novelraw Chapter 58 : Chapter 58
Chapter 58 : Chapter 58
Chapter 58. The Hunan Righteous-Evil Faction Tournament (1)
The day for the tournament between the Righteous and Evil Factions, which would determine the fate of the Hunan Murim, had finally arrived.
Around the hour of the dragon, from early in the morning, members of the Righteous Faction swarmed in front of the main gate of the Yueyang Geumgang Society.
Their spirits seemed to pierce the heavens.
“Hmph, this is too good a place for the Evil Faction bastards. How much have they been leeching off this fine Dongting Lake?”
Chang Myeong, the third great disciple of Diancang, said.
“Well, it’s only until today. This whole area will be ours. Isn’t that right?”
“……”
Chang Seong, who was also a disciple of Diancang, did not bother to open his mouth to answer his senior brother’s pleasantries.
Of course, it wasn't that he was nervous.
The Righteous and the Evil could never be compared on the same level.
It was a reasonable law of nature that the wicked should always be crushed under the feet of the righteous, and human affairs were no different.
Of course, the skill of the Flying Dragon Squad Leader, Lee Byeok, who was called the number one prodigy of the Evil Faction, was quite unexpected.
In the battle at the Invincible Sect earlier, his sword had overwhelmed his senior brother, Chang Myeong.
But right after that, when he himself stepped forward, the way he couldn't even properly deal with the Sun-Shooting Sword Art was almost anticlimactic.
“……”
There was a slightly strange part.
When facing his senior brother and when facing him, that person seemed to have a strangely different level of skill.
Of course, his senior brother's special technique, the Rushing Wind Swift Sword, and his own Sun-Shooting Sword Art were both swords of Diancang, but their principles were very different.
Was it just a coincidence that that person's sword and his senior brother's were a bad match?
Well, he would find out soon enough.
In any case, complacency was forbidden.
Heeheehing!
“Ha! My apologies, but there’s a slight flaw in that statement!”
It was then.
A pure white horse without a single blemish approached the two of them.
Riding on it was a boy with a magnificent physique and handsome features.
“What use would the lofty Taoists of Diancang have for such a chaotic worldly land? It’s only useful for worldly people like us who are stained with the dust of the world! Isn’t that right? Hahat!”
“……”
“Of course, I have no intention of just sitting around and waiting for the persimmon to fall! In that sense, I, this Azure Sky Jade Dragon, will defeat that so-called number one prodigy of the Evil Faction. Therefore, the Flash Dragon will not even have to trouble himself with drawing his sword! Hat!”
Tagadak, tagadak!
Having finished his one-sided speech, the boy, Namgung Hwan, spurred his horse. He rode forward, basking in the sunlight.
“Hmph, so flashy. Ptooey!”
Chang Myeong spat on the ground.
It was an act unbecoming of a Taoist, but neither of the brothers cared about such things.
Diancang and the Namgung Clan.
The Righteous Path Alliance and the Righteous Blood Alliance.
For now, they were a single group to drive the Evil Faction out of this land of Hunan, but in the end, negotiations and competition between them would be waiting.
And that Namgung Hwan, a prodigy of the Namgung Clan and called the Azure Sky Jade Dragon, would become one of the biggest obstacles in that process.
Lee Byeok was not the problem.
Chang Seong’s eyes grew grave.
***
Inside the Geumgang Society, the tournament stage.
With the Iron-Faced Beggar of the Beggar’s Gang and Yeom U-gil of the Rogues’ Guild at the center, the representatives of both the Righteous and Evil Factions gathered at the front.
The preliminary preparations for the tournament proceeded in a relatively calm atmosphere, such as publicly declaring the few matters that had already been agreed upon.
“Hahat, this is going to be a sight to see!”
“To see the dragon of Diancang and the dragon of Namgung in one place, I’ll suffer a great loss if I even blink for a moment, won’t I? Keolkeolkeol!”
