I approached the two warriors training in the inn’s backyard.
Maybe it was thanks to the stamina they’d built after drinking the Tiger-Bear Primordial Body Decoction for three straight days, but I could practically feel the strength of tigers and bears radiating from them.
The two men were hanging from the steel structure I’d built, doing suspended sit-ups.
“One hundred twenty-four! One hundred twenty-five!”
“One hundred twenty-six!”
They could easily do more than a hundred now.
I rubbed the tip of my nose.
“Why’d you do that, Young Master?”
“Nothing. Seeing them like this just makes me feel proud.”
At my answer, Palgap gave me a look that said he had something to say but had decided to keep it to himself.
“What’s with that insolent look?”
“You’ve got it all wrong, Young Master. I’m gazing at you with the utmost respect.”
“…Right.”
Then why did his answer leave such a bad taste in my mouth?
Once the two martial artists had completed two hundred suspended sit-ups, I walked over to them.
“The main tournament begins tomorrow.”
“Ah, so it’s finally starting.”
“Yes. How are you feeling?”
At my question, they looked at each other before answering.
“At last, we’ll be able to take our revenge and restore our sect’s honor.”
“I’m very, very much looking forward to it.”
Their eyes no longer held the gentle, docile look they’d once had.
They looked like men who had spent decades crawling through battlefields where life and death changed hands by the hour.
I hadn’t done anything wrong… right?
I left the inn.
While I was sitting on a boulder in a nearby clearing, someone approached with a vendor’s tray slung over one shoulder.
“Mooncakes for sale! Mooncakes! Delicious mooncakes!”
So he was selling mooncakes.
Mooncakes were traditionally made and eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The festival was drawing near, so perhaps vendors had already started selling them.
I was about to dismiss him without another thought when I suddenly flinched.
A familiar presence was emanating from the mooncake vendor.
It was Chun-il.
He was one of the central figures in the Eunhae Merchant Group’s Intelligence Unit.
“I’ll take one mooncake!”
“Ah, yes, sir!”
As he hurried over, I asked him a casual question.
“How’s business?”
“It’s the Murim Grand Assembly, isn’t it? Hahaha!”
I lowered my voice and asked him,
“So, is Namgoong On still going around claiming he only lost because Warrior Dae-nok used dirty tricks?”
“Yes.”
Namgoong On’s house arrest had ended after a mere two days. Starting that very night, he’d gone straight back to drinking and carousing with courtesans while telling anyone who would listen that he had been cheated.
“Good. Then did you carry out my instructions?”
“Of course.”
I had ordered Chun-il to send out our Intelligence Unit’s people and spread the story.
They were to tell others that they had personally heard Namgoong On insisting he had lost not because he lacked skill, but because his opponent had resorted to underhanded tricks.
It wasn’t a difficult task.
We weren’t twisting Namgoong On’s words. We were simply making sure everyone heard them.
“You’ve done well.”
I generously rewarded him for his work.
“Use whatever remains to cover your operating expenses.”
“My goodness, thank you.”
Chun-il handed over the mooncakes as though he were making an ordinary sale, leaving each of us holding one.
He then departed, and we ate the mooncakes while gazing up at the moon.
The moon sure was bright.
.
.
.
The next day.
I headed to the martial competition grounds with my family.
Warriors Dae-nok and Su-am were among those accompanying us.
Once we arrived, we each took our assigned seats.
Before long, Commander Geum Yeon-hwa climbed onto the platform and announced the start of the main tournament.
“We will now begin the opening round of the main tournament! The first match will be between Warrior Dae-nok of the Yeongyeol Sect and Danmok Il of the Danmok Clan!”
The Danmok Clan was based in Zhejiang and was famous for its Falling Star Sword Art.
And from what I’d seen during the preliminary round, Young Lord Danmok Il was quite skilled.
As Warrior Dae-nok rose from his seat, I quietly reminded him,
“You remember what I told you, don’t you?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“That’s all you need. Good luck.”
Warrior Dae-nok nodded and climbed onto the dueling stage.
“Boooo! You shameless cheat!”
“Was it satisfying to beat Young Lord Namgoong On with dirty tricks?”
Just as I had expected, people immediately began hurling accusations at Warrior Dae-nok.
They had heard that Namgoong On blamed his defeat on underhanded tactics, and the story had worked them into a frenzy.
However, those who had watched the match from nearby that day found their reaction utterly absurd.
“What are they talking about? No matter how I think about it, I don’t remember seeing any dirty tricks…”
“If there had been anything underhanded, do you really think the referee or the Murim Alliance’s experts would’ve stood by and done nothing?”
