The Regressed Young Master’s Guide to Living on Easy Mode

Chapter 42 : The Real and the Fake (2)

A single seat has been added to the highest seat of honor on the tournament stage.

The people in the tournament ground naturally shifted their gaze there.

A large old man was sitting side by side with the Heavenly Demon, the Blood Demon, the Sura Cult Lord, and the Divine Monk.

Although there were some who expressed their doubts, there were also those who were soon convinced and accepted it.

Among them, those who wanted to show off their knowledge opened their mouths one after another.

Gwang Se-hyeon was also one of such a group.

"It's the Grand Elder."

The Mad Demon, the Sword Demoness, and the Demonic Brain, who were next to him, look at the seat of honor.

It was the first time the three of them had seen the Grand Elder since they had entered the Heavenly Demon Cult.

The attention of the three gathered on Gwang Se-hyeon. Gwang Se-hyeon, feeling that, smiled with satisfaction. That wasn't all. Gwang Se-hyeon could instinctively tell that everyone within a radius of one zhang was focused on him.

He felt a sense of vitality in his body.

Gwang Se-hyeon lowered his voice as if he were about to tell some huge secret and opened his mouth. The reason he lowered his voice was because this would make people focus more. And seeing that, he felt even more pleasure.

"The Grand Elder is a master of the Soul Detachment realm."

The gazes of those around him feel even stronger.

"I heard that the Grand Elder was always wandering outside under the Heavenly Demon's orders."

A kind of 'I heard' information.

But if it was the words of the grandson of a Heavenly Demon Cult elder, this could be said to be information that was almost a foregone conclusion.

"Do you know what that order was?"

Shake, shake.

Everyone in the area around Gwang Se-hyeon shakes their heads. Seeing that, Gwang Se-hyeon had to feel a strange pleasure that rang down his back.

"I also heard it through the grapevine, but it's news about the previous Heavenly Demon! And the fact that the Grand Elder is here means only one thing! That he has completed the Heavenly Demon's order!"

Just then, the Mad Demon asked.

"Se-hyeon."

"Why?"

"If it's related to the Heavenly Demon, isn't it a confidential matter?"

"..."

Only then did Gwang Se-hyeon's crisis detection ability activate, but the rumor was already spreading to the side, to the front, and to the back, in all directions.

The Mad Demon, whose face had turned pale, said slyly to Gwang Se-hyeon.

"You're fucked, aren't you?"

Gwang Se-hyeon answered.

"We're still friends, right?"

"Don't worry! If you go to hell, I'll follow you!"

Gwang Se-hyeon cries. The Mad Demon pats him on the back. The Sword Demoness and the Demonic Brain, who were watching that, sat at a slight distance.

Because if it was a scheduled hell, there was no reason for them to go along.

And so, while the absurd rumor was spreading in the spectator seats, the ones sitting in the seats of honor were interested in completely different things.

The Sura Cult Lord was filled with the expectation that he could finally fulfill his long-cherished wish.

'Finally, today! Our Sura Cult will stand at the top!'

The Heavenly Demon was just looking at the tournament stage indifferently. The Heavenly Demon, with his usual expressionless face, seemed to have no thoughts right now.

But the Blood Demon could tell that the Heavenly Demon was showing a quite excited appearance now. And he was expressing his regret that Soma should have been on that final tournament stage.

'Soma has said that he will receive my guidance in earnest.'

Soma had come this far alone. If he had learned martial arts under his guidance, he was certain that the being standing there now would have been Soma.

'The next Divine Demon Tournament will surely be won by Soma!'

The Divine Monk was only chanting the Amitabha prayer.

'Amitabha. In any case, the winner will be Yoo Jae-ha.'

The Grand Elder had a serious expression.

Seeing that he had advanced to the finals, his skills didn't seem to be bad.

'That's right. They are guys who use a master of the Soul Detachment realm like a subordinate. Dominating a mere kids' fight would be a piece of cake. I can also raise a kid of the Peak realm with my feet.'

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand.

Although the Lord was a Lord whose reason would be paralyzed when the previous Lord was involved!

But wasn't the Lord a person who was stricter than anyone else when it came to looking at martial arts!

The Lord had often shown a displeased look even to him, who had reached the Soul Detachment realm.

And that Lord was completely taken in by a fight between Peak realm brats?

He was dumbfounded and speechless, but that had clearly happened in reality.

'Should I just kill him on the spot right now?'

As a loyal subject, his life was a cheap price to pay to save the Heavenly Demon Cult.

'But can I do it while hiding from the Lord's eyes? If I bet my life, there's nothing I can't do.'

Yes! If even the slightest suspicious point is discovered during the duel.

'It's an immediate kill!'

It was the lifelong pledge of the Grand Elder, who had dedicated his life to the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Thump, thump!

The sound of the drum rings out.

"Waaaaah!"

Cheers are heard from the spectator seats.

Clang!!!!!

