Chapter 190

Crash!

Baek Museong’s body shot upward as though it had been bounced into the air.

The chair he had been sitting in moments ago clattered loudly across the ground, but he paid it no attention. Neither did anyone else present.

“What is this?”

“What happened?”

“W-What just happened?”

They had thought it was over. Jin Taekyung had displayed far greater skill than expected, but in the end, he had lost his weapon to Chulwoo’s Fist Qi.

A spearman without a spear against a Peak fist fighter. The result was obvious.

No—it had only looked obvious.

Until just now.

“How did this happen?”

“I…”

At Lee Seowol’s question, Baek Museong’s lips twitched. It was still difficult to believe, but he had lost sight of Jin Taekyung’s movements for an instant.

All he had seen was something pale and fleeting.

It feels like I’ve been bewitched by a ghost.

Something impossible had happened.

After remaining silent for a moment, Baek Museong opened his mouth. His voice came out tinged with embarrassment.

“I don’t know.”

Another wave of shock rippled through the crowd. Eunhyang, who had watched Baek Museong more closely than anyone else, widened her eyes.

“Big Brother—no, Senior Brother.”

“It’s true. Don’t say anything.”

He had entered Huashan at the age of five, become the Disciple of the Heavenly Sword True Person, and earned the title of Huashan’s greatest prodigy.

He was still young at thirty, yet his standing was already more than enough to place him shoulder to shoulder with the Elders.

Huashan’s greatest prodigy… Even a passing dog would laugh.

With a bitter smile, Baek Museong turned his head. One person came into view, smiling brightly.

Ten years ago, after meeting Cheongpung only once, Baek Museong had realized the truth.

He was not Huashan’s greatest prodigy.

“Martial Uncle Cheongpung.”

“Speak, Martial Nephew.”

Cheongpung answered without turning his head. His eyes remained fixed on the Grand Training Ground, gleaming with interest.

“Please tell me. How did he move?”

With everyone’s eyes upon him, Cheongpung opened his mouth.

“He was fast.”

Everyone’s excitement drained away. Fast? They hadn’t been looking for such a simple, obvious answer.

Baek Museong spoke in an anxious voice.

“That isn’t what I meant.”

“I know. But that’s all there is to it.”

“…What do you mean?”

“My Benefactor has only learned one footwork technique and one spear technique. They’re rough but practical martial arts. But none of them can be called a divine art.”

Cheongpung smiled brightly.

“He was simply faster. Much faster than Martial Nephew Chulwoo.”

Baek Museong was left speechless.

Jin Taekyung had learned no supreme martial art and possessed no peerless internal energy. To Baek Museong, he had been nothing more than a young prodigy from a frontier martial family with exceptional martial talent.

How could such a thing be possible?

The human body had limits. Murim martial artists were special because martial arts and internal energy allowed them to surpass those limits.

Yet Cheongpung was saying that Jin Taekyung had surpassed those limits without any particularly extraordinary martial arts.

Baek Museong blurted out a vehement denial.

“Impossible.”

Cheongpung shook his head.

“It’s possible. For my Benefactor.”

“…”

“He read the pattern of Crouching Tiger Fist and counterattacked after only two days. If Martial Nephew Chulwoo had known that, he would have found another way.”

“Crouching Tiger Fist—in two days?”

Crouching Tiger Fist was unquestionably an advanced martial art. True to its name, it was powerful enough to subdue a tiger, and its forms were exceptionally intricate.

Even Huashan Disciples whose talent had already been recognized needed a full year just to learn its structure and forms.

And this boy had done it in only two days.

My second junior brother was bound to lose.

Baek Museong’s eyelids trembled faintly.

He thought he now understood why the young Martial Uncle before him wanted to remain at Jin Taekyung’s side.

There was another monster.

Jin Taekyung, the Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi.

He was exactly what the name implied. Though he was currently hidden beneath the shadow of the frontier, before long he would spread his wings and soar into the open sky.

I was far too arrogant.

Baek Museong clenched his fists. His nails dug into his skin, but the shame hurt more than the pain.

Had he become intoxicated by the name of Huashan?

Before the duel had even begun, he had already decided who the winner and loser would be.

I always tell my junior disciples to remain humble, yet I failed to do so myself.

It had been a day full of things to think about.

Baek Museong let out a quiet sigh and gave Jin Wikyung a clasped-fist salute.

