Chapter 149: Friendship Martial Arts Tournament • (1)
Friendship Martial Arts Tournament. (1)
There are three most official martial arts tournaments in the orthodox faction.
The first was the Dragon Phoenix Gathering hosted by the Martial Alliance to select the most outstanding stars.
The second was the Divine Dragon Festival, similarly hosted by the Martial Alliance.
This was both the most representative martial arts tournament of the orthodox faction, and an event that many martial artists eagerly awaited since, unlike the Dragon Phoenix Gathering held annually, its timing was not fixed.
The third was…
'This won't be held anyway, so I'll skip it.'
It was something I didn't particularly care about since the Heavenly Demon would appear around the time it was supposed to be held and turn everything into chaos.
The Divine Dragon Festival would be held within a few years, but…
'This is also a bit ambiguous.'
Ultimately, neither was an important topic.
What's important right now is that I need to participate in the martial arts tournament.
A martial arts tournament for the younger generation, by the younger generation.
Which star is more outstanding.
And to announce what new star has appeared.
The outward justification attached was something like that.
The reality probably wasn't such a clean story.
The era when the orthodox faction was clean had already passed.
"Shanxi Gu Family Gu Yang-cheon. Third Group."
I briefly checked the paper drawn from the box and crumpled it into my clothes.
'Third Group… that'll take a while.'
Of all things, I ended up in the last group.
With this, I couldn't finish quickly and rest either.
Tch-
Smacking my lips, I came outside, and it seemed the others had already drawn and come out earlier.
As soon as I came outside, Tang Soo-yeol approached as if she'd been waiting.
"Did you draw, Young Master Gu?"
"Yes."
"Which group? I got Group Two!"
Group Two meant we fortunately wouldn't meet right away.
"I'm in Group Thr—why is she acting like that again?"
While trying to talk with Tang Soo-yeol, I noticed someone crouched in the corner of the wall exuding depression.
It was Nangong Bi-a, banging the back of her head against the wall without caring about the glances from others.
Why is she acting like that again?
Tang Soo-yeol answered with an awkward smile at my words.
"She got Group One…"
"What's the problem with that?"
Wouldn't it be better if the groups were all spread out?
"She said it seems like it won't be fun since we'll fight late…"
"…"
That crazy… no, I shouldn't say harsh words.
I thought she'd been quiet for a while, but is some vengeful ghost that couldn't fight attached to her or something?
Why get depressed over something like that?
Finding it absurd, I let out a hollow laugh and approached Nangong Bi-a.
"…Which group…?"
Feeling my presence, Nangong Bi-a asked without lifting her head.
Thanks to that, I had to answer while looking at the top of her head.
"Group Three."
"…"
"Is it really that unpleasant?"
Since she was groaning as if she was in pain, I approached and stroked her hair.
When my hand touched her, she flinched slightly.
Nangong Bi-a, who had been still, belatedly nodded.
Seeing that, I asked Gu Seol-yeop who had been staring blankly from the side.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"Which group are you?"
"G-Group One."
"She's Group One too."
"…Not fun."
I had said it partly as consolation since at least one person was with her.
At Nangong Bi-a's firm words, Gu Seol-yeop who had been quietly standing staggered.
"…Sorry."
Gu Seol-yeop's face looked so shocked that I had no choice but to apologize this time.
After being in a gloomy atmosphere for a while, Nangong Bi-a slowly rose.
'Did she already refresh her mood?'
Isn't that too fast?
"Are you okay?"
Nangong Bi-a nodded.
"…I thought about it."
The words she quietly dropped were quite surprising.
She thought about it?
Perhaps sensing the intent in my eyes, Nangong Bi-a's eyebrows slightly furrowed.
'You're quick to catch on as always…'
While seeming dense, she was strangely quick about things like this.
"Say what you were saying, you said you thought about it."
"…If I win, isn't it fine?"
"What?"
"…If I win everything, we can meet, right?"
Nangong Bi-a was saying that if she won the martial arts tournament, they would be able to meet.