However, the atmosphere of the two sides, who were watching from around the tournament stage, was quite different.
While the Righteous Faction side on the right was cheerful and happy, the Evil Faction side gathered on the left was not just quiet but even had an air of solemnity.
Of course, it was only natural.
Defeat in this place meant losing almost everything they had built up in Hunan until now.
And that fate rested on the shoulders of just five prodigies.
He was not unaware of the absurdity.
It was just that in a situation where the balance of power was overwhelmingly tilted, that was the best plan they could come up with.
And one step further towards the tournament stage, a tent and seats were prepared for the representatives.
There, the Flying Dragon Squad members, including Lee Byeok, had already taken their seats.
Eum Seo-hui, the head disciple of the Rakshasa Sect, and Jeon Gang-jun, the young master of the Red Evil Sect, who had also decided to participate as representatives, were also present.
“Um… young warrior?”
Eum Seo-hui approached Lee Byeok.
“…Do you have business with me?”
“Well, it’s not the most appropriate place, but… I was very rude last time.”
Nod. Eum Seo-hui bowed her head.
Only then did Lee Byeok take a closer look at the other person’s face.
She was one of the women who had appeared with the disciples of the One Saber Martial Sect on their tail when he was drinking with Pa Jin-seong on the roof.
“I don’t particularly mind.”
He understood the Rakshasa Sect’s position.
He had spoken with the Rakshasa Sect Leader, U Jin-hui, and as a result, he had been able to grasp the clues to the Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art and the Full Moon Unchanging Heart Art.
He had no intention of reprimanding her now.
“…To have caused trouble and still receive your help, I truly have no words for you, young warrior—”
“Now, now, just a moment~”
Gongson Su intervened.
“Let’s save the private conversation for after we win~ Now is not the time, is it?”
Gongson Su, who blocked Lee Byeok as if to protect him, glared at Eum Seo-hui with sharp eyes.
Eum Seo-hui, who had a flustered expression for a moment, soon smiled faintly.
“You’re right. The young lady is right.”
Stomp, stomp.
At that moment, Jeon Gang-jun, the young master of the Red Evil Sect, approached the group. His burly and fierce face was stiffly set.
He looked at Lee Byeok for a moment without a word.
“…Thank you, young warrior.”
Nod. He bowed his head to Lee Byeok.
“I heard from my father. If it weren't for you, young warrior, and the Rogues’ Guild, we wouldn't even have had this opportunity.”
“……”
“Even if I have to die with a sword in my mouth on that tournament stage, I will somehow take down at least one of them before I fall.”
Jeon Gang-jun said with a determined face.
The order of appearance on the tournament stage had already been decided, and Jeon Gang-jun and Eum Seo-hui were to go before the Flying Dragon Squad members.
The opponents to be most wary of from the Righteous Faction side were, of course, the Azure Sky Jade Dragon, Namgung Hwan, and the Flash Dragon, Chang Seong.
Of course, it was unlikely that the others would be easy opponents either.
But in any case, the Righteous Faction side would push those two to the very back and have the preceding opponents try to figure out Lee Byeok’s sword and exhaust his strength.
In that case, this side should also take the same strategy.
In other words, push Lee Byeok to the last order and have the remaining members defeat as many enemies as possible.
“……”
Of course, for Lee Byeok himself, it was a largely meaningless strategy.
No matter how strong they were, it was unlikely that Lee Byeok would suffer any significant injuries from first-rate level prodigies.
Also, since the Jincheon Falling Sword Divine Art provided Lee Byeok with an inexhaustible supply of internal energy, as long as he wasn't going to use sword force, he wouldn't get tired.
But it was difficult to explain such a fact, and he had no desire to receive too much attention, so Lee Byeok silently followed along.
“Kekeke, who’s talking about dying?”
At that moment, Pa Jin-seong, who had been sitting quietly in a corner, opened his mouth.
