Saber King (Dao Wang) Paeng Jeo-u.
One of the Four Great Families. No, now called the Three Great Families, the Patriarch of the Hebei Paeng Family, a pillar of the Righteous Faction.
It is said that when he was called a later-generation prodigy, in the days when he was a dragon, he was called the Ink Dragon (Mukryong).
After outgrowing the title of later-generation prodigy, in the days when he was active in the League, he served as the Iron Dragon Great Lord.
He is a martial artist of the Transcendent Realm, and his level is ranked among the upper echelons of the Hundred Great Experts.
In terms of military achievements, he was evaluated highly for his contributions in the war against the Demonic Faction in the past.
Even now, he is renowned as an expert who does not fall short of his prime.
However.
There is a record of him running for the position of Alliance Leader several times and failing each time.
In other words.
'His martial prowess is not bad. His position is solid, and he is a man with political ambition.'
His disposition is domineering and he has a strong belligerent streak, but.
'Easy....'
He is an easy man to read.
While this might not be apparent as a martial artist, it speaks of low competence as a patriarch.
'If we are to compare such things, the Sword King is a bit better.'
Though his position within the family is low, compared to the Saber King, he gives off a somewhat sly impression.
At a glance this may seem like an insult, but it is something a patriarch must possess to a certain degree.
'And that was something the Saber King lacked.'
Because that was the problem, he lost in the contest for the seat of Murim Alliance Leader despite his position and ability.
All that is fine.
If he were merely such a character, that would be the end of it.
However.
'What did he come out to the Martial Tournament for?'
A question follows.
The Saber King has nothing to gain by coming here.
Position? He already has enough.
Fame? Even if the Saber King achieves results here, it will not increase.
There is nothing the Saber King can gain from this Martial Tournament.
Everyone is certain of this; they simply do not think deeply about it.
Why?
'Because it's entertaining.'
The Saber King appears in the Martial Tournament and displays his martial arts.
That alone is enough to draw people's attention.
And among those people.
'There must be countless merchant guilds tied to the League.'
That is what I think.
This matter is a benefit only to the League side.
No matter how much of a brute the Saber King is, would he not know this?
That would not be the case.
Then the answer was one.
'The Saber King appeared in the Martial Tournament to cooperate with the League side.'
A request.
Or cooperation.
Or coercion.
It did not matter what it was.
What was important was that the Saber King had complied.
The Saber King had to be regarded as a figure on the side of the Murim League.
Whether it was against his will or of his own accord.
[Hebei Paeng Family, Paeng Jeo-u versus Xi'an Bi Family, Bi Uijin.]
"..."
I stroked my chin as I looked at the names written on the board.
'Hmm.'
How did it end up like that?
I tilted my head as I looked at the board.
'What is the intention?'
When they paired Sinyong and Wi Seol-a, the intention was clear.
This time, it is not easy to see. Did they pair them just like that?
'Well.'
I am skeptical of that thought.
At this point, the news that Turyong is the disciple of Paejon has already spread.
To use an important card that could serve as publicity in this manner....
'...No.'
As I thought about it, I suddenly came to my senses.
'It is precisely because of this that it becomes even better publicity.'
The successor of Paejon gets thrashed by the Saber King.
They must be expecting that kind of spectacle.
Surely, they would never think that Turyong could win.
'Though one never knows.'
Since there is a past record between Sinyong and Wi Seol-a, they might perhaps be harboring some expectations.
But it was an impossible matter.
'At most, a later-generation prodigy defeating a King-level opponent.'
It is a situation without precedent in history.
No one would be able to predict it.
'Because they do not know this old man's true identity.'
With narrowed eyes, I looked at the black-haired beautiful young man.
Eyes, nose, and lips that looked kind, unlike his temper.
In the world, he was a later-generation prodigy called Turyong (Fighting Dragon) Bi Uijin.
And within that kind-looking skin was an exceedingly old hound. A man known by the title Paejon (Defeated Venerable).
"...Heavens, two successors of the Venerable have gathered."
"I heard the Seomwol Sword has even reached the Transcendent Realm. What of Turyong?"
Since only eye-catching figures are gathered here, all attention is focused on this place.
Should I hold my breath? In the brief moment I pondered.
"So, what shall I do?"