Naturally that would be true, but.
"You don't think about losing?"
"…Who would?"
You, or me, or anyone.
It seemed Nangong Bi-a didn't have even the slightest thought that she or we would lose.
'Come to think of it, didn't she only chase after swordsmen?'
I clearly remember her obsessively chasing only sword-wielding martial artists.
But somehow, from some point, it felt like she had shifted from 'swordsmen' to 'strong martial artists.'
Was there some change I didn't know about?
I said to Nangong Bi-a.
"I could lose before meeting you."
Variables always exist, after all.
Though for this particular matter, that seemed unlikely.
At my words, Nangong Bi-a quietly met my eyes before speaking.
"You… have no chance of losing."
It was calm yet firm words.
Spoken lightly but full of conviction.
"Or, will you lose?"
Such a burdensome gaze.
I didn't know what I had done for her to have such faith.
I could only avert my gaze slightly and answer Nangong Bi-a's question.
For some reason, it was hard to meet her eyes.
"No."
Whether she liked the answer, Nangong Bi-a smiled slightly with her eyes.
First, I returned to the quarters.
The preliminary bracket would take a while to come out anyway. And with a martial match coming soon, it was necessary to conserve stamina.
Not for me, but for the others.
From my standpoint, having skipped training yesterday and today, my body was feeling slightly restless.
I was continuously circulating internal energy and training my heart's technique, but.
Even this wasn't sitting in full lotus position and concentrating, so the effect was relatively minimal.
The person who hated training the most in the world had gone this crazy, which was amazing yet also quite ambivalent.
"Should I do some training?"
"Where are you planning to do it?"
It was Mu-yeon's voice, waiting outside the quarters.
"Isn't there somewhere anywhere?"
"Young Master, aren't you going up on the martial arena today?"
"I suppose so."
I wasn't paying much attention to the martial arts tournament schedule so I didn't know the details.
I just needed to go and fight when they called me appropriately.
There wouldn't be a situation where I mess things up with unnecessary carelessness.
But it also wasn't a situation to be overly tense before a match.
"Do you want to go up instead of me, Mu-yeon?"
"Haha… thank you just for the words."
Well, I didn't say it for thanks.
I was telling him to go up and fight instead since it was bothersome, but Mu-yeon seemed to take it differently.
'Or maybe, does he want to go up on the martial arena?'
Mu-yeon was also young, and among the participants in this martial arts tournament, there were younger generation experts older than him.
If he was a martial artist, it was natural to desire it.
'I should ask him later.'
This was something to ask the family about rather than Mu-yeon.
I had sent Gu Seol-yeop too, so why would Mu-yeon be a problem?
'He can't since he's not blood family, though.'
I knew the Gu family had high expectations for Mu-yeon.
I was blocking behind the scenes as they tried to sneakily take him back to the Sword Corps.
'Where are they trying to pull him?'
It originally felt like a temporary escort arrangement, but it hurt too much to return such a person.
High talent and not a bad disposition.
The biggest variable was that he was a person I didn't know in the future.
It seemed Mu-yeon secretly wanted to return to the Sword Corps.
But not yet.
The desire to return to the Sword Corps also seemed to be due to some lingering attachment I'd seen.
I needed to create something definite so he could go resolve that attachment and return to me.
'Should I strip the family storehouse?'
This was half serious.
There were somewhat helpful things in the family for Mu-yeon.
But it was a bit insufficient to lure Mu-yeon with such things.
From what I'd seen of Mu-yeon, that would probably be the case.
"Mu-yeon."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Is there something you want?"
"Yes…?"
Whether the question was too sudden, Mu-yeon who had been looking straight ahead in front of the quarters turned around.
"No, I just wondered if there was anything you needed."
"Young Master."
"Yeah?"
"I don't think that's something you usually say to the same sex… perhaps."
"This bastard…?"
A small playfulness appeared in Mu-yeon's eyes.
Had he become comfortable enough to joke like this already?
Somehow, what I said to Peng Woo-jin last time came to mind, and I slightly empathized with that guy.
