hwi was a youth who had barely passed twenty.
Still, Namgung Hwi seemed unable to imagine losing in the first round.
“Ah!”
Peng Chae-hyang let out a sound.
Jeon Rip-saeng had suddenly vanished. Namgung Hwi also stopped, startled while swinging his sword.
I raised my head to look up. A small speck was falling from the sky. It meant he had leaped that high.
The falling speed was comparable to a meteor shower. He seemed to have accelerated his descent using the principle of the Thousand-Pound Drop.
‘The level of his martial art is nothing special.’
In truth, Jeon Rip-saeng’s sword art was quite plain. That was why he seemed to be pushed back when clashing head-on with Namgung Hwi. He simply possessed an innate sense and a swift body.
Boom!
The falling Jeon Rip-saeng’s blade met Namgung Hwi’s sword, which failed to dodge in time. The arena where Namgung Hwi stood collapsed downward.
Cracks formed on the floor where the diamond dust had been applied. It showed how immense the impact Namgung Hwi received was.
“Cough!”
Blood splattered from Namgung Hwi’s mouth.
Even in that state, Namgung Hwi pushed Jeon Rip-saeng away with superhuman strength. Jeon Rip-saeng was pushed back, but he didn’t fall straight onto the ground. He stood atop Namgung Hwi’s blade.
Namgung Hwi swung his sword repeatedly as if chasing away a flying insect, but Jeon Rip-saeng stepped on Namgung Hwi’s blade spine and tip in turn, continuously putting pressure on him.
“How troublesome.”
It was truly an unorthodox martial art. Stepping on another’s blade like that was naturally disrespectful.
In the orthodox faction, even if such footwork existed, they wouldn’t teach it. Namgung Hwi’s face turned red as if insulted, but Jeon Rip-saeng kept stepping on his blade, chasing him and inflicting wounds on his body.
“Stop!”
Seeing wounds being inflicted unilaterally on Namgung Hwi, Cheong-yu declared the suspension of the match. Even in my eyes, continuing the match was meaningless.
When the match ended, Namgung Hwi and Jeon Rip-saeng faced each other and saluted. Namgung Hwi was a mess, while Jeon Rip-saeng was neat.
Clearly, the level of martial arts was higher for Namgung Hwi. His peak would likely be higher as well.
But to face Jeon Rip-saeng’s raw martial arts, Namgung Hwi was still young and unripened. It was merely that difference.
Still, Namgung Hwi was trembling, perhaps frustrated by the defeat.
“Please step down.”
Cheong-yu ordered Namgung Hwi and Jeon Rip-saeng. Jeon Rip-saeng suddenly turned toward me.
“New Justice Association Master.”
Not expecting him to call me, I stood still for a moment. But Jeon Rip-saeng spoke as if he didn’t require my answer:
“I believe I have shown you what kind of person I am.”
“…Pardon?”
“I wish to entrust myself to the New Justice Association. What do you think?”
Jeon Rip-saeng remained expressionless. I was slightly taken aback. I hadn’t expected him to engage in job-seeking activities so suddenly.
Still, I didn’t particularly dislike Jeon Rip-saeng. First of all, his martial arts were outstanding, and he hadn’t mocked the opponent upon winning as unorthodox artists often did.
“Let’s have a talk after the tournament is over.”
“Fine.”
At my words, Jeon Rip-saeng smirked.
For me, it wasn’t a bad proposal either.
Because it was a moment showing the public that talents were flocking to the New Justice Association.
Though we would have to conduct an interview first, as I couldn’t simply accept him.
“Next is Cho Hae-ryang, and Myeong-yeop of Wudang.”
Since the arena was fine except for minor cracks, the next match proceeded immediately.
And the next match featured two people I was interested in.
Before stepping onto the arena, Cho Hae-ryang glared at me once. My teasing on the platform seemed to have been a massive insult to him.
My relationships with the people I knew in my past life were changing greatly in this life.
Gwan Seo-ye had changed from a friend to a follower; the Wudang Sect had changed from the people who expelled me to my family; Jo Chung-heon, who was from another merchant group, had become my man; and Peng Chae-hyang and Namgung Hwi, who had been strangers, had become friends.
And I had a premonition right now. That with Cho Hae-ryang, while we were friends in my past life, it would be somewhat different in this life.