novelraw Chapter 199 : At the Martial Arts Tournament
Chapter 199 : At the Martial Arts Tournament
Chapter 199: At the Martial Arts Tournament
The martial arts tournament, where all the imperial palace martial artists worth their salt had gathered to compete, was now racing toward its climax.
On the lapis lazuli sparring arena, weapons clashed and vigorous shouts mixed together, creating a fierce cacophony.
And upon that dazzling stage, the one who stood out the most was the Thousand-Household Captain of the Imperial Army, Jang Sak.
Having greatly elevated the reputation of the Imperial Army, he continued his winning streak with his overwhelming martial prowess at the Blazing Flame Realm, advancing all the way to the threshold of the finals.
Although, as his one-sided victories piled up, the cheers that erupted each time his opponent collapsed had gradually turned into mere formal applause.
And so, after easily defeating more than six masters, his final opponent finally appeared before him.
The martial artist who advanced to the finals was an old master who had reached the Peak Master Level. Though his age showed, his gaze remained sharp.
However, the officials and imperial family members who had witnessed Jang Sak’s martial prowess earlier already wore indifferent expressions.
It seemed the audience had lost interest, as the outcome of the final match was as obvious as fire.
I chewed on the duck leg that Her Highness the Imperial Concubine had left me and glanced toward the arena.
“Cheon Sugong, that Jang Sak guy is really good at fighting.”
At that, Cheon Sugong—who had been sticking close to me like a personal guard ever since the Emperor took notice of me—furrowed his brows and said,
“Hmph, those Imperial Army bastards will strut around even more arrogantly now.”
His voice carried deep displeasure. It seemed the head of the Eastern Depot found the rising momentum of the Imperial Army extremely distasteful.
In this imperial palace, it looked like the Imperial Army, the Eastern Depot, and the Royal Guards were locked in a three-way power struggle, constantly keeping each other in check.
I took another bite of the duck meat and casually asked,
“If you fought that guy, Cheon Sugong, who would win?”
When I pointed at Jang Sak, who was warming up in the arena, Cheon Sugong smirked and replied,
“What a ridiculous question. Of course I would win.”
Confidence flashed in his eyes.
Men really were all the same—whether young or old—when it came to this kind of pride.
Still, even from my perspective, I could roughly gauge that Cheon Sugong was at least his equal, if not superior.
I had felt it earlier when he pressured me with killing intent, and also through the senses I gained after reaching Transcendence—the level he possessed was anything but ordinary.
“If you’re that confident, why not step onto the stage yourself and crush the Imperial Army’s pride? Why are you just sitting here?”
It was a slightly provocative remark. If he was that strong, why hide it instead of showing it?
Cheon Sugong snorted and shot me a sharp look.
“We are those who work in the shadows for the imperial household. Unlike those Imperial Army fools, we do not recklessly flaunt ourselves on stage.”
“…I see.”
A hint of pride in the Eastern Depot could be heard in his firm tone.
Though, for someone who worked in the shadows, he had stepped into the spotlight quite a few times.
“That’s mostly because you were involved.”
“……”
It seemed I had muttered my thoughts out loud again.
Apparently, the reason he had been glued to my side since earlier was because the Emperor had exchanged a meaningful glance with me—suggesting some kind of connection.
In short, he was monitoring me to prevent me from causing a major incident if left unattended.
“Come on, it’s not like I cause trouble every time I’m not being watched.”
I muttered while wiping the grease off my lips with a cloth.
But instead of denying it, Cheon Sugong simply stared at me silently.
Just in case, I turned my head to the side, but Jo Harang also quietly avoided my gaze.
Someone—anyone—please say that’s not true.
And then, it happened.
The Emperor of the Central Plains, Hongnakje, suddenly rose from his seat on the platform.
Until now, he had been quietly enjoying the banquet with an unreadable expression, but the moment he made this unexpected move, the entire garden fell silent.
With just the act of standing, he drew everyone’s attention, then slowly opened his mouth.
“Thousand-Household Captain Jang Sak, your martial arts are truly outstanding. Your skill is more than sufficient to spread the imperial household’s prestige throughout the world. I am greatly satisfied.”