Though Peng Woo-jin was definitely a crazy bastard.
"I don't know why you're asking that, but I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yes. Right now, just using what I have properly is overwhelming enough."
I nodded at Mu-yeon's words.
As expected, this kind of lure didn't work on him.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to eat mandu?"
"…When did you get that?"
I was actually feeling a bit hungry.
Wi Seol-a seemed to know that and brought me food as if she'd been waiting.
"This morning, I went to town with Sister Hong-wa."
"Ah… that thing about looking at fabric?"
"Yes! I bought it then!"
I received the mandu, split it in half, and handed one side to Wi Seol-a.
Seeing that, Wi Seol-a hesitated for a moment before barely accepting it.
That was because I had scolded her last time when she seemed to deliberately avoid food I gave her.
"Young Master!"
"Yeah?"
"Can I go out later?"
"Where to?"
"Running an errand with Sister Hong-wa!"
An errand—it didn't seem like something I ordered.
'Did something run out?'
It could be that ingredients ran out, but there were still several days left, so there was no need to rush.
I quietly looked into Wi Seol-a's eyes, but.
She was only sparkling as always.
"Go and come back. Make sure to keep the things I told you to do."
"Yes! Wear a veil! Listen well to Sister Hong-wa!"
"The other one?"
"If there's no escort, drag even Mu-yeon oppa along!"
"Ye…!?"
"That's right. Remember it well."
In the middle, Mu-yeon tried to interject as if asking what I was talking about, but I lightly ignored him.
"Come back safely."
When I stroked her hair out of habit, Wi Seol-a grinned and shouted.
"Yes! I'll work hard! Young Master, you have to win too, okay? I'll cheer for you!"
What is she saying she'll work hard at?
She seems to be working hard enough already.
'Just this much.'
Wi Seol-a wouldn't grow up ordinarily anyway.
This kind of life, at most, had only a few years left.
Much less than memories for Wi Seol-a.
It was closer to a selfish situation I created for myself.
'Will you come to resent me later?'
Unlike my worries, there would be nothing for Wi Seol-a to resent me about.
Because I was the only one who remembered the story of my past life.
Even if she did come to resent me, it didn't matter. Even if that happened, nothing would change.
"Alright, I'll work hard too."
After finishing my words, I also rose.
Noises of commotion could be heard outside the quarters.
It seemed what I'd been waiting for had finally come.
I immediately pinched the cheek of Nangong Bi-a who was dozing off behind me, woke her up, and dragged her out.
Coming outside and approaching where people gathered, there was a large wooden board with many people's names written on it.
"Young Master Gu."
As before, Tang Soo-yeol discovered me and approached. She seemed to have come out first.
"The bracket came out faster than expected."
I nodded at Tang Soo-yeol's words while keeping my gaze elsewhere.
'Group Three… Bi-ui Gate's Bi Yeon-seom.'
It seemed to be my opponent, but it was a name I didn't know.
Seeing as I had no memory of either the sect or the name, they probably weren't a remarkable figure.
'…Hmm.'
That wasn't the important part.
I moved my gaze to the side and checked the brackets of the other companions together.
The others didn't seem to need worrying.
If it went as written there, everyone would be able to meet in the main tournament without much difficulty.
'It's difficult not to overlap with just this much, did the Alliance use some trick?'
The fact that all the blood members of the Four Great Families were torn apart so they wouldn't overlap was like that.
Those with somewhat named backgrounds were also being split apart.
'Though the parties themselves don't seem interested.'
It wasn't the first or second time the Alliance had done such things, so it wasn't greatly surprising.
Any expectations I had for the orthodox faction of the Central Plains had long since burned away, leaving not even ashes.
However.
There was exactly one thing that made me involuntarily furrow my brows.
Group Two.
— Sichuan Tang Sect's Tang Soo-yeol vs. Tae-ryeong Jang Family's Jang Seon-yeon.
As soon as I saw the clearly written letters.
My expression distorted viciously.