Paejon asked me.
"What do you mean?"
Having heard the answer, Paejon smiled slightly.
That's a terrifying expression. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not.
"That ignoramus of the Paeng Family."
"...You don't possibly mean the Saber King, do you?"
"Tch, a King. That is rather too grand a word for that fool."
A hollow laugh escaped at the scathing assessment.
The Patriarch of the Paeng Family was treated as an ignoramus by Paejon.
"His father was somewhat capable. The son, however, is nothing at all."
"You speak of the previous Saber King."
The previous Saber King, Paeng Tae-u.
He was the former patriarch of the Paeng Family who died over a decade ago.
"Yes, his saber was heavy. He was a man in whom the inherent magnanimity of that bloodline could be seen."
It was as if listening to a legend.
That is how the stories of the past that Paejon recounted were.
The era in which he lived was not peaceful as it is now, for it was a time when war with the Demonic Faction was still raging.
"But he made a thorough mess of raising his son, so it is merely a pity."
Though his expression did not look particularly regretful... Paejon continued on indifferently.
"However, that one over there is quite decent."
At Paejon's gesture, I turned my eyes.
The Saber King sitting there, drawing attention. The young man next to him.
The tip of his finger was pointing toward Paeng U-jin.
"Unlike his father, he is a proper one."
If Paejon said he was good, he was unquestionably an incredible genius, and naturally, Paeng U-jin was the same.
"Hm."
Paeng U-jin raised his bowed head and met eyes with me.
He seemed to have sensed my gaze.
After meeting eyes, he grinned and waved his hand toward me.
"Young Master Gu!"
"..."
Goodness. Must he shout?
I bowed my head slightly in a reluctant greeting.
In the meantime, the Saber King looked at Paeng U-jin. At that gaze, Paeng U-jin smiled sheepishly.
It seemed he had told him to shut up via voice transmission.
"Tsk tsk."
Did he find that amusing? Paejon let out a laugh.
"He is a broken man somewhere."
"..."
"Yes, if a martial artist wishes to soar, he must drop at least one weight. If he carries everything, he becomes too heavy to fly."
"That's a load of crap. Why do you dress up being called a madman so coolly—!"
Smack.
"Gah!"
Damn it.
Of all places, he hit my shin.
"You grow more impudent by the day. I suppose I must temper you to behave properly one of these days...."
"...Do you think you do not usually do that?"
You beat me black and blue every day, yet you pretend you do not hit me sometimes.
"If that were enough, would you be in this state?"
"I have been like this since birth. If being beaten could change me, I would have changed long ago."
"...You are quite something."
What can you do about the bloodline of a household? If being hit could make one proper, one would not have lived like this in one's past life or present life.
"Anyway. So what is it you wish for me to do?"
"So.... what do you mean?"
What on earth has he been talking about since earlier?
Just as I was about to let out a sigh at his incomprehensible speech.
"That fool. Shall I send him up?"
"...!"
At Paejon's words, my body stiffened for a moment.
An unchanging expression.
Those black pupils, the same as mine at any time.
Seeing such a Paejon, I quietly swallowed.
'...A sly old fox.'
Seeing the end of his own martial arts.
While he seemed to not care about anything else. Paejon was secretly watching many things.
It was the same now.
"...It does not matter. Do as you please."
"Hm, is that so? Very well."
Upon hearing the answer, he immediately let out a yawn.
A duel with the Saber King in name and title, and what was that confidence?
Those words meant he could decide victory or defeat in the duel as he pleased.
Could Paejon even defeat the Saber King in his current state?
Of course, I did not harbor such doubts.
This man is Paejon (Defeated Venerable).
That alone was enough.
'...That's settled, then.'
I turned my gaze from Paejon and looked at Seongyul.
I couldn't help but send a glance at his restless appearance from earlier.
I swung my hand and struck the back of his head.
Smack-!
"Gah!?"
Startled by the sudden attack, Seongyul widened his eyes and looked at me.
"Hey, please calm down, Young Master Jin. Why are you so fidgety?"
"..."
"You'll cause a big accident at this rate."
"...Ah."
A warning that was not a warning. Even after hearing it, Seongyul's state was the same.
'Hmm.'
His sorry state is something else.
Was he like that because he was going to face a disciple of the Kunlun Sect? Or was it simply because of who he was meeting?
