EP.11 Nine Dragons Gathering (5)
Nine Dragons Gathering (5)
The Peng clan's group picked up Peng Wuzhen, who was lying on the dirt floor after taking Elder Yi's blow.
Peng Axi expressed her gratitude to Elder Yi, but looking at Peng Wuzhen with one side of his face swollen red, she wondered if it was really okay to do this.
Peng Axi did say he deserved the beating and that it was fine...
"It was a mutual agreement."
Elder Yi's stance was firm.
"If the Peng clan says anything later, please make sure to tell them I had nothing to do with this."
"Worry not, I'll be sure to tell them we watched it together, and that it was you who egged this old man on from behind."
"No, what crime did I commit that you're dragging me into this?"
"Ahem, you could have stopped it earlier but deliberately didn't, so Yang Tian, it's partly your fault too."
What is this old man talking about?
He shot off like an arrow and swung his fist before I even had a chance to stop him, what could I have done!
I wanted to say that, but having seen Elder Yi beat Peng Wuzhen to a pulp, I swallowed my words.
'...I need to keep a lower profile.'
Honestly, he only survived because it was Peng Wuzhen; if I had taken that, wouldn't I have died on the spot?
I could also croak in an instant if I act up, so I made up my mind to be careful.
After the storm-like schedule passed, I went to Wei Xue'er, who was waiting, and she was looking at Elder Yi with sparkling eyes.
"What's with those sparkling eyes?"
"Young Master! He went tumbling down! It was incredibly cool!"
She must be talking about Elder Yi beating Peng Wuzhen, surely not.
...No, wouldn't people normally say it was scary? Does it make sense to say that horrific sight was cool?
Seeing Wei Xue'er's reaction, Elder Yi laughed heartily.
"This pretty little girl knows what she's looking at!"
With that, he took out a sweet pastry from his robe and handed it to Wei Xue'er.
"Since you praised me, this old man will give you this as a gift."
"Wow! Sweet pastry! Bear Grandpa is the best!"
"Bear? Hahaha! I suppose I looked that strong?"
No, I think it just means your build is as huge as a bear.
It was something I couldn't dare say out loud, so I swallowed it.
Wei Xue'er was strictly a servant, so it would make sense for him to get angry if she showed bad manners, but Elder Yi just laughed heartily without seeming to care at all.
Was it because of Wei Xue'er's ridiculous beauty, or was he overlooking it because she was still young? Since he took it well, it should be fine.
Leaving Wei Xue'er, who had quieted down a bit after getting the sweet pastry, behind, Elder Yi called me.
"Yang Tian."
"Yes?"
"Earlier, this old man had something to say but stopped."
Now that he mentioned it, Elder Yi did say he had something to tell me when he looked for me.
As I looked at him wondering what it was, Elder Yi continued.
"After the Nine Dragons Battle ends, a sparring match must be held."
"A sparring match, Elder? Who are you trying to kill this time..."
"Again?! I didn't kill anyone, you brat! And it's not me, you're the one going out."
"...Excuse me?"
What kind of dogshit nonsense is this?
"Me? All of a sudden?"
Why would I suddenly go out to do something that looks so annoying?
******************
Around the hour of Mi, the Nine Dragons Battle finally began. Because the Gu clan's collateral branches and martial artists from the Shanxi region participated in large numbers, even after filtering, there were hundreds of participants.
Could they really finish this in a day, and before sunset at that?
Of course, since I was only sitting and watching, it would be more comfortable for me than the martial artists fighting directly on the arena or the Sword Guard members judging them.
But why did I feel so incredibly uneasy?
"I'd rather the sparring matches don't end all day."
If the time dragged on, I might at least get an excuse to run away.
The Nine Dragons Battle itself was entertaining to watch. People always go wild for martial arts matches anytime. That was true for me as well.
The thrust of the spear was magnificent. He was a martial artist who used the advantage of the spear's length well.
Unfortunately, his opponent was a swordsman. The compatibility between a spearman and a swordsman is notoriously bad.