His voice was low and deep, like an echo resonating through mountains.
Overwhelmed by the Emperor’s praise, Jang Sak immediately dropped to one knee, his face filled with emotion.
Applause and cheers erupted among the Imperial Army around him, pleased by his recognition.
“However.”
At the Emperor’s short follow-up, everyone fell silent once more.
Jang Sak looked up at the Emperor, waiting for his next words.
“Your overwhelming skill has somewhat diminished the excitement. Thus, I wish to present a new challenger. I would like to witness a spectacle where various martial arts under heaven compete.”
It was a declaration that he would introduce another participant to face the Imperial Army commander who had reached the Blazing Flame Realm and was riding unstoppable momentum.
The imperial family and officials began whispering, looking around curiously, wondering who it would be.
Amid everyone’s confusion, Emperor Hongnakje silently pointed somewhere with his finger.
The direction he pointed to… was somewhere within the Imperial Concubine’s group.
“Cheon Sugong, His Majesty is calling for you.”
Cheon Sugong let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“Not me. It’s you, you brat.”
“…What?”
I stood up and tried shifting to the side.
But the Emperor’s finger followed my movement with amusement.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
With the entire imperial court’s attention focused on me, a curse slipped out of my lips without me realizing.
“You said you had no connection with the Emperor?”
Cheon Sugong immediately demanded an explanation.
“I-I really don’t!”
From my perspective—quietly buried in the crowd—this situation was utterly absurd.
I had even worn a Human-skin Mask and disguised myself as a member of the Eastern Depot.
“Then why is His Majesty pointing you out specifically?!”
Damn it, I wanted to know that too!
Could it be that, even if he didn’t know who I was, he sensed the Energy of Stars within me and was trying to drag me onto the stage?
This was seriously bad.
“He seems to be your person. Is that acceptable, Imperial Concubine?”
The Emperor asked, looking toward Imperial Concubine Ma Juyoung, who appeared visibly flustered.
Caught off guard as the one she had brought as insurance against assassination was suddenly chosen, she nodded awkwardly.
“I-I shall follow Your Majesty’s will.”
Her children, Princess Peach Blossom and Suan Gong, also looked at me as if asking what was going on.
“Hey, Mujin, what’s happening?”
“I have no idea either.”
I replied in a hollow voice to Jo Harang’s whisper.
It seemed Cheon Sugong’s request—to quietly prevent assassination without drawing attention—had already gone completely out the window.
Everyone was staring at me, whispering among themselves, trying to figure out who I was.
Meanwhile, the Emperor of the Central Plains looked down at me from the platform, as if curious about my reaction.
Seeing that amused expression on his face made something boil inside me.
I stood up and shouted loudly,
“Your Majesty, I have something to say!”
Instead of immediately stepping forward to fight as commanded, I boldly spoke up, drawing a stunned look from Cheon Sugong.
But what was I supposed to do? If a person had something to say, they should say it boldly.
“What a bold fellow. Speak, then.”
It seemed my attitude didn’t entirely displease him, as the corner of the Emperor’s lips twitched slightly.
“Your Majesty said the excitement had diminished and wished to present a new challenger. However, I am only at Transcendence, while the Thousand-Household Captain has reached the Blazing Flame Realm. The outcome is obvious.”
“…Hmm.”
Hongnakje gestured for me to continue without responding.
“Therefore, to make the match more interesting, may I bring one more Transcendence martial artist?”
I grabbed Jo Harang’s shoulder, who had been quietly trying to slip away from me.
She looked at me with wide, shocked eyes.
“Hey, are you insane?!”
Thanks to that, the heavy attention from the high-ranking figures split in half and shifted toward her.
“Why do you think I brought you here? Earn your keep.”
“Hey! Even so, this is too much!”
What do you mean too much?
Should I just go up there alone and get beaten senseless by a Blazing Flame Realm martial artist?
“If you win this tournament, the Emperor will grant any one wish.”
“……”
Not only reputation, but the reward was also significant.
After all, this was an event hosted by the immensely wealthy imperial household. Even the Peak Master Level martial artist who had stepped down at the Emperor’s request had been promised substantial compensation.
