Chapter 319. I Gained Pointless Popularity.
As I watched the Sword Demon return, I felt that the Sovereigns’ Sparring Assembly was about halfway to success.
That was because the Martial Emperor and the Sword King had finished their bouts without challenging Im Sobaek.
In other words, the objective was almost accomplished.
The Saber King had already spoken at length with Im Sobaek the previous day anyway. And the Fist King was an independent man by nature, with no interest in the position of Alliance Leader. The same went for his disciple, I Gunak. If anything, they were closer to pure martial artists.
What remained was the Sword Emperor of the Namgung Clan……
But he was merely watching the bouts, and there was no telling when he would step forward.
In truth, it was impossible for me to control this entire Sovereigns’ Sparring Assembly. There was also a need for Im Sobaek to step forward and settle things himself.
Even as the Sword Demon returned quietly and sat down, we kept our mouths shut for the time being.
Only the Lust Demon spoke in a low voice.
“……Master, you worked hard.”
The Sword Demon merely nodded.
We did not ask needlessly about his left arm, either.
Moreover, it was the first time we had heard that the Sword Demon had originally been called Number Thirteen, so the atmosphere had grown slightly heavy.
If, after leaving the Demonic Cult, the Sword Demon had ever tried to find his roots, that too would have contributed to his darkness. Because, of course, he would not have found them. They must have all been killed in the process of his abduction.
“…….”
In truth, what words were needed at a moment like this? We shared the tacit understanding that we should just shut up for a while, so none of us said anything. That was also courtesy toward the Gentleman Sword King, who had fought the bout with admirable conduct. After all, he had waited with dignity while our eldest brother stood there in the middle of the bout, dazed and staring up at the sky.
Before anyone could mention the next bout, someone raised his hand. Gongsonwol looked in that direction and said,
“Young Master Dushui of the Five Tigers of Sinbuk, do you have something to say?”
A pale-faced fellow stood up among the spectators.
Come to think of it, he seemed to be the same man who had asked who had won. Looking over the group gathered there, I also realized something new.
‘A lot of the Five Tigers were sitting near the White-Robed Scholar.’
Somehow, the style of their names suited disciples of scholars. Since the White-Robed Scholar had been with a man presumed to be one of the experts among the Five Tigers from the beginning, that meant the White-Robed Scholar had been deeply involved with the orthodox faction even in my previous life.
Young Master Dushui said,
“I have watched the sparring bouts of the senior Sovereigns well. If this junior may dare to say a word, the majority of the rising talents known as the Six Dragons of Sinnam and the Five Tigers of Sinbuk are gathered here today. I once heard, through the Alliance Leader’s words, that the Four Dragons of Sinnam became the Six Dragons without so much as a single bout. Since we have the opportunity, how about deciding before all these heroes who is truly the strongest among the rising talents? If we proceed with one or two more bouts now, it will soon grow dark. As everyone knows, mealtimes in the Alliance are very regular, and guests are no exception.”
Gongsonwol looked at Im Sobaek.
“Alliance Leader?”
Im Sobaek looked at Young Master Dushui.
“The strongest among the rising talents…… Is that your elder brother?”
“My elder brother is already over thirty, so his days of being called a rising talent have passed. I was also curious, which is why I took this opportunity to speak.”
“Do not speak in circles. Then who do you think is the strongest among the rising talents?”
Young Master Dushui answered with a smile.
“Me, of course.”
Im Sobaek nodded.
“I see. I have heard the rumors that the brothers Dengping and Dushui are especially strong even among the Five Tigers. Those now called juniors will one day become Sovereigns, so this too will be an important bout. Come up to the sparring stage.”
Young Master Dushui cupped his fist toward Im Sobaek.
“Thank you, Alliance Leader.”
When you thought about it, they were names so simple it was absurd. Put the two together, and they formed Dengping Dushui, a phrase often used to signify a realm of lightness skill.
Was it because they had made a realm of lightness skill their byname?
As I looked at Dengping and Dushui, I naturally had no choice but to think of the Swift Hall Master. Moreover, if they were disciples on the Scholar’s side, then naturally, even among the rising talents, they must have approached the seat of the strongest.
And during the time when I was active as the Mad Demon, the Five Tigers had not been famous.
They had probably all died for some reason. It would not have been strange if they had been killed by the Demonic Cult, nor would it have been strange if they had been captured by Im Sobaek and killed. In any case, I could not know the fate of every single one of these fellows.
At any rate, when Young Master Dushui, who had declared himself the strongest among the rising talents, stepped onto the sparring stage, the Lust Demon beside me muttered,
“He says he’s the strongest himself. What bullshit.”
At that moment, the Sword Demon, who had been staring intently at Young Master Dushui, said to his disciple,
“He does not seem weak. A man’s personality or manner of speech is sometimes unrelated to his skill, so that in itself may be deliberate.”
The Lust Demon looked a little surprised, then focused on the sparring stage again.
