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Chapter 150: Friendship Martial Arts Tournament (2)

Twitch—

The energy that had been subtly swirling within me suddenly twitched, as if it wanted to break free.

‘Why is that?’

Choosing teams was inevitable, but forming the grand match lineup seemed like a point where personal bias could have slipped in.

That only made it all the more perplexing.

The fact that Gu Tae matched up with Tang Soyeol and Jang Seonyeon was simply absurd.

‘Was it really just a coincidence?’

I knew it couldn’t be, yet there was a part of me that hoped it was.

“My opponent is… that person, huh?”

I shifted my gaze to Tang Soyeol, observing her expression.

She seemed visibly unperturbed.

Of course, I was the only one who knew about that particular individual.

“Is he strong? He looked rather weak at first glance.”

He was strong.

I could feel it when we shook hands.

“He should be strong. He is the clan leader’s son.”

That was all I could say for now.

Maybe it was the cold winter weather, but I felt a chill creeping into my mood.

“Is that so?”

Tang Soyeol smiled at my words.

It almost seemed she had no particular worries.

Looking into her eyes, it appeared she was already warming up.

‘It doesn’t seem like she’s being careless.’

Not knowing whom the opponent was, she remained extra cautious.

The fact that I couldn’t properly gauge her opponent also made me tense.

Yet, Tang Soyeol’s eyes were calm.

Despite being a young girl, she had been a representative martial artist of a noble house.

In that regard, she was certainly better than other talented youths who were less composed.

‘She’s also one of the few who haven’t lost their way at the end.’

In my memory, the Poison Empress was such a person.

She faced hundreds of demons alone, sacrificing herself to save her bloodline and countless others, fleeing all the way to Hanam.

Thus, Tang Soyeol was one of the very few I considered a hero in my mind.

‘I can’t understand.’

I couldn’t grasp it.

Why did she make such a choice?

Why did she say those words to me in the end?

Why did she—

‘She didn’t blame me, did she?’

Such questions plagued me.

As I silently stared at Tang Soyeol, she turned her head toward me.

“Since we’re in different teams, I suppose it’ll take some time before we meet, right?”

“Looks like it.”

Tang Soyeol quietly met my gaze before speaking softly.

“Gu Gongja.”

“Yes.”

As I replied, Tang Soyeol shyly smiled and said, “If we meet on the sparring stage, could you grant me a small favor?”

Her cheerful demeanor momentarily caught me off guard.

Wasn’t that a bit random?

“Out of the blue…?”

“Sorry, I know it’s a bit sudden. It’s not like I’m already asking you to do me a favor in advance.”

“What kind of favor could possibly come with that condition?”

“It’s nothing special, but…”

She seemed unable to hold my gaze and coughed awkwardly, directing her eyes elsewhere.

“I’d like you to stop using honorifics when you talk to me.”

Hmm?

“You want me to stop using formal language?”

I asked back, as if I hadn’t heard correctly, and Tang Soyeol waved her hands, flustered.

“No, no! Gu Gongja speaks casually with my older sister, right?”

She sounded as though she was desperate for an explanation.

“I think it’s been quite some time we’ve been together…”

It’s been just a few months, at most.

Besides, the actual time we’ve spent face to face was likely even shorter.

“Tang Soja.”

“Yes, yes?”

“You do know I’m older than you, right…?”

Her face slightly fell.

Ah, was that a bit of a slip-up?

“…But you speak informally with my older sister.”

Well…

‘How should I explain this?’

Actually, this was something that didn’t need a detailed explanation.

Tang Soyeol and I had no relationship whatsoever.

Yet, if she was bringing this up,

‘What on Earth does she see in me?’

Unlike others, including Nangong Bi-a, I genuinely had no memories with Tang Soyeol.

Yet, I could sense she had feelings for me, continually showing them.

That was likely an aspect of it as well.

Conversely, there was nothing I could offer her.

“…Is that not okay?”

Tang Soyeol asked again, eyes full of trepidation, as if she feared rejection.

The expression she wore now was something she hadn’t shown before, and it seemed she was worried about how I would respond.

I watched her quietly before finally speaking.

“…You really don’t need to put any conditions on this…”

“No.”

I was about to say it was fine, but she interrupted me.

And she did so with a very firm tone.

“…That wouldn’t mean anything.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“It feels like I’d be the one losing.”

“Excuse me?”

What was she talking about?

I looked at her with confusion, but Tang Soyeol’s eyes remained resolute.

In that moment, I felt a subtle relief hidden behind her expression.

To prove it, she continued speaking.

“Well, what I’m saying is, rejection isn’t the only outcome.”

“…Yes.”

I didn’t quite understand why everyone was so fixated on informal language, but in truth, it wasn’t a hard request at all.