With the sound of a huge gong, the sound announcing the start of the duel was heard.

"We will now begin the final match! Both contestants, enter!"

* * *

I'm nervous. To be honest, it would be abnormal if I weren't. I had come to the finals by a fluke.

Now, the only thing left is to win.

The saying, 'If you can't avoid it, enjoy it,' came to mind.

I came up to the tournament stage.

The Flame Saber, Yang So-pyeong, was standing on the other side.

The sound of introducing me and Yang So-pyeong before the match is heard.

Before, we just fought, but since it's the finals, it seems they're doing a lot of things.

As the announcer's words grew longer, the heat in the tournament ground was gradually rising.

The seats of honor were also all full, as it was the finals. And the Heavenly Demon was seated.

For a moment, my eyes met with the Divine Monk's, but fortunately, he didn't send a telepathic message this time. Because the Heavenly Demon might be able to eavesdrop on telepathic messages.

Below the seats of honor, my hyung-nim was sitting. My hyung-nim had a very comfortable expression.

I swallowed my tears inwardly as I looked at the peace I had protected.

The Heavenly Demon Cult seems to have become too lax these days.

They can't even win the Divine Demon Tournament, and they're raised with a silver spoon, so this kind of ridiculous result comes out.

It wasn't like this in my time.

"You're full of composure? You even have the leisure to roll your eyes like that."

He's spouting insults out of the blue. I tried to think if I had done anything wrong to the kid, but nothing came to mind.

So I corrected the wrong part of what Yang So-pyeong had said.

"It's not composure, it's observation. Not eyeballs, but pupils."

In the old days, I would have also countered with a fiery insult as soon as I heard it, but my opponent is the Young Lord of the Sura Cult, whose status is different from mine.

There was no need to create a huge obstacle in the undecided future in advance. Still, since we're the same age, it's okay to speak informally, right?

And since we belong to different factions. We're both 'mister', right? For reference, this concept of 'mister' could be seen as a kind of martial arts slang used when dealing with those who are not from the same faction.

"Why did you even make it to the finals?"

"I'm being serious, but can't you just lose? I don't like fighting."

"Then wouldn't it be faster for you to say you've lost?"

After a very brief conversation, this guy is a type that has both a brain and a body that are well-developed, unlike Soma.

If it were Soma, he would have just said, 'Let's fight,' over and over again.

I'm already starting to miss Soma. Based on my memories before my regression, a fight with a type with a brain like this has a very high probability of becoming complicated.

So, in the old days, I killed all the guys who were good at martial arts and smart as soon as I saw them.

Because guys like this always backstab you.

"I also want to just withdraw, but it's a bit troublesome. I have to win."

If I lose, it will be really troublesome. Seeing that even the Grand Elder, who usually doesn't show his face, is sitting next to the Heavenly Demon, it can be seen that he has a great interest in this Divine Demon Tournament.

Though I don't quite understand why that old man is here.

In the days when I was the Young Lord, the only old man who had ignored me was the Grand Elder. I also couldn't do anything about the Grand Elder.

The martial power that reaches the Soul Detachment realm.

The highest reputation in the Heavenly Demon Cult, besides the Heavenly Demon.

Above all, the Grand Elder had said this to me.

-I do not listen to the orders of those who are weaker than me.

If a master of the Soul Detachment realm says that, if you don't want to die, you have to just say, 'I see,' and move on.

At that time, looking at the Grand Elder who didn't even nod his head whenever he saw me, I had vowed that if I were to enter the Soul Detachment realm, the first thing I would do would be to give that bastard a good slap on the back of his head.

Unfortunately, I couldn't put it into practice.

Come to think of it, there are five masters of the Soul Detachment realm in this place.

Looking at just those five, with a little exaggeration, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they are five-tenths of the entire martial world's military power.

As I felt a gaze from the front, I looked forward. Yang So-pyeong was looking at me with a strange look.

"This is new. Do I have no presence?"

"You have less presence than the five people sitting over there, right?"

If he were to refute this, I would sincerely declare my defeat and come down from the tournament stage.

"I admit it."

As expected, the Soul Detachment is acknowledged. I also acknowledge it.

"By the way, aren't you curious? About what I said, that I know your true identity."

I was deliberately avoiding that topic, but he just had to bring it up.

"You!"

I was surprised because he called me suddenly. My heart tightens. My stomach, which had been well-controlled until now, is starting to hurt. It's a precursor to monster-phobia.

"You're a fake, right?"

Huh? That's not what I expected. So I asked back.

"A fake?"

"A substitute put forward to replace the real one."

I don't know what he's talking about.

"Perhaps I have to kill the fake you for the real one to show himself?"

Is this guy also a madman? He's calling me a fake out of the blue and then saying he's going to kill me.

"Don't worry. I'll send the real one to your side too."

I can't follow the conversation at all.

So who is the real one? I think I need to know that to understand what this conversation is about.