“Very well. I permit that unnamed woman to participate as well.”
The Emperor of the Central Plains readily accepted Jo Harang’s participation, as if he found it amusing.
It felt like this had been his intention all along.
“Your Majesty, may this humble Thousand-Household Captain speak?”
At that moment, Jang Sak, who had been silently listening, began to present his own condition.
He requested to also bring one Peak Master Level martial artist onto the stage.
“Thousand-Household Captain Jangson. A man of great talent—if the four of us compete, it should make for an interesting match, Your Majesty!”
Jangson… that name sounded familiar.
“That’s the guy who brought the cannon to the Byeok Clan.”
At Jo Harang’s answer, I slapped my knee in realization.
Jang Sak and Jangson. Same surname.
Family? Relatives? With victory within reach and a chance to catch the Emperor’s eye, they were really pulling strings.
“Filthy connections—school ties, regional ties, blood ties!”
The Emperor nodded, seemingly amused, and thus Jangson—who had once led a siege against the Byeok Clan—also joined the match.
Unlike Jang Sak, who was unarmed, Jangson climbed onto the stage holding a long, heavy iron staff.
And so, one team had a Blazing Flame Realm and a Peak Master Level martial artist, while the other had two Transcendence martial artists.
Normally, a Blazing Flame Realm martial artist was someone even four or five Transcendence martial artists couldn’t confidently defeat.
At first glance, the balance seemed tilted toward them.
But on our side, we weren’t just two ordinary Transcendence martial artists—we were bearers of the stars’ blessing(?), Evil Stars.
An impossible combination: the Heaven-Slaying Star and the Purple Star.
“Imperial Concubine, I’ll make sure to repay the duck meat.”
“Y-Yes… do as you wish.”
Imperial Concubine Ma Juyoung still looked flustered as she responded to my determined voice.
Honestly, I didn’t even know how things had turned out like this.
But since the Emperor had singled me out with interest, I had no choice but to push through.
With a resolute expression, I stood tall on the arena alongside Jo Harang.
“Mudong, you better take responsibility for this later.”
Calling me by my Eastern Depot alias, she demanded repayment for dragging her into this mess.
“That almost sounded like a confession.”
A woman seriously telling me to take responsibility—it really did.
“W-What nonsense are you saying?! Seriously!”
Jo Harang slapped my arm repeatedly, saying I lacked any sense of tension.
“Eastern Depot martial artist Mudong! And wanderer Jaha! Take your positions!”
The official overseeing the match called out our names—Jaha being Jo Harang’s temporary alias, derived from the Purple Mist Sect—and assigned our spots.
Across from us, the two Imperial Army commanders—Jang Sak and Jangson—shrugged their shoulders.
“Mudong, was it? Even at Transcendence, you’re unfamiliar faces.”
It was Jang Sak questioning why someone of our level hadn’t been seen before in the palace or battlefield.
“We of the Eastern Depot serve the imperial household from the shadows. We do not step onto stages.”
I borrowed Cheon Sugong’s earlier words and responded appropriately.
Jang Sak snorted.
“That arrogant tone… you must be one of Cheon Sugong’s men.”
It seemed he said things like that often enough for others to recognize it.
Still, it helped reduce suspicion.
Then Jangson, who had been dragged into this match because of Jang Sak, looked at me suspiciously and spoke.
“You… your aura and voice resemble that unlucky bastard I met at the Byeok Clan.”
We had only met once back then, yet his instincts were sharp.
If he saw my martial arts up close, my identity might be exposed.
And if I wanted to properly deal with a Blazing Flame Realm martial artist, I needed to remove such distractions as quickly as possible.
“Hey, your fly’s open.”
“…My fly?”
Not understanding, he instinctively looked down toward his groin when I stared at it.
At that moment, my lightning-fast upward kick struck his face.
Smack—
Blood and teeth sprayed as Jangson was knocked out in a single blow.
“…!!”
At that utterly practical strike devoid of any dignity, everyone in the imperial court was shocked.
“That’s one down!”
The official had already declared the start of the match.
It was his fault for letting his guard down.
“You bastard—!!”
As Jang Sak roared in fury, the final match for victory began.