It was hard to know.
'At the very least, they do not seem very interested over there.'
The Kunlun Sect disciples themselves were not paying attention to Seongyul.
It was strange.
Weren't they acquainted?
'I looked into it, and there was not much talk either.'
I had often obtained information from the Kunlun side, but there was nothing about Seongyul inside it.
No, to begin with, there was no talk of the Thousand Kills Castle either.
'I am certain the Qinghai First Sword had taken him in.'
Why was there no talk about Seongyul?
It was a strange matter.
'Even considering that the Kunlun side is in a desperate situation right now. It is a strange matter.'
After the death of the Qinghai First Sword, at the point when a new Sect Leader had ascended.
Several incidents had occurred since then, and it was a time when the sect was still concentrating on stabilizing.
'That is why they could not send many people.'
Since the League was holding a Martial Tournament, they had expressed attendance, but.
Because the sect's situation was what it was, it seemed the Kunlun Sect disciples had come no more than ten at most.
In other words, it was also proof that the Kunlun Sect's situation was not very good.
'What is going on?'
Everything is falling apart.
The Emei Sect was like that too, and if Kunlun also had problems, it was truly a complete mess.
'The Nine Sects and One Faction are all full of trouble.'
Whether wittingly or not, their states are all bad. And these are the Nine Sects and One Faction, of all places.
'To think things have come to this just from shaking slightly.'
For sects that are said to have put down roots for centuries to be in that state.
At best, it seems Mount Hua and a few other sects are intact.
'And yet in this situation, the Murim League is busy holding a festival.'
There has never been such a ridiculous mess.
They wrap it up in glitter to hide the rot inside.
A situation that could be understood with just a little digging.
Their handling of matters could not help but be a sight to behold.
'Sigh.'
There was not much to say.
I just roughly massaged Seongyul's shoulder.
"Ah, I'm saying this just in case."
"...Yes?"
"Be careful."
Having heard the warning, Seongyul's eyes sank slightly.
"...Yes. So that my identity is not revealed as much as possible."
"What are you talking about?"
As Seongyul was about to spout nonsense, I corrected him.
"I'm telling you to be careful with your strength, you fool."
"What?"
"Think properly and swing. Can't you do it like when you duel with me?"
"...?"
"Understand?"
"Y-yes.... I understand."
He looks like he does not understand at all.
Will this be alright?
"..."
I wondered if I should explain in detail, but decided to simply keep my mouth shut.
Well.... He'll figure it out on his own.
Thinking so, I decided to let it go for now.
I left the waiting room and headed somewhere else.
It was the spectator seating prepared so that the duel stage could be seen.
It was a place I had been to before, but the location was slightly different.
Because it was a place prepared separately by the League side for those who had advanced to the main round.
I raised my head.
Awnings were hanging down.
The facilities were vastly different from the general spectator seats.
'They are openly giving special treatment.'
Does it mean 'you've worked hard to get to the main round'?
Seen simply, it could be, but the reality is very different from that.
'Advancing to the main round means, in other words, that there is promising talent.'
They could be the descendant of a renowned family.
They could be a martial artist sponsored by a merchant guild.
Or, they could be one possessing outstanding talent while unaffiliated.
The Murim League had grasped this and prepared in advance.
'Because people like special treatment.'
Just as it has always been, it was no different this time.
The great merchant guilds that sponsor the League.
The patriarchs of renowned families and the sect leaders of the martial arts schools.
They will all be watching the main round from the main hall.
They will also be watching this special treatment being given.
In a way, one might think it is a perfect arrangement, but....
'It's sickening.'
At the overly blatant spectacle, my stomach was close to churning.
I roughly found a seat and sat down.
Unlike before, it was a spacious area.
This time as well, they gave a note with the bracket written on it, but I did not take it.
Because those who would memorize it had already memorized it anyway.
Time passed after sitting down.
"...Then. Now the third main round...."
Before I knew it, the referee who had come up onto the duel stage began the opening with vigor.
As soon as the words ended, martial artists began to appear.
If there was a difference from before, it was that this time, only one duel stage was being used.
'From the third round onward, the level will be outstanding, meaning they want us to focus.'
There would be many meanings, but it was tiring to think that far.