While I internally wondered if I ought to draw a line, I also felt particularly unremarkable for not doing so.

Unaware of my thoughts, Tang Soyeol only smiled brightly.

“I must win then.”

Her eyes sparkled as if my response had given her a reason to rally.

In stark contrast, mine dropped to the ground.

‘…Jang Seonyeon.’

Amidst the blowing cold wind,

I mentally echoed that name.

At the top of the martial world, Bi Yeonseong, the owner of the rumors, had a goal.

She aimed to re-establish her sect without fail.

Since her sect was a minor one, there wasn’t much word about it.

As time passed, her faction was slowly declining.

In the thick of this, her father, the sect leader, had fled with a mountain of debts.

Thus, her grandfather had no choice but to regain his seat as the sect leader urgently.

At that time, Bi Yeonseong realized.

She couldn’t afford to remain stagnant.

She had to raise her sect.

But how?

Being in a small rural village wasn’t advantageous.

In a situation like this, nobody would come looking for her unless she was of Gu Paibang’s caliber.

So first, she had to attract people.

Thus, Bi Yeonseong came to Hanam.

As mentioned, she had to make someone come looking for her sect.

To do this, she had to let it be known that there were outstanding martial artists.

The way to do that was to participate in the Dragon Meeting.

‘Yeonseong.’

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“I’m sorry to put such a heavy burden on you…”

“It’s fine… I’m just glad I can help.”

With a sad expression, her grandfather handed Bi Yeonseong a letter.

An invitation to the Dragon Meeting, gained after navigating his connections.

Bi Yeonseong was confident in her abilities.

‘If I can just stand out at the Dragon Meeting.’

The time she had invested wouldn’t betray her. When she observed earlier in the sparring matches, there were no one who surpassed her.

Even if it was a friendly martial arts tournament, the rewards for winning held significant value.

Not just the reputation as the best late-stage talent of the year.

But also, a title directly given by the contemporary clan leaders.

And a few spirit pills.

‘If I win…!’

The spirit pills were tempting, and the titles were enticing, but what mattered most right now was reputation.

For her sect!

“Group Nine, prepare.”

The judge’s voice echoed, and Bi Yeonseong climbed onto the sparring stage as if she had been waiting for this moment.

Unlike watching from below, the stage felt far broader than expected.

At the same time, a peculiar tension hung in the air.

The judge’s expressionless face and the cold winter air brushed against my nose.

It was only the first spar, there was still a long way to go.

‘My opponent is….’

Bi Yeonseong focused her gaze on her opponent.

Standing far away was a boy with a sharply defined face, one who looked almost painfully resolute.

‘He was from Mount Shan, right?’

The boy who had made a splash last night by taking down Huangbo Cheolwi with unbelievable ease.

‘He’s said to be a disciple of Pejon.’

Rumor had it he received a recommendation written by Pejon himself, instructing to treat him well.

Unconsciously, Bi Yeonseong looked at Gu Yangcheong with an envious gaze.

Could that boy really be the disciple of the Three Eminent Beings?

‘While some strive to save the sect, others are living in luxury!’

My father had left home, and the sect was buried in debt. I was struggling at such a young age.

That young brat, however, likely had nothing but a bright future awaiting him.

Feeling a surge of jealousy, Bi Yeonseong shook her head to clear those thoughts.

‘…Stay focused. This isn’t the time for that.’

Whether he was a disciple of Pejon or a noble’s offspring, it didn’t matter if she could just win.

All it took was to overcome them and sit atop.

The judge, a member of the clan, cast a glance back to ensure both were prepared.

Bi Yeonseong took a deep breath, drawing her sword.

Her opponent didn’t assume any position to prepare.

‘What is he doing?’

Bi Yeonseong frowned at what seemed like a dismissive attitude.

‘Is this really the arrogance of a prestigious family?’

Coming to the Dragon Meeting, she had already been on edge due to numerous hostilities and piercing gazes.

Holding in her discomfort for the opportunity her grandfather had provided her.

‘I should teach him a lesson about that lofty pride.’

The pressure gathered in her sword.

A translucent aura rose around the blade, eliciting slight widening of the judge’s eyes.

It was a sign she was nearing a level beyond simply being proficient.

As she confirmed the judge’s reaction, a smirk crept onto Bi Yeonseong’s lips.

The issue was, in contrast to the judge’s surprise, her opponent showed no reaction whatsoever.

‘Is he that oblivious?’

Bi Yeonseong hadn’t seen how Gu Yangcheong took down Huangbo Cheolwi yesterday, so she lacked that insight.

However, from the discussions, he should have been aware of the capabilities.

“Could it be that he’s still ignoring me?”