“Great Hero Jin, I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”

“Ah, no.”

Jin Wikyung’s expression was stiff as he accepted the apology.

As far as Baek Museong knew, Jin Wikyung treasured his two younger brothers like precious jewels. After belittling Jin Taekyung in front of him, he could hardly have expected Jin Wikyung not to be angry.

Baek Museong continued politely.

“Both my Junior Brother and I have learned a great deal. It seems the winner has now been decided, so perhaps we should end the duel.”

“That would be best.”

Jin Wikyung nodded gravely and rose from his seat.

A murmur so quiet that no one could make it out escaped between his lips.

“…Wow. This actually worked.”

Jin Wikyung had never expected him to really win.

The Grand Training Ground was as quiet as though everyone had been drenched in cold water. The commoners and martial artists alike wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

Though I couldn’t see his face, Chulwoo was probably wearing a similar expression. The guy who had been frozen like a statue asked in a trembling voice,

“H-How?”

“By being good.”

“C-Could it have been Shifting Form and Position?”

“Your hyung’s pretty fast, you know. Surprised?”

“You dodged Crouching Tiger Fist that easily…”

“You were much slower than your Martial Uncle. You’d better train hard when you get back.”

It was true. Compared to Cheongpung’s Crouching Tiger Fist, Chulwoo’s was far slower, and his movements were much larger.

His pattern was plain as day. There was no reason I couldn’t evade it—especially with an Agility stat that had broken through 300.

“Destructive power only means something when you hit your opponent with fast and accurate movements. Got it?”

“…Who the hell do you think you are, lecturing me?”

“Who do I think I am? Lecturing you? You still haven’t figured out the situation?”

I snorted quietly and poked the back of Chulwoo’s neck with the steel flute.

Its sharp edge pierced his skin, and his massive body trembled. Oh, this was fun.

“Don’t worry! Huashan’s Serial Confession Man has been taken care of by the Taiyuan Jin Family’s Steel Flute Murderer!”

“You little shit!”

“Now, don’t move. I don’t want to see blood.”

“You’re dead the moment you come down.”

“Maybe. But the duel seems to be over, so you can try again next time.”

Just then, I spotted Jin Wikyung rising from his seat.

Chulwoo wasn’t the type to surrender first, so it seemed Jin Wikyung intended to end the duel here.

A voice filled with internal energy soon rang across the Grand Training Ground.

“You both fought well!”

“Waaaaah!”

The crowd, having regained its senses, answered with a deafening cheer.

They had just watched a duel between Peak masters—something difficult to see even for money. Their reaction was understandable.

“All right, that’s enough. Good work.”

The Quest had been much easier than expected.

The moment I pulled the steel flute away from Chulwoo’s neck with a fresh smile—

Grab!

A hand as large as a pot lid clamped around my wrist.

“Huh?”

“It isn’t over yet!”

For a moment, I had forgotten what kind of man Chulwoo was.

A man blinded by love. A man who had been dead for twenty-five years before his heart suddenly started beating. A man who could neither live nor die without Lee Seowol’s permission…

In short, he was insane. A close synonym was fucking bastard.

There was no way a man like that would give up easily.

Whatever else you could say about him, he’d been born with one extraordinary gift: superhuman strength. Even Cheongpung couldn’t match him in that regard.

Chulwoo spoke with absolute confidence.

“Once a guy gets caught by me, it’s over.”

Sure, I’d let my guard down, but weren’t this bastard’s manners absolute shit?

Ah, a man blinded by love.

I let out a heavy sigh.

“Chulthetic, Pawoo.”¹

“Are those your last words?”

“No. Words of wisdom.”

“You spout nonsense whenever you get the chance. Give up on Young Lady Lee, and I’ll let you off here.”

“Did I ever tell you?”

“What?”

“Young Lady Lee proposed to me.”

“You goddamn so—!”

A scream erupted from the crowd.

Veins bulged across every muscle in Chulwoo’s body as he hurled me toward the ground with tremendous force.

Or tried to.

“What are you doing?”

“Hnnnnngh!”

His red-hot face turned pale, then purple.

An immense force pulled on my wrist, but I didn’t move an inch.

“Oh, you’ve got some strength.”

With the temporary boost from the Gambler Title and the points I’d just allocated, the strength coursing through my body now far surpassed human limits.