“Ah, is that so?”
Suddenly, my eyes met Im Sobaek’s, and strangely enough, the Alliance Leader seemed as though he already knew about most of the people gathered here. It was as if he was presiding over the bouts with an attitude of trying to embrace them somehow, without flaunting what he knew.
Young Master Dushui, who had climbed onto the sparring stage, looked around and said,
“One of the Six Dragons may challenge me, or an expert among the Five Tigers may challenge me. Let us decide the matter before the sun sets. Will the Hao Sect Leader come up? I hear you are the Fifth Dragon.”
“Fifth Dragon?”
He was saying I was the Fifth Dragon?
The sound of it was quite unpleasant. It felt as if I had become an especially unimportant figure among people who were not very important to begin with.
The Lust Demon mocked me from beside me.
“He says you’re the Fifth Dragon……”
I looked at the Lust Demon in disbelief.
“Then you’re the Sixth Dragon?”
“Ah, shit……”
I looked at Young Master Dushui.
“Does Young Master Dushui think he himself is the strongest among the rising talents?”
“Excluding my elder brother, yes.”
“In my eyes, you seem to rank about sixteenth among the rising talents, so how about you come down first?”
Young Master Dushui glared at me.
“……Sixteenth?”
“If you add the Six Dragons and the Five Tigers, that makes eleven. Include the Fist King’s disciple, and that makes twelve. Add two or three experts I don’t know, and you would be around sixteenth. And that’s me being generous.”
When people burst into laughter, Young Master Dushui on the sparring stage laughed along with them.
“Hao Sect Leader.”
“Speak.”
“I heard rumors that you are exceptionally well-versed in talking nonsense, and you truly live up to your reputation.”
“How curious that you know, when we’ve had no dealings. Did you investigate me a great deal?”
“Stop chattering and hurry up here.”
“The seat of the strongest rising talent is already being contested by Mongrang and I Gunak, so I will not go up.”
I provoked all of the rising talents. And this was the truth.
Young Master Dushui wore a sneer.
“I know Mongrang, but who in the world is I Gunak?”
To think he dared try to drag me onto the sparring stage—this was truly an arrogant notion. I was not someone who had trained in order to bicker with the likes of him.
Young Master Dosu looked around and said,
“What on earth is I Gunak…….”
Young Master Dosu stopped mid-sentence and stared at the man who had suddenly risen. I Gunak, who had been quietly watching the sparring beside the Fist King, revealed his massive frame, and it looked as though a mountain had risen.
I Gunak looked toward the sparring stage and said,
“These nicknames about dragons and tigers are far too childish.”
The fool was an honest man, so he simply said whatever came to mind. Young Master Dosu provoked I Gunak.
“Let us determine who is childish.”
As I Gunak was about to head for the stage, the Fist King opened his mouth.
“Disciple.”
“Yes, Master.”
“You lost to Mong Rang yesterday. From what I hear, there were aspects that were somewhat unfair, but a loss is a loss. What did you learn from the sparring matches of the seniors who fought before you?”
I Gunak answered with a startled expression.
“Yes, that is correct. I lost.”
“Then naturally, Mong Rang should be the one to go up and compete for the seat of the strongest among the rising talents. You still have much to learn. Sit quietly.”
“Understood.”
Wow. I couldn’t help but be impressed. It was the first time I had seen that I Gunak, the Fist King of my previous life, could be so obedient.
As I Gunak sat back down, he said,
“Since I lost in a sparring match yesterday to Mong Rang of the Pungun Mong Clan, I will not step forward.”
The Lust Demon, who instantly became the focus of the crowd’s attention, rose with an obnoxious expression brimming with smugness.
“Heh heh.”
Young Master Dosu let out a deliberately hearty laugh and said to the Lust Demon,
“Young Master Mong, come up. They say you are the strongest.”
The Lust Demon nodded, looking happier than ever, and took one step forward.
At that moment, ominously, the Sword Demon’s voice flowed out.
“Disciple.”
“Yes, Master.”
Feeling a sense of déjà vu, as though something were repeating, I looked back and forth between master and disciple.
‘What is this? Something feels ominous.’
The Sword Demon said to the Lust Demon,
“Are you truly the strongest among the rising talents?”
The Lust Demon answered,
“Wouldn’t you say so?”
“As I recall, you lost once to the Sect Leader at Baekeungji, and even in front of the lodging where we stayed, you were beaten by the Sect Leader and ended up lying on the ground. Are you saying my memory is wrong? Was it a dream……? Even that I Gunak is restraining himself because he lost to you, yet you?”
Huh?
The Lust Demon blinked with the exact same expression as me.
“That probably wasn’t a dream.”
“Then do you have the qualifications to step onto the sparring stage?”
The Lust Demon answered with an awkward laugh.
“Ahaha…… Well, yes. I will not step forward.”
The Lust Demon plopped back down into his seat.