As that thought crossed her mind, Bi Yeonseong clenched her jaw.

She couldn’t believe she was being looked down upon by such a young boy.

She further increased her determination, wielding her sword with the intention of reprimanding him.

‘He probably feels like he’s of a different world.’

With noble lineage and a great master, he had likely grown up filled with arrogance.

So, she intended to knock that conceit down a peg.

“Begin.”

The judge’s sudden command rang out, yet it wasn’t so subtle that a martial artist wouldn’t hear it.

Immediately, Bi Yeonseong dashed toward the boy.

The fundamentals she had trained until her blood ran flowed effortlessly from her.

With unwavering legs and a focus on identifying weaknesses, she was precise.

Yet even at this point, the boy was still unmoving.

Had he given up?

‘In that case, sorry!’

She had to rise higher.

‘Avoid health-threatening wounds.’

Bi Yeonseong’s sword sliced through the air toward the boy.

Trailing behind her sword, her energy marked the path.

It was a clean and decisive strike.

Bi Yeonseong assumed this blow would end the match.

But—

As she swiftly approached, her sword missed the boy entirely, veering past him.

‘What?’

The boy hadn’t even moved from where he stood.

Her sword’s tip remained steady.

So why did it miss?

‘Focus.’

She couldn’t dwell on questions while in combat.

Bi Yeonseong hurriedly adjusted her posture to launch an attack again.

“…!”

Her vision wavered.

In her line of sight, the boy was rising higher, while she felt like she was sinking lower.

Despite her efforts to move, her body seemed to betray her.

As the ground drew closer, Bi Yeonseong belatedly realized—

It wasn’t the boy who was rising.

Her body was crumbling beneath her.

Bam!

Bi Yeonseong collapsed to the sparring stage, unconscious. Even in that moment, Gu Yangcheong didn’t so much as glance her way.

“Uh… huh?”

A dazed sound escaped none other than the judge’s lips.

In a moment that was supposed to be marked by silence and composure, he had completely forgotten his role out of shock.

The moment it took to blink was all it took for the match to be decided.

The judge himself, a member of the clan, hadn’t even seen how Gu Yangcheong had subdued Bi Yeonseong.

“Can I leave now? I’m kind of in a hurry.”

Gu Yangcheong’s nonchalant voice arrived as the judge finally regained his composure.

“W-Winner: Gu Yangcheong!”

As the judge announced the victor, Gu Yangcheong stepped down from the sparring stage without hesitation.

The atmosphere surrounding the stage, which should have bubbled with excitement and heat, was eerily quiet.

The many eyes that had been eagerly watching turned to silence.

Dozens of gazes intensely followed Gu Yangcheong as he hurriedly moved toward a particular direction.

That direction was toward the sparring stage of Ijo.

It wasn’t hard to find where he wanted to go.

He merely needed to look for the area where a crowd had gathered out of the ten stages available.

‘…Please.’

He silently wished nothing would arise.

With slightly ragged breaths, he pushed through the crowd, catching a glimpse of a white-haired figure.

Nangong Bi-a had also finished her match and was looking for Tang Soyeol.

Just as he tried to approach, he hesitated.

Heightened senses, boasted by his realm, made him acutely aware.

He was hearing a lot and seeing far clearer.

His trembling gaze settled on the sparring stage.

Night fell.

A thin stream of blood was trickling onto the sparring stage floor.

One of Tang Soyeol’s knees was on the ground, blood running from her mouth.

Although there were no apparent wounds, she probably had sustained a severe internal shock.

Wonderful, am I in a dangerous situation?

“Hah…”

Taking a deep breath, Tang Soyeol spat out blood again, slowly rising.

Her posture was shaky, almost unsteady.

It seemed her body was refusing to listen to her. Nevertheless, Tang Soyeol wasn’t collapsing.

With a swift motion, she wiped the blood off her lips with her sleeve.

Though her attempts hadn’t cleaned up the mess properly and the blood smudged, Tang Soyeol continued speaking unbothered.

“Thank you for waiting.”

A brief expression of gratitude, followed by her next words.

“May I ask this of you again?”

Even with her whole body constricted from that terrible blow, Tang Soyeol’s voice was steady from start to finish.

Her gaze was equally unyielding.

The way she faced her opponent didn’t feel like that of a noble’s daughter.

But rather, it felt much closer to that of a martial artist.

I turned my head, casting a glance at the one who was facing Tang Soyeol.

I was curious about what expression he wore.

Did he have a haughty expression, or was he making a face of apology for embarrassing her?

I thought it had to be one of the two.

“Hmm?”

Upon seeing his face, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

The reason being, Jang Seonyeon, sword drawn, looking at Tang Soyeol bore a face of complete astonishment.

 

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