“Hey, you guys. Don’t push yourselves and die a dog’s death, just fight moderately and come down. Okay? Our Squad Leader will sweep them all away, no matter how many opponents there are. Keke, kehehe!”
“…That’s all well and good, but why are you puffing out your chest, Sir Pa?”
Eon Mi-hee, who was warming up in a corner, shot back in a low voice.
“…Huh.”
Jeon Gang-jun was quite bewildered.
The Flying Dragon Squad members showed almost no signs of tension.
Far from being tense, they were chatting.
No matter how confident they were in their skills, their opponents were two of the five dragons, said to be the best among the numerous prodigies of the Righteous Faction.
Objectively, they were at a disadvantage.
What on earth were they believing in so much? Jeon Gang-jun couldn't understand.
On the other hand, Eum Seo-hui was a little better off.
She remembered the move Lee Byeok had shown against the disciples of the One Saber Martial Sect and her master, U Jin-hui.
There was definitely a chance of victory.
Teong.
“Now then, we will commence the tournament!”
At that moment, along with the sound of the Dog-Beating Staff striking the ground, the Iron-Faced Beggar’s voice, filled with internal energy, echoed through the venue.
The start of the tournament was finally declared.
At the same time, from the opposite Righteous Faction side, a figure leaped onto the tournament stage with great vigor.
“Now! Who is the first evil bastard to kneel before the righteousness of the great Diancang Sect and the Righteous Sword Sect!”
“Huh…? That person is?”
Eon Mi-hee tilted her head.
It was a familiar face.
Jang Mak-su, the head disciple of the Righteous Sword Sect, had previously been pushing back the head disciple of the Invincible Sect, Pyo Wang-ho, before being defeated by the suddenly intervening Eon Mi-hee.
He hadn't left a deep impression, but as a prodigy, he was by no means someone to be looked down upon.
It was just that Eon Mi-hee was stronger.
“…I’ll be back.”
Jeon Gang-jun once again bowed his head to Eum Seo-hui and the other members of the Flying Dragon Squad.
And he headed towards the tournament stage.
***
Kaang! Chang!
The match between Jeon Gang-jun and Jang Mak-su was quite tense.
Both were at a level from the end of the second-rate to the threshold of the first-rate, and their skills seemed to be about the same.
Sword and sword clashed fiercely.
If being able to overcome the limits of the body through internal energy was the second-rate, then being able to imbue one’s weapon with qi was the standard for a first-rate martial artist.
“Keuk!”
“Haha! You’re better than I thought, but in the end, the sword arts used by the Evil Faction bastards are just crude!”
However, as time passed, it was Jeon Gang-jun whose defeat was becoming more apparent.
The matchup was not good.
Jang Mak-su’s sword was Diancang’s Sun-Shooting Sword Art, which focused on extreme thrusts.
Of course, even if it was the same sword art, it couldn't be compared in terms of proficiency with Chang Seong, the number one prodigy of Diancang.
But the sword art of the Red Evil Sect, which subdued the opponent through the radius and strength of its swings, inevitably had large movements.
Naturally, Jeon Gang-jun began to suffer injuries here and there from Jang Mak-su’s sword, which thrust in a straight line quickly.
“Well, it’s a shame, but it’ll be hard for him to win. At that level, if their skills are similar, it’s inevitable that he’ll be pushed back.”
Gongson Su said, as if complaining.
Generally, below the second-rate, it was easy for the overwhelming and unconventional Evil Faction martial arts to dominate the Righteous Faction, but it was an established theory that the roles were reversed as the level increased.
Of course, there were always exceptions, and for masters above the peak who had completed their own movements, it was a completely meaningless story.
Thud!
And about twenty exchanges had passed.
Finally, the blood-soaked Jeon Gang-jun fell to his knees.
“Huk… huk! You’re annoyingly persistent! Out of pity for you who will now be homeless, I will not take your life—”
“Kraaaak!”
Taat!
It was then.