Not even Chulwoo, with his massive frame and innate superhuman strength, could overpower me.

“At this level, your Strength stat must be well over 200.”

“W-What is this?”

“You little shit.”

My grinning face was reflected in his horrified eyes.

“Your hyung’s Strength alone is over 300. I was stronger than you even before allocating the points.”

Fist Qi? It didn’t matter if it couldn’t reach me. In strength, speed, and every other respect, I was ahead. Even if we had continued fighting as we were, I would have been the final winner.

Even so, there was a simple reason I had bothered allocating the points.

“People like you need to be stomped properly, or you won’t stop acting up.”

“You damn—!”

Crack!

My fist shot out like lightning and struck him precisely in the temple. The muscular giant staggered, then collapsed limply.

Crash!

At the same time, the sound I had been waiting for rang out.

Ding.

System

• The Quest There Is a Man Who Loved You So Much has been successfully completed!

• You received a large amount of EXP as a Reward!

• You received a large amount of Fame as a Reward!

• Level Up!

• Level Up!

“Buuurp. That was delicious.”

After a brief silence, tremendous cheers engulfed the Grand Training Ground.

At the main gate of the Jin Family of Taiyuan, some six hundred meters from the Grand Training Ground, a low-ranking martial artist who had been listening with perked ears to the resounding cheers made a fuss.

“Did you hear that?”

Someone leaning crookedly against the gate answered.

“I did.”

“They say the Third Young Master defeated the Defeated Flower Fist!”

“Yeah.”

“…Why are you reacting like that? The Defeated Flower Fist! One of Huashan’s Three Plum Blossom Elites!”

“I know, you idiot.”

“Third Young Master defeated the Defeated Flower Fist! Captain, aren’t you surprised?”

“No. It doesn’t surprise me anymore.”

Hyuk Mujin yawned widely and continued.

“I’ve followed that fellow around and seen all sorts of things. Beating the Defeated Flower Fist is the least he has to do before I can call him my lord.”

“Gasp! You’ve already thrown your lot in with him?”

“What do you mean, thrown my lot in?”

Hyuk Mujin snorted.

“One day, my lord said to me, ‘Listen, Hyuk martial artist. Become my right hand. Without you…’”

The low-ranking martial artist cut in with a suspicious expression.

“Wait a second. Are we talking about the Third Young Master? That doesn’t sound like the way he talks at all.”

“Did you just interrupt me?”

“Captain, that’s not what I meant.”

“Why, you little—are you close with that fellow? Do you know him better than I do?”

“No.”

“Listen here, kid. I’ve crossed through life-and-death situations with him! I’ve eaten with him! I’ve done everything with him!”

“…Yes. Please continue.”

“You should’ve said that from the start. Anyway, back then, my lord…”

That was when Hyuk Mujin, having calmed down, was about to continue.

“This is excessively noisy for a gathering.”

“What would the likes of them know? Looks like they let every Tom, Dick, and Harry in just because they were in a good mood.”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Voices came from beyond the faint darkness that had settled over the area.

Hyuk Mujin clicked his tongue and asked the low-ranking martial artist,

“Weren’t all the distinguished guests on the list already here?”

“Well, everyone who said they would visit today has arrived, at least.”

“Then what is this? Someone who heard the rumors and came here?”

“Wouldn’t that be likely?”

“First, double-check the list and stay here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hyuk Mujin grumbled inwardly as he straightened from where he had been leaning at an angle.

Then he shouted toward the four silhouettes drawing closer.

“Halt! I am Hyuk Mujin, Captain of the Gatekeepers of the Jin Family of Taiyuan. State your identity and purpose!”

An elderly voice answered.

“Roaring Fury Swordsman.”

“Roaring Fury Swordsman, is it? What sect are you from?”

“Zhongnan Sect.”

“Zhongnan Sect, then. I need to check the other guests’ faces as well, so come closer… oh.”

Hyuk Mujin stopped as he hurriedly scrawled the three characters meaning Zhongnan Sect on the wooden board.

When he slowly raised his head, he saw a gaunt old man and three middle-aged martial artists with arrogant expressions.

“Z-Zhongnan Sect?”

The old man at the front stared at Hyuk Mujin with blazing eyes.

“Jin Taekyung and Cheongpung. Take me to those two bastards at once.”