I simply propped my chin with my hand and focused my gaze.
I could feel martial artists looking at me from the surroundings.
I ignored them as well.
'Indeed.'
Will today's duels pass without incident?
My interest was solely in that.
Swoosh.
A young man slowly wrapped a bandage around his hand.
-Huaaaah-!
Boom-!
From outside, rough sounds were heard continuously, and vibrations burst out enough to resound in all directions.
However, the young man's face showed he did not care at all.
Having finally finished wrapping the bandage, he examined his hand this way and that.
"Hm."
Then he nodded as if satisfied.
The young man's name was Bi Uijin.
The second son of the Xi'an Bi Family, the one called Turyong.
"Not bad. Even though it's been a while since I wrapped them, it's clean."
After patting his wrapped hands a few times, he gently moved his shoulders.
He was loosening his body.
He absolutely had to loosen his body.
If he didn't.
'Because I might not be able to control my strength.'
He had to show a moderate appearance, but this incompetent body struggled to even control its strength properly.
If things went wrong, his skin might tear from being unable to endure his own strength.
'Tch. Tsk tsk.'
A situation from which only lamentation comes. Moreover, he could not speak of this situation to anyone.
Because becoming this way was ultimately something he had chosen himself.
Just as Bi Uijin was loosening his body and waiting for his turn.
"You seem very nervous."
Someone approached and spoke to Bi Uijin.
When he shifted his gaze, he saw a giant a head taller than Bi Uijin.
It was someone Bi Uijin also knew.
Saber King (Dao Wang) Paeng Jeo-u.
The Patriarch of the Paeng Family and Bi Uijin's duel opponent.
He approached Bi Uijin with a delighted smile.
"Do not worry. Nothing big will happen, I assure you."
"..."
Bi Uijin looked at the Saber King with a peculiar gaze.
After a moment of silence passed. Before it grew awkward, he immediately cupped his fists and showed courtesy.
"A blood descendant of the Bi Family greets Patriarch Paeng."
"Yes, is the Bi Patriarch well?"
"Yes."
"It has been several years since I last saw him. I suppose the Bi Patriarch has grown even stronger now."
A subtle condescension could be felt.
One could subtly tell that the Saber King regarded the Bi Patriarch as one level lower.
'Hmm.'
Hearing that, Bi Uijin's eyebrows moved slightly.
"I heard you are the disciple of the Bi Elder...."
"Yes."
"How curious. The Elder had once said he would not take a disciple."
He had indeed said such a thing long, long ago.
'I thought I didn't need one back then.'
Especially during a time when he had some arrogance. He thought the martial arts he created could not be received by anyone but himself.
That was what he had thought.
Embarrassingly so.
"The times have changed, so it is something the Elder could change as well."
"...That is correct."
Feeling an inexplicable embarrassment, Bi Uijin let out a slight cough.
"It has been a long time since I saw the Elder. Is he in good health?"
"He is healthy."
Very healthy.
So healthy that he even rejuvenated. Damn him.
"Haha, I see. I have memories of the Elder favoring me. A good memory."
"..."
Hearing those words, Bi Uijin forcibly stopped his head, which had been about to move.
When had he ever looked favorably upon him? It was not in his memory.
'Was it when that Tae-u fellow brought him?'
When the previous patriarch had brought him, saying he was his son.
There was a brat who bawled upon seeing him.
Was he five then?
How he had cried—he even shit his pants.
"He also told me to strive diligently, saying I was talented in martial arts...."
There was no such time.
Rather, he had advised the previous patriarch that this one seemed to fall short in talent compared to him, so he should make him train harder.
They say children are cute when they're stupid, but that brat didn't even have that charm.
"Anyway, I came to ease your tension because you seemed too nervous. I also heard you are the disciple of an Elder I am close with."
"...Yes, thank you for your consideration."
Having become close with the Saber King in an instant, Bi Uijin held back a snicker.
Pat pat.
A large hand patted Bi Uijin's back.
"Then, I shall see you later."
After the Saber King finished speaking and left.
"..."
Left alone, Bi Uijin had to contemplate.
'What should I do.'
He had intended to restrain himself and act moderately.
'Hmmm.'
To his incompetent disciple, this was a sorry matter, but.
It seemed he truly could not just act moderately.