The martial matches continued, and before long, only two warriors remained in the Heaven Group.
“At last, we have reached the final match of the Heaven Group! These two need no introduction! Hundred-Strategy Cold Sword Zhuge Yu-a! And Crimson Sea Sword Hero Cheong-ryu!”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
“Hundred-Strategy Cold Sword! Hundred-Strategy Cold Sword!”
“Crimson Sea Sword Hero! Crimson Sea Sword Hero!”
The spectators chanted their epithets and cheered them on.
The two climbed onto the martial stage, fastened seven tokens to their bodies, and faced each other.
“I hope we can have a good match.”
“Yes.”
Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a answered Warrior Cheong-ryu.
“I hope so as well.”
Boom!
The martial match began with the beating of the drum.
Warrior Cheong-ryu held his sword in his left hand.
He was the warrior who had advanced after defeating Warrior Gyeong-su of the Wudang Sect.
The left-handed sword was the foundation of the Hainan Sect’s martial arts.
It was one of the qualities that distinguished them from other sects, and the reason could be found in the Hainan Sect’s history.
The Hainan Sect was located on Limu Peak, on Hainan Island in the southern reaches of the empire.
In the past, that place had been little more than a helpless punching bag for pirates.
The people there had taken in martial arts from across the land so they could defend themselves, then developed those arts into something of their own.
As a result, rather than developing martial arts designed to look elegant or impressive, they had focused entirely on techniques that were brutally practical in actual combat.
In that regard, they were similar to Warrior Gong Min, Captain Yong’s elder brother.
Since their primary enemies were pirates, they often employed tactics that involved boarding pirate ships and attacking them at close range.
In the middle of such battles, there were countless occasions when they had to cling to something. They would support themselves by gripping part of the ship with their right hand while wielding a sword with their left.
They also favored swift sword techniques because they needed to strike quickly and retreat. To kill pirates more efficiently, they would sometimes wield their swords in a reverse grip as well.
For a brief while, the two fiercely studied each other.
Thud!
Thud!
Then, as though they had reached their conclusions at the same moment, they kicked off the stage and charged without either taking the lead.
Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a gritted her teeth as she confronted Warrior Cheong-ryu’s sword, which came at her from every manner of bizarre angle.
He must have been far more difficult to face than she had expected.
That was when it happened.
Shhk!
Warrior Cheong-ryu’s sword moved along a completely unexpected trajectory and sliced through the token on Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a’s shoulder.
The blade did not stop at the token. It seemed to have cut into her shoulder as well, and blood streamed down her arm.
She ignored the wound and drove her left fist forward.
Thud!
At the same instant, one of Warrior Cheong-ryu’s tokens shattered.
Blood spattered across the stage.
Then again, Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a was hardly the sort of person who would falter over a wound like that.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
They exchanged more than ten attacks in the blink of an eye, and the spectators watched the vicious match with sweat gathering in their palms.
I also focused intently on their battle.
Neither was willing to yield even an inch.
Blood flowed from both of them as their tokens shattered one by one.
How much time had passed?
Their clothes were stained red in several places, and each of them had only a single token remaining.
They were perfectly matched, a dragon and tiger locked in battle.
The tension tightened to a breaking point.
Thud!
Warrior Cheong-ryu made the first move.
Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a immediately launched herself forward as though she intended to counterattack.
Then.
“…!”
Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a released the sword in her hand. And then…
Shhk.
Warrior Cheong-ryu’s sword tore into her side, spraying blood into the air. She trapped his blade in the wound with her body and flashed him a grin.
Another sound followed at once.
Crack!
It was the sound of Warrior Cheong-ryu’s final token shattering beneath Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a’s fist.
She had sacrificed flesh to claim bone.
Everyone knew the strategy, but who would have expected her to use it like this?
Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a staggered backward, raised the corners of her lips, and spoke.
“I won.”
Warrior Cheong-ryu had been standing there in a daze, but her words brought him back to his senses. He lowered his head.
“I lost.”
From what I could tell, he was probably awestruck by the sheer insanity of her resolve. She had willingly let herself be stabbed to seize victory.
Commander Geum Yeon-hwa climbed onto the martial stage and announced the winner.
“The final winner of the Heaven Group is Zhuge Yu-a!”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!”
A tremendous roar loud enough to shake the heavens filled the martial arena.
“Hundred-Strategy Cold Sword! Hundred-Strategy Cold Sword!”
“Hehe. I won.”
After murmuring those words, Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a collapsed on the stage.
“Yu-a! Good heavens, you reckless girl!”
The Zhuge Clan Lord was pacing anxiously on the other side of the arena.
The assistants soon rushed over, placed her on a stretcher, and carried her to the infirmary.
Whew. Now I had one more reason to visit the infirmary.