“It looked to me like Young Lord Namgoong On got caught because he was too busy toying with Warrior Dae-nok and let his guard down.”
I watched the conflicting reactions and smirked.
Then I looked at Warrior Dae-nok on the dueling stage.
Despite the abuse raining down on him, he stood firm and kept his eyes fixed on his opponent.
I remembered what I had told him the night before.
“When you step onto the dueling stage, the crowd will probably jeer at you.”
“What? Why would they jeer at me…?”
“I already told you. Young Lord Namgoong On has been going around claiming he only lost because you used dirty tricks.”
“…”
“But those words will become the noose around his own neck. So savor every jeer they throw at you.”
“What? You want me to enjoy being jeered at?”
“Because once you win, those jeers will turn into gasps of astonishment.”
By then, seven tokens had been fastened to each fighter’s body.
Boom–!
The duel began with the beat of the drum.
Young Lord Danmok Il spoke first.
“I watched your preliminary match as well. Sorry, but you won’t be getting another lucky break this time.”
“Do you also believe I only advanced because I was lucky?”
“If it wasn’t luck, then how could a First-rate warrior possibly defeat a Peak warrior?”
“…”
Instead of answering, Warrior Dae-nok raised his sword into a ready stance. Young Lord Danmok Il did the same, and the two began searching for an opening.
Young Lord Danmok Il made the first move.
Fwoooosh!
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and shattered the token fastened at Warrior Dae-nok’s left hip.
Thud!
It was a careful, measured strike. He wasn’t underestimating his opponent.
He claimed Warrior Dae-nok had reached the main tournament through sheer luck, but his instincts must have warned him otherwise.
They must have told him that a single careless exchange could cost him the match.
Another attack followed immediately.
That was the Falling Star Sword Art for you.
The way he drove Warrior Dae-nok back with relentless speed made its identity unmistakable.
Crack–!
Smash!
Two more tokens shattered in an instant, leaving only four.
As Warrior Dae-nok helplessly lost three tokens, the tension gradually faded from Young Lord Danmok Il’s face.
I knew exactly what he was thinking.
He had sensed something dangerous at first, but now that the match was falling into his hands so easily, he was probably dismissing that warning as nothing more than a vague hunch.
But instincts weren’t something to ignore.
Mine had saved me from danger more than once.
Dae-nok counted the tokens remaining on his body.
One on his left shoulder, one at his right hip, one on his chest, and one on his right leg.
‘Four left.’
He remembered what Eun Seo-ho had told him.
“Once you’re down to about four tokens, your opponent will probably relax. He may even start looking at you like you’re beneath him.”
“…”
“That’s when you settle the match.”
It was also time to show what all his training had accomplished.
“You don’t need to look so tense. It would be a shame to end this too quickly, so I’ll take my time with you.”
Dae-nok answered Danmok Il’s taunt.
“There’s no need.”
“Oh? So you may lack skill, but at least you have some pride?”
“You can judge that for yourself.”
With those words, Warrior Dae-nok once again raised his sword into a ready stance.
Then he thought about Namgoong On.
How Namgoong On had toyed with him on the dueling stage.
How Namgoong On, furious about losing by ring-out, had sent Unorthodox Sect thugs to attack him and his senior brother.
And how, after all that, Namgoong On had even spread false rumors that Dae-nok had cheated.
Rage surged through him at the thought.
He poured that rage into his sword.
In a single flash, his blade sliced through the token on Danmok Il’s left shoulder.
Shhk!
Dafmok Il’s eyes widened in shock.
Until moments ago, this man had barely been able to respond to his attacks… So where had this speed come from?
Fwoosh! Slash!
Dae-nok’s sword swept forward without hesitation, and Danmok Il found himself struggling just to defend against the onslaught.
The blade was far faster than before, and its power was on an entirely different level.
Crack!
Smash!
Two tokens shattered and fell in an instant, leaving Danmok Il with only four.
Sweat poured down Danmok Il’s face as he desperately parried Dae-nok’s attacks.
Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their exchanges came so quickly that ordinary spectators couldn’t even follow them with their eyes.
The duel continued with Dae-nok firmly holding the upper hand.
Before long, Danmok Il had only two tokens remaining, while Dae-nok still had four.
But Dae-nok could only bite his lip.
The burst of latent power he could draw out through rage lasted for roughly half an hour.
And that half hour had already passed.
He could feel his strength draining away at a terrifying rate.
‘Just two! I only need to break two more and I win! Damn it!’
