---

Chapter 7: The Confounding Encounter

“Uh, how?”

The White-Haired Old Woman asked in disbelief.

The others were equally stunned.

Those who had been preparing to rush out were caught off guard, their expressions caught in a moment of confusion.

Bi Mapah, who had previously seemed so composed, now appeared flustered.

“Can we go home now?”

I wasn’t worried about such trivialities.

Isn’t this how it should be?

At my nonchalant inquiry, Bi Mapah finally managed to regain her composure.

Yet her eyes still trembled cautiously.

“…How… how did this happen?”

“How did it happen, you ask?”

What do you mean, how?

“I just crossed the line and patted someone on the shoulder like you told me to. That’s all.”

I did exactly what was asked. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you look at it, it’s quite a simple story, isn’t it?

‘Of course, I did write a bit here and there.’

I glanced to the side, surveying the surroundings.

There was a formation within this place.

I realized that the moment I stepped through the entrance.

‘The air feels different.’

Even the very act of breathing in and out felt distinct from outside.

The energy flow was also unlike what I experienced outside.

Something is twisted and contorted here.

It dawned on me as I sensed the flow.

How could such a flow exist in this place?

I didn’t even need to cultivate my Heart Eye to confirm it.

‘It’s a formation.’

This space was inscribed with a formation; the subtle discomfort was certainly due to that.

So, for what reason was this formation inscribed here?

Was it meant for resting or to draw lines? Certainly not.

Then there must be a singular purpose.

‘This is the gateway.’

An intent to utilize the formation for something.

At first, that was just my guess, but looking at Bi Mapah, I became certain.

I was wondering who set such a formation, and it turned out to be that old lady.

I shifted my gaze, examining everything one by one.

‘A wall. A single flower in the western side. The only pine tree in the entire forest within this residence.’

All of these are the links that form the foundation of the formation.

Bi Mapah’s wager was connected to this and was completing the formation.

How meticulously detailed!

Could she really be the formation master recognized within the alliance? It had been a long time since I’d seen such a stable formation.

Surely, if it were the me of the past, I wouldn’t be any different from those watching me ahead.

‘But now I possess quite a bit more.’

My Heart Eye grasped even Bi Mapah’s formation, and the Qi perception that had risen to its peak allowed me to sense the formation’s flow throughout my body.

Seeing it meant it was relatively easy to dismantle it.

And if I could also feel it, then—

‘Taking down this formation isn’t hard.’

If I can see and feel it, there’s no reason I couldn’t escape.

“What on earth….”

In a fleeting moment measured in seconds.

Bi Mapah’s brows deepened at the realization that I had escaped her formation.

It must have been quite the shock to her.

“So, am I passed?”

Any reactions from Bi Mapah were of no concern to me.

Seeing her hesitate, she looked around suspiciously at her surroundings.

It seemed she wanted to check if there was a problem with the formation.

Even if she did so, it wouldn’t change anything.

‘I didn’t disturb it.’

I didn’t really dismantle the formation; I merely slipped through it.

Honestly, if I wanted to break it, I could have, but—

‘Who would break it for someone’s benefit?’

That would only create issues with the gateway, so I chose to let it be and slipped past.

She must have confirmed this too, as her expression grew more intense.

“…This… this is….”

“It’s nice to be surprised, but I’d appreciate it if you can also do your job while being surprised.”

Seeing her prolonging her reaction, I decided to speak first.

“Am I qualified?”

“…”

Bi Mapah hesitated before eventually offering the only possible answer.

“…You… have passed.”

Finally, Bi Mapah provided a definitive response.

I gave a small chuckle and turned to the martial artists present.

More precisely, I focused on the Sword King, who stood out among the crowd.

Our eyes met.

The Sword King was grinning widely, showing no intention of hiding it.

‘That guy is going to be in for quite the ride.’

The Sword King wouldn’t fail.

It would be great if he could evade the formation like I did. If not—

‘Then he could just shred through it with brute force.’

Given the kind of power he used against Evergreen Iron, tearing through the formation should be a cinch.

However, the problem was.

‘If that happens, the formation will break apart entirely, so it’s bound to be a race against time.’

After all, they did say it was first come, first served.

When the formation shatters, everyone else will surely rush in.

Would the Sword King really manage to dash in on time with that fierce backlash?

Can he endure that enormous force?

‘It’ll surely be an intense confrontation.’

Looking at it this way, unless the Sword King were a fool, he wouldn’t easily resort to brute force.