I sighed as I watched Warrior Cheong-ryu descend from the martial stage.
His expression was filled with emptiness.
That was understandable.
Still, he looked more burdened than someone who had merely lost a match…
“With that, the Heaven Group’s martial matches have concluded.”
And so, the Heaven Group’s matches came to an end. Starting tomorrow, the main matches for the Earth Group would begin.
I would be competing in the Earth Group’s main matches.
Putting that aside, I should visit the infirmary.
.
.
.
A short while later.
I headed to the infirmary with my escort guards. There, I found Warrior Dae-nok frantically stuffing dumplings into his mouth.
“You brat, stop eating already.”
“Senior Brother, what am I supposed to do when I’m still hungry no matter how much I eat?”
“Good grief… At this rate, you’re going to spend every last coin you received on dumplings.”
“What? No, I can’t let that happen.”
I could not shake the entirely reasonable suspicion that the Yeongyeol Sect Leader had withheld the secrets of the Yeongyeol Sect’s martial arts from them because the sect genuinely could not afford to feed them.
A considerable amount of time had passed since Warrior Dae-nok’s match ended, yet he was still eating dumplings.
I laughed and joined their conversation.
“Don’t worry. I can cover the cost of a few dumplings.”
“G-Great Hero!”
“Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes.”
Warrior Dae-nok spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“I’m sorry. I ended up losing.”
“It’s fine. Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a was never an easy opponent. Besides, she went on to become the final winner of the Heaven Group.”
“I see.”
“Now that you’re feeling better, it would be wiser to leave this place and have a proper meal at Yeonpung Inn.”
“Y-yes, I’ll do that.”
He cautiously studied my expression. I had a good idea what he was worried about.
“And you don’t need to worry. I have no intention of withdrawing my sponsorship. I never made winning the tournament a condition in the first place.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Once your treatment is finished, go to Yeonpung Inn and eat your fill. Just don’t swallow everything too quickly. You’ll suffer terribly if you give yourself indigestion.”
“Understood.”
Warrior Dae-nok and Warrior Su-am then left for Yeonpung Inn, and I turned to Palgap.
“You worked hard.”
“It was truly exhausting, sir.”
“So how many plates of dumplings did he eat?”
“I’d say at least thirty.”
“…”
The number was so far beyond my expectations that I was briefly left speechless.
“He actually fit all of that into his stomach?”
“I couldn’t believe it either, sir.”
I let out a quiet laugh and headed toward the place where Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a was being treated.
The Zhuge Clan Lord was there with her.
“Greetings, Clan Lord.”
The Clan Lord graciously returned my greeting.
“Yes, it has been a while. It’s good to see you.”
“How is the Young Clan Lord?”
“She lost a considerable amount of blood. I’ll probably have to give her a Blood-Replenishing Pill. The cut is quite deep, though, so stopping the bleeding has been no easy task.”
That was only natural.
The slash across her side had been deep.
I held out a small bottle to him.
“What is this?”
“It was made from an elixir with exceptional blood-stanching properties. It should help.”
“Thank you.”
Since it was the undiluted essence, its effects would be extraordinary.
I had given Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a Golden Wound Medicine before, but I could hardly tell her to apply it while she was unconscious. That left me no choice but to hand over the concentrate I carried.
The rational reason I was helping her was that Young Lady Zhuge Yu-a was an important piece of my plan for revenge.
But even setting reason aside, it was deeply unsettling to see someone with whom I shared such a strong connection lying there with grave injuries.
“Ah, Clan Lord. Please keep it a secret that I gave you this.”
“Why?”
“You’ll understand once you use the medicine.”
With that, I offered him a cupped-fist salute and left the infirmary.
Hmm. The Heaven Group’s matches ended early, so I still had some time left.
More importantly, had the Ji Clan still not reached a decision?
As I walked along with those thoughts in mind, I heard a familiar voice.
Wasn’t that Warrior Cheong-ryu?
“I’m sorry, Sect Leader. I should have won the tournament and brought back the prize money…”
“It’s all right. It’s all right. I’m the one who should apologize for placing such a heavy burden on someone as young as you.”
“Sect Leader…”
“Don’t be so discouraged. Hahaha. Who knows? A gold ingot might suddenly fall out of the sky.”
“How could that possibly happen?”
“I’ll meet with a few more people and ask if they’re willing to lend us money.”
“Haven’t they all rejected you already?”
“You mustn’t give up merely because they rejected you once. And if nothing else works, I can always kneel and ask them again. Hahaha.”
“Sigh, Sect Leader… Shouldn’t you preserve at least a little dignity?”
“Pride doesn’t put food on the table, you brat.”
What in the world was going on?
From what I had overheard, it sounded as though they desperately needed financial assistance…
Was that why Warrior Cheong-ryu had looked so burdened?