The first person to notice something was wrong with Dae-nok was his opponent, Danmok Il.
Sensing an opportunity, Danmok Il immediately launched an aggressive counterattack.
Clang! Clang!
Dae-nok fought back, but he couldn’t stop the token on his left shoulder from shattering.
Three remained.
Crack!
The token on his right leg shattered as well, leaving him with only two.
This can’t happen! Not now! Damn it!
Then his eyes fell upon Eun Seo-ho.
At that moment, a flood of memories surged through his mind.
“Ah, it’ll be incredibly bitter. But bitter medicine is good for you, right? So don’t even think about spitting it out. Drain it. Every last drop!”
“…”
“Every drop you leave behind or spill means ten suspended sit-ups.”
And then there was this.
“That contract you signed. Did you read it carefully?”
“Of course.”
“Then you remember this clause, don’t you?”
“…!”
“Do you have fifty gold taels?”
“…”
“It seems you didn’t take me seriously when I told you to brace yourself. Hahaha. That’s all right. You can start doing better now.”
He remembered the hideous taste of the Tiger-Bear Primordial Body Decoction he had retched down for three straight days, and the brutal training that had left him constantly wondering how he was possibly still alive.
And he remembered every needling remark Eun Seo-ho had used to scrape away at his patience.
Just remembering it all sent a fresh surge of rage tearing through him.
Normally, he could only draw out his latent power through anger once every two hours, but this fury was intense enough to shatter that restriction.
“Raaaaaaagh!”
He unleashed a savage roar and swung his sword at Danmok Il.
Clang! Clang!
Smash!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Thud!
Faced with the frenzied barrage, Danmok Il was completely overwhelmed and could do nothing but suffer one attack after another.
These strikes were on an entirely different level from everything that had come before.
Amid the onslaught, his two remaining tokens were shattered or sliced away.
“S-stop! I lost! All my tokens are already gone!”
Only after hearing Danmok Il’s desperate shout did Dae-nok come to his senses and stop his sword.
“…”
“It’s your victory. Your win was no accident. I apologize for my earlier words and conduct.”
“…Ah, yes.”
At that moment, Commander Geum Yeon-hwa climbed onto the platform and declared Dae-nok the winner.
“The first match of the main tournament’s opening round goes to Warrior Dae-nok of the Yeongyeol Sect!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
The crowd erupted into cheers.
I smirked as I listened to the crowd roar.
He had fought better than I expected.
Still, once he was down to two tokens, I had thought the match was over.
His opponent had held out remarkably well, while Warrior Dae-nok’s strength had been fading fast.
But astonishingly, he had unleashed another burst of latent power at the very end, allowing him to seize the victory.
From what we had discovered during training, he could only maintain that burst for half an hour every two hours. So how had he managed to trigger it again?
I was curious, but I could always ask him later.
For now, I needed to congratulate him on his victory.
Whispers rose from the crowd around me.
“No matter how I look at it, I didn’t see any dirty tricks.”
“He fought fair and square.”
“Exactly.”
“Then what was all that about Young Lord Namgoong On losing because of underhanded tactics?”
“What do you think? He was embarrassed that he lost, so he made up an excuse.”
“Ah, that explains it!”
A wide grin spread across my face.
Young Lord Namgoong On had to be feeling sick to his stomach after witnessing that.
But would that really be the end of it?
The Namgoong Clan wouldn’t care if one of its members hired men to vent his personal frustrations.
But they would never tolerate someone publicly disgracing the clan.
Heh heh heh.
That was exactly what I had been aiming for.
The Namgoong Clan had made this mess. They could clean up their own shit.
I rose from my seat.
It was time to welcome today’s victor.
“Well fought.”
“It was all thanks to you, Great Hero. I dedicate today’s victory to you.”
“There’s no need for that. You earned this victory by enduring all that grueling training, so you may claim every bit of it for yourself.”
“Thank you.”
At that moment, Palgap handed him some dumplings.
He had prepared them in advance, knowing that Warrior Dae-nok would be ravenous after drawing out the power of his rage and fighting a duel.
“Eat.”
“Thank you.”
He immediately began devouring the dumplings.
He must have been starving. Then again, he had unleashed his latent power through rage twice.
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“When you unleashed that second burst at the end, how exactly did you do it?”
“Ghk! Cough! Cough!”
Warrior Dae-nok choked on his dumpling and hurriedly gulped down his tea. I tilted my head as I watched him.
What was that?
Why did I suddenly feel like I had asked something I shouldn’t have?
–TL Notes–
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