The mental game would be just as crucial as the physical struggle.

‘Now, that sounds fun!’

Honestly, I wanted to watch.

Seeing them sweat it out among themselves, assessing each other.

Even just imagining that scene was delightful.

‘Tch.’

But I had no time for such trivialities, so I wiped away my disappointment and said to Bi Mapah.

“Then, can we go back now?”

If it’s over, let’s head back. I asked Bi Mapah about that.

“…You may do so….”

For some reason, Bi Mapah appeared exhausted as she affirmed my request.

As soon as I heard the response, I took a step forward without looking back.

In the midst of it, I felt the Sword King’s gaze trace after me.

Should I turn back and chuckle a bit?

A moment of childish hesitation crossed my mind, but I held back.

Wouldn’t it be a waste to indulge in such triviality?

‘See you later, old man.’

Soon enough, the time would come.

Until then, I planned to endure this much.

At the moment when the sun withdrew and the moon rose.

Once the preliminary stages of the Shinryong Martial Arts Tournament were all concluded, seven martial artists gathered in a meeting room prepared within the alliance.

Each donned different colored uniform attire, evidencing their respective statuses as the Great Lords of the alliance.

In short, everyone gathered there was a Great Lord.

“We shall commence the meeting.”

Seated at the head of the table was the Sword Emperor, the Guardian Lord, Jeong Seong Myung, who was reputed as the strongest apart from the Guardian Lord himself.

“First, the First Dragon Great Lord went out to investigate something odd happening around Hubei right after the gateway concluded.”

Upon Jeong Seong Myung’s words, someone reacted.

A man with twin swords at his waist, the Gold Dragon Great Lord, Sang Eui Hwan, expressed his puzzlement.

“Hubei, you say? Suddenly…?”

“Indeed. Due to urgent matters, it seems the clan leader granted permission as well, so someone needs to stand in for the First Dragon Great Lord.”

“I will do it.”

In response to Jeong Seong Myung’s statement, the Red Dragon Great Lord, Song Yu, raised his hand.

Seeing that, Jeong Seong Myung nodded.

“Then, we shall confirm that the Red Dragon Great Lord will take over the duties of the First Dragon Great Lord. Now, let us continue with reports regarding the current situation.”

Rustling.

At Jeong Seong Myung’s remark, all the Great Lords pulled out scrolls from their respective clothing.

The scrolls contained notes regarding the events that had transpired during this preliminary round.

“First, regarding the Green Gateway, Bi Long Great Lord.”

“…Yes.”

“Was there anyone notable that stood out at the first gateway?”

“As initially expected, Muak Sword and Cheonghae Twosword exhibited great prowess, but the unexpected part was a newcomer called Bi Tan Yu Chang.”

“Bi Tan Yu Chang… I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”

He was a newcomer making waves with a spear from elsewhere to the north.

“What do you think of his realm?”

“He seems to have reached a complete peak level of mastery.”

“Aren’t they usually not yet in their forties? Remarkable potential… Can we obtain more information?”

“I will issue a command to contact the Beggar Clan immediately.”

“Understood. Next is the Blue Gateway…”

As Jeong Seong Myung was about to speak, his brow slightly furrowed.

“…The successor of the Sword Sovereign.”

There was a noteworthy element concerning the Blue side.

“Iron Dragon Great Lord.”

“Yes.”

The calm voice came from Eunranggeom, the Iron Dragon Great Lord, the one in charge of the Blue Gateway.

“What happened?”

It was a question layered with multiple meanings.

The greatest sword of the world or perhaps, the successor of the Sword Sovereign, Wi Hyogun, once the leader of the alliance and closest to the Sword Master title.

His official successor had appeared within the Martial Alliance.

That was something everyone had been mindful of, and indeed, what sort of performance would he showcase at the gateway?

When I inquired of Eunranggeom, for some reason, he seemed hesitant to answer.

“…That is…”

He appeared to be stammering as though at a loss for words.

“Eunranggeom?”

Wondering why he was acting like this, Jeong Seong Myung asked again, and only then did Eunranggeom open his mouth cautiously.

“The successor of the Sword Sovereign… seems to have reached the Divine Sword Unity.”

“…!”

“What did you say?”

Eunranggeom’s statement prompted an uproar among those present.

“Divine Sword Unity? That’s preposterous!”

“Eunranggeom… is that true?”

Some responded rather harshly, especially the sword masters present.