More importantly, I found myself smiling at the Hainan Sect Leader’s words.
Perhaps seeing the Ji Clan’s rigid and hypocritical behavior had left me more inclined to help someone like him.
Of course, dignity was important for a prestigious sect with a long history.
But as the Sect Leader had said, pride did not put food on the table.
Perhaps I should at least ask about their circumstances.
I approached them and offered Warrior Cheong-ryu a cupped-fist salute.
“My name is Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Ah, yes. I’m Cheong-ryu of the Hainan Sect.”
“Your match today was truly outstanding.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled and addressed the Sect Leader as well.
“You have raised an exceptional disciple.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
“I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation, but it seems the Hainan Sect is facing a situation that requires financial assistance.”
My words startled them.
“So, provided it would not be too intrusive, may I ask what happened?”
Warrior Cheong-ryu looked toward the Sect Leader with an uncomfortable expression.
The Sect Leader sighed before answering.
“Whew… We were the ones foolish enough to discuss this outside, so I suppose we have no right to complain.”
“Before that, please feel free to speak casually with me. I’m much younger than you.”
“In that case, well… Ahem.”
The Sect Leader cleared his throat and began his explanation.
“The truth is, a powerful storm struck Hainan Island this summer. Many of the people living there suffered terrible losses.”
Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered hearing something about that.
Since I had no business connected to Hainan Island, I had simply dismissed the news at the time.
“We need a great deal of money to help them, but as you know, our sect is not particularly wealthy.”
“If the money is intended to provide relief for the common people, can’t you receive assistance from the imperial government?”
He gave me a bitter smile at my question.
“The entire empire is still suffering from poor harvests, is it not? We can hardly expect substantial support under such circumstances. Besides, it is not uncommon for relief funds to disappear somewhere along the way.”
Hainan Island was far from the Imperial Capital, and because it was an island, the Imperial Family’s authority there was considerably weaker.
In other words, some of Hainan Island’s officials were helping themselves to a portion of the relief funds.
It seemed I had finally found a proper case after a long dry spell.
I had recently been concerned because I had nothing to report to the emperor in my capacity as a Censorate Inspector. This worked out perfectly.
“I see. Then did the Hainan Sect enter the friendly martial tournament to earn money for the victims?”
“That is more or less the truth. As you know, the winner of the friendly martial tournament receives 10,000 silver taels. We intended to use the prize money to provide relief to the people of Hainan Island.”
I could feel the sincerity in every word the Sect Leader spoke.
Sect Leader, are you some kind of saint?
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Because I’m deeply impressed by the compassion shown by you and the Hainan Sect.”
I asked another question.
“But why are you willing to go so far?”
“Because the people living on Hainan Island are no different from family to the Hainan Sect. In fact, there are very few people on the island who have no connection to our sect.”
“I suppose that makes sense.”
Even so, there was no particular reason a martial sect needed to concern itself with providing relief to ordinary civilians.
Yet seeing them struggle so desperately for the island’s residents made it clear why the Hainan Sect commanded such respect.
Disaster relief…
There was no way I could sit this one out.
“You said you need 10,000 silver taels?”
“That is correct.”
“I’ll provide the money.”
At my words, the Sect Leader’s expression immediately became wary.
“I appreciate the offer, but our sect has little influence. We have nothing to offer the Eunhae Merchant Group in return.”
“That doesn’t matter. And you needn’t feel burdened by it.”
I continued.
“This money will be coming from me personally, not the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“You would personally provide such an enormous sum?”
Admittedly, 10,000 silver taels was a considerable amount of money.
But for something like this, I was more than willing to give it freely.
“Why did the others refuse to lend you the money?”
Warrior Cheong-ryu sighed at my question.
“The truth is, this would not be our first loan. We have borrowed around 300,000 silver taels so far. And…”
“You haven’t been able to repay it.”
“We are still making regular payments. We aren’t shameless enough to simply ignore our debts.”
Sects and clans might appear wealthy from the outside, but operating such large organizations and maintaining their prestige required a tremendous amount of money. Their finances were often far tighter than people imagined.
It was difficult to lend them even more money when the existing loans could not be recovered anytime soon and their repayments came in such small amounts.
In truth, merchants were the ones with the most money.
That was why most martial sects and clans had a merchant group sponsoring them.
The Ji Clan was the unusual one.
Still, the contrast was rather striking. The Ji Clan had burned through several million silver taels on failed business ventures and gambling, and even while struggling helplessly because they could not repay the money, they continued to hold their heads high…
Meanwhile, the Hainan Sect Leader was willing to kneel before others for a mere 10,000 silver taels so he could provide relief to the people of Hainan Island…
Sigh. What a contrast.
–TL Notes–
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