What in the world was Eldest Brother doing?
The Sword Demon looked at me and gave the answer.
“Today, there are many rare beauties around, so his heart is full of the urge to show off and make a spectacle of himself. That is not a mindset suited for a sparring match like today’s.”
“Aha.”
The Lust Demon and I understood the Sword Demon’s words at the same time. It was one thing for me, but even that bastard Lust Demon was nodding along. In any case, it seemed Eldest Brother had pointed it out precisely.
In truth, I had intended to fight the Emperor.
With no other choice, I stood and headed for the sparring stage. At that moment, I experienced something for the first time in my life. Suddenly, cheers erupted around me louder than ever before.
“……Hm?”
I stopped and looked around. I hadn’t even given a hand signal, yet most of the Murim Alliance forces were supporting me with applause and cheers.
‘Well, this is surprising.’
Was this the dream?
Since when had I become this popular with men?
It was truly useless, utterly pointless popularity.
Even so, perhaps the excitement had risen quite a bit, because even Im Sobaek, seated at the highest place, was applauding me while trying hard to suppress his laughter. I waved my hand a few times halfheartedly in response to the cheers, then muttered softly.
“All right, that’s enough. Let’s stop there.”
It was a truly embarrassing moment.
‘Gentlemen, I was the Mad Demon in my previous life.’
All the while receiving the Murim Alliance’s fervent cheers, I barely managed to reach the sparring stage. Mixed in among them were all sorts of shouts.
There was a shout saying, I fought with you at Namak, Sect Leader.
And there was a shout saying, I went to Dongho to support you, Sect Leader.
When I heard those words, for some reason, my embarrassment and awkwardness vanished all at once. Looking around anew, I saw that many among the audience were people who had fought alongside me.
‘This feels strange indeed.’
The Alliance members were treating me as a comrade-in-arms.
On top of that, Jangsan of the Nine Swords Squad, who was watching from a short distance away, was even waving at me, making the feeling all the stranger.
Gongsonwol’s voice was heard.
“This is a match between Young Master Dosu, who gained fame as one of the New Northern Five Tigers, and the Leader of Haomun, who was included among the New Southern Six Dragons through the Alliance Leader’s mention. Hardwood swords for the two of you…….”
I received the hardwood sword brought by an Alliance member, then looked at Young Master Dosu. Young Master Dosu examined his hardwood sword with a truly relaxed expression, then looked around and said,
“By the way, Young Master Baekri Han, Young Master Seomun Dan, and Young Master Namgung Hwi, all members of the Six Dragons, are certainly here. Why does no one have anything to say about the Leader of Haomun stepping forward as the strongest of the Six Dragons? Have the Six Dragons already settled their rankings among themselves?”
I also agreed with Young Master Dosu’s words, so I nodded.
“That’s true.”
A man from the Seomun Clan said,
“According to what Wi Mugyeol of the Wi Clan said, the first seat among the New Southern Six Dragons does indeed belong to the Leader of Haomun.”
Young Master Dosu looked at the man.
“Young Master Dan, is that true?”
Seomun Dan nodded.
“Younger Brother Mugyeol is not a man who jokes often, so it should be true. Young Master Dosu Han Seogwang, rather, I am curious whether you truly are the foremost master among the Five Tigers. If so, this bout will determine the superiority between the Five Tigers and the Six Dragons.”
When the eldest young master of the Seomun Clan unexpectedly revealed Young Master Dosu’s real name, my opponent looked slightly surprised, then closed his mouth.
Were there really so few secrets in the martial world that could be kept tightly hidden?
It seemed even the great clans had carefully figured out who the Five Tigers were.
Young Master Dosu asked me,
“Leader of Haomun, are you ready?”
I shook my head and answered shamelessly.
“Not yet.”
“I will wait, so tell me when you are.”
I gazed steadily at Young Master Dosu. Come to think of it, if this bastard was the Scholar’s disciple, then considering his position in the gangho, there was a very high chance he was stronger than the Butcher.
I suddenly checked the White-Clad Scholar’s expression, but there was nothing I could discern.
All manner of excitement, the cheers of the Murim Alliance, the duels between sovereigns, the watching spectators, and even the silent White-Clad Scholar.
After wiping all of it clean away like a blank sheet of paper, I looked again at the man named Dosu, my opponent in this duel, and sorted out my thoughts. My opponent was…….
One of the New Northern Five Tigers.
The Scholar’s disciple.
A gut feeling that his master was not the White-Clad Scholar.
The shamelessness and frivolity to claim that he was the strongest among the rising talents of the later generation.
The location known as the Murim Alliance.
And even the White-Clad Scholar, whose skills had unexpectedly been revealed to the whole world.
Once I had finished preparing, I said to Dosu,
“I’m ready.”
There was a trap in my arrogance as well.
It took quite a long time for me to seriously realize that the Dosu (渡水) before my eyes was a formidable opponent.