It was only natural.

Divine Sword Unity was a target to be achieved to wield the Heart Sword, which was the ambition of sword masters.

Though it was tied to the realm of emotional perception, those who had reached there must have at least attained the complete mastery of their craft.

Yet—

“She has only just turned twenty, hasn’t she? Do you honestly think that’s possible?”

“Eunranggeom must be quite fatigued if statements like that are falling from his mouth.”

“No matter how much of a successor to the Sword Sovereign, the Divine Sword Unity—”

“Enough!”

As the atmosphere grew increasingly raucous, Jeong Seong Myung gently interjected.

At that moment, the bet was disseminated, bringing silence to the chaos.

With narrowed eyes, Jeong Seong Myung continued to address Eunranggeom.

“Eunranggeom, are you certain?”

“Yes, Blue Dragon Great Lord. I witnessed it. As a fellow sword master, how could I miss it? She was already a martial artist beyond my understanding.”

“Gah…!”

“That’s impossible…”

With Eunranggeom’s firm declaration, murmurs began to spread around the room.

To say that it was difficult to comprehend was bizarrely inadequate.

For one who had just crossed the threshold of twenty to be assessed as such was practically nonsensical.

“Is it truly a harbinger of another monster being born…?”

“They said she is the successor of the Sword Sovereign. What on earth did that person create?”

The swordsmen’s attitudes were intricate.

Even while facing brilliant potential, what they exhibited was an unrecognizable jealousy.

After years of being active in a moral faction across the Central Plains, they seemed strangely twisted.

‘…Tch.’

As I observed that from behind a mask, Song Yu couldn’t help but click his tongue.

Under normal circumstances, this should not have seemed odd.

However, after experiencing the day’s events, the atmosphere felt peculiar.

‘What are they even doing?’

Rather than congratulating the suddenly rising talent, they resorted to crude jealousy.

Song Yu strained to suppress the discomforting sentiment swelling within him.

“From the Blue side, the information seems quite favorable. I shall take note of that.”

Jeong Seong Myung nodded, jotting down a few lines.

Surely about the Sword Sovereign’s successor.

The only difference this time was that they had not conveyed it to the Bi Long Great Lord.

“Beyond this, it seems there’s little significant news. Now, shall we move to the Gold Dragon Great Lord?”

The Red side was overseen by the Gold Dragon Great Lord.

“During the first gateway, Mei Pa Jeong Seol Sword and Wind Forest’s Honorary Fist exhibited commendable prowess.”

“I’ve heard both are renowned monikers.”

The Mei Pa Jeong Seol Sword was one of the famous masters from Sichuan.

Additionally, the other was apparently from a dojo in the province of Shanxi.

Moreover,

“Not just them, Bi Seongdo was there too.”

“Bi Seongdo…”

He was the child of Sword King Peng Zhou and the former Shinryong, Peng Woojin. He too belonged to the Red Gateway.

“It appears he also reached a notable level given how he managed to inflict injury with a single strike.”

“That’s more or less expected for someone born from a Shinryong.”

He was the kind of martial artist representing his generation.

Had it not been for the monsters of Shaolin, he would have stood out even more.

It seemed that the Red side displayed fewer surprises than anticipated.

Jeong Seong Myung briefly reacted before glancing at the final report.

“Lastly, regarding the White Gateway…”

Jeong Seong Myung now turned his attention to Song Yu.

“How was the Sword King’s performance?”

“…”

It was common knowledge among the Great Lords that the Sword King belonged to the White side.

When asked, Song Yu, with a leisurely tone, replied.

“Seemed stronger than before.”

“Really? It seems he hasn’t been slacking off… No need to elaborate on the Sword King… What other information do we have?”

“The Scarlet Star Moon Blade and the Primordial Light Sword seemed to have reached a higher level than what was reported.”

“Care to elaborate a bit more?”

“The Scarlet Star Moon Blade seems on the verge of mastering its peak, and the Primordial Light Sword will likely reach the Transformation Realm within the next ten years.”

“Wow.”

Jeong Seong Myung expressed admiration at Song Yu’s words.

“That’s not bad at all.”

To reach Transformation Realm in ten years.

Due to his evident determination, it suggested he was close to breaking through.

Jeong Seong Myung commented with a smile.

“I truly wish for a good outcome for this martial arts tournament.”

That way, it would be easier to bring him into the alliance.

Of course, at such a level of mastery, a good performance was expected, so it became somewhat less of a concern.