Even so, the swordsman was calm. While dodging the endlessly thrusting spear tip, his eyes were fixed on his opponent.
'Did they say he was from a collateral branch?'
When first introduced, the swordsman was said to be from the Gu clan's collateral branch. His name was Gu... What was it again.
"Haah!"
Perhaps annoyed by the constant dodging, he swung his spear with all his might, slicing through the air swiftly. He was said to be a former wanderer, and his well-honed spear techniques showed traces of his hard work.
However, impatience was poison.
A movement with excessive force hindered the flow of techniques. The opponent did not miss the opening created by it.
The victory was decided in an instant. The spear shaft, which struck the ground due to the failed technique, was pushed by the blade.
Taking advantage of the moment the spearman stumbled, he darted into his guard without hesitation.
The spearman, who had given up his range, had no other options. He hastily tried to swing his spear again, but the blade was already at his neck.
There was a brief silence, and the spearman let out a sigh before taking a step back. It meant he admitted defeat.
His face was full of regret.
Soon, the judge confirmed the result and spoke.
"Gu Xianlie wins."
'So his name was Gu Xianlie.'
It was an impressive match, but it seemed he wasn't a great enough martial artist to make a name for himself in my past life.
Or maybe I just don't remember.
"That child will be chosen."
Elder Yi's voice was full of confidence.
Possessing composure as a martial artist was a tremendous advantage. Even to me, he was someone who would be chosen someday, if not right now.
"How many are left now..."
Looking around, there were already less than half left.
Since they were selecting a little over twenty out of hundreds of participants, I thought it would take much longer, but with the large number of arenas and each match being shorter than expected, it looked like it would end quickly.
On the first day, I just wanted it to end quickly so I could go back, but now I was praying that this time would never end.
I glared at Elder Yi with a resentful expression.
Noticing my gaze, Elder Yi spoke to me.
"Why are you sending such dog-shit-like eyes at this old man?"
"Please don't misunderstand, it's a look of respect."
"Not just your eyes, but your mouth is also spouting dog-shit."
Seeing Elder Yi guffawing as if he found it so amusing, I sighed.
The direct descendant sparring match that would take place after the Nine Dragons Battle was the reason. Since the only direct descendants who attended the Nine Dragons Gathering were Gu Yanxi and myself, naturally, the targets were the two of us.
I demanded to know why such an absurd situation had occurred, but Elder Yi's reason was that he just said it because it seemed fun, and the Tianyi Merchant Group liked the idea.
His talk of fun reminded me of Peng Wuzhen, who had been beaten unconscious earlier.
'Even so, I can't beat up Elder Yi...'
Hitting him was out of the question in the first place, and it was doubtful he would even let himself be hit.
"Don't worry."
Wondering who it was, I realized it was Gu Yanxi's voice.
"No one has any expectations of you. You don't have to worry about being embarrassed for no reason. Since we're blood relatives, I'll end it quickly so it won't hurt."
"...What great consideration. Truly thankful."
I'm so thankful I could cry.
Gu Yanxi's face showed that she hadn't even considered the possibility of losing from the start.
That's why she must have readily agreed to Elder Yi's words. In fact, her face even looked delighted.
It was a given, really.
The difference between me, who lived without putting in a shred of effort, and Gu Yanxi, a genius who was at least called a prodigy and had steadily trained, was the difference between heaven and earth.
'It'd be better to just forfeit quickly, right?'
My body already had no dignity left to speak of.
Adding one more line of ink to a name already fully smeared with ink wouldn't make it any darker.
"Yang Tian, let me tell you in advance."
Elder Yi sneaked over and whispered quietly.
"If you're thinking of doing something like forfeiting, this old man might accidentally put a bit too much strength into a flick to your forehead."
"Surely not. That couldn't be..."
This shitty household... Not a single normal person among them.
It's something I've said before, but time doesn't go as I wish.
The sparring time I desperately hoped wouldn't come arrived swiftly, as if to mock me.