Jeon Gang-jun let out a roar and straightened his knees. He threw his body forward recklessly, using the momentum.
It was nothing short of a reckless act.
Jang Mak-su, who was momentarily flustered, quickly thrust his sword again.
Puk!
“Keoheok!”
It pierced Jeon Gang-jun’s left shoulder.
But that was, in the end, Jang Mak-su’s misjudgment.
He couldn't push back Jeon Gang-jun’s large frame with a thrust. The problem was that he had thrust instead of cutting, trapped in his familiar sword path.
Puuuk.
The next moment, Jang Mak-su’s sword pierced straight through Jeon Gang-jun’s shoulder.
And as the distance between the two closed, Jeon Gang-jun’s large frame crushed Jang Mak-su.
Kuoong, thud!
“Kek!”
Jang Mak-su, who had momentarily lost his balance, was crushed by Jeon Gang-jun’s body and fell backward.
And Jeon Gang-jun, who had climbed on top of him, hastily pointed his blade at Jang Mak-su’s throat.
On the other hand, Jang Mak-su’s sword was still stuck in Jeon Gang-jun’s left shoulder.
“S-Say you’ve lost! Hurry!”
“I-I refuse—”
“Say it, you bastard!!! I’ll kill you!!”
“Aaaaargh! I-I lost!!”
The moment Jeon Gang-jun’s sword really began to dig into his throat, Jang Mak-su, feeling his life was in danger, hastily shouted.
Smirk. Jeon Gang-jun smiled.
Kuoong, thud.
And immediately, his body tilted to the side.
He went limp on the tournament stage.
He had fainted from excessive bleeding.
“…My goodness. To that extent.”
Eon Mi-hee let out a groan.
And after that, there was a slight commotion in the venue. But fortunately, Jeon Gang-jun’s victory was acknowledged.
But of course, the fainted Jeon Gang-jun could not continue to face the next opponent.
Afterward, Jeon Gang-jun’s body was carried away on a stretcher, and the pale-faced Jang Mak-su also trudged back.
“Hey, I’m just saying this in case… Don’t do something as reckless as that, young lady. We can handle it, you know?”
Gongson Su said to Eum Seo-hui.
“…It’s reassuring to hear you say that, young warriors. But we of the Hunan Evil Faction have our pride too.”
“……”
“Even if it’s a meager strength, we can’t just watch as if it’s someone else’s house on fire when people who have come from afar are fighting for us.”
Eum Seo-hui looked at Jeon Gang-jun being carried away on a stretcher for a moment with wistful eyes.
Soon, the tournament stage was cleared.
Eum Seo-hui bowed to the group and stood up from her seat. She headed straight for the tournament stage.
Murmur, murmur.
However, on the Righteous Faction side, the next representative did not come up easily.
Jang Mak-su should have clearly won that match.
In fact, they had barely even paid attention to the other opponents besides Lee Byeok.
But… Jeon Gang-jun’s bloody battle, where he had pushed Jang Mak-su back without regard for his own body at the last moment, had a chilling aspect to it.
Taat!
“Ha! It’s too crude to watch!”
After about half a quarter of an hour had passed.
Finally, a new figure from the Righteous Faction side leaped onto the tournament stage. A tall stature and chiseled features.
“N-Namgung Hwan…?!”
Eum Seo-hui took a step back.
Her opponent was the Azure Sky Jade Dragon, Namgung Hwan.
Along with Diancang’s Flash Dragon, Chang Seong, he was the strongest opponent to be most wary of. According to their calculations, he should not have appeared as early as the second match.
But Namgung Hwan’s gaze was not on the Eum Seo-hui who stood before him, but beyond her.
“Hey, you there! Did you say you’re the Flying Dragon Squad Leader?”
“……”
“In the end, isn't the final match between you and me?! If you’re a man, stop hiding behind your lackeys and dragging this out boringly and come out now! This number one of the Righteous Faction, the Azure Sky Jade Dragon, will personally judge you!”