"Can you tell me who the real one is?"

The announcer's words are almost over.

"You'll find out soon enough. If I kill you."

The conversation is not working.

The announcer announces the start of the match and comes down.

Yang So-pyeong draws the Flame Saber from his back. And he aims it at me. And the energy I feel is...

'He's using this already?'

The technique he had used at the end when he fought the Little Divine Monk.

A special skill that only the Six Yang Divine Meridian can perform, which combines the six great meridians into one and eliminates all consumption of power.

It seems that what Yang So-pyeong had said about killing me was real.

It's sudden and absurd. Before my regression, he was a guy who couldn't even make eye contact with me, but it was also a little sad. How did my situation become like this? Hmph! I almost made a dangerous statement for a moment. I take it back immediately.

"You know, right? If you're cut, you'll die."

"You're talking about the yang energy, right?"

"Oh! Seeing that you know this, you must have studied me for two days."

I just slept.

"But can you block it just because you know? It would be fun to watch you struggle while seeing the countermeasures you've prepared."

I really just slept.

And the best way to use yang energy was familiar to me. The most basic way is to directly penetrate the body and mess up the internal organs.

That way, when you kill them, blood doesn't splatter, and your clothes don't get dirty from the sparks.

It was a method I had often used before my regression.

Yang So-pyeong approaches. The strengthening of the body using the great meridians was, as expected, fast. However, there was a part that seemed a little lacking.

It was probably a lack that was bound to come out because he was still young.

The technique was somewhat crude overall. But he was making up for that lack with the strengthening of his body.

To be honest, at this level, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the strongest among his peers.

Because that was a movement that could only be shown after entering the Transcendent Peak.

There would probably be few among the people watching this duel who were accurately seeing Yang So-pyeong's movements.

I also used the Reversal of Heaven from the beginning.

The yang and yin energy of the Ten Demon Divine Art switch places.

Now that I'm quite used to it, I hardly feel any motion sickness. For some reason, after using the Twin Poles, the Three-Legged Crow, the technique of the Reversal of Heaven feels like it fits my body even better.

And so, I also dip my feet into the realm of the Transcendent Peak for a short while.

The Transcendent Peak largely means transcendence.

It transcends distance.

It was a kind of transcendence that Yang So-pyeong was showing now.

The distance between Yang So-pyeong and me disappears.

Yang So-pyeong appeared right in front of me.

At the same time, the saber drew an elegant trajectory.

Slice.

Although I said I dodged, with my current skill, I couldn't completely dodge Yang So-pyeong's attack. In the first place, there was a difference in what we each possessed. I had an ordinary body, and Yang So-pyeong had the Six Yang Divine Meridian. I ended up getting my arm slightly cut.

It was a wound that only stained my clothes with a little bit of blood, but Yang So-pyeong's mouth was stretched wide from ear to ear.

Well, I understand. Because he had probably never failed before.

The enormous amount of yang energy that had entered through the wound is running rampant in my body.

When yang energy enters the body, there are largely two ways to deal with it.

Either expel it or suppress it.

The way to expel it is to open the Baekhoe acupoint, as I had told the Little Divine Monk, and the way to suppress it is to literally suppress it with a force stronger than the yang energy in the body.

To use the first method, I have to stay still, but since I'm in the middle of a duel now, I can't, and in the end, I have to use the latter method, but I don't have the internal energy to suppress the yang energy that has borrowed the power of the Six Yang Divine Meridian.

"It's over. You fake!"

Although it's a bit of a letdown for a final, it would have really ended here originally.

Because I also thought so.

There was a third way.

I just had to use the yang energy that had entered my body as if it were my own.

With an overwhelming internal energy operation method called yang energy resistance or yang energy affinity.

Of course, the method I'm about to use now was a method I had once used on my junior sister, just like Yang So-pyeong, and had been beaten back in the same way.

As I said before, the Transcendent Peak meant transcendence.

One is the distance I mentioned before,

The other meant time.

I flow internal energy through the minor meridians.

I enhance my senses.

Time is split.

1 shichen becomes 2 shichen.

2 shichen becomes 13 ke.

13 ke becomes 200 minutes.

200 minutes becomes 12,000 seconds.

And so, I step into a world split into seconds.

If the transcendence of the body meant the transcendence of distance, the transcendence of the mind meant the transcendence of time.

That's why in a fight with a Transcendent Peak master, if you were to be careless for even a second, your head would likely fly off.

Just... like... this.

Huh? He dodged this? This is a variable.

"You! You should be writhing in the pain of your whole body burning by now, how can you move?"

I'm fucked. The method just now was a one-time-use ultimate strategy that aimed for the opponent's carelessness, who had not yet fully entered the Transcendent Peak!

The yang energy in my body is running rampant again.

Of course, I don't have the ability to move this yang energy at will a second time.

"You... could it be that you're the real one?"

Real or fake, I'm about to die right now.

(End of Chapter)