The sun set, and the lanterns were lit once again. With the end of the Nine Dragons Battle, a total of twenty-one people were able to join the Gu clan's Sword Guard.
The next day was a wrap-up party and festival. Of course, my schedule was only until the second day, so I planned to bolt as soon as possible.
Originally, I just intended to observe and leave, but the problem was things getting twisted at the very end.
Having received so much attention in a negative sense in my past life, I didn't want to be noticed even for small matters now.
My plan was to live quietly, as if I didn't exist.
Actually, it felt like I had already strayed a little—no, a lot—from the plan, but anyway.
I could see Gu Yanxi already up on the arena.
The way she held her sword as if letting it hang loose, and her perfectly straight posture subtly revealed the aura of a well-trained martial artist.
I really don't want to go...
I said to Elder Yi, who was watching with a mischievous look on his face behind me.
"Did you want to see me get beaten up in front of everyone that badly?"
Truly, an old man like a devil, both in my past life and now. At my resentful words, Elder Yi formed a peculiar smile.
And then he said.
"Do you truly have no intention of winning?"
Climbing up to the arena, I paused at Elder Yi's words.
"What strange nonsense are you spouting now? What do you mean 'not win'? I just can't win."
"Yes, yes, if you say so, then it must be so."
...For someone with the appearance of a bear, he certainly had the cunning of a fox.
Ignoring Elder Yi, I walked up to the arena.
******************
A moon had risen in the night sky.
It was a thinly carved crescent moon.
After the sweat-filled martial artists had all withdrawn, the arena was quite empty.
Of course, there were a lot of spectators surrounding the perimeter, but on the arena, there were only the two of us.
To think of using the Gu clan's direct descendants as a spectacle at the Nine Dragons Gathering, even for Elder Yi, seemed a bit excessive.
"Are you not planning to hold a sword?"
Gu Yanxi asked as I was lightly warming up.
A sword? Did I even use a sword around this time?
The Gu clan uses both swords and fists. Unlike the Peng clan, who solely used blades, or the Murong and Nangong, who exclusively delved into the sword.
Due to the characteristics of the Gu Yanhua Lun Gong, it could be applied to all weapons except for things like bows or hidden weapons.
And among them, the most versatile were the sword and fists, which were the ones primarily used.
And something I realized later was that fist techniques suited me best.
"I decided not to use a sword, it didn't really suit me."
"You haven't even invested the time to make that judgment, yet you say it so easily."
Gu Yanxi doesn't know what I've been through, so it must look that way to her. I didn't bother correcting her. Even if I explained, it would just sound like an excuse.
Gu Yanxi spoke.
"Do you know how long it's been since we last sparred?"
"I wonder."
"It's been a long time. I've been constantly wishing for it, it's a time where I can legally beat up my younger brother, right? Though I didn't want to do it in such a crowded situation."
It was a memory too distant for me. It was a time long enough for my current memories to have been forgotten.
However, the memory of my last clash with Gu Yanxi in my past life was still vivid.
It was definitely not a peaceful term like 'sparring'.
At that time, Gu Yanxi had her sword pointed at me. The blade was brimming with red aura.
Hongyan Jian (Red Flame Sword).
It was a moniker given to Gu Yanxi in the Central Plains. I had thought it was quite fitting.
With eyes full of tears and blood dripping from her mouth, she was a complete wreck.
Even so, the sight of her radiating deadly aura towards her own flesh and blood was still vivid in my memory.
'You disgusting bastard, you, I will definitely kill you.'
It was raining then.
It is not raining now.
Things that haven't happened yet, and things that must never happen if possible.
I had to keep reminding myself of that.
"I always wanted to do it whenever I had the chance. But you always just ran away."
On a face where the baby fat hadn't fully melted away, and with a voice that still sounded young.
In my memories, her voice was much more mature, and her fully grown appearance was different from how she looked now.
But the way she aimed her blade at me was the same as back then.