“Oh, by the way, Red Dragon Great Lord.”

“Yes.”

“I heard there was a young master from the Gu Clan in the White side. Is that true?”

“…”

So Yeomra Gu Yangcheon.

When questioned about him, Song Yu instinctively flinched.

“How would you assess him?”

The moment that scene flooded back to his mind was from when he had crushed Evergreen Iron.

And so, Song Yu felt he needed to convey the most crucial piece of information.

The details about So Yeomra.

Yet—

“…”

For some reason, his lips hesitated to part.

Why? I should report!

“Ingkong! Why aren’t you saying something?”

Jeong Seong Myung tilted his head, regarded him strangely.

Yet even so, Song Yu couldn’t readily open his lips.

‘What is happening?’

Why am I keeping silent?

Even if I don’t speak, the truth will come to light soon enough.

Many people had seen it, and hadn’t I witnessed it myself?

Clearly, Song Yu knew that all too well.

“…He was at an unexpectedly high level.”

He couldn’t muster the courage to provide Jeong Seong Myung with a proper report.

Unexpectedly? No, it was far beyond that level.

In that case, I should report it.

I should mention he might have truly reached the Transformation Realm. He needed to be mentioned, but Song Yu couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Why?

In the end, he couldn’t discern the answer.

“Understood. An unexpectedly high level… I see.”

Upon hearing this, Jeong Seong Myung didn’t display any particular reaction.

“The total number of first-time qualifiers came to two hundred and thirty-two. That’s more than expected.”

The anticipated figure was somewhere between one hundred and ninety and two hundred.

Approximately that amount should have been generated on the first day.

Yet, there were thirty more than that.

However, it didn’t matter.

They would have certainly filtered out most of them in the next round.

Rustle.

Jeong Seong Myung turned the scroll over to check the second trial.

This was the note on the time taken to break through the formation set by Bi Mapah.

‘The Green side was the fastest at two time points…’

It matched the figure Bi Mapah had mentioned when she set up the formation.

Most had claimed it would take about that long.

During that moment—

‘Hmm?’

Jeong Seong Myung’s brows jerked up as he read the next line.

‘…One second?’

The initial qualifier for the Blue side had taken just one second to break through.

Who might that be? His face contorted in surprise as he verified the name.

“Hmm?”

[Blue Side.]

[Jin Imseok of the Gwangju Jin Clan.]

It was a name he had never seen.

‘Gwangju Jin Clan.’

He had heard of the clan, but didn’t recognize the name.

If he had qualified for the second round, he must be a high-level martial artist, but Eunranggeom had provided no report regarding him.

So who could this be?

What allowed him to only take a second?

‘Is he a master of the formation compared to his realm?’

That could be a possibility.

If his martial skills were lower, but he excelled in this area, then it could be feasible.

‘Hmm.’

Though it was a strange situation, given the report, it couldn’t be false.

‘Let’s just mark it down as a peculiar case.’

This too could be shared with the Bi Long Great Lord.

As he thought that, he checked the next report.

‘The Red side… took about half a time point.’

That too was impressively fast. It only seemed brief because it followed the mention of one second.

The first to escape was Bi Seongdo.

‘That young boy should manage that much.’

Though now somewhat faded, he was once regarded as a prodigy of prodigies.

There was nary a question about that.

‘Now we only have the Sword King.’

Was there really a need to look at that?

He was bound to be the fastest.

With that certainty, Jeong Seong Myung turned the scroll further—

“…?”

Jeong Seong Myung’s body went rigid at the time noted for the White side.

[White Side Second Gateway Breakthrough Time.]

[One second.]

[Mount Shan Clan Gu Yangcheon.]

Could it be an error in my reading?

Jeong Seong Myung leaned closer to examine the scroll.

“…What the…?”

The words didn’t change.

One second? One second…?

“Bi Mapah, what on earth happened…?”

With a deeply furrowed brow, Jeong Seong Myung looked towards the one who had set the formation, Wind Dragon Great Lord Bi Mapah.

“…Bi Mapah?”

As he gazed upon the wrinkled woman, Jeong Seong Myung momentarily found himself at a loss for words.

Wind Dragon Great Lord Bi Mapah.

She was the best formation master in Hanam.

“…What went… wrong? How…? Why…? The installation was surely correct; could there have been a gap? That’s impossible….”

“…”

Her eyes were welling with the presence of an evil spirit.

 

---