It was a wooden sword instead of a real one, but it looked so much like the image in my memory.
While I was lost in thought, Gu Yanxi spoke.
Thanks to that, I was able to snap out of it a bit.
"I hate you."
It was far from a sweet word, but thanks to it, I came to my senses properly.
"I know."
It's something I know; there's no way I wouldn't when she makes it so obvious.
"Being born into a prestigious family, as the child of the Patriarch no less, and not even making an effort—I hate that, and I really hate your trash personality too."
"I know, but hearing it out loud hurts a bit."
I understand. Even I would have loathed someone like my past self.
'Funny, is she saying I'm a bit different now?'
That was still something even I didn't know.
"Start!"
Elder Yi shouted with internal energy. Caught off guard, my unprepared ears rang.
As if she had been waiting for it, Gu Yanxi kicked off the ground and charged. There was no such thing as yielding the first attack out of consideration for the weaker opponent.
I could feel the heat from Gu Yanxi as she dove into my guard.
It was the aftermath of the Gu Yanhua Lun Gong, which had reached the 3rd star. The sweltering energy encroached on the surroundings.
'She really has no intention of going easy on me even a little bit.'
The swung sword drew a flawless curve, speaking volumes of the results of Gu Yanxi's training.
I took a step back, twisting my upper body as I did, and dodged the sword strike.
Gu Yanxi's eyes widened. It was a look of disbelief that I could dodge it.
But she immediately shifted her stance and unleashed another technique. The rapidly incoming swords were all aiming for my vitals.
The minimal movement I was capable of. If I put excessive force into my weak body, it would only stiffen up instead.
The ensuing sword strikes were certainly fast and lethal, but I could dodge them by moving half a beat ahead.
I could already feel myself getting short of breath.
In my head, I was thinking about where and how I should lose to end this naturally.
"It's still the same as ever, only avoiding everything!"
Gu Yanxi shouted as she swung her sword.
Gu Yanxi's transparent malice was, paradoxically, so clear it seemed almost visible to the eye.
How many more exchanges passed like that?
Clack—
Perhaps because her techniques weren't working, Gu Yanxi gritted her teeth. The relaxed posture from the beginning was nowhere to be seen.
What was making her so impatient?
She soon stepped back to create some distance, then changed her stance.
Something like a heat haze wafted from Gu Yanxi's wooden sword.
It looked dangerous at a glance.
'...I probably shouldn't get hit by that.'
Gu Yanxi, who was now at the 3rd star, had imbued her wooden sword with the Gu Yanhua Lun Gong, even if only a little. This meant the 4th star was right around the corner.
However, the aura forced into it was extremely unstable.
I glanced at Elder Yi, and he was just watching with interest, resting his chin on his hand.
He didn't look like he had the slightest intention of helping.
'...Damn it, how can I dodge this while pretending to be hit without making it obvious?'
Falling to that would look about right, but it seemed too dangerous.
'What should I do?'
A faint red aura wavered on Gu Yanxi's wooden sword.
Unable to handle the internal energy contained within, her hands were trembling.
"While doing absolutely nothing, having no talent, making no effort, just because you're a son..."
Perhaps because she poured too much internal energy into it at once, Gu Yanxi ranted incoherently, as if out of her mind.
As I said, I understand Gu Yanxi's feelings.
I vaguely knew what was suffocating her, and because even her malice towards me was justified, I could accept that too.
But.
"If you're going to live such a pathetic life, you should have just... disappeared, like your mother did."
"What?"
No matter what, there are lines that shouldn't be crossed.
Gu Yanxi leaped with all her might and thrust her sword. She had used so much force that the floor of the arena where she stood had cracked.
However, the sword filled only with anger-driven force was rushed and weak.
I twisted my body and dodged the sword.
With the target of her thrust disappearing, Gu Yanxi couldn't control her momentum and stumbled.
Gu Yanxi hurriedly tried to regain her balance, but.
Without hesitation, I slapped Gu Yanxi across the face with my hand.